| A variety of theorists and practitioners interested in personal health and growth have recognized the transformative potential of developing one's capacity to be aware of and consciously responsive from embodied modes of experiencing (i.e. bodily sensations, feelings---somatic/kinesthetic/proprioceptive experience in general). From fields as diverse as philosophy, psychology, psychotherapy, somatics, phenomenology, and ecology, an integral understanding is emerging from the collective inquiry into what it means to change and grow as an embodied human being in contemporary society.; The following thesis is an exploration of several perspectives, focusing on the practical approaches of somatics and experientially-oriented psychotherapy. A theoretical and methodological integration of these two broad fields suggests some general principles regarding the process of personal transformation. These principles help to articulate a growing consensus on how we as a society can most effectively understand and approach the central issues concerning embodiment and personal growth. |
