Massage and Non-judgment

By definition, a person on my massage table is perfect. They are also unique; although their bodies have many things in common with other bodies, each one has a personal integrity which cannot be measured against any general standard, but defines its own terms.

I came to this understanding over a decade ago, when working my 'externship' for massage school. I would put my hands on as many as twelve people in four hours--feeling the history, the scars, the stress and strength of each individual, one after another. I came to the empathic, wondrous and totally obvious revelation that all of them are valid. At least, it should be obvious, but in practice we don't always behave that way.

Unless you are the Buddha, it's a normal human tendency to judge other people. Throughout the day, we walk around labelling and dismissing each other on the slightest pretext--too fat, too thin, too dorky, too dumb, too fashion-conscious or pretentious or boring. We think these judgments are harmless, a necessary tool for negotiating the world; we even apply them to ourselves, perhaps in the hope of getting motivated to 'fix' our 'flaws.' It rarely occurs to us that judgment is a form of abuse.

The word 'heal' means 'to make whole.' Ironically, all of us are whole already; it's just that most of us don't realize it yet. That is why, in my massage practice, I believe that most of my job is to listen--with my ears, my mind, my heart and my hands. I listen to uncover and understand the perfection that is already there.

--Stephanie Lee Jackson, Integrated Massage Therapy

Pick a Healer you Trust

There's a fine line between self-discipline and self-abuse.

SEDONA, Ariz. — Midway through a two-hour sweat lodge ceremony intended to be a rebirthing experience, participants say, some people began to fall desperately ill from the heat, even as their leader, James Arthur Ray, a nationally known New Age guru, urged them to press on.

“There were people throwing up everywhere,” said Dr. Beverley Bunn, 43, an orthodontist from Texas, who said she struggled to remain conscious in the sweat lodge, a makeshift structure covered with blankets and plastic and heated with fiery rocks.

Dr. Bunn said Mr. Ray told the more than 50 people jammed into the small structure — people who had just completed a 36-hour “vision quest” in which they fasted alone in the desert — that vomiting “was good for you, that you are purging what your body doesn’t want, what it doesn’t need.” But by the end of the ordeal on Oct. 8, emergency crews had taken 21 people to hospitals. Three have since died.

There's also a reason that 'New Age healing' has a lousy reputation. Getting in touch with your 'spiritual side' does not mean abdicating all common sense and self-responsibility.

Obviously the results of the investigation are still underway; it would be premature to declare that this guy, James Arthur Ray, is an arrogant, irresponsible, abusive predator. Nevertheless, there's a lot of evidence pointing that way. What kind of nincompoop stands in front of the exit to a sweat lodge, repeating "Play full on, you have to go through this barrier," preventing people who are ACTUALLY DYING from leaving?

Lesson 101 of being a responsible healer is to leave your ego at the door. And Lesson 101 of being a responsible seeker is to trust your intuition.

In other words, if your 'healer' appears to be making you sicker, try someone else.

Acupuncture and Women's Health

Before interviewing Laura Gabbé, Licensed Acupuncturist, my only prior experience with acupuncture was working with Sally Rappaport, LAc, who put a needle in my right wrist and relieved the chronic tendinitis in my left ankle. So although I had some inkling of the magic of acupuncture, I had no idea of the range to which this magic could be put.

A great many women, says Laura, spend years of their life trying to avoid getting pregnant. Then, at last, they decide they are ready for parenthood, and discover that they needn't have worried. Pregnancy proves much more elusive than they could ever have thought. They arrive in her office--panicky, stressed, and miserable. Many of them are contemplating IVF (in vitro fertilization), and are cowed at the expense and stress this entails.

Depending on the lady's age, Laura embarks upon a three- to six-month course of treatment with acupuncture and herbs. Although there is no guarantee that she will get pregnant with acupuncture alone, women who receive a course of it before IVF have an increased chance of success, as well as easier pregnancies and more efficient labors. Acupuncture improves blood flow to the endometrium, creating a richer, thicker lining, and stimulates the production of hormones in the proper amounts to improve egg quality. It also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body to relax, heal and balance itself. Oftentimes, the stress caused by attempting to get pregnant is one of the factors impeding conception; Laura helps her clients to take better care of themselves overall, without focussing exclusively on outcome.

Pregnant women may continue seeing Laura for problems such as nausea, headaches, backaches, allergies, depression, and a whole host of other symptoms that, being pregnant, they may not take drugs for. She says that doctors often tell these women that they 'just have to put up with it' for another five or six or seven months, which is not what an exhausted lady with sinusitis wants to hear.

If labor is delayed significantly beyond the due date, Laura can help to bring it on. She often refers clients back and forth with Wendy Morris, D.C., of Soulshine Family Wellness Center, who has a high success rate in turning breech babies, using the Webster chiropractic technique. Laura reports that many of her clients who see her regularly have 'more efficient' labors; i.e. the baby is nearly born in the cab, while the obstetricians and midwives are still telling them to go home and wait another 12 hours or so.

In these modern days, many girls who have trouble with cramps, mood swings, and other severe symptoms at menarche are put on The Pill. This may mask the symptoms, but doesn't cure them--and the possible negative side effects of The Pill are well-known. When they come to Laura instead, she is generally able to reduce their symptoms by 70% in three cycles or less.

