Energy Medicine

When you think of Medicine, thoughts of pills,liquids, syrups,needles all come to your mind doesn't it? Well Energy Medicine has none of those. These past couple of weeks, I have been so immersed with the further study and practice of Energy Medicine, that time flew, so my blog writing was shelved for a while.

If you missed it, let me know. If If I don't hear from anyone, then my blogging will be reduced to once a month. This blog was created to help and guide people who needed knowledge, views on natural healing especially energy medicine, energy foods, etc. It involved much of my time to research and write these articles. Feedback has been scanty, even though I know, many do visit my site because of my tracker tool.

If I feel there are readers out there who want to know about what energy medicine and natural medicine is all about and give me suggestions or recommendations, I might go back to once a week postings. For now, I am teaching, as well as doing energy medicine therapies that I find very time consuming. My goal is to teach as many people as I possibly can how to have an healthy immune system and lifestyle. I DO not sell any herbal medications, drinks or capsules, although herbal health companies have approached me. There is a reason for this!

So it is up to you my readers to ask, if you want more? As for now, my postings will be once a month.
Agapelife

Energy:-Are all fruits and vegetables Healing to everyone?

It has been wonderful to explore the healing energy of fruits and vegetables? We were only covering a small piece of the wide array of nature's healing food. However, before you run to the Farmer's Market and fill your basket with the rainbow hue of fruits and vegetables, just read on.

Our body chemistry react differently to foods, including fruits and vegetables. Yes, some people do not digest certain fruits or vegetables and might even get an adverse reaction from them. One example is Bananas - some have allergies to this fruit. Some people who were born in temperate climates have allergies to tropical fruits like mango.

Another barrier to assimilate fruits and greens are certain diseases like Gastrointestinal, Crohns Disease, Kidney Disease and Diabetes. Perhaps seeing your MD if you have these conditions would be appropriate.
So always get a referral to a nutritionist or see a Natural Practitioner specializing in allergies. Energy testing of foods also is very helpful.

Another very important consideration is to wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly especially if you are eating them raw. Whenever possible, try to obtain organically grown produce. If the vegetables or fruits, have turned color or look wilted, it will not give you the healing energies. In that situation, it is better to get a frozen variety of the vegetable or berry as these are frozen at their freshest.

Canned vegetables are loaded with salt and canned fruits are loaded with sugar, so they are very poor alternatives. Proper packaging and storage is important to ensure freshness. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, do send it along.

Energy:- Why These Veggies are Important to Your Health?

The Beet Salad

While researching, I found so many vegetables that go beyond providing vitamins and roughage for our bodies. These vegetables actually have healing properties. Vegetables unlike fruits, do not quickly turn to simple sugars. They are complex carbohydrates, which means the body expends energy to digest them. Since I am not writing a book but an article, I have only taken some of the more popular vegetables, not only from the West but also from the East.

Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bak choy all have a compound that removes aggressive estrogens in the body. The significance is that studies have shown that aggressive estrogens causes cancer, especially, breast, prostate, colon and lung cancers. Some studies have shown that these veggies strengthen your immune system.

Beets are excellent for anaemia, constipation and reducing obesity. Cucumbers decreases blood pressure, skin conditions and emphysema. Celery, too reduces blood pressure. However , it is not recommended eating celery before or right after vigorous exercises.

Chili peppers helps dissolve blood clots, open sinuses, acts as a decongestant and expectorant. It also speeds up metabolism which burns up calories. Chili peppers contains capsicum which is used as a topical drug to relieve pain.
Pumpkin has properties to prevent heart attack and cataracts.
Bitter Melon or Bitter Gourd

Bitter Melon or Bitter Gourd was long known in Asia for decreasing blood sugars and insulin levels, especially for people with Diabetes Type 2
Okra or Ladies Fingers, Gumbo (US), (Bendi in Malay) is another vegetable that stabilized blood sugars. Okra’s mucilage binds cholesterol and bilious acids, carrying the toxins and giving it easy passage out of the body. It acts like psyllium and flax but is much easier to swallow. Have you tried any of the gumbo dishes, like chicken or shrimp gumbo , they are delicious.

In South East Asia, mushrooms are considered a heart medication. Dried matake or shitake, when consumed regularly was shown in a study to decrease cholesterol levels by 7% to 12%. Dried mushrooms takes a longer time to prepare. Usually used in soups and flavorful.

Sea vegetables mostly in the form of seaweeds. A study showed very low breast cancer rates among women living of a Japanese island whose regular diet included kombu ( a seaweed), which is harvested there for domestic and world distribution. Sea weeds help with thyroid prevention and hypertension.

The recommended serving of vegetable in most food guides is 5 to 6 servings a day. So with your normal size dinner plate - half of the plate should be filled with vegetables, the other half divided into 2 with one side for your bread/rice/pasta and the other with your protein. In order to get the maximum effect of these vegetables, Do Not overcook them or deep fry them. If you need any simple recipes, please contact me.
Copyright/P Nicholas

Energy:-Healing Energy with Berries

There are so many different berries and many of them prefer the temperate climate. So when I was growing up in South East Asia, I only saw strawberries and the other berries in picture except for cherries, which were 1/2 the size than the ones found in the West. My grandmother had a cherry tree which attracted many birds.

Berries, like the ones we know of are botanically considered false berries. The real berries are grapes, currants and gooseberry.
Before we continue with berries or false berries,there are rambutans in South East Asia,which is a seasonal fruit found in South East Asia, very sweet with a texture like lycee. The roots,leaves and bark of the rambutan tree is used for wound healing and for eye infection. Here is what rambutans look like.
Rambutan :- Rambut means Hairy in Malay


Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberry
There are about 200 species of berries in Canada, some are not edible and even poisonous. So be cautious when you are picking wild berries in the woods. There are some that might look like blueberries or red currants which are poisonous.
Blueberries have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Blueberries are also recommended to prevent macular degeneration and wrinkles. The wild blueberries are tinier than the cultivated ones. Saskatoon berries resemble blueberries.
Raspberry and blackberry also have anti-cancer properties according to the American Cancer Institute.


Wolfberry or Gogi berry
Gogi berry is getting a reputation as the anti-aging berry. It's or1gin is in the Himalayas and Tibet but as a fellow blogger, Dora (www.bricorefamily.com) tells me she has some growing on her farm in the US. Some effects of gogi berry which is full of minerals,protein and vitamins are the following -
1.calms nervousness and enhances memory
2.an anti-inflammatory
3.lowers blood pressure and keeps heart healthy,
4.Strengthens the immune system.
Apparently there is a Tibetan saying that eating gogi berries in the morning makes you happy the entire day. So daily dose of gogi will make you a smiling person. Gogi can be obtained dried in Health Food Stores and can be eaten with your breakfast cereal, or mixed with other dried fruits and nuts as a snack.
Gogi berries on the tree


There is also the acai berry which is native of the Amazon with healing properties and it is from type of palm plant.
These are only brief descriptions and if you wish to know more please contact me or leave a comment.
Agapelife
Ref: Canadian Encyclopedia
www.gogi.com

Energy:-Eating fruits with healing energy?

We all know that fruits are rich in Vitamin C. Well how many of you know that some fruits also have enzymes that helps digestion and others have been used to reduced inflammation, remove fatigue and Enhance Energy and since my practice is on Healing Energy these products from Mother Nature is so relevant. The following fruits for this week will be from Asian grown as that was where I first tasted these.There are some plants transplanted in Australia and Florida. Then following these, will be the berries, grown in North America and Europe.
The Papaya



Papaya has an enzyme Papain which aids digestion. In the east, people would eat part of a papaya for breakfast. In the west, health food stores sell papain supplements as a digestive aids. Fresh papaya can be found in chinese grocers as well as some supermarkets. I prefer the red fleshed papaya which comes from South America. It is sweeter and juicier.

The Mangosteen
The next fruit has been called the Queen of Fruits as Queen Victoria craved for it.
The Mangosteen is not from the mango family.



Only the white pulp is eaten. The attractive fibrous skin is used for dyes.
Mangosteen has anti-inflammatory properties. In the Caribbean, a tea is made from this plant which is supposed to give Energy and remove fatigue. In Brazil the tea is used as a digestive aid. This is a" melt in your mouth" type of fruit, sweet and a little tangy.
Agapelife

Qigong:- Qigong Congress Conclusion

A month ago, we started this topic, following the World Qigong Congress 08. that we attended in San Francisco. So we highlighted different facets of the Congress for our postings and included a couple of videos and pictures.

