Pandiculation is at the heart of Somatic Learning, invented by Thomas Hanna. It’s the key to restoring muscle length and reducing chronic tension by reconnecting your brain with your muscles.
You may have seen a cat stretching its body and thought it was just stretching. In reality, cats are pandiculating. They engage entire muscle groups, holding a gentle tension, and then slowly release it. This conscious contraction and release resets the muscles to a longer, more relaxed state.
It’s similar to the yawn you do when you wake up. You might tighten your arms or back slightly as you yawn, then slowly extend and relax them. This helps your muscles reset naturally without strain.
In practice, pandiculation involves a deliberate contraction of a muscle to a slightly tighter state than usual, followed by a slow, conscious release and complete relaxation. The goal is to lengthen the muscle comfortably, not push it past its limit. Somatics emphasizes “less is more,” which can feel unusual for anyone used to a ‘no pain, no gain’ approach.
Doing these movements slowly and with focus teaches your brain to release habitual tension, improves awareness of your body, and gives you voluntary control over your muscles. Over time, you can relax them on demand and enjoy greater ease, flexibility, and freedom of movement.
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