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Major scientific advances show positive effects of meditation on physical and emotional health

Meditation and the Brain  

Jon lieff MD

Description: Istock FEATURE MEDITATION 2013 DidjMeditation-WarpIn the past year major scientific advances have shown positive effects of meditation on physical and emotional health including permanent changes in brain structures. Dramatic results include alterations in cellular DNA, and immune factors, which have begun to show possible molecular reasons for the positive effects of meditation and the brain 2013.

This post will first summarize the findings presented a year ago (see post “Meditation and the Brain”, June 2012) and then update the work that has occurred in the past year including some theorizing about possible mechanisms of meditation effects in the brain. There is currently little information from research about the advanced subjective states of meditation but there are now some intriguing possibilities.

Description: Colorful brain fibersThere is reason to think that the very powerful effects of meditation are related to new understanding of neuroplasticity in the brain. The old static model of the brain has been replaced with great activity—daily formation of new axons and dendrites forming synapses, and daily incorporation of newly minted neurons in new circuits of learning. Neuroplasticity is now known to occur in wide circuits throughout the brain with many different simultaneous mechanisms. The more intricate and extensive the network of brain regions involved the more powerful is the subjective experience. Combining focused concentration with breath observation, movement with yoga or Tai Chi, listening to sounds, mantras, and singing, and group activity such as moving to rhythmic music makes a much wider circuit and a much more profound experience.

There are a wide variety of meditation techniques that each have effects on specific brain regions, but all of them have general effects on the regions of the brain most closely related to our sense of identity. The parts of the brain that are strengthened and modified with specific different techniques include brain circuits involving compassion, relaxation, stress reduction, and concentration.

Summary of Previous Information, June 2012:

Please see the previous post for more details on the following summary.

Compassion Meditation: Compassion meditation increased gamma oscillations and synchrony, and increased activity regions of empathy. It showed increased concentration ability, increased activity in frontal region of positive emotion and self control; increased thalamus filtering of sensory motor signals; and decreased activity in parietal regions of vision and space.

Description: mindfulnessMindfulness  Meditation: Mindfulness meditation increased the number of neurons and connections in concentration regions of right frontal cortex, insula region of emotions, and right parietal and temporal regions of sight and sound. It decreased amygdala regions of stress and increased hippocampus regions of memory.

§  It showed improved ability to multitask, longer focus, better concentration, less switching, decreased stress, increased memory and equal or better productivity.

§  A Chinese mindfulness meditation (IBMT) showed increase of density of axons (after two weeks) and increased myelin (after four weeks) with increased connectivity in the anterior cingulate center of focus, attention, concentration and self-regulation. This correlated with decreased stress hormones in the blood, less anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue; also, increased blood flow to cingulate cortex, lower heart rate, decreased skin conductance, decreased breathing rates, and increased belly breathing.

§  In cancer patients there was less anxiety and depression.

§  Navy SEALs using a mindfulness program showed decreased stress, and improvement in concentration, memory, performance of complex tasks, and regaining focus after stress

Transcendental Meditation: TM increased synchronous oscillations throughout the brain, and showed more activity in attention region of frontal and parietal brain, decrease in thalamus sensory region and basal ganglia used for choosing actions.

With teens that have high blood pressure, it showed positive heart effects, including smaller left ventricle and decreased blood pressure.

Description: Tai_Chi,_Cannon_BeachTai Chi:  In the elderly there were increased growth factors that stimulate new brain cells. They also had increased brain volume and better memory and thinking. This was more than other forms of exercise in a comparison study.

In All Types of Meditation: The Default Mode Network (DMN) is the part of the brain thought to most closely relate to the sense of “who we are” including non-focused internal thought, daydreaming, wondering, remembering, future planning, and thinking about others. In all meditation the DMN is altered–briefly in novices and permanently in experienced meditators—to include new brain centers in dorsal anterior cingulate. This change reflected increased focus and self-monitoring of thought and emotion and increased control of behavior and thought.

§  All types of meditation increase the gyrification, or folding, of the cortex, which increased with the number of years of meditation practice. This is an indication of increased brain effectiveness (gyrification is possibly a major difference between human and other animal brains).

