| r a m b l i n g s |

altered states of consciousness…

the feeling of floating within your body as well as within the universe.

i recently received a reiki session. oftentimes reiki is lost on me. i don’t feel much, usually left feeling underwhelmed. almost less relaxed because i feel as though i have wasted my time. harsh maybe, but honest nonetheless. i’m a very critical person, which i know i have to look at, quite possibly by doing so i would be able to relax more… this week, i stopped by The Ruby Tree on a friend’s recommendation. i just recently broke up with my boyfriend and have been feeling a bit vulnerable, i needed to be touched and by someone whom i didn’t know. a stranger’s attention is what i was craving. i didn’t want to chit chat or care how i acted, i just wanted to lie down and be touched. christina was amazing. super chill and easy to be around. she asked me what my goals were. i was honest, i have no clue what i want. that’s exactly how my soul was feeling. she burned sage and had me focus on a white light entering my crown chakra while allowing black sand to leave my hands and feet- symbolizing everything i wanted to let go of. she started at my head, not quite touching me and slowly moved to touch the back of my head. by the time she was actually touching me i was somewhere else. somewhere else.

i have experienced this feeling many times before. often times in mediation, savasana and during some bodywork sessions. it’s an elusive feeling, something i’d like to feel more often. i believe its the space where the deepest healing happens. this state turns off the inner critic, thoughts float in and float out effortlessly. often times there are no real thoughts. it’s almost as if the body tells the mind to get out of the way for a bit. letting the body do what it does best, just be. whats happening there and why is touch one of the portals to this state?

I found this YouTube interview with one of my favorite teachers Fritz Smith the founder of Zero Balancing. If you have not received a ZB (as it is affectionalty called) I highly recommend it. Most ZB sessions i have recevied have brought me to this state almost immediately. In this video he explains this mechanism in his typical earthy way.

what is it about someone touching you that almost short circuits the monkey mind? is it the quality of the touch? is it the quality of the moment? a beautiful combination of the both perhaps.  what about your state as the person receiving the touch? do you need to be in a specific state? I do not plan on figuring out this mechanism. i feel it’s worth a lifetime of inquiry.

when i feel this state the essence of the moment washes over me and is with me for hours afterward. a feeling of being fully in my body without the fear that can and oftentimes accompany that. this state creates a feeling of trusting the moment in which i am residing. is it the human contact? the ram dass quote “we are all just walking each other home” comes to mind. is this somewhere else a moment in which two souls realize what they are doing. just walking each other home… to the present moment. where it doesn’t matter if your bills are all caught up or if your lover has disappeared and its your doing or the big question of what the hell are we all really doing here anyway?

there isn’t any research as to why touch is a way of accessing this state, all we can do is speculate. however im glad it is one of the many ways to access this state, it makes my career so much more intriguing and rewarding!

 

thoughts?

Rolfing: Reestablishing the Natural Alignment and Structural Integration of the Human Body for Vitality and Well-Being

 

What a mouth-full of a title!

This book was heavy and as I have said before I’m more of a youtuber when it comes to heavy anatomy. So, I skimmed through the tough stuff and was able to find some great inspiration in this book.

 

According to Ms. Rolf…

 

“we are not stuff that abides, but patterns that perpetuate themselves.” Pg.13

 

“Balance in the body begins with feet, for the basic work of foot and ankle is to offer a reliable base by which the upper body can relate to the horizontal plane of the earth’” pg.76

 

“Feet are tattletales. Every imbalance at higher levels shows unmistakenabley in feet and ankles.” Pg.76

 

“The presence of surface fascial tension bears witness to congestion and blockage of blood and lymph flow in deeper tissue. “ pg. 128

 

“The [Tensor Fascia Latae] is realated to the gluteus medius and minimus, in that all three are innervated by the superior gluteal nerve. Thus modification of any of these is likely to affect the others” pg.185

 

“Hardening of the rectus or any muscle means that muscular layers have adhered one to the other, are less able to accept the rapid lengthening and shortening essential to healthy metabolism and recovery in any tissue. Rapid alternation bears witness to reciporocal interplay of agonist and antagonist. In turn, this spells spontaneous (and almost instantaneous) recovery from weariness. This is health. This is strength” pg.202

 

“For the therapist of the psyche as well as the therapist dealing with the physical man, the goal is appropriate movement” pg.315

 

“Realigning body structure thus implies realigning a flowing river of fluid-borne nutrients”pg.390

 

“The experience of change to the average man often manifests itself as ‘pain’.” Pg.605

 

Such wisdom! If you have not already read this book, and are super into body reading and anatomical alignment this is a great book to add to your repertoire.

