8 Ways to Heal Your Chakras
When you balance your chakras, you change your physical self. This happens because your chakras affect all levels of your body – physical, psychological, and spiritual.
Balanced chakras facilitate homeostasis. A chakra adjustment boosts healing and recovery from illness, emotional wounds, negative lifestyles and other physical and mental issues.
INTENTION
Wherever you are on your healing path, your foundation is your intention to heal, which guides your journey.
Keep it close throughout your travels because healing can often reach into your past. Your health issues may have begun years, decades, even lifetimes ago.
Write your intention. Meditate on your intention. Stay with your intention. It leads your energy, telling it what to do.
Your intention has a second task: it converts your healing goals into your new normal, maintaining your good health and your spiritual wholeness.
Without this second task focusing on your good health goals, your body may revert to its previous state.
Your goal is to make strong and durable changes so you can become your new normal self.
This may be scary stuff. After all, it’s much easier to “keep on keeping on”.
If you really seek healing, change the things you do.
AROMATHERAPY
The sense of smell is primal.
When you focus on grounding and safety, aromatherapy is a good choice because these qualities rely on the sense of smell. This is especially important for health issues affecting your root chakra.
Aromas work on the unconscious self and the physical body.
Smells have a frequency which reaches far back in time to heal your chakras and energetic fields.
Smells reveal memories traveling instantly from the past – beyond this life even.
This time travel can balance chakras. Essential oils can focus on a specific chakra.
I’ve listed various essential oils in previous blog posts. I’ve also listed them in all editions of “Healer’s Handbook”.
If you want to own the fewest number of essential oils possible, lavender can be a good first choice.
Good essential oils for the root chakra include wood-related oils: sandalwood, rosewood.
If you want to use essential oils to promote healing and balance, select only a few for the chakra you are focusing on. Buy the best quality, therapeutic grade oils you can find. Store them in glass in a cool, dark place.
Once you select an essential oil, learn to use that particular oil. Depending on the oil you choose, you may dilute it and then apply it topically.
You may also use the essential oil aromatically.
Finally, you may decide to ingest it.
However you decide to use the essential oil, learn the best way to use it before you begin your treatment.
SOUND
Sound affects us all deeply and instantly. Sound is powerful because it changes our vibration. Going straight to our deepest core, sound alters vibrations of illness and disease.
When using sound to heal, choose those sounds which touch your heart, your chakras and emotions.
You may decide to engage in formal sound healing sessions. Or you may simply choose to pay more attention to the sounds in your life. What sounds promote healing, calming, or balancing? Which ones are disruptive and damaging?
Don’t underestimate the power of healing music.
MANTRAS AND HEALING NOTES
A mantra is a word which is repeated for healing purposes.
Om is a universal mantra. The vibration of the repeated word is the power in the mantra. Vibration, not the word itself, is the power in the singing bowls, tuning forks, chants, and mantras.
It’s not necessary to know the literal meaning of a word for it to work as a mantra.
Tools that create notes for chakra healing include Gregorian Chants, singing bowls, and tuning forks designed to heal chakras.
Singing bowls and tuning forks resonate to the energy of specific chakras. Any word or sound carrying a positive resonance has a powerful, therapeutic effect.
Silence can be powerfully calming and healing. If you are attracted to the vibration of silence, try to practice it a few minutes each day.
YOGA
Yoga poses have been used for ages to boost and balance your chakras. The poses strengthen and stabilize your body. They also activate your chakras.
Yoga poses open, strengthen, and balance different chakras based on their location. There are many different yoga poses, each anatomically related to different chakras.
CRYSTALS AND STONES
For me, crystals and stones live. Each has a unique vibration which communicates with our energetic fields. This communication has the capacity to bring harmony and balance.
The best way to select a crystal or stone is to trust your body’s response. When you hold a particular stone in your hand or place it on a chakra, how does it feel to you? Does it feel bad? Are you positively attracted to it?
If the response is good, you may be on the right track.
Selecting the crystal and gemstones is a personal decision. It’s hard for someone else to choose your stone.
A good way is to select a stone in the same color as the chakra you’re trying to balance.
For example, if you are seeking a stone to balance your root chakra, choose from red stones because that chakra’s color resonates with red.
Occasionally, a stone will call out to you. This happened to me recently. Black tourmaline presented itself to me, uninvited. I saw evidence of this stone everywhere I went.
When I opened books, a picture of this stone would be on the opened page.
When a colleague asked me about stones, she wanted information about black tourmaline.
I visited a tarot store in Great Barrington – and there sat a dish of them, right at eye level.
I simply couldn’t avoid them.
So, I finally gave in!
I bought a stone and silver chain at the Mower’s Meadow Flea Market from a booth there.
I’ve been wearing the black tourmaline for over a week now and I feel totally different than I felt a week ago.
I held out as long as I could and when I finally did what I should have done in the beginning – I felt good.
MEDITATION
Meditations balance and heal on several different levels.
