From My Perspective

Ortho-Bionomy is a system of working with innate reflexes. Ortho-Bionomy bodywork introduces the concept of self-correcting reflexes as the basis for stimulating structural balance and client awareness. Gentle positioning is used to relieve joint and muscle pain and reduce stress. The work is non-forceful and indirect. Through the action of the proprioceptive nerves, natural self- corrective reflexes are stimulated, allowing the client to sense the releases and relaxation of patterns of tension and distress. Due to the gentleness of the techniques, acute pain can be addressed as well as chronic conditions that require more of an on-going process of rehabilitation. The client feels a part of the healing process and is encouraged and empowered to awaken to the potential within him or herself. Developed and founded by Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a British osteopath, Ortho-Bionomy has its roots in osteopathy. Osteopathic principles emphasize structural alignment and unimpeded circulation of blood and lymph for physical health. In 1964, an American osteopath, Lawrence Jones, published an article titled Spontaneous Release by Positioning. Jones found that by slowly and carefully exaggerating an abnormal bony posture in such a way as to make the patient maximally comfortable, an amazing process unfolded. The patient treated in this gentle fashion spontaneously relaxed those muscles whose spasms had been keeping the bones in an abnormal position without force and without cracking or crunching. As a Judo instructor, Pauls had often visited an osteopath for structural manipulation treatments. Although helpful, the beneficial effects did not last. In order to understand more about how structure could be corrected and how function could be lastingly restored, Pauls became a student of osteopathy. Here he encountered the article by Jones that intrigued and impressed him and led to his Arthur Lincoln Pauls developed Ortho-Bionomy and dedicated himself to the principles of non-force manipulation as his life’s work. Recognizing that spontaneous release by positioning works by exaggeration of the lesion, Pauls theorized that the greater the exaggeration, the longer the release time. While working with someone whose pain prevented him from using the standard Jones’ techniques, Pauls discovered that subtle exaggeration with slight approximation of the articulate facets reduced the release time to 30 seconds. This became Phase Four of Pauls’ research. By 1976 Pauls had developed the Phased Reflexed Techniques of Ortho-Bionomy. The term Ortho-Bionomy means “correct life study” or “science of laws pertaining to life.” Pauls defined the techniques as "the correct application of the natural laws of life.” Originally the term "phased" was used because the techniques were developed in stages. Phase One was Jones’ work, Phase Two and Three were early attempts that proved impractical and difficult to demonstrate to others. In addition to referring to the development of the techniques, time and experience has shown that the term "phase" actually describes the onion skin effect of the work. People release in phases, and at a pace that allows their body to support the structural changes. The term "reflex" is used because Pauls believed the self-corrective reflex to be the key factor. While Jones demonstrated that force is not necessary for correction, the Phased Reflex Techniques recognized and further developed the potential for self-correction through increasingly subtle exaggeration and slight approximation. These techniques educate the client through awareness and active involvement to understand how to recognize which positions relieve the pain, and how to find the optimum position to stimulate self-correction of the reflex arc that perpetuates the pain cycle. This is especially important when the client’s compensations become incorporated into the body’s proprioceptive understanding. The proprioceptors are nerve endings that give information concerning movements and position of the body. They are located primarily in the muscles, tendons and labyrinth of the inner ear. Proprio means “of one’s own.” Through the proprioceptive system, the person integrates their physical, emotional and mental experiences into their own movement patterns. In the case of compensations from injuries, a person may proprioceptively incorporate the trauma pattern into his or her functioning. For example, a woman has an accident that injures her normal, healthy structural pattern of movement, yet she adapts to the trauma and develops patterns somewhat more limiting, yet still functional. Pauls found that if you follow the movement patterns inherent in the tissue and are guided