Our heart wants to be loved and healed - Ines Rieger

Ines is a physiotherapist and hormone therapist, as well as a yoga teacher.

A warm welcome, my name is Ines Rieger. As a hormone energy therapist, thyroid practitioner, hormone coach, physiotherapist, sound therapist, and yoga teacher, I work with the hormonal system on many different levels. And with our heart.

How did you come across hormone therapy, and what motivated you to specialize in this field?

Hormones influence so much in our body: metabolism, circulation, salt and water balance, heat regulation and body temperature, reproduction, growth, behavior, our mood, our relationship with ourselves, and also our interpersonal relationships. Even the smallest changes in hormone levels can have a major impact.

Our hormones play a crucial role in determining whether we feel vital life energy and whether a sense of purpose can unfold within us. A well-functioning hormonal system allows us to flourish and creates a sense of well-being. By contrast, a dysfunction can cast a shadow over our lives. This was also my experience.

Adrenal fatigue brought me to an extremely low and dark place in my life. I myself played a significant role in bringing about this condition! Stress, infections, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and many other factors cause our hormone glands to become overloaded, overstimulated, and exhausted. Our adrenal glands, a pair of almond-sized hormone-producing organs, are primarily responsible for stress defense.

It took me a long time to free myself from this deep exhaustion. Looking back, that time was valuable, because it led me to engage with the topic of hormones in a different way. Through experiencing the symptoms in my own body, I came to understand many things more deeply. And I realized that true healing is always connected to our heart.

That all sounds truly beautiful. We’re very curious to hear how your journey continued—and what the thyroid massage is all about?

It all began with thyroid massage. Many years ago, my husband at the time wrote a book about the thyroid. After the book was published, his general medical practice—run with a focus on natural medicine—more or less transformed overnight into a thyroid-focused practice. Women in particular came from all over, hoping to finally be heard with their symptoms of hormonal imbalance, primarily related to the thyroid.

Many women do not feel well when treated with conventionally prescribed medication. They are searching for solutions to feel healthy, balanced, and alive again. As also described in the book, an ultrasound examination often provides more insight into the condition of the thyroid than laboratory values alone. Seeing more and more altered and diseased thyroid glands on ultrasound, my husband at the time realized one day that something had to be done—treated—through touch. That was the birth of thyroid massage. He had many ideas back then about how such a thyroid massage could be performed.

He then left the practical implementation to me. As a physical therapist, I was used to massaging large areas such as the back and legs with a lot of force. At first, I couldn't imagine how to massage such a small organ as the thyroid gland. Over time, I became more and more familiar with the subject. In the meantime, I tried it out a lot on myself and my friends.

But I only achieved a real breakthrough in good finger positioning and grip technique when I was able to see and feel the essence of this butterfly-shaped gland with my heart. From then on, I was fascinated by this queen of hormone glands, and that fascination has never left me. There are approximately 1,000 hormones in the body. So far, only about 100 have been well researched, but many new findings have been made in recent years.

For example, how closely the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and lymphatic system work together. All the cells in our body also communicate with each other and influence each other's activity. Our endocrine glands are “super communicators” among themselves. Their transport system is the blood. They ensure that all our innate abilities are fully utilized and that we are strong and energetic.

Our hormone glands bring order to the system. If one or more hormone glands fall out of sync, the orchestra is no longer in harmony. This perspective made it increasingly clear how beneficial it is to include all hormone glands in a massage. In practice, this means that I combine massage of the thyroid gland with massage of the adrenal glands and other hormone organs.

This can lead to improvements on both a mechanical and energetic level. To enhance this effect, the massage is complemented by breathing exercises, meditation, sound, lymphatic drainage and specially formulated oils. To stimulate further regenerative powers, I also use various local therapy options. For example, foot reflexology, meridian massage, yin and yang strokes, or wraps with various active ingredients. Always with a view to supporting the current hormonal imbalance in order to achieve greater well-being.

The thyroid gland appears to be the organ responsible for our true expression. It therefore has an enormous influence on our sense of self and our overall well-being, doesn't it? Why is that?

Because it produces hormones that have a stimulating effect on every cell in our body.

Means:

When thyroid hormones are released, all cells in the body respond by producing more energy. If a disturbance occurs in this overall structure, it can affect the entire body and hormone system. The list of symptoms is endless. The diseases are called Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Morbus Basedow.

This is an autoimmune disease. In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland produces too few hormones. In contrast, in hyperthyroidism, it produces too many. A diagnosed thyroid nodule causes uncertainty and anxiety.

Menopausal symptoms are a major issue. For many women, this phase is marked by various changes and places great demands on the body and mind. The adrenal glands produce the stress hormone cortisol. If we are constantly under pressure, tension and stress, our cortisol levels are constantly too high. Since the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland influence each other, a constantly elevated cortisol level leads to a reduction in the production of thyroid hormones. Constant overstrain of the adrenal glands can first lead to irritation and later to adrenal weakness and even adrenal exhaustion.

Since the thyroid gland is closely related to all glands, it naturally communicates with our sex glands. This concerns the topics of menstruation and reproduction. Wherever a hormonal imbalance occurs, a hormone massage brings calm and relaxation to the system. From here, it is possible to see which hormone organ needs particular attention.

Can you describe in more detail what a hormone massage does?

For most people, hormone massage has an extremely beneficial effect. The hormone flows of the individual hormone glands are stimulated or calmed. As they reconnect with each other, many things can balance themselves out and promote healing. Hormone massage focuses on the thyroid gland. It is the master gland and is very important for the function and response of the adrenal glands, ovaries and testicles.

Due to its location, shape, and size, the thyroid gland can be directly touched, massaged, nurtured and cared for. Thyroid massage can help regenerate inflamed, scarred, shrunken or nodular thyroid tissue. A thyroid massage is a healing method in which the body's energy lines—our meridians—are stimulated to release energy blockages. Touching the structures above a diseased organ can have a profound effect and produce wonderful healing results.

What do you think, does healing have anything to do with personal responsibility during the different hormonal phases?

Women experience hormonal changes not only every month, but throughout their entire lives. All stages of a woman's life, from puberty to the onset of menstruation, contraception, the desire to have children, pregnancy, childbirth, the onset of menopause, and menopause itself, present us with many challenges and questions. It would be good if we were to learn more about our own hormonal system so that we are better equipped to deal with certain statements and recommendations made by conventional medicine.

We can explore for ourselves what is good for us. Most of the time, it's simple things like sleep, fresh air, exercise, food that agrees with us, rest, laughter, breaks, etc. The important thing is to put it into practice and take personal responsibility.

What is the underlying intention behind your work and what do you hope to achieve with it?

What is very important in my work is talking together. Not just treating the symptoms of the illness, but getting to the root cause. When the heart is hurt and protected by a wall, healing is difficult.

It is also connected throughout the entire body via the electromagnetic field. Including our cells and all our hormone glands.