Mindfulness

Almost everyone who suffers with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome wonders about stopping muscle pain quickly. How do you do it? Today on the Health Matters Show, I’ll give you 3 tricks that work for me and some examples of how to do them yourself.

Since I’ve healed, I don’t have the tremendous, ongoing volume of muscle pain like I used to experience. Thank God, it’s not there anymore.

That does not mean that I don’t have pain. Because I’m still a bit physically de-conditioned, I am overweight for my body size, I have two slightly bulging spinal discs and I don’t have all the energy that I need when I get ready to do something really physical, I still experience some pain.

Now, of course, being inspired and motivated to engage in a physical activity helps, so that leads me to explain my first example today about stopping muscle pain quickly. This last Monday night I had my first Tai Chi session in over twenty years. I still remembered some things, but I could tell that my body was older and not in as good a shape as before.

The instructor had us warm up with some energy enhancing stretches, one of which he described as hugging a tree. (Sorry I don’t remember the specific name of the posture… .) We were told to stand tall in a good, straight stance. Imagine a string being attached to the top of my head near the back portion. As that string was gently pulled upward to the ceiling, I was to straighten and lengthen my spine with my shoulders back. As I breathed in deeply, I was to imagine energy coming up from the earth and through my feet, the energy rising to the top of my head and then settling back down into my hands which I held out in front of me hugging that imaginary tree.

Now this exercise was wonderful, exciting, and energizing for about two minutes. As I stood there, my back began to ache and my energy waned. I noticed these symptoms, but instead of panicking, I decided to practice mindfulness and be proactive. I had the intention of stopping my pain before it got worse.

(Audio podcast is 14 minutes 32 seconds)
Here’s what happened…
[click to continue…]

{ 1 comment }

When we talk about holistic healing, looking at examples of its use help us understand this important health concept and what it can mean to someone suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a.k.a. ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia FMS).

Today, we’ll also use you in this example. By the very fact that you’re visiting this blog and website, you probably have either Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or both illnesses. (Note: use the terms CFS and ME/CFS interchangeably here.) And to add even more punch to our illustration, today you have 10 symptoms, one of which is an under-performing Immune System. It has allowed a terrible case of broncitis to get a foothold. You’re SICK!

Instead of your taking a prescription drug to blast the broncitis and maybe even affect some of your other symptoms, you choose to use holistic healing treatment approaches. (Always consult your doctor before making a decision like this.) By taking this alternate health route of holistic healing, you’re seeking to have a better chance at long term health success which results in:

A) Fewer recurring and lingering Immune System problems like broncitis and those flu-ish, feel-bad-all-over symptoms
B) Fewer problems with Candida and yeast infections that often occur after taking a round of broad spectrum antitiotics. If you’ve taken multiples antibiotics within a six months period, you have an above-average chance of suffering with a stubborn case of Candida. Yeast infections are no fun, can be very difficult to get rid of and can cause a host of symptoms. Learn how to fight Candida with Life-5.

Candida is being widely discussed on many fronts, some writers even suggesting that it is a cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome! Whether it is or not, you can preempt Candida before it occurs by discontinuing the use of antibiotics and other prescription drugs and by starting to use acidophilus-type products after a course of antibiotics. The best product I know of is Life-5.

C) Less toxin buildup, so therefore fewer toxins for your body to get rid of -and-
D) Fewer or no drug side effect problems. (By foregoing use of one more powerful prescription drug, you won’t experience that drug cross reacting with something else already in your system.)

By taking a more natural approach to healthcare with holistic healing, you can enjoy the results of calmer, quieter, less obtrusive healing alternatives. Plus, your body might really appreciate it because it won’t constantly undergo the energetic insults of prescriptions drugs that shock the body.

Some of your best holistic healing and healthcare options include the following:
[click to continue…]

{ 2 comments }

Both of the resources that I passed along to you yesterday about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), should help you to get informed about the illness and help you manage its affects for your child or in young people.

However both of these resources are inadequate to use alone. Yes, there are books, reports and lots of information on healing mechanisms that you can find, but nothing adds more value and long term help to your young person being sick more than an older relative or friend giving personal time, attention and interest to them in seeing that they live as healthfully (e.g. “full of health”) as possible.

That surely offers them the best chance to get well that you can facilitate happening. Go the extra mile and search for data and resources that take a bit more digging to uncover, but are likely to be the very things that will provide the biggest benefit.

