What is the aim of body awareness in Gestalt therapy?

• A. Analyzing dreams in depth.
• B. Raising awareness of where in the body feelings are associated through breathing and body awareness.
• C. Challenging cognitive schemas.
• D. Avoiding physical relaxation.

Answer: (B)

In Gestalt therapy, the aim of body awareness is to bring attention to the body’s present experience and how breathing and physical sensations mark where feelings are located. By noticing where tension, warmth, or stillness shows up and how the breath shifts, you learn to contact emotions in the here-and-now rather than thinking about them abstractly. This heightened bodily awareness helps you understand what you need, improve self-regulation, and act with more authenticity in the moment. It’s about experiential contact with your lived experience, not about analyzing dreams or changing core beliefs through cognitive techniques. Relaxation can occur as a natural side effect, but the primary goal is awareness and contact, not avoidance of relaxation.