Remembering Alan Hans, DVM
angel with bird
We gathered at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation last Sunday and grieved together. Not really. We were, actually, each in a separate bubble, remembering Alan.Hans
The Rabbi sang prayers a capella. The crowded room included family and friends, community members, employees, and others.
We each felt special. We each felt a unique connection to the memory of Alan Hans. Several individuals spoke – each person relating what she felt was a “secret” experience shared with Alan Hans..
These short, shared stories made the guests feel more comfortable with the person who had a larger-than-life connection to his community. Guests felt a sense of togetherness in the moment.
This energy shift was important to the grief experience.
Really, Dr. Alan Hans was much more than the father, uncle, friend, veterinarian, employer. He gave character, strength, and color to a group of people who call Woodstock, NY, home.
Throughout his career in Woodstock and Port Ewen, I don’t think Dr. Hans sought his place in the community. He just settled into this spot…through his daily connections with people in the community.
During the service, a few people sat alone, on the back row or along the wall. They were as close to invisible as they could get. The grief was overwhelming.
I think that happens in situations like this. .People are recognized – family, friends, neighbors.
But, when the deceased honoree is a person of the community – an entirely different group huddles together individually or collectively.
The situation cannot be avoided. Unless the person or persons go to the family and identify themselves, not much can be done.
They are outside the circle of family and friends but inside the circle of the community. Though often unidentified, the grief is just as deep, just as disturbing, and just as captivating.
Grief offers us an opportunity to hold and comfort each other more closely. Our remembrances are shared as treasured thoughts.
To those sitting outside the circle and along the wall, let us reach out from our hearts to yours with love, with sympathy, and with caring.
Our hearts and minds are thinking of you at this difficult time.
Thurman Greco
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Reiki and Me: A Personal Transformation
Flashback to the 90’s.
I lived in the Washington, D.C. metro area when I went to the dogs.
I took my complete professional wardrobe (conservative suits, white blouses, natural colored stockings, sensible shoes, and matching power jewelry) to the Ft. Belvoir Thrift Shop and said “goodbye” to my past life.
I dusted off my massage therapy certificate which I earned from the Potomac MyoTherapy Institute in 1980. (I wrote about PMTI in my wellness book “Healer’s Handbook”.)
I practiced massage therapy and foot reflexology as far beneath the radar screen as I could get. Except for my clients, my goal was “invisible”.
And, I studied canine massage therapy, more foot reflexology, and animal communication at different workshops and classes around the country.
Names like Jonathan Rudinger, Penelope Smith, Dawn Hayman, Marge D’Urso, and Bill Flocco bring up extremely fond memories.
This is where my life took a change.
I attended an introductory canine massage therapy class in Clinton, New York, at Spring Farm CARES. At the first (of many) class I attended there, every other student in the class was a Reiki practitioner or master.
Not only was I the only student not attuned to Reiki, I couldn’t even spell it.
Don’t get me wrong. Reiki wasn’t a part of the curriculum in this class. It was simply a part of each student’s credentials and vocabulary.
I was intrigued by this healing technique they all knew and used. As soon as I returned home I began searching to find out about Reiki and how was it taught. I asked everyone I knew about it. Keep in mind, this was the Northern Virginia suburbs where not even massage was legal.
It was also just before computers became common. I didn’t yet know about Google.
What I really wanted to know was where I could find a teacher. I definitely didn’t like being the only person in a class not connected to something that was obviously important to the rest of the people in the room.
While searching for a teacher, I discovered only 6 Reiki books. One title I remember: “Essential Reiki” by Diane Stein.
I also learned that two friends were Reiki Masters. In seeking a Reiki Master Teacher, I learned that people I knew very well were keeping deep dark secrets from the world. The secrets? Reiki.
Amazing: Knowing that a close friend’s deepest, darkest secret was Reiki says things about my close friends, about Reiki, and about Virginia.
Kathy Levin and Barbara Kaplan were healing people and not even sharing their skills with anyone. And, finally, they weren’t even whispering the names of their teachers. Both women claimed to have learned Reiki years before. Their stories could have been begun with “Long ago and far away…”
I dug and dug and finally found a metaphysical gift shop in Vienna, VA which taught a variety of interesting things on the weekends. Reiki was buried in a long list of interesting spiritual-sounding classes at Terra Christa.
Needless to say, Mary Ruth Van Landingham and her classes were a gold mine for me. I learned nine different types of Reiki and a whole host of other things. For the next few years, I was a student in most of the weekend classes in Mary Ruth’s classroom behind her shop.
