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Body and Mind
The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud believed that when unconscious conflicts were made conscious psychological problems would disappear. One of his students, Wilhelm Reich, who after studying hundreds of patients treated according to Freud's method, found that this was not always true. Some of the most thoroughly analyzed cases remained uncured.
When searching for a reason why, he discovered that the one factor that differentiated the cured from the uncured was a satisfying love life. Cured patients were able to regularly achieve a pleasurable orgasm with total involvement of the body. This led him to realize that emotional wellbeing is intimately connected to the capacity for surrender. To let go!
The armored (rigid) body
When we are able to let our energy flow we are happy and content, but when we dam it up our emotions become rigid, and our muscles become stiff. Reich referred to this as body armor. There are several signs of body armor or rigidity.
One of Reich’s student’s, Alexander Lowen, built on his work; developing a system of therapy he called Bioenergetics. The fundamental thesis of bioenergetics is that the body and mind are interconnected: that is, what goes on in the mind affects the body, and vice versa.
Dr. Lowen wrote of the purely verbal therapies, “They may help a person become conscious of his tendencies to deny, project, blame, or rationalize, [but] this conscious awareness rarely affects the muscular tensions or releases the suppressed feelings. At the same time though, a purely physical treatment … such as massage and yoga has a positive value, but is not specifically therapeutic in itself."
Bioenergetics exercises you can do at home
“On the unconscious level, both thinking and feeling are conditioned by energy factors. For example, it is almost impossible for a depressed person to lift himself out of his depression by thinking positive thoughts. This is because his energy level is depressed. When is the energy level is raised through deep breathing … the release of feeling, the person comes out of the depressed state.”
Now, I love Alexander Lowen, and have read most of his books, but the best book on bioenergetics exercises was written by Dr. Jack Willis. Jack Willis is not famous and there is not much known about him other than that he graduated with degrees in biochemistry, psychology, and chiropractic medicine. He practiced as a psychotherapist for over 35 years and was a passionate individualist and limited government libertarian. I think you would like him if you met him. His book, Reichian Therapy: A Practical Guide for Home Use is available on Amazon but being the great person he was, he made it free for anyone to read. Click here.
A stranger’s face in the mirror
Stand just far enough away from a mirror so that you can see your whole face. Imagine that it is not your face, but someone else’s.
Willis stresses that the key to this exercise is to do it without judgment: that is if at any time you find yourself thinking something like your nose is too big to you have too many freckles, then you have made a judgment. The purpose of this exercise is to come to a deeper understanding of yourself, and if you insert judgment into the process you are defeating the purpose.
Joyful ways to reconnect with your body
The flow arts are a variety of movement-based disciplines, such as poi spinning, hooping, and juggling, that combine artistry, dexterity, and rhythmic motion. These practices promote mindfulness because they engage the body and mind in a harmonious flow, fostering focus, presence, and a sense of interconnectedness.
When you do stretching exercises, you become more attuned to your body and develop a heightened awareness of physical sensations, such as muscle tension, flexibility, and range of motion. This increased body awareness can help you connect with your physical self on a deeper level.
Balance can significantly improve your body-mind connection through enhanced stability, coordination, proprioception, improved posture, and body awareness. When you do a balance exercise you activate your stabilizing muscles, and these muscles work together with the nervous system to keep your body aligned and steady.
Breathing is such a basic physiological process but unlike babies and animals, most adults can’t breathe in a natural way because of chronic muscular tensions. Conscious breathing can help adults gain healthy breathing patterns.
Dr. Jack Willis, building on the work of Wilhelm Reich, developed a series of practical exercises you can do at home. Looking in the mirror and imagining seeing a stranger's face looking back at you is one Of Jack Willis' most effective exercises.
