What Can We Learn from a Five Year Old?

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting a friend in the burbs who has a couple of young daughters that know me as Uncle Gene. Visits usually include hide and seek, chasing through the house and tickling and burying the kids under the sofa pillows.

On this particular day, as I was holding and tickling his five year old, Sarah Kate, I fell backward and caught her bare leg and foot between me and the wrought iron chair I was sitting in. As you can imagine, with her tiny leg being caught between my weight and the hard chair, she became justifiably hysterical. When we asked if she was okay, she just shook her head, “no,” with a terrified expression, and cried. Of course, I felt terrible, and wanting to help, I calmly said, “I'm sorry, Sarah Kate. Can you tell us, on a scale of one to ten, how bad your leg is hurt?”

My original intention was to assess if she would need any drastic medical attention. It turns out, she was okay, but something very interesting happened during the exchange. Within about three seconds, she went from a hysterical state to a light whimper, stating she was ok. Instantly, I realized that when I asked the slightly more complicated question, Sara Kate's consciousness shifted out of her automatic, fight or flight state to a place where she could access her higher brain in order to answer.

This little incident is really a great analogy for what happens to us in our daily lives on a more subtle basis. The physiological mechanism of fight or flight is exactly the same as the stressed physiology that many folks live in for their entire existence.

Just to clarify, there are times when that physiology is totally appropriate. For instance, the other day, while moving furniture and electronics in the office; I accidentally grabbed hold of a plug that was half in and half out of the wall. I quickly jerked my hand away when I felt the hundred and twenty some odd volts running through my fingers. It was an automatic reaction, and a good thing too, since it would have taken too long for me to access my higher brain and consider a mode of action. Luckily, the body is set up to access the lower, more reactive brain for these very situations.

The whole incident had come and gone within a second. It wouldn't have been appropriate for me to stay in that reactive state after the incident was over. But that is exactly what happens to so many people who are overwhelmed with ongoing or peak stressful events. Even after the event is over, the heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar stay elevated. Our breath becomes shallower, our muscles tighten down and resources are directed away from the higher brain to take care of the “emergency.”

The higher brain, or more specifically, the prefrontal lobes, provides us with the ability to love, process new information, be creative and make self-assessments. These are all functions that we do not generally have access to in crisis situations. A majority of the time, people are actually unaware that they are even in a stressed physiology. In addition to all of the physical detriments that manifest with stress, our perceptions and behaviors are altered. Not only do we have a limited perspective on life situations, but we are less able to develop conscious strategies or options to deal with our life situations.

Methods such as Somato-Respiratory Integration and Network Spinal Analysis are designed to help individuals gain greater access to their own resources and navigate life in a more conscious state. Just as young Sara Kate was able to access her own higher brain and consciously consider her response and behaviors, we have the opportunity to do the same and navigate our lives from a place of resource instead of crisis.

Not Everything is Healthy in Health Magazines

One of the so-called advantages of having an office like the Center for Holistic Health is the abundance of free magazines that are sent to us each month. When the magazine people call, they seem dumbfounded when I turn down a free subscription to Glamour or PC Gammer. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a copy of Health Magazine in last weeks mail.

As I flipped through, I immediately noticed a number of prescription drug advertisements. Each of the eighteen ads had two full pages, one for the ad and one for the fine print. While the conditions to be treated varied, the possible side effects were quite comparable. The most common included headaches, depression, nausea, vomiting, musculoskeletal and joint pain, dizziness, respiratory tract infection, nerve system problems, immune problems, lupus like symptoms, blood problems, heart failure and of course, liver and kidney changes.

With a list like that, I might take my chances with the original symptom.

I suppose one could argue that the benefits out weigh the risks involved, or that the percentages of occurrences are relatively small. That’s an easy argument to make if you’re not the one. That’s also assuming the reported results from the drug manufacturer are accurate. Plus, these results are based on a particular amount of time. For example, the results may indicate that 5% of the people develop liver problems over a ten-week period. Who’s to say what that percentage will be at eleven weeks, or twenty weeks, or even a year? Who cares, right?

My uncle went to the doctor complaining of pain. He apparently had liver spots from having been on medications for quite some time. The doctor said, “Oh, that’s normal”. It may be that it’s the norm, but it’s certainly not normal and it doesn’t make it good.

