The Rubenfeld - Rubenfeld Synergy Method

The Rubenfeld
Synergist
Newsletter for the
International
Association of
Rubenfeld
Synergists
A dynamic system for the integration
of body, mind, emotion and spirit®
Inside
BYB Shows the Way ...........1
President’s Corner ...............2
Founder’s Column ..............3
RSTI Honors Ilana’s Birthday With Gifts for New
Trainees and Synergists.......4
Next Issue ...........................4
Invitation for Members .......5
NARS News .......................5
Group Support for Media
Marketing ...........................5
Soulful Synergy Sundays
– Adding Spirit to Your
Practice and Your Life ........6
Watch for TIRF Website ....6
INARS Conference 2015 ....6
September 2014
Vol. 18, No. 3
BYB Shows the Way
By Nan Shugart
A
t the beginning of my Vision Quest in
Sedona as part of the INARS conference, I
found an enchanting looking tree with a large
rock beside it on which to sit. I asked myself,
“What is my purpose in life?” A lump of fear
welled up in my throat and tears streamed down
my face as I worried that whatever the answer
was, it would feel like a huge burden on me. I received a clear answer. “Just be yourself.” With a
big breath of relief, I thought, if that’s all I have
to do, then I can handle that. And then my life
purpose came in three words. “Show the way.”
It’s funny how three words can hold so much
meaning and power. I knew that the love I have
for myself and the world was what I needed to
show so others could find the way to their love
too. Offering my BYB (Befriend Your Body)
program is one central way that I can ‘show the
way’ and fulfill my life’s purpose.
So I wanted to give you an update: I have
presented my 5 week BYB program four times
to full classes of 10 participants, each with
overwhelmingly positive responses to experiencing Rubenfeld Synergy principles in a comfortable group setting. In fact, so many participants
asked me “what’s next?” that I have created a
new 5 week BYB program called CONTINING YOUR JOURNEY with 5 new themes,
using Lorie Speciale’s BYB recordings and Chris
Hammer’s inspiration cards. Here is my program description:
The body is our only home through which all of
our life experiences flow. It is our house of belonging here in the world. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to access your body’s wisdom? You can!
Learn how to listen to and understand what
your body’s unique somatic language is saying to
you. Be a compassionate, non-judgmental best
friend to your body. See how that shift allows
tension and pain to decrease and allows you to
experience more joy in your body and in your
life! Each week during the 5 week ‘Continuing
Your Journey’ program, Certified Rubenfeld
Synergist Nan Shugart will pair a part of the
body with a quality of friendship. She will guide
you through fun and informative experiences to
help you access your body’s full knowledge.
Nan Shugart with BYB workshop attendees
I incorporate inspiring music, quotes, poems,
journaling and sharing time, as well as bodymind explorations to enhance what they learn
from Lorie’s recordings. Most participants
choose to lie on a yoga mat and cover up with
a blanket when listening to Lorie’s 15 minute
recordings. What I am discovering is that everyone longs for more time and space to care for
their unique self. Everyone wants more nurturing, gentleness and compassion in their life, and
it feels great to be able to guide them to their
body to find what they need.
Two program participants have become on-going clients and because of the BYB program,
those clients and I had already established a
beginning ground of respect in our relationship.
Those clients seem to catch on quickly to what
this work has to offer. Many times these clients
refer to the program during their sessions. One
client said, “You know in the program when we
talked about feet and I told you how much I
hated my feet, now I have compassion for them
as I realize how hard they work as I stand all
day at work.” Towards the end of a 5th session,
a client who had taken the program had an
aha moment and said, “My body is my life!” I
wanted to ring a bell and tell her she had hit the
jackpot! It was very gratifying to know she truly
understood and appreciated the congruence
of what she felt in her body and what she was
experiencing in her life. I feel so much gratitude
for being trained in this work and knowing how
it can transform people’s lives. I encourage all
Synergists to listen to the BYB recordings and
see how it can inspire you in your RSM practice
to ‘show the way.’ ❂
2
President’s Corner
By Bonnie Muller
Many persons have
a wrong idea of what
constitutes true
happiness. It is not
attained through
self-gratification but
through fidelity to a
worthy purpose.
Helen Keller
R
e-reading Theresa’s article in the March 2014 issue
of The Rubenfeld Synergist, I paused to consider
one paragraph. Please re-read it with me now. “For
another client … who is more solidly on the ground,
the work involved ‘jump-starting’ her power source in
her gut through breath, visualization and touch, then
redirecting the doubt in her gut away from herself and
using it as information about the person instilling it.
