A matter of life and breath

Try this little experiment (and don't force it): You'll need to have a clock handy with a second hand to count how long you hold your breath.  Start by breathing normally for a minute or so, don't try to change anything just trying to be calm. Then breathe out and don't breathe in until you feel like you really need to (this is the bit you should not force) and time how long between the end of the exhalation and the inhalation.

The reason I'm suggesting you do this is inspired by a talk I went to on Breathing Pattern Disorders by Leon Chaitow (an Osteopath that has written the textbooks on virtually all techniques used by bodyworkers) and there were some real eye openers on how common this could be.

How long did you manage? 10 seconds? 20 seconds? 30 seconds? more? Apparently we should be able to hold our breaths for approximately 30 seconds with ease, however most of us find this difficult.  My own score this morning was 20 seconds. This means that we are breathing too much so we could be suffering from Hyperventilation Syndrome (HVS) and this is a problem as we are expelling too much Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from our bodies.

Most of us know that we breathe in oxygen (O2) and breathe out CO2 as a waste product, but the level of CO2 in our blood plays an important role in our systems as it helps to keep our body at a particular pH balance between acid/alkali (within a very specific range).  If this pH balance becomes took alkali then the haemoglobin in the Red blood cells struggle to let go of the O2 that our body needs to function properly. Symptoms can range from headaches, lethagy, neck ache, back ache, and anxiety amongst many others.

Some of the other things that were interesting from the talk were that this mostly affects type 1 personalities, it is more common in women (and progesterone raises women's breathing rate during their menstrual cycle), that this can have far reaching consequences on the quality of our life.

What happens is that we breathe into the top of our chests rather than using the diaphragm to fill the whole lung cavity.  This then has a knock on impact on the stability of the low back (through the "core" muscles of the obliques, transversus abdominus and pelvic floor) and through fascial connections to the limbs as well because we are not using things properly.
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Our bodies become habituated to the level of O2 and alkali in the blood so any changes to this can induce feelings of anxiety (which will then negatively feed back to more hyperventilation) and so trying to retrain needs to be a long slow approach: 5 minutes each morning and night as a focussed effort but forgetting about it and getting on with your life the rest of the time.

In his talk Leon Chaitow showed us a video of retraining (The Nutri Centre filmed the whole talk and it is available in its entirity on their YouTube Channel) but the first part is to focus on the out breath for short periods. This is done by using the pursed lips exhalation.  You put your lips together and blow a thin stream of air our, gently as if you were blowing out a candle about 1 foot away (put your finger there to feel it) and you empty the lungs as fully as you can.  Close your mouth and count for 1 second before you breathe in through your nose.  Do this for 20 cycles of breathing morning and night for a week and then try holding your breathe to see if there is a difference.

You can find the video on The Nutri Centre website here.

An object lesson in the Myofascial Web

One of the key ideas about the myofascial network is that it is a continuous web that surrounds, envelops and defines the elements (muscles, bones, organs) of the body and that what happens in one part of it has an effect on every other part of the body.  It is something that I discuss with my clients all the time and they are amazed when they feel that this is the case.  Over the last couple of weeks I've been painfully shown how interconnected the body's connective tissue is.

I arrived at my Stanmore clinic one morning limping because of a sharp pain in my left knee, every step was agony.  Adam (one of the chiropractor's) checked it and put some tape on it to provide some stability whilst I got on with my clinic. Later, when I had more time, I got another Chiropractor (Owain at Clerkenwell Chiropractic) to check it fully, with no apparent structural problems, thankfully.  I am now working with Owain to rehab the knee to finally resolve the instability, however I really need to work on myself to clear out the myofascial restrictions that will have formed both this time and in the build up to this crisis.

This particular knee issue has been happening for many, many years.  Over a decade ago my best friend got married, for the stag do we went paint-balling. All was going well until at the start of one game I was sprinting for cover, my left ankle gave way and I fell forwards.  Apparently, though I do not remember, it was a spectacular dive and roll into cover that my friends thought was really impressive; I didn't care as I was screaming in agony.  I had to be helped off game area and that was the end of my day paint-balling.  Unfortunately I was the driver, and it was a manual car.  I had to drive home in rush hour through London in a manual car using my injured foot on the clutch.  That night I put a compression bandage and elevated it, putting cold towels on it and that was really all the rehab I did at the time (this was a long time before I was a body worker).  Oh, and there's going to be an emotional element to it as it caused me a lot of grief at work because I took a week off work as I couldn't drive, but that's a different story.

