Emma

By Esther Veltheim

The streetlights had just come on, illuminating the narrow cobbled stone streets below my clinic window. I loved this time of the evening in Spain, when throngs of people gathered in the plazas; walking; shopping; exchanging the news of the day; communing around coffee shop tables that spilled out onto the colorful sidewalks. The delicious aroma of hot chocolate with churros; the sweet, haunting sound of flamenco guitar; the music of fountain water spilling into its marble trough; lovers whispers; children laughing.

No matter how many times I stepped out into the streets of Granada in the evening after work, the magic of it always thrilled me. A sensual banquet of sights and sounds and smells! I always felt as if I was stepping into a mysterious other world.

On this particular evening it was almost seven and I was thankfully hanging my scrubs up and getting ready to head home. At that moment, looking somewhat sheepish, the head of the clinic walked in and asked if I would see "....just one more patient?" Before I had time to respond he, unceremoniously, ushered me into his office where I was met by a young mother and a beautiful little girl.

After brief introductions, my boss explained to me that Emma, the little girl, was scheduled to have rhinoplasty within a few days. Her nasal passages were so restricted that she had to breathe through her mouth; a common problem among children with Down's Syndrome. My boss had recommended to her mother that she come to see me and that perhaps I could do something to help. I looked at the sweet little girl with her shiny black braids and big beaming smile. Emma's nose looked to me like a tiny crushed flower in the middle of that sweet face. However, upon examination I did feel that my work might alleviate the problem somewhat.

At that time I was a practitioner of structural integration and my boss knew that there was a session specifically designed to help with such problems. I spoke a little with Emma about what we might try. She gave me an enthusiastic smile, spontaneously grasping my hand, nodding assent and seeming very eager to follow me, as if we were about to embark on a big adventure.

Once Emma was lying on the treatment table I explained some more of what I planned to do and that I would be really gentle. She nodded, closed her eyes and lay trustingly, letting me begin. After just a few minutes Emma's eyes flew open and she looked at me, as if seeing me for the very first time. With innocent curiosity she asked me,  (in Spanish) "Who are you?"..... "What are you doing?" I told her my name and once again explained what I was doing and why.  Emma smiled, uttered an enthusiastic "Hola!", closed her eyes and let me continue working. A few minutes later the same thing happened. "Who are you?"...... What are you doing?" Once again I introduced myself and was greeted with a delighted "Hola!" Then Emma closed her eyes and lay still.

During our session Emma repeated these two questions on four different occasions. Each time she opened her eyes it was as if she was seeing me for the very first time; her eyes filled with a curious fascination. Each time I explained what I was doing it was as if she heard it for the first time and she seemed totally satisfied with my response. And each "Hola!" seemed to be full of total delight at our meeting.

When the session was over Emma sat up and was very happy to discover that she could take deep inhalations with her mouth closed. Her mother was overcome. I handed little Emma an apple and she gave me a big hug before jumping down from the treatment table and bidding me a happy "Adios!" Upon reaching the doorway she turned, looking at me quizzically, her head on one side and asked, "Who are you?" One last time I introduced myself to that dear little girl.

My heart was somehow heavy as I hung my scrubs up this time. I wandered out into the streets and wended my way up the windy cobbled stones towards my home. For once I walked oblivious to the sounds and smells and colors and throngs of people. When I arrived at my home I walked on by and continued up the hill until I reached my favorite marble bench. It was more like a low, wide, marble table. I always loved sitting there, right on top of the hill in the old town. It blessed me with one of my favorite views in the world.

Down in the valley, below the old town of Granada, the River Darro wends its way past little homesteads and farms and through wild countryside scattered with olive and almond trees. In the distance the Sierra Nevada mountains nestle into the horizon. And framed by the snow-capped mountains, high on the opposite hill from Granada's old town stands the majestic Alhambra fortress. Built in 889 and the fire of inspiration for many a Moorish poet, the Alhambra remains a most mystical place. How many hours I used to sit lost in reverie on my bench, imagining all the lives and stories that had unfolded through the centuries inside those fortress walls.

