The Fourteen Methods of Synchronizing with Primary Respiration – Metaphors of Interrelatedness – Post #3
Homage to Shantideva who wrote the greatest book ever on compassion:
“As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world.” – Shantideva
Homage to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the King of Compassion. Please guide us in this time of need:
“May I become at all times, both now and forever: a protector for those without protection; a guide for those who have lost their way; a ship for those with oceans to cross; a bridge for those with rivers to cross; a sanctuary for those in danger; a lamp for those without light; a place of refuge for those who lack shelter; and a servant to all in need.” – Shantideva
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a compassion-based practice.
“Compassion – our ability to feel the pain that we share with others.”
– Pema Chodron
There is no embodiment of order without dynamic stillness,
There is no movement in the universe without Primary Respiration.
5. The Fluid Body – Five Principles
- Principle: The third synchronizing is with the active shaping of the fluid body. The fluid body represents the element of water. The perception of synchronizing with PR activates the perception of the fluid body shaping of the whole body in all dimensions. Such shaping occurs within the tempo of PR and may begin locally and spread as if melting. Regarding the third synchronizing of fluid body shaping, there are five principles to explore:
- The first principle: The fluid body is sensed as “one drop” shaping itself three dimensionally either purposefully or playfully. The fluid body expresses potency. The body is about 92% water which generates heat and electricity. Jump in and feel this potency.
- Biological water has longitudinal (the Exclusion Zone according to Gerald Pollack), lateral and transparent movement along, towards and through every tissue in the body. These are the three laws of fluids according to Eric Blechschmidt MD. It potency moves the blood as 70% of blood is biological water (and of course PR moves the blood). Thus, the fluid body has its own natural intelligence, a potency before the arising of the nervous system, cognition and emotions in development. It expresses “originality.”
- The second principle: The fluid body is known by flow, a micromovement associated with a felt sense of currents, waves, eddies, stillness. Recent research on the interstitium of the extracellular fluid environment indicates a global communications network in the fluid body. Many other metaphors are possible in the embodiment of the fluid body. I like seaweed for a spine and jellyfish for the diaphragms. Be your own aquarium.
- The third principle: The fluid body expresses buoyancy in its constant shaping process. The lift of the fluid body counteracts the pull of gravity. Such a lift in no way is dissociating. The body acts as a coral reef to maintain the proper density for embodiment. Buoyancy is somatic freedom.
- The fluid body is continuous with the natural world. Therefore, the fluid body is the natural world inside the body. If a client’s capacity to have their fluid body transition from inside the body to out is compromised then the client’s capacity to relate with the totality of the natural world is compromised. Becker first mentioned the “biosphere” around the body. We are only partially bounded by the skin.
- Clinically, practitioners integrate the inside of the fluid body under the skin with its environment outside. Its capacity to transition (via conduction, evaporation and so forth) from inside the body to outside is compromised in most clients.
- The fourth principle: dissipation. Allow the stress in the client’s fluid body to completely dissipate in your fluid body. It will naturally settle itself in a short time. The fluid body is a completely receptive vehicle. This is a law of nature. It is essential in biodynamic practice for the practitioner to be completely receptive at all times when with a client. We are already naturally giving all the time. It is not reciprocal although it seems that way. Both activities occur simultaneously.
- The fifth principle: The fluid body operates at the level of body metabolism. The core of human metabolism depends on the water molecule to function properly. Consequently, biodynamic practice functions to support and shift towards health the body’s metabolism.
- The fluid body is a principle focus of healing is a biodynamic session.
- The potency of the fluid body is called the “fluid drive.” The fluid drive is a quality of the nature of water itself. It is related but different than the potency of PR. More will be discussed on potency below.
- Regulation theory (affective neuroscience) teaches us that we regulate both when connected to another sentient being and managing the need for autonomy at the same time. The cycle of attunement establishes the health in both forms of self-regulation. This helps dissipate held stress in the fluid body organically and is a step in turning off defensive physiology in the client so a neutral can manifest.