An Asphidity Bag is a Self-Care Health Boost we all Need
When I’m at the weekend Mower’s Meadow Flea Market in Woodstock, I always take a short walk around the grounds to see what treasures and goodies are available. Last weekend, I found several handmade asphidity bags in the back corner booth.
They were just sitting there on a table among the Western Boots, Turquoise jewelry, pre-owned furs, and pillbox hats.
WOW! – I haven’t seen one of these in years. No, I correct myself. It’s been decades. I immediately bought three. I’ll fill them with herbs and spices and give them to my daughters this coming December.
Actually, I shouldn’t wait until December. Summers are really hard on everyone. Maybe I should give these bags to them now. After all, today’s challenges are very real and December’s worries aren’t yet on the horizon.
When I was growing up – a long, long time ago – my grandmother had an asphidity bag. She filled it with herbs and spices which she changed to meet the needs of the season, or the situation. She kept her bag tied to her underclothes.
Fasting forward to today, my daughters are having trouble sleeping this year. An asphidity bag can be created just for this situation.
Do you have trouble sleeping? Well, make an asphidity bag just for yourself and your situation. Here’s how:
Begin by describing exactly what a perfect night’s sleep means to you. How long do you want to sleep? How deeply do you want your sleep night to be? What do you want to dream about? How do you want to feel when you wake up?
In Step 2, you select the herbs which smell fragrant and calming. For me, these herbs include lavender, chamomile, rose petals. I also include peppermint and lemon in this list. Your list may be different. (That’s the beauty of the asphidity bag).
Now, make a cloth square measuring about 5 inches.
When your square is cut, place your herbs in the center of the square. Using a ribbon, tie the herbs as well as your good intentions in this bag. Visualize all the good things you need for a successful night’s sleep. Draw these elements toward your sleep as you tie them in your asfidity bag along with your herbs.
Place your asfidity bag inside your pillowcase. Or keep it in a pocket in your clothes. Wherever you keep your bag, when you go to bed at night, close your eyes and visualize the details you’ve gathered for your best sleep. Focus on your breath and the scent of your asfidity bag to launch you into your intentional sleep.
Finally, embrace your sleep!
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If you enjoy the blog, you’ll enjoy my weekly shows on YOUTUBE. This program has been running, with a few time-outs now and then, for over 15 years. My program is aired weekly on Woodstock’s own TV channel 23 and on YOUTUBE. This show is an entertaining and informative hour with no rehearsals.
My guests are various people whose lives have brought them to Woodstock for a day, a week, an hour, a decade or more.
I can truthfully boast that my guests report they enjoyed the experience and will be happy to return.
Both the blog and the show are a means to healing for viewers and healers.
Thanks for joining in!
P.S. Whenever I use an aspifidity bag, whether it’s for sleep or combating an infection or offering solace to my intestinal system, I schedule reflexology and reiki sessions.
Find out more at thurmangreco.com.
Your Sleep as a Spiritual and Healing Event
angel with cat
For all that’s written and spoken about sleep, we all know on some level that sleep is a complex, spiritual event necessary to maintain our health and keep the body and soul together.
I was recently quite ill with a “sinus infection of global proportions” as described to me by a healing friend. My first tip off was when I decided on a Wednesday afternoon that I suddenly needed to rest. Fortunately, I followed my body’s demands and crawled in bed. I promptly went to sleep and woke up on Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, I was quite tired but felt better. I drank a lot of water, ate fresh fruit, and made it to the doctor’s office on Monday to find out what my problem was. Within a couple of hours, I had had enough blood tests, x-rays, and other scans to learn that I not only had the enormous sinus infection but I also had pneumonia.
I also had a physician who was angry at me, a daughter nurse who was angry at me, and several other medical professionals who were angry.
I doubt if I’ll have this experience repeat itself again. And, I’m certain that this sleep, while highly therapeutic, may have needed some breaks for hydration, etc.
Nevertheless, I’m also convinced that, on some level, the sleep helped my situation.
I was fortunate because I fell asleep without trouble. Sleep is not always available to people who are ill or suffering with troubled health for whatever reason.
