M.T. was obsessed with politics, the idea of Democracy and the idea that America was (and could be again) a great nation. It troubled him so to hear the news 4 years ago when G.B. became president for his second term. He knew America was better than delivering the presidency. He lived through many presidents and knew, from experience, the difference between a good leader and G.B.

His heartfelt obsession with politics sneaked into the treatment room more than once. He would talk about how he felt, something that most clients do when they arrive for their session. He would tell me what was going on with his body, what was tight, what painful. This is standard. Then he’d talk about stress which was primarily caused by politics. He was so affected by talk of the elections that his tension level would rise and spin him into a tight ball of stress.

One day I had to tell him, “No politics are allowed during the massage session.” I meant it too. At first it was difficult for him to curb the topic but soon he replaced it with calming topics like his daughters he was proud of, a Tagore poem he’d read. Soon enough our sessions became relaxing again. G.B. had been banned from the room.

I provided a brief sanctuary for M.T., a great American who was genuinely concerned for the fate of our great nation. This moment away from daily stress, from issues that are beyond your control, is one of the greatest gifts of massage. Escaping back into our body allows us to tap into our higher consciousness and our healing powers.

Last month I tried something new. Every time I caught myself diving into the worry pool I stepped back and asked, “What is really going on? What is really on my mind?” Thus began the journey to the root of which worry is just a symptom.

The root? I’m actually still getting to it, but I have identified worry as a symptom of something deeper, kind of like a tension headache being caused by tight neck muscles. When you address the root problem of the tight muscles, the headache disappears.

Staying in the present is a great way to bypass worry and anxiety. Next time you get stuck on the roller coaster of thoughts spiraling into “what if” and “should”, put the brakes on.  Open your eyes. Look around and identify what you see around you. This is the here and now. Take a deep breath. Stretch your body. Do whatever you can to get into the present by utilizing your senses. Your senses are your guides.

Be Here Now is the book by Acid->Guru->Yogi Dr. Richard Alpert Ph.D., who transforms into Baba Ram Dass. The book chronicles this transformation and beyond through a series of illustrations and text that are left-overs from a bygone era but prove quite relevant for today’s culture that is rushing towards the future at a break-neck pace.

By staying present, by ‘being here now’ worry naturally dissipates. With the exception of  situations that demand active worry in the present moment, like a life-or-death situation, I claim worry can not exist in the present tense but only when the mind travels into the past or future, be it one minute or one year behind or ahead.

A great book to read is Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. It talks about the Fight-or-Flight response that mammals call upon to get out of life-threatening situations. Because of our current state of high alert, us humans find ourselves overusing this response that is, by nature, reserved for serious situations. Since our minds believe everything is priority and urgent our body processes it as such, depleting our resources by taxing our kidneys, weakening our immune system and increasing stress hormones that build up in our muscles .

Remember those tight shoulders that cause the tension headaches? Massage will get rid of the tension for a moment, but how do you get rid of the tension for life? Reduce your stress level. Don’t freak out. Be aware of your posture and repetitive habits. Then get massage because you enjoy it and it helps maintain the gift of your healthy body, not because you are desperate and in pain.

Once worry is quiet, life becomes a totally different experience.

Factors that I find influence recovery are consistant movement and activity, drinking enough water, reducing stress,  the application of heat/ice (depending on condition) and healing attention to the area, massage for example.

I am of the opinion that the body tells us when something is going awry, so listen to your body. Meditation and Yoga are great for establishing a deeper connection with our inner knowledge.

If your Massage Therapist or Physical Therapist gives you “homework”, by all means do it. This falls into the consistent movement category of healing. A body in motion stays in motion.

I have worked with enough elderly patients to tell everyone to get moving and keep moving. I have witnessed and done my part to improve the physical situation of many older people who after years of inactivity, out of necessity, had to introduce a lifestyle change and inhabit their body by initiating movement. It is an amazing process but also sad, as it is so much work to change habits and make a come back. Had they never become sedentary in the first place, everything would be that much easier.

Take a walk. Stretch. Take a bath in Epsom Salts. Be kind to your body. Don’t push too hard. Get a massage. Give yourself a massage. It’s all good for you. It all leads to a pain-free/ less painful life. It is a life-long process.

Esalen is a state of consciousness as much as it is a physical place.

