Somatic Groundwork Essentials
online somatic movement course
In this 10-hour online self-paced course, I invite you to take a journey with me to learn Somatic Groundwork. Somatic Groundwork is a movement practice that is effective for reducing (and eliminating) low back, hip, neck and shoulder pain, calming the nervous system, increasing vagal tone and improving mobility. Further, Somatic Groundwork also reduces chronic pain and other unfavorable symptoms from daily stress overload, repetitive injury and illness. Somatic Groundwork is a progressive movement system with a developmental, fascia-oriented and trauma-informed approach. The practices are gentle and creative allowing each individual to adapt the movements in a way that is best suited for their needs.
The online somatic movement course includes three in-depth mighty classes on the primary patterning methods in Somatic Groundwork: yielding, unwinding and core support (see more about these below). Each of these mighty classes includes bite-sized practices that can easily be applied to your daily routines in as little as 10-15 minutes/ day. There are also two additional classes that combine these methods for further progressions. The five hours of guided movement practice are interspersed with lessons on sensing, fascia, touch and tensegrity. Learn the science and philosophy of Somatic Groundwork through video lectures and reading material. During the course you will be guided to create your own personal Somatic Groundwork sequences.
Course Topics
1: Somatic Movement Education
Get an introduction to the benefits of somatic movement, how the field was created 50 years ago and the vision for a decolonial somatics moving forward.
2: Systems Sensing & Touch
Learn the science of sensation and touch and how Somatic Groundwork participates with ground touch to generate therapeutic outcomes.
3: Yielding
Experience the first patterning method In Somatic Groundwork with yielding, rocking, rolling and pandiculating. Explore the developmental philosophy of yielding and science of pandiculation.
4: Unwinding
Learn about the basic mechanisms of unwinding through fascia anatomy and experience the systems sensing approach to unwinding through a handful of different movement forms.
5: Core Support
Explore the core support patterning method through a safe and effective sequence of somatic techniques and movements and learn the embodied anatomy of diaphragm movement.
6: Patterning & Tensegrity
Learn about weaving the patterning methods together for a personal daily practice and explore how tensegrity, patterns and forces relate to somatic experience.
The “essential” patterning methods in Somatic Groundwork
Yielding is a process of relational participation with gravity and ground to generate support and inner stability. The emergent experience of embodied active rest supports deep recovery, feelings of well-being and energy renewal. Yielding practices involve specific somatic techniques plus rocking and rolling movements on the floor for soothing the nervous system and creating whole body ease.
Unwinding is a patterning method that is like self-massage therapy with movement. Through tracking sensation and creative play, unwinding follows our body’s impulses and inner efforts through movement forms. The oscillation between the stretch and squeeze actions helps to maintain tissue health and tune our postural reflexes. The method is used to “unwind” areas of resistance to reduce myofascial pain and rigidity and improve feelings of pleasure and ease.
Core support is a patterning method to specifically aid in movement connectivity from the center out and ground up. Repetitive movement, cumulative injury and chronic stress can contribute to impaired mobility, myofascial restrictions and feelings of discomfort and pain in the mid/low back and hips. The method is based on movements to integrate breath with movement; the limbs with the spine and pelvis; and our body with ground, gravity and space.
who is the Essentials online somatic movement course for?
The 10-hr Somatic Groundwork Essentials course is for anyone who wants to experience and understand the intersection of sensing, movement, fascia and touch. The course is a good match for people looking for self-healing methods that also benefit from knowing why a method works. This course is a good introduction to “essential” bodymind patterning methods you can explore safely to support moving and feeling better. If you are a therapist or teacher and are curious to know if Interdisciplinary Movement & Somatics is a good fit, this course is also highly recommended. By taking the Essentials course you will get direct experience of the online learning approach in IMS and earn your first 10 hours in the program. Further, reduce your IMS enrollment fee by the same amount as the investment of this course ($230 usd) when you enroll in either IMS Core or IMS Total.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Discover the science of touch – sense, resonance and primacy – and the Somatic Groundwork basis of touch
- Learn how fascia, sensing and somatic movement practice intersect
- Discover the history of somatic movement education
- Experience the primary Somatic Groundwork patterning methods: yielding, unwinding and core support
- Explore systems sensing as way to embody movement practice
- Learn how our tissues demonstrate emergent behaviors and phase change lending to structural flexibility
- Learn the basic functional anatomy of the diaphragm and inner unit system
- Experience feelings of pleasure and ease through embodied movement practice with ground, gravity and space
- Explore how the structural principles of tensegrity are applied to somatic patterning
- Experience a flexible, creative and embodied approach to online learning
- Earn your first 10 hours towards Interdisciplinary Movement & Somatics
Join the Essentials Course now and get a special invite to the members-only live events in October!
Fields of Touch – Showing & Discussion
Friday the 4th @ 9am – 11 am
Come join the community for a live showing of my most recent educational video and research on the sense of touch (science, resonance and early development) and how this influences our appraoch as somatic practitioners. Together we will watch the 45-min video (also found in the Essentials Course) and then I will facilitate an open discussion afterwords.
Creative Mobility- hips & shoulders
Wednesdays 2, 9, 16 @ 9 am – 10 am
The three weekly 60 minute classes will be progressive and basde on gentle mobility practices to support fluid movement in the hips and shoulders. The first class will be on the floor. The second class will include both floor-based and standing movements. The third class will be a standing class.
(note: events are virtual on Zoom and all times are listed in MDT, check your time zone here)
In this 10-hour online self-paced somatic movement course, experience the benefits of Somatic Groundwork and explore the movement system’s philosophical framework. Practice somatic patterning through developmental and creative movement. Learn about the science of sensing, fascia, touch and tensegrity.
“Somatic Groundwork speaks to my ethics and values and hope for humanity.”
Lora Sheldon
Somatic Groundwork Teacher
“Exploratory.. . deep… insightful and high standard teaching.”
Jo Kemp
Somatic Facilitator