The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • January - April 2018 • Page 103
At the time of a trauma, turning off the connection to the physical, altering it, or medicating it may seem like the only way to cope. When trauma resolution is incomplete, these strategies can slowly develop into selfdestructive habits used to escape our physical and emotional pain.
British osteopath and judo instructor Arthur Lincoln Pauls developed Ortho-Bionomy in the 1970s through his extensive study of the medical and martial arts. Dr. Pauls noticed that when injuries were approached in ways that did not exacerbate fear or ignore pain symptoms, they were easier to treat and recover from. He began teaching this work in the United States in 1976, and taught Ortho-Bionomy extensively throughout Europe.
[Ortho-Bionomy founder] Dr. Pauls noticed that when injuries were approached in ways that did not exacerbate fear or ignore pain symptoms, they were easier to treat and recover from. Seven phases of healing are referenced during the training of Ortho-Bionomy principles. Phases 1–3 are the foundational concepts that Dr. Pauls observed as naturally occurring, which he built upon when he developed Phases 4–7 of OrthoBionomy.
The Phased Reflexed Techniques of Ortho-Bionomy: Phase 1 - The unconscious movements we make while sleeping, to help our bodies relax and replenish. Phase 2 - Our conscious movements towards physical comfort; those small adjustments we make to ease tension and strain. Phase 3 - The period of time in which the body self-corrects/re-aligns when provided with attention or care. This happens when we allow ourselves “treats” such as baths, walks, yoga, and other intentional opportunities to renew and repair. Phase 4 – This is where Ortho-Bionomy begins. In this phase, comfort and release of tension is facilitated by another person so you can focus on how you are feeling, rather than dividing your attention between focusing on the body and performing an activity. Phases 5-7 — These levels include ways to increase mental focus and work with subtle fluid movements, energetic connections, deep reflexes, and psycho-socialspiritual elements vital to healing. These aspects are included in Ortho-Bionomy and in many other healing and spiritual practices. Ortho-Bionomy combines the gentle contact of tension points with movements that initiate self-corrective reflexes of the body. These movements include facilitated isometric and isotonic positions, combined with compression and traction, to solicit and provide neuro-feedback. There are techniques for each joint in the body, from the first cervical region of the neck all the way down to the toes. Included are techniques for the neck, back, shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, hands and feet.
Our clients report that, at a minimum, they have a better sense of well-being after a session and feel considerably more relaxed, aware, and integrated. We have had clients experience significant release in restricted breathing and reduction in pain symptoms. Many clients we see are medical professionals, psychics/healers and bodyworkers, and they tell us they appreciate Ortho-Bionomy because it is gentle and adaptive to what the body needs at a particular time. Because of the phase model, it can be practiced on whatever level the client wants or is available for, and is useful for acute, serious, and chronic issues. One goal of a session is to help facilitate more ease and increase the client’s ability to notice and release stress and strain patterns. Difficult symptoms can sometimes shift significantly in a single session, but generally take 3–5 sessions to start holding the change made in habitual tension patterns for longer periods, and begin replacing the less healthy reactions with more adaptive responses. Depending on the severity or chronic nature of the issue, clients then return once a month or a few times a year to help further re-educate and remind their body of this alternate way of working with their symptoms. When we experience trauma, we often learn to dissociate and disconnect from these difficult experiences. At the time of a trauma, turning off the connection to the physical, altering it, or medicating it may seem like the only way to cope. When trauma resolution is incomplete, these strategies can slowly develop into self-destructive habits used to escape our physical and emotional pain. For more complete healing to occur, however, body awareness and delving into the places we hold our unresolved issues are vital explorations. When we develop body awareness, we become empowered to work with our bodies and our chosen health professionals to re-educate our dysfunctional patterns and help restore more normal functioning and natural alignment. For example, when getting an invasive-feeling injection, we can also use body awareness techniques to relax into the shot, making the experience less traumatic with less bruising. Even the simplest self-awareness tools take consistent practice to integrate into our lives. Simple does not always mean easy, but the journey is worthwhile. For further information or to schedule an Ortho-Bionomy session, contact Sue Phare at (734) 604-4162 or lightbodyshopAA@gmail.com or Cinda Hocking, LMSW at (734) 417-7161 or cindahocking@yahoo.com. For general information, visit the website for the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International at www.ortho-bionomy.org