Lesson 7: Healthy Lifestyle Plan

A  comprehensive approach to Treatment 

Once our functional health therapist has all the results from your tests, they will ask for your help in designing a treatment plan. The good news is that most health issues can be successfully treated as long as the right causes are identified. Some people can be completely restored to optimum function, while others can see substantial improvement in their condition. You can also take steps to help prevent your disease from worsening.

The treatment plan you help design will usually include making some changes in your lifestyle: what you eat, your physical activity, how you deal with stress, your exposure to potentially toxic substances, and other factors. The point of these changes is that your genetic makeup, the genes that you inherited from your parents, are designed to work well in a specific environment. Sometimes, when genes are exposed to the wrong environment, they don’t work as they should, and this can lead to health problems. The good news is that, although individual genes may make you more susceptible to some diseases, your genes may be influenced by everything in your environment, as well as your experiences, attitudes, and beliefs. That means it is possible to change the way genes work in your body. So, changing your environment can make the genes work the way they were designed to, returning you to health.

We now know also that stress in one of the major contributors to disease so below we have outlined and described in detail a number of lifestyle changes or activities that you can explore that are scientifically proven to relieve stress, assist you in building a strong immune system and helping you deal with daily stressors.

Elemental Nutrition

So often we think of “nutrition” as food only. The truth is food represents perhaps 40-50% of how our bodies and minds intake “information” stored as fuel for health. We must remember the purpose of adopting more foods in their natural state is to inspire us to express life in our natural state. This means in taking all forms of nutrition via the sun, earth, water, gardening, conversations, dancing, meditation, reading, Epsom salt baths, Saunas, caring for animals, playing with children, aromatherapy, massage, touch, and investing in our health through acts of love and kindness.

The Lymphatic system

The lymphatic system is the primary liquid transportation medium of the body that regulates the immune system and processes all forms of toxicity in the body. The lymph system acts as the garbage system, police station, and sewage system of the body. There is almost 3 times as much lymph fluids in the body as there is blood. One of the best ways to increase lymphatic health is by adopting a movement diet. When we are overly sedentary we stagnate the fluid channels and become “blocked” up. Walking, Running, and Rebounding are all important activities in our overall lifestyle.
Green Vegetable Juice and high water containing fruits are fantastic for increasing lymphatic circulation. The lymphatic system is governed by a set of small glands in the body. When these glands are surgically removed they reduce the health of our immune system for a lifetime. These glands are the tonsils, the spleen, the appendix, and lymph nodes.

The Immune system

The adaptive immune system is the 2nd tier line of defense that we cultivate through our lives. This is what allows us to adapt to different environmental, dietary, and stressful situations. When our adaptive system is no longer “adaptive” we lose our adaptability and become easy targets for pathogens. This is why so many people get sick during the “cold-season”, because they are literally not able to adapt to the change of seasons.
The three tonic herbs recommended to support adaptive immunity are Reishi mushroom, chaga mushroom, and Astragalus. The polysaccharide sugars present in these herbs help to educate our white bloods on how to become more efficient and adaptable. AutoImmune conditions can become extremely burdening, in part due to the lack of adaptability of our overall immune function.

The 4 stages of Digestion

The four stages of digestion are 1. Digestion 2. Metabolism. 3. Assimilation. 4. Elimination. Phase 1 begins when we first look at prospective food options and salivary enzymes are initiated prepping the digestive system. Phase 2 is when we eat food; it is metabolized through stomach acid secretion and burnt up in the furnace of our stomach. Phase 3 is where broken down food particles (fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, micro-nutrients) are dispersed to their respective regions of the body through the blood as either “building-blocks” or fuel for energy production. Phase 4 is eliminating the metabolic waste products that are not used for bodily function.

The Importance of salt

The most important nutrient for balancing blood sugar, hypertension, and adrenal fatigue is sodium in the form of natural salts. The declarations from our “health professionals” that salt is bad for us are completely inaccurate, inappropriate, and taken out of context. The truth is the blood of our body is based on salted water the same as an ocean. When we become salt deficient we will automatically become dehydrated, our nerve conductions will not fire the same, we will lose adrenal power, and our ability to metabolize food will be reduced. Make sure to include sea salt into your diet through your morning water and/or your elixirs and smoothies. The most powerful therapy I have seen work time and time again for balancing blood sugar, hyper tension, long term high blood pressure, adrenal fatigue, and chronic dehydration is water + salt. The shifts that I have seen occur, in my own body, and clients I work with have been profound. Once you become re-mineralized and properly hydrated all our culturally ingrained assumptions about how much calories and amounts of food we need go right out the window.

The kidneys

The kidney eliminates “water-soluble” toxins through processing blood through the gall bladder and releases through urination. Proper hydration is important for all functions of kidney health and the continuous release of bodily toxins. The #1 reason for kidney disease is undigested animal protein. A vegan/vegetarian diet will dramatically alleviate kidney damage, even if only practiced as a cleansing diet. If anyone comes to me with kidney/adrenal problems and eats meat regularly, especially factory farmed, I will advise them to go vegan and upgrade all their plant-based protein and healthy fat sources. One must eliminate all forms of hydrogenated/synthetic oils from the diet and upgrade their cooking oils to either coconut oil, pasture raised butter, or ghee butter. Oxidized oils are a major contributor to kidney damage via damaging the red blood cells and causing “glycation” problems in the blood, which are involved in diabetic conditions. Cabbage Juice, Watermelon Juice, and Berry smoothies. Only eat fruits that contain viable seeds otherwise they do not contain their genetic material and are inferior, sometimes so inferior that they can cause calcium leakages from the body if consumed too often.

The kidneys represent the body’s source of power, in combination with the attachment of the adrenal glands. The kidneys filter all the blood in the body and ensure we are in a dominant state of alkalinity. When we have kidney damage it always has an adrenal exhaustion associated with it. Kidney stones are one of the most common ailments in the western world and are a by-product of calcium excess due to the kidney being unable to channel calcium crystals through out the system. Protein excess has been stated to be the biggest burden on kidney function therefore reducing animal protein and upgrading to plant based protein is immediate advised universally.

The Skin is the Largest Organ of the Body

The skin is the largest organ of the body and carries out some of the most important functions of detoxification/cleansing. The pores of our skin have tubes that reach into the lymphatic fluids, which release toxins through perspiration (sweating). If the pores of clogged up these toxins recirculate into the blood due to being backed up. This can also cause the body to over-heat where the ventilation system is unable to release excess “heat” in the system and this can cause irritability, mood imbalances, anger, and shallow breathing.

The jewelry people wear can dissolve heavy metals into the pores of skin causing long term heavy metal poisoning. The cosmetics and cleaning supplies people use also absorb directly into the skin causing chemical toxicity. This is the primary reason for “sun-associated” skin cancer. It is not the sun that causes cancer (exactly the opposite based on research); it is the sunscreen people put on their skin under the heat of the sun that causes cancer! In the case of a skin damage or severe burn I recommend applying organic raw honey and propolis (if available) to the wound, then applying the gel of aloe vera to the wound, wrapping it with a saran wrap and keeping it tight for 24 hours. I have seen miraculous healing from burns, scars, and other skin injuries. Activities that cause you to sweat are important for moving the lymph system and opening the pores of the skin. This is why I love training, one of the reasons anyways; I know I am activating my most important cleansing pathway. The inferred sauna is perhaps the most powerful treatment for skin cleansing and beautifying the skin over a few weeks of usage. Only Use Raw Organic (non Toxic)  skin care, Cosmetics and home cleaning products.

The Colon

The bulk of microbe infectious organisms concentrate themselves in the colon. When we have a backed up colon, meaning we do not eliminate regularly, food becomes compounded and creates an environment rich in bacteria, viruses, fungus, and parasites. Learning how to eat for your specific metabolism, time of the year, and paying attention to your stress levels are only a few important considerations when it comes to colon health.
When we sit down on the toilet we ideally want to be in a “knee-to-chest” squatting position to enable the anal-rectal-canal of our anus to open wide enough for a complete bowel movement. None of us were taught this growing up and because of it have only had partial bowel movements. You can go online and look into a “squatty-potty” stool designed specifically for this purpose. Colon Hydrotherapy is a powerful tool that can fast tract detoxification through releasing high volumes of compounded matter that has been cemented in the intestinal tract. This strategy is based on rushing water up the anus and hydrating the colon to break up stuck materials and releasing them out the other end. I have found this to be one of the most important and safe cleansing tools available in the world.

The Transit Organ

The colon, along with the entire intestinal tract could be looked at like the master organ of the entire body. This is because each piece of food we consume must pass through a sequence of phases of metabolism and various regions of the digestive system. If we have a stagnated colon waste material will not be properly released. This causes fermentation of the waste products, which out gasses toxic materials, which result in a form of “self-poisoning”. Besides improper food combinations being a direct culprit for colon back up we must also consider the state of chronic stress and anger based emotions being a leading influence. Often times digestive problems are formed from the consistent onslaught of fear based emotions, which create pressure on our elimination passages.

