Thanks for Asking!
One important thing to know about reactions we experience in a reflexology session: a client will not always experience the same reaction at every session.
After all, our bodies are different every day. The most common reaction I experience during a reflexology session is sleep. I slip off into a sleeplike state during most sessions.
Reactions vary with each session. They are based on what your body needs on a cellular level at that particular time.
One thing consistent in a reflexology session is this: reflexology encourages homeostasis: the balance of all body systems.
Reflexology students ask questions about reactions to reflexology treatments.
The reactions your client experiences during a reflexology session are homeostasis in action.
It’s amazing what reflexology can do!
Because many healers read this blog, I don’t give nearly enough blog time and energy to these inquiries. People ask, I answer, and then my focus moves on to other things.
Well, at last, I’m focusing some time and energy into sharing information. After all, for every person who asks, others remain silent.
And, for those of us who practice reflexology either as a career or as a hobby, how often do we think about these important pieces of information?
My training is that there are more than a dozen different reactions to reflexology sessions. Reactions listed in this article mostly happen during or soon after a session.
Other reactions happen several hours later. They are all important.
A reaction is a sign to me that the reflexology session is working.
As a reflexologist, you and the session you give are a vital wellness link between a person experiencing a challenge and appropriate professional support.
INCREASED URINATION – Focus on urination becomes part of the session when it becomes obvious. I have a client who simply cannot make it through a session without a trip to the ladies room. For me, this is a good sign. The session stimulates her urinary system!
FLATULANCE and INCREASED BOWEL MOVEMENTS
Marge d’Urso taught us that fully 50% of our clients have digestive issues. Unless a client brings up the subject, I don’t really ask. I prefer to hear about constipation or other irritable bowel solutions when my client initiates the conversation. I love it when a client reveals she no longer has issues.
Marge d’Urso taught, and I believe, that health begins and ends in the digestive system.
AGGRAVATED SKIN CONDITIONS SUCH AS PERSPIRATION and
PIMPLES
IMPROVED SKIN TONE and TEXTURE
Skin changes are pretty common for my clients. I love to ask my client to look in the mirror on her way out of the healing space after a session. There is nothing like looking 10 years younger after a reflexology treatment.
INCREASED MUCUS SECRETIONS IN NOSE, MOUTH and BRONCHIALS
DISRUPTED SLEEP PATTERNS – EITHER DEEPER or LESS RBED
Disrupted sleep patterns are personal with me. I always sleep so much better after a reflexology session! Occasionally, rarely this can be extreme.
One December, after receiving a reflexology session, I felt a strong need to rest about an hour after my appointment ended. I returned home, got comfortable, dozed off, and woke up the next day.
When I recall this event, I’m not really surprised. I was working too hard and my body, after its reflexology session, demanded a time-out.
DIZZINESS – NAUSEA
Reflexology sessions can modify and minimize dizziness, nausea, and pain experienced by cancer patients.
The first time I offered a reflexology session to a client cancer patient, I wasn’t prepared for how how dramatically she felt better after her appointment.
After seeing the changes she experienced, I studied more about reflexology and the cancer patient. I took continuing education classes and even attended one at the prestigious Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City.
It wasn’t too many more sessions that I began to use words such as pain reduction, improved quality of life, reduced fear of the future, better sleep, and reduced fatigue.
TEMPORARY OUTBREAK of a SUPPRESSED DISEASE
INCREASED VAGINAL DISCHARGE
FATIGUE – HEADACHE
These symptoms often disappear during a session if not long after. They can also be a reaction to a session.
FEVERISH – TEARING
Some feverishness and tearing can happen during a session. A lot of this happens when the client feels safe in the healing space. I keep boxes of tissues handy for tears.
Everyone needs to cry tears at one point or another. Reflexology sessions can be a safe place for this.
Sometimes, reactions to a session can be subtle, even silent, for a short period of time after the end of the session.
Just because you don’t see any behavior or skin changes immediately, don’t assume that there aren’t any reactions. Chat with your client for a few minutes after the session to be sure that everything is okay.
After all, you don’t want your client to leave your healing space and wander out into the parking lot, still a little vague about the session.
