JANUARY 2015
Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine
We hear a lot about healing arts like breath work and Reiki, but a lot of us have no idea what they are. Here’s an intro for an open- minded approach to taking control of your health
BY VICTORIA L. KIDD Many of us spent the last few weeks
of 2014 making the annual decisions that come with each year’s open season for health insurance benefi ts. It’s a time to proactively think about the needs for one’s self and family. As the year draws to a close, we often translate those thoughts into resolutions we “fully intend” to follow for the entirety of the upcoming year. Perhaps a better use of our time would be to examine the health services we currently use and to identify complementary practices and modalities that could improve our health and overall sense of well being for the long haul. These practices, sometimes
labeled as “alternative health practices” or as “complementary and alternative medicine,” have found a growing acceptance in a country where chronic health
problems
are on the rise. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 38 percent of Americans adhere to or advocate for some type of alternative medicine or complementary health practice. For many, these practices are employed alongside traditional medical therapies in what is certainly a unique marriage of old and new health philosophies—and some of the new ones are actually contemporary versions of traditional medicine. The umbrella of complementary
and alternative medicine includes between
150 and 200 different
practices (depending on what source one reviews). Some practices—such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, Reiki, herbalism, Pilates, and yoga (in its many
forms)—are relatively well
known. Others—such as Ayurveda, fl ower therapy, transcendental meditation, and sound therapy—are less common in the U.S. but have multitudes of followers worldwide. With acceptance of these practices growing steadily over the past 20
years, you can almost certainly fi nd a local advocate, master, or practitioner skilled in the particular area of interest to you. Many people considering adding complementary or alternative
practices to their
health and fi tness program will start with yoga.
Most of us think we know what yoga is. After all, yoga studios and individual yoga practitioners appear frequently in commercials, television shows, and inspirational posters. The word itself conjures images of fi t, young women standing in silhouette against a setting sun, their foot fl at against their knee as they balance on one leg. The reality of yoga is much more substantive than this single image implies. Lisha Simester is an internationally known yoga master, author, counselor, and expert in matters related to the mind/body relationship. (More information about her classes— offered at studios in Shepherdstown, Charles Town and Winchester—can be found at www.jalayogafl
ow.com.) She explains, “In yoga, the goal is to balance the mind and body through a series of physical, breathing, and relaxation exercises.” Simester says yoga is an excellent means of reducing stress, controlling weight gain, and increasing one’s overall sense of good health. “The very quality of the postures
and breathing fl ow encourages the centering of mental concentration within,” she relays. “We learn to get more in touch with what is going on within our body and our mind. We learn to listen, to be more aware of our inner being—so often forgotten in the midst of external demands—and to fi nd a deeper state of peace.” Kate Thuss, a certifi ed and
registered Integral Hatha Yoga Teacher and a certifi ed Reiki Master, agrees that yoga is a terrifi c way to
Specializing in Structural Bodywork
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Offices in Shepherdstown, WV & Winchester, VA Lori Robertson
Chris Crawford LMT, CMT, CSIT 540-270-7601
LMT, CMT, SIT 540-336-4737
“T ank you for a profoundly
blissful healing experience.” Client since January 2014
Charles Town, WV (304) 728-6996
replenishwellness.com
31 Willow Spring Drive, Suite 201
Astr ological Consultant Lisha Simester
SHEPHERDSTOWN HYPNOSIS FOR A POSITIVE CHANGE
soſtware of your mind and change the print out of your life.
Michelle De Stefano, C.H. Cell: 518 929 3392 Email:
goldenyoga@ymail.com
(304) 261-8077 *
mauihypnotist@gmail.com SHEPHERDSTOWNHYPNOSIS.COM
HYPNOSIS to rewrite the
Pick Your Own All Natural, Locally Grown Produce All Winter Long Tangy Produce
www.geosjoy.com Geo Derick, MSc, AHG Humanistic Counselor
1352 Persimmon Lane Shepherdstown, (336) 905-5904
www.tangyproduce.com Tangy Produce on Facebook
Lisha Simester Shepherdstown, WV Ages 6-12 $90 Cell: 518 929 3392 Email:
goldenyoga@ymail.com
OPEN MINDS INC. 8-WEEK MINDFULLNESS YOUTH PROGRAM AT JALA YOGA Saturdays Jan 17-March 7 1-2:15pm
Awarenss, Presence, Compassion, Gratitude, & Empathy through Guided Meditation, Yoga, Stories & Refl ection through the Arts.
Heronontheriver@gmail.com Register at
openmindspark.org
Classes and private sessions offered by Lisha Simester, author of The Natural Health Bible
Registered Medical Herbalist Nutrition and Health Coach
geoderick@gmail.com
MD 410-707-4486 VA 540-955-4769
Cell: 518 929 3392 Email:
goldenyoga@ymail.com Founder/Director/Master Teacher
GoldenYoga Lisha Simester
GoldenYoga
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