Basic information about physical and spiritual cleansing

It is becoming spring in my neck of the woods, so the impulse to do Spring Cleaning is up. No coincidence it is also the season of Lent. Though this is a custom most common to Christians, it is not an exclusively Christian practice. Voluntarily modifying the diet, fasting and other forms of purification are known as beneficial in most cultures.

Perhaps the most relevant similarity between physical and spiritual cleansing is seen in the adding or subtracting of substance from the daily routine. In both cases, chemical preservatives and mild toxins, such as alcohol, are discouraged. However it can be anticipated that physical level cleansing will recommend the addition of a specific natural substance for the duration, while a spiritual cleanse is more likely to recommend further subtraction of substance.

Physical Cleanses

Through time natural healers have learned to isolate and clear dead energy from any organ or physical system of the body. The process involved requires complete commitment on the part of the person being cleansed. The "cleansee" must be willing to modify daily consumption and ingest substances that would otherwise never appeal to the palate.

For instance, the most effective way to rid a person of multiple physical concerns is a colon cleanse. A typical protocol would suggest first ridding the diet of red meat, dairy, breads, sugar, and caffeinated/alcoholic beverages, as all of these have a binding, inflammatory or dehydrating effect. Then a specific cleansing agent, such as an herbal supplement, tea or substance such as charcoal or clay is added in specific proximity with meals. High fiber foods, such as spinach or broccoli, may be recommended additions to the menu.

Some of the colon-cleansing agents have a filling and leaching effect, which cause sluggish bowels in the first few days. Herbs may be recommended to stimulate contraction in the bowels to help deeply seated dead matter move out. This initial stage of discomfort is unavoidable, particularly for a person who is cleansing for the first time, and is the case with most other system cleanses.  Ideally no cleanse causes constipation lasting more than two days, however there may be diarrhea, a feeling of nervous tension, fatigue or emotional sensitivity for the beginning phase of any physical clean out. This is the initial physical release of waste matter, and on the emotional level functions as a sort of testing phase to make sure the person is willing to go the entire distance. As long as he/she persists, the discomfort will eventually pass. In one cleansing manual, the author prescribes prayer during this well-known initial release.

Once the bulk of stagnant matter is cleared a person will notice a greater physical ease. There will be a new relationship established with the toilet, but, a physical cleanse may begin at a person's convenience, and continue from 4 days to two months. Aside from slight dietary modifications and the addition of a cleansing agent, basic physical-level procedures may be added to the every day routine.

Beyond dietary additions, people with a history of cleansing have found benefit from external processes to support deeper physical cleansing once the first levels of toxicity have been removed. In the case of a colon cleanse, this may be enemas or colonic therapies. External processes for other types of cleanse range from holding a low-voltage electric circuit to daily Epsom salt baths to topical essential oil application to swallowing large doses of oil and/or vinegar. With this sort of process a person must modify everyday routines to accommodate time for the specific process. The duration of deeper cleaning protocols can be anywhere from three days to three weeks, and may be added into the basic physical cleanse time.

Someone doing his/her first physical cleanse is better off not adding external cleansing processes.

Spiritual Cleanses

These are often re-enactments of major turning points in the history of a spiritual group. Examples in major religions are Lent, Passover and Ramadan. Native American traditions perform the Sun Dance. These prescribed cleanses subtract specific foods (such as leavened bread, meat, meals in daylight hours, or all food and water) and certain activities, such as foul language, work or non-cleansing social contact.  Once the initial preparations have been made, spiritual community gatherings are increased during holy seasons. Depending upon the tradition the season may be from 7 days to 40 days long. Spiritual cleanses coincide with specific times in the year and have an exact duration. 

For instance, one orthodox tradition of Lent recommends eliminating all meat, fish, dairy, wine and oils one week before the season begins, and continuing for the 40 day period eating sparingly all but two days each week. For the entire Lent period there is one day specified for a complete fast (Good Friday). The addition of prayer and spiritual gatherings are highlighted during this process, and it is known that only the most pious (clergy) will be able to keep all the rules.

Eliminating any one food or substance from the diet itself will stimulate a physical level cleanse complete with the initial discomfort mentioned in above. Therefore, all people who take part in a regular spiritual cleanse will receive physical benefits. In contrast with physical cleansing, no specific substance is added to the diet, thus no internal process to draw a person's focus to his/her physical comfort. Rather the external process of attending community service, reading specific passages of holy texts and making personal offerings begins early in the ceremony. This makes any one persons process part of a larger community effort to gain clarity and greater connection with Divine Source presence.

