Useful exercises for removing muscle blocks. Tension Poses Lowen Arch Exercise

Bioenergy analysis, or bioenergy, is an effective one, developed in the 40-50s. a student of Wilhelm Reich, psychotherapist Alexander Lowen. When developing the method, Lowen took Reich's vegetative therapy as a basis and supplemented it with special exercises that allow you to accumulate energy in the areas of the body that are constrained by the "muscle shell" and, through overstrain, to relax the contracted muscles.

The essence bioenergy analysis

The essence of bioenergetic analysis is to work with the body and mind, with the help of which the patient's emotional problems are eliminated, his energy potential is revealed and the ground is prepared for enjoying life. Body and mind work includes psychotherapy (verbal psychoanalysis), manual therapy techniques, and special relaxation techniques.

Our body is the only objective reality

Alexander Lowen believed that any psychological problem arises from a disturbed perception of reality. The only objective reality for each of us is our body, therefore, to get rid of neuroses, you need to concentrate as much as possible on your own body. Analyzing a person's posture, facial expressions, postures and gestures, Lowen determined in which area of ​​the body there is muscle tension and, using a special system of exercises, eliminated it.

Human energy grounding

Lowen paid much attention to the grounding of the patient's biopsychic (vegetative) energy. The lack of natural abdominal breathing, the perception of life through the mind, not the heart, social prohibitions on physical pleasure tear a person off the ground, take him away from reality. He begins to live with the upper part of his body (mind, logic), which leads the body into a state of split (between sexuality and spirituality, conscious and unconscious, mind and body). In order to bring your upper and lower body into balance, you need to temporarily move your senses to the abdomen and lower extremities. It should be remembered that the center of our body, according to Lowen, is not the brain or genitals (as Reich believed), but our heart, which controls other organs. To avoid mental problems, eliminate chronic stress in the body and establish close relationships with people, a person needs to learn to accept and give his love.

How does chronic tension in the body arise?

According to Lowen, chronic tension in the body is the result of prohibitions and restrictions in society. Following cultural and moral norms creates an internal conflict in the human mind, the flow of energy in the body is disturbed. A person begins to suppress his desires, so some of the energy accumulates inside his body, holding down a certain muscle group. Bioenergetic analysis is aimed at releasing the energy "trapped" in the body and directing it into a natural channel.

Lowen's character of a person

In Lowen's bioenergetics, a special place is given to the character of a person - the style of behavior with which he controls his own desires and desire for pleasure. It is the character of a person at an unconscious level that most often leads to the emergence of chronic tension in the body. In his practice, Lowen identified five main types of human character: schizoid (inadequacy of emotions), oral (inability to act independently), psychopathic (desire to dominate), masochistic (habit of suffering), hysterical (frequent emotional outbursts, dramatized behavior).

Tension Body Relaxation Poses

In order to ground a person, fill chronically tense areas of the body with energy and ultimately relax them, during a session of bioenergetic analysis, the patient is recommended to use special exercises - tense postures. Being in one of these poses for a long time, a person increases the tension in the muscles to such an extent that sooner or later they relax. In this case, the tremor that occurs during the exercise is an indicator of the energization of the muscles. In Lowen's bioenergy, the patient is most often advised to concentrate on the pelvic segment of the muscle carapace (see the article ""). By directing attention to the pelvis and legs ("Pelvic Arch"), a person grounds his energy and, according to Lowen, deprives his "ego structure" of support.

Lowen Arch Exercise

This exercise serves as a powerful tool for grounding a person's energy and is also the best indicator of chronic tension in the body. If it is present, you will not be able to complete the "Lowen Arc". So, we recommend checking yourself.

Stand straight, spread your legs so that there is a distance of 45-50 cm between them. Point the toes of the feet slightly inward. Bend your knees as far as possible without lifting your heels off the floor. Clench your hands into fists and rest them on the lower back. Then bend back slightly. Try to hold the pose for as long as possible. Breathe not with your chest, but with your stomach. After 5-10 minutes of this standing, you should feel tremors in your legs. If it appears, then the exercise was completed correctly. You felt your legs - you grounded your body, and as a result, you became more holistic, rooted, relaxed.

The benefits of bioenergy analysis

The main benefits of using this method are as follows:

• A person's stereotypes of behavior change (especially in conflict situations).
• The attitude towards oneself and the world changes (which means that the character also changes).
• Emotional mood improves (neuroses and depression pass).
• Energy blocks are eliminated (a person becomes cheerful, energetic).
• The whole body recovers (posture changes, breathing acquires a natural depth).
• A person begins to see reality as it is (and not through the prism of stereotypes and fears).
• Learns to build harmonious relationships with people (accept and give love).
• Restores the ability to enjoy life (liberates oneself).
• Along the way, he solves a number of psychological problems (usually arising at a young age).

Lowen's bioenergy exercises revitalize the human body, helping it to release repressed emotions and feelings, as well as resolve internal conflicts. Certain experiences of impact on different parts of the body increase a person's resistance to stress and harmonize the mind with the body shell.

Basics of classes

The bodily practice of Alexander Lowen is aimed at generating certain vibrations in the human body. In fact, vibration waves in this therapy are called general reactions of the physical shell, including the pulsation of both individual organs and entire organic systems. The main thing is only what factor became the determining factor in the appearance of these vibrations.

The creator of bioenergetics believed that the cause of flowing bodily sensations is excitement, which is a mixture of excitement, desire for intimacy and activity of intuition.

It is in the vibrations that the natural mobility of the individual lies, which is characteristic of emotional activity or spontaneous actions.

Everything that belongs to the sphere of the unconscious is not controlled by the human mind or ego, which means it is the most natural manifestation of the human essence. In childhood, all personalities are very mobile, but over time, their lifestyle more and more resembles a static one. An early loss of body activity occurs in stressful situations, during depression.

An ideal lifestyle implies a harmonious balance of conscious and partially conscious actions. A person with such a system of movement is a graceful person, but this grace can be achieved only when striving for higher self-control and self-awareness. It is bioenergetic therapy that is called upon to acquire such a height, which weakens the rigidity of the body, increases the energy potential of the individual and deepens his breathing.

How to detect muscle tension

Before choosing an exercise system, Lowen advises the therapist to diagnose the patient for body blocks. The client must first lie on his back.

Breath analysis

The first stage of the examination is breath analysis. It is necessary to assess whether the chest and abdomen are part of the breathing process and how often inhales and exhales enter the pelvic region. It is necessary to check the chest for the degree of stiffness by lightly pressing on it. It is also worth evaluating the skill of conscious breathing, when the specialist asks the client to breathe under his arm, placed on the patient's stomach.

