SoM Wellness Retreat at Hanging Rock State Park

From: heartsongs@cox.net <heartsongs@cox.net>
Subject: reflections and musings on experiencing/glimpsing perfection for moments in time
To: omega_b_2000@yahoo.com,
Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2005, 4:28 PM

dear precious ones from OB class this past weekend,

i just spent two deliriously wonderful days in a holy space with 21 of the most exquisite people.  we had 13 various sessions of laying on of hands and there was much exchange of sacred energy, healing heat, feelings of safety and security and connection to all there and the whole universe.  we were totally immersed in each other, in ourselves, in the divine experience of "being" and "holding" that sacred space.  words cannot describe how ethereal, exquisite, delightful, delicious, exotic and all consuming the whole weekend class experience was for us all (so i believe).  what was intended to be a class of body work became an opportunity to grow and experience life, love, heart and God's unconditional love and the many precious ways he/she/it (the Universe) has been waiting patiently for each one of us to awaken to our individual perfection and our eternal connection to all that is. 

upon arriving, the individual and group energy was high.  it was almost palpable.  at these classes, there is a feeling of excitement like christmas morning...all the children cannot wait to come downstairs and around the corner into the room where their miraculous gifts are displayed.  like those same little children, we are so excited (jumping and squealing) to see each magical present as he/she walks in the door.  some faces we have been seen before.  some faces are new.  all are bright, beautiful, familiar and full of life and grand expectation.  there is almost a clamoring of ahhhhh's and ohhhhh's and mmmmmm's as each person enters.  embraces of warmth, love and heart are shared and then finally a breath of release and relief when "the" teacher enters.  not that anyone calms down for some time, but there is an unspoken given that we are about to embark on an adventure with a superior guide who will take us places we choose to go and we know we are safe.  each person is safe within him/herself, with each other.  we are as safe as we want to be and "the" teacher will gently, lovingly, kindly and with a spirit of unconditional mother's love watch over and protect each of us.  there is nothing to fear here.  we are all in a totally safe place.  (even if we didn't know it at the time).

as the class begins and the children's spirits in the adult bodies begin to calm down, settle into the moment and focus on the "task"at hand, we begin our journey.   as we lie down on tables to practice, the murmur of chatter begins to subside.  the excited energy begins to settle into a channel or current that while electric is not chaotic or spastic.  more like lying on the warm white sands of a tropical island as the warm, blue waters gentle embrace and engulf the body.  there are moments of intense heat, as if the sun is penetrating one's body and then the cool of the water laps over the body again to bring the temperature to a more neutral place. 

the first hands are placed on my shoulders.  i sigh a breath of relief.  my shoulders drop, my body relaxes.  like a puppet on tight strings, my puppet master has let out the slack and my body is able to relax and at times perhaps even go totally limp.  what an exquisite sensation to not have to hold anything...not one muscle has to stay tight if i choose to let it go.  i keep my eyes closed and just allow this angel whose hands are on me to follow my lead or guide me to a place of release and healing.  i am floating through dark spaces as if totally submerged in an ocean dark.  yet totally safe.   able to completely let go and let the energy, like water,  carry me safely/securely to places of comfort and warmth.  there are sensations of walking in from a cold walk in the forest with snow capped trees into a warm home with blazing fires, sweet breads cooking and aromas of love and life wafting through and seducing me further into the core of love.  all this only to be followed by moments of descending again into a dark space (or perhaps rising into the furthest reaches of the midnight sky) to a place that for a moment feels frightening as if i am back in one of my most terrifying moments as a small child or at one of my most vulnerable moments of my divorce or in the throws of the screaming pain that accompanies extreme loss and fear.  i am feeling the tightening of my chest, the breath go out of my lungs and the grip of fear enveloping my heart that for a split second felt like years.  i was seeing and feeling my heart totally exposed.  and in the exquisite moment of fear, a hand touched my foot or my hand or my hip or whatever part they touched and just as quickly and intensely as the fear threw me into a panic, the touch brought me to a place of pure release, comfort, safety and joy.  from an outsider's point of view, my body's reaction, my tears, my shaking...all might appear as if i were in a place to run from and in an experience to be avoided.  yet, with the deep knowledge that i am totally surrounded by love, i am able to experience the shaking, the tears, the releasing and experience it fully with the knowledge that i may not understand what or why but i understand that it is good, it is safe and it is a perfect moment.  i come back to this more earthly plane and am somewhat hesitant to accept that i am back in "this"space.  it takes some time (sometimes minutes and sometimes hours) before i am able to return sufficiently to participate in the group again.  but whether minutes or hours, i am grateful for the gift of release and love that has been shared with me. 

