The Science And Art Of Natural Healing

Have you ever considered aromatherapy for your health and well-being? Well before you go into it, lets take a look at what it is and what it is not.

First off, aromatherapy is considered a science and art of healing and maintaining the subtle energy balance of the human body. This art has been in practice for many centuries.

They date as far back as the ancient Egyptians to the classical Greeks. Though technically they are not recognized by the medical establishment as a hard-core science, their healing track-records are proven. They range from alleviating headaches to curing certain diseases.

If course as with all things, not all aromatherapy are created equal. The effectiveness and efficacy of this ancient art really depends on the skill of the user and the quality of the oils used. It must be said that aromatherapy is not a cure-all. What it does is that the aromatherapy oils help the body to heal itself.

Huh? I know you might be a little confused here. Let me explain. Unlike medical science, where administer drugs will cause certain effects in the body, aromatherapy oils actually have an indirect effect on the human body.

It stimulates certain natural functions of your body which knows how to heal and repair itself. The efficiency of the aromatherapy oils depends a lot of how well the blood-stream circulates in the body. The faster and smoother it circulates, the greater the effect it can have.

Certain oils like the lavender can be soothing and helps the body to unwind while other types can aid in other bodily problems like indigestion or insomnia. If you wish to fully benefit from the many wonders of aromatherapy, than you should seek out a quality store that stocks good essential oils.

Aromatherapy oils are basically taken from the extracts of trees and plants. Ancient tribes knew the benefits of these plants as they experimented and cataloged its uses and properties. These oils were then passed down orally or written in texts to let the next generation know of it.

Alternatively, you can also visit an aromatherapy therapist. What the therapist will do is do a basic diagnosis of your health issues. Than he or she will select certain essential oils that will have the best effects for your custom needs.

Remember certain oils may not be suitable for some people, so take care to only approach qualified aromatherapy therapists for advice. I hope the above article has given you a clearer picture of what aromatherapy is and clear up any common misconceptions of it.

The general rule of thumb is: Look for professionals who know what they are doing. Stick with this advice and you will be fire. Now go and bathe yourself in that nice aromatherapy bath!

Tags: Aromatherapy, Healing

Physiotherapy for the Shoulder

The shoulder, or more strictly the glenohumeral joint, is a major and important joint in the upper limb, responsible mostly for placing the hand in front of the body where the eyes can see it as it performs tasks. To allow this ability the shoulder has a very large range of movement, moderate strength and limited stability. This makes the shoulder a “soft tissue joint”, where the stability and satisfactory function depend on the function of the soft tissues, the ligaments, tendons and muscles. For physiotherapists the shoulder is an important joint, with much treatment and pre- and post-operative rehab required.

The humeral head and the glenoid of the scapula make up the glenohumeral joint, with the glenoid being small and flat and the humeral ball being large and partly spherical. The main ligaments and shoulder tendons insert on the humeral head, giving the movement and support the joint requires. The socket is made deeper by the glenoid labrum, a rim made of cartilage, which aids joint stability. Above the shoulder lies a joint between the outer end of the clavicle and the acromion, part of the scapula. This is a stability joint for arm movement and called the acromio-clavicular joint.

A great many muscles act on the shoulder joint and on the other joints in the shoulder girdle, the acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular and scapulothoracic joints. The glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joints are acted upon by the major stabilisers and movers in the area, varying from power muscles which allow forceful work to stability muscles such as serratus anterior and the rotator cuff to smaller movement muscles such as deltoid. The muscles must keep the relationship between the shoulder blade and the thorax and ribcage steady and under control for the glenohumeral joint to also enjoy stability and precise movement.

The shoulder muscle tendons become flatter and thinner as they approach and then insert themselves onto the head of the humerus. By this way the rotator cuff, a group of four muscles including the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis, is able to exert its forces on the humeral head. The tendons coalesce as they surround and insert onto the ball of the humerus, forming a cuff around the ball, centering the ball on the socket to counter the tendency to slide upwards under muscle activity. Keeping the ball centred on the socket means the larger and more powerful muscles can perform functional shoulder and arm movements.

The rotator cuff degenerates with age, small tears appearing across its substance which can progress to massive tears, completely interfering with muscular function of the shoulder. Rotator cuff tears are often painful but it is not clear exactly why, as many older people have tears and do not have pain. Physiotherapists work to strengthen the rotator cuff or by exercising the main shoulder muscles without gravity resistance and gradually increasing the effort. Physios also work on rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery for rotator cuff tears, following the detailed protocols for small, medium, large or massive rotator cuff tears.