But on that night it was as if nothing existed around me. I lay face up on my bench, feeling dazed. All I could see in my mind's eye was Emma's innocent little face, again and again asking me, "Who are you?"...... "What are you doing?" My heart felt as if it was going to burst open. I really didn't know what was happening. I just knew that this sweet little girl had touched my life profoundly that night. It seemed to me that it was the very first time that I had ever really heard those two questions.

Twenty-five years later Emma's words still come to me often. Whenever they do I always feel them as if for the first time. "Who are you?"..... "What are you doing?" Time and again Emma's simple yet persistent questions evoke in me a pause, as I feel reflected in them the words of my beloved Rilke..... "Be a beginner, always a beginner!"

Kundalini Energy

(Extracts from the Kundalini chapter of the Eastern Medicine course that John has written and will teach on tour beginning February 2013)

For thousands of years kundalini awakening has been viewed in many cultures as a primary goal and the greatest blessing one can have in a lifetime. The nature of this blessing can take many forms because the range of possible experiences caused by the activation of kundalini encompasses all mental and physical types of experience as well as all transpersonal and transcendent types of experience.

The average person has a fairly mundane concept of experiencing consciousness. It is usually confined to the concepts of waking, dreams, and deep sleep. These simple states define our experience of the world and the degree of awareness we have about all our daily activities. Our focus identifies us with the general functioning of the mind and body and we then become bound by the limitations of this concept.

The fact is that there are many other dimensions of consciousness, which are all aspects of universal consciousness or Self. Kundalini is the primary energy coming from Zero Point Field that represents the primary Consciousness that can give the Self the ability to ultimately know its Self in complete unity Consciousness. This enables the individual supraconscious intellect to transcend the limited ego-awareness and lower instinctual brain impulses.

In that process of awakening and transformation, kundalini runs Shakti - the power of pure Consciousness - through all the systems of the subtle body and physical body; healing, purifying, expanding, breaking through blockages and burning through karmas.

Because each individual has a different karmic makeup, the changes being worked on by the kundalini energy will be unique for each person. One of the hardest things about going through the healing and cleansing process of kundalini transformation is that the individual ego may be reticent about having to deal with specific karmic issues that are held in our soul. This can bring about experiences that do not appear to relate to our current lifespan. However, because the kundalini is working on the complete individual, including all the aspects relating to the many lives of the soul, the process is profound and all-encompassing.

Common terms used for the process of kundalini awakening:

Metamorphosis, spiritual alchemy, spiritual acceleration, the inner marriage, the sacred marriage, The Passion and even The Great Bliss.

Other names that could be included in the definition of the kundalini energy:

Prana, Qi, Mana, Wilheim Reich's orgone, Ken Wilber's Spiritual Eros, Freud's libido, etheric energy, vital life-essence, vital energy, or life force.

Other names for kundalini used in different languages:

Ka, ichor, inua, sila, manetuwak, oloddumare, qi, Tao, ki, aether and quintessence.

General Discussion

Kundalini is the underlying energy source for the entire bodymind complex. All the energy systems such as the acupuncture meridians, chakras, and terms such as Qi, Prana, and life force energy, are all just different aspects of kundalini.

Kundalini represents the energy of the manifesting consciousness, which is then broken down into different functional aspects of consciousness as represented by the different energy systems. Each of these systems represents different levels of consciousness, and influence the body in different ways. These differences in function are the topic of this course in Eastern Medicine.

 
From a functional point of view, the kundalini specifically affects the brain and central nervous system. It is considered that the nervous system is a physical representation of the kundalini. This is further indicated by the observation that most overt activities of the kundalini can best be described in neurophysiological terms.
 
Most of the literature on kundalini focuses on the phenomenon of what is called kundalini being awakened, or aroused, from its slumber. This is a very important subject that needs to be understood by literally everyone involved with health care or spiritual pathways. In the meantime, we must realize that all the energy functions of the body are expressions of kundalini.
 
There is, however, a very powerful aspect of kundalini that is not experienced by the average person. The concept is that the strongest aspect of kundalini lies in potential at the base of the spine. Anatomically, it is suggested that there is a small structure with a unique crystalline formation that lies just below the tip of the coccyx.
 
