Mind-Mapping

Mind-mapping is a term coined by Tony Buzan to describe a creative thinking process that he has made world-famous. Tony Buzan is a teacher and author of many books on creativity, learning and memory. Mind mapping is a brilliant method of putting your thoughts into a visual format that encourages and fosters the process of thinking creatively. 

Mind Mapping Technique

You'll need some large sheets of paper and some colour pens (or you could use mind-mapping software programs). In the centre of your paper, you write down your starting thought, key idea or creative challenge. Now, you have a choice you can either systematically explore sub-ideas or you can just let your mind free flow and use your mind map to keep track of the ideas as they pop into your head. You can do both at different times.

The systematic approach to mind mapping involves creating branches out from your central idea, labelled with sub-ideas that relate to the central idea. So if you were mind mapping on the subject of, say, facials... your central circle would say Facials, then you would branch off with sub-ideas such as Skin types, Cleansing, Massage Techniques, Equipment, Tools, Products, Therapeutic Concept ideas, Facial Approach/Procedure, Marketing etc. This systematic approach can often end up being simply a way of creating a map of your knowledge of a subject -- but just seeing it in this format frees your mind to think creatively, laterally, dynamically on the subject. You start with your central idea on the mind map and you see what comes to mind next and you add that to the map with a branch line from the central idea to the new idea with a circle around the new idea. If that idea sparks other thoughts, you add lines and circles from the new idea to note down the other thoughts too. If you reach a dead end, you may go back to the central idea or to any other sub-idea that has occurred to you.

While Tony Buzan encourages the use of colour pens and little drawings as well as words on the mind map, you'll find which approach works best for you. Mind mapping is an extremely adaptable and useful tool for creative thinking.  

Vertical vs. Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking is not a substitute for vertical thinking. Both are required – they are complementary: lateral thinking is generative, vertical thinking is selective. For instance, during brainstorming meetings, you encourage lateral thinking during the first session to generate as much creative solutions as possible, and vertical thinking during the second session to select the feasible ideas.

In traditional vertical type of thinking (logic or mathematic), you move forward by sequential steps each of which must be justified.

You select out only what is relevant. You must be right at each stage in order to achieve a correct solution.

In lateral thinking, you may deliberately seek out irrelevant information - you use information not for its own sake but for its effect. You may have to be wrong at some stage in order to achieve an innovative and correct solution.

Reference: Tony Buzan, inventor of Mind Maps  http://www.buzan.com.au/

Have you ever considered that you spend approximately one third of your life sleeping? Assuming you live to be 70 years old, you've spent some 23 years asleep. Though some people don't remember their dreams, science has determined that everyone dreams during portions of their nightly sleep. 

Dreaming is the language of the mind during our nightly sojourns. It stands to simple reason that this time could be used wisely. Personal creativity is greatly increased by utilizing the information gleaned from the subconscious mind in dreams. It is also possible to learn to control your dreams, adding a whole new dimension to the sleeping experience.

The dream experience is perhaps the most creative form of consciousness that some people will ever experience. If you recall your dreams upon waking, you can take the symbols, images and adventures you experienced and discover what is going on at deeper levels of your psyche. This is incredibly valuable information that will improve creative potential immensely.

Lucid dreaming is an excellent way to harness creative mind and use its power to the ultimate. When you become aware in a dream that you are dreaming, and that you have the power to control the outcome of the dream, you have unlimited power. This is the basic definition of having a lucid dream. You are lucid that you are dreaming, but you have not awakened, therefore you can then interact with the dream state with conscious intent. Anyone can be taught to dream lucidly. There are a number of techniques for this, and reading the book Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge is an excellent beginning. He also has a web site with a lot of tools and information on how to approach this.

Article Source: The Lucidity Institute, Inc.  http://www.lucidity.com/

Except from: http://www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm

"The physical entities which seem to serve as elements in thought are certain signs and more or less clear images which can be voluntarily reproduced and combined." Albert Einstein

Image Streaming promotes whole brain functioning and therefore increases brain capacity for the creative process. This technique was created by Dr. Win Wenger and his Project Renaissance. He has also written a book titled "How To Increase Your Intelligence."

Doing this exercise will open up the higher cortical brain areas and allow you to become aware of your "inner witness."

The theory here is that if you are speaking aloud an experience that you are witnessing in your mind, with your eyes closed, you are actually causing the brain to make neural connections cross-hemispherically that were previously not there. In fact, most people never combine these two abilities, that of speaking while the eyes are closed in a process of visualization. Thus, the language centres on the front left brain are never cross-linked to the optical centres on the back right brain.

