The ‘Both-And’ aspects of Biodynamic Massage- Safety/ Relaxation and Exploration/ Charge
Biodynamic Massage is different from regular massages in a number of ways and one of the ways is we can work with both the sympathetic and parasympathetic aspects of the nervous system – i.e. both rest and relaxation AND charge and stimulation. It is quite a unique capability because rest and relaxation tend to be more usually associated with massages while charge and stimulation more usually associated with physiotherapy or sports-related soft tissue treatments. Being able to work with both charge and discharge means that a broad range of different symptoms can be encompassed. For instance, someone could present with generic ‘stress’ and how that stress is manifested in the body could vary from being over-charged, not being able to switch off and poor sleep to being totally lacking in energy as a result of the body system being overwhelmed and shut-down. As a Biodynamic Massage Therapist, I am able to select from a very broad range of techniques combined with the application of a given technique in specific ways so that what is delivered or conveyed to an individual and their body system is received in a way that helps that system to regulate. The oscillation between the need for rest and relaxation and charging/ stimulation may differ from one session to the next and/ or it may differ because of the change in regulation cycle and/ or it may happen within a given session that at different stages of a session, a person may need different approaches. What makes it possible to work in this way is not just the way we train ourselves to listen and attune ourselves to the client, it is also our understanding and appreciation of the connections between mind, body, spirit and the totality of someone’s life space and most importantly, the quality of relationship between me and the client.