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.

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ACUPRESSURE

Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force (sometimes known as qi or chi) to aid healing.

Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses the gentle, but firm pressure of hands (and even feet). There is a large amount of scientific data demonstrating why and how acupuncture is effective. But acupressure, the older of the two traditions, was neglected after the Chinese developed more technical methods for stimulating points with needles and electricity.

Acupressure, however, continues to be the most effective method for self-treatment of tension-related ailments by using the power and sensitivity of the human hand. Foremost among the advantages of acupressure’s healing touch is that it is safe to do on yourself and others - even if you’ve never done it before - so long as you follow the instructions and pay attention to the cautions. The only pieces of equipment needed are your own two hands. You can practice acupressure therapy anytime, anywhere.

Acupressure can be effective in helping relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus problems, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches, tension due to stress, ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, lower backaches, constipation, and indigestion. Self-acupressure can also be used to relieve anxiety and get better sleep at night. There are also great advantages to using acupressure as a way to balance the body and maintain good health.

The healing touch of acupressure reduces tension, increases circulation, and enables the body to relax deeply. By relieving stress, acupressure strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness. In acupressure, local symptoms are considered an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. A tension headache, for instance, may be rooted in the shoulder and neck area. Thus, acupressure focuses on relieving pain and discomfort, as well as responding to tension, before it develops into a disease - before the constrictions and imbalances can do further damage.

The origins of acupressure are as ancient as the instinctive impulse to hold your forehead or temples when you have a headache. Everyone at one time or another has used their hands spontaneously to hold tense or painful places on the body. More than 5,000 years ago, the Chinese discovered that pressing certain points on the body relieved pain where it occurred and also benefited other parts of the body more remote from the pain and the pressure point. Gradually, they found other locations that not only alleviated pain, but also influenced the functioning of certain internal organs. (Definition in part from the book Acupressure’s Potent Points, by Michael Reed Gach, director of the Acupressure Institute.)

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ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is an ancient oriental healing technique based on the Taoist philosophy of balancing energy meridians within the body, thus allowing the body to heal itself.

Fine needles are painlessly inserted at key points corresponding to body organs to relieve pain and cure disease and dysfunction. Related techniques include the use of low voltage, electric current (electro acupuncture) or massage at key points (acupressure).

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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.

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THERAPEUTIC TOUCH

Developed through the collaboration of a nursing professor and a spiritual healer, Therapeutic Touch is based on ancient energy healing methods.

Practitioners, primarily nurses, are trained to feel or sense energy imbalances in the client and to use “laying on” of hands to disperse blocks and channel healing forces to the client’s body.

The therapist uses a light touch or holds the hand above the body, with the client generally seated. Meditation is used by the therapist to center herself and strengthen her connection to the client’s energy system.

Therapeutic Touch has been applied in an assortment of medical situations, including the care of premature infants and emergency room patients. It is known to induce a state of relaxation within minutes.

Therapeutic Touch is considered safe because of its gentle, noninvasive approach. Developers of this technique affirm that everyone has the potential to heal with Therapeutic Touch and may be taught the methodology in one day.

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MASSAGE, BODYWORK AND SOMATIC THERAPIES

Massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies is the application of various techniques to the muscular structure and soft tissues of the human body.

The application of massage, bodywork, and somatic therapy techniques may include, but is not limited to, stroking, kneading, tapping, compression, vibration, rocking, friction, pressure, and those techniques based on manipulation or the application of pressure to the muscular structure or soft tissues of the human body.

This may also include non-forceful passive or active movement and/or application of techniques intended to affect the energetic systems of the body. The use of oils, lotions, powders, or other lubricants may also be included.

Massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies specifically exclude diagnosis, prescription, manipulation, or adjustments of the human skeletal structure, or any other service, procedure, or therapy that requires a license to practice orthopedics, physical therapy, podiatry, chiropractic, osteopathy, psychotherapy, acupuncture, or any other profession or branch of medicine.

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ASTON-PATTERNING

Aston-Patterning is an educational process, developed by Judith Aston in 1977, combining movement coaching, bodywork, ergonomics, and fitness training. It can be helpful to individuals seeking relief from acute or chronic pain or for those wishing to improve their posture and increase the efficiency of their movement patterns either in activities of daily living or complex activities, such as athletics or the performing arts.

