2023 was a doozy of a year for me. Low back pain, which I had managed (mostly) successfully for decades, flared up, an old knee injury returned with vengeance, and I developed menopausal frozen shoulder.

It was A LOT.

As you might imagine, my daily life and mobility were severely impacted. What was surprising to me is that my go-to remedies were largely ineffective, and often exacerbated the pain.

Walking for more than 12 minutes became problematic. The one time I tested this limit, my low back and hip seized, leaving me on the sidewalk deep breathing for several minutes until I was able to slowly hobble back home. It was quite the humbling experience.

Even the gentlest yoga often triggered discomfort the next day. This frustrated me to no end- I didn’t ever do anything that hurt in the moment, but still experienced consequences afterwards.

I tried several other therapies with similar results.

And then I decided to just stop. I was going to rest and give my body time to heal. Over the course of the next six months, I was largely sedentary. As you might imagine, this wasn’t a terrific solution either. I began to lose range of motion EVERYWHERE.

Reiki kept me company through this challenging period. It provided the insight that this… episode was part of my soul’s journey. I became immersed in this revelation so much so that a new blog, A Soul’s Journey, emerged as a means to share my story.

Daily infusions of healing energy helped me to see the beliefs that were untenable and misaligned with my life purpose. I was blocking support (low back), resistant to stepping into the next phase of my life (knee) and carrying burdens that were not mine (shoulder).

I was hanging on to patterns and identities that prevented me from being fully present in each moment and clinging to coping mechanisms that ranged from outdated to destructive.

I learned a lot during this period, and I think that was the whole point. AND I still desired to be able to move more freely in addition pursuing this spiritual growth.

Somewhere along the way, my yearning for movement that wouldn’t trigger pain pointed me towards Gyrokinesis, a movement therapy I’d discovered when I lived in California. I looked for a local teacher in Philly and was unable to find an accessible, affordable solution.

I turned to the internet and found a teacher offering online classes. Skeptical that I would be able to follow the nuances of this technique via a screen, my desperation won out and I gave it a try.

Since you might not know, “The Gyrokinesis Method is a movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion, and creating functional strength through rhythmic, flowing movement sequences. This method coordinates movement, breath and mental focus.”

I copied this excerpt from Non Edward’s website.

I was delighted that I enjoyed the classes and felt no pain afterwards. My mobility began to return and now I can actually turn around to back up the car safely. I’m noticing a difference in my feet, legs and pelvis when I stand and realized that I’m still carrying patterns leftover from a dismal experience with bilateral plantar fasciitis 12 years ago! The pain in my feet went away, but I was still clenching and holding tension in the same ways I did to walk when every step hurt.

I addition to recommending Gyrokinesis wholeheartedly, particularly for anyone dealing with chronic pain, I’d like to give Non a round of applause. She’s incredible! She has a vast understanding of anatomy and physiology, a clear and imaginative way of communicating the exercises while simultaneously demonstrating them. She does so graciously and gracefully without ever making me feel like a bull in a china shop and manages to position herself on camera so we can see what’s happening.

This is a skill set that is quite rare! Having knowledge and being able to share it clearly and compassionately is practically unheard of; doing it via Zoom is a mastery that should be shouted from the rooftops.