Here the soreness of the abdomen and chest, their bulging, reaction to tickling are checked. Then you need to assess the hips. The feeling of tickling, soreness, the degree of muscle tension or their excessive laxity is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the gluteal muscles.

Examination of the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle

Then the condition of the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle is examined. Muscles from the cervical spine, where they connect the neck and skull, are carefully studied. The therapist looks at the level of pain, sensitivity from tickling.

Attention is also paid to the throat blocks. They are evidenced by the patient's quiet and high voice, as well as the occurrence of throat cramps with excitement, the appearance of lumps in his voice, frequent nausea with difficult vomiting.

Study of the circular muscles of the mouth

Equally, like other muscles, the circular muscles of the mouth are checked, the tension of which is not realized at all, but manifests itself in specific wrinkles and tightly closed lips. Then the therapist checks the soreness of the masticatory muscles.

It is also necessary to diagnose blocks in the eye muscles. They are indicated by radial wrinkles, rare tearing, a blurred look.

Study of pelvic mobility

The next step is to ask the person to stand up. It is necessary to check how mobile the pelvis is during the respiratory process. To analyze blocks in the pelvic area, you can perform a simple exercise: take a standing position with slightly bent knees and feet apart 25 cm from each other.

It is necessary to transfer the weight of the torso to the toes and set the pelvis as far as possible, while still bending the knees and moving, as in the process of defecation. At this moment, the muscles in the pelvic floor area relax, and then they contract. If a person does not feel the difference, he clearly has a block.

The tension in this area has to do with early cleanliness training or masturbation prohibitions.

Grounding Exercises

Alexander Lowen was a supporter of many oriental practices that highly valued the lower centers of the human body as stores and conductors of energy. Bioenergetics assumes that it is vitally important for a person to stand on the ground with two feet, moreover, firmly and confidently. On a personal level, this gives a feeling of independence and security, it also does not allow you to lose contact with reality and your own physical shell.

Grounding allows you to know your sexuality and tune in to receive true pleasures.

These exercises are aimed at focusing attention and shifting the center of gravity to the area below the abdomen in order to be closer to the ground and forever forget about the irrational fear of falling and losing support. In the case of successful grounding, a person becomes the owner of a harmonious body, in which there are no obstacles to the natural flow of vital energy.

In addition, a series of bioenergetic experiments in this block makes it possible to realize which muscles are tense and why it is dangerous for an individual's breathing.

Checking the rooting level

First, you should check the level of your own rooting on the surface of the earth and the degree of vibration signals.

• Spread your feet at a distance of 45 cm from each other and turn them slightly inward so that the muscles of the buttocks tighten.
• Bend forward and touch the floor with your fingers, bending your knees slightly. At the same time, transfer the weight of the body to the big toes; you do not need to put pressure on your hands.
• Lower your chin as low as possible without straining your neck. Breathe freely and deeply through your mouth.
• You can lift your heels slightly off the floor.
• Then begin to straighten your legs, pulling the tendons under the knees. Maintain the pose for a minute, and then reflect on your feelings.

There should be vibrational activity in the legs, marking a wave of excitement in the body, all energy blocks temporarily subside.

For this experience to be successful, two rules must be followed:

• Always bend your knees. The elasticity of this part of the body allows you to shift the load on the lower back, and this corresponds to the effect of a stressful situation on the body. It is the knees that absorb the shock of a person from any unexpected event and allow the pressure to go into the depths of the earth.
• Let go of your belly. Ideas about an ideal figure are almost inseparably linked with thoughts about a person's fit. However, tension in the abdomen blocks spontaneous actions and sexual skills. It also significantly complicates abdominal breathing and simply wastes the individual's energy. It must be remembered that physical tightness always provokes psychological stress, while the released belly has little to do with the belly. The main block for the movement of energy is in the navel area.

Abdominal Relaxation Exercise

Lowen's bioenergy, whose exercises help to feel chronic ailments in the body, pays a lot of attention to relaxing the abdomen. There are two techniques for relieving tension in the abdominal area:

• Place your feet parallel at a distance of 25 cm.
• Bend your legs slightly.
• Shift your body weight onto your heels, yielding to a straightened, but not rigid body forward, and do not lift your feet off the floor.
• Release your stomach, keeping your mouth breathing evenly for a minute. You will feel tension in your lower torso. Think about whether you are breathing with your belly and whether you can feel with such a released belly a careless, sagging individual.

The second method of working on the stomach is called Duga (Arka, Bow) and is actively used in the eastern Tai Chi technique. This exercise helps to open up the breath in a stressful situation and create the necessary pressure on the legs.

• Spread your feet 45-50 cm apart, turning them slightly inward.
• Clench your hands into fists, place them on the lumbar region, turning the knuckles upward.
• Bend your knees as much as possible without lifting your heels off the ground, and bend back.
• Move over the top of your fists, shifting your weight only forward onto your feet. Breathe deeply, engaging your stomach.

If there is a feeling that the lower back is taut, then there is muscle tension. Please note that with relaxed legs, unpleasant feelings should not arise in the hips or knees.

Place your feet parallel, bend your knees, relax your pelvis and take it back a little. The upper half of the body should go forward without bending, as in a fall. The body weight is transferred to the tips of the feet.

Keep your head and torso in line to keep your balance. Lift your chin, look straight.

Visualize that there is a heavy basket on your head. Your chest is pulled in and your abdomen expands so that you can breathe as fully as possible. The earth supports you. The tense muscles in this position stretch slowly, so pain may be felt at first.

For maximum rooting, it is helpful to change your gait so that each step is associated with a conscious sense of contact with the ground. Move slowly and shift your weight onto each foot in turn. You do not need to hold back your breath or strain your shoulders, and blocking of the knee muscles also negatively affects.

When walking, a person should feel that his center of gravity is shifting downward, from which a sense of security and grace grows.

Place your feet 20 cm wide and squat down. Maintain a position without external supports, as a last resort, grab the furniture.

The feet should be pressed to the floor, and the body weight should be transferred to the toes. The exercise can be facilitated by a soft roller under the heels. The task of such an exercise is to stretch the leg muscles, relieve them of tension, so it is useful to periodically shift the body weight back and forth. The soreness of this posture is associated with blocking the legs, so you can sometimes kneel down and sit on your heels, but this also causes discomfort due to energy congestion in the legs and feet.

