Eve Hermann, LMT

When I wrote my last post, oh, all the way back in August, I had no idea that I would soon be hosting my own retreat. I had been kind of, sort of, figuring out ways to gather some women together, but I hadn’t hit on anything that said, “GO!”

I knew I wanted to use the space at Spring Hollow Lodge someday for healing or gathering. So, on a whim I reserved it for February thinking if I didn’t come up with a good idea, I could at least have some friends together there. It’s such a beautiful place to be in the winter, with floor to ceiling windows and views that hide the fact that you’re in town. You can pretend you’re in Hocking Hills if you need that kind of distance between yourself and Franklin county.

Somewhere between then and November the idea for a retreat for women came to me. I wanted something that got us in our bodies, something that helped us find healing and something that let us share our experiences. So I set my sites on putting that together and it worked. The idea said, “GO!” And I went.

I am so lucky to be part of Columbus’s community of bodyworkers and healers. I think I found the perfect mix of movement and healing with the contributions that Elizabeth Miller and Nicole Garlando are going to make. (Below you’ll see short bios for both of them. They are talented and lovely.)

I can’t wait to sit in circle with a group of wise and experienced women. I want to learn from you all how you move through your lives, emotionally, physically, spiritually. I’m hoping we can introduce each other to ideas and books and practices that are new and add just what we need for the next step in our journey.

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Elizabeth Miller
A certified yoga teacher in the viniyoga tradition through American Viniyoga Institute, Elizabeth has been practicing yoga for twelve years. She worked for several years with the Omega Institute, a leader in holistic education based in Rhinebeck, New York, and The Crossings, a progressive learning center just outside Austin, Texas. Her gentle, yet powerful, teaching style helps students accept themselves as they are and uncover their sacred perfection. Following an ancient tradition honoring the five dimensions of humanity, Elizabeth weaves a class that touches the physical, mental, energetic, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of our being. Elizabeth is also certified in Thai Yoga Massage from the Lotus Palm School in Montreal.

Nicole Garlando
A dance artist, energy worker and educator, Nicole finds inspiration from her studies of anatomy and physiology, therapeutic and relaxation massage, craniosacral therapy, yoga, meditation, guided imagery and dance improvisation. Her work has included serving as a state-licensed massage therapist; co-founding the Ananda Center–a non-profit holistic health and creative arts organization in Massillon, Ohio; dancing and choreographing professionally; teaching movement to students of all ages and continuing to follow the path of her own healing journey.

Retreat: n. 1. A quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax; 2. A period of seclusion for the purposes of prayer and meditation.

I find it interesting that the word “retreat” has militaristic and competitive meanings (which I purposefully left out above) as well as contemplative.

In all contexts though, it is about drawing back, drawing away from battle, from interaction, from regularly scheduled life. It is an attempt to eek out a space to reflect so that upon returning to the flow you are more empowered than before you left.

I think in daily life we need to find spaces and times of retreat. My favorite time to create retreat is in the morning. I make a cup of coffee and because the summer weather has been so pleasant these last couple weeks I am able to comfortably sit outside. During that time I can watch the sun rise while birds that frequent my yard chatter at each other. I admire the late summer flowers and have many opportunities to be grateful. This is a time for me to rest and relax and it is a time for meditation. My gratitude is often my only meditation, but it feels like enough.

I have a friend who has started taking daily walks in a local park. She snaps a picture and shares it with friends online. Once again, like me, she’s found a simple way to create a retreat in her daily life.

You don’t even need a ritual or a special place. Retreat can be just taking a moment, closing your eyes and inhaling deeply. Try it when you’re stopped at a red light or when you’re standing in line somewhere. Try it even when you’d rather be fretting about how long the light is taking and angry about how few lanes are open for check-out.

Related

• I just found this listing online: True Nature, a retreat space that offers bodywork and plenty of opportunities to reflect and heal. It’s located a little over an hour northeast of Columbus in the heart of Amish country. What a great opportunity to take a short break from life-as-usual and really allow yourself to get grounded and relaxed. I appreciate how they frame the need for retreat:

“We believe our retreats are a beautiful gift you can give yourself. They are especially helpful during times of stress and strife when you feel depleted, overwhelmed and in need of some time to yourself. Another wonderful time to retreat is when you find yourself going through a major life change or transition (or more than one simultaneously!). Retreats can be nurturing support when you are recovering from a traumatic event or are dealing with grief, or if you are simply ready to enjoy the bloomy grin of being who you Are.

