Spa Treatments for Your Reflexology Practice
Everyone needs pampering. Never miss an opportunity to lavish attention and special healing on your clients. Birthdays, anniversaries, the arrival of Spring. This blog post begins a series of articles offering ways to pamper and heal your client partners.
These spa treatments will not only offer attention, healing, and variety to your practice. They can also bring in new clients if you market gift certificates as well.
They will also offer a new service to your clients.
Spa treatments have four elements:
1. ENVIRONMENT – It’s important to change the healing space environment in some way so that clients will feel like they are in a different energy environment. This can be as simple as adding a small arrangement of fresh flowers or a ceremonial throw for your healing table or chair. Or, it can be as elaborate as painting the walls, adding special furniture and accents.
2. WATER – is a basic element in spa treatments. This is easier than you might think. A foot bath is all that’s necessary. If that doesn’t resonate with you, a couple of small towels, wrung out with scented water and heated in the microwave for a couple of moments can offer warmth and caring to a special client partner’s feet. A cup of tea at the end of the session or a glass of sparkling mineral water is always popular.
3. MUSIC – Coordinate the music with the theme with the session focus with the essential oils.
4. ESSENTIAL OILS – Select oils which support the session.
When you decide to expand your healing services to include spa treatments, you’re going to need several things:
1. You need a plan. Depending upon your situation, you can offer spa treatments one week a month and transform the whole place or a short period of time. Another option is to have a periodic spa day at your healing space. A final option is to offer a menu of spa sessions which can be incorporated into your day at your client partner’s request.
2. Design each spa session with a focused theme.
3. After each of these sessions, remember to add a few extra minutes for your client partner to return to “now”.
Thank you for reading this blog/book. The next several posts will feature spa reflexology sessions incorporating Reiki therapy, music, essential oils, water treatments. Each one will be different. Hopefully these suggestions will inspire you to create your own unique spa sessions.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
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Artwork provided by Jennette Nearhood.
Thurman Greco
Putting it all together – The Chakra System, Reflexology for the Spirit, and Reiki Therapy
Chakras work together. If one is unbalanced, the entire system is affected. The Chakras communicate with one another as their energy moves up and down the spine from Chakra to Chakra.
When this Chakra System is open and functioning well, the human body is in a positive, stress-free, alert state. When the energy traveling from one Chakra to another is not balanced, the body is stressed. Even though the imbalance may be limited to only 1 Chakra, the system will be affected.
Humans use several ways of communicating with ourselves, other humans, and the environment around us:
the cranial brain
the nervous system
the abdominal brain
the energetic layers surrounding the physical body
Using the cranial brain, we know what is going on around us, We observe it, We form opinions, belief systems, and we communicate with others using language, both written, spoken, and body language. We use our senses:
our eyes,
ears,
skin,
nose,
intuition.
We feel pain, emotion, know when we are ill, afraid, or happy.
Our abdominal brain sends much information to the brain. There is a continual flow of information going from the digestive tract to the brain which keeps the brain informed about what is happening in the body. The abdominal brain sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the intestinal tract. This leads me to believe that the intestinal brain is more important than we realize.
Our Chakras work together as a communication system. The Chakras communicate with:
one another,
our bodies,
those around us,
the entire universe.
So far, this book/blog is focusing on the seven major Chakras located along the spine. In reality, each person has many more Chakras, all of which work together. They also work with our cranial brain, central nervous system, and our abdominal brain to assist and guide us in our journey through life.
The interconnection created by our Chakras, our cranial brain, our nervous system, and our abdominal brain results in a beautiful spiritual consciousness which supports us in our journey through life.
Reflexologists, as you work to facilitate homeostasis in your client partners, don’t leave out the Chakras. Include this fascinating energy system as you work.
BothRreflexology for the Spirit and Reiki therapy fit into this spiritual communication system. When you offer reflexology to a client partner and you set up the session with Reiki therapy, you expand the power and scope of the healing you offer. As you reflex the feet, if you include the Chakras, you are adding even more power to what you are doing:
Reflexology for the Spirit
Reiki therapy
Chakras
You bring about homeostasis as you balance the energy systems of the body. You work to connect your client partner with all that is. Your client partner’s body, mind, and spirit are joined through the Chakras located throughout his/her body.
