A Crisis Toolkit for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit.
For years and years, I’ve carried around a crisis toolkit to use whenever a friend, family member, client, coworker, or complete stranger entered my life in a crisis situation. Do you have a healing tool kit?
I’m betting you do. After all, we’re all healers. We all carry one around, even if we don’t call it that. So my question is this: What’s in it?
My toolkit has things to help with fear as well as death and with the dreaded coronavirus. But it also has to help with all the other diseases and aches and pains we encounter in addition: colds, fever, rashes, asthma attacks, arthritis, heart attacks, cancer…
Maybe you feel your toolkit is not ready for today’s situation. It’s probably filled with all sorts of things you can use.
Here are some things I’m sharing with you. Maybe you have things in your toolkit you can share with me.
When it comes to supporting your mind, body, and spirit during these challenging times, I TURN FIRST TO YOGA. I recommend restorative yoga.
When you are stressed, a weekly session is important. I don’t know how it is in your area, but I’m in Upstate New York which is a new hot spot for Coronavirus. I take a restorative yoga class via Zoom every week with Carolyn Abedor.
Carolyn is a physical therapist/yoga instructor. I come away from her class restored, renewed, and recharged for the coming week. I would take her class twice a week but I work on the other day she teaches it.
Do you have a yoga teacher? If not, make finding one a priority. Today’s challenges call for restorative yoga. But, if you find a different yoga that you prefer…go for it. Use what works for you.
REIKI CANNOT BE OVERESTIMATED. Do you practice Reiki therapy? If so, don’t forget to use this tool every chance you get.
Use your Reiki when you walk into a building. Use it when you walk down the street. Use Reiki when you encounter other people. Everyone is stressed out. We can all use Reiki’s healing, calming energy.
If not, now is the best time I know of to learn Reiki. Reiki is essential in stressful times. And, frankly, no time can be more stressful than now.
If you don’t practice Reiki and you can’t find a teacher, book some sessions with a practitioner. Begin with 5 sessions.
Whether or not you practice Reiki, or visit a Reiki practitioner regularly, now is a good time to organize a Reiki circle or Reiki share. Gather several friends together and let the Reiki practitioners offer healing to everyone in the room. Reiki is not one bit intimidated by the requirements of social distancing.
DON’T FORGET REFLEXOLOGY. Reflexology sessions are extremely grounding. If you are stressed out or if you have health issues, Reflexology sessions can help. Gloves and face masks will not negatively impose on Reflexology.
HEALING MUSIC HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART IN MY TOOL BOX FOR YEARS. I use it during healing sessions, classes, or whenever I feel the need.
Through the years, I’ve learned that healing music can be all sorts of sounds. Beauty is in the ears of the beholder. I tend to favor Deuter, Halpern, Ken Davis, Anugama. Your favorites may be totally different. Because of my experiences, I prefer the older musicians. But, there are many kinds of healing music available today. Explore them until you know what works best for you.
GUIDED MEDITATIONS are essential. I began reading those written by others and now create my own. I suggest that you go with someone else’s until the time is right for you. The goal of a guided meditation is to awaken, transform, or heal. For years, I relied on the meditations compiled in books by Larry Moen.
BEDSIDE TABLE BOOKS are essential. They are the books I read when my tanks need refilling. These books vary with the need. Sometimes escape is the only route. Other times, I need to know what other people have to say about the situation I’m dealing with.
I’m often hungry for the wisdom others offer. To prevent empty tanks, I try to read about an hour a day.
When I fed hungry and homeless people in a food pantry, I found solace in the statistics of hunger. At any given moment I could tell you what percentage of children in our country went to bed hungry. I knew the difference between resource poor and generational poor and struggling poor. I knew all about dumpster diving.
Now, I’m attracted to memoirs. It’s not the problems that attract me. It’s how the writer tackled the problem that counts.
Fear, and forgiveness are big on my list.
Finally, when I need to veg out, I go for whatever catalogue is in my mailbox.
The important thing is to know when to fill your own tanks. Your toolbox won’t be worth much if you’re stretched too thin.
Your toolkit may be totally different. It probably is different. After all, we are scattered all over the planet. I hope to hear about some things in your toolkit. Please email me.
Meanwhile, please forward this article to your preferred social media network.
In honor of this most stressful time, I’m offering you a free copy of a book I wrote entitled “Miracles”. Email your mailing address to thurmangreco@gmail.com before April 12th, and I’ll send it along – absolutely free with no strings attached.
Thank you for being here.
