If your therapist regularly massages your hands, feet and ears, you are already receiving the benefits of the ancient art of reflexology, perhaps without realizing it.

 

The premise behind reflexology is that every area of the body correlates with a specific reflex area of the feet, hands, and/or ears. Massaging these reflex areas produces a change in the physical body. Thus, massaging the tips of the fingers or toes, which correspond with the sinuses, can help ease the pressure in a stuffy head.

 

Nearly every massage we give at Body Balance II includes some attention to the reflex points. For example, if I know my client is having trouble with his/her piriformis and sciatic nerve, I will pay particular attention to the heel of each foot (about a third of the way up) and to the area below the thumb called the thenar eminence. I will massage these with greater pressure and specific techniques such as "finger-walking". Thus, my client receives a mini-reflexology session that targets a specific health concern.

 

During a full reflexology session, which usually lasts an hour on just the feet and/or the hands, the massage techniques are more specific. Likewise, more attention is paid to zone theory. Zone theory divides the body into ten zones. The zones run in parallel lines from head to fingers and from head to toes and correspond to the ten fingers and the ten toes. Thus, if the therapist works the index finger (zone 2), all points in zone 2 on that side of the body receive the benefit.

 

Applying reflexology to the whole hand, foot, or ear encourages relaxation and a sense of well-being. When I speak to people about massage therapy as a career, I always teach them how to do a hand massage. Giving someone a hand or foot massage, even if you don't know specific techniques, can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), soothe the corresponding body zone, and shows your care and concern for another in a really personal and loving way.

 

Reflexology from a qualified therapist can address a number of specific health concerns. Headaches are often treated using reflexology as are respiratory ailments and digestive problems. One of the benefits of reflexology in a massage is that it can target organs as well as stress-related conditions or muscular problems.

 

Here is a simple technique you can use on yourself to relieve a headache:

• Find the adrenal gland reflex on the palmar side of your hand. It is located between the bones of your thumb and index finger but in the meaty part of the flesh under the thumb. This is a good bit below the webbing-a little more than halfway from the webbing to the wrist. If you have a headache, chances are it will be soft and tender.
• Press this area with firm pressure on both sides of the hand. It will seem like you are pinching it. On the dorsum side of the hand, this point includes the vital energy point.
• Hold one or two minutes then switch hands.
• You can repeat until the headache pain diminishes.

Reflexology is often used in conjunction with your regular massage, but it can also be used as a modality in its own right. If you would like to learn more, please ask your therapist.

Sandalwood essential oil is one of the most precious of all oils. It is often used as a base note in perfumes and incense because it holds the fragrance of other oils. Traditionally, it was an embalming spice in the East. The wood of this small, nearly extinct evergreen was used in building temples in the Orient.

 

The Chinese used sandlewood to treat stomach ailments, nausea, and skin disorder, and the Ayurvedic Indians used sandalwood for diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and respiratory ailments. They also combined it with rose to make a precious perfume.

 

Today, the sweet-woody scent is used for these same ailments. Specifically, it is good directly on the skin or mixed with a carrier oil for acne and dry, cracked or chapped skin and barber's rash. Use it in the same way on the chest and throat for bronchitis, coughs, laryngitis, and sore throats or make a compress by adding six drops of sandalwood to a bowl of hot water, soak a washcloth and press the squeezed cloth to your chest or throat. Inhale sandalwood to relieve depression, insomnia, and stress-related problems.

Because sandalwood enhances and prolons the fragrance of other oils, it is often mixed with other oils. Try the following recipes:

 

Stress-Buster

• 2 drops sandalwood
• 2 drops bergamot
• 2 drops juniper

 

• 1 drop lemon
• 2 drops Roman chamomile
• 3 drops sandalwood

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

 

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

 

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

 

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"
~William A. Ward

Original art by Suzanne Eller

It's time once again for time to fall back. Daylight Savings Time will end Sunday, November 6th, at 2:00 AM.

Don't forget to set your clocks back on Saturday when you go to bed. You'll gain an extra hour of sleep as we convert to standard time.

Remember to check the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide monitor. Doing so could save your life or the life of someone you love.

 

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with holidays like Thanksgiving that involve emotional family gatherings. We love the aromas and bounty of the food and the joy of seeing family and friends. But the strain of cooking all the meals, cleaning the house, and entertaining all of those out-of-town visitors can sometimes result in more stress than harmony.

The cause of this discord may not be you or your family. It could be how you arrange your house during the holiday season. As you get ready for Thanksgiving this year, try following a few Feng Shui tips to balance the energy in your home and create more household harmony- and a lot more fun.

Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the art of arranging your interior surroundings in harmony and balance with the natural world around you. Our surroundings have a powerful effect on what we attract into our lives. When the energy around us (called chi) is blocked or unbalanced, our relationships, prosperity, and family harmony can be profoundly affected. Feng Shui changes for your home can unblock the flow of energy and make you feel more comfortable in your indoor surroundings.

The holiday season kicks off with Thanksgiving, the ultimate foodie holiday. Here are a few tips to help you create a peaceful and harmonious turkey day:

• Use your dining room often during Thanksgiving because it is considered a place of wealth in Feng Shui; this is not the time to wolf down leftovers sitting in front of the TV.
• Bring out the good stuff: the china, crystal, silver, and all the other pieces hiding in your cabinets and closets; what are you saving it for if not for the holidays?
• Use a centerpiece of orange flowers to encourage conversation, or a display of fresh fruit and vegetables to symbolize good health and longevity.
• Entertaining guests is associated with wealth, so hang a mirror in your dining room; you will reflect your guests and symbolically double your wealth.
• A round or oval table is the best shape for Feng Shui-friendly dining because there are no sharp corners aimed at guests; if you have a rectangular dining table use a tablecloth to smooth the edges and make sure you seat your guests away from the corners.
• Place bowls of nuts, fruit, or candy wherever people gather in your home, and pitchers of wine or sparkling cider and water, to represent the prosperity to continually feed guests.

The colors, aromas, and tastes of food are strongly related to good Feng Shui. In Feng Shui, we divide energy into yin (the dark, heavy side), and yang (the bright, lighter side). Since the winter months are the yin side of our energy, we need to balance this darker, lower, colder energy with strong yang energy in our food for the holidays. Cooked foods, spices, and hot foods such as chile peppers, ginger, and garlic, are the perfect yang choices for Thanksgiving. Foods like raw vegetables and fish are yin, and are better used in moderation during this period.

Is your family prone to arguments when gathered around the Thanksgiving table? Try these strategies to minimize the hot yang energy and cool things down:

• Invite an even number of guests, keep the lights low and soft, and decorate with soothing earth tones like gold, brown, and green.
• Keep shiny surfaces and sharp edges to a minimum
• Remove the carving knife from the table after the turkey is carved, and you will avoid sharp words and arguments.
• Whoever is seated nearest to the door will be the first one to leave, so consider a seating plan if you have any annoying relatives.

Bring a little bit of the practical magic of Feng Shui into your home this Thanksgiving, and your life will be filled with peace and harmony through the coming year.

Carol Olmstead

Article Source: Ezine Articles