Client Success Stories
Here's a fairly detailed list of some of my clients and their success stories. Somatic Movements are incredibly healing and have helped so many people to find new home inside their bodies.
Jai Knight
Interdisciplinary Artist
"This practice is slower and more gentle than anything I’ve done before. Other somatic work included diving into traumas to heal them. This felt more gentle and less heady.
Now, I am feeling more connected to my body! I feel less in a rush. I am also feeling more confident and calm in my body."
Galia Nitzen
Therapist-in-Training
Aimee is someone I learned to trust, because she is consistent, present and totally hands-on. She is amongst the most committed, dedicated, competent, and knowledgeable of body practitioners. The passion that she brings to her work is evident in the attentive way she conducts each session.
Valerie Stanton
Energy-worker, Intuitive Guide, Gentle Yoga Teacher, Entrepreneur and Graduate of Radiance
Aimee's 1:1 sessions helped me drop DEEP into my body and experience a near-psychedelic ecstasy of being so in tune with myself, and so encouraged to both listen, slow down and make the movements as subtle as I desired.
Drew Fuerstman
Professional Musician, Meditation and Mindfulness Practitioner and Graduate of Radiance
These small, easeful, and embodied movements done skillfully have a dramatic positive impact that compounds over time.
I am so thankful for Aimee’s expertise in Hanna Somatics and gifts as body worker.
Zoe Hewett
Exercise Physiologist, Yoga Teacher, Mother
“I can’t unlearn the concepts of this movement practice and it is already integrating into my personal health identity and into my professional life as a movement teacher.
This practice has the ability to foster a strong connection to self, and therefore, to purpose.“
Gina Duran
Teacher, Activist, Radio Personality, Restorative Yoga Teacher, Massage Therapist and Poet
Since beginning this practice and receiving hands-on bodywork with Aimee I feel safe in my body for the first time that I can remember.
I feel a joyful with a sense of calm. The tone in my voice has shifted. My eyes are smiling.
Heather Hanning
Midwife, Owner of Intuitive Rhythms Midwifery, Licensed Massage Therapist
After my 8th session with Aimee, my higher-self came to me in a dream, she put her hand on my shoulder and said “where have you been”. That was confirmation that I had done the appropriate work that led me back to myself after being lost in darkness.
Jeannie Shaw
Writer, Visual Artist, Digital Creator
At the beginning, I doubted that these tiny movements would do anything to alleviate my pain but as the days went by, I found myself releasing, releasing, releasing. Before I knew it, I was sitting on my meditation pillow with no stiffness and no pain.
Beth Warner
Physiotherapist, Yoga Teacher and Graduate of Radiance
Now, I have an even greater appreciation of the contribution of habitual muscle tension to pain and reduced function. And I am confident that people can learn to release tension and change even long-held patterns of trauma and pain.
This is safe and effective for anyone.
Kylie Brda
Owner of Brda Skincare and Graduate of Radiance
I feel safer in my body knowing that life happens and pain will come but now I have tools to unwind the pain on my own.
I have this new sense of empowerment and invaluable knowledge that will keep me on the right path of listening to my body and connecting with myself more deeply everyday!
Amanda Weiss
Operations Manager for a Financial Tech Company, Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher and Graduate of Radiance
I had been practicing Somatics with Aimee for a few years but the deep dive this program takes you on into your body is so different from having an on and off practice. Stress and pain do not control my life anymore and I feel free and safe in my body for the first time!
Rosie Velasquez
Founder of The Mystic Rose Studio & Find Your Mojo Coaching, Spiritual Mentor
and Energy Guide
My body remembered and learned how to adjust naturally and today I am walking with a more natural posture because of what Aimee taught me. All my aches and ailments are no longer the focus of my day.
Galia Nitzen
Therapist-in-Training
When I met Aimee, I was having the most excruciating back, neck, and shoulder pain, so much so that there were days I could not move and had to lay on my bed alternating heat pads with ice packs to soothe the painful areas. The pain was often so debilitating that I would cry from the abject hopelessness I felt. I had started resorting to painkillers, having tried everything I could to manage the pain. Nothing seemed to work, and this just compounded my anxiety.
Our first session was a little strange to me as I wondered how such tiny little movements could make a difference. It was closer to the third or fourth session that I started feeling the motion of the movements, as they are incredibly subtle. These are not large gestures; they are very small, minute shifts in body awareness such that I began to experience my body more mindfully.
Now, I am more aware of how my body tenses and contracts and becomes clenched and painful to the point where I cannot move.
In these moments, I am taking the time to lay on my yoga mat and do the 20-minute or 40-minute routine that Aimee has generously provided me. The breathing and gentle motions immediately calm my nervous system.
This practice is working really well for me!
Aimee is someone I learned to trust because she is consistent, present, and totally hands-on. She is amongst the most committed, dedicated, competent, and knowledgeable of body practitioners. The passion that she brings to her work is evident in the attentive way she conducts each session. She honestly and truly cared, from the moment she placed her strong hands on my body to her call the next day asking how I felt and if I had any pain.
I would recommend Aimee without a doubt!
Sadie Stockamp
Digital Nomad
I’ve trudged through the last 5-7 years with many dysfunctions and lots of pain, and I’m only 22 years old. I’ve experienced immense and constant back pain following a tailbone fracture as a young girl. I’ve also struggled with constant dizziness, nausea, random blackouts, jaw locking to the point of not being able to eat, odd skin sensitivity issues, and general body tension and disconnect.
