What’s going on at Six Degrees...
Six Degrees and Yoga Queen have been collaborating!
‘Yoga for smokers who don’t what to be smokers’ is a dynamic supportive program utilizing group discussion, yoga, breath work and acupuncture to strengthen and support your intention to quit. This spring we’ve included an article by Simone Moir, facilitator, describing a bit about the process. For More information on this dynamic program go to yogaqueen.ca
Acupuncture & shiatsu Intro packages
Are you an acupuncture or shiatsu virgin? Never been poked? Loved ones never been poked? Let us be your first. This package includes: two acupuncture and one shiatsu treatment for $120. It’s a great way to be introduced to what acupuncture and shiatsu can do. It doesn’t hurt and you won’t feel awkward in the morning. Call Six Degrees 416.866.8484 for more details
New website www.pokeme.ca
Check out our new and updated site. It’s got more detailed information on acupuncture, the community model and what we’re about. Stay tuned for articles, resource and events
Sustaining the form…. Exercise and Asian Medicine
By Lamia Gibson
Exercise can be nasty word, can’t it? It used to make me cringe; it would bring up images of me not being able to keep up with the rest of the kids in gym class. Yuck! Still, I love to move, love to feel blood coursing through my veins and sensations of Qi flowing through and around me.
Exercise is necessary for all of us in some way, shape or form and is integral to any spring or summer cleanse you might do.
Shizuto Masunaga, Shiatsu Master, said:
“The most important feature of life is not the external form but the internal dynamics which create and sustain the form.”
Exercise doesn’t have to be painful, triggering or unattainable. At root it is a fundamental part of living healthy and we find it in many parts of life; walking, running, stretching, yoga, biking, swimming, dancing, playing sports, having sex, meditating. All of this can be a part of exercising for health. Most importantly we want to feel good in our bodies, we want to feel healthy. Do your best to see that how we look is not as important as how we feel.
Here I offer you some guidelines for healthy exercise…
- Enjoy your self… Pick an exercise that you feel good doing. If you want to keep doing it, it’s gotta be enjoyable.
- Respect your limits for this day at this time… From one day to the next our bodies are capable of different movements.
Start your exercise with a few deep breaths, connect with your physical self and move within today’s limits.
-Be realistic with your goals… Whether you are exercising to improve your health, decrease anxiety or simply to feel alive set goals that are attainable. Daily exercise is ideal, but twice a week might be more realistic. If we meet our goals, we feel better about ourselves and have more motivation for next time.
- Mix it up! Boring old exercise is boring…… make plans with friends for a bike ride one day and maybe take a meditative walk the next. Who knows maybe your hot date on the weekend will turn into exercise too!
Detox dilemma
Matt Sedo
When I used to teach English as a second language students were always anxious to know when spring starts and always amazed to see how short and sudden it is.
It is kinda true and it explains the rushing madness to be outside, on patios and catch every fleeing moment we can before it’s gone. The change is so quick here you can miss it. We don’t have the even slow and gradual transformation of other climates to bring us into the next season. The shift in Toronto really feels dramatic.
For a lot of us this leads to a frantic tendency to detox in the spring and throw off the drag of winter.
Detoxing implies a few things. A person stops consuming things that are toxic and adds food, herbs and practices that remove those toxins.
Unfortunately this is not one size fits all solution for a few reasons
Firstly what is “toxic” and good for you is somewhat relative. Many detox regimes involve eliminating dairy. Diary isn’t inherently bad. If you’re thin, have dry skin and low energy you might want to increases it. Raw food it said to be regenerative and it is. A problem arises if you have poor digestion and a lot of cold and damp symptoms- in this case you might feel worse.
If we’re zapped from an overtaxing busy winter and detoxing in the spring this will leave us more depleted.
So here are a few things to consider before spring cleaning.
-Think about your energy. Does you need a boost? A rest? If so, look into ways to restorative it. Try simple unrefined foods, acupuncture, gentle bodywork, restorative yoga, and downtime. Extreme food restriction, strong herbs and vigorous exercise aren’t the best route to take. You want to minimize stress and rebuild reserves.
