Glossary
Radiance Technique
This technique is a science of universal energy, taught in seminars by authorized instructors throughout the world. It is a seven-level technique, in which students learn a variety of ways to apply and use unconditional, transcendental energy in their work, play, and everyday lives.
Students are taught a basic 12-position, hands-on session that is to be practiced on the self for at least an hour. Authorized instructors of the Radiance Technique do not license or certify students as practitioners. Such licensing and certification is up to the students or practitioners according to the requirements of the community in which they live and work.
Radix
Radix, also referred to as Radix Neo-Reichian Education, is an instructional method designed to teach the client how to release emotions held within the muscular structure of the body. Emphasis is placed on working through old traumas and moving into unique, new experiences of body/soul connection.
The two guiding principles of Radix are safety, in which the student may explore deep, painful issues in an atmosphere of trust and comfort; and exploration, primarily of the somatic experience.
Charles Kelly, PhD, developed Radix, combining techniques and principles from Reichian and Gestalt therapies, Erickson’s hypnotherapy, bioenergetics, and the Bates Method of vision training. Radix teachers include certified professionals licensed by the Radix Institute and adjunct teachers who incorporate this method into their therapy practice.
Raindrop Technique
Originated by D. Gary Young, raindrop technique is a noninvasive tool for helping to correct defects in the curvature of the spine caused by viruses and bacteria that lie dormant there. Antimicrobial essential oils are used to reduce inflammation by killing the viral agents, thus bringing the body into structural and electrical alignment. The oils (primarily thyme, oregano, birch, cypress, peppermint, and basil) are dispensed like little drops of rain from a height of about six inches above the back and massaged along the vertebrae. The oils used in this 45-minute treatment continue to work for the next five to seven days.
Rayid Method
The Rayid Method is based on the meaning of formations in the iris of the eyes. Hereditary, behavioral, and attitudinal traits with their impact on mental, emotional, and physical health are demonstrated in these formations. The method addresses the causes behind symptoms, so maximum health can be achieved on a longer-term basis. This method identifies an interaction between mind and body, seeing the imbalances and suggesting corrective balancing lifestyles and support activities that enable the immune system to work its marvels.
Rebalancing
Loosely based on a conglomerate of modalities, rebalancing combines energy balancing, joint release, deep-tissue massage, and dialogue to relieve pain and induce emotional healing and relaxation.
Developed in the 1970s by a group of practitioners of various backgrounds including Rolfing, the Trager Approach, pulsation, psychotherapy, and craniosacral therapy, the theory was to combine the best attributes of several existing modalities with introspective analysis into a ten-session series of treatments.
Reflective Healing
Reflective healing is a form of energy healing in which the therapist uses a combination of guided imagery and energy body manipulations to heal a specific physical organ or joint. Noninvasive physical touch of energy centers is important in this process of repatterning the etheric body. Extensive intuitive development and energetic training are required by the therapist.
Reflexognosy
Reflexognosy is the application of appropriate pressure to the leg and feet, by the hands of a trained practitioner, to bring about physiological and psychological changes in the body.
Reflexology
Sometimes referred to as zone therapy, this bodywork involves application of pressure to specific reflex areas in the feet, hands, and ears that correspond to other parts of the body, with the goal of stimulating body organs and relieving areas of congestion.
Similar to acupressure principles, reflexology works with the body’s energy flow to stimulate self-healing and maintain balance in physical function. This technique is used to reduce pain, increase relaxation, and stimulate circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids. It is especially useful in stress-related illness and emotional disorders.
Reflexology is also convenient in cases where an area of the body is traumatized or diseased to the extent that direct manipulation is not appropriate. Click here to find a Reflexology practitioner.
Reichian Release
This technique utilizes manipulation of the musculo-skeletal system to release emotional blockages from the body. It was established from the works of Wilhelm Reich, an Austrian psychoanalyst.
Reiki Healing (Usui System)
Reiki healing is a hands-on energy healing art. It originated in Japan in the early 20th century. The founder of the system, Mikao Usui, had a life-changing experience of light and energy that he recognized as reiki—sacred life force—and that awakened his innate healing abilities. Usui developed a system of practices that enabled others to become effective healers.
