SharonHartnett | Lighten Up Therapies

Neck Pain is My Specialty

by SharonHartnett | Oct 26, 2017 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy

Treating Neck Pain is something I do well.

One thing about Manual Therapists is that we tend to do the type of work that we like to receive. Relieving neck pain-I know a great deal about based on personal experience.

For me, I ran into my own challenges with severe arm and neck pain about six years ago. It was excruciating. My right arm felt like a constant charlie horse and nothing I could do made it feel better. It took about a month before my doctor got me into the right place to have it taken care of properly. Once I finally saw a neurosurgeon, he ordered me into surgery the next day. In my circumstance, I had a huge bone spur in my neck pressing against my nerve. My disc was a mess and needed to be replaced. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. But more than that- I would rather hear that people be more proactive than I was and take better care of their necks as soon as they notice any restriction or problem. Healing hands can help wonders!

neck pain

Don’t wait too long! As you get older and continue to use unhealthy structural movement, the worst things can get.

What I do for people who are really in pain, is start with the sacrum. I want to make sure that the sacrum ( a triangular bone in the back between the hip bones) is moving well. I bet you didn’t know this, but all the bones in the body move in a constant flexion and extension motion based on the fluid circulating around the brain and the spine. Once a therapist learns how to listen this way, the rhythm can be felt anywhere in the body. The sacrum is connected through the spinal canal up to the cranium (the skull). The occiput which is on the bottom of the back of the head should be moving similarly to that of the sacrum. Once this motion is enhanced and moving nicely, we go to the neck.

A stiff neck or soreness can be approached either by gentle or deep work. Each person responds differently. What I suggest though is a series of work when clients are in a lot of pain. People might hope to get things resolved immediately, but that seldom happens in all honesty. It takes years to damage the body, and it takes time to heal in most cases. So while we can get a lot of great change on the first session, the client is actually looking at a real commitment to get better.

For me, this is one of my favorite types of work. Relieving Neck Pain. Today, one of my clients who has been coming in for years, felt really tight along the SCM muscle and Traps. I so enjoyed just holding and listening to the tissues. Feeling them softly let go layer by layer. The deep muscles began to feel more alive, and motion started to roll under my hands and fingers. I worked with both the muscles and the fascia. While also staying in contact with the Craniosacral Rhythm . She quietly made sounds of relief. There is nothing better than helping someone move out of pain for me anyway. It’s a great feeling being of service to another like that. A sacred experience of sorts.

If you have been feeling deep neck pain, and want to get better. Feel free to give me a 10 minute free phone consult. I have had much success helping me to restore their motion and rotation. And it is my pleasure to help where I can.

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST-D, SI, BHSP, Hakomi Practioner

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

www.upledger.com

Presence: Discovering Inner Wisdom

by SharonHartnett | Sep 3, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

The Inner Wisdom of my body brought me into Presence…

When I was younger, I found myself fascinated by the human body and how it works. As a late middle age Craniosacral Therapist, I find myself even more intrigued. Never is there a dull moment when I get bored with what I do. That is because I continue to study, take classes, and keep my mind open to new things arising in the world of Science, Touch and Healing. In addition, during every session, my presence grows as I listen and support the inner wisdom relationship between me and my client. I am in a constant state of openness,learning and integrating. My mind, body & spirit feel much more aligned and deeply connected due to the quality of work to which I aim. Why? Because I understand that each client is a gift to me, where we dance together in mutuality for the highest good, and where the intention is focused on waking up into knowing health and wholeness. My clients come back, because I stay in a neutral place of non-judgment, open to the possibilities of getting better. Whatever it takes… My commitment is strong and based in care and understanding. Not to mention, an array of tools learned throughout the years.

The human body

As a Licensed Manual Therapist, the emphasis of my work has been on Listening, Connection, & Using the Tools that I have learned. One of the places I learned my unique approach to healing was in my Hakomi training. Ron Kurtz, who founded the Hakomi work taught that Loving presence is an incredible supportive way to create a therapeutic relationship that is safe, accepting and gracious. For me, this means being very aware of Who I am in the moment, and listening to the information that is presented by the inner wisdom of my client. This can be expressed in the wave of a breathe, a sound, a facial expression or sometimes through talk. Dialogue happens on many different levels. Through my Upledger Training, I have also learned to trust the Inner Wisdom inside of each person. It guides me, shows me the way to release and uncover old traumas, defense patterns, and dysfunctional patterns. Much of the time, I use the Craniosacral Rhythm and its Significance Detector to lead me where the body wants to go. Believe it or not, your body knows what it needs and that information is available.

