Health and Wellbeing: Columbus, Ohio
At Lighten Up Therapies, we are here to support your Health and Wellbeing!
We are here to support you!
Set Your Fear Free: Sensory Massage in Ohio
Massage can help release anxiety and tension.
Release the fear…release the tension.
Fear Free
Often our fears are based on our thinking. It is usually when a thought enters our mind that the flow of fear can either blossom into full body felt fruition and pass or escalate into a full blown anxiety. My understanding of anxiety from my own experience has been that before I knew how to work with it, it felt like a frozen aspect of Self that was suddenly activated. My physiology, on a cellular level, would be triggered and a movement so quick took over the moment. Control mechanisms then began to roll, and the patterns of anxiety never played out in a safe way until I finally took charge of my thinking and feeling into my senses.
Is fear ever helpful? Actually, fear can be a very healthy thing. It helps us to stay alive . I know that if I think of jumping off a high cliff that my fear of hurt or death stops me. In this way, our fear actually is our ally. It helps us to survive and stay alert with the “fight or flight” response when encountering a threat. However, when we are faced with either internal stress or an outside occurrence that stops us from doing the things that make us happy, help can be found in releasing anxiety and tension. One of the ways to do this to work with the mind body & spirit connection.
Often when a Massage Therapist works with a client for a long period of time, a trusting bond is established. At Lighten Up Therapies, I know that I provide whatever comfort I can offer to make sure that my client feels safe and trusts me and the environment in which we are working. If I know that a client has encountered certain traumas in their past, I take care to understand their boundaries and what signals to look for if they start to experience symptoms outside their box of safety. A client may go into shallow breathing, increased heartbeat, pupils can dilate if an old cellular memory is reactivated. Knowing how to look for these cues is helpful.
Depending on the level of fear, it is important for the massage therapist to be prepared to support our clients. While we are not psychotherapists, professionals do have the option to understand trauma release and to create a sacred and safe place for organic movement to occur and play out. Some of the ways that can be helpful is to help our clients:
1. Feel deeply into the sensory body. Often fear comes from the primal part of the brain. During a massage, the massage therapist can help encourage the client to sense what is happening in the body within a safe range. Once a client start to move outside of that level of soft feeling, it is important to bring them out of the situation.
2. Allow the feeling to emerge and feel into the fear. Gentle coaching can help the client to allow the physiological process to come through into completion.
2. Challenge perception of reality. Often trauma will not be resolved through talk therapy only. However, integrated with the above, challenging belief systems and opening to other possibilities can be helpful.
When we live in fear, our world get so much more limited. We can feel tense and restrict our lives by choosing fear over love and pleasure. By exploring the mind body & spirit connection, our lives can open up into a new reality. We can find freedom in our thinking, feelings and in our spirit.
Healing is a process where we open up to joy. Massage therapy with a therapist trained in Hakomi, Sensorimotor psychology or/and spiritual healing can help you to expand your horizons.
Live Free. Live Joyfully!
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
(614) 372-6598
For more information about Lighten Up Therapies:
https://www.massageincolumbusohio.com/energy-therapy/
Aromatherapy: Knowledge is Power
Knowledge is Power when it comes to choosing the best Essential Oils.
Relaxing with Aromatherapy
If you are interested in buying essential oils, make sure you take the time to read up and ask questions on the many brand offerings. There are plenty of alternatives and it’s important to find out the differences between oils before purchasing. You do usually get what you pay for in this case so being educated is a plus. Quality oils are usually more costly, but worth your efforts and the price if they produce the desired effects you are looking for.
A good way to start your education: Begin by researching the companies who sell essential oils.Generally, my favorite essential oils come from Young Living Oils. However, I have also purchased quality oils from other sellers. I like to keep my mind open and continue to investigate the various brands and quality. One of the newer companies that recently broke off from Young Living Oils has started a new business is Doterra. I have heard wonderful things about the high caliber of their oils and hope to try some soon. What I can say about Young Living Oils though is that the process they use when planting, cultivating, harvesting and distilling is of the highest standards for a therapeutic grade oil. The beneficial properties of their therapeutic oils are produced through an exacting science and years of experience. Young Living Oils specifically plans the days of planting, and uses natural methods to produce the choice compounds needed for top grade essential oils. Their value comes from using a unique method of distillation, without diluting or mixing with synthetic substances to produce a pure oil that is consistent and high in quality.
