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One Size Does Not Fit All



Since my work involves helping people find comfort I often get asked questions. Some of the most common questions involve the choice of beds and pillows. I always point out that I have no expertise in this area and am not qualified to advise them, however I do share my own personal experience as well as anecdotal information I pick up along the way.


One key philosophy I've picked up along the way is that where comfort is concerned life is not like a baseball cap. "One Size Does Not Fit All". We are all shaped different, we all have different needs, and our needs can change over time. What worked once won't necessarily work later.


For years I used a basic pillow. Nothing special. It was adequate for the comfort of my head and neck. Then seemingly out of the blue I could not make my neck comfortable while I slept. I will never forget a night in a hotel where I kept trying things. Stuffing my clothes in the pillow case, trying to find the right size. Rolling up a towel and placing that under my neck.

I finally settled on a hand towel placed under the curve in my neck, my head resting on the bed. I wondered why I was more comfortable with something this small where I used to need something thicker.

I went through many expensive "special" pillows for sufferers of neck pain. It's interesting how we'll pay anything when we are in pain. Most of these seemed to be based on sound principals, creating a depression to cradle the head while giving support to the curved part of the neck. The only problem was that none of these worked for me. "One Size Does Not Fit All". I finally got busy and made my own pillow. It was small and filled halfway with feathers. Being partially filled allowed me to scrunch it up to fit where I needed it when ever I shifted my head. This pillow served me well for several years. Then it started feeling like I needed something a little bigger. I built myself a larger pillow, still keeping it half full of feathers so I could shift it to support my head and neck where it was needed.


Another major change occurred after sleeping on an adjustable air bed for 10 years. It could be set anywhere from 20 lbs of pressure, very soft, up to 100, very firm. For 10 years I kept it at a very firm 80 lbs and my back loved this. Then, again seemingly out of the blue, I would wake up after a few hours sleep with back pain that wouldn't allow me to go back to sleep. I would get out of bed and try to sleep in a chair.

By this time I was getting Ortho-Bionomy sessions. This helped a lot but when I went to bed the problems would repeat.

It finally occurred to me to try a different setting on the bed. Over a long period of time I kept lowering the pressure on the bed until I finally found that my body wanted a soft 30 lbs. I found it hard to believe that my needs would change that radically that I would need something that soft so I had been reluctant to try it that low. This worked well for a couple of years when I sensed that my body wanted something firmer. For the past 5 years I have the bed set at 50-55 lbs.


Over time our bodies can change and our needs change with it. I've found it best to try to support where I am now rather than try to force my body where I think it should be. I've found it best to focus my awareness on my bodies needs, asking my body what it wants and then doing what I can to give it that. I struggled for quite awhile, being caught up in what I thought my body should need, rather than letting go of the reasons and just going with my bodies changing preferences.


One size doesn't fit all...

all people,

all times,

all situations.


We are all unique and changing. Be present with what is, support what is, and find comfort and balance.


One of statements often made about Ortho-Bionomy is that "Ortho-Bionomy is a conversation rather than an argument". There are so many ways we can apply that to our life.



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Ric Chamberlin

Registered Practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®

Licensed Massage Therapist
402 850 0752

info@omahahealingconnection.com


Ortho-Bionomy® and the Sand Dollar design are registered trademarks of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International, Inc. and are used with permission.


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The Healing Connection -- Ric Chamberlin, LMT

900 S 74th Plaza, Suite 116 - Omaha, NE 68114

402 850 0752 -- info@omahahealingconnection.com