Sit in a chair. Put your feet on the floor, start lifting your torso without resting on the furniture, pushing from the ground. To do this, transfer the body weight to the front of the feet, then rest on them and spring up.

This exercise helps you experience the closest contact with the ground and requires little effort.

Place your feet at a distance of 30 cm from each other, bend your knees and put your hands on them. The purpose of this workout is to move the pelvis to the sides at the expense of the lower limbs, keeping the upper half of the body passive.

It is necessary to transfer body weight to the pads of the right foot, straighten the corresponding knee and bend the pelvis to the right. Then the action is repeated with the left limbs, and the pelvis is shifted to the left.

The exercise must be repeated 5 times in each direction in order to realize that a true grounded movement excites and looks graceful, while forced turns with the pelvis with twisting the entire torso do not bring pleasure.

Activation of the pelvic muscles

A pinched stomach is a consequence of the restriction of one's own sexuality. However, the flow of sexual feelings may not even reach this area if the pelvic area is not free. Blocks in the pelvic area interfere with the necessary vibrations, they also negatively affect the way you hold your head.

Alexander Lowen noted that most often a person squeezes the buttocks, and brings the pelvis forward, creating a strong stressful tension in the lower back, in the lower back. When the pelvis is retracted, sexual feelings enter the genitals, and this helps the personality to be energetically discharged. Without relaxed pelvic muscles, a person is not able to feel grounded in the sexual sphere of their life.

That is why, within the framework of bioenergetic therapy, you need to learn to spontaneously swing the pelvis. At the same time, however, one should not forget about the need for vibrations in the legs and harmonious breathing movements.

Exercise 1

Stand up and bend your knees slightly, spread your feet 30 cm apart. Transfer your body weight to the pads of the big toes, release your stomach and calmly place your palms on your hips. Begin to rotate your hips from side to side, grasping only your pelvis, not the upper half of your torso or leg.

Breathe freely using only your mouth. Move 12 times to the left and 12 times to the right. Try to keep your pelvic floor as relaxed as your anus.

This exercise is usually not given to those who suffer from sexual problems or insufficient grounding.

Exercise 2

Now try to become aware of the blocks at the base of the back and in the pelvis. Lie on the ground, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. With each breath, move your pelvis back so that your buttocks are pressed against the surface, and your stomach is released. As you exhale, the pelvis rises slightly, and the feet press on the floor, providing grounding.

After 15-20 breathing cycles with the mouth (with the withdrawal of inhalations and exhalations into the pelvis), the exercise can be completed.

The pelvis and breathing should correspond to each other, there is no need to strain the buttocks. It is not necessary to push the pelvic region up due to the tense hips and abdomen, because this blocks the sexual experience and all the spontaneity of action.

Exercise # 3

Stretch the inner thigh muscles that bring your legs together regularly. To do this, take a lying position, placing a folded blanket under the lumbar spine. The buttocks should touch the floor.

• Bend your legs, spread them apart, but the feet should touch each other.
• Keep your hands on the sides of the body or on the inner thighs, and tilt your head back.
• It is necessary to press on the floor with your buttocks and spread your knees without lifting your feet from each other.
• Maintain the posture for several minutes, letting go of the abdomen and carrying out deep abdominal breathing. In case of severe pain, you can remove the roller from under the back.
• You can continue the exercise by returning your knees to the starting position. The feet must be diluted by 50-60 cm, and after them the knees.
• Then begin to slowly bring your knees, but do not squeeze the muscles of the legs. Feel the pleasant vibration of your feet.

Emotional self-expression

From Lowen's point of view, bioenergetic therapy should help a person to become aware of the self. Self-expression is closely related to the last term, i.e. freedom of expression. It is not necessary to manifest selfhood consciously, sometimes a deep voice and shining eyes are enough, but this cannot be achieved artificially.

Lowen's experiences teach people to view their feelings in a safe environment, expressing fear, anger, and sadness.

The purpose of such exercises is to master self-control, which will help to maintain a large amount of energy in the future, even in a stressful situation.

Bioenergetics makes a person balanced, i.e. promotes coordination of actions and feelings.

Exercise 1

The first exercise introduces a person to protest expression and demonstrates the individual's level of self-expression. The advantage of these actions is also that they involve the lower half of the body in the activity.

• Lie on a soft surface, relax your legs.
• Grasp the edges of the bed or mattress with your palms.
• Raise your leg and start hitting with the heel from top to bottom, at first slowly and lightly, and then harder and faster (from 25 strikes at the beginning to 200 at the end). The blows should be a solid movement that goes through the entire body.
• You need to raise your head with each bounce of your foot, and vice versa.

If it is difficult to do the exercise, you can think of past unfair moments in life. You can also shout “No” while breathing deeply.

Exercise 2

You can also hit soft surfaces with your fists or tennis rackets.

• To do this, you need to spread your feet 25 cm, bend your knees, shift your weight onto your toes.
• Hands are raised behind the head, arching the back and hitting the mattress or bed with screams that will help defuse the accumulated anger.

However, it is necessary to beat not with all strength, but very gracefully and smoothly, bringing the shoulders back far back. A punch is not a muscle contraction, but a free and calm action that gives excitement to the entire body - from the feet to the hands. As a result of the exercise, you can relax your upper back and shoulders.

Exercise # 3

If you are working with a partner or in a therapy group, be sure to refer to the exercise to build trust and teamwork. In a not too lit space, lie with your back on a soft surface, bend your legs at a distance of 45 cm from each other, relax, cover your eyelids.

Focus on deep breaths in and out, and after a minute, start remembering one event from your childhood when you were limited in your desire to learn something new, when you were crying or were angry. Imagine the situation to the smallest detail and try to express your feelings for your parents through tears, screams, any actions.

Then you need to calm down and lie down, inhale and exhale 5-6 times. Then open your eyes, spread your fingers and toes, and after 2-3 minutes put a towel in your mouth. Clamp it with your teeth and begin to drag to relieve the pressure in the jaw area.

After 5 minutes, take out the towel and begin to twist it aggressively with both hands. Relax, then close your eyes and return to your memories. Think of a different reaction to your parents, voice it, and take it easy.

After a couple of minutes, open your eyes and breathe deeply and gently. Swap places with your partner, whose goal is to reassure the patient with your presence, to remind him of the need for verbal manifestations of feelings. It can also relieve tension by massaging certain areas of the body.

Breathing practices

Correct breathing is the key to exciting vibrations of the body, since oxygen generates the necessary energy in the body.

Lowen's bioenergetic experiments help you to become aware of your breathing, make your breaths in and out more natural and relaxed.