After my first session with Aimee, I was in awe and a bit of a daze. I wasn’t expecting to get right to any huge results but I felt very grounded throughout the session and immediately afterwards.
I went to bed happy with that shift in energy even if it was just my mind playing tricks on me but then the next morning I woke up and immediately felt that the way I stood was different. My pelvis and tailbone was slightly tucked in, which is a relieving position that I usually have to intentionally move and hold my body to. So I was very excited to see that change and it gave me so much hope and trust in the process going forward.
My favorite thing about working with Aimee is that she got right down to business to start bringing ease into my body. She didn’t give me fluff or fairy dust and tell me to just believe. She gave me the damn wand!! It was always obvious that she does her work to actually educate so that I could understand and morph this somatic work into what works for me even if new health issues come in the future.
Since starting somatic work, I’ve finally felt hope that pain doesn’t have to be forever. That's been huge because it affected my mental health so much to have a lack of hope. I have gained hope because I experienced moments of ZERO pain for the first time in years. I’ve had new issues or tensions arise, and I’ve felt confident that I have the tools to help my body through it.
I have gained a “me and my body against the world” mindset rather than “me vs. my body”. And pain is a signal now rather than an enemy.
I’ve always believed our body knows how to heal itself and that it WANTS us to feel in alignment. But I never had anything tangible to do much with that belief — no tools — until somatic work.
I’ve already told so many people about Aimee and I think everyone needs to get on a call with her to let your own body convince you. Because it was that first complimentary intro call that I had with her that my body said “yep, we need this”.
Aimee really listens and understands you as an individual human and she’s so knowledgeable that she can tailor this work to you and teach you how to release as well!
Nicole Sochacz
Esthetician, Truth-seeker and Graduate of Radiance
Nicole is a powerhouse of helpful knowledge and discriminating curiosity!
She has told me how careful she is about choosing a teacher because she knows the power of influence.
It has been my honor to be her guide in accessing MORE of herself and experience deeper ease and harmony in her body/life.
“Being in Radiance “connected the dots” for me.
Since being in this program I am honoring my higher self, God and the process of life with more ease.
I came into the program seeking to educate my body on how to regulate my stress and emotions on a deeper level.
With Aimee’s interaction, the weekly classes and my own practice it has become easier to access all parts of my Self.
My 3 biggest takeaways:
1. My body is super smart.
2. We can experience change without painful modalities.
3. I am so glad I took the leap into the unknown!
What’s different about this body-based approach is that it is not strenuous. I work out a lot and getting results without intense effort was new to me.
I found Aimee’s instructions intricate and yet easy to follow.
After every movement session I felt super relaxed and balanced in my body-mind-spirit, my SOMA.
Now, I am able to hold space for myself and others without being quickly triggered. And I notice quicker when my body needs something. For example, rest and relaxation, and I’m not guilting myself for it!
Funny enough, I feel like people who need this work the most are the ones who might not “believe in it”.
I have been blessed to have this experience with Aimee and be a part of this program. THANK YOU!”
Krysta Kinslow
Shadow Work and Ascension Guide
In this clip, Krysta describes her first session with me and the big emotional release she experienced that was connected to the tension she had been carrying in her body.
"We go through our lives feeling like contraction in our body is normal...We've normalized pain, we've normalized, you know, 'shoulder hurts and back pain, I'm just getting older, hahaha, it's so funny.' It's not. And it's not normal, it's something that's trying to get your attention and [Aimee] has such a beautiful way of shining a flashlight on it. Of saying, 'Hey, there's something here for you. Let's do something about it, together."
Laurel Pear
Conflict Resolution Coach, Energy Healer and Graduate of Radiance
What I’ve learned connects with everything that I do!
It's helped me embody my energy clearing practices more...I have more confidence being in my body and [to continue] to try new things because now I have this tool to lower tension and come out of trauma patterns...This is a wonderful investment for anybody's future. Anybody with a body could benefit from embedding this practice into their daily lives.
I felt instant relief from stress and anxiety in my body after doing just one session with Aimee in her 3 Day’s to Radiance event.
What I’ve learned connects with everything that I do!
It's helped me embody my energy clearing practices more...I have more confidence being in my body and [to continue] to try new things because now I have this tool to lower tension and come out of trauma patterns...This is a wonderful investment for anybody's future. Anybody with a body could benefit from embedding this practice into their daily lives.
I felt instant relief from stress and anxiety in my body after doing just one session with Aimee in her 3 Day’s to Radiance event.
I asked my dad if he would support me so that I could take her 6-month program and he did, and it has honestly been one of the most helpful things that I have been able to do for my anxiety and overall understanding of wellness and what it means to be healthy.
I have been dealing with severe anxiety on and off since I was little surrounding certain events in my life and for me change can feel really hard, so I have found it very beneficial to have the support as well as the knowledge from this program to be able to use in times of stress but also whenever I need it as this is a lifelong skill.
I also sometimes succumb to overeating in times of stress but Aimee has helped me with this too by teaching me that I don’t have to get scared or upset when I eat in a way that does not support my actual lifestyle goals but instead I can focus on what to do to balance it all out.
Having the tools for me has given me so much more confidence to continue living my life, knowing that I am never stuck quite literally.
I have found that doing these soma movements twice or sometimes three times a day is the most helpful thing that I can do for my anxiety aside from eating healthy.
