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| About Deborah Valentine Smith |
About Bodymind Treasures - How it Happened
By Deborah Valentine Smith
The article below ("Direct from the Source") describes the process that led to these CDs. Clients and students asked
for a version they could take home and work with between and during sessions. Tynne Clifford generously worked with me
on some preliminary recordings that provided the bare bones for the meditation part of the completed version. I wanted
to add music, but I wasn't sure how to do that and I also knew that I would need to use a recording studio for the sound to
be acceptable.
I pondered these questions until the day that Maureena Spadaro, on her way to becoming a Jin Shin Do practitioner and
a long-time friend, associate and Harp Therapist, walked into one of my workshops. Maureena plays harp in health care
settings as well as traditional settings and I've directly experienced the healing power of her music. When I saw her I knew I
had found at least one answer. When I described the project to her, she told me that she and her husband Fran, also an
accomplished and talented musician, had just constructed their own sound studio. In the same workshop, students advised
that we create a separate CD with extended music for each meditation so that they could be used for sessions.
I first recorded the words for each meditation and then Fran and Maureena magically made the meditation into music that
flows around and through it. The music continues to create a second, music-only track on each CD. Our collaboration has
been a joy and a blessing. May it spill over to reach those who listen and bring benefit to all our relations.
Direct from the Source:
Inspiration from the Twelve Officials and Five Elements
By Deborah Valentine Smith
Adapted from an article first printed in American Organization for Bodywork Therapy of Asia's Pulse
newsletter, Summer, 2007.
Inside Information
We truly live in an interesting time. Asian Bodywork (Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tuina, etc.) Therapists struggle to blend east
and west, ancient and modern, science and spirit into a method of healing that addresses every part of our clients. The
larger culture, in its desire to avoid the crippling effects of superstition, places great importance on objective, unbiased,
scientific analysis and discounts the most direct sources of information about our health and well-being. Blood tests, x-rays,
cat scans and the expertise of professionals take precedence over “subjective” information that comes through feelings,
images, sensations, dreams, and those sudden insights that dawn full-blown in our consciousness.
This also means, among other things, that energetic imbalances are not recognized or corrected until they can be
measured “objectively” in physical
changes. But Chinese Medicine tells us that the function of a human organ system, for instance, includes emotional,
energetic and spiritual aspects that are difficult to measure from the outside. They can best be accessed from the inside.
[And imbalances are best addressed before they become expressed in physical changes that are much harder to correct
than energetic ones.]
When I was newer to these theories, I believed that the language of the classics was metaphorical; an example being the
description of “invasion of pernicious influences” and their capacity to cause disease and dysfunction by remaining in the
tissues and channels over time. How could wind and cold, for instance, stay in the tissues over days, months and years? It
couldn’t be an actual physical phenomenon, could it? It must be a description of the way cold and wind affect the tissues. In
the case of cold, it would start in the tightening of the muscles, leading to adhesions if not resolved over time, which
impede the circulation and therefore decrease the temperature of the affected tissue. I believed this until the hot summer
day that I worked on a client’s chronically painful foot. Suddenly, as the tissue softened and warmed, a cool breeze came out
of the foot and brushed past my hand. Curious, I asked the client if the foot had been chilled recently. “Oh, no, not
recently.” he said. “But I had frostbite in that foot years ago.”
I decided to keep open the possibility that what I considered metaphor might in fact be a literal description of something
we don’t quite know how to measure, haven’t seen under the microscope, haven’t been able to observe in the chemistry or
physics lab. Not yet, anyway. I suspect that the language of the classics seems so metaphorical, even poetic, because it
describes direct, subjective experience.
In this frame of mind, I continue to find exciting correspondences between the poetry of the classics and modern scientific
discoveries. For instance, in Chinese Medicine, the Liver Official is responsible for the “spreading” or “harmonious flow” of
blood, Qi, emotion, etc. Western science has discovered that the liver produces the fibrinogen responsible for clotting of
the blood. Flow. It also produces the proteins whose function is to draw water into the blood so that it flows efficiently. The
liver also produces 85% of the cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol is a major component of the myelin sheath that insulates
the nerves and provides for smooth transmission of nerve impulses. Flow, flow flow.
