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SomatoEmotional Release
How or Why Does it Occur?

When we experience an event that is traumatic for us
(and keep in mind that trauma is very subjective - what
is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for
another) we are experiencing a large amount of energy
coming into our 'system.'  This energy may be in the
form of a physical blow or impact, or it may be in the
form of an intense emotion - whether that be fear, guilt,
grief, anger, shame, etc.   At the time of the incident,
we may be able to deal with or dissipate some of that
energy, by 'walking it off' in the case of a physical injury,
or by crying and venting in the case of an emotional
one.  However, due to the nature of the incident, the energy may simply be too overwhelming for us to handle.  As a protective mechanism to allow us to continue to function, we will encapsulate, or wall-off this energy.  The intention is to store it away for a later date, when we have the time and resources to be able to deal with it.  It is not our conscious mind that does this for us, but rather our sub- or non-conscious.  In actual fact many aspects of the incident may even be 'walled off' from conscious recall, but all of the memory of the incident remains within our tissues. 

As you can imagine, the body has to compensate for this localized energy, which not only disrupts bodily functions, but also requires large amounts of energy to keep contained.  The body adapts as best it can, but over time this ability becomes compromised, eventually manifesting as uncomfortable or painful physical and behavioural symptoms. 

The significance of the tissue holding memory of the trauma is that it is possible to access certain pieces of the original incident through the tissues - rather than re-living the trauma on a conscious level.

In his exploration into SomatoEmotional Release, Dr. Upledger discovered that the body recreates the exact position of the incident because the easiest path out for the encapsulated energy is the same path it took on the way in.  As an example, in terms of a physical blow, if you fall down the stairs and have 5 different points of impact there may be 5 different localized packets of energy stored within your body in different locations.  In order to release each one, your body will recreate all 5 different trajectories.  (Perhaps not all in one session.)


What if the Emotion is Too Much?

Many of us were raised to contain our emotions, and are generally  uncomfortable with expressing in front of others in any way.  The thought that unelicited emotional responses will happen spontaneously in a session can be daunting to say the least.  Also, we all have a sense of the quantity and magnitude of our own "issues" which can be frightening, not to mention the fear of the emotions themselves.  (There was a reason we stored them away, afterall.)

First, it is important to note that the therapist cannot make SomatoEmotional Release happen in a session. 

Secondly, although the entirety of the experience was too much to process at its origin, through this method, the client's Inner Wisdom (through the tissues) will only access the pieces that the client is ready and willing to address.  For instance, the particular piece that you address in one session may be guilt or shame, and the piece that is addressed in another session may be fear or anger, and you may later be able to tie them together on a conscious level to a single incident.
















The Experience of the Release

It is not easy to explain what the experience of this kind of release is like.  It may seem as though allowing the emotion to be expressed would be the same as re-living the trauma, but strangely this is not so.  The releasing of an emotion is a vastly different experience.  Emotion is defined as energy in motion, and that is exactly what the SER experience is about.  It moves through you and out.  The emotion can come upon you suddenly, and you certainly feel it fully, but then it is gone.  It happens smoothly, and relatively quickly.  There is something about the presence of the therapist, and the way that the experience is accessed through the tissues that allows for it to be a very gentle and very safe experience.  Unlike having  memories or patterns of thought running through your mind with the feeling of being "stuck" in an emotion, SER really does leave you with a sense of having released something.

As indicated earlier, the conscious memories associated with the emotion often come following the release, sometimes days after the treatment.  The emotion is accessed solely through the tissues of the body, which allows the mind to only go there when it feels safe to do so (ie, when the intensity of the emotion is already gone.) 







For lack of a better way to express it:  If you have experienced SER in a session, you will likely leave the session with the feeling of having had a good cry, but the difference is that you don't feel the need to cry anymore.



What is SomatoEmotional Release?

SomatoEmotional Release is a concept, and a group of techniques developed by the founder of CranioSacral Therapy Dr. John Upledger, in conjunction with biophysicist Dr. Zvi Karni. 

In Dr. Upledger's extensive treatment experience providing CranioSacral Therapy to clients, he found that accessing a person's soft tissues would often initiate body movements that were not conscious or voluntary actions.  These movements seemed automatic and if they were allowed to occur, and in fact were followed by the practitioner, the end result would be spontaneous tissue release accompanied by the spontaneous expression of emotion.  These emotions would range from quiet whimpering to more intense reactions and seemed to be directly associated with that particular body position.  Of primary importance, he noticed that with the release of the emotion, a total body release would occur, meaning that tissues throughout the body would relax, move and change in a way that promoted greater functionality.  The client would sometimes but not always be aware in that moment of what that emotion was associated with, but generally within a period of 24-48 hours greater understanding and clarity would surface (ie, a memory that would link that particular body part or position to a certain incident or situation that was in some way traumatic.)  In addition, clients provided feedback to Dr. Upledger that the experience of the emotional release not only alleviated physical symptoms, but also resulted in behavioural shifts:  "It changed my life."

