Phase 1 exercises

How do I know if an exercise is working on me?

Como sei se um exercício está funcionando comigo?

If you feel something while doing it, it's working. Repeat it until you don't feel anything
while doing it, which means "you're done" with it. By "feel" I don't mean physical
sensations, I mean emotions. You have to feel it to heal it.
Se você sentir algo ao fazê-lo, está funcionando. Repita até que você não sinta nada
ao fazê-lo, o que significa "você terminou". Por "sentir", não quero dizer sensações
físicas, quero dizer emoções. Você tem que sentir isso para curá-lo.

It's very important to not hold the breath while doing these exercises (let the breath
be natural). Do them as totally as possible: turn off your pc/tv.
É muito importante não prender a respiração enquanto faz esses exercícios (deixe a
respiração natural). Faça-o da maneira mais completa possível: desligue o seu PC / TV.

Depending on the gravity of your traumas, you may start crying while doing an
exercise, don't block it. Or if you feel that you are about to start crying, relax the jaw
to let it happen. This cry will feel like a relief, not painfull.
Dependendo da gravidade de seus traumas, você pode começar a chorar enquanto faz
um exercício, não o bloqueie. Ou se você sentir que está prestes a começar a chorar,
relaxe a mandíbula para que isso aconteça. Esse grito parecerá um alívio, não
doloroso.

They don't need to be done one at a time. Try them all, then switch between them
when you get physically tired of doing one. You might get "feelings" only with a few of
them, which means you don't need the others, but keep trying them for few days to be
sure you're not doing them wrong. Be aware that if you try phase 2 before completing
phase 1, it might not work (if you have traumas targeted by phase 1).
Eles não precisam ser feitos um de cada vez. Experimente todos eles e depois alterne
entre eles quando estiver cansado de fazer um. Você pode ter "sentimentos" apenas
com alguns deles, o que significa que não precisa dos outros, mas continue
experimentando-os por alguns dias para ter certeza de que não os está fazendo
errado. Lembre-se de que, se você tentar a fase 2 antes de concluir a fase 1, pode não
funcionar (se você tiver traumas direcionados pela fase 1).

You need to heal all traumas so trying to skip phase 1 or some exe. of phase 1 is a bad
idea anyway. Also, when you arrive at the third phase, which is trying to actually wake
up, you want to be 100% sure that you didn't skip anything, or that doubt may hinder
your path.
Você precisa curar todos os traumas; portanto, tentar pular a fase 1 ou algum
exercício da fase 1 é uma má ideia. Além disso, quando você chega à terceira fase,
que está tentando realmente acordar, você quer ter 100% de certeza de que não pulou
nada ou que a dúvida pode atrapalhar seu caminho.

Fall exercise
Exercício de queda

The fall exercise is divided in two versions. Start with the first one, which targets only
superficial/minor traumas. If this is/becomes ineffective (you don't "feel" anything
while doing it), do the advanced version.
O exercício de queda é dividido em duas versões. Comece com o primeiro, que visa
apenas traumas superficiais / menores. Se isso é / se torna ineficaz (você não "sente"
nada enquanto faz isso), faça a versão avançada.

Do the exercise twice on each leg (alternating). Don't put weight on the heels. Keep all
weight on the forefoot. Keep balance with your hands on the floor (the image is
misleading here).
Faça o exercício duas vezes em cada perna (alternando). Não ponha peso nos
calcanhares. Mantenha todo o peso no antepé. Mantenha o equilíbrio com as mãos no
chão (a imagem é enganosa aqui).

Don't start by bending the leg too much. There might be multiple "layers of traumas"
that will come up one by one. As you go through them, you will be able to bend the leg
more, until you don't feel anything which means you can switch to the advanced
version.
Não comece dobrando demais a perna. Pode haver várias "camadas de traumas" que
aparecerão uma a uma. Ao passar por eles, você será capaz de dobrar mais a perna,
até não sentir nada, o que significa que você pode mudar para a versão avançada.

