Getting Your Breath Back with Easy Self-Help Acupressure

Life can throw us curves of all sorts! We don’t plan on those, and we don’t necessarily see them coming our way. One such event was the October 2017 fires. And no matter how YOU were individually impacted, the experience most likely affected your breath, your emotions, your sense of well-being, and maybe your physical health.

Our Bodies Remember Trauma

As we get closer to the one-year anniversary of that terrible time for Sonoma County and Napa County, your body may be experiencing memories of distress. Also, it hasn’t helped that we’ve had other fires raging north of us.

People are using phrases like, “I’m waiting with baited breath” and “I’m wondering how much more I can take.” Some folks realize that they’re not processing information with ease, similar to what they were experiencing one year ago after the fires. And many are trying to figure out what they need to do to regain their vitality and productivity. Fatigue is running rampant because sleep isn’t restful and rejuvenating.

None of those symptoms are unusual after trauma and chaos. And when we re-experience the memories of the traumatic event, our bodies get even more stuck in the patterns of the symptoms.

Reduce the Impact of Trauma

We can help our bodies let go of the symptoms and the tendency to hold onto those patterns. By balancing our energy, we can create new patterns of balance and ease that our bodies will see as more desirable.

Self-help acupressure is a natural, effortless way to remind your body how to be in breath, how to let go of stress and anxiety, and how not to take on stress. You can relieve discomfort and pain, balance your emotions, boost wellness, and improve performance in your daily activities.

Daily Practice

A daily practice of balancing your energy allows you to become a partner with your body. Rediscover your breath, boost your immune system, improve your focus and clarity, increase your vitality, let go of overwhelming thoughts and handle your feelings. You will find that your body feels healthy and full of life when you get your breath and energy back.

Here are a few energy tips that will help you reach health and vitality: To open the breath and calm the whole system:

▪ Hold thumbs with opposite hands

▪ Hold index fingers with opposite hands

▪ Fold arms across chest and hold opposite upper arms

To relieve respiratory distress, such as holding breath or coughing:

▪ Hold the right base of the rib cage with right fingers

▪ Hold right chest below clavicle with left fingers

▪ Switch and hold opposite sides

To release jaw, mouth or throat tension, such as clenching or holding breath:

▪ Cup sternum directly below clavicle with the right hand

▪ Place left fingertips in a vertical pattern below the navel

I hope that you make use of these suggestions! to get your breath back. They can really make a difference!

Sonoma Strong

And to learn even more, join me at the Sonoma Strong Healing Fair on Saturday, September 29th at the Veteran’s Building in Santa Rosa. I’ll be presenting at 11:30, offering more suggestions on how to get your breath back.

I’ll also be teaching in the Kids’ Area at 1:00 and 3:00. I look forward to seeing you there! In the meantime, wishing you ease.

April is Stress Awareness Month

Isn’t it crazy that we actually have a “National Stress Awareness Month”? Guess that shows a lot of people are dealing with some sort of stress in their worlds.

What is stress?

How do we best define it when it is so different for everyone? What can we do to reduce the effects of it so our bodies don’t go into reaction? And what can we do to actually have a sense of control so stress doesn’t seem to be running the show?

I’ll give you some historical background about how stress came to be recognized as a “condition” in our country. Then, I’ll share some easy-to-use self-help acupressure energy tips for changing how we can transform stress from a negative to positive. Transforming stress is a bit different from how Western medicine suggests we can manage it!  And, when we get to that place of management, we truly are partners with our bodies.

Stress Awareness Month

It has been held every April since 1992. Sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization, Stress Awareness Month is a national, cooperative effort to:

• inform people about the dangers of stress
• successful coping strategies
• harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.

Medical Definition of Stress

In a medical or biological context, stress is a physical, mental or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness or from a medical procedure). Stress can initiate the “fight or flight” response.

