It Takes Time to Heal

Alternative Medicine is not magic, it is a science based on hundreds of years of experience and experimentation. It helps heal the body naturally, without any use of chemicals that bring about strong and instant reactions in the body. For this very reason, it takes time to bring about healing.

No disease occurs suddenly. It manifests slowly and if the signs are recognized at an early stage, preventive measures can be taken. However, not everyone knows how to read the signs and they finally realize only when they really feel unbearable pain or sickness. At this stage, they might come to you for healing and look for immediate results after the first session itself.

As therapists, it is our responsibility to first explain to them how healing takes place. In any kind of alternative medicine, energy channels are cleared up and healing is stimulated. Toxins come out in natural forms like sweat, mucous, urine, etc. Since the elimination process is natural, it will take time and will depend on the regularity of the treatments. 

You can even include this information as a clause in the consent form the clients will fill and sign. They are welcome to take a trial session first, and if they like it, advice them to book the next session (it is up to you to judge how often they need treatment). They are likely to ask how long it will take to heal. Inform them that recovery time depends on the nature and intensity of the problem, the reaction of the client's body to the treatment, frequency of treatment, etc. It is different for everyone and can be gauged with regular treatment. You can take notes and record the progress of each client for a better study.

However, remember that alternative medicine is not a replacement for medical treatment. Make sure clients with serious problems have a doctor's written approval. 

After each session, ask for client feedback on how they feel. Call them the next day to see how they are progressing. But emphasize on regularity!! Otherwise all efforts on both parts will be void. 

Work hard and keep healing!!

Flexibility Brings More Business!

Did you know that the more flexible your body is, the more flexible and adjusting your nature becomes? In fact, in Palmistry, it is believed that if the thumb is flexible and you can bend backwards almost to 90 degrees, you are of flexible nature. Try it and see what your nature really is like!

But no, in terms of business I don't mean you get more customers if you do gymnastics...

Flexibility in service- customization, is the one thing a customer looks for when going in for any kind of therapy, may it be a foot massage, hair treatment, or even just applying nail polish.

People love being pampered, but they want to be pampered in their way, not yours. Whether we believe it or not, having a fixed package or style of doing things will not bring you more business.

For example, a customer is coming to you for a foot reflexology treatment. However, he is having shoulder pain and would like to also have a short neck, head and shoulder massage as the icing on the cake. It is true that foot reflexology alone can help in relieving most of the pain, but isn't it relaxing and oh so satisfying to have a last minute (complementary) surprise addition to your treatment?

It shows that the therapist cares for what the customer feels, needs and wants, and is not only after making a quick buck.

When sitting in the waiting room in one of the foot spas, I came across one such a customer who requested something additional for his pain but was told, "Sorry, we have only these and these treatments. We cannot help you." It is sad to see that even spas, made for pampering the clients, claiming to 'give you a most satisfying experience' are so inflexible when it comes to your needs.

If you charge by the hour and are going to the client's house to treat them, make it a point not to have other appointments too close to each other. Some clients find it easier to open up to you after a treatment and share their feelings. 5-10 minutes more will not kill you. It will only build a stronger image of you in your client's mind. Of course, some people have a habit of going on and on, but a therapist must have the skill to be able to wind up the talk on time.

This time for emotional release is very important for clients, because most problems result from those emotions, which are released with therapy. During the therapy, it is better to not talk, so the only time one can talk is after.

The client is the most important person. If they feel they are being cared for and are getting real quality service, they will tell others about you. Soon you will have a long list of clientele without even much of marketing on your part. Your business will grow, only by spending a few extra minutes with each client.

Do share your thoughts, comments and experiences when it comes to serving the client in your own special way. What else do you do for increasing your clientele without much expenditure on marketing?

Stay Well !!

Reiki Healing

About Reiki

Dr. Mikao Usui

Reiki is fast becoming a popular healing therapy. As awareness of alternative therapies increases, people are resorting to this amazing energy healing technique.

Reiki, in Japanese means Universal Life-force Energy. Some form or other of energy healing has been practiced since ancient times. There are many stories of healing powers of Saints and Yogis. There are also stories of Jesus Christ healing people, in the Bible. However, one can say that this secret to healing was rediscovered by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan.

Passed on from person to person, this knowledge and ability to heal has been spread to many practitioners today over the world.

How Does Reiki Work?

There is a very powerful, positive healing energy in the Universe. An attuned practitioner of Reiki becomes a channel for this energy to flow through them, to the patient/ client via their hands.

This energy is sent to every Chakra (Energy Centre) of the body. It is said that most diseases and imbalances in the body are due to blockages in the energy flow of the body.

This is also explained in Yoga when talking about Pranayama. In Yoga, Prana is the bio-energy that is responsible for functioning of the body. Through Pranayama, this energy is channelled correctly and harnessed, and that leads to longer lifespan and good physical and mental health.

In the same way, Reiki is that positive life-force energy that flows into the body, healing you, removing your toxins and opening up the channels.

Jesus Christ Healing the sick

Reiki Treatment Procedure

Many people find the concept of Reiki strange and unbelievable, but after a therapy session, I have found many people raise their eyebrows incredulously and claiming that, “It really worked!” To those who doubt Reiki, I’d just say, try not to judge something without knowing about/ trying it properly.

