Roots and Wings of Rubenfeld Synergy

Roots and Wings of Rubenfeld Synergy


We are all children of the earth riding the wind. This became a reality the moment we stood upright. From this position, through our hips and our feet our bodies take root on the ground. We are not planted. We are step creatures, always moving and contemplating the next step. Sometimes we give ourselves the next step, sometimes we are taken. The hips are always swaying to keep in time with the turning of the earth. When the hips lose their ability to sway or to be swayed, life feels dead. We don’t feel the ground. From the hips down to our feet, the body reaches to the earth looking for its support. The connection to the earth allows the upper body to fly.

In this upright position, we fly. We fly as humans fly. This means we can align our spines to reach, resonate, and recoil. In this body flight will not happen without roots and roots will not happen without flight. They need each other. This flight we speak of today as we already said is human flight. We are lifted into the atmosphere by the alignment and natural curvature of our spines. It is not the flight or fight or flight which is really running away in body terms. It is the flight of lifting off into our length, which houses our longings and sense of a soaring spirit. It is as if the spine and shoulders are instruments of light, soaring and turning in the airwaves. The four curves in our spine make us aerodynamic and allow us to lift up even with great burden on us. Our shoulders are like the wings that allow us to float freely in the air, our head and neck the navigational gear that orients us in time and space.

At some point in each of our lives, we are thrown an unexpected curve that lands in our spine and disrupts our flying. In these moments the spine is dealing with an unnatural curve. One put there by the world. Usually the unexpected curve is one of pain, trauma, guilt, or shame. We could make a list of all the unexpected curves we have experienced. The unexpected curves of trauma take us out of roots. We become up in the air with no ability to fly. We are then moved by weather patterns whatever way the wind blows. This is also known as being dominated by our feelings. We do things or don’t do things just because we feel like it.

The unexpected curve was the learning curve for Ilana Rubenfeld, responsible for the founding of this work. The pain in her back took away Ilana’s flight into the musical sky. When her back hurt she lost her wings. Her brilliant discovery was that in order to have wings again, she had to know, experience and express the thoughts, emotions, and spirit along in the body of her crashing. Her story is the underpinning of all we do in RSM. WE reinvigorate movement. The body is looking for movement, for the restoration of movement. Ilana wanted her movement back. Movement is most important to the body. The mind is interested in meaning. When we put the mind and body together we have meaningful movement. For most of us an unexpected curve tends to cut us in half leaving our feet with no flight and flight with no feet. In human flight, this is called crashing to the ground whether it is collapse or falling over.

In RSM, we help a person to get their feet back under their heart. When our feet are back solidly under our hearts we become givers instead of seekers. The natural rhythm and ability of the body to give and receive is restored. This is what is important about having our roots and wings. It allows us to reach and receive simultaneously. It brings touch and talk together, tapping the root of our work and our existence --- THE BODY!

The body is the root of our work. The roots are different than the underpinnings. The underpinnings of RSM are Alexander, Feldenkrais, Rubenfeld touch, and Rubenfeld talk. The foundation of our life, the place where we are found is in the body. When we dialogue with the body we tap the roots of our existence. It is the place we root from, searching for nutrients and cheering ourselves on.

The body reveals a treatment plan. It tells us how a person needs to be treated and what would feel like a treat. The body tells us when the heart is in the stomach, and that is needs to be put back in the chest. The body tells us what it is like to walk around without a neck. The body tells us what it is like to walk around without a turning radius. The body tells us about our ability to reach or recoil. The body tells us about a spinal cord that has lost its harmony. It tells us the tale of its life by how it moves its tailbone. The body is the root our work. We constantly tap it trust it touch it and treat it.

We give a person their neck back. We rewire the nervous system. We help a person to lengthen to lighten. We put the heart back into chests and we invite the feet to come under it is support it. We help the body to regain its spine to line up the foraman in each vertebra so that the spinal cord can once again become a spinal cord full of harmony and harmonious resonance. We help the body to regain its natural ability to turn, turn up turn down turn in turn out turn over. Having our turning radius helps us when we don’t know where we are going. We can turn around to make sure we know where we’re coming from. We help the body to move in the direction it needs to move forwards backwards side to side up or down.

