Benefits of bodywork

by Kevin Kunkel

The discussion of time perceiving to move faster and faster now a days is a frequent discussion I hear. Although this change in perception seems to always occur as we get older, today it is being perceived in a more extraordinary way by all ages. Instruments such as the internet, cell phones, and microwaves make daily actions easier and faster. In turn, we are experiencing events faster and spending less time acknowledging and being present to one activity. As the human body works, we then begin to expect these experiences and adapt on a cellular level to a world that runs fast; and as the lessons of life teach us… “We get what we expect”.

As the pace of our activities quickens, we struggle to maintain balance and harmony. We have less and less time to acknowledge and be present to our bodies. At times we get to a point where we have pain in our side, and the pain is present merely because we have a thorn sticking in our side. We may want and demand surgery to rid us of our pain, but we obviously don’t need surgery to take care of the pain. We just need to become aware of our bodies enough to realize there is a thorn there and all we have to do is remove it.

Yoga, meditation, tai chi, and bodywork are powerful, effective ways to bring awareness to your body and to steer yourself towards being pain free, energized, and full of a vitality that allows for more fulfilling relationships, work, and play. When you allow time to observe, acknowledge, and be fully absorbed in your immediate experience, you give yourself powerful experiences that strongly counteract the thousand other less-present experiences of your day. Focused and mindful touch, for instance, is a moving experience of prolonged observation and acknowledgement of your immediate bodily experience. Following your breath and bodily sensations in your body, you acknowledge, and become absorbed in the process of your body rebalancing and re-harmonizing. The experience of the “fastness” of life becomes a mere memory, only one option to how life could be experienced. Again, as the human body works, after a mindful bodywork session your body begins to expect experiences of balance and harmony and adapts on a cellular level to a world that is balanced and harmonious. Again, you then begin to get what you expect.

Akasha continues to offer a variety of body and energy work, meditation, and personal yoga or tai chi instructions. Make your next visit to Akasha be because of your commitment to wellness and a personal vitality that can sustain your actions to fulfill all of your, your families, and your communities’ dreams.

Lastly, continue to take advantage of our offer of a free 10 minutes of chair or table massage, energy work, or guided, therapeutic movement when you are in the center, dependent upon availability. Until then, take time to breathe, move, meditate, and play whole-heartedly every moment of the day.