Dammit San Francisco, can’t you read books that I know about? When I saw the young lady next to me reading a book with the title “Bone, Breath, and Gesture,”* I had no idea what it was about. Sounds like it should be the name of the new Iron & Wine album. I thought it could be either 1) creepy fiction, or 2) about skinny asthmatic mimes. Wait, is that a rhinoceros on the cover? No, had no idea. Reading its description wasn’t too helpful at first.
This book is a collection of writings on principles and techniques by the pioneers of bodywork and body awareness disciplines. Together, they represent a historical record of the field of somatics. Ranging from hands-on workers like Ida Rolf to phenomenologist Elizabeth Behnke, their lives span this century. In these lectures, writings, and interviews, editor Don Hanlon Johnson has sought to revel the unbroken lineage, theoretical differences, and major similarities of these originators.
Wut. But then I remembered a time when a friend mentioned that a family member of hers was getting his certification in “Rolfing.” After explaining to me that no, in fact, it had nothing to do with the piano-playing Muppet, but was in fact something like extreme massage or chiropractics chiropractasy what a chiropractor does. I honestly have no idea what phenomenology is, but how awesome is it that some does know what it is and is interested enough in it to be reading “lectures, writings, and interviews” about all this stuff!
And, no kidding, this is available at Green Apple books. So will someone read this and tell me if I need to be Rolfed?
* Depending on the source, it is listed as either “Bone, Breath, & Gesture” or “Bone, Breath & Gesture.” I guess the controversy of the oxford comma spills over even into alternative-ish medicines.
Between The Lines 