The Lungs

Before we produce energy from any form of fuel we first create energy from oxygen from breathing. The most effective way to cleanse the blood is to saturate the system with carbon dioxide from deep breathing. Organisms that live on sugar opposed to oxygen will thrive in an oxygen-depleted environment. This is why incorporating yoga, walking, running, exercise, and obviously raw foods are highly effective for decreasing these organisms and helping to re-oxygenate the body. Green foods have an affinity for the lungs. Green juices, green algae’s, green grass powders, and green leafy salads are the perfect nutrition for health of the lungs. The Chlorophyll molecule is very therapeutic for lung respiration and coating the lining of the esophagus and bronchial muscles.
Bronchial Dilators/Anti-Asthmatic foods and herbs such as cayenne, cacao, asparagus root (herb), Ashwaganda, Cordyceps mushroom, Chuchuhuasi, chamomile, ginger, and garlic to name a few. Coconut oil helps to lubricate the lining of the lungs giving it a protective “surfactant” layer to ward off infectious organisms. A great throat tonic would be a simple chamomile tea with cacao powder, honey, Ashwaganda, a bit of ginger, coconut oil, and a dash of cayenne.

The Well Spring of Life

The lungs of the body are similar to the water springs of the earth. Without the function of respiration we are unable to intake oxygen, transfer it into carbon dioxide in the blood, and carry out basic functions of life. The lungs act as an elimination organ by pushing out stagnated waste products that are coated along the lining of the respiratory tract. Over time these waste materials create biological toxins and reduce our ability to breath properly. Breath is the most important function of life. Life begins and ends with a breath.

Elimination and Detoxification

The four channels of elimination are the pathways our body utilizes for cleansing and removing excess from the body. Understanding these organs of detoxification will provide new insight into how to perform daily cleansing and upgrade your detoxification program. The four ways our body eliminate toxins are “Urination”(Kidneys), “Perspiration”(Skin), “Deification”(Colon), and “Respiration”(Lungs).

The Blueprint of the Body

On a physical level the body is made up of a series of tubes, arteries, capillaries, veins, cells, bacteria, skeletal material, fluids, and elimination channels. This is the basic understanding of the human frame. On a deeper look we are made of potentially 98% energy based on quantum mechanics. The ancient systems of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda believe that we are both material and non-material beings; this understanding is demonstrated on the teachings of the chakra or meridian systems of the body. These are the gateways for how energy flows through out the organs systems. This is why we must keep our tubes clean and corrosive free, to channel both material and non-material flow.

The Number 1 Threat to Health

Stress is the root cause of all breaks downs in the body. When we learn how to manage and channel our stress we will gain more mastery of our health. All disease is a body and mind out of ease. When you work with other people it is important to focus in on someone’s level of anxiety, agitation, and overall energy levels. When we are overrun with anxiety it cripples our inspiration and ability to think clearly. We must help ourselves and others relax their “sympathetic nerves” by encouraging them to adopt activities such as yoga, breath work, focused meditation, journaling, and incorporating stress reducing herbs such as Reishi, Kava Kava, Passion Flower, Shizandra, and chamomile tea for example. Research has shown that our immune system automatically becomes suppressed in the presence of elevated cortisol production. When we have “negative” thoughts it translates into a chemical pathway that reaches our immune cells, which cause a suppression of those cells. Negativity only promotes more negativity. We can not create prosperity out of poverty consciousness. We must change the route of our thinking patterns in order to create new and empowering results, both in our inner world and outer world.

Functional Health Lifestyle Practices

The Zapper  – BUY HERE

A zapper is a personal bio-electric device that is worn against the skin to destroy parasites and promote health. It’s powered by a 9-volt battery and operates on 15Hz (frequency). All parasites and diseased tissues are positively charged. The zapper introduces negative ions through the skin and into the body’s living tissue, killing the parasites by reversing their polarity and also helping to heal the diseased tissue. Healthy tissue is negatively charged. The zapper’s circuitry is built around a 555 timer integrated circuit which emits a nice, positive offset square wave of direct current from a nine-volt battery (stepped down to around 4.5volts and 3.5milliamps) at a frequency of about 20,000 times per second. “Positive offset” is a waveform that has alternating current characteristics. This may be important in the long run because it won’t alter the body’s natural electromagnetic field polarity.

Parasites enjoy and thrive on all the vitamins, herbs and minerals that you digest leaving you with the leftovers. Parasites can’t defend their positive polarity (shortage of electrons) against the introduction of simple direct current, however, and they die very quickly in its presence. Negative ions kill parasites whether they are from electric current, ozone, or magnets.

Parasites not only die when subjected to electricity, but also disintegrate and are easily eliminated or assimilated as harmless nutrients. In fact, since they got most of the benefit from all the expensive supplements that you’ve been eating all these years, this could be your big nutritional payoff.
Viruses and fungi inside the cells, parasites in cysts, parasites with exoskeletons (like hookworms in the peripheral tissues), etc., will take longer to kill, but clearing the blood and lymphatic fluids, major organ ducts, intestinal and stomach lining, brain and central nervous system, of parasites early on will give your immune system a tremendous, immediate boost and when the hidden parasites come out of cysts and protected areas they are in for an unpleasant surprise. This is only done to efficiently move the weak current through the skin, which is the body’s capacitor and protects our inside from random electrical charges, like static, which could otherwise harm us. Dr. Clark states that you can get adequate results from simply holding an electrode from one battery terminal in one hand and tapping an electrode from the other battery terminal with the other for ten minutes, but that the zapper’s frequency is simply a more efficient way to get the current into the body.

The Terminator II has been manufactured by Don Croft according to Dr. Hulda Clark’s circuitry. It was the addition of orgonite that turned the curative zapper into a genuine healing device in early 2000 and quickly led to the development of the Terminator, our zapper model, which many other manufacturers, here and abroad, are now emulating. It’s mainly the addition of orgonite to our zappers that causes them to ‘feel good to use.’ That feeling is a result of orgonite transmuting one’s destructive emotions and the energy of parasites into strong life force (orgone). This enhances the healing, restorative processes in the body. Carol and I add a proprietary mix of gems and minerals to each zapper’s ‘Orgonite’ block to enhance that interactive response and, frankly, to help us keep a competitive edge in the market. The Terminator is a very unique version of the standard Hulda Clark zapper. Designed and manufactured by Don Croft, the Terminator 2 zapper, also known as simply the Terminator or the Terminator II zapper, is the latest version made by Don Croft and contains some uncommon components not found in any other zappers:

Orgone Material – Dr. Wilhelm Reich coined the term “orgone” in the 1930′s and pioneered the use of orgone energy for healing and other functions.

Neodymium Magnet – Neodymium (rare earth) magnets are very powerful. Numerous studies show that magnetic therapies help stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. The magnet used in the Terminator 2 zapper helps increase the energy from the orgone material.

Mobius Coil  – a coil of wire produces an energy field when pulsed with current. The Mobius coil in the Terminator 2 is no exception. Don Croft discovered that various components within the zapper design could organize and focus these energies.

Natural Crystal – Don feels that spherical crystals provide a “smooth, calming” influence when used with his Terminator. He originally started with quartz crystals but is now working with amethysts and garnets.

Some Summary Points:

All people suffer from parasites of one type or another during their lifetimes. Parasites are positively charged. Unhealthy tissue is also positively charged.
The introduction of very weak electric current (via the Zapper) perhaps destroys parasites by reversing the polarity of the static field in which they thrive. A flood of free electrons, in this case, encourage diseased tissue to heal — healthy tissue is negatively charged, which is to say that there’s an overabundance of free electrons in and around it. Parasites cannot defend their positive polarity (deficit of free electrons) against the introduction of simple direct current and they die very quickly when the static field of their environment (blood, lymph, mucus, cerebrospinal fluid, interior of eye, etc.) is negative-charged. An environment that has an abundance of free electrons will repel parasites whether electric current, magnets, or orgone generate this state. Parasites not only die when subjected to electricity, but also apparently disintegrate and are easily assimilated as harmless nutrients or eliminated. Viruses and fungi inside the cells, parasites in cysts and parasites with exoskeletons (like hookworms in the peripheral tissues), may take longer to destroy, but by zapping you may begin to clear the blood and lymphatic fluids, major organ ducts, intestinal and stomach lining, brain and central nervous system of parasites which will give your immune system a tremendous and nearly immediate boost. When parasites come out of cysts and other protected areas, the surprise they encounter will be quite unpleasant. Parasites that live within cysts and other protective containment will die when their lifespan has ended. Viruses only live three weeks, for instance, and bacteria don’t live much longer so if they’re destroyed before they can replicate one may get rid of the problem in a fairly short time with zapping. All of this is speculation based on simple observation, since nobody has done extended research, yet. Thorough research is costly, so only funded labs do it. We can probably assume that the medical/pharmaceutical cartel arranges the funding for medical research and zappers directly threaten this syndicate.

