by Alvina Quatrano | Oct 3, 2017 | Resources
This is the subtle truth: Whatever you love, you are.–RUMI
Self-Help Process Acupressure: Put 2 hackey sacks in a sock so that you have handles at either end (you can also knot a small towel or place tennis balls at either end). Place the balls on either side of the spine, so that you are lying on them. Starting at the tailbone, begin moving them up every minute an inch at a time until they reach your head–releasing all the tension.
Dr. Fritz Smith’s Parallel Breath Meditation When feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about something like a decision or the pace of life. Sit down and inhale deeply. Imagining that the breath is traveling from your head (crown) to your feet(ground). When you exhale imagine that the breath travels from the feet up through the head. Continue for 10 minutes or until feeling better CD available at www.zerobalancing.com includes Inner Smile meditation
The Enneagram The Enneagram is an ancient form of personality typing devised by the Jesuits to get along better together in the monastaries. It was notoriously passed down verbally until the 1970’s when Helen Palmer, PhD, Stanford University, brought it out in her book, The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life. There are numerous teachers and writers and workshops on the Enneagram today, even a newsletter. Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson of New York City have an excellent book called, The Wisdom of The Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types. To take a free Enneagram test click here: RHETI test
The I Ching A fun tool to help focus and find guidance in the moment The Wilhelm-Baynes Edition (classic) The I Ching: A Guide To Life’s Turning Points, Brian Browne Walker Tiger and Dragon I Ching,Rowena Kryder
by Alvina Quatrano | Oct 2, 2017 | Resources
Your Body Doesn’t Lie
In fact, your body holds all the information that’s happened to you during your whole life. It’s your living file system. And as a kind of storage space for memories, it’s one of the best ways to heal and align the mind/body/spirit connection. And when these aspects of self are aligned healing pathways are found. It’s a delicate proposition: healing the self through accessing information stored in the body. And as such, must be handled with gentleness, compassion, and caring. A safe and comforting way to do this is through Process Acupressure. With Process Acupressure, you find yourself supported by the bodywork experience and the bodyworker to explore yourself unconditionally. And when this is done, wondrous things can happen. Each session is created to enable creativity, imagination, and enlightenment–yet is deeply grounded in the here-and-now through the body dynamic, the protocol of acupressure, and touch itself. Holding “acupoints” that relate to specific areas of difficulty or points throughout the body, clear the energy pathways and support strengthening in your being and encourage you to develop a sense of entitlement “to be who you are”. By working with the body in such a manner as Process Acupressure you can enrich your own unique being through support of spiritual compassion and nonjudgement–in the end you will access your truth and in that, “the truth will set you free.”
by Alvina Quatrano | Oct 1, 2017 | Resources
(As published in New Jersey Holistic magazine Winter 2002)
Process Acupressure can address many common physical symptoms including back problems, headaches, PMS, respiratory, digestive and systemic problems, as well as colds, flu, allergies and healing from injuries. Over 100 specific acupressure protocols have been developed to provide therapy for all parts of the body and many specific conditions. PA is especially helpful with stress-related conditions, including post-traumatic stress. It is not appropriate for severe medical problems or psychosis and does not replace medical care. Finger pressure is used to stimulate acupoints on the body’s surface. The pressure used in specific combinations helps to open and balance energy pathways that have been restricted. This helps to alleviate pain and various dysfunctions and brings greater harmony and function to all other systems in the body. Process Acupressure also helps promote better health and renewed energy by actively involving you in your own healing and growth processes. It teaches you to become more aware of your body and your “process”–that is, you particular history, style, and patterns of thinking, feeling, behavior, health, and illness. It teaches you how to respect and follow this process as your own unique path to health and growth. You will more readily recognize the subtle things you do to foster, or suppress the natural growth process. You can learn new ways to help yourself and how to change those patterns that are not working. Dr. Aminah Raheem developed the holistic method of Process Acupressure after more than 20 years of study in various psychologies and hands-on modalities, along with 35 years of spiritual practice. She was an adjunct faculty member of The Institute for Transpersonal Psychology for 10 years. She is a mother, Zero Balancing Teacher, Diplomate of Process Work, transpersonal psychologist, and author. She has taught Process Acupressure and integrative body psychology to both student and practitioners in the United States and throughout Europe. Dr. Raheem’s book, Soul Return: Integrating Body, Psyche, and Spirit, was one of the first to bring the soul into bodywork and psychology. Soul Return addresses the roles that the body and soul have in psychological development and transformation. It is a scientifically conducted, well-reasoned survey of the factors that affect health–from love and wisdom to soul purpose, enlightenment and service. PA grew out of Dr. Aminah Raheem’s search for ways to work with all parts of a person simultaneously. After investigating many bodywork styles, she chose traditional acupressure and combined it with the unique touch of Dr. Fritz Smith’s Zero Balancing, which addresses both energy and structure. The bodywork was then combined with various psycho spiritual process skills developed by Aminah, which included principles of Arnold Mindell’s Process Work. These principles and techniques in combination bring about a therapeutic approach that can elicit and fulfill the individual needs of the client. What happens during a PA treatment? Typically, a session takes from 1 to 1 1/2 hours. During this time you lie fully clothed on a massage table while the practitioner applies gentle pressure to your acupoints (the same as used in acupuncture). Normally the session has several phases: As a state of relaxation ensues, you may become aware of issues within your body and/or consciousness. As the session progresses, you may go into a deeper state of awareness, beneath surface tension, to access clarity or guidance about issues at hand. Finally, integration and completion of the process occur as the session is closed by chakra balancing and grounding.
by Alvina Quatrano | Sep 29, 2017 | Newsletter, Resources
September 2001: The World Trade Center had been demolished and living in New Jersey many people I knew were at the scene. Everyone in the world was shocked, numb, dumbfounded, grief-stricken. Triages were set up all over to relieve symptoms of shock and stress and grief. Many therapists of all kinds volunteered their time to help the wounded. My regular clients came to me like lost wounded souls and I felt like I needed more to offer. I asked my acupressure mentor to please come up with something. The acupressure teachers of Soul Lightening International (now Insight Acupressure) led by Aminah Raheem of Borrego Springs, California got together here on the east coast one day and created a new protocol to serve the world in relieving shock and stress. It is called SEVA. SEVA means service in Sanscrit and the protocol was created to relieve suffering and stress and to promote general relaxation. SEVA is a simple acupressure treatment created for anyone to give or receive.
