How to truly listen to your body during bodywork

Many people are discovering how supportive it is to be mindful in their lives, and I am discovering how powerful mindfulness can be during a bodywork session.  Mindfulness is a wonderful tool for our day to day existence, helping us to stay present to every moment, rather than cutting off some aspects of our experience.   It can bring more peace and self-understanding into our day-to-day existence, by staying away from the usual habit of trying to avoid emotional distress, pain, or tension  and trying to make things different than they are.

When receiving massage and bodywork, most people have an idea about something that they would like to change.  Maybe it's a bad mood, maybe its a tight shoulder or a painful back, but we want it to go away.  I have found that if we take some time to slow down and listen, our body often has a message for us.  Some examples of what your body might say to you is: "I'd really like to have a do nothing day" or "I need to tell my boss that I'm feeling overwhelmed" or "I'm really sad about my family member being sick."  And it can be really helpful to "unpack" these feelings, and observe them, let them know that you hear them / feel them / see them, and then come back to the feeling of the weight body on the massage table, the touch of my hand with your body, or your breath.  If you just make the sensation go away, you might miss out on some important messages.  


Here is an example of how the inner dialogue or experience can be:

I'm laying on the massage table...
I'm relaxing...
I'm breathing...
I'm letting the weight of my body sink into the support under me...
I'm feeling a painful place in my body...
I'm experiencing the sensation as it is...
I'm saying hello to it...
I'm letting it be as it is...
I'm inviting this place to speak to me from it's own perspective...
I'm thanking it for sharing with me...
I'm invite it to let me know if there is something more...
I'm noticing it is relaxing on its own...
I'm lovingly inviting it to let go, relax, soften...
I'm breathing into that place...
I'm noticing that place feels different now...
I'm grateful for my body...
I'm resting...
I'm breathing...
I'm thinking about something...
I'm saying hello to that part that is thinking about something...
I'm noticing the thinking stops when I say hello...
I'm breathing...
I'm letting go...

and often the sensation goes away on it's own!

It can be difficult to have this much awareness on your own, and that's where a mindful practitioner can help with some active listening and "focusing" dialogue work.  Your practitioner can support you in staying present and really listening with compassion, with gentle touch, helping you to "stay with" and witness your inner experience instead of pushing it away or going for an emotional roller coaster ride with it.  If you would like some support with mindfulness, I would be happy to be a companion to help you to focus in and really listen to the messages that your body might be telling you.   And hopefully when your body has a message for you five days later when you are walking down the street, you can listen with compassion, instead of just telling it to go away. 

www.listeningtouch.org

303-601-5060

Laura Rose Boyle has been listening and touching since 2000 and studies and practices Inner Relationship Focusing and Hakomi Therapy in addition to massage and bodywork.  
To schedule a Listening Touch session, visit: www.listeningtouch.org

Healthy Breast Care: Take your health into your own hands with self breast massage

Healthy Breast Care:

Take your health into your own hands

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Breasts have an incredible design for breast feeding, with an ornate glandular system that produces milk from veins and arteries, and the milk is directed towards the nipple to be fed to a baby.   Unfortunately, this design also makes breasts vulnerable to disease.  The lymphatic system is designed to clean toxins, viruses, abnormal cells, and bacteria out of the body.  In most areas of the body, there lymph flows along side muscles, veins and arteries which pump the fluid towards lymph nodes which filter the lymph fluid.  In breast tissue, the lymph vessels follow the breast lobes and mammary tissue, which are designed to flow out towards the nipple.  But the lymph nodes that clean out breast tissue are all the way back in the chest wall and in the armpit area.  So this fluid has to flow all the way back through the breast tissue, through a space that is behind the breast, and through the tight muscles of the chest wall to the lymph nodes that are ready to clean out the fluid before it is circulated back to the heart where it is pumped through the liver and kidneys and back to the rest of the body. 

The lymph fluid can be moved through the breast tissue with self breast massage.  Removing the bras or constrictive clothing, lifting the breast tissue, and “fluffing” the breasts is a good first step.  When you are in the shower, use your fingers to soap up your breasts and lightly massage your breasts towards your nipples. 

To learn more about Breast Massage, come to a Breast Care Workshop!

Healthy Breast Care:

Take your health into your own hands

Tuesday April 16 7pm-9pm

@ Full Bloomed Lotus

1217 Washington, Wilmette, IL 60091

Do you know how to take care of your breasts? Did you know that breast massage can help prevent breast disease? Do you avoid doing your monthly self-breast exam?

You are invited to a women's circle where you will learn how to take loving care of your sacred breasts. There will be an opportunity to share your heart and breast stories, experience the sacredness of your body, and you’ll leave feeling empowered to take your health into your own hands.                 