One time I received a scheduled session from a practitioner in New Paltz, New York, just a few miles away from my home in Woodstock.
It was a wonderful session. I left her office a few minutes too soon, though. It took me over an hour to get out of her area and on my way home.
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Thanks again!
Thurman Greco
P.S. Much of the info in this article was shared from “Healer’s Handbook – Wellness for All” by Thurman Greco
Boost Your Energy With an Autumn Detox!
I love autumn and I love to celebrate the season with a detox.
When September rolls around, I know a detox will put sparkle in my eyes, and boost my energy.
One reason I like an autumn detox is because I’m a reflexologist and I know that one of the things a reflexology session does best is encourage a mild detox.
So, I begin my autumn detox with three days of reflexology sessions right in a row.
My next step is to eliminate. After all, that’s what a detox is all about. My autumn detox is a little different from any other detox, though. I’m not looking to eliminate everything – just the foods and drinks that weigh me down and make me feel sluggish. That means I’m going to ditch the junk and processed foods.
Because of the foods I eliminate, this detox is different from all the other detoxes that I do. Junk food and carbs top the list.
This season’s detox focuses on eating fruits for one day. Use them to rebalance your system. Because fruits always make me feel so good and energetic, I’ll probably stretch the one day out to two or three.
Each year, when I schedule my detox, I always schedule a few days of elimination when I cut out the junk foods, carbs, processed foods and the caffeine. (If you smoke, this is a good time to offload the nicotine.)
It’s never more than a couple days before I notice that my body is energized.
While I’m getting rid of the toxins and replacing them with good nutrients, I feel lighter, cleaner, and more energetic.
That’s when I take time to walk, schedule a yoga session, or go for a swim. The idea is to participate in activities which relax and rejuvenate your body.
An autumn detox is not new in my life. I remember autumn detox events dating back to my childhood in the South.
As the days grew cooler, a neighborhood mother prepared her special concoction and gave everyone a giant spoon full. To this very day, I have no idea what was in it.
This I do know: It tasted terrible! And, our bodies smelled terrible for several days afterward. If I ever smell that aroma again, I’m going to ask whoever is walking around with it to talk to me. I want to know everything!
Another neighborhood mother put herbs in asperfidity bags which she personally prepared for us. We wore them around our necks like necklaces. The only thing I remember was garlic. After that, my memory grows hazy.
Well, now is the 21st century and I prefer my autumn detox. It’s practical and easy. There are no smelly asperfidity bags to wear through the winter.
The power you will achieve by getting junk foods out of your life and your body encourages good things for you.
Several days worth of reflexology sessions bring bliss!
Adding exercises like walking, tai chi, or yoga are ideal for autumn rejuvenation and relaxation.
Complicated changes are not always necessary to promote wholistic health improvement and a longer life.
I hope you’re planning to join me and take the autumn equinox detox challenge!
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More health and wellness shows are available on “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” on YOUTUBE.
There are even a few reflexology and Reiki therapy tutorials.
Call me to schedule or attend a “HOPE on the Road” event.
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THANKS
September Brings a New Season.
September is a time to honor your health – your wellbeing.
Have fun with this! Celebrate the season!
LOCAL FARMERS’ MARKETS offer a bounty of fresh and local fruits, vegetables, and artisanal products.
September’s markets bring my favorite foods.
Tomatoes, potatoes, squash, apples, melons, figs, and beets are in season this time of year adding color to your plate and your soul.
Stick with these new fresh produce options throughout your Autumn and into Winter. Two fruits which I make a point to buy and eat in September include pears and pumpkins. I love both these foods and they taste best during September.
Find a farmers’ market and plan your meals around the seasonal produce you discover. A bonus on this food is that you’ll boost your antioxidents when you eat fresh seasonal produce.
Cook up a soup or stew.
I think of my breakfast as a September food. Every morning I have a serving of muesli topped with yogurt and blueberries or other seasonal fruit.
Visit your LOCAL HEALTH FOOD STORE for what you can’t find at the farmers’ market.
