by Victoria Goldsten, HD, Phd, LPN, LMT

Director: Washington Institute of Natural Medicine

Since 1973 I have cared for patients with severe pain. First, those in the hospital setting after surgical procedures and now, in a complementary medicine facility. I have gone from giving Demerol injections and oral pain medications, to now providing cranial sacral therapy, acupressure, homeopathic recommendations, glymphatic drainage, and lymphatic drainage. Although Demerol and pain relieving drugs helped with the relieving the pain, and was necessary at the time, it was a temporary treatment, as are many other conventional drugs.  We do need our conventional methods, but we can explore other methods that can help prevent addiction and the development or intensification of symptoms over time.

Over the last thirty years I have seen massage and bodywork methods eliminate pain and promote improved mobility. It increases circulation and helps the collagen return to the cells, for moisture in the soft tissue sites, that had become compacted — as a result symptoms and flexibility improve. In addition, I have worked with an orthopedic massage therapist and certified guided stretch therapy practitioners, that have improved joint function and increased range of motion with their specialized treatments.

When a client presents with a difficult pain complaints, I recommend the addition of homeopathy to the bodywork therapy sessions. Homeopathy, relieves pain, increases circulation, and reduces inflammation. When circulation improves and inflammation is reduced pain relief follows.

I believe that natural practitioners need an arsenal of methods to help control pain and to assist in the healing of the client. One powerful method is lymphatic drainage. This technique is provided by those licensed health practitioners with post graduate continuing education training and certification in lymphatic drainage, such as massage therapists, physical therapists, and nursing personnel. Lymphatic drainage manual therapy is a specialized body work technique that applies repetitive pressure at lymph node sites and a stroking technique along lymph vessels, that stimulates the movement of lymph fluid. This therapy assists with post surgical swelling and inflammation due to numerous heath complaints such as sinusitis, arthritis, gastritis, back pain, neck pain and more. Within the process of the lymphatic drainage session, inflammation is released off of the nerves and the technique sends a message to the brain to relax the nervous system, thereby reducing stress and pain.

Some clients have reported an elimination of pain just after one session. Repeat sessions may be needed based on the client’s personal history. Lymphatic drainage reduces the millivolts produced by the nerves thereby decreasing the pain.

Lymphatic drainage practitioners may practice the method in various ways due to the different schools of thought. Some methods use a dry technique that uses repetitive pressure at lymph node and vessel sites throughout the treatment session, and some may use directional gliding strokes in a massage like fashion with pressure at lymph node sites, while using a lotion or oil.

The Washington Institute practitioners offer 60 to 90 minute lymphatic drainage sessions by way of using the gliding method. Institute clients have reported that the lymphatic drainage therapy, in some cases, has been even more powerful than standard massage techniques. It can also be combined with acupressure, reflexology, cranial sacral therapy, and energy work with even more profound results.

In addition to massage and lymphatic drainage, clients may also find positive responses to 60 minute Cranial Sacral Therapy, Acupressure, Reflexology, Glymphatic Drainage, and Guided Stretch Therapy sessions.

Prior to treatment, it is important to have a diagnosis from a medical doctor to insure that there is nothing seriously affecting the client, that may need conventional medical attention. Also, please be aware that natural therapies augment conventional care.

The Washington Institute of Natural Medicine has a variety of natural therapies that can assist with  conventional medications and therapies. Please feel free to contact the Institute for further question or details.

Conditions Causing Pain

Pain may be caused by many types of injuries and ailments such as Falls, Dehydration, Circulatory System Difficulties, Muscle Weakness, Limited Range of Motion or Stiffness, Lack of Exercise, Fibromyalgia, Peripheral Neuropathy, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Spine Conditions, Dental Conditions, and Arthritis.

Conventional and Complementary Medicine

It is important to see your dentist, medical doctors, and nurse practitioners for conventional evaluation and treatment. In addition natural health care methods can also improve health and augment conventional care.

Once you know you have a condition resulting in pain, you can work with your conventional medical and complementary medicine practitioners to treat the condition.

Complementary Medicine Evaluation for Pain Management

When working with conditions related to pain at the Washington Institute of Natural Medicine we provide the Natural Wellness Evaluation. This exam evaluates function rather than using the diagnostic techniques offered by Medical Doctors. This evaluation complements the conventional medical care provided by practitioners such as MDs and Nurse Practitioners. Conventional practitioners provide a diagnosis and medical treatment. Complementary practitioners search for imbalances.

In regards to treating pain related conditions naturally, the practitioner assess the body with natural theories, recommends natural remedies to treat the condition and focuses on the filtration mechanisms of the body through the kidneys or liver. Although conventional medical techniques may show there are no abnormalities in the filtration systems, the natural health care evaluation reveals sub clinical weaknesses that do not show up on conventional tests. This is based upon function rather than disease.

Holistic Methods and Therapies for Treatment of Pain:

When selecting a natural health care method for conditions resulting in pain, it is important to illustrate that natural medicine does not replace conventional care, but rather augments it. In this process the client seeking natural support treatments, needs to have the proper assessments with conventional medicine and natural health care practitioners.

The types of natural methods that can help with pain are: Natural Remedy Recommendations by way of the Natural Health Evaluations, Lymphatic Drainage, Glymphatic Drainage, Acupressure, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Guided Stretch Therapy, Range of Motion, Life Coaching, Organ Flushing, Reflexology, Geriatric Bodywork, Oracle Healing (Reiki Energy Healing), Hypnotherapy, Guided Meditation, Oracle Healing (Reiki Energy Healing), Emotional Freedom Technique, and the Ayurvedic Health Evaluation.

Below you will find further details regarding these methods.

Natural Health Evaluation

When a natural health care assessment is completed through a natural health care evaluation, the practitioner uses a variety of skills that help the practitioner understand what organ systems need support and healing. This is a holistic approach including emotional, physical, nutritional, and detoxification care.

The natural wellness evaluation is a comprehensive study of the human body using observation skills from the Orient and Europe. It is a preventative approach focusing on organ system efficiency and cleansing. Its goal is to heal the internal workings of the human body, rather than just treating symptoms. By improving the condition of the organs and tissues, symptoms will begin to dissipate, and as a result the body becomes stronger.

The natural health evaluation looks for imbalances prior to and during a disease state. These imbalances point the practitioner in the proper direction for healing the areas of concern. It also helps with disease prevention. These methods augment conventional medical care. It is not a medical diagnosis. For a medical diagnosis see your Physician or our Nurse Practitioner.

The components of a natural health evaluation provided at the Washington Institute are: Client History, Hara Study, Iridology, Pulse Reading, Visual/Face Observation, Kinesiology, Bio-Energy Field Testing, Remedy Testing/Selection, Homeopathic, Herbal, Aromatherapy, or Supplement Recommendations. Assessments vary slightly by practitioner.

After the completion of the Natural Health Care Evaluation the practitioner will recommend physical methods and oral product such as herbs and homeopathics for the underlying conditions, and the pain that is caused by it. Aromatherapy may also be recommended.

There are many homeopathic sublingual liquid remedies that can be taken orally for pain and healing, as well as a topical pain spray that can be used very effective.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

Lymphatic drainage manual therapy is a specialized body work technique that is provided by advanced trained licensed/certified health care practitioners such as Nursing Personnel, Massage Therapists, Aestheticians, and Physical Therapists, that have been additionally trained and certified in Lymphatic Drainage. This therapy applies repetitive pressure at lymph node sites, and a stroking technique along lymph vessels, that stimulates the movement and removal of fluid.