The movement work neurokinetics has two divisions. The first part involves instruction in the most efficient way to perform the simple activities of daily living, and then progresses to complex activities. The second part teaches the client how to use movement to decrease accumulated tension in the body.

The bodywork includes Aston massage, myokinetics, and arthrokinetics. The massage is a specialized form based on Swedish massage (not compressive) utilizing a three-dimensional touch which helps to release functional holding patterns (muscle tension being maintained by the nervous system and not yet creating a physiological change in the connective tissue) from surface to bone. Myokinetics is a form of myofascial release that unleashes deeply embedded structural holding patterns from the fascial network.

Arthrokinetics addresses structural holding patterns at the joint surfaces and along the bone. The bodywork is used to make new movement options available, and the sessions are followed with a movement lesson to assist the client in understanding how the tension had been created and how to maintain the changes achieved. The ergonomic training demonstrates to the client how environment affects their body’s alignment, dimensional integrity, and degree of effort required to perform activities, as well as identifying the role their environment has played in their current complaint. The client is trained to modify or negotiate with less-than-optimal situations, such as sitting in their office, home, or car, or shoes offering a less-than-optimal alignment while standing, walking, or running.

The Aston Fitness training includes vertical and horizontal loosening, toning, stretching, and cardiovascular fitness. The loosening moves are done lying and standing to address specific areas of tension which, when released, assist the client in achieving their best alignment and dimensional integrity before working out. Toning teaches the client how to address specific areas that are less toned in comparison to the rest of the body - in a way that won’t compromise any other area of the body. This results in an even distribution of muscle tone throughout the body so the workload is shared more evenly. Stretching is taught in a way that doesn’t borrow dimension from an adjacent body segment while working a specific area.

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RESTORATION THERAPY

Restoration therapy has been practiced in Japan for more than 1,500 years and has proven successful in the treatment of migraine headaches, nervous tension, general fatigue, and muscular aches and pains. Professor Seishiro Okazaki was the foremost exponent of restoration therapy in America. He founded the Kodenkan Dojo, Ju-Jitsu School, and Nikko Restoration Sanatorium in Honolulu in 1929.

The practitioners of this method in Japan are entitled to the same rank as doctor. It is a combination of amma (original Japanese therapy) acupressure, shiatsu, chiropractic, osteopathy, and herbal medicines.

Restoration therapy is divided into four age groups and to be a successful practitioner of restoration therapy, a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology is imperative.

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UNIFIED FIELD THERAPY

Unified field therapy (UFT) proposes that beyond the body, beyond energy, lies a matrix of consciousness that permeates every aspect of our world. This dynamic, ever expansive matrix forms a single field from which all conscious life flows. This field is called the Unified Field.

All physical, mental, emotional, and energetic patterns known to our world originate from this single source. Present in our every experience, these patterns form the very fabric of our reality. The most subtle shift or change in these patterns can yield immense expansion in our consciousness and bring enormous transformation to one’s life. Utilizing this knowledge, Unified field therapy directly accesses the Unified Field to initiate shifts within a conscious system.

Clients remain fully clothed and are asked to lie face up on a massage table in a comfortable position with eyes closed and attention focused internally. The therapist then begins to evaluate, palpate, and integrate fields of consciousness surrounding and permeating the client. This can be done in a hands-on or hands-off application. Sessions last approximately 40 to 60 minutes. Accordingly, clients must define for themselves how their consciousness integrates and changes as a result of this work. For this reason, therapists are trained not to define or project their perceptions or expectations onto a client’s experience.

Therapists often request that new clients follow up between 48 to 72 hours after the initial visit to discuss any additional “shifts” that may have occurred in the interim.

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STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

Based on the work of Dr. Ida P. Rolf, structural integration is based on the idea the entire structural order of the body needs to be realigned and balanced with the gravitational forces around a “central vertical line” representing gravity’s influence.

Therapeutic intervention is directed toward the myofascial system - the ligaments, muscles, tendons, and surrounding connective tissues.

A practitioner of structural integration has a 10-session cycle of work - they use different angles and degrees of physical pressure to stretch and guide fascia to a place of easier movement. The process is not intended to “cure” symptoms; its goal is to create a more resilient, higher-energy system free of inhibitions due to past trauma.

