Define and explain acupuncture, reflexology, kinesiology, Bowen therapy, Indian Head Massage, quantum touch and massage.

Here we define and explain acupuncture, reflexology, kinesiology, Bowen therapy, Indian Head Massage, quantum touch and massage.

Acupressure is the ancient art of healing, which uses finger pressure on key points of the body, to stimulate the body's natural energy systems to promote health.

It employs the same diagnostic methods as in Traditional Chinese Medicine to investigate the health problems of the patient. Acupressure massage applies gentle, effective finger pressure, to acupuncture points to rebalance the energy flow.

Acupressure is often used for localised musculoskeletal problems. As a point is stimulated by finger pressure, the underlying muscle / tissue relaxes stimulating the blood circulation to nourish the structures freely and to remove the localised toxins from the painful area. Acupressure is also be used to treat all health problems in the same way as acupuncture. See also Shiatsu

Acupuncture treats a wide range of health problems from simple joint injuries to long term debilitating illnesses. Acupuncture complements orthodox medicine and can often help when there is no clear medical diagnosis available e.g. chronic fatigue. Acupuncture is safe, yet powerful and is without side affects. It is appropriate for people of all ages, children to the elderly.

Acupuncture points lie on energy pathways or channels. When a person is healthy the energy flows smoothly and strongly through these channels. If the energy is disrupted then illness will occur.
To correct these problems by Acupuncture, a number of very fine sterile needles are inserted into the acupuncture points to regulate the flow of energy in the channels and restore the normal balance. The needles are left in place for about 20 minutes. The points selected are specific for the individual and their specific illness. Most people would need several treatment sessions to restore the body’s normal energy flow and to restore health.

Five Elements Acupucture is an ancient style of acupuncture. The observation and experience of Nature is a major part of understanding people and illness. Emphasis is placed on nourishing the Element which is most imbalanced; the constitutional imbalance.

Therefore in diagnosis, examination of the pulse & tongue and finding the predominant unbalanced emotion are more important than a list of symptoms.
In other words, we treat the root, the person and not the illness or symptoms.
Treating the root enhances the health and wellbeing of the person. Physical and mental complaints naturally fade away.

The value of natural plant oils has been recognised for more than 6000 years, for their healing, cleansing, preservative and mood-enhancing properties as well as for the pleasure of their fragrances. The art of aromatherapy harnesses these aromatic essences to restore the harmony of body mind and spirit disrupted by stress, pollution, unhealthy diet and hectic lifestyle.

French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse first used the term `Aromatherapie' to describe the therapeutic action of aromatic plant essences in 1928. Dr Jean Valnet discovered the regenerative and antiseptic properties of essential oils were most beneficial for healing the wounds of World War II soldiers. Marguerite Maury pioneered the use of essential oils in massage.

There are many ways of using aromatherapy. Essential oils in carrier oils can be used with massage. Oils can be used in a burner or on tissue for inhalation. As essential oils have very powerful effects upon the body they should only be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.

Bowen is an extremely gentle, hands-on holistic muscle release therapy used in humans and animals. It was pioneered by Thomas Ambrose Bowen born in 1916 in Australia.

How does it work? The technique appears to activate the body's own healing abilities, releasing muscle spasms and re-aligning skeletal imbalances as well as increasing lymphatic drainage and blood supply to the affected areas to enhance healing.

The treatments. The practitioner uses her hands on specific parts of the body such as muscle and other soft tissue, using gentle rolling movements with a view to activating communication between nerve endings and the brain to facilitate healing. This aims to restore natural pain free movement. The treatment sessions are about an hour and can be given through light clothing.

Indian Head Massage was originally developed by women as part of their grooming routine to keep their hair strong and in beautiful condition, and to keep their scalp healthy. For men, a visit to the barbers will always include a head massage designed to stimulate the client’s scalp. Interestingly, the western word ‘shampoo’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘champi’, which means ‘having your head massaged.’

The advantage of Indian Head Massage is that it can be carried out anywhere, for instance at home, in a salon, in a nursing home etc. There is no need to disrobe, as Indian Head Massage can be performed fully clothed.

Indian Head Massage is a truly holistic therapy that aims to balance the mind, body and spirit, because it has a far-reaching effect on every system of the body. Numerous short- and long-term therapeutic benefits are claimed including improved circulation, improved mobility of the joints, relief from tension headaches and eye strain, promoting healthy hair growth and a general feeling of relaxation.

