January 3, 2022

How Is Shiatsu Beneficial?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories fitness health physiotherapy professional help shiatsu therapy
Shiatsu Treatment

‘Shiatsu’ refers to ‘finger pressure’, but does not only include applying pressure with the help of fingers. Your therapist might also use their elbow, knuckles, knee, and feet for the treatment. All you would need to do before the treatment is to loosen up your muscles, and relax. This would help in the process of blood circulation and get your energy flowing. The concept of energy flow, also known as ‘Ki’ or ‘Qi’ is the main principle of Shiatsu. It is all about removing all hindrances and imbalances to the Ki flow and restoring energy into the body wherever it’s required. This is an ancient Japanese practice that involves applying pressure to points or stretching areas that are situated along the lines of energy known as the ‘meridian channels’. No aromas or oils are used in his type of treatment and the main focus is on the body and it’s pressure points. Shiatsu massage is extremely beneficial for checking stress and anxiety. 

Studies have shown that Shiatsu is capable of promoting physical and emotional stability and reducing any kind of stress in the body. When pressure is applied on certain points of your body, blood circulation happens effectively, and it reaches all parts of the body. Thereby, tension is released. Moreover, Shiatsu is also known to increase the levels of serotonin, a hormone that is associated with making you feel calmer and at peace. Another hormone, dopamine is also released in the body that’s responsible for making you feel productive, and motivated. These are the reasons why Shiatsu is good for keeping anxiety away. It also helps in treating health issues such as arthritis, headache, insomnia, menstrual cramps, fatigue, etc. 

Pressure Points

It is a treatment that results in a sync of our mind and body because it encompasses a mixture of knowledge, wisdom, and the experience of alternative healing. Apart from using hand and foot joints, the therapist is also known to employ their body weight. This is why the massage is usually done on the floor, on a mat. The key is to apply pressure at the right place. This is a milder form of physiotherapy that includes stretching and relaxing muscles for promoting flow of energy. Shiatsu prevents any kind of blockages or disturbances in the body and leads to a state of harmony in the mind and body. Moreover, since this form of massage involves wearing light and comfortable clothes, it is also suitable for those who are shy or are new to the world of massages and treatments. 

December 18, 2021

Techniques Of Zen Meditation

Author By - Debbie Gobin Categories fitness health meditation mental health therapy zen meditation
Meditation

Zen meditation is a branch of mediation that is associated with spirituality. In this form of meditation, one needs to be in sync with the authentic nature of his mind. It involves decoding the true powers of your mind. The purpose of this form of meditation is to clear the mind of evils such as anxiety and depression by providing you with the actual perspective of how the human mind functions. Zen meditation has originated from the Tang Dynasty of China that existed during the 7th century. It is a Buddhist practice but with time, it spread to several parts of Asia such Japan and Korea. “A special teaching transmission outside the teachings; not established upon words and letters; directly pointing to the human heartmind; seeing nature and becoming a Buddha” are the words of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist master while he described Zen meditation. It does not simply involve the reduction of stress and anxiety, but it is connected to the deeper questions of life that often have no solid answers. These questions are explored to find out the nature of the mind. Some techniques of Zen meditation are mentioned below. 

  • Silent Awareness 

A very important aspect of Zen mediation is to just let the mind be. This is called “shikantaza” in Japanese that refers to “just sitting”. In this practice, you would have to allow your mind to simply be a passage wherein thoughts flow in and out, instead of reacting to them. You would have to let the thoughts pass without any sort of judgements, either positive or negative. You would simply have to refrain from any sort of feeling. Your goal would be to be free of all judgements and practicing meditation. This is important if you want to know how clear your mind can truly be and how freely can it function. 

  • Observing The Breath 

You would be expected to sit on a cushion, chair or mat while you are performing this meditation. You would have to hold the Seiza pose, Burmese or half-lotus before channelizing all your energy on one particular aspect of the meditation process, namely, breathing. You would have to focus all your attention on your breathing and the completion of inhalation and exhalation with your belly playing an important role. The more accurate your effort is, the faster would you notice desirable results. The motive of this is to make your mind feel more alert and attentive, thus regulating your emotions better. 

December 18, 2021

What Is Individual Counseling?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories counseling health individual counseling mental health professional help therapy
Individual Counseling Session

Personal or individual counseling refers to a private session between a professional and an individual who seeks help on matters of personal or professional interest. It’s a one-on-one conversation with an expert and you can talk to them about things that concern you or have been troubling you. Moreover, you can also ask for their advice on things or situations that are significant in your life. More often than not, the expert would engage in a friendly conversation with you to be aware of the circumstances that might be going on in your life. They would try to understand and analyze your issues and instruct you on ways that would help you get rid of your problems. In this article, we’re going to talk about how individual counseling can help you. 

  • Coping Well With Situations 

Mental illnesses like anxiety and depression cannot be treated in one day. It requires regular effort. Once you begin individual counseling sessions, you would learn a lot about the actual causes of your problems. In this way, you would be able to stay away from them in a conscious manner. Whenever you feel disturbed, the instructions given by your counselor would help you cope with the situation and act in an organised manner. Even if you’re not able to fully control your emotions, you would have the basic idea about how to deal with them gradually. This is one of the major advantages of individual counseling. 

