Three Stories: Mind over physiology sort of….

 

1)    Danny, age 16, He lives in South Central LA.  He is 1/2 El Salvadorean and 1/2 African has now discovered George Carlin on YouTube.  He loves George.  When I pick him up we listen to one of George’s comic rants.  Danny especially liked George making fun of our American upsets over politics.  Even in the 1990’s George was convinced that all our political decisions are made behind closed doors by the grey suited money-men and women.  George says the clowns we see on TV have no more power than the Man in the Moon.  This is especially strange to Danny as he, his Mom and his friends are always under suspicion of being here illegally.  They are legal but that does not stop the authorities from making life additionally uncomfortable for his crowd.  I was complaining out loud about some political news and Danny reminded me of some of my own shared wisdom.

   He said, “Remember, it’s not them”.  I had mentioned this to him when I went with a team to Africa to do something about the alcoholism there.  We explained to the village leaders, police and concerned parents that “it’s not them” meaning the drunk and drug using people.  We can do very little about them yet we can change the way we enable, react and unconsciously support them in the behaviors.  “It’s not them” is not any definite truth but it is a place to find some personal peace and maybe even effectiveness when dealing with people or situations over which we have little control.  “They” whoever they are, will do whatever they do regardless of my level of upset.  My upset doesn’t help anything it just messes with my digestion.

“It’s not them”, Danny reminded me.  Relax.

My Grandmother used to say, “Don’t get your innards in an uproar”.  Relax.

Even George Carlin knew not to take life too seriously.

(2)    My torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder has me investigating more and more alternative’s to surgery for full, pain free functioning.  My latest study guide is “You are the Placebo” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.  He says he rebuilt his own 6 crushed vertebrae through meditation and visualization.  His book is the most complete compilation of spontaneous and personal healing I have ever come across.  His point is that we are all completely creative beings with more power than we know.  We even have the power to rebuild crushed vertebrae or torn shoulder muscles.  He described accurately visualizing the repairs in his body.  After being struck and dragged by a car and fracturing 6 vertebrae, he used these techniques to facilitate his healing without surgery.  It took him nine month’s to get back to normal.  Bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and skin are all programmed to heal themselves given the right circumstances and intention.  They will heal if they are not being reinjured with unconscious movements.  So I am careful how I use my body.

Dr. Dispenza writes and sells books and teaches seminars to those that will hear him.  He is a promoter for sure and is out to sell his stuff.  Even with his promotions the techniques are definitely helping me with my shoulder.  In one week’s time I went from being unable to brush my hair with my right arm to now being able to do that easily.  I do the visualizations every day.  I now visualize doing 100 push ups in my mind each morning.  We’ll see how the rest of the healing works.  I am really unable to consider surgery, as this would require an arm and shoulder sling for 6 weeks.  I could not work.  As it is now, I can work fine as I do not need to lift my arm above my waist.

My diagnosing Doctor, Dr. George LeBeau of Vista, CA asked me how I injured myself.

I said, “Doing 250 push ups a day for 6 years”

He said, “How old are you?”

I responded, “71”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head;

‘No wonder”, he mumbled under his breath.

Dr. LeBeau traveled with the US Olympic Team for 10 years.  He knows very well how important mental visualizing is to sports performance and healing.

An example of this kind of visualization is from the golfer Jack Nicklaus.  Jack said before each shot he would visualize where the ball would come to rest, how it would land, the trajectory from his club, the impact of his club on the ball and his body movements to swing the club.  Jack said this all took about 10 seconds.  And he was a world champion at that game.

So I am applying the techniques to healing my 71-year-old shoulder.  It’s not perfect yet but definitely improving.  Faith, confidence and belief are necessary ingredients to any healing process.

Notice how well combed my hair is.

I will keep you posted.

(3)    I am teaching a portion of the Structural Integration Training at the New School of Structural Integration in Laguna Beach.  This technique is another version of Hellerwork and Rolfing that I love so much.  This week we are working on rotations of the lower half of the body.  This is how balanced and grounded we are from the waist down.  And whether or not we unconsciously lock our knees or heel strike or toe walk or duck or pigeon walk or any number of different variations of fighting with gravity that most of us do. Looking at a well worn pair of shoes will give an indication of the possible torques and twists we put into our whole body simply from the habits of undistinguished walking postures.  There are over 20,000 hip and knee replacements in our country each month.  Not everyone wears out their joints from out of balance moving.  All of those that get the joint replacements have done so without knowing it.

         This is kind of like all the lung diseases from cigarette smoking that our culture got from trying to look like a movie star with a toxic, noxious smoking stick.  Once we knew better we stopped doing that for the most part.

         Once we can see how our walking patterns may be damaging to our health and structure most of us will take some action to correct them.

         That’s my job:

         To teach and to correct.

I have the best job in the world.

Dr Jim Dohn Hellerwork, DC

www.thingsarelookinguptoday.com

Special Announcement! My new book, Structural Integration is Not Massage, is now available!Find out more
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