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I have been a psychotherapist for over 35 years in Los Angeles and for the last 10 years in San Clemente, CA. I specialize in working with anxiety, depression and the impact of grief, trauma and chronic stress on individuals and relationships. I first learned about the Smovey VIBROswing System from Dr. Peter A. Levine in my work as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, which is a unique application for Smovey Rings. At the same time, I discovered that the Smovey rings are an amazing fitness tool, especially helpful for people dealing with various neurological movement conditions. The vibrations generated by a gentle swinging of the rings most often create a pleasant body sensation and can be used as a mindfulness exercise in regulating stress.
Somatic Experiencing (SE™), is a theory and method for healing trauma, developed by Dr. Levine. Based on neuroscience research and observations of animals in the wild, trauma (and chronic stress) can be understood as physiological patterns locked in our autonomic nervous system, susceptible for being triggered at anytime. The SE approach helps clients expand awareness of body sensations as an important step in regulating nervous system rhythm and in small increments, discharging long-held, bound energy.
Dr. Levine has found the Smovey Rings to be an effective tool in helping people connect to a “felt-sense” of their bodies. He uses them regularly and personally endorses this product. (An important disclaimer: SE is designed to help heal trauma by working with a trained practitioner. If you are interested in learning more about Somatic Experiencing, check out www.traumahealing.org or www.somaticexperiencing.com). Somatic Experiencing aside, the general use of Smovey movement is widely known to enhance a positive sense of well-being.
Ilene Blaisch, LCSW, SEP
Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner
Certified Smovey Coach and Licensed Re-Seller
5/5
“The Smovey rings are a useful tool for mobilizing the body in a contained, safe way. They organize energy through sound, movement and rhythm, helping to link the autonomic and somatic (systems).”
Regarding Smovey and fitness, I have been personally dealing with a neurological movement condition and workouts with the Smoveys are tremendously beneficial! I use the rings for walking and exercise to a variety of YouTube workouts. The Smovey vibrations feel enormously soothing to my nervous system: like a movement glide, promoting opening in my musculature, natural help with posture and increased stability for balance. I always feel stronger and less tight after a workout. If you purchase the Smoveys and are dealing with specific health concerns, I recommend you bring them to a movement professional for input on using them with your specific condition (see testimony from my own Physical Therapist below).
In early 2015 I contacted the Smovey company in Austria to inquire how I could learn more about the product. They connected me to Smovey NorthAmerica CEO Bernd Zimmermann, who was just launching the Smoveys in the USA and Canada. With Bernd’s mentoring, I became a certified Smovey coach and licensed re-seller. I am interested in exploring new ways the Smoveys can help a variety of populations with greater well-being through movement. I hope you enjoy and find value in this product as much as I have.
Please feel welcome to email me at ileneblaisch@icloud.com or go to my website healwithvibration.com for further information.
Dr. Peter A. Levine
With Bernd Zimmermann, smovey
Master Instructor & CEO of
smovey NorthAmerica
5/5
I have been a Physiotherapist for twenty-two years and the nervous system has been an area of special interest in how frighteningly amazing it can be. I treat a cross-section of the population, as well as a select population with severe nervous system disorders. In these patients the primary symptoms are movement dysfunction and/or a severe pain disorder.
I am continually looking for ways to motivate patients to achieve more pain reduction and an increase in active functional movement. When I was first introduced to the smovey VIBROSWING-System, I was unsure of what I thought. My initial reaction was that they felt good, and if they felt good for me, I thought the rings would be soothing for many chronic pain patients who were looking for a gentle way to exercise. However, in a generation of quick fixes and new products, I attempt to guide my patients as best as I can with an understanding of science.
In the body we have four types of mechanoreceptors – these are the types of structures that perceive touch and sensation. The ones relevant to the smovey rings are the Pacinian corpuscles. These are our deep touch receptors which perceive vibration and respond to frequencies between 10 – 400Hz. They are found deep in the dermis (subcutaneous fat) and in the capsules of joints. As the smovey rings vibrate, the Hz frequency of the swinging rings stimulates our perception of vibration. This helps in gaining improved stimulus to the nervous system, and increases the stabilization signals that are produced in the joints. By using it through movement, one isstimulating a dynamic function from the nervous system and brain, while challenging function.
There are not many tools on the market that assist in strengthening musculature as well as in challenging the nervous system. I have introduced the smovey rings to several patients in our clinic and thus far, all have gained benefit.
I look forward to continued use of the rings with my patients in many facets of their recovery.
Belinda McDonald, PT, COMT, TPS
Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist
Certified Therapeutic Pain Specialist
5/5
"As a Somatic Experiencing (SE) Practitioner and an International Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, I absolutely love working with the smovey Rings! I’ve been practicing SE in the United States for 10+ years and use the smovey Rings in most of my SE sessions with clients. The vibrations are enormously soothing to the nervous system, whether an individual is in a hyper or hypo state. The rings bring him or her to a state of balance and calm pretty quickly. The rings are so smooth and slick, and they appear to guide movement and promote awakening, opening and postural stability.
In my SE sessions and therapy work, the vibrations also facilitate a mindful awareness of and connection to the body’s internal sensations, which is key in all trauma healing. In particular, the vibrations regulate the autonomic organ system to a state of equilibrium and homeostasis. For example, a woman came to me for severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms for years and after two sessions in which she used the smovey rings, along with SE, she returned to the third session and was ecstatic over feeling “normal.” She has continued to have no issues with her bowel movements and has sustained this for seven months to date.