The Four Aspects of Kundalini
 
There are four ways that the kundalini can manifest:
 

1. The first aspect is common to everyone. The kundalini maintains the entire existence of our body, mind and spirit.
2. Kundalini can arise as a temporary state in order to assist in some process of conflict resolution within the body. The symptoms can go from a mild shaking of the body during a healing process to quite violent neurological symptoms such as seizures and migraines.
3. Pathological kundalini: the kundalini is forced to awaken by using aggressive techniques, or all major life conflicts. This is a serious situation as it is often long-lasting and can be detrimental if the person's body and mind is not suitably prepared.
4. The kundalini potential in the kundalini gland below the tip of the coccyx is awakened as a natural consequence of life activities a seeker may be undergoing. This then becomes an ongoing lifetime experience.  

1. Kundalini maintains body, mind and spirit.

This does not need further discussion.

2. Awakening the kundalini temporarily
 
Small surges of kundalini energy can happen to anybody because of various situations. The kundalini energy is said to have very high levels of consciousness and hence, the wisdom of this consciousness, combined with the strength of the kundalini energy, will mean that the body can use small surges of kundalini energy as a healing mechanism for any conflicts that are going on.
 
The most common symptoms involve involuntary movements, which, combined with the wisdom and energy, will clear blockages in the system. Typically, the kundalini will help clear such things as active memory, habitual pathological patterns in the nervous system, and it would even help to detoxify the system. Sometimes, when a person is undergoing therapy or going through paradigm shifts in their life, the kundalini will facilitate this, and significantly speed up the healing process.
 
Other factors that could stimulate a temporary awakening of kundalini can include:
 
Ecstatic religious experiences, sexual orgasms, trance dancing, meditation techniques, the chanting of mantras, advanced breathing techniques (including rebirthing and holotropic[1] breathing), and the presence of a powerful spiritual teacher. Typically, if the kundalini was meant to be temporary, it will go dormant again once it has done its job.
 

3. Pathological Kundalini

Psychotropic drugs can awaken kundalini in a pathological way. This usually means that it stays awake and starts acting on a nervous system that is not equipped to handle this type of energy. This can lead to severe neurological disorders particularly around brain function. Mental disorders will commonly occur in this situation.
 
There are also many techniques designed to force the awakening of kundalini that can result in pathological kundalini with bad consequences. (Covered in more detail in the Eastern Medicine course.)
 

4. Permanent kundalini awakening

This is usually as a result of long-term spiritual practices or pathways, which will be discussed at length in the Eastern Medicine course.
 
Some typical Kundalini Symptoms
 
Temporary kundalini activity: Involuntary shaking, muscle twitching, arm waving, rocking or bouncing, sudden tipping back of the head, vibrating, cramps, itching, prickling, tingling, and facial contortions, distinct changes in breathing patterns, intense temperature changes within the body, nausea, severe dizziness, diarrhea, intense jerking of parts of the body, involuntary laughter, involuntary crying, hypersensitivity within the subtle sense of smell and other subtle senses, the mind going very still, the mind becoming extremely agitated, feeling as if the back has hundreds of little snakes streaming over it.
 
More severe symptoms will include panic attacks, insomnia, psychic phenomena, and a feeling of intense overwhelm.
 
Other symptoms can be very pleasurable, such as strong sexual energy flow along the spine or, in some cases, the whole body. There can also be enhanced perception and periods of immense clarity and creativity.
 
Physiological disruptions: There can be the tendency for the emergence of previously dormant epigenetic diseases or pseudo diseases such as apparent heart problems, gastrointestinal disorders, nervous energy and hyper-activity, eating disorders, dramatic rushes of heat and cold, roving pains throughout the body. These diseases will be resistant to classical medical therapy and their symptoms will often not be consistent with the diagnosis.  The diseases will often appear and disappear spontaneously.
 
