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“The long road to re-discovering my inner world has been brilliantly supported by Jamie's strong, warm embodiment of Somatic Expression."
Rob, Massage Therapist
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Who does this work?
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More Information:
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Somatic Expression is useful for people wanting to have more contact with their BODY. There are many reasons why people have neglected their bodies - conditioning, habit, ignorance, disease, fear, shame, etc. As a result, learning the basics of the soma - how to breathe, move, vocalize, contact, and be still - is important for every-body.
Somatic Expression has been particularly helpful for people with life-threatening illnesses and chronic health conditions. By becoming more involved as a collaborator in your own healing process and reclaiming your body, you can feel more alive, empowered and engaged.
Somatic Expression has also useful for caregivers and other people in the helping professions to learn tools for personal self-care while caring for others.
Therapists, educators, massage therapists, yoga and fitness instructors, and healthcare professionals have been able to learn new methods for creatively and humanely broadening the scope of their specialization.
What makes Somatic Expression classes and individual sessions unique is - whether for personal growth or for professional development - the journey into discovering your body's wisdom is simple, pleasurable, easily understandable and sustainable.
Somatic Expression has been presented in these settings and with these populations over many years:
Tamalpa Institute, a Center for the study of Movement-Based Expressive Arts Therapy. Working with students of Expressive Arts Therapy to develop presence and somatic awareness.
John F Kennedy University Graduate School for Holistic Studies. Working with students in Holistic Health Education and in Somatic Psychology to enlarge their understanding and deepen their experience of their own bodies.
AIDS Hilfe Schweiz-Swiss AIDS Federation. Working with HIV+ people and their caregivers to improve health and well-being.
Gay Life Program, San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Working with gay men to create community and foster positive relationships.
What students say
“Underlying Somatic Expression is a belief that no matter what injury, pain or trauma has occurred, the organism has the capacity and the inclination to thrive IF given appropriate tools and support. The five elements of Somatic Expression provide flexible and powerful tools for accessing the messages my body so desperately wanted me to acknowledge. They have become part of my toolbox for soothing, repair, investigation, change and growth. The long road to re-discovering my inner world has been brilliantly supported through the simplicity and ease of these elements, but more importantly through Jamie's strong, warm embodiment of Somatic Expression."
Rob, Massage Therapist
“I moved from an intellectual understanding of the Somatic Body to one of integration. I learned to allow the sensory experience to run its course through my body while simultaneously being a witness to it. I was able to sit inside of the sensory experience fully and with awareness, to allow it to be as opposed to judging it, controlling it, or using it against another. As a result of Jamie's teaching, I have been able to begin to heal from years of depression and dis-ease."
Leah, Artist
“Somatic Expression is a skillful integration of movement, sound, music, somatic psychology, meditation, collective learning. It happens with great group facilitation, energetic healing and the naturally therapeutic release of play and laughter. As a therapist working with children, youth and their families, I've been able to use Jamie's somatic practices in public school group therapy, in family therapy sessions, in treatment plans for children with attention and learning problems, with teenagers for anxiety and anger problems, and to manage my own stress, health and well-being."
Riki, Psychotherapist
“As a gay man who’s body shame often comes into play, learning to first listen to and follow my body's impulses is empowering. Where caution is often the norm, Somatic Expression impacts my ability to feel and to be powerful. Doing this work in a room of others, the balance between feeling separate and wanting to be separate gets repeatedly challenged. This challenge has taught me flexibility for being in relationship with myself and others."
David, Realtor
"Exercise did not really help me connect with or truly honor the inner sense of my body. Forcing myself to stay on a piece of equipment for at least an hour to burn a certain amount of calories is not sustainable (for me or for the environment), is not creative enough, and does not allow me to experience my body in a holistic way. Changing my vocabulary from saying I"m going to "exercise" to I"m going to intentionally "move" or "I'm going to do a movement practice" has helped me embrace and want to use the capacity of my body. I've spent most of my life not understanding the point of movement unless I had to be somewhere. I couldn't understand why someone would go for a walk, just to go for a walk...now I get it! So, to have your framework has been and will continue to be pivotal in my commitment to live my life in a more full and creative way. I see how the five elements interrelate with one another now as well. They have given me an inner and outer body language and have provided me with an powerful assessment model to help create practices that work for my life."
Latoya, Graduate Student
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Somatic expression workshop.
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