Body Oriented Psychotherapy - What is it? Body Oriented Psychotherapy - Exercises

Even Socrates said that it is impossible to treat eyes without a head, a head without a body, and a body without a soul. Any person has not only a physical body, but also an intense mental life, therefore, he also has physical and mental illnesses. Back in the early 50s of the last century, the founder of psychosomatic medicine, F. Alexander, identified a third class of diseases - psychosomatic, that is, such bodily diseases that are caused by psychological causes. And a little later, the famous Austrian psychotherapist, a student of Freud, Wilhelm Reich, laid the foundations for a new direction of psychotherapy, which later became known as body-oriented therapy (or BOT).

Later, exercises and techniques aimed at working with the body continued to be developed and improved by psychotherapists such as Ida Rolf (founder of Rolfing), Gerda Boyesen (founder of biodynamics), Marion Rosen (creator of the Rosen Method) and Alexander Lowen (founder of bioenergetic analysis). In Russia, body-oriented psychotherapy today is represented by many excellent psychotherapists. One of them is Vladimir Baskakov, who offered his own techniques and exercises as part of the innovative method "Thanatotherapy".

Characteristic

The main idea that body-oriented psychotherapy preaches is that all our experiences throughout life affect the characteristics of muscle dynamics and form chronic muscle clamps, by acting on which neuroses and various psychosomatic disorders can be treated. Sometimes, in addition to the name "body-oriented psychotherapy", you may hear the name "somatic psychology", which will also be true. In addition to purely psychotherapeutic purposes, body-oriented therapy is used to solve prenatal and perinatal problems of a person.

"Soma" in Greek means "body". Somatic psychology is always focused on the study of the interaction of body and mind, the relationship of our physical matter and our energy, the interaction of our psychophysical structures with our thoughts and actions. The body exercises and techniques of this branch of psychotherapy are based on philosophy, medicine, physics, other branches of psychology, countless thousands of hours of observation of people and clinical experience. Body-Oriented Psychotherapy considers the human body and soul as an inseparable whole, creating opportunities for healing, growth and transformation of the human body. She seeks to shift the focus from cognitive/analytic processes to issues that relate to the physical condition of the person, as well as to the prenatal and perinatal sphere.

body orientation

Body-oriented psychotherapy, first of all, pays attention to physical conditions and symptoms, considering them a way of manifesting human existence. Before the advent of this direction of psychotherapy, the splitting of the body and mind, in which the body was considered the area of ​​\u200b\u200binfluence of doctors, and the mind and emotions were the prerogative
psychotherapists, was so strong that such an idea of ​​body/mind unity was at first perceived by the public as something strange and suspicious. It is only in the last twenty-five years that this concept of the interaction of physiological, psychological and spiritual processes has become very popular. Today, there are many different forms of body psychotherapy that offer a variety of techniques and exercises. All of these methods seek to bring to our attention that each person has an inalienable right to healthy and optimal functioning, using the direct physical experience of our body as a remedy. Body-Oriented Psychotherapy also promotes continuous human growth and transformation through the awareness of our integrative essence as it was intended.

Let's look at the basic concepts that body-oriented therapy operates with.

Influence on spiritual development

What do we know about human nature? What are our views on health and disease? How does early childhood experience and direct life experience affect our condition? How do people change? Can we change by using techniques and exercises to increase our awareness and understanding? What happens to us when we let go of old energy patterns? Do we change by changing our behavior and habitual movements?

Body-Oriented Psychotherapy claims that our health is directly dependent on how we manage this reality. Diseases of the body and soul arise when we are forced to go against our true nature. Such beliefs form the basis of bodily healing effects. All body-oriented psychotherapists work differently. Some of them work with groups, others focus on couples therapy, and still others are interested in individual psychotherapy. In addition, body-oriented therapy can be aimed at resolving conflicts, improving work efficiency and other community projects. Some exercises and techniques of this area of ​​psychology focus on creative self-expression. Sometimes body techniques focus on narrow healing, while other times such exercises allow the person to work on their spiritual growth and transformation.

Development of spirituality

Perhaps one of the most important contributions of somatic psychology is its influence on the development of the spirit and spirituality. We usually think of spirituality as a disembodied part of ourselves, free from the shackles of the flesh. Body-oriented psychotherapy claims that this understanding of spirituality is very far from the truth.
The word "spirit" among the Slavs was identical to the concept of "breath". It is through proper breathing that we can find ourselves and go beyond the usual boundaries of consciousness, many of which are fixed in the experience of intrauterine and infant development.

When we experience our bodies through breathing techniques and other bodily exercises, we are able to balance our thoughts, develop our imagination, and get rid of physical or emotional suffering. Somatic psychology views the human body as a temple, a sacred place. Unfortunately, many of us have heard that we must give up the pleasures of the flesh, for they will lead us into sin. Such a perverted idea of ​​one's body still causes great suffering for many people, so somatic practices seek to rid people of such prejudices, restoring the body as an integral part of the personality, which takes care of filling our body with energy. If we take care of our body, live in accordance with its laws, we are able to heal ourselves and the whole world.

Influence on the body of external events

Any event that occurs in outer life affects our entire being: physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual. Each event enters our body through sensory systems, reflecting on the state of our entire body, including the mind. Thus, any event changes the physical structure of the body, as well as emotions and thoughts. If we think positively, our muscles and organs also feel great. Any physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral experience affects the entire human body. Therefore, the task of body-oriented therapy is to identify these influences and work them through special exercises.

Energy

Man is a unique energy system. Our energy determines the content and manifestation of our life. Energy is the driving force of our body, which can be increased or balanced using bodily techniques and exercises. Energy is a kind of fuel with which we progress through life. Energy is the divine spark through which we come to know ourselves as a person. We can feel our energy pulsating like a sine wave, or completely overwhelming us like an ocean wave. Our energy comes and goes, causing our emotions to wax and wane. Energy, matter and space are the three components of the universe.

