Relax: Emotional gymnastics to relieve your tensions

WHAT IS THE JOB OF A PSYCHOPHYSICAL THERAPIST?

Rosalie: Psychophysiology relieves the body of tensions left by emotions. When I started my training in psychology, I thought about the interweaving of body and mind. The knots formed in the flesh have constantly kept me questioning. They are always the result of particular experiences and stories that are enclosed unconsciously in society. However, these nodes have an impact on our positioning. Having said that, just look at the cart of an unknown to imagine the life one leads. Similarly, one could say that it is good to observe someone’s posture or the way they walk to understand what he/she has endured during their life.

HOW DO EMOTIONS AFFECT OUR BODY?

Rosalie: Our emotions are shaped from a very young age. They pass through us, as our muscles contract and our joints lock. Once physical stress is discharged, the body returns to its initial position. Fear actually leads us to tilt our pelvis forward and tighten our buttocks, but it’s something we do not pay much attention to. However when the muscle contractions accumulate, they turn into tension, stiffness and rigidity. The blockages settle and form locks. The repetition of a voltage is impressed on the body because it is a living organism. Our physiognomy over the years and emotions are felt, thus causing it to reshape. We think it stiffens with age and that this is a phenomenon of no return, but this is not the case as long as there is no fatality!

HOW DO YOU REMEDY WITH EMOTIONAL GYMNASTICS?

Rosalie: With simple and targeted exercises. The work is mainly done while lying on a floor mat (or on a bed at home). It is based on three key pillars: breathing, good placement and stretching movements. The idea is to give movement where, in the body, there is tension. We learn to untie one’s body, but also to better identify muscle contractions or joint blockages related to emotions. For example, in cases of stress before an important interview, this practice makes it possible to break free from tensions, and eventually to better accommodate bodily anguish or anger.

IS LEARNING TO BREATHE PROPERLY THE KEY?

Rosalie: Yes, that is the basis of all movements and, more generally, the essence of our body. According to emotional situations, some can cause breathless panting. But mostly, it is the habit of incomplete breathing. Most do not know how to use their diaphragm, which shares the large bust muscles and acts as bellows on the breath and relaxes the body to calm nervousness. Breathing deeply means to feel deeply. Breathing is an essential step in the reconciliation of everyone with their body. When we put in the work, we gain mobility and flexibility.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL GYMNASTICS?

Rosalie: Regularly practiced, it relaxes and allows the organs to operate at 100%. Beyond the physical effects, the transformation is also psychological. In truly living your body, you feel better. Breaking free of the tensions within us gives us self-awareness and attention to our emotions. It also acquires confidence.

WHO SHOULD TAKE PART IN THIS PRACTICE?

Rosalie: Emotional gymnastics is accessible to all. You don’t have to be an acrobat! But be patient, this is not a fitness program. It is particularly recommended for people who feel suffocated in their bodies, which are not comfortable within their body shell, whether overweight or not. Among my patients I have – aged 10 to 87 years – women with anorexia or bulimia, others are still in depression or are burnt out. But some have no particular pathology: they are “just” stuck or suffer from muscle tension.

PAIN MAY SEEM TRIVIAL…

Rosalie: Yes quite. But they are not if they are recurrent or if they do not disappear with physical therapy sessions or medical treatment. These pains tell a story. Try to dissect: when did it begin? When did they arise? You will see that the connections will be established with a particular moment in their lives, such as a stressful episode at work. And finally they have will have nothing trivial.

Fabienne Broucaret and Nur Syazana H.