Stress Reduction is key if you want to improve your health and wellbeing.
Some of the easiest things you can do to decrease the amount of stress in your life is to exercise, eat well, meditate, and get involved with the arts, yoga, movement and other creative hobbies. Life is meant to be enjoyable so find your sense of joy! In my personal field of expertise, most people come to my office because they also find Massage and Bodywork to be quite helpful in achieving their goals of relaxation. Professional touch and mindful sensory interaction is known to have many benefits that allow the the body to find its optimal state of Being. Who hasn’t walked out of massage therapy session at one time or another feeling calmer and yet more in tune with their energy flow? I would like my clients and others to find a way to maintain that well sense of health.
So how do you daily maintain the same sense of balance and connection that you find after a massage?
Today we are going to talk about how you can make a real change in your life by finding peace Within on a physical level.
To begin, let’s talk and learn about stress…
From a definition point of view, stress is a normal physiological response to events that are considered threatening, engaging the body’s defenses to move into a “fight-or-flight-or-frozen” reaction. In cases where there is a real emergency, stress can spring you into the necessary actions needed to keep you alert, strong and able to protect yourself in order to stay alive. In daily activities, it also helps you to keep on top of things, to concentrate, and be productive when challenges arise. The problem is that that when the body is continually exposed to a state of stress, it begins to recognize life this way as being normal. Yet it is not. In the longterm, stress can negatively affect your mental state, your spirit and health all around.
On an energetic level, when a person’s is stressed, the dynamic of being mobilized to use a lot of energy often takes the person out of their grounding. The brain has issued orders to to initiate nerve cell firing and chemical release to prepare for possible attack. Thereafter, we move into either defense or offense. The end result is that our consciousness is focused on fear and the body automatically moves into contraction in some areas.
I have to be honest and say, that most people who come in for massage and bodywork have no clue how they habitually hold their body against life itself. From a working perspective, a massage therapist can support the body and help clients to self-correct through their tissues and find better alignment. But when the work is done, what can you do to make the change sustainable?
Grounding and Breathing
I can’t say enough about how important it is to find your grounding.
Now you may say- what do you mean about grounding? This term is often thrown about and it is not necessarily an easy concept to understand. That makes sense because if you are trying to figure out grounding in your thinking, you will go in circles. Grounding is a real connection between the body and the earth. It is more of a sensory experience that feeds your brain.
When you think about it, we are walking, sitting and lying down during out days. Most of the time our minds are occupied on how we need to interact from these position to make things happen in our environment. Even when we are asleep, habitual stress will ended up showing up in clenched teeth and TMJ and such. If you want to get in contact with your authentic centered self, awareness to our bodies is key to making that happen.
So what is the key that helps us make the connection which will enable us to let go of that stress?
Explore your relationship to Earth with mindfulness.
Lay down on the ground and bring your attention inward. I know this takes patience and a different mindset for some to actually give themselves this gift of time. I know most people have a lot on their plate. But restoration and kindness to one’s sense of grounding is really important to keep your body in health. The physicality of your whole self has important data that needs to be sent to the brain in order to relieve stress. So take the time to scan, feel and be curious about yourself. This is your time for you.
Next Feel how your body rests on the ground. Are you comfortable? Are you tight somewhere? Do you feel numb at all? How about noticing the texture and strength of the floor beneath you? What happens when you begin to explore where you end and the ground begins? Getting into body awareness is important if you want to understand how to release tension. When you are ready, find a place in your body that feels at ease. Move that area very slowly , -imagine in micro movements. Before you approach any tension, stop and allow new information to come in. In this exercise, less is more and you don’t want to be living in pain, but in the easy mobility that is available. Then bring the movement back to it’s original place. Sit in the quiet for a moment and allow this to integrate.
