How to maintain your sanity during the Holidays...

Contemporary Bathtubs by Miami Kitchen & Bath Fixtures PSCBATH

It is that time of the year. 

We want to enjoy the season with all of its bells and whistles, yet find ourselves worn thin by keeping up our work schedule, trying to spend quality time with family and making time for our friends. However, we soon realize that time is flying by and we feel trapped.

Trapped by that endless list of things to do and commitments we made months ago that we may not be as excited about as when we made them (what were we thinking when we said yes in the 1st place??)

So, in light of all of this, here are a few tips to keep your sanity:

• Make time for yourself. Whatever that may be: a walk on the beach, an hour at the gym, coffee with a friend, a long shower, a nice bath (see above) or simply reading a book, quietly.

• Remind yourself to take a few deep breaths and let go of all your tensions. When you wake up, think of all of the good things that lay ahead of you before starting to get overwhelmed by all the things that are a burden. Breathe in and out deeply a few times and smile. Smiling will give you more energy by creating a positive mind frame.  Before you go to sleep, get into a comfortable position, slacken you jaw, relax your forehead, close your eyes and breathe in deeply. Put your hands on top of each other over your belly button and do some deep belly breathing for a few minutes.

• Get enough sleep. No sleep = grumpy = I don't care = bad food & drink behaviors = grumpy

• Stay hydrated. No one says you shouldn't enjoy that irresistible cocktail or glass of wine, but make sure you drink plenty of water along side it, and before you go to bed or you'll wake up in the middle of the night. Maybe not you 20 year olds out there, but for the rest of us. Yes, alcohol has a tendency to wake you up even if you fall asleep before your head hits the pillow.

• Try to exercise regularly

• Eat well so that when you don't, you don't feel as bad. 

• Get a massage or some acupuncture to relax you....

• Remember that you too - matter... If you lose it, those around you will bear the brunt of it.  So, learn to delegate and prioritize. What really matters? Will your life or that of someone else's be that much better off or worse off if you don't do something?

• Give thanks - to yourself,  for a job well done and all that you've accomplished to make the life of those around you better. And give thanks for all that you have. We are luckier than most.

• And last but not least: Have some fun !

The Psoas: Muscle of The Soul

POSTED ON MARCH 23, 2011 BY DANIELLE PROHOM OLSON

body divine yoga

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I was delighted when I first came across Liz Koch’s amazing work because it confirmed much of what I’d been intuiting on my own. I had begun to open and close my yoga practise with hip opening poses with the specific intention of releasing tension in my psoas and hip flexors. I’d breathe and imagine tension flowing out of constricted muscles to be released as energy into the torso.

It worked, I’d feel my body soften yet somehow grow stronger.

Reading Liz Koch I instantly realized what I was doing – by learning to relax my psoas I was literally energizing my deepest core by reconnecting with the powerful energy of the earth. According to Koch, the psoas is far more than a core stabilizing muscle; it is an organ of perception composed of bio-intelligent tissue and “literally embodies our deepest urge for survival, and more profoundly, our elemental desire to flourish.”

Well, I just had to learn more. Here is just a sprinkling of the research that Liz Koch and others have uncovered regarding the importance of the psoas to our health, vitality and emotional well-being.

The Psoas muscle (pronounced so-as) is the deepest muscle of the human body affecting our structural balance, muscular integrity, flexibility, strength, range of motion, joint mobility, and organ functioning.

Growing out of both sides of the spine, the psoas spans laterally from the 12th thoracic vertebrae (T12) to each of the 5 lumbar vertebrae. From there it flows down through the abdominal core, the pelvis, to attach to the top of the femur (thigh) bone.

The Psoas is the only ‘muscle’ to connect the spine to the legs.  It is responsible for holding us upright, and allows us to lift our legs in order to walk. A healthily functioning psoas stabilizes the spine and provides support through the trunk, forming a shelf for the vital organs of the abdominal core.

The psoas is connected to the diaphragm through connective tissue or fascia which affects both our breath and fear reflex. This is because the psoas is directly linked to the reptilian brain, the most ancient interior part of the brain stem and spinal cord.  As Koch writes “Long before the spoken word or the organizing capacity of the cortex developed, the reptilian brain, known for its survival instincts, maintained our essential core functioning.”

Koch believes that our fast paced modern lifestyle (which runs on the adrenaline of our sympathetic nervous system) chronically triggers and tightens the psoas – making it literally ready to run or fight. The psoas helps you to spring into action – or curl you up into a protective ball.

If we constantly contract the psoas to due to stress or tension , the muscle eventually begins to shorten leading to a host of painful conditions including low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, menstruation pain, infertility, and digestive problems.

