by Kate Greenaway BAppSc(PT), Physiotherapist, Australia
In the early days of my work in Physiotherapy, I had a sense that the human body had its own natural intelligence. It was sensitive and responded clearly to any internal or external strain. I experimented a lot with my own body: I tested all the physio modes of treatment on myself first before I ever touched a client. I learned that if any technique was done in a pushing, forceful way, my body tightened in protection. It seemed like my body had its own sensor system to any sensation that was not gentle.
Through my practice, it became apparent to me that the accepted forms of protocol driven treatments were not always gentle and supportive to a body that was in need of healing. Even with my work on tour with rugby and hockey teams, I was using techniques that helped in the short term but just did not feel right to do on someone’s body. I knew that there was a large missing component for the person with chronic physical and emotional pain. Treating a body part in isolation to the whole body and person was only giving temporary relief.
In 1994, during the course of a working holiday in the United States, I was introduced to Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Release work through the Upledger Institute, a teaching organisation established in 1985 and based in Florida. Craniosacral Therapy has received international recognition for its approach to releasing tensions deep in the body to allow the body’s systems to self correct. This presented to me a far softer way of releasing any tension in the connective tissue in the body and particularly the nervous system. Through studying this work, I became more aware of the connective tissue in my own body and how it was a vital tissue system not often treated fully by many physiotherapists, osteopaths and body workers. However, although Craniosacral Therapy was a softer approach to the body, it still came from a basis of telling the body what to do and how the bones, connective tissue and muscles should be in relation to each other.
I still felt there had to be a gentler way to help the body restore itself to its natural balance without imposing on it. My approach to the body became more holistic and softer. As I continued my work I realised, more and more, that if I completely supported the joints, muscles and connective tissue, the body had its own sense of how to restore itself to that natural balance. I knew that the connective tissue was vitally important as a continuous river system of tissue that protected and supported the body. The greater my insights into the body, the more I realised that there was so much more about the body to feel and know.
In 1999 I met Serge Benhayon, the founder of Universal Medicine. I was intrigued by his approach to healing from his sports and biomechanics background. I constantly asked him questions from my own scientific and factual background aimed at trying to understand more about the energetics of the body. Serge’s answers consistently made sense, and I could feel that he had a far deeper understanding of the body’s energetics than anyone I had met in my learning up until then. I experienced hands on healing sessions with him and gradually, through these, I began to feel and learn from my own body. This affected my work profoundly as my understanding and feeling for the human body’s connective tissue increased. Arising out of this, I developed my work in Connective Tissue Therapy, a gentle non-imposing modality inspired by Serge and Universal Medicine.
Essentially, the connective tissue is like a bridge between the body’s physical nature and its energetic nature. In its ideal fluid state, the connective tissue allows the body to move in a rhythmical and pain free, balanced way. I found in many clients’ bodies (as well as my own) that the connective tissue hardens with sudden harsh or forceful movements. When we are stressed emotionally or physically it hardens, which tends to compress or contract the area that is affected. It also has a major role in allowing the organs to work in harmony with each other to enhance the body’s vitality.
As I continued working and learning with Universal Medicine, I looked at what I was bringing to my clients if my body was hard from physical or emotional strain. I started living more of what Universal Medicine was presenting – that being gentle and more self-loving in the way we move and in everything that we do enhances our bodies’ natural vitality, and it is that which we bring to our family, friends, colleagues and clients. As my own body itself became more gentle, and my own awareness of how it felt to be gentle increased, there was a significant change in the sessions with my clients. I could feel my clients’ bodies more deeply, where their holding and tension patterns were, and whether they were able to let go or not. I realised more and more, the responsibility that we hold as practitioners. Through being more harmonious in my body, I was able to support my clients to a much greater degree, and observe the gentle connection of our bodies with Connective Tissue Therapy.
