Compassion, Attention and Intention
” Trauma is not just what happened to us, but rather what we hold inside in the absence of a present and empathetic other” Peter Levine
Training in the Foundation for Biodynamic Medicine with the Institute of Biodynamic Medicine has increased my knowledge and skills to support a client with massage to relieve muscle tension often stored in the body from trauma. There is an emotional release or recall of a traumatic or stress related memory. During the treatment emotional tension is discharged either through talking, or muscle release, breathe release or even tears. The client reports gaining their wellness and health and becoming more confident not being held back by biochemical residue, feeling lighter, more flexible, aches and pains would vanish and they report clearer thinking, sleeping better and regaining their activity and peace.
Biodynamic massage works at a cellular level through muscle and fascia encouraging a letting go and free flow of energy to restore health and wholeness. It is calming, relaxing and restorative. Biodynamic massage allows expression of emotion which may be expressed through talking or sometimes felt as pain dissolving away leaving a lightness in the body.
Biodynamic literally means life flow of energy and is the fundamental source of life and health. When emotions are produced through trauma, accidents, injury, grief, redundancy or just day to day stress they build up an emotional charge in the cells of the muscles known as armouring.
Armouring keeps the tensions and emotional pain from being released, it traps bodily fluids and restricts blood and lymph circulation which would normally remove biochemical deposits such as adrenaline and lactic acid resulting in the person being kept in a state of hyper-vigilence or shock often leading to re-traumatisation.
The trapped energy and the chronic re-circulation of trapped energy can lead to feelings of anxiety, agitation, hopelessness, resignation and the feeling that it is impossible to complete an action even if the potential is there.
The biodynamic therapist is working with the energetic (emotional) charge so that it can move across the threshold of the cellular semipermeable membrane to complete an uninterrupted impulse and break through the armouring and clear trapped energy. Once this has happened normal blood and lymphatic flow can be re-established to remove the biochemical residue.
The evidence of this process known as psycho-peristalsis, can be heard as gut sounds. This is the guts role in healing, self regulation dissolving the impact of stress and nervousness and resolve any emotional conflicts that may be related. The healthy cell can now function normally, able to absorb nourishment and excrete biochemical and hormonal residue via the kidneys.
When energy is trapped the biodynamic therapist uses a variety of methods to facilitate release, including biodynamic massage whilst listening with a stethoscope to the psycho-peristalsis, bodywork, holding a moment, a muscle, emotional expression and or role play and role reversal. This allows the safe completion of impulses in a contained and structured way. Following the expression of strong emotions or any kind of working through the client is given time to rest and recuperate and support as confirmation that they have “got through” and it is alright.
By getting rid of the harmful and debilitating effects of past experiences, by expressing the inexpressible and by being opening to new possibilities the client can experience becoming fully themselves instead of hiding behind a defensive mask or overreacting to situations instead they become able to respond honestly and spontaneously finding a new way of thinking, living and being, based on confidence instead of fear.