Integration for stress and well being
To attempt to scientifically evaluate an abstract concept such as reflexology is very difficult. To evaluate the effects of that treatment of reflexology may be much easier. As in many other forms of natural healing, reflexology works by encouraging the body’s natural life force energies to flow and balance. Reflexologists believe that a balance of mind- body-spirit is fundamental to well-being. A relationship between specific parts of the feet and organs and systems of the body is being established. Trained, sensitive hands can detect tiny irregularities along lines of energy flow in reflex areas in the feet. Reflexology may encourage an energy discharge at areas of stress or imbalance. Reflexology can prove to be profoundly relaxing; the client will often enter a state of deep relaxation. The effect is that the body is encouraged to return to homeostasis, its innate rhythmic level of function peculiar to each individual. Stress therefore, may be described as the experience of living and working in conflict with our own generic blueprint. Healing has been concerned with this concept for many years.Our unique vibration
Perhaps some people may better recognise the importance of their personal identity - our very own generic blueprint, some people may be more in touch with their true nature than others, they may better recognise and acknowledge its unique flavour and purpose and live closer in harmony with it. Some people however may forget, perhaps it sometimes just becomes difficult to remember their true nature; just exactly who they really are. Unwanted stress seems to at the root of many illnesses and disease in our modern lifestyle, we experience the symptoms in a range of ways, for example, the stress may manifest as simple indigestion or more seriously as mental health problems. Sometimes a major life experience or trauma may touch us so deeply that we suddenly must face our own vulnerability and subsequently become completely detached and we may need to learn how to integrate the trauma before we can start to recover.So if indeed unwanted stress is at the root of illness in today’s lifestyle, perhaps in an ideal world we would need to pay more attention to the cause as well as the effect. Complementary therapies may be very useful to ground and to encourage a return to our real selves even if it’s only just for a short but potentially valuable time. Reflexology is a holistic treatment, in that it does not focus on the treatment of specific medical symptoms but on the restorative effects of improving the overall equilibrium within the client - a delicate and complex synthesis of spiritual, emotional and physical aspects. It is, to this unique personal identity, or lets call it ‘wellness’, that reflexology is applied.
Simplicity
In my opinion, reflexology and other complementary therapies are better applied simply, the simpler, the better. Imagine the concept of stress held on a cellular level within the mind- body relationship. Each cell should normally vibrate at its own unique level but stress can affect this and can cause it to vibrate at different levels. Years of experience and work with trauma and bereavement care have allowed me to identify that loss and trauma may be held and nurtured in significant areas within the body. As we well know, these areas of retention may manifest symptoms of stress peculiar to that area. A bereavement may be ingrained in mind and spirit and very painfully, very much so within the body itself. So it would follow that a truly holistic approach, a balance of mind, body and spirit, would seem to be ideally appropriate when problems appear in bereavement.Obviously with such deep seated and painful trauma, integrated, skilled and experienced hands would be required, but simplistically, when the client presents ready to heal, the simplest intervention would be a holistic integrated approach to enable a rebalance so that grief can be faced and borne. The task may be to allow that trapped emotional energy its natural grieving passage; to symbolically identify its route through to the outside and eventually to facilitate a method to express and make sense of the loss and trauma. More easily said than done; but if the client is ready, any process of grief and expression would need a compassionate, nurtured seed from which to grow and flourish. It is essentially a philosophy of trust in our own nature, a reinvestment into our true nature, an understanding that after such major trauma, that it may indeed eventually be possible to heal. So in this instance, natural therapies could be useful when properly integrated with counselling and other mind and psychochemical therapies. People are so intricate and diverse that ideally an integrated managed treatment plan could prove to be complementary and effective in stress management. What works for one client may not work at all for another.
Complementary therapies may prove to be supportive in high-level stress. Our lifestyles now tend to be more insular; the support once offered by the extended family is no longer available to many. The positive supportive effect of therapeutic touch begins now to be recognised and integrated body therapies such as aromatherapy massage may be very useful and supportive in this application. An hour of relaxation with an experienced therapist may prove to be very useful indeed.
