What an Intuitive Holistic Healer Does

Intuitive Holistic Healing is what I do, but it is a term that many people are unfamiliar with and I thought I should help explain what that is.
I have built a foundation of knowledge through my 2200 hour Massage Therapy Diploma program, which gave me the in-depth knowledge of how the body works, not only the mechanics of muscle and bone, but how the physical body as a whole functions. The understanding of how each system (respiratory, digestive, nervous system, etc.) works independently and together to create homeostasis - which is the body's way of creating a healthy balance within itself.
I continued my education to include energetic healing , consisting of Reiki, which addresses the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the self. The Chakras, and discovering how each Chakra, when out of balance, not only affects the energy system, but the physical one as well. Combining that with the understanding that each individual has a unique pattern of energy that can be affected by their life circumstances (stress, emotional trauma, worry, etc.), as well as outside influences (being around people who are energy drainers, stress of work, relationships with others, etc). I have also explored Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the form of Acupressure and Reflexology, which allows me to release stagnant or blocked energy which is the TCM theory of why dis-ease occurs, using acupoints through the whole body or just the hands and feet. This also works with the physical body by releasing trigger points, which are those painful spots that when pressed on creates the sensation of pain travelling to other areas in the body.
I have also become a certified Body Talk practitioner, which taught me how to listen to what the body needs in an intuitive way and getting your body's natural healing ability to kick in, in a focused way.

So, what does all of that mean?

When someone comes into Omnia Wellness and sees me for shoulder pain, for example, my job is to figure out what the reason is for the pain, and what combination of my knowledge is needed to actually create a change, to reduce/eliminate the pain.
It could be because of:
-a physical imbalance in the muscles or from overuse, or sleeping on it wrong
- the feeling like you are taking on the weight of the world,
- a "chip on your shoulder" - anger or frustration affecting that area
- energy that is blocked in a different area of the body, commonly the hip on the opposite side, that is disrupting healthy energy flow.
And the list could go on and on and on.

How an Intuitive Holistic Healer works, is by co-creating the healing process with you, asking specific questions to help get an understanding of what is going on, then using the intuitive process to connect with what the body is saying it needs. Then custom creating the right blend of therapies (which can mean that each session can look and feel entirely different) to truly treat you as a whole being, and help you feel better, physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, and spiritually.

*not everyone who is an Intuitive Holistic Healer has the specific education that I have received, I recommend asking questions and doing some research to find a healer that has the qualities that you connect with*

The 3-Part Breath

How To Breathe:

The 3 part breath. Breathe in through your nose and out through either your mouth or nose (which ever is more comfortable). First inhale and focus on breathing into your belly, exhale. Then inhale into your ribs - feel your rib cage expand outwards, exhale. Last, inhale into your chest - feel your chest rise up, exhale. Now combine all three into one breath, belly, ribs, chest. Inhale for a 4 count, hold for 4, exhale for 4. Repeat this 3-5 times any time your feeling stressed or overwhelmed, to start meditation, or before bed to help you sleep! *if you feel dizzy at any point STOP and return to your normal breathing!

Making Time to Sit and Think

Sometimes meditation is hard because you can't quiet those thoughts, but what if listening to those thoughts were more important then trying to release or silence them?
When was the last time that you actually stopped just to think? I think part of the problem is that it looks as though we aren't doing anything at all, and in this lovely time we live in, that is practically unheard of. Yet it is incredibly important for us to do. To actually take time out of our day to really be present and think about a task at hand, a dream we would like to pursue, a problem we would like to learn from and change, or even just life in general can be so beneficial to your mental well being.

The beauty of it is, a thinking meditation can be as helpful as other forms of meditation. So give it a try and see if it resonates with you. Take some time out of your day(it can be 5 minutes or even an hour if you are on to something), turn the TV and computer off, turn your phone to silent, and tell the people around you this is going to be your time, and you need to be left alone.

Before you begin, think about what you want to think about, try to keep your thoughts focused on one idea, or one dream, one challenge that you are facing, or even one emotion that you need clarity on. The point is to still have a focused mind during this process, try not to let your mind wander, and when it does bring your thoughts back to the 'thought' at hand.
Remember to have a notebook and a pen handy, our minds really like puzzles and when it is given the opportunity to focus on solving something and the freedom to really explore an idea, the amazing things that it comes up with are often worth writing down.

Set a timer if you want to, and then all you have to do is sit, and think. Simple!

Leave a comment and let me know how you like the thinking meditation!

When Traditional Massage Isn't Enough...Fusion is the next best step to feeling good.

I love traditional massage, we put our bodies through a lot, and the pain and discomfort that arises from repeating the same actions, working out to hard, etc. warrants a massage for sure.
But what do you do when massage isn't enough? when you still have some discomfort that massage just isn't relieving enough?

