| Revision as of 23:29, 28 April 2014 edit76.107.171.90 (talk) Remove unsourced section.Tag: section blanking← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 20:18, 3 August 2024 edit undoMarksmanRifle (talk | contribs)330 edits Reverted 1 edit by 2003:CE:8703:7800:417D:E750:B834:8A9C (talk)Tags: Twinkle Undo | ||
| (76 intermediate revisions by 37 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{short description|Method of teaching}} | |||
| {{multiple issues| | {{multiple issues| | ||
| {{fringe theories|date=April 2014}} | {{fringe theories|date=April 2014}} | ||
| {{primary sources|date=October 2012}} | {{primary sources|date=October 2012}} | ||
| {{orphan|date=October 2012}} | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| The '''Grinberg Method''' is a |
The '''Grinberg Method''' is a method of teaching that focuses on using the body,<ref name=Grinbass>{{cite web|last=Grinberg|first=Avi|title=About the Grinberg Method|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/about-us.asp|publisher=International Association of GM Practitioners|accessdate=2 May 2014}}</ref> specifically body attention, ] and the individual's direct personal experience. The goal is for people to learn to be attentive to themselves and their surroundings, and stop automatic limiting ] in order to increase their ability to recuperate, and attain personal goals and ]. The method was developed in the early 1980s by Avi Grinberg.<ref name="Jewish Journal">{{cite journal|last=Afra|first=Orit|title=Mind, body and sole|journal=Jewish Journal|date=2011-06-28|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/health/article/mind_body_and_sole_20110628|accessdate=2012-09-13}}</ref> | ||
| == Origin == | == Origin == | ||
| The Grinberg Method was developed by Avi Grinberg, who claimed that people lacked the ability to use their natural capacity for self-healing and to prevent conditions that diminish their quality of life.<ref name="about the founder">{{cite web|title=About the founder|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/about-the-founder.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> He described his observations and reasoning in the book ''Fear, Pain and Some Other Friends''.<ref name="about the founder" /> | |||
| === The founder === | |||
| The method was developed by Avi Grinberg (b. 1955), who engaged in the study and practice of different techniques and methods of various cultures, dedicated to healing and recovery. After several years of working and applying what he had learned he realized that people lacked the know-how of their natural capacity for self-healing and prevention of conditions that diminish their quality of life.<ref name="about the founder">{{cite web|title=About the founder|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/about-the-founder.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Out of this observation he transformed his whole approach, from that of healing people to that of teaching them how to be involved and responsible for their own well-being. Later he described his observations and reasoning in the book Fear, Pain and Some Other Friends (1994).<ref name="about the founder" /> | |||
| Today he concentrates on further development of the method and continues to teach qualified practitioners, trainers and teachers. | |||
| === Development of the method === | |||
| After practicing his new approach for a few years, Avi Grinberg was asked to teach what he specialized in, which at that time was the expanded outlook of foot-analysis, ] and ]. Initially teaching through courses, he gradually consolidated his teachings into a structured methodology. The demand for more teachings led subsequently to the opening of the first school of the Grinberg Method in the late 1980s in Israel. Following the publication of his book Holistic Reflexology in 1989 the method spread to Europe and from there went on to be practiced internationally.<ref>{{cite web|title=Journalist Cinnamon Nippard interviews Avi Grinberg 2012|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HmX4GLXHs|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=30 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Today there are hundreds of independent Qualified Practitioners working around the world and schools teaching the profession in several European countries. The method continues to progress, evolve and refine itself in different topics and aspects, both professionally and in its structure.<ref name="Jewish Journal"/> | |||
| == Concepts of the method == | == Concepts of the method == | ||
| === Shifting attention from mind to body === | === Shifting attention from mind to body === | ||
| His method focuses on body attention based on the view that life is experienced by the body - people's thoughts, actions, feelings and sensations are all expressed in and through the body.<ref>"The body gets specific emphasis because it is seen as the place and medium of all experience. The human being is anchored in the body and is in fact identical with it. Any experience is inseparable from the body, any mental or emotional process has physical correlates...". {{cite book|last=Viermann|first=Birte|title=Evaluation of treatments for the Neck and Shoulders according to the Grinberg Method - Effects of a Body-Oriented Method with a Pedagogic Approach|year=2003|publisher=University of Bielfeld, Germany|page=35}}</ref> Body attention, on his view, is non-verbal and is the experience itself.<ref>{{cite book|last=Grinberg|first=Avi|title=Fear, Pain and some other friends|year=1994|publisher=Astrolog|location=Hod Hasharon|page=16}}</ref> According to his method, uninterrupted, the body will display the natural, inherent inclination to take care of itself, heal, adapt to an ever-changing reality, develop and be fulfilled, thus constantly aiming to reach closer to a state of ].<ref name="Lowen, M.D. 1980 42">{{cite book|last=Lowen, M.D.|first=Alexander|title=Fear of Life - A Therapy for Being|year=1980|publisher=Bioenergetics Press|location=USA|isbn=0-9743737-0-2|page=42}}</ref> | |||
| The method claims that uninterrupted, the body will display the natural, inherent inclination to take care of itself, heal, adapt to an ever-changing reality, develop and be fulfilled, thus constantly aiming to reach closer to a state of ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Lowen, M.D.|first=Alexander|title=Fear of Life - A Therapy for Being|year=1980|publisher=Bioenergetics Press|location=USA|isbn=0-9743737-0-2|pages=42}}</ref> However, the method points out, whereas the body is always in the present and in reality, human attention - and specifically the attention that comes from the mind - can easily move elsewhere, to a quasi-place referred to as "the inner world". | |||
