Stuck In Pain?
The human body is truly amazing. It has great capacity for self-healing and when left alone, with good supporting circumstances, will do what needs doing in order to return to a state of balance or health. Yoga and meditation are effective healing tools and can cause miraculous change. However, due to lifestyle, unconscious habit or injury, sometimes intervention is necessary.
Pain is the body’s way of hanging the ‘Out of Order’ sign on the door. It is not normal and every effort should be made to listen to the distress signal being made. Sometimes, if things have been left to long or circumstance has resulted in permanent injury, the issue is no longer righting the problem but maintaining the best possible state and learning to wear the pain gracefully.
Unfortunately, if one part of the body is not functioning correctly, it affects other parts of the body. For example, if the neck is out, the lower back tends to follow in an effort to compensate. If the lower back goes, this can result in constipation or menstrual difficulties. Insomnia and changes in the eating habits are other signs that something is amiss. And these are just the physical signs. Everything is connected; consider the emotional and mental effects of injury and illnes...
At various times, I’ve found it necessary to do more than my own yoga/exercise programme to maintain good health and well-being. Below are six practitioners I recommend who may be able to help. They do different work and after several years of working with my body and mind I have a sense for when each approach is necessary. Like everything else, it is a matter of experimenting until you find what works for you. I am aware that there are many excellent practitioners and techniques available in the marketplace. I am recommending Richard, Jacob, Nicki and Rebecca because after much searching, they have consistently proved helpful for me and I trust them.
Please note that I receive no gifts of any kind in return for these referrals.
1. Dr Richard Yin, Physical Medicine at Body Logic Physiotherapy
215 Nicholson Road, Shenton Park.
Phone 9381 7940
Dr Richard Yin is a G.P with a special interest in chronic pain problems. He has post-graduate training in acupuncture, Feldenkrais, manipulative therapy and musculoskeletal problems. He is also a long-term meditator aware of the interrelationship between body and mind. Richard is a useful resource as he can provide a conventional diagnosis to pain problems and offer a range of therapeutic options (both conventional and alternative) for management. He is also a very direct and straight-talking human being.
2. Jacob and Nicki de Hoog.
South Fremantle
Phone 9538 1363
Body work of all kinds tends to stir things up physically, emotionally and mentally. Old movement habits and injuries are often linked to old emotional and mental habits. Also, making changes in the body sometimes has a domino effect on other seemingly unrelated areas of life. Jacob and Nicki are excellent guides through the difficult passages. Since 1984, Jacob and Nicki de Hoog have worked in their busy Fremantle practice, offering a holistic approach to human development, through individual consultations, workshops, courses and retreats.
Jacob draws on a wide variety of sources for inspiration, including somatic, humanistic and transpersonal psychology. He is equally at home with the language of the corporate world and the understandings of the great spiritual traditions. He has written two books and many articles and presented seminars in the U.S.A. He works in the roles of counsellor, therapist, body worker, teacher, consultant, coach and mentor.
Nicki’s background is in teaching and the arts. She is a published writer, has exhibitions for her art and runs courses in singing. She is also involved in ongoing work with her own clients, using her highly developed skills in counselling and healing, as well as breath therapy, art and journaling.
3. Rebecca Li Wang at the Ability Acu-Herbal Health Clinic
4/337 Rokeby Road, Subiaco
(corner of Heytesbury Road, upstairs above Chez Jean-Claude Patisserie).
Phone 9388 2228
Rebecca Li Wang is a doctor of traditional Chinese Medicine who specialises in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. I highly recommend her and Chinese Medicine/acupuncture as alternative methods for those who need help balancing hormones, boosting the immune system, suffering with allergies and knocking off lingering colds and flus.