Massage and Bodywork

Last year I've got the chance to try out few session of a technique called "Méthode de libération des cuirasses" developed by a lady called Marie lise Labontè which allegedly healed herself from rheumatoid artrithis by exploring this kind of techniques. It's a sort of expansion of the anti-gymnastic techniques coupled with some knowledge who, for what I understood, comes from rolfing and bioenergetic. It's basically a series of really slow movements, most of them done wile lying down ,coupled with the pressure on certain muscles exerted by more or less hard balls (like tennis one's) and sticks. All the movements are guided with a gentle, non directive way by a trained facilitator who also helps you to focus on the muscles involved in the movements. I found was a really pleasurable and responsible way to get in contact with the dept of my body, often experiencing emotional releases who brought a bit more knowledge on some issues of mine. I've been also attending the sessions trying a natural way to heal a Fistula which was with me for two years (they say,of course it needed surgery :/), the strangest thing happened after working on the gluteus muscles. Days after, I realized I forgot about having such a problem (if you have a fistula it's not easy not to think about it). It was gone..never to come back. Know, I'm sure the diet adjustments helped a lot to, but I'm prone to think this kind of deep bodywork did his job also.
 
Intothefield said:
Last year I've got the chance to try out few session of a technique called "Méthode de libération des cuirasses" developed by a lady called Marie lise Labontè which allegedly healed herself from rheumatoid artrithis by exploring this kind of techniques. It's a sort of expansion of the anti-gymnastic techniques coupled with some knowledge who, for what I understood, comes from rolfing and bioenergetic. It's basically a series of really slow movements, most of them done wile lying down ,coupled with the pressure on certain muscles exerted by more or less hard balls (like tennis one's) and sticks. All the movements are guided with a gentle, non directive way by a trained facilitator who also helps you to focus on the muscles involved in the movements. I found was a really pleasurable and responsible way to get in contact with the dept of my body, often experiencing emotional releases who brought a bit more knowledge on some issues of mine. I've been also attending the sessions trying a natural way to heal a Fistula which was with me for two years (they say,of course it needed surgery :/), the strangest thing happened after working on the gluteus muscles. Days after, I realized I forgot about having such a problem (if you have a fistula it's not easy not to think about it). It was gone..never to come back. Know, I'm sure the diet adjustments helped a lot to, but I'm prone to think this kind of deep bodywork did his job also.
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In briefly looking, there are many pages of french references to the "Méthode de libération des cuirasses" and a french video here. There is another Labontè with the same first name who authors books on angels; assuming it is not her.

If you happen to find translated references, Intothefield, please pass them along to readers.

Thanks :)
 
Hi Voyageur, thanks for the insight.
Think I stumbled across another new age propaganda....
Before posting, and even before doing the sessions, I checked her official website where there's no mention to her books about angels and channeling.
I knew there was some sort of energetic/ethereal/loveyourinternalbaby side of the technique which I haven't faced during my experience with it,simply enjoyed the gentle bodywork, but when I came across this (on your indications for a better search):
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Hk4hnMpRQ my jaw dropped...
Although I still think the bodywork was useful for me to some degree, there are better ways for sure to work with, without having to deal with all that nonsense..
Apology for the noise :-[
 
I'm just wondering whether anyone has ever been for a "Chakra Balance Massage"

I'm going for one on Saturday, next time i'll probably try the Reflexology..

Here's the description:

"Deeply meditative, this experience aligns the body's seven chakras through a combination of massage, blended essential oils and healing crystals. Working subtly but with profound effects, this truly unique treatment leaves you calm, harmonious and an increased sense of well being."

Sounds a little skeptical, OSIT, I just got a little excited when it talked about "balancing" and crystals.
 
Lilyalic said:
I'm just wondering whether anyone has ever been for a "Chakra Balance Massage"

I'm going for one on Saturday, next time i'll probably try the Reflexology..

Here's the description:

"Deeply meditative, this experience aligns the body's seven chakras through a combination of massage, blended essential oils and healing crystals. Working subtly but with profound effects, this truly unique treatment leaves you calm, harmonious and an increased sense of well being."