We started off with the positive and illuminating atmosphere of the Congress which was followed by a description of a new invention called the Energy Enhancement System or EESystem. A video of the inventor of the System, Dr. Sandra Rose Michael followed next, then a video of Dr. Gregory Gerber, the medical director of the EESystem. Both these individuals tell you all you want to know about the EESystem.

Then, in Individual and Planetary Health, other presenters of the Congress were featured with their research work, as well as group meditation and exercis of the participants to promote planetary health.
Relaxing Energy showed how participants in the Congress, while highly energized, were also quite relaxed. So how could energy be congruent with relaxation? Healing energy sure is. I really hope you enjoyed these posts, as some of you have commented on.

There is so much more to write on Healing Energy. We are hoping for more comments and will respond. I would appreciate if you would let me know what aspects of this theme, you would like expanded or discussed more.

Next week, we will discuss some of the fruits and vegetables that produce
healing energy and are tasty!

My 100th post

It is my birthday today! This posting will be My 100th Post since starting the Empower-you blog in May 2008. Here is a synopsis, my experiences and what I have learned.

So I have been writing with a passion to inform, educate and make you laugh. I began writing 6 days weekly, and then reduced to 5 days, then at present it is 2 days weekly. I have video clips that would make you laugh and some jokes on Saturday which was discontinued as I had no comments or contributions from readers on Saturday ceased.

I had some traffic but few left comments and this blog did not become the interactive one that I expected. Some of the traffic came from Blog Catalog which I subscribed to.
So here I will leave you some of the topics of my blog and some of the topics had several postings on them as I tried a theme focus for a week.

1. Healthy Lifestyle
2. Healing Humor - Laughter - includes videos.
3. Self-Image -Theme
4. Self-Esteem -Theme
5. Mental Health - Depression
6. Insomnia
7. Snoring - statistics,causes, treatment and prevention,World's loudest snorer
8. Sleep Apnea
9. Pain - causes, treatment, prevention
10.Energy Healing
11.Qigong - medical, qigong congress
12.Nurses and Nursing

I also have some related audiobooks on the subjects at the side bar or sometimes below the article - and to purchase, you could click on the image.

I would like to thank readers and followers of my blog and please let me know what you would like me to post about in the future or what existing topics, you would like to have expanded. Thanks and may you have waves of positive energy!

Agapelife/P Nicholas

Qigong:-Meet Jolyn - Severe asthma healed!

Energy healing Masters including qigong masters had cured patients who gave testimonials. One of them was a lady who was walking after qigong therapy. She had MS for several years. Another lady was the smiling, energetic Jolyn. Here is her testimonial.

Jolyn:-
I had been struggling with increasingly severe asthma for over six years. Even with the three medications I was taking for it, I had difficulty walking up stairs and hills without stopping to rest, and had frequent asthma attacks, often quite serious. Within two weeks of meeting Dr. Chow in June of 2007 and practicing her methods of posture, breathing and the Precious Eight exercises, I was able to discontinue all medication for asthma and began improving rapidly. I have been off medication completely now for over one year and have not had a single asthma attack in that time. I climb stairs and hills without having to rest, and I am now playing tennis twice a week and dancing once a week.

In June of 2008 my optometrist confirmed at my annual exam that my vision had improved in each eye (at age 49!), and he was amazed at the substantial increase in my peripheral vision.

When I began doing Dr. Chow’s Precious Eight exercises daily, I lost four inches around my waist in only three weeks. I have since lost another inch and look forward to loosing more.

I am a singer and have struggled with sore throats and nasal congestion from time to time. Dr. Chow taught me how to use her upper tracking system to clear my sinuses and throat and enable me to sing more clearly. The relief from asthma has also substantially improved my singing.

Finally I want to say how much better I feel in general. I sleep better, feel more relaxed more of the time, and have much more energy than I did before beginning Chow Qigong. My skin and eyes are clearer and I feel more radiant and peaceful.

Thank you Jolyn for sharing this testimonial with my Readers

Agapelife/P Nicholas

Qigong:-Relaxing Energy?

Strange phrase isn't it? You may ask how could energy be relaxing. Well, what images does energy bring to your mind? Usually some or all of these attributes - activity, vigour, electricity, quick movement. Can you really see energy? Perhaps you would answer No. Yet you could see and feel the effects of energy!

Relaxing on the other hand gives you images of passivity, perhaps minimal activity like sitting in a recliner with a novel or lying on a hammock with a gentle breeze on your face.

Relaxing Energy was the best way to describe the experience many of us had in the Qigong Congress 08 in San Francisco. You could feel the Energy - Positive Energy, Healing Energy, Creative Energy. It is the sort of Energy that has the propensity to relax a person to prepare for creativity.

I think the best illustration would be an artist painting the HorseShoe Falls while standing on the opposite Canadian side of the Falls. The roar of the waters, the ambiances, the sunny skies, the view of rainbow against the Falls gives the artist both energy and relaxation simultaneously.

I heard western medical doctors on the podium, stating that energy medicine is the next progressive step, as Dr Gregory Gerber MD of Texas pointed out is the Future of Medicine. The following two presenters are Canadians. Dr. Aung MD - spoke of energizing, purification and recycling of healing energy. Dr. Roy Ngui's workshop was on Boosting Energy and Immune System. Dr Sandra Rose Michael presented the Energy Enhancement System on scalar energy and the practical applications of Energy Medicine.

All throughout the Congress, the communication among the 277 people gathered was positive. You could say positive energy invaded that building. Even other guests in the hotel were all friendly and positive. Not a single complaint was heard.
On the first floor, one room was set up a four unit Energy Enhancement System and participants were invited to spend some time sitting in the room. According to a physicist who measured the scalar energy from that room, stated that the scalar energy enveloped the whole building.

The next posting will feature a testimonial of a lady which is very fascinating and I met her at the Congress.
Please send your comments or questions and I will answer them.

Practical application of my FAE Therapy

If you had been on my website, you would know that my practice is on FAE or fast acting energy therapy.

The three modalities used on FAE (fast acting energy) Therapy and also includes positive psychology, laughtter, gratitude and forgiveness. The three main modalities include EM or energy medicine of Donna Eden's, EFT or emotional freedom technique as taught by Gary Craig and medical Qigong.
Several ways one can strengthen positiveness. I have been using it for a while.

So when my website was updated by GoDaddy with template and images missing which took almost a week to fix, I had to have many conversations with them but did not lose my cool. When they gave me the time as first, 24hours, then 72 hours to fix it, I decided to take some time to do other things like enjoying nature, visiting with friends and watching some comical old series from the UK.

What could have brought my mood and demeanour down was instead used to do things that uplifted me. This is what I am teaching people to do too.

We will continue with the Qigong Congress next week.
Agapelife
copyright/P.Nicholas

Qigong:-Individual and Planetary Health at the Qigong Congress

So do you think that you can't eliminate stresses in your life? You have unbearable pain and tried everything without success? Is aging preventing you from enjoying life fully? The people below will answer with a resounding "Nay"

They were many doctors,psychologists, scientists and innovative Qi (Energy) Healing masters presenting their studies that showed evidence of breakthroughs in pain elimination, stress reduction, anti-aging, weight loss and extraordinary human performance. All these studies had a positive outcome - they showed the capabilities of the human potential.

According to Dr. Chow, a qigong grandmaster, more people are learning qigong's benefits which is nourishing and maintaining physical and environmental health.This inevitably benefits the Health of our Planet.

I could not attend all the workshops, especially, since I volunteered for one and a half days. One of the workshops was on Spine Care by Dr. Alex and it was excellent and we also had some practical hands on exercises. Another was Dr Chow's Spontaneous Healing in holistic body,mind and spirit rehabilitation. There were also different qigong techniques and excercises given by the different qigong masters.

The panel discussions by the presenters were also very informative. We learned about the research on how Qigong reduced blood pressure. Dr. Aung MD from Edmonton, Canada talked about how alternative medicine has been integrated to the university of Alberta and how healing energy purifies, energizes and is recycled.

Another interesting person on the panel was Dr. Rico Melson MD who is known as a pioneer in Integrative Medicine and he spoke of how globalization should bring harmony to the many different traditions of the Healing Systems and this is a man who spent his lifetime studying some of the healing systems of the different cultures.

It was a Fun Congress as well, as there was entertainment, dancing and fashion show.One qigong master stood on eggs while doing a chinese painting - the eggs did not crack.The Shaolin monks from China performed remarkable feats. There was no frown to be seen, almost everyone from presenters to the attendees were smiling, relaxed and happy. The positive energy was very catchy. Many heart to heart hugs were given and received.

