Myofascial Release and Weightloss
It is that time of year again when we are all outside enjoying the beautiful weather and we feel the urge to look our best and take better care of our bodies. This often starts with wanting to loose a few pounds and this can become very frustrating if you have tried everything; all sorts of diets, supplements, exercise, fasting, and on and on and nothing seems to work or last.
John F.Barnes,P.T goes on to explain why there can often be a mind-body complex that makes it difficult to lose the weight.
What often happens is there was an event that occurred early on in our lives where there was an emotional or physical trauma which was overwhelming. We tend to bury the feelings/emotions in the subconscious level. This creates a trigger which can interfere with our ability to cope with the situation. The mind/body then creates a mechanism by which it copes and it often can lead to problems with weight, alcohol, drugs, and any type of excessive behavior. Often times a compulsion develops because the body/mind complex is trying to anesthetize itself, so it doesn’t feel this inner fear or pain that came from a past event.
It seems that the subconscious can cause a person to carry excess weight, almost as a protective mechanism. Once the subconscious has lost the fear from the past event, then the body can start to function normally again. You don’t feel that urge to overeat and you go back to a more instinctual pattern of eating. It can be likened to a pregnant women who instinctively eats something because their body is requesting (“craving”) it. As the mind/body complex heals itself, you are able to go back to a more instinctive way of living where you are now eating the right food for yourself in the appropriate amounts.
There are many programs that are designed to promote weight loss and/or designed to help with compulsive behaviors. Though these programs are well intentioned, many of them are only providing coping strategies, and are not getting to the root of the problem. So it’s not that you shouldn’t go through some of these programs, because they may benefit some people. However, often times, Myofascial Release turns out to be the missing link, not only with pain and the restoration of motion, but also getting to the root cause of these compulsions that too many of us are saddled with in our lives.
Myofascial Release allows the person to safely reconnect with this information that is buried in the subconscious. The mind/body then processes this hidden information and resolves the problem so it no longer has to cope. Then a healthy, balanced diet, exercise, and all of the other complementary things that are important to us to be healthy, begin to work effectively for that individual. In fact, through the Myofascial Unwinding 1, we see many people after they have gone through their healing process, end up losing a lot of weight, without making any other major changes. And at that point, adding exercise and a proper diet becomes more effective than it was previously. You are then able to return to a more balanced and joyful way of living again and eliminate compulsions and/or coping behaviors.
At Jersey Shore Myofascial Release Center we offer a comprehensive program of myofascial release and nutrition with the Kingsley Institute. What you can expect is to meet with a Registered Dietitian and nationally certified massage therapist to establish a customized plan. You’ll discuss your current situation, goals, times and specific actions needed for you to be successful. We will work with you to ensure you know what to eat, how much to eat,how to stretch and how to take care of yourself. Our programs are highly successful at weight loss and emotional release, boosting energy levels, decreasing medication,eliminating pain, looking better and improving your self-esteem. We will be your personal advocate to ensure your successful journey to reach and maintain your goals.
1 For more information about the process of Myofascial Unwinding please refer to the book, Healing Ancient Wounds: A Renegade’s Wisdom, on page 73.
(http://www.myofascialrelease.com/store/books.asp).
