Soma is a system of bodywork, which works by way of the fascial (connective tissue) network, to release structural aberrations, and effectively realign the entire body. One primary component that is present in a full and healthy lifestyle, and especially apparent in healthy aging, is one’s ongoing ability to embody the process of growth that requires change in our lives, both psychologically and physically. SOMA, through the eleven-session structural format, facilitates our ability to respond creatively to an ever changing environment.
As the term neuromuscular implies, SOMA Neuromuscular Integration® affects both neurological and structural systems. Changes in structure are accomplished primarily through manipulation of fascia and muscles, whereas the neurological work is done on both physiological as well as psychological levels. Work in each area affects the other, so structural improvement is seen as much a function of neurological change as it is fascial manipulation.
As the body rebalances itself in gravity, becoming more efficient in function and healthier with greater resistance to disease and injury, people notice more coordination and grace in movement after the SOMA sessions. The result is a body that can process experiences more effectively, with greater awareness, which leads to enhanced learning and perceptual abilities. Qualities like self-reliance and creativity spontaneously emerge.
Life is change and change is movement, movement in our bodies, our feelings, our thoughts, our inspirations. It is the loss of our ability to move and change our bodies, as well as our thinking processes, that continually diminishes our ability to fully experience life. In SOMA we are softening the “hard wiring” and accessing more somatic options. We are not working toward the evolution of a “perfect person” by replacing old patterns with new “right ones,” but rather towards a less predictable, more authentic individual who has the option to respond in new and creative ways to their environment.
