How to relax your body muscles. Working with the muscle shell

Author: Elena Vladimirovna Emelyanova, Deputy Director of the Center for Emergency Psychological Assistance of the Committee for Labor and Social Development of the Saratov Administration, member of the RATEPP Council, consultant, supervisory psychologist.

When we express emotions, the resource prepared by the body is used in a timely manner and the muscles relax. But most often we do not know how to express anger or fear in a way that does not harm ourselves or people; we do not want to know about these feelings and the feelings of our loved ones, preferring to suppress them.

The body cannot be deceived, and what we hide from others and from our own consciousness remains in it in the form of tension. This chronic tension of the body's muscles is called "muscle armor." Gradually it ceases to be noticed, and a person lives without even knowing about it.

The muscular shell quietly does its evil deed:

• he spends a large amount of energy, which means that a person constantly experiences a lack of it;
• tense muscles compress blood vessels, and in those places where the muscular shell is located, organ tissues constantly lack nutrients and oxygen carried by the blood, metabolism is disrupted, which, in turn, leads to weakening of organs and various diseases;
• the human body becomes split.

A person charged with energy radiates cheerfulness, he is less sensitive to climate changes, and does not depend on weather conditions. A person who experiences an energy deficit necessarily reacts to rain, pressure changes, and changes in the length of daylight hours. It is known that people prone to depression feel worst in winter and early spring, when even a strong body is somewhat depleted.

Unproductive energy expenditure to maintain the muscular shell leads to the fact that a person unconsciously strives to save energy. To do this, he reduces his communication and fences himself off from the outside world.

Movement, posture, characteristic facial expression - all this is developed gradually as a result of the most commonly used combination of muscle tension and relaxation, which has become habitual. And all this expresses our basic life positions, thoughts, attitudes, expectations and beliefs, which, in turn, cause a very specific emotional state.

The following exercises help relax muscle tension and are quite easy to do on your own. However, they won't help if you only do them a few times. Make it a rule to do them daily and devote at least half an hour to them. Of course, you don't have to do everything at once. Do them several times first. Then set for yourself the sequence in which you will do them, and master them one by one. Later you will understand which activities give the greatest effect and are more necessary for you.

Let's start with the top ring of clamps that goes through the mouth and throat.

1. Mouth

A clenched mouth blocks all transmission of feelings. But the mouth is the very first channel of communication. We kiss those to whom we want to express our tenderness and love.

When we forbid ourselves to feel longing for love, relying on sad experience that tells us that love can only bring pain and disappointment, this withholding of the natural human need is reflected in the clamping of the mouth area.

The same thing happens when we forbid ourselves to express our feelings in words. A clenched mouth also leads to impaired communication, and all together leads to dissatisfaction with life.

To relax the blocks around the mouth, you need to systematically perform the following exercise.

Lie in the fetal position, that is, lying on your side, pull up your knees, fold your arms, crossing them over your chest. This pose is also referred to as “curling up.” Start making sucking movements with your lips. Do this for as long as possible - as long as your lips can suck. After this, relax and lie down a little longer.

Many people start crying while doing this exercise. This happens because a long-suppressed longing for affection and security begins to emerge. Don't hold back under any circumstances. Crying with your whole body is beneficial. It helps relieve accumulated negative tension not only around the mouth, but throughout the body. Children always cry completely - from head to toe. And then they are taught to restrain themselves.

The ring of tension in the throat corresponds to an unconscious defense against the forced “swallowing” of something unpleasant from the outside. At the same time, this is an unconscious preservation of control over the feeling of fear, protection from those feelings and reactions that, in the opinion of a person, may be condemned and unacceptable to others.

Clenched jaws block any sound trying to break through. The vocal cords are also clamped with the same ring. The sound of the voice gives the impression that the person is speaking tensely; it is difficult for him to give the sound different intonations. Sometimes the voice becomes monotonous, sometimes hoarse or hoarse, and sometimes too high-pitched. This happens because the muscles involved in sound production become inactive.

A clenched lower jaw is equivalent to saying “they won’t pass.” It’s as if a person doesn’t want to let unwanted people in, but he also doesn’t want to let go of those who live in his soul. He is closed and cannot accept the changes that are inevitable in life.

When the body needs more energy, such as when it is tired or sleepy, the mouth should be opened wide to allow fuller breathing. This is why we yawn. When yawning, a ring of tension that involves the muscles that move the jaw is temporarily released, and this acts on the mouth, pharynx and throat, opening them wide to allow the required air to pass through. Therefore, to relax your jaws, you need to yawn.

Open your mouth wide and yawn. Do this morning, afternoon and evening.

Blocks in the jaws arise from a suppressed desire to bite, which on a psychological level means suppressing impulses of anger.

Take a moderately elastic and moderately soft ball. You can use dog toys specially designed for this purpose. You can take a rolled up towel. Bite with all your might. At the same time, growl, tear the toy out of your own teeth, but do not weaken your bite. Put all the rage, all the anger that has gathered in your soul into this process. When you get tired, relax your jaw. At this time, the lower jaw will drop and the mouth will be slightly open.

Here are two more ways to relieve tension in your lower jaw.

1. Lower your lower jaw. Press on the chewing muscles at the angle of the lower jaw. If the muscles are very tense, it can be painful. Regularly squeeze and squeeze these muscles, which helps to relax them.