If for 5 days, almost 277 people (was about 400 on the weekend) from all over the world, from different religion, cultures and languages could mingle harmoniously, imagine the possibilities for Peace and Harmony Globally, if each one's focus was the same as it was at the Congress, we all had one main focus - Positive Qi (Energy)

Agapelife

Developer / Inventor of the Energy enhancement System

Dr. Sandra Rose Michael, is a petite, woman with flawless skin and thick long blonde hair with a sunny smile. She greeted me with Aloha in a voice that is soothing yet strong. It took me by surprise, as this is the woman who spent 15 years of a life with the invention that has caused a stir in scientific and health circles.
She stated humbly, that she had the input of scientists, physicists and technologists.

Who is Dr. Sandra Rose Michael?
She is a doctor of Natural Medicine and was so renowned as a healer in Hawaii that more people were seeking her services! She said that she did not deliberatly try to invent EESystem. Her intention was to find something that would reach more people than she would be able through her healing techniques. She uses th1s rejuvenating System herself in her home. It must work as she looks younger than her stated age! She also stated that she does not feel the effects of jetlag using the System. This is a woman who travels monthly all over the world, giving lectures, and presentations.

Here is a clip of the presentation, similar to the one I attended in San Francisco.


Agapelife

Energy Enhancement System

During the Qigong Congress, I met many fascinating people, one of them was Dr. Gregory Gerber, medical director of the energy enhancement system also called EESystem. He is also an MD who works in a Rehabilitation Hospital.

So what is this System about you might ask? To put it simply, this EESystem, can revitalize, re-energize as well as relax you.

1.It makes you feel and look young.

2.It revitalizes you - gives you energy.

3.It helps your immune system.

4.Purifies the air around you.

5.Relaxes you and remove harmful stresses.
Some people who used the EEsystem, had physical healing, others found mental healing and others found emotional tensions resolved.

It looks like the invention of the century! Many scientists and physicists have tested it and approved it. Early next week, I will post about the inventor of this EESystem, I had the priviledge to meet recently.

I attended Dr. Gerber's presentation and this video shows part of it. Please send me your comments.




Agapelife
copyright/P Nicholas

Qigong:-Energy - Positive and Illuminating at the 11th World Qigong Congress

It was in San Francisco - the World Qigong congress and the theme was Qigong and TCM for Individual and Planetary Health - an essential balance.

Presenters were from China, Japan, Canada, Hawaii and the US and they all gave good presentations. We also had researchers, scientists, physicists, medical doctors,nurses, doctors of natural medicine, professors and an inventor in the panel discussions.

It was interesting to see doctors educated in Western Medicine, incorporating eastern medicine in their practice. One in particular, Dr. G. Gerber will be featured next week with an excerpt of his talk. You will also hear from the inventor of the EE System, (Energy Enhancement System) which I believe you will hear much about in the coming years as the invention of the century.

It was so refreshing to see Qigong done by these masters, including the hostess of the event, Dr. E Chow. We also heard the personal testimonials of those who had various diseases healed through Qigong therapy.

The pervading atmosphere of the whole five days was peace, joy and harmony among all those in the Congress. Over 270 people from 4 continents, Americas, Asia, Europe and Australia gathered in San Francisco for this event. The energy was highly positive. Some healing of chronic pain took place with Dr. Chow emitting Qi.

In the following postings, we will show a couple of the presenters as well some scientific research results done on qigong and energy enhancement. Here are some of the Presenters including Qigong masters.

Agapelife

copyright/P Nicholas

Nurses - Not the final word!

The time has come to leave Nurses and Nursing for a while! Some interviews were put on the back burner for now.

The past few weeks, we briefly commented on the history of nursing, the characteristics of the men and women who pursued the nursing vocation and the evolving and future of nursing. We also had two interviews, one with a nurse practitioner and another with Nurse William, an ER and critical care nurse.

Nurses have and are making a difference in the lives of many people. Some have left the hospitals, clinics and classrooms without leaving the organized compassion and caring that comes the Nurse. Our former, well-liked Mayor was a nurse. Some nurses have become doctors of natural medicine or alternative medicine therapists.

Nursing has certainly evolved to an empowering role and a nurse is no longer the doctor's handmaid.
Hopefully, these postings on Nurses have dispelled any myths you have about them. It will be interesting to see how nursing will further evolve in the years to come.
Agapelife

copyright/P Nicholas

Nurse William speaks.

Here is the interview with Nurse William who works in ER and Critical Care.

1. What attracted you to nursing? Was it your first profession?

I was not so much "attracted" to nursing as I was "called" to it. It was something I truly and clearly felt called to do. I was a paratrooper in the Army and then a merchant seaman before I felt the call to go into nursing. I had toyed with the idea for some years before doing it, and finally decided that if I didn't at least try I would kick myself for the rest of my life.

2. How do you view nursing after graduation and now?

My view of nursing has really not changed at all. The ethos and motivation I had during school are the same, if only a bit stronger.

3. How many years in the nursing profession

I have been in the profession for nearly seven years.

4. Is your definition of the male nurse any different from the female nurse!

Not at all. The common misconception is that men are new to the profession, which is not at all the case. Men have been nurses at least since 200BC. It was not until the advent of Florence Nightingale- and later the American Nurses Association- that men were pushed out of the profession.

In my mind, a nurse is a nurse. I am not a "male" nurse- I am a nurse. To call me otherwise is on the level of referring to someone as a "lady doctor". It demeans the title.

5. How is the public/patient reaction to a male nurse? Some examples, please!

I honestly have had no reaction from my patients, except for the patients who happened to be nurses, and then only once. She said, in a quite patronizing tone, "It's so nice to have more men in the profession." I smiled and said, "We were here first." She didn't think I was funny.

6. What would you say to men who might be considering this profession?

DO IT. You'll be kicking yourself in the butt for the rest of your life if you don't, at least give it a try.

7.Is there another area of Nursing that interests you?

Another area of nursing that has attracted my attention is disaster and mass-casualty incident preparation. I have presented the findings of a related research project to my state's Nursing Commission and I am currently working on creating a standardized statewide curriculum that would prepare nursing students and faculty for deployment as disaster/MCI clinical teams that would provide additional manpower for addressing the needs of a community affected by an event.

Thank you Nurse William and hope some of my male readers will follow your advice.

More about this nurse's views and experience on - NurseWilliam@blogspot.com

Agapelife/PNicholas

Qigong:-11th World Qigong Congress

Will be away for this congress for a week in San Francisco, attending workshops and meeting some of the world's most gifted energy healers.
There will be many in the health profession, including family physicians, psychologists,physical therapists, nurses and scientists, who have incorporated natural healing into their practice. I will also be attending Dr.Effie Chow's workshop.

Just keep the comments and questions coming in and I will answer them next week. If you want to know about Qigong, please go to the past postings on the Qigong.
Agapelife

Interview with a Nurse Practitioner (PN)

Jennifer works as a Nurse Practitioner in a clinic.

Why did you chose to be a nurse and a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in particular?

I spent many years as a cashier but I had always wanted to be a nurse, then I met my husband who told me to pursue my dreams. So at age 30, I entered the nursing program with the ultimate goal of becoming a NP.

How long did it take?

7 long years, while working on the Medical-Surgical floor and a stand-by charge nurse full time, as well as being a full time mother and wife, I studied for my Degree in Nursing and NP. Now I am a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (ARNP)

So who is a Nurse Practitioner?
Most people have heard the term Nurse Practitioner but don't understand what the title entails.
We order tests, diagnose diseases and treat them just like a family physician can.
What are the Pros and Cons?

Pros - ability to take care of patients and their entire family through education, diagnosing and treatment in an office setting.

Cons - not having prescriptive authority for controlled substances and not being able to follow patients into the hospital setting as the primary care provider.
In what way are you Empowering your patients?
Empower them to take charge of their own health.

What is the future of Nursing and for the NP?
It is becoming better through expansion of research, regarding treatment outcomes.

To know more about what the Nurse Practitioner does, please visit Jennifer's blog.
http://www.npplace.com OR http://arnp.blogspot.com

Thank you Jennifer for an inspiring interview!
If you have any questions or comments, please send it along.

Next Thursday September 25, our interview will be with Nurse William, an emergency care nurse.

Nursing 2030 - Future of Nursing

Here are some of the technologies that have changed the nursing career in the past century. 1. Electronic IV monitors,
2.portable defibrillators
3.computer stations
4.hands-free communication devices including remote call badges
5.portable IT devices.
6.drug management technology to regulate dosage of medications.
Yet with all these advances, there is an acute nursing shortage in many parts of the world. By the year 2020, it is estimated there will be a shortage of 800,000 nurses.
Buerhaus, JAMA,2000

In the 1990's I wrote a skit for a degree nursing course called Nursing 2020 and some of my fellow classmates enacted it out. I had a challenging time to convince these registered nurses that charting would be done at the bedside on computers and that hospital cleaning would be done by robots.

