Tara Sanders: Healing, Yoga, and Reflexology
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.
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Thurman Greco
Kidney Stones can be extremely painful.
Our kidneys are filters, removing toxins from the blood and disposing of them in the urine. Stones form when the toxins are too concentrated and they begin to crystallize. There are few things more painful than a kidney stone on the move.
There are a number of things a person can do to prevent kidney stones.
The first thing a person can do to reduce stones is to stay hydrated. This means drinking fluids…fluids of any kind. Water is a preferred fluid because it dilutes the urine. If you don’t like the flavor of water, try adding some lemon juice.
Don’t gain weight. Obesity contributes to kidney stones.
Reduce fructose and sucrose. The higher the consumption of sugar, the higher the risk of stones.
Eat more whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. The higher your consumption of foods rich in phylates, the lower the risk of kidney stones.
Lastly, eat more foods rich in magnesium: spinach, chard, mustard greens. The more magnesium rich foods you eat, the lower your risk of kidney stones. Taking 200 to 400 milligrams daily of magnesium is a good idea.
On a spiritual level, kidney stones accompany hardness, negativity, fear, regrets, rigidity. People carrying painful memories and living in past seem to suffer with kidney stones. I see some past life issues with kidney issues. Sadness and fear traveling from lifetime to lifetime accompany stones and other kidney issues.
And, finally, don’t forget regular reflexology sessions.
Begin by working the endocrine system with emphasis on the pituitary gland reflexes, thyroid reflexes, parathyroid reflexes, and adrenal gland reflexes.
Work the immune system with emphasis on the spleen.
Work the urinary system emphasizing the kidney reflexes, bladder, ureter, and urethra reflexes.
Work the lymphatic system.
Finish up the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Hay Fever Attacks us Seasonally When Our Defenses are Low
Hay Fever is a seasonal affliction which succeeds in making its sufferers totally miserable. My mother had several serious diseases in her life. The one that caused her the most trouble and discomfort was hay fever.
Hay Fever is not contagious. It is an allergic reaction to airborne substances such as pollen and pollution. Hay Fever sufferers are always easy to spot because they have watery inflamed eyes, inflamed sinuses, and nasal passages resulting in runny noses. There’s a lot of itching also. Sometimes, when life is really bad, they also have a sore throat and irritated bronchial tubes.
Hay Fever sufferers have a tendency to overreact to the symptoms. The itching can be very irritating. The runny eyes are very distracting.
Although Hay Fever is seasonal, its sufferers can have attacks whenever there is an intense emotional reaction to a situation.
Visiting a competent allergist regularly to reduce one’s sensitivity to allergies can change an allergy sufferer’s life for the better.
If you have a client partner suffering with hay fever, suggest weekly Reflexology for the Spirit sessions at least during allergy season. This will offer some relief and much needed homeostasis.
Begin the session by working the diaphragm reflexes and the solar plexus. Move to the endocrine system and focus on the pituitary gland reflexes and the adrenal gland reflexes. Then move to the respiratory system focusing on the lung reflexes. Finish the session by giving attention to the liver and returning to a solar plexus hold.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Finish with
The Sense of Taste – OR – 8 Ways to Reduce Salt in Your Diet
Salt has been with us for awhile.. Go back in time about 6000 years and you’ll find salt being processed in Romania and China. It was prized by Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Hittites and Egyptians.
Historians tell us that salt extraction and rapid rapid population growth happened at the same time.
Salt has a history of being an issue in wars up to and including the 20th century. Governments throughout history have imposed salt taxes on their people…and throughout time people have revolted. Think the French Revolution, and Mahatma Gandhi’s protesters.
Salt has been used as currency. The word salary comes from from the word salt. Salt was traded for gold in some historical cultures.
On a religious level, salt has long been an important part of ceremonies in most of the world’s religions.
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used salt and water in their offering ceremonies. Some scholars tell us that this was the basis of the Holy Water used in some Christian ceremonies today.
We know that the Aztecs used salt and salt water in their fertility rites.
Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Shinto followers all use salt in religious ceremonies.
Salt plays a strong part in the Old Testament which has many references to salt. One famous bible story describes Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt as she looked back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as they were being destroyed.
The New Testament has references to salt.
Celtic rituals use water with salt added.
We flavor our foods with seasonings in five categories: sweet, sour, salt, bitterness, and umami.
We exercise our sense of taste when we eat food. The sense of taste works with the sense of smell to help us taste food.
As a culture, we have a taste for salt…so much so that some of our citizens suffer with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease.
All of us, without exception, will improve our lives if we can reduce our intake to one teaspoon of salt per day. So, how do we do this?
Cut Down on Processed Foods. This is easily done by eating less processed food. Cut back on pizza, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli/luncheon meats. Buy fewer canned foods such as chili, soups, stews, ravioli. A key here is fresh foods have lower amounts of sodium.
