Naturally Empowered Wellness

Money and Energy - Learning to manage your resources

9/28/2013

Dr. Bruce Lipton is the Author of "The Biology of Belief" and "Spontaneous Evolution". With a background as an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Biology, Dr. Lipton has been known for his ground-breaking research into genetics and epi-genetics. In this YouTube, he offers an interesting perspective on the similarities between money and energy, and how our choices in investment affect not only our individual health, but also the health of our bank account and the health of our planet!

Both are precious resources for people to learn to invest consciously and wisely, to assist the manifestation of the things you want in your life. He shares how everyone has a data-bank of physical energy in cells called ATP, sometimes referred to as the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP is a chemical unit of energy, the currency between cells. Learning to manage our internal and external energy (money) is vital to our health and survival.

Every thought you think requires energy from the brain to "finance" it. What thoughts are you choosing to invest in and finance with your energy? How is your "return on investment"? Does your investment enhance life or destroy it?

The resources we have access to in life, both internal or external, and how we choose to manage them (i.e. consciously or unconsciously) will effect the state of abundance or debt on both a personal AND collective level. Much like the function and state of health of the cells in the body make up the overall health of the person, each individuals health makes up the health of the planet.

I would love to hear your comments and thoughts about Bruce Lipton's correlations between money and energy.

0 Comments

Basic principles of TCM and Kinesiology

9/21/2013

0 Comments

I have always been fascinated by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I love how it works in harmony with nature and that it is truly holistic in its approach. TCM is one of the ancient forms of mind-body medicine, where one's emotional, mental and spiritual expression are just as important to health and wellbeing as the physical.

Imbalance, disease or physical symptoms are recognised as often having origins in the mind/emotions, spirit, lifestyle or surrounding environment, where a sense of "dis-order" can manifest into the body. The approach focuses on the cause of the imbalance, rather than the symptom itself, as TCM shows us how to correct an imbalance from the source. This in turn brings balance to the whole.

I utilise the principles and philosophies of TCM in clinic through Kinesiology and Acupressure. Since it is such an important part of how I work, I would love to share with you the basics of TCM so that you can better understand the wisdom offered by this ancient form of medicine and health.

TCM and Taoism

Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest systems of health that has been evolving over the past 5000 years. Its roots lie within Daoist/Taoist philosophy, whose belief is that when one is in balance with nature, health and harmony can follow.

Taoism is also based on "Three Jewels" - humility, compassion and moderation. It is about walking the "middle road" and realising that balance is dynamic, and requires awareness and flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing reality we live in.

The word "Tao" means "the way" and its principles are shaped around being in harmony with natural law and the functional relationship between the elements of nature, creating a whole and interconnected model. There is an understanding that humanity is a part of the natural world, and that like the rest of nature, we are made up of various natural elements and forces. It is believed that balance and health can be achieved when there is harmony between these elements, as well as harmony with the natural cycles of life.

TCM and the Chi cycle / Horary cycle

"Chi" is life-force energy. It is the force that permeates all living things, giving them vitality and life.

The Horary cycle is a 24 hour cycle of chi flow, whereby each organ has a 2 hour window when the flow of chi is maximised for that organ.

An idea I love is to align your daily routine with the Horary cycle to get the best alignment and flow of chi to support you. Jost Sauer wrote The Perfect Day Plan which I recommend to my clients as a great resource and tool for learning about this idea. By aligning our actions and routine with the Horary cycle, we can harness Chi to create improved health, prosperity and harmony in our body and life.

Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are the balance of opposing forces. They are polarity united. Note that there is a little bit of Yin in Yang, and a bit of Yang in Yin. Essentially, each can never exist without the other.

Yin is the embodiment of the feminine/ negative/ dark/ receptive/ cold/ cyclical/ passive energy.

Yang is the opposite - masculine/ positive/ light/ expressive/ hot/ linear/ active energy.

When in balance, there is a harmonious relationship of opposites. Everyone has a balance of Yin and Yang, and even external objects are said to be more Yin or Yang.

