Kids & Teens Wellness Program

road to wellness

INTEGRATIVE WELLNESS FOR KIDS & TEENS:

MIND, BODY & SOUL

2011Masters of

RelaxationSCIENTIFIC IN OUR APPROACH,

HOLISTIC IN OUR SCOPE & NURTURING IN OUR DELIVERY

kids &

teens program

place for healing and prevention

2011Masters of

Relaxation

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01. Nutrition

02. Sleep

03. Stress & Anxiety Management

04. Sports and Exercise

05. Connect to your Heart / Biofeedback

06. Academic Therapy

07. Yoga

08. Aromatherapy

09. Healing Touch / Heart’s Electromagnetic Field

10. Herbal Medicine

11. Mental Imagery / Brainwave Entrainment

12. Massage

13. Spirituality and Healing

14. Traditional Chinese Medicine / Acupuncture

15. Contact Information

Content

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For children & teens(6 to 17 years old)


MIND, BODY & SOUL

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Nutrition

What’s it about?If you’re like most kids, you probably

care a lot more about wearing the right clothes than about eating the right foods.That’s not unusual. Most of us, adults included, would rather focus on looking good than on feeling good, and we’d rather eat what tastes good than what is good. That’s why there are lots more people who eat fries and soda for lunch instead of salad and juice. Especially if you’re a healthy kid, you might think the food you put in your body doesn’t really matter. After all, you can probably still run around the track or play baseball even if you had jelly donuts for breakfast. The fact, is, though, that a human body can take bad eating habits for only so long. Before you know it, a steady diet of jelly donuts can make you overweight, irritable and constantly fighting off colds and illness. You could even end up with Type II diabetes.

You are what you eat.The old saying is true: What we put in

our bodies affects how we feel, look and act. The right foods give us energy, clear skin, strong bones and a focused mind. The wrong foods can make us feel depressed, tired and unable to concentrate. They can give us headaches, stomach problems and constipation. In countries where babies and toddlers don’t eat well, kids grow up with severe health and learning problems. Think of food as the gasoline for your body’s engine. To run at top performance, your “fuel” needs to have just the right amount of vitamins and minerals, and it has to be eaten in the right ways and at the right times. Just as watered-down gas will ruin your parent’s car, so will a so-so diet, or a pig-out on junk food, ruin your ability to look and feel your best.

Make your meals counts.Most of us already know the basics of

eating well. We know we need lots of fruits and vegetables, and as little sugar, caffeine, fried foods, and processed fatty foods (like cookies and chips) as possible. Taking multivitamins helps, as does eating smaller and more frequent meals (to keep your energy up) and combining small amounts of protein (like fish, meat or tofu) with complex carbohydrates (like rice) to keep your blood sugar stable. Here are other tips for eating well. Always eat breakfast—not jelly donuts!—and you’ll find you’ll do better in class. Drink plenty of water to keep from getting constipated. If you can, eat organic foods, and try cooking and shopping with your family. Finally, eat slowly instead of bolting. If you care about your meals as much as you care about your clothes, you’ll eat betterfood and enjoy it more.

01CONTACT YOUR CONCIERGE OR THE SPA

WELLNESS CENTER FOR MORE INFORMATION


MIND, BODY & SOUL

What’s it about?Who wants to wake up when we want to

sleep longer?

Who loves to wake up when they want to?

Who wakes up and feels great, who wants to argue about getting out of bed?

A great nights sleep is so important to us in many, many ways. Sleep effects are growth, immune system, weight, happiness, memory and IQ just to name a few. Every parent knows that a tired kid is a cranky kid. Now, scientists are discovering that children with chronic sleep problems are at increased risk for developing a mental illness later in life.Recent studies show that children who have persistent sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or not getting enough night-time shut-eye, are more likely later to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders and to abuse alcohol and drugs than kids without sleep problems. The findings add to previous research that has linked children's sleep problems to a host of issues, including aggressive behavior, learning and memory problems and obesity.