From the beginning a person must modify daily activities to enact a Spiritual Cleanse. It is said in earth-based medicine, "the entire natural world supports a fasting person," thus many people will find themselves more often in nature or the stillness of a holy shrine during the depths of this season. It is a time apart from the regular flow of social life, a retreat for contemplation and personal communion.

Another specific difference in spiritual level work is in giving to others. This may be in the form of financial charity and/or in the focus of prayer. One church community may give prayer during Lent for a special purpose, such as the seeding of a new church, while Sun Dancers each carry the prayers of many people from many places in their time together.  In this way each spiritual cleanse opens a path for a sacrifice of sorts on behalf of others.

Ending a Cleanse 

In both physical and spiritual cleanses there are specified ways to "break the fast" as it were, or end the ceremony. With a sheerly physical processes an individual will certainly have a sensation of being somewhat different from the people around him/her. Spiritual communities re-integrate all together after the holy cleanse, thus have a group of peers to connect with as adjustments to regular life take place. Without question the people of a spiritual community will grow deeper bonds with each other through subsequent years.

As a specifically physical process, many secular people do not cleanse unless it becomes imperative. Those interested preventive medicine proceed with physical cleansing at regular intervals. Variations include one major cleanse in the spring, several shorter processes each season, one-day fasts into each week for a period, or the removal of specific substances for a few seasons to allow the organs to cleanse naturally. A well-known adage of the natural medicine world states "the body exhibits symptoms of illnesses developed four months earlier." Thus anyone tracking his/her physical fluctuations does well to consider what poisons or remedies were present in the previous season.

Spiritual cleansing is strongly supported in traditional religious communities. Anyone who was raised in such community will have witnessed or participated in these cleanses in childhood, and will certainly feel compelled to find his/her personal commitment to the ceremony as an adult. On one level these deep spiritual traditions serve to prevent habits injurious to physical health. However, for anyone who was not raised in these customs, the first enactment of orthodox Lent may have profoundly difficult results. Thus anyone wishing to begin this sort of cleanse does well to consider the experiences he/she was raised in and gauge the level of intensity accordingly.

Seek Support

As illustrated above, all cleansing for physical or spiritual health involves some education. Anyone who wishes to start one or both processes is wise to seek the support of people who have a history with that process. There are countless resources on physical cleansing available both online and at natural food stores, and many doors open for a person seeking to engage on a spiritual path. My first suggestion is for a person to connect with resources and communities that have a sense of familiarity, common purpose or similar background. Secondly, once the commitment to cleanse has been made, see it through to the end. Attend to all the steps involved. Even if it is a bumpy ride, a person's first cleanse is quite possibly the most important act in improving his/her health.

Ways of experiencing Love

As a post-Valentine’s Day offering I would like to share an interesting tidbit about love picked up in my studies of the human being. Most of us through history have come to the awareness of Love as a major component, if not the purpose, for our lives on Earth. From the seat of Western Civilization, ancient Greece, I found three conceptual delineations of the word “love” as it occurred to our philosophical ancestors.

Glittery, beautiful Eros...

The one we evoke most often at Valentine’s Day is eros, romantic, physical love. Eros is attraction oriented and appeals to lovers who do not wish to sully the moment with logic. Think Romeo and Juliet, Kermit and Ms. Piggy, and love-at-first-sight. This is magnetic and kinesthetic love. Couples that cannot keep their hands off each other are excellent examples of erotic love.

Though many of us believe we are looking for eros and all the pleasure it brings, more often the love in our lives comes in the form of philia, friendly love. This was a conceptual delineation made by Aristotle to denote “brotherly” love and loyalty toward friends. Our expression of philia is demonstrated through gestures of appreciation, community events and sharing common passions. I would hazard to guess that most people experience philia with co-workers and teammates.

Team spirit is the essence of philia.

Beyond the love of one’s neighbor is the higher love, agape. This is godly love, a spiritual connection that has the quality of universal, unconditional positive regard with the connotation of contentment. People who follow a spiritual leader express agape through offerings and acts on behalf of that person. This may be the special love between teachers and students, or parents and children. Many people connect with Nature as the object of agape.  In fact agape is an expression of the feeling people have with their pets.

Storge is a fourth word I found when looking up the above Greek words online. This means familial love, or affection. Storge also implies tolerance. Specifically in reference to a parent/child type of love, this is the human energetic that gets some children through puberty alive. Most often in literature storge is depicted as acceptance for a difficult family member. This is a very human sentiment that allows us to continue loving each other despite many flaws and mistakes.

Even if there is no eros in your life now, I hope that the above ideas support you in looking a little deeper into the magnitude of love in your everyday experience. Thanks to all of you who bring the more subtle expressions of agape, philia and storge into the world. I commend you on being an examples of gentle sincerity amid overt demonstrations of eros that are so popular in media today. 