And, sometimes people are ill and need nothing more than a good night’s sleep to make things better. So, encouraging a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is a good thing. Sleep, experienced regularly, is important for wellness and good health in general.
What provision do you make for a regular sleep schedule which includes enough sleep every night? Are you able to include enough hours to offer therapy to your self and lifestyle?
Is your pillow adequate for the job?
Truthfully, I’ve blogged many times and will blog many times more about all the things a person can do to get enough sleep. Keep after your sleep until you are able to support your physical, mental, and spiritual health.
The first step involves honoring your self and your need to sleep well in order to live well.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please refer it to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Artwork provided by Jennette Nearhood
Sleep, Glorious Sleep
For a person struggling to sleep, it sometimes feels as if a good night’s sleep will never happen. Well, I don’t believe that. I’ve had too many client partners journey down the path to good sleep habits.
- Regular reflexology sessions really help. Begin with three reflexology sessions a week. After the first week, cut back to two sessions a week. Try to get two sessions a week for two months. Then, cut back to one session a week and continue with this weekly schedule until better sleep habits begin to be a part of your life. Then, you can cut back to a session every other week for awhile. Regular reflexology sessions definitely encourage sleep, glorious sleep.
- Self Reiki offers a better night’s sleep. Whenever you wake up in the night and think you’ll never be able to go back to sleep, spend a few minutes offering yourself a Reiki session.
- Write a sleep meditation for yourself which you can use when you are awake at night. Recite this meditation to yourself when you can’t sleep. Edit it over time until you feel you have it just right. In this meditation, you want to tell your muscles to relax so you can sleep. Tell your body that you are surrounded by a relaxing light that will encourage and support your sleep for the remainder of the night.
- If you feel hungry when you wake up in the middle of the night, fix a small snack for yourself. You don’t want to have an entire meal, or even a large snack, but a small serving of yogurt or a cup of a relaxing tea can coax you back to sleep.
- Try not to let yourself be overcome by worry. Sometimes urgent worry can keep you from returning to sleep when you wake in the middle of the night. Realize that the worry will seem smaller in the light of day.
- Do not let your thoughts control your night and your ability to sleep. After all, they are just thoughts. Let them slip away into the night.
- If you feel you cannot return to sleep, get out of bed and read for a few minutes. Then, maybe you will feel more like sleep when you return to bed.
- Gentle yoga before bed helps.
- Finally, give yourself permission to rest and to sleep.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
Please share this article with your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Listen!
What is your body telling you? Listen!
When you listen, all four parts of your self will tell you what you need to hear: Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves will speak to you.
Are you tired?
Do you suffer from a sleep deficit?
Are you unable to sleep because you are burning the candle at both ends?
Are you deeply troubled?
Are you studying for an exam?
Are you trying to get a promotion at work?
When do you need to rest?
Do you need to play?
How long has it been since you just had fun?
What is your work situation?
We all have cycles. What are yours?
When are you at your best?
Keep a regular, predictable schedule every day of the year. Listen! Your internal clock will develop a schedule of eating, sleeping, and exercising at the same time each day. Respect the regularity of this schedule.
Schedule some relaxation time each day. Give your brain a break. Let it review the day’s experiences. Allow your brain to turn events into memories. This will encourage the learning process. Allow your brain to refresh itself.
Listen! Every part of your body stores emotions, memories, thoughts, based on what the body part does for you. For example, your ears will store these emotions, memories, thoughts, that relate to hearing. Become more aware of events that contribute to issues or diseases in the particular parts of your body.
Find time to move your body at intervals throughout the day. This means taking the stairs whenever possible. Walk when you talk on the phone. Park farther away from your destination and walk to your destination.
When we ignore our bodies, stress, tension, fear, frustration, depression, anxiety, and disease set in.
As a reflexologist, you will improve both your life and your career significantly if you honor your circadian clock. Take a break every couple of hours to check in with yourself and see how things are going.
When you begin to honor your clock, you will find yourself keeping a regular schedule. This regular schedule is a tonic for some. For others, it is a wonder drug.
Your body will love you for this because it loves predictability. Stress is related more to lack of a schedule than to finances, marital problems, children, or work.