How does it work & help?Learning the tools that help us relax before

bed are a great start, as well as the proper conditions we need to get that good nights sleep. Too many of us are exposed to many things that block our melatonin production at night, the biggest antioxidant in the universe.

Switching gears from a day time to night time mode, and controlling our nervous system from fight and flight to rest and digest, is so important for all of us.

Easy as 1, 2, 3.Changing a light bulb is like

changing our brainwaves to get that deep delta brainwave sleep. Changing our nervous system is like changing your thoughts... blink! and there’s a new one.

Changing our sleep environment is fun and exciting as we re-invent our bedroom. It’s really as simple as 1, 2, 3.

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Sleep

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CONTACT YOUR CONCIERGE OR THE SPA WELLNESS

CENTER FOR MORE INFORMATION


MIND, BODY & SOUL

What’s it about?Which of the following sounds fun to

you? A surprise quiz, an argument, losing your lunch money, or staining your favorite shirt?

Okay, trick question. Not only are these things no fun, they can even make you upset. Even thinking about them can make you upset. For instance, you might get a headache before taking a test orfeel sick to your stomach watching your parents having a fight. This upset feeling is called stress. And while it would be great to imagine life without stress, the truth is that all of us have to deal with it sometimes. Stress is a normal part of being alive. There is good news, though. While you can’t always change the things that give you stress (have you ever tried talking your teacher out of giving a test?), you can change how you react to stress. Instead of getting upset and trying to run away from hard stuff, you can learn how to stay calm and deal with it. That’s called Stress Management, and it’s an important skill for growing up.

How does it work?Often the way we handle stress is the

opposite of what we really need to do. For instance, we might tighten our muscles, hold our breath, run away, or imagine things just going from bad to worse. All of these are natural reactions to stress, but as you probably know by now, they don’t make you feel any better! In Stress Management, your counselor can help you replace skills that don’t work with skills that do.

You can learn how to breathe deeply and relax instead of tightening up. You can learn how to use hypnosis, meditation and mental imagery to replace worried thoughts with calm ones. You can even learn better ways to feed and exercise your body in order to keep it strong and healthy and ready for whatever happens in life.

Three easy steps.To decide if you need help with your

stress, try these three steps. First, check out how you feel most of the time. If you’re often angry or out of control, if you avoid important things like homework or if you have pain, stomachaches, too many worries or trouble sleeping, you probably need some help managing stress. Second, take a look at what’s stressing you out. Is it a certain teacher or kid at school? Are things tough at home? Do you just have too much work to do? Third, make a plan. A parent, doctor or counselor can help you figure out what you may need to do to make the situation better. Remember, when you can’t change what bugs you, you can at least change how much it bugs you. And that’s a skill you'll be thankful for each day.

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Stress & Anxiety Management

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MIND, BODY & SOUL

What’s it about?What’s your usual response to “Go out and get some exercise!” “I’m already exercising

my thumbs with Playstation.” “Thanks, but my favorite show is on.” It’s a rare kid who actually likes the idea of exercise. Exercise especially sounds like a drag when you’re overweight, feel sick, or just don’t like doing some of the things we think of as exercise, such as running or playing basketball. Nevertheless, a little exercise can be fun and it’s really worth the effort. Unless you overdo it and hurt yourself, the truth is that everyone feels pretty good after a nice long walk or bike ride or pickup game. Even walking the dog or climbing on the playground or playing tag can make you eat better, sleep better and feel better. As long as you’re moving your body around, it’s all exercise, and it’s all good.

How does it help?Everybody’s body is made to be put into motion. That’s why it’s made up of bones and

muscle instead of, say, foam rubber. Foam rubber can sit still for hours on end, but bones and muscles aren’t designed to be flopped into a chair next to a stack of DVDs. The more you sit around, the more your muscles will get flabby, your joints will get stiff, and you’ll start getting more tired—and probably gain weight, as well. Exercise also helps improve your attitude. If you sit around long enough, you’ll start feeling irritable and cranky, and probably have trouble sleeping. But when you move your body around, you help your brain release good chemicals called endorphins and make more serotonin—both of which can put you in a good mood and help you sleep better. You’ll also increase your energy, improve your appetite, and feel less tired throughout the day.

