Gestalt therapy: Exercises for body awareness Bashny.Net

Gestalt therapy is one of the most popular areas of modern practical psychology developed by German psychotherapist Frederick Perls.

The main goal of Gestalt therapy is the creation of wholeness, "something" from "nothing", achieving a more complete comprehension of: your feelings, needs, desires, mental activity, and awareness of the outside world, especially the world of relationships with other people.

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In General, the theory of Gestalt therapy is based on the provisions, which very effectively allow you to use it in the treatment of skin diseases as well, and many other psychosomatic diseases.

Human perception is not deterministic mechanical summation of external stimuli, and has its own organization.In their perception, the body chooses what it is important and interesting.

It's a figure.For example, thirst motivates a person to allocate a glass of water on the table covered with viands, as significant figure, but when the thirst is quenched, most likely it will attract your attention to something else.Perception is arranged in such a way that a meaningful figure stands out to the fore, whether the image of a loved one, the feeling of hunger, the pain of a nail in the Shoe, or word of this text. All other objects at this point, merge, become indistinct and go into the so-called background. That is why the man himself is always responsible for what he perceives and feels like.

Human behavior obeys the principle of formation and destruction of gestalts. A healthy body operates on the basis of self-regulation. An urgent need arises and begins to take a dominant attention of the body – the figure emerges out of the background. Further, the body looks in the environment object, which is able to satisfy this dominant need, such as food when hungry. Convergence and adequate interaction with an object (chewing and ingestion of food in this example) leads to satisfaction of needs – the Gestalt is completed and destroyed.

Man is a holistic creature sociobiologically. Any division into component parts, e.g. psyche and body, is artificial.

Man and his environment constitute a single Gestalt, structural whole which is called the field "organism – environment". Environment affects the organism, and the organism transforms its environment. This means that, on the one hand, we are influenced by the behavior of other people, on the other, if we change their behavior, the surrounding is forced to change.

Contact a basic concept of Gestalt therapy

The body can't exist in a vacuum as in space devoid of water, plants and living creatures. A human being cannot develop in an environment devoid of other people. All basic needs are met only in contact with the environment. The place where the body meets the environment, in Gestalt therapy is called the boundary of contact.The extent to which people can satisfy their needs depends on how flexibly it can adjust the contact boundary. In particular, the skin is an example and metaphor of the border contact: it also isolates the person from the outside world and connects with it.

Awareness – awareness of what is happening inside the body and its environment.

Awareness is not identical with intellectual knowledge about themselves and about the world. It includes both the experience of perception of the stimuli of the external world and the internal processes of the body – sensations, emotions, and mental activity – ideas, images, memories, and anticipating, i.e. it covers many levels. Awareness, with the exception of his mental layers, have animals. However, in the civilized world people have hypertrophied thinking to the detriment of the emotions and perception of the outside world. It is the awareness as opposed to rational knowledge gives real information about the needs of the organism and the environment.

A huge number of human problems is due to the fact that an authentic awareness of reality is replaced by intelligent and often false ideas about it, for example, what can you expect from people how they treat me what I should want and should do. Such misconceptions that obscure the reality and make it difficult to meet the needs of the organism – the process of formation and destruction of the Gestalt is broken. Gestalt therapy assumes that if people reach a clear understanding of internal and external reality, that they are able to solve all your problems. Therefore, therapy does not aim to change behavior, the behavior itself is changing with the growth of awareness.

Here and now principle, which means that the actual for the body always occurs in the present, whether of perception, feelings, actions, thoughts, fantasies about the past or the future – all of them are in the present moment.

The use of this principle allows to intensify the process of understanding.

To achieve maturity, we must overcome its desire to receive support from the outside world and find sources of support in themselves.

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The main condition for the support of himself and self – equilibrium. The condition for achieving this balance is the understanding of the hierarchy of needs. Basiccomponent balance – the rhythm of contact and waste. Self-regulation based on the individual is characterized by a free flow and a distinct formation of a Gestalt. This is the path to maturity.

