Body Work

Massage works mainly with muscles. It utilizes various techniques to release tension in muscles anywhere in the body. While some massage can be done on a clothed body, it is preferable to work directly on the skin. Massage can be divided into 2 general categories: therapeutic and relaxation.

• Therapeutic massage is used on specific areas of injury or dysfunction. It is effective in relieving pain and restoring mobility. Usually the sessions are of shorter (20 - 45 minutes) duration and only specific areas of the body are treated.
• Relaxation massage recognizes the importance of releasing tension throughout the body. We often don’t even realize how much tension we hold in certain areas until we have the experience of it being released. A full-body massage takes anywhere from 1-2 hours. This kind of massage is sometimes called holistic massage or holistic bodywork.

I offer a relaxation massage which is often described as Esalen technique. It is based on Swedish massage strokes but incorporates a strong intuitive sense about what the individual needs. While it physically works on the muscles, there is an implicit awareness that there are always emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects present. Depending on the client, we may talk about any or all of the factors that are influencing him/her at the time. At other times I sense that it is not appropriate to address underlying issues directly, so I work with them silently. I also use aromatherapy oils to assist in the treatment.

There are 2 important benefits to this type of massage:

• The first is the obvious relaxation and stress-relief. Specific areas of restriction or pain are given extra attention.
• Secondly, this type of bodywork offers an opportunity for the client to develop sensitivity to his/her body. One of the reasons that we don’t notice injuries or diseases developing in our bodies is that we do not tune in and listen to them on a regular basis. We listen mostly to our minds. Our bodies are always giving us signals about what they like and don’t like, about what is going on inside. The more we learn how to listen and interpret, the more we naturally do what is healthy for us.

Energy Healing /Chakra Balancing

This is a rather esoteric, many-faceted category of healing work.

It is based on the scientific principle that we ARE energy. Our physical bodies have the lowest-frequency vibrations and are therefore the densest and most visible aspects of ourselves. Scientists have measured energy bodies extending far beyond the physical. Many people have developed their perceptions to the point of "seeing" the subtler energies. Others can "feel" them and some "hear" them. I personally feel and sometimes see them.

Energy Healing

Different techniques of energy healing are known by many names: Healing Touch, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, Qi Gong, Polarity Therapy, Chelation, etc. Each practitioner has their favourite methodology. I have received training in a number of different techniques but can no longer call what I do by any specific name.

The theory is that imbalances exist in our energetic bodies before they manifest as disease or dysfunction in the physical body. Ideally, we can correct imbalances before they become physical problems. For things that are already physical, treating them just on a physical plane might not eliminate them. It is like there is a template on the energetic level. Any physical manifestation naturally grows into the form of the template, just like a jelly forms into the shape of its mold. Certain things that we think are gone from our bodies can actually be sensed hanging around in the energetic bodies. For example, drugs (illicit or pharmaceutical) hang like a dense fog in the finer bodies.

Chakras

The chakra system has been outlined in many books. It originated in the East and has been used in Yogic traditions for thousands of years. Chakras are basically energy vortices situated down a vertical axis in the centre of the body. They are the mechanisms by which the body absorbs energy from the Universal Energy Field and uses it for its own functioning. Each chakra affects different organs, glands, dimensions of our personality, etc. Our physical health has a direct correlation to how well the chakras are functioning. Balance in the size and strength of the chakras is also important, since imbalance results in imbalance in our lives.

Since chakras are energy converters, they respond to energetic input. I direct energy into or manipulate the existing energy , depending on what is needed. When chakras are opened and balanced, people have an experience of feeling whole, connected to themselves, with a sense of place in the world. Things that were overwhelming before now feel manageable.

Removal of Thought Forms

Some people call this spirit de-possession or extraction. This conjures up images of demons and devils and can be rather frightening. The process is usually not that dramatic. For whatever reason, we sometimes pick up thought forms, which are just energy, from certain experiences, places or other people. These thought forms are sometimes vaguely "felt" by clients, in that they feel like there is something foreign, not quite right inside of themselves. I sense the existence and location of the foreign "entities" and remove them from the energy field. It is a technique derived from shamanism without the theatrical effects.

An interesting example of this was a client who walked into a room minutes after someone shot himself. For days afterward, the client felt "weird". He caught himself having thoughts that he never normally had; it seemed that he looked at the world differently. I released certain energy forms which had transferred to his body and he immediately felt normal again.

References:

• "Wheels of Light", R.L. Bruyere, Bon Productions, Sierra Madre, CA 1991
• "Hands of Light, A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field", Barbara Ann Brennan, Bantam Books, 1987
• "The Celestine Prophecy", James Redfield, Warner Books, 1993
• "The Unquiet Dead, A Psychologist Treats Spirit Possession", Dr. Edith Fiore, Ballantine Books, 1987

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