While you’re there, stock up on immune-boosting supplements. Go for a multi-vitamin, calcium, D3, a protein, and probiotics.
Commit to staying hydrated with lots of water.
It’s sweater time! Is your wardrobe ready for that extra layer you’re going to need? Consider LOCAL THRIFT SHOPS AND YARD SALES. Make eco-friendly options a priority.
Is someone in your house returning to school? Check the backpacks and lunch boxes. Are they in good condition?
SLEEP BETTER in this cooler weather. When September rolls around, I enjoy renewing tranquility with soothing colors in my bedroom.
I look around the room and remove any and all electronic gadgets that have somehow sneaked in during the year.
September is the time of the year when I ban TVs, computers, phones, and anything else with an electromagnetic field which can produce irritating attitudes and challenge my sleep.
My goal is to refresh my bedroom so that it’s a retreat where I escape from the noise of everyday life. This sanctuary reminds me that meditation, rest, and contemplation are important for a renewed state of mind.
Nourish your mind and rejuvenate yourself for the coming winter months.
Go a step further and schedule a regular reflexology or reiki session. Better yet, get one of each!
ENRICH YOUR LIFE a bit. September is a good time to learn to play a musical instrument, visit a museum, investigate your family history, take a walk, or just daydream.
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The summer book sale ends on September 22nd. That’s the date of the autumn equinox.
Your Spiritual Journey
I really like this beach scene. When you look closely, you’ll see foot prints in the sand.
I recently attuned a young man to first degree Reiki. He’s at the beginning of his spiritual path. I confess that I was impressed with him. After all, to have just “opened the door” on his journey with a Reiki attunement can be special.
The young traveler/Reiki student, newly arrived on his path, seemed hesitant and almost fearful of where he was going. He was trying to find his next steps.
To be young, and newly realizing you are on a spiritual path can raise issues of trust.
As I reflect on this young student, I wonder: What would I have done if I had been introduced to Reiki when I was 18?
Youth is an important detail. Sometimes that’s how a spiritual journey goes.
At other times, people discover Reiki after they’ve traveled on their path for awhile. I also see questions in a new, middle aged Reiki practitioner.
For me, finding Reiki was a middle age event. In my 50’s, my questions had to do with how I could experience more Reiki.
If you’re not careful, Reiki will surprise you in the middle of your spiritual journey. This can be especially true if you don’t have enough room for your own journey’s details.
If you are middle aged, you may not want to clutter up either your trip or the path with too many details. After all, you’re the only one on your spiritual path. No one else will join you.
Maybe you’ve been on your path so long you feel like that’s just how you “roll”.
Through the years I’ve attuned people to Reiki 2 who received a Reiki 1 attunement many years before. These travelers had questions also. Was trust the issue then? Or was it fear of failure?
I never asked. Now, having met Mark, I know there is more to hesitancy than readiness.
A teacher is a vital link between a student experiencing a challenge and the professional practitioner.
That’s where we return to the journey.
Wherever you are, take what you can use and leave the rest for a traveler coming up behind you, the one you may never meet.
Select what you need. Pack what you can use.
Look around you. Is there any space left? Maybe you have room for a few more things to use further down the road.
Remember, it’s okay to carry a few extra things – just in case.
The first thing to pack in your spiritual journey bag is positive feelings.
Can you use joy? What about gratitude or kindness? Patience and laughter may come in handy. Finally, courage and self-love will fit in somewhere.
What are some things you might be cultivating?
As you focus on your inner life, how important are rest and sleep?
.What are some activities which will help?
Positive feelings are the foundation for how you engage with these elements. Being calm and focused is basic.
Then, you can work on your vision, values, and your goals.
You’ll need them when you develop healthy relationships.
Throughout your journey, look for meaning, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment.
Wherever you are, the single most important skill (for me, anyway) is intention.
An important piece of your spiritual journey is the opportunity to learn about yourself. What fun! This is where you get to make discoveries and seek laughter.
This is also where you get to like yourself!
As you discover yourself, you get to choose the type of person you’ll be. This is where you drop things that are no longer important. You can choose what’s important, and what you stand for.
You can examine how far you’ve traveled.
