Michelle Wood, Healium's New Massage Therapist

A couple years ago, while on holiday in the South Island, we stayed in Hanmer Springs since we wanted to enjoy the hot springs. On our way to the facility, however, I spotted a sign advertising massage and something called "whole body harmonizing," and that sounded good to me.

I met the therapist, Michelle, and immediately liked her fun, playful manner. I chose to have a massage featuring joint articulation therapy. This involves some stretching and even spinal realignments if necessary. The experience is nothing short of amazing. There's something downright shamanic about how Michelle seemingly takes you apart and puts you back together - only much, much better. It was exactly what I needed, and I can tell you: never once have I regretted missing out on the hot springs.

Michelle and I stayed in touch, and to our great fortune she decided to move to the Big Smoke! Funny how sometimes things come full circle. And this means that now you can experience her brilliant joint therapy too. She also offers pregnancy and deep-tissue massage, as well as half-hour Indian head massages - great for a relaxing getaway. A dedicated student of she calls the "laws of life," Michelle also provides her clients with instruction in qi gong exercises.

Michelle is currently available on Wednesdays from 2 pm until late. To book a session, just email us or give us a call!

Traditional Chinese Medicine: 5 Sessions for $200!

Welcome to 2013 and greater health! We hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season and feel refreshed and ready to face the new year. 

Of course, at times we carry some unwanted baggage with us as we move forward: a niggling health concern, or chronic pain, or sometimes even unexpected issues that can really throw us for a loop. If that's the case, then it might be time to stop by Healium and visit Simon Edward, our Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist.

Simon is kicking off the new year with a special offer:  a five-session course of Traditional Chinese Medicine for only $200. (Regular price $315.) 

Traditional Chinese Medicine incorporates the time-honored practices of acupuncture, tui na massage and qi gong exercises to get to the root of the issue and get you back into balance. Simon uses each of these techniques as called for by the situation, whether that's relieving stress or pain, improving sleep or digestion, restoring mobility, boosting your energy, etc.

Simon practices at Healium on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To check for openings and book your first appointment, simply visit our online booking system.

All five sessions must be completed by Thursday, 28 March 2013.

Note: this offer is not for five massage-only sessions, though tui na may be included as part of your treatment.

Qi Gong

Today Todd Stewart, practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, returns with some new thoughts on an ancient tradition.


Perhaps you've heard of it. I assume you've heard of tai chi, which is actually said tai ji (translated: "supreme ultimate"). Tai chi means "very, or supremely, late." Well, qi gong is, essentially, tai ji's older brother.

Much older. Say, by 5000 or so years.

Tai ji (essentially a linear sequence of slow movements performed in time with your breath) is most widely known in our society as a means of health improvement - enhancing things such as bone density, muscular strength and flexibility, circulation, energy levels, balance and coordination. But it's also very martial. Think: self-defense styles. As well as a tool of spiritual cultivation. Helps you understand yourself, transcend yourself, or something. I'm not sure, I'm still working on that one myself.

Qi gong. It's similar. Hmmm. Very similar. But also very different. Literally translated, it means "energy work," which can be taken and explained in a few different ways.

I know, everything is energy, just different vibrations or levels or frequencies. So, essentially, everything is qi gong. Acupuncture is qi gong. Massage is qi gong. Even dialogue is qi gong. Tricky. This is generating more questions than answers.

OK. Try this . . .

Sometimes, qi gong is physical movements (sometimes the movements are fast, sometimes they're slow, sometimes they're incredibly slow - think: "are they even moving at all?"), and sometimes you don't actually move at all - well, not physically, anyway. They're sometimes seated, although usually standing (they can even be down lying down, especially the body-stays-still ones). Usually they're learnt in a group of class, or one on one. Sometimes they're used in a treatment, where the practitioner does qi gong and the client/patient/recipient lies there or sits there and receives it. In this instance, it's a bit like Reiki, except without the symbols, and a bit more directed.

See, it's pretty tricky to define and explain in 500 words when it's so broad. Thanks for sticking with it.

Qi gong. It's good for health. Any old health thing. Can be something specific, like a frozen shoulder or a slipped disc or asthma or insomnia or stress. Can be something generic, like energy levels or just overall well-being (here we begin to touch lightly on cultivation again).

Doing qi gong, you start to notice stuff you didn't notice before. I'm talking about sensations in your body. Sensations around your body. Sometimes you might feel full, fuzzy, tingly, buzzy, pulsing, heavy or magnety. It's different (and similar) for all of us.

There are many, many forms and schools or styles of qi gong (5000 years or so worth). What's important (in my opinion) is to find someone you like receiving tutelage from, doing qi gongs that you enjoy and doing them as frequently as YOU feel is appropriate for you.

I guess I should say you could also consider it to be a moving meditation. Although . . . meditation is such a loaded word. But this post is about qi gong, not meditation.

One of the thing that I like about qi gong is that it's something you can do for yourself, rather than having someone do it to you.

How's that?

Qi gong.

10 Steps in Either Direction: Your Relationship to Yourself

Today's blog is by Todd Stewart, who provides acupuncture, meditation, energy work and qi gong at Healium.


This isn't about any particular modality or treatment style or whatever. It's about relationship.

Of course, whatever treatment you're getting is fine. That's the door that was closest to you at the time. For whatever reason(s) - and a lot of them would be unconscious - you've chosen to receive a treatment (or therapy) of This Type from This Person. Okay, cool.

Keep in mind: it's/we're just a tool or resource for you to use. What's more important than that, though, is this:

Whatever they/we do with you is not as important as what you do with yourself.

Another way of saying it:

Anything you "have done to you" pales in significance when placed next to the most fundamental thing:

Your relationship to yourself.

An extension of this is:

Your relationship to your major complaints, or primary pathology, or whatever it is that bugs you most.

Because, right, your relationship to anything defines how that thing influences your life. Your relationship to YOURSELF determines what sort of life you live.

Todd is also Vice President of the Healium Ninja Auxiliary.

Anything that comes from without won't "stick" as well if you don't help it stick by changing yourself from within.

See, we all choose what direction we face (albeit usually unconsciously). There are two directions: better and worse. What's your choice? What's your preference? If you're reading this, I'd guess, overall, it's "better."

It's like each of us is standing in the middle of a misty mountain path, and we can only see 10 steps in either direction. Each step we take, forward or backward, we can still only see 10 steps. Step, step, step: we can still only see the same distance.

So, no matter where you are in your own health journey, it is a moment-by-moment conscious decision to keep moving in the direction you'd prefer to move in.

Every. Single. Day.

Yeah. It never ends. Sometimes, sure, take a break, check out the view, have a plateau, integrate the work you've done. Nice one. Passivity is as essential as activity. Night follows day, winter follows summer follows winter.


Don't try to change the thing, try changing your relationship to it, instead. Play a game, there are five steps:

1. Awareness. You're already aware that something is bugging you. Tick.

2. Acknowledgement. Just acknowledge it's bugging you. Drop the judgment, drop the opinion, drop the label. It is what it is. Okay. (You can also acknowledge that you judge it, after you're aware that you judge it . . . ).

3. Acceptance. You can then accept that you have "this" (it's not you, it's a thing you have).

4. Appreciation. In what way does this improve your life? What have you learnt about yourself? (This is the step people usually find the most challenging.

5. Allowance. The above being done, sit back and relax. Let the thing change. Because you've changed how you feel about it. This can't help but change it.


Keep it light, keep it fun. Say hi to your mum for me. :o)