The Body Keeps The Score
Exploring our inner landscape with Myofascial Energetic Release and self reflection
“We can't heal what we don't feel" Carl Jung.
Introduction
The Irish poet John O'Donohue describes the body as a mere outline of a vast, complex
interior world, full of mystery. Self reflection and inquiry is one way to get to know ourselves more intimately. Myofascial Energetic Release, a very slow, deep form of bodywork, offers another way. This technique uses breathing practices and therapeutic touch to take a slow journey through the body, to explore what we have accumulated along the way and why.
Myofascial Energetic Release
‘Touching hands are like flashlights in a darkened room, the medicine they administer is self awareness’. - Deane Juhan
Myofascial Energetic Release (MER) focusses on releasing the fascia in the body. Fascia is soft, connective tissue that surrounds every structure in the body (organs, muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels ). The myofascia surrounds the muscles.
This unique approach addresses not only physical discomfort but also the emotional, mental, and energetic patterns that may contribute to chronic pain and tension. It is a partnership, which involves the receiver in their own healing process through breath, movement, and awareness. This collaboration can gently uncover and release stored emotional patterns. During these sessions breath is used to create awareness of what is held in the body and allow space for somatic expressions of emotional tension and pain.
MER sessions can also help to improve interoception skills. Interoception is awareness of the body’s internal senses or signals such as pain, hunger and anxiety. It identifies how we feel. The slow exploration of MER can give insights into where we hold tension in the body and why. It can also help bring sensation and awareness to areas of the body that we feel disconnected from and where we experience numbness.
Self Reflection
Self reflection can be a helpful way to harvest the experience and insights gained during a MER session. Often the experience of MER can keep unfolding for some time after a session. One way to reflect is journaling. Journaling can begin with simple prompts such as:
What am I feeling?
What sensations do I have in my body and where are they located?
What happens if I allow this feeling/ sensation to make a movement or a sound?
What do I need right now?
John O'Donohue frames our physical form as barely hinting at the scope of what's inside. He offers powerful, intimate questions in his book Benedictus, as end of the day reflections, to help us get to know ourselves.
Where did my eyes linger today?
What new thoughts visited me?
Whom did I neglect?
Where did I neglect myself?
What did I begin today that might endure?
When could I have exposed myself to the risk of something different?
Where did I allow myself to receive love?
With whom today did I feel most myself?
Who saw me today?
What did I avoid today?
From the evidence – why was I given this day?
If you are interested to explore how Myofascial Energetic Release can help you, feel free to get in touch with Anna at Sensate Spa and Studios.
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