2. Move your chin forward and hold it in this position for 30 seconds. Move your tense jaw to the right, left, keeping it extended forward. Then open your mouth as wide as possible and see if you can open it enough to fit the three middle fingers of your palm one above the other between your teeth.

You may feel anxious or increasingly angry while doing this exercise. This is good. Many people hesitate to unblock their emotions for fear of not being able to cope with the surging feelings. But it is the release of feelings in special conditions (for example, when performing an exercise) that makes this process safe and very useful. For many people, tension in the muscles of the chin does not allow them to open their mouth wide.

The jaws are energetically connected to the eyes. Tension in the lower jaw reduces the flow of energy to the eyes and reduces visual capabilities. The expression "dull eyes" has a literal meaning: lack of nutrients, particularly due to blockages in the jaw, affects the cornea of ​​the eye, and it becomes less shiny. And in the opposite direction: chronically suppressed crying leads to tension in the jaw. This is why doing exercises to free yourself from clamps is often accompanied by crying.

Due to the pent-up desire to scream in pain and fear, blocks occur in the vocal cords. Therefore, the best way to release the clamps in the throat is to scream loudly and for a long time.

If you have the opportunity to scream at the top of your lungs (for example, in the forest or in the country when there is no one nearby), scream. Scream about your suffering, your anger and disappointments. There is no need to pronounce words. Let it be a single sound coming out of your throat with force.

Often such a cry turns into sobbing. This is due to the unblocking of emotions and is very beneficial. Many people cannot afford to scream - conditions do not allow it, or the pressure is so strong that screaming is impossible. Then you can do the following exercise.

Place your right thumb one centimeter below the angle of your lower jaw and your middle finger in a similar position on the other side of your neck. Maintain this pressure continuously and begin to make sounds, first quietly and then increasing the volume. Try to maintain a high tone.

Then move your fingers to the middle of your neck and repeat the long middle tone. And then repeat the same thing, squeezing the muscles at the base of the neck, while making low sounds.

However, throat exercises alone cannot relieve all the blockages caused by holding in emotions. The next belt of muscle clamps is at chest level.

3. Chest and breathing

For many people, the chest does not move with breathing. And the breathing itself is shallow and frequent or shallow and uneven. There are delays in inhalation or exhalation. Alexander Lowen said that puffing out the chest is a form of defiance, defiance, as if the body is saying:

"I won't let you get close to me." In other people, the chest is compressed and never fully expands. In the language of the body metaphor, this means: “I am depressed and cannot take from life what it offers me.”

Chest clamps cause breathing problems. And any difficulties in the breathing process also cause fear. When a person does not realize the true cause of fear, he becomes anxious and looks for this cause in the world around him.

To check if you have breathing problems, do the following exercise.

While sitting on a chair, say in your normal voice: “Ah-ah”, looking at the second hand of the clock. If you are unable to hold a sound for 20 seconds, it means you have breathing problems.

You can relax the muscle ring around your chest using a breathing exercise. This method of breathing is named after Lowen, a psychotherapist who developed many different techniques of body-oriented therapy.

There is a special chair for this type of breathing. But at home, you can perform Lowen breathing as described in the exercise. Experience has shown that this does not make it any less effective.

Lie across the sofa so that your feet without shoes are on the floor and your buttocks hang slightly. Place a cushion under your lower back (for example, you can tightly roll up a cotton blanket) so that your chest is maximized and your head and back are below your lower back. Place your hands above your head, palms up.

Start deep and rarely breathe. You cannot breathe often; this will be a different breathing technique, which is performed only with an assistant, as side effects may occur. Breathe like this for 30 minutes. If you suddenly start crying, or sobbing all over, or laughing, don’t be confused. This is a good reaction, indicating the release of repressed emotions blocked in muscle clamps. When muscle tension relaxes, energy is released and tends to come out. That is why it is so important not to restrain the reactions that arise, but to allow them to flow freely. After all, if you hold them back, they will not respond again and will again form a muscle clamp. You may feel dizzy - lie still after doing the exercise until the dizziness goes away. At first, you may want to sleep after doing this exercise - fall asleep if possible, but only after completing the exercise. Your feelings or reactions may change. Tingling, twitching and other sensations may appear in the arms, legs, and back. You might feel like tapping your feet. In general, sensations and reactions can be very different. Don't resist them, just watch them.

Do this exercise every day for the duration of your self-therapy. After some time, you will feel the positive effects of this breathing technique.

4. Diaphragm and waist

The next ring of muscle clamps is located around the diaphragm and waist. This ring splits the human body into two halves.

The diaphragm is a muscle that is involved in breathing; it contracts whenever a person experiences fear. If fear becomes chronic, the diaphragm is under constant tension, creating breathing problems and causing a predisposition to experience fear. Thus a vicious circle arises. Fear gives rise to a clamped diaphragm, and a clamped diaphragm gives rise to anxiety.

The diaphragm is located above the waist, which connects the chest to the abdomen and pelvis. Muscle tightness in this area interferes with the flow of blood and senses to the genitals and legs, causing anxiety, which in turn leads to breathing problems. And then again the same vicious circle.

There is only one conclusion from all this: it is necessary to relax chronic tensions and release accumulated fear.

To check how tight or loose your waist is, do the following exercise.

Do this exercise while standing. Place your feet parallel, knees slightly bent, body weight slightly shifted forward. Raise your arms with elbows bent to shoulder height. The brushes hung freely. Turn your body as far as possible to the left and hold this position for about a minute. Then turn your body to the right and stay in this position for about a minute. Pay attention to the tension in the muscles of your back and waist. Are you able to inhale with your lower abdomen in this position?