In Kinesiology, Yin and Yang can help us understand the expression of an imbalance. It helps us locate causes to be internal or external, to be having too much or too little expression of something or receiving something. Sometimes, we refer to an element as being "under-energised Yin" or "over-energised Yin" to indicate the state of imbalance. Under-energised (u/e) Yin essentially points to not receiving enough of something, and over-energised (o/e) Yin is receiving too much of something.

The Yin and Yang theory can assist us to read the body's state of (im)balance, which then allows the practitioner to gain insight and understanding into the nature of what is needed to correct the imbalance. If the client is "not receiving enough" of something, we can explore the element or meridian/organ that it relates to and find a solution.

Note for later in this blog that the corresponding meridians for Yin and Yang, are the Central Vessel (Yin) channel and the Governing Vessel (Yang) channel.

5 Elements and the Sheng and Ko Cycles

There are 5 elements which have an interconnected relationship with each other. The elements are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.

When the elements flow harmoniously in a clockwise direction, they form the "sheng cycle" or "creative/generating" cycle - where the previous element feeds the growth and creation of the next element. It is also known as a Mother-Child cycle, where the mother nurtures the growth of the child.
If there is a block in the flow of this movement of energy, imbalance and dis-ease can follow.

"Wood creates Fire by burning, Fire creates Earth from ashes, Earth creates Metal by hardening, Metal creates Water by containment, Water creates Wood by nourishment" - Joseph Needham

The "Ko cycle" is one of restriction and destruction, and it can also be known as the "Grandmother-child" relationship. It is an important cycle that maintains unity through control.

"Fire controls Metal by melting, Metal controls Wood by cutting, Wood controls Earth by covering, Earth controls Water by damming, Water controls Fire by extinguishing"

As you can see, there is intricate balance between all of the elements required to maintain unity and balance.

When we understand the nature of each element, and how they work together, we can consciously understand the energy of life from a whole new perspective, and apply this knowledge to enhance our personal growth and health.

Each element has an association with a pair (Yin and Yang) of organs which work together to create each element. Each element has corresponding emotions, virtues, sensory association, season, colour, time of day, stage of growth association, taste association, and each element also houses a particular Spirit, and has a cardinal direction allocated.

I will list the associations of each element, and in further blogs go into more detail on each.

WOOD
Yin Organ/Meridian: Liver
Time of day: 1am - 3am
Yang Organ/Meridian: Gall Bladder
Time of day: 11pm - 1am
Emotion: Anger
Voice sound: Shouting
Colour: Green
Direction: East
Season: Spring
Climate: Wind
Stage: Birth
Planet: Jupiter
Spirit: Hun
Body Tissue: Tendons/Ligaments
Taste: Sour
Odour: Rancid
Sense Organ: Eyes
Reflector: Nails
Secretion: Tears

FIRE*
Yin Organ/Meridian: Heart
Time of day: 11am - 1pm
Yang Organ/Meridian: Small Intestine
Time of day: 1pm - 3pm
Emotion: Joy
Voice sound: Laughter
Colour: Red
Direction: South
Season: Summer
Climate: Heat
Stage: Growth
Planet: Mars
Spirit: Shen
Body Tissue: Blood Vessels
Taste: Bitter
Odour: Burnt
Sense Organ: Tongue
Reflector: Complextion
Secretion: Perspiration

*Pericardium and Triple Heater are also part of the fire element, however do not have physical organ associations.
Pericardium: 7pm - 9pm,
Triple Heater is 9pm to 11pm.

