BodyTalk with David Lesondak

In part 2, Jaap and I discuss the development of the embryo, where consciousness begins, and speculate about what lies beyond.

Jaap van der Wal born 1947 has served as Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Anatomy and Embryology at various universities and colleges in the Netherlands from 1973 (in which he received his medical degree) until 2012. As a researcher, he specialized in the functional anatomy of the Postural and Locomotor Apparatus with an emphasis on the organization of connective tissue (and later: fascia) and the significance of architecture and tensegrity in human movement and standing. Since 2009, he has contributed to modeling and research on fascia, continuously emphasizing that a one-sided anatomical approach of the body is a reductionist one that can be complemented with an architectural and a biotensegral view on the organization of the body where fascia can be considered as the 'fabric' of the body.

But his primary passion has remained human embryology and morphology, in search of the meaning of the forms of the human organism. For over 25 years he has been giving courses and seminars on what he calls The Embryo in Us. One of the themes is that our body is not a spatial structure built up of parts but a lifelong process and appearance in time. That also forms, that also anatomy is behavior. That we are not the product of our bodies but that our bodies are created and maintained by ourselves. That is "The Embryo in Us": we do not only have a body, we are our body. We are a being of mind and body with mind and body as indissoluble psychosomatic unity; the whole body therefore and not just a particular organ or domain like  brain or central nervous system. "With respect I can find in the embryo tentative answers to questions about the meaning of human existence".

All of this comes together in the concept, endorsed by him, of the triune nature of the human body, in all directions in all dimensions and directions, as a logical consequence of the idea that we are beings of mind and body. The so-called Triune Man -[ Man is Mind, Motion, Matter (AT Still).

On Jaap's website www.embryo.nl (in three languages) under the heading Knowledge Bank many articles, chapters and other publications of Jaap as well as some comprehensive PowerPoint presentations can be found and downloaded. Go to https://www.embryo.nl/831-ArticlesEmbryosophy-EN or download via https://bit.ly/3qLOpG1 (Dropbox)

Erich Blechschmidt – A Biodynamic Approach to Development from Conception to Birth

Jaap van der Wal born 1947 has served as Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Anatomy and Embryology at various universities and colleges in the Netherlands from 1973 (in which he received his medical degree) until 2012. As a researcher, he specialized in the functional anatomy of the Postural and Locomotor Apparatus with an emphasis on the organization of connective tissue (and later: fascia) and the significance of architecture and tensegrity in human movement and standing. Since 2009, he has contributed to modeling and research on fascia, continuously emphasizing that a one-sided anatomical approach of the body is a reductionist one that can be complemented with an architectural and a biotensegral view on the organization of the body where fascia can be considered as the 'fabric' of the body.

But his primary passion has remained human embryology and morphology, in search of the meaning of the forms of the human organism. For over 25 years he has been giving courses and seminars on what he calls The Embryo in Us. One of the themes is that our body is not a spatial structure built up of parts but a lifelong process and appearance in time. That also forms, that also anatomy is behavior. That we are not the product of our bodies but that our bodies are created and maintained by ourselves. That is "The Embryo in Us": we do not only have a body, we are our body. We are a being of mind and body with mind and body as indissoluble psychosomatic unity; the whole body therefore and not just a particular organ or domain like  brain or central nervous system. "With respect I can find in the embryo tentative answers to questions about the meaning of human existence".

All of this comes together in the concept, endorsed by him, of the triune nature of the human body, in all directions in all dimensions and directions, as a logical consequence of the idea that we are beings of mind and body. The so-called Triune Man -[ Man is Mind, Motion, Matter (AT Still).

On Jaap's website www.embryo.nl (in three languages) under the heading Knowledge Bank many articles, chapters and other publications of Jaap as well as some comprehensive PowerPoint presentations can be found and downloaded. Go to https://www.embryo.nl/831-ArticlesEmbryosophy-EN or download via https://bit.ly/3qLOpG1 (Dropbox)

Erich Blechschmidt – A Biodynamic Approach to Development from Conception to Birth

Matt Haig – How to Stop Time 

Alive Inside – a Story of Music and Memory

Many of you know Dr. Thomas W. Findley from his many papers, chapters, books, and forewords. But to me, and all of those who knew and loved him, he was Tom Findley. Tom was a genius, but never thought of himself that way.  He always recognized that everyone has something to contribute. And I was lucky enough to call him my friend. It's with great joy that in this time of sadness that I can present to you this interview which we agreed to release posthumously. 

