Somatic Relaxation Exercises
In this short Somatics class, you'll learn gentle movements that release chronic muscular tension in the lower back, abdomen, shoulders, chest, face and jaw. Did you know that chronic muscular tension...
View ArticleThe Life-Changing Link Between Anxiety and Muscle Tension
The Life-Changing Link Between Anxiety and Muscle Tension Anxiety is thought of as a psychological disorder, but it actually involves many systems of the body. Anxiety is a true “somatic” condition: It...
View ArticleThe Anatomy of Your Tension Headache
The Anatomy of Your Tension Headache If you're reading this post, you may be one of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches. Headaches are one of the most frustrating pain conditions...
View ArticleBreathing in Clinical Somatics exercises
Breathing in Clinical Somatics exercises Many students ask me how to breathe correctly when practicing Clinical Somatics exercises. Your breathing pattern is more important in some exercises than...
View ArticleNew Research on How Stress Affects Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, the Gut...
New Research on How Stress Affects Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, the Gut Microbiome, Cancer Treatment, and RelationshipsStress is a particular passion of mine—I love learning how to reduce negative...
View ArticleGood vs. Bad Stress: The Critical Difference Between Challenge and Threat
Good vs. Bad Stress: The Critical Difference Between Challenge and Threat When we're faced with a potentially stressful situation, we automatically and subconsciously ask ourselves two questions:...
View ArticleWhy Body-Centered Therapies Help Heal Post-Traumatic Stress
Why Body-Centered Therapies Help Heal Post-Traumatic Stress About one-half of adults in the U.S. experience at least one traumatic event during their lives. It might be a violent attack, accident,...
View ArticleWhen the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection
When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection “If you can't say no, your body will do it for you.” You may have experienced coming down with a cold after a period of high stress....
View ArticleThe Latest Wonder Drug Is Free, and It’s All Around Us
The Latest Wonder Drug Is Free, and It's All Around Us Screens have taken over our lives, and we've reached a point in our existence where we need a doctor to tell us to get outside. A study done in...
View ArticleChronic Tension in Facial Muscles Can Keep You Stuck in Stress and Emotions
Chronic Tension in Facial Muscles Can Keep You Stuck in Stress and EmotionsIf you've ever watched the TV show Lie To Me, you know that people automatically express their emotions through their facial...
View ArticleDoctors Call for an End to the Parkinson’s Pandemic
Doctors Call for an End to the Parkinson's Pandemic Parkinson's disease is not new—descriptions of the condition can be found in ancient Chinese medical texts from 425 BC and Indian medical texts from...
View ArticleForced Exercise and Stress Reduction Reverse Parkinson’s Symptoms
Forced Exercise and Stress Reduction Reverse Parkinson's Symptoms If you read last week's post Doctors Call for an End to the Parkinson's Pandemic, you learned that Parkinson's disease is most often...
View ArticleKaroshi: Is Working Long Hours Worth the Health Risks?
Karoshi: Is Working Long Hours Worth the Health Risks? In 1969, a 29-year-old man working in the shipping department of Japan's largest newspaper died suddenly of a stroke. While at first his case was...
View Article12 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Meditation
12 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Meditation To say that it's been a stressful year would be an understatement. If you don't meditate, you may have considered starting as a way to calm your...
View ArticleMeditation Series
Over the next few months I'll be offering a series of guided meditations for beginners on YouTube. Some of them are true somatic meditations—exploring breath sensations, internal bodily sensations, and...
View ArticleThe Diverse Ways in Which SMC® CEI instructors Use Clinical Somatics to Help...
The Diverse Ways in Which SMC® CEI Instructors Use Clinical Somatics to Help People The Somatic Movement Center® Certified Exercise Instructor (SMC® CEI) program was born out of a desire to make...
View ArticleWhat is the Polyvagal Theory?
What is the Polyvagal Theory? The Polyvagal Theory is a theory proposed by Stephen Porges that describes how the mammalian autonomic nervous system evolved to keep us safe and alive. As mammals evolved...
View ArticleLearning to Relax After Four Decades of Chronic Tension by Lena Pollack
Learning to Relax After Four Decades of Chronic Tension by Lena Pollack Every time I get a tensed muscle to relax, it’s like a little miracle. It leaves me awestruck, much like being chosen by a...
View ArticleThe Role of Belief in Health and Healing
The Role of Belief in Health and Healing Belief is a powerful thing. In a 2001 study, researchers told a group of Parkinson's patients that they were receiving a highly effective new drug that would...
View ArticleHow to Relieve Shallow Breathing
How to Relieve Shallow Breathing Chronic stress, posture, and muscle tension can all play a role in developing shallow breathing. When we habitually take shallow breaths, our oxygen supply is limited....
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