The people who benefit the most from organic and natural healing are those who open up to all possibilities. People who take a chance to step outside what they know into the Unknown. This means feeling deeply into the sensing body, feeling emotions, and exploring belief systems. Coming out of the shadow and entering into the Presence of NOW. For example, I had a client who had lost her baby. During our SomatoEmotional work, she continued felt her deep grief, and expressed the pain that she felt inside her body. The pain at her loss. I listened to what her body offered to show me. After a series of sessions, she moved much more freely and felt so much better. It is such a difficult thing to have to go through, but she found that going in and through her broken heart, that she could live easier on the other side.

What I have discovered is that the best healing work is not about analyzing or figuring out the problem. But rather, I have seen through my manual therapyapproach that focusing on supporting this concept of the “Evolving Presence” takes us into more expansion and a felt presence of health and wellbeing. The more we are mindful, curious and neutral, the more clarity and truthful we become. And the Truth does set us free. All the massage tools in the world don’t mean a thing without have a solid foundation in Presence.

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST-D, SI, BHSP, Hakomi Practitioner

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Two Hearts Meeting Together

by SharonHartnett | Jul 18, 2017 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, healing, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, thought for the day

Today, I felt like writing an informal post about Hearts Meeting. A chat about how much I love my work. I am so fortunate that I get to wake up each day, loving my family, my home, and my interactions with life. It prepares me to be able to be in service in the work I chose. And I love working with people. Mostly because it opens my heart. And it opens other people’s hearts.

Hearts

In my work practice, I have clients come see me for a variety of reasons. Mostly people who are uncomfortable with something in life: their physical bodies, feelings, unclear thinking or relationships to the spiritual. I listen. I take in the story from a neutral place. And then I guide. My job is to facilitate the unfolding of my client’s own inner wisdom. For I am not actually the healer, but rather a facilitator of sorts. For over 25+ years, I have studied, worked and practiced healing techniques to help myself, those nearby whom I love, and my clients who want to connect with their Higher Purpose. People who want to feel at home in their bodies, their lives with heart and vitality. How I do that is by being Present with myself, my client and trusting the process of the energy dynamics. I center in my heart of hearts.

All of life has a stirring of energy. It lives throughout all of consciousness. I know this may sound a little far out for some. But I feel it in the presence of all living things. I feel it in myself, and especially when I connect from my heart to others. I may use energy healing, craniosacral therapy or Hakomi or such as tools, but what deeply matters is that we all are part of a sacred heart infinite web. Humanity is riding on just one small wave in the Universe, but everything is interconnected. We are interconnected. Yet we are also given this gift of discovering a sense of self. and while there may be many similarities between us, we each have a chance to write our own unique stories. In this, I find passion and heart. When I connect with my clients on the table, I love the brain and the body, but most of all-touching from my heart to another. It is so transformational and healing.

You don’t have to be a healer do this. We are all ordinary people, humble coming from the same Source. We all have the ability to heal the soul. It may appear otherwise, but the truth is that in the little things. we can make huge positive change. Choosing to love from your heart in any moment is a choice we can all make. Healing this planet, and all the people here is all about this and connecting to other hearts.

I finish now, with a heart full of gratitude for all my clients, as well as for the fullness in my life. And I wish you all the same.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D, SI, BHSP

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

www.barbarabrennan.com

Sleep Soundly at Night with Craniosacral Therapy

by SharonHartnett | Apr 29, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Sleep brings us restoration and clarity.

It’s time for bed. It would be nice to have your 7-9 hours of sleep so that you can feel refreshed the following morning. But the obsessive thoughts about work or your relationships swirl around your brain non-stop. Maybe it’s too noisy or the ambient light in the room is keeping you up. It could be you are hungry or your hormones are out of whack. Whatever the problem, you aren’t getting the rest you need.

There are some easy fixes to this. Shorten your naps to 20 minutes or less. Turn a fan or white noise machine on, go get a healthy snack, turn off the blue light technology in the room, seal your mattress against mites, buy pillows for comfort just to name a few. But if after all of this, you still are not finding the rest you need, consider finding a certified Craniosaral Therapist through the Upledger Institute to help you to sleep and feel better. Good sleep is crucial to our health.

One of the best benefits that result from Craniosacral Therapy is a balanced Central Nervous System. The brain and the spinal cord can come back into optimal peak performance. Any type of stress can be listened to by experienced hands through the Craniosacral System. This type of gentle work is geared to support your body to find harmony and to use its own inherent process of self-correction. The body is always looking to respond with a healing response, and this work uses techniques to enhance your own healing power.

sleep

Often, after about 5 minutes on the table, many of my clients snooze off quickly. The Central Nervous System knows when there is connection, and with the techniques, the stress slips away. Many of my clients have come back to me saying that not only has there pain disappeared, but also that they are sleeping better, eating better, and feeling more upbeat. And this makes sense because when stress is eliminated, adrenaline and cortisone won’t keep the body in active alert.

