Archive by category 'Body Meridians'

Body Meridians

Body Meridians — 1 Comment
10
Jan 12

Legally blind masseuse uses yoga, body meridians massage to relax clients

Jillian Ricks is a licensed massage therapist. She's a passionate fan of yoga and belly dancing, too. She is also legally blind, a fact of life that han't kept her from becoming one of Chattanooga's most celebrated healing experts, adept at delivering soothing body meridians massages.

Ricks was recently interviewed by the city's Times-Free Press about her dedication to yoga and meditation exercises, her experience with massage therapy and her struggle to overcome her particular form of eye trouble, called Stargardt disease.

According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, this inherited condition affects about 25,000 people in the U.S., occurring in an estimated one in 10,000 kids. Beginning in childhood, Stargardt disease starts to cause eyesight to degrade rapidly.

By age 9, Ricks was legally blind. Still, she has not let this stop her from becoming a yoga fan and a top-notch massage therapist.

"I do not think it affects me at all," she told the news source. "I have the tools needed so I may run a business just like everyone else. I also have a loving husband and family who help me in any way I may need."

Ricks serves as inspiration for all yoga lovers who do not let their physical limitations get in the way of their dreams.

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Body Meridians — No Comments
28
Nov 11

Ki energy, body meridians and health are all connected

Body meridians, chakras, ki energy: what are these things? Where do our body meridians and health coincide? These are common questions about the body's mind-body connection, which is a delicate balance of ethereal forces that pervade your being.

While they may sound inaccessible or metaphysical, things like ki energy and chakras are quite real, and scientists have spent considerable energy studying the effects of ki energy training on physical health and well-being. Here are some of the conclusions they've come to.

- Individuals with anxiety can have trouble decompressing and shaking of the source of their tension. However, a study published in the journal Stress and Health found that ki training helped participants significantly reduce their anxiety levels over the course of a one-hour session. The authors noted that the ki-based intervention appeared to reduce blood levels of cortisol, which is a hormone linked to stress.

- A report appearing in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine announced that qigong exercises helped a number of female volunteers reduce their symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, which included aches, water retention and negative emotions.

- Another paper published in the same journal argued that ki techniques may be able to help fibromyalgia patients reduce pain and stiffness.

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Body Meridians — No Comments
17
Aug 11

Q&A: Yoga stimulates body meridians, organs

Q: What are body meridians? Do they have anything to do with the cartographic term?
A: Meridians are the lines or tracks that energy follows as it moves through the body. There are more than a dozen such paths through your body. While they have nothing to do with cartography, per se, plenty of body meridian maps exist to help you find which pathways may be stimulated through yoga and tai chi.

Q: So there's energy in my body?
A: Ki, the body's life force, pervades your frame, from the ends of your hair to the tips of your toes. Physics has already proven that every subatomic particle in our bodies is simply a physical manifestation of pure energy, hence Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2, which equates mass and energy. On a more macro-level, you need energy (in the form of calories) in order to function properly. Electric energy travels along your nerves. You are constantly producing momentum, another type of energy. You are energy, pure and simple!

Q: Does Ki energy only travel along meridians?
A: This force washes through your whole body and is not limited solely to your meridians. However, certain energy pathways stimulate the health and wellness of different parts of your body. In that sense, your body meridians and organs are uniquely connected.

Q: Can I improve my health by manipulating my Ki energy?
A: You sure can! The best yoga regimens include exercises that stimulate specific organ systems in order to keep them running well. So, for example, in yoga class you may find yourself doing a stretching exercise for your bladder meridian, or a tai chi routine for your liver meridian. These techniques help redistribute your Ki to where it is needed most.

Q: How long have we humans known about meridians?
A: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that people in Asia have been using Ki energy techniques for thousands of years.

Remember: Ki is your key to good health!

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Body Meridians / Brain Wave Vibration — No Comments
1
Feb 11

Dahn Yoga health practices shared in rural Nicaragua

Dahn Yoga class in Nicaragua

Dahn Yoga class in Nicaragua

“Let go of all your air!” instructs Flor Maria to her patients as she applies a few new Dahn Yoga and healing techniques involving massage of the liver and stomach, tapping the chest and back and massaging the feet and legs. This January 2011 Dahn Yoga was introduced to the rural town of Achuapa, Nicaragua.

Eleven years ago, I traveled to Nicaragua as part of a university brigade and met Flor. Since then, I have missed her and wished to reunite. The opportunity came after we spoke on the phone in January 2010 about learning yoga. Flor enthusiastically applauded the idea and proceeded to set up a workshop and multiple private sessions.

Dahn Yoga’s use of meridian-focused yoga practices complemented Flor’s use of the principles of Chinese medicine and her personal philosophy of accessing the body’s natural healing potential to prevent illness and disease.

During our week’s stay, Flor gathered a group of 20 dynamic and motivated women interested in health of mind, body and spirit. We discussed problems the women were facing with health, stress and sadness and their interest in doing something pro-active to move their lives in new directions.  They shared that this workshop was the best they had experienced and at least half of the group committed to continuing a class twice a week. They extended the invitation to us to return soon. Our hearts were deeply touched by their openness, willingness and initiative to integrate more body-awareness into their lives.

Flor often remarked how surprised she was that through breathing and tapping practices, people could leave the clinic pain-free. She is now prescribing Dahn-jon (abdominal) tapping to all her patients. Recently, Flor told me that she is practicing the yoga and that a chronic pain in her right leg and foot has finally subsided.

The town of Achuapa enthusiastically awaits more instruction on the practice of  reflexology massage and Dahn Yoga. Each participant spoke to the need to have more outlets to release stress and tension from their bodies and minds and found that all our shared activity on massage and yoga accomplished that goal.

Rebecca Wheaton contributor and Dahn Instructor in DC Metro area

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