The Star Method Module 2

The STAR Method (Module 2) Healing Others with Therapeutic Touch by Parama K. Williams, MA, CMT, CYT www.ParamaWilliams.com

All rights reserved. This book is licensed for your personal use only. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without the written permission of the author. Copyright © 2015 by Parama K. Williams Photographs by Mariana Cedillo Photo modeling by Eva Maria Redondo

The information in this book is provided as an educational resource and is not intended as specific medical advice or as a substitute for medical treatment or diagnosis. Anyone seeking medical advice or diagnosis should consult his or her primary care provider. Do not attempt self-diagnosis, and do not embark upon self-treatment of any kind without qualified medical supervision. The author, the publisher, and its employees disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred directly or indirectly as a result of the use or application of any of the contents of this book. In personal anecdotes and testimonials, names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

Acknowledgments I would like to thank the following people for their contributions to Module 2 of The STAR Method: Abuelo Jaguar (Dr. Javier Navarro), consultant, mentor, and teacher, for sharing your wisdom and experience, and for your encouragement; My husband John for being one of my greatest teachers; Kiki Suarez for your caring attention and support; Lourdes Vizcaino for your commitment to mentoring future generations; All my teachers for sharing your knowledge and wisdom, and for your inspiration; Thank you.

Dedication This book is dedicated with appreciation to those who have helped in many ways. To my grandmother Mary, who mentored me from a young age to become a professional massage and bodywork therapist To my parents, Kelli and Leo, who raised me in a home with wholesome family dinners and plenty of scholarly books To my sister Jill, whose unconditional love and support have given me strength To all my teachers, who have dedicated their lives to imparting knowledge To future generations of brave warriors, whose legacy will be a cultural revolution

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Dedication Praise for The STAR Method Prologue: Radical Reform Introduction: Teachings from a Traditional Mayan Shaman How to Use This Book Series The STAR Method: Self-Healing, Transformation, Awareness, and Relaxation Benefits of Therapeutic Touch Testimonials and Anecdotes Activating Your Awareness of Energy How to Apply The STAR Method to Heal Others Guiding Principles Instructions Hand Position 1: Opening Affirmation/Prayer Hand Position 2: Centering Hand Position 3: Scanning the Body Hand Position 4: The Spiral Symbol Hand Position 5: The Chalice Hand Position 6: The V Hand Position 7: The Sun Hand Position 8: Right Hip Hand Position 9: Right Abdomen Hand Position 10: Left Abdomen Hand Position 11: Left Hip Hand Position 12: The Cross Symbol Hand Position 13: The Lovers

Hand Position 14: The Butterfly Hand Position 15: Left Shoulder Hand Position 16: Left Breast Hand Position 17: Lungs Hand Position 18: Right Breast Hand Position 19: Right Shoulder Hand Position 20: The Star Symbol Hand Position 21: The Mind’s Eye Hand Position 22: The Crown Hand Position 23: Eyes Hand Position 24: Temples Hand Position 25: Ears Hand Position 26: Jaw Hand Position 27: Back of Head Hand Position 28: Integrating the Benefits Hand Position 29: The Waterfall Hand Position 30: Closing Affirmation/Dedication How to Apply The STAR Method to Perform Distant Healing Appendix 1: The Full-Color Spectrum Model of The STAR Method Appendix 2: The STAR Method – Full Treatment Session Appendix 3: The STAR Method – Short Treatment Session Endnotes References Other Books in This Series Invitation to Review This Book About the Author

Praise for The STAR Method “The STAR Method is helping me change my thoughts and perceptions so that I can decrease my stress level.” –Public School Administrator, New York “A wonderful way to deal with stress.” –Social Worker, New Jersey “The STAR Method process is quick enough to fit into a break at work. Simple breathing and mental processing combine into an easy-to-follow process that relaxes my body and puts my mind at ease. The STAR Method image uses colors to help focus on the central location of stress. A brief moment with The STAR Method could relieve pressure from the workday.” –College Student, California “I like the process of increasing my awareness of where the stress is coming from.” –Graduate Student, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia “The STAR Method helps me relate the colors of my energy centers to supporting positive behavior in children.” –Speech-Language Pathologist, Louisiana Most of our elementary school staff is feeling overwhelmed with the increase in demands on teachers every day. Nothing is being taken off of their plates. I shared The STAR Method as a tool for teachers to manage stress. I received excellent responses.” –Elementary School Counselor, Ohio The full-color spectrum for The STAR Method can help me handle the stress of working with severe behavior in my classroom—very stressful. The hits and hair pulls can be too much. Sometimes I get so frustrated. I believe The STAR Method can help me in my career.” –Special Education Teacher, Calgary, Canada “The STAR Method is a valuable resource.” –Graduate Student, State University of New York “I’ve been using The STAR Method with my students every day for the past two weeks. The STAR Method helps them be motivated to learn more. They were more focused and could concentrate better on what I was teaching them. It works! It really works.” –Public Elementary School Teacher, Belize, Central America

Radical Reform: Using Therapeutic Touch in Educational Settings As a former Special Education teacher, I have worked in public schools as a specialist for children and adults with multiple disabilities, including autism. Many of my students exhibited severe behavioral problems; for example, when they were upset, some of them would frequently hit, scratch, and bite themselves or other students. One day I was working with a two-year-old boy, Daniel, who had not yet begun to verbalize and often exhibited temper tantrums. It was the end of the school day, and I had instructed the children to gather their personal belongings. As is often the case for individuals diagnosed with autism, making the transition from one activity or one location to another was difficult for Daniel to manage. He continued to scream and cry for several minutes and would not respond to any of the strategies that I employed in an attempt to redirect his attention. I decided that it had become too distracting for him to continue being in the same room with the other students, so I accompanied him into the next-door recreation room, where there were plenty of cushions and equipment for physical exercise. I sat with Daniel on one of the cushions and encouraged him to lie down and relax. I sang softly to him and placed my hand gently on his abdomen, which was heaving with sobs. He was hot and sweaty from the effort of crying. Immediately he relaxed and stopped crying. When I removed my hand and attempted to get up off the cushion, he instantly grabbed my hand and placed it back onto his belly without saying a word. He placed his hand on top of mine and insisted on keeping my hand there for several more minutes, until he was completely calm and relaxed. Daniel had no further temper tantrums and was able to transition smoothly to the next activity. Therapeutic touch, the application of the hands on the body to promote health and well-being, can be used safely in educational settings to improve academic performance and support positive behaviors in students. Scientific studies indicate that therapeutic touch can improve learning. In his book, Learning with the Body in Mind (2000), Eric Jensen presents the latest research in neuroscience to emphasize the connection between the physical body, the brain, and learning.1 By stimulating the body through physical touch and other exercises, neurotransmitters in the brain are activated, resulting in improved attention, memory, and thinking processes. Studies show that children who aren’t touched exhibit serious social and behavioral problems such as the lack of basic emotions as well as suppressed physical growth and impaired immune systems. Touch-deprived children have trouble walking, balancing, holding crayons, voicing basic needs, and remembering words.2 Children, babies and infants certainly aren’t the only ones who need to be touched: Adults also need to touch and be touched for optimum health and wellness. In his book Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin, Dr. Ashley Montagu says, “Tactile needs don’t change with aging. If anything, they seem to increase.”3 I currently live in Mexico, where I travel, write, teach yoga classes, and facilitate workshops and retreats. I provide ongoing therapeutic massage and rehabilitation for adults with a wide range of developmental and physical disabilities. One of my clients is a middle-aged woman, Sandra, who is diagnosed with mental retardation and uses a wheelchair for most of the day. She cannot stand up or

walk without assistance. Sandra attends a specialized school for adults with disabilities, where the founder/director has recognized the benefits of physical exercise and massage therapy for the students. One day the director invited me to provide a therapeutic, full-body massage to Sandra. “I know how much she needs it,” the director said, “Sandra is over fifty years old, and she has never had a massage in her life.” Three assistants were needed to lift Sandra’s overweight body from her wheelchair onto the massage table. Long hours of sitting in the same upright position without moving her legs resulted in stiffness and limited range of motion in her hip joints. Since this was a new and unfamiliar activity for her, Sandra was agitated and resistant to lying down. Instead she sat upright and held her arms rigid and tense. I began the therapy session by offering Sandra gentle, non-invasive, therapeutic touch on her shoulders. Gradually, she relaxed and was more responsive to my encouragement for her to lie down. With the director and several assistants standing by to observe, I proceeded with the session. Within five minutes, Sandra was lying down on her back with her eyes closed, fully relaxed. I think she fell asleep a few times during what turned out to be a full hour of therapy. Her teachers made comments like, “I didn’t expect her to be so relaxed!” and “She looks so happy!” and “Wow! We have to make sure she gets massage more often!” Throughout my fifteen years of experience working with clients who have significant physical and developmental disabilities, I have found that therapeutic touch significantly improves their overall functioning and ability to perform in school and everyday life.

Ricardo is a client in his mid-fifties who is diagnosed with advanced-stage Parkinson’s Disease. On a daily basis, he has tremors and muscular rigidity that limit his mobility, and sometimes he has trouble getting out of bed. I provide weekly therapy to Ricardo to help him relax and reduce the tension and tremors in his body. Ricardo told me, “When I get therapy, I feel better all day. My muscles are stronger and less rigid. My body doesn’t tremor as often. I feel less tired, and I can stay active for longer hours.” As a full-time special education classroom teacher and consultant in public and private schools across the U.S., I have taught in a variety of settings to students of all ages who are diagnosed with moderate to severe developmental disabilities and learning disabilities; including autism, dyslexia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). I hold a Master of Arts in Education with a

specialization in Special Education. Before I began my teaching career, I had already become a Certified Massage Therapist and Yoga Teacher. Throughout my career, I have observed a high degree of stress in my colleagues and students, who often exhibited stress, anxiety, frequently come down with colds and other sicknesses, and held negative attitudes towards school in general. I was determined to use the tools I had learned in my massage therapy and yoga training to maintain my own health and wellness and manage job-related stress. As I personally witnessed how my students were detrimentally impacted by high levels of stress, I started to use proven, therapeutic techniques with them in the classroom. I found practical ways to integrate my background in health and healing into my teaching curriculum. To help my students relax and concentrate better, I taught them simple breathing exercises and physical movements that were proven to improve academic performance.4 I offered yoga classes to my colleagues after school in the multipurpose room. I received encouraging, positive feedback and support from my school administration. When I was a consultant in the Arizona public schools, I offered therapeutic massage on a weekly basis to the administration and teachers. The principal of the elementary school commented, “I look forward to my session each week. It relaxes me after a long day, and I can go home relaxed. I sleep better and feel rested the next day.” The public school psychologist, who also received a weekly session, said, “Teachers should be getting this kind of therapy on a regular basis. All the schools across the nation should be doing this. It’s great, and it really helps relieve stress.” The STAR Method: Self-Healing, Transformation, Awareness, and Relaxation, began to take shape as I applied practical stress management techniques in my own classroom and leveraged my Master ’s degree studies to dig deeper into the current research. I discovered very little educational policy and scholarly research to support stress management training for teachers. Yet, my own anecdotal experience in the schools clearly indicated that job-related stress was a problem for teachers and administrators. The STAR Method was born out of what I consider to be a largely ignored aspect of educational policy: Our schools should not be stressful places, our teachers should not be overly stressed, and our children deserve to learn in a relaxed, healthy environment that supports their optimal well-being. Teachers are required to manage their students’ behavior through approved behavioral interventions and techniques, but are students learning how to manage their own behavior? Are teachers being trained to effectively manage their own stress, so that our children are spending most of their day with peaceful, calm, balanced, healthy adults who can mentor them properly? With the expert guidance of my graduate degree advisor and co-author, I published my first article about The STAR Method in 2006 in a peer-reviewed online journal, Teaching Exceptional Children, entitled “Stress Management for Special Educators: The Self-Administered Tool for Awareness and Relaxation (STAR).5 I originally published The STAR Method as a program to help schoolteachers manage stress, prevent job burnout, and increase self-awareness of the impact of stress in their professional lives. Schoolteachers and public school administrators, whose jobs are typically demanding and stressful, were among the first beneficiaries of the stress management and relaxation techniques of The STAR Method.