MLD can be an adjunct to the natural health care evaluation and conventional medical treatment. It improves the function of the lymphatic system by stimulating the removal of stagnant body fluids. It also stimulates the immune system and reduces inflammation in the head region, thereby allowing the brain to function more efficiently. MLD’s detoxifying, immune-balancing, and relaxing effects can help cleanse the body, and reduces inflammation in soft tissues and joints. It treats arthritis, and conditions with inflammatory components and pain.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

CST is a holistic healing assessment and technique that uses light pressure and gentle energetic touch to balance the cranium, spine, and sacral area which includes the nerve ganglion sites, cerebral spinal fluid, and soft tissues of the central nervous system. This therapy helps the spine become more limber and causes cerebral spinal fluid to move more freely thereby balancing the central nervous system. It treats neck pain, headaches, sinus pressure, brain fog, stiffness, back pain, TMJ, sciatica, stress, memory loss, and more. This is an energetic, light to moderate touch therapy, performed on a fully clothed individual, and can also be incorporated with other bodywork techniques.

Acupressure

Acupressure uses light to moderate pressure which is applied to acupuncture points with the thumb, fingers, palms, forearms and elbows. Acupressure helps to bring the body into balance, improves mobility, reduces pain, and decreases stiffness.

Glymphatic Drainage of Head

This is a method that uses a combination of lymphatic drainage techniques, cranial sacral therapy techniques, and Chinese and /or Ayurvedic pressure points in the head and neck region, in order to reduce swelling, brain fog, facial and head pain, sinus congestion, inflammation around the brain, and flushes the Glymphatic System the brain. This Head Drainage therapy with Cranial Sacral Holds, reduces inflammation in the head, promotes circulation, and assists with cerebral spinal fluid movement to the brain, as a result helps reduce pain in the head face and neck.

Glymphatic Drainage of Head with Ultrasound of Sinuses

Using a combination of lymphatic drainage techniques, cranial sacral techniques, Chinese and or Ayurvedic pressure points, along with ultrasound over the sinuses, in order to reduce swelling, brain fog, facial and head pain, and decrease congestion in the sinus. This Head Drainage Therapy with Cranial Sacral Holds reduces inflammation in the head, promote circulation, and assist with cerebral spinal fluid movement to the brain, as a result helps reduce pain in the head face and neck.

Ayurvedic Health Evaluation

The Ayurvedic Health evaluation is a comprehensive study of an individual using ancient India’s Ashtavidha Pariksha – The Eight Methods of Clinical Evaluation. It is a method that uses a variety of visual inspections, touch (e.g., pulse observation) and questioning to help identify symptoms and manifestations of imbalance. For each client, the exam consists of a combination of alternative modalities, such as Dosha and Agni Evaluation, Tongue and Pulse Studys, Facial Observation, and Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle recommendations.

The practitioner will make recommendations for treatment after the completion of the evaluation.

Organ Flushing Detox Therapy

Organ flushing is a light to moderate touch therapy, applied over the abdomen, which helps remove toxins and stagnant fluid from the organ systems in the abdomen, joints, and soft tissues, thereby reducing pain.

Reflexology Foot and Hand Therapy

Reflexology is acupressure on the feet and hands that balances energy, and reduces pain and stiffness.

Foot Reflexology with Lymphatic Drainage

A therapy for foot pain, inflammation, and peripheral neuropathy.

Geriatric Bodywork

A type of touch therapy that uses gentle and light application of bodywork techniques with oils or lotions that permit the body to be worked on without excessive friction to the skin. It has been shown to reduce pain, relieve anxiety and provide comfort, especially to those touch-deprived.

Guided Stretch Therapy

GST is a specialized bodywork technique performed on a fully clothed individual, that assists with improving stiffness, tightness, decreased range of motion, and pain.

Guided Stretch Therapy has been proven to enhance:

• Range of Motion
• Flexibility
• Recovery from Injuries
• Recovery from Sports

It slows down the progression of muscle aging, improves the nervous system’s ability to relax, reduces pain, and aides in the ability to get better sleep.

Range of motion techniques are added when needed with this method.

Life Coaching

A method used to focus on what we have the power to change: our own thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Life coaching can reverse years of negative self-talk and self-limiting choices thereby reducing stress and pain.

Reiki

The study of healing and directing the body’s energy via spiritual or universal energy. The practitioner applies a light touch to the client or provides it through remote healing. It is very relaxing and as a result reduces pain.

Hypnotherapy/Hypnosis

Hypnosis can help individuals and groups stop smoking, lose weight, sleep better, and deal effectively with stress and other emotional disorders.

During a hypnosis session the client experiences a trance state which is similar to meditation. In this state the innate powers of the human mind, which are usually untapped, flow freely and enhance every area of life. Emotional blocks that a client may not even be aware of are released during a session.

The Hypnotic state is completely normal. Hypnosis is experienced everyday by every person. It happens while watching TV or driving a familiar route. It is a narrowing of attention, thereby shutting out distractions, resulting in focused awareness. It is not mysterious but rather a state that every human being can easily reach, with very few exceptions.

The conscious mind, which is the rational and analytical mind, is in a relaxed state for a time, while the subconscious mind, which holds all emotions, memories and creativity, is more fully accessed to provide resources not usually available.

Hypnosis is a powerful tool that can alter your perception of pain, reducing its intensity and has impact on your life.

Oracle Healing (Reiki Energy Healing)

Oracle healing is a form of in-person or distant healing that involves the healer working with the Seven Rays of Reiki. Also known as the Seven Rays of Creation, these healing rays are high vibrational energies overseen by Seven Archangels. The Archangels serve people of all faiths and also those who don’t come from a faith tradition.

During the healing, the oracle healer receives a “God’s eye view” of your soul self, along with blessings, channeled messages, and intuitive insights as to what’s going on with your chakras, and what limiting self-beliefs need to be shifted and cleared. As a result stress and pain are reduced.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) – is an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress. It’s also referred to as tapping or psychological acupressure. EFT allows the body to dissolve emotions from the body easily and effortlessly. Great for healing the heart from old relationships, anger, insomnia, anxiety, pain and so much more!

Guided Meditation – is a process by which one or more participants meditate in response to the guidance provided by a trained practitioner or teacher. Guided imagery has many uses. It is used to promote relaxation, which can lower blood pressure and reduce other problems related to stress. It can also help you reach goals (such as losing weight or quitting smoking),manage pain and promote healing.

About the Author: Victoria Goldsten, HD, Phd, LPN, LMT

Victoria has been caring for the sick since 1973. Her first health care experience was in nursing at several local hospitals and health care facilities. She later studied and received certificates in: homeopathy, Reiki, acupressure, lymphatic drainage, neural therapy, hypnotherapy, Holistic Nursing, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Nursing. She has a diploma in Nursing and a Doctorate degree in Homeopathy and Holistic Health. She is licensed as a nurse and massage therapist in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. She is currently working as the Director and an Integrative Homeopath/Holistic Doctor, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Nurse, and a Lymphatic Drainage Massage Therapist at the Washington Institute of Natural Medicine.

* Several Practitioner of the Washington Institute assisted with the contents of this article.

If you are interested in Natural Services or Natural Health Care Classes please contact the Washington Institute of Natural Medicine. Call for details or for an appointment. The Institute has in person and remote sessions and classes.

(202) 686-8202, (202) 237-7681, or (301) 538-9540

Further information can be seen on the Washington Institute’s Web site:   www.NaturalHealthDC.com

The post Natural Treatments for Pain appeared first on Alternatives for Healing Articles.

by Dr. Glenn B. Gero, N.D., D.Sc., M.H., M.E.S., C.L.C.

