Touching Into Presence Global Community of Bodyworkers

Today's conversation is with Will Johnson.
Will received his B.A., magna cum laude, in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University in 1968. After graduation, he worked for several years as an art critic in New York before moving to the west coast of North America where he began actively exploring gazing, moving, and sitting meditations. He became a Buddhist practitioner in 1972 and was trained as a Rolfer™ in 1976. He began the formal sharing of the practices of Embodiment Training in 1995. he’s the author of 15 books (two of which won awards as “Best Spiritual Book of the Year.”) on the role of the body in spiritual awakening which can be ordered through your local bookseller or online at Will Johnson's Books .
He and his wife (and partner in the practices) Coco live in Delicias, Costa Rica, just outside the little bohemian town of Montezuma at the southern tip of the Nicoya peninsula where they have created Bambu Hueco, the Hollow Bamboo Retreat Center where they welcome serious meditation students to enter into intensive 7-21 day self retreat. During these retreats, people have the opportunity to work closely with Will in their meditation practices and receive deep bodywork and dream sessions as support for their intensive practice.
In today’s talk we talked about Will’s view of the state of SI schools today and the losing of a piece of the mystery that Dr Rolf alluded to. We discussed various aspects of the body, breath, and consciousness, including the potential benefits of meditation and body awareness practices. They also explored the importance of maintaining a meditative aspect in their work, the potential for holding space for others, and the importance of ongoing dialogue and mutual learning.
You can learn more about Will at https://www.embodiment.net/
If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.
You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's conversation is with Duffy Allen, MS.
Duffy has been practicing Rolfing structural integration and Rolf movement since 1995. She was a faculty member at DIRI for fifteen years. She particularly enjoys teaching from a place of curiosity and affirmation. Prior to embarking in the field of structural integration, she was a scientist. Currently, she lives, practices, and teaches in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Her favorite word is ineffable.
In today’s talk we had a comprehensive discussion about our personal and professional experiences, including teaching methods, the importance of relationship and connection in the practice of healing, and the evolution of their approach to client care. We also shared about the importance of integration in the work, emphasizing the need for a balance between reductionist and holistic approaches.
You can learn more about Duffy at https://www.fifth-element.training/
If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.
You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's conversation is with Raja Selvam, PhD.
Raja is a licensed clinical psychologist, is the developer of Integral Somatic Psychology™ (ISP™), an effective somatic therapy that helps clients achieve optimal mental health by fully embodying their emotions.
His book The Practice of Embodying Emotions: A Guide for Improving Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes is currently being translated into several languages.
Dr. Selvam is also a senior trainer at Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing® International. He has taught for twenty-five years in over twenty countries in North and South Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Far East.
Dr. Selvam’s work is informed by older body psychotherapy systems of Reichian Therapy and Bioenergetic Analysis, newer body psychotherapy systems of Bodynamic Analysis and Somatic Experiencing, and bodywork systems of Postural Integration and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy.
His work is also inspired by Jungian and archetypal psychologies, Kleinian and intersubjective schools of psychoanalysis, affective neuroscience, quantum physics, yoga, Polarity Therapy, and Advaita Vedanta (a spiritual psychology from India).
Dr. Selvam’s work also draws upon his clinical psychology PhD dissertation on Advaita Vedanta and Jungian psychology, based on which he has published an article titled “Jung and Consciousness,” in the international analytical psychology journal Spring in 2013.
 
In today’s talk we talked about what brought Raja to where he is today. We discussed topics from Raja’s book “The Practice of Embodying Emotions,” the interconnection between the mind, body, and environment in the context of psychology. We explored the complex relationship between pain and pleasure in the human brain, the role of defenses in shaping emotional experiences, and the effectiveness of Somatic Experiencing as a trauma modality. We also discussed the importance of accepting and managing life's difficulties, the integration of Eastern psychology into our approaches
You can learn more about Raja at https://integralsomaticpsychology.com/
If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.
You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