If your breathing is disrupted and your muscles are too tense or you experience pain in them, then you have developed a muscular armor around the diaphragm and waist area.

To relieve chronic muscle tension in the waist area, the best way is Lowen breathing, the technique for which you already know. In addition, it is useful to systematically perform the following exercises.

1. Lie on the floor on your back, arms at your sides, palms up, legs together. Bend your knees at an angle of 90°. Turn both legs first to the left, so that the lower (left) leg rests completely on the floor and the right leg rests on it; legs remain bent at the knees. Then turn your legs to the right in the same way. In this case, the back to the waist remains pressed to the floor. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times.
2. Now do the previous exercise, making it more difficult. When turning your legs, turn your head in the opposite direction. Also perform this exercise up to 10 times.
3. Get on all fours, knees at a 90° angle, keeping your arms straight. Bend your back at the waist as far as possible, and then arch your back up as much as possible. Do up to 10 such movements.
4. Get on all fours as described in the previous exercise. Then slowly extend your straightened arms and body forward, sliding along the floor until they lie almost entirely on the floor. Your pose will resemble that of a stretching cat. Stay in this position for a while and slowly pull your arms back to the starting position. Do this exercise several times (as many times as you can handle).
5. Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent and slightly apart. Place your palms on the back of your head. Bend your torso to the left, trying to get your elbow as close to the floor as possible (ideal if it touches the floor). Stay in this position for some time. Then slowly straighten up and repeat the same to the right side.

Although these exercises help to remove the tension around the waist, they are not enough to free you from the “accumulations” of fear impulses. Fear can only be released through the release of blocked anger. The work of unblocking the most stigmatized emotion in society, anger, is particularly troubling for many people. What if it bursts out in an uncontrollable stream? What if the consequences are many times worse than emotional suppression and depression?

In fact, it is the release of anger outside in special ways that makes it safe, since it no longer accumulates, but is discharged in a timely manner. The blocking belt of clamps around the waist disrupts the integrity of the processes occurring in the body, making it divided. The top and bottom parts seem to belong to two different people. Some have a well-developed upper body, but the pelvis and legs are small, as if immature. Others have a full, round pelvis, but the upper half of the body is small and narrow. Or the top half may be hard and resilient, while the bottom half is soft and passive. This development of the body indicates an inconsistency between the “upper” and “lower” senses.

Muscular armor Recognize your problems

Do you feel tension or stiffness in certain muscle groups for a long time? On you - " muscular armor", tightening parts of your body or almost your entire body? If you find yourself "wearing" one muscular "shell", then this is not only a reason to see a doctor, but also an appeal from the body to your mind realize your problems.

” is the universal equivalent of suppressing our emotions. This shell manifests itself in rigidity, rigidity when palpated, chronic tension of certain muscle groups. " “is a protective mechanism for hiding current emotional experiences.

Our character is an individual state and a combination of our stable psychological characteristics. Character determines behavior typical for a given person in certain life circumstances. Also character largely determines gait, postures, gestures, facial expressions.

Wilhelm Reich, the founder of body-oriented psychotherapy, coined the expression " muscular armor" And the protective mechanisms used in concealing, disguising current emotional experiences, Reich called “character armor.”

“blocks the free flow of vital energy in the body (Reich considered it libidinal), and relaxation of the “shell” releases blocked energy, promotes the resumption of its circulation and the release of emotions.

There is a mutual influence: the removal of " clamps"releases emotions, and satisfying emotions removes" clamps" Certain muscle " clamps"(blocks) are interconnected with certain emotions.

" comprises seven main segments(there are others) - bodily " clamps", located at different levels of the body. " Clamps"("shell" segments) are schematically represented as approximately horizontal rings located at right angles to the spinal column. Level " clamps“in the body echoes the location of yoga chakras, the number of which is also seven.

Upper bodily "clamp""located in the eye area ( ocular " clamp» ). At this level the protective " shell“manifested by low mobility of the skin of the forehead, a “empty” expression in the eyes, migraine-like pain (which is poorly relieved by painkillers), and tension in the neck muscles at the base of the skull.

The main reason for this “clamp” is a person’s overcontrol in relation to himself and others. Overcontrol (the desire to control everything and everyone) begins to form under the influence of appropriate upbringing in childhood.

The existence of an eye “clamp” in a person for a long time leads to visual impairment.

Jaw " clamp» (oral) includes the muscles of the chin, throat, and back of the head. In this case, a person’s jaws can be either unnaturally tightly clenched or too relaxed. You can check the activity of the jaw “clamp” by palpating (feeling) the masticatory muscles. If palpation of these muscles is painful, it means the jaw " clamp" occurs.

The reason for the occurrence of a jaw “clamp” is in unexpressed, suppressed manifestations of emotions (screaming, anger, crying, and so on). It is often formed from childhood: a ban on showing emotions, parents unnecessarily putting a pacifier in the child’s mouth, in the cold season – unnecessarily covering the mouth with a scarf).

In childhood, manifestations of “clamping” are diseases of a “cold nature” (sore throat, rhinitis, sinusitis). Other manifestations: crumbling teeth, fillings, sleep-speaking, grinding teeth in sleep.