Introduction

Walking through Central Park in New York City, I passed two men sitting at opposite ends of a table nervously facing each other. With their fists tightly clenched, you could see the steadfast expression in their faces, the desperate look in their eyes, the sweat on their brow and the obvious veins protruding from the musculature in their necks. My curiosity was peaked as I stepped up my pace and cautiously walked by. As I glanced discreetly to my right as I was passing this seemingly scary scene, I realized that these two adversaries were doing nothing more physical than moving little pieces of wood on a board.

Although not physically demanding, the emotional strain of a competitive chess match can be a vigorous experience. Chess masters, during intense tournaments have been known to undergo nearly the same metabolic physiological demands on their bodies as high-level competitors during an athletic event. While not physically demanding, the emotional strain characteristic of a competitive chess match is mirrored in many of our routine personal and occupational tasks. I vividly remember the trepidation of signing my name to a document, which obligated me to a mortgage of over $115,000. It was the contract to purchase my first home. Where was I going to get $1,500 a month to pay for a mortgage and still be able to afford to put food on the table?

Unresolved Stress

Our lives are filled with stressful moments and whether we are confronted with marital strife, health challenges, wedding plans or career instability, they may contribute to unresolved stress disturbing our physiological homeostasis. These events may rival the anticipatory stress response of the world-class sprinter prior to his first heat at the summer Olympic games. The difference is that the sprinter is about to work off that nervous energy with an intense 100-meter dash. When unmitigated stress is allowed to proliferate for months on end twisting in our guts, inciting anxiety, anger and nervous tension, we may increase the probability of a serious illness and exacerbate pain.

While stress cannot be avoided, we possess the ability to control our reaction to it. This chapter is about taking responsibility for our lives and developing an active consciousness in regard to our own ability to modulate pain and discomfort. While using the mind to dissolve pain is just one component of an integrated system of wellness, it may be the most powerful element in managing pain syndromes. Furthermore, a sense of worthiness is an essential component of sustained health management. One must feel an intrinsic justification to be pain-free. As a naturopathic doctor, sometimes my biggest challenge is inspiring my patients to recognize their entitlement to living a pain-free existence.

The Mind Body Connection

Adherence to a sound nutritional program, a consistent exercise schedule, consumption of vital nutrients and therapeutic botanicals are essential components to optimum physical and psychological health. A positive self- esteem, however, is the adhesive that encourages sustenance and a positive expectancy. It is also an important prognosticator toward enabling one to mediate uncontrolled stress. As we will discover, self-esteem is not a product of status, wealth or level of education, but a state of being. An attitude of gratitude is an important step in establishing personal fulfillment.

Most traditional medical systems acknowledge and make use of the extraordinary interconnectedness of the mind and the body and the power of each to affect the other. In contrast, conventional Western medicine has regarded these connections as of secondary importance, thus treating the body and the mind as separate and distinct entities.

This narrow focus, however, has also tended to obscure the importance of the interactions between mind and body and to overshadow the possible importance of the mind in producing and alleviating disease. The focus of medical research has been on the biology of the body and of the brain that is part of the body. Concern with the mind has been left to non-biologically-oriented psychiatrists, other mental health professionals, philosophers and theologians. Psychosomatic medicine, the discipline that has addressed mind/body connections, is a subspecialty within the specialty of psychiatry.

During the past 30 years, there has been a powerful scientific movement to explore the mind’s capacity to affect the body and to rediscover the ways in which it permeates and is affected by all of the body’s functions. This movement has received its impetus from several sources. The rise in incidence of chronic pain and illnesses appear to be related to environmental and emotional stresses. The prevalence, destructiveness, and cost of these illnesses have set the stage for the exploration of therapies that can help individuals appreciate the sources of their stress and reduce that stress by quieting the mind and using it to mobilize the body to heal.

During the same time, medical researchers have discovered other cultures had utilized healing systems, such as meditation, yoga and tai chi, which are grounded in an understanding of the power of mind and body to affect one another. Other developed techniques such as botanical therapies, nutritional interventions, biofeedback, hypnosis, sound therapy and visual imagery have demonstrated the ability of facilitating specific links between the body and mental processes, stimulating immune, endocrine and nervous system functioning. The growth of a new discipline was born called psychoneuroimmunology.

The Classifications of Stress in Your Life

Stress management can be complicated and confusing because we experience acute, chain acute, and chronic stress — each with its own characteristics, symptoms, duration, and treatment approaches. Let’s look at each one.

Acute Stress

Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from demands and pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future. Acute stress may be thrilling and exciting in small doses, but too much is more likely to be exhausting. A ride on a roller coaster or a run down a challenging ski slope, for example, can be exhilarating. That same activities taken to extremes could be taxing and wearing. By the same token, overdoing any short-term stress can lead to psychological distress, tension headaches, upset stomach, and other symptoms.

On the flip side, acute stresses may be attributable to a laundry list of what has gone awry in your life: an auto accident, losing a job, the loss of an important contract, a deadline they’re rushing to meet, your child’s occasional problems at school, and so on.

Acute stresses, generally, are short-term and may not generate the sustained harm associated with long-term stress. The most common symptoms are:

• emotional distress–some combination of anger or irritability, anxiety, and depression, the three stress emotions;
• muscular problems including tension headache, back pain, jaw pain, and the muscular tensions that lead to pulled muscles and tendon and ligament problems;
• stomach, gut and bowel problems such as heartburn, acid stomach, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome;
• transient over arousal leads to elevation in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, heart palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold hands or feet, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

Acute stress can crop up in anyone’s life, and it is highly treatable and manageable.

Chain-acute Stress (Castastrophizing)

Many people create a never-ending chain of stresses, thereby going from one acute episode to the next without resolving any of the previous stressors, hence creating an overwhelming snowball effect. They become so encumbered by their inability to find resolution that they feel imprisoned with no hope for escape.

They are so disordered that they’ve created a sense of chaos, anxiety, panic, depression and crisis. They are trapped in their own mind. They are often the ones that are always in a rush, but always late. If something can go wrong, it will. They take on too much, have too many irons in the fire, and can’t organize the slew of self-inflicted demands and pressures clamoring for their attention. They seem perpetually in the clutches of going from one acute stress to another.

It is common for those with chain-acute stress reactions to be over aroused, short-tempered, irritable, anxious, and tense. Often, they describe themselves as having “a lot of nervous energy.” Always in a hurry, they tend to be abrupt, and sometimes their irritability comes across as hostility. Interpersonal relationships deteriorate rapidly when others respond with real hostility. The work becomes a very stressful place for them.

Another form of chain- acute stress comes from ceaseless worry. They are often catastrophizers, predicting disaster around every corner and pessimistically forecasting an ominous outcome in every situation. The symptoms of chain- acute stress may include: persistent tension headaches, migraines, hypertension, chest pain, and heart disease. Treating chain-acute stress may require a multi-interventional approach, which may take many months to correct.

Usually these lifestyle and personality issues are so ingrained and habitual with these individuals that they neglect to see anything wrong with the way they conduct their lives. They are more likely to blame their problems on family, friends, co-workers, bosses and external events beyond their control. Those sufferers can be fiercely resistant to change. Only the imminent promise of relief from pain and discomfort may sustain their treatment and recovery program.

