~ Articles ~ Environments for Possibility, Using Simple “Space Tuning” Techniques By Terry Cline AIA/BSA Architect & SpaceTherapyÆ Consultant / DWELLRIGHT AIA SPACE AFFECTS BEHAVIOR! Your built “Personal Environment” serves as a mold that reinforces patterns of behavior and performance, and can be either antagonistic or synergistic to your personal and professional goals. Every room you live and work in “sculpts both individual and interpersonal behavior”. Most of us are unaware of our interconnection with “designed” spaces. A home or workplace is like a mold into which we form ourselves through use. Change happens because we slowly adapt to the physical restrictions and features our spaces give us. Adaptation involves personal change. Change can be positive or negative as the subtle power of our spaces support or thwart how we experience the activities within them. At this moment your retail space may be hurting potential sales, as your bedroom design may frustrate your sex life. The layout and light in your office may reduce productivity as the acoustics in your dining room may destroy vital family interactions. All without you knowing it! Space and furniture layouts direct your use of space, affecting intimate and social behaviors. Seating arrangements impact interpersonal communications in living rooms, classrooms, and boardrooms. Lighting features and colors influence social and personal responses in homes, offices, and stores. Room acoustics shape feelings of privacy, intimacy, and security. Your home may be undermining personal counseling objectives. Your workplace may be impacting employee moral. Creating positive change in your personal & social behaviors, through simple no-to-low cost modifications of your home or workspace is achievable to varying degrees of success depending on the “space tuning” practice(s) chosen. Whether the fashionable Chinese Feng Shui; less known India’s Vashtu Shastra, Native American, South American, Hawaiian, Celtic and Egyptian traditions; or approaches more suited to our Western culture and times such as Place Performance, Home Therapy, or DwellRight’s highly integrated SpaceTherapyÆ Consulting, the objective is the creation of personal environments that support rather than thwart inhabitants’ psycho-social and functional goals. Proper tuning of musical instruments is crucial to musicians. Proper “space tuning” of personal environments is crucial to inhabitants. “Architecture IS frozen music”. If you’re interested in improving your life and performance, consider what are: 1) Your goals and commitments in your personal and professional life; 2) The ideal experiences within your home or workplace; 3) The activities, feelings, and interactions you would like your rooms to support; 4) The direct and implied shape and size of spaces, lighting, colors, acoustics, textures, smells, and furnishing arrangements that would support your goals. Entertaining answers to these questions and employing a personal environment space tuning professional (uniquely trained to see or “read” space for its potential impact on behavior patterning) would be of benefit to anyone wanting the most rewarding and gratifying experiences in their Home or School, Condominium or Business Office, Apartment or Corporate Office, and Retail or Community Space. Regardless of the style or cost of your personal living or working spaces, whether for your existing personal environments or envisioned renovation or new construction, using a powerful integration of principles from architectural and interior design, environmental and architectural psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, consumer design, the ancient art and science of placement, and not-so- common sense, can reap lifetime rewards for you, your family, your business, and for future inhabitants to come. Learn how “framing behavior at home or workspace is a positive, wholesome and necessary thing to do”. Contact your preferred space tuning professional for design or consulting recommendations, well beyond the scope of traditional design services, based upon predetermined budget, presented in a practical, affordable, and understandable way. As Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche proclaims, "The only way to implement our vision for society is to bring it down to the situation of a single household." Change your space, change your life. Change your life, change the world.   Back to Top   Mindfulness Practice by John Lehmus, D.C. Ed, Saco Healing Arts Center Before sharing about Mindfulness, I wish to offer a reading by Alan Hansen that you may have heard before. What does this mean for you? Have you ever heard the phrase "like a stick in the mud". It's when we get so stuck in our own stuff and we end up wasting a whole day or even a year or worse yet, our whole life! We worry about or self-judge all the mud in our life to such an extreme that we literally cannot move. We are viewing our reality as a spectator - life has already happened without my participation. You may also think of it as "reality is coming at me". If the above reading makes you want to wake up and live more authentically, then mindfulness practice is available in this and every moment. This is when we can shift from reality is in the "eye" of the beholder to reality is in the "I" of the beholder. When we begin to move from survival-mode to conscious-creation, we not only realize that "reality is coming from me", but we begin to appreciate it more and more. Take the perception of color for instance, it is only within