Big and Little Conversations

Learn About the Psoas Muscle and How to Release it.

2010-08-08T13:29:00.003-05:00

The Psoas Muscle

These are some webpages I have created.

What is Ortho-Bionomy?

2010-08-06T16:43:00.008-05:00

Ortho-Bionomy® can quickly relieve your pain and discomfort. Practitioners of this work engage our natural ability to heal by paying close attention to the client's muscles, bones and joints. With this information they place the body into specific, often comfortable, healing positions. The founder of Ortho-Bionomy, Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, D.O., believed that the body had an innate intelligence that knew how to self-correct.

Each position helps reset the sensors in the muscles and joints known collectively as proprioceptors. Creating the right twist and pressure in the muscles can reset these sensors very quickly. This supports a fast and effective reduction in body pain. Over a small number of session most clients report a decreased level of pain.

Once the Practitioner moves a joint into a comfortable position, within 10 to 90 seconds the body begins to release muscle spasm, restore normal muscle tone, increase circulation, remove pressure on nerves, and allow bones and joints to move freely. All the energy and attention that was used to deal with pain is now available to the body’s healing process. In many cases the position created is the original position of injury. When everything is in its proper place transformation is possible.

Finding the best position for release is not just about the pressure and distortion of the proprioceptors, but depends on the intention of the practitioner to encounter (and be in relationship with) our natural self-healing. Dr. Pauls also developed Ortho-Bionomy energy techniques to access more subtle levels of healing.

Ortho-Bionomy therapy is extremely helpful for pain and trauma. It may also help with a wide range of problems including:

-Hip pain, Sciatica and Sacroiliac pain / disk problems
-Neck pain, migraines and tension headaches
-Fibromyalgia Syndrome
-Knee, foot and ankle pain
-Trauma and PTSD
-Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
-Sprains and inflamation of various joints / arthritic conditions
-Stress management and prevention
-Whiplash, falls and other impact injuries

I have been practicing Ortho-Bionomy for the last 19 years. Its amazing work. I practice in the Chicago area. See more about my practice.

You can find a practitioner in your area by going to the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International webpage

Ortho-Bionomy® is a registered trademark of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International, Inc. and is used with permission.

Holding space for spirit

2010-07-03T22:26:00.000-05:00

Those of us who see that there is more than this reality have a duty to hold this truth for those unable or unwilling due to their circumstances to believe it. Not everyone is born or privileged to experience the touch of spirit or the blessings of grace.

Releasing Trauma

2010-02-03T21:57:00.002-06:00

Trauma can be released slowly and carefully by focusing on its physical dimension. The most current understanding of trauma focuses on the body. Our natural response to danger is flight, fight or freeze. Trauma is often related to the freeze response (or immobility response).

"Trauma in humans can be caused by sexual abuse, violence, the threat of either, or the witnessing of either, particularly in childhood. Catastrophic events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, war or other mass violence can also cause psychological trauma. Long-term exposure to situations such as extreme poverty or milder forms of abuse, such as verbal abuse, can be traumatic."¹ Often these kinds of trauma are classified as post traumatic stress disorder.

Peter Levin in his ground breaking book, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences, explains how its built into all animals and in our own physical bodies to become immobile if severely threatened. Animals will than shake after the danger has passed to release the freeze response and reset back to normal. In humans, trauma is often caused by psychological events or situations, but becomes locked in our physical bodies.

Humans, with our large brains, can override the shaking response, holding the freeze in our tissues, nerves, energy and emotions. Cultural and social values play a large role in holding trauma indefinitely. The physical freeze of trauma can keep us stuck at the time of the original danger. Symptoms can include:

•Re-experiencing the original trauma(s), by means of flashbacks or nightmares
•Avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma
•Increased arousal, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hyper vigilance

Ortho-Bionomy, Lymph Drainage, Chapman's Reflexes and Energy Techniques can all be employed to unfreeze trauma. These methods help to discharge trauma slowly by releasing contraction, gently stimulating the nervous system and freeing blocked energy.

I am effective in helping clients reduce trauma by helping them to shake at very small, manageable levels. Often this requires creating a sense of safety by holding the trauma immobile. I can than carefully support a release into relaxation. Once unfrozen, the client can become more adaptive and respond to challenges without going back into immobility.

One key to helpful trauma work is allowing the traumatized area to begin to be felt again. Going very slowly and steadily is often the best way to sustain the movement back to natural functioning.

¹ "Psychological trauma" in Wikipedia.

Learn more about my practice at: Healing Body Therapeutics

A Natural Approach to Healing

2009-12-05T21:48:00.004-06:00

Many of us who practice Alternative Health have a unique way of thinking about healing. In the medical model practiced by doctors, health is a matter of alleviating symptoms. Either drugs or surgical procedures are used to restore the body to a condition minus the symptoms that presented. In the Alternative perspective that I follow, health is a matter of balance.

My goal is to stimulate the natural, self-healing properties of the client. Our focus is towards any variable that interrupts or limits this capacity to self-correct. We believe that hyper contraction of tissues, improper alignment of boney structures, emotional distress, trauma, spiritual despair, poor diet, stress, bad posture as well as social and cultural factors prevent out physical systems from functioning properly. We consider that these factors depress our immune system's responses to our environment and make us vulnerable to bacteria, germs and parasites. The normal function of cells, organs and glands takes place in the absence of these interruptions.

Since balance is our intention, we try to provide the client with the least amount of therapy possible and than see how they respond. Based on the follow-on to our work we can make adjustments that are subtle and careful. Unfortunately many of the health challenges in the medical model are unintended consequences from unknown effects of drugs or unforeseen drug interactions.

Alternative approaches have their limits as do all health systems but the focus on balance lessens unexpected side effects. We also try to leave the client with more resources to maintain their health. Empowering the client is the ultimate goal. When balance is restored the natural vitality of the client improves the quality of their lives.

