Our body and psyche bear two kinds of trauma: explicit (known) trauma and implicit (unknown) trauma. Bodily trauma may cause superficial bruises that soon fade, or serious disability that takes lifelong care. The same may be said for psychological trauma. For the most part, we do not remember traumas we've received, although they are indisputably built into our brains and bodies.
In March, I spent in week, a very intense week, in Poland training in the first module for BioDynamic Breath & Trauma Release. This new approach to trauma release integrates deep connected breathing with innovative conscious movements, body awareness techniques, bodywork & meditation. While like most trauma release systems, this has its origins in the work of Peter Levine; what makes this outstandingly unique is the incorporation of bioenergetic breathwork based on the principles of Wilhelm Reich. As does Tantra, but where in Tantra we explore a slow, deep breath; in BBTR, we explore a charged, deep breath - both taking you from the mind and fully experiencing the body. And both allowing the breath & an open body to contain & support the free flow of vital life energy.
It was a week of diving in deep. Learning in a very experiential way, releasing blockages and trauma from our own bodies and supporting others through their process. Early morning meditations chosen to begin moving the body into the space for that day's work. (the sessions are divided into segments/bands/belts - ocular, oral, cervical, thoracic, diaphragmatic, abdominal and pelvic - moving from the top down, creating a pathway for the repressed and bound sexual energy to rise up the body as it is released). With 40 people taking part, at various stages of their training, the energy was bound to be high yet the space was held wonderfully. The nature of Shakti, or energy, is to flow and it finds the pathways of least resistance to do so. When are bodies begin to open up, the energy begins to free flow - much like a river flowing in spaces that are available to it. So, we work on clearing the pathway for the movement of energy and when this happens, we free up the muscular constriction and in the process release emotional blockages associated with this muscular tension. This in essence is trauma release.
Our training will take up back to Poland for another 3 modules - experiencing the segments each time in a deeper way, gaining more understanding and awareness of the body and the process. Although the days were intense with the amount of work covered, it was a great feeling. When tension is released anywhere in our bodies, the brain registers a reduction in pain signals and produces new hormones for relaxation and comfort. So although during the actual process, you are really charging the body up and the body may (or may not) begin moving quite a lot shaking out the energy, you come out at the other side feeling as if you have received an internal massage. There is a lightness.
Our bodies are our sanctuaries. It is our home. It is where we live and breathe and where our hearts reside. Our body is of utmost importance. Lets treat it with love on this journey home.
I am looking for volunteers to practise and get to know this work on a deeper level. If you would like to experience BioDynamic Breath & Trauma Release, please let me know. This will involve a series of 6 to 10 sessions - no fee.
If you would like to know more about Giten Tonkov's work and BioDynamic Breath & Trauma Release Institute , visit http://www.biodynamicbreath.com/