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Many people come to see a Rolfer because they have something "wrong" with them. They have aches, pains, injuries, etc. This is to be expected, and Rolfers can work directly with injuries and problems if they are not too acute. This being said, when people come in primarily for attention to symptoms, this is an illustration that they don't know what Rolfing is. That's OK though, most people don't, and I admit that I really did not when I started my training. It is because of this every Rolfer must become an educator, and this does not come easy to many, but if something leads a person into our office, then this is a chance to explain. Any ache, pain, injury, or restriction is probably caused and sustained by a matrix of conditions that may be nearly imperceptible. If there was an initial event that caused an injury, i.e. an ankle sprain, then one should ask what previous conditions led to this being possible in the first place. How many times has a person twisted their ankle and not sprained it? Is the reason they sprained their ankle because their ankle was already unstable in the first place? Is it because their ankle or their arches lack flexibility so that they are walking in a way that puts unnecessary strain on their ankle? Is it because their hips are tight, and their legs are held in outward (lateral) in rotation? Is it because their neck, shoulders, and occipital region are tight, locked up, and they lack the propriception that they need to adequately feel where they are in space as they move around? Is the problem that they sprained their ankle, or is the problem the relationship they have with their ankle? We experience symptoms and are more likely to injure ourselves when we have a lack of harmony going on, both without and within. When our parts are working together with a greater harmony, we function with greater ease, greater efficiency. Likewise, we are more likely to be able to "correct" imbalances when the great whole is in balance. Harmony is the result of better alignment with posture in relationship to gravity, at least structurally speaking. Adapting to the environment through maintaining right harmony and alignment in motion is how we gain harmony and ease in motion. Rolfing aims at bringing together a greater harmony of balance and function, in which problems can start to sort themselves out. This is to bring together a more dynamic yet stable functioning of the whole, a higher degree of order, rather than simply restoring a person back to what they were at some better time. We are searching for a greater harmony rather than getting hung up on the results of the disharmony. Rolfing is a holistic approach. For more information on holism vs reductionism check out this video: Holism and Reductionism #rolfing #structuralintegration #holism #wholism #holistic #wholistic #reductionism #reductionist

As we learn more about nutrition and vitamin deficiency, vitamin D has appeared on many people's radar. Trying to get enough of it from sunlight and diet has proved to be increasingly difficult for people living a modern life. Working indoor jobs, and heightened awareness of the harmful effects of sunlight to our skin has caused people to cover up and avoid the sun. Sunblock may also be a factor. As far as diet is concerned, if we are American we can probably agree that the average American diet is nothing as it should be. Some fatty fish serve as a source of vitamin D and egg yokes as well. Some mushrooms produce D2, but in general, it is very difficult to satisfy your vitamin D requirements through diet alone. Here are some interesting things about vitamin D. It Assists in Calcium Absorption Vitamin D assists in Calcium absorption, so even if you are getting enough calcium in your diet, you must make sure that you are getting enough vitamin D. We have known about the role of vitamin D in maintaining bone health for quite some time, as it was discovered through research in treating rickets. It was through this discovery that rickets was nearly completely eliminated in the United States and soon in all developed countries. This being said, much research on vitamin D supplementation has produced varying results on many topics, but just like calcium is not much good to an individual if they can not absorb it, the same can be said of vitamin D. It Needs Magnesium to Work To absorb vitamin D one needs to have a adequate intake of magnesium. It is estimated that about 50% of Americans are magnesium deficient, so taking vitamin D supplements is not going to help if you don't get enough magnesium. Likewise, this is probably not factored in when doing studies on test subjects, so the results will naturally come out varied. Good dietary sources of magnesium are seeds and nuts, whole grains, and dark leafy greens, but it may be best to just take some supplements. It Turns off an Overactive Autoimmune Function This is an essential issue that most people don't know about. Vitamin D is responsible for turning off the autoimmune function by binding to certain receptors in the cell. This has a similar effect to steroids. Many people are suffering from an overactive immune system in one way or another, leading to inflammatory issues that lead to anything from Arthritis to heart disease. Intake of vitamin D can help one through these issues, but people who are deficient in vitamin D may need to take far more than the recommended daily dosage, and do so for months before they start seeing results. Because vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it is actually more of a hormone than a vitamin, taking high doses could pose other health risks like too much calcium in the blood stream, so this