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Unlocking Embodied Wisdom: Exploring Fascial Unwinding for Somatic Self-Discovery

Saturday, April 26th 9:00 AM-10:30 AM Pacific
Yasmin Lambat

Dive deep into the realm of embodied wisdom and discover the untapped potential of your body's largest sensory organ—fascia. This transformative session introduces a novel approach to somatic practice through fascial unwinding, offering a unique pathway to access your innate body intelligence.

Learn how fascia, the connective tissue that weaves through your entire body, holds the key to self-healing, self-regulation, and intuitive movement. Explore how your lived experiences shape this internal landscape and how you can tap into this wealth of information for profound personal insights.

Through guided experiences, you'll unlock the process of fascial unwinding, witnessing firsthand how your body intuitively moves to restore balance. SomaSensing builds on familiar somatic concepts like pandiculation with a fresh perspective. You'll learn to recognize and interpret subtle internal cues, experiencing emergence, hydration, and whole-system responses in a new light. Join us on this journey of somatic exploration and rediscover the wisdom within you. Tune into your inner knowing and unlock a deeper connection with your body's natural intelligence.

Yasmin Lambat is a Master Somatic Movement Therapist, Educator, and founder of SomaSensing a groundbreaking practice in healing trauma through the body. With over three decades of experience in movement and manual therapy, Yasmin's approach integrates the emerging research on fascia, biotensegrity, quantum biology and nervous system regulation.

Yasmin's journey into somatic awareness began early in her career, through pioneering methods such as Feldenkrais, Trager, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and the work of Eric Franklin. These formative experiences, combined with her fascination for fascia as our fabric of embodiment, laid a rich foundation for her understanding of sensory awareness, shaping her unique approach to somatic healing.

SomaSensing is grounded in fascial unwinding, the body's way of moving intuitively to heal the wounds of our past. Connecting to this body wisdom enables us to self-regulate, to release long-held stress and trauma patterns whilst reconnecting to our true nature.

Yasmin's expertise spans multiple disciplines, from the start of her journey in fitness, to yoga, Pilates, myofascial release and her credentials as an ICF coach. Her somatic experience guided her to unlock the self-regulating nature of the body. To recognize that we are nature and like all living systems, we already know—an inner knowing that is separate from our mind and can only be felt.

Yasmin's impact extends far beyond individual client work. As an accomplished educator and presenter, she has earned acclaim for her engaging and impactful workshops on fascia-informed somatic movement therapy. Her presentations at national and international conferences have touched diverse audiences, including physiotherapists, chiropractors, Pilates instructors, osteopaths, and yoga teachers.
bodysensing@gmail.com

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Playing with the Forces on the Earth: Section 1

Saturday, April 26th 10:40 AM-12:00 PM Pacific
Judith Aston

Judith Aston’s presentation will be divided into two sections (second section on Sunday). In both sections, you will have an opportunity to learn new concepts and also experience and explore everything that is presented.

In the first section of Judith’s presentation, she will:

• Introduce the Aston Assessment Techniques of seeing and identifying the body’s pattern. How does the front pattern relate to the back of the body? Are the right and left sides the same, similar, or very different?

• Consider what this pattern reveals. For example, it could show us where the stresses may be occurring or maybe where there are consequences of a long history that adds to the body's pattern.

• Explore how you can find your best available neutral (for now). It changes from moment to moment!

Judith Aston is a pioneer in the study of movement, whose unique biomechanical model of human structure and function, The Aston Paradigm, has contributed to the development of new techniques for assessment, movement, bodywork, fitness, ergonomics, product design, and teaching. She has enjoyed creating training classes for students to learn these techniques for personal or professional use.

Early in her career (1963 to 1972), Aston taught movement, physical education, movement exercises, and coaching for performing artists and athletes. In 1968, at the request of Dr. Ida Rolf, she developed a movement program for the Rolf Institute and taught this program (three different courses) for almost a decade.

