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Aromatherapy: Herbal Remedy

December 27, 2009 on 2:31 pm | In Aromatherapy | No Comments

TITLE : AROMATHERAPY: HERBAL REMEDY

Author’s names: Sonia Singh1*, Komal Singh2

Institutional affiliations:

1) GLA Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Mathura, U.P

2) Extol College, Bhopal, M.P

 

AROMATHERAPY: HERBAL REMEDY

 WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY?

                         Aromatherapy is an alternative field of medicine which is gaining popularity, it aim not only on the treatment but also on prevention of diseases. Aromatherapy practice is predominantly based on the use of essential oils. Herbs are also used at times for aromatic and therapeutic effect. The discipline of studying herbs for the purpose of establishing their medicinal value dates back to the prehistoric era. The tradition of using herbs for the creation of medicines – including recreational mood-altering drugs – is in vogue today also1. It involves use of herbal oils. Aromatherapy activates the limbic system and emotional centers of the brain, activate thermal receptors, and kill microbes and fungi2.

                         Aromatherapy is the practice of using naturally extracted essences of aromatic plants to promote the health and well-being of your body, mind and emotions. These essences, called essential oils, contain the vital life force of fragrant botanical plants. Pure essential oils are the key to success with aromatically. They can restore balance and harmony to your body and mind, while adding depth, dimension, and definition to your life3.

                       The history of aromatherapy dates back to more than 3500 years before Christ’s birth, to a time when the use of aromatics was recorded for the first ever instance in human history. The truth is that the history of aromatherapy is deeply linked with the progress of aromatic medicine, which in its initial stages was typically combined with religion, mysticism and magic. In India, around 2000 BC, various writings mention the role of ‘perfumers’ and ‘incense sellers’. The word ‘aromatherapy’ was used for the first time in the 1920s by French chemist Rene-Maurice-Gattefosse, who dedicated his life to researching on the discipline of aromatherapy.

MATERIALS   IN   AROMATHERAPY:
•Essential oils: These are fragrant oils extracted from plants mainly through steam distillation (e.g. eucalyptus oil).

•Absolutes: These are also fragrant oils, but extracted from flowers or delicate plant tissues through solvent extraction (e.g. rose absolute).

•Phytoncides: These are volatile organic compounds obtained from plants that destroy microbes.

•Hydrosols: These are aqueous by-products of distillation (e.g. rosewater). Many herbs are used to make herbal distillates. They have culinary, medicinal as well as skin care uses.

•Infusions: They are aqueous extracts of various plant materials (e.g. infusion of chamomile)

•Carrier oils: These are oily plant based triacylglycerides used to dilute essential oils for use on the skin (e.g. sweet almond oil) so as to avoid irritation4.

PRINCIPLE OF AROMATHERAPY5:

Aromatherapy works by synergistically using the properties of all the chemicals in essential oil for their correct application

Aromatherapy works through-

a)      Inhalation- The vapour formation of an essential oil is very minute and passes through the lungs from where they diffuse across tiny air sacs (alveoli) into the surrounding blood capillaries and eventually find their way into the systemic circulation from where they exert their therapeutic effect.

b)      Skin absorption- The shin is a two-way road capable of both absorption and excretion ; for example, rub a small piece of cut garlic on the sole sof your feet, within 5 minutes you will have garlic breath . The tiny molecules of essential oils pass through the hair follicles, which contain sebum, an oily liquid to which essential oils have an affinity from here, the oils diffuse into the blood stream or are taken up by the lymph or interstitial fluid to other parts of the body.

 MEDICINAL HERBS USED IN AROMATHERAPY:

                        Aromatherapy is used in the treatment of various diseases such as bronchitis, fatigue, migraines, respiratory ailments, acne, arthritis, muscular aches and pains, cystitis, cold and flu. Aromatherapy also encourages emotional peace and calm with a gently calming effect on mind, body and emotions2. Aroma therapy is a holistic treatment that works as a natural stress buster that can be easily fused into your work environment with immediate positive benefits for conditions like lack of concentration, depression, agitation and of course stress. Essential oils that form the basis of this treatment are derived from flowers and have calming effects on the central nervous system, thereby relieving you of stress and increasing concentration levels. Some of the aroma oils that work best to relieve office stress include the following6:

Lavender Oil: It can be used in a diffuser, which heats the oil and allow its molecules to harmonise with the atmosphere to keep you relieved. If a diffuser is not available, then put just a drop or two of lavender oil on a cotton bud or tissue paper and place it near your work station. Soon you’ll find the fragrance working for you. Not just this, studies show that scenting your office with Lavender essential oil can even reduce computer errors by at least 25 per cent.

