What Are The Risk Factors?
As a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner, it’s helpful to know the risk factors experienced by your client partners by age category. Beyond that, it’s helpful if you can determine the personal health risks as well. Once you and your client partners know their health risks, you can work with them to develop strategies to improve their health and increase their longevity. Reflexology for the Spirit can be an important part of this strategy!
For the Under-45 age group, the biggest risk is injury: accidents, homicide, and suicide. The most important things your client partners in this category can do is avoid accidents. Depression should be taken seriously. Violent relationships should be avoided or terminated.
Your young client partners have an opportunity to begin good lifestyle habits: avoid excessive sun exposure, exercise regularly, don’t smoke, learn to deal with stress.
For the 45-54 age group, your clients should be on the lookout to prevent cancer, heart disease, and accidents. This is the age category to begin health screenings: cancer, cholesterol, blood sugar.
Lifestyle habits include not smoking, keeping the weight down, driving carefully, and managing stress.
In the 55-64 age group, the biggest diseases are cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, and diabetes.
If you began to smoke somewhere along the line, this is the time to quit. Keep the weight down. Get your annual health screenings: cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugars.
For the 65-74 age category, look out for cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, stroke.
Continue seeing your healthcare provider regularly. This is the time in your life to make efforts to stay connected to your community.
For those aged 75-84, the big diseases are cancer, stroke, lung disease, and diabetes. The motto here: Use it or Lose it!
If you are 85 or older, the diseases of concern are heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, influenza, and pneumonia. In this category, work to keep up your strength and keep your gait stable. Avoid overmedication.
Being healthy takes work – no matter what the age may be.
In all of these areas spirituality is a major factor. Our attitudes toward our spirituality change with each decade and with major life events.
Thanks again for reading this blog post. Reflexology works with the diseases and issues discussed here. Reflexology for the Spirit sessions encourage homeostasis, an important part of one’s wellness. Reflexology for the Spirit also addresses the spiritual person – an important element often omitted.
I did a lot of research for this and want to especially thank Dr. Kendall Judge, M.D.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Want to Stay Healthy? Treat Yourself to a Power Breakfast Everyday
And, what might be a power breakfast?
Starting your day each day with a bowl of oatmeal can add years to your life.
When you begin your day with oatmeal, you’ll have energy for hours before feeling hungry. And, more than that, oatmeal is packed with nutrients that fight disease.
Some nutritionists believe that oatmeal has powerful anti-cancer antioxidents.
Heart specialists believe that oatmeal contains chemicals that stop blood vessels from sticking to your artery walls, thus helping prevent the onset of heart disease. Oatmeal is also believed to reduce the need for blood pressure medication as well as reduce cholesterol levels.
Diet and fitness experts claim that oatmeal fights obesity because people who eat it for breakfast experience less hunger throughout the day.
Diabetes specialists love oatmeal because it is a slowly digested food, thus reducing the need for insulin.
Gastroenterologists love oatmeal because it’s a good source of probiotics – the fighters of toxic bacteria in our colon.
Longevity specialists believe that anyone wanting to live longer should eat oatmeal regularly.
All these claims made by health professionals make oatmeal a miracle food!
People really like oatmeal because there are many ways to dress it up each morning:
You can put a couple of tablespoons of yogurt on the top of a serving.
Drizzle honey on the top of the oatmeal.
Flavor your oatmeal with cinnamon or grated nutmeg.
Serve your oatmeal the “warrior way” with dried apricots and nuts.
But, however you enjoy your oatmeal…the important thing is just to enjoy a serving of it every day.
Thanks again for reading this post.
As always, this post comes to you from my healing space in scenic downtown Woodstock, NY
Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
A Meditation for You – A Safe Place With An Angel
Begin by developing a pattern of even breathing. Inhale and exhale slowly and comfortably, breathing in and out of your body. Release tension with each exhale. Do this several times.
Now, find yourself walking down a path. As you walk along this path, you look around you and notice the trees. Notice the shrubs and bushes, flowers and other undergrowth. What do you smell? What is the path like that you’re walking on? How does it feel underneath your feet? Pick up some treasures you find as you walk along: a leaf, a conifer needle, pine cones, stones, maybe a feather, maybe a crystal.
Breathe in a long, slow, deep breath. Smell the air. Is the air around you cold or warm?
After walking along for a while, you come to a clearing. As you look around and take notice of your surroundings, you notice a structure. Do you see a building, a cabin, a small cottage, a cave, or other natural structure? What does it look like? How does it invite you? You know within yourself that it’
s a safe place. Look for openings as you investigate this safe place. Get to know this safe space through your senses. What do you smell? What do you hear? Do you hear leaves rustling as a breeze blows through? Do you hear birds? Do you hear squirrels, chipmunks, or other small creatures?
Pause for a moment and absorb all that you are experiencing.
This structure is calling to you. Slowly you enter. Look around the interior. What furnishings do you encounter? Are there any pictures on the wall? Do you notice any unusual objects?
You feel very safe in this space. You realize you are secure here. Safe and secure. You notice a bench on a nearby wall. You walk over to the bench and sit down.
