The following is a reflection I shared on my social media accounts after my last day of John Barnes Myofascial Release Approach training in Clearwater, FL. It’s an account of the impact that this work has had on me personally…which ultimately pours out of me professionally. I’d like to share this reflection with you and shed some light on why I choose to practice this modality. Here it goes:
That was then, this is now.
After spending 11 days immersed in studying, giving and receiving Myofascial Release in sunny Florida, I found myself waiting at the Philly airport on a layover back to Chicago glancing through old photos on my phone. I came across this first one posted here taken in 2016 with my Myofascial Release (MFR) teacher, John Barnes, only to find myself hardly recognizing the woman sitting next to him…me.
From the vantage point of where I am today, all I can see in this first photo was a woman trying to be Miss Perfect, living by other peoples’ rules rather than those of my own. I was hardly in my body, afraid to be in it after years of debilitating physical trauma from my previous career in dance coupled with emotional trauma from childhood. These experiences left me feeling terrified of residing in my bones as a result of losing trust in the physical and emotional being I inhabit in this life.
Now flash forward 4 years to the second photo posted here where I find myself fully in my skin accepting the beauty, flaws and everything in between, while continually being in the process of trusting my body, learning from it and most importantly BEING in it.
I credit this healing and growth to the life enhancing effects of the Myofascial Release approach that John created and developed. This work has shifted my personal and professional world in such a positive way. Although I’ve felt the positive changes occurring within me over the years, it was truly a gift to see the effects in photo form.
Today I find myself basking in gratitude for my friend Kara who introduced me to this work in 2014, to John for developing and teaching his MFR approach and to finally be feeling right at home…in my skin.
*The following two images are the ones I speak of in this post. Enjoy!
Hi there. My name is Heather Fraelick. I am a lover of life, movement and witnessing others feeling empowered. I am a dancer, a traveler, a teacher, a women’s circle facilitator, a life long student and more. I believe in life and the authentic healing that can happen when we actually slow down and feel what our bodies are trying to tell us. Welcome to my site.