The title of this Somatics learning series is in homage to an early metaphor for Tai Chi - “Swimming in the Air.” Constrained movement of the shoulders is widespread in today’s world, and a source of genuine concern not only for Tai Chi enthusiasts, but for dancers, yogis, and athletes and fitness buffs of all persuasions. In my dual roles as long time Tai Chi teacher and Hanna Somatic Educator, I see tight shoulders almost invariably amongst students attempting to master the ancient discipline of Tai Chi, as well as in the great majority of clients who find their way to my clinic. The lessons in this learning series can help you to free up your shoulders, for greater range of motion and fuller voluntary control. Regular practice of these lessons will help you keep them free.
As noted, the benefits of this method extend well beyond the world of Tai Chi. Much of my clinical practice is made up of everyday clients whose shoulder and upper back muscles are implicated in limited movement and reduced freedom, predisposing them to headaches, neck pain, constrained breathing, and top-heavy posture. Athletes of all persuasions, as well as regular folk, will find this lesson series helpful in recovering voluntary control, as well as in reducing pain and stiffness, for the shoulder, neck, and upper back areas. These patterns can be practiced sitting or standing. 58 minutes.
John Loupos is the founder of the Pain & Mobility Clinic, and maintains an active clinical practice at his Jade Forest location in Cohasset. John is fully certified as a Clinical Somatic Educator by the Somatics Systems Institute in Northamptom, Ma, where he studied directly with protégés trained by Thomas Hanna, and as a Hanna Somatic Educator by the Novato Institute that Hanna founded in Novato, Ca.