-There are a lot of expensive supplements and programs for detoxing but also simple ways to do the same thing much cheaper. Beets and swiss chard clean the liver and support digestion for about four dollars a pot. Chrysanthemum tea is about five dollars a bag and gets the liver moving. Ask your acupuncturist to help get you started
-Be clear about your goals. Are you trying to lose weight, quit an addiction or become more sensitive to what you put in your body? Knowing your goal allows you to choose methods that will be more effective.
-Be aware of all the seasons and take steps to move into them harmoniously. This will balance you out all year and make the need to detox less of an issue.
Yoga For Smokers Who Don’t Want To Be
by Simone Moir
There is some wisdom in smoking cigarettes. This wisdom knows that breathing slow deep inhales and long exhales, spending time outdoors, getting grounded, taking a pause between hectic life events to reflect on and visualize our next step are all good and necessary aspects of taking care of our body and mind. By calming and steadying ourselves we get ready for whatever comes next.
Smokers are holding out on the dying art of taking a break in a fast paced culture that promotes eating lunch at the computer screen and putting in overtime that devalue human limitations and needs. Smoking is a meditative aid when you are alone as well as a social act. Smokers of all stripes band together in the worst and the best of times.
If you smoke you know that something about smoking is working for you. The trouble is that no matter how great the immediate benefits of smoking are in your day-to-day life these benefits are grossly outweighed by the health hazards and costs of this habit, both to others, the environment and ourselves.
Clearly it’s time to quit.
Why Yoga For Smokers
Yoga provides a supportive and structured approach to habit change. As a process and not an end point Yoga can assist smokers through all stages of habit change.
Contemplation and Preparation: In the beginning Yoga will help you to address your motivation, by becoming more intimate with your breath and feeling sensations in the body you discover the extent to which your habit has infiltrated all aspects of your life and assess the impacts of the habit. You recover your desire to take care of yourself.
Early Action: Once you have decided to take action Yoga lays out a path for you to follow in the initial stages of making a change. Intensive daily practice is advisable at this time, which will support you through withdrawal and help you to stay focused.
Middle Action: You have a place to turn to instead of your habit. You begin to rely on the classes you attend and look forward to familiar faces and practice routines. The time and place you set aside for practicing becomes ritualized and provides new meaning in your life.
Late Action: Here you start to uncover what was missing in your life along with the deeper emotional issues that lead to your dependency on the substance. Your Yoga takes shape. Who will you become? Your practice expands as desires emerge to try new and more complex poses and you get excited about the stages in the transformation process. You finally have the stamina to accept where you are and to work with what you have got. Tapas is a Sanskrit term for the heat that is generated through Yoga that burns through habitual holding patterns in the mind body and emotional systems and serves as the training ground for integrating difficult mental and emotional states. You leave your obsessions about outcomes behind and fall in love with process.
Maintenance: The best aspect of the yoga approach to smoking cessation and relapse prevention is the ongoing benefits of a regular yoga practice to support and maintain the new lifestyle you have adopted. Make your Yoga work for you. At this point you are self-directed in your Yoga practice and find way to integrate what you have learned into your everyday life. You supplement your home practice with classes, readings, retreats, DVD’s and online material for additional learning. Yoga is a practice of longevity that is vast enough in it’s scope to change with you as you age to support you with whatever you are experiencing.
Awareness
Contrary to popular belief Yoga is not only about feeling good. When we practice Yoga we gain awareness about ourselves particularly about what we have been covering up and avoiding. This can often be painful to realize. What we were covering up when we ran to our substances of choice and comfort be they cigarettes, chocolate or drugs and alcohol, is what comes to light once we start regular practice. The good news is that Yoga offers us a highly organized path to follow so we can learn to support the new awareness and use it to make choices that better reflect our needs.
What we do with the information we uncover in our yoga practice?