A tight psoas not only creates structural problems, it constricts the organs, puts pressure on nerves, interferes with the movement of fluids, and impairs diaphragmatic breathing.

In fact, “The psoas is so intimately involved in such basic physical and emotional reactions, that a chronically tightened psoas continually signals your body that you’re in danger, eventually exhausting the adrenal glands and depleting the immune system.”

And according to Koch, this situation is exacerbated by many things in our modern lifestyle, from car seats to constrictive clothing, from chairs to shoes that distort our posture, curtail our natural movements and further constrict our psoas.

Koch believes the first step in cultivating a healthy psoas is to release unnecessary tension.  But “to work with the psoas is not to try to control the muscle, but to cultivate the awareness necessary for sensing its messages.  This involves making a conscious choice to become somatically aware.”

 A relaxed psoas is the mark of play and creative expression.  Instead of the contracted psoas, ready to run or fight, the relaxed and released psoas is ready instead to lengthen and open, to dance. In many yoga poses (like tree)  the thighs can’t fully rotate outward unless the psoas releases. A released psoas allows the front of the thighs to lengthen and the leg to move independently from the pelvis, enhancing and deepening the lift of the entire torso and heart.

Koch believes that by cultivating a healthy psoas, we can rekindle our body’s vital energies by learning to reconnect with the life force of the universe. Within the Taoist tradition the psoas is spoken of as the seat or muscle of the soul, and surrounds the lower “Dan tien” a major energy center of body.  A flexible and strong psoas grounds us and allows subtle energies to flow through the bones, muscles and joints.

Koch writes “The psoas, by conducting energy, grounds us to the earth, just as a grounding wire prevents shocks and eliminates static on a radio. Freed and grounded, the spine can awaken”…“ As gravitational flows transfer weight through bones, tissue, and muscle, into the earth, the earth rebounds, flowing back up the legs and spine, energizing, coordinating and animating posture, movement and expression. It is an uninterrupted conversation between self, earth, and cosmos.”

So, it might be worth it, next time you practice, to tune in and pay attention to what your bio-intelligent psoas has to say.

Prevention goes a long way to keep colds at Bay...

An Acupuncturist Can Help Keep Your Cold at Bay

‘Tis the season for colds and the flu, but luckily we have ways in which we can boost our immune systems to ward off illness. Acupuncture is oftentimes thought of as a pain-relieving treatment, but did you know it could also help to naturally boost your immune system?

Acupuncture, a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been used for thousands of years to help enhance the immune system. As an acupuncturist, I assess the health and well-being of my patients much differently than my Western Medical counterparts. I think in abstract concepts, as I look for imbalances of Qi (pronounced “chee,” which is loosely translated as vital energy) as it pertains to the universal principles of Yin and Yang.

Qi takes on many forms in our body, one of which is called “Wei Qi,” or “Defensive Qi,” better known as our immune system here in the West. The main function of Wei Qi is to protect the body from external pathogens that can make us sick. When our Wei Qi is strong, our bodies can easily ward off illness.

From a TCM perspective, your body could potentially go through six stages of sickness when you catch a cold. Depending on where you are in the progression of your cold will determine where I insert hair-thin needles to help boost your immune system, helping your body to strengthen itself so you can feel well again.

Conventional medicine has begun paying closer attention to acupuncture as there have been numerous research studies explaining the complex mechanism of action it has on the body.

Most recently, scientists have been able to determine the role acupuncture plays in boosting the body’s immune system by enhancing the production of natural killer cells, which is the primary defense mechanism against organisms that make us sick. It also acts on a complex immune building system that regulates white blood cells directly linked to the fight against infections, allergic reactions, and even autoimmune disorders.

For patients who are seeking to boost their immune system to protect them from getting sick, oftentimes a multidisciplinary approach is best.  Acupuncture can easily be incorporated into your conventional treatment plan, working in tandem with your physician.

You do not have to wait until you are sick to benefit from the immune-boosting benefits of acupuncture. You can begin regular acupuncture visits now as part of your preventative regime to ward off colds and the flu.  Optimally, several acupuncture treatments are needed for the body to respond, and “tune up” visits would be beneficial until cold and flu season is over.

If you are interested in a natural way to boost your immune system, you may want to consider an integrative treatment option like acupuncture.

Severe Ski Accident Spurs Aetna CEO to Bring Yoga to Work

SMALL BUSINESS, AETNA INC, BUSINESS NEWS

CNBC.com | Tuesday, 19 Mar 2013 | 4:02 PM ET

Faced with a lifetime on painkillers and long-term disability following a near-death experience while skiing, Aetna's CEO embarked on a quest to improve his life through nontraditional remedies, including yoga. After making nearly a full recovery, he sought to apply similar techniques to the stressed-out workplace.

