SOMATIC BODY IS A 500 HOUR, DEEPLY KINESTHETIC STUDY OF THE BASIC NEUROLOGICAL PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT AS THEY ARE EXPRESSED THROUGH THE CELLULAR TISSUES, ALL BODY SYSTEMS, MOVEMENT PATTERNS, AND THEIR CORRESPONDING RELATIONAL, INTERACTIVE MODELS. STUDENTS WILL BE GUIDED THROUGH THEIR OWN EMBODIMENT OF ANATOMICAL STRUCTURES, AND WILL LEARN KINESTHETICALLY THROUGH OBSERVATION AND MOVEMENT REPATTERNING, AS WELL AS ENGAGE WITH THESE CONCEPTS THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION IN DANCE, PERFORMANCE, WRITING AND TEACHING.

This experience of community using the body and somatic practices of development allows Somatic Body students to build resonance and clarity of presence in themselves and gain the ability to encourage change, healing and transformation of the body/mind in others. The material will build and layer information to allow students to revisit material to reintegrate and reweave knowledge, and build confidence. They will build a professional skill set of embodiment and movement tools which can be applied to healing, business, dance, psychology and teaching practices.

Our program maintains the high standards of an Approved Training Program of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA). Our graduates meet all requirements to become Registered Somatic Movement Educators and Therapists.  Go to www.ismeta.org for more information on international professional credentials. 

 Skills

CHRISTINE COLE TRAINS STUDENTS TO BECOME HIGHLY SKILLED IN MOVEMENT FACILITATION, FINELY ARTICULATED MOVEMENT SKILLS, AND AN ABILITY TO MEET PEOPLE WITH JOY, RESPECT, AND SPACE FOR DEVELOPMENT. THROUGH SOMATIC BODY PRACTICES, STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND MORE OF WHO THEY ARE AND SEE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANDING INTO NEW WAYS TO INTERACT. STUDENTS WILL BE DIRECTED IN HEALTHY WAYS OF LEARNING AND INTERACTING IN A GROUP AND MODALITIES OF ACTIVELY EXCHANGING SOMATIC MATERIAL. THROUGH THE 2-YEAR TRAINING, THEY WILL ACQUIRE ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF ANATOMY AND MOVEMENT DEVELOPMENT, LEARN HOW TO LEARN, AND DEVELOP A PERSONAL PRACTICE OF SOMATIC LEARNING AND DISCOVERY.

MENTORING AND COHORT LEARNING PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE MATERIAL IN CO-CREATIVE, INTERACTIVE WAYS. USING THE SKILLS OF WITNESSING, LISTENING, OBSERVING, ENGAGING IN DISCOURSE AND FEEDBACK, STUDENTS BECOME AWARE OF HOW PERSONAL PATTERNS OF STRESS AND RELATIONSHIP ISSUES CAN BE APPROACHED THROUGH THE SOMATIC BODY PRACTICES. STUDENTS LEARN TO ENGAGE IN THE PROFESSIONAL FIELD OF SOMATICS THROUGH ARTICLES, BLOGS, PERFORMANCE, TEACHING, RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION.

Students will develop these specific skills:

1. kinesthetic knowledge of body systems (nervous, skeletal, circulatory, etc.) and developmental movement stages

2. embodied presence and spatial awareness

3. keen observational and assessment skills to identify developmental patterns, tonal quality, and particular use of each body system

4. techniques/strategies to address and heal physical injury, trauma, and limiting movement patterns

5. effective movement repatterning techniques to access greater ease and alignment

6. course of action or class curricula

7. perspective of the healthy body that can be engaged with through enlivening tissues through touch and movement explorations, play, artistic expression, and nature

8. dance and movement improvisation skills to invite personal expression, invoke intuitive knowing, and embrace the unpredictable path of healing

9. relational verbal and non-verbal skills for effective communication with students, clients, and colleagues

10. comprehension of academic research literature and writing about current topics in somatic movement education and therapy and enter into professional discourse in the somatic field

Somatic BODY Team

TS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENTAL MOVEMENT PROCESS IN TWO YEARS. THE FIRST YEAR WILL FOCUS ON LEARNING THE LAND PATTERNS, AND THE SECOND YEAR ON THE OCEAN PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT. MOST OF THE MATERIAL WILL BE INTRODUCED IN STAGES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPINE WILL BE TAUGHT IN THE FIRST YEAR IN SPINAL, THEN TOUCHED UPON IN THE MUSCLE UNIT AND WILL RETURN IN YEAR TWO WITH THE FOCUS ON LIGAMENTS AND VOCALIZATION.

WITHIN EACH YEAR, THE UNITS WILL ALTERNATE BETWEEN DEEPLY STUDYING AND EXPLORING A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE BONES, MUSCLES AND TISSUES THAT STRONGLY PERTAIN TO THAT PATTERN, WITH UNITS THAT FOCUS ON A BODY SYSTEM. IN EACH BODY SYSTEM, STUDENTS WILL GAIN THE INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE OF THE POSSIBILITIES AND CHARACTER OF THAT UNIQUE SYSTEM. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR INTEGRATION OF LEARNING AS THE INFORMATION WILL LAYER AND SEGMENTS WILL BUILD.  

General Expectations

Students are required to come prepared, study on their own, ask questions, and as a cohort are asked to develop, learn, study, and question together. This may be accomplished between units by in person meeting, email, phone, blog, writing or performance and teaching exchanges.

Students will bring objects, music, food, photos, videos, performance, teaching snippets, scientific articles and art that have to do with the sections topics. It is possible that we will create models of the organs and other body parts and engage in other collaborative projects to illuminate anatomical structures and processes.

        Required Texts:

• Anatomy Coloring Book

• Trail Guide to the Body, Andrew Biel

• Sensing Feeling and Action, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen 2014

• Atlas of Human Anatomy, Frank Netter (these are available used for less than $10!!)

   During the course you will be required to:

• Prepare the anatomical information required for each unit.

• Read the required texts due

• Communicate with one other student between units

• Documents the process of applying, playing with or teaching the material

• Post in the Somatic Body Training Blog two weeks before each training module and two weeks after each training module (in order to show up ready and excited for the new material… and to help integrate the old material). The post can be anything that makes you think of the material (a photo with a description, a moment that relates the material to your own life).

• Show up for a one on one Mentoring session with Christine Cole each year

• Receive 5 sessions from an approved list of practitioners during the training. Complete all homework assignments, plus a discussion of a final project

• Record in writing 10 Partnering sessions (one in each unit) engaging one on one with the material through hands on work.

• Record and present a teaching moment that incorporates key Somatic Body material.