Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/398416
F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 79 our tension and numb to our bodies' signals, unaware that we are introducing our own tension patterns into our work. Just as we gain information about our clients through our proprioceptive sense (e.g., we can feel fascial tension through our hands), our clients get information about us through theirs. Our tension, our emotional state, and our sense of safety and comfort (or lack of it) all show in our touch. Whether clients are consciously aware of picking up this information or not, their bodies register it and make decisions about how safe it is for them to relax and change. How can we help our clients create ease when our own bodies are tight, tense, or strained? It's vital that we pay attention to our own bodies as we work. Physical effort is always involved in bodywork, and complete ease is something we may never attain. But we can work to be as easeful as possible in all we do. A good place to start is by grounding. Many people think of grounding as feeling their feet on the fl oor, or their sit bones on a chair, but it's more than that. It's gaining the sense of being "right here" in your body, feeling the whole of it as it moves in space, and being aware of what it's contacting. This allows you to make choices about how you move and the postures you maintain. As we often tell our clients—and would do well to apply to ourselves— when you're not aware of the tension you hold, you can't address it. I hone my grounding skills with a dedicated practice of yoga and Continuum Movement, and a commitment to walking in nature daily (even when the weather's nasty). These help me be aware of my physical being and its limits, and help me feel connected to myself. While working, I actually keep most of my attention on my own body. I am continually feeling into my tissues, exploring how I can become more relaxed while staying alert and responsive. I know that once I'm aware of myself, I'm better equipped to be aware of my client. When I recognize the early signs of becoming tense or ungrounded, I can avoid overpowering my client or being so light with my contact that my client feels unmet. ASSUMPTIONS AND REACTIONS Michael, a computer animator, had experiences at each extreme before coming to see me. His primary complaints were neck and shoulder pain. He'd followed the recommendations of his company's ergonomics expert in setting up his workstation and exercised and stretched regularly. For years, he saw a practitioner who did deep myofascial work. She'd tell him, "Your back is so tight!" and then proceed to "pummel" him, as he put it. His muscles would be softer, but he'd be sore for days afterward, and he never got lasting relief. He then saw an energy worker who told him, "You just need to relax and receive." He reported falling asleep on her table several times, so he knew he did indeed relax, but he would wake up with the same symptoms he'd come in with. When I worked with Michael, I used my hands to meet the tension in his body without attempting to overpower it. I simply matched the force that was at work in his tissues and relaxed as much as I could while continuing to meet that force. I didn't try to change it or him, but I did stay curious and alert. And, as I've come to expect with craniosacral therapy, his tissue started to move and soften. My hands were contacting his pectorals and rhomboids quite deeply, but with very little effort. He was surprised he could feel the pressure, but wasn't in pain. Over the course of an hour, his shoulders softened, his right humerus rested more deeply in the fossa, and his neck lengthened. Over the following weeks, he reported that his exercises now helped him stay out of pain. It was CULTIVATING NEUTRALIT Y WANT MORE INFO? Continuum Movement Body awareness and movement system. www.continuummovement.com Healing From the Core Present moment awareness. www.healingfromthecore.com Upledger Institute International Craniosacral therapy training and information. www.upledger.com