Coming Full Circle
Nov 03, 2016
By Ben Manalo
To me, Many of us who've been around for a
while are used to hearing John over the years say things like, "This is
the most important development in BodyTalk ever," or "This will take
BodyTalk to a whole new level," to the point where, at least for me, I
started to laugh to myself and take those comments with a grain of salt.
For sure, those developments were huge and made a difference and were
important steps in BodyTalk's evolution. But I never truly got the sense
that those developments were "it." I don't recall ever thinking that
those concepts or techniques were a game-changer. Until now. If you
haven't taken John's latest course, The Soul's Journey: Exploring the
Mind and 3 Brains, I strongly encourage you to make it a priority.
John has said many times over the years that BodyTalk was, first and foremost, designed as a spiritual pathway--a pathway to increase self-awareness, a pathway for personal transformation. Interestingly, clinical experience demonstrated that as clients' self-awareness increased, as they gained clarity on their attitudes and belief systems and defused their emotionally charged buttons, their physical health improved. By the time BodyTalk and I met each other in Chicago in 2001, and for some time afterwards, most of John's seminars were infused with his esoteric knowledge, philosophical understanding of various traditions, and metaphysics that supported this focus and vision. This was the information that drew me in and kept me excited about BodyTalk.
As BodyTalk continued to evolve and spread, however, that kind of "new agey," "woo-woo" content seemed to give way more and more to the science behind BodyTalk. And since I've never considered myself as being very new-agey woo-woo, that was fine with me. There came to be less focus on the intangible and more focus on the tangible facts offered by quantum physics. Even one of the IBA Members Conference themes was the Science of BodyTalk and we had guest speakers like Bruce Lipton and James Oschmann to provide our left brains with the "proof" that what we do in BodyTalk is not as outrageous and far-fetched as some may think. And I remember myself and others leaving that Members Conference feeling pumped and excited. We felt validated!
But to be honest, over the past several years, my passion for BodyTalk has waxed and waned. I would occasionally catch glimpses of the enthusiasm I had at the start of my BodyTalk career 15 years ago, but my excitement level started to plateau. I started to feel conflicted about BodyTalk. I knew there was something more to BodyTalk, and I had difficulty imagining myself doing anything other than teaching and practicing this amazing health care system. But at the same time, I often began to feel like my heart just wasn't in it. Was I going to stop teaching BodyTalk? Was I going to stop practicing altogether? Was it time to end my BodyTalk career?
I was at another one of the crossroads, wondering whether or not I was going to continue with BodyTalk, when I took The Soul's Journey in Denver. In the couple weeks leading up to the class, I could feel my excitement and anticipation beginning to build. This in itself was different. I hadn't felt that excited about a class with John in a long time. Then, when I picked up John from the airport, his excitement was palpable. I could immediately sense that this class was going to be something special. And it did not disappoint.
To me, this class in many ways has brought BodyTalk full circle back to its roots and its original focus on increasing self-awareness, embracing the philosophy, and delving into ancient wisdom and metaphysical realms which I love. It still contains some scientific tidbits, but they somehow feel less prominent and center stage. The way I see it, The Soul's Journey is really helping to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern science to help people tap into their potential. The Soul's Journey class and soul sessions have been life-changing and transformative in ways I'm not sure I can even put into words. But one thing's for sure. A fire was lit after this class, and my enthusiasm for BodyTalk has been rekindled. I'm looking forward to practicing and teaching BodyTalk for years to come, and I'm excited to see where The Soul's Journey leads me.
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John has said many times over the years that BodyTalk was, first and foremost, designed as a spiritual pathway--a pathway to increase self-awareness, a pathway for personal transformation. Interestingly, clinical experience demonstrated that as clients' self-awareness increased, as they gained clarity on their attitudes and belief systems and defused their emotionally charged buttons, their physical health improved. By the time BodyTalk and I met each other in Chicago in 2001, and for some time afterwards, most of John's seminars were infused with his esoteric knowledge, philosophical understanding of various traditions, and metaphysics that supported this focus and vision. This was the information that drew me in and kept me excited about BodyTalk.
As BodyTalk continued to evolve and spread, however, that kind of "new agey," "woo-woo" content seemed to give way more and more to the science behind BodyTalk. And since I've never considered myself as being very new-agey woo-woo, that was fine with me. There came to be less focus on the intangible and more focus on the tangible facts offered by quantum physics. Even one of the IBA Members Conference themes was the Science of BodyTalk and we had guest speakers like Bruce Lipton and James Oschmann to provide our left brains with the "proof" that what we do in BodyTalk is not as outrageous and far-fetched as some may think. And I remember myself and others leaving that Members Conference feeling pumped and excited. We felt validated!
But to be honest, over the past several years, my passion for BodyTalk has waxed and waned. I would occasionally catch glimpses of the enthusiasm I had at the start of my BodyTalk career 15 years ago, but my excitement level started to plateau. I started to feel conflicted about BodyTalk. I knew there was something more to BodyTalk, and I had difficulty imagining myself doing anything other than teaching and practicing this amazing health care system. But at the same time, I often began to feel like my heart just wasn't in it. Was I going to stop teaching BodyTalk? Was I going to stop practicing altogether? Was it time to end my BodyTalk career?
I was at another one of the crossroads, wondering whether or not I was going to continue with BodyTalk, when I took The Soul's Journey in Denver. In the couple weeks leading up to the class, I could feel my excitement and anticipation beginning to build. This in itself was different. I hadn't felt that excited about a class with John in a long time. Then, when I picked up John from the airport, his excitement was palpable. I could immediately sense that this class was going to be something special. And it did not disappoint.
To me, this class in many ways has brought BodyTalk full circle back to its roots and its original focus on increasing self-awareness, embracing the philosophy, and delving into ancient wisdom and metaphysical realms which I love. It still contains some scientific tidbits, but they somehow feel less prominent and center stage. The way I see it, The Soul's Journey is really helping to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern science to help people tap into their potential. The Soul's Journey class and soul sessions have been life-changing and transformative in ways I'm not sure I can even put into words. But one thing's for sure. A fire was lit after this class, and my enthusiasm for BodyTalk has been rekindled. I'm looking forward to practicing and teaching BodyTalk for years to come, and I'm excited to see where The Soul's Journey leads me.
The BodyTalk System allows your BodyTalk practitioner to properly and professionally address your needs in a totally safe, holistic way that does not involve drugs, surgery, or extraordinary costs.