Bert Hellinger on Balance and Forgiveness

2009-05-09T14:57:00.004-05:00

What Hellinger calls the “hidden symmetry of love” concerns the balance of give and take that colors every relationship, especially in couples. The exchange of giving and receiving needs to be balanced, not from a mathematical, but from a soul perspective; the wider the exchange, the deeper the resulting growth and joy. The partner who receives too much will end up feeling oppressed, and therefore unable to give. The same is true in case of a partner causing harm to another. Too quick or superficial forgiveness deprives the need that the offending party has for offering compensation. A magnanimous forgiveness—often a superficial one—deprives the needed outlet for guilt.

http://www.humanspiritcircles.com/images/09updates/Excerpt%20Family%20Constellations.pdf

Successful Relief for Back and Hip Pain

2009-02-06T12:46:00.005-06:00

The biggest factor in back and hip pain is the Psoas muscle. Over the years I have become very successful in treating conditions caused by the psoas. Some of the conditions involving the psoas include: low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, scoliosis and hip degeneration. I have been a Bodywork Therapist and Energy Healer for 26 years.

The psoas (pronounced "so - az") primarily flexes the hip and the spinal column. At about 16 inches long on the average, it is one of the largest and thickest muscles of the body (in animals it's known as the tenderloin). This powerful muscle runs down the lower mid spine beginning at the 12th thoracic vertebrae connecting to all the vertebral bodies, discs and transverse processes of all the lumbar vertebrae down across the pelvis to attach on the inside of the top of the leg.

I've had the most success by using Ortho-Bionomy techniques. To release the psoas we move the legs and hips into the most comfortable position possible. The most comfortable position resets sensors in the muscles and joints known collectively as proprioceptors. Creating the right twist and pressure in the muscles can reset the sensors very quickly.

The psoas can change its tension levels and learn to operate in better balance over time. It often takes 1-3 session to help the psoas retain a new way of functioning. More serious psoas injuries can take longer, particularly if very painful techniques have been used previously. Painful methods can traumatize the psoas.

I like to give clients homework that is designed to keep the Psoas balanced. Clients who do these exercises tend to get better faster and stay pain free over time.

Go to BarryKrost.com for more information and/or appointment in San Antonio, Texas

To Be a Great Poem

2009-02-06T12:36:00.005-06:00

~ a reflection by Walt Whitman

(from preface to Leaves of Grass)
This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning god, have patience and indulgence toward the people, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul--and your very flesh shall be a great poem.

Family Constellations: The Orders of Love Between Parents, Children and Excluded Members

2009-01-28T15:32:00.005-06:00

Family Constellations reveal deeply hidden dynamics within family systems. As we saw in our previous discussion, in Family Constellation theory, psychological states, feelings, and illness are often seen as disturbances in the individual's family system. During the process volunteers are asked to "represent" individuals from a family system. Representatives do not know whom they are representing in the family, yet they manifest them often in great detail and help to reveal what is really happening.

"Bert Hellinger", the founder of this therapy, saw consistent patterns that led to specific disturbances. He eventually called one set of patterns "the Orders of Love." He believes that love requires particular kinds of arrangements and movements to be completely given and received "for a healthy and satisfying life." (1) The following is very brief and condensed overview of some of these patterns.

In the first Order of Love a healthy dynamic occurs when children accept their parents and the gift of life as they are without reservations, with all that goes with it. Our parents and the life they gave us is a fact, it is not negotiable and cannot be altered. When we fight against this notion we don't really accept the whole of life and we can never be complete. Setting up a constellation where clients can choose to accept their parents can be a very important movement.

"Our parents are the only possible ones for us. Imagining anything else to be possible is an illusion." (1)

In the second Order of Love, children need to take what their parents gave, (in addition to life), as being enough. When we believe that we did not get what we needed from our parents, we never really separate from them; we continue to hold-on and cannot stand as unique beings. In accepting what they gave as sufficient we are free to live ours lives without being dependent on them. If not:

"These "children cannot separate from their parents. Their accusations and demands tie them to their parents so that, although they are bound to their parents, the children have no parents. They then feel empty, needy and weak." (1)

In the third Order of Love Hellinger saw that children would often try to carry the guilt of their parents (or parent) out of love. This also creates an unhealthy connection to parents that deprives the child of a full and healthy life. In these cases constellations can be set up that allow the client to give back what belongs to the parent and accept that the parents will take care of their own problems.

The fourth Order of Love is closely related to the third. In this pattern children may feel that are as big as their parents or bigger. They may try to fix something that the parent is unable to address or acknowledge. Only by being smaller than our parents can we receive from them. The flow of love must go forward. In turn we pass along what is given to us.

"Between parents and children, reciprocity in giving and taking is achieved by giving on to others what has been taken. It makes parents very happy when children say, "I take everything you give, and when I'm big, I'll pass it on." (1)

The next Order of Love is about the larger family. Hellinger believes that in this pattern all family members have an equal right to belong. He believes each family has a conscience at a deep level of the system. This conscience does not tolerate a member being excluded, shunned or forgotten. To correct this imbalance younger members of the family system are likely to identify with the missing family member. This is a frequent element in constellations.

"Much serious dysfunction in families-behavioural disturbances in children, but also illnesses, proneness to accidents and suicidal behaviour-occur when children unconsciously represent an excluded person and seek to satisfy that person's need for restitution." (1)

Younger family members can be released from an entanglement with a missing family member by creating a constellation in which the excluded member is recognized and restored to their proper place in the family. At the same time the representative for the younger family member can be encouraged to let go of the identification and the responsibility that is clearly not their own.

My own experience as a constellation representative and future facilitator is that some aspect of these orders are found in most constellations as they unfold. There are variations and some differences based on culture, nationality and the particular fate of each family. Addressing the proper flow of love in family systems is very healing and powerful way of finding our place in the world.

"In our next installment I will continue our discussion of the Orders of Love and additional elements of Family Constellation Therapy.

