Tennessee School of Therapeutic Massage

Study Somatics to Become a Better Massage Therapist

Study Somatics to Become a Better Massage Therapist

I was reading an interesting article today in Massage Magazine about how to become a better massage therapist by studying and practicing somatics. So what exactly is “somatics?” According to The Free Dictionary (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/somatic), somatics is of, relating to, or affecting the body, especially as distinguished from a body part, the mind, or the environment; corporeal or physical.

• presence

• integrity

• unbiased perception

• contact

• commitment

• technique

Disciplines that stimulate embodied awareness such as vipassan meditation, conscious movement, Japanese martial art aikido, hands-on bodywork, Reichian breathwork and Gestalt are all examples given by the article.

Somatics teaches that high-quality body/mind function and awareness are central to the development and maintenance of psychological and physical integrity and well-being. It focuses on the connection between physical phenomena occurring in the body, cognition and human capacity. Many people are caught in mental habits of reaction, avoidance and belief, and physical habits of stress, fatigue and insensibility. The somatic process creates a more centered individual by working on conscious awareness and teaching the difference between thinking and sensation, seeing and imagining, self-consciousness and instinctive responsiveness.

Somatics Exercises to Try Now:

• What does it feel like to live in your body right now?

• Do you feel pain or discomfort anywhere?

• Are you breathing fully?

• Is your chest expanded or contracted?

• Is your tongue relaxed or pressed against the inside of your mouth?

• Does one arm swing more easily than the other?

• Does your mind wander?

• Notice the sensation of walking.... Are your feet turned in, out, or straight?

• Is your stride short or long?

• Is your lower back arched out or tucked under?

• Try walking like a duck with feet turned out, then like a pigeon with feet turned in. Notice how the position of the feet affects the body.

Once you as a therapist are comfortable inside your body, the mind can quiet making it possible to be more present during each session.

Michelle Accola

Student Massage Therapist

Posted by Lorie Warren - Tuesday, 01/03/12, 09:59 PM - Comments - Category: Massage Fun Facts