(shared with permission) Some months ago a client was telling me of all the moving pieces she felt the need to control with regards to a particular event in her life, in order for things to go well, and for her to meet the goals that she had. Putting the pieces in place had been an ongoing effort for many months and it was obviously emotionally and mentally draining for her. I said to her that it seemed she was pushing a very large boulder up a steep, steep hill. She said that was what this felt like. I asked her what was the worse that could happen if she just stepped aside, stopped pushing the boulder and let go. Silence.
0 Comments
Something I hear often from clients during or at the end of their sessions is “I didn’t know that muscle was tight, or sore, until you were massaging there” or “I didn’t realize how tense and stressed I was until I was quietly lying on the massage/reiki table”. Most holistic therapies encourage relaxation, and when added to a quiet atmosphere many people begin to breathe more deeply, become more present in the moment and become more aware of where they are holding stress and tension in their body, mind and/or spirit.
Here is the part 2 that was promised in the January Enewsletter to my blog about Reiki, Intention Setting & the New Year.
Setting intention doesn't have to be a New Years event but can happen at any time. The reason that I focused on the New Year was because of Mercury being retrograde at the start of 2023...a perfect time for letting go! When you think of Yoga practice or meditation or any self-care, do you feel like you have to have the time to do it? That it has to be done over an hour or more?
It is easy to become disheartened if your feel that you want to commit to stretching every day but there is no point because you don't have an extra hour to give yourself. But who says it has to look like that? During December your self care may be put aside to deal with the busyness of the season, but with the colder weather and increased stress of the holidays you need more self care to ease your body, mind and spirit through to January. Physically the colder weather has an impact on your movement, muscles and joints. In order to maintain a constant core temperature the body may lessen circulation to extremities which can leave them feeling stiff, sore, cold and less mobile. OR, you may be using different muscle groups as you shovel snow or adjust your walking gait to avoid slipping. Even the skin is impacted by colder weather and can often need extra hydration. What does it mean to harvest holistic health?The awareness of connection of how you function as a whole being is often brought to light during a Massage. Clients will often notice that releasing muscle tension in one area has an impact on other muscles. It's always rewarding when they realize that they are not just a collection of parts. There is a reason that many refer to the month of September as 'Stresstember'. We all go through changes galore and if there is one thing that we don't tend to enjoy it's change!
How Often Should I Book In?How often should I book in and when should I book in again are two questions that I am often asked. Here's what I tell clients (more importantly is the why) When dealing with a specific injury or issue I recommend a minimum of once a week until you begin to notice progress. Afterwards, spreading to every 2 weeks, every 3 and then onto a maintenance schedule. The exception to this is with Craniosacral Therapy and Spinal Touch Therapy (I'll explain those two a little more below) Why? Injuries and specific issues often require treatments close together in order to ensure the body, mind and spirit progress along the path of healing. Booking once and then carrying on and again just living with the pain can not only set you back to pre-injury condition but can possibly set you further back. Which is much more expensive to deal with when your body finally does say "that's it! You have to deal with me!" Because now we may be addressing a chronic condition. In recent conversations with friends, family and clients the topic invariably comes around to how disconnected people are feeling and that their energy just doesn't "feel right". It's especially prevalent among those who are sensitive to energy and/or empathic, however it doesn't seem to be leaving any one out. |
Teresa Graham,
|
|
|