The Lower Chakras & Synthesis of Body & Soul

"The Lower Chakras & Synthesis of Body & Soul" --
and two sister essays
"Body Memory and Soul-Interplay in Learning Life Lessons"
and
"Psycho-Emotional Organization and the Body-Mind"

Section Topics & Links

  Introduction & Context (Just Below)
  "The Lower Chakras & Synthesis of Body & Soul"
  "Body Memory and Soul-Interplay in Learning Life Lessons"
  "Psycho-Emotional Organization and the Body-Mind"
  "A Brief Cosmology Regarding the Body-Mind, Attitudes, and Chakras"
  Copyright/Disclosure, Author, & HomePage Info

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INTRODUCTION
& Putting these Topics in Context with Each Other & with Other Writings at this Web Site
This essay comprises a complex and not easily separated set of topics, each of which deserve its concentrated focus -- so far, however, I have left the essay as originally written some years ago, often an interrelating of various elements

In many discussions about the body's energy centers, it seems there is a tendency to portray the upper chakras as if they are more important, even more beneficent, and the lower chakras almost as elements to avoid focus on altogether. This "protective" viewpoint has its merits up to a point. Yet it provides a dis-service in the long run to those who desire to eventually understand the purpose of the human plight on the material plane of existence, and the instrumental role of the chakras therein. I certainly don't claim to understand *ALL* about this, but I will do my best to convey the essentials of the title topics in the light of the various teachings I have studied.
Once I have established what I consider a more balanced perspective of the relative importance of the roles of all the (seven primary) chakras, then I will attempt to organize their roles in a psychologically meaningful and useful way.
To begin with, I will give a very brief description of the chakras. I am trusting that others' many detailed and effective treatises on the subject do a fine job of developing the existential depth on the basics and more. That leaves me to make the points that I want to focus on here. You might find it helpful (to gain context) to checkout the overview of "A Brief Cosmology Regarding the Body-Mind, Attitudes, and Chakras," either now or after reading the next section or two.

Essentially then, the chakras are the primary conduits and transformers of energy coming into the body from God/The Source/Higher Power. From here the energy is distributed to what we recognize as the major energy systems of the body, primarily the endocrine, nervous, and circulatory systems. Their are other lesser known systems that perform the distribution from the chakras to these aforementioned systems, one of which is the meridian system - what has been more commonly referred to as the system of acupuncture points.
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"The Lower Chakras & Synthesis of Body & Soul" --

The chakras, or energy centers are generally (traditionally) taught as seven in number, 3 "lower", and 4 "upper." The teachers of eastern spiritual perspectives have described the attributes and functions of chakras in various ways. Some of those ways seem to support a view that, as regards one's spiritual growth, there is little purpose in, and therefore little need for focus on, the lower chakras or their various aspects as related to one's psyche, body, and Life. If I didn't know better I might wonder if the lower chakras were primarily "negative" in character and the upper chakras primarily "positive." But it also strikes the same chords (in me) as the idea that the body is source of all evil.

Coming from a gestalt and somewhat Buddhist paradigm, one also acknowledges that any power (or individual chakra) can be fraught with attachments and/or be highly liberated. I appreciate the different aspects of any one chakra, including how a chakra relates/communicates with each other chakra (or doesn't, depending on the individual's current place in process). Therefore an individual can conceivably be somewhat advanced in some areas of a chakra's functionality and be relatively attached in other areas of function of that same chakra. More on this in the section, A Brief Cosmology Regarding the Body-Mind, Attitudes, and Chakras

This essay presents a view that honors the balanced and complementary roles of all the chakras as they work together. I will also relate these roles directly to the dynamic of memory storage in the body as related to personality issues and the process of human personal/spiritual growth. This is written from the highly gestalt view that honors each coping mechanism originated in childhood. It honors these and their related challenges as primary (albeit raw) resources for talents, skills, and gifts --towards the realization of one's highest potential. All are considered parts of the Soul's original plan for the growth of the personality in a given lifetime. More on this below in the section on Body Memory and in depth at "The Body Pattern Assessment/Reading and Understanding the Pattern Triad"