Psychological challenges: There will be an exaggeration and intensification of any previously unresolved psychological issues. Major mood swings can occur, as well as a fear of insanity, with waves of anxiety, guilt, and depression. These symptoms can be interspersed with strong waves of compassion, unconditional love, and a deep understanding of the emotional states and needs of the people nearby.
 
Supramental experiences: A deep understanding of the interplay of life and the nature of synchronicity with a clear awareness of the reason behind many occurrences. Very strong intuitive ability often combined with increased healing abilities and significant expansion of creativity.
 
The importance of understanding Kundalini
 
Because of the strong relationship between neural activity and Kundalini, there is a rapid rise in the manifestation of kundalini symptoms throughout the world. (All electrical devices play a major part in irritating the nervous system.) It is imperative that we understand the nature of these problems as they are usually misdiagnosed and misunderstood.
 
Therapeutically, Kundalini symptoms do not respond to classical health care approaches. This includes energy medicine and psychology.
 
The Eastern Medicine course that is being taught through the International BodyTalk Assn. is designed to give a deep understanding of the interaction of Kundalini with the brain, nervous system, and all the other energy systems of the bodymind complex.
 
It also will teach management strategies for the symptoms as well as treatment protocols when they can be utilized. Do not miss this great opportunity to understand the fastest rising health care issue of the future.

What Counts

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

~ Albert Einstein

Illeo-Cecal Valve Syndrome

The Ileo-cecal valve receives a great deal of attention in complementary care modalities. Probably the applied kinesiology approach to this syndrome is the most comprehensive to date. There are several techniques for addressing the problem in applied physiology, chiropractic, osteopathy, and therapeutic massage. At this stage it is usually treated symptomatically and the treatment needs to be repeated quite frequently.

The ICV is the valve between the small and large intestines. It is located in the lower right abdomen in the “appendix” area. It is designed as a one-way valve to allow the flow of waste from the small intestine to the large intestine. It has the ability to regulate the flow according to changing conditions.

The key to effectively addressing the Ileo-Cecal Valve Syndrome is to understand that the ileo-cecal valve itself is not the cause of the syndrome. Disturbances of the ileo-cecal are merely the body’s way of alerting us that deeper causative factors are at play. Typical general symptoms include:

•                Mood swings

•                Feelings of separation and isolation

•                Chronic fatigue

•                Dark circles under the eyes (toxic system)

•                Cramps

•                Intermittent fever

•                Headaches

•                Nightmares or disturbed sleep

•                Susceptible to catching the "flu"

When the ileo-cecal valve muscles are over contracted (closed) or over relaxed (open) the following symptoms present:

Symptoms of over contraction:

•                Constipation and general problems with elimination

•                Inflammation of the appendix (because of the increased level of toxins)

•                Inability to “let go”

•                Over-attachment, i.e., situations, persons, conditions

Symptoms of under contraction:

•                Classic flu and common cold symptoms

•                Frequent bowel movements, often with urgency

•                Runny stool, often with a lot of gas

•                General muscle pain and feeling of weakness

•                Fever (Body trying to break down toxins)

•                Disturbances in vision – including blurriness and floaters

•                Lack of clarity in thinking processes

The interesting factor is that many people experience symptoms from both lists because the ICV, when malfunctioning, will often fluctuate between over contraction and under contraction.

The BodyTalk approach to addressing Ileo-Cecal Valve Syndrome

In the BodyTalk, Principles of Consciousness course we discussed the nature of the various body parts and how they relate to one another. When we look at the gastro-intestinal tract we start to get a clear picture of the factors behind a malfunctioning ICV. Remember that when we talk of an organ’s function, we need to understand that it is intimately related to its associated meridian. Each meridian has internal connections to those parts of the brain relating to the function of its associated organ.

The stomach represents the conscious mind and our normal thinking processes. These processes are then passed to the small intestine, which represents the intellect. The intellect utilizes discernment to separate the “good” thoughts from the “bad” thoughts. Locally, it also separates the good food from the bad food. It absorbs the good and passes the waste onto the large intestine.

