Tài liệu Living well the natural way docx

We strive to provide accurate information, and while I personally maintain the opinion that complementary therapies are not a substitute for “allopathic” care, as a Licensed Holistic P

Living Well the Natural Way

wisdom from

naturalhealthcare.ca practitioners and researchers

edited by Heather Anne Wakeling

Using this eBook:

This is the electronic version of our book “Living Well the Natural Way” - the

irst in our series on natural health information

To view this book one page at a time, simply click the button in the toolbar above or

use the menu bar and select View > Page Display > Single Page

You can download a new copy of this book and ind ordering information for the soft-cover version of this and future titles through: www.naturalhealthcare.ca/books

It’s no secret that we are living longer What remains a mystery, however, is: how

do we keep ourselves healthy so that we can enjoy those extra years?

In working with naturalhealthcare.ca, I have learned that there are three things you need to do every day to keep in your best shape:

• one thing to heal and support your body;

• one thing to stretch your body; and

• one thing to exercise your mind.

This book contains many ideas for you to think about what could work for you

As always, speak to your health practitioner before starting any new practice to make sure it is compatible with the state of your health

Living Well the Natural Way is designed to be a guide for those who are new to the world of natural health care It has been beautifully laid out by Mark Lobo, who has been exceptionally patient as this project snowballed from a simple e-book into a printed series, of which this is the irst I would also like to thank Heather Anne Wakeling for her patience in editing this volume and, of course, all

of the contributing authors, for without whom it would not have been possible

I am excited to be sharing it with you

Gisela McKay, Managing Director, NaturalHealthcare.caWelcome

This irst edition published in 2010 by pixcode.

This book was conceived, designed, and created by Healthcare.ca (a division of pixcode Inc.), all rights reserved.

Natural-An electronic version of this book may be found online at www.naturalhealthcare.ca (search: ebook) and may be down- loaded and shared in its entirety only No part of the hard copy version, may be reproduced, transformed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or otherwise without permission from the copyright holders Copyright © 2010 pixcode.

ISBN: 978-0-9866098-0-0

NOTE:

Any information published in this book is not to be taken as a ment for medical advice Any person with a condition requiring medical attention should consult a qualiied medical practitioner or therapist before beginning any exercise described in this book.

replace-Acknowledgments:

Cover photo: Can Stock Photo – user CreativeFire

Inside Photos all by Can Stock Photo except:

Page 16 - 19 – Feldenkrais Method® photos by Rosalie O’Connor Page 62, 63 – Heart Rock, Heart Leaf Elspeth Duncan

Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through ment®, Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America.

Move-make it happen.

Living Well the Natural Way

wisdom from

naturalhealthcare.ca practitioners and researchers

edited by Heather Anne Wakeling

62

Conscious Loving Building strong relationships through Yogic techniques

viii

Thank you for choosing to begin your exploration of

complementary therapies with the information

provid-ed at naturalhealthcare.ca We strive to provide accurate

information, and while I personally maintain the opinion

that complementary therapies are not a substitute for

“allopathic” care, as a Licensed Holistic Practitioner, who

specializes in bio-energy modalities, I do recognize that

many modalities, lifestyle choices and “ways of being”

have a deinite role when creating, or even re-creating a

life health plan of action and success

I am often asked questions regarding the use of

comple-mentary therapies, and questions regarding “should I,

or shouldn’t I” are common during conversations As an

energy therapist, my role is not to suggest, prescribe or

diagnose, but to provide information so the person can

begin the process of researching options In doing so, I will

gently remind people that it is important that they take

into account that there is a myriad of opinions and

infor-mation available, and that at times, some of that

informa-tion will not be based with a science, research, or

educa-tional foundation

Bear in mind, that statement may seem a contradiction as

my work with bio-energy is a modality that was initially

met with skepticism and mistrust from many in the

medi-Introduction

cal community As my life work progressed, I found that acceptance and credibility for these modalities was gar-nered in how I and other complementary professionals have presented their modalities, as honest and efective supports, and not cures In doing so, patient response was favourable, and I, as well as other peers gradually secured a supportive role in healthcare

It is with this state of mind, that we present our beginner collection of snippets of information for your perusal and consideration We hope that you will ind them useful

We’d like to thank our contributors: Elizabeth Abraham, Michael Ballard, Stephanie Brander, Doug Cook, Linda Orr Easthouse, Tammy Gilden, Laura Holmes, Salimah Kassim-Lakha, Renee Lindstrom, Gisela McKay, Suhujitha Parasur-aman, Barbara Quigley-Guerra, Stephen van Beek, Angela Warburton, Dr Jennifer Wise, Wendy Woods, and Joshua Zuchter

Heather Anne Wakeling | Editor, naturalhealthcare.ca

10

S E C T I O N O N E

A Physical Embrace of Self Care

12

terns through the body and over its surface These chan-nels or meridians are like rivers lowing through the body to nourish the tissues and organs Along these channels are various points, each associated with a diferent part of the body, and each with a diferent function An obstruction or blockage in the movement of Qi or energy creates imbal-ance and/or pain in the body and can lead to ‘dis’-ease By applying pressure to the acupuncture points on a regular basis you can help balance and strengthen your body, to increase your vitality, to refresh yourself when tired, or to boost your immune system, reduce stress and feel better.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient Asian

system of healing that focuses on achieving internal

bal-ance TCM practitioners use methods such as acupuncture,

herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle counselling, and

mas-sage to restore the low of Qi (pronounced ‘chee’, which

means ‘vital energy’) and balance to the body

Chinese Medicine seeks to ind the root of the problem

and treats imbalances from there TCM views health as a

state of harmony and balance between mind, body and

spirit

Acupuncture is a branch of Chinese Medicine that involves

inserting ine needles through the skin at speciic points to

treat various health problems Acupressure uses the same

theory and points as acupuncture, but uses pressure for

therapeutic beneit instead of the insertion of needles It

can be practiced by an individual in the comfort of their

own home

The classic Eastern explanation for how acupuncture

works is that channels of energy or Qi run in regular

pat-Acupressure for Health & Vitality

Angela Warburton

Angela Warburton, Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor and CranioSacral Therapist believes that all symptoms are relevant and it is by listening to the body and working

with the individual to bring the systems back to balance that healing occurs Angela happily practices out of Lifecycles Wellness in downtown Toronto Her studies have included extensive TCM training in Vancouver as well as postgraduate studies in Mainland China Angela also holds a B.A in Psychology and Sociology and studied Western Nutrition and Dietetics at McGill University before embarking on her TCM studies She has spent a number of years specializing in integrative cancer care, as well as fertility and birth support www.angelawarburton.com

Note: Do not be too concerned with inding the precise location of each point If you use several ingers to tap or massage in the vicinity described, you will hit the right spot.

Pericardium 

For nausea, insomnia, anxiety

• Located on the inside of the forearm, three inger widths

directly above the wrist in the centre of the arm.

• Apply pressure downwards and in a small circular motion

twenty times.

Liver 

To help smooth emotions, calm irritability and reduce anxiety

• Located in the web between the big and second toe

ap-proximately 1-1.5 inches up from the start of the web A

tender spot should be felt.

• Massage and hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat

Large Intestine 

For pain (headaches, toothache, abdominal pain, etc.); use with

Liver 3 to help balance the emotions, reduce stress and calm the

mind

• Located between the thumb and index inger in the high

point in the web A very tender spot should be felt

• Note: do not use if you are pregnant

Helpful Acupressure Points

Kidney-2

For energy and mental clarity

• Place your ingers on your collarbone, slide them inward toward the centre and ind the bumps where they stop.

• Drop about an inch and slightly outward Most people have

a slight indent here that their ingers will naturally dip into.

• Tap and massage the points irmly while breathing deeply Continue for about 20 seconds

Thymus Gland

To strengthen immune system and boost vital energy

• Located in the centre of your chest approximately 2 inches down from the top of your sternum (breast bone).

• Tap irmly as you breathe deeply, for about 30 seconds.

Feldenkrais Method® photos by Rosalie O’Connor.

Human beings are not born with the ability to hold

our-selves upright or to move with intention Horses, cows,

and many other animals are able to stand, bear their own

weight, and walk immediately after birth

We are not born with other functional skills developed,

either, such as thinking or speaking Instead, we humans

have the innate ability to learn and develop through

spon-taneous movement – we learn from the experience of our

own bodies

But how do human infants begin to organize and develop

the thinking patterns that enable them to hold their selves

upright? It is accomplished through a gradual

develop-ment of this personal body awareness And, it all begins

with the ive basic senses: seeing, hearing, smelling,

touch-ing and tasttouch-ing

For example, infant eye movements are random until the

baby begins to recognize patterns like mother

approach-ing The combination of sounds, voice, and the sight of

mom become associated with her presence and infants

begin to move their eyes with intention in the direction of

her approach Soon this leads to turning their heads with

Body Awareness

Renee Lindstrom

Renee Lindstrom, GCFP, is a Guild-Certiied Feldenkrais Practitioner She practices out of Victoria BC at the Carrick Professional Center • 2628 Richmond Ave • Victoria, British

Columbia, Canada V8R 4S6 • phone: (250) 361-7508

intention and the development of rotation

How we function in life is a relection of those around us from our earliest experiences Those experiences shaped – and continue to shape – the patterns of how a person moves, thinks, speaks, and looks

Body awareness, pausing and checking in with ourselves, felt through our senses, brings back self-action based on intention, and has an important role in strength training

Feldenkrais Method® photos by Rosalie O’Connor.

A simple lesson in Awareness Through Movement®Repeat all steps four to six times slowly with 20% of your usual efort and try not to strain

• Sit forward on your chair, knees bent with feet lat under, hip width apart.

• Take a moment and sense yourself sitting What in your body draws your attention?

• Gently turn head to the left, pick out visual marker to go back to.

• Gently turn your head to the right Again look for a mark to reference back to.

• Face forward; begin rocking side to side on your sit bones Pick up one sit bone, shift the weight to the other and back again.

• Once or twice lift the right sit bone together with bringing the right shoulder closer together to the right hip.

• Alternate and bring the left shoulder closer to the left sit bone as you lift it bringing them closer together.

• Pause and go back to just turning your head to the left Notice has this changed?

• Pause and turn your head gently to the right Notice: has this changed?

• Face forward place right hand on left shoulder, left hand on your right shoulder Turn right shoulder back to the right and allow your left shoulder to come forward Repeat 4 to 6 times

Body Awareness (con’t)

Feldenkrais Method® photos by Rosalie O’Connor.

Renee Lindstrom is a Certiied Feldenkrais® Practitioner and Past Director of the Board

for BC Network for Non-Violent Communication She currently practices in Victoria, B.C.

• Uncross your arms and pause.

• Place hands on your shoulders again

chang-ing which arm is on top.

• Turn and take your left shoulder back to the

left Repeat 4 to 6 times

• Uncross your arms and pause.

• Gently turn head gently to the left Has this

changed from the beginning?

• Take a moment and sense yourself sitting

now What in your body draws your attention?

How much more of yourself do you sense

from the beginning? Redo the steps and see

how much more of a change happens after

each cycle

Feldenkrais Method® photos by Rosalie O’Connor.

20

The lymphatic system is the last thing most of us even

consider when it comes to our health However, it plays a

critical role as it is the system that carries nutrients to every

cell in our bodies – as well as carrying the waste products

away

There is no pump in the lymphatic system, so the primary

diiculty lymph (the luid) has is that it must rely heavily on

external compression from skeletal muscles to be

circulat-ed through the system (This is on top of the contractions

in the lymphatic vessels.)

It all means that in order to keep our lymphatic systems

working at peak potential we must engage in physical

activity – something that many of us neglect to do on a

regular basis When we are inactive, the lymphatic

sys-tem becomes sluggish and our cells sit in their own waste

products More importantly, the cells do not receive fresh

nutrients, a contributing factor to the onset of various

dis-eases and aging

One activity that will help your lymphatic system operate

at peak eiciency is to enjoy having a good bounce on a

rebounder or a mini trampoline It’s a fun, inexpensive, and

Bounce Back into Good Health

Suhujitha Parasuraman

Suhujitha Parasuraman is a Wellness Coordinator with Wellergize™ workplace wellness programming Find tools and information to help develop and support your

work-place wellness program – and contact Suhujitha - through www.Wellergize.ca

easy method to detoxify your body every day

A two minute session of rebounding also helps boost the function of your immune system Lymph carries white blood cells and rebounding helps to increase their count

by keeping the blood pumping and the muscles working Other immune system cells like T-lymphocytes and macro-phages are self-propelled by amoebic action and the ad-ditional push from bouncing helps to circulate

As an added bonus, bouncing on a rebounder stimulates all our internal organs, moves the cerebral-spinal luid, and

it is beneicial for the intestines You can also add held weights to increase the intensity of the workout for cardiovascular beneits

hand-Let’s get back to our childhood ways and have jumping sessions a couple of minutes a day!

22

One of the most important things to know about breast

health is that it isn’t only a concern for women Men should

be aware of breast health for two important reasons:

1 Lumps are sometimes found by a woman’s partner; and

2 Although less common, men also get breast cancer

– and their prognosis is often palliative as the

condi-tion may not be diagnosed until later stages, when the

disease has spread and created additional tumour sites

Breast tissue is largely a combination of modiied sweat

glands, connective tissue, and adipose fat The texture and

tone of a breast changes with hormone luctuations and

diet, especially in women Knowing your breasts’ natural

cycle is the irst component of any breast health strategy

and this will help you to recognize when swelling or lumps

are unusual and enable you to seek immediate care Most

breast issues are non-cancerous and early detection is vital

For the woman with younger, dense breast tissue who

sus-pects an unusual change, asking for a breast ultrasound

can be an efective diagnostic tool

Breast Health

For more information and breast health strategies, see Mammalive.net

In addition to monthly self-exams, there are other measures that could reduce personal risk:

Watch your diet – reduce dietary saturated fats and alcohol, and increase ibre and general nutrients.

Enjoy exercise – to lower body fat levels and support the lymphatic system, vital for the elimination of cell waste products

as well as replenishing cell health with fresh nutrients (see the Bounce section for more information).

Detox – use a sauna to sweat out environmental contaminants from your system and make lifestyle changes to reduce expo- sure to contaminants Simple changes – such as drinking fresh, chlorine free water, using environmental cleaning products, and heating and storing food in glass containers – can go a long way

to reducing chemical exposure

Sleep in a dark space – Ambient light interferes with tonin levels – and melatonin is a powerful naturally-occurring antioxidant that penetrates cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier It is also the hormone that is responsible for making you drowsy and for lowering your core temperature Melatonin is also being studied for its role in preventing cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, and aging in general.

Energy is all around us It is the foundation of everything

we touch and breathe But how does energy afect human

beings in relation to our health?

Many times, when we are sick, feeling down or just “not

ourselves” it may indicate an imbalance and that the

ener-gy levels in our bodies aren’t where they need to be How

can we ix this?

There are energy modalities, such as Reiki for example,

that work to bring the body back into energetic balance

on many levels Our physical being is just one part of how

this works I believe that for us to be feeling good and

en-ergized that healing must occur on diferent physiological

levels of the person These include the mental, emotional,

physical and the spiritual

The Basics of Energy Work

Laura Holmes

Laura Holmes, Reiki Master/Teacher • Karuna® Reiki Master/Teacher • Certiied Ayurvedic Indian Head Massage Instructor

Essence Body Therapy • 56 Ranleigh Avenue, Suite 303 • Toronto, Ontario • M4N 1X1 • Ph 416-465-2226 • reiki05@sympatico.ca

Laura specializes in Reiki treatment, Ayurvedic Indian Head Massage and Aromatherapy She is also certiied to teach Indian Head Massage and all levels of Usui Ryoho Reiki

as well as Karuna Reiki

What makes energy work special is that it deals with the source of issues on many diferent levels instead of the symptoms (such as sore muscles, headaches, disease) that may have manifested due to energetic imbalances in the body When energy work is done on the body, whether hands on or hands of, the result should be the same, a sense of a balance and relaxation

26

We’ve all been told that physical activity is a key

compo-nent of health and wellness But just how willing we are

to hear it and factor it into our daily lives is a whole other

matter

The bare minimum recommendation for an adult is thirty

minutes of exercise at least three times a week – though

it is far better to get an hour of activity ive times a week

Children need more physical activity than adults – it is

gen-erally recommended that they get 90 minutes of exercise

each day

It may sound prohibitive, but it doesn’t actually mean that

you have to have a full hour to set aside in a block In fact,

studies are showing that exercising throughout the day

is actually much better for your health A 2009 study

fol-lowing 17,000 Canadians showed that sitting for extended

periods - regardless of how much physical activity you get

at other points in the day - increases your risks of

cardiovas-cular disease and cancer More speciically, a January 2010

study showed that after four hours of sitting, your brain

starts sending harmful signals The genes that regulate fat

and glucose start to shut down

Get Active

1 You can download and print our free Physical Activity Challenge scorecards from NaturalHealthcare.ca (search “Physical Activity Challenge”) or if you want to start a Health Challenge in your workplace, check out our EmployeeWellness.ca site for 15 diferent types and our electronic tracking system.

It’s why companies institute Physical Activity Challenges

in the workplace1 – by enabling employees to track how much exercise they are getting throughout the day, the amount left to get to the target is much more manageable

As long as you get your heart rate up for at least 10 secutive minutes, you can count that block of exercise to-ward your daily total So, you can get ten minutes before work (e.g park a little further away); take a couple of breaks throughout the day (get up and take a walk at lunch or if you drive as part of your work, get out and stretch); and in the evening you will ind that you only need to set aside another 10 or 15 minutes to reach your goal

con-28

Headaches may be considered a low level malady

howev-er they ‘cost’ big time in lost productivity Thhowev-ere are three

main classes of headaches, with other types falling under

these overall categories

Tension

This headache primarily occurs in your forehead, temples or the

back of your head and/or neck that may last for hours or even

days.

Cluster

This one is unilateral and rarely switches sides from one attack to

another headache that may radiate from the eye to the

fore-head, temple and cheek on the same side The pain of a cluster

headache has been described as piercing, burning, throbbing,

pulsating, and so excruciating that most victims cannot sit/stand/

or lie still.

Migraine

This headache begins with a dull ache and which then develops

into a constant, throbbing and pulsating pain that you may feel at

the temples, as well as the front or back of one side of the head

The pain is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and

sensitivity to light and noise.

Headaches

Tammy Gilden

Headaches can be debilitating to the point of tion Even when the ‘Hurting Hero’ attends work with the headache, it can reduce productivity at work by over 50% This translates into causing anywhere between three to ive hours of lost work time When headaches worsen, suf-ferers may loose one workday to numerous workdays (4.6 lost days a month) due to absenteeism

incapacita-What’s the good news? Over the counter analgesics do work, as do relaxation or remedial massages There are some simple self-massage techniques included on the next page that can interrupt the headache when utilized

at the onset Drinking adequate water is a must

1 Lightly, rub the ‘temple area’ at the side of your head at

the end of your eyes gently in a circular motion Breathe

deeply inhale/exhale ive to ten times slowly

2 Gently run your index inger on your eyebrow until

you feel the soft indentation Place your index-inger

there and cupping your thumbs under your chin lightly,

create a ‘tent’ shape with your last three ingers around

your eyes, shielding them from light Press index inger

irmly and hold while you breathe deeply for ive

breaths inhaling and exhaling Release

3 Acupressure: Press irmly with the tip of your thumb

in the web between the thumb and index inger of one hand, then make small deep circular movements Switch hands and repeat

Feel Better Soon

Here are a few easy exercises to do at your desk Repeat as often as needed:

Headaches (con’t)

Tammy Gilden is the Chief Energy Oicer of Employee Energizer – A North America-wide company providing on-site massage and wellness fairs for corporations and

orga-nizations Employ our ENERGY empower PRODUCTIVITY Visit www.EmployeeEnergizer.com for more information.

Ever wished for an extra hour to get through the day? Ever

thought of skipping sleep entirely to make the most of

your time?

How is Your Sleep?

Stephen van Beek

Humans have tried to ignore the lesson of nature: that all creatures great and small, from lichens to people, heed the power of the circadian rhythm Dogs routinely sleep eighteen hours daily, cats that or more, and horses need fourteen to be at their best Other primates like gorillas nap most of the day Only humankind deprives itself of rest on

a chronic and systematic basis, especially in urban areas where we are driven to excess by over-stimulation

Despite this last century’s constant focus on time and iciency, that brought to light inventions such as smart phones, increased horsepower and nuclear ission, we re-main creatures of the sun and darkness

ef-Back in the day when electric light wowed our grandparents, some people worried that ordinary living would become unsupportable without bedtimes geared

great-to the setting sun Now as we view maps of the earth from thousands of miles in space we see the light pollution in the night sky and we realize just how efective we have been at reducing the power of night

The many relentless pressures of commuting to work, rying smaller children to places of care, the geographic demands of socialization with family and friends scattered

fer-over larger spaces, and the pressure of shopping hither and

yon for dubious bargains seem to cancel out the dream of

easing life through remote access

The Internet, alas, now acts to further erode sleep Instant

communication enables constant commercial and social

interactions around the globe It has become an addiction

in itself, with each piece of spam seeming to validate at

least our commercial if not our personal worth

The only thing all of these “time-savers” save us from is our

own sense of personal time We only begin to realize how

chronically fatigued most of us are when the clocks go

for-ward each March In the following week we all complain

of fatigue – but dare not admit that a better-rested body

would overcome the loss of one single hour of sleep from

one single day After all, it is a scant 0.00011415525 per cent

of an 8760 hour year

Fortunately, lack of sleep is slowly entering public

con-sciousness as a serious issue Domestic arguments, cranky

children, road rage, sharply diminished sexual desire,

obe-sity, anxiety, physical and mental stress and depressive

conditions are some of the perils of a frantic pace of life We

run so hard looking for relief that we forget relief is always

at hand with each evening’s sunset

It also means that many of us don’t know how to rest

prop-How is Your Sleep? (con’t)erly Society keeps encouraging us to go full lat out when

we likely need to back of more frequently to regain our energy, focus, and desire

Regaining restorative sleep does not have to depend on exhausting our already fatigued bodies still more on the treadmill or with dumbbells, nor should we believe those who sell medications to all comers Like all mammals we are blessed with the inherent power of slowing down once we start tuning in to how ravaged we are

Here are some general suggestions for getting

bet-ter sleep:

• Experiment to see how much sleep you really need by not

using an alarm clock at least one day a week.

• Light-based ‘alarms’ are efective without being startling.

• Rest your digestive system by not eating past 8 p.m.

• Avoid cofee after 4 p.m.

• Drink alcohol sparingly as the day goes on to its natural

close.

• Sleep in as dark a room as possible with adequate

ventila-tion, cooler being better than warm.

• Restful music in the evening calms the system.

• Avoid all hot discussions and arguments after dinnertime,

and shift family talk towards the uplifting.

• Avoid late–evening news broadcasts.

• Experiment with relaxing forms of exercise (yoga, restorative

Pilates or Feldenkrais, etc.) and reduce heavy aerobics for a

couple of weeks to allow yourself to test out your resting

heart rate.

• If meditating, remember the ‘goal’ is to observe the mind

without any judgment.

• Talk about your sleep needs with those in your immediate

family life What do others need?

• Teach your children to get in touch with their own basic

sleep needs.

How is Your Sleep? (con’t)

• Say a polite but irm ‘no’ to 30% more of your social tions even if it’s hard to refuse, so that you can focus in on yourself for a month, or three Then see how it feels always

• Last on the list but perhaps the most inluential, learn to participate in your own dream life A dream journal, no mat- ter how incomplete it seems, will help you create a stronger connection with who you are inside your busy life, even when you do not seek a therapist to explore these phenom- ena of the mind in greater detail

Stephen van Beek, MA (Tripos), DCTP, Member CAPT, is a psychodynamic Psychotherapist in private practice in Toronto, Canada He is also the founder of the Toronto

Therapy Network and can be reached through www.TherapyToronto.ca

How is Your Sleep? (con’t)

36

Many people are concerned with the physical

appear-ance of poor posture However, improper posture can

have more serious implications than what you see on the

surface Slouching and slumping put added stress on the

joints of your spine and can lead to degeneration and

in-terference in your nervous system, which controls every

function in the body Here are some tips to follow to

im-prove your posture nervous system function:

Standing

If your spine is in the proper neutral position, there should be a

straight line between your ankle, hip, shoulder and ear Standing

with the head positioned forward places stress on the joints in

your neck and the corresponding nerves Avoid over-extending

the curve in your low back by pulling your belly button toward

your spine Core strengthening exercises help to support this

posture.

Sleeping

Avoid sleeping on your stomach This position forces the head to

turn to the side and hyper-extends the lumbar curve Sleeping

on your back is best Place a pillow under your knees to support

the curve of the lower spine and use a cervical pillow for neck

support Side sleeping with a pillow between the knees and a

Posture

Dr Jennifer Wise

Dr Jennifer Wise is a family chiropractor at Urban Health Group in Toronto, ON She cares for people in all stages of life with a special focus on young family and perinatal

chiropractic care www.urbanchiropractic.ca

cervical pillow will also maintain the neutral spinal position A quality, irm mattress and cervical pillow are crucial for optimal spinal health Your chiropractor can recommend options for you based on your size and sleep needs.

Sitting

Strong core muscles are essential to maintain proper spinal position while seated Use a lumbar pillow to support the natural curve in your lower spine Your ears should remain over your shoulders and hips Your knees should not be higher than your hips to maintain proper orientation of the hips and pelvis Avoid crossing your legs at the knees and remember to take frequent breaks to give your joints a rest.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors are trained to assess your posture and evaluate the joints of your spine for structural imbalances and nervous system stress They restore balance in the spine using gentle and speciic chiropractic adjustments.

38

Many of our poor vision habits begin in childhood How it

could be diferent?

What if parents and teachers knew that the eyes need to

change focus often and encouraged children to look into

the distance frequently when reading? What if, when

chil-dren were given a prescription for the blackboard they

were told not to use their glasses for reading? What if we

were taught to pay attention to the messages from our

body and told that when our eyes feel tired it is ine to

close and rest them for a few moments? What if we were

taught from childhood that it is natural for the body to

reb-el when asked to sit still for long periods? What if regular

exercise breaks were built into our day as the norm?

What if we were trained from a very young age to drink lots

of water, to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and

to consciously give our eyes and the rest of our body the

nourishment they need? What if we were taught to put our

cupped hands over our closed eyes to rest them before

bed just as we are taught to put on our pyjamas and brush

our teeth?

Vision

Elizabeth Abraham

Elizabeth Abraham, founder of the Vision Education Centre in Toronto and co-founder of the Vision Educator Training Institute, has been teaching people to take care of

their eyes since 1991 She uses a holistic approach which includes Movement Re-education and Focusing, as well as the Bates Method of Vision Education For more tion see their website: www.visioneducators.com Elizabeth can be reached at 416-599-9202 or elizabeth@visioneducators.com.

informa-If all these good habits were developed in childhood, then

by the time we reached high school, college, or sity, we would be used to caring for our eyes and giving them what they needed And if we happened to get a job that kept us in front of a computer for hours every day we would already know how to compensate for the stresses inherent in the job rather than letting the stresses of the job compromise our health

univer-If ixating our eyes at one focal distance, staring and using them were not a habit we developed when reading and doing close work, then perhaps by mid-life we would not need reading glasses either

over-What if all those who know that it is possible to help the eyes function better through increased awareness and the regular practice of good vision habits were to get together

to efect a change in the current paradigm of vision care? Can you imagine it?

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