The Times They Are A Changing

There are many forms of healing that use the vibration of energy. It’s source can be attributed to the source, universal chi (qi, ki, qui), God. The credit given usually depends on a person’s spiritual beliefs. Actually, I believe all healing is centered on vibrational energy, even western medicine. The chemicals in drugs have vibrations that effect your body. We’ve discussed a few of the alternative healing forms in past articles - color, flower essences, gemstones, sound/music, reiki and so on. These are two more methods. If you are further interested, there are many good books and references on the internet.

Acupuncture and Acupressure are two ancient Chinese healing methods using the same premise. Most people have heard of them and some have even tried acupuncture when they could get no relief for a condition through traditional western medicine. As many non-western forms of healing are used by more people, they become more accepted as acupuncture has. Both acupuncture and acupressure work on the belief that blockages are created in the body that do not allow for the healthy flow of energy. With very thin needles or hand pressure at particular energy pathways, the blocks can be dissipated.

Lucid Dream Healing. Lucid dreams are those that when in the dream state, you realize you are dreaming. It’s a merging of subconscious, unconscious and the conscious states. If you’ve never had this experience, it’s quite something to suddenly realize you are dreaming and decide to try flying or ask what the dream is trying to tell you. What if you “woke up” in your dream and tried healing an ailment. Of course, we know that sleep, alone, is healing. Some experienced lucid dreamers have been able to direct healing to specific ailments. The first step to becoming a lucid dreamer is to work on remembering your dreams and writing in a journal. Although, many people have found particular ways to induce a lucid dream, perhaps the easiest is to say, “tonight I will have a lucid dream,” over and over before going to sleep. Be patient, eventually it will happen.

Once you find yourself in a lucid dream, how you handle a dream situation may be healing in itself. Consider your dream is something scary. Perhaps another person is coming at you in an aggressive manner. Realizing it is a dream, takes your fear away, allowing you to react in a different manner. What if you purposely conjured up love in your heart towards the aggressor, grabbed his hand and spoke softly and reassuringly to him. After all, he is a part of you that needs healing. It’s all vibrational energy.

Science now agrees that music (certain kinds) can be very healing to people. So, it’s no longer a mystical, pie-in-the-sky sort of “new age” mumbo-jumbo idea. Who would have guessed? But, it’s happening more and more as science and spiritualism begin to meld together. The types of music that seem to benefit people, varies from person-to-person. A loved song can reduce stress, take the mind away from pain, bring the mood up,

Colorado State University researchers found that Parkinson and stroke sufferers walked steadier and with better balance when they did it to a strong rhythm (music or metronome). Michael H. Thaut, PHD (Colorado State University’s Director of Biomedical Research in Music) says that Rhythm has a powerful organizing effect on motor skills, helping to synchronize movement almost immediately. Science has shown music to lower heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure.

Hindus and Buddhists have used (sound) mantras for eons. Here are some of them.

OM: (OHM or AUM) According to Hindu believe, Om is the sound of creation. The sound is repeated in a full mouth, slow chant. It is used centering and balancing as well as a healing tool and for clearing spaces of negativity.

HU: The Sufis believe this to be the sound of God. As does the OM sound, it raises the vibration of the utterer as well as the surrounding space.

FREE FORM TONING: Sit comfortably and tone with what ever comes out of your mouth in long chanting syllables. This is a more personalized sound therapy. It is said to release negative energy within the body, such as pent up emotions, pains, fears or memories. This will balance the body, mind and spirit.

For more information and scientific proof of vibrational energy of sound healing go to Energy Healing Info.

Can color make a difference in your life? Do you feel differently when you where different colors? Have you ever wondered why you prefer some colors over others and really dislike other colors? Colors also have vibrational value. The study of color is called chomatology and someone who studies and uses color is a chomatologist. It is believed that color can heal the body, mind and spirit.

By bringing needed positive color vibrations into your energy field your aura and chakras becomes balanced. Colored light, colored crystals and colored cloth can be used, as well as visualization.

Dr. Max Luscher studied how color affected behavior and mood in the early 1900s. Some of the world’s largest companies have used his findings. Try this quiz, based on Dr. Luscher’s findings. I have to tell you, I took this test and was amazed at the insight it revealed. Just do it for fun and see what you get.

The meaning of colors in color healing is related to the energy of the chakra system of the body.

Red is related to the root (or first or base) chakra, located at the base of the spine. Red exhibit’s the qualities of vitality and physical energy. It is related to the sex-drive. There is a need for the color red in the environment when a person is feeling jealousy, anxiety, fear, frustration, anger or resentment. It means the root chakra has blockage. Start with small amounts of red as too much, too soon can cause agitation, anger and even violence.