The state of mental or emotional strain or tension from adverse or very demanding circumstances can be so recognizable that others notice. We even hear comments like “he’s obviously under a lot of stress” and “she really needs to figure out how to manage her stress.”

Stress can cause or influence the course of many medical conditions. These include psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety.  Medical problems can encompass poor healing, high blood pressure, headaches and migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and many others. We now have “stress management” recognized as an effective treatment for many medical conditions.

To read more about stress and how the Western medical world defines it, go to

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20104.

Transforming Stress

Articles that include tools for self-assessment, resources, and programs, can be found on the website for The American Institute of Stress. The organization is all about awareness, education, and collaboration.

Go to https://www.stress.org/what-is-stress/.

Stress as a Project

Personally, I like to look at “stress” as a “project that can be transformed.” The term stress was coined by Hans Selye in 1936. He defined it as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change”.  If we look at stress as “the rate of wear and tear on the body,” it makes sense that increased stress can actually accelerate the aging process.

And who wants that? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather walk around in a body that does not have major reactions to stressful situations. All of the experimental and clinical research confirms that the sense of having little or no control is always distressful, and that’s what stress is all about.

Energy Tips to Manage and Transform Stress

Here are my self-help acupressure energy tips that you can use to manage stress. They will allow you to be a partner with your own body.  Because stress can take the breath away and cause us to wait with bated breath, follow along to learn how you can have full expansive breath. You’ll be way ahead of stress and its ability to affect you.

To help let go of stress, open up breath, release tension and increase vitality:

1. Hold upper arms by folding arms across the chest

2. Right hand — cup sternum directly below the collarbone

     Left hand — hold fingers in a vertical pattern on your tummy

3. Right hand — hold the base of the right front ribcage

     Left hand — hold fingers on the right chest below the collarbone

4. Gently cup thumbs

More than an Ounce of Prevention

The Daily Clean Your House Flow helps you stay in balance and get in front of stress. Doing the  Daily Clean Your House Flow prepares your body for what you’re going to ask it to do now and for what might come at it (even major stressful traumatic events). Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow at least once a day. It will create a strong foundation for you to be able to be the best partner you can be with your body. I have been doing it daily for more than 20 years, as have many of my clients, friends, and family. This one practice is the best antidote to stress and you can do it anywhere, anytime. The more you do it, the better you will feel.

Do your part to Make Stress Awareness Month Obsolete

Share this post about the Daily Clean Your House Flow with the people you care about through your social channels, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You’ll be glad you did your part to lower the stress in the world.

Heart, Romance and Recover

Heart and romance

February is all about heart health, both emotional and physical.
Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the fifth century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia. No matter the history, it is the day that gives many a BIG reason to recognize and celebrate those heart connections with loved ones in their lives.
AND you still have time to get that extra special gift for that special person in your life!

February is Heart Health Month

This is the month we’re made more aware of how we can improve the health of our hearts so we can decrease the chances of heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is an equal opportunity killer which claims approximately 1 million lives annually. The good news? It is also one of the most preventable. Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart disease, having regular check-ups and working with your physician to manage your health are all integral aspects of saving lives from this often silent killer.
Read more about how to make a BIG difference in having a heart-healthy life.
https://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-awareness-month/

Giving Service from the Heart

Here’s another “Heart Connection” — and it is doing something really big for the community.
My dear friend and colleague, Dr. Shiroko Sokitch, director of Heart to Heart Medical Center in Santa Rosa, has created an amazing event that is FREE and available online to help you deal with physical and emotional challenges after a traumatic event, like a disaster, an accident or a death in the family.
This event is entirely at no cost and it will be yours to keep when you sign up for it. It’s all about being able to heal no matter where you are or what is going in your life. Register to hear talks by healthcare experts February 12– 19.