Next: Learn the differences between Hydrosols, Absolutes and Fragrance Oils. Hydrosols are fundamentally an essential oil diluted in water. Fragrance oils which are often sold as floral waters are made of synthetic compounds which may smell similar but may not be used for therapeutic purposes. Absolutes are generally much higher in concentrated oils and are extracted with solvents. For the most part, the absolutes are more costly, and the fragrance oils less. So when shopping, make sure to understand what you are buying, especially if you have a preferred purpose in mind.
Just so you know: There is a scientific basis for how the compounds found in essential oils affect the body and the environment. If you look up the Young Living Oil Company, there is a lot of information on their site regarding each single oil, blended oils, and other products. However, as a practitioner who uses oils in work and personally, I find it helpful to buy small bottles to sample. For example, if I want to clean my house with lemon which is a relatively inexpensive oil, I can try different brands to see what smells the best, makes me feel better and produces the best overall effect. I usually find myself going back to the Young Living Brand, but not all the time. Each person has a different response to each oil and I recommend seeing what works best for you. Knowledge is power!
It is also helpful to find a Massage Therapist who uses Therapeutic Essential Oils during a session.That way, in advance, if you let him/her know your current issues, a mix can be blended for you. That way you can have an experience of what oils you like and may not care for. Often, I will hold a bottle of an oils to my clients’ nose to see if they like the smell. Once applied, it takes some time for the fragrance to diminish, so its best to like what you are wearing.
There is also the well known Raindrop Therapy that Young Living Oils is known for. Massage Therapists across the globe are using this technique to bring balance and harmony to the systems in the body. The Massage Therapist massages the oils into the feet, and then into the spine and surrounding tissues. A hot towel is then applied for 10 minutes. The whole process feels great!
In truth, knowledge is power when it comes to buying the best essential oil for your unique purposes.Researching the companies who sell, understanding the differences of quality and sampling the individual essential oils will tell you what works best for you. Aromatherapy is fun to get into and you’ll find yourself feeling more calm and centered .
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
Call: 740 966-5153
Fathers Day Massage Special
Happy Fathers Day to all you Dads~
In honor of your Special Day, Lighten Up Therapies is offering a 25% off Special for Craniosacral Therapy for an appointment booked and purchased by June 21st, 2015.
Treat yourself to some deep relaxation and pain relief.
Call: (740) 966-5153
Sharon Hartnett LMT
- Release Back and Neck Pain
Ask about our Raindrop Therapy to detox and find deeper peace within~
Do Your Ancestors Play a Role in Your Adult Life?
An interesting article came out recently describing how our ancestors emotional lives determine how we play out certain personality experiences in our lives by the way our DNA is affected, even as adults.
In the past, science was not able to prove this but the newer neuroscience is able to now look at this phenomena of “epigenetic changes” more closely. So basically, if your grandfather was an ax murderer or you had a great great great grandmother who was a runaway slave, that cellular memory information can still be activated to alter how you would behave.
I am not sure how many people have heard of Bert Hellinger, but this new discovery reminds me of something that he already knew and has been teaching for a long time. Bert Hellinger has taken the family constellation approach to a new level through his work of self-discovery and healing the “family conscience”. When I have gone to his workshops, I have witnessed that when things are left unresolved within the lineage, that someone down the line picks up the thread as part of the family karma. It’s an interesting ideas to witness this the way that he presents it. He asks a “client” to choose different people to represent the issue that is causing conflict. Then without many words, he follows the energy of the movement of the soul. What this looks like is that representatives for each ancestor shift around, almost like unwinding an old paradigm. It feels and looks like the soul of the family member guides and directs toward a more positive outcome. It is quite beautiful to behold. As an observer, one can see incredible movements towards resolution when the time and conditions are able to facilitate change.
Releasing Family Trauma
From a Barbara Brennan Perspective, I have learned and have also used in healing sessions, clearing and re-energizing the cords between family members. Often people who have passed on come into a healing session and offer support. The veil between the two worlds is only what we imagine it to be when we think of separation. Ultimately though, on the level of relationship, I have experience that if the souls are still connected in an unhealthy way, people can not act as their true Self until freed.
