Body-oriented therapy - application in drug treatment practice. Body psychology

The article will help you understand what body-oriented psychotherapy is and apply the knowledge of psychology for the benefit of healing the body. Nowadays, physical inactivity (a sedentary lifestyle), stress, emotional overload, bad habits, unfavorable ecology, information load, lack of live communication between people due to the advent of the Internet negatively affect the human psyche. There are many ways to solve psychological problems. One of them is body-oriented psychotherapy.

Body-oriented psychotherapy - the path to healing the soul

1. Body-oriented psychotherapy. Definition.
2. Body-oriented psychotherapy. Founders.

Body therapy - what is it? One of the therapeutic types of improving mental state through the body. The saying “A healthy mind in a healthy body” confirms the direct connection between psychological well-being and the state of the body. It is this that is the center of therapeutic influence on the human psyche. " The body is the mirror of the soul", this saying is directly related to the topic of mutual influence of the physical body and mind. Stiffness in movements, unnatural posture, gestures, and facial expressions always indicate tightness of certain muscle groups and, accordingly, various psychological problems and the presence of complexes.

All emotional experiences remain in a person at a subconscious level, accumulate in different parts of the body and organs, create muscle tension, block the free passage of bioenergy. Over and over again, as a result of external stressors, this energy accumulates in a certain area, which leads to chronic disease.

TOP method. The goal is to remove blocks of bodily tension for the smooth flow of energy. This is work with the physical body and subconscious.

Founders of body-oriented psychotherapy

The beginning of therapeutic influence through the unconscious and elimination of conflict with the conscious to rid a person of mental disorders was the method of psychoanalysis of the neurologist from Austria S. Freud. His student W. Reich took some aspects of the theory his teacher for the development of another, his own direction - body-oriented psychotherapy, the basis of which is therapeutic actions with the physical body of a person to relieve muscle tension, blocks as a result of negative events. TOP exercises have been developed for this purpose.

Students and followers of W. Reich continued the development of the direction of body-oriented psychotherapy, created their own directions: biodynamics (G. Boesen), bioenergetic analysis (A. Lowen), F. Alexander (psychosomatic medicine), I. Rolf (rolfing), D. Boadella (biosynthesis), M. Rosen (Rosen method), Feldenkrais method of somatic education , method of body-oriented psychotherapy by V. Baskakov (thanatotherapy). All of these areas of psychology are effective in treating psychological problems by influencing the mind through the body.

Body-oriented psychotherapy by W. Reich

1. Features of Reich’s method of bodily therapy.
2. Body-oriented psychotherapy exercises.

According to the theory of the psychology scientist, as a result of the protective reaction of the psyche to external stimuli, a shell of muscles is formed, which does not give a person the opportunity to relax different parts of the body. This leads to improper breathing, interferes with the circulation of energy in the body, and suppresses positive emotions. As a result of these factors Neuroses, depression, and inadequate perception of events occur. V. Reich believed that relieving muscle tension using physical methods (massage, pinching, pressure), and special body-oriented psychotherapy exercises, promotes the free passage of bioenergy and the release of suppressed emotional reactions. And this, in turn, heals the body and psyche.

In other words, W. Reich's theory is body-oriented therapy. The fact that muscle blocking leads to various physical and mental diseases is confirmed by life. A person incapable of emotional release, as a result, becomes withdrawn, unsociable, suspicious. This leads to negative consequences - mental and physical illness. Official, Western-oriented medicine tries to treat with medications, which, as a rule, have a negative effect on the body, without achieving the goal of safe recovery.

The peculiarity of Reich's method is body-oriented therapy - removing blocks, releasing energy and emotions, and, accordingly, getting rid of psychological problems and treating diseases. For this purpose they use special exercises to increase tension in blocked muscles and subsequent relaxation. The system of body-oriented therapy divides the human body into 7 parts, where energy channels may be blocked, i.e. muscles are overstrained (muscle blocks). To relieve tension, specific exercises have been developed for each specific area.

In addition, body-oriented therapy includes a number of special breathing exercises. Many of them may seem strange, unusual to understand. But for many people who first learned that a person has certain channels through which some kind of energy flows, all this seems dubious and implausible.