approach should be done under the supervision of a doctor so that blood serum can be monitored. Most regulatory agencies around the world agree that up to 4,000 I.U. (international units) is safe, and that is already a lot more than the recommended daily allowance, but if you are trying to treat a condition it is best to talk a professional, so do not hesitate to seek out a licensed expert in nutrition. Showering Decreases Vitamin D Production Three things about showering reduce vitamin D production Soap Hot Water The Very act of Showering Soap strips your skin of it's natural oils. This is not good for the skin. Many women know this and will use glycerin based products instead, which is essentially soap. Vitamin D is produced in the oils of your skin after exposure to sun, and is absorbed throughout the day, like a time released capsule. Not only does soap strip this off, but hot water does as well, even water alone is not good. It is only in recent history that people started showering every day. Soaping yourself up from head to toe is not so bad if you only do it once a week. In parts of Germany Saturday is still known as "Bath Day". What to do about this? Try not to shower soon after exposure to sun. Try not to shower every day. Try not to use soap from head to toe- just use it for problem areas and grime. Lastly, if you are in a climate where you can use cold water, it generally would be better. When I was in Kerala- India, cold bucket showers were the norm, and quite refreshing in a tropical climate. Maybe not so refreshing in Colorado though so do what you can. For more info on vitamin D and Autoimmune Diseaese check out: https://youtu.be/fDBZM1n_uDE #vitamind #nutrition #d3 #d2 #nutrition #diet #calcium #magnesium #sun #sunlight v

"The Chinese method is based on the idea that no single part can be understood except in its relation to the whole. A symptom, therefore, is not traced back to a cause, but is looked at as part of a totality. If a person has a complaint of symptom, Chinese medicine wants to know how the symptom fits in to the patient's entire being and behavior." The Web That Has No Weaver- Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D. The above quote obviously refers to Chinese medicine, but in actuality refers to all wholistic medicine. When we think of the term medicine, we usually think of chemistry as so much of western medicine revolves around pharmaceuticals, but much of eastern medicine is about other health care practices and lifestyle as well. Ayurvedic medicine, the natural medicine of India, is a system life practices, not just a collection of natural pharmaceuticals. The very word can be translated as "Life Knowledge". Rolfing, very much like Osteopathic medicine, is based more on physics than it is on chemistry, and they are both more concerned with how the parts interact with the whole than they are with what caused the problem with the parts. Just like eastern medicine, they are a Wholistic approach. A practitioner of Eastern medicine may see multiple clients for the same range of symptoms and recognize different causes for those symptoms. A western doctor may see three clients with the same range of symptoms and diagnose them all with a flue, and therefore, prescribe the same treatment for all of them. A practitioner of Chinese medicine may see the same patients and conclude that all three client's flue symptoms originated from different system imbalances and should therefore be treated differently. The Chinese practitioner may not disagree with the western doctors diagnosis, but may conclude that it is not the most relevant aspect of the problem. What system imbalance led to them contracting the flue in the first place is the question that arises? Western science operates on cause and effect, primarily because it is based on Western philosophy, which is also primarily based on cause and effect. I know that it is easy to say to yourself that western science is based on empirical observation, and is therefore totally objective, but the fact is that Western science is a subset of Western philosophy, which was once known as Natural Philosophy. So let that since in- what we call science is a subset of philosophy, philosophy is not a sub-discipline of science. Yes, it may be true that the scientific method is the most objective approach that we know of, but what we choose to investigate, the questions asked, and even the interpretations that we come across are all viewed through the lens that we live in a cause effect universe, in which time is linear and all things have a beginning, therefore a cause, and an ending. In Western religion, the cause is plainly stated, the universe comes into being because a creator willed it to do so. Scientists later simply dropped the creator and proposed a big bang, and idea which did not need a creator, but one could be added if you had a religious bias. The interesting thing is now, scientists are questioning the big bang, as we have detected background radiation that appears to be older than the established age of the universe and the big bang. Now even physics is beginning to question our point of view. So what would it be like to view something differently? Eastern medicine is based on Eastern philosophy, and therefore does not consider cause and effect to be the primary issue in most scenarios. Yes, Ayurvedic, and Traditional Chinese Medical practitioners do consider cause and effect, but the matrix or system that it takes place in are more important factors than chasing down and combating the pathogen that may have caused an issue. There is an important idea in Buddhist philosophy known as Dependent Origination, the belief that nothing exist independent of anything else, and