How is Power Yoga Harmful ?

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This article appeared in Bombay Times 

on 9 July, 2012. 

Self Healing with Traditional Reflexology

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This article appeared in July 2012 issue of 'Life Positive (English).'

Visit our website http://pristinesenses.net for more information.

Dangers of Getting Massage from Untrained Therapists

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This article was published in The Hindustan Times on 3rd July 2012. 

How Does Exercise and Massage Boost Immunity?

The Lymphatic System is our immune system which filters out harmful substances from the blood and body. Lymph nodes are a gathering of lymph glands at certain places in the body like the neck, arm-pits, groin and other parts of the body like the lungs and stomach.

The Lymph nodes are connected by lymphatic vessels and continuous circulation of the lymph is very essential. The Lymphatic System does not have a heart to pump the fluid around. The only way the fluid circulates well throughout the body is through gravity, exercise, walking, massage and a balanced state of mind.

Long hours of sitting at work or while travelling, leads to slowing down of the lymphatic circulation and makes us feel tired and weak. In turn, we become more prone to diseases and infection.  

This is why regular morning walk for 45 minutes, yoga Asanas, massage and reflexology are so essential in improving a person’s immunity. In massage, the trained therapist gently pumps the lymphatic nodes to promote better lymph circulation. In reflexology, the points on the feet that represent the lymphatic system are stimulated by thumb walking and pivoting technique and this stimulates healthy lymph circulation. Regular therapy ensures a healthy immune system.

Writer: Mr. Pinakin Shah
Body-Mind Therapist, Founder of Pristine Senses Academy, 
Massage Trainer, Reflexologist and Reiki Practitioner.
Contact: pristinesenses@gmail.com

Reflexology for Asthma

Asthma is a medical condition which is caused by the narrowing of the bronchial tubes in the respiratory system. This narrowing is generally caused by an inflammation due to allergic reaction or infection. Asthma can be hereditary but can also depend on an individual’s constitution.

General symptoms of Asthma are wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath at night or on exertion, violent coughing and tightness in the chest. In Yoga, it is said that an Asthmatic patient generally has weak exhalation. Hence they are made to do more of breathing exercises to improve their exhalation.

Asthma is a physiological condition but it can be triggered by emotional imbalance. Other triggers are allergens in food or air or certain irritants in the environment, like the presence of a pet, pollen, toxic fumes from paint on the walls, dust, unclean carpets, etc.

Is there a Cure?

It is said that Asthma has no cure. The inhalers and steroids invented by modern medicine help in opening up the air passages during an attack. But how to prevent it?

Yoga and Alternative Therapies like Reflexology help in preventing attack and maintaining good health.

Pranayamas and Kriyas taught in Yoga help to improve the breathing capacity as well as strengthen immunity. Kriyas like Jalneti especially help in preventing infection that can easily trigger attacks. Yoga also helps in keeping a balanced state of mind which, when achieved helps keep emotions in check. This helps prevent attacks due to causes like anxiety, stress and emotional distress.

Reflexology

Lung Press

Reflexology is known for its relaxing and stimulating effect. The warm-up techniques, especially the lung press, upward thumb friction on the soles of the feet as well as massaging between the metatarsals on the upper surface of the feet help to relax the patient and triggers slower, deeper respiration.

The main areas to focus on in Reflexology are the Nervous System, the Respiratory System and the Lymphatic System.

The Nervous System helps stimulate better nerve function and will keep the person calm and relaxed. The Respiratory System obviously needs to be worked on as it is the main system that gets affected. Thumb/ finger walking and pivoting can be done on the lung area on the sole as well as the upper surface of the feet, the nasal passage and sinuses are also the areas to focus on. Working on the Lymphatic System helps improve immunity and remove stress.

Reflexology is especially effective on children. They immediately begin to relax, their breathing slows down and they also fall asleep almost immediately. It has been found that Reflexology triggers overall healing, not just in the body, but also the mind and the spirit.

(Please note: For areas of each system mentioned above, you can refer to the interactive reflexology chart given at the bottom of the blog.)

News: Pristine Senses Academy Conducts FREE Demo Seminars

Pristine Senses Academy conducted the first of a series of FREE demonstration seminars on healing therapies and natural home-made products on Wednesday 16th May, 2012 at Goregaon, Mumbai.  