--Barry Krost, Massage Therapist, Bodyworker, and Energy Healer is training to be a Constellation facilitator.

(1) Bert Hellinger, How Love Works, http://www.hellinger.com/international/english/hellinger_lectures_articles/how_love_works.shtml#order

Quotation

2009-01-16T13:37:00.001-06:00

From Tom Waits:

Jim Jarmusch once told me "Fast, Cheap, and Good; pick two. If it's fast and cheap it won’t be good. If it's cheap and good it won't be fast. If it's fast and good it wont be cheap." Fast, cheap and good; pick. (2) words to live by.

Mystery and Awe

2008-12-27T13:42:00.002-06:00

Back in my college days at Grinnell, I took courses in philosophy and in Jewish philosophy. One of the authors I studied was Abraham Heschel. He was a Rabbi and scholar who looked at the deeper meaning of our relationship to God (or the mystery).

Following a recent training in Family Constellations I started to remember things from his book God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (1978), particularly at his ideas of having awe in the face of the mystery. So, I have been skimming through and found these considerations so far.

“The beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is awe.”

“Awe is a way of being in rapport with the mystery of reality.”

“Awe is a sense of transcendence…”

“Knowledge is fostered by curiosity; wisdom is fostered by awe.”

“They who sense the wonder share in the wonder.”

“Knowledge is not the same as awareness and expression is not the same as experience. By proceeding from awareness to knowledge we gain in clarity and loose in immediacy. What we gain in distinctiveness by going from experience to expression we lose in genuineness… Concepts, words must not become screens; they must be regarded as windows.”

Now is the time

2008-12-11T15:41:00.003-06:00

Now is the time to know

That all that you do is sacred.

Now, why not consider

A lasting truce with yourself and God?

Now is the time to understand

That all your ideas of right and wrong

Were just a child’s training wheels

To be laid aside

When you can finally live

with veracity and love.

Now is the time for the world to know

That every thought and action is sacred.

That this is the time

For you to compute the impossibility

That there is anything

But Grace.

Now is the season to know

That everything you do

Is Sacred.

--Hafiz

Family Constellations: A Brief Overview

2008-12-11T15:34:00.005-06:00

One of the most powerful and amazing forms of therapy I have seen in 25 years of practice is Family Constellations. Developed by German psychologist Bert Hellinger, this therapeutic experience opens up the possibility of deep healing, not only of the self but also of the client's family and even ancestors. I am currently training to become a Family Constellation facilitator through a year-long training in San Diego.

I first had the opportunity to be involved in Family Constellation therapy in 2002 here in San Antonio. I have never experienced any form of therapy or healing more profound or intrinsic than this work. It has changed life in so many ways. It has helped heal my family and my relationships. I have also received many gifts in being of service to others as a representative.

Family Constellations is a used by psychologists, psychiatrists psychotherapists and alternative practitioners throughout the World. It is very big in Europe. While more accepted by mainstream practitioners in Europe, here in the US its found more of a home in the Alternative Healing Community. The objective of Family Constellations is to “release profound tensions within and between people." (1)

A good overview of the process is described in Wikipedia:

"A group of participants (10-30), led by a trained facilitator, sit in a circle. One participant (client or seeker) is selected to work on a personal issue. The others either serve as "representatives" or actively contribute by observing with concentration."

"After a brief interview, the facilitator suggests who will be represented in the Constellation. These are usually a representative for the seeker, one or more family members, and sometimes abstract concepts such as "depression" or a country."

"The facilitator may ask each representative to describe how it feels to be placed in relation to the others. At this point, the facilitator, seeker, and group members may perceive something in the spacial relationships and feelings held by the representatives that is informative regarding an underlying dynamic that relates to the presenting personal issue."

"A healing resolution for the issue generally involves the repositioning the representatives and for the facilitator to suggest one or two sentences to be spoken aloud. If the representatives do not feel better in their new position or sentence, they can move again or try a different sentence. Sometimes the process ends before a full resolution is achieved. (2)

In the next part of this exploration I will look at the role of conscience in the family system and the premise that everyone belongs and has a rightful place.

1. "Family Constellation" in Wikipedia

2. IBID.

Bert Hellinger's Official Website

Celebrating 25 Years of Massage Service

2008-06-25T00:58:00.001-05:00

It hard to believe, but today marks my 25th year since I graduated from Massage School. I never intended to make a career out of it. It just happened.

I have managed to stay with it by regularly adding new techniques and several different paradigms too. Even today I am excited to add Lymph Drainage Therapy to my practice. I expect it to shift my approach and give me years of new ideas and possibilities as did Ortho-Bionomy and before that Sports Massage.

I appreciate all the clients over the years who let me practice and grow, not expecting every session to be the same as the last.

Today I remember all of the great teachers and mentors who have guided me, challenged me and supported my steps.

I feel most grateful to fellow students, in particular my good friend Marla Moore, who traveled with me through many courses over many years.

I love doing Massage Therapy. Perhaps another 25 years waits before me.

--Barry Krost

A Look at the Benefits of Sports Massage

2008-06-06T17:31:00.004-05:00

What Is Sports Massage?
Sports massage is a form of massage that utilizes specific strokes to help athletes obtain maximum performance and physical conditioning by increasing power, endurance, and mobility—both before and after an event or exercise.

Who Can Benefit?
Sports massage is particularly beneficial when an athlete is in training for an event. It’s also helpful for anyone who routinely stretches physical limits through movement. Swimmers, weight lifters, runners, golfers, ball players, skaters, dancers, tennis players, musicians, and boxers, as well as weekend warriors and those who practice strength training or aerobics, have benefited from sports massage.

How Can Sports Massage Help In Rehabilitation?
Sports massage can accelerate the healing process, increase range of motion, reduce adhesions, and reduce swelling, bruising, and pain. Areas of stress in other muscles, created through compensating for an injury, can be eased with a regular sports massage regimen. Sports massage can partially compensate for lack of exercise during inactivity while recovering from injury. Sports massage is also used to relieve muscular spasms and fatigue-related injuries.