| '''The inner world''' - a term used by the method to indicate the collection of past events, memories, feelings and associations, old pain and fear, beliefs, explanations, theories, and the like, which are accumulated throughout people's lives. When attention is focused and even trapped in the perspective of the inner world, it acts as a filter to what is experienced, causing people to live an inner life disconnected from reality, physicality and the body. It is the opposite of attention being directed to the body and through it to reality. | |||
| {{quotation | As a society we have lost the awareness that our body is who we are, which leads to negligence in many different ways. . . And by forgetting the body, we are only aware of the mind’s interpretation of reality. Instead of experiencing and participating in life, we watch a “movie” about experiencing it.<ref name="The art of touching">{{cite web|title=The art of touching people's lives|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/pdf/Student_handbook.pdf|work=The Grinberg Method professional studies - a student handbook|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=30 September 2012}}</ref>}} | |||
| === Stopping patterns of behavior === | === Stopping patterns of behavior === | ||
| The methodology |
The methodology consists of noticing and clarifying what is happening routinely and "then having the willingness and ability to stop it".<ref>{{cite web|title=Basic concepts|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/basic-concepts.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> The method focuses on a recurring reaction and pattern of behavior of the individual in relation to a routine situation which one wants to alter, maintaining that what a person can really control and be responsible for, is his own reaction. ''Stopping'' is a physical act done with body attention, will and choice, to discontinue the part of the experience that one can perceive and control. For example: a person is scared while studying for an exam and reacts with shallow breathing, contracting the shoulders and diaphragm, locking the knees, becoming worried, and disliking situation. By paying attention to one's body and learning to purposefully reproduce and to stop all these behavior, "...the person can choose to refuse the reaction, relax the shoulders and diaphragm, unlock the knees, breathe differently and stop judging and blaming".<ref name="Lowen, M.D. 1980 42"/> "Letting the body work" means allowing the body to function more freely and rebalance itself.<ref>"I remind my clients...to go back to their breathing, because it raises their level of energy and allows them to feel their bodies more". It's possible then that clients might start to cry or to tremble. "This is the language of the body when it is allowed to speak. Then the body is able to arrange itself with all the new energy" explains the Grinberg teacher". {{cite news|last=Hauner|first=Philipp|title=Die Grinberg-Methode. Massage für die Seele ("Massage for the Soul")|newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online |url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspiegel/gesundheit/die-grinberg-methode-massage-fuer-die-seele/1357156.html|publisher=Der Tagesspiegel|accessdate=24 June 2012}}(translation: Emily Poel)</ref> | ||
| It teaches to recognize and sense physically how a constant and mostly automatic reaction (done without/or little attention and control) appears as an experience of one's body and attention and how one is producing it physically. Automatic reactions are comparable to ] patterns of behavior (in different psychological models such as ] and ]). When conditioning combines unnecessary behavioral components with adpative behaviors (that are rewarded), a misguided, harmful<ref>{{cite book|last=Miltner, W., Birbaumer, N., & Gerber, W.-D.|title=Verhaltensmedizin|year=1986|publisher=Springer|location=Berlin|isbn=978-3540154389|pages=592}}</ref> learning will ensue, that limits the ability of the body to balance itself. Conditioning has been shown to be a possible cause or contribute to maintaining different illness <ref>Viermann, 2003, p. 43-44</ref> Once a person learned more control he can then choose to stop and allow something new. | |||
| '''Stopping''' - In this context stopping means to cease all that one is doing as part of the habit. It is a physical act done with body attention, will and choice, to discontinue the part of the experience that one can perceive and control.<ref>Grinberg refers to the concept of 'stopping' and writes that "The need to do something to break, to change or to stop the unending cycle of repetition is not necessarily an emotional, intellectual or creative need. It is a basic one, common to all living things. It is the need to exceed one's own limits, to continue to develop... to incorporate more". Grinberg, 1994, pp. 32-33</ref> | |||
| The method describes for example: a person is scared while studying for an exam and reacts by breathing shallow, contracting the shoulders and diaphragm, locking the knees, becoming worried, hating the situation and preferring to disappear. By paying attention and learning to purposefully reproduce and to stop all these, "...the person can choose to refuse the reaction, relax the shoulders and diaphragm, unlock the knees, breathe differently and stop judging and blaming".<ref name="The art of touching" /> | |||
| The method claims that by learning to stop an automatic reaction in this manner, one can get a clearer, unattached perspective of the situation and will have gained more control and freedom to choose how to be, thereby creating the desired change. The act of stopping is akin but not identical to the concept of "letting go", as described by ]: "Only by stopping her doing can she reach her being" and "The therapeutic process...involves a "letting go" of these holding actions,...It is not a matter of learning ''how to be'' but of learning ''how not to do''.<ref>Lowen, 1980, p.75,96</ref> | |||
| '''Letting the body work''' - The Grinberg Method uses this term to describe the act of allowing the body to function more freely and rebalance itself. For example, after stopping a habit of contracting the belly, it can begin to gurgle and digest, or after stopping the habit of contracting the chest and being rigid and indifferent, a warm flow can spread with sensation of expanded muscles, flexibility and enthusiasm.<ref>"I remind my clients...to go back to their breathing, because it raises their level of energy and allows them to feel their bodies more". It's possible then that clients might start to cry or to tremble. "This is the language of the body when it is allowed to speak. Then the body is able to arrange itself with all the new energy" explains the Grinberg teacher". {{cite web|last=Hauner|first=Philipp|title=Die Grinberg-Methode. Massage für die Seele ("Massage for the Soul")|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspiegel/gesundheit/die-grinberg-methode-massage-fuer-die-seele/1357156.html|publisher=Der Tagesspiegel|accessdate=24 June 2012}}(translation: Emily Poel)</ref> | |||