I believe that many of the qualities commonly ascribed to the chakras can be unduly limiting. For instance, a quality often associated with the 1st Chakra is Fear, with the 2nd chakra is Sex, and with the 3rd chakra is Manipulation. All of a sudden we get that 'Unconditional Love' is the quality for the 4th, or Heart, chakra. (Hmmm, that reminds me of the idea that, if we just simply follow the Ten Commandments, then we'll just go right past goal, collect [$200 and…] our rewards in heaven - and do all this in ONE lifetime. And even if my life is only 2 weeks long and I was born in Somalia… well, uh, too bad. And that a Loving God designed that path, to boot. And… that's not my idea of divine foresight, let alone divine love. If, however, we were to throw in the full implications of 'the Golden Rule' as a requirement, I might go along with that idea, but then I still wonder how would each person be given the opportunity to understand each other person without much more broad experience than one lifetime offers?) I acknowledge the basis for these chakra-role associations, and I would like to add balance and clarity -- at the risk of also adding a bit more complexity -- regarding the essential functional roles the chakra system plays.

"Fear"? Yes, but how is there fear without the opposite quality of FAITH? 'Rootedness'...Basic SUPPORT and NEEDS MET (or not) are base chakra related issues/challenges. The form or STRUCTURE of family rules provides LIMITS for children to feel themselves against and reflected off of. Without this, goals are not realistically perceived, set, and achieved. The Earth Mother HOSTS its children.

"Having a foot (or footing) to STAND on" also relates to our BASIC SECURITY that life is there for us. One cannot transcend what one does not OWN -- or own-up TO -- God doesn't SHELTER us from our lessons - the gross physicality of "stuff" on our path - because God IS Faith in Life to be All That God Is. But we learn what true PROTECTION is through the lessons of the base chakra. In God we TRUST.

I see the 1st chakra as the center that defines "Earth-Centered" spiritual paths as distinct from other spiritual paths. This includes honoring the different forms which God manifests as -- as vehicles for experience -- necessary for the process of realization of the Divine. The term "Groundedness" would have no meaning without the ground, or base, chakra. Hence neither would any other chakra.

Form = Structure = MATRIX = LIFE = MOTHER

Emotion, or E-Motivation, that essential to get one to do anything all while living in a body, really begins at the 2nd chakra level, because it takes TWO to create an electric charge which is necessary to get current to move from pt.A to pt.B. POLARITY. This is the essential quality of the 2nd chakra. Yes, sexual nature comes from this chakra. But ANY interaction in the universe has to have a charge, via two or more participating elements. And the result is CREATION of a 3rd aspect, whether it was from two brain hemispheres, two hearts, two hands, two cells, or two people lighting up like Christmas trees with stars on top (e.g.: tantra). KEYWORDS: MAGNETISM, ATTRACTION, DESIRE (MOTIVATION), PLAY, CREATIVITY.

The 3rd Chakra takes creation, DEFINES it and makes functional separations - MANIPULATES - in order to make sense and USEFULNESS of the different elements it has defined. Having food [for mind/body], I DIGEST/ANALYZE, DIFFERENTIATE, and ASSIMILATE mental, emotional, AND physical elements. Breaking down food into molecules, I refine sources of power for my cells. To the degree I define experience as words, I can compare, sort, and choose words and symbols, as elements of POWER in digesting and relating concepts. With these PROCESSES I perceive where I, others, and things begin and end: hence, BOUNDARIES. (ie: "Questions for Boundaries -- Effective Communications of position, intention, & message, Maintaining Clarity for appropriate Connection, Direction, & Protection.") Without them, without DISCRIMINATION, we may experience ENMESHMENT. Perceiving how others do all this as well, with GUT FEELINGS (instinct or "radar"), we sense ROLES and other data about people and situations. Theosophy refers to this as "lower psychism" (as opposed to telepathy). With EMPATHY we meet the need to feel, sort, and ORGANIZE self's and others' feelings (according to their perceived appropriateness for a purpose) and have RELATIONS.

One can "EMPATH" another's condition, whether the intention is selfless or from an unconscious need to "prove" --to self or others -- that one cares, or for some other reason. What one does with the felt condition is what determines which chakra is leading the action. Healing practitioners would be totally ineffective without the capable and appropriate use use of the skills born through the solar plexus chakra. Interestingly, if you ask just about any practitioner worth his/her salt about how they learned to "feel" energy, "move" it, and still keep free of "taking on" the energy of the client, you'll hear about valuable lessons in the refinement of empathy and personal boundaries -- from psychic to sensual.

