Lately, fascia is being touted as the new integrative approach to massage and bodywork. I am so happy to hear this news as Dr. Ida Rolf developed her work in organizing the human body back in the 1920’s, and it’s finally getting the notice it so much deserves. Since that earlier time, students who had studied with her over the years, trained, interpreted and opened various schools enabling this work to spread and improve healing for those fortunate enough to find this approach to evolutionary change. If you google, you can find the Institute for Structural Integration, The Rolf Institute, The Guild for Structural Integration the anatomy trains work by Tom Myers, and some new curriculums popping up with Massage Schools everywhere. Even more exciting, the valuable benefits of healthy fascia as experienced through Structural Integration, Craniosacral Therapy, and Myofascial Therapy is now being backed by scientists and clinicians alike. It’s thrilling for us Fascial workers who have been doing this work for years that fascia is now being recognized as a holistic system that can improve your life when optimized for efficiency. It’s time to discover and understand the potential of health and wellbeing within the global web of connective tissue.
So now do you want to know more about Fascia?
Fascia has been part of our body’s since the beginning of humankind. It has been the glue that holds us and connects us together. It is made of extracellular matrix containing: collagen fibers which contribute to structure, elastin which provides elasticity and ground matter which allow transport of material. Without it, we would be a pool of bones, and dried up parts lying randomly on the ground.
So why is it that we are just beginning to learn about it now?
Living with a healthy fascial relationship within the human body
While fascia is the living stuff that sets our three dimensional shape and form, it is not easy to see with its transparent silvery quality. For the most part, it has been dismissed as a major player in our health system until now. Fortunately, in the last 80 years, the word has gradually gotten out by manual workers that layering, spreading, balancing, and lengthening the connective tissue improves the overall sense of health. When it is in a restful state, the fascia stays hydrated, able to use its elements of viscosity, plasticity and elasticity to give us a strong yet bouncy movement throughout the body. It also nurtures the muscle spindle firing, and enhance nerve ending firing. The internal wisdom of the human body has distributed the fascial tissue with the correct amount of characteristics to keep us organized and functioning fairly well into our later years.
So What Does This Mean For You?
It means that not only is there experiential testimonials to the benefits of fascial work, but if you research on google, you will also see that the medical field is learning and verifying the positive results that clients have been feeling for years. In my practice I have helped many hundred of people by listening to the intelligence of their fascial body. With Dr. Ida Rolf’s teachings, many of my clients have completed the original 10 sessions. They walk away with a lighter, springier step as the pain disappears. For clients who are more interested in gentle touch, I tend to focus on the Craniosacral Therapy side of things. But along with working with this semi-hydraulic system, it is also necessary and practical to work with the fascial diaphragms and restricted areas as well. It is through the softer manipulation of tissue that chronic pain and dysfunction release easiest. If you are interested in finding more freedom in your movement and a spark in your spirit, check out fascial work by a certified massage therapist in your area. You’ll be happy with the results!
For more questions, Sharon Hartnett LMT offers a free 15 minute phone consultation to those in the Columbus, Ohio area.
-When I tell people I specialize in Craniosacral Therapy, they often ask me to describe what it is. While Craniosacral Therapy has been around for a while, it is just now coming more into the forefront as being known as an effective integrative health approach. So in order to bring even more clarity to this field of healing, I want to present this short blog entry. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me, Sharon Hartnett, LMT, for a free 15 minute phone consultation
703 509-1792
Craniosacral Therapy is a light touch type of bodywork that enhances the functioning of the whole body by working primarily with the Cerebrospinal fluid around the nervous system. This is done with palpation from the feet all the way to the head. The name “Craniosacral Therapy” can be misleading because while the main focus is on listening at the cranium and the sacral area, this gentle manual therapy may be approached from anywhere on the body. During a session, a client remains fully clothed and lies down on the table for about an hour. The therapist will follow listening stations and help the body find its own healing course. Craniosacral Therapy’s relaxing and balancing effects may be felt physically, emotionally and spiritually throughout the session and afterwards.
