Ortho-BionomyR: Slow Dancing in the Still Point
Author: Annie Woods Tornick and Lorin Parrish

Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance. T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets, "Burnt Norton"

"My body is stiff after a restless night of sleep following a ten-hour drive from Tucson, Arizona to Santa Fe. Now lying on a massage table at the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts (NMAHA), my mind ruminates in overdrive, in that way it does when not surrendering to exhaustion. Ursula Hofer, an Ortho-Bionomy practitioner and instructor, studies me quietly. In her soothing voice, accented with shades of her native Switzerland, she asks me to relax into the process.

I'm not sure I can do this--relax. My spine seems to slump, enmeshed within the arch of my pelvis, a jab of bone and tissue throbs deeply, the painful presence of sciatica. In this quiet room I have an excruciating awareness of how I resist, including my mind's inability to relax the structure that encases it. Ursula applies gentle pressure to my hips, then knees; something in my body stirs, connecting with her peaceful presence as she gently manipulates my stubborn body.

My body begins to move on its own inspiration, tentatively at first, like a dancer easing into a once-familiar position, remembering itself. My body responds with increasing confidence, listening intently to a distant music, flowing with it. The sciatic pinch is like a sore tooth I cannot will away, but then. . . .my left leg pulls up, foot flat on the table, my knee moves itself slowly in and out like a nutcracker, a wave of soft energy washes through my entire body and suddenly. . . the pain dissolves. Smiling, my body feels relaxed. I'm in the still-point or pause between the ebb and flow of movement. Ursula senses and responds to the slightest movements; I feel as if we're dancing in the waves of subtle communication.

The above is my personal experience with Ortho-Bionomy?-one of the newest bodywork methodologies to emerge in the past few decades-shares much in common with classic bodywork techniques, yet integrates them in a dynamic new way. Ortho-Bionomy is structured as light and intuitive touch with agreement between client and practitioner to listen for even the most subtle body movements, thereby reaching deeper layers of somatic patterns and the still points from which the client's own self-healing emerges.

A New Approach
Deeply rooted in the 100-year-old health care system of Osteopathy, Ortho-Bionomy was founded and developed by British Osteopath Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls in the 1970's. "Dr. Pauls created the name Ortho-Bionomy by combining the words ortho, meaning 'correct'; bio, meaning 'life'; and nomy, meaning 'laws.' He intended to express a way of life that is in harmony with natural laws," explains NMAHA Co-Founder and Director Lorin Parrish. Dr. Pauls rejected the traditional "crunch and crack" osteopathic approach, and wrote, "Most manipulative practices are based upon forceful approaches. It has been proven that the body responds better when it is given the corrective motive for change. Change can only come about when the instincts of the body are summoned up in such a way that the body does not resist this change. Anything beyond this is force, which when applied too much, leads only to rebellion of the self instead of a reunification of the harmonic whole."

" Ortho-Bionomy's approach gently builds trust within each client and his or her body, to ignite an inner intelligence for both client and therapist, which facilitates a healing response and self-correction," says Parrish.

A Shared Vision for the Program
"Ortho-Bionomy, as a philosophy and modality, can develop a deeper awareness in the lives of both the practitioner and client, becoming a way of life," explains Lorin Parrish, herself an accomplished therapist, having extensively studied healing therapies in the U.S., Europe and Asia. She and Ortho-Bionomy Advanced Instructors Ursula Hofer and Christina Montes de Oca envisioned the Academy's fully-credentialled "on campus" Ortho-Bionomy program, leading to full certification by the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International?

Both Hofer and Montes de Oca are passionate and energetic trainers, and bring a wealth of experience and creativity to their roles as core faculty members and program co-directors. Certified by the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International? they have both worked extensively in the field as practitioners and teachers. According to Hofer, "We learn to honor the intelligence in all things--everything and everybody. This kind of understanding allows an authentic relationship to evolve between ourselves and everything around us."

Ease. . . .and Alchemy
An Ortho-Bionomy session is relaxing and non-invasive. During a typical session, the client rests on a massage table, clothed with shoes off. The Practitioner tracks the flow of the client's experience and responds with various techniques. These techniques include gentle, conscious contact with the hands, locating and addressing points of tension and sensitivity; gently positioning the body for release with compression into the joints; and applying isometrics, and other relaxing body movements. Within the still-points of an Ortho-Bionomy session, it often seems that something powerful begins to occur. "The alchemy of Ortho-Bionomy exists within the power of relationship between Practitioner and client," explains Parrish, "The Practitioner uses various supportive techniques, and remains present to engage the client's natural responsiveness and healing awareness. Within this realm of dynamic interconnection is the alchemical moment where change happens."

Ortho-Bionomy: An Emerging Profession
"The practice of Ortho-Bionomy is appropriate for everybody," says Parrish--for men and women, beginning and seasoned bodyworkers, and people working in completely different career fields. Ortho-Bionomy is also an effective tool for the repertoire of bodyworkers and health care providers who are looking for a refreshingly gentle approach to healing. "Imagine a practice that will energize as you work with the client or patient," says Parrish. "There are no straining moves, no exhausting physical demands, and a centered-ness in life-force and emotions. Ortho-Bionomy is a non-strenuous interaction of specific, subtle touch with pure, non-demanding awareness." Founded in 1979 and offering Ortho-Bionomy coursework since 1986, the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts now provides students in the Ortho-Bionomy career track a distinct advantage through this on-site certification program, meeting all the stringent certification requirements of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International?.

Traditionally, students have taken courses as available at various schools and locations around the U.S. This is time-consuming (three to five years to complete full training) and involves the added expense of much travelling. "In our program at the Academy, Ortho-Bionomy students can complete their full certification easily in two years, while following a comprehensive - well-structured curriculum. Students also receive one-on-one mentoring and continuous support from the faculty and school administration," according to instructor Christina Montes de Oca.

Message in a Modality
What is the message in Ortho-Bionomy--and why should people consider becoming Ortho-Bionomy Practitioners? This modality challenges practitioners to drop any assumptions that they must push and pull hard to make things happen, to manipulate our bodies and our lives to achieve "results." The objective of Ortho-Bionomy is this: Conscious awareness and clear technique follow the intuitive wisdom of heart, mind and body. Ortho-Bionomy supports this innate partnership that leads us elegantly and mindfully to wherever we want to go.

For more information on the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts Ortho-Bionomy Certification Program, log-on to the NMAHA website at http://www.nmhealingarts.org or call toll-free (888) 808-5188.

*The Society of Ortho-Bionomy International is a membership organization that grants official Ortho-Bionomy Practitioner certification. The purpose of the organization, as set forth in its mission statement is to set standards for professional training programs, regulate the registration of Practitioners and Instructors, promote public education and awareness, provide professional services for Society members, establish professional standards and ensure compliance with the Code of Ethics. Ortho-BionomyR , The Society of Ortho-Bionomy International?and the sanddollar design are registered trademarks of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International, Inc., and are used with permission.

New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts "Conscious touch that starts at New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts .... yet goes far beyond."
http://www.nmhealingarts.org








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Annie Woods Tornick is a Tucson, Arizona-based writer and media content consultant. Lorin Parrish is the Executive Director of the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico

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