This technique accomplishes that neural linking. It is also important to use a tape recorder or a live person to speak these imaginings to. Listening to your own voice record your experience is a beneficial part of the process. If practiced for about 20 minutes each day, for at least three weeks, you will notice a marked improvement in your ability to process information. Your ability to visualize will also be strengthened.

Image Streaming Technique

1. 1. Sit comfortably with eyes closed.
2. 2. It is best to have a live person to speak to. But if this is not possible have a tape recorder in front of you. Describe into this tape recorder every minute detail of what you are experiencing. If you are having a fantasy, describe it aloud. If you see something, describe everything about it - its shape, color, etc. If you feel a physical sensation, describe everything about it. Even if these images are nonsensical to you, verbally describe everything about them.
3. 3. If you sense a smell describe it. If you are hearing anything in this picturing process describe it aloud.
4. 4. Continue this description of your inner experience for approximately twenty minutes.

The focus of this exercise is to use your verbal language skills simultaneous to using your optical visualization skills. New pathways of thought will be created in the brain. By creating these new neural connections you will greatly aid your creative potential

Less than two percent of our brains are involved in conscious thinking and experiencing. This two percent associates — we consciously think — in words. I say "sky" and you think or say "blue"; I say "table" and your response is likely to be "cloth" or "leg." Most of the time when you try considering to puzzle out some concern or question, you usually subvocalize in words.

In contrast, some eighty to ninety percent of your brain associates in sensory images instead — forty to forty-five times more of your brain by volume than the parts of your brain which do your conscious, verbal thinking.

Where, then, is the greater part of your intelligence to be found? — In that two percent or in that eighty-plus percent?

Not only by the amount of brain involved. Our conscious verbal brain is trained down by the speed of the language we speak, to go much slower and more ploddingly compared with the rest of our brain. Most of the rest of our cerebral cortex, topmost region of our brain, communicates point-to-point some ten thousand times faster than do the conscious verbal parts. The main, limbic, brain associates and communicates some ten thousand times faster than does most of the cortex — ten thousand times ten thousand — ten MILLION — times faster than does your conscious verbal mind.

Even more important, only a tiny part of our memory and experience are directly accessible to conscious remembering and use — and THAT access only by heavily edited executive summaries. Most of us expend huge effort and attention to trying to store in more highly retrievable form certain portions of experience (both in and out of school), and usually "lose" or "forget" most of that anyway.

In contrast, all or very nearly all of the experiences we've ever had, conscious or unconscious, are still in our living memory, highly accessible to our unconscious sorting and associating (and still coloring our thoughts, perceptions and choices even though we are consciously unaware of them).

Everything cited to this point is well-known, verifiable fact, long familiar to science after centuries of disciplined research into mind and brain. Also widely acknowledged these past several decades is the finding and observation that apparently every conscious thought and perception and action is preceded by relevant unconscious — "pre-conscious" — brain functions.

Image-Streaming
Learn it now—your most powerful mode
of thinking and perceiving
by Win Wenger, Ph.D. http://www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm

Mind Mapping Technique

You'll need some large sheets of paper and some colour pens (or you could use mind-mapping software programs). In the centre of your paper, you write down your starting thought, key idea or creative challenge. Now, you have a choice you can either systematically explore sub-ideas or you can just let your mind free flow and use your mind map to keep track of the ideas as they pop into your head. You can do both at different times.

The systematic approach to mind mapping involves creating branches out from your central idea, labelled with sub-ideas that relate to the central idea. So if you were mind mapping on the subject of, say, facials... your central circle would say Facials, then you would branch off with sub-ideas such as Skin types, Cleansing, Massage Techniques, Equipment, Tools, Products, Therapeutic Concept ideas, Facial Approach/Procedure, Marketing etc. This systematic approach can often end up being simply a way of creating a map of your knowledge of a subject -- but just seeing it in this format frees your mind to think creatively, laterally, dynamically on the subject. You start with your central idea on the mind map and you see what comes to mind next and you add that to the map with a branch line from the central idea to the new idea with a circle around the new idea. If that idea sparks other thoughts, you add lines and circles from the new idea to note down the other thoughts too. If you reach a dead end, you may go back to the central idea or to any other sub-idea that has occurred to you. While Tony Buzan encourages the use of colour pens and little drawings as well as words on the mind map, you'll find which approach works best for you. Mind mapping is an extremely adaptable and useful tool for creative thinking.