"When you read the literature, the literature says you need to be active at work, you need to have a purpose, and so I wanted to get back to work, but I couldn't do it on the seven different drugs, most of which were narcotics, that I was taking every day to try and control my pain," said Mark Bertolini, chairman and chief executive at Aetna, on CNBC Tuesday.

To heal his neuropathy, or nerve damage, he turned to alternative treatments, including acupuncture, yoga and naturopathy, a form of alternative medicine based on a belief in vitalism. This drug-less cocktail now enables him to live in a relatively pain-free world.
(Read More: How Some Companies Keep Employees Healthy)

Not 'Voodoo Medicine'

After realizing that such methods were not "voodoo medicine," he wondered what would happen if yoga and mindfulness were applied to the workforce.

To prove the effectiveness of these practices at work, Aetna collaborated with eMindful and the American Viniyoga Institute to craft a 12-week study, during which Aetna employees practiced alternative techniques to reduce stress as measured by cortisol levels and heart-rate variability.
"And of course, the rumor running around this place was, well, because Mark does yoga now we're all going to do yoga," Bertolini said.
Companies have a vested interest in lowering employees' stress, and as a result their bottom lines too.
"When employees are in the highest quintile of stress, their health care costs are $2,000 a year on average higher than the average employee," he said.
(Read More: Who's Hiring: Health Care, Yes; Wall Street, No)

Lower Stress, Higher Productivity
Stress also impacts their ability to fight and resist illness and lowers their productivity.
"We saw dramatic drops in stress after the program was over, and we saw a 69-minute gain in productivity of our employees over a year," he added.
The increased productivity along with reduced health-care costs and lowered employee stress yielded an 11-to-1 return on the program's investments, Bertolini said, which added up to a savings of about $3,000 per employees per year.
"The other part that we couldn't measure that I think is far more important is being present in the work environment, and by being present making better decisions for the organization and those decisions depending on where you are in the company take a longer time to have an impact, and we'll see that over time" he added.

Following the study's success, Aetna has opened up its stress-management programs to the insurance company's customers and their employees.

— Written by CNBC's Katie Little. Follow her on Twitter @Katie_Little_

© 2013 CNBC.com

URL: http://www.cnbc.com/100569740

Driftwood Acupuncture & Wellness WINS for best Alternative Medicine !!

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine strongly protect us from colds and flu

By Melissa Sokulski, www.Natrualnews.com | September 12, 2013

Last Updated: September 12, 2013 11:48 am

Acupuncturists need to be able to see the body through “quantum glasses” in order to understand this ancient system of treatment. (Credit: Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

Cold and flu season is upon us. Traditional Chinese Medicine has effective time-tested techniques which boost immunity and protect us from colds or the flu. Points can be needled and herbal formulas can be given to balance the body’s energy, strengthen the body and even speed recovery if one does come down with symptoms.

In Chinese medicine colds and flu are considered to be an external pathogen invading the body. When our body`s energy, or qi, is strong we are able to fight off these pathogens. If our qi is weak we come down with symptoms of cold and flu: headache, chills, fever, body aches, cough, and sore throat.

To keep our qi strong and prevent colds and flu it is important to:

• Eat a healthy diet full of fresh raw fruits and vegetables.
• Cut out white and brown sugar, and corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup – all of which lower our immunity.
• Wash hands frequently with regular soap and water.
• Get outside in fresh air exposing your face to sunshine. It may be wise to supplement with vitamin D3 this time of year.
• Receive acupuncture treatments which strengthen the qi and balance energy.
• Choose herbal medicine, supplements and nourishing food to keep immunity strong.

It is important to make sure all meridians are balanced to keep the energy flowing smoothly and our immunity strong. Immunity relates especially to the earth and metal elements which show up in the pulse as the spleen and lung meridians.

An acupuncturist will often use points such as Stomach 36 to keep the energy strong and Spleen 6 to make sure food is digested properly and nutrients are absorbed and turned into vital energy.

Large Intestine 11 is a powerful immune point. Large Intestine 4 and Triple Warmer 5 are often used to help the body push pathogens out. Lung 7 combined with Large Intestine 4 strengthens the body`s defense against pathogens.

Often the earth and metal points on the back (Bladder 13 and Bladder 20) are needled to harmonize the body`s energy and strengthen immunity.