Earthing Products – BUY HERE

Grounding, or Earthing, refers to connecting electrically with the Earth. A growing body of research is finding numerous health benefits as a result of the physical body being grounded. Unfortunately, with our modern rubber or plastic soled shoes and insulated sleeping arrangements, we no longer have a natural electrical connection to the Earth, unless walking barefoot. There are two key reasons why this electrical connection is important:

The Earth is a massive reservoir of negatively charged free electrons. Without a connection to this reservoir, the cells in our body are unable to balance the positive charge, which results from things like electron-deficient free radicals. The effect of excess positive charge in the blood can be seen very clearly by the way in which the cells are attracted to clump together (see Scientific Research).

Our modern environment is full of a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, from computers, mobile phones & masts, radio & TV broadcasts, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, power lines, domestic wiring, and other electrical appliances. This electromagnetic radiation induces voltages in our bodies, disrupting the trillions of subtle electrical communications, which are a vital part of the function of our body’s systems. By being grounded to the Earth we greatly reduce the levels of these induced voltages, as we are then effectively shielded by the Earth’s large electrical mass. On a less tangible level, it may also be that the connection we make with the Earth actually carries information, and helps align us with the greater network of intelligence of our planet.

How to be grounded? The simplest way to be grounded is to go outside and place your bare feet or hands on some grass or earth, or to immerse yourself in a body of conductive water such as the sea or a mineral-rich lake.
When indoors, an Earth connection can be made by driving a metal rod into the ground outside, running a wire from the rod, and then connecting it to ourselves. This may sound like a lot of hassle, but fortunately the majority of domestic electrical systems in the world already have such a rod and wire running indoors, connecting to the ‘earth’ pin on every mains electrical outlet. And rather than having to connect a wire to ourselves, a variety of conductive products have been developed, such as Earthing sheets, mats, bands and patches.

The Effects of Grounding

The most immediately noticeable effect people report from being grounded is that they ‘feel better’. This has been described as a feeling of greater peace within themselves, feeling calmer with reduced stress levels. If there is pain present then often this is reduced or disappears completely.
People who notice negative effects from using computers or other electrical equipment report a reduction or elimination of these effects when grounded.
With regular grounding, numerous health benefits have been observed, such as:
• Improved immune function
• Improved digestion
• Improved sleep
• Rapid healing of injuries
• Improved blood circulation
• Harmonization and stabilization of the body’s basic biological rhythms
• Accelerated recovery from intense athletic activity
• Reduction of inflammation
• Reduced stress / anxiety / irritability
• Reduced electrosensitiviy

Go Barefoot whenever possible or wear Vibram footwear, Vibram Five-fingers are minimalist footwear carefully crafted to replicate the benefits of being barefoot. Training in Vibram Five-fingers allows the natural biomechanics of your foot to work better. Vibram are built with a thin, flexible sole made from Vibram TC-1 performance rubber, a thin stretch polyamide comprising the frame including individual sections for each toe and an antimicrobial microfibre footbed.
See also the various Scientific Research on the effects of grounding.

Neti Pots & Nasal cleansing – BUY HERE 

Neti pots are used to perform Jalaneti, which means nasal irrigation. Neti nasal cleansing has been practiced for hundreds of years to aid allergies, common colds and even asthma. Nasal irrigation with salt water as an adjunctive treatment to relieve the symptoms of nasal congestion and sinusitis. To use a Neti pot, a little jug with a spout. You pour the salt solution from the Neti pot into one nostril and it drains out the other nostril.

The Neti pot originated in India in Ayurveda medicine. Neti is Sanskrit for “nasal cleansing.” Nasal irrigation provides short-term symptomatic relief and may improve nasal mucociliary clearance. It removes mucus not only from the nose but also from the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses.
A randomized controlled trial in 2002 found that daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus-related quality of life, decreases symptoms, and decreases medication use in patients with frequent sinusitis. It is also suggested from recent research to follow regular use with period of not using as an overuse can be counter productive.

Colon Cleansing – BUY Professional Enema Kit HERE

The colon: The colon is the largest organ of elimination (the bodies dustbin and janitor). Not only does it excrete metabolic waste and environmental toxins, it needs to be healthy and clean as it also absorbs and assimilates nutrients from the food that we eat friendly bacteria reside there synthesizing many vitamins (i.e. B12) and immune factors. It is our true source of energy and life.
Our bowl is responsible for sanitizing waste by-products (toxins) from liver, lymphatics, circulation and kidney, etc. if the bin is full, or unable to absorb the body’s waste then internal organs become toxic and thus, work less effectively. An example of toxic overload include; bowel deficiency – bloating and allergy/ skin – acne/ lungs – asthma

What is Colon Hydrotherapy? It is an internal bath of purified water that helps cleanse the large intestine. It facilitates the removal of stagnant faecal matter and subsequent proliferation of bacteria and their toxins, along with gas, mucus and cellular debris. This allows the colon to perform its natural functions of absorption and assimilation optimally. This treatment dates back to biblical times and has been used in traditional medicine ever since. It has become more important in our lives today, as many problems are caused by poor diet, eating quickly and the stresses of today’s fast moving lifestyle.

The Treatment: No fasting or special measures are necessary prior to a first treatment. Following a detailed medical consultation, which includes a nutritional and lifestyle assessment, the individual’s health concerns and objectives are discussed. Then the treatment begins. A small disposable speculum is inserted into the rectum. This is connected to a water inlet and a waste outlet. Ultra-pure filtered water at a carefully regulated temperature is introduced under gentle gravitational pressure. As the water flows into the colon, gentle massage techniques facilitate the removal of impacted waste matter. The nurse gradually works around the colon until the caecum is reached. Herbal infusions, probiotics, wheatgrass are instilled where appropriate to further cleanse and nourish the bowel. The evacuation tube is viewed by the nurse, which enables the identification of certain disorders of a compromised digestive system, such as dysbiosis and fermentation. The treatment takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes for the first treatment and consultation, and 1 hour for subsequent treatments. All equipment is single use and disposable.

Benefits of Colon Hydrotherapy: The goal is to achieve a healthy digestive system through colon hydrotherapy, nutrition, naturopathy, lifestyle changes and herbal medicines. The aim is to enable the individual to achieve 2-3 normal bowel movements daily, reduce bloating and flatulence, and improve overall health and well-being. The benefits of colon therapy can often be observed throughout the body in the form of clearer skin, more energy and mental clarity, fewer headaches, with circulatory, immune and weight problems often improving. An alternative home, self-colon cleansing kit can be purchased called an Enema Pack

https://embed.ted.com/fd3fde60-0b5b-42a5-9c61-27a9b25b6daa

Live Blood Analysis for Parasite Detection

Live blood analysis, also known as live blood cell analysis, is the observation of live blood cells using a special microscope known as a dark field microscope. It is a diagnostic test, that is, it is used as a means of detecting health conditions. It is valuable as an early detection tool. A drop of blood is taken from the patient’s fingertip, put on to a glass plate, and then viewed using a microscope that projects the images onto a screen.
The blood is not dried or stained beforehand, so the blood elements can be seen in their living state. The tester will look at the variations in the size, shape, ratio, and fine structure of the red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and other blood structures. Unlike other medical tests, you remain present during the analysis of your blood.

Information Provided by Live Blood Analysis

1 The immune system and how well it is functioning
2 Possible vitamin deficiencies
3 How much toxicity is in the body
4 Any pH imbalances
5 Any mineral imbalances
6 Fungus and yeasts within the body
7 Potential areas of concern and/or weakness
8 If the diet is too high in fats and acids
9 Poor nutrition
10 Smoking/alcohol
11 Oxidative stress and free radical damage
12 Inflammation in the body
13 The health of the liver

Why Use Live Blood Analysis? Live blood analysis is designed to detect functional imbalances in the body that are known as precursors to disease extremely early, in some cases, before standard blood testing is able to. The practitioner is then able to recommend changes that need to be made by the client, such as nutritionally, allowing the precursors to be reversed before the disease becomes diagnostically apparent.

Sauna (Internal Organ Message)

All saunas are a fantastic health tool to detoxify the body and to stimulate the lymphatic system, which is essential for health. The far infrared saunas have had much scientific research lately.

What is an Infrared Sauna? An infrared sauna is a sauna that heats a person or people using heaters that emit far infrared radiant heat. They are different to a normal sauna in that they do not use steam to heat the air. Rather, they use infrared radiation to directly heat the person. The infrared waves penetrate into the body, raising the body temperature. This causes sweating, which in turns eliminates wastes from the body. The infrared heat penetrates deep into pores and cleans out dirt and debris, as well as clearing the organs of toxins, and strengthening the immune system.

What Infrared Saunas can be used for? Infrared saunas can remove the accumulation of potentially carcinogenic heavy metals as well as alcohol, nicotine, sodium, and cholesterol. Wherever toxins accumulate, the blood circulation is blocked, due to the acidic nature of the toxins. The saunas expand the clogged capillary vessels and dissolve the toxins into the bloodstream where they then leave the body through sweat, urine, etc. As well as this amazing detoxification, infrared saunas can also be used to help with weight loss, cardiac problems, skin problems, acne, and many other health issues. They are also fantastic for relieving stress. Infrared saunas require 90 percent less energy than traditional saunas and also heat up much faster. The calories used during half an hour in an infrared sauna is more than what would be used by a person running for the same amount of time. A person with respiratory problems can use an infrared sauna, as the air itself is not heated like it is in a traditional sauna.