And, discover the true meaning of gratitude. This is where you see your achievements for what they are and how important your journey is to mankind.
As you clean your spiritual closet, your pilgrimage smoothes out the bumps and gets easier.
You’ll learn how unimportant comparison really is.
Find ways to be gentle with yourself.
See all these things you’re learning as if they are lovely flowers blooming along the path on your spiritual journey.
And, finally, go at YOUR pace and in the direction that’s right for YOU.
WOW!
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Are you interested in learning more about Reiki? You’ll find YOUTUBE programs about both Reiki and Reflexology on “Let’s LIve with Thurman Greco”.
New programs are loaded on Tuesdays.
Thanks,
Thurman Greco
thurmangreco.com
What is Hope?
Hope is a feeling. It is also a skill.
Hope is honest. You can pretend to be happy but it’s pretty much impossible to pretend to have Hope.
Hope can be learned. How do you do this? Practice being Hopeful. Your first step is to make space in your life for Hope. This is also a good strategy for boosting your sense of well-being.
You don’t have to be positive to learn about Hope. I learned about Hope recently when I experienced some dark days. In the midst of these negative and painful feelings I discovered I felt Hopeful.
Hope just popped up and said “hi”.
When this happened, I felt I suddenly weighed several pounds less. I felt like I could smile even.
I think this happened because I refused to gloss things over. I decided I could try to change my situation. I felt strong enough to cope with the eventual outcome.
I was ready to try, anyway.
I wanted to do everything possible I could to make things better.
I was finally willing to even ask others for help.
I realized I needed to sleep and rest each day. For me, sleep and rest are holy.
One thing I was not ready to do was give up.
Once I dug my heels in, I felt inspired. I was through just sitting on the sidelines watching things go in the wrong direction.
Suddenly, Hope boosted me to take action! It was time to make things happen. Perfection was not in my situation but momentum and Hope were.
I soon learned that Hope covers many ills. I began to see what could happen because I had faith in things moving in the right direction.
Hope taught me, once again, that with a belief in the strength of a higher power and a faith in the universe, things can’t go wrong. I stumbled onto the wisdom of universally higher power.
We can all tap into universal wisdom. All we have to do is see it for what it is.
Sometimes, with Hope we have to reach out to others for help, answers, and direction.
I did this. I reached out to those around me. I didn’t stop with just one or two people. I asked everyone I could find for help, inspiration. I heated up the phone (and email) lines, as my grandmother would have said.
The result was not necessarily what I envisioned. It was, however, far better than what I saw as a good outcome. A lot of my reaching out resulted in “no” or “not now” or “I don’t know”. Even these negatives were encouraging.
All it took was Hope..
I knew what I needed to do was “go it alone”. I arrived at the TV studio with a basket from Karen filled with donations to put on the altar: stones, feathers, a singing bowl, an alter cloth, herbs, fruit, empty bottles, bread, rocks.
The first presentation of HOPE on the Road went out on Channel 23 this week. Ellen knew how to arrange the altar pieces.
You’ll find HOPE on the Road on YOUTUBE in early September.
Because I reached out to others, the outcome was beautiful.
Will you participate in HOPE on the Road?
Do you practice Reiki? Can you host your own HOPE on the Road?
You don’t practice Reiki?. That’s not a problem. Invite a Reiki practitioner to facilitate a HOPE on the Road presentation for you. Encourage people to enjoy your HOPE on the Road event.
A HOPE on the Road event includes a guided meditation opening followed by a group Reiki session. A hand blessing closes the experience. A HOPE on the Road event only takes an hour.
The Reiki practitioner is a vital link between a person experiencing a challenge and appropriate support.
Does that not seem right for you? Give me a call. Send me an email. I’m ready, willing, and able.
I’ll offer HOPE on the Road through Zoom or on the porch of a building, or in a garden somewhere. I can work with social distancing.
Don’t overlook your neighborhood library.
The important thing is that we share HOPE on the road.
What we all need now is HOPE.
Thank you for reading this blog article. Please forward this post to your preferred social media network.
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Thanks for joining HOPE on the Road!
