Wednesday, July 27, 2005

How can something that tastes so good, be good for you?

Today was Nutrition class again. We were all to bring in our designated food items for a healthy lunch that we were going to have. As tomorrow Jason and I are leaving for our annual DML BBQ and off-road adventure, I couldn’t prepare any meals, but brought in a jar of organic Almond Butter.

The instructor brought in the most amazing and tasty meal. It was chick pea stew and it was heavenly. I never liked chick peas so this was a pleasant surprise. It was my absolute favorite. She even gave us all a copy of her recipe (with a lot of begging and nagging from the rest of the class – myself included).

She also prepared a cheesecake that was made from tofu. You would have never believed that there was no cream cheese in this dessert that tasted like it fell from heaven. If eating healthy can taste this good… please count me in!!!

I guess you just have to know how to prepare the food for it to taste so sinful. We spent the rest of the afternoon studying more on beans and preparing for a test next class on grains and beans/legumes. Next week the school is shut down so we’ll have an extra week to study. WHEW!!! I’ll need it.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

The Letter

Last night 9:30 PM, Ed had telephoned us to find out what was going on. Apparently he had heard through the grapevine that we weren’t coming back. There was no way I was going to explain everything on the phone at this hour so I told him I wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Jason and I spent the rest of the evening and part of this morning composing a letter to give to him. We didn’t mention anything about how we’ve heard from other practitioners that they withhold their paychecks and expect free services for their acquaintances. We tried to stick with just the facts that affected us and not betray any confidences.

Dear Ed,

I’m sorry that I couldn’t talk to you on the phone when you called last night. I feel that too much had happened to be able to discuss it over the phone in a timely manner and I didn’t want to end up going to bed late or upset.

I don’t know if you are aware of all of the events that happened during your Open House as you weren’t present for any of it besides the first incident when I was sitting behind the desk beside Peggy. In fact, you may not have even been aware that I could hear Sharon quite clearly make the comment: “I don’t care who she is, she’s not sitting there.” I was taken a bit aback by that comment, but tried to brush it off as I believed Sharon may have been under some stress due to the Open House and trying to get everything ready. I wish that I could say that was the only incident as that could have been overlooked with your apology on your wife’s behalf.

I would have preferred if Sharon could have apologized for herself either on the phone or face to face though as it would have been more meaningful. Again this showed a lack of respect on her part. As for your explanation of why I couldn’t do my case studies there, I was a little confused about that as 1) Lynda is an Osteopath Student herself and not having completed her program at school and certified yet and 2) I was going to be providing my own insurance from the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists and their Insurance partners which would have covered me under their Student Insurance to perform case studies outside of the school environment.

I’ll give you a play by play as to how the rest of the Open House progressed. After you left the area, I noticed Sharon struggling with the balloons and asked if I could help. I was given a very short and curt “NO” where she proceeded to ask one of your children to hold the balloons instead. OK, I said to myself and again dismissed it, but I was starting to get the feeling that she was having an issue with me personally as she was more pleasant with everyone else.

I don’t want this to be a Sharon bashing letter, however I have to let you know everything and why I am so upset, disappointed and hurt. What happened next was that I was asked to go and sit in the waiting area because the desk area had to be kept clear and she them proceeded to move the chair to the back of the building. This is when I started to get upset. I didn’t appreciate this passive-aggressive behavior. I am a very understanding person and if she would have simply explained that this area has to be kept for staff only due to legal restrictions, I would have understood and not felt like I was being reprimanded like a grade school student. For Sharon to have made up some nonsense about keeping the area clear was simply an insult to my intelligence, as I was well aware that this was not the actual reason she was asking me to move.

So I sat in the patient waiting area while awaiting Elena’s arrival to give her the planned Aromatherapy treatment for my case study. After Elena had left, I contemplated leaving as well. The only thing that kept me there was that I made a promise to you that I would stay for the Open House and try to help drum up some business for you by letting prospective patients know how much all of my treatments here have helped me and how I’m in Fibromyalgia remission because of what you and the rest had done for me.

I didn’t need to stay for the Open House. I knew your operation and everything involved. I was not promoting Aromatherapy, Reflexology, or myself in any way. In fact, when the subject was brought up, I quickly acknowledged it and changed the subject back to massage, chiropractic, etc. My mission was to help you and the clinic. Yes, I believe that making money is important, but I also believe that people’s health and a positive atmosphere is even more important.

I also didn’t like the fact that I heard Sharon tell a staff member while Kim was in her room giving a massage, (can’t remember who she was saying that to) that she didn’t care if Kim said that she wasn’t going to do massages outside in this heat and to bring back that massage chair and put it back outside after Kim had moved her chair back inside. She was going to give free massages, outside in stifling heat, having had nothing to eat all day, on her own time, at her own expense, like it or not. I thought to myself… this sounds rather dictatorial. I don’t think I could ever work with someone that is this controlling and uncaring. Notice that I said “work with” and not “work for”. That is because I believe in working together and not in the old fashioned “boss” atmosphere. You get further ahead when you look at it as a team rather than ownership of people.

At one point, I was explaining how wonderful Nancy’s nutrition program was working for me to a client and when Nancy came by, I asked her to come over and talk to the gentleman. Half way through our little 3-way conversation, Sharon came by, interrupted, and asked Nancy to give someone else a tour of the place. He looked a little confused at the abrupt end of the conversation so I tried to fix it by telling him about Homeopathy. Then Brindusha came by and I told him that she’d be able to explain it much better. Again, we had this little 3-way conversation going when Sharon came by, interrupted, and asked Brindusha to give someone a tour. This guy was very confused by now and I didn’t think I could say much more to fix it. I saw that Kim was outside with no massage in progress, so I pointed him to Kim’s direction for a free massage. I was hoping that maybe this would make him forget what had transpired with the last two practitioners. I wasn’t sure if he was an existing patient or a potential patient, so I wasn’t taking any chances.

I was pretty upset by this time and I couldn’t understand why Sharon was behaving this way. Was this her normal behavior with all of the practitioners? If so, I could never work in that kind of environment, let alone feel like I was getting treatments as a patient that would be as beneficial as possible. I calmed myself down by walking around for a bit and went outside for a smoke. When I came back in, I was feeling a bit better and I thought I’d try again.

This next scenario is what really made me angry. Jen was standing behind the desk talking to a few people. I can’t remember if she was talking to staff or patients. Sharon was seated in the patient waiting area with a potential patient trying answer some questions about Reiki. She called over to Jen: “Jen, come here and explain Reiki”. As Jen was busy talking and I was standing right there doing nothing, I turned to Sharon and said: “I just completed the course with Jen and Kim for Reiki Level 2. I can help explain Reiki.” Sharon glared at me, didn’t say a word, looked over to Jen and said: “Jen, come over here now and explain Reiki.” It was extremely rude. I see no reason to treat any other human being with such contempt regardless of whether or not she knew who I was.

I don’t know what I had done to deserve this kind of treatment, but I had had enough. All I wanted to do was be helpful and I kept getting a virtual slap in the face for my efforts. I said my goodbyes and left. The only thank you I got was from you and I did appreciate it. I then sat in my truck for the longest time, fuming with anger. Then I realized that I wasn’t really angry, I was deeply hurt and disappointed. Then I ended up sitting there and crying for the longest time before I was able to compose myself in order to drive home. I had incredible pain in my lower back from the stress. Strange how getting upset always takes itself out on my back.

