Thomas Hanna, PhD, began developing this system over 30 years ago after years of study with many other somatic pioneers including Moshe Feldenkrais. Hanna was emphatic that, and we concur, that our bodies do not have to succumb to conditions we attribute to aging such as arthritis, back pain, stiffness, stooped posture, etc. These are not usually the result of a degeneration in the body's structure, but are instead the result of a process he termed "Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA)." SMA is a memory loss within the central nervous system of how certain muscle groups feel and how to control them. Through a process of adaptation, our brain comes to accept chronic muscular tension, pain and poor posture as "normal."

Somatic Exercises™ consist of smooth, slow movements done lying down to reduce the force of gravity on your body. The movements were designed scientifically through biofeedback and other methods and are designed to help you sense and then release your own muscular tension.