Quantity: 1-2 drops

Neroli Oil: The best time to use Neroli oil is the moment you lie on your bed. Just put a drop of the oil on your pillow and let it work to give you a soothing sleep.

Quantity: Less than 1 drop

 Geranium oil: The best way to use geranium oil is to create your own spa with it. Add it in a tub full of lukewarm water and soak yourself in it for 20-30 minutes before going to bed.

Quantity: 3-4 drops in bath tub.

 Basil oil: Take a bowl of water and put less than a drop of Basil oil in it. Now, soak a towel in it and then use it to wipe off your body, specially the exposed parts of your body before going to sleep.

Alternately, you can also put one tenth of a drop of this oil behind your ear and feel the fragrance giving you a relaxing effect.

Fennel Sweet Oil: Again, it can be used in a diffuser placed in the room or on a cotton bud.

Quantity: 1-2 drops

 Rosemary oil: It can be used in a bath or in a diffuser.

Apart from these, if you have any other favourite essential oil, you can use it in the following ways in your office:

      1. A few drops of oil on the cardboard tube inside a roll of toilet paper works well to ensure a nice smelling bathroom.

2. Want to spread the scent around? Simply keep cotton ball dipped in essential oil between your business card box and there – you have scented cards!

 Herbs with their therapeutic uses in aromatherapy7:

Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Basil)
Family: Labiatae

Usage: Used for bronchitis, fatigue, migraines, and aches & pains.

Citrus bergamia (Bergamot orange of Europe)

Family: Rutaceae

Usage: Uplifting, refreshing and relaxing. Encourages cheerful emotions, ideal for depression. 

Used to freshen and uplift a room

Juniperus virginiana (Cedarwood )

Family: Cupressaceae

Usage: Ideal for soothing, harmonizing and focusing the mind. Antiseptic and astringent

properties beneficial to oily skin.

Anthemis nobilis Linn. (Chamomile)

Family: Compositae

Usage: Aids sleep and soothes tired muscles, encourages emotional peace and calm with a

gently calming effect on mind, body and emotions.

Eucalyptus globules (Eucalyptus)

Family: Myrtaceae

Usage: A Powerful, penetrating bactericidal and anti-viral oil for sickrooms.

Boswellia carteri (Frankincense)

Family: Burseraceae

Usage: Good for meditation, relieving stress, tension,anxiety; mucus conditions, aging skin. 

Aids in arthritis, rheumatism, joint aches, radiation burn.

Pelargonium graveloens L’Herit. (Geranium)

Family: Geraniaceae

Usage: Relieves anxiety, hot flashes, palpitations, diarrhea, acne, dry, inflamed skin, minor

surface burns.

Jasminum officinale Linn. (Jasmine absolute)

Family: Oleaceae

Usage: Good for easing trapped feelings of sadness, trauma and grief; anxiety, nervousness,

apathy/withdrawal. Eases anger, aphrodisiac. Good for dry skin. Helpful for post-natal recovery

and also a good skin tonic.

Juniperus communis Linn. (Juniper berry)

Family: Cupressaceae

Usage: Purifying, eliminating with a clear woody aroma. This oil clears emotional overload and

helps to cleanse the body of impurities. A great tonic for oily or congested skin.

lavandula officinalis Chaix. (Lavender)

Family: Labiatae

Usage: Helps ease anger, anxiety, nervousness, stress, insomnia, headaches, neuralgia,

wounds, burns, shock, thrush. Good for cravings, decreasing appetite, arthritis, rheumatism,

joint aches and chest aches.

Citrus limon Linn. (Lemon)

Family: Rutaceae

Usage: Refreshes and cools bringing clarity to mind and emotions restoring vitality acting as a

 tonic to the circulatory system. Has beneficial effects on the immune system, is cleansing on

the skin.

Citrus reticulata Blanco (Mandarin)

Family: Rutaceae

Usage: Fruity, tangy citrus perfume with a gently cheering effect, aiding youthful thoughts and

 feelings. Soothing effect upon the digestive system. Can be used in pregnancy with Neroli to

avoid stretch marks.

