The stress is on de-stressing

We’re a close-knit family and when one member gets sick, we are all affected in our spirit. There was a week when I went to 10 doctors consulting about the alternative options for my brother’s condition.  After weeks of doing research via the world wide web and conferring with conventional and holistic doctors both here and abroad, I was feeling burnt-out and super stressed.  My blood pressure must have hit the roof as I experienced daily headaches in spite of a very sparse diet.   A kind doctor suggested that I take off for some days and do nothing but sleep.  That’s difficult to do when one has a busy schedule.  The only solution was really to get away from it all, even for a short while.

To save myself from a total burnt-out condition, I asked a friend to take me to Nurture Spa in Tagaytay, where she often goes to relax and de-stress.  The spa is a wonderful haven for the stressed, depressed, and burnt-out souls.  They also treat cancer patients with their detox programs and coffee enemas. I booked myself for five days.

Stress is a major cause of sickness and death worldwide.  The Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration has declared stress an occupational hazard, causing billions of losses to business in terms of cost productivity, costly mistakes, sickness, absenteeism, and tardiness.  I knew I was near boiling point when I was having those daily headaches and sleeping only four hours a day.  

Dr. Sam Dizon, a holistic doctor at Nurture Spa, recommended a light program for me which included daily meditations, exercises (yoga, qi gong, and brisk walking around coffee and banana fields, trampoline jumping which is effective for stress management and boosting energy levels), acupuncture for general well-being, and hydrotherapy or using water internally and externally to facilitate healing, improve circulation, increase elimination of body wastes, improve sense of well- being. 

Hydrotherapy includes hyperthermia, a therapy to boost the immune system by increasing the body’s temperature in a tub of hot water; steam bath, a detoxification therapy to encourage sweating, thus eliminating harmful toxins; and charcoal body wrap, a detoxification therapy using charcoal as a powerful toxin absorber.

On pins and needles: Dr. Sam Dizon’s acupuncture does the body a lot of good.

Dr. Dizon recommended light healthy meals for me, some days vegetarian, some days with fish, depending on my choice.  I also had all kinds of massage — lymphatic drainage massage to clear my lymph glands of toxins, hilot massage to relax my muscular aches and pains, which were stress-related, and acupressure massage to increase blood circulation and boost energy levels.  For my headaches, the doctor recommended bio-electrical therapy which included application of T.E.N.S. (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator therapy.) TENS stimulates nerves, muscles, and cells via surface skin through low electricity to make the brain produce endorphins or natural pain killers to relieve symptoms and stop pain.  Good for people who have arthritis and headaches. On my second day, I was already feeling relaxed and was sleeping almost normally. On the third day, my headaches disappeared.  I was almost feeling normal but still not back to my normal energy level.  The doctor extended my stay two more days to complete my rest period to a week at which point I felt good as new, completely rejuvenated with no more headaches and sleepless nights.  It was a restoration of body, mind, and spirit, exactly what I needed.  I was ready to face my stressful world once again.

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Nurture Spa is in Tagaytay. Website is www.nurturespa.com. Visit my blog: www.mayennesworld.com.