This is truly healing the mind, the body, and the spirit at the same time. This is Reflexology for the Spirit.
WOW!
Thank you for reading this blog/book. And…thank you for your patience as I work to finish this book.
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Thurman Greco
The Seventh Chakra and Reflexology
The seventh Chakra reflex point is on the tips of the toes. This is where we find the hair, the brain, and the central nervous system.
Seventh Chakra issues include:
living in the present
selflessness
non-attachment
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT SEVENTH CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING:
How can I release cravings?
How can I open myself up to more intuitive thoughts?
How can I see the world as manifestation of the divine?
How can I manifest the divine?
What is my world like without the limitations of the body?
How can I become more aware of multi-dimensional reality?
What direction do I want my future to take?
How can I awaken my spiritual potential?
How can I achieve success in all parts of my life?
As a person seeks wholeness and enlightenment, the Chakras build on one another to allow the flow of universal energy. Blockages in 1 or more of the Chakras make this flow difficult to impossible. A seventh Chakra issue is the (in)ability to be non-attached.
When non-attachment cannot happen, the person gets stuck in a belief system which may not work. Then, that person finds him/herself putting a lot of energy into justifying the dysfunctional system. The lesson is to learn to move on to thoughts and beliefs which work. This allows universal consciousness to grow and mature.
Symptoms of an unbalanced seventh Chakra include
chronic migraine headaches
drug abuse
spiritual extremism
denying the body some of its basic needs
compulsive behavior
rigid beliefs.
A balanced seventh Chakra combines all the senses as they work to create a connection to the infinite.
Reflexology for the Spirit sessions offer homeostasis which is the balance of all body systems. This is extremely important for the spiritual growth experienced in the seventh Chakra.
Reiki therapy sessions balance the Chakras.
Meditation helps keep the seventh Chakra balanced. Regular meditation on the senses is important. It is also helpful to meditate on the different colors of the Chakras.
When you work with your client partner’s seventh Chakra, you help him/her find enlightenment. A balanced seventh Chakra becomes a ladder to awareness of divine consciousness.
Thank you for reading this blog/book. I am now accepting reflexology students. Please email reflexologyforthespirit@gmail.com for information. Thanks.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
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Thurman Greco
The Sixth Chakra and Reflexology
The sixth Chakra reflex point is located on the lower parts of the toe pads. This is where the pituitary gland, eyes, and ears are located.
Sixth Chakra issues include
insight/denial
intuition
illusion/delusion
trust
visualization
psychic abilities
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT SIXTH CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING.
Am I able to see the bigger picture?
Can I see when my ego is in charge?
How can my life be better?
Can I make this happen?
Can I set aside time for self-reflection?
Do I know myself?
Am I blocking my creative ideas?
Are those around me blocking my creative thoughts?
Am I holding onto emotions which I should be releasing?
Am I gaining insight into myself?
Am I working to increase intuition?
Does my heart agree with my mind?
Am I working to make life better?
Can I see the “bigger picture”?
Am I able to encourage intuitive dreams?
Am I able to encourage and manifest realities from visions?
Tuning into the conscious and subconscious mind is a sixth Chakra issue. There is a balance which needs to be achieved. At one end of the line, we have a person whose mind functions on the rational level only. When this happens, the person has difficulty visualizing things mentally and subtle communication is difficult to understand. This person also has trouble seeing opportunities offered by dreams or intuitive thoughts. The other end of the line is a person who lives in a fantasy and may be delusional. When the sixth Chakra is is healthy, the person is able to balance the rational and the intuitive.
A balanced sixth Chakra is in tune with our senses as well as both the conscious and subconscious mind. The sixth Chakra is then able to regulate the energy channels of the other Chakras.
As with the other Chakras, Reflexology for the Spirit Sessions offer homeostasis which balance all of the body systems.
Reiki therapy sessions balance the Chakras. People with 6th Chakra issues respond positively to distant healing Reiki therapy sessions.
To help balance your sixth Chakra, take time to meditate on the ocean. As you do this, you will be able to calm an overactive mind. This encourages
peace
perception
understanding
concentration.
