Classes, Trainings, Ongoing Groups, Private Sessions, & Publications on Mind-Body Healing
(with convenient office locations in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Orinda)…
About the Bodymind Healing Center:
The Bodymind Healing Center specializes in using ancient sacred wisdom traditions to help heal the “dis-eases” of modern life.
We provide individually oriented psychotherapy and healing sessions as well as referrals to body-mind healers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bodymind Healing Center also provides classes and workshops in bodymind healing and publications on ancient and modern methods for healing the body-mind. We also have trainings and certificate programs for those members of the public and for health professionals who want to bring bodymind healing methods into their lives and work.
We are also linked with the Health Medicine Center, which Dr Mayer co-founded. HMC is a team of traditional and complementary health professionals, whose exciting multidisciplinary teamwork is on the cutting edge of today’s revolution in healthcare…of which integrative health care and bodymind healing self-care are essential components.
In the mid 1980s I, and many health professionals in the field of mind-body health, became uncomfortable with the overemphasis on mental approaches to psychological healing, and the term bodymind (Dychwald, 1986) was born. I wanted to apply this term to psychotherapy and healing, wrote a book about my approach on this perspective called Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy, and created the first bodymindhealing site on the web, called bodymindhealing.com. “Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy” draws from traditional forms of psychotherapy, bodymind and symbolic approaches to healing, hypnosis, energy psychology, Gendlin’s Focusing, psycho-neuroimmunological research, and ancient sacred wisdom traditions. Specifically selected treatments are mutually agreed upon and individually adapted to each person’s unique needs.
Why the need for Bodymind Healing? Click here.
The Term “Bodymind” as distinguished from “mind-body”…Click here.
Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy: Ancient Pathways to Modern Health
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Energy Psychology: Self-Healing Practices for Bodymind Health
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In two of my books, Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy: Ancient Pathways to Modern Health and in Energy Psychology: Self-Healing Practices for Bodymind Health, I discuss how integrating the body into psychotherapy has been shown by clinical research to be crucial to the process of healing, and how the body has formed a key building block of modern psychology in spite of the fact that many still associate psychology with the study of the mind. My use of the term “bodymind” incorporates the tradition of somatically oriented psychotherapy, cross-cultural ancient sacred wisdom traditions, and methods of postural initiation including Qigong.
Feeling Stuck?
Transformation Is Possible!
Are you ready to get unstuck, and actualize the potential of your life’s journey? Whether it’s a psychological or physical health issue, a connection with your inner healer and a skilled practitioner are key. Over the past two decades numerous individuals have commented that their inner work with our Bodymind Healing process has been one of the most valuable investments of their lives. In addition to working with individuals, I enjoy working with couples and helping love to flourish as seen in my book Trials of the Heart:Healing the Wounds of Intimacy (Celestial Arts, 1994). A smile comes to my face when self-healing tools from Eastern and Western traditions reduce or eliminate medications and empowers a client’s inner healer in the following areas:
- Anxiety, Panic, and Phobias
- Depression and Low Energy
- Hypertension and Stress
- Addictions
- Chronic Pain and Sports Injuries
- Insomnia
- Life Transitions
- Movement Disorders such as Parkinsons
- Pre and Post Surgical Hypnosis
- Relationship Difficulties — Constructive communication of negative feelings
- Self-healing methods of health problems
- Transforming your Inner Critic into a Helpful Coach
- Trauma: Developmental trauma and Post-traumatic Stress
- At the top of the list is the key ingredient… our authentic relationship with each other. “Real relationship” heals. All the methods listed below add to this quintessential element.
- Western forms of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic self-psychology, cognitive/behavioral, Jungian/archetypal.
- Tap into the wisdom of the body/mind and find the felt meaning of your issues with Dr. Eugene Gendlin’s “Focusing” method.
- Deepen your inner life with imagery, dream-work, and storytelling.
- Enhance your ability to relax and increase vital energy with: Acupressure self-touch and Qigong, a many thousand year old method of cultivating the energy of life.
The Bodymind Healing Center has as a major goal the promotion of Qigong as a tool to enhance Western mind-body healthcare.
For a deeper look into my work with Tai Chi/Qigong please see our companion site: www.bodymindhealing-taichiqigong.com.
Many people think of Qigong as being those beautiful graceful, powerful movements you see people doing in the park; but Qigong also contains static practices (stances from traditions of postural initiation), breathing, and self-touch methods that can be done in stillness. Dr Mayer has introduced to the field of psychotherapy how to bring Qigong into psychotherapy without ever using a Qigong movement or without ever mentioning a word about Qigong. For more information about the benefits of integrating Qigong with psychotherapy please click here .
Esalen Institute, 2006: This “Crane Flying” practice comes from Hua Tau’s First century AD Five Animal Qigong Frolics — good for increasing leg strength, balance, and lightening the heart.
Tai Chi Ruler Qigong: Adapted by Dr. Michael Mayer to be an East-West healing method by incorporating this healing visualization process.
If you would like to purchase the entire 10 sets of Bodymind Healing Qigong, click here.
Bodymind Healing in an Enchanted Cosmos
Pelican Sinks its Chi
Bodymind Healing doesn’t only come from seeing a health professional, but also from the visitations we receive from nature. This photo was taken when Michael was on his way to teach a Tai Chi class at Esalen on how to sink your chi for healing. Synchronically, this Brown Pelican landed on his car and couldn’t be dislodged even with repeated attempts to get it to move by applying acceleration and brakes…showing who is the foremost teacher of the primordial art of sinking the chi:-) A whole chapter on this Pelican Sinking its Chi can be found in the book, The Path of a Reluctant Metaphysician (2012), along with a discussion of many practices that can be done in nature to enhance bodymind healing.