it is incredible what our bodies hold onto for years and how quickly it can be released when the right time, the right moment, the true belief, the leap of faith, the right hands all juxtapose to present the absolutely perfect second for a new birth of me.  my gratitude to all who were there is immense and immeasurable.  this weekend could not have happened with anyone else except those who were there and the perfection that was experienced could not have been without each of you.  i would walk in that holy place and sacred space at all times always if i could right now.  for whatever reasons, i am not ready to hold that space 24/7/365 yet.  but, because of weekends like this, i am able to hold it more and more and more securely even in what we call "the real world".  such an illusion that we call this the real world when that which is real seems so elusive.

again, i gratefully and humbly bow to each of you and thank you for the holy gift you shared with me this weekend.

While "Heartsongs " status as a professional bodyworker has changed since this testimonial , she has gone on to become one of our primo overnight home hospitality providers for classes at the Oasis Cafe.

..."The students, teacher and I had a great time at your class. Thank you for coordinating this for us. It was a very helpful class and I am already using it on my clients, and they are impressed. Thank you for a first rate class. I love Richie and the Oasis as well. You all have done well in holding your classes there.  As my husband said when we first walked in, how much he was impressed with the people and the building, and how well I would fit in with all of you- that I had a new “home and sisters to play with!” "

---

  Wendy Corcoran, Riverside Day Spa & Wellness, Elizabeth City, NC    concerning  Viseral Pelvis with Darlene Smith      
                                                                                                                                                                         06/15/2009

I tell all my clients after a session that the two ways to get rid of  those toxins that the session just loosened up are drinking water and passive perspiration.  My daughter's recent experiences with Epsom salt foot soaks the 3rd day after chemo has made a believer out of me.

My mother taught me early on the pleasures of a long hot soak on Saturday afternoons after the house work was finished.

It wasn't until a few years back that I learned I had the whole process wrong. I used to shower first so I would really appreciate the therapeutic waters of whatever I added. People once joked me about the oatmeal  and avocado bath I took once. The secret to maximize the benefits of therapeutic bathing is to be aware that the very toxins you perspire into the water can be re absorbed like bath oil upon rising from the water. So  take a cleansing shower as the water drains....

My favorite soak for muscular issues is 4 lbs. of Epsom salt with 5 drops of essential oil of choice.

My favorite soak for emotional and spiritual issues from Barbara Benneker's Healing Hands of Light is a pound of Sea Salt with a pound of baking soda.

I recommend the Queen Helena Bath-therapy line of products. As well the talents, products and expertise of Lisa Kent with www.scentbykent.com  .

Women need to be aware  of bubble baths and yeast issues.

After you've spent all that money on product or time in the kitchen mixing it: to get the maximum benefits; be sure to notice when your toes and fingers are wrinkled thus indicating that the skin membranes are hydrated enough to allow the salts to draw toxins by osmosis and stay in 20 -40 minutes beyond , adding hot warm per comfort (ideally sweating).

Those of you with jetted tubs should check with your manufactuer or owner's guide to comfirm the safe usage to avoid any  pipe calcification.

While many people find heat to be a warm fuzzy for muscular pain. It should never be used during the first 36 hours of injury.

http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/prepareemergencies/prep4922.html

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

All top athletes will ice critical performance joints the evening before and post performance/ competition. Your body may not be making the high buck dollars of competitive sports but it's the only body you have this time around. Why not treat yourself as you would want to be professionally cared for? 
For clients who just can't bring themselves to ice old injuries (more than 2 days old) I encourage them to use a 20 minute heat compress to follow up their first icing before icing again. Its referred to as contrast therapy. There is nothing more decadent than entering a hot tub with an ice bag around your tired achy neck...AHHH!!!

REMEMBER!  heat or cold never more than 20 mintes at a time!  You can give yourself frostbite with cold contact directly on the skin as well as crock pot yourself with a forgotten heating pad.

As I was doing my research to validate this blog:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/vaporub.asp
came up and surprised me.
 I had never heard about using it in such a way for coughing.

In the 50's and sixties the skin softening abilities of sleeping with Petroleum Jelly and white gloves was attributed to Doris Day. In my  13 years with this industry, I have had several nail technicians claim the healing powers of Vick's Vapor rub applied to the feet and covered with white cotton socks before retiring for the evening  to fight foot fungus and promote healthy cuticles. I always found it to be a feel good thing to do reminding me of my childhood dread of my mother smearing it all over my chest. The scuzzy feeling with my flannel night gown adhered to me.  The reflexology aspect mentally gives me all the benefits without the chest skin stickiness. Quantum physicists speak of the power of the mind to heal: If we believe in it hard enough; we make it so.

