Practical Psychology is a weekly newspaper column I have been writing for over 20 years. It is designed to address psychological topics that are most useful to its readers. Please feel free to re-print any of them in any form you wish. I ask only that you give the information about how to subscribe and credit for authorship. Thanks.

BODYWORK
By Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D.

"To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." This principle was attributed to Buddha, spoken thousands of years ago. The idea of the essential unity of the body and the mind has been known for centuries. To the Tibetans, to be born with a "precious human body" means one has the perfect vehicle for "obtaining enlightenment."

This ancient view of the body, unfortunately, has not been very well maintained in the West. In our time, the body has often been seen as the cause of all pain, sin, corruption, and therefore something which must be overcome or discarded if one wants to obtain spiritual growth or internal peace. Guilt, shame, and fear about our bodies is often taught, learned, and practiced. Being ashamed of one's body is a common psychological problem which spawns many other kinds of mental and emotional difficulties.

The human body is often ignored if not downright abused. Today, we often expose our bodies to toxic situations, polluted air and water, unhealthy food and drink, insufficient rest and sleep, too much or too little exercise, and endanger its health with speeding cars, toxic chemicals, and abrasive or abusive relationships. I wonder what would happen to our propensity for aggression and war if, like the Tibetans, we decided to view our physical bodies as precious.

Working with your own body to keep it tuned, fit, healthy, and functioning might involve many skills we have tended to ignore. Some of these skills are reviewed below.

MASSAGE has been known and practiced for thousands of years as a healing, relaxing, healthy method of bodywork. It can be seen as a way of tuning the body and enhancing self-awareness. It releases body tension, blocked energy, and pent up emotions. Deep massage is a useful method for working directly on our habitual body postures, tensional habits, and unexpressed (suppressed) emotions. We know that how we hold our body-energy tends to "freeze" it in patterns of bodily tension. Massage can free us from such "body armor."

PURIFICATION has been practiced in various forms for centuries. It becomes all the more important in our modern world, when we are faced with so many toxins, so much clutter, so many stressors. Traditional techniques of purification range from practicing a variety of austerities to eating a balanced and nutritious diet. Some forms today might include eating less, rising a half hour earlier to meditate, centering your attention within, practicing yoga or dancing. It might also include not watching so much TV with all its mind pollutants.

EATING special foods or fasting has been another form of caring for the body. Your blood chemistry changes within minutes of eating. We know how important what we put in our mouths is to maintaining our health. How you eat, what you eat, when you eat, and with whom you eat are all important elements in maintaining a maximally healthy body.

MOVING the body too much creates strain and pain. Moving it too little creates stagnation, muscle shrinkage, and pain. Moving is what our bodies were created to do. If you learn to move in an easy and balanced manner, the body will respond by feeling good, vital, and energetic.

BREATHING is the primary link between our bodies and the world outside us. It is the gate between the unconscious and conscious processes of our bodies. How we breathe affects our bodies immediately and powerfully. Shallow, chest breathing creates unnecessary stress with every breath. Deep, abdominal breathing fills the lungs, provides every cell of the body with vital nutrients and oxygen, and is relaxing. Practice becoming aware of your breathing, watch it, focus your attention on it and your mind becomes calmer. It is a classic form of meditation.

CLEANSING the body through bathing keeps the skin (the largest organ of the body) healthy. In addition to keeping the skin clean, immersion in water is relaxing, and floating in a hot tub frees the body from having to support itself. Some Zen students claim that a half--hour in a bath equals half a day of meditation. The Japanese say the bath is a "gift from the gods."

Finally, LAUGHTER is a form of bodywork about which we are only recently realizing the benefits. Laughter releases emotional and physical tension. It alters the body's chemistry; it lifts and enlivens the attitude and mood. It opens the body to connect delightfully with another. Laughter helps heal imbalances and diseases. Even if you practice "forced" laughter, you can strengthen your ability to laugh. It is indeed a skill we all need to build.

Keep your body well by treating it with respect, gentleness, and love. It is after all, the only one you have! Knowing how precious your body is will invite you to do bodywork with joy and delight.

Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. has 30+ years experience as a Life Coach and Licensed Psychologist. He is available for coaching in any area presented in "Practical Psychology." Initial coaching sessions are free. Contact him: (970) 568-0173 or E-mail: DrLloyd@CreatingLeaders.com or LJTDAT@aol.com.

Dr. Thomas also serves on the faculty of the Institute For Life Coach Training and the International University of Professional Studies. He recently co-authored (with Patrick Williams) the book: *Total Life Coaching: 50+ Life Lessons, Skills and Techniques for Enhancing Your Practice*and Your Life!* (W.W. Norton 2005) available at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com.

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