Ortho-Bionomy®

In the summer of 2005, my last semester of school at the Swedish Institute of Massage and Acupuncture, my Sotai instructor Gary Williams mentioned to the class a wonderful form of bodywork called Ortho-Bionomy that some of us might want to explore after graduation. Out of respect for Gary, an amazingly knowledgeable teacher, I said “Sure, put me on your e-mail list of upcoming workshops.” That November I took my first Ortho-Bionomy workshop, “Phase Four: The Spine”. After the 16 hour “hands on” weekend I was literally speechless; for some of you who know me well, this was quite a feat. After 30 years of chronic back pain I finally envisioned substantial relief in the near future. I literally felt the structure of my spine shift to a more comfortable place. Suddenly a whole new concept in healing people was available to me, and caused me to rethink everything I was taught in school and using in treating clients in spas and privately. After a year of taking every workshop available I turned to Gary and said that each workshop was more amazing than the previous one and that I was able to give my clients much more long term relief. Gary, smiling, said “Dennis this is just the tip of the iceberg.” It’s been over 13 years since that first class and I still feel this is all still just the tip of the iceberg.

Ortho-Bionomy was developed in the 1970’s by Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a British osteopath and Judo instructor. He believed in the body’s inherent wisdom of self-healing. Through exaggerating the body’s preferred positions of comfort along with gentle compression, self-correcting reflexes are stimulated, resulting in a shift of patterns and the body recognizing its natural ability to move away from pain and towards ease. Dr. Pauls defined the term Ortho-Bionomy as “the correct application of the laws of life.” He believed that ”when your structure works right, your circulation works better, you feel better , you think better.”Translating this philosophy to the actual workshops and work with clients, very powerful concepts started to emerge. “Less is more” is probably the first one that caught my attention: realizing that very small gentle releases could effect tremendous positive changes in one’s alignment. This in turn would show how our structure governs how we function. Working with muscle releases, moving fluids, balancing our bone structures, are all part of the work. Cranial work, specific work with the hands, feet, shoulders, lymphatic work, facial muscle releases, working with the aura and working long distance are just a small number of the topics covered in this amazing approach to bodywork. There are almost no contraindications with Ortho-Bionomy because of its gentleness and the nature of working WITH the body’s integrity. The most wonderful thing is that Ortho-Bionomy is accessible to everyone since there are no prerequisites in registering for entry level classes. Because most of the workshops are hands on, the bodywork you receive is worth the price of admission. Self-care is a substantial part of the studies, empowering us all to find ways to help ourselves. ‘Ortho-Bionomy ‘A Path to Self-Care - Simple Techniques to release Pain & Enhance Well-Being’, by Luann Overmyer, is the most complete book out there for accessible self-care for the lay person.

For more information about Ortho-Bionomy , books available and workshops, please go to www.ortho-bionomy.org . For more information about workshops in the NYC area please contact Rosa Rodriguez at rosa.m.rodriguez@icloud.com . Rosa Rodriguez is a Registered Instructor and Advanced Practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy. Ortho-Bionomy® is a registered trademark of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy, International, Inc. and is used with permission.

Disclaimer: These articles contain the opinions and ideas of its author, Dennis James.  They are intended to provide helpful and informative material with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of personal professional services in these articles. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions from this article or drawing inferences from them.  Dennis James specifically disclaims all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of these articles.