Ariana Mullins Bodywork

This week, I had the joy and privilege of taking the Brain 3 class this week in Madrid with Jean Pierre Barral himself!

We covered new techniques for working with Tinnitus, Migraines, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Autism, and so much more!

It was also really valuable to receive treatments from my fellow therapists (and JP!!) as we learned, and of course reuniting with my “tribe” of Spanish therapists friends was invaluable as well.

We have such a strong sense that we are incredibly lucky to be able to the work that we do, and it’s so exciting to be able to continue to learn and grow professionally.
💕🙌🏻

And that’s a wrap!
I have finished my sessions for the month, and am going on vacation until the 10th!

You can still get in touch with me, but my response time may be longer than usual. And of course, you can always book or change your sessions through my scheduler.

Looking forward to coming back refreshed, rested, and very tan! ☀️

I just got home from four days in Granada with Upledger Institute Spain, repeating a SomatoEmotional Release class. This was in preparation for me to be a teaching assistant for this training in the future, which I am very excited about. It was an intimate group, and I found it really beautiful to see each person’s evolution as they discovered what is possible with this kind of work.

I deeply valued the opportunity to get on the table and connect with some things that needed attention in my own life and history. I’m so grateful, and have come home lighter and brighter.

A personal victory was leading and receiving these dialoguing sessions all in Spanish! This is something that has been really challenging in the past, and I felt really good about how it went.

Do you know about this side of the work that I do? It’s so life-changing! Send me a note if you have questions, or you can take a peek at the information about SomatoEmotional Release on my website. ❤

Fear

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.
– Khalil Gibran

❤

Today is my birthday, and I always have plenty of thoughts and feelings about it.

Birthdays can be a little complicated sometimes, especially as the numbers keep climbing! But growing older also reminds me to be intentional in how I want to live, and to become more aware of what I want more or less of in my life.

This year, I have been thinking about a particular experience I have had in my life– becoming (or just feeling) invisible– and what I want to do with it.

Most of us have a recurring pain in our experience that can feel hard to change.

As I reflect on repeated experiences of feeling unseen (which often leads to feeling unsupported or simply not included or belonging), I recognize that becoming invisible was a survival technique that kept me safe when I was younger.

I did as much as I could to “fly under the radar” in my family and in public. I was a foreigner as a child and teen in the Philippines, and often received a lot of attention that felt very dangerous to me. I always did my best to just blend in and not be seen.

In the religious subculture I grew up in, the dynamic was a little different, but being less visible was a way to avoid punishment, or losing personal freedom, or other unpleasant dynamics.

I also internalized a message to never shine too brightly, as it could make others with different gifts than mine feel bad.

So avoiding the spotlight, blending in, becoming invisible, not asking for or attracting attention, and trying to only shine medium-bright were all strategies that DID serve me, for many years.

The problem with most survival strategies is that they only work for survival, and NOT for thriving. They keep us safe/ alive but not ALIVE-ALIVE, you know? In order to really bring our gifts to the world and to thrive, we have to respectfully thank those old coping mechanisms, and then let them go. This usually feels scary (because, again, they provided real safety!) but it’s literally the only way forward, if we want to really thrive.

So, this year I am paying attention to the ways that I make myself smaller, more invisible; where I hold back my gifts or even just my huge joy and enthusiasm for life. I genuinely believe that each of us are here to really shine in our unique ways, and the world only becomes a better and more beautiful place as we do this.

I wonder if, as you read this, you are recognizing an outdated coping strategy that has been holding you back.... It literally happens to ALL of us!

One last thing…
It is meaningful to me that each one of you is in my life in some way. Thank you for being here with me on this intense adventure of living as a human in this moment. What a huge privilege
And if you are someone who has allowed me into your inner world to help you or your family heal, I want to thank you from my heart— it brings meaning and joy to my days, and is such an honor.

True for children, true for adults.

And let's add to the list the fact that our tissues tighten up around the areas in our bodies where we suppress the sensations that come with the emotions, causing further pain and dysfunction.

Let the feelings move through you.
❤

Now that school is out, and sports and other extra-curricular activities are done, it's a great time to get your kids some extra help if they are struggling in their bodies!

Common issues I help kids with:
– Digestive Issues
– Learning Challenges
– ADHD
– Anxiety
– Emotional Regulation
– Sleep
– Headaches

I also love supporting TEENS through gentle bodywork!

The issues I work with most in this age group are:
– stress-related issues
– headaches (including complex or migraines)
– anxiety
– sleep issues
– chronic pain
– sports injuries (including concussions)
– hormonal balance and menstrual issues, including painful periods.

If you have a young person who could use some support, I would love to make their (and your) life easier. ❤

❤ Also, it's so much easier to stay well than to get well! ❤