QiGong

Studio

eNews

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January 2008

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We hope you enjoy reading our Studio eNews. For those of you interested in Reiki, please scroll down until you come to kiNotes.

INTRODUCTORY QIGONG 6 WEEK CLASSES ($60) are being formed to begin:

Tuesday, February 5 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Febuary 7 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

If either of these dates and times interest you, please leave Robert a message at the Studio at 945-4545 by Friday morning of the week before class is to begin, so class schedules can be finalized. If these dates and times do not fit your schedule, please contact Robert by e-mail or call the Studio for other options. Other sessions may become available based upon interest and enrollment. Contact Robert for private instruction. Thank you!…

NOT SURE WHAT QIGONG IS ALL ABOUT?

To help you answer that question and others, we offer a monthly Studio Sampler on a Saturday morning at our downstairs Studio location to provide people with an opportunity to learn about qigong and to give it a try. The instructor, Robert Leins will be happy to answer your questions and give you an idea of his approach to the practice. This is free to all who are interested. (Flier posted below.)

MASSAGE/REIKI SPECIAL…for FEBRUARY & MARCH

Schedule a regular one hour session of Massage or Reiki and receive within the same month a 50 minute Reiki Session for $35.

STUDIO SAMPLER

Saturday, February 2

Located at our street level Studio at 29 State Street, Bangor

(downtown--corner State & Exchange Streets)

PUBLIC INVITED

10:00 – 11:00 -- HEALING ARTS* SERVICES, QIGONG CLASSES, & REIKI TRAININGS described and explained

11:00 – NOON – EXPERIENCE QIGONG, a 5000 year old Chinese practice to improve & maintain health thru mind intent, breath, and gentle body movement--benefits are uniquely individual: ie, relaxation; stress and pain relief; improved flexibility; boosted immune system; etc…

12:30 – 3:00 p.m. HEALING ARTS* SESSIONS

Our monthly sampler sessions provide an opportunity to experience a healing art that may be new for you.

($15 per 30 minute session)

Call 945-4545 to schedule a sampler session for yourself or someone special in your life. Longer sessions available at our regular rates.

*HEALING ARTS SERVICES: Swedish, therapeutic, thai, and qigong massages, as well as qi and reiki healings

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HEALTH TIP: A HOLISTIC

APPROACH TO PAIN

This will be the first in a series of articles addressing muscle pain…

There is nothing worse than pain, no matter the affected part or areas of the body. Pain can be debilitating both physically and emotionally. Pain can make it difficult or impossible to do any type of movement, routine activity, work, or even recreational activity. Because of this, the resulting effects of pain can domino by testing the patience and understanding of our loved ones and friends. Often in trying to resolve pain, there is no simple solution. Sometimes there is.

As a massage therapist, I get many clients seeking relief from pain, which is either acute, chronic or both. Often they have tried other methods with their doctor or physical therapist or sometimes it is just another course of therapy. What clients do not always understand is that it may take time to create change, as now many more muscles are involved, as the body has compensated for the original muscle trauma or stress. As soon as the client begins to get relief, they often stop the sessions because they are feeling better returning only when the problem surfaces again. Unfortunately, there is usually much more work that needs to be accomplished. It took time for the body to get into this condition, it will take time to relieve it. I have seen clients leave because they have gotten relief from (for example) their neck pain, only to still have unresolved tightness (hypertension) in certain muscles, lets say, in the hips or legs, which may actually be the cause of the neck pain (secondary pain). But because the client does not fully appreciate the interrelationships, it is easy to discontinue sessions or to only schedule occasionally.

As people with busy lives, we tend to only deal with the really acute conditions and once those are relieved to a tolerable level, we move on with our lives. Also, taking the opportunity required to address the body’s needs requires time, money, commitment, and often at home self-care.

I have had clients ask me, “What makes your practice holistic?” Holistic to me means addressing one’s entire being from proper breathing, body posture, body/mind awareness to personal attitude, discipline and practice. We need to look at ourselves as fully integrated: neglecting one aspect of ourselves affects all others. For example, improper breathing diminishes our body’s ability to carry nutrients into all the cells and compromises their ability to remove toxins and waste products. These starved or over laden cells are now under stress. Because we are not paying attention and listening to ourselves, we continue with our poor habits and additional stressors, ignoring our responsibility to ourselves until symptoms of pain or disease catch our attention.

When that happens, we tend to resolve the acute symptoms without addressing the chronic, underlying cause(s). For example, if we chronically ignore drinking a sufficient quantity of water, acute problems can arise resulting in dehydration, nausea, headache, organ stress, emotional irritability, confusion, dizziness, etc. With this dysfunction we impact not only ourselves but our co-workers, our families, our friends…in short, our environment.

We tend to look for panaceas. Advertising and marketing promotes the taking of pharmaceuticals for this and for that. It does not encourage us to take responsibility for our own actions and health, which may require life-changing alterations. Being responsible in this way requires time, commitment, dedication, and practice.

So what about pain? I have had clients say that they eat healthy, go to the gym three or four times a week, swim, get plenty of rest, drink eight or ten glasses of water a day, meditate, but still are in pain. Pain caused by muscles can be the result of a muscle spasm, which creates knots in the muscle fibers that do not release. These spasms and knots can be formed when loading muscles and then suddenly releasing them, like picking up something heavy and then dropping it unexpectedly, or when the muscle fibers are at rest and then move quickly, like getting up fast when the phone rings.