 

Have you ever been Rolfed? Tell me about it in the comments!

 

This beautiful video needs no words.

 

 

Here’s the link:

http://www.liberatedbody.com/nancy-delucrezia-lbp-008/

Brooke Thomas, host of Liberated Body Podcast, is a somatic goddess. Her podcast is inspiring and full of nuggets of wisdom, a lot of which come from her, as well as her infamous guests. So, check that out, if you haven’t already. Season 3 has just begun! Maybe a post dedicated to the LBP at some point is needed..

This  LBP episode with Nancy Delecruzia is a gem. It s a bit slow going in the beginning but if you stick with it, it ends with a bang! Nancy is super interesting and well versed in a lot of different modalities which she blends together in a sweet harmony called neuromuscular therapy. I love that she despises the term deep tissue, here’s what she has to say about it:

“when you get to the point where the person’s resistance to what it is you’re doing to them exceeds what it is you’re undoing then you’re either breaking even or loosing ground.”

She has a lot of great philosophies regarding emotional release and cellular health as well. I wish she would write a book!

I hope you enjoy the podcast!

 

What are you thoughts on deep tissue massage? Did you listen to the podcast? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Integral Anatomy Series, Vol. 1, Pt.1: Intro, Skin Dissection

 

Disclaimer: This is an in depth cadaver video. If you are sensitive to such things enter this link at your own risk.

Here’s the link:

http://www.gilhedley.com/ghvideo.php

 

Gil Hedley’s respect for the cadaver is beautiful. I’m new to Mr. Hedley and Integral Anatomy as well as seeing a cadaver in such detail. He takes a lot of time before actually showing you the body At first I was like, ‘Ok lets get on with this, show me some cadaver!” Although, once I saw the cadavers I realized that I needed to be eazed into it. “Respect your comfort zones, while you work to expand them” is one of his first quotes during the video. And I found myself having to do just that. I was not able to watch this video all at once, it was a bit intense.

What I found so fascinating is how fake the skin of a cadaver looked. It seemed like  taking a hammer to it would make it crumble into a million pieces. Gil says that :“The skin is like a masked layer, it hides a more vulnerable creature”. In order to do so it has to be extremely resilient, and it is, when we are alive. Upon death, as he comments on in the video, our skin looses its valor and quickly becomes lifeless.

This video is amazing in its ability to convey how interconnected the body is. The onion tree diagram is a great analogy! As a massage therapist I am perpetually in contact with the skin, and Mr. Hedley helped me to realize (what I already knew but needed a reminder) just how incredibly important the skin is. And, I am eternally grateful for that!

Have you ever been to a cadaver lab? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Resistance Release Work With Mike- Face

Here is the link to the video:

http://tinyurl.com/h58rubb

Disclaimer: In order to access this video you have to register at massagelibrary.com. You can do so for free or choose to pay $7 a month for full access.

 So often I find myself zeroing in on someone’s ‘problem area’ that I completely forget the face. Occasionally not touching it at all. Igats! This video inspired me in many ways to always always always touch the face. Even if it is just an acknowledgment. We hold so many of our unexplored and unexpressed emotions in our facial muscle system. Too not touch the face, even a mere ‘hello’ could be a travesty. (I know, maybe a bit too dramatic) The beginning discussion of this video regarding the sensory motor cortex is enough (if you didn’t already know this info) to blow your mind!

Mr. Jhuan uses a lot of vibration in this video. As a technique I very seldom use, it was nice to see it practically applied. Personally I wouldn’t yet practice this on a client. I believe it requires a certain confidence to jiggle a person, a confidence I do not currently have. I wouldn’t want my insecurity to come through my hands. I will shelve it until my next exchange with a fellow therapist.

I was shocked, in a good way, how he sits on the table while doing face work. He looks so comfortable and supported. I’m interested in different body mechanics and this is definitely a unique one. I am also interested in different therapists’ routine in particular the beginning of a massage and what their ‘massage philosophies’ are. In this video Mr. Jhuan does a great job of sharing a few wonderful nuggets of wisdom.

(The look on Mike’s face at the end is priceless!! I want a massage from Deane Jhuan!!)

One more thing, as a Zero Balancer the way he connects with the body at the beginning made me cringe a bit. In Zero Balancing working at interface (having a clear energetic and physical boundary between me and the client ie: not blending) is crucial, and I have carried that into my massage practice. This has brought up a philosophical conundrum for me and it’s been great chewing on these thoughts. More on this in the future.

 

If you get a chance to watch the video, let me know what you think in the comments!