Connective Tissue Therapy is unlike any other therapy I have experienced. It supports the body to deeply relax and let go of any tension and holding with a gentle rhythmical motion. You can feel this from your feet up through your body, or from your head down through your body, depending on where it is on the body that the practitioner is working. It works deeply to assist and support the body’s own true intelligence to restore the body’s natural balance and harmony. The false intelligence is what the head pushes the body to do – ignoring how the body is feeling. It is also when the practitioner’s head directs the client’s treatment to “fix the problem”, rather than feeling from the client’s body what is needed.
Our body is always truthful if we listen to it, and it is our own unit of science. Over a two year case study project, I conducted a six week program of Connective Tissue Therapy on 50 subjects with chronic pain and collated the responses. This was in collaboration with Danielle Loveless, a colleague of exercise physiology and a PhD graduate in research. The research sample included 60% of subjects who were people having general treatment for their problems, but were not students of Universal Medicine (as has been incorrectly reported in the press recently). The results clearly demonstrated a 50% reduction in pain levels from the Connective Tissue Therapy that was maintained over a six month period.
There is a lot of truth to the old saying, ‘the body speaks louder than words’.
If you are interested in more, please go to the home page of universalmedicine.com.au and click on articles.
A fascinating and inspiring account of your work, Kate. Having experienced Connective Tissue Therapy, I can say that it is the loveliest form of bodywork, so gentle and yet profoundly healing. With love, Anne.
I have had the personal experience of being the recipient of Kate’s gentle treatment and have found it to be deeply beneficial, both physically and emotionally. Last week Kate treated myself for pain in my lower and upper back and it has naturally realigned with her support, one thing I found really beneficial was how Kate offered myself the opportunity to reflect on what led me to injure my back, this is very self-impowering knowing I have the ability to support my body, thank you Kate
Thank you Kate for demonstrating ‘true science’ in your unfolding and development as a physiotherapist and esoteric healer.
A common catalyst in the emergence of ‘new’ disciplines is the use of simple observation. People make observations that are contrary or additional to existing theories, ideals and beliefs. This inquiry, this observation, is the the first beginnings of true science. Once something is observed, it is then open to testing and re-testing. The old ‘refute the hypothesis’ becomes the goal of any experiment. Indeed it is not the purpose of an experiment to prove what you want or know to be true, it is the goal to disprove it! Every attempt must be made to find other possibilities to what you think/feel may be happening (your hypothesis). Once you have made repeated observations which existing theories do not account for or explain, your hypothesis or idea stands… until another hypothesis forms that suggests otherwise (and is supported by repeated observation).
This ‘scientific process’ undertaken by Kate Greenaway allows for change and expansion – which reflects the true nature of the universe as we know it to be.
Kate showed such dedication in following and testing her observations, as well as the utmost responsibility in developing her healing practice. The end result of her scientific research and observation is the development of an amazing form of healing which builds on and expands current knowledge and understanding of energy and the human body.
I’ve had numerous treatments with Kate over the last few years for various aches and pains. A couple of years ago Kate treated me for a frozen shoulder which was expected to take many months to recover. From the gentle movements involved with Connective Tissue Therapy and the gentle rehabilitation exercises she prescribed, my shoulder was healed in six weeks (3 visits). Apart from the effectiveness of Kate’s treatments, the sessions feel wonderful…particularly cranio-sacral therapy. Of course by commenting here, now I run the risk of finding it more difficult to make an appointment with Kate next time the body starts creaking.
Thank you Kate for explaining it so simply and so elegantly. A truly inspiring read especially for lay persons who may not have stopped to consider or to feel the effect that many widely accepted modalities are having on their bodies, much less consider the possibility that their body may have its own inbuilt intelligence. Having also experienced Connective Tissue Therapy I can second Anne Malatt’s comment above. With love, Anne McR.
I have had many awesome Connective Tissue Therapy (CTT) sessions with you Kate. I believe my body responds to these sessions in such a positive & instantaneous way because of all the physical demands I put on my body as an acrobat, personal trainer & yoga teacher for over 20 years, not to mention all the physical sports I played at school. The lovely and delicate expansiveness that I feel in my body after a session is such a contrast to the hardness that my body was so conditioned to. The more I actually experience the harmony within, the more it exposes how wrong & out of place the hardness is…and this inspires me to move and be more true to my natural expression. I love how I feel when I am more with my loveliness…and I have noticed that others do too.
