Ear reflexology is not new as is commonly believed; in fact it has been around as long as hand and foot reflexology. Hippocrates, considered the founder of modern medicine manipulated the ears as a form of birth control. Though we know today that ears were not effective as birth control agents we can clearly see the importance the ancients put on these two organs. Ear reflexology has been used for centuries, several millenniums in china, Persia, the Arab countries, ancient Rome and Greece as a treatment for the relief of sciatica.

In modern times the work of Dr. William Fitzgerald promoted foot, hand, and ear reflexology in his scientific papers and books. Over the years, ear reflexology somehow took a back step to foot and hand reflexology but is now once again recognized for its healing properties. Modern day ear reflexology has evolved from the older “Aucular therapy” also known as acupuncture of the ears.

The older Chinese form of ear reflexology is based on the meridians of the body while western ear reflexology concentrates on zones or reflex points within the ear. In Chinese reflexology the chi or energy is reflected within the ear and they believe that a person having long thick ears will have a long and healthy life. Each ear is unique and like the kidneys, they are important to a person’s well being. A person who is a good listener will also have good kidneys according to this ancient belief. The Buddha is often portrayed as having long earlobes, reflecting his wisdom, longevity, and general good health. The ears are like gateways to the inner being of the person and can be read in order to reveal the inner nature of the client and thus detect any imbalances within the human body.

The process of ear reflexology requires the stimulation of strategic reflex areas within the ears that are said to correspond to other body organs and systems. Yet, unlike acupuncture the ears are massaged without the use of needles. The technique used for stimulation is different from hand and foot reflexology because the ears are much smaller in size.

The Universal College of Reflexology has found that ear reflexology is very effective in working with muscular and skeletal problems. They say they have witnessed clear cut results in only a few minutes of massage (treatment). Some of their clients have had chronic conditions that have improved with ear reflexology. The Universal College of Reflexology offers both on campus and a comprehensive home study program to get you started on your personal journey to good health or your wonderful career in ear reflexology. The course explains both the western and eastern approaches to ear reflexology which are similar yet different in its applications.

The use of magnets in the ear has become an ear reflexology aid. The benefits from these magnets are said to include weight loss, an aid in the cessation of smoking, menopause, stress, nervous tension, anxiety, tinnitus, pain, hair loss, prostrate problems and more.

Ear reflexology like foot and hand reflexology is a lot more than just the manipulation of zones within the ear to promote good health. An ear reflexology chart will acquaint you with the reflex points of the ear. Most charts come in color and are clearly labeled. However, you must remember that ear reflexology like any variety of reflexology takes a holistic approach to good health. Besides performing the ear reflexology massage techniques, the practicing reflexologist will draw upon his knowledge of other healing forms, his good listening and communication skills, his empathy and support and other people skills.

[ad]

Nowadays it is difficult, since the way the world is moving it cause us to feel stressed. When we have many problems stress often builds. Especially when a person does not have sufficient work, it can become difficult to pay the bills. Kids leaving and heading to college can cause stress for parents, especially if the parent is not ready to let go.

We need to stress over the things that we have control over and not the things we have no control over. Things that are a part of life, we have no control over. We can’t do anything about it but learn to understand stress and what causes it.

How to learn more about stress:

To teach more about stress you can go to family doctor, or go on the Internet. Your doctor or online sources will inform you all you need to know about stress. Unnecessary stress is bad for your health as well as your mental. There is so much that stress can cause it is something that you want to learn to control as well as get it out of your life. Healthy stress is natural.

How can stress affect my health?

Stress can cause a lot of damage to your health. Stress can cause high blood pressure, headaches, as well as body tightness. Women under a lot of stress you may go through abnormal changes. Stress can make your body do weird stuff. As well, you may experience unpleasant and abnormal changes that seem to have no foundation for its cause.

Stress can cause depression. Depression can cause many medical issues for you as well.

How to minimize unnecessary stress:

You have many ways to get rid of your stress. You have to figure out the best way for you to deal with the stress. First, you want to consider why you are stressed. Remember if it is something that you cannot control do not worry about it. You have no power to change some things in your life.

Once you have learned the cause of your stress then you can then figure out the best way minimize stress.

In order to do this you may have to go to a local book store and get some books or maybe some videos that will help you to learn how to start to manage your stress so it don’t manage you. You might also want to try some yoga exercises that are good for your health as well as fighting off stress. Yoga is a self-teaching program so while you are at the bookstore check out books and videos on stress management then you might want to get some on yoga as well.

Remember once you figure out the reason for the stress in your life then you can almost then decided what kind of treatment you want. Supports, groups can help as well. Again, you have to decide the best way for you. If you fail at one you can always try another one. You have many available options.