Three years later, working in Florida, the former was a reality. While visiting a maternity hospital in Singapore, I was going to an elevator when I was told by a voice to move out of the way which I did and stared in disbelief at the machine that gave the command. It was taking food trays to the patients on the floor and was gave the command after entering the elevator for the particular floor.

New technological advances are continuing?
R2D2 - Robot nurses could be in hospitals by 2020! (Warwick University Engineering Dept, UK.)
What are your views? Would robots take over as Nurses?
Will hospitals be managed by Nurses?

Some Nurses are already ordering treatments and medications. They are the NP - licensed Nurse Practitioners. On next Tuesday's post, we will have the interview with Nurse Practitioner, Jennifer and the following week, we will have the interview with Nurse William!

Agapelife
copyright/P Nicholas

Who Becomes a Nurse?

Before we peer into the future of the Nurse and Nursing, let us discuss the characters of people who enter the nursing vocation. In the days of Florence Nightingale and before, it was middle class ladies who were altruistic or nuns and monks as the extension of their religious vocation.
in Europe.
In the forties and fifties, some nurses might tell you that they became nurses as there was not much opportunities for women in other fields.

Traits of nurses include compassion,intelligence, diligence ethical,non-judgemental, confident, problem solver, multi-tasking,humorous,
politeness, flexibility, well organized,precision,intuitive, a good listener,patient advocate and many other traits which will need a longer posting. Do send me traits not mentioned in your comments?

Irregular Nursing shifts, physically or verbally abused by patients, working extra shifts, working weekends, call back on days off, no room for errors are all part and parcel of a nurse's life. Through all this, the nurse is expected to be kind,polite and smile without retaliation of any kind. Is it any wonder, that some think nurses have a masochistic trait as well.
On several occasions previously, when I was assigned to six patients and four of them in the same room were asking me, at the same time to attend to their requests, while I was doing a treatment on one, I remember saying " I am not an octopus, only a nurse", which made them laugh. Many times, I felt I needed more arms to tend to the patients assigned to me.

As one nurse wrote on her blog posting, -
"Nursing is head on, hands on, heart on, all together, all at once, maybe that is enough explanation why there is a Nursing Shortage; because not a lot of people can be all that, all at once".
may at www.aboutanurse.com
Agapelife
copyright/P.Nicholas

The Nurse and the Past 50 Years

Physicians gave the orders, Nurses implemented them!This is how the nursing profession have been linked with the medical profession and still continues, in many areas. In the last fifty years, some changes have occurred that does not make the above statement accurate to all nurses! LPN or licensed practical nurses have taken over the bedside nursing in many facilities, especially in Long Term Care but they do work under the Registered Nurses' supervision.

In order to make these postings simple, all the Nurses I mention in the next paragraphs are Registered Nurses who are either educated in a nursing college or a university and all have post-graduate studies in some specializations.

You, most probably have heard of ICU (intensive care unit), ECU (emergency care unit), CCU(cardiac care unit) Dialysis unit. All these units are specialty units and the nurses who work there have extra education and certification above their basic nursing education.

Scientific and Medical discoveries like radium, vaccines and antibiotics expanded the role of the nurse. Then in the last 15 years, informatics has changed the mode of recording data and treatments.

Nurses are now working in other areas besides the traditional hospitals and Nursing Homes. Community Health Nurses work in clinics and visit homes to do assessments on home-bound clients. Public Health Nurses work in municipal and other government agencies, teaching, researching on disease prevention and policies for health protocols. Occupational Health Nurses work with employees, in industries and organizations.

Nurse Researchers, nurse Educators are found in colleges, universities and some major research facilities. There are also Nurse Anaesthetists, Nurse Case Managers, Mental Health Nurses

The Informatics Nurse is a new addition in the last decade and she is responsible for teaching her colleagues on IT related documentation as well as formulating new applications for nurses. Another new addition is the Nurse Practitioner who is able to diagnose and prescribe some medication and treatments independently. Usually, she works in a community clinic or Wellness Centres. Sometimes, she works in partnership with a family physician in an office setting!
Yet another is the Nurse Entrepreneur - she is a business owner either online or off-line.

So what is next for the Nurse?? Tune in on Tuesday?
Agapelife

copyright P Nicholas

Nurse - Who was the first Nurse?

Let me ask you a question? When you were feeling unwell or when you had a cough or cold as a child, who was the first person who gave you care, till you became better? Many of us will answer - mother, grandmother,aunt. Likewise, the first nurse was untrained and the female member of a family.

The history of nursing seem to be synonymous with the history of women.(V.Robbins)
Yet both sexes have the tendency to respond to helplessness (Donahue,M.96) The first religious orders had male nurses caring for their sick in the monasteries in the middle ages as women were not allowed in the enclosures.

Nursing was part of many religious orders who followed Christ's mandate in ministering to the sick. In 1633, St. Vincent de Paul and Louise Marillac of France founded the Daughters of Charity who looked after the sick in their homes and in hospitals. In the Americas, Jeanne Mance founded the first hospital in Montreal in 1645 and in 1783, James Derham, a slave in New Orleans, through the earnings as a nurse bought his freedom.

In the nineteen century in the England, Florence Nightingale, initiated Evidence-Based Nursing after she went to France to learn from the Daughters of Charity, their methods in caring for the sick. She included statistics and a systemic approach to nursing. She and the women she trained were ladies who volunteered their services without being paid.



So in England in the nineteenth century, nurses' training was provided for those who cared for the sick and carried out their duties under the direction of a physician. I mentioned England, because all the Commonwealth countries adopted the same training as those in England. Training was provided in hospital schools, and usually an unmarried girl or widow was accepted. They were trained on the job and were required to live in nursing residences attached or close to the hospital. There was a nursing hierarchy

The student nurses were paid a stipend while they trained, which usually lasted for three years when they are promoted to staff nurse. The next level is a nursing sister (only a few reached this status, as many of the staff nurses married and left the hospital to raise a family. Nursing sister did not marry. They were provided lodging and the acted as supervisors and teachers.

The final level in the nursing ladder was the Matron, who also was unmarried. Physicians at times were intimidated by the Matron. Nurses usually stayed in the residences except for their occasional week-ends off. White, starched, a-line,modest, dress uniforms and little caps or veils were part of the scenery in hospitals for two centuries.

Florence's contribution to nursing and health, included, careful statistical data collection and thorough documentation. She changed Public Health and reformed the hospital environment, including basic infection control. You can read more about Florence in this website - http://spartacus.schoolnet.com.uk/re nightingale.htm

This is only a brief description of the history of nursing and the Nurse! There is a great volume of information on the web and in books, describing the history of nursing in the individual countries.
From its history, we can travel to the present and see the paths, Nursing and the Nurse evolving, in the area of education, duties, opportunities and empowerment.

The next posting will be nursing in the last 50 years. Would like to hear from Nurses, retired or still working as well as student nurses!
Agapelife
copyright/pnicholas

The Nurse - Who and Why?

A discussion in a social blog forum, about how the general public perceived Nurses prompted this series. I was prompted to write this as I spent many years in the different areas of nursing, from medical-surgical in the hospitals to Home Health and Long Term / Chronic Care, from bedside nursing to teaching, supervision and case management. All along, nursing has evolved and continues to evolve!

In the next few postings, we will touch briefly on, the History of Nursing. Who becomes a Nurse? Why Nursing as opposed to other careers? Why is there a shortage of Nurses? Will it improve? Technology and Nursing, The evolution of Nursing! What will nursing in 2030 be like? We will have short interviews with perhaps five or six nurses, each in a different area of nursing.

So join me in the next few weeks, as we explore this noble, dynamic yet vulnerable profession. We would also like to hear your positive and not so positive impact of nurses or nursing on your life.

Have Nurses contributed to society? Have Nurses made a difference in your life? Do you see a future in Nursing? If you are looking for a career, would you choose Nursing or Not? What are the reasons? Would Robots ever replace a Registered Nurse??

After you have read the completed work (expected date of completion - mid-Septemeber), perhaps, you will no longer have myths about Nurses and the Nursing Profession?

How do you stand and walk?

So elementary, you might think? Yet many people are putting needless strain on their spine and joints, when they assume the incorrect standing and walking position.

