About The Living Well Workshop Co.
Meet Kheng Chua
Kheng Chua, owner of The Living Well Workshop Co., began searching for better health and it led her to a diet known as macrobiotics.
As the path opened up, she became a pioneer in the organic food movement in Singapore. She was one of the founders of Singapore’s first natural and organic food company in 1994, and introduced macrobiotic lifestyle concepts to the public. She also brought in renowned speakers, including macrobiotics founders Michio Kushi and Herman Aihara.
Later, she was drawn into the full spectrum of natural healing in yoga, dance, meditation, and complementary therapy.
By 2000, and many happy coincidences later, she started working with some of the best institutes around the world. Her professional affiliations include: The Upledger Institute, Barral Institute, Chikly Health Institute and Jin Shin Institute, four US-based health resource centers dedicated to the advancement of complementary health.
A passionate and exuberant woman, Kheng lives the life she promotes. She has attended macrobiotic classes in Holland and USA; trekked through Scotland’s Findhorn to attend Carolyn Myss’ healing workshop; danced at the Esalen Institute in California; travelled to Bali, Thailand and New Zealand for meditation retreats. Her passion includes travelling to far flung corners of the world and painting.
Kheng’s life and work is about helping people find their souls and to laugh again.
Meet Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, MRO(F), RPT
Jean-Pierre Barral is a Diplomate of Osteopathy, a Member of the Registre des Ostéopathes de France, and a Physical Therapist. He is the Developer of the manual therapy he calls Visceral Manipulation (VM). Through his clinical work with thousands of patients, he created this modality based on organ-specific fascial mobilization. And through work in a dissection lab, he was able to experiment with VM techniques and see the internal effects of the manipulations. He served as Chairman of the International College of Osteopathy at St. Etienne, France. He was also on the faculty of Médecine de Paris Nord – Université Paris Nord. While on faculty, he was the Chief of the Visceral Manipulation Department—the first time in the world that a VM therapist was part of a medical faculty.
Based on his later clinical work, Jean-Pierre Barral developed additional modalities—Visceral Vascular Manipulation, Nerve Manipulation, and New Manual Articular Approach—in collaboration with Alain Croibier, D.O.
TIME Magazine, citing his development of Visceral Manipulation, named Jean-Pierre Barral, DO one of the Top Healing Innovators to watch in the new millennium.
Jean-Pierre states, even after more than 40 years of research and working with patients, as well as educating tens of thousands of therapists around the world, “we know so little; only the tissues know.” We can think as therapists we know what to do to help a patient, but it is only when we put our hands on the person, that the tissues then show us what is needed.
Barral holds the title of Curriculum Developer for the Barral Institute. Barral took the modalities and developed them into various manual therapy courses, which he has taught since 1985.
Barral has trained and certified a team of International Teachers who also instruct these courses around the world.
Barral is author of the books:
- Visceral Manipulation
- Visceral Manipulation II
- The Thorax
- Urogenital Manipulation
- Manual Thermal Evaluation (formerly Manual Thermal Diagnosis)
- Trauma: An Osteopathic Approach
- Manual Therapy for the Cranial Nerves
- Manual Therapy for the Peripheral Nerves
- Manual Therapy for the Prostate
- Visceral Vascular Manipulation
- New Manual Articular Approach; Upper Extremity
- New Manual Articular Approach; Lower Extremity
- Understanding the Messages of Your Body
- Understanding Messages of Your Joints
About Barral Institute
An international organization providing continuing education and certification based on the innovative manual therapies developed in clinical practice by world-renowned French Osteopath and Physical Therapist Jean-Pierre Barral.
- Visceral Manipulation
- Visceral Vascular Manipulation
- Neural Manipulation
- New Manual Articular Approach
- Lymph Drainage Therapy
French Osteopath Alain Croibier collaborated with Jean-Pierre Barral to develop Visceral Vascular Manipulation, Neural Manipulation and New Manual Articular Approach. The courses are based on clinical techniques personally developed by Jean-Pierre Barral combined with Alain Croibier’s scientific information.
Alumni include osteopathic physicians, allopathic physicians, doctors of chiropractic, doctors of Oriental medicine, physical therapists, occupational therapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists and other professional bodyworkers.
Meet Dr John E. Upledger
- Co-Founder, The Upledger Institute (now Upledger Institute International)
- Medical Director (Retired), Upledger Clinical Services
- 1975-1983 clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University
- Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy
- Academic Fellow of the British Society of Osteopathy
- Doctor of Science, Medicina Alternativa
Author (books)
In addition to his books, Dr. Upledger developed study guides for classroom instruction and wrote dozens of articles for peer-reviewed and special interest publications.
Modality Developer
- CranioSacral Therapy
- SomatoEmotional Release
- The Brain Speaks
- Upledger Intensive Therapy Programs
- CranioSacral – Dolphin Integrative Therapy Programs
- CranioSacral – Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) Programs
Conference Developer
- Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C.
- TIME Magazine, one of America’s “Next Wave of Innovators” for his proven clinical applications of CranioSacral Therapy
In Memoriam
Dr. John E. Upledger is co-founder of The Upledger Institute International, Inc. and former medical director of Upledger Clinical Services. Born on February 10, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Upledger passed away on October 26, 2012 at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. For manual therapists and other healthcare practitioners worldwide, his legacy is his generosity of spirit in sharing his discoveries and knowledge and ensuring their right to practice, For his patients and the patients of his students, his legacy is an open mind and heart to the validity of non-traditional medical approaches. For his family and good friends everywhere, his legacy is to stay with your journey despite the obstacles. He has proudly passed the torch From His Hands to Ours.
About Upledger Institute International, Inc.
