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HEALING TOUCH |
A Holistic Health Service  BEIJING CHINA
Certified Interactive Guided Imagery
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This site is about my business - EAST MEETS WEST - located in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The therapies offered here are not a substitute for your Primary Health Care Provider who should be made aware of any complementary or alternative modalities you integrate into your life as you strive to make informed choices about health and treatment options.
It is my intent to provide complementary-alternative-holistic therapy options and an information source in todays everchanging health care environment, with an emphasis on the mind, body, spirit connection. The work done is intended to assist the body's own natural sense of well-being and healing powers. It should be mentioned that a single, isolated session may not achieve the desired results and that subsequent sessions would be available This site will give you a brief description of the modalities offered. As you can see from the above picture, I spent some time in China, although very briefly, to do further study of Qigong.
In a quiet, relaxed setting, either one-on-one or in a group you will be given the opportunity to reach for your optimum well being. I offer EASTERN and WESTERN healing therapies to facilitate your sense of well being, reduce stress and anxiety, stimulate the immune system, improve balance and vitality, reduce hypertension, support the dying process as some examples. While many people experience positive, lasting results from these therapies, I cannot guarantee any type of results.
ENTER TRANQUILITY AND HARMONY
Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment,know the sweet joy of the way.
--Dhammapada
There are many variations of meditation each with its own history and followers. We cannot possible do justice to them all so this is an overview of some relaxation techniques.Return To Topics MenuThere are those who say meditation is a technique to break addiction to thought, that it's directed concentration. Others describe it as living fully in the moment as it happens or to tune into a source of power beyond the personal. The Chinese feel we can supplement our original supply of Chi by practicing meditation. Standing meditation is the most popular Qi gong style for this.
We are aware that stress can cause havoc on blood pressure, the immune system, the digestive system, headaches, asthma, to name a few. We also know that anger and stress have strong psychological implications leaving a person with negative perceptions. With the hectic pace most of us keep, many are looking for ways to reduce the harmful effects of stress. Meditation / Relaxation is one way to assist the body to do this.
Meditation / Relaxation can be accomplished either by focusing your attention or by opening your attention. You can focus on a sound or mantra either silently or out loud. You can focus on a visual image such as a painting or your back yard. And you can also zero in on the breath which is considered by many to be the most important element in meditation / relaxation. When you open your attention and allow yourself to be aware of what is going on in and around you, you train the mind to be silently aware, just being empty, not making judgments on any thoughts that pop up. A quiet mind can sense imbalance more easily.
As you enjoy your state of peace and harmony, your brain waves actually look more harmonious on the EEG. The cognitive (left) side of your brain communicates with the creative-intuitive (right) side resulting in more coherence. With regular practice you can achieve this state of relaxed concentration and increase your brain's Alpha waves. Most people can access this during visualization or by simply closing their eyes and relaxing.
You can interrupt harmful, negative thoughts by purposefully turning to a positive and then concentrate on that. If your mind wanders, gently refocus. With practice , you will find yourself choosing a conscious response instead of reacting automatically. You will strengthen what is right with you and the world.
At the end of a meditation, it is common to feel very relaxed as in a state of extreme stillness and tranquility. Emerge slowly, stretch, smile and enjoy the moment.
BRING BALANCE & HARMONY INTO YOUR LIFE
Each person carries his own doctor inside him.They come to us not knowing that truth.
We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides
in each patient a chance to go to work.
--Albert Schweitzer
Qi Gong (chee-kung) is one of the main fields of Traditional Chinese Medicine which has withstood the test of time. Other fields include Herbs, Acupuncture, Massage, Flower essence and oils. Treatments that work have lasted thousands of years.Qi is the Chinese word for "life energy" and is the very backbone of the Chinese Healing Arts. Qi Gong is the art and science of refining and cultivating vital life energy. It is a holistic system of self healing exercises and meditation which includes healing postures, movement, and breathing techniques. In Chinese medicine, the patient must be actively involved in his healing and not passively receiving treatment. There is no need for special equipment or a large workout space to practice qi gong. Most of the exercises can be done in a lying, sitting, or standing posture.
This process of cultivating energy is something we do all the time either consciously or unconsciously very naturally. It's part of our energy system which is now being examined by many major medical institutions. Qigong is a way to improve health and prevent dis-ease and can be practiced as a complete and independent system of self-healing.
Qi Gong can be divided into 2 parts: Internal(nei dan) which involves circulating the energy in your own system through "meridians" that interconnect all the organs, and External (wai dan) which involves directing your energy outward as in Taiji Quan and other martial arts.