Benefits of the Infrared Sauna The infrared sauna has many health benefits including:
• Deep relaxation
• Reducing muscular stress, tension, and physical fatigue
• Aids in increasing heart rate, cardiac output, and helps with faster calorie burning
• Improves skin tone, texture, and color
• Allows for deep cleansing, eliminating impurities and removing dead skin cells
• Detoxification of heavy metals and infections
• Increased energy
• Improves healing time from injuries, as well as relieving pain
• By creating an “artificial fever”, the sauna actually improves the body’s immune system, as the function of the immune system is increased during a fever state
• Increased muscle growth
• Reduced cellulite
• Raises growth hormone levels

Bikram Yoga (90 Minute open eye meditation)

Bikram in my opinion is one of the most powerful healing strategies one can apply to his/her health. It is a combination of meditation, mindfulness, yoga, sauna (internal organ massage) and much more. It is an extremely effective modality for all illnesses and life challenges such as quitting smoking or depression. Bikram Yoga, also referred to as “hot yoga”, is a healing method of yoga that includes a sequence of 26 postures, performed in a yoga studio heated to 40 degrees Celsius. The postures, combined with the heated environment, are designed to systematically work every part of the body and can help with thyroid problems to weight loss, stress to insomnia, diabetes to knee problems, kidney conditions to heart disease, depression to blood pressure, arthritis to back pain, allowing you to maintain exceptional health for years to come.

Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India™. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began Yoga at the age of four with India’s most-renowned physical culturist at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (Author of the most popular book on Yoga, The Autobiography of a Yogi, and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles). At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school, for he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six months later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was a celebrated physical culturist and the first to scientifically document Yoga’s ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body. Bikram later on devised the 26 postures sequence, which work irrespective of age groups. These 26 postures series has a profound healing power on your body and mind. He founded Bikram’s Yoga College of India. Bikram has shown the light of healthy life to millions of people around the world.

Air Quality & Basic Steps for Improving the Air Quality in Your Home

You are immersed in an ocean of air every minute of the day, whether you are running a marathon or asleep in your bedroom. Your health depends on the continuous balance of inspiration and expiration, the delicate exchange of gases between you and Earth’s atmosphere. According to a study by the California EPA, every man, woman and child exchanges between 10,000 and 70,000 liters of air every 24 hours, just to sustain life. With this kind of dependence, I don’t have to tell you how important the physical and chemicals properties of your air must be. At that rate, day in and day out, even very minute levels of airborne toxins pose significant health concerns. And yet, air quality is often overlooked, compared to concerns about what’s in your food and water.

There was a time, long ago, when humans spent most of their time outside. But today, of course, this is not the case. The average person spends 90 percent of his time inside buildings, as his needs have evolved from chasing down antelope to tracking investment opportunities on the Internet. Unfortunately, indoor air is far more polluted than outdoor air. According to the EPA, indoor air contains 2 to 5 times more contaminants—and on occasion, as much as 100 times more. As stated by WebMD , indoor air pollution is one of the most serious environmental threats to your health, yet no agency can regulate it, and few studies have been done about its effects on your health. This report will provide you with some facts about what can be present in the air inside your home, the health dangers those contaminants pose to you and your children (and your pets), and what you can do about it.

Poor Indoor Air Quality Could be Jeopardizing Your Health

Poor air quality has been linked to both short-term and long-term health problems. The EPA warns that the following conditions can be caused or exacerbated by poor indoor air quality:

Asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems
Headaches
Eye and skin irritations,
Sore throat, colds and flu
Memory loss, dizziness, fatigue and depression
Even more concerning, other health effects from highly toxic airborne particles could show up YEARS later, including heart disease, respiratory disease, reproductive disorders, sterility and even cancer.

Those particularly vulnerable to indoor pollutants include infants, elderly, and people who already suffer with heart and lung diseases, asthma, chemical sensitivities, or compromised immune systems. Making matters worse, these are often the people who typically spend the most time indoors. Like adults, children are spending more time indoors than ever before. A recent study shines new light on the severity of the indoor air pollution problem.

Indoor Air Contains More than 500 Chemicals

A shocking 2009 study, published in Environmental Health Sciences, used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to examine the air inside 52 ordinary homes near the Arizona-Mexico border. Indoor air was found to be FAR more contaminated than previously demonstrated. Scientists identified 586 chemicals, including the pesticides diazinon, chlorpyrifos and DDT. Phthalates were found in very high levels. Even more disturbing was the fact that they detected 120 chemicals they couldn’t even identify.

So, what’s in YOUR air? The long list of common pollutants and toxic particles is summarized in the table below.

Pollutants Sources

1) Molds, Water damage, high humidity regions, and humid areas of homes, like bathrooms and basements; most common molds are Aspergillus, Stachybotrys, and Penicillium; Aspergillus is a primary food for dust mites.
2) Bioaerosols (Biocontaminants such as airborne bacteria, viruses, etc.) Humans, pets, moist surfaces, humidifiers, ventilation systems, drip pans, cooling coils in air handling units (can cause Legionnaires’ disease and “humidifier fever”)
3) Combustion By-products (PAH, CO, CO2, NOx) Unvented kerosene and gas heaters, gas appliances, fireplaces, chimneys and furnaces, tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust from attached garages
4) Tobacco Smoke (including second-hand smoke) Cigarettes, cigars, pipes can release mixtures of over 4,000 compounds
5) Formaldehyde Pressed wood products (hardwood, plywood, fiberboard, etc.), urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, mattresses, clothing, nail polish, permanent press textiles, glue and adhesives, stoves, fireplaces, automobile exhaust
6) Arsenic Pressure-treated wood products used for decks and playground equipment are often treated with arsenic-containing pesticides
7) Other Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Paints, solvents, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants, copy machines/printers/faxes, carpets, moth repellents, air fresheners, dry cleaned clothes, hobby supplies
8) Phthalates (plasticizers) Vinyl flooring, food packaging, shower curtains, wall coverings, adhesives, detergents, personal care products, toys, PVC pipe
9) Pesticides Pest control poisons, garden and lawn chemicals
10) Asbestos Deteriorating or damaged insulation, fireproofing, or acoustical materials
11) Heavy Metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, etc.) Paints, cars, tobacco smoke, soil and dust; huge industrial pollutants
12) Radon (a radioactive gas that comes from uranium) Building materials such as granite, well water, soil, outside air, smoke detectors, certain clocks and watches; radon is second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.

Energy Efficient Buildings Often Have WORSE Air Quality

Inadequate ventilation is by far the largest cause of indoor air pollution, accounting for more than half of the problem, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other lesser, but still significant, factors are bioaerosols, building products, contamination from outside air, and a variety of sources that have yet to be identified. Air quality in a building is largely the result of an ongoing competition between the pollutants and the ventilation system. Other contributing factors include temperature, humidity, and microbial contamination. Our efforts to make buildings more energy efficient and airtight have had an unexpected negative effect—increased air contamination resulting from decreased air exchange. Tightly caulked and sealed buildings without adequate ventilation systems trap pollutants inside the building.

Your Child Is Even MORE Vulnerable than You to Damage from Airborne Toxins

You may not be aware that the concentration of pollutants in air varies with its distance from the floor. Many contaminants are heavier than air, so they concentrate closer to the floor—such as heavy metals and pesticides. Dust inside homes has been shown to collect pesticide residues. These heavy toxic residues can also be tracked in on your shoes and on the paws of your pets, where infants and toddlers have direct contact with them for extended periods of time. There is less air mixing near the floor, even with a window open for ventilation, and this is precisely where your infant or toddler spends most of his time. This means the air your toddler breathes is likely more toxic than yours! Children are also more susceptible to damage by indoor air pollution due to the physiological differences between them and adults:

Children more often breathe through their mouths, rather than their noses, which affords less opportunity for particulates to be filtered out by nasal cilia in the upper respiratory tract. Young children are obligatory mouth breathers. Children receive proportionately larger doses of inhaled toxins, due to their smaller size and higher ventilator rate. Children are more active than adults, and volume of inhaled air increases with activity due to increased heart and respiratory rate. Toxins enter your child’s blood faster than they enter yours. Children’s immune systems are less mature than adults, so they are more prone to inflammatory and allergic reactions. Children have a higher cumulative risk from toxins over their life spans. Recent studies have revealed that air pollution has more serious negative consequences for infants and children than we could have imagined. And maternal exposure to air pollution has profound impacts on the brain of a developing fetus. Common Air Pollutants Can Damage Your Baby’s Developing Brain, Prenatal exposure to airborne toxins is associated with genetic abnormalities at birth that may increase cancer risk, smaller newborn head size, lower birth weight, developmental delays, and a higher risk for childhood asthma.