§  Compared with non meditators, research showed better ability to see subliminal and unconscious words.

§  There was evidence of increased creativity with meditation and with daydreaming. With mind wandering there was better performance in association and insight tasks.

§  In cancer patients there was less anxiety and depression.

§  There were long-term effects on emotional stability with decreased anxiety and depression. Improvement in depression correlated with decreased hyper connectivity between the medial prefrontal dorsal cognitive and ventral emotional centers. Increased attention correlated with better synchronization in right parietal.

§  In martial arts, the power was noted to be from the mental concentration not the muscles.

§  Elite navy SEAL training including meditation showed more activation of the Description: 1024px-3rd_Battalion_3rd_Marines_Helo_Crashinsula, related to awareness, pain and emotion; and increased gray matter volume and better synapses in pre frontal cortex. These practices helped relieve stress and increased awareness. Soldiers showed better biofeedback tests of muscular and neurological reactions to stress after 10 days of meditation, yoga and martial arts. They could learn a foreign language better, learn complex technical weapons systems better and were better marksmen. Another study showed that after 8 weeks of meditation soldiers more resembled SEAL and had decreased stress. This used, fMRI, blood and saliva markers.

New Research in 2013

Description: interleukin 6Perhaps the most significant advances this year were in cellular genetics and immune molecular biology. Meditation showed significant effects on a large number of genes that produced striking effects on inflammatory factors. In general the results showed decreased immune inflammatory factors interleukin 6, and NF-KappaB, and an increase in the important antiviral factor IRF1. There were other studies that showed decreased inflammation with local skin burns, fewer colds and decreased stress hormones. Previous research has shown the extremely close relation of the immune and nervous systems and therefore these changes might relate to the mental properties of meditation as well. 

Changes in Gene Expression and Immune Function

Gene expression changes were measured in the blood at the start of “relaxation response” meditation, just after and fifteen minutes later. Novices participated in weekly mindfulness meditation training.

Long term meditators and novices both showed epigenetic gene expression changes, with greater changes for the long term meditators. The genes that changed involved increases in energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion and telomere maintenance and decrease in inflammation and oxidative stress responses. Specifically mitochondrial ATP synthase and insulin (INS) were upregulated, and NF-kB pathway genes were downregulated.

These changes correlated with “mitochondrial resilience” and were surprisingly rapid. This “relaxation response” was noted by the researchers to be “opposite to the stress or fight and flight response. The study suggested a connection of meditation with mitochondria, the energy source for cells.

§  In another study, Tai Chi reduced circulating levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin 6, IL-6, in older adults after 16 weeks compared to controls.

§  Another study showed reduction in respiratory infections with meditators. People who started daily exercise reduced colds, but those who exercised and meditated reduced it furthers.

§  Helen Lavretsky studied 45 family dementia caregivers that showed 68 of their genes responded differently after Kirtan Kriya Meditation (KKM), resulting in reduced inflammation.

§  In another study yoga meditation reversed NF-kappaB and IRF related transcriptome changes in leukocytes of family dementia caregivers. Up regulated genes included immunoglobulin transcripts and down regulated increased pro inflammatory cytokines and activation related immediate early genes. The alterations were in dendritic immune cells and B lymphocytes. There was also reduced NF-kappaB signaling and increased IRF1 of innate antiviral response gene.

§  High levels of cortisol are correlated with physical or emotional stress, and continuous increase can lead to many serious health problems. Measuring cortisol from saliva there was a decrease in cortisol with measures of effectiveness of mindfulness meditation during a retreat.

§  Mindfulness decreases inflammation and inflammation markers. Capsaicin cream was used to produce inflammation on the skin and immune and endocrine blood tests were done to two groups, one mindfulness and a control group of walking, balancing, core training, and music therapy.

Physical Symptoms

Description: FEATURE FEELINGS  iStock_000019923912SmallReduced Heart Attack, Stroke and Death: A study published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes showed that TM over a five year study decreased by 48% the risk of heart attack, stroke and death. The study followed 201 people with coronary heart disease who either (a) took a health education class promoting better diet and exercise or (b) did TM

Atrial Fibrillation: . Yoga was shown to decrease atrial fibrillation. Over three months of classes patients had fewer symptoms.

