Pain Relief and Massage Studio

Does it feel like your Head is about to Explode!!??

2011-04-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Do you feel like you head is going to EXPLODE??
If we compare the sensory input of someone living 20-30 years ago to now, it’s a wonder that
any of us function at all, talk about overload.
Just the Media and technological input is enough to drive you crazy. It’s a 24/7 bombardment which we now consider normal…How normal is it to take a cell-phone to bed with you???
With the pressures and responsibilities of high-speed modern life, most people have problems coping with simple day to day survival and the one thing we seem to have forgotten all about is the need for “Stillness and Silence”. Yes, do you remember?
Its called being centered and still in a quiet place, alone with YOUR thoughts, NO white noise!
Today, more than ever before, we need to take the time to center ourselves in our hearts and listen to our truths.
This way we can get a clearer picture of what we need to make ourselves and our families Happy!
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify!
Give yourself and your family the invaluable Gift of Meditation.

Rieki in Africa Day 4

2010-07-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Day IV: This morning we go back to Seke Hospice and split up into 3 groups, one group goes to see patients in one district and another group goes to see patients in another district. I go with Stella, head of all the district volunteers. We are headed up to the 7 Day Adventist retreat where we will be spending 2 nights, and where I will begin the Reiki Classes. The two Interns and the Hospice nurse travel with me. We ride in a lowery; I am riding on the gear box, in the center. Stella is on the other side of me. The three women are crowed in back of our seats. I was told this would be a 2 hour drive. It took all day. We arrived at 5:00 PM. Very interesting; I was told we were taking the short cut around the mountains, I wonder how long it would take if we had not taken the short cut. We pick up some of the Reiki students that had been waiting all morning. We go to a funeral of one of the Hospice Volunteers father and pay our respect. It is in a quaint looking village. We stop at a fast food/grocery store to eat lunch and pick up supplies for the cook, and then we pick up the cook. We then stop at the market place to buy eggs for breakfast. Alone the way we pick up people and give them rides for short distances or to their destination if it is on our way. All these people stand or sit in the back of the Lowery. The road is very bumpy and curvy. We went past villages that looked prosperous with beautiful green gardens of kale and greens. We went past villages that looked dangerous. We went through villages were the people were very poor. The children looked pitiful. I passed women carrying baskets and all sorts of things on their heads. I saw women with babies tied to their backs. There were school children in the afternoon in their uniforms walking home from school. We were stopped by the Police and had to pay $10.00 American to go through the road block. Very bumpy hard ride. Beautiful rock formations everywhere. Africans walk more than any people I have met. I kept turning to Stella; are we there yet, and she would say just a little bit. This went on for hours. The woman who ran the 7 Day Adventist Retreat Center was very Kind. There was no electricity and no hot water. The accommodations were very nice and clean. A Woman came and brought a bucket of hot water that she carried on her head for us to take a bath. A wonderful man hung nails for our mosquito netting. At 5:30 PM the Sun sets and lights out; everything was by candle light or flash lights. Dinner was romantic by candles and an oil lantern. Reiki Class starts in the morning. Becky and I go to our cabin and by flashlight we put together the Reiki information for in the morning. Yea!!

Brenda McDaniel R.N. Cht., Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Crystal Healer
For upcoming workshops: http://www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com

