We discover a lot about ourselves through our thoughts and reaction, through reflection. But our body reveals tons too about how we are inside. Its shape, conditions, aches and pains tell of what is going on with the inner being.
That certainly became my experience going through personal training with Bioenergetics founder, Dr Alexader Lowen (1910-2008) who was a famous, practicing psychiatrist in New York. I took Bioenergetics up upon the suggestion of a friend and fellow meditator, Maraya Chebat. Maraya was an author and was introducing Bioenergetics in the Philippines.
A case in point is my neck - it’s long. I remember how it always made me stick out in photos even as a child. I learned that my neck was reflecting what was subtly going on in my consciousness which was the desire to get attention.
Secondly, both sides of my family had terrible diseases. My mother’s side is scoliotic and my father’s side is diabetic and has cardiovascular issues. With the knowledge that I was getting, I decided to totally not accept my family’s physical limitations. I believed I could change it.
So I changed my lifestyle. I became vegetarian, started meditation, did therapies in bioenergetics. And I kept learning more and more about this mind-body connection - that what I will and believe ultimately becomes my life. With determination, constant practice, discipline I am 87 years old today, mentally active and physically doing well - better than many at this age.
I want people to understand that they are the spirit in the body and not a body with a spirit. This is very important because when the spirit is well, the body becomes well too. What the spirit wills the body follows. And it shouldn’t be the other way around which has happened in our lives today.
This is what started RefreshLife, and this is why we are doing what we do here. Our aim is to help people not to lose hope whatever condition they find themselves in. And we are doing it in a way that’s interesting, lively and fun.
- Excerpts from conversations with Lucy, co founder, RefreshLife
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