Tag: therapy

Guiltless Mind, Connection and Peace

In the year of 1970 a song was written by a Hungarian band named Omega.  The song is called: Ballad of a Gunsmith’s Son.

“Winter runs through the night
Snow-frost blooms
A life weeps in a new cradle.
His father lifts him up
This child will  be a gunsmith
If I live to that.
And so it happened
But one day the son said
Let us not make guns any more
There will be no war, tearful and sad
I will see everyone happy
With a small bell that he casted
He puts on migrant’s clothes
And wonders all the world with his bell.
The song of the bell softly sings
That no one can hear
And everyone laughs at him who sees him.
One day he returns, stands but barely lives
He is no longer the one who left with eyes closed
His father laughs; just open your eyes
In such a world guns are needed

I know, I know, I know your heart is broken
And yet, still you have to understand
I know, I know, I know your heart is aching
And yet, still you have to understand”

You can listen to the song here:

The following is an excerpt from Lincoln”s speech 200 some years ago…

“The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same we do not all mean the same. What constitutes the bulwark of our liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling seacoasts. These are not our reliance against tyranny. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of men, in lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?”

The Dalai Lama was once asked why he didn’t fight back against the Chinese when he was exiled from Tibet. He replied, “because war is obsolete, you know.” Then he paused and, in a more serious tone, said that “the mind can always rationalize fighting back, but the heart will never understand it. We would then be divided in ourselves (the heart and the mind,) and the war would be inside us.”

A client of mine going through a serious medical diagnosis came to see me for relief. We talked about her family situation and in her sharing and our conversation, she recognized the war that is going on inside her. On one hand; she feels sorrow for one family member she feels she needs to protect. On the other hand; she is angry with the one she feels she needs to protect herself and others from.

In Dr. Bert Hellinger’s work, he identified three key elements in the family system:
1) A child’s need to belong
2) A child’s need for social hierarchy (order of birth regardless of living or passed family members)
3) A child’s need in balance of giving and receiving
If one of these elements is out of balance, the family system on a sub-conscious level starts to work on repairing itself. These sub-conscious attempts may show up in a family member developing illness, loss of income, difficulty relating to others etc… This does not have to be!

It is so important to recognize the war that is going on in our own minds. Healing starts from within. In our own backyard. With our own family. The son of a gunsmith remembers that Spirit within. Lincoln also did. Ghandi, the Dalai Lama, so many others too. And so can we! It Is Time!

Craniosacral Therapy in Water

I recently participated in a dolphin assisted craniosacral therapy program with the Upledger Institute in Freeport, Grand Bahama.  It was an 8 day intense training and treating clients program.

The first 4 days, experienced craniosacral therapists got to learn about CST in water, whether it was in the pool or in the ocean.

Each morning we received instructions on techniques in the water and we all got treatments from each other in a “multi hand” format; first in the pool than later in the afternoon in the ocean. “Multi hand” means, there were two therapists working on one client at the same time.  The experience I had was quite surprising, moving and intense.  It was not the first time I received CST work, but it was the first time I received it in water.  My curiosity about it received an experience I will never forget.

I spent most of my life in the pool as a competitive swimmer from the age of 6 till my late teens, taught and coached swimming for a number of years after, so I thought I was familiar with the atmosphere pool water provides.

“To know is to know that you know nothing” – Socrates.  I now can say, I know what Socrates was talking about. No pun intended. 🙂

The pool and ocean waters were warm, heated by the Bahamian sun, so none of us was aware of feeling cold as we laid still or stood holding our client in the water. The flexibility and flow of the water allowed for body movements that laying on a treatment table may not allow so freely.  Melting in and having your ears underwater throughout the whole treatment was incredibly relaxing.

At the same time as the body expresses itself, all sorts of memories, thoughts and beliefs surfaced that were deep within, but were ready to be repatterned. Some were gone as quickly as they came and some needed more time to process through and integrate.  This is the reason we had 3 sessions each day in both 4 day sessions.

And then the dolphins… They are incredible to be around!

Our first encounter happened right after the first treatment in the pool.  We got to go to a special dolphin training center where we were able to have a 20 minute free swim with the dolphins. We got to know them up close, got to touch them and play with them. We got hugs and kisses too.  We also experienced a treatment session with them on the third day.  The hip pain that was waking me up each night months prior and up till dolphin treatment day is completely gone.  I am enjoying my sleep through the night since then.  Honestly.

                   

The second part of the program included patients who came to receive treatment for various reasons.  The first morning sitting in a circle, we all introduced ourselves and got to know the patients and their health or emotional difficulties.  Patients received 3 multi-hand treatments for 4 days and they also received a 45 minute treatment from dolphins once each day.

The shifts in the way our clients felt from day 1 to day 4 as they shared in the circle each morning, filled the room with joy and gratitude. We all were looking forward to what the next day was going to gift us with.

I am attaching a video link from the Upledger Institute that explains more about the therapy program.  I feel honored to have met the founders and teachers of the program.  I am also grateful for all the gifted therapists that were participating and I had the pleasure of working with.

Here is the link. Scroll down a bit for the video to show up.

https://www.integrativeintentions.com/

To our health and wellness! It is not only possible, it is inevitable.  It is not an “if”, it is a WHEN.