Zero tension. Zero pinching in my hip. Zero heaviness in my spine and legs. Zero compensation necessary in my split stretch. Zero pain in my back. Here’s my take on why you should 100% try Zero Balancing if you play hard and don’t intend to stop.
I’ve been dabbling with Zero Balancing for a few months because a local practitioner friend of mine was kind enough to offer a trial so that I might write about it. Well, after getting T-boned in my Mustang this month, I knew I needed her. But what I didn’t know is just how awesome I’d feel afterward, including the next day when I’d go to my usual Saturday morning Tae Kwon Do class.
I’m a lifelong athlete. I’m an expert physical therapist. I’m fascinated by the body and what it can do and have spent most of my life taking my own to the test. I’ve always played hard, starting with soccer, including two collegiate years, marathoning (three) and twelve years of martial arts. Exercise has always been a sort of drug for me.
I’m used to the bumps and bruises. I keep myself in good-enough shape to endure them. When I started full-contact sparing in my Tae Kwon Do class at age 38 many might have wondered if I was nuts. I was addicted from day one. It was a way to learn to move differently. And the hits were part of the challenge.
Then I sprained my knee really badly during one of our exams a few years ago; the first injury in my life that had me truly worried. The bruised ribs a year later would also start to weigh on my usual life-is-short-you-gotta-play-hard attitude. Things started to hurt more and not get better as fast, even with my usual self-care and hands-on treatments.
Then my friend Lisa Schumacher introduced me to Zero Balancing, a modality I’d heard of during my other trainings, but one I never really pursued. The session I asked her for this week, out of desperation, knowing my body had been knocked out of whack from the car accident, made me a believer.
Here’s why. I’ve done it all: Physical therapy (almost thirty years worth of hands-on continuing education), massage (every kind you can think of), reiki, Myofascial Release, CranioSacral therapy, Breathwork, Sound Healing, Visceral Manipulation, SomatoEmotional Release, Psychotherapy, Emotional Freedom Technique, NeuroLinguistic Programming, Total Motion Release, oh my, what else…
I’ve done a lot. More than you’re average 50-year-old athlete possibly. And for the first time in a while, this particular treatment gave me a feeling of ease and space I’d not felt so readily with other sessions.
It was like instant alignment of my skeleton, including the spine and hips; areas that had been pinching and compensating for years. I started our usual movements in Tae Kwon Do class and I heard this little voice, wow, that feels good today. The usual pinch in my left hip and right knee was absent during my split stretch. The usual tension in my right low back during the kicks; gone.
What I think is that my mind-body just needed this particular modality at this particular time. And I was smart enough to listen and remember that Lisa had offered. Part of this is being in tune with what you’re body is asking for, soon enough to do something about it.
I’ve had moments similar at different times of my life. It’s all divine timing. We get what we need exactly when we need it. But we must be willing to stay open, listen to our bodies and try new things. If you’re used to saying, “Oh, this will get better on its own,” and then proceed to ignore symptoms for weeks, months or even years, beware. If you play hard and plan on aging well while you do it, you’re going to need some tune ups.
There’s no one perfect healing technique. I love integrating. I love knowing how all of these modalities feel and what they can do for me. I love being in touch with my body well enough to listen when it asks for something.
Zero Balancing is a new gift I’ll be using for a bit now. I’m interested in just how hard I can play with this kind of secret on my side. I warned Lisa, “You know I play hard. I may need some more tune ups.” And at almost 51 years young, I’m smiling about this.
What if there’s something you haven’t learned about yet that could change everything?
Lisa is in the D.C. area y’all. Find her HERE and be ready for the magic.
Laura Di Franco, MPT is the owner of Brave Healer Productions and a powerhouse who writes to Feng Shui her soul. She’s the author of Brave Healing, a Guide for Your Journey, her sixth book to help inspire your fiercely alive whole self. Join her and write words that build your business and heal the world. The Write Habit online writing club is now open at www.BraveHealer.com and you’ll find her FREE Facebook group HERE!