Proponents of Gestalt therapy believe that the cause of disease often is the inability of the individual to fully accept responsibility for your feelings, thoughts and actions, in other words, failure to accept responsibility for his "I".

People very often tend to shift the responsibility for negative actions and feelings on others: "I drink because such a busy life"; "I'm cheating on you because you dopekayut me your jealousy," etc. Many of them sincerely believe that their flaws and failures is to blame not themselves, but other people or circumstances.

Gestalttherapie perceives the body as "I", that is, bodily processes are considered in the context of the whole person, not as isolated phenomena.

Thus, the sensations of our bodies is an integral part of our "I", separating body sensations from ourselves, we can lose a significant part of yourself.

The proposed practical exercises gestalttherapie focused on the development of awareness itself, the identification of figure and ground, and body awareness.

When you exercise, it is important to understand what you are doing, how you are doing and what it really gives you. And at the moment, not other people and not by hearsay. And here you can see whether it is effective for you and what you need to do to be effective.

In the exercises it is important to feel what it is YOU feel something, whatever it is. Note what difficulties you prevent during exercise that makes you them to complete (this can be different States, experiences, feelings or thoughts). Be aware of what thoughts are about exercise you may have.

Maybe you perceive them as a struggle for tug of war, "who", and will be protected. Then you are not in the least shift in your awareness.

Notice how you are during exercise slip away from the present and where it headed.Don't force yourself to go back and just watch.

The benefit that you can derive from these exercises is to develop the ability to find their own evaluation. Do them as a game, do not be confused by the comic or tragic aspects of the resulting situation. From different viewpoints one and the same event can be both comic, and tragic.

Note the time when the anxiety or aversion come to the fore and forced to shirk exercise. Who or what gives you that feeling?

When performing exercises it is important not to fix something that you are aware of, not to interfere in the process, but to watch all his spontaneous reaction. Do not attempt to explain the reasons, to understand something hidden or unusual, do not look for interpretations in the subconscious, do Not worry about what is happening to you and why.

Doing these exercises step by step, you're beginning to take responsibility for your whole experience, including the units and the symptoms gradually become free management yourself. The notion that thoughts on their own initiative and without your help to enter your mind, will give way to vision that you think your thoughts.

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When performing exercises for body awareness, almost all have difficulties, resistance and anxiety. But they are extremely important and deserve the cost of many hours in moderate doses. It is not only the basis for the destruction of "muscular armor", but also for the treatment of all muscle diseases.

When performing exercises it is important not to "progress", but simply without stress to move forward. If you consider that "should" be able to do something, you immediately restrict what you can discover what you already know and what you expect. Be curious. "Understanding" what is happening most often expressed in verbal or "theoretical" form. It may be absolutely correct, but don't keep feeling of significance that comes before the actual liberation.

Many of the exercises if you do them honestly, and can cause you variety of reactions. From delight to shock, from the joy of recognition to the damage of self-esteem in your own eyes. Allow yourself to notice what is going to shock you or humiliates. And compared to what.

Exercises to develop self-awareness

The first exercise

Try for several minutes to make phrases, expressing the fact that you are currently aware of or notice. Start each sentence with the words "now" "in this moment", "here and now".

Describe what happens to you and around you, each time starting a sentence with the words: "now I realize what I hear". And I see, feel, think, remember, imagine, etc.

As soon as you said something "now I realize that..."pay attention to your answer: whether you select it from several options, or your attention really was only one subject.

Then again start the sentence with, "now I understand..."name what you realize, and add the words: "... and find it a pleasant (or unpleasant)". If you find it difficult to understand, it is pleasant or unpleasant, try to answer at random and observe whether the chosen word.

Now try to complete the sentence with the words: "... and I think it's bad (or good)". Try to combine this exercise with the previous one, for example: "Now I realize that... and find it nice and bad."

