Everything Serves a Purpose

by Alexandra Johnson

Any condition of the body, mind, and feelings can support you. Discomfort invites us to look at the state of things, to explore what is needed to increase vitality. There is actually no such thing as dysfunction—what we see as such is the process of the body finding balance in an unbalanced environment. 

One place to start is connection to the body—otherwise, how can we decide what is needed? If we wish to shift things more than just temporarily, it is useful to start by working with the Breema principle of No Judgment. By accepting the state in which we find ourselves, less energy is lost in suffering. This energy is then available for supporting the harmony of the whole. If we develop a relationship with the body, we can begin to care for it as we would a friend, with less judgment and an acknowledgement of Mutual Support.

Self-Breema supports developing this relationship within yourself. Each exercise is an invitation back to breath, back to the body, and into balance. When the mind wanders, we can see this and use our movements to come back to a direct experience of body-mind connection. Rather than losing energy in worry and distraction, the mind can simply register the activity of the body. This experience of body, mind, and feelings working together lays the groundwork for a new, more harmonious approach to life.

Alexandra Johnson, MD, is a Staff Instructor at the Breema Center. She has a private practice in Integrative Medicine at the Greeting Health Clinic in Oakland and Santa Cruz, California.