One of the (other) hats I wear in the world is as a Body Worker. – A massage therapist, colour-as-healing therapist, and a Myofascial Release Therapist. This last is so precious to me – though all of the studies, and training, and practises over the years adds up to the whole of what I do, wearing this hat. It is a holding touch technique, rather than a moving over the body technique – and it is incredibly transformational. Healing.
Hands on skin, sinking into the body and the facia systems… Holding, in that moment. Just holding.
It is such delicious work – the feel of the body under my hands, warm skin, sometimes candles, soft music and gentle scents from the oil burner in the corner… There is a sense of simply being centred within that work and that space which is as precious and nourishing to me as it is to the client under my hands… In order to do this work, there is a fundamental aspect – I have to be centred within myself, feeling aware of the energy of unconditional love, and the earth beneath my feet. And the preciousness of this body under my hands -and the feel of the personality and energy within this body. Aware of the different sensations under my hands, without judgement or expectation, and feeling into the gentle movements of the fasica.
Holding.. Just holding – there is this golden moment of sinking in and feeling the body beneath my hands soften… and the tension in the body begin to soften and release. Relaxing into being held and just letting go…
Just softening…. And as this happens, I watch, hold, feel and remain centred, connected and holding…
And this is where “magic” happens.
Letting go of whatever tension is being held within the body. And as it does, the shapes the body takes as it moves into letting go… Tensing – and releasing – as the Being-Body releases it is safe, now. Those memories held in the body which are causing the body tension, perhaps long term pain or restriction, cause the body to flex and move. Memories held in the fascia of the body rise to the surface. And old scars from physical wounds flare up, changing colour, looking fresh. I cannot see it, but the emotional scars do the same.
The body “remembers” the moment of trauma and can move to resume the shape it was in at that moment.
Emotions stored in the body come to the surface as that old scar – physical, emotional, or beyond conscious thought -is accessed and begins to soften. And my role as the Myofascial Release Therapist is to remain centred, aligned with the energy of love, stay connected and keep holding, keep touching as the human being in front of me experiences that release…
It can look painful. It can be full of snot and tears. It can be noisy – or so deeply quiet…
And beyond the release, there is this moment.
Of softening and opening and pure radiance…. Where it can feel and seem as if light shines through that being… When that person remembers or accesses or comes back into a space within themselves where the scarring is no longer tightening up their body. Where their body and sense of self fully comes to the understanding that they lived through that experience – and are here, on the other side of it, and no longer needing to carry that tension. There is this understanding which happens, often with insights as to what they learnt or how they were changed – and the recognition that they no longer need to carry the tension of the injury, in order to access the insights gained…
It is such powerful healing to witness, to experience. To facilitate.
That scaring can come from so many places.. From how we are spoken to, from physical trauma, from memories held within our body of being an infant – or even childbirth, or even in the womb. That tension forms in the body, and creates restriction – and the human being walks around with it afterwards for a lifetime – and beyond.
The most powerful way to access the transformation is to hold the body. Softly, with enough pressure to let the body know that I am there, holding. And I have to hold with the right energy – if I’m thinking about my shopping, or am in a state of disconnect myself, the connection doesn’t quite hit the mark. The energy of this Being under my hands can feel the energy of Me – and where I am not focussed on unconditional love and acceptance – then the magic of release…
Well, let’s just say if the body under my hands feels judged, unseen, unsupported, un-nourished, unloved – it doesn’t feel safe to let go into transformation, softening and release.
It is unconditional love – I’m simply there to hold, to act as an anchor of awareness of this energy moving through me as the body moves into it’s own healing. I create a space, and hold. And that process cannot be forced – ever.
There is power to softening. There is also immense strength to this. Whether this is on the table under the hands of a therapist or as a Myofascial Release Therapist or even in day to day conversations and holding space for my child in the midst of his big emotions. Or simply being present to the world. When I use force in any way, force pushes back. I see this in the world around me. When I soften, I see the world around me responding…
Softening creates space for vulnerability, emotions, being held and holding… It creates space for communication in a different way. It creates space for releasing tension and restrictions. Softening creates space for allowing old ways of thinking or being to begin to fall away. Restrictions and tensions soften and release their hold. It creates space for change.
Softening creates space for softening….
It can feel so incredibly scary sometimes, bringing up feelings of grief, loss, anger and vulnerability… This is not always comfortable for people, – many of us turn away from these emotions – either feeling them or witnessing them – because we have been trained to think of them in a certain way. Realistically, these are simply emotions moving through the body… And where that holding can continue to be held, sinking deeper into the moment, the energy, the fascia – of life or the body – there is this opportunity for radical transformation, change and healing…
To be held through memories of loss or trauma. To be witnessed. To witness another’s journey through the memories of this… There is such power to this. Such deep healing.
And it is accessed through Softening. Through being present within the moment, to the person in front of me, with whom I am in connection. Through remaining centred, and aligned with the energy of love. Without trying to fix or change, or anything else, other than a willingness to encourage softness and to go into the restrictions, to see what lies on the other side. To be present, within the moment, to the moment of what is happening in that moment, and come beyond it.
It cannot be accessed through force. To give you an idea, to try to work with a body under my hands using force would look like this: Non Newtonian fluid turning to solids when pressure is applied.
Looking out at the world – the conflicts and fear coming up in so many, I wonder what it would be like to sit down with so many of these world leaders, to sink into the fascia of their beings, and see what might lie on the other side. Looking at the refugees arriving, I feel the same… Taking the tension out of the system.
I can’t reach them all, so I imagine sitting, sinking my hands into the fascia of the world, holding and softening, and feeling the energy of unconditional love moving through me. Taking the tension out of the system….
Heart. Soul. Earth. 