Therapeutic Massage!

Everybody loves the idea of receiving a relaxing massage-but when is the last time you invested in your well-being and had a session?


For several years my practice has focused on providing energywork and offering yoga (to individuals or small groups). Now, a new 'tool for the toolbox'-therapeutic massage!


I'm currently in-training to become a licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Wisconsin, which has some vigorous requirements! I'm specializing in the Eastern modality tract at TIBIA school of massage, which is supremely in alignment with JSJ, and also allows me to learn/offer the beautiful service of Swedish massage for clients wanting a 'western' focus.


So, what makes it "therapeutic"?
Therapeutic means making a measurable difference, which means an assessment before and after the session. As an RN with a love for science, I have an interest in making a measurable difference for people in pain, who feel "something is missing in life", who want to develop ways to have greater self-awareness, or simply say "I need a retreat" or want relief from sore muscles! (Although massage may be for enjoyment and relaxation, I do not provide sexual massage.)

Lavendar fields, ready to be cultivated for essential oil production

Stay tuned for more about massage, and use of Essential Oils...

Mary's Sutras2: "Instead of worrying about eating habits, change your philosophy"

"Instead of worrying about eating habits, change your philosophy"
Well, I chose this saying of Mary Burmeister's because it's something that's pressing on my mind these days: food! I love to cook, and eat, and find that as each decade goes by, my metabolism and body changes...and lately I've been worrying about the long term and immediate consequences! Especially challenging are the winter months when getting out to exercise off extra pounds requires more effort: in the Heartland of America, where cold weather and gray skies make one feel a bit lethargic-layering on gloves, hat, long underwear, coats, and having to be vigilant so as to not fall on slippery street corners or paths takes more energy than in the easier summer months when one can just jaunt out the door!


I worry about eating too much, read labels to avoid filling my body with things I cannot pronounce, wonder if I'm eating at the right times (sometimes eat dinner late in the evening), and feel guilty about indulging in yummy-tasting sweet things! Yet, here are the kinds of foods I eat most:

Pomegranate on plate

Isn't food beautiful?? Fresh, made at home, little processing...good for body, mind and spirit! When I think about changing my attitude from one of worry, to one of appreciating the beauty of food, people to share it with, energy and love spent in the preparation and eating, I feel better.


Hopefully, I can see portion control (my goal this year) as another step towards good health, to keep off extra weight that leads to stress on the joints, feeling "stuffed", and living with greater joy and ease.


Jin Shin Jyutsu for worry: hold your thumb! It's really easy and accessible. There are also several flows (hand placement sequences) that I offer clients in individual sessions who have a 'weight project" they are working on, to soothe bloat, abdominal distress, promote better digestion, and change attitudes.

Why Jin Shin Jyutsu?

Benefits of Jin Shin Jyutsu tm

The effects of Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ) are generally deep relaxation, so it is GREAT in stressful times, times when you feel unbalanced. As there are no contraindications, it works well an adjunct to allopathic medical treatment or alongside other holistic therapies. Jin Shin Jyutsu can be beneficial for example, to help alleviate musculoskeletal or neurological pain, support the immune system, minimize side effects of drugs, and boost vitality. It can ease a sore shoulder, help digestion, or calm a restless mind. It can help us through fears, depression and times of upheaval.

Treating the Whole and the Parts
The philosophy of JSJ views the mental, emotional and physical aspects of a person as interrelated. Treated as a whole, a person commonly sees a range of positive benefits emerging. For example, a woman after surgery for breast cancer attending Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions to reduce stress was surprised that not only did she feel more relaxed in general, suddenly her shoulder pain and her attitude of misdirected anger was greatly reduced; her friends were amazed to see her face looking more radiant. She expressed that in many ways she felt better than she had been since receiving her diagnosis many months prior.

How many sessions does it take, and how often?
Jin Shin Jyutsu works to harmonize the deepest cause of our uncomfortable symptoms at a subtle level, so this journey is not usually a "quick fix". You will feel better during or shortly after a session, but for lasting effects, chronic conditions benefit most from regular sessions over a period of time, at least 6 regular sessions, lasting about 30-60 minutes. Acute discomforts and more critical conditions can be treated daily or even twice per day, for shorter periods.

Joi Box; client's creativity project

Sometimes quick and dramatic results are experienced. I have witnessed a single 10 minute Jin Shin Jyutsu session clear neck pain, minimize shoulder and headache, and bring a new realization that some grief processing still needed to take place; other times it's not so obvious right away, but seen as ease in relationships, lessening of menopausal symptoms/hormonal imbalances, or an ability to bring more creativity in a client's life in the weeks after a JSJ session. I have also seen healthy people discover simple and real support for the stresses and challenges of day to day living.

