Somatic School

How you perceive yourself is what you are.

Somatic School offers you multiple perspectives of what it means to be human and teaches you how to recognize, accept, and explore your current perspectives via,

  • Somatic Practice and Perception Training to grow your first-person self-research abilities,

  • Embodied Experiential Education in anatomy, physiology, and evolutionary biology, and

  • Dialoguing, Collaborating, and Constructing from your own experiences.

You will learn practical methods for triggering self-healing and self-development. You will also learn theory that supports your understanding of how self-regulation works through compassionate and curious self-perception.

What You Learn

Somatic Movement

We practice listening to subtle sensations in the body and using this information to explore new patterns of movement and posture. Through direct experience, we affirm that compassionate perception of the body reveals potent information for self-regulation and self-development.

Anatomy, Physiology, and Evolutionary Biology

We study the human body as it is now, how it works, and the evolutionary path it's taken to get here. All theoretical education of the body is then sensed and explored through an embodied practice.

Buddhist Psychology

What and how we perceive something changes what that thing is to you. You organize your thoughts, movements, and emotions based on what you believe. We study mental factors from Buddhist psychology and try on different ones to notice perception's affect on our experience and development.

Curriculum

Lesson 1
The Breathing Muscles and Movement and Dialoguing with Sensation

Lesson 2
The Foot and Ankle and Muscle Spindles and Golgi-Tendon Organs

Lesson 3
Evolution of the Somatosensory Nervous System and Buddhist Psychology Mental Factors

Lesson 4
Anatomy of the Spine and Partner Mirroring

Lesson 5 - Partner Workshop
Balancing Three Structures: The Skull, Ribs, and Pelvis and Sensing with Compassion

Somatic School's curriculum is always evolving to incorporate student feedback and new research. This is an approximate outline of the lessons offered in the upcoming programs.

Lesson 6
The Psoas Muscle, Branches of the Autonomic Nervous System, and Co-regulation

Lesson 7
Fascia, The Lymphatic System, and Sensing Movement

Lesson 8 - Partner Workshop
Listening Touch, Evolution of The Limbic and Endocrine Systems, and Polyvagal Theory

Lesson 9
Anatomy and Evolution of the Shoulder Girdle, Arm, and Hand

Every lesson has at least 45 minutes of somatic movement and perception training.

Guaranteed Outcomes

• I have an overall sense of optimism and care for my health.

• I listen to sensory information, including pain, and leverage it to accelerate my body's natural capacity to heal.

• I understand more about my anatomy and physiology; I can sense various structures, tissues, and systems in my body and I understand what they do and how they work.

• I am curious to learn more about my body and mind.

• I know that my quality of perception affects my emotions, sensations, and expression and I know how to become aware of my quality of perception and try on different qualities.

• I am more playful.

• I dance better.

• I logically understand that direct-from-the source (my body) sensory information is key in my ability to self-regulate and I have the skills to access this information and make use of it.

• I recognize when I feel safe and when I do not, and I have a greater capacity to explore what's contributing to these feelings.

• I have more skills to support others in their process of connecting with their bodies.

You will self-assess if these statements ring true for you upon completing your training and education. If they do not, you have the option to continue studying until they do or receive a full refund of your tuition.

How We Study

Weekly Lessons

Seven 2-hour live lessons with your coach. Each lesson includes practical somatic training, perception training, and embodied theoretical education.

Safe and Supportive Group

Small cohorts are designed to be safe, supportive, and collaborative. Practice and learn each week with your familiar 4 person group.

Partner Workshops

Two 3-hour partner workshops with healing touch and somatic games. Enrolled students bring a partner to participate with them live.

Individual Somatic Coaching

One individual somatic coaching session to book throughout your enrollment. Plus special pricing on individual coaching during your enrollment.

Homework

Weekly homework assignments that apply newly learned theory into an embodied somatic practice. Your coach gives feedback on each assignment.

