What are the opening hours?

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

Essential Somatics

Home
United States
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.

01/04/2026

“Is this just another wellness retreat?”

Fair question. The wellness industry is full of promises, you go away feeling amazing, come home, and two weeks later everything’s back to how it was.

Essential Somatics retreats are different.

We teach, not pamper.

You’re learning Clinical Somatic Education, a specific method that addresses the root cause of chronic pain. You’ll understand why your muscles hold tension and how to release it.

We focus on sensing, not doing.

No boot camps or packed schedules. Just slow, mindful movements called pandiculation that re-educate your nervous system.

You leave with skills, not just good vibes.

A daily practice you can do at home in 15-20 minutes. You won’t need to keep coming back, you’ll know how to maintain this yourself.

Led by Martha Peterson, not just any facilitator.

30+ years in the field of movement. 20+ years teaching Clinical Somatic Education. Published author. One of the leading voices in this field. She’s been leading these retreats for a decade.

We teach the process, not promise miracles.

This isn’t a quick fix. But if you commit to learning and practicing, you’ll have tools to manage pain and move with ease for life.

That’s the Essential Somatics difference.
Not magic. Real education. Skills that last.

01/02/2026

It’s not your fault.

You didn’t cause it by “not moving enough” or “having bad posture” or “getting old.”

Your muscles aren’t weak. They’re not tight because you’re inflexible.

They’re holding on because your nervous system taught them to.

This is sensory motor amnesia, and nobody talks about it.

Here’s what happens: Over years of stress, repetitive movements, injuries, or simply adapting to life, your brain loses the ability to sense and fully control certain muscles.

They stay contracted. Chronically tight. And no amount of stretching or strengthening will fix it because the problem isn’t in your muscles, it’s in your brain’s ability to sense and release them.

This is why:

Your shoulder pain keeps coming back

Stretching your hamstrings never seems to help

You wake up stiff no matter how much you move

Physical therapy works temporarily, then stops

Your nervous system learned these patterns. And it can unlearn them.

That’s what Clinical Somatic Education does. We don’t stretch tight muscles. We don’t strengthen weak ones. We teach your brain to sense what it’s forgotten and release what it’s been holding.

Gently. Mindfully. Through movements called pandiculation.
This isn’t about willpower or discipline or “just relaxing.” It’s about re-educating your nervous system.

And once you understand this, once you realize chronic tension isn’t a life sentence - everything changes.

12/15/2025

“I’m skeptical.”

Good. You should be.

You’ve tried physiotherapy. Massage. Yoga.

Movements your doctor recommended.

Pills that barely took the edge off.

Some things helped for a week, maybe two. Then the pain came back. The stiffness returned. And you were right back where you started, minus the time and money you spent trying.

So now you’re reading about retreats and thinking: Is this just another thing that won’t work?

We get it. We’d be skeptical too.

Here’s what we’re not going to tell you: that this is a miracle cure. That seven days will fix everything. That you’ll never feel pain again.

Here’s what we will tell you:

Clinical Somatic Education works differently than what you’ve tried before. It’s not about stretching tight muscles or pushing through pain. It’s about re-educating your nervous system to release patterns it’s been holding for years.

It takes practice. It takes time. It takes actually showing up for yourself.

But here’s the difference: the people who commit to this work, who practice consistently, who learn the method, they get lasting results. Not temporary relief. Actual change.

You don’t have to believe us. Listen to the people who’ve been through it:

“I was so skeptical I almost didn’t register. Best decision I ever made.”

“After 15 years of trying everything, this was the first thing that actually worked.”

“I went in doubtful. I left understanding my body for the first time in my life.”

Your skepticism isn’t a problem. It means you’re paying attention. It means you’ve learned not to trust empty promises.
We’re not asking you to believe. We’re asking you to try.

Mar de Jade, Mexico | January 17-24, 2026
Registration open - link in bio.

What made you skeptical about trying something new? We want to hear your story.

12/12/2025

“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.

But chronic pain isn’t aging. It’s sensory motor amnesia.

Your muscles have learned to hold tension over years of stress and adaptation. And your nervous system can unlearn these patterns, at any age.

We’ve worked with people in their late 60s who’ve regained mobility they thought was gone. We’ve seen 70-year-olds move with ease they haven’t felt in decades.

Clinical Somatic Education works because it addresses how your nervous system learns. And your nervous system? It’s still learning, still capable of change, no matter how many birthdays you’ve had.

Those years aren’t behind you. They’re ahead of you, if you’re willing to try.

What if this year, you stopped telling yourself “I can’t” and started asking: “What if I can?”

12/08/2025

“I don’t have time for myself.”

You say it so often, it’s become automatic.

Between work deadlines and family responsibilities. Between appointments and errands. Between taking care of everyone else and collapsing into bed at night.

I don’t have time.

But here’s what that really means: You don’t have permission.
Because if someone you loved needed you, your parent, your child, your partner, you’d find the time. You’d rearrange everything. You’d make it work.

The question isn’t whether you have time. It’s whether you believe you deserve it.

Your body has been trying to get your attention. The stiffness when you wake up. The ache that won’t go away. The exhaustion that goes deeper than just being tired.

It’s not going to get better by ignoring it. It’s not going to resolve itself “when things calm down.”

Because things won’t calm down. Not on their own.

You have to choose.

Clinical Somatic Education teaches you how to release chronic tension, understand your body’s patterns, and move without pain. But it requires something most people struggle to give themselves: time and attention.

Even 15 minutes a day. Even considering that maybe, just maybe, you’re worth prioritizing.

You’ve spent years taking care of everyone else.

What would change if you finally took care of yourself?

11/17/2025

Before diving into the expected busyness of the new week, take a moment for yourself.

Pause.

Close your eyes.

Notice where you feel tension in your body right now.

Is it your shoulders? Neck? Lower back? Somewhere else?

Comment below with the area of your body that feels most tense, and we’ll recommend a simple movement you can try to release it.

11/05/2025

“The biggest shifts happen when you give yourself permission to fully immerse.”

Martha has been teaching Clinical Somatic Education for over two decades. She’s guided many people out of chronic pain and back into comfortable, joyful movement.

And if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s this: being immersed in your own learning changes everything.

In this video, Martha shares why practicing Essential Somatics movements in a focused environment – away from daily distractions – can create transformation that simply can’t happen the same way during the busy work week.

It’s not about working harder. It’s about creating the conditions where your nervous system can actually let go.

When you’re immersed, away from daily distractions, practicing multiple times a day, surrounded by others on the same journey, guided by expert hands, your brain and body can finally do what they’ve been trying to do all along: release the patterns that have been holding you back.

This is the power of immersive learning. And it’s why we continue to lead retreats after all these years.

Watch to hear Martha’s perspective on why some lessons can often be learned and absorbed best when you step away from your daily life and step fully into the practice.

11/04/2025

How do you learn best?

When it comes to Somatic Movement, there’s no single right path, just the one that meets you where you are.

Our online courses are perfect if you want to learn at your own pace, revisit lessons, and gradually integrate the practice into your daily routine. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the principles of Clinical Somatic Education, all from the comfort of home.

But if you’re craving immersion, personal connection, and in-person, hands-on guidance, our retreats offer something different. They’re a chance to step away from daily life, feel fully supported, and experience profound change in real time.

Both paths lead to the same goal: more awareness, less tension, and a renewed sense of ease in your body.

So ask yourself: what kind of learning experience do you need right now?

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

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Essential Somatics posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Essential Somatics:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Manitou Springs?

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.