04.12.08
Posted in Wellness at 12:09 pm by Ric
Often after an Ortho-Bionomy session I use the words “And Your Homework Assignment Is…”. This is meant somewhat lightly since we tend to not want to be given something we “have” to do. The rest of the sentence is something like “just tune into your body periodically throughout the day and notice”. The reason for this is that we have an innate ability to find comfort and balance, both in our bodies and in our lives. The most powerfull way to tap into this ability is simply focusing our awareness. Not to try to change anything but rather to just notice, without judgement. It’s when we tune out our bodies that we fall into discomfort and imbalance.
Our body knows what to do. If you think about it we can stand on two legs without falling over because our body is constantly making adjustments to keep us upright. Likewise our body knows how to keep us in balance and comfort. However when we lose touch with our bodies due to focusing on tasks we are “doing” or if we become distracted by external stress our bodies can fall into patterns of imbalance and discomfort. By simply returning to our bodies periodically and noticing how comfortable or uncomfortable we are seeing where we notice things we can allow our body to do it’s job of restoring our balance.
The same is true with the issues in our life. If we can just bring our awareness without feeling the need to “fix” things we are often suprised to find that those issue are free to evolve without our help.
When we spend less time “doing” and more time “being” we can achieve a level of empowerment we never thought possible.
As always…
Remember to Be Gentle With Yourself.
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03.22.08
Posted in Nature, Seasons at 10:23 am by Ric
I recently had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest bird watching spectacles in the world, the annual spring migration of Sandhill Cranes through central Nebraska. I have made this trek countless times but each time I am in awe of what I see and hear.
Each year after wintering in Texas New Mexico, and Mexico the cranes make the Platte River valley of central Nebraska a stopover in their journey to breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. They start arriving sometime in February, staying about one month to feed on invertebrates and waste corn in the fields along the Platte River. The arrival and departure is staggered with the last cranes leaving by mid April. This stop in Nebraska allows the cranes to add body fat that will sustain them for the rest of their trip and for the initial nest building in the tundra areas in the north.
Cranes spend their night in the shallow Platte River, arriving at dusk. They like it’s wide banks to provide then safety from predators. At sunrise they take to the fields to feed.
Approximately 500,000 cranes make their way to a relatively narrow stretch of the Platte between Grand Island and North Platte. The peak numbers occur about the third week of March but Large numbers are often present in early March. An added bonus in the first half of March is the large number of Snow Geese and Canada Geese present.
What I love most about the cranes is their trumpeting call. It can carry for a long distance is the most primal sound I’ve ever experienced in the natural world. You can hear a recording of a few nearby Sandhill Cranes along with a slide show here.
Fossil record show that Cranes of undetermined species have been in Nebraska for 10 million years and Sandhill Cranes have been visiting at least 2 1/2 million years.
A central point in Crane viewing is The Audubon Society Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon Nebraska. They protect many acres along the Platte where the Crane concentration is greatest. Trips to view Crane roosting at sunrise and sunset are available from blinds along the river.
From March through April 6th you can hear/view a live webcam from Rowe Sanctuary. Note that these views of the river will not show cranes during the day, only before sunrise and after sunset. You may hear Cranes in the background.
I do my viewing between Grand Island and Kearney. Starting on The Platte River Road at Doniphan if you travel west along the back roads you will see, and hear, Cranes in the fields just about everywhere during the migration season. Some of these back roads are seldom traveled and you can pull off to the side for viewing. Other roads require looking for designated pulloff viewing areas. There are many. Your car makes an excellent blind and can protect you from the cold and wind you are likely to encounter on the Nebraska plains in March.
While viewing notice the dance the birds often do.
Another plus is that with the transition from winter you can witness many other signs of the emergence of spring making this trip a great way to celebrate spring.
For better photos, videos, and more information…
Photos, video, and information about places where you can view cranes can be found here.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission have a page with info and videos here.
If you haven’t taken the opportunity to view this spectacle in Nebraska you are missing out on a natural treat. Words and photos can’t describe the experience. After more than 15 trips the only word I can use to describe it is awe.
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02.02.08
Posted in Wellness at 10:46 pm by Ric
If you sit at a desk much of the day chances are you know upper back discomfort. When we stay in one position too long focusing on something it’s easy for us to tune out our bodies. When this happens we can fall into unhealthy postures. Our energy can become stagnant, our fluids pool up in certain parts of our bodies. And there is discomfort!
