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Essential Somatics

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Manitou Springs, CO
Essential Somatics

Essential Somatics is a revolutionary approach to eliminating muscle pain. It's safe, easy, and common sense. Learn to move without pain!

It goes to the root of most chronic muscular pain: the brain and its control of muscles and movement. Since 2010, Essential Somatics® has grown from a small solo practice to a team of highly skilled and devoted Clinical Somatic Educators who teach multi-day introductory courses, clinical certification trainings, and embodied movement for corporate leadership. The trainings we provide are offered in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The teachings of Somatic Education have helped thousands of people worldwide to return to a more vibrant life of movement, self-agency, and awareness.

02/18/2026

If you’ve got sciatica, you’ve probably been told it’s nerve entrapment or a disc issue or something structurally wrong that can only be fixed by a specialist.

And maybe that’s true. But before you assume the worst, consider this: tension in one part of your body almost always means there’s tension somewhere else.

If your sciatica is only showing up in one glute, that’s a sign you have a habituated pattern in the center of your body. We call it the Trauma Reflex, the protective twisting and guarding your nervous system does when you’re startled or trying to avoid pain.

The problem is, your brain never turned it off. So you’re still holding that twist, still compensating, still pulling everything slightly to one side without even realizing it.

Here’s what to do:

Lie on your belly with your legs straight and your head to one side. Slowly lift one leg a few inches and feel the contraction, not just in your glute but in your back and down your leg. Slowly release it.

Notice if your pelvis rocked to one side as you did that. Keep your pelvis evenly on the floor. Repeat. Now do the same with the other leg.

Make sure your belly is soft, your pelvis is flat on the floor, and you can feel your glutes contract. Go slowly. This isn’t about lifting your leg high. It’s about feeling what’s actually happening in your body.

If you haven’t already, this is a good time to start building a daily somatic movement practice. That’s the best way not only to reduce the tension that keeps creeping back in, but to enhance your self-awareness so you can actually understand why the sciatica developed in the first place.

Martha has dealt with sciatica many times. It was usually compensatory, from an accident or injury or the way she was sitting slightly tilted to one side without noticing.

Your sciatica might not be about your spine at all. It might just be about a pattern you didn’t realize you were holding.

And you can release it.

02/16/2026

You fantasize about escape.

Not the kind where you scroll through travel photos at 11 PM, bookmarking places you’ll probably never go. Not the kind where you add another retreat to your “someday” list and close the tab.

The kind where you actually book the flight. Pack the bag.

Show up.

Because here’s what happens when you don’t: another year passes. Your body still holds the same patterns. Your shoulders still creep toward your ears when you’re stressed. You still wake up stiff, move through your day tight, and wonder why everything feels harder than it should.

Escape isn’t about running away. It’s about giving yourself permission to stop. To breathe. To spend six days learning how your body actually works instead of forcing it to comply.

It’s mornings spent on the floor, relearning movement patterns you forgot you had. It’s afternoons walking through olive groves, feeling the difference when your hips actually swing.

It’s evenings where no one needs anything from you, and you can finally hear yourself think.

Portugal. October 2026. Clinical Somatic Education with Martha Peterson. A small group. A quiet place. Six days to remember what ease feels like.

This one’s not going on your “someday” list. This one you’re actually doing.

More details coming soon.

02/14/2026

Every human responds to stress through three full body patterns.

Not just tight shoulders. Not just a stiff back. Full body reflexes that happen automatically, without you even realizing it.

Thomas Hanna discovered these patterns decades ago. And once you understand them, you’ll start recognizing them everywhere. In yourself. In the people around you.

The Green Light Reflex

This is your go-go-go pattern. Leaning forward. Rushing through life. Your back arches, hip flexors tighten, shoulders pull back.

You feel it as lower back pain. Tight hips. That constant backward pull even when you’re trying to rest.

The Red Light Reflex

This is fear. Withdrawal. Bracing. Your shoulders pull up and forward. Your chest tightens. Your whole body contracts inward.

You feel it as neck and shoulder tension. Shallow breathing. That sense of being constantly on guard.

The Trauma Reflex

This is how you adapt to injury or avoid pain. One shoulder higher than the other. Weight shifting to one side. Twisting through your waist.

You feel it as one-sided hip pain. Imbalance. That nagging sense that something’s off but you can’t quite fix it.

Here’s what matters:

You’re probably holding all three right now.

Years of stress have layered these patterns on top of each other. Your nervous system learned them so well, you can’t even sense them anymore.