Our bodies also hold emotions and stress in certain areas of the body, and they often coincide with our lovely sayings - shouldering the weight of the world, pain in the ass, pain in the neck- and there is also a common feeling associated with certain areas of the body: the hips often have to do with change, and how your foundation is, the knees have to do with being stuck and not moving forward in your life and the list goes on, and sometimes back pain has to do with not being supported enough (either from self or from others). The list continues.
Not every ache and pain is just because of the muscle, nor is it specifically about emotion, often it is a combination of the two. I have found this to be incredibly true for me. I have had reoccurring aches and pains that massage alone just couldn't resolve ( there were no specific injuries, or repetitive strain problems like carpal tunnel) I would feel great for a few days after, but then they would creep back in, frustratingly so. Which is what has led me to pursue my passion for Fusion Massage Therapy, because the inclusion of energy work has made all of the difference for me. It has allowed the mind-body connection to be restored and re-balanced and has proven more successful for getting rid of aches and pain for me, while addressing the underlying emotional component. Fusion helps you feel better physically, and emotionally, and really, isn't feeling better the whole goal of any holistic treatment?!?

Why Massage Therapists Recommend Water...

The number one reason we recommend drinking water after any treatment is because we typically don't drink enough. How many people start their day out with a glass of water before they have their morning tea or coffee?? (if you start doing this it is a great way to feel more energetic, and it allows your digestive system to start the day off happy!) At lunch time, do you reach for water or maybe a pop, or a coffee to help get you through the rest of the day?
We don't really prioritize drinking water, and I have heard a lot of people say that they just don't like water, they do prefer pop, or juice, or teas, or something else that has a little flavor. But water has a very important role in keeping the body healthy! If you drink water your body doesn't have to work so hard at extracting water from the liquids we drink and can use that energy for more effective digestion and elimination of things that we don't need to have hanging around in there. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired!
Healthy hydration will help to keep your skin looking better - less acne, and keeping it looking more youthful; it aids in digestion and helps to keep you regular; it helps to combat muscle fatigue; it will keep you healthier by aiding your immune system in fighting off and eliminating germs in the lymphatic system; and will help you have more energy - water is also a conductor of energy which we need for the electrotransmitters in our brains for thought...and literally everything else; it regulates temperature; it cushions vital organs and the spinal cord; it transports nutrients into the cell and waste out; it lubricates and cushions your joints; it is also an easy way to create a more healthy diet.

Our bodies are made up of 50-65% of water for women and 60-65% for men and it is important to keep that level consistently replenished. Percentage of water making up tissues, organs, fluids and bone in the human body: Brain 75%, Heart 75%, Lungs 86%, Muscle 75%, Liver 85%, Kidney 83%, Bone 22%, Blood 83%

When you first start to make the effort to drink more water, you will notice (and probably get annoyed by) how often you have to pee, I promise you that it will balance out, what is happening is your body is rejoicing in the fact that it can finally get rid of the water (and wastes) that is has been holding on to because there hasn't been enough water to safely let go of it, after about 10-14 days (earlier if you have been drinking some water) you will be back to regular peeing habits! The recommended daily intake of water is about 2 litres which may sound like a lot at first, but it is only 8 cups (an average water bottle* is 500ml = 2 cups) so give it a try, and start drinking some more water in your day, your body will LOVE you for it!

*I personally don't recommend using water bottles...water should be free and if you need to, get a water filtering system!

Treat Everyone Like They Are Buddha!

Or someone that you really care about. I swear this will change your life.

I started doing this when I was still working in the food industry. It is a hard industry to work in, considering the amount of people you interact with on a daily basis, and who will show you the full spectrum of humanity.

I was at a great little coffee shop, that in all honesty had some really great people that came in, but every now and again, I was met with someone very frustrating for me. And every now and again, I had a bad day, some times these things would coincide with each other.

So I got to thinking about what I could do to not let someone else's unhappiness affect my happiness (or on bad days, my unhappiness) and it occurred to me that if that negative person was Buddha, how would I treat them?? I would of course treat them with respect and compassion, because that is what I believe Buddha should be treated with. Then I thought, maybe Buddha would be teaching me a lesson in showing compassion for someone who didn't outwardly 'deserve it', and then I thought about why a fellow human being wouldn't deserve to be treated with compassion and respect, and I had a great understanding and realization that EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect and compassion.

So from that day on, I would just repeat the mantra "treat them like they are Buddha" every time I had a customer that evoked an initial negative response in me, which would switch that moment from a negative to a positive one, and in truth, nine times out of ten, it made a difference in their day too (even if I didn't directly see it).

I also treat everyone out side of my working life (this has carried over into my healing practice) as though they were Buddha, sometimes the purpose of driving is to learn patience, and having compassion and respect for other drivers has made my driving experience far more enjoyable. And every time I am in a situation in which service is being exchanged - like being in a coffee shop, I treat the person who is serving me with the same compassion and respect I know that I deserve, because it all comes back full circle. What you put out there you will receive.

So if the "Buddha" thing doesn't work for you, place in someone that you feel very lovingly towards, and whom you would want other people to treat with respect and compassion, no matter the circumstance.