On the path of acceptance and healing of habitual tendencies, it is essential that you learn how to relate to what you experiences with the non-judgmental spaciousness of your own mind. Toward whatever comes to our attention when we practice yoga, we learn to direct this non-judgmental gaze. Developing a close relationship with a grounded teacher who can follow and guide you in your practice, will help you to develop a kind and gentle witness within yourself. We sow new seeds that counter our addictive tendencies when turn away from harsh self-criticizing thoughts and cultivate patience and kindness instead.
Purification and Balance
As a highly effective form of stress reduction, Yoga practices can replace the benefits of smoking with non-toxic rituals that are readily accessible and without cost. Observe your mental, emotional and physical state before and after just 5 minutes of yoga practice. How you feel after a session will tell you how effective the practice has been. Yoga is a total system of purification that regulates the circulatory, endocrine, digestive, and reproductive and nervous systems.
Identity
Yoga helps us to unpack our tightly wound stories of who we are. Many of us believe we are our habit. “I am a smoker.” What would it be like to free ourselves of these stories of who we are? What if we gave up our stories about what we can and can’t do? Yoga addresses habitual patterns of holding and restriction in our musculature, breath and personality. Each asana (pose) provides an opportunity to become something new. The asanas of Pigeon, Eagle, Downward Dog and Cow’s Head each teach us about aspects of being human and emphasize various states of being that we can learn to integrate within our personalities toward greater wholeness.
Sacred
Honouring the body we have, now. We have nowhere else to start but with the body, mind and abilities we have now. Each day we come to Yoga with where we are now. That means if you were doing full-wheel yesterday and today you have stiff shoulders you honour your bodies resistance and practice accordingly. Similarly if you were having full deep breaths and feeling great last night and this morning you are wheezing, coughing and have shortness of breath you will find a yoga practice that meets where you are today. Make your yoga work for you. If your yoga practice is not benefiting you, why are you doing yoga? Sometimes we find that competition and self-hatred are the fuel beneath our practice and when this is the case we usually end up in injury and with mental hardship.
Yoga promotes spending time appreciating being ness rather than doing ness. By directing our attention to the things we are actually feeling and sensing in our bodies right now we meet the present moment that is the only place where the power of choice is available to us. When we bring our attention to sensation, breath, our physical and sensate being we relinquish the hold of our ever busy doing mind and it’s perpetual grasping to some thing or some experience out there.
Whatever we put into ourselves and whatever we do effects our environment both inner and outer. As a smoker, you may ask yourself how are you tending to the garden of your body and mind? Yoga teaches us that we are in the process of becoming in each moment.
What will you choose today?
For information on programs for ‘Yoga for smokers who don’t what to be smokers’ Visit www.yogaqueen.ca or call 647.236.YOGA (9642)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Winter Newsletter
Low Back Pain
By Lamia Gibson
From a mild dull ache to flat out on your back, Low Back Pain comes in many forms. It can creep in over a few months of hard work or, with injury, can come quick and fast and strong. If you have ever experienced any degree of pain in the low back area you’ll know it can have a big impact on your day-to-day life.
Whether due to injury or overwork Low Back Pain is an example of Qi stagnation, Blood stasis or Qi deficiency. When Qi stagnates it causes pain that is dull (light or strong). The pain can seem to throb and is generally fixed in location (does not move around). When there is an injury (slipped disc or minor muscle tear) it creates a sharp strong pain that can be debilitating. This is the pain of blood stasis. When there is weakness, Qi deficiency, in the channels that run through the low back (Kidney and Bladder or Gall Bladder channels) you may experience a low dull ache along the course of the channel; often from the low back, through the buttock and down the back or side of the leg (a.k.a. sciatica).
Our low back area is integral to our structure, it is the central point from where we pivot as we move throughout the day, whether walking, bending, lifting or reaching, the central axis is our low back and lower abdomen.
So what can we do?
