Healing Hamilton

Assisting you on your path to physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being.


Friday, February 5, 2021

Heal From Home

 

 

2021 has been a busy time!  We’ve devoted several weeks to designing and testing remote healing techniques to ensure they work just as effectively as in-person sessions.  

While not all of our techniques translate well to remote work (we will not be offering Bio-Dynamic Craniosacral remotely), Emotional Balancing, Muscle Tuning® and Reiki are perfectly suited to it.

 

Sessions we can do remotely:

 

Here's what clients have been saying about their remote session experience:

“I am happier overall.  I am falling asleep much faster and I wake up less.  Thanks for the peace of mind.”  Jason C.

“I have noticed an increase in overall energy and general well-being which has continued now for 2 weeks.”  Dea C.

“My energy level was up.  I also felt lighter in spirit.  It was a very gratifying session.”   Kathleen N.

 

A note about our fees:  In light of the heightened need for healing, and the financial impact of lockdowns, we have frozen fees at our 2020 rates.  Each session is $60 (includes tax).  If this amount is difficult for you, please contact me to discuss our compassionate pricing program.

 

Thursday, September 3, 2020

What is Muscle Monitoring?


 

 

Muscle Monitoring is a bio-feedback technique used to find the presence of stress in the body.  Most imbalances in the body - physical pain, illness, depression, anxiety or learning problems - are caused by stress.   Indeed, one of the things that makes muscle monitoring so useful is that its response to a stressor is not specific, but rather general, allowing the muscle to “indicate” a wide range of stresses.
Not only does muscle monitoring let us know stressors are present, it also tells us how to assist the body in letting go of those stressors to achieve whole body/mind balance. 


How does it work?


By monitoring the body’s neurological information flow between muscles and the central nervous system.   

 
What does that mean?
 

When a physical, emotional and/or mental stressor is present, it can disrupt the electrical/chemical signals your brain/body uses to communicate with itself.    This communication disruption can be detected by monitoring muscle responses.  It’s important to note that we are measuring the muscle’s response to a specific stimuli - we are not measuring the strength of the muscle itself.  


How is it done?


Muscles are isolated and put into their most contracted position - where the muscle is shortest.  Then, very light pressure is applied to move the muscle through its range of motion - to where the muscle is its longest.   If the muscle gives during this gentle test, it is considered to be an indicator that there is a stressor in the body.  As most of our physical, emotional and mental processing happens outside of our awareness, this is a great way to dive deep and see what’s happening at an unconscious level.


How do you interpret the results?


If it’s easy to keep the muscle in its contracted position while the pressure is being applied, it is considered “locked” and not affected by a stressor.  But, if it’s difficult to keep the muscle in position, it is considered “unlocked” and means there is a stressor in the body affecting the communication between the central nervous system and that specific muscle.


What’s a muscle monitoring session like?


It typically involves hands-on exploration, using gentle pushing and pulling of various large, accessible muscles.  For example: the person being tested might be asked to extend an arm to the side while the tester applies pressure to lower the arm.  Muscle monitoring can be done seated, standing, or laying down.  Most often it is a combination of these, depending on which muscles are being monitored.
Once the monitoring is completed, a variety of techniques can be used to improve the neurological information flow between the affected muscles and the central nervous system.

    
How do muscles normally work?


Muscles turning on (“locked”)  and turning off (“unlocked”) is the basis of all movement and happens millions of times a day as you move about.  All muscles in the body, with only a few exceptions (e.g. diaphragm) are arranged in antagonistic pairs of muscles that oppose each other’s action.  This arrangement of muscles is called reciprocal facilitation/inhibition because whenever one of the pair is facilitated (turned on), it antagonist muscles are automatically inhibited (turned off).  Therefore, turning on (or “locking”) and turning off (or “unlocking”) are both normal states of muscle function that happen all the time.


Muscle monitoring helps you keep the pairs of antagonistic muscles in balance with each other.  When unbalanced, some muscles have to work harder than they should, while other muscles don’t work hard enough.  Over a period of time these unbalanced muscles can lose function resulting in decreased range of motion, increased discomfort, etc.


What happens when a muscle “locks” during muscle monitoring?


Neurologically, signals are sent to the “prime mover” (PM) to hold the position the body part was placed in by facilitating (“turning on”) the PM.  Then as the pressure on the body part (e.g. arm held horizontal) is increased during the muscle monitoring, the muscle sensors (called spindle cells) in the PM respond to increase the degree of PM contraction, while at the same time inhibiting their antagonist and facilitating synergists.  Synergists are muscles that help the PM in holding the arm up, but are not in their position of optimal mechanical advantage, so they contribute much less than the PM to establishing and maintaining this position.  


