Everything in life is energy. We are reminded of this all the time. If you are hiking and tired, hug a tree. Its roots go deep into the earth, and its branches shoot up into the sky. It is a shaft of energy. Hugging a tree helps restore you. Yes, one should be proud to be a tree-hugger!
When a Rolfing® client comes in for a session, I watch that person walk. My eye picks up what’s moving and what’s not moving. I see the stuck areas and understand where their pain is – it’s all about the energy not moving through the body. One hip might be higher than the other or the lower back might not move in rhythm with the rest of the body. Their upper body might be still while the rest of the body has motion. To me, it’s as obvious as light on, light off. My job is to guide that person to release the physical tissue, make new pathways for easier movement, and educate them on how to embody that movement. Rolfing® is done by direct physical manipulation and moving the energy into those quiet, stuck places to juice up the body with more life.
A Four-Legged Anecdote
Energy is everywhere and contributes to everything. My wonderful dog, Spanky, a loving Pet Therapy Team with me at Hartford Hospital (and a steady presence in my Rolfing® office, along with his younger brother, Sunny Boy), was having some issues about a year and a half ago. He seemed to just get old one day and didn’t want to jump into the car, which is his favorite place. He didn’t enjoy our off-leash Sunday five-mile hikes with friends and seemed low-spirited. After a trip to my veterinarian, he was cleared of any real problems. She looked at his shoulders, legs, and back and said to give him doggie anti-inflammatories. He seemed to get marginally better, but still wasn’t right. Was it old age? I didn’t think so, as he was only eight and a half, and it had come on so suddenly.
Then, I remembered the acupuncture-chiropractic veterinarian I hadn’t seen in years because my previous dog did not need her services. It made sense that a Rolfer would choose a more alternative and holistic approach. Why hadn’t I thought about that sooner?! On our first visit, she pointed out a few vertebrae were misaligned and saw and felt some very old emotional trauma. Together, they were blocking his system and making him seem to age quite rapidly.
Energy Healing Can Work for All
Several years ago, when Spanky was a puppy, he was the toughest dog I’d ever raised. He would howl in his crate, bounce the crate across the floor, and be constantly disruptive, and I was at my wit’s end. My then veterinarian told me to put a blanket over his crate as you would with a parakeet to signal rest time. All Spanky did was shred the entire blanket into four-inch pieces and eat some of it. I was fortunate he didn’t need surgery.
A few years later, a client was starting to learn some interesting energy work and asked me if she could do a healing session on the Spankster. I said absolutely YES! When I saw her two weeks later, she gave me the rundown of the eight-day healing session she had done. I had not mentioned anything about his birth or situation to her, and she knew from this healing work that he was unwanted, and that issues went generations back.
Spanky was part of an “oops” litter. The breeder I had used before had a scheduled breeding for her carefully chosen whippets. Three days after that breeding, another female went into heat. She missed that moment, resulting in a second litter born three days after the first planned breeding. She knew she did not want to breed that female because she was not maternal, among other reasons.
Spanky was born into a world that didn’t want him. His mother walked away from her puppies a week after their birth, so he and his siblings had to find comfort with the other mother nursing her own puppies. How could one new mother feed and nurture fifteen puppies, half of which weren’t hers? I only knew that my lovely pup had to be shown he mattered and was loved.
So, Spanky’s physical pathology was also a deeply rooted upset that was with him when he came into his life. It’s all about energy. We can heal on so many levels and have so many opportunities to explore those pathways. Our world is bigger and becomes vaster all the time. Discoveries in quantum healing are backed by science, take many forms, and are available for all of us to explore.
Spanky is back to running at warp speed, jumping into the car to sit down next to his brother, and eager and ready to be harnessed in for safety and free to enjoy our travels. He hikes without trouble, runs on the beach with unbridled joy, and is happy. As I hug him, I keep imagining in pictures that he was born to be my puppy, that he deserves the best life and is worthy of love.
The Moral of the Story
Yes, the story is about my dog – but it is true for all of us. The joy I experience with my clients as they move through their blocks, regardless of their physical, spiritual, or emotional stoppages, has me never thinking about retirement. We are able to heal on so many levels to resume the vibrant, happy lives we were meant to have. I see my work as a Rolfer is my way to contribute to this energetic shift that we all must make to be free from pain and heal our lives.
I urge you to explore all the ways to bring yourself to a better place, which is your birthright. We are meant to be happy, satisfied, energetic beings with joy and love surrounding us. We are meant to run on the beach and enjoy each day with purpose. Please look for the modalities that will help you on your path. If you choose to explore Rolfing®, I am here for you. Shake it up and enjoy!
Sharon Sklar is in her 43rd year of private practice as a Certified Advanced Rolfer. She has been voted one of Natural Nutmeg’s 10BEST Bodyworkers for the last five years. Sharon works with direct manipulation of the soft tissue of the body and movement re-education over a ten-session series to help her clients feel freer, get more balanced, and reduce chronic pain. Great for athletes, children, and adults recovering from the stress, injuries, or traumas of life. Inquiries are encouraged! State Licensed. Call 860.561.4337 for more info or to schedule a consultation.