I recently read an article from the Associated Press, discussing whether a particular diabetes drug should be “pulled,” in other words, taken off the market. The pharmaceutical company’s results contradicted an FDA advisory scientist’s report that called the drug unsafe. Who do you believe? I don’t know, but I’d have to seriously question any test result where there is a profit is at stake.

It’s important to note that most of the conditions treated with advertised drugs, and most health conditions in general, are lifestyle related. It stands to reason that there is a substantial enough cross section of “Health” readers with these conditions who will utilize the medications, and justify the cost of advertising.

I understand that advertising dollars are needed for any magazine to exist. It just seems ironic that a magazine titled “Health” would have so many advertisements that do not support the idea of health at all.

Someone may use a particular drug to achieve a desired change in his or her symptoms and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But the advertisements present the drugs as the solution. It would be unfortunate if the consumer remained unaware of the possibilities of increasing health rather than just treating symptoms.

In all fairness to the magazine, there were a number of articles and information directed toward improving one’s health. Talk about mixed messages, though. It’s sort of like having a “say no to drugs” sign on the medicine cabinet.

The Center for Holistic Health offers a number of holistic services, including Network Spinal Analysis, Somato-Respiratory Integration, Acupuncture, Massage, Reflexology and Nutrition, that encourage an integrated and empowered sense of well being and health to meet almost anyone’s need. Whether you’re trying to move though your symptoms or increase the quality of your life, consider becoming in charge of your own healing and find out how we can help.

Continuing With Network Spinal Analysis Even When It Doesn't Feel So Good

By Linda Lewis

Little did I know that when I walked into Dr. Gene's office in Woodstock three years ago that such profound changes would happen in my life. Or that it would become a journey that would not only heal my body, but reach into the depths of my being and heal my heart, my mind, and my soul. Give me a greater ability to find peace and ease in my experience of life. And ultimately find more compassion and love for myself and others. And for me, it has not only been a journey, but a bit of a wild ride on the way, with the top down and up and down some pretty big hills.

My back was in pain, but I had never been to a chiropractor before. I decided it was time to see one, and for several years I had passed by Dr. Gene's office and thought if I ever did go to one, that is where I would go. I anticipated a few weeks of adjustments and my pain would disappear. Network was completely new to me. I was skeptical from the beginning, knowing that those light touches would no way fix my back. I thought, OK, I will go for a month, Dr. Gene seems like a genuine and caring person and seems to believe in this work.

That month became a few more, and so much was happening that I was amazed. Not only was my back better, but I was feeling so different mentally and emotionally. Like a heavy weight was being lifted off me, burdens and emotional pain that I had carried for years began to vanish. Things I had wrestled with and tried to find solutions to began to change. I had more joy and a greater sense of peace of mind. I was feeling more alive and vital.

I was also getting more in touch with myself and my feelings. There were times when I would leave the office and cry for a few hours, but it would pass and it seemed to be cleansing. The range of my emotions was widening, and with the intense highs from my entrainments there also came some intense lows. All along I was growing and learning a lot. Dr. Gene is a wonderful facilitator and teacher. He genuinely cares about everyone in his practice, which seems to be a rarity.

I felt that I was making progress in my life, and that real changes were happening with each entrainment. I could feel the effects for days. I was feeling the trans formative power of the work. I was healing.

Then for weeks, actually a couple of months, things began to flatten out for me. I had the blues and cried more and more each time I left the office. There were times I felt like I was in the dark night of my soul. So much was surfacing that I felt like I was in a constant battle with myself. I didn't feel that I was having growth in a positive direction anymore. I had been in regular care for a year, and I decided that was enough, I would find something else to do that would make me feel good. So I emailed Dr. Gene and said that I would be discontinuing my care at the office. I would come in the next week to discuss it with him, but in my heart I did not plan to continue. It just didn't feel good anymore.

That was a long week and I did feel hollow and achy inside. What if I could really experience all that I had heard Network could do? It was working beautifully for a while, why not now? ...

When I met with Dr. Gene, he was, as usual, incredibly patient and nonjudgmental. And he told me what I was experiencing was not unusual for level two of care. And that there was probably more there for me. He listened, and understood. And I decided to trust and continue for a while more. I am glad I did.

Sometimes we have to experience grief, anger, despair, and frustration and walk back through some of the dark nights of our past in order to experience the full range of joy today. I for one had learned to dampen down my emotions in order to feel less suffering in my life and in the lives of those around me. I am a nurse and regularly see more pain and sorrow than I had imagined was out there. And if we live long enough, we will all go through our share of pain on one level or another.

