CLASS SERIES

Hanna Somatic Education and the Myth of Aging
with Gabriel Posner, PhD, RSME

Six weekly sessions on Thursdays • May 9-June 18, 2026 • 12-1:30pm Eastern U.S. time; No class on June 4.
Find your local time here. 

The registration deadline is Friday, May 3, 2026. 

PLEASE NOTE: If you register for the free introduction on April 9 here, you will receive a DISCOUNT COUPON CODE for a $50 off the cost of the Full Course. This coupon is only valid through Thursday, April 16.

Live participation is strongly encouraged. However, if you are unable to attend a session, recordings will be available to all who have registered for the course. 

Thomas Hanna, a philosopher and scientist, is widely recognized for popularizing the term Somatic as an umbrella for mind-body practices focused on embodiment, expression, and self-healing. Beyond this, he developed Hanna Somatic Education (HSE), a clinical practice that draws on the Feldenkrais Method and the Alexander Technique. HSE is designed to resolve Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA), which occurs when chronic stress and injury cause habitual muscle tightening and bracing, leading to a steady loss of conscious control and sensory perception over movement and muscles—a state often misattributed to aging. HSE reverses SMA using mindful awareness, somatic movement, and biofeedback principles, enabling the voluntary release of chronic tension and enhancement of somatic awareness. By exploring specific stress patterns and applying targeted HSE movements, participants can regain control, unravel habitual bracing, and fundamentally redefine their process of aging. This six-week course aims to provide a thorough understanding of Hanna's theories and equip participants with a daily practice for continual growth. 

Participants will:
• Understand what SMA is and how to identify it in themselves and others.
• Learn specific somatic movement techniques to reverse SMA and lower resting tone.
• Apply these techniques to specific movements that target common patterns of stress and injury 

PLEASE NOTE: You will receive a DISCOUNT COUPON CODE for a $50 off the cost of the Full Course by registering for the Free Introduction! 

Gabriel Posner, PhD, RSME

Gabriel is the current president of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education's board of directors and is funded by the Association as a research director. In addition, Gabriel trains clinical practitioners and movement teachers with Martha Peterson and Essential Somatics. He also operates a private practice in Denver, Colorado, offering hands-on clinical somatic sessions, group classes, and trainings for both somatic practitioners and massage therapists. His first book, Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists was released by Handspring Publishing earlier this year.

After becoming certified as a massage therapist in 2004, Gabriel developed chronic musculoskeletal pain. His journey to resolve his own issues led him down a path of integrative health exploration, ultimately finding relief with Hanna Somatics. Gabriel became a Certified Hanna Somatic Educator in 2008 and has been practicing ever since, helping others unravel their own musculoskeletal issues. A desire to better understand and promote the science underlying somatic practices led him to get his doctorate in Mind-Body Medicine, which he completed in 2022. While Gabriel enjoys working one-on-one with clients, he is at his best when working with and training other somatic practitioners.

Cancellation Policy:
If a participant cancels their registration to any paid offering in the Professional Development Center, they will receive the following refund:
• Full refund minus the PayPal fees, more than 4 weeks before the event begins
• 75% refund from 1 - 4 weeks before the event begins
• 50% refund from 1 - 6 days before the event begins
• No refund on the day that the event begins or while it is in progress
ISMETA reserves the right to cancel any offering in the Professional Development Center before the course begins due to unforeseen circumstances. In this case, a full refund will be given.