Nevertheless, it works and brings positive results for relieving muscle tension, releasing emotions, and, as a result, for the treatment of mental disorders. According to the system, body-oriented psychotherapy by W. Reich All exercises must be started from the upper part of the body, since muscle tensions (blocks) are formed in the lower part of the body in childhood and are more difficult to unblock due to the long period of time. In psychology, it is believed that muscle blocks in the head and diaphragm are formed in more mature years and it is easier to influence these blocks with the help of a set of exercises and body-oriented psychotherapy.

Body psychotherapy exercises

Before performing basic exercises, you need to do some breathing. Body-oriented therapy. Exercises to establish correct breathing.

First, breathe with your chest, then with your stomach. This is done in order to use the lungs fully. Lying on the floor, exhale all the air, and then inhale through the nose into the chest, while she rises- the stomach remains motionless. After mastering this type of breathing, we move on to the next stage. We exhale the air, and then inhale, while inflating the stomach - the chest should not rise. Do the exercises for 30–40 seconds every day, gradually increasing the time to 6–7 minutes.

Having learned to breathe like this, you can move on to completely filling your lungs. This breathing exercise is done slowly. First in breathe with your stomach, then with your chest. Exhale the air completely with some effort (muscle tension).

These exercises of body-oriented psychotherapy promote proper breathing, fuller filling of the lungs with air, better blood circulation and energy.

Body-oriented psychotherapy. Exercise 1

This body-oriented psychotherapy exercise relieves tension in the eye area. To do this you need to sit down and place your feet completely on the floor, without crossing or tilting to the sides - they should have contact with the ground with their entire surface. Close your eyes, closing them as tightly as possible for seven seconds. Then, also with tension, open your eyes very wide. The exercise is repeated for several days. First once, then from two to four.

You can rotate your eyes in a circle in one direction 15 times, then in the other - the same amount. Executed d eye movements to the left, then to the right, up and down. All this is done with maximum tension. After completing the exercises, relax all muscles for several minutes in a comfortable sitting position with your eyes closed.

Exercise 2

Body-oriented psychotherapy. Exercise to unlock the muscles of the upper body.

Removing the block in the throat area is achieved with this exercise. Move your tongue in and out of your mouth with slow touches, as if to examine all areas for about 20 minutes. You can do this every day.

Exercise #3

Body-oriented psychotherapy - unblocking the muscles in the chest area. Place your palms on the wall and start pressing hard at her. It is necessary to perform the exercise until maximum muscle tension and imagine that it is vitally important to get out of a closed space or room. Then comes relaxation. You need to do it at least 8 times within 8 days.

Exercise #4

To relieve tension in the pelvic area of the body, you need to lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor. For about seven minutes, quickly move your pelvis up and down, hitting the floor with your pelvic part. To avoid pain, first lay a thin blanket or cloth.

Exercise #5

This exercise of body-oriented psychotherapy should be performed by copying the movements of feline animals: cats, tigers, etc. For this, you need a free space of about three meters. Lie face down on the floor, pressing your whole body. Close eyes and feel every particle of your body that touches the surface of the floor - this is the main condition. Only after completely completing this part of the exercise, begin to slowly roll from one side to the other, lie on your back, then face down again, spreading like liquid, and feeling every centimeter of your body.

Alternative methods of working with the body

1. Manual therapy.
2. Somatic education.

Psychology, like human nature itself, is multifaceted. There are many directions in it. In bodily oriented psychotherapy There are some kind of alternative ways of working with the body. For example, methods of manual therapy, similar to body-oriented psychotherapy, successfully treat bodily ailments and the accompanying psychological problems of a person.

For somatic education, the main goal is proper, healthy control of your body. An example would be oriental martial arts, where the master achieves harmony of soul and body. It becomes as flexible as thinking.

Esotericism deserves a separate topic of conversation. It involves breathing and body practices, meditation, helping to remove obstacles for the circulation of energy, various psychological barriers, which ultimately significantly improves the quality of life.

Psychotherapy is always a conversation. But not always traditional, with the help of words. There is psychotherapy based on talking with the body, or more precisely, working with human problems and diseases through bodily contact.

The history of the development of body-oriented psychotherapy goes back almost 100 years. Wilhelm Reich is considered the founder of this method. He was a student of Sigmund Freud, but gradually moved away from psychoanalysis and began to develop psychotherapeutic methods of influencing the body.

While working as a psychoanalyst, Reich noticed that in patients lying on the psychoanalytic couch, some strong emotions were accompanied by pronounced reactions from the body.

