In a world increasingly attuned to the interconnectedness of mind and body, Vanessa Crawford-Murphy stands out as a beacon of holistic health. As an Internationally Certified Holistic Practitioner specializing in BodyTalk and Fascia release, Vanessa brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her practice at Be You Global Health & Wellness. Her focus is on nurturing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of her clients. Join Mystic Mag as we delve into Vanessa’s journey, her unique approach to holistic health, and the transformative power of treating the entire BodyMind complex.
What inspired you to become a Certified Holistic Practitioner and specialize in modalities like BodyTalk and Fascia release?
I first discovered BodyTalk out of personal necessity, although I haven’t always practiced it. By profession, I’m an analytical chemist, and I worked in the chemical industry for 15 years. For about nine of those years, I suffered from severe shoulder pain on my right side. It was so bad that I relied on anti-inflammatories, taking between six and eight a day. I even had to undergo regular scopes to check that my stomach lining was still intact due to all the medication. I visited every chiropractor and physiotherapist I could find, but nothing relieved my shoulder pain.
One of my friends suggested I try a BodyTalk session. Having exhausted all other options, I decided to give it a try. After my first session, 50% of the pain was gone, and a week later, all the pain had vanished without any additional treatments. This experience motivated me to understand BodyTalk better and to help others in the same way I had been helped.
At that time, I was still working in the corporate world, but I began studying BodyTalk. Eventually, I decided to pursue it professionally because I knew how beneficial it could be for others. This was my inspiration and the reason for specializing in BodyTalk, obtaining an international certification.
However, I realized I needed to expand my skill set to enhance the effectiveness of BodyTalk. Fascia release was one modality I added because we store everything in our bodies from the time we are six weeks in utero. Any fear, anger, emotional stress, and trauma our parents feel, and that occurs in the world around us, gets stored in our bodies. By the time we reach our 40s, 50s, or 60s, we often manifest these stored emotions as physical, mental, or emotional issues. Our body is trying to tell us that there are unresolved emotions and trauma.
The first place trauma and emotions get stored is in the fascia. If we have stored trauma and emotions in the fascia and attempt to release other stored emotions from elsewhere in the body, the fascia can trap them. Thus, fascia release was crucial to add to my practice, allowing me to assist the body in releasing fascia and performing BodyTalk sessions more effectively.
This journey is how I ended up doing what I do now and why I specialize in these two modalities.
Can you explain what BodyTalk is and how it supports the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of the BodyMind complex?
We use the iceberg analogy to explain BodyTalk. When we visit a doctor, we often address only the tip of the iceberg—the top 10%—which represents our symptoms. The doctor might prescribe medication that alleviates these symptoms for a while, but they often return because the underlying issues remain unaddressed. The other 90% of the iceberg represents the root cause of our problems, which lies in the subconscious mind. Only 10% of our daily actions are conscious; the remaining 90% are subconscious.
BodyTalk practitioners are trained in neuromuscular biofeedback, a technique that provides yes/no responses from the client’s body. This feedback guides us through an extensive protocol chart that covers various aspects, including organs, endocrines, body parts, and both internal and external stresses. Through neuromuscular biofeedback, we identify where the body is storing trauma and emotions, which are held as active memories in the subconscious mind. These active memories have emotional charges and are often stored because they are too painful to consciously remember. They can be triggered by later events, manifesting as physical, emotional, or mental symptoms.
In BodyTalk, the subconscious mind is a key focus. The body manifests physical symptoms, while the mind deals with emotional and mental issues, all influenced by the subconscious. By accessing active memories in the subconscious mind, we can release the emotions that trigger these memories, allowing the body to heal.
During a session, the client’s body helps reveal a formula through neuromuscular biofeedback. This formula guides the practitioner in using non-invasive balancing techniques to remind the body how to communicate effectively. Our bodies consist of 70 trillion cells and 11 body systems that constantly communicate. When this communication breaks down, physical, mental, and emotional issues arise.
