Basic Body Awareness Therapy: embodied identity (BBAT method)

166 Pages·2018·33.279 MB·English

by  Amanda Lundvik Gyllensten, Kent Skoglund, Inger Wulf

BASIC BODY
AWARENESS
THERAPY
embodied identity
AMANDAL UNDVIK GYLLENSTEN, KENT SKOGLUND & INGER WULF
Swedish original title:
BasalK roppskdnnedo.m Den levdak roppen
Original publisher: Scudentlitteratur AB, Lund
Copyright© 20 I 5 Studentlitteracur
English translation: Easytranslate 20 I 6
Revision of the English version: Amanda Lundvik Gyllensten, Kent Skoglund and
Stephen Garland
All rights to the English version reserved.
Copyright© 2018 English version
Amanda Lundvik Gyllensten, Kent Skoglund and Inger Wulf
Cover layout: Sven Hug and the authors
Cover image: The authors
Photos: Gyllensten M.
Data illustrations: Wulf, Gyllensten and Hug
Printed by Vulkan, Stockholm
ISBN 978-91-88809-58-2
"Tom eet the world openly, to allow oneself to be permeated by it, to retain
one's centre, but to remain in movement and put others into movement, to
Let the world reveal itself and to become present through oneself - that is
what it means to exist, to Live." (free translation from Jacobsen 1998).