In adulthood, people often suffer from respiratory distress due to emotional contradictions and, as a result, muscle tension.

Ideal breathing must necessarily involve the throat, diaphragm, chest, abdominal cavity, and lower ribs. Inadequate inhalation and exhalation represent a person's protection from fear and panic.

When working with breathing, it is important to note the role of a loud voice, which provides confidence in the process of recruiting and assimilating oxygen.

Holding the sound creates blocks, and its release resonates in the body and leads to the necessary vibrations. Bioenergy teaches a person to breathe effortlessly and loudly so that suppressed stress reactions and pain collapsed under the pressure of sound and freedom.

• Sit on a firm surface. Stretch out the “a” sound for at least 20 seconds. Gradually increase the playing time to neutralize the blockages in breathing. As a result of exercise, people usually notice intense breathing in and out, as well as crying. Also, the sound "a" can be replaced with counting aloud at a constant frequency.
• Get into a seated position and breathe relaxed for a minute. Then make a sound throughout the exhalation. Repeat it while inhaling. Feel the air being sucked into the body, as before sneezing.
• Place a towel or blanket roller on your chair. Lie on it to stretch your back muscles and release your chest while breathing through your mouth. There will be back pain in this case, but it is not too noticeable if there are no problems with the spine. This action helps to release blocked emotions, so the person may cry or vomit.
• To release the throat clamps and deepen your breathing unconsciously, you need to sit down, relax and sound a long groan with each breath. Try to moan and inhale for three cycles. Then change your moan as you exhale for “Wow,” or fake sobbing, to rock yourself into tears or screams. Pronounce sounds while inhaling, do not be afraid to cry, because this process perfectly relieves stress and corrects breathing.

Group lessons

Group exercises can also be used to benefit breathing.

• Stand in a circle, spreading your feet 90 cm and transferring your weight to the toes of your lower extremities. Let everyone in the team bend their knees, relax, allow the pelvis to sag. One palm should be on your stomach.
• Direct your gaze to the opposite participant, inhale deeply through the mouth and send the air down the channel all the way to the abdomen.
• As you exhale, allow the sound to escape from the depths, which can be held for as long as possible, but without straining.
• After 16 slow inhalation and exhalation, you can shake yourself, shake your arms and legs.

As part of the exercise, you do not need to hold back, you need to monitor your feelings and possible obstacles in breathing. At the end, you can jump, slightly lifting your feet from the surface, walk in a circle, and then rest, moving your body weight forward and straightening your back.

Additional techniques

Exercise 1

To work on your own grace, it is useful to study spontaneous movements during everyday activities, such as cooking in the kitchen or walking. Try to be aware of your movements, feel the steps, but not think about them. The body must move at its own pace.

To understand the accuracy and grace of your movements, it is also helpful to reach out with your feet flat on the floor and bending your knees. At the moment of the gesture, you need to tilt forward a little, feeling how the wave rises from the ground and passes through the body.

With such a presentation of any movement, the isolation of the body disappears.

Exercise 2

Lowen pays great attention to the ability of a person to be in contact with their feelings and reality. It is impossible to constantly use the body mechanically, therefore bioenergetics offers simple experiments to become aware of your own organism. In particular, you can sit in a chair, raise your arms, bend back well and tip over behind the back of the chair. The bending of the body should be full, you need to hold the position for 30 seconds, keeping breathing through the mouth.

Practice helps to feel the tension in the shoulders, in the back. Most people after exercise intuitively want to hunch over again, although this should not be allowed. It must be remembered that a soft spine does not allow you to withstand stressful situations, and vice versa, a hard back does not allow you to easily bend if necessary.

Exercise # 3

The harmony of sexuality and spirituality is achieved by several techniques. First, you can admire your back in the mirror when turning your head. In this case, you need to move your pelvis back and forth, placing your feet 15 cm. It is important to understand the difference between a compressed pelvis, which automatically reduces growth and ugly rounds the back, and a set back, straightening the spine. As part of this exercise, it is also helpful to bend your knees, relax your pelvis, and breathe as deeply as possible so that the wave reaches your lower torso.

Secondly, bioenergetics advise to spread the feet by 20 cm, bend the legs, move the torso forward and relax. It is necessary to release the pelvis, inhale with the stomach and increase the pressure on the pelvic floor. In this case, the sphincter should be relaxed. Then deliberately pull up your anus, pelvis, and buttocks. The voltage will immediately rise several times. These movements will help develop sensitivity to your pelvis, make your sexual sensations more pronounced.

Exercise 4

General body dynamics are often determined by turning the head or the central transverse axis of the trunk, i.e. waist. This exercise is repeated in the morning, 5-10 times. You need to get up, bend your knees, spread your feet and look over your left shoulder so that your head unfolds as much as possible. The pose is held several deep breaths in and out, so that muscle tension is created from the skull to the back.

Then they repeat the turns to the right. You can also raise your arms with your elbows apart and turn to the right and then to the left, keeping the spinal muscles and the waist area in tension.

Do not forget about abdominal breathing and transferring weight to the front of the feet.

Exercise # 5

Do regular facial work as well. Bioenergetics advise getting up and extending your chin for 30 seconds to tighten the temporomandibular muscles. At the same time, you can move the jaw to the sides, feeling a slight pain in the back of the head. Then the mouth opens very wide so that 3 fingers fit in it.

After a few seconds, there is a period of relaxation of the chin, then it re-extends. The person's task is to clench his fists and shout out “No!” Convincingly.

Massage exercise

Bioenergetics favors massage that allows you to feel muscle tension in different parts of the body. Together with a partner, therapists recommend performing a back massage with the client sitting cross-legged and the assistant massaging him from the edge of the shoulders to the spine while kneeling in the back.

You need to press a little with your hands, and also knock with the edges of your palms in places where you feel energetic tension. You can even tap hard places with your knuckles. Neck massage is also performed, however, only the right hand works, while the left hand supports the head.

With a headache, bioenergetics are allowed to massage with three fingers a line from the bottom of the skull to the crown. And the so-called walking partner on the back of the patient is also very useful, although this exercise has many contraindications.

Exercise 7

Bioenergy therapy offers not only dynamic exercises, but also relaxation sessions. Sit somewhere in a quiet corner, press your parallel feet to the floor, and raise your head. Keep your hands on your knees. Feel the touch of the buttocks and the surface below you.

Close your eyelids, think about breathing, letting the process of inhalation and exhalation flow freely. A wave runs through the body in each cycle of breathing, which goes over the top on inhalation, and vice versa. On exhalation, the wave should reach the base of the abdomen and pelvis, so you need to let go of the stomach, and lower the buttocks as much as possible.

