BodyTalk stress reduction techniques help to calm the brain and body at the start of BodyTalk sessions in preparation for the rest of the session. The client is brought into a relaxed, healing (parasympathetic) mode. 

What the body considers stress can come from any number of factors: people, places, time, activities, work, finances, the climate, plants, and animals. Stress is very individual: Two people can react very differently to the same situation. Some people act, while others overreact. Some people don’t respond at all until the stress has built up to an alarmingly high level. 

When a person is dangerously over-stressed, the body enters a self-preservation mode. This approach to stress management is a natural function of the body. It begins to switch off various non-critical tasks of the brain and the body. Focus, concentration, and the body’s motor coordination become compromised. Confusion takes hold. Common sense can fade, and moral standards can unravel.

For a while, a person can feel upside down and inside out. Paradoxically, this survival mechanism that nature has purposefully designed to keep a person alive puts them in even more danger when they choose to carry on in that state. In most cases, once the body is nourished with food and water, and is allowed to rest, regular functioning can return. When it does not, BodyTalk will use specialised techniques to bring the person into calmness, rapidly.

A significant factor in managing chronic stress involves optimising the body’s mechanisms for coping with stress. BodyTalk places emphasis on helping the body better handle the brain’s amygdala complex, which often overreacts in what it considers, to be stressful situations. These BodyTalk techniques are invaluable for long-term stress management and overall well-being. 

The effectiveness of BodyTalk is due primarily to Dynamic Systems Theory – an understanding that everything in and around the body is interdependent and dynamically connected and is in constant communication with each other at all times.

The principles of Dynamic Systems Theory can be seen throughout the Universe, from the microcosm to the macrocosm, and permeates all consciousness: If one cell shifts, if one atom shifts, if one quantum particle shifts, then all cells, all atoms, and all particles must also shift to accommodate.

The aim of BodyTalk is to establish healthy communication between all parts of the body: the anatomical structures; the energy systems, such as the chakras, meridians, and Wei-Qi; Consciousness aspects; and environmental influences.

Improving communication leads to improved physiology and healthier overall functioning in the body, resulting in the body being able to balance, repair and heal itself with greater focus and efficiency.

Maintaining healthy communication links in the body is an ongoing process. The inevitable stresses of life create new communication breakdowns. During a BodyTalk session, the body will only allow as many changes as it can handle at any one time, based on how strong and healthy the person is, and how complex the required changes are. In light of this, regular BodyTalk sessions are recommended to all clients to help support their bodies as best as possible.

Address the need to correct distortions and the energetic alignment of various parts of the body. The techniques used are from BodyTalk Energetics, a specialised area of study in BodyTalk. Sahan received this training directly from the founder of the BodyTalk® System, Dr John Veltheim.

The most common adjustments involve the lungs, heart, spine, joints, muscles, and bones. These techniques have also been shown to benefit hiatal hernias, prolapsed colons, urogenital disorders, and issues that stem from distortions in the breasts. The energetic alignment of the brain is also addressed in this way, especially where the brain hemispheres have twisted slightly due to occipital bending (Yakovlevian Torque).

BodyTalk’s alignment techniques use a hands-on approach. The practitioner’s hands are placed directly over the area of the body where adjustments need to be made and gently moved in the required direction using light pressure.

Permission is sought from the client where sensitive parts of the body such as the lower abdomen near the pubis (concerning urogenital issues) or the breasts (concerning breast distortions) are involved, and if necessary, a non-contact approach is used.

All diseases found in the body are reflected in the brain at some level. For example, if a neurological connection in the brain is wrongly wired or is disconnected, this will be reflected in the body as a physical, mental, biochemical or other malfunction. Brain scan images have also shown cold spots or inactive areas of the brain that directly correspond to the area of the body with the problem.

The BodyTalk cortices technique helps reconnect, synchronise, and improve communication between the two halves of the brain as well as all levels of brain function. This improvement can quickly and efficiently address many common health issues as well as improve brain function and memory overall. Evaluation following BodyTalk sessions has shown that cold spots either diminish or entirely disappear, along with the corresponding symptoms.

The three-brains complex is a specialised field of study in The BodyTalk® System. Sahan received his training in San Francisco, directly from the founder of the BodyTalk, Dr John Veltheim. Dr Veltheim found that by using vocalised sound therapy techniques found in several traditional healing systems, it is possible to strengthen, synchronise, and attune and thus, catalyse healthy functioning between all three brains.

What exactly is the three-brains complex? In addition to the (head) brain, two other nerve-rich areas in the body exhibit characteristics and behaviour similar to “a brain.” These nerve centres are in the heart and the gastrointestinal tract (the enteric nervous system).

So it stands, there is not one, but three brains: the head brain, the heart brain, and the enteric (gut) brain. Working in synchronicity, they form the three-brains complex. Although the discovery of the three brains is relatively new to modern medical science, they have been a keystone in traditional healing systems for centuries.

When they are in good working order, each of the three brains shares the workload of managing the physical, mental and emotional processes of the body. In our modern times, at least one of our three brains is under-performing, while the remaining brains are over-performing. When one brain is not completing its tasks, the others step in to pick up the slack – thus over-working to complete tasks, which by nature, they are not designed to do. It is the head brain that habitually takes on the functions of the other two brains.

The result is passive chaos within the body: an over-taxed head brain, a non-communicative heart-brain, and a confused gut-brain — consequently, an out-of-balance body-mind complex.

BodyTalk techniques for balancing the three-brains complex have been shown to yield rapid results. The brains begin to operate better, and with that, future BodyTalk sessions become stronger and more powerful, with accelerated healing throughout the body-mind.

“In the 21st century, it is the new scientific discipline of epigenetics that is unravelling so much of what we took as dogma and rebuilding it in an infinitely more varied, more complex, and even more beautiful fashion.” (Nessa Carey, The Epigenetics Revolution, 2012)

In BodyTalk, the fascinating science of epigenetics is employed to understand and address the influence of our environment, experiences, and emotions on our overall health and wellbeing. Epigenetics refers to the modifications in gene expression (essentially the turning on or off of genes) that occur without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

BodyTalk practitioners recognise that past traumas, stressors, emotional experiences, and all manner of environmental factors, such as toxins and food, can leave an epigenetic imprint on our gene expression, potentially leading to health issues. By identifying these factors and then utilising various BodyTalk techniques, BodyTalk seeks to unlock the potential for positive changes in gene expression, ultimately contributing to improved health and vitality. Epigenetics within BodyTalk underscores the interconnectedness of our experiences and biology, offering a comprehensive and effective approach to wellness.

In 2019 and 2020, Sahan completed specialised studies in BodyTalk relating to Epigenetics. This body of work was developed and taught by Dr Laura Stuve. Based in California, USA, she is a PhD molecular biologist, a Senior Certified BodyTalk Instructor, PaRama BodyTalk Practitioner and Adv. Certified BodyTalk Practitioner.

She spent 25 years researching human molecular genetics in both academia and the biotechnology industry, before transitioning into BodyTalk. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. She went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University, working on the Human Genome Project. She has directed numerous research projects focused on the investigation of the genetic basis of human disease.

“Our genes might control the possibilities, but epigenetics determines our destiny.” … “Our genome is less like a static blueprint and more like a piano. The piano keys represent the genome. We each get different keys, and the keys don’t change throughout our life: we die with the same piano keys, or genome, we’re born with. What changes is the sheet music: the epigenetics. That sheet of music determines what tune is played—what genes are expressed—and those genes determine our traits—everything from IQ to hair colour.” (A.G. Riddle, The Atlantis Gene)

BodyTalk techniques for balancing the body’s microbiome have helped to address numerous immune-related issues in the body. Being a relatively new field of medical research, and therefore without many reliable and safe treatment options for patients, the results BodyTalk has so far achieved for clients are exceptional.

In 2019, Sahan completed specialised studies in BodyTalk relating to the human microbiome and epigenetics. This body of work, developed by both Dr John Veltheim and Dr Laura Stuve, was taught by Dr Laura Stuve. She is based in California, USA, and is a PhD molecular biologist, a Senior Certified BodyTalk Instructor, PaRama BodyTalk Practitioner and Adv. Certified BodyTalk Practitioner.

She spent 25 years researching human molecular genetics in both academia and the biotechnology industry, before transitioning into BodyTalk. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. She went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University, working on the Human Genome Project. She has directed numerous research projects focused on the investigation of the genetic basis of human disease.

Research from the USA’s National Institute of Health (NIH) Human Microbiome Project, states: “The human microbiome is the collection of all the microorganisms living in association with the human body. These communities consist of a variety of microorganisms, including eukaryotes, archaea, bacteria, and viruses. Bacteria, in an average human body number ten times more than human cells, for a total of about 1000 more genes than the human genome.

These microbes are generally not harmful to us, in fact, they are essential for maintaining health. For example, they produce some vitamins that we do not have the genes to make, break down our food to extract nutrients we need to survive, teach our immune systems how to recognise dangerous invaders and even produce helpful anti-inflammatory compounds that fight off other disease-causing microbes.” (https://hmpdacc.org/ihmp/overview/)

“The discovery of the size and complexity of the human microbiome has resulted in an ongoing reevaluation of many concepts of health and disease, including diseases affecting the central nervous system. A growing body of preclinical literature has demonstrated bidirectional signalling between the brain and the gut microbiome. These findings have resulted in speculation that alterations in the gut microbiome may play a role in human brain diseases, including autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.” (Majid Ali, MD)

We cannot live without water. All physiological processes in the body are dependent upon a good supply of water. Water is critically important in nerve transmission, muscle contraction, removal of free radicals, lung function, cell division, energy conduction, hyperactivity, malnourishment, skin rejuvenation, lymphatic flow, and immune function. Some traditional healing systems also consider water to be a symbol of joy and happiness in the body.

Many people these days drink plenty of water. However, the body is not utilising this water properly. Very often, the transportation of water across cell membranes is compromised. BodyTalk helps improve the body’s ability to fully use the water it has available by facilitating better movement and absorption of water molecules by the cells throughout the body.

BodyTalk places great emphasis on the lymphatic system and lymph movement in the body. In BodyTalk sessions, lymph nodes in the neck, clavicle, armpits, groin, abdomen, and spleen are stimulated when necessary to function better.

BodyTalk’s Veltheim Method for Lymphatic Drainage (VMLD) is an innovative and highly effective approach to encouraging healthy functioning of the lymphatic system that produces powerful physical and emotional shifts. It is based on a unique ‘kinesthetic visualisation’ technique that defies the traditional Western understanding of how the lymphatic system works.

In 2019, Sahan trained in VMLD with Dr Tracey Clark. Based in Canada, she is a Board Certified Manual Osteopath with a Doctorate and PhD in Integrative Medicine. She is also an Advanced Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, a BodyTalk Access Trainer, and an Advanced Certified BodyTalk Instructor.

Along with the lymphatics, BodyTalk techniques for blood circulation and nerve supply form a significant part of BodyTalk Sessions with astonishing results for clients.

BodyTalk recognises the staggering number of factors that influence the body’s immune functions. Emphasis is placed not only on addressing acute parasitic infections, allergies, intolerances, and toxin stress but also on strengthening immune function and the body-mind complex as a whole for long-term preventative care.

As an example, BodyTalk sessions work towards improving the body’s external defence systems such as the protective Wei-Qi energy and the body’s microbiome: the helpful microbes found in all areas of the body that expose to the outside world.

The health of the thymus and the pericardium of the heart is also considered because of their link to a struggling immune system. Emotions, stress, trauma, ancestry and a plethora of psychological factors also play a significant role in immune function and dysfunction.

Due to the cumulative effect of periodic BodyTalk sessions, clients notice the strengthening of the immune system with unprecedented recovery times and far fewer infections and illnesses. For many, this is a welcome relief from the recurrent need for expensive therapies, and potent drugs and antibiotics.

The body’s cells can accumulate damage due to inherited factors, acquired conditions, and adverse reactions to vaccines, potent medication, chemical pollutants, acute diseases, and severe stress and trauma. As the injured cells replicate to produce new cells, they also replicate their abnormalities.

In many instances, BodyTalk’s Epigenetic Strategies have made it possible to help the body recall the blueprint of the original healthy cells so that the body can regenerate new healthy cells.

In 2019, Sahan completed specialised studies in the application of the latest scientific understanding of epigenetics to BodyTalk. This work was developed and taught by Dr Laura Stuve, PhD molecular biologist, Senior Certified BodyTalk Instructor, PaRama BodyTalk Practitioner and Adv. Certified BodyTalk Practitioner. She spent 25 years researching human molecular genetics in both academia and the biotechnology industry, before transitioning into BodyTalk. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. She went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University, working on the Human Genome Project. She has directed numerous research projects focused on the investigation of the genetic basis of human disease.

The body depends on a healthy musculoskeletal system for many of its functions. Improving the health of the musculoskeletal system result in numerous improvements to the overall structural integrity of the body, breathing, muscle tension, general energy levels, circulation, lymphatic drainage, digestive function, and nerve function.

BodyTalk techniques for the musculoskeletal system rely heavily on strengthening the Wei-Qi (energy) that surrounds the body. There are many tasks the Wei-Qi performs. In terms of the musculoskeletal system, it provides rapid communication between the muscles, joints and the extremities of the body. This communication, together with the nervous system, is an integral part of the body’s mechanisms for tensegrity, balance, coordination, and synchronisation of movement.

Balancing the Wei-Qi is virtually a health care modality on its own, and the heavy reliance on the Wei-Qi to rapidly address the body’s issues is one of the strengths of the BodyTalk® System.

When the body does not repair damage to the skin and fascia correctly, it can create obstructions that compromise the healthy flow of blood, nerve, lymph, and subtle energy pathways through those areas. The skin can look and feel thick, hard, bunched up, raised, sticky, tender or inflamed. 

Typical examples are scars and adhesions from poorly healed injury or surgery, body piercings, moles, acne pitting, and tattooed skin. BodyTalk helps the body improve, and sometimes even fully repair these sites.

As a result, healthier functioning can return to that area. Since the fascia is continuous throughout the body, a successful repair of the skin and fascia in one part of the body can create a ripple of positive changes throughout the rest of the body.

Our body stores unresolved emotions, memories, belief systems, consciousness, environmental triggers, fears and phobias within the fascial system. By understanding the way fascia is interconnected throughout the body, and combining this knowledge with BodyTalk procedures, BodyTalk Practitioners can quickly find regions of fascial dysfunction that need resolving.

In 2019, Sahan went to Singapore to study BodyTalk Fascial Energetics with Dr Kerry D’Ambrogio, who is an internationally recognised lecturer, author, physical therapist, osteopath and board-certified acupuncture physician. Based in the USA, he is a Certified Body Talk Practitioner and a Senior BodyTalk Instructor. He is also a certified instructor recognised by the International Alliance of Healthcare Educators (IAHE). He is a published author of Positional Release Therapy, and he has written numerous articles in Physical and Occupational Therapy journals. He has also discussed health issues on radio and television talk shows.

BodyTalk can help a person better process their memories from life’s experiences, trauma, complicated relationships, and difficult times. Some people even have deeply recessed memories from experiences they had in their foetal life and during birth. 

When a person had not fully synthesised and processed the emotional content of past experiences, their subconscious mind holds on to the memory while their body stores the associated emotions in the muscles and connective tissue. Where the body stores the emotions can become the site of symptoms and conditions.

BodyTalk helps the body synthesise and release these stored emotions. The techniques used are powerful yet gentle. In some cases, BodyTalk can even address painful memories without the person having to recall, relive or be re-traumatised by the memory. 

Once a memory is addressed and the associated emotions released, a passive trace of the memory always remains but with far fewer debilitating emotional swings.

Address deeply held beliefs and attitudes, fears and phobias that are restricting a person from reaching their full potential and experiencing life to the fullest. 

Beliefs can stem from the hundreds and thousands of experiences a person has had throughout their life. “I am not good enough.” “I am not smart enough.” “Children don’t like me.” “I have to be perfect, just like my mother.” “Food makes me fat.” “I am a bad driver.” “They are always racist.” “I hate the Sun.” “I am scared of dogs.” “Women are hard to please.” “All men are boys.” “Everyone eventually gets divorced anyway.” 

There can be strong beliefs about sensuality, sexuality, self-love, giving love and accepting love. Beliefs around body image are common too, and in many instances, they are about a person not being able to accept their appearance truly.

Many people are familiar with fears and phobias about reptiles, spiders, ghosts, heights, small places, and the like. There are other kinds of fears, too: fear of love, fear of failure, or even a fear of success. These fears can sometimes become so strong that they become a phobia: a phobia of love, a phobia of failure, or a phobia of success. 

BodyTalk can incrementally work through these debilitating beliefs and fears to release them from a person’s bodymind. The result can be a new lease of life for a person.

BodyTalk Matrix Dynamics stands as a compelling and captivating facet of BodyTalk, comprising two distinctive branches. One branch delves into the accumulation of potent beliefs that mould an individual’s personality and the emergence of sub-personalities. The other branch focuses on the intricate web of bonds that develop among individuals within a group (Please see the next tab for more information on Groups Dynamics).

On an individual level, Matrix Dynamics examines the multifaceted relationships within the client – the interplay between their “Mini-MEs.” These are the personas, identities, and masks we craft in our quest to navigate, endure, and savour our experiences in this complex world.

Sessions within this framework may aim to establish a more harmonious equilibrium between their masculine and feminine aspects, fortifying the vital inner relationship between these two archetypal forces.

In other instances, sessions may revolve around dismantling redundant personality masks that clients have crafted to navigate life’s challenges. Examples include the “tough guy mask” donned for schoolyard encounters, the “humour mask” concealing enduring sadness, or the “people-pleasing mask” deployed to safeguard one’s self-esteem. These masks once served the purpose of navigating daily struggles but have now become obsolete, significantly impacting the individual’s health or hindering their journey to live authentically and to their fullest potential.

Former Advanced Senior BodyTalk Instructor, Dr Janet Galipo, says: “BodyTalk Matrix work has evolved and expanded over its original form since the concept was first introduced by John Veltheim 15 years ago. At that time, we viewed a matrix as any energy formation bound together by a belief system. This enabled practitioners to work with primary [masculine and feminine archetypes] and secondary matrices [our well-fortified beliefs and the masks we wear to face the world] and even family and group matrices.

More recently, our understanding of morphic fields has created an extension of how we approach matrix work. Morphic fields or matrices underlie the organisation of nearly everything including proteins, cells, animals, plants, brains and minds. They could explain our habits, our memories, our instincts, our preferences and even our sense of direction.

Whatever the origin, once a new morphic field or matrix comes into being as a new pattern of organisation, its field can become stronger through repetition. What happened before is more likely to happen again. This theory extends beyond the brain and into the environment. It may account for family patterns and illnesses, the success of businesses and even the extent to which the seeds that we plant in our gardens will become beautiful flowers. It appears that intention and attention can positively impact our morphic fields.”

BodyTalk Matrix Dynamics is a compelling and captivating facet of BodyTalk, comprising two distinct branches. One branch, Primary and Secondary Matrixes, delves into the accumulation of potent beliefs that sculpt an individual’s personality and give rise to sub-personalities (please see the previous tab for more information). The other branch, Group Matrixes, is dedicated to balancing the countless connections among individuals within a group.

Group Matrix work delves into the intricate and multifaceted dynamics within various collective settings, ranging from families and organisations to workplaces and sports clubs. It approaches these dynamics from the client’s perspective, exploring their connection to and impact within the group. The emphasis is not on healing the group but instead on healing the client through the relationship or bond they have with the group and its members. These bonds can be repaired, formed, or even severed at an emotional level in cases where a member is no longer in the group or the family.

Remarkably, although the sessions are focused on the client, there can be an intriguing phenomenon of entanglement, where positive changes initiated at the individual level often radiate through the group, ultimately benefiting the entire matrix.

Former Advanced Senior BodyTalk Instructor, Dr Janet Galipo, says: “BodyTalk Matrix work has evolved and expanded over its original form since the concept was first introduced by John Veltheim 15 years ago. At that time, we viewed a matrix as any energy formation bound together by a belief system. This enabled practitioners to work with primary [masculine and feminine archetypes] and secondary matrices [our well-fortified beliefs or the masks we wear to face the world] and even family and group matrices on a priority basis.

More recently, our understanding of morphic fields has expanded how we approach matrix work. Morphic fields or matrices underlie the organisation of nearly everything including proteins, cells, animals, plants, brains and minds. They could explain our habits, our memories, our instincts, our preferences and even our sense of direction.

Whatever the origin, once a new morphic field or matrix comes into being as a new pattern of organisation, its field can become stronger through repetition. What happened before is more likely to happen again. This theory extends beyond the brain and into the environment. It may account for family patterns and illnesses, the success of businesses and even the extent to which the seeds that we plant in our gardens will become beautiful flowers. It appears that intention and attention can positively impact our morphic fields.”

Spirituality often comes up in a session for clients who are on a spiritual path or have an interest in the subject. BodyTalk understands that not all clients identify with the topic of spirituality. If it comes up as something the body wants to address, the focus will be on whatever ‘spirituality’ means to the client. No spiritual doctrines are forced on the client – It’s not the way BodyTalk works. The bulk of a BodyTalk Session involves balancing the body biochemically, physiologically and emotionally. As such, clients should not feel apprehensive about using BodyTalk on account of this subject.

Spirituality has a meaning that is personal and unique to every individual on earth. It could be their life’s purpose; their philanthropy; their desire to be a loving and kind person; their connection to a deity or a stream of consciousness; their faith; their soul; their silence; their enlightenment; their belief in past lives, or their curiosity of death after life, and life after death. Spirituality can also be very painful for some, with strong memories and intense emotions.

By resolving imbalances related to spirituality, many clients experience deep levels of comfort and healing, not only spiritually but also physically, mentally and emotionally.

“Consciousness is all there is. All there is — is Consciousness,” according to Ramesh Balsekar, who uses this as the basic statement of his teaching. In the late thirteenth century, an English mystic called it ‘the cloud of unknowing’, and much earlier Dionysius of Athens called it, instead of Light, ‘translucent darkness’.

The concept of Consciousness or Awareness underlies the foundation of the philosophy behind The BodyTalk® System. This understanding allows BodyTalk to delve into how our experiences form our beliefs about life and therefore, ourselves. Unsurprisingly, what we have come to believe about the world and ourselves profoundly influences our health and wellbeing. Most of the breakdown of communication in our bodymind complex comes from our states of consciousness which are made up of our belief systems and attitudes.

From the moment we are born, we experience our world through our five senses. BodyTalk takes into account the physical and physiological quality of these five senses. It considers how the brain processes the input signals from the five senses — particularly, how our beliefs blur, modify, or convolute the sensory information we receive and therefore, how we experience the world and ourselves. Ironically, the life experiences we had via the five senses are what created those beliefs in the first place.

Why do we feel afraid when we see ‘those’ people, just because of the way they dress? Are we truly hearing what the other person is saying, or is the brain filtering just what we want to hear? Do we see the whole scene in front of us, or just what our beliefs have trained us to see? 

BodyTalk explores how our habitual thinking patterns create masks that hide our True nature, and how addressing these masks helps the unfolding personal and spiritual growth of the client.

Ultimately, BodyTalk helps clients explore the question, Who Am I? through what Carl Jung calls, Individuation: the process of peeling away masks we wear that have supported our faulty beliefs and past experiences. It is the process of un-becoming which results in just being oneself. Perhaps this could be the ultimate realisation — or the realisation of the ultimate.