The Disaster Recovery Online Summit

This event is here to help those who have endured the disasters we’ve recently experienced—fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and others—to help them heal and overcome, physically and emotionally, the impacts of living through a disaster.
After a traumatic event, people begin to go back to their daily lives, but it doesn’t mean they’ve completely healed. And, far too often, there are very few resources that address the emotional difficulties and latent health issues that such events can cause.
Health care experts will provide advice on helping children cope, anxiety, mindfulness, self-healing, mold toxicity, even disaster recovery itself.

Get complimentary access to these talks about traumatic recovery now

These 32 talks are yours FOREVER! Meaning, you’ll gain access once they’re unlocked on February 12, and retain it for whenever you need to address trauma for yourself, or anyone else.
No purchase required and no commitment necessary for you to participate.

My interview with Dr. Shiroko on Tuesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm

I’m honored to be participating in the Disaster Recovery Event! Dr. Shiroko will be interviewing me on Facebook Live Tuesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm (Pacific Time). Tune in to hear my suggestions for how we can make use of Easy Self-Help Acupressure to help deal with the stress and challenges of traumatic events. I’ll give you energy tips that can make a big difference in the quality of life.
Go to Dr. Shiroko’s Facebook Page.

Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle — at Last

Time has floated right on by me. I thought I would be back in the saddle about six-weeks post-op with rest and rehabilitation. I can’t believe that it has been six months since my neck surgery. Life did indeed throw me a curve ball when surgery was the way to take care of the flare-ups and pain I was experiencing from the October 2015 car accident. When we get out of our way, it can be pretty amazing what can take place.

Surgery went smoothly, and so has my recovery. My surgeon is pleased with the results. My whole healthcare team is in full agreement that I am doing well. Flexibility and mobility are improving daily. Physical therapy can bring up discomfort as the muscle groups figure out new ways of engagement and movement. Doing my energy work before and after PT and my home exercises allow my body to do more with less reaction. So that is helping the healing process. I’m also discovering how doing Jin Shin Jyutsu and physical therapy can bring back a voice. (Yep — lost my voice for a while.)

Learn more about the procedure: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and also here.

The Big Surprise

What took me by surprise was how long it took me to regain clarity and focus. I had full belief and expectation that by the sixth week after surgery I would be getting to my extensive list of writing projects, office clean up and organizing projects. Well, dream on! At this point, I’m still in the space of “getting it together.” Clarity is back, but I’m finding that my body is asking for more rest and downtime. At first, I thought I was experiencing a loss of motivation which was freaking me out! I realized that I need to look at my calendar and avoid teaching multiple classes and presentations in a row. I’m listening to the messages from my body. I’m not packing as much into my days. Go figure! I’m spending lots of time each day doing my energy work, along with physical therapy and voice exercises.

Autumn is Upon Us

This is one of the hardest realizations I had over the last few months: I couldn’t do all my gardening and yard work that I typically pack into spring, summer, and fall.  Thank goodness I have had great help, but for those of us who love getting dirty in our gardens, it’s not quite the same. I’m harvesting my basil and tomatoes and enjoying the dahlias.  And, of course, I love these autumn days that are pleasantly warm and have gentle cooling breezes.

What’s Next

I’ve learned so much about healing from major surgery, being patient, and respecting my body’s timeline. Stay tuned for my insights as I share my journey of recovery.

This is What Happens When Life Throws a Curveball

Life throws a curveball when we are going along doing what we love. Life can have all sorts of surprises, and sometimes we’re not necessarily enamored with them! As you can well imagine, I get bodywork on a regular basis. I’ve been making sure to receive an assortment of treatments to relieve discomfort, to aid healing and to help my body not be so reactive. Healing has consumed a great deal of time for the last year and a half, since a car accident in October 2015.  For the most part, I’ve accomplished that except I pretty consistently am dealing with flare-ups. So here comes the curve ball. I got a surgical consult, and I need neck surgery! I immediately went into, “Not me! I’m not a surgical candidate!” Guess what? The reason I have so many flare-ups is that I don’t have adequate discs in my cervical spine. The trauma from the car accident caused my body to go into a major reaction, and now my body is vulnerable to actions that strain or exacerbate, which seems to happen for pretty simple movements.

