The Natural Living Glossary and our Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Ciunties, Natural Living Directory can support you in leading a healthy, happy and balanced lifestyle. Dive into the wealth of knowledge and inspiration within these pages to enhance your well-being.

Active Release Techniques (ART): A patented, state-of-the-art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.

Acupuncture: An ancient Oriental technique that stimulates the body’s ability to sustain and balance itself, based on the theory that an electromagnetic life-force (qi or chi, pronounced “chee”) is channeled in a continuous flow throughout the body via a network of ‘meridians.’ Disease is understood as an imbalance in the meridian system

Diagnosis of an imbalance is made by “reading” the pulse, face, tongue and body energy. To correct it, a practitioner inserts acupuncture needles at specific points along the meridians to stimulate or disperse the flow of life force. Acupuncture principles include the yin and yang polarities and the associations of the five elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood with bodily organs.

Alexander Technique: A system of re-educating the body and mind to support and facilitate proper posture and ease of movement. Through gentle manual guidance, accompanied by verbal directions, the Alexander teacher coaches the student to become aware of unnecessary tension and to unlearn longstanding patterns of movement. The Alexander Technique is an established method for helping to improve chronic conditions such as back, shoulder or neck pain, nervous tension, poor coordination, breathing problems and vocal strain. Athletes and performing artists frequently use it to improve performance level.

Apothecary Practitioner: Once an archaic term for a person who made and sold medicine, the term is used today to refer to specialists in a range of modalities—including spiritual practices, herbal remedies and energy and vibrational medicine—that facilitate natural healing and support spiritual growth.

Aromatherapy: An ancient healing art that uses the essential oils of herbs and flowers to treat emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety and a wide range of other ailments. Oils are massaged into the skin, inhaled or added to a water bath. Often used in conjunction with massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, herbology and chiropractic or other holistic treatments.

Art Therapy:  Uses the creative process of making art to improve and enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being and to deepen self-awareness. The therapist makes a diagnosis and determines treatment plans by encouraging a client to express his or her feelings and unconscious thoughts through the nonverbal creative process and by observing the forms and content created.

Astrology: A system of traditions and beliefs that holds that the relative positions of celestial bodies either directly influence life on Earth or correspond to events experienced on a human scale. Modern astrologers define astrology as a symbolic language, art form and type of divination that can provide information about personality and human affairs, aid in the interpretation of past and present events, and predict the future.

Ayurveda: The oldest medical system known to man and a comprehensive spiritual teaching practiced in India for 4,000 years. It focuses on achieving and maintaining perfect health via the balance of the elements air, fire and water (illness is considered an excess of any element). A patient’s body type, determined according to Ayurveda principles, is the basis for individualized dietary regimens and other preventive therapeutic interventions. Ayurveda prescriptions might include purification procedures for the restoration of biological rhythms; experience of expanded consciousness through meditation; nutritional counseling; stress reduction; enhancing neuromuscular conditions; and behavioral modification.

Biofeedback: A relaxation technique that monitors internal body states and is used especially for stress-related conditions such as asthma, migraines, insomnia and high blood pressure. During biofeedback, patients monitor minute metabolic changes (e.g., temperature, heart rate and muscle tension), with the aid of sensitive machines. By consciously thinking, visualizing, moving, relaxing, etc., they learn which activities produce desirable changes in the internal processes being monitored.

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement (BHRT): The treatment of the symptoms of menopause (and its male equivalent, andropause) through the use of hormones that have the same chemical structure as those naturally produced by the body. Many compounding pharmacies have staff trained in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), which is thought by its proponents to have fewer risks and side effects than traditional methods of hormone replacement.

Bodywork: Massage and the physical practices of yoga are perhaps the best-known types of bodywork; both have proven successful in relieving tension and stress, promoting blood flow, loosening stiff muscles and stimulating the organs. Massage therapies encompass countless techniques, including Swedish massage, shiatsu and Rolfing. The same is true for yoga.

