By Teanna Gentry
Our bodies are amazing machines. The way they work is a miracle to me, and as many of us know, as soon as injury, disease, or sickness hit, we value being "healthy" even more. I am really thankful that locally we have places like Lake Burien Physical Therapy. Recently I was able to sit down with owner and lead therapist Orit Hickman and hear more about her business that she started back in 2009.
She told me their mission is to, "Provide high quality care to the people of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park as well as the surrounding areas. Last October we completed an expansion that more than doubled our size! We now have 4 full-time doctors of physical therapy who each see patients one-on-one for 1 hour sessions. We also now have an active meditation series, yoga classes and art classes which include paint as you go, intuitive painting and rock painting. We also host FREE to the public, workshops on a variety of diagnoses such as chronic low back pain, shoulder pain, and general chronic pain."
Recently they brought on a new hire with Maria Caruso-Garvey to the clinic. She relocated from Vermont and comes with over 3 years of experience and a really positive and fun attitude that fits right in with their other staff. Be sure to look for Lake Burien PT at the Burien Wellness Fair on Saturday September 16th and they will be sponsoring the Burien Brat Trot for the 8th year on Sunday October 1st. Other exciting events coming up for them include September 11th they will begin a 4 week Yoga Tune Up class, and hosting a painting class on September 8th and 9th. During the month of October they will be celebrating their 8 year anniversary with fun activities, giveaways as well as a FREE back pain workshop on October 21st from 10-11am. They will also be offering a free 30 minute screen to new clients who haven't been to them before but aren't sure if they could benefit from PT.
Overall, Orit told me, "LBPT prides itself on providing high quality relationship-centered care to our patients. We are also a clinic which specializes in the treatment of patients with chronic pain." If you need some TLC for your body and mind give them a call at 206) 327-9880 to schedule an appointment. Your body will thank you!
After stopping to chat with Orit, it got me thinking about how important protecting our bodies is to our health. This can look like healthy eating, drinking more water, or even getting educated on how to protect ourselves with self-defense so we can stay safe. Enter Northwest School of Karate, who are located at the Highline Athletic Club. I was able to chat with the owner Greg Sommers-Herivel about his business that was reopened here in Burien last December.
He told me that they have two exciting events coming up in September. They will be hosting a Women's Self Defense Seminar, both an intro and advanced on Sept 16th and a FREE Bystander Seminar on Sept 22nd. The Self Defense Seminar is taught by Kimberly Bowen, a kung fu instructor with Macabee Martial Arts and certified self defense teacher. Greg mentioned they, "Ran the class in June with great success and look forward running the back to back seminars in September. Kimberly teaches a fun and safe class, giving everyone the opportunity to work together and learn how to be safer. The Bystander Seminar is new, and we are excited to host it. Krystal Marx has been giving these seminars, and it helps people by giving them tools to use when they see a situation where they feel someone might be in trouble. Many times people get frozen by fear or doubt in these situations, and by having some techniques may save someone from a bad situation." Northwest Martial Arts is also hosting a martial arts tournament on Oct 22 at the Highline Athletic Club. The Highline Athletic Club is sponsoring the event, and NMA is co-hosting with their kung fu colleagues from Junhong's Kung Fu Club and Macabee Martial Arts.
You may have heard about this on social media, but in response to a recent assault, Greg decided to open the dojo up to any woman who wants to train at no charge for the month of August. He told me, "I am expanding this offer, to anyone who has experienced trauma, such as sexual assault, physical abuse, domestic violence or being bullied to name a few. I do not need to know the details of the experiences. The student merely needs to tell me they would like to take my offer of a month free. Often trauma can make our bodies feel foreign as well as give a sense of shame and worthlessness. Karate helps students get into their body in a new way. For those who feel disconnected from their body, this gives them an opportunity to reacquaint themselves with their body in a healthy, positive way. The discipline in martial arts builds confidence and a stronger sense of self. They can feel strong again. Karate is more than just kicks and punches. It's a way of life. A healthy dojo is like a family, where students are there for each other." Wow, what an amazing way to give back to our community.
For more information about NW Karate contact Greg at 206-412-4363. Thanks for stopping by this week and learning how our local businesses are taking care of us!
Biography
Teanna Gentry is a health and wellness guru from the Pacific Northwest who has a passion for helping people find freedom in movement. She was an all conference Track and Field athlete at Eastern Washington University from 2003-2007 and has since coached and trained athletes and clients of all ages in the greater Puget Sound area in running, yoga, speed/agility/quickness, and total wellness. Teanna is a certified yoga and barre instructor, as well as an avid lover of the outdoors. She is most often seen around Hot Feet Fitness or running around town with her husband and toddler and baby on the way.
