Guest Blog Post by Shelley Thomas, with Flex Your Ability
We purchased our home in early 2019. It was brand new when we bought it and it came with a one-year warranty for all those little miscellaneous items that pop up over the course of the first year.
Even though we knew that our builder would come out and take care of those issues, any homeowner also knows there is work to be done on a regular basis to keep your house in good working order.
In the fall of 2019, our daughter and her husband purchased their first home. It’s a cute little bungalow originally built in 1938. The “new” addition was built in the late 40’s. It had been recently remodeled and had the charm and character they were looking for. And although there’s 80 years between their build and ours, they have a lot in common. The most critical is their strong foundation.
A house can be rewired, replumbed, new paint applied, walls taken out, walls put up or reroofed; but it’s a strong foundation that keeps everything above it intact.
If the foundation begins to deteriorate, the house will show signs that something is wrong.
Left untreated, bigger issues may begin to appear in the home. Floors may become uneven, doors may not close properly, or walls may crack.
We may ignore the shift in the floors, shave a little off one side of the door so it closes once again, or putty the crack in the wall and refresh the coat of paint to hide the evidence. The foundation issue hasn’t been addressed, but hey… it’s looks good, and works okay, right?
Before long, the issues become systemic, and the failure of the foundation can no longer be ignored. Everything from walls and roof to plumbing and electric has been impacted.
Drastic measures may be needed to bring the house back to a functioning home.
Think of your connective tissue as your architectural support system, your foundation. Your bones and muscles provide a framework; your circulatory and nervous systems provide the electricity; you’ve even got plumbing and hvac in your kidneys and hormones.
But if your foundation, your connective tissue, isn’t maintained, your body will begin to show signs – sending you signals that can only be ignored or covered up for so long. We call those pre-pain signals, and we teach you how to recognize them (and listen to them).
I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to wait for the issues to become systemic. You don’t have to wait until you HAVE to do something. Chronic pain, joint replacement, digestive issues, even anxiety or depression can be a result of an unstable foundation.
The MELT Method’s gentle techniques of compression and length can bring your foundation back to health. It’s not a cure, it’s not a religion, it’s simply returning hydration back to the largest living system in your body. When that happens on a regular basis, all the rest of your systems begin to function with more efficiency and stability.
I’m living proof that you can learn how foundational your connective tissue is and make a change.
If you are looking for some self-care that is simple and easy to learn, something you can incorporate into your daily life, something that will feel good every time you do it, and something that will recalibrate your whole system – MELT is for you. You can do as little as 10 minutes of MELT each day to create lasting changes in your whole-body wellness.
You’re never too old to learn MELT and you’re never too young to start. Think of those two houses – one is brand new, the other is 80 years old – and they both benefit from regular maintenance to keep their foundations strong.
You absolutely will too.
I’m currently teaching MELT Classes online on the Zoom platform. Please join my MELT Community to keep up to date on my latest offerings.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR— SHELLEY THOMAS
My name is Shelley Thomas, I am a Certified MELT Instructor, and own Flex Your Ability, LLC. My journey to The MELT Method began more than 40 years ago, although I didn’t know it at the time. As long as I can remember, I’ve had aches and pains. As a young adult, I dealt with chronic back pain that found me driving for hours to seek medical diagnoses in the hope of definitive answers. Eventually, a more holistic approach led me to some relief through chiropractic treatments, massage and acupuncture. Still, the lingering aches and pains left me wondering if I could ever be truly healthy and active.
In 2016, I discovered The MELT Method. Just one “Introduction to MELT” class was all it took to change my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. MELT first taught me how to become a “hands-off” body worker and restore health and hydration to my own connective tissue system (also known as fascia) and restore balance to my nervous system. After experiencing MELT in my own body, I quickly began my training to become a MELT Instructor.
I have recently completed my Level Three, MELT Performance certification and have also been a Teaching Assistant for Sue Hitzmann, creator of The MELT Method.
I currently teach MELT classes on Zoom several times a week and have Introduction to MELT workshops and focus series on an on-going basis. In MELT class, I teach you to use our Hand & Foot Treatment Balls and our Soft Foam Roller to create lasting changes in your body.