Ultimately, what we help a body to do is return to its natural state of giving. This allows the spirit to soar. In its natural state of giving two things happen. The body doesn’t make mistakes, because it is not in a taking mode. It doesn’t mis-take one thing for another. It may have misgivings. The other thing is, it reconnects us with the natural state of receiving. Receiving is the natural true complement to giving. Taking is the false compliments to giving as in give-and-take. Give-and-take is usually dominated by taking. We are a culture of takers. You can hear it in our everyday language. We take time to take a shower, take a seat, take a moment, and take a breath. Let’s do an experiment. Take a breath and notice what happens in your body. Now give yourself a breath and notice what happens in your body. When the body returns to giving and receiving, we hear in the body’s language the roots for flight and flying from a human place. We no longer fly off the handle.

This article was written by Master Synergist Joe Weldon with permission to publish

For more information, visit http://www.bodywhisperer1.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/

Discover the Body of Emotion - Rubenfeld Synergy Method

Rubenfeld Synergy Training offers the most powerful, most complete advanced bodymind training available.
The Body Mind Connection - The Rubenfeld Synergy Method has been in the forefront of practicing and teaching the connection of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit for over 30 years.  Recent research is shifting our view of health.  People can no longer be treated in a compartmentalized manner.  New excitement in the healing arts is emerging as scientists and doctors who are studying the brain and the mind have been shown the necessity for an integrated method.  Rubenfeld Synergy Method is a leader in such an approach.

Rubenfeld Synergy Method uses the power of town to tap the inner resources necessary for deep healing.  Stress, memories, and suppressed emotions are stored in our bodies, affecting our health and well-being.  These "holdings", "tensions" and "aches" cause us to live feeling chronically tired, emotionally drained and physically disconnected.  Chronic stressors can manifest physically as disease.

Rubenfeld Synergy Method helps us learn to listen to the body.  Our body holds the truth about who we are in our core.  Through listening, we become aware of habitual patterns and tensions.  We can then make new choices, transform old patterns, and bring concrete improvements to our daily lives and relationships.  By understanding the relationship between our body and our emotions we can understand ourselves deeply and can claim greater role in our well-being.

For more information, visit http://www.bodywhisperer1.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Program

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?


Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that is triggered by a traumatic event. You can develop post-traumatic stress dis-order when you experience or witness an event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror.

Many people who are involved in traumatic events have a period of difficulty adjusting and coping and experience troublesome memories, flashbacks, nightmares, sleep problems, and general numbing of emotional responses. These symptoms may completely disrupt your life.

Do you feel stuck and can’t move forward. We can help you!

Body-Mind Approach Rubenfeld Synergy Method(®) with Traditional Counseling!

Your first session you will experience a holistic body mind approach in your healing of your body. Your body is the place where your emotions, thoughts, and memories live. It is the container of your life story. It registers and records the events of your life in its cells. Your body has a language of its own. Your heart beats with excitement or you get a knot in your stomach, or when a loud sound goes off with no notice, your body reacts with fear and anxiety. These are the ways that your body “talks to you” and speaks its truth.

Your second session you will experience a safe place to explore the intricacies of your story, a place where you can begin to let down your guard and enter into the deeper places in your soul.

Through talk therapy, you will form a therapeutic alliance where, together, we will work through your life concerns.

Are you having difficulty sleeping, having nightmares, feeling overwhelmed and isolated?
Are you ready to start to walk down the path of healing?

Complimentary Body–Mind Therapy
Janet Cook, CRS, CNA
Certified Rubenfeld Synergist
Certified Nursing Assistant
303-681-7905
Visit http://www.bodywhisperer1.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/

Counselor
Liz Pritchard, M.A.
Mental Health Counselor
Relationship Psychotherapist
303-725-8393
Visit http://www.lizpritchard.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/

What are you waiting for?  You are the author of your life.