With her gut filled with ‘the calming violet-blue fire of
her soul’ (she) felt a connection between her upper and
lower body: a solid and sturdy base. This allowed for
greater ease and expansion of her ribs and shoulders.
It also highlighted where her wings had been clipped
and the need for repair, so that she can take flight.”
(While typing this I stopped 7 times to visualize, hear,
feel and sense, in my imagining, what was going on.
If you haven’t done this yet, consider giving yourself
this treat right now.) If you have, can you notice what
slowing down and listening can do even vicariously? I
recognize that this session was only a part of a meticulous process of discovery and this paragraph is but a
glimpse of the session. To me, this glimpse succinctly
reflects the power, efficiency and depth of our method.
Outgoing president Theresa Pettersen-Chu with
incoming president, Bonnie Muller
13 dedicated Synergists who are collaborating across
committees, collaborating with TIRF and RSTI, and
leading our way into the world.
I’m in awe of the light that Theresa has shone on
our spirit, our mission, and our skills, as well as the
lights that Joan and Jeannie lit before her. What gives
me the courage to accept your bequeathing me the
responsibility of the presidency of our association?
These things I know: Rubenfeld Synergy is powerful,
efficient, and deep, deeply healing. All Synergists have
the skill to touch wisely and widely in the world, to
bring others into this healing way.
Our Board is committed to these visions, among others: RSM is esteemed in the professional world; more
diverse bodies/souls are being healed through RSM
practitioners; RSM is a buzzword; folks will be able
to access our work in a variety of settings (justice for
all); Synergists step into the role of expert in healing
trauma; we celebrate that healing trauma gives space
for self-care; all Synergists participate in the proliferation of RSM; Synergists reach out to other Synergists
as resources; Synergists broaden their horizons to do
what they love, to touch people in other ways than
direct touch; we collaborate with the research that
affirms the value of touch and listening; we realize that
we are not before our time, we are just on time!
All Synergists have a profession because they have a
professional association. The leadership collected in
the Board of Directors of our association consists of
Knowing all of this fuels my courage. All of this energy and commitment lightens the responsibility. After
Continued on Page 3
The Rubenfeld Synergist
volume 18, number 3 • September – December 2014
Published three times a year
A quarterly publication of the International Association of Rubenfeld
Synergists, PO Box 405, Gerrardstown, WV 25420. phone: 304-261-1443
e-mail: [email protected]
INARS website: www.rubenfeldsynergy.com
© 2014 International Association of Rubenfeld Synergists
“RUBENFELD SYNERGY METHOD”, “HEART IN HAND” logo, “DYNAMIC SYSTEM FOR THE INTEGRATION OF BODY, MIND, EMOTIONS & SPIRIT”, “CRS”, “THE BODY TELLS THE TRUTH”, “HEALING
THE EMOTIONAL/SPIRITUAL BODY”, “THE LISTENING TOUCH”, and
“THE LISTENING HAND” are trademarks or registered trademarks of
the Rubenfeld Center, Inc. or Ilana Rubenfeld in the United States and
other countries.
President • Bonnie Muller • [email protected] •
203.676.8470
Past President/Certification Maintenance • Theresa Pettersen-Chu
• [email protected] • 973.454.6454
Secretary • Nan Shugart • [email protected] •
865.591.9455
Treasurer • Georgena Eggleston • [email protected]
• 503.309.3966
Chair of Member Services Committee • Mary Petschen • memberservices@
rubenfeldsynergy.com • 612.730.6870
Chair of Conference Committee • Joan Small • conference@rubenfeldsynergy.
com • 780.441.1750
Chair of Marketing Committee • Contact Bonnie Muller • [email protected] • 203.676.8470
Chair of Nominating/ Elections Committee/Member at Large • Nan Shugart •
[email protected] • 865-591-9455
Chair of Certification Committee • Chris Hammer • [email protected] • 631.757.9027
Chair of Certification Maintenance • Theresa Pettersen-Chu • [email protected] • 973.454.6454
Chair of Ethics Committee • Pam Neimeth • [email protected] •
845.399.8597
Chair of the Professional Practices Committee • Janet Cook • profpract@
rubenfeldsynergy.com • 303.681.7905
Member At Large • Renee Jacobs • [email protected] •
973.267.0822
Member At Large • Heather Skoll • [email protected] • 905.770.5611
Member At Large • Patricia Keeler • [email protected] •
503.320.3229
Member At Large • Janice Thomas • [email protected] •
520.877.5039
Member At Large • Brittiney George • [email protected] •
610.389.7866
3
Founder’s Column
By Ilana Rubenfeld
The Vibrational Fire of Touch
T
here are several FIRES burning all around me
right now turning the entire sky pink — an awesome sight! Yesterday, the clouds opened up and “cried
tears.” With their crying, came lightning, surrounding
me with lightning fires.