Before coming to Network, I thought that I had matured enough to not feel so much emotion, and could be strong by not feeling so much. I had effectively boxed myself in and narrowed my choices in life. I could avoid feeling fear by avoiding the things I was afraid of. But I was constantly achy and in pain, and knew that I was living at a lower level of functioning than was available. My joy for living was diminished. I did not want to grow old feeling this way.

A few months prior to finding out about Network, I decided it was time for change in my life and I had nothing to lose by living more abundantly. I prayed for answers and for a clear path to follow to experience change in my life. I knew it was either curl up tighter inside myself in defense, or start living the life I knew was out there. I was ready for freedom. It was like coming out of a web, breaking through chains, cracking open my heart. Restoring my strong sense of compassion and love that was there all along but had been veiled by the fear of living .

Sometimes it is intense. Sometimes it hurts. But that is Ok. There are also intense feelings of bliss. It has been quite a journey. I never regret continuing with care. It has been the most powerful tool for transformation and liberation that I could imagine. I'm still a work in progress. I know that there is more to come. I have so much thankfulness and gratitude that there is something that works so well. And that I can feel so much now.

Alternative Medicine Isn't Always Holistic

Many people contact the Center for Holistic Health looking for an alternative approach to addressing their health problems. This is usually after the conventional approach they tried hasn't worked. Many times they're not even really sure what holistic means. I recently gave a consultation that exemplifies this point perfectly.

A woman came into the office complaining of pain and numbness radiating down into her arm. The condition was even beginning to cause her to have a loss of strength in the arm and hand. Another client had referred her, telling her I could work magic.

Throughout the consultation, I tried to lead her down the road of exploration into why she was experiencing these symptoms. Unfortunately, she didn't seem too interested in engaging in that exploration or much conversation at all. She just wanted her symptoms to go away.

When I asked, she insisted that she was completely stress free. Now, this is certainly possible but highly unlikely, especially in someone experiencing the symptoms that were plaguing her. After thirteen years of examining people, , I was well assured of what I would find. As expected, she had a high amount of tension stored in the area of the spine that produced the nerve supply to the symptomatic area. Based on my findings, I could also tell that it was a long-term manifestation. I let her know that this was something that didn't occur overnight.

After the exam, I began to work on her, helping her body to become aware of and release some of the stored tension. The release of tension was obvious to the both of us. She even commented about the difference she felt.

The following day I received a phone call from the woman. She said she didn't think the holistic approach was going to work for her. Her symptoms did not go away after the first visit, so she was going to try something different. I thanked her for calling to let me know of her decision to end treatment, but reminded her that a holistic approach is not associated with a quick fix; it is a long-term solution.

In reality, she had made the choice not to take a holistic route before she ever called the Center for Holistic Health. Like many, she was under the impression that holistic meant a natural, less invasive and even magical way of achieving the same goals as one would in the medical minded approach. While I don't sit in judgment of people's decisions to pursue a particular philosophical approach, the act of making choices without the full understanding of their ramifications is unfortunate. I would call that unconscious behavior.

Many people would like to plug a holistic practice into the medical model they are currently using. If your desired outcome is to reduce symptoms without exploration into the contributing factors, then the medical model is congruent with your goals. However, if your desire is to change the circumstances or behaviors that resulted in your symptoms, and to learn to adapt and grow, then a holistic approach is what you're looking for.

It is important that people understand the difference between these models, and that they embrace how the choices they make will affect their quality of life. When individuals have a better understanding, only then can they make informed or “conscious” decisions.

Is Holistic Non-Christian?

by Dr. Gene Clerkin


This past weekend, my colleagues, Jennifer and Brenton, and I headed down to the Alive Expo with a box full of business cards, flyers, brochures and signs in tow. We were to spend the weekend stationed at our booth imparting information about holistic health and wellness, and, of course, sharing information about the Center for Holistic Health.

Even though the hours of the Expo were long, I felt extremely energized throughout the weekend. Teaching people simple concepts about how they can improve the quality of their lives really lights me up. It's also very interesting to hear the different perspectives, ideas and beliefs that the general public has about holistic health and wellness. I feel compelled to share a few stories to illustrate how individuals perceive the intersection of their religious views and wellness, and to ultimately illustrate how the pursuit of wellness and faith do not pose conflicts in thought or practice.

