Diana Ten Have

Naturotherapist and EFT Facilitator

Reflexology: Nature’s Tranquillizer

I wish I could show you some pictures here in my blog of my clients before and after they receive a foot reflexology treatment! The difference is amazing: Were their faces sometimes tensed, wrinkled, and perhaps even pale before a session, after an hour session they look so much better, as if they have let go of a lot of worries and stress, and they truly are ready to take on the day! Or… they are ready for a wonderful, restful night sleep!

As a foot reflexologist I use my skills to assess what a client needs. After five minutes into the session, the client begins to unwind and relax, and a unique experience evolves. Relaxation and tranquility, in combination with the reflexology and soothing music, create a healing ambiance to calm inner emotions, and help energize the mind.

With the eyes closed, the head relaxes and the shoulders and neck release tension. I use many different relaxation techniques in a session, such as a focus on the breathing which allows the body to feel as if it is sinking into the treatment table. Muscular tension is being released this way and brings about a state of deep calmness.  At the same time the brain reflexes are being stimulated in order to help release serotonin, a natural tranquilizer and mood enhancer. This hormone is not only present in the basal ganglia of the brain and in the hypothalamus, but also in many other tissues of the body. It is believed to affect human behavior and also plays a part in the biochemical mechanism of sleep; helping sleep patterns!

Oftentimes, my clients even have a restful power nap during the reflexology session. No wonder they seem so much younger when they hop off my treatment table afterwards!

Foot reflexology helps alleviate many stress-related disorders such as anxiety, depression, anger, hypertension, insomnia and irritability. It is very helpful in prevention of disorders developing, but it is important to realize that it usually takes a series of treatment sessions to make a real difference.

6 Key Pressure Points to Relieve Pain

When I feel some pain or aches coming up and do not have a chance to ‘tap’ or ‘foot reflex’ it right away because I am in a meeting of some sort, I often use acupressure to relieve or even remove the pain.  Acupressure is of course an ancient Tibetan healing method, based on pressing certain pressure points affecting the flow of chemistry in the body.

Here is a list of my favorite pressure points to relieve pain. Please take deep, slow breathes while performing these self- help techniques:

  1. The inside of the eyebrows, just above the bridge of the nose. Applying pressure on this point (the third eye point) can help with relieving an upcoming headache, since it is directly over the facial sinuses. When in pain we often gravitate to this point, as if we intuitively know!
  2. To fight nausea and clear the head apply massaging pressure on the pressure point halfway down the outside of the upper arm. There is a sore spot, this is the pressure point.
  3. Rub the spots right under the collar bone to clear up a sore throat or anxiety. In EFT Tapping these are important points!
  4. The point where the top of the ear meets the skin of the face: great for alleviating headaches and migraines.
  5. Massage with two fingers of each hand where the neck meets the scull. A lot of tension resides in the neck and shoulders and massaging these pressure points helps with reducing stress and perhaps preventing tension headaches.
  6. Applying pressure and massaging the web between pink and ring finger helps with easing back pain and dizziness

 

Conscious Living and Self-Empowerment

We are all on a journey that is called life. Every day we make at least a thousand choices. It is not just the bigger choices influencing us: I belief that in order to make us happy and healthy we have to bring our daily small choices into our awareness too.  Just one example of a daily returning group of choices most of us are fortunate to be able to make: ‘What am I going to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner, am I going to eat breakfast, where am I going to have breakfast, with whom am I going to have breakfast, how am I going to eat my breakfast?’

This is just a small example of the many choices we are making during the day. Most of these choices happen on a subconscious level. The subconscious mind works like a tape recorder and it works according to patterns we create during our life. These patterns are meant to keep us safe, happy and healthy.

Becoming aware of our choices is becoming aware of these patterns. Living a conscious life means that we are going to take a look at these patterns and see if they still work for us. Are they keeping us safe, happy and healthy?

Are you aware of how the choices you make about for example something as simple as your breakfast are influencing your life? Are you aware that the simple concept of breakfast can be a part of your health, happiness and sanity? And I do not just mean whether you are having a healthy breakfast, junk food or not having breakfast at all. It could be about eating your breakfast mindful, with the full attention it deserves.

You see, the food you are eating is meant to nourish your body. That is why we eat, not just because we feel the sensation of being hungry. Feeling hungry is a symptom simply telling us that our body needs fuel. The choice whether you give your food the attention it deserves it yours. When you give it the attention it deserves you acknowledge the fact that you matter. 

That your body matters and needs loving nurturing: Coming into the awareness that your body is a sacred part of you, that it is not only giving you the opportunity to move around in the physical world but also that it is your sacred messenger.  It tells you when something is out of balance in your life.

Breakfast is just one tiny choice you are making on a daily base. There is so much more to choose from. Becoming aware of why you might be making certain choices and how these can influence your life are key to conscious living.

Spirituality to me means becoming conscious aware of our choices and subconscious patterns that may run our lives, followed by the importance of perception of life itself, its events,  our  actions and how we may judge and perceive it all.

Our thoughts, feelings and actions are creating our lives constantly. Spirituality is what can empower us to make the right choices for ourselves AND for  the well being of those around us.

When the awareness of the results of our thoughts, choices and actions is lacking, we are creating without consciousness and this can be dis-empowering.

Spiritual counselling can be a wonderful step forward into conscious awareness.

Why People in Physical Pain often have an Imbalance within their Lower Chakras

Foot reflexology is a wonderful modality to help someone who is in physical pain: It balances the physical body and important hormonal glands are being stimulated to excrete pain reducing hormones. But we cannot forget to address the lower chakras (energy centers). In my opinion Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) is a wonderful way to help the client ‘get back (even perhaps just for a short time) in their body’. Someone in pain tends to flee their body. They don’t want to feel the pain and escape to their higher chakras; e.g.sleeping, daydreaming, meditating. Meditating for example is a wonderful way to escape from the pain, but we have to keep in mind that some practical, physical matters also need to be addressed. Therefor we need to focus on the lower two chakras as well.

With the client’s health in mind I believe we have to teach how to be ‘in the body’ in order to live a more balanced life even when confronted with chronic pain. Everyone needs caring and loving relationships, especially someone with chronic pain. When often ‘escaping’ the body, a sick person may disconnect from engaging human and physical contact. As we can imagine it is hard on everyone when a loved one is in pain. The person in pain will need to be able to address his or her physical needs as well.

Often the person feels resentment towards his or her body. It may feel as if the body has let them down. In the worst case the person prefers to ridden him or herself from the body. Emotional Freedom Technique helps to acknowledge all these difficult emotions. It builds a bridge between the person’s mind and his or her body, even if it was for a brief moment. When the person ‘returns’ in the body, acknowledges the pain and sorrow, it will not only help manage the pain but will help reconnect with loved ones as well.

In EFT tapping we let the body tell its story. With the first chakra work we can tap on all the feelings having to do with the physical part of our existence. Important part of the first chakra is our family belief system and how we judge ourselves: Do I allow myself to ask for help? Can I show weakness and vulnerability? Is that safe for me? We become conscious of the negative stuff that goes on in our mind about our body and Emotional Freedom Technique can help facing and releasing it.

All seven main chakras need to be in balance and aligned; important work for everyone.