Thurman Greco
Wellness! – 10 Small Changes Make a Large Impact.
FIND YOUR HAPPY TRIGGER.
Each day, first thing, remind yourself about one thing that makes you happy. We each have a happy trigger. Part of our inner core, it doesn’t care how old we are, what we weigh, or how much education we have.
Find your happy trigger and meditate on it daily for 1-2 minutes when you first wake up.
HAVING TROUBLE TURNING OFF THOUGHTS WHEN YOU GO TO BED?
Try this: List your thoughts in a notebook and then put the book away. This is your way of putting these recurring thoughts away for the night.
NEED MORE SLEEP?
Banish your phone, fitness watch, computer, and any other piece of equipment with a little blue light, from your bedroom.
NEED MORE TIME?
Eat a meal with your family, or someone you enjoy being around. Sometimes the daily grind overwhelms us with stressful information. Time with friends and loved ones can be healing. Plating food and sitting down for a meal can enrich your life and bring joy.
MAKE TIME FOR BLISS.
Book a reflexology or Reiki therapy session. An hour spent on a healer’s table can be both grounding and healing.
DE-CLUTTER TO ELIMINATE WHAT’S WEIGHING YOU DOWN.
If you no longer see an item and don’t notice it, the time has come to release it to the universe where it can find renewed energy in another environment. An added bonus is that you will also be making room in your life for what is important.
VISIT WITH A PET
Owning a pet is not always an option for everyone. You don’t have to own a pet to receive its unconditional love. When you pet sit, visit with someone else’s pet, or walk a dog at a shelter, you can still benefit from lower blood pressure, reduce your stress hormones, and improve your sense of well-being.
PRAY
Prayer is always appropriate, whatever your religious beliefs, or situation.
angel with bird
READ A BOOK. LISTEN TO MUSIC.
Books and music lower your heart rate and ease your muscle tensions.
CREATE A VISION BOARD
Add images, artwork, and other finds and mementos which can inspire, expand, and positively motivate you. A vision board helps you create your future.
.
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Enjoy Thurman’s interviews on YouTube at “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” or “Take This Bread with Thurman Greco”.
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www.thurmangreco.com
.”Wellness for All” is now available at www.thurmangreco.com.
Thanks again!
Thurman
3 Ways to Find Yourself in Our New World
Forever changed is our future:
The pandemic and its surrounding life events changed us dramatically. We each experienced the pandemic differently. This event transformed us. Even if you denied the pandemic and ignored the events…
Especially if you denied the pandemic.
We have a new life now.
Remember those plans you made for the future? Are the goals the same? Do they need updating? Improving? Now is a good time to update them.
We can keep them as simple or complex as we want.
One thing is still the same: feeling happy everyday.
Everyday habits keep us healthy and happy. By that, I’m referring to what we eat, how well we sleep, how much exercise we get…
To plan my life again, I took stock of my days. I focused on the everyday habits that I never even thought about. I focused on things I ignored in the past.
I asked: “What works? What doesn’t?”
I realized I have a chance to be happy today and tomorrow and next week.
I hope you’ll join me in this review.
First step in your new life: feel, really feel your feelings. All that anger, fear, stress, curiosity. Acknowledge it. Feel it. Somewhere in all those feelings, you’re going to discover happiness.
Spend some time on this. Feel your past. Feel your present. Feel your future. Take some time now to think joyous thoughts. Catch those happy thoughts and hang onto them.
In step two, don’t blame anyone – not even yourself. When you don’t blame anyone, you jettison everything but happiness. When you don’t blame anyone, you suddenly control your life as you leave your past behind and move into your future.
In step three, choose happiness. This is where you have a gift card to all the goodies in the deli. This is where you choose all the things which make you feel good. This is where you choose your future. What you focus on becomes your future. Meditate on this happy future. List all the things you like about your happy future.
What comes next!
What comes next is healing!
Practice Reiki with the intention of choosing a happy future. Heal your future self with Reiki and reflexology.
Your feet are your command center. Focus on a healthy future for your feet and for the rest of your body.
Did you study Reiki in your past but never really used it? Now is a good time to bring Reiki with you to your future.
