Complemtary Approaches to Health

A convenient link-list to 10 complementary approaches to health.  Learn more about them - one might be just right for you:

Reiki
Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Medicine 
Homeopathy
Chiropractic
Massage Therapy
Osteopathy
Therapeutic Touch
Reflexology
Sound Therapy (Traditional) or Sound Therapy (High Tech)

Strong with Weak

                         Weakness in the face of confrontation

Lao Tzu, author of the Tao Teh Ching, told us in Chapter 76 that "Generally, things that are weak have potential. Things that are strong have reached their maturation and no more growth potential. Therefore, things that are weak have potential, and room for more. Things that are strong expose everything. They showed all the negatives. Things that are weak will last longer. Things that are strong only last for a short time."

Tai Chi created by Taoist Zhang San Feng, is based on this philosophy, guided by the concepts of relaxation, soft, circular and even.  Tai Chi does not use physical power - all emphasis is on your intent.  When confronted by an opponent, you remain soft, relaxed and tranquil.  You learn to apply the concept of weak overcoming strong.

I've studied Tai Chi now for nine years, and I'll be the first to admit this is a very difficult philosophy to execute.  It's our natural reaction to respond to hard with harder, strong with stronger.   But there is significant value in weakness.  If you don't resist your opponent, they have nothing to grab on to, nothing to fight you with.  For them it's like pushing on a wet noodle, the harder they push the more you bend out of the way.

We're all familiar with this philosophy, though it's more commonly expressed as "It takes two to tango."

So, the next time someone tries to involve you in a confrontation, win with weakness.

"Nature rarely speaks.
A whirlwind doesn't even last a whole morning.
A rainstorm starts and ends in a single day.

Such things are made by heaven and earth.
If heaven and earth can't make a storm last,
how can you?"     

                                                                      Lao Tzu            

The Simple Life

"The simple life is simply not enough.

We have appearances we must keep up."   

 lyrics from "Poor Boy"by Supertramp

 This weeks GBE2 prompt is "Simplicity". 

When we get nostalgic we like to think about the past, about those simpler times when the world moved a little slower,  things were a little less complicated.  And we tend to get nostalgic when we feel like we have no choice but to go roaring along at full speed.    Humans weren't built for speed - at least not the kind of speed we need these days.  Our muscles are designed for old fashioned physical speed.  They get stronger and faster with repetitive use, pushing them to their limits only enhances their performance.  But physical speed is not what we need in modern times.  We need psychological speed - to multi-task and prioritize and time-manage our lives.  But our neurological circuits are not designed for this type of speed.  Instead of getting stronger with repetitive use they wear out, slow down and eventually overload.

It may seem an impossible task to simplify our lives - so many things feel like they're outside of our control.  But we can make changes.  Teeny changes that don't take much effort but can add up like compound interest to make a simpler life, a simpler day, or even just a simpler hour or two.   For me, silence is simplicity.  I don't have a lot of control over the sounds in my life, but I can control the sounds  in my car.  So I drive in silence.  It's not much, just 20 minutes to work each day and 20 minutes home again.  But it's 40 minutes of simplicity I wouldn't find any other way.

What small thing can you do to put a little simplicity back in your life?

Go back Jack do it again

.....wheels turning round and round

you go back Jack and do it again       

                                                                                                    Lyrics by Steely Dan

This weeks GBE2 prompt is "do over".  My do-over list is some of the things I  really enjoyed the first time round that I'd like to do again, exactly the same way. 

In no particular order:

• all my travel experiences including :  Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Banff, DC, Boston, NYC, Florida, Cuba, Italy, France and England
• my wedding day
• my kids' first day of school
• the day I met my husband
• my first Reiki attunement
• my parent's 25th wedding anniversary
• my first motorcycle ride
• having my writing accepted for publication
• learning to ski

What about you?  What would you like to do again without making any changes to the original experience?

A Book Review for GBE2

Some of you may know that after a 20 year break I started riding a motorcycle again 3 years ago.  Last summer I got a new bike (picture here) and have really enjoyed being back on the road.   For Christmas my hubby gave me a book about woman and motorcycles written by a local author and motorcycle instructor Liz Jansen.

The book, Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment  is a collection of 50 stories of women and their motorcycling experiences interspersed with Liz's personal story of how she transitioned from a corporate career to running a motorcycle touring business.   The overall theme of the book is finding yourself through change and challenge.

As I started the book I found myself thinking that, other than riding a motorcycle, I really didn't have that much in common with these women.  But I kept reading.  I personally know a couple of the featured woman and was looking forward to their stories.   The more stories I read, the more I thought.  And the more I thought the more I realized that I too had overcome several barriers to be out there riding on the road.  Some of these barriers were self-imposed, others had been imposed upon me.  I felt my perceptions continue to shift as I read through chapters like "Dealing with the Unexpected", "Connecting with Spirit" and "Leading with your Heart".  