Air Purification Requires a Multi-Faceted Approach

The most effective way to improve your indoor air quality is to control or eliminate as many sources of pollution as you can. The first step to take is free—open some windows. Of course, this can only take you so far, but it’s an important and simple first step. Since it is impossible to eliminate ALL air contaminants, one of the best things you can do is incorporate a high-quality air purifier. There are countless devices on the market, which function in a number of different ways. The air purifier industry is very competitive. My recommendations for air purifiers have changed over the years, along with the changing technologies and newly emerging research. What I recommended ten years ago is very different than what I recommend today, because there are now better alternatives. One thing that’s clear is that effective air cleaning requires a multi-pronged approach that incorporates a variety of different air cleaning processes/technologies. One of the main problems in the past was that each type of purifier was good at removing some types of pollutants, but not others. There was no one-stop device that did it all.

Air pollutants fall into three main categories, each requiring a different approach:

1) Biological particles (molds, bacteria, spores, viruses, parasites, animal dander, pollen, etc.)
2) Non-biological particles (smoke, dust, heavy metals, radioactive isotopes, etc.)
3) Gases (fumes from things like adhesives, petroleum products, pesticides, paint, and cleaning products; radon, carbon monoxide, etc.)

By implementing the following strategies, you will greatly reduce your indoor air pollutants, thereby reducing your family’s toxic load:

1) Increase ventilation by opening a few windows every day for 5 to 10 minutes, preferably on opposite sides of the house.
2) Get some houseplants. Even NASA has found that plants markedly improve the air! Listed Below , use hep air filters and salt lamps in rooms to improve air quality.
3) Take your shoes off as soon as you enter the house, and leave them by the door to prevent tracking in of toxic particles.
4) Discourage tobacco smoking in or around your home.
5) Switch to non-toxic cleaning products (such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar) and safer personal care products. Avoid aerosols. Look for VOC-free cleaners. Avoid commercial air fresheners and scented candles, which can degass literally thousands of different chemicals into your breathing space.
6) Don’t hang dry cleaned clothing in your closet immediately. Hang them outside for a day or two. Better yet, see if there’s an eco-friendly dry cleaner in your city that uses some of the newer dry cleaning technologies, such as liquid CO2.
7) Vacuum and shampoo/mop carpets, rugs, and floors regularly. Every time a person walks across the floor, a whirlwind of irritants is stirred up.
8) Upgrade your furnace filters. Today, there are more elaborate filters that trap more of the particulates. Have your furnace and air conditioning ductwork and chimney cleaned regularly.
9) Avoid storing paints, adhesives, solvents, and other harsh chemicals in your house or in an attached garage.
10) Avoid using nonstick cookware.
11) Ensure your combustion appliances are properly vented.
12) When building or remodeling, opt for safer and more eco-friendly materials. VOC-free paints are becoming easier to find.
13) Opt for sustainable hardwood flooring instead of carpet. Carpet traps a multitude of particles such as pet dander, heavy metals, and all sorts of allergens. 14) If you choose to install carpet, look for one labeled “VOC-free” to avoid toxic outgassing.
15) Make sure your house has proper drainage and its foundation is sealed properly.

The same principles apply to ventilation inside your car—especially if your car is new—and chemicals from plastics, solvents, carpet and audio equipment add to the toxic mix in your car’s cabin. That “new car smell” can contain up to 35 times the health limit for VOCs, “making its enjoyment akin to glue-sniffing,” as this article reports.

Aloe – This plant is great for raising the oxygen level in your home. Also it absorbs carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. A single aloe plant can achieve what nine biological air purifier can.
Ficus (FicusElastica) – This plant is very easy to maintain because it does not need a lot of light. It is effective when it comes to cleaning the air of formaldehyde. But be careful if you have small children or pets because the leaves can be poisonous.
Ivy (Hedera Helix) – Everyone should definitely have this herb at home. Ivy removes 60% of the toxins in the air and 58% of particles of feces within six hours since it is brought in that area.
Spider plant (ChlorophytumComosum) – This plant has the ability to make photosynthesis under minimal light. It excellently absorbs toxins from the air such as formaldehyde, styrene, and carbon monoxide, as well as gasoline. One herb effectively purifies air in 200 square meters space.
Snake planet (SansevieriaTrifasciata “Laurentii”) – This plant is almost indestructible and is great for having it at home. It is very resistant and needs very little light for photosynthesis. Besides removing toxins, it is great for the bedroom because it produces oxygen at night.
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”) – It is excellent for removing chemical toxins from the air. This homemade herb filters formaldehyde from the air as well as trichloroethylene.
NASA says you should have between 15 and 18 of these plants in an area of 500 square meters. Meaning, 3 to 4 plants are enough in 80 square meter area. Do not forget to put one of the plants in your bedroom, because you probably spend some time there.

https://embed.ted.com/a6cb0726-92c7-4ca6-b630-342ffab625a4

Emotional work – Energy Release – Bodywork 

Everyone sees the unseen in proportion to the clarity of her heart, and that depends upon how much she has polished it. Whoever has polished it more sees more — more unseen forms become manifest to her. Rumi

Trauma Recovery Institute offers unparalleled services and treatment approach. Trauma Recovery Institute offers unique individual and group psychotherapy. We specialise in long-term relational trauma recovery, sexual trauma recovery and early childhood trauma recovery. We also offer specialized group psychotherapy for psychotherapists and psychotherapy students, People struggling with addictions and substance abuse, sexual abuse survivors and people looking to function in life at a higher level. Trauma recovery Institute offers a very safe supportive space for deep relational work with highly skilled and experienced psychotherapists accredited with Irish Group Psychotherapy Society (IGPS), which holds the highest accreditation standard in Europe. Trauma Recovery Institute uses a highly structured psychotherapeutic approach called Dynamic Psychosocialsomatic Psychotherapy (DPP).

Dynamic Psychosocialsomatic Psychotherapy (DPP) is a highly structured, once to twice weekly-modified psychodynamic treatment based on the psychoanalytic model of object relations. This approach is also informed by the latest in neuroscience, interpersonal neurobiology and attachment theory. As with traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy relationship takes a central role within the treatment and the exploration of internal relational dyads. Our approach differs in that also central to the treatment is the focus on the transference and countertransference, an awareness of shifting bodily states in the present moment and a focus on the client’s external relationships, emotional life and lifestyle.

Dynamic Psychosocialsomatic Psychotherapy (DPP) is an integrative treatment approach for working with complex trauma, borderline personality organization and dissociation. This treatment approach attempts to address the root causes of trauma-based presentations and fragmentation, seeking to help the client heal early experiences of abandonment, neglect, trauma, and attachment loss, that otherwise tend to play out repetitively and cyclically throughout the lifespan in relationship struggles, illness and addictions. Clients enter a highly structured treatment plan, which is created by client and therapist in the contract setting stage. The Treatment plan is contracted for a fixed period of time and at least one individual or group session weekly.

Insights into a Group psychodynamics on a core energetic based workshop

Tantra for Mindfulness, Intimacy & Relationships 

Health is as much about relationship if not more so than any other aspect of life, as humans we are wired for connection, everything about us is set up so that we can create and maintain healthy connections with yourself and others. Just like many chronic illness can be coupled with lack of vitamin D, acidic body ph., and lack of hydration, it is also very obvious in cases of chronic illnesses that there is a lack of or break down in relationships and a lack of touch. Touch, laughter, connection is a powerful medicine as anything else we can look at.

Lasting love and intimacy is something most people desire whether they are currently partnered or looking for love. Most people are not taught the skills needed for healthy relationships, good communication and Dynamic Intimacy. Experienced teachers lead our workshops with information for people who want to build lasting love and sustainable relationships. We offer psychoeducational and therapeutic services on topics such as healthy sexuality, Tantra, relationships, sexual energy, and sexual trauma recovery. Somatic sexology combines the modern disciplines of Somatics and sexology, as well as ancient approaches such as Tantra, Taoism, shamanism, yoga and meditation. The focus is on bringing regular study and practice into our lives, so we experience greater embodiment. Embodied Tantra is living with awareness in the moment through the body in an intimate connection with self, others and all that is. This allows us to have more choice, and to access more of what we are capable of, including pleasure.

The word “somatic” comes from the Greek word “somatikos”, meaning living, aware, of the body. Somatics recognizes that the body and mind are not separate entities. They are part of a living process. Somatics aims to support integration of the body-mind, and to promote freedom from body-mind restrictions, so that we can fully function and thrive, and have more choice in how we live. Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behavior, and function. Sexology may use tools from a variety of academic fields, including biology, psychology, education, sociology, anthropology, and neurology.

Deepen your relationships, communication and intimacy during a transformational introduction workshop of psychoeducation, intimacy & Boundaries exercises and gentle exploration of attachmnet style and patterns. All our workshops are suitable for both singles and couples.

1)Develop an understanding of the Tantric framework.
2)Discover Tantric principles for creating extraordinary relationships.
3)Learn how to break old relationship patterns and shift the cycles that do not serve you.
4)Discover how Tantric principles can help you attract your perfect partner, both within existing relationships and in future relationships.
5)Learn how to create more intimacy, depth and passion.
6)Learn to love more fully – in your relationship with others and also with yourself.

