Issue 09, Fall 2018
Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Specialized Kinesiology Magazine
A Better way to ‘Pumpkin Spice’
A Strong Nervous System forPeak Performance
Highlights from the Balancathon Nerve Pain
Your Brain on Art
Proprioception and Reflexes with Hugo Tobar IKC Balancathon
Getting on my Nerves KinesioGeek Magazine, www.gemskinesiology.com 1
Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
I am
hungry for useful knowledge. It does not really matter who invented what: if it is useful knowledge, I want it in my kinesiology practice. I want theory that is solid and that includes all the most recent research and ideas; I want a model through which I can interpret the reality and get to the core of the issues at hand; I want techniques that can help me solve my clients’ problems in a more efficient way. I searched in the kinesiology world and what I found was often disappointing. The same technique called different names; different schools that make me start over again because different systems do not complement with each other; the exact same concept referred to in many different ways; and good improvements that cannot be made public because of secrecy and competition. It is messy and challenging (and a waste of resources): I want the knowledge, but it is often impossible to know if a course or a technique is really what it looks like from the outside. When I began sharing these ideas in the kinesiology world, I just discovered I am not alone. Many people in kinesiology feel the same way: they want knowledge; they want integration; they want cooperation. They are ready to put their resources together so that scientific studies in kinesiology might become possible and bring this awesome methodology a step closer to the mainstream. I started to breathe deeply again: if so many people really want the change, a real change is possible!
From anger and disappointment to belief‌ It is a very nice feeling! Now the challenge: how can I really make the difference to bring change closer? The answer came very easily: Knowlative is the answer. A single system where knowledge is at my fingertips. A system where I can add my information and watch it spread in the kinesiology community. A system that is going to link me with my peers in many different ways. Real change is possible. What are you waiting for?
www.knowlative.com KinesioGeek Magazine, www.gemskinesiology.com 2
Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Editor/Publisher/Writer Proudly brought to you by and flawed KinesioGeeks: dictator: Alexis contributing Costello Alexis Costello (Editor/ Publisher / Flawed DictaContributors: tor) Alison Kingston Ezra Costello Anne Jensen Michelle Greenwell Greg Dunn Natasha Polomski HannahRose Costello Reenie Robert Frost Michelle Greenwell Sylvia Marina Miranda Welton Cover image is a stock Rachel Lead photo Raina Lutz Opinions expressed by Rochelle McFarlane contributors and advertisers areMarina their own. Sylvia
Adam Lehman: inside the holoProprioception gramand Reflexes with Hugo Tobar page 6
page 6
The Nervous System in Performance page 11
Contents: p. 4 Letter from the Editor p.5 Your turn: letters, questions and social media p. 6 Propriocetion and Reflexes p. 10 SKY Report from the TFHKA Conference p. 13 The Power of a Strong Nervous System in Performance p. 16 Your Brain on Art P. 18 “Ouch� p. 21 Getting on My Own Nerves
P. 24 What are Neuroglia? p. 27 Balancing the World from the Heart P. 30 Pumpkin Spice Latte Season P. 32 Classifieds p. 33 Because Health should be Fun!
Cover art is titled: Maki-e Neurons and is part of a show called SelfReflected by Greg A. Dunn. See p. 14 For more information!
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Making Work Work for You
T
he nervous system; our own private lightening storm of electricity that keeps us moving every day of our lives. The nervous system used to be thought of as a collection of axons and dendrites and the connections between them, but research into the glial cell network over the past 20 years has changed this understanding. We now know that communication is far more complicated than this, but also that it is more diffuse—we know that communication is happening via the fascia for example, and that communication is not the top-down brain-commanding-the-body procedure it was once thought to be, but that the guts and heart are both sending vast quantities of information to the brain at all times and play a vital role in our ability to deal with the world. In this issue, we will discuss specific nerve pathways and specialized sensory information (proprioception) with Hugo Tobar before diving in to how the nervous system affects performance in physical art (like dance) with Michelle Greenwell. While it is not necessarily on topic for the theme this month, one of my favourite pieces in this issue is the synopsis of the IKC Touch for Health Balancathon. An event that unites us all around the world in our shared love of kinesiology! We have included photos submitted from different events and you can visit the website to see any of the videos or photos from other countries. Who knows what the ripple-effect of this will be? An annual event? Tons of new awareness of TFH as more people decide to find practitioners and classes in their area? Only time will tell. On another note, I apologize if this issue feels little skimpier than usual—my own intense travel schedule of the past few month has meant that teaching and compensating family-time have been the top priorities. If you have ideas that you would like to share for the Winter Issue, please get in touch. We’re all in this together!
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Your Turn: sharing who you are Pictures from this years TFHKA Conference in Malibu, courtesy of Earl Cook. Top: Earl, Darcy, Russ and Claudia. Bottom: TFHKA Board: Dawn, Amy, Paige, Sara, Darcy and Ione
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Getting on My Nerves
Proprioception and Reflexes By Alexis Costello
H
ugo Tobar is well known in the Specialized Kinesiology field for his creation of multiple interesting workshops. When I was thinking about this theme, I recalled a conversation I had with Hugo at the Touch For Health conference in Malibu a few months prior and started reading the information in his website about the Brain Hologram classes. Our understanding of the nervous system has changed a lot in the last decade or so and everybody has a different take on it. With a huge time difference and multiple tech issues (sorry, this chat isn’t available on YouTube as the recording quality was simply atrocious) we still managed to talk about the nervous system, reflexes, and kinesiology. A: After we chatted in July, I was looking at the description for the Brain Hologram courses. Brain Hologram C caught my attention referencing special senses and the way the information is relayed to the brain. How has our understanding of how these organs work changed in the past few years?
