I stretch... so why am I so dang tight?

I just turned sixty-six, and I love almost everything about this stage of life—the freedom of a lighter schedule, more time with friends and family, and the chance to shape my days with meaning, not momentum.

One of the few things I’m not crazy about is the physical decline that can come with aging. I’m all in on strength training, smart cardio, and stretching to maintain my fitness—but I’m still achy and tight, despite doing all the “right” things.

That’s why I’ve started exploring somatic movement—a slower, more intentional practice that works with the nervous system to release tension and restore ease from the inside out

Our bodies carry stories—some joyful, some heavy, some long forgotten. Over time, stress and overwhelm can disconnect us from ourselves, locking us into patterns of tension and fatigue.

That chronic tension often shows up as pain or inflexibility, even when we stretch.

The good news? Your body also holds the key to healing—and somatic movement is a powerful way to unlock it.

What Is Somatic Movement?

Somatic movement is a gentle, body-based practice that helps release long-held tension and restore ease.
It works not through force, but through awareness, breath, and slow, mindful motion—essentially, a nervous system reset.

You’ll learn to:

• Move with less effort and more ease

• Soothe chronic pain and muscular tension

• Breathe more fully

• Feel grounded, calm, and connected

Why It Works

Stress and trauma don’t just live in the mind—they live in the body. When the nervous system stays on high alert, it creates patterns like:

• Tight hips, shoulders, or jaw

• Difficulty relaxing or sleeping

• Feeling anxious, numb, or disconnected

Somatic movement helps interrupt these patterns by:

• Activating your body’s natural rest-and-repair response

• Releasing chronic muscle holding

• Reconnecting you with your body’s internal cues

Somatics Complements Everything Else You Do

Whether you love Pilates, yoga, strength training, or running—somatic movement makes it all better by targeting something those other modalities often miss:
your nervous system.

Somatics helps you:

• Re-educate movement patterns at the brain-body level

• Release hidden tension that limits flexibility and ease

• Improve coordination, balance, and body awareness

• Prevent injury by restoring natural, efficient movement

It doesn’t replace your workouts—it enhances them.
When your muscles stop overworking to protect you, you can move smarter, not harder.

Why Somatic Movement Is Different

Somatic movement isn’t about stretching deeper or getting stronger—it’s about resetting your nervous system so your body can move with more ease and less effort.

Instead of pulling on tight muscles, we use pandiculation: a natural contract–release–reset process that re-educates the brain and helps muscles truly let go.

When a cat wakes up, it doesn’t stretch—it pandiculates.
That long, slow yawn… the arching spine… the full-body unwind?
That’s not just cute—it’s neurologically intelligent.

💡 Stretching pulls on muscles.
💡 Pandiculation teaches the body to release from within.

Reconnect. Release. Restore.

Join me at Pilates 1901 on Saturday, August 16th!

• 9:30 am- SOMATICS Workshop with Tina Sprinkle (75 min)
• 11:00 am  BREATHWORK & SOUND BATH Workshop with Jenn Jeffries (60 minutes)

What You’ll Learn in This Workshop

This workshop is less about doing and more about noticing—and that’s where the magic begins.

You’ll learn how to:

• Use your breath to calm your nervous system
  Gentle, conscious breathing that shifts your body out of stress and into ease.

• Release chronic tension—without stretching
  Learn how pandiculation, not stretching, helps your body truly let go.

• Re-educate your movement patterns
  Slow, mindful motion that reconnects brain and body for more natural, pain-free movement.

• Restore your body’s sense of safety
  Move gently, with awareness and choice, in a supportive, trauma-informed space.

• Integrate somatic tools into daily life
  Leave with simple, effective movements you can use whenever you feel tight, anxious, or disconnected.

No experience is needed. Just bring your body, your breath, and an open mind.

Breathe. Receive. Resonate.

Sound Bath and Breathwork following Somatics Workshop

Join Jenn Jeffries, yoga teacher and sound healer as she leads you through a breathwork series and sound healing session guaranteed to leave you grounded and calm.

This workshop follows the Somatic Workshop at 11:00 am.
Take this as a single workshop or sign up for both!

The workshops are $35 each or $50 for both.

Thank you for being part of this community and allowing me to share resources I hope support your health and fitness journey. If you know someone who might benefit, feel free to forward this along!

With love, Tina