| Gaining efficiency in the ability to stop and letting the body work in this way requires practice. In regards to actualizing this, Grinberg writes "The verbal answer to the practical question, "How is it done?"...is like that of the ] monk. If we do not interfere, it happens". He acknowledges that this may sound mysterious or nonsensical yet explains that this is due to the minds inability to comprehend the total experience of the body and limitations in language.<ref>Grinberg, 1994, pp. 92-93</ref> In addition, because one of the main features of habits is repetition, un-doing them usually requires training so it is assimilated within the scope of one's possibilities. | |||
| === Personal history === | === Personal history === | ||
| According to Grinberg, to continue habits automatically is to repeat history, not to perceive reality directly now but rather through filters of the inner-world that include past conclusions and beliefs, old fear and pain, recurring moods etc. The idea of an unresolved or "open" issue actually refers to a state of past imbalance that was never corrected, and which resurfaces repeatedly, as an "open-ended ]".<ref>{{cite book|last=Grinberg|first=Avi|title=Foot Analysis. The Foot Path to Self-discovery|year=1993|publisher=Samuel Weiser|location=York Beach, Maine|isbn=978-0877287803|pages=320, 6}}</ref> Relating to personal history through the body is focused on stopping behaviors that are not relevant to one's present life.<ref>"Therapy cannot eradicate the past. It deals with the past in terms of its effect on the present". Lowen,1980, p. 106</ref> | |||
| When dealing with patterns of behavior, a great deal of importance is placed on separating past from the present, or "being free of the past". The renowned philosopher and ] laureate ] writes: "In the case of living organism, practically everything that is distinctive both of their physical and of their mental behavior is bound up with this persistent influence of the past...the change in response is usually...biologically advantageous to the organism". He summarizes ] observations and uses the term "mnemic phenomena" and ] to refer to the responses of an organism, "When a certain complex of stimuli has originally caused a certain complex of reaction, the recurrence of part of the stimuli tends to cause the recurrence of the whole of the reactions".<ref>{{cite book|last=Russel|first=Bertrand|title=The Analysis of Mind. Influence of Past History on Present Occurrences in Living Organisms|year=2005|origyear=1921|publisher=Dover (G. Allen & Unwin)|location=London|isbn=9780486445519|page=310}}</ref> Habits were learned in the past through repeated situations or intense experiences (such as traumas),<ref>"There are individually different predispositions to reacting with certain conditions that have been acquired through "traumas", over-charging certain physical systems and model learning". {{cite book|last=Flor, H. & Hermann, C.|title=Schmerz. In H. Flor, N. Birbaumer & K. Hahlweg Grundlagen der Verhaltensmedizin|year=1999|publisher=Göttingen|location=Hogrefe|isbn=<!--3801705412 -->9783801705411|page=268}}</ref> and are manifested physically as contracted areas, weakness, ],<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurts R., Prestera H., M.D.|title=The Body Reveals. An Illustrated Guide to the Psychology of the Body|year=1977|publisher=Harper & Row/Quicksilver Books|location=New York|isbn=0060666803|page=148}}</ref> pain and more. | |||
| According to the method, to continue habits automatically means to repeat history,<ref>{{cite book|last=Scaer|first=Robert|title=The Neurophysiology of Healing|year=2006|publisher=Norcross|location=Georgia|oclc=138151968|page=3|quote="The victims of complex trauma often seems to be uncannily vulnerable to being exposed to new and repetitive traumatic experiences. Many times, these experiences seem to replicate the types of trauma that they have experienced in the past". |format=CD}}</ref> not to perceive reality directly now but rather through filters of the inner-world that include past conclusions and believes, old fear and pain, recurring moods etc. The idea of unresolved or "open" issue actually refers to a state of past imbalance that was never corrected, and which resurfaces repeatedly, as an "open-ended ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Grinberg|first=Avi|title=Foot Analysis. The Foot Path to Self-discovery|year=1993|publisher=Samuel Weiser|location=York Beach, Maine|isbn=978-0877287803|pages=320, 6}}</ref> | |||
| Relating to personal history through the body is focused on stopping conclusions that are not relevant anymore to the present reality of one's life,<ref>"Therapy cannot eradicate the past. It deals with the past in terms of its effect on the present". Lowen,1980, p. 106</ref> and gaining back innate qualities and strength that were not available before. | |||
| === Fear === | === Fear === | ||
| ] is a natural protection mechanism, an integral capacity that enables recognition of potential threat. Fear triggers various physical responses that alert, energize and enable quick and relevant action in a dangerous situation. While fear appears at the moment danger arises, human beings can anticipate a fearful event that might happen and trigger a similar response although nothing dangerous is happening.<ref>{{cite web|last=Layton|first=Julia|title=Why Do We Fear?|url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/fear3.htm|work=How Fear Works|accessdate=27 |
According to the method, ] is a natural protection mechanism, an integral capacity that enables recognition of potential threat. Fear triggers various physical responses that alert, energize and enable quick and relevant action in a dangerous situation. While fear appears at the moment danger arises, human beings can anticipate a fearful event that might happen and trigger a similar response although nothing dangerous is happening.<ref>{{cite web|last=Layton|first=Julia|title=Why Do We Fear?|url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/fear3.htm|work=How Fear Works|date=13 September 2005 |accessdate=27 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Flowers|first=Alison|title=Fearing fear perpetuates fear, psychologist says|url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=101455|work=Medill Reports -Chicago|publisher=Medill school|accessdate=23 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|last=Reid|first=Natasha|title=The stress buster|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/may/08/healthandwellbeing.health2|accessdate=29 September 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=May 8, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Fear in the Grinberg Method|url=http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,16066632,00.html#16217183|work=Deutschen Welle radio show in English|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | ||
