The Final Cut: Open Sky Bodywork

Hi Julian

I was just coming from giving a bodywork session myself and found your video, so I offer my feedback:

You're doing an excellent job in explaining your work in a really heartfelt and I would also like to use the word grounded way, combining warmth and clarity. You feel trustable in that presentation.

About providing a context for understanding the energetic phenomena, I'm a bit uncertain how well that aspect works, and how well it can be done at all. I think it depends a lot on previous experiences of the viewer. Not because of your words - they are clear - but based on how it looks. The images are still stronger and might trigger some fears that are there anyway against letting go and loosing control, so to some people it might not feel safe from what they see. Having said that, I can't really offer a suggestion what to do or say differently. What can be a bridge for some people might be the barrier for others.

Regards, René

Julian,

Your heartfelt love for the work comes through beautifully. I saw the person who was on retreat, accessable and open. Well done!

I'd have to agree with Rene about the energetic phenomena, for some a bridge and others a barrier.

I remember seeing your bodywork demo the first time in a workshop some 6 years ago, I was blown away. I wanted to know when that would happen to me. I'm sure some might feel the same way.

It might be good to emphasize the time, surrender, and trust that it takes to get to the place where you are open enough to allow the energy to flow. Also, that energy isn't always the big waves you see in the video, there are subtle levels that can be even more powerful and life changing.

People might also get hung up on how it looks. If my energy doesn't look like that, what's wrong? Nothing. Our bodies have unique stories and the energy itself is unique.

As far as the video, some of the graphics were there for such a short period I couldn't take them in. All seemed important but a bit quick. You may want to edit a bit more of the table time. I found your verbal presentation so welcoming that the table stuff became somewhat distracting.

Hope this helped. Great to feel the warmth.
Annie

Hi Julian,
  This video is much improved. From your remarks, I suspect you noticed how in the first half of the other video you often ended your sentences with an up inflection. To the listener this causes the sentences to run into each other and it becomes tiring. So, I like the pauses alot, and you could use a few more. Annie is right, the graphics need to be on screen longer. I would ditch the floating up and down to center effect and simply let the words fade in and then fade out. As for the length of time, try reading the graphics aloud and with the emphasis you imagine or hear with your inner ear. I say 3 or 4 more seconds would do it.
I liked the fact that you stated up front that you don't really know exactly what is happening. No theory or agenda is attached. Nice.
  I trust the fact that the work is grounded in direct experience and has been developed over time. I'd love to try it sometime. I saw alot of influence from the breathwork community and from the yoga tradition. Don't know how much more time you want to spend on it, but there were a few more run-on sentences near the end. Overall I like the tone_ compassion, humanity, radical acceptance, pleasure and the excitement of sharing something valuable_ all these qualities come through loud and clear.
  Thanks for sharing.

Being new to much of this, the first time I watched the video I thought perhaps those on the table were rather advanced, similar to beginning yoga students not yet ready for some of the more advanced yoga poses.  Would it be helpful to explain how one could prepare for such an experience or this experience is not exclusive to highly experienced persons?

Two things that stood out for me - especially as a newbie - were:  they are not left alone in the room for these experiences and whatever is expressed is beautiful.  My experience is that many are afraid of tears, pain, anger…or even expression of deep beauty and joy.  To know that unlike many massage therapists leaving the room when the massage elicits a client's below-the-surface feelings such as quiet tears or laughter, the bodywork person is not afraid or uncomfortable with what the client is expresssing, is very comforting.  Your calmness, compassion and heartfelt love comes across very clearly, I think.

Perhaps a further metaphor or analogy might help those less familiar?  Something from nature or within the practical world to which most could readily make the comparison?  Similar, for example, to how one who lets anger build up is like letting a pressure cooker heat without opening the valve.  Of course, using something joyful and beautiful as an analogy, instead :)  Perhaps this might allay or dissolve fears or unknowns…

Last thought…   I like the idea of the text, a lot.  Perhaps fading in and out would be more congruent with the calming, resonant tone of your voice?  Also, please leave the text on screen a little longer, even a few seconds longer.

Creating a video like this is so helpful for people like me wanting to learn more but sometimes intimidated by those who seem steeped in it that I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one sometimes feeling timid to ask, “What is that about, What does that mean?” 

As it is, great job on the video!  I think what you are trying to convey comes through with clarity, compassion, love and embracing the privilege of the work.  Just a few thoughts above, from a person very new to this with a near “outsider's” perspective :)

This is fantastic, Julian.  I was amazed to see movements on the table that looked exactly like movements I experience during my “unwinding”/organic movement meditations.  I'd be very interested to know just how you can facilitate this kind of thing on a table with another person.  
I love your explanation of what's involved.  This kind of work is so important, yet there are very few voices that can express transpersonal/somatic/energetic principles and processes without coming off sounding like a nut case.  You are the man!
If I'm ever in your neck of woods, I would love to experience your work first hand.  Keep rockin' brother.  

I love the phrase you used, “surrender into feeling” and your emphasis on innate experience.

You communicate deep respect for the kind of bodywork you do, and an appropriate sense of awe,  it seems, to someone like me who has never done yoga.