us. There is no color outside of our experience, only varying frequencies of photons. It's our brain that converts the electrical impulses from our eye receptors. And, believe it or not, it's the same with our perception of sound! Our ears and brain convert the air that is in motion to the sounds we "hear". Mindfulness practice is simply being aware of the now, followed by the next moment, and then the next. An awakened sense of this very moment, that is actually expanding well beyond the tick of a clock. I often use the phrase "beginners mind". This is when we find out that we can perceive our surroundings, as if for the first time. We can do this whether it is a beautiful sunrise, making dinner, waiting for shooting stars or even running into someone at the post office, that just last week we had an argument with. We can see with new eyes, every-thing fresh and every-one new. We are so appreciating the moment, that we catch ourselves "not reacting" to the happenings right in front of our face. We withhold judgment and anger, almost as if not knowing what they are. We forget our swear words and most of the self-talk. We come to know it is more important to be present and awake, so we can send our healing energies to the ails of the world. When you live this way, you uncover the Soul Space that is inherent in each of us. It's reaching out to hold the hand of your future-self and they squeeze back. We acknowledge that our reality, is based upon our own expectation. Our expectation is based upon our own unique past, plus what we believe about ourselves and how we buy into the dream of society and big business. The practitioner of mindfulness can proceed like a soft wind, passing by and around all the "sticks-in-the-mud". We shift form predictability to possibility! We soon realize that past and future are right now. In fact, the concept called time becomes much less of a driving force in our life. Here's an example: when we sense that time is literally crawling (usually during events that we do not enjoy), the pace at which we age actually speeds up. And likewise, when we sense no-time (usually doing things we love), the pace at which we age actually slows down. Know that your relationship to "clock time" inversely relates to the pace that you will age. Simply put, time is in your sense of it. So where do we go from here? Whether it is the health issues of family and friends or the weaknesses displayed by world governments in how they react to their own fears, we learn that we can help ourselves and that we can help others, too. We can send healing light for Peace on Earth! Also, for healing the sick, helping the weak, providing drinkable water, breathable air and especially healthy food for the starved and hungry. Our actions can teach that all is one, there are no spare parts or minor roles. Yes! we can and do, make a difference. Mindfulness practice involves repeatedly bringing one's awareness back to the present moment. We observe what is happening in the now! We allow ourselves to feel and then we can look at our sensations. We really want to know "the why" of our reactions, not just "the what" anymore. We start to notice the thoughts without letting them carry away our awareness. How long does this practice of mindfulness take to master? I think you may already know that it will take the rest of our lives. With Mindfulness Practice, we move from "Seeing is Believing" to "Believing is Seeing!" ~ how beautiful is that?   Back to Top   ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE Maria Jackson Parker, Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique Over 100 years ago in Australia, F.M. Alexander, confronted with having to give up his acting career, set out to discover what he did on stage which resulted in loss of voice and interference with his breath. With the help of mirrors he quite quickly identifed a stiffening of his neck and a pulling of his head back and down into his shoulders. A “misuse” which set off tension from head to toe. Even the THOUGHT of speaking set off this pattern! During the nine years it took to develop a method of gaining “control” of unconscious habit, the lung problems which had plagued him from childhood disappeared. This unlooked for connection between “use” and function was to prove itself out over the 60 years teaching people with every conceivable ill. Alexander’s odyssey, widely acclaimed in mid-century scientific circles, was referred to by one of Alexander’s (many) medical pupils, Nobel-prize neurophysicist Nicolas Tinbergan, as “one of the true epics of scientific research of our age”. For indeed what Alexander discovered embodied “with complete precision the pyscho-biological research” which was to emerge during the 20th century”, and indeed into the 21st! “GOOD USE” is plainly observable in animals, small children, great athletes and performers. Alexander recognized it in aboriginal people. SIGNS OF MISUSE? Poor posture, problems of back (including disc herniation), joints, arthritis, TMJ, osteoporosis, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, stress, migraines, fatigue, respiratory ills, effortful movement, balance and neurological problems (MS, Parkinson’s, stroke). WHO NEEDS THE TECHNIQUE? All the above, plus people whose occupations tend to exacerbate poor habits: dentists, computer operators, manual laborers, performers (actors, dancers, musicians, singers) who rely on maximum efficiency /fluidity/control, equestrians, martial artists, athletes, sufferers of depression, poor self-image. WORK IN THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE OR AN ALTERNATIVE. Rather it provides “SUPPORT” and can provide a reliable basis for getting the most benefit from treatments and therapies. In healthful and/or recreational activities benefits and enjoyment can soar!   