I was sharing the concept of getting more in tune with the wisdom of the body with a woman who had some health challenges. When I asked her what she thought about what I had said, she replied that she gets her healing from scripture. She felt that if she was more diligent about reading her scripture it would help her transcend her health challenges. Out of curiosity, I had to ask, “Why are you attending a health and wellness expo, if you believe that you are to get that from scripture?”

Several years ago, I had a woman walk into the office looking for a quick adjustment to get her out of pain. Apparently, she had been receiving quick fixes for years. I agreed to take a look and see what I could do. This poor woman had the most rigid spine I had ever felt. I couldn't even get her to relax enough to turn her head. When I suggested using focused breath to try and introduce some ease into her system, she became very concerned that I was teaching a “new age” concept and that it would conflict with her religious views.

Why do we think that using breath and movement is evil while putting synthetic poisons in our bodies is as natural as can be? There is something wrong with this picture.

Just the other day I had a client call to say she was going to discontinue care because she was a Christian. She had come in for a couple of visits and was actually experiencing a change in her body. Since she just couldn't understand how such a light touch could cause these changes, she became suspect of it, so I inquired as to what exactly didn't jive with her religious beliefs.

Her concern was that the healing energy used in Network Spinal Analysis might be coming from an evil force. While Network practitioners do not actually use outside healing energy, their system does assist the brain in locating tension, or energy that has been stored in the body. When this tension is released, one can experience the feeling of energy flowing through the body. It's not good energy, or evil energy, its just energy that's no longer stuck.

I was raised in a Christian faith and have had the opportunity to study teachings of Jesus. Never have I come across any Christian teachings that conflict with concepts of holistic health and wellness. In fact, the concepts are really the same. They are actually just concepts of life, and they would work no matter what your religion or belief systems are.

It seems sad to me that people would deny themselves an opportunity to experience more ease and peace in their lives because they are fearful of something with which they are unfamiliar. Each time I've encountered this type of resistance, I've asked the person where s/he perceives there is a conflict, and s/he is unable to come up with anything that's truly non-Christian or against the teachings of any other religion. In conversations, I've come to realize that people are just expressing fear based upon someone else having told them that holistic is non-Christian.

Since love is basically the opposite of fear, and God is about love, it's ironic that fear would stand in the way of people learning about methods to increase their level of wellness and enhance their experience of life. It's simply not logical that a religion would want anyone to be denied strategies to help them get out of a stressed physiology, especially when doing so would actually help them to have a more fully developed experience God.

Inner Peace: Is it My Responsibility?

by Dr. Gene Clerkin

I recently started working with a practice participant who was dealing with a number of stressful situations in her life, including a major family illness. After a couple of visits, I consulted with her to review her progress and to share how Network Care could help her live a less stressful life. Something very interesting occurred during our conversation.

After receiving a couple of Network entrainments and experiencing what that could feel like, she was confronted with the possibility that she might actually achieve a state of ease in her life. Surprisingly, the possibility of experiencing more ease in her life frightened her more than the inability to do so.

When she reached this realization I could tell something was wrong. When I asked her about it, she said “I'm not sure it's fair for me to feel peaceful while the people around me are in turmoil.” She also wondered if we shouldn't be stressed out about all of the problems we have in our society and our planet.

I suggested that even if she didn't feel like she deserved to be peaceful, doing so would actually better serve those around her. Think about it. Would you rather be around someone who is stressed out or someone who is more peaceful? This would be especially true if you were dealing with a life threatening illness.

When we are stressed out our physiology is set for survival and, among other changes, our resources are directed away from the pre-frontal lobes, or higher brain. Our ability to reason, process new information and create new strategies is severely hindered. It stands to reason that our resourcefulness for others and ourselves would be limited as well.

Based on the principle of harmonic entrainment, we also affect each other though vibration. If you walk into a room you can feel when someone is stressed, even without talking to or looking at them. You can feel their “vibe,” and if you stay in proximity to them your vibe will begin to match theirs.

A few years ago I conducted a seminar on “presence.” During the seminar, we touched on the aspects and importance of being present as well as some strategies for achieving greater presence. In our post seminar discussion, we all agreed that there was tremendous personal benefit in being present, and this brought up an interesting point about our responsibility in practicing it.

