Meet Lilian Jarvis 

89 in 2020 and still teaching, Lilian is an inspiration to all who meet her. 

The Mission

My mission is to share my understanding of the structural and mechanical conditions that prepare our human bodies for proper daily use in both active and sedentary lifestyles, so that all who wish to experience ease of movement, minimize injuries  and enjoy comfortable, pleasurable, bodily living have an established self-help guideline to follow.

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About Lilian

“From the age of 13, when I began ballet lessons, I was taught to turn my knees outward in a straight line from side to side, like Charlie Chaplin. The fact was, I couldn’t; my knees got stuck at about a 45 degree angle, and to expect them to go further was like asking me to open a door backward on its hinges.

I was also told to stand tall by pulling myself up with an imaginary string at the top of my head, but I felt more like a sack of sand pulled up by a string around its neck; my head was pulling but my body sagged below. Nothing I did seemed to help. I just kept being given the same “corrections”, over and over.

Lilian's History

A charter member and principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada (’51 – ’63), Lilian Jarvis (nee Lilja Jaarvinen) is one of Canada’s ballet pioneers. 

After her 12 years with the Toronto-based company, touring through Canada, the US, Britian, and a one-week engagement at the Bellas Artes Palace in Mexico City, her focus turned to modern dance at the Martha Graham School in New York City where the impact of the Graham training led her to explore ways of overcoming certain physical limitations she had encountered throughout her dance career.

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What is Somatic Stretch®? 

A family lineage, and a method with a profound ability to increase flexibility surprisingly quickly, and ever so gently. 

Read about this method that may be your game changer
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Online classes

Meredith teaches classes weekly through her website, and recordings are always viewable on this same page, where you can sign up to join us live! All classes always free and by donation. 

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Online Programs

From five-minute practices to hour-long instruction, you can find a variety of ways to start exploring Somatic Stretch® - and Fractal Anatomy too!

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Live Workshops

Meredith travels and teaches! You can join her in some beautiful places to deepen the somatic dive. Click to go to her website for more information. These retreats are great for all levels, and essential for teacher training.