Who Is That Pain In Your Neck? Listening to Your Body’s Messages - RUBENFELD SYNERGY METHOD®

RUBENFELD SYNERGY METHOD®


Who Is That Pain In Your Neck?

Listening to Your Body’s Messages
 
Who can forget the old song, “I gotta wash that man right outta my hair”? Well, believe it or not, sometimes a painful break-up, a job lay-off, even an old memory from childhood can leave messy traces of emotional residue in or on the body; and it takes a little more than shampoo to get rid of it! Today’s fast paced society might rely on catchy quick-fix slogans like, “Get over yourself!”, “No pain, no gain!”, or “He’s just not that into you!” But often uncomfortable experiences (especially those involving grief, sadness, confusion, betrayal, abandonment, unworthiness or anger) get swept under the rug, only to resurface disguised as physical “dis-ease”. Even the most successful, confident, well-adjusted people encounter life experiences that leave them with unresolved feelings which sometimes masquerade as conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, insomnia, even tennis elbow!


Understanding this hidden link between what happens in the mind and what shows up in the body is the beauty behind a groundbreaking therapeutic healing technique called the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®. Developed by Ilana Rubenfeld in 1977, Rubenfeld Synergy is one of the most effective solutions for addressing stress, trauma, anxiety, tension and discomfort. It is a proven method that incorporates light touch with guided dialogue in a way that allows the body the freedom to uncover the sources of physical stress and discomfort. The results include accessing and releasing hidden physical/emotional tension stored in the body and restoring and maintaining health and wellbeing.

When Kay* discovered the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®, her goal was just to address the feeling of neck and back strain that was causing her sleepless nights. Her grandmother had been arthritic, and experienced achy muscles, but Kay had a “gut feeling” that this was more than just a sign of getting older. Kay had some prior experiences with massage, Reiki, and other forms of bodywork, but was pleasantly surprised by what she discovered with Rubenfeld Synergy. Kay says, “I tried everything to deal with this problem. Then I found out after a few Rubenfeld Synergy sessions that I didn’t need any more rubs, herbs, pills or potions to get rid of my aches. I just needed help hearing what was inside me. I was looking for what was physically wrong with me. But who knew that the heated arguments I had been having with an old boyfriend had literally become ‘a pain in my neck’! On the outside, I seemed fine, but on the inside I honestly did feel like I was ‘stabbed in the back’. Understanding this connection made all the difference in the world. It helped me let go of the pain.”

Like so many people who experience the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®, Kay was able to feel safe and secure enough to uncover what was beneath the surface of her discomfort. Founder Ilana Rubenfeld explains in her book The Listening Hand, “Emotions and feelings are embedded both in our body and in our brain, and to reach them, we need touch — nonverbal communication — and talk. Through touch you can understand the body's message, and through talk you can understand the brain's, even if the message is "hiding" in the unconscious... I strongly believe that everything — mind and body, thoughts, emotions and feelings, bloodstream and brain, soul and spirit — must be in a state of synergy if we ourselves are to become whole.”

*Client’s name was changed to protect confidentiality

For more information visit http://www.bodywhisperer1.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/.

RUBENFELD SYNERGY METHOD® - Can We Talk - What Your Body Would Say If It Could Speak

The Rubenfeld Synergy Method®, “What‟s that?‟”, wondered Kathy C.* when she first met a “Rubenfeld Synergist” at a women‟s workshop. The name may have sounded unfamiliar, perhaps even a little intimidating. But as most people who try the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® soon find out, this unique talk/touch method is anything but complicated or daunting. In fact, it‟s arguably one of today‟s most gentle and effective ways of relieving stress, anxiety, aches, and pains in today‟s society — which misconstrues “no pain” with “no gain”.