Content
Preface ....... .. ........... .. ......................... 9
Author presentations .......... .. . . .. . .................. 11
Part I Practice ......................................... 13
1. A treatment series with Basic Body Awareness Therapy .. ...... 15
Presentation of patient and physiotherapists ....... ....... 15
The story of Anna ..... ............... ....... ....... 16
Anna and Patrick have their first meeting ............ 17
Second meeting .. .. .. ... .. .. ... ........... .... 22
After eight therapy sessions . . ..................... 28
Anna's continued therapy . . .. ........ .. ... ... ... . 33
Anna in a group ................. ...... ... ..... 36
Seventh time in group therapy ..... .. ..... .. ...... 37
Anna and Patrick have their concluding therapy session .. 40
Anna's reflections after completing the therapy ..... . .. 43
Part II Theory ......... ................................. 45
2. Basic Body Awareness Therapy - theories ...... ............ 47
Background and development of the method .. .. ... .. ... . 47
Body ego ....... ...... . ............ .. .. . ...... ... 50
The bodily-anchored identity ........... ....... ... .. .. 52
Patient safety ......... .. ................... .... ... 5 5
International Classification of Functioning, Disability
and Health (ICF) .. ... .. .. .... .. ............. ...... 55
Defin~ions ....... .. ... ..... ........... ... .... 56
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Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experiences
(BAS MQ-E) ...... .. ........... ................. . 57
Movement test (BAS M Q) ... ..... ........ .. ..... 5 8
The questionnaire (part of BAS-E) ... .. ..... ....... 61
Qualitative interview (part of BAS-E) ... ........ .. .. 61
The case of Anna - the first examination with
BASMQE .... .. .... ........ .... . .... . ...... 62
The case of Anna - BAS M Q-E after therapy ......... 63
Body Awareness Rating Scale Movement Quality and
Experience (BARS-MQE) . . ... .. . .. ..... ....... ..... 64
Differences between BAS MQE and BARS-MQE .. . .. 64
3. Body functions ............. .. .. ...... .. . ..... .. ..... 65
Everyday movements and function .. ....... ..... ....... 65
Balance and posture ......... .. .............. ... .... 65
Standing function .. ...................... .... .. 69
Sitting function .. .. .... ....... ........ ....... . 70
Walking function .. ..... ... .................... 72
Lying function .. . ...... ... ....... . ......... . .. 73
Breathing ............ ............................ 74
The voice .................................... 77
Coordination/centring of movements . ..... ............. 78
Open and close coordination . .................... 80
Rotation around the balance line ... . .... .. ........ 82
Walking coordination ...... .... .... .. ........ ... 83
Power and freedom ... . . .. . .... .. .. ............. 84
Rhythm .... .. .... ... . ... ........ . .. .. . ...... 85
Intention and wholeness . ...... . ...... ...... .. .... ... 85
Movement quality ........... ........... .. ....... .. 87
Physical perspective ....... . . ... .. ...... . ...... . 88
Physiological perspective .......... .. ...... . .. .... 88
Psycho-social-cultural perspective .. . .... .. .. .... ... 89
Existential perspective ... ... .... ..... .. .. ..... . . . 90
Movement quality and Tai chi .. .................. 90
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Body awareness and relations ....................... . . 91
Body awareness and relation to oneself .. ............ 91
Body image .. . ......... ........ ... .... .. .. .... ... 93
Self-awareness .......... .. ......................... 9 3
Significance of brain hemisphere ...................... 94
The importance of verbalising experiences/feelings ..... 95
Awareness ....................... ... .............. 96
To be present and aware ............................. 97
4. Relationships to others . . .. ... ................... ...... 99
Attachment ...................................... 99
Needs ...... ...... ........... .. ... ........... ... 101
The cycle of needs and the body ......... ...... ... 102
BBAT and the cycle of needs ............ . ....... 103
Touch ... ................. ..... .... .. .. ... .. .. . . 104
Love and sexuality ...... ... . ..... ... . ........ ...... 106
The encounter between care provider and patient ......... 108
5. Pedagogical approach ............... ................. 111
Resource perspective ..... .... . ..................... 111
Guidance ......... ........ .................. 113
The learning process in BBAT. ............. .. .... 113
Group therapy ... ....... ... .. ... .. ............... 115
Therapeutic factors in group therapy ........ ...... 116
Infusion and maintenance of hope ............ 117
Universality, general applicability ............. 117
Altruism ............ ...... ....... ....... 117
Interpersonal learning - "to learn from each other" .. 118
Group community, group feeling or group
cohesion ................................ 118
Existential factors ...................... .. . 119
BBAT group as a relational exercise .. .. ......... .. 119
Massage ................................ 120
Push-hands .. ........ .......... .... .... .. 120
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To live in reality and the world ......... . .. ........... 121
Anna's new perspective ...... ....... ... .. ....... 121
The "lived body'' and the biographic perspective .......... 122
Existentially-oriented viewpoint ................. ... .. 123
6. Final reflections .................................... 125
Part Ill Movements .............. .................... . 127
7. BBAT movements .......... . ....................... 129
Sitting movement ... .. ...... ... . . ... ... .. ....... . . 129
Find your balance in sitting . ................ .... 129
Standing movement .. ...... . ... . ... . . .. . . ... ... .. . 131
Find your balance in standing ....... .. ......... .. 131
Raise and lower along the balance line .......... . .. 134
Rotation around the balance line ............. .. .. 135
The wave ............... . ............ . ...... 136
Push-movement ......... .. ................... 138
The open and close coordination ..... . ........... 139
Stop movement ........ .......... ... ....... . . 141
Lying movements ........ . ............ . ........... 142
Lying movement being aware of yourself ........... 142
M-sound in a lying position ............ . . . ..... . 144
Gathering of your legs towards each other . . ... . . ... 145
Stretching movements .. .. ........... . ......... 147
Symmetric stretching movement . .. .. .... . .. . . 147
Alternating stretching movement ......... .... 148
Gathering movements .. . ...................... 149
Lying gathering into a ball with bent legs .... ... 149
Lying contraction around the centre with
the feet on the floor .... .. ................ .. 151
Walking .. ..... ................................. 153
References . .. ............ . .. . .... .. . .. ....... .. .. . .. 155
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Preface
Large parts of the population of the Western world do not feel well. De
spite increased material wealth many people experience stress-, lifestyle-,
or life situation-related difficulties. These difficulties can appear in the
form of pain, musculoskeletal tensions or as psychosomatic problems.
The demand for quick communication places increasing pressure on
the individual. Weight problems, eating disorders, and substance abuse
are common. Divorce, relationship problems, unemployment or over
work are other reasons for bad health. An uncertain future also caus
es increased existential worry and may lead to a sense of aimlessness
in life. Diagnoses such as depression have increased exponentially. The
demands of how one should look and behave to best fit into society's
norms and into the social context are great. It is not unusual for the
individual to lose contact with the self and with the body. The need for
and the interest in biopsychosocial therapy methods is growing, as is the
need for literature on this subject.
This book is intended for healthcare professionals, but is also for
those who are interested in reading more about experiences and theories
regarding the connection between body/mind, relationships and the en
vironment. Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is both a method of
therapy and a humanistic approach. The way to meet people has been
shown to be of great importance for the result of any therapy.
This book begins with a case study of Anna, illustrating how BBAT
can unfold. Usually, theories are illustrated with a case study after the
theoretical text, but in this book we have chosen to do it differently: we
allow the reader first to share in Anna's therapy with the physiotherapist
Patrick.
In the theory section, we have chosen to integrate theories significant
for function and health. BBAT is described from diverse perspectives
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