Osteoarthritis (OA) more commonly affects the hips and the knees, however the shoulder can be severely affected in which cases physiotherapy can help with advice, mobilisation of the joints and work on strength and joint motion. Once physiotherapy treatment has been tried then total shoulder replacement is the only remaining treatment option, surgical replacement occurring of the head of the arm bone and the socket of the shoulder blade. As the shoulder is referred to as a “soft-tissue joint” it is the balance and strength of the tendons, muscles and ligaments that determines a good outcome for the replacement. Physiotherapists closely follow the surgical protocols to get the optimal results.

Physiotherapists treat many other types of shoulder problems such as impingement, tendinitis, hypermobility, abnormal muscle patterning, fractures and dislocations. Impingement is treated by strengthening the rotator cuff or by subacromial injection or acromioplasty operation, where the end of the acromion can be excised. Tendinitis is treated by direct treatment of the tendon and graded strengthening and hypermobility by stability work and accepting the limitations dictated by the condition. Abnormal muscle patterning is managed by teaching normal patterns functionally and fractures and dislocations by the protocols laid down by the surgeons and trauma physiotherapists.

Tags: Alternative Medicine, pain, physiotherapy, shoulder

Amazing Secrets Of Chakra Therapy

The chakras (the word literally means energy wheels) are lined up along the center line, or meridian, of a person’s body according to ancient Vedic thought.

Certain mystical practitioners even believe the number of these wheels to be fourteen.

These begin at the lowest base of the body (thought of as either the base of the spine or the genitals) and extending in their order to a person’s crown (tippy top of the head).

The base chakra is red. As we go up, the solar plexus has a golden chakra; the belly or womb chakra is orange in hue. The heart has a green chakra, the throat blue and the center of the forehead is indigo. This acts like the third eye. At the crown, the chakra is violet that turns whiter towards its circumference away from the head.

In addition to being associated with colors (wavelengths of light), the chakras are numbered in order one through seven, with the base chakra being number one.

Chakra one controls sexual health, physical strength and vitality

The second chakra is responsible for all of our creative powers.

Chakra three is responsible for our will power and desires.

The fourth chakra is responsible for our emotions and helps us to both give and receive love.

The fifth chakra is responsible for communicating and is the link between what we feel and what we think.

The sixth chakra is responsible for our intuition and extra sensory powers, which is why we call it the sixth sense.

The final chakra, number seven located at the crown of the head is what is responsible for our astral voyages.

When people feel they are connecting directly with God, they are focusing the energies of their seventh, purple-white, crown chakra.

The principle behind these chakras or wheels is that in a clean and healthy mind, these wheels will spin freely. And a spinning wheel will emit the most positive and strongest good energies for the person. However, if these wheels cannot spin due to some blockage, the person will experience sickness problems, both mentally and physically amid his or her chakras.

It is also important that each chakra is equal in its development to the others. If one of these is over-developed then an addiction, neuroses or OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) may result.

There is constant worry that these chakras will become blocked. For instance, some people who possess a negative attitude towards sexual relations or have a poor diet will experience ill health or broken romantic relations primarily because they have disturbed the base red chakra.

The seventh chakra is prone to disruption in people who are forever thinking of negative actions towards others like working black magic. When this purple-white wheel is disturbed, the cosmic connection is hampered. Consequently the person feels bitter, fearful, and empty.

A healthy, rapid spinning chakra is extremely flexible and is able to open and shut when necessary. This gives it the ability to receive energy from a source which is good, but close when a negative force is attempting to transmit its own bad energy. If it is not healthy however it will be unable to prevent you from receiving this bad energy.

The way to use chakra therapy is to focus in a balanced way on each one of the seven major energy categories that each chakra commands. This should be done on a daily basis.

Take each major energy category and at some point each day meditate upon how its aspects are manifesting-or not manifesting-in your life, and as you do this visualize your body’s energy residing in that particular chakra. If you find your energy waning in any category, meditate on the steps you can take to make that category healthy and cleanse the related chakra.

Some people find that meditating on a gem stone the same color as the chakra wheel allows them to get a clear image in their mind of what actions they need to take to make it healthier.

Many people find that the simplest way is to listen to the frequencies of each chakra in turn which results in your own chakras resonating with these frequencies, which then results in them becoming completely balanced.

Tags: Chakra

Clearing Your Chakras Clearing Your Problems

The secret of success in todays times is to reinvent yourself constantly keeping in mind that you do not lose heart and keep on motivating yourself and keep moving towards giving your 100%.

