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ARTEMA SOMATICS
  • Welcome
  • Services
    • Somatic Bodywork
    • Acupuncture & Energy Medicine
    • Supplements
    • Events & Resources
    • CCS Program
  • About Mellie

Holographic Medicine & Microsystems Therapies

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Microsystems theories  examine how one part of who we are represents and communicates with other parts. Some of the most well known modalities that utilize this way of looking at the body include acupuncture and reflexology. These systems view parts of the body such as the feet, hands, scalp, abdomen, and ears as mirrors that can reflect and influence other areas.

​This is also known as holographic representation.  What this means is that smaller parts contain the same wisdom and patterns of the whole. In East Asian Medicine, humans are seen as a microcosm (smaller part) of the universe (the macrocosm). This means humans carry within them, a reflection of the organizational intelligence of the greater universe. Based on the same way of thinking, the feet, for example, carry within them the organizational intelligence of the rest of the entire body. 

Microsystems therapy excels at offering tools for relaxation, pain management, and a holistic form of whole body support. Going beyond physical symptoms, deeper into the foundational theories of these healing modalities, we also see how emotions, thoughts, personal challenges, and spiritual learning experiences manifest in the body. As such, these methods are also useful for quieting the mind, accessing inner wisdom, and supporting personal growth. 

I have been studying and practicing microsystems therapy since 1987 when I first started studying western reflexology. My extensive studies of Tui-na (Chinese Medical Massage), Thai Massage, and Acupuncture. have deepened and strengthened my love of this art.


Acu-Somatics™ 

Acu-Somatics™ therapy is the culmination of decades of studies and integration of healing arts such as bodywork, plant medicine, energy healing, biomedicine, acupuncture, neuroscience, trauma science, herbal medicine, health coaching and more. Somatic awareness exercises, in combination with energy medicine practices based on acupuncture theory, help bring attention to your inner experiences, encouraging you to hear your own wisdom.  We track subtle body sensations such as muscular tension, breath, and other physical feelings to help deepen the body-mind connection, release stress, and move into relaxed space. We support removing energetic blocks to wellness and encourage the self-healing mechanisms of the body to become active.  

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This is a healing method that helps facilitate positive changes across the body-mind-spirit system. It is meant to empower the individual through guided experiences and education in order to create less dependence on a practitioner. Remember, the best outcome is that you don't need me anymore! It supports a deep level of relaxation, gently forges new patterns of being, and supports you in your experiences which can lead to holistic healing effects.  This approach follows my model of care, supporting slow medicine, heart-centered care, reflection, receptivity, and self-kindness.  

Sessions support the relaxation response in order to gently encourage your body to activate its own self healing mechanisms. These sessions always use a holistic approach that can be further enhanced by positive lifestyle changes outside of sessions. Acu-Somatics™ is a powerful tool that can be utilized for self growth and personal healing. It works at a deep level, offering nourishing support to the entire body-mind-spirit system.
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Importance of Foot Zones in Energy Healing

Feet are amazing! They are a transitional zone between yin and yang polarity changes in the acupuncture channels. They are our physical connection to the earth and our structural foundation. Modern reflexology's roots can be traced back an estimated 5000 or more years through China, India, and Egypt.   
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When the feet are cared for, the entire body will respond. As important as the feet are, they are frequently neglected in our society by wearing shoes that don't fit properly and ignoring their needs. We forget about the delicate muscles and physical structures that need to be used and strengthened through the barefoot movements humans were designed for. 


While this work is very energetic in nature, giving it the ability to affect the mind and spirit, it is also rooted in physical communication with the body. There are direct relationships between the entire body and the energetic pathways, acu-points, reflex zones, connective tissues, and thousands of nerve endings in the feet. Using these concepts based on connection and communication, we can encourage that which is stuck to begin to move freely, helping to relieve both physical and emotional tension. The goal is always to listen to the body and encourage relaxation which can lead to powerful holistic healing effects.


Benefits of Microsystems Therapy
  • Increases circulation
  • Promotes relaxation and quiets the mind 
  • Supports a sense of well-being
  • Feels great
  • Releases held tension
  • Supports and tones the energetic system*
  • Moves stagnation*
  • Assists in balancing qi*
  • Supports the functions of the internal organs*
* based on East Asian Medicine theory

Common Reasons People Seek out Microsystems Therapy
  • Anxiety & restlessness
  • Headaches
  • Insomnia
  • Acute & chronic pain (back pain, sports injuries, fibromyalgia, sciatica, etc)
  • Supporting an overall sense of well-being
  • Digestive concerns such as IBS
  • Muscle tension
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Seeking spiritual support
  • Fatigue & desire for nourishing rest
  • Excessive lifestyle stress
  • Menstrual stress & fertility support
  • Postpartum support
  • Emotional concerns such as depression and excessive worries
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Many microsystems concepts have evolved over the past several thousands of years. 

East Asian styles may be commonly referred to as Soku Shin Do (Japanese) or Zhak She Dao (Chinese). Find more information on Asian Foot Reflexology here. 

There is also an entire specialty of Thai Massage / Nuad Boran dedicated to the feet which has strong roots in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. 

