My visit to an Astrologer

I met with Astrologer Mavis Klein this week for a consultation.

From her background as a counsellor and psychotherapist Mavis has a presentation style which encourages reflection and she has a way with words which I found stimulating and inspiring.  Simply in terms of reflecting on the past and wondering about the future I found the session engaging and I left the consultation feeling upbeat and with a more creative as well as positive state of mind.

I was presented with charts on my date of birth, the previous year and the coming year – as well as detailed summaries of all the transits for last year and 2011-12.  She was able to explain the motion of planets with these in a very animate way so that I had an impression of movement and change rather than of something which is static.  And if change is inevitable then why shouldn’t it be positive?

From a non-astrological perspective I found the process of thinking “this is me .... this is what’s past ... this is what my future could be like” helped me focus on myself as learning from experience rather than simply being affected by it.  Especially as the whole context of the consultation was in terms of relationships, with others, career, ideals and myself.

From an astrological perspective I like the idea of exploring that things can happen in cycles, and especially that some cycles are especially long.  If patterns are likely to repeat then do I want to?  Or would I rather change my behaviour or my attitude?  I could sense systemic and Transactional Analysis models fitting in quite nicely at this stage.

Mavis looked very closely at long-term transits, and one product of this was that I started feeling that ay phases I was going through would take time.  I found that I was rediscovering my patience, and that Mavis’ wit and humour was very encouraging.

My meeting with Mavis was the first time I’ve experienced astrology as a time for reflection and orientation, and I can see how doing this regularly would be more beneficial than a single consultation that simply confirms “what I’m like.”

Mavis has a very engaging website at www.milkywaybooks.co.uk

Monkeyandtiger-chi: Shiatsu Offer at Tao Dao this Thurs 11 only

Monkeyandtiger-chi: Shiatsu Offer at Tao Dao this Thurs 11 only: "Summer Offer At Tao Dao For one day only book a 1hr shiatsu treatment session for only £30 August 11 th Let shiatsu help you make..."

Cholesterol Diet

Geoff’s Cholesterol Diet

Took advice from my GP from 3^rd June to lower my cholesterol.  More as a matter of principle I wanted to see how I could lower my cholesterol in 3 months – when I will be tested again.  And I want to show that there’s no need to get into the statin discussion.

So, I’ve based a diet on what I could glean via Google (bless!).  Some of the accounts are confusing, claiming the same effect twice or seem to be statements of faith – which I’ve only taken into account if I like the food, as long as they don’t appear to do any harm.

Principles

It looks like there are 4 areas to attack cholesterol

·         Don’t eat saturated fats.

·         Eat soluble fibre that soaks up saturated fat in the gut

·         Eat foods that prevent re-absorption of cholesterol and bile from the intestine

·         Eat foods that produce “good” cholesterol or other chemicals (possibly anti-oxidants?) that wash away “bad” cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Plant sterols are ok.  They are what’s produced by soluble fibre to dissolve saturated fat (I think).  But it looks as if they are better taken with food(?) so swigging a pseudo yoghurt on the way to work probably isn’t too helpful.

To get rid of cholesterol you REALLY need to eat a LOT of soluble fibre – so some sort of plant sterol is going to be helpful to most people.

Hard Rules

What

Why

Eat oats 1-2 times a day Eat brown rice 1-2 times a day Eat chick peas with every savoury meal Eat 1-2 apples every day Eat 1-2 raw carrots every day

Very good for soluble fibre that disposes of saturated fat when it’s in gut. There might be something else in oats that works in the bloodstream too. Like oats this is a great source of soluble fibre.  And there is probably something else in brown rice that works in the bloodstream All pulses have loads of soluble fibre, but chick peas are one of the best, and they do appear to have something else in them that works in the bloodstream One of the best sources of soluble fibre, especially the peel Apart from being another first rate source of soluble fibre they also have something in them to work in the bloodstream.

Snack Rules

What	Why
Eat 1-2 handfuls of almonds per day Eat 1-2 handfuls of walnuts per day Eat apricots Enjoy any other fruit	Soluble fibre and Omega 3 Soluble fibre and Omega 3 (fortunately I don’t have to worry about calories) Possibly have something that works in bloodstream

 Flavourings

What	Why
Eat 2 cloves of raw garlic with savoury meals Use cinnamon with cereal etc Eat/take antioxidants/vitamin c Drink green tea	Garlic does loads of things in the blood system Cinnamon does loads of things in the blood system May help clear blood system Antioxidants

 The effects so far after one month (3^rd July)

My weight has dropped by 10 lbs in just over 4 weeks. BMI is now 25 JAnd I seem to have done this by eating constantly – trying to get enough soluble fibre.