Just do... something!The hard part about exercise is simply deciding to do it. The easy and fun part is figuring

out what to do. Everybody knows how to do something that’s enjoyable and is good exercise. You could, for instance, set up a dog-walking business. Swim in a pool with your friends. Go for a hike. Ride your bike around a lake. Even cleaning up your room helps! Don’t worry if you think you can’t exercise because of pain, illness or weight problems. Just check with your doctor, and get an evaluation to see which types of exercise might work for you. Even if exercise is a little harder for you than for other kids, you’ll find that the more you do it, the easier and more fun it gets. And every little bit counts!

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Sports and Exercise

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CONTACT YOUR CONCIERGE OR THE SPA WELLNESS CENTER FOR

MORE INFORMATION


MIND, BODY & SOUL

Connect to your Heart / Biofeedback

What’s it about? Say you’re petting a kitten right now.

As you feel its body relax, you might notice the same thing happening to your own. Your

breathing starts slowing down, your face relaxes, and you might even feel a little sleepy. Now let’s say you hear a loud bang in the night. What happens? Your muscles twitch. Your breathing

speeds up. Your heart starts beating fast and hard. Okay, none of us actually think about our bodies when we pet kittens or hear noises. (Have you ever said, “Gee, my muscles are relaxed!”) But if you did start noticing how and when your body felt good and bad, you’d be just a short step away from being able to control those feelings all by yourself. That’s what Biofeedback is all about. It’s a technique you learn to help you make your body feel good whenever you want. Whether you have headaches, pain, stomachaches, trouble falling asleep, nervous feelings or problems at school, you’ll find that Biofeedback can help. When you learn to make your body feel better, you make you feel better.

How’s it work?Here’s the secret about Biofeedback:

It’s fun. In fact, it’s a lot like playing a video game — using your body to control what happens on the screen. As you sit in front of a Biofeedback computer, you’ll first notice how the lines on the screen show you what’s happening with your breathing, muscle tightness and finger temperature. If the lines show that you’re tense, you’ll work at changing those lines with simple exercises, such as imagining petting a kitten.

You’ll soon see that the more you can make your body relax, the more you can control your “score” and the quicker you can make your body feel better.

Boss your body!Of course, you can’t expect to get

great results the first time you try it. The more you work at Biofeedback, the better you’ll get at becoming the “boss of your body”. Soon you may find that you get fewer headaches and stomachaches, and that you can pay more attention in school or stay calm in situations that used to make you scared or angry. You’ll find Biofeedback easy and fun. And here’s another secret: Most kids are better at it than adults are!

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MIND, BODY & SOUL

What’s it about?If you’ve had trouble keeping up in

your class, you’re in good company. Robin Williams, Leonardo da Vinci, Tom Cruise, Abraham Lincoln and even Albert Einstein—one of the greatest geniuses of all—also had learning difficulties. That tells us three things about learning difficulties. One, they’re pretty common. Two, they have nothing to do with how smart you are. And three, they’re fixable! It’s not that people with learning difficulties can’t learn. It’s that they don’t learn in the same ways as others do. Why? Sometimes it’s because their brains can’t locate certain pieces of information, like the way letters appear on a page. Sometimes it’s because medication gets in the way of being able to think clearly. And sometimes it’s simply because they’ve missed school due to sick days. Whatever the reason, learning difficulties can be tough to live with. When you have one, it’s like being a great basketball player who gets a ball with no air in it. You just never get the chance to show how good you really are! That’s why you may need Academic Therapy to catch up with others and prove what you can do.

How does it work?Like a sports coach, your Academic

Therapy coach will show you how to pump up your strengths and play down your weaknesses. First, he or she will help you figure out what kind of help you need. Next, you’ll work together on a program that will help bring you up to speed.