Back to Top   STRESSED? ... BREATHE! by Lashell Moon, Breath Facilitator & Reiki Master Life Unlimited Inc. We all know breath is life; without breath, we die. What most people do not know is that when you limit your breath, you limit your life. Shallow breathing is stressful to your body and results in numerous symptoms/conditions: lack of energy, anxiety, negative thinking, susceptibility to addiction, difficulty focusing, memory issues, tension, muscle aches and dis-ease. One of the underlying causes in disease is lack of oxygen to the cells. Open your breath and change your life. Learning to breathe in a full, connected manner has numerous benefits, some of which are recognized immediately. Breathing well can help you look and feel younger, release pent-up emotion, energize and revitalize your being, gain clarity and insights, improve your relationships, raise your level of consciousness and enhance your spiritual connection. Breathing well is superb preventative and restorative medicine. Oxygen is key to eliminating toxins and feeding your cells so they can function adequately. Additional results may be lowered blood pressure, decreased risk of heart attack, prevention of disease, clearer thinking, a stronger sense of self and an ability to deal with stress with greater ease. A trained breath facilitator assists you in opening constricted areas in your breath that you may not know you have. In a relaxed, safe setting, the facilitator will teach you how to breathe, coach you in keeping the breath flowing, help you process through any emotions that surface, perform "opening the breath" techniques and be present for you. You may experience various physical sensations and emotions, crying, images, insights and knowledge of being truly loved. A breath session is usually seen as very cathartic, deep, rewarding and life changing. It is a powerful way to release accumulated stress and open to greater joy and relaxation in life.   Back to Top   Chinese, Asian Medicine: Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology and More by Rhonda Feiman, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, L.Ac. Traditional Asian medicine is a subtle and comprehensive system for healing and maintaining wellness which continues to show that it can successfully treat modern medically defined pathology. I am thrilled when the techniques of acupuncture and Asian herbology clearly treat diabetes, heart disease, menopausal symptoms, infertility and headaches, and when muscular skeletal problems are alleviated. I am delighted when the application of the herb Artemisia (mugwort) to a specific point on the little toe successfully helps turn a breech baby. What we see from these documented accomplishments is that the sophisticated and intricate diagnostic methods of this medicine can and do treat internal medical situations. The classic medical texts, written so long ago, treated many of the same imbalances and disharmony we see today without our modern interpretation of disease. For example, there was no term for diabetes but they knew that some people had extreme yin deficiency that led to an imbalance of fluids and the heating of the body in a way that affected thirst and circulation. They did not know of AIDS or hepatitis but they did know about external pernicious influences and the concepts of toxic heat and internal heat worsening pathology. The treatment principle of clearing heat or venting heat from the inside out was established to treat this imbalance. The sophistication of these methods means that this ancient medicine gives us ways to treat difficult illness that we see today in the 21st century. For instance, an aspect of one type of bronchial asthma is the difficulty of catching ones breath. In traditional Chinese medicine we can say that the Kidney meridian energy is not grasping the Lung qi. If the symptoms are worse at night and include a gurgling sensation, profuse sweating, a pale tongue with a thin white coat and a pulse that feels like it is floating under the fingers, we would say that in addition to the Kidney qi not grasping the Lung qi, the diagnosis is a wind cold invasion with the retention of phlegm fluid in the lungs. This is treated with acupuncture and specific herbs to warm the lungs, clear phlegm and soothe the wheezing and to assist the Kidney energy in grasping the qi. Another scenario shows the asthma coming from a wind heat invasion, the manifestation including shortness of breath, gurgling in the throat, a choking cough with a stuffiness in the chest and diaphragm, a red tongue with a sticky yellow coating, a rapid pulse, and perhaps fever and irritability. The herbs and acupuncture used would be different than our first scenario. The ancient system of diagnosis and treatment allows us to clearly differentiate patterns and treat a common illness, in this case, bronchial asthma, effectively. With this time-tested method of differential diagnosis, we have the framework in which to interpret and treat the emerging diseases of today. We are also able to see subtle changes in individuals and apply appropriate techniques to maintain health before serious illness develops. Traditional ancient texts present different approaches to healing and also speak about the sequence of healing. It