The Fourth Chakra and Reflexology
The fourth Chakra reflex point is found on the ball of the foot. This is where we find the heart, lungs, breasts, thymus gland, shoulders.
Fourth Chakra issues include:
self esteem
personal power
intimacy
forgiveness
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT FOURTH CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING:
Are you able to express your emotions?
Do you need to protect yourself?
Do you have problems giving and receiving love?
Are you living a divided life?
Have you created a protective barrier around your heart?
Do you have trouble forgiving people?
Do you fear rejection?
Do you feel vulnerable?
Is it physically/emotionally painful to move forward in life?
Are you hiding your true self from others?
Grief is a fourth Chakra issue. We know as Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners that grief is housed in the ball of the foot – the heart – the lungs.
The fourth Chakra builds on the lower three Chakras as our thoughts and dreams take on language, expression. The fourth Chakra is where the moment of inspiration which took place in the first Chakra, now becomes entire paragraphs, both spoken and written.
The fourth Chakra links the spiritual and physical bodies as well as their issues. This is because the fourth Chakra is the our energetic center, working to fuse the physical and spiritual bodies.
When this happens, we are able to touch others as well as allowing them to touch our lives. The goal is unconditional love. A good way to get insight about unconditional love is to pay attention to cats and dogs, 2 creatures which practice unconditional love routinely.
Our heart Chakra pulls us into relationships involving
intimacy
risk
forgiveness
sensitivities
fear
grief.
Grief is an important fourth Chakra issue. Grief blocks fourth Chakra energy. Letting go of grief and wounding opens our hearts.
The state of the fourth Chakra is easily seen in one’s posture. People suffering with heart Chakra issues may be
round-shouldered
sunken-chested
stiff
rigid.
Unbalanced fourth Chakras can also been seen in people with heart and respiratory problems. Heart surgery can have a direct impact on the heart Chakra.
Meditations can be important. Meditations focusing on:
grief
heart opening
breathing
can help balance the fourth Chakra.
When you work with your client partner’s fourth Chakra, you offer the opportunity to help him/her release grief. It’s in the fourth Chakra that we find
an open heart,
the energy to give,
and a straighter body.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Thurman Greco
Photo donated by Jennette Nearhood.
Time-Out for Sharing then Moving on to the Chakras.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing with you. I’ve offered information in each post for you, in turn, to share with your client partners. I’m following the advice of my teacher and mentor Marge D’Urso who emphasized the many things we can all do in conjunction with reflexology to encourage homeostasis.
Not all of this information applies to all of your client partners.
Some people come to our tables in order to feel better. Others want us to help them take greater charge of their own health. Yet others simply want to hop on the table, receive their reflexology session, and go away blissed out. And, there’s nothing wrong with that.
One special group wants to add other things to their lives which will help them
feel better
look better
avoid chronic disease
live longer
enjoy better health.
By sharing this information slowly, in small increments, you can, along with your reflexology sessions, give your client partners an opportunity to completely change their lives for the better in a non threatening way.
These gradual changes when mixed with reflexology offer dramatic improvements over time. The idea is to be sharing opportunities for good health without complicating lifestyles any more than they already are. You’ll be leading your client partners to a a more healthy lifestyle. They can completely change their lives 1 step at a time.
Slowly
Easily
Comfortably
Not all client partners will adopt every suggestion offered. Some won’t choose any suggestions. Some will try everything suggested for a time. Then, they’ll drop the health step after a few weeks. There’s something here for everyone. We are all different. Our attitudes, ages, and lifestyles are all different.
What’s important is that you are gently, without pushing, sharing suggestions for a healthier lifestyle.
When your client partners are ready, they’ll have this knowledge to use in the way which works best for them.
I’m taking a break with this series of posts to offer you, the reflexologist, some more hands-on posts. Then, I’ll return to these wellness posts for awhile longer…until I feel you have something to offer most client partners over a period of a year or more. You want to be sharing something which a person may accept and live with for awhile before taking on another health giving change. It’s important to let an adopted change settle in so they become lifetime habits.
Beginning next week, I’ll offer posts about Chakras and the feet. We have reflex points for Chakras in our feet. I hope you find these articles interesting. I hope you can use this information in your work!
Thanks for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this post to your preferred social media network.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Thurman Greco
Water, Water – What are we to do?
It’s really hard to find clean water. Our water is so filled with toxins that our bodies have become toxic waste dumps.