“Living in the now,” as Ekhart Tolle would say, creates peace, not only within us but in those around us as well. If this is true, one could argue our inherent responsibility to aspire for presence within ourselves. So, even if we don't feel like we are worthy, I believe we owe it to each other and the rest of the planet to work toward reducing our stress and experiencing greater levels of peace.

Making sense of nutrition

by Trulie Ankerberg-Nobis, M.S.

Over the years that I have been studying and counseling others in nutrition, I frequently hear people complain that nutrition information and recommendations are confusing and too frustrating to implement. I can sympathize with this sentiment. When one week a study saying that fiber prevents colon cancer (and so one should increase fiber intake) and then the next week another study comes out saying fiber does not prevent colon cancer, which do you believe and which dietary changes should you make?

As a registered dietitian, I have had the requisite training and knowledge to comb through the confusion and help you come up with realistic changes that can add to your health. While public diet recommendations are aimed at populations, registered dietitians can help with creating a personal nutrition plan for individuals who have unique needs and goals. In the meantime, here are some principles to follow to ascertain whether the latest nutrition and health headline is worth making changes for.

1. Is this the first time you have heard this claim being made? Not all brand new nutrition news should be tossed out the window. But there should be some skepticism that this research may not play out to be the final truth. New studies need to be validated by further study. Also, newer studies are often smaller and have less statistical power than studies building on previous studies. But when another study comes out saying to eat more fruits and vegetables, this is a claim you have probably heard before and further validates the truth that more fruits and vegetables should be eaten.

2. Check the source. The study should be published in a peer-reviewed journal such as the Journal of the American Dietetic Association or American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . Unpublished studies or those that have not been published through a journal where it has been scrutinized by other nutrition experts may not be a valid. Anecdotal evidence needs to be tested in order for it to stand the test of time. Individual testimonials may be true but have not been separated from confounding variables to establish cause and effect relationships.

3. Studies done on animals have less validity than those done on human beings. It may be interesting to hear that rats lose weight consuming herbal supplements, but since we live in a very different world with different bodies than rats, it is best to wait to see if the same results ring true for human studies. Test tube studies are usually done on human cell lines making it more valid than those on animal cells, but the results would still need to be tested on human subjects before the results can be applied.

4. If the study is a review of many studies, it will have more validity as it evaluates a collection of studies on one topic. A meta-analysis is an example of this. For example, a recent meta-analysis on supplementation with various vitamins resulted in a collection of data with several hundred thousand people. People should take notice of the results of this kind of study and consider the results and recommendations.

5. Keep in mind that many media reports about nutrition research are highlighted as a way to increase ratings and sell newspapers/magazines and not to ensure you receive good nutrition information. If the conclusion seems outlandish or “too good to be true” it should be read with a critical eye.

Given these strategies to determine credible nutrition information, you should be able to better wade through the confusion. If you are interested in also gaining more nutrition knowledge to navigate through the grocery store or peruse menus for foods that will also contribute to your health and well-being, my services would be beneficial.

What is a registered dietitian and why should I choose one? A registered dietitian (RD) is a person who has completed a bachelor's (4 year) degree in food science, nutrition, dietetics, or other approved accredited program through the American Dietetic Association. The dietitian has also completed a 900 hour internship including hours in a clinical setting, passed the five parts of the association's registration examination, and maintains competency through continuing education. While all dietitians can call themselves nutritionists, not all nutritionists are Registered Dietitians. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but not have completed any education and training standards.

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Trulie Ankerberg-Nobis, M.S. is a registered and licensed dietitian. She offers personal diet counseling, supermarket tours, pantry makeovers, and cooking classes for healthy & delicious plant-based meals. Trulie works with clients to help them meet their goals for healthy eating and food preparation.

Her areas of expertise include weight loss, diabetes, heart disease, allergies, cancer, pregnancy, lactation, vegetarian, raw, and vegan eating styles, athletic training, eating disorders, and children and infant nutrition.

She has worked as a staff dietitian for The Physicians Committee for Responsible in Washington , D.C. and was research coordinator for Dr. Neal Barnard' s revolutionary Program for Reversing Diabetes study. She is an experienced public speaker who can address a wide variety of health-related issues.

Trulie is currently offering 20% discount off the initial consultation and 50% off a computerized nutrient diet analysis. You can access these coupons through her website AtlantaNutrition.com.

Wisdom vs. intellect

A couple of months ago, I conducted a workshop for a group of senior citizens. Like most of the workshops I offer, it was based upon concepts of healing and wellness and how they relate and can be applied to everyday life. Since this particular group was associated with a local church, the topic was healing and spirituality.

