HOW CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY CAN HELP WITH DEPRESSION

                              What is true healing?

There is a difference between healing and curing.

Healing is a natural process and is within the power of everyone. Curing usually consists of an external treatment, used to cover or eliminate symptoms. This external treatment often does not address the issues that caused the symptoms in the first place. Healing goes deeper than curing and brings together the often hidden aspects of a person's life as they relate to illness.

We live in a culture that fails to recognize how intimately the mind and body are connected. Therefore, it may take a leap of faith to trust the wisdom of the body. Covering up our symptoms with external ''cures'' prevents us from healing the parts of our lives that may need attention and change.

Emotional distress

Our emotions are one of the most powerful forces inside us determining our behaviour and the way we interact with the world. There are limits to the amount of emotional challenge we can deal with at any one time, and if too much comes our way, we can often feel overwhelmed.
Craniosacral therapy (CST)  helps us process unresolved emotions, freeing up our systems so that we feel less overwhelmed, much calmer and on top of things.

Introducing a contact that is respectful and considers a deep need for clear and safe boundaries is very liberating for people who have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse. People who are unable to let go of a difficult past experience often feel trapped in a state of confusion and anxiety, and can become even more distressed by the simple fact they cannot be themselves anymore.

CST works with sensitivity and brings a sense of what really feels OK and safe for the client.
Sometimes when we say we are ok, we may not be aware that in fact our body is giving a clear indication that it is not happy. A Craniosacral therapist can feel protective mechanisms and areas of numbness in the body that the client might not be aware of.
It is much easier to be objective and clear with someone else's system than our own, and when your nervous system is treated with a deeper care and clarity, this is when you are able to open up and let go far more than you would normally. Honouring your body's reactions and giving plenty space can help you let go of tension that you didn't know was there

When someone is going through powerful emotions such as grief, or anger, CST can help the situation become more manageable by getting in touch with the body and how emotions are held there. For example, if someone has an argument with their partner and is punched in the face, their nervous system will remember this in several layers: where they were when it happened, what the argument was about, a sense of anger, mistrust, fear etc, where they were hit, etc.
The memory will be stored in conjunction with what the body experienced. If the person is overwhelmed by this situation, the affected body parts will also go into overwhelm and will be holding themselves in a particular way. The point is, most experience is not just a mental thing, it includes the body's reaction too.
All too often emotions are dealt with on a mental level, leaving out the physical container of emotion, so the situation is only half-processed. CST is centred on the body, and allows your mental, emotional, and physical side to connect and release, allowing for a much fuller process to take place and leave you feeling much clearer.
The Craniosacral therapist can be in discussion with you as you explain your feelings, and be in touch with the relevant part of your system at the same time, integrating your body's response with the emotional response.
It is usually much easier to release emotional difficulties when a link between the mind and body are established.

Alternatively, some people find it very hard putting their emotions into words. Working directly with the body can be more comfortable way of expressing feelings held inside for those who find it difficult expressing things verbally. CST works with what feels comfortable for you.

REFLEXOLOGY FOR CANCER PATIENTS

Reflexology is a touch therapy which works by applying pressure and massage to certain areas on your feet and hands.Reflexologists believe you have ' reflex areas ' in your feet that relate to individual parts of your body. And thus by applying pressure to certain reflex areas, certain bodily functions or corresponding organs can be stimulated. It is one of the most popular types of complementary therapies in the Uk among cancer patients. As it is a complementary therapy it should not be used as an alternative to conventional medicine but rather as an additional therapy to conventional treatment.

How does reflexology work?

The human body is divided into different zones represented by a point in the foot or hand.
Our feet and hands have nerve endings. Reflexology works by stimulating these nerve endings which results in promoting relaxation, improving circulation, stimulating vital organs in the body and encouraging the body's natural healing processes. Unlike conventional medicine, reflexology works on the underlying problems within the body and through the body's nervous system.

Can reflexology help cancer patients?

 Reflexology aims to help muscles relax and encourage the body to use its own resources more effectively. As a result, reflexology is believed to help with a wide variety of conditions and disorders including:

   * coping with stress and anxiety, reducing tension

   * pain relieve

   * help lift patient' s mood and give them a feeling of well - being

Reflexology will not fix serious health problems but if used regularly it will enhance any other treatments you are receiving by keeping the circulation stimulated and the lymph system active.
You should also experience feelings of vitality and well- being after reflexology treatment which encourages the healing process throughout the body.