Why Is Sports Massage Recommended?
Sports massage is more than just a reward at the end of a workout. It is a vital tool for keeping athletes primed for top performance and even lengthening their careers. Recognized as an important part of a regular maintenance program, sports massage is widely used by individuals, teams, and Olympic and professional athletes.

Source: Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. [https://abmp.com]

Barry Krost has been working with athletes since 1985 including working with the Chicago Bears in the 1990's.

Lymph Drainage Techniques: A Key to Health and Longevity

2008-03-12T15:05:00.005-05:00

The Lymphatic System is very important to good health. Lymph Drainage Technique developed by French physician Bruno Chikly, is an original hands-on method that supports the proper movement of lymph through the body.

The proper functioning of the lymphatic system is critical to our body's ability to operate at peak performance. This system drains fluids, detoxifies and regenerates tissues, filters out toxins and foreign substances and helps us maintain a healthy immune system. If lymph circulation stagnates however, toxins accumulate and compromise cellular functioning, which opens the way to physical ailments. (http://upledger.com/therapies/ldt.htm)

The lymphatic system is a complex network of lymphoid organs, lymph nodes, lymph ducts, lymphatic tissues, lymph capillaries and lymph vessels that produce and transport lymph fluid from tissues to the circulatory system. Lymph is returned to blood circulation behind the collarbone. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphatic_system)

Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT) is a gentle, light-touch, noninvasive technique. If done correctly LDT can help in:

Reduction in edemas (swelling) and lymphedemas of various origins.
Detoxification of the body.
Anti-aging effects.
Removal of cellulite tissue.
Relief of numerous chronic and subacute inflammations, including sinusitis, bronchitis and otitis.
Relief of chronic pain.
Regeneration of tissue, including burns, wounds, stretch marks and wrinkles.
Stimulation of the immune system.
Reduction in the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Antispastic actions to relieve conditions such as muscle hypertonus and some forms of constipation.
Deep relaxation to aid insomnia, stress, loss of vitality and loss of  memory.

(http://upledger.com/therapies/ldt.htm)

Practitioners of LDT learn how to “manually attune the specific rhythm, pressure, quality and direction of the lymph flow by using a combination of precise anatomical science and distinct manual techniques.” LDT practitioners can help move lymph very specifically. Training includes learning to create exact lymphatic maps of the direction of superficial and deep lymphatic pathways. This allows the practitioner to restore the normal flow of fluids from the tissues to the circulatory system. (http://upledger.com/therapies/ldt.htm)

According to Dr. Chikly:

LDT practitioners can facilitate nature by stimulating the natural peristaltic contractions of the two to three layers of muscles located along the lymphatic pathways, also called lymphangions (Mislin, 1961). Stagnating fluid, toxins and wastes will be drained through the flow of lymph. During its passage through lymphatic nodes, the body will generate production of more lymphocytes to reinforce immune response and accelerate contact antibodies/foreign substances.

Lymphatic drainage techniques are among the most scientifically documented, gentle and efficient hands-on therapeutic tools practiced today. They are widely utilized in hospitals and clinics across Europe and are reimbursed by Medicare in Florida for lymphedema. (http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/207)

The work is very gentle and relaxing. Clients often go into a deep state of relaxation as the water in their tissues is slowly moved into lymphatic vessels, down into lymphatic nodes and ducts and back to the circulatory system.

—Barry Krost

Barry Krost is training to become a certified practitioner of LDT.

Studies Show the Effectiveness of Acupuncture

2008-02-18T16:51:00.003-06:00

A number of recent scientific studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture is a technique that aims to reduce pain and restore health and well being by inserting and manipulating needles into points on the body.

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. In China, the practice of acupuncture may be traced as far back as the Stone Age where they used sharpened stones instead of needles. “Different types of acupuncture (Classical Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Korean acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture)

Acupuncture and Surgical Pain Reduction

In a study released in October of 2007 researcher proposed that the use of acupuncture before and during surgery reduces patients’ post-operative pain as well as the need for pain-killing medication. According to Researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina an analysis of the results of 15 clinical trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture indicated that:

The use of acupuncture before and during surgery reduces patients’ post-operative pain as well as the need for pain-killing medication… These patients also required less morphine or other opioid pain medication after surgery, which reduced the side effects like nausea and vomiting from these types of drugs, the researchers said.
The National Institutes of Health also says that acupuncture has also been shown to reduce nausea after chemotherapy and surgery. (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/21334682/)

Scientists still don’t fully understand how acupuncture works. Some think it might help increase the levels of the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals.

Acupuncture and Improved Fertility

In a recent study released February 2008, a scientific review suggests that acupuncture might improve the success of conception if done right before or after embryos are placed in the womb using in vitro fertilization.

The analysis was led by Eric Manheimer, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and paid for by a federal agency, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Results were published Friday in the British medical journal, BMJ.

Acupuncture is thought to increase blood flow to the uterus, relax the cervix and inhibit “fight or flight” stress hormones that can make it tougher for an embryo to implant, Manheimer said.
The analysis pools results from seven studies on 1,366 women in the United States, Germany, Australia and Denmark who are having in vitro fertilization, or IVF. It involves mixing sperm and eggs in a lab dish to create embryos that are placed in the womb.

Individually, only three of the studies found acupuncture beneficial, three found a trend toward benefit and one found no benefit. When results of these smaller studies were pooled, researchers found that the odds of conceiving went up about 65 percent for women given acupuncture. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23057790/)

Acupuncture May Reduce Blood Pressure

A study published in June of 2007 showed that acupuncture was effective in reducing blood pressure.

In this study, 160 patients in Germany and China with mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to receive acupuncture (performed by Chinese physicians accredited in acupuncture. Patients underwent 22 sessions of 30 minutes each over a period of six weeks.

At the end of that time, the systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients receiving traditional Chinese acupuncture were significantly reduced (by approximately 5 mm Hg and 3 mm Hg, respectively).