Putting it together.When you work with your coach, you’ll

find out that learning doesn’t just happen with the thinking part of your brain. It also involves your eyes, ears and hands, all of which you’ll use during your therapy to help you perform better. In the end, you’ll find that all that practice and work won’t just bring you better grades in school. It will also bring you a feeling of success and confidence. And once you feel more confident in class, you’ll start feeling more confident in every other part of your life. You’ll not only find out that you’re probably smarter than you think, you’re also able to do more than you think. And that’s a feeling you’ll share with a lot of other smart people—like Albert Einstein—who also started out like you!

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Academic Therapy

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CONTACT YOUR CONCIERGE OR THE SPA WELLNESS CENTER FOR MORE INFORMATION


MIND, BODY & SOUL

Yoga

What’s it about?If you’ve ever spent time with a baby,

you’ve already learned something about yoga. Babies love to stretch their legs, arch their backs, “swim” on their tummies and roll over. Their movements not only feel good, but help them learn how to balance and stay healthy.. Yogis—people who practice yoga—also “play” with their bodies. Like babies, the first yogis (who came from India thousands of years ago) were fascinated by everything around them: mountains, trees, birds and animals. They discovered that posing like a lion could make them feel strong, and that imitating a tree helped them feel root- ed to the earth. Their poses are still used in yoga to help people “discover” their bodies and to help them feel calm, healthy and energetic.

How does it work?Most sports routines have goals, like

making a basket or hitting a ball. Yoga, though, is all about staying focused on your body, moment by moment. By breathing deeply and moving your body into poses, you not only stretch and strengthen your muscles, you focus your mind and balance your energy. If you’re tired, for instance, yoga can give you a lift. If you’re stressed out, yoga can help you relax. Yoga is especially good if you feel blah or depressed. It’s like wringing yourself out and filling the space with positive energy. By moving your body, you help your brain make more serotonin, a chemical that makes you feel calmer and more upbeat. And by practicing different poses, you help your body get in touch with many other kinds of good feelings. You might find, for instance, that you can be as strong as a mountain, as supple as a snake, as noble as a warrior, or as graceful as a tree swaying in the breeze.

Practice, not perfect.Babies may seem good at yoga, but the

rest of us— who might spend more time on video games than we do rolling on our backs—probably need some help getting flexible. In a yoga class, a good yoga teacher can help you find positions that help you become strong and graceful without pain. And try different styles of yoga-some poses are slow and gentle; some can really make you sweat. Whatever you do, remember that yoga is a practice. There’s no score, no goal. You just do what’s best for your body to be the best yogi you can be.

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MIND, BODY & SOUL

What’s it about?Suppose you have a really crummy day

at school. You get home ready to yell at the dog or pick a fight with your little sister. But then you open the door and smell chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. Right away, the day feels a lot better, doesn’t it? That shows you the power of aromatherapy. The fact is, certain kinds of smells can make us feel better in many different ways. Just as baking cookies can make you feel warm and cozy, some smells can make you feel sleepy, calm, or just plain healthier. In Aromatherapy, your coach will help you find the exact kinds of smells that can help with whatever problems you may have—nausea, headaches, fatigue and nervousness.

How does it work?Don’t expect your aromatherapy coach

to bake cookies for you! Instead, he or she will use essential oils to help you with your body’s problems. These oils come from plants, like lavender, chamomile and orange, and have a very strong smell. In Aromatherapy, you think of your nose and your skin as the doorway to the rest of your body. The smell of the essential oil travels through those doorways to wherever it needs to go, whether it’s your brain (to help with headaches, nervous feelings or paying attention in school), your stomach (to help with stomachaches) or your muscles (to help with stomachaches) or your muscles (to help with aches and pains).

Mixing it up.Just as every body is different, so is

every aromatherapy treatment. Some kids may find that a certain essential oil really works for their headaches; other kids may find that a different oil works instead. Your coach will give you many different smells to try out for whatever your body needs. You might also combine your aromatherapy treatments with other medicines and therapies like massage. If you decide to try Aromatherapy, you just need to remember two things. First, keep trying different essential oils until you find what works best for you. And second, let your nose do the work. Don’t ever drink an essential oil!