Somatic psychology pays close attention to human energy. The forms and methods of our energy interaction with the outside world determine our idea of ​​who we are and how we should act. Will a person shrink under stress, or rather explode? What events can completely squeeze out your energy, and what events can cause it to surge? It is through energy patterns that we begin to realize what the world around us and ourselves are like. All life events are considered within body-oriented therapy as a way to stimulate our energy flow.

Traffic

Movement is central to somatic psychology. It is movement that is a manifestation of life - this is the beating of the heart, and the breathing of the lungs, and the pulsation of brain neurons. The absence of movement is called death or the transition to an inanimate state. Any movement is considered as a certain type of vibration. Any pulsating process (expansion or contraction, inhalation or exhalation) is considered as the primary manifestation of life. One of the most important tasks of body-oriented therapy is the restoration of systemic motility and pulsation in the body.

Some body-oriented therapy exercises are classic and almost unchanged - this is the expression of oneself through breathing, vocals and movement. These methods effectively restore a healthy vibration of energy, and allow a person to realize its presence in himself. Most body-oriented psychotherapists believe that the body can be divided into several energy segments or zones. They argue that different segments have different forms and functions, as well as store different memories, emotions, problems and traumas. Thus, the analysis of body segments proposed by W. Reich can be correlated with the Eastern teaching about chakras (or energy centers in the human body). Energy blocks in different segments characteristically manifest themselves through mental affects, postures and movements, causing specific physical and mental ailments.

These are the areas, from top to bottom:

1. Ocular segment (clamps around the eyes) - reflects the problems associated with what we see.
2. The oral segment (mouth, jaws, throat) reflects a person's problems associated with the inability to be heard, as well as problems of nutrition and acceptance.
3. Thoracic segment (chest and diaphragm) - anger and sadness, rejection and longing.
4. Segment of the abdomen - fear, digestive problems.
5. Pelvic segment (reproductive and excretory organs) - sexuality, vitality, survival and support.

Some body-oriented psychotherapists also pay attention to the feet, as they are connected to the grounding of a person.

The body as a metaphor

Somatic psychology sees the body as the template, blueprint, or metaphor for all life experience. This idea is reflected in our speech. When we say that some person is sitting on our neck, this means that we are responsible for him. “I'm so tired that I can't feel my legs,” says a person who needs to be grounded.
Body-oriented therapists always pay attention to the person's words and ideas about their body in order to evaluate and organize their experience.

When we are under the influence of another person, our whole being is rebuilt. Our stance, stance and gestures are modified to match the representation of the significant person. The child learns to express his emotions in ways that suit the emotional climate of his family. Therefore, all the symbols, stories and archetypes of our childhood are fixed in our body, and we continue to use them even as adults. Body-centered therapy exercises allow these imposed patterns to be removed, allowing the person to experience their own energy and movement directly.

Energy flow and society

The flow of energy determines all our active actions. When someone praises us, blood rushes to our cheeks and makes them hot. When we are afraid, we feel empty in the stomach. If we are criticized, then this is reflected in spasms in the chest area. All this energy then manifests itself in the form of behavior, for example, expressed in the form of emotions. One of the important concepts of body-oriented therapy is that our energy cannot be bad. Most pathologies of the body arise as a punishment for the inability or impossibility of expressing energy. How many problems arise from being told that we are being too excited, too loud, too sexy, too active?

Wilhelm Reich called modern society the main overwhelming force that underlies all diseases. Modern body-oriented psychologists believe that the inability to control one's energy is potentially dangerous for society. Therefore, bodily exercises and practices are aimed not only at returning a person to a feeling of pulsing energy, but also tracking it, as well as testing sensory awareness. While early practitioners tended to use explosive and intense exercises (such as kicking and punching, screaming and groaning), other more social options are now being considered for releasing old inhibitions and inhibitions, such as limiting or reducing movement, speech, and other expressions. . Many therapists now prefer to use exercises that allow the person to become more aware of their inner experience.

Today's article is an interview that I gave to Pharmacy Business magazine. We can forget childhood psychological traumas, but the body will never forget them. How to learn to stay in your own body here and now, free it from fears and clamps - I tried to tell about this in our conversation with Olga Alekseeva.

Thanks to Olga for asking interesting questions and preparing this material for release.

So, the method of body-oriented psychotherapy ...

OA: If you try to explain in simple terms, what is body-oriented psychotherapy (BOP)?
I.S. First of all, it is psychotherapy. The goals and objectives here are the same as in any other direction in psychotherapy: there is a client's problem that he wants to solve - the so-called "request". What distinguishes psychotherapeutic areas is the way to solve this problem.

Working in line with TOP, we solve a psychological problem by involving the client's body. The body acts as a means of both psychological diagnostics and psychotherapeutic transformation. Unlike doctors, we do not work with the body, but through the body. The body gives us access to the psychological world of the client.

Therefore, a specialist with a basic psychological education, and not a medical one, can work in line with the TOP.

O.A. What is the corporal approach based on, what are its possibilities and main postulates?
I.S.: The basic law of the TOP says: "Bodily and psychological are equal." Figuratively speaking, the client's body is a map of his soul. The body can tell the story of a person: key traumas, upheavals, a psychological portrait, psychosomatic risk zones (in which dysfunctions are most likely to occur), an individual life strategy, resources ... This is not about genetic characteristics, but about those disorders that form during life, in according to the experience gained.
So, in response to an emotion, a bodily reaction necessarily occurs. If someone has a certain experience for a long time, it is fixed in his body. For example, chronic fear, insecurity make you press your head into your shoulders, while the shoulders seem to roll forward, a collapse forms in the chest. And this posture becomes habitual.

Accordingly, according to the usual postures, movements, posture, facial expression, muscle condition, we can make a psychological portrait. And by influencing the body - to change the psychological state, self-perception, attitude.
At the same time, we influence the body not only through touch, although among the TOP methods there is, for example, massage. But we also use breathing techniques, static and motor exercises, meditations, the use of a bodily metaphor (for example, we ask the client to depict his problem with his body), we connect drawing (for example, you can draw a bodily symptom).
There is a certain touch ethic in TOP. We always ask permission for physical contact with the client, we respect his right to say “No”. Almost always, the client remains fully clothed - with the exception of techniques that require direct muscle work.