Research Your Options

I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to all of my care providers, and I’m listening to my body and my health care team. I’ve gotten out of my way, and I’m recognizing that sometimes you have to take a route you weren’t planning on taking. In fact, that route could very well be something that you weren’t even likely to consider.

Help Your Body be Prepared No Matter What Happens

The beauty of this whole journey is that I have no worry and no fear. I’m ready for this next step because my body is prepared for what I’m asking it to do and for what might come at it. Sound familiar? It’s a statement I’ve been known to say to my clients and students! It’s all about doing our energy balancing on a daily basis so IF something does come up our bodies can easily move through the next steps of the journey. I know that I’m ready because all I have been doing and receiving is allowing this next step to be smooth and successful. Surgery IS a big ask of my body and mind. I’m pleased that Western medicine gives us options that allow us to receive what we need to have healthy, productive lives. I’m scheduling treatments for post-surgery, so my body heals faster and easier. How lucky we are that we can easily blend allopathic and alternative health care.

Pot at the End of the Rainbow

I am laughing about this piece most. The energy balance point located at the mid-cervical spine area is “all about not my will but thy will and about getting out of my way.” See my smile? Further, when that energy balance point is in a state of balance with no blocked energy, it can fulfill its purpose which is to “gain flexibility, mobility, and alignment.” And that is what this surgery WILL give me. I am so ready to be able to go back to living my life without my body talking back to me. I’m willing to have the energy and capability to go back to exercising, doing yoga, gardening, hiking, comfortable driving, sitting in front of my computer, chasing my cat in the garden. Granted I’m more than willing not vacuum or clean the litter box, but to know that I can if I want to or have to is a massive shift for me.

Recovery

Of course, recovery won’t be instantaneous. I’ll need lots of physical therapy, and I’ll need to be smart about what I ask my body to do. So, I’m continuing to do my Daily Clean Your House Flow, to balance my energy, and to receive treatments from my care providers. And I’m ready for the next step. Surgery is on the schedule for Wednesday, April 5^th. Thank you, ahead of time, for thinking of me!

Thanks to Wikipedia for the great animated gif of a curveball.

Ready for a vacation??

My Winter Vacation

Have you ever gone on a holiday and didn’t want to come back from your vacation? And when you did return, did you have a real hard time being back? Well, that’s my story!
I was on the beach for a whole week. I was enjoying the sun and spending lots of time snorkeling and glimpsing colorful fish. I also spent every morning watching the sunrise over the water. The new light of the day would wake me up. The sun was in the midst of creating its beautiful canvas of oranges, yellows, and reds. As each second created a new canvas, the calm water would mirror the painting. Oh my! And then the night would bring the full moon rising over the water. No wonder I didn’t want to leave!
I rested a lot. I enjoyed the beach and water. I enjoyed spending time with my family. I ate lots of great food and just felt that space of ease and relaxation.

My Takeaway

Step into the possibilities of having more vacations, no matter where they are or how long they are. Hey! I’m open to that! But until that is a done deal, I have realized that I need to fool my mind and my body and create the semblance of a vacation. Now, granted, there is nothing like leaving for a real destination. But if that isn’t in the plan, we can create restful chunks of time that revitalize the body, mind, and spirit.

Taking Your Experience of Health to the Next Level

I’ve worked with many of you, one-to-one, or in a workshop. I shared easy and effortless ways to help your body grow healthier with a few steps. Easy, self-help acupressure helps you integrate physical, mental, emotional and spirit.
I can show you how to create a vacation for yourself right here and now. As you do your energy balancing, hold each energy balance point, and “pretend” that you are there. Envision where you want to be. See the beauty, picture the experiences, hear the sounds, and smell the scents. Breathe it all in and know that you are there. Some may call it meditation or a soul journey.  It is, but let go of labels and just experience the moment and see what happens.

