Alert The Planet

If you don't know about Breema, you should and if you do know about Breema, I can't imagine why you haven't told me about it before.

Matthew Tousignant doing a Breema session

Brilliant Opening

Perhaps my first experience with Breema body work was an anomaly, but I have never had quite such a transformational experience...and it was completely unexpected...and wonderful.

Having had a number of experiences with new-age, touchy-feely, bodywork techniques, I was pretty open to having a nurturing and comforting experience during my first Breema session with Matthew Tousignant.   I went because I was having quite a bit of pain from what appeared to be a pinched nerve in my neck after it was recommended to me by both my chiropractor and my Rolfer.

I arrived at his office where he had layered some Persian carpets on the floor. He instructed me to lie down—fully clothed—and then, he proceeded to spend the next 50 minutes moving my body and his in a way that felt like he was opening my heart and body in ways I haven't remembered in a long time...maybe ever.

Breema is a bodywork technique that uses nurturing, tension-relieving stretches and rhythmic movements to create physical, mental, and emotional balance, in an atmosphere of harmony and complete non-judgment (sounds pretty new-age, touchy-feely, right?). Breema is said to increase flexibility, improve immunity, detoxify the internal organs, regulate blood pressure, enhance circulation, release energy blockages in the joints and spine, alleviate tension, and improve emotional balance and mental clarity.

Matthew used an amazing choreography of gentle motions—brushing, tapping, leaning, and stretching that made me feel relaxed, open, supported and accepted.  The pain in my shoulder and arm were sometimes uncomfortable during the session, but afterwards the pain was significantly reduced (for days afterwards).  I was so comfortable with Matthew and the session, that I didn't feel it at all necessary to stifle some crying that came up during the session.  While it's difficult to describe what caused the crying in a blog entry, I will say that it was not because of the shoulder/arm pain and also that it was VERY uncharacteristic of me, especially since I didn't even know if it was an "appropriate" response to a Breema session.

Practiced by the Kurdish villagers of Breemava (which I think is in Syria) where it originated, it was brought to the US by Malicheck Mooshan who was trained in this technique by his grandfather. Chiropractor Jon Schreiber, D.C., learned the comprehensive system of bodywork and over the last 25 years, Dr. Schreiber and others developed Breema into a systematic practice.

Matthew was trained by Jon Schreiber (and others) and has been practicing for ten years.

I can't wait for my second session (today!).

Current Spinning

I didn't take any of the formal workshops given at this year's Men's Spring Knitting Retreat, but I was able to learn a new (to me) spinning technique from Van.  He was spinning some beautiful core-spun yarn that really spoke to me, so I asked him to do a little personal tutoring.

I'm not as good at the technique as he is, but I'm LOVING how my yarn is coming out (at least on the bobbin).

Core-spinning is a method of wrapping a core yarn or thread with roving to create a single ply yarn.  I'm using a commercial remnant of some "grabby" mohair-like yarn that I had hanging around on a cone and a beautiful, color-saturated Polwarth roving.

I'll look forward to showing you the resulting hank of yarn and whatever I end up knitting with it.