Thurman Greco
The Spirituality of Fear
Full-blown fear isn’t really in my personal vocabulary, so I don’t often feel it. But, when I do feel fear, I feel it 100%. I feel fear for us, and the earth. This is the spirituality of fear.
When I felt fear in my life, fear interfered with my grounding mechanism. And, that wasn’t all. It took control and moved and directed me throughout every single day.
That is not to say that I have not ever experienced fear. I have, definitely, lived with fear. But, this post is not about that fear. It is for us, our fear, and our Earth.
I feel in my spiritual core that fear is directing many of us nowadays. Through the guise of the Coronavirus, fear is totally in charge of many of us and our lives.
I am suggesting, no – pleading – that fear has no place in our lives at this moment. For one thing, when fear controls us, it wrecks our immune systems. Not one person on our planet today needs an immune system compromised in any way.
Instead of fear, focus on our planet. In my inner core, I feel that I need to focus on our precious planet earth because she’s the only planet we’ve got.
With all the cars, factories, ships, and planes grounded and parked, our Earth is getting a very much needed time-out.
During this time, our Earth’s streams, lakes, and oceans are cleaning themselves up.
The atmosphere surrounding our planet is cleaning itself out – finally! The humans on our planet are, for the moment, generating less smog.
We are using the dirt – fields, meadows, mountainsides – in different ways now.
So, while our medical, and governmental leaders are figuring out how to combat this pandemic, I can’t help but be grateful for this time out, this cleansing experience on and in our Earth.
In my spiritual center, I feel we are on the verge of a whole new world. I am not longingly looking back on the return of the old reality of the past. The past is gone – a memory which we can write, paint, and sing about in the future.
Instead, I look forward to our new world and its cleaner, healthier, reality.
Please join me.
Let us celebrate our future together.
Let us ponder things learned and create better ways to live our lives daily.
Let us rejoice in a cleaner, more beautiful tomorrow.
If you feel moments of fear, there are things you can do:
Meditate on a future you would like to see.
Seek grounding through bodywork.
Find gratitude in lessons learned and beauty to experience.
Thank you.
Thurman Greco
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Let us all embrace the beauty we will experience.
Thurman Greco
Wellness and Healing for Ourselves and Our Planet During the Spring Solstice
To promote wellness and healing throughout the planet, and on March 19th, find a time and place that fits your schedule.
Sit quietly for a few moments and visualize a world where positive renewal and growth exists for all beings. Allow wellness and healing to become a reality for all.
Plant spiritual seeds to nurture your goals and dreams. Get to know your potential and reflect on all the wonderful opportunities in the world for growth and hope throughout our planet.
Set an intention honoring this mystical and magical change of seasons creating space for your spiritual growth.
Check in with yourself now. Give your spirit the support it needs and seeks to bring wellness and healing to all beings on our planet.
Quiet your mind as you bathe in this new energy of spring. Invite universal balance into our world.
Thank you
Thurman Greco
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Poor Sleep Can Wreck Your Quality of Life
If you let it, POOR SLEEP will leave you feeling tired, confused, and depressed.
Sleep can have many causes. And, that’s one of the reasons we struggle with it. In past blog posts, I’ve written many articles about sleep and here is yet another one. And, there will probably be many more.
However, this article is different from all the rest. In this article, you will learn POOR SLEEP HAS MANY CAUSES. Investigate every one that applies to your situation.
Poor sleep causes fall in several categories.
To begin with, COFFEE, CIGARETTES, AND DIET PILLS are in their own little but potent category.
Is caffeine part of your poor sleep problem? Remember, it is found in many things beyond just the cup of coffee you have in the morning. Try to find them all and banish them from your daily life.
Are your days spent in rooms with DIM LIGHTING? Poor sleep can be the result of this environment. What can you do to remedy this situation? Getting just twenty to thirty minutes of sunlight each day can make a difference.
Do you get enough exercise? MOVING YOUR MUSCLES IS ESSENTIAL to overcoming poor sleep. It comes down to this: You have to move enough to get to sleep at the end of your day. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.
Do you have one or more HEALTH ISSUES that promote poor sleep patterns? Some diseases make it hard to get to sleep. Others make consistent sleep throughout the night difficult. If sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and sinus problems interfere with a good night’s sleep, get treatment for them. The message here is this: Don’t let a medical condition cause your poor sleep.
Finally, we come to SLEEPING PILLS. For me, they are an absolute last resort. Sleeping pills come after you have done everything you possibly can to overcome poor sleep.
