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Spirituality and Health

By On · Add Comment · In anxiety, belief, depression, drug abuse, faith, health, heart disease, meditation, religion, spirituality, suicide, universe, violence

Today I would like to discuss an oft-overlooked aspect of health: Our connection to something bigger than ourselves.  Yes, I am a spiritualist–I believe in God.  Maybe not in the way of some organized religions, but I am convinced that the universe is a part of a grand order, of which we are bound in our physiology, and thus our health.

I’m not going to necessarily discuss the universal order as it pertains to physiology and health here.  Instead I am going to touch on a few points on spirituality and health, as well as encourage you to watch the beautiful video above to witness the magnificence of the universe from our earthly perspective, and hope you realize it is all much bigger than even this.

Health is directly related to our connections to a greater source.  Whether real or psychological is irrelevant to our discussions here–all I wish to point out is the improvement to physical health when spirituality is believed/practiced/observed.

If we can put aside for one minute our politics, our illusions, our human drives, and our emotional oscillations to just witness the beauty of the all, if only for just this one needle-point view of the grandness offered by the accompanying video, then I am certain we can all catch a glimpse of what we truly are.  THIS is the source of health, and it’s a confirmation that we can all have optimal health if we are in touch with the source.  That’s my belief anyway.

Fall Asleep

By On · Add Comment · In bodywork, chiropractor, elderly, exercise, falls, health, medications, meditation, sleep, women

You know how I feel about adequate sleep–I think it’s absolutely crucial. Not only does getting a proper amount do amazing things for your health, but not getting enough can be simply disastrous. Check out the latest findings from the California Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco: Women over 70 who get less than adequate sleep are more likely to fall; and falls cause fractures as well as some deaths.

According to the study, which followed 3,000 women over 7o for a number of years, women who slept no more than five hours per night were at the greatest risk of falling and seriously hurting themselves. They were, in fact, likely to have two or more falls a year. Women who slept between five and seven hours were the next most likely to fall, and they did 40% more than the best rested. The women who slept the most, over seven hours, had the least risk of falling.

Although the study looked at women solely, it is by no means a female phenomenon. Men are at the same types of risk when not rested, and in light of the numbers of older people falling every year, it’s something to think about. Many people have trouble sleeping that’s for sure. Every reason to take up regular exercise, meditation and get some regular bodywork in. Each one of these practices should help regulate the natural sleep cycle. And I also think very highly of melatonin supplementation. No, it’s not going to work immediately over night, but try it for a few weeks or months and I’ll bet it helps.

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep, so if you aren’t getting yours it would be wise to make changes, no matter what your age. And if you are having sleep difficulties, speak to your doctor about any medications you are taking that might be contributing. Otherwise go to the gym, stay away from stimulants (coffee, cocaine) close to bedtime, meditate twice a day, and visit your local chiropractor–she might be able to help–and you should be catching proper z’s in no time. And when you finally do, you’ll find that your balance is as steady as a rock.

Stress Management Chills Hypertension

By On · Add Comment · In collapse process, high blood pressure (HBP), hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension, meditation, mental balance, pranayama, stress management, working out

High stress leads to high blood pressure. You don’t say.

Stressed out? Boiling mad? About to lose your lid? Chill out, man…relax. Really, it’ll save your life if you do.

Stress management techniques have been shown to reduce hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP), if learned and practiced regularly. And even more exciting is that reducing stress through effective techniques can reduce the need for blood pressure drugs in elderly people with a special type of HBP called isolated systolic hypertension. Nice. So says a study out of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

High blood pressure, not a disease in itself, but a warning that disease is looming, can lead to such maladies as heart attacks, stroke and kidney failure. Dang–doesn’t it make sense to learn a few stress reduction techniques? I think so. Here are the best:

  • Creating mental balance through a special technique called the collapse process (ask me about it, I’ll be glad to explain).
  • Meditation (there are many techniques to choose from–all good in my opinion)
  • Pranayama (yogic breathing technique)
  • Working out (especially hitting the heavy bag)
  • Sex

That’s right–learning a few of these powerful techniques can add years to your life by preventing some of today’s most prevalent disorders. And in the case of isolated systolic hypertension, which often afflicts the elderly and is hard to treat with medications, these findings are stupendous.

