Here are a few photos of the bodywork demonstrations, students sharing between breaks, and a the annual workshop photo.

Linda Greene (left) discusses the workshop with another participant.

Instructor Gary Peterson demonstrates an exercise with Kait Keim.

Instructor Gary Peterson works with participant Margaret Rose during a demonstration.

Renee Rutz brushes up on anatomy during a break.

Instructor Gary Peterson works with volunteer Warren Smith during a demonstration.

Gary Peterson and Warren Smith discuss his experience after the demonstration.

The 2012 workshop was an uplifting experience.

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The Community meeting on January 21 was electric with enthusiasm and commitment!

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The intention of the meeting was to explore how to expand this vibrant community to include other aspects of healthcare – hospitals, nursing homes, health insurance, etc., for the greater benefit of people everywhere.

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First we discussed my letter soliciting help for the coming year along with a review of last year’s successes and concerns. The need for assistance from the community in continuing the Polarity Center was aired, received and understood by the members present.

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The quest for assistance was met overwhelmingly with “Yes!” With consciousness, meditative and soul searching silence, each member decided their available energy and the project in which they would put their energy.

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Four anchor members volunteered to help hold the vision and lead project management. They are: Cassie Cammann, Yvonne Maxwell, Sonia Pillar and Karen Kerns. Thank you!

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Other volunteers agreed to assist as needed for the elected projects. Meetings will be held with these anchors to continue the projects elected for 2012:

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1. Manage the annual spring conference of the Polarity Center
2. Research marketing ideas
3. Set up and continue community programs like the Crazy Wisdom classes
4. Monitor and assist in planning the Polarity efficacy research project (following Max Heirich’s proposed co-operative healthcare grant)
5. Collect teaching assistant signup sheets
6. Research finding service sites similar to the Holy Rosary project
7. Handle administrative tasks for data base management and community contacts

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I am very appreciative, hopeful and excited for this coming year!

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Join us February 12 from 2 – 5 pm

The next meeting is scheduled for 2-5 pm, February 12 at the Ann Arbor Friend’s Meeting House, 1420 Hill St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

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The Meeting House is near the “painted rock” on Washtenaw. There is limited parking behind the building, but street parking is open on both sides of the street on Sundays. We’ll meet upstairs in the Main Meeting Room, or sanctuary.

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Subsequent meetings will be listed on the Polarity Center website on the “Schedule” on the main navigation bar.

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If anyone who was unable to attend the meeting and decides to enlist their time and energy for one of the listed projects, you may call Betty at the Polarity Center at 313-647-0038 or email info@polaritycenter.com. If you can attend, please RSVP using the form below.

With loving energy,

Karen Kerns

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Kait Keim and responsive canine client during a Polarity session.

As a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist I constantly use my Polarity Therapy training in my work, on myself, and with my animals. Having always personally worked with animals (dogs, cats, horses, birds, rodents, chinchillas, etc) I have decided to professionally offer my services to more than just humans.

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I recently joined the International Association of Massage & Bodywork and have been delighted to enter a community of talented, knowledgeable, and compassionate body workers specializing in animals.

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Relationships are important to health and wellness

When interacting with animals, and their humans, I really appreciate these relationships and their importance in health and wellness. Animals give of themselves constantly, even those struggling with health or emotional issues! They are very resilient and willing to process what needs to be resolved when moving toward health.

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It is up to us to work on ourselves, to offer them support, and to be respectful of their right to choose what that may or may not

Kait Keim offers Polarity to a horse client.

look like! I love empowering the humans with increased awareness of the animals system and ongoing patterns. I often have suggestions for their participation, either during a session, or homework to follow up with.

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Team approach aids healing

I truly believe that a team approach not only combines our unique talents, but also engages the healing potential of relationships. It demands of us self-awareness and personal growth, as well as the observational skills to truly take in what and who is around us.

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This is true for animal “owners” and practitioners alike. When we open and embrace our inter-connectedness with our environment and community of beings, it makes all our hearts soften and expand.

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Sharing session observations

Occasionally messages, observations, or emotions arise while I’m working that seem important to share with the humans. It is always tricky to determine if and how to express them, and to be as objective as possible in sharing, as it is not for me to interpret another’s meaning.

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Presence and listening applies to all kinds of clients.

Presence and listening apply to all species

In my Polarity training we were given patterns, systems, and knowledge to learn, experience,

and integrate. We were also given the challenge of learning to palpate the unique qualities present at any given time. Much of the knowledge translates easily between species, with exceptions of course, but the skills learned — to be present and listen, and offer what is needed, are invaluable across the board.

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Polarity is a natural addition

I am truly blessed to offer this work to my clients and their animals. As my teachers always express, “No one can give of themselves in a session, without receiving a treatment!” The Polarity model of inter-connected modalities and knowledge makes a natural addition to my skill set as a body worker, for all species!

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Kait Keim is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and graduated from the Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy in 2004. She is trained in relaxation, as well as therapeutic massage techniques, such as Swedish, Neuromuscular Therapy, Myofascial Release, and Sports Massage. She has experience working with athletes from many fields and her specialties include: injury recovery, pre- and post-surgery work, chronic pain relief, and limited Range of Motion issues. Her most recent training is in Polarity Therapy and Canine Massage.

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Kait’s work integrates gentle energy work with deep, therapeutic massage, and focuses on each client’s individual needs.  She is available for appointments: Monday – Friday, and occasional Saturdays.  Kait@massagetherapy(dot)com, 734.531.7890, http://kd.massagetherapy.com/home

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Edna Sizemore

Fear of being late for school

Andja, like most individuals I’ve worked with, becomes filled with fear and anxiety. She thinks she is a little girl and must get ready for school and becomes very anxious that she will be late. I can tell her there is no school today, but she continues to insist that there is and we must leave soon.

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It is only when I tell her that today is Sunday, and we do not go on Sunday, that she relaxes. We will go tomorrow when it is Monday.

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She gets fixated on other issues as well. She wants to know where her mama is, although she died decades ago. I tell her that her mother is at work and that I will take care of her until she returns. She understands, perfectly.

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.Symptoms as individual as people

I started this work in a nursing facility and was amazed at the number of Alzheimer patients. Though they had the same diagnosis the symptoms presented as individually as the patients.

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.What worked for one person did not work across the board. The more I knew about a person the sooner I could help the patient calm down. There was a commonality among them. Not remembering where they were or who they were with would cause intense fear in some and lashing out in others.

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Singing survives when speech fails

Elizabeth was often terrified. When I would see the look on her face, I would ask “What is wrong?” She would answer she didn’t know these people and if she was safe. I would look softly and speak with certainty that “I know these people very well and you have nothing for which to worry.”

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Elizabeth could only put a few words together coherently.  However, she had a beautiful singing voice. If I started a song she knew, she could sing every word without one mistake.

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 Singing was the one thing she could still do. She loved it and it always made her happy. Thank goodness for “You are my sunshine.”

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Out of sight, out of fear

Carol was very young and often terrified. She would lash out without warning to protect herself. Keeping my distance while we moved about the facility kept me safe and was less threatening for her. Finding a way to get her to move to areas needed for her care, specifically, required some trial and error.

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What I discovered is that if she could not see me, then I was not there, even if she could feel me. I could walk behind her and place my palm on her upper back. I would then gently guide her in the direction I needed her to move. In her mind, I was not there, so I was safe and she was taken care of.

Have you used Polarity with Alzheimer patients? What has been your experience? Click the “Comments” link below to share.

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 Edna Sizemore studies Polarity Therapy and lives in southeast Michigan.

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