Why? Some of these pills create their own problems.
Several herbal remedies and supplements are on the market to combat your poor sleep. Two that come to mind are Melatonin and Valerian.
We don’t really know whether either one of them works because the studies have been sparse and contradictory. The preparations and dosages are varied so that it’s complicated to know how much and when to take either Melatonin or Valerian.
It’s best to take any sleeping preparations under the direction of a professional who knows about the products you are taking. That way, you won’t be wasting your money and you won’t be overdosing.
The BOTTOM LINE here is to encourage you to chase down each and every cause of poor sleep that you can. Deal with each and every cause in your search for blessed sleep.
Thanks for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
How Stressed Are You Anyway? 6 Common Responses to Stress and What You Can Do About Them.
How does your stress add up for you? Are you more stressed than usual? Are you more stressed than your friends and family?
Does everything seem to be an emergency? In other words, is your stress becoming out of control? Do you feel as if you need to see a professional for help controlling your stress response?
Is getting back and forth to work stressful for you? Is your work situation stressful? Many of our stress responses can be planned for and, hopefully, controlled.
If you develop the habit of staying tuned to your body, you can become aware of upcoming stress before things get out of control. Your physical body will send you signals. What are they?
DO YOU CLENCH YOUR MUSCLES? This is easy to check out. Begin by checking your body for clenched muscles. Begin at the top of your head and work your way down to your toes. Favorite stress spots for many people are jaws and teeth, neck and shoulders, fists, lower spine, and feet.
DO YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH? Many people do this when they are stressed. This habit carries over to your sleep for some.
DO YOUR HANDS GET COLD? Generally speaking, your cold hands indicate a stressed body. To test whether your hands are cold or not, hold one of your hands on your neck. If it is cooler than your body, you are probably stressed.
ARE YOU SWEATING? It can be that you are overheated. But, sweating can also be an indication that you are stressed. As humans, we sweat when we are in a protection mode. If you find yourself sweating, ask yourself what is causing this situation.
IS YOUR PULSE RACING? If you are not exerting yourself and your pulse is racing, you are most probably stressed. What is happening?
DO YOU REWIND THE SAME THOUGHT ENDLESSLY? This is a common human condition. When we are upset about something, we rewind the same concern for minutes, hours, days. Like a stuck record, we think about the same thing over and over and over.
A good thing to do is realize that you have a situation upsetting you. Once you realize what the cause may be, you can seek a solution.
Can you brainstorm with a friend or colleague to find a solution. For example, you may have a difficult commute to and from work. Can you take a bus or train instead of driving?
It may be that your situation is too much for you to handle alone and you need to seek professional help to identify your stressor and then deal with it. If that is the case, go for it! You will be much better off when you find a solution to your problem.
Meanwhile, there are a couple of generic things you can do which will help until you begin your therapy. These things include
MEDITATION – Spend a few minutes each day meditating . This should help you cope with your situation while promoting a positive attitude. You can take a meditation class or find or write guided meditation focusing on your situation.
Either way, meditation promotes homeostasis which can only help because it promotes the balance of all your body systems.
TAKE INVENTORY DAILY. A good thing to do is to take an inventory daily of the things in your life which might affect you today. This inventory will help you prepare for all the little things which add up to stress. This inventory will include things which are not necessarily major sources of stress. But they are there – waiting to happen. Being aware of them in advance helps.
With a little practice, this inventory can help reduce your stress levels daily. More tips will follow in future blog posts. Your goal is to try them out and choose the ones which work best for you.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
10 Ways to Cope with Stress
Everyone I know and meet is stressed out these days. Many are ill. Flu. Heart Issues. Rashes. Arthritis. You name it. Coping with current events can be challenging for all of us.
There are things that you can do to cope with the situation.
BOOK A REFLEXOLOGY, REIKI, OR CHAKRA HEALING SESSION. It may be that just one session is all you need to feel more relaxed, grounded. Or, it may be that one session won’t heal everything but one session is better than nothing. And, maybe you can find time in your schedule to book several bodywork healing sessions.
TAKE A NAP. I work. I know how hard this can be but I manage to schedule my naps for a few short minutes when I get home from work. These little power naps are crucial to my overall wellbeing. I also try to schedule a nap on my day off. Put your feet up for five minutes even. It will help.
SPEND SOME TIME WITH FRIENDS. Your connection to your community is a boost to your grounding and calm. Chatting with friends and acquaintances over a cup or tea or at a meeting of some kind can be very positive. This will give your mental health a boost.