For example, if the patient wants to hold back his feelings, he may begin to grab himself by the neck, as if squeezing his throat and pushing the emotions back.

Continuing his observations, he described how, in response to stressful situations, chronic tension of individual muscle groups - “muscle clamps” - occurs. “Muscle clamps” combine to form a “muscle shell” or “armor of character.” In the future, this “armor” creates problems, both in the physical and mental spheres.

In the physical sphere, restrictions on mobility, deterioration of blood circulation, and pain occur. In the mental sphere, “armor” does not allow strong emotions to manifest naturally and interferes with personal growth.

Emotions suppressed since childhood (anger, fears, sadness, etc.) require release and cause many problems: from panic attacks and insomnia to psychosomatic disorders and difficulties in relationships.

So, the basis of body-oriented therapy (hereinafter referred to as TOP) is the following key ideas:

The body remembers everything that has happened to us since birth: significant situations, emotions, feelings and sensations. Therefore, through the body you can work with any negative experience of a person, as well as with his attitude towards himself and the world.

Unreacted emotions and traumatic memories of a person are restrained and imprinted in the body (this is the result of the work of psychological defense mechanisms). Stagnant emotional arousal is accompanied by somatic changes (malfunctions in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system occur).

The protective shell subsequently prevents a person from experiencing strong emotions, limiting and distorting the expression of feelings.

Working through muscle tension and responding to suppressed emotions and sensations allows a person not only to solve problems, but also to move on to proper bodily-emotional regulation, to be in harmony with his body and to use its resources (which, in principle, are unlimited).

After Reich's work, other proprietary TOP methods appeared. The most famous of them are: bioenergetic psychoanalysis by A. Lowen, the method of change using postures by F. Alexander, Rolfing by I. Rolf, the method of awareness through movement by M. Feldenkrais, biosynthesis by D. Boadella, bodynamics.

In our country, thanatotherapy by V. Baskakov and AMPIR by M. Sandomirsky arose.

Since 1998, body-oriented therapy has been included in the list of psychotherapy methods recommended by the Russian Ministry of Health.

By the way, in addition to the TOP, this list includes 25 more methods:
So, the goal of body-oriented psychotherapy is to change a person’s mental functioning using body-oriented methodological techniques.

How does this happen?

Despite the peculiarities of each TOP method, as a rule, three aspects are distinguished in the work: diagnostic, therapeutic and educational.

As part of the diagnosis, the therapist gets to know the client’s body, which “tells” about his problems and character, often this is information that the person is simply not aware of about himself. This acquaintance occurs through external observation, identification and deciphering of bodily sensations.

Actually, various techniques are used in therapy: breathing, motor, meditative, contact (a special touch system).

The therapist helps the client feel not only simple bodily sensations, but also those associated with strong emotions. This allows you to live through feelings that have been suppressed and free yourself from them. As a result, a person becomes closer to his experiences and, accordingly, more resistant to life’s difficulties.

Case from practice:

(All examples are given with the consent of the patients; after the end of therapy, names and details have been changed).

Olga, 42 years old, came in with breathing problems. Shortness of breath often occurred outside of serious physical activity, especially in emotionally significant situations, for example, while playing with a child.

The problems began about four years ago, but had little impact on everyday life, so I had not previously sought help. He did not note any significant stressful situations during that period (“everything was solvable”).

When it comes to breathing problems, the thought of a strong depressed feeling always arises, so I carried out the work with the help of TOP. At the third session, a critical moment occurred - while working with breathing, the patient remembered a situation that occurred five years ago, when she was deprived of a promotion, under very “ugly” circumstances (betrayal by a friend).

I remembered the situation and, following this, feelings surfaced - resentment and anger. In the past, they were suppressed using a rational reaction - pulled myself together, continued working there, then moved to another company.

The feelings that have now surfaced in therapy have been responded to (the therapist in this case creates an atmosphere of maximum safety and acceptance, where the patient can cry, scream, and express emotions in any other way). After this session, the breathing problems stopped (for 2 years the patient periodically contacted her, the symptoms did not recur).

Working through chronic bodily tension is not always aimed at releasing feelings. Many problems are associated with a person’s basic inability (more precisely, loss of ability) to relax the body.

For example, spasming muscles play a key role in causing headaches or, as in the following example, sleep problems.