Acupuncture moves Stagnant Qi or Blood Stasis and nourishes deficient Qi in the channels. Our bodies contain an intricate weaving of channels of Qi, meaning we can needle the local painful area or we can needle points along the course of the channel to have effect on the affected area. So, yes, sitting in a recliner and receiving treatment for low back pain is possible. Depending on the degree of pain you are experiencing you may need a combination of bodywork and acupuncture, initially, to decrease the pain and increase healing. Once the strong pain has decreased you can then receive treatment once every two weeks or so, just to maintain your free moving back and prevent pain and stagnation in the future.
Tips for your day-to-day life….
Bend with your knees …. A piece of wisdom for all people who can bend over! When we bend with our knees we support the structure of the low back and use leg muscles instead of back muscles to lower ourselves to the ground. Humans are designed to squat to lower our bodies and every time we bend over we put undue pressure on the low back, if we are doing this over and over again we weaken the area and leave it vulnerable to injury.
Walk with the toes straight ahead……. When we walk with our toes out to each side the lower abdomen loses muscle tone and the pelvis tilts forward. This results in a tightening of the muscles of the low back. If this is how we walk day after day, it results in very tight muscles which, when we go to reach for something, can strain or tear resulting in pain and limited movement.
Winter is the season to retreat and reflect
By Susanda Yee, community acupuncturist
The cold, dry, grayness of winter can make us tired. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. I often ask clients who say, “I’m exhausted” whether they feel mind-tired, body-tired, or both? We’re not always aware of mental-emotional fatigue. Even when we catch up on sleep and rest we don’t bounce back. This may mean we need to rest our minds. The season of winter is a time to retreat and to reflect which helps to restore energy.
Kidney/Bladder energy balance
From a Chinese Medicine perspective, winter is the season of water and a time to balance the kidney/bladder energy system. We need warmth and moisture not only because winter is cold and drying but also because it is an opportunity for our bodies to build up our stores. Winter is the season of rest, reflection, and restoration. We do need to “hibernate”. This is the season where we direct our energies inward and consolidate it. Winter is the opportunity to build up and conserve energy. This conservation of moisture and development of internal stability helps us with ever changing spring, and the intensity of summer’s heat.
Some ways to keep the kidney/bladder system in balance:
- Strengthen the lower part of your body - feet, legs, pelvis, low back
- Eat highly nutritious foods: black & brown foods, root vegetables, tonifying meats (beef, mutton, bone marrow); soup & stews are good
- Avoid cold food: raw food, ice cold drinks
- Keep your feet warm: cold enters the body through the feet; stay away from drafty spaces; keep your low back & pelvis warm
- Connect with others by sharing food in small, intimate gatherings; be choosey: keep your dear ones close by
- Meditation: spend time with yourself, reflect, and solidify beliefs & philosophy of life
- Exercise: slow, repetitive movements with little exertion
- Build up your energy: choose activities with low physical exertion; conserve energy, not expend energy (no cleanses or detoxification programs).
The Experience of Receiving Acupuncture
By Matt Sedo
There's a lot of information on what conditions acupuncture helps, the traditional theories it's based on and how it works. One question I often get in my practice from people new to acupuncture is "what does it feel like?'' Because the answer differs for person to person I thought I'd ask some folks using it at six degrees.
"There's a little pain and then a tingly feeling moving up and down my arms and legs- it's very relaxing."
"I hardly feel them go in and then I'm out for half an hour."
"It's never really the same. Some days I fall asleep and others I feel a lot of energy moving around."
"It's like that awesome half –awake- half -dream-state you get in an afternoon power nap."
"Actually I didn't feel anything at first. Then after a few treatments I noticed I needed to consciously relax and breath........that's when it started to feel really good."
As people come for more acupuncture they start to feel more. They start to get a better sense of what they need in a treatment and feel the effects of the points. After a few treatments I even get requests. Acupuncture becomes less passive. The resources a client need come right from them
What do you want to hear?
