As water takes the shape of the pipe it flows through,
so our lives take the shape of our thoughts.
- Joseph Murphy, in The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
The field of body or somatic psychotherapy includes a wide variety of innovative practices. Some of these come out of psychotherapy with an added but often cautious inclusion of touch and movement. Others, like some ways of practicing aquatic bodywork, give the body center stage and include limited talk analysis.
Aquatic bodywork can be practiced as a purely physical form of manipulation in the safe and supportive medium of water. It also offers opportunities to work more holistically with someone since immersion in warm water, of itself, seems to facilitate body-mind integration. However, few AB practitioners are trained to work intentionally this way unless they bring outside skills to their practice.
Life experiences are reflected not only in peoples' thoughts and feelings but also in the way they move, how they breathe, and how the structure of their bodies changes over time. Viewed this way, we might say that each person embodies mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of their life experiences.
When we actively explore, or passively experience, different patterns of movement and breathing, we may also extend our repertoire for mental, emotional and spiritual experiences. Practices that recognize and encourage this interconnection can bring alienated aspects of a person back into their awareness.
What does working in water have to offer?
Aquatic bodywork (being supported and moved by a practitioner in warm water) enables a huge range of two- and three-dimensional movements just because of the water setting. It is a practice that also naturally alters breathing, and encourages a further deepening of breath when underwater work (using nose-clips) is included.
Being floated in water with eyes closed and ears immersed, also has a meditative quality that helps people to get in touch with bodily sensations they may have learned to switch off or tune out. A good practitioner can provide protective space in which a receiver of this work is able to drop more deeply into their inner world.
Water, which has been linked to the unconscious and to emotion in human mythology, often also elicits spontaneous emotional expression (making sounds, moving away or towards the other practitioner, resisting or softening, etc.). A sensitive practitioner can encourage exploration of these otherwise repressed reactions.
The sensitivity of (and to) touch is enhanced in water. Touch also seems to be more easily received in water by people who would otherwise not permit such a level of intimacy. Touch that is perceived as safe and sensitive can help people become more aware of what they are feeling and where in the body.
The effects of embodied integration
Acknowledging and re-integrating split-off or submerged parts of a person's being (a situation caused by known or unknown physical or psychological trauma) may lead to a renewed sense of wholeness in that person.
Many people experience this 'wholeness' when floated by another in the water - whether it is an intention of the practitioner or not. Embodied wholeness describes a state of being in which someone becomes:
When we actively explore, or passively experience, different patterns of movement and breathing, we may also extend our repertoire for mental, emotional and spiritual experiences. Practices that recognize and encourage this interconnection can bring alienated aspects of a person back into their awareness.
What does working in water have to offer?
Aquatic bodywork (being supported and moved by a practitioner in warm water) enables a huge range of two- and three-dimensional movements just because of the water setting. It is a practice that also naturally alters breathing, and encourages a further deepening of breath when underwater work (using nose-clips) is included.
Being floated in water with eyes closed and ears immersed, also has a meditative quality that helps people to get in touch with bodily sensations they may have learned to switch off or tune out. A good practitioner can provide protective space in which a receiver of this work is able to drop more deeply into their inner world.
Water, which has been linked to the unconscious and to emotion in human mythology, often also elicits spontaneous emotional expression (making sounds, moving away or towards the other practitioner, resisting or softening, etc.). A sensitive practitioner can encourage exploration of these otherwise repressed reactions.
The sensitivity of (and to) touch is enhanced in water. Touch also seems to be more easily received in water by people who would otherwise not permit such a level of intimacy. Touch that is perceived as safe and sensitive can help people become more aware of what they are feeling and where in the body.
The effects of embodied integration
Acknowledging and re-integrating split-off or submerged parts of a person's being (a situation caused by known or unknown physical or psychological trauma) may lead to a renewed sense of wholeness in that person.
Many people experience this 'wholeness' when floated by another in the water - whether it is an intention of the practitioner or not. Embodied wholeness describes a state of being in which someone becomes:
- more aware of their bodily sensations as well as their emotions, images and behavior
- conscious of how they breathe, move, speak, and where they experience feelings in their bodies
It can engender a great feeling of wellbeing, of being full of vitality, of what some have called loving bliss.
However, this level of awareness or consciousness can also be initially unsettling, especially if the associated body memories bring to light a frightening event that the person has 'forgotten' as a form of self-protection. They will need experienced support to integrate the emerging information in ways that enable relief from old physical or psychological holding patterns.