The Beauty of Generosity toward Women

Have you ever noticed the amazing change in atmosphere when the sun pours through the clouds on an overcast day? In my years as a bodyworker I have seen a similar shift happen in people when touch reaches a place that relieves pain. Only recently, since finding love in a gentle man have I observed a subtle, gender specific nuance in this phenomenon: while men brighten obviously with the release of tension, it happens to the power of 10 in women.

When He supports Her, He feels Her gratitude.

As mentioned above, this awareness started when a fantastically supportive man entered my life.  He is someone who goes hundreds of extra miles for the people he loves, notices and interacts directly with emotional situations and has more patience for me than anyone I’ve ever known. It was after one of several times we worked together over the holiday that I realized how wonderfully light I felt. And how the small gestures of kindness he had given added up to contentment in my heart.

I have been back to my regular work as a chair massage therapist and guess what? I have found that imitating his spontaneous acts of kindness has yielded a universally positive effect! This seems obvious to the spiritually aware, I know. But the biggest surprise to me has been the extra portion of positivity it brings out in women.

How does this look in practice?

There is a basic level of helpfulness involved in preparing a clients to receive chair massage. As if I were the hostess at a party, I help clients with their jackets, jewelry, assorted items such as cell phones that may interfere with a session, and then find out exactly what is going on.

So what comprises the “extra mile”?

Though it may seem paradoxical, many of us in the bodywork world develop a sense of separation from clients as a survival technique. When a client comes from a place that has no perceivable similarities to our own, or a condition that takes a little bit of negligence to develop, we learn to go through the motions of helping them without opening to their true need. Results are fleeting.
In my highly unscientific experiment with generosity I re-acquainted myself with the original purpose of touch therapy. That is, empathy. It is one of the character traits of people who are in service. As a talent it must be developed through practice, and must be regularly restored. In my experiment with generosity I used this therapeutic tool, coming from a place of genuine concern for people's comfort without expectation of achieving results, as the unexpected gift for my clients.

A bit of back story for non-therapist readers:
In genuinely empathizing with a person’s experience a space opens between myself and the other. This is the place where the light of our human being connects without differentiation. It is a delicate and sacred place that may initiate healing in either of us. I may be confronted with my own wounds when open empathically toward another person. Therapists often work together in this space, possibly in a "retreat" or classroom setting where containment is established and guides are available if a pair should loose their way.
As a therapist "in the field" I do not have an external guide to support me if a deeply empathic connection initiates a healing for me, thus complete trust in our combined wisdom is my act of generosity.

My experimentation with open empathy is where the differences between men and women’s responses to generosity have been observed.

Mind you, these observations are based on chair massage sessions given in a very public place.

With a male client I can make a general assessment according to my perception, and give feed back something like “your arm has a pattern of extending far out of the socket." He may give a sigh and perhaps explain what work he’s been doing, (something like throwing a ball, a work project or incorrect overuse habit) and continue to receive touch in a more open way. As his mind and emotions respond to being seen, we continue the session with greater harmony. In longer sessions, there emerges a feeling of cooperation, as if we have changed roles and he is helping me resolve his own tension. He appears very relieved and grateful at the end of the session. All men seem to be born with genuinely amazing smiles, and give them freely when something unexpectedly pleasant happens. As a generalization, men who have received open generosity access and express the peace within, and seem more able to focus on work.

With a female client if I make a similar observation about her arm she will also heave a sigh, but it will come from a soul-level. She may give a reason for her arm being extending far out of the socket, but more than half of the time this is a statement of being rather than doing. She takes this moment of being recognized to acknowledge her inner need, and may say something like “yes, I’ve been very over-extended since …..  happened.” The opening that follows makes room for much more than a quick patch of the problem. In my observations a significant number of women will open deeply for core healing. In a public place and with any number of things remaining to achieve in the day, I have witnessed women allow decades-old splinters to be removed and integrated healing to begin. The women I’ve seen allow this are deeper people at the end of a session. The air around them is different. It is truly humbling to see the light emitting from a woman whose pain has been seen, and genuine care given to improve her condition.

Based on this minor amount of field study, I have been awakened to a generations-old question, that of chivalry. It is the case that my Sweetheart was raised to take extra care for women. When we first met it seemed a bit contrived. Soon we made an agreement to do these kind acts for each other as a situation required. It is the spirit of chivalry, or un-calculated acts of generosity about him that inspires me to be a better person. In my clients there is an immediate reflection of effectiveness, especially among my own gender. This completely demystifies the question of why centuries of men have taken such pains to extend generosity toward women: when she receives the gift, his world becomes a better place!

