Physical Therapy – What to do to Get the Most from Your PT Session
We go to physical therapy because we want to get to the other side – of whatever the situation is.
Maybe you’ve been in an accident.
Maybe you just realized that your neck won’t move right.
Maybe you just finally looked in the mirror and your left shoulder and your right shoulder don’t match – at all.
Whatever the reason, physical therapy takes a commitment. It means going to two appointments weekly with homework between the sessions.
Some people go to their physical therapy sessions and do their homework and things seem to just go right.
I’ve gone to physical therapy sessions several different times in my life. Each experience impacted my life differently.
In my 40’s, I went to physical therapy, and followed the series of PT sessions up with a fitness club membership which helped me immensely. The physical therapy sessions followed by the regular fitness sessions changed my life for the better. The impact of these physical therapy sessions lasted the better part of a decade.
A couple of decades later, my physical therapy experience was just as positive but the therapy was completely different. I spent a lot of time on the table receiving heat treatments. My back and shoulders loved this attention and appreciated the healing applications I received twice weekly.
Now, with different needs, my current physical therapy experience is different yet again. My body does not want to move so fast. Healing is not so easy this time. I leave each session feeling fatigue and pain. My body needs to rest and restore. It needs attention beyond what is happening at the physical therapist’s office.
It took two sessions for me to realize what was happening. What did I do? I ran for the Reiki therapy!
I’m sharing this with everyone because I’m seeing other people coming away from the physical therapy session who need restorative healing. Some people get this information quickly. Others need a little nudge.
What I’m finding is that the physical therapy session is not completed without a Reiki session to follow up.
Actually, other modalities work well also. Reflexology certainly offers the deep calming needed to end a session totally.
But, really, it doesn’t matter whether you schedule Reiki or Reflexology or massage or ………… Many modalities available will work.
The important thing to know is that when we get physical therapy, the work takes your body “so far”. To get your money’s worth in healing, schedule the Reiki session on the same day if you possibly can – certainly within 36 hours.
Schedule these bodywork sessions think of them as part of your life. They stimulate your body’s own healing processes.
When you combine Reiki or Reflexology or whatever modality works best for you, you will receive more healing for your health care dollars.
If regular Reiki sessions turn out to be a challenge, take some classes and learn to give sessions. That way you can exchange sessions with others.
Ask a friend to join you in a learning adventure. The two of you can learn together and exchange sessions. This is self-care, an important activity which we all need to include in our daily lives.
Thanks for reading this blog post! New articles have been posted for 10 years. This blog was created to be a conduit for your own healing.
With blogs, books, classes, and sessions, I am not here to change your story. Instead, I am here to be a conduit for your own healing.
Thanks for reading this article. Please share it with friends and relatives. Forward this post to your preferred social media network.
For more info, my books are located on www.thurmangreco.com. They are all available in both ebook and paperbook form. So far, “A Healer’s Handbook” has gone out to readers in over three dozen countries.
You can also discover more information when you explore previous posts on this blog. Posts focusing on reflexology or Reiki therapy are on both the blog and on YOUTUBE.
My Latest Information! – “A Healer’s Tarot Memoir” has just gone to the publisher!
Eight Ways to Fight the Fear
To be honest, things are becoming more and more confusing as the days go along. Every time I greet a friend or neighbor or anyone, for that matter, she talks to me as if we are all lost.
And, maybe we are.
It’s hard-to-impossible to figure out sometimes where this year is headed. Some of my friends and acquaintances are solving their dilemma by simply not reading papers or watching TV.
Others choose their channels with care, blocking out everything that seems to be problematic.
Still others are becoming information junkies, focusing their lives on a particular channel offering information they can understand and accept.
On the home front, our Woodstock community is undergoing gentrification. We’re all facing the fact that we’re living in a place far removed from the community we chose to live in when we moved here.
And, this situation comes on the heels of the stresses of Covid and everything that went with that.
