What makes a massage truly somatic? It's not about deeper pressure or fancier techniques. It's about presence, awareness, and recognizing that the only person who can relax a muscle is the person who owns it.

Aimee welcomes Dr. Gabriel Posner, a Hanna Somatic Educator, researcher, and author of Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists, to explore how bodyworkers can shift from a biomedical "working on a body" approach to a somatic "engaging with a soma" approach.

Whether you give bodywork or receive it, this conversation will change how you think about touch.

Dr. Gabriel takes us through:

• Why massage therapist don't necessarily relax someone else's muscles.

• How bringing awareness to a tight spot can soften it without forceful pressure.

• Why most musculoskeletal pain comes from perfectly functioning physiology.

• The difference between the biomedical (third-person) and somatic (first-person) perspectives.

• Why practitioners must heal themselves to be effective guides for others.

And so much more!

Guest Bio:

Gabriel is the current president of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education’s board of directors and is funded by the Association to develop research on the field. In addition, Gabriel trains clinical practitioners and movement teachers with Martha Peterson and Essential Somatics.

He also operates a private practice in Denver, Colorado, offering hands-on clinical somatic sessions, group classes, and trainings for both somatic practitioners and massage therapists. His first book, Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists was released by Handspring Publishing earlier this year. Gabriel loves guiding people through somatic healing transformations and sharing this work with other wellness practitioners.

Connect with Gabriel:

Website: ⁠www.elevatedsomatics.com⁠

Tik Tok: Soma_to_soma

Check out his weekly online class ⁠https://elevatedsomatics.as.me/schedule/0accd757/appointment/28992385/calendar/6330784⁠

and visit ⁠www.Essentialsomatics.com⁠ for info about training.

His book’s discussion guide: Somatic techniques for massage therapists

Connect with Aimee:

Instagram: @aimeetakaya

Facebook: Aimee Takaya
Learn more about Aimee Takaya, Hanna Somatic Education, and The Radiance Program at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.freeyoursoma.com⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