In today's conversation I am joined again by Ryan Hofer and Paul Wirth for a second round of a triad of introspection.
We discuss and contemplate writings of the Osteopath Jim Jealous, the need for improved listening skills training, we also explored different pedagogical approaches, the role of the autonomic nervous system in manual therapy, and the concept of structural integration. We go into some really fun and exploratory spaces and I greatly enjoy being in conversation with these two.
A note, this talk came at the end of a busy day for me and some of my cortical channels were not as up to snuff as they could have been. I lost my train of thought a few times and thankfully Paul and Ryan were right there with me to pick them up, expand or contrast them and continue the conversation forward.‌
Ryan Hofer is fascinated by applications of body-based systems thinking and hands-on therapies. He graduated from the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute and was the chair of a Structural Integration certification exam program. He has completed a Masters of Teaching and a Masters of Communication, and he is currently pursuing a doctorate in naturopathic medicine.
Paul Wirth is a bodyworker and movement educator, a Certified Advanced Rolfer® and a student and teacher of Tai Chi Ch’uan. His practice integrates Structural Integration, craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, and various kinds of movement work. A guiding question for Paul is: “How does a person's innate capacity for healing make use of my presence and input, and what about that is up to me?” He endeavors to continually be surprised by the reality that each person he works with is a living, present being, and to undertake practices that remind him that he is, too.
You can find out more about Paul at http://mosaicbodywork.com
 
If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.
You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's conversation is with Pierpaola Volpones.
Pierpaola graduated as Physical Educator (1976) and in Sociology (1982). She taught physical education in public schools and applied kinesis therapy in private centers for more than ten years. After having attended a Rolf Movement™ Workshop, she started Rolfing® education.
She certified first as Rolf Movement™ Practitioner (1986) and then as Rolfer (1988). In 1996 she became a Certified Advanced Rolfer™. Since 1986 she runs her practice in Italy, as a full time profession. In 2006, the Rolf Institute certified Pierpaola as International Rolfing® and Rolf Movement™ Instructor. Outside of Rolfing, Pierpaola has continued to deepen her studies in Visceral Manipulation and Somatic Experiencing.
In today’s talk we discussed Pierpaola's journey through Rolf Movement, her teaching style, and the importance of cross-cultural communication. We also touched upon the challenges and responsibilities of teacher training, the significance of adaptability and finding alternative approaches, and the concept of tonic function. Our conversation emphasized the importance of self-awareness, understanding personal space and proximity in client interactions and much more.
You can learn more about Pierpoala at http://www.volpones.it
If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.
You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's conversation is with Leslie Kaminoff
Leslie is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. He is an internationally recognized specialist with five decades’ experience in the fields of yoga and breath anatomy. He leads workshops for many of the leading yoga associations, schools and training programs in the world.Leslie’s book Yoga Anatomy, (co-authored with Amy Matthews), sold out its first print run of 19,000 within one month of its June 2007 release, and has been a top-selling yoga book on Amazon ever since. The book went on to sell over a million copies in 23 languages by the time the third edition of Yoga Anatomy was released in the Fall of 2021.
Leslie also helped to organize international yoga conferences while serving as Vice-President of Unity in Yoga, and was part of the ad-hoc committee that established national standards for yoga teacher training. Prior to the formation of The Yoga Alliance, Leslie was a strong voice in the ensuing national debate regarding the application of those certification standards. This dialogue resulted in the creation of e-Sutra, pioneering e-mail list and blog with a worldwide readership.
Leslie is the founder of The Breathing Project, a New York City based non-profit educational corporation and studio which ran highly respected year-long courses in yoga anatomy from 2003 to 2017.  The courses taught at The Breathing Project in New York City have been available online to a worldwide audience at yogaanatomy.net since 2011, with thousands of students worldwide participating in this growing online community. 
Leslie has also partnered with Lauri Nemetz and Lydia Mann as KNMLabs.com to produce week-long human dissection lab experiences for yoga and movement professionals.
In our conversation today we had a wide-ranging discussion about our work, life experiences, and shared interests in yoga and bodywork. We discussed the importance of adapting to each individual's needs in teaching yoga, the core principles of yoga, the therapeutic effects, and the mind-body problem. Towards the end, we touched upon the importance of emotional regulation and the role of a yoga teacher.
It was a very enjoyable conversation and I wish it could have gone on for hours more. Leslie is a seasoned veteran in both the bodywork and yoga world and his experience, wisdom and compassion help make him a top leader in the field.
You can learn more about Leslie at https://yogaanatomy.org
If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.
You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g