Pain:

§   A study proposed that the reason mindfulness increases control over pain and depression is through gaining control over sensory corticol alpha rhythms that regulate filters of pain and depressive memories. The theory is that meditators learn to control a volume knob for adjusting specific spatial brain waves. This basically allows the meditator to choose which sensations to focus on but also to avoid bias of attention caused by chronic pain. This theory is based on MEG studies showing alpha rhythms in the cortex correlate with sensory attention. Meditators where able to regulate these waves in the realm of milliseconds compared with non meditators.

§  Meditation can alter how we experience pain. During a pain experiment experienced meditators felt the discomfort as intensely, but it was less unpleasant. Brain imaging showed less activity in anxiety regions for the meditators. The meditators became accustomed to the more rapidly with repeated exposure.

Parkinson’s Disease: In a comparison of Tai Chi with resistance training and stretching in Parkinson’s patients, the Tai Chi produced significantly better postural stability, gait and knee strength. There were some benefits of the other training

Brain Fatigue: “Brain fatigue”, measured by ortable EEGs, was lessened by walking in nature. While walking in urban environment there was increased arousal, attentive and frustrated. In nature the EEG’s were more meditative.

Stress and Anxiety

§  Transcendental meditation significantly reduced post traumatic stress in African refugees in forty two refugees of the Congo civil war, living in Uganda. The control group did not receive training until after the study. The group that meditated had dramatic change from severe PTSD scores on PCL to within normal after 30 days. The scores of the control group showed increased symptoms during this

period. Description: 512px-Depression-loss_of_loved_one

§  These refugees had no home, no job and little support.

§  Mindfulness meditation reduced stress and depressive symptoms in children 12 to 16 years from 12 secondary schools. The research included 522 children during examinations. Eighty percent of the meditation group continued meditating after the three month study.

§  Meditation and Art therapy in patients with breast cancer showed decreased stress and anxiety in eight weeks. Evaluations included cerebral blood flow changes compared with controls.

§  An analysis of techniques used in psychotherapy for mindfulness related stress reduction, cognitive therapy and treatment of depression, anxiety and pain.

§  Complementary use of tai chi augments citalopram treatment of depression in the elderly.

§  The effects of meditation on emotional stability persisted even when not meditating.

Different Effects of Compassion and Mindfulness Meditation

Compassion and mindfulness meditations showed strong response to human suffering in the first, and more stability for all emotion in the latter. After eight weeks of meditation training meditators had generally reduced activity in the right amygdala by fMRI in response to emotional images when not meditating. Mindfulness, with focus on attention and awareness of breathing, thoughts and emotions, showed decrease in activation of right amygdala to all images helping emotional stability and response to stress. Compassion meditation, with focus on increasing compassion and empathy, showed decrease in positive or neutral images, but it increased with negative images showing human suffering.

Ability to Read Facial Expressions

Compassion meditation improves ability to read facial expressions through behavioral testing and fMRI. Meditators had increase in brain activity in empathy regions of inferior frontal gyrus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.

Mind Over Muscle

Description: martial-arts-beach_97223-1600x1200Brain scans of karate black belts shows that the unusual power of the karate punch comes from the brain not the muscles. Using the advanced diffusion tensor MRI, which can show axons, the black belts compared with novices had white matter microscopic structural differences in the white matter of the cerebellum and the motor cortex. The correlation also included age of becoming black belt and level of experience.

Other General Findings

§  Creativity was increased by meditation and deliberate mind wandering, even though in some ways they are opposite. Increasing mind wandering and being aware of it appeared to increase creativity.  This effect is increased if a unchallenging task is done while the mind wanders.

§  Mindfulness meditation increases musical engagement.

§  Mindfulness meditation temporarily altered the sense of time. It slowed down the perception of time producing the feeling that short periods of time lasted longer.

Speed of Action

Description: Science MagazineMeditation brain changes can occur in just eight weeks counteracting stress related brain alterations of increases in the amygdala (emotions, fear) and decrease in hippocampus (learning and memory); decreasing anxiety and fear; and increasing memory and cognitive abilities.