It will also encourage insight. As people gain insight into themselves, they invite spiritual growth and development.
It’s easy to tell how centered the 6th Chakra is by observing a person’s eyes and ears. Sight and hearing issues are related to 6th Chakra imbalances. Other issues related to 6th Chakra imbalances include
insomnia and other sleep problems
frequent nightmares
feelings of despair
depression
When you work with your client partner’s 6th Chakra, you offer the opporunity to help him/her clear out past issues and problems to make way for the new life which is waiting.
Thank you for reading this blog. I am now accepting new reflexology students. Please email reflexologyforthespirit@gmail.com for information.
The posts in this blog are being published less frequently for the next few weeks as I work to finish the reflexology book. This book is a resource guide for reflexologists.
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Thurman Greco
The Fourth Chakra and Reflexology
The fourth Chakra reflex point is found on the ball of the foot. This is where we find the heart, lungs, breasts, thymus gland, shoulders.
Fourth Chakra issues include:
self esteem
personal power
intimacy
forgiveness
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT FOURTH CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING:
Are you able to express your emotions?
Do you need to protect yourself?
Do you have problems giving and receiving love?
Are you living a divided life?
Have you created a protective barrier around your heart?
Do you have trouble forgiving people?
Do you fear rejection?
Do you feel vulnerable?
Is it physically/emotionally painful to move forward in life?
Are you hiding your true self from others?
Grief is a fourth Chakra issue. We know as Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners that grief is housed in the ball of the foot – the heart – the lungs.
The fourth Chakra builds on the lower three Chakras as our thoughts and dreams take on language, expression. The fourth Chakra is where the moment of inspiration which took place in the first Chakra, now becomes entire paragraphs, both spoken and written.
The fourth Chakra links the spiritual and physical bodies as well as their issues. This is because the fourth Chakra is the our energetic center, working to fuse the physical and spiritual bodies.
When this happens, we are able to touch others as well as allowing them to touch our lives. The goal is unconditional love. A good way to get insight about unconditional love is to pay attention to cats and dogs, 2 creatures which practice unconditional love routinely.
Our heart Chakra pulls us into relationships involving
intimacy
risk
forgiveness
sensitivities
fear
grief.
Grief is an important fourth Chakra issue. Grief blocks fourth Chakra energy. Letting go of grief and wounding opens our hearts.
The state of the fourth Chakra is easily seen in one’s posture. People suffering with heart Chakra issues may be
round-shouldered
sunken-chested
stiff
rigid.
Unbalanced fourth Chakras can also been seen in people with heart and respiratory problems. Heart surgery can have a direct impact on the heart Chakra.
Meditations can be important. Meditations focusing on:
grief
heart opening
breathing
can help balance the fourth Chakra.
When you work with your client partner’s fourth Chakra, you offer the opportunity to help him/her release grief. It’s in the fourth Chakra that we find
an open heart,
the energy to give,
and a straighter body.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
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Thurman Greco
Photo donated by Jennette Nearhood.
The Third Chakra and Reflexology
The reflex point for the third Chakra is the upper half of the instep, below the ball of the foot. This reflex point is found on both feet. Third Chakra issues include
anger
shame
victimization
self esteem
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT THIRD CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING:
How important is doubt in your life?
Can you make decisions?
How important is fear in your life?
Are you able to carry through decisions and plans to fruition?
Do you have to be right in every decision?
Do you always have to be the center of attention?
Do you lack willpower?
Do other people control your life?
Do you think for yourself?
Do you act on your own?
Can you survive on your own initiative?
Anger is a third Chakra issue because that’s where much anger is stored. Depending on how the Chakra is balanced, anger can range from no energy to excessive energy. Third Chakra anger focuses on self-esteem because the third Chakra governs our power.
We can feel this anger and need for power in our solar plexus, the home of the third Chakra in the body. This Chakra is where we feel “butterflies” when we are nervous as we develop our personal will.
The third Chakra is closely connected to Chakras one and two as energy moves up the spine from the base. As the energy reaches the third Chakra, it begins to take on a shape and a vocabulary as it finds its voice. The third Chakra is where we develop our own personal truth, formulate our own personal authority, and integrate personal power into our lives.