Veronika Lee Hoover
Former Psychotherapist, Former LSCW, Full-time Mama
I’ve had chronic pain in my left lower back and hip for about 6 years, and it got worse after giving birth to my 2nd child two years ago. My pelvic floor also had transient pain. My quad and IT band were also on fire. It became very hard to workout which provided relief, but also pain. I felt like I was missing out on having fun with my kids and also had to give up a big part of my self-care.
After my first session, I had immediate relief in my entire back, neck and I felt lighter. It was just so much easier to move. I also noticed I felt happy and it was easier to play and have fun.
Since starting this somatic journey, I started to notice my holding patterns during my usual day to day tasks that contribute to tension and pain. I know how to let it go. In just 5 sessions, my pain is 80% less. My mood is better (my husband says he appreciates how I've been handling disappointments and my daughter now calls me the best mom.. LOL) I can now do workouts again, and use my somatic exercises as a warm up and cool down to ensure my body remembers to let go.
I worked as a psychotherapist and my work primarily focused on mind-body and energy centers as a way of working through issues and traumas. I also integrated nature connection and plant medicine into my work and personal healing journey.
I had many breakthroughs and realizations of what it was that my own body needed. My husband is a chiropractor and acupuncturist, so I have been able to experience many types of hands on work and advanced technology for my chronic pain.
I knew inside that my body needed to re-pattern its own memory from “holding on” to “letting go” from the inside out.
When I found Aimee and did my consult, I knew immediately this was what my soul was calling in. I now have a way to work with my body's innate intelligence to heal and let go of old patterns that my body subconsciously kept bringing back into my life.
It’s allowed me to feel safe, open and surrendered to living fully and even more authentically. At one point in a session with Aimee, I was brought back to a plant medicine journey where my body knew exactly what it needed but I didn't know how to attain that level of ease without first going through a very scary process of letting go. However, this time, it was gentle like a lullaby, lulling me into ease and comfort.
Aimee is so present and non-judgmental, not just to what's happening physically, but what might be happening emotionally. I love that she just knows how to tune in and hold space in such a neutral way.
I’ve been recommending Aimee to all the people I know who are also in the healing community and who are also on a personal journey of self-development and healing!
Phil Zuckerman & Stacy Elliott
Associate Dean at Pitzer College & Archivist at Pitzer College
Two years ago, my wife Stacy, had a bad stroke. Aimee came highly recommended – to work with her and help her heal her affected limbs, alignment, back, movement, etc. Aimee has been working with Stacy weekly. She has been truly amazing: patient, warm, kind. She is extremely knowledgeable about the body, about balance, about well-being.
Aimee explains thing so well and clearly and thoughtfully. They work on breathing together. Somatic healing. She gives Stacy such wonderful movements and exercises to practice throughout the week, which make Stacy feel so good.
Stacy always feels so replenished and inspired after every session with Aimee.
Aimee is a wonderful guide, a healer, and a trusted teacher. She has been so incredible.
I began working with Stacy at the start of the pandemic. We were lucky enough to begin working together a few weeks after she had suffered a moderate-severe stroke that affected the right side of her body.
When I met her she was getting around in a wheelchair and had no sensation in her right leg and arm.
She had difficulty communicating, but we quickly bonded.
She has made HUGE progress in the last two years.
We have been working together weekly and she is now able to have her own movement practice that keeps her pain free and supports her life!
Clista Prelle-Tworek
Licensed Professional Counselor, Visual Artist, Writer
Hi, All-- I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (among other roles). For the past 20 years, I have worked with survivors of early childhood trauma, as well as providing integrated treatment for recovery from PTSD, substance use disorders, and for people who live with chronic pain.
I am a survivor of adverse childhood experiences. and live with a chronic pain condition and complex PTSD. I have tried virtually every modality of healing for the body, heart and mind, to try to find relief from the often intense pain I feel.
All of the things I have tried have provided some level of relief, for a short span of time. Usually when I worked directly with a practitioner who was administering a treatment through direct body contact (massage, chiropractic, physical therapy).
One of the most wonderful things about Hanna Somatics is that Aimee teaches how to sense my body in a way that provides not only immediate relief while in session with her, but also a method that allows me to connect with my body in a totally new way. I can practice the exercises independently. This is empowering and effective. Aimee is intuitive, and can see and understand what is happening in my body through the video platform. She guides me with patience, compassion and exquisite skill in the Hanna Somatics processes. She helps me map the way my body has coped with trauma over my many decades, and gives me a way forward to navigate daily life with less pain, and a renewed sense of confidence and joy.
Rather than placing the body with an external, abstract. mechanical or cognitive precept of what will help, Aimee helps me feel the deep aspects of my body that are out of balance due to contraction and constriction, and through an elegant and powerful method, guides me to release tension, connect my heart, mind, and spirit with my body in miraculous healing ways.
In addition, Aimee also recommends dietary changes that are congruent with the preferences of my body, and information from other sources, that help me experience optimal energy and digestive processes. This plant based diet is also sustainable for our wounded planet, as well as nourishing for my body. And it is delicious!
This course in Hanna Somatics with Aimee is a blessing, and she is an angel! I am growing in compassion and love for my body and my whole self.
Thank you, Aimee!
Rosie Velasquez
Founder of The Mystic Rose Studio & Find Your Mojo Coaching
Aimee is amazing! I seriously can't even remember how long I lived with my neck being stiff. I tried switching different pillows and different sleeping positions and if I couldn't get that right combination I'd wake up with my neck stiff or in some kind of pain.
After a few sessions with Aimee she asked me about my neck pain and honestly I didn't even notice that it was gone. I didn't notice that I hadn't felt the stiffness! That's how incredible and natural this is!