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves H: Well we have the five senses which are the standard that we talk about, but there are also a couple things called the ‘special senses’, which include the vestibular system and proprioception, which is more about the position of your body in space. The vestibular system measures the position of your head in space and the proprioceptive system measures the position of your body in space. In Touch for Health we work with spindle cells and golgi tendon organs, and these are both proprioceptive receptors. These send information into the nervous system just like the other senses do. Like the five main senses, the other senses are made up of sensory receptors, and that is a way of taking information from the external world to the internal world by translating it to a neural signal where the brain can then process the information. So we have the five main senses that give us information about the environment and these special senses that tell us where we are in the environment. A: So then, what has changed? Because we’ve always known that we have these senses, so what’s different about the way that you are working with it with something like the brain hologram as opposed to the traditional allopathic sense? H: Well the allopathic system is going to want to use medications and surgery to treat the symptoms. I define Kinesiology as a stress-management system. Then we use different modalities to ask questions to find where the stress is in the system and then to find ways to remove the stress, That might mean working with meridians or chakras or essential oils (which are really popular these days). We use all these combinations of things to get rid of the stress from the nerves and the sensory receptors. A: Why do you feel it is important to understand the projections and outputs and how these are read by the brain? H: This comes form an idea that I had way back almost 20 years ago; by analyzing the neurological pathways, first doing an analysis of what is held in the pathways of the nervous system, then you can use acupressure formatting to identify and relieve stress.
A: What is an ‘optokinetic pathway’? H: To understand this, first you have to begin with the vestibular system. So, what the vestibular system does: when the head moves it sets up a series of reflexes; when the body moves, it compensates with head movement. For example, if you’re falling over, you might fling your arms out. If someone pushes you, you’ll adjust to keep your head upright. We have this innate idea that we need to keep our head upright. Now one of the parts of the vestibular reflexes is the vestibulo-ocular reflex; say you’re reading a sign while walking down the street. You need to keep your field of vision stable, so your eye muscles move your eyes in exactly the opposite direction; the opposite speed, everything, so that what you are looking at stays stationary so you can take in the information. So if your head is moving to the right, the eye muscles move your eyes to the left. You could experiment with this by looking at something on the wall and moving your head around – noticing that, as you move your head, the eyes muscles move exactly opposite, keeping the visual fields stable.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves This works very well for big head movements, but when it comes to things like reading or we’re doing something that requires a really fine focus, like pulling apart a miniature contraption or something with a screwdriver. There are head movements involved, but they are not enough to trigger the vestibulooccular righting reflexes, so this is where the Optokinetic reflex comes in, it’s like a helper – it takes the information and sends it to the vestibular system down in the brainstem, so then it will cause your eye muscles and neck muscles and all that to move, ever so slightly, so that we have micromovements in the visual field. And that’s what happens with reading for example; your hands move, they’re not perfectly still, but you’re not aware of that because your head makes these micro-adjustments. And what we’ve found when working with the Brain Hologram is that I’ve worked with people who have had their vestibular system worked on before and it seems fine, but then we bring the optokinetic reflexes in and it brings up big stuff, especially about reading – kids at school having problems with reading or someone who did have problems with reading – we find there’s a lot of stress on it.
A: What role does kinesiology play in regenerating nerve tissue?
A: This makes sense; I’ve read some of the old AK stuff about for example ‘eyes into distortion’ and how the eye positioning and reflexes can affect total body alignment.
A: Anything else you would like to share about the nervous system and working with the nervous system that you don’t think is common knowledge among practitioners?
H: Oh Absolutely! If you’re working with body alignment, clearing the vestibular, ocular, neck righting, tonic neck righting, spinal gallant – they are all extremely powerful.
H: If you’re going to work with this, I think it’s very important to understand physiology. Because the better you understand the pathways you are working with, the better you are able to focus your energy – whether that’s formats or SIPS points or
H: If the tissue wants to regenerate, we can take stress out of the system that allows it to regenerate. I think we should be called Stress Management Practitioners. Even Richard Utt used to called his basic level Agape Quest students ‘Stress Observation Specialists’ A: I agree; SIPS is my primary modality that I work with, so I see how we can remove stress and allow the body to bring in the energy it needs and then all sorts of interesting things happen. But the reason why I asked the question the way that I did is that I know your work is heavier in formats and protocols, which can give someone a bit of a road map to work with a specific issue. H: One of the things that I do when I’m going to write a class; whether it’s on the immune system, endocrine system, biochemistry, whatever; the first thing I do is ask ‘where are the pathways?’ What are the cells, the hormones, the toxins – we work out what is involved and then we write the formats as identifiers, and then we balance it.
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Getting on My Nerves whatever you’re using. The more you know, the more you can do. And of course, anything is possible.
Class Descriptions:
A: Any recommended reading or resources for someone who was interested in learning more about the physiology of the nervous system, other than your own classes?
The third course in the series is dedicated to the special senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing and the vestibular system along with the complex somatosensory and nociceptive systems and their respective neurological pathways. Areas of the brain and limbic system contributing to the processing of the information received from the sensory receptors and relayed by the thalamus are analysed along with their specific projections and outputs.
H: Fundamental NeuroScience by Haines; the pictures are really clear and the explanations are good. There’s none of the fluff, it’s really to the point, so I would recommend that. And if you’re a kinesthetic learning, you can get the colouring books and that will help too.
Brain Hologram C
Brain Hologram D The final instalment in the series explores the various optokinetic (reflex) pathways and their associations with the vestibular system, brainstem, cerebellum and motor cortex. Pathways related with reading and language are also analysed along various conditions linked with learning.
