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The Body Awake

The Body Awake is a podcast for people interested in health and the human body, and in having a conversation beyond the body as merely a machine. It's about what we're made of, how we move, how illness, injury and healing happen, and what we can do with that information to live better lives.
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Jan 13, 2022

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.

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.

Jan 4, 2022

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.

Feb 4, 2021

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

Oct 14, 2020

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?

May 19, 2020

 “The Coronation” essay links: in print, in iTunes, and other audio options.

Charles’ website, which includes links to his podcast, workshops, essays and more.

Apr 18, 2020

Orientation : a riff and a meditative practice.

Sep 29, 2019

I've been wanting to interview Sara for a long time ... Indeed, since I first participated in Authentic Relating Games in a variety of settings, including potlucks, movement seminars and segues into contact improvisation.

Happy to have you with us.

SHOW NOTES

That Atlantic article the the AR Games, "The Club Where You Bare Your Soul to Strangers"

Sara and co's website, Authentic Revolution

 

Jun 15, 2019

Peter Levine founded Somatic Experiencing, a body-oriented approach to healing trauma. In this interview, we hear about the origins of that work, and a lot about what's now, and what's next, for this pioneer.

Find Somatic Experiencing, and more of Peter Levine's bio, at https://traumahealing.org/

May 9, 2019

I started following Ryan's page on Instagram. I was nearly immediately put on edge by some of his posts. He, at least a lot at that time, was playing a bit of a villain, challenging me and anyone else reading to put ourselves out there in a way I'd been, and to a large extent still am, uncomfortable with.

This episode is really about communication, how we talk to ourselves and others alike. It's a challenge to find the passion in the work you're doing.

(There's a line about midway that's been rattling around in my heart ever since, something about "if you're not excited about what you're posting, you're not posting the right stuff" ... which sounds a bit hokey now that I put it out of context, but didn't feel hokey then and, hopefully, doesn't to you when you listen.)

Blessings, LB

ps he swears a lot and I have no beep'r

Links to Ryan's work:

Unusually Focused

His podcast

you can search #randomtalkingvideo on Instagram

And, again, his page on Instagram

 

Apr 1, 2019

Patty Townsend has been teaching yoga since waaaaaay back in the day when there were only a couple yoga studios in LA. That alone would give her lots of credit to be on this show ...

And so it's such a bonus that she offers her experience with a refreshing humility and clarity. We go into what teaching yoga in the States in the early 80's was like, the distinction between purification and clarification (this one's good), even a really sweet — if not super disarming — tip for teachers on how to begin a class ... a home practice you can do to feel the buoyancy of your internal organs ... and heaps more.

I really enjoyed this one; hope you do too!

Show Notes

Patty Townsend and EmbodYoga

The YTT manual and other free resources

And here's a schematic to give you an idea of what and where the mesentery is inside you.

Nov 17, 2018

In this episode, we wrap up Season 2 of The Body Awake with a mix of retrospect, looking around and some personal sharing from me.

Here's that poem I mention at the end.

With love, LB

Oct 29, 2018

Don Hanlon Johnson has had his interest at the intersection — or perhaps mutual expression — of "taking care of your body stuff" and "political, social and taking care of the environment stuff" for a long time now.

We cover a lot of ground. I was delighted to join him, an early pioneer of what we now consider the broad term of "embodiment" practices.

==

DHJ's new book, authored by a wide array of body types and lineages, is called Diverse Bodies, Diverse Practices: towards an inclusive somatics

Other show notes: Bone, Breath and Gesture: practices of embodiment

and his website, DonHanlonJohnson.com

Oct 1, 2018

This episode, after a long time considering and reckoning myself with some of this material : “Reaching for Blackness” with Aaron and Jennie of Holistic Resistance. You can find their website here. Cheers to all of our inquiries, rich and personal, on our own paths.

Love, LB

Aug 30, 2018

Our guest this go is David Fleming, a bright and thoughtful practitioner whose work spans bodywork, lifestyle shifts and movement, and is informed by research into fascia, bioelectricity, the healing potential of the earth and more.

 
This episode has a great big dose of little potential experiments that fall into the category of “Try this! It’s cheap or free, is not complicated, has no downside and may have a huge upside in your life.” One example is spending some time barefoot on the earth each day.

 
And more, always. Cheers and love from Montana, LB

 

SHOW NOTES


AMNA : https://www.amnacademy.com/

 
AMNA’s IG page : @amnacademy : https://www.instagram.com/amnacademy/


James Oschman grounding, earthing (google this; lots of resources)


David’s Mac / Apple app is “Candelight” — or search for a blue-light blocking app in whatever app store


The work of Robert Becker; right now I (LB) am reading The Body Electric and really loving it


William A Tiller : Conscious Acts of Creation


Mae-Wan Ho : Living Rainbow H2O


Rolin McCraty “The Electricity of Touch” : https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2015/01/electricity-of-touch.pdf

Aug 7, 2018

When teaching, "I start with science, but hopefully I end with more of the poetry of the movement."

This is one of my favorite lines from this episode's guest, Tatjana Mesar.

Tatjana is a teacher and practitioner, a smart thinker and deep feeler, like so many of you. And we dive into some big guiding questions: what is tradition, what is modern, what is fusion of ideas and, ultimately, what is outside of the erosion of time?

You can find Tatjana's school, and some of her writing, in Berlin or at https://www.zenyoga-berlin.de/

Jul 20, 2018

I love a good question. I also love the attentive space it evokes in me to come up with an answer.

And so with that, hopefully this is a win-win as I present to you five listener-powered inquiries, ranging across a decent spread of body-related topics, and my corresponding responses:

  1. I practice massage and am “absorbing” other people’s pain. What do I do about this?

  2. What is embodiment? What is the biggest obstacle to being more embodied in the world?

  3. I’ve oscillated between self-obsession and self-loathing, and am slowly finding a middle ground. What’s a good way to facilitate this?

  4. What’s the best way to walk: feet pointing forward or let them find their own way?

  5. People involved in somatics, dance, yoga — all these people with incredible physical intelligence — are not actively engaged politically. With so much injustice in the world, how do we find ways to be actively create meaningful change?

 

Cheers, love, Liam

Jul 11, 2018

Living your body's intelligence ...

Oh, what that could mean! To get a feel for what it is, let's point to what it's not.

It's not blindly following every bodily desire that arises. (Only one donut orgy per month, alright?)

Nor is it forever perfecting your internal compass without moving in its direction, paralyzed by the potential — and inevitable — messiness of life.

It's something else, something that is both of these end ranges at the same time.

Pay attention, try, move, keep paying attention, refine, laugh and fail and fall and yet strive for a certain regality; this isn't child's play (unless, sometimes, it is) ...

We sure do hope you enjoy. Love, LB (+ BT)

PS if there's still space in our July 28 / 29 workshop in Seattle, you can find that out, and sign up, here.

Jun 9, 2018

This was one of those interviews where I thought we were going to talk about one thing, and we ended up talking about another. It is real, intimate (and happening in relatively real time, depending on when you listen to this) as we discuss the power of sex, touch, and being predator and prey, both in and out of the context of bodywork.

Glad to have you tuning in, as always. Love, LB

SHOW NOTES

Kimberly's website (with her latest writings, etc. also, to get her "guide to the pelvic floor" audio, sign up for her email list on the bottom of the page)

Her book, The Fourth Trimester (amazon link)

May 30, 2018

In this episode, I'm reading "The Limbic Brain and the Biology of Emotion," which is a chapter from Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit and Sexy — Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D.

This could be a great chapter to share with parents or grandparents in your life. (My reading starts at 6m 10s.)

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