Your Pain Isn't What You Think It Is
It’s not tight muscles. It’s not aging. It’s not “just something you have to live with.”
It’s your brain forgetting how to relax muscles that are stuck in chronic contraction.
And you can fix it.
Somatics is a movement practice that teaches your brain to release chronic muscle tension—the kind that causes persistent pain, stiffness, and restricted movement.
It’s not stretching. It’s not strengthening. It’s neuromuscular re-education: teaching your nervous system to let go of involuntary tension it’s been holding for months or years.
Developed by Dr. Thomas Hanna, Somatics gives you back control over your own body—quickly, safely, and permanently.
TL;DR:
Somatics releases chronic muscle tension by teaching your brain to voluntarily relax muscles that are stuck in contraction. It’s not stretching or exercise—it’s neuromuscular re-education. Works for chronic pain, stiffness, and stress-related tension.
Is Somatics For You?
Somatics helps if you’re dealing with:
✓ Chronic pain that won’t go away (back, neck, shoulders, hips)
✓ Stiffness that makes movement uncomfortable
✓ Tension you can’t seem to release, no matter how much you stretch
✓ Physical effects of stress and anxiety (tight chest, shallow breathing, clenched jaw)
✓ Movement restrictions that limit what you can do
✓ Pain that keeps coming back, even after treatment.
If you’ve tried stretching, strengthening, massage, or physical therapy and the problem keeps returning—Somatics addresses what those approaches miss: the brain’s control over muscle tension.
Quick Self-Assessment:
When you’re stressed, do your shoulders creep up toward your ears?
When you sit at a desk, does your neck and upper back get tight?
When you wake up, does your body feel stiff and need time to “loosen up”?
That’s not tight muscles. That’s your brain holding tension it’s forgotten how to release.
That’s what Somatics fixes.
How Somatics Works?
The Brain-Muscle Connection You’ve Been Missing
Your muscles don’t get tight on their own. Your brain tells them to tighten.
When you experience stress, anxiety, injury, or repetitive actions, your muscles automatically contract. That’s normal. That’s protective.
The problem? Over time, your brain loses the ability to release that tension voluntarily. The muscles stay contracted—even when you’re resting, even when you’re trying to relax.
This is called Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA): You’ve literally forgotten how to feel and control certain muscles.
Stretching doesn’t fix this. You’re pulling on muscles that are already contracted, which triggers your nervous system to contract them more (stretch reflex).
Strengthening doesn’t fix this. You’re building strength on top of dysfunction.
Somatics fixes this by teaching your brain to release the contraction voluntarily.
The Technique: Pandiculation
Pandiculation is a simple 3-step process:
- Deliberately contract the tight muscle (making it tighter on purpose)
- Slowly, smoothly release the contraction (teaching your brain to let go)
- Pause at complete rest (allowing your nervous system to register the new state)
You’ve done this before. It’s what happens when you yawn and stretch in the morning—reaching your arms out, stiffening your body, then gently relaxing.
Animals do this constantly (cats pandiculate up to 40 times a day—no wonder they move so well).
Kids do it naturally.
Adults stop doing it.
Somatics teaches you to do it deliberately, systematically, and effectively.
When you pandiculate, you’re taking your muscles off autopilot and restoring voluntary control.
You’re teaching your brain: “This is how you release. This is how you relax.”
Result: The chronic tension dissolves. The pain goes away. Movement becomes easy again.
Why You’re In Pain: The Three Reflexes
Chronic muscle tension doesn’t happen randomly. It follows predictable patterns.
Dr. Thomas Hanna identified three reflex patterns that create most chronic pain:
Green Light Reflex (Back of Body Tension)
What it is: Involuntary tension in your spinal muscles, traps, rhomboids glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
What triggers it: Stress, pressure to perform, constant “go-go-go” mindset.
How it feels: Arched lower back, tight hamstrings, neck pulled back, difficulty relaxing.
Common problems: Lower back pain, tight hamstrings, anterior pelvic tilt, feeling like you can’t slow down.
Red Light Reflex (Front of Body Tension)
What it is: Involuntary tension in your shoulders, chest, belly, hip flexors, groin and neck.
What triggers it: Anxiety, fear, chronic stress, protective withdrawal.
How it feels: Rounded shoulders, head forward, shallow breathing, tight chest.
