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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Soothing Mowgli's eye - Chamomile & Dien Cham

Mowgli
Unfortunately I did not grow Chamomile in the garden I "adopted" a few years ago.  I was in dire need of some two nights ago.   R pointed out that Mowgli's left eye was very red and he could barely keep it open.  Poor dog - I cannot bear to see him suffer although it was around midnight and I was dead tired and ready to go to bed.  Of course, I immediately gave him a relaxing Dien Cham treatment which included the ears and especially the tips of the ears.  Then I warmed my hands by rubbing them quickly and covered the affected eye.  He seemed to like that as he was holding still, he was definitely relaxing which was what I wanted before I continued "the treatment."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Summer-Winter-late Fall conditions - all within less than 2 weeks

Returning to the frog:  It has been a while.  A lot has happened including Occupy Wall Street.  My life has been hectic but very interesting; definitely a time of professional growth!  The weather is beautiful today - it is again too warm today and yesterday I sneaked away to the park (Central Park) for an hour with a friend - we brought our yoga mats and sat in the grass.  We marveled at the fall colors, especially the golden yellow.  

I was reminded of the protocol to follow at the first sign of a sniffle and I decided to include it in my wellness program as preventive measure because of the recent ongoing sudden changes in temperature. 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Ad Steve Jobs

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Text of Steve Jobs' Commencement address (2005)

While you are resting in peace now, you will continue to inspire:

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Hope to be back soon more regularly.

Fall greetings!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Pain-Related

July 16, 2011
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Working with Pain

With careful observation, we find that the sensations are dissolving all the time. What previously seemed like a solid mass of misery is in fact changing from moment to moment. We may also discover that it was our aversion that made the pain seem really intolerable. When the aversion dissolves, what is left is much simpler and much less intimidating.

-Gavin Harrison, “Working with Pain”
 

Monday, May 2, 2011

Anemia - Week 19: skiing

"Hocke" 
base lodge 
Now that spring is definitely around the corner, I finally found time to finalize this post I had drafted during week 19 which was back in February: We sneaked away for 2 days of skiing in VT as has been our tradition for about 15 years. I used to ski often until I left home in the Alps when I was 21 years old. Then for a couple of years I barely skied at all.  Instead I was exploring roller blading, biking, walking city streets, some weight lifting, and ultimately yoga, swimming, kayaking, hiking - the first 10 years it was all about exploring New York City, a new home, new culture, a new life style, new everything including a new me - yes, New York recreates you.  Now it is skiing once a year; I still have that gene in me, however.  This time, I barely had time to prepare myself properly so I was a little nervous - on the way up north I received a text message from a colleague who said she broke her ankle snowboarding.  And R's ankle was still a bit off.  We had reasons to take it easy this time, even R. agreed.  I did my usual basic DC protocol every day once or twice and worked on my hands during gondola/chair lift rides to keep them warm.  

Friday, March 4, 2011

Anemia - Week 19: stress due to project

During Week 19, I used Dien Cham less regularly than I had been.  There was a bit of stress due to a special project I had been working on.  The basic session, the energy giving massage, the chakra balancing protocol are practically ingrained in my system now and I do them every day regardless of what is going on.  I also worked neck, arm, and head reflexes as needed in case of tension; I also worked a point on R. occasionally.   

Anemia - Week 18: old neck pain

I am finally getting a chance to post the week 18 entry which had been sitting in the draft folder.  
Last week I decided to do the head stand. There had been no pain for a few weeks which I attributed to not practicing the head stand at all.  In the past I had been doing it every once in a while.  Was I ready to reintroduce it slowly?  I set up thoroughly, went up slowly, stayed up for a little while then came down very slowly. All seemed fine just as it did in the past but then that "old pain" returned.  I dealt with the pain by using the neck-points and zones I had used before. The pain was on the L occiput and was accompanied by head tension - it was not as bad as it had been in the past but it was not easy to alleviate it. It was on and off.  Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic's website on the causes of neck pain: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neck-pain/DS00542/DSECTION=causes 

Ankle Pain - is ankle pain contagious:-)?

