What is Seva Stress Release Acupressure?
SEVA is the Sanskrit word for compassionate service. Originally called the Shock/Stress Release, the Seva Stress Release was developed by the Soul Lightening Acupressure faculty after the World Trade Center disaster in New York City on 9-11. It was created as a way to serve the community by treating people anywhere who were suffering from its traumatic effects.
What is a Seva Session Like?
Seva is a gentle practice of acupressure utilizing the same therapeutic principles as acupuncture. The Seva Stress Release is designed specifically to ease the human stress response and support overall well-being. The specific acu-points used in the Seva Stress Release were chosen carefully for their multi-functional properties. Each point is accessed with a special style of touch, and in a particular order to facilitate an optimal deep, relaxing experience. The Chinese healing traditions make no distinction between the body, mind, and spirit. When one system is addressed, all the others are affected as well. This is why we say that the Seva Stress Release is a holistic "whole-being" approach.
The session is designed to flow from beginning to end, with the intention of acknowledging and offering support to the whole-being---not just the stressed and/or traumatized parts. Because of the deep healing wisdom in each individual, the Seva Stress Release may be a simple respite from a stressful day for one person, while the same treatment may be a profound turning point on the healing journey for another person. The goal of this release is not to "fix" or "help," but to offer the receiver an opportunity to come back home to themselves.
History and Development of Seva
It was first used in 2001 to treat rescue workers at the piers in NYC, and has since been offered in many diverse settings, including at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; on college campuses to teach students self-care; in villages in Africa and India; in schools to help teachers and students release stress; in breast cancer support groups, in hospital wellness programs, in domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, and countless other community settings. A new class has been developed to teach Mental Health workers how to teach their clients this very effective stress management tool that they can learn quite easily to administer to themselves. We currently offer continuing education contact hours for Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists, and Nurses.
Lorie was impressed not only with the profound nature of the work but also the fact that people could easily learn the protocol to utilize Seva on themselves and their loved ones. She became an instructor and has been teaching Seva to clients, interested body-workers, and agencies who deal with clients who are sometimes overwhelmed by stress and trauma as a self-care tool. Other community service efforts are underway using Seva Stress Release in Wichita and across the planet.
