When we lose what we are attached to, we suffer, and when we experience what we fear or don’t want, we also suffer. As we learn to let go and trust the process of life’s unfolding, there is no guarantee that things will always go the way we want. However, it also seems that having things our way is a very small sphere of happiness to cling to. When we can release ourselves from narrowing beliefs and opinions and allow life to move (both within and around us), a natural inborn happiness arises. The view that struggle is a feedback mechanism about our attachments, rather than an indication that something is wrong with oneself or the world around, can greatly reduce both the tendency to struggle and the effects of struggling. There are times when we may find ourselves in conflict with physical sensations, thoughts that are arising, or how we feel. When we fight with that which we experience as already unpleasant, we multiply discomfort. However, when we move our attention closer to what is true, the truth itself proves liberating, regardless of particularization. By making contact with our experience in a direct way and
being honest about what is actually occurring, we can lessen the friction born of resistance and grasping.
Seeing that actions of body, speech and mind bring consequences for oneself and others can further strengthen the impetus to be aware and present. And yet as far as we go into the inner or outer worlds, the mysterious nature of it all remains and can act as an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
Polarity bodywork can be employed as a tool to increase awareness of the above (personal and collective laws) and thus contribute to the process of illuminating consciousness. It can also be utilized as a method which helps support physical health and deep relaxation. The results of the therapy will be dependent on many different, yet interrelated processes. Two such processes of great importance are the client’s willingness to explore and trust the unfolding of their experiences in the therapy, and the therapist’s heartfelt interest and presence. The context that the therapist offers will shape the client’s experience considerably. If the therapist has interest and means for contacting the psychological and existential issues of the client, as these may arise in the course of the bodywork (provided the client also has interest), the therapy will form itself accordingly. For example, as physical body awareness is enhanced through touch, it is not at all uncommon for unresolved emotional issues to surface. Sadness, anger, grief or fear may initially present themselves as a solidification of sensation, which if allowed into awareness (without too much judgment) will not only reveal their sources, but will also gradually and naturally transform themselves, paving the way for increased understanding and acceptance.
As our models of health care move away from attitudes and actions based on hierarchy and authoritarian education, and more towards self support and creative inquiry, polarity therapy can act as a simple and practical tool among the many hands-on methods, which are practiced today. The bodywork is relatively easy to do, requiring no special knowledge or unusual sensi- tivities. A basic familiarity with anatomy and physiology of the human body is very helpful and will compliment some of the terminology and processes described. The cultivation of sensitivity to life energy in one’s body is a lifelong endeavor, as is the ability to accurately perceive phenomena in another’s body. It can be helpful to acknowledge and suspend any unnecessary expectations (therapist’s and client’s), stay in the moment as much as possible, and trust what you can feel, regardless of whether you can describe it or not. Be as relaxed as possible when offering the sessions. For the most part use the hands and fingers in a way which is comfortable for you. Relax into and trust the felt senses that come to you as you work. This can go a long way towards answering questions about which fingers to use or how long to hold the contacts. Specifics in the area of timing and ways of contact will be presented at different places in the training, and we strongly encourage you to use your intuition (i.e. the ability to sense or feel, and yet not necessarily describe what is felt).
What is the essential purpose of this healing art? The Dhammapada (a collection of the Buddha’s teachings) says, “What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow. Our life is the creation of our mind”. In a similar vein, Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the first Yogis to come form India to the West, understand- ing the power of thought, believed that the medicine of the future would heal through the use of thoughts.
Polarity therapy encourages us to turn within, where we can discover the ongoing interplay between the mental, emotional and physical aspects of the objective self. These parts of the self are organized in polarities. Similarly, at the subtlest energetic level, cellular and subatomic polarities manifest, perhaps to such a refined degree that we have no means within our scientific methods of effectively observing them. The power of the thinking mind, though ever increasing, appears limited. Inevitably, description, concept and even the sense of “someone” observing will dissolve into vast space if we trace thought back to its source. This wondrous, terrifying, continuously liberating journey into the nature of what we are, is the essential heart of this work.
When we place our hands on two different areas of another person’s body, we create an energetic field between these two areas through our body (much like an automobile jumper cable). At the same time, it is also very likely that we will significantly contribute to a deepening in the client’s awareness of the relationship that two areas of their body have with one another. For instance, a tendency to lock the knees in reaction to fatigue may contribute to lower back tension, which in turn may contribute to neck tension and headaches. The fact that polarities exist at least down to the atomic level means that by placing our hands on any part of our client’s body, we will in effect be contacting millions of positive, neutral and negatively charged particles, and affecting their function and relationship to one another. This suggests that it is not of foremost importance which two points are connected, but rather the level of receptivity of the client, combined with the presence and skill of the therapist in terms of being able to help life energy flow. Common principles utilized in the therapy involve contacts along vertical and horizontal dimensions, diagonals, and front to back holds.
In summary, Polarity Therapy can be practiced in many different ways. Teachers and practitioners of any discipline can challenge themselves to find their own personal truths within the concepts and experiences of those with whom they study. When Polarity theory is brought to a level of direct experience, the benefits are maximized. In a typical Polarity Therapy session, the practitioner assesses energetic attributes using palpation, observation and interview methods. Sessions usually last 60-90 minutes, do not require disrobing, and involve both touch and verbal interaction. Touch contact may be light, medium, or firm. In the session, the practitioner supports a client in increasing his or her self-awareness of subtle energetic sensations, which are often experienced as tingling, warmth, expansion, or wavelike movement. The results of Polarity Therapy sessions vary, and may include profound relaxation, new insight into energetic patterns and their implications, and relief from specific problematic situations.
It is our intention to inspire, support, and provide the space for our continued exploration and personal development as the multi-dimensional humans beings that we all are. Anything Is Possible.
ASIS has been so wonderful to me and for me. I've been a regular here (at the student clinic) for 5 years and each class gets better! The students are so caring and loving. I look foward to another special visit and adventure each week. Keep up the good work!