That’s sensory motor amnesia.

But Clinical Somatic Education teaches you to recognize these patterns. To sense where you’re holding. And to release.

Not through force. Through awareness. Through gentle movements called pandiculations that reset your nervous system.

Once you learn this, you can’t unsee it. You’ll notice when you’re in Green Light at your desk. When Red Light kicks in during a stressful conversation. When Trauma patterns show up in how you stand.

And you’ll know how to release them.

That’s the power of understanding your stress reflexes.

02/12/2026

“Those years are behind me.”

How many times have you told yourself this?

That adventure is for younger people. That your body just can’t do what it used to. That it’s too late to feel different, move differently, be different.

You’ve accepted it. Made peace with it. Adjusted your expectations.

No more hiking. No more getting down on the floor to play with grandkids. No more spontaneous trips because your back can’t handle it.

But here’s what we know:

Chronic pain and tight muscles isn’t aging. It’s sensory motor amnesia.

Your muscles have learned to hold tension over years of stress, repetitive movements, and adaptation. Your nervous system has forgotten how to release.

And that? That can change. At any age.

We’ve worked with people in their 60s, 70s, even 80s who’ve regained mobility they thought was gone forever.

Not through extreme interventions. Not through pushing harder or forcing their bodies.

Through gentle, mindful movements that re-educate the nervous system. Through learning to sense what they’d been ignoring. Through understanding why their bodies held tension and how to let it go.

The difference isn’t their age. It’s their willingness to try something different.

Clinical Somatic Education doesn’t care how old you are. Your nervous system is still capable of learning. Still capable of releasing what it’s been holding. Still capable of change.

Those years aren’t behind you.

They’re ahead of you. Waiting. Ready.

If you’re willing.

What have you stopped doing because you thought you were “too old”? Tell us in the comments.

02/08/2026

September in the Portuguese mountains.

Perfect autumn weather. Not too hot, not too cold. Just crisp mountain air and golden light.

This is where our Portugal retreat happens.

Why September?

The summer crowds have gone. The harvest season begins. Nature is at its most beautiful, transitioning into autumn with vibrant colors and abundant local food.

The days are warm enough to practice outside. The evenings are cool enough to rest deeply. The pace of everything slows down naturally.

Why the mountains?

Because when you’re surrounded by beauty, your nervous system relaxes. When you’re away from daily demands, learning deepens. When nature holds you, transformation happens differently.

The Serra da Estrela mountains aren’t just a backdrop. They’re part of the experience.

Quiet trails for afternoon walks. Fresh mountain air during morning practice. The kind of stillness that’s impossible to find at home.

And here’s what makes it special:

The entire venue is ours. No other groups. No distractions. Just you, the mountains, and focused time to learn Clinical Somatic Education.

This is where you’ll understand sensory motor amnesia. Where you’ll practice pandiculation. Where you’ll learn skills that last long after you leave.

September 2026. The mountains of Portugal.

Registration opens soon.

02/06/2026

Your chronic pain is like climbing a mountain with a backpack full of rocks.

Each stressor adds another rock. Work deadlines. Family responsibilities. Old injuries you’ve compensated for. Repetitive movements from your job.

Year after year, the backpack gets heavier. You adjust. You adapt. You keep climbing.

But your body? It’s exhausted.

That’s sensory motor amnesia.

Your muscles have learned to hold tension. Your nervous system has forgotten how to let go.

And no amount of willpower or “just relaxing” will empty that backpack.

You need to learn how to release what you’ve been carrying.
Clinical Somatic Education teaches you how.

Not by forcing. Not by powering through. But by re-educating your nervous system to sense what it’s holding and let it go.
Gently. Mindfully. Effectively.

The rocks don’t disappear overnight. But for the first time, you understand how to set them down.

One by one. Until the backpack gets lighter. Until climbing becomes easier.

Until you remember what it feels like to move without that weight.

What rock are you carrying that you’re ready to release?

01/31/2026

What’s actually inside the free mini course?

You’ll understand why you’re in pain.

Not vague answers, real explanation. How persistent stress, not aging, creates the pain and stiffness you’re experiencing. Why your muscles stay tight even when you’re “relaxing”.

You’ll learn what Clinical Somatic Education (CSE) is - what makes this different from yoga, Pilates, physical therapy, or anything else you’ve tried; how it works to restore your vitality by addressing your nervous system (not just your muscles).

You’ll practice four basic movements. These aren’t random exercises. They’re specific movements designed to help you reset your nervous system and exclaim mobility. You’ll learn them step by step, moving at your own pace.

