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What is bodywork?

Bodywork - Berlin & Munich

Bodywork and body therapy are similar in their meaning, but not the same. The term body therapy is used in German to describe people who are sick or have complaints, conditions or symptoms to treat, which is why I don’t like to use it so much.

Bodywork is a superior collective term similar to “trees” or “fish” or “work”. It generally refers to work with the human body.

With Bodywork you can influence your body in such a way that blockages, tensions, resistances and energy accumulations in the fascia, muscle and nervous system dissolve. This changes your outer and inner posture, your perception and your movements.

You can practice bodywork together with a therapist, together with a teacher or coach or alone. Bodywork can be divided into two large areas.

  • Hands-off bodywork: Here your body is touched by the therapist, teacher or trainer very little or not at all, e.g. Yoga + Tai-Chi + Qigong + Sport + Somatic Experiencing® + Tension Releasing Exercises TRE®.
  • Hands-on Bodywork: Here your body is often touched by the therapist, e.g. massage + physiotherapy + osteopathy + chiropractic + Rolfing®

What does bodywork do?

Bodywork takes proverbial  the „sand out of the transmission“. The pain subsides, the symptoms stop and your body functions more normally again. You feel a clear increase in energy. Your movements become fluid, your perception, the inner and outer balance, your stress tolerance, resilience and serenity in relation to the world and to yourself increase. You will experience a feeling of physical balance and inner balance.

How can bodywork help me?

  • Bodywork uses manual techniques to help the body regenerate faster after an accident, injury or surgery.
  • Bodywork helps to calm stressed nerves after a tragedy, a burnout or a stroke of fate.
  • Bodywork helps your nervous system to cope with the consequences of a shock trauma, a car accident or an operation.
  • Bodywork relieves chronic tension caused by bad posture, permanent stress or one-sided strain.
  • Bodywork optimizes the functions of the body before a competition, a stage performance or a test.

The origin

The term “bodywork” comes from the self-awareness movement of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Pioneers such as Alexander Lowen, Dr. Ida Rolf and Dr. Milton Trager coined the term “bodywork” to describe manual techniques and methods that work directly with the human body.

In the wild 60s, Wilhelm Reich was revered as an idol. His Vegeto therapy from the 1940s was taken up and found widespread use in the schools of bioenergetics, rebalancing, encounter etc., which is why Reich is regarded as the founder of body psychotherapy (synonym: body therapy) and “bodywork”. In the form of a “revolution from below” these schools provided answers and concepts to urgent questions of the time. They promoted people’s willingness to work on their own physical and mental development and continue to influence professional psychotherapeutic practice to this day.

With all these many different methods that use the term “bodywork”, it is always a matter of influencing the human body in such a way that it can move in a relaxed manner. The relaxed, powerful and harmonious movement is a sign for a healthy body function and for inner balance.

Energetic or flowing in bodywork

Today, a variety of disciplines that work directly with the human body use the term “bodywork” to describe their work. In Yoga, Qigong and Tai-Chi, it is used in such a way that the body can move powerfully, elegantly and integratedly, thus realising its full potential. The aim is not to control the movement, but to let it happen from within with as little inner resistance as possible. This happens by working with the energy flow, the Chi.

Bodywork - Berlin & Munich

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Energetic or flowing in bodywork

In massages such as Esaleen Bodywork, Kahuna Bodywork, LaStone Therapy, Marma Point Massage, Tibetan Massage and Thai Yoga Massage, the tissue and sometimes the entire body is passively moved by a second person, the giver. The focus is not on the client’s tension and pain, as in the classical massage, but on bringing the Chi into motion and harmonizing it. These forms of bodywork view the body as a whole with its own intelligence. If such a massage sets the Chi in motion, the body is able to reorganize itself on a more balanced, higher level and thus to recover.

Integrative bodywork

The approaches developed in the last 50 years such as Rolfing, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Alexander Technique and Trigger Point show the traditional field of the term “Bodywork”. Their aim is to dissolve behaviour patterns stored in the body tissue and deep-seated tensions. The nervous system is also included in order to enable a change – an inner movement – in the body, which brings it back into balance. As such the body can let go of its “armor” and move freely and without internal resistance.