The Power of the Daily Clean Your House Flow

I’ve created what I have just described while doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow. I do it when I awake in the morning and again in the evening. Off and on throughout the day, I’m holding a few energy points as I relive the best vacation moments. I am extending my vacation even though I’m back home! I feel like I’m right back at the beach plus I’m giving myself restful breaks during the day.
I enjoyed taking catnaps on the beach. My secret for getting back to that sense of peace and relaxation: doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow. It helps me feel rested. I sleep more deeply at nighttime too.

I’ve retained the vitality I gained from my vacation. And I’m enjoying those gorgeous sunrises as if they’re still happening.

Energy Balance Points = Mini-Vacation

Here are a few of the energy balance points that I’m holding to get those “hints of my vacation”:

1. Let go of mind chatter: With right hand, cup your forehead, so your fingertips are on the left side. And with the left hand, cup the base of your skull, so the fingertips are on the right side. You will create clarity. You can contemplate the possibilities of what you are envisioning.
2. Let go of old patterns: With right hand, hold your fingertips on the left elbow. And with the left hand, hold your fingertips on the base of the right ribcage. This flow is about expanding your breath and letting go of old ways and patterns.
3. Build new habits: Hold the outside of your knees. These energy balance points will help you create the new pattern of openness. You will be receptive to new ideas.
4. Manifest: Hold your fingertips at your mid-back at the area of the kidneys. You will connect with manifesting all you want to receive.

Let me know where your visions take YOU on your mini-vacation!  Enjoy!!

2017 Calls for Patience

Patience

Now doesn’t that sound like a different way to approach a new year? Determining your goals and objectives and figuring out your timeline is still a big part of the picture. But what I have discovered is that if you don’t include patience in the equation most of what you want to happen gets lost in the shuffle.

Learning Patience

My beautiful kitty Topaz has been giving me a lesson in getting and keeping patience as part of my daily practice. Topaz will pounce upon the windowsill to wait for the birds to land on the feeder. She knows that there actually is no way that she can get to the birds, but it’s all about the eye candy. As soon as the birds are at the feeder, she will chirp at them, get a bit excited and then either lie down and just look or decide that she’s gotten her fix and go on to other escapades.
When I watch Topaz, I see that her goal is “be in the moment and enjoy what’s right in front of me.” Then it’s all about “be patient and see what happens.”
And that is where I see the correlation. I have lots of ideas for new projects, especially for my animated video program, for new books and workshops. To get each of those ideas into a step-by-step plan that are realistic could be pretty overwhelming. What I’ve discovered is that to be ahead of the game I need to let go of effort, be in the moment, do what I can in that moment, find the fun, and be patient – especially with ME! The key is to allow time to be my friend, see what happens and then to remember to take the some time to celebrate the successes.

Energy Tips to Enhance Patience

I find that doing the following easy-to-do energy tips can get me into the space of ease and patience:

1. Fold your arms across your chest and gently touch your upper arms.
   This pose will connect with your breath and allows for ease of the whole system.You have now completed the first step of the Daily Clean Your House Flow!

2. With one hand cup your sternum directly below your collarbone.
   With your other hand hold your fingertips in a vertical pattern on your tummy.This pose connects with breath, with the release of tension, and with allowing for ease and being in the moment.

3. With one hand cup the base of your skull.
   With your other hand cup your forehead.Feel the letting go of mind chatter, of the “to do list” and the new space of clarity and focus and ease.
4. Hold your fingertips on the outside of your knees.
   This helps re-pattern old ways and brings on the patience that was eluding you.

Add Patience to Your Daily Practice

Watch for signs of an impressive and prosperous New Year as you add in patience to your daily practice.

Pay Attention to Your Body’s Signals

Pain is no fun!