Again, start the sentence with: "Now I realize what I see (hear, etc.)... and I know what is...»

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Second exercise

Many phenomena could not exist if it were not their opposites.

Think of several pairs of opposites, in which each phenomenon can exist without its opposite.

The third exercise

Take a look at some daily life situation, some objects or actions as if they were a direct opposite of what you usually take.

Imagine yourself in a situation opposite to your own, where your inclinations and desires is the opposite of the usual.

Consider the objects, images and thoughts as if their function or values opposite from what you usually think. By doing this, refrain from the usual assessments: what is good and what is bad, what is desirable and what is undesirable, what is sensible and what is silly, what is possible and what is impossible. Stand between the opposites – or rather, above them – at the zero point, keeping interest in both poles, without favoring either one.

The ability to see the opposites, keeping the impartial interest, develops the ability to find your own assessment.

The fourth exercise

Imagine that traffic around you happen in reverse order, like in the movies when a diver gracefully leaps from the water to the springboard.

Change function to opposite. Under any circumstances on a chair you can eat and on the table sit? The astronomer looks through a telescope at the moon and if the moon someone's watching him? Imagine that the ceiling is the floor, flip the wall. Flip the picture upside down. Imagine submarines and fishes flying in the air. Unleash the "schizophrenic" on the capabilities of your imagination; things that you will think no more strange than the common view that people and society in General always behave reasonably.

Fifth exercise

Imagine what would happen if you got up this morning out of bed. What would happen in a certain situation, if you said no instead of Yes? And if you were 10 inches higher? Or weigh 10 pounds less? If you were a woman, not a man, or Vice versa?

If something has more then anywhere else it is smaller. Remember something that you got, and think about where it was taken? What would happen if you didn't get one? What if you got what you got?

If you look closely at what happens when you contrast two situations or two things, you will see that you put them in some context. Continue performing this exercise, try to better imagine the context. For example, in the context with the word "egg", "fresh" is the opposite of "rotten" in the context of "obsolete". The creation of an accurate context, improves your attitude. You will begin without any special effort to see connections that previously had to be found.

Please note, as dependent on context as situation: it is repulsive or attractive, joyful or tragic. If the thought of some kind of loss causes grief, think about who could experience the joy of such loss.

Exercises on identification of figures and background

The first exercise

For some time, pay attention to some visual object, such as a chair. Looking at him, notice how he made clear, mutneyuschee emerges in the background of the surrounding space and objects. Then move the eyes to a nearby object and watch how it in turn, thus "emptying" the background.

Similarly listen to some sounds in your surroundings and watch how other sounds become background. Finally, "listen" to some bodily sensation such as pain or itching, and observe how in this case other senses recede into the background.

Second exercise

Free dynamics of the relationship between the figure and the ground can be broken in one of two ways:

a) the figure of too fixed attention, so that new interest in what else the object from the background does not occur (this is what happens when attention is focused);

b) the background contains a strong point of attracting attention, which is impossible at least for a time lose interest, so either they will do to distract attention, or the interest must be suppressed. Examine each of these cases separately.

Look closely at any shape, just for her, not being distracted by anything else. You will notice that soon it will become unclear, and the attention will begin to dissipate. On the other hand, if you allow yourself to "play" with the figure, all the while returning to it from various fragments of the background, thanks to these movements the figure will be complete, will become clearer and more textured.

Select the turbulent situation, for example the expectation of the guest or at bus stops. Allow yourself freely to see, hear and perceive the figure and the background in the environment, as in the previous experiment, that is, to move freely from one to another. You will notice that the arousal in a situation of concern (e.g., increasing anxiety about the fact that it was late, and he whom you expect, it's not coming) reduces interest in other things, reduces their appeal. Continuing to observe what is happening around you (without purposeful focus on anything), allow yourself to realize the chaotic meaninglessness of the surrounding. Notice your resistance, blind spots and fantasy.