Dedicated to the natural enhancement of health, the Institute is recognized worldwide for its groundbreaking continuing-education programs, clinical research and therapeutic services.
Throughout his career as an osteopathic physician, Dr. Upledger was recognized as an innovator and leading proponent in the investigation of new therapies. His development of CranioSacral Therapy in particular has earned him international acclaim.
Although much of his experience was garnered through private clinical practice, Dr. Upledger served from 1975-1983 as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University. It was during those years that his team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers were tasked with performing the experiments testing the existence and influence of the craniosacral system.
The results of those scientific studies explained the function of the craniosacral system and its use in evaluating and treating poorly understood malfunctions of the brain and spinal cord. Dr. Upledger went on to develop CranioSacral Therapy and other complementary modalities that are now taught worldwide to healthcare professionals through Upledger Institute International’s educational programs. Over 100,000 practitioners trained in more than 100 countries have taken Upledger courses.
Meet Bruno Chikly, MD, DO, LMT
Bruno Chikly, MD (France), DO (France, It., UK), LMT (AZ), is the director of the Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT) and Brain curriculi.
He is a graduate of the Medical School at Saint Antoine Hospital in France, where his internship in general medicine included training in endocrinology, surgery, neurology and psychiatry. Dr. Chikly also earned the United States equivalent of a master’s degree in psychology from Paris XIII University, France.
His medical doctoral thesis, which addressed the lymphatic system, its historical evolution and the manual lymphatic drainage technique, was awarded a Medal of Medical Faculty of Paris VI, a prestigious acknowledgment for in-depth work and scientific presentation.
Dr Chikly extensively studied osteopathic techniques and other hands-on modalities, both in Europe and the United States, including Manual Lymphatic Therapies, Osteopathy in the Cranial field, Biodynamics program in Osteopathy, CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Mechanical Link, Muscle Energy, Myofascial Release, Neuromuscular Therapy, SomatoEmotional Release, Orthobionomy, Chi Nei Tsang, Zero Balancing, Reflexology, Polarity Therapy, Homeopathy and Oriental medicines. He is also a long-time practitioner of Aikido and Qi Qong.
Lymph Drainage Therapy and Brain Therapy workshops have been taught in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Thailand, Tunisia, UK, and the United States.
Dr. Chikly is a member of the International Society of Lymphology (ISL) and an associate member of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO), the Cranial Academy and a licensed massage therapist from Arizona, USA. He was Adjunct Professor of the Union Institute and University Graduate College (University of Ohio), he is listed in the millennium edition of Marquis’ Who’s Who in the World. Dr Chikly was the recipient of the 2014 Massage Therapy Hall of Fame.
In his definitive text, “Silent Waves: Theory and Practice of Lymph Drainage Therapy,” 3rd Edition (480 pages), Dr. Chikly addresses the applications for lymphedema, chronic pain and inflammation. “Silent Waves” is carried by Stanford University Medical Library and is the first comprehensive book on the lymphatic system and lymphedema in North America.
Dr. Chikly, is an international seminar leader, lecturer and writer. He has spoken to most North American professional medical and health-related groups and to many lymphedema support groups. He lives in Arizona with is wife and teaching partner Alaya Chikly, LMT. She is curriculum director of Heart Centered Transformation (HCT) that addresses the emotional component of trauma and diseases.
About Chikly Health Institute
The Chikly Health Institute (CHI) is an organization devoted to education, research and therapeutic excellence.
The Chikly Health Institute offers cutting-edge courses to healthcare professionals around the world. These modalities are non invasive and effective in treating a full spectrum of physical and emotional conditions. We are committed to passion in education and excellence in the content and quality of our classes.
Meet Alexis Brink
Director of Jin Shin Institute (USA)
Practitioner, Teacher in the Art of Jin Shin and Author
In 1986, Alexis Brink came to New York from the Netherlands to be a dancer and joined The American Dancemachine company. She sustained a knee injury which took her out of rehearsals for weeks at a time. One day a friend recommended for her to receive a session from master practitioner Philomena Dooley. Philomena gave her a short session, showed some Self Help and that was the end of the injury.
This miraculous event started her on the path to become an Art of Jin Shin practitioner.
Within several years of study, Alexis observed, practiced and experienced the art and learned the foundation, as she watched and worked with her teacher Philomena and her clients. Philomena has been her mentor ever since. Together they went and studied privately with Haruki Kato in Japan. Alexis also attended Kato’s seminars as well as his son’s, Sadaki Kato.
Her intention of sharing the Art of Jin Shin with a larger audience led her to the meeting of Pamela Markarian Smith, who founded Jin Shin Institute in 1993. Pamela’s devotion to Mary Burmeister and the integrity of the work was apparent.
In January of 2015, Alexis Brink became the chosen successor of Jin Shin Institute by Pamela Markarian Smith. Alexis holds the same philosophy as Mary Burmeister and Pamela Markarian Smith, that Jin Shin is a healing art which is important to keep practicing, teaching and sharing to create continued awareness around the world, for generations to come. It is with humility and honor, and through her love for the Art of Jin Shin, that she will continue the legacy.
Alexis has taught Jin Shin in hospitals to medical professionals, in the New York Public School system, and for wellness organizations & different communities around the world. Alexis has written two Textbooks; the Core and the Depth, on how to become a practitioner in the Art of Jin Shin. Jin Shin Institute, under Alexis’s guidance, is offering a comprehensive curriculum to a new generation of practitioners and teachers. She is the author The Art of Jin Shin, Healing at Your Fingertips, Textbook 1: The Core, Textbook Two: The Depth, The Core Notebook: Sequences, Flows & Adjustments.