Origanum marjorana (Marjoram)

Family: Labiatae

Usage: A warm and spicy aroma with warm comforting tones. Eases loneliness and grief,

relaxing for muscles especially after sport or work.

Citrus aurantium (Christm.) (Neroli)

Family: Rutaceae

Usage: Good for aging, dry and sensitive skin and balancing in times of shock and

hysteria ,aphrodisiac; calm and soothing atmosphere. Relieves depression, worry, stress,

insomnia, mature skin, stretch marks.

Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) (Palmarosa)

Family: Gramineae

Usage: Refreshing and uplifting. Gently soothing whilst promoting clear thought. Helps all skin

types especially dry skin.

Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli)

Family: Labiatae

Usage: Deep earthy, sensual, grounding oil which uplifts the spirit whilst clearing the mind.

Moisturizing for dry skin.

Mentha arvensis Linn. (Peppermint)

Family: Labiatae

Usage: Clears the head and soothes the emotions, soothes the digestive system, relieves

tired feet and mind.

Rosa damascena Mill. (Rose)

Family: Rosaceae

Usage: This oil is soothing and uplifting, great when sad or tired. A tonic for the female

reproductive system. A sensual and delightful oil, romantic, creative, gently cheering.

Rosmarinus officinalis Linn. (Rosemary)

Family: Rubiaceae

Usage: A powerful mental stimulant which aids memory and concentration restores vitality and

invigorates.

Santalum album Linn. (Sandalwood)

Family: Santalaceae

Usage:Helps ageing, dry and itchy skin. Good for meditation; aphrodisiac. Aids in cystitis, 

venereal infections, chronic coughs, dry skin; anxiety, tension and nervousness.

Melaleuca alternifolia  (tea tree)

Family: Myrtaceae

Usage: Effective oil with powerful antiseptic properties benefits the immune system disinfects

and de-odorises, strengthens especially during the winter months and convalescence.

Thymus vulgaris Linn. (Thyme)

Family: Labiatae

Usage: A stimulating, protecting oil that has a strengthening effect on the the nerves. Ideal for

the treatment of exhaustion both physical and mental. A help to the immune system.

 Aromatherapy and Herbs that Promote Wound Healing8:

                              As many Diabetics can tell you, suffering from wounds that have poor or slow healing can become unbearable.  If a cut or a wound heals slowly, it will increase the chances of becoming infected and spread.  There are many natural herbs that will promote healing in various wounds and cuts, as well as carry antiseptic and germicidal properties.  These ingredients mixed together are Mother Nature’s natural remedies to cuts and wounds. You can try products that carry one or two of these ingredients, however direct application and Aromatherapy methods will provide direct contact with these herbs therefore providing faster results.  You may create an infusion by using fresh herbs, roughly one ounce of dried herb to one pint of boiling water that may be sipped or added to an Aromatherapy bath.  However, for many cuts and wounds, a salve or poultice may be applied as well.  To prevent infection in slow healing wounds, you can use Aromatherapy to clean and purify your air, thereby decreasing the chance of germs in your immediate environment. 

      Aloe Vera is an incredible medicinal plant that has been used for centuries.  It is making headway in the realm of Aromatherapy by being used as a base for Essential Oils.  To make a wonderful Aloe Vera based healing balm for wounds, add your choice of Essential Oils such as: Black Walnut, Fenugreek, Comfrey, Calendula, Horsetail, Rosemary, and Apricot Seed.  All of these herbs also promote wound healing and help prevent infection in cuts and are a wonderful addition to your Aloe Vera based balm. 

      Black Walnut may be infused with Olive Oil for a wonderful herbal remedy that prevents infection in cuts and wounds.  Black Walnut also treats fungal infections as well.  It has been used for many centuries and is also a great darkener for brunette hair.  You can add a few drops of Black Walnut oil into your bath, but be prepared for a dark ring to be left in the tub.  It can be mixed with Tea Tree Oil for a healing salve that may be applied directly to cuts and wounds.  The leaves, hulls, and bark of the Black Walnut tree have all been used in various herbal remedies and formulas. 

      Fenugreek was used by the Ancient Egyptians to treat everything from coughs and colds to skin infections and irritations.  It was also a main ingredient in many Egyptian beautifying regimes.  The seeds of the Fenugreek plant are known for softening the skin as well as preventing infection. 

