On some level, it's obvious. The brain does not exist separately from the body. It's one dependent part of a highly complex network of nerves and hormones, electrical impulses and biological tissues. If the heart stops, the brain dies. The substances that enter the system have a direct result on the way the brain works.
Many people develop highly attuned sensory perceptive mechanisms on purpose in their bodies. Indian trackers, martial arts masters, solo sailors, woodcutters all attune their physical perception to the precise requirements of their work. Charismatic leaders, performing artists, teachers, and people who work with animals (human or otherwise) cultivate an ability to communicate with their bodies.
As somatic psychologists, we've been teaching and writing about the trusted presence of the therapist. This form of neurological attunement, as we have discussed in several of our online seminars, is also a favorite subject in the growing field of energy psychology. It's an essential component of energy therapies. We could even say that this "embodied rapport" is the ground on which the work of all therapy is built: Without the trusted attunement and deep witnessing and affirming gaze of the therapist, the client is less ready to find self-acceptance and feel supported in change and growth.
The Field of Interpersonal Neurobiology
Dan Siegel, one of the primary spokespersons for this dynamic field, writes that interpersonal neurobiology "embraces everything from our deepest relational connections with one another to the synaptic connections we have within our extended nervous systems. It encompasses the interpersonal power of cultures and families, as well as insights into molecular mechanisms; each contributes to the reality of our subjective mental lives."
An important principle here is that the mind is an ongoing activity that emerges from the distributed nervous system extending throughout the entire body, and also from the communication patterns that occur within relationships between individual people.
In a recent talk, Siegel spoke of the mind as "an embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information ... within the [individual] brain and between brains. ... Moderating & modifying is what regulation is all about." As Siegel says, a supportive therapeutic approach helps "stabilize the camera lens [and help the client] see with greater depth, clarity, and detail." He goes on to describe the workings of a well-functioning mind: "A successful (i.e. healthy) system is characterized by harmony, equilibrium, adaptability, energy, and flexibility... and by integration, the linkage of complex parts."
Somatics, Self-Care, and the Body-Mind
Siegel and other leading neuroscience researchers are raising public awareness of the principle that the brainchanges through our directed attention. So where do we need to direct our attention in order to create and support this embodied brain and a healthy system called "mind"?
For one thing, we can cultivate systems of self-care. As somatic practitioners, we teach others how deeply interconnected mind and body are-and yet we don't always take good care of ourselves! Let's spell this out: To provide the best care to our clients, we need to look after our own brain-body instrument. What does this entail? Here are some starting points:
Nutrition
The food we select, prepare, and ingest is the raw material for our physical bodies-the bones, organs, and fluids. Our molecular chemistry is directly related to the nutrient content of our food. As such, our brain and body's neural functioning is directly affected by what we eat and drink. We can each ask ourselves: What are the foods that support my clear thinking? What beverages interfere with my mental perception by creating anxiety in my mental flow? What are the portions that make this body energized or sluggish?
Breath
The air in our lungs is a nutrient, too. Without sufficient oxygen, the body feels tired and the mind becomes addled. Are you sitting at a desk or across from a client holding your breath? Are you working in a closed space with no access to fresh air? Is your air supply infused with pollutants or allergens? Have you ever tried the breathing methods from Asian teachings, renowned for their effects on mind and body?
Touch
Massage & bodywork, spa scrub/wrap, cuddles with a friend or animal. Trustworthy touch sends oxytocin and other stress-processing hormones coursing through the body and brain, creating a sense of calm, safety, connectedness, and access to resources. Stimulating large areas of the skin can help create a sense of containment, in which our awareness is brought to our immediate embodied experience.
Which leads us to the next aspect of a thorough self-care system for the embodied brain:
Human Companionship: Releasing & Connecting
Our interactions with others have a direct correspondence to our frame of mind, our sense of self in the world, and our ideas about possibility. Particularly for highly sensitive people (and many therapists and somatic practitioners are extremely so), we need to give some attention to this aspect of self-care.
We are professionally responsible for attuning to others' needs. At the end of a day seeing clients, we need to build in an extra step of releasing those ties to our energy and attention, physically and mentally. Especially if you work alone, this can be a challenge. How do we accomplish that? How do you switch gears from caring for others to caring for yourself?
Consider what kind of people you want to connect with on a regular basis. How much time do you make for all the people in your life who are needy or demanding? What about those who are caring and inspiring?
We're collaborating with Bonnie Badenoch for our upcoming conference. Another promoter of interpersonal neurobiology, she has written a number of books and articles under the slogan "Nurturing the Heart with the Brain in Mind." In a recent article called "Seeking Connection," she says that our earliest relationships form the template for our expectations about relationships in general. While this is no surprise to developmental psychologists, she takes it even farther, adding in the principle of neuroplasticity: "In adulthood, if we bring our vulnerable self to another person who is able to provide attunement, we can gradually change the old wiring into the new pattern that becomes a deep and powerfully attracting expectation of warm connection."
Nature
Trees & water. Mountains & gardens. Animals. Sun, moon, & stars.
Spending time in the garden tending plants or walking in the woods puts you in touch with the larger cycles of life on this planet, which can help increase our sense of capacity for change and growth. It means we're
part of a larger system of interconnected movements in agriculture, biology, ecology, and astronomy. Do you have a regular practice for tuning into this larger reality which we are all participating in? How do you connect with other creatures?
Exercise
To me, this is the biggie for embodied cognition. If I could give every one of our readers a gift, it would be a daily dose of moderate exercise. A brisk half-hour walk outdoors has endless benefits, starting with oxygenation of the blood supply. It brings awareness to the body, which in turn creates a different awareness of the effects of food and drink. It provides connection with nature if you do it somewhere green, and social benefits if you do it with a group.
It's probably easiest to address one area at time--No need to do it all at once. See how your thoughts & perceptions shift over time with each new practice.
Regardless of the barriers you experience to nurturing the Embodied Brain, you can learn more tools to help yourself and clients bridge the gap. Join Bonnie Badenock and me on Tuesday, may 27, from 9:00-10:30 Pacific time for the live event.
Your registration includes anytime audio replay and permanent download.
Go here for more info and registration.
My very best wishes to you and thanks for being a part of my online community. Have a good month practicing new ways of embodying your brain,
Maggie
Article References:
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_cognition
Dan Siegel book chapter:
http://www.drdansiegel.com/pdf/Chapter%20excerpt%20from%20TDM%202nd%20Ed..pdf
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/
Dan Siegel, talk on The Emerging Mind: The Emerging Mind - Dan Siegel
Bonnie Badenoch article:
http://www.psychalive.org/seeking-connection/