Sunday, November 20, 2011

Structural Therapy Experience: Session 2

Structural Therapy Experience: Session 2 - Legs & feet

I am still breathing deeply with an open diaphragm from the first session and feel open across my chest.  Already I'm impressed with the lasting effects.  We are now finishing up our second weekend in the Structural Therapy Program and this weekend was extremely grounding.  We worked on the feet and lower legs to create a firm foundation to allow the knee to release.  Almost every time I get a massage I have the therapist focus on the back and neck because I have chronic pain there; my legs are usually neglected.  Living in the city of Chicago and not having a car I do a LOT of walking so my legs and feet are really tight.  It's interesting to me how disconnected I am to the lower half of my body.  I live in my neck and shoulders most of the time even though I use my legs & feet more in some cases.  Having a whole hour spent just on my lower legs and feet was eye opening.  Special attention was paid to the retinacular band of fascia that crosses the ankle as well as the tendons that connect to my toes.  I have pain in my right big toe right in the tendon and could not bend it without pain.  After the session I could bend my toe and had no pain at all!

I also do not have arches in my feet, not since I was a kid.  My parents told me I actually wore orthotics for the first 2 years of my life because I did not have arches.  After this session I had arches!  I could feel a space between the middle of my foot and the ground.  I could actually have a sense of where an arch should be and where I should be standing.  That was unbelievable to me.  At the end of the first day working Althea, the instructor, walked us through some Psychophysical exercises for the feet.  These are movements that create body awareness.  I had yet another revelation; I have toes!  One of the first exercises she had us do was to make a windshield wiper movement with our feet on the ground and try to sense our toes.  At first I couldn't feel any of my toes.  After we did a few more of the movements and reassessed with the windshield wiper exercise I could feel all of my toes on the floor.  I could feel every part of my foot as I walked.

Working with my model on the second day I was able to focus on 2 different areas and see the change I was trying to create.  I wanted to release the top of his left foot and the achilles on his right leg.  After the session was complete we saw measured changes in both areas.  It was so validating both for me and for this work!  I love being able to see a difference.  I felt much more confident in the work this weekend.  I could really feel the tissue move more this time around.  I feel more solid on the ground and I feel more solid in my head.  It is a wonderful feeling to have support!  We have three weeks now until our next session.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!             







Sunday, November 13, 2011

Structural Therapy Experience: Session 1

Structural Therapy Experience

Let me first introduce myself, I am Rebecca Pollock, LMT, President of the Chicago College of Healing Arts (CCHA).  I have been a massage therapist for almost 15 years and love everything about the holistic health and wellness field.  That is why I chose to buy a healing arts school.  I want to be fully involved with my school so I am currently enrolled in the Structural Therapy program we have here at CCHA and I would like to share my experiences about this amazing work over the next 6 months after each weekend.

Session 1 - Releasing the Sleeve

Well, we are finishing up the first weekend of the Structural Therapy Program and I cannot wait to continue!  I came into this program not really knowing what to expect.  I know Structural is a deep tissue technique and very similar to myofascial work, but beyond that I didn't know what to expect.  I have been pleasantly surprised so far!  I look around the room at my classmates and I'm amazed.  There are so many different backgrounds, levels of experience and personalities, but one thing is the same - we all want to learn.  We all want to give something to back to people.  I feel so honored to be in class with these amazing bodyworkers.  Everyone has their own unique style and gift to add to the process.  This first session is about creating more space in the body and releasing the most superficial tissue.  I am the model for one of the demos from an instructor so I will be getting the ten sessions from one of the professionals.
The work begins with releasing the diaphragm and the intercostals, those muscles that live in between your ribs.  I know I hold a lot in my abdomen, but oh my goodness was it tight!  It felt so good to have those muscles released.  I am breathing far deeper than I was at the beginning of the weekend and I'm more aware of my breathing.  I'm also more aware of some feelings that have surfaced.  Slight irritations, frustrations mostly at myself.  I know this work has an emotional component to it that is very powerful.  Your muscles have memory and hold things far longer than you need or want to.  I noticed that my posture has been collapsing in the front.  Perhaps I'm protecting myself from something, that instinctual fetal position.  My chest is collapsing in, shoulders slumping forward and my back is rounding.  Perhaps I have had this posture for awhile and now I am aware of it.  All that matters now is that I am aware of it.  Each time I have caught myself collapsing this weekend, I correct myself.  I've been aware of my posture before, but never to this depth.  I can feel how collapsing my chest affects my breathing and my ribcage. Multiple levels of feelings are bubbling up inside of me, and it will be curious to see how they present themselves.  Right now I just feel open.

Stay tuned, session 2 is next weekend!