A Journey into the Deep: Suppress Emotional Traumas

Writing about the difficulties of our human existence is not easy.  In order to write a post that may have relevance to readers, I must have a connection with the subject. Deep healing to free myself of inhibitions has been my life-long pursuit. But it is not all about the journey inward. Here is a short tale from a master healer.

In many indigenous cultures the path of medicine is one passed from person to person with great seriousness. The Medicine Way is a full-life commitment to Great Mystery, the people, and the instruments of medicine. 

One Legendary Spiritual Guide told a story of the time shortly after his teacher handed him this responsibility. The teacher's instructions were, "Do not ask the people to face any obstacle that you have not faced in yourself." The new initiate accepted the task and determined to follow this mandate with great discipline. He made a deep voyage into the ceremony vision quest-style with the belief that total immersion would strengthen his bond with Great Mystery, the medicine, and his relationship as a guide of the people.

After a full lunar cycle of high ceremony he summed up the experience like this:

I have taken this medicine every day for a month, and have determined one thing -

I do not want to re-live my childhood any more.

It’s true, in previous posts I have given no guidance on how to “make it through” a therapeutic pivot point such as releasing birth trauma. Like in the shaman’s story above, there is no promise of higher awakening to God or self-mastery. In fact it would be irresponsible for me to tell someone where this experience will bring him/her. I can state with certainty that the feelings ushering in the release of early life wounding will be sensations that are familiar and uncomfortable. It is almost certain that these feelings have been the catalyst for learned escape mechanisms.

“Why is it always something I want to avoid? Why is it the tender spot on my soft underbelly?

Why is it something that throws my entire life into a tailspin?!?”

The reason for this is almost universal.  The original experience was overwhelming. Our socially conditioned mechanism for correct coping had no way of managing the newness, volume or speed of an experience, or series of occurrences that happened in our early life. Quite likely there was no therapist standing by to shelter us while we diffused the original mental and emotional shock. In that moment, once our known strategy for coping with “this type of situation” was expended, we stored the remainder of the feelings and thoughts inside ourselves to be sorted through later.

It can be said that trauma is a natural byproduct when a person has had too much of a new experience, or that experience happened too fast, and the entire emotional impact was not released on the spot.

A perfect example of healthy emotional release is seen in newborn babies. Have you noticed that infants are openly and spontaneously expressive? This is because they have not learned social conditioning yet. As external experiences create internal sensations, an infant will express directly from his/her gut. From a holistic health perspective emotions are the way our internal organs release excess energy. This is a natural pressure valve to avoid damage to the organ. For a child to scream bloody murder at a sudden fright is completely healthy. When a baby feels loss his/her grief is completely expelled through tears and wailing. An infant's anger is a gasket-blowing rage, his/her joy is full-body intoxication. These are healthy releases that come built-in with the body.

How do we manage to store trauma even with this built-in release mechanism? At about the time we learn to speak in phrases we become responsible for our social educations. This is a necessity. Our social education is a set of fundamental skills for dealing with life in the natal culture. These skills conduct us intact (more or less) through development and into adulthood. Our parents, siblings, peers and authority figures are our teachers. They show us how to absorb external experiences consciously. Thus we learn to tone down the spontaneous output of our organs to an appropriate proportion. These subtle lessons accompany situations that occur regularly, such as surprises, disappointments, frustrations and anxiety-producing events.

We absorb quite a bit from our role models in the pre-school-to-puberty years, so whatever our strongest social conditioning source demonstrates is what we will learn. This is a “for better or worse” education. If the person we most closely bond with uses food to suppress emotional expression, for example, we will learn this coping strategy as a conscious alternative to full emotional release. Conversely, if that parent indulges in fits of rage at the first sign of inconvenient feelings we will follow this strategy as well.

Here is an example of a subconscious response that followed me into my thirties.

When I was about 4 years old one of my relatives came for a visit. One morning she, my sister and I were hanging around talking. My sister was able to answer and jibe, having picked-up social interaction quickly. But I was less skilled.

At one point the conversation turned to how pretty we girls were and how did we get so pretty? I had no point of reference for this question, and just played along.

“Do you think you’re pretty?” she asked me directly. I didn’t know what to say, so I said “yes…”

I was entirely unprepared for the peals of laughter that followed. “Ahhaha! She thinks she’s pretty! Oh, that’s so cute! This girl thinks she’s pretty!”

Though her voice was still laughing, these words were delivered in a way that did not equate with the fun and friendly game we had been playing.

It was the first time that my attempt at truthfulness had been turned against me. I had no social conditioning for the experience of being shamed.