My body remembered and learned how to adjust naturally and today I am walking with a more natural posture because of what Aimee taught me. All my aches and ailments are no longer the focus of my day.
Now, I'm not the best at practicing all the time, but even with the few sessions that I had last year, I still don't have neck pain.
Aimee is absolutely incredible, she's intuitive, she's so knowledgeable and absolutely cares about your well-being and that radiates through her excitement when she hears about these huge wins you experience when realigning your body and mind.
Kevin Riel
High School English Teacher at La Jolla Country Day School
Aimee helped me work through a raging case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) that had frozen my abdomen with tension and rendered me couch-ridden with persistent reflux.
Aimee helped me refine my posture to aid digestion and used somatics to reintroduce movement to ignite my sluggish metabolism.
Aimee helped me work through a raging case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) that had frozen my abdomen with tension and rendered me couch-ridden with persistent reflux.
Aimee helped me refine my posture to aid digestion and used somatics to reintroduce movement to ignite my sluggish metabolism.
When we began working together I was listless and miserable; after two months of weekly treatment, along with the daily mobility exercises that she taught me, I was significantly improved and on the path to recovery.
Over a year later, and my body still craves a nightly dose of somatic movements.
Riki Wolf
Owner And Masseuse at Free Reign Healing Arts, RN, BSN, MS, CMT
What I liked about working with Aimee was how I learned to control muscle groups in a way that would bring about pain relief quite quickly.
She also has a very relaxing and pleasant tone to her voice which I found peaceful and encouraging.
Hanna Somatics techniques are really helpful in maintaining alignment and preventing chronic contraction from recurring.
At one point, I worked with Aimee on an acute inflammatory issue. My pain was significantly lessened and resolved in 2 sessions. Frankly, I could barely fathom going from excruciating to tolerable in only one hour.
In general, I recommend HSE to clients who have a long history of their bodies responding with tightening in response to stress or worry.
HSE offers them a way to respond differently and as a result they experience their bodies in a more relaxed and comfortable state.
Chris Kroutil
Substitute Teacher
Hanna Somatic Education has been a life changing experience for me in treating and managing symptoms from a car accident.
After just 30 minutes I am able to transition from the stress of the world into a healing atmosphere by reducing muscle tension throughout my body. My first Somatics class showed me its potential, but taking regular classes with Aimee has allowed me to reinforce proper technique such that I can have a regular practice on my own.
I am much more able to manage symptoms and function in my daily life as a result of working with Aimee and will always be grateful.
Amanda Weiss
Operations Manager for a Financial Technology Company, Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher
When I started the Radiance Program I had chronic pain and was looking for a new way to manage stress.
Since beginning the program I am able to observe how connected my stress is to the pain in my body. I have the tools to lessen (or rid!) my body of the daily pain I had been experiencing for so long! This allows me to have a much more even mood in even tough situations. I also have so much more energy throughout the whole day.
I had been practicing somatics with Aimee for a few years but the deep dive this program takes you on into your body is so different from having an on and off practice. Hanna somatics is a modality unlike any other I have regularly practiced.
I struggled with "gentle" types of yoga because it forced me to observe and be inside of a body that I didn't trust or feel comfortable in. Hanna somatics has taught me how to experience, observe and be friends with my body again in a way that feels safe. It also teaches you how to slow down in an authentic way.
So many modalities, including many types of yoga, can disconnect us from what is happening in our bodies when the focus is "perfection" or a no pain, no gain mentality. It can, unfortunately, turn into an escape from our emotions, our bodies and ourselves.
Aimee’s way of guiding is authentic and graceful. She is incredibly honest and holds space for all the different experiences you may have. She is full of so much knowledge and takes the time to present it in a way that is digestible and takes the time to check in and fill the gaps when there are questions.
I really enjoyed the food conversation! I think there is so much misinformation with diet culture, fads and the commercialization of nutrition. I have always been connected to what I eat but it shifted my thinking in why I make the choices I do and explore some different recipes and ways of eating. It also made me feel comfortable exploring my relationship with some food sensitivities. And I am eating more fruit and it has helped me have a more sustained energy throughout the day!
Having a calmer nervous system has allowed me to explore my relationship with food and how it truly makes me feel because I am not experiencing a constant state of anxiety/depression.
Whenever we finish our movement session, it feels like a combination of just having had a massage, finished a workout and meditated. I always feel the tension in my body turn down or off, I feel more connected and "inside" of my body and have a general feeling of well being. Sometimes it makes me feel a little loopy but in a good way.
I manage multiple teams at work and I have had the energy to be present and calm for them in even adverse situations. I have so much more energy because I am not constantly bouncing between anxiety and depressive thoughts on a daily basis, I feel so much more balanced.
Teaching my body how to truly let go has allowed me to experience and process memories from the past that I had forgotten but my body was holding on to. I have way more energy to do the things I love!
Stress and pain do not control my life anymore and I feel free and safe in my body for the first time!
I wish everyone had the opportunity to do this program!
Valerie Stanton
Energy-Worker, Intuitive Guide, Gentle Yoga Teacher, Entrepreneur and Currently Enrolled in Radiance
“I joined Radiance to address feeling really out of sorts in my own body. It was vulnerable to admit I felt out of whack since I’m a gentle yoga teacher and have done extensive healing work.
However, I had pretty persistent lower back pain which had led to me throwing my back out several times. My neck was also constantly tight, honestly since I can remember. Since having my kiddo and gaining a bunch of weight, my body felt really different than it used to, and I needed new tools to BE with myself.