Our home is hardly recognizable.
And, I haven’t even brought other news: economic, climate change, the election, our local schools – and any other thing you can imagine.
Then, there are all the economic and social changes in our country.
Sometimes, I think that each of us is on our own, private, Yellow Brick Road.
And, that leads me to the whole reason for this blog post: Fear
The Fear is palpable.
It has an odor.
I see it on the street in the way people walk and the way they talk and the way they dress.
There are some things we can do as we make our way forward into a future many of us are having trouble even imagining.
ONE. Speak Your Fear. As soon as you begin to share your fear, it begins to lose its power over you.
TWO. When fear covers you with an invisible tent, practice breathing exercises. Include meditation sessions. Find what works for you and practice it regularly. When this breathing exercise becomes a part of your life, you should be able to find calm which will send the panic running.
THREE. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise slows down the fight-or-flight reflex. The options are open here. Do what you enjoy.
FOUR. Seek out friends you can chat with who will have a calming effect on you. This step has been helpful for me. When I’m upset, I call Carey and we chat. Sometimes she calls me. Over the last few months, I’ve gathered a few friends who call me. We’re an informal support group.
FIVE. Enjoy Reiki, or other bodywork modality, regularly I’m watching healing groups form in the area. People gather regularly to share and exchange their sessions. I cannot tell you how important these groups are. Peace. Calm. Lower Blood Pressure, Sleep………….
SIX. Get the what-ifs out of your life and your mind. These lists of fears can wreak havoc on your day. And, they will not save your situation. They are a waste of time which will get you nowhere. Instead, focus your energy on things you can manage.
SEVEN. Write something. This can be a memoir, a journal, a diary, a letter to the editor, a note to a friend you haven’t seen in awhile – whatever works for you. If you’ve never written anything before, now is a good time to begin. Don’t worry. Everybody has a first sentence or chapter or essay. I had one. I never wrote anything but my name before 2013. And, now I have 2 blogs and several books – one of which has been purchased by people in over three dozen countries!
When you begin to write, don’t be afraid of a blog. My first 2 blogs certainly kickstarted my career. I bought a book by Nina Amir: “How to Blog a Book”. I read this book and followed Nina Amir’s instructions.
EIGHT Stress and what-ifs are good invitations to develop our spiritual and religious lives. This is a good time to meet fear with a renewed trust in your spiritual and religious beliefs.
Sometimes reality can be downright scary. This week, meet the uncertainty and fear in your life with a renewed calm. Work your way down the list and see what item helps you the most.
And, finally, thank you for reading this blog post!
Thurman Greco.
Find out more at www.Thurmangreco.com.
You can also find out more about healing and many other things at this blog. Let’s Live is a program airing weekly in Woodstock, NY for about 20 years. Guests on the show are people who have become a part of Woodstock for a day, a week, a decade, or a lifetime.
I look forward to hearing from you about how you like the show.
Find out more about the books at www.thurmangreco.com
Thank you for forwarding this post to your friends and family and sharing it with your favorite social media network.
Good Health is Not That Hard to Achieve. Really.
You and I are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about our health. What’s good. What’s bad. We’re complex beings. Good health involves our bodies physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You may not agree with all the information on these pages. But, for me, these words resonate with the truth.
For me, good health comes down to 7daily habits:
Not Smoking is Essential.
I put this habit first because it has a tendency to make people angry when they hear about not smoking or read about not smoking. So, I’m just getting it out there in front. That way, you can get over your anger reaction when we move on to the other essential habits which are easier to deal with and much more positive.
But, before we move on I do have one suggestion: Reduce your habit to five cigarettes a day. When you get down to five a day, zero is an easy goal.
Have you tried the gum from the pharmacy?
Is there a smokers support group in your area?
Hypnotherapy? Biofeedback?
Whatever?. Do whatever you have to do to give up the smoking.
