DR. MARIE BAILEY: Emotive Body Psychology
Marie Bailey, Psy. D., “Dr. Marie” is a former teacher at Soluna Yoga + Spa in Jacksonville, FL, where we first attended her Yoga Therapy class in the summer of 2015. She is a human intersection of some of the things we love most - yoga and therapy - and we are so excited to share her and her wisdom with our collective.
Dr. Marie Bailey
Marie currently lives in Bellingham, WA, where she does some virtual work in her private practice, but is currently devoting most of her time to writing a novel and a screenplay. She is senior faculty member at the Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida, has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and spent 16 years in her first career as a psychologist. A certified member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT), she holds several certifications including I AM Yoga (ERYT-500), Yoga Nidra, and Yoga Therapy and is certified in Integral Breath Therapy.
Marie’s site can be found here.
SA: Can you describe the healing modality (or modalities) that you offer?
MB: My primary healing modality is Emotive Body Psychology, (EBP) which is an energy based Yoga Therapy.
SA: How did you come to this as a practice? And then as a profession?
MB: I was a doctoral level clinical psychologist for many years in my first career and found my way to Yoga simply for physical fitness. When I began to realize the metaphysical aspects of Yoga I was hooked and began in-depth study of Yoga as a therapy to relieve psychological suffering. I discovered that there are several parallels between Yoga and traditional Psychology. However, Psychology has been around a little over a hundred years while Yoga has been around for thousands.
SA: What is unique about your approach?
MB: With EBP, I view all maladies as blockages of energy and work at the level of energy. In traditional psychotherapy, we work at the level of thoughts and emotions. The danger here is that the client very typically gets caught up in a whole lot of thoughts and/or feelings (in other words - a whole lot of story), and they become stuck in the belief that if they simply talk about it enough the issue will somehow resolve itself. What’s actually happening is the energy of the event circles and circles but never clears. Traditional psychological theories see the Unconscious and Subconscious as levels of the mind. In EBP, I view the Unconscious and Subconscious as subtle layers of the body. I see thoughts, emotions, and experiences as varying densities of energy that have been trying to move through the body but get blocked because they are difficult to feel. When working with energy we simply find the block and focus on clearing it versus getting stuck in the story or emotion of the original event that created it.
SA: What do you hope to share with the people who practice with you?
A greater understanding of energy. That everything that exists on this plane is composed of energy. That every experience is a movement of energy that is meant to flow in and through and out of us. We experience this movement through sensation in the body and if we could allow ourselves to feel the sensation we could live more balanced and psychologically healthy lives. [This method] works and works well! Many of my clients had been in traditional psychotherapy for a number of years and a handful of EBP sessions brought them to balance and resolution of the issue.
SA: What other modalities complement the one(s) you offer?
MB: I am certified in Integral Breath Therapy and Yoga Nidra Meditation. Essentially in both we are able to bypass the ego (which is the major creator of the blocks) and get to where the problem really lies; in the energy and physical bodies.
SA: What other modalities have you practiced / do you enjoy?
MB: Oh goodness, so many. I adore sound healing and Kirtan. I was a drummer in a Kirtan band. Kundalini Yoga is a favorite and hard to find. Acupuncture and chiropractic are amazing healing modalities and I also enjoy a good massage.
SA: What would you like to try, but haven’t?
MB: Rolfing
SA: What do you wish you’d known sooner?
MB: I wish I had discovered Yoga much earlier in my life. After I started it took about two years to even understand that Yoga is a spiritual practice, and another six or seven before I really had an in-depth understanding of it. I’ve been learning ever since.
SA: What understanding do you wish you could share with the world?
MB: The spiritual aspects of Yoga. That spiritual doesn’t mean “Christian.” And that God lives within us all. That every one of us, as humans, good or bad, are embodiments of the holy trinity (Father is the Superconscious, Son is the physical body, and the Holy Ghost is the Subconscious).
SA: How do you self heal?
MB: I do lots of Yoga. Consciously moving the body is one of the best ways to learn how to stay present and it also keeps my body open and the energy moving. I also tune into my body several times a day to “look for” blockages and give them space to move.
SA: Is there a subtle shift or easy practice you can recommend for others’ healing?
MB: I think an easy place to start is Yoga Nidra Meditation, aka meditation made easy. If you can lie down and breathe you can do Yoga Nidra.
SA: When do you feel most alive? For instance, catch yourself subconsciously smiling?
MB: I’m a writer and screenwriter and when an idea for a new creative work presents itself I find that “subconscious smile.” Whether or not the idea comes to fruition is irrelevant. It’s those deeply resonating creative ideas that keep my juices flowing. Also exceptionally clever and tight writing in a show or movie or an amazing novel gives me almost the same thrill.
SA: Who are the healers, poets, artists or mental health advocates who inspire you?
MB: My mentor is Kamini Desai, Ph.D. She is the daughter of Yogi Amrit Desai. She has been instrumental in guiding me on my Yogic path. I also like Jack Kornfield, Bessel van der Kolk, and Michael Singer. Poets Rumi, Hafiz, Pablo Neruda.
SA: When you “check out,” where do you go? What brings you back?
MB: Oh I’m big on flying into the future. No surprise that I tend to lean toward anxiety. When I feel myself in the future, fretting about something that hasn’t happened and very well may not happen, I pull myself back with a very brief and powerful mantra: “EFFORTLESS.”
SA: How do you most like to connect with others?
MB: I love a good coffee klatch, but these days it’s mostly some passing convos before and after with my fellow students at the Yoga studio I attend.
SPEED ROUND
What are you listening to right now?
Lots of jazz. I love Pat Metheny.
What are you reading?
Two novels: The Great Santini by Pat Conroy and The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
What is your favorite quote?
“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality that you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way.” — Albert Einstein
This is the idea behind Karma Yoga. Do good and good will come back to you.
What is your favorite song?
Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James and the Shondells (Seriously, find it right now on your streaming service and listen to the words. Coolest song ever!)
What kind of art resonates with you?
Abstract
Where do you feel most alive?
Amidst tall tall trees, especially in the mountains. The Pacific Northwest is really doing it for me now. Here I can get a view of the ocean whilst hiking in the mountains! How cool is that?
What is your favorite smell?
Coffee
What are your favorite self-care rituals? Daily Yoga, pedicures, massages and acupuncture