Day 3 Arrival in zimbabwe

2010-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Day III:We have arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. The flight from London was very bumpy. The thing I notice the most while flying in was the Sunrise. “The Land of the Rising Sun”. As we wait to land in Johannesburg and I see the hundreds of shacks that I have seen only in news reels and movies. Amazed that people live there. We are all tired and grungy. Flying for 2 days is no fun. Thank God I brought a clean shirt in my carry on. I change my shirt, they are waiting to have a dedication ceremony at Seke in Zimbabwe. We won’t have time to clean up or change clothes. We walk out on the flight field to catch the plane for Harare, Zimbabwe. It is a 1 ½ hour flight, the bumpiest of all. We arrive in Harare. Our Luggage is lost, so we buy our visas and go through custom. Simplisius and Veronica our host are waiting for us. We meet our Drivers that will be with us the whole journey. We are greeted at Seke with Singing, beautiful singing, drumming, and dancing. It is wonderful. I dance and clap my hands with them. We get Introductions which I cannot remember, their Language is Shona. Their names are so beautiful and I will mispronounce and butcher them throughout our journey. The Hospice building is small, built of stone. Small rooms and dark inside. Arkansas Hospice has donated money to build it. And they are having a dedication ceremony for it. Diana presents them with a plaque honoring Seke Rural Hospice. We have lunch in a crowded room with all the dignitaries and the District Chief. We clap our hands together to honor the Chief. Women bring in a bucket of warm water and liquid soap. Starting with the Chief, she pours water from a kettle, while you hold your hands over a basin and you wash them. When everyone has washed their hands, they bring in the food. The menu is rice, maza, Chicken, beef, and hot tea. The women serve us, starting with the Chief. The food is simple and delicious. After lunch we all go back outside. We listen to all the dignitaries speak about Seke Rural Hospice. In between speakers there is singing and drumming. The children sing songs to us. They are so sweet. We finally head to our home away from home. Because it is Winter in Zimbabwe, it gets dark at 5:30pm. We are staying at a place I call out of Africa. “Mitzishe”, It Is a resort with a small game park that has Zebras, antelope, and Giraffes. Our lodging is round brick buildings with a thatch roof made out of the tall grasses you see growing everywhere. There are 2 beds to each hut with a kitchen in between and a outside building for the lavatory and shower. There are beautiful gardens. Half wild and half manicured. Clean but past its prime, kind of seedy looking. The accommodations if rated from 3 to 1, they would be a 1. They did have hot water most of the time and mosquito netting. The first night was the only night we had electricity all night. The place is run on a generator, 1 hour in the morning and one hour at night. For me that was quite interesting after the owner slyly informed us there were pythons and Cobras about, that last one I blocked completely out of my mind until the day before we left. Every night I would have to take the flash light and look under the bed and between the sheets before I could sleep. The first night we ate dinner in the Lodge, we could tell the cook had went to a lot of trouble for us. Becky and I are roommates. Yea! Luggage arrived after dinner. There were also Hollering Apes that set up a holler when I got in the shower. That night I took a sleeping pill and finally got some sleep. My Heart Sings as excitement courses through me.

--
Brenda McDaniel R.N. Cht., Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Crystal Healer
For upcoming workshops: http://www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com

2010-07-10T07:47:00.001-07:00

Day II: London.
We land in London, brushed our teeth and washed our faces and head for the Underground, where I instructed everyone on changing their dollars to pounds and buying a day pass. It amazed me that I had not forgot how to travel the Tube (underground). They all wanted to go to Buckingham Palace. Ist stop. And then we walked through St James Park around the corner from where I use to Stay in London, but never walked through the park, was never a tourist in London before, always working. It was a beautiful Sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, Everyone out in the Park walking Tanning, The English Gardens so beautiful, amazed at the ancient trees, it was a good way to get grounded and focus for the rest of our journey, the group then wanted to go to Picadilly Circus and we found a wonderful little restaurant where we had a delicious lunch and suffered humourous teasing from the owners of the restaurant about the U.S. We got back to the Airport and boarded South African Airlines, and headed for Johanesburg.

