Alexander Lowen, MD developed bioenergetic analysis in the 1950s and continued his work well into his 80s. At the end of his life, in 2007, he established the Alexander Lowen Foundation.
I’d like to share with you his description of bioenergetic exercises from his book entitled, “The Way to Vibrant Health, A Manual of Bioenergetic Exercises“, by Alexander Lowen, M.D. and Leslie Lowen, 1977 (I added headings for clarity).
The Way to Vibrant Health
Bioenergetics is a way of understanding personality in terms of the body and its energetic processes… Bioenergetics is also a form of therapy that combines work with the body and mind to help people resolve their emotional problems and realize more of their potential for pleasure and joy in living. A fundamental thesis of bioenergetics is that body and mind are functionally identical; that is, what goes on in the mind reflects what is happening in the body and vice versa.
The Body Work of Bioenergetics Includes Special Exercises.
The bodywork of bioenergetics includes special exercises… The exercises are designed to help a person get in touch with his tensions and release them through appropriate movement. It is important to know that every contracted muscle is blocking some movement.
These exercises have been developed in the course of more than twenty years of therapeutic work with patients. They are done in therapy sessions, in classes, and at home. People who do these exercises report a positive effect upon their energy, their mood, and their work. The authors do them regularly to promote their own well-being. Wherever we have introduced these exercises, for example, at workshops for professional people, the response has been enthusiastic. We are constantly asked for a list and description of the exercises. This manual is our response to that demand.
Bioenergetic Exercise is Not a Substitute for Bioenergetic Therapy.
We wish to emphasize at the outset that these exercises are not a substitute for therapy. They will not resolve deep emotional problems, which generally require competent professional help. Very often people who are not in therapy and who do these exercises decide that they need and want such help to work through problems that may have risen to awareness during the course of these exercises. But whether or not you are in therapy, the regular performance of these exercises will help you significantly to increase your aliveness and capacity for pleasure.
If you are interested in learning more about bioenergetic therapy, give me a call. We’ll talk.
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