Close to jaw " clamp» in the neck area – cervical " clamp» . It includes the muscles of the neck and tongue. This segment of the “shell” holds back crying, screaming, and anger.

The prolonged existence of this “clamp” can lead to dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

Thoracic (heart) segment of the “shell”includes the muscles of the shoulders, chest, shoulder blades, as well as the entire chest and arms. Blocks manifestations of anger, sadness, laughter, passion, feelings of love, guilt, jealousy, aggression.

Manifestations of a long-term clamp: lung diseases, diseases of the cardiovascular system (heart rhythm disturbances, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction), diseases of the thoracic spine, chest injuries, hematopoietic disorders, immune disorders.

Holding your breath is a means of suppressing the manifestation of any emotions.

The main reason leading to this “clamp” is the prohibition on showing one’s feelings and rejection of the feelings and emotions of other people, or excessive “spillover” of one’s emotions, the inability to refuse anything to other people.

You can check the presence of this bodily “clamp” by palpating the sternum, the area where the ribs are attached to the chest. A feeling of pain or other unpleasant sensations indicates the presence of a “clamp.”

Within the boundaries of the thoracic segment, a shoulder " clamp» (some authors consider it as a separate " clamp»).

The main psychological reason for its occurrence is over-responsibility (that is, attempts to be responsible not only for oneself, but also for many others). When this feeling is cultivated in children, they subsequently develop: scoliosis, osteochondrosis, overweight with significant fat deposits in the abdominal area.

Checking for the presence of a shoulder clamp: palpating the muscles of the shoulder girdle. Increased tone of this muscle group indicates a “tightness” at this level (segment).

In addition, in the speech of such people you can often hear the words: “I (you) must/should, obliged/obliged.”

The next segment of the “shell” is the diaphragm(includes diaphragm, solar plexus, back muscles). The more pronounced " clamp", the more the spine is bent forward (in this section). This bodily " clamp» Mainly holds strong anger.

"in the lumbar and abdominal areas ( « clamp» in the abdomen and lower back) is manifested by tension in the corresponding muscles. Associated with various fears, feelings of anxiety, suppression of anger, feelings of hostility.

Manifestations of “clamping”: diseases of the urinary tract (since the projection on the body of anxiety is the region of the kidneys); when fear is “seized”, excess weight is formed.

And finally, the lower segment of the “shell” - pelvic (genital) " clamp» . This segment includes all the muscles of the pelvis and lower extremities. Genital " clamp"responsible for the suppression of sexual arousal, pleasure, anger and is closely associated with the thoracic segment of the "shell".

The reason for the formation of this bodily “clamp” is suppression, rejection of one’s masculine/feminine principles, or the switching of sexual energy into excessive work activity (workaholism). If men have a blocked image of “I am a man,” then they are more likely to experience potency disorders, prostate adenoma, and prostatitis. If women have a blocked image of “I am a woman”, “I am a future mother”, then they are more likely to develop uterine fibroids.

It is quite possible not only to “dissolve” the formed “ muscular armor", but also to prevent its formation. How to remove bodily "clamps" or prevent them from appearing? More on this in one of the next blog articles.

Let's summarize. " “is a protective mechanism for hiding current emotional experiences. " “blocks the free flow of vital energy in the body, and relaxation of the “shell” releases blocked energy, promotes the resumption of its circulation and the release of emotions. The presence of a certain protective segment indicates the presence of corresponding psychological problems. Chronic " shell» primarily blocks conditions such as anger, anxiety, sexual arousal and manifests itself, in addition to muscle tension and rigidity, in various diseases.

“It is formed not in an instant, but over a long period of time. Detection of bodily " clamps" is a serious reason to think about the reasons for their appearance, to identify, realize your problems. It’s better to solve problems! If you have any questions, ask them in the comments under the article, or on the “Feedback” page.

This man truly believed in Marxism, but was expelled from the Communist Party. He was a talented psychotherapist, but he was expelled from the association of psychoanalysts. The scientist devoted his entire life to making people happy, but the theory he developed is still considered “pseudoscience.” Disregarding the laws of physics, the mad doctor spoke about the existence of universal energy, bound in human bodies by a muscular shell. Wilhelm Reich died for his rebellious ideas without receiving the recognition he deserved.

Theoretical basis

All people are born free individuals, open to love and creativity. However, parents and society teach them to act according to the rules, restrain their feelings, and react to situations in a standard way. This is how a character is formed, consisting of habitual values, attitudes, and ways of behavior.

W. Reich, a student of the great Z. Freud, drew attention to the connection between the postures, movements, gestures characteristic of people and the psychological problems they have. He suggested that unwanted emotions (fear, anger, sexual desire) repressed during education are the cause of chronic muscle tension. The muscular shell, according to Reich, is emotions blocked in the body. In this way, a person protects himself from the outside world, displacing unacceptable feelings from consciousness. But at the same time, he loses touch with his “I” and ceases to experience pleasure from life.