What you will learn in this informative workshop:

• Gentle yoga, qi gong, breathing and sound healing exercises
• Breast anatomy and how the immune system functions in the breast area
• Subtle energy anatomy of the breasts
• A demonstration of healthy self-breast massage will be given.
• How to give yourself a healthy breast massage & teach your partner to give you a healthy breast massage.  

During the massage section, you will have the option to follow along with your own self-breast massage, (either with your top off, or with a scarf covering your chest) or you can simply observe. You will feel empowered with knowledge and tools for your health that you will usefor the rest of your life!

The Facilitator: Laura Rose Boyle, Massage Therapist and Yoga Instructor, became passionate about breast health while offering massage and bodywork for Breast Cancer patients at a hospital in Chicago. She has studied Breast Massage and Lymphatic Drainage with master teachers around the world, and has a healing arts practice in Boulder, Denver, and Chicago.

Location: Full Bloomed Lotus

1217 Washington, Wilmette, IL 60091

Tuition: $30 if pre-registered, $35 at the door

Register online: www.fullbloomedlotus.com 

847-853-0600

Laura Rose Boyle, LMT, RYT

www.listeningtouch.org 303-601-5060

 

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Hakomi Psychotherapy: A New Frontier into the Spirit

Hakomi Psychotherapy: A new frontier into the Spirit
Mindful Self Inquiry

Many people move west to explore the western frontier. However, when I moved to Boulder over a year ago, I was also drawn here to explore the frontier of the subconscious mind and its connection with the body through mindfulness and so I began my studies in Hakomi Psychotherapy.

This therapy utilizes the body as a "doorway" into uncovering core material that is often buried in our subconscious mind. Some of our formative memories are stored in the body and generate core beliefs that often determine how we live our lives...

I chose to study Hakomi because I feel that so many physical ailments that I see in my massage practice are stuck in the body because of emotional and energetic holding patterns that are so deeply engrained that the pattern comes back shortly after having a massage, no matter how "deep" it is. So, I wanted to facilitate a deeper transformation that might help people get out out of pain, both emotionally and physically.

Hakomi sessions may involve some touch, but it will be in an experimental context and not a in typical massage or bodywork fashion. For example, in a Hakomi session, if someone has tight shoulders, we would explore the sensation with mindfulness, and might soon discover that the tightness is a way for your system to feel big enough to be able to defend yourself. There may be memories of feeling small that surface as the therapist places their hands on the shoulders to slightly exaggerate the sensation. These memories will be listened to, in the atmosphere of mindfulness and loving compassion. The tension will often release on its own, along with emotions that might have been stored with these memories. The end result is hopefully a new awareness of an old way of thinking and being that is no longer needed. If the client continues to observe their state of being, they may notice this pattern happening in their daily life, and chose to react in a different way. 

“In using mindfulness, we create opportunities which allow the unconscious a clear chance to express and be seen, heard and felt. In our focus on the mind-body interface, we work to create channels of communication between them.”
— Ron Kurtz, founder of Hakomi

What does Hakomi mean? Ron Kurtz, the founder said, “The word Hakomi came to me in a dream… We searched to find the meaning and found that it was a Hopi word meaning, “Who are you?” Another way Hakomi thinkers have phrased this is: “How do you stand in relation to these different realms?” "

After over a year of studying Hakomi, I am now accepting appointments for practice participants in Boulder and Denver.  
If you are interested in experiencing a Hakomi session, this is a great opportunity as there is no fee until I am certified in Hakomi.  

Feel free to pass this on to a friend or family member who would appreciate this opportunity to explore the inner frontiers of their mind, body and spirit.  Sessions available in Boulder and Denver, as well as on Skype. Remember, there is no fee for this service until I am certified. 

Please note that I am not a certified mental health professional, and that I cannot work with people who have a clinical diagnosis or who are dealing with addictions or history of severe trauma or abuse. If you are interested in finding a professional therapist who practices Hakomi, please visit: www.hakomi.org or www.hakomi.com

Thank you,  

I look forward to going on an adventure into your subconscious mind and spirit sometime soon!

Thai Massage: A New Frontier in Stretching

Thai Massage: A New Frontier in Stretching - Going to the Border of Sensation

Many people know the benefits of Swedish massage for circulation and relaxation. But did you know that Thai massage goes much deeper than Swedish massage can? Especially in areas of the body like the hips, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. It involves deep stretches that feel like yoga stretches, as well as acupressure points that move energy where it is stuck and create flexibility where there is stiffness. Some points may be tender - the massage points are to take you to the edge or the border of that sensation - but not beyond. Deep pressure is more possible to obtain with Thai massage because you are resting on a mat on the floor, and the therapist can use their natural body weight to lean into your body, creating a strong sensation. This sensation shouldn't be painful, but it can be tender, and sometimes intense. But if you learn to direct your breath to that area and learn to relax into the sessions, you can be transported into a relaxed state where you can release deep tension that has been held for years.