The last step is to try a specific exercise. Situate yourself in a place that is very comfortable either inside or possibly outside in a beautiful field connected to nature. I will outline an exercise here for people who have tight backs and shoulders. As you have completed the first two steps, while lying on the ground, interlock both hands above the head, and allow them to rest on the ground superiorly. Observe and experience your breath, and notice how that is either in movement, or stillness. Taking your time, bring the hands ever so slowly to the right on the ground, while keeping the motion effortless and very small. Play with this going one way and then the other. If you run into any discomfort make sure to stop. Less is more! After the right side is explored come to center above your head and relax. Try the left side as well. This exercise might take about 10 minutes at most. When the whole thing is complete, allow your arms to come down to your side with palms up and allow this quiet but spacious work to integrate in the body. If there is any residual holding, breath and let it go.
Now bring your awareness to how the back and shoulders feel on the ground. Do you feel more relaxed? Has the tension began to dissolve? Can you feel how pleasant it is to relax on the ground beneath you? As you can see, by keeping your whole body in contact with the ground and experimenting with micro movements, while staying in intimate relationship- the human body starts to feel supported and can send messages to the brain that everything in the world in good. It alters our thinking and our feelings as a natural integration occurs.
Wellness
It is because we are always moving through gravity in reactive relationships outside of ourselves that we loose our ability to stay centered. That’s not a bad thing because it is part of our human experience. However, if we truly want to find a way to interact with less stress, we must re-orient ourselves with grounding and support.
One of the links I recommend for this type of work is:
With practices like these, you will feel more whole and complete.
You can do these exercises at home, find a practitioner for 1:1 work or you can take classes.
In order to find relaxation in your life- it is absolutely essential that you find ways to feel open and spacious inside of your body. Grounding in a sensory experiential always helps to calm and nurture. Take the time to be generous with yourself and wellbeing.
For more information, contact, Sharon Hartnett LMT in Columbus, Ohio:
(614) 372-6598
For more information on movement awareness check out this youtube sample of Feldenkrais:
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:
(614) 372-6598
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.
At some point in our lives, most of us have faced some type of medical challenges.
Who hasn’t at one point or another faced an illness or an injury of some sort?
In my practice, I have had clients walk in with a variety of ailments, diseases and physical pain.
I am not a doctor who diagnoses or prescribes, but with the art and science of touch, I have seen some wonderful results for my clients with massage and bodywork that have addressed their issues so that they can relax and breath easier. It’s clear to see that people facing medical challenges are looking for healing and pain relief and my job is to listen and use the many years of experience I have behind me as a licensed massage therapist to help them feel better in their body. My intention is support re-education of the body to help it remember its own healing abilities to self-correct. This can have wondrous benefits! When pain dissolves and the body is functioning with more ease and vitality, in most cases… mental and emotional health also reappears again. It’s difficult to live in joy when one is focused on physical pain. When the body feels better, it’s amazing how different life feels.
Some of the best areas of health that massage therapists can treat are neurological, muscular and respiratory. Especially with Craniosacral Therapy, clients see great improvement with neck and back pain, migraines, headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, frozen shoulder, and pain associated with arthritis. What’s so great about Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is that it is so gentle that even clients who are facing cancer and treatments can enjoy this relaxing touch, as long as their doctors approve. On a deep level of contact, being held and connected with others is very healing in itself. CST as it worked wight the fluid around the brain and spine can promote profound change and balance. With massage and bodywork, you also get restored motion by release of restrictions that have been stopping the flow of your optimal functioning.
Massage may feel like a luxury, but really it is much more than that.
A note about insurance:
In most states, massage therapy is not covered by medical insurance like a doctor’s visit. However, some insurances that are more flexible, may offer certain allowances. Make sure you call your insurance company to see what type of benefits they provide. Massage Therapists can give you a receipt and any information that is required regarding your sessions.
If you live in Central Ohio, and have been looking to develop a healing relationship with a Licensed Massage Therapist and/or Certified Craniosacral Therapist,call:
Sharon Hartnett LMT
(614) 372-6598
*15 minute free phone consultation with any questions you may have.
It takes years to find yourself in chronic back pain.
Many people think back pain comes from pulling a certain muscle or moving wrong. Most likely your structural alignment has been out for a while and your muscle groups are not balanced. Back pain is born through the way that we habitually move our bodies and the consequences of our physical action then take on certain rotations, contractions and dysfunctional patterns. When the back begins to spasm, that is usually the tip of the iceberg that lets you know that you need help in healing prolonged unhealthy postural patterns.