Brenda's Africa Diary Day One

2010-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

Day I: Off to Zimbabwe.
We left on a Sunny Day, We all met at the Airport in Little Rock. Our friends and families and Arkansas Hospice Workers are there to send us off. We are all very excited. There are nine of us. We managed to get all of our bags to weigh in at 50lbs. We all took 2 bags, one filled with clothes, supplies, and toys for the Seke Hospice in Zimbabwe. There is myself Brenda, the nurse and Reiki Master/Teacher, Tanya the attorney for Women’s rights, Becky the Medical Social Worker, Donna our data entry person, Brad the only male, Minister/accountant, and Diana our fearless leader who is a Hospice Chaplain, Amanda and Lynette ( Certified nursing assistants). Lynette has never flown in an airplane before. Diana has been to Seke’ Hospice before.
We fly from Little Rock to Chicago (O’ Hara), get there and find out that our plane has been cancelled due to mechanical problems. We are blessed but at the time did not know that. We miss our connection to Air South Africa in Washington D.C. The airlines at first say there is nothing they can do, But Diana and Becky work tireless with United and we are re routed to London, Everyone is excited, we will have a 7 hour layover in London and we are flying into Heathrow which is in town. None of the others in the group except for myself have ever been to London. We will catch South African Air there and arrive in Harare Thursday At 12 noon. Two Days of travel, but now we will not need security guards for we will be arriving in the day time instead of at night. Going with the flow, not worried about Reiki classes. Everything is working as it should. Motto, Donald has impounded again to me when I call and inform him our change of plans BE FOCUSED, BE GROUNDED, PAY ATTENTION, PAY ATTENTION. CONNECT TO THE EARTH. My heart sings, I am going to visit the ancestors, the place where man first came into existence.

How to stay motivated and successfully complete your daily goals

2010-06-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Pain Relief and Massage Studio

I saw this and thought that "all" of us, clients and therapists, could use a look at this perspective of making lists and prioritizing what we need to do on a daily basis to refresh our memories and refuel our motivation..

It also re-enforces our "3 thing" rule....When prioritizing your 'to do' list, whether daily, medium or long term...Pick the 'three' MOST important things to make up your list..Complete them one at a time in order..then re-assess your situation and pick/prioritize the next three, and so on...

Donald Piranty
www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com
Brian's books are available on Amazon for around $10.00

An excerpt from Eat That Frog!
by Brian Tracy

The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the "Pareto Principle" after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the "vital few", the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the "trivial many", the bottom 80 percent.

He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.

Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks
Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.

Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the frog that you should eat first.

Focus on Activities, Not Accomplishments
The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.

Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?"

The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.

Motivate Yourself
Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.

Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.

The Strangest Secret

2010-05-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from
The Strangest Secret
by Earl Nightingale

George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."

Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.

Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.

How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.

Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.

We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.

Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.

As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.

The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

REIKI for HIV Sufferers in Zimbabwe! Brenda's Journal

2010-05-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Brenda McDaniel is a Registered Nurse that has been working for Arkansas Hospice for 10 years, she is a Reiki Master/Teacher, Certified Hypnotherapist, Crystal Healer and does Soul Retrievals. She is also part of “The Practical Holistic Living” team at the Pain Relief and Massage Studio.
This is her Journal!

May 1st 2010

Arkansas Hospice, here in Hot Springs, is sending a group of 9 people to visit their sister Hospice in Zimbabwe, Africa on May 25, 2010. It is there, that their founders Veronica and Simplisius are working tirelessly to help the hundreds of men, women and children dying of HIV.

They have little medicine or comfort drugs to help the people through their transition. I was inspired by their sincerity and their passion of service and as I listened to them talk about their Hospice experience without medicines or support systems, I realized just how much I take for granted here in America, they helped to connect me back to what ‘Hospice’ is about, and why I am working there.

It is not just about comfort drugs and medicine, it is about supporting the Body, Mind, and Spirit through transition. I realized there was a practical way I could help them by attuning them to Reiki. Reiki is like therapeutic touch, it is an energy process using ‘Universal Energy’ that helps to relieve pain and relax people.

I discussed this with them and did practice sessions on them. They became very excited about getting their volunteers attuned to the Reiki and being able to attune their patients so that they could relieve their own discomfort and pain.

Due to the political climate there, it is extremely difficult to get material aid to them, so any tool or education that can help empower them and help ease their plight is very gratefully received.

The money for us to go was raised by the people of Arkansas through yard sales, chili dinners, and donations from local business and just regular people that want to help. I feel that all of the people that are making this possible are going with us in spirit.

We can still use donations for things like mosquitoe netting, vaccinations, etc. Call Arkansas Hospice, 501-318-9992 and tell them you would like to donate to the Zimbabwe trip.

Brenda will be journaling her adventures with the group in Zimbabwe, so stay tuned in.