This product is simple in its own unique design and fantastic in its many applications, including a passive application. Rolling the rings on specific parts of the body and feeling the pleasant sensations of the vibrations, gives tremendous pleasure for my otherwise highly dysregulated and traumatized clients. I absolutely and very highly recommend this product to all professionals that work with trauma and addictions.”
Taruno Steffensen
Steffensen Consulting International
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
Trauma Coach and Addiction Counselor
taruno@steffensenconsulting.com
5/5
“I really enjoyed the Smovey event. I can really see how valuable the rings could be on many levels. I felt really good all afternoon and slept better that evening than I had for several nights. I particularly thought the rings would be valuable for upper body strength, something I’ve been dealing with as I’ve gotten older.”
Sandra D.
Charlottesville, VA
5/5
I am an Egoscue postural alignment specialist and I am working with people who suffer from chronic pain (Neck, shoulder, hip, back, knee and ankle pain) as well as with people with spinal conditions. Very often the root cause of chronic pain is postural misalignment and muscle imbalance. With the Egoscue exercises I eliminate the misalignment of the major weight bearing joints andthe muscle imbalances with individualized prescribed exercises for my clients.
This year I was looking for more “functional movement forms” in and found the web site of the American Nordic Walking Association (anwa.us) and contacted Bernd Zimmermann, the founder of this association and the CEO of smovey VIBROSWING-System. I was immediately intrigued by smovey VIBROSWING-System as I was confident it would be a great addition to my postural alignment work as it increases the ROM (range of motion) of the shoulder joints but also strengthens the muscles around the shoulder joints, the upper, lower back and the muscles of the core and lower body. I got certified as a smovey coach in spring 2016. I started working with my clients and students in a large fitness club in Charlottesville/VA and also in my studio.
The reactions of my clients/students were phenomenal. My students in my classes reported hat they were breathing more deeply after a smovey session and that they felt much more energized than after any other exercise classes. Some of my clients had shoulder injuries and frozen shoulders and they have improved with the smovey rings.The smovey exercises are excellent posture exercises that are not only good for people who experience pain in their back and shoulders but also for people who sit a lot at the computer.
I love the fact that I can show my clients different exercise levels that work for their bodies. Some of my clients have challenging health conditions such asParkinson’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia and they can do the exercises while sitting. Some of my athletic clients use the smovey rings to warm up their bodies before they walk, run or lift weights. Smovey is a fitness tool that can work for everyone.
Bernd Zimmermann has been very helpful as my coach and mentor and has been guiding through the process of learning proper technique as well as helping me with marketing of smovey VIBROSWING-System. He has been very supportive from the first day I started studying this method. He also has been assisting me to reach my goals as a smovey coach. I love working with him as I think there is now one like Bernd Zimmermann as his service is excellent as he explains and promotes the smovey VIBROSWING-System in a professional way as it deserves of being presented. I look forward to continuing working with the rings to achieve and maintain good health for my clients, students and myself.
Personally I love to work out with the smovey VIBROSWING-System and I love to create my own functional body work to not only strengthen my body and increase my ROM, but also to have some fun with it. I have developed some unique dance steps with the smovey rings that give me a good workout.
Antje Waxman, PAS
Certified Egoscue Postural Alignment Specialist
Certified Nia Instructor
Certified ANWA Nordic Walking Instructor
Certified Smovey Coach
Realign, Charlottesville, VA
antje@realigncville.com
5/5
“I have loved the Smovey Ring class. I get a total body workout in a fun, personalized group setting. I have a bad knee and so have always avoided exercise classes that that had lots of side-to-side and front-back movements. But I’ve discovered I can follow the Smovey exercises without hurting my knee. In fact, I believe I am strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee. What I do know is how absolutely wonderful I feel for days after the class.”
Sandra Bowman Damico, Ph.D
Dean Emeritus
College of Education
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
5/5
“Wow! I felt incredible all afternoon after your Smovey class. I felt so good mentally and physically and I just cannot believe how great I felt. I felt strong enough to handle anything ! I came home and washed all of the windows on one side of my house. 🙂 Can you tell how excited I am? My hands felt so energized and pain free after Smovey.”
Susan P.
Charlottesville, VA
5/5
It has been my privilege to work with people with Parkinson’s Disease for the past twelve years. I was originally asked to speak to the local support group and give a demonstration of Qigong. Attending that meeting led to my doing an intensive study of Parkinson’s and how it impacts individuals.
As a Medical Exercise Specialist, I developed an exercise program for working on stimulating neurons. That program has evolved over the years. When I saw how well people were responding to using Smoveys, I decided to incorporate them in our weekly program.
They have been a big hit. Most everyone who is using them feels that they are helping in slowing the progression of their disease. Besides, they have fun using them!
Carol A. Witham
Certified Medical Exercise Specialist
From the state of Maine
withamcarola@gmail.com
5/5
“I really liked the way the rings made me feel. There was a great ease of movement and they just felt good. I feel that my shoulder could do more, while hurting less, than what I can do without them. It was a workout too, like you said, even with 1/2 hr.! I would love to know what they can do for my lower back and neck. Also, last night I slept better than I have lately. Coincidence? Maybe not, based on what you spoke about.”
Barbara R.
Charlottesville, VA
5/5