Bodymind Work with Kevin

(Written in September 2007)
Very interesting work with Kevin.  I described the headache.  He decided to be “provocative” — first moving my legs around the hip sockets, then doing some work on the “belly wall” — can’t remember if I stopped him or if he asked me to rest & see what comes up.  First was a sense of more flexibility in the belly area, easier to breathe but also more vulnerable.  I put my hands over my belly.  Then began to feel activity in those major neck muscles that are implicated in the headache.  Then quivering in my cheeks & lips.  The WORK to allow it to happen, not interfere.  Then there was tension in my jaw — o but maybe it was tiredness — tired from being tense for so long.  I worked at letting it be OK, both the tense and the tired.  A sense of wanting everybody to be here, the angry defensive ones, and the shy withdrawn ones.  An image of a cave in the bombed-out village — the woman me stirring soup, the traumatized children coming in.  I cried, welcoming them ALL in.  Told Kevin about “speak” (a novel about a teenage girl who’s been raped) and my sense of a similar persona in me.  Wanting to give her a voice.  Increased energy in my jawbone — feels almost swollen, also energy around my ears — sense of large ears, cat’s ears, with points.  Kevin talked about the “kinesphere”, the sense of space around you — there’s a visual space and an auditory space — hearing with non physical ears.  I also had the experience of feeling animals in my movement — a heron when I stretched my neck, a monkey when I grimaced.  A sense of connection with biology, with the stuff that’s hard-wired.
Other things we worked on: the “boundary” issue — being able to tell when I’ve “had enough” — Kevin willing to give me more space to find out.  “Boundary” not really a good word —   Kevin’s phrase “internal self-regulating intelligence.”   Also worked on shoulders —— pressure of hands against surface — try to contact the surface with as much skin as possible (as in downward dog) helps the shoulder muscles activate properly.  We also did a push hands — I like it best as a negotiated dance — having too often experienced either being overpowered, or having the other person collapse.  So rarely being met exactly where I am.

Kevin Frank is an amazing body worker in Holderness, NH