Your Movement Plan is made up of the same basic Hanna Somatic Movements as you would practice and learn in one of my classes except that it is specifically tailored to you, your own unique pace and/or to suit particular movement restrictions you currently may have a problem with.
There are seven essential movements to your Movement Plan to become familiar with in turn, accumulatively, which may be adapted and varied appropriate to you and your individual range of motion and circumstances. There is no right or wrong with the movements, only your first-person experience and there is always a variation to try. As you come to know the first movement you will then be guided through the second movement and so on until you know all seven movements for yourself and can practice them independently at home whenever you wish to.
Your own personal practice plan tailored to your particular needs, £100 per hour.
FACILITATED PANDICULATION
A Facilitated Pandiculation session which helps you to feel your postural movement patterns to be able to overcome present and prominent issues. Facilitated Pandiculation is a Hanna Somatic technique where I guide you in your movement while you are making a voluntary contraction. As you go into a particular movement I appropriately apply a very gentle and gradual amount of resistance using my fingertips and hands to enable you to feel your contraction more clearly so that you can then very slowly and using your voluntary control release out of the contraction to rest. Although you will be bringing your major focus to the release of that particular area, your brain and all your functioning systems are completely reorganising you to find a new resting length in your reference muscle groups for that movement.
You can experience change quite quickly and it may be during the session or afterwards in your daily activities that you experience that change. It is only when the movement patterns I guide you through during the session are repeatedly practiced with awareness and slowly enough to be able to internally ‘observe' yourself that change is integrated and your whole soma responds to the guidance of that renewed movement pattern you are creating.
Helps overcome present and prominent issues, £150 for 90 minutes.
PRIVATE GROUP SESSION
Are for any group of individuals who would like to come together and experience the benefits of Hanna Somatic Movement as a group.
For example:
Family and friends, Professional physiologists, chiropractors, osteopaths, craniosacral therapists, myofascial release therapists, physiotherapists, massage therapists, psychotherapists, sporting and outdoor activities.
These can be arranged at any location in the UK.
GILSLAND VILLAGE HALL CLASSES
Public classes held in the local community for any person, no matter your age, circumstance or stage in life. They are held on Saturdays as a series of usually six classes at a time in the Spring and Autumn. Please contact Karen if you are interested in classes being provided in Gilsland or in your area.
They are held at Gilsland Village Hall, situated between Brampton and Hexham, in Cumbria.
WORKSHOPS
These are completely bespoke and arranged on request.
In walking as we are taking each step forwards our feet are constantly adjusting to the surfaces and the ground we are walking on giving us the perfect knowledge of balance. You may like to take a moment to imagine in slow motion taking a step forward rather like slowing down a film frame by frame. You will be able to gain an internal sense of your whole global movement: as your foot turns in, your knee also turns and your hip is turning as your trunk is twisting subtly and your brain is the great organiser of the co-ordination of that movement.
Research shows us that the moment we bring our attention and awareness to our movement we change the quality of information we provide our brains and because the brain loves new information and resumes growing new connections and creating new possibilities for us you can change the quality of how you move; how you take each step forwards.
This is when we feel most alive. If you think that you are stuck in your thinking and doing the same old thing operating on automatic pilot then think again. No matter your age, stage and circumstances in life you can change, you can learn something new and know is meaningful because it brings about personal change and you remember it and do not lose it.
The good news is we do not need to be trapped by habits and routine and painful limitations of injury and trauma. Our brains are able to use new information we can provide it with to introduce better-organised movements so that discomfort diminishes and disappears and your brain is the great organiser of the co-ordination of that movement.
“Embarking on the Hanna Somatics series of classes was a profound and transformative journey for me. From the very first session, I knew I had stumbled upon something truly extraordinary. The holistic approach, expert guidance, and profound experience of Hanna Somatics have left an indelible impact on my mind, body, and overall well-being.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Hanna Somatics series is its emphasis on empowering individuals to take control of their own healing process. By teaching us the principles of pandiculation and the importance of unlocking habitual muscular contractions, I was able to release chronic tension and pain, restoring balance and freedom of movement in my body. The classes provided us with a toolkit of practical techniques that I apply in my daily life, ensuring long-lasting benefits beyond the duration of the series.”
“I'm in my mid 60's and have led a fairly active life, playing squash, hockey, cycling and more recently more golf. Of course this leads to several aches and pains which need attention, but we know that 'prevention is better than cure'. With that in mind I embarked on a course of Hanna Somatic Education with Karen, with the idea that the movements would not only cure some of my ills but also keep my muscles soft so as to prevent any further injuries. I found the movement sequences very relaxing and they also provided the added benefit of providing some calm during stressful days. I was surprised how effective the movements were with the impact being felt nearly immediately with improved mobility (of the lower back in my case) and aIso reduction and often removal of any pain. Having completed the series of exercises with Karen I now regularly do the 'Cat Stretch' sequence of moves which keeps me supple and definitely helps my golf swing. My teaching Pro has often been surprised at my maintenance of flexibility! Karen is a great teacher, knowledgeable, patient and encouraging and I would recommend that you give Hanna Somatics a go for a calmer and more flexible life!”
Audio Library
Movements to optimise the functioning of your cranial nerves ~ Part I
Release and rebalance the sternocleidomastoid muscles in your neck by making interesting movements in your jaw, neck and shoulders which at the same time are optimising the functioning of your cranial nerves.
Movements to optimise the functioning of your cranial nerves ~ Part II
Optimising the Functioning of the Vagus Nerve by relating the movements in your head and neck with the movement of your feet.
Increase the stability & mobility of your neck in relation to the rest of your spine
We often spend a lot of time sitting during the day creating accumulated tension in our head, neck and shoulders. Learn some gentle movements that you can rely upon to relieve any restriction of movement in your upper spine area and sustainably maintain that release for the longer term.
Somatic Freedom
A Story of Taking your Personal Control and Freedom back
In 2014 I was searching for an alternative healing process after being diagnosed with spondylolisthis, a condition in which a vertebra slides forward over the bone below it. In my case the slippage was in the lower spine just above where the sacral vertebrae meet the lumbar vertebrae. The professor who diagnosed me suggested regular injections into my spine that would kill all the nerve endings numbing the area. Then there would be a gradual and progressive deterioration that would eventually lead to surgery.
Alongside this the professor advised me to not go walking or pursue any activity that would mobilise the lower back area. This was contradictory to the earlier advice I had received from the portfolio of physical therapists I had seen to seek relief from the excruciating and debilitating back pain that was becoming chronic. My instinct was to keep moving and I was determined to keep going as I could not believe this was it as I was approaching 50.
My functioning systems had put themselves into a defensive state and I was chronically held contracted. Looking back now I realise that I had been pushing myself too hard, that I was too competitive within myself in my work as a Yoga teacher. Another significant aspect was the threat and danger in my life at the time.
I found an approach that would transmit signals of safety to my parasympathetic nervous system to enable a shift from a defensive state of contraction in an attempt to protect the vulnerability of my lower spine, into a state of calm that functionally allows the neuromuscular skeletal system to naturally assume its natural comfortable position.
The problem arising from 'relaxation exercises' is the physical and psychological loss of vitality involved. Understanding the distinction between becoming slack and the process of release which protects the healthy tonicity and aliveness natural to the human organism is fundamental to the work of Hanna Somatic Education.
