Class Notes Day 11, Thu 2/15 - Boundaries, Gestalt, Back Walking, Breakfast Shift, Prone Back/Shoulder

 "Take time to replenish your spirit"

Would that they'd give us time...

Random notes - 

Kate is the other interpreter besides Zoe

   When Zoe is demo model, Kate is interpreter

Ellen had leukemia and is still recovering

Lemongrass and neem for mosquitoes

Meditation -

Silent, still meditation, breath work

count 4 inhale, hold 1, count 8 exhale while making a sound - stim vagus nerve

Boundaries

Groups of six people

One draws a circle on the floor of about 6' circumference

stands inside circle

other 5 mill about right outside the circle

Center feels the energy of the other five and considers boundary

Do I want to invite them closer? Or not? How close?

Some people added to the circle with additional drawing

One made a tiny circle around his feet in the middle of the bigger one

Some erased part of the circle and invited everyone in

I stood alone, considering everyone

Made eye contact with one of the students I barely know

He "rushed" at me and I was startled and put my hand up to stop him automatically

He backed away immediately

But I wanted to invite him closer, but slowly, and not be invaded by him

I brought him to the edge of my border one step at a time and got used to him

then invited him to step over 

It was interesting how it felt as I invited him closer, stopped him, closer

reached out, touched

I found myself beaming at him and we hugged - he was beaming, too.

Definitely a breakthrough in our barrier. He's Chinese and speaks zero English.

Then I invited a female Chinese student who I sense doesn't like me.

She didn't have to come closer if SHE didn't want to, but I invited her to my border.

She came.

I invited her in. We touched hands and looked at each other for a while. 

I found within her a friendly person.

I'm beginning to understand that there seems to be a cultural reserve in expression

   both facial and physical with Asian people

Americans are bold and forward and big and strong

I sort of "knock over" the Asian people around me

I really do feel like a bull in a China shop here

They are generous and assure me that I'm fine, but still I want to control that more 

   when I am with them, out of respect for their ways

It doesn't come to me naturally

I am tall and have long arms

I have a strong handshake

I look people directly in the eyes

My face cracks in half with a toothy smile

I walk with a swagger

We are polar opposites in so many ways

Even their everyday language is poetic - the words they choose, wow

I came here wanting to push myself to stop hanging back and living on the outside edge. I've pushed myself to get involved, to dance in the middle of the room, to sing outloud, to volunteer to be first, You known what? That's just not me. It's not who I am. I am the person who hangs back and watches, learns, helps, stands back again. It's okay for me to dance on the outside edges of the room and only pass through the middle when I feel like it. 

As I stood on the outside and each of the other 5 took their turn in the middle, I found myself watching the other five to be sure none of them breach the boundary and help the person in the center if they need it. Then I reminded myself that it's not my place to do that, so I didn't. I just stood by and watched. But when one person - a visitor and not a classmate - attempted to rush someone's boundary, I jumped in front of him and blocked his legs/feet. I kept him out of her circle until she invited him in, which wasn't right away. And I realized that my "guardian, protector" label given to me by my Chinese classmates on Chinese New Year is who I am at my core. 

When I guard others, am I projecting my own fear? I overguard. I don't want anyone to be hurt because I don't want to be hurt. 

Say "no" with compassion and empathy, but be clean and clear

Gestalt

Gestalt theory emphasizes that the whole of anything is greater than its parts. That is, the attributes of the whole are not deducible from analysis of the parts in isolation*. The word Gestalt is used in modern German to mean the way a thing has been “placed,” or “put together.”

[*Isn't that what's lacking in traditional western approach to medical care? Each specialist looks only at one part in isolation. This is why I do long intake forms and want to know the whole person.]

Fritz Perls wrote at Esalen for a long time.

Gestalt is a form of communication. Read the paper that is (not) in the handbook.

The core of the Gestalt therapy process is enhanced awareness of sensation, perception, bodily feelings, emotion, and behavior, in the present moment. Relationship is emphasized, along with contact between the self, its environment, and the other.

"I'm aware of how I feel and report that. Nobody outside of me is responsible for my feelings. So make "I feel" statements - vs "You make me feel" during feedback, conversation, etc.

"Linguistic specificity"

Use "I" not "we, us, etc."

Ashiatsu - back walking

Bars suspended from the ceiling over the massage area

So therapist holds the bars for stability and positioning and uses feet on client

Client prone, flat on padded mat

It's very interesting and effective, 

   but I see clear dangers from anyone not properly trained.

I'm too heavy, my feet are too big, and I am too unstable/clumsy to do that work.

I will not receive either due to 1973 MVA L4 crush and R knee issues

Very valid therapy, just not part of mine

Breakfast

Decided to bring breakfast to my room today

I love having more time in air conditioning, quiet, and time to think/write/whatever

This feels luxurious

Back/shoulder detail on prone client

Erectors, rhomboids cross-table

circles on infraspin

lateral border of scapula

outside hand cups anterior delt, lean my forearm on table, hip against table

   lunge position, lift shoulder girdle

trace medial scapula with inner hand

lift lower angle of scapula 

rotate shoulder blade

do NOT place clients hand on their low back - "submission hold"

Place client in frog position to tilt torso up

stand on frog side

slide fingertips under medial border of contralateral scap