Massage Therapy

Massage is possibly one of the top healing modalities available to us, as humans as yet so many particularly in the west are unaware of this. On our 7 day Life Change Program we provide Daily massage treatments to all staff and participants as it is as essential as the wheatgrass, live food and everything else. Massage is at the heart of all our health Programs.

Massage is one of the universal healing techniques. There has been a considerable amount of research lately into the effects of touch. One discovery is that neuropeptides found in the brain are found in the skin as well. When you massage someone you can lower his or her biological age. There have also been numerous studies on the beneficial effects of the caring touch. One study, published in Science recounted research into the effects of a diet high in cholesterol. One group of rabbits, despite the diet, did not show the same high cholesterol readings, but the researchers didn’t know why. They finally discovered that the technician who tended to this particular group was not just feeding them, but petting and cuddling each one.

Another study performed at the University of Miami revealed that premature babies who were regularly stroked gained forty-nine percent more weight per day. Stroking the baby caused the secretion of growth hormones, or anabolic hormones. Because growth hormones in small doses also helps to reverse the signs of ageing, when you massage someone you can lower their biological age. You can, it has been shown, cause the secretion of VIP – vaso-active intestinal polypeptide – when you massage someone. VIP is one of the most powerful vassal dilators known to medical science, and can increase the blood flow to the heart, which means that massage is a very powerful tool in treating cardiovascular problems too. Massage also boosts the immune system, stimulates the lymphatic system, and helps with emotional regulation, body de armoring and combats depression.

Rebounding

The idea of rebounding has been around for a long time, but it gained popularity in the 1980s when NASA studied its benefits while trying to find an effective way to help astronauts recover and regain bone and muscle mass after being in space. Astronauts can lose as much as 15% of their bone and muscle mass from only 14 days at zero gravity, so NASA needed a way to help reverse this damage.

Some of the findings of the NASA study: When the astronauts were tested while running on a treadmill, the G-force measured at the ankle was over twice what it was at the back and head. This means that the foot and leg absorb much of the force when running, which can explain the higher rates of foot, shin and knee problems from running (especially running incorrectly). On a trampoline, the G-force was almost identical at the ankle, back and head and at a lower level than that of the G-force at the ankle on a treadmill. This shows that rebounding can exercise the entire body without excess pressure to the feet and legs. “The external work output at equivalent levels of oxygen uptake were significantly greater while trampolining than running. The greatest difference was about 68%.” In other words, the increased G-force in rebounding means you get more benefit with less oxygen used and less exertion on the heart.
“. Averting the deconditioning that occurs during the immobilization of bed rest or space flight, due to a lack of gravireceptor stimulation (in addition to other factors), requires an acceleration profile that can be delivered at a relatively low metabolic cost . . .for equivalent metabolic cost, and acceleration profile from jumping will provide greater stimuli to gravireceptors.” In other words, the acceleration and deceleration of rebounding provides benefits on a cellular level and at a greater rate than other forms of exercise like running.

How Rebounding Works: The action of rebounding makes use of the increased G-force from gravity-based exercises like this and each cell in the body has to respond to the acceleration and deceleration. The up and down motion is beneficial for the lymphatic system since it runs in a vertical direction in the body. Another study showed that the increased G-force helped increase Lymphocyte activity. The lymph system transports immune cells throughout the body and supports immune function. For this reason, rebounding is often suggested as a detoxifying and immune boosting activity. Rebounding, since it affects each cell in the body, can also increase cell energy and mitochondrial function.

One of the major benefits of rebounding is its benefit to the skeletal system. Just as astronauts lose bone mass in space as a response to the decreased need for strong bones in a zero gravity environment, weight bearing exercise increases bone mass. Rebounding is especially effective at this since it increases the weight supported by the skeletal system with the increased G-force of jumping. “James White, Ph.D., director of research and rehabilitation in the physical education department at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), has explained how jumping for health offers a true physical strengthening effect to the muscles. “Rebounding allows the muscles to go through the full range of motion at equal force. It helps people learn to shift their weight properly and to be aware of body positions and balance,” says White. An advocate of rebounding for athletic conditioning, White uses the rebounder in his rehabilitation program at UCSD. “When you jump, jog, and twist on this[jumping] device, you can exercise for hours without getting tired. It’s great practice for skiing, it improves your tennis stroke, and it’s a good way to burn off calories and lose weight,” says White.” (Source)

Benefits of Rebounding: I mentioned many of these above, but here are the benefits of rebounding without all the science and sources:

1) Boosts lymphatic drainage and immune function
2) Great for skeletal system and increasing bone mass
3) Helps improve digestion
4) More than twice as effective as running without the extra stress on the ankles and knees
5) Increases endurance on a cellular level by stimulating mitochondrial production (these are responsible for cell energy)
6) Helps improve balance by stimulating the vestibule in the middle ear
7) Helps improve the effects of other exercise- one study found that those who rebounded for 30 seconds between weight lifting sets saw 25% more improvement after 12 weeks than those who did not.
8) Rebounding helps circulate oxygen throughout the body to increase energy.
9) Rebounding in a whole body exercise that improves muscle tone throughout the body.
10) Some sources claim that the unique motion of rebounding can also help support the thyroid and adrenals.

Sources:

Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887, 1980
Human lymphocyte activation is depressed at low-g and enhanced at high-g. (NCBI)
Rebounding: Good for the Lymph System

Meditation

Do you feel under pressure from problems with work, a relationship or your personal finances? When mental and emotional pressures build up, doctors call this feeling stress. Stress can be harmful. It distracts you from getting on with enjoying your life. It gets in the way of your attempts to sort out the problems causing it. And if you let it get the better of you, it can even make you physically ill. So dealing with your stress is important. Are you finding coping with stress difficult? If so, read on, and we’ll explain exactly what it is and how becoming mindful through meditation can help you manage stress.

In a 2012 survey, 20% of Americans said they were experiencing extreme levels of stress. And while 64% said that it is “extremely important or very important to manage stress”, only 37% felt they were actually doing an excellent or very good job at managing theirs. Stress is primarily designed to help us get out of physical danger. When we feel threatened, a part of our brain called the amygdala sets off an alarm bell which triggers the “fight or flight” response of our nervous system, making us ready to respond. Our blood is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, increasing our heart rate and blood pressure, as well as our respiration. This allows us to transport oxygen to our muscles quickly so we can “act fast”.

While this heightened state once helped us with the physical threat of, say, a sabre-toothed tiger, it does little to help us with today’s worries, such as when we’ve forgotten to hit “save” on a word document. But the response is still the same. Stress stops the normal functioning of our body. The body assumes there’s a physical threat at hand, so it channels energy into getting out of immediate danger. To do this, it shuts down non-essential systems which are taking up energy. Our digestive processes, immune system, growth and reproductive processes are inhibited (no time for eating or sex when we’re being chased!) A bit of stress in short doses is useful in improving our memory and enhancing performance. However, too much, too regularly, is extremely damaging to our mental and physical well-being. It can lead to stomach ulcers, heart problems, illnesses, lowered libido… the list goes on. A survey of over 2,000 Brits found that 80% think “life’s moving too fast and that the number of things we have to do and worry about these days is a major cause of stress, unhappiness and illness”. Over 50% said they had “difficulty relaxing or switching off”, and that they couldn’t stop thinking about “things they’ve got to do”.
How can Meditation help ? Simply put, meditation for stress soothes our nervous system. While stress activates the “fight or flight” part of our nervous system, mindfulness meditation activates the “rest and digest” part of our nervous system, helping with stress management. Our heart rate slows, our respiration slows and our blood pressure drops. This is often called the “relaxation response”. While chronic activation of the fight or flight response can be extremely damaging to the body, the relaxation response is restorative, so meditation benefits our wellbeing. People who practise mindfulness meditation regularly report feeling less stressed and more emotionally balanced. According to neuroscientists, as you continue to meditate, your brain physically changes, even though you’re not aware of it re-shaping itself. They’re also beginning to understand why meditation is effective for managing stress. Using brain imaging techniques, they’ve observed changes in the threat system of the brain. The response kicks-off in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for triggering fear. People who suffer from chronic anxiety have a more reactive amygdala, and this leaves them feeling threatened much of the time. …evidence that meditation served as a realistic and maintainable stress management technique.

A study performed at Stanford found that an 8-week mindfulness course reduced the reactivity of the amygdala and increased activity in areas of the prefrontal cortex that help regulate emotions, subsequently reducing stress. Similarly, researchers from Harvard University discovered corresponding changes in the physical structure of the brain with a similar meditation course; there was a lower density of neurons in the amygdala and greater density of neurons in areas involved in emotional control – evidence that meditation served as a realistic and maintainable stress management technique.

Read More scientific studies here 

Conscious Parenting

Conscious parenting is parenting through connection instead of coercion, through love instead of fear.Conscious Parenting recognizes that securing and maintaining a healthy parent-child bond is our primary work as parents and the key to our children’s optimal human development. Our effectiveness as parents is in direct proportion to the strength of the bond we have with our child. Connection Parenting promotes parenting practices that support a strong, healthy parent-child bond.The Latest Neuroscience now confirms attachement theory and the critical importance of the parent child attachment, This above all will influence the appropriate brain development of your child and influence the adult your child will become.