is said that food therapy should be tried before herb medicine. The power of food was recognized and utilized as medicine for centuries. The flavors, which correlate to the internal organ system, were considered essential in healing. If you’re irritable and show signs of Liver qi stagnation, eat a sour food, such as lemons, to help invigorate the qi stagnation. For depression and melancholy, invigorate and nourish the Heart qi by ingesting a bitter flavor food. If you’re very weak and cold and prone to illness and stomach-aches from deficiency, eat a full sweet, such as a winter squash, to help nourish the Spleen and Stomach earth energy. If you are very hot and irritable, cool off with watermelon or mung beans to clear excess heat. These simple food ideas can help restore balance. If this is not strong enough, then an herbal formula that treats the disharmony is appropriate. Acupuncture is then also used to help the body naturally self regulate to restore balance. We also see discussions of the use of movement. Qi-Gong or Tai Chi help massage and stimulate the meridians and thereby maintain health. Considering the toxic chemicals and pollution in our environment, it is essential that we take advantage of these extremely important diagnostic and therapeutic tools. So, for the above cases of bronchial asthma, along with acupuncture and Chinese herbology and the aforementioned sequence of treatment, I would suggest methods to strengthen the root of the Kidney qi and the Lung qi. I would recommend dietary modifications to reduce the production of phlegm and strengthen the digestion. I would recommend meditation and other ways in which the individual could build Kidney and Lung qi. I would teach specific exercises in the Qi–gong or Tai Chi tradition that help strengthen the qi. Therefore, the entire person is treated and the root of the illness is addressed. The air we breathe, the food we eat, how we move and use our bodies all contribute to our overall health and well being. Our emotional health depends upon our ability to see and feel and experience our connection to all beings. When we practice techniques that ground us and we re-establish our link with universal energy, then we are firmly in touch with a larger view of our place in the world. This frees us to heal our own unique specific physical and emotional problems while being cognizant of our connection to all beings in the world. This helps us to be part of the natural flow that is all around us, and this connection is an essential aspect of the classical tradition of Chinese Medicine.   Back to Top   Trusting Your Own Intuition by Rev. Juliet Nightingale ~ Counsellor, Medium, Reiki, Radio Show Host As we’ve entered the new millennium, the subject of spiritual awakening is being discussed and seriously thought about now. Many of us are probing on a deep level—through reading, meditation, prayer, etc.—in order to decipher just what all this means for us on a personal level as well as in the global community. All life on this planet is changing and we are becoming more spiritual, more aware and more attuned to our souls and the destiny we came to fulfil in this incarnation. This is a very significant step in the process of our evolution and, indeed, we are looking at big changes to come. What does this mean for us as human beings? First, it means that we need to acknowledge some basic truths that have hitherto been thwarted due to religious, psychological and societal conditioning for centuries now—the fact that we are not five-sensory beings, but, rather, multi-sensory beings. “Reality” does not consist of merely what we can perceive on the physical plane. There is so much that exists in other dimensions that is beyond the perception and confines of the five physical senses. And it is important not to limit our understanding of “reality” by what we experience on the physical plane! Let me give you an example of something so common that we all possess, but rarely give credence to. I don’t think there’s one person alive who hasn’t had a ‘hunch’ about something; and for those who have honoured their hunches, they’ve fared much better than if they’d not paid attention to and gone with their gut feelings. There may be no ‘tangible’ evidence to draw from on the physical plane, but your deeper Knowing guided you and protected you. It is on this level where you’ve got that direct link and communion with the Divine. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had clients tell me that they regretted whenever they’ve not listened to their intuition and followed it. I always praise the ones who do listen to and honour their intuition. Using your intuition can save you from an unpleasant or useless endeavour…or some disaster. It can even save your life or the life of someone you love! Not only do we use our intuition for issues of decision making or gaining clarity on topics of concern; we also use it to communicate with others—or what is commonly referred to as telepathy. This is a little bit more difficult, because so many people still have a tendency to not trust their experiences when it comes to a two-way telepathic exchange. This is especially true with relationship issues…and clients are so worried when they’ve not received a telephone call from a significant person in a few days…or whatever. People are so dependent on their partner or friend contacting them either by telephone or eMail, etc., in order to be assured that the person is even thinking about them. Some clients are nearly panic-stricken and desperate…if they don’t receive that coveted telephone call! This is when I throw in that big question to them: “Have you been aware of that person in your space?”