The miracle of pregnancy and childbirth is a joyous and celebratory time for many, though it can also feel like a roller coaster of emotions and rapid physical change. At times, it may even seem like someone has invaded your body and taken over the reigns of control. The additional blood circulation and hormones pulsing through the body, not to mention extra baby weight, can add to the mounting tensions building up in the body and mind, resulting in feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or simply achy and sore. An expectant mother’s relationship with gravity fundamentally changes, and often with it comes a shift in sense of self.
Touch therapies can help the readjustment through the various stages of pregnancy and into motherhood, bringing ease back to the body and mind.
Craniosacral therapy is a non-invasive, gentle healing touch therapy that takes the body out of gravity and enables the release of held physical and psycho-emotional tension. This results in a sensation of calmness and overall well being in the body. The craniosacral touch is subtle, aiming to balance the internal fluid tide that we all have within us, and can even be felt by the foetus. Because the unborn baby is also bathed in this fluid, babies often make their presence known during these sessions. The results are a deeper connection between mother and child, and mothers-to-be report a sense of better sleep, a calmer emotional state and an ease in their body and after a cranial session.
After child birth, the body goes through another rapid and dramatic change in preparation to feed and care for the newborn. Weight gain and loss are inevitable, and every day functions like feeding and lifting the baby put additional strains on the spine, shoulders and neck. It is not abnormal to once again, feel like a foreigner in one’s own skin.
Rolfing is a form of bodywork that aims to bring about ease in every day life by releasing a type of soft tissue in the body called fascia. Fascia surrounds every cell, muscle and bone, and is not unlike cling film as it gets wrapped and knotted due to physical and emotional experiences throughout the course of life. Through a framework of ten sessions, these tissues are deconstructed, reorganised and reintegrated, resulting in better posture, less pain, and more ease in every day movements.
Lizzie has dedicated her life to studying the relationship between the body and mind. Diagnosed with a digestive disease as a child, from an early age she was aware that the movement played a role in maintaining a positive mind and healthy body. She ran marathons while studying philosophy in university, and after injuring her knee around that time, discovered yoga. Through illness and health, her own explorations in alternative therapies and determination to find wellness led her to become a yoga teacher, craniosacral therapist and a Rolfer. Learn more about Lizzie at www.freeliz.com
