Transform tension, stress, and harmful patterns with advanced pandiculation and complementary somatic techniques — to create a personalized daily practice that regulates your nervous system and evolves with you for more pain-free movement, lasting ease, and freedom.
In your work with Martha Peterson, you’ve discovered how to reset your whole system with neuromuscular re-education, so you can move forward in your life with more comfort and ease... but you may be struggling to integrate these somatic principles into every aspect of your life.
It’s become increasingly clear that your body is far more malleable than you perhaps gave it credit for... and you have the power to further transform your tension into fluidity.
Now is the time to dig deeper than ever as you begin to refine, revise, and revisit the somatic practices you now have access to.
You’re invited to continue your work with Martha in her new 12-week advanced course.
You’ll dive deeper into the principles of somatic movement by creating a personal practice to cultivate more nuance and ease everyday. You and your somatic community can continue to encourage one another as you incorporate movements into your life for greater comfort, strength, and balance.
As you’ll discover in this advanced program, once you learn how to fine-tune them, an effective practice can have fewer movements — and you’ll intuitively build on them with a logical sequence that flows seamlessly.
Martha will explain the foundations of the central nervous system — and how your brain processes emotions, movement, and integration. You’ll release stored trauma and Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) you’ve been holding onto, no matter how it developed in your body.
Each week, you’ll learn new somatic practices and techniques, including “Center to Periphery,” pandiculation, breathing exercises, journaling, twist patterns, seated movements, and so much more.
Martha will guide you to cultivate a sense of release and regulation that can become your new normal — as you transform the tension and harmful patterns you’ve lived with for so long.
By the end of this 12-week immersion, you’ll have created a daily customized somatic practice that you can continue to fine-tune... making sure you’re always growing and transforming as you move through different stages of your life with increasingly greater ease and freedom.
During this 12-week advanced course, you’ll:
- Assess yourself somatically from the inside out — to understand where you are now at the beginning of your journey, and how the brain makes changes
- Explore how emotions and trauma are linked to stress reflexes like Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA)
- Explore the vital somatic movement principle of “Center to Periphery” and how tension accumulating in the center of your body disrupts your ability to move your limbs freely
- Self-regulate your effort during movement by turning up the tension, followed by advanced techniques of pandiculation
- Release tension in the muscles between your ribs with pandiculation for more efficient functioning of the diaphragm
- Restore balance and symmetry in your life when you release the major muscle groups involved in the trauma reflex
- Create a practice of gentle somatic movements to help you walk with ease
- Cultivate greater ease in the body and mind using seated and floor-based movements
- Discover somatic twist techniques for full-body flexibility and a healthy spine
- Use the technique of differentiation to disrupt certain pathways in your brain, creating more efficient movement in your body
- Practice invert, evert — connecting your feet to the center of your body for more groundedness
- Create a customized daily somatic movement practice for addressing your specific issues
During your 12 weeks with Martha, you’ll restore ease in walking by reestablishing balance and coordination in your upper and lower body. Gentle somatic movements can help you understand the relationship between the shoulder girdle and the hips in the walking process.
You’ll unlock your rib cage for deeper, more expansive breathing, allowing the breath to flow more freely throughout your body... which, in turn, supports better posture and overall vitality.
Martha will also explain the concept of self-regulating your pandiculation — adjusting your effort during movement by turning up the tension, then slowly dialing it back down. This process improves awareness of your body’s tension and effort levels and helps you calm your nervous system.
By the end of the course, you’ll not only have a deeper connection and comfort with your body, you’ll also feel more grounded, balanced, and at ease.
You’ll feel empowered to move through life with less pain, greater freedom, flexibility, and relaxation.
What You’ll Discover in These 12 Weeks
In this 12-week transformational course, Martha will guide you through the advanced skills and competencies you’ll need to successfully create deeper freedom in your body and life with your customized somatic practice.
Join the Livestream — or Stream Later to Watch at Your Convenience
You’ll connect with Martha and experience her teachings through livestreaming video via any connected device. This connection is easy to use and will enhance the impact of Martha’s transmissions. Can’t make it live? After each class, you can stream the video and audio recordings to enjoy anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
Course Sessions Tuesdays at 9:00am Pacific (Exception — the January 29 session is on a Wednesday)
This course will feature LIVE teachings, interactive sessions, experiential practices, and Q&A with Martha. Each session will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to create personalized routines for releasing stress and experiencing deeper freedom in your body and life.