I must admit that, in preparation for the presentation, I wondered if I could properly convey concepts of holistic health and wellness to a generation that would have most likely been thoroughly marinated in the medical model. After all, I'd heard the statistic that the average person over fifty is on several medications, and I'd seen the proof of this on the intake forms in my office as well. Something I hadn't considered, however, turned out to be my biggest ally. When I got to the seminar, I quickly realized that people that have been around for more than a few decades tend to have a great deal of life experience.

Throughout our lives, we are constantly gathering information. Some is gathered first-hand and experiential, and some is what I would call intellectual information, since it is incorporated into our belief system after we read about it in a book or periodical, or learn about it from another person. While intellectual information can be an extremely valuable it can be a hindrance at times, especially if the information we're getting is incomplete or false.

For example, people tend to think something is true if they read about it on the internet, but we must consider the source of the information we are receiving before we can determine if it is true. For instance, we've always heard that milk is a good source of calcium for strong bones and teeth. What we may not have heard is that this information comes directly from the milk and dairy association. Since their profit margin is directly affected by whether we accept this information as true, there is a high possibility of bias in their reporting of the “facts.” It is likely that they neglect to mention that anyone over the age of three lacks the proper enzymes it takes to actually extract the calcium from dairy products and utilize it in the body.

Another thing to consider is that information is always changing, particularly when it comes to the human body. It's mind boggling to me when I hear that each year scientists learn more about the human body than known in all the previous years combined. If that's true, then conclusions drawn at any one time, including the most recent reporting, may also be incomplete.

If you ask ten different nutritionists about proper diet, you will likely get ten different answers. It all depends upon where they attained their information and how accurate it is at the time. Since we are all different, there may not be any one diet, exercise program, treatment or relationship that is right for everyone. Plus, what works for us at one point in our lives may not work in another.

Then how do we know what to believe and what to do?

A holistic practice helps us learn how to approach health and life from a place of wisdom and understanding as well as intellect. Since a belief is a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing, and beliefs change and may or may not be true, wisdom can only be gained through experience. If we can learn how to listen to our body and be guided by it, then we will not be at the mercy of our beliefs or someone else's. For once we have experienced something, we move from the realm of belief to one of knowing.

I love holistic concepts because not only do they make perfect sense, they apply to every aspect of life. Instead of thinking about them just as holistic concepts, we could refer to them as principles of life. This gave me just the gateway I needed to talk to the folks gathered at the seminar, for who would understand principles of life better than a group of seniors?

Experiencing the true vibrancy and beauty of life

Each morning en route to the office, I have to make a left turn from Briarcliff on to Ponce De Leon. Anyone reading this who has to make the same turn knows that it's not an easy task since there's no turn signal at the traffic light. On one particular morning, I noticed a car across Ponce and facing me that was waiting to make a left turn in the opposite direction.

Unbeknownst to the woman in that car, another car was quickly approaching from behind. By the time the person in the approaching vehicle began to slow down, it was too late. The car waiting to make the left was struck from behind and sent rolling into the intersection.

Obviously, the driver of the approaching vehicle wasn't paying attention. In fact, I'm sure that's most likely how most of the accidents around the Atlanta area occur. As you know, it's easy to be preoccupied by any number of distractions of our modern culture. I'm sure most of us have experienced our thoughts drifting while driving or while performing any of our other daily tasks.

Clearly, the person in the approaching vehicle was thinking about some other situation, either in the past or the future, and not focusing his/her attention on the task of driving. You could describe this as a lack of presence.

Upon witnessing this incident, I remembered something Dr. Donald Epstein said. “All we can ever really do is to decide where we are going to focus our attention.” To put it another way, life is really about where we are choosing to place our focus, on a moment-to-moment basis. This principle holds true whether we focus on our body, our relationships with others or upon tasks we are performing.

Whenever we are not present, it is impossible for us to fully experience the true vibrancy or beauty of a situation. This is because our mind would be focused on a different place or time, even if it were imaginary. In this way we are missing the experience of life as it unfolds.

How would it affect our relationships if we could be more present and attentive to those we are with? How many accidents could we avoid? How much more productive could we be if our minds didn't wander off while we we're trying to complete a task or project? How different would life be if we were present enough to pick up on the subtle cues of our own body's wisdom?