Once home, I ended up talking to Jason at work on the phone for about an hour and a half while he tried to calm me down. The next day I had a horrible time trying to concentrate at school. I don’t think I remember most of the day. By Thursday, my back had gotten so extremely stiff and painful, I had to cancel my morning clinic day at school and book an emergency massage with Kim at the other clinic.

I’m so sorry that it had to come to this Ed. I always loved you as my chiropractor and liked you as a person very much. I really wanted to see your business succeed and I believed that I could work with you at one point. I truly believed that it would have been financially rewarding for both of us. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to work with Sharon’s business practices and treatment of fellow practitioners. I saw enough to know that I could never be happy working under that kind of iron hand. I was under the impression it was a team, but from what I saw with how she treated the practitioners first hand, this reminded me of bad places that I had worked in the past.

I can only offer this advice… if Sharon is to be your Clinic Director, she really has to be made to understand how Alternative Medicine works. The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection is a real thing. You cannot run a Wellness Centre like it’s a factory with unionized workers and producing a product. This isn’t an assembly line of cars, but people with pain and medical issues. Even before all of this had happened, I had noticed that all of the practitioners didn’t smile as much as they used to in the beginning when the clinic first opened. It was a steady increase of unhappiness that I could sense. If you think patients can’t pick up on the negative vibes in the clinic, you are very wrong.

I know from first hand experience with receiving treatments at both clinics, that what I received at Total Health link are good, but not as therapeutic as what I receive at Core Link. If the practitioners are under stress or not happy about something, that negative energy flows through to the patient without a word being said. I can only imagine how much better all the treatments could have been with a happier, and less negative atmosphere. If you believe that all of your practitioners are happy and satisfied, take a closer look and see through the smiles they put on for the patient’s benefit. As a relatively good judge of people and a lot of psychology training, I see through it rather easily without anyone saying a word. I just didn’t know what the cause was until witnessing it first hand.

I can’t blame Sharon in this respect as she doesn’t have any Alternative Healthcare experience and most likely doesn’t understand the whole “Mind, Body, Spirit Connection” that is such a huge part of Alternative Medicine. With all that has transpired, we don’t believe that we can get the health benefits that are possible at your clinic. I’m sorry that it had to come to this, but it hurt me very deeply and I have a low, if not zero tolerance for passive-aggressive behavior. I honor and respect when people when that are honest, up front and rational instead. They key to financial success is to have a happy team that will back you 100% and that can’t happen when they are treated like school children.

I have had my own financially successful business in the past in the graphic arts world with a staff of 6 people outside of myself, so I do know what I’m talking about. I ended up having to sell my business because it grew too big and I was no longer happy in that field. I always treated everyone with the utmost respect and kindness and they reciprocated by giving their all at work and then some without me having to ask for it or order it.

The people who work with you have the training and experience and if you lose them, you lose all of that. What you bring to the agreement is, in reality, little more than a treatment space, and without the practitioners, all you will have left is empty space. It is our honest opinion as outside observers that you need these people more than they need you, and we believe that you will be much better off to treat them accordingly. We hate to see this dark cloud over everything you’ve worked so hard to build, but we do see that it’s there, and we have to do what is right for our own health and wellness.

It’s with a sad heart that I have to type this letter, but I thought it was important for you to be aware of everything. Jason and I still want you to be successful in the future in helping people find their way to wellness and live a pain-free and productive life. I can’t thank you enough for how you have helped both of us and we wish that things could have been different. None of my words here are meant to hurt or are said in spite, but rather I’m hoping to help you see things a little differently and hopefully make the improvements you need to do to reap the financial benefits of bringing people their lives back to them. If we didn’t care about your success, we would have simply just disappeared and never bothered to explain why. Both Jason and I wish you the best of luck with everything.

Sincerely,
Norah Bleazard & Jason Bleazard

Monday, July 25, 2005

Work Out From Hell

I worked out with my personal trainer from hell, um I mean Amy today. This woman is evil, evil, evil. Ok, not really. She’s a great trainer, smart, pushes me properly to do more but damn sneaky. She’s been increasing my weight every visit by just a little bit and not telling me. I kept wondering, how come this wasn’t getting any easier? Now I know why. She also increased my situps on the stability ball from 50 to 70. I did them, but it sure wasn’t easy. Without her pushing and encouraging me, there was no way I was going to be able to do it.

I can’t help but remember this joke that I received in an e-mail. Every time I workout with Amy I remember this joke:

Dear Diary.

For my fortieth birthday this year, my wife (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since playing on my college football team 25 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swimwear. My wife seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started!

The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

Monday:
Started my day at 6:00am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. She took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. She was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to her in her Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring.

Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around.This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!

Tuesday:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air -- then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile.

Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

Wednesday:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life.

She said some other shit too.

Thursday:
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. She sent Lars to find me, then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine - which I sank.

Friday:
I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps!

And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

Saturday:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over.
I will also pray that next year my wife (the bitch) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a vasectomy.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Fun & Enlightening Visit With Friends

Today, Jason and I went to visit our friends Mark and Leslie. We didn’t get a chance to see the new baby as it slept through our entire visit. This was the first time the baby had slept this long and Leslie was a bit concerned and popped in a few times to check on little Matthew. Man this is one “BIG” kid. Mark is pretty tall (the basic football player size) and at 3 months, Matthew is fitting into clothes for a one year old. Leslie is already finding him to be heavy to hold for long periods of time. I don’t envy her as he starts to get bigger… LOL.

We had a wonderful visit together like we always do and we learned so very much about our chiropractor that we didn’t know. Seems Leslie has no intention of going back to work for Ed after her maternity leave. She doesn’t feel comfortable with his unethical billing practices. I didn’t really care for them either. I was under the impression that he was trying to help patients that couldn’t afford it because their insurance ran out, by billing their chiropractic sessions under other items such as physio or massage.

I did find it rather strange that Kim (certified and registered Athletic Therapist and Massage Therapist) and Lynda (certified and registered Athletic Therapist and final year Osteopath student that was legally allowed to practice Osteopathy) were giving me physio and osteopathic treatments and they were being billed under someone that I have only seen once. Jason was getting the physio and osteopathic treatments from Kim & Lynda and never once saw Frankie (the physiotherapist).

Apparently there was a lot more unethical billing practices that went on that we didn’t know about. Yes, it was good for patients that ran out of coverage from their insurance for Chiropractic care, but not good if down the road you needed physiotherapy and didn’t have any coverage left.

Mark’s company installed all the computer systems for Ed and worked out a great deal for him. At one point, Ed wanted something else installed and Mark told him that the office was closed, but if he really wanted it today, Mark would go out and buy the equipment out of his own personal money, but he’d need to be reimbursed the same day as his insurance payment would bounce. But he’d do him this favor only if they promised to get the money back to him by the end of Saturday.

Lo and behold, Ed and Sharon pulled a fast one and didn’t give Mark the money unless they got their check from Mark’s company for their “special deal – rebate check”. This was not a nice thing to do… basically Leslie is a new mom on maternity leave, Mark’s company is struggling, and they pull this crap by not paying them back and basically pulling food from a baby’s mouth. NOT ETHICAL!!!

Finding out all of this made the decision rather easy for us. We’re simply not going to put another red cent into Ed and Sharon’s pockets. It was a fun evening and a real eye opener.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Chiropractic Conversation

Today, Jason and I got to the chiropractor’s office before he showed up so that we could clean out the room I was using for case studies of all of my belongings. We decided that I shouldn’t do anymore case studies there as the negative energy of the place just wasn’t doing me any good. We got all of my stuff out of there before he came into the office.

