Myofascial Release

Hi Mike.  It is nice to hear from you.  Before I answer your question, let me go over some information that you are familiar with, but would be helpful to those just learning about Myofascial Release. 

As an MFR therapist, we never force, we never lead, we never analyze, we never tell the patient what to think or feel, we never try to elicit emotions; therefore we never injure!

Bottom line, we don’t try.  We center ourselves and follow the gentle, non-invasive Myofascial Release principles and allow the client to experience what is natural for them. As with many other forms of good massage, bodywork, energy work, acupuncture, etc, sometimes emotions and/or memories may arise.

Some therapists are concerned about the client expressing emotion.  My question to them is, “Have you ever heard of anyone being injured by crying?”  Of course not: don’t you feel better after a good cry?  It can be very healing. 

What I say to the therapists in my Myofascial Release seminars and my clients is that “we are all afraid.”  We were taught by our society not to feel or trust our emotions; to shove them down.  In doing so, we didn’t realize that our unexpressed emotions were creating subconscious bracing patterns that over time solidify the ground substance of our fascial system.  The ground substance ideally should be a fluid/gel state. 

This solidification of the ground substance or matrix eventually creates crushing pressure on pain sensitive structures ultimately producing the symptoms of pain, headaches, Fibromyalgia. restriction of motion, inner anxiety turmoil, and/or mental hyper-vigilance.  This unfortunately describes a large segment of our society. 

And now, Mike, to answer your question, “How do you work with the idea that a fear is protective and letting go is scarier than the initial fear itself?”  Explain that fear is protective, but it is protecting something that happened in the past.  This constant state of fear exhausts us and limits the full expression of life.  And if our internal alarms are ringing constantly, we no longer hear them; therefore we are no longer protected in the present moment when actual danger arises. 

It is important for us all to realize that we don’t have to feel the fear or past pain all at once. The client has total control.  They can chip away at it at their own pace.  Every second we feel our therapeutic fear or pain some of its energy and intensity is dissipated until there us nothing left.  We can then return to our natural state; calm, tranquil, pain-free and mentally clear.  You might suggest that your client go to my website (www.myofascialrelease.com) and go to the article section and read about “Therapeutic pain”.

Our experience has shown that as we feel our fear with a trusted therapist in a safe therapeutic environment, it transforms into a power that enhances our life and begins the healing process.  Fear, then, becomes our true friend.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

                John