Women undergoing menopause also come to Laura for hot flashes, depression, and insomnia. Oftentimes the treatments prescribed for menopausal symptoms, such as hormone replacement therapy and antidepressants, are worse than the problems themselves; it seems well worthwhile to try a side-effect-free alternative! And a recent study has indicated that acupuncture is just as effective as Effexor in treating menopausal symptoms triggered by breast cancer treatment.

Laura frequently provides advice and reassurance to her regular clients who call her with problems; she is more accessible than many physicians or OB/GYNs. She does not work in opposition to Western allopathic medicine, but in complement to it, and readily refers a client to a doctor or other healthcare provider when necessary. For more information, please visit her website, or fan her on Facebook.

--Stephanie Lee Jackson, Integrated Massage Therapy

Myofascial Release - What IS It?

Do you have lower back pain?

Do you experience knee pain after a workout, run, or after playing sports?

Are you sitting at a desk all day and have noticed your posture could be improved?

You know those people you see at your gym rolling out on a white or black foam roller like it's a rolling pin? That foam roller is a key to living injury and pain-free. Below are three essential foam roller exercises but first, let's talk about what myofascial release is.

First off, fascia supports our bodies as a connective tissue that surrounds and attaches to most structures in the body. From head to foot, every muscle, bone, nerve, and internal organ is covered by fascia. The fascial system is woven together (like a tight knit sweater) and provides support and protection for most structures, ultimately connecting everything in our bodies.

In a normal state, fascia is relaxed and has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. Physical trauma, scarring, or inflammation can cause fascia to lose its pliability causing it to be a source of tension in the body. An injury, surgery, constant impact, and even habitual poor posture can cause tension to build up in our fascia. Tense fascia limits flexibility and stability which then inhibits a person's optimal performance as an athlete or simply decreases a person's quality of life. Using a foam roller balances and heals the body as it helps release built-up tension.

Below are three foam roller poses and exercises. Keep your roller in your living room or bedroom, and make this healthy habit a daily routine. With every exercise, be careful getting on and off the roller. Always make sure you are supporting yourself with hands and/or feet on the floor so you do not lose your balance.

1. Modified God/Goddess Pose
Sit on one end of the roller and lay your spine back along the roller.

Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor.

Open your arms out to the side.

Exhale deeply and give into gravity letting your head, shoulders, and back fall into the roller.

Stay here forever.

When you are ready to come back to reality, simply roll off - there's no graceful way to do it.

This is the perfect way to end a day.

2. IT Band Release
Your iliotibial band (ITB) is the largest tendon in your body. Among other things, it actually connects your quadriceps (thigh muscles) to your femur bone which is the largest bone in your body. With that said, you may already see the importance of keeping this tendon tension free. A tight IT band can cause knee, back, and hip pain. Runners, cyclers, and other athletes are notorious for having tight IT bands. Rolling out the IT bands is a very odd sensation and may be intense at first. That "pain" you are feeling is tension stuck in your body. Roll it out, connect with your breath, and exhale the tension OUT of your body.

Sit your left hip onto the roller, supporting yourself with your arms.

Drop down onto your left elbow, right hand on the floor.

Extend your left leg and bend your right knee keeping that foot on the floor.

Roll on the side of your left leg, directly on the IT band, from your hip all the way to the top of your knee.

BREATHE.

Repeat about 5 times.

Stop on the place where you feel the most tension and stay there (breathing) for 30 seconds.

Roll up and down 2 more times then repeat on the right leg.
One leg will be tighter than the other. Hopefully you started with the most tense leg making the second leg feel like a piece of cake.

Notice how you feel more loose and flexible after executing this exercise.

This is not always an easy release technique so thank yourself for doing it. Good Job!


3. Lower Back/Sacral Release
Sit on the roller, leaning back enough so you can support your upper body by placing your hands on the floor behind the roller.

Be careful not to sink into your shoulder joints.

Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor.

Roll forward getting into your sacrum (the flat boney area) and lower back.

Shift to one side rolling back and forth.

Switch sides.

Get your 36x6 inch round foam roller from optp.com.


Be well!
-Charlotte
charlotteblakenyc.com

--
Charlotte Blake
Trainer
charblake@gmail.com
www.charlotteblakenyc.com

www.NYFitmama.com

Get Ready for Flu Season!

Do not panic. Fears of an H1N1 epidemic have been wildly exaggerated. However, if you come into contact with large numbers of people in your practice, it's a good idea to get vaccinated.

This year there's is both a seasonal flu vaccine and an H1N1, with different vaccination protocols. For information on where to get vaccinated in New York City, go to the New York City Influenza Information site.

People who should get the seasonal vaccine each year are:

1. Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
2. Pregnant women
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
   1. Health care workers
   2. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
   3. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated.)

The H1N1 flu vaccine will be given to certain high risk groups first when it becomes available. The list is different than for the seasonal flu:

1. pregnant women
   
2. people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
   
3. healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
   
4. persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
   
5. people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Brooklyn Wellness Connection blog! We are an open network of independent Brooklyn wellness professionals who meet regularly to share tips, referrals, bodywork and community. By helping each other, we can better assist our clients and boost our own well-being. Since we often trade services, our referrals come from firsthand experience; we are constantly improving our skills.

On this blog, we will post articles about our practices, healthcare news, success stories, upcoming events and anything else related to the Brooklyn wellness community. Please send links, articles, comments and stories to brooklynwellness@gmail.com, and visit often!