What’s Your Definition of Healthy?
When I first studied massage therapy at PMTI, I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of things that make up the healthy human body. There are, for example, over 600 muscles.
From the beginning of this class in 1980, I have never stopped studying and learning about the human body, its wellbeing, and its health. Not even for a moment.
The question looming over all the studies, classes, and courses is this: What is the definition of healthy?
As a healer, my goal is to be a conduit for your healing. I am not here to change your story. And, I certainly cannot define “Healthy” for you. Each person I meet in my daily travels has a truly unique and individual definition of “Healthy”.
An important word in my vocabulary as healer is “homeostasis”. Through the years, I’ve worked to make that word and it’s definition a part of your life, too.
Homeostasis is the return to balance of your body. As a Reflexologist, my goal was and is and will be to bring your body to homeostasis.
And, of course, Homeostasis is a big word because the body has so many thousands of working parts.
That being said – what is Healthy? For me, as a healer, that word is loaded.
For many, healthy comes down to what you eat. After all, we’ve all heard and read the saying: “You are what you eat.”
And, I think we can agree that something that is perfect for one person is not good for another. That’s why there are so many different diets for people these days. Each of us has individual needs when it comes to what we need to be healthy. So, it comes down to this:
One body needs different foods compared to another body.
Our dietary needs continually shift.
Whether we’re talking diet, exercise, sleep, or any other activity, our daily decisions are spiritual.
So, this all includes judgement and criticism. This is an extremely eye-opening statement for some. But, I know it to be true. Many people feel judged for what they eat, where they get what they eat, and how they store, prepare, and serve what they bring home.
People not only feel judged for what they eat, they feel judged for how they look, whether they are over or underweight, and their lifestyles.
When we eat to be healthy physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, we come up against a lot of opinions and questions.
Something I try to never do is criticize another person for what they eat or don’t eat. However, that’s a tough thing to do. But, really, we never literally know what another person needs to be healthy.
You can simplify your life a bit if you just believe that we don’t know what another person needs and we don’t need to know. It’s just not anybody else’s business.
And, it’s easier to do this if we factor in the cost of food these days. Nowadays it’s getting to be more common to encounter people who simply don’t have the money to eat the way they might otherwise eat.
Instead of feeding their bodies and souls, they are” robbing Peter to pay Paul” (as my mother used to say) as they choose between rent and food. We can’t blame our unhealthy activities and habits on the rising cost of food when our rents have risen from $800 per month to $2000 per month.
Meanwhile, the job is paying more but not THAT much more.
Guess what, this blog post has just degenerated from a spiritual discussion of the word “healthy” into an economic politically spiritual one. Our struggles all have a spiritual component.
And, when a person finally loses the roof and life’s struggle includes finding a warm, dry place to sleep for the night, I wonder how they fit healthy into the struggle to get to work, get the children to school, and find a meal.
At this point, “healthy” becomes a lot about how to breathe deeply for grounding.
And now, I’m reminded of Kerrith McKechnie, my massage teacher at PMTI. She spoke a lot about breath, breathing, grounding and staying healthy.
I listened to her when she spoke about breathing and its importance to our health. And, every time she lectured or instructed us about breathing, I wondered how this was going to fit into the next exam.
Well, Kerrith McKechnie, I finally know the answer to my question. When the rubber meets the road, proper breathing techniques are essential.
Proper grounding and healing breathing techniques fit smack dab into the middle of the situation.
When you can, please schedule a reflexology or reiki therapy session for yourself, your family members, and even your pets.
If this seems a bit expensive, maybe it’s time to learn to practice Reiki or reflexology.
Thank you for reading this blog post article about the spiritual journey we are all on. My intention is that this article can be a conduit for your spiritual growth and healing.
If you haven’t yet read “Healer’s Handbook” this may be a good opportunity for you to order a copy.
Please forward this article to your preferred social media network and share it with your friends and relatives.