This “scientific” information is fairly new in the history of the world. So how did the ancients know about liver function
without the instruments and methods of the modern age? How do clients who know nothing of meridian theory describe
the rest of the energy pathway that the practitioner is touching? A great deal can be accomplished by observation of how
things work over a long time, but I think the ancients also acknowledged the importance of the inner world, explored it in
meditation and dreams, and reported about it in language that fit the experience. We have spent several centuries
developing the left-brain scientific method and discounting this other way of knowing. Maybe it’s time to get the two sides
of the brain back into good relations.
Considering this, I decided to find a way to include this kind of experience and the information it brings in my teaching. I
began by opening the lessons on the Zang/Fu (the Organ Officials of Chinese Medicine) with meditation: an inner journey
to the official of the organ being taught. I wanted to get the inner information before the student got sidetracked by the
outer information: what the books tell us – even those metaphorical classics. My experiment was validated by the
information the students gleaned from those journeys. Some examples are included on the 5Elements and Organs
Associations page. Even students who had little or no knowledge of Zang/Fu theory and Western anatomy and physiology
brought back gems that illustrated the functions of the officials far better than the textbook could.
I carried this practice over to my Anatomy and Physiology classes as well. I found that I could teach most of the material on
the organ, western organ system, tissue, sense, fluid, etc. from the experiences the students reported. The best part is that
the students will never forget the material because it is grounded in experience as well as words.
Many of my students, being bodyworkers, are fairly kinesthetic and visual. They learn in feelings and pictures, so must
translate verbal concepts into the language of imagery and emotion.. I’ve found that taking the inner journeys, sharing what
they found and tying it into the concepts of Chinese Medicine, bring the material alive. Once the Kidney Official has shown
its function as a series of waterwheels, the student does not forget that the Water Element is intimately connected with
energy.
Clients often give astounding clues to their condition in the metaphors they use. Giving the student experience with their
own metaphors allows them to be more responsive to their clients. When the client says “I feel like I’m stuck in the mud
and can’t move,” the student recognizes the language of the inner world. That language can also be quite literal. Many
times in the trance-like state of a Jin Shin Do® session, clients have begun to describe a tissue as though they were looking
at it from the inside, actually describing its condition and gaining insight about what is needed for healing. As practitioners
pay respectful attention to these images and descriptions, the client learns to recognize and validate their own deep
wisdom and knowing.
By Deborah Valentine Smith
The article below ("Direct from the Source") describes the process that led to these CDs. Clients and students asked
for a version they could take home and work with between and during sessions. Tynne Clifford generously worked with me
on some preliminary recordings that provided the bare bones for the meditation part of the completed version. I wanted
to add music, but I wasn't sure how to do that and I also knew that I would need to use a recording studio for the sound to
be acceptable.
I pondered these questions until the day that Maureena Spadaro, on her way to becoming a Jin Shin Do practitioner and
a long-time friend, associate and Harp Therapist, walked into one of my workshops. Maureena plays harp in health care
settings as well as traditional settings and I've directly experienced the healing power of her music. When I saw her I knew I
had found at least one answer. When I described the project to her, she told me that she and her husband Fran, also an
accomplished and talented musician, had just constructed their own sound studio. In the same workshop, students advised
that we create a separate CD with extended music for each meditation so that they could be used for sessions.
I first recorded the words for each meditation and then Fran and Maureena magically made the meditation into music that
flows around and through it. The music continues to create a second, music-only track on each CD. Our collaboration has
been a joy and a blessing. May it spill over to reach those who listen and bring benefit to all our relations.
Direct from the Source:
Inspiration from the Twelve Officials and Five Elements
By Deborah Valentine Smith
Adapted from an article first printed in American Organization for Bodywork Therapy of Asia's Pulse
newsletter, Summer, 2007.
Inside Information
We truly live in an interesting time. Asian Bodywork (Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tuina, etc.) Therapists struggle to blend east
and west, ancient and modern, science and spirit into a method of healing that addresses every part of our clients. The
larger culture, in its desire to avoid the crippling effects of superstition, places great importance on objective, unbiased,
scientific analysis and discounts the most direct sources of information about our health and well-being. Blood tests, x-rays,
cat scans and the expertise of professionals take precedence over “subjective” information that comes through feelings,
images, sensations, dreams, and those sudden insights that dawn full-blown in our consciousness.