So, what are we to do? We need it to live.
There are 2 issues here, really. The 1st issue is getting clean, pure water. The 2nd issue is using it:
drinking,
bathing,
nourishing our planet.
So, what are we to do? We need it to live.
Getting clean water can challenging.
For starters, filter it. The filter you choose depends on your budget and your water issues. Filters come in several different varieties:
pitchers/carafes
faucet-mount systems
under-the-sink systems.
To learn about your water toxin issues, use your local county water quality report and advice from local water quality experts.
In the past, I used an under-the-sink system and was very pleased with it.
Now I buy my drinking water. Water in the Hudson River Valley is so special. The product I choose is New York Springs USA water, a natural spring water sourced in the Catskill Mountain area of New York State.
If New York Springs USA is not available, I reach for Mountain Valley Spring Water which comes from the Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.
It just so happens that these 2 waters are spring fed.
If I’m working or traveling or shopping out of the area and need to drink a bottled water, I’ll go for an ultra purified brand I know and recognize over a spring fed water which I am unfamiliar with.
When in New York City, I drink water offered to me at the restaurant table. Make no mistake about it. New York City water is the best available anywhere. I know this. I live and work in the area. New York City water comes from the Ashokan Reservoir, an extremely well protected and guarded body of water. Catskill Mountain residents love, honor, and are proud of their water. Nothing but the best is good enough for us.
Although we can’t list things like the vitamins or calories found in water, it’s important for our overall health to keep hydrated.
Water offers a natural detox as it cleans toxins out of the body which collect in the urinary tract. Drink enough water often enough to urinate every 2 hours.
Hydration fights fatigue..something we all battle. There are many tired people wandering around right this minute who are not really fatigued. They are thirsty. At the 1st sign of fatigue, drink water and then give yourself a few minutes for your body to react to the needed hydration.
Water helps the body break food into nutrients as it travels through the digestive system.
Sufficient hydration prevents kidney stones.
Water helps strengthen the adrenal glands.
I offer a glass of New York Springs USA to each of my client partners at the end of the reflexology or Reiki therapy session.
As a reflexologist, please encourage your client partners to keep hydrated. Help them choose the best water for their health and lifestyle needs. They will feel better.
http://www.newyorksprings.com
Hot Springs National Park
Thanks for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Thurman Greco
The Spirituality of Blood
Blood is very exciting stuff.
For one thing, we can’t live without it. If we’re in an accident, and lose too much blood, we will die.
Blood tells the whole story. Often, when we visit the physician, a blood test is ordered. The story is here: our past, our present, our future.
In the womb, we shared our mother’s blood, who shared her mother’s blood, who shared her mother’s blood, and on and on and on to the beginning of time.
That being said, each person’s blood is unique. Like fingerprints, no 2 blood profiles are the same. And, blood changes with life events, nutrition, age. Because of this, there are many issues with blood:
high or low pressure,
circulation,
arteriosclerosis
thrombosis,
stroke
hemorrhage,
varicose vein,
anemia.
If you find yourself dealing with one of the above diseases, you are dealing with a spiritual disease. That doesn’t mean you forget the professional medical practitioner. It does mean that you do what that practitioner tells you to do and you deal with the spirituality issues in other ways.
When I think of the spirituality of blood, questions come to mind:
Have you recently found or lost a loved one?
Are you depressed?
Where are the conflicts in your life?
Are you nourishing yourself sufficiently?
Are you under a lot of pressure?
Are you angry?
Is someone or something threatening you?
Are you rigid with yourself and others?
Do you need to become gentler with yourself and others?
Are you afraid?
Are your life patterns stuck?
Does your lifestyle go against your beliefs?
Is too much going on in your life?
Are there too many people in your life?
What, if anything, is draining your energy?
Now might be a good time to try to deal with these questions one-by-one.
In order to develop the spirituality of your blood, proper diet is extremely important. Don’t just go to the grocery or the pharmacy and buy vitamins and minerals haphazardly. Find a nutritional consultant and get what you need.
No one diet fits all. Find the diet best for you…makes you feel better, helps maintain your weight, results in better blood test results. Your goal is to live a life bringing strength, vitality, purity to your blood.
Guided meditations can be instrumental for spiritual healing.
If you are a Reiki practitioner, give yourself sessions in which you offer an intent to heal and regenerate your blood to its optimum state. If you are not a Reiki practitioner, now is a good time to find one. This might even be a good time to learn Reiki therapy for yourself.