One thing you want to keep in mind is that stress often occurs from fear of changes. Changes is good. Change gives us options we do not have ordinarily and helps us to grow.

Of course, unnecessary changes are not always good. For instance, if you set yourself up for failure you will go through unnecessary changes. You want to learn how to make sound decisions so that it will guide you to relaxation.

To learn more about guided relaxation we encourage you to check out the videos, audio and other materials online geared to help you relax.

Relaxation is something everyone needs in his or her lives and sometimes we have to be guided to reach it. Learning and practicing relaxation is an everyday thing to help relieve unneeded daily stress that is a part of our life. It will take awhile to see and feel better in mind and body but once you get there, don’t give it up.

Everyone say yoga:

Yoga is not an exercise it is a way to teach you how to relax and become a healthier you. Yoga will help teach you to relax and relieve some of that stress you don’t really need. You have many different types of yoga practices to enjoy, starting with beginners to advance.

Beginners of yoga:

It is smart to start with, beginner programs if you have spent too much time inactive. In addition, you should consult with your doctor before starting practices of yoga. The three most important things yoga will teach you are how to breathe, meditate, and exercise. The body has to be strong and in shape to feel healthy and dispose some of the stress by teaching you to relax.

Learning to breathe with yoga:

Learning breathing techniques before you can learn to meditate is helpful. Breathing properly will train your mind to relax. Once you are relaxed, meditation is easy. You then can move to control the body and mind. The movements of yoga are the exercises that strengthen the body, helping you to relax the mind. Focus behind yoga includes inhale and exhale breathe while focusing on your inner powers.

In order to learn guided relaxation you need to practice each day to rid some of your stress that could take over your mind and body. Yoga can help you learn and teach you to breathe into relaxation and moving your body to relieve the tension respectively.

Yoga means practice and learning to put it into your everyday life. Yoga will help a person find the guided relaxation we all need everyday to be a healthier and a better person. Yoga teaches us self-control and self-respect. You will learn how to think before you speak, clean your inner thoughts and attitude towards yourself and other. Clean our your outer self by keeping it in a clean environment.

Once you practice and learn to meditate and relax along with the movements, you’ll see yourself become a new you. As the new you come out in the open, you’ll feel it because you won’t be stressed.

The stress in your life will take over, which depression can set in. Try relieving some of the stress and learn to relax. You’ll find self, sleeping better and waking up looking forward to the new day ahead.
Because everyone has stress, Yoga can be a practice for everyone from children to your grandparents. Classes are offered for many different age groups and capabilities.

Before taking a class, check it out and if need be ask your doctor about whether or not it would be harmful for you. The library has a wide variety of books and video along with some CD’s that can guide you to the class and type of Yoga that would fit your needs.

When practicing at home you need to find an area where you can be alone and it is quiet to avoid distractions. It usually takes around 20 minutes to set aside each day for you to learn, meditate, and practice. Remember stay with it; don’t give up, since you need this time for you to stay happy and healthy.

Winter blues – many people get them each year. Perhaps the problem is Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression. Sometimes the problem is simply apathy caused by the long winter days and fewer hours of natural sunlight, rather than a medical condition. If this describes you, you may want to try these aromatherapy oil blends to help beat winter blues.

Aromatherapy is not a new technique, although it is only in recent years that it has become more well known. It is the use of essential oils which come from flowers, herbs, shrubs, or fruits and are said to promote health and mental wellbeing. In most cases, the oils are added to bath water, used as a spray on bedding, and sometimes simply inhaled to derive the healthful benefits.

Aromatherapy can do wondrous things to energize, calm, or help beat the winter blues. Essential oils stimulate the sense of smell and can stimulate our memories, emotions, and instincts. The aromas can affect our entire being and psyche. However, it is not a substitute for proper medical care and should not be used as such. It can, however, be a complement to traditional medicine as well as being used in a non-medical way.

One of the most common herbs used by people with mild depression or winter blues is Lavender Officinalis. It has a calming effect on emotions as well as helping to bring clarity of thought. Lavender essential oil is considered to be one of the safest oils used for aromatherapy and can reduce tension, hysteria, and help you sleep. You might notice that lavender is used in some children’s bath wash or powder products as a means to help children relax so they, and their parents, can get some rest.

To make your own aromatherapy oil blends, you’ll want to have an unscented lotion or carrier oil as a base, such as olive oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil. Add a few drops of one or two essential oils to the carrier oil. You can also prepare larger quantities by adding a total of five or ten drops of essential oil to eight ounces of carrier oil. These oils can also be added to shampoo, conditioner, bubble baths, and Epsom salt.

