What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic Fibrosis is a disease which is inherited through the genes, and overall, it has a negative effect on the whole body. Most people who have Cystic Fibrosis, also known as CF and as Sixty Five Roses to children who cannot properly announce the name of the disease, will suffer progressive disability. Early death is also a part of CF.

When a person has CF, they have cysts in the pancreas, and often have difficulty breathing due to infections in the lungs. These are the two most serious effects of the disease. Other symptoms include frequent sinus infections, diarrhea, slow growth, and infertility.

What is Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy?

To understand cystic fibrosis gene therapy, you must first consider what gene therapy is overall. For gene therapy, genes are actually injected into the person’s tissues. There are two types of gene therapy. The first is Germ Line Gene Therapy and the second is Somatic Gene Therapy. Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy is Somatic Gene Therapy.

What are the Latest Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Developments?

In March of 1999, it was reported that gene therapy had the ability to improve one of the problems associated with cystic fibrosis. Fortunately, this was not the first breakthrough in this field, or the last.

Gene therapy first came into discussion in 1972, when it was first mentioned in a medical journal. Gene therapy was not approved in the United States, however, until 1990. In 2002, it was widely reported that there were dangers to this type of treatment, when some patients developed health problems that resembled leukemia. Despite this, the treatment was still used and improvements were made.

Unfortunately, in the case of cystic fibrosis, gene therapy may only be a temporary solution to a lifelong problem. It doesn’t always work, and when it does work, the results are not long term. The same is true, thus far, for all other health problems that gene therapy is used for.

It is also important to note that gene therapy works best for conditions that are caused by mutation of a single gene, as opposed to problems that are caused by the mutation of multiple genes, which is the case for cystic fibrosis.

The Benefits of Christian Counseling

Counselors of Christian counseling use prayer and faith as the foundation of their sessions. The philosophy is based on spiritual beliefs and ideals and that spiritual power can overcome secular problems.  These counseling centers have qualified counseling staff members who are able to address issues about human failings and critical questions in ways that will not contradict the client’s religious beliefs. When counseling is done by qualified professional counselors who understand and respect the clients religious upbringing and beliefs the client gains strength to face and resolve troubling situations and to cope with adversity in their lives.

What is Different about Christian Counseling?

Many of the traditional secular based counseling centers are not focused or do not grasp how important their spiritual beliefs are in deeply religious people. This type of person wants to gain understanding and emotional strength to face problems and cope with them, but they strongly need to remain true to the church doctrines while doing so.

This type of counseling follows the philosophy that the Bible provides strength and direction for dealing with personal issues.  It believes that healing, guidance and wisdom can be gained from the teaching of Jesus Christ and that these teachings are far superior to any manmade technique or interventions.  This foundation of Christian beliefs for the religious person can help them better receive and understand the issues and coping methods taught to them since they are based in their faith and Christian beliefs.

Who might benefit from Christian Counseling?

Faith based counseling services would be beneficial to anyone who want to live by their Christian principles. The ultimate goals of Christian counseling are to help the client move toward spiritual maturity, achieve a personal wholeness, and gain interpersonal competence and mental stability.  If you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety, depression, marital problems or other interpersonal issues Christian counseling may be able to help, especially if you are very religious and find comfort in your Christianity.

Christian counseling is for anyone who wishes to abide by the teachings and traditions of Christianity and those who put their trust and faith in God, but who are having difficulties and struggling to understand or cope with the stresses, anxieties and complicated issues of the human existence.

The most potent aspect of the Chakradance is the music. The seven major Chakras all contain their own unique danceable music reflecting their specific purpose. This music has been composed by professional musicians all round the world and its contribution to the seven major Chakras is that it opens the energetic gateways through which the body, mind and spirit become whole again.

Natalie Southgate

Chakradance was founded in London, in 1998, by Natalie Southgate. After moving to Australia, Natalie further developed this practice into the healing and energising dance it is today. She had always been passionate about dance and has gained certificates in Tap Dancing and Modern Dance. She is also an accredited energy healer, and healing therapist. Moreover, she has a diploma in Jungian Psychology, and is currently working on completing an MA in psychology.

