"The healing process is one that includes the dissolution of distortion, the evolution of truth and the subsequent joy and pleasure that comes with true personal freedom in mind, body and spirit."
John Pierrakos
How IT Works
This work, based on the theories and applications of Core Energetics, provides a framework for bringing consciousness to our mental, emotional, energetic and physical distortions. Cultivating consciousness happens through radical self-honesty and self-confrontation and requires the use of cognitive, physical, expressive and relational approaches. Underlying these approaches is the belief that as we expand our consciousness, as we sift through the layers of distortion, defense and adaptation, we come back into contact with our higher self - our Core.
From our Core we are apt to discover and claim our true purpose—our life task. In this way, this work is not only for us individually but for the collective. It is evolutionary—and it’s awesome.
Our Theory
There is much talk of authenticity. One of the definitions that resonates with us is a "non-verbal sense of well-being"—of being fully alive in one’s own skin. Authenticity is the experience of inner personal freedom-- unbound by our idealized self-images.
What keeps us from our authenticity? For many of us the separation from ourselves began in infancy and childhood where we were met with external frustrations and disappointments. To survive we adapted—cognitively, emotionally, physically, and energetically. We internalized, came up with explanations, and contorted our bodies and movements. We became whomever we needed to be to feel safe, accepted, loved—even if that meant self-alienation from whom we really are.
Adaptations and Distortions
Such adaptations, which are distortions of our truth serve us as children but create real challenges for us as adults. These adaptations keep us stuck in a defensive posture— our nervous systems functioning as if we are under direct threat. This creates both hyper-vigilant and avoidant behaviors and often prevents us from taking risks, being vulnerable, of being willing to fail. It keeps us in survival mode and cuts off our life force energy.
When we cut off or block our life force our breath may be shallow or held, our thinking is narrow or fixed, we may experience chronic muscle contractions or tension that restrict certain movements. This creates imbalances, splits and blocks in our energy and can show up as a feeling of being ungrounded, depleted, held up, held back, held in or fragmented.
Distortions and adaptations also show up as negativity, helplessness, aggression, stubbornness, perfectionism, pride and procrastination. They can manifest in over-activity, passivity or submissiveness. They can manifest in our fears, in our demands that life be our way, in places where we avoid conflict. And, they also manifest in our physical body and in our movements. Those with perfectionist tendencies, for example, may control their movements, limiting spontaneous expression, which could shatter their image of perfection.
Coming Back to Ourselves
When we do the work to uncover these distortions and give ourselves permission to own and express our feelings, we can then connect to that layer of our existence often kept at bay, the layer that holds our pain and outrage at the ways in which we had to leave ourselves to survive. When we allow ourselves to be in and tolerate this layer we can begin to truly come back to ourselves. We mature into our Core.
"I’ve been doing this work for over a year and a half. It has been a growth experience that has changed how I look within. I have become more in tune to my body, what it is telling me and how it is driving my mind and emotions. Having this outlet has enabled me to be more compassionate, to myself first; understanding what I truly need and allowing my compassion to open to others. I continue to grow with the work, learning more about myself and how to respond, instead of react while still keeping my sense of self."
S.D.
