To Boldly Go Inside
By Anita Boser, LMP, CHP
From the Autumn 2002 issue of Keeping in Touch, Anita's client newsletter

I love Star Trek. In addition to the idea of exploring the galaxy, the possibility for social commentary is rich.
We get stuck in the way that we think about things and see things and do things. It is fun for me to imagine worlds that
are not limited by the human experience.

For example, money has little meaning to members of the Federation. They work because they want to, not because
they need the money. Imagine how that would change our entire world -- even though it is far from reality.

In my work, I often help people discover beliefs that are held in their bodies. Changing these deeply held beliefs is as
fantastic as believing in a culture where women are in charge or where deception is admired.

In his book, Aligned Relaxed and Resilient, Will Johnson states: "Often the grains of nature and culture are at cross-purposes to each other, and we may be forced to choose which of these grains we ultimately wish to align ourselves with." Pain can occur when our beliefs cannot reconcile our culture and our nature. It is a sign that a new belief is possible.

When I was pregnant, I believed that it was "no big deal." I didn't want my business colleagues to doubt my professional dedication and I did not want to be part of a "weaker sex" (culture), so I denied the impact of carrying and giving birth to twins (nature). In a recent Hellerwork session, I connected my lower abdominal pain to the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth and to the lack of honoring my body's experience and accomplishment. I now have a new belief. Giving birth is a big deal and deserves more of my respect for myself and other mothers.

Beliefs are so ingrained that they are not evident until there is a basis of comparison. I could have logically come to the conclusion that childbirth is a significant accomplishment. The felt-sense of the newfound respect for my reproductive self is more powerful than only thinking it. And, I would not have been able to examine this belief without the input of my body.

My brain is usually more connected with culture, while my body is more aligned with nature. Our culture reveres the mind, many times to the exclusion of the body. But conscious-ness is held in our bodies as well as in our minds. Delving into the layers of myofascia through aware movement and bodywork reveals our emotional framework and our belief systems.

I don't need to explore the galaxy to find adventure. It is an adventure to discover what is already inside of me. Consciousness is the final frontier, my lifelong mission to seek out new ideas, experiences and awareness, to boldly go inside.

Quote of the Quarter
Posture is movement, the constant return toward vertical. It is not positioning.
-- Donna Bajelis and Steve Hurley