Technology makes it easier to stay in touch at lightening speed with our friends, family and co-workers. We seem to perceive a more urgent need to respond quickly to a text, more so than a phone message.  Kids are in constant communication with friends; wanting to know where they are and what they are doing.  They are constantly seeking out opinions and advice for the smallest of decisions that may need to be made, leading some psychologists to believe that adolescents are not developing the ability to make independent decisions. Adults are not immune to this pressure either. I have clients who are checking their text messages when they come through my door and again after their massages end. They are returning test messages as they walk out the door. We don’t want to be left out of the loop.

We have become addicted to this instant form of communication. So what is the problem? On the surface the issues seem minor. So what if teens are texting in the middle of class, when they are suppose to be learning?  so what if everyone seems to be texting at restaurants or while standing in line at a check out counter?   So what if teens are texting in the middle of the night when they should be sleeping? Well lack of sleep leads to lack of concentration for one thing, not to mention increased stress levels.  This leads to a  lack of down time for the mind and body. Ah that pesky body. Why would the body need down time from texting?  What could possibly happen by constantly tapping  the thumb on a keyboard?  Repetitive strain injury(RSI).   An injury can occur when a part of the body does a repetitive movement.   RSI affects the nerves, tendons and muscles.  The thumbs were not designed to text at the rate that is happening.

Repetitive strain injury is characterized by discomfort, impairment and loss of muscle strength and function.  De Quervain’s Tendinitis is a repetitive strain injury that causes pain at the wrist and forearm.  A tendon is a rope like chord that attaches muscle to bone.  Tendinitis is the swelling of the tendons.   Two tendons to the thumb  pass through a tunnel located on the thumb side of the wrist, any swelling of the  synovium, which is a thin outer layer of the tendons can put pressure on the nerves resulting in wrist pain and or numbness in the fingers.

Some of the symptoms  are pain felt over the thumb side of the wrist.  The pain may appear gradually or suddenly.  The pain can be felt in the wrist and may travel up the forearm.  The pain is worse when the hand and thumb are in use.   There may be swelling over the thumb side of the wrist.  There may be a fluid filled cyst in this region.  A catching or snapping sensation may be felt when moving the thumb.  There may be numbness on the back of the thumb and index finger.

De Quervain’s Tendinitis is also associated with rheumatoid arthritis.  If you have arthritis in the thumbs or fingers then texting can aggravate the condition.

If texting starts to hurt it is recommended that you stop or decrease the amount of texting, use your other hand or vary the digits you use.  It is also recommended that you don’t text more than a few minutes without a break.  The following exercises may also be helpful.  If they cause additional pain, stop.

Tap each finger with the thumb of the same hand.  Repeat 5 times(5x).  Pull your thumb firmly with the other hand 5x

Wrap an elastic band around the tip o each  finger and thumb and open your hand against the resistance.  Repeat 20x

Palms down, wrap an elastic band around each thumb and force apart.  Repeat 20x

Tap the palm and back of your hand on your thigh as quickly as you can.  Repeat 20x

Massage thumb web, back of forearm and front of forearm.  2 minutes

Reach up high with both arms and shake your hands.  Reach down low with both arms and shake your hands.  Repeat 3x

Arms at 45 degrees squeeze them behind you.

wrap an ice pack on sore hand and arm parts.  Do not put ice directly on the skin.  Place ice in a zip lock bag, wrap bag in a dish towel.  10 minutes on and 10 minutes off.  Repeat 3x

Splints maybe used to rest the thumb and wrist.

We text as a way to interact socially, but what do we do with generations of young people to come who have repetitive strain injuries at younger and younger ages?

September 12, 2001 was the day the world united as a global community in the spirit of outrage, love, support and compassion. As a nation we joined hands and hearts while waiting for hopeful news from the search and rescue efforts. We donated blood. We offered up prayers and words of condolences for those we never knew. Everyone wanted in some small way to lift up the hurting because in turn it would ease our own hurt. That time of healing was all too brief.

