Erica Vitality

About VITALITY

'Vitality' is defined as the property of being able to survive and grow, the power to endure, the capacity for vigorous activity, and the energy force distinguishing living and nonliving.

This intuitive practice was founded on one simple principle: everything is connected to everything else.

Our thoughts and emotions, diets and personal habits, exercise and sleep, the shoes we wear, how long and in what ways we sit or stand or move. . . holds influence over our whole beings; the system, the unit, and essentially, our vitality.

Our world is no longer accommodating to our human form, from only a half-century ago, when technology was much less prevalent in our lives. Daily movement through all planes of motion have been chipped away by modern conveniences and technologies. We are still built as hunter/gatherers, and our bodies rely on us to move them around, throughout the day, every day, to keep the systems working properly. Human bodies are slow to evolve with the rapid changes to our modern civilization, though we force them to forge ahead. The grind culture has done just that - ground us down, and if we continue to live these high RPM, over-busy, under-rested lifestyles, we can expect that the vehicle (the body) will begin to suffer in performance and eventually break down. This goes for lifestyle choices in sports, career, education, family, social environments, etc.

Ancient and modern modalities and science serve as the foundations of this practice, and after many years of following specific modalities and protocols, there came a time to form a new style of my own. This type of bodywork style is rooted in intuition; the sessions are fluid and ever-changing, and are designed to address the body in a whole system, whole self approach. Each session is unique in the same sense your body is unique; with different needs at different times on different days.

Your body is your vehicle,

this is the human body repair shop.

Most sessions are performed through clothing, with the exception of areas where cups are applied. Exercise/workout clothing is preferred to accommodate movement and decompression. Longer sessions allow adequate time for the mind to unwind, for the breath to move, the body to calm, and the soft tissues to relent. 90-120 minute sessions are recommended, though 60 minute sessions are available. More frequent sessions are recommended for acute and complex situations.

In my experience, the most effective "hack" to pain relief and restoration of function and mobility comes down to commitment and consistency. Working with muscle memory - breaking bad habits (holding patterns), working through tension, and creating new behaviors - is the name of the game. As with any memory game, repetition and consistency create and reinforce the memory. With frequency and consistency, we are able to build on the positive effects of the work to make change for the better and the long term.

While this form of therapy can sometimes feel uncomfortable when working in areas of tension, the overall experience is said to be profoundly relaxing. The deep compressive pressure invokes a richer relaxation response from the nervous system while allowing the tension to leave the soft tissue spaces. The ability to access and work deeper levels provides longer periods of recovery and relief.

This therapy is for everyone; children to adults, beginner to pro/elite athletes, pre/post-natal, all abilities -

those seeking relief from pain, exploring options beyond surgery/injections/medications, desiring improvement of function and movement, and overall upkeep and maintenance of the human body (vehicle).

Most commonly used modalities include various approaches to deep tissue, thai yoga (passive stretch and movement), lymphatic movement, compression and myofascial decompression.

If you have any concerns or questions, or to schedule an appointment, please contact me.

integrative holistic bodywork