Making a Bioenergetic Stool

You don’t require much equipment to do most of Bioenergetics, perhaps a yoga mat, a timing app, and a foam roller. But, at some point, it’s important to be able to lean backwards over a suitably sturdy bar, in order to open more deeply parts of the back and sometimes the thorax.

Traditionally, this has been done with a Bioenergetic Stool, a purpose-made modification of a sturdy kitchen stool. However, whilst these might look professional in a therapist’s treatment room, I personally find a sturdy sofa to be more than adequate and, in fact, less likely to ever fall over.

You might also use a heavy-duty sawhorse, such as found in your local builder’s merchants. Or a stretch of fence with a rounded top.

Whatever you choose, it needs to have the following three qualities:

• to be sufficiently sturdy such that you personally feel 100% safe to lean back over it
• to be of a height between approx 75% of your hip height to the height of your lower sternum
• to be comfortable to lean over backwards. You may choose to put a thick cushion on top to ensure this

Here a some pics of what you might choose to use…