Touching the genital area and breasts in women is always taboo.

The body reflects our entire history.

OA: Wilhelm Reich was the first to pay attention to human bodily reactions, then Alexander Lowen and others. Has anything changed since that time, maybe the studies point to some erroneous conclusions, or vice versa?
I.S. TOP exists and develops for almost a century. Of course, during this time a lot has changed, knowledge is expanding and deepening. At the moment, more than 100 TOP schools have been recognized, but almost all of them are based on W. Reich's somatic vegetotherapy. His thesaurus, introduced principles of work, basic theoretical concepts are preserved: the idea of ​​the “muscle shell” as chronic muscle tension.

Reich divided the muscular shell into 7 segments (blocks), each of them endowed with a certain psychological symbolism. But he was a psychoanalyst and sexualized so many psychological processes. Modern TOP no longer considers sexuality as a central issue.

Also, modern TOP talks about the impact on the subsequent life of the prenatal period and the characteristics of the birth process. It is also worth noting that Reich considered only chronic muscle hypertonicity (the "fight" reaction) as a problem, later they began to talk about the problem of hypotonicity (the "surrender" reaction).

Wilhelm Reich - founder of TOP

OA: How does TOP differ from psychotherapy, and how does a body therapist differ from an ordinary psychotherapist?
I.S. TOP is one of the areas of psychotherapy. In order to work in this direction, you need to have a basic psychological or medical education, as well as undergo special additional TOP training.

A body-oriented psychotherapist is a psychotherapist who has chosen to specialize in TOP, just as a cardiologist is a doctor who has chosen to specialize in cardiology.

OA: What is happening in the community of body therapists today, what are the prospects for this approach? Are there several schools within the TOP?
I.S.: At the moment there are more than 100 well-known and recognized TOP schools. Now almost all spheres of scientific knowledge are developing and enriching at an incredible pace, the same is happening with the TOP. Most likely, the TOP will become more and more popular.

Firstly, the TOP is more understandable to customers, because Outwardly, it seems close to their usual medicine - some manipulations with the body.

Second, the average person lacks a healthy loving relationship with their body. Our culture of corporality is instrumental, the body wears out like a tool, care for it is neglected, but it is required that it be beautiful and executive. TOP helps develop a loving, respectful attitude towards your body, increases self-acceptance.

OA: Is TOP treated in combination with an analytical approach or is it a completely independent course of treatment?
I.S.: TOP is an independent direction in psychotherapy, with its own theoretical and practical base. But it is not enough for any psychotherapist to be an expert in only one direction. There is a recommendation for a working specialist: to master 3-5 different areas in psychotherapy. This applies to any psychotherapist.

О.А.: With what requests do people most often come to a body psychotherapist? Can you make a top list?
I.S.: You can come to a body-oriented psychotherapist with any psychological request, as well as to any other psychotherapist. But in accordance with the specifics of the TOP, these requests more often concern the body. For example, the client is aware that he is critical of his body, dissatisfied with it, and wants to increase self-acceptance.

They often come with chronic tension in the body, difficulties with relaxation - this is a common problem for residents of the metropolis.

Also treated with somatic symptoms and psychosomatic disorders; in this case, we will definitely inform clients that the help of a psychotherapist does not replace the necessary medical help, they need to be combined. Recently, more and more doctors have begun to refer to body-oriented psychotherapists - in the case when it is obvious that “the disease is from the nerves”, that is, the patient needs to receive psychological help. Doctors and I are not competitors, we complement each other's work, this increases the effectiveness of treatment.

O.A.: How is the TOP session going? Is the client doing the exercises or do you still need to talk first?
I.S.: The main method of influence in any psychotherapeutic direction is discussion. We always talk with the client, like other psychotherapists: we collect his story, clarify the request (the purpose of the work), ask about important events, dreams between our meetings ... At the end of the meeting, we summarize. As for the TOP exercises themselves, there are those that are done almost silently, and there are those during which there is a dialogue.

OA: Is it better to study in a group or individually?
I.S.: There are both group and individual forms of work in the TOP. Each has its own advantages. Usually, individual work goes deeper, it is easier for the client to open up. But the group gives the effect of group support.

OA: Are there any contraindications to using the method?
I.S.: In general, there are no contraindications to the use of TOP, because TOP has different methods and many techniques. There are limitations in the use of specific exercises, at the level of common sense: for example, when working with pregnant women or with the elderly, exercises that require significant physical effort are not used. But if one thing does not suit the client, another can be used.

Therefore, TOP is used to work with a wide contingent: children, adolescents, adults, the elderly; with norm and pathology; with pregnant women; with addicts (alcoholics, drug addicts, gamblers…), etc.

О.А.: Psychotherapy can last for several years, but what are the terms for TOP?
I.S.: In TOP, as in other schools of psychotherapy, there is a “short-term work”: from 4 to 10 meetings. And "long-term psychotherapy", over 10 meetings. This "above" can last for several months or several years. It all depends on what result the client wants to achieve and at what point he is now.

For example, a girl has difficulty communicating with the opposite sex. It's one thing if a little self-doubt interferes with her. It's another matter if there is rape in her story, and even with aggravating circumstances ... These will be different stories of psychological work, of different duration.

О.А.: Do you often come to those who have not received results from verbal psychotherapy?
I.S.: Yes, it happens, but in most cases the problem is not in the method used, but in the client's unpreparedness - his unwillingness to change. A trip to a psychologist can be “far-fetched”: fashionable, curious, forced by relatives ... In this case, the client has no motivation and cannot be effective work. The client begins to shift the responsibility: "Wrong method", "Wrong specialist" ...

Remember Winnie the Pooh? “These are the wrong bees. They make the wrong honey."

