Myofascial Unwinding

Colleen Karalee Peltomaa, modified 6 Years ago.

Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 401 Join Date: 6/19/14 Recent Posts

I've never seen this before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WysHRgQFIlo

Feedback appreciated.

Jo Jo, modified 6 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 47 Join Date: 9/30/14 Recent Posts

Yes, I know this process very well. This is what happens during my sittings. Body twisting, spasms, and shaking.

The movements are totally involuntary. Berceli uses some simple exercises to release the process. In my case, it is released by sitting. I did not intend to release it, I did not even know about it. It just happened, and then I started searching the internet and found - among other theories, e.g. kundalini, movement of Chi - the Berceli findings.

The result, in my case, is a continuing, deepening and permanent release of very old muscular tensions, and consequently of deep anxieties, depression, inability to act or to manage my life. The tensions sit around the body in layers, and are like "being peeled off". I sit twice a day for an hour. You need a minimum of regularity and sitting time.

This has been going on since April. The movement patterns change every few weeks, and have become less intense during the past few days. I expect it to come to an end soon. This physical process has changed my life, radically and totally.

Looking back, I think, that a very mild version of this process is part of every "sitting meditation career". People probably just do not notice, if the movement patterns are not so strong and remain invisible from the outside.

chris richard, modified 5 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Post: 1 Join Date: 10/29/15 Recent Posts

Hi Jojo,

this has actually been something I've been dealing with for around 6 months or so now. The involuntary myofascial unwinding happens anytime I'm "idle" and let it. It is most aggressive when I'm lying on my back. How did you end up getting it to stop?

Andreas Thef, modified 5 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 152 Join Date: 2/11/13 Recent Posts

How did you end up getting it to stop?

In my opinion you have to experiment a bit and let it do it's thing. See if you can totally give in to those movements. Find spots where you are still resisting. You can make a silent resolution when the kriyas happen to not try to change them in any way. Also see what happens if you ignore them and just stick with your meditation object by "watching through" those movements.

In my experience the fascination and frustration with these facial movements and tensions wears off. For me it started about two years ago with movements of my mouth, head, neck, arms and occassional upper body swings. After a while they stopped entirely and only came back in phases. Recently they are getting stronger again due to my experiments with kasina meditation. But they are far less nerving and easier to ignore or integrate into my meditation.

Jo Jo, modified 5 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 47 Join Date: 9/30/14 Recent Posts

For me, it did not stop yet; it changes however very much in duration and intensity. By now, I got used to it and know quite well what is going on in the body. I read that others had this for years, so I do not worry about the fact that it continues either, as long as I have the impression that the “body re-formation” is continuing, and that the energy is not going in circles, does not get stuck.

It started in April 2014. After a few weeks of shaking on the cushion only, I experienced a few very intense shaking “events” at night – woke up in the middle of the night because the body wanted to shake violently. I mean REALLY violently, with real big and very pronounced movements.

Luckily, (a) I live alone so nobody was around to panic (b) by the time this happened, I had read a bit about this on the internet, so I did not worry, submitted to the process and got myself out of the way as much as possible. On the contrary, I was quite curious about it and watching it I was very much impressed how skillfully the body did its workout without any assistance and/or intention from my side. These events also used to end in a deep sense of relief and relaxation, and I found them very beneficial. Maximum duration was 1 hour, minimum 20 minutes.

Berceli give some nice information. His book is interesting, too, in spite of the many repetitions (it might be shortened to one third of it). I like his approach better than others because he does not force it; he advises just to submit to it when time and situation allow for this.

I also found this short video by Shinzen Young interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9AHh9MvgyQ

So much for now, I will see if I can add some more information later on how I deal with this in everyday life.

Jo Jo, modified 5 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 47 Join Date: 9/30/14 Recent Posts

I have strong symptoms only when on the cushion. Off the cushion I sometimes have a visible tremor in my hands, torso and head (sometimes more, sometimes less), looks like an alcoholic, and sometimes a strong urge to turn the torso from the hips to the left or the right. When driving long distances, the body sometimes starts shaking more violently, as if on the cushion.

It seems crucial to be open about this, so I don´t feel I have to hide this. So I have told my colleagues (one by one, when there was the opportunity): If you see me shake, this is nothing to worry about. It´s due to skeletomuscular imbalances, and I´m working on this with my osteopath. I do not mention meditation, that´s too obscure for most people. People just want not to worry, and when they have no explanation they make one up, mostly "she is afraid", or "She needs a drink", or "she has Parkinson, how tragic". Sometimes I do a few stretches to relieve a tension that has built up - nobody cares about this. Or I even leave the room and go to the toilet to have a bit of "shaking meditation" on my own.

Long distance driving was a bit of a problem in the beginning. By now I know my body so well that I´m able to foresee when I have to take a break, and how to focus on the traffic without triggering the symptoms.

If you know that this shaking is due to meditation, you might want to reduce the frequency and length of your sittings, or even cut out the sitting altogether for some time, and do laying down meditation instead, so that the body can shake off the stored energy, instead of building up more tension.

If you are not sure if your shaking is due to meditation, you might want to go and see a doctor to exclude neurophysiological issues, but take care to chose one who is able to listen and takes you seriously.

But in general I´d say not to dramatize the thing and enjoy its benefits. It will certainly pass.

Pål, modified 6 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 778 Join Date: 9/30/14 Recent Posts

Maybe I've hade a lite version of that. Some periods my shoulders, and sometimes my arms spasm a lot during sitting meditation. Now it's more uncommon but sometimes I get a spontaneous fast and powerful inbreath. Things like that started in the core and chest muscles for me, moved on to the shoulders, then arms, now I guess it's in the lugns or something. According to Daniel it probably has to do with the nanas but I'm not sure about that since I have very little insight.

Droll Dedekind, modified 6 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 634 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts

http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5201846

Berceli is discussed in this thread, I believe. Bioenergetic and neo-Reichian techniques are an elaboration of TRE, from my point of view. In these terms, your video is part of the 'character armor' spontaneously releasing.

Also, ditto everything JoJo said, except mine started dramatically from my first relaxation session from that Regardie book in my link. Now, the spontaneous movements can develop at any time if I just tune into it.

@Pal
Viewing these as merely a side-effect of the nanas is an extremely limited point-of-view, IMO

Colleen Karalee Peltomaa, modified 6 Years ago.

RE: Myofascial Unwinding

Posts: 401 Join Date: 6/19/14 Recent Posts

Thank you for filling me in on how that works for you. I do believe the body has it's own "mind" too - it's own setpup apart from one's mind impinging upon it.