Tony Buzan, inventor of Mind Maps: http://www.buzan.com.au/

Deliberate Thinking

The quality of our lives is directly influenced by the quality of our thinking. If we spend most of our time fretting about the future or regretting the past, it will be nearly impossible to enjoy the present. On the other hand, if we fill our minds with positive thoughts and really work at savoring life as it unfolds, we will undoubtedly have a much happier and more satisfying life. And, because our mind is truly where we live, it is important to be deliberate about how and what we think. Deliberate thinking means looking around to see how an opportunity can be created. It is worthwhile to set aside time to deliberately pursue creative breakthrough. Visualisation can be enhanced with practice until it is rich and vivid like an inner movie. Words are useful but clunky when it comes to making creative breakthroughs. The old Chinese saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words" is so fitting to the subject of creative thinking. Pictures are shorthand for entire experiences that would take hundreds of thousands of words to describe. By thinking in pictures you can "travel" further and faster in your creative imaginings and your thinking can leap Universes. Deliberate thinking in pictures involves setting up a scene or thought experiment in your head and seeing how it runs.

Control of the breath greatly aids clarity of mind. Creativity is a product of a clear unobstructed mind. Creative problem solving is best accomplished when the mind is open to all possible solutions. There are many ways to achieve mental clarity. One effective way to achieve a creative solution quickly is controlled breathing.

J.L Read describes the breath as more than "just the air" we breathe. It is truly the breath of life, the vital energy of spirit. We can live without food for up to 30 days, without water for several days, but we cannot live without oxygen for more than a few minutes.

The brain responds to incoming stimuli according to its level of alertness. When we need a creative solution to a problem, we need as much inspiration as we can acquire. The word inspire is based on the roots "in" and "spire" or literally, to breathe in. To be inspired is to be full of the breath of life. Yogic disciplines teach that the air we breathe is full of "prana" or the spirit of life. The Chinese call this energy "chi". Thus to be inspired is to be filled with spirit. 

Creative Breathing Technique

Slow deep breathing, holding the breath momentarily between breaths. Holding the breath oxygenates the brain and facilitates clarity, as well as raises carbon dioxide levels. Deep breathing promotes alpha brain waves and relaxes the body and mind.

Another method is to breathe through alternating nostrils. The Chinese believe that the nostrils are an indication of hemispherical dominance. Whichever nostril you habitually breathe through can tell you which side of the brain you favour. One way to open the alternate side of the brain, to facilitate cross-hemispherical or whole brain thinking, is to breathe through the other nostril until it is opened. You can also hold one nostril closed, breath in, hold the breath for five seconds, and breathe out through the other nostril. If you practice this for about ten minutes you will markedly improve your mental clarity. You will also slow down your brain waves, from beta to alpha, thus facilitating intuitive, inspired thought.

Article Source: http://www.salonprofit.net

As a beauty therapists it is just human nature to want to do things right. We follow procedures, so that we can complete our task in the correct order from A-Z. However we must not be afraid to trust our instincts and follow our own unique perspective. There is much room for growth and discovery when you listen to your Soul. You can find clues in your history and experience. Be bold and daring to bring your own authenticity and creativity to your work. Recognize that it is normal for every industry to revise and update their methods and philosophy.

SCAMPER is an acronym created by Bob Eberle to represent a set of idea-triggering questions. Some of these questions were originated by Alex Osborne, the advertising guy who invented Brainstorming. You can use SCAMPER as an excellent creative thinking exercise. Generate new ideas with it. Come up with groundbreaking new concepts. Revolutionize your business. Start scamper-ing!

S.C.A.M.P.E.R - here's the breakdown:

S = Substitute? What can I get rid of, eliminate, or subtract? Think about substituting part of your product/process for something else. By looking for something to substitute you can often come up with new ideas.

C = Combine? How can I combine X with Y? What would happen if I combine this idea with that idea? Combinations of related or unrelated ideas can achieve a new method or enhance synergy.

A = Adapt? What could we change?

M = Modify? = Magnify? Exaggerate? Distort?

P = Put to other uses? A new purpose?

E = Eliminate or minify?

R = Reverse? = Rearrange? A different order? Ask "What is the opposite of this?" to find a new way of looking at things.

For a complete education in how to use SCAMPER, refer to chapter 9 of Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko.

Combining Ideas for Creative Thinking Breakthroughs

The Scottish philosopher David Hume said all knowledge boiled down to two sources – impressions and ideas. Impressions are direct experiences, whereas ideas are just memories of impressions. The brain can sort and combine ideas into complex creations that do not exist in reality. For example, the idea of mermaid combines the impressions “fish” and “woman”. Robert Frost said “an idea is a feat of association.” Or Francis H. Cartier: “There is only one way in which a person acquires a new idea: by the combination or association of two or more ideas he already has into a new juxtaposition in such a manner as to discover a relationship among them of which he was not previously aware.” It is therefore a myth to think creating is about making something out of nothing. Rather ideas are born out of combining patterns of thought by uncovering, selecting, re-shuffling, combining and synthesizing existing facts, ideas and skills.  Ideas are nothing more than developing something new from old elements. It can be interrelating ideas together, which have not been together. For example a pencil (an old idea) combined with an eraser (another old idea) forms a new idea, put the eraser on top of the pencil. (New concept patented by Hyman Lipman) 