that includes cause and effect. The beginning arises simultaneously with what is created, and the existence of each mutually depend on one another. Cause and effect are mutually dependent. Western philosophy sees multiplicity where Eastern philosophy sees unity, and the course of treatment will reflect that. If a western trained doctor sees a client who has multiple diagnoses, then multiple treatments for what are often viewed as multiple separate issues will follow. For example, if a patient is diagnosed with eczema, lupus, and fibromyalgia, and there have been no studies to strongly suggest such issues are related, that patient will wind up with three different and likely unrelated treatment strategies, and we can probably be sure that much of it will be pharmaceuticals. The doctor may tell the patients that those three issues are totally unrelated and should all be addressed with different medications, and because the doctor believes this, may ignore any indication that this may not be so. I imagine that many patients in this situation may go home asking themselves "how could all of these problems not be related" if they started around the same time? Rolfing is a western system addressing structural issues and how they apply to movement. Its wholistic view of the body does put it in a unique category for a modern Western approach. Just like other modern Western systems, we acknowledge cause and effect, but that is not the end of the inquiry. If someone gets into an auto accident, hurts their lower back, and goes in to see a Rolfer for it years down the road, the accident is no longer the cause of the problem. That was in the past. Now the problem is a disorganization of the relationship between multiple structures, and their relationship to the whole. If the original result of the accident was a herniated disk in the lumbar veritable, now we are looking at the rotation of the hips, the tilt of the pelvis, and how the feet and legs may be effecting an uneven gait that allows strain and shock to reach the lower back. What about the movement of the shoulders and arms when walking? Are they pulling on the hips and lower back due to restricted range of motion? Are the shoulders and the neck hanging forward, requiring more strength and struggle than necessary to hold them up? Is that putting extra strain on the vertebrae of the upper back which in turn puts strain on the lower back? To most Rolfers, any issue is a full body issue and all parts should be addressed with the whole in mind. Do you have arthritis, spondylosis, a herniated disk? Well, if you are over 27 then join the club. The majority of people in the world have these problems as they mature into adulthood. Why don't you hear more about it? Because a good many of them don't even know about it, even Olympic athletes. Many people's systems are organised enough to manage it, and may have no perceptible symptoms. Just because you have an issue does not mean you are going to have pain. And if your body is still the self-correcting self-organizing system that it is meant to be, then no perceptible problems. But many of us have issues that have lead to other issues, and now we have problems that perpetuate other problems, in short we have baggage. We have faith, based on experience as Rolfers, that given some help with the excess baggage, we can begin to travel through life with less pain and suffering, and our systems can again become more self reliant, self organizing and self regulating, all we usually need to some well intended attention. Both the mainstream scientific approaches and the wholistic are necessary, they can inform one another. There are many issues wholistic medicine does not address well, but the same can be said of Western medicine as well. The important thing for all disciplines is to try to think outside the box sometimes, and encourage patients to explore and experiment with new things when the old things are not working. Western doctors are becoming more open minded to alternative treatment as time goes on. Eighty years ago, even physical therapists were not taken seriously. Now we even encounter doctors that are trained in both Eastern and Western medicine. So the important thing is to be attentive to your body, keep and open mind, and don't give up! #rolfing #rolfer #structuralintegration #wholistic #easternmedicine #medicine #ayurveda #buddhism #traditionalchinesemedicine #tcm #philosophy

Have you ever wondered what people mean when they say "strengthen your core"? Like any fitness fad, it can get blown out of proportion. This can get even more complicated by the fact that -core- is a vague concept and different disciplines will use this term differently. In over exercising certain areas, like the abdominals, you may actually be putting more strain on your lower back rather than supporting it. Watch the video to learn more. #rolfing #rolfer #structuralintegration #lowerbacksupport #core #abdominals

Many people wear orthotics and shoes with a high degree of support. Why temporarily cutting down on foot strain by limiting movement, are these approaches to foot problems really good for you? In the long run, any immobilization of any part of the body will cause muscle atrophy and lack of flexibility. This is just as true of the feet. #rolfer #rolfing #structuralintegration #feet #orthotics #shoes

We often think of our posture in regard to the upper body, shoulders, head and neck, but the lower body must support everything above it. The tilt of the pelvis, where our knees go when we stand or walk, how our feet articulate with the ground. All of these things must be considered. Check out this video for some information on what a Rolfer looks at in regards to lower body posture.