Aston is the author of Moving Beyond Posture: In Your Body on the Earth and Aston Postural Assessment: A New Paradigm for Observing and Evaluating Body Patterns. She is working on a new book focusing on her discoveries and their applications.
office@astonkinetics.com
https://www.astonkinetics.com/
https://www.astonkinetics.com/new-events

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Saturday, April 26th 1:00 PM-2:50 PM Pacific
Alissa Mayer and Ryan Moschell

From the Tokyo Olympics to dressage stables in Australia, Germany and Maryland, and from the vineyards of California to the remote backcountry of Uruguay, Hanna Somatics and Equine Hanna Somatics are making a global impact. With EHS Educators now practicing in over 12 countries and our instructional video, EHS Session 1, utilized in 33 U.S. states and 23 countries, these techniques are enhancing the welfare and performance of horses, along with the experience of those who ride, train, and care for them.

In this presentation, we will explore four key segments of the horse industry that can benefit from Hanna Somatics and Equine Hanna Somatics. We’ll share insightful case studies that highlight our work in the field. Additionally, Alissa will provide a live EHS demonstration with a horse, while Ryan will lead you through targeted HSE movements designed specifically for equestrians, athletes, and anyone who spends time in seats—whether in saddles or chairs.

Join us to discover how these innovative practices can help you deepen your own connection with horses and enhance your performance. Also discover how Human and Equine Somatic educators can learn to collaborate with each other to empower both horses and humans for a healthier, more harmonious horse industry.

Alissa Mayer, BSc (Equine), EHSE-C, is a Certified Equine Hanna Somatics® Educator, the founder of the Association for Equine Hanna Somatics Education (AEHSE), and after 8 years as co-instructor she is now the Director of the Equine Hanna Somatics Professional Training and Certification Program created by Eleanor Criswell. Alissa is an author, mother, posture specialist, international clinician, serial horse rescuer and teacher with a passion for using neuroscience to help horses (and the people who love them) live their best lives.

She is the author of How to Invite an Interspecies Dialogue - The Five Agreements of A Somatic Approach to Horsemanship (her first book) and in 2018 published an article in Dressage Today Magazine titled An Introduction to Equine Hanna Somatics, which has since been expanded into a short ebook. With a bachelors degree in Equine Science and over 25 years working in the horse industry, first as an eventing-groom, trainer, riding instructor, hoof trimmer, traveling clinician and since 2010 working somatically with thousands of horses, dogs and humans (and one cat) all over the US, Hawaii, Canada and western Europe, she found herself teaching the same foundational concepts to everyone. Whether it's Olympic teams or backyard horses, horse-husbands or seasoned equine bodyworkers, Alissa's approach is to first resolve postural dysfunction, chronic tension and pain by restoring neutral resting muscle tone with Hanna Somatics, then to develop the brain-body connections and skills to leverage the power of our personal electro-magnetic fields to connect and communicate on a subtle, nervous system level with horses... regardless of discipline or training style.

Alissa teaches and mentors students online, hosts clients in-person at her farm in Oregon for Somatic Immersion experiences or Equine Hanna Somatics and she accepts interns and working students on a limited basis. When she isn't working or playing with horses, Alissa enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, foraging for wild mushrooms, and going on adventures!
alissa@equinehannasomatics.org

Ryan Moschell LMT, CHSE, graduated from the Baltimore School of Massage (BSOM) and has been a full-time massage therapist and sole proprietor since 2000. Following his graduation, he became a Teaching Assistant at BSOM. In 2003, Ryan graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. He earned certification from the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training in 2013 and has practiced Hanna Somatic Education full-time since then.

In 2015, Ryan was elected to the Association of Hanna Somatic Education (AHSE) Board of Directors. After serving four consecutive terms, he is currently the Vice President, focusing on expanding the AHSE's online presence, member benefits, and public education initiatives. In January 2016, he published an article in Dressage Today titled "Hanna Somatic Education for Dressage Riders" which provides equestrians with self-care and injury prevention strategies.