While according to snopes,  the manufacturer may disclaim this practice: I and my clients who have taken this practice up have beautiful non stinky feet when we remember to maintain this nightly ritual. During their regular massages, I can tell  when they have been keeping it up by the condition of their pedal skin. IN THE EVENT YOU WANT TO TRY THIS: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE HANDLED YOUR CONTACT LENSES PRIOR TO DEALING WITH VICK'S VAPOR RUB!!!!

Funny another use for Vicks I was told during my hospital/ hospice volunteer training;  that in the event the smell of my tasks or duties was nauseating to smear a small amount in my nostrils to avoid the stench. When reading the label it warns: Do not use . In nostrils..... I'm not telling the director or the coroner....

Gift

Certificates

Available
336-593-2755

SoM Wellness Retreat

 

A dream that has inspired me since I became a CMT in the mid-90’s has been to have a mountain home/spa/hospice or wellness retreat. The name was inspired by the Leonard Cohen song: Sisters of Mercy.  I am following my dream adjacent to Hanging Rock State Park with wondrous views from the treatment room and dream of renovating a carport into a hydro-therapy bath and steam house,.  With  Hospice of Stokes County less than three miles away at the Stokes- Reynolds Memorial Hospital, I have completed their hospice training and  volunteer there and at the Skilled Nursing facility of the hospital as well as the Stokes County Arts Council Dan River Art Market.  I continue to provide treatments here and at 6^th Sense in W-S and develop the remainder of my Wellness Retreat dream. The latest offering being developed is a body salt scrub/ masque/ massage combo in conjunction with www.ScentsbyKent.com

 

 

   Ortho-Bionomy© Classes
    at the Oasis Café, Norfolk, VA

with Anne Shinall MD, Terri Lee & Darlene Smith

2009

September 18-20 Phase 4 with Anne Shinall MD  

Nov 6-8 TMJ, Whiplash & Bowstring Terri Lee

2010
January 23-24  Visceral: Thoracic with Darlene Smith

April 23  Ethics & Emotional Issues with Terri

June 5-6 Phase 5 with Darlene Smith 

 

 

See www.phase-eight.com and www.ortho-bionomy.org

  for class descriptions For information and registration

Contact Omega at 336-593-2755  757-200-2125

omega_b_2000@yahoo.com

For registration form see Products & Services on this Altmd.com website

Terri Lee has been actively practicing and teaching Ortho-Bionomy since 1982. She is an artist of this extremely effective, gentle bodywork. Her nonjudgmental, affirming approach has helped thousands of students and clients facilitate their own self-healing and awareness of the integration of the body as a whole.

 

Terri trained with Arthur Lincoln Pauls DO, the founder of Ortho-Bionomy and  is a past president of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy Intl, Inc.,  Terri has been instrumental in developing and refining the curriculum and methodology of  the Ortho-Bionomy Practitioner and Instructor Training Programs. She teaches workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

 

Honed by years of study and practice, Terri embodies the principles and concepts of Ortho-Bionomy in her life and teaching, providing a living demonstration. Her personal integrity, honesty and commitment to living these principles have provided impetus for spiritual and personal growth for those she teaches.

 

For those seeking continuing education, a career change, or self-help, Terri facilitates this experiential learning with ease, offering each participant the opportunity to learn in their own way. Terri holds the space which invites each person to experience, develop and expand their own awareness of their learning process of learning to integrate body, mind and spirit. She skillfully bridges the gap between quantum concepts of healing and ordinary reality. 

 

Ann Brooks Shinall, M.D., Registered Instructor, has been immersed in Ortho-Bionomy since 1989. Her personal experiences both as a doctor and a patient bring profound insight into the wonders of Ortho-Bionomy. Her love of Ortho-Bionomy and her superb wit help to facilitate the learning process for participants, inviting playful exploration.

 

Darlene Smith is a Registered Advanced Instructor of Ortho-Bionomy, a Licensed Massage Therapist and is recognized by the NCBTMB as a continuing education Approved Provider.  Darlene has studied and practiced Ortho-Bionomy for16 years.  She has been teaching the work for 13 years, throughout the US and Canada.  Darlene’s natural curiosity and her own life experiences have lead her in the ongoing pursuit of a clearer and deeper understanding of the dance that evolves within the physical and energetic body.  Darlene’s teaching embodies the principles of Ortho-Bionomy.  She shares with her students, a clear and gentle approach to body work, which allows her students to learn in a relaxed, safe and comfortable atmosphere

 

WHAT IS SPORTS MASSAGE?
Sports massage is a form of massage which utilizes specific strokes to help athletes obtain maximum performance and physical conditioning by increasing power, endurance, and mobility~both before and after an event or exercise.
 
