Facilitating Body/Mind Communication with Ortho-Bionomy®
by Bruce C. Stark
The body talks. Since the body, mind, emotions and spirit are all interrelated, by teaching our clients to listen to the language of their bodies, we can help them understand aspects of themselves on these other levels as well. Ortho-Bionomy, a healing modality, is an invaluable tool for facilitating physical and emotional changes by allowing the body to “speak” about its experience. For your psychotherapy clients, this can result in healing through the reestablishment of a deep sense of balance in their lives and hence, of their overall well-being.
Ortho-Bionomy is a system of healing which looks at the whole person. Developed in the 1970's by Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a British osteopath, its underlying premise is that the body is endowed with a tremendous capacity for self healing and self correction. Dr. Pauls found that by using gentle
movement, positioning, and supportive physical and energetic contact, the practitioner could facilitate the release and unwinding of the muscles, of structural and energetic patterns, and of limiting patterns of function, which enabled the client to return to a state of balance and ease. These techniques are noninvasive and are designed to be comfortable and supportive. Often the client will be worked with while lying fully clothed on a massage table. The practitioner works with -- not on -- the client, while the client plays an important role by providing feedback during the session.
Ortho-Bionomy affirms the self-healing capacity of the body. The practitioner merely facilitates this process, and this work reconnects clients with their experience of feeling whole, integrated, efficient, expansive and creative. By helping people become conscious of their zones of comfort, they are more capable of making the changes necessary for their own growth and healing. The more we become aware of the resources we have within us, the greater our capacity to respond effortlessly to the challenges and opportunities in our lives.
Ortho-Bionomy For Physical Injuries
Often people come to an Ortho-Bionomist after they have sustained some type of physical injury. With such an injury there are automatic physiological
responses which are stimulated to attempt to bring the body back into
balance. These responses can occur in the form of tissue repair, bone and
joint repositioning, structural compensation, or whatever changes the
body finds necessary to continue to function while attempting to retain a
sense of comfort and balance. Imbalances within the body will naturally
and spontaneously stimulate the predetermined physiological and neurological means to correct them. If these imbalances can be corrected naturally by the body, then normal function returns and the body can successfully integrate the experience. However, if these mechanisms are not able to address the imbalance, the body will compensate by making structural or energetic changes in order to continue to function. The Ortho-Bionomy practitioner works with the client to reestablish his or her ability to self-correct through the use of specific physical and energetic release techniques.
Ortho-Bionomy For Emotional Traumas
However, the body can also express imbalances or structural changes caused by the effects of emotional stress, trauma, or even through negative mental images we create about ourselves. Physical imbalances associated with emotional patterns also lend themselves very well to the body and energy work techniques of Ortho-Bionomy. But before talking about how we can work with this physical and emotional connection in our clients, I would like to discuss how the structure of the body and its functional patterns operate.
Structure Governs Function
The body is a series of systems and structures designed to carry out the specific functions of our daily lives. The body is constantly striving to maintain equilibrium and function optimally. Either consciously or unconsciously, we try to function with the least amount of effort. When there is a structural dysfunction, the body must reorganize itself to maintain its economy of action. It follows that when the structure is out of balance, the corresponding actions will be influenced and limited by the parameters outlined by the body’s underlying
support system. When we reestablish the body’s structural balance and
integrity, we are able to resume our activities and we no longer experience functional limitation.
Every function has a corresponding set of patterns which are used to execute that activity. For example, as we learn to walk as children, we develop patterns which allow us to walk throughout our lives. These patterns can begin as conscious efforts to learn to do something such as walking or riding a bicycle, or they can be less conscious, like when we reach for an object on a shelf. We “learn” these patterns and then, when we are comfortable with them, they become unconscious or routine and we take them for granted. As living organisms, human beings are constantly developing, memorizing and adapting specific patterns for all our activities. But when there is an injury or trauma to the body -- physical or emotional -- its normal functional patterns are interrupted. New patterns are adopted to compensate for this interruption and we continue on as best we can.
For example, if you stub your toe, it is painful to walk as you normally do. We compensate by adjusting our gait--limping--and then continue to walk as efficiently as we can. After the pain has subsided we can resume the walking patterns that we had been using before. However, sometimes we “forget” that there are other walking patterns and we may continue to limp even though the pain has long since resolved.
Significantly, these functional patterns are not only related to physical tasks or as responses to physical injuries or traumas. Our mental and emotional states can also create these patterns. We talk about having a “defensive posture,” a “dejected look” or “an air of confidence.” These are common phrases which illustrate a relationship between our physical and emotional states. If a person is defensive, he may raise up his shoulders, hold his breath, tighten the muscles in his arms and clench his jaw. Similarly, if someone is dejected, her shoulders may roll forward and her head might be lowered. And if a person is confident, the shoulders may be held broadly, eyes forward and upper body firmly supported by the pelvis. We assume these postures” or “patterns” in response to our emotional and mental states.