For many years to come any comment on my appearance, either positive or negative would trigger a deep desire to cover my face.  I hid behind a mop of hair rather than show what could be a shameful face to the world. I began to cut my hair to cover as much of my face as possible, which lead my mother to comment that I was trying to “ugly up” my appearance.

In college I was re-unite with this relative and came to understand her way of humor was to

Art therapy: Perceived and Potential self image.

poke at other people and re-tell stories out of context. She had her reasons for this approach, and I did not think to judge it. Though it served her purposes, I began to realize that this strategy had informed my self-confidence in a way that was utterly unnatural for me. Though unable to re-connect with my source of self-love, I had the epiphany that a major in Drama was the wrong direction for my education. I had been practicing wearing masks but not wearing my truth.

Eventually I made my way through Shiatsu school, a direction that shed light on the call to service. I began digging into the inhibitions that held me back from full participation in the work but continually balked at a dark self-loathing inner-twined with my feeling of self-worth.

After Shiatsu school I assisted in an international child-protection summit as an organizer. One of the participating presenters complimented me on my work behind the scenes, at which I squirmed and attempted to escape.

"Just accept the compliment!" she finally said.

This was the push I needed to remind me that part of me was still waiting to be felt. In the safety of therapy I was able to explore the avenue this genuine compliment had opened. It lead to the key experience, which I brought to consciousness for a more adult decisions on how to express fully the feeling I had at the age of 4.

The very first time I allowed this feeling to re-emerge it had the same quality as when I was young. There was a mixture of confusion, bewilderment and extreme negativity toward myself. Once I’d felt it in a more mature frame of mind I knew I had been unprepared for the original experience. I had not known my truth at that time. Social conditioning had not taught me how to deflect feelings that did not belong to me, or re-direct my awareness toward compassion. Luckily the feelings were stored deep within me, waiting for the moment when I could re-connect and grow more fully into my truth.

Having transformed this and other early-life experiences, I know that it is not something that every adult is willing to go through. After all, most adults have earned their positions of respect in life and will not stoop to the level of expressing their elementary school emotions. There is one thing I can say for those who will go to this depth: you will become more human for having done the journey.

As a parting note, I would like to add one thing to the Legendary Spiritual Guide's statement. We are not prepared for everything in life as it happens, however we are given a natural process of maturation that empowers us to find the good in what we have endured. We can then openly stand beside our friends and loved ones as they, too face the obstacles that have held them back.

The Intensity of Healing the Birth Wound

Please entertain, for the sake of perspective, this hypothesis: the specific circumstances of our birth provide us each with the "original wound" of this incarnation. Until we acknowledge and embrace this experience it will subtly inhibit our path toward realized self-hood.

Though there is much conversation in healing circles about energies that piggy-back into our present life incarnations, my hypothetical statement deliberately leaves out past life or soul group connection. As a shiatsu practitioner it has been my work to delve my own depths to better help correct those same (but different) inhibitions in clients. This study has yielded a fine-tuning point for gathering clues to support deep change: stay in this life and this body.

As many of us will agree, being born is intense. Though we do not have the mental dexterity to register the exact sensations in the moment, we are able to re-connect with certain depths of this experience as we become independent beings. Naturally, the parents notice instinctive responses in infants before the baby becomes aware of its own actions. Abnormalities in instinctive responses may include the following:

• Any person who was induced to be born may have a perpetual resistance to being externally motivated in life. Or conversely be unable to motivate without strong stimulation and support.
• Someone who was separated from his/her mother directly after birth may carry anxiety of being alone or abandoned. This person may have a difficult relationship with sources of nourishment, especially if his/her own mother's milk was not given in the first days. If this person is unable to make the initial bond of primal human embrace, he/she is likely to fumble through natural development stages.
• If a person did not go through the birth canal (ie. because of cesarean delivery) he/she did not make the primary journey from the womb to the stark reality of life. This person is disposed to collapse when faced with physical struggles, may lack timing and aptitude under the pressures of life.
• When a woman receives epidural injection during labor, the infant comes into the world anesthetized. The influence of drugs blurs the lines between the in-utero dream-state and air-breathing world. The person will not have a normal pain threshold, and may be unable to register experiences as they happen.
• When a baby is extracted with forceps pressure is applied to his/her head and neck beyond that already present in the birth canal. This child may be extremely sensitive to external stimulation and cry much more easily than seems in proportion with an experience.