It's a misconception that some people are not creative. The brain has a million brain cells, and has huge powers of creativity. Many people are just not trained to tap into their brain's creative potential. Thinking up a great idea may not be instant. Ideas take time to grow. Ideas need nurturing and thought. Exploration, thoughts and ideas can spark new ways of thinking. New uses can be inspired by old ideas. For example Gabrielle Perret Johnson took inspiration from the hot stones full body massage and developed a hot stones facial. Bringing in her therapeutic perspective of gems and minerals, Johnson decided to incorporate a variety of gemstones and developed the Euro-Stone Facial. 

Get out of your rut of doing things habitually without thinking. Welcome new sensations, experiences and ideas into your life. To cultivate creativity it helps to broaden your knowledge base. Read at least one book per month about a subject you are NOT interested in. Listen to a type of music you would not normally listen to. Make your life richer by introducing yourself to someone or something new. Most people are just not oriented to do anything about their ideas, while others believe it would take too much of their time and money to follow through to completion. This leaves the market place wide open for the person who learns how to "Create" and take action on Profitable Ideas!

Article Source: SalonProfit - Transform your Salon & Spa! http://www.salonprofit.net

Develop a Trend and Run with it

Research

When researching trends, you may notice premium coffee is a trend; you may research skin care and coffee, and discover that coffee is a great anti-cellulite ingredient when applied topically. If Spa memberships are the trend, there is no reason you too can’t jump onto the bandwagon. Being second, third, or twentieth is no less profitable. Explore the Globe for potential possibilities and opportunities. The seekers will always find a way to create a salon and spa concept. Whether it be American (Health conscious or fat conscious - Biggest loser Weight and cellulite reduction, Turkish (Hamam), Brazilian (waxing), Moroccan (Harem blend of essential oils and spices), Italian (Fango mud), African (Pygmy massages with African drumming)  or European (classic facial) or Asian (tearoom and yoga) inspired, anything goes in the world of Spa: Seaweed, Pilates, cures, tonics and rejuvenation, the choices are vast, glorious, indulgent, mystical and magical, High-tech or centuries-old healing traditions, philosophies and rituals. It is not unusual for Spa’s to fuse European and Asian treatments with fitness and pampering.

While spas were once the territory of women, new services have been added for children, teens, seniors, men, girlfriend getaways and pregnant women. 

Thinking Tool

Spend several minutes each day to dream up that salon experience idea, relaxed with your eyes closed. Pick any object that comes to mind and try to change it in your "mind's eye". Change it in every manner you can think of to improve it.

The following evening pick another subject or object and repeat the process. Soon you will be using your creative brain power. As your research, observation, knowledge, thinking and analyzing skills increase so will your bottom line.

You will be surprised what you can find and dream up. Ideas are changed, not by “will’, but by other ideas.

Innovation is coupled in some ways to imagination where every time you see something, you open your eyes to endless possibilities. Literally. According to Chuck Palus and David Horth, authors of The Leader's Edge: Six Creative Competencies for Navigating Complex Challenges, “you need to ―see with new eyes in order to find innovation.” 

Relaxation

Relaxation and creative thinking is much easier in a clean, neat, tidy, uncluttered space.

A clear mind is a problem free mind. Free space = free mind. Often a cluttered environment makes for a cluttered mind. Contemplate where you feel most relaxed – most at ease and consider why. Often it is a clear, open and airy environment with minimal distractions; somewhere you can really unwind.

Fun

Create an environment where your beauty team enjoys their work, and the team morale remains high. You need to exude excitement, and inject that passion so that your team also works with a high degree of energy and excitement. Every month or once every few months, plan fun activities with your team.

Creativity and imagination require that we play, that we be relaxed and free. Being overly serious can prevent even the most creative spirit, intimidating it into never speaking out.

Most ideas are sparked when you are relaxed and not thinking about getting an idea. When you are in the shower or going for a walk, an idea will pop into your head. See, hear or read, that is, receive an impression from something beautiful in nature, art, music, poetry, literature or your fellow-men. Think, feel or realize something in the direction of your ideals and in some way unite your dreams with your every-day work. 