So the reason I'm writing this is that the cause of a lot of my issues come from an ankle that was badly hurt over 10 years ago that I did nothing about.  This time it was the knee that has been hurting, and this has flared up periodically over the last 10 years.  I've usually popped pills and the pain goes after a couple of days, so that means it had gotten better or that is what I thought was the case.

This time I noticed something: I could feel the whole of the left side of my body tighten up.  Having seen a number of Chiropractors and Osteopaths over the years I am aware that I have a functionally short left leg, which means that my pelvis is twisted that causes low back pain, that then travels up into my neck, head and then my jaw and then to my sinus and the dreaded pain that that causes me.

This time I could feel that there had been a preceding tightness in my lower leg running up from the outer side of my ankle, the knee was then being pulled out of place because of that.  This then causes the hip to tighten, pulling inwards causing tension across the pelvic muscles, causing the Sacro-iliac joint to grumble.  The left side of my ribs then collapse down and a muscle in my back threatens to spasm.  I can then feel that the left shoulder is pulled out of place, which I ignore as it's always a bit sore but that's only because of my job, it then hits the base of the skull and over to my jaw, which causes the sinus to become incredibly painful.

So this time I'm going to do something about it.  I've already had a couple of very productive rehab sessions with Owain (thelondonchiro.com) who I'm lucky enough to work with at Clerkenwell Chiropractic and he has been putting me through my paces (and introducing me to the torture device that is a red bouncy hemisphere [pictured]) and I'm really glad to have been doing it.  Yoga has definitely helped, as it has all the way through, and the wonderful Bridget (bridgeyoga.co.uk) is really good at making sure I do not hurt myself.  I've been working on myself with some Myofascial stretches as well, but think I really need to find someone local to me to help out more.  In the meantime I've been having more massages, which are always very nice. In combination all of these approaches have been really helping me.

Time for resolutions

Happy New Year! I feel like 2014 is going to be a great year.

It's at this time of year when magazines are full of articles encouraging you to set yourself goals to get fit/ lose weight. I'm happy to help you achieve those goals by helping ease aches and strains in the muscles you are discovering you do actually possess, correcting your postural bad habits and supporting the changes you are making.

Personally I don't usually do much in the way of New Year's Resolutions: they don't last and then you feel guilty, and to be honest if you really wanted to do something why wait until the New Year to do it. However, I'm not against reviewing where I'm at and setting some goals that I can work towards during the year.  Last year I decided a goal was to make something in the kitchen (over and above lunches and dinners) and that has been quite successful (Spelt rolls, Jamaican Gingerbread, crumpets, cheese & blackpepper english muffins, and Christmas cake) even if not entirely healthy.  I had also decided that I should increase my cardio workout so all the walking I've been doing has been very good for this especially as I've increased the pace.

So this year's selection are (in no particular order):

1) Do more to look after myself by doing yoga more regularly, having regular massages.  I've already made a start on the yoga, and I've got my first massage booked in.
2) Celebrate the positive, and not the negative/foolish. With all the social media that I look at it is all too easy to fall into the laugh at the idiot type, I will try to be more positive.
3) Learn more techniques.  This really is a given as I have to complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD), I just need to book them in.
4) Blog more. Already making a start on this one.  I think my aim will be one a month, but that might change.
5) Run more Reiki courses.  These are already happening: next Reiki Level 1 on 1st/2nd February 2014, and Reiki Level 2 at the end of March.

So these are my goals for the year.  What about you?

Reiki helped me stop smoking

Happy New Year! It is the time of year when people are making resolutions on how to loose weight/stop smoking/be healthier and from what I know about myself is that most fail before we even start as we don't really want to make the change.

I don't really do resolutions at New Year (why wait for a particular time of year to make a change?) and would rather make small changes whenever I feel I will succeed. I used to be a smoker and for many years family and friends told me to give up. I was aware of the poisonous effect, but I was not ready to give up. Each time someone told me what to do, I became more stubborn about "giving up when I want to".

