the Somatics blog
Exploring somatic health, how the brain controls posture and movement, why we experience
muscle and joint pain, and how we can live our lives to the fullest.
7 Reasons Why Every Athlete Should Do Clinical Somatics
The benefits of Clinical Somatics exercises are so life-changing that every athlete needs to be doing them in order to improve their performance, prevent injuries, and extend their athletic career. […]
When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection
Dr. Gabor Maté’s phenomenal book When the Body Says No explores psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology—the science of how our psyche, nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system interact and affect our health. […]
How Your Sleeping Position Affects Your Posture, Proprioception, and Pain
If you suffer from any type of musculoskeletal pain or tension, especially in your neck, shoulders, back, or hips, consider how your sleeping position might be contributing.[…]
How to Make Meditation Part of Your Daily Life
How to Make Meditation Part of Your Daily Life Meditation may seem like the latest trend, but it's been around for thousands of years. Wall art in the Indus Valley, dating from approximately 5,000 to 3,500 BCE, depicts people sitting with crossed legs, hands resting on their knees, and eyes narrowed. Meditation techniques are [...]
12 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 mind, stop worrying, and get better sleep. But starting a meditation practice can be daunting. How can you fit it into [...]
The Benefits of Exploring Micromovements
The Benefits of Exploring Micromovements If you practice Clinical Somatics exercises, you know how slow and gentle they are. But if you're in a lot of pain to start with, your nervous system is highly sensitized, or you're dealing with joint inflammation or a structural issue, even the slow, gentle exercises might exacerbate your pain. [...]
How to Allow Change to Happen Instead of Forcing It
How to Allow Change to Happen Instead of Forcing It Have you had the experience of trying really hard to make something happen, over and over, and it just won't happen? Then you finally stop trying to force it – and that's when it happens? People often use the example of romantic relationships: stop [...]
Why Do We Sleep, and What Are the Dangers of Not Getting Enough?
Why Do We Sleep, and What Are the Dangers of Not Getting Enough? I just finished reading the New York Times bestseller Why We Sleep by neuroscientist Matthew Walker, and it was fantastic. Sleep is essential for all aspects of health—from maintaining immune system, cardiovascular, and reproductive function to improving memory and preventing cancer, [...]
Remembering the Secret Language of My Body by Lisa Anita Wegner
Remembering the Secret Language of My Bodyby Lisa Anita WegnerI am an artist and performer and I have been diligently working on myself for as long as I can remember. The changes I’ll be writing about follow on the heels of ten years of trauma therapy, soul searching, body work, meditation, physiotherapy, chiropractic, shiatsu and [...]
Karoshi: 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 called occupational sudden death, it was later determined that his stroke was caused by shift work and an increased workload. [...]
Let There Be Light! Making the Most of Your Serotonin and Melatonin
Let There Be Light! Making the Most of Your Serotonin and Melatonin Humans evolved living outdoors, exposed to bright natural light during the day and total darkness at night. The systems of our body rely on natural light to keep us healthy—our eyes and skin actually need to be exposed to daylight in order [...]
How to Get Your Inactive Muscles to Wake Up and Fire
How to Get Your Inactive Muscles to Wake Up and Fire People often ask me how to strengthen or “activate” weak or inactive muscles. Well, there's a difference between weak and inactive, and it's important to understand this difference. Do you feel like you can't get a certain muscle group to “fire” no matter [...]
Anaya’s Recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
Anaya's Recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome When I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) two and a half years ago, the doctor told me surely the most famous of all CFS one-liners: “95% of people do not recover, so don’t get your hopes up.” My response internally was “Fuck that!” and [...]