Schedule regular sessions. The homeostasis offered by Reiki and reflexology cannot be overblown.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
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Thurman Greco
10 Steps to Inner Fitness and a Life That Unsticks Itself.
We’ve all got a lot on our plates these days. All of us.
We’re at a point where it’s time to return to normal.
The question is this: What is normal anyway?
Certainly it’s not what we had before. It’s time to make way for a better life..
Whether we’re interested or not, our spiritual centers need encouragement, support, and protection. Inner fitness smoothes out the bumps in our travels through life.
I don’t know if I speak for everyone, or even anyone, but I find myself embracing this new normal while experiencing grief.
With a grounded inner core, a new normal is easier to find and recognize. Essential requirements for inner fitness include encouragement, support, safety, and self-confidence.
There are things you can do:
Think Positively.
Positive thoughts are essential – even before you get out of bed. When you wake, ask yourself “How can I be happy today?”
Happiness is the great equalizer. You are never too young or too old for happiness. Happiness doesn’t need education. Happiness doesn’t need good health. Happiness is the only thing I know that is available to everyone.
All happiness needs is for you to “be happy.”
Listen to Your Body.
When you listen, your body will talk to you. It will never lie to you as healing begins. Inner fitness is real.
Are you trying to adjust to your new reality? Do you want to change your life? Is something wrong, and are you trying to find out what?
Tune in to your body several times a day. Do you have pain anywhere? Is your spine aligned? What is your energy level? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Joyful?
Good Health is a Priority.
When you value your good health, you become a valuable person. You love yourself. When you expect excellent health, your thinking changes. Life unsticks itself.
Claim your wellness!
Respect Your Emotional Self
Your feelings are opportunities to grow. Emotions are messages from your body which will help set you free. Your emotions can help you understand pain, extra weight, sorrow, fear.
When you remove these feelings, you make way for joyful health, peace, grounding.
A better life emerges.
Connect with Your Community.
Get a part time job.
Or a full time job.
Read a newspaper.
Use your library.
Volunteer at a food pantry.
Join your local church or synagogue.
Teach someone to read.
Include Exercise Every Day
In 1513, Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The Fountain of Youth still exists and keeps people everywhere healthy. There is at least one branch of it in your neighborhood, located on a sidewalk or roadside where you can walk every day.
If that’s not convenient for you, another nearby branch is in your local fitness center. You’ll be healthier when you visit it regularly.
Take a Grounding Break
Try meditation, walking your dog, giving your cat a massage, or staring out the window into nothingness.
The activity isn’t so important. What’s important is that, when you complete this small task, you’ll have given yourself a refreshing, grounding break.
You’ll continue with your day feeling more positive, relaxed. Your fresh new take on the day will ripple out to those around you.
Review Your Situation
Now might be a good time to write about important moments in your life. You don’t have to focus on what happened in your life. Focus, instead, on what you did about what happened to you.
Write short stories, essays, poems, or keep a journal.
Whatever you choose, if you need help, you may find it at your library.
Reflexology and Reiki
Do not overlook a weekly session. Both these modalities bring homeostasis which is crucial these days. Both these modalities are adaptable to many different situations.
Do you practice Reiki? No? Find a teacher. If you do…have you thought about a Reiki circle for your area?
We all need more Reiki. We all need more reflexology.
When I think about Reiki and reflexology, my heart sings!
Thank you for reading this article. Please share it on your favorite social media network.
Please send it to a friend.
Thurman Greco
Spirit is a Change Agent: 5 Ways to See. 6 Questions. 3 Lists.
Sometimes, when spirit reaches out, we rejoice.
Spirit speaks, whether or not we are interested. The message may be loud or soft, depending on your self-care situation.
Lately, I’ve been hearing from people, each of whom is in dialogue with spirit. One thing, spirit brings change. I think about change this way:
When I choose change, the words in my life are different:
I can love myself more.
I release resentment so forgiveness can become part of my life.
I move from the old to the new.
I express love in more ways.
Today’s article focuses on one prompt instead of the usual list of 5-7 self-care suggestions I’ve been offering. I’m interrupting the series with this one focus because it needs attention.
