Table Of ContentSOMATIC EXERCISES™
TEACHER'S GUIDE
Eleanor Criswell-Hanna, Ed.D.
A Guide for using Somatic Exercises™ with clients and students.
Somatics Educational Resources
1516 Grant Ave., Suite 212, Novato, CA 94945 USA
[email protected]
(415)892-0617
All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
SOMATIC EXERCISES™
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TEACHER'S GUIDE
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Eleanor Criswell-Hanh, a, Ed.D.
A Guide for using SOlll~tic ~x:erci~ses~. "W:ith clients and students.
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Somatics Educadbnal Resources
1516 Grant Ave., Suite 2t2, ~ovato, CA 94945 USA
www.somaticsed.co·~ .. [email protected]
(4 15)'892~0617
All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
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SOMATIC EXERCISES™T EACHER'S GUIDE
Eleanor Criswell-Hanna, Ed.D.
Somatics Educational Resources - Novato, California
The term "Somatic Exercises" is trademarked, and may not be used to designate products without
the permission of Eleanor Criswell-Hanna.
Production Supervisor: Allegra Hiner
Editorial Assistant: Marsha Calhoun
Copyright © 1992 by Eleanor Criswell-Hanna
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
Soma tics Educational Resources
1516 Grant Ave., #212
Novato, CA 94945 U.S.A.
CONTENTS
Foreword 1
Chapter I. Introduction 2
Chapter II. What is Somatics? What are the Somatic Exercises? 4
Somatic Exercises 5
How to Give Yourself the Maximum Benefit of Somatic Exercises 6
Chapter III. How to Conduct a Somatic Exercise Class 8
Chapter Iv. Schedule/Outline for Somatic Exercise Classes 9
Chapter V. Other Resources 11
What is Somatics? by Thomas Hanna 13
Somatic Educational Resources Catalogue 14
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SOMATIC EXERCISES TEACHER'S GUIDE
by Eleanor Criswell-Hanna, Ed.D.
FOREWORD
There are many professionals using the Somatic Exercises with their clients/students; there
are many more who would like to be able to use them effectively. The purpose of the Somatic Exer
cises Teacher's Kit is to enable you to teach the basic Somatic Exercises in a variety of settings.
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CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
The Somatic Exercises Teacher's Kit will enable you to teach the Somatic Exercises to in
dividuals or groups. The Teacher's Kit includes the book Somatics: Reawakening the Mind's
Control of Movement. Flexibility. and Health by Thomas Hanna; the "Myth of Aging" audio
tape/CD series (Thomas Hanna); the "Cat Stretch" audio tape/CD created by Thomas Hanna and
narrated by Eleanor Criswell; the "Unlocking Your Body" DVD/video (Thomas Hanna); and the
Somatic Exercises Teacher's Guide. (DVD/video provided in "Deluxe" Teacher's Kit)
The Somatics book, first published in 1988, is designed to introduce you to the basic somatic
concepts. Although the Somatic Exercises will work without understanding the theory and research
behind them, they are even more effective if studentsl clients understand what is happening. They
are even more likely to continue to use the exercises if they are aware of the purpose and benefits.
(Adult learners tend to learn things for a purpose). Also, as you are aware of the physiology of what
you are doing, you will be aware more specifically of your movements and, therefore, able to orga
nize yourself more effectively for what you are doing.
The organization of the book includes five case studies illustrating the Red Light, Green
Light, and Trauma reflexes, with directions for and pictures illustrating the basic somatic exercises in
the back of the book.
The "Unlocking Your Body: Regaining Youth Through Somatic Awareness" DVD/video
tape (Thomas Hanna) was produced by Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D. as part of his "lhinking Allowed"
DVD collection. It is 90 minutes long and has two parts. The first part is an interview of Thomas
Hanna by Jeffrey Mishlove, during which Hanna discusses and demonstrates the Red Light, Green
Light, and Trauma reflexes. He demonstrates some of the hands-on somatic work with Mishlove,
releasing within minutes the muscles of the thigh and gluteal area. He also demonstrates his famous
foot-over-his-head maneuver. In the second part, Hanna uses a live model to demonstrate exercises
from the "Cat Stretch" series from his book, Somatics.
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The "Myth of Aging" CDs/audio tapes were designed and recorded by Thomas Hanna to
guide you through the basic exercises in the back of the Somatics book. These eight basic exercises
are devoted to increasing awareness, flexibility, and range of motion throughout your body. The
"Myth of Aging" CDs/tapes can also serve as material for a sample one-day workshop. The benefit
of the CDs/tapes is that you are guided through the movements, so that you remain more aware
while moving; you can be more relaxed because you are not remaining in "executive control" in
order to remember what to do next. Also, the opportunity to allow Thomas Hanna to guide your
movements at a relaxed pace is invaluable.
The "Complete Cat Stretch" CD/audio tape (created by Hanna and narrated by Criswell)
has been designed to be used on a daily basis after the basic exercises have been learned via the "So
maties" book or the "Myth of Aging" CDsltapes or a somatic educator/practitioner. (Note: The
Cat Stretch is visually demonstrated on the "Cat Stretch" and "Somatic Yoga" DVDs/videos)
When you first learn the somatic movements you will be more aware while doing them.
