[chaotic13]

I saw this in Freewill's post and was curious. What is this all about? What is a body memory massage therapist? Who to they treat? Is it some specialty certification? What does the treatment consist of? What's the objective of the approach? Just curious.. I don't think it is something I would really like, but I'm just curious and want to know more about it.

[Kiya]

like body workers - help to bring the trauma out of the physical body.

[chaotic13]

Thanks Kiya,
I don't really get it, though. Do they just help desensitize being touched?

[Kiya]

i haven't gone - i just ....
i think it is massage where you get to talk about what you're feeling while it is happening - talk about where there is pain, why there is pain, see if that pain is allowed to be touched, or say why it is not.... release the emotions built up with the pain.

this is something that i know i need to do - and haven't done.... and can't right now; financially or emotionally.

[chaotic13]

I find it so weird that I am even interested in this topic. Especially since I've only ever had one professional massage done. Although the person seem very skilled and it physically felt OK, I was really uncomfortable with the whole experience. I only went because someone had given me a gift certificate and kept asking me if I had gone yet.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Kiya,
...release the emotions built up with the pain

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I can't believe that you just posted this statement. Must have been some energy effect from the crystal thread. LOL. Get this...My curiosity about this topic must have been enough to invade my sleep last night. I am not one who usually remembers my dreams, so when I do the content tends to peak my attention. Anyway, ...last night I dreamed that I went for a routine back massage and as I was laying on the table tears just started streaming down my face. In the dream I wasn't hysterical, I wasn't hiding my face, trying to apologize or explain my behavior, or run out of the room. I was just laying there getting a back massage while tears were silently gushing out of my eyes. It was really strange. Then I check in PC and read your posts...

Metaphysical phenomenon or what.

[Kiya]

sometimes our dreams can be very healing =)

lol... yes.. it is my "term" only for this work.... other regular therapists call it "body work"...

I have had several therapists thru the years tell me "you know you could really benefit from body work"...

For me.. this person I see is a CMT... and in addition has couseling training.. in my case he knows about trauma.. about alters..

It takes a very special person to do this kind of work effectively - they must be "balanced" in their life.. and they must be able to counsel effectively...

Memories of abuse are stored physically, as well as, emotionally. It has been explained to me by my regular T.. that especially in my case severe physical abuse started before I was 3 and before I developed a way to verbalize what was happening to me...

Again for me: you lay on the massage table - as clothed as you are comfortable with... and... the person starts with massaging perhaps your head..

during that time body memories for me surface.... memories that are stored physically.. as well as emotionally....

a memory of being lost on a deserted country road for hours.. surfaced... and within minutes my body temp dropped.. and I was freezing... and my cheeks became freezing cold... and my fingers.. and I was scared...

the T stay with you... while you are re-experiencing the memory at a physical level... providing guidance... like... imagery to find my way home... making me "feel" warm, comforted... because during that time.. I am actually there... shaking.. frightened... feelings of anger arise at my parents for allowing this to happen over and over... and for the first time I was able to verbalize how angry I was.. by telling them "you had no right.. no right to treat me this way... I deserved to be warm".. since he is a CMT touching - is allowed... where with a regular T... this is not allowed.

By processing the memory in a physical form.. I have actually healed.. and those feelings do not come up for me anymore..

I have been in talk therapy "forever"... but by doing this.. it healed...

Thru this therapy.. I have developed a better connection with my body.... because of my background.. I do not "feel" cold.. so wear no coat in winter... I now am aware of cold.. and wear a coat..

This has also provided.. a means of "centering myself"... so that I do not disassociate so much... I catch myself... disapearing.. and allowing an alter to take over... and so now.. I do this less often..

I am sure I have not done justice to the explaination of "body work".. but did the best I could...

it works for me...though may not be for everyone...

[Perna]

mckell, maybe this will help you understand a bit better how memory works and what a "body memory" is:

http://nospank.net/grille5.htm

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
freewill said:
memories that are stored physically.. as well as emotionally....

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

freewill pretty much sums it up.

When we experience something traumatic we remember it “physically” and emotionally. It manifests itself in the form of muscle tension or pain etc.

If you keep that trauma locked up or blocked out for years, sometimes decades, it does a number on your body.

Like they say, the body keeps the score.

[chaotic13]

Thanks, this makes much more sense to me now.

Traumatic events manifesting themselves in the form of muscle tension or pain etc. makes sense to me. The one massage session I've had triggered a lot of physical memories. I didn't realize the connection to the past until now. It was before therapy opened Pandora's box.

Freewill, I'm still a little confused regarding the actual massage session. Are you saying during these "body works" session, the massage is done by a CMT but you T is there to provide support and guidance?

Perna, The link you provided was very helpful.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
It is possible to have strong emotional reactions without conscious recall, even without consciousness!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I get these types of symptoms a lot. For some things I can trace them back to specific situations or times. But others I just can't connect with anything.

I don't think I'm ready for something like this, but is is interesting.