  • Unhindered Attention 

One of the main pros of individual counseling is the aspect of getting one-on-one attention of the counselor. This helps immensely in the process of curing mental illnesses because most of these result from or worsen because of the lack of having someone who would listen. If you’re suffering from a mental illness, you would always want to talk to someone who would listen to you and understand you without judgement. This is the exact role played by a counselor. You get the unhindered attention that you crave for. Moroever, since the person sitting right in front of you doesn’t know you, there’s scope for developing new perspectives and dynamics that you’ve not encountered before. Quite often, you would be surprised how newer perspectives can solve your problems way easily than you had expected.

  • Improving Relationships 

When you’re not fine mentally, it directly or indirectly affects your relationships. However, when your problems tend to subside as a result of the individual counseling sessions, you would automatically be in a position to fix your relationships and improve them. Moreover, you’ll also learn to deal with them in a better manner, despite all the issues that you might be facing. 

December 10, 2021

Vetiver Oil For Aromatherapy

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories aromatherapy essential oils meditation mental health therapy vetiver
Vetiver Essential Oil

Vetiver, also known as khus, is an aromatic shrub with a strong scent. It is highly healthy for both physical and emotional health. Chrysopogon zizanioides is its scientific name, and it belongs to the Poaceae family. Vetiver is an important aspect of Ayurveda, and its odor is thought to refresh the mind and senses. Vetiver’s skin and bodily advantages are just as significant as its mental benefits. In this post, we’ll look at how Vetiver is used in aromatherapy and how it can be beneficial to our health. Read along to find out more! 

What Is the Best Way to Use Vetiver? 

It’s perfectly safe to vaporize Vetiver by distilling it for a while because it’s an aromatic ingredient used in aromatherapy. Inhaling the lovely odor of Vetiver after it has been released from an Aromatherapy diffuser is one of the most typical ways to take advantage of this.

Another approach to use Vetiver oil and reap its benefits is to apply it topically. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that you shouldn’t use Vetiver oil alone. It has to be diluted with the help of a carrier oil. Coconut oil and jojoba oil are two oils that can be used as carrier oils. To prepare the oil, combine two drops of Vetiver oil with 10 drops of carrier oil and apply directly to your skin for noticeable results after a few applications. If you’re comfortable with it, you can gradually increase the proportion of Vetiver oil. 

Vetiver can also be used for cosmetics purpose. It must be diluted into a cream or lotion in order to moisturize and hydrate the skin. Furthermore, it aids in the reduction of cuts, wounds, wrinkles, stretch marks, and other skin imperfections, as well as the promotion of an even skin tone. This is possible because of its properties as an antiseptic. Apply it to your skin with a cotton pad on a regular basis for the greatest benefits. This would aid in the removal of clogged pores and any contaminants, hence encouraging collagen synthesis. Collagen is believed to maintain our skin supple and healthy by increasing its elasticity.

December 8, 2021

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories DBT fitness health mental health professional help psychotherapy therapy
Practicing Core Mindfulness

Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT was initially meant to treat patients with BPD or borderline personality disorder but with time it has been modified to cure certain other mental health disorders as well like PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, or substance use disorders. It is a branch of CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its main goal is to mend the way people view their relationships with the people who surround them, improve the way they communicate and deal with stressful situations, and how they choose to carry themselves in the present time. 

Important Techniques Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy 

  • Distress Tolerance 

This is a way of therapy that allows patients to handle themselves effectively in crises. The key to maintaining sanity is the ability to accept situations and act according to them, without disrupting your mental balance. You would be coached to deal with extremely intense emotions that tend to overpower you. You would learn to stay calm and have a positive attitude, no matter what. Some very important ways of distress tolerance are self-assurance and belief, distraction, and thinking about objects or people who make you feel at peace. 

  • Core Mindfulness 

One very important aspect of DBT is the development of mindfulness in an individual. Practicing mindfulness would enable you to live in the present and experience moments as they come to you. It would help you focus on yourself and your emotions in accordance with whatever happens around you in a way that wouldn’t harm anyone, including yourself. This is a technique that’s capable of preventing impulsive decisions and actions that people subject themselves and others to, as a coping mechanism. 

  • Interpersonal Effectiveness 

More often than not, people face issues in their relationships because they’re unable to speak their hearts out to the other person and showcase their true feelings. They tend to normalize bottling up their emotions to avoid problems. However, this is a very unhealthy way of dealing with problems. Interpersonal effectiveness is a part of DBT that enables individuals to stand up for themselves and express their views while maintaining peace. It would help you respect your own as well as others’ opinions more than you used to. 

  • Emotion Regulation 

This is a way of being able to identify your own emotions and the root causes of those emotions, to regulate them in difficult situations. Once you’re able to recognize and analyze your actions as a reaction to certain emotions, you would be in a better position to deal with them.

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