I myself was injected in the crown with a local pain killer. Aside from creating disorientation and skewed since of perspective, my early life experiences were influenced by lack of peripheral sensation in my skull. I grew-up with bumps all over my head from running into things and no instinct to protect my head from cold and wind. On a psychological and emotional level, I realized in young adulthood that I had not developed separation from other peoples expressions of ideas and emotion. With the help of many hours of psycho-emotional therapy and years of self-study I came to realize the sensation of healthy boundaries.

Though we can easily blame our parents or the attending physician for these early traumas, the reality is that these experiences belong to us. Bringing this fact home may be a difficult and winding road, fraught with projections and painful emotions. Many people mire themselves for years in victimhood, yet this brings them no closer to the essence of their lives than remaining ignorant of dysfunction. In the long-run it is a personal journey.

The parent may attempt to speeding along a  child's healing, which may eventually support a young person's ability to accept help from outside sources. Some parents may happily assume the blame to release his/her child from the pain of self-recognition. To this parenting instinct I offer no encouragement. My only advise to parents is to be patient, allow the child to express it's own experiences and provide compassionate support for the natural healing process. Each parent has his or her own birth experience, and has healed from it to the extent required for adulthood. If a parent truly wishes to help, he or she will make an example by continuing to brave unknown waters of healing his/her original wound, and demonstrate understanding for other adults working through their own processes.

According to my original hypothesis, the deepest healing of our lives is accessed through early impacts on our physical bodies. The body is constantly at work shuttling our mental and emotional lives through the current reality. Through our lives there are myriad opportunities and doorways to self-healing. May we all welcome the challenge to open our own doors and accept these deep experiences as part of our selves. May we learn compassion to support this same healing in others.

Five Self-Care tips for traveling

Travel by airplane is both a blessing and a curse in our modern lives. Probably 10 percent of my chair massage business is on people who have recently flown and just don't feel quite normal. In this post I would like to offer ideas given by natural medicine to help a person “land” more gracefully.

Cover your "Wind Points"
Ever notice how air conditioning can cause a subconscious shrug of shoulders to ears and desire cover upper arms and lower legs? This is because your immune system is attempting to regulate your core temperature. In Chinese medicine the "Wind Points," where the neck and skull meet, and points around the wrists and ankles, are the considered vulnerable to temperature shifts caused by a breeze. When these points are exposed to wind for too long, they become tender to the touch, especially the ones behind the ears. We begin to experience aches that shift around the head and shoulders, and our bodies automatically sneeze and shiver in an attempt to adjust our natural defensive energy.

• On every airplane there are personal air conditioning units pointed at each seat. My first recommendation when settling in for a flight is to shut off the air flow pointed toward your seat. Another important maneuver is to wear a long-sleeved or hooded shirt and pants to the airport, and put on a scarf and socks during the flight. This will keep you cozy and protected while in transit.

Return to the ground by opening your feet
Chinese medicine recognizes a main physical grounding point below the ball mount of each foot. This point, known as "Bubbling Spring," is usually a sensitive spot in line with the middle toe. This point ushers energy upward into our bodies, and becomes closed when the feet are confined in tight shoes, after physical exertion and when the nervous system is exhausted. Because air travel takes us so far away from the earth, the Bubbling Spring point closes during flight. Symptoms of this point being closed include pain in the feet and legs, feeling disconnected from the body, craving stimulants to stay focussed or dozing off.

• Upon landing, a wise traveler will always re-open this point before carrying on with his/her plans. Some methods to accomplish this are to receive foot reflexology, self-massage on both feet, or to re-establish grounding by walking around barefoot soon after landing. If you experiment with opening your feet after a flight you will notice more productivity, focus and better sleep on the day of travel.

Bring a piece of home
One of my Chinese medicine teachers advised a modern adaptation of an ancient centering technique. Before embarking on long distance travel, fill a small pouch with earth from your home. Best if this is from the location of your primary meditation or Tai Chi practice area, the belief is that a small amount of earth containing the energy of your home will keep you physically and mentally stable. Many of us already do something like this on a small scale with family photos, jewelry and clothing given by our loved ones.

• To get the best results from this ritual, bring a small piece of your personal practice space. It may be a pebble from outside your gym or yoga studio, or as my teacher demonstrated, earth wrapped in cloth. Make it small and light enough to carry with your personal belongings. This familiar energy reminds you of deeply established good habits, and can sustain you temporarily in the absence of your self-cultivation routine.

Keep your digestion happy
Sudden onset of digestive extremes are a well-known part of trips away from home. Known as either "vacation constipation" or "traveler's diarrhea," intestinal fluctuations occur when we enter different food and beverage zones. No matter how exciting and delicious these exotic flavors are to our taste buds, they are completely foreign to our digestive systems. To support your easy landing in foreign food zones I recommend focussing on these three points: primary digestion; carrying familiar foods; and local dietary combinations.