| According to the method letting the body naturally process fear is what teaches one to effectively handle it, “If you try to run away from it, if you try to hide from it, if you take a Xanax, if you don’t stick it out until it naturally subsides, then that’s actually how you perpetuate fear”.<ref>{{cite web|last=Flowers|first=Alison|title=Fearing fear perpetuates fear, psychologist says|url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=101455|work=Medill Reports -Chicago|publisher=Medill school|accessdate=23 June 2012}}</ref> | |||
| The Grinberg Method describes that what people generally identify as fear (for example: I freeze, I feel helpless, all my muscles cramp, I cannot breathe) is actually their reaction to fear, as mostly they are not in a ] situation. Other reactions to fear include worry, hesitation, anxiety, distrust, panic and more. | |||
| The teaching about fear in the Grinberg Method aims to stop automatic reactions to it embedded in the body and in one's perception. It also addresses old fears and conclusions drawn from them, which have a negative effect on the body and in people's life.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|last=Reid|first=Natasha|title=The stress buster|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/may/08/healthandwellbeing.health2|accessdate=29 September 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8/5/2007}}</ref> People are taught to use their attention and physicality to stop blocking fear and instead allow it as a sensation of flow or movement of energy, and so gain the benefits it can bring such as vitality, clarity of thinking, concentration, decisiveness and more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fear in the Grinberg Method|url=http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,16066632,00.html#16217183|work=Deutschen Welle radio show in English|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| === Pain === | === Pain === | ||
| Grinberg views ] as a major part of the ].<ref name="Transforming Pain">{{cite web|title=Transforming Pain|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/pdf/Transforming_pain.pdf|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> He claims even though pain is a natural part of life, the body can accommodate and transform it. People often do not know how to let the body deal with pain, consequently it generates fear and efforts to avoid it.<ref name="Transforming Pain" /> Practicing the methodology is intended to teach people to gain control and stop trying to avoid the pain, to be fully attentive to their body and experience of it. When this occurs, energy is freed to deal with the pain and related sensations, giving the body an opportunity to mend and heal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Online personal lesson of working with pain|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nar6PYcGYeE|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> This can be applied to any form of pain or discomfort, and regular focused practice can develop more confidence and courage to cope in painful circumstances.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pain in the Grinberg Method|url=http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,16066506,00.html#16197111|work=Deutschen Welle radio show in English|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| The Grinberg Method relates to ] as it is a major part of the ] and attention.<ref name="Transforming Pain">{{cite web|title=Transforming Pain|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/pdf/Transforming_pain.pdf|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> Pain is the body's way to indicate a state of being unwell, of injury or ].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fink|first=Regina|title=Pain assessment: the cornerstone to optimal pain management|journal=Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent)|date=July 2000|volume=13(3)|issue=Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings|pages=236–239|pmc=1317046|last2=Kosten|first2=TR|pmid=16389388}}</ref> It can also be a warning sign when there is harm to the general ], as in events such as loss, failure, separation, etc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/8332|accessdate=3 Nov 2011|title=Study illuminates the 'pain' of social rejection|author=Diane Swanbrow|work=University of Michigan News Service|date=25 March 2011}}</ref><ref name="PNAS">{{cite journal|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|title=Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain|date=12 April 2011|volume=108|issue=15|pages=6270–5|doi=10.1073/pnas.1102693108|pmid=21444827|format=free PDF|url=http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/03/22/1102693108|accessdate=3 Nov 2011|author=Kross, Ethan; Berman, Marc G; ''et al''|pmc=3076808}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=MacDonald, G; Leary MR|journal=Psychological Bulletin|title=Why does social exclusion hurt? The relationship between social and physical pain|year=2005|volume=131|issue=2|pages=202–223|doi=10.1037/0033-2909.131.2.202|pmid=15740417|format=free PDF|url=http://www.sozialpsychologie.uni-frankfurt.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/MacDonald-Leary-20051.pdf|accessdate=7 May 2012}}</ref> It is an essential element of the body's defense system, prompting the healing process and vital for continued healthy existence,<ref name= Lynn1984>{{vcite book | author = Lynn B | authorlink = | editor = Winlow W, Holden AV | others = | title = The neurobiology of pain: Symposium of the Northern Neurobiology Group, held at Leeds on 18 April 1983 | edition = | publisher = Manchester University Press | location = Manchester | year = 1984 | pages = | isbn = 0-7190-0996-0 | page = 106 | chapter = Cutaneous nociceptors | chapterurl = http://books.google.com.au/books?id=S7rnAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA106&=true#v=onepage&q&f=false | accessdate = }}</ref><ref name= Bernston2008>{{vcite book | author = Bernston GG, Cacioppo JT | authorlink = | editor = Gardner WL, Shah JY | others = | title = Handbook of Motivation Science | edition = | publisher = The Guilford Press | location = New York | year = 2007 | page = 191 | isbn = 1-59385-568-0 | oclc = | chapter = The neuroevolution of motivation | chapterurl = http://books.google.com.au/books?id=iCxpZkZtDG8C&pg=PT209&dq=%22One+general+class+of+spinal+reflexes+consists+of+the+flexor+(pain)+withdrawal%22&cd=1#v=onepage&q=%22One%20general%20class%20of%20spinal%20reflexes%20consists%20of%20the%20flexor%20(pain)%20withdrawal%22&f=true | accessdate = }}</ref> and is one of the most powerful forces to affect life, behavior and the ability to learn. Yet, the method claims, despite it being a natural facet of life, one which the body can largely accommodate and transform, usually people do not know how to let the body deal with it, consequently generating much fear, efforts to avoid it and complications.<ref name="Transforming Pain" /> | |||
