An introduction to the Body and Soul
Signposts along the Healing Journey. What does it all mean?
More and more holidays in the Byron Bay area are being seen as opportunities to enjoy an inner 'holiday', to explore the inner landscape, have a massage or a reading as well as the more obvious outer attractions like the beaches and the hinterland.
It is also true that whether we are on holidays or not, we all need to reconnect with that which is integral to who we are as people, not just as a consumer, a worker, a husband, a boss etc. It seems that everyone can do with some help to get in touch with our deeper longings and the practitioners and businesses represented within this site all point toward our inner reality be it by massage, craniosacral, Tarot, or via another of the healing modalities on show within this site.
Inner holidays rejuvenate and invigorate, and Byron is blessed with some world class therapists and healing practitioners to help us along the way. There are some great massage therapists, (aka bodyworkers), psychics, 'readers' and healers who have been drawn to the area which itself is gaining a worldwide reputation as having healing qualities. These healers work from what is known as a wholistic approach meaning that the entire body and mind is recognised as a connected system.
We all have had a massage, some we have liked and some not, and it can be confusing when confronted with the plethora of choices on offer when it comes to selecting what kind of massage modality is appropriate, especially in Byron Bay. What follows is an attempt to simplify the process and introduce the reader to some of the modalities available within this guide.
Relaxing Massage
This tends to be purely pleasurable, and more pampering than therapeutic. However, touch, care and deep relaxation as found in massage are linked to increased wellbeing and a more positive outlook. Often in our lives we are too busy and involved to stop and simply receive from another, and this kind of massage is a great way to land and get a fresh view on our lives.
Deep Tissue Bodywork
This kind of massage bodywork is great for sports people and for those who have long-standing issues, such as stiff necks, chronic back pain or for those who do yoga and want to get some more freedom of movement. As this type of massage can be painful it is important to feel good about your practitioner.
There are many deep massage disciplines. Rolfing (also known as The Rolf Method of Structural Integration) was one of the first techniques to deal with structural issues such as postural habits, and tends to require a commitment to a series of 10 sessions, as the therapist works his/her way through the body in a methodical manner.Â
Rolfing is mainly concerned with the connective tissue in the body rather than muscles, and the effects are surprisingly powerful as physical habits are released. Chronic conditions, like back pain after walking or prolonged standing, the neck that seizes up, the joints that get a little less flexible each year, all can be addressed by this work. What may be diagnosed elsewhere as arthritis or other joint problems, may in fact be treated in a single session of the bodywork. A series of sessions will leave you experiencing your body and your life in a whole new way and is recommended to do once a decade or so. I had a series of Rolfing earlier this year and some longstanding problems have simply dissolved.
Rolfing is not really massage, as the therapist does not work so much with the muscles, or to release tension, but rather deals with the underlying structural causes.
Rebalancing is an offshoot of Rolfing, and while it is optimal to have a series of sessions it is quite normal and enough to have a one-off. Rebalancing does just that, it rebalances the body, and is really good when you just need to 'come home' a little bit and tune in to your body, really get to know your body some more. Rebalancing is much more like a massage than Rolfing.
Thai Yoga massage, Ayurvedic Yoga massage and Shiatsu are all Oriental massage techniques which combine stretching (yoga done to you) and deep massage techniques. Because massage has a long history in the East, so have these bodyworks evolved over hundreds of years with very strong connections with 'alternative' Eastern medicines such as Acupuncture or Ayurveda which, after all, have been successfully practised in Asia for thousands of years. Thai massage and Ayurvedic massage are simply simpler versions of Thai and Ayurvedic Yoga massage.
Remedial massage is also deep, with the focus on increasing one's sense of wellbeing as well as dealing with particular ailments. It is amazing how simply releasing/relaxing a joint or muscle can impact upon general wellbeing.
Hawaiian Bodywork, usually called Kahuna (after the Kahunas, the traditional Hawaiian healer) or Lomi Lomi, is a traditional massage bodywork which is both luxurious and deep. Using lots of oil and long fluid strokes, the practitioner takes the client on quite a journey. Lomi Lomi is a variation on Hawaiian massage and has become quite popular in recent years.
Osteopathy and Chiropractic are whole person sciences, with deep bodywork and occasional manipulation (never essential, and the practitioners always should and do get permission first). Again, every practitioner is unique. Western, allopathic medicine has traditionally been critical of these disciplines because their basic principles differ, but now they have become accepted as part of the mainstream health professions.
