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Most research has revealed
that approximately 94% of our communication is non-verbal. Some call it “body-language.” In Bioenergetics, we are able to read this
language of the body and have a sense about its meaning to the client. We
are given tools to help the client understand how they have organized their
presence in the world. The emotional experiences from our developmental
history and personal environment have heavily influenced the organization
of our personality and the way we relate to and experience our bodies.
Candace Pert, credited for her
research on endorphins and neuropeptides, wrote
in her book, Molescules of Emotion (1999) that the body has
capacity for memory all throughout, especially in areas where there are
concentrations of neuropeptides.
Furthermore, Carl Jung is
well known for his contributions to the field of psychology. He has been
quoted to have said that “your unconscious becomes your process.” In
Bioenergetics, we believe that the body holds that “process,” or stored
energy in the body until such time that the individual is able to bring the
energy of that experience to consciousness and therefore process and
release the emotions.
Examples of this “Body-Mind
Language”
Before therapeutic
interventions, someone who has been battered or abused will have what is
called an “exaggerated startle response.” They will unconsciously flinch
or jump when they hear a loud noise or someone makes a sudden movement
around them. This is just one example of a myriad of unconscious memories
the body holds stored in its defensive repertoire.
Think of the
expression “stand on your own two feet” as in asking someone to be
grounded, responsible or capable of taking care of themselves. A person
suffering from low self-esteem, a victim of abuse or trauma is
most likely going to be
challenged with this. A Bioenergetically trained therapist is able to see
this.
In addition, a
person who “shoulders their
responsibilities”
is probably someone who carries unneeded tension in their shoulders and
neck because of unprocessed stress and psychological burdens.
Another example
would be the expression, “hold your head up high” as instruction for keeping one disconnected from the feelings
that might “bring you down.” It is almost impossible to
cry and release sadness if you “keep your chin up.”
And, there are the
sayings “to lose your heart, open your heart” or, “having a broken heart.” Energetically, these
expressions can be used to describe the posture, emotion or experience that
person is having. In Bioenergetics we know someone experiencing a broken
heart will most likely have a caved in looking sternum and rounded forward
shoulders.
These are just a
few examples in an attempt to demonstrate the body-mind connection and how
our language is used to express bodily states being. It is hoped you can
see how the body’s energy patterns are directly related to an individual’s
experiences in life. Just as the psyche organizes defenses according to
the quality of an experience, a person’s body is present in that process
and is energetically influenced by those thoughts, emotions and feelings.
The Bioenergetic therapist is able to utilize
this added information to facilitate the client in releasing past
experiences, learn how to listen to those felt-senses in the body, and
integrate this expanded awareness of self into each present moment of
life.
Suggested Reading
Johnson, S. (1985). Characterological Transformation, The Hard
Work Miracle.
Norton & Company
Lowen, A. (1975). Bioenergetics.
Penguin: Arkana.
Pert, C. (1999). Molecules
of Emotion, The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine.
Simon & Schuster.
@Copyright
2001,2003 by Tarra Judson Stariell,
MFT, CBT
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