| The experience of pain is subjective, variable within the perception of the individual, and is influenced by other factors like cultural values, social expectations and previous experiences.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cole|first=Anthony H.|title=Scientific definition of pain|url=http://pagestonycole.wordpress.com/definition-of-pain/|work=How pain affects you and those around you|publisher=WorkPress.com|accessdate=24 June 2012}}</ref> The latter may manifest in behavior, for example: ignoring, overcoming pain, or blaming and dramatizing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health|title=Pain Management|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2584700639/pain-management.html|publisher=Encyclopedia.com|accessdate=24 June 2012}}</ref> Such tendencies are usually taught, learned and repeated from an early age, sometimes to adjust to a particular situation, but can become a default reaction whenever any pain exists. | |||
| To the method's view, these reactions, which appear to be inseparable from the pain, distract attention away from the body in an attempt to reduce the intensity and impact of pain. The effort to resist and block pain away, to perceive it different, appears as muscular tension, contraction, reduced breathing, rigidity and limitation of movements.<ref name=Albawaba /> It is a struggle done with excess effort, that when persists, can add more pain and render it ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Linton, Steven J.,|first=Shaw, William S.|title=Impact of Psychological Factors in the Experience of Pain|url=http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/91/5/700.full|publisher=Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association|accessdate=28.09.12}}</ref> It also strains, weakens and exhausts and may lead to recurring moods, change of attitude and suffering. | |||
| Practicing the methodology is intended to teach people to gain control and stop all that they continuously do to avoid the existing pain, to be fully attentive with their body and perceive the full experience of it. When this is allowed, more energy is free to be directed and invested in dealing with the pain and other sensations around it, giving the body a better opportunity to mend and heal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Online personal lesson of working with pain|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nar6PYcGYeE|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> This can be applied to any form of pain or discomfort, and regular focused practice can develop more confidence and courage to cope in painful circumstances.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pain in the Grinberg Method|url=http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,16066506,00.html#16197111|work=Deutschen Welle radio show in English|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| == Grinberg Method practices == | |||
| === Tools of the method === | |||
| The teaching of the Grinberg Method employs varied techniques that aim to expand body-attention in combination with verbal communication. These include, depending on the activity, the use of techniques of touch, foot analysis and foot-work, questionnaires, descriptive writing, exercises and free movement.<ref>{{cite web|last=Horgan|first=Richard|title=Holistic Scar Treatment|url=http://www.sophisticatededge.com/holistic-scar-treatment.html|publisher=Sophisticated Edge|accessdate=28.09.12}}</ref> | |||
| Beyond that, the method considers it imperative that the approach and attitude of teaching and learning be kept throughout any activity.<ref name=Ethics>{{cite web|title=Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/code_of_ethics.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> To that end they explain the following: | |||
| '''Instructive touch''' - touch is viewed as a way of communicating with the body and the techniques of touch are used in order to teach. Touch serves to pull a person's attention away from the inner world, calling it to focus on a certain area in the body and the experience that takes place. Four basic types of touch with numerable variations and about two hundred techniques are used.<ref name="The art of touching" /> | |||
| '''Talking to the body''' - Verbal communication is used to clarify a person's experience, focus attention and affect the body. Importance is placed, when conversing, on shifting attention from the verbal concepts to include the full and real experience in the body.<ref name="The art of touching" /> Therefore language is used in a descriptive and direct manner, clarifying any expressions or phrases that could have a different meaning or interpretations.<ref>Viermann, 2003, p.24</ref> | |||
| === Personal process === | |||
| A personal process is a series of sessions conducted by a Qualified Practitioner with a client. The process begins with defining the client's aim and agreeing on what recurring reaction needs to be stopped in order to reach it. This is described verbally and by showing how it appears in the body and in connection to everyday life. The analysis, through the body and feet, is also used to provide further information as to the state of the client.<ref name="The art of touching" /> | |||
| The practitioner devises a strategy for teaching the relevant lessons, fitting to the client. | |||
| During sessions the practitioner uses any of the techniques, foremost of which is instructive touch. The practitioner can also select different postures or positioning of the body (lying, sitting, standing or moving) while working, to focus on certain area, quality or any aspect of the client's experience. | |||
