Hi Alex,
Thanks for your question about body-mind transformative practices.
In my gentle bodywork practice, based in Australia, I combine three
main ways of working.
All are ways to 'allow' space for self-organisation (not that I can
stop self-organisation from happening, unless I develop King Canute's
powers much further).
The three modalities I use are Ortho-Bionomy [OB] (for bodies)
Process Oriented Psychology [POP] (for minds), and Open Space
Technology [OST] (for groups).
All three ways of working have a wider influence than I have
suggested in brackets (eg OST has an effect on bodies and minds etc
as well as affecting organisation of participants).
OB is the modality on which I built my practice, since I came across
it first, in 1985.
It is based on taking the body into positions of comfort, and
allowing past injuries and stresses to be released.
The work (or play) is quite minimal and involves trusting and
following the body's preferences, rather than trying to bring about
change.
Comfort is the guiding factor used by Ortho-Bionomy practitioners.
I was fascinated to open your web site and find the Masters thesis
there, researched by you and your wife.
Late last month. I submitted my PhD thesis, on a somewhat similar
topic, for examination.
You consider Jean Gebser's work in your thesis, and he was an
important part of my Masters and PhD theses too.
(How amazing to have Alan Combs on your committee!)
To answer your question about how body-mind practices have influenced
me:
In general, I would say that the practices I have been particularly
attracted to during my life, have given me a simple structure,
through which I can understand what I experience around me.
For example, in the 1970s and 1980s, I worked both as a classroom and
specialist remedial reading teacher, mainly with children between 6
and 12 years of age.
I observed the children teaching themselves better than any teacher
could hope to do.
It was not until I came across OB and OST that I realised I had not
been neglecting my students, but allowing them some space to learn.
Part of me knew that learning is a process of self-organisation,
rather than something I could control.
Despite the rather surprising progress the children in my classes
made, I had felt guilty that I was not 'teaching' as I had been
instructed.
Many of the 'proper' ways of teaching bored me, so I looked for
things to do with the students that were interesting for me.
Partly as a consequence of my guilt, I resigned from teaching in
about 1980.
Then OB, and later OST, gave me a new perspective on what had
happened naturally for me as a 'teacher'.
I understood better why I had trusted the children to learn, and why
it seemed that many had earlier been held back by being 'taught' to
read and so on.
Nowadays I see a distinction between teaching and facilitating space
and resources for learning.
I'll stop before I get carried away further.
Self-organisation, especially regarding the body and health, has
become an area of great interest to me.
Other list members may not be quite as excited by the topic.
Allison
(On a brisk and breezy Sunday from the Bellarine Peninsula in Oz)
On 22/08/2009, at 8:49 AM, Alex Iglecia wrote:
Hello,
I am new to OS List and the OS world, introduced via Lisa Heft in SF.
I am passionate about body/mind/transformative work and would
appreciate having a discussion if you have the interest.
I invite you to consider these points and let me know if you'd be
open to a sharing conversation.
Body-mind/transformative practices and group work in general.
As body/mind practices relate to OS, I do understand the value in
keeping OS separate from other influences, so this part of the
question is more about how practices have influenced you.
In this context - what do you do, what have you done, what do you
think the world is ready for (or needs)?
I look forward to speaking with you.
Alex
Alex Iglecia
781-405-1248
p.s. Easy ways to find me online:
http://www.alexiglecia.com
http://twitter.com/AlexIglecia
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiglecia
p.p.s.
The Epic Workout
http://www.epicworkout.com
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