The third Chakra is the result of the development of the first and second Chakras. This is where we give voice to our truths.
Reflexology for the Spirit sessions offer homeostasis, the balance of all body systems.
Reiki therapy sessions balance the Chakras.
Meditation is important to a balanced third Chakra. An unbalanced third Chakra creates a person unable to manage power.
An unbalanced third Chakra affects one’s posture, body language, and spinal alignment. It’s difficult to separate the physical, emotional, and spiritual difficulties in this area. Yoga helps.
Physically, the third Chakra governs:
Stomach
Liver
Spleen
Pancreas
Gall Bladder
The third Chakra is a major power point. When you work with your client partner’s third Chakra, you offer an opportunity for the person to develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
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Thurman Greco
The Second Chakra and Reflexology
The second Chakra reflex point is located on the lower half of the instep on both feet. This is where the intestines are located. It’s also where we find the kidneys and the sexual reproductive organs.
Second Chakra issues include
letting go
elimination
release
support
rigidity
finances
relationships
sexuality
control.
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT SECOND CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING.
What issues are draining you?
Can you let go of negative feelings when it’s necessary?
What feelings are you holding on to?
Are your relationships supportive?
Do you feel financially supported?
Are you centered?
Are you open to positive change?
Are you addicted to pleasure?
How can you ground yourself?
Are your boundaries rigid?
Guilt is a second Chakra issue. At one extreme, there is the danger of becoming overcome by fear. At the other extreme, the person may become hedonistic.
If you and/or your client partners want to be healthy, it’s important to have a balanced second Chakra. Centering is the operative word here. When a person centers the second Chakra, a sense of self is discovered. When this center is found, it becomes a place where we can merge with the world as we express our emotional, creative, spiritual, and sexual selves. For me, a centered second Chakra is sacred.
As with the first Chakra, Reflexology for the Spirit sessions offer homeostasis which is the balance of all body systems.
Reiki therapy sessions balance the Chakras.
Meditation can also be important here. The goal is to meditate on a centered state. In the process, you’ll develop a positive energetic, emotional, and physical sense of self. That is what the second Chakra is all about – living successfully with one’s self.
It’s easy to tell how centered the second Chakra is by observing the lower back. Lower back pain indicates a need to center the second Chakra.
Physically, the second Chakra governs:
the bladder
kidneys
lower back
sex organs
intestines.
When you work with your client partner’s second Chakra, you offer the opportunity to help him/her find the self. It’s in the second Chakra that we find a sense of emotional balance and self esteem. A balanced second Chakra brings a person home – home to Creation itself.
Thank you for reading this blog/book. I am now accepting reflexology students. Please email reflexologyforthespirit@gmail.com for information. Thanks!
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Don’t forget to join the email list.
Thurman Greco
Time-Out for Sharing then Moving on to the Chakras.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing with you. I’ve offered information in each post for you, in turn, to share with your client partners. I’m following the advice of my teacher and mentor Marge D’Urso who emphasized the many things we can all do in conjunction with reflexology to encourage homeostasis.
Not all of this information applies to all of your client partners.
Some people come to our tables in order to feel better. Others want us to help them take greater charge of their own health. Yet others simply want to hop on the table, receive their reflexology session, and go away blissed out. And, there’s nothing wrong with that.
One special group wants to add other things to their lives which will help them
feel better
look better
avoid chronic disease
live longer
enjoy better health.
By sharing this information slowly, in small increments, you can, along with your reflexology sessions, give your client partners an opportunity to completely change their lives for the better in a non threatening way.
These gradual changes when mixed with reflexology offer dramatic improvements over time. The idea is to be sharing opportunities for good health without complicating lifestyles any more than they already are. You’ll be leading your client partners to a a more healthy lifestyle. They can completely change their lives 1 step at a time.
Slowly
Easily
Comfortably
Not all client partners will adopt every suggestion offered. Some won’t choose any suggestions. Some will try everything suggested for a time. Then, they’ll drop the health step after a few weeks. There’s something here for everyone. We are all different. Our attitudes, ages, and lifestyles are all different.