| At the beginning of a process clients are usually taught basic and general lessons of paying attention to the body; options of breathing, relaxing, control of muscles, letting go of effort, quieting the mind etc. With this achieved, the practitioner teaches the client to perceive additional physical sensations that accompany aspects of the described reaction such as acts, movement, thoughts and intentions, emotions and previous relevant history. While perceiving this the client learns more control of how he produces the reaction with the body and attention. Ultimately the aim is for the client to be able to create by choice a previously uncontrolled reaction, to stop it and allow a natural and individual state of being.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is a personal process|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/personal-process.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| As a process is viewed as a learning experience, its progress and gains are considered to be influenced not just by the practitioner's skill and proficiency, but also by the client's ability and willingness to participate actively and be involved.<ref name="The Guardian" /> | |||
| '''Recovery process:''' | |||
| A specific methodology is used in cases of acute physical conditions, injuries and symptoms. It aims to encourage the natural ability of the body to heal itself and regain full recovery and ], by providing and teaching the conditions to do so. Lessons of letting go of reactions to pain, agreeing to fear and allowing the body to work with different sensations are directed and focused on the physical condition and aim. It is done with intensity and urgency that fits the struggle and resources of the body to regain health. | |||
| A current research to show reduction of chronic low-back pain and improvement in quality of life is being conducted in the Sourasky medical center in Tel-Aviv.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Effect of Grinberg Method (GM) Intervention on Low-back Pain (LBP) and Improving the Quality of Life|url=http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01474447/|publisher=Clinical Trials.gov|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| === Group activities === | |||
| Group activities are taught by Licensed Trainers and Teachers of the Grinberg Method. These include group processes, workshops and classes on varied topics.<ref>{{cite web|title=Performance - Grinberg Method's Movement Class|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjECn1gmYTc|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=30 September 2012}}</ref> In these activities, participants learn through lectures and discussions the theoretical approach of the method to the subject at-hand, and engage in experiential practice through exercises, writing descriptions, demonstrations and individual training.<ref>{{cite web|title=Group Process|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/group-process.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| == Profession == | == Profession == | ||
| To qualify as a Grinberg Method practitioner, students complete a three years program of at least 990 academic hours of study and training. To advance to the second and third year of studies, students have to pass a supervision meeting with a Licensed Teacher, for which they get a certificate for their learning stage (Practitioner Level 1 and 2). At the end of their third year, students demonstrate their work with clients in two supervised meetings, submit two training programs and complete the graduation requirements as set by the Supervisory Academic Board of the Grinberg Method.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who we are|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/who-we-are.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> Following satisfactory fulfillment of these conditions, they receive a Diploma of Qualified Practitioner, and can join the International Association of Grinberg Method Practitioners (IAGMP) and continue to post-graduate advanced courses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Professional Studies|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/professional-studies.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| === Professional studies === | |||
| In order to qualify as a Grinberg Method practitioner and teach personal processes, students complete a three years program of at least 990 academic hours of studies and training. To advance to the second and third year of studies, students have to pass a supervision meeting with a Licensed Teacher, for which they get a certificate of their learning stage (Practitioner Level 1 and 2). At the end of the third year, students demonstrate their work with clients in two supervision meetings, submit two training programs and complete the graduation requirements as set by the Supervisory Academic Board of the Grinberg Method.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who we are|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/who-we-are.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Following satisfactory fulfillment of these conditions, they receive a Diploma of Qualified Practitioner, and can join the International Association of Grinberg Method Practitioners (IAGMP) and continue to post-graduate advanced courses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Professional Studies|url=http://www.grinbergmethod.com/professional-studies.asp|publisher=Grinberg Method.com|accessdate=29 September 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Trainers who teach group activities are Qualified Practitioners, who complete the Trainer's Program. After completion they are licensed to develop and teach activities of different subjects of their interest, using the concepts and principles of the method. They are supervised and their license is renewed annually by Avi Grinberg and a committee that follows their advancement. They are independent in organizing and managing their activities. | |||
| The Teachers of the professional studies are Licensed Trainers who acquired successful experience in teaching in groups. They follow a Teacher's Training program to receive an annual license to open a school for teaching students to become practitioners and follow their development. The Committee for Continuous Professional and Personal Development of the method, headed by Avi Grinberg, supervises their work and renews their license. There are several schools, currently in Europe, that are managed independently by the teachers. | |||
| === Ethics === | |||
| The Grinberg Method defines the context and limits of its utilization to ensure ethical, safe and appropriate application. It states on its official website and other publications the following disclaimer: "The Grinberg Method is a methodology of attention that teaches through expanding and focusing body attention. It does not claim to heal, to be an alternative medicine, a massage therapy, or to be considered among the helping professions. It is not intended for persons suffering from conditions considered life threatening. Nor for those with conditions or serious illnesses that require ] or psychiatric attention. Moreover, it is not intended to be a substitute for any kind of required treatment. The method has no ideological or mystical basis and does not demand any particular lifestyle". | |||
