Good Day, to you Ready Nutrition Readers! I’m presenting a special piece to introduce you to an all-encompassing method of alternative healing that you may wish to consider as an addition to your preparedness resources. This Total Body Healing method has its roots in ancient disciplines carried on in traditional naturopathic practice for thousands of years, and refined to its present state. When disaster or societal collapse occurs and the healthcare system is nonexistent, preppers and survivalists will be forced to rely on themselves and their families. Here is another discipline for you to learn about that may make the difference for you and your family in those times.
For more than 30 years, Mrs. Bonnie Mickelson of Columbia Falls, Montana has practiced this discipline with her Total Body Healing approach. The system is a combination of Reflexology and Acupressure, along with Body Typing that identifies and assesses major problems and bases actions according to a person’s patient history and body type. I conducted an interview with Miss Bonnie to cover the finer points of the system and how simplistic are the actions utilized in its approach. Miss Bonnie explained to me what the goal is regarding her system: you can do it yourself! She said that after learning the basic fundamentals, anyone could pick up reference materials and perform these actions on their own.
Readers, keep this in mind. In the way of equipment the system does not require much, and it is not dependent on any type of electrical power or complex technology. Reflexology in the traditional sense works by way of stimulating the reflex areas of the hands and feet that correspond to the glands, organs, and nerve centers of the human body. Its roots can be found in the tombs, or mastabas of Ancient Egypt with inscriptions and hieroglyphics that detailed the practice. In our era a physician by the name of Dr. William H. Fitzgerald published a book in 1917 entitled “Zone Therapy, or Relieving Pain at Home.” Dr. Fitzgerald’s work detailed the practice of this ancient healing art.
Fast-forward to 1981, and Miss Bonnie began her studies of Reflexology under Betty and Red Stapley, combining the other disciplines such as Acupressure and Body Typing with it to produce her Total Body approach. She is currently a Licensed Massage Therapist, board-certified by the State of Montana with extensive training and certifications as a Body Type Counselor, Acupressure Therapy expert, and Relexologist. Her Reflexology follows the Ingham method (compiled by Dwight C. Byers) that focuses on pressure points on the major areas of the body, especially the hips.
Reflexology performs several functions toward the goal of improving homeostasis and promoting wellness in the body:
- Relaxing of tension – dealing with the body’s reactions to stress, the cause of more than 75% of diseases
- Improving the nerve and blood supply – this is accomplished through the relief of tension on the nerve fibers than interconnect throughout the body and its various organ and muscular systems
- Promoting a return to homeostasis – by stimulating the glands and nerve endings to function appropriately and return to a normal balance and operating function
Reflexology works through 10 longitudinal zones in the human body, having their beginnings in the feet. Miss Bonnie’s system begins with the feet in an assessment as a precursor to the overall therapy in order to determine an individual’s problem areas. Her saying is “Feet first to get over with the worst,” in the assessment which (I am here to tell you from my own experience!) is comprehensive and at times holds slight discomfort: a necessary requirement to assessing the body system.
Miss Bonnie then asks pertinent questions regarding physical history for the Body Typing assessment. This assessment follows after the methods of Dr. Elliot D. Abravanel, M.D., and his system categorizes individuals according to 4 types of endocrine glands to identify the dominant gland that makes up a person’s body type. Such is based upon physical appearance, habits, and diet. By assessing a person’s problems utilizing the Reflexology and then tying in their habits and history by body type, Miss Bonnie is able to correctly identify the areas of difficulty and follow a course of action.
Therapy is performed by the Acupressure as mentioned previously in combination with a hothouse and reflex machine and massage therapy methods prescribed by the State and through Reflexology to promote wellness. Each individual’s needs forms the basis for the modality followed under the system. In the coming months, I am going to present various cases and ailments that Miss Bonnie has faced as feature articles to outline the discipline and illustrate how well the system works regarding holistic health and naturopathic medicine.
A final few words on the overall system: Miss Bonnie is a devout Christian who follows after the healing aspects of the system without any metaphysical considerations, which conflict with her Christian beliefs. Just to make the Readers aware: the system is steeped in traditional practice and naturopathy that has its roots in science, medicine, and practical experience and does not follow after anything that is not rooted in practicality.
Miss Bonnie offers classes online and also instructs in such locales as the Community Colleges and the Montana Veterans Home, and she is fully recognized by the State of Montana and accredited for her course toward continuing education in the traditional health care system. Her website is as follows: www.bonniesreflexology.com, and her e-mail is bonniesreflex@yahoo.com. For further reading on the subject, I submit the two aforementioned works as follows:
“Better Health with Foot Reflexology,” by Dwight C. Byers
“Dr. Abravanel’s Body Type Program,” by Dr. Elliot D. Abravanel, M.D.
We will be bringing detailed articles of how Reflexology works for different ailments as mentioned earlier and tying them in to occurrences that may be commonly experienced during a grid down and societal collapse event. This article has been presented for informational purposes only, and is not meant to assess, diagnose, treat, or prescribe any action outlined within. Consult with your licensed family physician before pursuing any action as mentioned within the scope of this article.
Guys and gals, more is to follow, and you be sure to check out Miss Bonnie’s website if you get the chance. Have a great day!
JJ
This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on June 11th, 2015
