Surviving Cold & Flu Season

The cold weather is officially here, and so is cold and flu season. The trick to surviving the season is to support your immune system that is now working overtime to keep you healthy!

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Here are a few of my tried and tested tips for giving your immune system a boost in the fall and winter:

  • Reflexology therapy (of course) is an excellent way to stimulate your immune system and help improve lymphatic drainage.
  • Having a hot foot bath is a simple hydrotherapy treatment technique. Hot foot baths are not only warming and soothing, but they help to promote circulation throughout the body and increase lymph flow.
  • Stay hydrated. The fact is we just don’t drink enough water and our bodies need water at a cellular level to keep our immune systems functioning well.
  • Enjoying a hot tea is a great way to boost your immune system. Teas of all different types (herbal and caffenatied) have wonderful health benefits. Green tea is considered a powerful antioxidant. A great immune boosting warm beverage is a honey, ginger and hot lemon concoction.  Simply mix simmer these 3 items (to taste) in a mug of hot water. Honey is antibacterial, lemon has Vitamin C and the ginger is anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant.
  • Enjoy a bowl of bone broth or freshly made vegetable soup. The collagen in bone broth soup is excellent for reducing intestinal inflammation. The glycine helps to detoxify and strengthen your cells. Whether you are making bone broth or a vegetable soup, be sure to include lots of onion and garlic. Onions and garlic are both known to have both antibacterial and anti-fungal properties…which are essential to fighting off colds!

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  • Exercise regularly. Getting oxygen and blood moving through your body is important to helping your immune system staying functioning at it’s best. If you can try to get outside and go for a walk at least a couple of times a week. Walking and enjoying nature is a great de-stresser as well.
  • Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major problem for many people these days. Investing time in figuring out how best to improve your sleep is vital. Your body and your immune system needs rest to kept operating at it’s best.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas ChildOnce again you can pick up your Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes from Michele Mork at the West Coast Reflexology studio.

Operation Christmas Child is an opportunity to provide a shoebox full of Christmas gifts and toiletries for children in need around the world. The fundraiser is organized by Samaritan’s Purse.

Anyone can participate.  Here’s how:

  1. Shoebox: Get a standard size shoebox to pack for a boy or girl (or pick one u from Michele)
  2. “Wow” Item: Select a quality “wow” to such as a doll, soccer ball with pump, or stuffed animal.
  3. Other gifts: Pack your box or boxes full with other fun toys, hygiene items and school supplies
  4. Label & Personalize: Be sure to label whether you packed the box for a girl or boy and what age range (i.e. 2-4, 5-9, 10-14). Feel free to include a personal note and photo in the shoebox
  5. Include $10 Donation: Donate online, or by cheque or cash donation. Please make one combined donation for multiple shoeboxes. Tax-Deductible receipts will be issued for donations fo $20 or more (donations help with shipping costs)
  6. Drop off: Take you shoebox to a local drop off location during National Collection Week November 12-18, 2018. To find a drop off location near you click here: https://www.samaritanspurse.ca/collection-center/

Please DO NOT include in your shoebox any of the following items: Candy, toothpaste, used or damaged items, war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures, chocolate or food, fruit rolls or other fruit snacks, drink mixes (powdered or liquid), liquids or lotions, medications or vitamins, breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers, aerosol cans.

It’s also a good idea to remove anything that might be considered garbage or excess waste when opening the packages (i.e. excess wrapping or or plastic/paper packaging) as many countries may have limited options for waste removal.

2019 Reflexology Courses – Register Now!

Foot Reflexology Course

Be sure to check out my line up of Certified Foot Reflexology courses for 2019.

There have been some changes to how the Reflexology Association of Canada (R.A.C.) offers reflexology courses. Students must now take a Core Reflexology Course (theory based, pre-requisite) ) and the Certified Foot Reflexology Course (practical, hands-on) before being able to quality for certification. Starting as well in January 2019 all reflexology students will be required to take an additional R.A.C. Board Exam in order to qualify for the Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist (R.C.R.T.) designation.

I will be teaching 5 week long intensive reflexology certification courses in the New Year!  The week long intensives blend the 2 core required courses above and is called the Core + Certified Foot Reflexology COMBO Course.

Certified Foot Reflexology Courses

The COMBO course is ideal for  those that are wanting to receive professional designation as a Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist (RCRT).

Benefits to taking my Core + Certified Foot Reflexology COMBO Course:

  • Week long intensive allows you to complete 40 hours of in-class training in one week
  • Completion of course requirements provides you with the skills required to apply to have your RCRT National Recognition
  • Start your studying today! When you have confirmation of registration,  your manual and workbook will be sent to you within 10 days. The workbook must be completed before the first day of class. Registration link
  • Training by experienced Licensed Canadian Reflexology Teacher (LCRT), who is also a practicing and thriving RCRT with over 8 years of business
  • Students provided with additional online training and study resources (eg. Quizzes & Worksheets)
  • Students provided with access to Video Demonstrations of sequences & techniques
  • Facebook Group for current & past students to share information and resources

Certified Foot Reflexology Course

Click here to learn more!

Register early and start studying now!

Once you’ve registered I will send you a copy of the course manual and workbook so you can get started early on your studying,. Reading the manual and completing the workbook is a course requirement…before the start of class!

Dien Chan 6 Zones Reflex Drainage

Dien Chan Multi-Reflexology offers a variety of beautifying and healing facial reflexology techniques. If you haven’t already be sure to try out a Dien Chan treatment session at West Coast Reflexology. There are also a wide variety of inexpensive tools that can be purchased and use daily for self treatment. The following 6 Zones Reflex-Drainage treatment uses tool number 133 or 101 to:

  • Enhance facial skin tone
  • Enhance hydration and cell regeneration
  • Improve the lymphatic system to facilitate better drainage

Watch this video demonstration for tips on the 6 simple steps:

You can also learn more about this treatment protocol at: http://6zones.multireflex.com/6zones_en.

Tool #133 Detector Comet

Tool #101 Detector - Smooth SphereFor more information or to purchase tools no. 133 or 101 be sure to contact Michele Mork at 250.920.8687 or email info@westcoastreflexology.com. 

Boost Your Immune System for Fall

With the sun and heat in full force it is hard to even think about the cool months of fall just around the corner…but now is the time to start strengthening and building up your immune system for the pressures of fall.

The sun has given us a good boost of Vitamin D, which is important for our overall health and immune function. We also want to boost up our bodies natural antioxidant defences.  For this I recommend doTERRA’s On Guard essential oil.

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You can diffuse a couple of drops of On Guard in your favourite diffuser, dilute one drop into four fluid ounces of liquid and drink, add it to your all natural cleaning product or try adding a drop to to some fractionated coconut oil and rub it on your feet.

For more information about additional uses and benefits of doTERRA On Guard go to: https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-doterra-on-guard-protective-blend.

Key ingredients include:
Wild Orange Peel
Clove Bud
Cinnamon Bark
Eucalyptus Leaf
Rosemary Leaf/Flower

There are a variety of different On Guard products available that include this powerful essential oil  including: beadles, soft gels, concentrated cleaner, foaming hand wash, laundry detergent, natural whitening toothpaste, and throat drops.

If you need to stock up on any On Guard or other doTERRA products be sure to contact me at: 250.920.8687 or info@westcoastreflexology.com.