Back Pain

by SharonHartnett | Jun 25, 2014 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit, Structural Integration

Lower Back Dysfunction can cause back pain and suffering.

How many things have you tried to find resolution to your pain?

Relieve Pain Symptoms

If you really want to feel better, it’s important to look long-term and holistically. I know that people want to find a quick fix- but that usually is not the best approach to healing. I also know it is easier for most people to go to the doctor and only get prescriptions to relieve pain- but maybe there is a better way that will truly address your real issue.

Engaging in an integrative program will help you to get to the core of the problem to restore better health and function.

Is your life worth feeling well?

Let’s begin with the obvious. Pain is the body’s way of saying, “something is wrong and I am out of balance.”

In particular, when the back is hurting- most likely there is some type of lesion interrupting the flow needed to nourish and support the spine and all the related organs in that area. When the tissues lose their nutrients, the connective tissue tends to dry out and get lumpy or adhered. The spinal cord which is composed of the vertebral bodies and paired sensory and motor nerves that are associated can become hyper-sensitive, hypertrophic, and hyper-irritable. Voila- a triggered nervous system igniting the sympathetic system with constant bombardment.

So what does this mean for you?

If you want to to find not only long term relief from back pain, but want to take it a step further to truly moving easier and feeling more vital and alive, it takes a commitment to make changes in your life. Speak to your doctor and come up with an all encompassing health plan. This means exercise, diet and finding a healing team to support you. Working with the fascia and the nervous system is one of the best things you can do to yourself to reverse misalignment issues. By engaging in a 10 series of Structural Integration with Craniosacral Therapy, you can optimize your posture and dis-impact/decompress bones that are causing dysfunctions. Normalizing and releasing adhesions and lesion patterns will bring back your line and feelings of relaxation. As the connective tissue softens and hydrates, you will find yourself feeling more space and opening throughout your whole body.

We all want to feel our best. The challenge is whether you want to stand behind the choice of wellness. In most cases, unless there has been a recent accident, it takes years for pain to become unbearable. Give yourself some time and the care you need to turn things around. Miracles can happen, but be in the process of healing and the wisdom of your body will show you the way.

For more information on Structural Integration, Craniosacral Therapy, and Reiki Energy Healing, call Sharon Hartnett LMT: (614) 653-8111 for a free 15 minute phone consultation.

craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

www.upledger.com

Craniosacral Therapy for Children with ADHD

by SharonHartnett | Mar 21, 2014 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit

Does Your Child have ADHD?

It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish whether your child is suffering from actual ADHD or experiencing life with a typically high activity level with a short attention span. But what a parent does know is that it can be challenging trying to fit their kids into a mainstream educational system without some extra support.

Regulating life through New Sensory Input.

At Lighten Up Therapies, we are not so concerned where your child falls in the spectrum of ADHD, but instead we choose to focus on giving your child a new integrative mind, body & spirit experience. We have been intrigued with the success that Craniosacral Therapy has had with young people in helping them to self-regulate and be more comfortable in their daily lives. A quote that describes our outlook to healing is well spoken by Moshe Feldenkrais, “What I’m after isn’t flexible bodies, but flexible minds and to restore each person to their human dignity.” So how do we help children to find more joy and emotional balance through massage and bodywork?

It’s very helpful to imagine the mind as being inclusive of the whole body, and if you can even go outside the box a little further, into the complete human energy field. When we can allow kids to become mindful of their physical self and subtle energies if only for a few minutes here and there during a session, the brain becomes better informed. Sensory information attained through the fascial and nervous system can enliven the DNA to express itself in a new way and change our thinking and expression. By touching into the continuous web of dialogue, children can become better educated to find quiet and self-correction

One of the first things that is helpful for children during a session is to induce a still point. A still point is a period of time in which the cerebral spinal flow comes to a rest, allows improved circulation to the brain, and helps relieve adhesions around the brain’s membranes and spine. Still points can be very calming and nourishing to the nervous system. It may take time with children who don’t want to sit still, but with patience, still point is a practice that can be taught to parents and felt deeply relaxing by their children. One of the best things a practitioner can do is give their clients tools to take home to carry the work forward.

While children with ADHD might initially avoid this type of experience, eventually- the new felt sense of the subtle work of Craniosacral regulation will begin to take root. The calm will open the doorway to a more relaxed sense of wellbeing. At this point, we can then proceed with checking the diaphragms for release, listening to the flow around the spine and brain, and to encourage symmetry, strength and coherence within all the systems. With this work, as the structure changes, so does the way the energy moves The internal environment can integrate with the mind body & spirit sense of reconnection!

One of the best things you can do it interview. Sharon Hartnett LMT CST offers 15 minute free phone sessions to answer your questions at:

FAQ Page

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

Worthington, Ohio|Serving the Columbus Area

614 653-8111

To find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, check out my main page.