Douglas Channing

A colleague of Natalie, Douglas Channing joined Chakradance in 2002 and has been working to further develop this healing practice ever since. Formally trained in classical ballet and a qualified fitness instructor, Douglas believes that creativity strengthens the body, mind, and spirit connection. In fact over the last few years Douglas has participated in a multitude of therapeutic practices including qi gong, dream groups, sand-play therapy, and polarity therapy. Douglas has found that in conjunction with Chakradance, these practices have not only worked to open him up creatively, but have also allowed for emotional and physical healing to take place within himself.

Chakradance Descriptions

The Dance of the Ancestors (Base Chakra)

The dance of the base chakra is inspired from tribal dancing. These tribal dances, practised amongst the indigenous people of Africa, North America and Australia, were dances which expressed and celebrated the people’s roots, grounding, and survival. The dance of the base chakra serves this same purpose and in this workshop there is a lot of emphasis on the movements of the legs and feet connecting the individual to the ground.

The Dance of Power (Solar Plexus Chakra)

The dance of the solar plexus chakra is a masculine, virile and athletic dance drawing inspiration from the warrior dances of Morocco, Spain, and Ancient Greece. This dance mimics the rhythmic art of fighting and works by arousing the inner warrior in the individual.

The Dance of Love (Heart Chakra)

The dance of the heart chakra utilises dramatic arm movements to create a state of harmony. This dance is inspired from dances in Ancient Spain, China and Egypt. It is a joyful and uplifting dance, symbolising balance, love and compassion.

The Dance of the Soul (Crown Chakra)

The dance of the crown chakra is a spiritual dance through which the individual opens the gateway to the soul. It is founded on many ritual dances practised by many different religions throughout history.

Chakradance Classes

The nine-week cycles are designed to aid individuals to discover, experience, and balance their own chakras. Following an introductory Chakra Dance session , each of the seven chakras is practised each week, with the last week dedicated to an integrated session. Music and dance are the main focus of these workshops; however, sessions also include working with the elements.

Kundalini

In Chakra Energy Massage, Kundalini is believed to be the creative energy reserve found at the base of the spine. The consciousness is spread throughout body from the spine rather than the head. Kundalini can also be thought of from a psychological perspective, where it is the source of a patient’s unconscious libidinous energy. The word itself is Sanskrit for ‘coiled up’, with connotations to snakes and femininity, and represents dormant energy with vast potential. Normally, it is symbolised by a serpent coiled into three and a half circles with its tail in its mouth and spiralling around a central axis that is a sacrum or sacred bone.

Chakras

Chakras have been divided up into different areas that correlate to properties in the body and emotional responses. These are:

Sahasrara — this chakra is believed to be the chakra of consciousness and is located at the crown of the head. It is believed to connect the central nervous system, and also secrete hormones that communicate to the endocrine system.

Anja — this chakra is is connected to time, awareness and light. It is believed to be responsible for the regulation of sleep through production of the hormone melatonin.

Vishudda — this is believed to be found in the throat, and is credited with communication and growth through expression. It is linked to the thyroid gland that produces the hormone for maturation.

Anahata — this chakra is related to emotions and equilibrium. It is believed to be located in the chest, and is responsible for the regulation of the immune system.

Manipura — this is related to the transition from simple to complex emotions, as well as digestion and the conversion of food into energy.

Swadhistana — this is also known as the sacral chakra and is believed to be related to basic emotions, sexuality and creativity. It corresponds to the testicles and the ovaries in producing sexual energy in the reproductive cycle.

Muladhara — this chakra is believed to be located in the region between the genitals and anus. It is related to instinct, security and survival, and as such is responsible for the fight-or-flight response.