May 18, 2010

Since I last journaled, I have been very busy getting ready for my trip to Zimbabwe. I took 8 vaccinations, 4 in each arm. We had our last garage sale Saturday, The neighbors helped. It was fun sharing stories and drinking coffee together. Selling all and anything for $2, so much stuff was left over that we were ready to give it away. Becky and I went shopping for hiking boots and ended up buying mosquito netting, water purifier, and deet insect repellent. I know when I get back I will have to detox myself from all the insect repellents, vaccinations, malaria pills and more. I have spent a lot of time getting the Reiki material together. This will be interesting since most of my students do not read English and some don’t speak it. Sunday the 9 of us met and went over the trips and the dos and donts in Zimbabwe. We packed nine suitcases full of clothes, including baby clothes, and toys for the children. We did have to leave out some things to keep them under 50lbs. We will not see each other again until Tuesday May 25 at 8AM, the Little Rock Airport. Then off for the great Adventure!!!

Warning!! This Cold Weather can be Dangerous for your Health!!

2010-01-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Warning!! This Cold Weather can be Dangerous for your Health!!

In this very cold weather everything slows down and tightens up, including our bodies, particularly the soft tissue.

We become prone to all sorts of problems due to posture, think of the expression “hunched up against the cold”, moving from warm buildings into freezing outside temperatures means that we are spending a lot of the time holding the muscles contracted and even breathing very shallow. Everything slows down and tightens up.

I like the example of a party balloon, when it is warm and stretched it blows up easily and is hard to rip or tear. If you put it in the freezer for 12 hours it becomes very stiff and tears easily, just like the muscles.

So we need to pay special attention to three things:
Posture – Do not give in to hunching, focus on keeping your chest open with good breathing and make sure you keep your shoulders down and relaxed.

Hydration – When it so cold we tend to avoid drinking water, so de-hydration can be a problem, try to alternate water with hot herbal teas. Remember, smaller amounts more often keep you better hydrated.

Stretching – Now more than ever it is important to do your daily stretching routine and if it has been a particularly cold day, a hot bath and a good stretch will help keep you in balance and you will sleep better too.

Movement = Life ............. No Movement = Stagnation and eventually Death

So, now is the time to care for yourselves, pay special attention to keeping up and even increasing your maintenance schedules and routines. Your body will thank you for it.

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year. Donald
For more info go to www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com

Getting rid of Spider veins.

2009-12-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Strange but True!

Many people are affected by unsightly raised and spider veins especially on their
legs. There are many treatments to help with this condition, results are very variable and most of them are expensive and often painful.

In my practice I treat a lot of people for ankle, knee and hip problems which are mainly caused by imbalance of the core muscles in the pelvis and/or trauma related contraction/spasm/imbalance in the leg itself.

Over the years i have noticed that the high majority of people with this type of long term problem also seem to be suffering from circulatory problems, most commonly large areas of the leg are purple and they have light or heavy raised/damaged veins too.

I observed that the intensity and pronunciation of the discoloration seemed to fade or intensify dependant on the level of imbalance in the leg, could it be that the compression of the soft tissue caused by muscle contraction or spasm was restricting blood flow etc and was actually a major factor in the problem?

Observing many clients over the years, working on them with Myotherapy and Soft Tissue Release, most of them with this problem would see major improvement as the leg and pelvis were rebalanced and gradually the spider veins would completely disappear too.

Donald Piranty

What is Reflexology in Detail

2009-10-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Read on for a more detailed explaination of Reflexology and it History..

REFLEXOLOGY is a form of ancient Chinese medicine involving treatment by massage of reflex areas in the feet. Every part of the feet corresponds to a part of the body with the left foot representing the left side of the body and the right foot, the right side. An imaginary line halfway down the foot corresponds to the waistline, with organs in the upper part of the body having their reflex areas in the upper part of the foot and the organs in the lower part of the body, in the lower part. Thus, the reflexes of the feet are arranged to form a map of the body. In addition to reflexes on the soles of the feet, there are also reflexes on top of the foot and a short distance up the back of the leg. Although Reflexology is an ancient therapy, it was not until the beginning of the century that it became known to the western world.