For more information: www.nkinstitute.com.au
“Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth.” ― Margaret Atwood
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Getting on My Nerves
SKY at the Touch for Health
Kinesiology Association Conference By Hannah Costello
W
alking into the conference as the only kids, we didn’t know what to expect. Within moments of walking in the door we received name tags and copies of the conference journal with our own names written right on the back cover in the presentation schedule, which was nerve-wracking and exhilarating. We were greeted with open arms, and in a few short minutes of being on the conference premises, we had been introduced to a few of the celebrities in the Touch for Health world. We may have been a little too excited to meet Matthew Thie, but can you blame us? We got to meet so many amazing people; there weren’t enough mealtimes to sit with all of them, or to hear all their stories. We got to have amazing experiences, such as eating chocolate cake by the piano with Adam Lehman, or pouring over crystalized metals with Robert Frost. Only at a conference like this would we get to meet these people and do these things. We had many of these people sign our conference journals, as silly as it felt to ask, as a sort of souvenir from this experience. Getting to meet some of our mom’s colleagues and friends was amazing. Even better was how quickly they accepted us, not as Alexis’ kids, but as friends and colleagues of our own
accord. We have a huge amount of appreciation for everyone who treated us with such respect and gave us so much encouragement. As homeschoolers and professional procrastinators we, true to form, finished writing our presentation the night before we were supposed to give it. We made a few edits to include some of the things that were said in presentations we had attended in the previous days, and read through it a couple of times, because it was probably a good idea to do so. This was the first time either of us had done any public speaking, apart from a homeschooled drama class production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ when we were twelve (which, let’s face it, was not very good), so we were understandably, and visibly, nervous. After switching on and tuning in, holding ESRs and getting balanced, it was our time to shine. People had been telling us for days that they were looking forward to our presentation, that they were very excited, that they had read our paper in the conference journal and were curious about the changes we are going to make in the SK world. . We heard nothing but support for us and our ideas, which we have nothing but thanks for.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves It was even more gratifying to see that support redoubled after our presentation. We ended by having everyone get up and do their switch-ons and tune-ins along with our animated digital sidekick, SKYborg. As everyone was already up, our presentation resulted in a standing ovation. After that we received many offers of help and encouragement from people wanting to do whatever they could to help us change the Specialized Kinesiology world. Many said that ours was the presentation that would be remembered from this conference, others said that this was the most exciting thing to happen to the TFH world in years. As youth members attending their first conference and public-speaking for the first time, we couldn’t have imagined a better outcome or reception of our ideas.
As homeschoolers and professional procrastinators, SKY is still not fully up and running, but with everyone’s continued enthusiasm, we will proceed to change the world. For anyone under the age of twenty reading this, feel free to sign up as a member of SKY. For everyone else, please don’t hesitate to browse the site or Facebook page, and apply to be a mentor, if you so choose.
Photo credit Jan Cole: presenters from the TFHKA 2018 Conference
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Getting on My Nerves
For those of you who missed the conference, but still would like to see this presentation, check it out on YouTube (unprofessionally filmed with their mom’s cell phone). Photo credit: Denise Cambiotti
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Getting on My Nerves
The Power of a Strong Nervous System in Performance By Michelle Greenwell
T
he history of dance, athletics and performance has long been studied for its structural components and the ability to override the body’s innate movement dynamics as a dominating approach to achieving the look or the ability desired for the activity. Even the phrase “Mind over Matter” is an anthem that trainers will use to persuade their students into activities that are beyond the normal range of flexibility, strength, endurance or expression. The mind has also been considered the dominating factor in achievement results, with the words willpower, determination, endurance, and success, all rolled into one. What if these premises were not completely accurate? What if there was a liaison of tissue in the body that created an orchestra of possibility
across all tissues? What if structure was just one aspect of athletic success and the powers that be are completely remiss at looking at other powerful systems that support performance? In Tai Chi we practice movement as a “whole body” approach. When we move through the patterns there is a synergy of movement that is instigated by the belly through the Lower Dan Tien (the energy source and storage system) that connects to the legs and feet, out the length of the spine to the top of the head, and through the arms and hands. The form is further enhanced by the naming of the moves which are purposefully placed to create an intended form for healing. For example: “Stop the cart and ask for directions” at the beginning of Loh Kup, is the desire to choose health over sickness, life over death, and movement over stagnation.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves By choosing to do the patterns there is an open flow of energy that can be achieved, and this begins the voyage of health. This does include structure, meridians, elements and intention, and also brings in aspects of emotional and mental development. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt of the Sophia Health Institute has pursued the use of the Five Levels of Healing based on the Sanskrit writings dating back 12,000 years and used within the Yogic tradition based on the original work of Patanjali. In these writings they found that the first level of healing is on the physical body, with level two referring to the energetic body (or the electrical system: meridians, primo vascular system or Bonghan channels). Level 2 is where the muscle testing aspects of Specialized Kinesiology resides. Level three is the mental field and self-dialogue, while level four is the intuitive body and transpersonal communications that occur when in a group of people striving for the same achievement. Therapeutic Touch techniques sit in this level. Level five is the presence of Divine within us all. The approach of whole-body movement envelopes the body into several levels at once when it is done in a soft and gentle manner that does not put the body at threat and into fight or flight responses for the parasympathetic nervous system to be optimized. It is during this gentle time that the digestive tract is able to relax into possibility and provide support to the other systems. But, what if we went a step further? Dr. June Leslie Wieder, author of “Song of the Spine: Sound healing and vibrational therapy,” proposes that if the premise of Dr. David Daniel Palmer, the father of chiropractic, is correct that the bones of the spine are shaped by sound then there is a resonance that radiates out from this tissue. On page 57 she postulates that “harmony resounds in our bones, and our bones propagate harmony to our nervous system.” She found that when a tuning fork was applied to a subluxation in the vertebra, the bone could reset to its natural tone, and this in turn could correct the subluxation,