Chakra (Energy Massage) Example

In Chakra Energy Massage, the patient is asked to lie on their back on a massage table, under a sheet. The practitioner then begins with a foot massage, before moving onto some reflexology that is designed to stretch all the body’s muscles and work out any knots, as well as balance the patient’s body and promote free-flowing energy. The practitioner aims to unblock the patient’s Chakras through massaging the points on the body that align with certain energy fields. A range of different techniques are then used to awaken the Kundalini. They are paired with intense Tantric breathing exercises designed to draw the Kundalini’s energy through the whole body. Not every patient is able to experience the awakened energy, but the treatments are catered to their individual physiques. By the end of the session, the patient is intended to feel relaxed, but also highly energised.

Learn more about how to use chakra through meditation.

Joyce Allsworth

Joyce Allsworth developed skin camouflage in around 1967 after serving with the WAAF throughout World War Two. She studied beauty therapy and theatrical make-up artistry, and worked in an outpatient clinic at St George’s Hospital in London, during which time she gather support to take her skin camouflaging method to the Red Cross. In 1975 a training programme was set up within the Red Cross, and Allsworth began training volunteers. The British Association of Skin Camouflage (BASC) was started in 1985, and was a place where patients could be treated without their doctor’s referral. BASC has since trained thousands of volunteers, and set up and international network.

Clinical Camouflage Make-Up Description

Skin Camouflage involves the application of a variety of creams and powders to the skin. They are designed to conceal any defects and discolourations by masking them at surface level. This treatment is intended to leave the patient improved immediately, and as obvious defects are covered, Skin Camouflage is aimed at also increasing the patient’s self-esteem and confidence. The treatment does not interfere with any medical treatment that might also be going on in the same area, and can therefore be used after plastic surgery, to cover bruising, and after major operations. Creams can last up to twelve hours on the face and body.

Clinical Camouflage Make-Up Techniques

Skin Camouflage has a range of techniques designed to give optimum coverage for discolourations. Concealers are a base that are thicker and more opaque than standard foundation — usually a cream colour matched to the patient’s skin tone. They are intended to cover incision lines from surgery, scars and bruising on the face or body. Colour correctors are mostly used to hide the effects of burns. They are usually tinted either green or purple in order to disguise the yellow and red of bad burns. Colour contouring is designed to correct the surface contours of the face, which may be affected after surgery. This treatment uses light tones to make surface depressions look shallower, and dark tones to make swelling or protrusions appear less severe. Patients are instructed to remove the creams from the face before bed using an oily cleanser, followed by soap and water.

Conditions Treated by Clinical Camouflage Make-Up

Skin Camouflage treatments are designed to cover conditions such as traumatic injury scarring, birthmarks, rosacea, vitiligo, permanent pigment problems, melasma, tattoos, spider veins (telangiectasia), leg veins, age spots, and dark under-eye circles. They are also used for the post-surgical concealment of reconstructive surgery, rotation flaps, skin graft discolouration, scar tissue, scar revision treatment, bruising, and burns. Along with this, Skin Camouflage is designed to reduce redness after chemical peels, dermabrasions, laser re-surfacing, and laser tattoo removal.

Benefits of Clinical Camouflage Make-Up

Skin Camouflage is not only about exterior image. It is also intended to make the patient more confident in their body image, which then affects all aspects of their life. Self-esteem has been credited with making people more socially active and community minded, as well feeling more positive about life in general. British studies have shown that people with major skin discolouration have been verbally abused in the street, rejected from social situations, and called derogatory names. This leads to anxiety, depression, unemployment and learning difficulties. Skin Camouflage is designed to better the quality of life for patients with serious skin defects.

Crystal Light Healing is founded on the crystal wisdoms of Egypt, the Mayan Civilisation, Lemuria, and the ancient Mystery Schools of Atlantis. Through sound and colour, the ancient art of the laying of crystals is utilised to promote harmony, and healing of the body, mind, and spirit.

Crystal Light Healing Theory

For centuries, the quartz crystal has been one of the most important and potent healing amplifiers on Earth. It releases and unblocks energy where necessary and also works efficiently on mental and emotional blockages, drawing out inappropriate attitudes and outmoded thought forms. The crystals then work by filling in the vacuum with the feeling of self-worth, confidence, and positivity.

