By Frank Merillat
Imagine receiving a session of bodywork where everything feels good, comfortable and is received without discomfort. Imagine feeling movement that is fluid, free and easy. Imagine being encouraged into a state of awareness to become conscious of patterns of restriction in movement and of holding in the body. Finally imagine offering this to your client and encouraging these same feelings of ease, freedom, comfort and awareness in yourself as you work. This is what Dr. Milton Trager offered in his understanding and approach to working with the body.
Milton Trager focused his approach on the interaction between the nervous system and the contractile system that moves and supports our body. Dr. Trager noted that the nervous system was responsible for activation and release of muscle, connective tissue and movement of joint and bones. He noted that a very large percentage of this interaction happens unconsciously. We learn to use our bodies, and develop patterns of sensory-motor interaction that allows us to function without having to think about what we are doing. Just imagine if you had to process all the information that came into the nervous system each moment, we would end up overwhelmed and unable to respond or react to our world.
In his approach to working with a person, it became evident that awareness was key to efficient working of the body. He also noted that whenever discomfort was experienced by the sensory input to the nervous system there was an unconscious reaction that happens automatically. He called this the resistance reflex. This resistance reflex happens whether the sensory input was the result of action generated outside the body or by thoughts, beliefs, or emotions coming from inside us. As long as we operate unconsciously, it is very difficult to find a way to change the resistance patterns. This means that awareness is key to bringing change in the body movement or thought process. If we use awareness and focus on experiencing what feels good and right to the body, we have a much greater chance of feeling the change we would like to have. This approach allows the client to experience what feels good while on the table and is enhanced by self-exploration movement to keep the feeling when out in the world.
Dr. Trager used activation of the contractile system to further the effectiveness to this approach. He used specific resistance and movement to get full use of muscle contractions. Part of the holding patterns result from proprioceptors getting caught in a restrictive pattern and thus not able to fully contract or release to get a full range of motion. To accomplish this specific activation of the muscles involved in a movement is enhanced by providing resistance to the movement as the client experiences what it feels like to get full use through a range of motion.
Deane Juhan spent many years under the direct mentorship of Dr. Trager. He has taught the Trager Approach for years. He also wrote the book Job’s Body. The book focuses on movement; the anatomy and physiology of the systems involved in movement and why touch therapy works. It is a truly deep look at how we move and why what we do when we touch can be so effective.
Deane is offering his own take on the concepts developed by Dr. Trager. He calls this Resistance/Release Work. It is based on the concept that getting the most efficient use of our body requires the ability of the contractile system to have the full range of contraction when called to action both concentrically and eccentrically and to be able to release when not being asked to work. Deane brings over 40 years of experience as a therapist to his teaching and it is always a pleasure to watch a master body-worker apply their skill and knowledge.
If you would like to explore this idea of swimming in the sea of pleasantness, have the opportunity to study with a master of their craft, and learn an effective approach that fits well with most modalities of bodywork and hopefully feel improvement in your own body, come join us.
Deane will be offering his next edition of Resistance/Release Work at FSM this coming January. The class will be held Jan. 18-20, meet 9-6 each day and offers 24 Florida and National CEUs. There will be a specific area focus for part of the class and we will also work with the areas of concern identified by the participants as well. We have found that this allows an opportunity to see the real effects of the work in different areas of the body as well as going deeper in a specific area or system. We will be checking with the participants to select the specific area or system of the body for Deane’s slide show focus. There is an early registration discount offered if one is registered by Dec. 25, ($425) and the cost will increase to $475 if registered after Dec. 25th. To register for the class, or get more information please contact me directly at fmerillat@mac.com or call 352 371-0743, hope to see you there.