Anyone that has done some Rolfing probably understands that this work is all about our posture, how we stand and move around in gravity. What does good posture really look like? It certainly does not entail holding yourself in a military stance. Good posture should be graceful and to some degree, effortless. If it is not, we want to get at the root of what is interfering with the natural expression of graceful posture and movement. Although "good" posture is always a full body issue, I will focus on the upper body in this video. #rolfing #rolfer #structuralintegration #posture

So many of us spend long hours every day seated at a desk or even a couch. I usually address good seated posture with clients, but it is easier to explain when one can see rather than in a simply written blog, so I am trying my hand at video blogging. If you are interested in the body mechanics of sitting well, please enjoy the video below! #rolfing #rolfer #structuralintegration #posture #seatedposture

"When in doubt, take Triphala" Ayurvedic Proverb Triphala powder is the most commonly and widely prescribed Ayurvedic compound in the world. It's name means The Three Fruits. True to its name,Triphala powder is comprised of three medicinal fruits, the Amalaki, Bibhitaki, and the Haritaki. Each of these fruits have been used for their medicinal value since ancient times, but the combination of the three makes for a powerful tonic, and it is said that the combination is more effective than the sum of its parts. There are ancient depictions of the Buddha, a well known proponent of Ayurveda medicine, holding a large pear shaped fruit. This fruit is the haritaki, just one of these 3 amazing fruits. Triphala is known as a cleanser, it has antiviral, and anti-carcinogenic, and ant-inflammatory properties. It also has nutritional value. The known benefits of this preparation are too numerous for me to detail here, and new benefits are regularly being investigated. India has a developed system of natural medicine that has evolved over thousands of years. This country also has a lot of scientists, some of which are exploring Ayurvedic medicines in the laboratory. Below I will discus some of the traditional beliefs about what Triphala can do, and some new things discovered by researchers. It's a Cleanser Ayurveda considers the build up of toxic materials in the body to be like a sticky slug that penetrates the tissues of the body. This toxic substance is known as Ama. It is cold and heavy, stops fluids from flowing properly, interferes with elimination, and hampers digestion. One accumulates ama from wrong dietary habits, poor sleep, and general improper habits in daily life, especially in reference to one's body type. The elimination of toxins is a hot topic, and a selling point for many products in the West. One could package up any herb on the planet and label it "detox tea" and it would sell. Some of my science minded friends have stated that this is all a scam to sell products to people who don't understand that the body naturally detoxifies itself. True, but the point is that anything that assists in the body in the process of eliminating toxins can be considered a cleanser. This brings us to the next topic, Triphala's ability to help the body with elimination. Laxative Triphala is a laxative, it is a bulking agent just like psyllium husk, otherwise know as its brand name Metamucil. This means that it helps to push waste through the colon rather than causing diarrhea. It may affect different people differently, so it is a good idea to start with a small dose at first and gradually build up over the course of a few days, otherwise some people can experience gas and bloating. Typically, once you are used to it, Triphala should not cause these symptoms and taken daily it will keep a person regular without gastric distress. In fact Triphala can help with many gastric issues and generally aids in proper digestion. Digestion Proper elimination is the product of proper digestion. Ayurveda views proper digestion to be the very fulcrum that health revolves around, and poor digestion is generally viewed as the root of disease. Different body types have different digestive abilities, and require different diets. Unlike the popular western view that there is some diet out there that is good for everyone, Ayurveda states than a healthy diet for one person may be unhealthy for another. What ever the case, Triphala is believed to aid in the digestive process, and is often taken in hot water after a meal to facilitate in the digestive process. Another interesting fact is that it can be heated without destroying its vitamin C content, which is quite rare with naturally occurring substances. This brings us to the next subject, its vitamin C content. Vitamin C We all know that vitamin C is good for many things, and if we don't have it we can develop bad skin, a weakened immune system, and even conditions like scurvy. Fortunately, vitamin C deficiency is not very common in developed countries these days, but it is a good idea to be proactive about getting it. One of the three