• First, maintain your primary digestive fluids. This means plenty of saliva. Chewing sugar-free gum on the day of travel, and before and after the first few meals in a new place will support natural enzyme production. A well-known qi-gong practice is cultivating saliva by massaging the gums with the tongue and gently pressing the teeth together. Do this if you prefer not to chew gum. At meals, chew your food thoroughly. As with the between-meals practice mentioned previously, this helps the breakdown and easy integration of new foods as they enter the upper intestines. 
• Second, bring food from home. Not so much that you need to check extra luggage, just enough of the snacks you eat every day to support familiar exocrine production. Especially if your travel takes you to a place with vastly different cuisine, eating tidbits from your regular diet keeps your pancreas engaged with normal enzyme production while it is adapting to new digestive needs.
• Third, eat the whole meal. This does not mean eat everything on your plate, what I mean is if an alcohol or extra sauce is traditionally served with cultural dishes, include that in your dining experience. Many food zones have common ingredients that cause low-level irritation in the bowels. To get value from these potential digestive hazards, people include counter-acting components to balance a  meal. Such "antidotes" may include wine, fermentation, salsas, spices, cheese/yoghurt/oils, astringent vegetables or strange flavored fruits that accompany a meal. Pay attention to the order and speed in which local people consume these things for clues to your internal contentment. Also, skip the menu items deemed "daring even for locals" at the start of a vacation.

Be aware of hydration, humidity and temperature
Water sources, mineral content and purification methods vary vastly around the world. One disappointment in my travel has been intolerance to local water. Remember, just because it's good for the local population doesn't mean your internal organs will efficiently absorb water from a foreign continent with the first sip. Our bodies produce antigens to water-born microorganisms, however this often includes a dramatic process. With regular water intake being vital to every human being, the reality that we cannot comfortably drink from just any local source is probably most telling illustration of how sensitive our bodies are.

• Attend to your source of water as soon as you arrive. I suggest locating an abundant supply of bottled water. This is important for the morning after travel, as our bodies absorb hydration most efficiently before midday. 
• If the travel destination is more humid than your home environments, you may not be thirsty after re-hydrating from a flight, however your skin will automatically lose moisture if the outside temperature is higher than normal. Skin maintains an acceptable degree of moisture in our home climates, but requires greater fluid intake when we move closer to the equator and greater oil intake as we travel toward the poles.

I hope these self-care suggestions shed light on previous travel discomforts and help alleviate their recurrences in future adventures. Even though we are capable of communicating with people around the world in real-time and can hurl ourselves across oceans within 8 hours, we are still fragile biological organisms at the foundation. Please pass this information on if you find it useful, and share your own special tips for landing with ease in the comment boxes below!

Best wishes for health and joy,
Christian

Recognizing Sources of Pain

Many of us in the US function on the idea that the Physical, Emotional and Spiritual parts of us operate separate from each other. If all these independent parts are somehow balanced, this is an innocuous thought. The moment pain happens that cannot be explained physically it no longer works so well.

According to a friend in nursing school, in "Western" medicine pain is what the patient says it is. A patient with any complaint of pain is examined physically and treated physically to help him/her not feel pain. If there is no pain or symptoms of disease, a medical doctor has no reason to change that patient's normal course of action. There is nothing wrong. Simple enough.

I asked my nursing school friend what he was taught about emotional causes of pain.
He stymied for a moment and then wanted to clarify: emotions as a result of pain..?
"No," I said, "emotions as the cause of pain."
He replied that this idea is an alternative approach, more like "Eastern" medicine. In the Western sciences a patient with persistent complaints of pain with no perceivable physical cause is referred to psychological or mental health disciplines. Depending on the patient's social background and/or insurance plan, this option may improve the patient's condition. Results of psychological treatment are completely unpredictable.

In other words, the idea that non-physical causes of pain can be assessed and treated by a medical practitioner is an entirely Non-Western paradigm.

As a bodyworker I represent the alternative approach. I am a silent partner to chiropractors and "progressive" physicians and physical therapists who recommend massage for long-term muscular tension that functional doses of medication do not resolve.

Whether referred or not, I touch hundreds of people each year. In my experience it is undeniable that the Physical, Emotional and Spiritual aspects interconnect and directly affect a person's comfort.

The following observations are from years as an alternative health care professional. I feel sneaky divulging this information, as if I'm giving away trade secrets even though these are realities of my work. I have no intention to disprove the importance of Western medicine, physiology or biochemistry. My intention is to open a window into collective thinking. I believe that a unique blend of the paradigms as needed for each person. Please regard the following with an open mind.