Treat women like they are your mother, sister, best friend, girlfriend, partner.

Treat men like they are your father, brother, best friend, boyfriend, partner.

Treat children like they are your own, your niece or nephew.

I think that if we all strive to treat everyone like they are Buddha, this world will be a happier place, and perhaps teaching this to everyone and putting it into daily practice is a good start to healing the dis-ease of bullying.

*(sorry if you read my Creating Lasting Happiness blog and have to read this twice, I just think it is that important!!)

What are knots anyway??

The reasons why we get knots, or those painful tension lumps and bumps in your muscles, are largely due to repairing damaged muscle, and reinforcing areas that consistently have repetitive stress. When we repetitively put our bodies in certain positions/ do repetitive actions our body will reinforce the area similar to when we build muscle - microtears occur and our body lays down collagen fibres to repair them. These fibres  and reinforcement are placed down in a crisscross pattern which creates a knot. Massage helps to straighten out these fibres and encourage them to heal in an ideal parallel pattern. This is like emptying a box of wooden matches and running your hand back and forth over them, they will then go from a random pattern to parallel. The reason is our bodies do this is to strengthen, and protect the body. Working out - specifically when focusing on muscle building, these muscle tears end up being the building blocks of building muscle. When we have repetition with stress, like the postural positions we take while working for long hours, that is when our bodies create an unhealthy knot. The good news is Omnia Wellness offers great therapeutic massage with a great element of relaxation to help combat those painful knots!

Your Body Is Your Employee

If your boss told you that you were ugly, if they rolled their eyes at you every time they saw you, if they said to you that you weren't doing a good job, that you aren't where you should be, that you need to work harder, work faster, work better, and they said this to you all day, everyday...How good of an employee do you think you would be? Especially when you know that you are doing everything that you are supposed to be doing to the best of your ability! I personally would do the very best that I could, but it would be harder as each day passed, and as more negative comments were said to me. Eventually my performance would suffer greatly and I wouldn't be able to continue doing my job to the best of my ability.

Your body is the employee of your consciousness. The thoughts that you think about your body, the energy behind the things you say to yourself are important to choose. If you constantly put negative thoughts towards your body, it is no surprise if you don't feel well. Our bodies are incredible, they do so many things that we are often unaware of, our breathing, blinking, heart beating, circulation, digestion and a thousand more things to keep our body in a state of homeostasis (health and balance). When we blame our bodies for our consciousness' short comings ( like weight worries) it becomes harder and harder for our bodies to be the best employees and do the best they can to keep us in harmony and balance.

Instead of saying something negative towards your body, stop, and feel grateful that your body can take in air and use the oxygen for our blood and exhale waste so we can survive, be grateful that everything that you eat is digested, and what is usable is turned into nourishment and energy, and what isn't is expelled as waste all without us thinking about it. So give your body a break and let it do its job, and do the best you can to provide the best working environments possible, eat well, sleep well, drink water, exercise, and remember to listen to what your body wants, if you are feeling really tired, rest. When you are hungry, eat, when you are full, stop. If you are sore from being still most of your day, get out and walk, go to the gym, do yoga, swim. Take care of your employee and your employee will take care of you.

Meditation and Massage An Incredible Combination!

I have recently decided to create a new holistic treatment that combines Meditation with Massage Therapy. Two of my loves in one space! I have been a student of meditation for many many years, sometimes it comes easily and sometimes I still really have to work at it. I personally really like quiet when I get massage treatments, because I find that it is easy for my to drop into a meditative state in an environment that easily supports it. There is always calming music, I have to be entirely unplugged from all devices, and I have an hour and a half to just be where I am, no interruptions. So it occurred to me that I may not be the only one who appreciates meditation with massage and thus Guided Meditation Massage Therapy was created.

I know that meditation isn't easy, I know many people struggle, because I struggled for a long time, and still sometimes do. So I wanted to make it easier for someone to come in and really benefit from meditation by creating different forms of guided meditations to ease the body and mind into it, which is great for anyone no matter if you have no experience or years of experience. There are also different meditations to choose from so you can choose the one that appeals to you the most. There is a simple relaxation that focuses on your muscles from head to toe and breathing. One for rebalancing your Chakra's (energy centers of the body) to create more harmony and health within the body, and there is one where you can visualize and create a meditation space, or meet an animal or spirit guide.

Getting to a place where you are physically very relaxed is also really beneficial for the Massage Therapy aspect of this treatment. When the stress of the day is released through meditation, it allows me to really find and address the muscles that chronically hold stress and tension more efficiently because you are as relaxed as you possibly can be. It also helps me to get an incredibly accurate understanding of what level of pressure works the best for your body, when you are in meditation your body gets to 'speak' for itself and give proper clues when pressure is too much. (check out the post about pain if you want more info about pain in massage treatments).

As always if you have any questions drop me a line (clarissa@omniawellness.ca) or check out www.omniawellness.ca and look at the FAQ's for Guided Meditation Massage Therapy, or to book an appointment and try it for yourself!