The HEART CHAKRA: The above qualities, when under the guidance of the Heart Chakra, become aspects of COMPASSION. Even the Heart Chakra, without the mastery of the lower chakras, can be handicapped and limited. Is the heart's love always/only UN-conditional? Perhaps when there is no experience of its being broken, when there is complete naivete, and/or when there is much experience in life, understanding, and forgiveness. Even with a "good" heart that CARES, one can be duped by those who are experienced with the upper and lower chakras' negative characteristics but lack the guidance and intention of evolved chakra's. Unwarranted generosity, e.g.: from taking responsibility for other's feelings -- via co-dependent relations -- is blind empathy. Whence the saying, "throwing pearls to swine." Here is where we learn the critical difference between sympathetic resonance and compassion, and about honoring someone's chosen path of learning. For more about that see "Compassion, Healing, and The Practitioner - and Detouring 'Burn-out'"The Heart Chakra mediates, interconnects, and integrates the upper three chakras with the lower three, insuring that Spirit finds a practical place and relevance in the plane of time, space, and experience.

Feeling CONNECTEDNESS with all life is certainly a heart chakra trait. Via the Immune System, primarily the Thymus gland, the heart chakra knows, and wants to experience, everything as ONE integrated family. It co-opts bacteria and viruses, as well as enzymes and elements, in its role of INTEGRATING the roles of all the organs and systems toward achieving perfect BALANCE. While few people may ever experience the kind of perfection that the heart chakra works toward, we do experience what science calls homeostasis. The heart chakra doesn't perceive the healing experience (even if it may involve the use of "germs" and/or 'dis-ease'-ease to cleanse and re-organize the system) as contrary to the process of growth, integration, and learning to achieve one's highest potential.

The lower chakras are the ones most popularly associated with what we often refer to as the "shadow" or dark elements of life. Actually, the dark side would not exist if aberrations or lack of development of the upper chakras didn't support it as well. In any case, a lot can be said for acceptance of the "shadow" side, emotional pain, fooling oneself, spiritual egoism, judgement, etc. and especially how these kinds of things relate, communicate, organize, settle, hide, move and change, and eventually INTEGRATE, with-in/out-of the body-mind. I don't mean to refer to passive acceptance, but to the acknowledgement of one's own "stuff," in order to work constructively with it, using it as the fuel for the fire of transformation. Life is dynamic - a hologram of holograms that are inherently and eternally changing and yet maintaining essential connectedness via "God's" Love and Light and Will.

I see everything as related and/or metaphorical, not just metaphysical and/or "spiritual" (a word which is so broadly defined and bandied about that it has about as much worth in communications as the word, "normal". I see the body (as well as everything else) as REAL because it has PURPOSE -- so long as it is used as a vehicle for learning on the Earth plane. My essay, "A Working Gestalt Perspective", elaborates on this concept.

The body illustrates the dynamic relationship of the shadow elements with one's highest potential.

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"BODY MEMORY and the INTERPLAY of SOUL in the LEARNING LIFE LESSONS"

A term coming of age is "Body-Memory," and relates to how, when, where, and why experience on any and every level of awareness is stored in the body, accessed and expressed - consciously and/or unconsciously. How this correlates functionally to one's anatomy, emotionality, mental routines, psycho-spiritual awareness, path, purpose, and integration, is not only fascinating, but actually describes an individual in a very practical way. The first two paragraphs outline some basic formative dynamics. The paragraphs following them elaborate on the specific processes and considerations involved.

To the degree that one is not able to process an experience, one will put that processing "on hold." And the body-mind will create an "armor" of tension in the musculature in the area of the body that one associates with the particular message, issue, or belief related to that event. The message(s), issue(s), or belief(s) related to that event, as well as whatever emotions that one perceives (consciously or unconsciously) as related to it, are all based on ones subjective experience. And it is important to note that one's subjective experience may have something -- or absolutely nothing -- to do with an objective reality, let alone any "accurate" perception of the event experienced. The psycho-emotional information that the body-mind puts on hold is stored ("repressed") as memory. The body does not store *all* memory, but only that which is perceived by the Self as necessary for later completion of experience. More on how the body reacts/responds to this is covered in a latter paragraph.

From a spiritual perspective, we could say that the Higher Self let the personality off the hook for the time being, by postponing the process until the personality/ego is sufficiently developed to satisfactorily complete and learn from the experience. As for the processes that we complete, we can remember them, or the lessons derived from them, solely via the mental body. Thoughts only become attached to the personality -- as beliefs -- for the sake of providing a psychological structure to learn in and/or from. And structure is important in a personality's learning process. Emotional charge (i.e.: as related to an issue) is the binding agent for attaching a thought. Otherwise the thought (i.e.: a perception and related data) is left to flow more or less freely through the mental body, or can be re-organized as desired.

