Who has a back or problem, or stiff neck and shoulders? Yes I thought so, me too, an ongoing ache, a dull pain and sometimes more constant when I’ve twisted the wrong way or exercised too hard. But most of us have neck and back pain because we sit at a computer or are hunched up and bending to look at a smartphone all day.
Hardly any of us find a cure from going to see a specialist, and if we do it tends to be temporary as old habits kick in and we find ourselves going through the same motions that got us there in the first place. What Align Somatics does is not only treat your problem but send you home with exercises that will eventually help to alleviate the problem all together. Saving you many costly appointments and the frustration of knowing that your sessions with your chiropractor are ineffective 2 days after you feel slight relief of pain.
What is Align Somatics?
Somatic Movement Education is teaching your mind to train your body to behave differently. Your mind can hold on to negative habits: like contracting the muscles around a weak or injured spot and sitting badly at our desks. Even with good intentions you often don’t even realise you are slipping into habits that are doing you long term damage.
“If the muscles don’t get a message from the brain to relax, they forget how to release. This affects how we move, stand, sit and lie. When muscles forget how to relax, they become chronically contracted, painful and sore. They also lose their flexibility and elasticity. This results in poor posture, stiffness, back pain.
Our techniques lead you through a sequence of simple movements to help focus your brain on areas of pain and unconscious tension. Once your brain becomes aware of where your body is tight and contracted, we coach you to release your muscles through specific guided movement. The scientific term for this is Neuromuscular Reprogramming. Neuro refers to nerves and muscular refers to muscles.”
Taken from the website http://www.alignsomatics.com
My Appointment at Align
I had my first session with Tanya Fitzpatrick, who is also an experienced yoga teacher and massage therapist, so she really does understand the body and its flexibility.
I have had an ongoing lower back and shoulder problem for a while and have just been putting up with it and getting a massage occasionally but never getting rid of the problem at all. Whenever I had been to back specialists in the past I felt like I needed to ‘invest’ a lot of money and time in so many appointments. I know its your health and a priority but who can afford 2/3 appointments in a week for 4/6 weeks.
Tanya looked at my back, the way I walked and I got on the couch and we ran through a series of assisted movements and she taught me exercises to do at home. Spending just 5 minutes a day I could re-train my brain to fix my body. (that’s my shorthand btw) I’ve had two sessions so far and even just the slightest changes in the way I stand have made a huge improvement to my lower back.
You learn so much during your appointment about how your muscles and body work, it’s really the best kind of treatment I’ve ever had and I have been telling everyone I know, “I’ve discovered someone who can cure your back problem!”
I can thoroughly recommend anyone booking in for a session, I have been very impressed with the results so far. The appointments are a combination of treatment, learning exercises and even a bit of massage if you’re lucky and Tanya is lovely and very passionate about this innovative technique.
Tanya runs private clinics, workshops and classes in Somatic Movement. Her focus is leading her clients to become pain free and to re-gain full range of movement no matter what age or fitness level they may be.
With clinics currently in Dublin and Harley Street in London you can contact Tanya by email for any information or details on how to book a session tanya@alignsomatics.com