When you carry a child on the same hip every day, the way you shift your weight can become second nature. Pilates teacher Anna Ewan describes recognising how this habit affected her back in a Calgary Herald feature about Hanna Somatics. Becoming aware of that pattern helped her understand something she had barely noticed herself doing.
That awareness is central to the approach developed by Thomas Hanna. Through slow, gentle movements, practitioners explore muscular tension that has become habitual. Hanna’s aim was to help people sense those contractions and learn to release them voluntarily, a process of relearning how they move.
For Sue French, the practice brought a welcome change. After struggling to walk because of back and hip pain, she describes returning to short intervals of running following sessions with somatics teacher Elizabeth Wakley.
The movements are also taught for independent practice, giving people something they can return to at home. Somatic educator Theresa Evans calls this a “toolbox” and compares using it regularly to brushing your teeth. Learning continues through practice, as you become familiar with the movements and your own responses.
Read the full Calgary Herald feature and the personal stories behind this summary.
Hanna Somatics Teacher Training with Lisa Petersen
Explore Hanna Somatics through your own practice and learn how to guide others in this 100-hour training at Yoga Moves.
13 November 2026 – 13 September 2027
Studio FLY · Croeselaan 209, Utrecht