The model of parenting most of us grew up with was authoritarian parenting, which is based on fear. Some of us may have grown up with permissive parenting, which is also based on fear. Authoritarian parenting is based on the child’s fear of losing the parent’s love. Permissive parenting is based on the parent’s fear of losing the child’s love. Connection parenting is based on love instead of fear. Connection Parenting recognizes that securing and maintaining a healthy parent-child bond is our primary work as parents and the key to our children’s optimal human development. Our effectiveness as parents is in direct proportion to the strength of the bond we have with our child. Connection Parenting promotes parenting practices that support a strong, healthy parent-child bond.

Both authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting are reactive. Connection parenting is proactive. Rather than focusing on ways to discipline children when their feelings of disconnection result in uncooperative or unacceptable behavior, Connection Parenting focuses on ways to maintain and increase the parent-child bond/connection. Connection parenting is an ideal, a navigation star we can look to for guidance. Whenever we question how to respond to a child we can ask ourselves, will this response create a connection or a disconnection. We feel connected when we feel listened to and loved. We feel disconnected when we feel hurt and unheard. Sometimes a child’s behavior will push our buttons and we react rather than respond. As soon as we realize we have created a disconnect, we can reconnect by doing the following:

Rewind – Acknowledge we have said or done something hurtful
Repair – Apologize and ask for forgiveness
Replay – Respond with love and listening

Even if we can’t parent in the most nurturing ways all the time, the more often we can, the more our children get what they need, the better they will be able to weather the times when we parent in less nurturing ways. The Following are some essential truths of Conscious Parenting, however  conscious parenting is promoting awareness, educating and empowering. Conscious parenting is not about punishing ourselves for mistakes we have made as parents or for those times our own unresolved trauma got the better of us and created a disconnection with ourselves and our children. We now know that it is never too late to created a secure attachment with our children, our brains have the ability to change throughout our life span.

1 A baby, nurtured in the womb of a healthy, happy, and peaceful mother, receives the best possible start in life.

2 The more aware caregivers are of their own birth-related trauma and unmet childhood needs, the better they are able to respond to the needs of children in their care.

3 What happens in the earliest stages of life—at conception, in the womb, at birth, and in the first days and months—establishes the foundation for life. A happy, low-stress pregnancy, natural birth, and an uninterrupted period of bonding through the early months greatly benefit both baby and parents.

4 Breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and being carried on the body—in-arms, slings, etc.—are critical for brain, nervous system, and immune system development and promote long-term health benefits for both baby and mother.

5 All babies are dependent on others to meet their physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs. When their needs are met with loving and consistent care, children are happier, healthier, and more cooperative.

6 Every baby is born with the desire to communicate, to cooperate, and to explore the world. Children learn primarily by unstructured play and by imitating those around them.

7 Every child needs to be securely bonded with at least one human being who is a loving and consistent presence in the child’s life.

8 Every child develops at a unique rhythm and pace. A child’s developmental processes are best supported when neither hurried nor forced.

9 Children are dependent upon their parents and caregivers to protect them from emotional and physical neglect, violence, abuse, and other toxic experiences, including hazards in their food, air, water, toys, and environment.

10 Children express their needs through behaviors that are shaped by their individual temperament, life experiences, and by how others behave and treat them.

11 The consistent, loving presence of a father or father-figure in a child’s life adds immensely to a child’s optimal development and wellbeing.

12 Children who have lost one or both of their biological parents, whether at birth or years later, naturally have feelings of abandonment and, therefore, have special needs. Foster, adoptive, and single parents face special challenges and benefit from extra support of family, friends, and community.

13 Children learn to respect, empathize with, and respond to the needs of others when they feel seen, heard, and their opinions are valued.

14 Effective parenting is an art that can be learned.
15 Families benefit from a supportive, nurturing community that values the art and science of parenting.

“The level of cooperation parents get from their children is usually equal to the level of connection children feel with their parents.”

Guiding Principles of Conscious Parenting

While we want to use our inner compass to keep ourselves on course, it also helps to know where we’re going. For that, a road map is essential, and for ours, we’ll be using eight guiding principles of conscious parenting.

Principle 1: All behavior is a communication. Behavior reflects the internal state of the individual and the relationship’s level of connection.

Principle 2: The parent-child relationship is more important than any behavioral intervention, consequence, or punishment.

Principle 3: Children unfold neurosequentially, and quality, connected relationships allow for the unfolding. A need met will go away; a need unmet is here to stay.

Principle 4: Behaviors occur on a continuum. Behaviors in children (and parents, too) correlate to the parents’ own neurodevelopment and attachment status.

Principle 5: Parental interpretation of behaviors comes from both a conscious and subconscious place, resulting in positive or negative neurophysiologic feedback loops.

Principle 6: All individuals have a right and a responsibility to learn to express their feelings appropriately. Feelings allow us to connect to our internal guidance system.

Principle 7: Children need boundaries. We can set appropriate limits for our children while still respecting their needs and feelings—if we are aware of ourselves. (We can ask, for example, “Is this about me? Is this about them? Are my children communicating a need? Is the boundary I’m setting necessary, or is this situation an opportunity for me to grow?”)

Principle 8: The Love Cup, We need to create communities of support for ourselves and for our children. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our children. If our love cup is empty, we will have nothing to give to our children and their needs will trigger our own trauma history when perhaps our own needs were not met. This can create Disconnection.

Dancing 

Dance involves the culturally mediated body, emotion, and mind. So do illness and pain. Dance may promote wellness by strengthening the immune system through muscular action and physiological processes. Dance conditions an individual to moderate, eliminate, or avoid tension, chronic fatigue, and other disabling conditions that result from the effects of stress. Dance may help the healing process as a person gains a sense of control through (1) possession by the spiritual in dance, (2) mastery of movement, (3) escape or diversion from stress and pain through a change in emotion, states of consciousness, and/or physical capability, and (4) confronting stressors to work through ways of handling their effects.

The Dancer, Once upon a time, a dancer and her musicians came to the court of the Prince of Birkasha. She was admitted in the court, and she danced to the music of the flute, the lute, and the zither. She danced the dance of flames and fire and the dance of swords and spears; she danced the dance of stars and the dance of space, and then she danced the dance of flowers in the wind. When she had finished, she approached the prince and bowed her body before him. The prince asked her to come nearer, and said unto her: “Beautiful woman, daughter of grace and delight, whence comes your art? And how is it that you command all the elements in your rhythms and your rhymes?” The dancer came near, bowed her body again and said: “Gracious majesty, I know not the answer to your questionings. Only this I know: the philosopher soul dwells within her head, the poet soul dwells within her heart, the singer soul dwells within her throat, but the soul of the dancer dwells in all her body. By Khalil Gibran

The Spiritual Power Of Dance By Gabrielle Roth

Each of us is a moving center, a space of divine mystery. And though we spend most of our time on the surface in the daily details of ordinary existence, most us hunger to connect to this space within, to break through to bliss, to be swept away into something bigger than us. As a young dancer, I made the transition from the world of steps and structures to the world of transformation and trance by exposure to live drumming. The beats, the patterns, the rhythms kept calling me deeper and deeper into my dance. Being young, wild and free, it didn’t dawn on me that in order to go into deep ecstatic places, I would have to be willing to transform absolutely everything that got in my way. That included every form of inertia: the physical inertia of tight and stressed muscles; the emotional baggage of depressed, repressed feelings; the mental baggage of dogmas, attitudes and philosophies. In other words, I’d have to let it all go — everything.

At the time, I was teaching movement to tens of thousands of people and, in them, I began to witness my own body/spirit split. Between the head and feet of any given person is a billion miles of unexplored wilderness. I yearned to know what was going on in that wilderness, not only in me, but in everyone else as well. And so, movement became both my medicine and my meditation. Having found and healed myself in its wild embrace, I became a mapmaker for others to follow, but not in my footsteps, in their own. Many of us are looking for a beat, something solid and rooted where we can take refuge and begin to explore the fluidity of being alive, to investigate why we often feel stuck, numb, spaced-out, tense, inert, and unable to stand up or sit down or unscramble the screens that reflect our collective insanity.

The question I ask myself and everyone else is, “Do you have the discipline to be a free spirit?” Can we be free of all that binds and bends us into a shape of consciousness that has nothing to do with who we are from moment to moment, from breath to breath? Dance is the fastest, most direct route to the truth — not some big truth that belongs to everybody, but the get down and personal kind, the what’s-happening-in-me-right-now kind of truth. We dance to reclaim our brilliant ability to disappear in something bigger, something safe, a space without a critic or a judge or an analyst.

We dance to fall in love with the spirit in all things, to wipe out memory or transform it into moves that nobody else can make because they didn’t live it. We dance to hook up to the true genius lurking behind all the bullshit — to seek refuge in our originality and our power to reinvent ourselves; to shed the past, forget the future and fall into the moment feet first. Remember being fifteen, possessed by the beat, by the thrill of music pumping loud enough to drown out everything you’d ever known?