Audio: click the right facing arrow and listen to this week’s Health Matters Show audio podcast file right here on the website -or- download it for later. It is 31 minutes 25 seconds in length and packed full of helpful information!
[click to continue…]

{ 4 comments }

You and I can have some control over how much pain we feel at any given moment (e.g. pain relief) through the practice of mindfulness. I’ve written about this subject of practicing mindfulness this week and today I’m prepared to talk about it and give you some useful examples. Before you listen to the audio podcast today, be sure to get out your two raisins and have them handy. You’ll see why in a minute.

Even though you and I have suffered at times with chronic pain, Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as living human beings, we are more in control of our lives than we think we are. We make purposeful choices of what to believe, what to allow in our lives, what to eat, when to sleep and who to be friends with. We can even choose how much weight and importance to assess to the matter of being in pain and how we approach the subject of pain relief.

Now I’m not saying that you’re causing your chronic pain. Mindfulness, as a concept, isn’t meant to be that simple or drawn in that fine a line. What I do mean is that through practicing mindfulness, you can make a stab at (pardon the pun) controlling your pain… even chronic pain. Dear One, it is doable and today I’ll show you how to get started in using mindfulness as your own practice and healing tool.

(Audio 25 min 27 seconds)
[click to continue…]

{ 2 comments }

Whether you experience small
moments of awareness, small changes, small healings or a whopping, wham-doozie-sized personal change that allows you to experience more profound and complete healing, change is the operative action word when it comes to causing a major turnaround in your health situation.

(Mindfulness can help you arrive at the point where change is possible because mindfulness encourages new awareness levels.)

You and I undergo “change” all the time. That why it is very possible for you to become a changed person for the better.

Your job from here on out, if you choose to accept it, is to make sure that the changes that you make positively affect your life.

[click to continue…]

{ 1 comment }

As you heal, as you become a more aware person, as you become more receptive to a renewed state of health, and as you’re practicing more and more mindfulness, you will notice fantastic changes taking place in your body, mind and spirit as real healing.

This information often shows up as tiny “awareness” spurts, like bubbles floating to the surface of a pond. Or you may sense them more as giant leaps forward, truly wowing you with some new found revelation. Either progression can be exciting, but it’s important to notice and respect each one.
[click to continue…]

{ 2 comments }

To begin our discussion and help us figure out how to promote our healing through the practice of mindfulness, let’s cheat a little and look at the flip side of the coin first: Just how bad is it to remain unaware of what’s really going on in your body -and- be unhealthy and chronically sick?

Well, these are important issues. On the surface, this shouldn’t be impossible because your body is supposed to know how to heal itself. BUT, if it won’t (or can’t) cooperate and do this, thus enabling you to be healthy and balanced, if it can’t right itself, then something is seriously wrong with one of more parts of you!

Essentially, some major stressor is impairing your health and blocking your recovery. (You can think bacteria, virus, your insufferable boss, anyone or anything that is seriously impairing your physical safety, mental health, emotional happiness or spiritual security of who you are in this world.) The plain fact is, at this moment in time, your body can’t figure out how to be healthy.

Is mindfulness something that you can do to help your body heal?
[click to continue…]

{ 1 comment }

If you’ve ever heard of the old phrase, that something is too loud and you can’t hear yourself think, then you have the idea behind one of the values of solitude in the practice of mindfulness, and maybe even a bit about how meditating can help if you suffer with Fibromyalgia.

If something is too loud, your inner critic (that decides what’s best for you) may get overwhelmed and not be able to make itself known above the noise. Unless you’re sensitive to what is going on, you might ignore the warning signs and miss a valuable level of awareness.

I’m convinced that most chronically ill people quit paying attention to themselves.

[click to continue…]

{ 2 comments }

This week we’ve been talking about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The information coming out of Canada has been quite interesting, but other info published recently by a Canadian and US research team is absolutely fascinating. It has to do with how HPA Axis dysfunction is an important clinical component of chronic fatigue, how that affects your life and what scientists are proposing to do about it.

For some time researchers have theorized that Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis (HPA) dysregulation goes a long way toward explaining many of the symptoms of CFS. As this vital, physical/body crux point gets tilted off center for various reasons (like too much stress), the body often has reactions like fatigue, cortisol imbalance and more. Once injured, the HPA axis can stay in a state of imbalance for a long time.

This highlighted article shares that viewpoint. The information is worth reading and keeping. However…

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Do not presume that your prayers are not answered, because they are. It is up to you to receive and listen.

(Quoted from Entering the Castle, an Inner Path to God and Your Soul by Caroline Myss.)

In seeking your personal truth, I urge you to make time to practice real silence. Still yourself through the practice of mindfulness, meditation and/or deep breathing.

[click to continue…]

{ 3 comments }