SOUND SOMATICS

Sound Somatics combines somatic exercises with music and sound. Each exercise is done slowly to a piece of music, and the music sets the pace for the contraction and the release. Sound cues, such as rising and falling harp phrases, signal when to contract and when to release, and soft background sounds, such as a drone, help you relax and notice your body between movements.

Research on Music and Movement

• People with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis walk faster and take longer steps when they walk to music with a steady beat. (Scataglini et al., 2025a, 2025b; Li et al., 2025)

• Music added to rehabilitation improves movement and muscle performance in people with stroke and other neurological conditions. A 2026 review of 21 randomized trials found gains in arm and leg function, balance and walking speed. (Van Criekinge et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2026)

• After a tiring task, people’s movements became smoother faster when they rested to relaxing music than when they rested in silence. (Van Criekinge et al., 2021)

• Older adults at high risk of falling who took a weekly movement class set to music for a year walked better and had a lower risk of falling than a group who did standard exercise twice a week. (Hars et al., 2024; Trombetti et al., 2011)

• People feel that exercise takes less effort when they exercise to music, and many find it more enjoyable. (Terry et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2026)

• Listening to a rhythm activates the parts of the brain that plan movement, even when the listener is sitting still. These areas help the brain predict when the next beat or the end of a musical phrase will arrive. (Proksch et al., 2020; Cannon & Patel, 2021; Vuust et al., 2022)

Music with Hanna Somatics Exercises

Hanna Somatics exercises are slow, deliberate movements. In each one you contract a group of muscles, release them very slowly, and repeat. The benefit comes from the repetition and from paying close attention to the movement while you do it.

In Sound Somatics, music gives the timing of each movement without words. The musical phrase tells you when to contract and when to release, so you do not have to follow verbal instructions that can take you away from your somatic experience. This is the same kind of musical timing that helps people with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis walk faster and take longer steps. A piece of music lasts several minutes, so you can repeat the movement many times, which is important for learning a new, more relaxed motor program. When the movements are finished, the continuous sound lets you relax completely without having to shift your attention to external instructions. In one of the studies described above, people who rested to relaxing music after a tiring task regained smooth movement faster than people who rested in silence.

The music also helps you plan the release. As the brain research described above shows, the parts of the brain that plan movement also predict when a musical phrase will end. When a slow release is timed to end with a musical phrase, you know where the movement is going and when it will get there, so you can plan the release ahead instead of correcting it moment by moment. The music keeps the pace for you, and your attention stays free for the sensations of the movement.

Hanna Somatics exercises such as the Cat Stretch work best when they are practiced often. As the research above shows, exercise feels like less effort with music, and many people find it more enjoyable. This makes it easier to keep up a regular practice.