      Rosemary is known for its rich aroma that smells like Camphor.  It has many antiseptic properties, which makes it perfect for wound and cut healing.  Rosemary has also been used for treating headaches, coughs, cold, mental confusion and fatigue, to brighten drab hair color, in perfumes, and to improve circulation and fight cellulite. 

                          You can make an infusion of Rosemary for your bath by using one ounce dried Rosemary to one pint of boiling water.  Rosemary is also a stimulant, so make sure that you don’t use Rosemary before going to sleep, or you will find that it will keep you awake.

PRECAUTIONS IN AROMATHERAPY5:

a)      Avoid essential oils deemed hazardous.

b)      Keep flammable oils away from fire.

c)      Always consult your health care professional before starting any therapies with essential oil.

d)      Dilute essential oils as recommended to avoid irritation.

e)      Always test essential oils on a skin patch first.

References:

1)      http://www.beautymakeuptips.org/aromathrapy.
2)      http://www.iloveindia.com/indian – herbs/aromatherapy.
3)      Wilson R. Aromatherapy- essential oils for vibrant health and beauty. 2002: 5
4)      http://www.themedguru.com/articles/aromatherapy_more_than_just_good_smell
5)      Bharkatiya M, Nema RK, Rathore KS and Panchawat S. Aromatherapy: Short overview. International Journal of Green Pharmacy 2008; 2(1):13-16
6)      http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
7)      http://www.circle-of light.com/Aromatherapy/aroma-remedies.html
8)     http://www.bestaromatherapy.co.uk/Aromatherapy_and_Herbs_that_Promote_Wound_Healing.html
 
 

Baby yoga in Norfolk 24 Dec

December 27, 2009 on 1:25 pm | In Yoga | No Comments

Baby yoga in Norfolk 24 Dec

Trapped Scuba Diver

December 27, 2009 on 1:25 pm | In Scuba | 25 Comments

A trapped scuba diver searches desperately for the surface as his air is rapidly running out. channel.nationalgeographic.com

Types of Guitars – Acoustic Electric Guitars, Electric Guitars, Classical Guitars, Hollow-body Guitars, Steel Guitars

December 27, 2009 on 1:25 pm | In Guitar | No Comments

Acoustic electric Guitars: this is a term used to describe acoustic guitars that have pickups installed in them so they can be plugged into amplifiers or PA systems. The majority of acoustic guitars you see on stage are acoustic electric guitars. Structurally, they are identical to traditional acoustic guitars.

Electric Guitars: these types of guitars made out of a solid piece of wood and rely exclusively on their electronic pickup systems and amplifiers for their volume. Their unique sound lends itself best to rock and roll, but they have also substantially shaped the sound of country music in the last 50 years. (Think “twang”)

Classical Guitars: also called “nylon-string”, classical guitars are used almost exclusively in the classical and folk idioms, but can also be found on more popular recordings. Carlos Santana makes a lot of use of the classical guitar in his

recordings. Slightly smaller than a traditional acoustic, they feature slightly wider necks and strings that are made of nylon rather than steel, to give them a very gentle, warm sound. The best Classical guitars are usually from Spain.

Hollow-body Guitars: These are simply traditional electric guitars that have chambers cut in the body to allow for more sonic resonance. They come in many different sizes and are favored primarily by players of blues and jazz music.

Steel Guitars: These are the farthest breed apart from traditional guitars so far. While any guitarist can pick up any guitar

from the above list and play, a steel guitar requires special training to play. The guitar is played flat on its back, and the strings are elevated approximately half an inch above the fretboard. This allows the strings to be played using a “tone bar” that takes the place of the fingers on a fretboard and gives the steel guitar its classic “crying sound”. This is the archetypal guitar sound.

The Business Trailer

December 27, 2009 on 1:25 pm | In Business | 25 Comments

Written And Directed By Nick Love. Starring Danny Dyer And Tamer Hassan:- Set in the Thatcher era with the cool sounds of the 80’s, THE BUSINESS is an action packed gangster flick set in Spain’s sun drenched Costa Del crime

Reiki: the Kaizen of Reiki

December 27, 2009 on 1:25 pm | In Reiki | No Comments

 

If you have come across the word ‘kaizen’ before it will probably have been in the context of industrial quality control or personal development. “Kaizen” is a Japanese word that is usually translated as ‘improvement’, but it means more than that. The word has connotations of continuous, gradual, orderly and never-ending improvement, the willingness to constantly, relentlessly pursue improvement a small step at a time. The application of the kaizen principle is the reason why Japan’s economy was transformed after the Second World War. All workers were encouraged to make suggestions as to how quality and production could be improved, even by tiny, tiny percentages, but over time the effect of these tiny percentage improvements, applied consistently and built upon, transformed Japanese industry.