An American, Dr. William Fitzgerald became interested in the possibility of treating organs through pressure points distant from the actual organs and described how the body could be divided into ten vertical zones- hence the name ‘Zone Therapy’ which reflexology is sometimes termed.

There are five zones on either side of the medial line in the body with each one corresponding to the fingers and toes. Zone 1 extends from the thumb up to the head and then down to the big toe and zone 5 from the little finger up to the head and down to the little toe. Within the zones there is a flow of energy linking various body organs to a reflex area in the foot and in general, whichever zones an organ is found in the body, the reflex area will be found in the same zones in the feet, e.g. the right kidney is found in zones 2 and 3 on the right side of the body and the reflex area is found in zones 2 and 3 in the right foot. The hands are used to give this particular type of massage with the side and end of the thumb being pressed quite deeply into the reflex area. If the area being worked on is out of balance, a sharpness or tenderness will be felt in the foot as pressure is applied and the degree of tenderness will determine how out of balance the particular area is. The treatment should not, however, be agonizing since if the feet are extremely sensitive, a lighter pressure should be applied.

When receiving Reflexology treatment all the areas of the feet will be massaged regardless of the condition, so that the ‘Whole body’ is treated. Areas which appear tender, indicating an imbalance, will receive extra massage and a treatment session will last approximately three quarters of an hour. The treatment can be helpful to a wide range of complaints including migraine, back pain, sinus trouble, heart and circulatory conditions, kidney disorders and menstrual problems. There are certain conditions when treatment should not be given or where extra care is needed and for this reason a trained practitioner should give treatment. It is possible to ‘overwork’ the reflexes.

Following treatment, some reactions may occur as the body strives to remove toxins from the system and the elimination systems may become more active resulting in a form of ‘healing crisis’ such as a cold, passing of more urine or appearance of a skin rash. A feeling of tiredness may be experienced though the reverse can also occur with a feeling of increased vitality. In nearly all cases, the person will feel more relaxed, which is of great benefit in helping the body become more balanced. Reflex areas are also found in the hands and though not quite as responsive ad the feet, the hands can be most useful for self-treatment, being more readily accessible.

Reflexology may appear to be a very simple treatment but the results obtained can be amazing. The Bayly School of Reflexology, the first Reflexology training school to be established in the UK, was founded in 1978 by the late Doreen Bayly. It is the official Teaching Body of the British Reflexology Association.

Psoriasis, what is it, possible treatments!

2009-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is part of a newsletter, i thought you might find interesting about the skin condition, "Psoriasis". If you wish to read the newsletter in full then go to "Advanced Natural Medicine newsletter". http://www.advancednaturalmedicine.com
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For the nearly six million people that suffer from psoriasis, it’s almost as if their skin is on speed. Normally, skin cells go from birth to death in about 28 days. But when you have psoriasis, your skin cells complete the whole process in a mere three to four days—almost nine times faster than usual. As a result, affected areas develop thick, red patches of skin covered with flaky, silvery scales. In severe cases, pus-filled blisters form on the palms of the hand or soles of the feet and the nails may become pitted and discolored. Itching and bleeding are common.

Episodes Triggered By Stress, Trauma, Dry Skin, and Bacterial Infection

Psoriasis episodes can be triggered by stress, trauma, dry skin and bacterial infection. An immune system abnormality likely plays a role. While it isn’t contagious, it does tend to run in families. Psoriasis can come and go—and just when you think you have it under control, there it is again! The longer you’ve had it, the longer it may take to clear up.

Dead Sea Salt Mineral Bath

If you have severe psoriasis, try a Dead Sea salt mineral bath before applying an herbal ointment. High in magnesium, potassium, calcium and iodine, a double-blind controlled study of 23 patients by Israeli researchers found that Dead Sea salts significantly reduced psoriasis symptoms. Simply add one to two cups of Dead Sea salt to warm (not hot) bathwater and soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
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There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about these types of skin conditions and i have found over years of practice that most of them are the result of deep seated, suppressed negative emotions, such as anger, fear, and guilt.