OA: There is another modern approach - bodynamics, how does it differ from TOP? Or does the second include the first?
I.S.: Bodynamic analysis (bodynamics) is a direction in the TOP that began to develop in Denmark in the 1970s. The founder is Lisbeth Marcher, she sometimes comes to Russia and teaches. Bodynamics is distinguished by clarity, structure, so doctors are interested in it - a close mentality.

According to Bodynamics, development is based on the desire to be interconnected with the world (and not Eros and Thanatos according to Z. Freud). Depending on childhood traumas, this desire is distorted: someone hides from the world, someone seeks to please everyone or control everyone ... Thus, a character structure (psychotype) is formed.

Probably, of all the TOP schools in Bodynamics, the most clear system of psychotypes: at what age, for what reason, the character structure is formed, how it manifests itself bodily and psychologically, how to mono-correct it ...

In bodynamics, a pre-study study of the psychological content of more than 100 muscles was carried out - it will probably be interesting for doctors to get acquainted with it.

OA: When a person comes to you for the first time, can you immediately determine the places of blocks, and therefore the main psychological problems, by his posture, body language, facial expressions, gestures?
I.S.: This is what body-oriented psychotherapists are taught - the so-called "body reading". It can be carried out in statics, in dynamics (when a person is motionless or moving). In the office, this saves time: in the first minutes you see a psychological portrait of a person and suggest what basic topics you need to work with.

OA: Does this skill of reading people hinder or help you in life outside of work?
I.S.: It is important for a psychotherapist to separate personal and professional. Do not become a psychotherapist for your loved ones. But elements of their knowledge can be used. For example, body reading skills help to better understand the emotional state of another person, develop empathy ...

OA: If I understand correctly, the first thing that is clearly seen during the TOP is the fears that are blocked in the body. Is it possible to draw a physical map of fears yourself, and what to do with them after?
I.S.: We have 4 basic feelings with which we are born: anger, joy, fear, sadness. Then, at the age of about 2-3 years, the so-called “social feelings” are added to them (not innate, but brought in from society): shame and guilt. All these feelings can be imprinted in the body, “frozen”. And the pattern of frozen feelings is individual. There are people who have a lot of fear in their bodies; someone filled with anger; or bent over with guilt... If we are not in touch with the feelings "stuck" in the body, they can manifest themselves through pain and illness. Yes, there is such an exercise: you can draw your body and note where feelings live in it (you can specify: “fear” or “anger”). This helps to get to know your feelings, reduces the risk of somatization.

OA: Are there differences in attitudes towards the body among different nationalities?
I.S.: Yes, “the culture of corporality” is a part of cultural peculiarities. Somewhere the body is still the "source of sin", in another culture the body is treated with respect, in the third - respect for manifestations of corporality, except for sexuality ... We definitely need to take into account the cultural characteristics of the client.

Working in line with the TOP, we first conduct a diagnostic interview, collecting information about its history. Among other things, we find out his origin, origins: nationality, belonging to a religious denomination, the social environment in which he grew up ...

There is a paradoxical relationship to the body in Western culture right now. On the one hand, great attention is paid to it: how many articles and programs about nutrition, plastic surgery, anti-aging ... On the other hand, this is a consumer attitude, the body is a kind of exploited object, it must perform certain functions and be a beautiful “business card” ... Respect and love for your body is sorely lacking.

OA: How can you build a new loving warm relationship with your own body?
I.S.: Perceive it as an integral, full-fledged part of one's personality, and not some kind of tool for life and a business card for society. Pay more attention to the signals coming from the body, do not neglect them. It's not just about pain symptoms. Even small bodily signals, such as tension in the stomach, a lump in the throat, are clues to our intuition, for example, help to sense the insincerity of the interlocutor.
Taking care of the body is not “objective”, like some kind of inanimate object: wash the dishes, wash the windows, wash your body ... But to carry out this care with love.
Now beauty is often put in the first place, but not health, in the name of bodily beauty, many destroy their health. The hierarchy has been broken, because health should always come first, and a healthy body is always beautiful, because it is harmonious. It is important to see your natural, natural bodily beauty that every person has, it just may differ from social patterns.

O.A.: What can you say about the need to apply to the TOP?
I.S.: You can turn to a TOP specialist with any psychological problem. Working through the body is just a way to solve it, just like an art therapist can use drawing. You can also come to a TOP specialist if you want to feel your body better, understand it and accept it.

OA: For those who do not yet have the opportunity to visit a body therapist, can you give a couple of exercises for homework?

1. Sit in a comfortable relaxed position or lie down. Close your eyes, tune in to yourself, to your body. Try to feel well the signals coming from the body. Answer your questions:
How relaxed is the body?
What parts of the body are holding tension?
What area of ​​the body is occupied by this tension?
— What are the patterns in localization? (right-left, upper body - lower, front surface of the body - back, limbs - torso ...)
Is it temporary or chronic?
How long has it been in you?
- What feelings can this tension hold, what memories?
Try to relax those parts of your body too.
Then, with your eyes open, make a drawing: sketch your body and note the tensions in it.
Performing this exercise regularly, you will become better acquainted with your bodily features, come closer to understanding the causes of this tension. Then it can weaken and even leave.

2. Create your Body Feeling Map. Draw your body and note where what feeling lives in it? Hint: remember when you experienced this or that emotion. How does the body respond, which zones are activated? This feeling lives on in them.
After drawing, consider it:
What feelings do you find easiest to track in yourself? Which ones are difficult and why?
- Are there emotions that you have not noted in the body? Why? Do they definitely “do not live” in you, or you simply could not find them in yourself?
— Are there areas of the body that are left unfilled? Imagine what feelings might still live in them.
- Are there parts of the body in which there are a lot of feelings? Be careful - these are areas of psychosomatic risk.
This exercise helps to establish contact with your body and feelings, integrates the bodily and emotional sphere, promotes the differentiation of emotions.

Body-Oriented Psychotherapy (BOT) is a modern trend in practical psychotherapy that addresses the psychological problems of a patient using body-oriented techniques. The approach combines psychological analysis and physical exercises. For TOP personality = body + mind + soul.