As your blood begins to experience this optimum state, you’ll invite joy, free expression, creativity, balance in your life.
Reflexology for the Spirit sessions are appropriate here. Homeostasis is necessary for the blood and for life in general. Reiki and reflexology work hand-in-hand here to help achieve the spiritual health our bodies need….no, crave.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please send a comment.
Don’t forget to join the mailing list.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Renee Ruwe offered the photograph for today’s article.
A Heart Message Meditation From an Angel
Begin this meditation as you make yourself comfortable, either sitting in a comfortable position or lying in a comfortable place.
Turn on some soft, soothing music.
Focus on your breathing now. As you inhale, breathe relaxation in through your nose. Visualize a happy and expanded heart. Inhale through your nose.
Exhale through your mouth as you breathe out stress and anxiety.
Inhale relaxation through your nose as you visualize your heart in unconditional love. Breathe in.
Exhale through your mouth as you release disappointment. Breathe out.
As you relax even more – breathe in relaxation through your nose, focusing on joy and happiness.
Breathe out heaviness and stagnation through your mouth as you exhale.
As you breathe in relaxation through your nose, listen to your heart.
Now, breathe out anger and bitterness as you exhale through your mouth.
You are calm and centered now. You look around you and notice your surroundings have changed. You find yourself sitting on a bench in a quiet meadow. You realize this whole area is enfolded and surrounded by a rose colored light.
You look around and see an angel on the bench beside you. This angel is dressed in rose colored garments. You pause and take notice of exactly how the angel looks as well as how everything around you appears.
You know immediately that this angel is with you to help you listen to your heart’s wisdom and guidance.
You sit by this angel for a moment as you ask the angel to help you heal and regenerate your heart.
You also ask the angel to listen with you to your heart’s healing wisdom and guidance.
The two of you together listen to your heart’s message. You take the time to receive this message which the angel is sharing with you.
You realize that this message is important for you and you also realize that you want to remain open to other messages which may come your way over the next few days.
You then realize it’s time to return to your space.
You thank the angel for visiting you. You thank the angel for sharing wisdom and healing with you.
As you prepare to return to your space, you know that you can return to this area with its beautiful bench and angel at any time you want.
You are now totally relaxed, grounded, and calm. You feel loved. You are ready to return to your activities of the day.
Peace and food for all.
Thank you for reading this guided meditation.
Please share this meditation with your preferred social media.
Please send a comment.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology blog – What to do about Phlebitis
PHLEBITIS OCCURS WHEN A VEIN IN THE LEG IS INFLAMED. This usually happens when a clot forms in the vein due to slow blood circulation. An injury of some kind may be involved.
When the situation is superficial, it’s called phlebitis. When the situation involves a deep vein, the situation is more serious and is called deep venous thrombosis. The symptoms are similar and it’s hard for a person to tell the difference.
THE WISDOM IS THIS: if you have an area on a leg which is red, swollen, or painful, it’s time to see your healthcare professional right away. The deep vein clot has the potential to be much more serious than phlebitis.
Are you in a situation where your lifestyle is sedentary? Are you in a spiritual/emotional situation where things are just not moving?
Don’t ignore Phlebitis. Do what your healthcare professional says. Get the exercise you need. Put your feet up to reduce swelling. Wear flat heeled shoes.
Whenever possible, walk, run, dance, swim. Move forward in your life.
WHEN OFFERING REFLEXOLOGY to a phlebitis sufferer, work the circulatory system as you focus on the heart reflex.
Work the endocrine system by focusing on the adrenal gland reflex.
End the session by working the liver and the solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media.
Please send a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Pl
Reflexology Blog – Are Varicose Veins a Problem for you?
IT’S THE JOB OF THE VEINS TO LET THE BLOOD FLOW upward toward the heart without allowing it to come back again. When this process breaks down, blood accumulates in the vessels, making them swell. Varicose veins appear to be knotted veins lying just below the surface of the skin on the legs. People suffering with varicose veins feel as if their legs are fatigued, sore, swollen, and cramping.
Some causes of varicose veins are standing or sitting in one position for long periods of time.
SPIRITUALLY, A PERSON BEGINS TO SUFFER WITH varicose veins when s/he is carrying such a heavy load that the legs can no longer support the weight. Words that apply for a person suffering with varicose veins include fear, helplessness, insufficient support, disappointment, stress, responsibility, pressure. People suffering with varicose veins see no way out of the situation and see no opportunity to move forward.