For me, meditations work because energy follows intent. A guided meditation allows you to focus on your intentions in a relaxed state.
If you are looking to find a guided meditation suitable for your chakra balancing, maybe I can suggest a starting point for you. I’ve used several books for years. Larry Moen wrote my three favorite books: “Meditations for Awakening”, “Meditations for Healing”, “Meditations for Transformation”.
I’ve worn out several copies of these books and shared others.
I’ve also written some guided meditations. You can find them in earlier posts of this blog.
REFLEXOLOGY AND REIKI
Both reflexology and Reiki therapy balance your chakras. I wrote about this in my book: “Healer’s Handbook”.
When my chakras need attention, I always turn to reflexology and Reiki first.
While I definitely embrace different healing methods to balance my chakras, I refer to reflexology first.
A reflexology session is my first stop.
Thanks for reading this article! Please forward it to your preferred social media network. Share it with your friends.
Some information in this blog post was shared from “Healers Handbook”. Purchase a copy from www.thurmangreco.com.
Search “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco on YOUTUBE and check out the ever-growing selection of videos focused on reflexology, Reiki therapy, and healing.
Please share this article with your preferred social media network and with your friends.
Thanks again!
Thurman Greco
I’I’m planning a couple of special year-end blogs and YOUTUBE shows. I hope they work out. Sometimes the universe sends me in different different directions.
Thanking you again!
www.thurmangreco.com
At One With the Earth – a First Chakra Grounding Meditation
I was inspired to share this meditation after an experience when I deeply understood the interconnectedness of all beings. My goal in this meditation is for us all to be closer to the oneness we have with this planet.
Sometimes we don’t feel the connection. And, I realize that some people never experience this oneness.
Use this meditation to connect with your place of inner peace and grounding.
PAUSE
Get comfortable on the floor, healing table, or other flat space. Position your body face up.
Breathe slowly and deeply. With each breath, your body relaxes more.
You feel a greater sense of awareness; experience a very peaceful feeling.
You are filling your body with a feeling of lightness.
When this happens,you know you can come out of this experience any time you want by simply opening your eyes.
PAUSE
Release your conscious thoughts, letting go of “mental activity.” You are in this place at this moment.
You feel so light now that you can lift up off the floor. You feel yourself gently floating.
A carpet appears at your side. It is just big enough to hold you.
When you climb on, this carpet gently lifts you up. You gradually move up – up through the ceiling.
Riding on your carpet, you move up, above the trees and the skyline.
Glancing down, you see the treetops appearing gradually smaller and smaller.
Stretching out on your carpet, you drift up – right through a cloud.
You feel warm sunshine on your entire body. Your body absorbs a beautiful pale red light.
You look down at the earth now and see it as a ball of light.
PAUSE
Your carpet begins to slowly descend to the earth. Passing through a billowy cloud, you see the skyline, now familiar from the trip up. You see the tree tops.
You peacefully return to the place where you began your journey.
You are grounded, and calm. You feel safe and secure.
Know that you can return to this space any time you desire.
Take a couple deep breaths and sit up. Continue your day now – energized,
rejuvenated, and rested. You feel more grounded and calm.
Go in peace!
Thank you for reading this meditation.
Thurman
www.thurmangreco.com
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network and share it with a friend.
Some information in this post was sourced from “Healer’s Handbook”. Further information regarding chakras and meditations may be found in prior blog posts and on “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” YOUTUBE presentations.
If you have further questions or remarks, I can be reached at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Who Shouldn’t Receive a Reflexology Session, and Why (Contraindications)
My introduction to contraindications began at my first massage therapy class at the Potomac Myotherapy Institute in Washington, D.C back in 1979.
Our first class began on an autumn evening with about 40 students. By the second class, that number had shrunk to a few over 20. Missing students were culled because of contraindications.
A contraindication list changes based on several factors:
Wellness and reflexology writers each have lists based on their experiences and training.
Healers each have a list. My experience in this field tells me that this list is highly individualized, again based on each healer’s experiences and training.
Teachers in both schools and continuing education seminars have opinions. These professionals teach from a list compiled not only by themselves but by the school owners and the states where they teach.
When I first began practicing massage, Kerrith McKechnie cautioned us to not treat cancer patients, or anyone with fever, or a rash. And the list continued beyond that.
Later, when I studied reflexology, Marge d’Urso’s list was different.
Mary Ruth VanLandingham’s Reiki therapy list had no contraindications.
Over the past three plus decades, I have a list of my own. This list has changed over time based on my experiences, and classes taken.
And, of course, this list begins with
CANCER PATIENTS
As a student at PMTI, we were cautioned against working on cancer patients at all.
Years later, I know reflexology offers much for a cancer patient: relief from pain, stress, and nausea.
When I first offered reflexology to a cancer patient, she received her reflexology sessions 48 hours after chemotherapy. The theory was that she was toxic for 48 hours after receiving her chemotherapy.
I waited the 48 hours to protect myself.
The first time I offered reflexology sessions to a cancer patient, I did it because she asked. We discussed the situation and she felt that she had no options left.
