What happens in a session

Often someone comes to work with me feeling blocked in ways hard to articulate. Or perhaps there’s a stubborn pain that won’t go away, or a tightened voice. After a brief ‘hello’ with my hands on their torso, while sitting on a chair, I invite them to lie on the table, (this can also work surprisingly well online, with the student on the floor.) We begin a sort of treasure hunt. As they speak, I listen with my hands (in live sessions, and more with my eyes online) and observe for heightened tension or extra energetic vibration, indicating that something is stuck, something not flowing. You can also think of this as a holding place. Both online and live, I listen for a change in the voice, a tightening or loosening of tone vibration, as the student shares with me what they’re concerned about. 

People often have an intuitive sense that there’s something unexplored––a blind spot I call it––that despite their best intentions, there’s something they just can’t find on their own. Why this is so, or that we get blocked in the first place, or sabotage something we really want, is all part of the mystery of how our nervous system tries to keep us safe and tries to protect us.  

In the process of unblocking and coming more fully into flow, it’s crucial to evolve slowly. To listen attentively while we are seducing the nervous system. The goal is not to startle the system (a system that may have been traumatized), but with deep and supporting attention, we invite movement, even micro movement in what has been held. As the energy begins to move in the student (it actually wants to move and can happen with surprising ease) there’s often a pleasurable sensation like a cat purring. Even if it can feel terrifying at times to come into presence and to show ourselves, especially if our authentic self has been hidden, it is so rewarding to come to know ourselves. With each new and more expansive breath, bold change and release seem to happen on its own as the body truly finds its home. 

Five tips for a great first lesson:

·      Don’t prepare
·      Wear loose clothing
·      Remember to breath
·      Know that being nervous or feeling unsettled is normal
·      Be open for happy surprises