For over a decade, I consulted and taught in a variety of public and private school settings. I witnessed first-hand how my colleagues and students were stressed out by the many demands placed on them in school. The STAR Method was launched as a pilot program in a public school to help prevent job burnout and provide teachers with a practical method for managing stress. I received much positive feedback about The STAR Method: “I will keep using The STAR Method every day until school gets out in June. It works! It really works. Let's continue doing it. My students want to do more of The STAR Method.” —F.C., ElementaryMiddle School Teacher, Belize, Central America I used The STAR Method in my classroom and offered training workshops to other teachers and professionals within the education system. I endeavored to share the tools and techniques of The STAR Method on a regular basis with my students and colleagues. During this time, I became enthralled with the idea that all schools should have quiet rooms for meditation and ample, clutterfree spaces in which students and teachers could learn stress management techniques, like yoga and therapeutic touch. I used The STAR Method every day and recorded notes in my journals about how the exercises were impacting my life. I expanded my vision for The STAR Method to include more tools and techniques. I practiced, developed, and refined a series of physical exercises and meditation exercises to include in The STAR Method. I designed and completed a wellness retreat in which I focused on deep meditation and introspection for one year. I reflected on my halcyon days as a graduate student and first-year teacher, when my naive optimism led me to believe that modern-day schools were places where children could go to learn how to be healthy, happy, peaceful, and self-empowered. One day, I had an epiphany. I realized that I couldn’t change a failed system from within the failed system. I decided that I needed to create an entirely new system: A radical reform. The STAR Method is the first instantiation of this new system. I have since written and published my vision for a holistic, experiential learning environment called The Farm School, which focuses on practical skills training for the health and wellness of the community and the land. I moved to Central America, where I now write, teach, travel, and offer ongoing classes, workshops, and seminars. I am fascinated by the potential for radical reform. I believe that each one of us can radically reform ourselves—a subtle, yet powerful transformation—enacted from within our own hearts and minds. A transformation from within must find its expression in the outer world. I believe that radical reform is the only thing that can change the course of humanity, now standing at a critical crossroads. It is my sincerest hope that The STAR Method can make a significant contribution to making the world a better, healthier, more peaceful place.

Introduction: Teachings from a Traditional Mayan Shaman For the past five years, I have lived and traveled in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico – the heart of Mayan culture and civilization. Within the past year, I moved to the mountains in the southernmost region of Mexico. One afternoon when I was on my way to the local market to buy fruits, vegetables, and tamales (corn flour and cheese wrapped in a corn husk and steamed), I saw a sign that captured my attention: “Traditional Mayan Spa … Mayan Healing Ritual”. I felt compelled to go inside and find out more about this kind of therapy. As soon as I walked in the door, a thin, short Mexican man wearing a straw hat greeted me with a smile. He gently took hold of both my hands, and before saying anything else, he asked, “Do you want to learn the traditional Mayan healing ways?” I had the distinct feeling that he had been standing there waiting for me to arrive. With no hesitation, I said yes.

Dr. Javier Navarro, also known as “Abuelo (Grandfather) Jaguar”, is a Mayan shaman and guardian of the ancient healing tradition of the Mayan people in southern Mexico, where the indigenous people consider the jaguar to be one of the most sacred animals. Grandfather has forty-eight years of experience as a traditional “curandero” (healer), certified naturopathic doctor, and nutritionist. He has traveled extensively throughout Central America to facilitate ceremonies and rituals for personal and planetary healing. Grandfather invited me to follow him into his treatment room, where a young man was lying facedown on a massage table, his body covered with jade stones and herbs. Grandfather told me that he was finishing up a Mayan healing ritual with this young man. I heard the sound of hand drums and flute music playing in the background. Several candles were lit and jaguar figurines of various sizes lined the shelves.

“She is my assistant,” Grandfather said to the young man lying face-down on the massage table. Grandfather gestured for me to place my hands on the man’s shoulders, and then I noticed that the man was crying. I held my hands on his shoulders for several minutes while Grandfather played a flute and hand drums. Grandfather told the man that the ritual was complete, and that he could sit up. But as soon as the man saw Grandfather ’s face, he started crying again, until he was sobbing. Grandfather held his hands to the man’s face and said to him, Has recibido la bendición de la selva. Abre tus ojos a una nueva realidad con paz y amor hacia ti mismo, tu familia, y tu trabajo. “You’ve received the blessing of the jungle. Open your eyes to a new reality, with peace and love toward yourself, your family, and your work.” Grandfather said to me, “He is not crying from sadness. He is crying from joy.” Grandfather hugged the man and blessed him by placing a jade necklace around his neck. I spent several hours that afternoon getting to know my new friend and teacher, “Abuelo Jaguar”. He sat in his favorite rocking chair wearing his straw hat, and I felt treated like his daughter, as he told me stories from his childhood, his upbringing, and how he became a Mayan shaman. He spoke to me as if I was the most important person in the world, and I lost track of time as I was enveloped within the safety and warmth of his presence. Our conversation focused mainly on the significance of being a healer. “The word ‘maya’ means ‘love’…. A healer must learn to love everyone, including oneself. To be ‘Mayan’ has nothing to do with religion. It is a way of life, a way of being. “To love is to have faith in what the heart says. Love is not gained with money, nor is it gained through personal desire. Love must be cultivated, and that is how one learns to love everyone. Healing is the fruit of love. The main objective of healing is to put the body, mind, and spirit into balance.” For the next several months, I visited Grandfather in the home where he was born and raised, in the center of a small town that is now a popular tourist destination in southern Mexico. Each day he had something new and different to share with me. He had accepted me as his apprentice, yet he could not satisfy my North American concept of what it meant to take on a course of study: I wanted him to outline my curriculum and explain the scope and sequence of what I was going to learn from him. One day I asked him, “How long will it take me to learn what you have to teach me?” He smiled and said, Mi hija, no se puede decir. Eso depende de tí. “My daughter, I can’t tell you. That depends on you.” Gradually I realized that my study with Grandfather could not be measured, evaluated, or outlined in a syllabus. Grandfather Jaguar could teach me on an individual basis only, and according to my capacity, sincerity, and heartfelt desire to learn from him. My apprenticeship with Grandfather would arise spontaneously out of my own readiness for spiritual growth and development as a healer. One day I shared The STAR Method with Grandfather. His reaction was at once surprising and encouraging to me.

Grandfather said, “It is time for people to unite and share their ancient wisdom. We see healing with the hands in all the ancient traditions from around the world – Greek, Hindu, Oriential, and Mayan. The STAR Method has a basis in the Mayan tradition that I learned from my teacher.” Grandfather told me about how he had apprenticed for many years with an “Abuelo” (term of respect for an elder) Mayan healer whom he met in the jungle, in an isolated tropical region of Mexico, where the jaguar is considered to be a sacred animal with healing powers.

“We all must align ourselves with universal truth, the way the ancient sages did in the past: people came together from distant lands regularly to share wisdom. The STAR Method is something I have been waiting for. It’s going to bring people together and unite humanity so that you don’t have to suffer so much in the future.” I sat with him in the patio of his home, where the sun shone brightly and kept us warm on a typically cold day in this mountainous region of southern Mexico. As usual, he wore his straw hat and a jade necklace, his talisman as the respected shaman and keeper of the Mayan jaguar healing tradition. “Humanity must be prepared for the future. There will be a purification, and in the future there will be a lot of suffering and death.” Grandfather paused, stood up, cleared his throat, and said, “I am sorry. It makes me sad to think about the suffering.” He paced momentarily, composing himself. Then he continued, “It is my responsibility to sow the seeds for a better future by teaching the truth: Science and technology cannot improve the situation: Each one of us needs to know how to change ourselves personally, one by one. “We need to know how to heal ourselves without modern medicine. We need something simpler: healing with the hands – this is the most basic, and everyone can and must learn how to do it.” As my apprenticeship with Grandfather progressed, he began to share more information about the Mayan prophecies that he was given to know by dint of his role as a leader and shaman amongst the many surrounding Mayan communities. “There will be ten years for people from all over the world to travel and learn from the wise shamans, to share ancient wisdom teachings. It is our responsibility to respect the ancient wisdom keepers of the world. We should return to the traditional practice of bringing people from all over the world together in a ceremony to share the ancient wisdom teachings.

“We have to visit all of our communities, and we must revive the sacred places and feel the heart of the Mayan world. We must bless the hands of the healers and the hands that take care of the Earth. We must return to the traditional ways of taking care of Mother Earth.” My apprenticeship with Grandfather Jaguar continues to gradually progress, and whenever I have the opportunity to spend time with him, I learn something profound that impacts me deeply on a personal and spiritual level. I notice that it often takes several weeks for me to realize the full significance of his teachings, because they are so individual and personal. One of the most meaningful teachings I had the privilege to receive from him recently was about the importance of self-healing. He said, “Self-healing is the most basic, the first essential step in learning how to heal others. You have to learn how to heal yourself before you can be a healer for anyone else.” Module 1 of The STAR Method teaches self-healing using therapeutic touch.6 Module 1 should be learned and practiced before progressing to Module 2, which teaches how to heal others using the same sequence of thirty hand positions. In Module 2, you will learn how to enhance and improve your personal relationships with other people using effective, practical techniques of therapeutic touch.

Never before has it been more essential to connect authentically with others for the purpose of healing and helping one another. Across the planet, humanity is currently facing the intersection of multiple, unprecedented crises7: increased incidence of terminal and chronic illness, environmental catastrophe, death from natural disasters, economic collapse, and the highest rate of suicide amongst young people ever recorded.8 In Module 2 of The STAR Method, you will learn a practical method for helping your family, friends, and loved ones feel healthier, relaxed, and more balanced. These are undeniably stressful times for humanity. I am concerned, not only for the dire state of the planet, but also for the health of humanity: Exposure to a high level of stress has a scientifically proven negative impact on physical, mental, and emotional health, leading to serious illness.9 The STAR Method is an original self-help program that can help you relax and effectively manage stress. The tools and techniques of The STAR Method are designed to help you achieve personal success, health, and wellness in your life. It is my sincere prayer that The STAR Method will inspire a radical cultural revolution to heal ourselves and the Earth. Our future generations deserve a chance to thrive in harmony on a healthy planet. At this very moment, it is up to each one of us.

How to Use This Book Series

If you want to reduce stress in your life; If you desire to heal yourself; If you want to heal the Earth; If you wish to realize your life mission; If you hope to succeed in all areas of your life; The STAR Method is designed to help you – At this moment, you have the power to heal yourself, others, and the planet. Welcome to The STAR Method, a nonsectarian system designed for people of all ages, genders, faiths, and cultural backgrounds. The STAR Method is a comprehensive system for self-healing, increasing your awareness of the body and how it is being affected, transforming your body and mind, and realizing your purpose—your mission on Earth. The STAR Method will be presented in seven modules, each module featuring unique, useful, practical information that is based on current research. By learning the tools and exercises featured in all seven modules of The STAR Method, your self-help toolbox will consist of a variety of stress management and relaxation techniques that are proven to be effective10: therapeutic touch breathing exercises physical exercises positive affirmations meditation journaling visualizing goal-setting

mentoring As a complete system, The STAR Method can help you achieve much more than stress reduction and relaxation. By learning and practicing the techniques presented in this entire program, you can transform your life. In Module 2, you will learn how to use therapeutic touch to heal another person, animal, or other living thing following the same sequence of thirty hand positions that was presented in Module 1. By learning the techniques presented in Module 2, you can improve your relationships with the people in your life: your spouse, your children, your colleagues, and your family and friends. Module 2 also teaches how to perform distant healing on another person who is not physically present in the room with you. This technique can be useful if you have a friend or family member who is sick or injured, but you cannot physically be with the person for one reason or another. You can use this distant healing technique to send the person universal, life force energy for physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness. Module 2 will teach you how to use the power of universal symbols and life-force energy for healing other people and living things. There has never been a more urgent time than now to achieve these important goals: How to help others reduce stress by increasing their self-awareness of the connection between the body, mind, and its behavioral and emotional responses How to effectively apply therapeutic touch using a sequence of thirty hand positions especially designed to help your loved ones manage stress and receive a variety of physiological benefits How to heal the body with therapeutic touch by following three simple, guiding principles How to use universal symbols and color for personal and planetary healing This book (Module 2) offers several helpful features: Step-by-step approaches to a variety of effective techniques, tools, and exercises Photographs, informational tables, and color-coded, visual models supplemented with important details and descriptions Testimonials and personal anecdotes from people who have benefited from The STAR Method Useful appendices for quick reference Please use this book as a personal training manual for learning how to heal others using your own hands. In so doing, you are sowing the seeds from which our future generations will harvest.