Cranio Sacral Balancing
This is very subtle work which many people swear by. Done while fully dressed, it works more on the nervous system, and as such is fabulous for chronic conditions like migraines, back pain and body-mind disorders like addictions.
The pure bliss of absolute stillness easily occurs in these sessions‚ it is almost like 'meditation being done for you' inasmuch as the practitioner takes you into your own interiority. For newcomers to meditation Craniosacral provides a taste of deep inner peace and silence‚ a real treat for the nervous system as well as therapeutic. It is sometimes possible to have a double session with two people working on you at once which is truly mindblowing for those adventurous types. Ask your practitioner if this is possible, it is worth it.
My own experience of Craniosacral is that issues that may be emotional in nature get resolved in the kind of dreamy soup that Craniosacral engenders and along the way some niggling body problem dissipates, fixed. Quite miraculous in a way.
Acupuncture/Ayurveda
Acupuncture arose in ancient China where the physician, barred from speaking to the emperor and having to successfully diagnose as well as treat illnesses by observation of and feeling the feet, became very good at feeling the pulse and prescribing cures. Good acupuncturists, along with Ayurvedic practitioners (Ayurveda is the ancient Indian art of holistic health and treatment), are able to diagnose and correct imbalances in our body-mind that manifest as illness. For years ridiculed by Western, allopathic medicine Acupuncture and Ayurveda are now widely accepted and appreciated by many people questioning the pharmaceutical dispensers many doctors are becoming. While allopathic medicine tends to treat symptoms (after all, most people go to the doctor to get rid of symptoms, and Western, allopathic medicine has simply evolved to meet this need of the marketplace), Acupuncture and Ayurveda are more concerned with systemic imbalances that cause the symptoms.
Counselling
Why have a counselling session? Does it mean that we are in trouble, loaded down by problems? Counselling is a very useful option and does not have to wait until a crisis happens. Often with the conundrums of living in our increasingly complex world, it is needed simply to receive an outsider's input to gain clarity and a fresh perspective on life's issues. Perhaps we always have the same issues in relationship that keep appearing or we have self-worth issues that may be worth exploring via counselling with a professional stranger.
Usually we will continue behaving in ways that no longer work for us until we decide to change, and then we can use some help. We may have addictions we wish to overcome, like alcohol, smoking, overeating or drugs, and a counsellor can help us see underneath the surface to the underlying cause.
There are also many types of counselling, but most therapists will be honest enough over the phone to let you know if they can help you or not.
Tarot/Astrology/Psychic readings
What do the cards say about you? The stars? Readings have an odd way of being appropriate and relevant. A good 'reader' tunes in to the person and somehow is able to pluck memories or potentials out of the air, and make suggestions, give encouragement and support you on your journey. Life is not linear, and readers really exemplify that, as they can function outside the box. Of all the healing disciplines, this is the most subjective and most difficult to quantify. There is no way to know which reader will be better than another, so all you can do is follow your instinct.
Don't be concerned about whether or not you believe in Astrology or the Tarot; check it out and see if something or someone resonates with you. The art of 'reading', of 'seeing', is thousands of years old, with most ancient cultures honouring their seers. Sometimes a 'reading' can resonate for years.
Healers
What do healers do? What is healing? Healing can be energy healing where the practitioner works on the more etheric elements that they can tune in to and as such the work is very subtle. You can walk out of a session wondering what all that was about and all of a sudden you notice that you react differently to an old situation; something has changed.
Healing can also be more straight forward where the practitioner will help you to re-experience some painful event in order that it may be understood and integrated. Often traumatic events in the past have a large bearing on how we live in the present. For example, if we were abused as a child it may make it difficult to trust someone as an adult, and this would undermine all of our relationships. Once we, as adults, can revisit this old pain, its hold over us is diminished and we can finally move on.
Healing may also be helpful for chronic issues, such as eczema, breathing difficulties or various allergies.
There are new techniques and technologies evolving constantly that can be harnessed to help with healing. Some may sound really good, while others may seem to be too out there. There is no way of knowing whether any claims made are true or not without actually experiencing the particular method.Â
Organic cosmetics and food. Why bother?
More and more the ingredients that have been used in our food and cosmetics are shown to be carcinogenic. There is no mandatory testing of any ingredients in these products or of commonplace chemicals used in our homes. Because there are no mandatory health standards, and no obligation on the manufacturer to make sure their products are safe, it is left to underfunded private organisations, mainly in the US, to do any testing. Even when results are in, the ensuing PR battle about safety is one-sided as the PR budget of the Rivkins of the world kicks in.
