Energize Your Body

Have you heard of Earthing (also called grounding)? I recently read some articles about the use of earthing where it is described as “direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. ” In other words, walking outside barefoot, lying on a beach, or sitting on the grass. Modern research indicates that our lifestyle, which does not encourage direct contact between our bodies and the earth, may be the disconnect that contributes to “physiological dysfunction and unwellness”.

When I read the articles, I got charged up. Literally! I am a firm believer in energy healing. I have always believed that pain is the result of stagnation of energy along our body’s energy meridians and to release the pain one must release the energy blockage. I have previously utilized healing modalities such as reflexology, acupuncture, and Reiki and believe strongly in the healing nature of plant essences (essential oils). According to my teacher, Dr. Bruce Berkowsky, “Essential oils are both biochemical and bioenergetic entities. Hence, their chemical properties can be used to act upon the biophysical plane and/or their bioenergetic properties can be used to directly interact on the non-material energy plane with human bioenergy.” (For more information on the use of essential oils as an energetic healing modality, please visit my other website, E-Scentially Yours.com).

Many cultures throughout the world have included references to the subtle energy fields that animate our bodies: Chi (Chinese), Prana (India & Tibet), Nefesh (Hebrew), Ki (Japan), Baraka (Sufis), the Holy Spirit (Christians), pneuma (ancient Greeks), with energy pathways also being described as meridians, chakras, or sefirot.

As reported by Dr. Mercola, an article from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health website entitled Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons, lists the following conditions that can be positively affected by the practice of Earthing:

Sleep disturbances, including sleep apnea
Chronic muscle and joint pain, and other types of pain
Asthmatic and respiratory conditions
Rheumatoid arthritis
PMS
Hypertension
Energy levels
Stress
Immune system activity and response
Heart rate variability
Primary indicators of osteoporosis
Fasting glucose levels among people with diabetes

I was intrigued. Did you know that over 60 Million Americans live with chronic pain? I’ve personally witnessed how chronic pain has affected people that I love. Many pain sufferers have tried everything medically possible to find relief, to no avail. Can you imagine having a headache that lasts for years? I know two people that do.

According to the American Medical Association, approximately 100 million people suffer from one or more chronic diseases and over 180,000 are killed every year by medical care. Nearly 100,000 Americans each year die from errors caused by medical errors. It’s time for safer healing therapies. Every day, more and more people are utilizing alternative therapies for healing.

There are many causes of pain, including arthritis, back pain, bone pain, joint pain and muscle pain as well as pain that is associated with conditions such as fibromyalgia or cancer. Recently, I was told about a technology that is being used by healthcare practitioners to manage pain that has resulted from a variety of conditions. The technology isn’t new, yet it has only recently been approved by the FDA for the treatment of pain. It is electrotherapy. A colleague told me about the incredible results she has witnessed firsthand with people using the machine on ankle sprains, knee injuries, and even Parkinsons. It was time for an experiential field trip and further investigation. Here’s what I found:

Electromedicine is one of the oldest sciences known. There is a plethora of documentation that dates back to ancient Greece.
In the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin documented pain relief from “frozen shoulder” by using electrical currents
In 1891, Nikola Tesla presented a paper about the medical application of high frequency electrical currents.
In 1908, there was a published paper in Germany on the treatment of joint disease using high frequency electrical currents.
In 1981, there was a book published in the U.S. called The Body Electric which challenged the understanding of the body and puts forth a theory that electricity is vital to life.
In 2000, Electrical Muscle Stimulation and hydrotherapy are used to exercise the muscles of a paraplegic of eight years. The patient regained limited movement and sensation in the body.
In 2007, an electrotherapy machine was approved by the FDA that was designed to provide electrical stimulation to treat chronic pain.

I used the machine to run the liver cleanse program. The experience was quite relaxing and pleasant. I had two electrodes strategically placed on my body and held two stainless steel cylinders in my hands. There was a slight tingling in my hands as the electrical frequencies shifted per the programmed code on the machine. The program lasted for 33 minutes. If you want to know more specific details about how I felt after the treatment, let me know. I’ll be happy to discuss it with you.