We’d like to have a huge playlist of music for the centre and move beyond the six CD’s we have been using. They’re starting to kind of drive us crazy. What would you like to hear? Let us know or even better make us a CD! Please be nice to independent artist and chip in when downloading.
By Lamia Gibson
From a mild dull ache to flat out on your back, Low Back Pain comes in many forms. It can creep in over a few months of hard work or, with injury, can come quick and fast and strong. If you have ever experienced any degree of pain in the low back area you’ll know it can have a big impact on your day-to-day life.
Whether due to injury or overwork Low Back Pain is an example of Qi stagnation, Blood stasis or Qi deficiency. When Qi stagnates it causes pain that is dull (light or strong). The pain can seem to throb and is generally fixed in location (does not move around). When there is an injury (slipped disc or minor muscle tear) it creates a sharp strong pain that can be debilitating. This is the pain of blood stasis. When there is weakness, Qi deficiency, in the channels that run through the low back (Kidney and Bladder or Gall Bladder channels) you may experience a low dull ache along the course of the channel; often from the low back, through the buttock and down the back or side of the leg (a.k.a. sciatica).
Our low back area is integral to our structure, it is the central point from where we pivot as we move throughout the day, whether walking, bending, lifting or reaching, the central axis is our low back and lower abdomen.
So what can we do?
Acupuncture moves Stagnant Qi or Blood Stasis and nourishes deficient Qi in the channels. Our bodies contain an intricate weaving of channels of Qi, meaning we can needle the local painful area or we can needle points along the course of the channel to have effect on the affected area. So, yes, sitting in a recliner and receiving treatment for low back pain is possible. Depending on the degree of pain you are experiencing you may need a combination of bodywork and acupuncture, initially, to decrease the pain and increase healing. Once the strong pain has decreased you can then receive treatment once every two weeks or so, just to maintain your free moving back and prevent pain and stagnation in the future.
Tips for your day-to-day life….
Bend with your knees …. A piece of wisdom for all people who can bend over! When we bend with our knees we support the structure of the low back and use leg muscles instead of back muscles to lower ourselves to the ground. Humans are designed to squat to lower our bodies and every time we bend over we put undue pressure on the low back, if we are doing this over and over again we weaken the area and leave it vulnerable to injury.
Walk with the toes straight ahead……. When we walk with our toes out to each side the lower abdomen loses muscle tone and the pelvis tilts forward. This results in a tightening of the muscles of the low back. If this is how we walk day after day, it results in very tight muscles which, when we go to reach for something, can strain or tear resulting in pain and limited movement.
Winter is the season to retreat and reflect
By Susanda Yee, community acupuncturist
The cold, dry, grayness of winter can make us tired. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. I often ask clients who say, “I’m exhausted” whether they feel mind-tired, body-tired, or both? We’re not always aware of mental-emotional fatigue. Even when we catch up on sleep and rest we don’t bounce back. This may mean we need to rest our minds. The season of winter is a time to retreat and to reflect which helps to restore energy.
Kidney/Bladder energy balance
From a Chinese Medicine perspective, winter is the season of water and a time to balance the kidney/bladder energy system. We need warmth and moisture not only because winter is cold and drying but also because it is an opportunity for our bodies to build up our stores. Winter is the season of rest, reflection, and restoration. We do need to “hibernate”. This is the season where we direct our energies inward and consolidate it. Winter is the opportunity to build up and conserve energy. This conservation of moisture and development of internal stability helps us with ever changing spring, and the intensity of summer’s heat.
Some ways to keep the kidney/bladder system in balance:
- Strengthen the lower part of your body - feet, legs, pelvis, low back
- Eat highly nutritious foods: black & brown foods, root vegetables, tonifying meats (beef, mutton, bone marrow); soup & stews are good
- Avoid cold food: raw food, ice cold drinks
- Keep your feet warm: cold enters the body through the feet; stay away from drafty spaces; keep your low back & pelvis warm
- Connect with others by sharing food in small, intimate gatherings; be choosey: keep your dear ones close by
- Meditation: spend time with yourself, reflect, and solidify beliefs & philosophy of life
- Exercise: slow, repetitive movements with little exertion
- Build up your energy: choose activities with low physical exertion; conserve energy, not expend energy (no cleanses or detoxification programs).
