Post subject: Alternative medicine, examples

What are alternative medicine? We hear a lot about alternative medicine, but it's vaguely defined, and not many of us know what they really are. Examples?

Post subject: Reflexology

Reflexology


Reflexology is a holistic therapy which treats the whole body through pressure points on the feet.

(Reflexology understands the term reflex to mean the reflection of the organs & different parts of the body projected in miniature on the feet. Such projections are not only to be found on the soles of the feet but also on the tops and along the inside and outside, and as far up as the ankle.)

The term holistic is understood to mean the mind, body & spirit as an all-embracing entity which, to function at its best, must be in balance and harmony. A holistic practitioner ought always to see to the needs of all three parts as they are surely interconnected, and a dis-ease in one will affect the balance of the others, resulting in illness.

Reflexology takes into account three different facets of the feet & body: the related positions of the organs on the feet, the longitudinal body zones, and the demarcation of the guide lines which divide the foot/body into three areas.
It is important to understand the zonal system as it explains unlikely relationships within zones. An example of this relationship is the one that exists between eyes and kidneys (both lie in the same longitudinal zone) so that working the points for the kidney is often very beneficial for eye problems.

The origins of reflexology date back at least 5000 years and probably has its origins in ancient Chinese therapies, although cultures all over the world have used it as a healing method, including the Incas, the red Indian tribes, the middle European countries and the ancient Romans. Think of all the biblical references to the traditions of washing & anointing of the feet!

One of the earliest books to be published on the subject was in 1582 by two European physicians called Dr Adamus and Dr A’Tasis and another followed shortly after this in Leipzig a Dr Bell.
Reflexology is based on Zone Therapy; Zone Therapy was first advanced in the West by a Dr William Fitzgerald (1872 – 1942) born in Connecticut, USA. He was a respected ear, nose & throat physician who, after working in London & Vienna, returned to America and made his findings on zone therapy available to modern science.

One of his students was Eunice Ingram, a remedial therapist with a para-medical background, who became extremely interested and involved with Dr Fitzgerald’s work and dedicated herself to continuing his initial philosophies in Zone Therapy. From this, she evolved reflexology; she became quite a pioneer and we can see her very much as being the ‘mother of modern reflexology’. So successful were her findings & so effective her treatments, that her reputation soon spread. She treated a whole host of people and her highly successful practice toured America. In December 1974 she passed away at the age of 84, having left behind quite a legacy to the world! The main pioneer of her work in the UK was Doreen Bayly who built up her own practice & training school called ‘The Bayly School’ which still continues to this day. Doreen Bayly died in 1979 just before her 80th birthday.

Nowadays, a qualified reflexologist trained at a reputable school, will have studied for at least a year, undergone many hours of assessed treatments, studied anatomy & physiology, will be affiliated to an umbrella organisation and will be insured.

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Thanks for the great info !

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REIKI

What is Reiki?

Many people have heard the term reiki (pronounced ray-key) but do not know what it implies. It is a system of natural healing involving the ‘laying on of hands’ & is many thousands of years old. It was known by Tibetan Buddhist monks and rediscovered in the 1800s by a Japanese doctor, Mikao Usui. The Usui System of Reiki is a very simple but powerful healing technique that can be easily given & received by anyone.
The actual Japanese words are rei and ki –
Rei = spiritual wisdom
Ki = the life force
Therefore, reiki can be defined as the spiritually guided Universal Life Force. The reiki healing energy moves through the healer and dispels blocks & negativity before being channelled through to the recipient.

All healers use the Life Force, but not all use reiki which works on a special vibration. It will need a Reiki Master to attune an individual to the energy. The reiki practitioner is a channel for the energy to be given and NOT the source of the healing. It is widely accepted that reiki not only complements other therapies, but actually increases their strength. The practitioner, while using the reiki energy to heal, also absorbs the same energy – therefore the more healing is given, the more it is received; also, reiki can never cause harm and has a beneficial effect on most causes of dis-ease, which tend to be disharmonies in the energy flow within the body.

When should reiki be given?

It can be given at any time, regardless of whether there is dis-ease in the body or not – reiki will facilitate the healing of an illness but can energise & invigorate a person’s mind, body and spirit at all times to prevent disharmony and imbalance, and the resulting onset of dis-ease.

It can be used to complement other therapies, or given as a separate treatment lasting about an hour.

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What is Reiki used for primarily? Back pain? Neck pain? Other pain? It doesn't heal internal organ damages, does it?

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It doesn't actually 'heal' anything - it's a healing energy that serves as a catalyst for us to heal ourselves!

This is quite difficult to explain to anyone who has not gone into the metaphysics of health/dis-ease in depth, but the symptoms of an 'illness' are only the last in a long chain of emotional/spiritual issues which have provoked the illness in the first place. They (the symptoms) are there to teach us something about ourselves. We may, or may not, be willing to learn what this is. A complementary practitioner, by chatting intelligently with a client, will often be able to discover what the root cause is. On the other hand, a client who shuts up like a clam is very difficult to help.

Reiki can work on a very deep emotional level - many recipients tell of having emotional upheaval & crying spells afterwards - but this is only the reiki energy working as a catalyst to help the person 'look into themselves' perhaps for the first time. They are then usually more able to talk about it.

'Back ache' is a symptom. What has caused the backache? That is the real question. For instance, I suffered very bad lower back pain for years, before I took the plunge & got out of a marriage that was not right for me. The back pain stopped the day I moved out & I've not had it since! That was 15 years ago! Of course, you may have a back pain because you lifted something too heavy for you & 'did your back in'. But then perhaps you are being told that you need to rely on others more to help you with the heavy stuff!! Sounds like a joke, but you understand what I mean!