If you want to communicate with me, please email: thurmangreco@gmail.com.
“Ketchup Sandwich Chronicles” is about the spiritual journey of hunger as illustrated by the shoppers in the food pantry line.
Interested in Self-Care? Try Self-Forgiveness
Let me start this article this way: Self-forgiveness is never easy.
I’ve written about self-forgiveness before. It’s a theme for me – even though I didn’t realize it when I began writing. It’s definitely a part of my books and essays on wellness and hunger.
I have forgiveness chapters in all of my books. My two favorite chapters are in “The Ketchup Sandwiches Chronicles” beginning on page 103 and 145.
These two chapters focus on two real people and the voyages they traveled while seeking self-forgiveness.
Begin self-care with a few questions:
Who am I in this community? In this country? On this planet?
Remember: My community, my country, and my planet have value. I believe the value is greater than the sum of all of us combined.
Self-care means joining the community of the planet. Everyone, without exception, has value and a role to play.
No one, not even the least of us, is irrelevant. No one, not even the greatest of us, is above it all. Being rich or poor simply isn’t part of the equation.
Self-forgiveness in the context of self-care is a journey where we become a part of something greater. We don’t write off people and situations. We challenge, encourage, love.
Self-forgiveness allows us to not always be at our best.
Self-forgiveness includes renewal and support.
Self-forgiveness can be a calling.
When you sign onto the journey of self-forgiveness, you’ll travel to places you’ve never been before. You may find yourself involved in activities and events for which you may not be quite prepared.
You can’t complete a self-forgiveness journey with an isolated incident like you would complete a puzzle or word game. It is a part of a process.
Forgiveness is always a challenge. Everyone seeks forgiveness and self-forgiveness is the hardest part.
How does it work? Well, do what you can with what you have. Work where you are. A good starting point is to sketch your community.
Really, what you’re doing is muddling through. Frankly, I think that’s how self-forgiveness works. This journey is not going to be perfect. At times, it may seem overwhelming. Other times, it may seem simply like a blank page. Self-forgiveness comes with very few maps. Certainly, there is no GPS.
Forgiveness is a journey with its own timetable. There may be surprise stops along the way. That’s because forgiveness has its own messages and meaning.
A bottom line is this: Forgiveness is for you and you alone. When you forgive someone, you are not forgiving them for them. You are forgiving them for you.
And, that’s what self-care is all about: YOU.
Self-forgiveness happens when you move beyond your thoughts and memories to a new place. At that moment, you see things differently. Sometimes this new place can be a sort of miracle.
This happens when you see your open heart and embrace new hopes and blessings. After a few moments, you may also hear things in a new way.
This is true change. True change, and self-forgiveness, happens when you face the same condition that caused you to behave in a way unacceptable to yourself and now you see things differently.
You break out of your past.
You’ve changed. You are a different person.
You wake up and claim your self-forgiven reality.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please forward it to your preferred social media network. Share it with your friends and family.
To hear stories of healing and of hunger, tune into YouTube. There are several segments where I read the stories. It is one thing to read the stories and another thing entirely to hear them. ENJOY
When traveling on your self-forgiveness journey, I recommend you include regular reflexology and Reiki sessions. Spiritual journeys include physical, mental, and emotional changes as well. Your feet are a command center of your body. They need consideration and attention during this time.
If you have questions, contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com
THANKS AGAIN!
September Solstice – a Time to Focus on Wellness and Healing for Ourselves and Our Planet
The September Solstice is a time to promote wellness and healing throughout the planet. Please take a moment to dwell on a planet where all beings experience wellness and coexist in honor and support.
Visualize a world where all beings experience positive renewal and growth as wellness and healing become real. Get to know all the wonderful opportunities in your world for growth and hope throughout our planet.
As the planet goes into its next phase, support your spirit and encourage healing and wellness to all plants and animals on earth. Make a place for yourself during this time to encourage spiritual growth.
