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All
body expression has meaning. Consciously or unconsciously
it reveals a
person's history and their personal stories. Movement happens
deep in the
body as an impulse and moves outward toward the environment
in spontaneous
expression of feeling. When this spontaneous expression of
self is not
accepted by the environment (parent) this movement is blocked,
and an
adaptation takes place in the psyche and soma. Mind and body
are one. What
takes place on one level also is recorded on the other level.
If expression
(feeling, movement) is blocked over and over again, the body
will develop
chronic muscle holding or blocks to stop energy/impulses from
moving through
the body. These blocks in the psyche/soma become our character
structure or
personality.
An example
of this would be the child who was not allowed to cry, "big
boys
don't cry". The impulse to deeply cry when hurt would
spontaneously move
through his body and be expressed. However, if the environment
(parents) do
not accept this natural expression "big boys don't cry",
the child must stop
the energetic flow of feelings and move into an adaptation
to please the
parent and to be loved. On a body level we hold back this
energy of the
feelings by contracting the muscles of the chest, the diaphragm
and the
belly, we stop breathing deeply and tighten the jaw to stop
the expression.
On a psychological level we adapt, "I won't cry and you'll
love me".
Therapists
are well versed in observing body language in diagnosis and
charting client's progress in therapy.
The therapist
can easily see the client who is "uptight" or those
who "lack
energy", or cant' make contact with their eyes, and those
whose voices and
facial expression don't fit the feeling that they are having,
and the ones
who don't seem to breath at all. There are clients who don't
feel present,
who are split away from contact and feeling. As the therapist
works toward
expression of feeling with the client it will be noticed that
there will be
a difference in energy in the client's being, and he will
be more contactful
and in touch with himself and others.
In Bioenergetic
Analysis theory, therapists are trained to work with the
deep chronic muscle holding of the body and feeling state
of the individual.
They study the person's character structure in terms of the
body structure,
energy movement and expression of feelings. The opening of
the chronic body
tension moves energy through the muscle blocks releasing feelings
and
expression.
In order
to open chronic muscle blocks in the body the therapist helps
to
release the contraction so that the natural energy of the
body can flow
freely. This is done by stressing the contraction so it will
release. An
expression of this in your own body, would be the tightness
you feel before
running (the contraction), and how you feel after (release).
The warm
tingle is the energy, the deep breathing and healthy glow
are because the
tension has been released and the body flows in a natural
way.
Breathing
is a gauge of energy in an individual. To breathe fully is
to feel
fully. When breath is held or constricted, the body's ability
to produce
energy is depleted. When energy is reduced, movement, feeling
and
expression are also reduced. Remember the child who was not
allowed to cry?
How did he stop the tears? The child had to constrict his
breathing, his
chest, diaphragm, belly, neck and jaw. There is an abundance
of energy held
in those muscles in order for him not to cry. As the therapist
opens these
chronic muscle patterns, energy and spontaneous movement of
feeling can take
place and be expressed. The client can cry out those locked
up tears of his
history. Relief and relaxation from tension is then experienced.
Opening
these chronic muscle blocks takes time and repetitive work,
as they are part
of the structure of the body. As the client works the unconscious
becomes
conscious, the tension releases, the body softens, breathing
becomes full,
eyed contact present and the body becomes congruent with the
feeling state.
The client is grounded in the self and the body takes on its
natural rhythm
and grace. Feelings deepen and are full bodied, the cry, the
laugh are full
of natural energy and the flow from inward to the environment
is unblocked
and free.
Bioenergetic
Analysis is a therapeutic technique developed by Alexander
Lowen, MD.
Barbara
A. Thomson is a Bioenergetic Analyst in private practice.
She can
be reached at (760) 944-7448.
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