Aromatherapy is a massage where specific oils or a combination of oils are used. Originally all these oils were extracted from plants. This can also include the use of herbs, sea salts hydrosols and clays and mud. The therapist may also choose to use candles.
Unlike Swedish massage, which is a relatively new form of massage, aromatherapy or the use of fragment oils has been used for centuries. The oldest records date back to the early Greeks and the Chinese. In ancient Egypt, essential oils were used for therapeutic purposes as well as for embalming.
The oils used during this massage provide psychological and physical benefits to the body.
This is a very specialized form of massage because the therapist must have an in depth knowledge of essential oils and the healing properties of each.
Aromatherapy is used to treat various health problems that can include the simple cold or flu to nervousness and stress.
Over the past few years, you can now buy an assortment of oils from your health food store. If you want to treat yourself at home, you may buy the oils and try it. Some people enjoy just adding a few drops of oil to their bath to achieve a state of relaxation. Speak to the professional who works there to advise what oils would be best for you.
One of the most known aromatic oils would be eucalyptus. If you have ever used it when you have had a cold, you will know how good it can be to ease congestion.
The base oil is known as a carrier oil and then other oils are added to it. A trained therapist will know the exact oils and quantity to help with any problem health conditions. During a massage the oils are applied onto the skin and from here they are absorbed by the bloodstream where they help with the health problem.
For medical reasons, it is not advisable for pregnant women to have this massage. If you have a medical condition, it is always advisable to speak to your medical practitioner first.
When we mention the term Acupuncture most people envisage all these needles stuck into various parts of the body. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical procedure dating back thousand of years. It has since been introduced into western society and this ancient Chinese technique has helped thousands in managing various medical conditions including chronic pain and fatigue.
This is how it works. The system of Chinese medicine believes that energy (known as Qi) flows through a series of meridians in your body. These meridians, at certain points, run very closely to the skin. This allows the meridians to be accessed using the acupuncture needles. The needles are inserted to normalize the flow of the energy and remove any blockages. There is either excess energy or not enough energy and this is what the practitioner must ascertain and treat.
There have been various scientific study carried out to see if they can see how it works and they all support that acupuncture is effective. It is not known in the west exactly how – but suffice to say, they agree it works.
Like any form of medical procedure, there can be side effects. The medications you take can have side effects and can cause allergic reactions and we all know the risks associated with surgery. For Acupuncture, the risks are relatively minor, these can include minor bleeding, bruising and in some cases dizziness.
Always make sure your practitioner is licensed by the appropriate government body and they are also a member of a relevant professional association.
At your first session, your Acupuncturist will check your medical history and how you health is currently. Usually depending on what condition you have troubling you, the therapist will normal suggest a series of treatments. These sessions often last for 30-60 minutes when the needles are strategically placed along the meridians. The needles stay in for the most of the treatment. They are not painful but most people experience a mild sensation where the needle is. There are different combinations of points for different health problems.
In our western society, Acupuncture is usually used in combination with western medicine. It has a history of being very beneficial and can help with many medical conditions.
Acupressure is the ancient healing method that was used up to 5000 years ago in China. It is based on the same meridians as acupuncture. Where as acupuncture uses needles at the points along the meridian, acupressure uses the hands, fingers, thumbs and some times the forearm and elbow.
Through the application of the pressure at specific points along the meridians, you are able to stimulate the body back to health. The system is based on the Ki or Chi that runs through the body.
Illness is caused when there is an imbalance in the flow of this energy force. You can either have this energy in excess or this energy can be depleted. If the energy is in excess, it has to be sedated but if it is deficient it has to be increased(tonified) .
When pressure is place on these points, you will release muscular tension and increase the flow of blood at this point; this in turn will aid the bodies healing. There are several reasons to use acupressure – it can be used to relieve tension in the body but can also be used to cure insomnia, the common cold, increase the reproductive system and the list goes on. There are even points on the face that are used for beauty treatments.
The therapy can be self administrated or you can find a therapist who has been trained and knows the points on the meridians. If you want to learn the points for yourself there are books and charts available to help you.
It is a non invasive treatment that can help you with illness or stress. You can use just specific points or you can have a Shiatsu Massage (Japanese) or a traditional Chinese Medicine Massage (Tui Na). Both of these massages trace out the meridian points while the patient is fully clothed.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)® was and is an off shoot of Thought Field Therapy®. It was after Gary Craig trained with Dr. Roger Callaghan, a psychologist, in 1991 that EFT was born. Dr Callaghan had studied acupuncture and kinesiology. Gary was an engineer and was always interested in personal development and self improvement.
Gary started presenting seminars and offering “personal performance coaching.”