Unfortunately, when acupuncture was discontinued their blood pressures returned to baseline values within three months. (http://heartdisease.about.com/od/hypertension/a/acupunctureBP.htm)

I would expect that future studies should continue to find reasons to include acupuncture as a complimentary treatment, particularly when done by professionals. Like other medical treatments there will be examples of the limitations of acupuncture as well.

Nourish Mind, Body and Spirit

2008-02-08T14:48:00.000-06:00

Here is a blog entry originally written by Kim Krost for our blog, "Spotlight on Alternative Health," on MySa.com

Scientific evidence continues to recognize the link between immunity and resistance to disease with a person’s attitudes and behavior. Negative emotions associated with long-term or sudden stress affects adrenalin and cortisol neurotransmitters. These two hormones essentially turn off the immune system. *

There are some simple ways to nourish the body, mind and spirit and encourage a healthy immune system.

Take time to rest

Give your body the gift of a good night’s sleep. Sure everyone knows this, but taking a few simple steps before getting into bed for the night can make a difference. Have a bedtime routine that gradually becomes quieter and less busy. When we were children we ate dinner at an earlier hour, took warm comforting/playful baths, settled into bed with a little story, and spent some time pondering on the ‘highlights’ of the day or perhaps saying a comforting prayer before closing our eyes. Perhaps adapting some healthy childhood habits for adulthood will reward us with ‘sleeping like a baby’.

Transform stress

Stress can be a motivator or emotionally draining. Cleary evaluate what makes you stress. Commuting, relationships, school, work, or time constraints can be stressors. Once you are really sure what stresses you out, ponder on some simple minimizing and managing solutions. Work with others. Many times what stresses one is therapeutic to another. Sharing duties can reduce emotional deficits and benefit your immune system. Ease your way into this new way of looking at your health with small adjustments.

Become body conscious

The term body conscious has taken on some pretty negative connotations in the past few years and could more clearly be described as body obsession. What I am proposing is becoming more aware of your body’s subtle preferences and following those through to completion. Fine-tuning of simple things such as how you sit at your desk, or wearing shoes that do not hurt your feet can begin a conscious dialogue between the physical body and the mind that is necessary for optimum health.

Trust Your Body

Trust that your body will understand each modification that you are making (even the tiny ones) on its behalf and reward your efforts with greater vitality. Attention to the subtle details does have an affect on your overall health and ultimately happiness. Take a few moments to check in with yourself right now. What is your body telling you?

*Moyer B. Healing and the Mind Doubleday, USA 1993

Sylvester Graham and Diet Reform In The 19th Century

2008-01-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

The connection of appropriate food, sound health, moral development and self-control has a tradition going back to the early 19th century. Sylvester Graham, who began lecturing on health in the 1830's, presented America with a complete ideological system governing every aspect of "personal routine." Graham's ideas represent, according to Steven Niessenbaum, the "Victorian physiological theory" in "the act of coming into being." (1) Graham placed the fate of one's state of health on the activities of the stomach. According to Graham, "the more perfectly and rational the food of man is, the more perfectly the laws of his constitution are fulfilled...the more health will be in his body...the more perfect the senses...the more powerful may be intellectual and moral faculties be rendered by suitable cultivation."(2)

In Graham's system, all ill health arose due to overstimulation of the stomach. Inappropriate or excessive food irritated and inflamed the stomach which in turn disrupted the normal function of the nervous system and the flow of vital energy upon which life depends. (3) For Graham, the emerging market system in the early part of the 19th century was creating incorrect appetites for artificial, processed, over-refined foods. White bread was the prime example of a refined food that was leading to ill health. Much of Graham's campaign was to replace this overly refined bread with his own formula of whole bran, healthy, traditional bread. Graham also called for vegetarianism due to the excessive amounts of meat that he thought were being eaten as a partial result of the market economy.

Without following the natural "alimentary wants of the system", man became an over-irritated and unhealthy being, according to Graham. (4) This over-stimulation disrupted the ability to accurately perceive and interact with the real environment. The unhealthy lived in a perceptual haze. Moral development was impossible unless this irritation was removed. Hard work was impeded by the lack of vital energy flowing freely.

The only solution was for each individual to become his own agency of regulation. Like other reformers of his day, Graham placed the emphasis of his reform on the individual and his own moral development as the means of securing a better and moral future for all men. According to Niessenbaum in place of public scrutiny or social coercion, man "had to impose these things on himself." As larger social institutions and traditions became entwined within a hostile and artificial environment, each individual had to impose regulation upon himself, to achieve a higher state of physical and moral health. (5)

1. Steven Niessenbaum, Sex, Diet, Debility in Jacksonian America: Sylvester Graham and Health Reform, (Chicago, 1980), quotation on x.
2. BID.
3. IBID, 90-92.
4. IBID, quotation on 134.
5. IBID, quotation on 135.

Go to Wikipedia for more on Sylvester Graham

Some Thoughts on Health

2007-12-25T17:35:00.000-06:00

When health is absent wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless and reason is powerless. - Herophilies, 300 B.C.

The art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind. – Paracelsus, 15th Century

Health is the proper relationship between microcosm, which is man, and the macrocosm, which is the universe. Disease is a disruption of this relationship. - Dr. Yeshe Donden, physician to the Dalai Lama

If I am not for myself, who will be; If I am only for myself, what am I; And if not now, when? – Hillel, Talmudic scholar, 1st Century BCE

Happy Holidays!

The Trickster and Liminality

2007-12-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

In an earlier post I discussed how the Trickster helps maintain the health of human societies by releasing the inherent stresses that arise in group life. Here we continue our discussion of the Trickster’s social benefits.

Trickster stories, as a means of revealing the hidden in a safe, protected way, is part of the larger function of what Anthropologist, Victor Turner, called "anti-structure." According to Turner, the rules, norms, statuses, codes and behaviors which comprise everyday life, make up, the "structural" portion of human existence. Against structure Turner sees anti-structure, a place that all societies create to temporarily drop the normative ways of life and enter the land of possibilities and pure feeling, a place where societies can express themselves without the usual constraints.

