Posts Tagged ‘acupuncture’

I’m A Christian & I do Yoga

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

yogaIn response to the recent headline news from an ill-informed Southern Baptist leader in my home state of KY, (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39553520/ns/us_news-life/) I’d like to offer a bit of Christian enlightenment to the forum.
God loves my down-dog. As does my yorkie, Corkie. We do it together and I’m not sure, but I believe he’s a Christian too.
For the past 15 years I’ve been practicing yoga. For the past 25 years I’ve been practicing a Christian faith. I do sun salutations with God in my heart and Jesus as my Savior. What a wonderful gift to my creator to move my body with such ease, freedom and joy to the glory of His name. Perhaps I’m really living on the edge, but I confess that, most likely, I practice yoga with people of different religions, cultures and colors. I accept them and their beliefs.
Yoga is a systemic science. Christianity is a faith. What I can tell you with absolute certainty is that Albert Mohler is misleading his congregation/students/followers with a message that is harmful to Christians: that they simply cannot or should not practice yoga and be a Christian. This is a disgrace.
Yoga is not a religion. Yes, there are religions that implement yoga. So one could say that yoga is in some religions but religion is not in yoga. There is no deity in yoga. A warrior pose will not make one Buddhist or Hindu. Does eating hummus make one Greek? Or enchiladas Mexican? If so, I am a Greek Mexican.
The practice of yoga can be done religiously – as in, with fevor and discipline. Yoga influences the body structure, the organs, the breath, the mind and the spirit indeed. All wonderful. Yoga frees stress from the body and offers an opportunity to connect with our inner selves – aligning our hearts and minds with our spirit and that, my friend, is a beautiful thing. These aspects of a physical practice bring great awareness to our health and environment in many aspects. Yoga does not, however, require a faith, an idol or a religious opinion. If you learn the definition of yoga (union) and some other yoga-ish terms that are often present in a class or chant, you will discover things like forgiveness, honoring the divine present in each individual, open heartedness. These are honorable and considerate attributes that no one should fear, and perhaps similarly, ones that many religions strive to teach.
If you want to eat a jalapeno, you will not become Mexican.
If you get acupuncture, you will not become Chinese.
If you do yoga, you will not become Hindu.
If you accept God into your heart, you will practice living with a faith in Christ as a Christian.
All of the above can be woven into a life rich with half-moons, one-legged pigeon poses, vinyasas and the ever humbling downward-facing-dog. If times get difficult, I suggest the child’s pose – it’s perfect for prayer.

Eastern Energy Healing

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

cupping“You ought not to heal the body without the soul, for this is the great error of our day in treating the human body.” – Plato

One of my favorite ways to learn more about the body and our brilliant energy system is to experience it first-hand. Eastern medicine has taught us a lot about healing on a physical and soul level, incorporating the holistic approach to balance and health. Most Eastern (oriental) medicine is meridian-based.. meaning that it works on the level of the energy system and the corresponding “map” which we call meridians. They are channels of which the energy of your body flows. If you’ve ever been to an acupuncturist, you probably know what I’m talking about. For instance; you may have a problem with fatigue or bowel troubles, and the acupuncturist places needles in a pattern along your shin. The treatment affects the ailed area, but not from direct manipulation. In essence, the acupuncturist is working on the energy meridian that corresponds to the flow of “qi” to the afflicted area in order to restore health. May sound obscure, but it’s been tested and proven effective time and again.
Wanna experience eastern energy healing yourself? Some of my favorite Eastern healing modalities are Qi Gong (a physical practice using breath and movement), Chinese Cupping, Acupuncture, and Tui Na Massage. As our body and minds work together, much wisdom can be gained about our incredible energy system by experiencing these techniques! With first-hand experience, you’ll witness some of the finest healthy living tips known from centuries past that can restore health. Enjoy – and let your chi (qi) flow!

So, What Are chakras?

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

chakrasThe mainstream critic still poo-poos words like “chakra” & “aura” -until they go for an energy healing session, of course! In my opinion, it’s simple education and personal experimentation that turns a skeptic into a believer. I’ve been doing energy work for years and can tell you I’ve witnessed dramatic results from working with someone’s energy field.
Chakras are energy centers that initiate from the midline of the body. There are 7 major chakras that get the most publicity, but actually, there are hundreds of chakras (energy centers) that exist for each person. As your health is stable and balanced, your chakras tend to be the same, and vice versa. The use of energy healing, Reiki, hands-on healing and other forms of energy medicine such as acupuncture have a physical affect on your health.
I’m sure you’ve heard common sayings such as “I feel ungrounded,” or “I feel like I’ve been swept off my feet.” These refer to an innate sense of not having our “feet on the ground” which is usually a sign of an imbalance in the root chakra (at the base of your spine). With hands-on energy healing, the chakra can be balanced and a person will feel “grounded,” or “centered” or “whole.” This idea applies to all of the chakras and what they represent physically. A host of emotional and physical ailments can help be restored with chakra balancing.
In light of not reinventing the wheel, I found a practical website with easy descriptions and tips to balance your chakras. Here it is: http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/introduction.php
It’s a healthy living tip you don’t want to miss! Enjoy!

Energy Medicine

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

healinghands
I’m sure you’ve heard about energy therapies such as Reiki, acupuncture, polarity therapy or similar types of healing options. Many people still don’t know what energy is or how it works in our bodies or lives. In fact, I’m frequently asked if it’s voodoo, anti-Christian or the connected to some kind of cult. No, it’s not any of the above. Everything is made of energy (a quantum physics conversation that I won’t get into here, but one that is scientifically proven), and the energy in and around you is a very real ‘thing.’ This energy, if unhealthy, can be treated, manipulated and healed with the proper…energy! It’s a medicine that dates back to ancient times and is finally gaining popularity in our culture.

As an energy healer, I’ve worked on people, their homes and pets. As something becomes energetically out-of-balance, from stress, physical exhaustion, emotional or mental upset, the whole system of the energy field gets disrupted, which in turn will eventually disrupt other parts of the being. Physically, it is usually easy to correlate a bodily problem with an energetic imbalance – and vice versa. May sound strange, I know, but as you study the energy field of the body and become sensitive to its possible correlations, you begin to notice patterns and can even feel the imbalance on other levels.

If you understand the basic components of energy, the idea of holistic medicine begins to make a bit more sense. Everything is connected. Mind affects body, body affects emotions, emotions affect body and round and round it goes. Energy lives within each of these aspects and can be manipulated (for good or bad) by circumstances, food, feelings of love or hate, mental attitudes, activities and certainly emotions. As one energy system becomes affected (neg or pos). it will then affect another area of your well-being. It is a system that works synergistically. Simply genius.

Acupuncture, Reiki, polarity therapy, EFT, acupressure and many other energy healing therapies all rely on this system of energy that runs through and around the body. Attending to this system with the aid of a practitioner or self-manipulation creates healing that is a viable, safe and effective for your health. There is nothing voodoo about it. Yes, one that works with energy should be trained and have an understanding of how it works along with the healing process. Some people are particularly gifted in this area. To learn how to do techniques yourself, you do need basic information and we’ll discuss more in depth about your chakras, auric fields and healthy living tips to improve your well-being in the next weeks. As you become tuned into yourself and your surroundings, you’ll begin to see that the world of energy is alive, pulsing and seemingly magical. We are created to function at the highest level of health and ease, not dis-ease! This applies to physical well-being as well as all other areas of your life. Soon you will be living a truly organic lifestyle and thriving!