Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

INTUITION AND CREATIVE VISUALIZATION

Personal development pioneer and author Shakti Gawain has taught consciousness and awareness practices and workshops for over 25 years, facilitating individuals in developing balance, wholeness and greater awareness in their lives. A leader in the world consciousness movement, Gawain is an environmentalist who aligns personal consciousness with collective planetary awareness and balance.

Instigator of the creative visualization movement that has been used in the fields of education, creative arts, business, sports, and health, Gawain identifies creative visualization as an innately powerful process of conscious, positive meditation. Its effect is to dissolve internal barriers to natural harmony and self-realization, allowing the individual to manifest in their most positive aspect.

“Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life. It is the basic creative energy of the universe. You use your imagination to create a clear image, idea or feeling of something you wish to manifest. The idea is like a blueprint; it creates an image of the form, which then magnetizes and guides the physical energy to flow into that form, and eventually manifests it on the physical plane,” writes Gawain.

Listening to one’s intuition as a guiding force leads to becoming a channel for the creative power of the universe. Acting on intuition, even if it goes against old belief systems, expectations and patterns can lead to personal fulfillment and creativity. Tapping into inner knowledge can enhance lives and can be used to attain goals. “If we learn to trust our intuitive inner knowingness, and live by it moment by moment, there’s an inner guidance and intelligence within us. It’s learning to determine what is your true intuitive voice and learning how to interpret it.”

Positive creative visualization creates situations and events that conform to our expectations. Thoughts and feelings have their own magnetic energy that draws energy of a similar quality. For more information on creative visualization contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

TUI NA MASSAGE

Often used in conjunction with acupuncture and Chinese herbalism, tui na (“push and grasp”) Chinese therapeutic massage therapy is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originating in the Shang Dynasty, around 1700 B.C.

Based on the TCM theory of qi flow through the meridians, tui na incorporates acupressure to bring the body into balance, removes obstructions in energy pathways and promotes an increase in the body’s vital energy. Tui na both treats and prevents disease through eight basic methods: Palpating (mo), rejoining (jie), opposing (duan), lifting (ti), pressing (an), kneading (mo), pushing (tui), and holding (na). Similar to principles of acupuncture, tui na focuses on specific acupressure points, energy trigger points and muscles/joints surrounding the affected area.

Tui na plays a role in rehabilitation and health maintenance and is effective in the treatment of muscles, tendons and ligaments. Tui na can treat or complement the treatment of many conditions including internal disorders, chronic stress-related respiratory ailments, shoulder/back pain, musculoskeletal disorders, and joint displacement. Tui na techniques can improve blood circulation, enhance joint mobility, heal soft tissue injuries, and is effective in nerve regulation.

Involving work with anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology and biomechanics, tui na is suited to a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, other health care environments, and offices. Tui na is subdivided into specialized treatment for orthopedics, geriatrics, chiropractic care, physical therapy, sports medicine, energy work, and massage therapy. Many martial arts schools also teach tui na for the treatment and management of injury and pain due to training.

Tui na’s focus on specific ailments, rather than a more generalized treatment, makes it an ideal alternative and/or extension to Swedish and other traditional western massage methods. For more information about tui na massage therapy or Acupuncture & Massage College’s Massage Therapy certificate program featuring a Japanese Shiatsu specialization, contact Dr. Richard Browne or Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

PTSD MAY INCREASE HEART RISK IN OLDER MEN

A study of male veterans of World War II and Korea suggests that a higher level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may increase risk of incident (new cases) coronary heart disease (CHD) in older men. Conducted by Laura D. Kubzansky, Ph.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues, the prospective study is the first to document an association between PTSD symptoms and future heart disease. The study appears in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Using two measures of PTSD, the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD (questionnaire taken in 1990 by 1,002 study participants) and the Keane PTSD scale (1986, 944 participants), the researchers analyzed health record data on 1,946 men enrolled in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, a long-term research project tracking Boston-area vets. The researchers tracked men who met PTSD diagnosis criteria and PTSD symptoms in men who weren’t diagnosed with PTSD. Most had “low to moderate” levels of PTSD symptoms. Follow up of incident CHD was analyzed through May 2001.