The STAR Method: Self-Healing, Transformation, Awareness, and Relaxation

The STAR Method is a practical, comprehensive, self-help program for personal success, health, and wellness. The STAR Method integrates a variety of effective tools to reduce stress and increase your awareness of the connection between your body, your mind, and its behavioral and emotional responses. The STAR Method is designed to help you achieve personal transformation, selfawareness, and self-realization—the fulfillment of your highest potential. Only by realizing your mission on Earth can you be truly fulfilled. You can transform your life by developing your awareness of your body, mind, and the subtle, powerful, life-giving energy that animates all living things. If you want to be able to manage stress in your life, then you must become aware of how this “life-force energy” works in your own body, and how your body and mind can be affected by external influences. In Module 2, you will review the relationship between energy, your physical body, the colors of the rainbow, and how color—the most universal of all symbols—elicits physiological responses in our bodies. Painting was one of my father ’s favorite hobbies. When I was young, he painted a large rainbow on the wall of my bedroom, right next to my bed. The rainbow mural was the first thing I would see upon waking in the morning. I can remember lying in my bed, staring at the bright colors. The rainbow seemed to have a soothing, uplifting effect on me as a child. I have since learned that the colors of the rainbow have a direct connection to our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. After I came to Belize, Central America, I learned from my friend Arzu, a traditional healer and wisdom keeper of the indigenous Garifuna nation, that a rainbow model of health has been passed down for generations and is still used today by traditional Garifuna healers as a framework for

physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness.11 For millennia, human civilizations have used colors—one of the most universal of all types of symbolism—in art, literature, science, and medicine. As a color-coded framework for healing, The STAR Method is represented by a multidimensional model that features a full-color spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). According to Ayurvedic medicine, a system of medical science originating in ancient India, the seven colors of the rainbow are directly connected to seven energy centers in the human body, which are referred to by the Sanskrit word chakras.12 The energy centers (chakras) are “an interconnected network that regulates growth and physiology in the human body”.13 Each of the seven chakras corresponds to specific physical parts of the body, most notably, the endocrine glands, which are associated with a set of behavioral and emotional responses.14 The endocrine glands are responsible for secreting hormones: chemical substances that stimulate growth, regulate metabolism, control emotional responses, and other important biological processes. The full-color STAR model illustrates the interconnection between the colors of the rainbow, the chakras, specific physical parts of the body, the endocrine glands, and the body’s corresponding physiological responses, as shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1: The connection between your body and your chakras Location in the Chakra name in Corresponding Colors of the physical body Eng lish and physical parts of the rainbow (in front of the Sanskrit body spine) feet, legs, urinary Root Center red base of the spine bladder, colon, rectum, (Muladhara) bottom of the sacrum orang e

Navel Center (Svadhisthana)

yellow

Solar Plexus Center (Manipura)

g reen blue

Heart Center (Anahata) Throat Center (Visshudha)

lower abdominal area, behind the navel reproductive organs, lower back, hips bottom of the upper abdominal area breastbone (stomach, part of the (xiphoid large intestines) process) hands, arms, heart, upper the heart respiratory tract behind the throat

throat, neck, esophagus, trachea

indig o

3 rd Eye Center between the eyebrows (Ajna)

forehead, frontal lobes of the brain

violet

Crown Center (Sahasrara)

left and right brain hemispheres, bones of the skull

top of the head



Table 2: The connection between your endocrine glands and your chakras

Chakra name in Colors of the Eng lish and rainbow Sanskrit Root Center red (Muladhara) Navel Center orang e (Svadhisthana) Solar Plexus yellow Center (Manipura) Heart Center g reen (Anahata) Throat Center blue (Visshudha) indig o violet

3 rd Eye Center (Ajna) Crown Center (Sahasrara)

Corresponding endocrine g lands

Emotional and behavioral responses when activated

adrenals

being, having

gonads (ovaries, testes)

feeling, wanting

pancreas

acting

thymus

loving

thyroid

communicating

pituitary

seeing, perceiving

pineal

knowing

Chakras are key energy centers in the body that correspond to specific physical parts of the body, which are connected to various physical, emotional, and psychological responses. The STAR Method will teach you how to place your hands in a specific sequence of positions on these chakras to activate a variety of physiological benefits. The hands are directly connected to the heart center. Try this: Hold your arms out straight in a “T” shape. If you draw a straight line from one hand to the other, you cross your heart. From the perspective of the chakras and their corresponding physiological responses, our hands are at the same level as our hearts. The heart center is associated with how we express our love, affection, caring, and compassion in the world. How we use our hands is an outward expression of our hearts. It is no wonder why our hands are such powerful tools for healing.

Benefits of Therapeutic Touch “The STAR Method is a valuable resource.” –Graduate Student, State University of New York “The STAR Method is helping me change my thoughts and perceptions so that I can decrease my stress level.” –Public School Administrator, New York “I like the process of increasing my awareness of where the stress is coming from.” – Graduate Student, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia In this program, you will learn how to effectively apply “therapeutic touch” to another person’s body, following a specified sequence of thirty hand positions. Therapeutic touch is a holistic approach to health and wellness that aims to treat not only the physical body but, also, the underlying psychological, mental, and emotional levels. Therapeutic touch is a special kind of physical contact with the hands that is conscious, caring, loving, gentle, and safe. The practitioner of therapeutic touch must have a strong sense of commitment and intention to help and heal the recipient physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. Dolores Krieger, professor of nursing at New York University and author of The Therapeutic Touch: How to Use Your Hands to Help or to Heal (1986), has researched therapeutic touch for decades. In her book, Krieger prints the accounts of many practitioners of therapeutic touch who have successfully treated conditions ranging from the quieting of crying in babies to the healing of injuries and chronic illnesses.15 In Module 2, you will learn a specified sequence of thirty hand positions that are especially designed to help relieve stress and activate a relaxation response in the body, and result in many physiological benefits. By applying the specified sequence of hand positions in The STAR Method, you will support the biological functions and processes of the body; including bones, glands, muscle tissue, lymph nodes, skin, nerve pathways, and the major organs. Specific physiological benefits can result from using The STAR Method. For those who may be skeptical, the proof lies in experiencing the benefits of therapeutic touch personally, thereby knowing for certain how this technique can affect the body and mind.

Table 3: Physiological benefits of The STAR Method By using these The following hand positions physical areas of the from The STAR body are affected,... Method,…

The Chalice

urinary bladder, reproductive organs, colon, rectum, bottom of the sacrum

The V

small intestines, part of the large intestines kidneys, lower back, part of the sacrum

Resulting in these physiolog ical benefits…. Increased blood flow to the abdomen, hips, legs, and feet Support for the lower limb, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive system functions Improved function of the urinary and gastrointestinal organs Relief from lower back pain and menstrual cramps

The Sun

middle part of the transverse colon, lower part of the stomach

The Lovers

heart, blood that circulates throughout the entire body, thymus gland, upper respiratory tract

The Butterfly

throat, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands

frontal lobes of the The Mind’s Eye brain, sinuses in the forehead area

The Crown

left and right hemispheres of the brain, corpus callosum, parietal bones of the skull

Restoration of mental and emotional wellbeing Relief from indigestion and nausea Strengthening of the immune system and cardiovascular functions Decreased symptoms of allergies, asthma, and heart conditions Improved regulation of the body’s metabolism Stress relief by supporting the endocrine glands in the mid-brain cavity Supports the brain functions associated with language-making, comprehension, problem-solving, and various aspects of personality Relieves sinus pressure, allergies, and headaches Supports brain functions in the cerebrum, associated with conscious thought, voluntary actions, sensory awareness, and deliberate movement Improves the function of the corpus callosum, which is responsible for communicating information between the left and right hemispheres of the brain

Therapeutic touch is scientifically proven to be beneficial and healing on a physical level: It relieves stress and activates a relaxation response by promoting biological and physiological changes in the body.16 Therapeutic touch is effective in reducing and relieving stress, anxiety, and pain; accelerating healing; and providing a greater sense of wellbeing. People who receive therapeutic touch during a treatment session generally report “improved quality of life physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually”.17 Therapeutic touch fulfills our core human needs. It is not a mere indulgence to receive caring, conscious touch that feels good. Vimala McClure, a world-renowned therapist who has extensively studied the effects of therapeutic touch on infants, has found that touch is essential for healthy human development.18 Research at the University of Miami School of Medicine shows that therapeutic touch is “as important to infants and children as eating and sleeping.”19 Research indicates that therapeutic touch triggers healthy growth and development in children by stimulating nerves in the brain that lower stress hormone levels, resulting in improved immune system functioning and the ability to handle stress as an adult. In a study of patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease, Dr. Janet Quinn of the College of Nursing of the University of North Carolina found a highly significant decrease in acute anxiety following the application of therapeutic touch for only five minutes by nurses with several years of experience and understanding of the method.20 Therapeutic touch has the power to heal and transform. When we receive caring, conscious touch

from another person, it is naturally therapeutic and healing. It is a universal language: Touch heals when we place our hand on someone’s shoulder to provide comfort; when we pet our dog or cat; when we hug our spouse or best friend. I intuitively used therapeutic touch as a young child to comfort my sister Jill, who was five years younger. Whenever Jill cried, I would sit with her and distract her by turning my hands into a kind of puppet show, making contact with my palms and fingers on her body while singing a cheerful song. After a few minutes, she would have started giggling, and we would both feel better. As a professional therapeutic massage and bodywork practitioner, I have integrated The STAR Method into my treatment sessions to help my clients achieve maximum benefit. I find that I am able to treat my clients most effectively when I am relaxed and perceptive to the flow of energy through my hands. I believe that my awareness of energy is the foremost reason why I receive much positive feedback from my clients about the quality of my therapeutic bodywork: “Parama understands energy. She was able to work with mine as well as hers. Massage can be just a mechanical experience, but Parama is able to transform it into a spiritual, healing experience.” –PhD Professor, University of Michigan “She brings a calm, healing energy that feels wonderful.” –Graduate Student, San Francisco Institute of Holistic Studies and Transpersonal Psychology, California “A healing massage...” –Psychotherapist, Phoenix, Arizona “It felt like electricity. It was like you were opening up the tight areas, and letting some kind of energy—like electricity—flow all the way from my back down to my feet.” –Dental Surgeon, Mexico “You really do heal.” –Competitive Weightlifter, New York City The STAR Method can be helpful for professional therapists who wish to incorporate these tools and techniques into their treatment sessions. This program provides essential, basic skills for any therapist whose work involves physical contact with a client. Whether you are currently studying or practicing professionally, you may find that mastering the skills taught in Module 2 can help you be more effective as a therapist. I consistently use techniques from The STAR Method to maintain my personal health and wellness. For example, I have used therapeutic touch to accelerate the healing of an injury that I experienced recently. I was about to step into the back of a passenger van, when someone accidentally slammed the door onto two fingers of my right hand, fracturing the bones and splitting the skin open. I immediately started to treat the injured fingers, wrapping my other hand around them and allowing the healing energy to flow uninterrupted, until I reached my destination. When I removed my hand after one hour, I felt no pain or swelling in my fingers. The cuts had sealed and stopped bleeding, and I did not feel any pain or discomfort at any point. The fingers regained full mobility and function within three to five days. I consulted a doctor, who examined my fingers and informed me that the typical healing period for a partial fracture to these bones should be more like four to five weeks.21 When I told him that the fingers had healed completely within a few days, he was incredulous.

