Somatics

Somatics describes a field within bodywork and movement studies which emphasizes internal physical perception and personal embodied experience. The term, coined in 1967 by Thomas Hanna, a philosophy professor and movement theorist, is used in movement therapy to signify approaches based on the soma, or "the body as perceived from within", including Skinner Releasing Technique, The Trager Approach, Alexander technique, the Feldenkrais method, Eutony, Rolfing Structural Integration, among others. In dance, the term refers to techniques based on the dancer's internal sensation, in contrast with "performative techniques", such as ballet or modern dance, which emphasize the external observation of movement by an audience. Somatic techniques may be used in bodywork, psychotherapy, dance, or spiritual practices.

History

An early precursor of the somatic movement in Western culture was the 19th-century physical culture movement. This movement sought to integrate movement practices, or "gymnastics", related to military and athletic training; medical treatment; and dance. Many physical culture practices were brought to the US. One particular American innovator, Genevieve Stebbins, developed her own physical culture system. Some of Stebbins's many followers returned to Europe; one of these trained Elsa Gindler, who is recognized as one of the earliest somatic innovators.

Many further foundational developments in somatics have been traced to the turn of the twentieth century. At that time, the increased popularity of phenomenology and existentialism in philosophy led philosophers such as John Dewey and Rudolf Steiner to advocate experiential learning.