Opening toward life: Experiences of basic body awareness therapy in persons with major depression

Figures & data

Table I Background and clinical data for the participants included in a study exploring experiences of basic body awareness therapy in persons with major depression

		Number of participants Total sample n=15
Age	Median age=47, range 19–64
Sex	Women	10
	Men	5
Occupational status	Full-time work	3
	Part-time work	5
	Student	3
	Full sick-leave/pension	3
	Unemployed	1
Depression severity before intervention	Median MADRS=22 points, range 15–27
	<20 MADRS points	5
	≥20 MADRS points	10
Number of completed sessions (max 18)	Median=13, range 3–18
	Fewer than 5 sessions	1
	5–10 sessions	5
	11–18 sessions	9
Time from end of intervention to the interview	Median time (weeks)=2, range 1–14
	<2 weeks	7
	2 weeks–1 month	6
	1–3 months	2

MADRS, Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (Montgormery & Åsberg, 1979), a 10-item assessment with a maximum score of 60 points. Generally, scores below 20 indicate mild depression, 20–35 points signifies moderate depression and >35 points represents severe depression.

Table II Content and structure of the basic body awareness therapy intervention that was explored in a study of participants’ lived experiences of the treatment

Structural frame of each session			Examples of exercises	Main purpose
Preparation phase (voluntary)	15 min before session	Room open, mats on the floor, pillows available, calm background music	Resting in sitting or lying down position	Calming down, preparing for session
Phase 1	About 20 min	Supine movements on the floor, on mats	Body scanning, exploring contact with the ground and breathing pattern, stretching and releasing movements	Grounding, relaxation, and connecting to one's body
Phase 2	About 20 min	Standing and walking exercises	Balancing in and exploring a functional posture and wholeness, for example: slowly moving up and down along one's midline, flexing in the knees and hips, letting the arms float up when rising, and softly sinking down when lowering one's body, integrating the whole movement with breathing	Postural stability, flow and rhythm of movements, force, coordination
Phase 3	About 10 min	Seated meditation	Aligning and anchoring oneself in a seated position on a meditation cushion or stool, 5 min silent focus on features of the body, such as the breathing	Postural stability, free breathing, mental awareness
Phase 4	5–10 min	Verbal reflection	Taking turns to share something about today's experiences, answering the question: What did you notice during training today?	Sharing and verbalizing body experiences

Table III Example of structural analysis moving from meaning units to thematization in a study exploring lived experiences of basic body awareness therapy in persons with depression

Meaning unit	Condensation		Constituent	Theme
I walk in a different way, when I feel bad it's so hard to go from one place to another, stiff like a tin soldier, but now I can sort of spring off the ground … yeah it's a difference all right.	Different walk, from stiff to springy	Springiness	Vitality springing forth	OPENING TOWARD LIFE
I noticed that I started to yawn uncontrollably the last sessions with the group! [laughs] Really, I couldn't hold the yawnings back and it felt great just to release them, loud and big yawning, 'cause it felt so good for my body. But before, I held all such things back.	Yawning uncontrollably, releasing instead of holding back	Releasing body functions	Vitality springing forth
I discovered, to my surprise, that I've felt happy—quite often lately. Something that I haven't felt in a long time. Some kind of … satisfaction, a happy feeling.	Surprisingly happy	Happiness emerging	Vitality springing forth
You became aware of your body. It struck me in various situations when I could feel that I was suddenly tensing up, that I had never realized before.	Becoming aware of when I'm suddenly tensing up	New awareness of patterns	Recognizing patterns in one's body
Yeah, that's why I came to think about it … We started doing it and then I said, well I remember I used to do like this …	Came to think about what used to make me feel safe	Body memories from	Body memories from movements
But it was unconsciously, I didn't think of it before or analyze it, but I really felt safe, that's why I did it ….		movements
Now I understand more and more, the connection between how I feel and … well, the contact I have with myself and how my stomach reacts … I realize something or that I learn to interpret my body and listen more to myself, sort of.	Connection between self and stomach, learning to interpret my body	Insights about one's bodily self	Recognizing patterns in one's body

Table IV Example of the analytical process of challenging and transcending the researchers’ pre-understanding in relation to the constituent vitality springing forth

Pre-conceptions outlined	Experiences in the data	Reflection	Reformulated understanding
Experience-based
In movement, something seems to happen with the person, like a clarity or awakening, seen in the eyes and body expression.	The last sessions I found myself yawning uncontrollably. I just couldn't help myself. And it felt great!	The movements “stir” something up?	BBAT seems to “poke” at the standstill experience of depression, by sparking
Theoretical			both pleasurable and less
The body in depression feels numb.	It was like pinching holes in my armour, and out came a playfulness that I hadn't felt in a long time. Where did this anger come from?	The numbness is like a shell, which can be altered? An often, but not always welcome “emancipation”? Pleasure AND discomfort	pleasurable signs of vitality springing forth
Energy can be released by grounding of the body and freeing of the breathing.	You calm down and you land … my body gets rolling and swings by itself; it sort of goes “wrrm,” back and forth without having to make an effort.	Energy follows the “landing” process but is also much connected to rhythm	BBAT's grounding but also rhythmic movements open up for vitality emerging

BBAT, basic body awareness therapy.

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