Mindful Living: The Art of Paying Attention

Don't you just love living in Three Rivers? The mountains, the sights and sounds of the river, even the brown flowing hillsides are ever present to catch our attention. These beautiful gifts of nature are masters at asking us to stop, be still and enjoy the moment. Simple moments impart a sense of calm and order to our minds and bodies. This has a positive influence on our health and well-being. Paying attention to the beauty that surrounds us can be considered an element of healthy living here in Three Rivers.


The art of paying attention is also know as the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness refers to being in touch with and aware of the present moment. In modern western psychology, the quality of mindfulness involves bringing one's complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis. Also, paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. It includes being aware of our external environment as well as our internal environment - the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise in our body.


There are mental, physical, emotional and social benefits to the practice of mindfulness. These include improved concentration, decreased anxiety and depression, increased self- awareness, self-trust and self-acceptance. There is also a decrease in stress- related physical symptoms, including chronic pain, as well as enhanced immune response and lowered blood pressure. Our health benefits.


Mindful living is the process of bringing mindfulness into our everyday lives, striving to tend each moment with skillful awareness. The practice of mindfulness can be a precursor to developing openness and curiosity about our lives. As we take time for the simple things in life, we create space for the unexpected. Whether it is doing the dishes, digging in the garden, preparing a work project, or just enjoying the mountainside, mindfulness gives back.  

Healing with the Hands: The Art of Nursing

What does healing with the hands and nursing have in common?  Actually, quite a bit.  They are so similar that, in the right context, may even be considered one and the same.  They serve the same purpose, and abide by the same ideals.  As a nurse, that connection with nursing is what make therapeutic bodywork so much fun.  It is all about helping people.

There are several definitions of nursing.  As a healthcare profession, nursing is the focused care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from birth to death.  To nurse is to care for the sick, injured, or infirm; to take special care of, especially to promote development or well-being.  More simply, to nurse is to nourish.

In a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine,  healing was defined as "the process of bringing together aspects of one's self, body-mind-spirit, at deeper levels of inner knowing, leading toward integration and balance with each aspect having equal importance and value.  This is what also makes nursing so much fun.  To support the health of the person in front of you, and all aspects of that person, can be very rewarding.

In this same study, it went on to say that "to be whole is to be whole amongst others....and that wholeness of personhood involves physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual aspects of human experience.  Our connection with others is a strong component in our journey of health."

When we experience pain, it is very difficult to have a positive sense of welll-being.  Sometimes the pain takes all our concentration and focus - it can certainly also take our good humor!  When working with the aches and pains that people have in their bodies, it is wonderful to see the look of relief and the openness that people have when they feel better. 

As we have a more comfortable and relaxed body, our spirit feels lighter.  We smile more, we have more fun.  We are more available to others.  Sometimes, before we can connect with others, we must first connect with our self.  And as we come to know our self and the different aspects of our self through our own body, we have more resources to reach out to others.  And that is the art of nursing in a nutshell.

Healing with the Hands: Making Peace with our Body

 

What is the purpose of pain?  How do we deal with it?  What are its gifts?  Can we prevent it?  And, if not, how do we remain gentle and calm in the midst of it, even as we seek relief? These questions, spoken or unspoken, are very much present during any health crisis or healing journey. 

 

The definition of 'healing' is to make sound or whole, to restore to health. The word 'health', an Old English word of Germanic origin,  means related to the whole.  Mandala, a Sanskrit word, also means circle, completion and wholeness.  In Jungian psychology, mandala means an effort to reunify the self. 

 

In 1946, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."  In 1986, WHO went on say that "health is not just a state, but also "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living.  Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." (wiki.answers.com)  

 

The search for health or wholeness appears to be a basic need of human beings.  The above definitions evoke the intention of growth and healing necessary to understand this process of life and the function of pain in our lives.  And relative to our bodies, they are very much at the forefront of people's lives, particularly as we age (read: move into our wisdom years....)  This striving for wholeness, and most importantly the ability to achieve wholeness, is a core belief of healing with the hands therapeutic bodywork, and of any treatment or modality intended to provide relief and/or health support. 

 

The body has an amazing capacity to tolerate insult.  It also has an amazing capacity to heal.   We all know the miracle of a scab over a wound - what a beautiful process to witness.  The body knows how to protect a wounded area, seal it off to prevent further injury, and then provide a safe environment so that it can heal from within.

 

This same process of protection and renewal is at work when we have an injury, strain or sprain.  The body "hugs the lesion"  to protect the injured area, often resulting in tight muscles and limited movement.  As it heals, relaxation occurs and natural range of motion can once again be achieved.  

 

When an injury does not heal on its own, it is possible to assist the healing process.  Healing with the hands seeks to support the injured tissues so that the energetic force of the injury, strain or sprain can be released.  The body then no longer needs to hold  itself close, so that the natural relaxation process can begin and freedom of movement restored.

 

If you are in pain, living with a chronic illness,  or just have your share of daily tension, hands-on work can often help when other options may not have worked.   The therapeutic benefit of human touch, skilled and experienced hands, and a compassionate presence do much to nuture and empower our human potential and our pursuit of health and wholeness.  It is synonymous with the philosophy of nursing and patient or client advocacy. 

