Chi Running: What is it?

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I picked up the book “Chi Running” at the library with interest at seeing two of my loves combined.  My life’s work is becoming more clear:  helping people find healing through balance in their bodies.  I get to move qi  (or chi) with acupuncture needles, yoga and breathing exercises, and the encouragement of personal explorations through art and conversation.  I know qi has a part to play in all of life’s goings-ons, but I love when others can blatantly wrap it up and hand it over, easy to digest.

Danny Dreyer shares his experience of finding connections between his T’ai Chi practice and his running.  Any runner knows that you get to a point in your run where you find a one-pointed concentration.  You are completely and fully in the present moment and more, you’re content being there.  T’ai Chi can bring you to the same place with a lot less stress on joints, but also very little cardio work-out.

Combining the two allows for healthy joints and some serious blood pumping.  “Chi Running” claims to be a “revolutionary approach to efforless, injury-free running”.  Sweet!  Dreyer starts by asking you to “gather your center”:

gather your chi energy to your center, your arms and legs are as soft as cotton, holding no tension… all movement originates in your center.  It is your power source, acting as the axis around which everything else moves.

Your center, in T’ai Chi, is located two finger breadths below your navel and in front of your spine.
Run from there.  Like a cheetah, allow your whole body to “effort-lessly” be part of your movement, originating from that center.

Start small and grow from the regular investment of your running.  Dreyer encourages goals, but not a clinging to them:

Find your center in your body.
Sense your center in you feelings.
See your center in your mind.
Be centered in your spirit.

When you are centered in spirit, you accept where you are.  Maybe you won’t find that marathon start line this year (or ever), but enjoy where you are, in your body and spirit, right now.

As for the technique in the book, I would need to write another book to tell you about it.  I had an acupuncture client who took a course from one of Dreyer’s disciples.  He told me all I have to do is run slanted forward a bit and I’ll be Chi Running.  I can’t imagine it’s that simple.  But I’ll still try it.

The question I have on finishing the book:  Is it a book to help you run better, pain-free?  Or is the running he recommends just a vehicle for a more contented, centered life?  Either sounds fine to me.  It’s worth the read.  Check it out:  http://www.chirunning.com/

Girls Against Girls: A Book Review

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“Girls Against Girls.  Why We Are Mean To Eachother And How We Can Change.”

A book by Bonnie Burton.

On a hot July morning, we hopped in the Ford Focus, windows down, and left our Boston apartment for a much needed vacation.  We were driving to Asheville, NC.  No small car ride and I was highly invested in getting over what I believed to be a recurrent case of psychological carsickness.  I knew I would be in the car for at least 16 hours and really wanted to dig into the stack of library books I had brought along.  I hadn’t read in the car for years but today was the day to breathe deep and move beyond my queesy stomach.

Earlier that week at the library, I scanned through book spines, looking for interesting titles or authors that I had come to love.  My nine-year old daughter in tow, we checked out the Young Adult section for some volumes to keep her busy now that Harry Potter had been read to excess.  “Girls Against Girls”, by Bonnie Burton, caught my eye as my heart sunk in recognition of the sometimes prevalent girl-tude that breaks hearts and keeps us all down.

“Girls Against Girls” was the first book I picked up in the car.  I wanted something to pull my attention quickly and distract me from any possible thoughts of nausea. With my own memories of youthful meanness, and the knowledge of experiences and people that helped me navigate beyond the shallow shores of belittlement, I wanted to hear what Bonnie Burton had to share.

The book starts with why and how we are mean, illuminating the competitive environment, cultural conditioning and plain old disruptive hormones as pieces of the “why” puzzle.  The “how” gets messier, as we can all relate to methods:  the silent treatment, gossiping, bullying and being cut off. To keep us reminded of all the beautiful, loving, encouraging girls and women we know out there, the book is peppered with awesome quotes by inspiring women:

We live in a culture right now that pits girls against each other.  We are brought up socially to be in competition with each other – who has the best body, more boyfriends, better clothes.  And this kind of competition can be devastating on female friendships because it emphasizes a mentality that there isn’t enough to go around.  Enough love.  Enough attention. Enough success. But there is. There is enough to share with your girlfriends ~ Jessica Weiner, author

What a totally helpful quote.