During the program I felt such a softening occur!
In the beginning, I had a hard time getting into the daily practice - part of that was having my wisdom teeth removed in the first month! But once I finally did, I started experiencing an ease in my body that I could rely on.
I was finally able to do things like weed in my garden without worrying about my back. If I went on a long drive, flight or had a day that was especially taxing for my body and nervous system, I had a set of tools to work with it and helped me truly release the muscles that were so tight.
Aimee's 1:1 sessions helped me drop DEEP into my body and experience a near-psychedelic ecstasy of being so in tune with myself, and so encouraged to both listen, slow down and make the movements as subtle as I desired. Plus the group experiences felt bonding, and helped to drop me even further into my own body.
This program brings in such a fine-tuned level of intimacy with one's body and movements. I actually have a lot of wounding around feeling like the world around me is moving SO FAST and the pressure to "keep up". This practice is SO slow and I truly love it. It's so much about me, and me trusting my body.
Aimee’s Teaching style is very thorough, precise, loving and compassionate.
Now I have a simple, gentle, daily (or close to daily) practice and I feel more relaxed and "leaned back" in my body. I have helpful food guidelines that I can return to to help me feel more easeful in my body. I feel relaxed and confident in my body to do things I love like walking, gardening, etc. without worrying I will get irrevocably injured.
I also feel much calmer and more natural in my business. Less of a sense of "pushing" as an entrepreneur and more of an easeful, honest sharing of what I have to offer. This practice invites in a full body union that is felt while doing it.
I’m excited and motivated to weave these practices around movement and food deeper into my life and yoga practice.”
Katie Wilton
Mom, Wife, Teacher
When Aimee introduced me to Hanna Somatics, I was having such difficulty with both of my knees. It was a struggle to perform basic tasks and functions like getting up off of the floor, transitioning from sitting to standing and caring for my toddler.
The trouble with my knees had suddenly appeared about three or four months before our session and never let up (in spite of ample stretching!).
I was shocked that after a single targeted Hanna Somatics session with Aimee the problem altogether vanished. Persuaded by the power of this modality and Aimee's effectiveness as a practitioner, we went on to do several sessions together.
I admired Aimee's vigilant checking in with how I was feeling in my body during our sessions and her ability to instantly integrate feedback, as well as her attentive follow up after sessions. Her unique knowledge of this system, as well as extensive understanding of the human body, enabled her to target exactly what was needed for me and produce big results quickly.
I loved her clear, slow, gentle approach to instructing this method. Dissimilar to other physical practices I've turned to in the past, I appreciate that Hanna Somatics focuses on creating change through micro movements, subtle awareness and paying attention to discomfort.
Aimee has a knack for creating a relaxing and soothing experience while paying attention to the most minute details. We worked together virtually, which I had never done before - and I was amazed at how well Aimee could speak to my body as if she were right there, while I got to be in the comfort of my own home.
In spite of 25 years of practicing yoga, learning Hanna Somatics with Aimee gave me a new way of understanding my body as well as a gracious pathway to heal it!
April Ruffner
Owner of Bourne Pilates & Fitness
“I wish everyone could experience Somatic Education, especially with Aimee who is a great leader and example in her own life.”
I started doing Somatics with Aimee because I felt that I had trauma stored in my body that I didn't know how to release. As I began this somatic work, my body felt safe and Aimee spoke in a comforting tone, which is important for healing. As I worked with Aimee, she uncovered muscular patterns in my body.
There were 3 significant shifts that I felt:
1) As I walked, Aimee pointed out that I would lean more of my body weight to the right side of my body. So, my back muscles were shortened on one side. After doing somatics, a few sessions later, I was able to balance and shift some of the weight back to my left side, equalizing both sides of my body.
2) I used to have a hard time breathing, or taking a full breath lying down on my back. Aimee pointed out that this was due to tight muscles and fascia around my chest. As she helped me open up through my sessions, I felt like I was able to breathe better on my back. I can now stay for an extended time on my back now without feeling uncomfortable.
3) My shoulders were protracted (rounded forward). Aimee explained to me about patterns that were called "red light" or protective patterns that kept me contracted forward. The more sessions we did, I started to see a shift and my shoulders felt more openness and length.
After my six sessions with Aimee, my nervous system was able to relax and calm down more. I definitely feel the somatic “reset” in my body that has made significant changes. My body is very grateful for it. I will continue to do the exercises that Aimee gave me to do on my own, so I can continue the somatic experience.
I have also learned to slow down and sometimes less is more. I have made the internal changes that have made all the difference in my world and my internal happiness. I wish everyone could experience Somatic Education, especially with Aimee who is a great leader and example in her own life.
Mike Warner
Retired Teacher/Coach
My name is Mike Warner, a former teacher, coach and life-long runner. Nearly 70, I’ve been running for over 50 years; I have known Aimee since she was in 6th grade.
As a runner, my number one concern is skeletal alignment. Leg length discrepancies and hip rotations create imbalances and injuries, and I have the injury history to prove it. I run up to an hour a day, making alignment critical to me.
I use simple somatic exercises before I run, which almost immediately correct those areas. I can literally feel my body coming back into alignment as I do them. I don’t spend hours doing them, and they’ve reduced the number of chiropractor appointments I’ve needed to accomplish the same thing.
I was primarily open to Hanna Somatics because of Aimee. She is brilliant, has a wonderful background in Yoga (she’s taught all over the world), and I trust her implicitly.
Her program’s emphasis on helping build self-generated practices puts the client in charge. If I were still coaching, we’d be using these techniques.
Jen Barber
Success Coach, Reiki Master and Transformational Guide
Meeting Aimee was a serendipitous moment. We both joined an online group at the same time and she started talking about her work. I immediately reached out. I had torn my rotator cuff while kayaking two years before and still had discomfort and did not have a full range of motion in my shoulder.
I was beyond frustrated. I also have two crushed discs in my lumbar spine from an old injury. This created tightness and discomfort in my hips and back. I was in different levels of pain all of the time.
I scheduled a session; I needed to know what Hanna Somatics was! I was hooked halfway through the first session. I felt immediate relief in my shoulder, hips, and back. I joke that it's magic. And yes, the process is powerful, but Aimee's incredible wealth of knowledge on how to apply the movements changed my life. She is a Master at what she does.
I had a couple of 1 on 1 sessions with her, and I felt more and more relief in my body every time. Aimee was in the process of launching Radiance, her group program, and I signed up immediately. I felt that having a container to dive deeper into Somatics and adding the food element was just what my body was asking for. Every session was filled with useful ,easy to incorporate knowledge. I was feeling better than I had in years.
Toward the end of the Radiance program, I broke my arm in a freak accident with my dog, and it was discovered I had breast cancer. I spent two weeks in the hospital, and I only felt I had control over using my somatics tools to ease anxiety and gain motion in my broken arm. So that's what I did! My doctors were amazed at how quickly I could move my arm. Multiple times a day, I did the movements Aimee taught me. I was amazed at how grounded and able to cope with everything I was.
I am forever grateful for Aimee and her work. She came into my life at the perfect time, and the somatic tools helped me physically and mentally handle the most difficult time of my life.
If you are wondering whether to work with Aimee, do it. The future you will be so grateful to the you right now who made such an incredible decision to improve your life.
David Kell
Retired High School Special Needs Teacher. Mountaineer and Graduate of Radiance
I’ve enjoyed an outdoors-centred athletic life: bike to work, regular swimming, gym and hiking. I spent Summers, weekends and holidays backpacking, climbing and skiing. I started yoga practice and classes in my 20s and I maintained good flexibility.
Various activity injuries caused physical limitations as I aged. A ski accident in my late 40s followed by two bike accidents which led to a knee replacement.
Familial osteoarthritis led to both hips being replaced, and a foot surgery that required long rehabilitation. All this affected my gait and mobility and post-op physical therapy helped greatly.
Since my 20’s I experienced lower back and neck tightness that at times verged on spasms. Now in my 70’s I’ve lost five inches in height; my back has accordioned, the discs compressing. The good news is that my vertebrae are in good shape, but my neck has definite scoliosis. Two years ago my neck tilting to the left became noticeable, and was commented on by friends and family. At times I was having great discomfort, having to sleep in a certain position and wear a neck brace to avoid a spasm.
I have experienced and been guided by a variety of excellent body and movement practitioners: chiropractic, Jin Shin Jyutsu, massage, acupuncture, Neo-Reichian Radix, and Rolfing. They were all beneficial. Three times over the years, starting in the 1970s, I attended Feldenkrais workshops, and was impressed with the common sense approach to body awareness and movement through physical space.
I have had the great pleasure of knowing Aimee for going on five years. When I first met Aimee she told me a bit of her training in Hanna Somatics. My interest was piqued when she said that Thomas Hanna had developed his movements from Feldenkrais. I did an individual in person sessions with Aimee in 2020 and again in 2021, then began having regular individual zoom sessions the rest of that year. When she developed her Radiance Program, I joined the first group in the Winter of 2022, which continued through last August.
Aimee is extremely empathic and nurturing, well trained and knowledgeable in Hanna Somatics. She begins with the session by reading what is going on in your body by your posture and stance and then tailoring directions to your uniqueness. She is clear and precise in her directions, even when the movement is complicated. I often go into a trance like space, sometimes have to ask her to repeat. At the end of the sessions I’m floating. She is one of the very best healers I have met.
For me the main difference between Hanna Somatics and other disciplines is the way in which it focuses on relaxing; a gentle movement, then just let your body go. I have incorporated a variety of the movements into my daily life, they have become my automatic response to tension.
I do 3-5 green light /red light/trauma movements daily; always when I get up in the morning, and before I swim. When my lower back tightens up while weight lifting or at my desk, I immediately do the movements. I often notice neck tightness looking over my shoulder while driving; waiting at a red light is the perfect time to do neck releases, as is between laps while swimming. I do the Cat Stretch Series before bed.
After 2 1/2 years of working with Aimee, the improvement in my body and neck is definite. I feel less tension, my neck has straightened quite a bit, and others have told me they see the improvement.
Three cheers for Aimee!
Sarah Borodzik
Owner of Chicory Kin : Floral and Apothecary, Mother of Three
I came to Aimee for assistance in preparation of the birth of my 3rd child- looking to release some stuck patterns and make space for movement and realignment.
After our 1st session I was opened in some unexpected, beautiful ways, realizing tensions that I didn't know I was carrying in my body.
Aimee made sure I was comfortable and had full understanding before moving forward into other positions.
She is a gentle and strong voice of guidance that encourages one to commit to their healing in an empowered and possible way.
As a child I received physical therapy that helped with coordination and some motor skills, but as an adult there really wasn't much expectation that I could get more use of my hand and arm than I already had.