Module 1: Understanding the Sensory Motor Nervous System & the Science Behind Movement to Assess Your Baseline at the Start of This 12-Week Journey (2024-11-12 9:00:00 am)
As the course begins, you’ll assess yourself somatically from the inside out — to understand where you are now before your journey, and how the brain makes changes.
You’ll dive into the workings of the central nervous system (CNS), focusing on how the brain and body communicate through movement and sensation.
Using detailed graphics, Martha will explore the basics of the sensorimotor system, highlighting how stress and trauma impact your movements. By examining the concepts of Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) and stress reflexes, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how emotions affect these processes.
Through somatic assessments, you’ll introduce scanning techniques to better perceive your body’s tension patterns and start the journey toward restoring ease.
In this opening module, you’ll:
- Examine the key functions of the CNS and its role in movement and sensation
- Explore how emotions and trauma are linked to stress reflexes like Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA)
- Learn to connect your awareness of tension with holding corresponding emotions
- Gain tools to reset stress reflexes through somatic movement and pandiculation
- Assess your baseline at the beginning of this 12-week journey with exercises like squatting and crawling, “Arch & Flatten,” and a “Standing, Walking, and Lying” soma scan
- Begin journaling every day so you can witness your own progress and process
Module 2: Move Your Limbs Freely & Access Your True Power With the Principle of "Center to Periphery" (2024-11-19 9:00:00 am)
You’ll focus on the vital somatic movement principle of “Center to Periphery” and how tension accumulating in the center of your body disrupts your ability to move your limbs freely
By reconnecting the core muscles to the arms, legs, neck, and head, you’ll explore how all movement originates from your somatic center.
Martha will explain how the movement of your shoulders is connected all the way down to your pelvis, and the movement of your legs is connected up into our spine. True power comes from connection to your somatic center.
You’ll explore gentle movements that will highlight the connection between your shoulders/arms, neck, head, and legs with your somatic center.
In this module, you’ll:
- Discover how freeing the core muscles improves overall body mobility
- Align your shoulders, hips, and spine for more fluid movement
- Release tension in the psoas (the muscle that attaches leg to spine) during a guided “Center to Periphery” movement
- Explore your center to periphery and back again as you coordinate your limbs and ease neck pain during a guided “Flower” movement
Module 3: Self-Regulate Your Pandiculation to Release Tension & Calm Your Nervous System With Less Effort (2024-11-26 9:00:00 am)
Martha will explore the concept of self-regulating your pandiculation — adjusting your effort during movement by turning up the tension, then slowly dialing it back down.
This process is essential for understanding the level of tension you hold in your body and key to improving awareness of your body’s tension and effort levels — helping you calm your nervous system. You’ll practice this through a series of somatic movements that release tension from various parts of the body.
In this module, you’ll:
- Master the ability to sense and regulate the level of tension you are holding in different areas of your body
- Balance effort in movement during a guided effort regulation exercise
- Learn how to start small and build bigger during a “Hip Lift and Reach” movement
- Play with levels of tension during a back lift exercise
- Learn how pandiculation helps reset habitual patterns of holding and tension
- Gain insights into how self-regulation improves nervous system health
- Integrate this skill into daily somatic practices for enhanced body awareness
Module 4: Practice Techniques for Increasing Diaphragm Function & Restoring Full, Easy Breathing (2024-12-03 9:00:00 am)
Breathing is a full-body experience that requires your rib cage to move subtly. As Martha will explain, when your rib cage is locked down due to stress and trauma, your breathing suffers.
Martha will help you pandiculate your own rib cage to release tension in the muscles between your ribs for more efficient functioning of the diaphragm.
Through gentle pandiculation exercises, you’ll explore how to unlock the rib cage for improved breathing, allowing the breath to flow more freely throughout your body.
In this module, you’ll:
- Examine the connection between trauma and restricted breathing
- Restore ease in breathing during a pandiculation sequence to release the rib cage
- Learn techniques to increase diaphragm function and lung capacity
- Explore how releasing tension in the rib cage improves overall body relaxation
- Incorporate these breathing exercises into your daily life to reduce stress and promote calm
- Roll the rib cage and extend the arms during a “Pectoral Clock” movement
Module 5: Release Trauma Reflex Muscles With Twist Patterns to Restore Balance & Symmetry in Your Life (2024-12-10 9:00:00 am)
Accidents, injuries, one-sided repetitive activities and sports, and naturally favoring one side of the body can all lead to imbalances in walking, twisting, and even thinking.
Martha will guide you to release all the major muscle groups involved in the trauma reflex, so you can restore balance and symmetry to everyday life.