Deepen your Spiritual Path and Bring Life Meaning

While some wish to alleviate specific discomforts, others wish to discover deeper meaning and authenticity in their lives.  The art of Jin Shin Jyutsu offers uniquely simple and empowering tools to support your individual journey, such as self-help practices to do at home or anytime during your daily living-so simple a small child can do them
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Safe and no Religious Ritual
There are no contraindications for Jin Shin Jyutsu – Many practitioners serve healthy strong individuals and very sick frail people: e.g., newborn babies, weight lifters or builders with back injuries, post-surgery or motor vehicle accidents, people in hospitals after heart surgery, etc.

To make a Jin Shin Jyutsu appointment go to www.pujawellness.com or for queries, phone 608-695-5905.
 

What effects our choices in healthcare?

I’m wondering today about the energy of choice-what moves us to make decisions that either support or thwart our well being? When it comes to how we obtain healthcare, what drains our energy and what empowers us? I believe that learning that we have options motivates us to explore ways to best care for ourselves, it's energy-enlivening. When we receive education and care from someone who respects our decisions, we feel free to ask questions, can make wiser decisions, and we become more energized to take actions which support our health (like taking a hike on a wintry day instead of sitting and watching TV...eating healthier food...)

Before I proceed, let me say that I am encouraged by the good work of many health care practitioners in both conventional and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). I don’t think our healthcare system as a whole is quite ready to truly embrace Integrative Medicine, although there are a growing number of individual licensed practitioners who are providing services and a slow trend towards getting the word out to neophytes so that the philosophy and practice can be implemented early on in a career of general medicine, specialities, and nursing (see a little more about training and education trends here).

 Certainly medical and academic institutions aren’t yet embracing or implementing the concept of Integral Medicine, (see http://www.integraldevelopment.com/integral.pdf and http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/misc/integral-med.pdf for deeper detail about integral medicine], but there are some places where the need for blending a variety of approaches is at least recognized, and I believe that we will evolve towards more holistic care in the next generation or two (or three, or…). But it's a cryin' shame that we aren't welcoming these approaches as part of standard care now. 

     There is a growing body of research highlighting the value of communication, conveying caring presence, and the importance of the relationship between healthcare provider and healthcare consumer in healing. Several years ago while exploring the power of placebo  Barrett, Muller, Rakel et. al (2006) stressed how to "provide practical tools for astute clinicians...eight specific clinical actions: speak positively about treatments, provide encouragement, develop trust, provide reassurance, support relationships, respect uniqueness, explore values, and create ceremony. These clinical actions can empower patients to seek greater health and may provide a healthful sense of being cared for." How would you feel about going to the doctor's office if you got some of THAT? Would you be more likely to follow their advice, or trust in their recommendations, or seek advice in the first place?

     And the mass media has provided us information about what energizes people to take better care of themselves, too:

A recent NY Times article also points out that when people have personal contact for 5-15 minutes per month beyond their initial weight loss period, they keep their weight down and their healthy habits persist, even 2 years later compared to those who don't. In other words, they stay motivated and are healthier when they have access to a trusted professional that can listen, provide them with information about health topics they’re interested in, and is available. So, it appears that we will use our energy to take better care of ourselves when we have a relationship that is more than rote. Perhaps it is not only the CAM modality, but the practitioner's attitude and time that leads people to spend more than 30 million dollars annually out of pocket for CAM therapies.

  

There is also evidence indicating that it takes repetition over time to create and deepen the pathways in your brain. Did you know this is how habits become automatic? If you’ve spent years thinking you don’t need exercise, that it’s okay to consume greasy sugary foods (like those little Krispy Crèmes or Dunkin’ Donuts!), or that you’ll get to that yoga class ‘one of these days’ to de-stress, it’s like wearing a path in the carpet: pretty soon you see that’s the only way to go, and you keep following it, even when it’s not leading you to where you want to end up. You need to make the ‘healthy habit’ pathway bigger than the unhealthy one. This requires awareness, and commitment, which can be supported and reinforced by balancing your internal energy :>D

   In CAM and integrative medicine, rather than ‘doing’ meditation or yoga or energy work, we say ‘practice’. With practice over time, we become more skillful, enhance the neuronal pathways, and our habits, bodies, and behaviors become more supportive. Our thoughts influence our bodies; our internal balance influences our motivation. This applies to both practitioner and client/patient.

PRACTICE FOR THE DAY: HELPING YOU MAKE DECISIONS

What better way to gain clarity and make decisons than to reduce your worry?