It is a pagan monastery, a school of the mysteries, where seekers of every description come to find light. Breaking out of the crumbling structures of their past, they come to find themselves. At this poignant moment in their lives, Esalen stands like the Temple at Delphi, where paths inward are offered, where they come to discover again their souls, their bodies, their pain, their knowledge, their happiness at being alive. For many, Esalen is where the tide turns in their private evolution against the inner tyrants of the past. But Esalen can be Hell as much as Paradise. The air is rarefied, the energy from the mountains, the canyon, the ocean, is powerful and prone to dramatic shifts. It is a climate only for those who are both vigorous and capable of total defeat. For here your nightmares must come true in order to fulfill your dreams. Here you are forced to fall flat on your face before you can drink the cool, sweet waters of joy. Many do not enjoy too long a stay, for here the mirror is ruthlessly turned round to face inward: the demons, flushed to the surface, are no longer “out there.” The pace of karma quickens and comes home. The ocean at its feet, extending immensely into the distance, lets us breathe, expands our inspiration, absorbs our poisons, promises the infinite. The mountains and cliffs converge to form a tightrope for our existence: it is a land of the warrior. The mysterious energies of the creek and waterfall flow from a canyon enchanting beyond words. And at the heart of this temple of Nature, the springs pour forth warmth from the womb of the Earth. In this sanctuary, our bodies are nourished, made supple and young, healed after the armoring of the cities. The baths are literally a fountain of youth. Esalen is a Renaissance Court, with its geniuses and fools, its royalty and peasants, its knights and ladies, its musicians and scholars, its astrologers and ministers, its rogues and lovers. Here, at this Westernmost frontier of the continent and therefore both outlaw country and yet closest to the East- lies a center of learning, of culture, a brave experiment at history’s age. A threshold for change , it is both an incarnation of the ancient and a gateway for the unsung. Esalen is where the archetypal dimension of reality seems to breathe itself visible into our world. Somehow the magnificence of its beauty draws out the deep powers of the human spirit. Esalen is a Kingdom of Death and Rebirth. It is a place inside each of us.

I recently learned a lot about the colon as a friend made a huge leap towards good health and longevity by completing a 3 weeks course at the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego. OHI is a place where one can cleanse the body through colonics and a diet of raw & vegetarian food. Wheatgrass is a staple and is often referred to as “Liquid Gold.” There is exercise designed to aid in detox and there are classes about health and wellness. This friend has never ventured into cleansing and detoxification before, so it is a major testament to OHI when I hear him rave about all that he learned and experienced.

The major thing that struck me is a term that he returned with: OPPORTUNITY. Many people turn to OHI when they are sick, be it cancer or diabetes, you name it, but something serious enough to stop you in your tracks and change everything. At OHI they refer to illness as opportunity. They see the breakdown of the body and it’s systems as an opportunity to discover a healthful way of living.

This viewpoint is refreshing. It is empowering. It makes me want to take a trip down to OHI and learn for myself what it is all about. And I will not wait for a health-opportunity to make the trip, just time.

People think I’m strange when I rave about my Neti Pot, until they try it. 

The mixture of water and sea salt gently flows through blocked sinuses relieving pressure and clearing the way for better breathing.

It took a solid month of practice before it worked and flushed my sinuses. An allergy sufferer since childhood, my sinuses were blocked beyond belief. It was truly and epiphany once it did work. I haven’t had to take antibiotics for a sinus infection in over 6 years.

The Neti pot cleans house. Woo Hoo!!!

I tell my clients to listen to their body. I believe the body tells us, whispers, when something begins to go wrong. If we ignore the whisper, the body then gets louder, talking, giving us clear signals, like aches, tightness, pain, tingling. When we ignore these signal, our body gets upset and yells at us, that is when we are stopped in our tracks- broken down by pain, injury, illness, dis-ease.

A great way to avoid getting to the yelling point is meditation. Sitting or lying quietly allows us to evaluate our physical being. Stillness creates a space for us to listen for those whispers and address them.

Evaluating your habits regularly is a preventative measure that is easy and free.

Think of all the things you do throughout the day. Do you carry a bag on the same shoulder all the time? Do you always talk on the phone in the same position? Try changing you mouse hand and moving things around your office. See if those annoying aches ease up or switch sides (a tell-tale sign that whatever symptom is manifesting is indeed from your action). OSHA Occupational Safety and Health has published guidelines for office ergonomics which are quite helpful.

And, of course, Massage is great to ease the pain that can not be self-corrected. Massage moves around taught tissue and increases blood flow to an area, often resulting in great relief from nagging pain. Regular Massage acts as treatment and as a preventative measure to avoid future aches and pains.

Living a pain-free (or at least less painful) life is an option. 

I am located in Santa Monica, California, a lovely neighborhood by the beach.

New York City use to be home until I heard the calls of the Pacific. I draw inspiration from this magnificent body of water.

Check back regularly for my latest posts.