This also means, among other things, that energetic imbalances are not recognized or corrected until they can be
measured “objectively” in physical
changes. But Chinese Medicine tells us that the function of a human organ system, for instance, includes emotional,
energetic and spiritual aspects that are difficult to measure from the outside. They can best be accessed from the inside.
[And imbalances are best addressed before they become expressed in physical changes that are much harder to correct
than energetic ones.]
When I was newer to these theories, I believed that the language of the classics was metaphorical; an example being the
description of “invasion of pernicious influences” and their capacity to cause disease and dysfunction by remaining in the
tissues and channels over time. How could wind and cold, for instance, stay in the tissues over days, months and years? It
couldn’t be an actual physical phenomenon, could it? It must be a description of the way cold and wind affect the tissues. In
the case of cold, it would start in the tightening of the muscles, leading to adhesions if not resolved over time, which
impede the circulation and therefore decrease the temperature of the affected tissue. I believed this until the hot summer
day that I worked on a client’s chronically painful foot. Suddenly, as the tissue softened and warmed, a cool breeze came out
of the foot and brushed past my hand. Curious, I asked the client if the foot had been chilled recently. “Oh, no, not
recently.” he said. “But I had frostbite in that foot years ago.”
I decided to keep open the possibility that what I considered metaphor might in fact be a literal description of something
we don’t quite know how to measure, haven’t seen under the microscope, haven’t been able to observe in the chemistry or
physics lab. Not yet, anyway. I suspect that the language of the classics seems so metaphorical, even poetic, because it
describes direct, subjective experience.
In this frame of mind, I continue to find exciting correspondences between the poetry of the classics and modern scientific
discoveries. For instance, in Chinese Medicine, the Liver Official is responsible for the “spreading” or “harmonious flow” of
blood, Qi, emotion, etc. Western science has discovered that the liver produces the fibrinogen responsible for clotting of
the blood. Flow. It also produces the proteins whose function is to draw water into the blood so that it flows efficiently. The
liver also produces 85% of the cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol is a major component of the myelin sheath that insulates
the nerves and provides for smooth transmission of nerve impulses. Flow, flow flow.
This “scientific” information is fairly new in the history of the world. So how did the ancients know about liver function
without the instruments and methods of the modern age? How do clients who know nothing of meridian theory describe
the rest of the energy pathway that the practitioner is touching? A great deal can be accomplished by observation of how
things work over a long time, but I think the ancients also acknowledged the importance of the inner world, explored it in
meditation and dreams, and reported about it in language that fit the experience. We have spent several centuries
developing the left-brain scientific method and discounting this other way of knowing. Maybe it’s time to get the two sides
of the brain back into good relations.
Considering this, I decided to find a way to include this kind of experience and the information it brings in my teaching. I
began by opening the lessons on the Zang/Fu (the Organ Officials of Chinese Medicine) with meditation: an inner journey
to the official of the organ being taught. I wanted to get the inner information before the student got sidetracked by the
outer information: what the books tell us – even those metaphorical classics. My experiment was validated by the
information the students gleaned from those journeys. Some examples are included on the 5Elements and Organs
Associations page. Even students who had little or no knowledge of Zang/Fu theory and Western anatomy and physiology
brought back gems that illustrated the functions of the officials far better than the textbook could.
I carried this practice over to my Anatomy and Physiology classes as well. I found that I could teach most of the material on
the organ, western organ system, tissue, sense, fluid, etc. from the experiences the students reported. The best part is that
the students will never forget the material because it is grounded in experience as well as words.
Many of my students, being bodyworkers, are fairly kinesthetic and visual. They learn in feelings and pictures, so must
translate verbal concepts into the language of imagery and emotion.. I’ve found that taking the inner journeys, sharing what
they found and tying it into the concepts of Chinese Medicine, bring the material alive. Once the Kidney Official has shown
its function as a series of waterwheels, the student does not forget that the Water Element is intimately connected with
energy.
