Freeing The Middle

Make sure you've read the guidelines.

The 1,2,3 – 2,3,1 process is important to remember otherwise you will treat these movement patterns as exercise and focus on the doing rather than focusing on the release and the sensory information which is produced as a result of your actions.

The key is observing how you release and noticing how your brain adjusts.

By paying attention to all the minute actions, you can control the release so it becomes smoother.

If you notice some hesitations and jerkiness, you can lift less and smooth those areas out.

Your internal awareness is what is at stake… not the force or range of motion you are trying to gain.  By observing and moving with greater ease, you will naturally extend into greater range of motion and have increased power to do so.  This takes some time to get used to, so just allow the process to naturally unfold for you.

In every Somatics class, you are to move as easily and comfortably as possible.  Always have your comfort in mind so you may have to use whatever props (towels, mats, cushions) are necessary.

An alteration of the position, a lessening of the movement, even to the point of just imagining the movement, if that is all you can do on a particular day, are ways to provide yourself with more comfort.

Repeating the patterns is necessary although you do not have to do an entire class, just do something, even if it’s 5 minutes.

If you can imagine or do the movements within a 72 hour window, your brain will remember the patterns, if not, you will lose what you have gained (until they have transferred into your longer term memory patterns), though you can always readily recover if you keep your practice going and remind the brain of its capacity to change the signals and produce the relaxation chemicals which are necessary for your well being and comfortable movement.

The focus in this class is the middle of your body, your spine.

You’ll begin with a movement to release the neck and shoulder area.  This area gets contracted when there is a demand place on us or when we think we have to do something.  The body naturally readies itself and certain muscles come into play.

This will begin a series of differentiated patterns to intensify the area and at the same time provide further relaxation.

You’ll also get to use your hands as an aid to feel what muscles come into play as you do a particular movement.  Learning what our connections are is vital to moving well. We are gaining the upper hand on reducing tension and stiffness as we sense it building in our everyday life.

The quality of a small or micro-movement can show you these connections so we can always err on doing less and sensing as much as we can.

By working with your malleable brain, you’re working with the concept of neural plasticity which you can enhance.  The other side of the coin is, of course, your brain can take itself to rigidity through your habits.  There is an easier way to work with your brain and your Somatic process allows you to access this path for well-being and self-improvement.

Somatics are great tools to recover from injury and I’m not just saying that, I live it each week in the games I play and being able to relax my nervous system afterwards or preparing it in anticipation is what you’ll discover with practice.

Notice if the set of movements get easier… in a manner of days.

Sensory Feedback

Perceive your sensory feedback by “internally watching” the signals you generate.  I often tell the story of casting a stone into a pond.  If you watch the ripple that you create you are quietly observing the feedback from the stone being cast.

The pause between your movement and its undoing, is the moment of that ripple.   The moments to just lie and perceive – it’s like you’re doing nothing, yet your brain is processing what just happened and in that space is a moment of integration.

If you throw in the next stone before the last wave is upon the shore, you create an interference of the original signal, so remember to just move easily and take your time.

Here’s a further somatic observation: as you lift and lower whatever part of yourself, notice the lowest point of the stuttering of that movement, if it occurs.

The next time just lift to that point so you can ease your way down with control.  Then, if it becomes easier to lift, do so… always work well within your comfort zone and by doing less you may actually accomplish more.

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