So what has this to do with Reiki? Well the word kaizen actually appears towards the end of the Reiki precepts. The line in Japanese is “Shin shin kaizen, Usui Reiki Ryoho”, which could be loosely translated as “Mind body change it for better Usui Reiki method”. So when Usui was talking about using his system to improve the body and mind, I get the impression that we are looking at a lifelong commitment to work with the system, to focus the energy on ourselves again and again, long-term, in order to produce small incremental improvements within ourselves, to dedicate ourselves to developing our effectiveness as a channel. But small changes build on previous small changes, an enhancement upon an enhancement leads to amazing development over time. And Usui’s original system gives us the solid, concrete techniques that we can use to develop ourselves: as channels, in terms of spirituality and in terms of intuition, to produce our own individual Reiki Evolution!

So how do we pursue our own kaizen of Reiki? How do we apply the concept of continuous and never-ending improvement to our practice of Reiki? Here are a few suggestions…

Root your practice of Reiki in daily energy work.

If you are serious about wanting to obtain the many benefits that are available to you through the Reiki system then you are going to have to work on yourself most days, ideally every day, and by doing so you will build up the beneficial effects of Reiki within you. It is not sufficient to use Reiki on yourself once a week, or to assume that if you treat other people occasionally then this is enough to give you the Reiki you need.

Your first priority should be yourself, and this means daily energy work. This does not need to be an onerous task, nor does it need to take a long time to carry out. Sometimes we decline to use Reiki on ourselves because we do not have the perfect opportunity, perhaps because we do not have, say, 30 minutes to work on ourselves. Yet even 10 minutes of energy work, when carried out consistently each day, would be far better and produce much better results than doing nothing for days, and then a great big blitz for a big chunk of time on a weekend to try and ‘catch up’. Spending even a small chunk of time working on ourselves each day builds up a momentum and stirs changes which build and build. Sporadic practice leads to some beneficial changes, but you are not maximising your Reiki potential.

So, how can we work on ourselves? Well, a good place to start would be to practise Hatsurei ho, a series of energy exercises taught in the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (the ‘Gakkai), an association set up after Usui’s death by the Imperial Officers who had trained with him for a while. ‘Hatsurei ho’ means something like ‘start up Reiki technique’ and consists of a series of energy meditations/ visualisations that focus on your Tanden (Dantien in Chinese) and which are designed to be carried out every day. The effects of Hatsurei ho are to:

Clear and cleanse your energy system
Help to move your energy system more into a state of balance
Help to ground you
Help to build up your personal energy reserves
Allows you to grow spiritually
Develop your ability as a channel for Reiki
Help to develop your sensitivity to the flow of energy
Help to develop your intuitive side

The exercises take perhaps 12-15 minutes to carry out each day, and can be fitted into the busiest of schedules if the will is there. We can all make this time for our Reiki practice.

But we should also focus the energy more specifically on ourselves, on our own self-healing, by carrying out a self-treatment each day. Whether you carry out the Western ‘hands-on’ method of treating yourself, or use the self-treatment meditation that Usui Sensei taught, you should focus the energy on yourself on a regular basis to help bring things into balance for you on all levels, and to help you to release things that no longer serve you: mental states, emotions, physical things. The energy will deal with many aspects of your body/mind, many deeply-embedded imbalances, if we give the energy the opportunity to do its work on us, digging deep and chipping away at the ‘baggage’ that we carry, over time.

We prefer to use Usui Sensei’s self-treatment meditation because it seems more intense and versatile, but all self-treatment approaches are valid. Usui’s Sensei’s system was all about spiritual development and self-healing, so Hatsurei Ho and self-treatment can lie at the very heart of your Reiki practice. You need to put yourself first, and the principle of kaizen means that by working on yourself consistently, great transformations are possible. You owe it to yourself to allow yourself to obtain the benefits that are available to you through Reiki.

Receive spiritual empowerments throughout your training and beyond.

Training with Usui was rather like martial arts training, where you were in ongoing contact with your teacher over an extended period of time. Part of your training involved receiving simple spiritual empowerments from Usui Sensei, repeatedly, at all levels. Each empowerment reinforced your connection to the source, cleared your channel for the energy, allowed you to develop spiritually and enhanced your intuitive potential. To echo this practice, Taggart sends out a distant Reiju empowerment every week, on a Monday, which can be ‘tuned in to’ by any Reiki person. You can find out about this, and what to do, by visiting this page of the Reiki Evolution web site:

www.reiki-evolution.co.uk/reijubroadcast.htm.

On each occasion that you receive Reiju you are given what you need, and as your needs change from one occasion to another, this simple spiritual ‘blessing’ helps you to develop. A one-off attunement or empowerment does of course give you something permanent, and when you learn Reiki for the first time the attunements or empowerments that you receive provide you with the ability to use Reiki permanently, but it does not stop there: by receiving empowerments on a regular basis you are building momentum and allowing the energy to penetrate more deeply within you.

If we are committed to ongoing improvements within ourselves then we should make the time to receive an empowerment weekly. And again it is the regular commitment which is the key, the key to deepening your experience of the energy and its beneficial effects on you.

Work on developing your intuitive potential.

Mikao Usui’s original system did not focus very much on the treatment of others, and any instruction on treatments would not have involved slavishly following a set of ‘standard’ hand positions that you had to apply to everyone you treated. Usui’s method was simpler and more elegant. You allowed the energy to guide your hands to the right place to treat, different from one person to another, and different within the same person from one treatment to another. The way we have been taught to do this is through a ‘technique’ called ‘Reiji Ho’ (indication of the spirit technique’), a way of emptying your mind and merging with the energy, getting your head out of the way to allow intuition to bubble to the surface. The exciting thing about Reiji Ho is that it works for everyone, and with time – we come back to kaizen’s small incremental improvements – your hands will move more quickly, more consistently, more effortlessly, and you will start to attract more intuitive information. So every time we treat someone we should spend time cultivating our ‘Reiji’ state of mind, and gradually, gradually, we develop.

Learn to become the energies.

…that you are introduced to at Second Degree and Master levels. Usui’s system didn’t involve symbols as far as most of his students were concerned. Students were expected to carry out meditations over an extended period of time in order to learn to experience different energies and, at Second Degree, students were introduced to the energies of “earth ki” and “heavenly ki”, which represent two fundamental aspects of our being. By practising ‘becoming’ earth ki and heavenly ki again and again – a powerful self-healing practice – these energies became so familiar to the students that they could ‘connect’ to the energy direct without having to use a prop like a symbol. Usui provided some Shinto mantras for some of his students to use to invoke the energies, but it was possible to move beyond these mantras with time, too. In my article ‘A Simple Way with Symbols’ I describe a meditation that you can use to ‘become’ these energies.

But again we see that to obtain the greatest benefit, to enhance self-healing, to free up our practice and move beyond symbols, takes time and commitment. A quick meditation carried out a few times is not enough: Usui Sensei’s students spent 6-9 months meditating on just one energy, and this was done because the principle of kaizen – plugging away and developing by small amounts again and again – led to deep changes over time.

Live your life according to Usui’s guiding principles.

Usui’s simple principles to live by offer perhaps the best example of the principle of kaizen in our Reiki practice: Usui Sensei’s precepts are a work in progress. They are not something that you read through and think “OK, got that”: the precepts are simple to read and understand but they are something that you drip-feed into your daily life over time, more and more over time.

We may begin by thinking about the precepts when we first come across them on a First Degree course: we reflect on how they might impinge on our lives, our thoughts and emotions, our behaviour; we might imagine situations from that past that might have proceeded better had we exemplified the precepts, and we might imagine situations in the future and see ourselves behaving in a way that demonstrates that we are living the precepts.

But this initial surge of interest in the precepts is not sufficient to produce the beneficial changes that the precepts can produce in our lives.

To fully embrace Usui Sensei’s spiritual principles takes regular reflection and ongoing thought. On an ongoing basis we consider our thoughts and our behaviour, we reflect on the principles and what they mean to us. If we do this then over time we will find that living the precepts becomes easier, that our behaviour is modifying itself, that there are more permanent changes in the way that we react and behave and relate to other people. But this will only happen if we ‘chip away’ at our current behaviour patterns, using the precepts as our guiding light. There are no quick fixes: the precepts are not just for First Degree. The precepts are the essence of our Reiki practice.

