Qualitative Study of the Relationship of Zero Balancing to Contemplative Practices (2019)
Cultivating Embodied Connection: The Role of Contemplative Practices in Bodywork Education
Mary Murphy, MA, LMT, CZB
The premise for the study was that cultivating our embodied awareness through contemplative practice increases the ability [of ZB Faculty] to teach and practice touch skills. These skills can then be shared through teaching and mentoring, empowering ZB students to create the conditions for their clients to benefit from deep transformational experiences during a ZB session.
Thirteen members of the international Zero Balancing Faculty where interviewed to ascertain their perception of their practice of Zero Balancing, as well as their teaching of it.
The main learning of the study was that embodied connection and contemplative practices are essential to creating these kinds of changes.
“Embodiment,” – being aware of directly experiencing one’s own body, emotions and thoughts in the present moment – was collectively agreed upon as a prerequisite for both bodywork teaching, and practice.
Mary Murphy
All 13 highly skilled ZB Faculty mentioned the importance of staying “present in their body” when working and teaching bodywork, understanding that paying attention to their own inner experience as they work facilitates a more profound experience for their clients. Everyone also agreed that Zero Balancing is itself a contemplative practice, and that maintaining this type of practice has a positive benefit on the transformational potential of ZB sessions they offer.
“The first three themes: Embodiment, Therapeutic Presence and Connection, need to be in place for the fourth, Transformation, to take place. This appears to me as a cycle, so once the person goes through one cycle, the transformation feeds back into growing embodiment, therapeutic presence and connection” (Murphy, 2019).