in the vertebra, the bone could reset to its natural tone, and this in turn could correct the subluxation, but also created a harmonic wave that resounded through the spine, and through the central and autonomic nervous system. She found that harmonic waves “balance breath, heart rate, digestion, and other physiological activities…retuning the nervous system.” Holographic repatterning, developed by Chloe Wordsworth, found that thought and patterns within the body could be changed by changing the frequency within the body and was supported by light, movement, breath and sound. To the athlete, this is an important discovery. Rather than training with rote learning tools that require repetitive action to accomplish a certain level of ability, there could be a shift created with toning and movement that could accomplish the task in a much quicker way and help the body to perform at its optimum level due to the frequency within which it is transforming. As we know from Touch for Health, the organ systems are all supported by the movement of the spine and the muscles respond based on the integrity of the nervous system that feeds it. Functional Neurology, or the study of body functions in relation to the muscles and the nervous system, are identified by using muscle testing to identify areas in the body where the flow of energy or vibration is not supporting the system. Dr. David Hawkins, a Nobel prize winner, psychiatrist, therapist and lecturer, has reviewed the opportunity of muscle testing to build a bridge between the physical body and the human consciousness. In his book: “Power vs Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior,” he shares “moment to moment decision making is dominated by energy patterns, or attractor fields, within consciousness itself.” He found that the use of muscle testing was a way to identify what was happening consciously within the body without interference from mental determination. Dr. Wieder
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concludes that muscle testing accesses the frequencies on a cellular level by way of the central nervous system. The Chakra system is linked to the physical body through the Endocrine System. It is the connection of the Nerve Plexus at each interchange with the Chakra that creates a level of communication that links us to the Levels of Healing as described by Dr. Klinghardt. The words of Therapeutic Touch® cocreator, Dora Kunz, further enhance this vibrational quality that creates harmony for the whole being. In her book “The Chakras and the Human Energy Fields” Dora states on page 33, “The Chakras are superphysical centers or organs through which the energies of the different fields are synchronized and distributed to the physical body. They are more or less active on the astral, mental and (to some extent) even higher levels… but they are of primary importance at the etheric level, where they serve as instruments for the focusing of energy in the body.” Further, from her book “The Anatomy of the Aura”, she identifies the relationship of emotions with the chakras which descend from higher level to lower level through the physical body. “It is the cumulative strength of the emotions, the dominant tone of a person’s emotional life, that is represented in the chakras, (p. 49).” What does this all have to do with performance? Training. Mental preparation. Emotional status. Belief. Personal goals and following your path. No matter what tools you use to train with, and no matter if you use the phrase “Body, Mind and Spirit”, there is a much bigger picture required to achieve an effortless and fluid flow of energy towards the desired goals and the successful movement outcomes of performance and athleticism. In Specialized Kinesiology we know that the tools we can use to access different aspects of the levels of healing will enhance training and performance. Now we have the envious position of finding the dialogue, the systems and protocols, and the audience to hear our words and to see our results. If the focus of the success in performance, athletics and dance is opened up to holographic training opportunities the results will show themselves in healthy movement options, optimum training regimes and reduced effort towards the chosen goals. How are nervous system feels, resonates and responds to our chosen goals will determine our successful outcome. Michelle Greenwell is a dancer, educator, researcher, author, Tai Chi enthusiast, and a Specialized Kinesiology nut! She is currently involved with Healthy Dancer Canada’s 10th Anniversary Conference by creating conversations between Specialized Kinesiology tools and dance protocols to change the way that dancers, educators, therapists and researchers begin to look at dance training and outcomes. CanASK is a gold sponsor of the Conference along with Atlantic Therapeutic Touch Network, and together they are sharing the weekend offering mini session to conference attendees and opening up conversations about SK.
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Your Brain on Art Information reprinted with permission from www.gregadunn.com
S
elf Reflected is your brain perceiving itself.
Dr. Greg Dunn (artist and neuroscientist) and Dr. Brian Edwards (artist and applied physicist) created Self Reflected to elucidate the nature of human consciousness, bridging the connection between the mysterious three-pound macroscopic brain and the microscopic behavior of neurons. Self Reflected offers an unprecedented insight of the brain into itself, revealing through a technique called reflective microetching the enormous scope of beautiful and delicately balanced neural choreographies designed to reflect what is occurring in our own minds as we observe this work of art. Self Reflected was created to remind us that the most marvelous machine in the known universe is at the core of our being and is the root of our shared humanity. Natural systems fall into one of three categoriesrepeating systems such as a salt crystal in which all particles are arranged with perfect predictability and regularity, random systems whose behaviors are impossible to predict, and chaotic systems which are on a spectrum between these extremes. Maximum complexity arises from chaos. It is ironic, then, that though the brain’s functionality is deeply chaotic, human behavior is often patterned and regular. The brain is a poor generator of randomness, thus we learned how to
harness naturally chaotic forces to allow this element to unfold in Self Reflected. To capture their strikingly chaotic and spontaneous forms, the neurons in Self Reflected are painted using a technique wherein ink is blown around on a canvas using jets of air. The resulting ink splatters naturally form fractal like neural patterns, and although the artist learns to control the general boundaries of the technique it remains at its heart a chaotic, abstract expressionist process. The turbulence of the air, inconsistencies in the paper, variations in ink viscosity- all contribute to variety in neural forms as the technique allows nature to behave how it wants. About the artist Greg A. Dunn: I enjoy Asian art. I particularly love minimalist scroll and screen painting from the Edo period in Japan. I am also a fan of neuroscience. Therefore, it was a fine day when two of my passions came together upon the realization that the elegant forms of neurons (the cells that comprise your brain) can be painted expressively in the Asian sumi-e style. Neurons may be tiny in scale, but they possess the same beauty seen in traditional forms of the medium (trees, flowers, and animals). I admire the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean masters because of their confidence in simplicity. I try to emulate this idea. In October 2011 I finished my doctorate in Neuroscience at University of Pennsylvania. Since then I have been devoting my time to painting.