The authors found that for each increase in symptom level, the men had a 26 percent increased risk for non-fatal heart attack and fatal CHD combined and a 21 percent increase when angina was factored in (Mississippi PTSD scale). The findings were replicated with data from the Keane PTSD scale. “These data suggest that prolonged stress and significant levels of PTSD symptoms may increase the risk for CHD in older male veterans,” the authors write. “These results are provocative and suggest that exposure to trauma and prolonged stress not only may increase the risk for serious mental health conditions but are also cardiotoxic.”

The continual release of adrenaline prompted by PTSD symptoms may wear down the cardiovascular system. “The burden of war may be even greater than people think,” said Kubzansky. “This pattern of effects suggests that individuals with higher levels of PTSD symptoms are not simply prone to reporting higher levels of chest pain or other physical symptoms but may well be at risk for developing coronary heart disease.” For information on acupuncture for the treatment of PTSD symptoms, contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

MIND-BODY MEDICINE

Mind-body medicine motivational writer/speaker Deepak Chopra, M.D., continues to transform health awareness through Ayurvedic medicine, mindfulness, yoga, and spirituality. Chopra advocates self-awareness and meditation as primary factors influencing both health and illness through the mind-body interconnection. “Health is more than the absence of disease; it is a dynamic state of balance and integration of body, mind and spirit,” writes Chopra.

His healing approach combining western medicine with Eastern natural healing traditions has changed the worldview of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Through mind-body-spirit events, workshops, programs, and seminars worldwide, Chopra provides a new paradigm for human potential/empowerment, longevity, personal balance, spiritual enlightenment, and modern health care tailored to individuals at critical physical, emotional and spiritual stages of their lives.

Based on the ancient Ayurvedic belief that the body is created out of consciousness, Chopra focuses on consciousness as the place where healing must begin. Consciousness is also the basis for forming reality. “Intuition, insight, imagination, intention, inspiration, creativity—these are the raw materials of consciousness. With them, we can mold our personal reality and through critical mass shape our collective reality, as well.”

The human being and its wellness are based on a Hindu pantheism (everything that exists is ultimately a unity), according to Chopra. Related to this fundamental worldview, Chopra teaches the belief that human possibility is limitless (divinity existing in the universe also exists within the individual) and interconnects with coincidence. “When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities.”

“The living body is the best pharmacy ever devised. It produces diuretics, painkillers, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antibiotics. It applies the right dosages with minimal or no side effects, and the directions are inbuilt,” writes Chopra. For more information on mind-body medicine contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

AMMA MASSAGE, Copyright (c) 2007 Dr. Richard Browne.

Amma, (Japanese word for massage meaning “push-pull”) is an Asian bodywork therapy, one of the first formal methods of healing in Japan, based on the Chinese tradition of massage (anmo). Amma’s Taoist philosophy of healing dates back to the Chinese medical text, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (2697-2597 B.C.) Traditional amma massage is a medical therapy that includes diagnosis.

From the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), amma massage assesses flow and harmony of the five essential substances: qi (energy), jing (essence), shen (spirit), xue (blood), and jin-ye (body fluids). Amma massage holistically addresses the whole person through kata (choreographed movement) and pressure techniques. Amma techniques encompass pressing, stroking, stretching and percussive manipulations with thumbs, fingers, arms, elbows, knees, and feet on acupressure points along the body’s 14 meridians, or energy channels.

Amma either stimulates or sedates depending on individual constitution. The aim is to restore and promote health through correction of the imbalances of an individual’s qi or meridian system. Amma massage sessions may include herbal and exercise recommendations.

