Bare Bones

I want to talk about bones today. Not the kind dogs dig up in your back yard. I want to talk about the vital living bones within our bodies. This subject of bones has come up during sessions with clients a lot in the last few weeks..

For most of us, our direct conscious experience of bones seems to come from dead ones. You know, the part left after you’ve eaten ribs; the hard heavy bones we give to our dogs; skeletal remains at the museum; skeletal replicas we study in anatomy classes; and the like.

However, the bones inside our living bodies are quite different. Yes, they are far from being rigid, hard and dead; they constantly recreate themselves!

I remember my own sense of revelation and surprise when my anatomy teacher in massage school told us that the head of the femur (thigh bone) takes the longest time to renew itself of any of the bones. It does that about every 5 months! So 5 months from now new cells will have replaced all the bones cells you currently have within your skeleton.

So you see, bones are living dynamic structures. Much like tree trunks they provide strength, stability AND the ability to bend just a bit. As we know from stories of older folks, bones that are rigid and brittle tend to break more easily.

By design bones are vibrant centers of activity. The honeycomb struction inside provides strength without requiring heavy mass (which tends to weigh one down). They also provide pockets for air. Our bones are filled with air.

As you know, the body is mostly water. Objects filled with air generally float in water. Our bones are indeed designed to float. Our ligaments keep them in relative space of course. That way we know where they are!

When we are at rest (not contracting our muscles) our bones move within the waters of our body. This movement is very very small AND very important. When we allow ourselves to rest, this small movement of our bones brings nutrients and ease to our joints and allows toxins and waste to be flushed out.

Inside the long bones (i.e., in the legs and arms) our red blood cell factories operate with heat, rhythm and fluidity. This home of our marrow is very juicy and vibrant. And remember, it is surrounded by the honeycomb structure filled with breath and then wrapped in an outer shell that has a small degree of flexibility. The bone is wrapped in a fascial sheath that becomes one with the ligaments connecting this bone with another to form a joint - everything floating until we contract our muscles and move through our life.

So take a moment every now and again to feel the gentle movement of your bones floating in the water of your body. Key into the rich and juicy pulsing of the red blood cell factory that is your marrow. Notice your breath. Send the enlivened breath of your inhale into those honeycomb structures and exhale stale breath. Appreciate the lightness and strength of your bones as you stand, walk, live.

Oh, and drink plenty of water. Bones do not function so well in a dehydrated body: not much to float around in.

Coleen

Carolyn Here

Hi, it's Carolyn here. You might have read about me a blog or two ago. I'm loving having my business here at Skystone Healing Arts. In fact, I just added Thursday afternoons to my schedule.

One of my favorite parts of working at Skystone is participating in the First Friday Art Walk. I started coming to the Art Walk and offering Chair Massage as part of an internship when I was a massage student. I'm still doing it.

I meet all kinds of unique people. Some come back each month at the Art Walks, others have become regular clients of mine. Chair massage was their first introduction to the many ways massage can ease stress and relieve pain and discomfoft. These clients have really enjoyed the extra added bonus of having Chair Massage at the Art Walk.

It’s a nice relaxing way to spend the evening. Not only do you get a Chair Massage when you come to the Art Walk at Skystone, you also get to listen to good music provided by Coleen and Dan of the SongWeavers; have finger food; enjoy the works of our featured Artists as well as our House Artists; browse Gifts of Spirit Gallery for unique gifts; and and chat with friends.

Come in and experience this for yourself. My chair is waiting.

Carolyn Brunk

Medical Intuitive Services

Coleen Renee, LMP, CSH has had her practice here at Skystone since December, 2007. She offers a range of services from massage and sound healing to BodyListening. It came to her attention in the last few months that Ellensburg might need and be ready for her services as a Medical Intuitive. Coleen happened to mention to a friend that she goes over to Seattle to offer Medical Intuitive sessions to old time clients. The friend shared that she and several of her friends travel all the way to Seattle to receive services from other Medical Intuitive practitioners. It’s clear that Ellensburg needs her services as a medical intuitive. It only makes sense to offer this service here in the community she has come to love.

Coleen is a natural born intuitive and hereditary healer. She began training at age 7 and 12, although she didn’t understand at the time that she was being trained. She studied indigenous healing and cross-cultural approaches during her undergraduate and graduate work here at Central Washington University. In her mid thirties she committed her life to healing work as a massage therapist, which eventually led her back to reclaim/utilize her innate skills and early training.