Helping your children to become more focused and centered is an experiential commitment. It often takes time to see improvements, but in most cases, dramatic change does show up.

If you would like to try a session to gain your own first hand experience of Craniosacral Therapy, ask for $10.00 of your first session.

www.upledger.com

What is Craniosacral Therapy? Sharon Hartnett CST in Columbus, Ohio

by SharonHartnett | Jan 12, 2014 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit

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

614 653-08111

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:

https://youtu.be/vn7AC6iktmU

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.

FAQ Page

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

(614) 653-8111

Text: To learn about my Craniosacral Therapy services, visit my my Main Page Here. Link

Feel Young as You Get Older with the Cobra Pose

by SharonHartnett | Dec 15, 2013 | grounding, healing, Healthy Body, Massage, meditation, mind body & spirit, Spiritual Healing

Cobra Pose for those Shortened Soft Tissues-

As we get older, often we lose the natural curvature of our spine. Gravity pulls us downward and often we end up out of alignment anteriorly and posteriorly as well. Our doctors often recommend exercise which is a great beginning. Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, and other forms of Bodywork can be very helpful too. But there is something you can do to feel young that is easy to do right at home in just about 5-10 minutes a day that will help you quite a bit.

How about spending a little time with the Cobra Pose to self-correct your posture and open up your energy flow!

Begin Cobra by lying down on your stomach with the legs extended. Place your hands fairly close to your body parallel and slowly lift your body off the ground. Continue to lift higher, but only in comfort with a light stretch.Hold the stretch as long as you feel release for up to 30 seconds. If anything feels like it is too much, move back to the ground and relax and try again when you feel rested.

Stretching

Cobra Pose for Posture: A 5-Minute Stretch to Feel Younger

Cobra Pose is a gentle backbend that lengthens the front of your body and relaxes tight back muscles, helping you stand taller and move more freely. It takes only 5-10 minutes a day, and you can do it at home on the floor or a firm bed.

Why posture changes as we age

Many of my clients come in with painful necks and lower backs. Those two areas tend to shorten and become the weakest link in posture. Often a shortened psoas muscle plays a part, but usually the fascia along the front of the body has tightened from the feet to the top of the head.

Most of our daily activities, like driving, desk work, and looking at phones, pull us forward. Cobra Pose does the opposite. It moves you into a gentle backward curve, which restores balance.

Your first step: Cobra Pose at home

Your doctor may have recommended exercise, which is a great beginning., craniosacral therapy, and other bodywork can also help a great deal. But Cobra is something you can do today, on your own schedule.

Lie on your stomach with your legs extended.
Place your hands close to your body, parallel, under your shoulders.
Slowly lift your chest off the ground. Keep lifting only as long as it feels comfortable, with a light stretch.
Hold for up to 30 seconds, as long as you feel a release.
Lower down and rest if anything feels like too much. Try again when you feel rested.

Gentle beats forceful

In many yoga classes, we’re led to push the stretch. If you’re in discomfort, I invite you to do the opposite. Don’t go all the way. Go into the stretch gently, listen to your body, and stay where it feels good.

I’ve found that when the body isn’t overtaxed, its defense mechanisms relax, and more tissue releases and spreads throughout the whole body. Comfort is what makes this work.

What you may notice

If you practice Cobra Pose routinely, you may begin to see changes in how you stand and feel each day. The front of your body lengthens, the muscles along your back relax, and your posture can become more upright and easier to maintain.

Want more support?

Cobra Pose is a great daily habit, but sometimes your body needs hands-on help to release what stretching alone can’t reach. If you’re dealing with neck pain, low back tightness, or posture that just won’t budge, craniosacral therapy in Columbus can work alongside your home practice to release deep tension gently.

Learn more about my approach or call me at 614-653-8111 to talk about what your body needs.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I hold Cobra Pose?
Up to 30 seconds, or as long as you feel a release. Stop sooner if the stretch becomes uncomfortable.

How often should I do it?
A few minutes a day is enough. Consistency matters more than intensity.

Is Cobra Pose good for lower back and neck tension?
Many people find it helpful because it lengthens the front of the body and relaxes the muscles along the back. Keep the stretch gentle and comfortable.

Who should avoid it?
If you have spinal issues, recent surgery, or any health concern, check with your physician first.

The takeaway

As we age, we don’t have to limit our movements. We have a choice to move freely, and Cobra Pose is one easy way to reclaim your range of motion. Want to feel young? Then live young!

This post is for general education and is not medical advice. Please check with your physician before starting any new physical activity, especially if you’re dealing with spinal issues.

Sharon Hartnett, CST-D
Craniosacral Therapist, Columbus, Ohio
614-653-8111

2 years of teacher training at Yoga on High
www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Self-Discovery through Exploring the Horse and the Human Heart

by SharonHartnett | Nov 14, 2013 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit

Are you interested in Self-Discovery?

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 freshly through 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!