Here is what Kathy* had to say when she finally decided to give the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® a try: “For about a week, I was experiencing aches in my shoulders that I thought were just sore muscles from sleeping badly. But they persisted for several days even after taking ibuprofen. So, I figured...why not give Rubenfeld Synergy a try. I had no idea what to expect. But when I got there, the synergist‟s office was very comfortable. She put me at ease on a massage-type table, and right away I started to feel more relaxed. I was surprised when she started my session by putting her hands gently on my feet. She asked permission each time she switched positions to different body parts and I agreed. As she touched each area gently, she asked me questions about how I was feeling and what I was experiencing. It didn‟t even occur to me that she hadn‟t touched my shoulders at all. But it didn‟t matter. My shoulders started to relax as I found myself telling her about the things that I‟d been „shouldering‟ in my life. I had no idea I would be discussing this, but it was true...I‟d been feeling overwhelmed and off balance at work and in my relationships; and it felt like I was carrying the “mother load” around with me. By the time we were done, I had a strange urge to start moving my body like I used to when I had more free time to go dancing. So that‟s what I did later that evening! The shoulder aches were totally gone. No drugs, no physical therapy, no psychiatric counseling. I didn‟t need to change my mattress or quit my job. I just understood that I absolutely had to make more free time for me. I can‟t believe how one session made such a huge difference! I don‟t really know how it works, but it does.”

The Rubenfeld Synergy Method® combines an effective systematic use of touch and talk to allow the body to speak for itself. It starts with the premise that the body already knows what it want and needs. Rubenfeld Synergy recognizes that the mind and body are connected and together they contain tremendous insights. A trained Rubenfeld Synergist facilitates the body‟s ability to open up, “explain itself” and reveal the hidden sources of discomfort as well as the solutions to ease, comfort and wellness. Without drugs or invasive procedures, Rubenfeld Synergy offers a safe, gentle effective way to approach healing and overall wellbeing. It activates the body‟s own internal wisdom.

*Client‟s name was changed to protect confidentiality

For more information, visit http://www.bodywhisperer1.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/

Its Hip to be True - Tapping into the Wisdom of Your Body

From chronic sinus conditions, to migraines, to tendonitis...sometimes the most common aches and pains are the body’s way of saying that there’s more going on inside than meets the eye. The Rubenfeld Synergy Method® is a powerful, effective bodymind therapy that addresses a multitude of issues with a unique approach that can uncover the source of the client’s discomfort. The combined used of gentle touch and talk is the hallmark of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® and can access hidden “blocks” of emotional stress, trauma, anxiety, tension and uneasiness in the body. Using light touch and expertly directed dialogue, a Rubenfeld Synergist can assist clients in getting to the core of their discomfort. The results can be empowering experiences of release, relaxation and restoration of emotional and physical harmony and wellbeing.


Karla*, a 40-something single, professional happened upon Rubenfeld Synergy after trying various self-help methods to manage an unexpected onset of lower body aches, moodiness and lethargy. As a believer in holistic health, she was uninterested in pharmaceutical pain relief options; but knew that she needed more than a simple massage, a vacation or a day off from work. So at a friend’s urging, she decided to try the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®. Immediately, Karla felt at ease with the Synergist’s gentle manner, cozy office and comfortable treatment table. But little did she know that she was in for a far greater experience than simply an hour of R&R.

“After I was comfortable”, recalls Karla, “the Synergist gently placed her hand under my right hip, which made it feel higher than my left. Then she asked me what I felt.” Much to Karla’s own surprise, she simply let out a little laugh. Then, when asked about her laughter, Karla replied, “This may sound crazy, but with my hips in this position, it feels like the right side of my body has a real attitude.” The Synergist encouraged Karla to keep sharing honestly about her observations. So Karla went on to describe another unexpected sensation. She explained that the Synergist’s hand near her left knee made her think of the Virgin Mary kneeling to pray. “I don’t know why”, shared Karla, “but it feels very serious and religious on the left side of my body. But my right side feels sassy, like it just wants to shimmy and sway like a dancer.” As the Synergist encouraged these two sides of her body to continue “speaking the truth”, Karla was pleasantly surprised by her own discovery. By the end of the session, Karla exclaimed, “Wow! I think I get it! One part of me wants to be sexy and free-spirited and another side of me feels concerned about my religious beliefs and responsibilities! It’s like the two sides of me are at odds with each other.”