Other types of bodywork include martial arts practices like aikido, ki aikido and Tai chi chuan. Some others are the Alexander technique, Aston patterning, Bowen, Breema bodywork, Feldenkrais method, Hellerwork, polarity therapy, Rosen method, Rubenfeld synergy and Trager.

Finding bodywork that improves mental and physical health is a highly individual process. Several types may be combined for the greatest benefit.

Chinese Medicine: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the world’s oldest and most complete systems of holistic health care. It combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, food therapy, massage and therapeutic exercise, along with the recognition that wellness in mind, body and emotions depends on the harmonious flow of life-force energy (qi or chi, pronounced “chee”).

Chiropractic: Based on the premise that proper structural alignment permits free flow of nerve activity in the body. When spinal vertebrae are out of alignment, they put pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves radiating from it, potentially leading to diminished function and illness. Misalignment can be caused by physical trauma, poor posture and stress. The chiropractor seeks to analyze and correct these misalignments through spinal manipulation or adjustment. 

Coach (Life): A professional who helps clients identify their personal and/or professional goals and design a plan or institute techniques for achieving them. The life coach works with clients to recognize and overcome any obstacles that may interfere with achievement of those goals.

Conscious Living: As we become increasingly aware of the interdependence of humans, animals and the planet, progressive businesses are concerning themselves with far more than the bottom line. They know that today’s consumers are willing to invest in what they believe in, from fair-trade goods to animal-friendly and environmentally sound products and services.

Counseling / Psychotherapy: These terms encompass a broad range of practitioners, from career counselors, who offer advice and information, to psychotherapists, who treat depression, stress, addiction and emotional issues. Formats can vary from individual counseling to group therapy. In addition to verbal counseling techniques, some holistic therapists may use bodywork, ritual, energy healing and other alternative modalities as part of their practice.

Craniosacral Therapy (CST): A manual therapeutic procedure to remedy distortions in the structure and function of the craniosacral mechanism—the brain and spinal cord, the bones of the skull, the sacrum and interconnected membranes. Craniosacral work is based upon two major premises: that the bones of the skull can be manipulated, because they never completely fuse; and that the pulse of the cerebrospinal fluid can be balanced by a practitioner trained to detect variations in that pulse. CST is used to treat chronic pain, migraine headaches, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), ear and eye problems, balance problems, learning difficulties, dyslexia and hyperactivity.

Dance/Movement Therapy: A method of expressing thoughts and feelings through movement, developed during the 1940s. Participants, guided by trained therapists, are encouraged to move freely, sometimes to music. Dance/movement therapy can be practiced by people of all ages to promote self-esteem and gain insight into their own emotional problems, but is also used to help those with serious mental and physical disabilities. In wide use in the United States, this modality is becoming established around the world.

Deep Tissue Work: A technique of stretching and moving the connective tissue that envelops the muscles (fascia) in order to lengthen and balance the body along its natural, vertical axis. Distortions of the connective tissue may be caused by internal reactions and compensations due to accidents, emotional tension or past-unreleased traumas. Deep tissue massage works to detoxify tissue by helping to remove accumulated lactic acid and other waste products from the muscles. The therapy is used to ease or eliminate chronic muscular pain, help with injury rehabilitation and reduce inflammatory pain caused by ailments such as arthritis and tendonitis.

Dentistry (Holistic): Regards the mouth as a microcosm of the entire body. The oral structures and the whole body are seen as a unit. Holistic dentistry often incorporates such methods as homeopathy, biocompatibility testing and nutritional counseling. Most holistic dentists emphasize wellness and preventive care, while avoiding (and often recommending the removal of silver-mercury fillings).

Detoxification: The practice of resting, cleansing and nourishing the body from the inside out. According to some holistic practitioners, accumulated toxins can drain the body of energy and make it more susceptible to disease. Detoxification techniques may include fasts, special diets, sauna sweats, body wrapping, ionized foot baths and colon cleansing.

Doula: A woman who supports an expectant mother through pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. Studies indicate that support in labor has profound benefits, including shorter labor, less desire for pain medication, lower rate of Caesarian delivery and more ease in initiation of breast-feeding. 