Remember your parents saying, " Don't slouch" "Don't lean against the ....? Perhaps they did not why? Well here is why? Our bodies have a body system where alignment of skeletal system is vital to our mobility. It is a strong system but just like a machine needs lubrication and proper mechanics, so does our skeletal system.

So how do you arise from a sitting position to a standing one! First move your buttocks to the edge of the chair, then place one foot slightly forward. Both feet should be about 6 inches apart and flat on the floor, then lift your buttocks off the chair with your back straight and your head looking straight ahead. Do not rise up on your toes or on your heels.

When you sit, get close enough that your legs feel the seat of the chair, and sit down with your back straightened and perpendicular to the back of the chair. All of the above keep your spine in proper alignment.

When you stand, your feet should be slightly apart. You should be like a willow tree and not like a rigid oak tree. So do not tighten any of your muscles or your joints.
When you walk, take light steps. Do not land on your toes or your heels but on the whole foot.

All these positions also create the right position to breathe properly and it does help circulation.
Agapelife

What is your Position in Bed?

I noticed that several of my clients with snoring conditions or with Sleep Apnea sleep on their backs or even on their stomachs.

The correct position to prevent snoring is the lateral position or side position. Few people remain on their sides, which is why the Thera-P-anti-snoring cradle pillow prevents you from turning and remaining on your back. This pillow keeps the upper part of your spine in proper alignment. What about the lower part of your spine?

I have noticed that when people sleep on their side they tend to take the fetal positions sometimes, bending or flexing both knees. This position causes improper alignment of your spine, causing lower back discomfort in the morning.

The correct side-lying position should be Only one leg is flexed from 20 degree to 40 degree angle, which ever feels comfortable to you and the other remains straight.

These positions keep your spine in alignment, while in bed and prevents aches? Also when you are sitting in a chair, remember to keep the spine in proper alignment. Slouching or sinking into a chair will cause back problems. Tomorrow we will discuss standing and walking positions that keep the spine properly aligned.
Agapelife

Anti-snoring product - Review 1

Well the reviews are coming in. I wanted people I knew to try the Thera-P-anti-snoring pillow, so that I would have honest views of the product. Well, one of them visited me for a few days and slept on the pillow. When this person stayed over at my place a couple of years ago, I could hear the snoring.

My visitor also has a problem with nasal drip which makes her cough in the night and in the early morning.
Previously, my visitor had used nasal drops and some other pillows that you are able to buy in a pharmacy to combat snoring with little effect.

I noticed the first night, the snoring was reduced considerably. By the fourth morning, my visitor was delighted to find that the nasal drip problem was curbed by the use of the anti-therapy pillow and will never leave for trips without it.
Agapelife

Do you wake up with sore neck ,shoulders and back??.

50% of respondents to this question answered "Yes"!
I, too, would have answered "Yes", a couple of years ago, but not anymore. I tried everything from medications, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy which provided some relief but after a few days, back to the uncomfortable ache. Finally, I saw this product in an occupational health magazine.

So I ordered and tried it. After one night of use, I woke up the next morning, missing what I was accustomed to awaking up to, for so many years - the irritable, gnawing, slow to get rid of, Neck Pain, shoulder and back pain. I feel so refreshed in the mornings now. So what is this product you may ask?

"92% of my patients think it's great,not just good but great I have never recommended an orthopedic product with so much confidence." Dr. E. Lubberdink,D.C. Toronto, Canada

It is the Thera-p- cradle and the Thera-p-petite-cradle pillow (for women and children), and doctors, physiotherapists and other professionals are recommending it. If you want to know more, please click here.
Agapelife

Thera-P-Anti-Snoring Cradle Pillow

WoW. I did not expect such interest in this product. It has kept me quite occupied that this is my first posting for this week.

So how was your sleep or your partner's sleep this week? Mine was fantastic!
I tried the product, myself and I had such a great sleep. I am asking all my customers to send in their testimonials.

This product has been recommended by MDs,Sleep Clinics and the wife of even the world's loudest snorer. As one MD stated this pillow promoted and encouraged the snorer to turn on their side. Dr. D. Lipman MD, Oregon

World Record Snorer Stops Snoring? How?

" The Thera-P-Anti-Snoring Cradle Pillow is fantastic. It allows me to get an uninterrupted, quiet sleep" says Carol Hebbard, wife of the world's loudest snorer...Mark Hebbard whose earth shattering records appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 1991.
Carol Hebbard, Richmond, British Columbia.

"Research shows that when back sleepers roll on their sides, it cuts obstructive sleep apnea episodes dramatically. ...Staying on your side is easier said than done, once you're snoozing. To the rescue, FDA approved Thera-P anti-snoring cradle pillow." Women's World Sept. 2005

I spoke to the inventor of this pillow, Peter Sandler,a reformed snorer, who was in the furniture business with his father for a number of years and one day upon a client's request, researched and invented this thera-p-anti-snoring pillow. According to Mr. Sandler, this pillow is sculptured with a built-up edge to provide for a rest under the chin, forcing the jaw to close and another vital feature is the anti-snoring bar that promotes sleeping on the side which keeps the nasal passages open. This is the only FDA approved pillow for anti-snoring.

If you wish to know more please visit www.transformlifehealthandwealth.biz
and for a limited time there is a discount on this pillows as a launching web-site gift. Next week we will discuss another product for people who wake up with neck, shoulder or back pain.

Anti-Snoring devices - How good are they?

There are many anti-snoring lotions, portions and devices. Some do reduce snoring, while others are not very effective. I was researching and found a snoring forum which is no longer active.

Looking at the past comments, Pillar implants did not seem to be effective, nasal strips did reduce some snoring. There are also nasal cones, nasal clips and inserts and
could not as yet find rave reviews for these products. A friend of mine uses an herbal nasal drops sporadically and is not certain of the effect.

Sleeping on your side does help but many of us change position during the night.
With sleep apnea, c-pap and bi-pap machines with the constricting mask is recommended but I know during my nursing rounds on night shift, I was replacing those masks continually as people tend to have them off their face or over their forehead at times.

I tried using them in the night when diagnosed with a mild case of sleep apnea and I woke up many times at night as the mask or the nasal cannula ( tried a few different ones) bothered me.

So after much research, I found a product which some chiropractors, physiotherapists and some sleep clinics have recommended to their clients who have had success with it.

Finally I found it - the ideal solution which I will share with you on Friday's post - 08/08/08.
If anyone wants to comment on any of the products mentioned and how long they were using it and if it helps, please comment and mark private if you don't wish the comment to be published.
Agapelife

Snoring statistics

If you thought Snoring was just an annoyance, a nuisance, or harmless, think again.
These are the statistics that I have compiled from various authorities.

1. 59% of adults snore which means 6 out of 10 in a survey done by National Sleep Foundation 2005.

2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) statistics reveal that 30% of adults start snoring by age 30 with a 2:1 male/female ratio with the gap closing after menopause. The number increases till fifth decade or the fifties, then the number decreases. Why? The declining number after 50 is attributed to the demise of these snorers due to heart attacks and strokes.
(Vancouver Sleep and Breath Centre)

3.By middle age, 40% of the population snores in Great Britain (British Med. 97)

4. 5.6% of children snore habitually.

However, there are effective measures to reduce or eliminate snoring. I will share some with you tomorrow, especially the one I found most effective.
Agapelife

Humor Saturday

Jim Carrey - comedian from Canada in Transitions

Impact of Snoring on your health!

Why is habitual snoring so dangerous to our body? Snoring is a symptom that our body is not getting enough oxygen during our sleep. The organs in our body cannot be deprived of oxygen without some major repercussions.

Obstructive Sleep apnea is when the body does not receive oxygen for a period of time due to obstruction of your airways during sleep. Usually, it does not last long, as it causes the person to wake up to draw a breath. However. repeated episodes of sleep apnea will cause some health conditions to surface.

One of them is high blood pressure, another is cardiac conditions and even stroke. Children who are snorers are also at high risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

There are many treatments in the marketplace for snoring relief, reduction and elimination. On Monday, we will explore some.

Agapelife

Snoring - How it is formed and causes?

I have yet to meet a person who likes to hear someone snore, no matter how loved the person is, the snoring is not. Why? Perhaps the following reasons, it is loud, not pleasant to the ears and usually occurs when the non-snorer is trying to sleep.

How A Snore Occurs?
As your sleep progresses into deep sleep, the tissues in your throat relaxes and vibrates and this may cause partial blockage of your airway. When the airway is narrowed, the airflow becomes forceful, causing the snoring to grow, the narrower the airway. Two types of snoring, 1. occasional 2. habitual. This article will focus on habitual snoring.