In terms of herbal medicine:

• Astragalus is an excellent immune tonic.
• Medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi and Maitake can boost the immune system especially if compromised.
• Four Gentlemen Formula is a classic Chinese herb formula to keep the qi strong.
• Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is a combination of ginseng, astragalus, and other herbs used to strengthen qi.

If someone comes down with symptoms of the flu the treatment switches to formulas which expel the pathogen:

• Yin Qiao contains cooling detoxifying herbs such as forsythia and honeysuckle. It is used with symptoms of sore throat, headache, and a yellow tongue coat.
• Gan Mao Ling is used when in the midst of a bad cold or flu especially with head and body aches.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been around for thousands of years successfully treating many disorders including colds and flu.

Originally published by http://www.naturalnews.com and republished with permission
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031540_influenza_Chinese_Medicine.ht

JULY 2, 2013 by POSITIVEMED

12 Signs of Depression in Men

Did you know more than 5 million men in the U.S. alone experience depression each year?

Clinical depression can cause sadness and a loss of interest in once pleasurable activities. While the symptoms used to diagnose depression are the same regardless of gender, often the chief complaint can be different between men and women.

Fatigue:

People who are depressed undergo a series of physical and emotional changes. They can experience fatigue, as well as psychomotor retardation, or a slowing down of physical movements, speech, and thought processes.

Sleeping too much or too little
Sleep problems such as insomnia, waking up very early in the morning, or excessive sleeping are common depression symptoms.

Stomachache or backache
Health problems such as constipation or diarrhea, and/or headaches and back pain, are common in people who are depressed.

Irritability

Instead of seeming down, men who are depressed often show signs of irritability. Often talk about an emotional component, as well as negative thoughts are a common aspect of depression.

Difficulty concentrating
Psychomotor retardation can slow down a man’s ability to process information, thereby impairing concentration on work or other tasks.

Anger or hostility
Some men manifest depression by being hostile, angry, or aggressive. A man who realizes something is wrong may need to compensate by demonstrating that he is still strong and capable.
Stress

Men might be more likely to report symptoms of depression as stress. It’s not that they have more stress, it’s that it’s more socially acceptable to report it.

Anxiety

There is a strong link between anxiety disorders and depression. Men may be no more likely than women to experience anxiety, in fact, anxiety disorders are about twice as prevalent in women but it’s often easier for men to talk about feeling anxious rather than sad.

Substance abuse
Substance abuse frequently accompanies depression. Research has shown that alcoholics are almost twice as likely to suffer from major depression as people without a drinking problem.

Sexual dysfunction
Depression is a common reason for loss of desire and erectile dysfunction, and its one symptom that men are inclined not to report. Performance problems can come from depression and make depression worse.

Indecision
Some people naturally have a hard time making decisions, so an inability to make choices is usually worrisome only if it’s a new behavior

Suicidal thoughts
Women are more likely to attempt suicide, but men are more than four times as likely to die if they do attempt suicide. One reason is that men tend to choose more lethal methods.

Source http://health.yahoo.net/articles/mental-health/photos/12-signs-depression-men#12Visited (64175) times!

How to talk to your daughter or son about his or her changing body....

July 31, 2013

How to Talk to Your Daughter About Her Body

Posted: 07/30/2013 5:33 pm

How to talk to your daughter about her body, step one: Don't talk to your daughter about her body, except to teach her how it works.

Don't say anything if she's lost weight. Don't say anything if she's gained weight.

If you think your daughter's body looks amazing, don't say that. Here are some things you can say instead:
"You look so healthy!" is a great one.

Or how about, "You're looking so strong."

"I can see how happy you are -- you're glowing."

Better yet, compliment her on something that has nothing to do with her body.

Don't comment on other women's bodies either. Nope. Not a single comment, not a nice one or a mean one.

Teach her about kindness towards others, but also kindness towards yourself.

Don't you dare talk about how much you hate your body in front of your daughter, or talk about your new diet.

In fact, don't go on a diet in front of your daughter.

Buy healthy food. Cook healthy meals.

But don't say, "I'm not eating carbs right now."
Your daughter should never think that carbs are evil, because shame over what you eat only leads to shame about yourself.

Encourage your daughter to run because it makes her feel less stressed.

Encourage your daughter to climb mountains because there is nowhere better to explore your spirituality than the peak of the universe.

Encourage your daughter to surf, or rock climb, or mountain bike because it scares her and that's a good thing sometimes.


Help your daughter love soccer or rowing or hockey because sports make her a better leader and a more confident woman.

Explain that no matter how old you get, you'll never stop needing good teamwork.

Never make her play a sport she isn't absolutely in love with.

Prove to your daughter that women don't need men to move their furniture.

Teach your daughter how to cook kale.

Teach your daughter how to bake chocolate cake made with six sticks of butter.