So don’t delay. Learn some stress management techniques today and you’ll find life a little easier to deal with.

Rip Van Winkle It Ain’t

By On · Add Comment · In exercise, medications, meditation, mental chatter, non-drug alternatives, pain, pain management, sleep, sleep disorders

Wanna guess what’s a huge quality of life issue for the elderly–not getting enough sleep. I know, I know, no surprises here, but my question is: does it have to be? According to a recent study published in The American Journal of Medicine, more than 50% of older Americans get less sleep than they need.

Dr. Harrison G. Bloom, a senior associate at the International Longevity Center-USA and associate clinical professor of geriatrics and medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City says that “Sleep problems and sleep disorders are not an inherent part of aging (emphasis mine).” So something else is going on that’s keeping our older generations from getting the rest they need. I believe that sleep disorders in the elderly are primarily from three things:

  • Pain–many older people are suffering from chronic aches and pains. If they are seeing a typical medical physician, then they are probably getting plenty of pain pills, anti-inflammatories, and some good ol’ fashioned sleeping pills. However, none of these things actually helps remove the pain. Duh! No wonder they can’t sleep.
  • Multiple medications–many older folk are on more meds than they can count on both hands. Shame, shame American health care system. Check the side effects of any meds you’ve got lying around; I’ll bet $100 that 50% of them have insomnia as one of their potentials.
  • Charged mental chatter–this is the stuff that plagues all of us; however, older people often have more worries, therefore, less sleep.

So to answer the question: Does it have to be this way? The answer is NO. Older people can benefit from many of the same things younger people benefit from:

  • regular exercise
  • wholesome diets
  • pain management–or even better, a solution–see a chiropractor
  • mental exercises–reading, puzzles, mathematics, learning something new
  • mental balance–dissolve the charges (read my upcoming book to find out how)
  • meditation
  • find non-drug alternatives

The final entry above can only be accomplished by taking impeccable care of oneself. Really, everyone, you need to get a copy of The Six Keys To Optimal Health; it’ll show you the way.

Meditation Improves Lives in Five Days

By On · Add Comment · In cortisol, integrative meditation, meditation, relaxation training, stress

We’ve all heard that meditation reduces stress. And who doesn’t know about meditation’s ability to clear the mind? But a new study out of the University of Oregon has found that as little as 20 minutes of meditation over 5 days shows greater improvement in attention and overall mood, as well as lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue.

The study looked at 40 Chinese students, half getting instructed in integrative meditation, while the other half taken through relaxation training only. The meditation group showed greater increases when tested for attention, and they also showed improvements in mood, and lower reactions to mental stressors as measured by “stress-related cortisol levels”. According to the authors of the study, integrative meditation incorporates “several key components body and mind techniques including body relaxation, breathing adjustment, mental imagery, and mindfulness training.

Definitely thumbs up to this one, mostly because I’m pleased to see our nation’s universities giving this vital health practice some time and research money. And hats off to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which published the study–it’s high time we look deeper into the incredible power of the mind and investigate what other cultures have simply taken for granted. I speak at length about meditation in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health. I am convinced that everybody should be doing it. And as I tell my patients: even ten minutes a day will have profound effects on your life.

That reminds me…have you heard the one about the Buddhist who went into a Burger King? He said, “Make me one with everything.”

Ommmmmmmmm……

Here are some meditation resources if you’re interested:

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh (a personal favorite)

Meditations for Manifesting by Dyer, Wayne W.(August 1, 1995) Audio CD by Wayne Dyer (good CD for beginners)

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain (the first book of this kind I’d ever read)

Seeking The Self Through Meditation (E-book) by Moi (good book for beginners)

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