Bodynamic analysis is one of the methods of TOP, it is also called somatic developmental psychology. Knowledge of anatomy is key to the approach, as the founder of the method, Lisbeth Marcher, and her colleagues discovered the relationship between muscles and their psychological content. Namely, failures in the work of a certain muscle group indicate a certain pattern of patient behavior. Since at each stage of growing up a person reacts differently to the influences of the outside world, in the course of diagnostics it is possible to determine the age at which the client experienced psychological trauma.

Body-oriented psychotherapy is a way to get rid of emotional experiences through interaction with the body. Everything we experience is reflected in our body. Negative and traumatic experiences are fixed in the body in the form of clamps and tensions.

The body therapist helps to pay attention to the tense points of the body, and through them - to identify the experiences that caused them. Having understood the reason, it is already possible to work with it - to learn to get rid of the past and its binding influence.

Thus, the goal of body therapy is to get rid of the influence of past negative experiences on the present.

The founder of body therapy is Wilhelm Reich. He was a student of Z. Freud, but concentrated his attention on the study of effects on the body. His work was continued by many scientists around the world. Today, body-oriented psychotherapy has many directions and continues to develop rapidly.

Advantages of the method:

• The main advantage of body-oriented psychotherapy is high efficiency.
• This type of therapy allows you to interact with the unconscious. Our subconscious mind is 90% non-verbal, that is, not through speech, but through the body. Bodily clamps are a reflection of negative experiences, conflicts that have not been released and are "fixed" in the body.
• A body psychotherapist reads these signals, helps to reveal their causes, release negative emotions from the soul, and as a result, release the body from clamps.
• Body psychotherapy may prevent the development of psychosomatic diseases, which are caused just by internal conflicts and negative experiences that have not received an outlet.

Sometimes tightness, lack of contact with one's body reaches the point where a person loses the ability to capture his true feelings. In this case, consciousness replaces feelings - it “tells” a person in which situation one should experience admiration, interest, sympathy, and in which one - rejection. At the same time, the true feelings of a person can be completely different from those that consciousness imposes on him. Such a contradiction can lead to serious internal conflict. Therefore, it is important to work with your body and respond to its silent signals.

Oksana Barkova, psychotherapist, gestalt psychologist:

In my work, I always pay attention to the Body, since it is impossible to work through any emotional, psychological difficulty without removing the body block.

Any difficulty has an imprint in the body, creating a kind of bodily and emotional "shell", not allowing you to more fully experience and realize your emotions, distorting them.

The body remembers everything from the moment of birth: emotions, situations, memories, so through the body you can work with any human experience.

The study of muscle tension, which underlies the psychological difficulty, allows not only to solve the problem, but also to proceed to the correct bodily regulation, to rely on the resources of the body. This is the main difference and advantage of body therapy over other psychotherapeutic methods.

In what cases can physical therapy help?

• severe stress (loss, divorce, separation and other life situations);
• conflicts in the couple and in the family;
• career difficulties: difficulties in relationships with colleagues and superiors, inability to defend and defend one's opinion, lack of job satisfaction;
• constantly bad mood, apathy, restless sleep, tearfulness, depression;
• loss of the meaning of life;
• fear, obsessive anxious thoughts;
• aggression, irritability;
• frequent colds, prolonged illness.

It is important to note that body-oriented psychotherapy is not a substitute for conservative or surgical treatment of diseases, but serves as its complement.

Why is bodywork important?

Man perceives reality only through the body. When the connection between the soul and the body is broken, a person feels the world of his own experiences and illusions more realistically than the surrounding reality. As a result, the brightness and fullness of feelings and emotions are lost, nothing brings pleasure, something is constantly missing in life. Some characterize this state as follows: “I live like a zombie”, “Like in a dream”, “Like frozen”.

In order to “return” to the real world again, to fully experience it, you must first of all free your body. Muscular "armor" makes it very difficult not only to enjoy life, but even to breathe and walk. Imagine that you were put on two sheepskin coats and shod in heavy felt boots with galoshes. And you live 24 hours a day, even sleep in such attire. And now take and throw off this burden, remaining in light summer clothes. It got better, right? But no external conditions have changed, only your body has got rid of heaviness. Therefore, body-oriented therapy, working with muscle clamps and returning the body to its original, harmonious state, contributes to the solution of psychological problems.

SELF center specialist's comment:

A man came to the consultation, his name was Ivan, 32 years old, with a request about the relationship with his wife - there was a betrayal. During the meeting, the man, describing his situation, lowered his head down, breathed superficially and periodically clenched his jaw. I drew his attention to how his body behaves when he describes his difficulty. It turned out that for several months now his right shoulder had been hurting, constantly, nothing helped, the pain radiated to the shoulder blade and spread along the spine.

We began to explore this pain and its connection with what the man was experiencing and thinking.

What word is associated with pain?

- Sharp, sharp, furious.

At the same time, Ivan began to clench and unclench his fists, breathing became more "heavy".

“What emotion is begging to be noticed?” I asked. The man, restraining himself, replied that it was anger, rage, a desire to break something and hit someone.

Then I asked, “What are these emotions trying to protect, what feeling or image?” The man, with tears in his eyes, replied that it was impotence, despair and the inability to return the previous relationship with his wife.

After these words and allowing himself to be with feelings of sadness, powerlessness, anger, despair, he was surprised to notice that the muscles relaxed and the pain disappeared. The emotional tension created by this feeling affected the muscles, causing them to spasm, blocking natural movement. And they immediately relaxed as soon as the emotion was identified and lived.

Body Oriented Therapy Techniques:

There are different methods of body therapy:

• massage,
• breath,
• various exercises that can be done standing, sitting, lying down.

The purpose of the techniques is not to "correct" the body. They are aimed primarily at the awareness of the body, the return of communication with it.

Often a “side effect” of body-oriented therapy is body improvement.