by the person’s own proprioceptive movement, they will come to self-correct their own structural faults with your support. At the same time, they can also release emotional and mental trauma that was generated by the injury. This work he called Phase Five. He developed Phase Five techniques to allow the person to direct their own self-correction while the practitioner follows and supports their autonomic proprioceptive movements. Pauls described this technique of self-correction as a mentally-patterned, proprioceptive, neuro-etheric, muscular reflex. He also found that these patterns could be sensed by his proprioceptive nervous system even if he wasn’t touching the person. He found that the self-corrective reflex could be stimulated within the person by working with his hand away from the body. This method he called Phase Six. Phase Six proves useful for those whose trauma seems to be incorporated into their energy system. Yet, these reflexes can also correct the person’s structural faults, as well as bring them to a clearer understanding of the "accident" or injury. Since the techniques are non-force and non-traumatic, the client has the opportunity to consciously remember the original incident that caused the tension, and to recognize the position that releases the pattern and pain. Unlike rapid adjustments that try to correct the lesion before the person has a chance to realize what is happening, Ortho-Bionomy allows the timing to be a vehicle for consciousness. During the positioning the person can experience what causes pain, tension and stress and what relieves it. Pauls looked upon this work as an "education of the structural faults of the body." In his writings he said, "Remember (that) most manipulative practices are based upon forceful approaches. It has been proven that the body responds better when it is given the corrective motive for change. Change can only come about when the instincts of the body are summoned up in such a way that the body does not resist this change. Anything beyond this is force, which when applied too much, leads only to rebellion of the self instead of a re-unification of the harmonic whole."

Ortho-Bionomy was developed in the mid 70’s by Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a British osteopath. He was inspired and influenced by an article entitled Spontaneous Release by Positioning by American osteopath Lawrence Jones, that outline the effectiveness of positional release work. Dr. Jones had been treating a patient with a severe over-stretch injury whose pain kept him from sleeping. He described the case of patient with a severe injury who was not responding to conventional treatment. The man could not stand up straight and was unable to find a comfortable position in which to sleep. so was feeling quite exhausted. In an effort to help him, Jones slowly began to passively move the man’s body to explore various positions for comfort. When a position was found that gave the man relief, Jones propped him up with pillows and let him rest there for awhile. He hoped the man would be able to recreate the position for sleep that night. But the results were even more astounding than that. After the brief rest the man was able to stand erect without pain for the first time in weeks. The positioning had spontaneously corrected the structural problem that had been causing so much pain. Jones published later developments of his work in 1981 in his book, Strain / Counterstrain. Other positional release work based on Jones’ theories is presented as the “fold and hold method” as described by Dr. Dale Anderson in his book entitled: Muscle Pain Relief in 90 Seconds. Ortho-Bionomy has its roots in the philosophy and practice of osteopathy. The study and science of Osteopathy originated in the United States with Andrew Taylor Still, a physician who became disillusioned with standard medical practice when 3 family members died of spinal meningitis in 1864. Through the diligent study of anatomy combined with reasoning about the physiological functioning of the body, Still developed his understanding of the direct relationship between structure and function. In other words, anatomical structure governs function, and healthy functioning is a direct result of balanced structure. He backed up his theories with hands-on manipulative skills based on anatomical knowledge, and he along with graduates of his school had great success resolving conditions where medical treatment failed. Pauls recognized the original concept of Osteopathy in Jones’ work: that inherent within the organism is the natural capacity to move toward optimum functioning. As a judo instructor, Pauls had observed first hand the fast reflexive nature of the body to respond and