“When energy flows freely through our body we experience better health and well-being.”
by Leigh-ann Smith
Gina Mastroluca is a Registered Polarity Practitioner who teaches Polarity Therapy and also has a practice in Portland.
What is Polarity Therapy?
Polarity Therapy is a wonderful, hands-on healing art that works with balancing and strengthening the human energy flow throughout our bodies. Traditionally, it is a four-part healing modality, so it’s the hands-on body work, yoga, energetic nutrition, and something that is called working with how our mind effects healing, how our thoughts and beliefs affect the way our body heals and how we feel.
Do people often group it into other forms of alternative healing, like massage?
Well, often it is grouped with energy medicine. The principle of polarity therapy is that we are energy beings and that we are made up of energy. When energy flows freely through our body we experience better health and well-being. The roots of polarity therapy come from Ayurveda, which is the ancient Indian system of medicine. Ayurveda means the science of life and longevity. It has been around for at least 5,000 years. The idea of it is to support your health before it forms into symptoms and disease. It is similar to the theory of Chinese medicine, which is also based on energy.
Who founded Polarity Therapy?
Dr. Randolph Stone founded Polarity Therapy. He was an amazing man. He was an osteopathic doctor and a naturopathic doctor and chiropractor. He went around the world and studied many different forms of healing. He was particularly fascinated by the Ayurvedic form of healing in India. Dr. Stone was one of those seekers; he was looking for the truth in healing and so he was a really brilliant man. He synthesized many things into polarity and then called it Polarity Therapy.
What is the aim of Polarity?
When our energies contract we tend not to feel that great and we can develop symptoms. When our energy feels open and flowing and expanded we are more apt to feel open, more clear and happy. Polarity Therapy is very centering. It helps us to express our highest potential for health and well-being, for creative expression, and our highest potential on all levels. It is a mind-body therapy, and there is a big emphasis in integrating our whole self so that includes our spirit, our emotional self.
How are the modalities used in treatment?
Well, in a session you would come, sit and we would talk about the intention of what you really want from a session. Then you would get on the massage table and we would do some nurturing healing touch, helping to relieve any blocked energy and help with the flow of energy. Then after a session, we might talk about how to balance your energies between sessions. I might give you some yoga postures to do. I might also give you suggestions on what might support your life force, nutrition, what food choices might be beneficial.
How many sessions do people usually go through?
I really let people choose how many. It depends on how much support they want and what they need. Some people receive one session and they love it and it works for them, so they go onto something they really need. Maybe they go and practice yoga and that is their healing path. More often people come for six sessions if they want more support. It really gives us a chance to get their energy flowing and feel more like themselves again. After that, I have clients who have been coming for years and it is just their maintenance. They come once a week or every other week. It is just how they support themselves, keep them tuned up. I myself receive sessions regularly to keep healthy.
What was your first experience like with Polarity Therapy?
My first experience with Polarity Therapy was that I had an acquaintance studying it. I was at a time in my life in which I was really searching out what I wanted to do with the next part of my life. So I said sure, I will give it a try. Literally within five to ten minutes of lying on the table I felt energy move and expand within me. When I left my session I felt a greater sense of well-being, a greater sense of wholeness, and basically just great.
So then you went on to learn it. How did you receive training?
When I left the session, again I felt this sense of wow and greater possibilities. I thought wow, I really want to learn this and share this work with others. There is a school in Ipswich, Massachusetts, then called the Polarity Realization Institute, and that is where I did my training. But now it is called SpaTech Institute. And I am also a teacher there now. I teach Polarity Therapy.
This interview first appeared in the Casco Bay Weekly. Reprinted with permission from the author. For more information on Polarity Therapy please go to www.polaritytherapy.org
Calm, Cool, Collected.