Case from practice:

Yuri, 46 years old. I contacted him about sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking up), which had previously arisen due to the regime and nature of work (resuscitation doctor), but remained for a year after the change in activity.

The idea to use TOP arose due to the fact that the problems were not obviously related to thoughts - “overthinking” is often the cause of insomnia, but not in this case. In addition, according to the observations of the wife, the patient always slept in the same tense position, “as if he was ready to jump up at any moment.”

Chronic muscle tension, especially the muscles of the neck and back, leads to the fact that signals “be alert” and “get ready to move” are constantly sent to the brain. As they say, “no time for sleep.” The therapy was aimed at relaxing cramped back muscles and changing the body's memory associated with sleep. While working as a doctor you really had to be on your guard, but now the situation has changed and you can start to sleep “for real”. Stable results were achieved by the sixth session.

As already mentioned, our body, parallel to the psyche, experiences everything that happens to us. And some processes, for example, the completion of something, occur much more clearly on the sphere of the body, because even at the cellular level we have a “dying-birth” scheme. Thanatotherapy by V. Baskakov works especially well in dealing with grief, loss or other serious changes.

Case from practice:

Ksenia, 35 years old. Contacted me regarding difficulties in going through a divorce. Legally and in everyday life, everything was decided, and, according to the client, “I agree that divorce is the right decision, I understand everything in my head, but something is stopping me from letting go.”

At the behavioral level, this manifested itself, for example, in inaction regarding the search for new housing. Thus, it was about the need to “finish and move on.” This topic is a very common request for work in thanatotherapy.

During the fifth session, the client had an image in which she was present at a funeral ceremony (I won’t describe the details) and experienced intense sadness. After the session, she had a dream on the same topic, in which the ceremony was completely completed. The very next day the client felt changes in her condition - a feeling of completion arose. New housing was found within a week.

The third aspect of working in TOP is teaching the patient to independently use certain techniques. As a rule, they are aimed at relaxing and normalizing one’s emotional state through the body.

The methods used in TOC are quite specific, and this places certain demands on the training of therapists.

If, for example, studying cognitive or gestalt therapy is possible on an independent basis (with a basic education, of course), then learning body-oriented methods is possible only “hand to hand”, with direct contact with the teacher and gaining personal experience as patient.

Who is body-focused therapy suitable for?

The scope of its application is very wide; it can be divided into two areas. The first is the actual treatment and correction of existing problems: anxiety, chronic fatigue, psychosomatic disorders, sleep problems, sexual disorders, experiencing crises and psychological trauma, etc.

The second is the development of the individual’s potential: increasing stress resistance, improving contact with one’s body and self-acceptance, establishing more trusting relationships with people and much more.

The real values in life are health, grace, satisfaction, pleasure and love.
We realize these values only when we stand firmly on our own two feet. Alexander Lowen "Psychology of the Body"

Initially, body psychology arose in line with psychoanalysis in the 30s of the last century. Its founder, Wilhelm Reich, was one of Freud's students. He noticed that during a session, patients accompany certain emotions with specific bodily manifestations. For example, if a client wants to hold back feelings, he may begin to touch his neck, as if squeezing his throat and pushing the emotions back inside.

These observations allowed psychology to connect the physical and mental. At the intersection of two areas, body-oriented psychotherapy arose.

At the moment, the direction has moved far from psychoanalysis and represents an independent movement in psychology with its own theoretical basis and practical developments.

The peculiarity of body-oriented psychotherapy is its holistic approach to a person - the personality is considered as a single whole. Personality is body, mind and soul.

We are used to perceiving ourselves through the body. Thus, in the process of development, a child first of all begins to become aware of himself through the body, which later becomes part of the personality and a repository of emotions, feelings, sensations, and experiences. Therefore, the body tells about the problems and character of a person much faster and more than he does it himself. For example, a physically clamped and shackled person will be just as closed and unfree within himself.

In addition, the body remembers all our experiences, responding to them with clamps, blocks, and tension.

It’s as if we acquire a muscular shell that does not allow energy to circulate freely, worsening our general condition and preventing a quality life. But by influencing the physical shell, it can really help a person’s psychological state. Through the body you can work with emotions, relationships, self-acceptance and much more.

This approach is used for the following purposes:

relieving stress, getting rid of chronic fatigue;
treatment of neuroses, depression;
therapy for psychosomatic disorders, getting rid of complexes and fears.

