Restorative Embodiment and the Art of Body Mapping

Supply: From Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Mind, Physique, and Imagination within the Therapeutic Course of/Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., used with permission

In “The Body Holds the Healing,” I described an idea that’s central to expressive arts and somatic therapies—restorative embodiment. In distinction to different somatic therapies, restorative embodiment is what we centralize in expressive arts remedy. The core of expressive approaches is grounded in energetic participation in novel experiences that reacquaint people with curiosity, playfulness, efficacy, and pleasure (Malchiodi, 2022). In different phrases, embodiment is just not solely outlined as the event of bodily consciousness but additionally as an enlargement of the capability to inhabit one’s physique and thoughts in soothing, invigorating, and recuperative methods.

Motion, rhythm, sound, enactment, and play are all types of embodiment which have the potential to be restorative for physique, thoughts, and spirit. In expressive arts remedy, there are various approaches that focus instantly on the physique to assist restoration by means of particular methods and prompts. One among these approaches is known as “physique mapping,” a guided strategy of visible and narrative exploration by means of making a life-size physique portrait.

What Is Physique Mapping?

Physique mapping is a type of expressive arts remedy that capitalizes on the physique as a theme for narratives of lived experiences. There’s a lengthy custom of this method with people who’ve skilled psychological trauma and life-threatening medical diseases, together with HIV/AIDS and organ transplantation. These methods give attention to body image as not solely a historic document of serious occasions, but additionally as a somatic supply for the exploration of self-efficacy, capability, and resilience.

Jane Solomon (2002; 2007) is credited with formalizing a course of known as “physique mapping,” making use of it to work with girls residing with HIV/AIDS, and immigrants. Different practitioners and even artists have used it with people who’ve had medical procedures for life-threatening diseases. With these people, the method serves as a method to discover sickness, as a type of legacy, and for some, as preparation for loss of life.

Whereas physique mapping is a multilayered course of that integrates picture and story, it’s basically an embodied expertise. Drawing, portray, collage, or different supplies are used to characterize tales about oneself in addition to particular somatic experiences or recollections. Paint is historically supplied as a part of the body-mapping method. Artwork expressions may additionally embrace precise hand and footprints and colours and symbols are painted on or across the physique define in response to particular questions on one’s life, together with occasions, challenges, and strengths. As a result of image-making could also be difficult for some, I usually modify the method by introducing a collage field of assorted photographs and phrases, phrases, and quotes for individuals who discover that language finest expresses their experiences.

Usually, physique mapping is a directive course of. In different phrases, facilitators use quite a lot of prompts to information the method, relying on the person or group. This consists of focusing expression on lots of the following parts (Malchiodi, 2020):

• Selecting a physique posture to characterize oneself.
• Specializing in private historical past together with “the place I come from” and “the place I’m going” (akin to goals or aspirations).
• Depicting photographs or symbols on the physique to characterize challenges, occasions, or obstacles which were overcome or are within the strategy of being overcome (usually known as “marks of resilience”).
• Together with private mottos, quotes, or slogans and/or symbols which might be sources of energy (assets).
• Symbolizing individuals and entities (pets, communities, or greater energy) who’ve been supportive (represented by photographs, symbols, or handprints).
• Sharing messages or wisdom realized by means of lived experiences.

Physique Mapping as a Relational Expertise

Physique mapping is relational, most frequently going down inside a gaggle construction to capitalize on mutual assist, inspiration, and ritual as a part of the reparative course of. For that reason, it will probably take a number of conferences over the course of days to finish. Solomon’s (2002) unique physique mapping information recommends permitting no less than 5 days or roughly 30 hours to finish a physique map. Time is put aside for group members to convene and share observations, a course of guided by facilitators or therapists. Its intent is to assist people not solely achieve insights, however to precise their lived experiences by means of tales and pictures.

The method of making a life-size physique map is advanced and the facilitator performs a supporting function in serving to people select and create parts and symbols. Security, construction, and pacing to make this sort of deep exploration of non-public challenges and historic resilience (life occasions, achievements, relationships, and social impacts all through the life span) are foundational to the method.

Physique Mapping as Restoration

Embodiment is a strategy of somatic self-discovery. Equally, physique mapping is a particular course of designed to reinforce that somatic self-discovery inside the presence of a facilitator and group individuals. It’s an expertise that helps one to acknowledge the capability to thrive by means of exploring how life’s challenges have impacted one’s physique over time.

The restorative strategy of physique mapping is basically twofold. First, the fastidiously guided strategy of visible expression by means of a physique portrait emphasizes resilience as central to the restoration of the self. The second half is the ability of storytelling by means of depicting and sharing the physique’s lived experiences in photographs and narratives. In trauma restoration, Judith Herman (1992) emphasizes the significance of each telling one’s story and the return to neighborhood as key to non-public reparation and restoration of the self. These types of transformation are captured within the multilayered strategy of physique mapping—a method to seize these tales by means of expressing the physique’s consciousness and witnessing its internal knowledge.