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Aromatherapy

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What’s it about?Ever walk into class and just know your teacher is in a bad mood? It’s not as if you see

her “frowning” or hear her yelling at someone. Instead, it’s just a strong feeling you pick up—“bad vibes”—almost as if you could close your eyes and feel the thick, heavy air around her. Where does this feeling come from? The Energetic Heart explains the bio-electromagnetic interactions within and between people. Did you know that when you’re not consciously communicating with others, our physiological systems are interacting in subtle and surprising ways? Or that the electromagnetic signal produced by your heart is registered in the brain waves of people around you? Or that your physiological responses sync up with your mate's during empathetic interactions? Discover why the heart's electromagnetic field is believed to act as a central synchronizing signal within the body, an important carrier of emotional information and a key mediator of energetic interactions between people, and how living and acting from a coherent heart state can affect those around us.

Many therapists believe each of us has an energy bubble—or a life force—that surrounds our bodies. You can’t see it, but in many ways you know it’s there, and so do many people who are close to you. The fact is, the way you feel inside changes your energy bubble on the outside—and vice-versa. Healing Touch is one way to help smooth out that bubble of energy and help you feel better inside and out.

How does it work?A Healing Touch therapist is not only trained to be sensitive to the energy around people;

he or she is also trained to be a kind of energy pipeline. Just as your kitchen faucet is connected to miles of underground water pipes, Healing Touch therapists are connected to the endless forces that surround all living things. Like turning on a faucet, they can turn on this energy and let it flow into other people to help them heal and feel better. The way they do this may look very simple. Basically, a Healing Touch therapist will run his or her hands along your own energy field, looking for places that feel empty or need smoothing. Like massaging your body, Healing Touch massages your energy bubble, helping it feel relaxed and flowing freely.

Nice and easy does it.For most kids, Healing Touch feels gentle and relaxing. This calming feeling helps your

body in many ways. It can help you unwind if you feel very tense and anxious. It can lessen pain in places where your body hurts. It can even help you heal faster after surgery. Most kids really like Healing Touch because they know it feels very good and won’t hurt. With practice, you can even learn to do it for yourself—and maybe your school teacher would appreciate it, too!

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Healing Touch / Heart’s Electromagnetic Field

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Herbal Medicine

What’s it about? Most of the time, we think of herbs as

little bits of flavor sprinkled on soups or stews. That, however, is only part of what

herbs can do for you. For thousands of years, people have used herbs—which are dried leaves, stems and other plant parts—for healing everything from upset stomachs to fevers. Even

animals seem to know that certain kinds of herbs are good for them. When a chimpanzee has a parasite or stomachache, for instance, he may dig up a plant called an aspilia and chew on the root until he feels better. Today, many doctors around the world still use Herbal Medicine to help kids with health problems. (In fact, one out of every four prescription drugs comes from plants!) Because herbs are natural remedies, Herbal Medicine can be a safe, gentle way to help the body recover from illness, or to deal better with the side effects of certain drugs.

How do herbs work?Herbs are definitely not one-size-fits-all.

Just think about the thousands of different plants in the world, as well as the hundreds of ways bodies can get sick. It takes special training for health care people (doctors, nurses, herbalists, naturopaths) to understand which specific plants—or even which parts of a specific plant— will work best for specific problems! Your health care person will work closely with you to make sure you get the right herbs for the right problems. He or she will also make sure you receive your Herbal Medicine in the way that works best for you, whether in tea, capsules, tablets or ointments.

Helping yourself feel better.Once you start learning about Herbal

Medicine, you may be surprised at what it can do for you. Some herbs can reduce fevers or help you sleep better. Some, like ginger, can help you feel less sick after chemotherapy. Some herbs can also build up your immune system so you won’t get as many colds or illnesses. Some herbs can even help reduce pain. The good news, too, is that Herbal Medicine often has fewer side effects than prescription medicine. But even so, it’s important to remember that too much of anything—even herbs—can still make you sick! Also, it is important to know not all herbs are good for kids. That’s why your health care provider will keep a close eye on what you take. You’ll both discover which Herbal Medicines will help you feel your best, no matter what your body’s problem.

