Inner Balance
It's difficult to overestimate the effect that stress has on our daily lives. There may be no sabre-toothed tiger chasing us, but our nervous systems are full of caffeine and adrenaline. We can end up feeling exhausted, but unable to deeply relax or get a good night's sleep.
Energy-centered bodywork activates your parasympathetic nervous system - the opposite of "fight or flight". Your body breathes a sigh of relief; your stomach gurgles. Resources are freed up for the repair and maintenance tasks needed to keep you healthy. Your mind clears and quiets. Your heart opens. Joy happens.
A recent headline "World of hurt: Painkiller use skyrockets" cites a 2007 study showing an 88% increase in the sale of painkillers in the U.S. in the last seven years. Pain is universal. It's the body's way of letting us know that something is out of balance.
Energy-centered bodywork goes to the root of the pain. It stimulates your circulatory, immune and lymph systems, aiding your body's natural healing response. Massage releases restrictions in your musculoskeletal system. Visceral manipulation gently frees up your organs so they can work more efficiently. When your energy is balanced and flowing, you can more easily recover from the effects of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or other medical treatments. You can also more easily cope with and resolve chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia.
Whether you're a serious athlete or someone who simply wants to become more physically fit and active, you're probably familiar with the adage "no pain, no gain". Forget that. Instead, watch children on the playground, soccer field or ski slope. They're having fun - burning calories, building muscle, testing their physical limits. And when they take a break, they utterly relax.
Energy-centered bodywork will help you utterly relax - and then gently and deeply release tension in your muscles, restore fluid motion in your connective tissue and cranial system, align your joints, and help you feel like a kid again. Next thing you know, you're out-skiing your teenager or setting a higher performance goal.
Nervous about an upcoming surgery? Imagine feeling peaceful and calm. Imagine using this peace to create the biochemistry of healing and speed your recovery. Peggy Huddleston has created a program, Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster, to do just that. It has been implemented in hospitals across the country, including the Harvard Medical School teaching hospital.
Paula has been trained by Huddleston to help people through her 5-step program. When combined with energy-centered bodywork, the mind-body techniques prove even more effective.
Consider the advice of heart surgeon and Oprah-favorite Dr. Mehmet Oz:
"Experienced surgeons create teams to overcome the obstacles to successful operations. Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster empowers patients to lead the way to recovery by allowing them to take their appropriate place on the surgical team."
"Some of us need more than a manual. We need a co-facilitator to help us take what we know in our head, and embody the wisdom into our souls. Paula guides me to a different level."
– Jo-Ellen T., Fort Collins, CO