In a reiki healing session, the practitioner, trained to access and serve as a channel for the life force (ki or chi), places her hands on or just above the client’s body in order to activate healing energy within receptive points on the body. The practitioner’s hands move progressively with a passive touch through 12 positions on the body, remaining in each position for three to five minutes. As a harmonic flow of energy is strengthened, within the client and practitioner, healing occurs through the return of physical, mental, and spiritual balance. Click here to find a Reiki practitioner.
Reiki-Alchemia
Reiki-Alchemia combines the traditional reiki of Mikao Usui with alchemia, a form of bodywork which creates a passive and active blend of energies to release etheric as well as subconscious energy blockages and stored trauma.
The ultimate intent of Reiki-Alchemia is to achieve a functional ego state that facilitates unconditional love. Reiki-Alchemia utilizes keys of different geometric shapes to trigger states of consciousness that allow healing and vibrational attunements to occur. The practitioner facilitates transformation by working with the universal life force and the four forces that govern all states of consciousness. (Adapted from Holistic Health Directory.)
Reposturing Dynamics
Reposturing dynamics is a system of stretches and massage techniques designed to restore balance and flexibility to the body. Reposturing dynamics is participatory, with lots of breathing and many stretch positions. There are exercises or additional stretches available to support the rebalancing process. It can be intense and emotional at times, as stress is unloaded from each muscle group. The client is always in charge of how fast and far she progresses in any one session.
Resonant Kinesiology
Resonant kinesiology is a meditative form of educational bodywork. A resonant kinesiologist teaches experientially, as well as cognitively, using sound, movement, and touch to create active lessons for the body. A fundamental principle of resonant kinesiology is that human bodies inherently have all the resources needed to be healthy, though these resources may not be consistently available to conscious awareness. Healing is viewed as a form of learning.
Restoration Therapy
Restoration therapy has been practiced in Japan for more than 1,500 years and has proven successful in the treatment of migraine headaches, nervous tension, general fatigue, and muscular aches and pains. Professor Seishiro Okazaki was the foremost exponent of restoration therapy in America. He founded the Kodenkan Dojo, Ju-Jitsu School, and Nikko Restoration Sanatorium in Honolulu in 1929.
The therapy is a combination of amma, acupressure, shiatsu, chiropractic, osteopathy, and herbal medicines. Restoration therapy is divided into four age groups, and to be a successful practitioner of restoration therapy, a thorough knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology, dietetics, psychology, and herbal medicines is imperative.
RoHun Transformation Therapy
This is a form of energy healing in which the therapist manipulates the client’s energy bodies near each chakra. The objective of RoHun is to understand how certain adverse patterns became fixed in the emotional and mental energy bodies and to release the negative effects of these patterns on daily life. Although primarily an energy manipulation method, some noninvasive physical touch is involved.
Rolfing Structural Integration
A method to reorder the major body segments, Rolfing was founded by American biochemist Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1940s. Rolfing utilizes physical manipulation and movement awareness to bring head, shoulders, thorax, pelvis, and legs into vertical alignment. It allows more efficient use of the muscles with less expended energy by lifting the head and chest and lengthening the body’s trunk. A sense of lightness and greater mobility often result from Rolfing.
Treatments are offered in a ten-session series, as well as advanced sessions. See structural integration. Click here to find a rolfer.
Rosen Method Bodywork
Using gentle, nonintrusive touch, Rosen Method works with held muscles to bring about physical and emotional awareness through relaxation. Developed by Marion Rosen, this technique utilizes both sensitive manipulation of the soft tissue, observation of the client’s breathing patterns, and communication to promote physical ease, pain relief, and a deeper contact with the inner self. Because the work can bring up buried feelings and memories, it is also used as a tool to promote personal growth. Click here to find a Rosen Method practitioner.
Rubenfeld Synergy Method
Founded by Ilana Rubenfeld, this method integrates elements of two great body/mind teachers, F.M. Alexander and Moshe Feldenkrais, together with the Gestalt theory and practice of Fritz and Laura Perls and the hypnotherapy of Milton Erickson. The Rubenfeld synergy method uses many avenues, including verbal expression, movement, breathing patterns, body posture, kinesthetic awareness, imagination, sound, and caring touch to access reservoirs of feeling.
Russian Massage (Russian Sports Massage)
This technique alters the basic strokes of classical massage so each stroke provides the client with the least invasive and most comfortable treatment. Each stroke in Russian massage has a known physiological effect on a healthy or dysfunctional body. Therapists don’t use their wrists or single digit pressure, instead opting for shoulders or elbows as the primary sources of strength for deep work.