Muscular armor segments

He identified seven main bodily blocks in the human body:

1. Eyes. The clamp is expressed in a “empty” look, forehead immobility, and vision problems. The presence of a block indicates a fear of looking openly at what is happening. Often a person is afraid to look into his past or future.
2. Mouth and jaws. They are either too tightly compressed or too relaxed. In this area, anger, screaming, crying, as well as the ability to receive pleasure from kisses are suppressed.
3. Neck. If this segment is clamped, a person cannot express himself. Screams, screams, and sobs are extinguished here.
4. Breast. Clamps in the chest, shoulders, shoulder blades, and arms restrict not only breathing, but also all types of emotions: passion, anger, laughter, sadness, fear.
5. Diaphragm. The presence of a shell is indicated by the forward curvature of the spine. When such a person lies down, there remains a large gap between his back and the couch. Exhaling is more difficult for him than inhaling. A muscle block fetters the most intense anger.
6. Stomach. Tension of the lower back muscles indicates fear of a sudden attack. The protective shell on the sides suppresses hostility towards other people and anger.
7. Taz. The further it is pulled back, the stronger the block. Sexuality, pleasure, coquetry and anger are suppressed here.

Orgone energy

Freud spoke about the presence of “libido” (sexual energy) in humans. V. Reich went further. He explored the orgone, or universal life energy, which circulates throughout the universe and also within a person from the crown to the heels and back again. However, the presence of muscle tension blocks its free flow, leading to psychological problems (aggression, fears, shyness, feelings of loneliness, sexual perversion, etc.), spasms of blood vessels and various physical diseases.

If you remove the muscular shell, the person is healed. His life changes completely:

• Reconciliation with oneself occurs, illnesses go away, insincere relationships are broken.
• A person finds something he likes, enjoys his work, and begins to engage in creativity.
• There is a desire to create full-fledged family relationships with a loved one.
• All emotions and sensations, including orgasm, become bright, felt, and open.

muscle armor?

Reich explored two ways to improve human health. He suggested that it was possible to get rid of ailments by directing energy from the outside world into the patient’s body. For this purpose, in the 50s of the 20th century, he created an orgone accumulator. This device was tested in the USA and cured serious diseases (asthma, oncology, epilepsy). However, its effect was attributed to the placebo effect. The scientist was sent to prison, where he died at the age of 60. The invention, along with notes and drawings, was destroyed.

The second way was to work with the patient’s muscular shell, which involved sequential relaxation of all seven blocks. It included the following stages:

1. Direct impact on bodily tensions through massage, deep breathing, sounds, expression of constrained emotions (crying, growling, hitting toys, tearing paper).
2. Psychoanalysis. After the block is removed, feelings come out and people remember traumatic events from childhood. You need to deal with them in order to feel absolutely happy and free again.
3. Patient's independent work. Muscle spasms may return, so yoga, qigong, dance therapy, regular relaxation, holotropic breathwork or other body-based practices are recommended.

Removing the eye block

Let's talk about how to use Wilhelm Reich's theory of the muscular shell in practice. The exercises he suggested should be performed slowly, in a relaxed state. You should start with even breathing and self-hypnosis: “I am calm. I look boldly into the future and am open to changes. I like my new sensations.”

First, the ocular muscle block is removed. The exercises are performed for a month. You need to sit down with your feet on the floor without crossing them. The complex is being developed gradually. You must:

• Close your eyes tightly, lightly massage your eyelids and the skin around them, relax. Close your eyes again until it hurts for 5 seconds, widen your eyes (also for 5 seconds). Do this 3-4 times.
• Smoothly move your gaze to the left, then to the right and again to the left (10 times).
• Look up, down to the limit and up again (10 times).
• Rotate the pupils in a circle 10 times in different directions.
• Repeat the very first exercise.
• Close your eyes, relax and sit there for 5 minutes, observing the sensations that arise.

Working with the jaw segment

Reich used role play with a partner at this stage. One person portrayed the owner, and the other - the dog. They were pulling a waffle towel rolled into a rope. The “owner” held it in his hands. The patient, who got the role of the dog, got on all fours, grabbed the towel with his teeth, and growled loudly. Then there was a change of roles.

However, there are other ways to remove Reich’s muscular armor. The exercises described below can be performed without a partner:

• Imitate strong crying.
• Pull your lips over your teeth to create a gurgling mouth. Read the poem in this position.
• Blow kisses to objects around you with tense lips.
• Alternate between biting, smiling, sucking and disgust on your face.

The “Travel Language” exercise is very useful. For 10-15 minutes, a person slowly feels with his tongue his cheeks, palate, throat, every tooth, lips and everything he can reach. At the same time, sounds are spontaneously born and the jaw relaxes.

Removing the throat clamp

Reich considered the neck to be the most vulnerable part of the body, direct influence on which is unacceptable. To remove blocks, he used very gentle, although sometimes provocative, exercises. The muscle shell was removed when performing the following complex:

• Vomiting movements. When doing them, you need to completely relax and get rid of embarrassment.
• Shout. If the sound insulation is poor, you can hiss, imitating a snake.
• Tongue sticking out. You need to squat down and stretch your tongue as far as possible while exhaling along with the sound.
• "Balloon". Relax your neck and let your head hang freely. Imagine that she is a balloon with a light breeze blowing on it.

Thoracic segment

Reich often asked his patients to imagine a certain situation when working with the muscular shell. How to relax and remove clamps in the thoracic region? The psychotherapist advised you to imagine that your life is in danger. I had to imagine myself as an action hero and pretend to fight with my hands: hitting, scratching, tearing, strangling, tugging at an imaginary opponent.

Another effective exercise is wall pushing. Press down on it with your palms as hard as you can, as if it were approaching you and was about to crush you. When the tension reaches its limit, release it immediately or gradually.