Pain is a signal that your body is trying hard to get your attention and get a message to you. Your body is saying, “I’m out of sync and it’s affecting how well I can function.” No matter what has created the pain and discomfort and regardless of where you are experiencing the pain, the flow of energy is blocked. Your body is in a state of imbalance and confusion, and the pain will not allow it to easily do all it needs to do to be a healthy and vibrant being. Pay attention to your body’s signals.
If you’re experiencing pain, tightness or tension, is it affecting what you can do? Are you in denial and trying to do most everything that is on that long list of work and household chores? Have you become a master of ignoring what your body is telling you?
Blocked energy is what creates your symptoms,  issues, or problems that are getting in the way of doing what you want to and need to do. By the way, instead of “problems,” I like using the word “projects.” Projects are more fun to work with and have a beginning and an end!

Move Your Energy to Shift Away from Pain

Are you aware that you can help move that blocked energy that is creating the pain and make a difference in how you feel? All it takes is recognizing that your body is sending a message, listening to that message, and then helping your body let go of the blocked energy. You can help that project get corrected! It’s all about having a self-care program that is easy to learn, easy to do and easy to get around to doing.
When you and your body experience energetic balance, you will more readily recognize what a state of balance is for your body. And, on the other side of the coin, you will realize when your body needs something more to get to the place of pain-free and healing.
Doing a daily series of self-help acupressure flows can assist your body in having a firm foundation.  Consider doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow to give you that space that allows improved energy flow, as well as improved oxygenation and circulation. It will also help you recognize the signals your body wants you to hear.

Gaining Insight

Over the last few months, I have come to the realization that I was ignoring what my body was trying to tell me. I do my Daily Clean Your House Flow several times a day. Plus I consistently do many other flows and energy points to help my body be better prepared for what I’m going to ask it to do, as well as better prepared for whatever might come at it. By the way, when I’m doing my energy work, I tell my body, “I like you being in flow and this is how we’re doing it together.” It’s all about being a partner with your body.
I honestly thought I was in touch with what my body was telling me. I was in pain from an injury I received last year as the result of an automobile accident. I could sometimes manage the pain with my self-help Jin Shin Jyutsu, and I was receiving excellent care from my providers.
I did not realize that I needed something extra and different to move me out of the pain zone. Sometimes we can’t fix it all by ourselves. Sometimes we need care that is more extensive than we can provide to ourselves. The pain I experienced affected my clarity and my ability to pick up on the information my body was giving me.
I finally got out of my own way. I listened to my body.  I increased my awareness of what I needed.  I know now that I’m on the way to healing.

Pain is a Journey of Discovery

Pain is a magnet that can pull you off center. It can take you off your true path. Pain can create stress and confusion in your entire system. Pain has an ability to compromise your health, focus and clarity, productivity, and your ability to manage emotions.

What Happens When Pain Becomes Chronic?

As stated by WebMD at http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/understanding-pain-management-chronic-pain
“About 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, defined as pain that lasts longer than six months. Chronic pain can be mild or excruciating, episodic or continuous, merely inconvenient or totally incapacitating.”
“The emotional toll of chronic pain also can make pain worse. Anxiety, stress, depression, anger, and fatigue interact in complex ways with chronic pain and may decrease the body’s production of natural painkillers; moreover, such negative feelings may increase the level of substances that amplify sensations of pain, causing a vicious cycle of pain for the person. Even the body’s most basic defenses may be compromised: There is considerable evidence that unrelenting pain can suppress the immune system.”

“The symptoms of chronic pain include:

• Mild to severe pain that does not go away
• Pain that may be described as shooting burning, aching, or electrical
• Feeling of discomfort, soreness, tightness, or stiffness.”

“Pain is not a symptom that exists alone. Other problems associated with pain can include:

          Fatigue

• Sleeplessness
• Withdrawal from activity and increased need to rest
• Weakened immune system
• Changes in mood including hopelessness, fear, depression, irritability, anxiety, and stress

You can read the entire article at
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/understanding-pain-management-chronic-pain

Pain Relief is at Your Fingertips

Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow at least once every day. There is no such thing as too much self-help!  Discover how good you can feel when you treat yourself to  the Daily Flow several times a day. Your body hungers for the firm foundation that comes from a daily practice of energy balancing like the Daily Clean Your House Flow.