In 2023, Ryan was hired by Eleanor Criswell-Hanna onto the core teaching team at the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training, after volunteering over 400 hours annually since March 2020. During that time, he helped develop the online education model that emerged during the COVID pandemic. Ryan currently runs a successful private practice in Annapolis, Maryland, teaches large groups, and co-leads trainings with Alissa Mayer and Gabriel Posner to promote Hanna Somatic Education globally. He enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, creating, supporting Somatic Educators, and spending time with his wife and dog.
bodylistener@gmail.com

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Saturday, April 26th 3:00 PM-4:30 PM Pacific
John Loupos and Gabriel Posner

The shoulder joint is a shallow ball and socket joint that provides incredible movement in conjunction with the scapula. The joint is positioned at the outer corner of a bone that floats atop the rib cage. The muscles that mobilize and freeze this joint reach deep into the somatic center. This combination makes the glenohumeral/scapular thoracic junction completely fascinating and challenging to work with. How do you know if someone has an issue with the shoulder joint, with the scapula it attaches to, or to the somatic center where the shoulder begins?

In this workshop, Gabriel Posner and John Loupos will unravel the complexity of these structures, the movements they facilitate, and the issues that can arise due to Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA). They will then guide you through practical somatic movement practices that have been proven to reverse the effects of SMA. These practices will help you develop a deeper connection with, and liberation of, your arm, shoulder, scapula, and center, leading to improved shoulder health and a better you.

John Loupos, MS, CHSE owns the Jade Forest Kung Fu/ Tai Chi training facility and the Pain and Mobility Clinic for Hanna Somatic education in Cohasset, Ma. His martial arts background since 1966 has included; Okinawan Karate and several styles of Chinese Kung Fu, Yang style Tai Chi, Ba Gua, and Liu He Ba Fa, and assorted meditation and qigong practices. John holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and spent several years studying at the N.E. School of Homeopathy. He is a Certified Hanna Somatic Educator and, for the last decade, has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Hanna Somatic Education. John has written several books on Tai Chi Chuan and Somatics, plus other learning media, and has been widely published in magazines and trade journals. His most recent book was The Sustainable You—Somatics & the Myth of Aging. He is working on a next book exploring the relationship between Somatics, Neurophysiology, and Tai Chi Chuan.
jadeforest@comcast.net

Gabriel Posner, PhD, CHSE is a Certified Hanna Somatic Educator with a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine. Gabriel operates a private practice in Denver and is a member of an integrative clinic in Arvada. He offers one-on-one sessions as well as group classes and workshops primarily for people suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. Gabriel is also a trainer with Essential Somatics, assisting with movement teacher and clinical practitioner trainings. Gabriel currently serves as the president of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education board of directors and is their research director.Gabriel also offers CE courses for massage therapists focused on employing somatic techniques within therapeutic massage sessions. Gabriel enjoys raising his three young children with his wife in Colorado in his spare time. He relies on his daily somatic movement practice to keep up with his kids skiing, mountain biking, and paddling all over this beautiful state. He also enjoys playing his saxophones whenever he can.
gabriel@elevatedsomatics.com

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The Key to Unlocking Client Transformation

Sunday, April 27th 9:00 AM-10:30 AM Pacific
Maya Gayatri Andersson

In this session, we will uncover how to actively transfer the understanding of somatic principles into everyday life in order to better navigate stress, trauma, and to ultimately optimize self-healing. You will discover tools to effectively coach clients to access deeper levels of self-connection and to create a platform for lasting transformation.

You will also explore how to use embodiment, awareness, and somatic micro-movements to grow the capacity for resilience, inner resourcefulness, and self-regulation. By being the internal reference for the locus of somatic transformation, a gateway is created for the client to access.

The session will include a presentation, group discussion, and a short somatic movement exploration. The keys shared in this presentation can be applied for self-use as well as for working practically with clients.

In this session you will learn how to:

• Apply nuanced somatic explorations, including how to connect with the intelligence of the back body, as well as accessing internal and external support.

• Upskill your work with effective tools for somatic coaching.

• Embody the field and frequency you are guiding your client to access.

• Prioritize the next step in your client’s somatic learning, in order for them to maintain nervous system regulation, and to remain in a state of self-connection.

• Create lasting transformation for your clients with tools that leave them feeling resourced and empowered.