Amma massage therapy is effective in treatment of conditions including: Asthma/bronchitis, hypertension, arthritis, neuromuscular diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, chronic pain, sprains, and muscle strain. Amma increases circulation, improves flexibility of joints and soft tissue, enhances injury healing, circulates and drains lymphatic fluid, and strengthens the immune system through preventative treatment. Amma is not a specific massage technique, but rather a comprehensive combination of all forms of massage.

Amma is an extremely flexible style of massage therapy suited to a wide variety of client conditions and environments. For more information about amma massage or the Acupuncture & Massage College’s Massage Therapy program featuring a Shiatsu specialization, contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT

Tony Robbins, peak performance coach and motivational speaker/writer, challenges individuals to go beyond self-conceived limitations and reach their highest potential in fields from the arts to business, athletics to politics, and education. His firewalk seminars (Unleash the Power Within) demonstrate the ability to take action (personal power) as the main quality to achieve success.

Participants walk on hot coals and apply this same active principle to empower themselves to persevere in other aspects of life/tasks that previously would have been mistakenly considered impossible. Robbins teaches techniques for self-mastery and determination (interrupting limiting patterns by doing something unexpected, conditioning behavior through visualization, focusing on aspects of experience that create a positive psychology, goal-setting, imagining end results to generate power to create a compelling future).

Robbins’s mastery of self focuses on guiding individuals to define their path while removing internal obstacles that prevent being able to fulfill that path on an ongoing basis. Techniques focus on transformation, freedom to expand and progress as opposed to reinforcing the psychology of limitation. “Nothing has any power over me other than that which I give it through conscious thoughts, writes Robbins. “The past does not equal the future unless you live there. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.”

Movement requires breaking patterns, growth requires raising standards and meeting new challenges. “All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs,” Robbins says. “If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything.” Quality of life is determined by the meaning or interpretation assigned to things/events. “It’s not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers (or empowers) them.”

For more information on personal empowerment contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
The seven habits of highly effective people, principles discovered by Stephen Covey, are habits which when established lead to interdependent “effectiveness”. The first three habits (“private victory”) are personal and take an individual from dependence to independence, or self-reliance. Habits four through six (“public victory”) are related to working effectively with others, shared victories, and lead to interdependence, aligning individual needs with those of others that results in the ability to create effective relationships and teams. The final habit results in renewal and self-improvement.

Habit 1: Be proactive. Take action and be responsible. Being proactive means taking initiative as opposed to being reactive, or responding passively. You have the opportunity to use your free will to change yourself and your circumstances. Efforts should be focused on long-term consequences.
Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind. Consciously plan out and visualize your actions (visualize where you want to go). Set goals that will allow you to make progress towards the end result. Use creative thinking and images before starting something to plan it out. Formulate a personal mission statement of one’s purpose in life.
Habit 3: Put first things first. Prioritize work to achieve long-term goals. Focus on benchmarks and results rather than detail work. Decide which of your values and goals are most important, then determine steps to achieve those goals. This habit deals with effective time management.
Habit 4: Think win/win. Seek mutually beneficial solutions in interactions rather than negotiating from a competitive mindset (“I win, you lose”). This liberates individuals from the effort of persuading the opposing party to compromise or shift ground.
Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then be understood. Empathetically/actively listen to another person’s concerns before stating your viewpoint to establish effective communication, collaboration and exchange of ideas.
Habit 6: Synergize. In work, open yourself to others to work effectively in teams. Apply collaborative decision-making. Build on divergent strengths with others to create a synergistic effect where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Habit 7: Sharpen the saw. Relax, revitalize. Focus on body/mind/spirit self-renewal through exercise, reading literature, listening to music, and meditation/inner reflection. Rejuvenate yourself for more effective future work.