These therapies combine a relatively calm phase in which the fascia tissue of the client is worked on and aligned, with a more active phase in which the client practices improved physical alignment while sitting, standing and walking. Some of these bodywork therapies, such as Rolfing and Osteopathy, even work specifically to prevent or heal overuse and wear and tear. They typically occur during activities in which the body is used intensively: dancers, musicians, athletes or craftsmen. The therapies are also very suitable for treating chronic back pain, neck pain and many other such conditions.

Focus on the potential of the client

Although bodywork therapists usually do not address the mental problems of their clients, they are well aware of the connection between tension and energy blockages and their relation to emotional and psychological aspects. The attention of bodyworkers is not focused on the client’s mental weaknesses and problems, but on opening and keeping open a safe space for the client and his body to discover, explore and test his potential.

Learning to understand the language of the body

I personally like bodywork so much because the change does not take place in the head and not in the mind. The change happens in the body. There it can be felt directly, perceived and experienced as a process of letting go. This work is very direct. One cannot fool the body and it does not lie to us. It reports back very quickly whether the approach is right or not. Every progress is immediately sensual and usually pleasantly perceieved.

Bodywork - Berlin & Munich

Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash

Bodywork helps us to understand the language of our body. Because our body tells us very precisely when we exaggerate, because we push ourselves too much, what we neglect through a one-sided lifestyle, where we get stuck, where bad habits have crept in or where we hold something and it simply hurts.

However, since we humans often have a distorted self-perception with blind spots, we need the occasional helpful presence of a therapist, teacher or trainer to guide us in better recognition of ourselves and understand the signals of our body.

When we learn to listen, we will discover that our body provides us with messages that tell us when we are unbalanced or what is wrong with our posture. When we learn to understand these signals, they help us to re-align ourselves in the flow of our daily lives.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in my practice in Berlin or Munich. Here you will find the contact page.

MerkenMerken

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The difference – Rolfing or massage

Rolfing - Berlin & Munich

Massages can be beautiful, deeply moving, reconcile you with the world, open you heart and be a feast for the senses. Especially the Esalen massage and the Lomi-Lomi-Nui massage. They can lift you to “Cloud Nine” and open the doors to the beauty of this world. They can show you that the world is not just about stress and work, but that sensuality and deep touching are part of life and make it rich.

Soft and flowing massages like the ones mentioned above lead the body into deep relaxation. The gentle, attentive touch can unfold a deeply harmonizing effect and awaken a feeling of contentment that reminds you of the security of childhood. If you go out into the world so full and balanced, smile at your surroundings with your self-confident and happy charisma and spread sunshine – then, yes, the world will smile back.

Finding the resting point

Rolfing® conveys a completely different body feeling than a massage. After the Rolfing session you will feel lightness paired with resilient stability. It is a feeling of “coming home”, of being centered and reaching the inner resting point.

The massage washes and combs the tissue. This creates the feeling of liberated space, which you perceive as an opening. Rolfing works on the global orientation of the tissue. The perception of interior and exterior space and the orientation in the room change as a result.

Rolfing balances the body in gravity. The feeling arises in your body that you are carried by the earth’s gravity.

The goal of Rolfing is the alignment of the physical structure in the vertical with the help of earth gravity. That is the special thing about Rolfing.

Gravity

Related methods like Deep Tissue Work, Osteopathy, Chiropractic and Massage do not take up this knowledge about gravity. Dr. Ida Rolf observed that people feel “carried” by gravity when their body structure is balanced. On the other hand, he must “fight” against gravity if his structure is shifted or twisted. If this is the case, gravity “pulls” him deeper and deeper into the twisted pattern over the years. The consequences are chronic complaints in the musculoskeletal system, joint wear and restricted mobility.

