Acknowledged by organizers as being one of the most popular elements of the recently held Seniors’ Resource Fair was the hands-on demonstration of some holistic health modalities such as reflexology and acupressure (based on ancient forms of foot and finger massage) along with other complementary forms of wellness therapies, presented by local certified practitioners Marlana Mhoryss and Thor Assland.
Although stressing that they are not trained as medical doctors, the couple has worked together as a team for the past 17 years, aiming to serve the community as examples of persons taking responsibility for one’s own health and well being and offering guidance and support to those wishing to adopt the same credo in their own lives.
In response to the question of “what is holistic health?” Marlana proceeded to explain that true holistic heath incorporates the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing of our bodies, noting through their practice, that most of these aspects are being ignored by clients and to some degree, by health professionals.
According to Marlana, “society has developed a ‘quick fix’ mentality which often doesn’t work. It’s only a temporary band-aid approach to achieving healing. Science and some members of the medical profession are discovering that physical ailments and diseases stem from emotional traumas including our thought patterns and belief systems…and not just because of physical trauma.”
The body can often heal fairly rapidly from physical incidents, however it takes much longer as a result of sustaining and retaining negative emotional trauma, says Marlana.
“For example in the case of a vehicle accident which has resulted in significant losses, unexpressed feelings such as guilt, fear, and anger are oftentimes trapped within the body and can manifest as pain or disease, later on in life.”
“We use the example of a table with four legs. If one leg is broken, the table still stands. However, putting pressure on the part that is broken creates imbalance and so too is the body,” Marlana continued. “We have found that all four aspects must be addressed if true healing is to occur.” Thor agreed.
“Getting to the root cause of the health challenge is imperative in order to prevent the trauma from reoccurring within the body,” he emphasized. The pair thanked members of the Seniors’ Resource Fair planning committee for the opportunity to participate.
For additional information drop by their table at the Nakusp Saturday morning Farmer’s Market or call 265-4846 to set up an appointment.