Dowsing: A type of divination originally intended to locate ground water, minerals or other underground objects, through the use of a forked stick or “divining rod.” Modern advocates, who may or may not use a divining rod, believe that dowsing also can be used for much broader purposes. Those may include finding missing persons or lost objects, spiritual or distance healing, or gaining insight into money or relationship issues.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): A self-help procedure founded by Gary Craig that combines fingertip tapping of key acupuncture meridian points while focusing on an emotional issue or health challenge. Unresolved, or “stuck,” negative emotions, caused by a disruption in the body’s energy system, are seen as major contributors to most physical pains and diseases. These can remain stagnant and trapped until released by the tapping. EFT is easy to memorize and portable, so it can be done anywhere.

Energy Healing: The art and practice of realigning and re-attuning the body between the physical and the etheric and auric fields to assist in natural healing processes. Working directly with the energy field in and around the body, the practitioner is thought to channel and direct energy into the cells, tissues and organs of the patient’s body to effect healing on physical and nonphysical levels simultaneously. Sessions may or may not involve the physical laying on of hands.

Feng Shui: The ancient Chinese system of arranging manmade spaces and elements to create or facilitate harmonious qi or chi (pronounced “chee”), or energy flow, by tempering or enhancing the energy where necessary. Feng shui consultants can be an asset to both personal and business spaces, either before or after the spaces are created.

Functional Medicine: A personalized medicine that focuses on primary prevention and deals with underlying causes, instead of symptoms, for serious chronic diseases. Treatments are grounded in nutrition and improved lifestyle habits and may make use of medications. The discipline uses a holistic approach to analyze and treat interdependent systems of the body and to create the dynamic balance integral to good health.

Herbal Medicine: This oldest form of medicine uses natural plants in a wide variety of forms for their therapeutic value. Herbs produce and contain various chemical substances that act upon the body to strengthen its natural functions without the negative side effects of synthetic drugs. They may be taken internally or applied externally via teas, tinctures, extracts, oils, ointments, compresses and poultices.

Homeopathy: A therapy that uses small doses of specially prepared plants and minerals to stimulate the body’s defense mechanisms and healing processes in order to cure illness. Homeopathy, taken from the Greek words homeos, meaning “similar,” and pathos, meaning “suffering,” employs the concept that “like cures like.” A remedy is individually chosen for a person based on its capacity to cause, if given in an overdose, physical and psychological symptoms similar to those the patient is experiencing.

Hydrotherapy: The use of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full-body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used at home as part of a self-care program.

Hypnotherapy: A range of hypnosis techniques that allow practitioners to bypass the conscious mind and access the subconscious. The altered state that occurs under hypnosis has been compared to a state of deep meditation or transcendence, in which the innate recuperative abilities of the psyche are allowed to flow more freely. The subject can achieve greater clarity regarding his or her own wants and needs, explore other events or periods of life that require resolution, or generally develop a more positive attitude. Often used to help people lose weight or stop smoking, it is also used in the treatment of phobias, stress and as an adjunct to the treatment of illnesses.

Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT): A combination of diagnostic and treatment methodologies that assess and treat pain, dysfunction, disease and disability. Developed by Sharon Giammatteo over 30-plus years, IMT is intended to address the complex needs of patients. IMT practitioners identify and address the underlying causes of dysfunction using a comprehensive and holistic approach. While IMT diagnostics and treatment modalities are predominately hands-on, IMT also integrates a wide range of diagnostic and treatment technologies, nutritional programs (i.e. natural supplements, diet and herbs), and IMT body-based psychotherapeutic approaches to develop a customized solution for a patient’s needs. 

Integrative Medicine: This holistic approach combines conventional Western medicine with complementary alternative treatments, in order to simultaneously treat mind, body and spirit. Geared to the promotion of health and the prevention of illness, it neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies, without serious evaluation.

