Let’s explore another approach to health and fitness: Alternative Wellness. Traditional physician health care is ever expanding and is shifting a bit to include identified methods of Alternative Wellness. One could define Alternative Wellness as a proactive process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more healthful being.
There are many areas in our lifestyle that we know need our attention: Maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in daily exercise, reducing stress, getting enough rest, and regular doctor check-ups.
So what can you do to be more proactive and take more responsibility in your overall state of health? Here’s an example of someone who decided to make a healthy lifestyle change toward wellness.
Jeanne Britt is a busy woman who decided with her doctor to take a medical and alternative wellness partnership approach to managing her healthcare. She realized that her family health history, along with lifestyle, made it necessary to seek out ways to stay healthy. “I would rather adopt lifestyle changes in an effort to ward off illness than go to the doctor for treatment after an illness has attacked. I also wanted to set an example for my family that encouraged them to look at their own lifestyles and form healthy habits early. Being proactive and not reactive can make all the difference in the world,” she said.
We have identified four Geist area certified professionals who provide Alternative Wellness care in the fields of Yoga, Digestive/Natural Health, Foot Reflexology and Thermography.
The Practice of Yoga
The classical techniques of Yoga date back more than 5,000 years. This practice of physical and mental exercise brings the body and mind together into one harmonious experience. The practice is built on three main structures: Exercise, breathing, and meditation. The exercises are designed to put pressure on the glandular systems of the body, thereby increasing its efficiency and total health. Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body; breath control will improve the health and function of both body and mind. These two practices prepare the body and mind for meditation, an easy approach to a quiet mind that allows silence and healing from everyday stress. Regular daily practice of all three parts produces a clear, bright mind and a strong, capable body.
Melissa Webb received her teaching certification in 2003 from the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. She teaches Hatha Yoga to both beginning and advanced students as well as classes in restorative Yoga, Yoga for kids, and partner Yoga. Asana, relaxation, breathing, and meditation are all part of her fun and instructional classes.
“Movement is a simple way to improve the body, mind, and spirit. I believe Yoga has a very therapeutic side and so, in the years since my certification, I’ve completed a detailed study of Yoga as therapy. I’ve had the opportunity to work with people recovering from illness or injury. I’ve seen first hand the improvements that can be made with a few simple Yoga poses,” Melissa said, adding, “I personalize my classes as much as possible. I get to know my students’ bodies, injuries, and limitations. It is my goal to help everyone feel better as they walk out of class than they did when they arrived.”
In Melissa’s class, the emphasis is on health. It’s not just a fitness routine, as Yoga draws you into your inner self. Once your body learns to relax, your mind relaxes as well. It is a balance that is so necessary to your overall health on all levels.
For more information on Breath of Life Yoga please call: 317.502.5630. Visit her website at www.breathlifeyoga.com or email her at Melissa@breathlifeyoga.com
Let’s talk about Nutrition and the Digestive System.
The digestive system is very extensive. Eating properly is key; our organs need proper nutrients to function properly. Too little healthy food and too much unhealthy food can interfere with normal processes of your digestive system. It is important to keep in mind that our organs need adequate nutrients. Without proper nutrients, the cells can die or fail to function properly. Your body also needs fiber and antioxidants – substances commonly found in fruits and vegetables – to neutralize free radicals that can harm your cells. When free radicals attack the cells and impair them, they lose their ability to produce functioning enzymes – specialized proteins needed in every facet of biological activity, including digestion and metabolic processes. It is important to digest enough fiber in your diet and consume plenty of fluid daily. Exercise can also help your digestion.
Genie Goykhberg arrived in the United States from the former Soviet Union in 1990. She left her career in mechanical engineering to devote her time and efforts to educating others on how to live long and healthy lives as a Certified Digestive Health Specialist and Certified Natural Health Professional. Her mantra is: By improving digestion, our body forgives us many other sins. Genie’s extensive health and wellness services include: Nutrition, Health and Life Coach, Thai Message, Kundalini Reiki, Spinal Touch Treatment, Kinesiology (Muscle Response Test), and Tuning Forks (Sound and Vibration Acupressure) among many others.
Her diverse wellness approach is unique and comprehensive to the body’s core systems that help her clients rebalance their busy lives. “One of the most important aspects in achieving a long, healthy, and happy life is to establish who is really in charge of his/her own body. Who is going to monitor the results, and who will daily give the signals that command attention within his/her body?” Genie said. “At Energy Within Us, we help clients hold themselves accountable for their own well being, understanding that each person is truly the driving force in their own bodies. I have developed a powerful and positive command protocol that delivers an outcome of control which helps the body react with improved physical, mental and emotional health,” she adds. Genie has a unique talent, creating a memorable healing experience.
