When the therapist gets therapy
I will be the first one to admit, I thought about getting therapy for a while. I spent 18 years behind a computer, sitting at a desk. And even though my daily reality is very different now, my posture was very much effected by my desk jockey career. It is really amazing how posture habits stay with us even when we change the daily circumstances.
Which brings me back to why I was looking for the most effective technique to re-educate my body.
Yes, re-educate the body. You read that right. I needed to re-learn how to stand, sit and even walk with ease and harmony.
It simply is not just about reducing muscle tension, increasing range of motion or softening fascial adhesions. To achieve the greatest results, we need to involve our nervous system to eliminate habits we developed and open up new possibilities of being and moving through this world. Our horses need the same.
We have some amazing practitioners here in our area, in a multitude of approaches and therapies. It can be downright overwhelming to pick one even when you are in the business!
My husband has a fabulous massage therapist and he raves about her. I also know some incredible chiropractors who do amazing work.
So why did I not go to any of them. It may not seem a very logical reason, but it just didn't seem the right fit. I didn't get excited about going. My gut was telling me - no, that's not it. And I have learned to listen to my gut, and listen closely. It has never steered me wrong. And when I didn't listen, I wished I had 99% of the time.
I finally came across a book called "What's In Your Web". It's about Fascia - the connective tissue that surrounds and connects every single thing in our bodies. I had become fascinated and intrigued by this body system of stability, connection and integrated movement. But this book really opened my eyes to a whole new vision of health and well-being.
The book not only told the story of the author, a physical therapist himself who suffered from tremendous pain, but it also included stories of his own patients and other therapists. What got me so excited about it was the author's journey to becoming a physical therapist and how he found John F. Barnes. John teaches a very unique approach to Myofascial Release which encompasses not just the physical but also the emotional component of trauma experienced by the patient. It is a multi-dimensional, integrative approach to health and well-being.
And that's when I felt it: that tingling, giddy, excited buzz. A knowing that this is what I had been looking for. And not just for myself, but also for my own practice of MFR which I regularly incorporate into my work with horses.
I had already practiced MFR along those lines intuitively, listening to the horses I worked on and watching them let go of emotions and traumas lodged in the tissue. But now I was able to put meaning and purpose behind what I felt.
So I started exploring it within my own body and finally decided to look for a practitioner in my area. I knew without a doubt that I would have an amazing experience.
The day arrived and I was practically giddy with excitement. And I was not disappointed.
This type of myofascial release treatment requires trust to let go of deeply held traumas, down to the cellular level. It isn't merely about engaging the tissue, layer by layer. It also is about setting up a safe space for both patient and practitioner to experience the release and integrate these traumas.
To go through this first hand, to feel how my body responded to touch (at all different levels), to feel myself shake all over before it could let go. It was an eye opener when I felt how my body was trying to protect me. Sometimes just wanting to brace against the experience and hold on, sometimes almost "locking up". My therapist was amazing in talking and coaching me through every one of those moments, asking me to FEEL it, follow it, experience it and know I was safe.
Let me give you an example. As my therapist addressed my left psoas, I felt a tremendous wave of grief. Now, I FELT it and absolutely KNEW what this feeling was, but I didn't go through the grief as in crying etc. It was an almost surreal, detached feeling, as if I was only "watching it happen". And as the tissue let go, which is a very physical sensation, the emotion also diminished and then let go. And then I felt such relief, I sighed.
Having this first-hand experience now enables me to have a much deeper understanding of what the horses feel when I work with them. It gives new meaning to some of their responses and releases.
But the biggest AHA came after the treatment. My body processed and integrated these changes for a day and a half. Yes, you read that right. A day and a half!
I would feel low-level electrical charges go through my body, similar to "pins and needles". This happened especially when I relaxed. I had to tell myself "feel it, don't brace against it". I would feel my body move suddenly, especially my legs, when the energy discharged. For instance, my foot would suddenly jerk to the left. Or I would feel the urge to move my arm in a particular direction. I also felt a bit "unstable" - like my body needed to figure out where all the parts where again and re-connect along new neural pathways. I learned to move differently, becoming acutely aware of it, and then becoming more habitual with these new patterns.
And suddenly other body parts had a chance to "speak up". Another layer of restriction I could bring awareness to and work with in between sessions.
The reason I decided to share this experience with you is twofold:
- The body processes these types of treatment approaches for much longer than we think, we must allow time for the horse to integrate before proceeding with our training/riding program to get the greatest benefit
- Creating trust and a safe space for the horse is absolutely vital so he can move past the body's own defense mechanism
Receiving treatment as a therapist has made me so much more aware of the nuances involved in achieving an authentic healing response with long lasting results.
“You can only take your patients as far as you are willing to go yourself!”
For our horses to truly reach their maximum potential, we must realize that they are more than their physical bodies. Their minds and emotions have a huge impact on their physical well-being. And any type of treatment or therapy needs to address your equine partner as a whole.
“When a myofascial release technique takes the tissue to a significant position three-dimensionally in space, the tissue not only changes and improves, but memories, emotional states, and belief systems rise to the conscious level.”
I hope this inspires you to take a closer look at your interaction with your horse, how your approach can open new avenues of well-being and comfort for your horse. Give me a call if you are interested in discussing your particular situation and see if my approach is the right fit for you and your equine partner.
And let me know what you thought about this post! I'd love to hear from you!