After Gary took training in Thought Field Therapy he began using this method on his clients. Over the next five years Gary was trying to simplify the tapping method.
Gary developed and refined the technique over the next five years. Gary released his Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) course in 1995.
It is used to treat the same problems or conditions as TFT such as phobias and fear, weight lose, stopping smoking and many more.
There have been several other therapists who also trained with Dr Callaghan that developed a different style but Gary Craig is the best known. Gary’s method is very simple and is very effective. There is documentary evidence that the success rate is over 80%.
If you want to find out how it works and differs to Though Field Therapy, watch the video and learn the points to tap. Again it is based on the meridian system of the body. The meridian system carries the life force throughout the body.
Thought Field Therapy (TFT) ® was discovered by Dr Roger Callaghan over 30 years ago when he was treating a woman who had a phobia about water.
What the doctor discovered that by using the meridian system of the body, as used in Chinese Traditional medicine, he was actually able to improve people who suffered negative emotions or fears within a very short period of time. As he continued to improve on the method he was using, he found that when using a sequential tapping on the face and the body, he could treat a lot of problems that sometimes seem to engulf people in their everyday life. Sometimes it can be as easy as one treatment however,some people need continued therapy but are eventually cured.
When other therapies were not working, he found that he could often help people lose weight, give up smoking, with phobias, trauma relief, fear of flying, fear of public speaking and so much more.
The tapping is at very specific places and I thought this video demonstration explains it very well. You will be able to understand how you can apply the Thought Field Therapy algorithm or the tapping sequences to improve your own life in many ways. So if you want to rid yourself of a phobia or fear, learn how to do it from this video.
Touch for Health had its beginnings in 1970 when Dr John Thie began using a method to balance the body’s energy. At this time, there was already a college where Applied Kinesiology was being taught.
Dr. Thie took some of the basic techniques, without all the theoretical components, from Applied Kinesiology. People from all walks can learn Touch for Health.
Touch for Health is a system of balancing posture, your attitude and your life energy. This in turn will relieve stress, calm any aches or pain and in general give you a feeling of clarity and allow you to get on with all the things you have to do in your life.
It is a natural therapy which involves muscle testing. Muscle testing is used to measure stress responses.
Touch for Health works on balancing the non-physical energy, but it does not treat any medical diagnosed disease. Balancing this energy is based on the acupuncture meridians and the five elements of fire,earth,metal,water and wood as found in Traditional Chinese Medicine .
Balancing is done very simply. Touch for Health identifies a “weakness” in a muscle and the muscle is balanced. Some muscles have knots while the opposing muscle will then become weak. When the weak muscle is balance, it will allow the knotted muscle to return to normal.
We are all aware when we suffer muscle pain and want a way to relieve it. You may want to try Touch for Health for yourself because it is non invasive and you can gain relief. I would suggest that if you are thinking of trying it, make sure that the therapist you chose is a registered practitioner.
Reiki works on a subtle level where, when the practitioner lays their hands on or slightly above their client, this will open up channels of healing or the various charkas and this healing travels throughout the body’s energy fields. This is a similar therapy to Pranic Healing. Both of these forms of healing use Universal energy. This again is another use of a powerful breathing system.
Reiki is made up of two Japanese words –Rei which can be translated as “the Wisdom of God or the Higher Power” and Ki which means “Life Force Energy”
Reiki is a natural energy therapy that was developed and practiced by the Tibetan Monks over 2500 years ago. What is remarkable about Reiki is that it can be passed on to anyone who wants to learn it. It is thought of as a practice that is used for healing the body but it also heals the mind and spirit.
The type of Reiki I have studied is the Usui System of Natural Healing. This type of Reiki was developed in the mid 1800 by Mikao Usui who was a Christian Minister and also the principal of the Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. His students had questioned him about the methods that Jesus had used for healing, so he embarked on a ten year quest to find out and learn the skills. Usui turned to Buddhism to help him. He was informed by the Buddhist monks that this teaching had been lost but still he joined the Buddhist monks to discover the Buddhist Teachings – the Path to Enlightenment.
Still not able to get all answers, he traveled to the United States and obtain a degree of Theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He returned to Japan, still without the answers. He joined a Zen Monastery and decided to fast and meditate for twenty one days. On the twentieth night, all was revealed to him in a dream. From that day on, he was able to heal and his healings were known as “Miracles.”
Reiki is now being used with main stream medicine and the results are astounding. Watch this video to see what is happening.