rebalance. From his practice of judo, he inherently understood the principles of movement in action, and often quoted, “For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction”. If you move the wrong way in judo, you can easily break a bone. Pauls saw injuries and discomfort as a misunderstanding within the organism. He developed Ortho-Bionomy as a way to remind the body of its natural capacity to come into balance, and to tune up the reflexes so the organism could respond naturally and appropriately. Pauls was a student when he was introduced to the positional work of Jones, and he dedicated himself to the principles of non-force manipulation, and to discovering a way to reduce Jones’ 90 second holding time. An insight came to Pauls as he worked with a woman whose neck was so tight and locked up that he couldn’t even move her into the standard Jones’ release position. He noted the positional relationship of the two vertebrae that were out of alignment and supported them in that position while ever so lightly bringing them into closer approximation. At that moment the woman spontaneously moved to self-correct and released all the tension in her neck. He saw that this capacity to self-correct is something that can be stimulated with very little input from the practitioner, and theorized that the process is akin to homeopathy. The positioning that supported the misalignment reminded the body to notice and the approximation of the vertebrae cued a reflexive rebound to a more functional structural pattern. Since the body itself regulated the release, it would be perfectly attuned to the needs of the body at that time. Ortho-Bionomy honors the wisdom of the body. This allows the nervous system to recognize the pattern, re-calibrate and self-correct as much as is possible at the time. Ortho-Bionomy is often referred to as the homeopathy of bodywork because it honors the wisdom of the body. When resistance to movement is encountered or tension is causing a holding pattern, Ortho-Bionomy assumes that the body has its reasons. Instead of trying to change the body, we move the body into positions that support and replicate the holding. Through simple positioning and adding a slight gentle approximation or compression toward the joint, the self-corrective reflex is stimulated and the body responds. As we listen to the body, the body has the opportunity to listen to itself, recognize, reorganize and self-correct. Pauls believed that the practitioner could be most effective with the least amount of interference. Since the process is so natural to the organism, Ortho-Bionomy self care techniques remind the body of its ability to self-regulate and return to balanced functional movement. The positioning techniques are so simple that Pauls taught them to children, as children would be less likely to try and complicate them. In some cases the natural self-corrective reflexes may seem to have disappeared. Patterns of tension from bad posture or compensation patterns from injuries may be held for many years. “Once a movement is habituated, the body will do it the same way every time because the feeling is familiar. Even if it is wrong or dysfunctional, it is familiar. This becomes the proprioceptive state of normal.” The body recognizes these positions as normal and the natural capacity for complete correction has been overridden and forgotten. Yet even in cases such as this the body can be reminded and re-educated through positioning and isometric / isotonic resistance exercises to return to a more functional and balanced state. Ortho-Bionomy, The Word Arthur Pauls deliberated in choosing the name Ortho-Bionomy to describe his work. “Ortho” means straight, correct, right, genuine. “Bio” means life. And “nomy” means a science or field of knowledge, or the discipline of the study of these. Chambers 20th Century Dictionary lists “bionomic” as the study of the relations between the organism and its environment. Pauls often spoke of Ortho-Bionomy as the study of the correct application of the natural laws of life.