The technology has been available for over 60 years. It has been used extensively throughout the world and is commonly used in hospitals and clinics in Europe. It is finally available in the US. According to Nenah Sylver, PhD, in the article entitled Healing with Electromedicine and Sound Therapies:

“Every molecule, cell, living body, and object is comprised of energy that manifests as physical matter….With electromedicine therapies, healing is achieved by working with the electromagnetic radiation (emissions) and related energy fields that form, and are emitted by, physical matter.”

As stated in the NIH report,

“Emerging evidence shows that contact with the Earth—whether being outside barefoot or indoors connected to grounded conductive systems—may be a simple, natural, and yet profoundly effective environmental strategy against chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hypercoagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease. The research done to date supports the concept that grounding or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.”

When was the last time you felt the grass under your feet? Maybe it’s time to kick off your shoes (and socks), walk barefoot on the earth, enjoy the sunshine (Vitamin D) and listen to some healing music (more on the benefits of sound therapy later). It’s time to let the healing begin…

References:

Healing with Electromedicine and Sound Therapies, by Nenah Sylver, PhD

Why Walking Barefoot Might Be an Essential Element of Good Health, By. Dr. Mercola

Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons, J Environ Public Health. 2012; 2012: 291541. Published online 2012 January 12. doi: 10.1155/2012/291541

The Heart of Energy and Wellness, A Renaissance of Health and Self-Healing, an article included in the pamphlet I obtained from the manufacturer of the electrotherapy machine I used this in preparation for this article.

Health Care System Transformation

December 18, 2010

Health Care System Transformation

This morning, I participated in an online forum sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on how to transform the Health Care system. I suggested the following:

1. Place a cap on malpractice awards
2. Eliminate conflict of interest at FDA (no funding should ever be accepted from pharmaceuticals)
3. Make it illegal for physicians and members of congress to accept anything (trips, training, money, etc…) from pharmaceuticals.
4. No more direct marketing to the consumer by pharmaceuticals (TV, magazines, etc…)
5. Have a public advisory board review the powers of the FDA and the drug approval process.
6. All medical providers should have their fee schedule posted prior to service being provided (the cost should not depend on whether patient is insured or not).

I also stated that the current system does not provide treatment to patients in a manner that is respectful to the patient. The human body is not just a group of organs. The human body is a complex system of organs that work together in an amazing way.

Many of us have lost trust in physicians because we have been prescribed treatments which do not consider the root cause of dis-ease, just provide treatment for manifested symptoms. In my humble opinion, treating the symptom without understanding the root cause could add more layers of complexity to the illness- side effects, masking of symptoms, etc…

If we are serious about improving WELLNESS in our society, our Health Care System should provide an INTEGRATIVE approach towards WELLNESS, which MUST include nutrition and nourishment education to our clients.

Why is Health Coaching important to me?

November 27, 2010

Why is Health Coaching important to me?

I was asked this question as part of my coursework at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Personally, this work will allow me to be myself. I have struggled with the concept of “living in two worlds” for most of my life. My physical reality has been to raise my kids in an environment where I had to work many hours in a non-traditional role. While I loved my career in the Public Works and construction arena, my spiritual self has reached out to nature world for replenishing my body and spirit as a coping mechanism for the reality of a stressful life. I am grateful to have attained recognition and success in my public endeavor, but I yearned for the peace of having balance in my life. Incorporation of my health coaching practice into my life allows me to promote my healthy-lifestyle approach on a public level.

Professionally, my goal is to focus on working with women, and as a result of working with women, affecting the health and well-being of their children. Many professional women that I have worked with struggle with issues that limit their ability to have balance in their life while attaining success in their career of choice. My experience can provide a foundation from which to build a balanced approach towards attaining professional, spiritual, emotional, physical and financial success.

The impact that we have on others is incredible. I have already been blessed with receiving appreciation from acquaintances because I positively impacted their life. At the time, I did not realize the impact that my actions and words would have on them. Many years later, I was confronted in a very powerful way and was told how much they appreciated my help. This is very powerful. Our actions have an effect on others – whether we realize it or not. This is a huge responsibility which I do not take lightly.