Articles
The Adaptation of Rosen Method within Hospice and Palliative Care by Debbie Fildew
Rosen Method is a form of bodywork that has been an integral part of hospice and palliative care in many countries for a number of years, and is now beginning to gain recognition in the United Kingdom..
It has been developed by a German-born physiotherapist called Marion Rosen who by observing her patients over many years began to appreciate that there seemed to be a relationship between patients’ tense muscles, their breath and their emotional issues.
Rosen Method focuses on this inter-relationship and connection, using a gentle touch that "listens" rather than manipulates. Practitioners feel for where there is tension in the body and explore what might be underlying this...why has this person learnt to hold themselves in this way?
They listen closely to what the body has to say, which can sometimes be through an intuitive sense of emotions or feelings, an image, or a memory. They may then reflect back what they sense (if appropriate) by words or sometimes just by touch, and the patient is also encouraged to say what might be happening for them.
Over time, the person starts to become more aware of how they hold tension and why, and from there comes the choice to do things differently. With awareness, the muscles can soften and allow more breath to flow through the body. With this softening and opening, there can often be a lessening of chronic aches and pains and an increase in movement and flexibility.
The light touch of Rosen encourages us to come back to our bodies and reconnect with ourselves.
“Rosen invites us to use the body as a resource, to be aware of what we feel, to allow us to be seen in a non-judgemental way, and to utilize the relationship- or the connection to the witness- to provide support for going deeply inside one’s experience. This process of going inside has helped me come out into my life again and again-renewed, connected to my inner strength, and knowing more about the part of me that transcends death.” Marjorie Huebner (Breast cancer survivor and Rosen Method Bodywork practitioner)
As someone reclines on their bed or chair, gentle touch is made through clothing. The practitioner’s hands are soft and open and have a listening, enquiring quality as if listening into the rooms of a house to see who’s there. They feel for where someone is tense and restricted in their body and go in to “meet” them at that place where they hold.
The quality of the touch is patient and respectful, there is no trying to do or “fix” anything, just simply reminding the muscles that they are holding. Touching in this way allows deep relaxation and for many, this is what is needed and appropriate as they drift into a peaceful sleep. There have been many times when I have tiptoed away after a session giving them space to stay for a while longer in this place.
For others, Rosen can bring people to a much closer connection to their emotional and spiritual selves. As they begin to relax and tension starts to melt, there can be a sense of “dropping into themselves” and from this place, feelings and emotions can emerge. Sometimes these can be around their present experiences, but past memories and experiences can also come to the surface.
Mrs R had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
As she lay in her bed, I placed one hand behind her neck and the other on her arm nearest me. My hand was drawn to an area of tension on the side of her neck and I stayed here, listening in and feeling how to meet her in this place. She said that she had had problems there for over 50 years and when I asked her what had been happening in her life around this time, and she said that she had fallen from a height leading to a whiplash injury. I could feel a strong response in her neck and a sensation of anger and frustration came up. She then spontaneously said that something else had happened in connection to this fall, something that she had not felt able to express to anyone even her family. As she told me her experience, I could feel the muscles in her neck beginning to soften under my hand and her breath flowed more easily into her chest. She said that it had been like a lead weight on her chest for over 50 years and that she felt a sense of relief and lightness from finally telling someone what had happened. Over the next few weeks we continued to work with the residual tension in her neck and by the time she was discharged, the tension had completely dissipated and she was pain free.
For many, it can feel immensely supportive to have someone there as a witness, someone who can hold and meet them in their dark, painful places. Practitioners offer a calm, grounded presence which provides a sense of security and reassurance so opening up the possibility for them to go deeper into their experience.
Being led by the patient, the practitioner may use words to reflect back how they are experiencing their body. Because the insight is gained through the hands, the words can come from a very deep place often reaching to the core of an issue so assisting unconscious memories to come through to their conscious awareness. Marion often called practitioners “Midwives of the emotions” as they witness this movement through the body.
There will often be a response in someone’s breathing as this connection is made. Where someone has been holding tension may also be a place where they have shut down their breathing. This can be seen and felt anywhere in the body not just in the chest. As the unconscious starts to move up to their awareness, there can be a softening of the muscles and more flow of the breath through the body. With the breath comes life and vitality.