Eventually I realized the insight Liz and these ladies were sharing wasn't limited to motorcycling.  It could be applied to any type of challenge.   The timing of this book in my life was impeccable.  Some rather unwanted change was occurring and I needed to work through it.   The thoughts, ideas and inspiration I found in those pages really made a difference in how I reacted to that change.  Releasing my resistance and embracing a new direction has resulted in a more grounded, more expansive and more inclusive experience than could ever have been possible before.

I will admit this book is not going to win any literary awards .  But what it lacks in scholarly finesse it more than makes up for with spirit and intuition.

I'd like to share a passage from the book I found particularly inspiring:

"We are riding our own rides.  We've developed and honed our instinctual skills, connected with our wild nature and now embrace it.  We love who we are and embody empowerment and joyful and full living in all aspects of our life.  We are change agents and leaders, often in subtle, unplanned ways and without even being aware of it.  We're closer than ever to who we are.  We know our power is there and how to use it appropriately.  All we have to do is call on it."

No Judgment Day Here...

My numero uno pet peeve is people who judge relentlessly.

There are so many different ways to express our spirit.  

Live and let live!

Whistle while you work...

I have a good job.  As a long term employee for a large stable employer,  I enjoy good wages, good benefits and good working conditions.  I like my colleagues both personally and professionally.  While there are some tasks I enjoy less than others, generally, I like what I do.  As good as all this sounds (and is), it's still work.  

It's my part time role as a registered Reiki practitioner that makes my workday worthwhile.   The opportunity to help people heal is a privilege.  Nothing is more rewarding than being allowed to assist a client in his/her unique healing journey.   I am humbled to be invited along to lend aid and observe their experiences. 

To all of my Reiki clients - both past and future - thank you!

"What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do.  When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful and the work we do feels like play to us."  

Julia Cameron

 "Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results."

James Allen

Curiouser and Curiouser

We've long known the human body can heal itself.

“Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.” – Hippocrates

Being the curious species we are, we didn't leave things there.  We poked and prodded for thousands of years and came up with some really cool stuff - we call it modern medicine.  And it is amazing!  We will continue to poke around and learn more neat stuff, because that's who we are and what we do.  And it will be amazing!

As we delve deeper and deeper into the tiny organisms that collectively make a human body, as doctors become more specialized in their knowledge because there's just so darn much stuff to know, what happens to the whole?  The whole person? The whole spirit?  Anyone who's had a serious run-in with our medical system knows what happens.... it gets ignored.   You lose your identity.  Your illness or injury represents you. 

"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself.  When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world. " Eckhart Tolle

There are many ways to regain your inner stillness, to regain your "wholeness" when the medical community is treating you like a collection of broken parts.    Reiki is one of the best ways I know.   Reiki taps into the natural healing forces inherent in each physical body.  It helps you tap into that inner stillness.  This healing force knows what to do, and like Hippocrates said - we just have to help it in its work.

To Tell the Truth

Scientist and shaman use a different language to tell the same story.  Both are truth spoken from a different perspective.

Current popular ideas in theoretical physics are attempting to explain the energy in the universe.  String theory tells us that unimaginably tiny vibrating strings of energy (in nine different dimensions!) are the building blocks for every particle of matter.  Another theory tells us we live not in a uni-verse but a multi-verse, an unimaginably giant place that has an infinite and ever growing number of universes contained within it.  The scientists tell us the mathematics behind these two theories support each other.  Trouble is, they don't currently have a way to test and prove these theories.  Until they do, their ideas can't be considered hard science.  But that doesn't stop those scientists from continuing their research.  They toil away, hoping that in a hundred years or so we'll have a method to prove their theories right.

We need the same kind of determined patience in the field of the healing energy arts.  While a limited amount of science has been applied to measure healing outcomes (e.g. reduced blood pressure) we have no objective way of proving the theory behind the healing.   To tell the truth, I really don't know why Reiki and Shamballa work.  What I have received as explanation are the centuries-old stories passed from master to student.  But from experience I do know it works, and I will keep using it to heal people while I wait for the scientists to figure things out.  In the meantime, I have the language of the Shaman.

Pass the Buck(et)

I'm not against lists - they're handy at the grocery store and I rely on them when Christmas shopping - but a bucket list just isn't my style.  The idea of a list of things to do before I die makes me feel inadequate somehow, like I've missed important chunks of my life that I need to jot down so I don't forget them again.   No, a bucket list is not for me.