Clients are always told that reiki will direct itself to whatever part of the person needs it, for their higher good.

Health & healing is a very deep complicated subject.

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No, reiki doesn't have an element of counselling. In fact it's usually given in total silence (apart from some nice background music). I was referring to complementray therapies in general here. The listening & 'reading between the lines' if necessary is often a part of it/them, but not always.

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Flower Remedies

Anyone who may be interested in resolving some emotional stumbling block which they feel is impairing their quality of life or hindering them from moving forward, could try flower remedies, of which there is now a whole new generation, and can be indispensable to gently reverse such a problem & bring a whole new change of mindset.
Below is a short history of the ‘discovery’ of this amazing vibrational medicine:

• The Bach Flower Remedies were created in the 1930s, by a Harley Street doctor, Edward Bach. He was born in 1886 in Birmingham and is the pioneer of this type of vibrational medicine. He completed his university studies in 1912 and became a consultant pathologist, bacteriologist and homoeopath. After a health crisis in 1917, when doctors gave him 3 months to live, he threw himself back into his work, & as months went by, he found himself growing stronger which instilled in him the belief that mental states have a direct and powerful effect on physical health.. Over the next few years he completed a series of 38 remedies and a year later, in 1936, he died after bringing to conclusion this life’s work.
• Dr Bach devised a system of seven major emotional groups into which people could be classified. These are:
Fear
Loneliness
Insufficient interest in present circumstances
Over-care for the welfare of others
Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
Uncertainty
Despondency or despair

38 negative states of mind are categorised into these groups and a plant-based remedy has been created to treat each of these emotional states.

The remedies are taken in drops, usually under the tongue to speed up absorption through the mucous membranes, but can also be taken in water during the day, sipping a little at a time.

This is known as vibrational medicine and is very similar to homeopathy. Science has been unable to show how it works (as is often the case) as what is working on the psyche is the vibration or essence of the plant.

They are very effective, especially the five flower emergency remedy which many people carry round with them all the time, 'just in case'!

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The flower remedy 'willow' can be prescribed for those who suffer from the 'victim syndrome' - resentment, bitterness, self-pity and who speak of others whom they perceive as being better off than they are, with unkindness & negativity. For those who display the 'why me?' and 'it's not my fault' outlook, to bring them back to the realisation that we reap what we sow, & it's in our hands to change our situation. Changes perspective.

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Crystal Healing

All matter vibrates; not only humans and animals but all sound, colour, light & minerals vibrate at varying frequencies, but still have the ability to interact with one another.

When the energies of crystals are added to our own, a newly combined vibrational force is created; this interaction can best be compared to the rippling action of throwing two stones into a still pond at the same time. When the stones break the water’s surface, two separate series of waves are produced, but blending takes place as each ring spreads out & begins to intermingle with the other.

A crystal is like one stone, and you are like the other. When we find ourselves side by side with our crystal, our vibrations can merge in perfect harmony to help us raise our energies to higher levels of awareness & healing.

Crystals are natural conductors of electromagnetic energy – a regular, even flow of energy moves freely through the crystal’s structure; the energy can be released by stimulating it in various ways: by body heat, direct sunlight, contact with other crystals, or programmed mind thoughts. The energy emitted could be compared to the vibrations produced by a group of people with a unanimous thought, the difference being that the crystal energy is uniformly constant.

The human energy field works on a similar principle of electromagnetism; when our hands touch an object, electrical impulses run through our body. Vibrations are sent through our fingers along the body’s nervous system for the object’s identity to be interpreted by our brain.

However, along with this internal system, we have energy fields external to our body – the concept of the *aura* which encompasses the etheric, emotional & mental fields or bodies. Everyone has this energy field, even tiny babies and, of course, so do animals & plants.

Crystals interact with these energy fields within the aura. In order to gain more conscious knowledge about our emotional, mental & physical states, we share our energies with crystals. The coming-together of our relatively inconsistent vibrations with the balancing ones of quartz crystals & other gemstones, can bridge the gap between our physical & spiritual selves. This is achieved through the use of meditations & healings.

{A distinction must be made between what is referred to as “psychic” and “spiritual”.
The psychic world refers to those aspects that relate to what is commonly known as the 4th dimension – mediums, seers & psychics seem to be able to penetrate the mist that blocks most people from seeing more than is apparent in the three dimensional world we know – they can ‘see spirits’ and can receive information about other entities & lives etc.
The spiritual realms are the 5th & 6th dimensions relating to pure energy or intelligence (universal life force) where we learn to follow that silent, intuitive inner voice that directs us in all things.}



(Where on earth did all these funny symbols (’) come from in this post?? They weren't there originally! )

Post subject: Chinese Child Massage (Xiao Er Tuina)

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a major contributer to complimentary medicine. Since Chinese medicine treats ailments from the root causes and views the body as a whole within its environment, it is a holistic medicine.

One branch of TCM is Xiao Er Tuina or Pediatric Tuina (massage). This system is based on the energetic system as are all TCM including Chinese Herbology. It differs from standard Tuina and Acupuncture because it recognizes that a child's meridian (energy passageways) system is not developed. Because of this the traditional acupoints are not used. Balance of the body's energy and correction of illness are mostly directed through repeated manipulations of the left hand and arm.

No medication is given (although ginger water can be used to reduce friction) and so this is referred to as a "Green Therapy". Diagnosis of the root cause based on heat, cold, moist, dry, excess and deficiency are critical to determining the manipulations to be used.

Many childhood illnesses are cured by this method in China. If you would like to read about Dr. Zhang's practice in Liaoyang, China and her case studies for healing various ailments visit
(http://childtuina.8531.com). She also has a forum for answering questions about this complimentary medicine at
(http://childtuina.8531.com/board)