Continuing Education: Self-Care for You, Reflexologist – 5
Do you attend continuing education classes, workshops, sessions throughout the year? If not, you’re missing out on the most important part of self-care.
Continuing education classes not only teach us new ideas, techniques, attitudes, postures…they stimulate our minds.
Continuing education classes offer emotional and spiritual stimulation.
Continuing education classes offer networking opportunities of a quality not found anywhere else.
Every continuing education experience is reflected in better work on your client partners.
In addition, continuing education classes usually offer a chance to receive and give body work while you’re learning.
You return to your table renewed and rejuvenated.
Continuing education classes offer you a chance to expand your service skills. I am a reflexologist. This is the work I offer my client partners daily.
I am also known for being a companion animal massage therapist, a Reiki master teacher. I have been attuned to nine different forms of Reiki. Finally, I read tarot cards.
I learned all of these skills on continuing education hours.
To be honest, I’ve studied things that I don’t practice but not one minute of the continuing education hours were a bust.
I am a much better practitioner, blogger, writer, teacher because of my fellow professionals who shared their knowledge with me through continuing education classes: Jonathan Rudinger, Penelope Smith, Dawn Hayman, Mary Ruth Van Landingham, Shoshana Hathaway, Tom Rigler, Rev. Dan Chesbro, Kerrith McKechnie, Marge D’Urso, Alberto Villoldo.
So, my message is this: enrich your life, expand your practice, get continuing education hours!
Thanks for reading this blog post.
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Thurman Greco
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.
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Thurman Greco
Self Care for You, Reflexologist – 3
Reflexologists, body workers, healers, whatever the title…we all have days when the clients seem to be lined up outside the door in an unending line.
OR, one client comes in for an appointment and it turns out to be a challenging day.
So, whether it’s one client or ten..days can be challenging.
What is a reflexologist to do?
One thing I do, no matter what, is take a power break.
A power break manifests itself in many ways:
- A short meditation of two or three minutes can completely change the energy – not only in your space, but in you as well. This meditation can stretch beyond the three minutes if your schedule allows. Do you have even fifteen minutes? Go for it!
- Take a clean air break and step outside for a moment or two. Breathe deeply. Enjoy the day – whatever it is. It doesn’t really matter whether you step out into the most beautiful day of the year or walk out to greet a major storm. The important thing is that you have stepped out of your space into the world for a moment.
- Find a quiet corner, lay down on the floor and prop your feet up the wall. This posture, for two minutes can change your energy dramatically. It can rejuvenate you for the rest of your day.
- Walk around your area for a moment and just do nothing. Walk around aimlessly. This will allow you to empty your head in a way no other activity can.
- Can you nap for two minutes? I’ve learned to do this and it is very refreshing. The ideal nap is fifteen minutes or more but two minutes can go a long way if it’s all you’ve got.
- Give yourself a quick Reiki session. A few minutes of Reiki therapy will offer much rejuvenation.
- Cut the cords. This is easy, quick, and very effective. Whenever you meet with another person, no matter how briefly, you connect on spiritual and emotional levels. When you cut the cords, you sever this connection. This cutting of the cords is important at least at the end of each day. Cutting the cords after each appointment is a positive move. Think of these cords as different colored ribbons attached at each end to you and the other person. Cutting them will offer a release for you which can be freeing.
Whatever you do, choose an activity you can rely on for rejuvenation, relaxation, stress release. Make this power break part of your day, every day.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
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Artwork provided by Jennette Nearhood.
Book Cover designed by Sangi.
Reflexology blessings to you!
Thurman Greco
Self-Care for You, Reflexologist
When you look at your calendar for the coming week…where are YOU on the schedule? If you are not on the schedule, you are not doing the basic self-care things things to protect your career. Self-care is the difference between a two-year career as a healer and a twenty-year career as a healer.
You are the healer. You join the professional organizations. You pay your taxes. You make sure your office is “just right”. You take continuing education classes. In short, you do the things necessary to protect your business.
But, what about you: your body, your spirit, your emotional strength, your thoughts? Where are they lined up here with the bills and the available appointments, and the marketing activities?
For many healers, body workers this is the most difficult thing to do on the entire list. As reflexologists, we’re accustomed to give, give, give. And, we enjoy giving. Obviously we enjoy giving or we would never have taken even the first class.
The bottom line here is that you commit to your own private, inner, personal wellness when you receive a weekly session. You also set an example for your client partners.
Things you can do!:
Begin by filling your spiritual tank. Schedule a session for yourself each week. Every week. Do something. Get a massage. Get a Reiki session. Schedule a session with a shamanic healer. Try out that new chiropractor who just moved into your neighborhood.
Do something! The important thing is to get on someone else’s table at least once a week.
Personally, I receive an hour-long Reiki therapy session every week…no matter what. I also receive a reflexology session every week. The work I do the rest of the week is much better for this hour which I invest in myself.
Thank you for reading this blog.
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Thurman Greco
Juice Cleanse Tips
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Set aside time for reflexology sessions and chakra healing sessions. Begin each day with a Reiki therapy session if you can.
- 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!
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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.
- Script a healing journal.
- Pamper yourself with relaxing baths. Use candles, salts, essential oils.
- Read a book.