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

The cougar feeling

A large part of the people in the western world no longer knows the feeling of being carried by gravity. It was lost to them. So they have to fight against gravity day after day, but gravity will always win in the long run. If, on the other hand, you look at the gait of an African water bearer, you can guess what it feels like to be carried by gravity. Rolfing wants to give you this feeling of balance again: to be completely connected to the body and to rest in it. After a Rolfing series, a client once reported that his body now felt as supple as that of a cougar.

In order to achieve this goal, Rolfing works with a variety of techniques, including massage, osteopathy and yoga. The special thing about Rolfing is that it only loosens the tissue at certain points and integrates the work into the body at the end of each session. As Dr. Ida Rolf liked to say: “Anyone can take things apart. Only a few know how to reassemble them”.

Integrating means balancing

The art of Rolfing means to integrate. Because when something is loosened during a massage, the body tends to fall back into the old pattern. It is the integration that balances the body in gravity. This happens in every Rolfing treatment. Step by step, treatment by treatment, a change occurs.

During the massage you lie passively on the couch and indulge yourself. During Rolfing you will be actively involved, not only on the couch but also in sitting and standing position. You will be asked to become aware of your posture, to explore habits, to move more relaxed and upright.

The Rolfing process is a form of growth through active sensory learning. The aim is for you to balance yourself independently in the end and no longer need a Rolfing practitioner.

Self-healing

Dr. Ida Rolf’s approach goes one step further: If your body is brought into balance, it can heal itself. Your symptoms will disappear by themselves and you will feel a significant increase in your quality of life.

“When the body begins to work properly again, the power of gravity can flow through it. Then it will heal itself spontaneously.” Dr. Ida Rolf

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in my practice in Berlin or Munich. Here you will find the contact page.

MerkenMerken

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How Slow Flow Bodywork developed

Massage - Berlin & Munich

Over the years, Slow Flow Bodywork has developed into an independent technique in my work. It contains elements from “Esalen Massage”, yoga and dance.

Only at the beginning of the treatment I work with oil. The oil gradually penetrates the skin and makes the quality of the touch firmer. At the same time the movement becomes slower and slower. It is an invitation to the muscle to let go in small steps and to relax. In this way the tissue lets go in deeper and deeper layers.

Most of the time you are in a lateral position on the massage table. Occasionally I also work with you on the floor on a Shiatsu mat. Only in the lateral position can I pick up and uncover the spiral movement patterns of your body.

You have surely observed a cat that has just awakened from her sleeping place and is lolling, stretching and making herself very long. Slow Flow Bodywork transfers this kind of movement into the treatment. This is the way you are massaged and slowly stretched. The slower the strokes progress, even more so can smaller cell units can let go.

Letting go is usually perceived as a never-ending flow of energy through all cells. The effect is grounding and pleasurable. The end is quiet, calm and peaceful. You feel well connected with your body, are calm, attentive and very present.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in my practice in Munich or Berlin. Here you will find the contact page.

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Origin of Lomi lomi nui massage

Lomi Lomi Massage - Berlin & Munich

Originating from Hawaii, the Lomi Lomi Nui is by nature not a massage. It is bodywork that touches not only the body but also the soul. It is a cleansing ritual in which you can let go of all burdens, tensions, emotions and worries. Lomi Lomi Nui is a ritual to let go, to forgive, to accept and to invite love.

The word “Lomi” means knead, press, rub. The doubling of “Lomi Lomi” underlines the meaning, the greatness and the outstanding.

The word “Nui” indicates big, important, unique. Lomi Lomi Nui is embedded in ancient Hawaiian family tradition. It was used there in initiation ceremonies and also bears the name Temple Massage in Germany. With the Kahunas, the shamanic healers of Hawaii, the Lomi is a part of the naturopathy consisting of several components. There it is mainly used for healing purposes.

When the Christian missionaries came to Hawaii in 1820, the Lomi Lomi Nui massage and all healing rituals were forbidden. Although the Lomi Lomi Nui massage was legalized in 1947 under American occupation, it was so restricted and suppressed by restrictive conditions that the Kahuna healers were not willing or able to fulfill them. This situation did not change until 2001.

