Bioenergetic analysis: how to bring joy back to life

“When I look at the bodies of my patients, in the tension that fetters and limits them, I see the pain that owns them,” writes Alexander Lowen, one of the founders of the method of bioenergetic analysis, in the book “Joy”*. “Their pursed lips, protruding chins, rearing shoulders, stiff necks, bloated chests, retracted bellies, immobile pelvises, bulky legs and narrow feet are sure signs of fear of failure and a painful, joyless existence.”

Unity of body and mind

Bioenergetic analysis is based on the idea that the human mind and body are one – what happens in the head happens in the body. If a person, for example, is depressed by thoughts of his helplessness and failure, then his body is also in a depressed state. Outwardly, this is manifested by reduced motor activity, shortness of breath, stiffness, and awkwardness.

All bodily functions, including metabolism, are weakened, resulting in reduced energy production in the body, it is “de-energized”. Chronic tension, or rigidity, of the muscles in various parts of the body forms a real prison that prevents a person from freely expressing his spirit.

To get to the deep self, you need to travel back to your earliest childhood. This path inevitably creates pain as it evokes unpleasant and frightening memories, but as the tension is released and repressed feelings are released, the body slowly and gradually comes to life.

The first thing to start with is breathing.

Practice

1. Breathing exercise

Lie down on the bed, close your eyes and relax. Breathe deeply and consciously for several minutes – you need to get away from self-control, trust your body and the involuntary reflex processes taking place in it. Then open your eyes sharply and wide.

The reaction to this movement can be different for each person. It can be screaming, laughing, crying, convulsions. Don’t be scared, just listen to your body and let it freely express itself. Over time, as you do the exercise, you will learn to breathe deeply spontaneously, the body will become more relaxed, and the reactions described above will disappear.

2. Grounding exercise

Starting position: legs wide apart, knees bent and tense, the body is slightly arched. Place your fists on your belt to maintain the bend. This posture brings closer contact with the lower body, which reinforces the sense of security. In addition, it facilitates deeper breathing – for this purpose it is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Lean forward so that your fingers touch the floor or ground, and your feet are about 30 cm apart, with your toes turned slightly inward. In this pose, you will feel closer to the ground, as well as to your legs and feet. Then transfer the weight of the body to the feet and slowly straighten the knees without pinching them. When performed correctly, the legs begin to pulsate and vibrate.

3. Protest Exercise

Lying on the bed, rhythmically perform 200 kicks, counting each kick with one foot as a separate movement. The knees must be kept straight, not pulled out with tension, the blow itself is applied with the calf, not the heel. Before each kick, raise your leg as high as possible – as far as possible. Most people can’t do 200 kicks without stopping, and many have trouble with even a hundred.

With practice, breathing becomes deeper and freer, and thus movements are easier. The exercise develops breathing, helps to get rid of excess fat on the buttocks and thighs, improves the shape of the legs – without shock loads on the knees, ankles and other joints.

4. Voice exercise

It is very important to be able to scream and squeal, sob – this is a kind of safety valve that allows you to defuse excitement that cannot be dealt with rationally. It can be used as one of the ways to reduce unbearable stress.

In the lower part of the abdominal cavity, deep, “inner” feelings are released. The sounds made during such crying contain low, deeply resonant tones, which, on the one hand, give vent to feelings of defeat, and on the other, anger.

It is not difficult for small children to squeal loudly, piercingly, because their “I” has not yet managed to take full control over their reactions. For the same reasons, it is much easier for women to squeal and scream than for men, but many of them are afraid of losing control.

“I encourage my patients to yell and yell loudly whenever they feel the pressure building up inside them to extreme levels,” Lowen says. “The best place to scream is in a car on a suburban highway, where you can, by raising all the windows in the doors to the stop, not be afraid that someone will hear you.”

5. Exercise for coordination of voice and body

Stand in front of the bed and start kicking it continuously, rhythmically and hard enough while saying multiple “why?” or “why?”, “no”, “leave me alone”, “don’t touch me”. Hold the sound for as long as possible.

When the air in your lungs runs out, keep kicking anyway, taking two or three breaths. Repeat, raising your voice a little and increasing the force of hitting the bed. When the oxygen in the lungs runs out, continue kicking while restoring breathing.

On the third repetition, the pitch of the voice should be brought to a shrill screech, and the kicks should be made with the greatest possible speed and force. The goal is to give vent to rage and protest. If this can be achieved, then the discharge is complete and as a result a person experiences a feeling of joy. However, this is difficult to achieve: most people are too intimidated to completely surrender to the mercy of their body.

You can go as far as squealing, but the expression of feelings will be more like a hysterical reaction, which only makes you feel even more scared. In this case, you can temporarily give up, curl up and cry like a small child – self-control will be restored.

6. Exercise with sagging

Stand in front of a stool, touching it with your back. Place your hands on the stool behind you to keep your balance, and bend your knees until your heels lift off the floor. Now the entire weight of the body rests entirely on the metatarsal areas of the arch of the feet. Push and pull your heels down even when they no longer touch the floor – hold the energy charge in your feet and do not let yourself fall.

If you perform the exercise correctly, the pelvis will begin to spontaneously move in the rhythm of breathing. The exercise ensures the achievement of the necessary energy charge of the legs and feet, at the same time allowing the accumulated charge to break into the pelvis and relax, release it.

7. Pelvic bridge exercise

Lie on your back on a gym mat or bed. Bend your knees, keeping your feet 20-30 cm apart. Grasp both ankles with your hands and rise to the bridge, moving yourself forward and up with your hands and tilting your head back. Your head, elbows and feet should be touching the bed or mat. Push your knees forward as far as you can, lower your pelvis.

If you breathe freely and deeply, the pelvis will begin to energetically charge and vibrate, moving up and down. This natural movement relieves tension in the lower back, buttocks and thighs, allowing you to enjoy more sexual sensations.

^* A. Louen “Joy”. Popurri, 2014