While therapeutic touch can be a powerful healer, I am not suggesting or advocating that you should use The STAR Method as an alternative to conventional medicine or medical procedures. I respect that each person should make his or her choices based on the information and resources available. In many cases, a person may receive maximum benefit from the combined application of modern, conventional medicine with safe, effective, research-based, holistic therapies. By achieving the balance between modern technologies and the power of healing touch, you can make the widest possible choices for your optimal health and wellness.

Testimonials and Anecdotes “The STAR Method is helping me change my thoughts and perceptions so that I can decrease my stress level.” –Public School Administrator, New York “I like the process of increasing my awareness of where the stress is coming from.” – Graduate Student, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia “For years I have had constant aches and pains in my entire body. At first I was diagnosed with arthritis. Then the doctors told me that I have fibromyalgia [a medical condition characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue and a heightened and painful response to pressure]. They don’t really know whether it’s arthritis or fibromyalgia, or both. Sometimes the pain so bad, I can’t get out of bed. Parama has been giving me therapy sessions every week for the past two months. The last time I went to my rheumatologist, she said, ‘You’re better than I’ve ever seen you. What are you doing different?’ The doctor gave me a pain test and told me I had fewer points of pain. ‘Keep getting those therapy sessions,’ my doctor told me, ‘They are helping you a lot.’” In Central America I offer ongoing workshops in which participants can learn how to use The STAR Method to heal themselves and other people. Recently a participant had the opportunity to be a model for the workshop, and she received over two hours of therapeutic touch from the other participants.

After receiving a full treatment session with The STAR Method, she said, “I enjoyed receiving the flow of energy and feeling how it balanced and harmonized my entire body. I especially felt a lot of benefit from the spiral symbol. It is marvelous how the energy rises, closing at the back of the neck. It felt amazing. I am grateful for this technique. It really helped me.” Another client reported, “The STAR Method relaxed me. That night I slept better than I have in a long time.” One day my friend Maria requested a therapy session with me. She reported at the beginning of the session that she was feeling a lot of pressure in her chest and pain in her abdominal region. During her session, when I placed my hands above her pelvis (Position 5: The V), Maria started to cry. After we completed a full session, she told me that she had been traumatized in that area of her body.

Maria said, “The therapy helped me get in touch with some of the pain that I have been blocking. What I really needed was to feel it. When you put your hand on my belly, I could finally make the connection with the pain from my past. It felt so good to cry. I feel relaxed and much lighter now.” Please click here to view more testimonials from clients who have benefited from The STAR Method. As you learn and practice The STAR Method with friends and family, you will probably be delighted to receive positive feedback, as these techniques provide many physiological benefits. In the next chapter, we will begin to explore these benefits in more detail.

Activating Your Awareness of Energy By practicing the techniques taught in this program, you will learn how to activate and develop your sensitivity to the life-giving energy—subtle, yet perceivable—that flows through all living things, including yourself.22 As you increase your awareness to the natural flow of this energy through your hands, you will realize your ability to heal yourself and other people using therapeutic touch. Your sensitivity will increase with practice, especially if you learn the techniques for self-healing taught in Module 1 of The STAR Method. If you find that you are not able to sense the energy right away, then be patient and continue practicing. The most important is for the practitioner to have a sincere intention to help and heal, and sensitivity will increase over time.

I have found that maintaining a consistent practice of stillness, prayer, and meditation helps me to be more sensitive to the subtle life force energy within my own body and in my hands as I work with clients. When I “tune in” to the energy in my client’s body, I am consciously entering into a state of meditative awareness in which I observe the flow of energy without being attached to the outcome or results of the therapy. As the practitioner, I am a conscious observer, present and alert, without trying to control or manipulate the experience; rather, I am simply a clear channel through which the energy can flow freely. One afternoon I was visiting a friend on his farm in southern Belize. His dog Peanut ran up to greet me in a friendly manner. As soon as I reached out to pet him, I perceived a hot, prickly sensation in his neck. Peanut responded well to my touch, and so I kept my hands on either side of his neck until I sensed a shift in the flow of energy. Then I moved my hands to his upper back. Peanut remained motionless and received the therapeutic touch with pleasure and calmness.

Later, my friend told me that Peanut had recently been hit by a car and was unable to walk for days. Only recently had he started to run around the farm again. I concluded that Peanut had been injured and was probably still in pain from the accident, which affected his neck and upper back. From an early age, I had the privilege to learn and practice how to perceive the flow of life-force energy through my hands. When I was young, my grandmother used to ask me to “give her a shoulder rub”, coaching and guiding me to use the most effective techniques. She would exclaim, “Oh, I just love those little hands of yours!” While I rubbed and eased the tension out of my grandmother ’s shoulders, I noticed that I was able to sense some kind of “electricity” in my hands. As you practice the techniques presented in this program, you will gradually improve your sensitivity and ability to perceive the flow of energy through your own hands. At first this may seem difficult. Be patient. With more and more practice, you will increase your sensitivity to the flow of energy during your treatment session. You will discover that the quality of the energy flow can be described in terms of its temperature, sensations, frequency, and how intensely it is drawn through your hands.

Table 4: Quality of energy flow during a treatment session Rating

Rang e (from hig h to low)

intensity of the “draw”

intense, strong, normal, weak, dull, subtle

temperature

hot, warm, normal

frequency

zigzag, intermittent, wavelike, steady, stable

sensations

sharp, prickly, electrical, throbbing, pulsing, tingling

The STAR Method is designed on the premise that the body and mind operate as one integrated whole and are maintained by energy. The study of quantum physics has demonstrated that all physical phenomena are appearances of energy in different stages of activity.23 The food we eat, the houses we live in, and the coins we spend are nothing but energy in condensed, materialized form. Researchers have discovered that energy and vibration are the building materials of the physical world, including our physical bodies. Energy circulates throughout the body along a network of passageways. Scientific research has demonstrated that these passageways are intimately connected with the body organs and their functions. This life-giving energy is referred to by many names in various different traditions around the world. In the system of Ayurvedic Medicine, this life-force energy is referred to as “prana”; in Oriental Medicine, “chi” or “ki”; in the Native American tradition, “the spirit that moves in all things”.24 This universal, life-giving force will be referred to as “energy” throughout this book. All of the systems in your body function by electrical impulses. You are energy: You are not separate from it. Therefore, it is readily accessible and available to you. Energy is inherently intelligent, as there is order in the universe. The moment you place your hands on yourself or another living thing, whether it be human, animal, or otherwise, this intelligently directed life-force energy automatically flows in a way that benefits you and the recipient. You are simply acting as a channel; therefore, all you have to do is to place your hands on the physical body, and a universal intelligence directs the energy—a subtle, gentle, yet powerful healer—to whichever parts of the body are in need of healing.

This came as a liberating realization for me while I was studying therapeutic massage and bodywork. Although I was required to learn many techniques, I realized that I did not need to memorize anything in order to allow healing energy to flow through my hands. By placing my hands on another person, I have learned that I am able to instantly perceive the flow of this energy. Most importantly, I have realized that I am not the source of the healing quality of this energy: I am simply a channel for the energy to flow. The STAR Method can help you to realize this for yourself, allowing you to access the power of your hands for personal and planetary healing.

How to Apply The STAR Method to Heal Others Guiding Principles In this section, you will learn how to effectively use The STAR Method to heal others by applying therapeutic touch in a specified sequence of hand positions on the body. By following these three guiding principles, you can optimize your experience of using The STAR Method: 1. Fingers together, always better: Always keep your palms open and flat with all five of your fingers touching. Your thumbs should stay close to your fingers. 2. Hands still, the energy flows where it will: When holding the positions, keep your hands steady on or above the body and remain motionless with both feet comfortably flat on the floor. 3. To heal, breathe and feel: Relax and breathe fully and deeply throughout the duration of the treatment session. Breathing deeply will help you to achieve a state of relaxation, allowing you to channel the healing energy through your hands.

Instructions To experience the full benefits of Module 2 of The STAR Method, you are advised to practice a full treatment session on a friend or family member at least once a day for seven consecutive days. To maximize the benefits, you may try using The STAR Method at different times of day or in different locations, including outdoor settings. Do not be discouraged if your loved one does not experience immediate benefit. Since the effects of stress are cumulative, the process of healing occurs over time. You may find it helpful to refer to the full-color spectrum model of The STAR Method as you learn and practice the exercises presented in this book. This model, which is color-coded, can help you increase your awareness of specific behavioral and emotional responses in the body, which correspond with each of the seven colors of the rainbow. You will also find the Appendix at the end of this book to be a helpful reference while performing a treatment session. As the practitioner, it is ideal to remain standing throughout the treatment session. You may choose to keep your eyes closed or open. It is important for you to feel comfortable and relaxed. Instruct your loved one to lie down on his or her back. It is recommended to use a massage table, as you will be able to adjust the height so that you do not have to bend over to reach your client’s body. If you do not have access to a massage table, you can use a bed or couch, but you may need to sit, kneel or squat beside your client in order to perform the treatment. For the comfort of your client, place a pillow under her knees and cover her with a blanket. If you are standing, be sure that you are on a level surface with your feet flat on the floor, hipwidth apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. If you are seated, squatting or kneeling, be sure that your spine is straight and your shoulders are relaxed. Photographs are included to provide guidance and to clarify the instructions for how to perform a treatment session using The STAR Method. Instructions are worded in a way that seems to be most helpful to people who are learning how to use The STAR Method for the first time. During the treatment session, breathe slowly and deeply through your nose, allowing your chest and belly to expand on each inhale. Relax. Breathing deeply will help you to relax as you focus on the quality of the energy flowing through your hands. At first, you may or may not be able to feel anything—this is okay. Your awareness and sensitivity to the flow of energy through your hands will improve with practice. If you are able to sense the flow of energy during your treatment session, then simply notice its quality. You may be able to feel the temperature, sensations, and intensity of the energy flow, which can range from high to low along a rating scale (see Table 4). Hold each hand position for thirty seconds to one minute. You may wish to hold the positions for a longer period of time, especially if the quality of the energy is strong, intense, or hot. You may be able to feel when the flow has “fallen away” or “dropped”, indicating that you can move your hands to another position. The hand positions in The STAR Method are presented in a step-by-step format:

How to place your hands Physical areas to be treated Benefits of treatment Conditions and ailments to be treated The thirty hand positions of The STAR Method will be described in detail in the next section. A full treatment session consists of all thirty hand positions and typically lasts for about forty-five minutes. You also have the option to use these techniques in a short treatment session, which typically lasts for about twenty minutes and contains only eight hand positions. When first learning The STAR Method, it is recommended to practice a full treatment session, as described in the next section. Once you have learned and practiced the sequence of hand positions by following the steps in this section, you may find it helpful to use the appendices at the end of this book as a quick reference during your daily, ongoing treatment sessions. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information.