—more often than not, the answer being ‘yes’. Sadly, though, too many people still question the validity of their experiences and don’t trust them. They think they’re mere fancy, or imagination. “No,” I assure them. “It is not just your imagination; it is absolutely real!” Let me give you an example: Haven’t you had the experience where someone will cross your mind and then you hear from that person? This is very typical of a telepathic exchange between two people. Another example is where you may start saying something and someone else finishes your sentence…or you both say the same thing at the same time! People will ask me how I know it’s not just ‘wishful thinking’ that we experience someone else’s thoughts or presence in our space—especially when it comes to relationship matters. Most of the time the experience will happen when you’re not even focused on or thinking about the other person and sometimes it will. But it has got a special quality about it…and, if you remain open and just ‘listen’ to what comes to you, make a note of it and compare notes with that person at a later time. Chances are you will be right on target with what you experienced. One time, while working here in my office, I suddenly became intensely aware of a friend of mine back in England. I wasn’t even focused on him, but he was so present in my space, I could even feel him standing next to me. He felt strong and triumphant and full of excitement. This has happened so many times over the years and has often been followed by a telephone call that very moment. Another time, I was carrying on a telepathic conversati We’re both night owls! At another point, I was aware of my daughter while getting my tea. The telephone rang a second later and, sure enough, it was she. But this doesn’t just happen with people who are close to me; it also happens with clients and associates as well. I’ll be aware of them and I hear from them either that same day or very soon thereafter. This is very real and it works for everyone—not just people who are psychic! It is really important to have faith in our own intuition and also the messages that come to us through our dreams—especially if you want to be in contact with someone you care about. We tend to take all this modern technology for granted—the telephone, fax, eMail and so on; but there will be times when these physical devices aren’t always available to us…and we’ll have to make use of, and trust in that cosmic telephone or radar we all possess. Furthermore, it’s free and a lot more reliable and private than using the telephone or Internet! I hope this will serve as a great source of encouragement for all who read these lines. This is especially true in a time where the veil is clearly being lifted...and we’ll be able to access and see into other dimensions without thinking it is merely science fiction. After all, what was hitherto thought of as fiction has fast become an understanding of the reality of our world and the universe on a deeper level. So please take heart. Someone you care about is as close as your thoughts. FMI: www.TowardTheLight.org   Back to Top   Reiki in Maine falls mainly on . . . Roberta R. Barnes, Gendai Reikiho/Komyo Reiki Shihan & Herbalist Natural Healing & Learning Center The next words are logically 'the plane'. Think outside the box. In Maine and around the world Reiki falls on people or anything your mind can categorize, anywhere a person initiated into Reiki by a qualified Reiki Shihan (teacher) happens to be. Mikao Usui connected to the vibrations of love and harmony of universal energy in 1921 during a long meditation following three years of Zen studies. The method of bringing balance and harmony to mind, body, and spirit he named Reiki Ryoho. Reiki not only promotes and speeds healing, but also gently allows the true you shine, stress free. Usui-sensei, sometimes called Dr. Usui, said his method was, "the secret to health and happiness". Replace vim and vigor with the synonyms spirit and energy, and you are describing Reiki. ATP molecules being the most important molecules to all living organisms because they release energy show the importance of energy. Reiki is a spiritual practice, neither a belief system nor religion. Reiki complements professional medical care and other healing modalities. Reiki does not cause any pain or discomfort. Such events as the WWII bombing of Pearl Harbor seeded distorted Reiki legends. In 1999 Hiroshi Doi, a member of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, (the society Usui-sensei began) visited Canada teaching Gendai Reikiho (Modern method for Reiki healing). Since 1999, selected facts kept sacred within the Gakkai continuously have been shared with the rest of the world. Science states energy can be neither created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. Reiki is a unique form of universal energy with only the methods of practice varying. Any Reiki Teacher practicing differently from the way s/he was taught creates a new name so as not to dishonor his or her teacher. Reiki always retains the same strength, when flowing pure. Reiki can flow through the hands, eyes, breath, and other areas. Reiki healing sessions are beneficial. Reiki travels to each cell's core in the mind, body, and spirit restoring balance and surrounding with harmony. Following a session, even though more relaxed then you ever thought possible