HUSO
My exploration into a new type of sound therapy to calm my nervous system and open my creativity.
Sometimes we can DIY our nervous system needs and sometimes we need additional support. The former CPA that still resides in my body would have raised an eyebrow at exploring HUSO (HUman SOund) therapy, whereas the craniosacral therapy (CST) practitioner who also resides within me was like “heckin heck yes, bring on the new modality to explore!”
It was time to head to The Funk in Tarpon Springs, Florida— the most unusual (in the best way) conglomeration of a store you’ve ever met. It’s part artisan shop of jewelry, apparel, art, and decor… that also has a two-chair tattoo room with three talented artists to work with… and also has a craft room where you can come, buy a kit, and spend some quiet and quality time unleashing your inner creative… to a HUSO therapy room which also converts to a tarot reading room on Friday nights. The Funk is the perfect name for this place and the cool people who run it, Michael and Val.
Michael credits HUSO therapy to his recovery from addiction and PTSD over a decade ago. He is passionate about its potential and his grounded demeanor and presence when speaking is living proof of its effectiveness. Whereas addiction, trauma, anxiety, and overwhelm can take a person out of “what is” in life— HUSO can help bring them back. Perhaps this would be the next right step in my own work to get my nervous system (and life) a bit more regulated.
Nothing Is Everything to Everyone
If there is one thing I’ve learned with therapy and healing, it’s that not every modality is right or successful for everyone at every time. That’s while you’ll meet some people who swear by one therapy for changing their life, while others try the same thing and say they didn’t feel a thing. I was curious to see what I could perceive in my HUSO session at The Funk— one of the few places in Florida that offers this form of healing.
I came in bubbling with a mental to-do list of all of the things I might be able to accomplish during my hour of not being able to do anything. I could get clarity on my new business offering and develop all of the social media posts for it. I could list all the things I would accomplish on this kid-free weekend before school starts on Monday. I could continue a dream I had yesterday which involved Lakshmi, a mountain of rubies, and the post office. I know, random.
Val could probably feel the gears in my head turning and the buzz of my nervous system. She took me into the dimly lit room, sat me in a cozy chair, and plunked two “sound pucks” into my palms. This was the therapy before the therapy—her way to transition me out of highway traffic and to-do lists and into being with the “what is.” I shut my eyes and felt the varying vibrations in my palms and listened to the peaceful tones for what felt like a solid ten minutes. Val assured me it was 90 seconds.
Then she asked me to pull a card that might help set an intention for the session. I shuffled and flipped the one that called to me. “What would I like to stop worrying about? What steps can I take to let go of the worry?”
Me? Worry? Yes. Perhaps that was exactly what I could set as my intention.
The Sweet Setup and My Crabby Hip
With my body relaxed-ish and my mind slightly more focused, it was time to hop onto the table covered with cushions and a tourmaline and jade infrared heated mat. Infrared with jade may assist with:
Pain relief
Improved blood circulation
Improved immune system function
Improved joint flexibility and range of motion
While tourmaline is believed to support:
Increased heat penetration
Enhanced blood circulation
Metabolic stimulation
Stress reduction and relaxation
I was excited about this bonus benefit. Just a few days prior I made the poor decision to exercise for 10 minutes by aggressively punching air with my Oculus VR headset. But I’m 43 now so my body decided we were no longer cut out for such vigor and should maybe stick to sports like sitting or Australian breakdancing. I’ve been in hobbling around for days.
Let’s Get This Theraparty Started
I climbed onto the mat and lay comfortably on the pillows while Val paper-taped the sound sensors to my ankles and wrists. She then covered me with a weighted blanket and went through the seven different sound programs to choose from. I chose “Release” as I wanted that for both my session intention of “worry” and for the zinging pain in my sacroiliac joint.
Eye mask on. Headphones on. A quick sound check to make sure the volume was good and I was on my way.
I started by doing that ‘Jill’ thing I do… I got in my head and tried to “make” the magic happen. (Oh, Jill. Sweet, recovering-perfectionist, Jill). I tried to will magical thoughts, visions, and clarity to my brain. And then I remembered that the real magic only seems to happen for me when I stop doing. So I stopped(ish).
Placebo or Pain Reliever?
As crunchy as I am with my natural healing, I’m also a huge skeptic of just about everything including water and breathing. When it came to HUSO, I had some metrics that I thought I’d use to test if this was really doing anything or if I was simply enjoying the benefits of a 30 minute nap.
Would my pain improve?
Would I notice any signs of entering “rest and digest” mode? Would my pain decrease?
Would my mind feel more clarity?
I could hear the sound through the headphones and feel slight vibration where each of the sound pads were. In all honesty, it feel like a lot at first and I couldn’t help but think that the sensations might feel like too much.
And then… I felt myself take a deep gasp of air in and let it out. It’s one of those breaths like when you’ve had a massive sob and your body is remembering that you also need oxygen.
That gasping breath is a reaction that happens often in craniosacral therapy when a client is relaxing or releasing something. Kiss my brain— I had officially boarded the relaxation train!
Next, I heard my stomach rumble. (Unfortunately, the relaxation train does not sell snacks.) Digestive noises are also signs I’ve experienced and observed in CST sessions as a body switches from “fight or flight” into “rest and digest” mode. These were all positive signs to me that the sounds I was hearing and vibrations I was feeling were beginning to have a noticeable effect.
Aaaaahs and A-Ha’s!
I’ll be back for more HUSO. While the sound time was 29 minutes, it felt like much longer. Throughout the session, I alternated between periods of feeling like I was completely rested and zoning out to periods of clarity and visioning (a hard state to get to with an ADHD brain). And when it was time to get off the table, I felt truly refreshed.
As I climbed off the table, I noticed how heavy my entire body felt. My feet felt so firmly planted into the ground. My head, neck, and shoulders felt the weight of gravity, no longer being strung up tightly by all of my muscles. I noticed the gentle smell of rosemary and sage in the room and decor items that had previously escaped my attention.
“Be Here Now” came into my mind. I could understand why Michael had felt so present when we’d met. Now I could gift that presence to others.
One More Way to Heal
Way back decades ago, when I had just started working as a Licensed Massage Therapist, I remember a client asking how often they should be coming back for a “tune-up.” They compared the human body’s need for care to a car that keeps running and needs refills of gas, oil changes, and tire rotations. I’ve always enjoyed the metaphor because so many of us try to avoid driving around without our tanks on E and the service lights on. We don’t always give our bodies the same timely-ish attention and care.
While I can’t see HUSO as my only type of therapy, it absolutely has its place for those times of mental overload or nervous system what-the-heck. It was the pleasant (and slightly unusual) getaway that brought new ideas and perspective to the remainder of my day.
Oh, and my hip felt like I was a fresh, young 39-year-old again!
To book: Call (727) 494-2472 or book online. Their HUSO session lasts approximately 60 minutes total with 29 minutes on the table. Cost at time of publication is $50.
Note: I was kindly gifted my session in response for an honest Google review. This Substack is of my own creation and offering to share about my experience. And also because #ilovesmallbusinesses