The body is shaped in terms of how the musculature has been held and moved in response to ones subjective experience. Hence the relationship of the body's posture and movement to one's sense of connectedness, coping strategies, challenges, and gifts, the mind, the body, and the emotions, and the path of one's self knowledge, self healing, and transformation. Although the body vibrates at a lower frequency than does the mind, it communicates the Soul's energy all the same. And it is always telling us, point-blank, what we don't otherwise perceive.

Few people in "modern society" survived childhood feeling safe to truly feel life from within their bodies. Result: we learn a mentally and emotionally armored, semi-defensive relationship with our bodies and our environment, yet strive to feel "the connection" with others. It is through this dualistic predicament that we have/are the divine opportunity to reveal depth and meaning to all aspects of our lives and to all life, to re-enter-connect. Related writing: "Questions and Topics for 'Body-Mind Integration and the Chalice' ".

I believe that Souls are basically learning to focus - by Choice - on what is according to the Highest Will in any given moment. And we learn through awareness of ALL that IS (lots of choices when one is in acceptance of All that one is no matter how yucky and purposeless some of it may appear). Learning to listen to this "Body-Mind" not only accesses lost personal resources. It is a spiritual path of reclaiming one's original essence and soul-infused presence. You can only do that with form, in a body, complete with a full set of chakras to be present with. Until one really gets that thoroughly --understands, as only a fully realized Master can) the body -- and the upper as well as the lower chakras -- will continue to be part of the learning.

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PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL ORGANIZATION and THE BODY-MIND

The body is Psycho-emotionally organized (in regard to different organs, areas, or body parts) primarily by type of BELIEF and minimally, at best, by type of EMOTION. Any kind of emotional material can be found (associated with) virtually any place in the body. Grief is not found only in the chest, nor anger only in the liver, nor or fear only in the kidney. Internal organs may be the seat or primary storage areas of various emotions --certainly according to Five Element Theory, the basis for acupuncture and related long-proven modalities. But the external systems (e.g.: sensory and connective tissues) are not so specializing in what the mind may deem fit to associate with them. Beliefs, which are thoughts charged with emotion, are about BEING, DOING, and HAVING, and it is these aspects that are more archetypally associated with various AREAS (i.e.: individual body parts or whole sections) of the body. In a given culture there may be more grief associated with PERCEIVING loss of support (left lumbar area) than with PERCEIVING someone not wanting to hear you (right upper shoulder/neck).

The interior environment of a person -- or how one perceives (/thinks), feels, and viscerally responds (e.g.: with skin, muscle tone, heart rate, etc) to experience -- REFLECTS one's exterior environment (what goes on around him/her). There is a lot of commonality to the way in which all humans internally respond to most of the basic kinds of experience. This includes the effect on conscious and unconscious memories, as well as the response of one's cells. Hence there is much similarity in the way all human bodies organize postural and movement patterns relative to experience.

Hence, the body doesn't organize it's information based on type of emotional content as much as it does based on role and function, and the "issues" or the values associated with role and function. For example, for the throat chakra area, Management would be a role, authority a value, dis- /approval some of the associated issues, and control a coping mechanism. (These are only some general examples for this area, not specific, not all necessary to each throat condition, and not to be taken - in and of themselves - as indicators of future dysfunction.) A Chakra has different aspects associated with its different sides, e.g.: front, back, left, right, upper, and lower. How one chakra relates to another chakra in a given situation also determines certain characteristics in the Body-Mind (usually more complex and requiring much more experience to perceive them than the kinds of correlations referred to above) .

This makes it relatively easy to associate ATTITUDES and "Attitudinal Healing" approaches with bodily conditions. Affirmations, prayers, and other positive thinking methods can be specifically directed once the "issue" and correlated "attitude" is identified. Three different but relatively consistent ways of correlating attitudes with body areas are treated by Louise L Hay, Barry Green, and Stanley Keleman. Their valuable work can be found in the books, YOU CAN HEAL YOUR BODY, THE HOLISTIC BODY THERAPY TEXTBOOK, and EMOTIONAL ANATOMY, respectively.