Immediately an angel comes over to communicate with you. As this angel comes over to you and sits down by you, you realize that this special angel is coming to offer you security.
You know this angel is here for you to offer security and answer any questions you may have at this time.
Look at this angel. How does your special angel appear? What colors do you see? Do you smell anything special? Pay attention to the details of your special angel so you will remember them. What exactly does your special angel look like?
Ask this angel any questions you may have now. Be silent for a few moments now to allow this special angel to answer your questions.
These answers may come to you in several ways. You may hear answers now. You may see a picture of the answer rather than hearing the spoken words. You may experience feelings which give you the answer you seek. You may hear music which convey the answers you seek.
Over the next few days you may also receive answers in the form of people, books, songs, or thoughts.
Send a message of gratitude and thanksgiving to your special angel.
It’s time to return to your body now. Gently focus your awareness on your breathing. Return to this room on the path. Slowly allow your consciousness to return you to reality.
Remember, this special angel came here today just for you to offer you safety and security. You can contact this angel with questions anytime you need.
Be sure to thank your special angel each time you receive these special blessings of safety and security.
7 Levels of Disease – a New (Very Old) Way to Think About Disease
So often, when we visit a healthcare professional, we want the whole body, the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, to be considered. Instead, a portion of the body is considered.
Fortunately, this attitude is changing. More and more people are receiving healthcare for the whole person.
Healthcare for the whole person requires a different outlook, attitude. It sometimes requires that we return to a much older model of wellness or illness, as it were.
I offer here a 7-point scale:
Level one is the lowest on the scale. The word for level one is fatigue. If your client partner comes to you complaining of fatigue or loss of appetite only, this person is experiencing the lowest level of disease. As you offer a Reflexology for the Spirit session, try to find out why the person is tired. Has s/he been burning the candle at both ends? What is happening here?
Level two is fever. Try to find out what is causing the fever. Does your client partner even know? How does the person know s/he has fever? How long has it been high? What times of the day is it high? When is it lowest?
Level three is irritation. The operative words here are: headaches, itching, feeling jumpy or uneasy, coated tongue, halitosis. What are the best ways to deal with these conditions?
Level four is inflammation to include colitis, sinusitis, gum disease, etc. Is s/he doing anything to treat these conditions?
Level five is ulceration. As in stomach ulcers or canker stores.
Level six is induration. That is an encapsulated group of toxins. An induration is a health issue that a person’s body has built a wall around. Essentially, the body is saying: “Toxins, I’m not going to deal with you now. I’m going to close you in and deal with you later.”
Level 7 is cancer.So…we go from fatigue to cancer. All these levels are important. The issues at each level must be addressed and treated…not ignored. They are all connected.
Through regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions, we can address these issues to facilitate homeostasis. And, these conditions are all valid reasons to visit a physician. The reflexologist works on a regular basis to address the whole person and facilitate homeostasis.
Thank you for reading this blog/book. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me.
As always, this post comes to you from my healing space in Woodstock, NY
Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – Colitis is a spiritual affliction that can be quite painful.
Colitis is a spiritual affliction which reflects a person’s insecurity. A person suffering with colitis is having trouble letting go of something which is already gone.
For many people, colitis is a chronic condition which may flare up and die down over time with the medical professionals treating the symptoms. The disease itself has no cure and is probably unpreventable. It’s generally agreed upon by medical professionals that colitis is not caused by stress but it does get worse when a person is stressed out.
It is believed that, for some people, colitis is hereditary. Whatever the cause, this painful condition is one that can respond to the sessions offered by a Reflexology for the Spirit Practitioner.
A person with colitis should definitely be consulting a medical professional in addition to a reflexologist.
When a person with colitis comes to your healing space, include Reiki therapy if possible. Offer essential oils if you feel called to do so. Your goal here is homeostasis.
WORK THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMS WHEN YOU ADDRESS COLITIS:
Work the immune system, the adrenal gland reflexes, the intestinal reflexes, and the lymphatics.
Thank you for reading this blog/book. Please contact me with comments or questions.
As always, this post comes to you from my healing space in scenic downtown Woodstock, NY.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Reflexology Blog – Bladder Infections Can be Spiritual Afflictions – 3 Things You Can Do To Avoid Infections
There are many kinds of bladder problems. This post focuses on bladder infections because we’re examining the immune system.
Bladder infections are just one more in a long list of spiritual afflictions. People develop bladder infections when they have a fear of letting something from the past go. When this fear occurs, the person can develop anxiety over the issue.
Bladder infections can be very troublesome: pain, frequent urination, etc. Never ignore these symptoms.
Prevention helps. People experiencing repeat bladder infections can do several things to try to prevent frequent recurrence of these infections.
Drinking lots of fluids helps. The goal is to wash germs found in kidneys, ureters, bladder, and bloodstream. Include cranberry juice in your diet.
Improving sanitary habits is necessary. Frequent bathing helps. Wiping from the front of the body to the back after urination is important also.
Bladder infections have a way of showing up when a person’s stress level is high and resistance level is low. Do what you can to release old issues and welcome new things in your life.