See: Rolfing.

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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.

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JIN SHIN DO

Developed by psychotherapist Iona Marsaa Teeguarden, Jin Shin Do combines gentle, yet deep finger pressure on acu-points with simple body focusing techniques to release physical and emotional tension. The client determines the depth of the pressure.

Jin Shin Do promotes a pleasurable, trancelike state during which the recipient can get in touch with the body and access feelings or emotions related to the physical condition. This body/mind approach, performed on the fully-clothed client, is a synthesis of a traditional Japanese acupressure technique, classic Chinese acupuncture theory, Taoist yogic philosophy and breathing methods, and Reichian segmental theory. The client lies on her back on a massage table while the practitioner holds “local points” in tension areas together with related “distal points,” which help the armored places to release more easily and deeply. A typical session is about 11?2 hours.

Jin Shin Do acupressure is effective in helping relieve tension and fatigue, stress-related headaches and gastro-intestinal problems, back and shoulder pain, eye strain, menstrual and menopausal imbalances, sinus pain, and allergies. (With medical problems, the client is asked to consult a doctor.) Over a period of 10 or more sessions, armoring is progressively released in the head, neck, shoulders, chest, diaphragm, abdomen, pelvis, and legs.

After sessions, clients typically feel deeply relaxed and may even feel euphoric. If the client is responsive, there will be significantly less tension and pain together with an increased sense of well-being for hours or days. This response will tend to extend after further sessions. In the case of chronic fatigue, initially the client may feel more tired after a session, because the body is demanding rest. It is advisable to schedule sessions with time to rest and relax afterward. On the other hand, Jin Shin Do can be used before athletic events to improve performance, for horses as well as for people. “The Way of the Compassionate Spirit” is based on the eight “Strange Flows” that regulate the entire body/mind energy.

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PRANIC HEALING

Pranic Healing is a new science of bioenergetic healing. Developed in the Philippines by Master Choa Kok Sui, it is a practical, easy-to-learn, and highly effective healing art using prana, a vital life force, to correct energetic imbalances underlying most physical, psychological, and psychospiritual ailments.

Pranic Healers are trained to use their hands to accurately evaluate the energetic condition of the aura, 11 major chakras, and corresponding minor and mini chakras. Healers then seal holes and cracks, clean out devitalized energy, and energize with fresh prana.

Advanced practitioners are trained to deliver healing down to the cellular level. Removing devitalized energy before energizing makes healing more efficient and helps clients avoid “healing crises.” All work is done off the body and sessions are painless.

Pranic Healing can be performed on its own or as a complementary therapy to modern medicine and other healing modalities. Different levels of training are offered. Basic Pranic Healing teaches seven fundamental techniques to heal simple and moderate illnesses.

Advanced Pranic Healing specializes in healing severe ailments, and teaching the correct proportion, sequence, combination, and use of colored pranas. Pranic Psychotherapy focuses on the healing of mental and emotional disorders, and working with the root and web of chakras to disintegrate and transmute negative psychic energies. It took 20 years of scientific experimentation and research to develop Pranic Healing, which synthesizes the best techniques of the Tibetan, Chinese, India, and Filipino healing systems.

It is known internationally and is practiced in more than 30 countries. Master Choa Kok Sui has authored Pranic Healing, Advanced Pranic Healing, Pranic Psychotherapy, and Pranic Crystal Healing, which have been translated into 21 languages.

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ALCHEMICAL SYNERGY

Developed by Kamala Renner, Alchemical Synergy is a process of evolving universal energy patterns and is used as a holistic counseling system that focuses on achieving transformation by utilizing the universal four forces of centripetal, centrifugal, gravity, and electromagnetics - the consciousness portion of the Big Bang theory relative to the beginning of the universe.

Centripetal controls all inward movement, allowing us to go inside to observe and reconnect with our inner world which contains knowledge of all that is natural for us as an individual. Centrifugal controls all outward movement, allowing interaction of the consciousness with the surroundings and other people.

Centripetal and centrifugal are duality and control all activity that depends on yin/yang, negative/positive balance for its existence. Gravity regulates the action of centripetal and centrifugal to ensure universal balance and stimulates the ability to step out of duality to observe the effect of its interaction from a neutral space.

