The ABCs of Non-Traditional Healing

Description: Ever wonder what Reiki is or what the principles are behind acupuncture? Do you find it hard to choose which holistic techniques you'd like to try? Are you looking for a new healing modality to support your present health regime?

Every day, more and more complementary health care techniques become available. Often these can be self-applied and offer a more active role in overall healing. With so many choices, it can be difficult to know what is available, how it works or where to find it. Some will suit us, some will not.

This lecture separates these techniques into the categories of Mind, Body and Spirit. It offers an overview of some of the techniques in each category with a few examples and demonstrations. Get a better idea of what to look for as you search for techniques and therapies that fit your particular needs and unique personality.

A reference handout sheet will be provided as a jumping-off point for your own research.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT/"Tapping")

Description: Have you ever heard of Emotional Freedom Techniques? It's often called "Tapping" or simply EFT. Drs Mercola and Oz are talking about it and it's moving its way discreetly but surely into the mainstream. High-level athletes can be seen using it before games to help them get in the zone. Coronation Street and Unité 9 have had their characters using it to reduce anxiety. If you haven't tried it yet, this is your chance!

It's a gentle yet remarkably effective technique where, by tapping specific energy points across your body, you begin to release unwanted emotions, effect positive change on physical conditions, remove the pain or discomfort from long-held negative memories and shift limiting beliefs.

If you are stressed out or carrying any old emotional baggage, this is an indispensable technique to have!

You'll learn all the basic elements to apply this technique for self-care.

EFT is powerful, it's simple and it's quick. In just a couple of hours you will have a new, calming, self-help tool literally in your hand: Come and learn to "Tap"!

The Gifts of Imperfection

Description: Who among us doesn't want to live a "whole-hearted" life? Researcher Dr. Brené Brown set out to understand what it takes for that to happen. What she found is that it requires Courage, Compassion and Connection. Through her research, she also discovered that to achieve that level of well-being we must address shame, fear and vulnerability which can get in the way.

Using the 10 Guideposts set out in her acclaimed book, "The Gifts of Imperfection", we will look at "Letting go of who you think you're supposed to be to embrace who you are". We'll begin by sharing our experiences, expectations and hopes regarding courage, compassion and connection as well as discuss ways to tackle the things that stop us from having those very things.

The "Guideposts" suggested by Dr. Brown include cultivating all of the following: 1. authenticity, 2. self-compassion, 3. a resilient spirit, 4. gratitude, 5. intuition, 6. creativity, 7. play and rest, 8. calm and stillness, 9. meaningful work and 10. laughter, song and dance.

This can be a discussion-based support group or we can use a number of healing tools to clear our emotional blocks regarding the difficulties we have in being our most authentic selves.

Law of Attraction - Levels 1 and 2

Description - Level 1: A universal law. Find out what its properties are so you can make it work for you!

Have you been getting the results you want in life? Do you notice repetitive negative patterns in relationships, your career or with money? Would you like to change all that? Learn how and why these things happen. You'll leave this short workshop understanding how to use the Law of Attraction to your advantage and we'll show you some powerful tools to help you do that.

Description - Level 2: There's a lot of info about the Law of Attraction out there and yet sometimes you may still feel it's impossible to master.

For this workshop, I've sorted out all the bits and pieces of Law-of-Attraction teachings that I've studied and pulled together those I've found to be most effective in getting us out of our own way.

I'll talk about Abraham-Hicks, The Secret, and Mike Dooley, as well as a few elements I've observed in my own manifestations that none of these schools talk about.

You'll learn about powerful tools and I'll highlight important concepts. I'll also lead you through some fun exercises that will help you see what you can do to get your personal Law-of-Attraction show on the road.

NOTE: In Level 1, the basic Law of Attraction concepts (visualization, affirmations, etc.) are covered. In Level 2, they are not, we will address mostly the things that block manifestation.

Safety First: Choosing Your Healing Helpers Wisely

Description: What or who is a healing helper? Likely you have many. Yours might be a family member, it might be your doctors, the young woman in the suppplements store that helps you pick the right ones for you. Other people might be your pharmacist, your physiotherapist or the psychiatrist you've been seeing for a while.

Where we have a choice, it is important to choose wisely the people in charge of helping us with our health. If we don't feel safe, if we don't feel cared for and our needs respected, our bodies and minds simply cannot heal as quickly or efficiently. For our immune systems to function at their very best, a relaxation response in the body and mind is required. If you feel stressed about some of your healthcare providers, consider looking at how safe they are for you.

Over the course of this lecture, we will look at ways to evaluate how safe you are feeling with your present healthcare pracitioners and other helpers and in which particular situations. We'll also look at how to make better choices when possible.

"Tapping"/EFT for Massage Therapists

Description: As mentioned above, EFT ("Tapping") is a powerful release technique. This workshop has two complementary parts specifically aimed at helping massotherapists with their professional challenges:

• Massotherapist Self-Care (1.5 h)
• Participants are given basic instructions on how to do tapping for themselves for self-care. This includes reducing stress, releasing tension and eliminating excess emotion at any time. We will do rounds of Tapping together on typical massotherapist issues such as: physical discomfort or pain, disgust at certain smells, body parts or skin conditions, uneasiness massaging a particular gender, groping issues, etc. – Participants will select the subjects that suit their specific needs.
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• Incorporating the Tapping Points into Massage (30 min)
• We will explore how the tapping points can be incorporated in a variety of ways into quick but efficient facial massages which will relax your clients before you even get started or have them not wanting to get off the table at the end.

There are many challenges in this line of work so knowing and applying EFT can really support a massage professional in achieving his/her goals.

Who Are You? Find Out

Description: Using various types of creative exercises, including:

• Collage
• Drawing
• Shadow work
• Physical movements
• Noticing our thoughts and words
• Discovering internal and external resources, etc.

we learn to know ourselves better.

Why should you get to know yourself? Because self-knowledge has a number of really important benefits, among them: happiness, less inner conflict, better decision making, stronger self-control as well as compassion toward ourselves and, therefore, others. All of this gives us more personal power and consciousness of the choices we have available to us.