- Take a few moments to enjoy a cool fruit smoothie and a magazine.
- Exercise regularly.
- Pursue a hobby.
- 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
8 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
I estimate that one third of your client partners have problems sleeping. Many of them have just given up on getting a good night’s sleep. This is not a good thing because there are many things that a person can do to sleep well…every night, not just once in awhile.
A person who gets enough sleep looks and acts healthier because there is more energy available to do the things to get through the day successfully. So, here are some suggestions that have proven to be successful. Try them. Share them.
- Receive a reflexology session every week. People who get reflexology regularly tell me they sleep better. This is important for practitioners, too. I receive a session weekly. It’s one of the most important things I do in life.
- Reiki sessions are wonderful for sleep. Do you teach Reiki? Attune your clients to be reiki practitioners so they can give themselves sessions every night when they go to bed. Sleep is sure to follow. A well intentioned Reiki therapy session is better than a sleeping pill.
- Have a regular sleep schedule so that you go to bed every night at the same time. Schedule your evenings so that you plan on sleeping 7-8 hours every night.
- An hour before going to bed, turn off loud music, scary TV shows, and consciously wind down.
- Do you have a lot of things to do tomorrow? Before you go to bed, make out a list of all the things you have to do tomorrow. Then, put that list in another room and forget about it until tomorrow.
- Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep. This means moving all the clutter and junk to another part of the house. That includes the TV and anything else that is a sleep distraction.
- Take a look at your bedding. When was the last time you bought pillows, sheets, blankets? Does your mattress sag in the middle? Are you sleeping in worn out sweat pants with holes? It’s time to focus on sleep-inducing comfort.
- Get a pen and journal notebook. Early in the evening, every evening, spend a few moments writing about one thing that you feel thankful for.
Thanks for reading this blog post. I will be offering more sleep tips throughout the coming year.
The book “A Healer’s Handbook is available as an ebook on Amazon an d Nook. The paper version is available on my website: thurmangreco.com. So far, the response to the book is very positive.
Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
9 Things Reflexologists Don’t Do – and 5 Things we Do
Cure – Reflexologists do not cure. Instead, we promote healing, which can be a very
different thing, depending on the issue.
Patient – Reflexologists do not have patients. Physicians have patients. We have client partners. Some reflexologists have clients. But, whatever we have, we don’t have patients.
Recommend – We do not recommend. Instead, we work feet. We concentrate our energies on facilitating healing.
Advise – Reflexologists do not advise. We support our client partners in their healing path. Our work brings about homeostasis and synchronicity.
Examine – We do not examine. We read feet or hands or ears. .We notice where our findings are located. We work the feet, hands, ears, to bring about healing, homeostasis, and synchronicity.
Prescribe – We do not prescribe. That’s for physicians and other medical professionals. We rely on our hands and hearts to tell us what we find, to encourage healing, to facilitate homeostasis, to see synchronicity.
Dispense – We have nothing to dispense beyond the sessions we offer.
Diagnose – We do not diagnose. Physicians assist us in our healing efforts when they offer a diagnosis. This is important because it’s much easier to overcome a health issue if it has a name.
Administer – We do not administer anything. Instead, we read feet, offer sessions. Our noninvasive sessions have been offered to client partners for ages and ages.
Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners use our hands, brains, and hearts.
We do not need to over schedule our days to be successful. Twenty-five appointments a week is a full time practice for a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner.
We are not wedded to advertising. Some of us don’t even have business cards. Referrals work well for us.
Because Reflexology for the Spirit works well with other modalities, many of us also practice yoga, massage, Reiki therapy, flower remedies. That means we are always growing, learning.
We honor our heritage. Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners take our traditions back many, many years:
Our history takes us far back in time with beginnings shrouded in mystery. What we do know is that early references to reflexology can be found in China, India, Japan, Egypt, Greece, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, South American and North America.
Historians tell us that Egyptians practiced both hand and food reflexology as early as 2500 BC. If you ever travel to Egypt, please visit the burial ground at Saqqara. The Physician’s Tomb there has a famous wall painting showing two people receiving reflexology.
If you ever find yourself in Japan, be sure to visit the Medicine Teacher Temple in Nara. There you’ll find a stone carving depicting the soles of Buddha’s feet in a carving dating to 790 AD.
In India, there are paintings of Vishnu, the Hindu god’s feet with symbols corresponding to several reflexology points.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian form of medicine becoming popular in our country. Reflexology is incorporated in Ayurvedic medicine.
Reflexology has been recorded in ancient Chinese writings describing pressure being applied to fingers and thumbs.
From this glorious history and recent twentieth century trailblazers, we now have thousands of people practicing various kinds of reflexology throughout the world.
Reflexologists the world over work in tandem with physicians as our field moves toward integrative medicine in the twenty-first century. Integrative medicine works to heal the total person: the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.
Reflexology has endured the test of time and is modern as tomorrow in the 21st !century.
Thank you for reading this blog. It has been a long time since I’ve posted an article. I have been working full time/overtime on the new book! It’s happening!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Progress of the Book
The book is, at last, being edited! Real book progress is being made. I hope to get it to the publisher soon. I plan to go over it one last time about mid July.
Thanks to everyone for your patience.
Please share this exciting news (for me, anyway) with your favorite media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