While I had my appointment with the Homeopath doctor, Jason had his adjustment with Ed. They didn’t discuss the events as I wanted to talk to him first and tell him what I thought of all of this.

Jason finished and headed off to work, while I went into the treatment room for my adjustment. I decided to hold off talking with Ed until after I got my much needed adjustment for my back. No point it getting him upset while he’s working on my back… that could have been disastrous.

Much to my surprise, he brought it up by saying: “I have to apologize for my wife, she thinks she may have been rude to you. It’s actually my fault as I never told her that I was letting you use a treatment room for your case studies. I also should tell you that after you finish this study, I can’t let you use the room any more. Our new insurance won’t allow non-certified people to perform any kind’s of treatments.”

I was a little lost for words as I was hoping to bring this up after my treatment. All I could tell him was that I was more than a little pissed off and left it at that. After the adjustment, I wanted to discuss it further, but there were a load of patients waiting to see him afterwards. Instead I will talk with Jason more about this on the weekend and come to some sort of decision.

Tomorrow, Jason and I will be going to visit our friends, Mark & Leslie. Leslie used to work for Ed as his receptionist until she had her baby and went on maternity leave. Mark installed all of Ed’s computer systems, so they both know Ed quite well. We’ll talk to them and see what they think of all of this.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

OUCH

I had to cancel the morning of Clinic Day as I was in so much pain. There was no way I could give 2 treatments for my case studies. I phoned the school and left a message with the Director that I would be in for the afternoon portion.

I then called Kim to see if she had anything open as I needed a massage very badly. Kim has an amazing talent for releasing muscle spasms in the back. I lucked out and she had an opening and boy was that a great massage. I didn’t feel great, but I knew that I could handle the rest of the afternoon at the school.

Kim suggested that I send her bill to Ed to pay as it was the events at the Open House that caused this muscle spasm. I would love to do that, but I think we should talk to him about all of this.

During Clinic Day, I received a treatment and gave one. That was just what I needed. I felt so much better. Now we have to figure out what to do with our Chiropractor. Both Jason and I are scheduled for an adjustment tomorrow morning. I think we’ll be having a long talk with him then.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Difficult day for learning.

Today was the second class in nutrition. I was in a lot of pain today and was grateful that I didn’t have to do anything physical as my back was crying out with sharp pains. I found it incredibly difficult to concentrate today. I guess the events of yesterday were taking it’s toll on me. Funny how stress effects the body.

Every muscle in my body is screaming as well. I have this feeling that my remission for Fibromyalgia may have been a bit premature. I’m feeling like it’s hit me with a major flare today. But at least it’s not as bad as the flares of the past have been. I am still able to get up at a normal hour, shower, dress, and get myself to school. So it can’t be back full force as I would never have been able to go to school this time last year.

We had our amazingly good breakfast at school. We had a variety of healthy cereals, scrambled tofu, which surprised the heck out of me. It actually tasted quite good. There was this sprouted bread that had no yeast in it that tasted like a sinful dessert. We have to go shopping at Whole Foods and get some of these things.

Later we had some bananas, strawberries and kiwi (all organic) with some organic plain yogurt. It was yummy. At break we all had some filtered water with fresh organic lemon wedges. Seems that lemons are the number 1 alkalizing food and really good for you. The best is to drink the water with lemons in it within 30 minutes as the alkalizing factor weakens with time.

We studied the healing properties of grains today and WOW… what an eye-opener. I wish I could explain it all here, but it would just take way too much space. All I know is that I have to start eating more Millet and Rye. Millet does a great job strengthening the kidneys and is a natural diuretic and boy do I need that. Rye helps with muscles and helps liver stagnancy.

I still felt very out of sorts and emotional today. I have Clinic Day tomorrow and I don’t know how my back is going to hold out for it. What I would give for a massage right now. My body hurts so much today, all I want to do is go back to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Monday, July 18, 2005

DAY FROM HELL

Ok… Today was a day that I wish I could forget. Many changes are going to happen from here on in for both Jason and I when it comes to our chiropractic treatments. I had my Osteopath and Massage therapy appointments at the other clinic today and afterwards, headed over to the Chiropractor’s clinic to do my second treatment on my patient for the Case Study.

I got there a little early to make sure the room I was using was all set up and ready for her. Tonight, the Chiropractor (Ed) is having an Open House and would like me to stay for it to explain to prospective new patients, the benefits of all my treatments and how it has helped me.

I figured, no problem. He’s helped change my life so very much and by allowing me to use one of his spare treatment rooms for my case studies, I owed him at least this.

I got to the clinic, set up the room, and waited for my patient to show up. Then the darkness came. My chiropractor's wife (the clinic's director) arrived at the clinic. I don't claim to be psychic, but I felt this darkness or negativity surrounding her when she walked in. A series of events occurred afterwards and the rudeness and coldness that she gave me were overwhelming.

I tried to ground and centre myself as much as I could, but the darkness overcame me. I felt emotional, hurt, angry and all the negative feelings you could imagine. I wasn't prepared for this. It came so unexpectedly. Yes, her husband was doing me a favor by letting me use one of the treatment rooms, but I am also a paying patient as is Jason.

We had spent quite a large sum of money for treatments there over the last year, and I was there that day to help promote his business. Silly me, I thought when you try to help someone that there would be gratitude in return, not rudeness. I was completely overwhelmed and had to leave early. She glared at me as her husband thanked me for helping and being there. I sat in my truck for awhile to compose myself as I was extremely angry. The anger turned to hurt and I couldn't hold back the tears.

As soon as I felt better, I drove home. No point in getting into an accident because my mind wasn’t on my driving. After I composed myself I went home, telephoned Jason to let him know all that happened and he was incredibly shocked. I’ll post more on this later as we both still have to figure out what exactly we are going to do next.

Second Degree Reiki Certification :-)

Well, I did it. I’m now officially a Second Degree Reiki Practitioner. I’ll be going for my Masters in February. There’s only one level left after that, and that’s Reiki Master/Teacher. I don’t think I’ll be going for that one, I’ll be happy just to make it to the Reiki Master level. For the Master/Teacher level there is a one year apprenticeship required and I just don’t have that kind of time to dedicate to it.

I’ll be able to add this to my list of certifications towards my Alternative Healthcare Practitioner stuff when it comes to offering Alternative Healthcare Services. Well worth it in my opinion.

All in all, it was an amazing weekend. I have opened myself up to a wonderful form of relaxation and healing. We did a group Reiki Share and did sessions on each other. I could feel the warmth and tingling all over my painful joints. It was great.

What I have noticed is really weird. All day today I’ve felt out of sorts. Like I didn’t really belong and kind’ve depressed. I thing now that all the fun and excitement of the weekend is over, everything else seems to trivial and meaningless. I guess this will pass and things will get back on track real soon.

Today I had a workout with my personal trainer, Amy. I think she is evil. She had me to 50 situps (actually crunches) on the stability ball. I may wish very bad things on her when I wake up tomorrow morning.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Bad Pain Day

Today I skipped Clinic Day at the school. It’s not been a good day pain wise so I thought it would be better to focus on getting myself feeling better. Thank God I’m ahead of the rest of the class for my case studies so I’ll be fine.