We know that we can go for weeks without food, days without water, but how long can we go without our breath? The yogis of India developed a science around the breath and they called it pranayama. Prana is the life force which controls and balances our body. Today, this has been modified by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, (1987) and brought to the Western world and he has recalled it “Pranic Healing” or “External Medical Chi Kung.” Chi Kung is an invaluable component of Traditional Chinese medicine. The important features of Chi Kung are relaxation, quietness, and unity of breath and mind.
In Choa Kok Sui method of healing, the practitioner works with the aura or energy levels of the body and scans the client’s body from the head down to the toes feeling the energy levels. The body is surrounded by two auras – one approximately two to three feet from the body (known as the health rays) and the second aura follows the contours of the body at a very close range (known as the health aura). If there is disruption or entanglement in these health rays and health auras, healing must be given. These invisible energy fields or the bioplasmic body can be viewed using Kirlian and Aura photography.
It has been observed that if when using Kirilian photography, that diseases first manifests on the bioplasmic body before it appears on the visible physical body. This therapy activities the Charkas and brings the body back to balance thus promoting peace and health within. The healer uses their hands in a sweeping motion around the body feeling the energy.
Choa Kok Sui died in 2007 but his mehtods are still taught widely around the world.
Tai Chi is an ancient form of internal martial arts. It is practiced both for defense training and the many health benefits you achieve. Today there is both the traditional and modern form but both give the same benefits.
Tai Chi is practiced all over the world and there are training schools where you can attend the practice. There are people all over the world who have no interest in martial arts enjoy Tai Chi.
The practice of Tai Chi involves three elements – health, meditation and martial arts. It is a series of slow movements through each joint that is one of the main benefits. There is no muscle tension when it is practiced correctly. The mind is focused on the movement and this results in a state of calmness and so helps reduce stress levels.
Like all eastern therapies, Tai Chi treats the whole body. In this sense it is a little like yoga as it has its own forms that combine body, mind and spirit.
There are various levels of Tai Chi and in the traditional schools as the students get to higher levels they are instructed in various element of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
There is no age limit to the person who wants to practice Tai Chi. If you travel in China you can see Tai Chi being practiced in many open area parks.
So if you would like to start with one of the gentlest therapies to improve your health, why not investigate the possibilities of joining a practice group. There are no special uniforms to purchase as with other martial arts. It is required that you wear loose clothing so your movements are not impeded in any way.
I have included a video to show you some of the forms that are practiced.
The natural healing art of Massage Therapies has been around for thousand of years but its popularity in the last 20 years has skyrocketed. We can thank the entrepreneurs who thought to start clinic and day spas, where most of us go to be pampered and relieve ourselves of our stress and tired and sore muscles.
What type of massage is for you? There are several types of Massage Therapies and I will just give you a brief description of some that are available.
The most common form of massage is the Swedish massage. This is a massage using oil or balm. It contains a series of stokes and movements using hands, fingers, thumbs, elbows and the forearm. The aim of this massage is to relax the client and let them enjoy that revitalized feeling.
Shiatsu, Thai and Tui Na (Chinese Remedial massage) are three Massage Therapies based on the eastern philosophy of treating the entire body. They are based on the meridian system and the energy Ki or Chi that flows through the body. The massage is carried out as the therapist traces out the meridians, using pressure points, and they tonify or sedated the Ki or Chi. These traditional massages are based on the idea that the body, mind and spirit form an integrated whole and that we are all connected to the environment and nature. After one of these massages, the body is returned to balance and the Ki or Chi flows smoothly and freely.
Reflexology is much more than a foot massage. This is an ancient massage and there are images in the tomb of Ankmahor in Egypt, depicting the practice of reflexology. The theory of this massage is that each part of your body is mapped out in the 10 zones of the feet. By massaging different areas of the feet, tension and blockages are released from the corresponding part of the body. This massage stimulates the lymphatic system and blood circulation. This is a non invasive treatment and there are people who love reflexology.
Aromatherapy is another massage that uses oils but they are essential oils and the massage is particular designed for a each particular person. There are about 300 oils that can be used by themselves or combined. The oils work with the chemistry of the body. The aromatherapist will take a full history of the client before deciding what oils to use. It is a very relaxing massage and can be found in most clinics and spas.
Remedial massage is a massage particularly used for people who are experiencing pain or discomfort in a muscle or a muscle group. It is through the use of strokes and firmer pressure to remedy the pain or discomfort. This massage reduces the tightness or soreness, thereby letting the client gains back their range of movement and their flexibility.
There are several other Massage Therapies available but it is an individual choice. My suggestion would be that you try a few of them to see what suits you the best.
Aromatherapy is a massage where specific oils or a combination of oils are used. Originally all these oils were extracted from plants. This can also include the use of herbs, sea salts hydrosols and clays and mud. The therapist may also choose to use candles.