I’ve learned to be a lot more creative with food – thinking about will help things to taste nice – and have been having a very varied diet – with lots more nutrients in it.  If you ask yourself “what makes brown rice taste nice?” the answer tends to be green vegetables and balsamic vinegar not a pork pie J

Someone asked me if the diet was boring.  I haven’t found it so.  More interesting than my usual Panini.

If you eat a lot of soluble fibre then you eat a lot of insoluble fibre too.  I’m guessing but I think maybe this has meant that my colon has had to do a lot more work – and if you think of this as a muscle then maybe it’s had a good workout – as I just feel stronger in my abdomen and that I’m standing better without slouching.

Skin tone seems to have improved too – I think because I’m eating a lot more good grain

Another 2 months before my next blood test – so it’s going to be interesting.

One thing I’m worried about is that I don’t want to lose much more weight.  I might need to start eating something bad for me just to keep the weight on.  Interesting.

And my poo has changed a bit.  If I do eat a larger quantity of saturated fat then it might be a bit slimy (?) I'm not sure.  Otherwise very satisfying and regular :) 

What I haven’t eaten this month

While being so healthy and eating so much – there are quite a lot of things I haven’t eaten, so here’s an approximation of what I’ve missed out on (hence the weight loss I suppose).

25 Croissants, 15 Lattes, 3 lbs cheese,15 yoghurts, 2 Pork Pies, ½ lb Bacon, 3 bars of  Chocolate, 1 litre Ben and Jerry’s, 3 packets of biscuits, 20 Coffee Bar Sandwiches, 1 Fish and Chips, 2 large Packets of Crisps, 10 bowls of Pasta, 2 Pizzas

And I don’t really seem to miss it.

 We'll see how things go next month - but as diets go this has been a real buzz and I don't feel deprived at all.

Geoff Hogan

3^rd July 2011

Monkeyandtiger-chi: Lose weight with Food Combining

Monkeyandtiger-chi: Lose weight with Food Combining: "How food combining helps me lose weight. Whenever I take up food combining I easily lose 3-5 pounds in a month without any hardship.I don’t ..."

Lose weight with Food Combining

How food combining helps me lose weight.

Whenever I take up food combining I easily lose 3-5 pounds in a month without any hardship.

I don’t apply the rules too harshly.

Basically - most of the time I don’t mix protein and carbohydrate.

This means I eat ....

Protein and vegetables

Or

Carbohydrates and vegetables.

This means I eat a lot more vegetables – so I’m getting a lot more nutrients.  And I eat like a horse.  I do find I need to snack in the day – so I keep a stack of oatcakes and rice cakes on hand – and some fruit.  And binge on chocolate once a week.

I don’t think there’s anything mystical or clever about this.  I probably just eat a lot more vegetables in greater variety.

Monkeyandtiger-chi: PTSD

Monkeyandtiger-chi: PTSD: "PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress DisorderMost people encounter Trauma at some time in their lives. PTSD occurs when people have difficulty..."

PTSD

PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Most people encounter Trauma at some time in their lives.  PTSD occurs when people have difficulty processing this event which results in lasting incongruent feelings or behaviours that have a long term impact on a person’s life.

About twice as many women as men experience PTSD.  This is partly a reflection of women being more exposed to traumatic events.  The popular image of PTSD is of a soldier’s experience of war, however PTSD occurs frequently as a result of domestic and relationship violence (including towards children) and more civilians are affected by PTSD in wartime than soldiers.

PTSD is not caused by the severity of an event, although this may be a contributing factor.  It is the result of a person’s inability to process the event in terms of their pre-existing terms of reference.  The event undermines a person’s sense that life is fair and that they are safe.  High anxiety levels (arousal) are a consequence of a person trying to resolve contradictory ideas and feelings.  Normally these symptoms reduce quickly as a person assimilates new information and adopts a new worldview.  With PTSD this assimilation is more difficult as the person tends to try to apply a negative and threatening worldview to episodes in ordinary life.

Nothing feels safe, physiologically as well as psychologically.  The person tends to re-experience the event in his or her imagination, may avoid activities or emotions (or experience a numbness of some feelings) and is likely to be hyper-vigilant, on the lookout and perceiving threat when it is not there.