You’ll focus on identifying the trauma reflex patterns that affect the muscles responsible for twisting and balance…
… and improve your ability to rotate the spine, safely and comfortably, by nourishing the discs between the vertebrae to lessen back pain.
In this module, you’ll:
- Identify twist patterns that result from trauma or repetitive activities
- Practice the “Steeple Twist,” a key movement for restoring balance and symmetry in your body, helping you regain stability in walking, twisting, and overall movement
- Release the back on one side during a new movement, the “Boomerang”
- Explore the effects of twist patterns on the nervous system and body alignment
- Experience greater symmetry in walking and everyday movements
Module 6: Restore Your Ability to Walk With Ease, Safety & Comfort With Gentle Somatic Movements (2024-12-17 9:00:00 am)
Walking is the most complicated of all human movement patterns, yet the most important one for us to maintain throughout our lives. Walking is what human somas are designed to do!
You’ll explore the relationship between the shoulder girdle and the hips in the walking process. Through gentle somatic movements, you’ll learn how to restore ease in walking by reestablishing balance and coordination in your upper and lower body.
In this module, you’ll:
- Improve your gait with a shoulder and hip circle practice
- Examine the complexity of walking and its connection to the whole body
- Engage in a guided walking movement practice to restore ease as you walk
- Learn how shoulder, spine, and hip alignment affect walking efficiency
- Explore how to enhance coordination levels in your everyday movements
Module 7: Integrate Seated & Floor-Based Somatic Movements Into Your Workday for Greater Ease in Your Body & Mind (2025-01-07 9:00:00 am)
Martha will lead a discussion about how to modify the movements you’ve already learned so you can practice them anytime and anywhere.
In this interactive session, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and share your experiences about the movements you most need to practice during their workday to create more ease in your body.
You’ll discover the unique benefits of seated versus floor-based movements and how they can support your wellbeing during a busy workday. Martha will encourage contributions from your fellow participants, ensuring a personalized approach to targeting specific areas of tension.
In this module, you’ll:
- Explore specific movements for areas of your body that need attention
- Experience seated somatic exercises that create ease in your posture
- Engage in Q&A to address your unique somatic movement challenges
- Practice seated movements that alleviate tension while sitting at your desk
Module 8: Unlock Full-Body Flexibility & Nourish Your Spine With Somatic Twist Techniques (2025-01-14 9:00:00 am)
Did you know that your ability to fully extend your arms and legs depends on your ability to relax and soften the muscles of your core?
By softening and relaxing your core muscles, you'll experience how flexibility in your limbs and ease of movement come from releasing tension in the center of your body.
Martha will help you focus on gentle, safe spinal rotations using the “Human X” and “Propeller” techniques. These rotations help nourish the spine and restore balance to your movements.
In this module, you’ll:
- Experience how core relaxation enhances limb mobility
- Learn gentle spinal rotation techniques for safe, supported movement
- Understand how spinal health impacts overall body flexibility
- Explore the “Human X” and “Propeller” somatic movements for enhanced connection to your core, and comfortable rotation from fingertips to toes
- Practice gentle spinal rotations to improve full-body movement
Module 9: Release Tension in Your Neck, Shoulders & Upper Torso for More Fluid Movement Throughout Your Body (2025-01-29 9:00:00 am)
Martha will explain how we have an abundance of sensory pathways that process information through our senses — most of which are in our eyes.
You’ll address the connection between sensory pathways and physical tension, focusing on releasing neck and shoulder tension for more effective movement throughout the body.
Martha will teach you to use eye movements, along with neck and shoulder exercises to create freedom in your torso — and ultimately ease upper body tension and restore full-body integration.
She’ll also explain the importance of relaxing the upper body for whole-body ease.
In this module, you’ll:
- Use the technique of differentiation to disrupt certain pathways in your brain, creating more efficient movement in your body
- Combine eye movements with differentiation to release tension in the neck and shoulders
- Experience the gentle movement of the shoulder blades and rib cage for improved connection to the hips, legs, and feet
- Practice somatic movements that promote neck and shoulder relaxation and coordination
- Improve your full-body twist movement from a seated position using differentiation
- Add the “Pulling Rope” movement to your somatic toolbox for integration and freedom in the neck and shoulders
Module 10: Create a Flow to Address Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) With Simple Movements (2025-02-04 9:00:00 am)
You’ll experience how the movements you’ve learned can make up a powerful, logical practice that flows seamlessly.
