Rubenfeld Synergry Method

“The Body is the sacred sanctuary of the soul. Care for it like a flower garden. Only when you honor, love, and cherish your body can your spirit soar.”

Ilana Rubenfeld

The Rubenfeld Synergy Method is a process that uses gentle touch to access a deep integration of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Listening to your body can bring you to a meeting with you essence, your soul. Your body contains messages and memories and is an entry way to your innate wisdom. With the aid of Rupa's touch to heighten awareness, and listening heart as a compassionate witness, you are companioned to your own inner healing.

Body, mind, and spirit are dynamically interrelated. Change happens at many levels at once.

Benefits

Release of emotional distress and trauma;
Moving from habit to choice;
Greater clarity and self-esteem;
Self-acceptance;
Peace and calm;
Spiritual connection.

SOME COMMENTS FROM CLIENTS

In times of confusion or pain, I have often called on Rupa and benefited from working with her. I find Rupa's approach flexible and deep. She has helped me emotionally, physically and spiritually in a variety of ways, and each time, Rupa has been able to help me re-center and access the healthy power within me.
LEM

My favorite body-mind practitioner, the person I go to when my body gets out of whack, is Rupa Cousins. Rupa has worked with me for way over a decade (I don't even recall when we began) using both the Alexander Technique and Rubenfeld Synergy, which incorporates emotional/spiritual aspects into the brilliantly subtle and effective Alexander Technique.

I have only the highest regard for her over 30 years of experience, her gentle and safe presence. Yesterday I knew my back was out of whack. Should I go to a chiropractor, which my insurance would cover, or to Rupa? I asked my body, and it was overwhelmingly Rupa. I called her at 8:30am, she had space for me at 4:30 the same day. I felt such relief as soon as I hung up, knowing I'd made the right choice. Our session was amazing, as they usually are. With Rupa's guidance I was able to connect with some uncomfortable voices from the past that needed review and response. Also with a supportive presence from my past that I need now to go forward, to help me with my next chapter. My body feels a lot better, too.

It is worth whatever you have to do to work with her, if you need gentle, deep and wise womanly guidance on your journey. Rupa also happens to be the most experienced teacher of the Alexander Technique in the area. Her hands are so wise. Alexander is for coaxing your body out of bad habits into graceful correct use. It's dynamite and long-lasting.

Caitlin Adair

Sanctuary

Rupa- that was SO major ...I've have been continuing the conversation that started in your care yesterday. thank you SO much. 46 years of painful thoughts de-commissioned in 1+ hours...
Am loving my connected self! With much love, Joanna

With the Rubenfeld Synergy work, I became aware of connections within my
body and my mind while you gently held me and lead me along with your
trustworthy hands and warm heart. I began to understand that my body had
a lot to say. It was fun and very healing for me to work with you as my
body unraveled in your hands in this way. Thank you for that work. S.T.

*******************************************

My Personal Reflections on the Rubenfeld Synergy Method

When I think about the Rubenfeld Work which I will refer to as RSM, for the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, I think of how Ilana Rubenfeld - a pioneer in the field of somatic psychotherapy - influenced my life… Twice! The first time it was when I trained as Alexander Technique Teacher and she was teaching at the American Center of the Alexander Technique and was just developing the Rubenfeld work, and she became my mentor. I was always interested in her approach to the Alexander Technique and several years later, I joined her faculty as staff Alexander Teacher in exchange for the RSM training!   I instantly loved the work, the emphasis on the inner experience of the client, the witnessing heart and hands of myself as synergist.

So, in these few words, I will attempt to describe what can happen when this “Synergy” happens. What is a synergy? A synergy can be described as when the sum is greater than its parts. Through your body, emotions are felt, the mind expands its perception, and something opens you to a greater wholeness.

The process of self discovery that happens when you are in a RSM session might be as follows... You are invited to listen to your body while lying on a table fully clothed, your eyes closed - if that is comfortable. Sometimes you may be seated or in movement. The synergist’s hands gently and respectfully use touch to allow you to release held patterns and open to something deeper. Your mind may be wondering why this or that as your body tells its story, images, sensations or memories awaken. Your heart or gut or throat feels the pain or joy or anger or sadness as the story opens in you and there is no judgment if you “listen” to yourself with compassion as I the “synergist” do with you. The many voices within you have a dialogue. I listen and ask, you speak your experience as best you can.   You open to the many voices that are stored within: yourself as a child, yesterday at the meeting, the fears for the future - all these feelings and images are felt in the present moment. All through the session you experience feelings, insights and shifts in perception. The synergy that is the mind, body, emotions and, yes, spirit open you to a wholeness where all aspects of yourself accompany you on your journey. Often, there is a feeling of resolution, a gift of confidence and self love to go onward on this journey. For example, at the end of a session an affirmation for you to remember may come from your depths within. Or there may be a feeling of reunion with your inner child, acceptance from your higher self, or spirit.