Here is one of the oldest East Asian reflexology charts known.  

According to ancient principles of East Asian Medicine, the feet are a critical area to address for maintaining and supporting health. This concept is still relevant and important in modern times. People often neglect their feet, stand for long periods, don't move enough, and wear shoes that weaken and distort the feet's natural strength, shape, and flexibility. BioEnergetics work can helps us feel more grounded, relaxed, and embodied.

Korean Hand Therapy

Korean Hand Therapy is a form of microsystems therapy that stimulates points on the hands to offer pain management and holistic, whole-body support. 
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Auricular (Ear) Therapy

Auricular therapy stimulates points on the ears and is most often used for pain management and calming the mind. ​
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Plant Medicine

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During some sessions, we may use small, energetic doses of handcrafted herbal tinctures and flower essences in combination with energy medicine theories and techniques. 

​This method integrates a unique way of practicing energy medicine through herbs, offering a gentle, yet powerful, way to affect energetic changes. It also reinforces our ancient connection to the wisdom of plants, our guides and teachers since the beginning of time.  


​This modality is often utilized when a person is in a life transition or when doing deep self-healing and growth work. The plants provide subtle, yet powerful, support to help you along your path as you quest to peel the layers of "not you" in order to express more of who you are.

​The pulse is the primary diagnostic tool with this art. Pulse testing herbs gives you a formula that is specific to your body. Pulse testing simply means that I feel for specific, subtle changes in your pulse as we drop a variety of tinctures onto your skin. This helps determine your body's response to a particular herb and helps us devise a formula specific to your needs. Your herbal formula is sent home for use during the following 7-10 days to support your energetic re-patterning process. 

The ability of plant medicine to teach us how to find greater harmony within ourselves is truly amazing.  

Unlike other energy medicine modalities, you can take a tangible part of this session home with you. This method is empowering and cost effective. Another unique aspect of this work is the focus on local plants. The herbs used are grown, harvested, and tinctured fresh, at the peak of their vitality, right here in Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

Please note that herbal tinctures are alcohol extractions. Flower essences are primarily water, but contain a small amount of alcohol as a preservative.  While the dosages are incredibly low,  this modality would not be appropriate for those who wish to completely avoid alcohol. ​


Energy Healing

Energy healing is a gentle, relaxing, hands-on process that allows you to experience healing on multiple levels. ​Each session is customized for you and combines gentle energy healing methods such as Pranic Healing®, qigong, reiki, Korean hand therapy, auricular (ear) therapy, polarity therapy, guided breath-work, somatic awareness practices, or other techniques.  

Commonly reported benefits of this work:
  • Promotes relaxation of muscular tension
  • Aches and pains are reduced 
  • Releases stress
  • Thinking becomes clearer
  • Supports healing and recovery from injuries
  • Feeling more balanced
  • The mind is calmed
  • Soothes emotions
  • Well-being is improved 
  • More restful sleep
  • Sense of greater purpose
  • Better energy levels
  • Increased confidence
  • Outlook on life becomes more positive

Mellie has been studying bodywork and energy medicine since 1987. She has been offering professional healing services since 2005. Her experience includes:
  • Alchemical Acupuncture
  • Esoteric Acupuncture
  • Japanese Style Meridian Therapy
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture
  • Korean Hand Therapy
  • Reflexology
  • Tui-Na (Chinese Medical Massage)
  • Shoni Shin Acupressure
  • Polarity Therapy
  • Soku Shin Do (Japanese Reflexology)
  • Thai Yoga Bodywork
  • Reiki Master and Teacher
  • Advanced Pranic Healing®
  • Flower Essences & AcuBotanics Therapy™
  • Spring Forest Qigong & Qi~ssage
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​What to Expect During an Energy Medicine Session

Eclectic energy healing modalities focus on healing potential through supporting the energy body. Cross cultural energy medicine techniques help bring deep relaxation and mind-body-spirit healing.

Because this method works on the body's energy system, the work is light and gentle. You stay fully clothed during a session so dress comfortably. This approach does not focus on the musculoskeletal system or structural therapy.  


It offers slow, relaxing support for holistic healing that meets you where you are.  My job is to become quiet, still, and reflective in order to create space that encourages connection to your own inner wisdom, honoring of your own unique rhythms, and support in expressing your "you-ness" as you explore self-healing and growth work.
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About Energy Medicine
Energy medicine modalities are offered to gently help support and harmonize the body's natural energetic processes when they become stuck or imbalanced. 

Energy medicine modalities are gentle and relaxing as we focus on the present moment and the 
powerful, cumulative effects of calming the mind and body. Through this approach, we can address physical, emotional, and spiritual concerns on an energetic level.  ​​This way of practicing focuses heavily on heart-centered care and nourishing spirit, also known as "Shen." It is extremely soothing to both the body and mind.

Session Goals
Sessions are especially useful for those feeling a sense of stuck-ness or those seeking a greater purpose, mental clarity, and support in hearing one's own inner voice.   