Now, we do not need to be perfect, we do not need to beat ourselves up for not applying each and every principle on all occasions, but by dedicating ourselves, and by forgiving ourselves, and by trying to do a little better each day than we did the day before, we transform ourselves.

That is the key to our kaizen of Reiki: dedication and commitment, patience and forgiveness, and openness to the source. Long term.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Nlp Techniques?

December 27, 2009 on 12:23 pm | In NLP | No Comments

What is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)? How can you apply NLP techniques in your life? In this article, I will discuss all aspects of NLP and how you can benefit from NLP techniques.

What is NLP?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a behavioural science that was developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. They had claimed that NLP had theories, principles, practices, methods and techniques of three varied fields – linguistics, computer science and neurology.

So NLP has three main components: neuro, language and programming.

NLP has often been defined as a “modeling excellence”. Modelling is the core activity in NLP and is the process of extricating and replicating the language structure and behavioural patterns of an individual who is excellent at a given activity.

NLP  may be described best as “the science of human excellence”!

History of NLP

NLP originated when Richard Bandler, a student at University of California, Santa Cruz, was transcribing taped therapy sessions of the Gestalt therapist Fritz Perls as a project for the psychiatrist Robert Spitzer, who had commissioned Bandler to teach drums to his son.

Soon he was engaged in a different project for Spitzer and transcribed the recorded therapeutic sessions of therapist Fritz Perls. Bandler believed he recognized particular word and sentence structures which facilitated the acceptance of Perls’ positive suggestions. Bandler took this idea to one of his university teachers, John Grinder.

Then Bandler and Grinder together produced the model they named “Meta Model”, a model of what they believed to be influential word structures and how they work.. They also “modelled” the therapeutic sessions of the family therapist Virginia Satir.

They published a book “The Structure of Magic” in 1975 which contained their work. The main subject of the book was that it was possible to analyse and codify the therapeutic methods of Satir and Perl. They said that even the therapy appeared magical, everybody could learn it easily.

British anthropologist Gregory Bateson introduced Bandler and Grinder to Milton Erickson, an American psychiatrist and founding member of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.

Erickson was well known for his unconventional approach to therapy, for his ability to “utilize” anything about a patient to help them change, including their beliefs, favorite words, cultural background, personal history, or even their neurotic habits. He treated the unconscious mind as creative, solution-generating, and positive medium.

Soon Erickson became the third model for NLP.

Today, NLP is a profitable industry and many variants of the practice are found in seminars, workshops, books and audio programs in the form of exercises and principles that intend to influence behavioral and emotional change in self and others. There is great variation in the depth and breadth of training and standards of practitioners, and some disagreement between those in the field about which patterns are, or are not “NLP”.

NLP Principles

There are 2 important principles of NLP.

1- The Map is Not the Territory. As human beings, we don’t understand the reality, we only understand the perceptions of the reality. We respond to the world around us through our sensory representational systems. It means that it is “neuro-linguistic” map of reality which determines how we behave, but not the reality itself.

2- Life and ‘Mind’ are Systemic Processes. The processes taking place within a human being and between human beings and environment are systematic. It is not possible to isolate the part of the system from the rest of the system.

All NLP techniques and models are based on these 2 principles.

How Can NLP Help You?

Training in Neuro Linguistic Programming benefits you in different ways. It mainly helps to maximize your power of communication with others.

NLP is the practice of understanding how people organise their thinking, feeling, language and behaviour to produce the results they do.

NLP also helps to understand and alter unconscious behaviors. NLP teaches how our brain works, how we store the information and the most important, how we can change our behaviors etc.

Many people study NLP to help them become more effective in their chosen field. The patterns can be employed across a wide area of applications ranging from fields as diverse as education, team building, sales, marketing, personal development, leadership and coaching. Wherever there is human interaction and growth potential, NLP can be used to develop and enhance performance.

NLP techniques are widely used in teaching, self help, management and other spheres. NLP is generally taught in an accelerated manner using direct examples and hands-on experimental training. One of the best ways to learn NLP is working with NLP practitioner.

You can also learn it from books, seminars and online home study courses and apply NLP techniques in your life.

January 2008 Interview With Kevin Gaskell of Gaskell Guitars

December 27, 2009 on 12:23 pm | In Guitar | No Comments

This is an interview with Kevin Gaskell, designer and founder of GASKELL GUITARS from Australia. This is from January 2008.