When I met Aimee, she told me about Hanna Somatics helping to reconnect the motor system of the brain to the body. She said she'd helped someone recovering from a stroke. I was incredibly curious to try it and see if it would help me with my hand.
Within our first few sessions my right hand went from tight, like I might crush something by grabbing it, to softer and more controlled.
Now, I feel more aware of my hand and more likely to use it for basic household things instead of always using my left hand. My arm has been gradually lengthening out and there is more range of motion available in my shoulder.
The exercises she has taught me allow me to continue the work we do in sessions together on my own, which is very useful. I practice mainly in the morning before my workout and before my job, which is physically demanding. Sometimes I practice the movements in the evening, which is a really nice way to wind down and relax.
After every session I feel more balanced in the way I walk and very relaxed. Overall, I've been very impressed with this method and Aimee's ability to guide and teach. I wish more people knew about this work and its powerful effects.
I am thankful for the difference Aimee and Somatics has made in my life over the last 8 months and I'm excited to see what happens as we continue to work together.
Corey Foye
Owner of All of the Above : Mountain Maintenance
Working with Aimee and learning this technique has given me more awareness and control of the right side of my body and specifically my right hand.
I committed to working with Aimee weekly after our first session. I was amazed to feel my right foot bear more weight and the position of my right hand soften and lengthen.
I was born with Cerebral Palsy and the right arm and leg has been affected by this all of my life.
I loved working with Rosie! She is so in tune with subtle energy and could really feel the changes taking place. She has a depth of knowledge about both the spiritual realm and scientific process, so Somatics really made sense to her.
Here’s what she had to say about our time together: “Aimee is amazing! I seriously can't even remember how long I lived with my neck being stiff.
Rosie Velasquez
Founder of The Mystic Rose Studio & Find Your Mojo Coaching, Spiritual Mentor and Energy Guide
I tried switching different pillows and different sleeping positions and if I couldn't get that right combination I'd wake up with my neck stiff or in some kind of pain.
After a few sessions with Aimee she asked me about my neck pain and honestly I didn't even notice that it was gone. I didn't notice that I hadn't felt the stiffness!
That's how incredible and natural this is! My body remembered and learned how to adjust naturally and today I am walking with a more natural posture because of what Aimee taught me.
All my aches and ailments are no longer the focus of my day. Now, I'm not the best at practicing all the time, but even with the few sessions that I had last year, I still don't have neck pain.
Aimee is absolutely incredible, she's intuitive, she's so knowledgeable and absolutely cares about your well-being and that radiates through her excitement when she hears about these huge wins you experience when realigning your body and mind.”
Starlyn Cappello
ESL and High School French Teacher and Graduate of the Radiance Program
Working with Aimee has greatly benefitted me on many different levels. Being invited into a space where slowing down was encouraged has been a unique experience.
After our somatic movement sessions, I noticed my mental stress level and body tension significantly decreased. In her class, Aimee provides instruction, correction, support, and encouragement, and is surprisingly intuitive. For example, I had no idea that my neck pain was directly connected with my lower back tension.
At the beginning of class, she usually asks us to stand up and can see our misalignments, and potentially painful areas, then teaches based on our personal challenges.
Most of all, Aimee is very loving and has helped me realize that going slow, and loving myself is extremely important to my overall well-being.
Parisa Frost
Therapist AMFT, ATR-P, EMDR
I feel this work is allowing me to access that much more embodied wisdom within my Spirit and physical form. I can feel myself almost instantaneously dropping into a meditative state that gradually deepens during sessions.
I think other trauma therapists, yoga teachers, athletes, or pretty much anyone who "holds" a lot in their bodies whether mentally, emotionally, or physically would benefit from this practice.
It’s time to let go! And Aimee can help you do that.
I can't remember when I WASN'T tight- extreme low back pain; tight hips; tight shoulders -- It's been this way for years!
After my first session with Aimee, I Immediately felt more limber and taller, almost as if I'd grown a couple inches in our session! A deep feeling of release.
Since beginning our work together, I’m in far less pain!
I'm still in awe of how much my low back has released from these small movements. I've been incorporating then in my daily routine and I always feel calmer within the first few movements.
Aden B. Ascher
Life and Nutrition Coach
Prior to working with Aimee, I was experiencing debilitating nerve pain associated with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome that started after a sever traumatic shoulder injury. The nerve pain had gone on for close to 7 years, with such severity that I was completely unable to workout, except for going on long walks/hikes for almost 4 years.
This was incredibly difficult to do being someone who invested his entire life into bodybuilding and being the image of fitness for over 13 years.
I had done extensive inner work/healing and underwent shoulder surgery prior to working with Aimee. Her approach with Hanna Somatics was my final attempt at relieving the pain, and trust me when I say I had done everything outside of surgery to get relief.
During my first session with Aimee, I felt understood and cared for. Aimee took the time to make sure I felt safe and asked me thorough questions in order to meet me where I was and understand exactly what I was experiencing. Aimee gave me hope that allowed me to see a future without pain.
During our actual session, I felt that I was exactly where I needed to be in order to get clarity and relief from the pain I was experiencing. Aimee guided me through each movement with patience, empathy and compassion. I have full faith in her skills as a practitioner and teacher knowing she practices what she preaches. Being a coach myself, I know I can only lead and guide others having done the work myself.
Having chosen to opt out of TOS surgery and find another way to heal the body, after working with Aimee, the results further instill in me the truth of our body having the ability to heal itself, given the proper knowledge, facilitation and guidance.
