Finding Balance.

  I was working on balance and stability exercises the other morning during my exercise routine.  As I was standing on a wobbly board trying not to topple over, I wondered, how do other people find balance in their lives? Or how do people work on finding balance in their lives? At times I work very hard at this and at other times, maybe I should work harder. Even if I am feeling completely balanced, I know I always need to work on it to be able to feel balanced as I go through my days.

I know getting regular work on myself or just taking time for myself is very important in finding balance. Whether it’s through exercising, ballroom dancing with my dad, taking a yoga class, getting acupuncture, or something else, I know that if I don’t take that time for myself, I will feel out of sorts soon.

When I work on myself I usually have a much clearer head that allows me to get things done that I didn’t have the clarity to get through before. It’s not that I have to go into a deep meditative place or anything. I think the most important thing is that the activities like dancing or acupuncture take me out of my normal routine and force me to use my mind in ways that I don’t do on a regular basis.  It’s sort of like pressing the refresh button on your computer screen – it gives my mind a way to reboot. :)

How do you find balance in your life? Is it through getting work done on yourself such as a massage, taking a yoga class, etc? Or is it going on a long walk or bike ride? I believe everyone needs to find something that they can do for themselves that allows them to clear their mind and be able to give themselves a break from their normal routine.

Please share your favorite ways to find balance in your life!

Importance of stretching! :)

 

In my practice I often incorporate stretching into my clients sessions. It is one of the most helpful modalities I can add to sessions. During a session the other day I stretched out my client’s entire body before I even started to do deep tissue work.  It was very helpful at being able to get into the areas that were causing my client pain and it helped the relief last longer.  My client felt wonderful at the end of their session and you could see how much easier it was as they walked out. 

Tightness in one area can often times lead to tightness or restricted movement in another area. Neck tightness can lead to headaches, decreased ROM when trying to turn your head, shoulder pain, as well as jaw pain.  Pain in your gluteal muscles can lead to hip pain, low back pain, and pain in other areas of your body. By stretching out each area, you can make a great improvement in daily pain and restrictions.

 

Stretching is something we all should be doing on a regular basis. It helps keep our bodies limber and moving easier.  Stretching helps improve range of motion in joints, which could help prevent injury. Think of how much easier it could be to move through our days if we all could take five to ten minutes each day to stretch. When we relax our muscles our minds can also relax more and reduce our stress. If you're looking for examples of stretching a great book is Bob Anderson's book titled Stretching. This book even has helpful pictures of how the stretch looks when someone is doing them. The book covers every area of your body.

If you have a chronic or acute injury you should definitely check with your doctor or health professional about what stretches are best and safe for you to do on your own.

Is there anything else that you would do if you could move with more ease and less restrictions?

Focus on the Core

Focus on the core

When people come to see me for bodywork, they often have a primary complaint – something is aching or is in pain. So we’ll focus on that issue first, but so often, many more issues come out as the primary complaint is being worked out. I like to see the layers people have built over their lifetimes slowly (and sometimes quickly) peel away.  It is an amazing thing to watch and I am lucky and blessed to be able to assist in this process.

CranioSacral Therapy is good at getting to the core of what is causing the pain – not just focusing on the primary complaint – but rather addressing the issues that have built up to the present condition. CST works by helping to take the core issue away so once that is worked through, the primary complaint gets better and doesn’t usually return in the same form.

I believe we all hold emotional issues in our bodies – not always aware of the fact that we are holding on to so much. Until these emotional issues can release, the pain will persist. SomatoEmotional Release is another part of CranioSacral Therapy where emotions that are trapped in your body tissues can safely release in a safe and supported environment. Sometimes the emotional release happens on my table and other times it happens when you are home. I’ve had clients tell me they had an emotional release later that day when they got home. The best thing I tell them to do is to just let it come out, don’t shut it down. Allow the emotions to release in whatever way they want to come out. This will help your body to release more restrictions and function in the best way possible.

Some people are worried that I can make your body have an emotional release. This is not true. I cannot force your body to go into an emotional release – I can only assist your body if it decides to start releasing emotions. The way that I can assist you during this release is through dialogue. We may use imagery or visualizations as well. We work together until we find a way that works best for you to completely let go of whatever has come up.

How do you like to let go of things? Imagery, Dialogue, or something else?

Please share your ideas/questions below. Thanks for reading my latest blog!

CranioSacral and TMJ :)

CST and TMJ

CranioSacral Therapy releases compressed cranial bones that result from TMJ. It allows the bones to move in their natural way to provide relief from tension and pain. The misalignment causes an imbalance in the jaw and results in excessive stress and wear on the joints. CranioSacral provides a relaxed environment for the bones and teeth to be in correct alignment and move like they are supposed to. CranioSacral Therapy works on the root of the problem meaning it gets to why the person is experiencing pain the first place. Many times it is not just coming from the jaw – it can be related to the neck, other cranial bones, and sometimes even as far down as a misalignment in the sacrum. Most of the time there is an emotional counterpart to it as well. But not always.  

When people experience stress their whole body is thrown off. Many times we clench or grind our teeth which results in restricted cranial bones and restrictions throughout the rest of the body. Restrictions in the mouth can cause a lot of different forms of pain. They can contribute to headaches/migraines, neck tension, speech problems, and various pain throughout the entire body. CranioSacral Therapy reduces the sympathetic nerve tone – allowing people’s bodies to be in a calmer state with less tension and more room to completely open up and breathe.  