Finally one Christmas I was really sick and very nearly went the whole day without a cigarette. When having the one cigarette I had that day I suddenly realised I really hated it. It was now the right time for me to quit. Unfortunately, I'd just bought a couple of weeks' worth of cigarettes and I do not like to waste things, so I decided to smoke these last packs but at a severely reduced rate, weeks later came the last one and then I was done.

During the time I was cutting back I was developing my Reiki life (reading books on it and incorporating it into my work as a massage therapist) and I came across the Reiki technique to change negative habits. Smoking was a negative habit and I was going to stop so I decided to use Reiki to help make it a smooth cessation.

The day I stopped happened to be my Mother's birthday so I told her what I was doing (to her delight) and spent an hour giving myself Reiki and then the specific approaches to help change habits. I kept this combination up for 21 days, always a good number and it is frequently said it takes 3 weeks to allow good habits to take hold.

How did I find giving up? It was the easiest cessation I've done (this was my third attempt at stopping smoking) and the key? My Reiki self healing practice, and giving myself a short burst of Reiki whenever I had a craving. Using Reiki as the way to address the craving meant that I didn't replace one emotional crutch with another (such as chocolate). So no further habits to break. I will say that I, like many former smokers, still have cravings (3 years later) but I have a wonderful way to counter this.

It doesn't just work on smoking, it was recently reported that Christina Aguilera used Reiki to support her through her weight loss regime, saying “Reiki puts her mind in a good place and gives her the discipline to eat healthy and maintain weight loss.”

To me that is the beauty of Reiki, the healing energy can be used to support you in the positive changes you want to make. It is also easier to support yourself by learning Reiki so you can help yourself to do this.

If you want to experience Reiki for yourself book in for a treatment or even decide to learn for yourself or if you have questions then get in touch.

Please note, this is my personal story and it does require will power to make these changes.  Reiki, in my mind made this easier.

Breast health myofascial workshop

I recently went to a Myofascial Release special workshop for Breast Health run by Linda from Myofascial Release UK. The day focused on techniques that work the soft tissues of the arm pit and upper chest area and that are especially beneficial for women, particularly for those that have had treatment for breast cancer, however everyone can benefit from them (as I was to find out for myself).

I was not entirely certain why I was actually attending the course; I had bought a block of workshops and this (in my mind) would be the least useful one.  I was wrong, very wrong with that idea.  In the weeks before the course I started to think about my clientele and realised that I have a number of clients who this would be really good for (some have recovered from breast cancer, others have had surgery in this area, a number have breathing issues and a lot have tightness in this or the immediate surrounding area) and I realised that I should have ways of treating the chest so that I truly can follow what the body wants treated (with the client's permission of course).

This is an area that is often not worked on in a "typical" massage/body work session, but think about it: these structures and the ones they connect with are central to the whole body: the pectoral muscles impact the arms, the latissimus dorsi connect to the lumbar fascia (and are frequently repositioned for reconstructive surgery after mastectomies), the fascia covering the breastbone connect to the abdomen, and there are deep fascial connections to the lungs, the heart, the anterior neck muscles and this is a gross simplification of the whole structure.  Linda talked about what she had seen on a dissection course that she had attended where one of the cadavers had had a mastectomy.  She said that there was a thickening in the fascia that spanned the whole front of the body, and it was like a web radiating out through the abdominal walls, deep in to the pericardial sack, the lungs and far farther than anyone expected.

The techniques look at the area from the armpit to armpit, from throat to diaphragm, but really in a true treatment it would be extending beyond this elsewhere into the body.  From my experience on working on the Myofascia in the rest of the body I can easily understand how beneficial these techniques and approaches would be for people who have suffered the physical trauma of surgery, and chemotherapy for treatment of breast.  The gentle work to release the adhesions and restore some semblance of normality to the soft tissue could have such a profound effect for people and probably a lot more that haven't really considered that this could be an area of tightness for them.  Three of the techniques worked directly on or below the breast itself, but they can be adapted or not used depending on how the client feels about them being worked on.