Thomas Findley, MD, PhD, is a professor at Rutgers, the state University of New Jersey, in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. He has been conducting research of some sort from a very early age, and for most of his professional life juggled research, clinical and family life. His career has focused on connecting clinical practice, basic theory, and applied measurements in rehabilitation research, with a heavy dose of mathematical modeling. He did his residency training and PhD in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Minnesota, 1977 – 1983. In 1999, he became an advanced practitioner of Rolfing Structural Integration, and in 2007 he founded the International Fascia Research Congress. Positioned between the science and clinical practice of both fascia and exercise, his current research focuses on exercise and cancer metastasis.

Joint Conference on Acupuncture, Oncology, and Fascia

Sasha Chaitow PhD is an interdisciplinary scholar with a doctorate in cultural history, an MA in history, another in Literature and a BA in Communication Studies. She is also a practicing visual artist, teacher and author. As a researcher she has published work tracing the evolution of cultural narratives in the history of ideas, while more recently she has focused more closely on the history and philosophy of medicine. For the past 20 years she has taught language/literary arts and trained faculty in critical thinking for the young adult classroom, and she is an instructor in scientific manuscript development at the University of Patras, Greece. She is author of two books and is Series Editor for the "Leon Chaitow Library" (Elsevier) overseeing revisions of her father's textbooks. She is pursuing post-doctoral research in the medical humanities exploring points of convergence between integrative and biomedical education and practice.

Sasha's website: www.sashachaitow.co.uk

The Fascial Net Plastination Project is breaking new ground in visualizing the reality of your fascial body. Join me and my good mates Gary and Rachelle as we share the triumphs and the challenges of this on-going project and tell a few stories that, even if you're familiar with the project, you've probably never heard before! Extensive show notes below

Gary Carter 

Rachelle Clauson

Bodyworlds

The Plastinarium

Fascia, Function, and Medical Applications: Chapter 3: The Fascial Net Plastination Project, by Rachelle Clauson

Movement Integration: The Systemic Approach to Human Movement: Chapter 17: Variationa on Myofascial Slings and Continuities by Gary Carter

Fascia Research Society - Plastination Project 

Massage & Bodywork Magazine Sept/Oct 2018: The Human Fascial Net Plastination Project 

Fascia In a NEW LIGHT: the Exhibition, 2018. Audio-visual guide on the Otocast App: Free Download search for “fascia” for free access to exhibit 

The Fascial Net Plastination Project on Facebook 

The Fascial Net Plastination Project on YouTube 

The Fascial Net Plastination Project is a collaboration of the Fascia Research Society, Somatics Academy, Gubener Plastinate, GmbH, and Body Worlds. The Fascial Net Plastination Project has been and continues to be supported by many dedicated individuals worldwide with particular contributions from the following:

Directed by Dr. Robert Schleip, Prof. Carla Stecco, with assistance from John Sharkey MSc; in cooperation with Gubener Plastinate GmbH, Prof. Gunther von Hagens, Dr. Angelina Whalley, Rurik von Hagens, Dr. Vladimir Chereminskiy, Daniela Seifert, Tilo Heinrich, and Rico Nitsche; with the academic supervision of Romed Hoermann, Tuulia Luomala, Irina Mischewski, and Mika Pihlman. Special thanks go to the Scientific Advisory Board Dr. Ekkehard Geipel, Gil Hedley PhD, Prof. Werner Klingler, Dr. Hanno Steinke, and A/Prof. Ming Zhang; and the External Scientific Advisors Jaap van der Wal PhD, Prof. Rainer Breul, and Prof. Magdalena Mueller-Gerbl.