This weekend I have a full 2 days of class with my Reiki masters. I’ll be studying and getting my Level 2 Reiki certification. WOOO HOOOO!!!! I’m really excited about this. I’ll post more when I’ve finished the class.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Nutrition Class

Today was the first day of the Nutrition class of the course. WOW!!! Talk about intense. I had already learned a lot of what we were discussing due to my years of personal research and things that I’ve learned from our holistic nutritionist. I have an assignment due in 2 weeks on The South Beach Diet. We each got a different popular diet to research and give a presentation on. This should be quite interesting as I’ve known for years that these popular diets out there are just a fad and a money making scheme. Too bad the rest of the world doesn’t understand how unhealthy these things are and that they simply don’t work over the long term.

Next week, we are preparing a healthy breakfast in class. We were each assigned different items to bring in. I’ll be bringing in organic Soy Milk (natural flavor). I hope I remember to not eat breakfast before school… LOL.

Today we studied the acid/alkaline foods. We were given a photocopy of a chart that listed all the foods and their pH levels. The ideal diet consists of 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods per day. I plan on putting all these in an Excel spreadsheet for my own personal use. Maybe even put a copy on my PDA so I’ll have it with me when we grocery shop.

Our class is planning a field trip to Whole Foods Market. It’s a big grocery chain that sells organic and healthy foods. Jason and I will have to check this place out as it’s only about 20 minutes from our house. They have store all over the Canada and the U.S. Here’s their website:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Seems they don’t have one in Utah though. Oh well, but they do have 5 in Colorado and one in Nevada. Hopefully the Holistic and Organic ways of eating will catch on more in North America in the future.

My First Aromatherapy Case Study

Yesterday I had my first case study done at our Chiropractor’s clinic. And yes folks, it was on a woman. THANK GOD!!! So far, the only case studies I've done outside of school, was on my mom. The Aromatherapy treatment went rather well. I was a bit nervous, but soon fell in the swing of things. I only messed up one thing, I forgot to do the arm portion. Oh well, we were told that we could skip the arms if time was running out or the patient required more emphasis on other parts of the body.

My patient loved it. She said it was out of this world and she was sorry that it was over and would have loved another hour. It’s always good to get positive feedback. I gave her the aftercare instructions with a bottle of water and told her to drink lots of water. She complimented me and told me I was very kind. Wow, I didn’t expect that as I was just following the example of my teacher.

All in all it went very well and the patient is excited to come back next week. I would like to prepare a special blend for her as she suffers with migraines, but as I haven’t taken the blending class yet, I’m really not allowed to prepare blends for therapeutic use when it comes to treatments. I am, however, allowed to prepare as many products for sale as I wish, such as soaps, candles, lotions, massage oils, etc. I may just go ahead and prepare a blend for her to use without actually applying it during her treatment.

I am proud of myself for doing a good job and putting a smile on my patients face and helped her with her relaxation problem. All in all, a good day.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Science Fiction musings

Further to Norah's post about Star Wars, I thought I'd chime in with a few of my thoughts. It really surprised me how... empty we were left feeling after seeing the last Star Wars movie. Not because of anything wrong with the movie itself. I quite enjoyed it. I know a lot of people have had nothing but criticism for episodes I, II and III, saying that they don't measure up to their childhood memories of the original. To those people, I would suggest going back and watching the original again to see if it was really as great as you're remembering. I love Star Wars, but let's honestly look at these movies for what they are: fun entertainment. Sure, there are a few things I might have done differently, and some things that I wanted to see as a fan that weren't included. But I absolutely respect Lucas' right to make his movie his way.

The question remains: where are all of the original ideas in Hollywood these days? Since The Matrix, I can't think of a single original sci-fi movie or TV show that was any good. Even my latest obsession, the new Battlestar Galactica, is a remake.

I keep hearing about how good Firefly is. I like Joss Whedon's other shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) quite a lot, so I watched Firefly. I wanted to like it, and I really tried tried to get in to it. For some reason, it didn't click with me. I don't know if I just can't get past the whole space Western thing, or what. The movie based on that show is going to be hitting theaters later this year, I think I'll give it another chance. I imagine they'll structure the movie so that it isn't necessary to be a fan of the TV show first.

Now that Star Wars and The Matrix are done, they've canceled all Star Trek and the Babylon 5 movie fell through, there isn't much left worth looking forward to. I've heard rumors of another Trek movie with an all-new cast to take place some time between the time of the series Enterprise and the original Trek. My question: why do this, when there are already so many unanswered questions lingering from Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise? Couldn't we round up these cast members and fill in some of the blanks? I suppose the actors probably want too much money.

What other sci-fi movies have we had this year? The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. While this has never been a movie before, it has been a TV miniseries and a radio series. I don't mind making movies from books, if they're going to stay more or less true to the source material. I haven't seen this one yet, I'll wait for the video. From what I hear, they didn't stay very true to the book at all. Batman Begins: another prequel. War of the Worlds: another remake. Fantastic Four: another remake. I'll check these out eventually, but I can't say I have any desire to spend the money to see them in the theater.

Looking through the other movies, we have Bewitched, The Honeymooners, Bad News Bears, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Dukes of Hazzard. Did all of these really need remakes? And don't even get me started on television.

The amount of mindless drivel that Hollywood is shoving down our throats is insulting to our collective intelligence. And they wonder why their profits are down all across the board. Could it be because the economy in general is down, and when people get laid off, the first thing they do is eliminate their entertainment budget? Could it be because we're sick and tired of the crap that we're being fed? Oh, no, it must be the fault of the Internet. Clearly the solution is to regulate the Internet out of existence. Yes, that will immediately fix all of our problems and get people running back to the theaters to sit in tiny, uncomfortable seats with sticky floors and put up with other people's bratty children to watch a bad remake of a TV show that was never very good to begin with. The sooner the RIAA and MPAA are forced in to complete technological obsolescence and quit wasting all of their energy harassing all of their own customers trying to ensure that nobody watches or listens to anything without forking over some cash first, the better off we'll all be.

Where has all of the creative talent gone? I think a lot of it has gone to Pixar. Everything they've done so far has been amazing (Toy Story 1 & 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and especially The Incredibles), although I'm not too sure about their next film (Cars). I'm really eager to see what they'll be able to pull off once their contract with Disney expires and they're out on their own. The team that did Shrek and Shrek 2 also has a lot of talent on it. I haven't seen Shark Tale yet, or Madagascar. I'm not too sure about Will Smith as a fish, he isn't a very good actor as a human (no matter what he plays, it's always basically Will Smith and the Robots, Will Smith and the Aliens, Will Smith and the Other Aliens, etc.). Based on the previews, when he tries to play a fish it still just sounds like Will Smith and the Fish. Madagascar looks pretty funny, but again I'll wait for the DVD.

I think maybe I'm going to start paying more attention to the independent film circuit. Maybe check out Atom Films once in a while to see what people are coming up with. Most independent films are bizarre beyond words, but every once in a while you turn up a real gem like Memento. There must be some talented, creative people out there who are still interested in making quality entertainment. I'm not asking for fine art here, people. Just something that I can enjoy for a couple of hours without wondering if it was written for (or by) a horde of lemmings. Is that really too much to ask?

Who hasn't wanted to watch their junior high school burn?

It's kind of weird, I think everyone in junior high school entertains fantasies of blowing up the building or burning it to a crisp. I only went to Wasatch Jr. for one year, 9th grade. For me, this isn't the school I think of when I think of the unrelenting horror that is junior high school. That honor in my mind belongs to Valley Jr. Wasatch actually wasn't a bad school. My memories of being there are not entirely unpleasant, so it's kind of sad to see it burn down.

