Reflexology For The Spirit

spirituality of one's health

Trouble Sleeping?

More and more people seem to be suffering from lack of sleep.  Stress is   overtaking our lives, it seems.  About a third of the people I encounter are battling insomnia.  But, stress isn’t the only cause of insomnia.  Low levels of estrogen and thyroid can rob you of your sleep.  Adrenal imbalances prevent sleep.  Nutritional deficiencies contribute to insomnia.  And on and on and on…

With this article, I offer  the first in a series of posts dedicated to suggestions you can use to assure you a better night’s sleep.  You may have some client partners  to share this information with also.

Some suggestions may be things you already know about.  That’s okay, it’s always nice to review and update information you may have forgotten  you know.

Other  suggestions will be new.  That’s good, too.  It’s always nice to add new skills to your tool box.

But, whether they’re tried and true, or brand new, give them a try.

  1.  Simplify your bedroom.  By that, I mean:  Move all your electronic devices out of your sleep space.   Computers, phones, TV’s, etc., emit signals as well as lights which can disturb a good night’s sleep.
  2. Hide your alarm clock  under your bed or in your closet.  The last thing you need on a sleepless night is to be continually reminded of how quickly or slowly time is passing.
  3. Regular Exercise  is important.  Try to get at least twenty minutes of exercise daily.  This habit will not only  help you sleep better,  but it  will help you feel better during the day, too.
  4. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco in the evenings.   I know this sounds super boring, but this suggestion is both real and completely spot on.   As evening approaches, drop the coffee, and go for other foods and beverages which are relaxing.  One of my favorite bedtime snacks is a small container of plain Greek yogurt topped with whipped cream.   It’s nutritious, delicious, and it never keeps me awake.  If I wake up in the middle of the night, I eat this as a snack to help me go back to sleep.
  5. Then, there’s the old tried and true Usui Reiki Therapy.  When a client complains of insomnia, offer to teach him/her Reiki.  I find Reiki to be one of the best sleep aids out there.  When I use Reiki as as way of going to sleep, I never make it through a session.  I’m always asleep in less than 20 minutes.
  6. Develop winding down habits to help you prepare to be sleepy as you go to bed. This may mean a guided meditation, calming music, warm bath.
  7.   SKIP THE SLEEPING PILLS.   There are many herbal and nutritional preparations that may work for you.  Try them out until you find one you like best.  For your first selection, you may want to try melatonin, a product which should be taken about an hour before going to bed.  Melatonin is not a sleeping pill.  It will only work if you have  a low melatonin level.  
  8. Start paying attention to your sleep habits by learning when you go to bed in the evenings.  Your goal is to be able to allow yourself about eight or so hours to sleep each night.

Finally, I don’t know about you, but I hate the way I feel when I don’t get enough sleep.

Thanks for reading the first in this series of sleep promoting posts.  Insomnia is so prevalent these days.  It’s accompanied by depression and anxiety.

Please share this article with your favorite social media network.

Check in regularly to learn more things you can do to get a good night’s sleep.

Thanks!

Thurman Greco

PS:  I have more information about insomnia in my book.

 

Release Your Clients: Self Care for You, Reflexologist – 4

At the end of each and every day, it’s important to release all the client partners you worked with, spoke with on the phone, booked future appointments for.

Release the person, the session, the issues, into the universe.

Throughout the day, you do what you can for your client partners.  At the end of the day, It is  time for them each  to accept your healing and go back out into the world.

Each person and his/her issues are now separate from you until the next appointment.

Releasing your client partners at the end of each day is important for them as well as for you.  For one thing, when a person comes for a session, it’s important that she/he  become  separate  after the session.  This separation promotes healing. .

One easy way to release your client partners is to cut the cords at the end of the day.  An easy way to do this is to visualize the cords connecting you with your client partners.  Now, take a pair of beautiful, golden scissors and snip them.

A second easy way is to offer a releasing meditation at the end of each day you work.  You can write a releasing meditation to use just for this purpose.