Theory of Attentional Control

An article on possible neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness medition is “Neural Mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation.” This paper attempts to find how increased attention has positive effects by improving the resource allocation of brain functions.

Advanced Meditation

Since it is not possible to measure the details of subjective mental states, the unusual experiences that are reported by advanced meditators remain beyond the reach of current science. However, there are unusual scientific findings in a variety of areas that might help future directions for research into advanced meditation states–psychedelics, deep sleep, dreaming, out of body experiences, and accidental savants.

Description: img_scienceOut of Body Experiences: Recent research has shown that using virtual reality systems, out of body experiences can be triggered in ordinary people. This finding is important because previously some scientists considered out of body experiences as psychotic. This research shows that the body consciousness can be separated from the sense of “I,” or the awareness of self.  In many meditation traditions, instructions are given to reduce attachment to the body consciousness as an important technique in advanced practice. Further research now shows that out of body experiences do occur in meditation, crises, fasting, and other spiritual practices.

Description: Girl with balloonDreaming: It is not at all clear what dreams are. Are they random mental aberrations as part of a brain cleansing that prunes synapses every night? Or, are they a coherent world of experience equivalent in some way, but quite different from, our waking consciousness. Interesting findings include the ability of some to “lucid dream,” where they learn to be conscious during dreams and influence the content and experience of dreams. Another finding is the similarity of brain states of dreaming and meditation, where the cognition is unconstrained, there is self observation, but a dampening of evaluation and controlling brain regions.

Description: 800px-Sleep_EEG_Stage_4Deep Sleep: An interesting lead in finding mechanisms for the action of advanced meditation might come from studying deep sleep. The observation that EEG patterns of advanced meditators are similar to stage IV deep sleep is intriguing, because deep sleep is noted to have major health benefits, including increased learning and less overall mortality. A state with the synergy of deep sleep that occurs during alert consciousness surely has very important properties.

Description: pi4Accidental Savants and TMS: Advanced meditation traditions note that one result of sustained practice can be sudden increase in knowledge not otherwise known or available. Recent observation of accidental savants show that soon after various brain injuries extraordinary capacities can emerge. This also occurs with transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS, which temporarily disables controlling sections of the brain. These sudden remarkable talents include advanced calculation ability, very unusual autobiographical knowledge, advanced music and art abilities. (See post). These experiences all are preceded by a change in the usual evaluative and controlling brain centers that limit activity to normal. Advanced meditation might release knowledge in the same way.

Description: MushroomsPsychelics: A variety of meditation traditions note spiritual experiences during meditation that in some ways resembles the effects of psychedelics. These experiences include changes in body consciousness, and alterations of the experience of time and space. What is particularly striking is that recent research with psilocybin shows that most ordinary people in the study found the research experience of taking psilocybin to be one of the most profound experiences of their lives. Study also shows that many people change their lifestyle after psychedelic experiences in spiritual directions.

Description: unusual colorsIn some ways, even more intriguing are the recent fMRI findings of psychedelic experiences. While the person experiences dramatic and in some ways life changing subjective mental states, most of the important brain hubs become very silent, including cortex and sensory filtering. This very counterintuitive finding of decreased brain activity during increased mental subjective experience might be related to an experience of a deeper mind not measured by brain activity. This is reminiscent of the discussion of psychedelics opening the “doors of perception,” a phrase originally related to spiritual experience.

Meditation and the Brain 2013

Meditation practice appears to have many major positive physical and mental effects. Meditation practice trains a specific muscle for mental concentration stimulating increased memory, creativity and cognitive abilities. The relaxation produces deep physiological effects on genes, inflammation and cellular metabolism. The recent studies on inflammation and immune function begin to tackle the important question of how the positive health and psychological effects of meditation occur. Because of the strong connection between the immune and nervous systems, this data might begin Description: Glow of Fractal Dreamsto also explain the subjective mental affects as well.  

Advanced meditation states appear to have even greater benefits in most of these studies. Also, unusual subjective mental experiences during advanced meditation can have great spiritual impact and can be life changing.

