Embodied identity—A deeper understanding of body awareness

Abstract

The aims of this study were to explore and generate an understanding of the meaning of body awareness through explanations of the experience of body awareness given by professionals and patients in psychiatric rehabilitation. A total of 20 strategically selected healthy informants were interviewed individually and in groups. Thirteen previous interviews with physiotherapists and 11 previous interviews with patients in psychiatric rehabilitation, describing their experiences of body awareness therapy and its effects were reanalyzed and included in the data for this study; in all 44 informants were included. Grounded theory methods guided the data construction and analysis. A theoretical understanding was conceptualised from which a core category of body awareness emerged: the embodied identity. This core category was related to two categories: living in the body and living in relation to others and in society. The subcategory "living in the body" was conceived as an important aspect to become more aware of the body and to experience oneself fromwithin in order to recognize one's needs. A key point was the fact that bodily experiences always exists in the present moment. The experience of the body, the balance, and stability of the physical self were basic experiences that were connected to the conception of well-being and control. To understand one's emotions and needs through the awareness of the body were understood as the base for self-confidence, trust in one-self, and the ability to take care of oneself and one's needs physically and mentally. The subcategory "living in relation to others and in society" was conceived as an important aspect for the embodied self to interact with others and for societal participation. Working with the body in physiotherapy practice should include an understanding that body awareness is inseparable from the identity and may have an impact on the health of the individual. This implies that interventions to address problems in body awareness should be integrated into physiotherapy practice.

The meaning of compulsive exercise in women with anorexia nervosa: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…Nevertheless, the women experience difficulties in managing their emotional awareness and yearn to avoid 'feeling emotions' by using exercise to ease bodily discomfort, thus finding relief from difficult emotions. Given the phenomenological account that our subjectivity is merely conceivable as an embodied relation to the world (Fuchs & Schlimme, 2009) and given that the awareness of the body and bodily sensations fosters a connecting with and an understanding of emotions (Gyllensten, Skar, Miller, & Gard, 2010), the tendency to avoid relating to their embodied emotions appears paradoxical as it may limit their understanding of what goes on within them and their relation to the outer world.…”

Selected conditions for endometrial acceptance and preferred forms of psychological asistance

“…Experiencing the body -mainly its awareness and acceptance levels-is considered to be a relatively stable aspect of personality, yet to some extent is correctable psychologically -such as selected psychotherapeutic and group training forms that use the so-called "Techniques of the body" (Aspenson, 2010;Gyllensten et al, 2010). Corporeality, one such aspect, usually remains "in the shadows" where it works relatively well, but when beginning to be highlighted and negatively perceived it hinders normal functioning.…”

Att leva med en kropp som värker : samtal med fysioterapeuten

“…Upplevelsen underordnas ett symptomtänkande och hur patienten innerst inne har det och tänker om sin situation kommer ofta inte fram. Denna problematik har under de senaste cirka tjugo åren uppmärksammats, diskuterats och utvecklats vetenskapligt av fysioterapeuter med förankring framför allt i helhetsinriktade traditioner och psykiatrisk fysioterapi (50,(55)(56)(57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62)(63)(64). Gemensamt för dessa forskare är också att de anlägger ett existentiellt perspektiv på kroppen, ibland inom en fenomenologisk referensram.…”

“…Man såg erfarenheter av "att vara avskild från kroppen" (60, s.34) hos patienter med kronisk ryggsmärta och möjligheten att genom förändringsarbete återfå en växande känsla av att både vara en kropp och att ha en kropp. När Gyllensten et al (57) undersökte vad patienter och fysioterapeuter menade med begreppet kroppsmedvetenhet fann de att det handlade om "förkroppsligad identitet", (embodied identity), med två underkategorier "leva i kroppen" och "leva med andra och världen"(57, s.442), vilket liknar resultaten i ett flertal kvalitativa studier där man undersökt upplevelser och erfarenheter i samband med B-BAT och NPMP. Gyllensten et al menar att kroppsmedvetenhet är oskiljaktig från identiteten och att den påverkar individens hälsa.…”

“…Ett vanligt fysioterapeutiskt mål är att patienten ska återerövra tilliten till kroppen, exempelvis efter ett benbrott, en hjärtinfarkt eller som här att våga röra sig trots smärta. Kroppsmedvetenhet är likaså ett fysioterapeutiskt fält där patienter får lära sig den svåra konsten att lyssna på kroppens signaler och bedöma hur aktiviteter kan anpassas för att tjäna hälsa och livskvalitet (42,50,57,61,85,86,(139)(140)(141). Att som fysioterapeut ha kunskap om hur patienten upplever och tänker om hur det är att leva med en kropp som värker är avgörande för att kunna möta patienten och planera behandling, men lika väsentlig är kunskapen om att detta är en process som går i olika tempo och med olika motstånd för olika individer.…”