Full story in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Now if Valley Jr. ever burns down, I want ring-side seats. I'll bring the marshmallows.

The End of an Era & Reality :-(

Saturday night Jason and I decided to finally go and see Star Wars 3. The movie had been out since May 19th, but we wanted to wait for the lines to die out and rewatch Star Wars 1, 2, and the animated series Clone Wars, before seeing the movie.

Even though we were ready for quite a while to go see it, for some reason I kept stalling. I finally figured out why. Seeing Star Wars 3, would be the end. The end of an Era, the end of the Saga, the end of STAR WARS!!!

The movie was great. I enjoyed every second of it. When it was over, both Jason and I were kind’ve sad. There’s nothing left. It’s finished! There is no more Star Wars, no more Star Trek on TV, no more Babylon 5, nothing.

Being the Sci-Fi junkies that we are, the only thing left for us is Battlestar Galactica. Season 2 starts this fall, and that’s pretty much the only thing we have left to look forward to where Sci-Fi is concerned.

Sure there will be stuff to watch on TV this fall that is ok. We always enjoy the CSI’s, 24, Medium, and Desperate Housewives. But they aren’t shows that I rush home to watch or would be upset if I missed, or felt the need to record while away. Sooo… TV will be a little glum this year outside of Battlestar… the only thing we really, really can’t miss.

Is Sci-Fi losing popularity? I sure hope not. Real life is not all it’s cracked up to be and watching Reality shows are really not my thing. I guess I hate the fact that they call them “reality” when they’re scripted. True reality would be soooo boring. Who wants to watch a day in the life of a Burger King worker, or a day at the assembly line, or the exciting nightlife of a single person that comes home to an empty apartment and has a frozen meal for dinner. Yeah… reality isn’t as exciting as Hollywood would lead us to believe. Just look around and see if the events going on around you would make good television.

Ok... off I go to the clinic for my first "real" aromatherapy patient... woooo hooo :-) AND IT'S NOT A MAN!!!! hehehehehe.

WHAT??? A MAN????

Yesterday was an interesting day. I found myself not very nervous and I hadn’t spent as much time with my notes as I thought I was going to. Jason helps me unload all my gear at the clinic seeing as he had an appointment with the Chiropractor at 9:30 AM anyway. I got busy setting up my table and making the room just perfect. Put some nice candles in the window, great music on the CD player. The room is perfect.

Kim is wonderful. She helped me so much with everything. Then she asks me if I feel ready for Mr. X? Um… Mr. X??? A Man??? WHAT???? I’ve never done a treatment on a man before… OH NO!!!! We studied this, there are some slight differences, especially on the face. Razor stubble makes the technique a little different. I haven’t even practiced this on a man yet. OMG… OK.. my heart is racing like crazy. Oh well, just go with the flow is what I keep telling myself.

Turned out Mr. X cancelled his appointment as he just got a promotion at work and needs to rework his schedule. WHEW!!!! THANK GOD!!!! I better practice on Jason as soon as I’m able to. WOW… talk about anxiety!!!

Anyway, I spent the day at the clinic, had all my treatments, helped put together a new treadmill for the gym area, and studied my notes in my peaceful, quiet treatment room. I’ll be all set for my first patient, today at 11:00 AM… AND IT’S A WOMAN!!!!!!!!

IKEA: a little piece of heaven

Isn’t IKEA just like a small piece of heaven? I just adore this store. Saturday, Jason and I decided to get up early and have breakfast at the restaurant inside IKEA. They serve a nice breakfast for $1. Hash browned potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausages & croissant. YUM! We got there by 8:40 AM, shoveled down breaky, buzzed around the store like madmen to pick up towels, blankets & pillows, and then rush over to my Homeopath appointment for 10:00 AM.

I have my first “real patient” to do a case study on at my chiropractor’s office on Tuesday morning at 11:00AM. Kim (my massage therapist) had referred a patient of hers over to me to be a case study. Ed (my chiropractor) gave me an empty treatment room to use, Kim supplied a massage table and stool, and I needed to get sheets, towels, pillows, pillow cases, etc. for the room.

I was in a kind’ve calm nervousness if that makes any sense. I’m excited to get my first real patient, yet nervous at the same time, but in such a weird way. Nervous without the anxiety that usually accompanies it.

So we get to the Homeopath’s office (she works out of Ed’s clinic) just as she was getting there. She tells us that she needs a new bulb for her color therapy laser machine and would we mind waiting while she runs over to her other clinic to pick up her other machine. We took this opportunity to rush over to Zeller’s and buy some sheets and pillow cases, and one of those plastic wheelie carts with drawers.

I don’t know if you guys know what color therapy is, but I’m giving it a shot. I figure if the insurance company is willing to pay for $500 worth of Homeopath appointments per year… then why not see how this works. Here’s a link:

http://nh.essortment.com/whatiscolort_rime.htm

Ok… I get the treatment done, and off we go home. Jason goes to the gym later and does the grocery shopping, while I soak my new sheets and super-treat them with unscented fabric softener. Laundry is now a full day event to get these towels, sheets, and blankets feeling comfy and cozy.

Then I get some news that I’m not overly happy about. Kim goes into the clinic today to play catch up on paperwork and notices that I have a patient coming in on Monday morning as well. She calls me to see if I know this or not. Of course I don’t. Seems like the "dippy" (and I use the term lightly as this is almost a compliment) receptionist at the clinic has booked me an appointment on Monday afternoon at 2:00 PM.

She never even called me to let me know... uggggh. I could strangle this woman sometimes... she is bossy, arrogant and makes more than her fair share of mistakes. She messed up the phone system at the clinic and now the phone there doesn't make a ring that everyone can hear.I wonder how many patients have not been able to get through... grrrrr.Anyway... thank God Kim was in the clinic yesterday and noticed this.

I already had my day all scheduled. Originally, I had an appointment with my personal trainer at the gym for 10AM until 11:00AM.. a full hour of workouts and sweating. I was then going to rush over to the clinic and see my Homeopath at 12:00 - 12:30 for a color therapy treatment, then 12:30 - 1:00 for my Chiropractor adjustment, then1:00 - 2:00pm with Kim for massage therapy... all at the same clinic. I was going to be there all sweaty and tired. How could I give a treatment at 2:00pm? How fair would that have been to the patient to have a sweaty practitioner working on them? YUK!!!!I would have been there alright... but I wouldn't have had all my supplies with me (oils, sheets, blanket, pillows, music and CD player, etc., etc., etc. What a dipstick!!! Sometimes I could throttle her for not thinking.

Friday she told a patient that the doctor wasn't in yet... and he was in the back in his office doing paperwork. She's messed up my appointments for myself on numerous occasions. I'm so sick of getting calls that I've missed an appointment when she wrote it into the wrong week...ugggh.

So I called my trainer and left a message on her cell phone to cancel my appointment. Now I will go to the clinic first thing in the morning and Kim will help me set up my room... move the massage table in there, get the bed all set up, and do whatever needs to be done to make my first case study down outside of fellow students, friends or family a pleasant and wonderful experience for the patient.I'm reading my notes and studying like crazy... rehearsing what I'll say, etc. etc.

I'm nervous. I want to give this patient the best and make her feel wonderful. Not just is this a case study for me at school... but a real patient of the clinic, so this is the real thing... not just practicing and learning... but actually trying to help someone that needs it.