Each crystal has a unique vibratory rate, and when this vibratory frequency comes into contact with a person’s own energetic frequencies, powerful physical and mental changes may take place within that person’s body. Moreover, through these changes, the individual opens up to their higher self and in effect begins to better understand their disease or the particular situation they are in.

Simone Matthews

Simone M. Matthews is a Spiritual Messenger and Metaphysical Teacher who has dedicated her life to awakening humanity and teaching people about the Spirit. Over the years, she has helped thousands of people exceed their limitations, heal their mind and body, and lead a life full of love, harmony, and peace. Besides twenty years experience in the study of metaphysics, Simone is also the founder of the Universal Life Tools Metaphysical School of Healing which offers two streams of study- Essence of Angels and Crystal Light Healing. These two streams of study are open to people of all ages and levels of experience, and are available within Australia as well as internationally.

Crystal Light Therapy Examples

During Crystal Light Therapy, the patient is laid down on a massage table with seven healing quartz crystals suspended a few centimetres above their bodies, all in alignment with the seven chakras. These energy points are then infused with coloured light, and the quartz then acts as a laser which directs energy in a narrow beam onto the energy centres on the front and back of the body.

Most patients find that this treatment is extremely relaxing, rejuvenating and peaceful. During a session it is also common for a person to experience an emotional release, and Crystal light Healing practitioners guide this release and bring love, peace and comfort to the patient.

Healing is a gradual process and continues for days to weeks after the session. In some cases practitioners also prescribe a particular essence or crystal to aid the person to heal more efficiently.

Crystal Light Healing Training and Workshops

Workshops in Crystal Light Healing are intensive and cover both the theory and application of crystals for healing. Each workshop consists of group work, practical exercises and time allocated for the practitioners to answer personal questions.

Since it is interconnected web encompassing the whole body, fascia may be the root of a variety of health problems. Tension the fascia of one part of the body spreads over time to other parts of the body. Connective Tissue Massage aims to release this tension in the fascia and thus generate improvements across a person’s whole body.

Connective Tissue Massage History

Connective tissue massage techniques have developed over a number of years. The term Connective Tissue Massage was used by German physiotherapist, Elizabeth Dicke, in the the 1920s. She had a medical condition whereby her legs were prone to coldness and the development of gangrene. Elizabeth Dicke noticed, while performing stretches of her lower back, that a feeling of warmth spread into her legs. Through progressive use of these stretches, the condition of her legs improved. This episode led Elizabeth Dicke to further develop an understanding of how connective tissue influences health.

The term Myofascial was introduced by Dr. Janet G. Travell in the 1940s. Later, in 1976, Travell would refer to Myofascial Trigger Points. The popular technique known as Rolfing is also related. This was introduce by Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1950s. Rolfing makes use of the Myofascial system in order to modify a person’s posture.

Connective Tissue Massage Theory

Connective tissue is present in the space between muscles and fibres, also forming a layer around blood vessels to protect them. Generally, this connective tissue can be thought of as a continuous elastic sheath providing structural support for the body’s organs and bones. Connective tissue, especially in some areas more than others, is delicate and may easily become damaged.

Connective Tissue Massage is targeted at increasing blood circulation to areas restricted by damaged tissue, so that scar tissue and knots may be broken down. Connective Tissue Massage also tries to get into the muscle tissue to treat deeper layers, help to heal areas of pain, tension and soreness, and improve general mobility and range of motion.

Connective Tissue Massage Example

Preliminary techniques are used to prepare for the connective tissue massage. The practitioner will test the body for reaction to different pressures, determining where treatment is most required. Oils and lotions may not be used by a practitioner of Connective Tissue Massage, as the strokes are different than those used in ordinary massage.