Maintain a Healthy Weight.
Losing or gaining weight to reach your ideal weight gets harder with every passing year, so the younger you are when you work on your weight, the easier it is. Weight Watchers or Overeaters Anonymous may be a good option for you. Biofeedback can help.
An interested nutritionist can guide you to your goal and include specific foods contributing to your continued good health at the same time. You’ll get twice the bang for your buck with nutritional guidance. For example, if you need to gain or lose weight, and you have heart health issues, a nutritionist can work on the weight situation along with your heart disease. I don’t know about you, but I love I love to accomplish two things at a time.
Eat Many Fruits and Vegetables.
Wellness gurus teach five servings of fruits and vegetables are a minimum number for a well-nourished person to eat daily. This five-serving recommendation is easy for me to share. It can be fun. I like the idea of thinking about which five fruits and vegetables will be on my plate today. Planning for each day’s selection gives them focus and importance. Planning gives me a chance to experiment a bit. You can do this, too. It’s easier than you think. Choose one new vegetable or fruit each week at your grocery. Take it home and learn about it:
What is it called?
Where is home for this food?
What are some popular ways to cook it?
How should it be stored?
What is the best way to combine it with other foods?
How should it be eaten?
If you discover one new fruit or vegetable weekly, your dietary skills will be vastly different in a year.
Exercise Regularly
The field is open here. Your exercise can be drudgery or fun. Spend as little or as much money as you want. Choose one or two activities to participate in regularly. The point is to stay active throughout your life. Combine exercise with other daily habits. I wear a fitness watch which beeps when I don’t move enough. It also rewards me with a beep when I’ve exceeded my daily goal. I have a job requiring that I stay off my seat and on my feet. I’m making money while exercising a fun bonus!
Avoid Stressors
Stress is a biggie. It plays a part in many health problems. Meditation walks, laughter, sharing, singing, nature bathing, journaling, drawing can help you reduce stress. Make room in your schedule for stress reduction activities.
Note: There are several articles on this subject in earlier posts in this blog. I periodically discuss stress. If you look around on the blog, you’ll find much information.
Include Healing Bodywork in Your Life.
If you’ve never gotten a massage, received Reiki therapy, or other bodywork, schedule a session. Just to learn about it. As time passes, schedule another session with a different healer. Schedule a reflexology session (or other bodywork) to celebrate an event: birthday, anniversary, a good day at work, the Spring Equinox, etc.
.In short, schedule healing bodywork sessions whenever you want. If you end up on a cruise, hang out in the spa instead of the bar.
Over time, you’ll get inspired and book regular sessions. Your body will thank you for the attention! Everything always seems to go better with reflexology!
Support Yourself.
Do something nice for yourself each day. Spend time meditating. Think positive thoughts about yourself. These supportive thoughts are a treat you give yourself. You deserve it!
Thanks for reading this blog post! New articles have been posted regularly for 10 years. For me, this blog was created to be a conduit for your own healing. Please share it with friends and family. Forward it to your preferred social media network.
For more information, check out my books on www.thurmangreco.com. Purchase them at this website in both ebook and paperbook form. So far, “A Healer’s Handbook” has gone out to readers in over 30 countries.
Contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
If you enjoy the blog, you’ll enjoy my weekly shows on YOUTUBE. This program has been running with a few timeouts now and then for over 15 years. My program is an informative and entertaining unrehearsed hour with no rehearsals. You can find it on Woodstock’s own TV Channel 23 or on YOUTUBE.
My guests are people whose lives have brought them to Woodstock for a day, a week, an hour, a decade, or more.
i
The List: Things to help you balance your life when it seems to unravel.
Following is a selection of things you can do minimize and defray unraveling. This list offers ways to give yourself and others relief right now. ENJOY!
Try not to do everything at once.
Give your best self to the world.
Create your best-ever to-do list. Be sure it includes helping you chart your path.
Have fun along the way.