Think of ways you can invite universal balance in your life. Think of how you fit into your day, into your world, into your goals.
Check in with yourself to give support to your spirit. Focus on a world where everyone works together with respect and harmony in support of all needs.
Create a vision of peace and wellness for yourself. Attract spiritual calm.
Expand your peace and wellness and spiritual calm to include every living thing in the world.
Thank you for reading this meditation.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network. If you like this post, please forward it to your friends.
Thanks again,
Thurman
Risk Factors Don’t Act Alone
Risk factors are behaviors or conditions linked to disease. They don’t act alone.
They create their synchronicity when they react with one another. Some diseases, such as cancer, rely on multiple risk factors (age, habits, family history, health conditions, and environment) to manifest as diseases. Then, again, these same diseases can develop without any known risk factors.
When disease strikes a body without risk factors, the risk factors are energetic instead of physical. Energetic risk factors include resentment, unprocessed hurt, hatred, grief.
AGE is a risk factor in many health issues. It’s a risk factor throughout your life. Heart diseases and strokes take decades to develop, and children’s diseases focus on the youngest as the most vulnerable. Emergency rooms and physicians’ waiting rooms are populated regularly with infants, children, and seniors.
DIABETES. When you become diabetic, you are suddenly at the front of the line for a whole selection of diseases: stroke, heart attack, cataracts, glaucoma, peripheral artery disease, diabetic foot disease, neuropathy.
DNA testing is commonplace for certain types of diseases. I look forward to the day when people get their DNA tested routinely before the disease becomes dangerous, not after you’ve found it and are receiving drugs and trying to learn what other medical procedures are in your future.
FAMILY HISTORY OF A PARTICULAR DISEASE. Just because a particular disease is in your family history doesn’t mean you’ll get that disease 100%. It’s important to know about the disease and it’s important to use the knowledge to fight it.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE is both a treatable disease and a silent killer. No one should have to deal with the complications of high blood pressure. The medication is not expensive. High blood pressure needs treatment because it becomes a silent killer when left untreated. Because there are few symptoms people resist the lifesaving medication.
HIGH CHOLESTEROL is truly a silent killer. Your body works much better when there are healthy numbers to work with. Taking your cholesterol medication can be an easy decision if you examine the statistics. People live longer with statins.
OBESITY is an epidemic in our country right now. How does this happen?
First, people don’t move enough to process the calories consumed. Secondly, people are now eating a lot of chemicals manufactured for human consumptions. These eating products are manufactured to eat but they are not food. Our foods are not able to properly digest these chemical-laden products.
SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE When I walk down the street on a sidewalk, I notice those around me walking. Some move rapidly, with purpose, easily. Others move slowly, with or without purpose, painfully.
I always want to ask them whether they liked moving when they were young. Some people are totally in their bodies and move easily through life. Others are not and don’t move easily. In the final analysis, I ask myself how can I convince a person who doesn’t like to move to walk or run or play a game of some kind. How can I help them see their bodies in the future? How can I help them see how much easier it is when they keep their bodies from rusting?
SMOKING is a set-up for an unhealthy end of life. When I see a person suffering from COPD trying to breathe, I always wonder whether or not they think smoking was the right thing to do. But, then, I’m sure when a person begins to smoke, COPD is never on anyone’s mind.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
Your Longevity – And a Healthy Living Attitude
The first step toward achieving your longevity goals is a healthy living attitude.
Healthy living is much easier when you feel what you’re doing is important and when you feel like you’re going to succeed when you develop your new healthy habits. Optimism is the necessary ingredient in a healthy living attitude.
Healthy living is a journey toward a goal. You can travel on the healthy living attitude express every day if you know in your heart that you’re going to be successful.
One of the hardest things to do in life is lose weight. The only thing harder is keeping it off. And, really, the most important ingredient in this whole lifestyle change is your healthy living attitude.