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Micro-etchings from the show SelfReflected by Greg A Dunn. The picture of the neurons on the cover of this issue is also part of this show. www.gregadunn.com
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“Ouch!”
By Sylvia Marina
H
ave you ever had a tooth nerve exposed – every time your tongue goes near it you feel as though you are going-through-the-roof. Well meaning friends share their stories with you of their dental horrors and biting on a cold compress followed by clove oil was the panacea...you’ve tried that already!
Grandpa says, “fill your mouth with water and sit by the open fire till the water boils”...not funny! You’ve done all the possible and the dentist is 500 miles away but worse, you have pending exams you’ve studied for years to attend. Reality is now it’s more than physical pain – it’s emotional agony. Combine physical pain and emotional agony – expressively you’re dying. Nerve exposure, nerve entrapment, neuropathy, neuralgia are not isolated as merely physical. With the constant nagging pain, soon emotional intolerance, impatience, feelings of ‘feeling not heard’, ‘not considered’, the feeling of ‘overlooked’, leads to feeling unworthy, worthless and into the downward spiral of depression.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves The higher self feels guilty. A gratitude journal becomes aggravation. Everything becomes hypersensitive. Idioms are passed from generation to generation – so often I hear my clients say “I sounded just like my mother”, as they use the words “you kids are getting on my nerves”. It’s a real life expression born from feeling emotionally frazzled. As recently as last week I worked with a person on the other side of the world to me, engaging a remote healing surrogate technique. For more than thirty years I’ve been using these techniques.
When the emotions are cleared the physical dysfunction begins to heal. Trapped emotions are seldom based in present time, not even present lifetime, frequently they relate to the epi-genome. Whenever you feel your truth has been distorted, emotionally hurt, spiritually misunderstood, your love compromised... separation anxiety, feelings of loss & loneliness, abandonment issues, suicidal thoughts, anger, habits, addictions – know, your present plight is not your destiny, there are deeper issues. A Human Behaviour Specialist & Professional Kinesiologist, Sylvia Marina's work includes managing EPI-Genetics behaviour, addressing Trans-Generational Trauma,
My client is an amputee with phantom pain – most unpleasant. In his words, everything gets on my nerves – the frequent pain drained his capacity to be tolerant and he became emotionally hyper-sensitive and through his increasing emotional intolerance he realized he was isolating his loved ones, pushing them away.
Emotional dysfunction can happen, even from those closest to you. Your experience in attending IKC accredited, Transforming DNA Memories and Return To Love, helps you to manage your life and gives practitioners new tools to assist your clients.
I’ve worked with women who after giving birth became sensitive to foreplay and hypersensitive to sexual intercourse.
www.sylviamarina.com/calendar www.facebook.com/ HumanBehaviourSpecialist/
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Have you ever wondered What Time of Day it is, Really?! Now with a quick glance you can see which Element is at its Peak, and which Meridian is the center of focus. The Time of Day Clock Dance with the Five Elements With a pilot project in June of this year, a selection of dancers and parents participated in a 4 week program centered around the music used to create the art pieces, movements that integrated the 42 muscles, 14 meridians and 5 elements, as well as bringing the paintings onto the dance floor in different combinations. Our results were astounding. By placing different paintings in the center of the floor and choosing movement patterns that felt right for the music, each painting created a different dance as well as a different way of hearing the music. Yes, you read right – even listening to the music with different colors present changed the way we were listening. Our movements responded to this process and the dance moves completely changed as well. More interesting was what happened when we combined several elements together. For example, when we danced to the Metal Element using a musical selection called “Follow the Sun” by Xavier Rudd, the dancers picked out the hard beats in the music and moved in a robotic fashion. We talked about the elements and wondered what would happen if we added the Fire Element next to the Metal Element with the same music. The dancers tuned in to the softer melody of the music and began to dance in a more lyrical way. All of this was of their own interpretation, but everyone reacted the same way. It was amazing. An eight year old in the group described the first experience as hard and cold, and felt that when the red painting was added that everything seemed to soften by being together. This was her expression of the experience with no knowledge of the Elements or what they mean. She didn’t know that Fire could melt Metal, but she could feel it! The Time of Day clock created by Emily has taken a portion of the paintings from each Element and combined it into the 24 hour clock. The Elements and the Meridians are identified by color and label. The intention of each painting is represented in each square so that anyone tuning into the clock can have a similar experience while focusing on the time of day. If you use the Time of Day balance from Touch for Health, it is with a quick glance that you can know which system you need to focus on for making changes to the system. In a classroom the Time of Day wheel is easily represented through the clock and builds a reminder of the order and the flow. This is great for Level 1 and 2 students in Touch for Health. The Five Element Feet were created to bring the paintings into a focus for standing on. With several goal setting foot maps created over the years, and the desire of the dancers to stand on each painting, I had to respond with some meaningful ways of bringing the power of the paintings to our activities. The paintings can be printed on canvas, sheets, duvets or pillows to bring the power into a useful means of exploring their power. In addition, each element was transferred into foot patterns to create a Five Element Wheel, our topic of discovery for Level 2-4 Touch for Health students and beyond. With this Star creation students can follow the flow of the elements for both the Ko and Shen cycles, as well as stand in the spaces they need for supporting the body while doing a Color Balance. The power of this symbol can be added to mugs, bags, books, t-shirts and more. There is even a sticker and a postcard that can share the energy. Bringing the textbooks to life for Specialized Kinesiology provides more meaning to the use of the techniques in our every day. For dancers and athletes who want a simple way to energize and support the body, adding some infused color to the program can change everything. Have a look at the project, check out the products that might help you with your balancing, and enjoy the wonderful richness that happens when collaborating talents get together. You can find it and other items for the Elements at: https://www.redbubble.com/people/grnz Click on “Energy World”, and scroll down to “clocks”
