Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing that involves placing of hands over parts of the body for a period of time. Hands can be either placed on or above the body, hands do not need to touch the body. The hands act as a conduit for energy to flow into the body and the energy knows where it needs to go for healing. For the purposes of using Reiki for digital use relief, follow the image above with attention to the areas around the head especially the eyes, neck and head area. You can couple this with applying therapies to the face, find that on the reflexology for TMJ post.
Happy New Year! Cheers to new beginnings and a better year for us all.
My husband (Markus) had extensive Moh’s facial surgery for skin cancer (after nearly a year wait) during the first week of June in 2020 – see this post for the first half of the story. Shortly after surgery, Markus noticed a spot emerge in the location of the new formed skin, very close to where the cancer that had been removed, was. Markus contacted his surgeon about it by email with follow up photos, he recommended to observe it but leave it alone as the skin was still new and forming. Upon a follow up with the local dermatology office about six months after, the Dr offered to spray the (precancerous) spot with a solution however the surgeon said not to as the skin still needed to heal and form. Upon one of his distance consultations, Markus thought for sure the surgeon said that if the spot was still there during his 1 year follow up with him, that he would deal with it there in the office by spraying it. Markus traveled to Vancouver for 1 year follow up in June of 2021, the apt was about 15 mins long, confirmed the healed skin and scar looked good, and that the spot appeared to be precancerous or cancerous, but wouldn’t spray it or remove it then and there, telling Markus to go back to the start of the healthcare line by attending a walk in clinic for a referral to a dermatology office on Vancouver Island. Wait times were said to be about a year. So here we go again. Markus had to wait a year for surgery, while a cancer grew and resulted in major facial surgery, yet cancer grew back almost immediately. The surgeon was quick to point out that it was by no fault of his work, that cancer had remerged right over the surgical site.
In Toronto at the end of September, 2021
With no other options, Markus went to a walk in clinic in late June to get a referral appointment for the spot of concern, was warned again, about long wait times. Over the next couple of months, Markus noticed the spot would begin to fester, like the one before it. It would rise up, retreat and so forth, each time creating a larger and more invasive impact. Markus began taking a medicinal fungi supplement and noticed the spot settled down as it’s an immune system aid. This was promising to buy time but not going to remove the problem. After 3 months, Markus felt concerned and wanted to see about expediting an appointment which required him to go back to the walk in clinic. He first tried to call the clinic about this but then found the Dr he had dealt with previously was no longer at the clinic (left island all together) and he would have to come in person. With no car, Markus walked to the local corner clinic on a Saturday morning and joined a line up before opening, only to find out that the clinic decided to remain closed for the day. Then, a small group carpooled to the next walk in clinic to find a large line formed and was cut off from being seen as late at 8 pm. He knew he was fucked. He called a hotline that recommended him to call the online Dr system. When he called that, he was hung up on before even speaking with a Dr and was met by a bot who told him to go back to the original doctor (you know, the one who no longer works in the area?) and locked him out of the website.
At this point we knew the wait times would take him well over a year to resolve (wait for consultation up to 1 year, biopsy = 3 months, wait time for removal up to another year = 2 years) just look at part one of this story to see how that went. My mother (thanks mom) contacted her local walk in clinic in Toronto who agreed to see Markus virtually and set him up with a Toronto dermatology clinic referral – that appointment was available to him once he traveled to Toronto from Victoria. We booked plane tickets, flew a month later and he had the cancer cut out within days of arriving. The biopsy came back a week later (not 3 month later) confirming it was cancer and that it had all be removed (if not, he was facing another surgery). After 2.5 years, he was finally cleared of skin cancer. The clinic in Toronto said that had he not come to get it removed there, it would have grown resulting in another round of major facial surgery with the wait times in tow.
It’s now been 6 months since his post surgical follow-up and walk in clinic apt referral to a local dermatology office, and no one has called – we plan to wait and see just how long it takes before that call comes in. No one here knows, that he is skin cancer free and it appears that no one cares. Shame on BC healthcare. Many people are quick to assume this is because of COVID. No, this started the year before COVID happened (in 2019). Of course in the meantime the pandemic has been an obstacle course for non-COVID related issues but the management of his skin cancer has been deplorable from the start. If BC healthcare had it their way, he’d be lined up for another round of major facial surgery. This system does not look out for the patient and if you’re not on top of this, you will loose. My suggestion is to leave the province as soon as possible and get help elsewhere. The clinic in Toronto has provided Markus with the assurance that should he need any further assistance, not to hesitate contacting them. The amount of stress this situation has caused both of us is difficult to describe. I cried a lot when it was finally over but we are both still angry and as long as we are living in BC, we fear for our health. It’s good to know there is something out there to help, even if it requires plane tickets. For both our health and sanity, it’s worth its weight in gold. This post is catharsis for me but also to warn others so it doesn’t happen to them.
“TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorders) disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement”. Read more about it here.
Reflexology is the pressure of reflex points on the body used to help with pain management. This does not replace medical / dental treatment, please see a professional for proper diagnosis and treatment. However, reflexology is a great modality to use as a complimentary treatment for pain relief.
Feet and hand reflexology approach: There are a couple of things to try for TMJ. First by approaching it through the hands and the feet, see the video below. Both parts of the hands and feet work the same, do what is easier for you. I would advise engaging with the full spectrum of the toes/fingers front and back with emphasis on pressing around the base where a ring would be positioned. Take a look at the video below for direction and also read the video comments from people who have used the techniques and reported relief.
Note that I have not yet worked with anyone dealing with TMJ pain specifically however I have used reflexology for rotary cuff tendonitis – it resolved my pain after half a year when nothing else worked, so this is worth trying. For me it took consistent application and didn’t solve over night, it may take days, or weeks. Here’s an additional hand map I made (based on the Reflexology Association of Canada) that guide to other points, mirrored on the feet in the same places.
Face massage and reflexology approach: Another approach is to massage the face itself. There are a couple of different ways to do this: I use tools on my face – one tool that could bring some soothing is called a Dien Chan beauty brush which is made of metal smoothed spikes (like a metal hair brush). A smooth basalt stone is another soothing tool especially with some coconut oil applied to the stone first. I use the stone/brush and sweep upwards on the face and circle around and under the jaw, temples and neck area. Of course your hands/fingers work just as well they just feel different; I use all 3.
Similarly, here’s a video of using myofascial release to watch and try on yourself:
Facial reflexology works with pressure points similar to acupressure and acupuncture. You can try by gently pressing in on the points and massaging in a circular motion. This area (on the jaw hinge next to the where the ear meets the head) can be pressed down for 30 seconds or longer, several times in a row – according to your comfort level. This can be done as needed. There are several areas along the side of the head/ear that can be pressed (see image above). Also give the sides and back of the neck some massage as well.
I can’t make any promises however you’re welcome to try some of these routines out and remember, it might take time of consistent application. This is what I found when I had rotary cuff tendonitis and I was told I would need surgery to repair it – after trying other modalities that didn’t work for me. I managed to get the pain control down using reflexology (of ear, hand and foot) and then was able to rehabilitate on my own. Now I have full recovery of my arm.
I have assembled this reflexology kit which consists of a handmade reflex ring for rolling up and down the fingers and good for pressing the base of the fingers, a basalt beach stone hand picked by me from the beaches of Vancouver Island – that can be used on face, hands, feet and an ethically wood sourced reflexology stick for adding extra pressure to hands and feet.
Disclaimer: Reflexology does not diagnose, prescribe or treat for specific conditions. Always seek proper medical attention should you suspect you have a medical problem. Reflexology is not a replacement for medical treatment.
I just completed a short course in Applied Facial Diagnosis According to Chinese Medicine through Pacific Rim College. I decided to do this, to take an alternative approach to discovering possible imbalances in the body by looking for clues on the face. I am also challenged with some issues on my own face and wanted to see what this approach might have to say about that, and if attention to those areas might have any positive affects on my health. This is really an experiment for me, a low risk one at that, since there isn’t anything to loose in trying. I will pair this with my reflexology skills. With using this approach, I can help guide someone with reflexology methods and points on the feet, hand, ear and face. This session can be done online through Zoom and can include a variety of other healing modalities as well such as drumming, meditation, reiki, and nutritional approaches. Having also completed the course on Autoimmunity and Food Intolerance, I can make some recommendations as well on food elimination for addressing issues of inflammation. I am not a nutritionist mind you, so if you are struggling with health issues, it’s important to seek a professional first. My approach is meant to compliment other health avenues you area taking. For me, the key is to calm the body of stress and reduce inflammation and that is something we can guide with natural methods.
My apologies, it’s been a while since I have made a blog post. I had the intention of doing at least one or two since the last but I have been focused on other projects while the pandemic had me at a stand still.
