Hard to Sum Up
Even after more than thirty plus years in the study, practice, and training of polarity therapists I still wince when asked that one simple question.
Polarity is such a huge topic that it is often hard to condense into a nice neat sound bite. Or if I do, I somehow feel like I’ve cheated the questioner by only touching on a fraction of a piece of the whole. Over the years it has, however, gotten easier to explain, as more people have become exposed to the ideas on which polarity was founded. Concepts like: the body, mind and spirit are interconnected and have direct bearing on our health; and the body-mind system has a self-healing, self-correcting mechanism which is constantly trying to bring the system back into balance. Other polarity underpinnings are still not as commonly accepted, like the notion that we are fundamentally energetic beings and that the free flow of energy (consciousness) determines and maintains the physical health of the system.
More Than Technique
So you see, polarity is more than a bodywork technique, it’s a way of understanding the interconnection between the physical, mental, emotional and the metaphysical components that make up life. It is a system’s approach to thinking and living which applies quantum physics to natural healing. It is an overarching paradigm that encompasses Western and Eastern medicines.
Polarity studies the direct connection between form, function and life energy. As polarity therapists become sensitive to feel this energy which is at the most subtle level, we also become sensitive to palpating muscle tone, bony alignment, fascial movement, organ motility, cerebrospinal fluid fluctuation, nervous system relays and much more. Polarity practitioners also hone their awareness of how psycho-emotional patterns link to physiological ones.
If It Breathes Its Alive
Polarity founder, Dr. Randolph Stone, DO, ND, DC would say, “If it breathes it’s alive, no breath, no life”. What that means in the body is that every part of the body, every muscle, organ, and area of the body needs to go through a complete cycle of expansion, contraction and rest—in essence ‘to breathe’. What’s more, this movement must be uninhibited for the system to be healthy. This is a big part of what I feel for—“Is this part breathing freely and how does that movement carry through to the rest of the body?”. Regarding that, I work with three main questions:
- What is this part of the body trying to do?
- How can I support it doing that?
- And what other areas could assist the reintegration of the parts into a coordinated whole?
Four Components
As a therapy, polarity uses four distinct components: bodywork, dialogue, exercise, and diet. It looks at the process of disease as a fragmenting of what is an interconnected whole into dysfunctional parts, and healing as the process of re-integrating those parts. Using these four components we observe how our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behavior patterns all have direct bearing on the shape and health of our bodies.
The bodywork can range from very deep, physical manipulations of muscles which unlocks stuck energy; to active rocking moves which relaxes tissue and disperses energy; to gentle, subtle bodywork which balances the energy, giving a sense of peace, and allowing the body to integrate structural or physiological change.
We are listening with our hands to how the system responds to touch at a variety of levels and customizing the way we work to the individual and their body’s needs. Clients come in with a range of ailments including muscular tension, acute trauma (like car accidents and falls), organ problems (like headaches and poor digestion) or emotional issues, stress, depression, etc. each requiring a different approach. In addition, each polarity therapist is unique in how they work, the depth and quality of their touch and what they incorporate into their work from other modalities.
What is Energy?
So what do we mean when we talk about Energy? That is an even harder question to summarize but gets to the heart of the matter. It either seems completely self-evident or like some mysterious elusive esoteric enigma. The obvious answer is that it’s the Life Force called Prana by the Hindus and Chi (Qi) by the Chinese. But for many that still doesn’t answer the question. The dictionary defines Energy as “the strength and vitality required for sustained physical and mental activity”. Now we’re getting closer. The simplest definition is that it is movement and the potential for movement. But what in fact is moving? In short, what is moving is consciousness—Energy is Consciousness in motion!
What polarity therapists spend their lives studying is how consciousness moves, becomes restricted, and gets freed up within the body-mind system. Every cell in our bodies is like a micro-unit of consciousness coordinated in its function by a greater organizing force of consciousness. Wherever we have pain, in our lives or in our bodies, this body-consciousness has a hard time being—it is continually running away from pain to avoid becoming overwhelmed. The healing techniques polarity utilizes enables consciousness to first ‘be with’ and then release the pain and inhabit more and more of our whole being.
Conclusion
Polarity therapy may feel somewhat similar to other types of bodywork and therapeutic systems (like massage, acupuncture and physical therapy) yet it is very distinct in its application and understanding. Additionally, it is more than a bodywork system as it has verbal therapy, nutrition and movement/exercise components which some polarity practitioners specialize in exclusively. The results of a session will vary depending on the focus of that session and components utilized. Clients can come away feeling very sedate or energized. Most report feeling “profoundly” relaxed and experience substantial relief from their areas of pain or discomfort. What I often hear from clients is that they feel ‘centered’ and more able to meet life’s challenges.
So, what is polarity? It’s a way of understanding the interconnectedness of all things, of liberating consciousness, and of coming into harmony with the dance of life.
For more information on Polarity Therapy, polarity training or to find a practioner:
- Also see my blog: Polarity & Vitalistic Medicine – Parts 1 & 2
- Dr. Randolph Stone Inducted Into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame
- Visit American Polarity Therapy Association (APTA)
- Visit International Polarity Education Alliance (IPEA)
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