Chances are, the “garbage” in your life has left you disconnected from your body in some way.
Research has shown how bodywork is a direct path to emotional healing and restoring vitality.
In recent decades, experts have come to new understandings about how emotional experiences are “stored” in the body and how the natural connections between mind and body can become disrupted and how they can be repaired.
At birth, we experience our very first unwanted touch. Beginning with our first diaper, we’re given mixed messages about our bodies.
After infancy, most of us have experienced some kind of shame, abuse, or other trauma involving our bodies. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it can be harder to identify; for example, the representations of people we see in advertisements, on TV, in films, etc. are often selected to serve a hidden agenda (and sometimes a not-so-hidden agenda) and give specific messages about our bodies.
Touch – something as simple as a hug – is a natural way to communicate and support each other, regardless of our age. Unfortunately, study after study has shown that most people do not get adequate amounts of touch in their daily lives. Some adults experience touch as part of sexual pursuits and almost nowhere else. (More messages.)
Depending on their experiences, some can find themselves in the frustrating position of wanting touch and having their body react negatively to it. This may show up as “guarding” (tensing or numbing) or “soothing” behaviours (eating, alcohol, drugs, or other distractions) or anxiety, none of which address the underlying problem and most of which add more layers of trauma.
As children, most of us learned to inhibit our natural body experiences in response to directives such as “don’t cry”, “be quiet”, “don’t be afraid” and many others. Sometimes the messages weren’t verbal, e.g. witnessing violent anger and then avoiding/suppressing our own “dangerous” feelings of anger. And in experiences of abandonment, neglect or abuse, the situation may have been so intense that we disconnected (“dissociated”) from our feelings in order to cope, or “froze up” to protect ourselves because we were overwhelmed or overpowered. These and other situations cause unexpressed feelings to be “stored” in our bodies.
The biggest problem with all this garbage is that after a while we don’t realize just how much we’re carrying around with us. Imagine yourself dancing with your garbage on your shoulders, on your back, in each hand or tied to one of your legs. Now imagine yourself dancing without it.
I can help you “take out the garbage”, restore your body connections and have more pleasure, happiness and personal empowerment in your life. Read more about what I do and how I do it or use the form below to ask any questions.
Body Connections ™ 