Body / Mind Connection
The body responds to situations whether they are real or perceived. For example, when we are in a situation which presents immediate danger, threat or possible attack, we experience a state of hyper-arousal called “fight-or-flight.” Physiologically the heart rate increases, the breath becomes faster, the muscles are supplied with more blood for action, and the digestive processes stop. What is interesting is that we can elicit these physiological responses even when we simply "think" we are being threatened. For example, some people find that the act of taking an exam at school can be sufficient to stimulate this fight-or-flight state when it clearly is not a life-or-death situation.
In fact, we experience many instances of nervous system arousal and relaxation throughout the day, some related to physical situations and many related to our emotional and mental experiences. Usually these balance themselves naturally as we evaluate the stresses and threats and respond to them accordingly. But we can also become stuck in, or even “addicted” to, a sense of stress or to the energy charge that we experience when we are under stress. This circumvents our ability to allow the balancing relaxation response of the nervous system to occur and we begin to accumulate physical patterns associated with this “hyper” state.
Over the past 20 years, neuro-physiological research has shown that neurochemical changes occur in the body when we experience different
emotions or emotional states. Whether we are depressed, happy, stressed,
or blissful, there is a constellation of chemical responses that affect our physical well-being. Research also shows that we can affect the emotional state by changing our physical state. If we are anxious we can facilitate a reduction in anxiety by consciously altering our physical sensations associated with that anxious state. Individuals can learn to monitor and regulate their physiological responses thereby directly affecting their emotional states.
Ortho-Bionomist and Psychoterapist Working Together
Ortho-Bionomy sessions in collaboration with psychotherapy sessions create
the opportunity for clients to connect with the messages from their bodies, thereby accessing their ability to uncover the sense of the inherent balance
within them. A person who is depressed may be presenting with a posture
which is characterized by a collapsed chest, rounded shoulders and a “droopy” sense of his or her body. By facilitating the change of the underlying structure on which the spine is balanced, releasing the tension in the shoulders so that they are resting on top of the trunk of the body, and repositioning the head so that the eyes can face forward, the emotional state associated with the depressed posture has the opportunity to also shift. Not only will the client’s posture become dynamic and structurally sound, but he or she will notice more energy available with which to function. An imbalanced posture takes much more energy to maintain than a balanced one.
Physical and Emotional Integration of the Two Disciplines: An Example
To illustrate some aspects of the complementary nature of Ortho-Bionomy
with psychotherapy, I would like to share some of the experiences of a
client with whom I worked. “Bill” came to me with the goal of expressing his emotions more readily and gaining a sense of peace and stability. He was a successful businessman, highly educated and very intelligent. He traveled all over the world and had been involved in myriad activities including assisting with medical care in rural India, battling forest fires in the western United States, providing support to a geological research team in Greenland, and partially climbing Mt. Everest. He was in his early 40s, athletic, handsome and had a quick and playful sense of humor.
But he felt plagued by emotions and behaviors which felt overpowering and consuming. He had been in a long-term relationship with a woman whom he still
loved, but had ended the relationship because he was not able to maintain a long-term commitment. He was in a new relationship but was aware that
he was repeating some of the same intimacy-evading behaviors that he
exhibited in the previous relationship. He also found that he was being less effective with his clients for whom he worked as a consultant. His psychotherapy sessions were uncovering tremendous amounts of anger and deep levels of sadness.
During our first session Bill related to me the physical problems he had
been experiencing. These included difficulty with urination, knee pain (he
had had arthroscopic surgery in one knee), neck pain and stiffness,
difficulty breathing deeply, chronic tightness across his upper chest, and
low back pain. While none of these were debilitating, they were
ongoing symptoms of which he was becoming increasingly aware as he was
making changes in his life through psychotherapy. Bill had been working with his psychotherapist for a couple of years when I met him. Our work was to
focus on helping him integrate the psychological changes with his relationship to his body.
To begin our work we established a common ground for communication, namely the sensations, impressions, images, and “stories” he was experiencing in his body. This communication was essential for creating a safe place for him to explore these sensations and experiences. We also agreed that the purpose of our work was not to process his emotions in a psychotherapeutic way (which he was doing with his therapist) but to discover their impact on his body and his ability to function effectively.
We started with Bill lying on the massage table. Shortly into the
session we were both drawn to the tension in his shoulders. As I placed my
hands there, I began to notice the tension and pulling patterns in the
tissue and began to follow the patterns that his body was expressing. After a few minutes the tightness began to “melt” away. At that moment Bill stated that he could feel a deep rage emerging. I asked him to describe what he was experiencing in physical terms. He said he felt a surge of heat moving through his chest and stopping just below his throat. At his throat he felt as if there was some type of rope choking him, keeping him from yelling out. As he described the choking sensation, I noticed that he began to pull his shoulders up toward his ears. I asked Bill to allow me to hold his shoulders in that position and
to monitor what changes might happen at his throat.