In an office setting, chronic pain patients who catastrophize “display more pain behavior such as holding, rubbing as well as vocalizations such as moans and sighs,” was stated at a meeting, sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Research has shown that catastrophizers are going to have more difficulty in pain situations and are less likely to respond to appropriate remediation compared with noncatastrophizers.  Catastrophizers are at greater risk of chronic pain

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is exhausting. It is the type of stress that progressively creates deterioration, pain, depression, anxiety and apathy. It can destroy our body, our mind and ultimately our life. It wreaks havoc through long-term attrition. It could be the stress of poverty, of being a member of a dysfunctional family, the feeling of being trapped in an unhappy marriage, an unfulfilling job or career or the fear of being unemployed. It’s the stress of seemingly is a never-ending dilemma with no resolution in sight.

Chronic stress comes when a one believes that they are unable escape from a dire situation. It’s the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly interminable periods of time. With no hope, many individuals give up searching for solutions.

Some chronic stresses stem from traumatic, early childhood experiences that become internalized and remain forever painful and present. Some experiences profoundly affect personality. A view of the world, or a belief system, is created that causes unending stress for the individual (e.g., the world is a threatening place, people will find out you are a pretender, you must be perfect at all times). When personality or deep-seated convictions and beliefs must be reformulated, recovery requires active self- examination, often with professional help.

The worst aspect of chronic stress is that people get used to it. They forget it’s there. People are immediately aware of acute stress because it is new; they ignore chronic stress because it is old, familiar, and sometimes, almost comfortable.

Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke, and, perhaps, even cancer. People wear down to a final, fatal breakdown. Because physical and mental resources are depleted through long-term attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management.

Adapted with permission from The Stress Solution by Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D., and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D.

Fibromyalgia and Stress

Fibromyalgia is the second most common diagnosis made in rheumatology clinics, yet its cause is quite controversial. It has been suggested that those afflicted with fibromyalgia have sustained a significant physical or psychological event, which precipitated the initial onset of symptoms. In support of this theory, there is definite evidence from population-based studies that psychological distress, particularly early-life trauma such as death of a close family member, physical, emotional or sexual abuse, serious illness, or traumatic injury, may be able to predict the future development of chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia. However, there are still uncertainties of the mechanism of how psychological stressors are attributable to chronic physical pain.

Regardless of the pathway, however, the links between fibromyalgia and unresolved chronic stress have now been well established. While the exact relationship is not fully understood, the research has made clear that chronic stress influences, exacerbates and/or aggravates the development or progression of fibromyalgia.

We could perceive our resilience to stress in the same terms as our checking account. Nutrients, exercise, joy, laughter, vitality and personal fulfillment would be our deposits and unresolved stress, anxiety, unhappiness, obsessive behavior, selflessness, worry, illnesses, malnutrition and environmental toxins would be our withdrawals. Those individuals who have exhausted their assets in lieu of overwhelming deficits (withdrawals) are more apt to suffer symptoms of fatigue, pain, sleeplessness, weakness and cognitive decline. All of which are commensurate with fibromyalgia.

Habitual Stress Patterns and Fibromyalgia Susceptibility

Many researchers believe that the inability to manage stress is a major factor in the susceptibility to fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients frequently possess habitual patterns of anxiety, feelings of powerlessness, repressed anger and poor stress management. This is often due to the inability to say “no,” overloading their schedules and taking on too much responsibility for other people such as family, friends and co-workers and neglecting their personal health and self-interests.

Event Triggered Stress and the Onset of Fibromyalgia

There is some evidence that the onset of fibromyalgia may be triggered by an extremely stressful experience. While this stress may be associated with physical trauma, such as an auto accident, illness or surgical procedure, it also may be associated with psychological stress, such as emotional or physical abuse. Most scientists believe that stress is probably not the primary cause of fibromyalgia, however, there is evidence to suggest that both chronic stress and post-traumatic stress disorders may be instrumental catalysts in the onset of fibromyalgia.

How Stress Can Aggravate Fibromyalgia

For fibromyalgia patients, chronic stress can also make the condition worse and can trigger particular physical symptoms. People who suffer from fibromyalgia

often have trouble knowing their personal limitations, which can make it hard for them to know when they are in danger of overexerting themselves. When fibromyalgia patients physically overexert themselves, this can often lead to increased stress, which results in increased pain.

A vicious cycle can easily develop, because the pain can lead to more stress, which, in turn, can lead to more pain. For this reason, learning to manage stress may have a profound effect on eliminating or reducing the pattern of pain.

The Story of Two Wolfs

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

“One is Evil – It possesses anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, deception, false pride, self- righteousness and egotism.

“The other is Benevolent – It is joyful, peaceful, loving, hopeful, humble, kind, benevolent, serenity, empathetic, generous, truthful, compassionate and faithful.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Managing Your Pain Through Mind Control

A fibromyalgia patient’s level of stress can directly influence their ability to deal with pain and other symptoms of the condition. In general, the more you are able to control your thoughts, emotions and feelings, the better you will be able to deal with the physical discomfort of fibromyalgia. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, here are a few ways that you can ameliorate your fibromyalgia symptoms:

1. Physical Exercise – Regular aerobic exercise can make an enormous impact on managing your pain and controlling your stress level. Start an aerobics class, play tennis, do yoga, or just go for a nice, long, relaxing walk. You’ll find that it can elevate your mood, relax your muscles, and even give you a feeling of being in more control over your symptoms.
2. Correct Sleep Disorders – Fibromyalgia and sleep disorders can go hand in hand. Resolving sleep problems can directly lead to a lessening of fibromyalgia symptoms.
3. Practice Rational Selfishness – Do not over-commit yourself to work, family, and friends. Finding balance in your life is key to overcoming fibromyalgia, and one of the best ways to do that is to make sure you take enough time for yourself.
4. Tap the Mental Healer Within –

o Breathing and Pain
o Biofeedback
o Guided Imagery
o Mindfulness Meditation
o Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
o Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)

Physical Exercise and Fibromyalgia

While beyond the scope of this chapter, performing exercise can have profound benefits in helping to manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The problem is, if you are encumbered with deep muscle pain and chronic fatigue, exercise is probably not at the forefront of your mind. Yet exercise may be just what the doctor ordered? Whether it’s daily walks, stretching, swimming, rowing , yoga, tai chi or Pilates, low-impact exercise programs can keep you fit in spite of your fibromyalgia and may help reduce pain as well.

Exercise Benefits

Exercise helps by:

Ø Strengthening muscles
Ø Enhancing flexibility
Ø Increasing range of motion
Ø Controlling weight
Ø Increasing endurance
Ø Maintaining physical function
Ø Promoting an affirmative emotional state
Ø Reducing stress
Ø Stimulating circulation
Ø Inhibiting fatigue
Ø Balancing gastrointestinal function
Ø Optimizing metabolism
Ø Encouraging present-mindedness

Formerly medical doctors had believed that physical exercise might have a deleterious effect on fibromyalgia symptoms or hasten the progression of the disease. Current scientific studies have determined that those beliefs were unfounded and discovered for most patients receive tremendous benefit by strength and aerobic conditioning exercises.

How Does Exercise Reduce Pain and Stress?

Regular exercise slows down the heart-racing adrenaline associated with stress, but it also boosts levels of natural endorphins – the feel good, pain-fighting molecules that may be responsible for the well-known “runner’s high.” Endorphins help to reduce pain, inhibit stress, anxiety and depression.

It is further purported that exercise raises the brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that scientists have found to be deficient in most of those afflicted with fibromyalgia. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that send specific messages from one brain cell to another. This neurotransmitter is believed to play a vital role in mediating moods.

Additionally, research has revealed that pain and depression share the same neural pathways, the same circuitry. Serotonin and the endorphins that modulate healthy brain functioning are the same ones that modulate depression and chronic pain. If exercise can increase serotonin production, it has the ability to modulate pain as well.