We then move on to what to do when you are on the receiving of end what seems like the cruelest attacks ever.  Not only does Burton speak of personal, independent choices, she also encourages “calling in reinforcements”.  If there is anything I have learned in my last 35 years on earth, it is that having a team makes everything easier.  You have more heads and hearts looking for solutions and offering up expertise.  Maybe one friend is a great listener, while another can help you approach a school counselor.

In most cases, we have been on both sides of the meanness drama. The book leaves us with ways to not only stop the cycle, but also on how to build or expand a culture of girls helping girls.  Start a girl band.  Create a girl club at your school.  Get inspired by learning about awesome women that have lead the way before you.

Girls are part of this big human species,  meaning we all have our strengths and our challenges.  Being able to recognize both allows us to better understand ourselves and others.  With this understanding, girls and women have the opportunity to make choices of unity and sisterhood.  When we all stand tall and proud, we can support each other up to greater heights.

Needless to say, my car sickness was cured by some deep breaths and a great book that took me out of my own head and into a bigger picture of compassion and unity.  A parting quote for our journey into solidarity and self-love:

Recognizing the good in yourself when you’re a young woman can be very difficult, especially when everything around you tells you that you’re not good enough.  I wish that I had been self-possessed enough to know that the girls who were mean and exclusive were often making up for their own feelings of insecurity.  I wish I could have known that I rock, because knowing that about yourself allows you to help other girls and women fell like the rock.  And that’s a great feeling. ~ Emily Moeller

Some resources for girl empowerment:

GirlsRockCamp

Girls for A Change

CompassionistaGIRL

About-Face

This being human is a guest house…

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“This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.”

–Jalal ad-Din Rumi, translated from the original Farsi by John Moyne and Coleman Barks

Tension Headaches vs. Acupuncture: Acupuncture Wins!

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How many of us sit at the computer too long?  Our eyes get tired.  Our shoulders curl up into our ears.  Maybe your jaw and facial muscles even get tight.  The headache starts at the base of your skull and tightens across the back of your skull until it reaches all the way to your inner eyebrows.

Or maybe your commute allows for tension that starts at your hands as you white knuckle your steering wheel.    The tension crawls up your arms, into your shoulders, up to your head.

Acupuncture holds a niche when it comes to battling the tension headache.  A few well placed needles allow for increased circulation and the tight muscles and fascia will melt like butter.  Use regular acupuncture sessions to retrain your body so that it doesn’t grab all the tension and place it on your shoulders and head.  After a few sessions, your body will understand that it can allow the extra energy to circulate and be integrated into the healthy balance of your body.  Once your body hears the message loud and clear, you can come in for monthly tune-ups.  Use exercise to prevent a tension build up in between sessions.

To learn more about how acupuncture can help you, visit http://www.integrativefamilyhealth.com/

Latest Trend in Kids Healthcare: Acupuncture

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Most of us would say yes to anything that makes our children feel better, and expert evidence is piling up in favor of kiddie acupuncture. Recent research from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary found that acupuncture was as effective at treating amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” as eye patches. Other studies have linked acupuncture with reduced symptoms of ADHD in preschoolers and decreased crying episodes in colicky infants. And, according to a small study from doctors at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, acupuncture may alleviate pain and nausea in kids with chronic illnesses.
Worried about the ouch factor?

“While no one likes needles, kids are often surprised at how relatively painless and helpful acupuncture can be,” says Kathi Kemper, M.D., founding chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on complementary and integrative medicine. “The needles are tiny, and they’re not hollow, so they don’t tear the skin.”

Excerpt from the SF Gate. Read more at the SF Gate.