I am fortunate enough not to have had any surgery to this area, but I have had poor posture when using a computer for many years when working in an office.  I also enjoy yoga on a weekly basis (if not more) and spend a lot of time working to expand the chest area.  I was very surprised how much techniques we learnt working on the armpit, ribcage and breast bone areas had a profound affect on my body, particularly freeing up an on-going tightness in my left shoulder.  Going to yoga later in the week I could feel a vast improvement in what is normally my tight arm and shoulder, so great a difference that my "good" arm sudden became the one that needed more stretching.  The breathing techniques at the end of the session were fuller, more balanced and deeper than they had been before.

I have to say a big thank you to Linda (who ran this sensitive course) and my fellow students for running a very supporting course where I (personally) felt secure enough that I was able to unwind (where the body releases tension in a physical way) not once, but three times.  I can honestly say that that was the first time I felt safe enough to properly do it.  Thank you to the therapists who facilitated this for me, I am continuing to feel the work that you/we did and it feels amazing.

Introvert, quietly loud and proud

I read all the time: I always have a book on the go and love Fantasy Fiction (see my geek is coming out already) and I used to hate reading text books.  However when I started training and working as a massage therapist I realised that I needed to read around the subject, as there is a lot of information that I feel I need to know. I travel to my clinics by public transport so I have a lot of time that I could read. I came to the decision that I would read "work books" when travelling to clinics and courses during the week, and save my   reading for pleasure for other times that I read.  I worked out that this gives me about 500 hours of reading time per year (yep, I spend that much time on London Underground).  This might sound daunting, however I find it really worthwhile, and I can cover a large number of subjects in that time.  Some of these subjects will grace this blog as they are important.

I have just finished reading Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking by Susan Cain and I have realised that this love of reading is just one of the signs that I am an Introvert. This is a word that had got so many bad connotations in this world that it has become something to be ashamed of; this book will hopefully help us Introverts to reclaim it and quietly whisper it with pride.

Susan Cain describes herself as an introvert and in this book examines the way that our current, western culture is focused on and celebrates the Extrovert Ideal (loud, brash, "popular", bigger/better/newer, "confident") and is geared to force all western people into this one mould from childhood schooling onwards.  However, some of us don't fit: we like to have quiet, recovery time.  We like to read, think about problems, formulate answers and solutions, and when we think we have it right we will present it with passion (if we truly believe in it) and we are the introverts.

This isn't just a life-style choice, according to research presented in the book there are some physiological differences between us, so no amount of training will change who we fundamentally are, but we might become better at giving a speech.  These include the way that our brains actually function when presented with new stimuli such as meeting new people or being introduced to new concepts.  Introverts' bodies and minds react differently to Extroverts'.

According to the book, many of the greastest minds and business leaders (e.g. Bill Gates) were/are introverts , and they are universally accepted as being "successful", so it seems surprising that introverts are shunned as being lesser creatures that need to be changed to "fit in" and be successful.  Susan Cain provides examples of  numerous experiments that show time and again that under certain circumstances Introverts out perform Extroverts.

Many creative types (e.g. writers) are also highly Introvert and would not be able to function if forced into a brain storming group (great evidence that group brainstorming  is detrimental to both extroverts and introverts).  The book also looks at the evidence that putting Extroverts in charge can lead to a cycle that can spiral out of control (as they can overlook warning signs that an Introvert would heed), but that Introverts are frequently ignored because they don't have the best presentation skills, even when what they are saying is better than what the extroverts come up with.  However, extroverts can get the messages out there with flair and panache, can push for the beneficial risks and are good leaders.

It is one of the key things discussed in the book (although it is blindingly obvious) : Introverts and Extroverts have different strengths and they should be celebrated and encouraged, as together we will be the better for it.

Some people think I am a shy extrovert in that I can talk to strangers, will stand and give a speech at a Wedding or run courses. Yes, I can stand up in front of a room and talk or talk easily with people I've just met,  but I have to feel secure (for example they've approached me and are asking for my help or I'm hosting the party/event) and confident in what I am going to be talking about (I will have spent a lot of time thinking about what I'm going to be talking about, rehearsing what I'm going to be saying). So, I have a mechanism that helps me to do this, but it has its limitations.