Sounds a little skeptical, OSIT, I just got a little excited when it talked about "balancing" and crystals.
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Hi Lilyalic,

I've never had a Chakra Balance Massage. And honestly wouldn't go for one. The reflexology sounds better. As a massage therapist for the past 9 years, I am skeptical of most of these fancy (energy work) body treatments out there today. Especially if we don't know the level of knowledge/training, intention and practice of the therapist performing the treatment.

A good old-fashioned full body massage for 60 or 90 minutes using essential oils would seem to me to do a better job of what the Chakra Balance Massage claims.

Just my 2 cents, FWIW.
 
Moonbird said:
I've never had a Chakra Balance Massage. And honestly wouldn't go for one. The reflexology sounds better. As a massage therapist for the past 9 years, I am skeptical of most of these fancy (energy work) body treatments out there today. Especially if we don't know the level of knowledge/training, intention and practice of the therapist performing the treatment.

A good old-fashioned full body massage for 60 or 90 minutes using essential oils would seem to me to do a better job of what the Chakra Balance Massage claims.

Just my 2 cents, FWIW.
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Yeah when I was reading up about it, it all seemed a little "love and lighty" and I wondered what kind of knowledge these therapists would have in the Chakras / energy balancing. I rang up before and changed it to just a deep tissue massage :) I'm sure that'll work wonders! The whole "Chakra balance" caught my eye a little too much without thinking huh!

Thank you for your expert advice, much appreciated :) !
 
Yes I agree with the comments here. As a massage therapist myself, the intentions of the therapist are the most important thing. I am not keen on "energy balancing etc" sessions either. A massage when it is well done with the correct intention will increase the clients awareness of their own body and so then helps set their path to healing. Even people who are very self aware can gain new awareness of some of their 'stuff'.

Any energy work with come through of its own accord from attention to serving the needs of the client.
 
gottathink said:
Yes I agree with the comments here. As a massage therapist myself, the intentions of the therapist are the most important thing. I am not keen on "energy balancing etc" sessions either. A massage when it is well done with the correct intention will increase the clients awareness of their own body and so then helps set their path to healing. Even people who are very self aware can gain new awareness of some of their 'stuff'.

Any energy work with come through of its own accord from attention to serving the needs of the client.
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considering what the C's have said about chakras, I would think anyone offering chakra work has a belief system based on new age nonsense.

Q: (L) An energy vortex in the body, a chakra in the body, is a place where the body energy interfaces with the universe. Tell us about chakras, Susan. (SV) There are all different kinds. There are the seven major chakras, the ones in the palms, almost every joint in the body has a chakra... (T) What do they do? (L) An interface point? (SV) Yes. (L) Is this what we are talking about here? An interface between this density and other densities?

A: First of all, "chakras" are a little understood and non-proven phenomenon. Now, it just so happens they do exist, but in different form than reported by many in the so called "psychic" community. So you see, you have opened yet another "can of worms."

Q: (L) Well, Worms Are Us! I knew that question would last all night! Why did I ask it? (SV) Well, let's go for it! (L) Okay, first worm... (T) Worm One... (J) Worm One... (L) ...what, exactly, is a chakra?

A: An energy field that merges density one, two, three or four with five.

Q: (T) A focus point that merges densities to fifth density contemplation level?

A: Close.

Q: (T) What purpose do we merge to the contemplation level through the chakras?

A: You are all connected with level five on a short wave cycle, reference text.

Q: (L) Does each chakra relate to a color as we have been told?

A: In a sense, but not primary issue.

Q: (L) What is the primary issue?

A: The connection with physical imprint locator.

Q: (L) So, that has to do with this area right here? Are we back to the house?

A: On a physical body, density levels one through four.

Q: (L) So, we are sitting in the middle of a giant chakra, the navel of the world! (J) Better than the armpit of the world.

A: What are you speaking of?

