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| 12.30.04 Times-Ledger Papers |
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The knots are forming in your shoulders, you realize just how tired you really are and the first signs of a headache are threatening. Still, for many of us, slowing down to focus on one's self, meditating, or getting a massage just does not fit into our schedules. But, pause for a moment to answer, "How important is your health and well-being?" Such is the question being posed by Hands-On Health Wholistic Healthcare Center and other similar Queens businesses.
Walk into the center at 119-40 Metropolitan Ave., Concourse 102 in Kew Gardens and you will be met with soothing cerulean walls, entrancing natural oil aromas, and a sign that politely encourages quiet for the sake of the clients currently receiving the benefits of holistic therapy. Joan Stenzler, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist experienced in stress management, meditation techniques and Kripalu Yoga works at Hands-On and wholeheartedly believes in holistic methods for dealing with stress. According to Stenzler, holistic healing is the "deliberate exploration of all aspects of one's self that enhances health and vitality from the inside out."
Established in 1990, Hands-On provides the tools to help clients accept "responsibility for one's life and health" through education and prevention. Hands-On offers a host of services including acupuncture, massage therapy, psychotherapy, Reiki (a non-invasive Japanese remedy that facilitates stress reduction and relaxation), Chinese herbal medicine, life coaching, meditation, and women's health counseling. Prices range from $75 for a session to $225 for a counseling program. While the center does not accept insurance as payment, some of their patients have been partially reimbursed. Learn more about the center's methods on addressing stress by calling 718-847-7278 or by visiting the Web site at www.hands-onhealth.com.
While long-term focus on stress relief is optimal, here are some quick remedies for reducing stress immediately:
Sit down for 60 seconds and just do nothing.
Close your eyes and focus on your breathing for 1-2 minutes.
Put on some of your favorite music and sing along.
Commit to purchasing wrapping paper and boxes during after-holiday sales for next year.
Break your next tasks for the rest of the day into smaller, manageable sections.
Do not judge yourself because something did not work out as anticipated.
Recognize that what is done, is done.
Research reveals stress can be divided into three main groups:
1. Acute: Caused mainly from daily situations such as being late to work, getting to the bank just as it closes, or having a flat tire and realizing you do not have a spare. There is usually no extensive damage but there can be emotional distress and physical symptoms that come as a result.
2. Episodic acute: Occurs when one in a constant state of chaos or crisis. The person may often be ill-tempered, irritable, and anxious, possibly coming across as hostile in inter-personal relationships.
3. Chronic stress: Grinds away at a person over time and is often not noticed until long-term emotional, physical and/or mental damage has occurred. Stress has been cited as contributing to dozens of illnesses including depression, asthma, hypertension, phobias, and coronary heart disease.
According to Stenzler and others, holistic practitioners treat the symptoms of illnesses, as well as look for the underlying cause of an illness. Holistic healing is not meant to replace your regular medical care.
Shaly Sharma, a holistic health counselor at Hands-on, said the ideal situation would be to work in closer collaboration with other professionals. For example, if there is a certain pre-existing medical condition such as hypertension, a patient would be directed to his physician for treatment as a complement to the holistic therapy.
Queens offers several choices for holistic treatment. Maureen Simpson, a holistic nurse (www.peacefulsolutions.com) also sees patients at Hands-on, as well as at Family Chiropractic Offices at 110-45 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills. Holistic Touch at 20-30 College Point Blvd. in College Point can be reached at 718-939-5673 and offers a variety of massages to relieve tension and address stress-related discomfort. Footwork by Marivella in Astoria provides reflexology treatments "to encourage the body to naturally correct and balance." Learn more about those services at www.marivellareflexology.com.
Even if the holistic approach is not your first choice, you have to care enough about yourself to do something to make the necessary changes. First, identify the sources of your stress and then how they manifest in behavior and physical symptoms. Then, decide to take action.
Each person must find what works best and put it into practice; holistic healers and others can help with making those steps. Not all stress is bad; it is how we cope and manage the stress in our lives that determines whether it is healthy or harmful. "You'll never find an answer until you seek something," Stenzler said. |
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