I do have some clients that come in that can’t relax at all. Their eyes stay wide open or they talk through the whole session. However, the more work we do together, those things start to slip away, and they begin to quiet down. It’s like getting a treatment mixed in with a meditation. And for people who have trauma, Craniosacral Therapy can use SomatoEmotional Release to help support the client to sense and feel more deeply in their bodies. As this happens, old stressful memories give way to more energy and feeling more vital.

Cranosacral Therapy is a great balancer for helping to restore healthy sleep patterns. Don’t you deserve to give yourself a good nights rest? It’s easy to go out and be interested in so many things outside of ourselves, but it is essential to start within first to promote health and wellbeing. Our lives begin with how we feel.

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI, BHSP

703 509-1792

www.craniosacralatherapistcolumbus.com

My reviews on google

Relax with Safe Hands in Craniosacral Therapy

by SharonHartnett | Apr 22, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Good news! You can Relax again

Do you want to get your mind and body back on track? Find a way to relax again?

Most people who come into my office are looking for help in one of the four following situations:

Chronic Pain
Anxiety
PTSD
Concussions and TBI’s

Craniosacral Therapy in particular seems to address the symptoms associated with these conditions well.

One of the reasons why I became so intrigued with the Craniosacral type of work was that my practice attracted these types of issues, and I wanted to find a way to really connect and serve my clients. It was easy for me to see that many of the people who came in for a massage were feeling tense, and uncomfortable with their bodies. They were feeling stressed and afraid. So the first question I asked myself, was how do I help these people to feel better? And of course- the first thing that seemed necessary was to create a positive and trusting environment that allowed for deep healing.

How did I do start this journey?

I studied massage and bodywork, but also delved into body centered psychotherapy. With 2 years invested in Hakomi and some time studying trauma at SPI, I gained a good understanding of techniques. But I also went and had my own sessions so that I could expand and deepen my experience and hold a more rich and diverse space for clients to open up. I sincerely believe, that the more present we can be with ourselves as facilitators to the healing process, the more we are present for our clients. Furthermore, I studied at the Upledger Institute into the Advanced Levels, as well as going through the Highest Certification possible with them: The Diplomate. For this, I learned their methods on how to work with people on the table who were in need of emotional processing. This work is called SomatoEmotional work.

Some of the common principles that I work with are:

Creating Sacred Space- A place of safety and trust.
Allowing organic process to appear. No forcing or pushing, but rather being in time and space together.
Mindfulness- bringing awareness to the body in a gentle and kind way.
Using light touch that is caring. This allows the defensive patterns to be bypassed to go deeper.
Being aware of healthy boundaries
No giving advice. The Client has their own inner wisdom that can be engaged for self-empowerment.
Listening on various levels. Clients have much to say verbally, but also non-verbally. The body is a crucial aspect of the healing process.
Trusting the tissues, and the dialogue that happens in the silence.
Staying curious and in neutral. This means no judgments.
Keeping the work confidential unless instructed otherwise by client.
Using techniques that are supportive and nourishing.

Relax

Coming into the office, it’s important to find out for each individual, what helps them to relax. Sometimes people with anxiety and PTSD don’t have a clue how to do that. They may be used to living with hyper vigilance, guilt, disassociation, and or intrusive thoughts, just to name a few challenges. People who are tense or/and are in pain might not be able to focus on anything else. And I as the Craniosacral Therapist need to understand that there might be trauma, violence or emotional scarring that needs to be acknowledged.

So I listen to see what the stressors are. We address them one by one in a variety of ways. Sometimes this may take a few minutes and the person is snoring on the table, and other times, it may take many sessions. With patience, often the gentle touch of Craniosacral Therapy can sooth the Central Nervous system. I have had clients tell me after a few sessions that they can’t remember ever being so relaxed. The Craniosacral Therapy works with the cerebrospinal fluid that circulates around the brain and the spinal cored. Believe it or not, we craniosacral therapists can feel how it works with the body through a flexion and extension motion that can be felt anywhere on the body. Often when the system shuts off, we can tell when something significant is occurring, helping the body to release any cellular dysfunctioning. Our intention is to continue to support in as gentle a way a possible whatever unfolds and is ready to process. Also, I have personally studied the brain quite a bit, and find that is possible to directly dialogue with the tissues (i.e. meninges). Often clients who have not healed completely from concussions and TBI’s find great relief, more clarity, balance and presence after a series of sessions.

The key to learning how to relax again, and to letting go of painful and fearful states, is to bring awareness back to self in a kind, and compassionate manner. To be able to work together going deep into the Central Nervous System, we can help the body to come into better organization in its more natural way of being.

If you would like to find a way to relax again, safe hands and safe presence will help you to remember the way.

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST-D, SI, BHSP

703 509-1792

www.upledger.com

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

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