EARTH
Yin Organ/Meridian: Spleen
Time of day: 9-11am
Yang Organ/Meridian: Stomach
Time of day: 7-9am
Emotion: Worry/Sympathy/Empathy
Voice sound: Singing
Colour: Yellow
Direction: Centre
Season: Late Summer
Climate: Humidity
Stage: Transformation
Planet: Saturn
Spirit: Yi
Body Tissue: Muscles/flesh
Taste: Sweet
Odour: Fragrant
Sense Organ: Mouth
Reflector: Lips
Secretion: Saliva

METAL
Yin Organ/Meridian: Lungs
Time of day: 3am - 5am
Yang Organ/Meridian: Large Intestine
Time of day: 5am - 7am
Emotion: Grief
Voice sound: Weeping
Colour: White
Direction: West
Season: Autumn
Climate: Dryness
Stage: Absorption
Planet: Venus
Spirit: P'o
Body Tissue: Skin
Taste: Spicy
Odour: Pungent
Sense Organ: Nose
Reflector: Body Hair
Secretion: Nasal discharge

WATER
Yin Organ/Meridian: Kidneys
Time of day: 5pm - 7pm
Yang Organ/Meridian: Bladder
Time of day: 3pm - 5pm
Emotion: Fear
Voice sound: Moaning
Colour: Blue
Direction: North
Season: Winter
Climate: Cold
Stage: Storage
Planet: Mercury
Spirit: Zhi
Body Tissue: Bones/Marrow
Taste: Salty
Odour: Putrid
Sense Organ: Ears
Reflector: Head Hair
Secretion: Sputum

The Meridian System: the physical-etheric interface

A meridian is a channel of energy that Chi (life force) flows along, and is sometimes referred to as the "physical-etheric interface", since each line goes from the outside of the body to deep inside the organs.

There are 20 meridian channels, 12 are the main organ-related channels, plus 8 Extraordinary channels.

Each meridian has acu-points along it which control the flow of energy through the meridian. Imagine them like mini gateways that allow energy to move through (when they are open and clear) or which block the flow of energy when out of balance.

In TCM, Acupuncture utilises these points by sticking fine needles into specific points to adjust any imbalances in the flow of energy, by either stimulating (tonifying) or sedating these points. Acupressure is similar except instead of puncturing the skin with needles, the point is pressed and held firmly either in the same or opposite direction to the flow of energy through the meridian.

Each acu-point has its own unique energetic signature and information on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual consequences of each point being in our out of balance.

The benefits of utilising Kinesiology with Acupressure

TCM is widely used today as an acceptable alternative and counterpart to Western Medicine, and is often valued for its integrative and holistic approach.

Its unique approach to understanding the human body and human health involves a different way of looking at illness and disease. In the West, health is often defined as the "absence of disease" and is often very symptom orientated, whereas the TCM model offers a system in which health is viewed as a complete state of wellbeing in the body, mind and spirit and will look to where there is a lack of balance to seek answers for the cause of the imbalance and symptoms.

Kinesiology can be a fantastic tool to marry with Acupressure and TCM 5 element theory, since muscle testing can help the practitioner to locate the exact areas out of balance, as well as utilise muscle testing of specific muscles which can show the imbalances present in the meridian system. Once the imbalances are noted, corrective techniques can be applied.

If you are interested in experiencing acupressure or an introductory Kinesiology 5 element balance, contact me to arrange a session!

0 Comments

Stress Management Tip #1 - Just Breathe!

7/16/2013

1 Comment

Don't forget to breathe! Such a simple yet effective way to manage your stress. Breathing has such a profound effect on our bodies, and in turn, our minds.

Are you a breath-holder? Many people are chronic breath-holders without even realising it. Breath-holding has a connection to elevated stress levels.

As I was researching for this blog, I came accross a new term.. Email apnea. WHAT?! Is that a joke?! I have certainly heard about Sleep Apnea, but email apnea? My curiousity won this round, and I looked further into it. I was quite surprised at the commonality of it! In fact, I think I am guilty of even doing it myself! It has been shown that many people will hold their breath whilst reading their emails, and also whilst on their electronic devices.

