The Countdown: From Remembered Ages to Source

The Countdown

The countdown begins at the age you are now. Count down one year at a time. As each year is counted, feel that year and become that age. The practice is done standing, with a movement that can resemble a pendulum. As the age changes, the body may begin to react in its own way, responding to the memory of that particular year.

If the countdown reaches a very difficult year, perhaps one connected with trauma, the process does not require crying, screaming or any other dramatic expression. Instead, allow yourself to go out. This functions as a kind of mental reset. You enter the difficult material and allow it to reset itself.

The experience can have an effect similar to an earlier practice in which people fell. If you go down during the countdown, stay down. Some people need more time for the experience to integrate, so do not rush to get up.

Partners, Space and Safety

The countdown is practiced with a partner. One person processes while the other supports and catches. When working as a group, begin with the oldest person in the processing line and count downward. This allows the sequence to start at the oldest age and move toward younger ages. The partners do not need to be the same age. The order matters only for the person who is counting.

The support person must be positioned securely behind the participant. The participant needs to feel the body moving and notice what is happening physically, so sitting through the entire practice does not work as well. If there is a concern about falling, a chair can be placed behind the person and used when necessary. A fall can happen very quickly, so the support person needs to be ready.

The support person keeps their eyes open while the person in the process closes their eyes. Do not try to catch the participant by taking their weight into your arms. As the person begins to come down, lean back with them, keep the movement supported through the shoulders, step back, and guide them safely to the floor. This prevents strain on the support person’s back. Make sure there is enough space and a pad or other safe surface available.

Question: There was concern about being caught by only one person and whether it would be possible to remain seated instead.

Response: A reliable support person should be placed behind the participant, and the group can change roles so that everyone has appropriate support. The practice is less effective when done sitting because the movement of the body is part of the process. If the participant feels they are going to fall, the support person can guide them into a chair. Safety takes priority.

Beginning the Group Count

Once the partners are arranged, create two rows with enough room for movement. One group counts and the other group supports. The oldest person in the processing group begins the count. The counter uses that person’s current age as the starting number, then counts down slowly and loudly, one year at a time.

The people in the process close their eyes. The support people keep watching. At each number, become that age. Do not hurry through the numbers. Let the body register the age being spoken and respond in its own way.

The count begins with the oldest current age in the group, then moves downward: the starting age, the next year, and the next. The number of years between participants does not matter. What matters is allowing each person to meet the age as it is counted.

As the first numbers are spoken, maintain a slow pace. The instruction is simple: close the eyes, become that age, and continue the countdown while the support person remains alert.