To put her situation bluntly, I was offering reflexology to a terminally ill client. She wanted the relief offered from pain, stress, and nausea.
Now, of course, fewer and fewer cancer patients receive chemotherapy.
What’s important here is the journey reflexology and other healing modalities have taken as we learned more about cancer.
Years later, at a seminar at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, I learned that reflexology, massage, and Reiki therapy are appropriate for cancer patients whenever they want to receive a session.
For me, cancer is no longer a reason to refuse a reflexology session to a client.
PREGNANT WOMEN
I do not offer reflexology sessions to pregnant women experiencing the first trimester of an unstable pregnancy.
Nothing is more wonderful than a reflexology session offered to a woman in her 7th month of pregnancy and has not seen her feet for a couple of months and still has 2 months to go.
The rule I follow: avoid offering reflexology in the first trimester and stay on the bottom of the feet when you offer sessions thereafter.
If you have any concerns, switch to Reiki therapy. Reiki therapy is wonderful for pregnant women at any stage of the pregnancy. With a regular Reiki therapy client, you can offer sessions weekly and can offer to go with your client into the labor and delivery stages of the birth process. Then, of course, you have two clients.
CLIENTS WITH INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Infectious disease sufferers should not receive reflexology for your protection. If you decide to offer a session to someone in a contagious condition, consider some options: gloves, mask, etc.
SEVERE CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
This is a good time to use your Reiki therapy skills.
GANGRENE
Gangrene occurs when a person’s cells begin to die in a particular place when there is no circulation in a certain place in the body. Gangrene is fairly rare but can be seen in cases of advanced diabetes. This situation requires a physician’s attention.
ADVANCED OSTEOPOROSIS
Persons suffering with mild osteoporosis or osteopenia benefit from reflexology sessions. Use a light touch and a short session taking care not to fracture bones.
The red flag begins to fly 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 is a rash, an open sore, athlete’s foot, etc., offer hand reflexology instead of working the feet. If you are uncomfortable offering hand reflexology to a person who has a contagious or infectious condition, use gloves.
ADVANCED DIABETES
Clients with mild diabetes respond well to reflexology sessions offered to both hands and feet. Use gentle pressure when working the pancreas. Use a lighter pressure in general for diabetics because their skin may be thinner or more sensitive 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 sessions offer a natural detoxing action you need to take care not to overload the person. Offer a light thouch and shorter session.
SEVERE SWELLING
Swelling may indicate an internal injury, such as torn ligaments caused by a sprain, strain or fracture. Do not work an ankle, or foot that is swollen and painful. Once a medical professional has ruled out any underlying conditions, you can use your reflexology skills.
OPEN SORES OR CUTS
Cover blisters and cuts to keep them free from bacterial infections. Sometimes open sores may indicate an underlying, chronic condition, such as diabetes. The sores may also be related to contagious skin disorders.
BREAKS OR SPRAINS
Wait for permission from a physician. And, do not remove a cast or bandaging to offer reflexology. Work with what tissue is available to you and focus on a gentle touch and slow movements.
This may be a good option for Reiki.
FEVER
Fever is not a health issue. It is a symptom of an infection somewhere in your body.
For me, fever is one of the most important symptoms you may experience. It can indicate a heart attack, tumor, trauma, or a reaction to a vaccine.
Reflexology offers homeostasis which is important when a person has a fever. Returning your body to an ideal temperature is one of the best outcomes a person with fever.
Giving a reflexology session to a person with a fever can be a healing situation once you understand the cause.
FEAR OR ANXIETY
The final item on my list is highly personal. If I suspect a person is afraid of receiving reflexology or is experiencing anxious emotions about being on my table, I offer to cancel or postpone the session.
Sometimes, people who have never received bodywork or healing are unsure about being ready for a session. This is not the time to change someone’s mind or feelings.
They can always reschedule the session at a time when they feel calmer about their session.
Throughout the years that I’ve offered healing sessions, I’ve had only two people arrive for appointments. I knew the minute I saw them that something wasn’t “right”.
I followed my intuition and offered to cancel or reschedule the appointment. Both people were relieved to receive my offer. And I was happy I offered to cancel or reschedule. The moment the words left my mouth I knew they were the right words.
Thank you for reading this article!
None of the above contraindications occur often. But when they do happen, I like to feel I am following guidelines learned in classes throughout the years.
Please refer this post to your preferred social media network and share it with a friend.
Some information in this post was shared from “Healer’s Handbook”. More extensive information regarding contraindications may be found in prior blog posts and on presentations on YOUTUBE.
If you have any further questions or remarks, I can be reached at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Thanks again,
Thurman
Taking Charge of Your Health to Make a New Life
Take charge of your health.
An important decision you make for yourself, it’s one I celebrate! I want us all to become more conscious of ourselves and take charge of our own health.
Some of us reach this decision because of an event: injuries resulting from an accident or diseases experienced.
Some of us reach this decision because of experiences lived during the Pandemic.
