Listen To The Song Of Body And Soul
by
Elsie Yiern
Copyright©2016 by Elsie Yiern
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-981-09-6104-6
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INTRODUCTION
After many years of pursuing a spiritual state of being, I am slowly recognizing and letting go of my past data, past emotions and ego. In the process of seeking my connection with the whole, while trying to understand what role I should play in this lifetime, I find myself switching career path from building industry to healthcare and having a healing practice.
This is a total personality change, but has also become the physical reminder of my gifts, and I have the greatest gratitude for receiving these gifts in my life.
Creativity is not restricted to my world of building design and management; it exists in our very own human system. Body Intelligence unfolded itself to me as I was seeking a change in my life’s direction.
We are living in an era of an aging world population thanks to the advancements of medical research, and well-controlled halt of epidemics. However, when it comes to chronic pain and muscular dysfunction, which are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, diet, old injuries, effects of post-surgery, trauma, postures, etc., the advanced mainstream medical practice seems ineffective.
You may struggle to drag yourself out of bed, feeling tired, no matter how much sleep, and losing interest in everything, and wondering why. As a result, more people are gradually turning to “alternative” or “complementary” therapies, as they are closer to our natural state, and drug-free.
I have encountered mishaps, like many others. One morning, after I dropped my daughter at school, I experienced a sudden and severe back pain. My spine felt “bungled”. I drove to the nearest General Hospital, and the doctor in the emergency ward said that such a thing was unheard of. “You walked from the car park, right? So you must be fine,” was her cold and emotionless reply. A few weeks later, I couldn’t stand, or even sit up, for three days. Knowing that chances of self-recovery was slim, my family members took me to the hospital emergency ward. This time the doctor at the emergency ward found a muscle spasm on my lower back. He gave me a strong dosage of pain killer, which took its effect an hour later. I sought his advice as to what I should do to prevent it in the future. He said my back muscle was too weak to support my spine, and that was all he could help with at that point in time. He was kind enough to explain that the pain killer allowed me to move about, exercise the muscles which could otherwise become atrophy. Under our medical system, the hospital arranged an X-ray and follow-up, but an appointment was not available for three months! While waiting for that appointment, I could only pray.
From this experience, I understood that I only had myself to rely on to find a solution, and that the journey to recovery was long and lonely.
This started my quest as I searched for a method to invoke a healing response, to control my pain, and to alter the course of the illness.
I tried having acupuncture and massage, but there was no improvement. This prompted me to read publications on body healing, especially articles on back pain. This incident did not immediately trigger my intention to use bodyworks to help others, but as a result of what I went through, when the opportunity came for me to attend Craniosacral and Bowen Therapy courses, I quite enjoyed being a student again. I was excited about my chance to start a new life, to learn new skills, which I believe allows me to help others, not just myself, regardless of my age!
Having gone through the training to treat, and being experimentally treated on with different modalities, I later realized that the healing process is not only physiological, but emotional.
Please note that the therapies introduced in this book are not substitutes for treatment by medical practitioners. Even though aches and pains are common, there can sometimes be an underlying pathology.
I spent four years learning Craniosacral Therapy from Ms. Patricia Farnsworth, and was finally awarded Diploma of the Integrated Craniosacral Therapy by The Craniosacral Academy of Australia.
I am also a Certified Bowen Therapist by The Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia. I learned the technique from Ms. Robyn Wood, a recognized Australian Senior Bowen Instructor of the Academy. She has her own practice at her home on the Gold Coast, Australia. Fortunately Robyn is able to conduct the Bowen classes here during her stopover in Singapore, on her way to Europe teaching the same course.
The decision to write this book has been inspired by many questions people have asked me. Why did I bother to study again? What benefit would I gain from this therapy work? The only alternative therapies they knew were acupuncture, Tui-na and massage. Some are curious about this “foreign healing work” which I had spent time and effort learning, and would like to know more.
Over the past years of studying Craniosacral Therapy and Bowen Therapy, I have collected books on these techniques written by fellow practitioners from the USA, UK and Australia. They offer useful and comprehensive information on the techniques, as well as recording personal experiences and observations. As much as possible I also read about other modalities, and watch DVDs about them.
This is my very first book. I would like you to let go of any previous ideas of alternative healthcare and set aside your expectations. Read this book with an open mind. I have no background in book writing, and decided to present it as it was written with sincerity and passion.
The active meditation practice is timely and blends in well with my healing work. I hope that my journey can provide information for you to gain a better understanding of what bodyworks and meditation can do to bring our body, mind and soul back to their natural vibration, and live our lives to the fullest on earth. And hopefully, you may find answers to your questions about the life you would like to create. Just as I have.
CHAPTER 1
HOW IT ALL STARTED
CHAPTER 1 - HOW IT ALL STARTED
It had never occurred to me that my curiosity in holistic physiological healing therapies would expand my vision into a soul-searching journey.
In the beginning, I thought of the body being like a factory well-equipped with systems working hard to keep us alive, and the soul having a separate function that links us to the Divine. That was the extent of my knowledge.
Then I began my learning journey where I realized how body and soul merge into One.
Modern science experiments have proven that our mind can control and reduce the sensation of pain and illness. We also know that depression, and suppressed anger, in the long run can cause physical illness. So is it “mind over body” or “body over mind”? How do our physical sensations affect our thoughts and feelings?
It is time to seriously understand the role our body plays on the energetic levels of self-awakening, creativity, and human connections.
This