For more information visit: www.holisticnaturopath.com

The post Dissolve Pain with the Power of Your Mind appeared first on Alternatives for Healing Articles.

by Dr. Glenn B. Gero, N.D., D.Sc., M.H., M.E.S., C.L.C.

Your brain doesn’t know how old you are – and doesn’t care.

Of all of the uncontrollable factors in our life, the process of aging may be the most daunting. Synonymous with aging is the concept that cognitive decline is universally unavoidable. What may be encouraging is that while some memory loss may be a natural part of aging, researchers are discovering that older people can maintain more of their cognitive function well into later years. Neurobiologists Dr. Elizabeth Gould and Dr. Charles Gross at Princeton University have validated that thousands of freshly born neurons arrive each day in the cerebral cortex, the outer rind of the brain where higher intellectual functions are centered.

The process of neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells, is controlled by our DNA. Fortunately, many of the factors that influence our DNA are under our direct control. A variety of factors including physical exercise, critical thinking, social interaction, caloric restriction, curcumin and the omega-3 fat DHA have demonstrated to profoundly inhibit the process of brain deterioration.

This is a powerful message and these factors are all within our grasp.

Physical Exercise

In a report featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), titled “Effect of Physical Activity in Cognitive Function in Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease,” researchers found that elderly individuals engaged in regular physical exercise for a 24-week period had an improvement of an astounding 1,800 percent on measures of memory, language ability, attention and other important cognitive functions compared to an age-matched group not involved in the exercise program. Merely by engaging in regular physical exercise, the door is open to the possibility of actively taking control of your mental destiny.

Caloric Restriction

In January, 2009, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science reported that those elderly individuals who reduced their caloric consumption by 30 percent profoundly increased memory function, while those of similar age group were instructed to eat whatever they wanted experienced a small, but clearly defined decline in memory function. The authors concluded, “The present findings may help to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for maintaining cognitive health into old age.” What a concept — preventive medicine for the brain.

Curcumin

Curcumin, the main active ingredient in the spice turmeric, has attracted the interest of neuroscientists around the world. Interestingly, in evaluating villages in India where turmeric is used in abundance in curried recipes, epidemiological studies have found that Alzheimer’s disease is only about 25 percent as common as in the U.S. As curcumin is a proven anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, there is little doubt of its positive effects on enhanced production of brain neurons, which is why it is theorized that those consuming curcumin are so resistant to this brain disorder.

DHA

Like curcumin, DHA enhances gene expression for the production of new neurons. In a trial involving 485 healthy older individuals with mild memory problems, those given a supplement containing DHA for six months had almost double the reduction in errors on a test that measures learning and memory performance versus those who took a placebo. The benefit is roughly equivalent to having the learning and memory skills of someone three years younger.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

An analysis of 400 British men suggest that those working in occupations requiring critical thinking and social interaction later in life have shown the ability to ward off cognitive decline.

Harnessing the expression of our DNA is empowering, and the tools to better brain health are available to us all — right now!

Dr. Glenn Gero is the director of the Holistic Naturopathic Center in Clifton. He is a licensed and board-certified naturopathic doctor, a board-certified biofeedback therapist, a registered nutritionist, a medical exercise specialist, a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG) and has earned nearly 20 certifications in holistic health and therapeutic exercise. He has completed advanced clinical training at Harvard Medical School where he is a member of the post-graduate association.

for more information visit:  www.holisticnaturopath.com

The post Aging is Inevitable; Losing Your Mind Isn’t appeared first on Alternatives for Healing Articles.

By Dr. Jimmy Steger

Seems like most Americans these days have bought into the lie that taking some form of pill can solve any and all emotional or mental issues. If only it were that easy! And every time I try to give people a good dose of the truth, they point to one pharmaceutical study or another that tries to prove me wrong.  Well at least some of them, well check this out.

According to new research from Stephen Wisniewski, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, antidepressants are only effective in a small percentage of patients with a narrow range of psychological disorders. Patients with multiple issues — which can be as many as 60 percent of the psychiatric patients in the U.S. — may not be getting any benefit at all from antidepressants.

How’s that for depressing news? It gets worse. This new study showed how big pharmaceutical companies may pump up the efficacy results of the drug trials for their antidepressants.

Wisniewski’s team examined data compiled in a massive, government-funded review of more than 40 psychiatric facilities. This study, known as the “Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression” (“STAR*D” for short), is a picture of nearly the entire population of depression patients in the U.S.

Researchers compared STAR*D patients to a group of subjects for a standard antidepressant drug trial conducted by a pharmaceutical manufacturer (the trials that the FDA commonly reviews as part of the approval process for new medications).

As it turns out, the parameters for joining a typical antidepressant drug trial were so narrow that just 22 percent of the patients in the STAR*D survey would qualify to be part of the trial.

This means that the pharmaceutical companies tests its antidepressants using patients who fall within a very small range of depressive symptoms… and then markets these same drugs to EVERY depression patient in the country.

Wisniewski said that “current efficacy trials suggest a more optimistic outcome than is likely in practice.” Let’s cut to the chase here. What he’s really saying is that Big Pharma is gaming the system to get new SSRIs approved by the FDA.

Of course he’s too afraid to come right out and say that. Instead, he said that he doesn’t intend his new study to be a smoking gun that proves the pharmaceutical industry is intentionally taking problematic patients out of the testing mix to get better efficacy results. He might not have “intended” it, but that’s exactly what he did. And it’s about time.

“If the population in a [clinical] trial were more representative, it would come at a cost,” Wisniewski says. “That’s why trials to determine efficacy are done on a relatively homogeneous population.”

Well, he’s right about one thing — experimenting with drugs does come at a cost. Either it’ll cost the deep-pocketed drug companies a few bucks, or it’ll cost you your health.

So which one would you choose? How about God’s Medicine, which is all natural and will not harm you, that is the one for me.

Until next time,  Stay Healthy!

Dr. Jimmy Steger

To learn more visit http://drsteger.net/

The post The Truth about Antidepressants appeared first on Alternatives for Healing Articles.

by Kathleen Prasad

Shingon Buddhist and Mikkyo practices teach that the ancient wisdom of the Mind, Speech and Body (also known as The Three Secrets) are present everywhere and in all things. It is said that these secrets allow us to uncover our true nature–one that exists both within ourselves and the entire universe. Practitioners use mudras, mantras and visualizations to purify and harmonize The Three Secrets.

Similar teachings are present in Japanese martial arts training, where the warrior was to learn how to recognize these “Three Keys”–Mind, Speech, Body–as the three fundamental ways of being in the world. Learning to harmonize and unify them would allow the practitioner to attain not only martial power, but also power over all aspects of one’s own life.

Tibetan Buddhism calls them The Three Vajras. Practitioners work with seed syllables corresponding to the Three Vajras: a white om (enlightened body), a red ah (enlightened speech) and a blue hum (enlightened mind) to experience their own Buddha nature. In the Christian bible, the book of Proverbs says, Chapter 16:23-24, “From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive. Kind words are like honey — sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”

In Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita calls them The Three Eternal Values; austerity of body, speech and mind is the way to manifest goodness for oneself and the world.

In a recent class with my teacher, Frans Stiene, he introduced this concept of “Mind, Speech, Body” using the Japanese term “Sanmitsu.” I find it so interesting, the ways different traditions have made use of this ancient and apparently universal wisdom, and I’d like to share with you some of my own thoughts about how Sanmitsu relates to Reiki practice.

