I have often noticed in my practice that some of the most deserving people of bodywork and self development are children. I have worked with children of a few days in age up through the teen years, and some individuals from early childhood through leaving home for school and life. Even in the most well-meaning of families, children often exhibit some of the same strain patterns as the adults.
People may wonder “how could a child have strain and tension?” As innocent and resilient as we are as children the ability to carry and suppress tension is real. Children are observant of their surroundings and the grown ups in it. Children today take in far more information in a day than children ever have. If this is added to stress at home or school, and a tumble on a bike (which would make most of us grown ups pretty stiff) then a child’s level of discomfort will start to feel like an adult.
When we are young we are making the body that we will inhabit for life. The injuries of childhood can turn into the chronic pain cycles of adult life. Helping children with bodywork can alter this in a positive way by allowing youngsters to feel their own tissues with a qualified and sensitive practitioner. Anyone whose had their body worked on therapeutically can attest to the awareness that can develop. This can and often does lead to better living. We all know the learning potential of children is tremendous. Children’s body pain and strained gait patterns change rapidly with therapeutic bodywork.
Children today are spending increasing amounts of time using digital devices and bringing them into their bodies is important. Finding a practitioner sensitive to children’s needs is a good find, but even then children may be shy or unable to describe the nature of what exactly they are feeling. This can be a time to look at movement arts that promote body awareness such as yoga, dance and inner martial arts.
Published in The Laurel Magazine, Oct 2016
By Chad Garner
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