The connective tissue massage therapist will devotethe majority of a session towards releasing tension stored in the deep tissue structures of the muscle and fascia, relying on deep, intense strokes. Sometimes a chronic knot, or adhesion, will be discovered by the practitioner. This indicates that the patient may need to make series changes to their lifestyle in order for the knot to be permanently eliminated. Although massage therapy may lessen the tension stored in the knot, the patient should ensure that he or she actively resists storing tension in that area of the body.

Connective Tissue Massage Benefits

Connective Tissue Massage is popular with dancers and athletes as a natural means of enhancing performance. It may also help in the prevention, and rehabilitation from, many types of injuries.

Chi Walking Bio

ChiWalking and ChiRunning were developed by Danny Dreyer, whose work was influenced by his study of Tai Chi with Master George Xu, and Master Zhu Xilin. Dreyer has 35 years of experience in racing Ultra Marathons (races longer than marathons), running and training people in "intelligent movement". He has raced distances that range from 10K to 100 miles, and has participated in 40 Ultra marathons, finishing in the top three in all but one. Moreover, he has taught thousands of people the practice of ChiRunning and ChiWalking with profound results.

Besides regular exercise, Danny has also lived a holistic and meditative life for over 30 years. His practice focuses on healthy eating, rejuvenating activities and physical activities, and whether he is coaching a runner or a corporate executive, his teachings enable people to tap into their inner strength and power.

Chi Walking Description

The ChiWalking program teaches people the bio-mechanics of walking founded on the principles of Tai Chi. Therefore, the program encourages loose joints, good posture, and relaxing the peripheral muscles of the legs and arms. Walking suddenly becomes easier, and consequently aches and pains caused by walking incorrectly disappear.

ChiWalking, however, is not only aimed at tackling the physical aspect of the body. With such an extensive background in Tai Chi, the program addresses the needs of an individual’s whole being providing the opportunity for spiritual exploration and the integration of the body.

ChiRunning is based on the same principles as ChiWalking, the only difference is that the former is focused on the activity of running. In fact ChiWalking was developed out of the wish of thousands of runners, who wanted to share their knowledge with walkers.

Chi Walking Five Mindful Steps

The Five Mindful Steps, the basis of the ChiWalking program, serve to reinforce the body-mind component throughout the practice. Get Aligned is the first of these steps, and it encourages the individual to physically get aligned with his/her posture, and mentally with his/her intentions. The second is Engage Your Core, which requires the individual to engage his/her core with his/her lower abdominals, and mentally by using his/her will power. The third step is Create Balance, in which the individual physically creates balance between his/her upper and lower body, and mentally by creating a balanced fitness program. The fourth is Make a Choice, encouraging the individual to physically walk differently, and mentally to create health. And finally the fifth step is Move Forward, through which the individual is encouraged to physically move forward with ease and grace, and mentally by premeditating the next step.

Chiron Healing Bio

Chiron Healing was developed by Jan Thomas, formerly known as Jan Trenorden, in the 1970s. She currently lives in Queensland, but devised Chiron Healing in Warrnambool, Victoria, where she would meet with a small group of health-care professionals to discuss and teach about human energy fields. Thomas is not only a master practitioner of Chiron Healing, but has also written a number of manuals outlining the technique Chiron along with other books on healing method and philosophies based on ancient energy beliefs.

Chiron Healing Description

Chiron Healing is taken from the ancient myth of Master Chiron, who was the teacher of healers, philosophers, astrologers, writers and artists, among other things. In recent history, Chiron Healing has been associated with the Aesculapian Healing Temples. The treatment is designed to aid not only physical problems, but also past and present emotional or spiritual trauma. The healing is intended to effect all three levels together to harmonise the body. Patients and practitioners learn how to access etheric patterns, maintain healthy energy flow, introduce daily techniques into their lives, and build a knowledge of Chiron that allows them to encourage all round well-being.