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What’s it about?Try finishing this sentence: Right now, I

would rather be...a.) sitting on a sunny beach with my

toes in the warm sand.b.) waiting for the school bus in the

freezing rain.

No-brainer, right? Notice how fast your body reacted to those two ideas. Just thinking about the words “warm sand” probably made you relax a little, while the words “freezing rain” may have made you a little tense. And that gives you a quick idea of what Mental Imagery is all about. Basically, it’s about helping your body by letting your mind take you to healthy places that feel good.

How does it work?If you’re really good at daydreaming

(and who isn’t?), you’ve probably figured out that your mind is a pretty powerful tool. It can take you away from wherever you are—like your math class—and plunk you down in a place where you feel safe, comfortable, happy or excited. You might picture walking along the beach, looking at waves. Or snuggling up on the couch, watching your favorite TV show. Or getting a home run. Or riding your bike down a big hill on a sunny day. Sometimes, of course, that’s not always the best use of your mind. (Think about the grades you’d get if you did this all the time!)

But when your body has problems, it’s good to know that powerful mind of yours can help you feel better. If you have pain, for example, your mind can help you picture yourself soothed and relaxed. If you’re sad or afraid, your mind can bring you to places that feel happy and calm. If you worry a lot, your mind can replace those worried thoughts with reassuring thoughts. Every change in your thinking results in a change in your body.

Go where you want to go.All of this sounds pretty simple, but it

does take some practice. After all, if your mind is very good at worrying, it may be hard at first to convince it to do something else! Professionals trained to teach kids relaxation with mental imagery (also called self-hypnosis) can help you learn these skills. They’ll guide you into finding those special places in your mind where you’re in control, and where you feel happy and comfortable. You’ll learn to go wherever you want to go— whenever you want—in order to feel better.

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Massage

What’s it about?If you’ve ever stubbed your toe or

gotten kicked in the shin, you know that you usually do two things right away. The first thing you do is yell. And the second thing you do is rub the sore spot until it stops hurting so much. Without even thinking, we all know that rubbing usually makes certain body pains feel better. Why? Because pain often happens when muscles are too tight (the way your shoulders might feel after carrying a backpack all day) or when muscles have been bruised or injured (the way a stubbed toe feels). When muscles are tight or injured, blood doesn’t flow into them smoothly. Rubbing helps move the blood back into those muscles, making them relax and feel better, and changes the way pain nerves work. Basically, that’s what massage is all about. It’s a special kind of rubbing that relaxes your muscles and gets your blood to flow better into the parts of your body that feel tight or achy.

Massage is usually helpful for kids who have headaches, stress, pain, and sleep problems.

How does it work?Not just anyone can do a

good massage—at least, not without practice. For instance, try touching your friend’s shoulder. Probably you can’t tell if her muscles are tight or relaxed—but a Massage Therapist can tell right away. He or she will know just what kind of touch or pressure will work best to make the blood flow and muscles smooth out. Some will use stroking motions; others will tap on your muscles or press hard in one place. You can help the therapist by talking about what feels helpful and what doesn’t.

Mmmm... feels good!Most massage sessions aren’t just about

touch. They’re about making you feel calm all over, because the more your mind relaxes, the better your muscles relax. Sometimes therapists will play quiet music while you have your massage, or use special oils or pleasant smells to keep your mind and body in a nice, quiet place. You might even want to fall asleep! Once you’ve had a few massage sessions, you may even want to learn to do some massage on your own. You’ll find that it not only feels good to get a massage, but it feels good to give one, too. Your whole family can learn to do it for each other, and keep everybody in the house as healthy and relaxed as possible!

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Spirituality and Healing

What’s it about?If you’ve ever helped build a campfire,

you know there’s more to it than lighting a match. Unless you have kindling, plenty of air, and lots of space, all you’ll get is a smoky mess. Building a healthy body is like that, too. When you feel sick, it’s not just medicine that makes you feel better. Usually you need hugs and attention, and a quiet, calm place to rest. And it really helps when you know, deep inside, that you’re being taken care of and made to feel safe and well. Another word for that deep feeling is spirituality. It’s a peaceful sense that you’re part of something greater than yourself—some call it “God”—that will always take care of you. For thousands of years, many people have believed that our bodies, minds and spirits are all connected, just like the parts in a campfire. When we make our spirits feel better, we make our bodies better, as well.