It is also important to note that development of the Shen (spirit) in a meditative approach is included in all Qigong and that these exercises can put you in touch with the healing powers of your sub-conscious mind.. It is ok to go slow, look for the tiny bits of improvement, and let the healing power of nature take its course. It is customary to "treat and teach" the person which is very self-empowering for the client.
Qigong, like Western biofeedback therapy, is a systematic training in psychophysiological self-regulation. This can help reduce the effects of prolonged stress which contributes to dis-ease by blocked or sluggish qi flow. This healing system which has been developed and tested over thousands of years emphasizes function of the body rather than its structure. It looks at the whole person with the understanding of the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection, encouraging you to take control of your healing process to maintain or restore harmony in all aspects of your life.
ENHANCING THE BODY'S ENERGY TO PROMOTE HEALING
Tis the human touch in this world that counts,the touch of your hand and mine.
--Spencer Michael Free
The concept of Therapeutic Touch has been gaining momentum since the early 70's when Dolores Krieger PhD, RN coined the phrase and presented it to her nursing colleagues. Even though this method is similar to the ancient laying-on-of-hands, T T has no religious affiliation. This energy-based therapy which was initially done by nurses, is now done world wide by lay people as well.Further work in the 80's by Brennan, Mentgen, Quinn, Joy, Scudder et.al. resulted in the modality known as Healing Touch. This work incorporates Therapeutic Touch as well as Chakra Connection,Chakra Spread, Magnetic unruffling, Hopi Back and other techniques.
These healing treatments involve working with the Human Energy System which consists of three parts: the Energy Field(aura), the Energy Centers(chakras), and the Energy Tracts(meridians). The Energy System which reflects health and illness is in a constant state of flux interacting with the environment. The Nursing Diagnosis Handbook describes "Energy Field Disturbance" as a disruption in the flow of energy surrounding a person's being which results in a disharmony of mind and spirit causing illness and pain.
The H T practitioner will go through a series of steps starting with Centering. The goal here is to put her/his ego aside and connect with the deep inner self. Next the Intent must be set for the highest good. She would then Attune to the client and with permission enter into the healing relationship. The necessary work of clearing the blockages or balancing the flow of energy would then be done. The session would end by Grounding the client. Clients frequently report feeling a sense of well being and relaxation.
This technique which harnesses the recipients own healing potential is presently used on Cardiac surgical patients at NYC Columbia Presbyterian Hospital with good results. It has been known for a long time that T T will increase hemoglobin levels, wound healing, immune system etc.
A HEALING THERAPY TO FACILITATE YOUR SENSE OF WELL BEING AND REDUCE STRESS
Our emotions and words let the body know what we expect of it,and by visualizing certain changes we can help the body bring them about.
--Bernie Seigel, M.D.
Your subconscious mind works from the right side of your brain when you're sleeping, remembering everything that ever happened to you. It has no opinions nor can it distinguish real from imagined. Because it accepts without judgement what the conscious mind tells it, it can be programmed to change habits and attitudes.These modalities encourage the creation of mental sense impressions and expand your awareness for the purpose of change. The practitioner simply arranges the atmosphere with aromas, music, lighting, and verbal suggestions which allows you to move into your own natural state of focused concentration- much like day dreaming.
While in this state, the verbal suggestions are often easily transferred from mind to body which results in positive effects in a variety of conditions. "Belief becomes Biology". Common uses include pain control, healing, self-improvement, stress reduction, weight control, allergy and autoimmune disease management to name a few.
You can only be hypnotized with your consent and will remain in control at all times remembering that your mind is there to serve you and not control you. Imagery is the inter- face language between body and mind communicating directly with the subconscious. It can help you to understand the needs that may be represented by illness and can help you develop healthy ways to meet those needs.
With visualization, using the creative power of the mind, you make a conscious effort to produce mental images and sharpen your awareness to correct health problems.
At EAST MEETS WEST, it's possible to combine the techniques of two cultures. The west emphasizes treating a specific condition and adjusting the therapy as needed, while in the east, Qigong encourages the whole body healing with energy. A typical session might include directing qi (energy) to the problem area, then visualizing taking care of the problem and then imagining the whole body as improved.
Research has shown that our emotions, attitudes, thoughts and beliefs can and do have a real effect on our physiology. It is well known that change of any kind results in the stress response. Some of the most efficient tools available to reduce or eliminate this stress are Guided Imagery and Hypnosis both of which are established therapies.
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EAST MEETS WEST WEBSITE SINCE 1997
Special thanks to my son, Bill,for his graphics assistance
last updated July 22 2007