When you find yourself out of balance, ill, or off-track in your life, I find that it is always important to stay in the present as much as possible. However, when certain patterns emerge that take you away from your equilibrium, consider releasing family traumas and negative behaviors from a spiritual level to find deeper piece. Sometimes what is necessary is to accept our place in the scheme of things and to allow support from the past by accepting their blessings and healing the relationships that feel distorted. This can be done through massage, emotional energy release, and of course, I have used some of Bert Hellinger’s work to help people find resolution.
I think that ultimately our lives are completely our own responsibility. Yet, sometimes in order for us to feel empowered and heartfully creative, it is necessary to make peace from our core with the family.
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
703 509-1792
For more information on the article that sparked my interest, go to: Epigenetic Changes
www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com
Touching into Soft Pain with Massage
Soft Pain
With my experience as a Massage Therapist and Bodyworker for over 15 years, I have come to a place of understanding soft pain from a clearer perspective. Many people have visited my office because they are uncomfortable in their bodies, in either chronic or acute pain, or to better enhance performance of their postural movement. My hope is to help them to relieve pain and to find long-term optimal functionality.
Release your pain through self care and massage.
Pain can stop people from doing the things they want. One of the ways this may happen is that when something hurts, we can tend to feel or or to try and avoid it. If the pain is the cause of an accident or something extreme, it makes sense to rest, put some ice on the area of inflammation and take good care. Often people will tend to continue their lives which is good as movement helps the lymph system to activate. However, if the posture changes as a result of compensating around the area of pain, imbalance and unhealthy patterns can take the place and change the relationship of the body to gravity and alignment. Eventually, these pulls on the fascia and imbalances in the muscles structure may bring about soreness or pain. Sometimes it creeps up on a person until one day when they move a certain way and everything gets shifted out of place and it really hurts.
How do avoid most extreme pain? Soft pain in our bodies is a very important signal that something is not right. We are fortunate to have the gentle reminder of pain because it let’s us know that we need to make some new choices to bring back better postural alignment or/and to feel more deeply into our bodies. For people who actually listen to the quiet signs of their bodies , and decide to take corrective measures proactively, often re-injury can be deflected. Measures may include: exercise, eating right, bodywork, and even emotional psychotherapy. Often when people let out a good cry or feel deeply into their pain on any level, relief is found. For example, have you ever worked out and pushed yourself before it became too much? Or have you received a deep massage and the sore muscles feel good although it hurts? The body is an interesting vehicle in which we live because the state of its health depends largely on how we treat ourselves.
When I work with clients with deep pain issues, I let them know right away that our work may take some time. Most likely, the pain patterns took a while to develop and it may take a 10 series of Structural Integration to bring back the line foundation inherent in the body to consciousness. Some clients come in with a broken heart, and working through the images and the emotions through energy healing may unravel the unhealthy patterns that are keeping a person stuck in their relationships. The modality of Craniosacral Therapy allows for listening to the Craniosacral System and following the body’s intelligence to bring more strength and balance to the body. A good therapist will tell you upfront that most of these issues can’t dissolve in one session, although that can happen. But as the layers dissipate their tension, the soft pain transforms into joy and more inner peace.
My recommendation as Professional Massage Therapist is that when pain becomes present, pay attention and address it as soon as possible. If you tend to avoid your pain, or just continue life by ignoring it, most likely the imbalance will show up again in your life. At that time, it may hurt much more. All of us have intelligent body signals that tell us what needs to be done to feel healthy. If you have a constant stomach ache, try changing your diet, if you are working out too hard or injuring yourself, lighten up. Listen and follow your own wisdom. For the type of people who tend to not take the time to care for Self, go treat yourself to massages, personal trainers, and/or nutrition sessions. We all could use a little help some of the time.