| '''The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct of the Grinberg Method''' – This ethical code delineates the principles, practices and values that are required to be kept by all students and Qualified Practitioners who are members of the IAGMP. It details aspects pertaining to the work, that include the conduct and aim of a personal process, the standards of professional environment and the role of the practitioner.<ref name=Ethics /> | |||
| == Controversies == | == Controversies == | ||
| In 2012, in a Swiss TV program, Danièle Muller, President of the Swiss Association for the Defense of the Family and the Individual (ASDFI), claimed to have received testimonials from people who have completed the training to become Grinberg trainers. According to Muller, they say that the leaders of the method intervened in their private lives, they drift from their friends and their families, investing all their time and money "in promoting the method." | |||
| In the same TV program, a psychiatrist who deals with the treatment of victims of sectarian derivals claims to have worked with several former members and according to her at Grinberg this is what is taught: "Your body knows a truth about yourself that your head ignores, and me, the therapist, masseur, I will tell you what your body feels". For the psychiatrist it is destructive of any possible private sphere and there is no possibility to keep a safe distance between the patient and the therapist.<ref name=UNADFI>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192250/http://www.unadfi.org/d-anciens-praticiens-de-la-methode |date=2013-10-29 }}". UNADFI (copy of article from Radio Television Suisse, 3 June 2012).</ref><ref name=SwissTV>"". ] (Swiss national television) 03 juin 2012.</ref> | |||
| In 2012 Danièle Muller, President of the Swiss Association for the Defense of the Family and the Individual (ASDFI), claimed to have received testimonials from people who have completed the training to become Grinberg trainers. According to Muller, they say that the leaders of the method intervened in their private lives, they drift from their friends and their families, investing their time and money "in promoting the method." | |||
| == References == | |||
| A psychiatrist who deals with the treatment of victims of cults claims to have worked with several former members and according to her they told that at Grinberg this is what is taught: "Your body knows a truth about yourself that your head ignores, and me, the therapist, masseur, I will tell you what your body feels". For the psychiatrist there is no possibility to keep a safe distance between the patient and the therapist.<ref name=UNADFI>"". UNADFI (copy of article from Radio Television Suisse, 3 June 2012).</ref><ref name=SwissTV>"". ] (Swiss national television) 03 juin 2012.</ref> | |||
| {{Reflist|30em}} | |||
| == Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||
| * Grinberg, Avi, ''Holistic Reflexology'' (1989) HarperCollins, |
* Grinberg, Avi, ''Holistic Reflexology'' (1989) HarperCollins, {{ISBN|978-0722516126}} | ||
| * Grinberg, Avi, ''Foot Analysis. The Foot Path to Self-discovery'' (1993) Samuel Weiser, |
* Grinberg, Avi, ''Foot Analysis. The Foot Path to Self-discovery'' (1993) Samuel Weiser, {{ISBN|0877287805}} | ||
| * Grinberg, Avi, ''Fear, Pain and Some Other Friends'' (1994) Astrolog (Hod Hasharon, Israel) | * Grinberg, Avi, ''Fear, Pain and Some Other Friends'' (1994) Astrolog (Hod Hasharon, Israel) | ||
| == See also == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| == References == | |||
| {{Reflist|2}} | |||
| == External links == | == External links == | ||
| * | * | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:18, 3 August 2024
Method of teaching | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The Grinberg Method is a method of teaching that focuses on using the body, specifically body attention, perception and the individual's direct personal experience. The goal is for people to learn to be attentive to themselves and their surroundings, and stop automatic limiting habits in order to increase their ability to recuperate, and attain personal goals and well-being. The method was developed in the early 1980s by Avi Grinberg.
Origin
The Grinberg Method was developed by Avi Grinberg, who claimed that people lacked the ability to use their natural capacity for self-healing and to prevent conditions that diminish their quality of life. He described his observations and reasoning in the book Fear, Pain and Some Other Friends.
Concepts of the method
Shifting attention from mind to body
His method focuses on body attention based on the view that life is experienced by the body - people's thoughts, actions, feelings and sensations are all expressed in and through the body. Body attention, on his view, is non-verbal and is the experience itself. According to his method, uninterrupted, the body will display the natural, inherent inclination to take care of itself, heal, adapt to an ever-changing reality, develop and be fulfilled, thus constantly aiming to reach closer to a state of well-being.
Stopping patterns of behavior
The methodology consists of noticing and clarifying what is happening routinely and "then having the willingness and ability to stop it". The method focuses on a recurring reaction and pattern of behavior of the individual in relation to a routine situation which one wants to alter, maintaining that what a person can really control and be responsible for, is his own reaction. Stopping is a physical act done with body attention, will and choice, to discontinue the part of the experience that one can perceive and control. For example: a person is scared while studying for an exam and reacts with shallow breathing, contracting the shoulders and diaphragm, locking the knees, becoming worried, and disliking situation. By paying attention to one's body and learning to purposefully reproduce and to stop all these behavior, "...the person can choose to refuse the reaction, relax the shoulders and diaphragm, unlock the knees, breathe differently and stop judging and blaming". "Letting the body work" means allowing the body to function more freely and rebalance itself.
Personal history
According to Grinberg, to continue habits automatically is to repeat history, not to perceive reality directly now but rather through filters of the inner-world that include past conclusions and beliefs, old fear and pain, recurring moods etc. The idea of an unresolved or "open" issue actually refers to a state of past imbalance that was never corrected, and which resurfaces repeatedly, as an "open-ended gestalt". Relating to personal history through the body is focused on stopping behaviors that are not relevant to one's present life.