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Taking Specialized Kinesiology to the next level at Akamai University By Michelle Greenwell
Getting on my Own Nerves By Rochelle McFarlane
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fter learning what Touch for Health was, I had to go through a period of 3 years before I was able to become an official student. Life always seemed too full and the timing always seemed off. I let go of my obsessive frustrations and stopped the pressure of trying to make it work. I received Touch for Health sessions from time to time during those years, feeling better about myself and gaining balance but it wasn’t until I started the classes that I really made the connection that Touch for Health would save me from getting on my nerves. I am not sure if you can relate to this or not, bear with me while I explain my experience… Before Touch for Health entered my life, I used to be really good at beating myself up without noticing. I would end up spinning out of control in my own
mind and feeling bogged down by negative self talk, creating a spiral into a concealed depression. At times it would feel like a roller coaster that I never had to wait in line for— no ticket required— just the fear-based adrenaline rush and my stomach colliding into my throat. At other times it would feel like I was stuck in a merry go round that I couldn’t find the exit to because I was too dizzy to see it. I had no real tools to find balance or comfort except for volcanic eruptions, but instead of lava it would be screaming and yelling at the little things. When I got really bad, these eruptions would release ‘the dragon lady.’ It’s embarrassing to admit, as she is only soothed with food. Both of these methods came with hefty prices: shattering my trust account with my children, and extra weight upon my body. (continued)
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
“I learned in class that muscles held the truth.” Innately, I knew that there was something out there that would help me leave my inner circus. I pretended to be a confident ring master, yet the self sabotage always seemed to win and I would return to the cycle of self abuse. I never showed my real self to anyone; I believed in “fake it till you make it.” I was afraid of rejection. Even though I felt like a mess, others would always come to me with their problems as if I held the magic key they needed to unlock their peaceful solution. This fear of criticism and judgement was the motivation to keep the real me inside because, deep down, I’ve felt a calling, a sense of duty to help others.
Now speeding forward in time to when the everything finally worked out and I was able to attend Touch for Health classes. This was such a hard lesson about timing for me and being able to let go, to have faith that it would work out for me. And it did! I have accepted the simple truth that I wasn’t ready for the classes until then. This kept me from getting on my own nerves about the whole process. The four levels were each a month apart, with the last class ending just weeks before the end of my pregnancy. This was exciting for me, reading the textbook on my own was frustrating and I knew there was value within the pages, that I would be able to see with the right instructions and support. I learned in class that muscles held the truth, and an abundant amount of information that could be accessed through the biofeedback mechanism. Now there was no more hiding. It was time to face my fears and believe that I could get help on a deeper level, and support my own triangle of health. This was important for me to figure out, as I didn’t want to pass my bad habits along to my children, for them to have to battle with a low self worth and esteem.
Seeing how these tools were working with me and with other students in the class, I knew my request for a magic wand had been granted. I could see now that I was able to step into a power within me: from this point forward, life would be different. Now I would be able to step off that emotional roller coaster, the exit-less merry go round. Maybe I could live with balance where I may just never get back on that ride. Really, who am I am kidding? I am a mom of 4 children: these tools will be used daily for the rest of my life, allowing me to act from a state of curiosity and connectivity. I commence each day with a “muscle dance,” rubbing my neurolymphatics, and running the current time meridian as a part of my new self care routine. This keeps the dragon lady in check, and I am happy to report I am down 45 lbs and shrinking. As I am getting this ready to meet the publishing deadline, I am ESRing like crazy. I am feeling the relief of a calm washing over me and letting myself accept where I am at with waves of confidence, knowing that I am not alone. I am finally realizing that there are numerous people experiencing something very similar in their own way. May this bring you inspiration, knowing that what we do in this field is powerful and can save others from getting on their own nerves. In closing: I am thrilled to live out the benefits from my journey with Touch for Health, being able to have ways to defuse stress and create balance within myself, without getting on my own nerves. I am proud to be a part of something bigger, passing along the light as per John Thie’s request. I feel empowered to be the mother I know I was always meant to be, and to live life as my best self.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Kasia Rachfall and Rochelle McFarlane, photo credit Alexis Costello
Rochelle McFarlane finds parenting her 4 children easier having the tools from Touch for Health, she chose to become an instructor and now travels the world sharing how to live with less stress and more love by teaching other families Touch for Health. www.espparent.com
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
What are Neuroglia?
By Regina Bailey—originally published April 6, 2018 at www.thoughtco.com
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euroglia, also called glial cells, are cells of the nervous system. They compose a voluminous support system that is essential to the proper operation of nervous tissue and the nervous system. Unlike neurons, glial cells do not have axons, dendrites, or conduct nerve impulses. Neuroglia are typically smaller than neurons and are about three times more numerous in the nervous system. Glia perform a plethora of functions in the nervous system. These functions include providing support for the brain, assisting in nervous system repair and maintenance, assisting in the development of the nervous system, insulating neurons, and providing metabolic functions for neurons. Types of Glial Cells and Their Function There are several types of glial cells present in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system of humans. Six main types of neuroglia include:
Astrocytes Astrocytes are found in the brain and spinal cord and are 50 times more prevalent than neurons. Not only are astrocytes the most abundant neuroglia, but they are also the most abundant cell type in the brain. Astrocytes are noted for their star-shape. They reside in endothelial cells of the CNS that form the blood-brain barrier. This barrier prevents some substances from entering the brain and permits others entry. The two main categories of astrocytes are protoplasmic astrocytes and fibrous astrocytes. Protoplasmic astrocytes are found in the gray matter of the cerebral cortex, while fibrous astrocytes are found in white matter of the brain. The primary function of astrocytes is to provide structural and metabolic support for neurons. Additionally, astrocytes aid in signaling between neurons and brain blood vessels. This allows blood flow to increase or decrease depending on neuron activity. Other functions of astrocytes include glycogen storage, nutrient provision, ion concentration regulation, and neuron repair. Ependymal Cells Ependymal cells are specialized cells that line the cerebral ventricles and central canal of the spinal cord. They are
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves found within the choroid plexus of the meninges. These ciliated cells surround the capillaries of the choroid plexus and form cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Functions of ependymal cells include CSF production, nutrient provision for neurons, filtration of harmful substances, and neurotransmitter distribution. Microglia Microglia are extremely small cells of the central nervous system that remove cellular waste and protect against microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc.). Microglia are thought to be macrophages, a type of white blood cell that protects against foreign matter. They also help to reduce inflammation through the release of antiinflammatory chemical signals. Microglia also function to protect the brain when neurons become injured or diseased by disabling the malfunctioning neurons.
Satellite Cells These glial cells cover and protect neurons of the peripheral nervous system. They provide structure and metabolic support for sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nerves. Sensory satellite glial cells are involved in the development of chronic pain. Oligodendrocytes Oligodendrocytes are central nervous system structures that wrap some neuronal axons to form an insulating coat known as the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath, composed of lipids and proteins, functions as an electrical insulator of axons and promotes a more efficient conduction of nerve impulses. Oligodendrocytes are found in the brain's white matter, while satellite oligodendrocytes are found in gray matter. Satellite oligodendrocytes do not form myelin.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves Schwann Cells Schwann cells are neuroglia that wrap around some neuronal axons to form the myelin sheath in peripheral nervous system structures. Schwann cells help to improve nerve signal conduction, assist in nerve regeneration, and aid in antigen recognition by T cells. Schwann cells play a vital role in nerve repair. These cells migrate to the site of injury and release growth factors to promote nerve regeneration. Schwann cells then myelinate the newly generated nerve axons. Schwann cells are being heavily researched for their potential use in spinal cord injury repair. Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells indirectly assist in the conduction of impulses as myelinated nerves can conduct impulses quicker than unmyelinated ones. Interestingly enough, the white matter in the brain gets its color from the large number of myelinated nerve cells that it contains. Bailey, Regina. "What Are Neuroglia Cells?" ThoughtCo, Apr. 6, 2018, thoughtco.com/neuroglia-nervous-tissue-glial-cellsanatomy-373198.
Sources: Purves, Dale. “Neuroglial Cells.” Neuroscience. 2nd Edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10869/. Sofroniew, Michael V., and Harry V. Vinters. “Astrocytes: Biology and Pathology.” SpringerLink, Springer-Verlag, 10 Dec. 2009, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00401-009-0619-8.
Muscle tuners ad
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Balancing the World, From the Heart
By Alexis Costello
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was actually a little nervous in that ‘what if you throw a party and no-one comes?’ kind of way. September 29 was World Heart Day, and so all over social media I could see posts and memes warning about heart disease, about diet, about the statistical likelyhood that your heart stopping is the reason for your death. As an international community of holistic health practitioners, the IKC decided to do something quite different. We hosted a ‘Balancathon’. In the Chinese meridian system, every two hours of the 24-hour daily cycle, the meridian that is in charge or at its’ peak of energy changes. 11am-1:00pm is the time that the Heart meridian is at its’ peak. Therefore, starting at 11:00 in New Zealand, we began a wave of energy, focus and love that spread around the world with each of us hosting events in our own country from 11-1:00 that focused on balancing the heart and spreading the word about Touch for Health and what this can do for people. In our village in the south Pacific side of Costa Rica, my friend, my sons and I took over the small community hall for the event. I explained a little bit about Touch for Health, where it came from and why this day was important. I demonstrated a 14-muscle balance on someone who had never had one before. Then we did a ‘muscle dance’ to activate the primary indicator muscles for each meridian. I taught the group a few easy techniques (switching on, Emotional Stress Release) and we did a colour balance using red for the heart meridian. Then each person there received a balance from either myself or one of my two helpers. KinesioGeek Magazine, www.gemskinesiology.com 27
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Getting on My Nerves