For instance, if the liver stores anger related to a past event, the practitioner might place their hand over the liver area and gently tap on the three scientifically recognized brains: the head brain, the heart brain, and the gut brain. The gut brain is particularly significant, with the heart brain having more neurons connecting to the head brain than vice versa. By aligning these lines of communication, the body recognizes it is safe to release the stored emotional stress and trauma, facilitating natural healing.
This process explains how BodyTalk works and how it helps the body heal by addressing both the conscious and subconscious aspects of our health.
What type of services do you offer?
I incorporate most of the modalities I offer into a single session. I don’t just do BodyTalk or fascia release separately. One of the key elements I work with is frequency because the only language the body truly understands is frequency. Every organ, endocrine, body part, and cell vibrates and oscillates at a specific frequency. Therefore, I combine BodyTalk, fascia release, and frequency in one session, creating a comprehensive body-mind healing experience. This approach helps the body to remember how to understand frequency and heal itself. BodyTalk, fascia release, and frequency support each other in the session, enhancing the overall healing process.
Additionally, I practice animal communication and BodyTalk for animals because humans, plants, and animals are all energetically connected. We are all sentient beings and operate in similar ways, making BodyTalk effective for animals as well.
Another aspect of my work involves energy balancing and clearing homes. If a home is filled with emotional stress and trauma, the heavy energy can affect the healing process. I perform home and office cleansings to ensure the space is energetically balanced. This ensures that the healing work done in sessions is not undone by returning to an environment with heavy energy.
In summary, I offer integrated sessions that combine BodyTalk, fascia release, and frequency, as well as animal communication and energy clearing for homes and offices. This holistic approach ensures a thorough and lasting healing experience.
What common misconceptions do people have about holistic health, and how do you address these misconceptions in your work?
I’ve been called many things before, including being told that what I do is “woo stuff” or pseudoscience. When faced with skepticism about holistic healthcare, I take a couple of approaches. First, I will explain the science behind it. With my background in analytical chemistry and a strong foundation in science, I was intrigued by the BodyTalk system and its scientific basis.
BodyTalk integrates Western medical knowledge, involving extensive studies into human anatomy and physiology, with Eastern medicine, such as traditional Chinese medicine, which has been practiced for thousands of years. Additionally, it incorporates principles of quantum physics, particularly quantum entanglement, emphasizing that everything is energy.
When I explain the science behind these concepts, people often begin to see beyond the misconceptions that holistic healthcare is merely “woo” or “crazy” because it involves energy healing. By making it my mission to thoroughly understand the science behind BodyTalk, I can effectively address and dispel these misconceptions with clear, scientific explanations.
Looking ahead, what are your goals for expanding your practice, and are there any new holistic modalities or approaches you are interested in exploring?
I moved from South Africa to Seattle about two years ago because of my husband’s work. In South Africa, I was in the process of creating a wellness center, which was to include practitioner rooms, sound healers, various modalities, a yoga studio, and outdoor retreat spaces. When I moved here, that goal didn’t change. Since relocating, my focus remains on establishing this type of wellness center where people can come to feel revitalized and participate in workshops.
In South Africa, I was on the board of the South African BodyTalk Association. Upon arriving in Washington state, I discovered that the local BodyTalk Association hadn’t been operational for a while. I made it my mission to restart the association, which we have now successfully done. The Pacific Northwest BodyTalk Association has been growing well, and we’ve expanded it to include not just Washington State but reaching into Canada, down to California, Oregon, and Utah. We have even managed to reach BodyTalk Practitioners in Europe and the UK. Our membership has grown substantially over the past year.
We are now planning to attend wellness days. In South Africa, we frequently worked with corporations, participating in their wellness days and offering mini-sessions to build awareness. I aim to continue expanding the awareness of BodyTalk, not just in the Pacific Northwest, but globally.