Many people drift into a relaxed sleep during a session, others connect with memories and experiences and some seem to open out into a completely different space.
Mr. C had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Initially, he was fairly reluctant to have some therapy and was very preoccupied with keeping records of his fluid intake and bowel action, but he decided to “give it a go.”
I placed one hand behind his neck and two fingers very lightly on his wrist. His neck at the base of his skull was very tight and there was a sense that he was trying to hold himself up, physically but also in a wider sense. His breathing was rapid and shallow and echoed the feeling in his neck- “I have to keep going….if I let go, I don’t know what will happen…”
Gradually he began to sink more and more into my hands and his breathing slowed down and began to deepen. I moved my hand from his wrist to the centre of his chest over his heart and he responded by taking a huge breath. As he breathed out he seemed to allow himself to open out into this heart space and there was a feeling of deep surrender. His breath seemed to fill his whole body as his diaphragm released and let go. My awareness was filled with the softness of his heart and an all embracing presence of grace. We stayed in this place together for a while and then gently brought the session to a close. As he opened his eyes, there was complete wonder in them. I stayed a little while just touching him lightly on his wrist, still feeling a deep sense of heart connection.
“When the diaphragm lets go all the way, it seems that people have surrendered to whatever is happening, and they feel so peaceful. Then they say, “I feel like I am part of something bigger….In German we have the word “Gotteskind, which means you become a “child of God.” It describes this state where fear and uncertainty go away, and a new space inside opens up for loving acceptance of oneself and others. It is really easy to see that this transformation has taken place as the breath courses through the entire torso.”
Marion Rosen
A reflection on personal experience of Rosen Method Bodywork
It is now several months since my sessions of Rosen Method with Debbie Fildew and a good time to reflect on how I felt about the treatment at the time and any lasting effect it may have had.
It was only after two or three sessions that I realized how tense I had been initially and started to feel that perhaps some of the tension was fading. I had been experiencing a lot of unexplained back pain and extreme fatigue. It’s difficult not to feel tension and stress when you’ve been dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of a cancer, in my case multiple myeloma. After a couple of years of hospital visits and constant medication it was good to have access to something that treated the real “me” inside it all.
During the sessions, I found that along with the stress of the diagnosis and treatment, other things were either rising to the surface- or had been lurking undetected, probably for years! Debbie’s treatment created an extraordinarily calming and relaxing feeling, even at times when emotions of past fear and anxiety were being released. I cried quite a lot, especially during the first few sessions, but this diminished and I laughed increasingly. I don’t know why I was surprised to find it such a spiritual experience. There were moments that were truly uplifting, and I experienced feeling comparable to those that arise in the silence of a Quaker meeting.
Debbie worked with my mind and body in a way that was subtle and didn’t feel at all intrusive, to find someone inside that I had been scared to acknowledge was there. It was a huge learning curve for me and immensely rewarding. The changing focus on different areas of my body was a revelation, I was fascinated by both the method of working and the results. Thoughts and emotions seemed to come out of the ether, and being able to express and explain some of these was a great release.
Sometime later, I am still feeling the benefits. I’m generally much calmer and more confident than I was. The back pain that was so excruciating has been almost extinct for months and tension is something that now relates to knitting rather than my body!
It seems crazy at my age, but it’s such a relief to finally realize that it’s truly ok to just be me and not have to fulfill the expectations of anyone else. I’ve been doing things I enjoy especially botanical drawing. It’s a bit of a visual version of Rosen where I both find and lose myself simultaneously…..
So three cheers for Marion Rosen who worked it all out and Debbie who treated me.
MH November 2013
An article written for the Spring 2015 edition of Ciren Wellbeing
The Encouragement of Light
So much is held and contained within the depth of the winter months, a time when nature’s potential is as yet unrealized, just waiting for the light of spring to encourage that forward surge of new life.
Just as the snow drop bulb lays dormant and unseen, so too do we, within our human bodies, hold the key to huge resources and untapped possibilities. We may have a sense that we are not showing the true fullness of ourselves, that somehow there is “more.”
Over the years, we may have learnt that our spontaneous feelings and expression were not acceptable, so we learnt to hold certain parts of ourselves back, down or in, burying them deep inside through muscular tension.
The light touch of Rosen encourages us to come back to our bodies reconnecting us to ourselves once more
Within a Rosen session
Practitioner’s hands are soft and open and have an enquiring quality, as if listening into the rooms of a house to see who’s there. They feel for where someone is tense and restricted in their body and go in to “meet” them at that place where they hold.
The quality of the touch is patient and respectful, there is no trying to do or “fix” anything, just simply reminding the muscles that they are holding. As they begin to relax and tension starts to melt, there can be a sense of “dropping in” and from this place, feelings and emotions can emerge.
Practitioners may use words to reflect back how they are experiencing someone’s body and because the insight is gained through the hands, the words can come from a very deep place often reaching to the core of an issue so assisting unconscious memories to come through to someone’s conscious awareness.
For many, it can feel immensely supportive to have someone there as a witness, someone who can hold and meet them in their dark, painful places. Practitioners offer a calm, grounded presence which provides a sense of security and reassurance so opening up the possibility for them to go deeper into their experience.
Realizing the potential
Awareness and insight leads to a gradual unfolding from within as our muscles begin to soften, and increased flow of breath through the body brings new life and vitality. We begin to wake up!
Long term aches and pains may slowly dissolve as tension eases. We begin to move more freely with liberated energy, and as we become clearer about what we want in our lives, we start to rediscover our creativity and passion for life.
Rosen reconnects us to the impetus that lies within us all, to express ourselves fully and without reservation, so as we lift our faces to the first gentle rays of spring sunlight, let’s breathe it in to the full extent of our being, and allow ourselves to move forwards into the flow of life with all its abundance.
Debbie Fildew
It Felt Love
How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened.
Hazif
It has been developed by a German-born physiotherapist called Marion Rosen who by observing her patients over many years began to appreciate that there seemed to be a relationship between patients’ tense muscles, their breath and their emotional issues.
Rosen Method focuses on this inter-relationship and connection, using a gentle touch that "listens" rather than manipulates. Practitioners feel for where there is tension in the body and explore what might be underlying this...why has this person learnt to hold themselves in this way?
They listen closely to what the body has to say, which can sometimes be through an intuitive sense of emotions or feelings, an image, or a memory. They may then reflect back what they sense (if appropriate) by words or sometimes just by touch, and the patient is also encouraged to say what might be happening for them.
Over time, the person starts to become more aware of how they hold tension and why, and from there comes the choice to do things differently. With awareness, the muscles can soften and allow more breath to flow through the body. With this softening and opening, there can often be a lessening of chronic aches and pains and an increase in movement and flexibility.
The light touch of Rosen encourages us to come back to our bodies and reconnect with ourselves.
“Rosen invites us to use the body as a resource, to be aware of what we feel, to allow us to be seen in a non-judgemental way, and to utilize the relationship- or the connection to the witness- to provide support for going deeply inside one’s experience. This process of going inside has helped me come out into my life again and again-renewed, connected to my inner strength, and knowing more about the part of me that transcends death.” Marjorie Huebner (Breast cancer survivor and Rosen Method Bodywork practitioner)
As someone reclines on their bed or chair, gentle touch is made through clothing. The practitioner’s hands are soft and open and have a listening, enquiring quality as if listening into the rooms of a house to see who’s there. They feel for where someone is tense and restricted in their body and go in to “meet” them at that place where they hold.
The quality of the touch is patient and respectful, there is no trying to do or “fix” anything, just simply reminding the muscles that they are holding. Touching in this way allows deep relaxation and for many, this is what is needed and appropriate as they drift into a peaceful sleep. There have been many times when I have tiptoed away after a session giving them space to stay for a while longer in this place.
For others, Rosen can bring people to a much closer connection to their emotional and spiritual selves. As they begin to relax and tension starts to melt, there can be a sense of “dropping into themselves” and from this place, feelings and emotions can emerge. Sometimes these can be around their present experiences, but past memories and experiences can also come to the surface.
Mrs R had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
As she lay in her bed, I placed one hand behind her neck and the other on her arm nearest me. My hand was drawn to an area of tension on the side of her neck and I stayed here, listening in and feeling how to meet her in this place. She said that she had had problems there for over 50 years and when I asked her what had been happening in her life around this time, and she said that she had fallen from a height leading to a whiplash injury. I could feel a strong response in her neck and a sensation of anger and frustration came up. She then spontaneously said that something else had happened in connection to this fall, something that she had not felt able to express to anyone even her family. As she told me her experience, I could feel the muscles in her neck beginning to soften under my hand and her breath flowed more easily into her chest. She said that it had been like a lead weight on her chest for over 50 years and that she felt a sense of relief and lightness from finally telling someone what had happened. Over the next few weeks we continued to work with the residual tension in her neck and by the time she was discharged, the tension had completely dissipated and she was pain free.
For many, it can feel immensely supportive to have someone there as a witness, someone who can hold and meet them in their dark, painful places. Practitioners offer a calm, grounded presence which provides a sense of security and reassurance so opening up the possibility for them to go deeper into their experience.
Being led by the patient, the practitioner may use words to reflect back how they are experiencing their body. Because the insight is gained through the hands, the words can come from a very deep place often reaching to the core of an issue so assisting unconscious memories to come through to their conscious awareness. Marion often called practitioners “Midwives of the emotions” as they witness this movement through the body.
There will often be a response in someone’s breathing as this connection is made. Where someone has been holding tension may also be a place where they have shut down their breathing. This can be seen and felt anywhere in the body not just in the chest. As the unconscious starts to move up to their awareness, there can be a softening of the muscles and more flow of the breath through the body. With the breath comes life and vitality.
Many people drift into a relaxed sleep during a session, others connect with memories and experiences and some seem to open out into a completely different space.
Mr. C had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Initially, he was fairly reluctant to have some therapy and was very preoccupied with keeping records of his fluid intake and bowel action, but he decided to “give it a go.”
I placed one hand behind his neck and two fingers very lightly on his wrist. His neck at the base of his skull was very tight and there was a sense that he was trying to hold himself up, physically but also in a wider sense. His breathing was rapid and shallow and echoed the feeling in his neck- “I have to keep going….if I let go, I don’t know what will happen…”
Gradually he began to sink more and more into my hands and his breathing slowed down and began to deepen. I moved my hand from his wrist to the centre of his chest over his heart and he responded by taking a huge breath. As he breathed out he seemed to allow himself to open out into this heart space and there was a feeling of deep surrender. His breath seemed to fill his whole body as his diaphragm released and let go. My awareness was filled with the softness of his heart and an all embracing presence of grace. We stayed in this place together for a while and then gently brought the session to a close. As he opened his eyes, there was complete wonder in them. I stayed a little while just touching him lightly on his wrist, still feeling a deep sense of heart connection.
“When the diaphragm lets go all the way, it seems that people have surrendered to whatever is happening, and they feel so peaceful. Then they say, “I feel like I am part of something bigger….In German we have the word “Gotteskind, which means you become a “child of God.” It describes this state where fear and uncertainty go away, and a new space inside opens up for loving acceptance of oneself and others. It is really easy to see that this transformation has taken place as the breath courses through the entire torso.”
Marion Rosen
A reflection on personal experience of Rosen Method Bodywork
It is now several months since my sessions of Rosen Method with Debbie Fildew and a good time to reflect on how I felt about the treatment at the time and any lasting effect it may have had.
It was only after two or three sessions that I realized how tense I had been initially and started to feel that perhaps some of the tension was fading. I had been experiencing a lot of unexplained back pain and extreme fatigue. It’s difficult not to feel tension and stress when you’ve been dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of a cancer, in my case multiple myeloma. After a couple of years of hospital visits and constant medication it was good to have access to something that treated the real “me” inside it all.
During the sessions, I found that along with the stress of the diagnosis and treatment, other things were either rising to the surface- or had been lurking undetected, probably for years! Debbie’s treatment created an extraordinarily calming and relaxing feeling, even at times when emotions of past fear and anxiety were being released. I cried quite a lot, especially during the first few sessions, but this diminished and I laughed increasingly. I don’t know why I was surprised to find it such a spiritual experience. There were moments that were truly uplifting, and I experienced feeling comparable to those that arise in the silence of a Quaker meeting.
Debbie worked with my mind and body in a way that was subtle and didn’t feel at all intrusive, to find someone inside that I had been scared to acknowledge was there. It was a huge learning curve for me and immensely rewarding. The changing focus on different areas of my body was a revelation, I was fascinated by both the method of working and the results. Thoughts and emotions seemed to come out of the ether, and being able to express and explain some of these was a great release.
Sometime later, I am still feeling the benefits. I’m generally much calmer and more confident than I was. The back pain that was so excruciating has been almost extinct for months and tension is something that now relates to knitting rather than my body!
It seems crazy at my age, but it’s such a relief to finally realize that it’s truly ok to just be me and not have to fulfill the expectations of anyone else. I’ve been doing things I enjoy especially botanical drawing. It’s a bit of a visual version of Rosen where I both find and lose myself simultaneously…..
So three cheers for Marion Rosen who worked it all out and Debbie who treated me.
MH November 2013
An article written for the Spring 2015 edition of Ciren Wellbeing
The Encouragement of Light
So much is held and contained within the depth of the winter months, a time when nature’s potential is as yet unrealized, just waiting for the light of spring to encourage that forward surge of new life.
Just as the snow drop bulb lays dormant and unseen, so too do we, within our human bodies, hold the key to huge resources and untapped possibilities. We may have a sense that we are not showing the true fullness of ourselves, that somehow there is “more.”
Over the years, we may have learnt that our spontaneous feelings and expression were not acceptable, so we learnt to hold certain parts of ourselves back, down or in, burying them deep inside through muscular tension.
The light touch of Rosen encourages us to come back to our bodies reconnecting us to ourselves once more
Within a Rosen session
Practitioner’s hands are soft and open and have an enquiring quality, as if listening into the rooms of a house to see who’s there. They feel for where someone is tense and restricted in their body and go in to “meet” them at that place where they hold.
The quality of the touch is patient and respectful, there is no trying to do or “fix” anything, just simply reminding the muscles that they are holding. As they begin to relax and tension starts to melt, there can be a sense of “dropping in” and from this place, feelings and emotions can emerge.
Practitioners may use words to reflect back how they are experiencing someone’s body and because the insight is gained through the hands, the words can come from a very deep place often reaching to the core of an issue so assisting unconscious memories to come through to someone’s conscious awareness.
For many, it can feel immensely supportive to have someone there as a witness, someone who can hold and meet them in their dark, painful places. Practitioners offer a calm, grounded presence which provides a sense of security and reassurance so opening up the possibility for them to go deeper into their experience.
Realizing the potential
Awareness and insight leads to a gradual unfolding from within as our muscles begin to soften, and increased flow of breath through the body brings new life and vitality. We begin to wake up!
Long term aches and pains may slowly dissolve as tension eases. We begin to move more freely with liberated energy, and as we become clearer about what we want in our lives, we start to rediscover our creativity and passion for life.
Rosen reconnects us to the impetus that lies within us all, to express ourselves fully and without reservation, so as we lift our faces to the first gentle rays of spring sunlight, let’s breathe it in to the full extent of our being, and allow ourselves to move forwards into the flow of life with all its abundance.
Debbie Fildew
It Felt Love
How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened.
Hazif
An article for the Autumn 2015 edition of Ciren Wellbeing
Rosen Method Bodywork- some frequently asked questions
What is Rosen Method?
As we go through life we experience many different feelings and responses to what’s going on around us. We may sense from our environment, especially early on, that our spontaneous expression is not acceptable and in response our bodies learn to hold certain parts of us back through habitual muscular tension. This is reflected in our posture, our gestures, and in turn, is reflected in how we are in life.
By using gentle “listening” touch and respectful dialogue, Rosen Method Bodywork helps you to reconnect to these parts of yourselves allowing what has been unconscious to become conscious. Through awareness and acceptance the barriers can begin to dissolve liberating the potential for improved health and a fuller understanding of yourself and others.
What happens in a session?
A session usually lasts for about an hour and is given on a massage table. You will be asked to undress to your underwear or whatever you feel comfortable with and be covered by a light blanket.
Using a form of touch unique to Rosen, practitioners gradually connect with areas of tension in the body and watch closely for responses especially changes in the flow and movement of the breath.
Practitioners do not manipulate or try to “fix”, instead they create a feeling of safety and relaxation reflecting back what they sense happening in the body, sometimes verbally, sometimes through touch. This kind of unconditional contact invites increased awareness and deep, lasting release.
.
During a session, you might become aware of physical sensations, images or memories which can offer helpful insight and allow the possibility to create new choices in your life.
Why is it called Rosen Method?
It is named after its German founder Marion Rosen (1914-2012)
Through her work as a physiotherapist she became increasingly fascinated by the connection between muscle tension, the breath and the things her patients shared with her about their lives. Through her curiosity she revealed a simple and compassionate way for people to facilitate their own healing and find themselves again.
How many sessions will I need?
It can vary greatly. Significant shifts can happen after one session, but many people use Rosen Method on a longer term basis to gradually learn how to reconnect with their body and give themselves time to explore more deeply held issues.
Why would I come for Rosen Method?
If you are experiencing chronic pain/ tension/restriction of movement
Back/neck pain
Anxiety symptoms
You feel trapped in your own body or constricted in your daily life
You would like to understand what might lie underneath your physical symptoms
You have a desire to connect with yourself at a deeper level
You would like to feel more relaxed
You want to rediscover creativity and passion for life
You would like to remember what makes you happy, open and ALIVE
You would like to let go of old ways of being and connect more with the here and now
Rosen Method Bodywork- some frequently asked questions
What is Rosen Method?
As we go through life we experience many different feelings and responses to what’s going on around us. We may sense from our environment, especially early on, that our spontaneous expression is not acceptable and in response our bodies learn to hold certain parts of us back through habitual muscular tension. This is reflected in our posture, our gestures, and in turn, is reflected in how we are in life.
By using gentle “listening” touch and respectful dialogue, Rosen Method Bodywork helps you to reconnect to these parts of yourselves allowing what has been unconscious to become conscious. Through awareness and acceptance the barriers can begin to dissolve liberating the potential for improved health and a fuller understanding of yourself and others.
What happens in a session?
A session usually lasts for about an hour and is given on a massage table. You will be asked to undress to your underwear or whatever you feel comfortable with and be covered by a light blanket.
Using a form of touch unique to Rosen, practitioners gradually connect with areas of tension in the body and watch closely for responses especially changes in the flow and movement of the breath.
Practitioners do not manipulate or try to “fix”, instead they create a feeling of safety and relaxation reflecting back what they sense happening in the body, sometimes verbally, sometimes through touch. This kind of unconditional contact invites increased awareness and deep, lasting release.
.
During a session, you might become aware of physical sensations, images or memories which can offer helpful insight and allow the possibility to create new choices in your life.
Why is it called Rosen Method?
It is named after its German founder Marion Rosen (1914-2012)
Through her work as a physiotherapist she became increasingly fascinated by the connection between muscle tension, the breath and the things her patients shared with her about their lives. Through her curiosity she revealed a simple and compassionate way for people to facilitate their own healing and find themselves again.
How many sessions will I need?
It can vary greatly. Significant shifts can happen after one session, but many people use Rosen Method on a longer term basis to gradually learn how to reconnect with their body and give themselves time to explore more deeply held issues.
Why would I come for Rosen Method?
If you are experiencing chronic pain/ tension/restriction of movement
Back/neck pain
Anxiety symptoms
You feel trapped in your own body or constricted in your daily life
You would like to understand what might lie underneath your physical symptoms
You have a desire to connect with yourself at a deeper level
You would like to feel more relaxed
You want to rediscover creativity and passion for life
You would like to remember what makes you happy, open and ALIVE
You would like to let go of old ways of being and connect more with the here and now