Pass on your own mom's recipe for Christmas morning coffee cake. Pass on your love of being outside.

Maybe you and your daughter both have thick thighs or wide ribcages.

It's easy to hate these non-size zero body parts.

Don't. Tell your daughter that with her legs she can run a marathon if she wants to, and her ribcage is nothing but a carrying case for strong lungs.

She can scream and she can sing and she can lift up the world, if she wants.

Remind your daughter that the best thing she can do with her body is to use it to mobilize her beautiful soul.


This post originally appeared on hopeave.wordpress.com.

Regular Sex Can Make You Look 7 Years Younger, Scientist Says 

The Huffington Post  |  By Cavan Sieczkowski Posted: 07/12/2013 12:16 pm EDT 

Expensive creams, painful facials and surgical procedures might all be for nought. A new study claims a healthy sex life is the real secret to looking younger.

Exploratory research conducted by Dr. David Weeks, a British consultant clinical psychologist and former head of old age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, says regular sex can make both men and women look five to seven years younger, the Telegraph reported earlier this month. Intercourse causes the release of the human growth hormone, which makes skin look more elastic, among other biological reactions.

The 58-year-old has spent 10 years quizzing thousands of men and women of all ages, the Daily Mail notes. Respondents between the ages of 40 and 50 who looked younger reported having sex 50 percent more often, amounting to three times per week as opposed to two.
Weeks says pleasure from the act is a "crucial factor" in preserving youth.

While speaking with the British Psychological Society in May, Weeks explained sex might not only make someone look younger, but it could also prolong one's lifespan.

"[T]he quality of sexual expression maintained in older adults is a predictor of good general health and well-being," he said. "In a Welsh heart disease study from 1997, the mortality risk was 50 per cent lower in the group of men with high orgasmic frequency (twice a week or more) than in the group with low frequency."

“Sexual satisfaction is a major contributor to quality of life, ranking at least as high as spiritual or religious commitment and other morale factors, so more positive attitudes towards mature sex should be vigorously promoted," he added. “Sexuality is not the prerogative of younger people and nor should it be.”

Back in 1999, Weeks found regular sex came in only second to physical and mental activity as factors most important for retaining youth. At the time, he noted loving intercourse with a consistent partner was the most beneficial.

"Casual sex would bring a lot of the detrimental things to staying youthful such as anxiety and the absence of security. Both those things are associated with a loss of youth," he told the BBC.

Benefits relating to sex have long been documented (and celebrated) over the years. Thinking about doing the deed can lead to better critical thinking performance. It can reduce pain, decrease stress and boost immunity. Practitioners of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism (BDSM) have been shown to have better mental health than those less kinky.

Wanna look refreshed and glowy? A safe alternative to Botox, face lifts or peels....And NO, I don't use that many needles...!

 'Cosmetic' acupuncture is the newest weapon in the anti-ageing war, but can it really give you a facelift? Or does it just leave you with pins and needles? 

By Frances Childs
PUBLISHED: 18:23 EST, 23 June 2013 | UPDATED: 19:23 EST, 23 June 2013

Out of the corner of my left eye, I can see the red tip of a long needle protruding rather alarmingly from my cheek.

If I look down I can see another needle, this one stuck into my chin, and I daren't move my head in case I dislodge or snap off the needles sticking out of the top of my head and both temples.

I resemble a human pin cushion. I am lying in a pristine white room in a clinic in central London, only just daring to watch as acupuncturist Samara Reid gently taps super-fine, sharp needles into my flesh. It doesn't hurt, there's just a slight tingle as each of the 25 needles sinks in.

Needle work: Frances underwent facial acupuncture to improve the quality of her skin

Once Samara has finished, I lie still, reflecting on the fact that I've willingly subjected myself to this bizarre experience.

I am having facial acupuncture because, put simply, I am terribly vain and at 44 I am becoming increasingly depressed about losing my looks. The turning point came recently when an idiot on the train asked me to move my son's bag.

The man he thought was my son was a complete stranger of at least 30 years old. I was already concerned about my drooping jaw line and deepening crevices, but now I had confirmation that urgent action was required. If I did nothing, I'd soon be mistaken for my seven-year-old's grandma!

'That's it. I'm having Botox,' I later wailed to my friend Lisa, who has a suspiciously taut face. She looked shocked, but not, alas, at the idea that my face needed a bit of strategic intervention.

 

'Botox is so passé. Facial acupuncture is where it's at,' she told me, confiding that regular sessions keep her looking rejuvenated.

'Cosmetic' acupuncture is the latest weapon in the anti-ageing war, and a favourite among stars such as Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston.

Like me, these A-listers are past the first flush of youth. Unlike me, they have glowing, smooth, impossibly perfect complexions.

Samara Reid, who has been a facial acupuncturist for more than two decades, says there has been a rise in those wanting the treatment in recent months.

'It's driven by a fear of fillers and Botox,' she says. 'Clients are looking for natural solutions to the ageing process. People don't really want to inject poison into their faces.'

Before and after: Frances looks fresher after undergoing three sessions of acupuncture

Practitioners claim acupuncture can reduce wrinkles, eliminate fine lines, lift sagging skin and improve skin colour and texture. Its effects last for about three months, and it only takes about 45 minutes. What's not to like?


Acupuncture is a form of ancient Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted into the skin at certain points on the body. It originated more than 2,000 years ago, and is used to treat everything from backache to migraines and fertility problems. Some acupuncture - though not cosmetic - is even funded by the NHS.

But how can sticking needles into the skin improve our faces?

Samara explains that when needles are inserted at pressure points, energy and endorphins are released. This minor trauma improves blood flow and stimulates cell re-growth.

'We put needles in at vortex points where energy is travelling to and from organs along lines we call meridians,' she explains. 'When energy flows more efficiently, circulation is improved, helping the body rejuvenate.

'Traumatising the skin by inserting tiny needles will also encourage the production of healing collagen, the protein which the body uses to keep the skin youthful and elastic.'

'When I look in the mirror, I am pleasantly surprised. I can't say my face looks younger, but it definitely has a glow which it lacked before.'

It certainly sounds convincing.

When I arrive at the Hale Clinic, my nerves swell into full-blown panic when Samara tells me to remove my shoes and tights. 'But I'm having a facial!' I protest.

Samara says she works on the whole body, not just the face. I tell her that I hate my feet, but Samara insists she needs access to them as the feet and hands contain the calming and cleansing meridians, and before she can work on my face these must be activated.

'Come on. I've seen worse,' she says encouragingly, before tapping a needle between my big toe and the one next to it. It doesn't hurt, though once the needles are in I can feel a faint tingling sensation.
One by one, she inserts ten needles in my feet, legs, and hands before putting 15 more into my face, head and temples. The experience makes me slightly queasy. But then, suddenly, I relax.

Samara explains: 'The needles between your toes increase blood flow around your body. They target the kidneys and cleanse the system.'

The needles in my legs will help the energy flow to my digestive system which is sluggish, she adds. This accounts, in part, for my grey complexion. 

Ancient heritage: Over 2,000 years old, acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that treats everything from backache to migraines and fertility problems

I try to ignore the needles while Samara taps them around my hair line, my mouth and between my eyebrows. She explains that the blood flow and oxygen to these areas will be increased. 'The skin will then plump out and regenerate,' Samara promises.

When they're removed 30 minutes later I am slightly disoriented, as though I've had a few gin and tonics. Apparently this is normal, the result of a release of feel-good endorphins.

When I look in the mirror, I am pleasantly surprised. I can't say my face looks younger, but it definitely has a glow which it lacked before.

Feeling uncharacteristically relaxed, I head off into rush hour. Even an hour-long train delay doesn't send me into my customary paroxysms of fury. I simply smile beatifically.

The next morning, I take a long, hard look at my face in the mirror. My skin looks smoother and my complexion appears brighter. I've definitely got more colour. But the most extraordinary change is that I feel totally angst-free. For the first time in months, I haven't woken up fretting.

My second session is less daunting than the first, and even baring my feet feels like less of a challenge.

The session goes smoothly, I leave, and by 9pm that evening I can barely keep my eyes open. I feel as though I've done a two-hour workout and slope off to bed. I then have one of the best night's sleep I can ever remember.

The unusual dreamy feeling stays with me days later. Even as I'm trying to hit a deadline past midnight I feel oddly carefree.

After three sessions, I can see a definite improvement. My skin is rosier and clearer, my cheeks plumper. The lines around my mouth are less visible, and my forehead unfurrowed.
I look healthier, with a much better complexion than someone whose staple diet consists of doughnuts and coffee deserves.

Samara recommends a further seven to ten sessions for maximum benefit. At £80 a session, facial acupuncture isn't cheap, but compared to around £295 for Botox, it's worth it for the relaxation alone.

Meanwhile, I know I'll never again look like I did in my 20s, but I am at least rediscovering the carefree attitude of my youth.

You Ate It? Negate It!

You Ate It? Negate It! Summer Indulgence Edition

Before you take a bite of your favorite treats, learn what you would have to do to burn off their calories

By Jessica Smith

1 Cup Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream

382 calories = 60 minutes hiking
*Calorie burn totals are based on a 140-pound woman and may vary based on fitness level, body composition, and exact intensity.