DO YOU MEDITATE? If not, now is a good time to begin. I just read in a book that people who meditate live three years longer than those who don’t. If you do, now is a good time to pat yourself on the back. You’ve got a good habit. If you don’t meditate, now is a good time to begin the practice. This might be a good time to join a meditation group or class.
DEVELOP A NEW INTEREST. The opportunities to expand your horizon are limitless. Not all hobbies are expensive. Many are not costly at all. The important thing is that you find something new to do which you like. Your options are endless here.
CHANGE YOUR DIET! When you add new foods to your life, you’ll be on an adventure. Choose a new food each week. Bring it home and discover where the food comes from, how it’s cooked, stored, and eaten. You’ll enjoy these discoveries each week. This change will help you feel more alive, and energized. At the end of a year, your kitchen will be an entirely different place with all the new foods you’ll be eating. You’ll know and enjoy many new foods! Chances are, you will be more energized and happier overall.
DISCOVER SOMETHING EACH DAY THAT YOU CAN BE GRATEFUL FOR. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. But, finding something to be thankful for is important. Try to do this early in your day so you can enjoy this feeling all day long.
USE A DAILY PLANNER. This one small change in your life can give you a large shift as you relieve the stress caused by missed appointments and unscheduled events. Finally having your life schedule organized is a major stress reliever for many.
HONOR YOURSELF. We all experience setbacks of one kind or another. The important thing is to not allow them to control your life. Take a negative event and turn it into a strength-building exercise. This will help you overcome feelings of stress and negativity.
Thank you for reading this blog post! Please forward this article to your preferred social media network.
Thank you again for your interest in wellness for all.
Thurman Greco
Ear Infections are Spiritual Events
Spiritually, ear infections represent your need to not hear. Ear infections surface where there is anger. What is happening is that what you hear is getting to you. What you hear is making you angry.
Bacteria, fungi, and viruses cause ear infection. They can be excruciatingly painful. Get medical help if your earache causes a fever and if there is a discharge. Start treatment you experience pain in your ear. Your goal is to ease any pain and clear up the infection.
Colds, sinus infections, and throat infections block the eustacian tuber which enable middle ear infections which can be painful. You may feel dizzy. You may have a discharge from your ear. You may have a temperature. Your glands and tonsils may be swollen.
There are several things you can do to prevent ear infections. Avoid second hand smoke. Keep ear wax cleaned out of your ears. Treat your nasal and sinus allergies and treat infected tonsils and adenoids.
Reflexology, Reiki therapy, and chakra healing sessions offer homeostasis to minimalize inflammation and normalize body systems. Reiki therapy help with pain management and nausea. Chakra healing is grounding.
CHAKRA:
Ear infections are a sixth chakra imbalance.
REFLEXOLOGY SYSTEMS TO WORK:
digestive system, sense organ systems, immune system, lymphatic system, liver, solar plexus, spleen
ESSENTIAL OILS
eucalyptus, helichrysum, lavender, myrrh, oregano, rosemary, tea tree, thyme
SUGGESTED FIELDS OF HEALING
Conventional medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Herbalism
THINGS TO TRY
Allergy injections can reduce the number of ear infections. In some cases, ear tube surgery helps. Don’t smoke around people with ear infections. Vaccinate you and your family members against the flu.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
Am I listening to my inner voice? Do I hear what others say? Can I discover what is so difficult for me?
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Your Liver, Your Life and 2020 – 10 Liver-Friendly Tips
We’re just fresh into the new year. 2020 is here!
For many of us, the new year brings intestinal and liver cleanses encouraging the good health resolution we always make. Both in my wellness book and my blog posts, I refer to cleanses.
What better time is there for a cleanse than now – in January of the new year?
I always recommend an intestinal cleanse before the liver cleanse. Actually, the two cleanses are partners working together for your good health.
STEP ONE is an intestinal cleanse designed to detox your digestive system. When your intestinal tract is clean, you will feel better, have more energy, and be more alert. But, a key purpose of this intestinal cleanse is to prepare you to detox your liver.
If you detox your liver before cleaning your intestinal tract, you may overload your digestive system. The result may not leave you feeling better, more alert, and energetic.
So, the best way to go is to detox your intestinal tract first.
STEP TWO is a liver detox. With a clean intestinal tract, the toxins will leave your body much easier.
When you think about your liver and what it does, it only makes sense to have a liver cleanse last.