Q: (T) Tallahassee, the armpit of the world! (L) I was just joking, we are not in the navel of the world. We are in a chakra... (T) In order to be at this location... (L) ...is that it?

A: You are drifting an there is much too much thought fragmentation tonight.

Q: (L) Okay. (J) I am wondering if it is related to the storm? (L) Let's take a break. Break

Q: (L) We have a real serious dude tonight. He's not letting us play! (SV) I wonder if there are seven major chakras in the same place as described by others. (L) Okay, we're back.

A: Back?

Q: (L) Well, we really didn't leave, you know. (J) Yeah, we went for a walk! (L) Susan wants to know if there are seven major chakras related to the physical body as has been taught by many sources?

A: It varies according to individuals.

Q: (SV) You mean some people have more chakras than others?

A: Name a "chakra."

Q: (L) Is there a base chakra, the root chakra?

A: We asked you to name one.

Q: (L) Well, we named one. (SV) There's the heart chakra, the third eye, I don't know the Hindu names for them... (L) Name a person?

A: No.

Q: (SV) The lady who wrote "Hands of Light" said that when she does healings, spirit guides...

A: What happens to those who have major body parts missing?

Q: (J) Oooh! (SV) But the etheric field is still there! They have proven that with Kirlian photography...

A: Is that the same thing?

Q: (L) Well, is that which is photographed by Kirlian photography the same thing that makes up the chakras? (SV) Well, you would have the seven major ones... you can't live without a head and torso... (L) What happens when you have organs, the glands related to the chakras, taken out. Women have hysterectomies all the time...

A: Good question!

Q: (SV) But the energy's still there even though the body parts are gone! That's what I have been taught.

A: Who says?

Q: (SV) Do you want to know the names of my instructors?

A: All we are trying to point out to you, is that you are delving into an area where purported fact is not proven, and the entire subject is only slightly understood at your level. It is better to get facts before proclaiming knowledge, lest you make serious mistakes!

Q: (SV) But what about what Barbara Marciniak said about the chakras... she talked about 12 chakras, seven internal and five external? Was Barbara onto something?

A: Vague.

Q: (T) It was not what Barbara was onto, it was the information she was being given. (L) Was the information Barbara was given as far as the chakras, correct as far as it went?

A: Close.

Q: (L) Well, there's a clue. (T) It better be, we gave it to her. (J) True. (T) If they said no... (J) ...we are in a lot of trouble. We had better find something else to do on Saturday night. (L) We could bowl. Canasta, anyone? This would make a great card table. (J) Bridge? (L) I don't know how everyone else feels about it, but maybe we should just read Marciniak on this one for now and drop the subject. (T) They have been saying that the chakras as they have been taught may not be entirely accurate. The information about these energy points is that they do not exist as they have been laid out by others, but that they exist in different people in different places because of the way the energy flows in each individual. They don't always exist in the same place just as the energy vortexes on the planet fluctuate and change. So, within the person the energy changes and fluctuates... (J) Do the chakras move around?

A: They may.

Q: (T) Do different people have different numbers of chakras?

A: Yes.

Q: (T) So, the whole idea of chakra work, not to take anything away from what Susan has been doing, is very much incorrect as it is laid out?

A: Maybe.

Q: (SV) Okay, if you sensitize your hands, could you pick up on this energy on the body? Could you detect the chakras?

A: Maybe.

Q: (T) Will Reiki allow you to find the chakras as they move about?

A: Maybe.
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Doesn't the theory go something like: people only have 3 which relates to Gurdjieff's centres, the lower instinctual, emotional and intellectual and in order to receive the other 3 higher centres/chakras you grow a magnetic centre through the work and attract them. So people are doing chakra work on the assumption that everybody has 7. It just makes me very sceptical. Plus "clearing chakras" seems like short cut territory to me too. Like if someone waves a crystal over you it will change something for you.
I think massage work is the way to go, for the above mentioned reasons by gottathink/moonbird.
 
Thanks for posting Lainey, this is a good discussion for us bodyworkers.