Update & School - Long Post (Part 2)

Last Thursday was an interesting at Clinic Day. I received an Aromatherapy treatment from a fellow student and also gave one. After lunch we were to repeat the process by giving and receiving a treatment. The only hitch was I didn’t feel like receiving another one. Yesterday’s blending and this morning’s treatment had left me feeling like I’ve had way too many essential oils and I really didn’t want another dose. So we agreed that I would give a treatment and receive a reflexology treatment instead of aromatherapy. Wooo Hooo… I get to find out what a reflexology treatment on my feet will feel like as I’ve never had one before.

What surprised me was that part of what we had learned for the feet portion of an aromatherapy treatment contained many of the same techniques as reflexology. But of course this is much more in depth. I enjoyed every moment of it. If you think a good foot massage feels great… by all means check out Reflexology.

It’s amazing what you can tell about a person by their feet. Upon placing pressure on one area, I had pain. I asked what area does this represent and found out it was the lower back. What a coincidence as I was having lower back pain at that very moment. Through our studies in Oriental Analysis, we can find out whether a person smokes, has allergies, has a type “A” personality, kidney problems, gall bladder problems, neck or back issues, etc. all by examining the feet. It’s pretty amazing stuff.

I was a little skeptical when we first learned this Oriental Analysis, so I took my notes in to my Chinese Acupuncturist and she verified that this is true. They have been using this and other techniques for diagnosis for thousands of years. This is just so fascinating.

But I digress. I had finished receiving and it was my turn to give. I decided at this point that I was going to go through the entire one hour treatment and not use my notes. I guess you could say I was testing myself to see if I could remember all the steps without the notes. I didn’t know that my teacher was paying such close attention. When I finished the treatment, she ran over to me, put her arms around me and gave me a huge hug and congratulations. Trish came running out of her office to see what the commotion was all about and Carla (my teacher) gave her the news.

Trish was actually speechless. When she finally spoke, all she could say was that this has not happened her in a very long time. Usually students have to be practicing much longer than a week before they go solo without notes. Then I got the bad news. Carla looks at me and says, “Of course you know what this means don’t you?” I answered no and she proceeded to tell me that seeing as I was so good at not using my notes, I’m not allowed to rely on notes for any future treatments I give. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I guess time will tell.

I don’t particularly care for these 4 days a week school weeks. I’m not used to them and trying to keep all of my appointments for massage therapy, chiropractor, acupuncture, osteopathy, homeopath, and workouts at the gym with my personal trainer during the week as well as school leaves me pretty wiped out and with little time to do other things, such as cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. How do other people do it?

Friday was no school and boy was I grateful as all I wanted to do was go back to bed because I was exhausted and hurt all over. I did however have to meet my personal trainer at the gym for 9:30 am. I get to the gym and remembered that I forgot to weigh in for my July 1st weigh in on the fibro weight support group. So I head off to the scales at the gym and I lost 13 pounds since my last weigh in on June 1st. I almost fell off the scales. 13 pounds in 5 weeks… not bad… not bad at all.

I start my workout with evil Amy the personal trainer from hell. I kid about her, she pushes me hard but knows when to back off if I'm hurting. She put me on the treadmill for 3 minutes forwards, 7 minutes backwards, and then another 3 minutes forwards. By the time I was finished this, I was ready to call it a day... but NOOOOOOO... we head off to the machines and free weights. I did rounds of stuff for my shoulders and arms and without my knowledge, lovable, sweet Amy had increased all my weights from last week. I think I may kill her yet (just kidding). Then we move on to back and leg strengthening stuff which I need really, really badly if I want to continue giving aromatherapy treatments.

Ok... just when I think we're done... she pulls out the exercise ball, makes me sit down and we proceed with crunches (situps). OMG... I did 50 of them. 30 forwards and 10 sideways to the right, and 10 sideways to the left (alternating). OMG I thought I was going to die. I had to stop a couple of times because I felt like my stomach muscles were going to go into full spam... but I did it!!!!!

Ok.. so I head down to my truck like a drunk stumbling from a bar. My legs are weak and shaky, sweat spewing from every pour in my body, hair looks like I just pulled myself out of the tumble dryer. I drag myself to the truck, turn the engine over and sit in front of the air conditioning blowing my tangles mass of hair into a sweaty frenzy. Yes... I was just such a lovely sight indeed.

Ok... my 5 minute break is now over... off to massage therapy I go as I'll be late if I don't boogie. I arrive a cold and damp, sweaty mess... "Here I am Kim... fix me" I yell to my massage therapist. She took one look at me and blurts out... "What the heck happened to you?" I told her that I saw Amy, and she asked me to say no more. I undress, hop on the table and Kim was going to be nice to me... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... her version of nice isn't in MY dictionary. But compared to her normal torture routine, I guess you could call her nice today. She actually didn't kill my entire body... just my shoulders... they are still hurting and will for a few days. Every time she touches my shoulders, it hurts for 3 days for the shower to even touch them. But it pays off in the end and headaches are virtually eliminated.

Kim finishes working on my lower back, works a bit on my gluts... and gets to the hip area and my "IT Band" which usually hurts to touch (the seeing stars and screaming for my life kind've hurt). NO PAIN!!!! She said what did you do to make that all go away... we've been working on those for months with no real results. TADA... I don't know what happened, but my IT Bands are back to normal... WOOOOOO HOOOOO. Ok.. massage over, go to the desk to pay and get ready to leave to buy a few things at the drug store and head to my doctor's appointment.

Steve (the owner of the Massage Clinic) comes in (an hour early) just to catch me as he needed to talk to me. He wanted an update on my school stuff and how I was doing. He tells me that he's cleared some space on his shelves and would like me to make him some of my massage oils that have been a big hit at the clinic, some bath salts, soaps, or whatever I'd like so he can sell them for me. His patients are all requesting my massage oil for their own personal use... WOOO HOOOO!!!!! I told him I'd have to look into the legalities of doing this and get the license, insurance and all that fun stuff before I can actually sell this to the public. So, I say my good-byes, get to the drug store for some things, head out to the doctors.. made it home... and fell in front of the computer to do some research on where to buy empty glass bottle wholesale to put my bath salts into. Do you think I can find anything in Canada... NO WAY!!! I can find anything on google but this. Tons in the U.S.... but none in Canada... uggggh. Oh well... I'll come up with something.

Monday, July 11, 2005

My Aromatherapy Case Study Flyer

Free Aromatherapy Treatment

As an Aromatherapy & Reflexology student, I am seeking volunteers to be in a case study. Part of my Aromatherapy certification requires that I complete 30 case studies.

My studies are at “The Balnea Institute for Complimentary Therapies” located at: 5100 South Service Rd., Unit #48, Burlington, ON L7L 6A5, (905) 631-7147

The treatment entails taking your medical history, the treatment itself, and after care counseling. The total time is approximately 1.5 hours.

What Is An Aromatherapy Treatment?

An aromatherapy treatment is the application of Essential Oils blended in advance or by your therapist especially for you, after reviewing your medical history and needs.
The blend is lightly massaged onto the body and is a relaxing and never painful experience. The treatment stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic systems improving the supply of nutrients and aiding elimination of toxins and waste products from them, as well as relaxing the mind and nervous system.

What Will Happen During The Treatment?

At the beginning of the session, the medical history and lifestyle details will be taken. This is to assure that a blend will be chosen to assure the most beneficial (and safe) choice of Essential Oils will be chosen for the treatment.
During the treatment, the client remains fully covered except for the head and the specific area that is being worked on. The level of lighting and music can be adjusted to suit the client’s needs and comfort.
After the treatment, advice will be given for after care and recommendations for follow-ups or to complement your therapy will be given. Oil blends and remedies can be made to suit your specific needs.

