PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Biodynamic Massage

• What is Biodynamic Massage?
• How Does it Work?
• What Are the Benefits?
• What to Expect

What is Biodynamic Massage?
It was brought to the UK in 1968 by Gerda Boyeson, a Norwegian psychologist, physiotherapist and psychotherapist. She recognised that there was a strong link between the emotional and physical aspects of ourselves. She believed that stress and trauma impacted on the body, not only on a muscular level, but also on the nervous and digestive systems.

She agreed with the hypothesis that unexpressed emotions and uncompleted cycles of feelings and actions can get stuck in the body. Through her development of Biodynamic Massage therapy she discovered it was not only food, but feelings, emotions and experiences that were digested through the gut too.

Biodynamic Massage is an invitation for you to focus on your body through different techniques of touch from the therapist. This will enable you to experience how it feels to be touched on the outside of your body, and how it feels on the inside. This can be the beginning of a journey for you to digest, complete and resolve stuck cycles of feeling and can promote more self-understanding, spontaneity and choice in your life.

How Does it Work?
An electronic stethoscope is used during the massage which is placed on your belly or lower back in order for your peristalsis, or ‘tummy rumblings’ to be heard. These sounds give feedback and information to your therapist regarding what is happening in your system.

Biodynamic massage involves different techniques of massage or holding either on the skin, tissue, muscle or bone - directly on your body or in your energetic field. Some techniques are relaxing and soothing and some are invigorating and enlivening. A specific technique is selected for you after your consultation at each session. This is in order to help you to self-regulate and allows your natural body rhythms to take their course.

Biodynamic massage takes into consideration the therapeutic relationship between the client and therapist. This contributes to the depth that Biodynamic Massage can offer. Trust is an important ingredient in this work that is built on by the therapist being open, present and sensitive to comments and non-verbal signals from the client. You will be invited to gently become aware of how you experience your body during the sessions, e.g. sensations, feelings, or lack of them, memories or images. This will help you to learn more about yourself. Being more in touch with yourself can be an organically transformational experience as it can open the way for you to follow what it is you need to do.

What are the benefits?

- Increases sense of well-being

- Promotes more body awareness

- Helps you to value your body as part of your whole self

- Brings awareness and flow to the breath, encouraging expansion and aliveness

- Being in touch with feelings gives more meaning to your current situation

- Strengthens and contains if feeling weak and unsupported

- Promotes deep relaxation

- Improves circulation

- Helps relieve chronic symptoms, e.g. headaches, tension, pain, digestive problems and insomnia

- Can improve overall health

- Encourages organic transformational self-healing

Biodynamic Massage is especially of benefit to the following: -

- Working with issues of body image

- Exploring trauma in the body

- Dealing with stress

- Feeling stuck in your life

- Being in transition from one change to another

What to expect?

In the first session you will be asked to say a little about your life and medical history. All information is treated as strictly confidential.

During the massage you can be fully or partly clothed, whichever feels more comfortable to you. You will also be able to hear your own peristalsis or ‘tummy rumblings’ through the electronic stethoscope.

Although after one session you may feel some benefit, it is recommended that a sustained change is only made possible by regular sessions over a period of weeks or months.

Ruth Cowan practices Biodynamic Massage at the Haelan Clinic.

For Clinic times, contact details and information about the Haelan Clinic practitioners see The Practitioners page .

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