Shame Circuit Revisited || By Chardin Bersto MA
Not My Voice
This is not my voice that whispers to me
In the deep recesses of my Heart.
This is not my voice that calms the stirring torrent
Welling up as “I” try to quiet my Mind.
The sense of a small “my” standing against
The ever-moving force of The Infinite.
The sense of a small “I”, thinking it could
Possess something as large as…
My sense of you.
This is not my Voice, it’s Yours.
We have touched on Belief’s and how they impact the nervous system and how they can stop a person dead in their tracks. Over recent times some of us may have experienced despair with the outcome of the elections, others elation and excitement. It is important to recognize that we have a choice in what the texture of our experience is and not give in to the whims of the environment around us.
Some might think, “did I do something wrong”. To those that thought this the answer is NO. All things present are supposed to be here and it is simply a call to stand. Don’t lose your ground. It reminds me of a book titled The Synaptic Self by Joseph LeDoux. He goes on to posit that on the surface of the cell membrane there are receptor cites that are associated with our name. So, after we hear our name repeatedly, our body gets accustomed to the associations directed at us. I’m convinced this is the reason a spiritual teacher will assign a Spiritual name to redirect the devotee’s focus on the Spiritual.
Much has been written in the past twenty or so years in the field of Somatics that has opened our eyes to a realm of human function not understood so clearly in years hence. Thomas Hanna says it clearly, in his book titled SOMATICS (Addison-Wesley, 1988), when he refers to the Greek word SOMA which means “living body”. He goes on to say that the field of SOMATICS is based on the premise that people are “self aware, self-sensing self- moving and self- responsible beings” and “capable of making changes”. Therefore, the field of SOMATICS empowers the individual to be the guide on an internal process only available to the outside observer if the person chooses to share it. This is a radical shift from medicine as we know it. Pioneers in the field would include, but are not limited to Ida Rolf, Randolph Stone, Stanley Keleman, (need more names).
More recently, in the field of Psychoneuroimmunology, there has been discovered a profound relationship between the body and brain, and more broadly, the Mind, that sheds light on a multilevel integration that makes the workings of human life seem miraculous. These discoveries have occurred because science, as we know it, has acquired the capability to explore what the more ancient, pre-science, healers had discovered in their meditations and intuitions millenniums ago. I’m referring here to Deepak Chopra’s work in his book Quantum Healing (Bantam, 1990) and his references to the Upanishads and Ayruvedic Medicine of India. Dr. Chopra, in essence, brings the field of the healing arts “up to date” about what we intend to approach when dealing with human maladies, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
In the previous paragraph, I made the distinction between the brain and Mind. This distinction is an important one because I see their functions as very different. The brain, an organ in the body, carries out the tasks of operating bodily functions. The Mind, on the other hand, operates in a more global and integrative. By global, I am alluding to that aspect of human consciousness that seems mysterious in some ways, and certainly open to scientific scrutiny, that witness’ life in its entire complex vicissitudes. Not only does it witness, it has also been found to influence life profoundly. These effects include inexplicable reversions of fatal diseases, such as cancer, disappearing tumors and so forth that medical science won’t even get close to.
About the Author: Chardin has been an Adjunct Practitioner at People House since 1998. He is the creator of Advanced Body Therapeutics (ABT). It is a new orientation of creating synergy in the body systems. ABT uses assessment tools from Osteopathic Theory, Chinese Five Element Theory, Applied Kinesiology, Yoga Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, and Structural Therapies to determine the relationship of the metabolic systems of the body as well as address common structural issues related to stress or trauma.
The goal in his body work is to create balance in the body and neutralize the polyvagal responses. In doing so, it reduces pain, calms emotion upset, and strengthens the immune system.
Chardin’s web address is www.abtherapeutics.net
