Bradford Bennett PhD: Hanna Somatics & Tai Chi Chuan Part 1

BRADFORD C. BENNETT, PHD
Dr. Bennett’s  formal somatic education began in 1985 when he began studying Tai Chi with Hubert H. Lui. For the next ten years Mr. Lui helped Dr. Bennett become both more relaxed and more biomechanically sound in movement.  He continued to explore methodologies to improve neuromuscular control and studied with several teachers including; Yochanon Rywerant, Ruthy Alon, Llana Rubenfeld, Charlotte Selver, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Dean Juhan, Gaby Yaron, and Giora Pinkas. Following a knee injury a Feldenkrais teacher referred him to Thomas Hanna. One session with Dr. Hanna convinced Dr. Bennett that Dr. Hanna was doing something quite unique and in 1990 he participated in Dr. Hanna’s first and only training in what he called Hanna Somatic Education. Dr. Bennett later became a Charter Member of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education®. 

In 1993 Dr. Bennett left his position at as a Senior Research Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center to focus on somatic education. He was soon recruited to teach at Sonoma State University and then San Francisco State University in the Dept. of Kinesiology. During these studies Dr. Bennett continued studying with H. H. Lui, combining his insights from the Western “somatic education” with his Tai Chi practice. 

In this episode we discuss:

• His background in Somatics
• Meeting Thomas Hanna
• Hanna Somatic Training Course
• Similarities of Somatics & Tai chi Chuan
  
  If you'd like to find out more about Brad's work and read his article "The Somatic Work of of Thomas Hanna, Tai Chi & Kinesiology" https://www.westeastsomatics.com
  
  

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