Hand Position 1: Opening Affirmation/Prayer

The opening affirmation and prayer “set the tone” for the entire treatment session. Place the palms of your hands gently together, with your thumbs lightly touching the breastbone in front of your heart. Silently or out loud, state exactly what you would like to accomplish, gain, or experience from the treatment session. Be specific. Here are some examples: “Today I am asking specifically for relief from pain in [client’s name] lower back.” “I would like to relieve the tension in [client’s name] neck.” “I want to help [client’s name] stop worrying about deadlines at work and feel more relaxed.” Your affirmation/prayer can also be more general: “I want [client’s name] to be healthy and happy.” “I wish to help [client’s name] feel more joy in his life.” “Today I am asking for protection and guidance for [client’s name].” An affirmation is a statement that validates a positive result or outcome. Research shows that positive thinking decreases stress and activates a relaxation response.25 The mind plays such a significant role in creating stress. However, if we are able to become more aware of the negative thoughts and feelings that enter our minds and develop ways to replace them with positive ones, we will be able to live happier, less stressful lives.26

Hand Position 2: Centering

This position has a calming, grounding, soothing effect. It sends a signal to the body to relax, preparing your client for the treatment session. Gently place both hands, one on top of the other, slightly below the navel. Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose, allowing your chest and belly to expand on each inhale. Relax. Breathing deeply will help you to relax as you focus on sensing the flow of energy through your hands. Remember, it is okay if you do not feel anything right away. With practice, you will increase your sensitivity to the flow of energy. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer if desired.

Hand Position 3: Scanning the Body

“Scanning the body” can provide information about specific areas of your client’s body that need the most attention. Imagine that your hands are an “x-ray machine” and you are using them to “scan” the entire body for areas most in need of therapeutic touch. This will provide you with important information about your client. Hold both hands palms down, shoulder-width apart, about 10 inches above the body. Begin at the head and slowly “scan” down the entire length of the body, ending at the pubic area. Repeat as many times as necessary. With repeated practice, you will increase your sensitivity and accuracy. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Scan the body for thirty seconds to one minute or longer.

Hand Position 4: The Spiral Symbol

Now, you will learn how to use universal symbols for healing. Three symbols—the spiral, the cross, and the star—will be used in a sequence of hand placements. Symbols speak to our collective human experience, as shapes ranging from the most basic to the complex have been consciously rendered for millennia in human art, religions, literature, and psychology to signify a variety of physical and metaphysical phenomena. The spiral is depicted in ornamental art all over the world and is commonly seen in nature and astronomy, as in this photograph of Messier 74, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces and home to about 100 billion stars.27 The spiral is most commonly interpreted to represent the evolution of the universe. It is also a classical form symbolizing growth, arising out of the concept of the rotation of the Earth. In the Egyptian system of hieroglyphs, the spiral denotes cosmic forms in motion, or the relationship between unity and multiplicity.28 When depicted in its expanding form, as in the nebula, the spiral symbolizes the creative breath of life —the creative force of the universe. Since the spiral arises from a single point, it also symbolizes the relationship between the circle (or oneness) and the mystic center of the circle (or the origin of the universe), thereby being associated with the power of healing through a pattern of creative movement and expansion. During your treatment session, you will apply therapeutic touch using a specified sequence of seven hand positions on parts of your client’s body within his/her abdominal area. First, you will draw a Spiral Symbol above the body to activate, amplify, and contain the energy as you position your hands in seven positions on the abdominal area. The Spiral Symbol serves to activate, amplify, and contain the energy as you position your hands on various parts of the abdominal area. In particular, the Spiral Symbol activates the functions of three endocrine glands: the adrenals, the gonads, and the pancreas.

The adrenals are located on top of the kidneys and are responsible for releasing hormones in response to stress. The gonads are the ovaries (in females) and the testes (in males). The ovaries produce eggs, and the testes produce sperm. The pancreas produce hormones that decrease sugar levels in the blood as well as digestive enzymes that break down food into nutrients for the body. Now, you will learn how to draw The Spiral Symbol above the body to support the optimal functioning of these endocrine glands, as well as the bones, organs, tissues, muscles located in the abdominal area. The Spiral Symbol looks like a DNA double helix spiraling out from one central point. Imagine that you are drawing this symbol with your palm above the abdominal area. Begin by holding one of your hands (the dominant hand, preferably) about 12 inches in front of the navel (belly button), not touching the body. The Spiral Symbol consists of two parts: a smaller, inner spiral and a larger, outer spiral.

Part 1: Draw a smaller, inner spiral. Imagine a small disc superimposed over the navel. Begin the smaller, inner spiral at a point on the “bottom” of this disc. Draw the spiral clockwise once around the central disc, covering the entire abdominal area and ending at the pubic bone. It is important to form the spiral in a clockwise direction, as this follows the natural flow of the digestive tract (ascending, transverse, and descending colon). Part 2: Draw a larger, outer spiral. Return to the imaginary disc superimposed over the navel. Begin the outer spiral at a point on the “top” of this disc. Draw the spiral clockwise once around the central disc, ending slightly below the pubic bone. Again, it is important to form the spiral in a clockwise direction. The Spiral Symbol will now be followed by seven specific hand positions located in the abdominal area.

Hand Position 5: The Chalice

Where in the body: This position covers the lower part of the abdomen, just within the pelvic cradle to the tip of the pubic bone. How to place your hands: Make a bowl shape with your hands, fingers of one hand overlapping the fingers of the other hand. Lightly touch the pinky side edges of your hands just below the pubic bone. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Urinary bladder and ureters (tubes that descend from the kidneys to the bladder) Reproductive organs (for females): ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina, part of the uterus Reproductive organs (for males): testes, prostate gland, seminal vesicles, vas deferens Sigmoid colon (the last segment of the large intestine) Rectum

Coccyx (tailbone) and bottom of the sacrum (large triangular bone at the bottom of the spine) Legs, ankles, and feet Femoral arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to the lower extremities) Lymph nodes of the groin area (responsible for generating antibodies to fight infection of abdominal organs) Benefits of treatment: Increased pelvic mobility Improved nerve flow through the sciatic, sacral, and gluteal nerves Increased blood flow to the abdomen, hips, legs, and feet Supports the lower limb, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive system functions. Comforts and soothes the body’s memory of early childhood traumas, such as sexual abuse and painful falls Helps fight infections of abdominal organs by stimulating the lymph nodes in the groin area Helps fight infections of the reproductive organs due to sexually transmitted diseases Conditions and ailments to be treated: Urinary tract infections Impotence Prostate cancer Uterine and cervical cancer Yeast infections Infertility Menstrual cramps Pregnancy Diarrhea, constipation, and bloating

Hand Position 6: The V

Where in the body: This position spans the area just below the navel (belly button). How to place your hands: Form a “V” shape with your hands, fingers pointing down, palms flat against the belly, just below the navel. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Small intestines Parts of the ascending colon (on the right) Parts of the descending colon (on the left) Part of the uterus (for females) Kidneys Ureters (tubes that descend from the kidneys to the bladder) Lower back Hips Part of the sacrum Benefits of treatment: Increased blood circulation through the inferior mesenteric artery and inferior vena cava that carries blood into this area from the heart and back Supports the many nerve pathways that travel through this area and toward other parts of the body Improved function of the urinary and gastrointestinal organs

Many clients can sense the energy radiating out from the nerve pathways as they travel to other parts of the body Conditions and ailments to be treated: Menstrual cramps



Pregnancy Lower back pain

Kidney stones and kidney failure



Hand Position 7: The Sun

Where in the body: This position covers the xiphoid process, the small area where the bottom of the breastbone meets the soft part of the belly. How to place your hands: Create a dome shape with your hands, as if you were cupping half of a sphere inside your hands. Place your cupped hands just below the xiphoid process (where the bottom of the breastbone meets the soft part of the belly). Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Middle part of the transverse colon Lower part of the stomach Solar plexus center (an energy center, also known as a “chakra”) Benefits of treatment: Aids in digestion Restores mental and emotional wellbeing Conditions and ailments to be treated: Indigestion “Knots” in the stomach Anxiety Nausea

Hand Position 8: Right Hip

Where in the body: This position covers the right hip area and top of the thigh bone. How to place your hands: Form a “T” shape with palms flat against the hip (the joint where the thigh bone meets the hip socket). Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Sciatic nerves (a thick bundle of nerves that exit the bottom of the spinal column, cross the back of the pelvis, and join the lumbosacral plexus to travel down each leg) Hip joint (a large joint where the thigh bone meets the pubic bone) Benefits of treatment: Relieves sciatic pain Speeds recovery from hip replacements

Relieves pain associated with arthritis in the hip joint Conditions and ailments to be treated: Sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve characterized by pain radiating through the lower back, hip, buttocks, and the side and back of the leg) Arthritis

Hand Position 9: Right Abdomen

Where in the body: This position covers the area from the bottom of the rib cage to just above the waist on the right side of the body. How to place your hands: Place both hands beside each other against the soft part of the belly on your right side, below the rib cage. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Lower part of the stomach Liver Gall bladder Part of the small intestines Ascending colon Part of the transverse colon (large intestines) Benefits of treatment: Blood circulates more efficiently through major arteries and veins, speeding up digestion Improves the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients (minerals and vitamins) from food Conditions and ailments to be treated: Indigestion Heartburn Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)

Cirrhosis of the liver Jaundice

Hand Position 10: Left Abdomen

Where in the body: This position covers the area from the bottom of the rib cage to just above the waist on the left side of the body. How to place your hands: Place both hands beside each other against the soft part of the belly on your left side, below the rib cage. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Lower part of the stomach Pancreas Spleen Part of the small intestines Descending colon Part of the transverse colon (large intestines) Benefits of treatment: Blood circulates more efficiently through major arteries and veins, speeding up digestion Improves the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients (minerals and vitamins) from food Blood sugar levels stabilize more quickly Conditions and ailments to be treated: Diabetes Indigestion

Heartburn Colon cancer Special notes: The positions “Left Abdomen” and “Right Abdomen” can help your client to relax before or after a stressful event.

Hand Position 11: Left Hip

Where in the body: This position covers the left hip area and top of the thigh bone. How to place your hands: Form a “T” shape with palms flat against the hip (the joint where the thigh bone meets the hip socket). Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Sciatic nerves (a thick bundle of nerves that exit the bottom of the spinal column, cross the back of the pelvis, and join the lumbosacral plexus to travel down each leg) Hip joint (a large joint where the thigh bone meets the pubic bone) Benefits of treatment: Relieves sciatic pain Speeds recovery from hip replacements

Relieves pain associated with arthritis in the hip joint Conditions and ailments to be treated: Sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve characterized by pain radiating through the lower back, hip, buttocks, and the side and back of the leg) Arthritis

Hand Position 12: The Cross Symbol

The symbolism of the cross is complex and can be interpreted in such a way that neither denies nor supplants the historical meaning in Christianity. The cross is often represented in medieval art as the ‘Tree of Life’—the bridge or ladder by means of which the soul may reach the heavens.29 The cross affirms the primary relationship between the two worlds of the celestial and the earthly. The cross is analogous with the human form, as the horizontal line represents the arms, and the vertical line signifies the body in an upright position. The predominant meaning of the cross is the conjunction of opposites: wedding the vertical (or spiritual) principle with the horizontal (the physical world of phenomena), thus bearing its significance as a symbol for struggle and martyrdom. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, the cross stands for life or living and forms part of words such as ‘health’ and ‘happiness’. The Cross Symbol depicts a cross contained within a circle. As shown frequently in ancient art and literature, the circle is most commonly used as an emblem of the sun. It also symbolizes the return to unity from multiplicity and has been seen to stand for heaven, perfection, and sometimes eternity as well. The circle corresponds to the ultimate state of oneness—a profound psychological implication that the circle represents a human who has achieved inner unity (perfection). Thus, the cross inside of the circle can be interpreted to symbolize the human who has realized oneness and perfection by virtue of merging the physical with the spiritual—uniting body and spirit. During your treatment session, you will apply therapeutic touch using a specified sequence of seven hand positions on parts of the body within your client’s chest and neck area. First, you will draw a Cross Symbol above the body to activate, amplify, and contain the energy as you position your hands in seven positions on your client’s neck and chest. In particular, The Cross Symbol activates the endocrine glands located in this area of the body: the thymus, the thyroid gland, and the parathyroid glands. The thyroid gland regulates metabolism by controlling how quickly the body uses energy. The parathyroid glands control the level of calcium in the blood. The thymus directs the body’s immune system response. Now, you will learn how to draw The Cross Symbol above your body to support the optimal functioning of these endocrine glands, as well as the bones, organs, tissues, muscles located in the area of your chest and neck.