In order to live; to breathe and generate novelty, human beings have had to create—by structural means—spaces and times in the calendar, or, in cultural cycles of their most cherished groups which cannot be captured in the classificatory nets of their quotidian routinized spheres of action. These liminal areas of time and space—rituals, carnivals, dramas, and latterly films—are open to the play of thought, feeling, and will; in them are generated new models, often fantastic, some of which may have sufficient power and plausibility to replace eventually the forced-backed political and jural models that control the centers of a society’s ongoing life. (1)

Turner calls individuals who enter the realm of anti-structure “liminal.” They are persons, characters, roles and groups of people who are separated from the normal world. They are "betwixt and between the positions assigned and arrayed by law and custom." They exist outside the normal world. Because they are ambivalent by ordinary standards, appearances of anti-structure are surrounded with prescription, prohibitions, and conditions."(2)

Trickster is made liminal through the symbols surrounding his physical grotesqueness, by his foolish behavior, and by the strange world in which he inhabits. Safely checked, Trickster is free to be ridiculous, absurd, chaotic and ultimately ambivalent, thus performing a necessary and entertaining function for human society. (3)

In a place of absurdity, paradox can be explored and embraced.

1. Victor Turner, The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, (Ithica New York: Cornell University Press, 1969), vii.

2. IBID, 95, 139.

3. Koziski, “"The Standup Comedian As Anthropologist: Intentional Culture Critic," Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 18 Issue 2 Page 57-76, Fall 1984.

Introduction to Tai Chi Chuan

2007-11-27T16:56:00.000-06:00

Tai Chi Chuan (t'ai chi ch'üan; taijiquan) involves relaxation of the whole body through a system of rounded, fluid movements and deep, natural breathing. Tai Chi Chuan is noted for its reduction of stress and its promotion of health. The term "tai chi chuan" literally translates as "supreme ultimate boxing." Variations of the Tai Chi Chuan basic training forms are well known as the slow motion routines that groups of people practice every morning in parks across China and other parts of the world. Some call it a form of moving meditation.

Tai Chi Chuan theory and practice evolved in agreement with many of the principles of traditional Chinese medicine to maintain health. During each movement, Chi, or vital force, is guided to travel throughout the body along the well-known acupuncture points and meridians producing powerful health benefits.

The physical techniques of tai chi chuan are described in the tai chi classics (a set of writings by traditional masters) as being characterized by the use of leverage through the joints based on coordination in relaxation, rather than muscular tension, in order to neutralize or initiate attacks. The slow, repetitive work involved in the process of learning how that leverage is generated gently and measurably increases and opens the internal circulation (breath, body heat, blood, lymph, peristalsis, etc.). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi_chuan)

Classical Tai Chi Chuan, which is closely based on traditional Chinese styles, emphasises an exact way of performing each posture and martial arts applications. Americanized versions focus on the relaxation elements of Tai Chi Chuan.

I study Tai Chi Chuan with Horacio Lopez in San Antonio. He is teaching us Northern Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan, a rather detailed version. It is challenging and wonderful at the same time. Contact Horacio at 210-225-2743.

A Memory of Balance

2007-11-14T14:43:00.001-06:00

The Trickster as an Ancient Method of Health

2007-11-14T14:28:00.000-06:00

At the dawn of culture the trickster was the chief character of the paleolithic story. In his guise as fool he was an epitome of the principal of disorder, but he was also the chaotic force that brought forth, directly or indirectly, new solutions to a threatening world. He was "a lawless element, full of surprises."(1)

The trickster in various forms, and often in curtailed or circumscribed powers, was a creative response to the actual meaninglessness of human existence, a means of relaxing the tensions of such an existence, and a ridiculer of the various ways that human have gone about denying this essential fact of life. (2) Down through the ages, the trickster has continued to laugh at human structures partly through his own foolishness at trying to operate within the confines of social and culturally defined rules and laws. Irony, humor and laughter have permeated everything that Trickster does. (3)

The Trickster’s adventures are protests against societies rules and a recognition of the primal drives that are chaotic but necessarily restrained. Breaking taboos reveals social tensions, but as a grotesque loser who exists in a timeless, dreamlike world, and is really an innocent, the Trickster’s exposure of the tacit rules of life are not only permitted but hilarious to the audience. He simultaneously reaffirms the emotional need for order as well as the need to release the primal drives. In this lies Trickster's creative potential.

Through such vehicles as the Trickster, societies through the ages have maintained the health of the group by exploring the inherent paradox of human life and discharging the inevitable tensions produced by it. Balancing this paradox is essential to group and individual health.

1. Constance Rourke, American Humor: A Study of American Character, New York: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1931), 8.

2. Joseph Campbell, The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology, (New York: The Viking Press, 1969), 273.

3. Paul Radin, The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology, New York: Schocken Books, 1978), xxiii.

Mother and Child

2007-11-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

A Brief Introduction to Chapman's Reflexes

2007-10-27T12:07:00.000-05:00

What are Chapman's Reflexes?
Chapman’s Reflexes are a series of points that can help stimulate normal function in the lymphatic and endocrine systems. Most of these points are located on the front of the body between the ribs next to the sternum and on the back along the spine between the spinous processes and the tips of the transverse processes.

Easily palpated, these points can help restore the circulation of lymph and support the endocrine glands to supply the optimum amount of hormones that are necessary to the biological function of every cell in the body. Chapman's reflexes have influenced a number of developments including: Travell's Myofascial Trigger Points, Eunice Inghams' Reflexology, and Dr. George Goodheart's Applied Kinesiology.