On Sunday R asked for help. His run was interrupted by his L ankle acting up. He was limping home in the cold wearing his sweaty-damp clothes. - How strange!  I had an ankle-related problem last week - (see previous blog post)- I had him get comfortable on the couch to and I covered him; naturally he was cold, he put a cold pack on his ankle. I did the relaxation protocol followed by ankle reflexes, ankle point 127 and ankle point 461; while I was working on him, I kept telling him to focus on his breath; he made faces in the beginning like always - it's pretty funny but sometimes I get impatient I confess. Point 0 Zone seems to be sensitive always: I added pain relief points 26, 124, 34, 61, 39, 61, 39, 41, 40, 3, 0, 14, 16, and then did the L ankle reflex again on the chin. He seemed to feel much better. He said something to the effect that he will never say anything bad about Reflexology again.   
He insisted on having dinner at a restaurant around the corner whereas I suggested we stay at home so he can rest and take it easy; he grabbed his yellow cane and off we went; at the restaurant he elevated his leg; the next morning I checked in with him - he is not limping but says his range of motion is a little off - he is not very descriptive in general when asked how he feels, so we will see, but I am glad he asked for help yesterday. Hopefully he'll come back for more or do some ankle points himself.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Anemia - Week 17: ankle sprain/calf pain

Chinatown/Year of the Rabbit 
I was in a restorative yoga class and we did more sitting than I was used to - I sat cross-legged and kept switching positions but towards the end of the class my ankles were nevertheless a bit sore.  The next day - out in the park early with the dog - I walked on an icy/uneven surface I was not prepared for - I wore the wrong boots.  My foot had cramped a few minutes earlier.  All of a sudden I could barely walk, it was my ankle and my calf.  I held on to R. who was fortunately with me.  I sat down on the nearest bench and slowly rotated my ankle, flexed it, did inversions and eversions trying to gage the extent of what seemed to be a sprain.  Naturally, the walk came to a rather abrupt end as we decided to head back home.  Not really expecting much, I did some Dien Cham, thinking that whatever it was, certainly would take a while to heal.  Well, by the time I got home I was back to normal - honestly, it seemed like a miracle.  

I had to run for the train since, and my ankle did not cause any problems.  At the beginning of the week, there was some heaviness in my L arm which disappeared after reflexing the respective area using the frog projection as well as some stress related to work.  I continued to use the usual points to strengthen the immune system as well as the points to avert a cold; my nose was a bit stuffy at times.  I was out in the cold for a couple of hours on Saturday and enjoyed the New Year's festivities in Chinatown - it was perfect timing and I wound up in the middle of the lion and dragon dancers, having fun filming the dances and taking photos.  The year of the Rabbit began on February 3.  Happy New Year.  To read more about the Chinese zodiac:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Zodiac               

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Anemia - Week 16: focus: neck

My right shoulder started feeling heavy once or twice last week while I was sitting at the computer; I stopped immediately knowing what might be next: neck pain.  I rubbed the respective reflex according to the frog on the face projection; the heaviness subsided within a few minutes.  In the past until a few weeks ago, I used to practice headstand, in Sanskrit Sirsasana http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/481.  It had been part of my yoga practice for a long time and I did not attribute it to neck issue.  I had given it a lot of thought and had observed very closely.  I took time setting up the pose, going up and being in the pose, coming down in a very controlled fashion and paid attention to how it felt afterwards.  I always did counter poses.  It never hurt.  My acupuncturist at one point, however, suggested to let go of the pose for a while anyway, so I compromised by cutting down at least.  However, within the last few weeks I decided to drop it completely (I think it was when my inner teacher told me to focus on hip openers).  At this point I am confident that my neck could actually heal completely which is unlike how I felt about it previously.  My neck has been pain free, I think it was a good idea to eliminate the pose for the time being and perhaps reintroduce it slowly down the road.  In addition, I think my alignment generally has improved much and before I got sick, a neck-related protocol was part of my Dien Cham session.  Being mindful about the neck has become of utmost importance to me.  I have come a long way.  To me the neck was somewhat separate from the rest of the spine and I know I am not alone.  Now it is part of the spine and much more integrated in the way I move.  It was probably a combination of factors that resulted in being without any pain for such a long time.    