Time and Discipline

Creative thinking takes time and patience. Go for a walk; go outside. When you are pressed for time you begin thinking small and only about things in the immediate future. Thinking big requires time, it requires dedicated attention and discipline that forces you to spread your horizons and open your mind to new possibilities and ideas. Pari Ali says, “Quiet thought, reflection observation and analysis opens much within our own minds, hidden knowledge that most of us carry unawares and sometimes something might just trip it though. Often people go to their graves carrying an undiscovered treasure within their own minds.” Ask many questions. Question the questions. Question the answers. Think and grow rich author, Napoleon Hill said “more gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has ever been taken from the earth.” It isn't the billions of ideas that pop up in the minds of humans around the globe that make money. Most ideas are fleeting "sparks" that go no place and are forgotten before the next day. Of the ideas that are good, very few are followed up and ever end up as a development in the market place.

© Belinda Meyer publishes information for the Salon and Spa industry. She offers helpful information relating to health, beauty therapy, spa treatments, skin care, hair and more. Want to know more? Visit www.salonprofit.net

Indian Head Massage
An Ancient Tradition For Modern Times
By Kamala Thiagarajan

The head is the crown of the body, the epicenter of all thought, action and life. Despite this, most bodywork therapies overlook the benefits of a soothing head rub.

Head massage, however, has always played a pivotal role in Indian life and was featured in early Ayurvedic texts that date back nearly 4,000 years. A concoction of warm oil and spices massaged in slow strokes over the scalp, accounted for an Indian woman's long, lustrous hair, a feature that brought her much admiration in social circles. Even today, in many parts of India this ancient massage technique is still an integral part of a woman's grooming routine - but having progressed beyond the aesthetic and superficial, it is now revered as the therapy of the future, one that can help clients effectively battle the rigors of modern living.

Spas around the world have begun to offer Indian head massage - and therapists in private practice are learning how easy, and rewarding, this technique can be.

Journey to the West
In 1973 Narendra Mehta, an osteopath and massage therapist, traveled to England from India to study physiotherapy. During the intervening years, he was dismayed to learn that most massages, even full-body massages, did not extend farther than one's neck and shoulders. Having grown to appreciate head massage as a way of life in India, he realized how much he missed the soothing sessions administered by the local barber and relatives back home. Visually impaired since early childhood, Mehta was extraordinarily receptive to touch therapy. In 1978 he decided to return to India to research the physiological benefits of head massage, and spent the next couple of years documenting the skills and traditions of this technique, giving it his own personal flavor and expanding it to suit Western tastes. He developed a technique that combined massage of the face and ears, chakra balancing and scalp massage. He named his technique Indian champissage, derived from champi, an Indian word meaning head massage. Today the technique is known as both champissage and Indian head massage.

In 1995 the London Centre of Indian Champissage International was born, with Narendra Mehta at the helm. Today champissage is one of the United Kingdom's most widely practiced complementary therapies for stress relief - and it's a concept that is catching on fast in the United States and Canada.

Deep relaxation
With today's lightening-paced lifestyles, stress and associated illnesses are our greatest maladies. Muscle pulls, migraines, tension headaches and toxic buildup in the body are all too common. Champissage, incorporating subtle chakra-balancing procedures that anyone can learn, is an effective way to rid our systems of the energetic debris of everyday life.

"The skillful placing of the therapist's hands on the upper three chakras - vishuddha, governing the throat region and its associated organs; ajna, the third-eye point, located on the forehead; and sahasrara the master chakra associated with the pineal plexus and found at the crown of one's head, combined with visual and auditory stimuli, allow the client's innate healing energy to rebalance and harmony to prevail," explains Mehta. "If a client is feeling a little sluggish mentally, I find that working with the crown chakra and the third-eye chakra simultaneously will enable them to feel more alert and able to release pent-up emotions."

Mehta's champissage treatment begins with massage of the upper back, shoulders, upper arms and neck to melt fatigue. This is followed by a scalp massage, which is a series of integrated techniques.

One of these, the windscreen-wiper technique, is designed to stimulate the scalp, improving blood circulation. The therapist places his hand over one ear, with the fingers splayed out over the forehead. Using the ball of the other hand, a light rubbing movement is carried out on that side of the head. It is then repeated on the opposite side.

The next technique is whole-hand friction. When supporting the head with one hand, the therapist applies firm pressure with the fingertips and heel of the other hand, moving the scalp up and down. This nourishes the hair from the roots and drains away tension.

Other techniques, such as ruffling, stroking, plucking and tapping the scalp and hair, prove to be profoundly relaxing. The techniques are performed in sequence, though a therapist may choose to spend more time on certain moves if this is likely to benefit the client. The massage then proceeds to the temples, which are rubbed in a firm, circular motion to relieve eyestrain and tension headaches.

Annet King is the director of training and development at the International Dermal Institute, an educational center generating awareness about skin care worldwide. When she first experienced Indian head massage, she felt that the relaxation effect stayed with her all day.

