Feeling Shifts
We know to eat a good diet, move around more, spend time in nature & be more sociable. To cut back on caffeine and other stimulants to reduce stress. To take vitamin D supplements, especially in the UK winter time. Not to spend too long, researching on Google for our undiagnosed ailments. Addressing mental health & trauma with a holistic approach puts your best foot forward. It’s not always easy though, when despair knocks you flat on the floor.
Feeling overwhelmed by physical ailments and the internal battlefield of invasive negative thoughts. Gaining a little progress, then you get sucked back down with stress again. Only to feel like any progress is futile, like climbing stairs that are suddenly turning to marshmallow. It’s time to grab that foot wilfully and pull it out. Pulling yourself out of a depressive state is easier said then done. With practice it becomes easier.
Through the coincidence of having worsening chronic pain issues, my bad experiences with talking therapies urged me to move towards incorporating manual therapeutic modalities. Louise Hay’s name kept cropping up several years ago & I purchased her famous book “Heal Your Body”. The front cover synopsis reads,
“The mental causes for physical illness and the metaphysical way to overcome them”.
Of course not every ailment has a metaphysical cause but the book encouraged me to take a jump down the rabbit hole of quantum healing. It’s best to keep an open mind, to help invite in the positive vibes, in my school of life.
Freeing Emotions Elevates Love Inspiring New Growth
Slow Healing Instills Faith Towards Solving
In my pursuit of healing I’ve tried many modalities including the following;
1. Biodynamic therapy
2. Breathing exercises
3. Acupuncture
4. Kinesiology
5. Deep tissue massage
6. Osteopathic care
7. Chiropractic care
8. TRE - trauma release exercises
9. EFT - emotional freedom technique
10. My own DIY form of EMDR
11. Reiki
12. Shamanic healers
13. Reflexology
14. Yoga
15. Tai Chi
16. Qi Gong
17. CBD Oil
18. Sound/Frequency therapy
19. Meditation
20. Mindfulness
Biodynamic therapy
Still with one foot in the talking therapy works mindset, I found a local therapist who does Biodynamic therapy. Developed by Gerda Boyesen, a Physiotherapist & Psycho-analyst who was interested in how emotional trauma manifests as physical ailments. This therapeutic technique involves using a stethoscope to listen to the digestive tract for signals. Upon gurgling queues, basic massage is then used to help free up the stuck emotional blockages. I had one session of this, which helped with some nagging shoulder pain. Gratefully, the pain then left for 48 hours.
Unfortunately though it didn’t help my mental state & was a case of once bitten, twice shy. Being a fellow short person, this lady almost fell over setting up the heavy foldaway treatment couch in her living room. I offered to help, being polite, but she shot me down, barking;
“no I’ll do it, it’s my treatment space”.
Er what was that about? I thought. She was another one from the school of red flags with another couple of things that put me off returning. Not being able to make an informed decision after 1 session, I will say it worked momentarily on my shoulder at least.
Breathing Exercises
20 years ago, I learned about breathing into a paper bag to subdue a panic attack. Always helpful in extreme circumstances but one hasn’t always got one to hand. Best to explore breathing exercises to aid calming the nervous system. I first found Dr Weil’s 4, 7, 8 technique, after stumbling on this when researching his beauty products.
Acupuncture
Having tried Acupuncture several years earlier & being paralysed on the couch, I’d put this treatment to the back of my mind. Intuition says being paralysed by any treatment is certainly not a good sign. It cropped up again, when I was considering having facial acupuncture as opposed to Botox. A handyman had mentioned his cousin who ran a local community clinic. It was quite comforting, communally, catching the odd snore from others nodding off with pins in their body.
After each session within a day or so, I found it released a lot of emotional pain stored within my body. Something enlightening happened during one session, where my pain went away on the treatment couch. Giving me a feeling of my own energy floating above me, in a cooling, calming force field effect. This signifies the rebalance of Qi (pronounced chi) in Chinese energy healing traditions.
These therapies can be experimental at first. A good practitioner will check on you very 15 minutes. I found, that I couldn’t leave the needles in for longer than 30 minutes. One time I tried an hour and had a strange reaction. A fast burst of energy swooshed up my right leg. At which point, I felt like I was going to fall off the table and pass out.
I’ve since been told by 3 people, that my right knee is a kind of portal, to unblocking emotional energy. There are many of these kind of energy portals around our bodies. It’s all a big learning curve that takes time to appreciate and explore in depth.