Factors contributing to Snoring
1. Thick soft palate in your mouth or enlarged tissues (adenoids) at the back of your throat.

2. Nasal conditions like deviated nasal septum or nasal congestion or chronic sinusitis.

3. Alcohol consumption

4. Sleep Apnea - If snoring is associated with obstructive sleep apnea, it is serious and one should seek proper treatment.

Tomorrow, we will look at the effects of habitual snoring and some treatments available.
Stumble It!

Agapelife

How well do you sleep?

This week, we will address sleep or lack of sleep, including a couple of effective solutions. We did discuss Insomnia in one of my earlier posts. However, the posts this week, we will concentrate on a couple of sleep disturbances.

1.Has your sleep been interrupted by your partner's Snoring?
2.Have you awakened with a stiff neck or neck pain?

Please click on to Comment and answer - Yes Or No to either questions #1 or #2

As of this week, my posts will be reduced to approximately three times to four times weekly for the present. If you would like for me to continue x6 weekly, then contact me via comment. If this was an interactive site, then I would continue to post six times weekly but I have not received the required responses.
Agapelife

Humor - Gilda and Gene

One of the funniest couple.

Ways to Build or Repair Your Self-Image!

How do you foster a positive self-image?

There are many ways which you may find on articles about Self-Image.
I will give four here

1. Do Examine your Self- Talk at least daily? If you are saying to yourself, "I'm useless", Or " I'm not good enough", Or " I'm not....whatever.. Please change that negative self-talk right away.

2. Build your self-confidence by focusing on your achievements no matter how small and reward yourself. See failures as trial runs to success. That is how the inventors viewed their failures. Find your strengths and improve on them.

3. Find a couple of people who would support you as build or repair your self-image - ones who will not let you belittle yourself.

4. Tell yourself daily: you were created by God, no other person has your DNA - so you are Unique, Special and you were put on this earth for a particular purpose.Your job is to find that purpose as no one else can fulfill that purpose the way you can!

Agapelife

How celebrities and media contribute to Self-Image?

Another vital component of Self-Image is the values you have and how you value yourself.

Celebrities especially young movie stars seem to have an impact on the values of many of the younger people today. It does not stop there, even into adulthood, people are adapting their appearances and values, after acclaimed actors and actresses and closely follow the advice of famous or infamous talk show hosts. The media, Internet and television industry provide ample resources. Is this healthy? Are we promulgating a generation of people of superficial self-image?


A teacher did some research with his teenage students on a teen magazine's effect on their Self-Image. Many of the teens were following the dictates of this magazine as how to dress,how to behave, who to date, choice of movies etc.During the research, the students uncovered some of the magazine's motives, including a monetary one. Also uncovered was how it lowered some youth's self-image, if they did not look or dress in a way, that the magazine portrayed as the "Norm"!

Another report indicate that even the youth's language have been influenced by some popular rap singers. Those words are not found yet in dictionaries. Peer pressure also helps to shape young person's Self-Image which may not be a healthy Self-Image

More and more, parents are trying to find resources on how to build their children's self-image and below is an audio book which shows how to?
Agapelife

Contributers to Our Self-Image

Early on in life, it is usually a child's parents and other caregivers.There are now books and programs to help parents and caregivers to nurture in the child, a healthy self-image. In school, teachers and other children. Teasing, bullying, "put downs"

Television, cinema and teen magazines as well as child movie stars or child recording artists have an impact on the child's Self-Image. Did anorexia stem from what was perceived as a cool image of being lean that was portrayed by movie stars and models? What about the lyrics of the songs that the youth are listening to? Many hours in front of the mirror for both sexes.

Then, young adulthood comes along, Self-image is spruced to attract the right partner. Let's face it, people are first attracted to a potential date, partner through their body image. Have you heard anyone say, " I was attracted to him (her)because he or she
was an chemist major." ? Isn't it more likely to hear " I was attracted to him or her because he or she looked intelligent." More likely, it would be " I was attracted by her smile." or "I was attracted to to his great biceps, etc.."

So body image is a strong component to Self-Image. Tomorrow we will look at other components of Self-Image.

What is Self-Image

A few weeks ago, we did an exploration of Self-Esteem and it seems only natural to explore about its precursor. - Self- Image. Self-Image was a term composed by

Many confuse self-image with self-esteem. They are closely related as you have to have a good self- image before having a healthy self- esteem.

There are many facets to Self-Image. Here are a some of the questions that determines your Self-Image?

1. Your personal view of yourself, an image of yourself that is carried in your head.

2. A perception of how you believe others look at you

3. What you think your body image is?

4. What you think your personality is? Or what kind of person do you think you are?

5. What status you feel you possess?

6. What value you place on yourself?

7. How you view yourself, your character, your skills and abilities.

If your Self-Image was eroded during childhood, Dr. Laura's book,listed below in audio shows you how to transform it to a positive self-image.

Agapelife

Humor

For today, we will have some laughs.

Doctors do not tell....

A woman called Mount Sinai Hospital. She said, "Mount Sinai Hospital? Hello. Darling, I'd like to talk with the person who gives the information about the patients. But I don't want to know if the patient is better or doing like expected, or worse, I want all the information from top to bottom."

The voice on the other end of the line said, "Finkel...Finkel, Let me see... Feinberg, Farber -- Finkel. Oh yes, Mrs. Finkel is doing very well. In fact, she's had two full meals, her doctor says if she continues improving he is going to send her home Tuesday."

The woman said, "Thank God! That's wonderful! She's going home on Tuesday. I'm so happy to hear that. That's wonderful news."

The guy on the other end said, "From your enthusiasm, I take it you must be one of the close family."

She said, "What close family? I'm Sarah Finkel! My doctor tells me nothing!"

Courtesey of Hill/Shayne

Laughter's Capsule

What a fantastically Happy, two weeks. The joy of researching and writing about laughter - words are just so inadequate to describe it.
If, you my readers have come up with any words, that can truly describe, pure unadulterated joy or happiness, then let me know.

We had looked at the Gelotology - which is the study of laughter on our physiology. Hospitals and other health facilities have included laughter therapy as various researches had shown the positive effect of laughter on our physical body. Laughter enhances the immune system, the respiratory system, lowers blood pressure and relieves pain.

We also discovered how laughter was good for our mental and emotional well-being. Laughter connects people of different languages and cultures and religions, breaking down barriers, bridging the gaps. It is a universal language. Dr. Katari founder of the Laughter Yoga club which now has 6000 clubs world wide, feels that laughter is capable of bringing peace to the world.

Laughter specialist,Alice Hortop whose research and practice in Laughter therapy, showed how to bring laughter into our lives and the necessity of laughter in social life as well as in relationships

Then, we spoke of the types of laughter and how to practise them. Spiritual benefits of laughter was discussed for those of different religions or for those who had none.
There are still ongoing research in laughter.

I would like to continue on this theme but it will have to be interactive. Please send me your happiest moments, events or situations, which gave you belly laughs or the memories of those events that perpetuate those belly laughs. Also include people who made you laugh. EMPOWER your Life with LAUGHTER!
Laughing with you
Agapelife

Do you know the types of laughter

I am sure there are more types of laughter than the ones I will describe in this post.

Etiquette laughter This starts with a smile.It can be quite restrained and easily managed.

Pigeon laughter - Requires you to take a deep inhalation with the mouth shut and produce laughing sounds like the hum of a pigeon.

Soundless laughter. Inhale gently through the nose with mouth closed. Then open mouth and put tongue out and let the laugh out without making a sound while exhaling as long as possible. You should feel your stomach and upper abdomen muscles moving. The exhaling part while laughing makes a rhythmic movement of the diaphragm which is called " inner jogging"

Belly laughter This is the same procedure as soundless laughter except when you open your mouth, you let go and laugh loudly. With this laughter, you could roll on the floor or double up.

Practise these types of laughter daily. It will make such a difference to the outcome of your day. If you have any questions, please ask them by clicking on comment. Other comments welcome. If you are doing the laughter exercises, how often do you do them and how has it changed your outlook. Would like to hear from you!!
Agapelife


Ref:- R. Belasekar

Spiritual Aspect of Laughter- 2

A good laugh brings sunshine in the house. (William M. Thackeray)

Laughter is a deeply spiritual Emotion! Why?
Laughter has the ability to clear the air and makes us present in the moment. It brings inner peace and Dr Kataria of the Yoga Laughter clubs believe if more people joined in the laughter, world peace is possible.