Martha will guide you through an hour-long practice of somatic movements that will connect your movement front to back, side to side, and head to toe.
By addressing Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) — when the body forgets natural movement patterns — you’ll learn simple yet powerful somatic practices that create balanced and integrated movement. The session concludes with standing somatic movements you can incorporate into your day anytime, anywhere.
In this module, you’ll:
- Practice standing movements, including reaching to the top shelf and reaching across the midline while standing to revisit cross-patterning
- Refine and revise your practice through a deeper somatic flow to discover more about what other SMA you have
- Address all three somatic reflexes, in all three dimensions
- Explore standing somatic exercises for daily use
- Restore natural patterns with a head-to-toe somatic movement flow that integrates movement and relieves tension
Module 11: Connect Your Feet to Your Core to Feel Grounded, Balanced & Coordinated (2025-02-11 9:00:00 am)
You’ll explore the important connection of your feet, lower legs, and pelvis to the center of the body, and their role in grounding and balance.
Discover how strengthening this connection can improve your coordination, stability, and overall movement efficiency — and how you can self-correct and reset anytime you’d like, just by looking at your feet.
In this module, you’ll:
- Practice invert, evert — connecting your feet to the center of your body for more groundedness
- Examine how movement of the feet impacts movement of your core (and vice versa) — and supports overall movement
- Learn how foot and leg engagement improves balance and coordination
- Explore techniques to enhance grounding and stability in your movements
- Improve balance and body awareness and strengthen your connection to the earth with grounding techniques
Module 12: Customize Your Daily Somatic Movement Practice for Long-Term Wellbeing & Growth (2025-02-18 9:00:00 am)
As this journey comes to a close, you’ll discuss best-practices for building a daily somatic movement practice — and create a somatic practice that works for you, depending on what’s going on in your life.
You’ll explore how to vary your routine based on your specific needs, keeping it simple, yet effective for long-term wellbeing.
Martha will provide practical guidance on developing a consistent practice that evolves with you over time.
In this final module, you’ll:
- Learn how to design a somatic movement practice that fits your daily routine
- Understand the importance of consistency in creating long-term improvements
- Explore ways to adapt your practice to meet changing needs
- Keep your routine simple while addressing key areas of your body
- Develop customized daily routines that support ongoing health, wellbeing, and movement
The Advanced Integration of Somatic Movement & Pandiculation Bonus Offering
In addition to Martha’s transformative 12-week online course, you’ll receive this special bonus offering to complement the course and take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Connecting Movement & Emotion for Increased Flexibility, Vitality & Poise
Video Teaching With Lavinia Plonka
How you move is how you move through life — your posture, breath, and face tell everyone your story, as well as feeding back to your nervous system, resulting in joy, sadness, and all the other experiences we call emotions. In this 57-minute video teaching, Lavinia Plonka will connect the dots between how you move and how you feel, both emotionally and physically. Discover simple yet sophisticated movements that can help relieve discomfort, improve your posture, and connect you to your emotional intelligence!
What Graduates of Martha Peterson’s Courses Are Saying…
Having not heard about somatics before, I was amazed at how simple and effective this approach is. I experienced significant improvement in the pain and stiffness I was feeling in my body, which I thought was an inevitable part of getting older.
Sydney, Australia
I experienced radical improvement in my back and hip pain after just the introductory/sales session. I have not gone to the chiropractor since, and I had been going weekly or biweekly for a very long time. The exercises were fairly easy to learn and practice on my own. It is amazing to have these tools to be able to help myself feel so much better in my body — and save so much time and money by not having to get professional treatment. I am so glad I signed up for this course, and I highly recommend it.
Sweden
The course has helped me become more aware of my standing and my walking. I started doing somatic movements in preparation for Martha’s class, and now it’s just a part of my routine for the rest of my life. I am so happy that I have this practice now, so I can continue to be independent and vibrant as I age. I want to move through life with grace and ease.
Bloomington, Illinois
If you want to live life to the fullest, you have to recognize and eliminate all your non-productive habits. Since learning Essential Somatics, I have a new lease on life, as everything is becoming easier and more enjoyable. It seriously improves your sense of wellbeing in ways I could only have dreamt.
Martial arts teacher, ESMTT graduate, United Kingdom
After practicing somatic movements for eight weeks, my shoulder that has been frozen for six months is almost completely back to normal. My gait is more balanced and efficient, and I am completely out of pain for the first time in my adult life. I have been exploring self-care modalities for 20 years, and nothing has given me the benefits that I have experienced from a consistent somatic movement practice.