Kinesiology
Commonly known as muscle testing, Kinesiology serves to identify imbalances witin the body. By tapping into the energetic systems. I found this system to be really beneficial. For a few weeks after a session, in which the therapist was using magnets, my mood improved. Practitioners can advise you on supplements & allergies. Using crystals & precious stones to diagnose what’s lacking from your diet & lifestyle. It can feel a little strange, although intriguing, with your arm extended at the elbow for an hour or more, whilst someone presses on your muscles for signs of confirmation.
Deep tissue massage
A good massage therapist will make sure you aren’t in pain during the treatment and that it’s the right form of therapy for your condition. The one rule fits all mentality, does not sit well with many chronic pain sufferers. I stopped sessions with one therapist, because she was too aggressive. One has to be careful that they aren’t taking out their anger on us. Persistently having to tell them that you’re in pain should always be a red flag. Bruising also is something to be aware of as another red flag. It’s a common misconception of, “no pain no gain”. You may have some discomfort but if it lingers for several days afterwards, it’s likely that it’s aggravating trigger points of pain. It may not be the correct thing to be pursuing in your treatment plan.
Osteopathy
It was formed in the 1800s by a physician named Andrew Taylor. I didn’t know anything about it, having gone to a session upon the recommendation of a relative for chronic neck pain. I would often come out of Osteopathy appointments feeling like something was missing. After 7 practitioners over the space of 2 years, I knew it wasn’t working out well for me.
The second guy I saw got people to strip off to their underwear & walk around his office. Not a great idea, for people who have previously had body dimorphism issues & those who are guarded from a history of abuse. The other practitioners didn’t ask this. The consensus from other practitioners, was that this guy was “old school”. A couple of practitioners who did craniosacral therapy, which I found great for relaxation. In my opinion it’s best to incorporate massage & energy work too.
Chiropractic care
I went to the Chiropractor for my neck pain & back pain mainly. I discovered coincidentally that Chiropractic care can help with symptoms of OCD. Many times, I’ve had attacks of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms, when my neck has been misaligned. You know that saying “this is a pain in the neck” . With over a decade of chronic stress under my belt, life itself became a permanent pain in my neck. The flow of blood & energy gets stuck, depleting a natural progress towards providing the brain with it’s healthy hormone supply. A C1 & C2 adjustment (in the upper neck vertebra) is highly beneficial when chronic stress strikes & your muscles lock up.
Devised in the late 1800s by Daniel Avid Palmer. I’ve learned so much about health & wellness from listening to chiropractic & functional medicine doctors online. A few are now jumping on the ASMR craze. Where people find the crunching & cracking noises relaxing. It can get a little addictive.
TRE - Trauma Release Exercises.
Keeping track on the emotion releasing train, way of thinking, I quickly discovered TRE. Trauma Release Exercises. I love discovering things when browsing Youtube. Up popped David Burceli’s exercises. You place your body into holding positions, that stress the muscles for a few minutes. Then you move to the floor once your body starts to quiver & shake. This intrinsic shaking, unwinds the bound tissue fibres & is thought to release long held patterns of tension. We armour ourselves with trauma & stress as a normal response to over stimulation on our nervous systems. These natural bodily shakes are called Neurogenic tremors. People often go into this state naturally with chronic stress but don’t often realise what it is. Thinking that it’s something medically concerning, they schedule doctor or emergency appointments.
Aside from maybe feeling like a bit of a wally, writhing around on he floor, if you feel better afterwards, it’s nothing to worry about. Think about when you cry & your shoulders jolt into upward into heaving spasms. This is to release the built up tension caused by the upset, stored in the upper traps. Trauma traps, I call this pattern of tension holding.
EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique
With EFT we tap on acupressure points, mainly within the upper body, to acquire an emotional flushing response. It’s very beneficial if you’re having an anxiety attack, to bring out the underlying fears. Along side eye exercise movements, to help engage the reticular activating system in the brain. Using the eye exercises & spoken words helps to transmute the trapped energy. A great arsenal in your tool belt, for managing trauma.
Psoas releasing exercises
We lurch forward to protect the gut when feeling threatened. This is an intrinsic reaction to stress & trauma. These muscles link with the major spinal flexors. Mid to lower back pain is often occurring with trauma. When these muscles unravel, you can expect an emotional release as well as a physical one.
From practising yoga, I learned to reset my psosas muscles. “The Vital Psosas Muscle” - Jo Anne Staugaard-Jones is a very good book for learning more. The book is full of diagrams & exercises & is one of my monthly go to references to check I’m on track with my healing routines.
