Here’s how it happens for me. An event happens (either real life or latching on to a negative thought pattern that goes wildly out of control), then I literally can FEEL myself stepping from one emotion to the next DOWN the ladder of emotions (recall, we are all human, to live in bliss ALL the time is EXHAUSTING!). Then I wallow! Woe is me! Waaaa! A full on PITY PARTY and I am the STAR!! Then I get really annoyed with myself because it isn’t any fun to hang out in that space for very long.  My mood spreads to my kids because as you know Moods are Contagious then it goes from a party of one to a full on disaster. Ever host a party in high school and then the whole town seems to show up and goes out of control?  Ya, that!

And then I take a step back, take a few breaths, teach a dance class. I do SOMETHING, ANYTHING that boosts my mood even a little bit.

This time around I decided to check in with my kids (post dance class) and asked them this question.

“What do YOU need t0 feel less stressed?” And their answers were not at all what I expected they would be.

My son was the first to answer and this is what he said…

“Having a Dad”

“More family dinners”

“Weight training”

Let me point out here that my son is 10 years old. 10. And he wants to weight train? How cool is that? I wish there was a Bull Dog Gym for kids here in Victoria because I would love that for him. The personal trainer in me will come up with something though.

And here is what my daughter said…

“More family dinners”

“More family time on the weekends (with compromises from each of us in relation to what we do).

Do I have great kids or what? It was a clear reminder that despite my misgivings and flaws, my ups and my downs, that I am doing pretty OK by my kids. My stepping back this time and focusing on my children and what their needs are was what we needed as a family.  We had a great family meeting, we all feel better and I am back up that ladder of emotions (and my kids too for that matter).  My point here is that we all have points where things don’t go the way we want and we get get stressed out, angry, depressed – whatever emotion you tend to get addicted to but it doesn’t mean you have to STAY there. Here is a quick and easy way to make the step to feeling better.

1) Recognize where you are at right now

2) Honor your feelings – they are there, no point in avoiding them!

3) Do something. ANYTHING that gives you the HAPPY feeling. We aren’t talking skipping on clouds and jumping rainbows here. Just find something that makes you smile. Visit a chip truck (although not here on Vancouver Island!), turn on your fav song and ROCK IT OUT, walk out side and spend 5 min soaking in the sun. You will FEEL your energy and mood start to shift.

Once you feel better, even if just a little bit, you will be able to step back and take a different perspective on your situation.

It works!

Until next time,

Jenna

For more information on private sessions go to www.ehpcentre.ca

http://www.ehpcentre.ca/blog/

Enjoy:)

Do you have any suggestions?  I am all ears! This website is for you and I want to make sure the information I provide is easy to understand and direct.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as I reintegrate my new skills in this wonderful new city I now call home!

All the best!

Jenna

Years ago, I embarked on a personal development journey that changed my life.  I was in a marriage that wasn’t healthy and needed some personal direction (that’s the coles notes version).  I just needed SOMETHING. Have you ever felt that way?  Like you weren’t sure exactly WHAT you needed but you knew it was something? Without getting into the down and dirty details of my life history, there was a pattern of emotional addiction (attracting to you situations that create the same emotional reaction) that I recognized and just couldn’t break out of.  I actually was stuck in a freeze mode (think flight, fright, or freeze) and wasn’t functioning at my best.  I was so embedded in the freeze mode that I must admit that I took a program that takes a few months to a year and stretched this out to THREE YEARS. Yes. Freeze mode. I might hold the record for the length of time to go through this process.

My personal journey was so transformative, I knew at some point I would have to include it in my ever growing collection of skills.  EHP goes well beyond traditional talk therapy. This style of counselling DIGS DEEP and GETS THINGS DONE. As my friend and mentor says “If all you want to do is talk, that’s what friends are for.”  I love it! And it’s true!  How many times have you talked about the same situation OVER and OVER and yet…..it never really goes away.

In my professional life, I was already teaching about health and wellness, educating people on how to break bad eating habits, and lifestyle coaching. I also became a holistic health practitioner to complement my business and to create lasting physical change in my clients health and wellness but I knew there was more to it than that.   I  wanted to share my experience with my clients and provide this for them as I knew other factors were hindering their healing process or fitness goals.

Along the way my friends would hear  me talk about “footsteps”, “pillows”, and “bliss list” but now I am so happy that I get to teach it! After years of implementing my skills in my personal life, I went on to get a degree in Psychology  and training as an Emotional Health Practitioner.

If you want to learn more about how I mastered the Energy of Emotion, got rid of my pillows and followed my footsteps to create positive change in my life, check out www.ehpcentre.ca for more information.

It’s not to say that I am perfect, none of us are! I still have my crazy mom moments, my days of worry and those days were the stress gets the better of me but what I don’t do is let it drag me down for any length of time. The skills I learned empower me to create the change I need to, to pick myself up, dust myself off and go out and create the life I want.

Be well,

Jenna

Chronic pain and injury  is built over time and creates layers of ‘stuff’ that needs to cleared and moved through. I am not saying it’s easy, because it can be painful. It can make you want to quit the process. It can create anger and frustration.

So what do you do?

Take a step back and take a deep breath. Honor where your body is at in this process and have an honest discussion with your practitioner. Sometime we just need a little time and some compassion before we can move to the next phase of healing.

All the best in your healing journey,

Jenna

The Bowen Technique is a form of soft tissue manipulation created by Thomas A. Bowen (1916-1982) of Geelong, Victoria in Australia. Each treatment consists of sets of soft tissue manipulations on muscle, nerves and tendons, interspersed by short pauses that allow the body to integrate the effects.