Working with Sarah - timid dog

Aside from Mowgli there was only one dog called Sarah at the dog run.  I spoke to Muriel (names of dog/owner were changed to ensure privacy), the owner who said Sarah was bitten at a different dog run long time ago and had been timid ever since.  She did not ever play with other dogs at the dog run and had only one friend she played with in the park.  I did the Dien Cham protocol on Sarah, and I gave her and Mowgli a treat (Mowgli does not mind if I give other dogs treats especially if he gets one as well; some owners feels it can create fights; I guess it depends on the dogs)  
After a few minutes of trying, Sarah, let me chase her instead of us trying to make her chase us; I guess she did not like the game we suggested - I took that as a good sign.  Mowgli by then was getting more interested in playing with her too and they ultimately chased each other a bit. At first it was only a few seconds before Sarah disappeared behind the bench, but the intervals were getting longer.  This went on for a few minutes.  One could tell how surprised Sarah herself was.  It was a delight to witness the shift.    

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Working with Suzie - dog in foster care

I had two encounters with Suzie (name of the dog was changed to ensure privacy of foster parent and dog:-)at the dog run, she was a rescue in foster care; the first time, she did not stop barking and was a bit aggressive trying to play with every dog but none of them being interested.  Mowgli was her favorite, but he was not interested either.  The foster parent kept trying to make her stop and was very apologetic so I told him about the massage I gave Mowgli every day; I did it on Suzie; she stopped barking and was more into herself.  The same thing happened the second time; I gave her a massage again, which she seemed to relish, and again she stopped barking, changed pace and was more into herself;  I did not hear her bark again; they left about 5-10 minutes later.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Anemia - Week 15 "Guruji's reminder: be more like birdies"

The weekend was great-I was ready to brace the cold weather (20s and lower) in PA and do some cross country skiing on the frozen lake. To prepare myself, I did some Dien Cham followed by gentle yoga using ujai breath which heated my body from the inside; I did not want the slightest cold to have a chance this time, thus dressed in layers and took it easy once on the skis.  Inhaling through the nose which warmed the air kept kept me from getting any cold air into my lungs, which I also wanted to avoid at all costs.  This meant I could not do any sprints which I sometimes do to challenge myself a bit; over exerting means opening the mouth to get extra air.  
By the end of the weekend after having skied twice for about an hour - the third day, we just explored the lake by foot - I felt very fit, healthy, and rejuvenated. 
The week was a bit hectic but I had time to do my protocol once a day, I dropped the cough protocol but continued to use the others to keep strengthening my immune system.  
Hearty but healthy soups, lots of teas are still staples. 
I have been trying to go to bed earlier (11pm is ideal) but it has been challenging. I was reminded to keep trying at a lecture I went to at the Angel Orensanz Foundation (http://www.orensanz.org/foundation.html, a synagogue built in 1847 which was turned into a cultural center in 1992.  



Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Anemia - Week 14

On Monday, I was back at my acupuncturist's office and I had an extremely relaxing session which I spent mostly in the zone.  Anytime, I am the recipient of energy work/bodywork I try to enhance the results with meditation by following along the breath.    
As for Dien Cham, I continued to use the same sequences as in week 13 as planned, many points are around the mouth area and many of them are still tender and I like working them.  Now I have to stray from Dien Cham a bit and write about my diet, chocolate and yoga a bit more in detail.     
Hot whole grain porridge in the morning with fruit and nuts (almost no dairy), and vegetable soups during have been staples and so are fruity and herbal teas. Oh, actually, I had some chocolate and it did not taste as usual; my taste buds almost objected and I thought that was interesting - does that mean I could live without chocolate?  Well, of course with all this amazing dark, dark artisanal chocolate available at the moment, this is the wrong time to quit chocolate completely, but I was both amused and amazed.
My home yoga routine of 20-45 minutes has been wonderful and entails staying in each pose for at least 5 breaths or longer in those that affect areas that are rather stiff, e.g. my hips.  
This takes me to lotus pose/Padmasana.  Being able to sit in lotus has never been of importance.  While I can easily put one foot up on my thigh and be comfortable, I noticed that the flexibility is coming from my ankles not my hips, so I opted out for the most part and never really focused on it.  I also sometimes just fall for no apparent reason which I think is caused by the looseness in my ankles.  
However, within the last few days, my inner teacher has been suggesting to focus on hip openers.  