I like to start with the body’s natural responsiveness and see if there is a possibility that the body can respond differently than the patterned way. I like to invite the person to come into their experience of being in the body. For instance: As you are sitting, do you notice the contact that your sit bones (ischiums) are making with the chair. Without moving see if you can notice if you seem to have more weight on one side than the other. Don’t do anything about it, just notice. Now with both feet flat on the floor, slowly move one knee forward and then move that knee back, noticing what happens at your sit bones as you move the knee. Does it feel more familiar, easy, or natural to move one of your knees compared to the other? Now let’s play with the familiar knee movement a bit. Move the knee that feels more comfortable forward and leave it there. Place your hand on the thigh above that knee. Now, without doing anything, I want you to think about bringing your knee back, but don’t move it, just think about moving it back. Think about it for a few seconds, and then let the knee move back. Now move the opposite knee forward, does it move more easily than it did at first? Okay, why are we playing with this imaginary isometric? To test the body’s ability to respond and the reflexes of self-correction. And to notice how just thinking about it can stimulate the self-corrective reflex. With Scoliosis there can be a rotational component in the spine and sometimes that rotation starts with a spiraling movement at the base of the spine. We introduce another option to that pattern at the base of the spine, to begin to re-educate the body. Next, let’s return to the sit bones (ischiums) and connect it with another movement --- the movement of the hipbones. Sitting with your feet on the floor, place a hand on the top of each ilium (hip bone). The space between your thumb and your index finger will be resting on the top of each ilium ( hipbone). Do they feel the same? Does one hip feel higher or more forward than the other? Take a moment to really sense what you are feeling. Those hipbones that you are touching are connected to those sit bones you are sitting on, and they also form a slightly movable joint with the sacrum at the end of your spine. Now imagine that your hip bones are like tricycle wheels. Allow your hips to rock forward so that your tummy moves forward and your pubic bone moves back, and your lower back may gently curve forward. Now allow them to rock back again, and let your lower back curve out, your tummy will curve in, and your pubic bone will come forward. Slowly move the hipbones back and forth a few times getting a sense of the movement. Notice what happens at your sit bones as you move. Also notice if you seem to be using your muscles evenly on both sides to make the movement. If not, slow the movement down so that both hips can move evenly and coherently. As you do this notice what is happening in your low back. This movement exercise helps to re-establish healthy motion in the lumbar spine and restore the natural curve to low back. The spine has natural curves along the spine to facilitate movement. Restoring proper motion, and the natural curves to the lower back and the upper spine helps to re-establish better spinal alignment for those with scoliosis. To restore the natural posterior curve of the upper back, sit with feet on the floor and head bent forward with chin near the chest. Sensing the vertebrae in the upper spine, slowly and gently begin rocking forward sensing a slight “bounce” at the level of each vertebra as you move forward.

Here are a few of the ways we can begin to bring more clarity to our practice of Phase 4 Ortho-Bionomy. From teaching I have found that since each student can have such a different perspective about contact with the body, it can be useful to recognize the different approaches to the techniques/ exercises of Ortho-Bionomy. Clarify the location of the points. Remember that you can orient to the work in a variety of ways. Points and standard positions with compression down the line of the bone toward the joint. Preferred posture: slightly exaggerating the most comfortable position. May add compression toward the joint. Positioning the body to shorten contracted muscles. (Bringing origin and insertion closer together) May add compression toward the joint. Bilateral Balance: Balancing one side of the body with the other as in clavicle release. Tissue preference: Moving the tissue in direction of ease or preference. Each of these can utilize a different type of contact. When contacting tender points, begin with a light contact and gradually press in deeper. Go slowly enough so the person can be present for the contact and identify any tenderness. Press on one point at a time. To find the preferred posture, notice and respect any resistance to movement as you slowly move the body toward a standard release position. With any size muscle in the body from larger muscles such as the hamstrings to smaller muscles such as the multifidus along the spine, you can either position the body to shorten the muscle as from insertion to origin, or you can contact the muscle directly and bring the muscle fibers into a closer approximation to each other. When following tissue preferences, it is helpful to notice and begin to recognize the different feeling qualities of the various types of tissue with which you are working.