Traditionally, those people who were at a transition in their lives received Lomi. For example, children who became teenagers, or young men who were ordained priests, or girls who became women, or young men who became warriors, or men who went on a long boat trip. At that time the Lomi was used many times during several days to prepare the people for their new life. Layer by layer, they were kneaded deeper and deeper to let go of the old and the past and in this way to be open, mature for the gifts of the future.

Lomi Lomi Nui helps to dissolve past experiences stored in the body tissue and in this way creates inner peace. It has a harmonizing effect and leads you into the temple of your body. The Lomi is a true feast for your senses. You will feel purified and prepared to receive the new in your life.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in my practice in Munich or Berlin. Here you will find the contact page.

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Your first massage

Massage Berlin & Munich

Before the massage or bodywork treatment begins, we will sit down and I will offer you some tea or fresh water. This time is only for you to arrive, to get acquainted with the new environment and with me. If you have questions about my work, then this is the moment to ask them and I look forward to answering them. Please feel free to talk about anything I should know.

If there are important issues regarding your health, such as pregnancy, high blood pressure, surgery, osteoporosis, psychotherapy, cancer, inflammation, skin problems, or simply joint pain, stiff neck, or stress, please let me know. If you have any doubts about contraindications, please consult your doctor.

If you like, you can talk about your expectations, what you need, and what you don’t like. Maybe you don’t like facial massage, or you don’t want oil in your hair because you have an appointment afterwards. Maybe you need a really strong or a rather gentle, soft flowing massage. Perhaps you would like a particularly long foot massage today. If you like it, you can also bring your iPod, and we will listen to your music during the massage treatment or bodywork session.

After this little talk I will give you a big sheet and show you how to lie on the massage table. Then I will leave the room, you take off your clothes and lie under the sheet on the massage table. Before I come back, I will knock on the door.

Cover the body with the sheet.

During a massage you normally lie naked under the large sheet that covers you. Only the areas of your body will be uncovered where the massage will take place. If you feel uncomfortable being naked under the sheet, you can keep your underwear on.

Massage practitioners are well trained to always … always … always cover the private zone of the client with the sheet. But there are a few different aspects to how the sheet is handled.

  • When I give a massage to someone who wants the entire body to be massaged – like as if in a uninterrupted movement in orchestra music – then only the private zone is covered and much of the body is uncovered. In this way it is much easier to keep the massage constantly flowing.
  • But if the same person comes a month later and feels shy, sore, stressed, or introverted, then he or she gets a blanket in addition to the sheet and is well covered. The entire massage now takes place under the sheet, with little or no uncovering. Accordingly, the massage style will be slower and more nuanced – just like a chamber music.

During the massage or bodywork treatment

There are a few things that might be helpful for you to know.

° Sie können während der Massage immer zu mir reden. Aber es besteht keine Notwendigkeit für “Small Talk”. Wenn Sie Anspannung, und Nervosität verspüren, oder wenn Sie sich gestresst oder kontrolliert anfühlen, lassen Sie es mich wissen.

  • You can always talk to me during the massage. But there is no need for “small talk”. If you feel tension and nervousness, or if you feel stressed or controlled, let me know.
  • You are welcome to move at any time and change position on the massage couch. Listen to the impulses of your body and follow them. Please feel encouraged to do this even during the massage.
  • With your breath you can support the progress of the treatment. If you exhale deeply and long, you can help yourself to relax.
  • If your restless thoughts prevent you from being present, simply keep the focus of your attention within your body limits. For example, you can feel your skin, or feel inside your body, or follow the flow of your breath, or follow the touch of my hands.

All this in one picture ….

A massage is a gift that we both, you and I, give to your body so that it can grow and blossom. During the massage the body is the king. It is our task to listen to it and to be present for it during the whole treatment. In this way it can recover and we can both follow the body very attentively and learn to let go – little by little.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in my practice in Munich or Berlin. Here you will find the contact page.

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