Are we losing track?
Holistic Therapists, I am just wondering have we lost track, are we focussing just a little too much onanatomy and physiologyof the human body, are we getting too involved in thinking we have to know all illnessess in order to be able to be a good holistic therapist?Are we forgettingwhy we became holistsic therapists? I don't and never will possess to be a Doctor or Nurse or understand alldiseases thatcan befall us, but neither do I expect my Doctor to be able to have a clue how to put me into a complete state of relaxation through reflexology or Reiki.I wonder if some therapists have lost track of what we are really about by trying to appear too clever in aspects of physiology. I personally embarked on therapies purely as a way to hopefully bring ultimate relaxation into a persons life. It is common knowledge that of course once a person does relax, associated health problems can ease, can't we just leave it at that? I don't know I am curious as to why and what other holistic therapists feel.
Answers:
hi geannie,
Funny was thinking of posting something similar, I have felt like this since I got into training in holistic therapies and all I wanted to do at the start is teach people to relax and also to help people into a relaxed state, and on reading that the body self heals that was it for me simple as even in my own mediation I felt that i could feel that my body was doing the work itself so it didn't matter where I was only I felt relaxed and in a nice quite place with my mind and allowed my body to take careof the rest. The body is an extremely intelligent living organism that has a spiritual aspect to it. One of the best audios I have heard and something I think that will sit with you is Deepak Chopra. I am doing holistic teraphies a full time course and the AnP just doesn't sit with me and I just adjusted to the fact that society has not yet adjusted themselves to the fact that there is a superior intelligence. Thank you for your comment and I am looking forward to other postings on this forum. Best wishes for you, also maybe have a look at film 'What the bleep'.:)
Answers:
Interesting thread. I suppose the more we get involved in the analysis side of things, the more we risk moving away from the holistic approach and to the western approach of fixing symptoms rather than the cure. The snag is, in order to get accepted more by people who work in western medicine, we need to talk in the same way. Personally, I feel my knowledge of A&P is adequate enough to get by. If a client says they've seen a doctor about a liver problem I will have a basic understanding and won't start trying to heal their right ankle.:D
(Actually this reminds me of the 80s film "Spies Like Us" when they went to that camp pretending to be surgeons and being invited to take out someone's appendix while other surgeons watched on. The guy put the scalpel over the chest area, and watched as the surgeons shook their head, then slowly moving down until they nodded. :D )
Answers:
It is a good question. I agree that for us to do Holistic Therapies, there is absolutely no need for us to know any A&P, however I do think that it can be good to at least have a basic grasp of what is what about the human body. A lot of people with issues will nowadays try and look up their issues on the internet before seeing a doctor or therapist, and when you first meet them they may come out with things like "I've been feeling uncomfortable in my kidneys"; so it does help if you have some vague idea of where the kidneys are so you can appear somewhat knowledgeable to the client. As mentioned above this is even more advantageous if you are planning on working alongside conventional therapies/medical practices as you can at least talk to some extent on the same wavelength. On the other hand, not everybody is doing Reiki etc. for the purpose of being a practitioner and treating clients out in big bad world, but moreso to practice things for the purpose of personal health and life/spiritual progression in which case, no, you don't need to know diddly squat about A&P.
It really all a matter of personal progression and everyone will be different. I don't personally want to know everything there is to know about A&P, but it's nice to know the basics.
Love and Reiki Hugs
Answers:
See though, DFTP,this is where I feel we have lost track, the very fact you mentioned 'if a client tells you they have a liver problem' you won't work on the ankle. Is it our role to makeit look like we are creating some sort of magic on a specific part of the anatomy? Is it not better tohopefully enrich them withthe power of great relaxation and subsequent peace of mind?We can of course thentell them, this in itself, can be mostbeneficial to many physical problems.
[sm=scratchchin.gif]
Answers:
Hi Jeannie, it is good for the client to have total relaxation and peace of mind as long as this will help them. Would it not be far better to actually heal their condition and make them feel relaxed and peaceful?