The large intestine is the great eliminator. It conducts the wastes in the body to the outside of the body via the anus. If it is sluggish and under-functioning, the large intestine can cause some of the toxins and wastes to be absorbed into the blood and lymph system and deposited into the skin for elimination. This is why so many skin conditions are related to bowel function. Another elimination pathway could be through its metal energy partner, the lungs. (We often see a reciprocal relationship between asthma and eczema. When the asthma is bad, the eczema is good. When the eczema flares up, the asthma is often gone.)

A Closed ICV

If the colon is blocked up and constipated, then the ICV will contract to prevent more waste from being pushed into the already clogged colon. If the colon has diarrhea, it might also close to stop the food in the small intestine from flowing into the colon too quickly, thereby reducing the absorption of good nutrition in the small intestine. The foregoing represents natural processes.

At the consciousness level, the body utilizes the “fruits of the intellectual processing” of the associated areas of the brain. The waste, and processes that gave the results need to be expelled. Hence they are passed through the ICV to the eliminator – the large intestine.  The large intestine can also represent the process of expressing the “fruits of the intellectual processing” by letting go of them: Expressing them to the world in speech, writing, etc. When the ICV is over-contracted, the person may have great ideas but be unable to express them in a clear way.

An Open ICV

It is rare that the body needs the ICV to be under-contracted. When this happens, it is usually a pathology, indicating that the “one way” function of the valve is compromised. When this happens the waste in the bowel can flow backwards into the small intestine creating toxic buildup.

At the consciousness level, an under-contracted ICV may mean that the “fruits of the intellectual processes” will be passed on too soon. This symptom will often present in the person who expresses the new thoughts and ideas by blurting them out prematurely before they are clear in their own mind.

The Ileo-Cecal Personality

The large intestine classically represents the process of “letting go.” This type of letting go does not just refer to physical waste products. It also refers to emotions, ideas, beliefs, stress, and all the challenges of life. Bioenergetics shows us that all these energies that need to be discarded, or let go of, flow to the diaphragm, and from there into the intestines for final processing and elimination.

The lack of ability to “go with the flow” of life and let go is indicated by the controlling personality. The person who has control issues is the classic ICV syndrome personality type. They are usually type ‘A’ personalities who work hard, play hard, and are very demanding on themselves and those around them. They can manifest many disease patterns according to their general genetic makeup and health dispositions.

In some cases the ICV personality type is aptly seen as “anal retentive.” This acronym descriptively explains why such people are so susceptible to hemorrhoids and anal fissures. To let go of the food the anal valve has to relax and release the contents of the bowel. The controlling personality has psychological resistance to this and will tend to hold a great deal of tension in their anus and pubococcygeus muscle, leading to local health issues.

The controlling personality will occasionally have a major crisis in the life. It could be a major financial loss, bad divorce with loss of family and friends, etc. In this case they literally feel like the “bottom is falling out of their life.” And literally it does: they have extreme diarrhea – the ultimate in letting go or, more correctly, loss of the illusion of control!

The Migraine Personality

This is a variation of the controlling personality. There are many types of migraines but one of the most common is the cluster migraine that starts around puberty and has strong hereditary influences.

These migraines are used by the body as a means of stress release. Classically, the migraine personality is a type ‘A’ person who works hard all week and builds up stress because they are, at some level, never fully satisfied with their work output. Then, on the weekend, their body has to release the stress. When the working week was the classical Monday to Friday, it was interesting to note that 80% of these migraines occurred on Sundays. It is like a volcano that has built up from suppressed frustration. In this case, because suppressed anger (frustration) is involved, the liver and gall bladder are major players. When the headache erupts, it follows the pathway of the gall bladder meridian and has classical symptoms of disturbances of the liver and gall bladder.

Lets go back to just before the migraine seems to start. There is a situation of accumulative intellectual (small intestine) stress building up during the week. Because of this build up, the ICV will try to protect the large intestine from a sudden releasing flow into the bowel, which would overload its processes. Hence the ICV will over contract. These people will often notice pain in the lower right abdomen on the Friday and Saturday. In fact they often wonder if they have an inflamed appendix. The will often have many of the associated symptoms listed earlier.

