Have you ever felt your legs freeze when standing in a high place, or your body tense up in surprise at a sudden loud noise?
These are instances where the body senses danger and reacts even before fear is consciously registered. We often believe we are in control of our bodies. Yet, it is through our bodies that we exist and navigate life. Without a body, we cannot paint, dance, or share anything with others. If the body is unwell, performance suffers, and we cannot exert strength beyond its capacity. We are not controlling our bodies; rather, it is we who are under the body's control.
We Do Not Control the Body: A Reversal of Dominance
In recent years, we've increasingly heard the phrase, "listen to the body's voice." I believe this means sensing the messages the body emits and changing our actions for its well-being. Over 15 years, Unfolding Bodywork has allowed me to converse with thousands of bodies. With each session, it feels as if my body and the client's body are engaging in a dialogue. And the more these dialogues accumulate, the easier it becomes to build a relationship of trust with the client's body. As this communication ability with the body grows, so too does the wealth of information we can perceive. This is a fascinating aspect of this bodywork.
I have listened to countless body voices. The ways they manifest are diverse. For example, there was a case where, after surgery, despite medical resolution of the issue, pain and discomfort in the wound area became chronic. A client was suffering from similar persistent discomfort. The moment I placed my hand on the surgical scar, I felt a voice of anger and emotion, almost screaming, "What are you doing?!" Assuming the body possesses feelings and will, even if the decision for surgery was made with valid reasons, it remains an invasive intervention for the body. It felt like an outcry of anger. The chronic post-operative discomfort was, in essence, a plea of rage. While I usually refrain from disclosing what I sense during a session, the client's body repeatedly urged me, so I conveyed it. Subsequently, as if the body's wish was fulfilled, the chronic discomfort that plagued them vanished. That discomfort must have been the body's cry.
Messages from the Body: A Case of Post-Operative Pain as "Anger"
Bodywork that assumes the body possesses feelings and will, and engages in dialogue by listening to its messages, seems rare to find anywhere in the world. As I wrote in a previous article, "Constrained 'Methods,' Liberating 'Being'," many approaches get fixated on 'how-to's, often sidelining whether something is truly necessary for the body. If the body indeed has feelings and will, I believe there should be bodywork that genuinely accompanies it.
Perceiving the body's feelings and will is not common, so expressing such concepts can often be met with suspicion. It's the brain's mechanism to reject what it doesn't understand, so it's unavoidable. However, this is neither a personal ability of mine nor a special gift. It is an innate capacity of the body, but to awaken this ability, training is essential. From my experience teaching bodyworkers, I've seen that anyone can develop this perception. To do so, one must cultivate an approach that reveres life.
The Ability to Listen to the Body's Voice is Innate in Everyone
Regarding this, no amount of words can convey the understanding that comes from direct experience. Thus, for the first time in several years, I have decided to host an experiential workshop titled "Paradox! The New Anatomy." This workshop is incredibly powerful. Merely participating can transform your body and transmute your life. Those who enroll should do so with a sense of readiness. Of course, this experience can also be had through individual sessions. For those desiring a profound experience, private sessions are highly recommended.
Details of the workshop will be announced in the next article.