Health Kinesiology [pronounced ‘kin-easy-ology’] is an holistic complementary therapy that uses ‘muscle testing’ to identify and supply your body’s specific needs for health improvement. Muscle testing is a gentle way of accessing information from the body’s own inner wisdom, telling the therapist exactly what treatment the body requires, and in which order, to maximise healing.

There is no need to undress, and HK is perfectly safe for any age group, even pregnant women, tiny babies, or the elderly. The client simply lies comfortably on a couch, raising one forearm at 90º. The therapist then presses gently on the arm, gauging the response of the muscle to a series of questions. This simple form of biofeedback, when combined with precise and logical questioning, can create an individual selection of physical and emotional energy corrections that release stress from the energy meridians that run throughout the body. Corrections can also be applied to the subtle energy system [the aura] and the chakras [energy centres].

In order to address imbalances throughout the mind-body-spirit, an HK therapy session might include any of the following: thinking about a stressful area of your life, moving into certain positions where trauma occurred [eg whiplash, traumatic birth], inhaling essential oils, using homeopathics or flower remedies, magnets, crystals and coloured light. In each case, energy blockages are removed from the meridians and tissues of the body, leaving you feeling lighter, more relaxed and able to cope.

Health Kinesiology is probably the fastest-growing of the kinesiologies in the UK today, but is still relatively unknown to the majority of people, despite the fact that its gentleness belies the transformative power of the energy corrections performed during an HK session.

A range of techniques, based on Swedish massage, designed to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart. It's purpose is to increase the oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles. Swedish massage was developed in the 1700's by a Swedish doctor named Per Henrik Ling.

Several therapies use massage as an integral part of their treatment. See acupressure, aromatherapy, bowen therapy and reflexology.

Quantum-Touch is a hands-on-healing therapy which combines meditation and controlled breathing techniques to activate and focus energy to activate the body's in- built healing process.

Quantum-Touch teaches simple breathing and body awareness exercises that can be easily learned by everyone - therapist or lay person.

In principal the Quantum-Touch practitioner learns to focus and amplify life-force energy, which is most often referred to as “Chi” or “Prana”. This is accomplished by combining various breathing and body awareness exercises. When the practitioner holds a high vibrational field of life-force energy around an affected area, through a process of resonance and entrainment, the client naturally matches the vibration of the practitioner, allowing one’s own biological intelligence to do whatever healing it deems necessary.

Quantum-Touch is especially good at relieving pain, inflammation and tension, helping the body to find its own proper alignment and balance again.

Quantum-Touch stands alone as a therapy in its own right, but also integrates well with other therapies. Students tend to include chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists, acupuncturists, cranial sacral therapists, chi gung instructors, aromatherapists and reiki masters, to name but a few. Lay people also discover an elegant and profound hands-on healing method that they can effectively use.

Reflexology is based on the presence of ten energy zones within the body. This energy division was discovered in the late19th century by an American Dr. William Fitzgerald, an ear nose and throat specialist. While working in hospitals in Paris, Vienna and London, Fitzgerald discovered that he could relieve pain in one part of a patient’s body by applying pressure to another. He refined his technique learning that if he applied pressure to the fingers by using an elastic band on the middle segment of each finger and a small metal clamp on each tip, he could create local anaesthetic effects on the arm, side of the neck, eye, ear and face. These were very crude forms of anaesthesia.

With Reflexology, your body’s health is reflected in your feet. The various organs, nerves and glands in your body are connected with certain ‘reflex areas’ on the soles, toes, tops and sides of your feet. By applying pressure to specific areas on the feet, remarkable healing effects are noted in seemingly unconnected and unrelated distant regions.

Reflexology is for all the family. It is a safe and simple process which promotes better health by reducing stress and tension, strengthening the body’s ability to resist disease, flushing toxins out of the system, and improving circulation so the body can heal itself.

Shiatsu is a Japanes hands-on therapy developed from the techniques of anma (Japanese traditional massage), acupressure, stretching, and Western massage. Shiatsu involves applying pressure to special points or areas on the body in order to maintain physical and mental well being, treat disease, or alleviate discomfort.

All types of acupressure generally focus on the same pressure points and energy pathways, but may differ in terms of massage technique. Shiatsu, which can be translated as finger pressure, has been described as needle-free acupuncture.

It is based on the concept of ki or chi, a term for the universal energy that flows through the body along special energy pathways called meridians, each of which is associated with a vital organ. In Asian systems of traditional medicine, diseases are often believed to occur due to disruptions in the flow of this energy through the body. These disruptions may stem from emotional factors, or other causes like stress, impurities in the body and physical trauma.

The aim of shiatsu is to restore the proper flow of bodily energy by massaging the surface of the skin along the meridian lines.