When we talk about complementary therapy most people think of Reiki, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Acupuncture and so on.  I am suggesting here that complementary therapy is ANYTHING YOU DO to maintain a strong and balanced energy field.  This includes everything from taking the dog for a walk (fresh air, exercise and companionship), to getting an early night to let your body recover from the day’s exertions. It includes having healthy relationships, and a healthy diet.  It includes having a job which you find fulfilling and having FUN.  So we are all complementary therapists.  But there are some techniques you can learn which, when skilfully applied, help us recover faster from illness.  They work by restoring balance to our energy field and by releasing emotions which block the flow of energy in our bodies.  These techniques also help us to achieve a higher level of functioning – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually,  so that not only do we avoid illness but we also can lead more fulfilling lives

All illness is caused by stress – physical, mental, emotional, nutritional, social, spiritual and environmental.   Stress depletes your life force.   In China life force is called Chi, in Japan Ki, in India Prana.  To stay healthy you must reduce your stress and increase your life force.  Here are some suggestions.


Nutrition

“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”-  Hippocrates.

You are as healthy as your cells and the health of your cells depends upon good nutrition.  Food today is less nutrient-dense than 50 years ago because the soil is depleted of minerals.  At the same time we are stressing our bodies by introducing pesticide cocktails. The average person has more than 400 chemical pesticides, colourings, flavourings etc in her body. Thus we have a poorer quality of food yet have a greater toxic load.  You can help to restore the balance by eating a varied organic fresh-food diet.  Leave the fat-rich and sugar-rich chill-cook foods on the supermarket shelf.  Go for fresh food and cook vegetables lightly (if at all).  And drink plenty of clean water.  Adding a supplement and avoiding aspartame (in diet drinks), sugar, and excess coffee or alcohol will also be of benefit.  This is not rocket science, nor some whacky alternative lifestyle, but plain common sense.


Reiki

Reiki was discovered last century by Dr Mikao Usui.  He discovered that there is a “universal energy” or life force –nowadays scientists call it the “zero point field” – which the practitioner learns to channel and use to assist healing of both physical and emotional issues.  A session lasts about one hour and the client usually lies down fully clothed on a treatment couch.  The Reiki practitioner channels healing through his/her hands sometimes in contact with the clients body and sometimes working in the energy field.  Anyone who has enjoyed a Reiki healing will know how calming and relaxing it is.  There are physical and emotional benefits to Reiki healing.  Reiki is widely used in palliative care units, and now some more enlightened units have brought it into their medical and surgical wards.  Therapeutic Touch is a similar technique and is now taught on some Nursing courses.  For an account of my own experience with Reiki you can look at  http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Reiki/giles54.htm


Reflexology

Reflexology has been used for thousands of years.  Interestingly, modern reflexology practice follows research done in Europe and Britain by a physician, Dr William Fitzgerald. Again the treatment works by harmonising and balancing your body’s energy.  Zones in the feet or the hands correspond to different areas of the body.  In this holographic model of Man any one part represents the whole.   By pressing on reflex points in the feet a practitioner can identify energy blocks and trouble spots and help to restore a healthy balance.  Not only is this wonderfully relaxing, it also helps normalise all bodily functions and helps bring about homeostasis.  You don’t need a qualification to give a patient a foot massage.  One elderly lady I nursed was quite distressed at her inability to get a good night’s sleep.  With her permission I massaged her feet for about 20 minutes.  When I next looked in her room she was sound asleep – and was still sleeping at 7.30am when I went off duty despite the fact that all the other patients in the room were up and about and noisily washing themselves.


Massage

Massage has been a part of Chinese health management for more than 4000 years.  It is an integral part of the Ayurvedic approach in India, and was used in ancient Greece and Rome.  There is extensive research on the benefit of massage in illness including cancer.  Physiologically massage works on muscles ligaments and tendons, and improves the circulation of blood and lymph, thus promoting detoxification and elimination of waste.  The skin also releases hormones and endorphins thus promoting a feeling of well-being.  Babies who receive massage are healthier physically and emotionally, whilst touch deprivation creates withdrawn unhealthy children.   Massage releases somatic emotion (emotion held in the body) thus promoting healthier emotional functioning.  Could there be a connection between our diffident non-touching mentality and the large number of dysfunctional families?


Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Traumatic and unresolved emotion blocks energy flow (see The Holotropic Mind).  This manifests in impaired emotional and/or physical functioning.  As we accumulate stresses and blocks we become unwell – some people physically others emotionally.   By tapping on specific acupuncture points the blocked energy can be released quickly and easily.  Sounds simple?  It is.   It is so easy you can learn it on the internet; for a free download visit www.emofree.com For a fuller understanding of EFT and a profoundly healing experience it is a good idea to do a course or workshop (you can contact me for details).   Developed over the last 20 years EFT is one of the most potent techniques available for releasing emotional stress.   It is commonly called the Fast Phobia Cure, but is effective in a wide range of emotional issues – fears, phobias, addictions, stress, anxiety, emotional trauma.  I use it regularly on myself to deal with daily stresses as they arise, as well as with clients. I have used it to stunning effect for severe phobias – one lady with a debilitating spider phobia who was due to attend a psychiatrist for a desensitisation programme cleared her phobia in 15 minutes using EFT.  It also helps to resolve many physical problems, and can be effective alone or as an adjunct in pain control.  I have used the technique for pain control with a number of cancer patients who have reported benefit (one of whom who showed his wife how to do it and so cleared her headache).  I have also used EFT in hospital with a patient admitted with self poisoning - or overdose.  Using EFT he dispelled the trauma of the precipitating event in a few minutes.  You can access hundreds of case histories from the website www.emofree.com