you are alert and usually pain and stress free. Tissues are not manipulated and drinking extra water following a session is not required. Reiki practitioners move his or her hands to gently rest on non-invasive areas guided by the feel of the vibrations of distressed cells. Joy and creativity is also felt and given a boost. A good description of Reiki is that used for the herb lobelia, it knows exactly where to go and what to do when it gets there. Because a person may not feel, smell, taste, or see Reiki it might appear Reiki only relaxes, but the imperceptible energy does much more. People often feel a gentle heat that goes deep within. People with chronic pain are usually pain free for two to three days. Reiki symbols, or training wheels, are teaching tools to help understand all that Reiki encompasses; varying from teacher to teacher. Think of all the energies within and surrounding the earth, moon, and sun. These are all the energies within Reiki. At the Usui Reiki Ryoho International conference I attended, the analogy of symbols to raft was given. Learning to feel the energies is like crossing a river and the symbols are the raft used. Once the river has been crossed rather then travel on under the staggering weight of the raft, it is left on the shore. Different Reiki styles give you options of memorizing new symbols, or under a Shihan's guidance learning to feel the energies to which you have been opened. Each level in Reiki is honorable. "It may appear small, but it is powerful", is the perfect description of Shoden, the first level or in Reiki training. The Teacher's level is the fourth or higher. Reiki is not worrying about whether the glass is half-full or half-empty, but accepting what is in the glass and doing with it what is best. Reiki is giving to those with physical challenges medical science lists in the 'cannot be cured' category what is needed to move forward with a smile. Hiroshi Doi-sensei's description of Reiki is "nothing fishy, nothing odd, nothing difficult." The motto of Komyo Reiki Kai is, "Go placidly in the midst of praise or blame." Reiki might appear complicated, but it is not. Reiki is like the love of the life giving sun that touches the earth with harmony promoting health and happiness the morning following a disaster.   Back to Top What Is WATSU? WATSU, or Water Shiatsu, is a gentle yet profound form of aquatic bodywork developed over 25 years ago by Zen Shiatsu practitioner Harold Dull at Harbin Hot Springs in California. Dull began combining Zen Shiatsu with floating people in the warm springs. Today, WATSU is practiced on 6 continents in settings ranging from hospitals, physical therapy clinics, leading wellness and beauty spas to back yard pools. What is it like to receive a session? Imagine being floated in a pool of warm, pristine water, heated to your body temperature. Surrounded by silence, your body has a sense of freedom as you are gently stretched, massaged, moved in graceful, ribbon-like movement with the rhythm of your breath. Time and place temporarily recede as alpha states are entered providing the body with the deep rest it requires to rejuvenate and heal. WATSU is an opportunity to move beyond the physical, to a place of three dimensional weightless surrender. 'Instant mediation', 'transcendence', a 'slice of heaven', 'physical freedom' are only a few of the many comments about how much this therapy has to offer. WATSU is used around the world for treating tired aching muscles, arthritis, fibromyalgia, lymphedema, sciatica, cancer, orthopaedic and neurological issues, range of motion problems, neck, hip and low back pain, along with a host other conditions. It also opens the heart, allowing for deep peace, and relief from stress, anxiety and grief. WATSU can even relieve symptoms of PTSD, ADHD and insomnia. It has the ability to gently bring us back to our true selves. In a WATSU session, your muscles are effortlessly stretched using the inertia of the water. The joints are mobilized leaving a feeling of space between them. Being in warm water softens the tissues and allows the body to effortlessly release long held patterns of holding, which can be the cause of chronic pain, even if an injury seems to have healed. The weightless environment of the water allows for graceful, fluid, dance-like movements. Because there are no constraints of a massage table, the neck, spine and pelvis are able to release tension and chronically held pain easily. All these aspects put together equal a holistic and therapeutic bodywork experience literally like no other, supporting the constellation of body/mind/spirit. To learn more about the therapeutic effects of aquatic bodywork, visit the web site of the Worldwide Aquatic Body workers Association, WABA at www.WABA.org Vicki Mitchell is a Certified WATSU and WaterDance Therapist and Shiatsu Practitioner. Vicki practices in a beautiful, private therapy pool located in Blue Hill, Maine. She can be reached at 207-374-2520 or visit www.mainewatsutherapy.com   ~ Points of View ~   Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology: an Introduction By Rhonda Feiman, DOM, L.Ac Imagine a river flowing swiftly and strongly along its course. All of nature is supported by this healthy flow. Quite the poetic image, yet it is a simple metaphor for the flow of energy that is surging within each of us. In Oriental medicine, we call this flow Qi; we call the many rivers of the body the meridians, and within each of us this flow is constant. We have access to this flow through the acupuncture