It’s hard to believe it is a decade ago that I first met Kristi McKinney Zimmer, co-owner of the Tummy Temple, in the midst of a health crisis. I had IBS symptoms bordering on Candida like symptoms. For those of you who are not familiar with those terms think severe bloating, cramping, constipation and just plain pain. My good friend Nicole had referred me to Kristi. This was before the Tummy Temple existed. “Try a colonic,” she said. “They’re great! They feel like an internal massage.” While I was wary, an internal massage sure sounded good right about then so I scheduled my first colonic with Kristi.

When I walked into the clinic where she was practicing at the time, I knew I was in the right place as soon as she greeted me. I was met by clear, blue, fiery eyes, a mane of curly hair and a personality that I knew I wanted to be near. (I still do!) Kristi is an expert in her field but despite all of that, let me be abundantly clear, it DID NOT feel like an internal massage!

For Nicole, colonics were a part of her cleansing ritual. Her overall colon health was good and colonics made it better. This was not my story. I had a lifetime of chronic digestive issues both physically and emotionally manifested in my poor belly. I had never had “normal” digestive health. I would define “normal” as the ability to simply eat, digest and eliminate. I could eat but digesting and eliminating I could not count on. And so it was that my first colonic was arduous, difficult and uneventful in its outcome. My colon was so out of tone, I could not feel or respond to a “full” feeling as the water was introduced. My belly always felt full and bloated so there was no impulse to release. Thus began my journey into belly health; I knew I wanted and needed to continue this process. I knew Kristi was part of my path to healing, but that did not make me eager to have another colonic.

I did return. Kristi and I used a combination of colon hydrotherapy and Chi Nei Tsang organ massage to address my lifetime’s worth of ill digestive health and it worked. When used in combination, I found it extremely effective.

My shy colon still does not release upon demand. My nervous system needs a little kind encouragement first. I have been much more successful when combining colon hydrotherapy with another treatment. Since I began practicing at the Tummy Temple, I have explored having Energy Work, Lymphatic Drainage and Massage prior to the colonic and the results have been fantastic. It gives my system time to relax and prepare for the release. I still can’t say I “like” colonics or that they feel like an “internal massage”. However, I do understand and believe in their value and when combined with another therapy, I receive the benefits more readily.

I can happily say that, for the most part, I now have “normal” digestion. This serves to makes my relationship with food and life in general much more pleasant!

Warmly,

Shelly Shelley, LMP