#1 reason people miss work or a good reason to try acupuncture: low back pain.
You might know someone who appeared perfectly healthy and made one wrong move and threw their back out, maybe it was even you. Stress is a big factor in the strength of your back. Many times when we get busy or overwhelmed with work or life in general the first things to go are exercise, healthier food options, and proper rest.
In Chinese Medicine your kidneys are the called the "life gate" and its where your energy comes from that helps the rest of your body operate. When we are in a constant state of stress (and most people are) it taxes the kidneys or your available energy. Constant, unattended stress keeps the fight or flight part of your nervous system running all the time. The kidneys control the lower back so as we deplete our energy with this constant state of stress and the body on constant alert to run or fight the low back becomes weak. Mix in a desk job or the desire to be a couch potato rather than keep up your regular exercise routine and its a recipe for disaster.
Many times the spleen is also involved with low back pain due to feeling over stressed. The spleen can be damaged from over thinking and worry and this can manifest in many ways from tummy troubles to weak muscles. The abdomen muscles can become weak which in turn can cause the low back muscles to weaken.
What can you do?
* If you've just thrown your back out get an acupuncture treatment right away. Acupuncture works quickly on acute symptoms, the longer you wait the longer treatment can take. Acupuncture is also a wonderful tool for prevention. If you have are having trouble managing your stress or just regularly have a lot on your plate, consider a regular acupuncture routine to keep your back strong.
* If you are overworked and overtired and just don't have the time, it seems, for anything try practicing deep, slow belly breathing. Your breath is linked with your nervous system and just by taking a few deep breaths you can reset your nervous system from "fight or flight" to the "rest, digest, and nest" response. Deep belly breathing also tones your abdominal muscles helping to keep your core strong while protecting your back. It also gives your helper breathing muscles in the upper back and shoulders a rest.
* Take a breath break every hour! Sit up tall in your chair, at a red light, waiting in line at the grocery store or right before you walk in your home after work and take 5 deep slow breaths in through your nose and out through your nose. Notice how your shoulders relax and your mind becomes a little clearer. Taking these mini breaks will help increase your work productivity and your quality of life. It can help keep your mind clear, calm, and focused.
* Try eating a walnut every day. Walnuts are considered to be a Chinese herb and help to strengthen the lower back. A low dose walnut routine over time builds strength and helps keep your joints lubricated.
* Don't forget to use your legs when you are lifting, even simple or light things like grocery bags. Follow these simple steps to protect your back when lifting objects.
Sarah Zender LAc
Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.CLnap.com
Showing posts with label breathing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breathing. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Simple Tool for Your Best Life
Simple Tools for Your Best Life
In school whether its grade school, high school, college etc we study the body by systems. When do we put all of these systems back together to understand how the body functions as a whole?
The body has the amazing capacity not only to maintain homeostasis but to remain in the present moment. What most people might not understand is how choices impact this. For example, the body's ph is 7.34 and no matter what we do it will stay this way as long as we are alive. If you drink a coke which is very acidic (somewhere around a 2) the body will compensate to keep homeostasis by leaching calcium out of the bones. One coke might not change the body, however, overtime all of that compensation could lead to many problems from muscle cramping to osteoporosis.
So how do we find balance in our lives when everything we do contributes to our health and most things that knock us off kilter are necessary? Perhaps we should learn a lesson from our bodies. In order to maintain homeostasis in the moment the body compensates after drinking that coke and borrows some calcium. It doesn't consider the detrimental effect this loss of calcium will have long term it is trying to survive in the present moment. The easy answer then is, if we stay present in this moment, the future is planned for.
Let's talk about work/life balance. What does the concept of balance look like to you? Perhaps an image of a judicial scale comes to mind. This idea is very static and rigid, life most times is not. I'd like for you to consider the idea of harmony. This concept is more fluid. The idea of Chinese Medicine is that each system supports the next and they all work together to keep the body healthy.
If a disharmony occurs it doesn't happen in isolation to one organ system- the entire body is impacted, emotions are impacted, the individuals life and all those a part of it are impacted. Kind of like that saying, "if mom's not happy, ain't no body happy." To find harmony we need to look at what caused the dis-harmony. As the body becomes healthier all areas become healthier. Its a domino effect in the right direction.
So where do we start? With awareness.
Take some time to think about your day from turning the alarm clock off, showering, eating breakfast (if you ate breakfast), driving to work, tending to your family, phone calls, emails, going to the bathroom etc etc. As you are thinking about your day notice your body, notice your breath. How does your life feel in your body. How is your body compromising to maintain homeostasis? Are you bracing your body with tight muscles? Holding your breath?