These supressed emotions, which eventually express themselves physically through the largest organ of the body (the skin), can have been put in place through any form of emotional trauma at any time in someones life.

I don't think it is always necessary to find and address these 'root' situations, sometimes if we can clear the body of toxins and blocks through a detox system, this release in itself is enough to do the job.

I have a very successful 'Detox' system which I employ as part of my overall 'maintenance' programme, it is in the form of three stages, firstly an ionic foot bath which ver a period of around 30 mins ionises all the blood in the body removing around 18% of the accumilated toxins, this process then carries on via the bodies natural systems for around 3 days to a week. Secondly, there is a Reflexology treatment which encourages and boosts the bodies internal systems to perform to thier maximum ability thereby enhancing the process. Thirdly we use dead sea bath salts which also lift toxins out of the body. This process can dramatically improve skin condition by stimulating blood circulation and infusing essential minerals throughout the body and skin, relieve joint and muscle aches and pains and reducing stress and tension.

So, i would suggest that if you are struggling with a skin condition you might want to investigate and try all or part of this combination of treatments.

If anyone has had any positive or negative experiences with any other methods, let me know with a post, please.

looking forward to your comments.

All information provided in this website is provided for educational purposes only. Statements contained here are solely for informational purposes and are not intended to be prescriptive Nothing here should be construed as an attempt to diagnose, prescribe, or recommend, in any manner, a treatment for any health ailment or condition. Consult your own physician regarding the treatment of any medical condition. This information is not a replacement for a thorough consultation and examination from a licensed health professional.

What is Reflexology?

2009-09-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

What is REFLEXOLOGY?

Pure Relaxation!
Reflexology is the therapy and art of using the feet or hands as a body map to locate blockages or imbalances in the energy fields (meridians) of the body. Then, working on the appropriate reflexes, freeing the blockage or correcting the imbalance, we thereby encourage the body to heal itself.

It is also one of the most natural of the complementary therapies, involving no medication or drugs. For every part of the body, there is a corresponding reflex zone or area represented on the foot. Gentle pressure is applied to all of these areas, covering the whole of both feet. This stimulates the body's natural energy flow and can help release any blocks along these energy pathways. It also helps to improve the circulation and subsequently the elimination of any waste toxins accumulated within the tissues and cells of the body, and helps bring vital nutrients to these ceils. The free-flow of energy throughout the body is thereby restored to its normal efficiency; this gentle therapy encourages the body to heal itself at its own pace.

What happens when I have a Reflexology treatment?

Your first visit will be slightly longer than subsequent treatments, because it is one of assessment. Your feet will be examined and any sensitive areas noted.
Any discomfort at certain points should not last and is only the result of stress or an imbalance in that part of the body. Areas for future treatment will be identified A general medical history and some details of life-style, diet, etc are also noted.

The feet are also given a general relaxing massage. Reflexology may also be carried out on the hands where conditions prevent the treatment being performed on the feet. Many people have a feeling of well-being and relaxation after a treatment which in itself is of great benefit and reduces stress and tension. The Reflexologist will want to know how you react to each treatment in order to help plan subsequent ones.

What conditions can be treated?

Reflexology has been successful in relieving many acute and chronic conditions, the list is virtually endless - but some examples are back pain and injuries, stress, menstrual problems, sinusitis, M.E., Candida, Arthritis, Psoriasis, Multiple Sclerosis, Migraine and much more.
Reflexology can also be used as a Preventive medicine in that it balances the body and strengthens the immune system thereby creating a much stronger defense against disease and infection.

How many treatments will I need?

A course of treatment will vary according to each individuals needs, how long a particular condition has lasted and how quickly the body is able to' respond.
An average might be 5 sessions of about one hour each, but it does vary. After this, "top up" sessions may occasionally be necessary in order to maintain the sense of well-being.

An increasing number of people are using Reflexology and finding it marks the turning point in their state of health, feeling that their body is more relaxed and balanced.

DONALD PIRANTY
REFLEXOLOGIST, Member BRA

Fruit, Vitamin, Minerals, Water and Cancer.

2009-09-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Consider this and draw your own conclusions!

