Reflexology For The Spirit

spirituality of one's health

The Fourth Chakra and Reflexology

tree

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.

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Thurman Greco

Photo donated by Jennette Nearhood.

Mental Fatigue – Do you need a fogbuster?

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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.

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Thurman Greco

 

Tara Sanders: Healing, Yoga, and Reflexology

heart with wings

healing, yoga, and reflexology

As reflexologists, we add new clients to our practice often. Healing, yoga, and reflexology are important here.   Depending on your personality, or  your practice, you may ask a few or many questions from them on the intake forms and in the initial interviews.

Trauma is one area of a person’s life which we rarely approach.  It is just too hidden, too destructive.

This is wise.  Trauma is a subject which our client partners need to bring up when the time is right for them to share.  Because nothing is said doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen.  It just means  that the person isn’t comfortable discussing it.

Because, in reality, 1 woman in 4 has experienced domestic violence and/or sexual assault.  Personally, I question the 1-in-4 statistic.  No woman reports domestic violence or sexual assault if she can possibly avoid it.  Reporting is simply too painful.

When I first spoke with Tara Sanders,  a Woodstock based yoga instructor and   program director in the nonprofit Exhale to Inhale I was suddenly very alert.   I realized that we, as reflexologists, need to be more sensitive to the secrets and hidden traumas of our client partners.

Exhale to Inhale yoga works to empower survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to heal through yoga.  Exhale to Inhale yoga guides women through postures, breathing,  meditation.  Taught in trauma sensitive style, practitioners are enabled to ground themselves in

their bodies

their strength

their stillness.

As this happens, the women connect to themselves.  They work toward  empowerment and worthiness.  This practice can be transformative for survivors  of sexual abuse and domestic violence when they shed the cloak of victimhood.

Healers, reflexologists,  and body workers have long known that when a person is traumatized, the event is stored in the muscles.

We also know that reflexology sessions are given a boost when combined with other modalities such as yoga, meditation, breathing, Reiki therapy, and massage.

Tara teaches the classes without music.  She does not touch the students to correct a posture.  Lights remain on throughout the class.  These sessions offer survivors an opportunity to reclaim their lives through the healing and grounding of yoga.

Tara uses the yoga classes to help her students feel safe, strong,  in the present moment.  As she teaches, she is a conduit for healing and healthful programs in our community.  Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners are also conduits for healing as we work the reflex points to encourage homeostasis.

Exhale to Inhale is a New York-based nonprofit offering free weekly yoga  classes to survivors of domestic and sexual assault.  After June 20, Exhale to Inhale yoga classes will be taught free of charge to women in area shelters  in Upstate New York.

Not everyone has a Tara Sanders available in the community.  However, it’s possible to suggest reflexology sessions offered in tandem with yoga, meditation, breathing classes.  Whether or not you are aware of your client partner’s experience with trauma or domestic violence is not important.   What is important is that you invite your client partner to experience this boost  to your modality.  Think of healing, yoga, and reflexology as a package.

Hopefully one day soon, there will be more Tara Sanders yoga teachers in communities everywhere.

Exhale to Inhale

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga

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Jennette Nearhood provided the media.

Thurman Greco

Respiratory System: Bottom Line Information, Essential Oils, Foods that Nourish the Respiratory System and Improvements to be Expected from Regular Sessions.

The respiratory system has highly emotional and spiritual facets to it.  People dealing with chronic respiratory issues are often grieving.  While it’s not necessary for you to know what’s causing the grief, it’s helpful to be aware of the grief process and the part it may be playing in your client partner’s health issues.

Essential Oils Nourishing the Respiratory System Include:  eucalyptus radiata, frankincense, German chamomile, lavender, lemon, peppermint, ravensara, Roman chamomile, rose, thyme, and wintergreen.

Foods Nourishing the Respiratory System Include: almonds, apples, apricots, beans, cantaloupe, carrots, chicken soup, crab, decaffeinated coffee, eggs, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, hot peppers, lamb, leafy greens, legumes, lemons, low-fat milk, non-fat cheeses, nuts, onions, oysters, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, sweet potatoes, tea, tofu, tomatoes, water, wheat germ, watercress, whole grains, yogurt.

Of the foods in the above list, the following foods are also on Johnny Bowden Ph.D.’s list of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth:    amonds, apples, apricots, beans, cantaloupe, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, lamb, lentils,   lemons, low-fat milk, non-fat cheese, onions, oysters, peppers (hot),  pineapple, pumpkin, salmon (wild Alaska),  sweet potatoes, tea, watercress, yogurt.

So,  you’ve actually got two lists here.  The top list is the list of foods nourishing the respiratory system.  The second list is those foods on Johnny Bowden’s list.  This is a little complicated but worth knowing.  Please let me know if you have a problems with the information and how it’s listed.

Improvements to be Expected from Sessions to the Respiratory System: 

Congestion and inflammation should be cleared.  Asthma can be improved.  Breathing should improve when it becomes regulated, slower and deeper.  On a spiritual level, this will assist the client partner to live life more fully.  Inflammation should be alleviated.  Regular sessions help expel mucus.

On a spiritual level, working the respiratory system not only addresses the physical issues, but assists in dealing with the associated processes.  People with respiratory issues who are willing to face whatever fears are preventing them from living life to the fullest will be able to benefit more fully from the physical improvements to the respiratory system offered by Reflexology for the Spirit sessions.

Recovery from colds, coughs can be improved.

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Peace and food for all.

Thurman Greco