On your first visit, your reflexologist will ask you some general questions about your health, lifestyle and medical history. If they have any concerns that reflexology could interfere with your health, or with any drugs you are currently taking, they might ask to speak to your GP.
There may be situations where your doctor does not recommend reflexology.

INFORMATION ON CANCER FROM JOHNS HOPKINS

Cancer - Johns Hopkins

After years of telling people chemotherapy is the only way to try to eliminate cancer, Johns Hopkins is finally starting to tell you there is an alternative way.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at
Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center as well.

Cancer update from Johns Hopkins

1-Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they   have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell a cancer patient there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2-Cancer cells occur between six to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3-When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4-When a person has cancer indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors
.
5-To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6-Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, etc.

7-Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8-Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumour size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumour destruction.

9-When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10-Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11-An effective way to battle cancer cells is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

Cancer cells feed on

1. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts.

2. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

3. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

4. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork.
Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

Advices

1. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans....
Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.
To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells, drink fresh vegetable juice and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 F (40 degrees C).

2.Avoid coffee, tea and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties.

3. Water: best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

4. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic build-up.

5.Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

6. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs, etc) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.

7. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells.

8. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.
Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

9. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level
Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

Caution

1. No plastic containers in microwave. 
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Do not freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as these releases dioxins from plastic.

Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Coming Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc, should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.

He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved the foam containers to paper...The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

STRESS

Some degree of stress in life is beneficial; most people would find a life in relaxed tranquility extremely dull. Healthy stress helps us to get things done and so,to success and achievement.
When stress becomes a problem, this is more often than not the result of continuous mental or physical pressures that individuals find impossible to meet. The trigger point varies from person to person, some people thrive on a degree of stress but excessive stress, or suffering from stress over a period of time, is generally not good for the health (90 % of medical conditions are stress-related).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Individuals vary in their reaction to stress, but if you frequently experience any four signs or symptoms in each of the three categories that follow, or any eight of them on occasions, consult your doctor and work on relaxation techniques to reduce your stress level.

Emotional signs:
-Irritability or over-excitability / Feeling depressed / Suspiciousness
-Intolerance of others or yourself / Aggressiveness or Anger / Tension
-Fussing over small things / Restlessness or Impulsiveness / Despondency
-Loss of concentration / Feelings of frustration / Feelings of panic
-Anxiety about minor things / Frequent crying / Feeling of being apart
-Nightmares or Disturbed dreams / Hesitating over decisions
-Loss of interest in sex / Illogical worries or Fears
-Feeling of loss of control

Behavioral signs:
-Increased alcohol consumption , use of medication, smoking, casual sex
-Overeating /Obsessive dieting or taking laxatives
-An eye tic / Gnashing or Grinding of teeth / Frowning / Hair twiddling
-Finger or Foot tapping / Nail biting/ Pacing the floor / Prone to accidents
-Scratching the scalp / Excessive concern about time / Increased lethargy
-Loss of interest in personal appearance / Loss of sense of humor
-Difficulty in getting to sleep or back to it / Difficulty in waking

Physical signs:
-Headaches / Dry mouth or throat / Butterflies in the stomach
-Indigestion/ Nausea / Constipation / Diarrhoea
-Unusual gain or loss in weight / Unusual gain or loss of appetite
-Skin problems- eczema, hives, rashes
-Ulcers / High blood pressure / Palpitations
-Excessive sweating / Cold sweats /Rapid or irregular breathing
-Tightness in the chest / Increase incidence of allergies / Frequent colds or flu
-Premenstrual tension( PMT) / Impotence or Frigidity

Having recognized the problem, there is much that you can do for yourself to help resolve it.
Look at the main cause of stress in your life and decide how you can reduce their levels.
Look at your workload and decide how to cut it down if you need to. Prioritize, Delegate, Eliminate.
Concentrate on problem-solving , unresolved problems continue to produce stress.
Increasing the amount of exercise you take will help, but you should not undertake a program of vigorous exercise without consulting your doctor.
Eating regularly and healthily is also important, you should feel better within two weeks if you improve your diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.

