HELEN RUSHBROOK/STOCKSYYOGAJOURNAL.COM / 30 / FEBRUARY 2018
How to get the
most from your
treatment
No matter what energy-healing modality
you choose, there are a few tips to keep
in mind in order to make the most of your
treatment and experience the best results.
Avoid doing too many therapies at once.
If you’re getting four or five treatments
every week, how can you tell what’s help-
ing? You probably can’t. “When patients
do this, I also worry that they’re not giving
their bodies enough time to really absorb
what’s going on,” says Gail Dubinsky, MD,
a physician and yoga teacher in California.
Support your treatment with lifestyle
changes. Even if you feel you’ve landed on
the best-matched therapy for you, supple-
menting your treatment by looking at your
diet, exercise routine, and how you handle
stress is crucial, says Dubinsky. “That’s
how you’ll see lasting benefits.”
Boost the benefits of these therapies
with your yoga practice. Not only can your
time on the mat and meditation cushion
help you clue in to how well these modali-
ties are working for you, but your practice
can also help you drop in more fully and
deeply when you’re experiencing them,
says acupuncturist Villella. “I have noticed
in my clinical practice that serious yoga
practitioners tend to get really quick
results,” she says. “Yoga helps quiet the
mind. When that mental calm happens dur-
ing an energy-healing therapy, it can be
optimally effective.”ESSENTIAL OILS EXTRACTED FROM PLANTS have been
used therapeutically for thousands of years to improve
physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Since the
olfactory nerve is the only sensorial nerve with direct
access to the brain, scent strongly influences emotion and
memory—affecting physical, emotional, and mental health,
says the Chopra Center’s Covington. What’s involved in
an aromatherapy session? Your therapist will apply essen-
tial oils topically (for example, via massage), or ask you
to breathe them in via a piece of cloth, steam machine,
vaporizer, or spray. “Aromatherapy can be used in a wide
range of settings and has been shown to help with many
conditions, including pain, anxiety, depression, and more,”
says Covington.TRY THIS THERAPY IF... you’re looking for quick, poten-
tially DIY healing. “Aromatherapists believe every plant
has a vibrational rate that has a resonance in us, and once
you figure out its elemental arrangement, you can use it to
reformat your subtle body in order to scale back on negative
behaviors and bring out helpful ones,” says Covington. Play
with a variety and see what works best for you—whether on
your own or with guidance from a certified aromatherapist.