“I eat the right food, exercise regularly, get 8 hours sleep. Why am I so tired all the time?”
Not so long ago that was me. In fact some days it still is me. As a somatic psychotherapist I often hear this from otherwise medically healthy clients. What I tell them is that your body and your mind are connected. The muscles of your body hold patterns of tension, acting as armour to protect you not just from re-damaging old injury sites, but also to stop you from feeling psychological or emotional pain. Muscles use up energy. So you may be unconsciously withholding your own energy; blocking your own life force. Think of all that extra energy that would suddenly become available to you if you could let everything go. This is what a Core Aliveness class is all about. Unlocking the vitality in your body and making room more for joy and pleasure!
Holding your breath is a way of minimizing physical pain. Shallow breathing is also the best way to minimize emotional and psychological pain. If you don’t breathe fully you won’t FEEL. But this also inhibits the amount of energy available to you. In Core Aliveness classes we focus on deep, lungful’s of air.
Core Aliveness group classes are a low impact, playful mind-body class based on Bioenergetic exercises, suitable for all levels of fitness, all body types and all genders. There are 3 sections in each class:
1. Establishing the mind-body link and grounding
In the first part we focus on reconnecting your body and mind. It’s all too easy to cut off from the neck down, ignoring the messages from your body. This is your chance to gently stretch, mobilise and ground your body, listening to the messages your body is trying to send you.
2. Energising your body and lungs
In the second section of Core Aliveness class we fire up your body using your muscles, breath and voice – generating heat and energy in your body. Giving you the opportunity to let off some steam!
3. Letting it all go
In the final section of a Core Aliveness class we put you into poses that allow the energy you’ve just built up to flow through and out of your body. We’re letting go of old stuck energy and undigested feelings, clearing space for more enjoyable states such as pleasure, love and joy. Finally we end up in relaxation poses to let your body-mind integrate all it has learned and enjoy a well-deserved rest.
If you want to ask me what Counselling or somatic psychotherapy is all about, I offer a FREE 15 minute discovery session by phone for new clients.
