Testimonials

Process Acupressure

A new client recently came to me directly from an emergency doctor visit. She had a sinus infection that had blocked her Eustachian tubes and antibiotics had not helped. The doctor had told her they would have to put shunts in to drain the buildup. The client had never had any bodywork and was nervous about the whole process but her pain and fear of the operation made her willing to "try anything". I wondered if this client was blocking her ears because she didn't want to hear something but said nothing to her. As I began working with her doing a Head Release, I gently asked some questions about what was going on in her life, about her work situation and about her new marriage. I got answers like nothing, fine and O.K. When I asked her when the infection had started she said, "Last weekend." I asked her to tell me about the previous weekend and she mentioned that her parents had come for a visit. I knew her mother was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and asked how her mother was doing. The tears started to flow as she related that her mother had paid a visit to Johns Hopkins Hospital hoping to qualify for a new experimental drug. The doctors had told her mother that her case was too advanced and that they had nothing further to offer her. Of course, that was exactly what she didn't want to hear. While expressing her pain and grief, the client felt immediate relief in her Eustachian tubes. The infection lingered for a few more days but the intense pain and deafness left almost immediately. I continued to work with this client to deal with the grief she experienced when her mother passed away a short time later.

January, 2006

Process Acupressure at the End of Life

The soul connection when working with the terminally ill can be extremely profound and satisfying. In many cases the individual is unable to communicate fully about their experience, but the results of PA used at the end of life can be quite dramatic.

One experience I had opened my mind to the power of the work, even when a person is not particularly open to what is happening but has a strong intent.

Bob was a self proclaimed, born again atheist. His wife Joan was a shaman in the Native American tradition. Their bedroom was full of Native American art, large dream catchers with long trailing hawk feathers, sagebrush smudge sticks and drums. The dream catcher resided over Bob's side of the bed. When I met Bob, he and Joan had just reconnected after being apart for four years. They had recently decided to get married in a non-denominational wedding that included Native American symbols and traditions. They were very much a part of each other and deeply committed to each other.

Shortly after their wedding Bob was diagnosed with a rare wasting disease that only occurs in a small percentage of aging men. His prognosis was not good and his doctor told him he had less than a year to live. He quickly began losing control of his arms and became weaker with each passing day. His wife had worked for hospice for many years and was aware of the issues relating to end-of life and was able to discuss these issues with Bob frankly. Ultimately, Bob wanted to die consciously with as much control and dignity as was possible in the situation.

They asked me to come work with Bob doing Process Acupressure to help him come to terms with the end of his life and to supplement his pain relievers with acupressure releases. Bob was able to sit up at our first session and joked around with me. He had had little body work in his life and was a little wary of what we were going to do. He told me at that time he was atheist and did not believe that he was going anywhere after his death. He just wanted to die and wanted me to help him. Since I had worked with many hospice patients, I was willing to work with him. We went into the session with that intent. He did not verbalize very much during the session. I was quite surprised at the end of the session when he sat up and said, "You know, I don't think I ever really knew how to pray. I think I would like to learn now." Over the following weeks we had many conversations about God and what might happen after he left his body.

Session after session we set the intent for Bob's life force to move peacefully out of his body without pain. I encouraged him to visualize his physical energy moving up and out of his body and focused on opening the points of the head.

During one session as we were focusing on the Great Central Alignment, it became clear to me that it was would be harder for Bob to leave his body until he had balanced his connection to the issues relating to each chakra. We processed the issues relating to each chakra in two or three sessions.

Shortly after this experience he consciously chose to stop eating and drinking in congruence with the natural process of his terminal illness.

Our sessions became more frequent, but lasted for a shorter duration, 20 minutes instead of and hour and a half. I focused mainly on the Great Central Alignment and holding the neck and head points.

During one of these sessions Bob pointed to something on his right and when I asked him what it was he said that someone was talking to him. I encouraged him to tell me more but he looked startled after that and stopped talking, so I just continued with the session.

Within three weeks of that session, Bob died peacefully in his wife's arms.

December, 2005

Creating Space for Miracles

We were standing in the horse barn and talking about different healing strategies. Having recently returned from a Process 2 class and a ZB conference in Boston, I was enthusiastic to integrate some of the new techniques. Willy, a 58 year old farm manager gladly volunteered and lay down on the barn floor.

Willy's color blindness limited his vision to white, brown and black. He had experienced acupressure before, but not with the intent to work with his vision. My fingers were drawn to GB1 at the outer orbit of his eyes. After only a few minutes of just being with that one point with touch and sound, he opened his eyes. His reaction startled us because he immediately sat up, brought his hands to cover his eyes, and just sat there. Moments later, he looked around and started pointing to everything he saw that was blue. The delight and excitement he experienced was contagious. No longer needing to memorize colors, he gave the impression of a younger, freer man being reborn into a new more beautiful world.

What was the reason for this miraculous occurrence? Perhaps the time, place and treatment were all exquisitely right!

The Place - The barn was a safe, familiar setting and was enhanced by the positive energy of the horses feeding.

The Practitioner - I was treating with a great deal of enjoyment and curiosity as to what these new techniques might accomplish. I had no expectations.

The Recipient - Willy had previous experiences of being able to ground and to connect deeply.

The Treatment - Although brief, there was deep focus and grounding, compassion and an ability to be at the interface of structure and energy.

Not every treatment results in Miracles, but I believe the opportunity is always there.

December, 2005

Emergency Acupressure

With temperatures exceeding 90 degrees and at least as much humidity, I observed runners in the streets through my office window that sweltering summer Saturday morning. My drive home was at 12:30 pm, the hottest time of day. Out of the corner of my eye I observed something odd and immediately pulled over & stopped the car. Looking back I saw a runner in distress on the ground with a man supporting his back so he was in a sitting position. I ran to the scene and observed the situation with this dehydrated runner when another person appeared informing us that he was an EMT. Having taught CPR and first aid in the past I knew and taught that your job assisting the emergency was over when the EMTs arrived; however, I felt a strong message to stay. So I did. We were pouring water on the runner and assisting him in cooling down the best we could with the water and towels we had.

The EMT continued doing his part and just when he was informing the brother of our runner of the need to drive him to the hospital instead of waiting the 15 minutes for an ambulance, I observed our runner begin to convulse. While untying and ripping off his shoes, I informed the EMT that I do acupressure and asked would it be ok if I helped out. He said "Sure, if you think it would help". At this point our runner's body was thrashing uncontrollably. Hearing Aminah's voice saying "in the event of a real emergency, jab your thumbs into K 1", I did it and held the point watching and feeling our runner come back into his being, while observing the convulsions cease.

By this time another EMT arrived who had oxygen in his car. They hooked him up to the oxygen and were monitoring his vitals while I continued and completed fulcrums into his first 10 PA/BA acupoints. I began SEVA Stress and since the EMTS were so busy at his head area, I energetically approached the acupoints I could not reach. The EMT announced that our runner's pulse was 190. After I placed fulcrums into H 1 and H 7, he took his pulse again and informed us that it was now at 90. While I was at H 7 on the second hand our runner held my hand and squeezed it. My heart got a thank you message as well as one of fear. Just then the EMT asked our runner if what I was doing hurt him and he said "no, helps, its good." Our job now was to continue cooling his system and I began with the TW acupoints that came to my mind until the arrival of the ambulance. I continued talking to him and assuring him that he will be fine. The brother of our runner thanked me and asked in wonderment what I did saying that he noticed that it really seemed to help his brother.

December, 2005