Writer Linda Stone in her "Just Breathe: Building the case for Email Apnea" stated that "Research conducted by Chesney and NIH research scientist, Dr. David Anderson, demonstrated that breath holding contributes significantly to stress-related diseases. The body becomes acidic, the kidneys begin to re-absorb sodium, and as the oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitric oxide (NO) balance is undermined, our biochemistry is thrown off. Breath-holding and hyperventilating disturb our body's balance of oxygen, CO2, and NO. Nitric oxide, not to be confused with the nitrous oxide used in dental offices, plays an important role in our health. From a briefing document prepared for the Royal Society and Association of British Science Writers, Pearce Wright explains, "The immune system uses nitric oxide in fighting viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, and tumors. Nitric oxide transmits messages between nerve cells and is associated with the processes of learning, memory, sleeping, feeling pain, and, probably, depression. It is a mediator in inflammation and rheumatism."

So, as you can see, the effects of breath-holding are quite numerous. All it takes is a bit of awareness, especially if you are feeling stressed, to check in with your breathing.

TRY THESE TECHNIQUES:

Breathe deeply.
When you are stressed out, your breathing often becomes shallow "chest and mouth" breathing, which can lead to further feelings of anxiety as you are essentially hyperventilaing. This further activates the Sympathetic Nervous System (sNS), increasing stress. Consciously choose to breathe deeply through your nose into your belly to de-activate the sNS.

Nasal-abdominal breathing.
Breathe in through your nose and deep into your belly, expanding it as far as it will go, and then exhaling by contracting your abdominal muscles. This activates receptors deep within your lungs that activate your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PsNS) which brings your system back to a state of relaxation.

Breathing out & releasing stress, Breathing in calm...
Start with your eyes closed so you can turn your attention inward. With each nasal-abdominal breath in, imagine that the air you are breathing in brings with it increased inspiration, energy, love, calmness, gratitide, courage... whatever you want more of. As you exhale, release with your breath any stress, negativity, "old energy", fear, or anything else you wish to release. Do this for at least a minute, or until you feel calm, at peace and ready to continue on with your day.

Heart-focused breathing.
Quick coherence technique. This technique may be used in everyday stress, anger, anxiety and emotional overload or in times of acute crisis, where it's especially helpful.

The HeartMath Institute has done reasearch to show that Heart-Focused Breathing can help people to reduce stress quickly. It helps to change stress-producing attitudes and reset your stress set point.

By doing this technique, you are actually changing your heart rhythm pattern and calming your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). By focusing on your heart, you're taking energy away from the undesirable emotions.

By generating a positive attitude or feeling, this starts to shift the signal the heart sends the brain, so the brain response is different. This in turn changes your physiology to move into heart-brain coherence and alignment.

1 Comment

How does stress affect you?

6/11/2013

0 Comments

In my practice with clients, the most common issue that affects everyone is stress! Part of my role as a practitioner is to assist people to clear stress from the mind, body and spirit.

Most people are familiar with the signs, symptoms and effects of stress on the mind, emotions, body and behaviour. Stress manifests differently in everyone, so each person has their own strategy for dealing with stress.

Some strategies are temporary and often semi-unconscious "feel good now" fixes in reaction to the stress (e.g. having a glass of wine or a cigarette) whilst others are part of a conscious stress management strategy such as regular exercise, meditation or other relaxation strategy.

Everyone goes through periods of stress. And often, we deal with stress daily. Whether its dealing with slow peak hour traffic when you're already late for work, deadlines or exams, bills, kids, partners, negative self talk... the list can go on and on.

Life events can also contribute to chronic stress. The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale is a popular tool for measuring life event stress in the past year, and can also give an indication of whether you are at risk of developing a stress related illness.

We are designed to deal with stress, however we do not always manage our stress optimally (or even consciously, for that matter!), and can end up dealing with the effects of chronic exhaustion and its broad array of manifestations such as illness, adrenal fatigue, depression, anxiety, weight problems and hormonal imbalances, just to name a few!

If you are suffering from the effects of stress, read on to learn exactly how stress effects you. In the next blog, I will share with you some strategies for managing stress successfully.

What is stress?
Stress by definition, is tension or pressure placed on an object. In human terms, stress is the response to pressure... and therefore creates internal and external tension - in our muscles, how we feel, and in our thoughts.