It is an exciting time to be studying meditation and the brain 2013. Hopefully, research techniques in the future will continue to advance explanations for meditation’s remarkable effects. 

– See more at: http://jonlieffmd.com/blog/meditation-and-the-brain-2013?utm_source=buffer&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=bufferdafc2&utm_medium=facebook#sthash.km2h2n92.dpuf

Mindful Movement to Music Classes

Mindful Movement to music: A monthly event which invites you to experience the whole dimension of your body energy and mind. This workshop is based on many years of experience with some of the key components that are being applied.
 

Each 2 hour workshop will be themed lead and will always incorporate several key components for safety consisting of:
 

  • Preliminary phase: Warm ups to prepare the body joints and muscles.
  • Secondary phase: Where you will be invited to apply longer staying and exploring positions with small micro movements, stretching moving and opening in the movements inspired by the music.
  • Third phase: You are invited to experience the result of opening and release of movement grounding and relaxation At least has experience with sensation this informal basis of mindfulness  of natural accruing sensations of the body and energy, from here we then enter into stillness and relaxation.


Details about the sessions
Everyone is welcome no previous experience is required, only an openness and willingness to explore some of your limitations and your own way of moving. You will be creating your own positions and movements unique to your body, not specifically related to any specific yoga or dance tradition.

 

In some parts of the session you'll be invited to start from certain positions, lying on the floor, siting, standing etc.  Then encouraged to move and explore from there. The floor will be covered with shiatsu mats that encourage comfortable exploration of the body and use props that enable a more dynamic interaction.

 

Some of the music is specially selected and remixed to a specific speed, this is to facilitate optimal functioning of the heart rate and breaths per minute. Some evenings may also have input from musicians.

Yoga Classes

30th – 31st July 2016, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Yantra Yoga for Beginners in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Price: 80 Euros

Enquiries: Click Here

 


Yoga Classes and Courses

 

Classes may vary from very basic beginner level to more dynamic and advanced levels, but always a key point in mind is the unique constitution and present state of each individual and how yoga can be modified to suit your ability, condition and capacity.  

 

Different styles of yoga  are used drawing from a broad range of  yogic and bodywork traditions depending on the focus of the course,

Hatha yoga, restorative yoga,  yin yoga, structural yoga, yantra yoga and yoga therapy.

 

Applying some or all of the following methods:

  • Mobilizing and preparing the joints
  • Strengthening & Grounding Poses
  • Movement and Balancing Poses
  • Stretching and Invigorating Poses
  • Core Work and Activating Poses
  • Stretching and Invigorating Poses
  • Restorative & Relaxation-promoting Poses
  • Pranayama breathing practices
  • Meditation and contemplation

Call john on 07939090412 to talk about how yoga could help you and book a session.

 

Acupuncture &TCM

JohnR-KailashC-Sept2013acu2-53

Acupuncture and TCM

Acupuncture is one of the major branches of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Traditional Chinese medicine has mapped more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, which connect with 12 main and 8 secondary pathways called meridians. These meridians conduct energy, or Qi flow between the surface of the body and the related internal organs.

 

The main meridians are classified into two opposing categories: Yin meridians and Yang meridians. Yin meridians link to the Yin organs (usually solid organs), and Yang meridians to the Yang organs (usually hollow organs). Yin and Yang meridians form a complex network, guiding and regulating a proper Qi flow through the whole body.

 

A healthy individual means that Qi circulates freely in the meridian networks, and promotes and maintains the Yin and Yang balance and the organ harmony.

 Diseases occur when the meridians are blocked and Qi flow is disturbed or diminished. The diseased conditions are expected to be restored by manipulating the involved meridians, using acupuncture and other healing methods such as acupressure massage Qi gong, moxibustion and cupping Etc.

 

  One of the unique functions of acu-points is bi-directional regulation, which means that stimulating a same point can restore two distinctive opposite diseased conditions (excess and deficient )over-function and under-function of the affected organs.

 

Acupuncture points are stimulated with fine sterile disposable needles to trigger a healing response in the patient. Specific points along the acupuncture channels are chosen according to traditional theory and anatomical findings to rebalance the flow of Qi in the channels and bring about healing.