fruits in Triphala, the amla fruit, contains vitamin C in a fibrous matrix that actually makes it heat stable, so triphala is often taken in the form of a hot tea. Hot liquid is also believed to stimulate digestion, and cold liquid believed to slow it down. One amla berry contains many times the vitamin C of an orange. I do warn you that it does not taste very nice, so you might want to be creative about flavoring it if you are going to drink it in hot water. Weight Loss Triphala powder has been traditionally used for weight loss in Ayurvedic medicine, and modern research has suggested that this claim may be true, especially when it is combined with Guggulu, a sappy substance used with many Ayurvedic medicines. It is believed that Triphala helps to purity toxins, Ama, trapped in the fat and Guggulu helps to flush or "scrape" it out. How ever this actually works in modern terms is not really known but there is some some scientific studies have shown it may really help with weight reduction. Protects Liver In addition to cleansing the fat tissues, Triphala is believed to protect the liver by cleansing the blood and stimulating the flow of bile. It is commonly used to protect a healthy liver and address fatty liver issues. The fact that it is a powerful anti-inflammatory may also help with an inflamed liver. Anti-inflammatory The anti-inflammatory effects of Triphala are well known. It is often used to treat heart disease and issues like hepatitis. It contains a high amount of anti-oxidants and therefore rids the body of free radicals that cause inflammation. It is even more effective in this respect when combined with Guggulu, mentioned above. Anti-carcinogen Triphala is believed to help fight cancer and target cancer cells directly. It is sometimes used along with conventional cancer treatment but due to its ability to cleans the body of toxic material, it should not be used during chemotherapy. It is often prescribed by Ayurvedic physicians after chemotherapy to help cleans the system of toxic chemo effects. Triphala powder has even been shown to protect laboratory rats from gamma radiation. Skin, Hair, and Teeth In addition to all of things mentioned, Triphala is often included in many Ayurvedic skin and hair care products. It is known to nourish and strengthen hair follicles and foster healthy shiny hair. It also promotes smooth clear skin. Triphala is also known to help fight gum disease, it is included in many Ayurvedic tooth pastes and powders. With all its properties, most people will benefit from taking Triphala powder. If you have any condition that may be of some concern with taking Triphala, talk to your doctor about it. Buying supplements from a company that not only tests for quality, but also 3rd party tests to assure that the supplement you are buying has what it claims to have in it, is very important. There is no law in the U.S.A. against advertising supplements falsely. Studies have shown that many supplements sold in America have little to non of the things in them advertised on the label, so always look for 3rd party tested supplements. Banyan Botanicals is a U.S. company I trust, that does 3rd party testing, and you can purchase their Triphala powder here: Banyan also has Tablets #livingbanyancreator, @banyanbotanicals, #livingbanyan, #partnership I could also go with Himalaya: #triphala #ayurveda #integrativebodywork

In my previous profession as a massage therapist, it did not take long for me to realize that many people really enjoy having their feet worked on. Feet have to put up with a lot of abuse, so foot work can be very calming. I especially saw this frequently when I was working with many elderly people in a spa on a cruise ship. Not only do the elderly need a lot of attention to their feet in general, the salty sea air causes water retention and that water tends to follow gravity down to the ankles, so I was dealing with a lot of swollen ankles. Once I started Rolfing, we would spend nearly a whole session on the feet and lower leg, often session two. It was then I saw some unexpected changes happen over and over again. Problems in completely different parts of the body would sometime go away after a foot session. A client would come in with a shoulder problem, and it would be all better after working on the feet. I explained this by the fact that our nervous system depends on the feet heavily for taking in information, and working significantly with the feet is like working directly with the nervous system. What I did not know then, is that this may be even more so with the hands. Humans have the most unique and agile hands of any creature in the world. Although monkeys and apes have hands and opposable thumbs just like us, they are not nearly as dexterous in terms of find motor skills. The more intelligent the creature is, the more dexterous the hands. Chimps and Gorillas are probably smart enough to be taught sewing, but their hands are not dexterous enough. A chimp could be taught to drive a small vehicle, but probably not basked weaving. To have such nimble hands also means we must have very