In addition to the very real and meaningful physical outcomes people experience, the power of touch can also help us explore the different dimensions of our mind, body, and spirit.   When we provide an opportunity to connect with our body, we can begin our own conversation with its physical needs relative to the emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects of our self.  Often times, physical pain or discomfort is the way our body gets our attention in order to address these other dimensions of self. 

As we tend and nuture our self, the body usually responds by feeling more alert and more gently fully alive from a calm and centered state.   This is often alled the transformative aspect of hands on healing bodywork.  As we integrate the different aspects of our self, we feel better.  This is reason to celebrate.

Healing with the Hands: The Power of Touch

We all have experienced the power of touch. It is a basic necessity of life - from newborn babes to the elderly and everybody in between. In the field of nursing, touch is a tool. Touch bridges gaps. When words are not enough - or when words are too painful - the simple act of touch conveys much. Every human being, without exception, has been affected by touch.

Touch initiates a conversation. It's a conversation without words and, for a skilled professional, can be as interactive and informative as a verbal exchange. This is the field of hands-on healing bodywork, using the hands as tools to affect and create positive change in the body.  It is a therapeutic process of of initiating, receiving and giving information to the body via the hands. It is simple, age-old, and offers pain relief, stress reduction, deep relaxation, structural alignment, and ultimately renewal and healing.

There are many different forms and names for hands-on whole body therapy.   Each form has their tradition or lineage from which they come.   Eastern civilizations of approximately 3000 BCE have the earliest known reference to therapeutic bodywork.  In the western tradition, at about 800BCE the ancient Greek poet Homer describes restorative massage for war heroes in The Odyssey.  In our culture we may see it as therapeutic massage, therapeutic bodywork, somatic bodywork, physical therapy, manual therapy or myofascial release. 

Modern CranioSacral Therapy developed 40 years ago, arising from the osteopathic medical tradition of the early 1900's.  Due to its gentle and non-invasive approach, and most especially because of its positive effect on the body and its functions, it was discovered and shared with a broad variety of healthcare professionals including doctors, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, massage therapists and many others health related fields.

Below are 7 reasons people often seek a hands on practitioner:

1. To help relieve pain from a physical injury or strain that is not healing as quickly as expected.

2. To reduce or eliminate chronic headaches.

3. To ease the stress and tension of daily living.

4. When feeling a lack of balance and wanting to be more grounded and centered.

5. When having overwhelming emotions such as anxiety, depression, grief, including complications associated with PTSD.

6. To help cope with a chronic symptoms of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and other myofascial issues.

7. To help integrate changes during difficult transitions or life crises, including loss or anticipated loss such as with illness, divorce, death, or when moving into a new stage of life.

In summary, the details of our human life is lived through our body.  It makes good sense to become familiar with our body and its level of health and comfort.  Or discomfort as the case may be.  As we begin to listen to our body, it will respond.  Its first words may be one of pain, but as we accomodate that pain, we have an opportunity to know our body and what it needs.  This opens the door to having more joy and freedom in our bodies and in our life.  Therein lies the purpose and power of human touch as a tool for transformation, health and happiness.

Healing with the Hands and How it Can Help

Have you ever felt lousy?  Or tired after a full night's sleep? Off balance but didn't know where to turn? Welcome to the field of healing with the hands, commonly known as massage and bodywork. Healing with the hands offers a practical solution to many of the symptoms of discomfort we experience in everyday life. It is simple, low tech, and can be highly effective in helping people re-establish comfort and  ease in their body so they can regain a sense of energy and vitality in their life. 


CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is just one of the many different forms of healing with the hands. CST is a light touch method of relieving pain, releasing tension, and improving the structural and energetic alignment of the body.   It also soothes the central nervous system resulting in a more calm, centered, and focused outlook. 
How is CST different from massage?  During a CST session, clothing remains on.  This can be a new experience for those used to the high touch skin contact of massage, but for many people keeping their clothes on actually allows them to relax more easily.  With light touch, receptive hands are able to feel the tension patterns held in the body.  This process of the hands being open to receive, allows the release  of these patterns, which results in less pain and more comfort and flexibility in the body.


CST also encourages deep rest and relaxation, both physically and mentally.  This supports healing deep within the core which radiates out to the rest of the body.  People often report a more alert and energized sense of well-being after receiving a CST session. 


Admitting that pain is often the motivation for seeking help, CST can improve a range of symptoms: headaches, neck and back pain, joint stiffness, anxiety, depression.  It's gentle nature makes it perfect for people of all ages.  Every age group has unique needs or symptoms that arise.  CST is well-known for helping infants who may have had traumatic births or those having difficulty with irritability or trouble sleeping.    The elderly also respond very well to the gentle touch and non-manipulative techniques.


 However, it is not necessary to be hurting to benefit from CST.  It can also be used as a tool for general stress reduction or to enhance your already good health.  It can also be a way to explore and integrate the mind, body, spirit connection.  Every body has a story, and CST can help us discover the language of our body, and the details of our particular story as we move our way through life.  Connecting with the body in this way supports the process of aligning our intentions withour actions so that we can enjoy a happy and heart-filled life.