Sanmitsu and Reiki 

Sanmitsu and the Reiki Precepts:

The thoughts we focus on, the words we speak to others, and actions we make in this world: each of these causes energetic ripples out into the universe. The ideal would be that all of these are in harmony and alignment with each other. All are forever linked; our actions reflect our words, which in turn reflect our thoughts. Reiki, the “energy of spirit” is hard to define, we can’t see it with our physical eyes, describe it fully in words. It is so beyond words, yet it is so powerful in its physical effects on our clients and students. We see it in their speech and in the physical/mental/spiritual healing that is manifested. In the same way it would be impossible to “see” a thought, measure it, or even fully explain what it is. Yet our thoughts are so powerful, and indeed all our speech and action in this external world (undeniably and physically heard and seen) originates there. When we go deeper than the physical, we begin to see the power in the unseen, and our universe (as well as our inner nature) expands and opens and becomes free.

We have a choice of how to “be” in this world. For me, positivity is key–for today only we should not anger and not worry. Open to the possibility of visualizing harmony and healing, allowing ourselves to have faith in this possibility and believe it with our whole heart. The words we speak and actions we take should be steps in this same positive direction. 

For me, this is how to be true to your way and your being: by aligning thought, word and deed in a way that is compassionate to yourself and also to others.

Sanmitsu and Being the Best Reiki Practitioners and Teachers We Can Be:

Focus your thoughts: Your passion for your Reiki practice or Reiki teaching is a spiritual path for uncovering your own true nature.

Allow yourself to “see” it as perfectly in balance and harmony. Just the thought of this will shift the energy towards healing. Speak your truth: Bring it physically into the world, speaking about your contemplative insights and direct experience with Reiki with your clients and students. Words from the heart will inspire others on the path.

Do your practice: Let go of the thoughts and words to just “be” in that indefinable, beautiful healing space every single day. In this way we uncover our true nature and “bright light” and we allow it to manifest in the world.

Kathleen Prasad is a Shinpiden Reiki Level III graduate of the International House of Reiki and founder of AnimalReikiSource.

http://www.animalreikisource.com  

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by Carol Henderson, Certified Hypnotherapist and EFT Practitioner

This reminds me of another, similar situation where a client couldn’t do the math that he needed to get a promotion at work. He said he used to be a math whiz when he was in grade school, but that as he got older it became harder and harder for him to understand. He explained that he was more artistic and right brained. He mostly did creative writing, completely staying away from any science or math.

When he was regressed, he went to a time in the summer between seventh and eighth grade. This was before I was aware that the initial sensitizing event is usually before the age of seven, but it seemed to fit, and I went with it. His father was the high school football coach. He was playing around on the bleachers while his father was coaching. He fell to the ground when he tripped on something, up on the bleachers, and hit his head on a cooler on the ground. He said he had a brain injury from the fall and couldn’t do math after that.

Having been a teacher, I know that math gets much harder in eighth grade, so I suspected that maybe it was harder for him just because in middle school you have to show the work doing a math problem, you can’t just put down the answer. It gets harder for many people, and you really have to study hard to keep up. He noticed a difference, in his abilities, and thought it was because of the fall.

So, I asked what they said at the hospital. He said they didn’t go to the hospital, his dad just cancelled practice and they went home. I figured if there were brain damage, they would have gone to the hospital.

I had him ask his higher self if he had brain damage from that fall, or for that matter, if there was anything at all wrong with his brain. He got the answer that, ?No, there is nothing physically wrong with your mind or brain.? He had always thought that it was impossible for him to learn math after that accident. But, now he realized that his younger self just assumed that. He never talked to anyone about it who could have explained it to him. Now, in hypnosis, he could see the truth.

He got a tutor who understood that he needed to learn the basics before he could learn what he needed for his job. Now it was relatively easy for him to learn what he needed to. He came back for a second session at my suggestion, because his whole image of himself as being a right brained person had been challenged. He needed to see that he was really a full-brained person, and be comfortable with knowing that and living that way.

He got the promotion!

Carol Henderson, Certified Hypnotherapist and EFT Practitioner
New Day Hypnotherapy, LLC, Kansas City Area
913-908-6907

www.NewDayHypno.com  

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by Carol Henderson, Certified Hypnotherapist and EFT Practitioner

He came in carrying two large technical books that he had to read and practically memorize in order to keep his job. He showed me some of the pages while telling me how hard it was for him to remember ?dry facts?. He kept using that term throughout his explanation of why he had come to see a hypnotist.

He was a computer technician for a large company. He had worked there for many years keeping the computers humming. Now a new supervisor wanted him to be officially certified to do the work he was already doing. This caused a great amount of anxiety in my client. He could not read the books. He kept reading the same paragraph over and over with little or no comprehension. He was looking for a new job.

It was interesting to me, that even though he said he was this way all of his life, that he used to be interested in baseball statistics. To me, baseball statistics are dry facts, but not to him. I was thinking that if you can learn some dry facts related to some subjects, but not others, there was a reason. I needed to get to that reason.

In hypnosis, I regressed him back to the reason for his hatred of dry facts. He easily regressed to second grade. He had just moved to a new school. He didn’t know his addition and subtraction facts as well as everyone else in the class. He had to stay in at recess to take time tests until he got them memorized. Everyone else was out playing baseball, which he loved. 

This was it. It all fit. I had him go back to that little boy as his present-day self, and comfort him. He stayed in with the boy and helped him with the facts. Present-day self complimented him, encouraged him, and told him he loved the little boy whether he learned these facts or not. We stayed with this memory, and other similar times when he had to study something he didn’t want to, until all the uncomfortable feelings were released.

I did a little direct suggestion that he would enjoy reading and learning the facts in these books, that he would easily be able to focus on the material, and commit it to memory. I suggested that he take frequent breaks to spend time watching sports, or even playing sports.

He easily passed the certification tests!

Carol Henderson, Certified Hypnotherapist and EFT Practitioner
New Day Hypnotherapy, LLC, Kansas City Area
913-908-6907

www.NewDayHypno.com 

The post Hypnotherapy Helps Man with Memorization Skills appeared first on Alternatives for Healing Articles.

by Jonathan Parker 

An On-Line Article for Your Information “…And then Aladdin took out the lamp and rubbed it, and a powerful genie appeared before him. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘ask what you will. I am your slave and the slave of him who holds the lamp. Your wish is my command…” Remember the story of Aladdin and his enchanted lamp, from your childhood? Aladdin was a boy who lived long ago and far away. One day a magician led him to an ordinary-looking lamp – but this lamp was anything but ordinary, for it would completely change his life. What Aladdin discovered was that upon rubbing it, a magical genie would appear who would grant the owner of the lamp any and all of his wishes: for wealth, fame, power, love, beauty, and more. When you were little, maybe you fantasized about how wonderful it would be to have such a magical lamp. What you are about to discover is that three really is a powerful genie at your disposal. All you need to do, like Aladdin, is discover it and learn how to use it.

YOUR INNER GENIUS Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the word “genie” is related to the Latin word for “genius.” A lot of people think of genius only as a rare phenomenon found in a few gifted individuals – a term applied to a brilliant scientist, a master artist, a musical virtuoso. In reality, each and every person is born with an inner genius which, like a magical genie, can release inner forces enabling us to accomplish far more than we ever believed possible. That’s because genius is really just a natural way the human mind works to solve a problem or meet a challenge – any challenge, including weight loss. The key is knowing how to tap into your own inner genius. And that’s exactly what you will do with the audio programs by Jonathan Parker and Quantum Quests, because the source of your genius is your inner or subconscious mind, which has had a powerful effect in directing every aspect of your life from the time of your birth up until now.

YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND: THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG Of course you only have one mind. But, as you probably know, it consists of two different levels of activity, two “systems:” the conscious and the subconscious. Your conscious mind is the logical, reasoning portion of your mind with which you are most familiar. It uses the five senses to gather information that enables you to learn about your physical environment. IT represents your awareness of yourself, other, and your surroundings Most of your daily activities also fall under its direction. You talk to your friends, go about your business, and do whatever you normally do, mainly through consciously determining to take certain actions. Apart from directing ordinary activities, the conscious mind is also the source of your intellect and reasoning capabilities. It’s what in most cases you are referring to when you say, “I think.” V The conscious mind allows you to analyze data and approve at logical conclusions.

This reasoning process is used when solving problems, writing letters or reports, working on the job, building a house, balancing your checkbook – for just about anything you might do day in and day out. As important as your conscious thought processes and actions may seem, however, they are to a very great extent guided by a much deeper level of mental activity – your subconscious mind.

YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND: “THE POWER TO MOVE THE WORLD!” According to the dictionary, one of the definitions of “genius” is “a guardian spirit.” In many respects this accurately describes your subconscious or inner mind. Over 90 percent of your mental activity is subconscious – yet its work is done without you even being aware of it. It’s on the job while you’re awake and asleep, 24 hours a day. It is the builder and sustainer of your body, the seat of your knowledge, emotions, and habits, and it has a powerful effect on the events that take place in your life. In fact, William James, the father of American psychology, said, “The power to move the world is in the subconscious mind.” What he meant is that it is not what is outside of us that really determines what happens in our lives – how prosperous we are, whether we are happy or not, our health, and yes, even our physical appearance, including weight – it is all what is on the inside that determines out lives.

YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MAINTAINS ALL YOUR BODILY SYSTEMS One of the biggest jobs of your subconscious is to control all your autonomic bodily functions such as breathing, heartbeat, eye-blinking, and digestion. It also controls metabolism, which is the process whereby the living cells of your body are provided vital energy by the assimilation of food substances. If such tasks were left to your conscious mind, think of how literally mind-boggling something as simple as breathing would be: “OK, I’ve got to remember to breathe. Now, it’s time to inhale. Now exhale Uh oh, look over there – there’s my fiend. He looks pretty still. I bet he forgot to breathe again. I’d better poke him.” Even while you are asleep, the ceaseless action of your subconscious mind controls your dream state, keeping your eyes, ears, and other senses active. In fact, many great scientists and inventors have “seen” the answers to perplexing problems in a dream. Your subconscious is naturally geared toward preserving your life and maintaining balance in all of your bodily systems. It’s just that other factors, as you will soon see, interfere with this natural process.

LIKE A VIDEO CAMERA, YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS RECORDS YOUR EVERY EXPERIENCE The subconscious is the storehouse of your memory. In fact, some scientists believe every detail of every event that’s ever happened to you is recorded in your inner mind. Like a video recorder, your subconscious accurately takes in virtually everything you experience. This means that, technically speaking, you don’t really forget anything. If you wee to think of the subconscious as a giant filing cabinet, imagine that stored within it are the memories of everything that’s ever happened to you, including everything you’ve ever read, learned, or been taught.

When you want to consciously remember something, you send a signal to the subconscious. In turn the appropriate ‘files” are opened, read, and sent to the conscious mind. Sometimes, though, for various reasons, the signals get confused and the subconscious doesn’t respond by sending the information to the conscious mind. The conscious mind then perceives it has forgotten something. In reality you haven’t forgotten. You’ve simply been unable to retrieve the information from the subconscious. You can’t consciously direct your subconscious to release detailed information about “forgotten” events. But certain techniques that involve deep relaxation can enable you to bypass the conscious mind, directly access the subconscious, and search for information there.

FEELINGS STEM FROM SUBCONSCIOUS ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS When you feel sad or happy, you don’t usually hold discussions in your conscious mind like: “Well, let’s see – I just received this wonderful unexpected gift. Now, how should I feel about this? How should I react? I think the gift is good, and since I do, I think I’ll feel happy.” No, your feelings don’t stem from a logical, conscious process. But, whether you realize it or not, neither are they determined by events or even other people. They come directly from your subconscious evaluations, attitudes, and beliefs. In other words, you feel bad if you perceived and evaluate an event as bad or sad on a subconscious level – which explains why many people have a hard time fully understanding how emotions work. It’s because most people are unaware of their own deepest subconscious beliefs, which often were established many years ago. As you begin to examine your innermost beliefs with our audio programs you will begin to understand how these old thoughts can rule your life. Through practicing visualizations, you can change these subconscious beliefs and begin seeing yourself in a whole new way.

WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE IN LIFE IS EXACTLY WHAT IS WRITTEN IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS ‘PROGRAMMING.’,

To better understand how the subconscious works, think of your mind as a computer – a very fast, powerful computer. Unless it has a set of instructions called a program, the computer is virtually useless. With the proper program, however, there’s almost no limit to what a computer can do.

Your subconscious mind is very much like a computer program. It directs just about everything in your life – your emotions, your habits, your relationships, your financial situation, your health, your weight, and more. Exactly how it directs your life – in other words, whether the outcome is positive or negative – depends on what your subconscious ‘programming’ consists of. How does your subconscious mind get programmed in the first place? How do attitudes and beliefs take hold there? It doesn’t happen over night – it usually requires some time and reinforcement. Basically, your innermost beliefs stem from your personal experiences, the repeated statements of other significant people in your life, and your own habitual thinking about yourself and the events in your life, beginning at an early age and continuing on throughout life. For example, a young child is told by a parent: “Clean your plate, because there are children starving in India.

It’s a crying shame if you don’t eat all your food. You have so much, while others have so little. You should be grateful for how lucky you are,” etc. Let’s say the child hears this message over and over again, every time he or she comes in contact with food. As a result, the child begins to believe that eating everything in sight is somehow “good.” Eating makes your parents happy and satisfied with you; that not eating, even when you’re not hungry, means feeling guilty, being ‘bad.” And so forth. These ideas begin to solidify and take hold in the child’s mind As the child grows up and becomes an adult, he or she begins to consciously act out of this deeply help subconscious belief. Is it any wonder that this individual is overweight?

YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS DOES NOT REASON How could the subconscious ever accept these types of negative, self-defeating beliefs in the first place? This brings us to another important point about the subconscious: it doesn’t reason. You can’t depend on it to reason its way through two plus two equals four – it might conclude that two plus two are two tow’s, and two two’s are 22. Instead of reasoning and analyzing and deducing, it applies its own peculiar brand of impersonal ‘logic’ based on whatever information you have fed into it. It tends to interpret things literally, and really doesn’t care how truly logical or illogical, real or unreal something is. It doesn’t let facts get in its way. And it doesn’t care if what you tell it is good or you or not. If, for example, your subconscious attitudes and beliefs tell you that you ought not to be slender because being overweight is the only way to build lasting friendships, ti won’t stop to ask you, “Now what does being overweight have to do with friendship?” It will simply accept the idea as fact.

AS YOU SOW IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, SO SHALL YOU REAP IN YOUR DAILY LIFE Think of your mind as a garden, and you are the gardener. Your subconscious is like the soil that accepts any kind of seed – good or bad. From the time you were very young until the present you have been planting seeds – thoughts – based on your habitual thinking, the thinking of these closest to you, and conscious statements that have been repeated over and over again, either by you, or to you by others. Whatever thoughts are expressed strongly or frequently eventually become the basis of your innermost convictions and beliers. These beliefs, in turn, become your external reality. IN other words, as you sow in your subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and in the conditions in your life.