When the seven habits are established, achievements come from people working at the highest, or third level, interdependence. This is when people have the capacity to work together to achieve a common goal. Interdependence is the stage of human development of greatest maturity and power, which results in the greatest human achievements. For more information contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

My Unfolding Life in Five Element Theory

I would enjoy depicting myself balanced within the elements but as things are I cannot. I would like to write assuredly about the state of my elemental positions at the time of my birth but I can only speculate a diagnosis as told through my mother’s definition, my mother who is herself out of balance.
I was not ready to be born. My mother induced her labor; she says she feared I ingested the heavy drugs during her inducement because I was an extremely sleepy baby, one that had to be awakened for feedings. As an infant I was quiet requiring little attention. I was born with an enlarged spleen, bowed legs, and pigeon toes. In my baby pictures I look sallow and drolly- very Earth.
A year and a half later consciousness and awareness bubbled up from my belly through my lips with a voracious appetite appeased by feeding me with two spoons in succession. This demand caused my mother then pregnant with the third child much irritation for I shouted I cried I demanded attention - Wood wood would if I could and I did. I gained weight. Therapeutic braces were put on my legs and feet: Spleen nine to one, Stomach thirty-six to forty-five, UB forty to sixty-seven, Kidney ten to one. And then came the phase of high fevers that lasted 4 to 5 days on end.
I developed a mystery lung condition- Metal - that required examinations from a slew of pediatricians. My father carried me to the appointments through brightly painted clinic corridors where I and the clowns with large balloons catatonically floated on my toddler brain. The doctors concluded I had pleurisy; they instructed my parents to keep me away from the chickens but we were no where close to farms or animals. I develop a taste for baby aspirin and one night with a craving took the bottle on the sink in the green tiled bathroom glowing under the nite-light and ingested it all. My parents woke to the smell of oranges and an overdosed gurgling baby on their bedroom floor. Was I grieving for myself, was I only looking to fulfill my sweet cravings, were Earth and Metal in conflict? To this day a cold stethoscope on my chest gives me a jolting yet familiar sensation and I believe baby aspirin, that taste-bud tantalizer would be a hit as an ice cream flavor.
Two years after my dances with the clowns while sitting in front of T.V. the world changed and I noticed. Chaos, bewilderment then silence prevailed in the days following President Kennedy’s assassination. Our young country faced death and mourned. But my generation, in our age of innocence, suffered the dent. The damn broke and Water flowed into life.
I was a sweet child: heartfelt, curious, full of joy, and strong - Fire. My Shen gave hope, my Qi was filled with good intentions but the world around me was tough and stressful. My father was the only doctor in a small farming community, our hospital serviced the surrounding five towns. Protocol for answering our home phone was that of polite receptionists in a clinic. Discipline and perfection were expected from us.
I participated in high school sports and social activities, I was an honor roll student; a normal American kid in the 70’s but my youth, like my country, was filled with flux. We were free and windy- Fire and Wood. The pressures of capitalistic success snaked into everyone’s lives as did Vietnam, angry societies in revolt, free sex, drugs, rock and roll, Nixon’s resignation and feminism. My mother was exhibiting odd behavior and my father’s bustling practice made him emotionally unavailable. I failed at my self-appointed task to save my parents from divorce and I departed for college with the knowledge my family was unraveling. I became rudderless and wild, finished my first year of college then quit and I never took shelter in my parents home again- Fire to Metal.
Adolescence on my own was filled with Fire and Water and Wood aches. I was a dancer, an actress and a waitress who raked in the cash selling food and wine and spent it with my friends eating food and drinking. We were athletes, playmates, frolickers. In 1995 while doing a stunt I suffered a pelvic injury which threw me into heavy Metal years. Forced to quit dancing I grieved deeply and cried, lost my stamina and weight, developed sinus problems and moved to Chicago where I lived in darkness, fearful and cold - Water- I drank much to escape reality and one day before work while eating my employee meal I had a seizure. The medics tried to strap me on a gurney but in a blacked out state I fought them off by kicking, and wiggling. I bit one til he bled. I was hospitalized, diagnosed with a seizure disorder and drugged. With effort I toned my life down grew quiet and pensive, moved to NY where I worked as a waitress pursued acting gigs and studied jazz vocals -Earth. That city showed me depth, control, maturity and the frustration of pursuing heartfelt acting as a business.
These days with the wisdom of adulthood, I have less dramatic fluctuations and reactions to it all. The five elements are woven into a comfy pair of slippers. Only natural that I catch my foot and pull a yarn or two chipping Wood, dinging Metal, spilling Water; but the knowledge and reminders I’m receiving from this course and the groovy free acupuncture sessions courtesy of AMC set a focus, realignment and excitement toward the future with a sweet, joyful hopefulness of my inner child.
Make way for menopause!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE

Therapeutic massage has been integrated into many medical settings, health systems and complementary therapies for treatment of health conditions ranging from general stress to serious illnesses such as cancer. Therapeutic massage can reduce muscle strain, alleviate discomfort of ailments, restore balance to body/mind, rejuvenate, and maintain wellness.

As a complementary therapy, therapeutic massage can enhance health care by providing comfort, relaxation, a sense of well-being, and encourage the body’s healing process after surgery, illness or injuries. Therapeutic massage can be effective in alleviating medical condition symptoms of fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, musculo-skeletal disorders, joint dysfunction, asthma/bronchitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis.

Physical effects of therapeutic massage for the elderly include increased circulation, release of muscle tension and initiation of the relaxation response. Increasing circulation reduces swelling caused by fluid retention, prevents pressure sores and improves tissue nutrition. Releasing muscle tension can reduce sleeping medication intake and improve mobility and balance coordination. Eliciting the relaxation response can improve appetite/digestion, ease breathing and reduce stress-related conditions (headache, asthma).

Therapeutic massage may incorporate techniques from: Swedish (muscle relaxation, body fluid circulation), medical (for cancer or other conditions), Shiatsu (immune system boost, increase of blood, oxygen and circulation for energy increase), geriatric (relaxation, mental clarity, flexibility, range of motion), deep tissue (reduce chronic muscle strain, tendonitis), and trigger point (chronic sensitive area muscle pain).

Benefits of therapeutic massage include: Reduced muscle tension/stiffness, faster healing of sprained ligaments, reduced blood pressure, improved posture, enhanced post operative rehabilitation, improved skin health/nourishment, decreased heart rate, and balance restoration. For more information please contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

THE SILVA METHOD

The Silva Method comprises a self-empowerment system, which augments personal success and shapes beliefs. According to its proponents, the technique aims to reach and sustain a higher state of mental functioning called alpha state. The method also uses affirmations and visualizations.

Jose Silva, founder of the Silva Method, developed a program that trained people to enter certain brain states of enhanced awareness. Today, thousands of Silva Method instructors teach the system over several days to groups of students in numerous countries worldwide. The Silva Method is a therapeutic technique grouped within the human potential movement.

The Silva Method program is a process consisting of sixteen mind-directing exercises designed to steadily expand awareness. By increasing ability to focus and utilizing your expanded thinking a mental edge is achieved which is beneficial in meeting goals and for self-improvement. The Silva Method also is effective in helping to eliminate negative thought patterns and influences and teaches adherents to focus on positive aspects, thereby leading to success.

Numerous graduates report Silva successes in eliminating stress, bad habits, aches & pains, which result in an elevated energy level. The method is also effective in improving memory, elevating self-confidence, eliminating negative behaviors, and improving relations with others. In the field of business, the Silva method leads to increased productivity, employee communication and responsibility.

The Silva Method success formula (D + B + E + R + P) includes: Desire as an essential element f or achieving success in any goal you set. Belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to do. The method teaches elimination of old, limiting beliefs and development of new, positive focused ones. Expect success, and develop confidence your goals will be met. Recognition—recognize small steps that lead to successes to maintain a successful mental attitude. Practice your newfound mental edge daily to maintain effective conditioning. For more information contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”