Karla had recently begun a new spiritual course of study; and it occurred to her that she was worried about how her new path would impact her ability to have a good time. When these thoughts arose, Karla usually chose not to acknowledge them, fearing that they might be signs of weakness in her faith. But the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® helped her realize that, not only was it OK to be honest with herself, it was necessary for her health. She felt relieved to discover what was actually at the “heart” of her aches. Over time, Karla was able to relax and experience a stronger sense of “knowing herself”. With subsequent sessions, she gained more ease with being truthful about her desires. Discovering her truth allowed Karla to have better balance in her life without feeling guilty!

While all results are unique to the individual’s experience, the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® explores each client’s internal wisdom and unites the natural connection between their body and mind. The result is gently guided awareness that leads to an active and empowered role in their healing. Without drugs or invasive procedures, the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® offers a safe, holistic complementary approach to physical and emotional health and wellbeing.

*Client’s name was changed to protect confidentiality

Listen to Your Body and Reduce Stress

Listen to Your Body and Reduce Stress with The Seven Steps of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method®

Throughout life, stress, memories, and suppressed emotions are stored in our bodies. Sometimes these ‘holdings’ can show up as aches, pains and tensions causing us to feel chronically tired, emotionally drained and physically disconnected. These aches and pains are one of the ways our bodies communicate to us. When we ignore these ‘messages’, stress can become chronic and may eventually manifest as disease.

The Rubenfeld Synergy Method helps us to listen to the body using a combination of touch and talk. Through listening we become aware of habitual patterns and tensions. We can then make new choices, transform old patterns, relieve stress and bring tangible improvements to our daily lives.

The Rubenfeld Synergy Method is gentle and powerful and can lead to experiences of deep wellbeing, emotional connection and self-discovery.

Listed below are steps that Rubenfeld Synergists® may use when guiding clients to listen to their bodies. This is a process grounded in deep respect, openness and understanding. We encourage you to take this approach as you listen to your body.

The Seven Steps:

1. Be Curious-The word ‘curious’ comes from the same root word as ‘cure’ meaning to care for and pay attention to. Being genuinely curious instead of judgmental (e.g., “What’s wrong with me?”) promotes a caring relationship with your body and your being. As you listen to your body with care and curiosity (e.g., “What are you trying to tell me?”) you open the door to not only knowing your physical self, but also your emotional, mental and spiritual self.

2. Notice-The body has a language of its own. Often we ignore our body and only begin to listen when we feel tension, aches and pains. This is the body’s way of getting our attention. The body experiences and expresses numerous sensations both painful and pleasurable. It is important to notice both.

Close your eyes internally scan your body and notice where you are drawn to. What place is calling out for your attention in this moment? Is it your heart, shoulder, back, big toe, etc.? Each of these places has a message for you.

3. Touch-Gently make contact with the place in your body that is calling to you. Touch focuses your attention and heightens your awareness. If you cannot reach the place that is calling to you, imagine placing you hand there.

4. Describe-Using your senses describe what you are experiencing. Does this place feel heavy, tight, hard, soft, warm, compressed, etc.? Expand on the sensation by using metaphor. Example: “The heaviness across my chest feels like a steel plate pressing down on me.” Or “The warmth in my hip feels like a ray of sunshine radiating down my leg.”

5. Give Your Body a ‘Voice’-Imagine that this place could speak. What message does it have for you? Let this place speak in the “I”. Using the example of the hip given in Step #4, the hip might say, “I want to shine.”

6. Allow-Allow any feelings to emerge. E-motion is energy in motion, like a river it needs to flow. Use your breath to support the flow. When you continually suppress an emotion it can show up as aches, pain and tension in the body. For example, someone suppressing tears may experience a ‘lump’ in the throat. Another person may clench the jaw to suppress anger. If your emotions feel too intense, you may need to consider working with a Synergist, therapist or counselor.

7. Honor Your Experience with Love and Respect-The body speaks the truth, it does not lie. We can easily disregard, discount and/or diminish our experience. Appreciate your body for the wisdom it has given you. Be gentle and kind to yourself.

To find out more about the Rubenfeld Synergy Method visit http://www.bodywhisperer1.com/ or http://www.vastwellnesscenter.com/