Today being Father’s Day, was the perfect opportunity to treat my husband and plant father, Markus, to a reflexology session, and long over due. Today he choose a Scottish landscape YouTube video depicting huge sharp natural rock formations, to accompany his session. Interestingly he randomly selected a card from the Sacred Forest Oracle depicting the scene from Celtic sacred stones with the message that a sacred journey lie ahead. Normally I would see this as a lovely synchronicity however I believe it could be something more. I say this because my husband recently uncovered his ancestry including Celtic (Scottish) and Indigenous (Miami Tribe) from the fur trade era. Since then, we have been focusing on an interdisciplinary project exploring his ancestors. Markus has always been pulled to Druid and Native themes and has since felt a sense of relief in understanding why. While I am working on a larger project about this, it’s no accident that today this came together during his healing session; it is his ancestors at work.
He chose the Adrenal (healing) Water Crystal card (water infuser) to also accompany his session today. The adrenal is an endocrine gland that is tied to our fright and flight system and can be overtaxed from stress. The card represents ‘release’ and with that we work the stress out by putting the body into a state of homeostasis where it can move into a recovery stage.
During the session, other than dryness, a healing blister (due to thick socks) and calluses from his job, the feet appear to be doing well. I always double check the texture, colour and odour for clues of oncoming fungus problems but so far things appear to be OK. As always, he expresses how amazing he and his feet feel after a reflexology session. After today’s session, we took a bike ride to the forest and soaked our feet in the stream while taking a forest bath. Forest bathing and reflexology make a perfect combination.
Markus passed his one year post surgery examination of his skin cancer however he still requires attention for another precancerous spot that emerged in the newly healed skin area. And so with that we are back in the waiting game. It has been suggested to me by a friend mid island to look into CBD oil for topical use (made up island) and will be learning more about that. I am taking my facial reflexology studies on a deeper dive and have signed up with a course at Pacific Rim College in Chinese Medicine called Applied Facial Diagnostics. With this new knowledge, I will use my Dien Chan facial reflex tools to work with the face addressing imbalances in the body. We have been using Dien Chan for aesthetics of the face but now it’s time to work with the therapeutic side. I start the course this coming week.
On the topic of stress, I will leave you with this blog post that I put together with a hand chart you can try on yourself. Here’s the video he chose, mind the ads.
Disclaimer: Reflexology does not diagnose, prescribe or treat for specific conditions. Always seek proper medical attention should you suspect you have a medical problem. Reflexology is not a replacement for medical treatment.
Markus (my husband) was in need of some serious tender loving care this weekend as he had been experiencing stress, fatigue and a lingering headache on Saturday afternoon. Prior to his reflexology session, we took a short forest bath where we slowly meandered around the old growth trees. I asked Markus to place his hands on a tree trunk and to imagine the energy traveling from roots deep in the earth up through the trunk, into his hands and then through his body and back down to his feet into the earth where a loop was made with the roots of the tree. I had him hold this image in his mind for later.
Markus selected two cards for today’s session; the Pineal (sleep cycle gland) healing Water Crystal Oracle card and then randomly selected the Banyan tree (with spectacular roots) card from the Wisdom of the Trees Oracle. It was interesting that he selected this card symbolizing grounding and stability; the reason he also placed his hands on the trunk of the tree earlier. This was a nice synchronicity.
I performed a full foot reflexology session. While doing so, I found that his right foot was tender in various places. This is new, as he’s not experienced any pain in his feet since last year. The areas of tenderness included the bronchial down to the bladder (upper to mid medial side), the medial side of the heal and the neck jaw lymph drainage point (just below the webbing between the first and second toe). I went over these areas several times, and he found they remained tender but reduced a little. The left foot showed no tenderness. This is interesting to see, and I have seen this before where one foot retains the tenderness while the other does not. Markus was stressed and fatigued and we know that can play a role in foot sensitivities during a reflexology session.
After the session was complete, I proceeded to use a tuning fork on those tender areas. Markus commented that he could feel the vibrations moving from the fork into his body and that it was a pleasant sensation. After spending about 20 mins doing this, I did a pendulum sweep over his chakras to see if there was any energetically active areas. We found the same areas to be active as in the past as the pendulum swayed or did circles over the sacral, solar plexus and throat chakras. I placed crystals on him in these areas along with a clear quartz crystal on his forehead (crown) and asked him to continue resting for a few minutes.
After this, I asked Markus to select a crystal and hold it in his hand while we read about the Banyan tree from the guide book. Afterwards, he closed his eyes and envisioned his hands on the tree trunk exercise as described earlier. I asked Markus to remain laying back in the chair for a few more minutes just focusing on the meditative music video and the hummingbirds play outside the window. Markus was yawning non-stop for a good half an hour after the session was complete.