So thanks for bringing this expression through & of course heartfelt thanks to Serge Benhayon & Universal Medicine for the inspiration!
simply expressed, that there is far more to our bodies than we realise, and, the deeper we go the more we realise…” the body had its own sense of how to restore itself to that natural balance”. Kate’s treatments so obviously work with each and every one of our bodies in a way that is unique to what we each need. The treatments I have had from Kate over the years have been very gentle and tender, yet profound.
Having received treatments from Kate I can attest to the fact that it is the most powerful healing experience from a place of such stillness. She is a inspiring practitioner and what comes across so clearly in her account of her developing practise is the integrity and no nonsense, down to earth practical application of her understanding of the body and her livingness.
Thank you for expressing the depth of your work so simply. During these very gentle sessions with Kate, my body feels very much more open, vibrant and joy-full. A blessing to have Serge Benhayon inspiring so many to come back to feel, experience and let go through the body. Thank you Kate for your committment to deepening your own experience and sharing this.
It was really beautiful to read about your unfoldment Kate. It is wonderful to see someone who has traditional education but has taken the knowledge to a new applied way of living and understanding human health and the body, starting with self. This is something the medical (and science) field could use more of
You have always been very inspiring to me, and you’re one of my role models. Thanks for sharing.
Is there anything more that could be asked of a ‘true practitioner’? One who has always been willing to ‘not just do’, but feel and assess the consequences of any action, both for clients/patients and also in her own body?
Your work is deeply inspiring, Kate – as is the path that has led you to develop something so deeply respectful of others, in the knowing of the body’s “true intelligence”. Having experienced your work, and the hardness (& so much more besides..) that it’s assisted me to undo ‘to date’(!), I can only say it’s truly profound. And with this, that it’s my OWN ‘profoundness’ I’ve been able to feel.. from the profound realisations of what I’ve allowed in my life/body that hasn’t truly honoured me, to the profound knowing of myself as being so much more than this body, whilst coming to ever-deepening understandings of the physical at the same time.
Wow.. and Thank-you.
Thanks Kate, the evolving nature of your healing and research work is inspiring and I am looking forward to experiencing the Connective Tissue Therapy for myself!
It is true what you say: the more you connect or pay respect to your own body (as opposed the head wanting to push the body), the more you are able to feel the body’s areas of stress or tension and can then make a choice to not repeat that activity consciously/physically releasing or dropping hunched shoulders for instance…(as I am well aware for myself!)
Having a practitioner who is also able to feel the body’s true intelligence as you do, allows for a deepening awareness of the body and therefore action/movement towards natural vitality. How amazing.
What I love about you Kate is your humbleness and understatedness. Maybe this is part of the secret to your awesomeness. I am looking forward to attending and learning about connective tissue therapy on the launch course for the uk in November.
I absolutely agree with you Doug – another part of Kate’s awesomeness is her playfulness and infectious laugh.
I remember some years ago, after much inner resistance between what I felt was true and what I clung to as an identity, I set aside my Yoga practise and hung up my bicycles after nearly 20 years of hardcore daily commuting. My body began to reveal what my supposedly ‘healthy’ exercise had been burying – excruciating lower back pain. I saw Kate initially out of desperation, asking her on a number of occasions ‘When will the pain stop?’ and ‘Will it ever stop?’ She was not perturbed at all by my desperation and with a knowing but deeply humble and understanding response, she supported me to in turn understand that my body was unfolding, unwinding and releasing the years and years of hardening and I can now say ‘abuse’ I subjected my body to, all in name of good health. Those sessions with Kate supported me through a year and a half of pain, her integrity was palpable and as a result I trusted her. She didn’t try to fix me, nor relieve me of the pain to make me feel better in the short term. She stuck with me and I stuck with her and then, in time, the pain diminished and left. There’s been no back pain since and all that I have learned from Kate, Serge and the Universal Medicine team has continued to be a deepening reclaiming of a knowing within me.
Reblogged this on My Blog.