by SharonHartnett | Jun 18, 2014 | Craniosacral Therapy, Structural Integration, thought for the day
I have seen Dr. Oz on the news quite a bit lately.
Not sure that I would buy many of the products that Dr. Oz talks about, but I do like that he is open minded and educates the American public about natural remedies as well as conventional medicine.
From my understanding, he does not endorse these products, but rather discusses them. He has clearly said that if products put his name on them, that is done without his approval.
Personally, while I appreciate pharmaceuticals when needed, we do need more doctors who are not invested in profits/companies who care about people understanding options rather than being only out for themselves. Thank you Dr. Oz for putting the information out and allowing us to decide for ourselves.
For a New article by the Huffington Post, Read: Dr. Oz
Dr. Oz
Hopefully, you did see his stories on Craniosacral Therapy and Structural Integration (Rolfing). Two excellent forms of massage and bodywork that work towards healing and wellbeing.
If we want to heal and find the best proactive health plan for us as individuals, forget the far out marketers- and research to find the best integrative plan for you!
Written by Sharon Hartnett
(614) 372-6598
www.massageincolumbusohio.com
by SharonHartnett | May 28, 2014 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, Structural Integration
What is Depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and depression may make you feel as if life isn’t worth living.
More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply “snap out” of. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don’t get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychological counseling or both. Other treatments also may help.
This is how it is defined by the Mayo Clinic with the Link right here: Mayo Clinic
massage helps create positive change.
So what are some of the “other” treatments that may support wellness?
Here is a link to the position held by the American Massage Therapy Association:
https://www.amtamassage.org/approved_position_statements/Massage-Can-Reduce-Symptoms-of-Depression.html
AMTA Consumer Survey Facts
More Americans are incorporating massage therapy into their regular health and wellness regimens to assist with medical conditions:
• 88% of individuals view massage as being beneficial to overall health and wellness
• 88% of individuals believe that massage can be effective in reducing pain
• 75% of consumers surveyed claim that their primary reason for receiving a massage was medical (43%) or stress (32%) related
• 53% of people say their doctor has recommended they get a massage
In recent studies, Massage, which includes touching and working with the soft tissues of the body, has been shown to reduce stress and also take the edge off of depression. These effects are due primarily to the parasympathetic and hormonal levels shifting to reduce stress and anxiety. While massage and bodywork does not cure depression, these changes do help clients to better cope in day to day life.
For people who are feeling alone and disconnected from life, reaching out and finding the right type of therapy may be helpful for you. Intimate massage touch and skill can help you feel rejuvenated and more open to life.
Clients often leave their massage sessions feeling happier and more relaxed.
At Lighten Up Therapies in Columbus, Ohio, we offer three main modalities of bodywork:
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Craniosacral Therapy
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Structural Integration
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Reiki and Brennan Healing Science
Each of these techniques holds the client in confidentiality, sacred listening, and with an intention to help you to reconnect to your health and wellbeing.
If you have any questions,
please contact: Sharon Hartnett LMT 740 966-5153
www.massageincolumbusohio.com
by SharonHartnett | May 8, 2014 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K
Every Person Experiences His/Her Body Uniquely.
Our bodies are created as a result of a creative force, our thinking and our actions.
When we stop living fully in our bodies, our life force diminishes, we loose our spark and joy.
So What does this mean to you?
Well, through life, most people encounter some type of suffering, discomfort or pain. When this happens, we have different ways of coping. We may ignore the pain and push through … we may disassociate from what the body tells us and disassociate… we may pretend that everything is alright with a happy face when we don’t feel that way at all. There are many type of coping mechanisms that help us to avoid pain when our thinking is trying to leave the situation.
The Challenge is that when we oppose what our experience is telling us, that information stays stagnant until we stop defending against it whether subconscious or not. That energy of pain that is not originally felt waits to complete its cycle into health and integration. To unwind these patterns, it is necessary to include unwinding the body too. It is through opening and feeling deeply that we can restore our energy levels and wellbeing.