The correlations I use in my work and writing are very much based on these -- or an integration of them -- but vary in certain respects, probably due to differences in interpreting the chakra energies and/or the functioning of the various muscles. Whether or not chakra's actually exist, the characteristics assigned to them -- and their corresponding body areas -- tend to be the most accurate (that I've found) in consistently relating to how the body organizes value material and related emotional content.

Which determines which, the Body-Mind's response to experience or the chakra's. qualities? That's not quite as difficult a question to answer as the Chicken and Egg conundrum, but I think that a complete answer can be complex without a good handle on metaphysics, Cause and Effect dynamics, and other aspects of Cosmic Law. In this essay I'll limit my brief answer more to the Earth level dynamics.

The Soul determines the learning plan or Path, the chakra's respond to thought and belief, experience is attracted by Soul's prior determination as well as by earth level mental learning and related beliefs, the Body-Mind responds to the experience with psycho-emotional processing and corresponding Chakra disposition and Body-Memory. The chakras record the effects on the endocrine and nervous systems, these having essential governance over the body systems. To what extent the psycho-emotional processing of any experience is "complete", generally determines the nature and extent of the musculature's patterning causing limited responsiveness to subsequent experience. And I believe that is a primary aspect in what Body-Memory is and does. This aspect is covered in some depth in my essay, "Body-Mind Integration and the Personal Growth Process".

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A Brief Cosmology Regarding the Body-MInd, Attitudes, and Chakras:

The BONES (the skeleton, posture and movement, alignment and mis-alignment) are moved or held by MUSCLES, muscles are moved or held by ATTITUDES and their related mental-emotional reaction patterns. These are governed overall by BELIEFS, which are THOUGHTS invested with EMOTION(S). Beliefs are the result of personal experience -- physically manifested and/or imagined and/or as taught. The intensity of the experience, imagination, and/or teaching determines the power of the belief, and therefore the degree of momentum invested in any related POSTURAL and/or MOVEMENT PATTERN manifested in the body. (These invested patterns are primary to what is sometimes referred to as "BODY-MEMORY".)
The CHAKRAS record the psycho-emotional dynamics, since the Chakras are an essential vehicle for the communications between Higher Self and the Personality. They exert a primary force in the initial manifestation or attraction of experience for the sake of learning, and are accessed by the Higher Self in conveying higher frequency energies to the body-mind. The chakra's serve mostly to recieve the assignments from the Higher Self, pass them on to the personality via influences personality (mental and emotional bodies). These influences end up attracting experience for the assigned work. As the chakras record the processes with those assignments, the resulting effect on the energy body may also serve to attract experience. As the individual becomes more conscious, s/he may access the chakras for greater awareness and a certain degree of management of the more subtle energies. In so doing s/he may thereby effect the body-mind systems, as well as the energy body's magnetism and attraction of experience thereby. This is a complex matter, the stuff of yogi's, which I am not qualified to address much further here.

Given the above material, one item at a time, it would still be too easy to make gross over-generalizations about what correlations exist between various chakras, issues, and specific bodily conditions. There are many factors in such assessments that I have not even begun to cover in this essay. Many of those factors would be found in other of my essays, including "Victims, Compassion, & Responsibility -- Notes on The Emotional-Body, Denial of Pain, & 'Easy Answers,' (Not) "" " Attainment and Achievement, or Alignment of Beliefs, Desires, and Needs," and "A Concept of Healing." For now I believe it is important to establish the need for healthcare practitioners to be more open about the existence of such correlations.

I believe that the implications of such existing correlations need not be perceived as threatening to the professions, so long as they are handled appropriately with respect to clients' belief systems and the degree to which each client has accepted responsibility for their subjective experience as well as psycho-spiritual well-being. Maybe I should again qualify that statement with the benefit of the practitioner perceiving the client from a highly gestalt perspective such that: We honor each coping mechanism and their related challenges as primary (albeit raw) resources for talents, skills, and gifts -- towards the realization of one's highest potential. And all are considered parts of the Soul's original plan for the growth of the personality in a given lifetime.