The Experience of Receiving Acupuncture
By Matt Sedo
There's a lot of information on what conditions acupuncture helps, the traditional theories it's based on and how it works. One question I often get in my practice from people new to acupuncture is "what does it feel like?'' Because the answer differs for person to person I thought I'd ask some folks using it at six degrees.
"There's a little pain and then a tingly feeling moving up and down my arms and legs- it's very relaxing."
"I hardly feel them go in and then I'm out for half an hour."
"It's never really the same. Some days I fall asleep and others I feel a lot of energy moving around."
"It's like that awesome half –awake- half -dream-state you get in an afternoon power nap."
"Actually I didn't feel anything at first. Then after a few treatments I noticed I needed to consciously relax and breath........that's when it started to feel really good."
As people come for more acupuncture they start to feel more. They start to get a better sense of what they need in a treatment and feel the effects of the points. After a few treatments I even get requests. Acupuncture becomes less passive. The resources a client need come right from them
What do you want to hear?
We’d like to have a huge playlist of music for the centre and move beyond the six CD’s we have been using. They’re starting to kind of drive us crazy. What would you like to hear? Let us know or even better make us a CD! Please be nice to independent artist and chip in when downloading.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Fall 2008
Emotional and Mental Health
Qi/Ki stagnation in everyday life….
By Lamia Gibson
Qi or Ki – life force energy – is in every living thing. It is the force that moves us, warms us, strengthens us, and keeps us alive and alert. When Ki stagnates it blocks the flow of energy in our channels, which in turn tightens the muscles along those channels. Whether mild or severe, the pain of muscle or joint tension can lead to grumpiness & fatigue. If the pain is severe or prolonged it can upset the digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems and vice versa. For example, the Qi stagnation may start in the kidneys as a result of intense dehydration causing the kidneys to work in overdrive. The Kidney Ki stagnating will then cause the muscles around the kidneys to stagnate which then manifests on the surface of the body as a pain in the lower back. Qi stagnation is not only palpable physically. When we get ‘in a mood’ or have mood swings, this is an example of how our emotional Qi can stagnate. If the pain we experience feels better with movement, it is a sign of Ki stagnation. Whether emotional or physical presentations of Qi stagnation, we can improve by moving the body – literally getting yourself unstuck. If you can adopt regular movement in your life, something like simple stretches, going to the gym, yoga, biking, swimming, walking… movement is important to unblock Qi. If we get grumpy, and can’t get up and stretch or go for a run, we can breathe deep and visualize sending the frustration out of our bodies. It is important to right the wrongs, and to let go of the emotion. You can also stimulate the movement of Qi of the liver by drinking lemon water… a light lemon water (1/8 lemon, to one glass of water) is good in the morning to stimulate the liver and gall bladder to release bile and flush toxins. Add a glass of water after and you have a good start to the day. In this case less is more… Side stretches are good for stretching the GB channel, and loosening the tension of the liver.
