Qigong outdoors

ACT I

SCENE 1

Scene: Dusk, late summer. Parking lot of Greenlife grocery store on Merrimon.

(A BUSKER is plucking a Bass Guitar and tapping a Tambourine with his foot; a groovy funk line.  LEE is strolling towards the entrance and pauses to say hello to a FRIEND. They give each other a warm hug.)

LEE’S FRIEND

“Wow Lee, something seems different; what is it?”

LEE

Qigong! I feel great!

LEE’S FRIEND

(Lee’s friend nods and smiles)

I gotta Do It!

THE END…Or is it the beginning???

QIGONG SESSIONS

Monday Evenings

6:30 pm

382 Montford Avenue (Gatehouse in back of main building)

Led by Daoist Traditions Students.

Free to the public.

++++++++++++++++++++

ACT I

SCENE 2

(LEE blog’s & posts the most excellent info on Qigong.

To spread the word to all the land

where they all live healthily & happily ever after!)

National Qigong Association
Promoting Health Through Breath, Movement and Intention

Please visit this website -

http://nqa.org/resources/what-is-qigong/

Just a sample from their home page:

“Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention.

The word Qigong (Chi Kung) is made up of two Chinese words. Qi is pronounced chee and is usually translated to mean the life force or vital-energy that flows through all things in the universe.

The second word, Gong, pronounced gung, means accomplishment, or skill that is cultivated through steady practice. Together, Qigong (Chi Kung) means cultivating energy, it is a system practiced for health maintenance, healing and increasing vitality.

Qigong is an integration of physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intentions.”

(LEE thinks aloud to herself)

LEE

There are no ends, only beginnings!

….

Just about everyone who is “Walking Upright” will experience strain or fatigue in the neck and shoulder region.  If you float in the ocean most of your day, then probably not so much, but for the rest of us animals we must develop remedies for this chronic tendency.  Sitting, standing, driving, slouching, computers, looking cool…your body was just not evolved to perform these tasks repeatedly.

I call it “Walking Upright Syndrome”.

Try to incorporate this single stretch into your day,

2 – 3 times a day for 20 – 30 seconds and see what a difference it can make:

The Swan Dive Stretch

Stand in a door frame; place your hands on both sides of the door frame approximately in line with your shoulders.  Gently step through the doorway, allowing your shoulders to relax back.  Your shoulder blades should slightly collapse together.  This is not a plank or push up; instead you are stepping one step through the doorway. Experiment with your hand placement.  Higher up on the doorframe or even above your head will stretch different fibers of the pectoral muscle group on your chest which you are stretching here.  You are trying to lengthen the pectorals that get shortened from chronic postural habits and activity.  You want to take the workload off of the shoulder and neck muscles that are not designed do all the work that we are demanding of them.

*Secret key to success with stretches*

Extend the stretch until just before it would be uncomfortable, and hold it for 20 – 30 seconds.

FIGHT GRAVITY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD – STRRRETCH!

*Note of Caution: This exercise is meant to be gentle, preventive care and not to replace assessment and / or treatment of a condition by a doctor.  If you are experiencing numbness, tingling, or limits in your range of motion, dizziness, headache, nausea, or generally any new symptom  prior to this stretch, consult a doctor before performing this stretch.

BUY LOCAL IN ASHEVILLE GET 10 MINUTES EXTRA MASSAGE FREE*

I am a big fan of the Asheville Buy Local movement that is making waves here in town.  I want to do what I can to encourage this trend.  So I came up with an idea!  All you have to do is purchase anything from a locally owned business in Asheville and I will add 10 minutes to your massage session at Adorn Salon and Boutique in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina.  Please do mention the purchase when you book your massage, and please bring your local receipt in with you as proof of your local purchase.  Gift Certificates available!

828-225-8828

58 College Street Asheville, North Carolina 28801

Photo from "Massagetoday.com"

I offer massage cupping therapy in my practice and many people are unfamiliar with this ancient remedy.  It is still commonly practiced in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and was used often by our great grandparents with plain old tea cups from the cupboard.  This traditional technique was also taught and practiced for centuries in various parts of Western Europe and is still as effective as ever in treating muscle soreness and stubborn knots in muscles.  It is also reportedly used to decrease the appearance of cellulite, however I have not experimented with this myself.  (I would make an excellent test subject!)  I can say, I have been amazed at the response from clients who have come in for just a “spot treatment” for 15 minutes and walk out with complete relief.  I often like to  share well written pieces from reputable sources on subjects rather than simply paraphrase what they have put so succinctly.  A lovely brief write up on this technique is on the Massage Today website.  I have posted the link.

www.massagetoday.com

Come in for a spot treatment or request it during your regular massage session.  Call 828-225-8828.

mmmMassage…Goood!   Thanks for reading*

For those interested in more reading on the history of this technique, you can find info and even classes at

Health Traditions.comau.