"It was as though I'd had a full-body massage," she says. "I had better mobility in my upper body, a clearer head and brighter, less sensitive eyes."

King then realized that if stress levels were reduced, natural outcomes would be glowing skin and a radiant face.

"There are specific pressure points on the client's face, which are gently stimulated during the latter stages of the massage. These are good for boosting circulation and lymphatic draining," she explains.

King introduced champissage into her school's skin-care and massage training.

"Our students are very happy with the technique. They report that the massage movements are deeply relaxing for their clients and have the added benefit of being very versatile, as they can be done through clothes and with the client seated in a chair," she says. "I personally feel that if Indian head massage really takes off in the United States, then the traditional chair massage will have some competition."

Heads-up to therapists
The nature of this therapy makes it especially popular among both spas and private practitioners. There is no expensive equipment required and very little by way of supplies.

"When I decided to open my own bodywork studio, I wanted to offer modalities that have phenomenal health benefits that the local clientele normally wouldn't find in southern New Jersey," says Jennifer Jennings Gini, owner of Absolute Haven Massage & Bodywork. "Since I have a background in massage therapy and am a believer in Ayurveda, I felt comfortable offering champissage at Absolute Haven.

"I realized back in anatomy class that the cervical/thoracic area was enormously influenced by the musculature in the subcutaneous scalp," she continues. "However, until I experienced champissage personally, I didn't have a modality that would alleviate those physical complaints originating from those areas, yet be such an enjoyable experience as well. Champissage fit the bill perfectly, and we've offered it from the first day we opened."

The biggest challenge private therapists face is getting a client past the foreignness of the modality. For this reason, sessions are often offered at about half the time and price of a traditional champissage, which usually lasts between 45-60 minutes. At Absolute Haven, the treatment costs $25 for 20 minutes and focuses primarily on the head.

"For those clients that are hooked, we just double the treatment time and include the full neck and shoulder/upper-arm areas as well," says Gini.

Denise Galone is a professional opera singer. She experienced Indian head massage from Mehta in New York City many years ago.

"My career leaves one with great physical tension in the back and neck area from holding the chest up and expanding neck muscles for long periods of time," she says. "This therapy was the first to give me relief of the muscular tension in those areas.

“During our session, Narendra Mehta asked me whether I would like to have a stimulating or relaxing massage,” Galone continues. “Since it was late in the night I opted for a relaxing massage. When it was over, I could barely make it to a taxi! I slept very deeply that night. The next day I couldn't wait to have a stimulating [Indian head] massage to see the difference. I discovered an alertness and energy that I had never before experienced. Again, I slept a deep, relaxed sleep."

This experience compelled Galone to study the techniques of Indian head massage in-depth and embark on her journey of healing. She also found that although she didn't have the strength required for the massage profession, that hardly mattered when it came to this therapy.

Today, she holds certification in head massage from the London Centre of Indian Champissage International. "I have given relief for simple tensions, major headaches and injuries, and even extreme emotional trauma," says Galone. "As a result, several of my clients have completely stopped or dramatically reduced their depression medication, with the consult of their doctors. There is compassion in the head work that doesn't exist in regular body massage, so it releases deep-seated physical and emotional stress more effectively," she says.

Tom Buteau, director of Massage Dynamics, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, traveled to India to learn the technique from its land of origin. Seated with a local barber in Varanasi, India's pilgrimage town, Buteau realized how subtle this touch therapy is.

"The difficulty lies in determining the lightness of the touch," he says. "The therapist must exert caution, because the concentration of sensitive points in the head region of the body can vary dramatically between two people. Too much pressure can make your client flee from the touch completely and too [little] will not open up” the marma points, or energy portals along the body.

Consequently, a slow buildup is recommended for balancing the chakra energy. This can be done by inserting movements that require greater pressure at the end of the session, when the client is better able to take it in stride.

Head massage as a spa therapy
Champissage in the West is a dry treatment, which makes it ideal not only for private sessions, but for airports, spas - virtually anyplace. However, most spas that offer this treatment will give clients the option of using Ayurvedic medicated oil. Warmed coconut, sesame, olive and vegetable oils are used in accordance with client preference.

Elemental Embrace is a spa based in Brighton, Ontario, Canada. Indian head massage is featured as Shirobhyanga therapy and was introduced on the spa's opening day, in late 2004. The treatment lasts 30 minutes and costs $45 Canadian (about $37 American).

"It is a favorite therapy among our clientele and is often the first experienced by our guests during their stay, especially if they have traveled great distances to reach our spa," says Jazir Teja, the spa's director. "Once they arrive, it is common for guests to want to increase the number of therapies they experience here. Indian head massage is relatively shorter than most and we can often fit it in during busier periods."