A third way is to offer a releasing ceremony.  To do this, simply write your own ceremony for releasing your clients.  To end the ceremony, drape a special closing cloth over your healing table.  Leave this ceremonial cloth on the table until you remove it when you return to work the next day.

A fourth way is to find a piece of music which signifies to you an ending.  Play this music for a few moments at the end of each work day.

Smudging is also an effective way to end your day.

Essential oils are important also.  Suggestions include frankincense,   Idaho balsam fir, lavender, myrrh,  palo santo, patchouli,  and sandalwood.

Reiki is always appropriate  for ending your day.  A self-reiki session is a meditation in itself.   Reiki the space you worked in all day.

So, here you have a selection of options to choose from.  Over time, you may vary your releasing techniques.  Experiment.  Find out  what works best for you.

Thank you for reading this reflexology article.

Please refer this blog post to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Forgiveness

In 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon went exploring for the fountain of youth in what is now Florida.  He found it and it exists.  A branch of it is probably at a fitness center in your community.  I found one in my community.  It’s called the Fitness Connection and is on Albany Avenue in Kingston, New York.

There is a branch of the Fountain of Youth within reach of you.  Can you name one?  Do you use one?  Regularly?

Being tuned into the Fountain of Youth is important.  Don’t ever mistake this.  But, it’s also important to be healed.  The quality of your life will be much better when you can forgive those who injured you in some way.  Forgiveness opens the door to healing.

Without forgiveness, we go through our daily life carrying  anger, blame, fear, guilt, hurt, regret, resentment, revenge, sadness.

Getting rid of  negative baggage can change your life for the better.

Begin to release this negative baggage by listing the people in your life who you need to forgive.  Include yourself in this list if you blame your self for things as well. (Don’t we all?)

Now, spend some time each day  forgiving those who need forgiveness.  You are forgiving people for yourself…nothing more.  You know that when you offer forgiveness, miracles can occur.

Don’t worry about the person anymore.  You are releasing this person’s energy into the universe.  You are releasing this person’s karmic connection to yourself.  You are cutting the cords which have been binding you together.

Healing you never expected will  take place.

How does forgiveness  happen?  How can you make this work for you?

Sit for a few minutes  in a quiet place and offer forgiveness to each person individually:

“I offer forgiveness to …………………………..  I forgive you for …………………………………..

Now, I  am free and you are free, too.  I release you to your divine plan of life.  Everything between us is cleared up, now and forever.”

When you have forgiven everyone you can remember, go into your past lives and offer forgiveness to those  who need it:

“I offer forgiveness to everyone in my past life who has damaged me in some way.  I forgive everyone for whatever he/she did.  Now, I am free and you are free, too.  I release you now.  Everything between us is cleared up, now and forever.”

These forgiveness meditations may take more than a day.  Actually, they may take several weeks or even months.  Don’t worry about this.  Take whatever time is necessary.  Forgive a  person or few persons each day when you have a few moments.

As you do this, notice how you feel when this happens.  Notice how much better you feel with each meditation.  Notice how much better you look.  Notice how much younger you act.  Notice how much excess weight you are losing.

You may not observe any changes immediately.  However, you will begin to see yourself, your environment, and your world improved, healed, more beautiful.

As you forgive people and release them to their divine plans…

You will feel better.

Your vocabulary will change.

Your thoughts will be positive.

You will feel free.

You will feel light.

Replace the negativity with love.

Bring love alive in your life.

Eat, sleep, and breathe love.

ENJOY!

Thank you for reading this article.  Please share this blog post with your favorite social media network.

Spread the word about “A Healer’s Handbook”!  Thank you to everyone who has purchased this book.  Thank you to everyone who will purchase this book in the future.

Thank you to Michele Garner for contributing her heart art at the top of this blog.

Thank you to Sangi van den Nouweland for contributing the cover art on “A Healer’s Handbook.”

The information about the Fountain of Youth came from the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park in Saint Augustine, Florida.