points located along the meridians. Now imagine a tree has fallen down within the riverbed; the blockage disturbs the water’s flow creating eddies and stagnant pools. In our analogy we would call this an imbalance within the meridians-or disease. Qi no longer flows in a healthy way. In our bodies this can be experienced as a headache, stomachache or muscle spasm. It may appear as confusion, abrupt anger, extreme timidity or anxiety/depression, gynecological problems or infertility or the myriad of symptoms we associate with all disease. The tools used for diagnosis include pulse taking, which is more than simply determining the heart rate. We use tongue diagnosis to gather even more information about the internal functioning of the body. We palpate the abdomen to determine how Qi is flowing and look at face color, listen carefully to how a person speaks and ask questions. We come to a diagnosis that reflects the unique individual in front of us. In this way we treat the whole person not just the symptoms. So five women experiencing the symptoms we associate with menopause would have five unique treatment plans and treatment strategies. Acupuncture points and herbal formulas would be different for each person. This is true for any other illness. Oriental medicine is so much more than just pain management. These subtle diagnostic tools allow us to maintain and regain health today, just as they have for thousands of years. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Rhonda Feiman practices acupuncture and Chinese herbology in Belfast, Maine. Tel. 207.338.4454.   Back to Top Jin Shin Jyutsu® Physio-Philosophy Jin Shin Jyutsu is a healing art, simple, yet profound. It restores vitality, stimulates self-healing and brings harmony to body, mind and spirit. It promotes self-awareness and guides us to rediscover our essential wholeness. Rather than a technique, it is an art and we are the artists. It is a method of touch, which can be applied through self-help or by a trained practitioner. Mary Burmeister, a Japanese-American who brought the art of Jin Shin Jyutsu to the western world, has written: ³The truth is that within each one of us lies the power to cast all misery aside and to know complete Peace and Oneness‹to Be that beautiful creation of perfect harmony‹to truly know (Help) myself.² The teachings of Jin Shin Jyutsu, an oral tradition virtually lost in modern times, were widely known in Japan before the birth of Buddha. They were rediscovered by Jiro Murai in the early 1900s. Through fasting, meditation and finger postures, Master Murai experienced a miraculous recovery from a fatal illness. In gratitude, he dedicated his life to the study of healing. His pursuit of knowledge and understanding led him to the art of healing which he named Jin Shin Jyutsu. Mary Burmeister met Jiro Murai in the late 1940s in Japan; he invited her to study with him to bring a gift to America. Jin Shin Jyutsu is a practice and its benefits are cumulative. Through our breath and our hands, the jumper-cables, we bring the spark of life, connecting our source of energy, our beingness, with the Source of Energy, All Beingness. The concept of a universal life energy is essential to an understanding of Jin Shin Jyutsu, and the primary way that each of us may access this life energy is through our conscious breath. The foundation principles of Jin Shin Jyutsu, as summarized in The Touch of Healing by Alice Burmeister, are: * Life energy circulates throughout the universe and within each organism. * This universal life energy manifests itself in varying levels of density called depths. * The breath is the basic expression of life energy, exhaling (releasing) accumulated stress and stagnant energy, inhaling (receiving) an abundance of fresh, vital energy. * When life energy flows through us without obstruction we are in perfect harmony. Obstructions, which lead to physical, mental and emotional disharmony, arise out of attitudes‹our stuck emotions. The five basic attitudes are worry, fear, anger, sadness and pretense. * Life energy moves through the body in distinct pathways known as flows. * Life energy moves down the front and up the back in a continuous oval. All aspects of our being are interconnected through this movement. * There are twenty-six distinct sites, called safety energy locks, on each side of the body. These safety energy locks act as circuit-breakers to protect the body when energy is blocked. When shut down, they manifest a symptom, which serves as both alarm and indication of the source of the imbalance. * An underlying harmony is always present even when we have symptoms of disharmony. Though disharmonies take many forms (such as illness, fatigue, stress, disillusionment) they all derive from one cause‹blocked life energy. Disharmonies are called labels to distinguish them from our essential selves, who we really are. Big, scary labels such as cancer or heart disease indicate a lot of blocked or stuck energy. All labels, big or small, can be helped by freeing up stagnant energy. Jin Shin Jyutsu is part of our innate wisdom. We may awaken to this wisdom through conscious breath, through practicing self-help, through receiving sessions. We already possess the tools for harmonious living. Each day, we may practice the art of living.   