Do you see the absurdity in daily life?
Laughter is able to help you focus, not on problems but solutions to them. Laughter has a way of clearing your mind to focus on what really matters. Laughter is attention grabbing. Laughter is powerful enough to release pent-up emotions and regenerate helpful memories.

So laughter is important for daily spirituality as it Lightens the heart and Lifts up the Soul. Remember the proverb - "Laugh and the whole world laughs with you"....

Tomorrow on Gelotology which is the Study of Laughter, we wil1 visit 4 types of laughter.
Agapelife

Spiritual Aspect of Laughter

How is laughter spiritual, you may ask?

For those who believe they were created by God, it would not be difficult to see God's Hand in this, as one of the first spontaneous emotions displayed by a baby is laughter. No one taught the baby to smile or laugh. Have you observed a baby laughing while alone in the crib without any prompting??

Religion on Laughter and Humor
Buddhists

When Buddha was enlightened, the first thing He did was Smile. You may have also seen statues of the Laughing Buddha.
Islam

Qur'an or Koran
"They deserve paradise who make their companions laugh".
Judaism
The Old Testament has 57 references to laughter and 27 to humor.
Many incidents in the Old Testament filled with puns, dry humor, funny situations and funny word play.

Christians
The New Testament has 287 references to joy, delight, gladness, laughter and rejoicing.
Hinduism
The Laughter Yoga originated in Mumbai, India.

In his book, Bonham,states that Humor brings God closer to humanity. Laughter is a common link between various religions.

Humor bring God closer to Humanity. For those who do not have any religious belief, still are spiritual beings so the posting tomorrow will discuss how laughter affects your spiritual self.
Enjoy Bill Cosby on Noah's ArK
Agapelife
Bonham,Tal D. Humor: God's Gift, 1988

Easy Ways to Bring Laughter into Your Life

I have researched and taught all aspects of Laughter Therapy for the last 9 & 1/2 years and have been completely inspired by its power to lift mood, reduce pain, connect people, boost motivation and confidence and much, much more.

I think often people make the laughter and smiling search more complicated than its needs to be. I do look at humour types and analyse occupations to try and optimize opportunities for laughter... but I also think finding laughter should simply be put on to your daily agenda like eating fruit and veg.

Make a conscious decision to try and find your day fun, spend twenty minutes (plus if you can) actively looking for the funny in situations or around you, see someone who is light and smiley, do an activity that may bring in laughs (see a comedy, join a new gym class, people watch etc).

People often get distracted by the type of laughter they want, most people want rip roaring belly laughs.. they often come later after you start to enjoy life, laugh more and change your daily perspective.

Think back to the past, what made you laugh? What did you do as a child, teenager,in your twenties, thirties etc that made you laugh? Who makes you laugh? Can you find more people with the same attitude, could you see this person more or when you need their lightness to balance your day with humour?

Ask yourself questions, what stops you laughing? Who don't you laugh with? When don't you laugh? Then be pro-active... if you don't laugh with someone can you change How, When and Where you see them? Maybe meet them out for coffee as opposed to going to their house or invite them to a stand up comedy night. Give opportunities for relationships to change and develop.

Focus on finding fun, happiness and laughter in all you do. Try not to think I am not laughing whilst I do whatever it is you're doing... think instead what can I do to get laughter now or next time.
Alice Hortop
Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy In University of West England (UWE)
Laughter Therapy Specialist

Belly :Laughs

Did this cause you to laugh? Why? Comments appreciated! 20minutes of belly laughs equivalent to rowing for 1/2 hour according to recent research.

Laughter's impact on your social life

So how can laughter affect your social life?

Laughter is a universal language. It is contagious. It breaks down barriers. It is a natural diversion.

Laughter therapy has proved successful in relationship repairs for couples. How many times have you heard a woman saying of her partner, "I love his sense of humor", or a man stating that he fell in love with his wife's sense of humor. It has been used in psycho-therapy. It brings people together.

Please enjoy and send me comments on this video below by the founder of Laughter Clubs Dr. Kataria on world laughter day!
Agapelife

What does laughter do to your body?

So I hope you had at least about a dozen laughs yesterday. Today, we will see how those laughter affected your body.
Laughter does the following as research shows -
1. It lowers blood pressure.

2. It decreases the stress hormones.

3. It boosts the immune system by raising levels of infection-fighting cells.

4. It increases the proteins that fight diseases

5. It triggers the release of endorphins which are the body's natural pain-killers.
(Drs.Lee & Beck)
6.It empties the lungs more, resulting in a cleansing effect. Very beneficial for people with emphysema and other breathing or lung conditions.

7. As a cardiac exercise, a belly laugh is equivalent to jogging and as Norman Cousins stated it is internal jogging.

So laughter is an aerobic exercise.

On Monday, we will have a guest blogger - Laughter Specialist, occupational therapist from UK, who has researched and uses laughter in her practice. So return to check it out. Tomorrow how laughter helps you mentally, emotionally and spritually?
Agapelife

Laughter relieves these negative 3

Laughter relieves these three negative emotions - 1. anger, 2. anxiety 3. boredom
Anger
I remember when a patient was angry and demanding, I would say something funny or do something funny which would induce laughter from the angry person - O did I say angry - the person was no longer angry.

Anxiety
Did you notice that when you went for an injection or blood tests, if the nurse or technician was saying something funny, you hardly felt the needle?

Boredom
When a job is boring or tedious or you are in a boring situation like waiting in traffic jams, listening to a comedy cd or joking or laughing with a colleague suddenly alleviate the boredom. I know the DJ in our local radio morning show always has funny incidents or stories.

According to A. Hortop, we should laugh fifty times a day to have great health. Did you gasp at 50 times. This includes giggles, belly laughs, grinning,peals of laughter. Dr E. Chow stated 8 belly laughs a day in her qigong therapy.

Tomorrow, we will look at how laughter exercises certain parts of the body to good health.
Agapelife

Muscles needed for a smile and for a frown

This question was placed on BC forum and no-one came close to the answer for a frown but one person gave the right answer for a smile. Most of the respondents stated that more muscles were needed for a frown.

We use 72 muscles to Frown. We use only 14 muscles to Smile. Smile is the beginning of a laugh. Both are infectious.
Laughter has been re-discovered as a Powerful Arsenal in the battle against many mental and physical diseases.

Even though we seem to be exercising more muscles for a frown, it is laughter that has been called "Inner Jogging" Norman Cousins. That is why it has helped patients who had poor physical endurance or poor limbs that prevented them to jog exteriorly.
Seriously folks, laughter has been given a boost in the Health Care System, finally!

Studies have shown that people who laughed and had a good sense of humor were 40% less likely to have heart attacks or strokes. Some Hospitals have included formal and informal laughter therapy programs. India has laughing clubs as many as there are rotary clubs in the United States. During the National Health Week in Wales, prominence was given to Laughter workshops conducted by none other than a Laughter Specialist.

Tomorrow we will continue with Laughter and Humor. What emotions it releases? Explore the functions of Humor and laughter?
Forget about apples. How many Laughs a day will keep the doctor away??
Agapelife

Laughter and Health

According to A. Hortop, laughter specialist in the UK, people who are able to laugh are 40% less likely to have a heart attack. she added that 50 laughs a day is neccessary for good health.

So for this week, we will be looking at laughter and how it impacts your health and other areas of your life!
Agapelife

Bush and Moses - Humor

At a function one day, President Bush sees a man in the corner with flowing white beard and long white hair, holding a staff in one hand and a stone tablet in another. Bush approaches him and asked if he was Moses.

The man kept looking up at the ceiling and ignored Bush. Bush asked him several times and finally tugged Moses sleeve, and said,

"I am President Bush, I would like to talk to you, Moses."

Moses replied while still looking at the ceiling," No!"

"The last time I talked to a Bush, I remained 40 years in the desert!"

Self-esteem, thought provoking one liners

If you think nobody cares if you are alive, try missing some credit card payments.

People will accept your idea much more readily if you tell them Albert Einstein thought of it first.

Success comes in cans not in can'ts!

Happiness is not how much you have but how much you enjoy!

Obstacles are what you see, when you take your eyes of the goal.

You will not know where you are going if you are always looking back.

Why not turn your stumbling blocks to Stepping Stones!

It does not matter to others how much you know as how much you care (love).

You can give without loving but you can't Love without Giving.