The fact is that lowered shoulders, poor posture, sunken chest are often associated not with poor physical shape, but with psychological problems. Unfulfilled desires, fears driven inside, complexes, experiences, emotions that do not find a way out accumulate in our body, make it bend and stiffen. When negative energy is released during therapy, the body straightens out, becomes plastic and relaxed.

How are physical therapy sessions going?

The first task of the body therapist is to determine what internal problems prevent you from fully enjoying life and freely controlling your body. To do this, he identifies a problem area - a part of the body where the muscles are constantly and unnaturally tense, there are pain sensations. This is an indicator that allows you to understand what worries a person - after all, this reason caused a muscle clamp. When it is possible to determine the cause, the body psychologist suggests special exercises that help to re-experience the state that caused stress in order to let go of it forever. A sign that the old problem is really released will be the body - it will relax, getting rid of the clamps.

Physical contact when communicating between the therapist and the patient is not necessary - its presence or absence depends on the wishes of the patient. Work can also be done verbally, without touching.

It should be noted that touch has a high psychotherapeutic effect, but only if the patient is disposed to this form of communication with the therapist.

How to choose a body therapist?

To choose "your" body therapist, pay attention to the following points:

• Techniques used by the specialist. Everyone has their own preferred body-oriented psychotherapy techniques. Someone works with breathing, someone uses massage. Choose a therapist who knows the technique that is comfortable for you.
• Where do therapy sessions take place? It is important that the room is cozy, that it has a comfortable temperature, good, but not too bright lighting. These are the necessary conditions in order to relax and concentrate on your feelings.
• subjective impressions. The specialist with whom you will work should evoke positive emotions in you. Do not try to analyze your feelings - just feel whether you want to go to this therapist or not. A positive attitude is the basis for building trust, which is essential for effective therapy.

12 months ago

There is an opinion that any person reads all the information about the interlocutor in 10 seconds. The fact is that the body is like a cast from our psyche. All our traumas, stresses, fears are deposited in the so-called muscle clamps, which form signals recognizable to others: aggression, insecurity, fear.

In the form that it is now, body psychotherapy arose on the basis of psychoanalysis. A student of Freud, a certain Dr. Wilhelm Reich noticed that all neurotics are very similar. They have similar movements, body structure, facial expressions and gestures. A hypothesis arose that emotions create a corset, a kind of human muscular shell. Reich began to treat people through the body, removing the clamps one by one, and people began to feel happier. Destructive emotions left, neurosis receded.

It turned out that any physical and psychological traumatic events are deposited in the body. On the one hand, muscle clamping is a consequence of injury, and on the other hand, protection from negative emotions. The muscular shell helps a person not to feel, not to be aware of unpleasant emotions. They pass, as it were, past consciousness, settling in the muscles in the form of spasms. Over time, the muscle corset itself begins to generate emotion. Then we feel unconscious anxiety, fear, although there are no external reasons for them.

So what is Body Oriented Therapy? Who is it for? This is a non-verbal technique that is gentle on the client's psyche, restoring his contact with the body, turning a person to face himself and his needs. The method will be useful primarily to those people who are not used to talking about themselves, are poorly aware of their emotions and feelings, often do not understand what exactly is happening to them, but characterize their condition with one word: “bad”.

Characteristics of therapy

The characteristic of therapy in the body-oriented approach is determined by its general objectives. They are the same stages that a specialist works on in order to help a person overcome trauma and improve the quality of his life:

1. De-energization of impulses that provoke a feeling of unhappiness, rupture of neural connections that support negative complexes, expectations, fears.
2. Purification of the human psyche from negative accumulations.
3. Recovery of CNS reflexes.
4. Teaching methods of self-regulation, the ability to withstand psychological stress.
5. Learning new information about yourself and the world.

To achieve these goals, body therapy uses different methods and approaches.

These include:

• Reich's Vegetative Therapy.
• Rod energy.
• Bioenergetics Alexander Lowen.
• Breathing exercises.
• dance therapy.
• meditation techniques.
• Massage.

All body oriented therapy and exercises, various methods of body therapy are body oriented. Through the body and movements, various centers of the brain are activated. Thus, emotions and stresses begin to be processed, which for many years were driven deep into the subconscious and were manifested by outbursts of anger, addictions, and physical illnesses. The bodily oriented therapeutic effect pulls them out, helps to survive and clean out the memory of the body.

Body Therapy Techniques

Applying the techniques and basic methods of body psychotherapy, the therapist focuses on the person himself and his individual characteristics. According to the principle of an individual approach, a set of exercises is selected for each individual person. Some methods work in the treatment of this particular client, others do not. But there are exercises in body-oriented psychotherapy that help everyone. They can and should be applied independently.

grounding

When we are stressed, we do not feel supported. The grounding exercise is aimed at returning the energy connection with the earth. You need to focus on the sensations in your legs, feel how your feet rest on the ground.

We place our legs a quarter of a meter, socks inward, knees bent, bend over, and touch the ground. Straighten your legs, feel the tension and slowly, slowly unbend.

Breathing techniques

We never think about how we breathe, but we often do it wrong. Constantly nervous, we begin to breathe shallowly, preventing the body from being saturated with oxygen. “Breathe,” the therapist often says in psychotherapy sessions, because the client freezes and breathing becomes almost imperceptible. Meanwhile, breathing techniques help to relax muscles, remove muscle clamps and turn on the recovery mechanisms of the body.

Breathing in a square

We count: inhale - 1-2-3-4, exhale - 1-2-3-4. Repeat for 3 minutes.

Breathing for relaxation

Inhale - 1-2, exhale - 1-2-3-4.

Breath to activate

Inhale - 1-2-3-4, exhale - 1-2.

Healing breath

Close your eyes and concentrate on the process of breathing. Breathe deeply and confidently. Start mentally moving around the body and imagine that you are breathing in different organs and parts of the body. Track your feelings. If you feel discomfort in any organ, imagine that you are breathing healing sparkling healing air and watch how the discomfort leaves this organ.

