The Posture Clinic

12/31/2022

Happy new year to you!

12/30/2022

Happy new year to all!!!

12/15/2021

𝟳 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

How was your weekend? A penny for your thoughts. We've all heard that age-old phrase which has been readily translated to mean "tell me what you're thinking". I've often wondered where that saying originated from. It turns out that it is over 400 years old and so its precise etymology is not very clear. Evidently , back in 1522 the British pound had a significantly higher value so when Sir Thomas More wrote a penny for your thought, he was actually willing to pay a decent sum of money to understand what you were thinking.

Today the value of understanding the thinking mind is priceless. By uncovering the deeper functions of the human brain and its relationship to our thought processes, we can gain greater insight into managing all disorders that range from aging and dementia to mental illnesses that include anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar and personality disorders. If you caught my blog from last week, I dove into the subject of neuroplasticity and the science behind how the brain is physically able to change its physical properties and capacity to learn differently at any stage in life. This led to an increasingly accepted theory that with healthy brain change, healthy thought processes would follow.

Now that I have laid out the foundations for how neuroplasticity exists, I would like to follow up with strategies on how to optimize neuroplasticity and reveal some very essential lifestyle habits worth cultivating that will focus specifically on improving and maintaining optimal brain health.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 as I demonstrate how the path to a healthy mental well being starts with a shift from diagnosing mental illness and symptoms to a healthy brain fitness program. Hopefully this will get you to start thinking that brain care is as important as cardiovascular care, dietary care, dental care and all having the ability to be within your control.

The correct type of learning can direct positive plastic changes in the brain. In fact, the brain wants you to refine the manner by which you acquire new skills such that you are fully engaged in the process. Neuroplasticity becomes the brain’s default position. It can undergo changes in its struc...

10/11/2021

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁. 𝗔 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 ,𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you warm and safe. For many, this year has continued to pose many difficult challenges, emotional strain and global hardship. If we recall one year ago, we had been completely directed to forgo all rejoicing in person with our loved ones and maintain social isolation within our private dwellings.
There are many who have experienced disappointment, loneliness and depression during the holidays that are meant to lift the human spirit. But it's important to reflect upon the fact that we have come a long way over the past year. We can gather responsibly. Now, more than ever, it becomes a time to shift focus from what has been lost to what remains to be thankful for. It is a time for gratitude.

Being grateful amidst the present strain and remaining restrictions of a pandemic may be more challenging and seemingly unfeasible to consider. How does one experience gratitude when circumstances present a situation where one simply does not feel it?

The answer comes from practice. Gratitude essentially is a figurative muscle that builds its strength from repetition and overcoming resistance. In order to appreciate the good in the face of tribulation, we need the bad. The practice may be deliberate and rigorous, but the rewards are bountiful. Science has proven that the practice of expressing gratitude improves sleep, reduces stress levels and elevates mood. When we engage in gratitude, we enlist the higher developed layers of the brain, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. This deeper, evolved layer shuts off the more primal, amygdalin part of the brain that controls the fear, anger and stress response. The two parts of the brain always act competitively. It's nearly impossible to feel appreciative when you're angry and stressed. Conversely, when you're in a true state of gratitude, it's nearly impossible to feel wronged or cheated.

The practice of gratitude takes effort. but like all muscles, grows and builds over time. Sometimes it just takes a little creativity and perspective to appreciate our blessings. All one has to do is to stand outside on a clear, fresh day and gaze at the luminous foliage of an autumn landscape. Things could be a lot worse and there are always at least three times a day that something happens that you can choose to be grateful for. We can't directly control the circumstances that dictate our fate during a Covid -19 crisis, but we can control our response to it. Please join me in today's blog as I revisit the theme of gratitude and appreciation. The time is ripe for it.

With much love and appreciation, I wish you and your family a healthy and safe Thanksgiving

It’s thanksgiving season in the Canada again. This usually means 2 events are upon us. Its when we look forward to sitting down to an abundant feast while spending quality family time together.It’s a time when we show our gratitude and appreciation for the many blessings we have, while taking ti...