Full breathing will also help you cope. It should be practiced while lying across the sofa. At the same time, your feet are on the floor, your buttocks hang slightly, and your hands are behind your head. A cushion is placed under the lower back to open the chest. The exercise is performed for 30 minutes. Uncontrollable laughter or tears indicate that emotions are gradually being released.

Relaxing the diaphragm

You can move on to working with this segment when the previous blocks have been removed. The muscle shell is removed using the following exercises:

• Belly breathing. The person lies on his back and breathes calmly, imagining that the air is alive and running through the nooks and crannies of his body. Then you need to exhale slowly, drawing in your stomach to the limit. When it is achieved, we try to exhale a little more, and a little more. We hold our breath and draw in air just as slowly, expanding our stomach to the limit and even more.
• "Cobra". Lie on your stomach. As you exhale, lift your torso and throw your head back. Then return to the starting position.
• Tilts towards the feet. The man lies down on his back. As he exhales, he rises, grabs his feet with his hands and tries to press his stomach to his thighs, holding his breath.

Each exercise is performed 10 times.

Removing the abdominal clamp

If the remaining segments of the muscle shell are worked out, the block on the stomach can be removed quickly. For this purpose:

• Tickling. The person lies down on the floor and relaxes. He cannot move his arms or legs. His partner tickles him from his armpits to his thighs.
• Hitting the stomach and sides against other objects.
• Backbends from a standing position. You can rest your hands on your lower back.
• "Kitty." Standing on all fours, round your back and gracefully bend it at the waist, imitating a graceful animal.

Working with the pelvic segment

To completely get rid of muscle armor, you should perform a set of the following exercises:

• Kick like a mad horse.
• Lie on your back, bend your knees. While listening to rhythmic music, quickly and frequently hit the floor with your pelvis for 5 minutes.
• Stand up, place one hand behind your head, and place the other on your lower abdomen. Perform indecent hip movements while listening to music.
• Spread your legs wide apart. Shift your weight from your left leg to your right and back.

As you work consistently on the blocks, do exercises to relax your entire body. These include:

• Free dance. Play music you like and improvise.
• "Road rides." You need 1.5-2 meters of free space. Relax by lying face down on the floor. Feel your body. Then begin to slowly roll over from side to side, onto your back and stomach, trying to touch the floor with every part of your body.

The muscle carapace cannot be removed without effort, but the work is worth it. Along with it, stress, neuroses, psychosomatic diseases, and depression disappear from a person’s life. He becomes free, gets rid of stereotyped reactions and aspirations imposed by society, and begins to live in peace with himself and the surrounding reality.

Vegetotherapy by W. Reich– this is the first and main direction in body-oriented psychotherapy, in which the client’s psychological problems are considered in connection with the functioning of his body and are solved through influence on the body.

In addition to W. Reich's vegetative therapy, body-oriented therapy includes the bioenergetic approach of A. Lowen (a student of Reich) and the biosynthesis of D. Boadella.

Wilhelm Reich(1897-1957) is an outstanding personality, he lived an unusually bright life, he was not just a psychologist, but a great scientist who strives to unite all knowledge about a person in order to help him become happy.

In the 50s of the twentieth century, W. Reich created an apparatus called "orgone accumulator". This device could become panacea for all diseases In particular, Reich was able to use the device to relieve clients from cancer, epilepsy, and asthma.

For the invention of this very apparatus, a psychologist and paid with his life: was arrested and soon, at the age of sixty, died in prison from a heart attack. The US government (there was a psychologist in this country at the end of his life) did not like the “too smart scientist.”

At first, Reich simply did not receive a license to produce the device, but continued his work (although the authorities forbade him), and after the arrest of the “naughty” scientist, all the already created orgone batteries, as well as drawings for them, materials, publications, records of the scientist, even related in some way to the invention, were destroyed.

But this was at the end of the psychologist’s life. And Wilhelm was born into a Jewish family in the village. Dobryanichi (today it is the territory of Ukraine, and in 1987 of Austria-Hungary). His father raised his children in German traditions (everyone in the family spoke only German) and introduced them to Western culture.

Wilhelm adored his mother and feared his father. When he was 14 years old, he found his mother with her lover (his home teacher) and told everything to his father. The next day, the mother committed suicide, the father could not live without her for long, sought death and died a few years later. After some time, Wilhelm's brother also died.

At the age of 17, Reich was left completely alone; for the rest of his life he tried, but apparently was never able to forgive himself for the death of his beloved mother.

Afterwards he served in the army during the First World War and moved to Vienna. There Reich met his first wife, entered medical school at the University of Vienna and became interested in the then fashionable psychoanalysis. As a result, Reich became a member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society and began psychoanalytic practice.

In Vienna in 1922, a fateful meeting took place that determined the entire creative path of W. Reich. He met and became clinical assistant Z. Freud himself!

W. Reich is a student of Freud, a neo-Freudian. Like many of Freud's associates after some time, he became isolated from his teacher, creates his own direction in psychology.

Reich disagreed with Freud in his views and understanding of the mental nature of man, and the two great scientists did not find a common language because Reich was a rebel by nature and, moreover, a zealous Marxist.

What followed were decades of hard work against the backdrop of unfolding terrible events in world history. Unlike anyone else, a revolutionary and innovator who was ahead of not only his own time, but even our present time, no one liked V. Reich.

Reich married two more times, lived in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the USA, but nowhere and from no one did he meet the necessary understanding and support. Neither the fascists nor the communists liked him, and even in America, which he represented as the freest country, he was banned.