Limited belief systems, intense memories may be re-experienced; anger or tears may be needed to release the pain that closed you to other ways to perceive your innate truth.   In these sessions it is you who uncover and discover who you really are. When you arise from the table often a different sense of your body is experienced, perhaps lightness and expansion, perhaps a feeling of being connected deeply with the earth. There is no formula, each session is unique, a kind of embodied journey into the depths of yourself.

Who usually comes to a Rubenfeld session? Most often people who feel that they have gotten all the help they could from talk therapy, who want to dive deeper into their being through listening to the body and its entry way into the deepest self. They are willing to discover what is inside, and honor themselves in the process. They want to find guidance from within. For some it is on-going work, for some short term. Those who are interested in the mystery of the mind/body connection and how feelings and thoughts affect the physical body, many come to work with physical pain in their bodies by listening to the emotional pain hidden inside, sometimes there is physical healing, sometimes a metaphor emerges which opens one up to the history behind the physical pain.

My work with Rubenfeld Synergy is enhanced by other modalities that I have studied over the 30 or so years. I am a certified teacher of The Alexander Technique (AmSAT) which teaches the mind/body connection through awareness and a different relationship to the stresses of old habitual patterns that affect our every movement. I have been greatly influenced by Experiential Focusing, Transpersonal Therapies and the healing work of Ethel Lombardi (Reiki and Mari-EL Master.)   Circlework with Jalaja Bonheim opened me to the healing power of sacred geometry. A 35 year experience on a spiritual path brought me to India to learn meditation and many years as a student of Sufism, deepen my work. In more recent years, I have witnessed in a larger cultural context - Peace Building, in Bosnia and Macedonia, where Compassionate Dialogue and Conflict Transformation are used to heal the ethnic and nationalistic wounds of war. I have seen the same patterns and the same potential for synergy, within the body, in relationships, in community and across cultures.