Finally the backpressure of stressed energy will cause the Gall Bladder to suddenly release the energy up its meridian pathway. This overloads the brain circuits, setting of a “brain storm” of neural overload, which manifests as a migraine. Brain scans show these migraines to be just like major electrical storms in the brain. In some people, their genetic makeup may manifest this as a form of epileptic seizure. (The same drugs are often given for both migraine and epilepsy.)

I have often seen this type of migraine in children around 10 to 14 years of age. They go though stress of school and have the controlling personality they inherited. Hence, they wake up with lower right abdominal pain and general weakness and nausea and a mild headache when they are active. It is often gone by lunchtime and then they are well. This is the early sign of a migraine. There is usually a family history and the migraines start with the major changes of puberty.

Addressing the ICV symptomatically can be a good first aid but symptomatic treatment does not cure it. In BodyTalk, the ICV will often come up in our links to be part of a bigger formula that addresses the total picture. In the meantime, I hope this short article will help keep the ICV more in mind when working with clients.

Government Recognition for BodyTalk….More Details!

Since 1995, The BodyTalk System consisted of two workshops both teaching new approaches in techniques as another modality. Since then it has continued to grow into a full profession within the scope of complementary medicine. There is enough information and materials to fill a complete degree course in Complementary Energy Medicine.

Consistent with this progress has been a push for official recognition with governments, colleges, and healthcare insurance companies. This has been happening over the past five years, as it is a long arduous pathway to weave your way through governmental and educational inertia, skeptics, and the health providers who feel threatened by a very modern and scientific approach to complementary healthcare.

This challenge has been going on in three main fronts:
Europe - particularly Germany – Led by Claudia Schembri-Heitmann
Canada – Led by Andrea Carter and Amanda Rollefstad
 Australia – Led by Melissa Smith and Sue Broughton

Europe is still going strong and heading in the right direction. The discussions with the representatives are underway and we are working on the structure and details of the course content.

Canada has been going well and we plan to release some more information on this shortly.

Australia has been pretty slack as far as student numbers and membership. This is mainly due to a shortage of instructors and it is very expensive for instructors from other countries to teach there profitably. This is about to change – big time!

Our Australian branch keeps working diligently towards government recognition of BodyTalk as a professional career. Recently some of you saw an announcement in the newsletter and on my blog:

The BodyTalk System has now gained official accreditation with the Australian government for a Certificate IV training qualification. This means that potential students may qualify for government assistance to study. It will also provide the opportunity to lobby Health Funds to provide reimbursement for BodyTalk sessions.

Thanks to Melissa Smith and Sue Broughton for all their hard work on this project. This was extra special for me – being Australian. And – they received the news of final acceptance while I was here in Australia.

The project is starting out as a certificate IV course and includes all the basic sciences and practice administration skills the government requires to be recognized as a Health care professional. It is also a Federal recognition and covers all states in Australia.

Originally, the course will be focusing on weekend training to suit existing health care professionals. Later it will be done as a fulltime course. The first course starts in February 2013!
Once the Certificate IV course is well under way, the next step will be to teach the rest of the BodyTalk System in a degree format.

There will be a lot more details appearing on our web site and newsletter in the near future.

This progression is very beneficial for all BodyTalk practitioners because it sets a precedent from a country that is internationally recognized as having one of the best health care systems in the world with very high standards.

Poem by Esther Veltheim

Like a feather, touched
By the whim of Your breath,
I fly, I fall, I hang,
As if suspended
In that space
Between You and me.
The breath, the feather
dancing in unison.
This strange
and constant dance,
Where You dance me
and I perform.
And then, with certainty
I know there is
no You, no me,
I lose myself.
No thought, no word,
No understanding
can come close,
to what is beyond them.

E.V.

It's Official!!

The BodyTalk System has now gain official accreditation with the Australian government for a Certificate IV training qualification. This means that potential students may qualify for government assistance to study. It will also provide the opportunity to lobby Health Funds to provide reimbursement for BodyTalk sessions. 

Thanks to Melissa Smith and Sue Broughton for all their hard work on this project.