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reinforcing neuropeptide release and distribution. As the process such as cancer, which she attributes largely to lifestyle factors and continues, contacts imparted by the practitioner stimulate more pollution, emotional integrity can help us fight disease. Since and more peptide release that corresponds to the emotional quality emotions function to unify us, they promote our integrity. It is projected by the quality of touch." Eventually the client ends up important to let real, authentic emotions—including negative in a feeling state—a "neuropeptide bath"—that is more like that of emotions such as anger—come out and be expressed. Dr Pert the practitioner. According to Juhan, this feeling state is closely believes that this promotes the healing response more than any- allied to Dr Benson's famous Relaxation Response. thing else. When emotions are bottled up, they are literally build- It is not uncommon for profound emotions to be released in a _ing up pressure and may come out in an unconstructive way. She physical way when specific body tissues storing emotions/memo- says we must learn what our true feelings are and not adopt ries are touched by the practitioner and send messages in the form unhealthy masks, such as false smiles. of sensations to the unconscious mind of the client. New neu- Dr Pert regards stress as information overload—not only from ropeptide combinations formed as a result of these sensations the outside but also from within our body, when we are not sure freely circulate in the body, often resulting in overwhelming feel- which way to go. When we are stressed, we are literally ings. This would be equivalent to the specific state of conscious- becoming a waste dump for molecules of emotion. Her advice is ness incompatible with mindfulness and sometimes associated to stop ignoring our bodies, stop living in our heads and get into with the spontaneous release of strong emotions described by movement. She says that movements of all kinds release and body-centred psychotherapist Ron Kurtz in 1990. The client feels wash away substances that are pent-up and stored, which explains intense involvement centred on the present experience, exhibits why exercise can be helpful for endogenous depression. Dr Pert spontaneous physical activity and temporarily has a limited capac- advises us to be multimodal and enjoy an emotionally expressive ity to think or reason. A great deal of energy is released. The life. Dancing, in particular, can be very effective therapy! oo client may to be totally overcome with emotion such as rage, sad- ness, love or overwhelming pain or loss. Such feelings come in Bibliography waves, often interspersed with memories (often related to early + Benson, H. (1975). The Relaxation Response. Collins Fount childhood) and insights. Paperbacks, London. Kurtz stresses that therapy does * Ginsburg, C. (1999). Body-image, not stop when the client experiences movement and consciousness: the emotional release; rather, it Bxampes yon a Somatic Practice iH starts there. The therapist now . the eldenkrais metho . Journal oj helps the client understand and Emotional states are Consciousness Studies 62-3): 79-91. 2 i i . ¢ Juhan, D. . The physiology o Know wha to way do thie by help altered states of consciousness, hook-up: How Trager works. ing the client access memories asso- and emotions are the Keynote ada at me Sth 5 was - Cae] 4 4 international Trager Conference, San ciated with it, work with the feel, link between the physical Diego, California, September 18 ings that link the experience to 1993 "di ‘te "1 vated by th ° organising beliefs, and put it into and mental realms. 7 ited and printed by the Trager Institute, 33 Millwood, Mill Valley, California 94941-2091, USA. ¢Juhan, D. (1998). Job's Body. A handbook for bodywork. Barrytown, Ltd, Barrytown, New York. * Keleman, S. (1985). Emotional anatomy. The structure of expe- . . Loe . . . rience. Center Press, Berkeley, California. these are stored in body tissues and is, in fact, the major piece of * Kurtz, R. (1990). Body-Centered Psychotherapy: The Hakomi words, study it and perhaps manipu- late and reorganise it. This assists the client to access self-awareness, self-regulation and healing. Dr Pert believes that the practical experience of bodywork bringing up strong emotions and memories is direct evidence that therapeutic information gained from her work on neuropeptides. Method. LifeRhythm, Mendocino, California She is a self-confessed fan of bodywork, saying that people * Liskin, J. (1996). Moving Medicine. The life and work of respond to touch in a surprising way, and that body-centred Milton Trager. Station Hill Press, New York. , approaches can be effective where talk and other therapy are not. * Marieb, E.N. (1999). Human Anatomy and Physiology, 5th ed. Research has shown that the ground state of a particular receptor Addison Wesley Longman, San Francisco, New York. Sydney. reflects the history of its past and affects how information flows * Pert, C. (1999). Molecules of Emotion. The science behind into and out of the cell. Every receptor "remembers" how often it mind-body medicine. Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, New York. has been stimulated and whether it has been under- or over- [See review, 1997 Scribner edition, in NEXUS 5/02.] stimulated. ; ¢ Pert, C. (2000). Your body is your subconscious mind. These discoveries have led Dr Pert to discard the old model—of Audiotapes. Sounds True, Inc., Boulder, Colorado 80306, USA. the brain controlling the body—and dub the body the "sub- + Tolle, E. (1999). The Power of Now. A guide to spiritual conscious mind". She says that emotional states are altered states enlightenment. Hodder, Sydney. of consciousness, and emotions are the link between the physical and mental realms. When stored or blocked emotions are released About the Author: through touch or other physical methods, there is a clearing of our Leigh Lehane, BVSc (Qld), PhD (Qld), MSc (Lond.), has been a lec- internal pathways, which we experience as energy. turer/senior lecturer in pathology/toxicology at the Q Vnta. ne Onkaal a wren Inclibne me such as cancer, which she attributes largely to lifestyle factors and pollution, emotional integrity can help us fight disease. Since emotions function to unify us, they promote our integrity. It is important to let real, authentic emotions—including negative emotions such as anger—come out and be expressed. Dr Pert believes that this promotes the healing response more than any- thing else. When emotions are bottled up, they are literally build- ing up pressure and may come out in an unconstructive way. She says we must learn what our true feelings are and not adopt unhealthy masks, such as false smiles. Dr Pert regards stress as information overload—not only from the outside but also from within our body, when we are not sure which way to go. When we are stressed, we are literally becoming a waste dump for molecules of emotion. Her advice is to stop ignoring our bodies, stop living in our heads and get into movement. She says that movements of all kinds release and wash away substances that are pent-up and stored, which explains why exercise can be helpful for endogenous depression. Dr Pert advises us to be multimodal and enjoy an emotionally expressive life. Dancing, in particular, can be very effective therapy! oo Bibliography ¢ Benson, H. (1975). The Relaxation Response. Collins Fount Paperbacks, London. Pret wie © (1000) Rady link between the physical and mental realms. About the Author: Leigh Lehane, BVSc (Qld), PhD (Qld), MSc (Lond.), has been a lec- turer/senior lecturer in pathology/toxicology at the Queensland Veterinary School, a science writer/editor, government veterinary officer, and toxicologist in the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Commonwealth Department of Health (drug evaluation). She now works as a science writer and massage therapist and is training to become a Feldenkrais practitioner. BE AUTHENTIC! According to Dr Pert, health is holistic, representing wholeness and integrity, and that while state of mind (e.g., negative thinking) probably has little or nothing to do with the aetiology of diseases 42 = NEXUS Emotional states are altered states of consciousness, and emotions are the www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2002 — JANUARY 2003