Why does this matter? Because the ability to take care of ourselves and each other is a precious gift. One of the things that gets underlined when we begin looking at holistic health is that we are responsible for our own wellness and that there are little things that we can do each day that contribute towards that. Of course my goal is to spread the word about these modalities that I work with, but more than that, my goal is to help people to think about their health differently; to feel empowered and to take better care of themselves and each other. Touch for Health and Specialized Kinesiology in general are a huge part of my life. It is what I do for work, but it’s also what I read about, write about, study and sleep on. I don’t need a reminder to make this a priority in my life. But being part of a big event like that felt different. I loved knowing that my friends and colleagues around the world were a part of this too and that, by doing my small part in a village in Costa Rica, I was joining hands with them around the planet and standing for something bigger than any one of us could possibly be on our own. This is just one small event, part of a much bigger picture! If you are interested in seeing some of the videos from events around the world, click here. Or visit the official page Below and above top: the group in Colchester, Essex, UK. Bottom right: Group in Calgary AB, Canada, submitted by Greg Webb
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Getting on My Nerves
“I was unable to sleep for the week before, as I was dreading no one turning up, or too many people and being over whelmed. In the end it was a wonderful day of healing - the perfect people came, it was really special, starting with passing the candle round at the start, and again at the end. Plus we had a feast at 1pm, before heading out for some Dragon Dancing on the grass! Then finished the day off with a visualisation to help bring peace and love to our planet. “ - Miranda L. Welton, Colchester, Essex, UK
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Getting on My Nerves
Report from Norwich Wellbeing Centre (UK): “The event was organised by Rita Rozsas and fellow kinesiologists who are all passionate about TFH, Rachel Marrs, Suzanne Lakin, Rachel Lead, and Carol Catt (Optimum Health Balance Practitioner). We didn't make it on to the 'hit list' to go Live, so we all enjoyed sharing TFH kinesiology in our own way… We started in a circle with the 'Muscle Dance' and song...and as people arrived we did mini balances. About 17-20 people dropped by...which we were told by the centre was a great success...so we felt pleased with the quality of our efforts, even though the numbers seemed low...and some money was raised... Feedback by 2 members of the public: Dear Rachel, We had a very lovely time yesterday with you and Rita. We both felt so relaxed and dreamy for the rest of the day. It was a great experience! Much Love from both of us. C and B A newspaper reported dropped by and printed the story. It was Great all being together, and we felt that as this 'seed' of unity has been sown by the IKC with this amazing idea, that we would continue next year, meeting up for Kinesiology Awareness week in Norwich March 11th -17th. 2019.” - Report and photos contributed by Rachel Lead
Facts about the Balancathon: 27 countries participated in the event 27 time zones 10 time zones had local events 7 time zones were covered by HQ 6 continents (Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America) 60+ countries use Touch for Health 31 muscle dance videos
41 live streaming videos (for the moment) 1 song 1 logo 77 contact people throughout the world 6 committee members 1 planet www.ikc-balancathon.org
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Getting on My Nerves
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Pumpkin Spice Latte Season: A Nutritionist’s Nightmare
By Raina Lutz Pumpkin Spice Lattes are a Nutritionist’s worst nightmare. Everyone hopped up on sugar and pumpkin "flavours" feeling like they're part of the harvest season somehow. Confession: Pumpkin spice latte "season" makes me grumpy. I'm not even going to hide it anymore. Every fall it happens, and I say nothing. Not this year! I'm speaking up. Why? Because it's a corrupt, contaminated form of honouring the beautiful harvest we get (in real foods) in the fall. Feeling 'cozied up' in the fall with an expensive drink is letting the marketers get to you. So while everyone is driving through at $5 a piece daily, you can make your own without funding corporate giants. How about crafting your very own pumpkin spice drink, honouring real food traditions? Starbucks’ version of a pumpkin spice latte comes with 330 calories and 40 grams of mostly refined sugar. The worst way to start your day is with a ton of sugar, so I learned how you can make your own pumpkin spice latte at home, you can even just do this with a blender if you don’t have a fancy-schmancy coffee maker.
www.lutznutrition.ca
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Getting on My Nerves
Natural Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe Ingredients * 1 shot of espresso or 4 oz. of very strong coffee * 3/4 cup of milk of choice (taste best with locally made almond milk) * 3 TB organic pumpkin puree (optional) * 1.5 TB of real maple syrup * 1/8 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice* (cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, cardamom) – (where to buy) * 1/8 tsp. of vanilla extract •
You can make your own pumpkin pie spice by mixing 50% cinnamon, 35% ginger/ nutmeg, 10% clove, 5% cardamom.
Directions Once you have your coffee ready, put in mixing glass and add your pumpkin, spices, vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Use an immersion blender (another awesome investment for soup season) to whip together. If you don’t have one, use a blender. Meanwhile, add .5 tb maple syrup to your 1 cup of milk and heat with your espresso maker. If you don’t have a machine, you can put milk in a saucepan over a medium flame. Once the milk is simmering, remove and put in blender. Blend on high with the other ingredients to create a nice foamy milk. Pour into mug of choice and enjoy! Options You can make the latte without the pumpkin puree too. You can use stevia or honey if you don’t have maple syrup.
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Getting on My Nerves
Classifieds:
Classifieds
Class listings online for each National Association, Conferences, Products and More Class listings for individual countries
Upcoming SIPS classes
Australia: http://www.kinesiology.org.au/page-1712619 Canada: http://canask.org/class-listings-2/ Denmark: http://kinesiologiuddannelse.dk/kursuskalender/ Ireland: http://www.kai.ie/kinesiology-training-in-ireland
There are classes coming up in Canada, the US and Europe – visit the website to find courses near you. http://www.sipskinesiology.com
UK: http://www.kinesiologyfederation.co.uk/training/coursediary-search.php USA: http://touchforhealth.us/classes/classes-by-state/ USA: http://energyk.org/training-events/
KF Conference: April 13 & 14, Oxford, UK TFHKA Conference: April 24-27, Boise, ID
The world needs more Touch for Health!
IASK / Russian Federation Conference: July 5-7, Moscow, Russia
Vacation near the ocean and rain forest while becoming certified as a TFH Instructor, Nov. 26-Dec.2, 2018
IKCConference: October 19-21, Bali
All the details are here: http://www.alexiscostello.com/tfhinstructor-training-workshop-advanced-tfh-training/ This section is a work in progress! If you are a kinesiology association and would like to have your events (conferences, demo days, etc) mentioned, please email us. There are far too many classes internationally for us to list them all, but please send a link to the page on your website that shows upcoming classes and we will add it here. If you would like to advertise your conference, presentation or post-conference workshop, please contact us for details.
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
Because health should be fun!
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Issue 9, Fall 2018
Getting on My Nerves
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