In the late 1930's, Charles Owens DO compiled and published the findings of osteopath Frank Chapman, identifying specific neurolymphatic reflex points that correspond to particular organs. These reflexes allow the practitioner to assess lymphatic function of specific organs, to influence the motion of fluids, and influence the function of organs and glands through the nervous system. I was introduced to these Chapman’s Reflexes in my Ortho-Bionomy trainings in the late 1970’s, yet it took perhaps ten years before I fully understood how valuable and effective they could be. My daughter’s friend had been suffering with gastrointestinal symptoms for months. He had visited doctors and undergone panels of testing, all with no effect. In ten minutes of checking these points, we determined that the only tender points were the small intestine reflexes. With herbs to treat the small intestine from an acupuncturist his symptoms were relieved. Yet besides their relationship to the lymphatic system there is a structural component as well. After five years of research with these reflexes, osteopath Charles Owens identified the Pelvic Thyroid Syndrome, describing the profound influence these neurolymphatic reflexes exert on the glandular system. Owens stated that an imbalance of the pelvis (innominate lesion / ilium rotation lesion) indicates an endocrine disturbance. This disturbance can be correlated to tenderness in the specific reflexes, and to the organs they reflex. In other words, a structural problem in the pelvis such as a rotated ilium can create an imbalance in the endocrine system. In the 80’s I came to understand this first hand through my Ortho-Bionomy practice. Clients began to present with chronic pain, emotional distress and the tender points of fibromyalgia. I found that instead of chasing the pain points of fibromyalgia, I got better results by balancing the pelvis first, then addressing the tender points. This allieviated much of the pain and suffering of fibromyalgia clients and brought relief to many of the endocrine symptoms of clients as well. As it turns out the Ortho-Bionomy points indicating an ilium imbalance are the same posterior pelvis points for fibromyalgia. The Chapman’s points located just below the greater trocanter of the femur indicating an endocrine imbalance also correspond to fibromyalgia points. Until the pelvis was balanced and the leg length even it made no sense to address the fibromyalgia points in the upper body. Pelvic balance was the key to stabilizing the foundation. Studies in the 80’s with Gerda Alexander from Copenhagen confirmed this theory for me. Gerda presented an exercise that demonstrated the effect of the gait reflexes on the thoracic spine. A leg length discrepancy can cause the reflexes to the thoracic spine to be stimulated unevenly. In my own body I noted that the gait reflexes were moving only up on the left side of my spine and avoiding the right side. Gerda Alexander inquired about injuries and I confirmed spinal fractures suffered in a motorcycle accident. She assured me that these reflexes could be retrained with continued practice of the exercise, and they have corrected. An imbalance in the pelvis can cause muscular and soft tissue tension patterns that can affect the lymphatic drainage around organs. Therefore any structural work we address with Ortho‑Bionomy, either for improving joint function or for muscular balancing to relieve soft tissue tension patterns is going to have a beneficial affect on lymph drainage. Sensing and visualizing the pelvis dimensionally and understanding structural and visceral relationships can add to the effectiveness of our work. For example, the sacrum and uterus sit on the same plane. Therefore when the sacrum is tilted often the uterus is tilted as well. A torsion pattern can result in the broad ligament if one hip is rotated anterior and the other posterior. When the broad ligament is torqued the lymphatic drainage around the uterus and / or ovaries may be affected and the Chapman’s points may reflexively be tender. By recognizing that structure and function have a reciprocal relationship that is assessed and addressed by reflexes, we can more effectively work to restore the structural, visceral and hormonal balance of our clients. Come and learn more about Chapman’s Reflexes and how you can use Ortho-Bionomy to relieve allergy and gastrointestinal symptoms, arm pain, and address fibromyalgia. Hope to see you in class.

The Term Ortho-Bionomy was coined by its founder, British osteopath ArthurLincoln Pauls, who described this philosophy as “the correct application of the natural laws of life.” According to Pauls, “[Ortho-Bionomy] is really about understanding your whole life cycle. Naturally, we focus on the structure because that is the literal skeleton upon which our life is built. When your structure works right, your circulation works better, you feel better, you think better.” First and foremost, Ortho-Bionomy honors the body’s inherent wisdom. The idea of a body’s inherent wisdom is not a new concept; homeopathic physicians have studied and applied the Law of Similars for more than 200 years. Dorland’s Medical Dictionary defines this law as the homeopathic principle which states “that a substance which in large doses will produce symptoms of a specific disease will, in extremely small doses, cure