Donna Martin came highly recommended to me from several Body Awake listeners. She's deeply trained, and trains others, in the realm of Hakomi, an approach to psychotherapy that's rooted in mindfulness and body awareness. In this interview, Donna and I dive into what felt like, for me, the heart of connecting with another human being. The first 23 seconds of the show gives you a taste of that. Enjoy, and do keep your recommendations coming; thank you!   SHOW NOTES Donna Martin's website Hakomi Institute Donna's retreat on Hawai'i, June 2017 "Whole-Hearted Embodiment," a retreat at Hollyhock, BC in May 2017.   Books mentioned on air (unlinked, but of course any of these available by searching Amazon) The Brain's Way of Healing and The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge Mindsight by Daniel Siegel Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön

Ep 15: Hakomi with Donna Martin

The Body Awake is a show for people interested in health and the human body, in a conversation beyond "body as machine."
It's about what we're made of, how we move, how illness, injury and healing happen, and how we can use that information to live better lives.

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  SA is part meditation, part body awareness, and part sitting with another who’s attuning to, listening to, asking about, and following along with your developing experience, particularly the raw experience of arising sensation. This practice can actuate profound changes in one’s mental and physical well-being. Sessions last 50 minutes. Payment is on a sliding scale, $75 - $125.     BOOK A SESSION     Who’s this for? If you’re feeling stuck, are wrestling with something difficult in your life, have a sense you’ve lost connection to something vital, or would like to be more in touch with your direct experience … then this work could be really good medicine. What’s a session like? We sit together and bring attention to what’s arising. I listen deeply to you, not just to the words you’re saying but to the whole experience. So much can unfold from there, it’s hard to say “and then this is what happens …” but often, there are at least moments of:   guided somatic meditation   both of us attuning to your body’s sensations   slowing down, especially when there’s a lot of feeling arising   feedback, conversation rooted in here and now   There may be grief and tears. There may be uprisings of joy and gratitude. We don’t know what to expect, but expect a dedicated, loving presence with you in that unknown. Remarkable changes can unfold from that place. What’s your training? How did this practice come about? This practice as its own entity really arose out of my bodywork sessions: often, when someone would come in with a particular body ailment, the very act of describing the pain would appear to begin a healing process … if I felt that way, I note that, and say “this seems fruitful; are you open to staying with this for a few minutes (instead of just getting on the table)?” If they said yes, which they usually did as we could both feel the powerful potential here, we would simply stay with the ever-evolving sensations. This kind of inquiry would often span the entire length of the session, and we were both often surprised at the deep, radical, and permanent shifts in the pain symptoms they’d come in with, perhaps more effective than hands-on work would’ve been. My guidance, listening, questioning, developing education, and ultimately Somatic Attunement as its own healing practice, has stemmed from those spaces. So really, in short, my life’s work — including tens of thousands of hours learning and teaching various mind-body modalities — has led me here. Have you been a client in this type of work? Yes. My life was profoundly altered by sitting with my teacher regularly for many years in this way, and it all took place over the phone. To say our body of work together was life-changing is an understatement; nearly every session felt worth its weight in gold. Is this different from therapy? Yes. I am not a therapist. That said, you may seek this work for similar reasons that you would seek therapy. An example of how this is different might come from if a client says “I am so angry at my mother.” If you said that, I wouldn’t say “oh, interesting; tell me about your mom” and start taking notes. I might encourage you, instead, to feel the sensations in your body as you say those words, or as you respond to a question I ask you based on that statement. The scope of practice of somatic coaching is very, very important to me, for both our sakes. If our work enters territory beyond my scope of practice, I will redirect us, and recommend a therapist if appropriate. How do we meet? Sessions happen over Zoom. If you would prefer no video, we can also work together over the phone. I’m interested but have a question or two first. Wonderful. Please send me an email at liam@thebodyawake.com, and we’ll take it from there.  

Somatic Attunement

This episode, I chat with a new teacher of mine, from a course called “Healing from Presence,” Riyaz Motan. We talk about relating from an embodied, being-at-home place, and the many wonders and pitfalls of working, and ultimately being, with others. Find Riyaz’s work, and sign up for his newsletter, at his website here. I also allude to  this interview with Pico Iyer and Elizabeth Gilbert.

Relational Meditation with Riyaz Motan

Direct Experience

This episode is a preview of my year-long labor of love, A Creator's Companion.

A Creator's Companion

Can body-based material be taught online? Can a somatic curriculum be shared with a decent felt sense, something other than the feeling of not quite being as good as the real thing?

Ep 15: Hakomi with Donna Martin

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