NH's First Certified Hanna Somatic Educator A Pioneer: Teaching New Paradigm in Healing Chronic Pain

NH's First Certified Hanna Somatic Educator A Pioneer:
Teaching New Paradigm in Healing Chronic Pain

Stratham, NH-It's a first for New Hampshire. Noreen Owens has completed coursework and is now a certified Hanna Somatic Educator, offering this new paradigm in healing to the people in this area. She has already started to help people transform their lives. Through private sessions and Hanna Somatic Workshops, Noreen is teaching people a process of gentle movements that reawaken the muscles so they move the way they were meant to. Owens empowers her clients to transform their lives, freeing themselves of chronic aches and pains, and other maladies.

Owens was introduced to Hanna Somatic Education by chance, after experiencing her own chronic pains in her back, legs and feet. She sought the help of a Chiropractor, who she sometimes saw several times a week. Also using a massage therapist in hopes of relief, Owens found that any relief was only temporary. Upon sharing this with her massage therapist, he handed her a book- Somatics: Reawakening the Mind’s Control over Movement, Flexibility and Health by Thomas Hanna, PhD.

"It changed my life. As Hanna described the theory behind Sensory Motor Amnesia – that our muscles contract in response to injury, trauma, and the stresses of day-to-day life – it made perfect sense. When the stress or injury is long term, the muscles become held in a permanent state of contraction by the central nervous system. Chronically contracted muscles pull on bones, causing problems such as back, neck, shoulder, hip and leg pain. After reading Hanna’s book and doing the exercises outlined, I experienced immediate results. I was so impressed that I sought out more information on Hanna Somatic Education and found that the first East Coast training was being offered. It was broken down over three years – one month the first year, and three weeks each of the following two years. After the first month long training session, I began my own practice. The second client I worked with had experienced back pain for 50 years. Despite three back operations and pain shots every three months, she still lived in constant pain. After three sessions, she was pain free, and continues to be. That confirmed my belief in the work. There is so much unnecessary pain out there. Now I feel even more prepared to teach the benefits of Hanna Somatics and how to achieve them, having completed the final semester at the Somatic Systems Institute in Northampton, Mass," says Owens.

Traditionally educated, with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and a Masters in Education, Owens has experience teaching adults. In addition to that, her own experience with pain uniquely qualifies her to understand just how her clients are feeling. Working in private and in workshop sessions, Owens is trying to reach a larger population and has started to approach businesses that see the benefit in helping their employees stay well.

Findings in a recent survey conducted by the North American Spine Society, indicated that one out of every five U.S. adults with back pain have missed work or can no longer work at all. Other figures estimate workplace absences due to back pain to be nearer to 30-40%.

"Loss of productivity due to back problems is huge. Hanna Somatic Workshops are an easy way for businesses to reduce pain-related employee absenteeism, reduce health care costs, and reduce injuries," says Owens. "Everybody benefits – businesses protect employee productivity and efficiency, and employees achieve increased comfort and flexibility, more energy, and freedom from back, neck and joint pain and stiffness, allowing them to focus on their work, rather than their pain and discomfort."

Working individually with clients for five sessions or less, Owens teaches them how Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) is at the root of their discomfort. With the clients actively involved, she guides them through movements that reverse SMA, and restore comfort, energy and flexibility. In addition, clients learn a brief movement routine that they can do anywhere, anytime, so they can remain pain-free on their own.

Noreen Owens has already presented workshops at several NH Seacoast facilities including Synergy, Eight Winds Wellness Center and Spinnaker Point. She has also worked with a senior citizen's group in Exeter, NH and is promoting workshops with corporations who want to increase their profitability by reducing loss due to employee absenteeism and associated health care costs. For more information on Hanna Somatics, Noreen Owens can be reached at (603) 772- 3307 or visit www.owensomatics.com.