The exercise is performed for 10 minutes, while the pulsation in the body and connection with the Universe are felt.

Lowen's bioenergy exercises involve various manipulations with the body, the purpose of which is to understand yourself and your character through energy and metabolic processes in the body.

These experiments synthesize consciousness therapy with physical activities in order to achieve resolution of emotional and psychological difficulties and increase resistance to stressful situations in life.

When working on the muscle tone of your body, it is important to never forget that the activity of consciousness always reflects the state of the body shell, as well as vice versa. Therefore, structured pressure on different parts of the body, as well as touching touches, always help not only to relax the muscles, but to release their vitality from the shackles of social and personal limitations. published by econet.ru

Feet at a distance of about 40 cm from each other, toes slightly turned inward. Clench your palms into fists, rest them on the sacrum area (thumbs pointing up).

Bend your knees as hard as you can without lifting your heels off the ground. Bend back using your fists. Place your body weight on your toes. The line joining the center of the foot, mid-thigh and center of the shoulder girdle is stretched out like a bow. In this case, the stomach is freed. If there are chronically tense muscles, then the person, firstly, is not able to perform the exercise correctly, and secondly, he feels these chronic tensions, as pains and discomforts in the body that impede the performance of this exercise.

The main tense posture in Lowen's bioenergy therapy is the arch, backward bend, shown in Fig. 7. Lowen noted that he later discovered this posture in Taoist scriptures.

With the correct execution of the Lowen arch, an imaginary perpendicular line connects a point located in the middle between the shoulder blades to a point located in the middle between the legs. (Through 2 points you can draw ONE line. Why is it permendicular? - H.B.)

If we apply the terminology of bioenergetic therapy, then we can say that in this position a person is charged from head to toe, grounded and balanced. At the same time, muscle tension reveals that some participants are prone to excessive physical rigidity, which prevents them from successfully performing the arch. Others, with an excessively flexible back, do not provide sufficient support to their body, which may indicate excessive compliance, spineless personality (Or maybe a banana is just a banana and is this evidence of such a hereditary metabolism? - H.B.) ... Still others lack symmetry and harmony because their body parts appear to be acting separately (for example, the head and neck are tilted to one side, the torso in the opposite direction). These participants may have an internal disagreement, and in terms of character they can be attributed to the "schizoid" type. As with explaining the ground underfoot, the use of metaphor provides a clue to understanding interpersonal behavior: Rigid people tend to be stubborn and secretive; flexible people may not be capable of sufficient self-affirmation. Lowen has such confidence in the arch posture as a diagnostic indicator that he claims to have never seen a person with developmental disabilities perform the posture correctly (Lowen, 1975).

There are many bioenergetic tense postures, each of which is aimed at specific areas of the "muscle shell". Bioenergy therapists encourage participants to hold each posture for as long as possible and to breathe deeply and deeply during the exercise. (And sit on a hot skillet longer - H.B.) ... The higher the chronic muscle tension, the more effort is required to maintain the posture. If the body is energetically charged, vigorous, then there will be tremors in the tense area, for example, tremors in the lower extremities. Regular use of tense postures can help people get in touch with their bodies and maintain a sense of harmony when tense.

Movement exercises

As mentioned above, tense postures are used to establish areas of tension, but they also find use in direct physical work to relax tense muscles. Movement exercises are effective in helping to bring group members back to the primitive emotional state, the primary human nature.

Actor Orson Bean, well-known in the United States on television, describes his participation in the group, recalling his first meeting with a body therapist, who suggested that he use deep breathing and make a "bicycle" to release primitive feelings.

I began to rhythmically raise and lower my legs, striking the couch with my calves. My hips ached, and I thought, when will he say that it is already possible to finish, but he was silent, and I continued, and continued until I had a feeling that my legs were starting to "take away". Gradually, the pain passed, and a pleasant, vague feeling of pleasure began to spread more and more throughout the body. Now I felt the rhythm take over the movements, which required no effort on my part. I felt that I was embraced and carried by something greater than me. I breathed deeper than ever before and felt each breath going down my lungs to the pelvis (Bean, 1971, p. 20).

Bioenergetic theory holds that chronically tense muscles inhibit the impulse that occurs when the muscles are relaxed. Hence, encouraging free movement arouses impulse and blocked feelings. One of the basic physical movements of protest is kicking. The participant imitates the protesting actions of a small child, lies on his back, kicks his legs, bangs his hands on the floor and turns his head from side to side. Physical movements are simultaneously accompanied by loud cries of "no!" or "I won't!" - and thus the individual gains access to the blocked emotions of anger and rage. (And if a person DOES NOT have blocked emotions of anger and rage? Do they need to be invented? - H.B.)

The function of the other members of the group is to facilitate each member of the release process. They can actively stimulate this process, for example, say "yes" if the participant says "no", or say "you will" in response to the statement "I will not." In short, the group interacts with the main member to encourage fuller expression of feelings. (Is this therapy? Is this picking the wound therapy? - H.B.) The leader or group partner may comment on the discrepancy between the client's words and bodily movements, such as the smile that often accompanies a hostile gesture or remark. On other occasions, group members may "mirror" the movements of the working members by shouting and banging in unison with them to heighten emotional responses. Sometimes the subject of a person's anger becomes apparent when the anger is directed at an absent parent, sibling, or sibling. In bioenergetics, the origins of repressed affects are usually mediated by the interference of negative messages and parental limiting attitudes. The client may be asked to name the subject of his anger. Sometimes a leader or other participant can help ease emotional relaxation by playing the role of the person to whom the client's anger is directed.

In addition to kicking, physical movements such as hitting a mattress or a chair can also help express negative emotions. A group member can bang the couch with a tennis racket, yelling at an imaginary object of displeasure. (You must have a wild imagination - H.B.) This physical movement allows you to find a way out of rage, while chronic tension slowly eases, and some resistance to opening your feelings is destroyed.

Motor exercises work best when the participant becomes emotionally involved, becomes angry, and seeks to release anger and anger than when the motor exercises are performed as a mechanical ritual. A typical negative result is the containment of an intense outbreak, as a result of which the goal of the exercise is left unattained. Mintz warns (Mintz, 1971) that the group should be careful not to reject the person's expression of strong negative feelings, as rejection will simply increase the mental stress that arose many years ago.