The Fascial Net Plastination Project would not have been possible without the Remarkable Volunteer Team: Jihan Adem, Ali AlMarzouq, Einat Almog, Eryn K Apanovitch, Cíntia Báril, Gary Carter, Tjasa Cerovsek Landes, Anthony Chrisco, Rachelle L Clauson, Alison Coolican, Walter Dorigo, Libby Eason, Eric Franklin, Johannes Freiberg, Markus Friedlin, Andreas Haas, Beverly Johnson, May Kesler, Cosmina Krieger, Elizabeth Larkam, Tuulia Luomala, Tracey Mellor, Bernd Machel, Fauna Moore, Divo Mueller, Alexandra Müller, Sivan Navot, Lauri Nemetz, Jo Phee, Francesca Philip, Mika Pihlman, Bruce Schonfeld, Yap Poh Sim, Alison Slater, Gina Tacconi-Moore, Joel Talsma, Stefan Westerback, and Adrian Woolley; and the Exhibition Committee Gary Carter, Rachelle L. Clauson, Tjasa Cerovsek Landes, Lauri Nemetz, Stefan Westerback and Otocast. Thank you!

As some medical schools move away from dissection and towards virtual imaging to discover the inner reality of the body, many manual therapists, yoga teachers, and somatic therapists of all stripes are kicking it old school – by learning and challenging their assumptions about the body in cadaver labs. Adjunct Associate Professor at Pace University, master dissector, dance and yoga teacher Lauri Nemetz and I share tales from the lab and the lessons we learn about life when we study the dead.

Laurice (Lauri) D. Nemetz, MA, BC-DMT, LCAT, ERYT500, C-IAYT

Lauri is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Pace University since 2004 and the 2020 President’s Award Honoree for Outstanding Contribution, a licensed Creative Arts Therapist, a member of the American Association for Anatomy, a board-certified member of the Academy of Dance/Movement Therapists, past President of the YTA (Yoga Teachers Association), a certified yoga teacher at the 500-hour level, a Stott Pilates instructor, certified yoga therapist (CIAYT), former faculty and dissector assistant for Anatomy Trains. Currently she is a dissector with several projects including the Fascial Net Plastination Project  and KNM Labs, a joint project with Leslie Kaminoff.  She has exhibited her artwork internationally with themes of anatomy and movement and also kayak guides on occasion!  She is ever curious and enjoys sparking conversation and new ways of thinking and moving. Her forthcoming book, The Myofascial System in Form and Movement will be published by Handspring Publishing in 2022.

Lauri's website www.wellnessbridge.com

Gil Hedley's website

Buckle up and hang on as David explores everything from atoms, to cells, to the body, to the universe (with plenty of laughs along the way) with physician-scientist, anatomist,  and philosopher Neil Theise! Neil  is Professor of Pathology at New York University School of Medicine and attending physician at NYU Langone Health. Theise is considered a global thought leader, and has extended his work to areas of theoretical biology, defining a “post-modern biology.” As an adult stem cell researcher, his series of discoveries became the subject of George W. Bush’s famous stem cell address. In 2018, Theise’s novel detailing of the anatomy of the 80th human organ, the interstitium, has an estimated 3.8 billion views of his team’s findings, and was featured in The New York Times, Scientific American, NPR, and The Late Late Show with James Corden among hundreds of other outlets. Most recently, he is the lead author on a paper investigating an anti-viral treatment for COVID-19, which is now entering clinical trials. Theise is also a senior student of Zen Buddhism at the Village Zendo. He lives in New York City with his husband, Mark.

More information on Neil's forthcoming book can be found here.

Two other talks by Neil

Everything Only Looks Like a Thing

In the Realm of the Boundless, What is Compassion?

Cosmic Zoom 

Therapists in all professions often have strong feelings that don't seem to be their own, arise from mysterious places within, or both. Join Paul and I as we dig into a sumptuous, multiple course meal of transference and countertransference. Also U2 and tacos! For desert, we discuss healthy ways to deal with it. Dr. Paul Geltner, D.S.W., L.C.S.W. is the author of ">Emotional Communication: Countertransference Analysis and the Use of Feeling in Psychoanalytic Technique. He has also written a novel, Live Dangerously.

Dr. Geltner is in private practice in New York City.  He works with individuals, couples, and families.  He specializes in individual and group consultation with psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists.

https://www.paulgeltner.com/

James joins me for the inaugural episode of the 'pod as we dive deep into ">Breath, one of my favorite books of 2020. James is an author and journalist who has written for Scientific American, Outside Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, Surfer's Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. in 2021 ">Breath will be translated into 30 languages! 

His website is  https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/

Buy the "> book

4,7,8... let's go!

Welcome to BodyTalk, where we explore your inner universe. Here's a sneak preview