Please call to book at appointment at Total Health Link, 518C New Street in the Roseland Plaza at Guelph Line. Telephone = 905-333-4888 or call Norah directly at 905-637-5196.
The treatment is 100% free and without obligation. As I am still a student, I cannot charge for this treatment, but I am open for any donations towards the cost of my blended oils and education.

I am looking forward to helping guide you to a healthier and less stressful and painful life.
Norah Bleazard, Reiki Practitioner, Aromatherapy & Reflexology student.

Aromatherapy Brochure

Here is a cut and paste of my little tri-fold brochure that is currently on display at my Chiropractor's clinic at the moment:

AROMATHERAPY

What Is Aromatherapy?

The aromas or essences of therapeutic plants are concentrated in the form of “Essential Oils” which are used as one of many Holistic Therapies available today to aid the bodies’ own natural ability to heal itself.

Aromatherapy & the use of Essential Oils are used assist in the reduction of pain, detoxify the body, alleviation of tension & fatigue, reduction of fluid build up, reduction of anxiety, skin care, promotion of relaxation, and to invigorate the entire body.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses, resins, and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which can improve and prevent illness.

Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, antidepressant and expectorant.

Other properties of the essential oils, which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy, are their stimulation, relaxation, improvement of digestion, and diuretic properties.

How Does It Work?

Transdermal (absorption through the skin)
The skin is the largest organ in the human body. A massage, utilizing aromatherapy blends, allows the substances to quickly penetrate into the skin, as they are soluble into the fatty parts of the skin to have a beneficial effect.

Oil blends containing rosemary, are also used topically to help soothe joint and muscle pain. Lavender is often incorporated into blends to help relieve stress and anxiety.

Olfactory (inhalation through the nose)

Research shows that smell, the most acute of our senses, has a powerful influence on our bodies and minds.

Essential Oils affect our olfactory sense (sense of smell). Upon inhalation, the molecules activate the olfactory nerve cells in the nasal cavity, which then send impulses to the limbic system (the area of the brain associated with emotional response, mood change, and memory), and trigger a response.

Essential oils have been observed to trigger favourable emotional responses, which usually contrast with the way the individual felt previously. This might be the first step towards making positive change when one is highly stressed!

The aromatic oils work both emotionally and physically. Emotionally, they may make you feel better by evoking a pleasant memories. We simply associate smell with many things.

Physically, they may help to relieve certain conditions by stimulating the immune, circulatory, or nervous systems.

Only pure, natural, unadulterated essential oils have true therapeutic properties. Perfumes, shampoos, and bath oils scented with herbs may smell wonderful, but they are not intended to be therapeutic.

There are many products on the market that claim to be Aromatherapy but are not pure. These mass produced products may smell nice, but the health benefits have been removed through processing.

To get the maximum benefit from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw materials. Synthetically made oils do not work.

What Are The Health Benefits?

There have been several studies done and shown Aromatherapy’s ability to promote recovery in certain conditions and to reduce stress.

New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that the vanilla-like smell of heliotropin helped patients relax while they were undergoing MRI scans.

A study of patients that had undergone heart surgery found that those patients that received a foot massage with neroli (orange) oil had less anxiety than the patients that received the identical massage with just plain massage oil.

Scotland researchers, in a controlled study, reported that a few drops of diluted & blended Essential Oils, rubbed daily into the scalp for seven months, proved highly effective, and safe, in treating alopecia areata (a stress-related form of hair loss).

European physicians and Aromatherapists frequently prescribe certain oils for a variety of complaints, including sinusitis, colds and flu, digestive problems, insomnia, migraine, and muscle aches and pains.

Here is a partial list of ailments that can benefit from Aromatherapy:

Skin problems such as: Acne, Athlete's foot, Boils, Bruises, Cold sores, Corns/calluses, Eczema, Head lice, Heat rash, Nail infections, Psoriasis, Ringworm, Scabies, Ulceration, Warts

Skin (first aid) such as Burns (minor), Cuts and grazes, Insect repellent, Insect bites and stings, Spider bites, Sunburn

Female problems such as: Amenorrhea (loss of periods outside of pregnancy), Candida/thrush, Cystitis, Dysmenorrhoea (painful periods), Menopausal symptoms, Menorrhagia (heavy periods), PMS

Respiratory problems such as: Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds, Coughs, Earache, Flu, Hay fever, Sinusitis

Circulatory problems such as: Fluid congestion in legs, Sluggish circulation, Hemorrhoids, Varicose veins

Cardiac problems such as: Angina Pectoris, Hypertension, Hypotension, Palpitations

Digestive problems such as: Colitis, Constipation, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia, Gastric, Duodenal and Peptic Ulcers, Flatulence, Indigestion (dyspepsia), IBS, Liver congestion

Endocrine problems such as: Hyperthyroid, Hypothyroid

The muscular and skeletal system such as: Arthritis and Rheumatism, Bursitis, Edema, Fibromyalgia, Frozen Shoulder, Gout, Muscular aches and pains, Sciatica, Sprains/strains
The nervous system such as: Anxiety, Depression, Epilepsy, Headache, Insomnia, Jetlag, Migraine, Mood Swings, Neuralgia, Panic Attacks, Stress

While aromatherapy is quite safe, it is important to keep in mind that it is a complementary therapy and not a substitute for conventional medical care.

What Is An Aromatherapy Treatment?

An aromatherapy treatment is the application of Essential Oils blended in advance or by your therapist especially for you, after reviewing your medical history and needs.

The blend is lightly massaged onto the body and is a relaxing and never painful experience. The treatment stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic systems improving the supply of nutrients and aiding elimination of toxins and waste products from them, as well as relaxing the mind and nervous system.

What Will Happen During The Treatment?

At the beginning of the session, the medical history and lifestyle details will be taken. This is to assure that a blend will be chosen to assure the most beneficial (and safe) choice of Essential Oils will be chosen for the treatment.

During the treatment, the client remains fully covered except for the head and the specific area that is being worked on. The level of lighting and music can be adjusted to suit the client’s needs and comfort.

After the treatment, advice will be given for after care and recommendations for follow-ups or to complement your therapy will be given. Oil blends and remedies can be made to suit your specific needs.

How Do I Choose A Practitioner?

To be sure you are seeing a qualified Aromatherapist, consider working with (or getting a referral from) a massage therapist, chiropractor, or other practitioner who has had some clinical training.

Professional Aromatherapists in Canada need to be certified through the CFA (Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists) and have completed 200 hours of class room studies at an acknowledged institution, and passed the board exams.

Brochure produced by Norah Bleazard, Burlington, Ontario – 905-637-5196 (Reiki Practitioner, Aromatherapy & Reflexology Student at Balnea Institute)

Update & School - Long Post (Part 1)

During my clinic day at the school on June 30th, I told the director of the school that I’ll be doing some of my case studies at my chiropractor’s clinic starting on July 11th on real-life patients from his clinic, she very quickly set it up so that I could start taking the classes called “Practitioner Skills”. Normally students at this point in the curriculum aren’t advanced enough to take this class. It’s usually taken closer to the completion of the Aromatherapy and Alternative Health Care Practitioner courses. But seeing as I’m doing so well in class and moving ahead rather quickly, she is going to push me through the program as quickly as possible so I can get out there.