Petitgrain, bergamot, lavender, and lemon are used to help brighten your mood and calm you. Mix together:

25 drops of petitgrain
30 drops of bergamot
20 drops of lavender
25 drops of lemon

This mixture can be stored in a 5 milliliter bottle. Put five to eight drops on a room diffuser, breathe from the bottle, add it to carrier oil, or add it to bath salts.

Citrus blends like the one above are particularly effective for brightening a person’s moods. Here are a few other blends you may want to try.

* For emotional wellbeing: 2 drops Clary sage, 2 drops Frankincense, and 1 drop Sandalwood. Blend this with one tablespoon almond oil and use it for a relaxing massage.

* To beat the winter blues: 4 drops Bergamot, 4 drops Lemon, and 2 drops Ylang-ylang. Can be added directly to bath water or mixed with unscented bubble bath.

These aromatherapy oil blends to help beat winter blues may not bring people with severe depression out of it, but they can do wonders for those who are mildly depressed or simply have the winter blahs. Give them a try; you may have found an easy method for brightening your mood during the long and cold winter months.

For controlling your hypertension, there are two effective yoga exercises that helps lower the blood pressure:

Inverted Yoga

Inverted yoga reverses the action of gravity on the body. The most profound changes brought about by Inverted Yoga is in circulation. In inverted poses, legs and abdomen are placed higher than the heart.

Lengthening up through the legs and keep them very active so your spine opens and the entire body actively involved in the pose.

One of the reasons for this is simply because the force of gravity is reversed and venous return becomes significantly greater.

Normally, the muscles of the calf and other skeletal muscles in the lower extremities must contract in order to pump unoxygenated blood and waste back to the heart through the veins.

In inverted poses, gravity causes the blood to flow easily back through the veins and this brings the blood pressure in the feet to a minimum. This in effect gives skeletal muscles a chance to rest.

In Inverted poses, drainage of blood and waste from the lower body back to the heart is increased and disorders such as varicose veins and swollen ankles are relieved.

Rhythmic Breathing

It’s time to learn about breathing, because inhaling and exhaling has the power to nourish the body and calm the mind.

Not just any old breathing will do. If you’re like most people, you take shallow breaths, pull in your stomach when you inhale and never empty your lungs of carbon dioxide when you exhale.

Here’s the physiological explanation: Long, slow breaths are more efficient than short, fast ones.

To take in a good breath, your lungs must first be basically empty. Thus the key to efficient breathing lies in exhaling completely. A full exhalation begins with the upper chest, proceeds to the middle chest and finishes with tightening the abdominal muscles.

Only after a good exhalation can you draw in a good lungful of the oxygen-rich air your blood needs for nourishing cells.

There is a very interesting thought out there that states that every person is walking around made up of energy. This is known as Ki in Japan. It is a life force of energy. It is also stated that when a person’s body runs low on this life force, it will become easier to get disease, stress and other types of harm. One way to promote more happiness and a healthier way of living, the body will need to be restored with energy. This is where the Reiki will come in. Reiki is known as a Japanese technique that will take away stress and bring health into a person’s life through the addition of life force energy.

The meaning of Reiki is made up of two words in Japanese. They are Rei and Ki and Rei will translate into “God’s Wisdom” or “ the higher Power” and Ki will mean “life force energy.” Reiki means, “Spiritually guided life force energy.” It is said upon the idea that the power to control these energy forces and change them in a person is a gift that is given by a higher power. Many of the people that use Reiki do believe that a higher power allowed them to do Reiki. This is not a technique that is said to be religious in any nature. Reiki is not even tied to any religion at all and though it does give many people a better sense of stronger ties to any type of religion that the person believes in. Reiki is not any power on the belief of any one identity or person. It is a natural remedy for disease and emotional problems that will work if someone believes in it or not.

Reiki will work by laying your hands on someone else’s body and increasing the life force of energy. When someone learns this practice they will have an unlimited supply of life force energy to give to other people. This may sound like a very difficult procedure but it is really simple. In fact, it is taught to anyone easily whether they are spiritually devoted or not.

If you are considering this technique, you will need to go through a class that is called “attunement.” This is where the teacher will pass on the ability to perform Reiki to the students. It is simple and it will not take into consideration how smart the person is or is not. Reiki has been taught to people of all ages and sizes and it is interesting to you, look it up. Find a Reiki master near you and take the class. It is learned easily and believed by many people as a great stress reliever.

By Kylie Winters

People are always looking for a way to relax, and people have many different ways of doing it. Some people will meditate, some will listen to relaxation tapes, and there are those people that will submerge themselves in a tank of water to experience the joys of sensory deprivation. Yet another great way to relax however, it is through the use of Natural Aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy isn’t exactly something new. It was first discovered by the Chinese, though the exact circumstances and reasons for doing so are still not known, nor is the time period in which it was invented, but we know they used it for lifting their spirits. Later on the Egyptians invented a machine that would allow them to extract cedar wood oil. The Creeks did create their own methods of aromatherapy, with their scents and perfumes, but instead of crediting themselves they credited these discoveries to their Gods and Goddesses. Throughout the years the methods have been copied by many different civilizations, and the methods have been refined quite nicely. It wasn’t until the year 1928 that the term Aromatherapy was actually used, and since then it has become a widely recognized practice. Something that has been in practice for so long is certainly worth trying!

At this point you’re probably wondering exactly what Natural Aromatherapy is. There are a few ways that you can do it, one of the best ways is to apply it directly to your skin. You can do this by applying it a handkerchief or piece of cloth and dabbing it on certain parts of your body such as your wrists, neck, or even temples It’s not quite as simple as it sounds however, the thing that you need to know is that different types of oil will cause different effects.

There are some fragrances such as lavender that will help to relieve migraines. This will be great for many people who experience stressful days at work or at school. If you have trouble getting to sleep at night you will find that it is also great for helping you to get into a restful state. Then there is lemon oil which will help you to lose the stress that you have been feeling all day. There are many others

When inhaled, and when used properly these essential oils will have psychological benefits for the brain as well as the lungs. It can help you to concentrate and relieve stress in those key moments when you need to be at your best. It will help you to sleep and it will alleviate the pain of migraines. Overall, you will feel better and more rested. There really are no negative benefits associated with allowing yourself to experience aromatherapy!

This is an ancient practice that has been used by many to improve their quality of life. you too can experience it, and you can live a better life.

To understand more about the benefits of Natural Aromatherapy, please visit the Natural-Aromatherapy Blog Here!

While the term “aromatherapy” technically refers to the use of essential oils and plant extracts to produce a therapeutic effect in a person, many people enjoy blending essential oils simply for their fragrances. Blending for fragrance is a wonderful idea, but the blender should be aware of the therapeutic uses of the oils he or she wants to use. Using oils that are contraindicated for the person’s physical or emotional issues can produce a problematic response.

The same is true in blending essential oils for therapeutic use. Beginning blenders should use established recipes for the problems they are trying to fix, and should not attempt to blend their own recipes until they have adequate experience. When blending for fragrance, it is also important to remember that duplication of manufactured fragrances is not possible as manufacturers use artificial chemicals in their scents and perfumes.

Did you know that you can promote well being and healing within your own body with a few simple reflexology techniques? It’s really not difficult at all. You can easily administer simple reflexology techniques to your hands before rising in the morning and after you go to bed at night. Make it a habit and you will find that you feel better. Many people suffering from anxiety report that applying pressure to the specific zones in the hands and feet can promote relaxation that is cumulative. The more you practice these techniques the more the bad energy leaves the body and is replaced by calm energy.

Anyone interested in learning simple reflexology techniques should click on to Youtube.com and watch a reflexologist demonstrate the procedure. The therapist explains everything as he/she works, and it is very easy to understand. You see how the therapist uses his/her hands to apply pressure to certain areas. Reflexology treatments are good for everyone. You can learn how to apply the techniques to your infants and children, as well as your partner. It was reported that a wife used simple reflexology techniques on her comatose husband and he responded. Over time the person said that her husband woke up out of his coma and spoke to her. It is amazing what touch can do.

Many people learn the techniques by first being treated by licensed reflexologists. Their doctors may have referred them to a reflexology clinic because the patient didn’t want to take prescribed medications for their pain and discomfort. By learning the simple reflexology techniques you can promote relaxation and healing every day of the week. Administering the techniques yourself may not replace seeing a reflexologist, but it does provide continuity in your own level of health care.

By applying simple reflexology techniques to your fingers, hands and wrists you can promote health and healing to every area of your body. By applying firm, but gentle pressure and massage to the fingers of both hands, starting at the ends of your fingers, you can promote health and wellbeing to your ears, eyes, brain and hair follicles on both sides of your body. Each hand represents one-half of the body. By massaging your thumbs with gentle pressure, not enough to hurt, you can affect the thyroid gland, sinuses and your spinal column.

Did you know that simple reflexology techniques applied to the fleshy part of your thumbs can help relieve the pain of a sore throat? These techniques, when done on a regular basis, will help to promote healing and wellness throughout the body. A combination of movements, pinching, rubbing and pulling on specific areas of the fingers and hands can affect the whole body.

Did you know that applying pressure in the center of the anterior wrist can help relieve back pain? Move your pressure upwards a little bit and you can relieve nausea. If you would like to learn more about simple reflexology techniques you may want to contact a reflexology professional, or you may want to purchase a book written specifically as a guide to learning the techniques.