Learn something new.
See things through the eyes of a child.
Make sleep a first priority.
If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.
Don’t jump to conclusions.
Drink lots of water.
Let some good news into your life everyday.
Toss out old guilt.
Believe in yourself.
Arrive on time.
Know when to walk away.
Go to bed at the same time every night.
Begin each day with a smile.
Value quality.
Make someone happy each day.
Shop at a farmer’s market.
Let everyone sleep late when it’s a day off.
Be authentic.
When you like someone, tell them.
Unstick yourself: Move on!
When the opportunity is right, be brave!
Eat ice cream!
Be enthusiastic.
Pay attention to your hunches.
Teach by example.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Get out of your own way.
Try to do something you always wanted to do.
Gratitude is always in good taste.
Give up things that bind you.
Make a wish at a fountain.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment because it will never come.
Move on.
Give second chances.
Do breathing exercises.
Practice the Golden Rule.
Laugh at yourself.
Like yourself.
Don’t get too…hungry, tired, angry, lonely.
Do something every day that you enjoy.
Quiet your mind with yoga.
Share what you can, when you can.
Give someone a flower.
Stop being unhappy.
This article is filled with simple suggestions you can incorporate into your everyday life. They have the ability to enliven and enlighten your life. I hope you will agree and that you’ll want to incorporate some of them into your life.
They can speak to you today. Or, they may speak to you years from now. But however and whenever they speak, take what you want and leave the rest.
It is my hope that the suggestions on this list will help you open your heart and put a spark in your spirit. Hopefully you’ll celebrate them and strengthen yourself mentally, spiritually, and emotionally as you become stronger totally in an unraveling environment.
However you use this blog post, please forward it with friends and relatives. Share it with your preferred social media network
Let’s Live with Thurman Greco is a program aired weekly on Woodstock’s own educational TV channel 23. This show is an informative, upbeat hour with no rehearsals. Some segments support the blog information and highlight Reiki Therapy, Hand and Food Reflexology, and other wellness subjects.
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 guests report they enjoy the experience.
Let’s Live has been running for over 15 years with an occasional intermission now and then.
Enjoy interesting and fun programs while getting a peek into Woodstockers being themselves. Search “Let’s Live With Thurman Greco” on YouTube and check out the ever-growing list of videos.
Check out Thurman’s books on www.thurmangreco.com. While the website is being repaired, purchase your books from thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Celebrate this blog’s journey with posts for over 10 years!
www.hungerisnotadisease.com is also celebrating its 10th year!
Check out my books on thurmangreco.com. The website is being repaired so please order your books at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
“But for Gabriel is the newest book. Like all the others, it is available as an ebook as well as a paperbook.
I’m currently working on a new book: “A Healer’s Tarot Memoir”. You can preorder it now at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Thanks again for reading this article!
Thurman
Let’s Get Back to Basics! Start with Foot Reflexology
Reduced to a basic practice, reflexology works with zone therapy. So, this chart is the one I’m displaying first. If you feel that your life is too complicated for reflexology, try massaging your feet and observing where you feel soreness or sensitivity. Rather than feeling you even need to know how you experience these points, just knowing where they are on your feet is enough.
Foot reflexology sessions relax, balance, detox, and heal your entire body.
Reflexology brings about homeostasis – a body balance that is important for your health.
Reflex areas in your feet correspond to the internal organs.
Note where these points are and then work them over the next few days.
Work your toes to help alleviate headaches,
The ball of your foot relieves tension in your neck and shoulders.
Your foot arch relates to your liver, bowel, and kidneys. Manipulate this area gently, especially if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends.
Massaging the top of your foot induces psychological calm.
Modern reflexology is based on the centuries-old theory of Zone Therapy. The principle is that the energy connection should be free-flowing. An energy blockage will imbalance body parts within that particular zone.
