Stress is part of everyday life and at some point unavoidable. How we respond to stress and manage it is something we can control. Read about stress management tips from our therapists on how Traditional Chinese medicine, Kinesiology, Shiatsu and Energy Healing and Intuitive Raindrop Massage treatments help with stress.
What are the effects of stress on one’s body/health?
Ruth (Traditional Chinese Medicine): In Traditional Chinese medicine, we see human’s mind-body-spirit a holistic whole. Our health is the result of the interactions among all three. Stress is a state of emotional imbalance that often happened when the Liver Qi is stagnated. Liver Qi is responsible for the movement of Qi through the entire body and the free flow of blood which nourishes our organs. If it is blocked, one may feel pain along the ribs, stomach, upper abdomen bloating or gas, feelings of anger or depression, insomnia, memory loss, have brittle nails, irregular menstrual cycle or bitter taste in mouth.
Catherine (Kinesiology): Generally, if a person is under mild or short-term stress, then the body will find a way to compensate naturally. However, you have to stay vigilant and listen to the signs/symptoms that may be presenting because if the stress persists over few months or the number of external stressors are increasing, then one or many part of your own systems might suffer and show signs of fatigue or even breakdown.
Florence (Shiatsu and Energy Healing): Stress has a bad impact on the immune system and decreases one’s energy level. One’s the energy is blocked, the blood circulation is impaired and the emotions become imbalanced. Over time you may experience headaches, joint and tendons pain, general inflammation or digestive disorders.
Chew. (Raindrop Technique): When one is stressed, there is misalignment in the body. But as humans, we tend to push forward and ignore the mental signs such as irritability, judgment on others and self, overthinking, leading to symptoms manifesting in the body. For example, the overthinking leads to difficulty sleeping or insomnia, Fatigue, lack of appetite, digestive issues, aches, tension and pains that come with in the physical body, these are all symptoms of stress.
How do you manage stress yourself?
Ruth (Traditional Chinese Medicine): I manage stress through doing things I love. I go hiking and do meridian exercise up in the mountains . I practise singing bowl meditation, I cook for my husband who really loves eating, I share my experiences and knowledge about Chinese medicine on social media as an outlet, I practice self-improvement. When I feel out of balance, I prepare herbal medicine and perform acupuncture on myself.
Catherine (Kinesiology): Since the Covid outbreak, I have made sure to engage myself in a more regular routine. Generally, my mornings are dedicated to my children and their schoolwork. After that, I go to the clinic and practice as well some yoga. Apart from eating healthy and doing exercise regularly, I am quite careful about the things that I hear, so whenever possible I listen to happy, calming music or have a nice conversation with my friends.
Florence (Shiatsu and Energy Healing): As far as I am concerned, I cope with the modern life stress by a daily routine: energy exercises (Do In and Pilates), meditation and walk in nature. Walking consciously sets the body’s energy in motion and prevents any stagnation and emotional ups and downs.
Chew (Raindrop Technique): A simple action of a deep sigh, reads the diaphragm, allowing the muscle to pump the oxygen around the body to the brain. This is why breath work is amazing for managing stress, allowing our minds to calm and gain clarity. I also make it a point to meditate and ground myself. Once grounded, clarity comes and I can create new actions from a clearer mind. To aid the grounding I use essential oils like cedar wood, frankincense, or sandalwood. Movement of the body is another way I manage stress., Our emotions- when held stores in our cells/ organs/glands, movement and exercise allows a release. Massage, too helps to ease the muscles and release the tension we can store.
How do your treatments help with stress management?
Ruth (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Acupuncture, herbal medicine and Tibetan singing bowl sound therapy work wonders hand-in-hand for stress management. They are different techniques of Chinese medicine but work the same way to unblock the stagnated Qi in our system.
A 2003 World Health Organization acupuncture study shown that acupuncture can activate a person’s natural opioid system, stimulating the hypothalamus and pituitary gland and altering neurotransmitters that positively influence the chemical reaction inside our brain. According to my clinical experience, it really helps my clients relieve pain, anxiety and depression. After inserting the needles, I often perform Tibetan singing bowl sound therapy to help patients release their tension. The needles will catch the subtle vibration which will mobilize the Qi to flow more smoothly inside the meridians.
There are many herbal formulas that are tested as effective treatments for Liver Qi Stagnation. For example Xiao Yao Wan(Happy Wanderer), Chai Hu Shu Gan San (Bupleurum Powder to Unblock the stagnated Liver-qi) and Gan Mai Da Zao Tang (Licorice, Wheat, and Jujube Formula) are all classic prescriptions that have helped numerous people over the years. But it will be more beneficial if you could have a licenced herbalist or TCM practitioner to customize a prescription to best fit your body constitution.
Catherine (Kinesiology): If you want to address stress in a comprehensive way, you need to tackle all aspects of it. So, when I work with my clients, we evaluate the state of all their systems (body, mind, emotions) and rebalance the person up to the root cause of their issues.
During the first session, we proceed with a complete assessment of their organ states, nervous system, hormones, nutritional deficiency, toxicities, lifestyle, emotional and energetic states. Generally, just after the first session, my clients feel more relaxed and we work together towards a treatment plan from 3 up to 10 sessions depending on our findings and their health/wellness goals.
Florence (Shiatsu and Energy Healing): Shiatsu is a gentle and relaxing massage with a focus on meridians, similar to acupuncture with pressure points on the body.
This non-intrusive bodywork treatment will activate the inner healing system, (homeostasis), encouraging the Qi flow, relieving both physical and psychic burdens, alleviating the body’s tensions and stiffness as well as calm down the hyperactive mind. As every organ is linked with an emotion, shiatsu is a powerful emotional regulator. Shiatsu can go a long way in helping balancing out body and mind.
Chew (Intuitive Raindrop): Vibrational Alignment and Spinal Health therapy realigns the emotional balance, releasing physical or emotional pain, with the use of channelled energy and essential oils.
The massage movements in Spinal Health Therapy, enables the body to release the tension. The essential oils relaxes all the muscles (voluntary and involuntary muscle ). This enables the body to release emotions in its own time when you are physically ready.
Vibrational Alignment aids the client to get into a meditative state, allowing the channelled energy to ease, shift element which are holding you back.
Emotional Memory when not released is stored in our cells, for example – Anger, Rejection and failure is sorted in our liver.
Since each organ has a vibrational frequency, as do emotions, the emotions will settle in an area with a corresponding frequency. Illness occurs when the body’s vibrational frequency drops below a certain point.
Essential oils can raise the body’s frequency, and therapeutic grade (medicinal quality) oils are able to do this because they vibrate at a high frequency and transfer that frequency to the body.
The focus of Vibrational Alignment and Spinal Health Therapy is to calmly lead the subject away from restrictions that bind them, and towards the frequencies of energy which surround us all to enable grounding and equilibrium. Each journey is a personal one and each experience will differ, whilst creating a stronger awareness of self and repairing inner wellbeing.