09/28/2021

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡. 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧!

Now that summer is over and the fourth wave appears to be stabilizing, how are you adjusting to your fall schedule? Earlier this past spring when we were subjected to the perils of the turbulent pandemic third wave, there was an enormous influx of media attention and support for mental illnesses.

The cumulative toll Covid 19 had taken on individuals was marked by surges in cases of anxiety, depression, stress and even su***de. Numerous help resources were made available online. In addition. media programs featured tips and strategies to assist in coping with mental illnesses that the protracted pandemic mandates had triggered.

Since then, unfortunately, current statistics have revealed that only 44.8% of the population suffering from mental illness have actually sought out any form of treatment.

Why are over half of mental health sufferers abstaining from pursuing available treatment even when many services are offered for free?

One possible reason lies in the ongoing stigma associated with the mental illness diagnosis itself. Even though there have been numerous global strides in research, public opinion remains dubious. When it comes to the understanding and acceptance of medical illness as a common neutral health disorder, many still regard the classification with shame, guilt and self pity.

Is there a prospective solution for this? Perhaps it lies in the reframing and shifting in perspective of how mental illness is perceived. We now know that most of these illnesses are manifested by imbalances and interference in brain signals. With greater neuroscience research unveiling the remarkable capacity for neuroplasticity in brain function, the emergence of positive changes in brain health are more possible than ever. This hopeful revelation allows for a more favourable model of change.

Instead of combating mental illness, we shift the directive to enhancing brain health. After all, we neutrally accept the notion of oral hygiene and dental care. We place great emphasis on our cardiovascular health. If we can invoke the deliberate initiative and design to care for our teeth and hearts, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦?

Perhaps it's because we've been conditioned to believe that our brains are fixed once we reach adulthood. Not true! The revelations of neuro-plasticity suggest that positive brain changes are within our control and can be achieved throughout our lifetime. The secret lies in the understanding, motivation and design. Rather than rely only on quick fix medications to neutralize mental illness and aging advancement, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴?

Please join me in part 1 of today's blog as I examine the 7 tenets of brain plasticity while proposing prospective strategies to optimize brain health.

The fundamental idea that the brain is a fixed organ is a common misperception. It has been interpreted as unalterable as long as the old proverb, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” has been around. It’s an old idiom that actually has translated equivalents in other languages such as Fr...

09/21/2021

𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗨𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗥𝗦 . 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟴 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 & 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘁.
How has your week been going so far? After a few short weeks of getting through another election and back to a fall, school groove, it feels like summer ended months ago. With the weather cooling down and the days getting shorter, it's time to think about shifting activities to a fall season. The thought of hibernating through a long winter after months of the prior covid mandated stay at home orders is a dismal prospect. It almost feels like a PTSD scenario with the thought of returning to in-home living.

However, it's important to remember that the situation is not the same as last year. The 4th wave is not nearly as dire as prior waves, and despite continued high case counts , the severity of the conditions in hospitals and in the work communities remains stable.

There is no need to limit lifestyles to the home front just because the season changes. One of the most important benefits to keeping an active lifestyle is how it helps manage chronic pain problems. They say that good health is everything and if you ever have suffered from chronic pain, you can relate to the truth of that sentiment. There is nothing more disheartening than having your leisure time, sleep, productivity, vacation, personal training or hobby stifled because of pain.

Chronic pain is not only physically debilitating, but it also manifests in psychological turmoil. It leads to heightened stress, irritability, agitation, lowered tolerance thresholds and a generally hopeless mindset.

There are many quick fix options to combat chronic pain. These include over the counter pain meds, potions, alcohol and anti-inflammatories. There are also a plethora of gadgets and devices sold online that boast instant relief. However if the source of the pain is organic and beyond control of elimination, then you should consider measures that are longer lasting and transcend the novelty factor of a new cure all.

