Acupuncture: An ancient element of traditional Chinese medicine. This practice can balance the flow of vital life energy, or qi throughout the body. Practitioners insert special needles into accupoints just below the skin’s surface in order to bring qi into harmony. It can treat a wide range of diseases, help manage pain, and build the immune response.

(See also: Acupuncture, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Acupuncture: An ancient Chinese technique based on the belief that life energy flows through channels in the body known as meridians. Thin, solid needles are inserted at “reflex points” along these meridians to stimulate, disperse, and/or regulate the flow of this “chi.” The goal is to restore a healthful energetic balance as well as to treat acute, chronic, and degenerative conditions.

(See also: Acupuncture, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

FENG SHUI

Feng shui (translated as “wind and water”) is the Chinese system of balancing the energy patterns of the physical environment. A composite of mystical beliefs, astrology, folklore, and common sense, the Chinese believe feng shui blends ancient wisdom with cultural tradition.

The laws of feng shui provide for positioning homes/businesses and designing room and office layouts in ways that promise to enhance the quality of their owners’ lives and businesses by channeling energy in positive ways. These principles strive for creating balanced, peaceful dwellings by bringing together the external and internal and living in harmony with natural and man-made environments.

Good feng shui promises occupants health, happiness, prosperity, and long life - a conscious connection between the outside environment and the world within. These same principles can also be applied to the human body (called min xiang shue) to promote inner character and restore harmony to areas of imbalance. Through meditation and daily exercises, min xiang shue can allow a deeper self-awareness and regeneration.

(See also: FENG SHUI, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Toning

Vocalizing long, sustained sounds using a vowel, a consonant, or a combination of both without melody, words, beat or rhythm. Toning, an ancient method for pain relief and for treating illness, is one of the oldest forms of healing: also known as sounding, toning is the simplest form of singing. Toning produces vibrations with overtones, or 'vocal harmonics,' which help restore harmony of body, mind and spirit.

(See also: Toning, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Tibetan Pulsing Healing (Tibetan Pulsing): Modern approach to an ancient Tibetan technique. It is a form of bodywork whose principle is that sound and the pulse are usable to dissolve blockages in the nervous system. Its theory posits (a) a 'cool' healing fire created by the heart, and (b) the hara,a controller of the immune system wherein sexual energy often is locked. Tibetan Pulsing includes a system of eye-reading whose design is to determine which organs need attention.

(See also: Tibetan Pulsing Healing, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

AMMA/ANMA

Amma (sometimes spelled anma) is the traditional word for massage in the Japanese language. It comes from the Chinese tradition of massage, anmo. This form of bodywork is based on the principles of Chinese medicine and is more than 5,000 years old. When anmo was brought to Japan, the technique was further refined into its own therapeutic art form, amma.

The amma techniques encompass a myriad of pressing, stroking, stretching, and percussive manipulations with the thumbs, fingers, arms, elbows, knees, and feet on acupressure points along the body’s 14 major meridians. Amma brings to Western culture the ancient art and wisdom of traditional Japanese massage.

Through the structure of kata (choreographed movement), amma teaches the importance of rhythm, pacing, precision, and form in massage. Shiatsu - a style of bodywork popularized after World War II - was developed from the amma tradition. Unlike Western massage, amma utilizes no oils and can be done through clothing with the client either sitting or lying. This makes amma an extremely flexible style of massage suitable to a wide variety of client needs and environments.

(See also: AMMA, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Mantras

Handed down since ancient times by religious seers who had attained self-realization by chanting them, mantras are words or syllables in Sanskrit which when repeated in meditation helps you transcend into a higher state of consciousness.

As sound energies that have always existed the universe, they cannot be created or destroyed and command the power to heal you physically & spiritually. At the very basic level mantras help you to concentrate in meditation. And once you enter its auspicious circle, the mind instantly gets focussed and you discover a new realm of peace and tranquility.

The original of all mantras, Om, is the root of all sounds, thus letters and therefore of all language and thought. The "O" is generated deep within the body, from inside the navel, and slowly brought upward joining with the "m" which then resonates through the entire head. Chanting Om in a whisper correctly for twenty minutes relaxes every atom in of every cell of your body.

A mala (garland of Sandal or Rudraksha) is often used in accompaniment. It has one hundred and eight beads plus the larger `meru' beads. Holding it in the right hand, start at the meru and roll the beads along one by one between your thumb and third fingers while repeating your mantra. When you reach the meru, roll the mala in the opposite direction. Do not cross over the meru bead.

(See also: Mantras, Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Music Therapy

Music therapy is a scientific method of effective cures of disease through the power of music. It restores, maintains and improves emotional, psychological and physiological well being. The articulation, pitch, tone and specific arrangement of swars (notes) in a particular raga (melody) stimulates, alleviates and cures various ailments.

Music therapy has a long history dating back to ancient Greece. King David's curing an illness by playing the harp would count for the same in the Old Testament. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used it extensively. In ancient Egypt pain of childbirth was reduced thus. In Indian legends Thyagaraja, the famous south Indian musician is believed to have sung back life into the dead. And in 1729 Richard Browne compiled the well-known Medicina Musica.