She told me that I keep surprising her at how quickly and well I’m doing in school. After telling me that I’m a natural for this and expected me to be teaching this class in the future, I will still a little in shock. She also added that my enthusiasm, passion, and drive are infectious and refreshing. Praise from Trish Green does not come easily as she’s very militant about technique, facts, and details, so when you do get praise, it is genuine. She has nothing to gain by it as we’ve already paid for the classes and isn’t trying to “sell” anything.

The rest of the clinic day went rather well. I gave one Aromatherapy treatment to a fellow student which I used as one of my case studies, and received an “Indian Head Massage” that was out of this world. I don’t know if any of you ever meditate as I do, but this massage was unbelievable. I don’t know if it was the massage or the music that was playing in the background, but I managed to not only meditate, but very deeply. I didn’t fall asleep, but went into an extreme state of relaxation. I was aware of activity around me, but it never distracted me from the wonderful and peaceful world I had entered. If you are ever stressed… this is for you. For more info on Indian Head Massage, here’s a link:

Indian Head Massage

I was told by one of the supervising teachers and the director Trish, that I did extremely well on the clinic day and I should be proud of myself. I’ve never been one to brag or be proud, in fact quite the opposite. I usually show self-doubt and insecurity. For some reason when it comes to this whole alternative health care field, I feel confident that I will do well and be able to help many people. I decided to get a copy of the CD that was playing during my treatment so that I could help bring others to this wonderful state that I had experienced. It is called “SPA” by Hennie Bekker. Very good indeed.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of last week was the class “Practitioner Skills”. WOW!!!! Super intensive!!!!! I was up late each of those nights re-writing my notes and preparing for the next day. Monday and Tuesday were basically teaching us what we need to ask and look for during an Evaluation of a client’s Medical History prior to their first treatment. It was also filled with tons of psychology. I managed to breeze through the psychology portion, mostly thanks to my 6 months of classes that I took at Centenary Health Centre during my horrible bought with depression. The classes in Stress Management, Self Esteem, Coping Skills, Assertiveness, Creative Expression, Family, Communication, Relaxation Exercises, & Tai Chi, along with Group Therapy and One-on-One Counseling not only helped me through a rough time and taught me the skills I needed to learn, cope, and get over my own issues, insecurities, and depression, but gave me a head start in this program. In fact, I had more knowledge than Trish in some areas of this subject. I was the only student in this class that was a “newbie” as the rest of the students were all at the end of their school programs and now were at the point of doing their board exams.

Some even questioned why I was in the class, but soon realized that I belonged here and came to me with questions on the psych portion of the class. I was told by one of the senior students that I should have considered a field in psychology. I think this makes 8 different people from different areas of my life that have all told me that I should have been a psychologist. Geez… as if I really have the time, money or energy to go to that level of schooling… no thanks. As much as I love it, I don’t have the patience for it. I want to get back out in the work force as soon as possible, not spend the next 4-5 years in school. I’ll just keep what I’ve learned and use it as a tool to help guide people to the professionals in this area that can help them better.

We also did role playing on Tuesday to practice our interview skills. I did pretty good for a newbie… LOL. There was some heavy psych discussions regarding depression and suicidal people. It kind of triggered some unpleasant feelings and memories in many of my classmates including myself. That night I did a lot of deep thought on things from the past and how I overcame them with the help of so many supportive and loving people. I also redesigned my own “Medical History” form. I took parts of the school’s form, my chiropractor’s form, and my massage therapist’s form and merged them into my own form with my own additions for my future professional use.

Wednesday I showed Trish my form and she thought it was great. Made a few suggestions such as more writing space in certain areas, but other than that she thought it was quite good. Fellow classmates were asking for copies, so I e-mailed them the form Wednesday night. Today’s class day was GREAT. We were to do an actually medical history interview on a fellow patient and prepare an aromatherapy blend for their personal needs. As this was no longer role playing but “FOR REAL” for a person with “REAL” problems, the mood of the day was much more professional.

We were paired up with people and the interview was underway. It went very well, and again, I was taken aside by Trish and told that I surprised her yet again. She told me that seeing as I hadn’t taken either of the two “Blending Essential Oils” classes yet, she would help me select and prepare the blend needed for the patient. WAY COOL!!!

The classroom was buzzing as everyone was preparing their oil blends. Aromas filled the classroom and we were excitedly smelling each other’s blends. It got so intense that at one point Trish had asked us all to go outside and get some fresh air before we overdose on all the oils and get a headache. That night I slept like a rock. For the first time in almost a year, I slept right through from 10:30 PM until 6:30 AM without waking at my usual time of 3:30 AM to use the bathroom. It’s been that way ever since. Things are definitely changing in my body … WOOO HOOO !!!!

For more information on my school and it's programs, click here:

http://www.balneainstitute.com/

Lesson learned


Don't buy tools made in China. Or at least, don't expect them to last.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Brakes update

OK, so yesterday we went down to Jon's barn and got the front brakes done on the 2001 Dakota. Many thanks to Jon for the use of his barn as well as pretty much doing all the work.

Speedy's estimate of $590.50 Cdn includes the following items:
$278.20 Rotors (12 month warranty)
$106.36 Pads (after 40% off sale) (12 month warranty)
$ 74.99 Labor
$ 25.99 Caliper servicing (whatever that is)
$ 5.95 Brake fluid / friction lube
$ 21.99 Clean and Adjust Rear Brakes
$ 77.02 Sales tax

I'm not sure what caliper servicing entails, but it sounds an awful lot like labor to me. It's not new calipers, just servicing the ones that are already there. As for cleaning and adjusting the rear brakes, that was supposedly included in the maintenance package we just had them do at the end of April, at least according to the marketing information associated with that package.

Our actual costs (these are in US dollars):
$198.00 PowerSlot Rotors ($170 for the parts plus $28 shipping)
$ 42.21 Autozone Durastop Gold pads (lifetime warranty)
$ 15.00 Dinner at Bob Evans (our friend Mark generously picked up most of this)
3/4 of a tank of gas, probably about $30
brake fluid used: none
anti-sieze compound used: a couple of thin layers, maybe a few pennies worth

Total is about $286 US, or $358 Cdn. That's with upgraded high-performance slotted rotors (time will tell if these actually provide any benefit, but they do look nice). And we get a lifetime warranty on the pads to boot, which is a drastic improvement over Speedy's warranty. Not to mention that spending time down at Jon's visiting friends, working on our truck and watching Ed's exhaust being replaced is infinitely more enjoyable than sitting in the waiting room at Speedy.

The pulsing we were getting? Totally gone. This is something we'd been living with since at least April of 2004. Speedy had told me at that time that it was coming from the rear brakes, that the drums were slightly out of round due to towing our trailer. I have records that they machined the rear drums on April 17, 2004 in an (unsuccessful) effort to eliminate this pulsing. Since we did nothing to the rear brakes yesterday, and the pulsing is now gone, I feel safe in concluding that we never had an issue with the rear brakes to begin with.

The front pads and rotors had already been done by Speedy on April 30, 2003. Notice that the work done on the rear brakes trying to eliminate the pulsing was done within the warranty period on the front brake hardware. Clearly their replacement rotors had already warped within a year.

No matter, as we would have had to pay labor for them to replace those rotors with equally poor quality parts. It is my hope that what we have now will prove to be far superior, at a much lower price.

I may be slow to come around to the do-it-yourself school of automotive repair, but I'm learning.