In other words, cultivating consistent habits that serve to combat pain daily. Rather than rely on a short lived gimmicky tool, consider sustainable organic measures that can be integrated into your lifestyle permanently. Please join me in today's blog as I uncover 8 reliable strategies to effectively reduce pain consistently and permit you to maintain your chosen active lifestyle.

Augusten Burroughs wrote, ” When you have your health, you have everything. When you do not have your health, nothing else matters at all.” This quote was taken from his memoir book entitled Dry. I have often been fascinated with peers of my own age who have gained profound insight through their...

09/15/2021

𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀 ? 𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗜𝗥𝗖𝗨𝗜𝗧 𝟳 𝗘𝗫𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗬

Well I hope you got through the long awaited back to school in class learning return for your children without too much drama. It's been nearly six months since the kids saw the inside of a classroom and it takes a bit of time to reestablish a school morning rhythm.
I myself had the exhausting pleasure of preparing my youngest daughter for her university studies in British Columbia. Aside from the grueling hours of shopping.,packing and setting up her residency , we managed to reserve extra leisure time for extended mountain climbing .What a wonderous landscape of magnificent mountains and rich forestry to behold and explore. The only problem was having the stamina and legs needed to endure the endless climbs through the natural and man made paths that stretched through dozens of kilometers of trails. Indeed , I was not sure that I was up for the challenge, especially when trying to keep up with a fit, 19 year old who I considered part goat. Nevertheless, I was determined not to.let my body fail me. I had been active all summer so I was quite confident that I had the aerobic capacity to sustain the oxygen demands of the hikes. The only limitation that I was being made aware of was from those pesky varicose veins.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲?

These unsightly bulging, twisted thick veins are certainly easy to recognize but often are misunderstood. They are casually regarded as a cosmetic nuisance when in fact they may be indicators of more serious health concerns. Understanding their underlying cause and connection with the peripheral circulatory system is imperative to establishing a method of treatment and prevention.

Please join me in today's blog as I uncover the cause, health significance and reveal 7 strategic circuit exercises that you can follow to reduce swelling and the risk of further development.

The potentially debilitating nature of varicose veins may extend far beyond their aesthetic compromise. Often only regarded as a source of cosmetic embarrassment, varicose veins can, indeed, be an indicator of deeper underlying health issues. Consider the cause. Varicose veins form as a result of we...

08/23/2021

𝑴𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆- 𝑻𝒉𝒆 4𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.

𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑤𝑠, 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 4𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤. A few short weeks ago, the case counts in Ontario had a trajectory of falling below 100 cases per day and now the week has ended with a progressive spike of 650. Hospitalizations have now doubled in the past 2 weeks and 75% of our overworked physicians, nurses and front line health care workers are suffering from burnout and depression.

𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒎?

𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅?

After all, that 3rd wave was brutal. The thought of having to go through that again is such a dismal prospect. The economy has been beginning to recover, people have started to get back into a favourable groove of activity and social interaction and now bam! - The dreaded delta variant. Studies reveal that it is more virulent and 2.5 x more transmissible than the original covid strain.

My advice is now is not the time to panic or lose faith. The situation is not hopeless. Rather than give way to despair it's time to maintain perspective.

There is that word again- perspective. I have used it countless times in my research and publications. It encapsulates a third of my model for successful lifestyle change. For the most part , I have described perspective in terms of an outlook, point of view and attitude. To create a healthy mindset, I have advocated seeking perspective from as many vantage points as possible. This allows one to see reality from all sides. To appreciate the depth of a three dimensional mountain comes only from exploring it at multiple viewpoints. It metaphorically paves the way to a growth mindset.

Perspective also means having the ability to view things in their true relation and relative importance to others. It is this definition I wish to explore when assessing the reality of the 4th wave. It is not the same as the prior waves. Numbers alone may be very deceiving.

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚'𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝒔 I uncover the facts surrounding the 4th wave so that it may allow you to put your concerns in the proper perspective.

The 4th wave of the covid pandemic demonstrates an excellent example of dynamic perspective. When we consider the word perspective, we often only associate the meaning as a noun used to describe viewpoint, attitude and outlook. I myself have used the word synonymous with mindset when advocating the....

08/16/2021

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐱. 𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞? 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟑 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬.

Well they finally did it. After 17 long months, they finally opened the borders to allow our vaccinated neighbors from the US to cross into Canada. Hopefully, in another week the US will reciprocate and permit Canadians to also enter into their country for non essential purposes too.

If you have a big family like me, this means paving the way for long awaited family gatherings, weddings, bar mitzvahs, graduations, birthday and anniversary parties. It's been nearly 2 years since I had an excuse to put on a formal dining suit. Like many who have neglected their nutrition over the prolonged months of home confinement, it may be time to consider trimming down a bit.

Amidst the anticipation of seeing family and friends socially for the first time in a while, it is normal to feel self conscious about one's appearance. I have encountered many who may have overindulged in eating as a coping mechanism to deal with the restrictions that pandemic life has imposed. For those who are now considering going on a weight loss diet, there are many approaches to take. I have never been an advocate of fad diets for the mere factor that they are traditionally not sustainable. As a writer and practitioner who educates that meaningful, sustainable change comes only from building conditioned, automatic ĺifestyle habits, quick fixes aren't the answer.

Consulting a nutritionist for selecting the correct food content and quantity is the best individualized approach for a healthy diet plan. The aim is to be able to choose a meal plan that can be constantly adhered to - period.
But what about varying the intervals by which food is consumed while maintaining the exact caloric food consumption. In case you are wondering , I am referring to intermittent fasting. There has been a lot of hype and interest in this subject and I've been asked to comment on the practice for some time.

It almost sounds like a paradox. How can an INTERMITTENT practice be advocated when all my philosophy centers around being CONSTANT and CONSISTENT?

The answer comes from exploring the specific cycle of intermittent fasting and experimenting by varying an eating schedule that is , indeed, reproducible on a daily basis.

Please join me in today's blog as I examine some potentially useful approaches to the subject of intermittent fasting so that you can decide if it is the right model for you.

When it comes to the subject of intermittent fasting (IF),  I have found myself overly dismissive in the past. While many have sworn by the practice which has yielded favourable results, I have remained somewhat skeptical. This is due, in part, to the fact that concept suggests inconsistency. As an...

08/03/2021

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬? 𝐍𝐨. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭

I hope that you enjoyed the civic long weekend. As this marks the halfway point of summer, it's usually a good time for me to reflect. The weather has been great. I have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed almost all the summer activities that I typically participated in per-pandemic. This includes camping, dining in and outdoors, getting my hair and beard trimmed, and even going to a movie.

It's hard to believe how much the province has rebounded in the past 6 weeks. Hair salons saw an initial surge of over 500% in business , while consumer spending has been up over 21% this past quarter. With continued easing of restrictions looming and the promise of a full, albeit slightly modified, return to school in September, the post pandemic future prospects are very encouraging. Ontario may have got off to a slow vaccination start, but the latest statistics indicate that we will be at the global forefront in fully vaccinated populations by the fall.

With the promise of positive social and economic futures in place, is it possible to acknowledge that the country is finally in a state of healing? I am often reminded of that overused cliche," Time heals all wounds." Does this saying really apply to the wounds, sorrows and strife that most of us have endured during the course of the past 17 months? There is some basic truth to the fact that with the chronological passage of time comes a fading of acute pain and unpleasant, stressful memories. However, there are some wounds that linger on irrespective of the clock ticking forward.

Why does that happen?

Why are some wounds immune to our natural innate healing powers?

The answer comes from exploring the nature of our wounds and our coping mindset.. Time may not heal all wounds, but time has a greater probability of healing CLOSED wounds.

Please join me in today's blog as I examine the concept of lingering, unresolved vs closed wounds and some helpful strategies on how to make the shift.

07/26/2021

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞-𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬

Well here we are in the middle of summer and strangely enough, things appear to be eerily quiet in the world. Have you noticed that there have been no recent explosive headlines lately? Case counts continue to drop, vaccine compliance continues to mount as hospitalizations ease. With all the re-openings, It appears as if the city has truly begun to revert back to a state of greater normalcy. We don't seem to be mired in pandemic news feeds anymore. In fact, most headlining stories are not related to Covid 19. It's time to let it sink in, relax and enjoy the summer.

