Sleep Testimonials
Why take your stress tensions to bed?
You’ll sleep better
when you reconnect to the calm you.
Learn to remove the residue of stress,
before you go to bed.
Having endured chronic insomnia,
Client writes after the first session:
“I SLEPT LAST NIGHT!…..THE ENTIRE NIGHT!!!!”
-K., Advanced Massage Therapist
Feedback from a
‘Getting out of Stress before Bed’ Zoom Class:
“It gave me a restful night.”
“I feel elongated and calm. I slept really well because I learned how to turn off the stress response! Thanks!”
“I slept VERY well last night and I am certain that our Zoom is one of the reasons.”
“That was absolutely incredible; I’m so relaxed. Looking forward to more!”
“With [wife’s name] as my witness, before bed, I did the movements for 10 or 15 minutes. I went into a sleep, like a hypnotic sleep, a deep, deep, deep sleep. I want to thank you. I’m going to keep doing it. The type of sleep was so different. It let my entire body from my fingers, to my toes, to everything, go to sleep.”-S. Retired Scientist
“I did [my personal practice] and enjoyed a very good sleep because I wasn’t waking up frequently with stiff, sore sides. Thanks again, Eric, you really excel at helping us reach the places we can’t access on our own.” -H.
“Thank you so much for the excellent session yesterday. I do feel changes – hard for me to express.
I did slept one stretch last night for almost 4 hours – unheard of!! Today I feel soreness, but not the kind of pain/discomfort I am “used to” so it is a shift of sorts (a good one). I seem to move a bit more freely as I walk.” -B.
“I laid down in bed to do more [of the movements] at 9:30 and woke up at midnight, I had fallen into such a deep sleep.I went back to a deep sleep at until 8am. This is new. For past 6 months I woke up for hours during the night in pain. My body is remembering what proper rest feels like again.
I meet my edge and take back control to go to and fro with ease there. It feels like ironing. I am smoothing out and when I find a wrinkle, I go back and in smaller movements to smooth it slowly. My tendency to rush reminds me how I’ve always lived in fight or flight mode rushing overcompensating overdoing – I am slowing down and reminding my muscles what they could be.” -M. Lighting Designer
“I am SO grateful to Eric Cooper for his practice. Since seeing him, my pain has decreased (shoulder pain) and my range of motion is improving. I’m sleeping better and am significantly more comfortable! Since Eric teaches you as he helps you heal, you actually are in control and gain tools to maintain the gains you achieve. Brilliant! 🙏🏽” -C, Clinical Social Worker
“In brief, it was a magical and wonderful experience. I felt inches taller as I moved towards my truck, quite balanced (all things bein’ relative, of course) and. as I mentioned, my body was laughing, always a good sign. And your skillful body work/handling and clear explanations made my experience quite empowering… seeing all the magical possibilities instantly. I also slept very well and was quite productive the rest of the day.” -F, Carpenter
“Almost pain free for the last 2 days. sleeping so soundly I have a hard time waking up. I did not realize that the back pain was affecting my sleep so much. We are getting there.
” -F, Software Sales
“I slept so well last night! I think the back relaxation activities really helped — thank you!” -C., U of M Dept of Psychiatry
“Eric Cooper’s Somatics practice is the answer I have been looking for, after 6 months of physical therapy that led to no significant improvement. Two mild car accidents, hard snowboarding wipeouts, a motorcross accident from 15 years ago… it was all starting to pile up. I couldn’t sleep more than 6 hours, or my back would get so tight I had to get up to walk around and “unfreeze” it. My right hip flexor would not relax appreciably. Chiropractors were not able to get the fantastically tight muscles in my glutes to relax, which caused hip pain. My scoliosis was getting tighter, to the point that I had to stand at my desk or try various floor positions. It was getting ridiculous. I grew up with body work, chiropractic, PT, massage…. but none of it made a dent to decrease the pain. When I watched Eric’s YouTube video I realized this guy is on to something that gets to the heart of the matter that no one else is touching.
The first session wiped me out. All these muscles that were permanently ON all the time, were finally able to go into repose. I barely made it home I was so relaxed for a change.
The second session we worked on another layer that had me sleeping soundly for the first time in well over 8 years. I did the “homework” exercises religiously every morning and evening.
I went back for a third session. Such a relief! The next layer of “holding” was released and it feels SO GOOD to get those muscles relaxed and firing normally.
Each time a deeper layer comes up. I feel such gratitude for the magic that Eric is able to effect that I often tear up during a session. Eric is neither pushy nor a know it all. He is genuinely passionate about helping me discover the next layer of taking responsibility for my muscular skeletal well being. When you have something that works this effectively and is this easy, it’s really hard not to go to every hunched person you see, press Eric’s business card in their hands, and insist you will make the call for them. This man has changed my life when every other modality failed. My prayers are always answered, and Eric was that answer.” -Sofia, Environmental Engineer
Two days after a first visit: “I had a super sound sleep & I am feeling much better. I’m noticing much much less tension in my body. I feel more real relaxed – no more left side tooth/jaw pain{TMJ}, neck is straight and vision is better. I have gone to chiropractors, physical therapists & massage therapists over 18 years. I feel much better & I am so amazed at seeing such a difference in 2 hours. Again, thanks so much I feel much better & everything you said & did makes sense to me.” -C., Automotive Alignment Specialist
A Yelp! review: “Why rely on pain medicine when I can simply reduce the chronic stiffness that makes me so painful? I’d rather have a body that wants to get up and move, even if it means I have to do some work to get it. Having been through two decades of conventional physical therapy and a decade of Rolfing, I still had so much tightness in my joints that I wanted to do something other than start another round of conventional PT. What Eric does during the appointments is teach me the somatic exercises which I do on my own at home. These exercises are to be done gently and slowly. I find them so relaxing that I am yawning as I am doing them. Yoga *never* relaxed me that much! Eric also gives my elongation of muscles a boost during the one on one sessions by giving my limbs something to push against, guiding me into positions that are specific to my muscular issues. I have seen remarkable increases in mobility, and there still is room for improvement, so I am looking forward to feeling more mobile! I have significantly less muscle and joint pain, and perhaps that is also the reason my fatigue seems less. I’m sleeping better. In only a few weeks I have seen so much improvement that I’m going to stick with “Somatic” exercises, and give up on the antiquated idea of stretching muscles. ELONGATING muscles via pandiculation seems to be the way to go! Eric seems very dedicated to helping me. He’s eager to cover as much as possible in each two hour session. He supplies me with a list of the exercises with photographs to help me remember how to do them at home. The nice thing is that I don’t have to do everything perfectly. Actually, some variation in how the exercises are done from day to day is a good thing, in order to reach a slightly different area each time. I’m letting my body tell me when and how it wants to do the exercises and I think that’s putting me back in touch with my inner pussy cat. You see, the pandiculation is how cats and other animals can stay so supple. I’m glad I found Eric and decided to give his ideas a try.” -M. Avid Skiier and General Adventurer
Came to see me with a very painful stiff neck. Dramatic shoulder height asymmetry. “As I drove away after the session, I immediately saw the improvement in my range of motion. It was such a relief to move my head again and feel safe driving. I will not forget the excruciating pain in my neck and your ability to take it away. My sleep over the last 2 nights has been so comfortable without the twinges and tightness. You worked as long as it took to meticulously enable each muscle, tendon, ligament and bone to move as it should. I’m doing my homework! Even an older person like me can have some input into their healing. Thank you for your dedication, you are truly a healer! See you when I need to be straightened out again!” -A., Retired Educator