Somatics, Physical And Energetic Healing Approaches

Integrative Somatics™

Integrative Somatics includes a variety of body methods ranging from non-invasive touch, which combines bodywork and awareness methods, to myofascial and deep manual healing.

These methods are based on physical touch, energy manipulation and movement. The different modalities assist in healing and promoting health by facilitating the body’s capacity to repair, strengthen and improve itself. Although they’re physical in nature, they can also produce powerful mental, emotional and spiritual benefits. Using awareness and informed touch, I can activate the body’s innate intelligence to heal itself bring you into a felt-sense of wholeness.

Structural Dynamic Integration & Therapeutic Bodywork

Structural Integration Bodywork is a systematic form of connective-soft-tissue manipulation that releases restrictions in the fabric of the body, called myofascial tissue *. I work with the whole integrated body and help remove and unwind the strain patterns in the body, to restore natural balance and dynamic alignment. It works tensegrity * structure of the body. Strain patterns emerge when you are young, caused by life’s ordinary stresses, injuries, trauma, emotional armoring and bad posture. Over time your body structure compensates by adapting to habits and holding patterns. These adaptations create stress and symptoms like pain, inhibited movement, and restricted sensation, blood and qi flow (vital bio-energy). This specialized form of bodywork unwinds, balances, integrates and aligns the body vertically in relation to gravity, enhancing effortless support and creating a feeling of space, freedom and relaxed well-being.

* Myofascia is a ubiquitous tissue that envelops the whole body it has been called an interstitium organ (fluid-filled space supported by a lattice of protein fibers). Fascia interfaces with all parts of the body. It surrounds, separates and connects all the muscles, bones and organs in the body. The tissue is very strong and flexible and up-close has a spider, net-like appearane.

* Tensegrity structure uses hard compressible elements, connected together by elastic tissue elements that are pulled in different directions. The tension on these elements is what creates the tension in tensegrity.

Common symptoms it can help with:
Muscle pain, back and neck pain, sciatica, carpal-tunnel syndrome, numbness, cold limbs, chronic headaches, limited breathing and somatization (symptoms with no discernable organic causes)

Front view of poor posture

Using the blue lines below as a guide you can see how different parts of the body move out of alignment (shoulders, arms, hips, and legs.) These structural imbalances are reinforced by habit and can create aches and pain.

Side view of poor posture

Once your posture is out of alignment, gravity and daily activity will further exacerbate the back and posture problems identified below. This can result in physical and energetic obstructions as well as pain. The grey outlines indicate proper posture.

Ideal Posture

The body is an integrated connection of parts that functions as a whole and lives within a gravitational field. This field can either support or stress the body. To understand muscular-skeletal and soft tissue pain, especially back pain, I look at the overall structure of the body first and see where it is out of alignment and lacking symmetry. If you balance and realign these imbalances, you can consider other important contributing factors. When the pelvis is in neutral alignment with the S-curve of the spine, overall balance is facilitated. In this case body weight is distributed evenly over the front, back and sides of both feet. The back of the neck is lengthened, allowing the chin to be level with the ground.

Acupressure

I work with a style of acupressure, including Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure®, that uses gentle and firm finger pressure on specific acu-points to help release tension and emotions in order to rebalance the body-mind’s flow of energy and blood. When the body-mind’s holding patterns are released and armoring relaxes, the body naturally reorganizes itself. Balance is restored and an overall feeling of equanimity results.

Benefits:

• Increased organ and glandular functioning
• Increased body awareness
• Freer breath and movement
• Emotional release
• Release of chronic tension and pain
• Increased dynamic alignment and flexibility
• Psychological openness to change and growth
• Increased lightness and buoyancy, feeling of innate happiness
• Release of constricted connective tissue that interferes with nerve, blood, and lymph flow.

Laying-on of Hands

Laying-on of hands is an ancient healing technique (commonly associated with Reiki and Therapeutic Touch and similar to medical qi gong) that involves placing hands on or just near the skin’s surface in order to work on the human energy field (the subtle energy that surrounds and pervades the physical body). Laying-on of hands helps promote self-healing by bringing energy to deficient areas, moving congested energy away and rebalancing the body’s natural systems.

Benefits:

• Opens the etheric field of the physical body
• Opens energy blockages and increases energy flow and vitality
• Eases pain and discomfort
• Releases emotional obstructions and blockages

“I must say sincerely that before I saw Keyvan I was in very bad condition with a high level of lower back and help pain. After working with Keyvan I felt better within three days. He did a special form of bodywork, and afterwards I felt fantastic. With conventional medicine I did not get the same results. I strongly recommend Keyvan and his approach.“ 
~ H. Zytomerski  Fashion Apparel — Paris, France 

Back Pain Exercises

There are many good exercises and activities that are helpful for preventing and alleviating back pain. The following series of exercises and stretches is comprised of what I have found to be the most efficient and essential steps to creating a healthy back.It is important to note that this series is generic and can apply to anyone. However, each person should take his or her unique personal health condition and needs into consideration before starting the series. Regarding back pain, it is always best to consult with a back-care professional before starting a new exercise program.