|
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars.“ Hello friends, When you’re the one others depend on, your default strategy might be to push harder or muscle through challenges. While this can be effective for professional pursuits, the state of being “always on” eventually runs you down. In my practice, these folks show up with chronic physical bracing and a constant buzz of anxiety. When they turn to conventional physical and mental therapies, they hit a frustrating plateau because the treatments often don’t address the underlying cause of the bracing patterns which led to their pain and dis-ease. The source of the bracing The first clinical discovery of how muscular activation reflects psychological defences was made by the pioneering Austrian physician Wilhelm Reich. He noticed ego defence mechanisms during psychoanalysis, and how those defences were embedded within muscular hypertonicity. This was way back in the 1930’s. Since then, many researchers have clarified the necessity to discharge activation following how our nervous system responds to a perceived threat. The energetic discharge which brings us back to baseline often expresses itself through crying, anger, shaking, laughing, yawning, and other spontaneous movements. When we are unable to enact these reactions because of external circumstances or internal conditioning, the body contracts specific muscle groups to prevent emotional expression. That’s what bracing means. This suppression can be adaptive at times (like when we need to perform), but we tend to repetitively brace unconsciously, which leads to an automatic, defensive posture. The original external threat eventually fades, but the somatic “frozen history” remains embedded in the musculoskeletal system, permanently restricting breathing capacity, emotional spontaneity, and physical mobility. These blocks can be directly dissolved through breathing exercises, manual pressure, and emotional release, restoring the natural flow of biological life energy. Decreased awareness and re-awakening control In his seminal volume Somatics: Reawakening the Mind’s Control of Movement, Flexibility, and Health (1988), Thomas Hanna coined the term Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) to describe a state where the motor cortex of the brain, subjected to repetitive physical stress, trauma, or emotional armouring, loses the voluntary capacity to relax specific muscle groups. To resolve SMA, Hanna innovated the use of the neuroregulatory tool called pandiculation (as animals do spontaneously). Passive stretching can trigger the muscle spindle’s stretch reflex and cause further hypertonicity. Whereas deliberately contracting the already tight muscle group (making it tighter on purpose) and then slowly, smoothly, and mindfully releasing that contraction provides intense sensory feedback to the motor cortex, “re-awakening” the brain’s voluntary control and resetting the muscle’s resting tone. The Cognitive and Physiological Costs of Emotion Regulation Contemporary cognitive science, such as the work of James Gross, provides empirical evidence demonstrating how emotional suppression actively damages the physical body. In professional and corporate environments, expressive suppression is often rewarded. It is the primary tool utilized by leaders to maintain executive composure, exhibit professional stoicism, and “keep their cool”. However, extensive psychophysiological research demonstrates that expressive suppression carries a profound physiological and cognitive cost. Contemporary cognitive science, such as the work of James Gross, provides empirical evidence demonstrating how emotional suppression actively damages the physical body. Expressive suppression dramatically amplifies sympathetic nervous system activation. Classic work by Gross and Levenson (1997) showed that suppression elevates heart rate, skin conductance levels (a measure of stress/workload), and wide-spread muscle tension. Additional research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2003), showed that individuals who rely heavily on expressive suppression suffer from elevated risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, coronary compromises, and immune system suppression. Is it a coincidence that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death world-wide? I think not. Expressive suppression is highly resource-intensive. It requires continuous executive control from the prefrontal cortex to override motor programs related to emotions. This continuous monitoring drains working memory capacity. Studies by Richards and Gross (2000) confirmed that individuals utilizing suppression exhibit significantly impaired verbal memory and reduced focus during high-stakes interactions. This is one reason re-wiring our patterns leads to increased energy and focus. Re-wiring bracing patterns The reason conventional treatments fail for high-capacity professionals is that they treat somatic bracing as a localized structural issue. Stretching a chronically contracted muscle or massaging a hypertonic trigger point only temporarily alters tissue length. It does not change the threat response keeping those motor units active. That’s why in my somatic practice we use a bottom-up approach, listening to the body and allowing sensation, movement, and neuroregulation to safely complete the body’s interrupted survival patterns. Whatever way you want to get there, re-wiring our survival patterns is one of the best ways to show up with more energy and presence for what matters. What did this bring up for you while reading? I’d love to hear from you. Re-awakening the body, Gabriel PS. If you’re dealing with chronic pain or a constant buzz of anxiety and have hit a plateau, I have two spots open for my Clear the Weeds 30-day program this month. Reply with the word “Weeds” to have a conversation about whether this work is for you. Healing SharesEach week I share vetted resources from trusted experts to assist your healing journey.
Thanks for being here with us. Did anything stand out to you? Please reply to let me know. We always enjoy hearing about your favourite resources, too. Gabriel Find this helpful? Consider forwarding to a friend who needs it. Did a friend forward this to you? Get my free mini-course plus expertly curated tools to help you find freedom from pain and emotional stress. [Subscribe Free] |
Resolve pain. Reclaim your capacity. Restore your presence.