And, some of us mature into this decision as an attitude toward our health.
Whatever the catalyst, deciding to be in charge of your health shifts your life’s path. It’s a reason to rejoice.
But now, what are you going to do about it?
Sometimes people come to my table after deciding to be in charge of their health. The idea is to give up the physician and replace her with a reflexologist. Frankly, this is not always the best decision.
When this happens, you are simply trading one coat for another. And, when this happens, you should be putting yourself in charge, not a reflexologist or acupuncturist or herbalist.
I have been in charge of my health care for years and rely on the training and wisdom of a nurse practitioner. Not only do I seek information and advice from her regularly, I tap into her information bank with every visit. She does blood tests. She schedules MRIs or x-rays or other tests.
She offers information, advice, and wisdom at every office visit.
And, certainly, if you are putting yourself in charge, you may find yourself going to a physician or reflexologist or acupuncturist or herbalist as often (or even more often) than before.
So, then what do you do?
BUILD A HEALTH CARE SUPPORT TEAM
This is a group of professionals who support you in your search for lifelong good health.
My team includes, among other specialists, a Reiki practitioner, a reflexologist, a massage therapist, a physical therapist, a yoga teacher, a podiatrist, a dentist, a periodontist, an allergist, a dermatologist, a sleep specialist, a fitness expert. a pharmacist.
I think you are getting the picture here.
LEARN HOW YOUR BODY WORKS
Buy some anatomy and physiology books. You are embarking on a new and wonderous journey!
Don’t be overwhelmed. Anatomy and physiology books come in all sizes and stripes. They even come in coloring books. Try them all. Especially the coloring books.
You may even want to take a class or two.
You’ll learn much.
While you travel on this wonderful spiritual journey, you are now on a path to learn things about yourself that you never even knew you might need to know.
Definitely use the skills of a reflexologist or reiki practitioner regularly. Weekly appointments are preferred.
Homeostasis opens many doors!
EAT THE BEST FOOD YOU CAN BUY
An important step to take when you manage your own health is to eat real food. A cornerstone of good health is the proper diet. There are many, many diets out there. Until you feel certain that you are eating the correct diet for you, rely on foods which have no additives, preservatives, colors, etc.
I’m sure you understand what it means to eat real food.
I’m certain that when you do finally feel you are eating the correct foods for your body, you will rely on real food.
MOVE
Your body was made to move. When you manage your own health, you know how important this is.
AND ON AND ON AND ON
The bottom line is that, as you take charge of your health care, you will develop resources and you will probably never stop learning.
Welcome!
Thank you for reading this wellness article. There are many related articles found in past blog posts.
You can also find related information on You Tube at “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” or “Take this Bread with Thurman Greco”. You Tube videos include interviews with nutritionists, reflexologists, Reiki masters.
Subscribe today and never miss an update on the latest, as well as vintage, shows.
My book “Healer’s Handbook” has wellness information for you. It’s both interesting and readable.
You can also reach me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network. Share it with a friend.
Thanks again!
Thurman Greco
On This Journey: Hope
On this journey, I send you a blessing:
Whenever you touch someone, may you show them love.
In your work, may love, mercy, and justice shine forth.
May it guide and protect you.
– – – – – – – – –
As a reflexologist, whether I heal, teach, write, speak, or dowse, my intentions are the same.
I want us all to become more conscious of ourselves.
It’s time to take charge of our healing.
We can make necessary changes appropriate for us now as we offload things we no longer need.
As we do this, we discover what’s important to us. We learn things about ourselves we never knew.
We find out things about ourselves we once knew but forgot.
We see some items which we may have felt weren’t necessary. Now we know they are.
My job is to help you find your feet.
My goal is for you to know yourself better.
Once you know the truth about your feet, you become aware of your soul.
Things fall into place.
You may empower yourself to assume responsibility for your healing.
A better self-understanding emerges.
You are on a path to deeper consciousness.
Feet are essential. They have been crucial since the beginning of our existence. Our feet carry us wherever we need to go. They are part of our lives spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Reflexology has been with us since the beginning of time when its history is shrouded in mists.
If you travel to Egypt, you’ll find wall paintings referring to feet dating back to 2399 BCE in the Historical Physicians’ Tomb of Saqqara, Egypt.
In Nara, Japan, the Medicine Teacher Temple has a stone carving of Buddha’s feet dating to 790 AD.
In India, the paintings of Vishnu correspond to some reflexology points.
Ancient Chinese writings describe pressure points on thumbs and toes.
Ayurveda medicine incorporates foot reflexology.
When I see a person’s feet, I feel as if I’ve found a book filled with stories, all waiting to be told.
Your feet speak to me.
Before, during, and after a session, your feet change color, texture, and weight. Lines on your feet shift.
Health issues are messengers telling you to seek out and deal with spiritual causes.
When you visit a reflexologist with your health issues, you focus on your spirit.
You may also want to experience an hour of self-care. Or, you may want to bliss out for a short time.