In bioenergy groups, participants also express negative feelings towards each other. There are times when wrestling and other types of physical contact can be helpful. Pyrrakos (1978) cautions that encouraging these types of physical work must be preceded by group maturity, that is, participants must learn to trust each other enough to accept a direct negative message. Throughout the group experience, participants are reminded of the responsibility for their feelings. (Generally speaking, it is not safe to open up in front of a crowd of unknown, legally unrelated people - H.B.)

The manifestation of negative feelings, such as anger, fear, sadness, almost inevitably precedes the expression of positive emotions. Negative feelings seem to hide deep needs for positive contact and reassurance, and through them group members must pass before they are ready to accept positive emotions. According to Lowen, the pursuit of attachment cannot be trusted until repressed negative feelings are expressed. He is convinced that while not all members will admit to hiding or containing anger, everyone in the group can find something to express. (WHY? Why search and invent something if it is not the dominant problem? - H.B.)

Mintz (1971) gives an example of how confrontational physical contact between two group members can make it easier for one of them to be emotionally defused. A member of the group discovered that although she was naturally self-confident and physically strong, her family and other people close to her inspired the need to hide her physical capabilities and obey the cultural stereotype of a sweet, weak woman. She was especially afraid to reveal her hidden power in front of a man for fear that he would consider her unfeminine and, as a result, reject her. A suitable man was selected in the group to measure the strength of the hands with her. To neutralize the physiological differences in male and female strength potential, the woman was allowed to use both hands. A situation arose of a relatively equal competition in strength, after a long struggle, both participants burst out laughing to the point of exhaustion. Symbolically, the woman dealt with her essence, tried to express it, and her efforts were warmly received by the group.

In other situations, members of the group may not allow a person to stand up, symbolizing by this how others suppress him. This technique produces intensely emotional outbursts of anger and rage, so it should only be offered to emotionally stable members, and the leader should take physical precautions to ensure the safety of the group members (Mintz, 1971).

Movement exercises can be used by any participant who wants to work. Pyrrakos (1978) also suggests that the group as a whole can be encouraged to explore deep sensory experiences. He invites the participants to lie on the floor on their backs in a mandala position with their feet touching in the middle and their bodies positioned like spokes in a wheel. He finds that the "mandala" configuration can generate tremendous energy in the group, especially when the participants begin to breathe at the same time and thus the energy system of each participant seems to increase the accumulation of energy in the group. To encourage positive feelings, Pyrrakos "flips" the "mandala", and the participants find themselves lying with their heads to the center, while their legs spread out in beams.

Body therapists attribute the effect of "radiating" feelings and energy from one participant to another as an advantage of bioenergetics in a group context (Keleman, 1975). Keleman uses a variety of active methods to awaken and increase the energy of the group and make people kick, fight, protest, shout, press, breathe, feel pleasure and perceive the accompanying emotional experiences. He focuses not on mechanical exercises, but on natural movements such as touching or pushing off. Keleman's groups work primarily on a non-verbal level, and their members deepen their relationship by sharing the feelings generated by the working member. Throughout the development of the group, the therapist helps the participants to identify obstacles that prevent the expression of feelings, and then encourages movements that help their free expression. Almost always, among the members of his groups, there is a feeling of close connection.

Body therapists have argued that strong physical release of affect can lead to personality change (Olsen, 1976). In addition, when people become accustomed to openly expressing a particular emotion, they have an increased opportunity to experience the full range of feelings. In most bioenergy groups, participants go beyond emotional release and use newly arisen feelings to interact with others, seek feedback, and verbally work on their reactions.

Physical contact

Most body therapy groups include physical contact in group interactions. The role of physical contact in some approaches is especially emphasized. Reich's Orthodox Therapy uses muscle massage to encourage emotional release. Reich touches, crushes and pinches clients to help them break the "character armor". It starts at the top hoop of the "muscle carapace" and travels down the body until it reaches the last hoop, located at the level of the pelvis. Through direct manipulation of muscle bands, called "vegetative therapy" techniques, blocked feelings are released into a stream of negative emotions. In a common exercise, manipulating the upper hoop at eye level, the client is forced to open their eyes wide and release their emotions by verbally expressing their emotional state. When manipulating the hoop located at the level of the chest, the client may be asked to breathe deeply, and simultaneously with the breathing cycle, the therapist presses on the chest muscles.

Lowen's bioenergy is significantly different from Reich's method. Lowen, for example, does not insist that the release from the seven hoops of the "muscle carapace" should go sequentially, from top to bottom, and uses fewer techniques of direct body contact (Brown, 1973), preferring to rely on tense postures, active exercises to energize body parts and verbal techniques for releasing emotions. Lowen recommends using, in addition to physical manipulation of the tense area, physical contact between group members (Lowen, 1969). Massage-like contact between participants helps to relax muscles and areas of chronic tension (I see nothing that would prevent them from recovering again in the next half hour - H.B.) and, in addition, can serve as a means of providing support and reassurance. In Lowen's groups, participants are taught simple ways to massage tense muscles in the neck and shoulders. (Trust some fucking mountain with my back? - H.B.) ... More complex forms of body massage require the competence of a leader.

Other approaches to body therapy

Feldenkrais method

The Feldenkrais method is one of the approaches to body therapy and aims to create better bodily habits, restore natural grace and freedom of movement, establish the self-image, expand self-awareness and develop human capabilities (Feldenkrais, 1972). Moshe Feldenkrais, an engineer and judo champion and a popular figure in the group movement, has demonstrated his methods over the past decade at Esalen and other centers of personal growth. His techniques are original and usually applied in a group setting. Unlike Lowen and other body therapists, Feldenkrais does not address the emotional sources of the greatest physical stress.

Feldenkrais argues that deformed stereotypes of muscle movements become stagnant, become habits that operate outside of consciousness. The human skeletal structure is designed to resist gravity to keep the muscles of the body free for adaptive movement. However, in poor posture, the muscles take over some of the work of the skeletal structure. By paying close attention to muscle movements involved in voluntary actions, we begin to recognize muscle efforts that are usually hidden from consciousness.

Feldenkrais exercises are used to reduce excess effort in simple activities, such as standing, and to release muscles for their intended use. Just as our lower jaw does not drop, but touches the upper and the eyelids remain raised, despite the force of gravity, the balance of the body can and should be ensured by special nervous regulation, and not by tense muscular efforts. (Damn! Muscle tension has a REASON. Until it is eliminated - this is all doing monkey work - H.B.)

To facilitate the awareness of muscular effort and the smoothness of movement, the Feldenkrais groups focus on finding the best position to match the participant's innate physical structure. The following exercise shows how eye movement helps to organize body movement.