For more information on Energy Within Us, call Genie at 317.580.0088. Office is located at 2935 E. 96th Street, Suite 204.
Re-energize Your Body with Foot Reflexology
Foot Reflexolgoy it is beyond massage! Every organ in the body is reflected within specific areas of your feet. Nerve endings in the feet are inter-connected through the spinal cord and brain with all parts of your body. Each of us has more than 7,000 nerve endings in each foot. Reflexology is the application of pressure onto particular areas of the soles of the feet. A reflex action in another part of the body is stimulated by the manipulation of each specific area. It is important to know that Reflexology is different from ordinary massage, and the public should be aware of the separating factors involved.
What are the benefits of Reflexology Therapy? It can relieve pain and stiffness. Working within the nerve system, foot reflexology can relieve problems with migraine headaches, stress, asthma, constipation, sinusitis, and leg neuropathy as well as other areas of the body under stress. It benefits improved circulation leading to the reduction of stress and disease, and the body’s function will be naturally turned into its homeostasis (the balancing of overall body system functions).
Diane Meils is a Certified Reflexologist from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and is a nationally Board Certified Reflexologist through the ARCB. As a professional Reflexologist, she is dedicated to a single purpose … helping to improve the health of individuals in a natural, noninvasive way. It is also noteworthy to share with you that Diane is a former professional ballet dancer with the Cincinnati Ballet and Charleston Ballet in South Carolina. She has BFA from the University of Cincinnati. This professional caregiver is engaging, with a warm energy that crosses over into her patient-care therapy. Diane advises anyone interested in Reflexology to make sure they find a certified Reflexologist, as they are certified to protect the public. The client also needs to know that the practitioner follows safe universal protocols.
“In an EEG (electroencephalogram), theta waves are measured. Reflexology goes to a theta state, whereas massage is measured at a beta state. It is during the theta state where it is believed that healing really occurs,” Diane said. After learning more about the benefits of treatment through Reflexology, one quickly realizes how important our feet are in the connective path to wellness therapy. Reflexology is not age related, as it can be used to treat infants, teens, and adults with a variety of presenting symptoms,” says Diane. Reflexology is, indeed, a wonderful alternative wellness option that generates results in a relaxed and peaceful manner.
For more information about Foot Reflexology, please call Diane at 317.385.2350 or visit her website at dianemeils.abmp.com.
Understanding the Benefits of Thermography
Thermography is used by doctors as an aid for diagnosis and prognosis as well as monitoring therapy progress for an array of conditions and injuries. Although it might seem new to us, Hippocrates, the Greek physician, wrote, “In whatever part of the body excess of heat or cold is felt, the disease is there to be discovered.” The history of Thermography is fascinating and now documented. In 1982, the FDA approved Thermography as an adjunctive tool in breast cancer screening. It is also used in back injuries, arthritis, headache, nerve damage, unexplained pain, Fibromyalgia, RSP (CRPS), dental and TMJ, artery inflammation, vascular disease, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, disc disease, inflammatory pain, skin cancer, referred pain syndrome, sprain/strain, whiplash, and digestive disorders. The digital infrared thermal imaging is a brief, non-invasive, radiation-free, pain free, clinical imaging process. It is quick and easy on the patient. Thermography is cost effective (covered under some insurance plans) and can be done in various regions of the body. As the world of medicine continues to expand, the wonders of specialized imagery is moving toward what might be the difference in discovering a disease well before it has advanced to a life-threatening situation.
Abby Appelt went back to school to achieve her certification in Thermography (CNHP-CCT). She was a woman diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia Syndromes. She went from doctor to doctor, undergoing multiple examinations, tests, blood draws, and consultations. With no improved results, she decided she had to go beyond traditional methods and seek out alternative pathways. “Thermography saved my life and changed my life,” she said, recalling her personal journey to wellness. Today, she is the founder of Thermography of Indianapolis, works with many doctors, and receives referrals from other medical specialists who are also invested in providing alternative methods of early detection. Thermography adds an additional level of care that is vital in preventive measures. It is an important element to consider when looking at your own health and wellness program.
For more information about Thermography of Indianapolis, please call 317.370-5111 – Office is located at: 450 East 96th Street, Suite 500 (Between College and Meridian on 96th Street) or visit their website thermography-of-indy.com.
It seems very clear that shifting the focus away from “being ill” to “being well,” thereby adopting lifestyle changes that your body needs to be balanced in its core and at peace from stress, is playing a larger role in personal health care, opening up many avenues of Alternative Wellness exploration. Talk to your doctor and explore together option plans that combine the best of both worlds!