Soon, Reiki joined my below-the-radar healing sessions of reflexology, massage therapy, canine massage therapy, animal communication.
The Reiki training I received fit well into every service I offered.
Not in the Reiki category, but important: Dan Chesbro ordained me at Terra Christa. Throughout the years, most of my Reiki students reached out to Dan Chesbro for ordination.
Mary Ruth Van Landingham planted the seed for my first book “Healer’s Handbook”. It took years from Mary Ruth’s guiding suggestion to an actual book. My life experiences had to catch up with the text.
While all this was happening on the weekends, something else happened that was quiet, calm, positive, and distinct.
My life changed. I turned some kind of spiritual corner.
Reiki is not necessarily an out-loud modality. Reiki touches every life differently. After all, we’re all each individual and unique.
It became a part of my life without much fanfare. And, it was certainly easy to learn. Through the years, it’s become such a part of my life that sometimes I feel I don’t give it enough credit.
Reiki is automatic and quiet. Reiki doesn’t need a lot of attention. It stays with me. It doesn’t need equipment and it doesn’t require periodic recertifications.
I use Reiki and reflexology together regularly. They work hand-in-glove without the need of a prescription.
I’m grateful for the healing modalities I’ve learned throughout my life. They served my clients and students well. Sometimes I feel I don’t give Reiki and reflexology the credit they deserve.
When I think about it, part of the usefulness of Reiki and reflexology is that they don’t need attention. They don’t need credit. They just do the work.
SO, thank you Reiki and reflexology.
And, thank you to everyone who has read and does read this blog. Thanks for buying the books and thank you for referring me to your friends, relatives, and neighbors.
I regularly invite Reiki practitioners to come on my show to discuss and receive Reiki.
Find out more about healing and wellness at www.thurmangreco.com.
Finally, thank you for dropping by my Tarot booth at Mower’s Meadow Saturday Sunday Flea Market. This is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. The Flea Market is both mystical and magical. Join me there!
Respectfully submitted,
Thurman Greco
Sense of Sight – Eyestrain
Physical causes of eyestrain include excessive eye fatigue which can result in headache. Other causes include stress, overuse of eyes at work or at video or computer monitors. Poor lighting, incorrect eyeglass/contact lens prescriptions.
Spiritually and emotionally, vision problems go hand-in-hand with emotional traumas, fear, and rejection of the outside world. It has been said that our eyes are the mirrors of our soul.
Relief is available for people suffering with eyestrain. Better lighting, better eyeglasses, Reflexology for the Spirit sessions. But also, the client partner needs to look at lifestyle issues and work to relieve stress, overuse of eyes.
As you offer reflexology sessions, be aware of the need for homeostasis. Deep relaxation is important.
Work the urinary system with a focus on the kidneys, work the sense organs with a focus on the eye reflexes, work the arm and shoulder reflexes, work the spine reflexes, work the lymphatic system and finally focus on the solar plexus and diaphragm reflexes.
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Peace and food for all.
Thank you.
Thurman Greco
Ear Disorders are Both Physical and Spiritual
Physically, ears have many disorders.
Outer ears have infections, cuts, burns, frostbite, ruptured eardrums.
Middle ear problems go with upper respiratory infections. Young children suffer with ear infections. Some of these infections are connected with respiratory-tract infections as well as infections resulting from water or other foreigh substances entering the outer ear.
Inner ears suffer with allergies, infections, reactions to medications.
Spiritually, people have health issues with the ears when a person has difficulty coping with what s/he is hearing. Our ears help us maintain our balance. Listening is very challenging if the subject matter causes pain or discomfort.
At times, it is difficult to hear one’s inner voice. Listening to one’s inner voice may, at times, be more difficult than listening to someone else’s voice.
When offering Reflexology for the Spirit sessions to a person with ear disorders, it’s the goal to offer the client partner an opportunity to experience grounded listening.
Begin the session by working the sense organs focusing on the ear reflexes. Focus on the spleen and liver reflexes. Move to the lymphatic system, and finish the session with a focus on the solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – The Common Cold is Very Spiritual Indeed
So, what makes up a common cold? Sneezing, runny eyes, muscle aches, coughing, maybe some fever.
Work the endocrine system with emphasis on the pituitary gland the adrenal gland reflexes, work the sense organs with emphasis on the ear reflexes, work the respiratory system with emphasis on the lung and sinus reflexes, work the lymphatic system reflexes. Finish the session with the liver and solar plexus holds.