I think were are starting to get into the territory of the therapist as an "interactor" rather than an "operator". We cannot dictate to the body what or how it needs to heal anymore than we as therapists can tell it how to grow. What we can do is help people, team up with them and give them a boost so that they can get on with it. We interact with them. I think this goes as much for manual therapy (physiotherapists, massage therapists, cranio-sacral therapists, etc alike) as it does for "energy workers". We can not dictate to the wisdom of the body or its soul direction and choices.

Backing off from: telling the body what it needs to do, or trying to 'change it' results in my experience, of a very loud and clear message coming through of what it needs. Specifically one example is, spinal reflexes that release neuro muscular tension; no force involved only listening and helping with your hands. I think this principal can be applied across all the modalities.
I have read some of this debate "interactor verses operator" in one of the physiotherapy journals.

It is a paradigm shift. A very significant one for many therapists I think.
 
Exactly, some energy workers/therapists are in danger of going in the direction of ego driven, magical healing techniques. You are right, the body knows what it needs and someone coming along claiming to be able to cleanse, clean, clear your invisible chakras that they only believe are there and are working with because someone else has told them they are/they read it in a new age book reeks of a faulty belief system. Yes some people claim to be able to see and feel them but could that just be the third man theory?
Hugh Cayce wrote about some experiments he did in hypnosis during his off hours of boredom in the Army or some branch of the service. One experiment went like this: the subject was told that when he was awakened that he would be unable to see a third man in the room who would have become invisible. All the "proper" suggestions to make this "true" were given, such as "you do NOT see so- and-so" etc... varying formats. When the subject was awakened, lo and behold! the suggestions did NOT work. Why? Because they went against his belief system. He did NOT believe that a person could become invisible.



So, another tactic was tried. The subject was hypnotized again and was told that the third person was leaving the room... that he had been called away on urgent business, and the scene of him getting on his coat and hat was described... the door was opened and shut to provide "sound effects," and then the subject was brought out of the trance. Guess what happened? He was UNABLE TO SEE the Third Man. Why? Because his belief system was "activated" in a manner that was "acceptable" to his "ego survival" instincts. The survival of the ego is established pretty early in life by our parental and societal programming.



The Third Man went about the room picking things up and setting them down and doing all sorts of things to test the subject, and the subject became utterly hysterical at this "anomalous" activity! He could see objects moving through the air, doors opening and closing, but he could NOT see the SOURCE because he did not believe that there was another man in the room.

The thing that struck me as I was writing this down was my constant reference to the "Third Man." It just seemed the easiest way to tell the story, but I DID remember the remark made by the C's and wondered if this was part of the solution to the "Third Man Theme?"



So, what are the implications to this factor of human consciousness? (By the way, this is also the reason why most therapy to stop bad habits does not work - they attempt to operate against a "belief system" that is imprinted in the subconscious that this or that habit is essential to survival).



One of the first things that we talked about was the idea that everyone has a different set of beliefs and that these beliefs determine how much of the OBJECTIVE reality one is able to access.
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http://www.cassiopaea.com/archive/mostletters8.htm

They see them because they believe in them. Yes I do believe we have energy centres, meridians and such but there just isn't enough evidence to prove that there is a set number, and that colours, sounds, crystals etc. affect them and how, that reiki always does "good". I don't know much about physics but to me its less about new age cosmic love energy and more about electromagnetic activity in the body and how it affects our polarity, how our intentions ie. thoughts, ie. more electric activity interact with the other person and their aura (electromagnetic field)

Q: (L) When one receives the Reiki initiation does it reverse the flow of intake and output, positive or negative polarity of the energy flow in the hands?

A: Yes.

Q: (L) Does the left hand then become the output hand?

A: Yes.

Q: (L) Is the right hand then the intaking hand?

A: Yes.
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http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,28381.msg353160.html#msg353160

Much better to work with something that can give us actual feedback and like you said, work as a team towards healing rather than picking up the magic wand.
 