Orange is related to the sacral (or second) chakra, located in the lower abdomen. Orange is the color of joy and creativity. If there is a need for more orange in the environment, a person would be feeling an attachment to material items, distrust and a have a lack of compassion. A balance of orange will help a person handle ups and downs of life. It will make life more cheerful and bright. It’s a good color to have in a room where you are working on creative endeavors.

Yellow is related to the solar plexus (or third, chakra, just above the navel. It symbolizes wisdom and intellect. As the sun, the color yellow, makes us feel optimistic. You may need more yellow in your environment if you are having trouble judging situations, low concentration or procrastinating about finishing a project. Too much yellow can make it hard to focus with demanding and critical personality traits.

Green is related to the heart (or fourth) chakra, located in the center of the chest at heart level. It is the color of peace, harmony and balance. It is also the color of prosperity. This color helps with personal relationships. More green is needed if a person feels their happiness depends on someone or something outside of themselves. If there is too much green in the environment, people can feel lazy, lethargic, even moody or depressed.

Blue is related to the throat (or fifth) chakra. It is the color of communication and self expression. Light blue relating more towards creative expression and darker blues more for communication. A great color to wear when having to express yourself through communication, as in a job interview, working out a relational problem.

Indigo (a mix of blue and violet) is related to the third eye (or sixth) chakra. It’s located at the center of the forehead. It is the color of higher understanding and awareness. It is the color of intuition and psychic ability. If a person feels confused, full of indecision and unable to look outside of the box or see the bigger picture of a situation, they may need more indigo in their environment. It’s a good color to use when seeking a higher guidance on a situation or problem.

Violet (purples) is related to the crown (or seventh) chakra. It’s located at the top of the head. The color is the symbol of our connection to the higher realms (God). It is the color of spirituality. If a person is having trouble with coordination (physically) or lacking interest in their spiritual journey, they may benefit from more violet in their environment.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Bach Flower Essences. There are plenty of places on the web that can give you the history and general information on these remedies. Bach were the first known remedies that used individual and mixtures of flowers to produce a sort of elixir or infusion that contained their vibrational energy. It seems there are more things in nature than we ever knew that could help us on our way through this life.

Since flower essences have first been discovered, by Edward Bach in the 1930s, others have found that the same procedure to extract flower energies could also be done with gemstones and other plants. It seems that these essences work on healing the emotional and mental areas of a person. Of course, we know that many illnesses can be tracked back to emotional and mental problems. Homeopathic remedies also work with the vibration of an essence.

Using flower essences does not require that you do anything special other than to take the essence. However, if you are serious about making improvements and changes in your life, you may want to meditate or think introspectively about the condition you are working on. This is a good site for more information.

Let’s talk about some of the flower (and other) essences and what they are used for:

Eucalyptus: Learning to take life in and letting it go. Opens and expands the chest. Help for the lungs and reparatory system.

Acacia: Helps to learn how to give and receive gracefully. Helps to move a person into the vibrational frequency of forgiveness. Helps to relieve allergies.

Lavender: Full moon vibrational energy. This is good for any female cyclical problems.

Rosemary: Remembering. Helps with memory and clarity.

Oregano: Learn to let go of attachments that no longer serve you. It creates a space for new things and experiences to take place.

Blue Lace Agate (stone): Works on the throat chakra, helping with self expression. It strengthens a positive attitude.

What is it and how can it improve your life? It could mean anything from reiki to numerology to dreams to gem stones. We’ve learned that “everything” vibrates. Different things move to a different vibration, forming different things in our reality. It’s almost like every different thing has it’s own vibrational song that it sings throughout it’s life. Do dead people and animals still vibrate. I believe so, perhaps the vibration slows down or changes as the spirit leaves the body at an increased vibration. Just as a tree must vibrate differently than it does after it’s made into a piece of furniture. Otherwise we wouldn’t see the piece of furniture as different and separate than the tree.

Reiki

Anyone can learn how to do reiki, which is a vibrational healing form. The reiki practitioner is actually a vessel that healing energy (life force) transports through. It comes from God, all that is, the universe, you pick the source. But, it does come from the “source.” Like anything else in this life, the more you practice the better you get at it.

There are three (and sometimes four) levels of reiki. After taking a reiki 1 class you will be able to work on healing yourself and others in a face-to-face manner. Reiki 2 teaches you how to heal others at a distance. And, Reiki 3 (master level) teaches you how to teach others. This is a simplified version of all that you would learn in a class at the different levels.

To learn more about reiki, check out this site.

