Somatic education is a blossoming field of influence for the prevention and recovery from injuries, stress, tension, pain, and overall well-being. The simple process of self-knowledge through self-awareness facilitates a host of positive changes throughout the system that remains in your ability to reap the benefits of as often as you like. It provides the benefits of movement practices like yoga and t'ai chi with a few added bonuses that are described in this book. The sensitive, responsive intelligence of the body is at your disposal to make use of by following the descriptions of the exercises in this book that can release tension in just about any muscle in the body in 5 minutes or less.
This little known, Feldenkrais-based, easy-to-learn method has been around for decades and helped countless people to be empowered to help themselves. Somatic education not only is an invaluable adjunct to whatever workout routine you already have, it can also be used as the foundation of your wellness plan. It uses the body's own communication systems that retrain tension patterns to release, balance, and reset your system. It really works! The principles of this body of work are embedded in osteopathy, chiropractic, t'ai chi and chi kung, meditation, yoga, performing arts, sports, and dance. They all require consciously tuning in and connecting to an aspect of the body and mind in order to optimize its capacity to respond in a harmonious, efficient way.
The effectiveness of this approach is greatly enhanced by the mindfulness exercises included in this text. Bringing greater awareness to the subtle sensations the body produced while using it is a significant key to preventing mishaps and pain/strain patterns. All sorts of 'miracle' cures have been reported over the years by awakening your own ability to sense what's going on, at which time the body often reveals why and how to correct the imbalance creating the discomfort. Because a huge percentage of how we use our bodies is unconscious, this shift is transformative and liberating.