Reflexology sessions work to restore free-flowing energy pathways throughout the body, creating homeostasis. This energetic body balance is essential for your good health.
When our bodies are balanced, things work better:
stress is relieved
the immune system improves
there is relief from pain
circulation improves
bowel movements improve
toxins clear
relaxation is better
In short, the body works better!
Most of us know these things but it’s nice to have a short review occasionally. It’s easier to find time in the daily schedule for a reflexology session if we can remember what the session will actually do for us.
On behalf of healers everywhere, I honor you and thank you for seeking wellness throughout your life.
With blogs, books, classes and sessions, I am not here to change your story. I am here as a conduit for your healing.
“Healer’s Handbook” is available as an ebook or paperback at www.thurmangreco.com
I thank you for reading this blog post.
If you have friends or relatives who might enjoy this article, please share it with them.
Please forward this post on your preferred social media network.
For more info, check out my books on www.thurmangreco.com.
To learn more about reflexology, download this video.
Ask a friend to join you in a learning adventure. The two of you can learn together and exchange sessions.
I have several reflexology videos on YOUTUBE – Let’s Live with Thurman Greco. These videos are free.
Thank you for your interest.
Leaving Baggage Behind – No Regrets
Have you ever thought about spiritually cleaning out your closet? cleaning your house?
I got up early this morning because I wanted a few minutes to clean out a closet. Yesterday I promised a friend that I would share some gently used items for her fund raiser.
When I make a promise like that, it’s best that I set a few minutes aside and then work like crazy to get rid of things as quickly as possible.
Working in a fury, I stuffed items in a bag so quickly that I couldn’t overthink the situation. I also knew that I didn’t have time to put things back.
I just grabbed: a white blouse I hadn’t worn in years, a pair of slacks that were never comfortable, 3 T-shirts I was never going to wear again. A new winter coat.
On and on it went. I didn’t give myself time to think I just might, in a pinch, wear one of these items again. I even threw in a pot plant that was still pretty but quickly growing beyond my skill level.
As I stuffed these things in the car, with the plant perched on top of the clothes, I thought about maybe I should have done something like this with some of my other spiritual baggage.
Specifically, I thought of off those regrets I’ve been reliving lately.
We all carry it. Baggage.
Sometimes I feel like I would like to just leave it all behind me as I go through life: Grudges, resentments, painful memories, regrets.
I’ve been carrying all this baggage around with me for decades and decades. Then, a young woman reminded me that we all have baggage.
Sometimes, I just want to leave it all behind.
Other times, getting to a place where I can let go is difficult.
One thing she taught me: forgiveness is a large part of the journey. Leaving all these parcels and bags and boxes of regret is hard.
But, so was gathering all the experiences that became painful memories.
I’m hanging onto all this negativity. It’s making extra weight which I carry around all day, every day, I tried to think of what might be a good way to do this so I went to my roots.
What is going to work?
Eureka! Forgiveness will be important here.
I went to my roots for success! I got out my asphidity bag!
When I’m working on healing an issue, I write a description on a small paper and put it in my asphidity bag. I wear it around my neck to remind me that I’m healing.
Freedom is a goal!
When I have my healing goals in my asphidity bag, I know it’s time to schedule extra weekly Reiki therapy and Reflexology sessions.
If you have friends who might enjoy this post, please forward it to your favorite social media network and to your friends.
For more information, check out my books at thurmangreco.com.
Most of my books are available in ebook form as well as paperbook. “But for Gabriel” should be available in December.
Renee posts new segments to “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” on Tuesdays. are posted. Let me know how you like them!
Thanks again!
Thurman Greco
What to do When it all Gets to be Too Much: Switch Off The Day
The times are overwhelming. It’s as if everyone is “always on”. I find that when I’m always connected, things can quit working. When I’m always connected, I find myself staring at screens, answering every door bell and phone ring.