Some people call it lazy man's yoga because all you have to do is lie on a mat and breathe, and you get placed into a sequence of poses and stretches that create a similar effect as a yoga class. Many people feel some of the same feelings of peacefulness and energy after a Thai massage. This is because the energy meridians that are being massaged, stretched and balanced are similar to the ones that are being balanced in a yoga class.  

Laura Rose studied massage in Thailand - to read more about her adventures in Southeast Asia, visit her travel blog: http://toucharoundtheearth.blogspot.com/

Schedule a Thai massage in Boulder or Denver today: www.listeningtouch.org

Breema Bodywork: A New Frontier in Consciousness

Breema Bodywork: A New Frontier in Consciousness

Breema Bodywork is difficult to describe.  It inclues gentle touch, rhythmic movements, and a fully present practitioner on a padded floor. This modality can take you to a new frontier of mind-body connection.  Sessions begin with instructions on Self-Breema®  and meditation in order to connect the mind and body, and the bodywork helps to solidify this connection, creating a harmonious state of being that may feel new to the person who is receiving the bodywork.   Unlike other forms of bodywork and energy work, there is no need to "fix" or "send energy.  As long as the practitioner is using the support of the Nine Principles of Harmony to help keep their mind and body in harmony, a their presence naturally gives to the recipient. 

I am always amazed when I practice Breema in a noisy conference room and people fall into a deep state of relaxation and don't even notice when the session ends!   Read more about Breema®  Bodywork here:     

Experience Breema Bodywork with Laura Rose, a Certified Breema Practitioner:

Rates at studio in Denver or Boulder:

30 min                      $35 (sale $25**)

45 min                      $45 (sale $35**) 

60 min                      $60 (sale $50**)

10 min   FREE - at Bodywork Bistro in Boulder  

(first time bistro clients only - click here to see schedule)

**First time Breema clients only - offer Expires August 11, 2012

visit www.listeningtouch.org to schedule an appointment

Save the date for a Breema Workshop in Boulder

with Laura Rawson from the Breema Center:

August 11 - 12, 2012 

Experience Breema Evening

Friday, August 10 7:00-8:30 pm (No charge)  

Solstice Center,  302 Pearl St, Boulder, CO

Saturday: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (lunchbreak 12:30 - 2 PM)

Sunday: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM 

$150 ($125 if paid by July 27)

Saturday only: $100 ($80 if paid by July 27)

Solstice Center, 302 Pearl St, Boulder, CO

To register for the workshop please contact the Breema Center (510) 428-0837 or center@breema.com

http://www.breema.com/index.php/calendar/event/workshop_in_boulder_colorado1/

Breema and Self-Breema are service marks of The Breema Center  www.breema.com

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How to save on your next massage

What would your world be like if you received a massage at least 

once per month? 

Here are some ways to

SAVE on your next massage:
 

VIP PACKAGE SALE: 

3 - 60 minutes - normally $75 each ($225) 

NOW $65 each ($195*) save $30!  

3 - 75 minutes - normally $90 each ($270) 

NOW $75 each ($225*) save $45!    

3 - 90 minutes - normally  $110 ($330) 

 NOW $90 each ($270*) save $60!

(*VIP Packages must be used within 90 days of original purchase date,

and can be shared with friends & family.

Purchase must be made with cash or check. 
Offer valid ONLY in Colorado,
and expires May 31, 2012) 

 ______________________________  

Another way to SAVE: 

TELL YOUR FRIENDS 

(they will thank you!) 

Referral reward program:

YOU get: 

15 minutes FREE with each person you refer!  

Refer three people and you will get one   

FREE HOUR MASSAGE**

And the people you send to me get:

$15 off their first massage!** 

** Valid in Colorado ONLY

Invest in your relationship: Learn Partner Massage!

Invest in your relationship: Learn Partner Massage!

Why Learn Partner Massage? Partner Massage is a wonderful way to connect and support each other to relax and unwind.

What you will learn in this massage class:  

*Simple, fun, comfortable massage and stretching moves that are easy on your own body.  

*Communication skills to help your partner give you the best touch. 

*Effective, safe ways to relieve tension in neck and shoulders, low back, hips, and feet. 

*Ways to keep yourself comfortable as you give massage. 

No yoga or massage experience necessary, beginners are welcome! Please bring: comfortable clothing (including socks and a long sleeve shirt), a pillow, and a twin or full sized sheet.  

  

The instructor: Laura Rose has been giving massages for twelve years and is certified in Pre-Natal massage and has assisted with two natural births.  The techniques she learned in Thailand are really easy for anyone to do, and believes in the power of touch to heal and transform.

(PRIVATE LESSONS ALSO AVAILABLE)

New date:

July 28th 3:30-5:30   

Belly Bliss 

300 Josephine St 

Denver, CO 80206 

$50 per couple   

Register with Belly Bliss: 

(303) 399-1191 

(PRIVATE LESSONS ALSO AVAILABLE)