Interview with Pediatric Bodyworker Lisa Lee

The PPN Somatics Institute wants to recognize and honor its graduates. Lisa Lee is the first PPN Somatics Institute student to have fully completed the Pediatric Bodywork program. She has also completed the IPPD Foundations course that Kate held in Sydney, Australia.

Bret had a short interview with Lisa, asking her about her journey, the work she has been doing, and her impressions of the Foundations course and the Baby Diploma course.

How did you come to know about Kate’s and Jonathan’s trainings?

As a child, I felt so disconnected. I felt I didn't belong here and there's something else, a missing piece of me that I needed to know. I remember so vividly at three years old, I walked up to my mom and asked, “Are you really my mom?” I was hoping for assurance but instead I was disheartened for being foolish. That sparked my life-long yearning to know who I truly am, where I came from.

Even before studying cranio-sacral, I had always wanted to know about embryo, baby, birth.  At one time, I was intrigued with Bonnie Bainbridge's work, relationship of movements, embryo and more. Recently I wrote a piece in Instagram titled  “Inconceivable” describing my impression of an embryo which took me 15 years to put into words.

My curiosity in prenatal and perinatal healing grew deeper as I delved into cranio-sacral therapy. After knowing about the work of Ray Castellino, Frank Carbone and Jaap Van der Waal, it was Jaap’s workshop “The Embryo In Us” that took me to Kate three years ago.
The more I learnt from the online offerings in the Center of Prenatal and Perinatal Programs, the more passionate I become. When Kate announced her collaboration with Jonathan, I was absolutely thrilled. I had been wanting to learn from Jonathan a couple of years before that. So the collaboration was a great opportunity for me to meet Jonathan and Kate! I needed a live experience with both of them, not simply through online learning.


How did you come to take the Pediatric Bodywork Baby Diploma course?

Through my training in cranio-sacral, though we touched on treatments for babies, I knew it wasn’t enough. There is so much more. Through my own healing journey, I appreciate how the trauma I experienced at birth had affected me – my adult self and my baby self. There is a lot more I can do to support babies – as therapist and doula.
After months of meditating for inner guidance, I came across Jonathan’s Kindred Academy website. Everything described in the curriculum felt right. I emailed Jonathan for clarification but strangely never heard from him. So I waited patiently (for two years!) and was overjoyed to learn about Kate’s collaboration with Jonathan. I understood then how the Universe had planned for my learning path.
Is there something you think you could tell other practitioners about why they might want to study the IPPD Foundations or Jonathan’s Baby Course?

What I am going to share with you is all with the benefit of hindsight. Then, I thought the IPPD Foundations and Baby Course were to enhance my skills and knowledge as therapist and doula. In actual fact, they were for both my professional and personal growth.
During the Baby Course, there were layers upon layers of my baby-self came up for me to look at. It may sound profound but it was so real as if I was integrating the baby side of me and being held by the therapist side of me, especially when we went through the use of forceps, first breath and umbilicus shock. Acknowledging all these aspects made me tear during the class.
The last live session with Jonathan was the most profound. As I was listening to him, every word touched something deep inside me. I kept smiling and tearing. I felt it was the spiritual part of me being touched and a special part of me being integrated.
Furthermore, during the course, I had the opportunity to treat a baby with chronic disease in the hospital. Every time I visited the baby, I could feel Jonathan’s invisible guidance and voice whispering “Your hands know!”. His presence gave comfort and confidence. I feel blessed for the five months we had together.

Just like the Foundation Course with Kate. I feel so blessed and guided. As I sat in thecourse, I realized I've been waiting for PPN for a long, long time. I love the way Kate integrates all the juicy parts of other teachers and how she expressed her gratitude to all the teachers, the lineage. It helped me to be reverent.

Even though it is only a foundation course, the techniques Kate taught have amazing effects. I have already implemented everything that Kate taught The result is phenomenal. PPN work comes so naturally for me and it brings me such openness and creativity.


You have gathered a huge amount of information from yoga, meditation, doula, childbirth support, and now treating babies and the IPPD. It seems like there's this huge umbrella of work that you have that is waiting for you to find a way to distill it and to present it in your words.

I think so too. This work helps to open myself to Spirit. I say to the Universe: “Let’s be creative. Let's go and play. Let's have an adventure.”

Sometimes I feel the more I get into the work, I can easily get lost in it. Then I may tussle with the Universe and have doubt “Why am I doing this?”

Sometimes I feel the more I get into the work, the clearer I become. Then I may say, “Okay! Let’s do this!”
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So, I try to be mindful. I feel I need to be mindful of my narratives – where am I at this present moment. Most important in this nature of work, I need to work on my own stories and not to project mine to others.
No matter which direction we take in our healing, being mindful and having faith that we are not doing it alone will give us courage.
 
 

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