Wellness @ CSB+ SJU

What do you need right now: centering and a sense of calm, or a boost of energy to get you through the work? Somatic exercises are a type of mind-body practice that focuses on increasing body awareness and releasing muscular tension through slow, intentional movements. They involve focusing on internal sensations and how your body feels as you move, rather than external goals or aesthetics. These exercises can help improve posture, flexibility, and overall physical comfort by reprogramming the brain's control over muscles. 

1. Body Scan- Calming
   Finding present awareness within the body by attending to physical sensations and needs
2. Conscious Breathing- Calming
   Reconnecting to the baseline experience of inhale and exhale and how it serves us
3. Three Dimensional Breathing- Calming
   Accessing fuller, more effective use of breath and the structures that support our breathing
4. Releasing Weight through Ideokinesis- Activating
   Using imagery to facilitate a shift in the way we sense and release the physical and emotional weight that we carry
5. Re-Energizing through Tactile Activation- Activating
   Reinvigorating and grounding in the body through self-to-self physical contact
6. Trigger Point Release with Props- Calming and Activating
   A simple exercise, rooted in the Feldenkrais Method, to quickly and easily release shoulder and neck tension and give your posture a reset
7. Freeing the Spine- Calming
   Freeing up the muscles and joints of the back, ribcage, neck, shoulders, and arms through a simple mobilizing exercise
8. Seated Pelvic Shift- Calming and Activating
   This session is about finding a sense of stability and control by moving and mobilizing from the pelvis.
9. Grounding Your Weight- Calming and Activating
   This session is about releasing tension and finding support from the feet up.
10. Moving Our Weight- Activating
    Organizing, coordinating, and reconnecting all of the parts of the body through simple weight shifts to bring yourself back to center
11. Releasing & Activating through Effort- Calming
    Using effortful breath and movement qualities to wake up the senses and release any tension or stress that is being held within the body
12. Using Your Weight- Activating
    This session is about accessing the Exertion-Recuperation Cycle of the body to regain energetic balance.
13. Finding Your Groove- Activating
    This session is about settling into the natural rhythm of your body through musical connection & movement (dancing!).
14. Total Body Stretch- Calming and Activating
    This session is about stretching your full body.
15. Sharing the Energy – Partner or Group Exercise- Calming and Activating
    This session is about connecting to others through shared space and generating a shared energy and flow.
16. Moving Conversations – Partner or Group Exercise- Calming and Activating
    This session is about engaging with others through a conversational movement experience.

From https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/office-of-well-being/connection-support/somatic-self-care