Allergy Season: Try Natural Remedies First

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The trees are looking beautiful, full with blossoms and life. Many of us wonder how such a lovely display can cause our sinuses so much trouble! The good news is that there are natural ways to alleviate seasonal allergies without side effects.

Spring time is a great time to visit your acupuncturist for a tune-up. There are multiple acupuncture points on the body that help to open up the sinuses and relieve pressure. Tiny needles placed gently over your sinuses have the ability to immediately increase your ability to breathe. Regular treatments keep allergic symptoms in check or prevent them from starting all together.

The neti pot is deemed magic by many an allergy sufferer. To get an idea of the process, check out a video on youtube. It may look strange at first, but your sinuses will thank you for it and you too will become a believer!

Dietary modifications will come in handy with the spring bloom to help reduce phlegm and mucous. What are the most basic modifications? Reduce your intake of sugar, dairy, and anything cold. Yes, cold food does include ice cream and iced coffee. It also includes too many raw fruits and vegetables. Consider cooking your veggies for a few minutes before eating to help your system with easier digestion.

To end on a sweet note, let me mention honey! When using honey to reduce allergies, it is important to get local honey and eat it raw – not in tea or any other hot beverage. Take 2 tsp starting in January to see the benefits in the following spring. Yum!

Bladder Pain: Reduce Symptoms with Acupuncture and Pelvic Floor Health

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Bladder and Pelvic Pain:  Reduce Symptoms with Acupuncture
and Pelvic Floor Health
There are many causes and types of pain that affect the bladder and pelvic region.  Interstitial cystitis or Bladder pain syndrome is a chronic, severely debilitating disease of the urinary bladder. Of unknown cause, it is characterized by pain associated with the bladder, pain associated with urination, urinary frequency (as often as every 10 minutes), urgency, and/or pressure in the bladder and/or pelvis. 
Acupuncture holds a special niche of alleviating symptoms of chronic pain and is a great alternative to pharmacological treatments.  Because pelvic pain is often a debilitating condition that has existed for several years, acupuncture should be received on a bi-weekly basis for a few weeks to start.  As symptoms reduce in severity and frequency, treatment will be spread out. 
Many patients receiving acupuncture for pelvic pain report improvement in voiding, decreased pain levels, and medically supervised reductions in medications and most narcotic analgesics. Energy levels, emotional symptoms, constipation, and sexual symptoms are also improved over the course of treatment.  Acupuncture treatment enables patients to return to a higher quality of life after many years of impediment.

Along with acupuncture, exercise to specifically address pelvic floor issues will help patients stay well after a course of treatment.  A 2008 study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 1 in 3 women have a pelvic floor disorder.  The women in this study were between the age of 28 and 85.  

Symptoms of PFD include:

  • Urinary urgency, frequency, hesitancy, stopping and starting of urine stream, painful urination, or incomplete emptying
  • Constipation, straining, pain with bowel movements
  • Unexplained pain in the low back, pelvic region, genital area, or rectum
  • Pain during or after intercourse, orgasm, or sexual stimulation
  • Uncoordinated muscle contractions causing the pelvic floor muscles to spasm
Pharmaceuticals many times do not help this condition and can even worsen some symptoms.  Preventative and regularly practiced pelvic floor exercise are imperative to maintaining pelvic floor health and regaining balance in the area and also in women’s lives.
The basics for pelvic floor health:
  • First learn to relax pelvic floor.  Then strengthen.  The pelvic floor needs to be able to do both!
  • Sit completely on toilet and relax to fully empty bladder and bowel. Do not strain.
  • Avoid “just in case” emptying of bladder and consider “bladder training”
  • When doing Keggels (squeezing the pelvic floor up), or other exercises, do not bulge abdominals.  Learn to hold them in.  Use this technique with all activities!
There is ALOT more to learn about our pelvic floors!  Click on the links below for more info:
 

The Space to Create

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I’m always going.  Or listening or reading.  Or doing.  I’m afraid to stop and think or more… to FEEL.  Eventually I finally do stop.  I schedule in some down time, unaware of the deep shifts and stirrings, the deep impact it will have on me.