The ten years that have passed have seen many changes in the way we conduct our lives, from boarding an airplane, going to a concert or attending sports event. It changed how we interact with people we perceive as different and possibly a threat. A generation of children have been born that have not known a time without the term “terrorist threat”. Sadly though, on this tenth anniversary of nine eleven we see more and more occasions where the emotions of anger, hatred, distrust, and prejudice are given free reign. We take every opportunity to spread conflict amongst ourselves. Ten years later, we as a nation are more and more polarized than ever. Ten years later we each must decide how to conduct our lives. We must each decide what thoughts, actions and emotions serve us individually and the world the best. I personally would rather honor the individuals who awoke on September 11, 2001, who were just going about their everyday lives, by living in the spirit of love, kindness, and compassion to all my fellow human beings. I am not naive. I do not live in a fantasy world. I do know that bad things happen for reasons that one cannot wrap their mind around. But I know that perpetuating the myriad of negative emotions serves no one, least of all me. In 2001 I was happiest when sharing love, a smile, a hug, an encouraging word. I was happiest being of service to others; a compassionate being. I feel the same way ten years later.

One of the most potentially harmful ingredients in hair shampoos and bath and shower gels is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(SLS). This ingredient creates those nice soapy lathers we so love, yet it is used in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car-wash soaps. The reason? It can really attack a greasy surface. I guess if it can get an engine clean it should get your hair clean. Sodium lauryl sulfate is used by laboratories to irritate skin on animals so they can test healing agents on the irritated skin. A study at the University of Georgia Medical College found that SLS showed long term retention in the tissues of the brain, heart, liver and eyes, when penetrated. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) exhibits many of the same characteristics.

Propylene glycol is a component of antifreeze and de-icers for starters. This lovely little additive can be found in shampoos, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions , processed foods and dog foods. It is a humectant, which means it helps things retain moisture; keeps them soft.

Even that innocent talcum powder we sprinkle on after a shower, or on little babies is not without possible harmful components. Talc is a mineral mined from talc rocks. In its natural form it may contain asbestos, but it is believed that most asbestos is eliminated during processing and therefore talc used in the products in the home is not believed to contain this carcinogen. There are some though who believe that minute fibers may still remain, as some studies using asbestos free talc on rats had mixed results, with some forming tumors and others not. The studies of ovarian cancer in women and talc has also had mixed results. There have been cases of talc being found in the ovaries of women with ovarian cancer. Talc miners had higher rates of lung cancer.

These are just a few of chemicals found in most of the every day products we use. There are hundreds more. They are legal and believed to probably be safe, but think about how often we shower, shampoo and use cosmetics, lotions and powders. How much processed food we eat. How much food we eat that has been sprayed with pesticides. Think of the weed killers you spray on your lawn and yet your children run barefoot, play and roll on that grass. Your pets walk in that grass and lick their paws or even sometimes eat the grass. This is not a once in a while deal. This is day in and day out, year after year absorption to one degree or another. What is the long term accumulative outcome for any one of us? We each have to make that decision for ourselves—hopefully make thoughtful informed ones for yourself, your family and the planet.

John and I of course are not as happy. It is after all 10:00pm and time for dogs and humans alike to be going to bed. We call Annie and she returns to the comforts of the kitchen and flops down. John and I go back outside calling for Jack with our happy voices. We try luring him back with offers of “purple ball”, “rope toy” and “lime loop”. These are Jack’s favorite toys and he knows them by name, but the lure of the night and being a free dog was too great.

John has taken off in the truck to drive down to the meadow and up to the pasture in hopes that Jack will see the lights of the truck and believe he is going for a ride. I remain at the house and see the truck lights in the distance and hear John calling Jack, but no luck. I listen closely for sounds of Jack roaming in the woods, occasionally I think I hear his tags jingle, but can’t be sure. I go into the house and turn off all the lights hoping that if he can’t see them he will return. John returns to the house and decides to extend the search on foot into the woods. It has been almost an hour and what started out as annoyance is starting to morph into genuine worry. A border collie can cover a lot of ground and we didn’t know how far he could have gotten. We hoped he was still on the property. We live near a highway and while it is not a heavily traveled highway, especially at night, it only takes one car and one fast moving border collie for the result to be tragic. We try not to let our minds go there, but while John disappears into the woods I am already thinking of lost dog fliers and if we should spend the night outside on the deck. I hear John calling and then I hear a noise to my right and call to Jack. I see him, just 20 feet from me. I call to him. He looks at me, turns and heads back into the woods. The brat! I yell to john and tell him I saw him. He returns to the cloak of trees, calling out the name of our wayward dog. Then he stops calling out and all is quiet. Minutes pass, we are listening to the night. All lights are off. Then a woof and I hear John talking in a low voice. There is movement and shortly John is coming out of the woods with Jack on leash. He is one tired and panting border collie. We brush him and tell him how happy we are he is back. It has been 90 minutes. His longest “walk about”.

Annie & Jack

After relief had set in I began to ponder what was happening to John and I physiologically. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates internal organs and glands has two divisions. The parasympathetic system is our rest and digest system. it helps controls functions such as digestion, salivation, tear formation, defecation and lowered heart rate. Things that occur when the body is at rest. The sympathetic nervous system is well known as the “fight or flight” system. This is the system that raises the heart rate, elevates blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. When the body is under stress our breath quickens, muscles tighten, our senses become sharper, all this enables us to take quick action. The body also releases stress hormones, namely adrenaline which is what contributes to the increase in heart rate and blood pressure and cortisol, which increase glucose in the bloodstream. It also decreases functions that are not as necessary in a fight or flight scenario including suppressing the digestive system and immune system. Now these systems are self regulating so after the perceived threat is over the hormone levels return to normal and the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems return to a more balanced state. This is what happened when Jack made is great escape and when he safely returned. Not a big deal.

The problem is when we live in constant states of stress or chronic stress. The body does not return to balance, instead the opportunity presents itself for stress hormones to continually cascade through our body. There are many symptoms of stress, sleep problems, digestive problems, tight muscles, depression, obesity, lowered immune function, moodiness, feeling overwhelmed, changes in appetite, loss of sex drive, nausea, dizziness, procrastinating, and self imposed isolation.

Chronic stress is serious and debilitating and should not be taken with the attitude “that is just the way life is” or “there is nothing I can do about it”.  There are many situations that can contribute to high stress, such as loss of a job, home, or loved one., even excessive worry about the “what if’s”  that life can throw at us can cause problems.  If you are a primary care giver you can experience elevated stress levels.  If you work for or with someone who is constantly attacking you verbally this can lead to anxiety and stress.

There are many factors that can contribute to your ability to tolerate and manage stress. A group of friends and family that are supportive, confidence in yourself to get through life’s challenges, an optimistic attitude, and methods of managing emotions can be beneficial. If you feel that you are experiencing chronic stress it is important to make lifestyle changes such as exercise that you enjoy, relaxation techniques such as yoga, tai chi and massage, keeping socially connected with friends and family, limiting the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and refined sugars, really making healthy diet choice   and perhaps even professional counseling, sometimes we need someone to help us see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We all experience episodes of stress and that is not a bad thing, only if it is allowed to run rampant, so manage your stress and take the time to be a “Free Dog”!

My father was born in 1913. His father died when he was about two years old; leaving his mother to raise eight children on her own. This was a time when child labor laws did not exist so my father went to work at a very young age. He helped deliver milk at the age of eight. He dropped out of school in the 8th grade. He was born in Port Huron, Michigan so at about 15 or 16 years old he went to work on the boats that sailed the Great Lakes, as a cook’s assistant. He often told the story of how he once knocked a can of peanuts off a shelve and they landed in that day’s bread dough There was no time to start a new batch and too many to pick out, so the bread was baked with the peanuts. the captain of the ship called the cook to his cabin and complimented him on the bread and requested they serve it more often.  He loved to tell that story.

My father packed up his family and moved to Kansas City in the late 40’s. He built houses for a while, but eventually he settled in Shawnee, Kansas and opened a small open air market called appropriately enough The Apple & Cider Market. He sold fresh fruits, vegetables, cider, honey and eggs raised by local farmers. I guess in some ways he had the first Whole Foods. If you bought a dozen ears of corn he would throw in an extra ear and call it a “baker’s dozen”. If you found a worm on your corn he would either say, “well if the worms like it, it must be good” or “I don’t charge extra for the protein.” But if you were caught squeezing the fruit or tomatoes you met his wrath. He did not tolerate the bruising of his produce. Bruised fruit does not sell. His days often started early,  around 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning.  He would  head down to the city market and wait for the trucks to arrive with produce that was not grown in our region—grapes, citrus fruits and the like. If you were short of cash between paydays he would run you a tab. There was a recipe box behind the counter with index cards that had running tabs. He knew what it felt like for a family struggle to make ends meet. He would hand out penny suckers and bubble gum to the children of customers.

He and my mother worked six days a week; putting in 18 hour days. My sisters and I, from very early ages all worked in the store as well; after school , Saturdays and summer vacations were spent displaying produce, ringing up customer purchases, bagging groceries and carrying out the groceries for our customers. We lived on a bit of acreage and grew green beans to sell at the store and for “you pick”. We planted 500 bell pepper plants by hand and I was paid a nickle a pepper to pick them in the summer.

That was our life and I hated it. Every day was not a holiday. I wanted to live in the suburbs and have a stay at home mom and a dad that put on suit and drove to the office. I wanted to sleep in during the summer and go to the pool with friends. The truth is I never really understood why my father bothered to say every day was a holiday, when in my eyes it obviously was not. In retrospect my father worked hard, but he was proud of his work and for the most part I believe enjoyed it. He taught his children many lessons such as the importance of a strong work ethic and while he didn’t prescribe to the belief that the customer was always right, he did have strong customer service traits.  In the later years my father closed The Apple & Cider Market and opened 50 State Bird feeders.  He loved birds and turned that small hobby into his work.  I guess that old saying is true, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

I guess that on some level I learned to enjoy my work because I believe my father to satisfaction in his.  I have been fortunate that even my first job outside of The Apple & Cider Market was one that I enjoyed and stayed at for 22 years, until the office was closed. I have been even more fortunate to find my path in the profession of massage therapy and energy therapy. It gives me great pleasure to be of service to my clients. I also learned the lesson of balance, not so much by what my parents did, but by what they did not do. They rarely made free time for themselves. I find more and more that I need my space to vegetate. I don’t have to travel to get away. I can be content to sit on my deck and read a book or spend the day having a massage and lunch at a new restaurant or a favorite old one. It’s OK to take an afternoon nap, even if the laundry has yet to be washed. I don’t have to be in constant doing mode.

My father was not a saint.  He had many private demons, but he seemed to find contentment in his work, feeding the birds and his Sunday drives.    I guess what it really comes down to is this,  if you can find even small ways to be happy and content in your work, your life and your own skin,  then truly “Every day is a Holiday”, so says the Francis Fiddler mantra.

Those first snow angels and snowmen of the season that were so much fun to make  are now just a good way to get snow down your coat collar and in your gloves.  That first one or two snow shoveling events seemed like good exercise, but when you have to start shoveling the grass so the four-legged family members will go out without being shoved through the door, well now it is not so much fun

But now enough is enough.  Bring it spring!  Alas, since we have no control over when Ole Man Winter will depart; we have to try to make the best of the season that I am beginning to call The black hole of seasons”.  Sometimes you have to make your own spring.  Sometimes you have to exert a bit more effort in elevating your mood.  So here are a few little tips.  Eat citrus, as in oranges & grapefruit; not only is the fragrance uplifting, but it has vitamin C which can help keep your immune system purring.  If you are not big on actually eating oranges or grapefruit, then buy the essential oils and put them in a diffuser and allow the aroma to drift through your home.  Color has energy!  The colors red and orange can be invigorating, but be careful, they can add fuel to an already angry or bad mood.  I myself tend to wear spring colors year round, pink is not really a favorite color of mine, but I always feel good wearing it, so I wear it a lot.  I tend to wear very little in the blacks or browns.   Buy a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, especially the ones that “say spring”, even a few stems of carnations can perk up a room.   Laughter.  The Readers Digest had it right, laughter is the best medicine.  Rent some comedies or find some old I Love Lucy shows and just laugh.  You can even take a laughter yoga class—-don’t laugh, ok laugh, but seriously there is such a thing.  The gift of laughter elevates your mood, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, all good stuff, so have a good laugh, start with a little smile, then add a giggle and then just throw caution to the wind and let the belly laughs free.  That’s right free the laughter within.

These are just a few little fun and easy things to do that can lift the doldrums.  Of course if you can catch a flight to Hawaii or Miami, well even better.

Bring it spring!

Long long ago in a far away kingdom there was a king who sent out a call to all the artists in the land to submit their depiction of what perfect peace looked like. After a period of time had passed the king decided to pick the piece that he thought best represented perfect peace. There were sculptures, carvings, drawings and paintings. There were beautiful images of glorious sunsets, calm lakes, flower filled meadows and beauty beyond comprehension. But the painting that the king selected, drew gasps from one and all. It had a dark and stormy sky with jagged streaks of lightening. The mountains were rugged and ominous. On the top of the mountain there was a rushing waterfall, behind the waterfall, on a small ledge there was a nest with a mother bird sitting on her young. She seemed very calm in the midst of this storm that raged all around her.

When the king was asked how he could possibly pick this picture over all the serene images of tranquility, he gave this simple response, “Those works of art were indeed very lovely, but truly perfect peace is this image of calmness during the storm.”

May we each find calm during our personal storms.

Thanksgiving is the holiday that ushers in what I consider the season of the heart chakra.  The word chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”.    Those who have a sensitivity to seeing energy often describe them as spinning wheels or vortexes.   There are seven primary chakras that run along the spine, beginning at the base and running up to the top of the head, or the crown.  It is said that every thought and feeling is recorded in one of the chakras.  The chakras have individual vibrations, color and sound that they are attuned to.  When each chakra is in balance,  the body has a greater opportunity to  experience good health, both physically and emotionally.

This brings us back to Anahata.  This beautiful Sanskrit word for the heart chakra means  “unhurt”.  It is the fourth chakra, with its location in the heart, upper chest and upper back.  It vibrates to the colors green/pink and the note of “F”. Its element is air, which spreads and  energizes.   This is the chakra that helps us to be open and connect with harmony and peace, to love and be loved.  When it is in balance we experience warmth, sincerity, happiness, unity,  connection to all life and a willingness to help.  When the heart chakra is too open there might be jealousy, co-dependency, clinging, demanding behavior and over-sacrificing.  A fourth chakra that is insufficient may display behaviors of   intolerance, loneliness and isolation, be critical and judgmental,  anti-social and withdrawn and show lack of empathy,  Physical signs of an imbalance in the heart chakra amy include chest pain, lung congestion, shallow breathing, upper back tension, cold sweats, tight muscles, circulation imbalance, blood pressure imbalance and an immune deficiency.  Try the simple exercise below to help balance the heart chakra.

While Turmeric is generally considered a safe herb, one should perhaps avoid it therapeutically if they have congestive heart disease whose cause remains unidentified. People who have painful gallstones, obstructive jaundice, acute bilious colic or toxic liver disorders.  One should exercise caution if they are pregnant,  thinking of becoming pregnant, nursing,  taking blood thinners or have a blood clotting disorder.    We all know the drill, “when in doubt, ask your doctor.”

I myself enjoy turmeric in my scrambled eggs, blending it with the eggs prior to cooking them.  I also add it to my chili while it is simmering.  But when a chill is in the air I enjoy a cup of golden tea to start my day.  The recipe is below:

Golden Milk  Tea:

The Paste:

2 TBSP of turmeric

1/4 c water

The Tea:

1 cup milk (I use soy or almond milk myself)

*1 tsp of almond oil(this is not almond flavoring or extract)

honey to taste

cinnamon to taste(optional)

Stir together the turmeric  and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer on low heat and allow to cook, stirring until a thick paste is formed.  This happens very quickly.

Use only 1 tsp of the paste for each cup of golden milk tea.   Add the turmeric paste, milk, almond oil,  and honey to a saucepan cook on low heat.  Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top if you like.  Bring milk just to a boil, then remove from heat.  Whisk briskly.  Pour into a cup, sip and enjoy.

*Almond oil can be purchased from Whole Foods in their cooking oil section or from Mother Natures in Liberty.

recipe from http://vegetarian.about.com

http://www.jonijohnsongodsy.com/