There are various other determinants of uninterrupted growth which include the body strength as well as the mental makeup and the passion within the heart of an individual. A fairly crucial part is played by centers of spiritual energy in your body as they help in development of the persona of an individual.

In order to reach your goals it is important that the strength and energy lying within you are transformed into performance and here is where the chakras play a defining role. The only thing that you need to be careful about is that these chakras require being refreshed periodically or else their efficiency might reduce.

Since each chakra in our body has relevance with various aspects we need to understand and ensure that all of them are paid adequate attention, the seven chakras in your body lie between the bottom of your spine and the head.

Clearing chakras involves the release of the toxic energy within the body into the environment and capturing the positivity from the surroundings.

Your body movements that are anticlockwise are said to be movements that help the removal of negative energy while clockwise movements bring in the positive vibes.

Due to the inflow and outflow of energy there can be pain experienced in various body parts but that is just a proof of occurrence and not a side effect.

The energy obtained by means of exchange in the process of chakra clearing is said to come from the planets and are used by man to channelize his efforts optimally.

Clearing chakras leads to complete reinvention of your personality and you feel as if the world around you has become very pleasant. Individuals like to perform this act on a regular basis but the regularity differs from individual to individual.

Once you clear the chakras and ensure that the positive energy gained is stabilized you would discover that your mind is filled with creative thoughts much more than what you would have previously thought. It helps the others familiarise with the different aspects of your life and thoughts.

At the beginning you can start off with concentrating on the chakras individually and also see that each chakra is correctly exercised in order to enjoy make the most of the talent and skills you have. Once you have cleared your chakras you would feel that the mind is at ease and the experience is also quite relaxing.

The chakras that need you attention can be known by the kind of reaction they give to your body and it will not take years of learning or knowledge to understand the indications, it would happen naturally, once you know you can work on the body part that related to the chakra.

Todays competitive world demands a lot of agility and awareness and without the right approach and the correct balance of all your energies making your abilities count as performance would be quite difficult.

The spiritual energy has a potential role to play in the success of an individual in all fields and that has been realised by people practising this art. Also efforts are being made to understand the science of chakras in a better way.

You can bring a lot to your life in terms of happiness, satisfaction, achievements and success if you can practise and implement the fundamentals of chakras. A lot depends on how you approach it, chakra clearing would help you to approach your goals with a freshness of mind and body!

Tags: Chakra

Take What Fits

One summer the distinguished British violinist Peter Cropper was invited to Finland to perform at the prestigious Kuhmo Music Festival. In honor of his outstanding music ability, the Royal Academy of Music in London offered him an extraordinary opportunity - he would be able to play a priceless 258-year-old Stradivarius.

It is well-known that Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, Italy brought the art of violin-making to its highest pinnacle of perfection. Each instrument was made out of 80 pieces of specially selected pine, boxwood, and ebony. Then, by a secret process, which has never been duplicated, 30 coats of a soft-textured varnish were applied.
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Tags: Healing

Treating Heart Disease With Acupuncture

There are many drugs on the market that can be used to help heart disease. However, with any drug a patient risks the possibility of side effects. Therefore, many people are turning to alternative medicine practices to help treat heart disease without the harmful side effects of drugs.

One treatment that many people are turning to for help in managing their heart condition, or to keep from developing one, is acupuncture. In this centuries-old Chinese practice, small, slender needles are inserted into different areas of the body to enhance health.

The basis for this practice is the movement of energy throughout the body that may become blocked. The practice of acupuncture helps to unblock and redirect that energy. And science is on the side of this practice.

Research indicates that acupuncture is able to lower blood pressure, which in turn reduces the incidence of heart disease. There has also been evidence that it can lower the risk of angina, chest pains caused by spasms of the heart’s blood vessels. Those who opted for acupuncture to treat angina returned to normal faster than those who chose a drug treatment.

There usually is no pain associated with acupuncture because of the size of the needles. You wouldn’t think so, but it can actually be a calming treatment. After the needles are placed in strategic spots, you can just lie down and rest.

Before you go to an acupuncturist, you should make sure that he or she is certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This ensures that they have a solid level of education and that they continue to become educated on this form of medicine.

Certain insurance companies will cover the cost of acupuncture. However, most do not so you will probably have to pay for the treatment yourself. The cost of acupuncture is dependent upon the area where you live. You can make a few phone calls to find out the average rate.