DEATH and LIFE are burning all around me too.
Each constantly stares at me …. I see folks in walkers,
wheel chairs, canes and all sorts of contraptions to help
them move from one place to another. I can still walk,
albeit slowly, without help from any contraption. Yet,
Death warns, “You will be gone soon …. You are just a
drop in the vast oceans of Earth!”
LIFE laughs and says, “LOOK at beautiful nature as if
it is the first time! See trees, flowers, pink skies, green grass.
HEAR the sound of birds; LISTEN to their wonderful
music!” Tonight I listened to two locally-trained and
very young musicians in the Manor Auditorium. One
played the piano, while the second played violin. These
two musicians were great — both First Class! Their
level of music-making was very high and those who
knew this were swept up in the beauty of the music.
Recently I had dinner with David and Carol. Although David is a retired medical doctor, he is in
crisis. David went to see Dr. Albert Smith because his
legs were burning up and he displayed a great many
signs of stress. Dr.Smith ordered a battery of tests that
identified a sodium problem that started many years
ago. Dr. Smith prescribed some medicines so that the
heat in David’s legs and the prickly sensations in his
feet would cease temporarily. The deeper CAUSE of
David’s condition is not yet known! Either the doctors
will continue to hunt or they will honestly say “I don’t
know.”
Question: Can RSM find the root cause of this situation?
My Answer: The word STRESS caught my attention!
My intuition tells me that this stress happened many
years ago and that it began in his own family. So I
asked David about his family, to which he muttered,
“It’s a very long story; and another evening, with several
bottles of wine, I’ll tell you the story of why I have NOTHING to do with my five siblings. NO CONTACT whatsoever!” As I left, I realized that I got to know David
thru a verbal exchange only. I did not TOUCH him
— simply talk (no physical contact!) No wonder just
“talk” takes far longer to get to the deeper problems.
I once asked a large group of psychotherapists to name
different kinds of TOUCH! They came up with over
forty types of TOUCH that can be used and felt:
loving touch, healing touch, a “hello” touch, spiritual
touch, comforting touch,
acknowledging
touch, angry
touch, etc.
I look at many
music scores
and I have been
trained to hear
tones for the
symbols on
these pages.
The VIBRATIONS of music
go very deeply
into people!
EMOTIONS
are touched by LISTENING EARS and LISTENING
HANDS. That is why RSM is so efficiently wonderful!
TOUCH and the BODY are very important components of The Rubenfeld Synergy Method®.
But our INTENTION has to be very clear. DIAGNOSING is an element of the Medical Model in
which the belief is that there is a DISEASE (something
is wrong) and a CURE has to be found. RSM belongs
to the HEALING MODEL. It promises no cure and
the diagnosis has to come from the individual that is
being touched, not the Rubenfeld Synergist.
Music conductors use their body to convey a mood.
You see them moving their hands and arms about.
They have to lead and express the meaning of the
music without speaking. The excessive movements
of some conductors are distracting for me and I have
to look away into space or look down in order to
LISTEN to the sounds of the orchestra (or choir). In
my opinion, the music conductor’s movements insist
that the audience look at him/her rather than hear the
vibrational sounds of the music.
Are Rubenfeld Synergy graduates practicing simply?
Or do RSM practitioners make many unnecessary
movements BEFORE the need to touch? That is a basic question that each of you needs to ask yourself!
Until next time … I send you all healing vibrations
from my heart! … Ilana ❂
President’s Corner...FROM PAGE 2
being with many Synergists at our conference, I believe
that the Board’s visionary views are aligned with those
of most of you who are giving yourself the time to read
your newsletter. As your new spokesperson for the
Board … I thank all those whose work has brought
us to this place. With each one of us taking our turn
to serve our profession, I am confident that these gifts
will continue long after us. ❂
Like a welcome
summer rain, humor
may suddenly cleanse
and cool the earth, the
air, and you.
Langston Hughes
4
I have found that being
honest is the best
technique I can use.
Right up front, tell
people what you are
trying to accomplish
and what you are
willing to sacrifice to
accomplish it.
Lee Iacocca
RSTI Honors Ilana’s Birthday
With Gifts for New Trainees and
Synergists
By Noël Wight
our last conference we went on a Spirit vision quest.
