Chapter 10
Bioharmonic Self-Massage Exercises
Neuroscience has offered us clear and objective proof that separating the mind from the body is pure absurdity and utter nonsense, scientifically speaking.
Our bodies are the storehouse of our entire emotional life history, one that goes back quite far and for which we are the keepers. We inherit the history of the universe (specific memories going back some fifteen billion years), of life (phylogenesis), of our family tree (psychogenealogy), of our intra-uterine life (Stanislav Grof ’s perinatal matrixes), and our own histories from birth to the present (biography).
Out of this legacy, there are a multitude of memories of negative and traumatizing experiences, memories of emotional shocks and conflicts that have never been expressed or resolved, memories of which one remains unaware but which always remain embedded within a cerebroautonomic nervous-muscular network. They leave their negative traces on different levels--muscular, fascial, and visceral--causing a sense of imbalance (blockage, tension, dysfunction, pain, and so forth).
Each emotion corresponds to a configuration of the body and to neurological, muscular, circulatory, or biochemical changes. Looking at a sad individual you will see that his physical expression of sorrow is global in nature and that this physical expression involves the entire body from head to toe, from the skin down into the bones and organs.
My personal and clinical experience has shown me that any emotion can be connected to any part of the body, and that every part of the body can be linked to every emotion. Sometimes different threads connected to the same emotional experience can appear in different zones. This means that each zone of the body (axis, column, waist, limbs . . .to mention only the dimension consisting of the joints and muscles), participates in an emotional expression in its own way, like the different instruments playing in an orchestra.
Science now confirms that the body itself is the best doctor for all our ills. It is the royal way to reach the emotions, as it is where they are first revealed as well as permanently stored.
The hands-on exercises in this chapter provide you with detailed techniques for releasing stored tension from the following parts of the body:
- The head and neck
- The shoulders
- The chest
- The upper limbs
- The back and spinal column
- The belly
- The pelvis
- The lower limbs
The Materials
These self-massages will require the use of some fairly inexpensive objects that can easily be found in hardware stores and sporting goods shops. They are mainly tubes, balls, and sticks of varying size and consistencies that can be easily adapted to meet the needs of the different parts of the body as well as the requirements of the intention. With just these few, basic tools, you can now massage yourself from head to toe without ever wearing yourself out!
Exercises for the Head and Neck
Skull and Neck
Seated
This exercise permits valuable work to be done on the entire back of the skull, the nape of the neck, and the neck itself. This position also makes it possible to work on the region extending down the entire back to the lumbar region.
The pressure on the ball must be gentle. Take the small foam ball (6.5 mm in diameter) or the large one (20 mm in diameter). Experiment to find which is easier for you to use. For the back of the neck, the middle-size ball adapts better to the surrounding area.
1. Sit on a bench or stool with your buttocks and back pressed firmly against the wall.
2. Place the ball in the middle directly behind your head.
3. Very gently and to the greatest extent possible, begin by turning your head to the right and left, rolling the ball over onto the side of your head to facilitate the amplitude of the movement. The torso will trigger a small bit of torsion on the side of the ball, as well as a slight tilting on the opposite side.
4. Place the middle-size ball behind the nape of your neck and once again turn your head slowly to the right and left.
Standing
This position facilitates mobility and flexibility. With a little effort, it allows you to work the ball over your entire head and neck area.
Lying Down
Your mobility will be greatly reduced when lying down on your back, but this posture has the advantage of allowing greater relaxation and reducing the workload of the muscles. It allows you to work more specifically upon the base of the skull and the back of the neck.
1. Use your foam-covered roller for the back of the skull. Place it behind your head as high as you can. It will give you the sensation that your neck is stretched.
2. Then gently and calmly turn your head from right to left (or vice versa) to discover the landscape of this area of your body.
3. You can also roll the rod under your head from top to bottom. In this case, it can be placed a bit lower under your head.
4. Work the base of the skull and the back of the neck with the large foam ball.
The Face
Seated
The small or medium-size foam ball would appear to offer the best value here.
1. Sit down facing the wall with your knees open.
2. Place the ball at the top of your forehead then move it across your entire forehead.
3. Next bring the ball across your eyes and the surrounding area.
4. Then move the ball down your nose, making sure to include your cheeks, then your jaws, mouth, chin, and wherever else your inspiration takes you.
5. Move the bench you’re sitting on a little back from the wall. Now, starting at the forehead, you will be able to massage the entire top of your head with the ball.