Maya Gayatri Andersson (Schriefer), MSME, CHSE, BScEd, is a board member of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA) and a registered Master Somatic Movement Educator (MSME). She is a certified Clinical Hanna Somatic Educator (CHSE) and an Equine Hanna Somatic Educator. Maya is a graduate of The Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training and has had the privilege of being mentored by Eleanor Criswell Hanna for over 20 years. Additionally, Maya holds a bachelor’s degree in Education (BScED) with a focus on health promotion, education and kinesthetic learning. She is the co-founder of Living Somatics, and has brought Hanna Somatics to Sweden. Together with Brian Siddhartha Ingle, she has introduced the work to the Russian-speaking countries. Maya is passionate about making Somatic disciplines available to the world, and to connect and grow the global somatic community. As part of this mission she co-hosted and co-curated the virtual Somatic Movement Summits from 2020 to 2023.

Based in Sweden, Maya consults with clients and leads practitioner trainings and workshops internationally, both in-person and online. In addition, she co-facilitates women’s self-leadership programs with her sister Jahanavi Schriefer. Over the course of her adult life Maya has traveled the world studying somatic movement and spiritual methods, including Hanna Somatics, Equine Somatics, the Feldenkrais Method®, Watsu, Body Mind Centering®, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Qi-gong, martial arts, several styles of yoga, dance, meditation, energy healing work, and Native American tracking. Maya’s mission is to offer pathways to greater self-connection, transformation and elevation in the somatic lived experience. She is a firm believer that each person is self-responsible, self-regulating and self-healing. Through her facilitations Maya creates a field of embodied wholeness for you to align yourself with the life you love to live.
www.livingsomatics.com
somaticssweden@gmail.com

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Unlock Your Body's Natural Stress Release: TRE® Introductory Workshop

Sunday, April 27th, 10:40AM-12:00 PM Pacific
Maria Alfaro

Experience the transformative power of Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE®) in this engaging and informative workshop. Discover how to tap into your body's innate ability to release stress, tension, and trauma through a simple yet profound technique that is gentle and very effective.

We’ll begin with a concise overview of TRE®'s origins and mechanisms. Learn how this innovative approach can help you self-regulate and promote healing. You’ll then be guided to experience the core TRE exercises and safely experience your body's natural tremoring response called Neurogenic Tremors. This will be followed by an integration period for deep relaxation.

We’ll conclude with personalized aftercare instructions, practical tips for incorporating TRE into your daily life, and a Q&A to address your concerns.

This workshop offers a perfect blend of theory and practice, empowering you with a new tool for stress management and overall well-being. Whether you're dealing with everyday stress or past trauma, TRE® can help you find balance and resilience.

Maria Alfaro is a native Italian who has lived in California since 1997. Her eclectic background includes massage, dance, Chinese martial arts, international business management, acting and improvisational comedy, and decades of teaching different styles of yoga. She is also a senior TRE® Certification Trainer and the co-creator of Neurogenic Yoga™, a sister method of TRE.

Since 2004, Maria has facilitated Yoga and TRE for thousands of people in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East by leading hundreds of public workshops and over 150 certification trainings worldwide.
maria@TREcalifornia.com
www.TREcalifornia.com

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Continuing the Dance: Section 2

Sunday, April 27th, 1:00PM-2:50 PM Pacific
Judith Aston

In this second section of her class, Judith will present these Aston concepts:

• How tone—either excessive or diminished—can restrict movement or not support structures of the body.

• How the sequence in which you do movements will determine your result.

• How you do what you do will make all the difference.

The presentation will end with a time for questions.

Judith Aston is a pioneer in the study of movement, whose unique biomechanical model of human structure and function, The Aston Paradigm, has contributed to the development of new techniques for assessment, movement, bodywork, fitness, ergonomics, product design, and teaching. She has enjoyed creating training classes for students to learn these techniques for personal or professional use.

Early in her career (1963 to 1972), Aston taught movement, physical education, movement exercises, and coaching for performing artists and athletes. In 1968, at the request of Dr. Ida Rolf, she developed a movement program for the Rolf Institute and taught this program (three different courses) for almost a decade.