Reiki
When I was a teenager I remember holding my hand over my left arm & making a pain go away after several minutes. Seemingly with the power of my mind but I wasn’t too sure at the time. We didn’t have high speed internet back then, for me to check it out. The nearest library was half an hour away by bus so it got forgotten about.
Not having family members who were open minded, was a major draw back to being someone highly inquisitive. Paranormal things weren’t taught at school either. Reiki is something I’m exploring further, having recently developed some extra sensory abilities.
Shamanic healers
I had the same cooling, floating, pain free energetic feeling, that I experienced with acupuncture, during a session with a Shamanic healer. After 9 months straight of suicidal ideation, having had enough of physical pains not fully clearing. Levels of frustration rising, after multiple visits to Osteopaths & the same pain patterns remaining. I was losing the will to live. The shamanic healer popped up on a face book page, with a free fire ceremony event.
It was a really nice afternoon with supportive like minded people. I booked in for a private session a few weeks later. With a shaman they talk you into a journey using hypnosis techniques. In an altered consciousness state, you can then meet with spirit guides to take you into the the healing process. I was asked what animal could I see, it was a fox that popped into the mirror.
Dried plants, singing & instruments are used to tap into energetic systems around your body to access & aid the healing process. I had more progress with this than I had in 15 years of GP appointments & talking therapy visits.
Reflexology
A great treatment for foot massage lovers. The complementary therapist touches upon acupressure points that correspond with other areas of the body. An intriguing moment was struggling to speak when my therapist was pressing on my big toe. She suggested it may a thyroid issue. Kelp is a good supplement for thyroid issues. There is a lack distinct of iodine in our diets.
Qi gong & Tai Chi
Chinese exercises that help access the energy channels within the body to clear, tonify, strengthen & purge. Highly beneficial being as it’s gentle & easy to follow. Translations according to “The Way of Qi Gong” - Kenneth Cohen, mean “leading and guiding the energy” and “nourishing the forces of life”. I’ve had big energy releases from practising these exercise routines daily. On a similar note to the TRE exercises as above, stimulating tendons & fascia, can access hidden stored emotional energy.
CBD Oil
One major contributing factor to feeling better was for me, was to remove prescription medication. I much prefer plant medicine now & use CBD oil for pain & anxiety relief. CBD is the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get you high. We produce endocannabinoids naturally in our bodies as part of the neuro-biological processes. I would advise to avoid buying CBD oil from the high street & get it directly from a supplier who specialises in the production. You can also get topical balms & they now make tampons for us ladies to help with cramps. I’ve not tried the tampons myself, because I find with a good diet & exercise I don’t have too much of a problem.
Sound therapy/Tuning Forks
At a spiritual event someone had a gong. Upon standing next to it, it induced a feeling of calm within a few minutes. I discovered that a medical 528 Hz tuning fork can help with pain. I was having an attack of TMJ that was heading towards a migraine and within 30 minutes of using the fork it dissipated. As I write, I’m pursuing learning more about tuning forks so that I can help others. I’m particularly interested in Chakra toning. I have felt them swirling around when performing exercises and toning sounds. When our Chakras are misaligned, we go off kilter in life. Tibetan singing bowls can be very soothing on the nervous system. I use one daily in my meditation & qi gong routines.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness is about being aware of ourselves & our thoughts. It’s about not acting on our thoughts with judgement. I practised this mindset before I tried meditation. When you have trauma, sitting alone & trying to switch off to meditate, is like trying to walk a tightrope wearing flip-flops. Best to start it guided.
Around 10 years ago, I went to my local Buddhist centre with a friend to learn more. This was my introduction to meditation. Unfortunately I wanted to run from the room, when a guy covered in tattoos & a west ham T-shirt, started coughing up a greenie. Why attend if you have flu? I tought. How selfish, to sit snorting & swallowing phlem, in a room full of people trying to relax. At least get up & go to the toilet to expel it.
There were some teachings that I disagreed with & when my pulled a scrutinising facial expression, the guy leading the group’s sidekick shot me daggers. This is the problem with organised religion, they don’t like to be questioned or challenged. So many variants of the original teachings, get distorted to fit a passive programming narrative. I also didn’t want to send love & peace to absolutely everyone who wronged me & all the psychopaths on the Planet. That part I found grandiose. I also have since discovered that I was a Monk in a past life, that didn’t end well!