Having destroyed the inventor and his main invention, the US authorities still failed to destroy new trend in psychology – vegetative therapy.

But even today, W. Reich’s vegetative therapy is called pseudoscience, and the scientist himself is not taken seriously. Official science criticizes Reich mainly because his theory is not confirmed by generally accepted scientific methods, and, more importantly, contradicts the known laws of physics! Naturally, it is much easier to call Reich's theory a pseudoscience than to revise the basic laws of physics.

Muscular armor

Observing Dr. Freud's patients, and then his own clients, W. Reich noticed that people with similar psychological gaps have similar personalities, and most importantly, there are physical similarities. Freud analyzed the symptoms with which patients came to him, Reich analyzed the character of a person as a whole.

This observation prompted the psychologist to the basic idea of ​​his theory - a person's character is related to the structure of his body.

Character according to W. Reich, this is not only a set of habitual attitudes, relationships, patterns of behavior, ideas and values ​​of a person, but also his habitual postures, gestures, movements and body structure.

All internal troubles and suppressed emotions are expressed and reflected in bodily manifestations, mainly in muscle tension, that is, in places DC voltage muscles.

Chronic muscle tension in different parts of the body collectively adds up to what Reich called characterological muscular armor person.

Muscular armor- a person’s “armor” from the outside world, it protects, but at the same time prevents one from being oneself and enjoying life. Where muscles are clamped, feelings, thoughts, instincts are also clamped.

Muscle clamp is a state of chronic tension of the muscle group responsible for the expression of emotions.

When suppressed emotions (and they are often suppressed, since it is often impossible to express oneself directly in a civilized society), strong nervous tension arises, constraining the muscles of the body. They become rigid and end up remaining clamped for many years.

Like Z. Freud, W. Reich attached great importance of sexuality. But, unlike Freud, he believed that society is to blame for the fact that a person is forced to suffer due to the gap between morality and instinctive impulses. Reich believed that the basis of any neurosis is sexual dissatisfaction, caused by the taboo topic of sex.

The characteristic muscular armor grows even in children. Everyone has one. Born free, ready for love and creativity, a person is tightened more and more rigidly by the belts of morality, science, and religion. A creative and inquisitive child learns to react in the same way, in a standard, typical, cultural way; most importantly, he learns to hide himself, not to stand out, to be like everyone else.

Reich highlighted three the main psychic phenomena that are taboo in society and therefore presented by consciousness:

• anger,
• fear and its derivative – anxiety,
• sexual arousal.

These natural, but “indecent” impulses are blocked not only by the mind, but also by the body. If a person constantly hides the same feeling, he develops a muscle tension, first one, and then throughout the body.

Seven segments of the muscular carapace

An adult finds himself trapped in the “cage” of his body and, worst of all, accepts this as the norm. People react to bodily problems only when they become serious diseases, and if the posture is deformed, the shoulders are constantly tense and raised, or a hump begins to form on the back, it’s okay.

In order for a person to become free and open, to regain the ability to enjoy life, he must commit psychological growth.

Psychological growth Reich understood it as a process of gradual unraveling of the seven segments of the physical shell.

Protective segments of the muscle carapace:

1. Ophthalmic. Includes the muscles of the eyes and forehead. The eyes look as if at nothing, at one point, through, the forehead is often motionless. The presence of tension in the eye muscles results in vision problems. This segment of the shell is formed when a person does not want to see everything that is happening around him, is afraid to look into the future or past. Suppressed emotion - fear.
2. Oral. Mouth, chin, throat, back of head. The jaws are constantly clenched or relaxed (the mouth is slightly open). This segment holds those emotions that provoke crying, screaming, biting, sucking, grimacing, mainly emotions anger and sexual arousal.
3. Cervical. Stiffness of the neck and tongue muscles. Suppressed anger and its expressions: screaming, screaming, crying, gag reflex. A tight cervical segment does not allow a person to speak out and express himself.
4. Chest. Shoulders, shoulder blades, chest, arms and hands. This segment is unique in that it contains all emotions. Holding your breath and breath- that's life. The vast majority of people don't even notice how often they don't breathe or breathe very shallowly. Both laughter and passion, as well as anger, fear and sadness, are blocked in the chest.
5. Diaphragmatic. Diaphragm, solar plexus, internal organs, muscles of the lower vertebrae. Held strong anger.
6. Abdominal. Abdominal and back muscles. The main suppressed emotion is fear. If the lateral muscles are tightened, anger and hostility are suppressed, hence the fear of tickling.
7. Pelvic. Muscles of the pelvis and legs. Suppressing anger and mainly sexual energy(excitement, feelings of sexual pleasure and satisfaction).

The destruction of the shell and the achievement of normal, free functioning of the body and psyche must occur from top to bottom: from the eyes to the pelvis.

As you free yourself from the shell, a mass of vital, vegetative energy is released. Reich called this energy orgone.

Orgone energy

Reich studied orgone energy in his laboratory at the Orgone Institute (New York) that he created in the 40-50s, although he came to this idea back in the 30s of the twentieth century.

Orgone energy- this is the universal energy of life, vegetative, biopsychic energy, the main component of which is sexual energy (what Fred referred to as “libido”).

Reich concluded that orgone energy circulates inside the human body from crown to heels and back, as well as along the periphery of the body. But she can move freely only when there are no muscle tensions, otherwise vital forces are blocked. Physical rigidity is a direct consequence of suppressed emotions. Tension of the body muscles is a “straitjacket” of the individual.