As Co-founder of BodySong Healing Arts Center in Seattle, Coleen led consult groups and training for other intuitives. She offered an Apprenticeship program for 10 years. After a sabbatical to her ancestral lands in Ohio, Coleen returned to the Northwest – specifically Ellensburg – to teach pathology, kinesiology and massage at the Barlen Institute of Massage.

Incorporating the science and art of healing, Coleen draws on her wide range of skills to create a healing session specifically suited to each client. Her work in Ellensburg has been focused mostly around her massage work, which is very limiting for her. As a Medical Intuitive, she includes massage as one of the many possible healing modalities.

Over the next few months Coleen will shift the focus of her work to Medical Intuitive Healing. She will continue to offer massage therapy but will no longer take new massage clients after January, 2010. (Of course, she will be most happy to refer those clients wanting only massage to the other excellent massage therapists who have their practices at Skystone.)

Look for Coleen to offer classes on healing techniques folks can do for themselves. These tools can be used in conjunction with private sessions – and in many cases result in clients no longer needing private sessions. Guided meditations for self-healing will be offered this fall. Coleen goes into the studio to record in September.

How might You use Medical Intuitive Services?

o Spiritual Counseling
o Grief/Bereavement
o Finding clarity on personal issues
o Maintaining health
o Insight into health issues & actions for healing
o Guidance on Life Path

Sliding scale $75 – 40/hour.

For sessions with Coleen or more information call 509-312-0220 or Skystone 509-925-4533.

For more general information about Medical Intuitive work visit these sites:

http://www.medical-intuitives.net/medicalint.htm

http://mirit.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/5-things-you-should-know-about-a-medical-intuitive-reading/

Ahhh, the Love of Massage!

I enjoy being a new practioner at Skystone. It’s like a breath of fresh new air for me. I’ve done physical work before like cleaning houses and waitressing (some of you might know me from the Palace), but there is nothing like massage therapy. I love making people feel better. Through massage therapy, I can do this
in a greater way.

People come in and get a massage from me and then leave feeling a whole lot better. This feels like a great accomplishment especially when they come back to continue improving their life. I see some clients on a weekly basis – I do enjoy developing these working relationships.

I often (with the client’s permission) combine Reiki with my massage, because it adds more relaxation and depth to a person’s well being. I look forward to implementing the advanced training techniques I’ve learned and will write you about those in the months that follow. But you don’t have to wait. Come see me and experience the wonders of massage. You can decide for yourself how much it helps.

Taking time for yourself is very important for each of us, so I encourage clients to come in by offering a breakfast special with Chair Massage from 9-11 and Lunch Special from 11-1 on Tuesdays for those who have 15 minutes to squeeze in during their lunch hour or even at a morning break. It gives people a chance to come in even if they only have a few minutes – it’s amazing how effective we can be and because this is clothed massage, the client gets more hands-on time. They feel better and also get a sense of how their body responds to massage. Clients have asked for a “Happy Hour” Special so beginning in August I’ll add a Happy Hour from 5-6. p.m. 15 minutes for $10.

Carolyn

Blog Curves

Hi everyone,

I just published a new blog post, which I started a while back. So it posted on the date I began it. So scroll back until you see a pic of a puppy - that's it - the new blog post.

I guess it's a bit like the healing process. You start something. You make progress and then it can feel like you took a couple of steps backwards. We call this last aspect a healing crisis. It refers to the times when you feel worse than you when you started with a treatment. But soon after, your healing progress jumps by leaps and bounds.

Build up of scar tissue sometimes requires this. Scar tissue really inhibits movement and range of motion at joints. Massage effectively reduces scar tissue - even older scar tissue. The treatment can at times be pretty intense for a very short time, but the results are very worth the process.

We often hear clients speak of old injuries that nothing can be done about. We can make a difference with many of these injuries, particularly if scar tissue is involved. So if you've got something going on - check it out with a bodyworker. We have different tools and perspectives than many allopathic practitioners.

Water Makes That Much Difference?!

As health care practitioners the folks at Skystone consistently remind their clients to drink enough water. All bodyworkers say that, but do you know why?

Dr. F Batmanghelidj (Dr. B) makes it his business to be sure we're in the know.

"Water is the basis of life and that includes your body. Your muscles that move your body are 75% water; your blood that transports nutrients is 82% water; your lungs that provide oxygen are 90% water; your brain that is the control center for your body is over 76% water; even your bones are 25% water.

Water, water everywhere....

Dr. B's pioneering work shows that unintentional chronic dehydration contributes to and even produces pain and many degenerative diseases that can be prevented and treated by increasing water intake on a regular basis."