Thurman Greco

 

TT

Juice Cleanse Tips

  1.  Begin your cleanse by spending a few days eating fresh fruit, salads, sprouts, nuts, and seeds and avoid all processed foods.  Maintain a raw food diet for about three days before you  actually focus on the juice part of the cleanse.
  2. Make sure the water you drink is the cleanest  you can find.  A big decision here is whether you prefer ultrapurified water or spring water.   This choice is a personal one.  I’m happy with either one.  When I’m doing a cleanse, I prefer ultrapurified water.    When I am at home and just drinking water on a daily basis, I prefer spring water.  I like spring water because I live in the Hudson Valley of New York State  where I have access to superior water.  I know what spring the  water comes from, even.  In some cases I’ve actually visited a spring and personally seen it.  I never drink water shipped in from another continent, country, state, or even another part of New York State.  That being said, I would probably make different decisions about the water I drink if I lived in another part of the country.  Certainly, if I lived in a foreign country, I would do different things.
  3. When having a cleanse, be sure to rest several times during the day.    Include some guided meditations that you’ve chosen especially for this cleanse occasion.
  4. Set aside time for reflexology sessions and chakra healing sessions.  Begin each day with a Reiki therapy session if you can.
  5. End your cleanse by eating easy-to-digest water, plump fruits and leafy green salads.  Avoid processed foods for as long as you possibly can.  This is crucial to the success of a cleanse.

Reflexologists, now is a good time of the year to conduct a cleanse as a group with several of your fellow practitioners and client partners.  Include a nutritionist in the group to help supervise the cleanse.

ENJOY!

Thanks for reading this blog post.

Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.

This book can be purchased through Amazon or through my website.  Enjoy!

Thurman Greco

 

Cleanse Your Way to Health

Improving your health means doing lots of different things over time to  feel, think, look, and act better.  Cleanses are popular change-of-season  ways to offload toxins collected in the body over the past weeks and months.  They work well in conjunction with reflexology sessions which offer a mild cleanse as well.

Water is one of the best cleanses out there.  A one-day water cleanse is easy, fast, cheap, and  effective.

Begin your cleanse day with a large glass of water.  Add a slice of lemon if you want.  Then, throughout the day, drink a glass of water.  You want to drink at least one  large glass of clean water every half hour.

But, of course, the cleanse doesn’t have to be water.  Raw, organic, juices of all kinds make good cleanses.  A juice cleanse is best if the foods used are organic, fresh, cold pressed, and raw.  When the juice meets these qualifications, the most nutrition is  available.

Avoid  processed, pasteurized, juices if you possibly can and try not to use anything  with a  shelf life of over two days.

One of the easiest, fastest, cheapest, most effective ways to improve your general health is with cleanses.  In my book “A Healer’s Handbook” I write about intestinal, liver, and lymphatic cleanses.  But, there are other  cleanses out there.

A reflexology session offers a cleanse.  Your regular clients receive a mild cleanse regularly as part of their visit.

When you offer reflexology to client partners who are cleansing, please focus on the intestinal tract, the lymphatic system, and focus on the liver.

Remind them of this bonus as you offer them a drink of water at the end of the session.

Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

“A Healer’s Handbook” is available on Amazon, Nook, and http://www.thurmangreco.com

 

Make Time for Yourself, Reflexologists!

One of the really nice things about being a Reflexologist is that 25 sessions per week is considered to be a full time career.

Even with less than a full time client-partner load, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself and your personal needs as you  look after your client partners and their needs.

You can prevent this from happening if you pamper yourself regularly and make sure your own needs for time and space are met.

A reflexologist who  protects a bit of personal  time and space is a much better healer to his/her client partners.  Your life is just as important as those of your client-partners, family, friends.  Actually, an argument can be made that you are most important because all these people depend on you.

We all enter the healing arts wanting to be the best practitioner we can be.  Taking time for yourself is part of that mix.  Don’t  feel guilty about this.  You need rejuvenation and energizing as much as other practitioners, and at least as much as your client-partners.