Cook More Meals at Home. When you prepare meals at home, you’re spending less on food and can control what goes in it. Cooking meals at home allows you to limit the amount of salt used in your food..
Eat Veggies and Fruits. Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables naturally have less sodium. Include a vegetable or fruit at every meal.
Cut Back on Salt Slowly, a little at a time. This way you’ll become accustomed to the natural taste of food. Learn to season your foods with herbs, spices, garlic, and lemon.
Read the Labels Many canned goods have more than a daily serving of salt. Find products that are “low salt”, “no salt”, and “low sodium”. A caution here: sometimes the processed foods which are labeled “low salt” are “high sugar”. Don’t trade one bad habit for another.
Skip the “high Sodium” Condiments. Avoid high sodium ketchup, pickles, olives, salad dressings, soy sauce. Choose those seasoned with reasonable amounts of salt.
Hide the Salt. Don’t put salt on the kitchen counter or the table. Use low salt seasonings instead.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Our Skin Protects Us and Guards Us.
The largest organ we have, our skin is our biggest protector. It is a sense organ because it is through the skin that we exercise our sense of touch.
Skin is both emotional and spiritual. When we describe skin, we use words such as protect, nourish, insulate, communicate, heal, give, receive.
Our skin is our boundary so there are many skin issues to deal with throughout life. This blog has already addressed the following issues in previous posts: acne, callouses, corns, eczema, peeling skin, psoriasis, shingles, sweaty feet, and thick skin.
Whew! That says a lot about our skin and the work it does. What it says is this:
Reflexology for the Spirit sessions are very important when addressing sense organ issues in general and skin issues specifically.
When you offer reflexology for a skin issue, please work it holistically. In other words, work to heal the physical issue but also consider where this problem is manifesting itself on the feet. It is also important to help your client partner feel safe for a few moments when you offer a session.
Safety can be suggested through the music used, the essential oils offered, and having enough blankets and pillows on the table. Think cocoon here.
Our skin is very emotional as well as spiritual. Therefore, it reacts to everything that happens to us. Rashes, in particular are emotional reactions to life events. A good example of this is hives. A person suffering with hives may be experiencing fear, irritation, feeling overwhelmed, deep anger.
There will be more posts in the future about different issues which manifest themselves through the skin.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Eye Infections and Reflexology for the Spirit
Physically, eye infections are caused by viruses and bacteria. Infections usually are found on the surface of the cornea, the lining of the eyelid, or in the sebaceous glands.
When the left eye is affected, I feel that the person has a lack of joy, fun, and creativity. Instead, the person is finding life to be hard, challenging, and a struggle. As these things happen, the sufferer begins to focus on the negativity and “Loses sight” of the positive things in life.
When the Right eye is affected, I feel that the person is experiencing challenges in abundance, relationships, moving forward in life. The person becomes irritated with him/herself and is unable to “see how the situation can be changed for the positive”.
With eyes, of course, it all boils down to how things are perceived. So, with our eyes, we see far more than just the object…unless we don’t want to see. And, our perceptions are all colored by our upbringing, education, learned biases, life experiences.
When offering reflexology to a person suffering with an eye infection, work the urinary system with a focus on the kidney reflexes. Work the sense organs with a focus on the eye reflexes. Work the spleen reflex. Work the liver and solar plexus. End the session by working the lymphatic system.
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Peace and food for all.
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
Reflexology Blog – Ear Infections are common in young children and can be dangerous.
Ear infections are often connected with respiratory tract infections. They can be either caused by bacterial or fungal infections brought on by water or other foreign matter in the ear. They can be either chronic or acute.
Ear infections are so common that about half of all visits to pediatricians are for their treatment. This is an important statement because spiritually, ear infections occur when a person is having trouble hearing what is going on around them. Children sometimes have difficulties expressing feelings.
So…what might a child be hearing that will distress him/her to the point of an infection? Abusive language, people shouting at one another, bullying behavior. An earache suggests that the subject is very disturbing to the child. It represents a pained heart or mind.
Adults dealing with ear infections have the same spiritual issues. Words that come to mind here are resentment, unsteadiness, being judged, blame, frustration, anger, arguments.
And, of course, the most difficult voice to hear sometimes is that of the inner self.
That being said, ear infections can be very serious. Ear infections are potentially dangerous health events and need to be supervised by a physician.
The bottom line here is this: If someone has an ear infection, s/he needs to seek medical care to take care of the physical aspects of the disease. S/he also needs to deal with the painful sounds and events in life which are stressful enough to contribute to ear infections.
Reflexology for the Spirit can help, but not replace the medical attention needed. When working the feet, focus on the sense organs with emphasis on the ears, work the spleen, work the lymphatic system, and complete the session by working the liver and solar plexus. What you will bring to the table, which is very important, is relief, calm, homeostasis, an encouragement of the body systems to fight the situation.
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Peace and food for all.
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 – 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