Sit with your bent right leg to the right and pull your left leg towards you. Expand your body and lean on your left hand, set as far as possible. Raise your right hand to eye level and move it to the left in a horizontal plane. Look at your right hand and turn your head and eyes to any point on the wall, far to the left of your hand. Then look at the hand, then at the wall, then again at the hand, repeating the movement twenty times: ten times - closing the left eye and transferring only the right eye from the hand to the wall, and then ten times - closing the right eye and transferring from the hand to the wall only left eye. Then try to perform all the movements again with both eyes open and see if the range of rotation to the left increases. Pull your bent left leg to the left, pull your right leg toward your body, and, following the steps above, try to increase your swing ranges to the right. Do not forget to perform the exercise with each eye in turn (Feldenkrais, 1972, p. 149). (The rotation is the strongest. Naturally, in the already hypermobile parts of the spine - H.B.)

According to Feldenkrais, with these painless muscle awareness exercises, people of all ages can not only develop good bodily habits, find the most effective way to move, but also become dexterous enough to successfully perform various tricks, such as touching the forehead with the big toe and throwing your legs over your head. (Are they treating a mid-ceiling patient again? Well, well - H.B.)

Alexander method

The second approach, emphasizing the functional unity of the body and mind and placing an emphasis on the study of habitual postures and posture, as well as the possibility of their improvement, is the Alexander method (Barlow, 1973). F. Mathias Alexander, Australian actor, lost his voice after years of performing on stage. For some, this is just a nuisance, for others, to whom a strong, sonorous voice gives their livelihood, it is a tragedy, since the loss of voice makes these people completely unworkable. Using a tricuspid mirror, Alexander began to observe how he spoke and discovered that he had a habit of tilting his head back, sucking in air and actually pinching his vocal cords before speaking. Then they made an attempt to get rid of incorrect head movements and replace them with more suitable ones. Working on himself, Alexander created a method of teaching integrated movements, based on the balanced interaction of the head and spine. He began teaching others his method, gained a reputation as a "breathing man" and through persistence was able to return to the stage.

Part of Alexander's popularity was due to his influence on such famous contemporaries as Aldous Huxley and George Bernard Shaw. In England and America in the 1920s and 1930s, it was fashionable in some circles of the intelligentsia to take lessons from Alexander. His method has been used by various groups of people, including groups of people with poor body posture, groups of people suffering from any medical conditions that are difficult to treat due to deformed body functioning, and groups of people who need to use their bodies with maximum ease and flexibility, such as actors, dancers. , singers, athletes. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the Alexander Method as part of the general direction of body therapy.

Alexander argued that the human body is a single whole and the deformation of one component negatively affects the whole body. Treating one ailment often brings only temporary relief, as many physical problems are caused by a system of bad habits. (You should hang your balls for such statements. VERY illiterate - H.B.) ... According to Alexander (1932), habit determines functioning. Habit is a characteristic way of a person's response to everything he does. Habits are reinforced by their constant use, and a person's habitual bodily postures may not necessarily be correct. Bad habits initially manifest as behavioral inconsistencies, muscle pain or clumsiness, but over time, more pronounced bodily problems may develop that interfere with the effective functioning of the body. The Alexander method is aimed at exploring habitual bodily postures and improving them, helping the participant to create the correct relationship of body parts. Alexander pointed out that with the correct bodily posture, the head should guide the body, the back should be free from abnormal bends and pressure, and the muscles supporting the skeletal base should be in dynamic balance.

In a normal demonstration, the trainer teaching the Alexander Method applies light pressure to the participant's head with his hands so that the muscles in the back of the neck are lengthened (Jones, 1976). This allows the participant to make a slight forward movement with the head, while the head is lifted, and thus a new "relationship" is created between the weight of the head and muscle tone. The coach can continue the process with light manipulation and movements such as walking, sitting and standing up. The result is a sensory experience of "kinesthetic lightness" in which the client suddenly feels free and relaxed and which affects all subsequent movements for hours or days. (It's okay that the tension actually starts in the stops, and everything else above is an interconnected pattern - H.B.) In essence, the Alexander method is aimed at inhibiting some reflexes and thus releasing other reflexes, which leads to a change in the shape of the body, for example, lengthening its parts, and facilitates movement. The purpose of this method is to expand the awareness of the habitual movement and replace it with alternative ones.

In addition, the Alexander method includes the correction of mental attitudes and the rehabilitation of physical habits. The trainer gives commands such as "drop your head" and "free your hands", and the participant deliberately rehearses new stereotyped habits. Each technique consists of determining what to do, finding better way the execution of the task and the process of execution itself. The trainer helps the participant to expand the sphere of awareness of their body and experience of themselves as an integrated whole person (Rubenfeld, 1978). Alexander's techniques can be used to overcome habits such as fist clenching, fidgeting, and fidgeting, which release the senses while relieving muscle tension. Simple series of movements are repeated over and over again, leading to profound changes in the shape of the body and its more plastic functioning.

(Actually, this is NOT a group therapy method - H.B.)

Structural integration

(This is also NOT a group therapy method - H.B.)

Physical contact is the main focus of the controversial method of body therapy - structural integration - otherwise called "Rolfing" (named after its founder Ida Rolf) (Rolf, Rolfing, WITHOUT a soft sign, where did it come from? - H.B.) ... Basically, Rolfing is a physical intervention used for the psychological modification of a person. Unlike bioenergetic approaches, Rolfing hypothetically suggests physical causes of stress rather than psychological stressors.

Essentially, Rolf believed that a well-functioning body with a minimum of energy expenditure remained upright and upright, despite the force of gravity. However, under the influence of stress, the body can adapt and distort. The most dramatic changes occur in the fascia, the connective membrane that covers the muscles (Rolf, 1976). The fascia is usually quite elastic, but under stress it shortens and can even change chemically.

The goal of structural integration is to manipulate and relax the muscle fascia so that the surrounding tissue can realign itself into the correct position. The therapy process consists of a deep massage using the fingers, finger joints and elbows. This massage can be very painful. The greater the tension, the greater the pain and the greater the need for manipulation. Due to the interconnection of the fascia of the whole body, tension in one area has a pronounced functional compensatory effect on other areas. For example, tension in the muscles of the leg leads to a proportional contraction of the muscles in the back and neck to maintain an upright position and balance the body. A neck massage provides temporary relief, but as with acupuncture, the more important center may be in the legs.

The Rolfing procedure consists of ten main exercises, during which the body is examined in an ordered sequence, the release and reorganization of joint movements occurs. While the therapist manipulates the muscle fascia and the soft tissues return to normal, the corresponding joint performs its physiological movements, and the muscles move in a manner more appropriate to their function. The first session is aimed at reducing tension in the chest, which increases blood flow from the heart to this area of ​​tension (Schutz, 1971). The following sessions focus on the feet and ankles, then on the sides and torso, and so on until the tenth session, during which the large joints of the ankles, knees, pelvis and shoulders are dealt with. As with Reich's therapy, the pelvis is fundamental to overall physical health.

Schütz went to great lengths to bring Rolfing into the psychocorrectional group movement. He points out that stimulation of certain areas of the body is often associated with certain types of emotional problems. For example, a person who, figuratively speaking, “tiptoes through life,” or someone who “imprints his heels,” as if resisting pressure from others, may have physical problems (for example, pinched toes or poorly distributed body weight). In Rolfing, emotional release usually relieves tension by manipulating an area of ​​the body. Since the Rolfing procedure is associated with pain and the possibility of structural damage to the body, Rolfing should only be performed by experienced practitioners. This method is especially effective when muscle carapace and tension are at an advanced stage, and can be used in therapies that are more mind-oriented than body-oriented.

(I have bad news - this is a highly publicized but completely useless method. Even advanced certified rollers, trained for six months, do not understand the mechanics of scoliosis - H.B.)

Primary therapy

The methods of releasing negative emotions used in bioenergy groups are in many ways similar to the methods of primary therapy. Primary therapy, which is attributed to Los Angeles psychologist Arthur Yanov, is arguably one of the best known and most controversial types of body therapy. The popularity of primary therapy is partly due to the fact that John Lennon and many other famous people have undergone this type of therapy.

In Lowen's exercise, which straddles the border between bioenergy and primary therapy procedures and exercises, participants are encouraged to lie on their backs and establish a direct connection with primitive feelings directed at people who played important roles in their early years. According to Janov, blocked, painful emotions are the main cause of neurotic behavior, and the only treatment is to relive these negative feelings (Janov, 1972). (Absolutely illiterate statement - H.B.)

The theory of primary therapy suggests that when a person's needs such as hunger, warmth, and the need to resolve, stimulate, maintain and develop his capabilities are not satisfied, frustration and resentment accumulate, which are hidden by layers of physical and mental stress. Yanov called this mental trauma "primary pain." People often find a way out of tension, in which they may not be completely aware of painful feelings. This exit is invariably symptomatic, self-destructive behavior that serves as a means of minimizing anxiety. Self-destructive behavior is repeated over and over again in a futile attempt to get rid of vague pain (Harper, 1975). (What is self-destructive behavior, where did the messages about its presence come from, what kind of nonsense is this anyway? It is natural for a person to strive for happiness, to defend himself - H.B.) Unfortunately, simply discharging the voltage is not enough; a person must experience the fullness of the initial pain and connect the current experience with early memories (Janov, 1972) (Again, this is old, like mammoth shit, a destructive message to retraumatization - H.B.) ... Although all types of body therapy seek to bring the clients' minds into contact with the deepest sensations and needs of the body, only primary therapy limits the reliving of the distant past, which is the main cause of most emotional disorders. (Before you fuck a client with a brain with a distant past, you have to figure out what worries him. I understand, of course, that putting everything on the REMOTE past is much easier than EFFECTIVELY working with the present or the non-distant past - H.B.)

Janov's significant innovation is a range of techniques that direct the client's efforts to recall (or imitate) early memories that are most difficult to re-experience and, therefore, most important for dealing with primary pain. (Logic - fucking. If the event is not remembered, then it is certainly important - H.B.)

During the first three weeks of therapy, clients are deprived of their usual stress relievers - television, books, cigarettes and friends - and are constantly under the supervision of a persistent therapist. The therapist follows a client who understands the goals and content of the therapy. When a hint of latent interaction appears, the therapist encourages the client to recall previously experienced feelings, directly and symbolically address the relevant people and make some statements to them. For any sign of distress or anxiety, the client is instructed to breathe deeply, start breathing from the lower abdomen, stop at the sensory experience, and make sounds to help clear it up. A person can scream, writhe, spew curses. In a direct and sometimes harsh manner, Yanov asks the client to express anger at close relatives, such as a brother or sister, or to ask the parents for help and thus bring key scenes of the past and related unreacted experiences back to life. (And what, will help appear? Will it fall from the sky? Will the conflict be resolved? - H.B.) Replaying traumatic experiences helps a person establish a mental connection between pain and its origin. Yanov never allows resorting to defensive rationalization, interpretation and care, but at the same time ensures the physical safety of a person.

The process of primary therapy can be illustrated by the example of a client who was manipulated for many years by a controlled mother who stifled the desire for independence (Brown, 1973). The therapist invites the client to lie on his back, to lie flat and, referring in his memories to the mother, recall some of her previous actions in relation to him. His memories and subjective negative emotions, together with the bodily intervention of the therapist, concentrated an enormous amount of energy, which found its way out in a stream of primitive rage. When the client did not have enough words to express it, they were replaced by bodily movements.

In summary, it can be said that primary therapy combines the associative chains of memories from the distant past with the mobilization of metabolic energy flow in the present, using verbal confrontation and breathing techniques (Brown, 1973).

Unlike other practitioners of other types of body therapy, Yanov did not stop at releasing repressed energy and persisted until he achieved more pain. (He's just a sadist - H.B.) Pain is a growing awareness of the lack of unconditional parental love for the child and the need for an adult to give up seeking love to compensate for past deprivation (Brown, 1973).

Just as each geyser spawns many other sources, Yanov's success has spawned a number of followers. In holistic primary therapy, Tom Verny (1978) aims to combine the sensory function, so sharply expressed in Janov's approach, with the cognitive, perceiving and intuitive-creative functions. The perceiving function, in particular, recognizes the role of bodily sensations in generating feelings. Verni obviously uses bodily work in a more individualistic way than Reich and less directive than Yanov, waiting for the client's initiative the way a surfer waits for a wave before stepping on a board. The solution to the problem of reviving important past events is to reconstruct the true conditions as accurately as possible. So, if the client talks about neck tension, Vernie can apply direct pressure to the neck to increase the tension. To enhance bodily sensations is to encourage feelings. If a client complains of chest pain, Vernie can apply pressure to the chest, thus evoking past memories. In the holistic primary approach, the therapist aims to turn group members to the past, overcome resistance, and intensify their feelings.