Intuitive Arts: A general term for various methods of divination, such as numerology, psychic reading, and tarot reading. Individuals may consult practitioners to seek information about the future or insights into personal concerns or their personality. Numerology emphasizes the significance of numbers derived from the spelling of names, birth dates and other significant references; psychics may claim various abilities, from finding lost objects and persons to communicating with the spirits of the dead; tarot readers interpret a deck of cards containing archetypal symbols.

Iridology: Analysis of the delicate structure of the iris, the colored portion of the eye, to reveal information about conditions within the body. More than 90 specific zones on each iris, for a combined total of 180-plus zones, correspond to specific areas of the body. Because body weaknesses are often noticeable in the iris long before they are discernible through blood work or other laboratory analysis, iridology can be a useful tool for preventive self-care.

Jin Shin (or Jin Shin Jyutsu): A gentle, non-invasive energy-balancing art and philosophy that embodies a life of simplicity, calmness, patience and self-containment. Practitioners employ simple acupressure techniques, using their fingers and hands on a fully clothed client to help eliminate stress, create emotional equilibrium, relieve pain and alleviate acute or chronic conditions.

Kinesiology/Applied Kinesiology: The study of muscles and their movement. Applied kinesiology tests the relative strength and weakness of selected muscles to identify decreased function in body organs and systems, as well as imbalances and restrictions in the body’s energy flow. Some tests use acupuncture meridians and others analyze interrelationships among muscles, organs, the brain and the body’s energy field. Applied kinesiology is also used to check the body’s response to treatments that are being considered.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD): A gentle, non-invasive, rhythmical whole-body massage, aimed at stimulating the lymphatic system to carry away excess fluid in the loose connective tissue, which helps remove toxins. Blockage or damage within the system may lead to conditions like edema, acne, inflammation, arthritis and sinusitis. The therapy stimulates one of the body’s natural cleansing systems to help bring tissues to a healthier state.

Martial Arts: Systems of codified practices and traditions originally designed primarily for self-defense or combat. Now more often practiced as a sport, the martial arts have a strong emphasis on honor and self-discipline. The best-known martial arts originated in Asia and include aikido, karate, judo and tae kwon do. 

Massage Therapy: A general term for the manipulation of soft tissue for therapeutic purposes. Massage therapy incorporates various disciplines and involves kneading, rubbing, brushing and tapping the muscles and connective tissues by hand or using mechanical devices. Its goal is to increase circulation and detoxification, in order to reduce physical and emotional stress and increase overall wellness.

Meditation: The intentional directing of attention to one’s inner self. Methods and practices to achieve a meditative state are based upon various principles using the body or mind and may employ control or letting-go mechanisms. Techniques include the use of imagery, mantras and observation, and the control of breathing. Research has shown that regular meditation can contribute to psychological and physiological well-being. As a spiritual practice, meditation is used to facilitate a mystical sense of oneness with a higher power or the Universe. It can also help reduce stress and alleviate stress-related ailments, such as anxiety and high blood pressure.

MELT: The MELT Method is a simple self-care technique designed to eliminate chronic pain and decrease accumulated stress caused by the repetitive postures and movements of everyday living. Small balls and soft foam rollers are used to rehydrate the connective tissue system, bringing the body back to a more ideal state by enhancing body awareness, improving balance and performance and reducing the signs of aging.

Midwife: A birth attendant who assists a woman through the prenatal, labor, birth and postpartum stages of pregnancy. The mother is encouraged to be involved and to feel in control of her birthing experience. Midwives are knowledgeable about normal pregnancy, labor, birth and pain relief options. They respect the process of birth as an innate and familiar process. Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have received advanced training and passed a national certification exam. Nurse-midwives collaborate with physicians, as needed, especially when problems arise during pregnancy. (Also see Doula.)

Myofascial Release Technique: A safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. The use of Myofascial Release allows the practitioner to look at each patient as a unique individual. Myofascial Release is a type of soft tissue massage, which incorporates stretching and massage of the connective tissues, or fascia. It operates on the principal that many people hold stress in their muscles, which causes the muscles to seize or lock. This is exacerbated by muscle injury and scarring. Myofascial Release aims to access these areas of blockage and tension to release them, thereby freeing up the muscle and allowing it to move more easily and effectively.