Craniosacral Flow
A Craniosacral Therapist is a listener of the craniosacral rhythm much like a Counselor may listen to the words of a client. As the session progresses, the client often calms down and lets go of stresses and pain. The therapist is guided by the body’s own intelligence to follow any dysfunctional patterns and to help the system to self-correct. The quality, symmetry and strength of the craniosacral movements are strong indicators if there are restrictions or weakness in a certain area. As certain patterns are tenderly touched, unwinding and lengthening may occur allowing healthier interaction between the nervous system and the tissues. Often people who come to a Craniosacral Therapist for a series of sessions after finding no relief elsewhere end up feeling more vitality and release of deep pain patterns.
For a quick Youtube layout of the work, check out one of my earlier teacher’s explanation of the work:
Craniosacral Therapy has been helpful with relieving traumas from the body on many different levels. Once these traumatic experiences are processed in a healthy environment, the person usually feels freed up to live more fully from a clear more positive intentional place.
Sharon Hartnett CST-Diplomate specializes in helping people with anxiety & related issues, concussions, and chronic pain.
Craniosacral Therapy can help you to find center. With any questions, call Sharon Hartnett LMT at 703 509-1792
It’s been almost a year now since my neck surgery. I had a bone spur pressing into my spine and was in excruciating pain. There were not many options, so I made the best decision I could and went in for my first surgery ever to replace my disc.
After the first week or two, I felt very weak in the neck, but the pain was minimal. I said goodbye to my pain medications and hoped to feel back to normal quickly. Well, that did not happen. The doctors say it may be 6 months or so, but it can take longer. And I am here to tell you that if you want to feel better, it is up to you to take responsibility for your own self care. Once the surgery is done, only you can find the best healing plan for you.
Recovering after Spine Surgery
What worked for me
My body had gone out of alignment from a combination of factors. I was a little overweight, I didn’t pay the best attention to my posture while I was working on the table with clients, and my body type wasn’t balanced. So even with the surgery, I needed to form a plan to feel better longterm. I have focused a little on each one of these, but I do make my own personal plan where to spend most of my energy to accomplish a more holistic sense of health and wellbeing.
What I found that worked:
Positional Release
Physical Therapy
Healthier Diet
Exercise
Basic Stretching
Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, and Structural Integration
Yamuna Balls and Rolling
Finding a gentle traction machine to use at home.
Find a chiropractor with a good reputation.
Most of these, you may have a good idea how to follow and do. But I want to talk a bit about Positional Release because rarely do you hear about this form of therapy and it helps wonders. It is so easy and comfortable that you might be surprised at how great the results are and how you feel afterwards.
With Positional Release, all one has to do is put the body into a comfortable position to release pain and dysfunction. If you go see a Massage Therapist, he/she will listen to your body to locate a position that will activate nerve reflexes to relieve pain. As the musculature and joints are stimulated, the body frees up and more range of motion and easier movement become quickly apparent. At the beginning, it is very helpful to see a massage therapist who can hold the positions and teach you how to do this yourself. However, as you start to get a sense of how this works, it becomes something that can become part of your daily practice, like a mini yoga routine without the work.
My favorite way to do Positional Release to support my neck and body is to lay in bed every morning for about 30 minutes and practice what I preach. I will go into spine rotations and prop myself with pillows so that I feel into my discomfort and a minimal threshold. If you use a scale of 1-10, you might want to start with about a 2-3 noticing a little resistance however you place your neck. It is important to listen to your body and make sure you are not resting in anything more painful than that. Movement into a position should be slow and mindful. Once a position is established, just rest there for about a minute or so, while sensing the discomfort either arising or diminishing. If it is too much, move away from it until you do feel comfortable. In my experience, I often lay on my belly and prop the pillow and turn my head at different angles and just rest until I find more ease in my neck.
At the beginning after my surgery, I was stretching and doing exercises, but it was too much. This positional release on a daily basis was gentle enough and has finally started to give me the freedom in movement I want again. It also helps me to trust my body’s own healing mechanisms and work in a range of comfort.
Positional release techniques are often used with other healing interventions that focus on soft tissue. It is great for surgerical aftercare, headaches, postural issues, fibromyalgia and general flexibility. It’s so easy to do and it is empowering because it is something anyone can do at home without any problem.
This January, my first year after surgery will be complete. My neck is feeling much better. The muscles are more balanced and looser. These days, I look at my current health by constantly listening to my body. It is always an ongoing process to stay in self care as it easy to get off-course with the busy schedules so many people have. But our health begins with us and it really is important to start from Within.