I plan an escape from the city one weekend, just my daughter and I.  We arrive at our destination, each of us with a novel, a few birding guides, a mammal guide, some food, and a large bag of art supplies.  My daughter knows how to pack the essentials.

The first day, we sit around the empty house our friend has lent us.  We read and we eat.  We go for a walk.  Again, the essentials.  My daughter keeps me on track.  That night, we read ourselves to sleep – sweet and quiet dreams.  Morning wakes us and my mind is free and open to knowing we have another two day to do whatever we choose. We unravel a huge roll of white paper, pull out our pens, pencils and paint. 

Ahhh – open canvas.  A lack of destination, just space to roam without predetermined goals.  I remember this place, this stillness and I like it when I finally arrive.  My mind is free and able to float where it may.  Idle and putter… inefficiently beautiful.  We have a whole roll of paper to mark up and blunder upon and appreciate.  A whole roll to explore space, unencumbered by appointments, the internet, work, or school. 

We have found Mind Space.  Heart Space.  Emotional and Creative Space.  Thank you Mind Space, for showing up when I scheduled you.  I have missed you.

Finding this Space, my whole self opens to possibility that isn’t foreseen by the set path I have been walking.  My boundaries fail and leave me aware of the vast landscape of creativity that always exists, silently waiting for us to come explore. Images dance around my head, do the jig and the hamster dance in my minds eye.  So much possibility when I find space for it.  I am lucky to be part of this human-ness.  To be curious and alive, creative and flawed, resilient and loving of what I do not know, what I cannot comprehend.

Eventually we roll up our paper, new and wild maps of possibility.  We tuck them under our arms and return to our time bound, information rich lives.  We make a fire in our back yard on our return to the city and burn our art.  We know there is always more to be made.  New things to discover and dream.  Letting go of what we have made, we make room for more.  We have faith that possibilities will show up when we create the space for them.

“The imagination needs moddling – long, inefficient happy idling, daudling, and puttering.”

-  Brenda Veland

- may you find some time to moodle, doodle and daudle today -

Herbal Spotlight: Xiao Yao Wan

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Xiao Yao Wan or Free and Easy Wanderer is one of the most famous herbal formulas available to help regulate your Liver, Gallbladder and Spleen Organ Systems, bringing about a balanced feeling of emotional and physical harmony.

The Liver and Spleen Organ Systems can be associated with a plethora of disharmonies such as: emotional outburst or anxiety, cold hands/feet, PMS, migraines, weak digestion/bloating, menstrual irregularities, stomach/back/rib pain, loss of appetite, low energy, eye problems, irregular elimination, decreased flexibility, headaches and neck and back tension just to list a few.

Xiao Yao Wan or Free and Easy Wanderer is an excellent formula to be taken for a week or two each month prior to a menstrual cycle with any irregularities as mentioned above. In many circumstances it would be a good idea to follow up with a post-menstrual tonic.  Ask me which formulas are appropriate for you!

Always speak to a licensed herbalist before taking any herbal medicines.

Painful Periods: Acupuncture’s Natural Relief

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Many women believe that painful periods are something that they will always have to suffer through.  The most common western treatment is hormonal pharmaceuticals, such as birth control pills.  Not every women wants to be on the pill for years, due to concern over the long term use of hormone therapy.  Chinese medicine holds a wonderful niche here, relieving painful periods, regulating irregular periods and helping with accompanying symptomology. 
Acupuncture will help release stagnant energy in the body which causes many premenstrual and menstrual issues.  For this concern, acupuncture is given on a regular basis through a few menstrual cycles.  Most women will notice a lessening of symptoms with the first cycle, that will continue to increase with subsequent cycles.  You can continue to receive treatments on a monthly basis as a preventative measure a week or so before your period.