Your liver is your body’s largest and most complex organ. Some textbooks describe the tasks your liver performs in the hundreds. How can one organ in the body do all the things it’s supposed to do? Your liver processes your food nutrients, removes contaminents, stores minerals and vitamins, regulates blood clotting. On top of the many things your liver does, it regenerates itself.
Your liver is vital to your health and wellbeing.
So, your liver should thank you for giving it a detox.
And, after your detox, your liver should easily and effectively process all the things you put in your body. What can you do after your detox to help keep it in good running order?
There are several things you can do which will help your liver function better…especially if you have health issues affecting your liver.
ENJOY A CUP OR TWO OF COFFEE. Caffeine is good for your liver.
LOW-FAT FOODS. Avoid saturated and trans fats which don’t go well with a fatty liver.
SKIP THE SUGAR. Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to eat few to no sweets.
GET THE SALT OUT. Too much salt in your diet contributes to high blood pressure which is hard on your liver.
EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES. These foods offer a variety of vitamins and minerals which are easier to digest than the supplements themselves.
GO FOR WHOLE GRAINS. Brown rice, beans, whole grain breads are preferred.
WATER, WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE. Drink a lot of water…everyday.
SKIP RAW FISH AND MEATS. Your goal is to avoid introducing harmful bacteria to your liver.
SKIP THE ALCOHOL. If you have health issues, alcohol is too stressful on your body.
So, there you have it. I truly hope this list will help you and your whole body health maintenance in the coming year. These tips are all liver-friendly. Your liver is important to your overall health – every day.
Thanks for reading this article.
Please refer this blog post to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Thurman Greco
9 Things You Can Do for a Healthy New Year – Wellness!
These nine suggestions can transform your body, your kitchen, and your lifestyle. They are a living proof that wellness is not hard to achieve.
So, in this new year, GO FOR WELLNESS!
EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
This is far easier than you might think.
Raw fruits and veggies are a good snack. Cooked, they can be a main dish or side serving. They can be a dessert, even! So, go for it.
EAT MORE WHOLE GRAINS
Foods made with white flour are lacking. They lack fiber, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients which you need. They also taste better!
USE CANOLA OIL AND ORGANIC EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Replace all the other oils in your kitchen with these oils. Especially get rid of partially hydrogenated oils.
TAKE YOUR VITAMINS
This can be an overwhelming proposition. A good start is to ask your healthcare professional for guidelines. Or, contact Village Apothecary in Woodstock, New York, for some pointers. I get all my vitamins and supplements at Village Apothecary.
If you’re not comfortable calling Village Apothecary, find a place where you feel comfortable that the staff are well-trained and have customer wellness at heart.
If you like research, a third option is to study about one vitamin a month and add the vitamins or supplements monthly.
AVOID HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
This is not a new piece of information. I’ve been writing and talking about this for years. But, this product is still in foods we buy. To really get away from it, read the fine print.
Go ahead. Do it. Read the fine print.
Then…once you’re doing this….
CUT BACK ON PROCESSED FOODS
Processed foods are loaded with products which aren’t even foods at all. These products shouldn’t even be in your kitchen, let alone in your body
Healthy food is not that difficult to find. In fact, it can be easier than you think.
EAT ORGANIC FOODS
Do this as much as possible. If the organic foods price tags in the grocery store give you sticker shock, focus on the “dirty” foods: strawberries, spinach, peaches, celery, greens.
It’s easy to wash pesticides off your produce. Put about 1/4 teaspoon of Dr. Bronner’s Soap (I use Peppermint) in a bowl of water. Dunk the produce in the mixture and swish it around in the bowl. Rinse the produce in clear water.
CUT OUT THE ALCOHOL, FIZZY DIET DRINKS, SODA POP.
Cut back, preferably to zero consumption. If this seems impossible to you, then you need to think about what these beverages mean to you. On the practical level, they do nothing good for you.
CUT BACK ON DARK MEATS.
Meats are not that good for us, really. Today’s beef, pork, and processed meats are loaded with chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.
Yech!
Thank you for reading this article! Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
Thanks again
Thurman Greco
Wellness, Our Planet, and the Winter Solstice
Today, on our Winter Solstice, or whenever you find a time that fits your schedule…
Sit quietly for a few moments and visualize a world where all beings know they belong.
See a world where we are all connected and work together in mutual respect , harmony, and honor.
Visualize a world where wellness for all is a reality.
Create a world in your spirit and your heart where balance is universal.
Focus on this vision of peace and food for all.
Thank you.
Thurman Greco
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