Whatever the motivation, a reflexology session offers a window into homeostasis, the balance of all body systems. Reflexology is all about self-healing reflexology.
Your body changes daily – and continually changes throughout your activities. Whether sleeping, dancing, or taking out the trash, your body tries to maintain a health balance – homeostasis.
When you seek a reflexologist, you may be trying to deal with one or more ongoing persistent health problems.
You seek a solution while saying to yourself: “I may have to learn to live with fatigue (insomnia, constipation, headaches).”
When a person brings a spiritual issue to my table, I go to the chakras.
This is an opportunity to dowse them.
With chronic disease, the chakras commonly seize up.
Balancing a chakra with spinning helps. First, I remove the negative energy, then I spin the chakras. I always work the weakest chakra first.
Trauma clogs the chakras and turns them gray.
A reflexology session reveals things for a client including:
sleep
deep relaxation
more regular bowel movements
instant relief of tired, sore, achy feet
a mild detox
homeostasis
increased circulation
relaxed tension
Conflicting information constantly bombards us with information about our health.
What’s good.
What’s bad.
The bottom line is we’re complex beings. Good health involves the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual body.
We heal five different ways. Healing is physical, symbolic, mythical, energetic, and spiritual.
Physical Healing is undeniable. Your body fights disease by overcoming symptoms, boosting your body systems, changing you DNA.
When a client comes to me in pain, we have a conversation about the situation. This is Symbolic Healing in action. I ask questions:
How long have you had this pain?
When did it begin?
Is it constant or intermittent?
What makes it better, and what makes it worse?
Where does it hurt?
What does this pain feel like?
What does it look like?
What color is this pain?
Can you describe the sound of this pain?
How does it smell?
What is your pain’s size and shape?
What other symptoms follow this pain?
Once the sound is identified, I invite the person to make a chant using this sound.
Symbolic healing works through words. Talking with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist is symbolic healing. Speaking with a physical therajpist about your shoulder pain is symbolic.
Guided meditation is symbolic healing.
Energetic Healing does not rely on words. Energetic healing is meditation, massage, reflexology, Reiki, chakra healing, or other bodywork.
Blended Healing happens when chiropractors, physical therapists, and physicians work on your symbolic level during consultations. Describing your health issues with a physician is symbolic healing.
– – – – – – – – – –
Illness is real. Accidents happen. Medicine and healing can help. They create meaning.
Recent global events spread uncertainty, insecurity, and grief. How we approah our health and wellness is forever changed.
It’s up to us now to keep ourselves and our loved ones well. At some point, you may need to choose a reflexologist or other healer. Not all healers and practitioners are alike.
A 9-word vocabulary clarifies this for you:
Administer – Reflexologists don’t administer anything. We read feet and offer sessions. We have provided noninvasive sessions to our clients the world over for ages and ages.
Advise – Reflexologists support client partners in their healing path. This work supports homeostasis.
Cure – Reflexologists offer our services and empower client partners to control their health as they heal and embrace wellness. This can be a very different thing depending on the issue.
Diagnose – Reflexologists do not diagnose. Physicians diagnose. A disgnosis is essential because it’s much easier to overcome a health issue if it has a name.
Dispense – Reflexologists dispense nothing beyond the sessions we offer.
Examine – Reflexologists read feet, hands, or ears. We notice the locations of our findings. We work the feet, hands, or ears to facilitate healing and homeostasis.
Patient – Physicians and nurses have patients. Reflexologists have clients or client partners.
Prescribe – Prescriptions are allopathic tools. Reflexologists do not prescribe. We rely on our hands and hearts to tell us what we find to encourage healing, and wellness, to facilitate homeostasis.
Recommend – We work feet, concentrating our energies to facilitate healing.
What is suffering really about? Why are we going through this? What is the purpose?
Getting well is sometimes very tough. These are the spiritual questions:
Do you want to be well if getting well hurts?
Do you want to be well if it separates you from your old identity?
Do you want to be well more than you want to stay the same?
A good model for healing involves four steps:
Several years ago, I had a pain in my shoulder. First I met with my health care provided for a diagnosis and whatever else I needed to get over this pain. This was important.
Her diagnosis helped me overcome my problem. An old saying goes like this: It’s easier to slay the .dragon once I know its name.
I had overworked a muscle in my shoulder . I removed the environmental cause of the problem by not lifting anything else until the pain was dealt with.
Then, I set about correcting my painful situation. I scheduled 8 physical therapy sessions and went twice a week for four weeks to physical therapy where I received massage, exercise, ultrasound, and heat treatment
My physical therapist taught me the proper way to lift boxes weighing 40 pounds each.
I scheduled four weekly reflexology sessions to correspond with each physical therapy session I received. A sesion was scheduled to be within 24 hours of each physical therapy appointment.
The reflexologist used her sensory skills to work my feet. She found crystals, resistance, hollows, and mushy tissue.
Her findings gave even more clues. Because my situation was acute, she found a lot of “clues”.
She found crytals that varied from tiny salt crystal size to crystals that felt like broken glass to feeling like beans. Some places on my feet felt as hard as rocks.
Others felt spongy.
Meanwhile, I felt things, too. I felt tenderness, shooting pains, throbbing. My feet felt sore, achy, bruised, and tired.
I also experienced incredible grounding and relaxation. I slipped into a deep, sleeplike state during each session.
Taking steps to keep the situation from happening again, I learned the proper way to lift 40-pound boxes.
More than anything, I followed my truth. I had a “conversion” when I understood the changes I needed to make and the things I had to do to be pain-free and to function well again.
I realized something:
As hard as we try to stay healthy, sooner or later, we all get sick.
Acute illnesses can be cured.
Chronic illnesses are another thing entirely. We live with chronic illnesses. They each have spiritual implications and overlays.
The role of the mind, the state of your health, and your spirituality connect to three things:
What happens in your life.
How you feel and think about what is happening.
What happens in your body.
These three things are the stress created by your situation. Stress is your response to an event and how you perceive and react to it, not what happened.
Stress is a deadly health crisis.
We each have a spiritual core needing encouragement, support, and protection. Your inner core helps you travel through life with the fewest bumps possible.
When guidance, nourishment, and protection are deficient in some way, you risk losing self-confidence.
Give yourself a boost. Life is easier with a solid inner core.
Begin by thinking positively.
Before you get out of bed each day, ask yourself:
“What makes me happy? How can I be happy today?”
Happiness is one thing that only you can give yourself. It doesn’t depend on how much money you make or how much education you have, or how tall you are.
Happiness depends on your inner self.
Listen to your body.
When you listen, your body will tell you what you need. It will tell you what to keep, what to avoid, what to give away, and what to leave behind.
When you understand what your body says, you have a chance to heal life. You can change your life if that is what you want.
Tune in to your body several times daily. Do you have pain anywhere? Is your spine aligned? What is your energy level right this moment? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Joyful?
Good health is a priority.
When you value your good health, you love your self. You believe you are a valuable person. You expect yourself to be in excellent health. Your thinking can change. Your life can unstick itself. Claim your wellness!
Your emotional self is a best friend.
Your feelings are an opportunity. You can never expand or grow until you own up to the feelings your body sends your way. They help you release pain, extra weight, sorrow, grief, fear.
When you release some of these painful things, you can experience joyful health, peace, grounding. You will find room in your soul for a better quality of life.
Connect with your community.
Volunteer or join a local group such as knitting or hiking. Get a parttime job. Read a local paper. Use your library. Work at a food pantry. Join your local church or synagogue. Teach someone to read.
Include exercise of some kind every day.
In 1513, Ponce deLeon discovered the Fountain of Youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The Fountain of Youth still exists and keeps people everywhere healthy and fit.
There is at least one branch of it in your neighborhood. It’s located on a sidewalk or roadside where you can walk every day. If that branch is inconvenient for you, another nearby branch is in a local fitness center. You’ll be much healthier when you visit your favorite branch regularly.
Reflexology and Reiki
Include a session of Reflexology, Reiki, or other nourishing bodywork every week. It doesn’t matter whether you have a health issue, or whether you just want to get on a healing table and bliss out. What’s important is the self-care you receive.
Review your situation
This last year has been stressful for everyone. I don’t know even one person who has escaped grief.
Now is 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 get it at your library.
Learn Reiki Therapy
Reiki is one of the oldest healing modalities on our planet. When you take a Reiki class, you learn a healing tool to positively impact your life.
Reiki is adaptable to many different situations. It is easy to learn and use. We all need more Reiki. Every time I hear about a new class forming or a Reiki circle happening, I rejoice.
Get Creative
The fun thing about creativity is that it can be anything you want it to be. When you get creative, you relax, laugh, explore, inspire and imagine. You add more color to your life.
Creativity is an empowering tool.
When you get creative, you are open to positive lifestyle changes. The possibilities are many:
You may develop a working relationship with your healthcare professional and your healer.
You may become more aware of your body and how it works.
You have a basic plan for conquering and preventing disease when you combine quality sleep with healthy eating and physical activity. I have written much about these things in my blog posts, my books, and on YouTube interviews.
When we are in the presence of someone suffering from something we can do nothing about, the first reaction is to run away as fast as possible. It’s frightening to be around suffering.
Feeling helpless in the face of anguish and pain is complex.
A Healing Community
To be part of a healing community, we learn to be with those suffering even when we feel helpless.
Make no mistake. We are not helpless. We offer hope for one another as we keep the faith God, or the Universe, or whatever word you want to use, is working even when we can’t see how. To be part of a healing community means we are not alone.
That makes all the difference.
When you are part of a healing community, you can change. You can experience your life differently, made to feel whole, even as your physical abody falls apart.
Touch can heal you from fear, even when you remain sick.
Healing is about creating meaning. Ask yourself:
What is suffering for anyway?
Why are we going through this?
What is the purpose?
Getting well is sometimes very tough. Do you want to be well if getting well hurts?