How was Chapman's Reflexes developed?
Frank Chapman, D.O., discovered the "Chapman reflexes" in the early part of the 20th century. He found that there were specific points on the body that when stimulated had a positive effect on many kinds of health conditions. He believed that these points excited sympathetic nerve fibers that can cause specific lymph vessels to increase or decrease their function. He correlated these reflexes with specific organs and illnesses.

Chapman graduated from the American School of Osteopathy in 1897 and began locating and working with reflex points in 1901. He diligently kept notes and case studies over twenty years, eventually documenting over 200 separate and distinct reflexes. After Chapman's death, his wife Ada Hinckley Chapman, DO, and his brother in law, Charles Owen, D.O., gathered together Chapman's materials in a book released in 1932. The book was full of charts and recipes for locating and using Chapman's Reflex Points to stimulate the lymphatic system.

At the time of Chapman’s death Owen “had but little opportunity for more than a cursory experience” with the reflexes. After working with the reflexes for a five years Owen put out a revised version of the book along with his own findings entitled An Endocrine Interpretation of Chapman's Reflexes in 1937. Owen focused on the effect of specific reflexes on the endocrine system and the many health problems resolved by appropriate treatment.

Owen also added his discovery that he called the “pelvic thyroid syndrome.” He found that imbalances of the pelvis could directly affect endocrine function. In particular, imbalance of the pelvis was associated with dysfunction in the ovary/testes reflexes causing an imbalance in the thyroid gland and the rest of the endocrine system. This meant that by restoring pelvic balance and stimulating related Chapman Reflexes, normal endocrine function could return.

I sell the Chapman's book in my Massage Supply Store (210-967-4400 or naturalreflexes@aol.com) or you can contact the American Academy of Osteopathy (317-879-1881). We also teach a class in Chapman's Reflexes at our Continuing Education School in San Antonio.

See the post below for a story about using Chapman's reflexes.

Just Got A Glimpse of the Power of Chapman's Reflexes

2007-10-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

One of my students sent this story to me. Its worth posting here.

I just finished a bodywork session in which the use of Chapman’s reflexes played a starring role.

The daughter of a friend of mine had been having problems with her lower right leg - Last Tuesday it started itching in one particular spot (She described it as feeling like a spider bite, but there were no marks), then became inflamed and discolored, at which point she began running a fever. She went to the emergency room and underwent a series of tests to determine what was going on.

The results were inconclusive: Infection and allergies were ruled out, also ruled out were blood-related issues such as embolisms, DVT, and phlebitis. She was told to take Advil to bring down the swelling and the fever. The fever broke the next day but her leg stayed slightly swollen, discolored, and painful.

The daughter happened to visit my friend (her mother) while I was also visiting, and they asked if I might be able to help.

At first I was a little nervous about working on her, but since nothing had been found and she had been released from doctor’s care I decided to go ahead. Since this was unplanned, I had the daughter lay on my friend’s bed. Her leg was slightly reddish, swollen, edematous, and cold. There was also an area that looked like a chemical burn which Janet (the daughter) said was caused by putting Neosporin on the original itch.

All I did was place my fingertips lightly on the tibial attachment of the right sartorius (in other words, just under the right knee on the inside) since that’s one of the points listed in the Chapman’s book (p. 88) and it fit her symptoms (the poor circulation). I just left my fingers there for about 2 minutes, and her leg suddenly went to normal – The swelling went away, the temperature and color returned to normal, and the pain vanished, and even the “burned” area began to look normal. When I re-checked for edema it was gone completely, and when I touched a particular spot on her shin (about mid-shin), her tibia and fibula self-adjusted (the original seat of disturbance, perhaps?).

I’m not sure who was more amazed at the results – My friend and her daughter, who had never heard of Chapman’s Reflexes before, or myself. I knew Chapman’s was good, but I didn’t realize it was that good - To clear up something like that in only 2 minutes is just amazing! My friend kept saying it was a miracle, and I kept saying “No, it’s education.”

I followed up by suggesting she see a dermatologist and/or an allergist – One, to try to find out if she’s got some kind of contact allergy that may have set her off, and two, because the Neosporin shouldn’t have caused that kind of reaction unless she is allergic to one of its ingredients.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this experience with y’all – I thought you might find it interesting.
--Monica XXXX, San Antonio, Texas.

History of Osteopathy

2007-10-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

In second half of the 19th century Andrew Taylor Stills, D.O. (1828-1917) evolved from a conventional physician to become founder of a new kind of healing modality that initially challenged orthodox medicine. During his life he was influenced by: homeopathy, magnetic healing, bone setting, and various popular health movements. Yet, despite these influences Still developed principles and methods that were uniquely his own. He began calling his work Osteopathy in 1874.

Dr. Still’s contributions included a new emphasis on the alignment of vertebrae and bones in the healing process and a theory of disease that focused on obstructions or imbalances in the spine as the central factor in illness. According to A.T. Still it was the disruption of the vital flow of fluids that led to disease. He believed that re-alignment of the spine could be used to treat all illnesses. Throughout his life he fought against the use of drugs, which he thought of as more toxic to the body than helpful. He believed that the body was capable of healing itself when the source of obstructions or imbalances was corrected.

He stated that his practice of medicine would be based on three principles:

1. The body produces its own healing substances
2. Health is dependent upon structural integrity
3. Perverted structure is a fundamental cause of disease.

He asked his followers to be witnesses to the wonders of the human body in both structure and function. Dr. Still fully believed that healers could only heal through an ongoing attempt to commune with the divine intelligence within all of our cells and structures.

How to Be a Master Massage Therapist: Developing Your Mental Skills

2007-09-20T16:22:00.000-05:00

Last night we had a class here at our facility in San Antonio and one of my favorite subjects came up. The question is what can one do to be a “master” massage therapist? Of course, we can look at training, innate ability or good mentoring. These will certainly help to take you to the next level (or levels). But training, ability and mentoring are no guarantee if they are not applied correctly.

