body-mind and facilitation conversations

Sat Aug 22 19:08:54 PDT 2009

Hi Alex,
Thanks for your question about body-mind transformative practices.

In my gentle bodywork practice, based in Australia, I combine three  
main ways of working.
All are ways to 'allow' space for self-organisation (not that I can  
stop self-organisation from happening, unless I develop King Canute's  
powers much further).
The three modalities I use are Ortho-Bionomy [OB] (for bodies)  
Process Oriented Psychology [POP] (for minds), and Open Space  
Technology [OST] (for groups).
All three ways of working have a wider influence than I have  
suggested in brackets (eg OST has an effect on bodies and minds etc  
as well as affecting organisation of participants).

OB is the modality on which I built my practice, since I came across  
it first, in 1985.
It is based on taking the body into positions of comfort, and  
allowing past injuries and stresses to be released.
The work (or play) is quite minimal and involves trusting and  
following the body's preferences, rather than trying to bring about  
change.
Comfort is the guiding factor used by Ortho-Bionomy practitioners.

I was fascinated to open your web site and find the Masters thesis  
there, researched by you and your wife.
Late last month. I submitted my PhD thesis, on a somewhat similar  
topic, for examination.
You consider Jean Gebser's work in your thesis, and he was an  
important part of my Masters and PhD theses too.
(How amazing to have Alan Combs on your committee!)

To answer your question about how body-mind practices have influenced  
me:
In general, I would say that the practices I have been particularly  
attracted to during my life, have given me a simple structure,  
through which I can understand what I experience around me.

For example, in the 1970s and 1980s, I worked both as a classroom and  
specialist remedial reading teacher, mainly with children between 6  
and 12 years of age.
I observed the children teaching themselves better than any teacher  
could hope to do.
It was not until I came across OB and OST that I realised I had not  
been neglecting my students, but allowing them some space to learn.
Part of me knew that learning is a process of self-organisation,  
rather than something I could control.

Despite the rather surprising progress the children in my classes  
made, I had felt guilty that I was not 'teaching' as I had been  
instructed.
Many of the 'proper' ways of teaching bored me, so I looked for  
things to do with the students that were interesting for me.
Partly as a consequence of my guilt, I resigned from teaching in  
about 1980.

Then OB, and later OST, gave me a new perspective on what had  
happened naturally for me as a 'teacher'.
I understood better why I had trusted the children to learn, and why  
it seemed that many had earlier been held back by being 'taught' to  
read and so on.
Nowadays I see a distinction between teaching and facilitating space  
and resources for learning.

I'll stop before I get carried away further.
Self-organisation, especially regarding the body and health, has  
become an area of great interest to me.
Other list members may not be quite as excited by the topic.

Allison
(On a brisk and breezy Sunday from the Bellarine Peninsula in Oz)

On 22/08/2009, at 8:49 AM, Alex Iglecia wrote:

> Hello,
> I am new to OS List and the OS world, introduced via Lisa Heft in SF.
>
> I am passionate about body/mind/transformative work and would  
> appreciate having a discussion if you have the interest.
> I invite you to consider these points and let me know if you'd be  
> open to a sharing conversation.
>
> Body-mind/transformative practices and group work in general.
> As body/mind practices relate to OS, I do understand the value in  
> keeping OS separate from other influences, so this part of the  
> question is more about how practices have influenced you.
>
> In this context - what do you do, what have you done, what do you  
> think the world is ready for (or needs)?
>
> I look forward to speaking with you.
> Alex
>
>
> Alex Iglecia
> 781-405-1248
>
> p.s. Easy ways to find me online:
> http://www.alexiglecia.com
> http://twitter.com/AlexIglecia
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiglecia
>
> p.p.s.
> The Epic Workout
> http://www.epicworkout.com
>
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