Relaxation

Helps release muscle tension. There are many relaxation techniques, but the most accessible and simple is the alternation of tension and relaxation. You need to lie down comfortably and strain all the muscles with all your strength, including the muscles of the face. Hold it for a couple of seconds and relax completely. Then repeat again and again. Already after the third repetition, a person feels laziness and a desire to fall asleep.

The next relaxation method is auto-training. Lying or sitting with your eyes closed, imagine how the muscles of the body relax one by one. This method works well in combination with breathing techniques.

How does a body-oriented psychotherapist work?

While some of the exercises can be used on their own, their benefits are like a drop in the ocean compared to the work of a body-oriented therapist. The specialist uses deep methods of body-oriented therapy to remove the muscle shell forever. In addition, a therapist is needed in order to be close to a person when an emotion imprisoned in a compressed muscle breaks free, because it will somehow need to be accepted and experienced. Professional therapeutic techniques of body-oriented therapy are very effective. They remove even the strongest clamps and restore the normal flow of energy in the body.

Vegetotherapy Reich

The classical vegetative therapy of Reich, the founder of the method, uses several techniques:

1. Massage is the strongest impact (twisting, pinching) on ​​an inadequately clamped muscle. It increases the voltage to the maximum and starts the process of prohibitive braking, which dissolves the shell.
2. Psychological support for the client at the time of the release of emotions.
3. Abdominal breathing, saturating the body with energy, which itself, like water in a dam, demolishes all the clamps.

The first experiences of Reich's body-oriented therapy showed the high effectiveness of the direction. But the followers of the Reich exercises were not enough and, like mushrooms after the rain, new interesting methods began to appear.

Bioenergetics by Alexander Lowen
The symbiosis of Western and Eastern practices is the bioenergetics of Alexander Lowen. To the legacy of the founder, Lowen added a special method of diagnosing clamps with the help of breathing, the concept of grounding and many interesting exercises to accelerate the movement of human energy, relax the abdomen, pelvic muscles and release expression (getting rid of the squeezed negative emotions.

Bodynamics

Bodynamics, which is now fashionable, with the help of simple exercises, works out very serious things: boundaries, ego, contact, attitude and even lifestyle. Bodynamics has learned to test a person by studying his muscle clamps, the so-called hyper and hypotonicity. Practical experiments have shown that by influencing certain muscles, certain emotions can be evoked. It is on this that all bodynamic exercises are based. For example, if you want to evoke a feeling of confidence, strength and healthy aggression, hold something in your fist. This will help you get through the tough times. That is how, with clenched fists, man has always met danger and emotion has helped him to survive.

Biosynthesis

The next method of body-oriented therapy - biosynthesis attempts to bind together human feelings, actions and thoughts. Its task is to integrate the experience of the perinatal period into the current state of man. This method continues the improvement of grounding, the restoration of proper breathing (centering), and also uses various types of contacts (water, fire, earth) in working with the therapist. At the same time, the therapist's body is sometimes used as a support, thermoregulation is worked out and voice exercises are applied.

thanatotherapy

Yes, that's right, the concept of death is encrypted in the word thanatotherapy. It is believed that only in death is a person most relaxed. Thanatotherapy strives for this state, of course, leaving all participants in the action alive. The method uses group exercises when one is in a static state, for example, lies in a “star” position, and the other manipulates some part of the body, moving it as slowly as possible to the side. Participants talk about experiencing a transcendent experience of floating above their body and feeling completely relaxed.

Meditation

Meditative psychotechnics take their origins from Buddhism and yoga. It will take some time to master them, but the result is worth it. Meditation makes you focus on your body and makes it possible to feel the energy flows inside it. It allows you to restore integrity to the loose psyche and forms new missing psychological qualities.

Meditation is a great relaxation method. If you focus on any one thought or point of the body, all other muscles will lose tension and negative energy will go away.

What is the difference between body-oriented psychotherapy and other methods? From the very beginning of the use of the method, ever since the appearance of the Reich exercises, it was clear that this was a phenomenon unique to psychotherapy. Firstly, there was no need for long conversations, discussion of dreams, immersion in childhood memories. You could do without words. The psychotherapist got to the patient's trauma through the body.

All the exercises of the body-oriented therapy acted carefully, quickly, and as sparingly as possible on the client's psyche. This is the main advantage of body psychotherapy. In addition, the Reich technique killed two birds with one stone - along with mental health, it also returned bodily health.

Psychologists say that with age, a person's character is reflected in his face. For example, in people who are positive, the corners of the lips will be raised up, and in those who are often angry, there will be obvious folds between the eyebrows. In much the same way, experts in body-oriented psychotherapy (BOT) argue that mental disorders and problems of a psychological nature are reflected in our body. So, through work with the body, you can influence the psyche and emotions. Body psychotherapy is based on the principle of interdependence of body and soul.

The essence of this psychotherapeutic approach

Let us consider in more detail what is body-directed therapy? Freud's student W. Reich became the founder of the body-oriented approach in psychotherapy. Working with his patients, he drew attention to the fact that most emotions are reflected in certain bodily manifestations, namely in muscle clamps, tensions. The constant suppression of emotions and feelings leads to the fact that a person eventually creates the so-called muscle armor. Reich argued that in the process of psychotherapy, the study of bodily blocks allows you to relieve tension, release stagnant emotions and heal the patient's psyche.
He found empirically that the dominant characterological personality traits are manifested in postures, gestures, gait and facial expressions of a person. Based on numerous observations and analysis of the behavior of patients, a system for organizing the physical and mental component was derived. There are a number of methods of body-oriented therapy that, through the removal of muscle blocks, awareness of your body and emotional contact with yourself, allow you to treat mental disorders.

Targets and goals

How can a body therapist help his patient solve psychological problems? It is believed that all experiences, feelings, psychotraumas, key events are “recorded” in the body during a person’s life. The task of applying the body-oriented approach is to “read” all the problem areas in the body, to reveal what is hidden far in the subconscious, but negatively affects the psyche. The body therapist tries to work out blocks in the muscles through special techniques, to help the patient achieve a state of deep relaxation. During the session, it is important to monitor the emerging images and experiences in order to express and transform them. Body-oriented therapy allows you to influence self-perception, emotional sphere and relationships.