When you listen to your needs and offer your body predictability, you invite homeostasis into your life.
If you are new to this blog, I wrote a series of posts in which I offered suggestions and guidelines about how to listen to your body and also how to communicate with different parts of your body to bring about healing and homeostasis. You can find them in contents section of this blog. They were in late 2014 and early 2015. Most of the posts were entitled “Spirituality of……”
Teach your client partners about their circadian clocks. You will then improve their lives and careers. How cool is that?
Thanks for reading this blog/book.
I hope you found this guideline helpful. Please leave your comments below and check out the other posts.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Art provided by Jennette Nearhood
22 Reactions to a Reflexology for the Spirit Session
During a reflexology session, several things can happen. A reaction is a sign that the therapy is working. Most clients respond to Reflexology for the Spirit by the 5th session at the very latest. A rule to remember is that we don’t know how a person’s body will respond to or react to any given reflexology session. The responses differ somewhat each time. The body changes daily because of the continuous changes taking place on a cellular level. Also, energy follows intent.
Common reactions include sweating palms and soles, coughing. laughing, sighing deeply, weeping, runny nose, increased urination, more frequent bowel movements, increased vaginal secretions, twitching or tingling in limbs, sudden cramps, electric-type shock up a zone, warmth in treated area, feeling movement or clawing feelings, great fatigue, overwhelming desire to sleep, and/or disappearance of all pain and discomfort.
A common reaction to Reflexology for the Spirit during a session for regular clients is sleep. Many client partners fall into very deep sleep states in which the throats become extremely relaxed. This can be a strong healing state for them. The space surrounding them always becomes quite warm when this happens.
But whatever the reaction to the reflexology session, the time frame is no more than 24 to 48 hours after the session. And whatever the session, this is a sign that it is working. Therefore, the reactions are a benefit.
There are some long term reactions to Reflexology for the Spirit which occur when the client partner makes a commitment to regular sessions received every week to 10 days. These benefits include consistently sleeping better, overall stress reduction, improved circulation, regular bowel movements, a gentle, natural detoxing, and a feeling of improved disease prevention.
These generalized benefits occur in addition to the specific one that the client partners can achieve through regular sessions.
There are many reactions which a client can exhibit during and after sessions. It’s best not to elaborate on them because a certain percentage of people will experience reactions simply because you discussed them. Let them occur naturally…if they are going to happen.
People come to a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner because they want to deal with one or more issues bothering them, such as sinusitis, for example. They often deal with the sinus problems and then also experience better sleep patterns, overall stress reduction, improved circulation, natural detoxing, etc. This is because Reflexology for the Spirit works to balance the entire body through homeostasis, not just the one problem that was offering symptoms.
It works on a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual body offering benefit to a person’s overall health and well-being.
Thank you for reading this post. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
There are at Least 13 Benefits of a Reflexology for the Spirit Session
Reflexology for the Spirit provides instant relief to tired, swollen, itching feet.
It boosts the lymphatic system as it helps the body detox naturally as the practitioner works the lymphatic system.
Reflexology for the Spirit increases blood flow and can be used to improve circulation. It helps the body to balance blood pressure.
It relieves tension, overall stress, and brings about a deep sense of relaxation to the entire body.
The benefits derived from receiving regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions offer an opportunity to observe physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual changes which create an ongoing atmosphere of body awareness, and a sense of healing.
A strong feeling of well-being is created with regular sessions.
Reflexology for the Spirit deepens sleep and reduces insomnia when it is received over time in regular sessions.
Reflexology for the Spirit eases aches and pains as it relaxes the muscles.
Joint mobility is improved.
Women suffering from PMS, menopause, or other reproductive issues are offered relief.
Sufferers of indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, and other digestive disorders can find relief through regular sessions.
Reflexology helps urinary problems such as cystitis.
Reflexology helps adjust emotional imbalances and increases nerve energy.
So there you have them…13 benefits all lined up.
Thank you for reading this book/blog. Our next post will focus on reactions. Please contact me with any comments/questions you may have.
Hopefully you’ll be able to read tomorrow’s post as well. As always, it will come to you from my healing space in scenic downtown Woodstock.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