Clients often give astounding clues to their condition in the metaphors they use. Giving the student experience with their
own metaphors allows them to be more responsive to their clients. When the client says “I feel like I’m stuck in the mud
and can’t move,” the student recognizes the language of the inner world. That language can also be quite literal. Many
times in the trance-like state of a Jin Shin Do® session, clients have begun to describe a tissue as though they were looking
at it from the inside, actually describing its condition and gaining insight about what is needed for healing. As practitioners
pay respectful attention to these images and descriptions, the client learns to recognize and validate their own deep
wisdom and knowing.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
. Bodymind Treasures is rooted in 30 years of experience accompanying and learning from students, clients and
gifted teachers as they track inner truths. Deborah is a registered practitioner (since 1979) and teacher (since
1983) of Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™. She teaches the full JSD practitioner training program and
courses she has developed, including “Anatomy &Physiology for Asian Bodywork Therapy” and “Where Energy
Meets Fascia” (The Tendino-Muscular meridians).
Deborah teaches in the US and internationally and is currently on the adjunctive faculties of the Cayce/Reilly
School of Massotherapy (VA); The Massage Arts Center of Philadelphia (PA) and the Acupressure Therapy
Institute (MA). She contributed to A Complete Guide to Acupressure, Revised 2002, by Iona Teeguarden, and is the
Editor-in-Chief of Pulse, the newsletter of the AOBTA. She practices in Pennsylvania and NYC. For information
on classes, visit www.bodymindeast.com.
Credentials
BA; Senior Teacher/Practitioner, Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™; AOBTA®-Certified Instructor; Diplomate, ABT
(NCCAOM); Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); Licensed Massage Therapist, New York State
gifted teachers as they track inner truths. Deborah is a registered practitioner (since 1979) and teacher (since
1983) of Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™. She teaches the full JSD practitioner training program and
courses she has developed, including “Anatomy &Physiology for Asian Bodywork Therapy” and “Where Energy
Meets Fascia” (The Tendino-Muscular meridians).
Deborah teaches in the US and internationally and is currently on the adjunctive faculties of the Cayce/Reilly
School of Massotherapy (VA); The Massage Arts Center of Philadelphia (PA) and the Acupressure Therapy
Institute (MA). She contributed to A Complete Guide to Acupressure, Revised 2002, by Iona Teeguarden, and is the
Editor-in-Chief of Pulse, the newsletter of the AOBTA. She practices in Pennsylvania and NYC. For information
on classes, visit www.bodymindeast.com.
Credentials
BA; Senior Teacher/Practitioner, Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™; AOBTA®-Certified Instructor; Diplomate, ABT
(NCCAOM); Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); Licensed Massage Therapist, New York State
| Sound |
Dedication: To My Teachers
These meditations are created with and dedicated to the many students and clients who have been willing to
explore their inner wild(er)ness and bring back—for us all— the precious treasures and light they find there .
Appreciation and gratitude also go to the Ven. Dhyani Ywahoo for spiritual guidance that truly nourishes the people; to
Iona Marsaa Teeguarden for the gift of Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™ and respectful communication with the
unconscious mind, and to Richard Chonyi Allen for teaching and embodying the unobtrusive presence of the
compassionate guide. ~Deborah Valentine Smith
Dedication: To Eddie
The harp music on the "Bodymind Ease" CD is dedicated to Eddie Lancaster. Eddie was an active
young guy whose entire life changed as a result of a tragic car accident. He lived for four years,
heroically facing life situations, challenges, and displaying great courage for his entire family and for
his friends. His mind was always sharp and seeking new avenues of possible healing. His wonderful
mom, Diane, searched for healing modalities that could possibly help and bring comfort and peace.
Eddie became quite receptive to many of them. He often received bodymind treatments, namely
Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™.
Eddie loved music and playing music with his dad, Ed. He loved sports and his beloved and faithful
dog, Buster, and he loved countless special times with his family and friends.
Eddie passed peacefully in October of 2007. Anyone who knew of him was ignited by his love of life,
his family and dearest friends. He leaves us all cherished memories.
While composing the music for the "Bodymind Ease" CD, Maureena connected with Eddie's spirit.