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Karen Searls has studied and practiced Asian healing therapies since 1995. She is a Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner and practices this art at the Center for Health & Healing in Rockland, Maine. Source Material: Jin Shin Jyutsu Text 1 and Jin Shin Jyutsu Self-Help Book 1 by Mary Burmeister; The Touch of Healing­Energizing Body, Mind, and Spirit with the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu by Alice Burmeister (daughter-in-law).   Back to Top   ~ Book Reviews ~ Your Life in Your Hands: Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer Jane A. Plant. PhD. New York, NY. St. Martin's Press 2001. $23.95   The risk of developing breast cancer has increased dramatically in recent decades. In 1960, roughly 1 in 20 American woman developed the disease. By 1991 the rate was 1 in 9, and is now nearly 1 in 8. The incidence of breast cancer in China, however, is much lower: 5 times as many American women die of breast cancer as Chinese women. Beginning in 1983, researchers with the China Project, a collaborative effort between Cornell University, Oxford University, the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, began compiling the most comprehensive database ever developed on the multiple causes of disease, discovering that only small intakes of animal products were associated with significant increases in chronic degenerative diseases. Specifically, the researchers found that deaths from breast cancer were associated with high intake of dietary fat; high levels of blood cholesterol, estrogen, and blood testosterone; and early age at first menstruation. They also discovered that the highest rates of breast cancer occur in countries where people eat the most meat. Studies such as those conducted by the China Project prompted Jane Plant to make significant lifestyle changes and move to a vegan diet, resulting in a dramatic recovery from the breast cancer with which she had been diagnosed in 1987. Following 5 recurrences and the spread of the disease to her lymph nodes (not to mention being told she had 3 months to live), she began researching some of the possible causes of her cancer. Using her extensive scientific training as a geochemist to increase her knowledge of other cultures, Dr. Plant came to believe that there was a dietary trigger for breast cancer and that there was a causal link between her disease and the consumption of dairy products. Your life in Your Hands describes Dr. Plant's journey through 5 progressively worse episodes of breast cancer. Her therapy over the 6 years that she struggled with the disease included a radical mastectomy, 3 additional operations, 35 radiation therapy treatments, 5 irradiations of her ovaries to induce menopause and eliminate her own estrogen, and 12 chemotherapy treatments. When it became clear that chemotherapy could not prevent a fifth recurrence of her breast cancer, she decided to eliminate meat and dairy products from her diet. After 6 weeks, Dr. Plant realized that her cancer had disappeared. None of her physicians had expected someone with her type and stage of cancer to survive, let alone be on a dramatic road to recovery. Now, some 7 years later, she reports that she has not had 1 day of serious illness since her recovery. Also, she has worked with 63 other women diagnosed with the disease, all of whom remain cancer free. Dr. Plant attributes her recovery to significant lifestyle changes including becoming a vegan for 8 months. She states very clearly "the best anti-cancer diet would be completely vegan (strictly vegetarian with no meat or dairy products)". After 8 months she gradually introduced small amounts of fish and organically grown meat to her diet. She made this decision because she felt she was becoming zinc deficient, though vegans who use her program can get their zinc from legumes, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ. Dr. Plant refers to her approach as The Plant Program and points out that it is not simply a diet. The program consists of? food factors and 5 lifestyle factors (e.g. meditation, counseling, avoidance of carcinogens in the environment) that she put together to overcome advanced breast cancer and that she continues to follow to keep herself cancer free. The overall aim of the food factors is to eat whole foods that have not been tampered with by the food ­processing industry and that do not contain chemical preservatives. The strongest evidence on the causes of breast and prostate cancer indicate that these diseases are linked to consumption of dairy food, "which is not designed for adult humans ... especially now that it is produced by intensive industrialized methods. Also, a number of pollutants, including endocrined, disrupting chemicals from the environment - many of which are fat-soluble and accumulate up the food chain - become particularly concentrated in milk". Like the senior author of the China Project, Dr. Plant believes that proteins are the most likely cancer-causing agents in dairy products. This book can help thousands of women to avoid developing breast cancer and thousands more recover from breast cancer using Dr. Plant's approach. Your Life in Your Hands has the potential to reduce much suffering and save lives. I strongly recommend this well-written and well-researched book to healthcare professionals, breast cancer patients, and anyone who wants to understand some of the likely causes of breast cancer. Reviewed by Thomas Johnson, ABFamP Licensed Psychologist in private practice in Auburn.   Rewritten courtesy of Alternative Therapies ~ March/April 2002   Back to Top Welcome  ~  Articles-Reviews  ~  Sponsors-Glossary  ~  Events Calendar  ~  Invitation-Contract   Website by Juliet Nightingale  aLCHEMY