sensitive hands, hands that can take in a greater amount of information, to be able to feel fine detail. I always thought that because the feet were meant to make contact with the ground throughout the day and explore various surfaces, and the hands dangle freely when we are not actively exploring, that the feet would have the greatest effect on the nervous system's ability to orient the individual, but experience has been starting to suggest that it is even more so with the hands. During a basic 10 series the Rolfer may touch in on the the hands here and there, and may even give them more attention during session 9, or session 8 if that is to be the upper body session for that individual, but even during this session we have many other areas of the upper body to consider, in fact we are trying to integrate the entire upper body. It was not until my advanced training that we really began to slow down and focus on an areas like the hands and fingers, maybe even the forearm, for the whole session. If the client has been through a full 10 series we feel like we have addressed most of the basics, and now we can slow down and get into greater detail. Tendons and ligaments, joint decompression, mobilizing the bones of the wrist, organizing the fingers, these are all things we can pay more attention to post 10 series. The effect of spending nearly the entire session on the hands and the forearms has a much different effect than spending 10 min there. I was taken back by how deeply relaxed so many clients would claim to be after a full hand session. It is like we are working directly with the nervous system. Studying feline acupressure on my spare time, I have made some observations that are well known in Chinese medicine. Most of the meridians that the acupressure points follow end or begin at the fingers and the toes. These meridians and points are responsible for the proper flow of life force through the body and the organs, as they are all associated with an organ. While reading about the various acupressure points used to help with fear, anxiety, and general stress in a cat, I noticed that most of them are in the lower legs and the paws, so I guess even these areas can be soothing for cats too, if they trust you enough to let you mess with their paws. We all know our hands are important, and so does our nervous system. Our hands are how we explore the world and take in information, as well as act in the world. Tension and disorganization in the hands, fingers and wrists can radiate strain up the arm, into the the shoulder and even into the larger muscles of the back. This can be exacerbated by ordinary movement like walking. Restriction in one are can hold up the kinetic energy of walking, producing more strain and shock in the system as a whole. One restriction anywhere in the body can cause a whole slew of problems throughout the body, and this is particularity true of the hands. So lets give your hands the attention they deserve and book a Rolfing appointment today! #rolfing #rolfer #structuralintegration #integrativebodywork #hands #nervoussystem

"There is no substance in the world that cannot be a medicine if properly prepared, and there is no substance in the world that cannot be a poison if improperly prepared." -Ayurvedic Proverb Ashwagandha is an ayurvedic herbal rejuvenative, Rasayan, made from the root of the Withania somnifera also known as winter cherry. The name means horse smell in Sanskrit, as it does smell like a horse. Another interesting association is that is the horse twins, the Ashwins, in ancient Hinduism that are known as the physicians of the gods. As you will see below, this rejuvenative has many health benefits. The 5 I would like to touch on today are: Stress Reduction Increased Sex Drive and Fertility Better Sleep Lower Blood Sugar Lower Blood Pressure 1. Stress Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen, which is a substance that helps your system return to a state of balance. This helps to combat anxiety and fatigue, helping a person find their natural rest and digest state of being brought on by the parasympathetic nervous system. Due to stress, improper diet, and inadequate exercise and or sleep, we can remain in a heightened state of sympathetic nervous system arousal, which does not allow our natural physical process to proceed in a a healthy manor. We become stuck in a state of ongoing flight or fight mode and can not return to a complete rest. Ashwagandha, much like ginseng, has a toning effect on the nervous system and helps bring on a deeper resting state, significantly lowering stress hormones like cortisol and allowing the production of hormones that regulate us in a resting state. 