Using Physical Mindfulness to Help Psychological Issues

Hi. So I thought I would use the opportunity today just to talk a little bit about how I use the physical body in Psychotherapy.

Oftentimes people come in with a wide range of emotional ailments that we're addressing. It could be anger or fear or grief, loneliness.

And it can be really helpful to check in with the physical body and find out where in the body the person is feeling whatever that deep intense emotion might be.

So, for example if I had somebody come in who was feeling a lot of anger, oftentimes, I'll just have them sort of settle into their breath, after they've talked a little bit about it, and have them drop into the physical body through the breath.

So much of the suffering that happens can happen up in the mind where the mind gets really activated; and so by dropping into the body we can discover so much information about what that energy in the body is trying to communicate.

For example if somebody came in feeling a lot of anger and we went through the breathing process, I might have them drop into their body and see where it is they're feeling that sensation of anger.

And for example, let's say they are feeling it in their diaphragm area, the belly, the power center area.

I might ask them to drop their awareness into that space, and again, using their breath to sort of rest and observe what they might see there.

Oftentimes, I'll begin by asking, you know, what is it that they see there. Is there a shape, a color, is there texture to it?

Sometimes people will even describe seeing, a face looking at them.

I do do my best to really personalize whatever that space is, so they really are in a connection with it; and then to breathe into it with their eyes closed and really asking that space:

What is it you want me to know? Like, you're here, you're communicating with me. What is it that I need to know?

And then giving them some time to speak. You know, just whatever it is that comes up for them. It could be a word, it could be a memory, it could be a sensation --that they are free to communicate whatever that is.

And I continue to ask: is there anything else you would want; that you would want me to know?

Ask: what else do you want me to know?

Until it really is emptied out. And then through the breath, allowing the breath to kind of relax itself into that space, really encouraging my client to hold that space with reverence, with acceptance.

And most importantly to draw their breath into that area; because very often that area has been held so tightly by whatever trauma has experienced, whatever significant emotional injury that has taken up residence there.

So by breathing into that space it can really be helpful. It's beginning to release the knots of that.

The communication they're having with that space is helping them understand what it is about.

And then at the end, I oftentimes will bring like a bright white light from the crown chakra here, down into the body, into whatever that space is that they've been working with and just see it infiltrating with the white light.

Oftentimes, once a client has gone through that process, they feel that there is a release, or a lightness of this.

And even in the best case scenario there's a deeper understanding of what that energy in their body that maybe they've been avoiding, or running from, or has been causing anxiety is trying to
communicate with them.

So, I hope that's helpful and that you enjoyed this video. If you have any questions about how I use sort of this body-centered, or Somatic Therapy, please feel free to reach out to me.

My name is Alaina Reichwald.

Thank you.