Later, it becomes a challenge to remain aware while doing them. Learned movement patterns are
valuable, but it is important to do the movements freshly. We have a tendency to habituate to
stimulation. That means that with experiences you cease to have the full cortical response to what
you are doing. This is useful because it economizes our efforts, but we tend to cease to be as aware
of them. Therefore, to continue to remain aware and integrated while you are moving requires a
special effort in attending.
The Somatic Exercises Teacher's Guide is designed to give you support, information, and
materials so that you can conduct a somatic exercise class or incorporate some of the principles into
your existing classes. We would appreciate hearing about your somatic exercise classes so that we
have a sense of their development, and so we can let others know what you are doing. We often get
questions about where somatic exercise classes are available.
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CHAPTER II.
WHAT IS SOMATICS? WHAT ARE SOMATIC EXERCISES?
Somatics, a term developed by Thomas Hanna, is a field whic:h addresses the unification of
mind and body. He begins with the concept of the "soma", which IS the body experienced from
within. Soma is the Greek word,fot body. Historically, somat6logy was the name for the field
which later differentiated into anatomy and physiology. That served to separate the study of the
structure of the body from the study.,of jts functions. Fro,¢:,the perspective of Hanna's definition of
the soma there is no mind-body split. ." Ihe soma IS proceSs, ftinction rather than structure. It is the
result of the original creation of the uhi~erse and the evolution over time to our current expression
of that organic foundation (Hanna, 1980). '. ..
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Somatics is concerned with the-fir~t~:ys, th~ th!i4:.p~rson perspective in life.
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Hanna identified three refle~~s: !~th~: 'j~l\~d,~ight:~-'/'Gteen 'Light", and "Trauma" reflexes. The
"Red Light" reflex builds on Hans:.SelYe's ~'p'sery~#~h~ ~f the sn:~~s response, but presents the overall
part.
syndrome of changes of which it is a Jhe"RedLight"iiefl¢x is also referred to as the "startle
~:·~:h.e "~ca:p~·res~onse".
response". At other times it is referred to Over time it can become habitu-
ated and chronically present. ;';. ;,
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The "Green Light" reflex or the L~pau·~~fl~.i~;'t#e back extensor contraction arousal pattern
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which prepares us to move forward. The "rr~uffia,' r~fleX includes muscle contractions which sur-
round any trauma -- accident, surgery, long-term;stiess, and so forth.
Hanna also wrote about the "Dark Vi,se" in which the "Red Light" and "Green Light" re-
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flexes operate simultaneously, holding the p~rson iIi a',tight postural configuration which he called
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the "senile posture". Understanding these r~fl~~e~ is v~luable for understanding the benefits of the
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Somatic Exercises. The benefits of the Soma:~ic exer~ises include decreased pain, increased flexibility
and range of movement, and increased comfort an.q~ense of well-being.
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Thomas Hanna put forth the concept of sensory-motor amnesia (SMA) to describe the ten
dency of the human to forget certain movements or ways of relating to muscles or muscle groups,
leaving them chronically contracted. The contraction is the result of ongoing sub-cortical, brain
stem-level impulses sent to th'e motor units causing contractions of ~uscle fibers. The return to
cortical control returns the control of the muscles to the client/srudeflt.
There is a shift with somatic exercises from reflexive, automatic physiological programs to the
more voluntary control areas of the brain and behavior for more cortical control.
SOMATIC EXERCISES
The Somatic Exercises have the,if ,origins in',the work ~f Moshe Feldenkrais. Moshe Felden
krais was an Israeli physicist who invent~d the ingepious body therapy (Functional Integration) and
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over a thousand exercises designed to enhance ~o.v~m,ent wd awareness. Thomas Hanna studied
clas~ rh~f::~~p<~~ga:q~~4
with Feldenkrais in the training (1975) while he was director of the
Humanistic Psychology Institute, ~~ 13f_~2isco;,·~'Duriq~ th,e ~ext 10 years or so, working somati-
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cally with thousands of clients at the N.ova'~p> Wtithre.iri Noyato; California, he evolved the work in
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some highly effective ways. from 4is wor~ ~i~cye~~ ;an~ ~is awareness of the principles of bio-
feedback he developed a unique app,roath.,' ! (B.iof~dp,~9k isithe hse of electronic devices to measure
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bodily changes and feed back that inforrri~~6dt~.',.Y(Jll,: ,With the information you are then able to
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self-regulate your bodily processes more ef~cp"elY-':;)1).1is"may be used for relaxation and the man-
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agement of stress responses or to ::
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The Somatic Exercises program, the "Myr!i'ofAging" , enables you to systematically go
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through your various muscles or muscle groups a.gd voluntarily contract certain ones while length-
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ening others and then contract and slowly release'the opposite muscles or muscle groups.
Hanna recommended that the Cat Stie~ch'be d?ne when you first get up in the morning just
~ a cat stretches upon awakening. Some people al~o do them before retiring at night so that they
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can go to sleep without the muscle contractioD:p~tt~~ns accumulated during the day. It is also valu
able to do certain ones following exertions such ~ swimming, weight training, lifting heavy objects,
running or walking, and so forth. As you do tbeih dver ti~e you will notice a cumulative effect,
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More and more you will be aware of your body ClS yo'u are ocperiencing certain situations. You will
be more likely to organize yourself as effectively as possible for the situation.
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