Learning how to relax your muscles and breath deeply and calmly will help you to manage stress more effectively.
Therapies that will help with stress are: massage,reflexology,acupuncture,craniosacral therapy,
reiki, kinesiology,yoga, meditation, aromatherapy...............

REFLEXOLOGY IN PREGNANCY

Are you feeling tired, uncomfortable, or nauseous in your pregnancy?
You may be surprised to know that an ancient form of healing called reflexology can actually help treat many comon pregnancy ailments and even help you during labour.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is the technique of applying gentle pressure to the reflexes (pressure points) on the feet or hands to clear the vital energy pathways that can become blocked due to the stresses and strains of life. It is thought that the hands and feet are like mirror images of the body, with various points representing different structures and organs.

A treatment involves the therapist applying pressure and movement to find the blockages and break up patterns of stress, restoring balance and relieving tension.

Is it safe in pregnancy?

Reflexology is generally considered safe in pregnancy, provided all is well with your pregnancy and your reflexologist knows that you are pregnant.
However, some reflexologists will not treat a pregnant woman during the first trimester.
The Association of Reflexologists (AOR) says that this is due to a misplaced patient fear that reflexology may cause a miscarriage.
The AOR says that there is no evidence that this may be the case; however, as miscarriages are more common in the first term of pregnancy, some reflexologists are not prepared to take the risk that the client may blame them should a miscarriage take place.

A miscarriage is a reaction of the body, NOT a reaction to reflexology. Under no circumstances has reflexology ever been shown to have caused the body to do something it didn't want to do.

When should be avoided?

Refleology is like exercise, it should be done gradually and within your comfort range.
However, there are some conditions where it should be avoided altogether and these include:

- Pre-term labour - at any time before 37 weeks gestation.
- Placenta previa - if Grade II or III after 32 weeks gestation.
- Hydroamnios - if there is too much amniotic fluid around the baby after 32 weeks gestation.

Women with certain conditions should seek medical advice before having reflexology. These include:

- women with a risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
- Women with a risk of pre-eclampsia.

In cases where the mother-to be is diabetic, she should check her blood sugar before and after treatments, as reflexology helps to balance the endocrine system and insulin production.

How can it help?

The AOR says: '' Nearly everyone can benefit from having reflexology during pregnancy.''

It is very successful in the treatment of a wide variety of pregnancy discomforts and conditions.

- morning sickness

- nausea and headaches

- pain and discomfort

- loss of bladder control

- backache

- stress and anxiety

- lack of sleep and fatigue

- digestive problems e.g. constipation

- fluid retention and swelling

- cramps

During labour itself, it can be used for relaxation and pain relief and research has shown that women who have regular reflexology treatments during pregnancy have far shorter labours than those who don't.

Both expectant parents will benefit from reflexology treatments during pregnancy to help couples during the emotional changes of pregnancy and birth.

As well as this, much research has shown that reflexology is excellent for maintaining or increasing milk supply as well as helping with postnatal depression and general relaxation.

* CHAKRA HEALING

''Chakra'' is a Sanskrit word meaning ''wheel''.
A chakra is like a vortex: a constantly revolving wheel of energy.
These vortexes connect the subtle bodies and act as transducers for life-force energy.
The chakras distribute the life force through the physical and subtle bodies. They are the source of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy.

Traditionally, there are seven major chakras associated with the physical body.
They are aligned with the spine and located in:
-the base of the spine
-the lower abdomen (sacral)
-the solar plexus
-the heart
-the throat
-the centre of the forehead (third eye)
-the crown of the head

When our chakras are blocked, or not in balance, the free flow of energy is impeded, leading to physical, emotional, mental or spiritual dis-ease.

When the chakras are unblocked and free-flowing, however, we enjoy optimum health.
Each chakra is associated with specific colours and crystals and governs different aspects of human emotion and behaviour.

Using crystals with the chakras can have a great healing effect.

Base Chakra

Muladhara

Located at the base of the spine. Colour is red (representing passion for life).
Governed by the adrenal glands, it looks after our bones, legs, feet,teeth, nails, spinal column, anus, rectum, colon, prostate gland, blood and cell building, immune system.

The Base Chakra is related to grounding, rooting and support. It is associated with interconnection with the earth, with our survival instincts and self-preservation.
Relates also to the physical body, individuality, stability and security.

When the Base Chakra is open and functioning well, one has a powerful will to live, is full of physical energy, vitality and potency.