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Or Not!
Seems this statement has been around for quite a while, I did some research and more people seemed to disagree than agree and could not find any serious comment from any medical sources.

This is what they said:
"It is nice to have a cup of cold drink during a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and maybe even lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water during and after a meal".

I personally try to avoid drinking anything with my food and concentrate far more on taking in smaller pieces and chewing for longer periods to allow the saliva to start the break down process, aiding the actual digestion of the food (especially meat).

The idea that drinking anything with your food, "helps it go down", is silly, not only does it dilute the digestive enzymes in our mouths but also ,encourages us to swallow larger chunks of food faster creating a digestive overload.
It is easy to imagine how hard the body will be working to process the backlog, just like a overloaded conveyorbelt the pressure from behind forces the food through the system, not given time to break down and extract the goodness and nutrients and creating a virtual traffic jam in the intestines..when there is not a clean, clear, healthy, natural flow through the intestine, debris begins to accumulate creating blockages and stoppages. One does not have to be a medical expert to imagine what happens when these half digested waste products begin to accumilate and rot in the intestines...

All sensible comments gratefully recieved on this subject.
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I think I might have sourced the root of the following statements or at least the same sort of thinking. Have a read and then if you want to look further, go to:
http://archives.chennaionline.com/food/healthandnutrition/miracle.asp

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.....

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat it during a meal my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher.. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Has anyone experienced "weight loss" from eating fruit??

for more related natural products and information:
www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com

Accident and injury Trauma, British Sports Therapy

2009-09-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

British Sports Therapy, Soft Tissue Release

Soft Tissue Release (STR) is once again the leading ‘cutting edge’ approach to acute and repetitive strain injuries, and more importantly, for chronic pain syndromes.
Soft Tissue Release Training pioneered by Stuart Taws in the early 90’s was the most effective and powerful answer to sports injuries. Until the ’96 Olympics these techniques were used by Stuart on the fastest sprinters in the world.

This new ‘technology’ of pain relief is faster, easier and relatively painless because it involves the higher centers of self-healing, it is also mostly permanent. Now, anyone using STR releases for sports injuries and Carpal Tunnel problems should gain immediate pain relief in one or two treatments.

Relief From Back and Neck Pain in 30 Minutes

Sound too good to be true? Not, with Soft Tissue Release!
Chronic Pain conditions such as Whiplash injuries and neck pain, shoulder and rhomboid problems, including Thoracic Outlet. Even Fibromyalgia, are the ‘final frontier’ and these results have been obtained routinely in a clinical setting.

What Your Surgeon Will Not Tell You:
There are no long-term benefits to back surgery.
Herniated discs resolve by themselves.
Adults with no pain have degenerating disc conditions even by the age of 20.
Degenerating or bulging discs are not responsible for nearly all low back pain.
About 97% of low back pain is caused by soft tissue problems.
There is no value to surgery for so called "spinal instability."

"In spite of the increasing surgical rates, there has been no evidence of a corresponding decrease in the rates of disability due to low back problems. Relatively high rates of imaging studies, referrals and surgery within the health care system indicates premature or otherwise inappropriate use of these interventions." (Cherkin, 1996)

Click here for more info on Accident,Injury and Trauma Therapies.

Reflexology Treatment

2009-09-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

By Jeannie Nugent
It’s all in your feet!

I've found the secret to a balanced life. It's all in your feet. Forget therapy, reflexology is where it's at. And I'm hooked.
I've always been a contradiction in terms — extremely practical, but also decidedly spiritual. Whenever something challenges my logical mind, I have to conduct an internal fight to suspend my belief. Letting go, it seems, is hard to do. I'm turning 40 on Friday and this milestone has brought a certain, delightful degree of freedom to my life. I'm eager to try new things, to voraciously gobble up the adventures that are there for the taking. The hang-ups, the "Stepford Wife," this-is-how-the- world-expects-you-to-act-therefore-you-are-a-slave-to-it way of living my life thus far is slowly dissipating through the window.