• Coming up in September, Elizabeth Miller will be leading a workshop series at Balanced Yoga in Clintonville called Yoga for Healing and Transformation. Learn how breathing, yoga poses and meditation unite to lead the body towards healing and transformation.

Summer went by so fast I’m more than a bit amazed to find myself sitting at the halfway point of August. I’m afraid to ask if it was a good summer for you because I know this summer has not been easy. It’s not just you. Many, many people are stressed out. All across the world. You’ve seen it. You know it. I hope you have the resources on hand to make your way through these tumultuous times a bit more gentle.

It’s times like these that I am grateful for my path into bodywork. So much has been revealed to me about the special gift of this work. It’s been an incredible journey of learning about my needs and how to take care of them.  I have also learned the value that I provide for others and possibly the world.

When I graduated from massage therapy school, the owner of the school told us that she felt that massage therapy was a valuable way to spread peace in the world. Being in practice now for four years, I know that what she said is true. Someone who has spent an hour on the table has received the benefit of that flow of relaxation and rest that comes from bodywork. They are less likely to anger, more likely to smile. There is no doubt that peace moves easily from that place.

Creative expression, meditation and mindful movement are other ways to inspire peace in your life. Here are some local resources:

• My colleague Melissa Muguruza Weaver, LMT, is a wonderful massage therapist who also provides opportunities to explore creativity and wellness. She’s forming an Artist’s Way Circle “to explore, discover and recover our creativity.” For more information, visit her Wellness Events & Classes page.

• Yoga on High will be host to internationally known yoga teachers Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee who will lead an Urban Zen class. Urban Zen “includes restorative poses, aromatherapy, reiki, breath awareness, and meditation. This class is appropriate for everyone, no previous yoga experience is required.”

• Meditation teacher, Daron Larson, provides some guided meditations on his website. I really love the idea behind the meditation called Find and Create Rest in the Body and Mind: “It can be very useful to learn to identify and enjoy naturally-occurring restful states such as relaxation in the body and the pauses between thoughts — states that occur spontaneously, but which we haven’t practiced detecting and savoring.”

One question I get from clients is how often should they schedule sessions. Maybe you have this question, too.

If you are feeling pain and discomfort on a level that interferes with your daily life, I suggest every two weeks. Two week intervals allow the body a chance to adjust to the changes from one session to the next. The sessions are far enough apart that you get a sense for the cycle of pain you are dealing with. This time frame also allows you to come in soon enough that the pain cycle is mitigated or even broken. Committing to sessions at this interval is beneficial because it trains you and your body towards relaxation. Eventually, you will find relief.

If you are mostly interested in reminding yourself what the experience of total relaxation is, I suggest every three weeks to once a month. Most of us are switched to a high-level ON position and forget what it means and feels like to relax. The benefit of monthly sessions is that you get an hour of your life to remember what relaxed and peaceful feels like.

Another benefit is that this memory is something you can take with you into your days between sessions. If you find you have a moment to sit, maybe with your morning coffee or on a break from work, think back to the full body sensation you had while receiving a massage or craniosacral therapy. Amazingly, this short moment of remembering can ease your body towards that peaceful, relaxed feeling. Your days will be so much more rewarding when you add this kind of mindfulness to them.

So, how is your body feeling and how would you like it to feel? If you are interested in a more grounded, relaxed and peaceful feeling in your body, I invite you to contact me. We can create a schedule that works for you.

When Frank Ferrante was asked at last Saturday’s Q & A after the screening of May I Be Frank why he went back into a workshop he was obviously having issues dealing with his response was, “I went back in because I realized I didn’t always know what’s best for me.”

One can look at the trailer for May I Be Frank and even watch the movie and get a sense that it was pure synchronicity that brought Frank and Ryland, Cary, and Conor together. In a sense, that’s true. But as the saying goes, 99% of luck is showing up. Frank had been showing up in his life for 17 years through the 12-Step Program. That community got him ready for the next step in his transformation.

Cafe Gratitude caught his attention because “Gratitude” is part of the 12-Step recovery process. He walked into the restaurant expecting to see a bunch of recovering alcoholics sitting around. What he found was fresh-faced vegan do-gooders ready for a new project. Frank was ready for a change. It was a collision of readiness.

The message I got from Frank’s example was we’re ready when we’re ready. Our community opens up before us as we take our steps toward whatever the change is we need in our life.

Look around Columbus, where do you feel drawn? Your team, your cheerleaders, your coaches, your fellow-travelers are here. Follow your instincts. Listen to the No and Yes. Believe them. You’ll get your transformations. Big and small.