Emotional Anatomy: The Structure of Experience

by Stanley Keleman

"Keleman's approach to somatic therapy follows on naturally from the identity of attitude and form. Accordingly, our emotions and thoughts are intimately connected to our muscular gestures. Our postures and form, our mobility and motility recount our emotional and cognitive history. We therefore organise our own emotional and mental realities. And here is the nub of it; if we organise our realities, we can disorganise and reorganise our muscular emotional pattern. This then is the central feature of Keleman's work today. " (

Genres: Psychology, Health, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Bodies, Science, Emotion

161 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Cintain 昆遊龍 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading this for the second time, after having the opportunity to take a four-day workshop with the author. A very sophisticated tour de force, Emotional Anatomy offers a unique and comprehensive view of the nature and operation of the embodied human experience. His descriptions evoke experiences which are familiar to anyone, yet the language employed invites deep reflection. As a fledgling therapist (with a background in Chinese Medicine), I have been fascinated by this work since I first encountered it, because it really speaks to one of the most elusive and profound truths of so-called "alternative medicine", i.e., the unity and continuity of mind and body. Keleman does this without resorting to easy, ready-made phraseology or recognizable platitudes. Rather, he firmly places his work in the context of western psychological discourse and unravels, layer by layer, the more subtle, yet inescapably true aspects of human life, from conception to adulthood. His focus is on differentiating and articulating function and personal experience out of our shared human experience.

This is a book for reading, studying, putting down, and re-reading years later. Its insights and turns of phrase do not get old, but rather acquire more relevance and depth as one's perception deepens and experience in the clinic increases. I have described this book before as "an instruction manual for human beings", and my second reading really confirms this. Cannot recommend this one as highly as it deserves.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

[bibi ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️ ⋆ 𓂃 ִֶָ💭 𓈒𓏸𑁍 𖥔 ݁ 🫀

this book is one of those readings that change the way you perceive yourself, mentally and physically. stanley keleman explores how our emotions are structured in our very flesh, shaping how we move, how we hold tension, and how we interact with the world.

his concepts of underbound and overbound made me reflect on how we carry past experiences in our posture, our breathing, even in the way we stand in a room full of people. the way our bodies adjust to others, seeking harmony (or protection), was something i never consciously considered before.

this is a deeply content-rich book, perfect for those interested in the biological and psychological connection of the human body. it’s a dense read—i wouldn’t call it easy to go through in a linear way—but it’s undeniably fascinating.

[Laurie AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense and fascinating and even poetic. The first sections blew my mind, connecting development, anatomy, and emotions in ways I knew but had not seen it expressed quite like this.

All the detail about anatomical types became tedious. But the overall message - that our anatomy reflects our emotions and vv - and that anatomy is not static - we are processes and movement - is profound.

The writing can be poetic when not in the weeds about specific structures.

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo pożyteczna wiedza, zwłaszcza dla osób, które zajmują sie psychoterapią i fizjoterapią.

[Klára · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vzdávám to. Knížka je o ničem a nic podstatného jsem se bohužel nedozvěděla. Jen ten název zaujme. A i jedna hvězdička je na to moc. Nedočteno

[Cathy Sommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[Reko Williams]

This book is an incredible foundation for psychosomatic therapy. Whether a massage therapist, psychologist, breathworker or councellor, do yourself the favour of reading this book!

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with a lot of Keleman's ideas, I just didn't personally find this book very helpful in explaining them

[Kirao · Rating 4 out of 5]

reads like poetry, fantastic illustrations! a mediative more than a practical read, though...

[Jer]

recommended by Tom Myers (author of Anatomy Trains)