So whenever my best friend announced that she was treating me to a reflexology session at her friend Donald Piranty’s Hot Springs studio this weekend, I shrugged my shoulders, put a big smile on my face and said "Sure!" Usually, I research things to death before I experience them. I decided this time, I would fly blind. No expectations, no preconceived notions, just experience.

As the lights were turned low in the therapy room, the first self-realization I came to was “Wow! I’m high strung!” Relaxing was next to impossible. I was ever so conscious of every move Donald attempted to make. Then came self-realization number two: “Wow! I’m annoyingly accommodating.” I was trying to anticipate his next maneuver to “help” him out. I realized at that moment how obliging I am in my every-day life. It’s next to impossible for me to accept help, to delegate, to just let things happen. Inconveniencing someone is a cardinal sin to me.

As Donald tried to loosen my rigor-mortise-afflicted feet he firmly repeated the phrase “Let go.” I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to do. Was I supposed to twist my feet in another direction? Jump off the table? What? Then it hit me. He wasn’t talking about my feet, but my spirit. Let go — of my hangups, my fears, my life. Let it go. Then, almost like a revelation from out of nowhere, self- realization number three opened up: “Wow! I’ve been viewing my fellow human beings as the enemy.”

In my high-profile job, I’m often a personal target for everything from someone’s paper getting thrown in the flower bed to an elected official’s reaction to an editorial. I realized at that moment that I was hunkering down behind a protective shield against “them.” This career that I’ve wanted since I was 5 had somehow turned into a battle ground. It was me against “them.”
Where had my love and compassion for people gone? Where were the life stories that I loved telling so much? How had I gotten to the point where emotions, principles, and my reason for accepting this journalistic calling were so skewered? Somehow, with my extremely thin skin and heavy workload, I had let “them” become someone to be feared, someone who would surely hurt me, and someone who would take even more time away from “the rest of my life.”

I had to find balance. And at the wrap up, Donald told me as much as well. He began by saying “You’ve been in this job for a long time, haven’t you?” Internally, I instantly began fighting back because I knew that he was going to tell me I had to take a break from it all. But as if he heard my mind’s mumblings, Donald put the world straight again. Giving up a career that I love and that has brought me great fulfillment was not the answer.

Letting go. Getting back to the basics. Finding the beauty again in the humanity that surrounds me. Righting my topsy-turvy priorities. Those were the answers. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “home” was inside me all along. I just needed someone to take my feet in their hands to show me.

To learn more about Reflexology, go to http://www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com/

Thoughts about Obesity and being Overweight!

2009-09-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

More than half of adults in the US are overweight, and nearly one-quarter of them are obese. Excess weight may lead to many health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arthritis, and the insulin related problems of obesity, besides the fact that you can’t get into the clothes and swimwear you would like to as the summer approaches.

Perhaps the answer lies in understanding why we are overweight in the first place. There are no ‘quick fixes’ when it comes to the human body which will always manifest and reflect the level of abuse it takes.

We only have to look at the animal kingdom to see examples of this.

Animals which have to hunt for food, sometimes for days (lots of exercise) generally get by with very small meals, (the body processes every bit of the food, no waste), until they are lucky enough to make a kill (high protein food) and then they spend time lying about allowing thier bodies to digest the food properly and then sleeping and pampering themselves (maintenance)
These animals tend to be lean, fast and fit.

On the opposite side of the scale come those that have an ongoing source of food (easily available, therefore little or no exercise) eat all day and maybe even through the night (very large meals giving the body no time to efficiently process the food) some of them even sleep while they are eating so they have no time to look after themselves properly (no maintenance)
These tend to be very, very large and slow creatures who have much shorter life spans with histories of heart conditions, arthritis and circulatory problems.

So maybe, we could conclude that to be consistently healthy, happy and at a good weight, (I always prefer to judge by inches rather than weight), daily exercise, sensible diet, good sleep habits and general maintenance play an essential role.

I have found that even though my programme do not specifically focus on weight loss...it seems to be an inevitable positive side effect.

See my back pain report and links to natural products on www.painreliefandmassagestudio.com

If you have had any negative or positive experiences with companies or products to do with weight loss, let me know.