Music can be defined as "…a kind of inarticulate, unfathomable speech which leads us to the edge of the infinite and lets us for a moment gaze into that." Basically a sound (nada) generating particular vibrations which moves through space and effects the human body. In classical Indian system it usually takes the form of a raga which has four sources - folk songs, poetry, devotional songs of mystics and compositions of classical musicians.

Ragas are closely related to time of the day and seasonal changes and emotional status. Symphonies of raga have a definite soothing effect on the mind as well as the body. The muscles, nerves and chakras of affected parts go through alternate contraction and relaxation during impulses and the in-between intervals respectively. This enables energy from a universal energy field to flow into human energy field and affect the central nervous system - roots of auditory nerves being more widely distributed than any other. Also beats in music have a close relation with heart beats with those below the pulse rate calm & relax the system and those above excite & rejuvinate.

While ragas can cure tension, blood pressure, heart ailments, insomnia and other disorders, it should be kept in mind that such therapy treatment should be conducted either early morning, evening or late night, never long sessions on an empty stomach and ideally with regular short breaks in between.

(See also: Music Therapy  , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

pneumo-acupuncture: Technique described in ancient Chinese literature. It involves injecting air under the skin.

(See also: Pneumo-acupuncture, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Classical Five Element Acupuncture: Ancient Chinese healing art. One of its principles is that Spirit is a fundamental aspect in the maintenance of well-being.

(See also: Classical Five Element Acupuncture, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Ayurveda

is the ancient traditional healing system of India. More than 5,000 years old, Ayurveda is the science of developing health, vitality and harmony within our body and environment.

Ayurveda teaches how to keep the physical body healthy, and how this health relates to our spiritual journey. The results of diagnostic procedures, such as mind-body typing (pitta, kapha, vata) and pulse analysis, are employed to develop an optimized lifestyle of dietary habits, herbal supplements and physical and meditative practices.

(See also: Ayurveda, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

NUAT THAI

This form of traditional Thai medical massage that originated in the Vajrayana Yogic medicine of Tibet. Translated and creatively adapted to the needs of the modern West by Anthony B. James, Ph.D., Nuat Thai massage facilitates and promotes a harmonious state of being.

The ancient Tibetans and subsequently the Thai carefully recorded various states of disease and imbalances of the body, mind, and emotions and, over time, devised methods for influencing the course of these imbalances. This was important, since these imbalances often kept people from experiencing life in a full and productive way.

Nuat Thai incorporates elements of mindfulness, gentle rocking, deep stretching, and rhythmic compression to create a singular healing experience. This work, a unique form of Vajrayana yoga, focuses on balancing energy and creating wholeness of mind, body, and spirit in the client and practitioner.

The four principle methods used in Nuat Thai are Wai Khruu (prayers and spiritual practice), herbs, diet, and laying-on of hands. In the hands-on aspect, the practitioner literally takes the client through a series of specific postures called asanas, progressively facilitating energy and balancing chakra function.

Nuat Thai massage is an excellent alternative therapy for rehabilitation, pain relief, and stress reduction. It is nurturing, calming, and enlivening. Training is comprehensive and the practitioner level may take up to two years.

(See also: NUAT THAI, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

HYDROTHERAPY

Although ancient Greece and Rome had both adopted the beliefs that water had healing properties, it was the Romans to first integrate hydrotherapy into their social life, building temples and baths near natural springs. Father Sebastian Kneipp from Worshofen, Bavaria, however, was the true father of modern-day hydrotherapy in Germany.

Various hydrotherapy massage techniques exist and are generally utilized by massage/bodywork practitioners, physical therapists, physicians, and spa technicians. These include underwater massage, herbal baths, thalassotherapy, Kneipp therapy, vichy treatments, scotch hoses, and Swiss showers.

(See also: HYDROTHERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Acupuncture

is an ancient Chinese system of healing that views health as the balance within an individual's healing energy, or chi. Acupuncturists help chi move along pathways, known as meridians, that connect various organs and systems within the body. The uninterrupted and balanced flow of energy along these meridians contributes to one's overall health.

However, blockages and imbalances result in pain and illness. The acupuncturist inserts very fine, sterile needles at specific acupuncture points along the meridians to redirect and reposition the flow of energy. Instead of or in addition to needles, small rolled-up cones of moxa, the dried leaves of the mugwort plant, are often placed on the point and burned until heat is felt.

(See also: Acupuncture, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

REFLEXOLOGY

Based on an ancient Chinese therapy, reflexology involves manipulation of specific reflex areas in the foot, hands, and ears that correspond to other parts of the body.

Sometimes referred to as zone therapy, this bodywork involves application of pressure to these reflex zones to stimulate body organs and relieve areas of congestion.

Similar to acupressure principles, reflexology works with the body’s energy flow to stimulate self-healing and maintain balance in physical function. Developed in the United States in the early 1900s, this technique is used today to reduce pain, increase relaxation, and stimulate circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids. It is especially useful in stress-related illness and emotional disorders.