At first there seemed to be no response, but within a minute he began to notice a shift. The restriction at his neck began to loosen and he began to notice the sense of heat moving up toward his head. Just then Bill took a deep breath
and suddenly felt a rush of heat in every part of his body. Instead of rage he
felt an incredible sense of fullness and vitality. It was as if he had held back so much that he literally choked off his energy to avoid feeling an emotion which he had deemed unpleasant. In his therapy sessions later he began to uncover some of the childhood experiences which contributed to his need to withhold his emotions and began to address them.
Our sessions often involved checking in with the issues that were addressed with his therapist that week and then we would investigate the relationship of these issues to his body experiences. Using Ortho-Bionomy techniques I focused on the areas of discomfort or sensation associated with the emotion or mental state that he was experiencing in the moment. Utilizing the understanding in Ortho-Bionomy that the body is trying to complete some action to find equilibrium, I created a space for a “conversation” to begin. Sometimes a movement would initiate from within the tissues. Other times there would be a sense of holding or "non-movement," and I would support that holding pattern while allowing it shift or unwind on its own. By avoiding attachment to any
specific outcome or trying to make something happen, Bill was able to explore
sensations, thoughts, associations, tension or holding patterns, and energy
flow throughout his body safely and at his own pace.
Occasionally Bill would experience an upswelling of emotions. When he did
experience strong emotions, we focused on the body experiences and we
tracked how these sensations moved or transformed within the framework
of his body. By so doing, he was able to establish a reference point which
permitted him to remain in his body experience throughout, allowing him to
gain insight and perspective which he would later use while working with his
psychotherapist.
We worked together regularly over a period of three years and the changes
in his life were dramatic. He connected with a sense of deep compassion for the world which he had not known before. His relationship with his current girlfriend was more intimate and more honest than he had ever previously experienced, and his consulting business improved dramatically. He felt a release from the burdens he had been holding onto, his pain and tension patterns were greatly reduced, the difficulties with urination diminished noticeably, and his knee and low back discomfort reduced significantly.
But the greatest change Bill experienced from our work together was a new connection with a spiritual sense of himself. His intellectual perspective of a cold and difficult universe opened up to a profound, emotional involvement with life. While he still had difficulties expressing his emotions, he now had many tools for unlocking them and for trusting their power and importance in his life. He attributed this awakening to reconnecting with his body and allowing himself to experience life fully in both the physical and emotional realms.
Conclusion
In my practice, I find that I work with many people who are on a journey of self discovery and self acceptance and are looking for ways to integrate the body and emotions. Sometimes they are aware of this idea of type of integration when we start, but other times it is not until we have started working that they begin to recognize the value of incorporating body and energy work with their psychological development. Because of the gentle, noninvasive, nonjudgmental and physically safe environment which is created in an Ortho-Bionomy session, I have found that clients who are experiencing various degrees of depression, developing appropriate boundary and safety strategies, experiencing emotional stress due to chronic pain or illness, or who are undergoing severe stress in their personal or work lives can be helped considerably. This work is also beneficial for individuals who have experienced both emotional and physical trauma either as adults or as children. Because we focus on the ability of the body to integrate experiences we can avoid retraumatization that can sometimes accompany more invasive types of work.
Learning Ortho-Bionomy
Training in Ortho-Bionomy provides practitioners with the knowledge and
experience necessary to communicate with the body in ways that are safe, supportive, and ultimately transformative. While Ortho-Bionomy is complete as a stand-alone modality, it can be used in conjunction with other modalities including psychotherapy. As a somatic psychotherapist you can learn techniques to increase your awareness of the physical and energetic messages of your clients while also expanding your observational and palpation skills. Ortho-Bionomy is tremendously valuable for providing you with the tools that allow you to monitor the body and its functions while also working with people on the emotional level.
When we look at holistic healing, we are indeed connecting with all levels of the person. By recognizing that there is an interrelationship between these parts we are able to facilitate both our own and our clients’ growth, healing and evolution. The patterns present in the body connect with our emotional, mental and spiritual understanding in deeply profound ways. As we expand our perceptions of what healing is, we increase the choices available to us for healing, and we are able to experience fuller, more satisfying and rewarding lives.
Biographical Information:
Bruce C. Stark is a Registered Instructor and Senior Practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy. He has conducted workshops and training seminars throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. You are welcome to contact him on +1-773-447-6880 in the US or in Australia on 0417 477 686.