The Cross Symbol looks like a plus sign inside of a circle. Imagine that you are drawing this symbol with your palm above the chest area. Begin by holding one of your hands (the dominant hand, preferably) about 12 inches on top of the heart, not touching the body.

Part 1: Draw a plus sign. First, draw a plus sign. Draw a straight line down to the xiphoid process (the bottom of the breastplate where the bone meets the soft part of the belly), then straight up to the throat, then back down to the heart. Starting at the heart, draw a straight line directly across the chest, from one breast to the other, ending once again at the heart. Part 2: Draw a circle. Now, draw a circle around the plus sign that you just drew. Begin at the top of the plus sign (above the throat). Draw a clockwise circle around the plus sign, ending at the same point where you started (above the throat). The Cross Symbol will now be followed by seven specific hand positions located in your client’s chest and neck area.

Hand Position 13: The Lovers

Where in the body: This posture covers the area directly over the heart, on the chest between the breasts. How to place your hands: Place one hand on top of the other, palms down, on top of the heart (between the breasts). Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Heart Arms, wrists, and hands Blood that circulates throughout the entire body Thymus gland (responsible for generating white blood cells to fight infection) Upper respiratory tract (bronchial passages) Benefits of treatment:

Enhances the immune system and cardiovascular functions Helps relieve symptoms of any blood-borne infection or condition (auto-immune disorders, allergies) Restoration of proper fluid-electrolyte balance for electrical shock victims Improvement of T cell (white blood cell) count in AIDS patients Comforting and soothing Conditions and ailments to be treated: Heart conditions Auto-immune disorders Allergies Asthma HIV infection and AIDS Special notes: This position can be beneficial for anyone who is fighting an infection of mild nature (cold or flu) or more serious conditions.

Hand Position 14: The Butterfly

Where in the body: This position covers the throat and sides of the neck. How to place your hands: Bring the insides of your wrists together at the throat, touching palms and fingertips to either side of the neck. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Skin, muscles, and bones of the chin and throat Thyroid gland (responsible for generating hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism) Parathyroid glands Mid-brain cavity beneath the soft tissues of the chin and throat Benefits of treatment: Relieves stress by supporting the endocrine glands in the mid-brain cavity Calming, soothing effect Helps to regulate the body’s metabolism Conditions and ailments to be treated: Thyroid dysfunction (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism)



Sore throat



Laryngitis



Hand Position 15: Left Shoulder

Where in the body: This position spans the area at the left side of the neck and left upper shoulder. How to place your hands: Place one hand on the left side of the neck and the other hand on the upper left shoulder. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Left sternocleidomastoid muscles (long muscles that span the sides of the neck) Left collarbone

Left carotid artery and jugular vein (major channels of blood circulation to and from the brain) Left upper trapezius muscle (large muscle that wraps around the top of the shoulders and commonly “traps” tension and stiffness) Lymph nodes in the neck area Benefits of treatment: Supports the lymph nodes’ production of antibodies to fight infections Relief from trigger-point pain in the face Relief from muscle tension in the shoulders, neck, and face Helps drain the lymph nodes, which can hold residues from infections in the tissue Clears congestion from head colds, allergies, and ear infections Conditions and ailments to be treated: Allergies Muscle tension and pain in the shoulders, neck, and face Whiplash

Hand Position 16: Left Breast

Where in the body: This position covers the entire left breast and mammary gland (for women). How to place your hands: Cup both hands and place them gently together over the left breast. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Left breast Mammary gland (for women) Left nipple Lymph nodes on left side (responsible for infection-fighting) Benefits of treatment: Supports the function of the lymph nodes to fight infections Speeds recovery from surgical incisions to the breast Enhances quality and quantity of breast milk in lactating women Conditions and ailments to be treated: Breast cancer and associated symptoms Tension or pain in the pectoralis (chest) muscles

Hand Position 17: Lungs

Where in the body: This position spans the middle and lower part of the rib cage. How to place your hands: Bring the fingertips of both hands together, slightly overlapping, on top of the rib cage just below the breasts. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Bones of the middle and lower rib cage Diaphragm Lungs Upper part of the stomach Kidneys Adrenal glands (glands atop the kidneys below the ribs of the mid-back, responsible for secreting hormones during a “fight or flight” response, sometimes referred to as an “adrenaline rush”) Benefits of treatment: Blood circulates more efficiently from the heart through the abdominal aorta and other major arteries Relief from respiratory tract infections Stress relief Relaxing sensation Conditions and ailments to be treated:

Respiratory tract infections



Stress (especially after a traumatic event)



Special notes: This position is recommended just before falling asleep, as it benefits the major organs and glands most vulnerable to stress, especially the adrenal glands. It can have a calming, soothing effect.

Hand Position 18: Right Breast

Where in the body: This position covers the entire right breast and mammary gland (for women). How to place your hands: Cup both hands and place them gently together over the right breast. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Right breast Mammary gland (for women) Right nipple Lymph nodes on left side (responsible for infection-fighting) Benefits of treatment: Supports the function of the lymph nodes to fight infections Speeds recovery from surgical incisions to the breast Enhances quality and quantity of breast milk in lactating women Conditions and ailments to be treated: Breast cancer and associated symptoms Tension or pain in the pectoralis (chest) muscles Special notes: The hand positions, “Left Breast” and “Right Breast” can be especially helpful for women with breast cancer who may be recovering from a lumpectomy or mastectomy.

Hand Position 19: Right Shoulder

Where in the body: This position spans the area at the right side of the neck and right upper shoulder. How to place your hands: Place one hand on the right side of the neck and the other hand on the upper right shoulder. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Right sternocleidomastoid muscles (long muscles that span the sides of the neck) Right collarbone Right carotid artery and jugular vein (major channels of blood circulation to and from the brain) Right upper trapezius muscle (large muscle that wraps around the top of the shoulders and commonly “traps” tension and stiffness) Lymph nodes in the neck area Benefits of treatment: Supports the lymph nodes’ production of antibodies to fight infections Relief from trigger-point pain in the face Relief from muscle tension in the shoulders, neck, and face Helps drain the lymph nodes, which can hold residues from infections in the tissue Clears congestion from head colds, allergies, and ear infections Conditions and ailments to be treated: Allergies



Muscle tension and pain in the shoulders, neck, and face



Whiplash



Hand Position 20: The Star Symbol

As a light shining in the darkness, the star is a symbol of the spirit. Stars have been incorporated into emblematic art all over the world.thirty The ultimate meaning of the star seems to be expressive of intercommunication between the different worlds, or the activation of the celestial realms within the purely material elements of earth and water. The white space in the middle of the star is suggestive of the mystic center—of the force of the universe in expansion—also representing universal energy. Two complete triangles, one in the normal position and one inverted, superimposed so as to form a six-pointed star, symbolize the human soul. A six-pointed star contained within a circle signifies the ultimate state of perfection: realizing the self to be a unified whole. During your treatment session, you will apply therapeutic touch using a specified sequence of seven hand positions on the face and head. First, you will draw a star symbol above the body to activate, amplify, and contain the energy as you position your hands in seven positions on the head and face. In particular, the star symbol activates the endocrine glands located in this area of the body: the pineal gland and the pituitary gland: The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain that is responsible for secreting hormones that regulate the body’s homeostasis (temperature, blood pressure, water balance, and other important processes). The pineal gland is located near the center of the brain and produces melatonin, a hormone that controls the body’s sleep/wake cycle and other 24-hour biological rhythms. Now, you will learn how to draw the star symbol above your body to support the optimal functioning of these endocrine glands, as well as the bones, organs, tissues, and muscles located in the area of the face and head. The star symbol looks like an upright triangle superimposed on top of an upside-down triangle inside of a circle. Imagine that you are drawing this symbol with your palm above the head and face. Begin by holding one of your hands (the dominant hand, preferably) about 12 inches above the forehead, not touching the body.

Part 1: Draw an upright triangle. First, draw an upright triangle. The apex (top point) of the triangle starts at the top of the head. Draw one side of the triangle down the edge of the face, stopping at the mouth. Continue drawing the bottom of the upright triangle across the mouth. Draw the other side of the triangle up the edge of the face, stopping at the apex (top point) at the top of the head. Part 2: Draw an upside-down triangle. Next, draw an upside-down triangle directly on top of the upright triangle that you just drew. The bottom point of the triangle starts at the chin. Draw one side of the triangle along the edge of the face, stopping at the forehead. Continue drawing the top side of the upside-down triangle across the forehead. Draw the other side of the triangle down along the edge of the face, stopping at the bottom point above the chin. Part 3: Draw a circle. Now, draw a circle around the two triangles. Begin at the top of the head. Draw a clockwise circle around the two triangles, ending at the same point where you started. The star symbol will now be followed by seven specific hand positions located on the head and face.

Hand Position 21: The Mind’s Eye

Where in the body: This position covers the forehead. How to place your hands: Place one hand on top of the other in an “X” shape, palms down, on top of the forehead. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Skin, muscles, and bones of the forehead Front of the cerebrum (frontal lobes of the left and right cerebral hemispheres in the brain) Sinuses in the forehead area Benefits of treatment: Supports the brain functions associated with language-making, comprehension, problemsolving, and various aspects of personality Relieves sinus pressure, allergies, and headaches Conditions and ailments to be treated: Alzeheimer ’s disease



Headaches Eyestrain

Head colds



Allergies



Brain aneurysm Stroke

Epilepsy



Invasive tumors in the front part of the brain



Hand Position 22: The Crown

Where in the body: This position spans the top and sides of the head. How to place your hands: Slightly overlap the fingertips of both hands and curl your hands, as if they were a headband, around the top of the head. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Scalp Corpus callosum (fibrous bands that connect the left and right hemispheres of the brain) Parietal bones of the skull Cerebrum (left and right hemispheres of the brain) Benefits of treatment: Supports brain functions in the cerebrum, associated with conscious thought, voluntary actions, sensory awareness, and deliberate movement Improves the function of the corpus callosum, which is responsible for communicating information between the left and right hemispheres of the brain Conditions and ailments to be treated: Learning disabilities that affect one’s ability to read and write Speech disorders

Hair loss



Hand Position 23: Eyes

Where in the body: This position covers the eyes, eyebrows, forehead, part of the nose, and the cheekbones. How to place your hands: Gently cup the hands over the eyes, allowing the base of your palms to rest against the cheeks. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Eyes and eye sockets Skin tissue and muscle in the forehead Frontal bone (forehead area) Nasal bone Septum Sinuses Benefits of treatment: Stimulates mental alertness Relief from headache pain Relief from eye or sinus infection Relief from allergies Relief from eye strain Conditions and ailments to be treated: Eye injuries

Headache Glaucoma Cataracts Sinus infection Head cold Allergies

Hand Position 24: Temples

Where in the body: This position covers the temples, the sides of the head, and a portion of the top of the head. How to place your hands: Hold the palms, fingertips pointing upward, gently over the temples. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Skin and muscles in the area of the temples A portion of the cheekbones A portion of the scalp Fusion of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes Nerve and blood pathways to the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth Trigeminal cranial nerve (responsible for facial sensations and muscle movements)

Optic nerves (serve to send visual sensory impressions to the brain) Olfactory nerves (relay information about smells to the brain) Pituitary gland (master gland of the endocrine system) Thalamus (part of the brain that regulates emotions) Hypothalamus (part of the brain that mediates the body’s response to stress) Benefits of treatment: Balances and supports the release of hormones for healthy growth, metabolism, response to stress, and reproduction Relief from acute eyestrain Relief from headaches Supports the brain functions associated with making sense of motor and sensory information Brings biochemical imbalances back into balance Conditions and ailments to be treated: Mental disorders Eye strain Headaches Brain damage Special notes: This position can be helpful in the treatment of serious conditions involving brain function, hormonal function, or mental and emotional disorders.