Begin by claiming one of those 25 weekly sessions for yourself.  Make a weekly appointment  with another practitioner and receive a session.  This might be a good opportunity to get to know other practitioners by visiting a different professional   every week.

Throughout the week, there are other things you can do to maintain your rejuvenation and energy.

  1.  Script  a healing journal.
  2. Pamper yourself with relaxing baths.  Use candles, salts, essential oils.
  3. Read a book.
  4. Take a few moments  to enjoy a cool  fruit smoothie and a magazine.
  5. Exercise regularly.
  6. Pursue a hobby.
  7. Get yourself out in nature to enjoy the sounds, sights, textures, and smells without technology.

Finally, don’t take everything on your own shoulders all the time.

Thanks for reading this blog.

Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.

My book “A Healer’s Handbook” is now available through Amazon or my website http://www.thurmangreco.com.

Thanks, Thurman Greco

Reflexology for the Spirit and Diabetes

If you’ve been following these blog posts, you may have noticed that diabetes is on the list of risk factors for heart disease.  Many people suffring with diabetes develop other diseases:

Heart disease,

Kidney failure,

Strokes,

Blindness.

The risk factors for diabetes are:

Obesity,

Lack of physical exercise,

High blood pressure,

High triglycerides,

Low HDL Cholesterol,

Family history of diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes usually comes on very suddenly and strikes people 30 years and under.  It’s an autoimmune disorder.  It can be triggered by a viral infection (mumps) or by chemical toxins such as those found in meats.  A primary risk factor for Type I Diabetes is a family history of Type I Diabetes.  Type I Diabetes occurs when the pancreases produces little or no insulin.  Type I diabetics self-inject insulin and test their blood sugar levels several times daily.

WITH PROPER MONITORING, DIABETICS FEEL WELL AND ARE ABLE TO REDUCE DAMAGE TO KIDNEYS, EYES, NERVES, BLOOD VESSELS.

Diabetes is a spiritual disease affecting, at first, the endocrine and digestive systems.  It’s definitely on the rise.  Diabetes creates long term complications including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, high blood pressure, amputations, and dental disease.

Type II Diabetes develops at a somewhat later age.  The majority of people with Diabetes suffer from  Type II.

The best luck with this disease lies in:

careful meal planning,

regular exercise,

weight loss,

close monitoring with your healthcare team.

People at risk of developing Type II Diabetes include those who are obese, have high blood pressure, have high cholesterol, do not exercise, and who are over 45 years old.

PLEASE NOTE:  THIS NUMBER IS COMING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN DEVELOPING TYPE II DIABETES.

It’s important for people suffering from either Type I or Type II Diabetes to quit smoking, become interested in cholesterol and blood pressure control, exercise regularly,  and see their healthcare team  members regularly.  Ideally, the healthcare team consists of a primary healthcare provider (physician, nurse practitioner ),modern opthalmologist, reflexologist, periodontist, dietitian, and exercise trainer.  As the disease progresses, a cardiologist and nephrologist need to be added to the list.

Diabetics definitely benefit from routine Reflexology for the Spirit sessions.  They: reduce stress,

encourage more efficient kidney function,

help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels,

assist the blood circulation to the feet.

It is more helpful for the client who is in the early stages of the disease so complications can be prevented as long as possible.

If you are going to offer Reflexology for the Spirit  to people suffering from diabetes, you need to learn about the  medical emergencies that diabetics have to deal with.  Also, please advise your Diabetic client partners to test their levels after every session.

ALWAYS NOTE THE CONDITION OF FEET AND TOES.   Look for thick toenails, patchy areas of gangrene.  Is the sense of touch and pain perception altered by feeling loss?

Your client-partner may not know about ulcers, sores, cracks on the feet.  Discuss your observations with him/her.

When you work the feet of Diabetic patients, work all body systems to include the endocrine, cardiovascular, urinary, digestive, immune, sense organs, liver and solar plexus.

ESSENTIAL OILS:  cinnamon, clove, coriander, dill, fennel, lemongrass.