Colds have a very spiritual side. We usually get colds because of of one or more of the following elements in our lives:
People come down with colds when they have suffered some sort of shock: death or other emotional shock in which grief cannot be acknowledged.
Colds are common in people who are in the midst of change. Too much is going on in a person’s life. A cold allows the sufferer to have a few days to slow down.
Overwork is a popular element in the lives of cold sufferers. People become scattered. They have no time for themselves.
When you think of a cold, think of the phrase “too much”. Cold sufferers have too much work, too much fatigue, too much on the To Do list.
Reflexology sessions really help with this “Too Much” issue. They offer a short period of rest, an opportunity to return to homeostasis, a chance to stop physically running around for a few minutes. Reflexology sessions allow a person’s mind to relax and be at peace. When the mind relaxes, there is an opportunity for words like clarity and simplicity to become a reality.
Peace and food for all
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Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – Dizziness
Dizziness is a sensation of whirling or light-headedness which can cause a loss of balance. Physically, dizziness has several causes: inner ear infections, sudden movements, drug reactions, and nervous disorders affecting the motions of the liquid in the inner ear. These motions of the liquids control the body’s equilibrium.
Spiritually and emotionally, a person suffering with dizziness is going through a period in life where s/he is feeling overloaded, and off balance. There is a sense of vulnerability caused when the person feels unsafe and scattered at the same time. Dizziness sufferers want to be somewhere other than where they are. The person feels as if s/he is living a life going around in circles. Often, the necessary changes needed to straighten out the situation are totally unknown to the dizziness sufferer.
When offering a Reflexology for the Spirit session to a person suffering with dizziness, focus on the following reflexes:
Begin by working the brain reflexes, then move on to the sinus reflexes. The third step is to work the sense organs with emphasis on the eye and ear reflexes. Finally, work the liver and solar plexus.
Be sensitive to the realization that your client partner is feeling very vulnerable when having a dizzy spell. Know that your sessions will offer centering and peace.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – 18 Essental Oils, 45 Foods Boosting the Sense Organs
ESSENTIAL OILS that benefit the sense organs include cedarwood, clove, frankincense, geranium, German chamomile, helichrysum, lavender, orange, patchouli, peppermint, Roman chamomile, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme, vetiver, wintergreen.
FOODS that nourish the sense organs include almonds, avocados, beans, bell peppers, black tea, blueberries, Brazil nuts, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, citrus fruit, collard greens eggs, fish, flaxseed, garlic, grapes, green beans, hot peppers, kale, leafy greens, leeks, lemons, melons, onions, oranges, oysters, peaches, peppers, pineapple, poultry, pumpkin, raisins, raspberries, salmon, seafood, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, water, watercress.
Of those 45 foods, the following list is those foods which are also included in Johnny Bowden, Ph.D.’s list of the 150 healthiest foods on earth.
almonds, avocadoes, beans, blueberries, Brazil nuts, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, collard greens, eggs, fish, flaxseed, garlic, grapes, green beans, kale, leeks, lemons, onions, oranges, oysters, peaches, peppers, pineapple, poultry, pumpkin, raisins, raspberries, salmon, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, turnips, water, watercress.
These are really two lists. I hope this is not too confusing.
IMPROVEMENTS to be expected from sessions to the sense organs:
Regular sessions focusing on the diseased or distressed sense organs can improve the body on both a physical, emotional and spiritual level.
Our eyes are the mirrors of our souls. Working the eye reflexes has a direct impct on spiritual issues that are troubling you.
Skin diseases and issues reflect problems in all aspects of our lives. Repeated, regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions assist in the resolution of many of these problems.
Because the ears deal with balance, regular sessions can help a person experiencing problems in this area. This is significant because people suffering with balance issues begin to lack confidence in the body’s ability to return to “normal” (homeostasis). Regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions offer the return of confidence.
Skin and hair condition are improved with regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – The Sense Organs are Very Spiritual in Nature
Our sense of smell is not as sensitive as that of a dog, cat, or wild animal, but we do smell many things. Our sense of smell is both highly emotional and spiritual. We recall memories and emotions from deep in our past through the sense of smell. Inflammation in our nasal passages and infection in our sinuses prevents us from smelling as well as we should. There are also spiritual reasons why we don’t smell as well as we should. I believe we begin to lose our sense of smell as we deny our intuition. We can also begin to lose the sense of smell as our bodies shut down from being surrounded by too much environmental toxicity.
