
So, What Exactly Do You Do?
Short answer: open your body to liberate your spirit.
I remember the first time I was asked for my therapeutic elevator pitch. Back then my response sounded more like an escalator ramble. I just couldn’t seem to describe a session without being fully present in one, where the message – and effect – always comes through so naturally and clearly.
A couple of decades down the track, with thousands more experiences, incredible clients and hours of continual learning and refining, I thought it was worth sharing some of the ‘whats’ and ‘whys’ of a Holistic Realignment session with me, in case you’ve somehow found yourself here and want to know more.
We all get a sense – an indisputable instinct of sorts – when our health and life are out of balance. Whether we take note of that quiet inner voice is a whole other story. So often it can feel much easier to bury our heads than take the time and energy to make potentially challenging changes. And knowing what these could – or should – be can even harder.
This is where Holistic Realignment can prove extremely helpful. The main aim of this body/energy work is to help people wholeheartedly reconnect; i.e. join the dots between their internal wellbeing and how they are experiencing life.
I am constantly amazed and delighted that when we are truly ready for change and willing to make a commitment to action (even when that action looks more like surrendering or allowing), the smallest step can start creating significant shifts in all levels of our being.
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What is Holistic Realignment and how does it work?
These sessions have evolved over the last 20 years to reflect my continued study of integrative health and spirituality from a whole range of teachers. Each experience is entirely bespoke and non-prescriptive – reflecting the individuality of the client and their needs. However, there will usually be three distinct aspects to them all.
Firstly, a comprehensive discussion about what it is that a client would like to change. Because without this process of identifying and clarifying the underlying issue(s), the ‘how’ part of your desired change can’t emerge.
Next comes a physical component, which involves a blend of fascial release, breath-work, energy rebalancing and heartful awareness, all developed and combined through my years of being a physiotherapist and Hatha yoga teacher.
Then, we weave together the various strands of awareness, insight and understanding that have arisen during the session to create an action plan to guide you forwards in the most supportive way for you. This will most likely incorporate practices for the body, mind and spirit.
Many clients may come for just a couple of sessions, others choose to come more regularly to ensure they stay on top of things. As we train ourselves to listen more closely and regularly to our body’s inner voice, we become better at knowing when to reach out for help, and what kind we need most at that given time.
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What kind of situations might Holistic Realignment help with?
People come for all kinds of reasons, but there’s almost always an overriding desire to feel better in one way or another. When clients come with a real need for change and a willingness to put energy/effort into the process, magic happens!
Below is a list of conditions that can benefit from an integration session:
· Chronic injury
· Low back pain
· Very tight muscles
· Chronic stress
· Anxiety & Depression
· Post operative support
· Lack of direction
· Sadness/grief
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Energy flows where our attention goes
The human body is in constant pursuit of homeostasis – a stable equilibrium. It’s on a mission to regulate the balance of our body/mind/spirit connection and each one of us will experience this process differently.
We all have different life histories, illnesses, injuries, DNA as well as belief systems – this makes is what makes us so richly unique. However, it is widely acknowledged that our emotional layer holds one of the major keys to unlocking limiting patterns, transforming our stress, and enabling us to generate greater happiness. So by taking time to explore and acknowledge the feelings of our body we have the opportunity to rebalance ourselves at a deep level.
In a Holistic Realignment session we witness the sensations of all of our bodies – the physical, emotional – and even spiritual – and then observe their relationship with the energy flow of our whole system. As the client’s attention and the therapist’s touch focus on a specific area of the body, energy begins to shift the status quo. This in turn softens the tissues which move from a contracted, tense state to a more open and relaxed form. This process of facilitating energy to flow and emotion to move on is at the core of these treatments.
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Big things have small beginnings
This sentiment is so true when it comes to maintaining balance in our wellbeing. The Calm Choice, a course and book I co-created with Anna Young (fellow physiotherapist + cranial-sacral specialist), was born out of us recognising that it is the little daily changes that create the most transformation.
During a Holistic Realignment session, the shift in energy and release of tissues creates a wider spread ripple effect throughout the whole body. This in turn kick starts change wherever it may be needed, in body, mind, spirit, or all three. Frequently, the client will gain insight or a fresh perspective on the issue either during or after a session. From there new foundations for healthier living can be put in place. One brick at a time is fine!
If you’d like to know if Holistic Realignment could help you in some way, I’d love to chat.
Please feel free to send me a question or request a booking here.