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PROFOUND LEARNING

I’ve recently come back after studying a week of Cherokee bodywork at a center in Massachusetts called Kripalu. You might want to look up this center, as it provides, it seems, almost something for anyone who is seeking to better themselves , emotionally, physically or spiritually. The leader of this group was Lewis Mehl-Madronna, psychiatrist who has Lakota and Cherokee ancestory. He’s quite a presence on the Internet, which I would entirely recommend you look for.

So what makes his work so special and something that you can carry with you on a daily basis, even though no part of your life may be concerned with bodywork? He teaches not just the mechanics of what he has learned from the Cherokee about healing, but exudes a sense spirituality, of grace, of laughter, of wisdom that is so rare in this world, within the teaching. He is relaxed about his teaching methods. He trusts that you will understand and be able to practice what he is saying and by what he is showing you. By contrast, I refer to the typical conference and/or workshop leaders that sort of continue to force their “product” down your throat each day. Note-taking is constant and you try to hold on the numerous facts/figures that might be given to you along with the training.

This workshop, I guess you would say was taught by osmosis, not that he wasn’t speaking and demonstrating throughout, but the qualities of gentleness, openness, trust in the participants was profound. You soon learned that you were not going to be told that you were doing things incorrectly , when practicing on others. You were to connect to all that is within you and join that with the needs of the person you would be working on. Practicing in this way strengthend not only the individual you were working with , but certainly strengthend your own core, your own inner knowingness of how you might help heal this other person in this moment. This work then became physical , emotional, spiritual in an individual way for each participant. Each session practiced on each individual was unique.

How can I take this into my practice, how might you take these concepts into your life as a client or certainly someone in the outer world? As was mentioned before, the reverance that each person we encounter is unique and needs healing in their own way. This way is to be explored, which is challenging, when we let go of the dogma, the rules, the protocol. However, within the course of working with others at the retreat, I saw some amazing results without Mr. Madronna feeling any need to Prove he was healing others, or that we were either, It simply happened. If you would like to learn more about my practice in NYC,and how I might integrate these practices for those who wish this kind of experience, please visit rkanetherapy.com

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