At Abranato Healing Arts, Zen Shiatsu practitioner and external Qi healer (EQH) Rosie Coelho caters to the needs of women throughout the full spectrum of childbearing.  From prepartum preparation to postpartum recovery, Rosie maintains that balanced health on an energy level is just as crucial as being physically sound through pregnancy and childbirth. Rosie studied at the Shiatsu College of England, the Academy of Oriental Medicine in Austin and is currently a student of Master Yun Xiang Tseng (Chen), 25th generation Wudang Taoist priest, and today brings her knowledge to local clients in Central Texas.

 
Q:  How does a typical session with you work?
A: I specialize in external Qi healing (EQH) and blending that with Zen Shiatsu.  EQH is an ancient Taoist meta-physical healing where the practitioner emits Qi to the client to initiate changes in their energy field. Shiatsu means finger pressure and involves working throughout the meridians of the body.  We use specific acupressure points depending on the problem that (a client) may be having. When I’m working, I’m feeling what is happening within the physical and energy bodies, where there might be blocked energy or tension. Then I use specific protocols, touching and non-touching techniques to shift the pattern.  Sometimes we just need someone to jumpstart us or to start that fire within that allows us to heal ourselves.

 

Q:  How do you work with pregnant women?
A:  I have helped women with problems like constipation, heartburn, discomfort in the lower back, retention of water, fatigue, high blood pressure or with relieving nausea through the first trimester and beyond.  I can also help if they’re very anxious or not sleeping properly or even if they’re just feeling disconnected from their baby.

 

Q: Are pregnant women good candidates for this sort of therapy?
A: Yes, definitely, because what I do is not invasive.  It is very gentle, supportive and grounding.  I also do a lot of prepartum work and with this I use a lot of the external Qi healing (EQH).  With pre-conception, it is important to cleanse and strengthen the energy within the uterus, calm the heart and clear the mind to prepare it for the child.  This is extremely powerful.

 

Q: How?
A: A couple of years ago, talking with a midwife friend of mine I realized that the work I do is like being a spiritual midwife.  A midwife helps a mother to move the baby from the uterus to the outside world, but my work is to help the mother prepare the womb to receive the soul of the child.  In that sense it is almost like the birth of a soul.  If a woman is in a very toxic environment, if she is very stressed, very distracted, all of this is going to affect the womb.  It is important to prepare that environment not just on a physical level but on an energy level to give that child what it needs to grow and be a happy baby.

 

Q:  Do you also serve postpartum clients?
A:  I have had some moms who have brought their babies in especially if they were premature or if they’re colicky.  It’s also very beneficial after the birth to help the woman re-group and close the energetic channels.  During birth everything is so open.  The whole channel must open to allow the birth to happen.  I try to help these mothers re-connect and heal and process the things that may have happened during the birth, and also to allow her to take time for herself. 

 

Q:  How much of what you do is physical versus emotional?
A: In my work, I use a lot of my intuition.  I get in tune with the client’s energy field.  I listen to what the client says and then allow myself to feel what is happening.  It is very intuitive and I must be in touch and very focused.

 

Q:  Are there challenges to treating some individuals?
A: When the mind is very busy or if there are many negative ideas.  I must first bring that person to a state of deep relaxation and a clear mind.  Then I can touch the areas of the body where the tension is to help release it.  I often work with the heart area to cleanse and release the energy there.

 

Q:  How soon do your clients typically see results?
A: That really depends on the person and the problem.  This is a very spiritual type of work.  When a person is ready and trusts you, then they’re open enough to allow me to help them.  If they’re not there yet, it could take longer.

 

Q:  You also teach the Calm Birth, Calm Mother curriculum to expectant women.  Tell me about that.
A: I became interested in Calm Birth when I learned that this method uses techniques to address the physical body as well as the energy body.  This method guides mother-to-be and new moms to reduce anxiety and fear, manage labor pain and heal the nervous system through compassionate meditation practices and gentle Qi exercise. The guided meditation is the key component of this method. Learning to meditate and connect with your body in a deep level to relax and heal opens new channels of communication and response that can allow you to experience birth in a more expanded way. It also offers a postnatal care program for empowerment after giving birth.

 

Q: Where do you work?
A: I work in an office as an independent practitioner.  My business is called Abranato Healing Arts. It is the last name of my mother.  Since she has passed away it is a way for me to honor her and connect with her.

 

Q: Is your practice growing?  In your opinion, are an increasing number of individuals seeking out alternative therapies like yours?
A:  It is growing, definitely, especially with pre-conception and fertility.  I have lots of clients who are looking for that type of treatment.

 

Rosie Coelho can be reached by calling 512-775-7504 or via email at rosie@abranato.com.  Her office is located at 4131 Spicewood Springs Rd., Building I, Suite 2 in Austin, Texas.
 

Julia Hockenberry is a writer and doula living in Marble Falls, TX. She studied vocal music at Florida State University and was a classical music announcer for WFDD radio in Winston Salem, NC before becoming a news anchor for WNAV radio in Annapolis, MD. Hockenberry has also written extensively for The Capital newspaper in Annapolis, MD, as well serving as a contributing writer to The River Cities Daily Tribune and The Highland Lakes Business Journal in Marble Falls. In addition to being a perpetual student in the dynamic fields of pregnancy and childbirth, Julia is married to husband, Jay, and has three children.