You’ve often heard, I’ll bet, that all healing comes from within and that your body knows exactly how to heal itself.
But, have you ever experienced bodywork where the primary focus is to assist you in reconnecting with your own innate ability to heal? No? Well, meet Ortho-Bionomy®!
History of Ortho-Bionomy:
Arthur Lincoln Pauls, British Osteopath and Judo Master, developed this gentle, non-invasive system of bodywork and self-work in the 1970s.
Dr. Paul’s training in osteopathy combined with his interest in Eastern thinking and martial arts led to the development of a truly unique approach to healing.
The techniques come from osteopathy and are geared towards helping the client find optimal structural alignment in order to reduce pain and tension. The principles behind the work originate in Eastern practices of mindfulness, respect, and acceptance and dictate how the techniques are used.
Ortho-Bionomy in real life:
Jean has been struggling with upper back pain and tension coupled with overwhelming anxiety for years. She has tried chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, you name it. Nothing has provided lasting relief. Working together, with her lying on her back on a massage table, we find a position (shrugging her shoulders up with my support and compressing through one shoulder towards her spine), that relieves the tension and allows the muscles to relax.
After a few moments, she takes a deep breath, her shoulders release some of their tension on their own and she experiences a deeper sense of relaxation and relief. We continue working together, identifying areas of soreness, tension or pain and then holding positions that allows that area to relax and let go. At the end of the session, Jean feels connected to her body on a very deep level and profoundly calm and relaxed.
In this example, there was no forcing her body to change, no trying (on my part as the therapist) to fix her or make her body be other than it was. Instead, there was working together to find comfort, an inherent respect for the body and the way it was holding itself, and a mindful engagement between Jean and myself.
In short, Ortho-Bionomy:
- Merges Western Osteopathic techniques and Eastern philosophy. The best of two worlds come together to create a system with solid, practical techniques and grounded, energetic awareness.
- Is gentle. You won’t have to tense up and guard against the treatment. There is no need to experience more pain in order to relieve pain.
- Meets you where you are — if something hurts or is too intense (physically, emotionally, however), we’ll find a way to work with it that feels safe and comfortable; if you are scared and worried, we will address that first.
- Gives you a new framework for pain. As you pay more attention to what your body is telling you through pain, you will learn how to interact gently and kindly with those areas that hurt.
- Educates you and your body. The more we mindfully and gently interact with your pain or conflict through your body, the quicker your body will respond and the faster the pain or conflict will be resolved.
- Supports both physical and emotional pain. Yes, emotions may come up. Just think about all the frustration, anger, sadness and overwhelm you have experienced through being in pain. Ortho-Bionomy helps you deal with all these feelings in a way that is supportive and nurturing and makes it safe and ok for you to have them.
- Lets you keep your clothes on. You are already vulnerable due to pain or tension. There is no need to add the extra vulnerability of removing your clothes (as in massage therapy) for a session.
Interested in knowing a bit more? Like maybe, for instance, something about how Ortho-Bionomy feels? Well, click here!
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