The beat is a lover that never disappoints and, like all lovers, it demands 100% surrender. It has the power to seduce moves we couldn’t dream. It grabs us by the belly, turns us inside out and leaves us abruptly begging for more. We love beats that move faster than we can think, beats that drive us ever deeper inside, that rock our worlds, break down walls and make us sweat our prayers. Prayer is moving. Prayer is offering our bones back to the dance. Prayer is letting go of everything that impedes our inner silence. God is the dance and the dance is the way to freedom and freedom is our holy work.

We dance to survive, and the beat offers a yellow brick road to make it through the chaos that is the tempo of our times. We dance to shed skins, tear off masks, crack molds, and experience the breakdown — the shattering of borders between body, heart and mind, between genders and generations, between nations and nomads. We are the transitional generation. This is our dance. By Gabrielle Roth , Founder of 5Rhythms

Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It’s the rhythm of your life. Jacques d’Amboise

Dance Movement Therapy 

Dance/Movement Therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of dance and movement processes to bring about healing and recovery for individuals of all ages and cultural groups. It is practiced by trained, masters’ level professionals: mental health clinicians who specialize in this creative arts therapy. Since 1966, the ADTA has advanced this mind/body integrated form of psychotherapy, with member services, educational standards, professional credentialing, continuing education and public action to advocate for the needs of those we serve in hospitals, after-school programs, mental health centers, schools, rehabilitation facilities, wellness programs, and other settings.

One of the benefits of dancing is an increased sense of vitality—an awakening and renewal of one’s life energy. Studies have shown that dance interventions by trained professionals can decrease depression, improve mood, and strengthen positive feelings about one’s self. Dance/movement therapy (or DMT) harnesses the many elements of dance that have therapeutic potential. DMT does not emphasize dance technique and it is not about the artistic product (a performance). Rather, it is very much about improvisation, the mobilization and exchange of energy, and the creative, expressive process. DMT clients learn to move in ways that are authentic to how they are feeling and experiencing life, in the context of a supportive therapeutic relationship.

We dance/movement therapists focus on rhythms and phrases, and on the quality of the movement: space, weight, and time. We rely on Laban Movement Analysis for assessing movement in relation to health and human development. We work with transforming fragmentation into connectedness, and giving the silenced a voice through the medium of dance. Dance forms and structures are modified for release of tension and for helping people become comfortable moving. While the dance/movement experience is the main focus of a DMT session, dance/movement therapists will also use verbalization and discussion in sessions, and sometimes DMT sessions can be noisy with music, rhythm instruments, foot stomping, hand-clapping, or laughter and all kinds of vocalizing.

Dance is movement, and movement is essentially a process of ongoing change. Moving with one’s whole body, with and against gravity, one learns to both yield and resist, to feel one’s strength and to feel one’s vulnerability, to try on new qualities of action and behavior. This is what it means to be fully human. DMT can improve body image. Paul Schilder, a developmental neuroscientist, once said that dance is a loosening up of the body schema. He was describing how when we dance, the movement activates a dynamic and constant feedback loop back and forth between our brains and our bodies, so that our experience of our felt and living selves is one of change. It has been reported that children who have been traumatized can live on the alert, anxious and fearful. Dance-based methods for getting grounded, for sensing the body’s energy and position, and for developing breath support can help with learning to pay attention to one’s own needs, and for feeling more in control, and for regulating fearful or angry reactions.

As dancers know, dancing and moving rhythmically with other people creates a powerful sense of “with-ness.” This is a basic principle of DMT, as noted by dance therapy pioneer Marian Chace, and group cohesion is formed very quickly through what she called “shared rhythmic action.” Unlike most dance classes, group dance/movement therapy sessions will often start and end in a circle formation. In a circle, everyone can see everyone else; we connect visually with the people across the circle and kinesthetically with the people on either side. Everyone is of equal status: the circle encourages participation by everyone, and invites each person to contribute movement ideas.

“A definite movement with a definite trace form is always connected with inner happening such as feelings, reflections, determinations of the will, and other emotional impulses.” –Rudolf Laban, Choreutics

The Healing Power of Dance By Susan Rueppel

Movement and dance are inherent qualities, not only to humans, but to all of nature and the cosmos. From the creation of the universe, to the first heartbeat of the fetus in the womb, rhythm and dance have always existed. For tens of thousands of years, humans have used dance as an integral part of ritual, prayer, and reaching other states of consciousness, for the purpose of healing, and to facilitate contact with the Divine. It is believed that the soul of a people is woven into the steps of their dances. Sadly, the incredible power of dance as a sacred ritual has often been interpreted as a threat throughout history. The male-dominated Christian church put an end to women dancing and drumming in the church, as it represented power and worship of the Goddess. The United States government outlawed Native Americans from gathering and performing their sacred and traditional dancing and drumming up until 1978 when that freedom was restored by the Religious Freedom Act.

Fortunately, dance as ritual and healing is becoming popular once again, as people from many cultures and walks of life have been exposed to some of the many healing properties of dance. Throughout history, most cultures have used dance as a method of accessing the Divine. Dance is often performed as a spiritual experience, either for the self, for others, for community, or for the planet. Dancing is a popular method of socializing and creating and enhancing relationships. Movement and dance have been used for thousands of centuries around the world specifically for their many healing qualities. The western world is just recently waking up to the understanding of the healing power of dance.

More recently dance is acknowledged for its physical exercise aspect, where the healing comes from the healthy body experience of increasing the heart rate and enhancing cardiovascular endurance, body strength, and flexibility. This is exemplified in the form of Dancercise, also known as Jazzercise, made popular in the 1980s. I have been dancing and playing music for most of my life, from grade school through high school rituals of cheerleader and pom pom girl, to adult endeavors of middle eastern dancing, flamenco dancing, Greek dancing and playing a variety of percussion instruments. I have had the good fortune of experiencing many cultures through music and dance. The healing and joy I have felt, and at times been able to share with others, is something I was able to access by using music and dance as a universal communication conduit for participating in and learning of other cultures’ wisdom.

Let us dance together through time, from the origins and history of dance, to its many healing modalities of the current day. We will explore the inherent healing aspects of dance, along with various dances throughout the world, that are meant specifically for the purpose of healing. We will also take a brief glimpse at the relationship of music and costume to healing dance. Let us first take a look at the specific difference between curing and healing as it relates to dance. In Dance as a Healing Art, Anna Halprin so eloquently states “There is a distinction between “curing” and “healing”, which is useful when we approach dance, or any of the arts, as a healing modality. To “cure” is to physically eliminate a disease….To “heal” is to operate on many dimensions simultaneously, by aiming at attaining a state of emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical health….Dance engages our whole being. It is, in my opinion, the most powerful of the arts because it is holistic in its very nature. Our body is our instrument. It is immediate and accessible, holding our wisdom and truth.”

Dance is so powerful because it is accessible to nearly everyone. Dance is a very holistic and integrative healing modality. The very nature of movement and dance demand that we be fully present. As Iris Stewart relates in her insightful book Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance, “Since we are working at very subtle levels of energy, our level of consciousness or attitude can greatly affect the outcome of our dances.” As well, our dances can greatly affect our level of consciousness. With only 07% of communication being verbal, movement is an important component of the remaining 93% of our communications.

“Movement has the capacity to take us to the home of the soul, the world within for which we have no names. Movement reaches our deepest nature, and dance creatively expresses it. Through dance, we can gain new insights into the mystery of our inner lives. When brought forth from inside and forged by the desire to create personal change, dance has the profound power to heal the body, psyche and soul. Our journey through illness and health, and the power of the dance to illuminate the way, is a passionate aspect of my life’s work.” Anna Halprin

Movement as our Medicine

At Life Change Health Institute we believe that body and mind are directly related and through movement we find a healthy balance and sense of wholeness. We are born into bodies that are relatively fluid and free; bodies that express instinctively the circulation of life force through movement. As babies, and then through childhood and adolescence we often encounter circumstance and emotion, which we are unable to accommodate into this elemental fluidity. In subtle and invisible ways we freeze and harden. Our bodies hold the experience within us, locked up as immobile or stagnant energy. This pattern of holding and hardening becomes habitual In many ways we feel and get stuck.

The practice of ecstatic dance and moving meditation supports and encourages ways in which to free this trapped vitality to give us more movement and more freedom in our lives. The more we can learn how to absorb and digest the power of all our experience the more fully and creatively we can live, the more fluid we become mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Dance is a very effective way to raise moral and well being. It is a fun and safe way of deepening and exploring ones sense of self. In a safe and creative way we can also explore how we relate to others, enabling us the courage to reconnect or deepen our relationship with our community. Everyone moves at his or her own unique pace and the facilitated journey through movement catalyzes shifts when they are ready to occur.

“Regular moving meditation in addition to other forms of conscious lead therapies such as yoga, somatic psychotherapy, tantra, and massage is very powerful & transformative healing strategies, when we put the psyche in motion through moving the body and speak of our experience by bringing that which is unconscious to conscious awareness in a safe and loving space it will heal itself. What we shift and heal in this way also transforms in our lives. This is a moving meditation where our movement becomes our medicine.” – Life Change Health Institute