Memory and the Body (Part I)

There are so many ways to look at a person.  As clinicians, we tend to look at clients or patients as being their deficits or their strengths (maybe as humans we tend to look at most everything and everyone in this way).  And with this assessment of deficits and strengths comes a clinical intelligence that tends to pigeonhole or make biased, non-elastic critiques.

"Clinical intelligence" becomes rather stupid in this way, mostly because it is rigid and non-curious.  It's the human condition to do this; to rely on a knowledge base (often skewed) to know someone.  We all do this, usually out of our cultural indoctrination. This is why the developmentally delayed, physically challenged, ancient/aged, person of "difference" becomes almost invisible, is ignored or discounted and easily subject to abuse or neglect.  They are not seen in their entirety.

What we all have in common as human beings is a muscle, cellular memory, an aspect of our being that stays intact even when the normal markers of "intelligence" (cognition, reason, memory) is no longer available.  One can experience this body memory through the event of having a practice (like yoga, qigong or tai chi), losing it for a time and then coming back to it.  While "away" from the practice, if one is somewhat sensitive, one notices the change in movement patterns, balance and general flow. Regaining the practice, it is notable to see the general improvement in respiration and agility.  It's remarkable.  The body remembers with repetition.  The cells rally and behave in concert, muscle tissue responds.  This is possible even in the ancient and infirm, the unfit and generally passive body. When a muscle is repeatedly required to mobilize itself, even in the most weakened self, it gets stronger, it does what it is supposed to do, because it remembers through repetition (practice). This cell/muscle memory doesn't forget entirely even in a dormant state.  A reminder (repetition) has it soon responding to its nature and its natural design.

This is a good argument for parents to encourage their children's natural propensities and for people in general to know their own natures, gifts and truths (and hopefully spend a lifetime exploring them).  The natural design in our neurons, chemistry and physicality is also present in our psych, spirit and soul's memory.  What is natural in a person, is the flow of the person.  What flows freely in a person is a manifestation of their natural cellular memory, which can be relied upon time and again. This is their true intelligence. Coming out of a surgery, experiencing terrible pain could be helped by knowing a person's nature.  Those who are kinesthetic-based, touch oriented would be supported by touch.  Those who are auditory, a musician, lover of music, could be distracted (pleasurably) by music.  Those who have a lifelong practice of yoga breathing, could be helped to return to that in that moment of need.

From this point of view, the loss of cognitive memory is but an aspect of the whole.  The "usual" (memory) is not accountable, but one's deep truth embedded in one's cells and muscle memory is reliable.  Much of the (subtle energetic) trauma present in institutional care is the disregard of this wholeness, the lack of recognition and hence denial of a person's natural Being.  When this is seen and allowed to manifest, a fuller healing, even a flourishing transpires.  In this significant period of vulnerability, the subtle (cell memory) can go unrecognized, even become invisible.

Who advocates for the Wholeness in a person in this vulnerable circumstance?  Healthcare providers are the mechanics of the medical nuts and bolts in the institutional stay. Realistically, they have their hands full monitoring the science and administrative factors of the healing.  For them to have an understanding of the energetics of healing, well then you've got a super person on your team. The subtler aspects of healing most often falls on family and trusted others. Their presence at the bedside is not to "protect" the mechanical medical care of the loved one (health professionals pretty much know what they are doing), but to ensure this internal flow, cellular memory is accessible in the healing process. The more a patient can access their flow (sense of humor, their joie de vivre, nature), the more complete their healing process can be.  Without it, healing takes longer and generally is incomplete, one's vital nature having not been included.

The deep seated memory in the body is for us to recognize, mine and appreciate.  But first we must remember and understand that it is ours to be had.