Transformational Bodywork

We are born to connect with other human beings. One easy way to do that is through physical touch. In America, we fear touch and yet we crave it. This is simply evidence of its power. I love to connect through touch (hence, my choice of profession). I am nourished and grounded by my contact with clients each day. I share in the peace that they take away from the massage table. I share in the healing when they become free of pain and restriction. As they open to the potential of their own bodies for growth and healing, I have the honor and privilege of participating in that process. My clients teach me many valuable lessons and I grow from each experience. This is transformational bodywork. It's life-changing for everyone involved.
What a great job!
Randall

Staying Grounded

I must admit that I've been caught up in life and have rarely thought about blogging for several days. How can we remain grounded and stable in a chaotic world which sometimes seems to be collapsing around us? I'm a pragmatist so, even though I could quote other peoples' profound thoughts on the matter, let's keep it simple. First, BREATHE. Slow breaths of five seconds in and five seconds out should do it. Rest and repeat for at least 14 breaths. This should tune down your nervous system and act as the equivalent of a good anti-depressant. Second, WALK (preferably barefoot but definitely outside in nature). Walking is excellent exercise for body and mind. Make sure your arms move as you walk. Third, STRETCH. Move slowly and gently as you re-discover your limits. Fourth, MEDITATE. If you don't know how to meditate, just give yourself un-interrupted time to relax and contemplate how you got to where you are (or WHO you are).
This is a good plan. I think I will try it now.
Randall

Touch

Sometimes I still marvel at how much is communicated by touch. Sure, sometimes it is only partly conscious or seems routine. There are moments though when the contact is profound. I share thoughts and feelings with the person on the table. A meaningful conversation is enjoyed without a single word. And, somewhere along the way, healing occurs.
Awesome.
Randall

Knowledge

"Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." Oscar Wilde

Doing Nothing

I just finished four days of assisting at craniosacral therapy seminar called somatoemotional release one (SER 1). As always, it was exciting to review and get new perspectives on various techniques and philosophies. It was also nice to share in the energy as students explored deep levels of healing and self-awareness. Everyone is always a little different after a class like this. One of the primary principles of CST and SER is the emphasis on doing nothing. This is one of the hardest things to learn as a healer and facilitator. Some training programs that I've encountered spend years helping their students to get comfortable with doing nothing. By "doing nothing", I mean being totally present with the client AND letting go of the notion that the therapist is responsible for fixing or changing him or her. Refusing to take on that responsibility has profound effects on the therapeutic relationship. Trying to fix someone triggers their defense mechanisms and makes it easy for them to avoid the work needed to heal themselves. Not only does it prevent growth and healing, it allows the client to put the blame on the therapist. "If only I had gone to a chiropractor instead of a craniosacral therapist, I'd be well by now!" If we live the concepts of personal responsibility, creating our own reality and healing ourselves, we will teach by example. Our language and our actions can be the most powerful tools for healing in our entire repertoire. Then, more of our clients (and everyone else around us) will start to get well and stay well.
So will we.
Randall

Good VS Evil

Did you enjoy the Fourth of July? What an opportunity to explore feelings of pride, belonging and inspiration. For many of us who spent the last decade resisting and resenting the Bush administration, pride is not an easy feeling in relation to our government. It's easy to get caught up in a fight. We all have internal conflicts and we love to project them out into the world. Good VS Evil is the template. It always seems so obvious. It was obvious to the colonial revolutionaries that King George was evil and had to be defeated. It was obvious to the other half of the colonists that the radical band of revolutionaries were terrorists and extremists who were trying to disrupt their entire way of life and should be deported (Damned Liberals!). It was obvious to the English that the Americans were confused and had to be taught a lesson, along with their evil French collaborators. Good and evil are always so obvious!

World peace is the goal of every beauty pageant contestant. If our external reality is just a projection of our internal consciousness, how can we achieve that peace?

You have to provide the answer.
Randall

A wholistic approach

We hold ourselves back from success. I have used growth activities, seminars and exercises, meditation, energy psychology, affirmations, mastermind groups and more. Still I have not reached the effectiveness and success that I strive for. Today I had a session with a medical intuitive who told me that I was using only about ten percent of my healing potential. She has the wonderful ability to see energy. She proceeded to do her own healing on the various energy patterns in my body and said that my life is in a process of complete transformation and I am beginning a new and exciting chapter. I'm down with that. I have always believed in a wholistic approach. We never see the complete picture. We can never be absolutely sure of all that is contributing to or perpetuating a problem. Therefore, let's use whatever resources we have. That, to me, is a wholistic approach. One who takes that approach is a competent healer. There is so much to learn. There is so much room to grow. That's what so many Western M.D.'s don't understand. They don't realize how much they don't know. But, they're learning (as am I).
Stay whole.
Randall