Simple Tools for Your Best Life

In school whether its grade school, high school, college etc we study the body by systems. When do we put all of these systems back together to understand how the body functions as a whole?



The body has the amazing capacity not only to maintain homeostasis but to remain in the present moment. What most people might not understand is how choices impact this. For example, the body's ph is 7.34 and no matter what we do it will stay this way as long as we are alive. If you drink a coke which is very acidic (somewhere around a 2) the body will compensate to keep homeostasis by leaching calcium out of the bones. One coke might not change the body, however, overtime all of that compensation could lead to many problems from muscle cramping to osteoporosis.



So how do we find balance in our lives when everything we do contributes to our health and most things that knock us off kilter are necessary? Perhaps we should learn a lesson from our bodies. In order to maintain homeostasis in the moment the body compensates after drinking that coke and borrows some calcium. It doesn't consider the detrimental effect this loss of calcium will have long term it is trying to survive in the present moment. The easy answer then is, if we stay present in this moment, the future is planned for.



Let's talk about work/life balance. What does the concept of balance look like to you? Perhaps an image of a judicial scale comes to mind. This idea is very static and rigid, life most times is not. I'd like for you to consider the idea of harmony. This concept is more fluid. The idea of Chinese Medicine is that each system supports the next and they all work together to keep the body healthy.



If a disharmony occurs it doesn't happen in isolation to one organ system- the entire body is impacted, emotions are impacted, the individuals life and all those a part of it are impacted. Kind of like that saying, "if mom's not happy, ain't no body happy." To find harmony we need to look at what caused the dis-harmony. As the body becomes healthier all areas become healthier. Its a domino effect in the right direction.



So where do we start? With awareness.



Take some time to think about your day from turning the alarm clock off, showering, eating breakfast (if you ate breakfast), driving to work, tending to your family, phone calls, emails, going to the bathroom etc etc. As you are thinking about your day notice your body, notice your breath. How does your life feel in your body. How is your body compromising to maintain homeostasis? Are you bracing your body with tight muscles? Holding your breath?



You might imagine how over time this un-awareness of how your body manages your day can contribute to disharmony in the body, in relationships, in the very activities that we enjoy.

With that in mind, could you use a little more energy to use during your day?



In Chinese Medicine it is believed we get our energy from 2 places: our parents and our lifestyle. There's not much we can do about our parents. The rest of the equation we have a little more control over. Da Qi + Gu Qi = Zhen Qi. What in the world does that mean? How you breathe and how you eat contribute to how much usable energy you have and how good you feel.

Da Qi: The Breath

The yogis believed we have a certain number of breaths to live, so they practice slow, deep, mindful breathing. An easy way to shut off fight/flight is to exhale deeper then your inhale. This will not only calm you it will help tone your abdominal muscles strengthening your core and lower back in addition to taking stress off of the neck and shoulders. For more information visit here. When you can, take a moment to check in with your breathing or take one or two deep breaths for a quick time out in the middle of a stress filled moment. You might end your day with some deep breaths as well to drift off into more restful sleep.

Gu Qi: Food

There is gobs of information on what you should and shouldn't be eating. Alot of it can be confusing as many ideas are contradictory. One thing just about everyone agrees on is that twinkies will never be a "superfood". I tell my patients to eat food that is alive. Anything that can live longer than you can on a shelf try to avoid. The best thing you can do when you eat, whatever it is that you eat is to eat with awareness. Don't multitask when you eat! The spleen/stomach controls digestion and is damaged by overthinking. If you are answering emails while munching you could be setting yourself up for digestive problems, period issues, obsessive thinking and not to mention overeating. for more info on the spleen revisit here.

Zhen Qi= True Energy

The gist of TCM is to keep harmony in the body by keeping the circulation of blood and energy flowing unimpeded. When blockages happen this causes the body to not be able to function as optimally as it could which can eventually effect every part of the body. Acupuncture can be a gateway to awareness. It literally forces you to be still for awhile. After treatments most people feel better, "cleaned out," energized and relaxed. With this new awareness they naturally start to make other changes in how they respond to situations that used to "stress them out."

Sarah Zender LAc

Whole Health Acupuncture 50 Turner Ave Elk Grove Village IL 847.357.3929

http://www.wholehealthprograms.com/

Make and Breaking Habits

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. I've heard it before, I've talked with patients about it before and here I am in the thick of forming a habit of practicing qi gong every morning. Its Day 18 since I began my qi gong classes and guess what, the honey moon is over. I don't say this unhappily, I say it matter-of-factly because it seems to be a part of the cycle of rooting habits into life.

I once learned in a class taught my Joe McCue the 4 steps to learn anything:
unconscious incompetence "I didn't know I didn't know"
conscious incompetence "I know I don't know"
conscious competence "I know what I'm doing and have to stay focused in order to do it"
unconscious competence "I know so well I don't have to think about it"

I think Louise Hay does an excellent job in the book turned movie You Can Heal Your Life explaining the steps it takes to make lasting changes in our lives.

There is of course the excitement in the beginning- the honey moon stage, the "I can do anything" place.
There is the doubt in the middle- What is this really all about? Things were easier before this. Justification central.
I think its in this place where we really need to make a choice. Its the big test where you choose something new and unknown or stay in safer waters that might not be best but are at least familiar.

Before I went to the Qi Revolution I was looking for a routine. I was excited to learn something new, especially knowing that it would not only benefit myself but also my patients. I was looking for something that would give me structure and awareness and I am getting all of that and more. What I am most aware of as I create this new habit are my thoughts as well as my deeper rooted habits that no longer serve me.

For example:
I still turn the TV on to watch in bed to fall asleep to even though it now takes me less then 10 minutes to fall asleep instead of 2 hours. The sound and lights of the TV actually bother me as I drift off to sleep and yet the TV is still flipped on and a 60 minute timer is set.

I crave sweets and indulge in them even though the craving is not satisfied and I'm left feeling yucky inside. Perhaps my hardest habit to break will be the belief of how much I love chocolate even though in the moment it no longer is as enjoyable as I remember and actually leaves me feeling ill.

I will wake up before the alarm but instead of getting up I'll force myself back to sleep until the alarm rings.

The challenge of qi gong is that this practice is literally about discipline: discipline of how we cultivate and use our energy. It not about going through the motions, increasing time, sweating more, going further its just about the exact opposite. Its moving with sincerity with slower movements and deeper breaths. It could well be the best practice for me as I have a hard time sitting still or slowing down in just about every other aspect of my life. As I find myself getting anxious to be done I consciously slow my breath down more and pay more attention. Although I love the benefits I am receiving from this practice I still hear that little voice in the morning "hit the snooze and do qi gong later" (I know there won't be later and I'm also aware that this voice is yelling louder as I etch in this habit and my old habit of not wanting to wake up is slowly melting away). As I work towards moving slower and breathing deeper I can see how it can take a lifetime to perfect and refine my form. I can feel in my body more softer strength and endurance and see how this discipline is carrying over into other areas of my life.

Somedays I feel great as I move and think about adding form 2 into my routine other days I'm less enthusiastic. I'm not counting days as if just to get to 30 in a row instead I let it be the first thing in the morning, treating it more like breakfast (which I would never skip). I try to be kind to myself remembering that it is a practice and each moment is different and shouldn't be compared. I remind myself I enjoy waking earlier and having more time in my day even when the sleep dust is still covering my eyes and my old habits tell me differently.

Sarah Zender LAc

Whole Health Acupuncture 50 Turner Ave Elk Grove Village IL 847.357.3929
www.wholehealthprograms.com