Reading Assignments

Readings on the human body and Buddhist psychology to supplement your practice and study and add more perspectives.

Access to Materials

All classes and class material is recorded and given to students to keep forever.

Collaborative Learning

The pedagogy mirrors the practice. Our learning methods incorporate in-the-moment information from the insights and experiences of each student.

Somatic School is 9-week online small-group training program where students experience and establish new ways of organizing their bodies (movements and postures) and their minds (thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions). They learn how to trigger and support the process of physical and mental self-organization and self-development through mindful and compassionate sensing.

What People Say

What's Required

Somatic School students are required to

  • Attend all live weekly lessons. If this is not possible, students may miss up to two lessons as long as they complete it by watching and doing the somatic practices via the lesson recording.

  • Attend lessons from a space with minimal distractions so that the student can focus attention on inward sensation.

  • Complete homework assignments before the next lesson.

  • Have their computer or tablet with webcam and microphone.

  • Schedule individual somatic coaching sessions with the coach.

  • Complete the reading assignments.

  • Bring their own partner(s) to the two partner workshops.

  • Express relevant wants, needs, and questions to the coach or other Somatic School employee.

Who Teaches It

Kelly teaches the Somatic School lessons and workshops. He began his practice via the Feldenkrais Method® in 2019. In 2022, he received his Somatic Trainer certification in Physio-Mentale Entwicklung (PME), an ISMETA affiliated program and a USABP official educator. He's worked with over sixty clients exploring chronic pain, limiting perspectives of the body, anxiety, fear of death, athletic skill development, as well as working with couples and groups to promote healthy and healing touch and interaction.

Kelly has also incorporated somatic movement principles and practices with hundreds of clients while working as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and soccer coach.

When it Is

We meet weekly on either Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays. Email kelly@somatic.school for the upcoming program schedule.

In addition to seven weekly 2-hour classes, there are two 3-hour partner workshops where you will bring a partner to practice touch and dance exercises.

You will also schedule a 60-minute individual somatic coaching session.

How to Start

Write to us at kelly@somatic.school.

Please share

  • What is your experience like in your body?

  • What do you want to explore?

  • Which day and time would you like to meet weekly: Mon, Tue, or Thu?

When it Is

Meetings are once per week on either Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.

Tuesday Morning

Weekly 9 - 11am
From Sep 24 - Nov 12

Thursday Morning

Weekly 9 - 11am
From Sep 26 - Nov 28

  1. In addition to your seven weekly 2-hour classes, each cohort has two 3-hour partner workshops where each student brings a partner for free so that we can practice partner touch exercises. This will be scheduled as a group once the cohort starts.

  2. Each student will also schedule a 60-min individual coaching session.

Tuesday Afternoon

Weekly 4 - 6pm
From Sep 24 - Nov 12

Weekly 3 - 5pm
From Sep 26 - Nov 28

Thursday Afternoon

No class on Oct 29

No class on Oct 29

No class on Oct 31 or Nov 21

No class on Oct 31 or Nov 21

Program Design

Because the human body is a living collection of multiple systems and processes (e.g. the nervous system, the limbic system, the endocrine system, the executive control system, etc.) our education is designed to develop a student's understanding of these distinct and cooperative systems through first-hand observation, reflection, and theoretical education. All theory is relevant to our practices and vice-versa.

The Somatic School is for people who want to transform their relationship with their body into one of love, curiosity, mutual respect, collaboration, and infinite wonder.

The key components are somatic practice, perception training, theory, group education, reading, individual somatic homework, partner homework, and in-person partner practice (see details).

What it Costs

Tuition for Somatic School is $3,000. This includes all classes, workshops, homework feedback, and individual coaching sessions. In addition to tuition, students should budget about $100 for books.

If you need support with tuition, we offer need-based scholarships backed by donations from former students. Please complete a Scholarship Application and schedule an appointment below.

How to Start

Schedule an intake consultation. Let's chat.

Scholarship Application