An expressive technique: hitting a mattress or pillow with the fists or a tennis racquet. Release of suppressed anger, rage, and frustration through a safe physical action.
Step-by-step guide
- Grounding: 2-3 minutes in the basic stance
- The client stands in front of a mattress (or a thick pillow on the floor)
- Begin slowly: raise the arms — bring them down on the mattress
- Add sound: "No!", "Enough!", or simply a cry
- Gradually increase intensity — if the body is ready
- End: stop, breathe, ground. What do you feel?
When to use
- In suppressed anger, when the client "keeps it all inside"
- In passivity and difficulty asserting oneself
Key phrases
Feet grounded. Start slow — hands up, hands down on the mattress. Add a sound only when it is ready. "No" is enough. Your body decides the volume.
Follow-up questions
What is the body saying "no" to?
Where does the hit want to go first — down, out, forward?
What comes after the hit — tears, relief, more heat?
When we stop, what is here?
Alternative phrasings
Slower and smaller is fine — we are not looking for catharsis for its own sake.
A tennis racquet can extend the arm and make the movement easier.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Without grounding it becomes acting out, not therapy. The client must stay in contact with themselves.
- ⚠️ If they dissociate — stop, return to the body. Never force.
Source: Lowen A. 1975 — Bioenergetics; Lowen A. & Lowen L. 1977
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.