Reflexology is also convenient in cases where an area of the body is traumatized or diseased to the extent that direct manipulation is not appropriate.

(See also: REFLEXOLOGY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Energy: Qigong

The word Qigong (pronounced CHEE-gung) is a combination of two ideas: "Qi" means air, breath of life, or vital energy of the body, and "gong" means the skill of working with, or cultivating, self-discipline and achievement.

The art of Qigong consists primarily of meditation, relaxation, physical movement, mind-body integration, and breathing exercises. Practitioners of Qigong develop an awareness of Qi sensations (energy) in their bodies and use their minds to guide the Qi. When the practitioners achieve a sufficient skill level (master), they can direct or emit external Qi for the purpose of healing others. 

Qigong has evolved from many sources throughout the East. Although China is seen today as being the origin of both ancient and modern Qigong, all of the Asian countries have histories filled with examples of these traditional forms and styles of Qigong. From India, monks traveling to China thousands of years ago introduced many methods into the Chinese culture.

From Buddhist traditions, Qigong methods promoted a sense of acceptance and ways of harmonizing life as a reflection of the greater unfolding of one's purpose in the world. Taoist (DOW-ist) Buddhist monks often prefer forms of Qigong that help achieve balance and promote longevity as a way of prolonging life and achieving optimum health. From the martial arts world, Qigong is used to develop both internal and external strength for fighting and self-development.

The emerging field of Chinese medical Qigong is rapidly spreading throughout the world and utilizes the energy stored in and transmitted through the healer to aid in the treatment of many acute and chronic diseases. This form is referred to as Qi-emission.

(See also: Qigong, Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

CHI KUNG (QI GONG)

Or “Energy Control,” dates back to over 4,000 years, and is the art of developing and utilizing universal energy that is necessary for good health, vitality, mind expansion and spiritual development. It is the sacred art of self-healing through the practice and experience of working and being the life force energy. There are many varieties and different forms of this powerful form of self-healing, and raising of consciousness, which are an integral part of Chinese medicine, even to this day. Being such an ancient practice, it was developed in the monasteries, and was a major contributor to a number of the martial arts of today. It is a means by which one can balance the Qi, or Chi, or Life Force Energy, within the body, mind and spirit, to attain and maintain good health, calmness, and raise consciousness. It can be seen as meditation in motion, using postures, physical movements, and breathing, all in a very gentle fashion. When the Qi is developed remarkable things happen. You only have to read about the Qi Gong Masters, of whom such a guiding light, is Yan Xin, and many others. Their abilities and healing attributes are phenomenal.

(See also: CHI KUNG, QI GONG, Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Reflexology: An ancient Chinese technique in which specific pressure points (usually on the feet, but also on the hands and ears) are massaged in order to re-establish the flow of energy throughout the body. Relieves stress and releases energy and pressure throughout the body.

(See also: Reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK

Developed by Dr. Stanislov Grof, a psychiatrist working with people in non-ordinary states of consciousness, and by Christina Grof, a transpersonal teacher, this is a simple, yet powerful technique for self-exploration and healing based on combined insights from modern consciousness research, depth psychology, and perennial spiritual practices.

The method activates non-ordinary states of consciousness which mobilize the spontaneous healing potential of the psyche. Sustained effective breathing, evocative music, focused energy work, and mandala drawing are components of this subjective journey.

Holotropic literally means moving toward wholeness. Virtually all ancient and native traditions recognize the psychological and spiritual healing potential of states of consciousness that differ from what we call ordinary.

Holotropic Breathwork is a powerful method of self-exploration and healing. This work can be useful for artists wishing to facilitate their creativity, persons seeking a deep level of healing, those seeking to explore their inner self and/or the transpersonal dimensions, and it can lead to a spiritual opening and transformation.

(See also: HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Qigong (gi gong and chi-kung):

ancient Chinese exercise that stimulates and balances the flow of qi, or vital life energy by using breath, movement, and meditation to cleanse, strengthen, and circulate the blood and vital life energy. Certain qigong "masters" are considered to be "energetic healers," who via "external" qigong use some of their own energy to strengthen the vitality of others who have ailments.

(See also: Qigong, Alternative Medicine, Body Mind and Soul)

Unani (Unani medicine, Unani system of medicine, Unani Tibb): System based on the ancient Greek theory of four basic elements - air, earth, fire, and water - and four bodily fluids (humors) - blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile (choler). The goal of Unani is the balancing of humors. Temperament stems from the dominant humor and is a determinant of diagnosis and treatment. For example, anger and irritability manifest an excess of yellow bile. Unani is the Arabic word for Greek. Hikmat and Tibe-Unani are synonymous with Unani medicine.

(See also: Unani, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Feng Shui

is the ancient Chinese art of environmental design and placement. Whereas tai chi and acupuncture modify and balance chi within the body, feng shui balances the chi in one's surroundings. Because one's home and workplace expresses one's physical, psychological and spiritual condition, understanding how the qualities and the flow of energy (or lack thereof) in personal spaces affects your mood and mental state can lead to creating a more harmonious, nurturing environment.

(See also: Feng Shui, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)