Anyone who has undergone surgery, my heart is with you. Listen to your own inner wisdom and the freedom rests there!
How about entering the world of horses with a totally new outlook?
New Beginnings in the Presence of Horses
I am not sure how this whole new divergent thread in my life began, but something inside me said, “wouldn’t it be lovely to find a beautiful farm for my husband and I to retire.” I had a vague notion of reconnecting with horses, but was a bit reluctant to fully tell my husband because of the great responsibility of taking care of these noble friends. But as life has a will of it own, my longing and life in its own wild ways has opened up a whole new doorway for me to discover how to be more human as well as be in reverent service to life. With gratitude to the presence of our horse friends, the old constructs of life are falling away, and my eyes experience Spirit freshlythrough the Nature of Horse.
Many of us have at some point or another experienced other animals as being inferior to us. As with the way of things, Human Beings during the last few centuries have learned to dominate and shape the earth for the most part according to what supports our lifestyles and decisions. At this point in the spectrum of time however, many educators, therapists, and coaches are delving into the expanding field of “animal” communication. It is very exciting at this point of our evolution to re-examine how we can live more closely in mutuality with other creatures for not only their growth, but for ours as well. It is by re-inserting ourselves back into the web of inter-connection that we can have hope to improve our futures and that of the planet earth. When we find deeper contact with ourselves, our relationships begin to shift as well.
While I have experienced great joy working with dolphins, lions, tigers, and bears with my work, the spark of my heart is now to bring the great teaching that come from living with the horse to people who are interested in a whole new way of “Self-Discovery”. I have created a template of belief and movement on the farm to view horses as our “equal partners” on this planet we call our home. Our retreat here is being planned to open this summer to introduce daily and weekend workshops opening the pathway for learning through “Communicating with the horses.” Entering the Equine world with a certain naiveté will change the life of those who have little experience to those who have been riding all their lives. The more empty the mind of preconceptions, the more possibilities can enter. Yet, even if you are the sort that longs to confront and challenge thought, the horses guidance always finds a way to melt your heart and bring a greater depth of understanding to your life.
Learning about power, intimacy, confidence and independence by playing with horses.
Here on the farm, life shows us a simpler way to live within the balance of life. The horses, when given freedom to experience themselves, offer us new perspectives of life on how to resolve conflicts, to play without inhibition, and to find our own inner authority and leadership skills. In the lack of words, a look… a movement will express exactly what we need to know in the moment.
If you are feeling drawn to a more “nature” based method of self-discovery…consider befriending the world of horses with us here in Johnstown, Ohio. We will be offering 1:1 facilitation and also group and herd experiences. Our retreats will be offered with walking meditation, interface with the horses, touch experiences, and also through developing intuitive understanding of energy dynamics. If you are interested, as part of the equine therapy process, we will offer touch and bodywork upon request and with certain curriculums. This is an evolutionary concept where seeds have been planted, and the fruits of the creative process have taken root. The horses are the teachers and we are the eager students receiving the learning. We are excited to take the journey with you into the world of Horses!
Lately I have been getting calls asking if Structural Integration (SI) work is the same thing as Rolfing®.
So in order to clarify this, I have decided to write a short post on the subject. I hope this helps.
The Rolf Institute® blossomed as Dr. Rolf’s students began to branch out her work into the community and eventually throughout world. The original pioneers of this work called themselves, “Rolfers®”. The school and all its teachers did a great thing in expanding her education and healing work outward. As with most types of bodywork however, the work began to evolve and different practitioners created their own new approaches to her foundational template. Thus, the spread of this craft based on fascial work sprouted new wings and took off in different directions. Currently, there are many schools, some who keep with the 10 series as Dr. Ida Rolf taught, and others with different formulas. These new practitioners call themselves “Structural Integration” Therapists because they attended the newer schools Also, the “Rolf®” name belongs to the Institute. But- what is similar is that all Structural Integration is originated from the original 10 series. The goal is to create better structural alignment and functioning and ease of movement for the clients.