What's wrong with being content anyway?  Content to walk barefoot in the grass in summer.  Content to feel the sun on your face in winter.  Content to go to for a walk in the woods.  To work hard.  To fall into a soft bed at the end of the day. 

I don't need a list to remind me to hug my family, pet my cat, or share a meal with friends.   No, a bucket list is not for me.

He who is contented is rich.

Lao Tzu

Taking Ownership

Ownership usually begins with a financial transaction, but not always.  You can, for example, decide to take ownership over your own health.   While the idea of owning your state of health is free, following through once you've made the decision certainly isn't.  But that's okay, because you're prepared to spend a bit of money on yourself.  
 
Let's say you're feeling stressed out and have $40 to put towards helping you feel better.   Let's compare some of the ways you might spend that money:

A big basket of junk food

 

One very nice bottle of wine.  (Or four cheap ones if you're really stressed).

 

A few bottles of pain relievers.

While none of the above are effective long term solutions, they are, unfortunately, the most popular self-medication choices.  Going to a spa for pampering and relaxation is a much better choice, but all $40 will get you is .....

half of a European facial

So what can you get for $40 that is safe, effective and healthy? 

One relaxing, rejuvenating and blissful hour of Reiki! 

GBE2: Judgement

Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don't fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgement, repeated every day.

Jim Rohn

Property may be destroyed and money may lose its purchasing power; but, character, health, knowledge and good judgement will always be in demand under all conditions.
Roger Babson

Good judgement comes from experience. Sometimes, experience comes from bad judgement.
Christian Slater

The only justice is to follow the sincere intuition of the soul, angry or gentle. Anger is just, and pity is just, but judgement is never just.
David Herbert Lawrence

There are thus great swathes of the past where understanding is more important and reputable than judgement, because the principal actors performed in line with the ideas and values of that time, not of ours.
Douglas Hurd

Trust your body, trust yourself

Energy healing vs faith healing: What's the difference?

First, what do we mean by healing?  Healing isn't always about being cured. Healing refers to a revitalizing and regenerative process that can occur on the emotional, spiritual, or physical level.

According to the merriam-webster online dictionary faith is defined as "A firm belief in something for which there is no proof."

There is plenty of proof that energy healing modalities affect the body. Some of the proof is considered scientific evidence as it has been gathered and analyzed using the traditional western scientific method.  Some of the proof is anecdotal, gathered by non-scientists and scientists alike, and reported in their business magazines and published books.

The same dictionary source defines trust as "Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something."   What is more assured than our bodies ability to heal themselves?  We routinely knit together broken bones,  regenerate new skin and rewire our neural pathways.

Energy healing is about trusting your body to do what it was designed to do.  No faith required.

Irreplaceable Instinct

"All the learning in the world cannot replace instinct."  Robert Ley 

Info & Ideas

My favourite thing is to help people.  More specifically, to help people help themselves.  I love to share information and ideas, especially those that fall outside of what is considered to be mainstream.  There is so much valuable information and so many great ideas that never seem to make it into the public consciousness.  No effort is required to learn what the mainstream media  wants us to know, we're bombarded with those images and messages constantly.  But if you want to learn what we're not being told,  you really need to look.

That's what physician and technologist Craig Feied did.  He took on a massive data collection project in US hospitals and analyzed the findings.  According to Levitt & Dubner, authors of Superfreakonomics,  here's what he learned:

"...more people with non fatal problems are taking more medication and having more procedures, many of which are not really helpful, a few of which are harmful, while the people with really fatal illness are rarely cured and ultimately die anyway."

Mr. Feied also analyzed the statistics at hospitals in the US, Israel and Columbia.  What he found is astonishing:  When doctors were on strike, or if large numbers of doctors were absent (say to attend a conference) there was a 18% - 50% drop in mortality.  This means that fewer people die when there are less doctors around!

I'm sharing this information with you, along with the idea that perhaps it's time complementary healing modalities like Reiki, acupuncture, reflexology, homeopathy and osteopathy moved into the mainstream.   Not to replace critical medical care, but to provide non-invasive relief to the vast numbers of people with non-urgent ailments.

Why should I....

 try Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a simple yet profound series of movements performed with calm intent.   With practice Tai Chi improves your physical stamina, balance, flexibility, energy level, strength, body awareness and overall health.  Perhaps more interestingly, it also provides stress relief, improves mood, creativity, inner harmony and life balance.   

Your Tai Chi practice can be customized to suit your physical condition, lifestyle and level of interest. 

And it's reasonably priced!  A sincere Tai Chi teacher ensures his/her classes are affordable as Chi is universal energy that is always present and free to us all.

Let me count the ways

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world

Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world

Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money

It’s a rich man’s world


Lyrics from "Money, Money, Money"
by ABBA