[Rev. 10-96, 2-98, 6-98,5-99, 7-01]

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Author / Artist / Editor Information

Body-Mind Integration
and Fascia Memory Research

Christopher Pringer
Reiki Master, Ordained Minister
Chalice Bridging Ministries
Body-Mind-Soul Integration for a Healthy Planet
Bridging Theology, Consciousness,
and Practical Emotional Intelligence
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COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS/POLICY & DISCLAIMER:
REPRODUCTION: I welcome my writing/artwork being reproduced, provided that it is in it's original and complete form (or an editing or excerpt by agreement with the author), and contact info are intact and readable ("Chris Pringer, Chris.pringer@chalicebridge.com, www.chalicebridge.com"), and so long as the following conditions are applied:

a) Hardcopy reproduction is ok so long as it is for personal or non-profit organizational use only; b) Distribution and posting on web pages, blogs, and forums with my permission (mostly because I want to know where it's been put, and I'd be most honored to be asked). c) Any distribution of my writings or artwork must be w/o charge unless with prior agreement in writing with the author. d) The only exception to that regards the World Healing Prayers, which I encourage people to make all the copies they think will be used effectively without obligation to get my permission or even contact me. By the way, I have yet to ever sell -or give permission for anyone else to sell- any of my artwork on E-Bay or anywhere else. [noted 12/27/07]

DISCLAIMER: None of my writing, chalice art, or PolyPsyArt is intended to be, to replace, or discourage the appropriate use of, medical attention and/or treatment, but as educationally informative for the purpose of overall health enhancement and preventative maintenance. So far as I know, I have not quoted any other person without saying so. I have emulated a number of writers and teachers, so I wouldn't be surprised if many of my statements have very similar words and meanings as they. In any case, I have always tried to say what I believed. If you find that I have plagiarized anyone to any degree, please let me know -- by noting the complete published reference, and including the full quote and a few sentences of text before and after). This given, I will duly correct the writing.

AUTHORSHIP: Unless otherwise noted under the titles, all essays, artwork, prayers, pages at this site and sub-directories (as at my previous site at AOL), and with exception of some of the solid color and cloudy-sky color backgrounds and logo/headers for others' sites as noted) has been composed, rendered, and/or web-authored (c) by myself, Christopher Pringer, a member of Veteran's for Peace, ch.92 and of the "Seattle 12," practitioner in Body-Mind-Energy Integration Therapies since 1984, since 1984, and ordained minister (Chalice-Bridging Ministries) since 1987. Most of the personal health-oriented essays at this site were written in the early 90's, as compared to the social/political health oriented pages since 1997.

ABOUT THE ART: The symbols for the "Chalice" - or Holy Grail - that I often use are drawn essentially from ancient archetypes. Here, the Chalice is essentially a "cauldron" for the balancing and integrating of Humanity with the Divine - individually and communally. And just to forestall any hasty categorization, I should say that these archetypes pre-date the Jewish faith by many centuries. They have their own rich meanings as related to the spiritual dilemma or paradox, balancing or synthesis of qualities (such as Yin & Yang), and healing transformation. The "Chalice-Star" over the three traveling magi is used in my Solstice or Christmas Card design to represent our quest - in this earthly dimension of body, mind, and spirit - for the inner-most Source of one's spirit and faith -- whether that would be the Inner Christ, Inner Buddha, Inner Mohammed, or the Divine Mother's Spirit connecting All Life, etc.

That disclaimer said, you may find out the actual origens of my relationship with these archetypes at Home Page for Body-Mind-Chalice Integration (and related artwork). (see description in above section.) If you feel well served by what you found here, I would certainly appreciate your support. Although there is virtually 3 large books (and probably over a thousand hours) worth of written material and artwork here, nothing has ever been sold at this site (although I do promote my therapy practice and desktop publishing skills). In any case, IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED TO SUPPORT THIS WORK (there are also ways besides donating money), please check out the Chalice Bridging Ministries / PolyPsyArts Support System.

COMMENTARY/Feedback is MOST APPRECIATED via the Guest Book or directly via Chaliser@iinet.com. I Hope you have found this page useful. Please let me know if it (or any parts of it, or other pages here) do not make sense to you, or don't seem consistent, etc. Extra points given for being specific. <grin> It's nice to hear from visitors in any case. I will probably reply. Here is to your continuing to recieve the benefits of your drive to discover you. --Chris Click here to see the Organization Chart
and "How and Why this Site Is Different"
A study in Cross-Discipline Knowledge Sharing, Utilization, and a much needed integration of diverse talent.
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Professional Bio & Quotes