A Jin Shin Jyutsu finger hold is to hold your thumb! How easy can that be? Simply hold one thumb, and breathe. Holding for about 10 breaths will definately work, but as few as three slow breaths while holding first one thumb, then the other, will calm your nerves and help you to regroup your thoughts so that you can gain a new perspective. As you hold, close your eyes or look at something peaceful...relax your shoulders, become acutely aware of the pleasant physical sensation of your thumb being firmly but comfortably held; notice the sound of your breath and the movement of your ribs, abdomen, chest...feel your heartbeat slow down. Then, consider your options once again. It can work in a few moments, or you may wish to do this self-help exercise several times a day for a few days or a week before making a decision.

Simple healing techniques: let your fingers do the walking!

     Last post I mentioned holding your ring finger to bring about a sense of joy, or thwart off winter blues.

     This comes from a method/philosophy called Jin Shin Jyutsu ("jitsu") Physio-Philosophy™, or "JSJ". I've become a lifelong student of this Japanese healing art. It's akin to acupuncture or acupressure without needles, only gentle placement of hands or fingers on specific areas in particular sequences are used instead of needles. Here's a picture of holding the ring finger, with the thumb placed in the center of the palm. The palm center helps balance the larger "Main Central" energy pathyway, and the ring finger will help lift your mood.

I like the fact that it's a healing art rather than a prescribed technique,  because it allows me the freedom to incorporate my intuition, as well as years of nursing experience when applying flow patterns to alleviate a symptom.

     JSJ is in alignment with yoga philosophy as well as other Eastern approaches in that it's based on the idea that there are energetic pathways in the body, and when we have symptoms it's because energy gets blocked, or is excessive or weak, and these hand placements somehow help to let the pathway get cleared. It doesn't make scientific sense in terms of the  double-blind-controlled-study, gold standard-conventional medicine approach, so it doesn't qualify as "evidence-based medicine". However many Eastern and other traditional practices have worked for thousands of people for thousands of years, and yet don't fit those criteria. I wonder if maybe we aren't asking the right questions, or don't know how to set up the study well enough yet. I know for certain that there is a lot less funding to study CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine) modalities, esp if they're difficult to measure.

I remember when massage therapy, acupuncture, and exercise for women after surgery for breast cancer were admonished, and now we have more information indicating that these are things that are helpful to alleviate pain and inflammation, prevent limited mobility, and reduce risk of cancer recurrence and other disease states.
There are many facets and complexities of JSJ, but one of the things I love most is that it can be REALLY simple. As simple as holding your fingers! This is a  great self-renewal tool for restoring balance and inner wisdom, and keeping that "generalized anxiety" feeling at bay. If you have ever felt out of sorts but don't know why, and esp. if meditation is not your thing, try holding your fingers! It supports healing the physical, is compatible with conventional therapies, and brings harmony back to many levels of one's being.

     Although there are many patterns, I've found the easiest tool for overall self-renewal is to simply hold the thumb, then each one of the fingers, on one hand, while breathing 3 slow deep breaths for each finger hold. If you notice pain, symptoms or tension on one side of your body, hold the fingers on the hand of that side first. If you have time, complete the session on the other hand as well.
A 'double whammy' benefit to speed things up a bit is to put your thumb in the center of your palm as you hold, as shown in the pictures. If you find this awkward, forget about putting the thumb in the center of the palm, and just wrap your fingers around each finger of the opposite hand-it still works very well! Even holding only one finger is beneficial. Next or future posting, I'll introduce the specific remedies each individual finger or thumb provides.
Free, can do it anywhere, can't harm you, and beneficial even when you have only a moment or two (like when you boot up your computer, are waiting to reheat your beverage in the microwave, are on hold while on the phone, etc.). What have you got to lose, why not try it?
Of course, it is frequent, consistent, repetitive applications of the finger holds that will help you to feel your optimum.
As a healing arts practitioner, I incorporate JSJ as well as Reiki when working with clients in the private practice; the idea in both of these Japanese-based theories is that receiving the hands-on-healing from a practitioner is a great way to get a 'jump start', to help you become more centered and balanced, and get your energy flowing. The most complete healing, or sense of feeling things are "right" in our life, you must continue with finger holds or other recommendations almost daily between sessions.
Future postings: possibly whole food energy, Reiki, more JSJ-Here comes 2010!!

Lift your Mood with exercise and Jin Shin Jyutsu

Winterwonderland in Wisconsin holds beauty in mysterious ways, like steam rising off Lake Monona the day after a big snowstorm (not to worry, traffic was stopped); and dazzling turquoise skies in single-digit weather; these taken on my morning commute, heading towards our capital (dome in the background below).