The body needs water to function and if there is a lack of water, the body will prioritize where available water goes. The fascial system of the body is a key player in this process; it walls off areas (usually the extremities) and prevents a significant amount of water from moving into non-essential areas. Your organs, like the brain and lungs, are prioritized for water use.



During bodywork the fascial barriers can be released to facilitate a greater nutrient waste exchange (more nutrients in, more waste out). Even relatively well hydrated bodies need to drink a bit more water to help flush out the toxins that the bodywork helped to release.



Because we live in a culture that tends towards dehydration (stress, caffeine, pop, MSG, smoking, nitrates,....), it behooves (I love this word) us to attend to our body's cry for water.



Dr. B wrote the book The Body's Many Cries for Water. It's worth a read. Or go to his website for the basics like how much, when and what kind of water. I was most surprised to learn that thirst is the last outward sign of your need for water. When you are thirsty your body is already operating well below levels required for optimal functioning.


So drink up, but get the facts. You can drink too much water.



I'm going to go get some water. Here's to you and your well hydrated, healthy and happy body!

Dreaming, Connections and WOW!

At Skystone we believe strongly in supporting the community and its individuals. We've been happy to sponsor many events over the last year. At the Common Threads Project kick-off last fall, we brought in Kris Steinnes, author of Women of Wisdom:empowering the Dreams & Spirit of Women to speak about empowerment and community. It was a full night including music by the Common Threads Choir.

The Seattle based Women of Wisdom (WOW) organization serves a much wider community. Coleen Renee, a past WOW board member, presenter and contributor to the book, now lives here in Kittitas County. About once a month she runs into someone local who she met at a WOW Conference. WOW creates community connections.

Kris published her book in part to strengthen and build upon those community connections. When the reader opens the book, she/he enters a well of wisdom that comes from over a decade of Conferences and the powerful people who presented and attended. Below is an excerpt that we find particularly inspiring. Enjoy!

WOW Excerpt -- Have You Put Your Dreams on Hold? (Angeles Arrien's chapter)

Each one of us has a great dream and a great calling. Many of us have put our dreams on the back burner. We say, "Someday when I have enough time, when I have enough money; then I'll do what I really want to do, what had fire for me." At this time there is such a wonderful opening in history, in evolution, if we will just come and take our place.

What I've found among many of the indigenous peoples of the world is that they know how important it is to bring our medicine an dour dreams to this world. If we want the earth to get better we need to show up and take our place, not with our shrouds of insufficiency, but with our long tall bodies and our deep, deep roots. The warrior's way or the leaders' way is to show up. And then I can pay attention to what has heart and meaning, which is the healer's way. I can't know what has heart or meaning until I choose to show up, until I choose to be present.

Among the shamanic traditions of the world, if you go to a shaman or a medicine person, and your are dispirited, disheartened, or depressed, many of them will ask you one of four questions: "When in your life did you stop singing? When in your life did you stop dancing? When in your life did you stop being enchanted by stories, and particularly your own life story? And when in your life did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?"

Wherever we stop singing, dancing, being enchanted by stories or deeply comforted by silence, we begin to experience soul loss. There's not a culture in the world that does not have song, or dance, or story, or doesn't recognize that in the sweet territory of silence we connect to the mystery in our contemplative and reflective practices.

I know I'm not at home when I'm in appeasement, weak-heartedness, seduction, drama or exaggeration. I know I"m not at home when I am playing the martyr or the victim and wanting someone else to be responsible for my life and therefore guilt induce others. I'm not at home when I'm controlling, because the opposite of control is trust.

I am at home when I have fire; when I am deeply connected to what has heart and meaning, the heart's fire; when I'm seized by a vision that I want to manifest and bring to the sweet face of Mother Earth. I know I'm on fire when I've lost time through some creativity, and when I've experienced a moment of tender sweetness and intimacy in a relationship that has substance and depth. I know I'm on fire when I've connected to something numinous and extraordinarily beautiful that can only be found when trusting in an unshakable part of myself, in a sacred refuge that I can find in my deep interior.

Women of Wisdom by Kris Steinnes, offered a special beginning on June 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 am. For our friends, this offer is extended, but only on the 24th and 25th. We invite you to go to this page - www.wisewomanpublishing.com/womenofwisdom.html - to access the order page and after you make your purchase, go back to this page to access the bonus page. On the Exclusive Private Invite page, enter you order confirmation code. That will allow you to gain entry to the bonus gifts that are available to people for just a few more hours.