I know that total relaxation and peace work wonders for the being but is it enough to help someone through cancer or an emotional trauma? I personally do not think so but I do agree that we do not require a working knowledge of A&P because we have the best tool to locate problems - we can ask our client where it hurts! Obviously the root cause of the problem may lay elsewhere but having the client locate the pain is far better than them saying they have a pain in their kidneys because what if they have little knowledge of A&P too?
It doesn't hurt to know about the body (this should be of interest to healers anyway and it certainly helps in visualising the condition healing too) but I do not feel it is essential as we are holistic healers working with the bodies energy system so the blockage causing the illness may not always be where the pain is felt anyway.
Answers:
Hi Jeannie,
I have to say that whilst I agree with you regarding Reiki I do have to question where you learnt your Reflexology skills and whether you really grasped the full concept ???
As someone who has "sat in" on one of my Reiki classes you already know that regarding Reiki, my belief is, that it is our responsibility to provide an effective healing environment ~ to channel reiki as effectively as we possible can and I agree that a good knowledge of A & P is not of paramount importance.
However, the same cannot be said of Reflexology ~ we are able to balance the systems of the body (and individual systems of the body) and without a good working knowledge of A & P we would notbe able to work out the underlying systems needing work (we are all aware clients don't always tell us everything during consultation ~ only what they feel relevant) neither would we be able to give the much need attention to the systems in question if we do not know how they are connected.
So regarding Reiki I completely agree with you, but regarding Reflexology I definately do not.
meridianmoon xx
Answers:
Must say from my background in Reiki and currently doing reflexology, I totally I agree with Meridianmoon.
I did my Reiki courses in the last couple of years (first one in 2002 - last one on 2004) and never had to do any A&P in that - has this changed or is it only when taught in colleges that they arecovering A&P and probably health and safety into it?
Also agree with Energylz that a bit of basics will never go amiss - whatever kind of healing you are doing. I did A&P as I think it does help me in visualizing when doing Reiki etc., however I definately needed this for reflexology. I do not think that it makes anybody a better or worse healer - as I think the strength of the energy is linked with the therapist/healer's intention, love and spiritual development (to name but a few). Suppose it goes back to us all being on our ownpath and we do not all need the same things.
Answers:
A basic understanding of the body and its systems helps from time to time, but do we relay need to be able to break a cell down into its individualcomponents to function in most therapies, unless we wish to become dermatologists etc.
If we apply lots of analytical head knowledge in our treatments, then I feel that it canactually get in the way of our intuition and empathy, there is a lot to be said for going with the flow.
Answers:
This was a thread aimed at finding out what others thought, I was in fact mainly referring to reiki, hence putting it under the reiki heading and not reflexology which of course the training is a wholedifferent ball gameand far more indepth. Now reflexology has been brought into it,I still feel that it's possiblewe are in fact losing track and becoming too medically minded, with some therapists putting themselves on pedestals so high they may well fall off and need a doctor!As a matter of interest during my market research into reflexology I visited at least 30 therapistsfromWarwickshire toScotland andcan't believe what some of them came out with with regards to my possible medical problems.
[sm=confused-smiley-012.gif]
Answers:
I dont think it is necessary for A&P doing reiki however I do feel if you intend to work in the NHS or with other health professionals it will help to understand things when they are talking about patients.
What I fail to understand with the regulations why having trained as a cardiac technican (a long time ago) and have A/P as part of that training why would I need to do a certificate to meet the reiki national standards?
Answers:
My apologies Jeannie if you were not referring to Reflexology ~ its just that you mentioned bothReiki&Reflexology in your original posting.
As for therapists "diagnosing" your illnesses !!! Most goodReflexologists are well aware that it is not our job todiagnose. I will however be more than happy to let a client know the areas I have found to be imbalanced should they ask.
meridianmoon xx
Answers:
Personally, I find that knowing how the body works helps me communicate more effectively with a broader range of people. Not everyone is open to a conversation about meridians, frequencies of energy, visualisations, intent etc.
Not everyone is open enough to discuss underlying fears at a first consultation.
