Somatic Solutions: Uneven Posture and Scoliosis Nov ‘20

In this 5 class series we will explore somatic movements and strategies for improving issues that come with Scoliosis and Uneven posture, including chronic pain, compressed vertebrae, tight immobile ribs, and more. For people with uneven posture, such as a low shoulder, hiked hip, or twisted posture, somatic techniques can serve as prevention for scoliosis.

Structure: The classes include a 75 min live somatic movement class, and a 30 min discussion to follow with theory, Q & A, and trouble shooting individual issues. Recordings will be available following each class, so if you miss a class, you will still have the recording to follow. Five week course commitment required. (no single classes)

Where: online, zoom platform. If you are new to zoom, please download the app prior to attending the class at zoom.us.

When: Wednesdays Nov 4, 11, 18, and Dec 2, 9, 2020.

Two time options:

Class A: 10 am London BST, 11am Oslo CET, 12pm Finland, 7 pm Melbourne Australia (For Class A choose 10am UK under “time”)

Class B: 10am Seattle PCT, 11am Calgary MST, 12pm Nashville CST, 1pm NYC EST, 2pm Halifax, 6pm London UK, 7pm Oslo CET, 8pm Finland.  (For Class B, choose 6pm UK under “time”)

This is a 5 class workshop for: 

1. People with scoliosis or uneven posture interested in learning somatic movement techniques and strategies that help these issues.  Potential results: improvement of symptoms, more ease, mobility to the spine, ribs, body, and health benefits to all systems. 

2. Somatic movement teachers, practitioners, and students in training interested in somatic strategies, ideas for your own teaching and clients. 

Requirements for this course: 

1. For students enrolled with issues of uneven posture and scoliosis, please send posture photos at least 1 week in advance, that include full length view from front, back, both sides, with close fitting clothing. If you have scoliosis, include a close up of your head and torso from the back with either bare back, sports bra, or low back bathing suit. If you have an X-ray image to email, that would be very helpful. If you have severe Scoliosis, acute pain, use a walker, cannot safely go to and from the floor, or take pain medication, please correspond with me prior to registering. email Lmgates51@gmail.com or through contact on this site.

2. For participants with scoliosis or uneven posture, fill out evaluation form here and send at your earliest convenience or prior to Oct 28.

What you will need:

1. Wear flexible comfortable clothing (any color except black of white for better video viewing), and have a mat or firm padded surface ready, and 5 folded large towels or 3 yoga blankets as props. If you have some bolsters, yoga blocks, those might be handy too.

2. Practice ahead of time setting up your device so I can see your whole mat from side or diagonal and preferably from a little above. 

Participants may schedule a 1 on 1 session with me at my covid discount price of $75. (request discount code from me) For those with scoliosis and uneven posture, I highly recommend some 1 on 1 sessions, and eventually some hands on sessions with a trained clinical somatic educator. We will discuss this option more during the course. 

Are you new to this work? Please schedule a 1 on 1 session with me prior to the course. An intro to the basics is a pre-requisite. I can recommend some intro classes with qualified teachers.

What is Somatics? Learn these gentle but powerful self-care techniques to bring new mobility, intelligence, sensation, control to the muscles, and recalibrate brain to muscles creating optimum resting length. We will avoid deep stretch and pain, and approach the nervous system in an entirely different way. This movement technique, based on the work of the late neuromuscular pioneer, Thomas Hanna PhD, reverses and releases the contractive patterns present in your nervous system, the imprint of your history, and emotional and physical trauma. You can teach your nervous system a calmer setting, excellent for stress reduction. If your nervous system is more calm, your intelligence is more available to you, perfect for what we need right now, which is to be more resilient, adaptable, and better creative problem solvers!

Policy for Late Arrivals: Kindly arrive no later than 5 min prior to the start of class. Late arrivals after the start of class may not be admitted. It is distracting to the class, teacher, and recording process. If you know you will be late, let me know in advance. If you are late and not admitted, you will have access to the recording.

Note: this online course is not a substitute for my in person workshop on the subject, as there are so many aspects that simply cannot be re-created online. However, it makes a nice prelude to it! I hope to offer in person workshops in 2021 in various locations in UK, Canada, US, Australia and more.