When things quit working, one of the most effective things I do is switch everything off. This includes me. I switch off – both physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
I turn off electronic devices. The phone goes off. The computer shuts down. The TV is off. I turn off all the lights.
And, you know what? almost everything works better after I’ve unplugged it for a few minutes. And, that includes me.
And, then, I get in my most comfortable chair and give myself a Reiki therapy session.
I begin the session with the symbols and three hand positions to my head. My intention is to relax so that I won’t be so fatigued and overwhelmed.
Now…I know that switching everything off can be difficult. In some cases, it’s impossible. I also know that there comes a time when saying “no” is not selfish.
An important lesson I had to learn as an adult is that when everybody is getting oxygen masks, we sometimes each need to get our own oxygen mask first so we can make sure everyone else is being properly cared for.
So, becoming comfortable with “no” and “off” is something that I had to learn in life.
A life lesson I had to learn was that some people stress me out. Learning to recognize stressor people and situations was (is) important. Once stressors are are recognized, it is easy to avoid them.
Life is more pleasant, less complicated, and easier when stressors are recognized and minimized.
Reiki sessions help. Both Reiki and reflexology promote relaxation and a more positive outlook.
Emergency Reiki sessions are a dramatic improvement. They work even better when they are a supplement to regularly scheduled Reiki therapy sessions.
I invite you to connect with me on Facebook
If you who have friends and relatives who might enjoy this post, please share it to your favorite social media network and to your friends and relatives.
For more info, check out my books at Thurmangreco.com. every title is available in hard copy and ebook with the exception of the first edition of “But for Gabriel” This book is available as an ebook only until December.
PLEASE don’t forget to schedule regular Reiki therapy and reflexology sessions.
Please check out the YOUTUBE channel show. New episodes are released on Tuesdays. “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” is a positive, entertaining series of interviews which I’ve conducted throughout the last 15 or so years. There have been a few intermissions along the way, but not many.
My guests enjoy being on the show and many ask to return. One thing they all have in common: we’ve all met each other somehow in Woodstock, NY
Join us soon!
And, let us know how you like the shows.
Use a Little Self-Care to Live Mindfully & Look After Yourself.
I don’t know about you, but I have days that get away from me. Sometimes, the idea that I can take a few minutes out for exercise, or meditation, or whatever, is just flirting with non-reality.
So, what do I do to assure that I have given myself some much-needed self-care even in times of chaos and stress?
I keep a gratitude journal.
This little book takes almost no space on my desk or in my purse. It attracts little attention. But, this little book is powerful!
My gratitude journal:
makes sure that I don’t take blessings for granted.
prevents me from getting so caught up in my daily life that I forget to appreciate what I have.
encourages me to become aware of all the ways I am fortunate.
I may not write paragraphs or essays in this journal. Some days I write down just a few words. These words may include hugging a loved one, seeing the little bunny chew a flower in my garden, or eating a delicious red grape.
Words are not always necessary. Sometimes my gratitude journal is a page with colors:
It’s the little things that change my thoughts and bring peace to my world. While relaxation is not the end goal, it’s a common side effect of a gratitude moment. This quiet, sometimes secret, moment changes how my body is feeling.
This moment helps understand the experience.
This is gratitude.
“A Healer’s Handbook” is available at www.thurmangreco.com. This book is in it’s third edition and has gone out to three dozen countries.
Thank you for reading this article. My intention is that each blog post you read can be a conduit for your spiritual growth and healing.
Please share it with friends and family. Forward it to your preferred social media network.
If you enjoy these blog posts, please subscribe.
Find out more about Thurman Greco at www.thurmangreco.com. Books are available in both ebook and paperbook form. ENJOY!
I hope you’ve had a chance to visit the YOUTUBE channel, “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco”. It is a positive, entertaining series conducted throughout the last 15 or so years. There have been a few intermissions, but not many.
Guests on this show enjoy the experience and many ask to return. One thing they all have in common: Woodstock.
We add new shows weekly.