One of the best things we can do is break the pattern. Stretching is great way to do that. If you think about it what’s the first thing you when you wake up each morning or when you do finally get up from the desk? You instinctively stretch.
Stretching can reduce tension, improve energy, flexibility, and circulation, and make it easier to relax.
A simple stretching routine for desk dwellers can found at Shelter Online, a publisher of a variety of fitness books. The Desk Stretches routine, which takes no more than three minutes to do, comes from a book Stretching in the Office by By Bob and Jean Anderson. You can view other samples of this book and order it here.
Another good article, Why Stretching Matters, can be found at babyfit.com.
For a very simple stretch that can help normalize your posture see the post Desk Dwellers Stretch on this weblog.
Whatever form you chose, break the pattern and stretch often, for comfort, for health.
Always consult your health care practitioner before attempting any wellness or lifestyle changes.
Return to The Healing Connection website.
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01.01.08
Posted in Wellness at 2:01 pm by Ric
Stress?
Upper Back Tension?
Sit At A Desk?
Try The
Desk Dwellers Stretch
Try this simple, yet effective, exercise. It takes about 30 seconds after which you are ready to sit down and continue your work, revitalized and from a more comfortable position.
- Break contact with your work.
- Stand up.
- Put your focus on your body.
- Take a slow, deep breath in.
- As you inhale raise your arms in front of you and over your head.
- When you are ready to exhale slowly lower your arms to your side as you breath out.
- When arms are ¾ of the way down let them drop the rest of the way.
How can an exercise this simple be of benefit? Let’s examine:
- You took your focus away from your work and put it on your body. This is necessary if you want to allow your body to self correct and find comfort.
- Normally we breath very shallow, which has limits. By taking even one deep breath we increase the amount of oxygen and energy flowing through our system and reduce stress.
- Raising our arms over our heads gives our spine a gentle stretch and allows it to straighten. It also opens up the chest area and allows more energy to flow.
- Lowering your arms to your side allows the spine to come to rest in a more normal posture naturally, on it’s own, without having to impose a rigid posture our body might not be ready for.
Doing this exercise regularly retrains the body to find, and stay in, comfort.
Ric Chamberlin, LMT
The Healing Connection
900 S 74th Plaza, Suite 116, Omaha, NE 68114
402 850 0752
www.omahahealingconnection.com
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12.21.07
Posted in Nature, Seasons at 11:13 am by Ric
On December 22, at 12:08 A.M. CDT the Winter Solstice occurs. This is the point in time when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the equator and is directly over the tropic of Cancer. This marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. From this point on the days start getting longer as we move towards spring. This also marks the begining of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Winter is a season of cold,inwardness, and rest.
For more on Winter and how to adapt to it’s changes see this article on The Healing Connection website, Winter - The Season When Things Hide.
For more on the astronomical details of the Winter Solstice go here.
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09.23.07
Posted in Nature, Seasons at 10:51 am by Ric
On September 23, at 4:51 A.M. CDT the Autumnal Equinox occurs. At this time the sun crosses the equator, from north to south marking the start of the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Fall is a season of great transition, from the warmth and outwardness of summer and the cold and inwardness of winter.
For more Fall and how to adapt to it’s changes see this article on The Healing Connection website, Fall - A Time To Gather In.
For more on the astronomical details of the Autumnal Equinox go here.
Take time to notice your place in the changing season.
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08.26.07
Posted in Nature, TCM, Seasons at 9:23 pm by Ric
According to Traditional Chinese Theory Spring and Summer are the Yang seasons (outwardness, activity, movement). Fall and Winter are Yin seasons (inwardness, passivity, receptivity). Summer is the season associated with the Fire element, the season of the heart, the season of Joy. It’s the season of abundance, when plants and animals bear fruit, when everything is in full swing.
I haven’t posted here in quite awhile. I have spent more time enjoying nature less time at the computer.
One things I’ve been enjoying through July and August are the Cicadas. They sit in the trees, practically screaming, seeking out a mate. It always amazes me how even one single insect can make so much noise.