Knotted or taut muscles are restricted in their ability to function normally. Take an elastic band, for example. Put a knot in it and then try to stretch it as far as you could before you tied the knot. In so doing, the knot becomes tighter and tighter making it more and more difficult over time to release. A similar dysfunction applies to muscle fibers. Release the knot in the muscle or elastic band and they return to their normal length of stretch and flexibility. So, how do we accomplish this? That will be the context for forthcoming articles as we address various muscles and muscle groups. Suffice it to say that the following is something you can do now.

Self-care practice: Explore a muscle and where ever you feel a tender, sore, or painful spot, press down firmly. This may be mildly uncomfortable but should not be painful. Excessive pain causes the muscle to tighten which is counter-productive. While pressing down (don’t just slide over the surface of the skin), move the whole area with circular motions and back and forth motions in multiple directions. In some cases, such as your back, you may need assistance accomplishing this. Do this several times a day. Over a few days or weeks, the area should improve and the pain/discomfort diminish.

(FYI: Depending upon which muscles are causing your discomfort, be informed that there are what we call surface muscles and deep muscles. Deep muscle releases require being able to press through the surface muscles and into the underlying muscle tissue, which is not always easy to do.)

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kiNotes

Welcome to kiNotes

Information for those trained in Reiki Level I and above and for all who are interested.

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REIKI XChange

Saturday, February 2 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.

$5 participation fee

RSVP appreciated

The intent of the XChange is to give those of us with Reiki Training an opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, stretch the mind, review and practice.

The format for the XChange is informal and relaxed. We spend time chatting, sharing experiences folks have had in their Reiki practice, and how we are attempting to integrate Reiki into our daily lives. Occasionally we have specific discussion topics.

Practice Sessions

We follow with short Reiki practice sessions. Sometimes we incorporate new techniques into the session, although most times, it is just an opportunity to work with someone else.

Post script: We often go longer than 2 ½ hrs for those who can stay. Afterwards, we enjoy some snacks and friendly chatter until we finally have to tear ourselves away and return to the world outside.

WHAT IS REIKI?

Reiki, as a Japanese discipline, attunes the individual to Universally or Divinely guided harmony for personal empowerment and healing. This empowerment shifts our perception(s) in unique ways, awakening a resonance within us that permeates throughout our entire being. This resonance influences our innate Wisdom which nurtures our physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual states. If within any of these states there is stagnation, blockage, abundant or deficient vitality, then our wellbeing can be jeopardized. Such difficulties as illness, disease, emotional instability, indecisiveness, and spiritual frustration can be the result.

The principles and techniques of Reiki assist in shifting and dissolving these distortions, thus allowing ourselves to open, relax, and release resulting in a more harmonious flow of ki (qi) throughout our being. Reiki supports our natural healing process and all aspects of our life. It helps provide a sense of ease, security, and trust in self. It can help us nurture our intuition, our spiritual practice, and our creativity. It can assist us in recovering from illness and surgery more quickly or it just may give us greater clarity and peace of mind. These are just some of the possible benefits a person may experience.

A Reiki session for oneself or others can be given by individuals who have been attuned to the Rei through this discipline. A healing session is usually 15 minutes to an hour in length and is commonly facilitated by placing the hands in various positions on the body, in the subject’s ki field (aura), or intented through distance healing. This resonance can influence the vibration of people, animals, plants, food, organic and inorganic matter.

The Usui Method of Reiki Healing was introduced in Japan by Mikkao Usui. His Method was carried on by his students, who made changes and modifications, being introduced into the West in Hawaii by Mrs. Hawayo Takata after World War II. There are now several different styles of Reiki practiced around the world, although much of what has been taught and practiced in the West has come from Mrs. Takata. On-going research is revealing more information about Sensei Usui’s life and practice, thus providing several variations to her teaching.

Reiki attunements are offered in several interdependent levels allowing students to decide for themselves the depth of their involvement. The empowerment is transmitted from the Reiki Master Teacher to the student through a simple process called an attunement. Trainings may last one or two days depending on the level and the style of the teacher. The Reiki discipline is easy to learn and fits comfortably into our Western, fast paced lifestyle.

INSURANCE FOR REIKI PRACTITIONERS

For those practicing Reiki who would like to be covered with insurance, I recommend you contact the International Association for Reiki Professionals located in Nashua, New Hampshire. They have various insurance plans from which to choose at reasonable rates. If you are not interested in insurance coverage, you may be interested in becoming a member of the association, receiving a newsletter, and being listed on their website as a Reiki practitioner. You can also list other disciplines you practice or teach, which can also be covered through the insurances they offer.

In addition they offer a Referral Rewards program. For each new referred member who joins, the referring person receives $10 and the member referred also receives a $10 discount on their first-time membership!

If you are joining for the first time either by mail, fax, phone, or on-line as someone referred by me, you must mention my Promo Code, which is: VLQS5.

Check out their website: http//www.iarp.org

If you would like to call them, their phone is: (603) 881-8838

INTERESTED IN REIKI TRAININGS? For those interested in receiving Reiki Training, please contact Vernita Leins, Reiki Master/Teacher at QiGong Studio. Trainings are scheduled upon request, as we work together to coordinate schedules and dates. Trainings can be one day, two day, or a few hours spread over a few weeks, days, evenings or weekends.

Every snowflake

Is a complete Universe