I know that I need time away from people to be able to recharge my batteries so I can continue to interact (I will often disappear for a quick walk alone at lunchtimes, not only to get a breath of fresh air but to have a bit of down time), I know that I will find it easiest to concentrate in a communal area with headphones on listening to some music to drown out the rest of the world, which is something I developed to survive Office life. I really do detest open plan offices, and I think there should be a special circle in hell for the person who came up with the idea.  Open plan offices are less conducive for creative work that they are meant to foster, and this book reports on research that shows that both Introverts and Extroverts don't work as well in these environments.

This book has given me the confidence to say that my feelings are valid, that I do not have to be the life and soul of the party the whole time, that I can be me.  It also makes me accept that my clients are also a mix of extrovert and introvert and I will need to adapt my approach to suit them, similarly the advice that I give will also have to be adapted to suit them too as not everyone wants the peace and quiet that us Introverts crave.

So I am an Introvert, and I will whisper it confidently.

Don't have the scars to prove it - Myofascial Abdominal scarring workshop

In the middle of June 2013 I did two workshops with the wonderful Linda of Myofascial UK, the first looking at the Spine & Sacrum (read my thoughts about here) and the second was on Abdominal Scarring.

Most of the people who were on the course had been there the day before, so there was less of a having to get to know everyone feel to the start of the day, and we basically got started straight away.  There were some laughter to start with because one of the leaders running a course in the room next door to us was wearing a T shirt saying "Powered by Orgasm" on it (no, I have no idea what the course was but everyone appeared normal).  

This laughter typifies the day, there is an atmosphere of easiness to the courses, with little anxiety about doing the techniques (once you've got yourself correctly positioned) and more about experiencing them and seeing what happens.  It is part of what makes the courses a joy to attend.

I am fortunate in that I have not had any abdominal surgery (and I hastily look round for something wooden to touch) so do not have any scars that would benefit directly.  However I have already come across and worked with a number of people with scars and know that they have a far reaching effect on the body, and also be a store for repressed emotion.  With the abdomen this can lead to digestive issues, and postural issues (just think of what your favoured position is if you have a stomach ache)  .

In fact the curling into a foetal position , with a 'collapsed' (i.e. shortened) front is an exageration of the slumped position we can easily adopt sat behind a PC/in the car/in front of the TV. So working on this area can be beneficial for so many people who lead sedentary lives.  It is an area that is also frequently overlooked as the pain is on the back of body, but might be because the body isn't fully straigthening up.

The first technique we learnt was skin rolling, and I'm pretty sure that every single person on the course had areas that were restricted (possibly adhered) somewhere in the abdomen.  It was quite an eye opener for me on actually how much of my stomach area needed work, and it was very different for each individual. I do tell my clients that I have had everything done to me that I do to them, so I know what it is like to some extent.  So yes, this is a painful technique (think chinese burn/rippy-burning sensations) but the end result is great.

We learnt a lot of other techniques to ease the abdomen from the diaphragm down to the bladder and pelvic floor and each one was quite remarkable in how effective it was in someone who thinks they stretch well and isn't too restricted in this area. It was very common for releases in the stomach to be felt/accompanied by releases in areas of the back and shoulders, so the abdomen could play a large part in people with back problems and this is something that I will be including with more of my clients when it is necessary.

The direct work on the scar was interesting in that it can be applied not just to scars but also to the belly button (and it can be remarkably, exquisitely painful) and I had two people working on me whilst we were practicing this.  One worked on my belly button and the other on the only scar I have (on my left knee from when I was aged 8 or so and I thought it was fully healed).  The belly button was really quite tender in places, but things felt great afterwards, but I've worked with people in this area so know that it can have a large impact on the digestive system.

I was really surprised about what was happening with the 30 plus year old scar on my knee, I could feel tension down into my big toe whilst it was being worked on and afterwards the texture of the scar was very different (smoother, more pliable and a different healthier colour) and it was a pleasant surprise.

Working on the stomach can have a big impact on people who've had surgery (e.g. appendectomies, caesarians, investigative endoscopies) and this workshop provided me with a number of really useful approaches that I can and will use with my clients.  It has reminded me that I also need to pay attention to what is going on towards the front of the body when people come to me to treat the back.

Since the course I have had a couple of clients who have really benefited from the techniques I learnt over this weekend.  They have all felt a reduction in pain and an opening sensation in the areas that I've been working on.

So next up is the long anticipated unwinding course in September, which should be great fun.  I just need to learn how to fully relax before then, so I can get the most out of it.