Brain Exercise
The practice of somatics highly involves the use of the body through brain exercise which can help us cure back pain.
According to Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself… easy, gentle movements gives the brain and the body the health we desire. When we combine the intention of our movement which is a thought… to an awareness of the movement (thought) itself, we’ve got a brain exercise which can surprise us to its effectiveness.
Somatics exercise is essentially brain exercise in disguise.
Brain fitness is all the rage yet easy, simple movements affect our muscles.
Using the little known process of a pandiculation, our brain can reprogram how our muscles function. We can awaken our sense of control with gentle brain exercise to help us cure back pain.
Often I call this un-exercise, since somatics is the complete reverse of most exercise programs out there. Our brain is used to facilitate healthy movement patterns with our intention to move.
The intention itself, is one of the integral parts of the brain exercise.
Somatics is the other side of the coin when it comes to exercise. Instead of using brawn, somatics harnesses our intelligence and the power of our brain by targeting the motor cortex rather than the cerebellum where most physical exercises focus upon.
The difference is brain exercise.
Our brain thrives on novelty and somatics exercises achieves this by our intention to move in ways that are different. Differentiating our movement patterns allows the brain to regenerate itself and facilitates greater mobility, flexibility and awareness in our daily life.
Signals of pain and pleasure can be generated from our brain. It is vital to continue to work with our brain/body to improve its function. Our brain/body needs to be exercised so it can continue to evolve for our well-being.
Brain power is now being harnessed in incredible and useful ways. Watch the video below as a testament to the power of the brain.
Imagine if we had a systematized approach in which we could increase our movement potential as we age. That reality is here with somatics.
Your brain is malleable and can change. Neural plasticity and the concepts of neurogenesis are now a fact. We can change our brain and thereby improve our well-being even in difficult circumstances.
Somatics is a form of brain exercise which not only will provide our brain the much needed stimulus of novelty…
It’ll enhance and improve the signals we send to the muscles so we end up moving better than we are right now. Do you think we can use this to cure back pain?
Programming with brain exercise is the most important part of all exercise.
Re-programming our brain/body is fundamental to moving and living well.
Mel Siff, who wrote Facts and Fallacies of Fitness remarked…
You can find out for yourself how moving simply with your intention in easy, simple ways will keep you agile, vital and in balance throughout your life.
The new exercise for a long, healthy, mobile life is brain exercise.
Ed Barrera is a Hanna Somatic Educator® with over 10 years of experience, helping people find natural pain relief through somatics exercises which are the reverse to most approaches since it is brain exercise and muscle lengthening that targets the brain’s motor cortex which leads to a healthy, fully-functional body. It’s not just “alternative medicines” or “an alternative to exercise”; it’s natural pain relief that actually works!
To understand the somatic definition, visit our What is Somatics? page, where we define somatic and explain more about somatics and how the proper somatics information will help you direct your “being” toward natural healing and pain relief.
