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Hanna Somatic Education:

A Revolutionary Approach to Pain Relief and Mobility

Laura M Gates, CHSE, Certified Hanna Somatic Educator & Practitioner
Call: 718 350 0637 or Email: Laura@fullmovementpotential.com

Hanna Somatics Education (HSE)

The late Thomas Hanna, PhD, a neuromuscular pioneer, developed this important work that is both a hands-on work, a movement practice, and a unique perspective of the human mind/body's potential. The hands-on work offers some of the most effective techniques available today for addressing chronic pain and postural issues. The movement practice offers excellent tools for self-care and repair and helps move a body towards its full movement potential.

What people say about Laura Gates & HSE

“The Hanna Somatics work has been revolutionary for me, re-educating my body so that I am now pain-free from a debilitating case of sciatica...After several months of Hanna Somatics, I am pain free and no longer taking Advil. ... I'm starting a modern dance class tonight, my first dance class in many years.”
-Karen Masaki, former (and future) dancer

“Laura is a human being full of joy, wisdom, courage, energy and compassion...with her eye set squarely on understanding and aiding. She continually reaches deeper to challenge herself to think in new and creative ways.” -Susan Alancraig, co-counselor, Peace Corps worker

“Laura's Somatic class ... helped me to discover how to end "pent up" stiffness and pain. I use it almost every day!”
    -Jackie Walker, age 53

“To say Laura Gates changed my life sounds pretty dramatic but it's nonetheless true. ...the lessons she taught me stay with me, and I'm immensely grateful for them and for her.”
   -Rebecca Godwin, author, professor, Bennington College

“As a Hanna Somatics practitioner, Laura is meticulous in her work. I would hold no reservations in recommending her as an HSE provider for those in need.”
      -John Loupos, author, director of Jade Forest Martial Arts School,
                                                                Cohasset, MA

"... the techniques have helped my neck, shoulders, breathing and posture greatly. The great thing about somatics over yoga or pilates is that it is neuro-muscular ...reprogramming your brain and nervous system to relax and breath and release the tensions. I now find myself driving and dancing from a more upright, balanced, relaxed posture. This is something I've worked on for most of my life as an architect and yogi."
-Wes Wesley, architect, ballroom dancer, Birmingham, AL

“Your depth of movement experience from years as a professional dancer and your in-depth study of anatomy and the human body give you a rich field of what ideal movement could be to draw on. The calmness, caring and compassion you have developed allows you the stillness to see what could be better in people’s posture and movement. The combination of these makes you a joy to work with and gives you the ability to guide those in pain to move with greater ease and comfort; and the skill to help people enjoy improved posture and flexibility.”

-Tyr Throne, founder of Body Evolution

"I took a workshop in Somatic bodywork in mid-October with Laura Gates. I had no particular problems to "solve", no chronic body pains I was seeking relief from; I was merely interested in this approach to stress relief and "balancing" from what I had heard about it. After the workshop I felt about 3 inches taller, my walking gait felt smooth and connected to the ground, and both sides of my body (left & right) felt totally balanced. Even my breathing felt deeper and more relaxed. I highly recommend Laura Gates as a teacher of Hanna Somatics."
     -Bruce Williamson,
          musician, composer, professor of music Bennington College

   "On return from a taxing auto trip recently I found my lower back to be near muscle spasm condition, whereupon, rather than going to Brooklyn to my chiropractor, I called Laura Gates (having received several recommendations about her Somatics practice) and arranged to have my initial session with her-resulting not only in immediate relief of my prevailing condition, but from two additional sessions a general feeling/realization that I am developing a deep relationship with my body through working with her (hands-on with Laura and at home by her instruction) that has taken me much further toward my physical health and, especially, toward a real understanding of what that actually means. I am walking better, feeling better, much more aware and generally more free in my motion on all levels. Somatics obviously takes one beyond fixing any immediate difficulty into new awareness of what I need to do to tune my body with my mind toward an overall condition of health without stress."
     -Wayne Adams, actor, producer, designer, NYC

"I have found The Somatics work to be an exceptional tool for finding more mobility, fluidity, and ease in my body. Both through Laura Gates' group workshops and her private hands on sessions, I have learned valuable techniques that I have been able to incorporate into my daily preparations for rehearsals and performance. I love both the meditative quality of the work and its tangible results. Laura brings enormous expertise and knowledge to her teaching as well as deep sensitivity and abounding positive energy."
     -Myrna Packer, dancer and choreographer, Bridgman/Packer Dance

"When I began working with Laura Gates and the techniques of Hanna Somatic 
Education, I had severe sciatica, limited mobility, and took an average of 
5 Advils per day or more for the pain due to complications of stenosis, arthritis,  muscle spasms.  With regular sessions, and doing the somatic exercises on my own, I now take only a few Advils per month, and have much improved mobility, and much less pain. Her care and expertise and these wonderful techniques are so helpful!"

     -Judith Akullian, PhD, psychoanalyst, NYC

“Laura is a true healer. With her deep understanding of Hanna Somatics, she has helped me face my scoliosis in an accepting, gentle, and incredibly effective way. She looks at how my scoliosis affects my whole body and my whole self, and she gives me the tools to continue to do so even when I'm across the country. With her help, I have found incredible facility in all of my joints from spine to hip flexors to toes and I have found myself able to access my deep muscles much more easily. This has helped me not only dance with much better alignment, flexibility, and balance, but also with much better relationship to my breath.”

-Cressa Perloff, dancer, college student

"As a dancer, I have found Hanna Somatic Education very useful for releasing muscles. Sometimes we over stretch muscles leaving them tight and sore, and these gentle re-patterning techniques improve the brain to muscle connection offering a very different approach than normal stretching."

-Tomomi Imai, dancer, choreographer

"Hanna Somatic Education is great for anyone who experiences pain that will never go away. I was suffering from a pelvic pain for about 2 years that prevented me from dancing. After a few sessions with Ms. Gates the pain was gone. She continued to work on other areas of my body which was a relief to my muscles. I love being pain free and I’m thankful for the knowledge and exercises given to me. I continue to do the exercises as often as I can. It is something I will take with me throughout life. This educational training has also helped me as a choreographer to explore movements I never knew existed. I will recommend Laura Gates to anyone. She is very patient, loving and caring. She understands the body very well and is a wonderful person to work with."

-Rishma Dhanraj, dancer, choreographer