The body’s largest organ is the skin. Some people believe that the majority of skin problems are emotional/spiritual in origin. The best way to tackle skin problems is to treat them holistically and seek out the cause from within rather from without. Begin by working the digestive system and then go to the lymphatics. Include the liver and solar plexus.
Callouses, corns, and rough skin patches offer valuable insight into the challenges faced by our client partners. the location of these patches on the foot is important. For example, a callous on the part of the foot where the shoulder reflex point is has significance. Is s/he having shoulder problems? Is the weight of the world resting on those shoulders?
A callous on the heel area indicates that the person is dealing with core issues and beliefs.
Skin is protection, pure and simple. Our skin forms a protective barrier around our entire body. We allow the world to know us through our skin. And, our skin reveals much to the world: the state of our health, how much sleep we get, whether we drink alcohol and/or take drugs, how much and what kind of food we eat, what our lifestyle is.
Our sense of touch is revealed through the skin. As humans, we are tactile. Touch has powerful effects on us. We communicate through touch. On the positive side, touch is a hug, a kiss, a caress. Touch is communication without the spoken word. Through touch we offer comfort, reassurance, uplifting support. On the negative side, touch can be traumatic: pain, abuse, fear.
Skin is all about boundaries. Skin issues often arise when our boundaries have been invaded, penetrated.
Our sense organs are closely connected with our psychic and intuitive skills. We react quickly when danger is sensed or when unknown elements are sensed before they are actually seen, heard, smelled, or touched. We often read about someone “sensing danger” in books. People will also refer to having “goose bumps” or “experiencing one’s hair standing on end.”
The sense organs are very spiritual. Work them holistically, from within, realizing that when a person undergoes strong spiritual changes, the senses change. Homeostasis is encouraged when the senses work together to help our physical wellbeing, our emotional health, and our spiritual awareness.
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Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – 9 Airplane Travel Tips For a Comfortable Trip
Airline travel is totally overrated. As far as I’m concerned, it ranks right up there with natural childbirth and owning your own business. (I speak from experience. I’ve done all three.)
Use soft sided luggage with wheels. Use shoulder bags.
Travel light.
If at all possible, reserve an aisle seat.
Arrive at the airport early enough to have adequate time for processing yourself through the bureaucratic maze, finding your gate.
As you pass through the pre boarding screening area, put yourself in an emotional “neutral” mode. I heard a TSA employee discussing this once. Think of yourself as trance walking through the TSA maze. (He called it “walking dead”.) When you get through this phase of the trip, you’ll be unstressed and able to sit quietly at your boarding gate while you wait for the boarding call.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
Avoid lifting anything heavy into the overhead luggage bins.
Once on the plane, walk up and down the aisle every 30 minutes or so.
Enjoy your trip!
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman
Reflexology Blog – 10 Ways to Sit More Comfortably. Sitting is More Difficult Than Standing.
The inspiration for this, and the next series of posts, is a book I read by Constance A. Bean: “The Better Back Book” It’s available through Amazon and is probably available through your favorite bookstore as well. I like the way she listed information to make it easier to read, understand, and use.
Avoid sitting on unstable, soft surfaces such as a very soft chair or a bed.
Always try to sit in a chair with armrests and always use the armrests. This way, you remove weight from your lower back. Use the armrests to shift your weight occasionally if you become uncomfortable.
Rocking chairs relieve back pain as you rock back and forth because your muscles are not held in one position.
The angle on the chair is changed as you rock back and forth.
The chair you sit in should support your lumbar spine.
The front part of the seat should be higher than the back part to make your back more comfortable. Your feet should rest flat on the floor. If you can find a chair low enough to the floor so that your knees are raised higher than your hips, you’ll be even more comfortable. If this isn’t possible, place your feet on a small stool or several phone books to raise your knees. The chair seat should be deep enough to support the entire thigh.
Using your armrests for support, get up out of your seat and walk around frequently.
When sitting for long periods, raise your shoulders and tighten your abdominal muscles and buttocks for a few moments. Then release the muscles and take 2-3 deep breaths.
Balance chairs align the spine correctly.
Car seats and airplane seats are very stressful for spines.
Do not slump in your chair because this habit stresses your spine.
When driving a car, position your car seat forward to make sure the leg is extended as little as possible. This will help you keep your pelvic tilted.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