A few weeks ago I camped at Waubonsie State Park in Iowa. Located in Loess Hills it offers some outstanding views. At night, as expected, I heard the Cicadas only in much larger numbers than I have ever heard. They were joined by an equal number of Katydids, another loud insect, sometimes heard in the Omaha area but not in great numbers. The chorus of these insects was so loud and so intense. It ceased to be a individual insects and became something greater, something that became the perfect metaphor for the season of Fire, the season of Joy, the season of abundance. It made me consider the place of insects in the natural world.
Insects are the Mc Donalds of the animal world. There are billions and billions of them just in or own town. They are everywhere. They are the sound of life and being near the bottom of the food chain they support life up that chain.
Insects are a perfect representation of the life going on around us. They represent the ebb and flow of Yin and Yang. To get an idea of this imagine yourself on a summer evening just after sunset. The air is humid, the temperature is hot. The Cicadas are singing all around. Now imagine yourself in the same place, same time of day, only during winter. The air is dry, the temperature is cold (since this is our fantasy we won’t make it bitter cold). And there is silence! If you go back and forth between these two times you can feel the difference between the intense outwardness and joy of all the life you are surrounded by in Summer and the inwardness and hidden life of Winter (for example the next years Cicadas are under ground).
It is for this reason that I grieve the loss of insects in late Fall and Winter. Sure insects can be pests (especially flies and mosquitos), but if you look at the bigger picture they are so much more.
Enjoy the life all around you! Fall is just around the corner.
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07.03.07
Posted in Nature, Seasons, Wellness at 11:22 am by Ric
The summer season will soon be here. Days become longer, the air warmer and damper. If spring is a time of germination, growth, renewal, and an opening of the spirit, summer is a time of abundance, maturity, creativity, and joy of spirit. It’s a time for outwardness, increased activity levels, and strengthening of relationships.
During summer a tree absorbs water and other nutrients from its root system in the earth. Sap is produced which rises to the leaves which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and energy from the sun. This combination of elements from heaven and earth provide food that is freely circulated through the healthy tree and abundant fruit is produced. For trees, plants, animals, and humans alike, the abundance of summer comes from the merging of energies of earth and sky.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes this blending of these energies (yin and yang) as well as the importance of noticing what’s happening in the natural world and being in harmony with it. In TCM the body’s organs each have their season. Summer is the season of the element fire and is the season of the heart. The emotion associated with the heart is joy. An excess of joy can lead to overexcitement, nervousness, longing, and craving. During all seasons balance is an important key to wellness. During this season of abundance extra care should be given to avoid excess that can upset our balance.
What can you do to make the most of summer and maintain balance during this season of abundance?
Read The Full Article –>
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06.26.07
Posted in Nature, Seasons at 2:44 pm by Ric
Summer is officially here.
As of June 21,1:06 PM CDT, the Summer Solstice occurred. This is the point in time when the sun reaches it’s greatest distance from the equator. It’s also the longest day and the shortest night. From this point on the days start getting shorted again.
The Summer Solstice marks the official start of Summer. For many of us in Nebraska it’s felt like Summer for over two weeks. We had a relatively long Spring. After a cold spell in April we enjoyed moderate temperatures and the ground was moist almost all the time. After a very windy day early in June the ground dried up and the humidity increased greatly.
Although the ground is dryer in summer and lawn grass struggles to stay green elsewhere green is quite abundant. A drive through the country will reveal crops well along in their growth cycle. Trees are in full leaf now and have deeps roots that can find water even during dry periods. Prairie grasses likewise are hardy, making the most of dry conditions.
In nature Summer is a time of growth and abundance. People likewise increase their activity level.
Get out and enjoy Summer!
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06.02.07
Posted in Wellness at 12:08 pm by Ric
Breathing is something most of us take for granted. It’s our first act upon entering this world and we do it without having to think about it there after. We have to feed ourselves and find water but we seldom have to go looking for air (unless, perhaps, we happen to be under water). We can go for weeks without food and days without water but we can’t survive more than a few short minutes without air. Breath provides us our source of oxygen, which is required by our cells and is used to produce energy for the
body to use.
Many ancient practices from the East place special focus on breathing such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Yoga. The west has started to put more emphasis on breathing. Relaxation, meditation, and grounding practices often call on us to focus on our breath or alter it. Natural childbirth utilizes regulated breathing to manage pain and anxiety. My sister the music teacher has been telling people for years about the importance of breathing deeper and using all of our lungs.
Read the full article —>
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