Lakewood Holistic Practitioners

Hot Stone Therapy

Question: I have noticed that you incorporate Hot Stones in every massage session; can you explain the benefits of Hot Stone Therapy? 

Answer (Lisa Beaubien): The Hot Stones that I use are called Basalt rocks that have been polished and blessed with a healing intention.  They are great at delivering instant heat to not only the superficial muscles, but the deep muscles and organs as well.  That in turn helps for deeper relaxation, cleansing and faster healing. Also, most clients report that the heat allows them to relax so deeply that they fall asleep during the treatment session allowing for healing on a physiological level.  This helps to relieve the stress of always being on the "go," or what is known as the "fight or flight" syndrome.  All that being said, the best "reply" from a Hot Stone treatment is snoring!  

Q. Why am I having pain with my period?

A. (Ruth Chao) Menstruation should be a beautiful orchestrated function of nerves, veins, hormones and chi.  The onset of menstruation should be painless, without cramping, headaches or backaches.  Any discomfort is considered pathology and not normal functioning.

Too many women and young girls suffer from painful menstruation caused by a malpositioned uterus.  Until the uterine position is addressed and corrected, no pills or herbs will bring about relief of these symptoms.  The basic underlying cause must be treated.

The malpositioned uterus is weak, undernourished and toxic.  Every function it performs will be affected as it is unable to effectively cleanse from month to month.

Mayan Abdominal Massage is an ancient powerful technique of the Maya.  It is an external non-invasive manipulation of the abdomen that repositions the uterus, helping reestablish unrestricted flow of blood, lymph, nerve and chi.  It not only covers the abdominal region, but also the pelvis, the lower back and the sacrum.

Painful periods are avoidable and correctable using this technique.  The combination of dietary changes to wholesome foods and the application of three to six professional sessions of Mayan Abdominal Massage is almost guarantee that menses will become a blessing, and not a "curse".

Q. I am interested in hypnotherapy for weight loss.  Can you tell me about that?

A. (James Schwartz, BCH)  My weight management program usually consists of four sessions.  The first session is about 90 minutes long and the other sessions are 60 minutes.  Some clients might need additional sessions if they have a lot of issues connected to their weight.  And some clients, after the program is finished, want to come in every couple of months to make sure they stay on track, but that is not required.

During the program, we work on everything from snacking, exercise, eating healthy meals, reducing the amount of food consumed (if necessary), emotional eating, self-esteem issues, managing stress and disconnecting from things that make people turn to food.  The key to a successful weight management program is identifying and processing the emotional issues that create unhealthy eating habits and cause people to hold onto weight, so that is one of the main focuses of the program.

Clients should always feel free to call for additional information.

Question: We're on the brink of separating, are we too far gone for couple therapy?

Answer from Dr. Sondra Medina:  Many couples wait until the situation is dire before considering couple therapy. However, even in the worst of circumstances, couples can experience relief by engaging in some sort of treatment. Couple therapy can help repair the relationship, and it can also help people decide how they want to proceed (either towards separation or towards repair).

For couples who are not sure how to proceed, Discernment Counseling, developed by Doherty and Harris (2006) provides a safe structure for the couple to decide. This type of treatment can be helpful for couples with one partner ready to leave and one partner wanting to repair the relationship (this is the case about 30% of the time that couples are considering separation).  It can also be helpful for couples where both partners are ambivalent about whether to separate or not.  

Even couples who decide to separate can experience some healing by engaging in separation therapy. The goal in this type of treatment is not to reconcile, but rather for each individual to recognize his or her own responsibility in the demise of the relationship so that neither partner will go on to make the same mistakes in subsequent relationships. Part of separation therapy includes assisting partners in developing a co-parenting plan if children are involved.

And, of course, couple therapy can be used to help repair the relationship so that the couple does not separate. When both individuals desire reconciliation and healing, couple therapy can be invaluable in strengthening their bond and helping them move past many issues including growing apart, breaches of trust, infidelity, meanness, disrespect, and chronic conflicts.

So, the short answer to the question, "We're on the brink of separating, are we too far gone for couple therapy?" is a resounding, "No." Couple therapy can be helpful regardless of how bleak the situation has become.

Gina Mee: The number of treatments depends on many factors, as every patient's situation or imbalance varies. Age and health are vital factors in how effective each treatment will be, and chronic conditions usually take longer to treat than acute conditions. Some patients may be treated once or twice a week, while others may require monthly visits for health maintenance and seasonal "tune ups." Since acupuncture targets the root of the illness or pain and not just the symptoms, it can take at least a month for patients to notice significant changes.

Gina Mee: Acupuncture works to balance and strengthen a person's Qi (pronounced "chee") or energy.  Qi is vital energy that flows throughout the body and protects it from illness, pain and disease.  A person's health is influenced by the quality, quantity and balance of Qi, which flows throughout the body through specific pathways called meridians. There are 14 main meridians that connect to specific organs and glands. These meridians are like rivers that transport nourishment for each cell, organ, gland, tissue, and muscle.   

When Qi is abundant and flows freely throughout the body, one feels physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. When there's an obstruction of the Qi anywhere in the body, it blocks a smooth flow of energy, and therefore, pain or disease set in.  An acupuncturist then works with a patient to bring their health back to balance. This process is completely natural and involves no medications. Instead, a patient's own body is facilitated to heal itself. 

Massage makes me feel so great and relaxed after, but what is there any advantage of receiving a regular, monthly massage?

Answer:

Many people look at massage as a mere indulgence, not realizing the long-term and lasting results on a physical, mental, and spiritual level.  Regular, monthly massage helps to reduce muscle-tension related aches and pains, resulting in less muscle strains, spasms and tears.  This is turn helps to avoid unwanted doctor bills, pharmaceutical drugs, and surgery down the road.  

Massage also helps to boost circulation, decrease aging and according to a 2010 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, it increases immune-cell circulation and reduces stress-hormone levels in the bloodstream.  When under chronic stress (and who isn't these days!) our immune system weakens and aging accelerates. 

Many added benefits of regular massage also include an increase in sensory awareness as to where you hold tension and what needs more attention i.e, stretching.  Clients often state just knowing that they have a monthly massage booked keeps them in a positive mindset and something to look forward to all month long! 

Acupuncture is very safe when performed by a qualified, licensed, conscientious practitioner. Properly trained acupuncturists know the human anatomy very well and insert needles in a very safe fashion. The needles are pre-sterilized during manufacture, and sealed in packaging until opened for use. Then they are disposed of after one use in accordance with biohazard regulations.

About one-quarter of the world's population uses some form of acupuncture and the healing principles of oriental medicine in their health care. This system is so safe, cost-efficient, non-iatrogenic and effective that is has been endorsed wholehearted by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.

Because of acupuncture's safety record, high degree of efficacy, and freedom of side effects, acupuncture is now being used by millions of Americans every day to treat a myriad of conditions. In addition to experiencing a deep sense of relaxation during the treatment, one common side benefit is that, while undergoing therapy for one ailment, other lesser problems often resolve concurrently. This demonstrates the "holistic" principles behind the approach of traditional Chinese Medicine, which seeks to identify the ROOT cause, and attempts to restore balance to the whole being.