Being physically active helps. Walking, bike riding, jogging, swimming promote muscle contractions in the leg to assist the circulation.
Reflexology definitely helps bring about homeostasis and helps the sufferer cope better.
WHEN OFFERING A REFLEXOLOGY SESSION to a person suffering with varicose veins, begin by working the circulatory system as you focus on the heart reflex.
Work the endocrine system and focus on the adrenal gland reflexes.
Work the hip, thigh, and leg reflexes.
Finish the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please share this article with your preferred social network.
Please send a comment.
Thurman Greco
Migraine Headaches: severe throbbing pain beginning on one side of the head which can last from 4 hours to 3 days
Migraine headaches are both very painful and very common. They can be hereditary.
They have very definite emotional and spiritual causes. People suffering with migraines are experiencing fear of failure for one thing. The person is in a situation where it’s necessary to heavily control feelings as well as environment. These controls may be coming from outside as opposed from inside oneself. Parent? Boss? Spouse?
The sufferer may be in a situation in life where feelings must be repressed. The person is actually emotionally/spiritually hiding.
Words that describe the migraine sufferer’s situation include conflict, punishment, control, overcommitment, guilt, fear, anxiety.
Events triggering a migraine headache include our old friend stress, bright lights, allergies, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, oral contraceptives, foods: cheese, smoked fish, red wine, chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, bananas.
Getting rid of migraine headaches takes some real focus. It’s important to examine all the underlying problems including nutritional deficiencies, allergies, and endocrine system imbalances.
Reflexology for the Spirit can be a real help but it’s best to work from a prevention standpoint. In other words, a migraine sufferer needs to include a weekly reflexology session in his/her schedule – not just for awhile but as a lifestyle activity. This commitment is necessary to keep the stress down and to address the underlying causes. Having a reflexology session only when the migraine headache occurs is not the answer to the problem.
Nutritional issues can be addressed by consultations with a nutritionist knowledgeable of migraines. Then, after the consultations, the migraine sufferer needs to omit the necessary foods and add the necessary supplements and herbs. This amounts to a lifestyle change. Any diet and supplement changes will take at least six weeks to have any real impact.
Whoever you consult with will probably recommend magnesium, fish oil, B vitamins. If you are already taking these supplements, consider that you may be using a product which isn’t suitable for you. That’s why it’s necessary to consult with a nutritionist. As we all know by now, I use Liz at Village Apothecary here in Woodstock: 845-679-0970.
Eliminating food triggers is important. Some suggested triggers include wheat, oranges, eggs, tea, coffee, milk, chocolate, cheese, beef, corn, sugar, yeast. Here again, the migraine sufferer needs to work with a knowledgeable professional.
My Reflexology teacher, Marge D’Urso always told us that the first thing a person should do is eliminate wheat and dairy from the diet. She felt those two foods were the cause of many of our health problems.
When offering a reflexology session to a migraine sufferer, begin by working the solar plexus and diaphragm reflexes.
Work the endocrine system by focusing on the pituitary gland reflexes and the adrenal gland reflexes.
Work the nervous system as you focus n the brain reflexes.
Work the circulatory system as you focus the heart reflex.
Work the urinary system as you focus the kidney reflexes.
End the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media.
Please leave a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
vitamins.
A
Why we have Heart Disorders
Let us consider for a moment a bit of vocabulary surrounding the heart and how it interacts with our lives:
big-hearted
heartless
cold-hearted
half- hearted
heartfelt
from the bottom of your heart
take things to heart
You have touched my heart
talk heart to heart
Heart disorders occur when the body is unable to perform its pumping functions smoothly. Because the heart is both a physical and spiritual body part, there are many reasons for these disorders to occur.
The heart functions begin to fray when we are overloaded with anger, fear, criticism, heartbreak and no longer give and receive love.
Beyond the spiritual and emotional aspects, there are the old familiar physical aspects which actually begin to affect the heart many years before the disease manifests itself.
In all cases, the diagnosis of these disorders is best left up to professionals. However, much of the prevention is up to us.
Whenever I study heart disorders, diet, nutrition, and exercise are front and center. There is a whole line up of supplements for heart disorders. On one end of the spectrum, it’s easy enough to take the list and head for the local pharmacy or grocery store and get whatever is on sale.