Fear
According to the method, fear is a natural protection mechanism, an integral capacity that enables recognition of potential threat. Fear triggers various physical responses that alert, energize and enable quick and relevant action in a dangerous situation. While fear appears at the moment danger arises, human beings can anticipate a fearful event that might happen and trigger a similar response although nothing dangerous is happening.
Pain
Grinberg views pain as a major part of the human condition. He claims even though pain is a natural part of life, the body can accommodate and transform it. People often do not know how to let the body deal with pain, consequently it generates fear and efforts to avoid it. Practicing the methodology is intended to teach people to gain control and stop trying to avoid the pain, to be fully attentive to their body and experience of it. When this occurs, energy is freed to deal with the pain and related sensations, giving the body an opportunity to mend and heal. This can be applied to any form of pain or discomfort, and regular focused practice can develop more confidence and courage to cope in painful circumstances.
Profession
To qualify as a Grinberg Method practitioner, students complete a three years program of at least 990 academic hours of study and training. To advance to the second and third year of studies, students have to pass a supervision meeting with a Licensed Teacher, for which they get a certificate for their learning stage (Practitioner Level 1 and 2). At the end of their third year, students demonstrate their work with clients in two supervised meetings, submit two training programs and complete the graduation requirements as set by the Supervisory Academic Board of the Grinberg Method. Following satisfactory fulfillment of these conditions, they receive a Diploma of Qualified Practitioner, and can join the International Association of Grinberg Method Practitioners (IAGMP) and continue to post-graduate advanced courses.
Controversies
In 2012, in a Swiss TV program, Danièle Muller, President of the Swiss Association for the Defense of the Family and the Individual (ASDFI), claimed to have received testimonials from people who have completed the training to become Grinberg trainers. According to Muller, they say that the leaders of the method intervened in their private lives, they drift from their friends and their families, investing all their time and money "in promoting the method."
In the same TV program, a psychiatrist who deals with the treatment of victims of sectarian derivals claims to have worked with several former members and according to her at Grinberg this is what is taught: "Your body knows a truth about yourself that your head ignores, and me, the therapist, masseur, I will tell you what your body feels". For the psychiatrist it is destructive of any possible private sphere and there is no possibility to keep a safe distance between the patient and the therapist.
References
- Grinberg, Avi. "About the Grinberg Method". International Association of GM Practitioners. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- Afra, Orit (2011-06-28). "Mind, body and sole". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ^ "About the founder". Grinberg Method.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "The body gets specific emphasis because it is seen as the place and medium of all experience. The human being is anchored in the body and is in fact identical with it. Any experience is inseparable from the body, any mental or emotional process has physical correlates...". Viermann, Birte (2003). Evaluation of treatments for the Neck and Shoulders according to the Grinberg Method - Effects of a Body-Oriented Method with a Pedagogic Approach. University of Bielfeld, Germany. p. 35.
- Grinberg, Avi (1994). Fear, Pain and some other friends. Hod Hasharon: Astrolog. p. 16.
- ^ Lowen, M.D., Alexander (1980). Fear of Life - A Therapy for Being. USA: Bioenergetics Press. p. 42. ISBN 0-9743737-0-2.
- "Basic concepts". Grinberg Method.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "I remind my clients...to go back to their breathing, because it raises their level of energy and allows them to feel their bodies more". It's possible then that clients might start to cry or to tremble. "This is the language of the body when it is allowed to speak. Then the body is able to arrange itself with all the new energy" explains the Grinberg teacher". Hauner, Philipp. "Die Grinberg-Methode. Massage für die Seele ("Massage for the Soul")". Der Tagesspiegel Online. Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 24 June 2012.(translation: Emily Poel)
- Grinberg, Avi (1993). Foot Analysis. The Foot Path to Self-discovery. York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser. pp. 320, 6. ISBN 978-0877287803.
- "Therapy cannot eradicate the past. It deals with the past in terms of its effect on the present". Lowen,1980, p. 106
- Layton, Julia (13 September 2005). "Why Do We Fear?". How Fear Works. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- Flowers, Alison. "Fearing fear perpetuates fear, psychologist says". Medill Reports -Chicago. Medill school. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- Reid, Natasha (May 8, 2007). "The stress buster". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Fear in the Grinberg Method". Deutschen Welle radio show in English. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ "Transforming Pain" (PDF). Grinberg Method.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Online personal lesson of working with pain". Youtube. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Pain in the Grinberg Method". Deutschen Welle radio show in English. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Who we are". Grinberg Method.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Professional Studies". Grinberg Method.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Union Nationale des Associations de Défense des Familles et de l'individu Victimes de Sectes Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine". UNADFI (copy of article from Radio Television Suisse, 3 June 2012).
- "Massages polémiques, faits divers fascinant, l'argent des concerts". Radio Télévision Suisse (Swiss national television) 03 juin 2012.
Further reading
- Grinberg, Avi, Holistic Reflexology (1989) HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0722516126
- Grinberg, Avi, Foot Analysis. The Foot Path to Self-discovery (1993) Samuel Weiser, ISBN 0877287805
- Grinberg, Avi, Fear, Pain and Some Other Friends (1994) Astrolog (Hod Hasharon, Israel)