Article Archive

Lymph Drainage Therapy

An Effective Complement to Breast Care

Legal and ethical issues often provide a controversial backdrop to the subject of breast massage. Further fueling the debate is the question of who exactly is qualified to perform this technique. While there may be many schools of thought, the fact remains there is an appropriate and practical manual technique — Lymph Drainage Therapy — that can be used by trained therapists for specific conditions and indications relating to breast care.

Curanderismo: Mexican Folk Healers

Healing from the Soul

Guadalupe Dominges was born in Taos, New Mexico, into a family of Hispanic folk healers known as curanderos. After being called “baby” for the first month of her life, her parents took her to church for the Feast of Guadalupe, where the local priest chose her name. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint for many curanderos, folk medicine practitioners, and the most beloved by Mexicans.1 As a young child, Guadalupe Teofista Valerio — both Guadalupe and Teofista (Greek) meaning daughter of God — began training in the healing arts under the tutelage of her grandmother.

Checking Hockey Players With Russian Sports Massage

Therapist to Therapist

Having covered swimmers, runners, and even musical athletes up to this point, I chose to continue our sport-specific focus with a look at Russia’s (and Canada’s) favorite sport — hockey. While living in Russia, I had the privilege to do some work for the hockey team coached by the legendary Victor Tichanov. In fact, just before my immigration to the United States, the U.S.S.R. had won its second Olympic medal under his coaching. I can say first-hand that our hockey players received wonderful medical attention — preventively, as well as correctively.

A Mind of Its Own

New Intelligence for a New Millennium

Love is more than mere sentiment — it nourishes the body, as well as the soul. For most of us, the heart is merely the symbol of love, but the Institute of HeartMath (IHM) has gathered impressive scientific data verifying this 10-ounce muscle actually does function as a physiological locus of love in the center of our being. Better yet, we have the ability to induce the human heart into states of love.

Wheels of Light

Clearing, Balancing & Connecting Chakras

If you’ve never felt energy before, this is a good place to start. Rub your hands vigorously and firmly together until some heat is generated. Then, as if you were washing your hands, spread the warmth of this hot qi (energy) over the backs of the hands and the fingers. Close your eyes and allow the hands to soften, the fingers gently together and curved, and allow the palms to face each other some three or four inches apart. Notice any sensation that may exist in your hands. Very slowly, move the palms together and apart, paying attention to the sensations you experience.

Using Feng Shui in Massage

The Power of Place

The power and importance of place often goes unrecognized. For a moment, close your eyes and imagine receiving your ideal massage. If it could be anywhere, where would it be? What would that place look like? How would it smell? What would you hear there? How would you feel in this space?

Hara

Working From the Center, Part 2

We recognize the importance of good beginnings and a solid ground. To ensure the best results, it is always worthwhile to establish a firm and developed foundation. Without deep, well-established roots, a plant is weak and growth will be stunted. In the human body, the hara is our home. Home is a reference point.

Energy Medicine

The Importance of Everything

The great Yellow Emperor of China, Huang Di, who ruled in 3000 BC, inquired of his ministers why people’s longevity was half that of those in ancient times. People once lived to be more than 100 years old, remained active and vital and did not show signs of decline now apparent at age 50. Is this due to a changing environment or is it because people have lost touch with the right way to live?

Camp TLC for Terminally Ill Children

Tender, Loving Care

Summertime in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, sounds like paradise — boating, swimming, fun in the sun. All good reasons why hospice nurse Tina Megason has returned the past four years. She and her tireless crew of volunteers transform a 40-acre campground into a rescue respite. No, this isn’t a spa getaway, nor is it a vacation spot for the rich and famous. Megason’s home-away-from-home is Camp TLC, a wellness center where therapy means relaxation and mental healing for children ages 6–18 with life-shortening illnesses.

Two Paths, One Heart

A Conversation with Ken Cohen, Energy Healer

In the small, mountain town of Eldora, Colo., nestled between towering pines and shimmering aspen trees, sits a modest log cabin. Here, Ken “Bear Hawk” Cohen lives and works in unpretentious surroundings that belie the complexities and accomplishments of his life. Cohen is Jewish by birth and Native American by adoption. He is also a world-renowned qigong master and Chinese scholar, inter-faith minister, university professor, Haiku poet, doting father and loving husband.

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