Scroll Tree Osteopathy

Osteopathy is a philosophy, a healthcare system, and for some, a spiritual practise in its own rite. It is a practise that encourages healing for the self and for others. When I discovered Osteopathy, my years-long journey to discover a spiritual practise with which to identify and belong to ceased.

Osteopathy, I learned through my training, is a practical hands-on application of functional anatomy, physiology, and life philosophy that respects the process of human development in a physical, energetic and spiritual sense. It considers the whole person, as they are in the present. Regular Osteopathic practise encourages a deep connection with and development of oneself while simultaneously serving and helping others.

Viola Frymann, an American Osteopath was famously quoted as saying:

 “The whole patient needs a whole physician.”

Personally speaking, Osteopathic practise requires me to show up for my clients as my best self: Available, attentive, and devoid of judgment. I strive to accept and work wholeheartedly without bias for the betterment of each and every person that chooses to spend their time on my table. The conversations I have with my clients are illuminating, sometimes humorous, and always meaningful.

This daily practise reminds me that people are a process, a coming into being, and that I have the privilege of working with them to soften and remove restrictions that prevent them from being their best self. In this way the practise of Osteopathy supports both the practitioner and patient in discovering their deeper Self.

I have always thought of practising Osteopathy as a gift, that my actions and application of treatment was an offering, and that ultimately it is up to each patient whether they will choose to receive this offering. Healing, I’ve learned, cannot be implemented by the therapist, but only made as an offering by way of setting conditions that are conducive to healing.

A teacher once told me that to accept accolades for my successes with clients meant that I would also have to accept responsibility for their set-backs, flare ups, and frustrations. Over the years I have come to understand that a therapist must never accept responsibility for either, so long as they strive to do no harm, as the outcome of the therapy belongs solely to the patient. 

A respected friend once asked me why I refused to take credit for the positive results of our work together and so I explained my reasoning to them. I added that because the therapeutic energy of the session in actuality passed through me and not from me, it was unethical to try to claim ownership of my results. My friend initially viewed my reasoning as self-depreciating and encouraged me to step into my power properly so that I could reach my higher potential. 

I admitted to them that a small part of me was uninterested in doing this because I felt it was a violation of the gift I had been given and that I was concerned this gift would leave me if I tried to manipulate it for my personal gain. Disappointed in what they perceived as a false humility, my friend determined that this fear arose from a “peasant mentality”. 

Interestingly, this assessment of my mindset felt demeaning and so I mulled it over for some time to determine what bothered me about it. Our conversation left me unsettled and wanting to explore why I felt the way that I did about my work. Was my avoidance of taking ownership of my therapeutic impact fear-based or humility-based? And what was the difference?

Months later, I finally found my answer. My self-directed informal studies of yoga led me to discover the Siddhis, or advanced abilities that can be developed by Yogis who have a deep devotion to the practise of yoga and meditation. Siddhis take many years to develop for most yogis, and lifetimes for others. They allow the practitioner seemingly supernatural abilities such as living with limited food or water for extended periods of time while in meditation, or resistance to extreme cold like with the Tibetan monks that are able to dry wet sheets in Himalayan subzero temperatures with their body heat during meditation. Some Siddis include highly advanced perceptual skills such as those of clairvoyance which can also be developed by advanced healers.

But although the Siddhis are undeniably impressive and considered miraculous by today’s standards, their singleminded pursuit are seen to ultimately be a distraction from the path to enlightenment. They can be attained as a by-product of attaining enlightenment but should not be pursued in and of themselves, as those who get sucked in by developing their skills are often restricted by their fixation on those same skills. 

Similarly, if a therapist falls victim to their own ego along their journey, they prevent themselves from being a truly great healer. They have moved from a patient centred approach to a therapist centred approach and begin serving their own needs and insecurities over the needs of their patients.