About Somatics

Soma: The body as perceived from within. The living body in its wholeness.

The field of somatics was developed by Thomas Hanna in 1970 and has experienced a boost in popularity due to increased attention to mindfulness practices. Somatics refers to any practice that heightens the mind-body connection and increases one's awareness to self and to their surroundings. Rather than focusing primarily on the skeletomuscular system as a source of feedback, somatic practices encourage the participant to pay attention to sensations, thoughts, temperature, images, breath, and emotions during both movement and stillness. This integrated approach emphasizes internal awareness over external motivators with the goal of building a healthy and meaningful relationship with one’s body. 

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"To work somatically with someone is to work with the unity of their being." - Richard Strozzi