The fascinating area of mind body medicine involves the interrelationship of the body, brain, mind, and attitude, with the idea of using mind or intention to bring about proper body function and to promote a healthy mind and body. Different Alternative Complementary Medicine practices use this concept in various ways.
Meditation or imagery techniques for example include different postures, focused attention, or an open flowing mind toward distractions. Meditation can be used to calm down and relax, improve emotional balance, cope with sickness, or enhance overall health and well being.
Yoga is used for health purposes and has different styles like in martial arts. They usually combine postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga is used as part of a general health regimen, and also for a variety of health conditions.
Mind body practices also include guided imagery, hypnotherapy, deep-breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, Chi Gong, and Tai Chi.
The concept that the mind is important in the treatment of illness is integral to the healing approaches of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine, dating back more than 2,000 years. Hippocrates who is regarded as one of the fathers of modern medicine, also noted the moral and spiritual aspects of healing and believed that treatment could occur only with consideration of attitude, environmental influences, and natural remedies.
I have been doing martial arts since about age fourteen on and off, and even have a black belt in a system of Karate while working on another. I continue today to do both internal and external martial arts whenever I can, and attend classes about 2-3 times per week. I started with Tai Chi and Qigong about 15 years ago, and have never left it since. They are wonderful for maintaining health and well being and particularly useful for the posture and structure of the body. In my work with patients, I usually give them a number of exercises to do, based on Tai Chi and Qigong, which are designed to realign them properly and thus help them with pain relief.
I also began using Guided Imagery, Creative Visualization, and focused meditation about 15 years ago in order to relax, better my life, and to attract abundance and happiness, as well as to help manifest my desires, wants, and wishes. They have proven to be amazing tools, and are most helpful when I don't take them too seriously, and I am just able to let go. When letting go as much as possible, the results are most quick and profound, and usually not at all what I expected. Manifesting actual things in our reality can often take time, as our thoughts are very subtle and operate on the energy level as opposed to our gross physical reality. For health concerns however, they can and should be used at every opportunity, and are very accessible and useful.
A couple of years back, I unfortunately broke and cut the distal phalanx of my right middle finger and was admitted to the emergency ward for stitches. They stuck a hypodermic needle into the base of my middle finger, and then further along the nerve root into the finger along the bone. Though this was an “extremely” painful experience, I applied focused Qigong breathing and was there flowing “with” the pain, very present and in my reality. This made the experience bearable, though the nurse was alarmed and thought I was beginning to hyperventilate, and I had to explain myself and calm him down. I was inspired to do this because of a recent meeting with an old Head Counsellor of mine, who is the founder and director of Kids Kicking Cancer, an international organization that teaches kids and even adults undergoing cancer treatment how to use these techniques in order to deal with intense pain and to overcome it.
I recently developed through my practice, a workshop that I call Six Element Emotional Release. This combines, Qigong / Tai Chi, Guided Imagery, color, focused breathing, meditation, and EMDR with the main purpose of healing and rebalancing the emotions. I have used and taught many of these exercises and techniques for years, and only in the past couple of years came to realize that I actually had a complete system in hand that could be put to good use.
I have also used EFT for the past six years, and it has served as a most useful tool in emotional healing as well. I recommend the techniques often to clients, especially when there are emotional issues at hand blocking the complete healing process, and I either send them to practitioners, or tell them where they can obtain the information and manual online . It can be used for many things, like in order to control itching due to chronic eczema / ringworm / fungus, for instance. I was also treated by at least a couple of different practitioners in the past with an offshoot of EFT called Quantum Techniques. It's also out there and online for you to look at and do.
One significant turning point in my life is when I actually took the ten week course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in Toronto due to the recommendation from my Acupuncturist. Different techniques including, yoga, breathing, meditation, and guided imagery were taught and given over, and I continue to use and teach what I learned there. Some of my clients and friends have taken the course as well, and I have one good friend and colleague who is a trained facilitator.
Yoga is technically the first holistic discipline that I encountered at about age eight or nine. I had a private Yoga teacher at least once a week to teach us three siblings and my dad. We studied, breathing, stretching and postures, and it was helpful to us all. I mostly remember learning the lotus position which I do not think I have ever successfully gotten into, as well as alternate nostril breathing, and of course the headstand which I still occasionally do.
Last year I sent someone an online video of how to do the fish pose which is very relieving for sinus issues and infection. It works. So, as a result, my martial arts and Tai Chi Qigong classes usually contain certain Yoga or similar movements or postures either in the warm ups or cool downs and stretching. When I am leading the class I incorporate them to be sure as long static stretching is very healthy for the muscles in the long term.
No comments:
Post a Comment