This whole-body, hands-on technique seeks to free the body from the grip of tight fascia, or connective tissue, thus restoring normal alignment and function and reducing pain. Therapists use their hands to apply mild, sustained pressure, in order to gently stretch and soften fascia. Myofascial release is used to treat neck and back pain, headaches, recurring sports injuries and scoliosis.

Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET): A non-invasive, drug-free, natural modality that tests for and eliminate allergies. NAET uses a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture, acupressure, allopathy, chiropractic, kinesiology and nutritional medicine. One allergen is treated at a time. 

Naturopathy: A comprehensive and eclectic system whose philosophy is based upon working in harmony with the body’s natural healing abilities. Naturopathy incorporates a broad range of natural methods and substances aimed to promote health. Training may include the study of specific approaches, including massage, manipulation, acupuncture, acupressure, counseling, applied nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy and minor surgery plus basic obstetrics for assistance with natural childbirth.

Network Chiropractic: Uses Network Spinal Analysis (NSA), a system of assessing and contributing to spinal and neural integrity, as well as health and wellness. Founded and developed by Donald Epstein. Practitioners employ gentle force to the spine to help the body eliminate mechanical tension in the neurological system. The body naturally develops strategies to dissipate stored tension/energy, thus enhancing self-regulation of tension and spinal interference. (Also see Chiropractic.)

Neurofeedback: Involves direct training of brain function. Using computer processing to capture electrical activity in the brain, an individual can reward the brain with positive feedback, changing its activity to desired, more appropriate patterns. Gradually, the brain learns and remembers how to exhibit only the good patterns

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP): A systematic approach to changing the limiting patterns of thought, behavior and language. Through conversation, practitioners observe the client’s language, eye movements, posture, breathing and gestures, in order to detect and help change unconscious patterns linked to the client’s emotional state.

Nutritional Counseling: Embracing a wide range of approaches, nutrition-based, complementary therapies and counseling seek to alleviate physical and psychological disorders through special diets and food supplements. These will be either macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fiber) or micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and trace elements that cannot be manufactured in the body). Nutritional therapy/counseling often uses dietary or food supplements, which can include tablets, capsules, powders or liquids.

Osteopathy/Osteopathic Physicians: Osteopathy uses generally accepted physical, pharmacological and surgical methods of diagnosis and therapy, with a strong emphasis on body mechanics and manipulative methods to detect and correct faulty structure and function, in order to restore the body’s natural healing capacities. Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) are fully trained and licensed according to the same standards as medical doctors (M.D.) and receive additional extensive training in the body’s structure and functions.

Oxygen therapies: Alters the body’s chemistry to help overcome disease, promote repair and improve overall function. Properly applied, oxygen may be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including infections, circulatory problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, allergies, cancer and multiple sclerosis. The major types of oxygen therapy used to treat illness are hyperbaric oxygen and ozone. Hydrogen peroxide therapy (oral or intravenous) can be dangerous and should be avoided.

Past Life Regression: Past life and regression therapies operate on the assumption that many physical, mental and emotional challenges are extensions of unresolved problems from the past, either childhood traumas or experiences in previous lifetimes. The practitioner uses hypnosis or other altered states of consciousness and relaxation techniques to access the source of this “unfinished business,” and helps clients to analyze, integrate and release past traumas that are interfering with their current lives.

Physical Therapy: Evaluates difficulties
with mobility or function to focus on rehabilitation, through a restorative treatment program and instruction on how to make efficient use of the body in daily activities. Physical therapists use massage, exercise, electrical stimulation, ultrasound and other means to help the patient regain functional movement.