Do you want to be well if it separates you from your old self?
Do you want to be well more than you want to stay the same?
This is a all to change.
Since ancient times, healers and physicians have worked with patients to achieve a cure, a restoration.
Healing takes many forms: physical, mythical, symbolic, and energetic.
But, what happens when there are no options?
From the time a person is diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness, we must try to make some sense of the days and months left.
Healing appears in many forms, including antibiotics, chemotherapy, and morphine.
Reiki, guided meditations, favorite music, and listening are appropriate.
Whatever form healing takes, flexibility is essential. Any number of situations may arise. A nurse may arrive to do routine and necessary are. A family member may enter.
Let the process unfold in whatever way it happens.
In the end, we offer a smile, an ear, a touch, an embrace.
Sometimes it helps to remind yourself that, even though we’re grieving, death is about the person who is dying.
The rest of us are there to help say “goodbye”, do the laundry, and serve a cup of tea to someone to someone who needs it.
Finally, our job is to let the person go.
Thanks for reading this article. Please forward it to your preferred social media network and share with a friend.
A final note: The third edition, Wellness for All, is now available in a paper edition for $15. with $5. shipping. This third edition is enlarged and expanded, with over 300 pages of information. www.thurmangreco.com
www.reflexologyforthespirit.com
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.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer this blog post to your preferred social media network.
Please share it with your friends.
Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
7 Self-Care Tips to Boost your Diet
This post gives you a week’s worth of life-changing tools to help you boost your diet. Try them if they attract you in some way. If something feels good to you, then it probably is good for you.
The timing has to be right. Maybe you’ve tried one or two (or even all) of them in the past and they didn’t seem to work for you. That was then and this is now. Don’t go for them unless they attract you for some reason.
These tools will boost your energy, calm your mind, and help prevent or minimize some health problems.
TIP 1
Go for homeostasis! This means reiki or reflexology.
Include one or both of these modalities in your schedule this week…and every week. I suggest distance reiki. Self-reflexology is a good option.
Hand reflexology is easy to use. Does the thought of hand reflexology seem challenging to you? Your library should have hand reflexology books on its shelves.
To simplify your hand reflexology journey, I’ll send you a hand chart and detailed instructions for reflexing your own hands.
Just send me your mailing address to thurmangreco@gmail.com and I’ll return them to you. There is no charge or obligation for this chart and instruction list.
TIP 2
Eat whole, fresh, locally-grown food.
Whatever diet plan you’ve chosen, this is a good tip for you and your diet. When you say “Yes!” to fresh foods, you minimize processed, packaged, shipped products.
When you eat fresh, your food will taste better. Your calories will not be so empty. Your food will be authentic.
You’ll find authentic food on the outer perimeter of your local food store or at a nearby farmers market.
TIP 3
Don’t skip your breakfast.
This meal can be anything from a serving of yogurt to a platter of eggs, bacon, and a hearty whole grain bagel.
Whatever you choose for your breakfast, include powerful berries. Their antioxidents can’t be overemphasized. Let a banana give you the potassium you need.
TIP 4
Skip the sugar. This doesn’t have to be a shock to your system. Begin sugar avoidance by skipping it one day a week. On this day, instead of sugar, include a sugar substitute on any food or in any beverage you would ordinarily use sugar.
There are many brands available. Try several until you find one you like.
If you feel weird without sugar, snack on some chocolate.
TIP 5
Water! Water! Water!
I know. My message is stuck when it comes to water. But, I mean it. Water gives you energy, moves toxins out, and makes your skin look younger. It also has 0 calories.
What more can we ask for?
If you’re not accustomed to water, I suggest this:
When you feel tired, drink a glass of water. No, don’t drink a glass of water. Instead, chug it right down. Now, wait a few minutes to see if you feel better.
When your lips feel dry, drink a glass of water.
What about your urine? What color is it? Concentrated urine has a murky color you don’t need. Drinking more water will get rid of the murky color.
TIP 6
Go Nuts
Daytime snacks are an essential taste treat between meals. They boost your energy midmorning and midafternoon. They are a welcome break from the day’s activities.
One snack which is good for your diet boost is nuts.
Walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts give you energy, satisfy your appetite, and are high in anti-inflammatory fatty acids.
They do lots of other things too. Each nut is different and unique. Take a moment to read about all the wonderful things they do .
Instead of reaching for a sugary food, go for the nuts.
Thanks for reading this article, the first of several to help you boost your diet.
To get your free hand reflexology chart and instruction sheet, please email your mailing address to thurmangreco@gmail.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thurman Greco
thurmangreco.com
Please share this article with your preferred social media network. And please send it along to a friend.
Thanks again for reading this article.
On a Diet? – Reflexology Self-Care Takes You the Extra Mile to Success.
Are you on a diet? Are you trying to “cut back” on foods? Or, are you just thinking about thinking about it all.
Whatever your situation, regular reflexology or Reiki sessions are important. If a reflexology session does nothing else, it will calm and balance your body and your soul. Homeostasis. That’s not peanuts, guys. It’s self-care!