​My goal is to support you in relaxing in a way that allows your body's natural healing mechanisms to be activated.  You will not find any clinical treatment plans or symptom chasing in these sessions. This is an atmosphere of healing, not fixing. Sessions are specifically to help you slow down, be in the here and now, and encourage the relaxation response, complementing any other types of healing and growth work you may be doing.
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Energy Healing Articles
  • Does Energy Healing Actually Work?
  • What Everyone Should Know about Energy Healing

Personal growth work is an absolute necessity if you want lasting changes. Unless the underlying causes of energetic imbalances are addressed with conscious awareness, we will tend to revert to old patterns. 

Cumulative sessions help teach your mind and body to relax more frequently and more effectively. Releasing patterns of held tension can offer numerous health benefits.


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Heart-Centered Care & Nourishing Spirit

​In East Asian Medicine theory, the role of the heart is central to much of the body's functioning. In addition to the physical process of controlling blood, it is intimately involved in mental and emotional processes. The heart is considered the "residence of the spirit." 

When it is properly nourished, the energetic system of the heart conveys information from the world around us through our senses. It maintains our innate wisdom, contentment, emotional balance, ability to communicate, and full range of human consciousness, including our sense of inter-connectedness and inter-dependence. That is why we focus on "heart-nourishing" sessions and the relaxation response.

While the importance of the heart's intelligence has been well known as a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other cultures for thousands of years, the HeartMath Institute has been doing pioneering research in that exact field. They are making esoteric concepts related to the heart more understandable based on modern science.

Here are some interesting links that explore heart energy and connectedness: 
  • Author Thomas Cowan: The Heart is not a Pump​​
  • The Art and Science of Frank Chester: Models of the Heart
  • The Remarkable Seven-Sided Form: A Discovery by Frank Chester
  • Learn about Heart Rate Variability and how your emotions effect your body's physiology


More information & resources on the benefits of stress reduction. . .


"Research has confirmed the havoc stress can wreak with one meta-analysis involving 300 studies finding that chronic stress could damage immunity. Another study found stressed-out women had significantly higher waist circumference compared to non-stressed women. . . Your adrenal glands release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that flood your system, raising your heart rate, increasing your blood pressure, making your blood more likely to clot, damaging your brain's memory center, increasing belly fat storage, and generally doing damage to your body."

Learning to effectively relax is an amazing tool for health!

"Stress wreaks havoc on the mind and body. . . psychological stress is associated with greater risk for depression,  heart disease, and infectious disease. . . researchers have found that chronic psychological stress is associated with the body losing its ability to regulate the inflammatory response. . . "

  • Stress-Induced Immune Dysregulation: Implications for Wound Healing, Infections, Disease, and Cancer
  • Chronic Stress, Cortisol Dysfunction, and Pain: A Psychoneuroendocrine Rationale for Stress Management in Pain Rehabilitation
"When the body goes into a relaxed state, your blood pressure is lower, your immune system functions at a higher level, your heart rate lowers, and you breathe at a slower rate. . . "

Stress affects your whole body. According to neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky in the National Geographic documentary Stress: Portrait of a Killer, the following are some the most common health conditions that are caused by or worsened by stress:


  • Cardiovascular disease and hypertension
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Infertility and irregular cycles
  • Frequent colds
  • Insomnia and fatigue
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Memory loss
  • Appetite changes and weight gain
  • Digestive problems and dysbiosis

Supporting Digestion

Throughout history, from Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine traditions to Hippocrates and beyond, there has been a saying that diseases begin in the gut. Health is a reflection of good digestion. As a culture, we have severely abused our digestion with chronic stress, medications, poor diets, and many other factors. In order to support health, supporting digestion is an absolute necessity. 

From a traditional Eastern view, supporting digestion will have a profound healing effect on the rest of the body through the intricate network of body communication that East Asian Medicine is comprised of. From a Western view, we know that neurotransmitters can function more effectively, inflammation can be reduced, and symptoms of chronic pain, depression, autoimmune disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and many other issues can be lessened through better nutrition and better digestion. 

As a general rule, I recommend that clients find a good functional medicine practitioner to add to their healthcare team. My expertise as a Certified Health Coach is in supporting people who choose to follow the Wahls Protocol. Over the years I have seen the Wahls Protocol profoundly reduce or eliminate symptoms of migraines, several mental health diagnoses, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, and chronic pain. 

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Total Wellness

This medicine is all about balance. So many of us strive to take on too much, becoming depleted in the process of trying to live up to unrealistic expectations of our time and energy. When we burn out, we may turn to others to "fix" us. 
However, the real power comes from listening to and trusting our own inner wisdom. That is why I work to help you relax, hear that wisdom, prioritize your health and happiness, and to ultimately honor the true you through simple, yet powerful work. 

The universe is chaotic. . . every moment holds the potential to bring you any one of these things, any shade along the gradient of spirit-soaring bliss and soul-crushing grief. . .
But regardless of what it brings your way, your choice is simple: Love or Fear." 

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  • Welcome
  • Services
    • Somatic Bodywork
    • Acupuncture & Energy Medicine
    • Supplements
    • Events & Resources
    • CCS Program
  • About Mellie