Most importantly, I have seen over and over that people who tend to address their soft pain straight on mostly recover quicker and easier. People who care for themselves seem to be happier and in more peace. Pain doesn’t have to be debilitating. Pain can often be released when our resistance to good health is dropped and we focus on Self-Care and Self-Awareness. Pay attention to your body as it is your transportation and mode of experiencing your life. We each deserve to live a high quality of life. For more information of healing and bodywork, contact;
Sharon Hartnett LMT
https://www.massageincolumbusohio.com/energy-therapy/
(740) 966-5153
Working In Upper Arlington and opening in Johnstown, Ohio
How to Find Joy?
In your life, are you the type of person who walks around feeling joy and happiness?
If joy is elusive to your life, then you might want to consider another possibility on how you are living. We are not born to suffer. It is only something that we choose.
Self-Discovery
Perhaps that sounds farfetched to some people. And I am not saying that it appears easy to change one’s perspective about life and joy. However, I do believe that there is an inherent joy in everything if we take each moment and change our thinking to one of appreciation and gratitude. The mind is often a tricky thing. The thoughts that say, “That person hurt me” or “I don’t belong” are suggestive of the point that we are in a place of “they” against “me”. That is only a mindset. It is only in bringing our mindfulness to our hearts that we become more heart coherent. It is in our hearts that we come together in healthy relationship.
Have you ever noticed that when you are “loving” or “in love” that the world looks and feels like a different place? Does that make you wonder? Life is funny in that we often fall in love with a person, situation or an object. That “other” thing seems to help us to open up to a new reality that is expanded beyond the “me”. Falling in love is often fun, eye opening and can take your breath away. It feels so good. Yet, to push the edge a little further, have you also noticed that the sense of happiness also begins to dissolve at some point in the relationship? What made you smile and had your heart pound eventually turned sour or even painful? Love is a door opener, but when that aura drops away, it closes that door only to give you an opportunity to self-discover that new form of love for yourself.
The reality of life is that love is joy. However, when we begin to believe that is something other than ourselves, life decides to teach us a deeper truth. No matter what the circumstances are of the situation, when there is an “up” with infatuation, there will be a “down”. Nothing can remain on a pedestal forever. That is the way of duality. But we don’t have to choose “duality” anymore. It’s up to us to make this world a better place and that begins with self-responsibility to self-love.
When I work with people as clients, my most important intention is to listen well to what is here in the moment, and to be in service to awakening the abiding intelligence inside each person. I have faith that there is joy and love in each heart, and all that client needs is to remember. Sometimes when a person is depressed, there can be chemical deficiencies or habitually negative thinking that can be difficult to shift. If a client has been depressed for a long time and it is deep, it may take a whole team of physician, bodyworker or healer to help turn him/her around. However, I trust that if a person truly wants to change, it can happen. If he/she does not, that can be explored too and the quality of self-discovery hold as much value.
As a Massage Therapist, Healer, and Bodyworker, I have found that much of our suffering is only a condition that is chosen out of adaptation to our environment. The good news is that each of us is empowered to change and move more into a state of unconditional love. I know that there are beings who have been depressed a long time, and they believe nothing will ever help, but that is only the isolation speaking, not the joy that is buried somewhere deep Within.
How is joy self-rediscovered? When a person doesn’t see a way out in his/her own mind, help is needed. Usually people who are unhappy or depressed feel isolated and alone. But the truth is we are not alone unless we want that to be. So to find joy:
1. Find a healing team to work with you. (Physician, Psychotherapist, Healer, Minister, Bodyworker etc…) You need to remember that you are not alone. A good team will help you to rediscover your own value.
2. Make a commitment to yourself to see life as a fresh experience every moment. Before looking outward, bring mindfulness to your heart center. Live there and experience life.
3. When pain arises Within or you feel imbalanced or hurt, continue to stay focused on “Choosing love first” and put your hands on your heart. Linda Tellington-Jones recently said to do a circle and one quarter to initiate more movement there and I believe that helps. Allow the skin to move in a clockwise fashion.
4. Move more into Nature. When we are indoors, we tend to fall more into manmade living and limited thinking. We forget the wonders of life that are being revealed every second. Walk, sing, dance amongst the trees. This may sound a little out of the box for some, but there is something freeing about reconnecting with the beauty and intelligence that nature give us.
5. Bring more awareness not only to your thinking, but to the mind body & spirit connection. Often our thinking sets us apart. However, when we center on our whole body experience, new truths and awareness may arise that will change thinking. Cellular memory speak to us to help us to heal.