Photo from Health Traditions website*

“Massage Benefits Are More Than Skin Deep!”  It feels good to get validation from a major source such as the New York Times.  This article in particular puts extra perk to my stride because the evidence stated is  done by none other than Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles by self described physician “skeptics”.  The article in New York Times speaks clearly for itself.  Massage continues to build momentum as a valid investment in health care and prevention.  Key word here Prevention! which is the real future of health care reform.  Join in the new paradigm and reduce stress without pills and get a massage! Huzzah!!

I see both sides of the flu shot debate every day at this time of year. People ask me my opinion since I am in the health care field.  This is not to be construed as medical advice or to replace the advice of your doctor.  However as my friends keep reminding me…”well you’re a nurse, you should know this”…here is my 50 cents!  Everything we choose in life carries some amount of risk.  I try to weigh the risk of myself or a loved one with a weakened immune system getting the flu and possibly being hospitalized versus a small percent chance of very serious side effects of receiving the flu vaccine.  Will I put my Aunt Millie at risk who recently had a heart attack? Or what about my little nephew who is 2 years old with a developing immune system? What about the health and wellness of my clients?  Am I disciplined enough to take the steps to fortify my own immune system to prevent illness instead of getting the vaccine?  Do I care enough to research it myself and be my own best advocate or is the advice from my friends’ friend a trustworthy source of solid science?
Whether or not you feel the Center For Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are conspiratorially poisoning the world for profit or manipulation, there are some strong arguments in favor of protection and prevention by getting the vaccine.  The treacherous debate on the intentions of these organizations, and the bottom dollar for vaccine companies don’t mean ditly if my newborn Godchild gets put in the hospital because of me giving him the flu.   Is it narcissistic to put the responsibility on the weakened ones that need protection?  They are at risk, not me; after all,  my immune system is strong and I never get the flu.  Hmm, will they call me  a communist if I get the flu shot for the greater good?  I dig a little deeper…
You might consider that the vaccine this year protects against 3 strains which the CDC deems are the greatest risk of serious illness based on evidence that includes what is going on in the Southern Hemisphere during their high flu season.  This is their best educated guess.  It won’t protect you from every garden variety bug that is lurking out there so you still have the potential for becoming ill with fever, aches & pains. Hopefully though, you will be protected from the most violent strains that can put you in the hospital or at least render you bedridden for weeks.
After some delving into their websites and research and accessing counter arguments found in the news and legitimate alternative health sources on the internet, I still arrive at it being a calculated risk. We are rolling the dice of life folks!
There are some things you can do to strengthen your immune system so that you at least have all your cooty fighters in the ring doing their best to protect you from falling ill. Are you eating a lot of sugar? High sugar intake is a prime culprit in weakening your immune system. Limiting soda, sweets and processed foods is a major boost to your team. Are you getting enough sunlight? One of the reasons the flu is more prevalent in the winter is because there is less sunlight and people stay indoors more.  Vitamin D is taking the lead in headlines with websites that maintain double blind studies as the gold standard in research.    Recent research suggests 15 minutes of sunlight on your body, but not the face, every day for fair skinned people and longer if you have darker skin or are older or live farther north.

(Brrrr!)

19th and 20th Century health sanatoriums in Europe, Canada, and eventually the North in America, were big into Sun treatments for health. They bundle you up and park you in a lounge chair or hospital bed on a veranda overlooking the mountains soaking in as much sunlight as you can get.  Sun exposure boosts the bodies natural defenses because it gives you Vitamin D via the skin  (nicknamed the Sun Vitamin).   Did you know that they have increased the recommended daily amount of Vitamin D?

