Holistic Treatment Modalities & Alternative Treatments

Each person walks their own path and faces unique health challenges and opportunities along the way. Bronwyn Michaelis. L.Ac. offers acupuncture and a range of holistic treatment modalities that enable her to give patients the right kind of alternative treatments at the right time––regardless of where they are in their disease or healing process.

Designed to address the root cause that is manifesting in symptoms, Bronwyn’s holistic treatment approach is focused on reinstating a harmonious resonance between body, spirit and mind so people can heal deeply from within. She is passionate about helping patients discover how they can become more alive and then teaching them how to sustain that vitality.

Bronwyn suggests a unique combination of holistic treatment modalities depending on each client's medical needs and desires. For information on Bronwyn's current offerings, just scroll down. To schedule an appointment for any of her holistic treatment modalities, please visit Bronwyn's online scheduler.

• Acupuncture

  

  The theory and practice of acupuncture and herbal medicine is based on Oriental medicine (also known as traditional Chinese medicine), a comprehensive natural health care system that has been used in Asian countries for thousands of years to preserve health and diagnose, treat and prevent illness. Acupuncture treats health conditions by stimulating “acu-points” found at specific locations on the surface of the body. Acupuncturists stimulate the acu-points by inserting very thin needles through the skin to produce physiological effects. Other methods are also used to stimulate acu-points, such as heat, electrostim, tuning forks, or finger-pressure. In traditional Chinese Medicine one uses tongue and pulse diagnosis to determine the disease pattern.

  The general theory of acupuncture is that proper physiological function and health depend on the circulation of nutrients, substances and energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) through a network of “channels” or “meridians.” This network connects every organ and part of the body, providing balance, regulation and coordination of physiological processes. Pain and ill-health result when the flow of Qi through the body is disrupted or blocked by such things as disease, pathogens, trauma/injuries and medication (side-effects), as well as lifestyle factors such as overwork, poor diet, emotions, lack of rest and stress.

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• Herbal Medicine

  

  Herbal medicine is an integral part of natural and Chinese medicine due to their high concentration of nutrients, amino acids and special blood tonics. Because herbs have a direct impact on the body’s chemistry, they have been used as natural medicine for thousands of years and are steeped in a rich and ancient medical tradition. In the context of Chinese medicine, herbal medicine is used as a complex system of herbal formulas in which herbs are grouped together. In these carefully constructed collections, herbs form special relationships that work together to treat disharmonies in the body.

  Herbal medicine is often used in conjunction with acupuncture treatments as the two modalities share a special relationship. Herbs are very effective in sustaining the effects of acupuncture treatments and therefore herbal medicine can be used to prolong the gaps between acupuncture treatments. Additionally, there are specific treatments that are uniquely successful when using a combination of herbal medicine treatments and acupuncture treatments.

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• Rosen Method Body Work

  

  Rosen Method is distinguished by its gentle, direct touch. Using hands that listen rather than manipulate, the practitioner focuses his/her body work on chronic muscle tension. As relaxation occurs and the breath deepens, unconscious feelings, attitudes, and memories may emerge.

  A Rosen Method body work practitioner has been trained to notice subtle changes in muscle tension and shifts in the breath. S/he recognizes these as indications that the client is relaxing and becoming more aware of his/her body and internal experience. The practitioner responds with touch and words, which allow the client to begin to recognize what has been held down by unconscious muscle tension.

  As this body work process unfolds, habitual tension and old patterns may be released, freeing the client to experience more aliveness, new choices in life, and a greater sense of well-being.

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• Yoga Therapy & Dance Yoga

  

  Using an Iyengar yoga base, Bronwyn incorporates yin (gentle) as well as more yang (dynamic) styles into a yoga therapy practice designed to strengthen as well as lengthen and stretch the body. Music and breath work are often brought in to encourage movement and physical opening within the poses. Students experience their bodies more fully and relax, calm, and center their minds. Sessions are adjusted to fit individual needs, and beginners are welcome.

  Bronwyn teaches private yoga therapy classes, ongoing public dance yoga classes, hand stand workshops and various other yoga classes at her Berkeley yoga space and in surrounding Bay Area studios. In the Axis Syllabus influenced dance yoga classes, you can expect to find ease and alignment by honoring the innate inner wisdom of our own body’s architecture, discover the depth of movement possible when the body is given the freedom to shape itself intelligently and honor its innate structural elements. Yoga therapy and dance yoga classes cover elemental salutations, inversions, and precise sequencing designed to invoke deep embodied presence and vitality.

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• Reiki Healing & Reiki Training

  

  Reiki is a simple yet profound healing art promoting deep relaxation and spiritual unfoldment. As the universal life-force energy, Reiki healing restores and balances the body in a way that is integral to health, well-being, and aliveness. The energy is channeled by the practitioner to the recipient by a gentle hands-on technique. Bronwyn offers Reiki training classes and workshops in Berkeley from beginning Reiki training up to the Reiki Master level and beyond.  Clients can not only receive Reiki healing but also practice Reiki on themselves and others. Please check the Classes & Events page for details on upcoming Reiki training sessions and retreats, or visit the online scheduler to schedule a Reiki healing session.

  Reiki healing practices can bring balance to one’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and psychic bodies. In fact, Reiki works on a level where there is a potential for one’s life, our tribes, and the planet as a whole to be brought into harmony and balance. Many people experience Reiki healing as unconditional love. Among other ailments, Reiki treats energetic imbalances, insomnia, injuries, anxiety, and pain.

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• Holistic Nutrition Consultation

  

  Nutrition is a vital component of Medicine and health in general. Understanding the chemistry of how foods obtain their qualities is important for a holistic understanding of the body. Food has been used as an essential part of medicine and prevention of dis-ease for thousands of years. Holistic practitioners have always seen marked improvement when their patients change diet and lifestyle, perhaps more so than taking a specific herb or supplement. Food could be slower to take affect than other medicines and herbs, but it more profoundly affects all systems of the body.

  Through exposure to Asian medicine in the context of holistic nutritional consultation, patients are able to view their meal choices through a new paradigm. As an integrative nutrition counselor, Bronwyn guides her clients in incorporating into their daily routines the proper healing foods each individual patient can take advantage of every day.

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• Chi-Nei-Tsang Organ Massage

  

  Chi-nei-tsang is a Taoist form of organ massage that expresses the healing principles that have ruled traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. By making chi available through chi exercises (Chi-Kung) and the gentle massage of internal organs, Chi-nei-tsang promotes physical, emotional and spiritual healing, disease prevention and longevity.

  Chi-nei-tsang treatments aid in the relief of symptoms stemming from conditions such as constipation, liver qi stagnation, anxiety, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crones disease and digestive issues that are triggered by emotional intensity or stress. Chi-nei-tsang is also effective in treating auto-immune diseases such as chronic fatigue and Fibromyalgia, and in relieving stomach pain.

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• Ionic Detox Foot Bath Treatments

  

  The practice of detoxifying the body using ions was established during World War I as a method to help soldiers with mustard gas poisoning. The IonCleanse uses this technology to gently and effectively eliminate wastes and detoxify the body, through ionic foot bath treatments.

  In ionic foot bath sessions, you bathe your feet in a tub of water in which an instrument is placed that generates an ionic charge. As the ions enter your body they begin to neutralize tissue acid wastes. You will be able to see particles, fat, and mucous residues change the color of the water in the detox foot bath as they leave your body.

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