Chris, 1984

Chris, 2008 I began my studies in multi-level self-healing when in the service, in Thailand in the Winter of '73. The focus then was on self-help psychology, consciousness, and eastern and western mystical perspectives. This continued through my university studies in Norman, OK '74-'79. 1980 took me into naturopathic studies, primarily nutrition and herbology when I lived in Oklahoma City. Not seeing the naturopathic doctor route as affordable at the time, I found direction via a five-evening massage course, Fall '83. That led to a six month professional practice, followed up with the training in Sante Fe, NM, '84-'85 (described in the next paragraph).
Since then I have practiced massage and/or healing facilitation for others, initially in Santa Fe, NM (during/after my training), then San Louis Obispo, CA, and Seattle, WA. This includes exploring personal challenges and self-healing methodology. A session may include various energy work modalities, Body/Energy-Awareness based Preventative Health Maintenance Instruction, or only Reiki or relaxation work in total silence. A client chooses based on whatever stress, pain, or concerns are present at that session. A client may request a "Body Pattern Reading," as well as various massage/bodywork therapies, all of which techniques are listed & described in my brochure. Individual, program, and 3-6 week interval-based rates are available.

My interests have primarily centered in three areas:
1) Body-Centered Psycho-Spiritual Process (as in "Hakomi" style of) counseling and bodywork, including as assessing an individual for the most efficient means of addressing connective tissue injury, short and long term, and the most efficient application of the results of that assessment (on physical and/or emotional levels);
2) in The Basic How's And Why's Of Psycho-Emotional Storage In The Body-Mind, and in the related fascia memory storage dynamics - referring to the technical aspects of neuro-physical interface between connective tissue, emotion, and the brain);
3) "Chalice-Bridging" style chakra balancing - based in the perspective that the chalice, far more than just a cup in this interpretation, is about the human embodiment of Spirit into the three "lower bodies" (mental, emotional, and physical) which compose the "Body-Mind". Which is also a "cauldron" for the balancing and integrating of Humanity with the Divine - individually and communally.

My training includes over 1370 hours of classes and practicum, including with the New Mexico Academy of Massage and Advanced Healing Arts in Santa Fe, NM (1984-85), and with various accredited bodywork and therapy workshops (`86-present), as well as 100 hours training with the Alchemical Hypnotherapy Institute (1989), over 100+ hrs apprenticeship with healing practitioner Robert "Mitra" (`85-`86), and 150 hours apprenticeship with Silena Heron in Herbal Studies (`83-`84). For the detailed version my training, you may go to the latter half of my Reiki Therapy Practice Brochure. Which also includes (and relates context for) links to essays elaborating on aspects of imbalance and injury, assessment, and healing.

Personal Quotes on Body-Mind Awareness [ cp, 12'07 ]

BODY-MIND AWARENESS, at the core of preventive health awareness, is one of the most simple, efficacious, & cost-effective forms of HEALTH INSURANCE there can be. Hence, massage is far from just "a luxury item," and bodywork therapies can be indispensable for the healing of certain conditions.

MUSCLES RELATE TO ATTACHMENTS - to what we use to take our stance, to hold our place, to perceive and respond to our environment, and to extend who we are and/or want to be. Or used to be (in too many cases, perhaps).
That speaks not only to the body's condition and function, but to how it communicates awareness of where one is along one's path (of becoming who one truly is).

THE BODY IS . . . among other amazing things, a unique communications system -- intimately linked with one's TOTALITY.
Establishing rapport with one's body can be a PATH to self realization.

ONE OF MY DREAMS is a society where/in all children are taught how to feel/see/read their own body-mind communications such that preventive health maintenance eventually becomes second nature. And actually, for the most part, they would be encouraged to re-awaken and build upon what I believe to be a NATURAL INCLINATION - conscious self-healing and continuous expansion of awareness.

And the above goes FOR ALL OTHER ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, to the degree that one utilizes them to improve such awareness and causative/pro-active connection with one's body-mind, and to employ the most effective tools for maintaining/improving one's health under any given condition or circumstance.

WHY DOES BODY AWARENESS = OPTIMUM HEALTH INSURANCE ?

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Since being at it's own domain (Chalicebridge.com, June'06) this site has come to average
Over 60 *Visits*, Over 112 *Pages*, and over 1000 *Hits* Per DAY. (Here, the 'Hits' stat includes all graphics on a page.)
Interesting that at AOL (Sep'97 to May'06), "LE FastCounter" listed an average of 75 *hits* per day during 2005. -- cp, 12'07

(c) 1997 to Present, Chris Pringer