I
We all have a strong commitment to doing this
work. It has touched all of our lives in some
miraculous way — both personally and professionally. There is something that has kept us going and
knowing that this is our work to do in the world
through all the ups and downs and bumps and
bruises. We believe that RSM has a healing power
that the world so desperately needs.
have been writing to you with something really
big and wonderful. We were inspired by Ilana’s
80th birthday. Joe and I put our heads together and
decided to do something very special to honor this
event. And we’d like you to be part of it!
We thought about how to celebrate this milestone
and came up with a really magnificent idea. The
best way to honor Ilana is to spread the Rubenfeld
Synergy Method, by making the work available to
more healing practitioners and to the clients they’ll
be helping. We want to start actively spreading
RSM around the world in a much bigger way. And
we know that the new Training Design is the way
to do it.
To make this happen we’ve decided to make a
Very Special Offer, to take $1,000 off the price
of the Level 1 Training. That’s a whole 1/3 off
the regular fee! This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for those who are ready to step up and
join the RSM community by becoming synergists.
This is where you come in. We need your help to
get this offer out to the people who are ready to take
that step, or might be considering it. You are in the
best position to reach those people — your clients,
colleagues, and friends. And we are prepared to give
you all the help you need to be able to do this easily
and comfortably.
We are creating a whole email campaign with
detailed instructions on dates and follow-up to
make it super-easy for you, and we’re going to walk
you through it step by step. You will have plenty of
support. Energy is at the heart of this idea. We have
been through a transitional time and a reorganization as a community & as a training program — a
total overhaul. There has been a lot of amazing
creative energy poured into RSM over the last few
years with the intention of spreading the work out
into the world. The revitalizing of INARS — the
new members gatherings — The BYB idea — the
creation of BYB month long series — the BYB
cards which are in the works — Local BYB series by
synergists — Your body as your personal GPS series.
A Breath Blessing book — RSM workshops — Soul
Synergy Sundays — and more that I don’t know
about but are being done by individual synergists.
We are in the midst of a renewal of Spirit and connection as a community of healing professionals. At
We then began a discussion with reflections on the
question: Why do we think it is so important to get
RSM out to the world? What does it provide? Our
words have been “touching people, transforming
lives. What are some words and ways you would
speak of what RSM brings to the world?
We held a phone discussion and I wrote some of
the ideas below. It felt amazing to listen and hear
people’s articulation. RSM does provide powerful
healing. Ilana even surprised us with a short hello
and expression of appreciation. All of these beliefs
articulate our intention in all endeavors. There is no
more powerful energy in the world than love — our
love of RSM is what can move mountains and
manifest miracles!
With Ilana reaching this momentous birthday, it
seemed like a perfect time to celebrate and loose the
floodgates of energy to grow our synergy community.
Please check out http://www.rubenfeldtouch.
com/80th-birthday-sale/. It has specifics and dates.
You will see that there are three different payment
plans. There is also a money back guarantee which
makes it risk free. Anyone who has questions, please
feel free to contact me, 215-659-1495 or by email. ❂
Next Issue
T
he deadline for articles to be submitted
for the January, 2015 issue is December 7.
This is our only annual issue that goes out to
all Synergists via regular mail. It will have exciting information about the INARS activities,
upcoming conference, trainings etc. so be sure
to get your articles in on time! Please send written copy in Times New Roman, Font 10 single
space to Renee Jacobs, Editor at diviana25@
yahoo.com. ❂
5
Invitation for Members
By Mary Petschen
H
ello everyone, I am your new Membership
Services Chairperson. This role started for
me in July and will continue for three years. I approached Joan Brooks about my interest in this role
because of it’s interaction with INARS members. As
a newer member of the INARS community, I have
found myself in awe at the last three conferences.
The people that this work has brought together are
a wealth of information and inspiration.
As I have been working on our latest membership
drive with Sarah Baker, these words keep coming
up for us: INARS is a dynamic professional community, building bridges from our foundations,
grounded in service through RSM. We offer support, inspiration, and the opportunity to unite with
one’s passion as a Synergist.
With this as my underlying belief, I will be randomly calling members to reach out and say hello, how
are you? What is your practice like? To be specific,
I will be calling as a professional to talk to your
professional. I will be listening to your approach,
motivations, love of the work. In this way, I hope to
continue knitting our community together, growing
in strength, ingenuity, and recognized presence. I so
look forward to hearing your words about RSM and
you. There are many of us and one of me, so if you
would like to speak to me, please do not wait for my
call, call me at 612-730-6870! ❂
Our 2014-2015 Membership Drive began August 17.
