Bio-energetics
You are your body and your body never lies
Bio-energetics is a body-oriented form of psychotherapy. A direct descendent of Reichian therapy, it was founded by Alexander Lowen, a student of Reich’s.
Reich found that groups of muscles in the body tend to form protective “armor.” In therapy, he would gradually soften and remove armor, through physical manipulation, working from the top chakra on down.
Bio-energetics, conversely, works from the bottom chakra up. It seeks to help individuals learn how their emotions affect their bodies, and how their physical tension keeps them locked in the same self-defeating emotional responses to situations in their lives. Once rigidity is released from the mind and body, the individual is free to respond spontaneously and appropriately moment by moment.
The chakras are located from top to bottom in the proximity of the spine and radiate in different directions. They are gates between all dimensions in our body, crossroads where the activity of a dimension meets and influences the activity of another dimension. This reciprocal effect shows how one deals with life or with other humans. If we work with the chakras we free ourselves from old behaviour patterns which obstruct us and which are responsible for blockades in our body. With the help of different exercises an old behaviour pattern is released and a new, more useful behaviour can be learned.
Bio-energetics is interested in helping clients attain a surer sense of self, an ease within which they can express their emotions honestly, and an awareness of an inner life. By integrating feelings with body awareness, it seeks to bring the body into a more vibrant state.
- basics of bio-energetics
- the characteristics of the chakras and their central themes
- defects in the chakras
- the influences of the chakras on our personality
- specific character structures based on the chakras
- exploring and observing each of our chakras
- first steps in opening and healing of our chakras
- experiencing our feelings from inside, expressing our authentic self
- variety of working methods, such as body exercises (individual, in pairs and in small groups), expression techniques such as dance, theater, sound, drawing, meditation techniques, breathing techniques.
- body reading as a diagnostic tool
Practicalities
The seminar is scheduled over 3 days: there’s an introductory evening session of 4 to 5 hours on the first day, usually starting around 17:00, followed by 2 full days. On the full days one coffee break is planned in the morning and one in the afternoon, in addition to a lunch break around 14:00. For the coffee break, coffee, tea, juices and mineral water will be provided, lunch is at your own discretion.
Please wear comfortable clothes and socks and bring a pen and notebook, a towel and a thick blanket or exercise mat.
As we have a long lead time for the arrangement of the accommodations, reservations for this seminar must be received 2 weeks in advance of the start of the event.
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