Script for the opening of the Level II video
Level II Review – Video Script
Introduction
In this video, designed for Trager Students following their Level II Training, I review each area of the body with both full body and close-up shots. I go through the material section by section in detail, with related Mentastics related at the beginning, and a connected flow through of the tablework at the end to give you a sense of timing.
In addition to the Mentastics connected to each area of tablework being reviewed, the first chapter of this video is devoted to open Mentastics inquiries for your self-care and self-development.
As you integrate both specific and broadly focused practices, you will have a growing source of reference from which to guide your practice partners. Your experience will make it easy to use movement as part of your interview. And it will inspire you to find and teach movement that will help your clients recall and integrate the new feeling experiences from the session.
Sections include:
● Mentastics for you
● Intake/Interview
● Neck Area
● Feet and Legs (Supine)
● Arm, Chest, Belly
● Legs and Hips (Prone)
● Shoulders and Back
Because each section goes into quite a bit of detail, I recommend practicing the material from one section before going on to view the next section.
And remember that the movements you practice are always a simplification of what can eventually be felt. Practice with the intention to go deeper and deeper into the subtle, complex and profound dialog with your client’s bodymind.
Please remember that this video is not a substitute for the guidance of your Tutors. Consult with them frequently, so they can help you personalize your Mentastics; help you refine your intention, body use and hand positions at the table; clarify ways to make your practice more effective and relevant to a wider range of client situations; and support you in developing clearer communication and cleaner client relationships.
Also ask your Tutors to explore Hook-up with you…as a way of being in your life, as well as in your Trager practice time.
As part of your fieldwork, it’s useful to read whatever you can find about this Approach and related fields of movement education and bodymind integration, to increase your understanding of the underpinnings of this work.
And journaling about your experiences as you go will also help you find your own language with which to speak and write effectively about what you are studying.
Enjoy this video and enjoy your practice!
Chapter 1. Mentastics for You
You may already have a regular daily practice that serves you well…yoga, tai chi, meditation, exercise, and so on. As you study the Trager® Approach, it is recommended that you dedicate time daily to a Mentastics practice in addition to other practices or by itself. This will assist you in both on-going self-care and long-term self-development.
Over time, and with dedicated practice, you can enrich your body awareness, refine your perception, cultivate fluidity and ease in your movement, and develop a deeper connection with your bodymind. You can learn to let go of old, limiting habits, find joy in your body again, and perhaps even discover that you are living inside a delightful and continually changing playground.
Early in the day, or before each practice session, engage yourself fully in Mentastics. In this process, you ask yourself questions, and let your bodymind answer. You may want to focus your questions sequentially through each part of your body as is presented at the beginning of each of the later chapters. Or you might want to let your practice time develop from more open questions like the ones that follow:
● How do I get present, and discover where I am starting from? What movement does my body want, right now? What quality, direction or pace fits me today? How do I use weight and swing to find myself?
● How do I say hello to my body and all it’s parts? Hello bones, joints, muscles, organs…
● How do I use movement to address any stubborn area of my body? How do I dialog with it? Could I be playful with it? Can I stay curious about it?
● How can I balance my attention between stuck places and free flowing energy; Between moving and pausing; Between my inner experience and what’s going on around me?
● How do I safely explore the full range from wild and free to subtle and refined?
● Where do I feel resonance, rebound, or reverberation?
● How do I discover the vocabulary my body naturally does as I let go of unneeded habits; movements that feel authentic, free, pleasurable and expressive?
● How do I let go of old psycho-social habits, and explore the movement and feeling of joyful play?
● How do I increase the ratio of feeling to doing, stimulate curiosity and wonder, and become more comfortable trusting the wisdom of my body?
● How can I nourish my nervous system with large doses of vibrant peace and uplifting joy?
● How can I connect to the life-giving, life-regulating force that is all around me and all inside me?
● Can I let “the vast ocean of pleasantness” support me; Fill me; Pleasure me?
● Can I use movement and pauses and awareness to take me deeper into Hook-up