I am not medically trained, and quite often ask a client to explain their condition to me.
In doing so, I learn more about the body, but also about how the client views their condition. This in itself can tell you a lot about the persons state of mind, their worries, how they view the impact of their condition on themselves and their families, their fears, their hopes and dreams.
This in itself gives me a much broader insight into that person, and can open up other avenues of conversation.
So, maybe my answer is yes and no.
Yes, I do have an interest in how things work. I have an interest in our energetic anatomy as well as our physical anatomy, and the interrelationship and correspondances between them. I have an interest in how we work as a whole person, which has helped develop my "holistic view" of how people work generally, and how people work individually.
This has enhanced my holistic practice.
And no, knowing the nuts and bolts is not always necessary. To work intuitively, it is not necessary to know the latin name for the bit where your stomach joins your intestines.
To be able to vary my language, to be able to talk with my clients in a way they understand, to be able to switch from a spiritual discussion to a physical one, and relate one to another in a way that makes sense to my clients so that we can discuss the potential impact of say emotional stress on the physical body, and why our feelings can cause a physical "dis-ease", to help my clients heal and develop, is not something i would want to throw away, and has helped me and my clients tremendously.
But no, its not essential. It's how I like to work. Personal choice,
Hugs
Meiah x
Answers:
Can I join in?
I have found that the more time that passes between when I did A& P in the late 1990s the less relevant isis becomingto what I do now as an intuitiveHealer. Initially, with massage it all seemed to be about muscles, and then witharomatherapy it all seemed to be about client's presenting 'conditions'. Now,mostly doing Reiki, NFSHHealing or 'subtle aromatherapy',Isee dis-ease inclient's energetic fields, and I rarely call upon any knowledge of the A&P I studied.
Their emotional balance (or imbalance) is what I pick up, and whether this is being felt in the client's body as a symptom of IBS, or a bad back, or skin condition, or panic attacks or headache, is not that relevant to the Reiki or Healing that I do. I mainly see the presenting physical condition as a symptom ofimbalances in the energy field that have occurredthrough their feeling disconnected with Sourceand I believe that Reiki and Healing energy in general goes to where it is needed in the body of the receiver and re-connects them with the spark of the Divine that is within them, thus bringing about a feeling of wholeness on every level of their being. Even if, as in the situation of terminal illness, their physical condition cannot be 'cured'.
love epinay
x
Answers:
I do reiki healing though not reflexology and I have to say I do agree with you jeannie.
Answers:
hi geannie,
Funny was thinking of posting something similar, I have felt like this since I got into training in holistic therapies and all I wanted to do at the start is teach people to relax and also to help people into a relaxed state, and on reading that the body self heals that was it for me simple as even in my own mediation I felt that i could feel that my body was doing the work itself so it didn't matter where I was only I felt relaxed and in a nice quite place with my mind and allowed my body to take careof the rest. The body is an extremely intelligent living organism that has a spiritual aspect to it. One of the best audios I have heard and something I think that will sit with you is Deepak Chopra. I am doing holistic teraphies a full time course and the AnP just doesn't sit with me and I just adjusted to the fact that society has not yet adjusted themselves to the fact that there is a superior intelligence. Thank you for your comment and I am looking forward to other postings on this forum. Best wishes for you, also maybe have a look at film 'What the bleep'.:)
Answers:
Interesting thread. I suppose the more we get involved in the analysis side of things, the more we risk moving away from the holistic approach and to the western approach of fixing symptoms rather than the cure. The snag is, in order to get accepted more by people who work in western medicine, we need to talk in the same way. Personally, I feel my knowledge of A&P is adequate enough to get by. If a client says they've seen a doctor about a liver problem I will have a basic understanding and won't start trying to heal their right ankle.:D
(Actually this reminds me of the 80s film "Spies Like Us" when they went to that camp pretending to be surgeons and being invited to take out someone's appendix while other surgeons watched on. The guy put the scalpel over the chest area, and watched as the surgeons shook their head, then slowly moving down until they nodded. :D )
Answers:
It is a good question. I agree that for us to do Holistic Therapies, there is absolutely no need for us to know any A&P, however I do think that it can be good to at least have a basic grasp of what is what about the human body. A lot of people with issues will nowadays try and look up their issues on the internet before seeing a doctor or therapist, and when you first meet them they may come out with things like "I've been feeling uncomfortable in my kidneys"; so it does help if you have some vague idea of where the kidneys are so you can appear somewhat knowledgeable to the client. As mentioned above this is even more advantageous if you are planning on working alongside conventional therapies/medical practices as you can at least talk to some extent on the same wavelength. On the other hand, not everybody is doing Reiki etc. for the purpose of being a practitioner and treating clients out in big bad world, but moreso to practice things for the purpose of personal health and life/spiritual progression in which case, no, you don't need to know diddly squat about A&P.