What’s important is that you are gently, without pushing, sharing suggestions for a healthier lifestyle.
When your client partners are ready, they’ll have this knowledge to use in the way which works best for them.
I’m taking a break with this series of posts to offer you, the reflexologist, some more hands-on posts. Then, I’ll return to these wellness posts for awhile longer…until I feel you have something to offer most client partners over a period of a year or more. You want to be sharing something which a person may accept and live with for awhile before taking on another health giving change. It’s important to let an adopted change settle in so they become lifetime habits.
Beginning next week, I’ll offer posts about Chakras and the feet. We have reflex points for Chakras in our feet. I hope you find these articles interesting. I hope you can use this information in your work!
Thanks for reading this blog/book.
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Thurman Greco
Mental Fatigue – Do you need a fogbuster?
Mental Fatigue…ahhhhh. All of us suffer with this occasionally.
Fatigue, whether it be mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual, can be a strong indication of illness. So, if your brain is tired more often than you want, you won’t be playing hypochondriac if you schedule an appointment with your professional healthcare provider.
Many diseases list fatigue as the first symptom. Popular among those diseases is adrenal imbalance
cancer
diabetes
poor thyroid function
It can also just mean that we’re a little overdrawn in the energy department. I occasionally wake up feeling less mentally sharp than I want. When that happens, I reach for an essential oil. Popular essential oil fatigue busters include:
Basil
Black Pepper
Frankincense
Idaho Balsam Fir
Nutmeg
Pettigrain
Pine
Rosemary
Sage
Spearmint.
Each of these oils will “do the trick”. Place 4-6 drops of whichever oil you have on hand and/or prefer. Rub the palms of your hands together. Cup your nose and mouth with your oil-soaked hands and take several deep breaths. You should notice a difference.
When an essential oil fragrance is inhaled, the odor molecules travel up the nose and end up finally connecting to the brain. The result is that the connection affects the
heart rate
blood pressure
breathing
memory
stress levels
hormone balance.
The scent of the essential oil can bring up memories and emotions not only in this life but, I believe, in past lives as well. This offers a powerful form of therapy which, when combined with reflexology, promotes homeostasis.
Combining reflexology and essential oils can be beneficial to your client partners. If your client does not notice a fairly quick feeling of energy returning to the body, it’s time to refer him/her to a physician.
Photography by Renee Ruwe.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
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Thurman Greco
“Should I Accept Clients Who Smoke?”
What a question!
“Of course. Yes.”
“But, what if they smell of tobacco? I find it very offensive. And, besides, I don’t want my healing space reeking of smoke.”
Well, I stick to my guns here. Cigarette smoking is an addiction. It is a disease. You accept the client and offer assistance, support, guidance as s/he struggles to give up smoking.
Encourage the person to cut down on the number of cigarettes smoked in a day. If you can get him/her to cut back to 5 or fewer cigarettes a day, the final push will be very easy.
When people think of diseases smokers contract, they always come up with the same usual suspects:
lung cancer
throat cancer
COPD
Emphysema.
In reality, the diseases caused are many more and the health damage done is much greater.
Smoking and exposure to second hand smoke is really hard on the immune system. Smoking ages the body faster. This results in
wrinkled skin
clogged arteries
emphysema
cancer
impotence.
The most important reason for not smoking is what it does to the immune system. Smoking wrecks the immune system causing it to become overactive. And, the effects are often easily seen.
It’s not necessary to see a person smoking to know you’re looking at a smoker. It’s also not necessary to smell a smoker either.
The effects of smoking can be seen in the skin, hair, nails, eyes, posture.
The effects of smoking can be heard in the classic smoker’s cough.
You cannot help your client partner stop smoking. What you can do is help with the cravings and other discomfort while they go through the 5-6 week withdrawal process. Reflexology for the Spirit, Reiki therapy, and encouragement can go a long way to support during this time.
Help your client partner become dramatically healthier. Nicotine patches are available. CVS sells a smoking cessation program which helps.
After the 6-week period, you can help your client partner do a cleanse and you can offer support choosing a physical fitness program.
Thanks for reading this blog.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