The third exercise

Let your attention move from one object to another, noting the shapes and background and their emotions. Every time you Express emotions in words like: "I like it" or "I don't like it". Divide the object into parts: "this part I like and don't like this". Finally, differentiate one of your emotions, for example: "it disgusts me," etc.

In this exercise, you can meet with such resistance as confusion, embarrassment, fear to be too rude, too arrogant or immodest, but maybe you will find yourself with the desire to soon be the object of attention, than to give their attention. When you thus look at the people, the resistance is so strong that forces you to interrupt the exercise for a time turned his attention to animals and inanimate objects.

Exercises for body awareness

The first exercise

Lock that position in which you are, for example, sit as you sit, without changing anything. Pay attention to how you sit, how you hold hands. In a minute way point, where there is a contact between two body parts or where body is in contact with the outside world. For example, a hand and chin. Give your consciousness to enter the hand, then in the chin. Try to hold a conversation between these two parts.

Find 3-4 of the verb that tells you your body. Just let these verbs slip into your head, watching the actions and intentions of the body. Often what makes the body or what is done with the body, balances or comments what is said with words.

Second exercise

Take a position so that the head was loose and rested. With your eyes closed try to feel your face from within, feel the resulting stress. Find them, but don't try to eliminate. Notice – what is it? What is the reason? What a feeling, emotion? What is the Association? The facial muscles are closely connected with emotions. Your face tells you how you feel about the situation, what moments of the past are significant. It is important to pay attention to this information.

Do the exercise on the awareness of all that currently happens to you, watch it, give voice to their experiences, each time starting a sentence with the words: "Now I realize that..."For example: "Now I realize that I lay on the couch. Now I realize that I'm about to do an exercise in awareness. Now I realize that hesitating asking yourself where to start. Now I notice that the wall of sound radio. This reminds me of... No, now I realize that I start to hear the transmission...

I realize that coming back from wandering. Now again, I escaped... Now I realize that lying with crossed legs. I realize that back pain. I realize that I want to change positions. Now I do it..."etc.

The third exercise

Try first to draw the attention on external events: what you see, hear, smell, without suppressing other experiences. Now in contrast, focus on internal processes: the images, physical sensations, muscular tensions, emotions, thoughts. Now try to differentiate various internal processes, concentrating on each of them as fully as you can: images, muscle strain, etc.

The fourth exercise

Sitting or lying in a comfortable posture, become aware of various sensations of the body and movement (breathing, clamps, shrink the stomach, etc.); note whether there is in all this, certain combinations or structures – what is happening at the same time and forms a single pattern of stresses, pains, sensations. What happens when you inhibit or stop breathing? Whether it's any kind of tension of the hands, fingers, genitals, the motility of the stomach? Or, maybe there is any connection between the breath and strain my ears? Or between the breath and any tactile sensations? What combinations can you find?

Fifth exercise

Focus on your bodily sensations in General. Let your attention wander around the different parts of the body, "complete" attention whole body. What parts do you feel? Mark of pain and the clips, which you usually don't notice. Any muscle tension you feel? Do not try to fix them, let the tension remains. Try to determine their exact location. Notice skin feeling. Do you feel your body, the connection head with the torso, your limbs?

Do you fully realize yourself? What are the "white spots", "emptiness" you have found in your body?

The sixth exercise

When the forgotten, for the first time seems to caught the world living without you. Imagine now that life goes on without you, by itself. Look at it from the side... Now go back to bed.

Have you changed the world in your absence? Important if you are in this situation of life?

The interdependence:

1. When you work on your awareness,your body becomes more free, uninhibited, energetic, mobile and flexible.

2. When you work on your body, coordination, plasticity and flexibility, you become more open to adopting new points of view, of changing attitudes, expanding the ability to see similarities and differences, to make choices and to see new opportunities. published 

 

Author: Irina Malkina-Pykh

P. S. And remember, just changing your mind — together we change the world! ©

Source: //healthinfo.ua/articles/zdorovoe_mishlenie/23720