I know you can do it. I know you can adopt whatever habits you need to achieve your longevity goals. I know you can do it because I did it. And, the one thing that made the difference was my healthy living attitude.
I tried many times throughout the years to lose weight – to no avail. Diets were depressing. Blah. Blah. Blah.
This last try was different. Why? I experienced an attitude adjustment which worked! I’m not sure what happened. I was just ready to be free of all the extra pounds. It was just time. I was ready to let go of all the excuses that I’d been clinging to for years: my bum thyroid, my menopause, a business which sapped my strength every day and took over 80 hours a week on a slow week.
I woke up one day and realized I wanted to be free. I faced up to the fact that I was both the problem and the solution.
At that moment, my diet unfolded in front of me. And, I was off and running… away from failure, extra pounds, doubt. The healthy living attitude took control.
I began cutting out carbs and started talking to my thyroid. I also spoke to my body. I knew the extra weight surrounding my body was no longer a necessary part of my self. My new authenticity simply didn’t require so much protection.
My healthy living attitude was all I needed to protect me.
I dieted for seemingly ever. I didn’t buy a single new outfit for at least six months. And, it was all okay. Walking around in roomy clothing was fine for me. I was free! I was proud of the pounds I lost.
No one can do this for you. When you have the right attitude about your family, your work, and your health, you can do just about anything. You will see that all the parts of your life are connected and you can succeed at anything you care about doing.
When the time is right , your path will reveal itself to you. Your job will then be to show up as your authentic self and do the work. When this happens, know that your success is already making its way to you.
You will learn to access your energy system for direction, energy, motivation. You will be inspired to follow the directions. If something surfaces which doesn’t resonate with you, leave it be. Work with those things which touch your authentic self as you become comfortable with your healthy living attitude.
Through trial and error, your inner authentic self will guide you to your success. You will achieve your goals and you will learn that you are not broken. You are, instead, finding yourself.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Thank you for reading this article! Please refer it to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Winter Solstice Meditation – December 21, 2018
On December 21st, the date of the annual Winter Solstice, please take a moment wherever you are to join in with all mankind to focus on a vision of peace and healing for all beings on Planet Earth.
December 21st is the day when all beings on Planet Earth begin again with annual re-birth. All beings on Planet Earth honor the turning point of the year. We use our new energy for peace and healing throughout the planet.
In celebration of this annual Winter Solstice Meditation, find a quiet place where you feel safe and can focus on the annual renewal of all beings on Planet Earth.
As you get calm, focus on the re-birth happening all around us all.
May the collective energy of all living beings join together in love and gratitude and use our newly reborn energy for peace and harmony in all lives on the Planet Earth.
With the celebration of this year’s Winter Solstice, may all beings on Planet Earth know we are connected and may we all work together with mutual respect and harmony.
May all beings focus on the continuing deepening and understanding offered by the re-birth of the Planet Earth through the Winter Solstice.
With the Winter Solstice, may all beings on Planet Earth join together in focusing on spiritual healing for all living things.
Encourage your breathing to become centered and grounded. Breathe in a breath composed of positive healing, love, understanding, and respect for all beings on Planet Earth.
As you exhale, let go of all things negative. Release all feelings of negativity which may possibly impact your life and that of your loved ones in the coming year.
As you inhale, focus on positive aspects of your life which you can improve during the coming year.
Exhale to release all feelings of negativity which may not support the rebirth offered by the Winter Solstice.
With this meditation, breathe in centering and grounding feelings which will benefit all living beings on earth.
Visualize a healed planet. Visualize a clean, uplifting environment for all beings on our earth. See a glorious sphere . There is radiant blue water. The lands have no borders. All beings traveling do so in perfect harmony on a perfect path.
When it is time for you to leave this place of perfection and serenity, you may choose to bring this feeling of peace back with you to the outer world.
Return to your surroundings now. Be awake, alert, and feel wonderful…in perfect peace where you are.
Thank you. Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please share this article with everyone you know.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
