Smoking (Stopping) - Points 14/61

Yesterday, I instructed one of my clients on how to help herself to beat her smoking habit. Marie-France's protocol (p. 177) entails about 10 points; if that sounds like a lot, well remember, you only work on each point doing a dozen rubs or less in case you encounter a very tender area.
Knowing that it is not very easy for us Western minds to understand that we could enhance wellness by just working on some points on the body, I decided to mark only 2 points on a facial grid copy to be done whenever she is feeling tempted, or suffering withdrawal symptoms, in other words, to keep the homework to the bare minimum and thus make it irresistibly attractive and user friendly. I approach everybody depending on where I think they stand as that works for me as well; I presented the facial grid, then to further entice her (with the "layer cake" in mind - you will hear more about this next time), I cross referenced the points (as per Chapter 5: Correspondences, Effects, and Indications for Dien Cham Points; point 14 where earlobe meets the face area: page 201;), Warning: this point should not be stimulated in case of low blood pressure. This does not apply to my client; I read the main effects to her, such as, reduces blood pressure, anti-inflammatory, helps digestion (which is great since she reported that her appetite has increased), promotes salivation, relaxes... , I continued with the main indications, such as, stomach ache, indigestion and many more ... then I went on to point 61 in the nostril area: page 216 and read some of the main effects to her: produces endorphins, warms up body, reduces blood pressure, regulates muscular contraction (relaxes), anti-inflammatory, dissolves mucus, etc.; the main indications list, contains amongst others: abdominal pain, drug withdrawal symptoms, stomach ache, high blood pressure, eczema, Asthma, thumb pain, etc. in addition, Marie-France, gives detailed instructions on how to best work these points although just working them any way, would work...both my client and I were quite amazed reading these lists, nodding at times, and she thought I did a pretty good job enticing her to try out these points. I also was reminded that it is important to cross reference as there is valuable information in this Chapter 5, the most important being contraindications....

My Self Care Protocol

• A few days ago, I designed my Self Care Protocol using the facial grid that is provided in the book copying four of them onto a 8X11 sheet and using a different color for every protocol; I had fun and it looks very pretty; the protocols for Relaxation and Tone Up are copied on the back of the sheet; together they form the Basic Session suggested for daily use: I included additional protocols.

• My protocol entails the following: Relaxation/Toning Up (general) - i.e. Basic Session; Anemia; Fatigue (Chronic or General); Eyesight Troubles (general); (Beginning of a Cold ; I detected a sniffle - no wonder, with days of never ending rain and winds so strong that the Staten Island Ferry service was suspended on Saturday night and power outages throughout New York City - it is always good to have it handy or better yet to memorize it so you can do something immediately when that very first sniffle hits you).
  

This is what Marie-France says abut the The Beginning of a Cold: It is only necessary for you to be a little tired for a chill to penetrate. A while later the head cold starts with its usual first symptoms of a runny nose, itchy throat, and sneezing. You must boost your energy right away.
She also says this under Cold/Common: A Japanese saying has it that a cold that is neglected can open the doors to all kinds of sicknesses. Even if a cold usually leaves without a trace, we must remain alert to the possibility of complications, especially in children and older people, whose natural defenses are weaker. It is advisable to remember this and the fact that over hundred viruses come into play! So keep stimulating these pressure points...

• The idea is to do the session twice a day, morning and evening with the minimum being the Basic Session, Anemia, Eyesight Troubles...

As a yogi I am also interested in Chakra Balancing. I added the points which run vertically along the center line of the face to one of the grids in a different color.
The sheet (inside a plastic protection sheet) is now mounted on the bathroom mirror; parts of the protocol I will do more often if necessary: in addition, I also took photos with my black berry so I have my protocol with me on the run and thus will not have to miss a session if out late or early and I can not do it at home...

Marie-France Muller - a widely published author

Marie-France Muller is the author of about 25 books.
Two of her books are published in the U.S. (by Inner Traditions).

