Issue 10: Why Massage Is A Good Option but Somatic Release Exercise Is Better
Hello Reader,
We All Love A Visit To Our Bodyworker, but here's the thing.
Now, I too have a bodyworker that I visit frequently because I swear she saved my life by restoring mobility from osteoarthritis and body wide tendonitis, especially in the hips after too many cortisone injections prescribed to the facet joints of my lumbar spine without adequate time between shots (but that story for another time). There are other benefits to passive bodywork such as the healing power of touch, developing trust, melting away mental stress that causes physical knots, and just simply laying down and not having to think about anything else except receiving a blissful treatment.
Why then, is Somatic Release proven to have positive lasting effects on musculoskeletal functioning??
Because its ACTIVE.
It's somewhat easier to lay back and have someone else do all the work without engaging your brain-- this is sometimes necessary. But humans are lazy. Sorry-- not sorry. In order to correct postural compensations, retrain fight-flight-freeze responses, and repattern habitual movements you need to use your brain in order to make any lasting change.
You can help save your own life too... An indispensable movement modality that helped me maintain mobility alongside receiving passive bodywork was, and is, mustering up the discipline (tapas) to add active self-care pandiculation exercises to my weekly routine. I want to be able to put on socks by myself, walk to the grocery store, teach yoga, travel, move with ease– and LIVE for many years to come while continuing to improve the quality of my life as I age. Years of self-reflection (svadhyaya) later, and loads of experimentation and research in somatic movement, the active movement modalities I choose to keep my muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, bones and joints happier are with regular Somatic Exercise practices.
And I want you to live your best life in your body too!
Let’s have a look at Active VS Passive Movement Techniques.
Passive Versus Active Movement
As you learned earlier, Passive Movement is involuntary and any changes in muscle tension only reach the spinal cord, not the brain. Active Movement is voluntary and changes in muscle tension are relayed to the brain. When signals reach the brain that means a sensation becomes conscious and when sensation is conscious it gives us the option to choose to release and relax a muscle. Otherwise, if signals do not reach the brain, no other choices are available. While shorterm release may happen, nothing longterm will.
Below are examples of familiar passive and active forms of movement.
Passive Movement Modalities
Massage: Passive forms of bodywork where your body is manipulated and moved by a specialist are Swedish, Thai, Chiropractic, etc. While bodywork may feel amazing and ameliorate certain physical conditions as well as provide emotional/mental benefits associated with hands-on touch, the effects are fleeting. For improvement you need to keep booking more appointments which quickly becomes very costly.
This type of exercise provides little to no lasting effects on the resting base level of muscle tension and Gamma Loop Activity because there is no conscious, active movement on your part.
Passive Stretching: Think of 1980s aerobics classes on TV with Jane Fonda that involved ballistic and static stretching before and after the workout, old school stretches in gym class when you were a kid, stretches you did or still do before weight training and dance class, yin classes, and stretches at the end of a yoga class. Passive stretching activates the stretch reflex to work against you and your yoga practice– with a vengeance. The stretch reflex reduces strength and force output before a workout such as weight lifting, running, (yoga!), etc; reduces a muscle’s capacity to gain flexibility with a protective mechanism preventing the muscle from releasing; and although your muscles may feel looser for a day, the stretch reflex fights back and tightens up after 24 hours erasing any progress you made.
This type of exercise provides little to no lasting effects on the resting base level of muscle tension and Gamma Loop Activity because there is no conscious, active, voluntary movement on the part of the individual being manipulated.
Combination of Passive and Active Manipulation & Movement
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF): PNF involves being manipulated and passively stretched by a specialist followed by an active contraction by the client. Neither purely passive nor active, this form of active stretching relies on assistance from a person, prop, or gravity in order to lengthen the muscle beyond its normal resting length. PNF gives more lasting results than static stretching due to the active participation of the practitioner with voluntary muscle contractions during a stretch and must be practiced sparingly and with caution in collaboration with a professional.
This type of exercise provides more conscious, voluntary, active movement to modulate muscle spindle sensitivity affecting the stretch reflex and influence the Gamma Loop by stimulating the firing of gamma motor neurons.
Active Movement Modalities
Dynamic Exercises: Flowing Movement such as Vinyasa Yoga, Power Flow Yoga, Dance Classes, and Tai Chi are examples of dynamic movement exercises that involve flowing, controlled movements, changes in position and posture, and moving limbs and joints through their full range of motion. Dynamic stretching involves controlled, full range of motion movements that actively contract and release targeted muscle groups. Both dynamic exercises and dynamic movement increase flexibility and prepare muscles for activity.
This type of exercise provides more conscious, voluntary, active, dynamic, full range of motion movement essential to rewire learned motor patterns and influence the Gamma Loop by adjusting the level of gamma motor neuron firing.
Pandiculation: Thomas Hanna, founder of Clinical Somatic Education (CSE), coined the now popular term "Somatics" and “Pandiculation” to describe his technique of releasing chronic muscle tension in order to restore and regain motor control of movement and posture. The word Pandiculation stems from the Latin verb pandiculārī, which means to stretch, and derived from pandere, to spread out or extend. Hanna’s voluntary, active pandiculation exercises proved to be groundbreaking-- and still are! The active learning and voluntary movement inherent in specific Contract and Release exercises quickly reduce muscular tension with more significant results than passive manipulation such as stretching or massage, providing long lasting changes in flexibility, range of motion, and pain relief. Hanna’s method is based on three postural patterns he observed in clients which he called Postural Reflexes that mirror fight, flight, freeze states. I am a certified instructor in this method so you're welcome to book a 1:1 Somatic Exercise Coaching Session with me.
This type of exercise provides more conscious, voluntary, active, slower movement essential to rewire learned motor patterns and influence the Gamma Loop by adjusting the level of gamma motor neuron firing.
Somatic Mobility Drills Yoga Sequences (SMD): Somatic Mobility Drills Sequencing is a somatic approach to Vinyasa Krama Sequencing based on Somatic Muscle Science that incorporates stretch reflex principles with dynamic movement and dynamic pandiculation designed to effectively prepare the body for yoga poses. SMD are known as "Yoga Pose Hacks" because sequences assist students to advance– safely, in their practice and make increases in flexibility, strength, and joint range of motion by restoring voluntary control of muscle function. Students report that practicing Somatic Mobility Drills and Somatic Mobility Psoas Release regularly relieves common musculoskeletal stiffness, dysfunction, and pain, improving performance in sports, hiking, gym workouts, and daily activities-- even better sleep!
This type of exercise provides conscious, voluntary, active, dynamic, and whole body, strength building movement essential to rewire learned motor patterns and influence the Gamma Loop by adjusting the level of gamma motor neuron firing.
Stay tuned for Issue 11: Somatic Muscle Science Unveiled – How Conventional Yoga Asana Can Evolve Without Losing Its Roots
Curious about a 1:1 Somatic Exercise Coaching Bundle? Sessions are online or in-person. Read more here.