Pilates teacher, MELT method instructor
Join the Global Community
Advanced Integration of Somatic Movement & Pandiculation offers some of the most advanced online teachings available, within a thriving global community of learning and practice.
Join fellow students and practitioners to support and inspire each other as you integrate the teachings and practices Martha Peterson will share in this powerful program.
You’ll join an international community on the leading edge of manifesting a world grounded in the principles of cooperation, harmony, and reverence for all of life.
Here’s What You’ll Receive
Twelve 90-Minute Class Sessions With Martha Peterson
Experience a unique opportunity to be mentored by and learn from Martha Peterson — founder of Essential Somatics® and author of Move Without Pain — from the comfort of your own home. Each class session includes a livestreaming video option and will guide you to master advanced somatic practices for lasting transformation. Course sessions are on Tuesdays at 9:00am Pacific (Exception — the January 29 session is on a Wednesday).
Twelve Video Recordings of Class Sessions
After each class, the video will be available for you to stream in a high-quality format. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can watch anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
Twelve Audio Recordings of Class Sessions
After each class, the audio will be available for you to stream. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can listen anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
Twelve Transcripts of Class Sessions
You’ll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.
Interactive Exercises and Questions for Each Lesson
Between class sessions, you’ll have the option of completing related exercises, practicing new tools, and answering questions to accelerate your learning and integrate each week’s lesson.
Online Community
Our exclusive Facebook online community is the perfect place to continue your discovery process after each class. Here, you can continue the discussion about your course materials and interact with your fellow students to take your exploration to an even deeper level.
An Unprecedented Opportunity to Join the Online Course, Advanced Integration of Somatic Movement & Pandiculation
We feel honored that Martha Peterson has chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive LIVE online course. This is a unique opportunity to interact directly with the founder of Essential Somatics® and author of Move Without Pain whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.
If you’re serious about [variation of promise of course], then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and our world to take this one-of-a-kind program.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own evolution, click the register button below to reserve your space now.
Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you don’t absolutely LOVE Advanced Integration of Somatic Movement & Pandiculation — or don’t feel that it meets your needs — please submit your refund request form on or before November 26, 2024 and we’ll happily issue qualifying customers a refund.
More Praise for Martha Peterson, CCSE
The exploration and the awareness of somatic movement speaks to my soul and really does spark an acceptance and peace that’s spilling into my life off the mat. For example, I was painting in my house, and instead of pushing myself to do more and more and seeking perfection, I was able to acknowledge fatigue and strain in my shoulder. I did what I needed to do, and stopped, saving the extra work for another day. Then I sat outside with a cup of tea and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I practiced awareness, presence, and acceptance; I did the job using less effort, and then I relaxed. And it felt so good! Somatic practice in real life. I wouldn’t have accomplished this if I hadn’t taken Martha’s courses. Her words and her work are changing my life.
Esthetician, Ontario, Canada
I am totally blown out of the water with this work. I did not realize I was carrying so much stress. I have such ease in my body and mind. Thank you so much. Realizing what release feels like for real makes me want to cry.
Edmonton, Canada
I solved my very complicated, 30-year pain problems with this system. It gets to the root of why there are all these aches and pains. It’s not age, it’s cumulative reactions to stress and injury that become habits in the body. This is how to be free from that. Somatics was the true solution for me. I am so very grateful for Somatics and how Martha teaches it.
About Martha Peterson, CCSE
EDIT
Martha Peterson, CCSE, is a certified clinical somatic educator and leader in the field of somatic education. She’s the founder and CEO of Essential Somatics® and the author of Move Without Pain. Martha heads a growing faculty of clinical somatic educators who present Essential Somatics teacher trainings, retreats, workshops, and seminars around the world. She also maintains a private clinical practice.
Martha’s expertise comes from more than 30 years of working in the fields of dance, bodywork, and somatic education. As a former professional dancer who suffered chronic hip and knee pain due to injuries, Martha understands the frustration and struggle many people experience when trying to discern between the myriad methods that claim to relieve or “fix” chronic pain. She eventually discovered clinical somatic education, the only method that taught her how to reverse her pain and postural imbalances, regain physical control, and create a life of movement, choice, and joy.
Martha is an experienced hiker, inspired by her mother with whom she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and trekked in Sikkim, Northern India. She has learned that the key to remaining healthy and mobile is daily, vigorous, fun movement, a regular somatic movement routine, a sense of humor, and learning the fine art of relaxation and self-regulation.