September 2, 2010 – 11:00 am
Have you heard of the Hidden Messages in Water? It’s this crazy work done by a Japanese researcher, Masaru Emoto. He photographs individual water crystals with intriguing results. He noticed that the shape of some crystals is distorted and ugly while others are perfectly formed and beautiful. Looking at various water sources and treatments he found that pure water is most beautiful and polluted water is most distorted. This makes sense when you think of the impurities in the water which affect the crystal shape. Taking this idea further, he experimented with putting labels on the water and found that positive messages and also positive attention/intention had the same effect as purity – they created beautiful crystals. As the human body is made up of a lot of water (in our cells, blood, lymph etc) he extrapoltes that you can affect people with these thoughts and words too.
I should say, his research is quite controversial in the scientific community. Dr. Emoto did not get his degree from an accredited university and the results have not been confirmed by double-blind studies (the gold standard for scientific research). But that does not make the results untrue, it only means they are being investigated outside the mainstream and we need heretics to bring us past the edge of current scientific understanding.
I love the idea that positive thoughts, intentions and words can create beauty inside me. Haven’t the mystics and poets being saying it for centuries.
It reminds me of directions for pregnant women found in ancient Chinese text. (and I’m paraphrasing here) She is to gaze only at beautiful people and read lovely poetry while sitting under a tree in a tranquil garden. Advice that would benefit all of us, but especially those who are creating a human being.
Bring beauty into your personal world (your sights and sounds) so you can create beauty.
I encourage pregnany women to look at pleasent things, don’t read about bad news or watch tv shows like CSI, change the radio station to classical music. Make your world full of beauty.
October 10, 2009 – 10:38 am
I’m afraid of needles. This is the most common reason people tell me they don’t try acupuncture. Think about that for a minute.
It’s not that they don’t think it works, or that it wont help them. They choose to live with their current problem than risk an acupuncture needle.
And do you know what I say?
You are absolutely right! Of course you are afraid, what sane person isn’t afraid of sharp pointy objects. From when you were a baby when doctors where stabbing you with injections, to your mother warning you about the risks of running with scissors. We are well indoctrinated to be fearful of sharp objects and the people who wield them.
They look a little confused when I say this. I can imagine the wheels turning, maybe one brave soul will ask the question out loud. So if you agree with me, why do you want to poke me?
Ah Ha, I am glad you asked.
You see, acupuncture is not like those other things. Yes it uses sharp pointy things, but in a good way.
For starters, it doesn’t hurt. I know you may find that hard to believe, but the needles are designed to minimize any discomfort.
We have many different types of nerves and the majority of them live in the outer layer of the skin. This is so you can pick up a pen (pressure sensor) and know it is different from an icicle (temperature sensor) or a knife (pain sensor). The acupuncture needle is very thin, so thin it needs a guide tube to penetrate the skin. When done correctly it activates the pressure sensor but not the pain sensor. So yes, it really doesn’t hurt, at least not when I do it because I am a trained professional. This is what I do all day, and I am very very good at it.
Secondly, acupuncture releases endorphins. You know, those happy molecules associated with running (I knew there was a reason people liked to run) and sex and chocolate (ah yes, much more my speed).
Not only does it not hurt, acupuncture makes you feel good. I’ve had people giggle uncontrollably on the table but most fall asleep. Or as one client put it “I know I slept because I heard myself snoring”
If you are someone who is considering acupuncture but are afraid of needles I urge you to talk to me. I will help you through it. Let me be your support person through this fear. Who knows maybe afterwards you will be so renewed you will take a parachute jump despite your acrophobia.
October 7, 2009 – 10:08 pm
Have you heard the phrase “do as I say not as I do” ?
For years I have been telling my clients with allergies to use a neti pot on a regular basis. What I didn’t tell them was that it terrified me! Something about deliberately pouring something up my nose gives me the willies.
Yes, I would tell them, it will calm your inflamed sinus tissues, literally wash away irritating allergens. Oh no it doesn’t hurt and you may even find it soothing.
Well, you know what? I was right. It reminded me of swimming in the sea when I was child. Like inhaled saltwater dripping out of my nose as I dove under the waves.
For those of you uninitiated in the ways of nostril hygiene, the neti pot is an ancient yogi practice designed to enhance prana (according to neti-pot.com). Or it was developed in 1997 by an MD, according to my SinuCleanse packaging.
Either way, it involves pouring (not snorting nor inhaling) a warm comfortable saline solution through the nose with the aid of a special jug (neti pot) which looks rather like Aladdin’s lamp. It seems odd now that I am writing about it, and was odder still while doing it. But odd isnt always bad and in this case was almost pleasant. Afterwards I felt invigorated, maybe like I had just taken a dip in the sea.