What is the Paula Method?

Photo by Outdoor Family photography

The Paula Method is a holistic approach to healing that was developed in Israel in the mid-1940s. The woman who developed the method was Paula Garbourg who discovered an interesting thing regarding the function of the ring muscles in the body. Ring muscles are anatomically known as sphincter muscles. We have many ring muscles in the body, some are external, like the eyes, the mouth, and the pelvic floor openings, but most of them are internal muscles that exist in every system of the body. Paula realized that in a healthy body, all the ring muscles work as one unit. They work in harmony through contraction and relaxation, and they activate the respiratory system, the digestive system and the urinary system.

The function of the ring muscle affects our posture, our movement, our vision, our voice, and our physical appearance. The wellbeing of this functional unit is based on the balance between the front and the rear ring muscles of the pelvic floor and the systems they are part of. These two systems are the digestive system and the urinary system.

Since all ring muscles work as one unit and are interconnected in their contraction and relaxation, we can activate involuntary ring muscles by activating voluntary ring muscles. We can also activate an injured ring muscle or area in the body through a healthy and well-functioning ring muscle in a different location in the body. For example, we can activate the eye muscles to activate the urethra and assist with bladder issues. Based on this realization, Paula developed special exercises that activate the ring muscles unit.  

Paula Method exercises raise our awareness of the connections between different parts and functions of the body. They teach people to pay attention to chain reactions that take place during the practice, which helps people to connect with their bodies on a very deep level. These chain reactions are often surprising. For example, we can activate our eyelids and realize that it affects our breathing, our digestion or our pelvic floor.

Many people think that the Paula Method is only an exercise method. However, it has a whole other level to it that is less known. I believe it to be as revolutionary and as important as understanding the function of the ring muscles. This other part is based on the connection between individuals and their bodies and the ability to cooperate with them.

The Paula Method develops and improves this connection to the degree that we don’t have to rely on any external stimulation or initiation to be able to help the body heal. We use the direct connection with the body to initiate the work and to guide us forward. The human body is very expressive and specific regarding what’s most helpful for it.

This kind of work which I call “free-form work” in English, is immediate and direct. It empowers the individual, allowing complete authenticity, self-expression and self-compassion. As a result, not only can we help the body heal, but also help the individual feel that they have the power to heal themselves, and that no one else other than themselves knows what they need and how to get there better than they do.