Bowen Therapy’s gentle resetting of the physical body encourages the brain to integrate itself according to its own blueprint. As a practitioner we provide an environment in which the body can initiate this healing process. The Bowen Therapy ‘moves’ stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and the proprioceptors, sending off information through the central nervous system to the brain.

The spindle cells and Golgi tendon bodies reset the muscle’s resting tension level. The surrounding fascia becomes more fluid, allowing greater movement of blood and lymph through the tissue enhancing nutrition to, and waste removal from, the site.

With the release of toxins and old patterning, the moves begin to accomplish holistic balance almost immediately. Since Bowen addresses the body as a whole, rather than just the symptoms it embraces the physical, chemical, emotional and mental aspects of each individual that receives Bowen.

Bowen Therapy is a complimentary modality which means that it will enhance and complement, not interfere with other forms of medical intervention and therapeutics.

How does Bowen Therapy work?

There are many trains of thought on how Bowen Therapy works. As mentioned above, Bowen assists in rebalancing the parasympathetic nervous system and works with the muscle tension and lymphatic drainage. Let’s have a look at some other ways to describe how Bowen Therapy works.

Stretch Reflex – Many of the ‘moves’ applied to the body (gentle soft tissue manipulation) are done on the muscle belly or at the origin or insertion of the muscle.  This is where receptors are located to communicate to the nervous system what is happening in the muscle (tension, length, stretch). During the move the nervous system is stimulated and encourages change in the pain feedback loop.

Fascia – Fascia is connective tissue found all through the body. It wraps around muscles, connects muscle to bone and skin and runs in many continuous lines throughout the body. Every Bowen ‘move’ essentially affecting not only the muscle but the fascia itself. Fascia is critical in postural alignment and structural integrity. Bowen releases stiff, twisted and contracted fascia to increase mobility and function.

Trigger Points and Acupuncture Meridians – Bowen moves overlap many acupuncture/acupressure meridians and trigger points, bringing about immediate change in acupuncture pulses in response to Bowen moves.

Viscero-somatic Spinal Reflexes – Many of the Bowen moves are done adjacent to the spine over the erector spinae muscles. Because Bowen ‘moves’ directly stimulate the nerves through the skin and muscles there is a reflexive response which affects the internal organs associated with spinal segments.

Joint Proprioception – Bowen moves done around a joint affects the joint capsule, ligaments and tendons which are filled with proprioceptors. Communication with the nervous system through the proprioceptors encourages joint normalization and function.

How many sessions will I need?

It really depends on the individual and what is going for them in particular; however, many conditions are effectively managed within 3-4 sessions. Acute injuries are often dealt with immediately and only need attention to the area injured while chronic injuries and illness can make for a longer treatment plan. A treatment on its own is very relaxing and therefore many people enjoy Bowen as they would getting a regular massage even if they don’t have any particular issue at hand that needs to be dealt with.  Please be advised that 3-4 sessions is an average.  There are many variables in the healing process which I advise you discuss with your Bowen Therapist.   Keep in mind,if you have had chronic untreated back pain for 25 years, it’s safe to say that your healing process may take longer than 4 weeks (Bowen sessions are placed 1 week apart).

I am so happy to announce that I will be joining the Synergy Wellness Team in Victoria!  I will be personal training and providing Bowen therapy along with a Groove class.  As well, I will be joining Sage and Stone and offering Groove and Zumba classes.  What a whirlwind this move has been, but I am so happy to be here.  The city is beautiful and the people are amazing.

In the coming months I will be offering Concussion Therapy, Cancer Rehabilitation programs, dance fitness and Yoga/yogatherapy.

Please feel free to email me any direct questions or comments that I can then re-post.

Jenna

“The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary organization founded in 2003 for health professionals committed to the study and application of complementary therapies and botanicals for cancer patients.”

As a Cancer Exercise Specialist, Complimentary Care Provider and Mobile Cancer Rehabilitation Services Provider, I value the detailed and dedicated work the SIO does to help educate cancer patients worldwide about how they can use complimentary care alongside chemotherapy and other cancer fighting regimes.  For 5000 years, natural medicine has worked to prevent illness.  Once a serious condition such as cancer is diagnosed, modern and aggressive treatment such as chemotherapy is the only course that has proven results, however, there is still a place for complimentary and natural medicine as a part of the overall treatment for the cancer patient.

Let’s put it into perspective.  If something as relatively simple as your oral health can require multidisciplinary care and more than one doctor, why is it difficult to believe that cancer care requires more than one discipline?  When faced with an illness such as cancer, and an aggressive treatment course with many ill side effects, such as chemotherapy,  your immune system and your psychological well being can benefit from multidisciplinary care.

Worldwide, complimentary care is being used to help treat cancer patients, and with very positive results.  Learn more about it by following this link.

http://www.integrativeonc.org/index.php/complementary-therapies-and-cancer-care

As a Cancer Exercise Specialist, I work hard to change the lack of good information available to Canadian cancer patients and survivors.  I aim to bring valid, documented information, research from across the world on how exercise, nutrition and complimentary care are all important parts of not only cancer treatment, but cancer recovery plans as well.  It goes without saying that exercise, nutrition and complimentary care are also excellent prevention tools.

Learn more about the promising results of this enormous European study which included over 50,000 breast cancer survivors for over 30 year by following the link below.

http://news.globaltv.com/video/index.html?releasePID=tx6B8gOrcIne8m__kKOPKGEobCd6vju5