We’ve covered a lot of the Science and the Biology of Emotions in Part 1, now lets gain a deeper understanding of how Massage and Therapeutic Touch can heal and transform…
The body is the gateway to the mind and there are now a whole lot of studies that show the benefits of touch. Because the body represents the unconscious mind, repressed trauma caused by overwhelming emotions can be stored in a body part, affecting our ability to feel it, or even move it.
When stored or blocked emotions are released through touch there is a clearing of our internal pathways, which we experience as energy. Therapeutic Touch also has the power to stimulate and regulate our natural chemicals, as well as maximizing our feelings of health and well-being. Your mind and your feelings, are in your body and so it is through somatic experience that feeling is healed.
We do store some memories in the brain but the deeper and older messages are stored in the body and must be accessed through the body. Strong emotions that are not processed thoroughly are stored at this cellular level. The body can become a warzone as unresolved thoughts and emotions; show up as sickness and dis-ease. When emotions are expressed, all systems are united and whole. When suppressed they can block the flow of feel-good chemicals needed for optimal wellbeing.
This is why it is so important to have a regular clearing and cleansing from the physical body, it is a body/mind reset, allowing you to come back to your true self, letting go of accumulated baggage and emotional residue, so that you can keep yourself healthy from the inside out.
Transformations can occur through emotional catharsis when emotions that have lodged in the psychosomatic network are freed. The goal is to keep information flowing, feedback systems working and natural balance maintained.
This is one of the major benefits of massage and bodywork.
While an obvious cathartic release can happen while on the table, the nurturing and nourishing approach of kahuna bodywork usually allows for a much gentler release and transmutation of emotional overwhelm and trauma.
“The body and mind are not separate, we can not treat one without the other” ~ Candace Pert
The immune system and how massage supports it…
It is so important for us to remember at this point that the immune system is not separate from the other body systems. The flow of chemicals does not always originate in the brain and the immune, nervous, endocrine and gastrointestinal systems also have sites that form nodal points on an extensive superhighway of internal information exchange at a molecular level.
The cells within our body are constantly repairing and rejuvenating, some taking longer than others. Massage and Bodywork encourage more blood flow into our body parts, therefor increasing the oxygen availability and the nutrients that nourish the cells, while also carrying away toxins. This all helps the immune system work more effectively, freeing it up for the real work of defending the body from infections and disease.
This is why at least one massage per month is recommended for optimal health and well-being, however when you are experiencing highly emotional or transitional times you can easily increase your treatments to once a week or once a fortnight. And while many label massage, bodywork and energy work as alternative therapies, it is important to acknowledge that it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. Many modalities can work best as complementary therapies; blending, supporting and balancing out other treatments that you may be undergoing.
Self-Healing…
More and more people are realising that the ‘body is a machine’ approach just isn’t working anymore, if it ever did. We all know about self-care these days but do we really understand what it entails? Self-care is about taking increasing responsibility for our own health through lifestyle changes and life enhancing behaviours. This includes ongoing, daily, emotional self-care. Without this commitment to self-responsibility, healing occurs at a much slower rate, if at all.
I ask my clients lots of questions, especially when we first meet, because as you bring your awareness to what is going on for you, you begin to self-monitor. This ability to become the observer of what makes a difference to your own health and wellbeing, helps you get better faster, there is a feedback loop occurring just by bringing your conscious awareness to the moment. The conversations we have before your treatment help to make our time together more efficient and effective. Communication is the key, whether it’s between therapist and client, mind and body, or cell to cell, the better the communication the better the health!
However, we do need to get past purely verbal communication to access our emotions and that is why my treatments are a blend of different modalities, creating a comprehensive and holistic approach to wellness. Life is a conversation and receiving a treatment gives you an opportunity to hear the messages coming through. We are an intelligent system, the conversation is always happening, its just a matter of choice, are you listening or not? When we join in the conversation self healing becomes normal instead of miraculous.
Your body has wisdom and as healers we call you to remember your self-responsibility, to take an active role in your own healing. You are more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
Spiritual…
The majority of illness and disease is caused by stress and some say that stress is a condition that comes from spiritual isolation. We can become too separated from our soulfulness by modern technology and materialism. It is a disconnect from our divine source, a perception of separation and dualism.
One of the best stress reduction tools is self-honesty. Being true to yourself, keeping your word to others and to yourself and living in a state of personal integrity. This personal integrity brings physiological integrity, optimizing communication and wellness within the body. However we all need help some times and this is not about being an island, or never making mistakes. This is about understanding the interconnectedness of all things. As humans there is a deep and nourishing link of interdependence between us. Emotional resonance is a scientific fact, that we can feel what others feel. Our ‘molecules of emotion’ vibrate together. Our bodies have an innate wisdom and as healers and therapists we call you to remember your self-responsibility, and your body’s natural intelligence to take an active role in your own healing.
Psychology, hypnotherapy, massage, acupuncture, personal growth, meditation and prayer are just some of the best ways to bring awareness and movement to stuck emotions and teach you to respond to what is in the moment so that you can keep yourself in alignment on all levels.
If you are feeling the need to rearrange some molecules and to bring greater health to your body, mind and soul, you can book in a treatment online, or contact me directly to tailor a treatment to your specific needs.
Much Love
Shekinah Leigh
Kahuna Massage Specialist * Civil Marriage Celebrant * Shamanic Practitioner * Rites of Passage Facilitator
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