Common problems: Neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, shallow breathing, feeling constantly braced.
Trauma Reflex (One-Sided Tension)
What it is: Involuntary tension on one side of your body, usually centered around an injury site.
What triggers it: Accidents, falls, injuries, surgeries, repetitive one-sided activities.
How it feels: Twisted posture, one shoulder or hip higher than the other, one-sided pain anywhere in the body.
Common problems: Sciatica, IT band pain, hip pain, frozen shoulder, twisted pelvis, uneven leg lengths.
Most people have all three reflexes to some degree.
The good news? Somatic movements systematically release all three.
Once you understand these patterns, you can recognize them in your own body—and you’ll know exactly what to do about them.
How Is Somatics Different From…
Stretching?
Stretching pulls on already-contracted muscles, triggering the stretch reflex (your body contracts them more to protect against overstretching).
Somatics teaches your brain to voluntarily release the contraction from the inside out. No pulling. No forcing. Just restoring control.
Yoga?
Yoga is valuable for flexibility, strength, and mindfulness. But it doesn’t specifically address involuntary muscle tension held by the nervous system.
Somatics focuses exclusively on releasing chronic neuromuscular holding patterns. It’s neuromuscular re-education, not exercise.
Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy strengthens weak muscles and improves movement patterns—which is important.
Somatics releases the chronic tension that’s often causing the weakness and dysfunction in the first place. It’s complementary, not competitive.
Massage?
Massage feels great and can temporarily release muscle tension from the outside.
Somatics teaches your brain to release the tension from the inside—so it doesn’t come back. You learn to do it yourself, anytime you need. Bonus tip: get a massage after you’ve relaxed your muscles using Somatics, it will feel even better!
The key difference: Somatics addresses the root cause (the brain’s control over muscle tension), not just the symptom (the tight muscle).
What People Experience
“I have been doing a on demand class 1-2x/week for about a month. My entire body is starting to move and relax better. I started because at 71 I was not getting my ability to walk and move without pain from conventional exercises. My daily pain is reduced by 40-50%. After being told it’s just part of aging, it is so encouraging to find substantial, non-drug relief.” – Robyn S., USA
“I benefited from Colm’s videos online for a couple of years before scheduling an Online 1-1 via Zoom. I am enjoying more flexibility, better balance and posture, and a greater sense of ease moving through the world in general. Colm’s sessions have been incredibly personalized. I cannot say enough about the positive impact this work has had on my well-being.” – Anna J., USA
“I just did class #27 Twisting & Bending, my whole trunk feels alive but particularly my upper back and shoulders. That feeling of hope and excitement. Thanks so much!” – Juliet T., UK
Ready to Start?
Choose the path that fits where you are:
🎯 New to Somatics? Start Here:
Free 7-Day Email Course
Short daily emails + easy movements.
Understand the basics and experience relief in one week.
🔄 Ready to Go Deeper? The Library:
From Chronic Pain to Complete Control: The Complete Somatic System
62 structured classes. Systematic progression from quick fixes to lasting freedom. €20/month, cancel anytime.
🚀 Want Personalized Guidance? 1-1 Sessions:
Online 1-1 Sessions (Worldwide via Zoom)
Work with me directly to address your specific pain patterns and accelerate your progress.
In-Person 1-1 Lessons (Dublin)
Hands-on guidance for long-standing chronic pain.
Expect substantial improvements from the first session.
Common Questions
Q: How long does it take to see results?
Many people feel relief after a single session. For lasting change, consistent practice over 2-4 weeks typically shows significant improvement.
Q: Is this safe if I have an injury or chronic condition?
Somatics is gentle and safe for most people. The movements are slow, controlled, and done within your comfortable range. However, if you have a serious injury or medical condition, consult your doctor first.
Q: How is this different from stretching?
Stretching pulls on muscles from the outside. Somatics releases them from the inside by retraining your brain’s control over those muscles. It’s neuromuscular re-education, not flexibility training.
Q: Do I need special equipment?
No. Just a comfortable surface (mat, carpet, or bed) and enough space to lie down and move your arms and legs.
Q: How often should I practice?
For chronic pain or tension: Daily practice for 10-20 minutes yields best results. For maintenance: 2-3 times per week keeps you comfortable and mobile.
Got more questions? Email me: connect@learnsomatics.ie