SomatoEmotional Release is defined by Dr. Upledger as:







Soma is defined as "body" or more specifically, the entire body
of an organism.  SER reflects a Body-Mind paradigm vs. the
mind-body (psychosomatic) concept.  That is, rather than the
mind affecting the body, we are now relating to the body as a
means of accessing or addressing issues commonly thought of
as belonging to the realm of the mind.

These kinds of spontaneous total-body releases had such highly
valuable therapeutic effects that Dr. John Upledger developed
techniques that can be used by practitioners to encourage
SomatoEmotional Release in clients.  In each and every case
without exception, Dr. Upledger discovered that the Cranio-
Sacral Rhythm stops suddenly when the tissues are in an exact
position that is therapeutically significant to the client.  Thus, by
monitoring the CranioSacral Rhythm while listening to tissue
movements and responses, the therapist can receive valuable
'significance' feedback from the body.  This means that without knowing anything about the origin or the injury, the practitioner will know which positions are moving the client closer to resolution (release.) 
the expression of emotion that, for reasons deemed appropriate by some part of the patients's or client's nonconscious, has been retained, suppressed and isolated within the soma.
"...Continuation of the process depended heavily upon our ability to follow the most subtle body intentions, counteracting the forces of gravity without leading or inhibiting...   these movements went further and further until they would reach a position that seemed an apparent end point, a place where everything became quiet and still.  

...As we waited at this point... there came a palpable release throughout the body.  It was as though his body had opened.  As muscles softened, fascia and connective tissues lengthened and fluids and energies began to flow more flreely, the child cried.  It was at these end points, while we were waiting, that total body release would occur."

Dr. John E. Upledger
What Does it Mean, Therapeutically?

The emotional releases experienced through SER are total-body releases, which means that the positive effect is felt on several levels.  Once again, this is not a particularly easy concept to express, but as you can imagine, once that energy is released from the body all of the effort that it took to maintain it can now be released as well, and since the body no longer has to compensate for storing it, there is a return to greater functionality within all bodily systems.  One analogy that can be used is that when that encapsulated energy is contained within an area, it acts as a road block.  It causes traffic jams within the tissues, and creates the need for detours.  The body can still function, but far less efficiently, and over time the local area begins to deteriorate.  To stay with our example, when local traffic can no longer access the area certain businesses along that route will suffer or even die out.  Releasing that road block allows for a return to normal traffic flow.  This greater ease of flow can affect all of the areas along the route, and will also result in increased vitality in that local area. 

On a physiological level, in studies Dr. Upledger recorded that all of the following results can be observed when a client reaches a correct body position that allows for SER:

- Pain Relief
- Tissue Softening
- Total Body Relaxation
- Reduced Heart Rate
- Reduced Breathing Rate and Effort
- Palpable Increase in Fluid and Energy Flow
- Release of Heat at a Localized Area

Following SER, clients often report feeling lighter, better, like a load has been taken off.  It often generates comments such as "I didn't realize that was there!" but leaves a sense of closure or resolution.  SER is generally accompanied by physical symptom relief, as well as changes in behaviour.  It can be subtle but people often begin to relate to others and the world around them in a slightly different way.  Insights about the origin of the emotion often arise which can change their awareness not only of the incident, but of their own personal story in general.

Dr. John Upledger
"With our hands, we were releasing pent-up emotion via the somatic route.   ...Who in the world would believe this?  But it worked and the results were obvious.  People changed, tissues changed, functions improved."
"If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give
nor receive."

            Dorothee Solle

"Listen to what you know through your body."

                                Frances Payne Adler

"...for bodyworkers who, as they work, discover that the body and mind are inseparable and actually just different facets of a single, unified being." 

                    Dr. John E. Upledger
The therapist's job is to facilitate the session to allow for the client's body to accomplish as much healing as they are ready for that day.  SER results from using the physical tissues as the guide.  If the practitioner strays from that, even by a millimeter, the tissue will resist in a very real way and the process will halt.  Only by listening to the tissues can a practitioner facilitate release.  In this way, anything that occurs in the session has been directly orchestrated by your own body.
"The patient can now view the whole incident in a symptom-free condition with a certain emotion-free, objective detachment."
Dr. John E. Upledger
“Each difficult moment has the potential to open my eyes and open my heart.”

Myla Kabat-Zinn
“No matter what you have manifested in regards to your body, you can change it inside and out.” 
                                                    Dr. John Hagelin
Copyright © 2009-2011 Cora Rennie, Cold Lake, AB
DISCLAIMER:  Information on this site is not intended to and does not constitute medical advice, recommendation or counselling under any circumstance.