Body-oriented psychotherapy with the help of special exercises aimed at achieving a specific goal, it gently influences a person’s condition. It bypasses many barriers and client resistance that may arise in those areas of psychotherapy where the main method of interaction is speech.

Body-oriented psychotherapy works much faster and more effectively than “verbal” techniques.

Body psychology is the shortest road to the origins of problems, which, in addition to solving psychological difficulties, leads to the overall health of the body.

This area of training is suitable for both specialists - psychologists, psychotherapists, doctors - and people who want to better understand their body and its reactions, learn methods of relaxation, harmonization and self-help through simple and effective exercises.

Modern psychology has a very wide range of methods of psychotherapeutic treatment, body-oriented psychotherapy is one of them. Body psychotherapy refers to somatic psychology, which means healing mental disorders by influencing the physical body of a person.

The body is the mirror of the soul

The relationship between the body and the mental state of a person has been established for a long time, so active research in this area helps to significantly expand the possibilities of psychotherapeutic treatment. Body-oriented psychotherapy acts as an independent direction in psychology, possessing a clear concept and a variety of practical developments.

A person’s physical condition can tell about his internal problems, his mental and emotional state. The human body reflects all his feelings, emotions, experiences and fears. This is why psychotherapists and psychologists around the world pay such special attention to teaching body-oriented psychotherapy.

Theoretical and practical systems of body-oriented psychotherapy are based on the belief that there is a strong relationship between a person’s physical and mental health. Thus, a psychologically enslaved, withdrawn person will also be enslaved physically. That is why, by influencing a person’s bodily shell, one can eliminate or minimize his psychological disorders.

Benefits of body psychotherapy

The main advantage of body-oriented psychotherapy is the availability of a relatively unhindered opportunity for the doctor to engage in “healing” of the patient’s soul. Body psychotherapy acts as a kind of universal tool for a psychologist, allowing one to reveal the essence of the patient’s problem using methods of unconscious influence. Through the physical shell, the psychotherapist, using TOP, works with a person’s internal sensations.

An undoubted advantage of using body-oriented psychotherapy is that during the treatment process the patient does not feel the verbal influence of the psychotherapist.

Main concepts TOP

Psychologists and psychotherapists around the world highlight the following important concepts of body-oriented psychotherapy:

energy;
muscle armor;
grounding

Vital Energy

Energy is an important component of human life. The well-being of each of us is directly affected by everything that interferes with the movement of energy in any body system. Some psychotherapists are of the opinion that only good circulation of vital energy in the human body can ensure excellent physical and mental health. It’s hard to disagree with this; as a rule, a person in a state of depression looks lifeless and lethargic, which signals a low level of his energy potential. One of the important conditions for getting out of a depressive state is the correct organization of the patient’s rest and nutrition regimen.

According to psychologists, many mental disorders of patients are caused by an initial inattention to their own feelings and desires, as well as incorrect or inadequate understanding of them.

Muscle protection

By so-called muscle armor, psychotherapists who know the basics of body-oriented psychotherapy understand the state of permanent muscle tension in a person. In other words, human muscles act as protective shields from the effects of emotions and feelings.

Various psychological traumas or events that can cause mental disorders are blocked by muscles, which leads to a change or suppression of human perception. And this, in turn, causes physical stiffness and constriction of the human body.

Energetically contact with the earth

Grounding in body psychotherapy means a feeling of energetic stability and support, which allows a person to be in a stable psychological state. Finding contact with your feelings and emotions allows every person to remain healthy both physically and mentally.

Practical application of body psychotherapy

All theoretical concepts of bodily psychotherapy have practical forms of application, which consist of a number of exercises aimed at achieving certain goals:

stress relief;
relieving chronic fatigue;
treatment of neuroses, depression;
getting rid of fears;
getting rid of feelings of dissatisfaction, etc.

The main exercises of body-oriented psychotherapy have the primary task of relaxing the patient. Thanks to bodily therapy exercises, the patient will be able to learn to relax, listen to his body, understand it and find harmony with the world around him.

As a rule, practical exercises are performed in groups of 6-10 people, since most exercises require pair work.

Basic exercises TOP

Muscle relaxation - this exercise is the maximum relaxation of muscles by maximizing their tension. To perform this exercise, you need to consistently begin to tense all the muscles of your body, starting with your head and ending with your feet. In this case, tension of each muscle should occur by holding it in this state, and then slowly relaxing. When performing the exercise, you should focus as much as possible on your sensations while relaxing the muscle.