2. Sex Drive/Fertility Just as both ashwagandha and ginseng help tone the nervous system, they also both help to increase sex drive. This is why aswagandha is known as the Indian ginseng. It may go without saying that calming the nerves and promoting rest should naturally allow the sex drive to reach its natural state of activity, but we know from clinical studies that it helps to elevate testosterone levels in men, which will also be associated with higher sex drive. The interesting thing is that there is not good evidence to suggest that ashwagandha directly causes testosterone levels to rise but rather helps the individual's system better manage stress level so that a natural amount of testosterone production can be achieved as stress has been shown to lower testosterone. This takes us back to the first benefit, stress reduction. In addition to raising male testosterone levels, it naturally increases seamen production and fertility, which has been an increasing problem in the world as time goes on. It is said that men today only have about half the sperm that their grandfathers had, due to stress, unhealthy lifestyle and exposure to chemicals. Scientists believe we may be on the cusp of a fertility crisis. With better lifestyle choices and supplements like ashwagandha, we may be able to get through it, but this magic herb is not only good for the males sex drive, it has been shown to not only increase the female sex drive but also frequency of orgasm. Ashwagandha is not just for the guys! 3. Sleep It should come as no surprise that lowering stress can allow for better sleep, and ashwagandha has been linked to better sleep as well. It is important to relax before you go to sleep, this should be an active effort at being passive, although if you have been wound up all day, it simply may not be possible. Managing stress throughout the day can make relaxing before bedtime much easier. Stopping regularly throughout the day to letting go of pressing thoughts and unnecessary muscle tension will help, and ashwaghandha can assist in reaching deeper levels of relaxation. It is easier to let go and achieve deeper levels of relaxation at the end of the day when you have to some degree held it in check throughout the day, so don't depend solely on a magic pill to help you sleep, ashwagandha is not a knock out pill, but it has been shown to help many people with restful sleep. 4. Blood Sugar There is some evidence that ashwagandha helps to lower blood sugar. This may be due to it allowing the cells to take up more sugar from the blood. Because of this it is believed to helpful to diabetics. Whether or not you have diabetes, we know that and increasing amount of people throughout the world are at risk for developing it. With all the added sugar and other sweeteners in our diet, along with refined grains, the amount of diabetic and pre-diabetic people in the world continues to climb. Fast food is even to blame for the rise of childhood diabetes in India, so poor populations are not immune. This was once a different story, as in ancient India diabetes was known as the rich man's disease, because only the rich could afford refined grains like white flour and white rice. Now it seems difficult to avoid. So, in addition to avoiding sugar and trying to eat whole grains, ashwagandha may help keep your blood sugar in check. 5. High Blood Pressure Ashwagandha has been demonstrated to help lower blood pressure, although when taking blood pressure medication it may actually cause the blood pressure to drop too low, so it is a good idea to talk to your doctor when mixing herbal medications with the medications they have you on. Remember, just because it is a natural substance does not mean it may not be harmful, especially in the wrong amount or with the wrong combinations. As it is said in Ayurvedic medicine "There is no substance in the world that cannot be a medicine if properly prepared, and there is no substance in the world that cannot be a poison if improperly prepared." In the United States the FDA does not regulated supplements. That means that companies selling natural medicine can put all sorts of things in their supplements to dilute it and make more money off less ingredients, in fact sometimes the pill or extract does not contain the active ingredient promised on the label at all, and this is perfectly legal in the U.S. Welcome to capitalism my friend! If you want to make sure that the pills you are buying have the advertised amount of the ingredient you are seeking, or even a speck of it at all, you need to buy from a company that has third party quality control, or you might just end up with cornstarch. A tried and true Indian company that specializes in ayurvedic pharmaceuticals that I have been buying from ever since I discovered them in India nearly 20 years ago is Himalaya. You can click on the link below to check out their ashwagandha preparations. Pills for easy use and powder too. I put the powder in my coffee along with some milk, cardamom, and ginger. You can also put it in a smoothie. #ashwagandha #ayurveda #stress #insomnia #sexdrive #testosterone #fertility #bloodsugar #bloodpressure