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕, 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚? 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙?

𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓: 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆.

Yes, even the simple pleasures associated with relaxation and leisure require practice to attain a healthy rhythm of ease. It seems contradictory that a non stressful pleasure that normally requires little energy or effort now warrants deliberate awareness, focus and intention to re- acquire.

However, after prolonged periods of compromised living that have been plagued by economic distress, social limitations, isolation and uncertainty, it is no wonder that we remain skeptical about accepting that the worst is behind us. After all, even with a steadily growing vaccination rate, the threat of delta variants potentially causing 4th waves and impacting September school openings remains a viable possibility.

The reality remains that as global vaccinations continue to mount, the threat of contracting the virus or having a severe reaction to the virus remains low. The bottom line is that the situation will continue to improve over time. Accept it and let that reality sink in.

As for relearning how to relax, it may not come quite as fast for some as others. Even the simplest of activities may have to be retrained back into habits. I find myself still struggling to remember to shave every morning. After months of isolation and wearing a mask which shielded my face, shaving was never a factor in my appearance. Now that I am making more personalized contact with my patients and community, it's time that I re-acquire that once unconscious habit.

There are even more pleasurable activities akin to relaxation that may need to be brushed up on. It's all a matter of setting up a design for daily practice.

Please join me in today's blog as I outline some key strategies to successfully regain the art of relaxation.

A renewed healthy emergence from the anxiety ridden circumstances surrounding months of pandemic strife can be extremely difficult for many. Much like soldiers who suffer from PTSD after a turbulent hitch, recovering the ability to resume a comparatively stress free life can be quite challenging. Af...

07/19/2021

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 “𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫” 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟐 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬

Well it has finally arrived. Welcome to step 3 of the provincial reopenings. I hope you took advantage of the renewed liberties and freedoms of indoor dining, going to the movies, hitting the gyms or having a long overdue in-house gathering. It's been a long time in the coming but the hard work, patience and perseverance is finally paying off .

For many, resuming our prior social and physical lifestyles out of the home can become quite an adjustment that can take a few months to fully adapt to. But as I always say, the mark of a person's health and well being is their ability to adapt to their internal and external environment. The most logical place to start is with the proper mindset.

When it comes to our outlook, thought processes and capacity to relearn prior behavior, a lot of this is incumbent upon our brains plasticity. That means the ability of the brain to evolve and hardwire newly trained neural circuits. This is the process of how we learn and become competent at our endeavours. Steady repetitive practice strengthens the neuroconnections from our brain to the rest of our body. The more they fire, the harder they wire.

By contrast, it is just as important for the brain to be able to break down old circuits that are not being used or not needed anymore. When we consider how much of our covid era mentality was devoted to daily case counts, ICU hospitalizations, death tolls and vaccination rates, it's no wonder that our attention to these matters has been saturated. Now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us ( for those of us who are fully vaccinated), it's time to let these old negative hardwired thoughts go.

But how do we hit the delete button on our brain after 16 months of daily dire thinking ?

The answer comes from understanding how the nervous system works. There are brain cells that are responsible for breaking down the synapses between neurons that send learned impulses. These serve to destroy old nerve channels in order to make room for new ones. It's sort of like raking up and trimming a garden bed before you plant new crops.

They call it "synaptic pruning" . Science has now uncovered how this phenomenon works to make room for newer stronger nerve connections. The best part is that there are ways to deliberately select which old nerve channels you wish to "prune" .

Please join me in this week's blog as I uncover strategies to mentally declutter and give yourself a much needed post pandemic brain drain.

The concept of neuro facilitation is a key factor in the learning process. It refers to how the nervous system’s circuits become enhanced by repetition and practice. The brain sends signals to neurons which fire to adjacent neurons. At each junction there is a synapse where neurotransmitters ( suc...