Ideally, a person who has been stuck (physically or psychologically) in some way, discovers that they can choose to respond more fluidly and flexibly to challenges that trigger past wounds or would otherwise instill new ones. In bringing submerged pain to the surface and revealing ways to go with the flow, water provides a perfect medium and metaphor.
The changes that occur will be unique to each person. It may not always be possible, necessary or valuable to know exactly how something has happened, or why, or even what caused it in the first place. Physical and psychological problems, from back pain to anxiety and so on, may simply and mysteriously float away.
Of course, this presents problems when we wish to make a case for the value of this work in treating very specific problems - evidence-based therapy. You can read more on this dilemma in an earlier post.
An intentional practice
If the integrated embodiment just described is to happen safely, the practitioner must not only be skilled at the technical aspects of aquatic bodywork. They must also be able to recognize physical and psychological signs of alienation (chronic splits in mind and body), and know how to work with these beneficially.
Below are some of the areas that should be at least touched upon in any aquatic bodywork training program so that novice practitioners are aware of what could be happening when their float partners have strong reactions (physical or emotional) to the work. They must then be prepared to refer someone for further help if appropriate.
Further training in somatic psychotherapy techniques and approaches that can be adapted to aquatic bodywork practices would be advisable for anyone who finds themselves working intentionally in this way. Some practitioners have a natural ability to elicit such responses but all would benefit from a deeper understanding of this approach and it's implications in practice.
To work effectively with mind and body integration it is helpful for a practitioner to have:
However, this level of awareness or consciousness can also be initially unsettling, especially if the associated body memories bring to light a frightening event that the person has 'forgotten' as a form of self-protection. They will need experienced support to integrate the emerging information in ways that enable relief from old physical or psychological holding patterns.
Ideally, a person who has been stuck (physically or psychologically) in some way, discovers that they can choose to respond more fluidly and flexibly to challenges that trigger past wounds or would otherwise instill new ones. In bringing submerged pain to the surface and revealing ways to go with the flow, water provides a perfect medium and metaphor.
The changes that occur will be unique to each person. It may not always be possible, necessary or valuable to know exactly how something has happened, or why, or even what caused it in the first place. Physical and psychological problems, from back pain to anxiety and so on, may simply and mysteriously float away.
Of course, this presents problems when we wish to make a case for the value of this work in treating very specific problems - evidence-based therapy. You can read more on this dilemma in an earlier post.
An intentional practice
If the integrated embodiment just described is to happen safely, the practitioner must not only be skilled at the technical aspects of aquatic bodywork. They must also be able to recognize physical and psychological signs of alienation (chronic splits in mind and body), and know how to work with these beneficially.
Below are some of the areas that should be at least touched upon in any aquatic bodywork training program so that novice practitioners are aware of what could be happening when their float partners have strong reactions (physical or emotional) to the work. They must then be prepared to refer someone for further help if appropriate.
Further training in somatic psychotherapy techniques and approaches that can be adapted to aquatic bodywork practices would be advisable for anyone who finds themselves working intentionally in this way. Some practitioners have a natural ability to elicit such responses but all would benefit from a deeper understanding of this approach and it's implications in practice.
To work effectively with mind and body integration it is helpful for a practitioner to have:
- an intuitive awareness that they have developed enough to feel confident about following in practice
- sensitivity to muscular hypertension and hypotension, as well as to energetic blockage and integration in the body
- an understanding of normal human development (physical patterns) in order to determine where a person might have become stuck in their process (infant, childhood, etc.)
- knowledge of psychodynamic processes - transference, countertransference, projection, defensive regression, creative regression, various kinds of resistance - to respond appropriately to a person's reactions
- a strong appreciation of the ethics of caring, since such work can render both practitioner and client vulnerable to transgressions and misunderstandings
At present, and as far as I am aware, these aspects are not addressed to any great depth within any of the aquatic bodywork trainings currently available*. I believe it would be very valuable to build an information resource and coordinate efforts in this area.
* A hopeful exception to this may be the work of Diane Tegtmeir and Inika Sati - see this post.
Please comment below or email me with your views.
Further general resources
Body psychotherapy on Wikipedia
United States Association for Body Psychotherapy
Body Mind Centering
California Institute of Integral Studies: Somatic Psychology
* A hopeful exception to this may be the work of Diane Tegtmeir and Inika Sati - see this post.
Please comment below or email me with your views.
Further general resources
Body psychotherapy on Wikipedia
United States Association for Body Psychotherapy
Body Mind Centering
California Institute of Integral Studies: Somatic Psychology