Do you feel resentment when a client, a relative, a neighbor, a manager, a stranger asks something of you?
Do you want to spend more time with someone but cannot?
The tendency is to swallow your feelings and press on. Whatever the message, spirit speaks truth. However spirit reaches you, the message is an opportunity. Eventually, when spirit bubbles your feelings up, you cannot pretend you don’t feel the tug. Spirit is a change agent.
How does spirit speak to you? Do you feel anger, depression, fear? Do you feel love, calm, excitement? Do you smell roses?
Do thoughts enter your head? “I really don’t want to do this job, see this person again, drive this commute, feel this stress, stay in this apartment, live in this town, put up with this pandemic stress even one minute more.”
Do you see answers in clouds, on pages of books you find open?
Eventually, spirit convinces you to honor your situation and yourself. It’s time to honor change.
A good next step is a list. After all, “if it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist.” Right?
For starters, I propose two lists. A heart list comes first. This is an ongoing document you create while traveling on your life path.
I first found the Heart list in a book, “Fireflies” by Coleen Murtagh Paratore – a successful and spiritual writer:
Take a piece of paper and draw a large heart on it. What words make you happy? What words make you smile? Put those words in the heart you just drew.
Set this heart list aside for the moment while you create your Change list.
On a second piece of paper, list things to change in your life. You are creating your Change list.
Now, ask yourself:
How can I turn the Change list entries into action?
What should I do to improve my situation?
What can I give away, move, rearrange?
Change is a gift. Is it time to allow gratitude into my life?
Can I get comfortable with change? Do I even want to get comfortable with change?
How long do I want to live with negativity in my life: Ten minutes? Ten days? Ten weeks? Ten Months? Ten years?
Put your two lists away. But, don’t hide your heart list. Place it where you can see it whenever you want. Add add words to your heart list often.
When tomorrow comes, look at your Change list. Your positive future may lie in this list. Seek ways to create what will work for you.
Find ways to graciously and generously reduce contact with stressful people, places, and situations.
Are there people and aspects in your life you want to draw closer? Do you want to spend more time with others? What places do you want to know better? Are there positive activities you want to include in your life?
What are the best ways to remove unwanted habits? Changes shift outcomes. Situations move and create a rejuvenating ripple effect in your life.
The third list, my Ben Franklin Change List, is important now. I’ve used this list for years when taking action becomes confusing. .
Sometimes I’m trying to decide what to do. My options have narrowed down to two or three and I’m still trying to decide. I haul out another piece of paper and draw two or three lines on it. I list everything that can happen if I move down path A, and then I list everything that can happen if I move down path B.
I include “the best thing that can happen if I…” in each option of my Ben Franklin list. I also include “the worst thing that can happen if I…”
After I’ve written down everything and anything, I examine the opportunities these lists created. One list will be longer than the other.
Listing all the options and then seeing them for what they are on the page clears my head and my heart. This information usually points me in a direction.
And, finally, if I’m at a yes/no point and have not reached a decision, I dowse for an answer. My trusty pendulum always helps.
If you don’t dowse, there are still things you can do:
Several years ago, I was in a real quandary. I felt I was going in circles. Confusion reigned.
Someone invited me to visit New York City for a weekend. On that visit, I wound up walking through Washington Square Park late on Sunday afternoon.
I’ve been there many times – there were always people enjoying themselves in this park. People sat around visiting with one another. People walked their dogs. Watching everyone was always fun.
On this afternoon, the place was deserted. Seated all by himself on a bench, sat a smallish, older man wearing an unusual hat.
I was drawn to him. How could I not be? The dogs, the college students, and the tourists were gone. Even the pianist playing songs for tips on his grand piano was gone. There was only the quaint little man and me. As I got closer, I saw a tarot deck next to him on the bench.
You know how this story ends.
I walked over to him and we chatted. He read my cards. His words coaxed my own intuition to pull what I needed from his message. His voice, his posture, his cards, were perfect for me at that moment.
– – – – – – – – – – –
My book, “Healer’s Handbook,” dealing with the spirituality of health, discusses change in several entries.
