What is Reflexology?
Most of us do not look after our feet very well.
Reflexology is the ancient art of foot massage which originated in China and which was also known to the Ancient Egyptians. It is believed that energy runs through the body in channels known as meridians and that massage of the feet stimulates these energy channels, promoting healing and relaxation. Every part of the foot corresponds to an area of the body, and massage of the feet stimulates the corresponding part of the body so that receiving a reflexology massage is regarded as the equivalent of a full body massage.
From the “American Academy of Reflexology”
Definition Of Reflexology
Reflexology is the study, art, and science of applying specific touch techniques to the Feet, Hands, and outer Ears where theory suggests there is a pressure map resembling a shape of the Human Body. By applying nurturing touch in specific ways, wide ranges of health benefits have been reported.
What is CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral work is a subtle and profound healing form. It is thought that movement restrictions at the cranial sutures of the skull may negatively affect rhythmic impulses conveyed through the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the central nervous system from the cranium to the sacrum. A disturbance of the rhythmic flow of cerebrospinal fluid is believed to adversely affect health.
Through light touch, the CranioSacral system can be evaluated by gently feeling various locations on the body to test for ease of motion via the pulsating rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid. Techniques are then used to restore normal function within the system. This helps increase physical vitality and well being, not only releasing physical tension and disharmony, but also helping to bring psycho-emotional balance and to relieve stress. It can be very relaxing and at the deepest level, truly transformative.
CranioSacral work helps relieve a wide variety of dysfunctions, including chronic pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, injuries and central nervous system and stress related disorders.
Definition of CranioSacral Therapy (CST)
CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance. It was pioneered and developed by Osteopathic Physician John E. Upledger after years of clinical testing and research at Michigan State University where he served as professor of biomechanics.
Using a variety of soft touch techniques, no greater than 5 grams of pressure (about the weight of a nickel), practitioners release restrictions in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system. CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and it is also effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction.
From Upledger Institute International
Who benefits from CranioSacral Therapy (CST)?
- Because CranioSacral Therapy is so effective as a preventive health measure, almost anyone can benefit from a session. For more pressing concerns, CST has proven especially effective on puzzling cases that have not responded well to other approaches. It’s particularly helpful to those with head, neck or back injuries resulting from an accident.
- The extremely light touch also makes CranioSacral Therapy a safe approach for anyone including children and infants who have experienced early stress, including birth trauma. By releasing restrictions around the central nervous system early, you may help prevent future difficulties such as learning disabilities or hyperactivity.
How does CranioSacral Therapy Work?
- Few structures have as much influence over the body’s ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system. And few systems have as much impact on the central nervous system as the CranioSacral system – the membranes and fluid that surround, protect and nourish the brain and spinal cord.
- Every day your body endures stresses and strains, and your structures work to compensate for them. Unfortunately, these changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the CranioSacral system, which can then cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord. The result is a barrier to the healthy performance of the central nervous system, and potentially every other system it interacts with.
- Fortunately, such restrictions can be detected and corrected using simple methods of touch. Generally using about 5 grams of pressure — roughly the weight of a nickel – the CST practitioner uses his or her hands to evaluate the CranioSacral system by gently feeling various locations of the body to test for the ease of motion and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid pulsing around the brain and spinal cord. Soft-touch techniques are then used to release restrictions in any tissues influencing the CranioSacral system.
- By normalizing the environment around the brain and spinal cord and enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct, CranioSacral Therapy is able to alleviate a wide variety of dysfunctions, from chronic pain and sports injuries to stroke and neurological impairment.
Is there any condition for which CST shouldn’t be used?
- There are certain situations where application of CST would not be recommended. These include conditions where a variation and/or slight increase in intracranial pressure would cause instability. Acute aneurysm, cerebral hemorrhage or other preexisting severe bleeding disorders are examples of conditions that could be affected by small intracranial pressure changes.
What is Reiki?
Usui Shiki Ryoho is a specific form of practice that allows the student to have contact with the energy of Reiki simply by laying on of hands in self treatment and treatment of others. This system of practice is described in the 4 Aspects and 9 Elements, through the teachings of Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, Hawayo Takata, and Phyllis Furumoto.
Reiki is a Japanese concept translated as “Universal Life Energy.” The phrase was coined by Mikao Usui to describe the energy that he had contacted through years of self-preparation and dedication. The following description of Reiki is taken from Hawayo Takata’s journal when she was a beginning student of Chujiro Hayashi, circa 1935.
“The power is unfathomable, immeasurable, and being a universal life force, it is incomprehensible to man.”
What are Essential Oils?
If you have ever enjoyed the scent of a rose, you’ve experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. These naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. In addition to giving plants their distinctive smells, essential oils protect plants and play a role in plant pollination. In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and being beautifully fragrant to people, essential oils have long been used for food preparation, beauty treatment, and health care practices.
What is Gong Therapy?
The Gong produces a strong sound wave, almost tangible to the touch, which stimulates the physical body by influencing the surface of the skin. The sonic touch of the gong can be a healing touch as it stimulates the bodies dermatomes.
Dermatomes are surface areas of the skin extending from the spine throughout the body. Through a network of nerves, these skin areas are connected to different organs in the body and with corresponding segments of the spinal cord. These skin areas can be stimulated by sound waves, much like a massage, and produce effects on corresponding organs and other areas of the body.
Educator and musician Johannes Heimrath conducted many workshops and healing sessions with the gong in the 1980s. He discovered that the sound of the gong was most helpful in connection with relieving neck pain and headaches, menstrual difficulties and cramping in the chest and upper respiratory system.
On a purely physical level, the sound of a live gong stimulates circulation while its wide range of frequencies stimulate nerve endings and may prove useful in recovering from injuries in which nerve damage has occurred.
As physical distress and illness often have an emotional and stress related component as well, the gong affects the physical health by working in these areas as well. Finally, it appears that the sound of the gong stimulates the glandular system to a higher level of functioning. The pituitary gland seems directly affected by its sound which in turn causes the whole glandular system to become balanced.
From “Gong Yoga” by Mehtab Benton
What is Kundalini Yoga?
3HO Kundalini Yoga —the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization—is comprised of people dedicated to living a life that uplifts and inspires.
Founded in 1969, 3HO has become a vibrant, dynamic community of leaders, teachers, students, and seekers of various faiths, persuasions, and cultures practicing the time-proven technology of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan®, grounded and centered in a philosophy of compassion and kindness.
As we experience our excellence, realize inner peace, and live healthy, happy, holy lives, we become guiding lights for others as they too rise to meet the challenges of the Aquarian Age.
Mission Statement:
“3HO’s mission is to inspire everyone, everywhere to live a Healthy, Happy, and Holy life through the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.”
From 3HO Kundalini Yoga