Your first step to your ideal weight is calm. Your first step to calm is a reflexology session . Regular sessions bring calm, peace. They bring homeostasis to your life and your body.
People who receive regular reflexology sessions sleep better, chew their nails less, have more regular bowel movements, experience less heartburn.
When you are calm, it is easier to congratulate yourself on your successes, no matter how small they seem.
There is one other thing reflexology sessions do: Regular reflexology sessions invite mindful and enjoyable activities in your life.
Your diet will work better when you are able to make eating a mindful and enjoyable activity.
Eating becomes mindful at the start, when you set the table for your meal. Use a placemat or table cloth when you set out your dishes. Use nice dishes. Set a calm scene for your meals – especially if you eat alone.
When eating alone, have a special plate and napkin that you use.
Whether you eat alone or with others, you want your experience to be enjoyable.
Do not eat food in your car – or on the bus – or train. (Your car is a good place to drink water.)
Don’t let yourself get distracted by your TV, computer, phone, or IPad. You will do this by reserving your meal as a special time for calm. You want to enjoy your meal. Taste each bite. What are you eating? What color is each food? How does it taste?
Notice your feelings.
Eat slowly. Make each bite small – smaller than your thumbnail. Chew each bite.
Notice your feelings. Have you eaten enough? You can check in with your hunger level. When you are no longer hungry, stop eating.
Have you eaten everything on your plate? No?
It’s okay. The important thing is to enjoy your meal in calm and mindfulness.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please share with your friends.
Thurman Greco
8 Easy Tips for Losing Weight
When you were a child, did you ever hear “Eat everything on your plate. Hungry children need this food.” ?
I certainly did. It never occurred to me that I was never going to help a hungry child get enough food by eating everything on my plate.
As an adult, I found a better way to help alleviate hunger. I donated food to a food pantry or soup kitchen. (And, that led to a whole new career path!)
Leaving food on my plate has no impact on whether another person a block away or around the world gets enough to eat. Donating food to a food pantry or soup kitchen will help.
Do you see that extra serving of lasagna sitting on a shelf in your refrigerator as something you don’t need? Toss it in the garbage instead of eating it. Better yet, toss it before it even gets to the refrigerator.
It’s better to throw the food away before you feed yourself something you don’t need. Eating too much food is bad for your health and well being.
Instead of eating that extra slice of apple pie, get it out of your life.
There are things you can do to prevent overeating:
Tip 1
Schedule a weekly healing reflexology or Reiki session. You will be calmer. Your life will be less stressful. The homeostasis offered by regular reflexology sessions will help make your diet experience easier.
Tip 2
Learn a new hobby: painting, knitting, boxing, walking, singing. Your choices are endless.
Tip 3
Join a gym. When you work out at the gym, you’ll feel better, meet new friends, and look better too.
Tip 4
Learn some healing skills to use on yourself, friends and family. Both Reiki and Reflexology are fun to learn and use.
Tip 5
Replace your hunger for food with water. Your body may be telling you it’s thirsty – not hungry. The moment you feel hungry or thirsty, drink something.
Water is the most important fuel you can give your body. Drink water at the first sign of fatigue. Why? Your body is about 60% water.
Tip 6
Have a water bottle you like and carry it with you everywhere.
Tip 7
There are several hydration apps to remind you to drink water throughout your day, all day. Add one to your smart phone. One example: Waterlogged.
Tip 8
Don’t like the taste of water? Add lemon, lime, sliced cucumbers, frozen berries to your water.
I hope the information on this post has been interesting and helpful. Please forward it to your preferred social media network.
Share it with your friends.
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Thanks for reading this article.
Thurman Greco
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
What are the most important meals of your day? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Why?
When you eat something every three-to-four hours, you provide energy to your body. You’ll be less likely to overeat.
I begin each day with a 5-ounce serving of nonfat plain yogurt which has about 90 calories. I mix the yogurt with a 1/4 cup serving of Trader Joe’s Muesli which has about 125 calories. This mixture is delicious, nutritious, and a good breakfast because it prevents hunger until noon.
Meals don’t all have to be large. The goal is to give yourself nourishment so you’ll be less likely to overeat.
When you plan your meals so that you schedule something every 4 hours, you can choose what you’ll eat in advance. This scheduling not only prevents overeating, it minimizes your chances of grabbing a candy bar.
For lunch, I may have a nourishing smoothie or 1/2 an avocado, or sliced tomatoes.
When you plan your meals, you’ll also be able to avoid pizza, Chinese food or other fast foods.
Another choice is a meal replacement shake with a protein powder base.
This shake will ideally have 20-30 grams of protein powder and a maximum of 5 grams of carbohydrate. There are several brands and flavors on the market. Try them out until you find one with the flavor and texture you prefer.
Sample both pre-made shakes and the protein powder mix. Use unsweetened almond milk or water to make your own shake.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network. Share it with your friends.
Thurman Greco
