What is Polarity Therapy?
Polarity therapy is one of the many complementary therapies that use energy-based bodywork alongside exercise, diet and lifestyle counselling in order to restore the person back to their true state of health.
Like many Eastern healing traditions, the concepts of this gentle energy therapy are based upon the life force energy that flows between positive and negative poles within the body. It is said that when the flow is disrupted, the cause may be a blockage, and as a result, pain, illness, and other effects of other diseases may be felt.
The model proposes that true health can only be experienced when:
- The life energy of a body is running in its complete natural state
- Energy blockages are removed to allow for a smooth flow of energy
What is Stress and What Are Its Symptoms?
The tension or strain felt when you are put under pressure from the outside world is generally referred to as stress. It may be felt when you feel you have too much to do—money issues, relationship problems, ill health and so on.
Whilst our lives would be very dull without a little stress, too much of it can lead to chronic conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, strained personal relationships and reduced quality of life. When experienced in excess, the sympathetic nervous system of the body switches into fight or flight mode, hormones begin to respond, and the body begins to experience a host of hypersensitive physical effects. Some of these include:
- Anxiety
- Heart palpitations
- Irritability
- Headache
- Muscle tension
- Weight loss or gain
- Affected appetite
- The inability to concentrate
- Decreased memory ability
- Breathing difficulties
- Digestive difficulties
- Dry mouth
- Sweaty palms
- High level of fatigue
In other words, when you are stressed, your body gets ready for war against an enemy that doesn’t actually exist, shutting down the immunity and general organ function required for you to experience optimum health.
When stress manifests as a physical or mental health condition, it can have a negative impact not only on the person experiencing it but also on their primary caregiver, whether they are a family member or a friend.
How Does Polarity Therapy Relieve Stress?
Polarity therapy works on the body's energy field to restore its natural healing process. This emotionally and physically balances the body, preventing stress from manifesting as physical health issues such as injuries or diseases. Through the bodywork of polarity therapy, which includes gentle rocking and stretching of the legs, polarity therapists can detect stress-holding patterns in the body. Through identification, they can then correct energy imbalances, alleviating any physical symptoms of stress and decreasing the body’s risk of developing any state of disease.
According to recent scientific research, polarity therapy may relieve stress by:
- Supporting the body’s natural detoxification process by stimulating the fluids of the body, including glandular secretions, lymph, blood and other toxic wastes.
- Releasing tension and increasing muscular response, reducing muscle fatigue and increasing connective tissue elasticity.
- Restoring balance to reflexes.
- Rebalancing energy flow required for vital organ functioning.
- Stimulating neural activity and restoring the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Source: massagetutor.com
What to Expect From a Polarity Therapy Session for Stress
In a polarity therapy session for stress relief, you will be asked to sit or lie down on a massage table. The therapist will use a light touch to perform massage therapy and a series of stretches to rebalance the flow of life energy in your body, gradually dissolving negative energy. The benefits of this holistic therapy for stress relief cascade throughout the entire body. Confirmatory studies have shown that it improves respite care outcomes and has a significant impact on patients with breast cancer. Other benefits of energy balancing with polarity therapy are:
- Improved circulation
- Reduced inflammation
- Balanced human energy fields
- Enhanced immune system
- Balanced hormone levels
- Reduced cancer-related fatigue, nausea and pain
- Improved sleep quality
Restoring balance and harmony to the human body translates to improved mental health, which is why biofield energy healing is beneficial for people suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, eating disorders, addictions, or other psychiatric issues.
Should You Consider Polarity Therapy for Stress Relief?
The energy dynamics of polarity therapy and other energy healing modalities, such as craniosacral therapy, therapeutic touch and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), demonstrate that maintaining the body's electromagnetic field in equilibrium is critical to reducing stress and reliance on medical treatments. Maintaining a constant flow of life energy is all that is required to keep the human body healthy, strong and stress-free.
Polarity therapists have received extensive training in a wide range of natural therapies as well as how to apply them to the mental, emotional, energetic and physical bodies. Working with them to achieve energy balance is critical to maintaining your health. Because the Australian government does not regulate polarity therapy, finding a qualified practitioner is crucial to improving your quality of life.
Polarity therapists may be massage therapists, yoga practitioners, nutritionists or Ayurvedic medicine practitioners, among others. Some of them even have a medical degree. While there is not enough scientific evidence to support polarity therapy's efficacy in treating stress, anxiety, depression, arthritis and fatigue in patients with cancer, there have been numerous anecdotal reports of its efficiency in improving mental, emotional and physical health.
In order to get the most out of polarity therapy for relieving stress, here are some tips:
- Schedule regular polarity therapy sessions to create a routine and maximise the benefits.
- Make time for yourself each day to relax and de-stress. This could include taking a hot bath, reading or listening to calming music.
- Practise some breathing exercises when you feel overwhelmed or stressed out. Deep breathing helps to oxygenate the blood and calm the mind.
- Get enough sleep. When you're well-rested, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed or stressed.
Want to see how the gentle nature of polarity therapy can improve your health and overall quality of life? Book a session with a qualified therapist in your area today.
Originally published on Apr 08, 2010
