Table For Shun? Once again we begin this capsule review without the ability to simply move one line down in the text. That's apparently too tough for the Blogger monkeys to figure out for us! So we begin our post-show reflections with a little trip back to my training days in Iowa. Yes, we went there. And that's how we can connected the dots of Albania and bulimia. From there the focus of the show was on the basics of somatic development. As with most 'disorders' in the allopathic alphabet, bulimia is viewed a psychophysiological condition when in fact, it's really a physiopsychological one. So as we get ready for that annual eating disorder called Thanksgiving, let's soma size bulimia for ya.
WordSoma - Once again, please forgive the text block style. If you have any blogging experience and can figure out how we can write these things like a LIST, e-mail us at nakedsoma@gmail.com That said, we had a few TSM terms that crept into the conversation we'd like to clarify now. First, we mentioned the wave - which refers to the natural rhythm of experience we're all rooted in. It's full name is the Untamed Wave, which we describe in detail here - It's on the wave that we develop our unique somatic perspective. The 4 orientations we have are informed by The 4 Domains - which are biologically-rooted in us to help us achieve what's called our Sense of Coherence. For more on that nugget, click here. Anyway, we are wired with 4 somatic drivers which were coined by the papa bear of somatics, Thomas Hanna. In biology, we speak of the 4 F's: feeding, fighting, fleeing and...sex. In somatics, Hanna re-names them: hunger, anger, fear and lust. [read more] So even if you know zippo about somatics, if you can track your appetite, libido and stress response, you can get a general sense of where on the wave you're hanging out. The issue with bulimia is that these individuals have what call a LOCO or 'low coherence' way of experiencing the PHYLO or rising portion of the wave and develop a faulty sense of nourishing themselves. So when they get to the top of the wave where the ONTO or self-referencing perpective is, they reject whatever they've eaten. This creates that classic 'binge and purge' cycle that is the hallmark of bulimia. Now let's soma solve this.
Time Techniques - This time we're just going to ask you to regress back to that toothless splendor of infancy and SUCK your way to better digestion. Drink through a straw and keep your chin level and actually allow yourself to FEEL the fluid go down your throat. Ah!. That is the glitch in the motor codes of the bulimic. They a) swallow air and b) don't chew. And all this because they don't know how to suck well. I know, raw and real, but just watch people eat and you don't have to wonder why so many of us suffer from chronic digestive problems. The bulimics just perfected one bad habit.
Some tips for the holiday binge which begins with the Thanksgiving feast...Drink a cold, not ice cold, but cold glass of water about 10 minutes before eating and about 15-20 minutes after eating but not during the meal. This will keep you from overeating and from having any reflux issues after eating. Remember to practice closing your eyes before you put the food in your mouth so you switch from your Extended Self/Visual Timeline to your Intended Self/Kinesthetic Time as we discussed last show re: anxiety. Another trick to insure good immune-digestive system harmony is to crunch on some pepper corn after eating to get those bitter taste buds activated. The last one is to practice a little Chi Kung about 20 minutes after a meal to aid proper peristalsis.
Begin by sitting on the edge of your chair...Take the four fingers of the right hand and point them so they touch your just to the left of the midline under your ribcage. Then bring the left hand in at a 45 degree angle to form a V-like contact there. What you want to do is act like your looking 'over' your hands to see the floor.Exhale as you do this and hold the end position until a breath naturally returns. You don't need to press in on your stomach at all. The hands are there to serve as a pivot for the chi that is trapped in the solar plexus from worrying. Practicing this after meals allows the system to 'rest & digest' better. Three times is enough for a light meal, six for a moderate one and nine for big meal. After a few days you'll feel the gurgles and the churning return as the chi drives the energy out of the solar plexus, allowing the stomach to empty with rhythm. If all that is STILL too tough to picture, skip to the 3:00 point in this video
Related TSM Links - We're gearing up for the holidays and want to include you! Be a Soma Seller for our information/desktop products: http://www.somaspace.org/seller.html Be a Soma Sponsor for our Live Workshops (we travel): http://www.somaspace.org/sponsor.html Buy You Some Soma Now in our Webstore: http://www.somaspace.org/s4s.html
And in the store, pay special attention to the Naked Soma Video's for that bulimic in your life! ;)
For any detailed questions about TSM or our partnership opportunities contact Lota Samonte at (678) 701-8337 between 5pm and 9am ET (she's not from around here!) or e-mail her at lm_samonte@bellsouth.net - She'll handle most inquires with the day or in 24 hours at the most.
If you missed the show - rip it and sip it later -- mp3 or just use the player in the sidebar now.
