People Swear by 'Somatic Stretching' to Relieve Stress: 'A Huge Emotional Release'
Somatic stretching may be the new stress reliever you need in your life.
Editor's Note: This article was published in Eat This, Not That!
ByAlexa Mellardo
Published on April 12, 2024 | 11:00 AM
By now, you're likely well aware that stretching is an integral part of any exercise routine. But have you ever tried it when you're feeling tense or anxious? We have the perfect solution on days when your mind and body call for some peace, calmness, and relief. It's called somatic stretching, and it may very well be the new stress reliever you need in your life.
We spoke with Sarah Graff, master flexologist for StretchLab, who breaks down everything you should know about somatic stretching and its benefits.
What is somatic stretching?
The purpose of traditional stretching is to increase your range of motion and focus on the outside of your body. Somatic stretching, however, focuses on the inside. It establishes an inner connection to relieve trapped stress and tension. This form of stretching can uncover areas of your body that you don't even know are tense.
"[Somatic stretching] serves as a means of re-establishing a connection with the body through deliberate movement," Graff explains. "By gradually easing into stretches and turning attention inward, individuals can identify areas of tension or discomfort and work to release them. An effective technique within somatic stretching involves voluntary pandiculation, where muscles are intentionally contracted and released while they are in a gentle stretch. This process can be facilitated during assisted stretching sessions, with a stretch therapist providing guidance through tactile and verbal cues to target muscle contraction and release."
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People are here for somatic stretching as an effective method to release stored stress, tension, and trauma. TikTok user The Workout Witch shared in a video, "Do you want to release some stored trauma from your body? Let's go." She then guided viewers through a hip-opening stretch, noting, "Your hips are a storehouse for unprocessed emotions and stored trauma within your body … hip-opening exercises cause a huge emotional release that clears the stored trauma out of your body."
The Workout Witch shared another video of a somatic exercise to fall asleep fast "even if you have insomnia or sleep issues" for a full-body release. She wrote, "This exercise can cause deep states of relaxation. Tense your quads as much as you can for four seconds. Release the tension and take two breaths. Repeat step one and two moving up through the thighs, glutes, stomach, back, chest, shoulders, and face."
Quickly Improving Your Golf Game Can Be a Stretch
Editor's Note: This article was published in Golf Digest and was written in partnership with StretchLab.May 01, 2024
Stretching is a vastly underused tool for improving both your golf swing and how your body feels during and after each round. Many golfers don't know how to stretch or what to stretch, and doing it wrong can lead to overstretching, pulled muscles and other injuries. That’s where StretchLab is a game-changer. StretchLab is a nationwide studio network staffed with certified stretch therapists, coined Flexologists, who work one-on-one with clients in 50-minute assisted stretching sessions specially tailored for golfers.A good golf swing requires twisting, turning, torquing, pivoting and accelerating. However, repeating those actions throughout a round can tax your body. “Golfers often suffer various physical imbalances from constantly rotating in one direction, leaving them injury prone,” says Sarah Graff, a Master Flexologist with StretchLab. “Our customized golf-stretching program can help prevent those injuries and reduce aches and pains while also improving performance. It’s meant to supplement strength training as part of your overall conditioning.”StretchLab’s high-tech approach includes a revolutionary “Mobility, Activation, Posture and Symmetry” 3D-body-scanning tool that instantly gathers details on your body movement, creating a personalized stretch plan just for you. StretchLab also uses cutting-edge Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, a form of resistance stretching in which you push into your Flexologist, adding pressure into the stretch while coordinating precise movement with proper breathing techniques. It’s much more effective than static stretching in helping you improve muscle elasticity. “Over time, this can translate to a more accurate golf game and a more enjoyable on-course experience,” says Graff. Each StretchLab session also increases blood flow to the muscles and boosts flexibility, causing a positive ripple effect that improves posture and balance, extends range of motion for a bigger shoulder turn and wider swing arc, and optimizes body rotation, all of which promotes better swing mechanics, more consistency and higher clubhead speed for better distance. StretchLab sessions also help prevent injury and alleviate post-round soreness by targeting key swing components, including hips, lower back, shoulders, wrists and forearms. This benefit is especially important as we get older and lose flexibility.StretchLab experts also incorporate recovery tools including pro-athlete-backed Hyperice massage products, foam rollers, stretch straps and more of the most sought after technology into sessions to ensure that you reap the full benefit. How noticeable are the results? Most first-timers readily buy a membership without any high-pressure sales pitch. They simply feel the improvement, which translates immediately to their golf game.
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