Ananda Yoga, Canada's only solely Ayurvedic destination spa, in Codrington, Ontario, has offered Indian head massage since 1999. It is performed in a very authentic way here, using Ayurvedic medicinal oils like bringaraja, bramhi and amla, which are rubbed onto the scalp. It lasts for a duration of 45 minutes and costs guests $100 Canadian (about $82 American). "I believe it is popular because it is a unique stress reliever, focusing on all the marma points of the head; this with the warm oils puts the client in a state of complete relaxation," says Jacinda Thomson, the spa's general manager.

In the United States Indian head massage is becoming more popular at spas. The spa at the Mandarin Hotel in Miami offers this therapy as Oriental scalp massage.

"It was introduced [at] the opening in 2001 and is very popular both as stand-alone treatment and addition to other treatments," says Pilar Spitale, the spa's communications coordinator.

Lasting 20 minutes, the treatment costs $65 and is often combined with the application of pink hair-and-scalp mud, which is said to be cooling and soothing. Some guests prefer to combine the head massage with a facial, and end with a neck-and-shoulder rub to enhance relaxation.

More spas are getting into the act. Enhance Face & Body Spa in Hartsdale, New York, introduced a scalp, neck and face body treatment last fall. Their marketing involved mailing brochures to their best clients, incorporating the history and healing effects of Indian head massage. The 30-minute session costs $45.

As awareness grows in leaps and bounds, many more spas and therapists in private practice are sure to realize the restorative potential of Indian head massage.

Author: Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist in Madurai, South India. She writes about health and fitness, alternative therapy and esoteric healing, and has been published in six countries.

Article Source: http://www.massagemag.com/spa/treatment/indianhead.php

Photon LED Skin Rejuvenation Device Physics is a system of light therapy has been used as an anti-aging high-end salons for many years. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists are now recommending the device for home use. Photo rejuvenation is one of the industries best kept beauty and secerts is a non-invasive treatment that can effectively reduce the appearance of aging skin without downtime. Praised in scientific journals Skin Rejuvenation Phyiscs Photon Light Therapy System is safe, effective and painless used for anti-aging, hyper-pigmentation and rosacea. Skin Rejuvenation Physics Photon Light Therapy System treats the skin with low voltage diodes (LEDs), which is measured by nanometers and skin physical 660nm.

A scientific experiment conducted by NASA on how to grow plants in space has led to the split is even more significant in the beauty industry has ever seen. NASA was not seeking ways to reduce wrinkles, but were surprised to discover that the LED lights as they experience a way of growing plants in space the astronauts have helped to recover more quickly from injuries . Now you can harness the power LED Skin Rejuvenation Light Therapy Physics Photo System hand held easy to use device at home for a fraction of the cost of a treatment room.

So how skin Physics Photon Rejuvenation LED Light Therapy System work?

Skin Rejuvenation LED Photon Physics works by emitting red light that penetrates deep into skin cells by providing energy. The cell converts light energy into fuels (such as photosynthesis), in turn stimulating the cells to produce proteins and lipids essential to build and repair the skin. This increased energy stimulates cells to produce proteins, elastin fibers and collagen lipids necessary to repair damage such as wrinkles, fine lines, pigmentation, sagging and all pores simultaneously.

When used in conjunction with the range Cellugen Cosmeceutical Skin physics included in the kit, you really can experience accelerated results for skin rejuvenation because the range of skin care active containing specially designed for maximum absorption to help stimulate the light receptors in your skin cells. It plays an essential role in the process of skin rejuvenation.

What are the benefits of skin rejuvenation Physics Photon LED Light Therapy System

-  It reduces the appearance of crow’s feet and expression lines, softening lines, folds and wrinkles.

– Promotes healthy circulation of the skin. No skin dull or lifeless.

– The appearance of your pore size will be minimized while Tonning and improving skin texture.

– Increases moisture and radiance of your skin.

– Accelerates skin repair – to strengthen the skin younger.

– Improves elasticity and skin texture. May increase stimulation of collagen by 200% within 24 hours.

-. Helps reduce skin hyper-pigmentation by equalizing the age spots, freckles and uneven pigmentation due to sun exposure or hormonal changes

– calm rosacea significantly reducing the appearance of redness comprehensive and rinsing.

– has beneficial effects on the skin inflamed and irritated …

> Wow look at all these advantages …

How often do you need to use the Photon Physics skin system LED light therapy? How long does it take?

In the first week of starting treatment, you should use the Photon LED Light Therapy System three times a week. In the second week of treatment should be completed twice a week until the 7th week. Then you can continue treatment once a week on an ongoing basis. Treatments can be performed more often on areas of your skin it needs. You just make sure you leave 24 hours between each treatment.

