Once, a client living with Parkinson's disease was gently led by their family into a session with me.
Parkinson's is a complex condition where the body stiffens, hindering fluid movement. I, too, have intimately known the journey of an intractable illness in the past—Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a mysterious ailment where dwindling platelets impede blood clotting.
When faced with the diagnosis of an intractable disease, a profound reality often emerges: it becomes challenging for everyone—doctors, patients, and their families alike—to truly believe in the possibility of recovery.
If your body possessed consciousness and emotion, how would it perceive this situation? It might feel 'untrusted' by all around it, leading to a sense of isolation. In such an environment, the body's innate capacity for self-healing struggles to emerge.
Beyond "Curing," Towards "Trusting"
Of course, I am neither a bodyworker who "cures" intractable diseases nor a healer. The ultimate decision of whether to heal rests not only with medical approaches but profoundly with the patient's inner strength and will to live.
Yet, there is a profound role I can play in our sessions.
It is to genuinely trust the body, whispering, "I may not understand the 'why' of this current state, but I believe in your potential to thrive, and I will stand by that possibility."
To have just one person who, without judgment, genuinely trusts and affirms the power of your body—imagine the profound joy and sense of safety such a presence can bestow upon your being.
That particular session, though a brief 40 minutes, became a vessel for the release of laughter, sorrow, and a myriad of unexpressed emotions that had long resided within the body. By its conclusion, the individual walked away on their own, wearing a remarkably refreshed expression.
We continued with several more sessions thereafter. Though the body's condition waxed and waned, as their trust in their own body deepened, their demeanor brightened progressively, and they began to speak vivaciously about their aspirations for the future. Eventually, they even mused, "Perhaps I might try discontinuing medication." (Please note: I never advocate for medication cessation.)
The Energy of Worry Drains the Body's Vitality
This experience, in turn, offered a profound realization to me.
When we feel unwell, we often inadvertently direct the energy of worry towards ourselves. However, this energy of worry, much like the power of words, can act as a subtle command—"This body might worsen"—and unwittingly diminish the body's inherent strength.
Your body, in its essence, never seeks to deteriorate. It is your invaluable partner, faithfully supporting your life's journey, always striving for its highest good.
This is precisely why I encourage you to turn your awareness inward each day, embracing and trusting your body even more deeply, knowing with certainty, "No matter its current state, this body is magnificent."
Unfolding Bodywork aspires to be that sanctuary where you can wholeheartedly trust your own body and lovingly tune into its inner whispers.
Your body is far more resilient, wise, and deeply trusting of you than you could ever imagine.
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