Thus, the main goal of the body-oriented approach in psychotherapy is to create conditions under which repressed unconscious feelings, as well as memories, come to the conscious level. This allows them to be re-experienced and expressed in a safe environment. As a result, a person gets rid of psychological blocks, emotional stress and restores a healthy state of mind.

Main directions

A key feature of body psychotherapy is the ability to reach out to the unconscious without talking to a doctor. This allows you to bypass the resistance and control of the intellect, so the maximum effectiveness of psychotherapy is achieved in a short time. Even if the patient's mind is protected, not allowed to experience inner experiences, the psychology of the body will open the way to the subconscious and problem solving. With the help of body-oriented techniques, one can find connections between the somatic sphere, emotions, emotional experiences and the mind.

Body therapy is the basis of many psychotherapeutic methods, here are some of them:

• Rolfing. The method consists in the use of deep massage, known since the 20s of the last century. Rolfing massage is a whole system of deep manual manipulations, working out muscles and ligaments, aimed at correcting the tone of soft tissues and teaching the body to move correctly.
• Biodynamics. It combines elements of analytical psychology, periodization of the development of the psyche according to Freud and vegetotherapy. Helps the patient to break through to the deepest essence of human nature, to find himself, to realize his self.
• Rosen method. It combines the study of chronically tense areas of the body and verbal contact with the patient. Excellent helps in the fight against chronic fatigue, arthritis, stress, insomnia, asthma, headaches.
• Bioenergy analysis. This method was developed by Reich's student, the American psychotherapist A. Lowen, in the middle of the last century. Based on the theory of movement in the body of vital energy. Today, bioenergy developments are used exclusively as a method of neuromuscular relaxation.
• Alexander Techniques. This is a set of exercises that teaches the patient the rational use of the muscles of the body, without excessive tension. The body therapist, working with this method, helps the patient to realize and correct his bodily habits (postures, gestures, posture), helps to learn to consciously control his body.
  The Feldenkrais Method. These are bodily practices developed on the basis of the ability of the nervous system to self-regulate. The emphasis in performing these exercises is on awareness of movements and changes in the body.
• Biosynthesis. This is the first of the methods of body therapy, which was recognized by the European Psychotherapeutic Association. The main idea of ​​this method is to harmonize the state of the main vital energy flows.
• Bodynamic Therapy. Based on a study of psychomotor development. Such a method of bodily psychotherapy as bodynamics is primarily aimed not at the destruction of pathological characterological patterns, but at awakening and mobilizing internal resources.

Areas of use

The scope of the body-oriented approach is very wide. A body therapist may be needed both for the treatment of complex neuroses, mental disorders, and for personal development, contact with one's subconscious in order to know oneself.

Various means and methods of muscle relaxation are used in the fight against depression, stress, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, chronic psychosomatic diseases, to overcome psycho-emotional trauma, and even just to improve performance.

Body practices will help not only relieve muscle tension, but also find the causes of psychological difficulties. However, there may be contraindications for somatic psychotherapy. For patients with psychosis, schizophrenia, mental retardation, many bodily techniques will not only be incomprehensible, but even dangerous. For example, imaginative body-oriented psychotherapy techniques that rely on the use of the imagination can intensify hallucinatory manifestations. Therefore, patients with complex mental and somatic diagnoses should definitely consult with their doctor.

Principles of Neuromuscular Relaxation

Based on the principles of a body-oriented approach, at the beginning of the last century, Dr. E. Jacobson developed a method of neuromuscular relaxation, which allows you to deeply relax all muscle groups. Why is this needed? The fact is that every person, by virtue of his profession or household duties, constantly experiences psychological and physical stress during the day. But it is impossible to fully relax even during a night's sleep. After all, the natural system of self-regulation of the human body simply can not cope with constant stress. In such a situation, a body-oriented psychotherapist can teach you to relax correctly and fully.

The technique of neuromuscular relaxation is based on simple muscle physiology. Strong tension is always followed by automatic relaxation. Therefore, if you alternately strongly strain the muscles, and focus on their subsequent relaxation, this will also help relieve mental stress. Regular performance of neuromuscular relaxation exercises can increase resistance to stress, improve concentration, cope with fear, anxiety, insomnia, and normalize the emotional state. Progressive muscle relaxation will also be useful for neurosis, depression, neurotic disorders. If the body therapist teaches you basic exercises, you can then use these techniques on your own to maintain a normal psychophysical state.

Exercises to help relieve stress

Of course, in difficult situations, with serious mental problems, only a psychotherapist should prescribe a course of body-oriented therapy, stress relief exercises or manual techniques. However, you can learn a simple neuromuscular relaxation routine and practice it regularly at home to manage tension, stress, and negative emotions.
You can train daily, and when you reach a good level of skill, it is enough to do the exercises 2 times a week or as needed. Choose a comfortable time of the day when no one bothers you to relax. Try to eliminate extraneous noise, put on comfortable clothes and take the most comfortable position for you (lying, half-sitting, lotus position).

Start breathing slowly through your nose. At this time, try to feel your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. Think only about breathing so that extraneous thoughts do not interfere with relaxation. After a few minutes, take three deep breaths with simultaneous tension of the whole body, slowly relax as you exhale.
Then alternately strain individual muscle groups. Start with both legs, then move on to the glutes, abs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, face. Tighten each muscle group strongly 3 times for a few seconds, slowly relaxing after each tension. At the moment of relaxation, try to feel how your muscles become soft, how energy spreads through the body.
After working out all the muscles, lie down for a few minutes, mentally running through the whole body. If you find tension somewhere, work that area again. Completing the set of exercises, take a deep breath, hold the breath for a few seconds, straining the whole body again, then slowly relax as you exhale. Lie down like this for several minutes, feeling how your body is filled with calmness, how warmth spreads through it. Feel how new forces come to you. Come out of the pose slowly, try to maintain a calm, relaxed state for some time.