Generally, you’ll need to make a few visits before you start seeing results. But in the end it will mostly likely be well worth your time since you won’t be experiencing the side effects and possible addiction that normally go along with the use of medication.

It’s not unusual to be a little apprehensive of trying an alternative therapy. But if you do a little research on the internet you will find that the benefits of acupuncture are starting to be recognized by the medical community. Since the Chinese have relied on acupuncture since ancient times, modern western society might just need to catch up.

So it appears that modern research is validating the ancient practice of acupuncture as a viable alternative to traditional medications in the treatment of heart disease.

Tags: Accupuncture

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

Everyone has the same life purpose: We are here to fully demonstrate the Christ within.

We’ve all got the same decision to make: We can choose to accept our Divinity and follow the guidance that comes from our Christ Consciousness — or not.

There is only one story in the Bible: That story is about how we use more won’t power than will power when it comes to “demonstrating our divinity.”

The following story is an example of that on-and-off-again relationship. The story comes from the 8th Chapter of John’s Gospel, verses 2-11:
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Tags: Healing

Metaphysically Feng Shui-ing Our Thinking

We orchestrate our experiences by the activity of our thinking. Everything in the manifest realm has its beginning in thought.

The seat in which you are sitting was once a ‘Fig Newton’ in someone’s imagination. The clothes you are wearing were once a spark in someone’s thoughts. This article was once a figment in my imagination.

Everything you can see and touch has its start in idea. This is the Law of Mind Action. You already have a well-grounded understanding for thought power or you wouldn’t have been attracted to this article at all.
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Tags: Feng Shui, Healing

Safety of Acupuncture Needles

With different diseases in the world today, especially those caused by needles that are unclean, the safety of acupuncture needles is of concern to many people. Fortunately in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has strict guidelines on acupuncture needles such as the requirement they be sterile and used only one time. Of course, in spite of these safety mechanisms that are in place, some people will still be fearful at the thoughts of any kind of needles including acupuncture needles. Making certain to choose an experienced practitioner can allay some of those fears.

Many patients fear pain from acupuncture needles. Searching for various types of acupuncture needles will show the existence of painless needles. Over and above painless needles easing the stress level of the patient, they allow the acupuncturist to avoid the possibility of automatic reflex reactions from patients when inserting the acupuncture needles. Painless acupuncture needles help the patient feel more comfortable with the procedure, and create a much lower stress level, which allows the procedure to work far more effectively.
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Tags: Healing

What Sleep Can Do For Your Liver

Years ago, sleep was understood to be a period of time during which your brain was not active. Now it is known that sleep consists of a number of distinctive stages, and that your brain is active even while you are asleep. Different brain activities occur during each different sleep stage. Sleep is an important factor in helping people to feel good and function at their full potential, as a number of things occur during this time to facilitate healthiness, healing, and rejuvination.

On the other hand, not getting enough sleep can be dangerous. The first thing it affects is our immune system. If our immune system is not strong enough we will fall sick. It seems one of the main organs that is involved in a good night’s sleep is the liver. It regulates our energy level for the next day. When we stay up late at night we affect the liver’s metabolism.

Filtering toxins from the blood is one of the most critical of liver functions. In our modern environment, we are constantly bombarded with toxins in the air, the water and the foods we ingest. The liver is greatly burdened by this and needs the rest of the body at rest to best do the clean up work so badly needed. It takes at least three hours of sleep for the body to “reset” and allow the liver to begin the repair process. Of course, three hours alone is not adequate, with most people needing at least eight hours of rest each and every night.

But to do all the repair work, it takes a lot longer than three hours. If one is sleeping only for three hours for more than one night then the effect is as good as no sleep at all, because the body becomes tired as it has not got the chance to repair itself. One would feel like that of being hit with a ton of bricks. Here the body is screaming for help. It needs sleep so that it can rejuvenate itself. It will be saying that it didn’t get the chance to kind of catch up on all the sleep the night before and they have all these other things that they needed to repair from the days before and now they have all these other things that we are making them do today. So may be the brain continues to work even if you sleep for three to four hours a day but in the long run if you’re not getting, close to eight hours a night, it eventually will take a heavy toll on the brain.

The brain may function with merely three or four hours of sleep, but it will not function at its best without that eight hours we truly need. Liver function also impacts the immune system so sleep is doubly important. We must have a strong and vigorous immune system to fight invaders like viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, so enough sleep is essential for everyone. Getting adequate sleep makes for a healthy liver and a strong and vital immune system which makes us feel better and be healthier.

Tags: Healing, Health & Fitness