It wasn’t too long after that he noticed he started to feel better; less pain in his head and more balanced. The strain in his lower legs and feet were gone and he was feeling energetically lifted. This was a big difference from earlier in the day when he struggled to walk in the forest. That night he had a fantastic sleep and on Sunday reported that he was feeling very relaxed and completely rejuvenated. This always makes me feel good to know that his body is responding well to the sessions.
I have included the video I used in his session for your own enjoyment.
Disclaimer: Reflexology does not diagnose, prescribe or treat for specific conditions. Always seek proper medical attention should you suspect you have a medical problem. Reflexology is not a replacement for medical treatment.
These special stone / crystal sets were handpicked here on Vancouver island. The large basalt stone comes from a beloved orca rubbing beach I’ve been frequenting since 2003 – if orcas like to rub on them then they must be special. The pebbles (agate, quartz, quartzite, jasper) from the beaches around Victoria that I have tumbled over time. I acquired the very special forest crystals that grow under the trees of Nootka sound and are ethically hand-mined as well. These make great reflexology / reiki kits and are available in my shop. Free shipping Canada wide.
Today is Valentine’s Day and this made for a perfect treatment day for my husband, Markus. As some of you may or may not know, he walks up to 30k a day on his job as a letter carrier at Canada Post and reflexology is a necessity for his rest and recovery. I love rubbing his feet with Cherry Rocky Mountain Body Butter, it makes his feet silky and smooth while giving me good traction.
After his foot treatment, I did a chakra sweep with the pendulum as a closing ritual and found his heart chakra to be active (the pendulum made small circles – I recaptured this in the video to the left). I placed a rose quartz on this chakra while reciting some of the characteristics. The heart chakra represents love, healing touch, walking (in the forest), and joyful endeavours. I use the chakra system as a means to reflect on different things in our lives, such as the activities over the past weekend.
Vancouver Island just had a huge winter storm bringing with it tons of snow so yesterday we took a walk in the forest near our home. It is a magical thing to be able to walk out of our home and in the old growth forest. Interestingly, Markus heard the eagles while there and today he picked the eagle card (representing truth, power, karmic transformation) from the Wild Unknown oracle deck. He also picked the ‘Right Brain Hado’ Water Crystal Card; a healing card representing creativity.
Disclaimer: Reflexology does not diagnose, prescribe or treat for specific conditions. Always seek proper medical attention should you suspect you have a medical problem. Reflexology is not a replacement for medical treatment.
Markus is still recovering from skin cancer; in June it will be his 1 year since surgery. You can see in this photo – the scar is still slightly visible but he is no longer in any pain. There is still one spot under observation that emerged over the surgical site and will be taken care of in the spring. Skin cancer sucks and I now dread summer because of this. Although we don’t get as much sun during winter, he still needs to protect himself. We need to observe him often as we learned that both Basal cell carcinoma and Melanoma run in his family. I thought this photo provided a decent visual update on his recovery.
Here’s the view you will have when laying back in the Lafuma chair receiving your relaxing reflexology treatment. We have a huge window facing open sky with 15 foot ceilings that offer spaciousness and tranquility. You’ll probably also get a few glimpses of our resident hummingbirds.
Here are some images I took from a foot session I did with Markus over the weekend. As always, his work load as a letter carrier is extremely heavy throughout the pandemic and his feet could definitely use some loving. After the treatment, I did a chakra sweep with the pendulum and found his solar plexus chakra to be active. The solar plexus is an area of the body that is tied to our sympathetic nervous system and we accentuate the reflex to reduce stress and induce relaxation. I placed a citrine crystal on his solar plexus for a short time. I don’t have personal experience with crystals for healing but I feel they make a nice ritual inciting meditation and calmness while allowing focus on an area of our healing. Some people believe that citrine releases negative traits, depression, fears and phobias; perhaps it’s what we make of it.
Markus commented how much better he felt after his treatment and that his feet felt amazing. Prior to his session he was commenting on how unbalanced he felt from a long stressful work week. Reflexology is a wonderful way to reverse fatigued feet and overall stress.
We always pull cards to accompany the session and for this we used the Hierophant (symbolic of learning from a teacher) from the Mushroom Tarot and the Love & Thanks Water Crystal Card. One of the benefits of the sessions in our new place is the never ending hummingbird views. They are always dancing in the windows. Luckily for the client, they get a front row seat of lots of bird activity.
Disclaimer: Reflexology does not diagnose, prescribe or treat for specific conditions. Always seek proper medical attention should you suspect you have a medical problem. Reflexology is not a replacement for medical treatment.