Treatment

Over the last 20 years there has been a great deal of study in the US and UK on what interventions work (since the Marchioness disaster in London and the Oklahoma bombing). 

Contrary to popular belief counselling and most psychotherapies are not effective.  Looking for underlying causes in a person’s psyche has no effect on the condition.  Similarly, debriefing models after an event can actually make matters worse as it reinforces a traumatic memory of the event, but orientation exercises do have a positive effect. 

Medical opinion in the UK and US is consistent in considering that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is effective in many cases and there is some evidence that Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) techniques can have a positive effect.

Both these models work on the principle that a person’s Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours are interrelated and feed into each other.  A person is encouraged to recognise their thoughts and feelings as they happen and to try to influence them positively, and to use behaviour to change beliefs or feelings when this is possible.  At the very least behaviour can be changed to stop reinforcing negative ideas or feelings.  It is worth noting that Feelings are not conceptual (eg upset or depressed), but physical sensations (eg butterflies, trembling, heart racing).

EMDR is a similar therapy that invokes controlling eye movement to induce different emotional states to recollections.

There is no evidence that complimentary therapies are any more effective that psychotherapies, with the exception that relaxing therapies such as massage, meditation or yoga can assist in reminding people what it is like to be in a relaxed state.

Medication is often also considered as a means of addressing specific symptoms (re-experiencing events, avoidance, hyper-arousal, depression).  Sometimes these medications raise anxiety levels in a patient at the same time that they relieve symptoms and people need reassurance that this is a consequence of the treatment.

People recovering from PTSD require specialist treatment, support and monitoring while they are going through this process.

Useful websites

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/ptsd/posttraumaticstressdisorder.aspx

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfoforall/treatments/cbt.aspx

http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG026publicinfo.pdf

Geoff Hogan

30^th March 2011

Why does Shiatsu work?

Shiatsu relaxes the physical body and calms the nervous system to create the optimal condition to recharge your energies for work, for leisure and for healing.

Shiatsu differs from the more familiar bodywork techniques in its initial premise that a body is more open to change once it is relaxed.  A therapist seeks to achieve a relaxed and open state in the recipient before and during the bodywork rather than as a consequence of massage.
A practitioner employs five basic principles that ensure optimal conditions for a recipient to be in a relaxed state, hopefully engaging the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of the nervous system responsible for rest and recuperation) throughout the treatment and for some time afterwards.

Two-handed connectedness:
During treatment one hand, the “mother hand” provides support and reassurance to the recipient while the lead hand applies pressure.  This increases a sense of calm and stability for the person receiving the treatment.  Psychologically this non-verbal communication gives a person a sense that the therapist is content to simply “be with” the person without needing to actively “do” something – a familiar concept in psychoanalytic and systemic psychotherapy.  Physically the person’s attention is drawn towards the mother hand and its reassurance rather than the activity of the active hand.  This enables the therapist to work on muscles that are less defensive and in a more relaxed state.

Perpendicular penetration:
Pressure is normally applied at right angles to the surface of the skin, straight down, through the body and usually directed towards the bone.  The therapist’s skill is in arranging the person’s body so that it feels supported while meridian lines are exposed in the most helpful way.  Ideally the limb or muscle will be placed so that the therapist can lean forward over the body so that gravity draws the weight of the therapist’s body straight down onto a specific point.  The manoeuvre then becomes effortless for the therapist and the contact has an irresistible quality for the person receiving the treatment.

Penetration not pressure:
In this aspect Shiatsu resembles a martial art.  The focus of the therapist is not on the limb or muscle of the recipient but deeper, perhaps even beyond the body.  This deeper intention enables the therapist to achieve deep muscle relaxation without causing discomfort.

Meridian Continuity:
Shiatsu aims to engage the body along the whole of the meridian system.  Often the mother hand will support the body at a point close to the centre of the body while the active hand makes contact along the line of the meridian until it reaches the extremity.  Contact with the body is never broken or lost, and this encourages a feeling of continuity and support throughout the treatment.

Relax:
Shiatsu works best if the therapist is in a state of relaxation throughout the treatment.  This allows the therapist to use his or her body weight most effectively and prevents the recipient experiencing tension especially in the therapist’s wrist and shoulders. As in any other social situation if the recipient spends an hour in the company of a relaxed person they will find it easier to relax themselves.

Conclusion:
In a good treatment, the recipient will noticed something different from the start as the treatment begins with a state of relaxation for both parties.  In many treatments a state of deep relaxation arrives swiftly which allows the person to experience the benefits of a response from the parasympathetic nervous system which encourages recuperation and recovery.  It is not unusual for people to finish a treatment feeling like they have just had a good night’s sleep.

Geoff Hogan
Monkeyandtiger
8^th March 2011

With thanks to Carola Beresford-Cooke – Shiatsu Theory and Practice. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0 443 049416

Monkeyandtiger-chi: Demystifying Chi

Monkeyandtiger-chi: Demystifying Chi: "The trouble is that when people talk about “Chi” and “Energy” it covers a wide range of ideas, from simple mechanics to esoteric integrat..."

Demystifying Chi

The trouble is that when people talk about “Chi” and “Energy” it covers a wide range of ideas, from simple mechanics to esoteric integrations of spirituality and quantum physics.  It’s easy for chi based bodywork to be given a bad name.  It’s easy to scare people off with esoteric and non-provable explanations of events and allowing colleagues to voice these beliefs as a part of their practice opens us up to ridicule by colleagues or agencies who expect testable evidence that confirms any testimony.

Poor and opportunistic translation from the Chinese understanding of Chi as Energy gives everyone a chance to jump on the bandwagon and maintain that “ancient Chinese tradition” supported their own quirky position.

Unfortunately in China different people held different beliefs about Chi in any case, and it is important not to allow all these different viewpoints to coalesce into a single perspective – especially if it supports our own views.

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Thinking about Chi is a way of thinking about how the world works.  It’s a metaphor – and like any good metaphor can communicate several meanings or nuances at the same time.  There are 3 basic models of understanding Chi.  It is important to consider these as philosophical models of understanding the world, and as such they aren’t really much different from the work of Aristotle, Descartes or Rousseau.

1                     Materialist:  It’s the way things are

Any object exists in its own right and interacts with the objects around it.  This is a change model in that objects act in a way to move from one energetic state to another, usually a lower energy state.   For example water moves down hill, heat cools, conversation dies down eventually.  Other activities cause objects to move into a higher energy state.  For example heat causes steam to rise, enthusiasm is contagious, and heat can produce light.

This understanding of difference leads to the metaphor of Yin and Yang.  In comparing two objects or conditions one is always “more” and the other always “less.”  Some Chinese beliefs took this model further to consider the extremes of “Heaven” (Yang) and “Earth” (Yin) and that all other objects were somewhere in between.

2                     Animism: Souls and Spirituality

Some Chinese thought went on to consider society’s relationship between Heaven and Earth.  Rather than understand social interaction between Yin and Yang they believed that society was in a state of transition and aspiration to a higher way of behaving and understanding, essentially reaching towards Heaven.  Some beliefs saw this as an internal driving force and others believed that Heaven dictated or directed this from above.  Inevitably once there was an idea of a guiding force external to humanity there was also an idea of intelligence or design.  Humanity was seen as having a soul, as were other objects, animals and forces of nature.  This led to a belief that people could interact with objects on a spiritual level.

3                     Science and Magic

Not all energies are visible.  Electricity and magnetism are easy examples to understand.  Storytelling in any form elicits emotion in the recipient.  Some energies have been carefully researched and theoretical models have changed over time as research has provided new evidence.  Radio waves for example were believed to move through an intangible medium called “the ether” until a new model was proposed where by they move independently. 

There is an important difference between theory, which will change when proved wrong, and belief which is likely not to.  While theory is supported and challenged by data, and repeated testing, beliefs tend to be supported by anecdote.  While there may be no doubt about the anecdote or personal experience, the explanation or rule that applies to the situation is harder to establish.

Sometimes people talk about energy as if it is a part of everything and then it becomes easy to start explaining events in terms of this esoteric energy.  Tidying a room generally does make us feel better, and taking into account sunlight and maybe wind or dampness will influence which rooms are suited to which task.   Feng Shui stops being science and becomes magical when practitioners infer more about Chi than is evidenced, or apply principles of working with energy without applying the relevant theory.  You can punch much harder if you turn in order to employ muscles from foot to arm as well as those in the shoulder.  A martial artist may well explain this in terms of Chi – but actually this is simple physics and bio-mechanics.  The discipline becomes magical when a practitioner explains performance purely in terms of Chi focus as if something extra-ordinary was happening to the body, using the force of the Earth or the Cosmos.