For me a master massage therapist has to be an excellent and patient evaluator. (If we were in the medical field we would talk about diagnosticians). They have to be able to observe patterns, employ techniques or methods and recognize changes. The real challenge is being able to follow patterns or movements in the manner that the body/person requires. Frequently there is a sequence that will release pain and dysfunction better than another sequence of applications. Sometimes the pattern of release can take a long time.

What happens, than, if you have a pattern that requires 20 minutes to release but you only have 10 minutes of mental stamina. After 10 minutes you will likely move on to something else and the pattern is never fully released. What about if it requires 45 minutes??

I was fortunate to get an Ortho-Bionomy® session from Kathy Kain, an Advanced Instructor, in the mid 1990’s. She began to move my neck into comfortable positions when my neck started to move on its own in a very subtle, small series of movements.

She mirrored what was happening and followed my pattern for at least 45 minutes without a break. I remember lying on the table and being in amazement that she was keeping up with me and I never felt “dropped” or unsafe. It was an incredible experience and my neck was much better after that wonderful session.

I started thinking immediately after that session about what had happened. Kathy demonstraited incredible mental stamina but also she was able observe, watch and follow my unique unwinding pattern to its completion. She never got lost or confused. She was able to evaluate and match my pattern of release.

I have thought a lot about mental stamina and how to create it since then. I have read many books and practiced very specific exercises to develop my mental stamina. I still work on it today.

The other key element that struck me after the session was how to see outside the box, how to see things with an open/beginners mind. I began to consider:

“How do I see patterns?"

“How many different patterns can I observe?"

"Which ones do I work with?”

In considering these questions, I think sucess requires being comfortable with the unknown, the unfamiliar and being able to analyze and evaluate in that state of mind.

During my reading on this subject I saw a passage that said, “Problem solving involves making the unfamiliar familiar and the familiar unfamiliar.” It seemed to me that this was how a great detective operates. Detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Columbo have to look beyond the obvious to analyze and evaluate the facts until they determine the truth.

So to my definition of master massage therapist (besides mental stamina) I have to add: being a good detective. This means developing mental skills like observation, analysis and evaluation. These are skills like any other; enhanced and strengthened by practice and exercise.

So, what can you do to develop mental skills? Play games that involve problem solving, do puzzles, practice with mazes, crossword puzzles, read about subjects that are totally unknown, enjoy a game of scrabble, use art and creativity, read books on lateral thinking or try to solve a Rubik's Cube. Constantly challenge your mind in different kinds of ways the are unusual or unique! You will be amazed at how quickly your mental skills grow and develop. (I have listed some helpful books below).

Develop your mental skills and you may become a master massage therapist.

BOOKS THAT WILL HELP YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR MENTAL SKILLS:

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael J. Gelb

Labyrinth by Helen Raphael Sands

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane

The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential by Tony Buzan & Barry Buzan.

Pumping Ions by Tom Wujec

Rapid Problem Solving with Post-It Notes by David Straker

Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques by Michael Michalko

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative by Roger von Oech

The History of Zone Therapy and Reflexology

2007-09-03T12:55:00.000-05:00

The Zone Theory was the precursor to modern Reflexology, which began with Dr. William H. Fitzgerald, M.D in 1913. Dr. Fitzgerald, an American ear, nose and throat surgeon, noted that pressure on specific parts of the body could have an anaesthetizing effect on a related area. He called his work Zone Analgesia.

Dr. Fitzgerald divided the body into ten equal and vertical zones, ending in the fingers and toes. He concluded that pressure on one part of a zone could affect everything else within that zone. Dr. Shelby Riley, D.C., N.D., worked closely with Dr. Fitzgerald and further developed the Zone Theory by added horizontal zones across the hands and feet, together with the longitudinal zones.

Eunice D. Ingham (1889-1974) a Physical Therapist worked closely with Dr. Riley and was fascinated by the concept of Zone Therapy and started developing her foot reflex theory in the early 1930's. She had the opportunity to treat hundreds of patients where each reflex point was carefully and thoughtfully checked and rechecked until she was able to determine that the reflexes on the feet were an exact mirror image of the organs of the body.

Dr. Riley encouraged her to write her first book entitled Stories The Feet Can Tell where she documented her cases and carefully mapped out the reflexes on the feet, as we know them today. This book was published in 1938 and was later translated into seven foreign languages.

Amazing Disappearing Embolisms

2007-09-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

One of my regular clients developed over 100 plus embolisms in her lungs. Generally when this many of these blood clots develop Doctors only see them during an autopsy. That she was alive was somewhat unbelievable.

“In medicine, an embolism occurs when an object (the embolus, plural emboli) migrates from one part of the body (through circulation) and cause(s) a blockage (occlusion) of a blood vessel in another part of the body.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embolism).

I was in the hospital with my wife when the Doctor brought in the image of her lungs with so many embolisms. It was a quite an image. They told my client that it would be 6-8 months before they could hope that many embolisms could be broken down by the body with the help of several drugs.

The question was: What could I do to help without dislodging an embolism? It was clear I had to do something that was not invasive and that I had to not have any intent to minimize any direct impact on the embolisms.

So, I started doing 5-10 minutes of stimulation of the Reflexology lung points in one of her hands about 3-4 times per week. Using 3 to 4 fingers I would monitor the energy and sensations without any goal, protocol or inclination. My touch was light. I just watched what happened. It felt like a 4 dimensional wegee board as energy and physical changes to temperature took place.

Occasionally I would notice that my orientation of observation would shift. So if I was watching with a North orientation to the hand, I might feel my orientation shift to the West or East or somewhere in that range. Again I noticed what I felt, gave no importance to it nor did I discount what I felt. Whether any of my sensations were “real” in a science sense did not matter. I just watched until something told me she had enough.

About 8 weeks into the project she had another round of images taken of her lungs. The Doctor was first concerned that he had the wrong image. The embolisms were gone. It was miraculous.

I felt excited that she was clear again, but I tried not to take the credit. She had healed herself. I had only helped the process. The amazement was how easily the body can heal itself with a little help.