If we could all work on being more present, I'm sure we would experience the world and each other is a much different and profound way.

Let your heart be your guide

A couple of months ago, I attended a social gathering for of a group of people on the path to higher consciousness. When I arrived, there was a group of about twenty people gathered in the host's living room. Each person had an opportunity to speak about who s/he was, why s/he had attended and what goals s/he had. Several of the people spoke about how they were working toward living a more conscious life.

The phrase “conscious life” basically meant making healthier decisions for themselves, others they might influence and the environment. It was interesting to note that most all of them had a basic idea of what to do. It became a question of how they could actually implement their ideas in the context of the current cultural paradigm and their own patterned behaviors.

When my turn arrived, I felt compelled to talk about my personal and professional desire to help people become more connected to their hearts. I mentioned that living a conscious life was an automatic thing if one was to be more connected to him/her heart.

While many people may think that the heart is just an organ designed to pump blood through the body, it is so much more than that. Experts in the field of Neurocardiology claim the heart contains up to 60% or more neural tissue, the same kind of tissue found in our brains.

The heart, just like the brain, has intelligence, albeit different from cerebral intellect. The heart's intelligence is holistic rather than linear, and responds in the interest of well being, sending intuitive prompts for appropriate behavior to the brain's emotional system. The intellect can function independently from the heart – as in stress situations — and block the subtle signals of the heart. Remember, it is our emotional system, not intellect, that prompts us to take action.

If we as individuals and collectively as a culture were constantly in stress or survival mode, it would make it difficult if not impossible to benefit from the guidance of the heart's wisdom. One could argue this is the case as evidenced by the current state of our society.

Problems that have stemmed from intellect without wisdom cannot be solved by intellect alone. If we as a society are to overcome our challenges and become more kind to each other and our environment, we must first achieve a level of peace and connection to our own hearts. Environmentally and socially conscious choices would then be automatic.

Does holistic health work 100% of the time? Yes

It has been said that healing is putting right relationships that have somehow come out of balance. Almost every day, I receive calls at the Center for Holistic Health from individuals inquiring about how holistic health can help them move beyond the symptoms they are experiencing. People wonder whether the answer to their problems lies in a particular herb or type of energy work. While it is true that these things may serve as vehicles to enhance the healing process, ultimately, there must be a change in how people perceive relationships — within themselves and with others — for true healing to occur.

I often find unique ways to invoke the concept of relationship in my practice, since it helps individuals understand body dynamics. For example, we can think about the different parts of our bodies as our children. When we don't pay enough attention to our children, or parts, they begin to act out in the form of symptoms. If we treat the symptoms without addressing their cause, that's like telling our children to just shut up. Chances are our children will continue to behave in ways designed to get our attention.

When working with practice participants, my first responsibility is to help them re-establish a connection or relationship with their own body. Please allow me to explain. The pre-frontal lobes, also known as the higher brain, are the most advanced part of the human brain. This area is also the residing place for expressions and perceptions of love, creativity, reason, purpose and self-assessment. Whenever the brain gets overwhelmed with either the content or the amount of information coming in, it will protect itself by disconnecting or shutting itself off from the undesired information.

This mechanism, called frontal lobe check out, is perfectly natural under stressful conditions. However, the overload of information is then stored in the body to be processed at a later time. When we experience extreme or prolonged stress, it becomes difficult for us recover from or even realize that this disconnect is occurring. Ultimately, if we are disconnected and don't have full access to our higher brain, we cannot truly be whole.

I teach people a technique called Somato-Respiratory Integration (SRI) to help them re-establish their connection or relationship to the body. SRI is essentially an exercise in presence directed into the body, since we must be present in order for any relationship to flourish. I'm reminded of a TV commercial in which a woman is trying to speak to her husband. He says, “I'm listening,” but his attention is completely focused on a football game. Likewise, if we direct all of our attention to the conversation in our head, there will be very little left over for the body. The key is to open up the lines of communication.

Just as people in successful, long-lasting relationships don't dwell on the negative in their partners, we must be able to listen to our bodies without judgment and proceed toward healing in an honoring and non-threatening manner. Keep in mind that symptoms are signals that something needs to be explored, and ask yourself, “How open am I to communicating with someone when the first thing s/he does is to establish that I am wrong?”