Pilates: A structured system of small isolated movements that demands powerful focus on feeling every nuance of muscle action while working out on floor mats or machines. Emphasizes development of the torso’s abdominal power center, or core. Gentler than conventional exercises, Pilates, like yoga, yields long, lean, flexible muscles whose gracefully balanced movements readily translate into everyday activities like walking, sitting and bending. Can help in overcoming injuries.

Polarity Therapy: Polarity therapy asserts that energy fields exist everywhere in nature and that the free flow and balance of this universal energy in the human body is the underlying foundation of good health. Practitioners use gentle touch and guidance to help clients balance their energy flow, thus supporting a return to health. The practitioner’s hands do not impart energy, but redirect the flow of the receiver’s own energy. The receiver then recharges himself with his own freed energy.

Prolotherapy: A rejuvenating therapy that uses injections of natural substances to stimulate collagen growth, in order to strengthen weak or damaged joints, tendons, ligaments or muscles. Often used as a natural alternative to drugs and/or surgery to treat pain syndromes, including degenerative arthritis, lower back, neck and joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraine headaches, and torn ligaments and cartilage.

Real Time EEG Neurofeedback: Involves direct training of brain function. Using computer processing to capture electrical activity in the brain, an individual can reward the brain with positive feedback, changing its activity to desired, more appropriate patterns. Gradually, the brain learns and remembers how to exhibit only the good patterns.

Rebirthing Breathwork: Also known as conscious connected breathing, or vivation. Rebirthing is a means to access and release unresolved emotions. The technique uses conscious, steady, rhythmic breathing, without pausing between inhaling and exhaling. Guided by a professional rebirther, clients re-experience past memories, including birth, and let go of emotional tension stored in the body.

Reflexology: A natural healing art based upon the principle that there are reflexes in the feet and hands that correspond to every part of the body. Correctly stimulating and applying pressure to the feet or hands increases circulation and promotes specifically designated bodily and muscular functions.

Reiki: Means “universal life-force energy.” Reiki is a method of activating and balancing the life force (qi or chi, pronounced “chee”). Practitioners use light hand placements to channel healing energies to organs and glands or to align the body’s chakras (energy centers). Various techniques can ease emotional and mental distress, heal chronic and acute physical problems and achieve spiritual focus and clarity. Reiki can be a valuable addition to the work of chiropractors, massage therapists, nurses and others for whom the use of touch is essential and appropriate.

A healing practice that originated in Japan as a method of activating and balancing the life-force present in all living things. Reiki literally means “universal life-force energy.” Practitioners use light hand placements to channel healing energies to organs and glands or to align the body’s energy centers, or chakras. Various techniques are applied for emotional and mental distress, chronic and acute physical problems, and for achieving spiritual focus and clarity. Reiki is a valuable addition to the work of chiropractors; massage therapists, nurses and others for whom the use of touch is appropriate or essential.

Rolfing Structural Integration (Rolfing): A hands-on technique for deep tissue manipulation of the myofascial system, which is composed of the muscles and the connective tissue, or fascia, in order to restore the body’s natural alignment and sense of integration. As the body is released from old patterns and postures, the range and freedom of physical and emotional expression increases. Rolfing can help ease pain and chronic stress, enhance neurological functioning, improve posture and restore flexibility.

Rubenfeld Synergy Method: Combines touch, talk and compassionate listening in a dynamic system for the integration of body, mind, emotions and spirit. Through gentle touch and verbal sharing, each of these four levels can be accessed simultaneously, releasing pain and fears held in the body/mind. This method facilitates pain management, increased ease of movement, improved body image and self-esteem, and recovery from physical and emotional trauma.

Shamanism: An ancient healing tradition, which believes that loss of power is the real source of illness and that all healing includes the spiritual dimension. Shamanic healing usually involves induction into an altered state of consciousness and journeying into the spirit world to regain personal power and to access the powers of nature and of teachers. Shamanic healing may be taken literally or employed symbolically, but in or out of its cultural context, the tradition can be both self-empowering and self-healing.