it.” In other words, the smallest dose of a substance incites the body to respond to the disease. During the rise of the industrial age, A.T. Still, the founder of osteopathy, based his teachings on the concept that the body was a perfect machine designed by God, and by coming to understand the natural workings of this divine design, disease could be mastered. Only that which can be cured from within can be cured from without, he believed. The same osteopathic philosophy and homeopathic principles of stimulating the body’s own resources for self-healing are the foundation of Ortho-Bionomy. During his osteopathic training, Pauls was introduced to a paper entitled “Spontaneous Release by Positioning,” by physician Lawrence Jones. Jones found if he placed a person in a position that exaggerated an osteopathic lesion for 15 to 20 minutes, the body would spontaneously self-correct and realign itself without force or rough manipulation. Pauls recognized the original concepts of osteopathy and the principles of self-correction within Jones’ work and began to experiment for ways to shorten the release time. Almost by accident, Pauls discovered by using subtle movements and adding slight compression toward the joint, spontaneous release could occur in 10 to 30 seconds. His research led to techniques that were teachable and repeatable, the foundations of Ortho-Bionomy training. Proprioception’s reflex action The key to Ortho-Bionomy’s results is in the reflex action of proprioception. Movement and compression activate the proprioceptors surrounding a joint. These proprioceptive nerves signal the central nervous system of the relative shortened and stretched muscle fibers around this positioned joint. The reflexive signal stimulates the stretch receptors in the muscles surrounding the joint, so the fibers can reset to normal resting length, resulting in the release of tension and holding—and often the release of pain. By rebalancing the tone around the joint, multiple areas can be addressed with one technique. For example, the positioning for a posterior rotated ilium often releases sciatic pain. Sometimes long-standing patterns of holding and dysfunction are released in one session as the proprioception re-calibrates to the increased range of motion and the ease of more functional movement takes precedence. By using the nerves to relay the position of the joint, the muscles are reflexively released from chronic holding patterns and pain signals are interrupted. This is such a different concept to those who have been trained to knead the tension out. For some it may require a bit of rethinking to grasp that they could actually achieve more by doing less. Ortho-Bionomy is definitely about thinking outside of the box. It is almost 180 degrees from what is ordinarily taught. Instead of moving through resistance, resistance is respected. Instead of deep thumb pressure or overworking the wrist and hands, which can eventually cause strain or injury to the therapist, a slow, easy positioning technique allows for a more embodied relaxation in the client and therapist. In Ortho-Bionomy, the positioning cues the client to release. The practitioner is freed from doing, freed from needing to fix and free to be with the client to recognize and reaffirm the client’s own inherent ability to find comfort. The Client’s Perspective For clients in pain, the gentle contact, the focus on comfort, the ease of positioning and the relaxed presence of the therapist offer an opportunity to explore the possibilities of relief within a safe and therapeutic process. Recognition of comfort within the body replaces attention to pain. Re-education toward ease is naturally and effortlessly incorporated with isometric techniques and awareness based postural exercises the client can practice at home. These self-care techniques remind and empower the client of the body’s natural ability to return to balance and well-being. Massage clients with occasional knots and tension patterns appreciate the quick, effective releases of Ortho- Bionomy, which allow the therapist to focus less on problems and more on relaxation massage. “Ortho-Bionomy is a great modality, very helpful for pre- or post-surgery, because it is so gentle,” says Ortho-Bionomy practitioner Shamai Buckel of Santa Rosa, California. “It’s great for neck, back and hip pain, very effective for joint pain and helps to increase range of motion.” Ortho-Bionomy practitioner Corilee Sanders of Corvallis, Oregon, uses the technique in conjunction withboth reiki and massage therapy.“ Because the practitioner is not forcing, pushing or hurrying the recipient, and because the work is done in a respectful, ‘conversation[al]’ style, rather than one in which a practitioner does something ‘to’ the recipient, the changes that occur are longer lasting and less traumatic or difficult for the body to integrate,” she says. The Ortho-Bionomy Technique in Action The applications of Ortho-Bionomy can seem profound in their results. Let us look at the shoulder, for example: 1. A tender point is identified at the coracoid process. The arm is gently moved into the correlating comfortable position of release, usually curving or caving around the tender point. Light compression is applied from the elbow back toward the shoulder joint. This gentle positioning with compression is held from 10 to 30 seconds, and then the arm is slowly lowered back to the table and the tender point is rechecked for tenderness. Generally the pain is reduced or gone, and tension and tightness around the point have also diminished. 