| On the regular basis, the mainstream medicine to | | | | the healing life force. |
| diagnose and treat medical ailments and acute | | | | Benefit for women: Shiatsu helps to alleviate |
| illnesses is the way to go. All the various scientific | | | | menstrual cramping and discomfort by calming the |
| studies, quality control, rigorous standards, and | | | | nervous system, relaxing muscle spasms in the |
| widely tested effectiveness makes the | | | | uterus and promoting the smooth release of |
| conventional medicine a logical and safe choice. | | | | blood. |
| However, in addition to the regular scientific ways, | | | | Quality varies between places and practitioners, |
| I am fascinated by the complementary alternative | | | | so ask a friend for recommendation or do your |
| medicine and treatments as a way to enhance | | | | own research. Some health insurance plans cover |
| the self-healing power of the body. I have | | | | Shiatsu massage if the practitioner is registered |
| personally experienced the healing power of | | | | (RMT) - check with your insurance provider. |
| various pressure point and energetic therapies. | | | | Reiki |
| When recovering from my accident I utilized a lot | | | | Reiki is a Japanese healing and relaxation therapy |
| of Shiatsu massages, acupuncture (neck, feet and | | | | administered through a very gentle touch. |
| knees) and Chinese medicine. I followed all that | | | | Practitioner places hands along energy centers and |
| with chiropractic adjustments to put things back | | | | pathways on the head, neck, shoulders, chest, |
| the right way. Many consider my speedy | | | | abdomen, legs and feet. Reiki balances the body's |
| recovery to be a miracle. | | | | energy on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual |
| Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine | | | | levels, thus speeds up the self-healing processes |
| Acupuncture promotes health and alleviates pain | | | | of the body. |
| and suffering by achieving effective blood | | | | My first Reiki session was incredibly healing. The |
| circulation and normalizing the flow of the life | | | | light, the heat, the relaxation, the peace, the |
| energy ("Chi") in the body. By stimulating the | | | | calmness. When [the practitioner, my very good |
| body's network of meridian lines through which | | | | friend] was done I said: "so that's what heaven |
| Chi flows, acupuncture accelerates the self-healing | | | | feels like!" I felt so good after: stronger, more |
| capability of the body and boosts the immune | | | | confident, more whole, very grounded and |
| system. | | | | centered, posture and solid walk was back. |
| My skiing accident caused my Chi to be | | | | She told me I have 2 areas of concern: knees |
| completely disrupted (I felt very weak) and my | | | | and throat. I gotta use the knee heaters more. |
| neck muscles were completely seized. I couldn't | | | | For throat I need a singer's advice how to take |
| move my head either sideways or up and down. | | | | care of it. She also told me that I love open |
| In addition to physiotherapy, I also had | | | | space and distance, and I am fascinated by fire. |
| acupuncture sessions (4 per week) and | | | | Yep! Plus showed me Dalai Lama's take on |
| take-home custom-prepared Chinese Medicine (it | | | | self-worth. I have it and just must really realize it. |
| was awful, but it worked). After each session my | | | | She also felt the energy that I long for a |
| neck movement range was greater and my | | | | companion. Thus the message I received in |
| thinking speed and personal power was improving. | | | | meditation: "say yes to reasonable offer, say yes |
| I also used acupuncture to heal my chronically | | | | to love," at least for some time. |
| hurting knees. After just a few sessions, I no | | | | Hatha Yoga |
| longer felt the cold related or the severe pains in | | | | Hatha Yoga is a relaxed, slow-paced and |
| the knees, my arches were no longer hurting, and | | | | meditative type of yoga, yet still physical and |
| my daily lower back pains were completely gone. | | | | challenging. It involves simple breathing exercises, |
| I could now walk around much longer distances | | | | whole body stretching, static strength poses, and |
| and with my posture perfectly straight I felt | | | | above all it is very relaxing. |
| overall healthier and more confident. | | | | It is perfect after a long day at work or when |
| After about 15 sessions, all the pains were | | | | you need to relax in a healthy and productive |
| completely gone. I even noticed an improvement | | | | manner (as opposed to watching TV). Classes and |
| in the arches of my feet. They were less flat! | | | | instructors vary, so try different few and pick |
| That was an unthinkable transformation after | | | | the one which works best for you, ie. puts you in |
| having flat feet for years! | | | | a heavenly state. |
| Shiatsu Massage | | | | Every time I attend Helen's Hatha Yoga class (2-3 |
| One day I got up feeling like I need something, a | | | | times per month) it does me so well. The class |
| boost, a fix, a shift, something. I took a bath, but | | | | has the perfect pace, the perfect flow, the |
| it didn't help. It was a beautiful and sunny today, | | | | perfect transitions, the perfect stretch, and just |
| which did help a bit. I tried just deciding to feel | | | | the right difficulty level. It is also the perfect |
| different, but I was too far down the joy scale. | | | | energy boost and provides me with a great |
| After trying a few more things I finally concluded | | | | maintenance of the body, mind and spirit. |
| that I needed to cleanse and detox my body. I | | | | Few random tips from personal experience: |
| decided a Shiatsu session would take care of that | | | | Hot Hatha Yoga has the extra bonus of heat, |
| nicely, a side-benefit of a deep tissue pressure. | | | | which makes stretching easier and you also break |
| At the Shiatsu Clinic I go to I asked for a | | | | some serious sweat. For me Heat Yoga is very |
| cleansing session. Shortly after and another hot | | | | bearable, but it's not for everyone. Trick is not to |
| bath (recommended after Shiatsu), I felt so much | | | | eat heavy before the class and drink plenty of |
| internally lighter, cleaner and smoother - like I just | | | | water during the class. |
| had an oil changed to a high-end synthetic. Posture | | | | Slow and calm yoga is good and relaxing, but one |
| was back, power voice was back, and strong eye | | | | must practice the overall balance (ying-yang) and |
| contact was back. Definitively felt better and | | | | do some energetic and explosive exercise as well |
| more grounded (legs felt more solid and heavier | | | | (eg. circuit training or fast active sports). |
| on the ground), and the crappy feeling dissolved | | | | When doing the tree pose, one must focus on |
| from the inside. | | | | one spot in order to stay balanced and maintain |
| Shiatsu deep tissue massage is also ideal a day | | | | the pose. One must be fully alert and present, yet |
| after an intensive workout (power or cardio) to | | | | relaxed. |
| loosen the tight and tense muscles and prevent | | | | Consider Qi Gong (Chi Kung) or Tai Chi as |
| forming of knots. It also relaxes you, improves | | | | alternatives to Hatha Yoga if you're slightly older. |
| mood, and improves the flow of Chi in the body - | | | | |