[responsivevoice]Working at the rehab, I spend a lot of time helping my clients develop healthy avenues for ensuring good mood and serenity.

I’m talking here about learning to protect their entire psychophysiology on a day-to-day basis. There will always be outside, contributing factors in life over which you have very little control, which are best negotiated by your higher self. If your body and mind are compromised, you are not going to be able to function in any kind of impressive manner. You cannot support your own greater good unless you are approaching events from a place of well-being. Nervous agitation tends to impair your sensibilities and good judgment. It turns your thoughts negative, hard to harness. How could that have any value?

You do not have to be incarcerated in a rehab in order to learn to take responsibility for your own self-care.

It may take time to figure out what works for you, but with awareness and education, you can give your spirit regular boosts. If tennis or a hot game of bridge does something valuable for your mind/body constellation, feel free. Just make sure your pastimes are supporting your best self.

I personally guard my mood ferociously. I do whatever I can to stay cheerful. I have found many precious gifts in the world of alternative medicine, which I have studied in many forms over the last decades. I feel deeply honored with every taste of this wide range of interventions and techniques. From the Bach Flower Remedies to reflexology, from Twelve Step Recovery to meditation, there is so much out there.

Lucky me, I have been meditating every day of my life for the last forty-five years. The name of my practice is Transcendental Meditation. I got my mantra, a.k.a. my Sanskrit “password”, and I have been faithfully saying it all this time. I wonder where I would be today without it; probably much less successful as a human being.

Isella, my dear mind-body practitioner, helps me get in touch with where in my body I’m experiencing a possibly blocked emotion. We have worked together for six years and I look forward to every appointment. I love what comes up when I’m in her clinic, eyes closed, having a physical sensation generated by my psychic state. It has helped me enormously to understand myself over the years and the more I understand what’s going on with me psycho-physiologically, the better I am at helping my clients raise their awareness of self.

Let’s not forget the Bach Flower Remedies, which I talk about at great length in my book, When Sane People Do Insane Things. I cite numerous case studies in which the remedies are the guiding stars to recovery. I use the flowers to straighten out some of my more pesky character flaws. Some of these flaws have been staring me in the face for years, glossed over and ignored by an Ellie too lazy to work them out. When I’m fortunate enough to identify one of these little rascals, the remedies jump in and give me an opportunity to refine my character.

About twenty-five years ago, I studied aromatherapy and found it to have real psycho-physiological benefits. There is no question in my mind that essential oils make a valuable contribution. They can activate the brain as well as promote safe and restful sleep. I’ve seen wonders in adults with ADD who, just by taking a whiff of lemon oil or mint oil, concentrate in a much more efficient manner.

As for physical self-care, dear, precious Bat-Chen gives me massages once or twice a month from the soles of my feet to my scalp. Her magic hands, loving and healing, help me iron out the kinks. As I age, this or that aches and often Bat-Chen has the knowledge to get right to the source of things. She is a lovely human being and it’s always a pleasure to work with her.

I must also acknowledge my acupuncturist, Hila, who is the consummate practitioner of Chinese medicine. Her knowledge is vast and authentic. We have a very tender mutual admiration society going on. She loves and respects me as much as I do her. It has been my distinct privilege to know and work with Hila for the last thirteen years.

We abandoned a decade ago my taking the Chinese herbs that are also in her repertoire. For some sad reason, they didn’t help me with whatever was ailing at the time and in some unfortunate cases made me feel worse. These days, we stick to the needle therapy and some deep tissue massage. The needle therapy is good for pain and any chronic ailments.

If I didn’t know about all these delightful possibilities, I might very well suffer from an interesting range of pains in my body or soul. I thank God every day that I have been educated and that there is so much information available today on the internet. I marvel at how many sources are so easy to access.

I advise anyone who is reading this to do a personal scan, mind and body, and come up with some issues that beg for healing.

Then find some interventions that seem worthy and plausible. Give them a try. They just might help you. Wouldn’t that be a reason to celebrate?[/responsivevoice]