Somatics for Shoulders
Reconnecting your upper body through whole-body movement.
Your shoulders don’t move on their own.
When something feels tight or uncomfortable around the shoulders, it can be tempting to focus directly on them — stretching, rolling or trying to pull them back into a different position.
Somatics for Shoulders begins elsewhere, exploring movement through the pelvis, spine and ribs before gradually bringing in the shoulders, head and neck. Through slow, guided movement, you’ll discover how the upper body can move as part of the whole.
Start at the beginning: your centre.
Five lessons that gradually bring pelvis, ribs, shoulders, head and neck into a whole-body exploration.
1 · Awareness
Begin by noticing how you are sitting and what you can sense from within.
2 · Moving from Centre
Bring attention to the pelvis and centre of the body and their relationship with the spine and upper body.
3 · Ribs and Pelvis
Explore the relationship between these areas and how they participate in movement together.
4 · The Shoulders
Bring the shoulders into the whole-body movement explored through the earlier lessons.
5 · Head and Neck
Complete the progression by bringing attention to the head and neck and their relationship with the whole.
There’s nowhere you need to get to.
These aren’t movements to perfect or positions to achieve. Amanda guides you to move slowly, often very subtly, while noticing sensation and the relationships between different parts of yourself.
The five lessons are mainly explored sitting on a chair, with some time in standing. You can use the video as a visual reference when you need it, but much of the time you may prefer simply to listen and bring your attention towards your own experience.
Plus a longer somatic exploration
After the five lessons, you’ll have a 75-minute bonus class, originally taught as part of a Somatics training in India. It offers another way to explore some of the course themes, with the movements explored lying on the floor.
Take your time. Make it your own.
Somatics for Shoulders gives you five guided lessons plus a 75-minute bonus class, with lifetime access so you can move through the course at your own pace and return whenever you choose.
The five main lessons are around 20–30 minutes each, making them easy to explore individually or revisit as you become curious about particular areas and relationships.
5 GUIDED LESSONS · 75-MIN BONUS · LIFETIME ACCESS
£39
Meet your teachers
Somatics for Shoulders is taught by Amanda Franklin, with David Fleming demonstrating the movement explorations.
Amanda has been teaching somatic movement since 1997, and David is a Clinical Somatic Educator. Together, they teach movement and somatics through Radiant Star Yoga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this suitable for beginners?
Yes. Somatics for Shoulders can be your first experience of somatic movement. Amanda guides you gradually through each exploration, with David demonstrating the movements.
You don’t need any previous experience of somatics to begin.
Is this course suitable for yoga, movement or somatic teachers?
Yes. If you teach movement, the course can give you ideas and inspiration for your own practice and teaching, as well as an opportunity to experience the movements for yourself.
The recordings also offer an unusual opportunity to see the relationship between teacher and student: Amanda teaches while David explores the movements, rather than the teaching being presented as something simply to copy from a screen.
What approach to somatics does the course draw on?
Somatics for Shoulders grew from our exploration and teaching of somatic movement, with an emphasis on sensing movement from within and exploring relationships through the whole body.
Rather than treating the shoulders as an isolated area, the course gradually brings together the pelvis, ribs, spine, shoulders, head and neck through slow, attentive movement.
Do I need to follow the lessons in order?
We recommend working through the five lessons in order the first time, as they build gradually from awareness and movement through the centre towards the shoulders, head and neck.
Once you’re familiar with the course, you can return to individual lessons whenever you choose.
What do I need for the sessions?
A comfortable chair and enough space around you to move your arms and to stand are all you need for the five main lessons.
For the bonus class, you’ll need a comfortable place to lie on the floor with enough room to move. You don’t need any specialist equipment.
How long will I have access?
You have lifetime access to all five lessons and the 75-minute bonus class, so there’s no need to complete the course within a particular timeframe.
What happens after I purchase?
After purchasing, you’ll receive an email with details of how to access your course through ThriveCart Learn. You can begin straight away and work through the material at your own pace.