Given this kind of opposition, you'd most likely not be open to too much communication. Likewise, when working to develop a connection to an area of the body after some neglect it's important not to be too forceful. Only love can conquer hate, as it were, so instead of forcing areas that are stuck, my practice focuses upon enhancing areas that are more at ease. This enables them to exist in relation to, communicate with, and free parts of the body where energy is stuck.

Relationships are powerful tools for discovering greater aspects of the self. When true healing occurs, there is always something gained or learned from the experience even if we are unable or unwilling to see the lessons that are available for us in the moment.

Relationships and healing are also congruent in the area of personal growth since both involve a greater depth of experience. As we gain greater depth in our own healing process, we realize that healing is ultimately all about our relationship with our self and with others. Ultimately, the term holistic health encompasses our relationships to our body, other people, our environment and the whole web of life. Every judgment, action and inaction, attention and intent affects this web of life as well as our own lives.

Dr. Gene's Shortlist to Healthy Living

I often receive phone calls or start new clients looking for advice about what to do to become healthier. Since every person is different and information about what the best diet or exercise program is always changing, I hesitate to give rote advice about what they should or shouldn't do. For that reason the focus of my wellness practice is to help people become more self aware and more in tune with what specific needs they have for their body and their life. With this approach they can navigate health decisions using logical concepts and by listening to their own body's needs.

That being said; there are some general concepts about treating the body well that I'd like to share. The following is a list of ideas that one can consider to enhance their health.

1. Breathe Deeply. Oxygen is the single most important thing that our cells need to stay alive and thrive. It sounds simple enough but the fact is that if you are not breathing deeply enough to open the diaphragm; you are not fully accessing the lower third of the lungs which contain a large percentage of the alveoli. These alveoli serve to exchange oxygen into the bloodstream.

2. Drink More Water. If you experience dry mouth or thirstiness or if your urine is not clear, then you are dehydrated. Some experts say we should drink at least half our body weight in ounces of water daily. One thing to consider is the purity of your drinking water. Since it is likely that most tap water is polluted, you will probably want to drink water that has been run through a reverse osmosis system for purity.

3. Eat More Whole and Raw Foods. There are valuable nutrients and enzymes that are destroyed when food is cooked. Raw foods are easier on our system as well.

4. Cut Down on the Toxins. The least amount of chemicals going into your body, the better off you'll be. There are chemicals in everything from our food to our personal products. Preservatives, artificial sweeteners, pesticides and hormones, drugs, alcohol are among the many toxins. You may not be able to get away from all of them but you can continually work toward eliminating them from your environment. Use natural products and eat organic food whenever possible. It is also a good idea to consider some kind of cleanse.

5. More Good Fats, Less Bad Fats. Make sure you get an adequate supply of essential fatty acids. Every cell in your body requires fats or lipids, especially brain cells. The good fats are the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids which can be derived from fish, flaxseed and olive oils, avocados, almonds, hazelnuts and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Fats to be avoided include margarine, butter, cheese, eggs, milk, vegetable oils and shortening.

6. Consider Supplementing. On one hand there's a pretty good chance that even if we eat well, our foods probably don't have as much vitamins and minerals as they used to. The question becomes the quality of the supplement you take and whether you are actually able to absorb and utilize them. Supplementing is definitely something to consider though.

7. Keep your pH balanced. In order to function properly the body must maintain a very specific pH level. High acidity can lead to numerous health problems. Animal proteins, coffee, sugar and alcohol are a few of the things that create an acidic environment in the body. Try cutting down or out the acidic foods and adding lots of greens. Alkaline boosters can be taken to help balance the body pH. You can monitor your own pH using a simple litmus test.

8. Exercise. This one goes without saying but I figured I'd mention it anyway. Exercising decreases chances of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease, while increasing energy levels and self esteem. I believe people are much better off engaging in an exercise that they actually enjoy.

9. Take Care of Your Body. Our modern lifestyle tends to create a significant amount of stress that gets stored in our bodies. If you don't take care of your body you can't trade it in for a new one. There are many types of bodywork available to help you release stress and tension from your body. Try some different types and find which of them work best for you.

10. Be Present. In my opinion, this is probably the most important thing you can do. The stress and resulting physiology created by continually replaying the past and worrying about the future is detrimental to physical and emotional well being.

There are probably many other things that can be added to this list and some things that you may disagree with. If you are looking to increase your health then they are worth exploring. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach either. Try one thing at a time if that works better for you. And if you need, you can always get help from a qualified natural health practitioner.

Good luck and have a Happy, Healthy New Year!