My experience as a professional Structural Integration Therapist is that there is soft pain that is often tolerable. This is a basic natural reaction to getting physically or emotionally hurt. For example, a child falls off a bike and has a boo boo. He/she goes to Mommy gets a kiss and bandaid and all soon is well. It hurt but was taken care of with kindness and sensing. This is a positive interaction because it allows flow but also keeps our physical being safe and wise in interacting with our environment. This type of pain is helpful in keeping us alive physically. What causes the real suffering is not feeling deeply into it when it occurs in the moment. An example of this might be a soldier goes to war and the experiencing is overwhelming. When home, PTSD or other biological processes need to be integrated because the experience was just too much. Our defense systems assist us when life feels overwhelming and intolerable. This intelligence has its benefits. Yet when that defense system becomes a habit, and it often does, it is important to question the benefits of maintaining its system.
Pain can stay numb or can show up later in life if it is disregarded longterm.
What has helped me assist clients is to work with people in their zone of comfort.
I enjoy being a bodyworker with a lot of modalities under my belt. But one of my favorites in giving and receiving is Structural Integration. That is because by layering deep into the fascia, all that cellular memory begins to awaken. The tissues soften, rehydrate and the body actually reshapes itself from its own wisdom. Structural Integration is a wonderful method to help the body find its proper alignment, leading to more ease and freedom in the body, mind & soul.
Now Rolfing has had its negative popular opinion. Historically it has been known to be to rough and abrupt. Some people have claimed that it is painful in itself as a treatment. And it is true that when the tissues are felt, the natural defense systems kick in and that closed system is not necessarily happy to be unprotected. The mind is smart and wants to to keep things status quo. Yet if the body is not allowed to stay open, relating, and communicating as a whole, we become segmented.
Structural Integration as I have learned it is the same as the Rolfing method, but as with the Rolfers, many practitioners have learned to slow down and stay in the zone so there is no re-injury. Yet I have to say that Structural Integration is not for that half-hearted. It will be uncomfortable at some points and there may be some pain involved. But that is the pain that already exists in the body and is being touched and awakened. Often clients tell me that it hurts, but it is the good kind because as the resistance dies, new energy can surge in that is very healing and helpful. At the end of a session, clients can be very giddy and happy because they have let go of old patterns that have kept them down. It is wonderful to witness this.
It is my promise as a Professional Structural Integration Therapist, to help you to feel deeply into your body. I will do this at your pace, in your time and with your consent. In order to keep in the zone, we set up healthy boundaries of communication. If anything feels over the top, then we slow down or give you a rest. Now I don’t want to scare you off, but I am being honest that this work does usually include discomfort. The key to a great session is to listen, allow and be in the moment. The mind will resist at some point the changes that are happening, and I will ask that you feel this softer discomfort when it shows up. But your dialogue and wishes are always respected.
When clients finish going through the 10 series of Structural Integration, their whole body changes. They stand straighter, they feel more energy, and the pain in their body diminishes quite a bit. Life is general changes just because people feel better after a series even if they can’t put their finger on it.
Because this takes a commitment to your overall health and wellness, take your time and consider the possibility of Structural Integration. As Marianne Williamson says in one of her quotes, “Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Opening to feeling vitality and joy means moving through inner resistance… mental, emotional and/or physical. It’s easier to stay in our habits than to break through.
Here is a quote by Byron Katie that I think about when I consider Structural Integration Work in relationship to the mind:
The Work
I also offer more gentle modalities like Craniosacral Therapy, Brennan Healing Science, Aromatherapy and more. This is just one road to healing. As I mentioned in the beginning, each person’s make-up is unique, and if we are to heal, we need to be met where we are.
When you decide to ask for help… interview, ask questions. Find the right practitioner for you.
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
740 966-5153
![Excited about Fascia]()
by SharonHartnett | Feb 11, 2014 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, Structural Integration
I know that most people don’t even know what fascia is…
That’s why I have been talking about fascia on my blog here and also in Florida www.integrativesoulandbodywork.com. There is so much new information coming out about the importance of fascia and how much the quality of its health determines how we are feeling and living.
If you haven’t ever had a visual of this living tissue, I have found a great youtube clip that I would like to share here:
Fascia may not look like much to you, but this material is what enables you to support your bodies in everything that you do. This continuous fabric of life envelops all the organs, bones, muscles and allows communication and nourishment so that we can exist. This is very exciting that we are now looking closer at and understanding the importance of fascia in our everyday living.
Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST
(740) 966-5153 in Columbus Ohio
Certified Advanced Craniosacral Therapist integrating Structural Integration and CST to help you feel aligned on every level!
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
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
www.cranosacraltherapistcolumbus.com
www.massageincolumbusohio.com