Thanks 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

 

Who Shouldn’t Receive a Session and Why (Contraindications) – Part 2

Advanced Osteoporosis

Use a very light touch and a very short session (begin with 10 minutes) taking care not to fracture bones.  Please note:  persons suffering from mild osteoporosis or osteopenia greatly benefit from Reflexology for the Spirit.  The red flag starts flying when a new client approaches you with advanced osteoporosis.  By then, it’s too late for your services without permission from the physician.

Extensive Athlete’s Foot, Etc.

Whenever there’s a rash, an open sore, athlete’s foot, etc., offer hand reflexology instead of working the feet.  If you are uncomfortable offering hand reflexology, use gloves.

Advanced Diabetes

Clients with mild diabetes respond well to Reflexology for the Spirit offered to both hands and feet.  Offer gentle pressure when working the pancreas.  Offer lighter pressure in general for diabetics because their skin may be thinner than usual and bruise easily.  also, reduce sessions to 30 minutes or less for new clients.

Heavily Medicated Clients

Persons taking a lot of medicine may have a buildup of toxins.  Because Reflexology for the Spirit offers a natural detoxing action you need to take care not to overload the person.  Offer a light touch and shorter session.

When you encounter people who shouldn’t receive Reflexology for the Spirit, consider offering Reiki therapy. 

There are no known contraindications for Reiki therapy. 

It’s easy to learn. 

People enjoy it. 

It’s easy to combine Reiki therapy and Reflexology for the Spirit.

The list seems almost endless.  Remember this:  few people with conditions on the above list will ever approach a reflexologist.  For whatever reason, they just go elsewhere for their therapy.  So don’t get discouraged.  You won’t see them.

As always, this post is coming to you from my post in scenic Woodstock, NY.

Our next post will focus on who SHOULD receive reflexology.

Thank you for reading this book/blog.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Peace and food for all.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock

When You Consider the Pace and Demands of Life in the 21st Century, it’s no Wonder that Stress is a Huge Factor and Issue in our Health Care Dilemma

The causes are overwhelming and include lifestyle situations, medications, time management, relationship issues, which produce biological responses, any or all of which can contribute to making a person somewhat, or even very, ill.  Many people live with stressed adrenal glands.

Prolonged stressful situations can have effects lasting an entire lifetime.  In some cases, children growing up in stressful or abusive situations maintain a stress alert throughout adulthood so they never seem unstressed.  This can contribute to disease even decades later.

Stress weakens the immune system and, because of this, becomes a factor in diseases such as angina, anorexia, anxiety disorders, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, colds, depression, Type II Diabetes, digestive diseases, fibromyalgia, headaches, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, immune suppression, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual irregularities, PMS, rheumatoid arthritis, sinusitis, ulcerative colitis, ulcers.

“Flare ups” because of an event or problem can trigger outbreaks of acne, arthritis, asthma, heartburn, Multiple Sclerosis.

It’s important for your client partners to develop positive coping habits to manage stress.  These include yoga, meditation, tai chi, regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions.

A healthy diet is essential for stress management.  People suffering from the effects of stress should restrict or eliminate caffeine, alcohol, and refined carbohydrates.  Meals should be eaten in a relaxed atmosphere.

Reflexology for the Spirit facilitates homeostasis.  It can also be used to calm the adrenal glands.  This is essential when dealing with stress.

SYSTEMS TO WORK:  thyroid, parathyroid, and pituitary reflexes as well as the lung, kidney, spinal reflexes and the solar plexus.  Include extra warm ups and warm downs.

ESSENTIAL OILS:  lavender, Roman chamomile, blue tansy, cedarwood, marjoram, rose, sandalwood, and frankincense.

Thanks for reading this blog.  We are approaching the end of this section.  There are three posts  remaining:  Sweaty Feet,  Swollen Ankles, and Thickened Nails.  After those posts,  we’ll explore some spiritual and non-spiritual treatments for different medical issues.

As always, this post is coming to you from my healing space in Woodstock, NY.

Peace and food for all.

Thurman Greco