Hand Position 25: Ears

Where in the body: This position covers the ears, the sides of the head, and a portion of the top of the head. How to place your hands: Place slightly cupped palms over the ears. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Ears, ear canals, and eardrums Nerve pathways that transmit sound impulses to the brain Inner ear (responsible for registering our position in space) Eustachian tube (canal that connects the ear to the throat) Soft palate Passageways in the back of the nose and mouth Sphenoidal air sinus The mid-brain cavity of the brain Parietal bones of the skull Pituitary gland Pineal gland

Benefits of treatment: Equalization of air pressure on both sides of the eardrum Helps restore ears to normal hearing Enhanced ability to register nerve impulses of smell, taste, and tactile sensations Loosening of nasal congestion Relief from allergies Helps to regulate the endocrine system Conditions and ailments to be treated: Ear infections Earaches Nasal congestion due to allergies or head cold Sore throat Special notes: This position can be helpful for someone who has suffered temporary loss of hearing due to exposure to high decibel noises.

Hand Position 26: Jaw

Where in the body: This position covers the entire jaw line and mouth. How to place your hands: Bring both hands together, slightly cupped, to form a “V” shape on top of the mouth without direct pressure to the lips. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Sinus cavities in lower part of face Mandible (lower jaw) Maxilla (bone that anchors the upper teeth) Salivary glands Teeth and gums Benefits of treatment: Relief from pain associated with infections in the mouth, teeth, and gums Relief from muscle tension caused by clenching the jaw or nocturnal teeth grinding Soothing, penetrating quality Conditions and ailments to be treated: TMJ (temporal mandibular joint syndrome)



Sinus infections



Gum disease Cavities

Herpes sores in the mouth



Hand Position 27: Back of Head

Where in the body: This position covers the back of the head and neck. How to place your hands: With palms facing upward, gently slip both hands beneath the back of the head, with fingertips of both hands slightly overlapping. The palms should be touching the back of the head and neck.

Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer. Physical areas to be treated: Back of the cerebrum (part of the brain) Cerebellum (reptilian brain that controls many of our survival mechanisms) Muscles on the back of the neck Nerves that exit from the cervical vertebrae Occipital bone and mastoid process at the lower back part of the skull Benefits of treatment: Improved autonomic nervous system functions Relief from tension headaches Speeds relief to symptoms associated with herpes simplex, which causes lesions on or inside the mouth or nose Prevents the onsite of herpetic neuralgia, which can cause painful swelling sensations Enhances immune system response Boosts mental and physical alertness, especially after prolonged hours of intellectual activity Conditions and ailments to be treated: Headaches Herpes simplex Meningitis (infection in the cerebrospinal fluid) Special notes: This position seems to have special benefit for anyone who is actively fighting infections or has suppressed immune system functions, as this area of the brain triggers many immune system mechanisms.

Hand Position 28: Integrating the Benefits

This hand position provides your client with a sense of closure for the session. This move also helps your client to integrate the therapeutic benefits of the session and end on a “positive note”. Place your right hand below the navel and your left hand on the forehead. Hold for thirty seconds to one minute. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute or longer.

Hand Position 29: The Waterfall

Hold your slightly cupped left hand above the top of the head (not touching) and hold your slightly cupped right hand just below the pubic bone (not touching). Keep your hands in this position for thirty seconds to one minute.

This image is from one of my favorite places in the tropics of Guatemala, where a natural hot spring flows down a mountainside, gathering into a cascading waterfall. If you have ever sat beneath a waterfall, then you have felt the exhilarating, soothing effect of the water as it falls atop your head, cleansing and revitalizing your entire body and mind. The Waterfall, one of the closing moves of your treatment session, can have the same effect.

Hand Position 30: Closing Affirmation/Dedication

Silently or out loud, express gratitude. Affirm the therapeutic benefits of the session by restating the intention you set at the beginning. Be specific. Here are some examples: “Thank you for this session. I affirm that [client’s name] is feeling relief from pain in his lower back.” “I would like to express my gratitude for the benefits of this session.” “I am thankful for this session. I affirm that [client’s name] is not worried about her deadlines at work and that she can now feel more relaxed.” Your closing affirmation/prayer can also be more general: “I am grateful for health and happiness.” “Thank you for the joy in our lives.” “I am now expressing my gratitude for being provided with protection and guidance. Thank you.” Dedicate the benefits of your treatment session to another person or group of people in a specific or general way. A dedication is offering a special gift to the person or group of people you choose. It is a way of sharing the positive results that you have gained from your session with other people in your life. Here are some examples: “I dedicate the benefits of this session to my uncle, who just had knee replacement surgery.” “I would like to dedicate these benefits to the refugees around the world who need the protection of shelter and food.” “Today I dedicate all the benefits of this session to the health and happiness of everyone

around the world.” Dedicating the benefits of your treatment session to others is a powerful gesture of gratitude. By offering the positive results to others, you are receiving the benefits in return, as the healing energy is unlimited and universal.

How to Apply The STAR Method to Perform Distant Healing

Now that you have practiced the steps for healing yourself and other people using The STAR Method, you have increased your sensitivity and awareness of the flow of energy through your hands. You have probably become more empathic to the needs of the people and other living things around you. As you develop and increase your sensitivity to the subtle energy that flows through all things, you may find that you are able to “pick up on” the pain, discomfort, and suffering of other people, animals, and plants. You may occasionally find yourself feeling a strong desire to offer therapeutic touch to another living being, whether near or far. In this section of Module 2, you will learn how to perform “distant healing” to help ease the suffering of others, even if they are located far away from you. Distant healing is the act of intentionally channeling life force energy to another person when he or she cannot be present in the same room with you. When you channel distant healing energy to another person, he or she can still receive physiological benefits.31 In a systematic review of the available data on the efficacy of “distant healing” as treatment for various medical conditions, researchers found statistically significant treatment effects. In patients diagnosed with hypertension, distant healing (twenty minutes per week for 3 months) resulted in decreased blood pressure. In patients diagnosed with AIDS, distant healing resulted in less illness severity, fewer physician visits and hospitalizations, and improved mood. In my mid-twenties, I went through a period of many drastic changes in my life: I ended a long-term relationship, moved to a new town, and started a new full-time job. So many changes in my life all at once resulted in a high level of stress and anxiety. I asked a therapist friend of mine to help me through this difficult transition by offering distant healing. She lived thousands of miles away, but I knew that she had the skill and the knowledge to help me from a distance. I did not know the exact time and day when she performed the healing, but I did experience significant changes in my body and state of mind during that week. I felt more relaxed, less tense in my shoulders and back, and I was able to focus more on the present moment instead of worrying about the future. I attribute these improvements to my friend’s distant healing, as well as my own intention to heal.

In my apprenticeship with Grandfather Jaguar, the Mayan shaman I mentioned in the introduction to this book, I learned that healing can only happen when there are two willing people involved in the process. The recipient must have a sincere desire to heal, and the practitioner must have the intention to help and heal. “The recipient always receives more than he or she asks for in the healing,” Grandfather told me. This was certainly true in the distant healing that I received from my friend: I benefited more than I had expected, and my life gradually improved as a result. Distant healing using The STAR Method is a simple, subtle, and powerful technique that can be helpful when you have a friend or family member who is sick, injured, or going through a hard time. You can help in an effective and practical way with distant healing: You can channel healing energy to a specific geographical area where an event is taking place, or to a group of people, animals, or plants in any location, or to a specific person. By offering distant healing with a sincere intention to help another living being, you are healing yourself, too.

Instructions First, stand or sit in a relaxed, comfortable position. Relax your body, shoulders, and hands beside you or on your lap. Take a few deep breaths. You can choose to offer a full treatment session or a short treatment session, depending on how much time you have available for the distant healing. Next, imagine that the person or animal is physically lying in front of you, and you are on his or her right-hand side. Take time to picture the person or animal as he or she actually looks: Include facial features, body shape and size, and other unique identifying features like skin tone, hair color, and the sound of the person’s voice. State out loud the person or animal’s name and your intention to offer distant healing. For example, “[Person’s name], I am now going to offer you distant healing. It is my intention to help you [state the reason for the session; for example, relieve pain, relax, alleviate stress, etc.]” Now, perform the thirty hand positions that are presented in this book (Module 2). The difference is that instead of physically placing your hands on the person’s body, you are simply holding your hands in each one of the thirty positions, imagining that the person is actually there, receiving your therapeutic touch. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax. You may close your eyes or keep them open, imagining that your hands are making contact with the person’s body. Focus on the flow of energy through your hands. Hold the hand position for thirty seconds to one minute, or for as long as you feel it is helpful or necessary to do so. You may or may not feel anything at first. Simply allow your intention to be made clear, and the energy will be directed to wherever it needs to go. Remember: You are simply a channel for the flow of healing energy.

Notice the sensations and flow of energy in your hands as you perform the distant healing. You may

wish to take notes on a piece of paper of your observations. (You can always verify your perceptions with the person later, if you can or wish to, but in some cases, this may not always possible). Remain sensitive to the flow of energy and how it shifts throughout the course of your therapy session. Stay focused on your intention to help and heal: Remember that the person or animal to whom you are sending healing energy is able to receive direct therapeutic benefit from a distant healing. When you feel a drop-off in the flow of energy through your hands, this indicates that the treatment session is complete. Slowly remove your hands. Clap your hands at least once, blow on them, or shake them out. This shows that you have completed the session, and your hands are now free to be used for other activities. After you perform a distant healing session using The STAR Method, you may notice that you feel more relaxed, alert, and in an improved mental and emotional state. You may notice that you receive direct benefits in return, like feeling happier, lighter, joyful, and more energetic. Universal life force energy is limitless and expansive: The power of healing—the fruit of love—knows no boundaries.

The Full-Color Spectrum Model of The STAR Method

In Module 2 of this program, the full-color spectrum model of The STAR Method includes the seven energy centers of the body and a sequence of hand placements that are designed to activate specific physiological responses in the body (see Table 2). In Modules 3-7 of The STAR Method, this full-color spectrum model will be expanded to include other important information, tools, and techniques. If you would like to pre-order the next book in this series, please click here.

The STAR Method – Full Treatment Session Hand Position 1: Opening Affirmation/Prayer Hand Position 2: Centering Hand Position 3: Scanning the Body Hand Position 4: The Spiral Symbol Hand Position 5: The Chalice Hand Position 6: The V Hand Position 7: The Sun Hand Position 8: Right Hip Hand Position 9: Right Abdomen Hand Position 10: Left Abdomen Hand Position 11: Left Hip Hand Position 12: The Cross Symbol Hand Position 13: The Lovers Hand Position 14: The Butterfly Hand Position 15: Left Shoulder Hand Position 16: Left Breast Hand Position 17: Lungs Hand Position 18: Right Breast Hand Position 19: Right Shoulder Hand Position 20: The Star Symbol Hand Position 21: The Mind’s Eye Hand Position 22: The Crown Hand Position 23: Eyes Hand Position 24: Temples Hand Position 25: Ears Hand Position 26: Jaw

Hand Position 27: Back of Head Hand Position 28: Integrating the Benefits Hand Position 29: The Waterfall Hand Position 30: Closing Affirmation/Dedication

The STAR Method – Short Treatment Session

1. The Chalice 2. The V 3. The Sun 4. The Lovers 5. The Butterfly 6. The Mind’s Eye 7. The Crown 8. The Waterfall

Endnotes 1. Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexander, VA: Association for Curriculum Development. 2. Carroll, C., & Kimata, L. (2000). Partner yoga: making contact for physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. Rodale, Inc. 3. Montagu, A. (1986). Touching: the human significance of the skin. 3rd ed., 1986, New York: Harper and Row. 4. Dennison, P. E., & Dennison, G. E. (1994). Brain gym (Professionals ed. rev.), California: Edu Kinesthetics, Inc. 5. Williams, K., & Poel, E.W. (2006). Stress Management for Special Educators: The SelfAdministered Tool for Awareness and Relaxation (STAR). TEACHING Exceptional Children PLUS, 3(1) Article 2. Retrieved from http://journals.cec.sped.org/tecplus/vol3/iss1/art2 6. Williams, P.K. (2014). The STAR (Module 1): Self-Healing with Therapeutic Touch. eBook available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PNWTGBY 7. McPherson, G. (2014, November 11). Climate-change summary and update [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://guymcpherson.com/climate-chaos/ 8. World Health Organization (2014). Preventing suicide: A global imperative [First WHO World Suicide Report]. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention “Notably, suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds globally.” 9. Koehler, G. (2001). Stress management exercises for professionals and students. Strategies, 15(2), 7-10. The body responds to stress by producing adrenaline, cortisol, beta brain waves, and nervous tension. Constant adrenaline results in fatigue; cortisol weakens the immune system; and constant stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system results in muscle tension and nervousness, while depleting energy. Such over-stimulation can lead to serious illness (p. 7). 10. Williams, K., & Poel, E.W. (2006). Stress Management for Special Educators: The SelfAdministered Tool for Awareness and Relaxation (STAR). TEACHING Exceptional Children PLUS, 3(1) Article 2. Retrieved from http://journals.cec.sped.org/tecplus/vol3/iss1/art2 11. Arzu, A. (2014). Healing the healers: who we are [Essay]. Retrieved from http://arzumountainspirit.com/who_we_are 12. Davidson-Rada, M., & Davidson-Rada, J. (1993). The rainbow model of health as ongoing transformation. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 11(1), 42-55. 13. Frawley, D. (1996). Ayurveda and the mind: the healing of consciousness. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press.