1/2 Rack Homemade BBQ Ribs

450 calories = 85 minutes kayaking

2 12-Ounce Beers

307 calories = 42 minutes jogging

1 Glass Sangria

285 calories = 65 minutes doubles tennis

14 Tortilla Chips and 1/4 Cup Guacamole

400 calories = 35 minutes full-court basketball

1 Cup Homemade Potato Salad

358 calories = 60 minutes waterskiing

1 Lobster Roll

590 calories = 66 minutes mountain biking

Grande Starbucks Hazelnut Frappuccino with Whole Milk and Whipped Cream

390 calories = 50 minutes Zumba

1 Funnel Cake

760 calories = 75 minutes hardcore racquetball

1 Kentucky Fried Chicken Original Recipe Chicken Breast

360 calories = 41 minutes Ultimate Frisbee

The debate between Gua Sha and Graston Technique....both have their place, is my conclusion

Gua Sha: Another Form of Mechanical Load

By Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO

Every technique that creates compression or tensile stretch to soft tissue creates a mechanical load that is necessary for tissue change. Gua sha represents another form of mechanical load on soft tissue that claims healing results and, like all other soft-tissue methods, begs for research to prove its value.

Arya Nielsen, PhD, adjunct faculty in the Department of Integrative Medicine at New York Beth Israel Medical Center, Continuum Center for Health & Healing, and a strong proponent of gua sha, wrote an interesting article in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (JBMT).1 
She states that often the literature incorrectly describes the results of gua sha as causing battery trauma, bruising, burns, dermatitis, pseudo bleeding and even hematoma.

Although gua means to "scrape" or "scratch" in Chinese, the skin always remains intact and there are no abrasions. Sha represents the "transient therapeutic petechiae." The extravasated blood appears as red macula and fades to ecchymosis immediately, blending into an ecchymotic patch. The scraping reveals blood stasis and its use removes blood stagnation that is considered pathogenic, thereby promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes. Gua sha lets blood from the tissue and is not let from the skin.²

This method originated in Asia and is used today in East Asian medicine and by acupuncturists. Nielsen mentions its use for colds, flu, fever, heatstroke, asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, as well as musculoskeletal problems including fibromyalgia to severe strain. Improving blood stasis and sha may even be significant in asymptomatic subjects who are considered healthy.
A recent study using laser Doppler imaging was used to make sequential measurements of the microcirculation of surface tissue before and after gua sha treatment³ in order to relieve pain. 

The result was a fourfold increase in microcirculation for the first 7.5 minutes following treatment and a significant increase in surface microcirculation during the entire 25 minutes of the study period following treatment. There was a decrease in myalgia not only locally but also in sites distal to the treated areas. The authors stated that the distal area of relief was not due to a distal increase in microcirculation and asserted, "There is an unidentified pain-relieving biomechanism associated with gua sha."
Recent theories based on tensegrity and the fascial continuum help to explain distal results from localized mechanical load. Ingber, who has written much on our tensegrity structure,⁴ demonstrates how living cells and tissues sense and respond to mechanical stresses and in the rearrangement of the structure become mechanochemical transducers, whereby mechanical signals create chemical responses affecting local and distal parts of our structure.
Fibroblasts are the chief cell in the extracellular matrix and reproduce the extracellular matrix upon being loaded; it is thought by Langevin, et al.,⁵ that the existence of a cellular network of fibroblasts within loose connective tissue may have considerable significance, as it may support as-yet unknown bodywide cellular signaling systems. She states that fascia may serve as a bodywide mechanosensitive signaling system with an integrating function similar to the nervous system. Regarding gua sha and GT, increasing the microcirculation may stimulate platelets which release growth factors related to the healing of tissue.

Graston Technique (GT) has been compared with gua sha, and I have even heard some say that GT adopted the gua sha concept. GT was initially used on a postsurgical knee. It is extremely doubtful that the discoverers were at all familiar with gua sha, but even if they were, the GT application is significantly different. GT research has been directed toward the musculoskeletal system and its effect on various soft-tissue conditions. New studies are continually appearing demonstrating how it may be affecting soft tissue. It has its own protocol and uses instruments of different weights, shapes, and sizes to conform to the bodily contours. Its stainless-steel vibratory effect is used to detect restricted areas after functional tests are performed to determine the involved location.

While both methods can create petechiae, the stroking is not performed in the same manner. GT often achieves results without creating any petechiae at all. GT uses at least seven types of strokes, while gua sha repeats a stroke in one direction about 4-6 inches long specifically to create "therapeutic" petechiae.¹
A variety of instrument angulations and pressures may be used in GT depending upon the area of the body treated.