You might imagine how over time this un-awareness of how your body manages your day can contribute to disharmony in the body, in relationships, in the very activities that we enjoy.
With that in mind, could you use a little more energy to use during your day?
In Chinese Medicine it is believed we get our energy from 2 places: our parents and our lifestyle. There's not much we can do about our parents. The rest of the equation we have a little more control over.Da Qi + Gu Qi = Zhen Qi. What in the world does that mean? How you breathe and how you eat contribute to how much usable energy you have and how good you feel.
The yogis believed we have a certain number of breaths to live, so they practice slow, deep, mindful breathing. An easy way to shut off fight/flight is to exhale deeper then your inhale. This will not only calm you it will help tone your abdominal muscles strengthening your core and lower back in addition to taking stress off of the neck and shoulders. For more information visit here. When you can, take a moment to check in with your breathing or take one or two deep breaths for a quick time out in the middle of a stress filled moment. You might end your day with some deep breaths as well to drift off into more restful sleep.
Zhen Qi= True Energy
The gist of TCM is to keep harmony in the body by keeping the circulation of blood and energy flowing unimpeded. When blockages happen this causes the body to not be able to function as optimally as it could which can eventually effect every part of the body. Acupuncture can be a gateway to awareness. It literally forces you to be still for awhile. After treatments most people feel better, "cleaned out," energized and relaxed. With this new awareness they naturally start to make other changes in how they respond to situations that used to "stress them out."
In school whether its grade school, high school, college etc we study the body by systems. When do we put all of these systems back together to understand how the body functions as a whole?
The body has the amazing capacity not only to maintain homeostasis but to remain in the present moment. What most people might not understand is how choices impact this. For example, the body's ph is 7.34 and no matter what we do it will stay this way as long as we are alive. If you drink a coke which is very acidic (somewhere around a 2) the body will compensate to keep homeostasis by leaching calcium out of the bones. One coke might not change the body, however, overtime all of that compensation could lead to many problems from muscle cramping to osteoporosis.
So how do we find balance in our lives when everything we do contributes to our health and most things that knock us off kilter are necessary? Perhaps we should learn a lesson from our bodies. In order to maintain homeostasis in the moment the body compensates after drinking that coke and borrows some calcium. It doesn't consider the detrimental effect this loss of calcium will have long term it is trying to survive in the present moment. The easy answer then is, if we stay present in this moment, the future is planned for.
Let's talk about work/life balance. What does the concept of balance look like to you? Perhaps an image of a judicial scale comes to mind. This idea is very static and rigid, life most times is not. I'd like for you to consider the idea of harmony. This concept is more fluid. The idea of Chinese Medicine is that each system supports the next and they all work together to keep the body healthy.
If a disharmony occurs it doesn't happen in isolation to one organ system- the entire body is impacted, emotions are impacted, the individuals life and all those a part of it are impacted. Kind of like that saying, "if mom's not happy, ain't no body happy." To find harmony we need to look at what caused the dis-harmony. As the body becomes healthier all areas become healthier. Its a domino effect in the right direction.
So where do we start? With awareness.
Take some time to think about your day from turning the alarm clock off, showering, eating breakfast (if you ate breakfast), driving to work, tending to your family, phone calls, emails, going to the bathroom etc etc. As you are thinking about your day notice your body, notice your breath. How does your life feel in your body. How is your body compromising to maintain homeostasis? Are you bracing your body with tight muscles? Holding your breath?
You might imagine how over time this un-awareness of how your body manages your day can contribute to disharmony in the body, in relationships, in the very activities that we enjoy.
With that in mind, could you use a little more energy to use during your day?
In Chinese Medicine it is believed we get our energy from 2 places: our parents and our lifestyle. There's not much we can do about our parents. The rest of the equation we have a little more control over.Da Qi + Gu Qi = Zhen Qi. What in the world does that mean? How you breathe and how you eat contribute to how much usable energy you have and how good you feel.
Da Qi: The Breath
The yogis believed we have a certain number of breaths to live, so they practice slow, deep, mindful breathing. An easy way to shut off fight/flight is to exhale deeper then your inhale. This will not only calm you it will help tone your abdominal muscles strengthening your core and lower back in addition to taking stress off of the neck and shoulders. For more information visit here. When you can, take a moment to check in with your breathing or take one or two deep breaths for a quick time out in the middle of a stress filled moment. You might end your day with some deep breaths as well to drift off into more restful sleep.
Gu Qi: Food
There is gobs of information on what you should and shouldn't be eating. Alot of it can be confusing as many ideas are contradictory. One thing just about everyone agrees on is that twinkies will never be a "superfood". I tell my patients to eat food that is alive. Anything that can live longer than you can on a shelf try to avoid. The best thing you can do when you eat, whatever it is that you eat is to eat with awareness. Don't multitask when you eat! The spleen/stomach controls digestion and is damaged by overthinking. If you are answering emails while munching you could be setting yourself up for digestive problems, period issues, obsessive thinking and not to mention overeating. for more info on the spleen revisit here. Zhen Qi= True Energy
The gist of TCM is to keep harmony in the body by keeping the circulation of blood and energy flowing unimpeded. When blockages happen this causes the body to not be able to function as optimally as it could which can eventually effect every part of the body. Acupuncture can be a gateway to awareness. It literally forces you to be still for awhile. After treatments most people feel better, "cleaned out," energized and relaxed. With this new awareness they naturally start to make other changes in how they respond to situations that used to "stress them out."
Sarah Zender LAc
Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com
Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Acupuncture and Grief
Acupuncture and Grief
In Chinese Medical theory the lungs control respiration, dominate theqi, skin, and hair and are impacted by grief. Through the inhale the lungs take in fresh oxygen and energy from the external environment and through the exhale release waste build up from the internal body. This is known as "getting rid of the stale and taking in the fresh" and is why proper breathing is so important.
When the lung function is normal, respiration will be smooth and unobstructed. When the energy of the lungs is deficient there can be feeble speech, weak breathing patterns, shortness of breath, and general lassitude.
The lungs distribute energy to the rest of the body via the inhalation as well as assisting in warming and moistening the muscles, skin, and hair.
The lungs control the skin and hair because these serve as a protective barrier to the internal body controlling the wei qi or immune system. Because the lungs work so intimately with the skin and hair they are often all affected when an imbalance takes place.
We've already discussed how the lungs are affected during colds in this previous blog. What I'd like to touch on today is how the lungs are impacted during periods of grief.
Grief can happen during any transitional period of life, not just when experiencing grief of a loved one. Often times when we are making changes in our lives either through moving into a new living space, starting a new school program, ending a relationship, or are a part of a loved ones death the lung can be weakened, especially if the transition is sudden or there is resistance.
Examples (names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality)
When Jane's father was dying from cancer her hair started falling out and would grow back smelling burnt and unhealthy. Ten years later she still has not fully grieved the loss of her father and suffers from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, dry skin, acne, and other nervous system conditions. In this case the lung has been weakened over the initial grief of her father and years of repression and now the lung is not able to bring in or distribute energy efficiently. Her breath is shallow and her posture is slumped forward. When shereceives acupuncture she reports a sensation of being cleaned out and feels lighter with less physical pain.
Lauren spent years at a job where she was under appreciated but did not leave because of her fear of change. One day she discovered that her position would be taken over by someone else and she was forced into leaving. Although on one level she was happy to be free of this job, it was a scary transition. Instead of taking time to grieve the loss of this job she dove into projects around the house and diligently looked for a new job. Her resourcefulness paid off and she found new employment quickly. However, through this tumultuous time in her life she developed a sinus infection and tension increased in her upper body especially around her assessory breathing muscles. Her grief finally caught up with her and her body forced her to rest. Her sinus infections were recurrent for almost 3 months until she had made peace with her old job and settled into her new one.
Especially during times of transition and stress remember to take a time out and a deep breath. Refer back to the blog Change Your Breath, Change How You Feel for breathing exercises and a more in depth explanation about how important proper breathing is.
Whether it is environmental changes during seasonal transitions or life cycle changes our delicate organ the lung is most affected. Acupuncture can assist the body, mind, and emotions to gracefully move through these transitions offering not only a place for your body to heal but a quiet time of reflection as well.
When the lung function is normal, respiration will be smooth and unobstructed. When the energy of the lungs is deficient there can be feeble speech, weak breathing patterns, shortness of breath, and general lassitude.
The lungs distribute energy to the rest of the body via the inhalation as well as assisting in warming and moistening the muscles, skin, and hair.
The lungs control the skin and hair because these serve as a protective barrier to the internal body controlling the wei qi or immune system. Because the lungs work so intimately with the skin and hair they are often all affected when an imbalance takes place.
We've already discussed how the lungs are affected during colds in this previous blog. What I'd like to touch on today is how the lungs are impacted during periods of grief.
Grief can happen during any transitional period of life, not just when experiencing grief of a loved one. Often times when we are making changes in our lives either through moving into a new living space, starting a new school program, ending a relationship, or are a part of a loved ones death the lung can be weakened, especially if the transition is sudden or there is resistance.