2. Facilitating a release for all the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint may require more than one positioning. There are actually eight specific Ortho-Bionomy reflex points and positions to release a shoulder, and each corresponding position helps release the various muscle groups surrounding the joint. In severe cases of frozen shoulder, it is particularly important to respect any resistance to movement in the joint and approximate the positioning within the comfort zone of the client. 3. All releases depend on fine-tuning the position by moving in accord with the path of least resistance and moving out of the positioning slowly and gently. Often in the case of a frozen shoulder, isometric techniques are used to override the fear of pain from movement by cueing the muscles to attempt movement, while the comfortable positioning is maintained. These isometric or isotonic exercises might be added to the client’s home-care program, along with some posture exercises, if suggesting home care is within the scope of the therapist’s practice. For those who can’t tolerate deep work, Ortho-Bionomy is ideal as a preparation technique. For example, in working with painful scar tissue, subtle techniques release tension and pain, so the massage therapist can then apply cross-fiber friction to an area that is no longer sensitive. This work addresses such conditions as sciatica, low-back pain, whiplash, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, scoliosis and plantar fasciitis. Training in the Technique The benefits of including Ortho-Bionomy in the practice of massage are obvious from the first class. Seasoned practitioners recognize immediately the benefits of including Ortho-Bionomy in their practices. Massage therapists who practice deep-tissue and sports massage are always amazed to find how little effort is needed on their part to facilitate a painless release of the psoas muscle or the fifth lumbar. The suboccipital area that usually requires sustained pressure is easily released with one simple extension positioning of the neck. For some students, just one class is all that’s needed to begin to incorporate positional release techniques and the concepts of “away from pain and toward ease of movement” with their clients. For others, the journey into Ortho-Bionomy is just beginning. With each course, from Exploration of Movement Patterns to Posture and Post techniques to Isometrics and Isotonics, the student gains greater understanding of the structural alignment principles in which the work is based. Exploration of Movement Patterns helps the practitioner assess movement, identify patterns and address thechain of causation for a complaint. The Posture and Post techniques class presents techniques for working with scoliosis, postural patterns and gait, teaching clients how to gain an embodied sense of themselves for greater functionality and comfort. The Isometrics and Isotonics class helps the client re-educate extinguished reflexes and reestablish appropriate tone. An advanced course teaches techniques that often work more quickly, and the student learns to listen more deeply into the tissue for subtle patterns of preference and movement. Additional courses demonstrate ways of working with the energetic interrelationship of the physical and emotional aspects of the client’s patterning. In every Ortho-Bionomy course, the philosophy and principles of right alignment and self-corrective capacity of the individual are foundational. All of these courses and more are included in the 500-hour Practitioner Training Program sponsored by the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International and taught by registered instructors. After just one class, students report impressive results, as they incorporate the concepts and techniques into their practices. Through continued, classes, sessions received, feedback and tutorials from instructors, students advance and fine-tune their work. Thousands of bodyworkers have taken classes and incorporated the concepts and principles into their work. Instructors and practitioners can be found throughout the world and are listed on the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International’s Web site, www.ortho-bionomy.org. A Recognizable Therapy More than 150 practitioners of Ortho-Bionomy practice this work as their sole modality. Thousands more integrate the principles with other methods, thus creating their own individual style of bodywork. When the principles are used, whether as a solo therapy or in concert with others, the essence of Ortho-Bionomy is always recognizable. “Ortho-Bionomy provides an easy way to uncover and discover oneself without having to re-enact the old stories on one’s path to whole healing,” says Ortho-Bionomy practitioner Kim Lincoln of Olympia, Washington. “It’s truly a beautiful system of introducing people to the freeing feeling of spaciousness, affecting both body and consciousness.” Luann Overmyer is a registered practitioner and instructor of Ortho-Bionomy. She teaches throughout the U.S. and Australia, trains practitioners and instructors and is the author of Ortho-Bionomy A Path to Self Care.