Since the person is his body, it is possible to read the history of the individual from the pattern of chronic muscular tension in his body. These chronic tensions limit the individual's ability to respond in a healthy way to the stresses of life. Bioenergetics provides a technique for reducing these tensions.
Eugene Gendlin (2000) demonstrates with two volunteers. The first is guided through feelings of tension in her shoulders and shakiness in her stomach. Gendlin conducts a second demonstration. The next volunteer presents the trauma of a hysterectomy due to cancer. Gendlin concludes with an explanation of his method.
Alexander Lowen (2000) demonstrates with Ann, who he used as a ten years earlier. She reports that since that first session she has been free of severe asthma attacks. She is now troubled by the death of her father and mother, abuse from her brother, excessive weight gain and the onset of menopause. Lowen guides her through a series of movement exercises.
Health and well-being are akin to a three-legged stool being supported by one leg of pharmaceuticals; a second leg of surgery; and a third leg of self-care. Whereas the first two legs are awesome in their efficacy, they are not effective in treating 60-90% of visits to health care professionals since these visits are related tos tress and other mind/body interactions. Dr. Benson will describe the therapeutic efficacy of the third leg - especially the usefulness of the relaxation response, belief and spirituality.
After an introduction to the key concepts of working with the body, all participants will be invited to do some bioenergetic exercises to experience the value of this technique. Participants will be asked to describe their experience.
Focusing is bodily attention, not to mere sensations but to an at first unclear, implicitly complex bodily sense-of a situation, problem, or aspect of life. Therapy deepens immediately with many clients if asked what physical sense comes in the middle of the body in relation to what is being worked on. With half a minute of repeated direct attention, clients can assign a "quality-word," e.g., "heavy," "fluttery," or "tight." Then small steps come to say the crux of the problem. Each brings a slight (later large) "shift" and release, a direct sense of validity, although further steps may again change the whole problem.
Educational Objectives:
To state what features in a person's body express his emotional conflicts.
To name a body technique that directly effects a personality program.
Alexander Lowen (1995) demonstrates with John who is dissatisfied with his body. Through exercises, Lowen helps John use his body to express his full range of feelings. Lowen explains that he does not rely on the mind to change behavior because of its lack of power. Lowen expects the body to free itself. The demonstration concludes with Lowen’s elaboration on his work.
Patients come to therapy because they have problems. These problems range from difficulties in working, in social and sexual relationships and in functioning. Symptoms may be depression, anxiety and fear, or a general sense that life has no meaning. In all cases it can be seen that the body is emotionally crippled by chronic muscular tensions which limit the person's energy and decreases his vitality. In this workshop Lowen explains how one recognizes these tensions and how they can be released.