Deep Bodywork

Discussions with a Physicist: Part 1, by Perry Holloman

Today, I had the pleasure of working with a mother and her daughter, on this day before mother’s day, with a colleague of mine at Esalen’s Carmel office. I noticed they had a bit of a southwestern accent as they spoke, and as we talked, they told me they were on vacation from Dallas, Texas. They were with a very unassuming gentleman who, as it turned out, had spent time on the California coast throughout his adult life. Interestingly, I made a number of assumptions about who they were without knowing them at all, like:

-He works in the oil industry
-Receiving massage is a part of “the California experience”
-They probably feel like they’ve landed on a strange planet
-They are most likely very conservative, etc.

After I finished my work, I had a moment to sit and chat with this gentleman, who revealed that his trip had a deeper purpose: To sit in Ed Ricketts’ laboratory in what is now Cannery Row in Monterey, because of his deep admiration for his holistic approach to science. He then told me that as a physicist, he understood the science behind the interconnectedness of all elements composing our universe. He also discussed his deep admiration for empirical scientists like Ricketts, who well before modern physics had proven that all things are interconnected, intuited this fact and was able to study the ocean’s ecosystems from this perspective. He cited poet Robinson Jeffers, and writer John Steinbeck as artist-philosophers grasping the same intuition as Ricketts. He then said how much it meant to him to simply be on the same piece of earth, Carmel, California, that had meant so much to these men he held in such high esteem.

At this point, I was completely mind-blown by the depth and breadth of knowledge of this unassuming person. I was also hoping our massages had been good enough to keep our clients asleep for 5-10 minutes, so that I could pick the brain of this very brilliant man. This is where it got very interesting! About thirty years ago, I made a trip to Brasil to visit healers getting extraordinary results via means not explicable through the physics that Isaac Newton described, nor through any science that I was familiar with. I became interested, as a bodyworker, in what explanations of reality might be behind the procedures I witnessed, and the results which I observed. I was introduced to the ideas of Quantum-Relativistic physics, which describe a universe containing interconnectedness as a fundamental feature. Mind, furthermore, is interconnected with, not separate from, matter and energy. On the basis of this knowledge, I began to ask myself the following questions:

-If everything that exists within this universe is interconnected, from the gross (matter and energy) to the subtle (processes of mind), can an intelligent being learn to focus mind in such a way that focused interactions of mind, matter, and energy become possible?

-Might something like that be what I was witnessing in the hands of the healers in Brasil?

-As a professional bodyworker, how does my inner state influence the quality of my work, and are the remarkable results I have witnessed in the sessions of master bodyworkers (Milton Traeger comes to mind) a result of their ability to focus mind in such a way that matter and energy respond in a self-organizing manner?

As a teacher of bodywork, these questions are of crucial importance in regard to how we train our students. Far too many schools emphasize a mechanical approach only to massage technique, which leaves little room for developing our students’ grasp of the intuitive side of this work. Since quantum theory demonstrates mathematically that everything within the boundaries of our universe, whether it be mind, matter, or energy, is interconnected, shouldn’t our methods for educating people about the nature of touch reflect that deeper reality? I will leave you to ponder that question, and apply it also to your work with clients in your private practices. Where do mechanical and intuitive approaches blend, and support each other in elevating the quality of our client’s lives? What is the role of training the mind through self reflective and meditative practices such that the interconnected fabric of this universe actually becomes palpable to us as we touch? Is it possible to develop that capacity, and is it then possible to teach?

In part two, I will recall more of my discussion with my physicist friend as I posed these questions to him.I will also discuss how some physicists view the universe itself as an intelligent, ever learning, evolving, and literally living process.
All the best to everyone!
Perry

9 Comments
  • Beverly Jones
    1:14 PM, 8 May 2011

    Very good.
    Keep posting the parts.
    Bev Jones

  • Perry Holloman
    5:02 PM, 8 May 2011

    I will, Bev. The next part is complex, and I need to take some time to write it such that it’s clear and hopefully of use.
    Perry

  • Richard Hyde
    6:08 PM, 8 May 2011

    I look forward to part two. One of my more interesting client conversations recently was with a parking officer from San Francisco, yes one of those people that tickets your car and gets it towed. She was hurting body and soul. It was one of those rare occasions when talking during the session helped and I sensed an impact way beyond the physical.

  • Carrie
    10:49 AM, 15 May 2011

    Been pondering…Luc Skywalker. There are some of us that have the “force” within, whether or not we realize/accept/honor it. Without teachers/guides such as you and Johanna (Rob and Paul) I would not be the therapist I am becoming. It has always been there (according to Thomas Michael Fortel-something he told me near the end of our 30 days) but I was clueless, then dumbstruck and left with a profound lack of confidence because I could never explain “how” I “knew” what to do…thought something was wrong with me. Now I am embracing a whole new level of peace and understanding because of learning how to open myself up to the intuitive guidance that flows. Without your teachings I would just be rubbing people. But now I make a difference. Thank you seems trite but it is all I can say and it comes from the heart.

  • Perry Holloman
    12:49 PM, 15 May 2011

    Hey Carrie,
    thanks for that. There is unfortunately too much “just rubbing people” happening in this industry….massaging with the main focus being watching the clock. Although it’s important to learn to do one’s work within a certain time structure, people can learn learn to give an effective, intuitively based massage within a 1 hr. time frame. We look forward to seeing you again! Perry

  • Малолетка
    8:27 PM, 17 May 2011

    Привет, deepbodywork.com !
    Мне всего 13 лет. Научите пжлайста как здесь аставлять свою новость если я хотела б ы чтобы мне отвечали в коментарии и писали свои впечатления.

    • Perry Holloman
      2:39 AM, 18 May 2011

      Thank you so much for commenting on this article! I’m not sure what you wrote, but it’s so cool to see Russian characters on this blog! I’d love a translation, if anyone can provide one.
      Perry

  • Graphics
    9:29 AM, 29 July 2011

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  • pilules vimax
    4:58 PM, 8 August 2011

    This is a smart blog. I mean it. You have so much knowledge about this issue, and so much passion. You also know how to make people rally behind it, obviously from the responses. Youve got a design here thats not too flashy, but makes a statement as big as what youre saying. Great job, indeed.

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