Body Mind Centering
Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen is the founder of body mind centering. Over the last 35 years she has been exploring the potential of the human body through developing an integrated approach to movement, experiential anatomy, touch and re-patterning, psychosocial processes and perceptions, and developmental principles.
Body mind centering is a process of exploration through which the student learns how all their activities and movement are supported by the body’s anatomical systems. It is a form of therapy and somatic education. Using voice, breath, movement, touch and perceptions, body mind centering helps the patient direct awareness to all the parts of their body. It helps you to develop an internal, mindful awareness of everything in the outside world.
This approach is based on two main ideas. The first is that the mind is inseparable from the body. The second is that the mind can be expressed and explored through the body.
Body mind centering is a transformative experience using an integrated approach including movement re-patterning and re-education. The basic principle is learning how the mind is expressed through the body, and how the body is expressed through the mind.
The technique teaches the students how to recognize themselves and others through examining the body. Thus, each student is also their own subject matter. Students are taught a number of techniques and principles that relate to the ideas of openness and self-discovery.
A typical mind body centering one-on-one session would be individually tailored by the therapist for each person based on their specific needs. The therapist uses a combination of movement, hands-on work, and imagery drawn from the patients own body system. Patients learn their own postural strengths and new ways to feel, think, and move according to their body. Basically it is therapy where you connect the mind and body, so that you can learn to move and function in a way that best suits your body.
Body mind centering therapy is available for people of all ages, and is offered in individual, group, or family sessions, as well as work-shops and classes.
In 1973, Cohn developed the school for body mind centering, which still offers programs in learning the basic techniques and methods of the therapy. Once learned, the techniques can be used as tools for professional enhancement and personal development.
The application ability of body mind centering is endless. Some of the people who utilize this technique include people in dance, yoga, Pilates, movement, bodywork, psychotherapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, child development, voice, music, education, art, athletics, mediation, and any other mind-body disciplines.
This type of complimentary therapy requires the patient to have a fairly open mind when it comes to trying new things. If the patient doesn’t believe in the concept behind body mind centering then it probably won’t have much of an effect.
