Somatics 1: Tune in to your Body & enjoy Freedom of Movement

Name: Somatics 1: Tune in to your Body & enjoy Freedom of Movement
Rating: 4.7 (537 reviews)

An introduction to Somatic exercises to help improve your emotional, mental and physical health

Bestseller

Highest Rated

Created byJosie McKenlay

Last updated 6/2026

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

A set of exercises to reset and connect the body and mind
Improve mobility, flexibility and strength in a gentle but effective way
Improve balance, co-ordination and posture; reduce pain
Strengthen the mind/body connection, improving focus
Release chonically tight muscles and tension in the body
Improve body awareness and truly sense how your body feels
Improve your emotional, mental and physical health
Slow down your stress response so you can start to repair and heal

Course content

4 sections • 44 lectures • 8h 26m total length

Welcome1:39
Need Translation? Start here0:32
Student Guide: How to Use Udemy4:05
Some usesful tips to help you find your way around the Udemy platform. Please note that not all points are relevant to all courses. For example, if it isn't a CPD course (see landing page) the information on CPD won't be relevant; some example screenshots are taken from one course but may also apply to other courses.
An Introduction to Somatic Movement3:56
Explore somatic movement to reconnect the brain with the muscles, using mindful slow exercises to create a sensory feedback loop that releases tension and reduces pain through internal awareness.
Are you Breathing?!10:09
practice a deep, full-body breathing routine from a supine position to build body awareness. focus on belly and rib cage breathing, observe posture, and experience relaxation and mental calm.
A Tour of the Nervous System14:52
Seated Proprioception Exercise13:08
Neuromuscular Activation9:35
Tense Release Exercise12:19
Practice progressive muscle relaxation by sequentially tensing and releasing muscle groups, breathing slowly, to release tension, heighten body awareness, and support your somatic movement practice.

Body Scan2:53
Arch & Flatten3:36
Arch the back to lengthen the front body and engage deep core muscles, then flatten the waist to activate the core, in six breath-led rounds.
Arch & Curl3:42
Back Lift4:43
Review Class 113:07
Diagonal Arch & Curl5:59
Guide students through a diagonal arch and curl to lengthen the front body and strengthen the abdominals and obliques, rotate toward the knee with a stable pelvis and relaxed neck.
Flower5:49
Flow through the flower sequence to open the shoulders and upper back. Coordinate inhale and exhale as you arch back, lengthen the neck, and drop the knees to the side.
Side Bend7:53
Review Class 218:29
Propeller4:41
Washrag4:16
Hip Hitch5:10
Review Class 313:02
Practice a guided somatic warm-up that builds body awareness through a full body scan, deep breathing, and guided diagonal and side-body stretches to release tension and improve mobility.
Capital X5:09
Inversion Eversion7:37
Explore inversion and eversion of the feet to connect the feet, knees, hips, back, and shoulders through mindful breathing and a safe, gradual range of motion.
Skiing2:43
Explore the somatic practice of skiing by connecting feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back through breath, relaxed center, and alternating knee lifts and leg stretches.
Review Class 416:37
Develop body awareness through a guided somatic sequence of deep breathing, a full body scan, and relaxed movements, including hip rotations, an x-shaped release, and gentle foot inversions and eversion.
Steeple Twist6:27
Practice the steeple twist to release the hip and thigh muscles, shoulders, chest, and spine. Inhale to prepare, exhale to rotate, keep hips still, and notice differences between sides.
Walking2:17
Seated Twist4:50
Perform a seated twist to lengthen the spine, breathe through the turn, release tension, and balance the front, back, and sides on both sides.
Review Class 514:35
Relax, Release5:28
Proprioception 111:32

Morning Practice: Greet the Day - Introduction4:09
Begin the day with somatic shaking and VU breath to shift from sympathetic stress to parasympathetic calm, activating the axial skeleton and vagus nerve for a positive, energized day.
Morning Practice: Greet the Day - Shake & Voo9:03
Morning Practice: Greet the Day - Somatic Movement Class22:40
1 Hour Class - Full Sequence1:05:29
Guide mindful breathing and a full somatic sequence to release tension, balance the body, engage the deep core muscles, and cultivate awareness throughout the body.
Short Practices: Focus0:14
Focus: Strength26:18
Focus: Shoulders23:21
Focus: Hip Mobility22:52
Focus: Flexibility38:58
Proprioception 1 Revisited11:32
An Introduction to the Trauma Reflex40:13
Explore how the trauma reflex creates pelvic misalignment and muscle imbalances, and learn techniques such as psoas release, hip circles, and the pelvic clock to restore balanced mobility.

Requirements

No experience is necessary. Somatic movement is helpful for everyone. All you need is a mat and comfortable clothing

Description

Somatic movement is a neuromuscular re-education technique which teaches you to release and relax your muscles so that you can regain proper muscle function again. The movements are slow and gentle and promote sensory awareness to increase brain-muscle coordination. The exercises are performed consciously with the intention of focusing on the internal experience of the movement rather than the external appearance and are very helpful in improving body awareness.

Through a method of slowly contracting, releasing, lengthening and relaxing a muscle or group of muscles, you will re-educate your body to move in an efficient and pain-free way. Many of us struggle with various sports injuries and niggling health issues due to adaptive muscle shortening. Muscles will change their functional resting length to adapt to the length at which they are habitually used or positioned which leads to muscle imbalances, injuries, joint degeneration and pain.

Based on the original teachings of Thomas Hanna, these exercises can change unhelpful learned muscular patterns. Some benefits of somatic movement methods are:

A reduction of chronic pain
Improvement in bodily function
Recovery from common musculoskeletal conditions
Increased flexibility and range of motion
Reduction in muscular tension and awareness of unhealthy postural habits
Heightened body awareness and reduction in stress and anxiety

Somatic movement is enormously beneficial for anyone:

A perfect way to introduce yourself to exercise if you are new to fitness
A useful tool to help improve the mind/body connection - beneficial for those who are already exercising in some way and want to improve their performance and focus
The ideal way to aid recovery from injury or illness, including providing a bridge back to regular fitness levels
Effective in helping clients prepare for class or cooldown
The best choice for the aging client who is either finding regular exercise to be too aggressive/ineffective or the older client who is new to exercise

So what will you get on this course?

Manuals with information to introduce you to Somatic movement
15 exercises to address every part of the body
A warm up "sensing" routine and a deep relaxation routine
The entire 1 hour class
Shorter class lesson plans

Who this course is for:

Anyone wishing to improve their body awareness and quality of movement will benefit from learning these exercises.
This form of movement therapy is attractive to anyone looking to achieve all the benefits of floor bases exercise in a non-aggressive way
Useful to help recover from injury or illness, ensuring a safe and smooth transition from rest and recovery to regaining their fitness levels.
For those who are older and new to exercise, this is the ideal choice. Also, for the older practitioner who want to remain healthy and active but needs something more gentle as the years pass.
Very useful exercises for Pilates, yoga and other health/fitness/wellbeing specialists to include in their regular programs. These make excellent warmup/cooldown routines as well as workshops.
For those specialising in 50+ seniors - especially useful for those taking my 50+ course - this is a very useful program to offer

Somatics 1: Tune in to your Body & enjoy Freedom of Movement

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction9 lectures • 1hr 10min

Learn the Individual Exercises23 lectures • 2hr 51min

Full Somatics Class & Short Practices11 lectures • 4hr 25min

Bonus1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: