In our work, skin is unavoidable. You can talk about muscles or motor nerves; trigger points or tsubos; meninges or organs; fascia, fluids, or chi — any and all of the body’s elements that fascinate us — but on your way you always go through the skin.
You may have heard that free radicals are external insults that can affect our bodies internally. Some of these external factors are cigarette smoke, air pollutants, and various toxins we ingest, such as some cholesterol-lowering medications, oral contraceptives, and anti-inflammatory medications. But most free radicals are actually produced within our own cells as normal by-products of the conversion of food to energy.
It is very easy to get caught up in today’s craze for convenience. It’s easy to think we don’t have time to cook healthy meals and must rely on fast food to survive. What some people don’t realize is convenience foods are full of saturated fatty acids, especially in the form of hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated fats are produced when hydrogen is injected into unsaturated fatty acids, the process used in converting vegetable oil to margarine.
Just as smelling too many fragrances at the perfume counter causes the olfactory sense to briefly shut down, some other parts of the brain might be on overload because of all the clutter in our lives. Some of our possessions, no longer useful or enjoyable, are constantly demanding our attention and time in ways that may distract us from real living. They have gradually morphed into junk. But do we even notice?
Winding down after a demanding day often means turning on the television, pouring a drink, or breaking into a pint of ice cream. A more productive, healthy way to chase away tension, anxiety, and the daily blahs is meditation. Here’s a meditation designed to help you quiet mind chatter, focus inward, and explore the limitless realm of your heart and soul.
Q. How do I know if I should put heat or ice on an injury?
A. Author and educator Art Riggs says it’s difficult to establish a fail-safe rule for when to apply ice or heat.
Q. My physician referred me to a physical therapist. Should I still be receiving massages?
A. The overwhelming answer is yes. “Massage therapy and physical therapy are two complementary arts,” according to Eileen D. Cristina of Kneading Wellness in Lititz, Pennsylvania.
Q. I really enjoy the presence of a lit candle, but I keep hearing that some are toxic. Can you enlighten me?
A. “There is nothing like the inviting glow of a candle to make us feel relaxed, guide us into a meditative state, or harmonize the ambiance of a room,” Glynnis Osher says. She’s a certified ayurvedic practitioner and founder of The Mystic Masala Ayurvedic Aromatherapy. “With all these life-enhancing attributes, it is troubling to think that many candles are toxic and doing more harm than good.
Q. My shoulder is keeping me awake at night and won't move as it once did. Can massage therapy help this?
Three factors keep many Americans from joining a gym: they’re crunched for time, cash strapped, or self-conscious about working out in front of others. One solution is setting up a home gym.
But where do you start? And does that old, rusty dumbbell tucked away in your closet constitute a home gym?
Because one person’s definition of a home gym differs from another’s, let’s consider several approaches to establishing your own personal workout paradise.
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