Ida Rolf’s teaching: She found much success in this work because of the its wonderful ability to re-organize the connective tissues in the body which envelopes and contains all the working muscles, organs and just about everything within. Dr. Rolf established her 10 series “recipe” to be the foundation of this work to address the body from a superficial level to down deep in the core of the body. By focusing on a certain area of the body each session, the body learned how to let go of certain dysfunctional patterns from one week to the other, until they whole body began to relate to itself in a very new way without the habitual stresses from before.
What is the difference between Structural Integration and Rolfing?
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At Lighten Up Therapies in Columbus Ohio and Johnstown, Sharon Hartnett practices Structural Alignment with the basic 10 series as originally taught by Dr. Ida Rolf. She works with the same idea of moving from superficial to deeper, but perhaps with a lighter touch. Communication is key with an ongoing dialogue to make sure the client is comfortable and able to move through the changes well. Connective Tissue massage (fascial work) is beneficial too and may be requested also in hourly sessions. It’s also helpful for people who want to continue their massage on a regular basis.
There are different schools out there and “fascial” work seems to have taken root and is now being taught in regular massage schools. If you are interested though in the “original” series, make sure you ask to see if the work is the same. There are many Structural Integration Practitioners such as Sharon who have not veered off the original intent and have helped clients discover positive change. Dr. Ida Rolf created her work a certain way based on years of experience with great results. The recipe works!
Wishing you the best of finding the best Structural Integration Therapist for you in your area
* This is based on my opinion after conversations with other Structural Integrations who have studied at a variety of schools. If there are other opinions, please add to my blog.
Hakomi is a holistic approach to massage and bodywork:
Typically, a person comes into a Massage Establishment looking for a nice soothing and relaxing massage.The muscles are tight… they feel tense and are looking for some type of relief.
A Swedish massage may feel great and may be exactly what you need to relief your daily stresses, but when you find yourself feeling tight again in a day or two, why not decide to try a different method of bodywork: A Deeper and longer lasting Hakomi massage healing may be more helpful with its gentle intention of mindful touch and self-awareness.Hakomi methods may be helpful in helping you to find self-understanding and in letting go of past traumas.
Hakomi Massage
People who receive massage regularly realize that they feel much better after being touched and contacted on a physical level by a professional with caring and experienced hands.More than 34 million people have discussed massage therapy with their doctors according to the AMTA as a means to relief pain and feel healthier.Often Massage and bodywork helps people feel more balanced, relaxed and closer to their health and wellness goals.A good professional partnership between therapist and client can do wonders.
However, consider that massage can also benefit you on much deeper level if you are willing to try some self-reflective techniques to the arisings of your consciousness. It’s interesting to realize that the mind body & spirit connection acts as a whole.Have you ever noticed when you lie on the table that all your thoughts of the day keep your mind active and and how your feelings are attached to the beliefs? Have you wondered about why your thoughts go outward rather than nourishing the “Self”? These different flows of energy are creatively looking for expressing and integration. When a connection through bodywork touch happens, cells begin to respond in a whole new way. Cellular memory sends this new information to the brain and not only is the body processing, but the whole way in which we relate internally and externally begins to shift into a more open way of living. Hidden memories and beliefs may begin to surface. With Hakomi, this is done in a safe and confidential environment. Our intention is to help the client to build a strong foundation and then to observe and feel as all these things move through “the self” in a soft and meaningful session. Hakomi brings the client into a more unitive state of being with its mirroring and compassionate support.
As a Massage Therapist for 15 years, Sharon has mindfully worked with clients to help restore alignment, balance and structural integrity back to her clients. With respect, she meets her clients where they are and with whatever goals they agree upon. If you are looking for a basic massage, that is welcomed. However, if trauma has existed in your life and has not been released. It may be in your interest during your healing journey to receive mindful sensory input to help you move along on your path to wholeness.
*Hakomi in this setting is not replacing psychotherapy, but it is helpful in conjunction with talk therapy and will support you in your healing in any case.
If you have any questions please contact Sharon Hartnett LMT:
Hakomi Therapy is a a system of body centered therapy developed by Ron Kurtz in the 1970s an which has evolved through the years through the work of the Hakomi Institute. It uses mindfulness, unity, and organicity to explore awareness and the core material that organizes our belief systems. Hakomi can be very helpful for massage and bodywork clients who have experienced past traumas and have not been able to process through the sensations and feelings with typical therapy alone.
