Certified holistic nurse practitioner Alison Shaw, LMT, CEH, combines body-centered counseling, integrative bodywork and energy medicine to help her patients uncover the unconscious bodymind patterns that cause physical, emotional and health challenges. From childhood on, people develop unconscious patterns—physical, behavioral, postural habits and beliefs—to get through life. In bringing these lifelong patterns into a patient’s awareness, Shaw assists in releasing, repatterning and healing.

With 38 years of experience, she has developed The Bodymind Principle, a model for understanding the connections between a body’s physical, emotional and energetic levels. In explaining the treatment process, Shaw evokes the image of “surfing back and forth, following the patterns in order to unwind them on all levels.” Physical pain and illness effects one emotionally and energetically, emotional distress effects one physically and energetically, and energetic imbalances effect one emotionally and physically.

Shaw goes on to say, “I believe that the most important tool we have for our healing is our awareness. If we can learn the way our body and mind communicate with each other to perpetuate ‘dis-ease’, then we have the power to free ourselves from restrictive patterns.”

As an example, holding the breath is one of the most efficient ways to stop the flow of painful emotions. Shaw explains: “Over years people tend to develop patterns of shallow, restricted breathing so as not to feel difficult emotions. This is a survival pattern that can have negative physical effects over time. Physical energy movement relies on the breath. The body metabolizes oxygen to produce the energy that fuels the movement of muscles and digestion. Emotions are a form of energy that relies on the breath to move freely through one’s psyche and body.”

In uncovering physical, emotional and energetic patterns within the self, patients can begin to identify the connections and realize the effectiveness of bodymind repatterning. When the breath is open and full, one is able to experience and express emotions and release tension. Integrated bodywork helps to unwind the associated muscular/structural restrictions.

Bodymind repatterning was developed for people seeking freedom from emotional struggles, which they have been unable to clear through traditional talk psychotherapy alone. It is also for people that are seeking freedom from physical illness and pain, which have not been completely responsive to conventional treatment. Bodymind repatterning is about healing the body at its physical, emotional and etheric levels.

Location: 109 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. For more information or to make an appointment, call 781-646-0686, email [email protected] or visit BodymindRepatterning.com. 

 Wendy Fachon is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings Boston and host of the Story Walking Radio Hour on the Dream Visions 7 Radio Network. Find episode podcasts and learn more at NetwalkRI.com.