14. Shang, C. (2001). Emerging paradigms in mind-body medicine. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 7(1), p. 83. 15. Krieger, D. (1986). The therapeutic touch: how to use your hands to help or heal. New York: Prentice Hall Press. 16. Burden, B., Herron-Marx, S., & Clifford, C. (2005). The increased use of Reiki as a complementary therapy in specialist palliative care. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 11(5), 248-253. 17. Wardell, D.W., & Weymouth, K.F. (2004). Review of studies of healing touch. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 36 (2), p. 154. 18. McClure, V. (2000). Infant massage: a handbook for loving parents. 3rd ed., New York: Bantam Books. 19. University of Miami Medical School Touch Research Institute (2014). Research at TRI [Report]. Retrieved from http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/Research.html 20. Montagu, A. (1986). Touching: the human significance of the skin. 3rd ed., 1986, New York: Harper and Row. 21. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2014). OrthoInfo: Your connection to expert orthopaedic information [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://orthoinfo.aaos.org 22. Goodman, S. (1990). The book of Shiatsu: the healing art of finger pressure. New York: Avery Publishing Group, Inc. 23. Stenger, V. (2014). Energy medicine [Essay]. Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Medicine/EnergyMed.html 24. Rowland, A.Z. (2010). The complete book of traditional Reiki. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press. 25. Benson, H. (1975). The relaxation response. New York: Morrow. 26. Brady, R. (2004). Schooled in the moment: Introducing mindfulness to students and professionals. Independent School, 64(1), p. 84. 27. Liungman, C.G. (1991). Dictionary of symbols. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 28. Matthews, B. (1978). The Herder symbol dictionary. Wilmette IL: Chiron Publications. 29. Cirlot, J.E. (1971). A dictionary of symbols. London: Routledge. thirty. ibid. 31. Astin, J.A., et al. (2000)., The efficacy of “distant healing”: a systematic review of randomized trials. American Society of Internal Medicine, 132, p. 907.

References Altshuler, L. (2004). Balanced healing: combining modern medicine with safe and effective alternative therapies. Washington: Harbor Press. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2014). OrthoInfo: Your connection to expert orthopaedic information [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://orthoinfo.aaos.org Arzu, A. (2014). Healing the healers: who we are [Essay]. Retrieved from http://arzumountainspirit.com/who_we_are Astin, J.A., et al. (2000)., The efficacy of “distant healing”: a systematic review of randomized trials. American Society of Internal Medicine, 132, p. 907. Benson, H. (1975). The relaxation response. New York: Morrow. Billingsley B.S. (1993). Teacher retention and attrition in special and general education: A critical review of the literature. Journal of Special Education, 27, 137-174. Boe, E. E., Bobbitt, S. A., & Cook, L. H. (1997). Whither didst thou go? Reassignment, migration, and attrition of special and general education professionals from a national perspective. Journal of Special Education, thirty, 371-389. Borg, M., Riding, R., & Falzon, J. (1991). Stress in teaching: A study of occupational stress and its determinants, job satisfaction and career commitment among primary school professionals. Educational Psychology, 11, 59-75. Brady, R. (2004). Schooled in the moment: Introducing mindfulness to students and professionals. Independent School, 64(1), 82-87. Brown, S., & Nagel, L. (2004). Preparing future professionals to respond to stress: Sources and solutions. Action in Teacher Education, (26)1, 148-156. Bucci, T. (2003). Techology in teacher education. Action in Teacher Education, 24(4), 1-73. Burden, B., Herron-Marx, S., & Clifford, C. (2005). The increased use of Reiki as a complementary therapy in specialist palliative care. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 11(5), 248-253. Carroll, C., & Kimata, L. (2000). Partner yoga: making contact for physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. Rodale, Inc. Cirlot, J.E. (1971). A dictionary of symbols. London: Routledge. Darling-Hammond, L. (2001). The challenge of staffing our schools. Educational Leadership, 58(8), 12-18. Davidson-Rada, M., & Davidson-Rada, J. (1993). The rainbow model of health as ongoing transformation. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 11(1), 42-55.

Deckro, G.R., Ballinger, K.M., & Hoyt, M. (2002). The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce psychological distress and perceived stress in college students. Journal of American College Health, 50(6), 281-297. Dennison, P. E., & Dennison, G. E. (1994). Brain gym (Professionals ed. rev.), California: Edu Kinesthetics, Inc. Embich, J.L. (2001). The relationship of secondary special education professionals’ roles and factors that lead to professional burnout. Teacher Education and Special Education, (24)1, 5869. Frawley, D. (1996). Ayurveda and the mind: the healing of consciousness. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press. Goodman, S. (1990). The book of Shiatsu: the healing art of finger pressure. New York: Avery Publishing Group, Inc.

Harkins, T. (2014, February 12). Dangerous use of seclusion and restraints in schools remains widespread and difficult to remedy: A review of ten cases [United States Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Major Committee Report]. Retrieved from http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Seclusion%20and%20Restraints%20Final%20Report.p Hastings, R.P., & Brown, T. (2002). Coping strategies and the impact of challenging behaviors on special educators’ burnout. Mental Retardation (40)2, 148-156. Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexander, VA: Association for Curriculum Development. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York: Dell Publishing. Klinger, J., & Vaughn, S. (2002). The changing roles and responsibilities of an LD specialist. Learning Disability Quarterly, 25(1), 19-31. Koehler, G. (2001). Stress management exercises for professionals and students. Strategies, 15(2), 7-10. Kovalik, S., & Olsen, K. (1998). How emotions run us, our students, and our classrooms. NASSP Bulletin, 82(598), 29-37. Krieger, D. (1976). Healing by the laying-on of hands as a facilitator of bioenergetic exchange: The response of in-vivo human hemoglobin. International Journal for Psychoenergetic Systems. 2(163). Krieger, D. (1986). The therapeutic touch: how to use your hands to help or heal. New York: Prentice Hall Press. Kyriacou, C., & Sutcliffe, J. (1979). Teacher stress and satisfaction. Educational Research, 21(2), 89-96. Lamar-Dukes, P., & Dukes, C. (September, 2005). Consider the roles and responsibilities of the inclusion support teacher. Intervention in School & Clinic, 41(1), 55-61.

Liungman, C.G. (1991). Dictionary of symbols. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. Maskell, B., Shapiro, D.R., & Ridley, C. (2004). Effects of Brain Gym on overhand throwing in first grade students: A preliminary investigation. The Physical Educator, 61(1), 14-22. Matthews, B. (1978). The Herder symbol dictionary. Wilmette IL: Chiron Publications. McClure, V. (2000). Infant massage: a handbook for loving parents. 3rd ed., New York: Bantam Books. McLeskey, J., & Waldron, N. (2002). Professional development and inclusive schools: Reflections on effective practice. The Teacher Educator, 37(3). 159-172. McPherson, G. (2014, November 11). Climate-change summary and update [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://guymcpherson.com/climate-chaos/ Montagu, A. (1986). Touching: the human significance of the skin. 3rd ed., 1986, New York: Harper and Row. Moyers, B. (1988). The power of myth. Doubleday Publishing Group. Nagel, L., & Brown, S. (2003). The ABCs of managing teacher stress. The Clearing House, (76)5, 255-258. Nichols, A.S, & Sosnowsky, F.L. (2002). Burnout among special education professionals in selfcontained cross-categorical classrooms. Teacher Education and Special Education, (25)1, 7186. Rowland, A.Z. (2010). The complete book of traditional Reiki. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press. Shang, C. (2001). Emerging paradigms in mind-body medicine. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 7(1), 83-91. Smith, J.C., O’Connor, P.J., & Crabbe, J.B. (2002). Emotional responsiveness after low- and moderate-intensity exercise and seated rest. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34(7), 1158-1167. Stenger, V. (2014). Energy medicine [Essay]. Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Medicine/EnergyMed.html U.S. Department of Education (2014). Office of Civil Rights [Data collection]. Retrieved from http://ocrdata.ed.gov University of Miami Medical School Touch Research Institute (2014). Research at TRI [Report]. Retrieved from http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/Research.html Wardell, D.W., & Weymouth, K.F. (2004). Review of studies of healing touch. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 36 (2), 147-154. Williams, K., & Poel, E.W. (2006). Stress Management for Special Educators: The SelfAdministered Tool for Awareness and Relaxation (STAR). TEACHING Exceptional Children

PLUS, 3(1) Article 2. Retrieved from http://journals.cec.sped.org/tecplus/vol3/iss1/art2 World Health Organization (2014). Preventing suicide: A global imperative [First WHO World Suicide Report]. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention Zabel, R.H., & Zabel, M.K. (2001). Revisiting burnout among special education professionals: do age, experience, and preparation still matter? Teacher Education and Special Education, (24)2, 128-139.

Other Books in This Series The STAR Method: Self-Healing, Transformation, Awareness, and Realization *

Module 1 Self-Healing with Therapeutic Touch *

Module 2 Healing Others with Therapeutic Touch *

Module 3 Realizing Your Life’s Mission on Earth *

Module 4 Mentoring Future Generations *

Module 5 Expressing Your Highest Truth *

Module 6 Activating Your Intuitive Awareness *

Module 7 Receiving Guidance from Your Highest Source

Invitation to Review This Book

Your reader reviews are important to me! If you liked this book, please help me by providing your review on Amazon. Your honest feedback is always appreciated and will help me make the next book in this series the best it can be. In exchange for providing your review, I would like to provide you with a free Life Reading on my website. To find out more about this free offer, please click here. If you found the information in this book helpful and would like to pass it along to friends and family, you are invited to share and comment on social media: Facebook Twitter Thank you!

About the Author

www.ParamaWilliams.com Parama K. Williams, MA, CMT, CYT is a published authorwith a Master of Arts in Education and fifteen years of international experience as a Certified Massage Therapist and Yoga Teacher. She is an avid practitioner of yoga and meditation. As a classroom teacher and consultant in public and private schools for over a decade, Parama specializes in educational interventions for children and adults of all ages who are diagnosed with a variety of developmental and learning disabilities. In 2012 she conceptualized and founded The Farm School, a network of experiential learning centers in Central America that emphasize practical skills training for the health and wellness of the community and the land. Parama currently lives in Central America, where she writes, provides therapeutic massage and bodywork, and offers ongoing wellness retreats, classes, and seminars. On her blog, she provides intuitive “Life Readings” to help people discover their unique life’s mission. Contact the Author: Facebook.com/ParamaYogaMethod Twitter.com/ParamaWilliams