 

WHO CAN BENEFIT?
Sports massage is particularly beneficial when an athlete is in training for an event or anyone who routinely stretches their physical limits through movement. Swimmers, weight lifters, runners, golfers, ball players, skaters, dancers, tennis players, musicians, and boxers, as well as weekend athletes and those who practice strength training or aerobics, have benefited from sports massage.
 
 

How is SPORTS MASSAGE ADMINISTERED?
Sports massage should be a regular part of every athlete's training program. Athletes have different massage needs at different times. There are three basic categories:
 

 
· Pre-Event: A quick treatment (rhythmic pumping) is a supplement to warm-up, boosts circulation, increases flexibility and range of motion, thereby reducing muscle pain and soreness, and leaves muscles relaxed and ready for action. Pre-event massage can help prevent muscle and tendon injuries and reduce the strain and discomfort of training.
 

· Post-Event: Recovery after a competition involves not only the normalization and repair of tissue, but also general relaxation and mental calming. Post-event sports massage increases circulation to quicken the removal of fatigue toxins, relieve muscle spasms, and prevent soreness. It is used to assist athletes in recovery and in regaining their pre-event condition by relaxing tight, fatigued muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
 

· Training: Throughout training and rigorous regular athletic activity, massage helps prevent injuries. Areas of muscular stress can result from repetitive or stressful motion and are typically precursors to injury. Sports massage assists in relieving muscular stress and preventing injuries, enabling harder and more consistent training. Adequate recovery is also a major factor in avoiding nagging minor injuries that inhibit maximum performance.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURIES?
Injuries are commonly experienced when an individual has ovettrained, fails to sufficiently warm-up, receives trauma, or has muscular imbalances, poor flexibility, mineral deficiencies, inadequate endurance, or simply by doing too much too soon. Insufficient muscle strength and poor muscle tone may also lead to injury or a muscle tear.
 
 

HOW CAN SPORTS MASSAGE HELP IN REHABILITATION?
Sports massage can accelerate the healing process; increase range of motion; reduce swelling, bruising and pain; and reduce adhesions. Areas of stress in other muscles, created through compensating for an injury, can be eased with a regular sports massage regimen. Sports massage can partially compensate for lack of exercise during inactivity while recovering from injury. Sports massage is also used to relieve muscular spasms and fatigue related injuries.
 
 

WHY IS SPORTS MASSAGE RECOMMENDED OVERALL?
Sports massage is more than just a reward at the end of a workout. It is a vital tool for keeping athletes primed for top performance and can lengthen their careers. Recognized as an important part of a regular maintenance program, sports massage is widely used by individuals, teams, and Olympic and professional athletes.

WHAT AREAS WILL BE MASSAGED?
Sports massage may focus on specific muscles used in your sport or fitness activity. For example, areas of greater stress for runners and cyclists are in the legs and lower back; for swimmers, the upper body, and so on.

*If you are ill or recovering from an illness I ask that you be free from symptoms for 24 hours before your session.  Massage can spread a fever or symptoms through your system if you have not fully recovered.  ILLNESS IS ANYTHING THAT CAN BE TRANSFERRED,  INCLUDING POISON IVY/OAK. 

 

*I ask for at least 24 hour notice on a cancellation or a bill may be sent for the time scheduled for your “no show.”  (There are always emergency exceptions-see above.)  Numerous (3) “no shows” will result in a termination of our business relationship.

 

*The  20% discount for monthly 1-hour sessions is valid only if the sessions are within 30 calendar days of your previous session.  If you forget your checkbook payment is still due that day or the full hourly rate will apply for that session.

 

*Returned checks are charged a  $30.00 fee and result in your becoming a “cash only” client.

 

*Communication is important.  Please let me know about your comfort level during the massage.  This includes techniques and pressure, as well as lighting or sound and room temperature.  Discussions are kept confidential and are not shared with others without your signed consent.

 

*Please keep me informed of any address or phone changes so that my files are accurate.  I do not sell or share this information with anyone.  If you do not wish to receive mailings (discounts, upcoming events, etc.)  please let me know.

 

*I provide referrals to other health care practitioners in the area, particularly if I do not feel I can adequately meet your needs.

 

*I offer one free session for every four referrals you give to my practice.