Fall exercise - advanced version

Exercício de queda - versão avançada

After "you're done" with the advanced version of this exercise, you will be able to
resist until your leg can't take it anymore and relaxes on its own, making you fall to
the ground. Until "you're done" with this exercise, your leg will hurt for the exertion
instead of relaxing. It's not dangerous but do some warm up if you are old, obese or
have knees problems.
Depois de "terminar" com a versão avançada deste exercício, você será capaz de
resistir até que sua perna não aguente mais e relaxe sozinha, fazendo-o cair no chão.
Até que você termine este exercício, sua perna doerá pelo esforço, em vez de relaxar.
Não é perigoso, mas faça algum aquecimento se for velho, obeso ou tiver problemas
nos joelhos.

Put the weight on all palms, not fingers only (the image is misleading again here), and
one forefoot. It's normal to not "feel" anything while doing the advanced version. To
get feelings you have to follow it with another exercise. Bear the leg pain as long as
possible.
Coloque o peso em todas as palmas, não apenas nos dedos (a imagem é enganosa
aqui novamente) e em um dos pés. É normal não "sentir" nada enquanto faz a versão
avançada. Para obter sentimentos, você deve segui-lo com outro exercício. Suporte a
dor da perna o maior tempo possível.

Then repeat with the other leg. Then stand with parallel feet shoulders wide. Listen to
some aggressive loud music like Korn (just search Korn on youtube) and let go.
Repita com a outra perna. Então fique com os pés paralelos, ombros largos. Ouça uma
música alta agressiva como o Korn (basta pesquisar Korn no youtube) e deixe ir.

Dance in a cathartic way. Don't ever raise feet from the floor. This exercise will help
you to let go of unconscious resistances and bend the knees, making you feel the
traumas.
Dance de maneira catártica. Nunca levante os pés do chão. Este exercício o ajudará a
liberar resistências inconscientes e dobrar os joelhos, fazendo você sentir os traumas.

Neck
Pescoço

Do this exercise only if you feel pain at the back of the neck at the base of the skull
after doing the fall exercise. Lift and pull back the head, then allow it to fall forward
with a grunt. Do it slowly until you feel fully at ease with it.
Faça este exercício apenas se sentir dor na parte de trás do pescoço, na base do
crânio, depois de fazer o exercício de queda. Levante e puxe a cabeça para trás,
depois deixe-a cair para a frente com um grunhido. Faça devagar até sentir-se
totalmente à vontade com ele.

Jaw
Mandíbula

Squeeze strongly a small folded towel with the posterior teeth (make it thicker where
the posterior teeth are, so you use these and not the anterior's). Keep squeezing until
the jaw gets tired.
Aperte com força uma pequena toalha dobrada com os dentes posteriores (aumente a
espessura dos dentes posteriores, para usá-los e não os anteriores). Continue
apertando até que a mandíbula fique cansada.

Eyes

Lie down and stare a point with eyes wide open, don't blink, don't hold the breath.
Mouth open (not wide) and hands 5 inches from your face as if to take cover (not
important, wide eyes are the necessary part). At first you might be incapable of
opening your eyes wide, that's a good indication that you need this exercise.

Put effort in to it at first, until you feel something, then it gets easier. You will feel any
kind of fear dating back to your childhood.

Reaching out

This exercise allows a person to experience the longing of an infant for its mother. It
can become very emotional when the word “mamma” is used and the longing is
evoked. Lie on a mattress with knees bent and feet flat. Breathe easily and deeply into
the belly. Reach up with your arms and reach forward with your lips. Make an effort to
extend the reach with each expiration. Say “mamma” and see how much feeling you
can put into your voice and arms.
* Can you feel yourself holding back? * Do your hands droop as in a gesture of futility?
* Do you feel yourself reaching out? * When the lips move forward, does your jaw
come forward in an expression of defiance? * Can you keep your breathing deep and
easy while reaching out with your lips? * Do your lips vibrate or tingle? * Does the
exercise evoke a feeling of longing? * Did you sense any holding back of the feeling? *
Did it embarrass you? Did you feel silly reaching out like a child? Remember that we
are all children at heart and that we had two parents to whom we will always remain
attached in our hearts. * Did the reaching out bring up a feeling of sadness? If so, can
you cry or does your throat feel choked?

Demanding

Instead of reaching out as in the preceding exercise, make two fists and raise them in
front of you. Shake both fists strongly. Say “Why?” “Why weren’t you there?” “Why
didn’t you care?” You can use any other expression that seems appropriate.
* Could you get any emotion into the expression? If you couldn’t, it indicates that you
are holding back either because the situation is inappropriate or else because you are
inhibited.

Aggression

The word itself means “to move toward.” People use it as denoting “going for what one
wants.” An aggressive person is one who moves toward the fulfillment of his wants.
The lack of aggression means passivity-waiting, not reaching out. A good exercise in
aggression is the twisting of a towel. Take a medium-sized turkish towel and roll it up.
Then twist it as strongly as you can with both hands. As you twist the towel, say “Give
it to me.” Keep twisting the towel and saying “Give it to me.” Do not contract your
arms, squeeze as hard as you can, as if you wanted to dry it. Use gloves to not hurt
yourself.
* Did you reach the point where you feel that you can get what you want? * Did you
loosen your grip after each demand or were you able to hold on? * Did your voice
sound strong and sure? * Do you have the feeling that you can get what you want?
Wouldn’t it be a nice feeling to have?

Kicking the bed

Sexual exercise
No exercise works on me. Why?

It's possible that you have no childhood traumas at all. If you can do the advanced
version of the fall exercise until the leg relaxes on its own (making you fall), it means
you don't need it, a good indication that you might not need the others either (not a
guarentee). If you can't (the leg hurts from the exertion but never relaxes), it means
you have some trauma (at least of those types targeted by the fall exercise). Then the
reason no exercise works on you might be that you have a "fixation" that prevents you
from doing the exercises totally/effectively. I myself had this problem before finding
out how to solve it. I knew bioenergetic was effective because I stayed few years in an
Osho's sannyasins commune where new people (non-seekers) would come to do
therapeutic groups every weekend, and I could see the immediate effects it had on
them. You probably have the "fixation" of nirvana/enlightenment right now, like I did.
All you need to do to overcome this problem is becoming aware of it while doing the
exercises (don't do it while you are not doing the exercises, there's no point there). At
first it takes some effort, but it gets easier. The energy that goes to the fixation
prevents you from doing bioenergetic exercises "totally", making them ineffective.
Alexander Lowen gives the example of a patient who lost her mother when he was
five, and developed the "fixation" that he could bring her back to life; the exercises
became effective only after a therapist had this intuition and asked the patient if it was
true (see page 185 of 'Bioenergetics' by Lowen, 1975).

Optional reading:

Most of these exercises are taken from the book 'The way to vibrant health', by
Alexander Lowen and Leslie Lowen (the eyes/fear and phase 2 anger exe. are taken
from other Lowen's books). There are many others in this book, but I don't think they
are usefull. Maybe using the bioenergetic stool is necessary for people with very deep
traumas or who weren't allowed to cry during childhood; I can't know this for sure
because I didn't have these problems. I don't recommend reading this and other
Lowen's books because he had many misconceptions, and as you will experience by
practicing phase 2, he was never able to heal repressed anger from childhood. Many
bioenergetic exercises are just a failed attempt to achieve this goal. Others try to
target the muscles with massages or stretching, but they don't cause any feeling. He
thought traumas where "stored" in the body (muscles), but they are obviously in the
brain. These physical/expressive exercises are just the way to "get them out". If you
have questions send me an email at speedruntonirvana@gmail.com