• Facial Reflexology A Self-Care Manual

• Colloidal Minerals and Trace Elements How to Restore the Body's Natural Vitality

http://store.innertraditions.com/Contributor.jmdx?action=displayDetail&id=1477

Re-reading for the Blog

Originally I had inquired with Marie-France whether she was blogging. She laughed and said that she could barely manage her in box. She generally travels a lot and does workshops teaching the method to the general public and others; when I met her last fall, she had been away from home (France) for more than a month. She was tired. And when I first contacted her in 2008, she was planning to tour Australia and was on the road even longer. The Reflexology Association of Australia invited her.
One day the idea of creating "something like a fan club" came up out of the blue after a yoga class. I ran it by her - she was delighted - I let the idea sit for a while: The solution came to me just like the fan club idea: I was to blog about her book, to read it a second time and put my findings into writing and offer a platform for others to share.
Reading the book for the first time and recognizing its potential, I wrote a short summary and incorporated the method immediately, e.g. the Energy Giving Massage, and the Frog on the Face have been helpful on many occasions.

Short History - Facial Reflexology/Dien Cham

Facial Reflexology has long been known in China, Japan, and other Far Eastern countries; however, in the 1980s major developments took place in Vietnam, namely, Professor Bui Quoc Chau, together with a team of doctors, research scientists, and acupuncturists developed Facytherapy in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). (Chapter I, Facial Reflexology - Marie-France Muller). Theory and Practice of Dien Cham to follow

What is "the frog on the face"?

In Marie-France's book, there is a diagram of the entire body superimposed on the face; it's the image of a body in breast stroke motion when the legs are in diamond shape right before they are extended again. When my friend Dan saw it, he exclaimed "oh, a froggie". It made sense to me as Dan has a pet frog which he refers to as "froggie."
"Frog on the face" stuck with me. Once you see the image, it is very easy to remember and I love seeing people's reaction to it. That marked more or less the beginning of me educating about the method (based on Dien Cham, a Vietnamese form of Facial Reflexology, and further developed by Marie-France Muller during the course of her own practice). I showed it to Dan so he could work on areas in his body in case of tension. Knowing that image is the easiest way to locate a tense area anywhere in the body and work on it via the face. Twice a day is minimum for chronic issues but more often if needed is better. He had told me about a treatment he was coming from in detail. The practitioner incorporated holistic elements. You should also do some self-care, I said and pointed at the image.

Marie-France loves "frog on the face" as title for the blog - I was hesitant for just one split second but deep down I knew she had a great sense of humor based on our correspondence... so the blog has been officially been blessed by Marie-France Muller herself - voila - off to a good start.

At the first sign of a sniffle...

Encountering the "frog on the face" - feeling smitten and energized

I had been curious about: Facial Reflexology - A Self Care Manual by Marie-France Muller, M.D., N.D., Ph.D. Immediately engrossed in it and somewhat in disbelief, I started rubbing on an area on my face that was connected to my neck and arms (as per the "frog on the face" image) following the instructions. There was an almost immediate shift in those areas; it was a somewhat magical moment. And it took less than a minute...I was smitten and energized.

(What had led up to this moment?: The air conditioner was blasting at Starbucks and I was without my essential garment, namely a shawl, ideally made from wool. It brought on a familiar pain in my neck, my right arm felt heavy. I must have hunched over the books and notebooks a bit as well, despite trying to pay attention to my posture (my inner yogi); I was in dire need of a break from my studies).

Here is the beginning and the link to the book:
Facial Reflexology A Self-Care Manual/Marie-France Muller
- translated from French to English by Ralph Doe; Illustrated by Rene Maurice Nault
Managing Your Own Health with Facial Reflexology
We are living in the strangest of times! In modern societies we try to teach our children to assume responsibilities for themselves and to manage their lives in the best possible way and we also try to stay masters of our lives and our choices. There is one area, however, where we do not retain control much of the time, and where officialdom intrudes increasingly... our health!