A typical therapy session would involve clearing negative energies from the room first. Then the client lies on the back, relaxed, with eyes closed. The therapist starts from the head, spends some time on each chakra and moves down to the feet. Then the same is done with the client lying face down. It is possible that the client may fall asleep during the session, which is quite common and it does not affect the healing.  

Reiki can be used for local healing eg. small cuts and wounds, and can even be sent over a distance eg. the practitioner from his/ her own home can send it to the client who is at his/ her home.

Benefits of Reiki

Reiki is a very safe technique. It has been found to help cure almost all problems under the sun, including physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual. There is still a lot to discover when it comes to the potential of Reiki in healing. It has been found useful in curing sleeplessness, breathing problems, stress, pain, swellings, emotional and past issues, etc. to name just a few. Of course, a note of caution, it does not mean that you do not take medical treatments if your body requires it.

It has almost no side effects. However, some people experience a little increase of pain/ problem before they are healed. This is because Reiki leads to removal of toxins in the natural way. So, the body tries to remove through the usual methods – urine, cold, cough, faeces, sweat and even some emotional release like crying. These all differ from person to person and don’t necessarily occur.

After Reiki

During Reiki, one generally feels warm in the part being healed. In my experience, there have been many people who feel vibrations, waves, tingling sensation and even cold. Some even claim to have seen some visions. They feel relaxed and positive after the session and sometimes in just the first session or after regular healing sessions, see a marked improvement in their condition.

So if you’re looking for a natural way of healing, do try Reiki. You may be surprised, like many others before you.

Stay Well !!

-          ­Ankita Shah

Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher,

Reflexologist, Massage Therapist.

Article in Life Positive Magazine, July 2011

Learn Alternative Therapies for hobby or profession !!

Visit: www.pristinesenses.net

Traditional Reflexology for Foot Spas

These days we find many foot spas coming up in every nook and cranny of Mumbai. It is evident that foot massage is becoming very popular among the masses in urban India. However the question that arises is; is there any foot spa that is completely unique?

Unfortunately, all foot spas are cashing in on the same theme, a mix of Thai foot massage with head, shoulder, hand massage and a bit of reflexology, generally done with a tool. If a prospective client enquires and asks whether Reflexology treatment is available, they are told it is. But what they actually get is quite different from traditional reflexology.

Traditional Reflexology belongs more in the alternative medicine rather than in the massage/ spa category. This is because:

·       In traditional reflexology, oil or cream is not used as it makes the thumb or fingers slip, preventing the therapist from stimulating each point properly. Instead, a bit of talc powder is used.

·       It is not recommended to use any instruments in reflexology unlike what is done in most of the current spas. Fingers and Thumbs are the best tools for reflexology as they help the therapist to feel any possible knots or tenderness in the feet.

·       A few massage techniques are used during reflexology for warming up the feet and relaxing the client. However, these techniques are used only as a starter, a bit in the middle and as dessert during treatment. The actual treatment mainly involves thumb/ finger walking, pivoting and finger rotary pressure.

It is sad that a traditional reflexology spa/ clinic is still difficult to find in a city like Mumbai where almost every single person requires a healing treatment for their stress, tension and the resultant diseases.

Most spa owners believe that there will be more ROI if they offer the ‘popular’ treatments, but the market soon gets saturated with the same kind of services. What we need to realize is that popularity can be created by using the right kind of marketing techniques. And the best bet for survival of any spa is to offer something unique and niche. 

The Body-Mind Connection

Have you noticed that when we are disturbed and thinking a lot, our eyes keep moving around unfocussed and hazy? When we are anxious, we tend to hold our breath. When we are relieved, we exhale slow and long. When we are angry and disagree with someone, our body becomes rigid and closed.

The close connection of body and mind should not come as a surprise. The mind was made to control every part of the body, being the headquarters. The body was made to work well and send warning signals to the mind in case of anything going wrong.

However, we are so immersed in the outside material world, busy making money, partying, indulging in tasty food and drink and other temptations to our senses, that we have forgotten the real reason that our body and mind exist for.

When we focus our mind on too many things and negativity, instead of on taking care of the body and then keep the body busy with all kinds of garbage dumped in it, instead of letting it function naturally, things slowly go awry.

The mind and body are connected through a unique wiring of nerves. And the energy to ‘act’ is transferred through energy channels called meridians. When we abuse the mind and body, problems occur in their connection. Toxins and impurities block the channels and body and mind begin to suffer through gradual suffocation due to lack of nutrients and energy. What results is an expected tirade of physical, psychological and emotional diseases.

There are a few options getting out of this trap. Chemicals in the form of medicines can be resorted to, Ayurveda provides many solutions and along with alternative therapies, we have a chance to heal.

Alternative therapies like Foot Reflexology, Massage, Aromatherapy, Reiki, Scrubs and Wraps help in removing the blockages and in clearing up energy channels. We cannot live a completely ideal lifestyle in this day and age but alternative therapies on a regular basis can help prevent permanent blockages in meridians.

This is how these therapies can help heal a person or prevent diseases. It is simple logic that our ancestors understood years ago and have passed on to us. The solution is in our hands. We just need to choose it.