Warrior unleashed: She's got it, yeah baby she's got it !

Case study of year long Bodywork client and insight into her chronic healing journey. Where she's been, where she is now and what it's taken to unleash this potential.

Published author and client friend began her bodywork journey around Autumn time last year.

Lorraine had been recommended to me by one of my other clients Rachael at the start of summer. Well, Rachael recommended her books to me and she recommended my deep healing treatment to her!

I was secretly hoping when I made contact with Lorraine to buy her book that she would have time to chat with me so I could get to know her.

On the back of that introduction and our connection with writing, we became friends through our shared interests and passions in books (both reading and writing) as well as health, spirituality and healing.  

At the time, Lorraine was struggling with her mobility and was using the aid of a walking stick and mobility scooter. Adjusting to life losing mobility and, in a society, where we make judgements and lack vast understanding on the health and ability of others left her with less interaction with the outside world than she once had. 

In her first few treatments, she overcame the discomfort of stripping off for a full body treatment. Something I used to think was only a big deal for me in my own treatments (I used to feel embarrassed getting my feet out for a pedicure never mind full body), I’ve since discovered is a factor for many of us.

A fair few channelled messages came through in the first few treatments. Early childhood experiences and the emotional elements of which remained stored in her body, as if waiting to be unlocked and released.

Feelings of self-judgment, self-criticism, fear and perfectionism built up in layers over the years. An energy with its own vibration running from neck to hand, stored in hips and manifesting in pain and inflammation. 

I remember one time her inner child appeared, as though a dot on the ground waving for attention. “Hello, hello can anybody see me?” sort of thing. As if waiting to be rescued yet there she was wanting time, love and attention – all elements of which we can give fully to ourselves.

One of the most notable improvements to happen with Lorraine quite quickly after starting this therapy was that her confidence began to improve. Her decision not to go ahead with publishing her 3^rd book made it through in time for Christmas (Mayfield Book Corner). Her 4^th book is now due out this Christmas and she has organised her first book signing event here at 7 Lakes Country Park! So if you like a story with a twist, an easy Christmas (or summer holiday) read, check out her expanding collection, including poetry book, The Tapestry of Life and A Second Chance and Mayfield Sweets and Treats (coming soon).

Christmas this time last year came and went for Lorraine, taking her into a health flare. Depression accompanied it. There was no bodywork for 2 months during this time as the park here where we stay the rest of the year closes for January and February.

It took a while for bodywork treatment to get going again. Low feelings ceased and the flare up was put to bed with the winter months. The journey of bodywork therapy picked up where it left off.

Spring came and Lorraine’s eyes were brighter. A sign that always makes me think of improved health, improved wellbeing. A sign of inner vibrancy and an energy bursting at the seams to get out. During this season, Lorraine learned the beauty of meeting her body where it was at. A tremendous challenge for so many of us when our body can no longer do all the things it used to be able to. Yet, such a big win for recovery.

“Did you ever feel like you were moving at a snail’s pace?”  she asked around this time.

“100%. I’ve only ever been able to move forward at the pace of a snail. It’s always been baby steps for me – it still is.

But to say that’s the case, you reach a point when you look back (say every 6-12months) and you can’t believe how far you’ve come”.

Sometimes it can feel like there’s a mountain to climb before we’ve even got to the mountain. It can be easy to become so overwhelmed with the challenges and enormity of our situation, finding ourselves miles away from where we once were - yet so desperate to get back to that place. What about if we reach out for the rail and simply take the next step? Feel into how that feels and take it from there?

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We had a chat about my own journey with movement. My power walking days long gone once chronic illness took hold. All forms of exercise triggering attack. Deep down I knew if I had any hope in hell’s chance of getting well, movement had to be part of it.

Short walks with regular rest breaks began. My attempt to make it a daily practice was every other day in reality, with periods of bedbound days meaning no movement at all thrown in. In time, a 2k walk became 5k again and within a couple of years 7k. The other month I walked 10 miles for the first time in as many years.

Sometimes when you’re in the thick and amongst it, it can feel like the wins are there only when you look for them.  Once you’re able to pause and reflect in longer periods of time onwards, you can see the change and transformation but not necessarily what it’s taken to get there.

Back to where she began and in meeting herself where she was at, Lorraine was averaging a couple of hundred steps a day – her base line. I couldn’t believe it when, in only a small matter of months, she announced she’d tripled it!! 600 steps a day up from 200. In a world that tells us it should be 10,000 (where does this number even come from anyway?!) and leaves us feeling like a failure when we only reach 9, 876, this is one of those examples of looking at what a win to your health is and means for you. A place where you can learn to cheerlead yourself on from there.

A couple more months and she’d doubled this figure to 1200! Nearer the end of this year and her peak steps are at 2,272!

As well as meeting herself where she was at and moving forward at what only seemed like snail’s pace, with her new-found confidence she’d been venturing out more on her scooter over summer and even started driving on her own again!

The benefits to her body approaching it this way?

• Increased mobility and strength in her arms.

• Pain reduction in her legs.

I’m still asked by others how am I so strong (I mean, after all, I am no longer beasting it in a gym like I once was) and Lorraine demonstrates a spot on example of how I achieved that just like she has;

• by meeting her body where its at

• ensuring that movement happens as part of her day

• doing what she can when she can (no pushing, no forcing, no struggle)

• all alongside regular bodywork sessions with someone who can meet her where she’s at and guide her to where it is she wants to go.

“I want to be able to walk with my back straight” she said just before a recent treatment. At the same time she was practically swinging her arms around in the air! Movement and mobility she didn’t have only a few months ago.

“That sounds like an achievable goal for the next year ahead” we agreed.

Though no sooner had she got off the massage bed than she was standing nearly straight. I noticed she got on and off the table with more ease than before too.

Walking from her kitchen to the living room when we had a cuppa after, I have never seen her move with as much ease, she appeared more nimble on her feet for what felt like the first time in a long time.

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When I asked her what other areas she had been focussing on (because I know that this kind of improvement is never down to any one thing, there are a whole manner and range of things), she added:

• Self-belief (coming from a place and belief where “I matter”)

• Listening to her body more.

• Reading You Can Heal Your Life and adopting Louise Hay’s recommended affirmations to support healing from root cause perspective

• Talking kindly to herself

• An improved awareness of her thoughts

• Voicing her needs, wants and desires.

It’s worth a mention that in the midst of this incredible journey – and in addition to her health flare over winter – Lorraine’s husband received a prostate cancer diagnosis. This, as you can imagine, put the family under immense strain, worry and pressure.

During the time of his diagnosis to treatment (and also embarking on a bodywork journey himself), Lorraine has experienced a hell of a healing. It’s hard to put it into words but we both felt it during October’s treatment. Alongside which she also happened to receive her very first message:

“choose the path of least resistance”.

Neither of us have any idea what this yet means, only that it’ll become clear in its own time.

Case study of her husband to follow. Fingers crossed he’ll give me permission to share in the same way Lorraine has.

If you were to ask Lorraine any questions about her healing journey this year or in general, what would you want to know?

Fork in the road. Which path would you choose?