Aston is the author of Moving Beyond Posture: In Your Body on the Earth and Aston Postural Assessment: A New Paradigm for Observing and Evaluating Body Patterns. She is working on a new book focusing on her discoveries and their applications.
office@astonkinetics.com
https://www.astonkinetics.com/
https://www.astonkinetics.com/new-events

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Everything but the Larynx: Hanna Somatics-Informed Voice Therapy

Sunday, April 27th, 3:00PM-4:00 PM Pacific
Dan Sherwood

Discover a holistic approach to voice therapy that goes beyond traditional methods. This presentation explores how integrating Hanna Somatics principles can transform how we treat voice disorders and enhance vocal performance. Voice problems affect millions, from professional singers to schoolteachers to everyday communicators, impacting quality of life, social interactions, and career prospects.

Understanding who is at risk and how these issues manifest can help us develop more effective interventions. We'll delve into the intricate world of voice production, examining the anatomical and physiological systems that work in harmony to create sound. You'll gain insights into what constitutes a healthy larynx, optimal voicing techniques, and a brief overview of common voice impairments.

But we'll diverge from the conventional wisdom: "voice" begins before any sound is heard. Our somatic approach considers the entire body as the vocal instrument, treating the macro to influence the micro. We'll explore how Hanna Somatics principles and techniques can be applied in the voice therapy room to release tension, improve breath support, and ultimately free the voice.

This interactive session will include practical demonstrations and hands-on explorations of movements designed to liberate the body, breath, and voice. You'll leave with a fresh perspective on voice therapy and tangible tools to enhance your practice or personal vocal journey. Join us for an eye-opening presentation that enhances traditional notions of voice therapy and offers a more comprehensive, body-aware approach to achieving vocal excellence.

Dan Sherwood, MS/CCC-SP, is a clinical vocologist who has been helping people with voice and breathing problems for 25 years. He received his Master’s in speech pathology from Marquette University and did his clinical fellowship in Milwaukee, WI. He received his vocology certification from the National Center for Voice and Speech 2003. Since then, he has worked at academic voice centers at three institutions, including the Voice and Swallow Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, the Johns Hopkins Voice Center in Baltimore, and the Duke Voice Care Center in North Carolina. Dan completed his training in Hanna Somatics in 2012 as part of wave 13. He incorporates this work and his training in Associative Awareness TechniqueTM and Optimal Breathing® into a holistic approach to vocal therapy.
truepenny@hotmail.com

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Rolling Through the Lights—Movement with Nikki

Sunday, April 27th, 4:00PM-4:25 PM Pacific
Nikki Semeniuk

This exercise incorporates layers of movement into the arch and curl. Guiding your soma as we roll through the Green Light Reflex, smoothly transitioning into the Red Light Reflex. With an enriched arch and curl, this delightful exercise features multiple layers of movement for an enhanced experience.

Nikki Semeniuk, is a Certified Hanna Somatic Educator (CHSE) and the founder of Serenity Somatics. She completed her studies at the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training in Novato, California, and is a proud member of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education (AHSE). Additionally, she is registered with ISMETA and holds the titles of Registered Somatic Movement Educator & Therapist (RSME, RSMT). With over 25 years of experience in teaching dance, Nikki specializes in body development, coordination, and movement. She is certified by the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA) and is also a Certified Acrobatic Arts instructor, as well as a certified yoga teacher registered with the Yoga Alliance.

Nikki's expertise in bodies and movement stems from 40 years of training and instructing in dance, along with over 25 years in the dance industry and 23 years as a dance studio owner. After experiencing a hip injury in 2013, which resulted in chronic pain and the eventual sale of her successful studio, she discovered Hanna Somatic Education. This approach became her primary means of managing daily pain. By mastering the techniques of Hanna Somatics, Nikki has regained her freedom of movement and learned to live with her condition.

Nikki developed and presently leads the Somatic Exercise Teacher Training program. Rooted in the principles and traditions of Hanna Somatics, this professional training is offered both online and in-person across North America. Additionally, the program is pre-approved for continuing education credits by several associations and organizations, including NCBTMB (National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork). Nikki’s vision is to cultivate and grow the Somatic community by teaching body workers and health professionals the fundamentals of Hanna Somatics, empowering them to share this knowledge with their clients.
serenitysomatics@gmail.com

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