Each movement addresses different tension patterns in your body. The patterns you’ve been holding for years without even realising it.

It isn’t:

A complicated program
A huge time commitment
Something that requires special equipment or getting in shape first

It’s gentle movements on your floor, clear instruction, 15-20 minutes.

This is CSE, the method Thomas Hanna pioneered; the same foundational movements we teach at workshops and retreats.

And it’s free! Because everyone deserves to understand why they’re in pain and how to start releasing it.

01/29/2026

The retreat has ended. The practice is just beginning.

This morning, our Mexico retreat participants said goodbye to Mar de Jade. To the sound of Pacific waves. To mornings practicing together. To people who became friends.

They’re heading home now. Back to work, family, routines.
But here’s what they’re taking with them:

They understand sensory motor amnesia. They know the three stress reflexes. They’ve learned to pandiculate.

They have skills now. Skills they can use on their own living room floor. Skills that don’t disappear just because the retreat is over.

And they have community. People who understand. Who’ll check in on each other’s practice months from now.

To everyone who joined us in Mexico:

Thank you for showing up. Thank you for choosing yourselves.

The week may be over, but this is just the beginning. Your nervous system learned these movements. Now it’s about practice. Consistency. Showing up for yourself, even when life gets busy.

And to everyone who couldn’t make it this time:

Our Portugal retreat happens in September 2026. Registration opens in Spring. Comment ☀️ and we’ll send over the link!

01/25/2026

What you actually get when you learn with Essential Somatics:

Not temporary relief. Not another thing to add to your to-do list.
You get skills.

Skills to eliminate chronic muscle pain. Understanding that improves self-awareness and mobility. Skills that restore fluid, effortless, and joyful movement.

Skills you can use on your own, wherever you are, whenever you need them. For the rest of your life.

Here’s what that looks like:

You learn Clinical Somatic Education, a comprehensive system of movement education based on the work of Thomas Hanna. Not guesswork. Not trends. A proven method that’s helped thousands of people across the globe.

You discover how to take care of yourself. How to relieve chronic pain. How to move with mastery, joy, and ease.

You get put back in control of your own movement.

This isn’t just about feeling better for a week.

It’s about understanding why persistent stress – not aging – creates pain and stiffness over time. It’s about learning movements that reset your nervous system and help you reclaim mobility.

It’s about life-long skills that work for all ages and abilities.
Whether you start with our free mini course, join a workshop, or commit to a retreat:

The goal is the same. To help you resolve chronic muscle pain so you can move without pain for the rest of your life.

This is what Essential Somatics offers. Not quick fixes. Real education. Skills that last.

01/23/2026

It started with one free course.

She wasn’t sure it would work. She’d tried physiotherapy, massage, chiropractors. Nothing lasted.

But it was free. And she was curious. So she gave it a try.
Here’s what she learned:

That persistent stress, not aging, was causing her pain and stiffness. That her body wasn’t broken or wearing out. It had just learned to hold tension over years of stress and adaptation.

She learned what Clinical Somatic Education actually is and how it works to restore vitality. Not through stretching or strengthening, but by teaching her nervous system to release what it had been holding.

And she learned four basic movements that helped her reclaim mobility she thought was gone.

At first, it felt strange.

Moving so slowly. Lying on her living room floor. Paying such close attention to what she was sensing.

But something shifted.

Not instantly. Not dramatically. But by the end of that first session, she noticed her lower back felt different. Quieter. Less tense.

So she came back the next day. And the next.

This is why we offer the free course.

Because we believe everyone deserves to understand why they’re in pain. Because you shouldn’t have to invest hundreds of dollars before you even know if this approach makes sense.

Because sometimes all you need is one small beginning.

One course. Four movements. Time on your floor.

That’s how transformation starts.

Ready to begin? Comment COURSE below and we’ll send the info👇

Address

Manitou Springs, CO
80829

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://essentialsomatics.com/, https://www.unionsquareandco.com/9781454953173/the-mindful-motion-deck-by-martha-peterson

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Our Story

Essential Somatics is grounded in the revolutionary approaches of Hanna Somatics, Moshe Feldenkrais and other modern day somatic pioneers. We teach people to eliminate their own muscle pain and create more freedom and ease in their bodies and their lives. Essential Somatics gets to the root of most physical discomfort and restriction: the brain and the way it communicates with the muscles through movement. Come learn safely and gently to move through life with mastery and joy.