It is in unity that there is no conflict. When there is no conflict, we are in harmony and life flows easier. The Sacred Heart is the place where the physical and spiritual meet and the flame of love burns brightly in each of us. If you do not feel that, perhaps it is time to unload the baggage of your mind and choose another course. Be patient with yourself as we each have our own unique blueprint of life. That is the gift of our differentiation.
Know that We each are empowered. When we stop blaming and realize that, we contribute to the awakening of ourselves and all things on this planet. It that is true joy.
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
Call: (614) 372-6598
Bodywork that listens to the mind body & spirit connection~
Tellington TTouch Massage for You and Your Dogs
TTouch® Massage and Bodywork for your Dogs, Cats and Birds
Last night I just arrived home from my first training class in Tellington TTouch®. It was a wonderful experience and I am very grateful for the learning that I found there. Being a Massage Therapist and Bodyworker for human beings, I had decided to expand into working with animals because I have continually realized in a deeper way the integral role animals play in our daily lives. With the mutual evolving relationship we have with dogs, cats and other caring pets, these beautiful creatures have integrated themselves into so many homes and hearts that many have become a valued member of many families. The birth of puppies or a new colt can awakening the joy of life in a manner like no other, except with our own children. On a daily basis, we learn so much from our pets because they tend to hold such a strong loyalty and love for us when we care for them well. Personally, I find that when I don’t listen to the wisdom voice in my own head, my dog Tanner often reminds me in a very sensory and kind way how to live in a more centered and grounded heart connection. And when our pets begin their dying process, they teach us about grace and the places where we grieve inside and find it difficult to let go and move forward. What we learn from pets touches many of the qualities that we may or may not find in our relationship with other humans. What I mean by this is that when the world may seem harsh or difficult at times, our dogs often wag their tails and stay present with us in the moment with unconditional love and acceptance. They help us to remain grounded, strong, and clear with more compassion and intelligence. They are wonderful teachers in that they do not judge us or criticize us, but rather listen and be with us from a place separate than the thinking mind. It is easier to be in the presence of empty space and care than thinking that “puts down” or “is in conflict”. In the past few years, I have found myself wandering to a dog, or a horse, wanting to place my hands in a certain place, to help be in service or to reciprocate the great learning we have to offer each other. I have studied with the Upledger Institute to work with Dolphins in a healing and reciprocal approach. A few months ago, I found myself exploring working at a Big Cat Sanctuary the benefits of Craniosacral Therapy in an environment where lions, tigers and bears are being rescued. I have traveled to Africa and one of my biggest joys in life was doing Safari. All this has been changing the focus of my practice, and I have found some clients asking me to work energetically or to do aromatherapy with their pets. Our pets run into behavior or health issues often based on their environment and unhealthy situations they encounter. When they are afraid, they often react more than respond from their natural organic sense of life. Tellington TTouch® has now given me an opportunity to view the interconnection between us and our animal friends in a more profound and expansive view. My hope is to support the unwinding of tension and fear between pets and their human friends.
What is Tellington TTouch®?
- Massage and Bodywork for Animals
From my perspective Tellington TTouch® is a form of bodywork, animal dialogue and heart connection that helps influence a dog’s behavior, and brings a sense of calm where there once was anxiety or fear. It allows people to alleviate tensions and pain in the body as well as bring focus to jobs that need to be done. Once the cellular movement is shifted through TTouch® and care, more functionality and a sense of wellbeing can often be seen.
I am still a novice at this particular work as it takes 4-6 classes before one may go out and do TTouch as a business. However, I have worked with some pets and am happy to bring them into my already existing practice at the farm. I have done this before the training, and am happy to provide an extra 15 minutes at no cost to develop to work with you and your animal friends.
Some of the things I will be setting up on our property is a labyrinth to promote structure, bandage wrapping to calm the nerves, and basic TTouch® strokes. I am glad to share what I have learned so that we can better the lives of us and are pets. When One relationship changes in this way, I believe it affects the whole. We can start with ourselves and let that make the difference.
Working with our pets can reveal the way that we view life with more clarity. It can help us to release old patterns that no longer serve us and to reconnect with our heart space more openly. It is in waking up to our own essence and wellness that we find truth and openness in our mind, body & spirit connection.