Stress can be produced by both internal and external stimuli.

Did you know that some stress is actually necessary for performance and moving forwards in our lives?

Stress and Performance
There is an optimal zone for function - sometimes referred to as "the zone", in which a certain amount of stress can benefit us and improve our performance. If you look at the "Stress Curve" shown above, you will notice that in the green zone, performance is low as there is not enough activity going on to stimulate the desired response.

However in the yellow zone, there is enough stress to improve our mental abilities such as focus and concentration, as well as enhance the ability to move. Once you reach the top of the bell curve, fatigue sets in and this is the point that you want to pull back from going over the other side into the orange and red zones.

When fatigue sets in, we go into exhaustion as our system struggles to cope with too much pressure and tension. At this point, we are not only physically exhausted, but also mentally and emotionally as well. If we enter the red zone, we may lose control of our emotional and mental state, and can be at risk for developing illness, as burn-out is the result of energy depletion.

Stress and the Nervous System
The nervous system supervises the body's response to stress, as well as controlling the body’s reactions afterwards.

Our nervous system is split into two main groups - the Central Nervous System (CNS) which comprises of the brain and the spinal cord, and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) which is a large network of nerves throughout the rest of the body. This is our main control centre for messages and communication throughout the body.

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is part of the CNS. It is split into two divisions - the Sympathetic Nervous System (sNS) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PsNS). These two divisions are responsible for handling our response to stress. The SNS becomes active as a response to a perceived stress. It acts like an "accelerator" to prepare the body to fight, flight or freeze - a necessary response when we perceive a threat to our survival.

Stress stimulates the CNS, preparing it to meet the needs of the stressful situation. The body undergoes physiological changes due to the activation of the sNS, as shown in the picture above. This system is activated whenever something causes us to perceive fear, terror, dread or danger. The heart rate increases to get more blood around the body, as well as activating the adrenal glands to release "stress" hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

The PsNS has an entirely different function - it is like putting on the brakes. It is responsible for preparing the body for rest and relaxation, as well as aiding digestion and elimination. It reduces the level of stress hormones in the blood stream and signals the heart to revert back to its normal rate.

Emotional Stress

Emotional stress produces a similar response in the nervous system, activating physiological changes.

Whenever we perceive a threat on an emotional or mental level, the body releases cortisol and the stress response is almost instant!

Normally, the body reverts back to its normal state after a certain period of time after the stressor has disappeared. However, if there is a constant barrage of stressful thoughts and emotions, reverting the physiology back to a state of balance is not possible. Over time, chronic stress - can lead to many health problems.

Ongoing stress tells the sympathetic nervous system that you need to be kept in a state of alert all the time, which does not allow the parasympathetic nervous system to activate the rest/relaxation response. If the body is not given the chance to go through the rest phase, the body systems that are suspended during the stress response cannot be resumed effectively.

Digestion is very often compromised by the effects of stress, as the body cannot effectively break down, absorb, and utilise the nutrients that are ingested if the PsNS is not active. It is SO IMPORTANT to be able to relax when you eat! If you are not getting adequate nutrition from the foods you eat, then you are further compromising your body's ability to cope with stress.

Since modern life is full of daily challenges, stress is something that everyone deals with. Admittedly, it is impossible to avoid stress totally. Learning to manage your stress levels sends signals to the central nervous system that help the body get back to its original relaxed state. Taking an active role in managing your stress is a vital part of learning to be healthy, and is something that you can do to help yourself daily.

Stay tuned for the next blog: strategies to manage stress!

0 Comments

Introducing Michelle Rowland - 2013 Dux of Sports Kinesiology, Owner of Naturally Empowered Wellness

4/8/2013

0 Comments

My official graduation on 5/4/13 at the Australian College of Complimentary Medicine (ACCM) was night to remember!

I am proud to share that as well as receiving my Diploma of Sports Kinesiology, I was also named Dux of Sports Kinesiology. This was a real honour, given that the course was quite challenging - mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well! Studying kinesiology takes you on quite an intense personal journey of transformation, to say the least!