When people receive mouth work it can bring up various emotions. I gently tell people that this may happen and sometimes it happens while they are with me but more often it happens when they are home later. I remind them that it is just the treatment working its way out and to allow it to happen. Not to try to shut it down. Some examples of emotional releases I have experienced with this work are that the client will start talking excessively, some people cry – sometimes quietly and other times sobbing, some people get very quiet and don’t talk at all, or some people get angry – but I have not experienced this very much in my work (at least while they are on the table). When we are going through the training we learn that mouth work is opening the avenue of expression – so I try to remind people to “think before they speak.” As people are more likely to say things much easier than before.

CranioSacral Therapy addresses the entire body – not just one area. By addressing the entire body it is able to help people function easier and in more of a relaxed state. Which results in less pain. 

 Do you have restrictions in your jaw area you'd like to release???

What a CranioSacral Session is like.

A common question I receive when people call about CranioSacral sessions is how many sessions do I think they will they need. This is a tough question to answer because everyone is different. Many factors need to be considered when it comes to trying to figure this out. Factors such as – How long has the issue(s) been going on?, How severe is the issue?, Is there an emotional counterpart that needs to be worked on?, Are there other issues/injuries making the issue worse?.

I recommend that when people first start coming to see me, they at least try four consecutive sessions (one time per week for four weeks). After the four weeks are over, then they should be able to tell how long their body holds the treatment and how often they feel like they need/want to receive a treatment. Of course if this is not possible due to time restraints or financial issues we can work it out in the most advantageous way.

I have clients who come to me once a week, once every other week, once a month, and some who come several times a year but at the times when they feel like they need to come in. So you can see everyone is different and it is learning to listen to your body and how often you feel like you need a treatment.

People also ask what they have to do during a session. I actually don’t want you to do anything during a session besides try to relax and be open to changes happening in your body. I will ask you to lie on your back on my table (you don’t have to take anything off). The most common things people feel during a session are a deep sense of relaxation, a lengthening of their bodies, a clearer mind, and a feeling of their bodies settling into the table. I mainly hold areas on your body to release the restrictions in your tissues to allow your body to completely relax and the healing processes to begin. I may also lift an arm or a leg and follow the way the tissues want to unwind as your arm or leg slowly lay flat back on the table.

Everyone’s experience is original and one of a kind. No two sessions are alike. We all have different restrictions in our lives that need to be released.

What would you let go of if you had the chance??? :)

Amazing Sessions :)

Amazing Sessions

I have been fortunate to assist many people on their healing journeys. From people who suffer from chronic pain to people who get stuck in emotional turmoil their sessions have taught me so much over the years. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to help these people move forward in their lives in a healthier way. Sometimes the effect is immediate and sometimes I’ll get an email or a visit at a later time saying how much their session has helped them. It is amazing to see the clarity of their faces and the ease in their movement. The unwinding in our bodies continues for days after a treatment. I am reminded of what my beloved Grandmother used to tell me after I would work on her, “I feel good now sweetie, but I know I’ll feel much better later.” She knew the therapeutic effects would keep unwinding in her body and help her continue to release tension. J

I have worked with many people who deal with chronic headaches/migraines. It is wonderful to be able to help them either significantly reduce or get rid of their pain. This is one of my favorite things to be able to help people with because this subject hits so close to home for me. Being a person who suffered with headaches and migraines for many years, it is wonderful for me to be able to help people in the way that I was helped. CranioSacral Therapy was a big part of me reducing my headaches, but my journey also involved learning that I have dietary sensitivities and TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder). These too added to my headaches. So it is a journey for all of us to listen to our bodies and learn about the things that might be out of balance or things we need to eliminate from our diets. CranioSacral Therapy is a great way to start to be able to balance our bodies and become more in touch with the way we feel and what makes us feel out of balance so we can try to stay in the best environment more of the time.

What do you do to stay in balance in your life???

My Very First Blog Entry - Healthy Healing with Stephanie :)

My Very First Blog Entry :)

So, I decided to start a blog. I will write mainly about health and healing topics, but am open to hearing what you guys want me to write about or any other ideas you might have. So, here’s a little bit about me and my work.

I am a CranioSacral Therapist who is passionate about her work. I love helping others feel better in all areas of their lives (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually). I have been doing this work for 12 years (wow, has it been that long?!). 

My passion is helping people with headaches/migraines and/or emotional issues that conventional therapy has not proven effective for.  My work through the years has led me to understand more about people and that each individual is just that, very individual and unique. How I treat one person may not work for the next person so I am always having to keep an open mind and be willing to try new things to find what will work for that specific person. 

I love to see a person get that Ah Ha! moment. Something clicks in their head and the light bulb goes off. It is amazing to see them start to go deeper inside of themselves and really start peeling layers off of what is bothering them. I love seeing them come back for appts with new insights and new issues to work on. The way that CranioSacral works is that after the treatment, the unwinding continues when people come off of the table. People notice releases happening for days afterwards.

I hope you all have enjoyed the first entry into my blog. I would love to hear your comments and if there are other topics you are interested in me writing about. Have a happy and healthy day! :)

*Stephanie*