I can confidently say that just after our first session, I instantly felt a change in my body for the better. With the education Aimee provided before, during and after our session, I I now have an understanding of what caused the painful state to begin with and what to do moving forward. My posture is now in an upright position. My back is no longer stiff/restricted as I feel my spine freely rotating when I walk as my arms and legs swing bilaterally. I feel taller, and both my arms and legs feel even, rather than before our session when they felt as if one was longer than the other. My neck feels free and elongated as well, and most importantly.. I am currently typing this completely PAIN-FREE!! You can say my mood has shifted for the better, without a doubt!
I now understand the importance of releasing trauma from the body through the Somatic therapy that Aimee provides. I used to put my body through absolute hell with training and the toxic lifestyle I was living due to the internal traumas I used to harbor. Although I had released the trapped emotions and integrated the trauma, the physical body was still held in it’s traumatic positioning by the connecting muscle fibers, as if frozen in time from the moment of the induced trauma (PTSD). This is healing on all levels. Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual.
I am beyond grateful for the work I’ve been blessed to do with Aimee and for her as a Somatic practitioner, healer, teacher, and overall phenomenal human being. To say I recommend her services to everyone experiencing pain and/or discomfort, is an understatement. If you’re having any doubts or second thoughts.. trust me when I say you have nothing to lose (other than pain/discomfort). To be free of pain and moving freely is a true gift I encourage everyone reading this to give to themselves and loved ones. Book her now while you can!
Marie Benoit
Nervous System and Trauma Coach, Therapist
When I started working with Aimee, I was having intense pain in my hip flexors on and off for about 6 months to a year. I also suffered a general achy feeling in my body, especially in my shoulders and lower back. I can't even remember the last time I didn't have pain in my body. I was in a car accident in 2009 that seemed to shift into a different state since then, even with treatment.
During our first session I almost fell asleep, but in the best way! Aimee was so good at explaining the movents over Zoom that it wasn't complicated and I feel my mind and body connection easily picked up on the micro movements she had me engage in.
I was completely in awe with how my body felt at the end when Aimee did an assessment of me standing up versus how my body felt and looked at the beginning of the session. My body felt so relaxed and aligned.
In each session since I’ve felt relaxed in my parasympathetic nervous system. I’ve felt very safe in her presence and like I could be completely myself and ask as many questions as I wanted or comment on what I was experiencing. I also like that she checked in periodically to see what I was noticing to bring more awareness online.
I feel like I now have more presence with my body in real time and can use the movements she gave me to find relief.
Since I am a therapist and nervous system coach I often engage in healing practices. After working with Aimee, I've noticed in my own somatic practices I am gentler to my body and can now envision myself to be very aligned and to be pain free.
In the past I had so much trauma around the way my body moved through the world with my "duck feet" composition and the general pain that reminded me, "your body isn't working for you and you can't change it."
I feel this blockage has finally been cleared, as I have immense confidence in my body and my ability to find relief when needed.
The emotional and spiritual blockages I've been able to release have been immense. Aimee taught me around the connection of the left side of my brain where we use logic and reason, is in charge of the right side of the body. It was assessed that I carried most of my pain in the right side of my body because I was trying to "outwit" my trauma. This was a huge lightbulb for me and I have used this teaching to guide many of my clients through somatic work and this sentiment has been very helpful to them as well.
I would recommend Aimee 1000%!
I am hoping to collaborate with her in the future because I fully understand how powerful her work is in the healing process! Anyone with a body and nervous system would benefit from this work.
Kylie Brda
Owner of Brda Skincare
When I met Aimee I was suffering from recurring back pain. I had found some relief with chiropractic care but I didn’t like how dependent I was on chiropractors. I had never heard of somatic education and was intrigued about learning how to get out of pain myself.
In the Radiance Program, I became aware of all the things I unconsciously did to create the tension in my back. Everything from weightlifting injuries, to dancing all night in heels, to working hunched over for hours, driving long distances and not being connected to know what my body was trying to communicate to me. I started to be able to listen to my body through learning specific micromovements. My body started to deeply let go and relax and pain reduced and went away.
I felt like the program came at the perfect time. I had already worked with Aimee privately and I was ready to learn everything I could.
My 3 biggest takeaways
1. I feel empowered with my daily practice to keep my body out of pain.
2. I’m feeling safer in my body, more calm and connected to who I am and where I am in space.
3. I can create regulation internally Instead of seeking it externally.
This program doesn’t just give you information you’ll one day forget. It helps you build a healthy habit and embodiment practice to carry with you throughout your life. When pain comes you learn how to turn it down by yourself.
Aimee’s teaching style is fun, interesting, exciting, empowering, relaxing, calm, inspiring and open.
After each session I feel like I have extremely good posture. The pain, if any, is always less. My breathing is deeper and more relaxed and I usually feel a sense of calm, clarity and joy.
Because of this program:
I connect back to myself when I notice I’m tensing my back from stress and emotion.
I can better care for my body because I know how to listen to what it needs.
I feel safer in my body knowing that life happens and pain will come but now I have tools to unwind the pain on my own.
I have this new sense of empowerment and invaluable knowledge that will keep me on the right path of listening to my body and connecting with myself more deeply everyday!
Calming my nervous system and connecting deeply to myself has felt spiritual. This movement practice helps me get in touch with myself and where I’m at mentally, physically and spiritually. It helps me process emotions and memories.
I wish this same freedom and peace for my friends and family!