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55. Re-owing the body July 04, 2004
Ken Wilber gives us a clear indication of a problem we are faced with on the physical material plane, also referred to as heaven, hell, samsara, gross level, nature, earthly existence, a ball of wax, a lot of fun, our home for awhile and just plain extraordinary.
“To re-own the body might initially strike one as a peculiar notion. The boundary between ego and flesh is so deeply embedded in the average person’s unconscious that he responds to the proposed task of healing our body with a curious mixture of puzzlement and boredom. He has come to believe that the boundary between the mind and body is unalterably real, and thus he can’t figure out why anyone would want to tamper with it, let alone dissolve this boundary.
As it turns out, few of
us have lost our minds, but most of us have long ago lost our bodies, and I’m
afraid we must take that literally….I beat it or praise it, I feed and clean and
nurse it when necessary. I urge it on without consulting it and I hold it back
against its will…the body is not a “deeper reality” then the ego, as many
somatologists think, but the integration of the body and the ego
is indeed a deeper reality than either alone.”
From
No Boundary, by Ken Wilber
This passage of Ken Wilber's illustrates the range of Ken’s palette. He has put into words what I have felt for most of my career working with alignment, that people need to get back in the body and occupy it, which has expanded, for me, into spirit animating form. Doing the dance of Shiva and celebrating our form-al appearance on planet earth.
Since No Boundary was published in 1979, the trend to work with the body has increased with the popularizing of Hatha Yoga, Mindfulness practice and the many modalities that have appeared in the west. The latest wave is ITP,* integral transformative practices, which includes forms of working with the body. However, KW’s statement still holds true on some levels of development.
The writings on the ABC’s of alignment, in previous blogs, present core ideas for making this task simpler. Doing sessions with our attention on breathing helps start the process of experiencing and discovering the dignity and grace we are heir to as we grow. Ken also writes, in chapter 8 of No Boundary, about breathing, reentering and reconnecting with our form, which I will write about soon.
~~~~~
Below I am including a recent impromptu session that happened over the internet. This exchange also indicates that ‘how to advice’ over the internet can also be personal and effective.
From Blog comments dated 6/22/04
Dear Harmon,
Thank you so much for posting the information on expanded breathing (ie, laying
down with arms extended and breathing fully without letting the exhale go
entirely).
I was loving this practice and benefiting an incredible amount from it and then I somehow strained my back (summer sandals?) and haven't been able to do it the same way since.
In
future, I would love it if you would post something about breathing when injured
or ill or otherwise strained.
Thank you so much,
Joyce
Posted by: JoyceG on June 22, 2004
Joyce Thank You for the comments on expanded breathing. Let’s see if we can work the strained back via this format.
I would try lying down on your stomach with a firm pillow underneath your stomach so the small of the back and spine are somewhat lifted and expanded. Then gently take in a deep breath and start expanding the areas of the lower back that hurt. If the pain is intense, just touch with breath and let go of some breath. If there are sounds to be made in this position or while moving into the position allow them to come out. Lie in this position for about 15 minutes or longer and experience the breath reaching this area and expanding the back open. In the same fashion that you describe above, [with out letting the exhale go entirely.] work with the breath gently.
When you get up continue to feel that you
are giving expansive breath to this area as you are standing and walking around.
This is a feeling of lifting the upper body [rib cage] off the lower body with
expansive breathing, to create more space in the upper body. This can also be
done while sitting down.
When you feel comfortable enough to lay down on your back try session
# 39.
opening and closing the legs. After twenty minutes or so try
# 41
Spine Roll Please 3 or 4 times to feel the area of the back that hurt as well as
becoming familiar with the entire range of motion of the spine.
Joyce in all of this work you do you can trust the breath and the body to work with your intention to solve the problem. Please let me know how it goes with you and the above work.
Enjoy the exploration
Harmon
Posted by: Harmon on June 22, 2004
In an E-mail I got back this response from Joyce:
Dear Harmon,
I never expected a personal response, let alone a personalized rehab
program! Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your knowledge
(and time).
(I
did all the exercises this morning and found, to my surprise, that my
entire body seemed to appreciate laying on the stomach and doing a
gentler form of the breathing.)
You have given me the perfect way to start my mornings (rather than
rolling out of bed and onto the computer...), and I am truly grateful!
Best to you,
Joyce
******
6/23
You are Welcome Joyce, I look forward to hearing about your experience with
breathing and finding things in cyberspace to work with the natural
intelligence of your body.
may I add your e-mail to my blog notification list at enlightenment.com?
6/23
Joyce sent me e-mail saying;
Please feel free to add my e-mail to your blog list.
(And you may add that after doing one set of your exercises in the morning and
at night, I was able to sleep through the night with absolutely no twinges in my
back for the first time in days.)
Thanks again,
Joyce
******
Blessings
Posted by harmon at July 4, 2004
Comments
Hey Harmon,
I've been a PT, yoga enthusiast, massage therapist, among other things for a number of years. Lately, I have been contending with the reemergence of an old sports injury causing pain to the right hip. After self diagnosing and trying many approaches nothing really seemed to help.
Then I came across your generous blog. Curious, I performed your arch lifting standing practice without intending so much to address the hip (I was beginning to just accept it) as to simply experience the technique. What a surprise when I finished. 90 % of the pain immediately resolved.
What a cool technique you have there. It is very sensible, but more importanly, so simple.
Thanks,
jo
Posted by: James Okel on August 16, 2004 06:40 PM
I AM A STUDENT AT RAU UNIVERSITY ,SO I NEED TO START MY DEGREE IN SOMATOLOGY ,SO I NEED I NEED TO KNOW MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE COURSE .SO I WAS DOING PSYCHOLOGY AT RAU SO WHAT DISATVANTAGE IS THAT WE ARE SO MANY STUDENT THAT ARE DOING THAT DEGREE IN P[SYCHOLOGY ,SO WHAT I NEED IS THAT NET SEMESTER ,WHICH IS NEXT YEAR I WANT TO START MY G=DEGREE IN SOMATOLOGY .PLEASE COULD JUST GIVE SOME CLUE ABOUT IT .I WILL BE HAPPY F I CAN GET SUCJH KIND OF INFORMATION .
Posted by: JAMES on August 23, 2004
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