The Effect
The general effect of reflexology varies, as it will affect the individual in its own peculiar way. Some people will experience a dramatic reaction to the treatment; for some the effect will be slower to establish; for others there may be no visible effect at all. Reflexology may be applied as a short course of treatments with regular ‘top ups’ and it is often possible to ‘measure’ its potential after one or two treatments. Reflexology may be profoundly relaxing. Some clients will enter a profound state of relaxation and it is, at this level I have found, that the healing seems to originate. Following a session the client may be allowed to remain in this semi-conscious condition for some time as they process the results of the treatment. The client may experience a feeling of well-being and invigoration, which may last for some days. Some may experience a healing reaction which may temporarily worsen their symptoms as they begin to deal with presenting issues.The Balance
As with everything on our planet a balance will eventually be made, hopefully in the future complementary medicine will work alongside allopathic medicine with each modality recognising and acknowledging its own limitations and strengths. Hopefully within the next few years complementary therapies will be better represented in progressive primary care centres and specific centres of excellence, not just as a compromise, but as part of a truly holistic planned approach to health and well being. Complementary therapies have a valuable part to play, not only in intervention but as a very useful therapy for ‘wellness’, this may actually also prove to be a financially efficient, viable proposition as the NHS would stand to use less medication and resources. The tide at last seems to be starting to turn, perhaps one day soon we shall hopefully find the right and proper balance.(published with permission in writing from:http://www.rwdreflexology.co.uk)
Tips to get more fiber in your diet
Recent studies found that a healthy diet containing enough fiber can reduce the risk for developing cancer with 40%. So what is fiber? What are the best sources of fiber? Basically, the term fiber refers to carbohydrates that can’t be digested. Fiber is found mostly in vegetable foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains. What are its health benefits of fiber? Experts believe that approximately 30 percent of all cancers in the west are related to our eating habits. A high-fiber diet can help people who have troubles with their stool, enough fiber enhances the digestion process. Some tips to boost the fiber in your diet:- Eat whole-grain foods
Try to eat whole-grain foods as much as possible instead of other less fiber-rich grain foods. Look for whole-grain bread etc. in the supermarket instead of white bread. - Eat fresh fruits
Everybody knows that Fruits are healthy, most fruits contain high level of fiber, so try to eat at least 5 pieces of fruit a day (apple, banana, grapes…). Fruit juice contains not that much fiber, only juice with lots of pulp contains enough fiber, so try to eat fruits instead of just drinking the juice. - Serve vegetables with each diner
Vegetables are a good source of fiber, try to eat more then one kind of vegetables a day. You can try a combination of vegetables in one meal or a combination of lots of vegetables in a wok meal. - Dried fruits and nuts
If you want some fiber, GO NUTS ! Nuts and dried fruits contain a lot of fiber. Nuts also contain a lot of proteins and are high in calories, so watch that when you’re on a diet. - Eat soup
Soups rich in vegetables are a good source of your daily fiber intake. - Vegetables dips and sauces
self-made vegetable dips and sauces contain more fiber then ready-made alternatives, try to make some time to make them yourself, you’ll notice they are tastier and healthier.
What is functional exercise?
Weight training or resistance training can be divided into two interrelated categories: bodybuilding and functional exercise. Most gym users are familiar with traditional bodybuilding exercises such as the bench press. This type of training is based onisolating individual muscles or groups of muscles. Exercises are performed in such a way that allows the maximum load to be placed on the target muscle(s). For example the bench press targets the muscles of the chest (pectorals) as well as the shoulders (deltoids) and the arms (triceps). As shown in the picture this exercise is performed lying down with your body supported by the bench. This brings us the key difference between isolated exercise and functional exercise.
Functional exercise involves independent stability with little or no external support. In the bench press the bench itself provides external support. The targets muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) work at a high intensity however the rest of the body isn’t doing any meaningful work because of the bench. The functional equivalent is to perform the same movement on a fit ball. Here you have to balance and stabilise your body on the ball as well as work against the resistance of the weight. Much of this stability comes from the core muscles of the body (stomach, waist, and lower back). The legs are also working. So many more muscles are worked during functional exercise.
Another aspect of functional exercise is that it is movement based. Instead of targeting specific muscles the principle is to be concerned with bodily movements such as pushing, pulling and twisting. These movements work multiple muscle groups as described in the fit ball chest press example.
Benefits of functional exercises:
- It is more relevant to how you use your body in everyday life
- You work your muscles in the way that they are designed to be used
- Sporting performance can be improved more effectively than through isolated exercise
- Speed up your metabolism and control your weight
- It can improve your balance and co-ordination – functional strength.
Summary
See an exercise professional or personal trainer for more information on functional exercises and how to perform them correctly. In addition, earlier releases of this newsletter have described functional exercises and more will be featured in later issues. You can read previous newsletters on the Newsletter Archive section of the Healthier Lifestyles website.(published with permission in writing from:http://www.healthierlifestyles.co.uk)