Reiki is an energy healing art. The word actually means “universal life energy.” It is a holistic healing practice in that it addresses mental, emotional, physical and spiritual imbalances. The Reiki practitioner acts as a sort of middleman, a vessel, in which the energy flows through to the patient. Reiki can even be done at a distance. The practitioner uses specific hand placement to administer the healing chi ( or ki) energy. That healing energy moves to the location it is most needed. This procedure is so strong that the patient may experience what is called “Phantom Hands.” This is when the feeling of hands on a particular part of the body is not where the parishioners hands are.

Reiki is studied in three sections, Reiki I, Reiki II and Reiki III which is a more intensive study, requiring more commitment. The thing that makes Reiki stand out against other energy healing techniques is the attunement. It is given by the Master teacher and it allows an individual to expand and hold more energy. The Reiki channel is opened so that the energy can flow through the student to his/her patient. The more the energy healing is used, the stronger the energy flows.

Although you may just think of massage as a way of pulling the stress from your body and becoming completely relaxed, it actually has other health benefits. Of course, relieving stress is a definite benefit, it also helps blood flow, stimulates lymph and endorphin release. It aids nutrients and oxygen to reach tissue and organs as well as removing toxins from the body.

Types of Massage Therapies

Swedish Massage is the most well known type of massage therapy known in the U.S. and is quite often just called “Massage.” The therapist uses circular, kneading and long strokes on muscles with oil or lotion.

Aromatherapy Massage uses essential oils in tandem with massage. The essential oil used depends on what is needed for the specific person. This type of massage is more often used when there is an emotional component relating to a physical condition.

Hot Stone Massage uses warm stones on particular parts of the body to balance the energy centers as well as loosen and warm tight muscles.

Deep Tissue Massage is used to work on the deeper layers of connective tissues and muscles. This type of massage is used for conditions such as chronically tight muscles as well as injury recovery or a strain that keeps coming back. This type of massage may leave the individual sore for several days after.

Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage that uses a particular finger sequence on meridian points of the body. It is much like acupuncture and acupressure in that it attempts to improve the energy flow and balance the body.

If you’ve ever indulged in a massage, you know how completely relaxed your body feels when it’s done. It can remove stress from your body (and mind). We know that removing stress is beneficial health wise. But, what else does massage do for you and what are the different types of massage?

Benefits of Massage

* increases blood flow
* stimulates lymph nodes (helps body to work better and heal)
* stimulates release of endorphins (feel good chemical)
* stress (panic attacks, anxiety, blood pressure)
* helps oxygen and nutrients reach organs and tissue
* encourages removal of body waste, carbon dioxide, toxins

Tomorrow we will discuss the types of massage. However, with any massage treatment you should follow these rules:

* don’t eat a large meal before a massage
* drink water before a message (helps to remove toxins)
* tell the massage therapist about any health condition or medication you are taking
* tell the massage therapist about any recent surgery or injury
* tell the message therapist about any broken skin, sores, current fever or infection
* tell the message therapist about any allergies

Although holistic medicine is an overview term for many alternative healing methods, I see it as more of a philosophy in that it is an intention to heal the body, mind and spirit together. There is no need to separate the healing process by going to a conventional physician to treat the arthritis in your left hand, a psychiatrist to treat the mental reason for the way you think and a clergyperson to handle your soul. I feel fragmented just thinking about it that way. I don’t discount the need in our for all three of these types of people or the three healing practices, however.

There are times that a conventional medical doctor is, without a doubt, the person you want to see as well as a clergyperson or psychiatrist. In fact, if it is in your beliefs to do so, you should see them first. However, sometimes an illness or condition is not cured by these professions. If so, it certainly can’t hurt to give a holistic method a try. Personally, I believe that my body, mind and spirit work together. And so looking for a holistic method to my healing is a more natural approach for me. If I contract a certain disease and it is eminent that it have immediate attention, I would first see a conventional doctor for medication or other procedure. After all, if you die before you can figure out why you’ve gotten the disease and the lesson (learning) transpired from it, you haven’t solved anything.

After being am sure that my immediate physical problem is manageable you could seek out other alternative medical methods. If the disease contracted is related to your thinking process (what you tell myself) as well as your spirit, you could never be healed without analyzing those areas. Even after analyzing, you may have a block in your thinking that isn’t allowing you to see the original problem. And “darn it” you just want your medical condition to go away. Many times a holistic treatment can do that. However, you must be aware that you must continue to try to find the root problem to the disease in order that it not return. “Do what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

Spiritually speaking, I believe that a person may come into this world with the expressed reason of experiencing a disease, physical or mental condition. It’s a brave soul that takes this path. Through this experience there would be an abundance of growth. Surely the soul would return to it’s home at the end of this lifetime shining brightly.

For further information on holistic medicinal treatments and alternative healing see my blog, http://gentlecare.today.com/ and http://hubpages.com/hub/alternativemedicineoverview