Thank you
By Susanda Yee, Community Acupuncturist
Acupuncture is most often associated with pain management. Acupuncture, however, can also strongly affect our mental and emotional health. Not many people are aware that it is a great way to deal with problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Many of my clients experience mental and emotional disharmony. They may feel ungrounded, moody, anxious, mentally tired, and overwhelmed. A common pattern in clients is too much energy at the top of their bodies (head, neck,chest) and not enough at the bottom (pelvis, knees, feet) causing a top heaviness, and ungrounded state in the body. I see this especially in clients who have a lot on their minds, feel disconnected from themselves, and who are mentally over-stimulated and fatigued. One of my main goals as a community acupuncturist has been to increase a sense of power, awareness, and wholeness in clients and in communities. Through experience I have learned more about how our emotional and mental health affects our physical health; they should not be understood as separate states. I began integrating the information clients shared with me (such as details of their lives, daily stress, life goals) and this gave a more complete picture of their health pattern. As a result I was able to develop better and individualized treatments that addressed multiple health needs. Clients are often surprised by how good they feel after a treatment. Even when they may have come because of their “bad knee”, they go away feeling relaxed and more grounded. During an acupuncture treatment many clients experience a semi-conscious state. Some people dream, feel light, and have a sensation of floating. Some clients comment on a shift in time, as if they’ve been resting or asleep for a long time. When we’re in a deeply relaxed state we tap into our natural ability to heal ourselves. It allows us to dissolve our defenses and reconnect the compartmentalized and fragmented states we experience when we’re extremely stressed. The experience of acupuncture can take us to this relaxed (or defenseless) state. We can let go, drift in the sea of our consciousness. Acupuncture rebalances our energy. There is a reorganization and redistribution of Qi. Where Qi was stuck, it can begin to flow. It redistributes in the body so there is a sense of aliveness,
connectedness, & equilibrium.
Acupuncture is most often associated with pain management. Acupuncture, however, can also strongly affect our mental and emotional health. Not many people are aware that it is a great way to deal with problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Many of my clients experience mental and emotional disharmony. They may feel ungrounded, moody, anxious, mentally tired, and overwhelmed. A common pattern in clients is too much energy at the top of their bodies (head, neck,chest) and not enough at the bottom (pelvis, knees, feet) causing a top heaviness, and ungrounded state in the body. I see this especially in clients who have a lot on their minds, feel disconnected from themselves, and who are mentally over-stimulated and fatigued. One of my main goals as a community acupuncturist has been to increase a sense of power, awareness, and wholeness in clients and in communities. Through experience I have learned more about how our emotional and mental health affects our physical health; they should not be understood as separate states. I began integrating the information clients shared with me (such as details of their lives, daily stress, life goals) and this gave a more complete picture of their health pattern. As a result I was able to develop better and individualized treatments that addressed multiple health needs. Clients are often surprised by how good they feel after a treatment. Even when they may have come because of their “bad knee”, they go away feeling relaxed and more grounded. During an acupuncture treatment many clients experience a semi-conscious state. Some people dream, feel light, and have a sensation of floating. Some clients comment on a shift in time, as if they’ve been resting or asleep for a long time. When we’re in a deeply relaxed state we tap into our natural ability to heal ourselves. It allows us to dissolve our defenses and reconnect the compartmentalized and fragmented states we experience when we’re extremely stressed. The experience of acupuncture can take us to this relaxed (or defenseless) state. We can let go, drift in the sea of our consciousness. Acupuncture rebalances our energy. There is a reorganization and redistribution of Qi. Where Qi was stuck, it can begin to flow. It redistributes in the body so there is a sense of aliveness,
connectedness, & equilibrium.
Qi/Ki stagnation in everyday life….
By Lamia Gibson
Qi or Ki – life force energy – is in every living thing. It is the force that moves us, warms us, strengthens us, and keeps us alive and alert. When Ki stagnates it blocks the flow of energy in our channels, which in turn tightens the muscles along those channels. Whether mild or severe, the pain of muscle or joint tension can lead to grumpiness & fatigue. If the pain is severe or prolonged it can upset the digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems and vice versa. For example, the Qi stagnation may start in the kidneys as a result of intense dehydration causing the kidneys to work in overdrive. The Kidney Ki stagnating will then cause the muscles around the kidneys to stagnate which then manifests on the surface of the body as a pain in the lower back. Qi stagnation is not only palpable physically. When we get ‘in a mood’ or have mood swings, this is an example of how our emotional Qi can stagnate. If the pain we experience feels better with movement, it is a sign of Ki stagnation. Whether emotional or physical presentations of Qi stagnation, we can improve by moving the body – literally getting yourself unstuck. If you can adopt regular movement in your life, something like simple stretches, going to the gym, yoga, biking, swimming, walking… movement is important to unblock Qi. If we get grumpy, and can’t get up and stretch or go for a run, we can breathe deep and visualize sending the frustration out of our bodies. It is important to right the wrongs, and to let go of the emotion. You can also stimulate the movement of Qi of the liver by drinking lemon water… a light lemon water (1/8 lemon, to one glass of water) is good in the morning to stimulate the liver and gall bladder to release bile and flush toxins. Add a glass of water after and you have a good start to the day. In this case less is more… Side stretches are good for stretching the GB channel, and loosening the tension of the liver.