Commentary re Healing

It’s important in terms of medicine and healing to think of Chi in terms of the first philosophical model.  We can understand symptoms and conditions by understanding how they interact and by recognising patterns.  Our explanations of these patterns will change in time as our theories are tested and revised.

The second model applies best to personal belief.  Particularly when we are under stress we personify objects or extend our hopes and fears to external forces.  Such faith or religion may sustain us as practitioners when we work with vulnerable people – but it is important to recognise that there is no evidence that external forces act on our behalf or are under our control.

The third model allows esoteric explanations for ordinary events.  In the field of health and medicine this produces a major concern as vulnerable people may then be led to mistaken beliefs about how their condition may be resolved.  People may refuse appropriate treatment in favour of unproven dietary supplements or ritual healing.  There are possibilities for exploitation when therapists suggest payment for unproven activities.

As health practitioners our beliefs will influence our understanding of the healing process and our behaviours.  We should ensure that these beliefs remain personal if not private and do not contaminate our interaction with people who seek our support when they are unwell.

Geoff Hogan

Monkeyandtiger

7^th March 2011

VISION FOR MONKEY AND TIGER

It’s an uncertain time.  While there’s a great deal of optimism about technological advancement and social change we are also aware of diminishing resources and economic instability.  This makes it very hard for us to plan for or even anticipate our future.  It is becoming clear that the security that would have been available to us even ten years ago is no longer guaranteed.

·         Advances in health technology mean that we can expect to live longer.

·         Limited resources mean that health services that are possible may not be available to everyone when they need them.

·         There will be an increased demand for social care as people are unable to manage their daily living skills as they become infirm.

·         The raising of the pension age and more limited expectations on what pension funds will provide mean that people will no longer be able to look forward to retiring into a more restful lifestyle at 65 or 60.

We need a way to ensure that people live the majority of their lives as actively and independently as possible with as small a demand as possible on expensive resources such as the Health Service.  On average people are dependent on others for support for around 25% of their post-retirement years, and this does not take into account that the majority of people will require long term pharmaceutical or therapeutic support well in advance of this, possibly while they are still working.

Similarly employers and employees need to work together to ensure that later working years are as fulfilling and productive as earlier years, with workers feeling energised, motivated and in control of conditions that could otherwise elevate levels of sickness and tiredness.

Health Promotion needs to be more than receiving government led messages to eat more fruit and go for a walk.  Chi Kung offers an opportunity to engage with people as individuals, in the workplace and supplementary to the health service in order to encourage activity that will prolong good health and prevent the symptoms of some long term conditions.

THE WORKPLACE

·         Day workshops on movement that will help with back and joint problems, plantar fasciitis, digestion, overcoming breathlessness. 

·         A course of workshops which would include health issues, relaxation, assertiveness and confidence building.

·         Exercise classes, and clinics would be available within reach of the workplace, at lunchtime or out of hours.  These could even be on site for some organisations

·         Sessions would always include information about how the body works, improving vocabulary about basic anatomy and understanding of physiology.  This will encourage better self care and enable people to have more informative conversations with specialists when they need them.

THE HEALTH CENTRE

The aim is to reduce unnecessary demand on Health Service resources by giving people an appropriate resource to address health and lifestyle issues and to provide a cheap effective resource to provide the motivation and compliance necessary to maintain healthy regimes.

Pre-emptive interventions

·         Back and shoulder pain

·         Stress symptoms

·         Weight issues, especially when exercise is limited because movement is painful or people become breathless.

·         Moderate (non clinical) depression

Supportive interventions (referral)

A key issue for any medical intervention is compliance, whether this is psychotropic medication, exercise routines, or even taking antibiotics.  Chi Kung classes would offer peer support and motivation, monitoring and encouragement from a teacher.  People making a contribution in terms of class fee would ensure that they want value for money and would encourage people to participate outside the formal medical referral system.  They can self refer or even bring a friend along.

·         Back school – maintaining posture

·         Falls prevention – maintaining posture – falling better

·         Plantar fasciitis – reduce/manage pain - enhance posture – move more

·         Weight loss and movement clinic

·         Bronchial issues

·         Arthritis – increase mobility in ways that do not cause pain

·         Osteoporosis – increase muscle and bone strength

·         Anxiety management and relaxation

Monkeyandtiger looks actively to work with employers, health and social care organisations to pilot and promote regimes that will enhance the health of the general population and reduce unnecessary demand on scarce resources.