Move Without Pain - A Book Review

Martha’s new offering is a breath of fresh air for those of us who practice in a discipline we’ve had trouble describing. Written in a simple, direct, but adept manner it is a beautiful introductory book to Hanna Somatic Education.
This book is exactly what it says it is: a guide to moving without pain. The focus is really to help the reader learn the basic concepts and understandings behind how the somatic techniques work, and then to get them into movements. So the first section of the book, titled ‘Preparing to Move Without Pain,’ is only 35 pages long. In those pages Martha describes somatic education, sensory motor amnesia, the role of the brain, the three reflexes and the myth of aging, why stretching doesn’t work, core strengthening, and what pandiculation is in brief, clear analogies. What’s most impressive to me is how readable it is.
For example, she says “Sensory motor amnesia occurs when your muscles are so tight that they simply won’t relax. They are “on” twenty-four hours a day.” Or on the role of the brain: “…your brain is the “hard drive” that controls your entire muscular system. When it gets stuck in a feedback loop, then it forgets how to consciously control your muscles and coordinate movement.”I especially like this one: “The most helpful technique for strengthening your core is full-body exercise.”
Of course, she goes on to explain more about the why and how of each of these subjects. But the person seeking answers gets the picture – quickly, and without having to struggle with a lot of unfamiliar terminology along the way. There are numerous examples given that illustrate or recap the points in each section, nicely laid out in separate boxes. The sections on each subject are generally 2-3 pages or less.
The book includes a couple of nice excursions into walking, hula hooping, going barefoot, dance, etc. -- all tying together the idea that lifelong movement is what’s important, and that all kinds of it can contribute to our somatic well being.
Remember, all this is in 35 pages…
Next, Martha gets right into teaching the movements themselves. She prefaces with some important information: doing the movements in order, how to use awareness, the concept of moving core to periphery and how problematic patterns develop, and how to get the most out of the movements.
The Daily Cat Stretch plus quite a few additions are covered in this section, which is 100 plus pages. There are floor movements, seated and standing movements, and even an interesting section on exploring the feet.
Each movement has written directions and pictures that illustrate it really well. This, to me, is another strength of the book – the photos are eminently usable and will help people do the movements easily and safely.
I especially like that she includes a Notice and Sense section for each movement, pointing out particular things to pay attention to, specific conditions or problems that the movement might help with, and variations that can be done.
This part of the book is nuanced enough that clients (beginners or very seasoned) and practitioners should all find things that are new to them - whether it’s a slightly different variation or focus of a movement, or a brand new idea or movement to try.
The final section of the book is brief, and outlines more about Hanna Somatic Education, one –on- one work, and some thoughts about the directions somatic education might take in the world. At the very end are sample routines for the daily somatics practice, and lists of both resources and books.
Even though this book was written primarily for the public and will be a fantastic resource for clients, I think that it also has a lot to show us as practitioners about how to teach –from describing the work, the concepts, the physiology, to how to package what we do to respond to what people want and need. 
To wit, the words on the book’s cover:
Move Without Pain
Safe, Effective, Natural Movements
Relief for Every Part of Your Body
Just 15 minutes a day!

Enough said – I highly recommend it!

- Krishna Raven-Johnson