"All forcing comes from the ego. I must no longer be fooled by an image of an ideal that is imposed by the mind" Jeanne De Salzmann We all know that our minds and bodies need training. If we are athletic then this is obvious. If we practice a trade this is true too. Even sitting at a desk and typing requires mind body training, as does even being able to sit still and be quiet. One thing that is notable, is that anyone who has truly masters any of these things will do so with the least amount of force. Things that are mastered will be done in a graceful, precise, and relaxed manor. If we could only take this idea into all aspects of life we would be doing quite well. In working with improving posture there are 3 things to keep in mind: unnecessary muscle tension the body knows best relax into what you are doing Unnecessary Muscle Tension We are tense all the time, while working, while sitting still (if we ever do sit still), even while sleeping we are probably tense. This wastes a lot of energy and keeps the nervous system in a heightened state of arousal, which can even reach a certain level of trauma. Also, when we are unnecessarily tense we are probably using the wrong muscles to do things. Our larger muscle groups are not needed in full force to open up a door, they certainly are not needed in full force to stand and have good posture. Go to to the gym and punch a bag, or go running if you want to know what those muscles are needed for, and when they are not needed try to allow them to relax. Relaxing while being still is certainly an art, and an even greater art is relaxing while going about daily activities or relaxing into our daily activities. One must learn to trust that the over use of force to do common things is not necessary, and the body innately can find a better way. The Body Knows Best We commonly think that the body is to be operated by the mind like a vehicle or a marionette. I challenge you to show me the owner's manual that came with your body. All the subtle factors that just go into standing upright and walking around, all the various muscles large and small that must participate in this are simply mind boggling. I have clients come to me every week with ideas planted in their heads about how they are supposed to hold their shoulders, and their pelvis, where they need to keep their necks and how their feet are supposed to articulated with the ground. This is how western traditions like physical therapy, chiropractic, and kinesiology have formed, studying posture and movement by the parts rather than the whole and underestimating the subtly that the body has evolved for. These western methods have plenty of science and techniques behind them, and can add great value to our physical well being, but compared with holistic eastern methods they are all quite young and lack the sophistication of systems that are older and view the parts as related to the whole. They all have their value but often lack a view of the big picture, so if you are having to forcefully hold yourself in better posture and control your movement- you do not have good posture or movement, you are simply imitating it. Good posture and efficient movement is the natural expression of a structurally well organised individual and should occur with a minimal amount of effort, just what is needed. Relax Into What you do Whether it is martial arts, rock climbing, dance, or weightlifting, we need physical training for the disciplines we are involved in, but our skill in physical form can become more refined and subtle. Trying to both relax into and embody the form by taking it and moving within it with a soft open attention rather than a rigid adherence to form can allow this. Relax into the form, only use the strength necessary. Even disciplines that require explosive strength, like boxing will refine their form into economy of movement. A boxer may find they have even more power when a punch is delivered without rigid force, and their movement is faster and more fluid when there is some degree of relaxation involved. This is a fine balance, and not easy to find, but finding it is a step toward mastery. This should be everyone's goal who seeks better posture, movement, and performance. Rolfing is a process of addressing strain patterns that interfere with good posture and free movement. If the posture is not good, naturally, we must ask what is interfering with it. Rather than struggling to hold our structure in what we or some other professional thinks is good posture, we want to make good posture available through differentiating muscle and connective tissue that are interfering with the innate expression of graceful, economical movement. Once restrictions have been addressed, it is then a question of exploring movement and allowing the body and the nervous system to find better ways of interacting with the world. Then it is a question of learning the subtle language of the body rather than commanding and micromanaging it. Just like gently leading a horse while riding it, by the reigns and other cues, one must lead the body without over controlling it. For this exploration to begin we must admit that we don't know best, the body, the nervous system, and the subconscious mind know best. What we can do is direct a light attention to the body, to movement, an attention that does not control but participates. This is the way to embodiment, the mind participates rather than controls.