Contact Rupa
   802-387-5276 rupa@together.net






			“The Body is the sacred sanctuary of the soul. Care for it like a flower garden. Only when you honor, love, and cherish your body can your spirit soar.” Ilana Rubenfeld The Rubenfeld Synergy Method is a process that uses gentle touch to access a deep integration of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Listening to your body can bring you to a meeting with you essence, your soul. Your body contains messages and memories and is an entry way to your innate wisdom. With the aid of Rupa's touch to heighten awareness, and listening heart as a compassionate witness, you are companioned to your own inner healing. Body, mind, and spirit are dynamically interrelated. Change happens at many levels at once. Benefits Release of emotional distress and trauma; Moving from habit to choice; Greater clarity and self-esteem; Self-acceptance; Peace and calm; Spiritual connection. SOME COMMENTS FROM CLIENTS In times of confusion or pain, I have often called on Rupa and benefited from working with her. I find Rupa's approach flexible and deep. She has helped me emotionally, physically and spiritually in a variety of ways, and each time, Rupa has been able to help me re-center and access the healthy power within me. LEM My favorite body-mind practitioner, the person I go to when my body gets out of whack, is Rupa Cousins. Rupa has worked with me for way over a decade (I don't even recall when we began) using both the Alexander Technique and Rubenfeld Synergy, which incorporates emotional/spiritual aspects into the brilliantly subtle and effective Alexander Technique. I have only the highest regard for her over 30 years of experience, her gentle and safe presence. Yesterday I knew my back was out of whack. Should I go to a chiropractor, which my insurance would cover, or to Rupa? I asked my body, and it was overwhelmingly Rupa. I called her at 8:30am, she had space for me at 4:30 the same day. I felt such relief as soon as I hung up, knowing I'd made the right choice. Our session was amazing, as they usually are. With Rupa's guidance I was able to connect with some uncomfortable voices from the past that needed review and response. Also with a supportive presence from my past that I need now to go forward, to help me with my next chapter. My body feels a lot better, too. It is worth whatever you have to do to work with her, if you need gentle, deep and wise womanly guidance on your journey. Rupa also happens to be the most experienced teacher of the Alexander Technique in the area. Her hands are so wise. Alexander is for coaxing your body out of bad habits into graceful correct use. It's dynamite and long-lasting. Caitlin Adair Sanctuary Rupa- that was SO major ...I've have been continuing the conversation that started in your care yesterday. thank you SO much. 46 years of painful thoughts de-commissioned in 1+ hours... Am loving my connected self! With much love, Joanna With the Rubenfeld Synergy work, I became aware of connections within my body and my mind while you gently held me and lead me along with your trustworthy hands and warm heart. I began to understand that my body had a lot to say. It was fun and very healing for me to work with you as my body unraveled in your hands in this way. Thank you for that work. S.T. ******************************************* My Personal Reflections on the Rubenfeld Synergy Method When I think about the Rubenfeld Work which I will refer to as RSM, for the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, I think of how Ilana Rubenfeld - a pioneer in the field of somatic psychotherapy - influenced my life… Twice! The first time it was when I trained as Alexander Technique Teacher and she was teaching at the American Center of the Alexander Technique and was just developing the Rubenfeld work, and she became my mentor. I was always interested in her approach to the Alexander Technique and several years later, I joined her faculty as staff Alexander Teacher in exchange for the RSM training! I instantly loved the work, the emphasis on the inner experience of the client, the witnessing heart and hands of myself as synergist. So, in these few words, I will attempt to describe what can happen when this “Synergy” happens. What is a synergy? A synergy can be described as when the sum is greater than its parts. Through your body, emotions are felt, the mind expands its perception, and something opens you to a greater wholeness. The process of self discovery that happens when you are in a RSM session might be as follows... You are invited to listen to your body while lying on a table fully clothed, your eyes closed - if that is comfortable. Sometimes you may be seated or in movement. The synergist’s hands gently and respectfully use touch to allow you to release held patterns and open to something deeper. Your mind may be wondering why this or that as your body tells its story, images, sensations or memories awaken. Your heart or gut or throat feels the pain or joy or anger or sadness as the story opens in you and there is no judgment if you “listen” to yourself with compassion as I the “synergist” do with you. The many voices within you have a dialogue. I listen and ask, you speak your experience as best you can. You open to the many voices that are stored within: yourself as a child, yesterday at the meeting, the fears for the future - all these feelings and images are felt in the present moment. All through the session you experience feelings, insights and shifts in perception. The synergy that is the mind, body, emotions and, yes, spirit open you to a wholeness where all aspects of yourself accompany you on your journey. Often, there is a feeling of resolution, a gift of confidence and self love to go onward on this journey. For example, at the end of a session an affirmation for you to remember may come from your depths within. Or there may be a feeling of reunion with your inner child, acceptance from your higher self, or spirit. Limited belief systems, intense memories may be re-experienced; anger or tears may be needed to release the pain that closed you to other ways to perceive your innate truth. In these sessions it is you who uncover and discover who you really are. When you arise from the table often a different sense of your body is experienced, perhaps lightness and expansion, perhaps a feeling of being connected deeply with the earth. There is no formula, each session is unique, a kind of embodied journey into the depths of yourself. Who usually comes to a Rubenfeld session? Most often people who feel that they have gotten all the help they could from talk therapy, who want to dive deeper into their being through listening to the body and its entry way into the deepest self. They are willing to discover what is inside, and honor themselves in the process. They want to find guidance from within. For some it is on-going work, for some short term. Those who are interested in the mystery of the mind/body connection and how feelings and thoughts affect the physical body, many come to work with physical pain in their bodies by listening to the emotional pain hidden inside, sometimes there is physical healing, sometimes a metaphor emerges which opens one up to the history behind the physical pain. My work with Rubenfeld Synergy is enhanced by other modalities that I have studied over the 30 or so years. I am a certified teacher of The Alexander Technique (AmSAT) which teaches the mind/body connection through awareness and a different relationship to the stresses of old habitual patterns that affect our every movement. I have been greatly influenced by Experiential Focusing, Transpersonal Therapies and the healing work of Ethel Lombardi (Reiki and Mari-EL Master.) Circlework with Jalaja Bonheim opened me to the healing power of sacred geometry. A 35 year experience on a spiritual path brought me to India to learn meditation and many years as a student of Sufism, deepen my work. In more recent years, I have witnessed in a larger cultural context - Peace Building, in Bosnia and Macedonia, where Compassionate Dialogue and Conflict Transformation are used to heal the ethnic and nationalistic wounds of war. I have seen the same patterns and the same potential for synergy, within the body, in relationships, in community and across cultures. Contact Rupa 802-387-5276 rupa@together.net

Home \| Alexander Technique \| Rubenfeld Synergy Method \| Events \| Workshops \| Peacebuilding \| Biography \| Links Rupa Cousins \| 802.387.5276 \|