Do Try This At Home for Pain Relief

Holding these specific balance points will bring easier movement and flow, and help release any back and neck tension you may be feeling:

• Right hand – cup back of neck with fingers on the left side
• Left hand – hold fingers on the coccyx (base of spine)
• Left hand – hold fingers on outside of left knee

Holding these points will help your body let go of any pain and discomfort:
It doesn’t matter what ankle you’re holding to start —

• Right hand – hold fingers on the inside of the ankle
• Left hand – hold fingers on the outside of the ankle

And —

• Hold hand on area of discomfort/pain/inflammation
• With other hand – hold fingers on outside of knee

Wishing you easy movement so you can have fun, get things done and let go of PAIN! Let me know what transpires!

Discover how easy it is to be a partner with your body!

Study with me in my next hands-on Level 1 Health at Your Fingertips Wellness Workshop.

• 3 Wednesdays, October 12, 19 and 26
• 6 -9 pm
• Santa Rosa, CA

Sign up now for the early bird special price

You will learn how to listen to your body and hear the signals!!

Pain Relief is at Your Fingertips

Pain Relief is at Your Fingertips

I recommend doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow at least once a day. There is no such thing as too much self-help!  Your body is hungry for wellness. Discover how good you can feel. Do the Daily Flow several times a day. It builds a firm foundation for good health and feeling your best.

Release Tension in Your Neck and Shoulders

Hold these energy balance points for easier movement. Release back and neck tension with this simple energy flow:

• Right hand – cup back of neck with fingers on the left side
• Left hand – hold fingers on the coccyx (base of spine)
• Left hand – hold fingers on outside of left knee

Pain Relief from Your Toes to Your Nose

A gentle touch of these trigger points assists your body release pain and discomfort.
Begin by holding one of your ankles:
Right hand – place fingers on the inside of the ankle

• Left hand – position fingers on the outside of the ankle

And

• Hold hand on area of discomfort/pain/inflammation
• With your other hand – place fingers on outside of knee

Discover how easy it is to be a partner with your body!!

I will share and show you how you can heal and stay well. See easy to learn acupressure flows for pain relief. Sign up today. learn with me at the next
Experience first hand how your energy moves in your body. Study with me at the next Level 1 Health at Your Fingertips Wellness Workshop.

• Reserve your spot soon for the best pricing.
• Three Wednesdays evenings
• 6-9pm
• October 12, 19 and 26
• In Santa Rosa, California
• RSVP Today

Learn How to Listen to Your Body

Your body is amazing. Hear the signals and signs of distress. Learn the language of your energy. You can stop the pain in its tracks.
You can be a wellness superstar.
Wishing you ease of movement. You can have fun, get things done and let go of PAIN!
Let me know what happens. Share your results in a comment on this post.

Let Go of Back Pain

Help Your Body Let Go of Back Pain

Back pain is absolutely no fun! Are you discovering that there are activities you don’t get around to doing because your back hurts? If that is the case, it’s time to help your body be happier and less reactive.

The Cost of Back Pain is Huge

In the United States, the impact of back pain can be measured not only in discomfort but dollars, time lost, decreased productivity and on-the-job performance.

“The prevalence of pain has a tremendous impact on business, with a recent report by the Institute of Medicine indicating that the annual value of lost productivity in 2010 dollars ranged between $297.4 billion to 335.5 billion. The value of lost productivity is based on three estimates: days of work missed (ranging from $11.6 to $12.7 billion); hours of work lost (from $95.2 to $96.5 billion); and lower wages (from $190.6 billion to $226.3 billion).(1)”

The research cited is from Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Report. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research, 2011. The National Academies Press, Washington DC. (page 260)

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13172&page=260

You can read the full article on http://www.painmed.org/patientcenter/cost-of-pain-to-businesses/
The economic, physical and psychological impact of back pain is enormous as shown on paindoctor.com.