Doctors trained in both methods realize the vast differences. Both methods have their place and there is some obvious overlap, but the differences between the methods are significant. At present, all soft-tissue loading methods are still in their infancy regarding research as to how they affect our structure and function. Einstein referred to a unifying theory of the universe. Hopefully, there might someday be one for soft tissue.

References

1. Nielsen A. Gua sha research and the language of integrative medicine. JBMT, January 2009;13,63-72.
2. Nielsen A. Gua Sha: A Traditional Technique for Modern Practice. Edinburg: Churchill Livingstone, 2002.
3. Nielsen A, Knoblauch N, Dobos G, et al. The effect of gua sha treatment on the microcirculation of surface tissue: a pilot study in healthy subjects. EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing, September 2007;3(5):456-66.
4. Ingber DE. Tensegrity: the architectural basis of cellular mechanotransduction. Ann Rev Physeal, 1997;59:575-99.
5. Langevin H, Cornbrooks CJ, Taatjes DJ. Fibroblasts form a body-wide cellular network. Histochem Cell Biol, 2004;122:7-15.

 A little Background:

Graston Technique

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Graston Technique (GT) is a trademarked therapeutic method for diagnosing and treating disorders of the skeletal muscles and related connective tissue. The method employs a collection of six stainless steel tools of particular shape and size, which are used by practitioners to palpate patients' bodies in order to detect and resolve adhesions in the muscles and tendons.^[1] Practitioners must be licensed by the parent corporation in order to use the Graston Technique trademark or the patented instruments.^[2]

Criticism

The Graston Technique has not been rigorously scientifically tested and its evidence basis and assumptions are considered questionable by physician Harriet Hall.^[3]
However several examples of Graston treatment have been tested in combat sports where scars and contusions are common.^[4

Gua Sha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Gua Sha as practiced in Bali, Indonesia

Gua sha (Chinese: 刮痧; pinyin: guā shā), literally "Scrape Sand" in Chinese (more loosely, "to scrape away disease by allowing the disease to escape as sandy-looking objects through the skin"), is a form of folk medicine. Sometimes referred to as "spooning" or "coining" by English speakers, it has also been given the descriptive French name, tribo-effleurage.^[1]

The Vietnamese term for this practice is cạo gió. This term translates roughly "to scrape wind", as in Vietnamese culture "catching a cold" or fever is often referred to as trúng gió, "to catch wind".
The origin of this term is the Shang Han Lun, a ~220 CE Chinese Medical text on cold induced disease - like most Asian countries China's medical sciences were a profound influence in Vietnam, especially between the 5th and 7th Centuries CE.^[2] Cạo gió is an extremely common remedy in Vietnam and for overseas Vietnamese. There are many variants of cạo gió.
Some methods use oil balm and a coin to apply pressure to the skin. Others use a boiled egg with a coin inserted in the middle of the yolk. The egg is wrapped in a piece of cloth and rubbed over the forehead (in the case of a fever) and other areas of skin. After the rubbing, when the coin is removed from the egg, it will appear black.

It is also used in Indonesia. It is a traditional Javanese technique, known as kerikan (lit., "scraping technique") or kerokan, and it is very widely used, as a form of folk medicine, upon members of individual households.

Technique

Gua sha involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge. Commonly a ceramic Chinese soup spoon was used, or a well worn coin, even honed animal bones, water buffalo horn, or jade. A simple metal cap with a rounded edge is commonly used.

In cases of fatigue from heavy work, a piece of ginger root soaked in rice wine is sometimes used to rub down the spine from head to feet.

The smooth edge is placed against the oiled skin surface, pressed down firmly, and then moved down the muscles—hence the term tribo-effleurage (i.e., friction-stroking)—or along the pathway of the acupuncture meridians, along the surface of the skin, with each stroke being about 4–6 inches long.
This causes extravasation of blood from the peripheral capillaries and may result in sub-cutaneous blemishing (ecchymosis), which usually takes 2–4 days to fade. Sha rash does not represent capillary rupture (petechiae) as in bruising, as is evidenced by the immediate fading of the markings to echymosis, and the rapid resolution of sha as compared to bruising.

The color of sha varies according to the severity of the patient's blood stasis—which may correlate with the nature, severity and type of their disorder—appearing from a dark blue-black to a light pink, but is most often a shade of red.
Practitioners tend to follow the tradition they were taught to obtain sha: typically using either gua sha or fire cupping. The techniques are sometimes used together.^[3]