Here are three wonderful techniques to help restore balance and healing for the rest of the year and the rest of your life. Each system can be completely self-taught, and they are all safe, easy, and very inexpensive.

Reflexology
Reflexology is a simple, effective method of complementary therapy. It consists of gently massaging specific areas on the bottom of the foot. Some practitioners use the hands, too. By targeting trigger points, you can treat specific ailments and stimulate certain parts of the body to function better, thereby enhancing overall health. I highly recommend that you find a reflexologist and have a treatment. You will never forget the experience. I was at a Psychotronics Conference in Ohio recently, and had the opportunity to have a foot and hand reflexology session done by a wonderful man. I felt so refreshed, relaxed, and ready to restart my batteries. An excellent self-help, complete instruction book is Reflexology for Beginners by David Vennells. It is clear, easy-to-follow, and will provide you with all you need to know to enhance healing, energy cleansing, and balancing.

David Vennells shares some personal experiences about reflexology.

"Before I decided to try reflexology, I had been very ill for several years with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). I spent most of my time lying down or being pushed around in a wheelchair. The medical profession had identified the condition, and told me that it was the result of my body not being able to get over a previous bout of glandular fever. However, they were unable to offer any practical help in the form of treatment.

"After three miserable years, for myself and family, a friend gave me an article on reflexology. I read it and thought that I should give it a try; I had nothing to lose. I found a qualified practitioner listed in a local telephone directory and went for several treatments. From the first treatment, I found that my symptoms improved, my energy returned, and I began to feel more relaxed and optimistic about life.

"About the same time, I was introduced to two other therapies, Reiki and the Bach Flower Remedies. Without any doubt, these three therapies set me on the road to good health and inner well being. Although I would not like to go through such an illness again, I do feel that I learned much from that time, and the way my life has developed as a result of it has more than compensated for the distress and discomfort I experienced. I feel that I was redirected, put back on track or pointed in the right direction. Being ill gives us time to think, and it often forces us to look at ourselves and our lives in a new light. It also helps us to understand what it is like to be ill, and this gives us empathy and compassion for others who are suffering. These qualities are priceless.

"Some of the most enjoyable, moving, and fulfilling reflexology treatments I have given have been at a Hospice for cancer patients. If there were any doubts in my mind that reflexology was a physical treatment that included a spiritual aspect, then these were completely removed following these experiences. Many times I felt that the healing being received was on other, subtle levels, from beyond the physical realm, especially on those patients without long to live. I also learned that the true meaning of healing is much more than just promoting good physical health. Simply letting go of your own worries, trusting in a positive outlook, directing your life towards benefiting others, and improving and understanding yourself is the path to inner peace. These qualities in turn are some of the basic ingredients of good health."

Bach Flower Remedies
Bach Flower Remedies are liquid infusions that contain the subtle vibrational essences of flowers and trees. They help correct imbalances in the mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies, promoting healing in the physical body. I have used Bach Flower remedies for years. They are so gentle. When my oldest granddaughter Alexis was about six years old, she got a new bicycle. It was a big bike, and she could hardly reach the pedals. She wiped out pretty impressively on her new bike after being crashed into by a friend. She hit her chin hard and was bruised and skinned up. I rushed over to her house with the Rescue Remedy. For several days after that, she kept asking for the drops! At six, she intuitively knew the remedy was helping her. I was surprised and impressed. I even use them on my pets (six cats and three dogs). When my big husky mix got hit by a car and dislocated his hip, I immediately gave him some Rescue Remedy. After the holidays and overindulging, I use crab apple for detoxifying.

Even though I had used Bach flower remedies for years, I had never read about the founder, Dr. Bach. After reading David Vennells' excellent book, Bach Flower Remedies for Beginners, I was introduced to this fascinating man. He was a gentle, extremely sensitive doctor. When he would exhibit certain negative emotional or physical symptoms, he experimented using the dew on flowers to help himself. I know that flower remedies will always be an important part of my medicine chest, and I encourage you to buy Vennells' wonderful Bach Flower Remedies for Beginners so that you too can have a gentle, helpful, non-toxic, non-threatening, non-invasive form of healing at your disposal for self, family, and friends.

David Vennells shared this information:

"The Bach Flower Remedies are as appealing as reflexology to me. They are a beautiful and complete system of self-healing. Not complicated, anyone can learn to use them to heal physical and mental conditions. It doesn't take long to gain enough understanding to treat friends and family, and the results will speak for themselves. I use them every day. I have prescribed remedies for many people, and seen excellent results. They can alleviate depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, lack of confidence, and just about any other mental or emotional difficulty.

"There have been cases where I have been able to prescribe remedies for a whole family, including grandparents, parents, and children. Families have such a diversity of personalities, and it is fascinating and great fun trying to spot the right remedy for a grandparent and grandchild, and then to see how the whole family gently begins to transform and heal from within. Personal disputes often just melt away, relationships become more balanced and healthy, people are more able to accept each other, and there is much greater respect, regard, and affection. It is such a wonderful thing to watch these gentle but powerful remedies work their healing magic, bringing peace and harmony to the mind, and then healing to the body."

Ayurvedic Balancing: Moving Through Life's Imbalances
Ayurveda, the five thousand-year-old "sister science" to Yoga, literally means the science or knowledge of life. At its best, an Ayurvedic lifestyle helps us create balance and wellness, focusing on practical cornerstones such as nutrition, exercise, self-nurturing/relaxation, and balanced goal setting. But you don't have to be in perfect health to enjoy the benefits of Ayurveda. Using simple, yet effective day-to-day techniques can help you recover from illness and injury, move through difficult life transitions such as pregnancy, menopause, loss of a job or loved one, and over time create a more sustainable lifestyle of recovery and well-being.

Ayurvedic Balancing: An Integration of Western Fitness with Eastern Wellness, by Joyce Bueker, focuses on the three mind-body types, and weaves in the author's own personal story of using Ayurveda to overcome anorexia, injury, and a challenging family environment of alcoholism and mental illness. Recently Joyce used Ayurveda and other Eastern wellness modalities, such as acupuncture and Reiki, to overcome a life-threatening accident which almost rendered her left hand permanently disabled. Combining Ayurvedic herbs and self-nurturing practices after two surgeries, along with her physical therapy regimen, helped to regenerate damaged and severed nerves and tendons, and kept her emotionally balanced during an extremely painful and frightening recovery process. "Ayurveda is a complete science for mind, body, and soul," says Bueker. "It gives us a balanced perspective to help us overcome difficulty and reach for healthy growth and lasting change."

Her informative and fun book helps individuals discover their unique mind-body types, as well as put into practice the cornerstones for stress reduction, weight/appetite management and a more balanced, energized life. Bueker has studied Yoga and Ayurveda for fifteen years, and is currently finishing a practitioner's certification at the California College of Ayurveda. She operated and managed athletic clubs for eighteen years, and competed as a nationally-qualified amateur bodybuilder (as seen on ESPN) before sustaining a neck injury which led her to study Eastern wellness concepts. She holds a Master's Degree in Modern Social History from the University of Lancaster, England, and travels the US as a communications trainer and Life Balance Coach.