People get angry when they aren’t comfortable with change. Sometimes this anger surfaces as health issues or disease. Arthritis, boils, burns, carpel tunnel syndrome, cold sores, depression, diarrhea, kidney infections, laryngitis, menstrual problems, obesity, pink eye, sprains, and warts are just a few.
Sometimes, when contacted by spirit,, we see our souls hanging out in front of us. Messages we didn’t ask for show up at a time when we don’t want change in our lives.
When that happens to you, acknowledge the situation and move on. Maybe you’ll be up for change soon.
Take whatever steps you can when you are ready.
Consider this: You may be more ready than you think. After all, spirit is connecting with you and you are listening.
I’m reminded of the old children’s game: “Ready or not, here I come!”
Change is the journey we travel.
Change is opportunity in the face.
Change is a naturally occurring life event.
Change surrounds us all.
Change can create joy. Joy allows you to love yourself and everyone else.
Doing what you can, connect with however many things in your life bring joy.
Change can sometimes be ungrounding. That’s where reflexology comes in. Schedule a session. Grounding is something to appreciate during stressful times.
Reflexology sessions bring the change of homeostasis. With homeostasis, you can take responsibility for your health and find the person you are meant to be.
When working for change, I focus on the immune system and nervous system together for the first part of the reflexology session. This can be transformative.
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Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
Now, Try a 1-Evening, Digital Detox
My last blog post focused on having a mild detox – actually, a limited detox. It focused on receiving three extra reflexology sessions and cutting out the inevitable junk food which greets us every day.
Now, I’m inviting you to enjoy something you may not have even thought of – or even dreamed of – in a long, long time:
A digital detox event one evening every month.
Several years ago, I signed up for a detox vacation. I enrolled in a 7-day, supervised, fast. This vacation included drinking special juices during the day.
I also drank 2 broths each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This broth was a specially prepared soup of vegetables designed to rid my body of toxins.
Pure water was also part of the menu. I drank glass after glass of glorious, pure water.
Between drinking juices, broths, and waters, we went on walks around the area. Some of us practiced yoga daily. Others of us received massages. Yet others listened to live guitar concerts.
I don’t have to tell you that I loved this whole experience. The juices, the waters, the walks…everything.
We did one thing that really wasn’t on the brochure. Nobody even whispered about it. WE SLOWED DOWN.
Stress simply was not part of the reality.
As I recall this experience, I feel the absence of stress was probably the single most important positive portion of this whole event.
As the toxins left our bodies, they took the stress with them. When our bodies realized that they were on vacation too, other things happened:
We laughed more.
Our kidneys relaxed.
Blood pressure began to slowly, gradually, lower for some of us.
Intestinal problems took short holidays.
People commented about brain responses becoming a bit faster.
Most of us lost a few pounds.
Since that fasting vacation years ago, I’ve sought ways to replicate this experience in smaller, more intimate events when the seasons change.
I felt then, have felt since, and still feel now, that it is easier to do a good thing for my body more often. An ongoing detox can pamper my body in ways that an occasional week-long fast cannot.
So, now, one evening a month, I go all out for a digital detox.
I give my ears, my eyes, my brain, and my hands a break from phone calls, emails, social media pages.
heart with wings
At first, it felt a little weird. But, now I know that a technical vacation is less a luxury than a necessity.
One evening a month I turn everything off: TV, phone, tablet, laptop, and everything else eletronic in my home. I close these things up and put them away.
Imagine: no little blue light!
I sit down in a comfortable chair and enjoy the evening. This is my time to meditate for a few extra moments, read a book, have a conversation with a loved one.
When this break is over, I’m refreshed, grounded, and feeling positive.
Guess what. I know something that a lot of people don’t yet know. There is more to my life than the small screen and the little blue light.
Now, I’m inviting you to do something you may not even have thought of – or even dreamed of – in a long, long time.
Turn off everything that has a little blue light. Everything. Just for one short evening. Silence your phone, computer, tablet, TV, and every other distracting electronic thing in your space.
A short break from technology can refresh you, ground you, and remind you there is more to life than a message from a small screen.
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