“Beyond the impact of the sheer number of people who suffer from back pain every year, the burden on the healthcare system is enormous. A study by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center found that patients with back pain spend $90 billion a year on medical expenses, with over $26 billion of that total spent directly on back pain-related medical care.”

“While specific figures are difficult to come by in the United States, a review of available data in the Medline database found the following indirect costs associated with back pain between 1996 and 2001:

• Workers missed 149 million days of work due to low back pain alone, as compared to 101 million days missed due to a work-related injury.
• Chronic low back pain cost approximately $1,230 for each man and $773 for each woman in lost work days, with an annual loss of productivity total of $28 billion.
• The reported average number of days of work disability due to back pain ranges, from 75 for the first incidence to 337 days of total compensated missed work days.”

Read the entire article at https://paindoctor.com/the-impact-of-back-pain/

“Health economists from Johns Hopkins University writing in The Journal of Pain reported the annual cost of chronic pain is as high as $635 billion a year, which is more than the yearly costs for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.”

American Pain Society. “Chronic pain costs U.S. up to $635 billion, study shows.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 September 2012. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120911091100.htm.

Scary Costs of Pain

If those numbers don’t scare you, think about how back pain interferes with your happiness.

A Cooperative Back

I don’t know about you, but if my desire to hike, garden or exercise is being usurped by a body project, it’s pretty likely that I’ll end up in a funk. I want my body to cooperate so I can do whatever I want to do! If you are staring at a long to-do list and have a cantankerous back ache, it might be affecting your fun activities as well as getting in the way of taking care of computer projects or office work. For most of us, if we can’t get something accomplished because our body is talking, we can be pretty hard on ourselves. And that makes everything worse. The mental and emotional states of feeding the physical imbalance and everything gets even more exacerbated.

Chronic, Acute or Nagging Back Pain

Whether you are experiencing chronic or acute pain or whether you have a persnickety nagging project that talks to you once in a while, your body is getting a message to you that it is time to ease the tension, tightness and imbalance.
When your back is in a state of blocked energy, your sense of well-being can be impacted because your core balance has gone awry.  Low back connects to foundation and sense of safety and security. Your mid-back connects to breathe and natural transitions that allow for easy transformations. And the upper back is often connected to “too much on your plate” and confusion in the system. Any of that sound familiar to you?

You Are Now Entering the State of Comfort and Ease

The long and short of it is that our backs need to be in a state of comfort and ease so we can “put our backs into it” and easily do what we want to do and accomplish what we set out to do. The key is to have the phrase “put my back into it” be a positive statement and that we have a positive mindset. The body will sense any negative. For you to be fully in the present and a positive state, there are some simple energy points you can hold to help you move through your day.

Practice Makes Perfect with The Daily Clean Your House Flow

Consider doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow as your daily practice. It helps create a firm foundation that prepares our bodies for what we are going to ask them to do and prepares them for what might come at them, even if it is totally unexpected.
Then the following energy tips will be that much better and faster received by the body. The changes you want to take place will more easily happen so you can do all you want to do.

Back Pain Relief is at Your Fingertips

Holding these energy balance points will bring smooth movement and flow and help release any back and neck tension:

• Right hand – cup back of neck with fingers on the left side
• Left hand – hold fingers on the coccyx (base of spine)
• Left hand – hold fingers on outside of left knee

And holding these points will connect with breath and easy transition:

• Right hand – hold fingers on left elbow
• Left hand – hold fingers on right elbow
• Left hand – move fingers to base of right ribcage
• Left hand – move fingers to outside of left knee

Wishing you easy movement so you can have fun AND get things done! Let me know what transpires!

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photo by Olenka Kotyk