Chiron Mythology

Chiron Healing is named after the figure in Greek mythology, Chiron or Cheiron, who was a centaur. He was intelligent, civilised and gentle, which led to his being outcast by his peers, who were all rowdy drinkers who tended to get violent when intoxicated. He became known for his medical skill, his astrological mastery, and his prophetic ability. Chiron was also believed to be the last centaur, and taught many other mythological figures like Aesculapius, Aristarchus, Ajax, Aeneas, Actaeon, Caeneus, Theseus, Achilles, Jason, Peleus, Telamon, Heracles, Oileus, Phoenix, and in some stories, Dionysus. In the story of his death, Chiron sacrificed his own life, after giving up immortality, so humans could have the use of fire.

Chiron Comet

2060 Chiron was discovered by Charles Kowal in 1977, and was part of an entirely new class of heavenly bodies called centaurs with an orbit between Saturn and Uranus. To begin with, 2060 Chiron was classed as an asteroid, but then some scientists believed it to be a comet. Today it is classified as both. It has a very unique orbit, and measures about 150 km in diameter.

Chiron Healing Philosophy

Chiron Healing is based on the idea that there are three levels to everything — the etheric, the physical an the emotional. The treatment aims to address all three through the use of flower essences , essential oils, gem essences, etheric healing and surgery, colour, sound, form, mending schisms of feelings and emotions, and teaching how numerology, astrology and mathematics affect the body. The principles of Chiron asks the patient to learn self truths and recognise the difference in their body and that makes it unique in order to access and act upon these truths. Visit the home of IACHI online, the International Association of Chiron Healers Incorporated for more information.

Clinical Ecology draw on the work of Theron Randolph, a leading 20th century allergist. It is an area that is continually evolving, as people come to better understand the effects their environment upon their health. Clinical Ecology is also known as, or related to, Toxic Injury (TI), Chemical Injury Syndrome (CI), Chemical Sensitivity (CS), 20th Century Syndrome, Sick Building Syndrome, Environmental Illness (EI) and Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance.

Theron Randolph

Theron Randolph, a USA born allergist, researcher and doctor, lived from 1906 to 1995. During his career he wrote four books as well as some 300 medical articles. Co-founding, in 1965, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, Randolph was one of a number of American allergists who objected to the idea that allergies should be diagnosed from a person’s blood sample, rather than by looking at the person’s environment.

Theron Randolph helped found the Nutrition for Optimal Health Association (NOHA) Professional Advisory Board. This was part of his effort to educate people about the impact of environmental on health. He is considered to be a pioneer of ecological perspectives in medicine.

Theron Randolph observed that a number of his patients were falling ill due to environmental exposures such as househould chemicals, pesticides in food, auto exhaust and gas stoves. Dr. Randolph noted that his patients would recover from their illnesses, even their symptoms had been chronic, once the environmental exposures were removed. And only when the environmental conditions were reinstated would the health problems would return.

In 1949, Theron Randolph went before the FDA and requested that all ingredients used in processed food be listed on the package. Due to taking such a stand, which was controversial at the time, a great deal of pressure was placed on him by the medical establishment, but Dr. Randolph was never deterred from his work.

Clinical Ecology Description

Although clinical ecologists do make use of skin and blood tests, they do not rely on them to reveal allergies . They believe that, since allergies are still not completely understood by medical science, such tests can only produce limited results. Studies show that increasing numbers of people are being affected by allergies throughout the western world, and clinical ecologists believe that this increase can only be explained by attributing the allergies to chemicals present in the environment and in food.

Clinical Ecology Diagnosis and Treatment

Clinical Ecology is about removing the source of an allergy from a person’s environment. Conventional medicical practice may involve a blood test and then a drug prescription that will surpress allergy symptoms, but clinical ecologists take a more painstaking approach; they will carefully examine an individual’s chemical environment and diet.

One process that is used by Clinical Ecologists is to systematically remove allergenic foods from diet. The foods are later reintroduced and the results noted. This process requires discipline on the part of the patient, but it can reveal unexpected food-bourne allergies.

Other treatments involve purging the body of its toxins that may have accumulated over time. Sauna detoxification is a popular component of this treatment.