For me, a better way is to get only those supplements which apply to your situation and which are recommended by a professional who knows the products. I’ve mentioned her name many times, but my supplement professional is Liz at Village Apothecary here in Woodstock. She knows the products, how they’re manufactured, how they fit into my total lifestyle mix, age group, etc.
Her number is 845-679-0790.
On a physical level, an ongoing goal is to reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease: smoking, elevated blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, physical inactivity.
Reflexology for the Spirit is important in this mix. Homeostasis is an important element in a healthy circulatory system. When we encourage homeostasis, we make a pathway for the emotional/spiritual healing which is necessary.
When offering reflexology sessions to a person concerned with cardiovascular health, begin the session by working the solar plexus and diaphragm reflexes.
Work the endocrine system with emphasis on the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands.
Work the respiratory system with emphasis on the lung reflexes.
Work the circulatory system with emphasis on the heart reflexes.
Work the urinary system with emphasis on the kidney reflexes.
End the system by working the liver and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please share this article with your preferred social network.
Please send a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Fatigue is a very important component of disease.
Fatigue is an important symptom and is best not ignored…although many people try. The five reasons why people feel tired are:
Insufficient Sleep: The first step toward overcoming fatigue is to begin to sleep more. Sleep is extremely important.
We repair our bodies and souls as we sleep.
We maintain our mental and emotional systems as we sleep.
We use the subconscious mind as we asleep.
Try for nine hours of sleep each night. If you’re sleeping nine hours each night and still feel tired, you need to look further into your causes of fatigue. If you’re unable to sleep over eight hours each night and you’re trying to get that amount of sleep, you need to have your sleep habits evaluated at a sleep clinic. Sleeping pills are not the answer.
There is a correlation between insufficient sleep and some diseases. People with poor sleeping habits can suffer from type 2 diabetes, depression, fibromyalgia, heartburn, heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, menopause problems, memory loss, and obesity more often than their counterparts with good sleeping habits.
I’m going to put in a plug for reflexology now. People who receive regular reflexology sessions report that they sleep significantly better.
Hormonal Imbalances: Often, if a person is sleeping eight hours or more each night and still feels tired, it’s time to go to an Endocrinologist and get the thyroid and adrenal glands tested. When the Endocrine system gets your body back on track you’ll feel like a new person.
Proper Nutrition: Most people think they eat properly. Most people don’t. Some basics for a good diet include eliminating things: flour, sugar, processed foods. Stay away from foods with label listings you can’t understand. If you read a word on the ingredient list that you don’t understand, don’t buy the product and don’t eat it. Much of what we buy in grocery stores today is not food. It is a collection of chemicals that have been manufactured and combined for consumption but it’s not food.
If you are serious about maintaining good health and overcoming fatigue, it’s important to get the proper vitamins and minerals. I use Liz at Village Apothecary here in Woodstock. Either contact her at 845-679-0790, or try to find your own nutritionist to guide you in the selection of vitamins and minerals you need to have the healthiest body possible. Just purchasing your vitamins and minerals randomly based on the color of the label or what might be on sale will not always result in you getting the best product for your needs.
Inactivity: The message here is easy. Keep moving. If you feel tired, try moving around. Walk on your lunch hour. Go for a hike instead of going to the movies or sitting down in front of the TV.
Depression: Fatigue and depression go hand in hand. And, the cause of the fatigue sometimes leaves clues in the kinds of depression experienced. For example, the depression caused by a low thyroid is very different from the depression created by too much sugar is very different from the depression caused by inactivity. If you find yourself depressed, think about how it is manifesting itself. What can be the cause?
Disease: There are at least 65 diseases for which fatigue is a symptom. This statement alone tells you how important fatigue is to diagnosing, and ultimately overcoming many diseases. Some diseases affecting the circulatory system that have fatigue as a symptom include Cardiomyopathy, Congestive heart failure, Myocarditis, Valvular heart disease.
When treating fatigue with Reflexology for the Spirit sessions, begin by working the brain reflexes.
Then work the respiratory system as you focus on the lung reflexes.
Follow the work on the lung reflexes by working the circulatory system with the emphasis on the heart reflex.
Next, work on the digestive system with a focus on the liver reflex.
Work the endocrine system with emphasis on the adrenal gland reflexes and the thyroid reflexes.
Finish the session by working the solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social network.
Please leave a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