For a session, please call Sharon Hartnett LMT at: (740) 966-5153®
https://www.massageincolumbusohio.com/equineanimal-therapy/
For more information, watch:
https://youtu.be/84tW1XjuKnkp://youtu.be/84tW1XjuKnk
Mind Body & Spirit Connection and Massage
mind body & spirit
At Lighten Up Therapies, my hope is to find a way to engage the entire “Beingness” of my clients. I truly believe that my role is to be an educator and a questioner in the process of awakening into wholeness and comprehensive health. Your session is about having your needs met and in allowing healing and movement to take place to support your Wellbeing. This is often best served through exploration into the mind body & spirit connection
- Mind Body & Spirt
Mind Body & Spirt
Massage can be an experience where you just come into relax. Some clients have a difficult time quieting down with their work and busy schedules. The best thing for them to do is close their eyes and enjoy. Massage can increase circulation, lymph flow, relax muscles, lengthen the connective tissues and balance the body’s systems.
are other benefits to Massage Work too. Massage is a field that has grown wide and deep. There is Medical Massage, Swedish Massage, Thai Stretching, Lymphatic Massage, along with many other specialty areas. Massage Therapists often get pulled into a certain direction depending on their love for the work and their own proclivity towards the various modalities of healing. To be a Massage Therapist in most states, one has to take Continuing Education before renewing their licenses. This is good news to our clients because it keeps us on top of all the new developments and expertise out in the field. Education helps us to keep doors open so that we can introduce new techniques, understand medical issues, and be aware of the ethics involved in being a bodyworker. With this said, I have taken the path of exploring the Mind Body & Spirit Connection with myself as a practitioner and with my clients in order to enhance quality of life. This does not mean that I see myself as a psychotherapist because I do not. Education is more my focus. However, I do have a lot of experience working with clients who bring up physical, emotional and spiritual issues. I don’t give advise, but I do follow my client’s own body intelligence and support them in finding their own truth for the most part. I trust that we each have a connection to our own Source, and my job is to support self-discovery and deeper contact at the client’s request. My training at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and the Hakomi Institute have taught me to allow the organic process of bringing awareness into the present moment so that the mind can still enough to bring forth more spaciousness and opportunity to step outside of tension and conflict on many levels. Touch is one of the best ways to do this, especially once trust is established and the sensations of the body are changing the brain’s perception of history to the present moment. When we feel safe and at ease in our bodies, it is easier to address other issues that arise. A professional Massage Therapist will ask you what you need to feel comfortable and to build a confidential and trusting environment for you to relax and touch into the calm waters of your “Being”.
I find that it is helpful to listen to my client’s wishes when they visit. I usually take an additional 15 minutes for intake on the first session so that I can hear their history and understand their concerns. I like to know what has been helpful in the past and what they didn’t like. It’s important to respect a client’s feelings and to engage where he/she feels comfortable. Once this happens, the mind, body & spiritual issues naturally begin to unfold and open into a place of more light and clarity. So when the intake is complete, I invite the session to be about what is happening in the moment. What this does is to allow the mind to take in a new awareness, even when the brain is thinking about all the different things that it does. By Witnessing, Experiencing and being Curious during a session, the light inside becomes more transparent and it’s easier to feel healthier and to make better decisions about life and how one wants to use their energy. The massage is helpful in bringing more attention to the cellular awareness and discovering the tensions and the role they play in your life. I like to think that our issues have a positive role in helpful us to see things that we may avoid in order to help us resolve past issues whether physical or otherwise. This type of bodywork is meant to Awaken the mind body & spirit Experience. It aligns clients with a more holistic approach to life.
Either way… a massage to relax and fall asleep or a bodywork session to awaken and enliven the senses, Massage can be very beneficial to you and your evolving Spirit. Our Spirits are living in these human bodies… transformational tools for our hearts, psyches and physical health. Be proactive in your Self-Care and your quality of life can be much better. Whatever is happening in life can be eased by feeling good with yourself.
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT www.massageincolumbusohio.com/energy-therapy/
mind body & spirit connection
(614) 372-6598
Human Anatomy in Motion
Health and Wellness