Check your emails if you would like to
take advantage of early bird rates and sign up now!
NARS News
By Georgena Eggleston
T
he NARS Educational Fund is pleased to announce its new officers: Rita Waters, President; Carole Nichols, Vice-President/Secretary;
and Michael Herman, Treasurer. The officers met
in August and reviewed the calendar of monthly
responsibilities. They also reviewed finances, including revenue from the very successful auction held at
the Annual Conference and discussed other revenue
streams.
Group Support
for Media
Marketing
By Dr. Erica Goodstone
P
lease join my newly created Marketing Our
Practices Facebook Group at https://www.
facebook.com/groups/MarketingOurPractices/
Anyone wishing to receive funding for an educational event is invited to submit an on-line application to Michael Herman by the deadline of
September 15th which you can download from
the Rubenfeld Synergy website. The purpose of the
Educational Grant Fund is to provide scholarship
funds to Certified Rubenfeld Synergists in the form
of a grant to be applied toward an event or activity
that will update and improve their skills such that it
will benefit the general public, both individuals and
groups.
My goal for creating this group is for therapists and
other healing practitioners, including Synergists, to
work together. As a group we can expand our reach
when we work together to:
Scholarships will be granted for bona fide educational opportunities that enhance the skills of
Rubenfeld Synergy. These may include, but are
not limited to, attendance at the annual INARS
Conference, training in the Feldenkrais Method,
Alexander Technique, Gestalt Therapy, or bringing
faculty from the Rubenfeld Synergy Training Institute to a regional meeting of Synergists for advanced
training or review. ❂
• write reviews of each other's books, Kindle books,
products and services.
• regularly comment on each others' blogs
• “like” and comment on each others' Facebook
and other social media pages
• share each others' writing on our own social media platforms
• recommend and endorse each other on LinkedIn
Please join and we can work together to expand our
online presence and deliver our unique messages.
None of us can do it alone. Together we can educate and help to heal the world. ❂
Far better it is to dare
mighty things, to win
glorious triumphs even
though checkered by
failure, than to rank
with those poor spirits
who neither enjoy nor
suffer much because
they live in the gray
twilight that knows
neither victory nor
defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
Soulful Synergy Sundays –
Adding Spirit to Your Practice and Your Life
6
A
ny recipe for life will tell us — when we add the ingredient of Spirit, MAGIC happens over and over. We increase those moments of
intuition when we say just the right thing at the right moment. Synchronicity creates a flow to life. Ease and Grace permeate our interactions. Spirit assists us in finding a way to care more about a client even when we feel stuck with him/her or we wish he/she was different.
During this group that meets one Sunday a month, we have fun playing with our intuition for each other, receiving energetic shifts for
ourselves that really make a difference, feeling more self-love and acceptance, and resting in that deep inner still space of the heart. As the
home for our Sacred Spirit, our bodies thrive when we bring more life force into them.
We are looking for the timing that works for most people. We have been on Sunday evenings at 8 pm (Eastern), 5 pm (Pacific). In September
we are experimenting with Noon (Eastern), 9 am (Pacific). Let Janice know your ideas about an ideal time.
Come join us to see what all the excitement is about!
Open a new world of functioning!
EMBODY YOUR SPIRIT!
Facilitated by Rev. Janice Thomas, MA, CRS, RST 3
[email protected] 520-219-9080 ❂
Watch for TIRF Website
By Renee Jacobs, President
friends, relatives etc.
W
We are a very small board, Ilana, Rose Gladstone and myself. If
you have an interest in joining us to help preserve Ilana’s legacy and
make her work available to students of somatic psychology as well as
the general public, please contact me at [email protected]. ❂
e have been working hard to get our website up so we can
get back to fundraising and archiving the session tapes
and other teaching materials. Keep checking for www.rubenfeld
foundation.org and, once it is up, please mention it to your clients,
INARS CONFERENCE 2015
“Professional Synergists: Nourishers of the Soul”
April 30 – May 3, 2015
Come and immerse yourself at Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center nestled in the beautiful Maryland countryside just outside Baltimore and ½ hour from BWI airport.
Pearlstone offers 160 acres of nature, wonderful gardens, and accommodations that lend to an environment where
we can experience the richness and nourishment of RSM and enhance and inspire our souls.
Mark your calendar, start planning now to attend the 20th Annual INARS Conference!
We are excited to see you there! Your Conference Committee: Joan Small, Alix Amar, Sally Doran.
Check the Pearlstone Conference Center website at www.pearlstonecenter.org ❂