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 (540 reviews)

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

Created byJosie McKenlay

Last updated 6/2026

English

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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
Begin your somatic movement journey with guidance from Josie, download the manuals, and practice each exercise until you become familiar. Follow the final exercise sequence into a one-hour class, enable autoplay, rest briefly between moves to relax and release, and engage questions in the q&a or on Facebook.
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
Explore the nervous system and neuromuscular integration that enables movement and homeostasis, covering central and peripheral divisions, afferent and efferent pathways, somatic and autonomic nerves, reflexes, and neuron structure.
Seated Proprioception Exercise13:08
Neuromuscular Activation9:35
Explore neuromuscular activation within somatic movement, relearning muscle function through gentle, sensory-focused exercises that enhance proprioception, posture, balance, and ease of movement.
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
Perform a guided body scan to build awareness and release tension. Lie on your back, relax the pelvis, abdomen, and shoulders, and breathe into a natural, balanced posture.
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
Strengthen the abdominal muscles through coordinated arch and curl movements with breath cues, keeping the pelvis neutral and the back lengthening as you lift and lower.
Back Lift4:43
Explore a back lift variation in somatics, lifting the upper body and leg with mindful breathing to release tension and rebalance sensations along the back and glutes.
Review Class 113:07
Begin with a somatics body scan and deep breathing, then arch and lengthen to engage the deep core, release tension, and rebalance the pelvis.
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
Learn to lengthen the waist and side body through guided side bends, engaging obliques and abdominals with breath for balanced hip and spine mobility.
Review Class 218:29
Begin with a body scan and deep breathing, notice alignment and tension, then move through diagonal arches, the flower, and side bends engaging the abdominals and obliques.
Propeller4:41
Practice the propeller stretch in sidelying to lengthen the right side, open the ribs and chest, and increase hip flex length through guided rolling and breath.
Washrag4:16
Move through a guided release that frees thighs, hips, diagonals of the body, and spine, alternating arm directions to roll the shoulders, lift the shoulder blades, and soften the neck.
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
Explore a mindful walking sequence that moves through the lower back, pelvis, and hips with breath, releasing tension in the shoulders, face, thighs, and glutes for freer movement.
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
Develop proprioception and body awareness through guided chair-based spine extension and flexion with full-body breath to reach neutral, aligned posture.

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
Begin with somatic shaking and deep breathing to calm the mind and relax the axial skeleton and ribs. Use the voo breath and floor movements for balance and full-body vibration.
Morning Practice: Greet the Day - Somatic Movement Class22:40
Begin with a mindful body scan and deep breathing, then move through spine-lengthening arching and flattening, shoulder and hip work, ending with a calming diagonal stretch and breathing practice.
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
Focuses attention on the body to strengthen the deep core and abdominal muscles through arching and neutral spine work with breath, balancing the two sides.
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: