CATALYST SESSIONS

Catalyst sessions involve two people. One person, the facilitaor, delivers a session. The other person, the participant, receives a session. Usually involving a session table, a participant begins seated. The facilitator stands behind the participant and does various types of scanning using touch, observation, movement, etc. The participant will shift positions to lie on the table. Whether starting face up or face down on the table, approximately halfway into the session the participant will flip over. This allows facilitators easy access to both sides of the body. When face down, the facilitator can easily contact the back of the body. This position is also more optimal for enhancing somatic (body) awareness since the sensory system supports feeling, perception, clarity, and many different types of awareness. When face up, this allows easy access to the front of the body. This position also more easily enhances the motor system of the body, which involves movement, flexibility, responsiveness, body dyanmics, and more.

Most noteworthy is the length of a session, which ranges from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, but can be longer for specific purposes when longer durations are more supportive. The noteworthy part involves the pauses that occur in between each contact. A contact is anytime a facilitator contacts the body. After a contact, facilitators allow for processing time to see how well a body can adapt to a previous contact. Each contact has a ripple effect. Providing breathing room between each contact enhances the integrative process.

When the session is complete, the facilitator will offer suggestions to enhance integration. In fact, education of the session is an important part of the session itself. The more communication between the facilitator and participant, the more the participant can be an active participant in the process. When working to enhance awareness, for example, periods of extended silence are more likely since talking can be a distraction from the objective.

The best way to prepare for a session is to wear comfortable-fitting clothes and to bring a specific intention to the session. If you do not have a specific intention, give yourself permission to experience something new and exciting. Inevitably, things usually come up, which occurs normally anytime an increase of awareness happens. Things you were not feeling or thinking may spontaneously pop up. Feel free to share your experience if you like or keep it to yourself if you like. Either way, every session is a process. Does a Catalyst session really deliver or is it all wishful thinking or maybe even the placebo effect? Here's a video that addresses that very question. To learn more about the many variables facilitators address, check out the link for the infrastructure.