     Keeping the mood up is a challenge when days are gray tho'; ennui sets in as I unconsciously imitate what's happening in the elements all around me: withdrawing inward, eating more carb-rich foods, stillness. For a short period of time this retreat to the interior of buildings and the mind is beneficial-a slowing down, time to recoup from a fast-paced world, to enjoy hot steamy soups and cuddling.
      However, since winter's harshness lasts about 5 months here, it's easy to gain the proverbial extra 5 or 10 pounds every year, which by itself causes its own health problems, as well as being depressing and discouraging! (in general, people seem bigger in the northern midwest, but stats show 1/3 of all Americans now are obese)
      It takes a fair amount of self-talk to convince myself to get outdoors, but I never regret it when I do. I see things differently when on a walk, snowshoe outing, or hike. When I'm stable enough on cross-country skis I can look around (without falling or seeing trees whiz by on the downhill) and enjoy the surprises nature holds. I grumble before I get outside, then remember how much fun it is to GET UP AND GET MOVING!
      I exercise for mental health as well as physical well-being, and find the secret is to just do SOMEthing consistently: if you can't get outdoors, practice dancing, put on an exercise or yoga DVD, or do hip-hop to your own playlist...or just put on the layers if it's cold outside and get going. You don't have to like it, just do it; notice whether you feel better afterwards mentally, physically, emotionally. Personally, I'm a morning person and if I exercise at the beginning of the day, I'm more alert (without cafeeine) in the afternoon.

       To help myself get motivated, I play mental mind games by saying things like, 'I'm gonna challenge myself to do something I never did before...I'll go snowshoeing while it's still dark!" I lay out clothes and gear the night before. I stumble around at 5:30 a.m., flip on my headlamp, and head for the path in the woods behind our house. (The path isn't really icy, it's just strange-looking in the photo, but afterall it's taken with a headlamp and my iPhone!)

Once my arms and legs start pumping, the grumbling goes away, and I focus on my breath...I remember when I had cancer 15 years ago, and my presenting symptom was that annoying dry cough, and not being able to catch my breath...I am filled with gratitude to be here, breathing, fully alive! All my parts are working, and I feel the energy amp up in my body as I breathe...I imagine my breath traveling up my spine, over the top of my head and whooshing down the front of my body, washing stress away down and out through my feet. My shoulders release, and a Cheshire Cat-grin begins to appear as I stop to appreciate the living energy in the midst of what looks dead in this winter environment.

   Something shines in the corner of my eye and I look up...snow! What keeps it there?

             And crystals clinging to a branch! There is a tension, an energy holding molecules of ice together...

I tromp on, appreciating this beautiful land; up and down a few hills, past the meadow that is someone's back yard, and back towards home again. I stop now and then to listen to the silent dark morning air-a stark contrast to when the cleats on the snowshoes are hitting the crisp trail with crunchy vigor! Believe it or not, I even run (sort of) for a little while. Absolutely enlivening...same trail on another day we saw a treat: candy cane on a tree, and ice sculptures with a texture that looked like a wintry fungi, compliments of Mother Nature:

How could I have NOT wanted to get out and see that?

"Wisdom taught me I am nothing
Love taught me I am everything

Between the two, my life flows"

~ Sri Nisargadatta

      I feel a resonance in my body with these elements of nature, as harsh as they may seem in their crystal coldness...it is, after all, water, transformed into vapor or solid form...different, yet with the same properties as the warm liquid water comprising up to 60% of my own body, 70% of my brain, 83% of my blood, and nearly 90% of these breathing lungs and ...I recognize that the life energy creating this pristine frosty beauty that is present in nature and all things, is also present within me. Of course, spiritual writings thousands of years old present this concept of non-duality, such as in the quote "Thou Art That" ("tat tvam asi" in Sanskrit), or when Jesus said "I AM"; and here it is today... spurred on by exercising in a setting of nature...such a meditation! My mind relaxes...and my body keeps moving through space.
It was a 40 minute 'shoe trip wonder!  :>D
      A very important part of goal setting is giving oneself the reward after accomplishing what you set out to do. In this case, at the end of the trail: the hot tub awaits!!

Later in the midst of a busy workday, I use a simple technique to keep my spirits lifted-I place my right thumb in the palm of my left hand, and hold my right ring finger as I breathe, and feel the joy and energy of the morning pulsing in my hands and my entire being - Jin Shin Jyutsu ("jitsu"), more about that and hands-on energy healing in future postings...try it yourself, switch hands after 10 breaths...