Build a Holistic Plan to relieve back pain for overall health and wellbeing.
I know…I know… that most people want to find a “fix” and feel better immediately when their backs hurt. Who wants to live with back pain?
It is possible to go in for a massage session, a few physical therapy appointments, see a chiropractor or to get a prescription from your medical doctor to ease the pain. These can all be helpful. However, is this what is going to help you live pain free in the future?
When any illness or pain calls you to bed, it is helpful to take the time to inquire into your self-care. Ask yourself, “How am I eating?”, “Am I sleeping well?l”, “Do I get enough exercise?”, and “Am I dong whatever I need to do to feel healthy and vital?” Do you realize the importance of putting your health first?
With our busy lifestyles, there are not many people who can answer yes to all of these. So if you want to feel better, it is important to begin to prioritize your health. And realize- that it took you some time to get into illness and/or pain and it may take a commitment to long-term exploration to re-connect to your wellness.
As a Craniosacral Therapy bodywork and healer, I do get a lot of people who come in for one or two sessions and they do get relief for sure. It’s easy to move into the back fascial tissues and relieve the tension there. The clients are happy for a while. But whatever relief you get there is most likely temporary, even with fascial work when it is only applied locally. From my perspective after 15 years in the business of relieving pain, in order to feel health success, the people who dedicate themselves to a comprehensive health plan are the ones who walk away pain free longterm and able to do the things that excite them. Clients who are proactive and even those who come in after an injury benefit best when they value their own health enough to do whatever it takes to find alignment on all the levels of their wellness. When we change our thoughts and bodies,we change the way we experience life.
So if you are facing chronic back pain, allow that be a signal to you that it would be a smart idea to holistically set your intention to creating a “health plan” to get better overall. Clean up your diet, decrease your stress, find an experience bodywork and commit to some long term goals to improve your sense of wellbeing. If you don’t care about your health, who will?
Life styles are based on the choices we make day in and day out. We are creatures of habit, so start slow and make small decisions that are easy to change. This is not an all or nothing situation unless you are very ill. You’ll be surprised if you pace yourself and find the right support team how much better you will feel!
For a local Upledger Certified Craniosacral Therapist and Structural Integration Practitioner in Columbus, Ohio, contact Sharon Hartnett
Call: (614) 372-6598
Locations in Victorian Village and Johnstown, Ohio
Wellness through Craniosacral Therapy is our goal.
Often clients are faced with challenges that take them off track for some reason. It could be unrelenting chronic or acute physical pain, feelings of anxiety, anger and rage that have no place to be expressed, or a sense of disconnect from the rest of life. Whatever your problem is, if you are having a hard time resolving it alone, you have come to the right place to start your journey to Wellness. We work holistically within our practice, and with other therapists and doctors as a team. We are here to help you move toward your goals of health.
How does Craniosacral Therapy Work for You?
Craniosacral Therapy is a system that requires an experienced practitioner to listen to the healing intelligence of your body, and energy field to support your health. By bringing our technical and palpation skills to your session, your body can begin to self-correct and release old dysfunctional patterns. This is accomplished by gently following your body tissues and moving along with your natural CS rhythms to enliven and hydrate the tissues and nervous system. As new information is introduced, a dialoguing process activates more efficient body functionality overall. When the mind of the body gets re-educated, the brain changes too.
At the end of a session, clients often get up off the table feeling relaxing changes working throughout their bodies and thinking. When people talk about the mind, body & spirit connection, it means that by sensing change on any of the physical, emotional, or other aspects of life, one spectrum can support healing onto the other. As bodyworkers, often our intention is to awaken your sense of Source through skilled touch. As indicated by the title of this blog, “Wellness is a connection of paths: knowledge and action.” One system connecting with another opens the possibilities to shift into a more whole way of living.
Wellness
At Lighten Up Therapies we offer an array of different modalities to help you on your journey to Wholeness. Our hope is to help you awaken to your Source. It is in the richness of the inner experience that healing can be activated.
For more questions on Craniosacral Therapy in Columbus, Ohio, please call Sharon Hartnett LMT at:
-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