How does it work?Spirituality doesn’t just happen in a

church, mosque or temple. It’s something you can experience every day. Looking at a beautiful flower can be spiritual. So can giving someone a hug, or thinking about all the good things you have. Even asking for help can be spiritual. Spirituality simply means becoming aware that something inside is always guiding us and helping us feel we have a special place in the world.

Five ways to start.If we don’t know how to start feeling

spiritual, we can use these five tools: faith, hope, forgiveness, love and prayer or meditation. Faith means expecting something good to happen—not because someone told us, but because we trust that we’re in good hands. Hope makes you feel positive. Instead of wishing your problems would go away, hope makes you feel like you’ll get

through them. Forgiveness is letting go of bad feelings toward others for things they’ve done. It helps you feel peaceful instead of angry inside. Love means showing others how much you care for them, and letting others take care of you. Finally, prayer or meditation is a way we stay connected to that “higher power” that’s watching out for us. When we feel sad, angry or out of control, stopping to pray—and asking others to pray for us—can help remind us that we can have hope and heal.

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What’s it about?Even the healthiest bodies have crummy

days. One day you feel great for hours; the next day, you’ve got a headache, stomachache or allergy attack that makes you want to crawl back in bed. Why do we have these ups and downs? The Chinese say it’s because of something called Qi (say chee). Qi is a person’s total energy—a good, healthy feeling that flows like a stream around our arms, legs, head and middle. When Qi flows smoothly, we feel strong and good. When something blocks Qi, we feel tired, draggy, sick or in pain. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a gentle way to make sure Qi flows well to keep you feeling healthy.

How does it work?Picture a stream of water flowing from

a garden hose. Now imagine stepping on that hose. What happens? The flow stops, the water backs up, the hose becomes stiff instead of flexible. You can think about Qi the same way. Sometimes, something in your body blocks your energy flow, just like a stomp on a garden hose. When this happens, you may have a stomachache, nausea, breathing problems, pain or rashes—anything that makes your body feel worse instead of better. To help you feel good again, you have to make your Qi strong—to take the kink out of the hose. Traditional Chinese Medicine gives you several ways to do just that.

This won’t hurt.One popular way is to help to correct

Qi balance is with acupuncture. A therapist puts tiny, thin needles at the places in your body (called acu-points) where Qi is blocked, and where you may feel pain or sickness. But don’t worry! Acupuncture is nothing like getting a shot. Most kids barely feel anything because these needles are so thin and don’t go in very far. In fact, once you’re used to it, you’ll probably feel calm and relaxed. Another way to make your Qi strong is acupressure. It’s a lot like acupuncture, but uses touch instead of needles. The therapist presses firmly but gently on your acu-points to help you with any nausea, breathing problems or other feelings that relate to your blocked energy. These same points can also be gently stimulated with electricity. Traditional Chinese Medicine doesn’t stop there. You can also drink special herbal teas or eat certain foods (or stop eating certain foods!) in order to keep feeling good between sessions. Talk to your therapist about what feels right for you and if TCM could be helpful.

road to wellness

Traditional Chinese Medicine / Acupuncture

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2011Masters of

Relaxation




MIND, BODY & SOUL

[email protected]

www.MastersOfRelaxation.com

road

to

welln

ess


MIND, BODY & SOUL

2011Masters of

Relaxation

Contact Information For more information on these programs during your vacation, feel free to contact us before arrival or during your stay.

Please tell us which program(s) you are interested in and give us as much information about you and your child as you feel comfortable, so we can understand and help you better.

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.MastersOfRelaxation.com

http://www.MastersOfRelaxation.com

Kids & Teens Wellness Program

Documents

Transcript of Kids & Teens Wellness Program