 

Acupuncture treatment aims to treat the root of a condition, whilst also relieving the symptoms,

It does this by restoring natural functioning of the body at the deepest levels. As well as balancing and helping with specific problems it can also help with stress and promote general wellbeing and calm.

 

Cupping therapy

Cupping therapy is developed to a high level in Chinese medicine, but which also exists independently in many other traditional medicine systems.

A partial vacuum is introduced into the cup, normally by using a flame, then the cup is quickly placed onto the body. The vacuum pulls the muscle and tissue up into the cup, aiding local circulation and loosening tightness and restrictions. There are also cups which use a pump and a valve to achieve the same effect.

In Chinese medicine cupping can be used to 'expel' pathogens from the skin and muscle layer, this means in treating symptoms including mild fever, chills and fever, stiff neck and a little sweating. It also means it is indicated for situations where there is pain and localized blood stagnation. The suction moves or invigorates the blood, that is in situations where there is sharp or severe muscle pain, spasm and loss of movement where there is qi and blood stasis. By restoring the circulation of blood, stasis is removed and function returns.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

 

Chinese herbal medicine is part of an integrated system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has an uninterrupted history of development dating back thousands of years in China and other parts of East Asia. The origins of Chinese herbal medicine can be traced back a few thousand years which makes  it one of  the oldest health care modality to-date.

 

In general, Chinese herbal medicine takes an wholistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes and focuses as much on the prevention of illness as on the treatment. Most diseases or illnesses present with a core set of recognisable signs and symptoms, but the actual presentation of a particular disease or illness will vary from person to person. For this reason, people with similar health conditions may be provided with quite different Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions.

Today, there are around 500 substances commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine, most of Chinese herbal medicine used are originated from plants.

Some Chinese herbal medicine are familiar to all of us, for example ,liquorice,  ginger, garlic, rhubarb, cinnamon, and chrysanthemum, peony flowers that might be in the backyard gardens.

 Concentrated extracts  are mostly used which have been processed pharmaceutically to GMP (Good Manufacturing Process) standard which ensures potency, quality and keeps the product free from pesticides and other contaminants. These powders are taken by mixing a fixed measure with warm water, thus ensuring a safe dose is maintained. Also, it saves time from the traditional boiling of the raw herbs which usually takes the patient about an hour per bag.

If you are very sensitive to taste,the formula  can be encapsulated which would be more palatable.

All the herbs used are regulated by The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine which ensures that no substances are used from animals, minerals or protected plants, as set by The Medicines and Heathcare products Regulatory Agency .

 

What does the RCHM believe that Chinese Medicine can treat?
NB The RCHM's Code of Ethics, to which all RCHM members must adhere states 
that: "Herbal practitioners must always be aware of the necessity to communicate with other healthcare professionals, directly or indirectly, when the expertise of such professionals fits more properly the needs of a particular patient." 

RCHM members will therefore not discourage essential medical treatment for conditions where western medical supervision or advice should be sought. They will always advise patients, in the case of serious illnesses or uncertain diagnosis, to seek advice and treatment from their GP/consultant. RCHM members will also, with the patient's consent, liaise with that patient's other health professionals, where appropriate, when offering complementary treatment.

The RCHM believes that Chinese herbal medicine has a role to play in the treatment of the following conditions:

  • Skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria
  • Gastro-intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, ulcerative colitis
  • Gynaecological conditions, including pre-menstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis, infertility
  • Hepatitis and HIV: some promising results have been obtained for treatment of Hepatitis C, and supportive treatment may be beneficial in the case of HIV
  • Chronic fatigue syndromes, whether with a background of viral infection or in other situations
  • Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, allergic and perennial rhinitis and sinusitis
  • Rheumatological conditions (e.g. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis
  • Psychological problems (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Massage Therapy & Body Work

Body Work

John uses different systems of body work combined or used individually, for the best therapeutic outcome or as the client’s preference.  