Monday, January 24, 2011

Rudi's and MG's Tools Used During the Study

I am finally posting photos of Rudi's and MG's tools which I had asked for  - I have been meaning to do this before the study ended, but then I lost the email and could not find the photos I thought I had downloaded so MG had to resend them.   I love the background - what a pretty table cloth.  Do you mind commenting, Rudi/MG?  And apologies again for the delay.- BN 



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Anemia - Week 13

During week 13 I had one of my routine appointments with my acupuncturist who confirmed what I knew already, namely to keep taking it easy and rest if necessary to allow for complete recovery from the virus.  I knew exactly what she meant.  Often, as soon as we are able to function again, we go ahead full-speed and thus drag on symptoms which can lead to more problems down the road.  She also gave me Chinese herbs in pill form which seemed to work very well for me.  I decided to take her reminder seriously: At my urging R. and I interrupted our usual habits and spent more time at home whenever we could; I made sure to remind him what I was reminded of.  I also stocked up on herbal teas and honey.      


There was a need to modify my Dien Cham protocol and I did the following sequences: basic (relaxation, toning up) and EGM (energy giving massage) as usual.  

Friday, January 14, 2011

Headache at Dinner

Three days ago, R and I went to dinner to one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. At one point we compared notes as to whether we still suffered from cold remnants - we both had come down with the flu nine days prior and were still recovering - he said that at the moment he had a headache.  May I, I asked, and put my knuckle on his forehead and started rubbing (the head reflex area according to the "frog on the face" projection of the body on the face); I did not use much pressure, since I know by experience how R reacts to even the slightest pain, namely, he distorts his face and wants to pull away.  Despite my wariness, I was able to finished the session with Point 0 Zone on both sides; it took less than half a minute I think.  R's headache subsided immediately.  I actually thought that the pressure may not have been sufficient, so I was pleasantly surprised about the result.    

Monday, January 10, 2011

Stress Relief - Week 12

Unfortunately, I have not yet resumed with my stress relief protocols because I seem to have lost my grids and haven’t had a chance to re-make them. I used a protocol from the book to ease menstrual cramps though. The shortcut is to tap along the curve of the chin. I found it pretty effective. I also used a heating pad but didn’t need to take any medication.
I don’t think I had a single headache the entire span of the study (weeks 1 through 10). Headaches are in my plan of action. But since taking my current hiatus, I have had at least 2 headaches. I plan to resume with my stress relief protocols ASAP!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Anemia - Week 11

Dashing Through the Snow
Many wishes for 2011!  I apologize for only posting now.  I have been sick (a virus) and was out of commission for nearly a week, but more about that in the Week 12 post to follow shortly.  Week 11 was the week of the blizzard which did not trouble me much although it was a bit challenging to get around and eventually my feet ended up a bit cold and damp which in retrospect I should have paid more attention to.  Mowgli loved it - we even were outside during the night of the blizzard - Central Park was so beautiful and peaceful and I experienced my first ever thundersnow, which is thunder/lighting during snowfall and which is very rare.  
As for Dien Cham, I did my usual protocols although since I had no signs of a cold at all, I dropped the respective protocol.  My neck was not troubling me at all and I was in good spirits.  One day I only did my routine before getting out of bed (basic session and EGM).  All in all a quiet week despite the storm before a storm of a different kind hit! 


Publish Post

Monday, January 3, 2011

Stress Relief - Week 11

Happy New Year, everyone!
I took a week off from my usual protocols because I misplaced my facial grids and since I was on vacation, I didn’t have a few moments set aside in my day specifically for Dien Cham like I do in my normal routine. I kept forgetting to practice and then I felt guilty so I just decided to take the week off. My week was incredibly relaxing and rejuvinating though.
I have already consulted MFM’s book in week 12 though and will report next week.