Thank you
What are Trigger Points??
By Sandy Wallace
As a massage therapist, I am often asked about trigger points. What exactly are they?? Myofascial trigger points are painful spots within a muscle or it's fascia. They are tender to the touch and usually have a predictable pattern of pain referral. Trigger points cause the muscle to shorten, creating tension. Common causes for trigger points are poor posture, constricted muscles (from backpack straps, purses etc.),anxiety and depression, impaired sleep which may cause anxiety and increased muscle tension, and vitamin deficiencies. Some trigger points, particularly ones found in the muscles of the neck can cause muscle tension headaches. Massage therapists are trained to release these painful spots, which may provide great relief to those who suffer!
Sandy Wallace, RMT
Bio: I am a graduate of Everest College and a Registered Massage Therapist, licensed by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. I'm currently attending Yoga Teachers Training at Vidya Institute in Toronto. I am happy to join a great team of practitioners here at Six Degrees
Thoughts to chew on...
By Matt Sedo
Knowing how to eat is getting ridiculous! At any given time in the paper, on TV, or in the supermarket there are new breakthroughs on how much B12 one needs, how to combine food, calorie intake, Raw, macrobiotic, zone, alkaline, detox, high protein. Ahhh! Food is moving further away from the sensual experience of eating to an intellectual one. mmmm that protein looks good, is it homemade? There are some simpler approaches to eating:
People have never had the kind of access to the varieties of food as we do today, yet we habitually consume the same things. Mix up flavors and colors. Rotate with the seasons. Avoid eating the same thing everyday. This will ensure you getting all the nutrients with out having to rely too much on vitamins and supplements
Be well!
By Sandy Wallace
As a massage therapist, I am often asked about trigger points. What exactly are they?? Myofascial trigger points are painful spots within a muscle or it's fascia. They are tender to the touch and usually have a predictable pattern of pain referral. Trigger points cause the muscle to shorten, creating tension. Common causes for trigger points are poor posture, constricted muscles (from backpack straps, purses etc.),anxiety and depression, impaired sleep which may cause anxiety and increased muscle tension, and vitamin deficiencies. Some trigger points, particularly ones found in the muscles of the neck can cause muscle tension headaches. Massage therapists are trained to release these painful spots, which may provide great relief to those who suffer!
Sandy Wallace, RMT
Bio: I am a graduate of Everest College and a Registered Massage Therapist, licensed by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. I'm currently attending Yoga Teachers Training at Vidya Institute in Toronto. I am happy to join a great team of practitioners here at Six Degrees
Thoughts to chew on...
By Matt Sedo
Knowing how to eat is getting ridiculous! At any given time in the paper, on TV, or in the supermarket there are new breakthroughs on how much B12 one needs, how to combine food, calorie intake, Raw, macrobiotic, zone, alkaline, detox, high protein. Ahhh! Food is moving further away from the sensual experience of eating to an intellectual one. mmmm that protein looks good, is it homemade? There are some simpler approaches to eating:
- Be aware of the energetic quality of food and how it affects you.
- Use food as medicine.
- Enjoy it.
- The rotation method.
People have never had the kind of access to the varieties of food as we do today, yet we habitually consume the same things. Mix up flavors and colors. Rotate with the seasons. Avoid eating the same thing everyday. This will ensure you getting all the nutrients with out having to rely too much on vitamins and supplements
- Eat food not “food.”
Be well!
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