Chapter 21. The emergence of body memory in Authentic Movement

The re-discovery and integration of body and bodily-felt experience as well as the connection between different levels of processing are essential parts of the practice of Authentic Movement (AM). Memories and regression can be experienced as more “whole” by adding formerly unconscious or forgotten bodily-felt aspects. Embodying metaphors may lead to a direct experience of their structure. The integration of different levels of experience can be furthered through metaphors which support a holistic understanding of the body-mind process as well as the communication between mover and witness. The BodyMind Approach (BMA) facilitates the connection and sense-making between body movement, sensation, imagination, feeling and cognition for patients suffering Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) (Payne 2009a, 2009b).