A recent scandal has erupted over the use of lead in red lipstick. According to Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, lead in cosmetics is particularly dangerous because daily use can cause the toxin to build up in the body. (www.NaturalNews.com) This kind of scandal is becoming more common as questions are being asked of our manufacturers' ethics. This is especially relevant to the cosmetics industry where their PR is connected to fighting cancer yet their products are a major cause of cancers, particularly breast cancer. (See Masquerade: Birth defects, cancer, infertility, precocious puberty… the ugly truths behind the beauty industry)
A recent article Toxic Nail Salons: Why Your Nail Polish Color Could be the Next Agent Orange discusses how unlike Europe where the onus is on the manufacturer to show that the ingredients of their product is safe, in the US and Australia the onus is on whoever is interested to find out if an ingredient is dangerous. With 5000 new chemical compounds entering the cosmetics industry each year it is overwhelming for regulatory bodies.
In Australia there is no mandatory labelling of GE ingredients in the food we buy and mostly the ingredients of concern have been given meaningless numbers and the shopper is left to decipher a code written in tiny print on the label. (For help in deciphering the meaning of the various numbers, see The Chemical Maze. For this and some other great books and dvds,) As our society becomes more globalised so does the use and toxicity of preservatives increase, as witnessed by the recent opening up of Victoria and NSW to GE canola. It is worth researching what happened to the farmers in India once the initial surge in production GE crops brought, ceased. 125,000 Indian farmers reportedly suicided due to spiralling debt brought on by failed GE crops.
There is no point living well, breathing clean air, going to the gym, if we continue to plaster a toxic soup of additives and preservatives on our skin and eat the strange mess that is often sold as food. A long running, $20 million UN study on the nutritional value of organic food was tabled in early 2008 and it is, according to this study, indisputable organic food is better for you. It may be more expensive, but relative to the other expenses in our lives, such as the vitamins and supplements we take because food no longer supplies what we need, the extra price of organics is mostly not that significant. Other studies have been undertaken that show that organic vegies can have up to five times the nutrients of those grown by normal non-organic farming methods.
It may be that the current obesity epidemic is partly a result of people eating more because they are not getting the nutrition they need from the food they eat. In this light, organic food may actually be cheaper than non-organic inasmuch as we need less. I noticed recently that some organic apples I bought lasted far longer than supermarket, non-organic ones that had been refrigerated, perhaps frozen. This meant that the organic apples were actually half the price because I did not throw any out. So the economics of organic food are not so clear cut as the purchase price would indicate.
Naturopathy, Homoeopathy, Health supplements
As more and more is known about how the human organism functions it is becoming increasingly clear that we are often run by our chemistry. Perhaps we are low in iron, or potassium or any vitamin or mineral, and this can have a profound affect upon how we feel and even how we behave. As our diets and lifestyles have changed so also the chemical requirements of our bodies have changed. Sifting through the plethora of vitamins and minerals in the health food stores can be a challenge. Which ones (of the hundreds of options available) are useful and appropriate is hard to know, which is where the naturopath or homoeopath comes in.
Contrary to the scare campaigns being run in mainstream media, disciplines like naturopathy and homoeopathy are not just for the lunatic, hippie fringe. Searching for a more holistic and sustainable way of dealing with disease and ill health, many people, disillusioned with modern medicine's dependence on drugs and the treatment of symptoms rather than cause, are finding it makes more sense to at least try the remedies that have been handed down through the ages. Practitioners like naturopaths and homoeopaths are returning from the margins and becoming more common.
Next time you are felling unwell try visiting a naturopath instead. Certainly in Byron Shire there are many who have replaced the traditional allopathic GP with their local naturopath who can either be booked for consultations or simply spoken to over the counter as they fill your vitamin order. There are quite a few local businesses that provide free over-the-counter-naturopathic advice. Â
It is becoming increasingly clear that mainstream, Western medicine does not have all the answers to the various health issues that are arising in our society, and so ultimately our health lies in our choices and our willingness to investigate our options. Spend some time on the web googling what information is available regarding a particular ailment or vitamin. 'I didn't know' is, in these days of google, no longer a valid excuse for sticking bad things in our mouth or on our skin.
Happy journeys.
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