Posts Tagged ‘natural’
Conscious Family Series
Parenting with Purpose, Presence and Peace
Level One Seminar:Pre-conception to One Year Old
The Conscious Family Series is for those who want to do their best each day to love, cherish and
respect their children, and who want to learn and grow from their roles. We believe that in order to
accomplish these tasks, parenting must be a conscious endeavour, meaning that we are willing to
examine ourselves, our background, beliefs, motivations, behaviours, and how these aspects affect the
way we parent. Let’s find the positives in the way we were parented, recognize the lessons we learned
and empower ourselves to trust our own intuition and emerge as the parents we want to be.
Decisions made prior to conception, during pregnancy and in baby’s first year of life provide the
foundation for the creation of a conscious family. After attending this series, you will be inspired to take
initiative to choose the style of caring for yourself and your infant that resonates with you and you’ll be
connected to the tangible tools and resources to support you on your journey.
The Conscious Family Series speakers, Denise Martin, Nicole Meltzer, Clare Sullivan, Christine Marrin
and Meredith Deasley, all experts in their fields and mothers, whose children range in age from infant
to teen, will be covering the following topics:
☯ Optimizing the health of the body, mind and spirit of mom and dad from pre-conception
throughout pregnancy, through cleansing, emotional release and nutrition
☯ Understanding childbirth as a rite of passage, your birth team, pain coping options, setting the
environment for welcoming your baby, the birth plan trap and the consciousness of infants
☯ And once baby has arrived…. Making the transition and finding balance; Baby B’s: bonding,
breastfeeding, baby wearing, bedding close, baby’s communication; healthcare concerns such as
postpartum depression, nutrition for parents and child, vaccinations, common childhood ailments;
soothing techniques including CALMS and infant massage; and green living strategies including
baby and cleaning products and air & water purification. And so much more…..
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009 in celebration of International Children’s Day
Location: Matrix Repatterning Centre - 33 Victoria Street, Aurora
(just East of Yonge St. & South of Wellington St.)
Schedule: 9:10 am Registration
9:30 am - 12:00 pm Seminars
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm A light lunch will be provided
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm Seminars
Cost: $100 per couple
$75 per individual
Babes in arms welcome
To enrol: Email Nicole Meltzer at clientcare@balancedbodymindspirit.com
The following speakers are pleased to be
sharing their wisdom with you at the
Conscious Family Series:
Denise Martin, CD (DONA), CLE (CAPPA), LLLC Leader, Certified Breastfeeding
Councillor, Postnatal Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator and Reiki Master;
www.4theloveofthefamily.com
Denise has found tremendous inspiration in witnessing and supporting hundreds of women and
their families during the passage of birth and their postnatal period. She is active in the
community as a La Leche League Leader and doula by facilitating lectures and discussions on
topics of prenatal health, breastfeeding, parenting and more throughout York Region and the
GTA. Her skills and approach are guided by compassion, knowledge and training in many
supportive modalities of care.
Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt, Reiki Master and Co-founder of Balanced Body Mind
Spirit; www.balancedbodymindspirit.com
Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care as a Registered Massage Therapist,
Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master, Nicole helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on
their journey into parenthood. Nicole was awarded the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award for top
Massage Therapist in Richmond Hill; has appeared on Daytime York Region; and has been
interviewed by and written articles for various magazines and websites including Reiki News
Magazine, Vitality Magazine and YorkRegionParent.com.
Clare Sullivan, BSc, ND, Naturopathic Doctor at Align Health Centre, Reiki
Practitioner (Level I); www.alignyourhealth.ca
Clare was drawn to study naturopathic medicine because of its philosophy which blends new
scientific knowledge with past healing traditions; a combination that provides a balanced
approach to health and well being. Clare’s practice focuses on family medicine where she strives
to empower her patients on their journey towards wellness. She has a special interest in
pediatrics, which focuses on couples hoping to become pregnant, pregnant women, new mothers
and children from birth to 19 years of age. She is an active member of both the Canadian and
Ontario Associations of Naturopathic Doctors.
Christine Marrin, BA, B Ed, FSL Specialist, Reiki Practitioner (Level I), Teacher,
Green Living Expert and Parenting Coach; 905-836-6877
Christine taught for 8 years for the York Region District School Board where her first priority was
to create an environment that allowed children to reach their full potential. This occurs when
children are valued, honoured, and cherished. When her own children were born, she dove into
motherhood with zeal, researching environmentally friendly products for her home. With her
children as her spiritual teachers, Christine continues to delight in sharing each conscious
moment with her family as they journey along their sacred paths.
Meredith Deasley, BA, RHN, RNCP, Reiki Practitioner (Level II) and owner of The
Resourceful Mother; www.theresourcefulmother.com
After spending a decade in the corporate world, Meredith gave birth to two daughters, who
reacted adversely to multiple foods and sent their mother on an entirely different path. As a
result, Meredith has specialized in pediatric nutrition for the past decade, and teaches pediatric
nutrition at The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. Having studied the impact of food on
children’s health so thoroughly, she has recently authored a book, which is awaiting publication.
Meredith has appeared on the “Body, Mind and Spirit” television show and written articles for
various health magazines.
By Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt
As a Registered Massage Therapist of 7 years, I am still shocked by the number of people who view massage therapy as an indulgence. Really – if it is an indulgence do you think insurance companies would spend millions of dollars on it each year? Maybe it’s the misconception we have that everything good for us has to feel bad. Massage therapy not only feels great but has many benefits during all stages of life – from birth to palliative care. Pregnancy is one of the most crucial times in life when massage therapy can have the biggest impact on one’s wellbeing.
Each trimester has its challenges and massage can address most of them. In first trimester, fatigue and nausea are the biggest complaints. Massage in this trimester tends to have a relaxation focus; helping the body to rest and focus its energy on baby-building. There are many pressure points and referral zones throughout the body which are avoided to prevent a miscarriage. For this reason, it is best to only receive massage during first trimester if you are seeing a RMT with specialized prenatal training.
Second trimester looks completely different, treatment-wise. For one, you are now unable to lie on your stomach, so treatment is done while lying on your side. (Special note: Some therapists use a “pregnancy table” which has an opening for the belly so that you can lie on your stomach – feel free to e-mail me for my opinion on this!!). In second trimester we start to work on preparing the body for delivery. Your hips are moving; your ribs are expanding; and you may already be experiencing some swollen joints. All of these discomforts of a rapidly changing body can be addressed.
Third trimester we become more aggressive in the preparation for childbirth. All aches and pains and swelling are addressed. As you get closer to your delivery, you may find that you need to shorten your treatments but receive them more often. Once you are in your final week (or past your due date), with the permission of your midwife or OB, we can activate pressure points that can be labour-inducing. This feels much better than having labour induced at the hospital with medication!
Although massage therapy is great at alleviating the discomforts of pregnancy, there are also other benefits to receiving care throughout your pregnancy. You have another set of hands monitoring the progress of your pregnancy. The therapist can teach you helpful breathing techniques to be used during labour, as well as helping you isolate your strongest abdominal muscles. In my experience, the babies of mommies who received massage during pregnancy also love massage and are quickly soothed by it. This, alone, is reason enough to receive massage during pregnancy!
All registered massage therapists in Ontario are trained in the basics of pregnancy massage. It is recommended though, to be treated by a RMT with specialized training in prenatal care. This is especially important if you have any medical conditions (either pregnancy-related or not).
So, back to our original question - is massage therapy during pregnancy a treatment or a treat? I’d say both!
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Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit. Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood. Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki in York Region. She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage. To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com