Its funny how the Universe works - two and a half years ago, I would never have foreseen me being where I am now. In fact, it was around early March 2011 that I had my first kinesiology session, and decided whilst I was on the table "This is it! This is the course that I have been waiting to find!" and after asking my Kinesiologist where he studied, he pointed me in the direction of ACCM.

When I jumped on the net to learn more about the College and Kinesiology, there was an Open Day the very next day - Saturday. So I went. During the Open Day, I learned more about both Holistic Kinesiology and Sports Kinesiology.

Initially, I was not interested in the "Sports" side of things, as this was not where my main interest was rooted (or so I thought!). I was naturally more drawn to the holistic stream of kinesiology, however there was something inside of me that kept pulling me in the other direction. Sports Kinesiology? I had never heard of it.

Upon further learning that Sports Kinesiology was not so much about "sport" as I had originally expected, and that the difference between this stream of Kinesiology and the other was that it simply involved learning more about the structure and movement of the body as well as combining the holistic stream of kinesiology... I was sold. In fact, in a funny way I thought that perhaps this stream of Kinesiology was in some ways even more holistic for the simple fact that it really honoured the importance of learning about the physical body in a broad way, including learning physical assessment tools (orthopaedic testing) to collect data, learning about the importance of functional movement and being able to give clients physical tools such as corrective exercises and stretching, and even learning about motor programming (neurological movement programs in the brain) to enhance performance. These extra tools are utilised by other forms of physical therapy such as physiotherapy, myotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy. Therefore, a Sports KInesiologist has the ability to work with these other specialist Practitioners.

So that Thursday - 5 days later, I was sitting in my first lecture, and my kinesiology journey began. Two and a half years later, I am out the other side of the course, have graduated and am working in my own business! I couldn't be happier, I really feel like I have found my groove and aligned myself with my purpose. From here, life seems to "flow"... and whilst of course there is effort and "work" involved, it somehow feels "effortless". Because I LOVE WHAT I DO! And I feel aligned with Spirit/God/the Universe.. whatever you want to call it.

I had always been interested in natural medicine, and have known deep down that my purpose is to serve the community - to work with individuals to achieve better health and a better quality of life. I just didn't know what form it would take. I had been down other avenues before this one since graduating from secondary school - I had studied Psychology/Psychophysiology at Swinburne for a year in 2003 before deciding it wasn't the right course for me, then went on to complete my Certificate IV of Life Coaching at The Coaching Institute (TCI) in 2007.

Whilst I LOVED what I learned at TCI, and learned valuable tools and skills as a Life Coach, when I completed my course, something still felt like it was incomplete... there was a key tool that I was yet to discover which would tie everything I had learned together. Sports Kinesiology is that tool, and I am so excited to be a part of a young modality that truly is helping lead the way with Mind-Body medicine.

Now, Kinesiology and Coaching are my primary tools with which to work. They marry beautifully together and I am able to combine the skills and tools of both of these transformational modalities to create something even greater than either one of these modalities alone.

If you would like to learn more about what modalities I currently practice, please see Sports Kinesiology, Holistic Kinesiology, Wellness Coaching or Reiki and Energy Medicine. Or, if you feel inspired to begin your own incredible journey studying Holistic Kinesiology or Sports Kinesiology check out ACCM - maybe in a couple of years, you will be where I am!

If you would like to book a session with me, please contact me.

0 Comments

Money and Energy - Learning to manage your resources

Basic principles of TCM and Kinesiology

TCM and Taoism

TCM and the Chi cycle / Horary cycle

Yin and Yang

5 Elements and the Sheng and Ko Cycles

The Meridian System: the physical-etheric interface

The benefits of utilising Kinesiology with Acupressure

Stress Management Tip #1 - Just Breathe!

How does stress affect you?

Introducing Michelle Rowland - 2013 Dux of Sports Kinesiology, Owner of Naturally Empowered Wellness

Author

Archives

Categories