Examples (names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality)
When Jane's father was dying from cancer her hair started falling out and would grow back smelling burnt and unhealthy. Ten years later she still has not fully grieved the loss of her father and suffers from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, dry skin, acne, and other nervous system conditions. In this case the lung has been weakened over the initial grief of her father and years of repression and now the lung is not able to bring in or distribute energy efficiently. Her breath is shallow and her posture is slumped forward. When shereceives acupuncture she reports a sensation of being cleaned out and feels lighter with less physical pain.
Lauren spent years at a job where she was under appreciated but did not leave because of her fear of change. One day she discovered that her position would be taken over by someone else and she was forced into leaving. Although on one level she was happy to be free of this job, it was a scary transition. Instead of taking time to grieve the loss of this job she dove into projects around the house and diligently looked for a new job. Her resourcefulness paid off and she found new employment quickly. However, through this tumultuous time in her life she developed a sinus infection and tension increased in her upper body especially around her assessory breathing muscles. Her grief finally caught up with her and her body forced her to rest. Her sinus infections were recurrent for almost 3 months until she had made peace with her old job and settled into her new one.
Especially during times of transition and stress remember to take a time out and a deep breath. Refer back to the blog Change Your Breath, Change How You Feel for breathing exercises and a more in depth explanation about how important proper breathing is.
Whether it is environmental changes during seasonal transitions or life cycle changes our delicate organ the lung is most affected. Acupuncture can assist the body, mind, and emotions to gracefully move through these transitions offering not only a place for your body to heal but a quiet time of reflection as well.
Sarah Zender LAc
Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Change Your Breath, Change How You Feel
Change Your Breath, Change How You Feel
“How you feel effects how you breathe. How you breathe effects how you feel," Sarah Zender
Generalities on Breathing:
You can not be stressed and breathe at the same time. It is not possible.
The breath is linked to the nervous system. Inhaling corresponds to your sympathetic fight or flight response; Exhaling corresponds to your parasympathetic stay and play response. Therefore when the exhale is longer then the inhale, relaxation and healing can occur in the body.
Philosophy of Good Breathing:
Ancient Yogis believed that people have a certain number of breaths to live, not a certain number of years. If you want to see proper breathing watch a baby!
Most people do not breathe efficiently as a result of constricting clothes, poor posture or stress in a situation. Next time you are in a stressful situation take note of how you are breathing. Most times, stress or anxiety can cause the breath to become shallow, rapid and only from the chest or worse yet the breath is held. Redirecting breathing may allow perspective or feelings to be shifted about stressful situations. Also, in a position of poor posture with a rounded back and collapsed spine the diaphragm is unable to fully extend which causes breathing accessory muscles to work harder. (Think about those tight upper traps, levator scapulas and scalenes.)
Improper breathing changes the pH in the body, can cause one to pass out or faint and can even on a smaller scale leave one feeling fatigued and lethargic. Proper breathing is the fastest way to detoxify the body, the liver is actually resting next to the diaphragm. When you breathe your liver breathes with you.
You can not be stressed and breathe at the same time. It is not possible.
The breath is linked to the nervous system. Inhaling corresponds to your sympathetic fight or flight response; Exhaling corresponds to your parasympathetic stay and play response. Therefore when the exhale is longer then the inhale, relaxation and healing can occur in the body.
Philosophy of Good Breathing:
Ancient Yogis believed that people have a certain number of breaths to live, not a certain number of years. If you want to see proper breathing watch a baby!
Most people do not breathe efficiently as a result of constricting clothes, poor posture or stress in a situation. Next time you are in a stressful situation take note of how you are breathing. Most times, stress or anxiety can cause the breath to become shallow, rapid and only from the chest or worse yet the breath is held. Redirecting breathing may allow perspective or feelings to be shifted about stressful situations. Also, in a position of poor posture with a rounded back and collapsed spine the diaphragm is unable to fully extend which causes breathing accessory muscles to work harder. (Think about those tight upper traps, levator scapulas and scalenes.)
Improper breathing changes the pH in the body, can cause one to pass out or faint and can even on a smaller scale leave one feeling fatigued and lethargic. Proper breathing is the fastest way to detoxify the body, the liver is actually resting next to the diaphragm. When you breathe your liver breathes with you.
Breath is the mirror of the mind. Here are some examples of what happens to our breath on a day to day basis:
• Fear- gasping for air
• Resisting something- hold the breath
• Anger- short jerky, incomplete breaths
• Fatigue- long inhales through the mouth. Yawn
For optimal health, breathing should be preformed nasally and should be full and rhythmic. The breath should come in through the nose and out through the nose. The nose is anatomically designed to filter and warm the air for the lungs, therefore try to use it as nature intended.
The diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle, accounting for 75% of the power of respiration. In order to breathe efficiently, the abdomen must expand so that the diaphragm has “somewhere to go.” The ribs and intercostals must pull the chest wall out to expand the lungs the rest of the way.
Exhaling breathes should last as long as the inhaling breath. Making the exhalation last twice as long as the inhalation is even more beneficial. By making the exhalation longer, the recoil capacity of the chest increases (slightly) as the second set of intercostals contract to return the rib cage back to its original position. Also, the pressure between the inside and outside of the lungs is exaggerated thus helping to pull more air into the lungs.
• Fear- gasping for air
• Resisting something- hold the breath
• Anger- short jerky, incomplete breaths
• Fatigue- long inhales through the mouth. Yawn
For optimal health, breathing should be preformed nasally and should be full and rhythmic. The breath should come in through the nose and out through the nose. The nose is anatomically designed to filter and warm the air for the lungs, therefore try to use it as nature intended.
The diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle, accounting for 75% of the power of respiration. In order to breathe efficiently, the abdomen must expand so that the diaphragm has “somewhere to go.” The ribs and intercostals must pull the chest wall out to expand the lungs the rest of the way.
Exhaling breathes should last as long as the inhaling breath. Making the exhalation last twice as long as the inhalation is even more beneficial. By making the exhalation longer, the recoil capacity of the chest increases (slightly) as the second set of intercostals contract to return the rib cage back to its original position. Also, the pressure between the inside and outside of the lungs is exaggerated thus helping to pull more air into the lungs.
Breathing and the Massage Therapist:
Note the way you breathe the next time you give a massage.
Note the way you breathe the next time you give a massage.
Is your mind wandering about the stresses of your life as you are giving a massage? Is your breath shallow or deep with effleurage strokes?
Do you hold your breath when trying to dig into a muscle during friction or do you use your breath to deepen your pressure?
How is your client breathing? What is their response to your massage? Does your client release and relax with your techniques or are they resistant to letting go?
When you touch a person or animal especially for a long period of time your breath links with the person you are touching. Using deep breathing helps facilitate deeper relaxation and stress relief for both parties.
Correct breathing tones the abdominal muscles which can assist in a healthy lower back and reduces stress on the already overstressed upper traps and levator scapulae muscles.
Do you hold your breath when trying to dig into a muscle during friction or do you use your breath to deepen your pressure?
How is your client breathing? What is their response to your massage? Does your client release and relax with your techniques or are they resistant to letting go?
When you touch a person or animal especially for a long period of time your breath links with the person you are touching. Using deep breathing helps facilitate deeper relaxation and stress relief for both parties.
Correct breathing tones the abdominal muscles which can assist in a healthy lower back and reduces stress on the already overstressed upper traps and levator scapulae muscles.
Breathing Exercise:
The easiest way to explore the breath is lying supine. You can also try breathing in a seated or standing posture. Try not to let the mind wander.
Three Part Breath:
1. Lie on a towel rolled lengthwise under your spine. The towel should run from the base of your ribs to support your head comfortably. If you back feels more relaxed with your knees bent bend them.
1. Lie on a towel rolled lengthwise under your spine. The towel should run from the base of your ribs to support your head comfortably. If you back feels more relaxed with your knees bent bend them.
2. Begin first by becoming aware of your breath. Simply observe the way your breath feels try not to alter or change it. Note where your breath moves in your body and how you feel.
3. Place both hands lightly on your lower abdomen just below the navel. Slowly begin to deepen the breath into your lower belly and feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe into this part of your body. Do not force your breath where it is not ready to go start where your body is ready to be and visualize your breath deepening until it is where you would like it to be.
4. Next slide both hands to the other parts of your rib cage and feel your breath expand in your ribs.
5. Keep one hand on the outer rib cage and one hand on the lower belly and feel the breath expand between the lower belly to the rib cage as your inhale and relax first from the ribs to the lower belly as you exhale. Let the breath be relaxed as you inhale and exhale and let the transition from belly to ribs be smooth and seamless.
6. When this two-part movement is comfortable for you imagine your breath starting in the lower belly expanding to the outer rib cage and ending just beneath your clavicles. Let the air you inhale and exhale move in a triangle pattern from belly to ribs to clavicles. Do not force your breath where it is not ready to go start where your body is ready to be and visualize your breath deepening until it is where you would like it to be.
Think about the inhale expanding and rising upwards from the belly to the chest and the exhale falling and returning inward on the exhale. Let go of all of the air in the body before taking the next inhale.
Sarah Zender LAc
Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com
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