Name of your company?

Gaskell Guitars

Your name?

Kevin Gaskell (I am the designer)

Your Location (city, etc)

Alexandria, Sydney. Australia

Please give us a short summary of your company?

Gaskell Guitars is the only guitar manufacturer in the world that makes ONLY left handed guitars. Based in Australia, Gaskell Guitars is attempting to provide popular guitars not otherwise available as left handed models to the LEFT HANDED GUITAR PLAYERS of this world. I started this 10 years ago. I got it fully together at the end of 2006.

What inspired you to launch your own website?

To get the message out: Left hand guitarists need not feel left out in the dark, or penalized, or ignored for simply being a left handed guitar player.

When did you launch your first website, and what was it?

We have been in business since the beginning of 2007 but did not launch our website until mid 2007. There is still some work to be done but the most important thing is getting high quality guitars into the hands of left hand guitar players who have often given up ever finding the guitars we make!

How did you decide on a name for your website?

Brand name

What makes it different from other, similar offerings?

We are the only company in the world that provides left handed guitars exclusively despite it apparently being a small market. No one else is doing this because no one else really cares about left handed guitar players unless they have a lot of CASH to flash around and have something made in a Custom Shop.

What is your eventual goal?

Corner the market. Internationally. Our brand name recognition is growing. People like our products and they ARE good. I am a left handed guitar player myself so I talk the talk and walk the walk.

How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?

Still to make a profit! Heavily driven by passion, as any purpose that someone is dedicated to.

If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would things change?

We’d be able to make more guitars faster and satisfy even more left handed guitarists – e.g bass players. Demand is greater than supply at the moment. It costs money to take another step and then another step.

If your business site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?

Already struggling with keeping up with product demand! Left Handed guitarists are a passionate lot. And they should be! They’ve been kicked in the teeth for many years. All lefty players know this.

What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?

The first model is always the most expensive. All our guitars had to be redesigned from scratch and are largely hand made. Tooling (CNC Machines) in factories is designed for making right handed guitars. It’s been “interesting” to set this up shall we say. It would never have been this tough to make right handed guitars and try and break into a saturated market there. It is much much cheaper to make right handed guitars.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Making the guitars affordable while still making a profit. We don’t make a lot on our guitars. We could’ve charged ridiculous prices since no one else makes our models but then that’s called “greed” and that’s not where we are at. Left Handed guitarists have been betrayed bad enough as it is. The other thing we struggle with is shipping costs. This is beyond our control. Costs to USA and Europe from Australia are pretty ridiculous in the post-9/11 world.

What method has been most successful for promoting your website?

Classified Ads

How has running your website differed from your expectations?

I’m not a website builder or hoster. Every little change or improvement costs money! Good news comes at a price!

How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don’t enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?

Since about mid 2007. We intend to keep it going for as long as left hand guitarists want our guitars – hopefully forever!

Why are you doing this?

I was born in New Zealand. I have been playing guitar for 25 years. I always wanted to own a Gibson Explorer. In 25 years I never saw one and Gibson only ever made them at one time, in the 1980s when I didn’t have the money to buy one. Many other guitars didn’t come in left hand at that time. 25 years later NOT MUCH HAD CHANGED. I decided that if we are going to be essentially “overlooked” by the big guitar manufacturers then I will fill this void. I made my first guitar in 1992 and it’s developed from there. Customers who have bought Gaskell guitars are routinely delighted and grateful for these instruments, not just because the price is good, but because they are EXCELLENT, high quality guitars which has always been and always will be our intention. We don’t do “cheap” except in price.

What is your website address?

Gaskell Guitars

Bill Hicks on Marketing

December 27, 2009 on 12:23 pm | In Marketing | 25 Comments

Bill Hicks

Get Original Genealogy and Family History Records with FamilySearch New Record Search Pilot site

December 27, 2009 on 12:23 pm | In Genealogy | 5 Comments

You’ve got to try this. You may have been to the FamilySearch site before, but what they are working on is truly wonderful. I’m talking about access to copies of free original genealogy records – and you’ve got to see their new search interface. Very, very nice. Try your own genealogy and family tree searches just like the example in this video shows, and be sure to save the copies of the original records that you find. This is happening in part (a large part) because of “thousands of …