Information on this response is also sent to subconscious parts of the brain (e.g. the cerebellum, thalamus and Basal Ganglia where comparisons of intended response and actual response are made. If the intended action was to keep the arm horizontal, but it is now actually moving downward due to the increasing pressure of the test, these brain centres will order additional contraction of the PM to offset movement and the arm will remain horizontal. As long as this flow of information from muscle sensors to and from the brain and central nervous system remains "clear" with no interruptions (stressors), the muscle will "lock" and maintain its "lock" under continued loading till it reaches its full power of contraction.  This locking indicates a muscle “in balance” with its neurological circuitry.
Source:  http://www.crossinology.com/pdf/MMpaperUSabbev.html
 

What happens when a muscle “unlocks” during muscle monitoring?
 

If a stressor disrupts or interferes with the free flow of information between the muscle and the central nervous system, the muscle will not be able to co-ordinate and match its degree of facilitation to the increasing loading taking place during muscle monitoring. The arm will then move downward appearing to give under the monitoring pressure, resulting in an "unlocked" muscle. Thus, a muscle that is monitored and found to "unlock" is "under facilitated" relative to the pressure being applied.
A muscle may "unlock" whenever a "stressor" is present in this interrelated system. Importantly, the muscle response is a general one not dependent upon the nature of the "stressor"  Any "stressor" of sufficient magnitude in any of the related systems, organ, gland, meridian or muscle, will interrupt the neurological flow between the muscle and the central nervous system resulting in an "unlocked" muscle.
Source:  http://www.crossinology.com/pdf/MMpaperUSabbev.html

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Reiki Shares, Hamilton Ontario


REIKI SHARES ARE BACK!


Our popular Reiki Shares are back starting

Saturday August 8th at 11:30 a.m.


All shares take place at Beyond Healing Pathways, 307 E27th Street, Hamilton, Ontario. Please note gloves and masks are required and we are limiting attendees to 8 people. To ensure your spot is secured, you can pay in advance by sending an email money transfer to Terri.beauchamp@terrikins.com. The cost is $33.90 (includes tax). Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/events/648743912599619/


We've missed you!  Looking forward to seeing you again soon.


Sunday, June 14, 2020

Energy Boost & Balance Self Care Classes





Boost your energy.           

 Improve your focus and concentration.            

Feel more relaxed.

 

In these fun and easy classes you will discover the energy within your own body and learn how to use this energy to FEEL BETTER EVERY DAY.  

Learn how to power on your brain, focus your eyes and ears, wake up your organs, release emotional stress, and so much more!


Fee:  $75 per session, payable at the first class

Payment methods: cash, cheque or e-transfer
Each session has 4 classes, each class is 1 hour

Class Times:  Weekly Saturday mornings, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Location:  Beyond Healing Pathways, 2-307 East 27th St. Hamilton ON

Class Dates:  June 27, July 4, 11 and 18th, 2020

Space is limited.  Go to my website Earth Dragon Healing to register.


Monday, March 2, 2020

Energy Boost Self-Care Classes

Boost your energy.           

 Improve your focus and concentration.            

Feel more relaxed.

 

In these fun and easy classes you will discover the energy within your own body and learn how to use this energy to FEEL BETTER EVERY DAY.  

Learn how to power on your brain, focus your eyes and ears, wake up your organs, release emotional stress, and so much more!


Fee:  $75 per session, payable at the first class

Payment methods: cash, cheque or e-transfer
Each session has 4 classes, each class is 1 hour

Class Times:  Bi-weekly Saturday mornings, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Location:  Beyond Healing Pathways, 2-307 East 27th St. Hamilton ON

Class Dates:  March 28, April 11, 25, May 9

Space is limited.  Go to my website Earth Dragon Healing to register.



Sunday, January 26, 2020

Beginners Qi Gong Classes




Move your Body
       
Deepen your Breath
      
Clear your Mind

Join us for an amazing journey of body awareness and self-discovery. Qi Gong is a method of gentle, mindful movement that makes the body strong and supple. It improves balance, stamina and flexibility. It has positive effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, immune and central nervous systems. Much like doing Yoga or going to the gym, Qi Gong is a long term practice, not a quick fix. It takes time and discipline to learn the moves. You will know within a few classes whether Qi Gong is right for you. If it is, get ready to enjoy a happier and healthier future!


Fee:  $50 per session, payable at the first class
Payment methods: cash, cheque or e-transfer
Each session has 4 classes, each class is 1 hour

Class Times:  Thursday evenings, 6:45 to 7:45 p.m.
Class Dates:   February 20, 27, March 5, 12 
Location:  Beyond Healing Pathways,  2 – 307 East 27th St., Hamilton ON
 
Space is limited.  Go to my website Earth Dragon Healing to register.