The Love we give is the only Love we will Keep.
Agapelife

Build up your Self-Esteem Quotes

"You yourself, as much as anybody else in the entire universe, deserve love and affection." Buddha

Put all excuses aside and remember this, "You are capable". Zig Zigler

"You cannot be lonely, if you like the person you are alone with." Wayne Dyer

"Every new adjustment is a crisis in Self-esteem". Eric Hoffer

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't - You are right. Henry Ford

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent". Eleanor Roosevelt

" Love is not yet perfect for one who is afraid...Perfect love cast out all fear.. we, for our part, love because God first loved us." 1Jn4

Agapelife

If you have any self-esteem quotes to contribute, please leave it in comments.

Self-Esteem that keeps you healthy,wealthy and wise

Last week we started the Self-Esteem Series with all you want to know about Self-Esteem. As we do this final post, it seems that only a small portion of one of the higher step in Maslow's hierarchy of Needs has been covered. The significance of a healthy self-esteem is that it affects all areas of our lives, especially our reactions to situations and events.

Too much of self-esteem is bordering on narcissism whereas low self-esteem leads to mental, physical and emotional illnesses. So the key is to find the right balance. We spoke of Causes of low self-esteem. Studies show that it begins in the womb.

The reinforcements or lack thereof in childhood further contributes to self-esteem growth or erosion. Yet, we have in our power to remove obstacles to healthy self-esteem, through knowledge, support, affirmations,self-hypnosis. There are many tests to gauge your Self-Esteem online - Two simple ones, are on DiscoveryHealth and the National Association of Self-Esteem website..

On Thursday, we saw the effects of poor self-esteem. Comments received from readers have expressed the fluctuations of the level of your Self-esteem according to situations and surroundings.
Then, last Friday, we elaborated on how to build, boost or maintain a healthy self-esteem.

Healthy Self-Esteem is pertinent in a three-fold way.
1.It is vital for a wholesome health.
2. It causes optimum growth potential.
3. It leads to a joyful, peaceful and fulfilled life and self-actualization.
So we should do our part to build ours and our children's and our neighbour's self-esteem.
Agapelife
References
www.DiscoveryHealth.queendom.com/self-esteem
www.self-esteem-nase.org
Maslow, A. Motivation and Personality
Bohorquez, E. Enhancing self-esteem - Leisure Audio Books

Happy Canada Day

The last installment of the Healthy Self-Esteem Series will be posted tomorrow. Today is for relaxing and boosting my self-esteem. I'm doing this by enjoying the beautiful sunny day with other celebrating canadians. What are we celebrating - gratitude for this vast Canads, the opportunities she offers and her peaceful status.
Agapelife

Build, Boost and Mantain Self-Esteem

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves".
Thomas Edison

A comment received from a blogging forum member stated that their self-esteem went down a few notches after moving to a new town. Another comments were that the level of self-esteem fluctuates and influenced by stress, successes, failures, relationships, bad days,challenges and so forth. All these are typical of self-esteem which cannot be taken for granted.

If we have a healthy self-esteem, we have to maintain it. If we don't, then we have to build it up. NASE - National Association for Self-Esteem was founded in 1986 with a mandate to fully integrate Self-Esteem into American Society. You can access them at
www.self-esteem-nase.org/

Build up your self-esteem
If you did a self-esteem test ( DiscoveryHealth or NASE has a simple one) and you have a score of 65 or 6.5, then the following suggestions would be beneficial.

1.Basic nurturing which include grooming, proper nutrition, exercise and adequate sleep.

2.Plan fun and relaxing activities for yourself.

3.Reward yourself for every little success and even if you feel you don't deserve it.

4.Forgive yourself for any mistakes,foil-ups,weakness and vulnerabilities.

When you begin to do the 4 suggestions above, you might feel you are worthy - well this is the time to put this principle into action - "Fake it till you make it"

5. Proper support from friends,i.e. tell them to let you vent without trying to fix your problem.

6. Use positive affirmations at least hourly. Have one line affirmations posted in the bedroom, so it is the first thing you see upon waking, and in the bathroom, kitchen, study, by your computer and anywhere you spend much of your time.


7.If you can't do any of the above as yet, then book an appointment with an appropriate therapist - NASE might give you some suggestions on that.

Boosting Self-Esteem

1. Use positive affirmations

2. Associate with positive, supportive friends.

3. Make a list of your past successes and place it where you can see it often.

4. Daily meditation.

5. Rebut your inner critic! Remember, Edison, Marconi,Bell, Wright Brothers, all had people who criticized and ridiculed them. Yet if any of those inventors had listened to their inner critic, we will not be enjoying now, what at that time seemed impossible!

You have to control or manage that inner voice that casts doubt, ridicule and belittles you. Believe me that is the most challenging part- you have to work at it daily, relentlessly and one day, you will find your inner voice cheering you on!

These are just some of the ways to build, boost and maintain your self-esteem. For more elaboration, please contact me for a private one to one support or coaching.
Tomorrow we will conclude this series.
Agapelife

Did you not know?

A 3 year old, French speaking girl visits her mother in the maternity ward. She observes her mother speaking to the expectant mother in the next bed in English.

The little girl looks very thoughtful and quiet,looking intently at the other lady's belly and her mother asked her in french "What's wrong?"

She questions her mother, very seriously, "Mamma, our baby will be born speaking French, right?... that lady's baby will be born speaking English, right?

Her mother asks, 'Sure, why do you ask that?" The little girl looked relieved, "Well, mamma, if our baby speaks English, I won't be able to talk to her."

Effects of Low Self-Esteem on Health

“ One of the greatest disease is to be a nobody to anybody” Mother Teresa of Calcutta

All my years, in the education and health occupations and in my various volunteer assignments, I have found the effects of low self- esteem present in many victims of physical disabilities or disease and sometimes, it could be the residue of the disease or disability.
Low self-esteem as it spirals downward can lead to depression , paranoia, anorexia, bulimia.

Socially, low self-esteem alienates people, causes friction, jealousies, conflicts, and in extreme cases to violence. The common cry of persons with low self-esteem is “I’m not good enough .... ”. "I don't deserve this.."

There are several ways that lack of self-esteem is exhibited and here are three of them.- 1.Some people disguise their lack of self-esteem by outwardly showing confidence but inwardly terrified of failure, so this group will tend to be perfect or be workaholic in their daily lives and always looking for a pat on the back.

2. Some people act as if they are not bothered by others' opinions or judgements, yet
inwardly, they are angry and hurt which translates into sarcastic jokes, blaming and overly critical attitudes.

3. These group show themselves as helpless, unable to cope, indulge in self-pity and relying totally on someone else for physical, emotional and psychological support.


If we can nurture good self-esteem in children, then we have already won part of the battle. There is an audiobook on "Self-Esteem Building for kids" Adults can change their low self-esteem and there are programs to do that. They are offered through churches, education and health departments and online. There audiobooks like the one below.



Someone who has a healthy self-esteem is not overly troubled by ratings, rejections or criticism of self or his or her work.
Next week, we will briefly explore how to recover or build-up your self-esteem.

What Causes Poor Self-Esteem

Causes of Low Self-Esteem

The causes of low self-esteem are as many as there are individuals. It begins in the mother’s womb. Gestational studies have shown that human foetuses react to music, sounds and vibrations while in the womb. Negative vibrations of the mother is felt and owned by these growing babies.

If the birth is difficult or if the labour is prolonged, if the baby is abandoned after birth, it affects that individual’s self-esteem. To illustrate, a recent article from a professional counselor, who had achieved success in relationships and career always felt his self-esteem was low as he did not feel he belonged.

He felt that the reason for that was he was an adopted child (he was not told he was adopted) when he finally had the courage to ask his mother, she stated he was adopted as a baby. He realized then that his issues with self-esteem stemmed from that.


How parents treat a child in the early years with words, attitudes and gestures play an important part in the self-esteem arena.
The school age child’s self-esteem formation continues with the teachers and other students. Is he/she bullied? Were there positive or negative reinforcements? Does the child go to church or Sunday school? Was that a positive experience?

If the general atmosphere of home and school is positive, with constructive criticism as well as praise for the child’s achievements, the child will develop a good level of self-esteem.

Bullying, excessive teasing, harsh criticism of the child’s failures or character flaws will create self-esteem issues. Does the child accomplishes each stage of psychologist Erik Erikson’s Developmental Stages successfully? These stages cover the whole spectrum of one’s life.

Other factors that contribute to low self-esteem are abuse, addictions, perceived or actual rejection by peers, job loss, separation, divorce, business as well as relationship failures and chronic illnesses. Society in general play a role in forming one’s self-esteem. Sometimes, "humor" is used to ridicule another person and shred their self-esteem! Some personalities are more prone to have their self-esteem eroded as they are extremely sensitive.

Tomorrow we will look at the effects of poor self-esteem.
Agapelife