Thank you for quoting the C session here lainey, I don't think I'll be tempted to take on anything of "chakra balancing" again! I did go for a deep tissue massage and knackered my body for days, then went hot yoga the day after and had a massive emotional episode. It was crazy! both clearly helped in some way, I'm starting to think if I had went for this "chakra balance" then something bad would have come from it! or nothing at all...
 
Another thing to consider here is the details provided in "The Wave" series, in the first three books I think. After reading so much on "high strangeness", (the more freaky ones like alien encounters & creatures in the woods, missing time etc) Laura's account of the New Age crowd & "covens" & "agents" being activated all over (that church episode I found truly unsettling) should make one stop & think. That was in the 90s too, imagine the damage that the leaders of these groups have done with their schools, like all of that reverse Reiki madness (included in a C's session If I remember right) & the teachings to all of their pupils. Many have probably gone on thinking that they're providing a great Service To Others (as energy/body workers) whilst carrying some real "nasties" in their energy field.

I personally found that part of the book more disturbing than many other "high strangeness" encounters, which a lot of people normally freak out over. Don't get me wrong, I found the usual stuff freaky (mostly the "missing time" & "dimensional curtain" thing where some creature is supposed to appear or so) as well but the interaction with people that you trust, that you feel close to & who you feel "get you" & you want to join forces to help others, & then find it's the complete opposite.... well obviously I'm talking about pathologicals. As Laura went on to discover & learn & help us, we can use her experiences (as well as other trustworthy sources) coupled with our knowledge & awareness of not just full blown psychopaths, but others with other character disturbances. In the context of this thread, just think of a seemingly nice body therapist saying & doing all of the right things but with limited awareness, or some dodgy intent. Dunno if a really pathological type can actually hold anything that can be called positive energy to keep such a masquerade going. But yeah, just some thoughts.
 
After going for my first 'deep tissue' massage several days ago, i came away very disappointed. I was placed with a rather old masseuse, not meaning to be agest, and i barely felt anything considering i had booked a deep tissue.
I came out actually feeling annoyed at how rushed she was, and how i had over anticipated the massage itself.

From what i asked, i gathered that i have alot of build up tension/stress and knots on my shoulder blades and neck due to working repetitive tasks. She advised this would take weeks to fully get out and reset to normal. So i am planning on looking into getting a more specified neck/back/shoulder massage, but at a different location.
Im just seeing if anyone has any advice regarding to if the information on time scale to get this tension out is correct? Will it take several sessions, or does it just take a better masseuse to do the job?

The only thing i gained from my first session was the location of my knots on my back, which i can feel alot more than usual now!
 
Huxley said:
After going for my first 'deep tissue' massage several days ago, i came away very disappointed. I was placed with a rather old masseuse, not meaning to be agest, and i barely felt anything considering i had booked a deep tissue.
I came out actually feeling annoyed at how rushed she was, and how i had over anticipated the massage itself.

From what i asked, i gathered that i have alot of build up tension/stress and knots on my shoulder blades and neck due to working repetitive tasks. She advised this would take weeks to fully get out and reset to normal. So i am planning on looking into getting a more specified neck/back/shoulder massage, but at a different location.
Im just seeing if anyone has any advice regarding to if the information on time scale to get this tension out is correct? Will it take several sessions, or does it just take a better masseuse to do the job?

The only thing i gained from my first session was the location of my knots on my back, which i can feel alot more than usual now!
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Hi Huxley,

Sorry about your disappointing experience with the deep tissue massage. Did you let them know when you were leaving the establishment that you were not satisfied with the massage and that the therapist seemed rushed? Sometimes they will offer for you to come back and have another massage (complimentary) with someone different or they will discount the price of the massage. I think it is important to offer feedback after a massage especially if you were not satisfied.

I would say yes, that it could take more than one session to fully release the tension/knots, but I would think that you should have at least felt more relaxed after the massage.

And also I would say to look for a different massage therapist. Maybe when you call to book another appointment, you could let them know about your disappointment with your last deep tissue massage. It might help them to place you with an appropriate deep tissue massage therapist.
 
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