A sure sign that the muscular shell is holding a person down is the inability to experience orgasm with the whole body. This is exactly how, with his whole being, according to Reich, a person should experience a healing and empowering orgasm, and not just feel it in the genital area, as is usually the case.

A free person is, roughly speaking, a man without character. He does not have stereotypical movements, stereotyped ways of reacting, there are no such “highlights” of character as helplessness, desire for loneliness, shyness, anxiety, unnatural fears, fear of responsibility, need for authority, mystical aspirations, aggressiveness, impulsiveness, compliance, sexual perversions, etc. .

The most important thing that Reich discovered, and what prompted him to create the orgone accumulator, was the discovery that the energy that is the driving force of life is not only inside, but also outside. She's everywhere: in microorganisms, plants, animals, humans, atmosphere, space and vacuum! It creates electromagnetic radiation in blue spectrum colors.

In some places the concentration of orgone is particularly high. In particular, in structures of a pyramidal shape, as well as in the shape of a hemisphere and onion. It is not surprising that all religious and sacred buildings have this shape, such as Egyptian pyramids, Buddhist pagodas, Orthodox churches, Muslim mosques.

Reich wanted accumulate orgone energy from the outside and direct it inside the human body, for “recharging” and health improvement. And he did it! But the very fact of the existence of energy, which the scientist called orgone, refuted the basic laws of physics.

Reich cured people of many diseases and said that through the accumulation of orgone it was possible to significantly extend human life.

When Reich's invention became known to the public, some began to recognize him as a genius, and the orgone accumulator as the most important discovery in the history of medicine, not to use which would be a crime against humanity, while others laughed, explaining the healing abilities of the device only as a placebo effect.

Well, this story ended, as already mentioned, with the death of the scientist and the destruction of everything that was connected with the orgone accumulator.

Unfortunately, Reich died before the first man went into space and long before astronauts began returning with photographs of the Earth surrounded by an atmosphere that glows with a blue glow of orgone energy.

Reich believed that galaxies were created and set in motion by orgone. What scientists call the "dark matter of the universe" is the dark blue glowing halo of galaxies. As proof of the reality of orgone energy, Reich even developed a method for launching small aircraft with engines, working only on this omnipresent, endless, absolutely accessible and free energy of life.

Probably, the psychologist, who was at the same time a physician, a physicist, and a cosmologist, would have made a lot more discoveries, but he was not liked by those in power and, like many brilliant scientists, was apparently ahead of his time not even by years, but by centuries.

Reich has successors, but their activities are not seriously recognized by the engaged scientific community; the results of modern orgone research are not published in scientific journals, but are classified as science fiction and pseudoscience.

Vegetative therapy: how to dissolve the muscle shell

Returning to vegetative therapy, the first and most important thing that needs to be identified is its target– destruction of the muscular shell and achievement of normal functioning of the human body, as a result of which the psychological problem with which the client turned to the therapist will be resolved.

Vegetotherapy techniques:

• respiratory,
• massage,
• psychoanalytic.

A body-oriented psychotherapist notices the client’s problems without even interacting with him. Not all, but many bodily clamps are visible to the naked eye. Just by the way the client entered the office and how he sat down on the chair, you can tell a lot about him.

The therapist acts on the tight muscles: strongly squeezes, squeezes, twists, pinches, and so on, that is, makes a kind of deep massage. To work internal muscles that are not directly accessible, the client is asked to scream, utter certain sounds, cry, bite, growl, imitate vomiting, hit something, tear, choke, and so on.

Many clients do not understand or notice their clamps. In such cases, the therapist tries to bring them to the point of absurdity in order to make them noticeable. If the client nervously jerks his leg, he is asked to jerk it stronger, more intensely, and more widely. And as a result, a realization emerges: these movements are similar to kicking, which means that strong aggression and anger are hidden behind the clamp.

When the muscles can be relaxed, it happens release of orgone energy and the person begins to react emotionally, realizes a lot and very often remembers significant, but long-forgotten events in life.

Methods are important at this point psychoanalysis. The therapist talks with the client, helps him understand the feelings, desires and memories that have arisen. As segments of the muscular armor are unblocked (from the eyes to the pelvis), mainly traumatic, negative or limiting the freedom to be oneself events from childhood are remembered, and when the muscular armor is completely reset, people remember being very small and at the same time absolutely happy and feeling the depth of unity with the whole world.

Parents cannot raise or teach their children; they cannot help but say: “Quiet! Don't scream!", "Don't cry! What will people say?”, “Don’t be mad! You're disgracing me! and so on. Without this, there is no socialization, but by joining society, a person moves further and further away from himself, from his own nature and purpose.

A special technique of vegetative therapy - deep breathing. It is through breathing that a person receives orgone energy from the atmosphere. Proper breathing is an alternative to massage for working out muscle tension.

By “blowing” the body with deep breathing, you can rid it of the muscular shell and open the way for the free flow of orgone energy inside the body.

Typically, a vegetarian therapist combines all methods and techniques to achieve the best result. Naturally, a huge role is also played by the client’s desire to understand, to know, to help himself improve his health, that is independent work.

After completing a course of vegetative therapy people's lives change for the better in a radical way:

Reich's autonomic therapy is especially effective in the treatment of neuroses, post-traumatic disorders, stress, depression, and psychosomatic diseases.