When addressing bladder infections, work the immune system, the spleen reflex, adrenal gland reflexes, kidney reflexes, bladder reflex, lymphatics, liver, and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this post.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Reflexology Blog: Is It a Cold or the Flu?
We’ve all had this happen to us: We wake up one morning with nasal congestion, sneezing, runny eyes, muscle aches, coughing, maybe even fever.
The first thought is this: “Am I coming down with the flu or a common cold?
There are differences.
FEVER AND HEADACHE are rare in colds. Headaches, on the other hand, are common in flu as well as a high fever which can last 3 to 4 days.
ACHES AND PAINS are only slight or mild in colds. Flu creates severe aches and pains.
FATIGUE: Colds make people tired sometimes. Flu, however, makes people tired for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
EXHAUSTION: Colds are never exhausting. Flu is usually extremely exhausting.
STUFFY NOSES, SNEEZING, and SORE THROATS are common in colds. They’re fairly rare in flu.
The list you just read is somewhat complicated. Especially if you just woke up and are trying to figure out which “side of the aisle” you belong on. Would you like to ask yourself one question and make everything easy?
Well, here is the question:
“Do I feel so bad I can’t get out of bed”? If the answer to that question is “yes”…
YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE FLU
“Do I feel so bad I can’t get out of bed”? If the answer to that question is “no”…
YOU PROBABLY HAVE A COMMON COLD
So, now what do I need to do?
If you have a cold, stick with antihistamines, decongestants, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
With the flu, you may want to see your doctor.
How could you have prevented this thing in the first place? There are several things you can do to prevent a common cold and the flu – wash your hands often, stay away from those who are sick, and take your annual flu shot.
With a cold, you want to get rest so that you avoid the complications of a sinus congestion, a middle ear infection, and asthma. Don’t forget to call your reflexologist and schedule an appointment.
With flu, you want to get rest so that you avoid the complications of bronchitis or pneumonia.
SYSTEMS TO WORK WHEN ADDRESSING THE COMMON COLD:
Work the immune system. Then go to the pituitary gland reflexes, the sinus reflexes, the ear reflexes, the lung reflexes, and adrenal gland reflexes. Finish the session by working the lymphatics.
Thanks for reading this post. Hope you’ll find it’s helpful.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
67 Foods That Love to Support Your Immune System and 4 Improvements You Can Expect from Foot Reflexology Sessions Focusing on the Immune System
apples, apricots, asparagus, bananas, beans, beets, black tea, blackberries, blueberries, bok choy, Brazil nuts, broccoli, brown rice, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chicken, chicken soup, chickpeas, chives, chocolate, coconut, collard greens, cranberries, cranberry juice, curry, dry roasted soybeans, goji berries, edamame, eggs, fermented foods, fish, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, grapes, potatoes, prunes, pumpkin seeds, radishes, raspberries, salmon, sauerkraut, sardines, shallots, shrimp, soy milk, soy sauce, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, tofu, tomatoes, turnips, walnuts, water, water, water, watercress, watermelon, yogurt.
Four improvements to be expected from sessions to the immune system include the following:
The body can build up its defense system to prevent disease.
Focused sessions can shorten the time needed for a person to recover from an illness.
Regular sessions will help the body to detox itself and balance its systems.
Working the lymphatics can assist the body rid itself of excess fluids and other toxins.
The next few posts will focus on specific conditions which respond to immune system work: the common cold, bladder problems , colitis
Thank you for reading this blog/book. Please contact me if you have any questions.
This post is coming to you from my healing space in downtown Woodstock.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
30 Essential Oils to Choose From When Addressing Immune System Issues
There are many, many essential oils out there. How do you decide? One way is to just go for the name that appeals to you. Another is to put out a drop and see if the aroma appeals to you. But, whichever oil you choose from this list, you can’t go wrong. These oils all have a proven track record when it comes to addressing immune system issues:
balsam fir, blue cypress, Canadian red cedar, clove, dill, eucalyptus radiata, frankincense, galbanum, grapefruit, hyssop, lemon, mountain savory, myrtle, nutmeg, orange, oregano, patchouli, peppermint, raven, ravensara, sandalwood, tarragon, thyme, tsuga, valerian, wintergreen,
Begin by choosing an oil and dilute it 50/50 with a vegetable oil which will be the carrier oil. Apply a small amount of the oil to the skin and see if there is a reaction. If not, use this oil. Oils vary in effectiveness from person to person because they work with a person’s body chemistry and every body is different..
There are many, many different ways to use essential oils. You have to find out what is going to work for you in each specific situation. To begin, try putting a few drops of an essential oil on a cloth or on a rug and let it work throughout the room.
I’ll be writing more about essential oils as we go through the book. This is basically a book about reflexology for the spirit but reflexology is compatible with so many different modalities that reflexologists end up with very large “tool kits” before they are through learning.
Actually, reflexologists never stop learning. That’s the beauty of the modality.
Our next blog post will address foods that nourish the immune system. Then, in follow on posts, we’ll address several conditions which can offer challenges to the immune system.
Thanks for following this blog/book. Please contact me if you have any comments/questions.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman
