The Subconscious of the Body

Translated from “Il Subconscio del Corpo”, Pelviperinologia - ISSN 1973-4891 - Vol. 43 - N. 2 September 2024 

Andrea Traldi, Ph.D. 

Introduction by Prof. G. Dodi – University of Padova, Editor in Chief 

This short article is impeccable for its content, presentation, and underlying research methodology. It introduces several themes present in articles published in this special issue. Traldi's article is an excellent example of how mental and physical processes, even the least understandable ones, must be traced back to an attempt at rational interpretation with measurable and comparable data. We hope that the journal will be able to publish other articles on this topic in the pelvi-perineological field. We would be grateful to the Author. 

The Subconscious of the Body 

Expanding the notion of the “subconscious” beyond the limits of psychotherapy into the field of Somatics creates a transdisciplinary bridge that connects Somatic Awareness with Somatic Intuition and Somatic Psychology. This expanded view allows our clients to understand physical symptoms and clinical diagnoses through a logic that includes physical, emotional, and transpersonal events in their lives without undermining the validity, truthfulness, and knowledge of strict medical science. Based on this new understanding of how subconscious processes impact mind, body, and relationships, one can observe three processes: 

Somatic Awareness - The process that allows one to become conscious of mechanisms in the body that lay below the threshold of ordinary awareness.  

Somatic Intuition - The process whereby subconscious mechanisms in the body connect and exchange information with subconscious processes of the mind.  

Somatic Psychology - The process of integrating knowledge revealed through Somatic Awareness and Somatic Intuition into the folds of the rational mind, thus helping one to update their Reality Model¹ and generate agency to transform their everyday life. 

My team and I at the Institute of Applied Somatics have created a vast range of protocols that combine exercises for Somatic Awareness, Intuition, and Psychology. Our approach has been tested all over the world with participants of various ages, levels of fitness, and social/cultural backgrounds, confirming the transdisciplinary nature of our methodology. Crucially, many of our movement sequences designed to create Somatic Awareness, liberate Somatic Intuition, and provide clients agency over their lives though Somatic Psychology, include exercises for the wellbeing of the perineum. 

Under normal conditions the fascia of the perineum moves with fluidity and is unrestricted to provide stability and structural support. However, if the functional roles of the fascia become limited or impaired as a result of repetitive motion, physical trauma, or inflammation, this can disrupt the normal biomechanics of the perineum, increasing tension exerted on the system, causing myofascial pain, and reducing range of motion.⁽²⁾⁽³⁾  Working with gentle and easy exercises for neuro-myo-fascia release that restore micro-movements and stimulate the trophism of the tissues can be used to bring sensorial awareness to different regions in the area of the perineum. This unlocks not only the possibility for physical wellbeing but also the possibility to connect with a part of the body that was hidden in the subconscious of the mind because it was dormant in the subconscious of the body.  

Working for the wellbeing of the perineum is particularly interesting to expand self-awareness, emotional coherence, and the potential for rewarding relationships because this area of the body has been historically relegated to the subconscious in ways that are not always obvious but have a very profound impact on the human psyche: 

On a social level, conversations about the perineum are censored and thus sent into the subconscious because it is an area connected to the elimination of excrements, the undesirable refuse of the body.  By extension, if somebody talks about the perineum, they risk being associated to the semantic and emotional attributes of disgust, shame, and toxicity. 

On a religious level, the perineum is often unnamed because it is connected to sexuality, considered taboo, and should not be a topic of conversation unless sanctioned by a religious figure.  

On a personal level, emotional trauma that includes feelings of betrayal, abandonment, pain, and abuse can condition one’s behavior towards a protective stance. Trying to avoid more negative experiences, one becomes less prone to engage with this part of the body that has a deep impact on emotional and mental wellbeing, self-esteem, and happiness in intimate relationships. 

While it is becoming more and more acceptable to seek help for physical problems related to the perineum, the potential of perineal therapy for mental health is greatly underexplored.  Our Somatic Awareness routines combine exercises rooted in neuro-myo-fascia physiotherapy (Rolfing Movement, Méthode Mézières…) with techniques developed by movement research pioneers (Elsa Gindler, Heinrich Jacoby, Moshé Feldenkrais, Lily Ehrenfried…) and somatic psychologists (Wilhelm Reich, Laura and Fritz Perls, Gregory Bateson…). Through a carefully curated alternation and coordination of movement sequences that engage the whole body in motion, our Somatic Awareness sessions allow participants to liberate the area of the perineum and become aware of the deep emotional and mental content associated to it. The practitioner in charge of each session makes sure that all participants take note of images, sounds, words, and ideas that arise during the physical practice to connect them with emotions, memories, and thoughts during the Somatic Intuition and Somatic Psychology protocols. Through free or guided meditations and journaling based on Jungian Psychoanalysis, the subconscious content of the mind associated to the physical transformations in the body is revealed in this part of the session.  

Crucially, our Somatic Intuition and Psychology protocols include strategies for self-observation that are designed to be used in the period in-between the sessions. This creates a form of continuity between the process started with the practitioner and the reality of the client’s daily life. Using simple mental exercises to challenge and disrupt their cognitive habits, our clients learn to re-pattern their mental response to situations in their personal and professional lives. Becoming aware of the connection between their different states of mind (emotions, thoughts, ideas…) and their physical disposition (energy levels, stress, twitching, change in breathing rhythms, involuntary contractions of the pelvic floor or glutes…)  allows them not only to expand their cognitive space beyond negative emotions and repetitive thoughts, but also to feel the impact of such transformation in their bodies. For as much as physical transformation can impact one’s mental state, the inverse is also true. Therefore, following the information gathered through the protocols for Somatic Intuition and Somatic Psychology also allows participants to unlock and generate physical wellbeing that was not possible through movement exercises alone.  

Overall, associating the concept of the subconscious of the body to the design of our sessions for perineum wellbeing has created the possibility to expand upon the effects of clinically based neuro-myo-fascia exercises in ways that include the psychological and social aspects of our clients’ lives. This has improved their skills for situational awareness, sensibility, feeling of empowerment, confidence, self-reliance, and clarity of mind.  

Questions to the Author  

Prof. G. Dodi - Why are the people you "treat" (is the word right?) clients and not patients? 

Dr. Andrea Traldi - The answer is rooted in the transdisciplinary nature of our approach and on the multicultural design of our pedagogy. Let me explain better... From the beginning, our methodology has had as its aim a transdisciplinary “open-source” approach that includes contributions from professionals of different sectors, including medical sciences, but also research on movement techniques, education, psychology, contemporary art... This approach being open to a mixed audience made us reflect upon the language that our practitioners must use to be respectful of the professional, cultural, and personal backgrounds of their colleagues and of the people to whom they offer their services. 

While at the Institute of Applied Somatics we train practitioners who come from medical fields, we also train practitioners who come from the world of yoga, Pilates, psychology, coaching, singing, performance arts,… as well as people who come for personal reasons. If we define our approach using the word "patient" instead of "client" we are artificially reducing the semantic-cognitive field that our students build in their internal (thoughts) and external (communication with others) explanations. While qualified medical personnel who study our method certainly have the right to call their clients "patients", others who study the same techniques in the same group do not have this prerogative. We have a duty not to create confusion and make students believe that they become doctors or healthcare professionals just because they study our method. We are proud to be an international organization that offers specialized courses to medical and healthcare personnel, but we are not the ones who have the right to bestow this status. In addition, in certain countries it is absolutely forbidden to use words such as "therapy", "health", "patient"... without certification at a national level. This is why we pay a lot of attention to using vocabulary that can work regardless of the students’ professional profiles and the country in which they operate. We use the words “client” or “participant” instead of “patient.” We use the words “wellbeing” and “quality of life” instead of “health”. We use the word “practitioner” and not “therapist”. Unless we are sure of the context in which our explanations are taken into consideration, it is preferable to remain at a level that is always correct and applicable. 

Prof. G. Dodi  - In your opinion, does the perineum as a sexual area continue to be so heavily conditioned by cultural factors and taboos even now that communication about sex and pleasure is normalized and often publicly available? 

Dr. Andrea Traldi - To answer this question, I will refer to the international and multicultural footprint of our Institute. I agree that in Italy, and more generally in the West, we are witnessing a mental and cultural renaissance on all themes related to the health of the perineum, including sexuality. However, it is also true that our practitioners work all over the world and often in situations where this freedom of expression is not enjoyed. For us, it is important to offer language and strategies through which practitioners can help solve a problem or improve the quality of life of their clients without creating a conflict with the culture in which they operate. 

For example, our method has been used in indigenous communities in Chile and Australia to help victims of sexual violence. We could never have had a positive impact if we had used strictly "Western" words, concepts, and explanations. However, since we connect the discourse of the subconscious with the shamanic tradition of Dreamtime journeying, our practitioners can create a session or a group workshop in which emotional and physical blockages are released by doing pelvic floor exercises based on protocols created by Françoise Mézières, Ida Rolf, Moshé Feldenkrais... 

Basically, we teach our practitioners various communication strategies to “start from where the client is, and not from where they (the practitioners) are”. The sessions they offer only make sense if they communicate with words that connect to the cultural and personal background of their clients. A fundamental quality of the practitioner is the ability to listen and identify words and somatic messages (non-verbal communication) to constantly update the language and content of the session following the cues revealed by the clients themselves. On a more general level, the explanation of the method and the type of experience offered must be respectful of the legal and cultural criteria of the community in which the practitioner wishes to offer their services. 

References:
1. Olivetti Belardinelli, M. (1986). La Costruzione della Realtá, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, Italy  

2. Meltzer KR, Cao TV, Schad JF, King H, Stoll ST, Standley PR. In vitro modeling of repetitive motion injury and myofascial release. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2010 Apr;14(2):162-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2010.01.002. Epub 2010 Jan 29. PMID: 20226363; PMCID: PMC2853774. 

3. Germain, P. (2001). Économie du geste: fascias et movement, Desiris. Gap, France.