You may consider talking to your doc about getting your Vitamin D levels checked. According to my Doctor and many recent articles, most of us in the U.S. have low levels of vitamin D and should be adding a supplement to our diet at least during the flu season.  Food sources such as fatty fish, eggs, and meat are rich in vitamin D.   (There is a head spinning debate about milk fortified with Vitamin D that I won’t enter into right now.  Expect hours of reading and a long recovery from confusion if you care to explore the topic. )

Here’s a thought…Did you know that your sugar intake and your Vitamin D level, among other things like stress, will have an impact on how strongly your body develops antibodies to the flu shot?! When they ask you if you are feeling healthy with no fever when you go for a flu shot, it’s because if your immune system is already depleted, the body will not be as efficient at making antibodies to the vaccine strains. How many people say, “I got the flu shot and I still got sick.”? Did you know that it takes 2 weeks for your body to develop immunity to the strains in the vaccine? About one third of those vaccinated in the first 48 hours of receiving the vaccine  run a low grade fever and have some mild aches and pains.   That is minor compared to the actual flu.  Hopefully though, with the vaccine, you will be protected from the most violent strains that can put you in the hospital or at least render you bedridden for weeks.  Who knew that your diet and lifestyle have a part in how you respond to the flu shot and to flu viruses?  Hmmm.

I will take steps to fortify my immune system naturally to prevent illnesses including the flu.  I will get the flu shot.  I know myself, and I would not be able to handle the guilt of a loved one falling seriously ill because I don’t know if I fully trust “the system”and decide to risk it without the vaccine.  If you want my advice…Roll your own dice!!

They say all of that discipline in school is to help us continue those habits when we are grownups.  Discipline and persistence will definitely come in handy with rehabilitating a shoulder injury.

As with any chronic shoulder injury, if you are in pain or have limited range of motion, have it looked at by your physician or acupuncturist.  There are tests and imaging such as MRI or CAT scans to see what exactly is going on in this very complex area of your anatomy.

Physical therapy will likely be prescribed.  Massage is  also highly recommended to speed recovery by increasing blood flow to the injured tissue, flushing away metabolic wastes and preventing scar tissue formation.   Be sure your massage therapist is trained in dealing with shoulder injury.  There are many related muscles to be treated that are as far away as the pelvis and beyond that will relieve tension on  the shoulders.   Once you hop off the massage table you will most likely feel improvement, but for lasting results and recovery, physical therapy is essential.  Yes, the title is correct; you homework will count as part of your grade.  And your body is a tough teacher don’t you think?

Here is an excellent site for you to start your exercises and begin healing.

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/265.html

Are you local to Asheville?  My chiropractor recommends this physical therapy group to his clients, and I found them to be very helpful and kind.

Mountain Physical Therapy

www.mountainphysicaltherapy.com

Today the question was posed, “…do I treat the Anterior Thorax?”

My answer is without a doubt – “Yes, always!” The tendency for all of us that “Walk Upright” to develop tension and muscle shortening in the Pectorals, Serratus Anterior, and Subclavius is extremely common. This puts an extra strain on the back and neck muscles to hold your upper body and head up. This causes the back and neck muscles to become fatigued and painful from doing extra duty. The key to relieving the neck and back pain is to also release the anterior muscles which have become shortened from posture, sitting, repetitive activity and that old friend gravity.  I also include the abdominal muscle groups to balance the entire core. I find this approach most effective. Excellent reference to the mentioned anatomy is here; I like keeping it as a reference for myself you might find it helpful too.
www.theodora.com/anatomy/the_muscles_connecting_the_upper_extremity_to_the_anterior_and_l.html

Really?!  I insist you will enjoy this video.  This is amazing!  Such great technique!  This elephant has genuine affection and care for her client; watch how she helps her up after the treatment!!  Love this*  Have a great weekend everyone.
Much cheer!!

Click on the link below…

Elephant massage girl

Add Dry Brushing to Your Massage Session
at
Adorn Salon & Boutique
Keep the Brush & Continue Your
Skin Brushing Regime At Home

Cleanse the lymphatic system
Reduce appearance of cellulite
Remove dead skin layers
Strengthen the immune system
Stimulate the hormone and oil-producing glands
Tighten the skin preventing premature aging
Tone the muscles
Stimulate circulation
Improve the function of the nervous system
Help digestion
AND it’s easy, inexpensive and invigorating!

• The skin is the largest eliminative organ in the body and is responsible for one quarter of the body’s detoxification each day.
• The skin eliminates over one pound of waste acids each day in the average adult, most of it through the sweat glands.
• The skin is known also as our third kidney.
• The skin receives one third of all the blood circulated in the body.
• The skin is the last to receive nutrients in the body, yet one of the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency.

Dry Brushing was recommended by the Finnish Dr., Paavo Airola for his patients 30 years ago and is still popular in European spas and many cancer treatment centers today. The Russians, Turks and Scandinavians have used this treatment for centuries.