The “correct breathing” exercise is aimed at perceiving one’s own body through the respiratory function. To perform this exercise, you need to close your eyes tightly and concentrate on your breathing. During the exercise, you can feel freshness as you inhale and warmth as you exhale air from your lungs. Next, it is recommended to try breathing with other organs of your body. That is, imagine in detail that breathing occurs through the crown, chest, lower abdomen, palms, etc. At least 10-15 breaths should be taken for each part of the body.

The following series of actions will help you develop your “body awareness”:

speak your feelings out loud;
allow your body to do what it wants for a few minutes;
find the most comfortable position for your body;
while remaining in a comfortable position, analyze the condition of each part of your body;
note the presence of tension and relax these places.

All methods and methods of body-oriented psychotherapy give a feeling of completeness and uniqueness of life, the integrity of one’s own being, and increase a person’s desire to live an active life without all kinds of fears and concerns.

Psychologists say that with age, a person’s character is reflected on his face. For example, in positive people, the corners of the lips will be raised upward, and in those who are often angry, obvious folds between the eyebrows will appear. By approximately the same principle, experts in body-oriented psychotherapy (BOP) argue that mental disorders and psychological problems are reflected in our body. This means that through working with the body you can influence the psyche and emotions. Body psychotherapy is based on the principle of interdependence of body and soul.

The essence of this psychotherapeutic approach

Let's take a closer look at what body-directed therapy is? The founder of the body-oriented approach to psychotherapy was Freud's student W. Reich. Working with his patients, he drew attention to the fact that most emotions are reflected in certain bodily manifestations, namely in muscle tightness and tension. Constant suppression of emotions and feelings leads to the fact that over time a person develops so-called muscle armor. Reich argued that in the process of psychotherapy, working through bodily blocks allows one to relieve tension, release stagnant emotions and heal the patient’s psyche.
He discovered experimentally that dominant characterological personality traits are manifested in a person’s postures, gestures, gait and facial expressions. Based on numerous observations and analysis of patients’ behavior, a system for organizing the physical and mental components was derived. There are a number of body-oriented therapy methods that, through the removal of muscle blocks, awareness of one’s body and emotional contact with oneself, allow one to treat mental disorders.

Goals and objectives

How can a body therapist help his patient solve psychological problems? It is believed that during a person’s life, all experiences, feelings, psychological traumas, and key events are “recorded” in the body. The task of using a body-oriented approach is to “read” all the problem areas in the body, to identify what is hidden far in the subconscious, but negatively affects the psyche. The body therapist tries to use special techniques to work out blocks in the muscles and help the patient achieve a state of deep relaxation. During the session, it is important to monitor emerging images and experiences in order to express and transform them. Body-oriented therapy allows you to influence self-perception, the emotional sphere and relationships.

Thus, the main goal of a body-oriented approach in psychotherapy is to create conditions under which suppressed unconscious feelings, as well as memories, reach a conscious level. This allows them to be relived and expressed in a safe environment. As a result, a person gets rid of psychological blocks, emotional stress and restores a healthy state of mind.

Main directions

A key feature of body psychotherapy is the ability to reach the unconscious without talking to a doctor. This allows you to bypass resistance and control of the intellect, so the maximum effectiveness of psychotherapy is achieved in a short time. Even if the patient’s mind defends itself and does not allow access to internal experiences, the psychology of the body will open the way to the subconscious and problem solving. With the help of body-oriented techniques, one can find connections between the somatic sphere, emotions, mental experiences and the mind.

Body therapy is the basis of many psychotherapeutic methods, here are some of them:

Rolfing. The method involves the use of deep massage, known since the 20s of the last century. Rolfing massage is a whole system of deep manual manipulations, working out muscles and ligaments, aimed at correcting the tone of soft tissues and teaching the body to move correctly.
Biodynamics. Combines elements of analytical psychology, periodization of mental development according to Freud and vegetative therapy. Helps the patient break through to the deep essence of human nature, find himself, realize his selfhood.
Rosen method. Combines the treatment of chronically tense areas of the body and verbal contact with the patient. Excellent in the fight against chronic fatigue, arthritis, stress, insomnia, asthma, and headaches.
Bioenergy analysis. This method was developed by Reich's student, the American psychotherapist A. Lowen, in the middle of the last century. Based on the theory of movement of vital energy in the body. Today, the developments of bioenergy are used exclusively as a method of neuromuscular relaxation.
Alexander Techniques. This is a set of exercises that teaches the patient the rational use of body muscles, without unnecessary tension. A body therapist, working with this method, helps the patient to realize and correct his bodily habits (postures, gestures, posture), helps him learn to consciously control his body.
Feldenkrais method. These are bodily practices developed based on the nervous system's ability to self-regulate. The emphasis of these exercises is on awareness of movements and changes in the body.
Biosynthesis. This is the first body therapy method to be recognized by the European Psychotherapeutic Association. The main idea of this method is to harmonize the state of the main vital energy flows.
Bodynamic therapy. Based on research on psychomotor development. This method of bodily psychotherapy, like bodynamics, is aimed primarily not at the destruction of pathological characterological patterns, but at the awakening and mobilization of internal resources.

Areas of use

The scope of use of the body-oriented approach is very wide. A physical therapist may be needed both for the treatment of complex neuroses, mental disorders, and for personal development, contact with your subconscious in order to know yourself.

Various means and methods of muscle relaxation are used in the fight against depression, stress, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, chronic psychosomatic diseases, to overcome psycho-emotional trauma and even simply to improve performance.

Body practices will help not only relieve muscle tension, but also find the causes of psychological difficulties. However, there may be contraindications for somatic psychotherapy. For patients with psychosis, schizophrenia, and mental retardation, many bodily techniques will not only be incomprehensible, but even dangerous. For example, techniques of imaginative body-oriented psychotherapy, which are based on the use of imagination, can increase hallucinatory manifestations. Therefore, patients with complex mental and somatic diagnoses should definitely consult with their doctor.

Principles of neuromuscular relaxation

Based on the principles of the body-oriented approach, at the beginning of the last century, Dr. E. Jacobson developed a method of neuromuscular relaxation that allows you to deeply relax all muscle groups. Why is this necessary? The fact is that every person, due to his profession or everyday duties, constantly experiences psychological and physical stress during the day. But you can’t fully relax even during a night’s sleep. After all, the natural self-regulation system of the human body simply cannot cope with constant stress. In such a situation, a body-oriented psychotherapist can teach you how to relax correctly and fully.

Neuromuscular relaxation techniques are based on simple muscle physiology. Strong tension is always followed by automatic relaxation. Therefore, if you alternately tense your muscles and focus on their subsequent relaxation, this will help relieve mental stress. Regularly performing neuromuscular relaxation exercises can increase resistance to stress, improve concentration, cope with fear, anxiety, insomnia, and normalize emotional state.

Progressive muscle relaxation will also be useful for neuroses, depression, and neurotic disorders. If a body therapist teaches you basic exercises, you can then use these techniques on your own to maintain a normal psychophysical state.

Of course, in difficult situations, with serious mental problems, only a psychotherapist should prescribe a course of body-oriented therapy, stress-relieving exercises or manual techniques. However, you can learn a simple neuromuscular relaxation routine and practice it regularly at home to help manage tension, stress, and negative emotions.
You can train every day, and when you reach a good level of skill, it is enough to do the exercises 2 times a week or as needed. Choose a comfortable time of day when no one will disturb you to relax. Try to eliminate extraneous noise, wear comfortable clothes and take the most comfortable position for you (lying down, half-sitting, lotus position).

Start breathing slowly through your nose. At this time, try to feel your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. Think only about breathing so that extraneous thoughts do not interfere with relaxation. After a few minutes, take three deep breaths while simultaneously tensing your entire body, and slowly relax as you exhale.
Then, alternately tense individual muscle groups. Start with both legs, then move on to the gluteal muscles, abs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, face. Tighten each muscle group strongly 3 times for a few seconds, slowly relaxing after each tension. At the moment of relaxation, try to feel how your muscles become soft and how the energy spreads throughout your body.
After working out all the muscles, lie down for a few minutes, mentally running through your entire body. If you find tension somewhere, work that area again. When completing a set of exercises, take a deep breath, hold the breath for a few seconds, again tensing your entire body, then slowly relax as you exhale. Lie like this for a few minutes, feeling how your body is filled with calm, how warmth spreads through it. Feel how new strength comes to you. Come out of the pose slowly, try to maintain a calm, relaxed state for some time.

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