 

Chinese Massage

Tui Na or Chinese Massage is an ancient massage that is part of Chinese Medicine acupuncture, herbal medicine, and qigong. Tui Na is one of the oldest treatments known to man and has been used and developed by billions of people in the East for thousands of years. In China it is practiced as a medical massage for therapeutic benefits. It accelerates the regeneration and healing of injuries, improves blood and lymph circulation, detoxifies the system, alleviates pain, relaxes tight muscles, strengthens immunity and improves health and well-being.

 

Shiatsu

Shiatsu is an oriental massage developed mostly in Japan in which fingers, palms, elbows and knees are used to apply pressure along the Chinese acupuncture meridians. Like acupuncture, and Tui Na shiatsu aims to stimulate and balances the body’s vital energy, known Ki or Qi in Chinese. Shiatsu is given on a futon, on the floor, or on a treatment couch with the client fully clothed.

Shiatsu can help a wide range of conditions, from specific injuries to more general symptoms of ill health. It can be a deeply relaxing experience and can help prevent the build up of stress in our lives. Like acupuncture, shiatsu aims to treat the root of the problem by balancing the body's flow of energy.

 

Connective tissue stretching

The Rossiter System is a powerful and effective method to treat many types of pain, it has elements of structural integration, shiatsu, and Rolfing, but a major difference is that the patent does all the work, they are in control.

You lie on a floor on a mat, fully clothed. The  foot is used to press and anchor your tissue in place while you move in a precise way and apply strong stretches to  your body,  you are in control of the session.

The root cause is usually found in the connective tissue, the stretchy and broad fascial coverings which connect each part of the body to other parts – hence it’s called the “connective tissue”. It surrounds every muscle, ligament, tendon, and organ, gives the body its shape and holds it all together.

When the connective tissue becomes, injured,  stressed or overworked  it shortens and thickens,  This may cause you pain or stiffness and even reduce your range of motion considerably.

The Rossiter system is most helpful for people suffering from:

Arm, wrist or hand pain

Sciatic, Lower Back or Hip pain

Knee pain

Shoulder or Rotator cuff pain

Certain types of Headaches or neck pain

Tight calves or hamstrings

Tennis elbow

Plantar fasciitis

Repetitive Strain Injuries

For more information about the Rossiter  system http://therossitersystem.com/our-story.htm

Yoga Therapy

John Renshaw offers a unique form of therapeutic yoga and tension release. Based on the principles of yoga, John will take you through a series of passive movements, stretches and muscular release. Ideal for those suffering from chronic tension especially of the shoulders, lower back and hips.

 

Yoga therapy is the specialist adaptation of yoga for those suffering with specific health problems and physical injuries. Although regular yoga sessions can improve general health, the practice does not aim to resolve serious conditions and is more focused on developing physical fitness and the maintaining overall well-being.

 

Yoga therapy practitioners are qualified yoga teachers but they have undertaken additional training in medicine and applications of yoga to medical conditions. This allows the practitioner to tailor the yoga to the patient’s specific ailment or injury with the ultimate aim of healing not only these specific symptoms but also to target the cause to prevent the injury from reoccurring.

 

What does treatment involve?

The first meeting begins by taking a detailed medical history from you as well as discussing physical, mental emotional and lifestyle issues. The more in-depth the information the better as this is what will be used to analyse your condition and subsequently form your treatment plan.

 

Usually, this is then followed by a series of one to one sessions, or it could be practical to form a small group of patients who require similar or the same treatment. In terms of the session itself, whether taken individually or as a group, it will primarily consist of postural, breathing practice, mindfulness and relaxation exercises. The combination of yoga postures chosen aim to strengthen the body as well as increasing flexibility and mobility. Exercises which involve breathing techniques will work therapeutically by increasing the flow of oxygen, helping to relieve stress, calm the nervous system and strengthen the respiratory and digestive systems.

 

Relaxation methods work on both a physical and mental level by creating a sense of wellbeing which helps us to deal with situations that would normally put strain on our bodies, and finally, meditation techniques help us to achieve a sense of inner calm and happiness.

 

Yoga Therapy for the Mind 8 Week Course

 

Specialist Yoga Therapy courses for stress anxiety and depression. For full course details Click Here

 

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