Ekemba Sooh
- Owner
- Osteopathic Manual Therapist
- Soma Therapist
- Soma Trainer
Physical activity and health have always been part of my life. I got involved in every sport/activity that I could find, excelling in soccer, swimming, track and field, and later at football, which earned me a scholarship to a Division I college. As a collegiate athlete, I learned about sport-specific personal training styles and how to improve performance. But over time, only doing this type of training and these sports activities caused injuries to my shoulders and knee, forcing me off the field. And since I wasn’t moving as much as I used to and knew nothing about nutrition, my 250-pound muscular frame turned soft. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror one morning, and I didn’t recognize myself. I was shocked and had enough of looking and feeling like I was somebody else. I went immediately to the campus library, read everything I could to get my hands on health, diet, nutrition, and fitness, and then worked out every day at the campus gym. I found it very stimulating to study, learn, and practice to improve and care for oneself. My dedication, commitment, and strict diet helped me lose 65 pounds in 3 months. The confidence I gained after getting my body in shape confirmed that I had infinite potential to be or do whatever I wanted as long as I was committed to my goal.
A couple of friends were so impressed with how I transformed my body that they asked me to train them, and I remember enjoying how fulfilling it was to help them. When I graduated from college, I decided to forgo my Advertising Marketing degree for a more meaningful career and got certified as a personal trainer. Here, I learned a lot about traditional personal training and aesthetic programming. I got really good at it and helped many people lose a lot of weight and gain a lot of muscle. It also helped me achieve and exceed my aesthetic goals.
My first job was as a trainer in a chiropractic office, helping clients with musculoskeletal issues become fitter through body fat loss and muscle and strength gain. But something was missing, and it bothered me. It seemed that all the information I was getting was disjointed and unconnected. So, I began searching for a training style that offered a holistic philosophy, emphasizing corrective and multidimensional interconnected work.
A light bulb went on for me. So, I dove in and started working towards learning all that I could. I began to better understand the human body and all its levels: physical, mental/emotional, nutritional, and lifestyle, and how to balance it.
The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. But as good as these teachings were, there were still gaps that weren’t answered for me.
Then I got lucky and got hurt. I compressed my L4/L5 vertebrae and had severe Sciatic pain.
I tried all that I already knew to relieve the pain and all the modalities that were out there, and nothing produced lasting results. I tried chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, allopathic medicine, massage, Yoga and Pilates. They all turned out to be, at best, expensive band-aids and, at worst, hurt and set me back more. It was so frustrating because here I was in my 30’s, moving around and hurting like I was 90. I couldn’t workout and had a hard time functioning. It’s not great when your job is a trainer. However, I was lucky that none of these other modalities worked because I found Guy Voyer and his Soma Training Program.
Guy Voyer was one of the top Osteopaths in the world and an orthopedic MD. He had been practicing for around 40 years and realized early on that there was no formulaic way of addressing the body. The body is complex and needs to be addressed in a complex model, not linearly, to have lasting full results.
He also taught that even with the best therapy, a patient needs to reinforce the corrections made through proper exercise. The patient needs a program that balances the rest of their physiology so the pathology doesn’t return. And because the available training was not specific enough, he took his vast knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, biology, and psychology and created the ELDOA exercises. They are specific “stretch exercises” that allow the person to give any joint in the body space and more freedom of movement.
From there he also developed Myofascial stretching (full body holistic stretching); Segmental strengthening, Proprioception and awareness exercises, Global Postural Stretching, and a ton of other techniques designed to specifically address the different areas of the body so that all is balanced. He packaged all this into a three-year degree to be a “Soma Trainer.” He also designed a 4 year “Soma Therapist” degree.
The knowledge that I have received in his teachings has been life-changing for myself, my family, my career, and my business. Guy was sought out by the highest level of professionals and, in extreme cases, worldwide. They would regularly travel to him wherever he was in the world at the time because of how effective he was. He wanted nothing more than to pass on his teachings to others so that they may benefit and improve upon what he has created. It has been the go-to teaching for many high-level trainers and therapists worldwide and is gaining steam as more people start to see these extraordinary results.
He has since passed, but I feel blessed that I was one of the first people to start studying with him in 2009 and that I was with him for 15 years.
The main thing I have learned from Guy is a philosophy of bio-tensegrity and its complexity. This means that I know how the body should be balanced and that numerous rules have been proven over the past 400 years about how the body works.
When addressing a person, you can’t apply formulas and must work with the person before you. You have to see things from all sides, know the rules, and know how to throw away the rules because this is a living being in front of you, not a piece of paper or a drawing. I have helped hundreds of people over the years, and when I started applying this philosophy, stretches, exercises, and therapies, these results initially seemed magical. But the results now make sense, and I regularly see these “magical” results
I have been in the health and fitness field for over 30 + years. I have been certified by ACE, NASM, and CHEK. I can now proudly say that I was one of the first people in North America to earn a degree as a Soma Trainer, and I have gone on to earn my degree as a Soma Therapist. I enjoy my journey as much as the people I get to help. I have found a fulfilling career and joy to share with others. I hope I can share it with you and help you.