These seminars are targeted at all women, whether they be professionals, therapists, beauticians or home-makers. The purpose of these seminars is to increase awareness about alternative healing therapies and how they can help the common man remain healthy and stress free.  

The seminar was a great success with a group of women of all ages and occupations having an interactive and enlightening session. Among the topics discussed were the need for natural living and alternative therapies in this day and age, the harmful effects of chemicals present in cosmetics, beauty and health products, the need to use natural home-made products devoid of artificial colorants and fragrances and the importance of research and information on all things we consume.  

Each of the women had a chance of experiencing different therapies during the demonstration and we received enthusiastic and positive feedback at the end of the seminar.  

We at Pristine Senses Academy hope to continue spreading awareness and knowledge on health and wellbeing in society. After all, it is said that if we educate the woman of the house, we educate the entire family.

Prevention v/s Cure

God has made nature according to a beautiful, foolproof design. He has created our body with a strong immune system that fights its own battles with foreign pathogens and with every new type of infection, the body learns and evolves on its own.

But, the pathogens that infect us are also living organisms that have to keep evolving to survive. They keep changing and infect the body. But since the body too is evolving, an ongoing battle ensues between them, which finally results in survival of the fittest. This process leads to many tweaks and improvements in our immune system over generations.

However our present generation is fast depleting in health and immunity. Why is that?

Most of our grandfathers and forefathers are known to have healthy body and sharp mind and have lived to 80-90 years of age. But these days we see even 25 year old men dying of heart attacks, obese teenage women, more and more people with blood pressure and sugar problems and lower life expectancy.

The difference between our ancestors and us is that they lived a more physical life. Recreation involved games in the fields, climbing trees, playing marbles and gili-danda. There was no TV and occasionally some radio programs. But today, we have video games, iPads, movies and books to replace all the physical activity. This sedentary lifestyle coupled with faulty diet of junk and preserved food is the first step towards our own downfall.

To top that, with every cold, flu and infection, we are now more dependent on artificial cures like chemical medication, surgery etc. that is provided to us by modern medicine.

Due to this dependence on medicine and antibiotics, the natural immunity of the body is not given a chance to develop and it keeps weakening and loses its ability to adapt to changing environments. With even a common cold, we have got into the habit of popping pills and antibiotics, because we want comfort and quick results.

What’s worse is that at the same time, the pathogens that are infecting us are adapting continuously to fight these chemicals and overcome them.

A recent report from The Independent by Jeremy Laurence, published in the Times of India has shown that many antibiotics are now proving to be useless in face of the evolved pathogens and soon, even a minor cut can lead to deadly infection.

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Our mistakes here are very clear. We need to live according to nature’s evolving design rather than depending on artificial substances. Of course, modern medicine has its own place. In some cases when one requires immediate attention for a chronic condition, one needs medicine to keep the situation under control. But otherwise, God has given our body everything it needs to survive. Let us work more towards prevention.

We cannot avoid stressful work conditions in this day and age. However, there are age old therapies that help us to remain relaxed, keep the mind and body healthy and help prevent diseases by increasing immunity.

Swedish and Balinese Massage are perfect for physical and mental wellbeing. Not only do they help maintain muscle tenacity but also help in stress relief, improving digestion, improving blood circulation, prevent muscle damage, keep the joints fit and remove toxins from the body.

Specially made body scrubs and wraps, with their herbal ingredients, help in times of fever, joint pain, improve blood circulation, help reduce excess fat and help in pain relief.

Foot Reflexology also has been an ancient healing and preventive therapy. Using the points on the feet, the whole body is stimulated for better functioning. It too helps in removing toxins from the body, pain relief and preventing and curing diseases.

Finally, if one follows the Yoga way of life and maintains fair amount of discipline in sleep and meal habits as well as in the mental attitude, one remains physically and emotionally strong.

Let us take advantage of these foolproof ancient sciences of life and become self-sufficient. A healthy body and sound mind leads to a happy and peaceful life. 


Pinakin Shah's Pristine Senses Academy (Mumbai) strives to spread the knowledge & awareness of ancient arts of holistic healing through its customized training programs & therapies.
Email: pristinesenses@gmail.com