Electromagnetics is the life force that is a catalyst for reproduction to occur, allowing the evolution of consciousness to continue. Synergy training defines every experience in categories relative to the force from which it originates. When we are aware of the influence of the four forces, we can begin to alter structures and patterns that cause stagnation in personal growth.(Adapted from Holistic Health Directory.)

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ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

The Alexander Technique is movement education in which the student is taught to sit, stand, and move in ways that reduce physical stress on the body.

Alexander Technique teachers use gentle manual guidance and verbal cues to improve students’ posture and movement patterns. A lesson or group class typically involves basic movements such as sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, carrying, and lying down. It may also involve more specialized activities such as playing a musical instrument, working at a computer, etc. T

he teacher’s manual guidance stresses the adjustment of the head, neck, and torso relationship. In beginning lessons, the teacher closely monitors the student. Later, the student learns to monitor herself, ultimately learning a unique self-management process - an understanding of balance and dynamic postural control. F. M. Alexander, an Australian actor, developed the technique in the late 1800s as a result of attempting to solve his own physical problem of losing his voice on stage.

He discovered that misuse of the neuromuscular activity of the head, neck, and spine caused maladaptive functioning and that this movement could be corrected. As he began to teach his technique, he found that his students’ overall health improved and that the technique could be used to address a wide array of problems.

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ST. JOHN

St. John’s neuromuscular therapy seeks out the cause of pain, focusing on creating a balance between the muscular and nervous systems.

This bodywork focuses on five basic principles - biomechanics, ischemis, trigger points, postural distortion, and nerve entrapment and compression - that are important factors in the body’s physical homeostasis. Also, attention is given to hormonal balance, nutrition, and elimination of toxins. This therapy is used to treat soft-tissue pain throughout most of the body.

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ASHIATSU ORIENTAL BAR THERAPY

Developed by Ruthie Hardee in 1995, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy combines elements of traditional Thai massage, Barefoot shiatsu and Keralite foot massage (Chavutti Thirummal).

Incorporating overhead wooden bar supports, the therapist uses body weight and gliding foot compression on strategic points along the muscles. When performed near the spine, this form of effleurage creates a “push, pull, pumping” effect on the intervertebral disc space and relieves irritations on the spinal nerve caused by inflammation and swelling.

Note: The application of this technique is not to be done on a floor mat or through clothing. This technique was designed for smaller, petite therapists who wish to specialize in deep work.

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STRAIN / COUNTERSTRAIN

Developed by osteopath Lawrence Jones, this noninvasive treatment helps decrease protective muscle spasms and alleviate somatic dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system.

By using palpation and passive positional procedures, the therapist practicing strain/counterstrain therapy can help restore pain-free movement. The position that relieves the referred pain is held for 90 seconds. After resuming the original position and pressing the trigger point, the referred pain is gone.

Although the client is often asked to bend or twist like a contortionist to secure a comfortable position, for the most part clients report effectiveness of the procedure.

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ZERO BALANCING

Zero balancing was developed by Fritz Smith, M.D., and has its roots in osteopathy, acupuncture, Rolfing, and meditation. Relaxing, yet energizing, zero balancing integrates fundamental principles of Western medicine with Eastern concepts of energy.

This technique provides clients the possibility of healing by addressing the energy flow of the skeletal system. By working with bone energy, zero balancing seeks to correct imbalances between energy and structure, providing relief from pain, anxiety, and stress.

A zero balancing session, which consists of gentle acupressure focusing on joints and bones, generally takes 30 to 40 minutes and is done through the client’s clothing while they lie on a massage table. For the massage therapist or bodyworker, zero balancing may enhance other modalities and open new avenues of energetic and structural balancing through touch.

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AIKIDO

This noncompetitive Japanese martial art aims to harmonize energy with that of a partner or opponent in order to achieve both physical and emotional mastery through peaceful resolution.

Aikido literally means the path to the coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Aikido is a defensive system of continuous, circular motions, combining many of the fluid, dance-like movements of t’ai chi along with more subtle, stylized techniques.

When practiced properly, successful defense is achieved through minimal action. Originally seen as a combination of religion and martial arts, aikido was created by Morehei Ueshiba in the early 20th century.

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