Somatic Therapeut

"Somatic therapy can been defined in many ways: a form of neuromuscular movement re-education; mind-body training that addresses root causes of musculoskeletal pain, movement limitation, and/or immobility; and the way we, as human beings, sense and organize movement of muscles and bones. For me, Martina Young’s revolutionary healing practice has been a wonderful shared experience of movement, aesthetics, body and soul.
 
Ms. Young’s current therapeutic work has become the practical manifestation of her lifelong experience as artist, teacher, 30+ year Pilates practitioner, scholar, and somatic being. She has a laser-like ability to hone in on clients’ pathological issues by locating those areas in her own body and instantly analyzing cause and effect. She then is able to easily translate how to internally tweak and maneuver muscle and bone back into alignment using her clarity of language and poetic image.
 
My most recent healing experience with Martina has been a demanding and ultimately transformational journey, leading me through a careful, exacting and delightful rediscovery and recovery of my physical self.
​
In the first week of therapy, my right leg was nonfunctional and I felt like a bloated, limping, decrepit and frankly, unknown version of myself. Today, after 6 sessions of Martina’s Swan Practice and exacting Pilates Reformer work, I feel sleek, grounded and yet lighter, and physically ready. At 66 years of age I’ve experienced a rebirth of the strong and vital mover I’ve always been, and with her patient, attentive, and empathic guidance, I am at ease once again in my body self. "

​-Diane Rugg