May his legacy continue to inspire our human spirits to go beyond what we see, feel and know in this
world, and to reach for the highest heights.
~Maureena & Fran Spadaro
The harp music on the "Bodymind Ease" CD is dedicated to Eddie Lancaster. Eddie was an active
young guy whose entire life changed as a result of a tragic car accident. He lived for four years,
heroically facing life situations, challenges, and displaying great courage for his entire family and for
his friends. His mind was always sharp and seeking new avenues of possible healing. His wonderful
mom, Diane, searched for healing modalities that could possibly help and bring comfort and peace.
Eddie became quite receptive to many of them. He often received bodymind treatments, namely
Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™.
Eddie loved music and playing music with his dad, Ed. He loved sports and his beloved and faithful
dog, Buster, and he loved countless special times with his family and friends.
Eddie passed peacefully in October of 2007. Anyone who knew of him was ignited by his love of life,
his family and dearest friends. He leaves us all cherished memories.
While composing the music for the "Bodymind Ease" CD, Maureena connected with Eddie's spirit.
May his legacy continue to inspire our human spirits to go beyond what we see, feel and know in this
world, and to reach for the highest heights.
~Maureena & Fran Spadaro
Fran Spadaro, (aka)
FrankDiCristo, is a
professional musician, singer,
percussionist, and music
facilitator. He currently is involved
with PhillyHorns professional
wedding/banquet band. As a
soloist, Frank works with senior
centers in the
Pennsylvania/NewJersey/Delaware
tri -state area and with assisted
living centers and Adult
Population programs for Special
Needs at Elwyn Institute in Media,
PA.
Frank and Maureena
form the duo Savoir Faire,
performing with silver flute and
harp for any occasion including
weddings and private parties.
FrankDiCristo, is a
professional musician, singer,
percussionist, and music
facilitator. He currently is involved
with PhillyHorns professional
wedding/banquet band. As a
soloist, Frank works with senior
centers in the
Pennsylvania/NewJersey/Delaware
tri -state area and with assisted
living centers and Adult
Population programs for Special
Needs at Elwyn Institute in Media,
PA.
Frank and Maureena
form the duo Savoir Faire,
performing with silver flute and
harp for any occasion including
weddings and private parties.
| Credits All CDs Recorded and Mixed by Fran Spadaro, The SOL Chapel, Media, PA. Cover Designs by Deborah Valentine Smith Cover Photo for Bodymind Ease by Joanna Smith Cover Art for Bodymind Treasures and Bodymind Wisdom by Remi Gay Bodymind Treasures Series CDs ©2007 by Deborah Valentine Smith |
About Fran & Maureena Spadaro |
Maureena Spadaro is a Therapeutic Harp Practitioner, involved with the International Harp Therapy
Program based in San Diego. She also works with Special Needs Programs for Adults and with Children's Hospital in
Delaware. She loves to give mini harp therapy workshops for children and plays for assisted living and nursing
homes and for hospice and memorial services. She presents harp/music therapy programs and teaches sound
healing: ASHTA, sound of the soul. Maureena is also founder and director of Harps of Mercy therapeutic harp
services covering the Pennsylvania/ Delaware/Maryland tri-state area.
Maureena has also been a Shiatsu Practitioner for over 20 years; is certified in Reflexology, Thai Massage and now is
a Registered JinShin Do® practitioner-- which is her love of bodywork. She teaches QiGong, breathing practices and
self-acupressure Shiatsu programs.
Program based in San Diego. She also works with Special Needs Programs for Adults and with Children's Hospital in
Delaware. She loves to give mini harp therapy workshops for children and plays for assisted living and nursing
homes and for hospice and memorial services. She presents harp/music therapy programs and teaches sound
healing: ASHTA, sound of the soul. Maureena is also founder and director of Harps of Mercy therapeutic harp
services covering the Pennsylvania/ Delaware/Maryland tri-state area.
Maureena has also been a Shiatsu Practitioner for over 20 years; is certified in Reflexology, Thai Massage and now is
a Registered JinShin Do® practitioner-- which is her love of bodywork. She teaches QiGong, breathing practices and
self-acupressure Shiatsu programs.
| Like this music? You can order the CD "Bodymind Ease" on the Home Page |