It really all a matter of personal progression and everyone will be different. I don't personally want to know everything there is to know about A&P, but it's nice to know the basics.
Love and Reiki Hugs
Answers:
See though, DFTP,this is where I feel we have lost track, the very fact you mentioned 'if a client tells you they have a liver problem' you won't work on the ankle. Is it our role to makeit look like we are creating some sort of magic on a specific part of the anatomy? Is it not better tohopefully enrich them withthe power of great relaxation and subsequent peace of mind?We can of course thentell them, this in itself, can be mostbeneficial to many physical problems.
[sm=scratchchin.gif]
Answers:
Hi Jeannie, it is good for the client to have total relaxation and peace of mind as long as this will help them. Would it not be far better to actually heal their condition and make them feel relaxed and peaceful?
I know that total relaxation and peace work wonders for the being but is it enough to help someone through cancer or an emotional trauma? I personally do not think so but I do agree that we do not require a working knowledge of A&P because we have the best tool to locate problems - we can ask our client where it hurts! Obviously the root cause of the problem may lay elsewhere but having the client locate the pain is far better than them saying they have a pain in their kidneys because what if they have little knowledge of A&P too?
It doesn't hurt to know about the body (this should be of interest to healers anyway and it certainly helps in visualising the condition healing too) but I do not feel it is essential as we are holistic healers working with the bodies energy system so the blockage causing the illness may not always be where the pain is felt anyway.
Answers:
Hi Jeannie,
I have to say that whilst I agree with you regarding Reiki I do have to question where you learnt your Reflexology skills and whether you really grasped the full concept ???
As someone who has "sat in" on one of my Reiki classes you already know that regarding Reiki, my belief is, that it is our responsibility to provide an effective healing environment ~ to channel reiki as effectively as we possible can and I agree that a good knowledge of A & P is not of paramount importance.
However, the same cannot be said of Reflexology ~ we are able to balance the systems of the body (and individual systems of the body) and without a good working knowledge of A & P we would notbe able to work out the underlying systems needing work (we are all aware clients don't always tell us everything during consultation ~ only what they feel relevant) neither would we be able to give the much need attention to the systems in question if we do not know how they are connected.
So regarding Reiki I completely agree with you, but regarding Reflexology I definately do not.
meridianmoon xx
Answers:
Must say from my background in Reiki and currently doing reflexology, I totally I agree with Meridianmoon.
I did my Reiki courses in the last couple of years (first one in 2002 - last one on 2004) and never had to do any A&P in that - has this changed or is it only when taught in colleges that they arecovering A&P and probably health and safety into it?
Also agree with Energylz that a bit of basics will never go amiss - whatever kind of healing you are doing. I did A&P as I think it does help me in visualizing when doing Reiki etc., however I definately needed this for reflexology. I do not think that it makes anybody a better or worse healer - as I think the strength of the energy is linked with the therapist/healer's intention, love and spiritual development (to name but a few). Suppose it goes back to us all being on our ownpath and we do not all need the same things.
Answers:
A basic understanding of the body and its systems helps from time to time, but do we relay need to be able to break a cell down into its individualcomponents to function in most therapies, unless we wish to become dermatologists etc.
If we apply lots of analytical head knowledge in our treatments, then I feel that it canactually get in the way of our intuition and empathy, there is a lot to be said for going with the flow.
Answers:
This was a thread aimed at finding out what others thought, I was in fact mainly referring to reiki, hence putting it under the reiki heading and not reflexology which of course the training is a wholedifferent ball gameand far more indepth. Now reflexology has been brought into it,I still feel that it's possiblewe are in fact losing track and becoming too medically minded, with some therapists putting themselves on pedestals so high they may well fall off and need a doctor!As a matter of interest during my market research into reflexology I visited at least 30 therapistsfromWarwickshire toScotland andcan't believe what some of them came out with with regards to my possible medical problems.
[sm=confused-smiley-012.gif]
Answers:
I dont think it is necessary for A&P doing reiki however I do feel if you intend to work in the NHS or with other health professionals it will help to understand things when they are talking about patients.
What I fail to understand with the regulations why having trained as a cardiac technican (a long time ago) and have A/P as part of that training why would I need to do a certificate to meet the reiki national standards?
Answers:
My apologies Jeannie if you were not referring to Reflexology ~ its just that you mentioned bothReiki&Reflexology in your original posting.
As for therapists "diagnosing" your illnesses !!! Most goodReflexologists are well aware that it is not our job todiagnose. I will however be more than happy to let a client know the areas I have found to be imbalanced should they ask.
meridianmoon xx
Answers:
Personally, I find that knowing how the body works helps me communicate more effectively with a broader range of people. Not everyone is open to a conversation about meridians, frequencies of energy, visualisations, intent etc.
Not everyone is open enough to discuss underlying fears at a first consultation.
I am not medically trained, and quite often ask a client to explain their condition to me.
In doing so, I learn more about the body, but also about how the client views their condition. This in itself can tell you a lot about the persons state of mind, their worries, how they view the impact of their condition on themselves and their families, their fears, their hopes and dreams.
This in itself gives me a much broader insight into that person, and can open up other avenues of conversation.
So, maybe my answer is yes and no.
Yes, I do have an interest in how things work. I have an interest in our energetic anatomy as well as our physical anatomy, and the interrelationship and correspondances between them. I have an interest in how we work as a whole person, which has helped develop my "holistic view" of how people work generally, and how people work individually.
This has enhanced my holistic practice.
And no, knowing the nuts and bolts is not always necessary. To work intuitively, it is not necessary to know the latin name for the bit where your stomach joins your intestines.
To be able to vary my language, to be able to talk with my clients in a way they understand, to be able to switch from a spiritual discussion to a physical one, and relate one to another in a way that makes sense to my clients so that we can discuss the potential impact of say emotional stress on the physical body, and why our feelings can cause a physical "dis-ease", to help my clients heal and develop, is not something i would want to throw away, and has helped me and my clients tremendously.
But no, its not essential. It's how I like to work. Personal choice,
Hugs
Meiah x
Answers:
Can I join in?
I have found that the more time that passes between when I did A& P in the late 1990s the less relevant isis becomingto what I do now as an intuitiveHealer. Initially, with massage it all seemed to be about muscles, and then witharomatherapy it all seemed to be about client's presenting 'conditions'. Now,mostly doing Reiki, NFSHHealing or 'subtle aromatherapy',Isee dis-ease inclient's energetic fields, and I rarely call upon any knowledge of the A&P I studied.
Their emotional balance (or imbalance) is what I pick up, and whether this is being felt in the client's body as a symptom of IBS, or a bad back, or skin condition, or panic attacks or headache, is not that relevant to the Reiki or Healing that I do. I mainly see the presenting physical condition as a symptom ofimbalances in the energy field that have occurredthrough their feeling disconnected with Sourceand I believe that Reiki and Healing energy in general goes to where it is needed in the body of the receiver and re-connects them with the spark of the Divine that is within them, thus bringing about a feeling of wholeness on every level of their being. Even if, as in the situation of terminal illness, their physical condition cannot be 'cured'.
love epinay
x
Answers:
I do reiki healing though not reflexology and I have to say I do agree with you jeannie.