Hellerwork
Hellerwork is a combination of body centered human development and movement education, a technique founded by Joseph Heller. It is an integrated system of bodywork and somatic education formed on the idea that the mind and body are inseparable. Hellerwork encourages the patient to develop a great connection between the body and mind. This can be achieved through combining movement education with deep tissue bodywork and massage.
Treatment includes a series of 11 sessions. The goal is to become aware of and build an understanding of your own body structure through the reorganization of connective tissues and muscles through bodywork. This helps the body to align itself in the healthiest way so that there is no longer any stress or stain put onto the body during daily activities.
The treatment is based on the notion that everyone is innately healthy, and through achieving an awareness of your body and your relationship to the world, one can make this innate health a reality.
Each Hellerwork session begins with a brief discussion between the therapist and the patient about how the treatment has been progressing and how the body is adapting to the new movements. The therapist then conducts an assessment of your body structure and your current moving patterns. Your therapist collects this information to gain a better understanding of how your body works, and how the therapy exercises can be tailored to suit your individual needs.
During the bodywork portion of the therapy, the patient is usually asked to lie down on a massage table. However, sometimes the patient will be asked to move to other positions such as being seated or standing. Basically the bodywork is a type of deep pressured massage followed by a feeling of release and relaxation. This part of the treatment will also be interactive as the therapist will ask you to make slow movements with your body as your therapist guides you through tension releasing stretches and holds. Some of these movements may feel a bit uncomfortable at first which mainly means that the muscle tissue is not in the greatest of condition. But as therapy progresses, these movements will begin to bring relief. Communication between the therapist and patient is important to achieve the appropriate level of speed and pressure of the exercises.
During the movement education and body-mind awareness part of Hellerwork treatment the patient begins to develop a connection between their body, mind and spirit. They learn to express themselves through their body as well as learning to understand what their body is communicating to them.
Upon each session completion, patients usually sense an increase in their overall wellbeing. They may feel lighter and less tension in their movements. With each additional Hellerwork session your body begins to become aware of its new structure and movement patterns, making it easy to carry your body through life.