A SEVA treatment can be administered in just a few minutes or can be extended 20-30 minutes, depending on the circumstances. It can be given in a therapists office but was truly designed to be given whenever and wherever it is needed. My friend Missy helped a runner who was down and in shock on the street on a very hot day to revitalize even while EMT’s were standing by. She reconnected his vital energies to come back to the here and now.
Receiving SEVA is a very calming and centering experience. It can relieve post traumatic stress syndrome. It can provide a turning point for an individual to move toward true healing at the deepest levels.
Clinical Acupressure ( which is an ancient healing modality from China and Asia using finger pressure to acupoints on the body) enhances the free flow of the body’s vital energy, activates it’s own recuperative abilities and diminishes congestion. It can address a multitude of symptoms including back problems, headaches, respiratory, digestive and systemic problems as well as colds, flus, allergies and physical injuries. This treatment modality will facilitate,but should not replace, delay or interfere with medical treatment. This work uses the knowledge of ancient traditions combined with contemporary understanding to promote health and self-responsibility for wellness.
I implemented SEVA right away and the results were immediate. I saw the difference in people who received treatment as opposed to those who hadn’t and my heart ached for those who hadn’t sought treatment of any kind. Many divorces happened after 9/11..moving and displacement…many health issues are still happening. After 9/ 11 most people I know who sought treatment used several modalities to balance themselves as they found necessary; chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, acupressure, yoga, psychotherapy, spiritual guidance, homeopathy, and nutritional counseling and more were sought out to alleviate a myriad of complaints including respiratory, fear, shock, confusion, digestive, muscular, etc. SEVA allowed the unraveling and peace to begin to find a way through from the other side of pandemonium.
I am a certified SEVA instructor and I and my colleagues are teaching SEVA in schools, hospitals, PTA’s, and communities so everyone can know the relief and health building that is possible through acupressure. It has been a terrific addition to the community if someone is so disposed to volunteer it to Women’s or Men’s Shelter’s for instance. A Seva 1: Self-Care Class runs 3 hours. If you would like to learn SEVA or to set up a group demo let me know and it will be arranged. I am available at Art of Holistic Masssage (AOHMassage) in Naples FL. 732-266-5276.
Since 2001, The Good Points Program for Self-Care has been developed and Seva is one of the releases that is taught among about 25 others by various teachers for Insight Acupressure in our Acupressure for Anyone Program. Insight Acupressure for more info.. Namaste.
by Alvina Quatrano | Sep 28, 2017 | Resources
Zero Balancing …..A Breath of Fresh Air Hypopnea/Hyperpnea. I love those words. They have a lot of character. They are medical terms used to describe a breathing cycle that occurs frequently during a Zero Balancing session. Hypopnea is the quiet state before a hyperpnea or “big breath.” Hypopnea is mysterious since it is the silent, quiet, nonexistent breath. Where are you? It’s as if you’re in a dream state. Yes, that very rich state where you can connect with your soul. Your breath opens your body to receive the gentle healing energy of the treatment and you are forever changed. You are gifted graciously with buoyancy, which brings a new consciousness to forgotten ideas and areas of the body, which awaken as if from a long sleep to be clarified, enlightened. Hyperpnea: an invocation that excites every cell, stimulating the organs to wake up and seize the moment. And what a moment! The cobwebs are blown away and pure juice remains. Fresh oxygen supplying the body, reaching to every crevice and fold of skin and tissue. Feed tension, delighted senses, a rested state…You are supported by the practitioner’s touch, a simple, yet profoundly deep connection that unlocks the treasure of who you are. Hyperpnea: permission to expand yourself to be who you are more strongly, an act of entitlement to inhabit your own space more fully. “Alvina,” asks Colleen,”What would the world be without ZB?”. For she has known Zero Balancing to create confirmation of herself; to support her in clarifying her needs and wants by the simple richness of bone on bone. Bone released from stress via Zero Balancing to simply support us as the skeleton was intended to; unfettered by burdens of anxiety, predjudice, shame, abuse, illness, confusion, etc., to be as it was intended to be: pure energy moving with grace; pure structure connected with the ground. Alignment happens!
There is a Pyramid Meditation which Dr. Fritz Smith (the originator of Zero Balancing) teaches. (avail at www.zerobalancing.com) It utilizes the chakras and our connection to heaven and earth providing energetic alignment for all within the pyramid. Usually a prayer is said to include the earth in our healing efforts for it is she who is supporting our lives here and we need always to be gracious and honor her for allowing us to use her paths, her air, her water, her warmth and her coolness. She provides our environment, our home. We make ourselves more at home by our practices, living harmoniously and vigilantly with and for the earth. Hyperpnea!…Oh!…Yes!…I’m alive! A radiant Being who stands with others. Here, on earth!
Check out the Zero Balancing Article in Summer 2002 Vol 41,No.2 Massage Magazine!!!