The Photon LED Light Therapy Device takes 3 minutes to complete treatment and the device has a countdown of 3 minutes so it will automatically tell you how long you have left. The device emits a beep every 30 seconds asking you to change the facial areas. It’s a good idea to separate the face into 6 sections and spend 30 seconds on each section. You can use it for another 3 minutes to process areas that need most attention.

Photon LED Skin Rejuvenation Physics system comes with an electric charger if you do not need batteries and is a simple device that is very easy to use. If you go or if you travel frequently the unit is lightweight and easy to carry.

ARTICLE SOURCE: ArticlesMax.com

Facial Rejuvenation

In 2009, more than 2.53 million facial rejuvenation procedures were performed in the U.S.New facelift technology uses ultrasound waves to tighten sagging skin.

Facial Rejuvenation

Over time, natural aging, gravity and exposure to the sun and other elements take their toll on the body. The effects are especially noticeable on the face.
 Fine lines eventually become deeper wrinkles and the skin becomes drier and thinner, and loses its elasticity.

Facial aging eventually catches up with everyone. But people don't have to live with it. Facial rejuvenation procedures are generally classified into one of
two groups. Ablative procedures, like chemical peels, dermabrasion and CO2 laser therapy, cause intentional destruction of the outer layer of skin.
Nonablative therapies, like IPL treatment, radiofrequency energy and pulsed dye  lasers, cause heat-induced injury in the dermis without damaging the outer
skin. Ablative treatments tend to provide the best results, but are associated with potential side effects, such as significant swelling, redness, infection,
and skin changes. While nonablative treatments have fewer side effects, they are less effective than ablative treatments.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimates in 2009, more than  2.53 million facial rejuvenation procedures were performed in the U.S. The
most extreme type of facial rejuvenation is a facelift. More than 94,200 facelifts were done in 2009.

Ultrasound for Facial Rejuvenation

Some physicians are now using Ulthera®, an ultrasound therapy, for facial rejuvenation. It's similar to the technology that's been used for years to take
 fetal images in pregnant women. First, the ultrasound transducer is placed over the target area on the face. The physician uses the images to "see" the
underlying structures. The target is a layer of tissue, called the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). The SMAS covers the underlying muscles and is
 connected to the dermis.

During the therapy, a fan-like array of high energy sound waves passes through the skin. Individually, each ultrasound wave is harmless. But inside the body,
the waves converge onto a single focal point. Here the combined energy causes the molecules in the target tissue to vibrate, generating heat. Matthew White,
M.D., Facial Plastic Surgeon with NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, explains the thermal damage causes a wound healing response in the SMAS,
causing it to tighten. The procedure is very safe because the ultrasound images enable the physician to monitor the effects of the treatment on underlying skin.

White says the effects of Ulthera are more subtle than those from other types of facial rejuvenation procedures. Patients often report feeling an increase in
 firmness in the skin right after treatment. Over the next two to three months, the skin will continue to tighten, gradually improving the results. White says
 usually only one treatment is needed. However, it can be repeated as necessary. Ulthera can be done on the whole face or portions of the face.

White says Ulthera is best for people with mild to moderate signs of facial aging. Although the therapy won't completely turn back the clock on facial aging, it can buy some time for patients who aren't ready for more invasive rejuvenation procedures. A single area of the face may take as little as 15 minutes, while a full facial treatment takes about 45 minutes. Side effects are minimal. Though some people have some mild pain and redness, symptoms are generally gone within 48 hours. In White's office, the cost of Ulthera starts at $1,500.

For general information on facial skin aging or cosmetic procedures:
American Academy of Dermatology, http://www.aad.org
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, http://www.surgery.org
American Society for Dermatological Surgery, http://www.asds.net
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gliklich, Richard, M.D., et al., "Clinical Pilot Study of Intense Ultrasound
Therapy to Deep Dermal Facial Skin and Subcutaneous Tissues," Archives of
Facial Plastic Surgery, March/April 2007, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 88-95.

Laubach, Hans, M.D., et al., "Intense Focused Ultrasound," Dermatologic
Surgery, May 2008, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 727-734.

White, W. Matthew, M.D., et al., "Selective Creation of Thermal Injury Zone in
the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Using Intense Ultrasound Therapy,"
Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, January-February 2007, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp.
22-29.

White, W. Matthew, M.D., et al., "Selective Transcutaneous Delivery of Energy
to Porcine Soft Tissues Using Intense Ultrasound Therapy," Lasers in Surgery
and Medicine, February 2008, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 67-75.

Research compiled and edited by Barbara J. Fister

Written by Kristi Runyon ABC 36 Team

ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.wtvq.com/health/7820-ultrasound-facelift