When the thoughts deposited in your subconscious mind are harmonious and constructive, your magical inner genius – your mental genie – will respond and bring about harmonious, life-enhancing conditions in your life. Of course, the same rule applies when negative thoughts have been deposited in your subconscious. Your inner mind is impartial – it will work just as hard either for you or against you. Does all this mean you are helplessly at the mercy of your inner mindset, your subconscious programming? Absolutely not. Your new mental attitudes can become your new subconscious programming. In other words , the old can be modified, changed, and replaced by your present, new habits of thinking. It’s not as difficult as you might imagine to change your life. In fact, changing your life can be as easy as putting our audio programs in your player every day and pushing the ‘play’ button. This article is for your information to read on-line. This is not a product to purchase. Tapes and CD’s are listed on this website 

The post Your Amazing Subconscious Mind appeared first on Alternatives for Healing Articles.

By Jonathan Parker 

What You are CAPABLE of doing and What you THINK you can do are very different! 

We’ve all heard the amazing story of a frail grandmother lifting a car weighing thousand of pounds to save a loved one. Or those who can remember hundreds or thousand of names and faces of people they’d only met once. Or crash survivors who withstood sub-freezing temperatures for days. How did they do it? What creates our limits, and what erases them? We will explore these questions in the next few minutes.

A Chilling Story
First, here is another remarkable story of the power of the human mind. A man accidentally locked himself inside a refrigerated box car. Try as he did, he couldn’t get out. He recorded his progress by writing on the side of the car. The first entry indicated he was slowly getting colder and colder. He said there was nothing to do but wait. He probably banged on the side of the car and yelled for someone to help him, but there was no one nearby to hear. Finally, he wrote, “I’m slowing freezing to death. These may be my last words.” They were. The next day the man was found dead there on the floor of the box car. He had died, but not because he froze to death, but because he believed he had. He knew he was in a refrigerated car and knew that it would have subfreezing temperatures–that is under normal circumstances, but the refrigeration unit was out of order. The temperature in the car was actually 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and there was plenty of air. The man died of his own self-created illusion. This is certainly a dramatic example of how the power of beliefs and thoughts can affect us. Beliefs and thoughts create feelings and expectations of happiness or sadness, success or failure, and based on those perceptions, a person is either spurred toward success and accomplishment or bogged down by accepting failure or mediocrity. Our lives unfold according to how we think.

One or Two Lumps of Sugar? Perhaps you’ve heard of the placebo effect. A placebo is an inert or neutral substance given to a patient who has not responded to traditional therapies. The patient is conditioned by being told that he or she is being given a powerful new drug that will surely work. The patient is then given the placebo, which is often nothing more than a capsule filled with powered sugar. In an amazing percentage of cases–often 30 to 40 percent or more, depending on the condition, the person gets better. Not because the powered sugar did anything to help, but it was the person’s belief about it that did the trick.

How to Lift 500 Pounds
One of he most amazing and encouraging stories of all concerns the Russian weight lifter Vasily Alexeyev. Before the mid 1970’s no human being had ever lifted 500 pounds overhead. The Russian held the world record, but he was never able to break the 500 pound barrier–though he had tried several times. For one important competition, his trainers told him that he would be lifing a weight he had lifted before-499.9 pounds. He did it and then discovered that his trainers had deceived him about the weight–he had actually I lifted 500 1/2 pounds–a new world’s record!

What his trainers did was purposely tell him to do something he already knew he could do. they had erased a limitation that had been embedded not only in his mind but also in the mind of all other weight lifters, and the 500 pound barrier was broken forever. Soon other weight lifters were lifting more than 500 pounds also. In fact, once the 500 pound limitation was removed from his mind, Vasily went on to lift more than 560 pounds overhead. 

The Surprising Source of Strength We all have such tremendous untapped resources that can enable us to accomplish far more than we have ever imagined possible, and the secret to releasing these resources lies in learning to tap the powers of the inner mind. There are actually at least two major components of our mind-the conscious and subconscious. Our subconscious actually does more than our conscious mind in our everyday life, and yet most of the time we aren’t even aware of it. Sure our conscious mind does the thinking, reasoning, analyzing, and making decisions, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Our subconscious mind lies below the level of our conscious awareness and it stores all the information that comes in through our senses. It also houses all our memories, and our emotions. It controls most of our bodily systems like breathing, heart beat, digestion, and eye blinking. It also takes over for us when we are doing repetitive tasks such as walking, driving, typing and sports. This is why you don’t really need to think much about these things once you learn them. But do you remember what it was like when you were learning? Every movement was very deliberate–that’s because it was your conscious mind doing it. Once the subconscious got the hang of it and took over, everything became much smoother and automatic.

Mental Software
The subconscious works something like a computer, which although it might be very fast, is of little use unless it has a program to tell it what to do. Well, your subconscious mind is like that too. All your memories and experiences become your master program that directs and controls your life.

Your master program controls your emotions and success patterns in your career and relationships. It actually determines whether you are positive and happy most of time, or depressed and moody. Even your habits that you might often feel like a slave to and find difficult to change, are controlled by your subconscious mind. That’s a lot of power.
Your subconscious is especially important to you in your career. For instance if you are not making as much money as you think you should, in most cases the reason is that the self-sabotaging and limiting programming in your subconscious is preventing you from having it.
Your limiting subconscious programming affects your income and the quality of your life more than any other single factor–more than the economy, the business your in, or even how hard you work.

Who Wrote the Program?
Where did your programming come from? From the time you were bom, your mind began absorbing input from those around you. You were told what you could do and what you couldn’t do. You were told what was right and what was wrong. One researcher estimated that by the time children enter school they have been told no” over 40,000 times! That is a lot of negative programming going into your subconscious mind, so it’s no wonder people have low self esteem.

All of what you were told and what you experienced as you were growing up formed an image that you had of yourself and the world around you. This image is what became your master subconscious program that would direct your life.

Here’s how it works. Imagine a little league baseball player who usually strikes out, and now he is up to bat. What kind of thoughts and images are likely to be going through the child’s mind? Is he thinking, “This time I’m going to hit a home run?” Not likely. This youngster has little selfconfidence because each time he gets up to bat he’s more scared than the time before-and that’s precisely why he usually strikes out.

How do I know? Because I was that little boy. I struck out every time but twice the entire season–and one of those times was when I got hit with the ball, and the other time I was walked to first base. Needless to say my batting average was at the bottom of the list.’It was all due to striking out a few times and then expecting to strike out every time I got up to bat. I still vividly remember the sensation of knowing that as I got up to bat I would undoubtedly strike out again.

These kinds of experiences can stay with a person for their entire life unless something is done to change it. Babe Ruth whose name is legendary as a home run hitter, hit 714 home runs in his professional career, but did you know that he struck out 1330 times–almost twice as many times as he hit home runs? Yet he was known as the home run king, and never thought of himself as the strike out king–and neither did anyone else. Failure was simply not part of his master program. His self image was set on success.

What To Do Next
What if someone took you aside and worked with you–putting positive thought, beliefs and pictures in your mind. Can you imagine the difference there could be? It would make all the difference in the world. QuantumQuests has hundreds of audio programs and books available that are like your personal coach to give you the encouragement and tools you need to succeed in all the major areas of your life.

For a complete list of audio programs by Jonathan Parker on this and other related subjects, visit Jonathan’s website http://www.quantumquests.com 

Feel Free to Copy This Article & Distribute It Freely Comments on this article may be submitted to the author, Jonathan Parker, at Q@QuantumQuests.com. For a complete list of audio programs and workshops by Jonathan Parker, as well as other articles on this and related subjects, visit Jonathan’s website at: http://www.quantumquests.com 

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