Physical Pain as a result of external causes:
In Chinese medicine "external causes" are referred to as External Pernicious Influences. "Pernicious" has the inference of gradual or subtle nature, and thus includes climate conditions: excessive exposure to wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, or heat such as a from a furnace. Other causes of pain/disease with external origins include pathogens/pollutants/poisons and physical injury such as caused by impact or cut. These include being bitten, stung, broken, dislocated, knifed and shot.

With respect to external causes of physical pain Eastern and Western medicine for the most part agree,  at least to the extent of initial treatment: remove the person from further damage; remove as much toxicity/poison as possible, treat a wound, and support efficient organ functioning to return full health.
Longer-term assessment techniques and further treatment methods differ wildly between Eastern and Western medicine.

Physical Pain as a result of internal causes:
Yes, Chinese medicine recognizes Internal Pernicious Influences. This refers to excessive, unexpressed emotional climates. And yes, a traditionally trained Chinese physician will treat someone for unexpressed Anger. It is up to the patient to cope with his/her emotions in a healthy way, but the responsible physician will follow-up with probing questions on return visits and advise resolution. The following are the "negative" emotional stagnations: fear, grief, anxiety, excessive worry, frustration, anger, and joy. Indeed it is possible to have an excess of joy, which manifests as mania commonly counter-balanced by depression.

Western science has seen the chemical transformation that takes place in an individual experiencing strong emotional stimulus. In fact, the theory of a "holographic" experience is becoming more widespread among biochemist. This is evidence that the memory of an emotional event simulates an exact replication of the brain activity that occurred at the original event. It stands to reason that a single emotional event, left un-expressed/"un-treated," can potentiate unlimited emotional traumas as unrelated events trigger that one memory.
Further studies in neuroscience have uncovered our addictions to these experiences. Whether a "good" or "bad" feeling is invoked, the more times a person reproduces emotional situations the more normal they become to the nervous system.

An Eastern approach to treatment would support the organ networks that have been weakened as a result of the excess in one organ. Depending on the duration of this internal disorder there may be cause for deep cleansing and nourishment of blocked or starved physical systems while the patient learns how to safely release his/her emotions.

Physical Pain as a result of spiritual causes:
Just to throw that paradigm-twisting element at you, this piece challenges the idea that our Spiritual body consists of the belief in God or not. In the Eastern paradigm  Five essential Spirits are endogenous to each major ("storehouse" or yin) organ. Within the Lungs we have Ancestral Spirit, which manifests physical, genetic characteristics; the Kidneys house our unique direction in life, called the Willpower, our Spleen contains our Cogitative function, giving us discernment in processing tasks; the Heart houses the Shen, our Animate Spirit, that helps us interact appropriately with each other; and the Liver somehow contains our Astral Spirit, which connects our mind with the experience of physical embodiment. In the perfect human life a person will continually check in with the needs of each Spirit, thus live a balanced and smooth life in harmony with his/her nature.

The greater likelihood exists that a person allows external influences (namely family, friends and society) to dictate his/her interaction with life. As it is stated in religious texts the world around, the voice of the outside world is hardly ever the correct voice for a person to follow, thus we inadvertently damage our individual Spirits in the effort to "do the right thing" by our own health.

Before discounting this possibility altogether, recall the scientific evidence that our smallest particles are compose of "mostly nothing." Some scientists call this the residence of Spirit or Consciousness. Pain with spiritual causes almost always manifests as a lack of energy, focus or connection. There may also be restlessness, frustration and confusion, or fear when faced with new situations. It can be reasoned that if a person denies his/her natural impulses for long enough the organ that contains the corresponding Spirits begin to show signs of neglect. These signs vary among the organs and according to what the person does to negate his/her "inner wisdom."

Throughout the day each organ has a two-hour phase of peak energy. This flavors our experience as that organ energy raises to dominance, and is useful information to determine which of the Spirits may be weak. An Eastern doctor may question a patient's annual cycles to determine the depth of a Spiritual disorder. An inquiry into dietary habits and family tendencies is in order. Treatment may involve gradual but thorough changes in much of what a person has done for years or decades to create the pain condition. On a metaphorical level, this sort of treatment involves leaving what is "known" behind and venturing into a deeper knowledge of "the self."

I invite all readers to share experiences, revelations and comments, etc. regarding pain that has a seemingly nonphysical origin. In Western culture it is an under-discussed subject, in my opinion.

Take heart in the Eastern axiom "If there is pain, there is energy to solve the disorder." 

It is a matter of opening to a bigger, or different picture, investigating further possibilities and having a willingness to follow the path not travelled by people around you.

Best wishes for your abundant health!
Christian