Shiatsu: The most widely known form of acupressure, Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning finger pressure. The technique applies varying degrees of pressure to balance the life energy that flows through specific pathways, or meridians, in the body. Used to release tension and strengthen weak areas in order to facilitate even circulation, cleanse cells and improve the function of vital organs. Shiatsu may be used to help diagnose, prevent and relieve many chronic and acute conditions that manifest on both physical and emotional levels.

Somatic Psychotherapy: A type of psychotherapy that uses the body to help heal mental and physical trauma. It’s also known as body psychotherapy. 

Spiritual Healing/Counseling: Practiced in two forms. In one, the healer uses thought or touch to align his or her spiritual essence with that of the client. The healer works to either balance the spiritual field or shift the perceptual base of the client to create harmony between mind and body and draw the client into the active presence of Divine Spirit. In the other, the healer transforms healing energy into a vibrational frequency that the client can receive and comfortably assimilate, reminding the person’s intuitive core of its inherent healing ability.

Sports Massage: A specialized field of massage, employed to minimize the risk of injury, tend to sports injuries that do occur, and assist in achieving optimum performance.

Swedish Massage: The most commonly practiced form of massage in Western countries. Swedish massage integrates ancient Oriental techniques with principles of anatomy and physiology. Practitioners rub, knead, pummel, brush and tap the client’s muscles. Swedish massage is widely practiced; thus, practitioners vary widely in training, techniques and session lengths.

Tai chi & Qigong: Qigong and tai chi combine movement, meditation and breath regulation to enhance the flow of vital energy (qi or chi, pronounced “chee”) in the body, improve circulation and enhance immune function. Qigong traces its roots to traditional Chinese medicine. Tai chi was originally a self-defense martial art descended from qigong and employed to promote inner peace and calm.

Tantra: Has emerged as a modern spiritual path of embodied consciousness, with roots in ancient Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Tantra views the ‘spiritual’ as being directly present within the ‘physical’ and respects sensory experience as a vehicle for accessing higher states of awareness. Tantric practices balance the chakras (energy centers) and can contribute to a sense of presence, intimacy and fulfillment in all aspects of living.

Thai Massage: A form of body therapy that incorporates gentle rocking motions, rhythmic compression along the body’s energy lines and passive stretching to stimulate the free flow of energy, break up blockages and help restore general well-being. One of the branches of Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM), Thai massage is performed on a floor mat, with the client dressed in lightweight, comfortable clothes. No oils are used. Thai massage aids flexibility, inner organ massage, blood oxygenation and quieting of the mind.

Thermography (Thermal Imaging): A diagnostic technique that uses an infrared camera to measure temperature variations on the surface of the body, producing images that reveal sites of inflammation and abnormal tissue growth. Inflammation is recognized as the earliest stage of nearly all major health challenges. 

Trigger point/Myotherapy: A massage technique used to relieve pain, similar to Neuro Muscular Therapy (NMT). Practitioners apply pressure to specific “trigger points” on the body—tender, congested spots of muscle tissue that may radiate pain to other areas—in order to release tension and spasms. Treatment decreases the swelling and stiffness associated with muscular pain and increases range of motion.

Yoga: Practical application of the ancient Indian Vedic teachings. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj which means “union” or “to join,” and refers to the joining of a person’s physical, mental and spiritual elements. The goal of good health is accomplished through a combination of techniques, including physical exercises called asanas (or postures), controlled breathing, relaxation, meditation and diet and nutrition. Although yoga is not meant to cure specific diseases or ailments directly, it has been found effective in treating many physical ailments.

Individuals of every age and physical condition can benefit from the regular practice of yoga, which has been proved to enhance flexibility, strength, stamina and concentration. Using a combination of asanas, or postures, and breathing techniques, yoga works to induce deep relaxation and reduce stress, tone the body and organs, increase vitality and improve circulation and energy flow. Uplifting and meditative, yoga can be applied as a spiritual practice, as well.

Please note: The contents of this Natural Living Glossary are for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be used in place of a visit or consultation with a healthcare professional. Always seek out a practitioner who is licensed, certified or otherwise professionally qualified to conduct a selected treatment, as appropriate.