Alternative Healing

Are there any others here who practice alternative healing?

I.E. Accupressure, aromatherapy, Herbalism, massage,sound therapy.

I love growing herbs and using them as an alternative to the chemical based pills. *although I do have to take them when necessary. I'm not entirely dense. *

I also take great joy in helping others through massage and acupressure. Just watching the relief on a friend's face when I finally work out a knot, or take care of a headache is a wonderful feeling.

BTW, if this note is in the wrong area, I sincerely apologize.

Gm mark teaches reiki...as for myself, I fully believe in the minds ability to fix most problems...of course I still go to the hospital when needed...I seldom take any meds instead relying on my own abilities...as for accupressure...well the vast majority of pressure points I know are destructive ones instead of curative...

That's cool. It's nice to have a hobby that helps others

Personally, I believe diet helps create health. If we eat more natural foods then we can create healthier bodies. Though, I do love the saying one doctor told my father. "Your body does a whole bunch of weird stuff and most of it clears up on its own." Our bodies are meant to selfheal and if we give them the proper ingredients (plus time) then it will usually do what it needs. Activity helps too, to get all that awesome oxygen moving around.

Herbalism and massage are a couple of other things I've found to be helpful. Mint for tummy aches and hand massages for stress and headaches. It's going to be fun to get some tips from others.

Ryujin,
I agree, there are pressure points that do harm, but when one is taught to Heal instead of hurt, a combination of those points can bring about a balance in the body's energy and help take care of things.

I'm not saying this is written in stone, not even close, but if I were given a choice, I'd try the massage/accupressure and the herbs first. Common sense definitely comes into play when trying to heal yourself,though.


Wendaline,

*chuckles* I like that comment from the doctor.

I have a recipe for muscle stiffness, stress, and upset stomachs. It's equal parts of Lemon Balm, mint, chamomile and catnip. Not the stuff from the pet store, the catnip from a whole food store or an apothecary, or.. well.. you get the idea.
Brew it into a tea, then add honey to taste. Works wonders. If you don't have those herbs, Celestial Seasonings has a blend called Tension Tamer.

True...but they way I learned and trained with them I wouldn't trust in them for healing...it requires a level of serene control I've yet to master...using them in self defense is quick and easy...and less destructive than a drawn out fight...

I've been told by 4 doctors now that due to my high pain threshold to immediately go to the hospital...I went.3 days with a perforated appendix thinking it was just a cramp...I've had a few other instances in which I ignored or didn't notice pain and ended up needing surgery...I've also got a white blood cell count that is higher than normal so I don't get sick very often...and I heal in about half the normal amount of time...most meds make me sick so I simply don't bother....pain meds don't do anything but make me vomit...anti biotics make me vomit if I take them more than 3 days in a row...I don't like to vomit so I avoid it by flushing the meds....pain let's me know I'm alive....and I can block it out most of the time anyway....

Yes I find all that interesting. I've seen first hand dietry changes cure a person who had a 10 year debilitating condition which western medicine continues to classify as incurable. My parents were also into it all, so I was exposed to it early, but I was into science and so now I tend to continue and compare both interests as hobbies.

I've just started getting back into thinking about acupuncture/pressure - which is rather complex. I've got a battery powered electro-acupunture device here somewhere, so I'll see if I can have any luck on myself. Not the needling type, but it pulses charge through a point which you put on the skin at the acu-point and complete the circuit at another point on the body. I do not know if I can get therapeutic use out of it, but its a good excuse to learn more anatomy!! If I had to guess to a western interpretation, it would be they seem to perhaps interact with muscle fascia's maybe, to adjust how things inside are structully balanced, and thereby effecting operational effectiveness.

It's called a tens device...I have 2 of them ....now that I think about it I haven't had to use mine in years....it was for my back problems one of them being sciatica....and now thinking again....even that hasn't been acting up the past few years...at least not to the level it used to

*chuckling* I'm not a big fan of needles myself, unless it involves piercing or tattooing, and even then, the piercing needles are a bit much.

I prefer simply using accupressure. However, I haven't used it in a long time. I'll be the first to admit my skills are a bit rusty.

The only time I use this type of skill is when I'm doing Hand and foot reflexology on my disabled room mate to try and alieve the pain of her degenerative arthritis on her knees.

Hi Masque. I'd hoped to jump into this topic as soon as I'd registered with TOTJO a couple of days ago, but as things have unfolded it didn't happen until now.

I am not involved with the healing arts professionally, but have experienced some mini-miracles over the years from energy healers, massage, acupuncture (moxabustion actually, which uses smoldering wooden needles), and some "frings" spiritual disciplines that I also believe were of help. I am trained as a level one Reiki practioner, but don't apply it nearly as often as I'd like; my full-time job, and if truth be told an occasional failure to set priorities regarding my personal time, have led me to lag in that area.

Still - I hope in the years ahead of me to spend more time focused on alternative healing; there are so many gains that are available along that path.

I hope this thread continues!

May the Force be with you -

Todd

Accupressure with the Moxa treatment looks pretty painful to me. I've never heard of them using wooden needles. I've only seen the procedure done with metal ones.

There's one treatment I have experienced in a most unusual way. It was midnight and I was camping with a bunch of friends and it was on the edge of a lake. The moon was just rising, big and full, and my friends brought out their Didgeridoos.

Let me tell you that the experience was fantastic because they had me lie on my stomach while they played them as they moved it over my body.

Talk about a 'Sound Massage'.. the vibrations seep into the skin and are very relaxing. It's something to experience if you have the chance.