Life is traumatic.  We all have physical, emotional, and spiritual wounding that challenges us.  When we become stuck in trauma it can seem impossible to find flow in our lives.  Working with the body is the key to addressing trauma at its root.  I suggest reading Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, Peter Levine’s Waking the Tiger, and searching Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory.  These sources explain the power of somatic practice; I can help you experience its practical benefits.

Most movement is unconscious.  Thank goodness—otherwise it would take a moment of pure genius just to take a step.  And, it’s astounding how much sensitivity and control goes into such simple motions.  This is abundantly clear to you if you’ve suffered from severe pain, a stroke, a head injury, or a failed surgery—in these cases walking, standing, or sitting may be impossibly painful or difficult to coordinate.  Luckily our bodies are spectacularly intelligent, and they can always learn.  I can help you gain the skills and understanding that make it possible to heal, whether it’s for every-day activities like walking or more athletic ones such as mountain biking or lifting young children.

Pain offers a clear signal that it’s time to shift our patterns.  Have you noticed that seeing someone walk is like hearing their voice or reading their writing?  Our movements are a signature–we repeat our unique personal movement patterns constantly.  Inefficient movement patterns lead to chronic pain and dysfunction.  The good news is that shifting these patterns can be done methodically and reliably.  Sometimes the change that’s needed is about the relationships within the body—the sequencing of joints, the strength of muscles, and the flexibility of the connective tissues.  Sometimes the needed change is in relationship to other people and the environments we spend our time—these are also patterns.  In our first session together—a somatic movement assessment—we’ll look at what patterns are and aren’t working for you, and we’ll set specific goals for our work.  

There is a common myth of aging that says bodies are predetermined to break down.  When we honor the wisdom of the body—your ability to learn—then another path is revealed.  I have teachers in their 80’s who move with greater ease than I do at 45 because they have greater wisdom!  While of course each of us will die, and many of us will face significant challenges, we do not need to become or remain feeble, stuck, or broken.  

Book a 20 minute free phone consultation or Initial Assessment and Treatment to begin.