I'm excited to share that the Wellness Community of Arizona has designated me as the fourth and final speaker in their Spirit of Science Lecture Series. The last speaker in the series was Chris Carmichael, who helped the seven-time Tour de France winner recover from advanced testicular cancer is the author of seven books, including The New York Times bestseller, “Chris Carmichael’s Food for Fitness.” 

My lecture/interactive presentation will emphasize the importance of awareness and stability of mind/heart through the harrowing experience of oncology care and life post treatment. I'll expand on many of the creative approaches both patients and their caregivers can employ moment-to-moment in their journey. These ideas were described on Jeannine Walston's Embodiworks.org site last year here. 

Cancer invites/demands that we respond. So much of rehabilitation in cancer care is about striving, winning, overcoming and fight the war on cancer. These are good and honorable responses, but too little value and opportunity is given the other equally valuable response….that is surrender, acceptance and presence. Herein lies the paradox of "both" …neither the right answer, but each holding the transformative healing potential the diagnosis of cancer brings forward in those with the diagnosis and their communities.

Please forward and share this notice with those you think might benefit from a pleasant evening on Thursday, February 23rd at The Wellness Community of Arizona, 6-8 pm. See the contact info to the right to RSVP as seating is limited. For those that can't attend that evening, the program is being videotaped and will be posted on the The Wellness Community site in the future. I'll post details. 

Here is a flyer to print, post or share: Flyer

Hope to see you there!  We're creating the future of rehabilitation ….today!

My Concern:

So the profession is starting to catch on regarding the inadequacies of the predominant predictive biomechanical model, but treatment remains largely unchanged. The few conversations about what to do now in light of the evidence just generates more complicated biomechanical, linear approaches (ie, educate [read: give facts], pace and grade movements and add some reassurance "it will be alright"). 

How do you address the emerging complexities and do you think we can deal with this evidence using the same paradigmatic thinking of the past century?

I don't believe we can. 

Here's why:   So It's Complex…Now What?

I'll be teaching "Yoga for Stroke Rehabilitation: The DSR Method" a 2-day continuing education course in Scottsdale AZ on Sept 24-25, 2011. Details at www.dsrseminars.com .  

There was quite a buzz re: the new study my colleague and lead researcher Arlene A. Schmid, OTR, PhD presented this week. Her bio is here. The summary is below beneath the APTA banner. The study made the news on the EIM Daily Dose, Twitter and weekly APTA News Now. 

After teaching the techniques and value of bringing Yoga principles and technologies into rehabilitation since 1998, it is gratifying to see the clinical evidence begin to emerge. One of my first students, Julie Bastille, PT in 1998 went on to break ground by having the first yoga-based stroke rehab study in the PTJ.

Now today, as Dr. Schmid is quoted this week, the research around Yoga is "really taking off" and no better evidenced than at the 2011 Symposiums on Yoga Therapy and Research I helped launch in 2007 as then vice-president of the International Association of Yoga Therapy, and later president 2008-2009.   

Please spread the word about this exciting course offering coming up in September. The course is designed for rehab professionals and Yoga therapists. I presented it last year for past AZAPTA's president Kay Wing, PT's company, SWAN Rehab, the spring 2011 AZAOTA Conference, and at the 2009 APTA Annual conference. Pruitt Rehabilitation out of North Carolina also sponsored me in GA in February of 2011.

Here's some feedback from those courses:

Yoga Increases Balance, Endurance in Veterans, Says Indiana University Researcher
Balance measures improved in older veterans with stroke who performed yoga poses…

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Here's an easy to download/share copy of the article in its entirety as a 2-page pdf. 

This morning while reviewing the Twitter feed, I find this interesting article from the NYTimes titled, "Viagra: The Thrill is Gone" by Hilary Stout. She shares some great stories to back up my reflections and hopefully points to some sanity returning to this headlong rush to "youth." This is even more important in light of the findings last week about Viagra-type drugs leading to deafness. Madness to lose your hearing in a misdirected effort to remain a "young buck" forever. 

How do you address these important psychosocial issues with the men and women that seek insight and support in your practice?

I was invited to contribute an article on Yoga therapy and how it can influence the "greening" of one's home. As you spring clean this year, consider making your home more "eco"-firendly by upgrading the postural supports throughout your home. The article is below and a pdf version is located here to share locally. 

What are some ways you advise your students to use their practice "off the mat" to improve their family health and make their home's more hospitable?

Abstract reads as so:

This article describes how Yoga therapeutics can provide preparation and support for end of life geriatric rehabilitation. As an integral practice Yoga therapeutics provides the geriatric rehabilitation professional with practical tools and rationale as either sole providers or as members of an interdisciplinary team. Context is provided for how Yoga addresses dying and death with techniques that employ skills within the traditional providersʼ scope of practice. Yoga therapeutics offers both self-care for the provider as well as the extensive list of techniques to share with patients. Following proper training and personal practice, the provision of Yoga therapeutics has the potential to facilitate a “good death” and minimize suffering in end of life geriatric rehabilitation.

Looking forward to see this article in print later this month. Final proof is done and now ready for the "birth" of the idea that traditional rehabiliation, to include physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech pathologists should add yoga therapy to their available modalities in supporting geriatric clients. 

Do you use yoga in supporting people in the end of life?

If so, how?

Do you need resources to support those in end of life or grief?

Jennifer has developed very powerful resources for just that, and to encourage healthy conversations about death and dying at www.griefgifts.com

Spread the word…we're all headed for savasana…it's the only pose we get to keep!

This article is from my series on Yoga therapeutics for a local monthly paper, AZ Health & Wellness. 

Here is the link to this article, "Restore Pelvic Power with Yoga Therapy?".

As a member of the International Pelvic Pain Society and a clinician that supports men and women with challenges in this region, I hope this article broadens the lens of focus to include the many other factors that influence disorders and how Yoga therapy can restore "order" to the disorder! 

What is your experience as either a provider or patient with Yoga therapy?

Please spread the word!

It has been a long, slow process as we've worked together to fulfill that mission of:

"Our mission is to establish Yoga as a recognized and respected therapy."

It is with a great deal of satisfaction and pride that I'm happy to announce that mission has come one step closer to reality with the publication of the 6th Edition of Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity from Elsevier in February of 2011, considered to be the "Bible" of rehabilitation principles by conventional medicine.

Chapter 121 is titled as:

The handheld video graphic indicates that in addition to the 13 page chapter there is available online video clips of the referenced asanas, mudras and meditations.

This shot summarizes the chapter to describe how the work is far more than "Asana for Hands":

And here is a clip of the section on manual therapy:

The 2-volume set is a 1900 page reference set that sells for $299 and will be a fixture in clinics and graduate programs for years to come.

To purchase the textbook visit here. 

To cite:  

Taylor MJ, Galantino ML, Walkowich H,  "The Use of Yoga Therapy in Hand and Upper Quarter Rehabilitation." In Skirven, Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity, 6th Ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier, 1548-1562, 2011.

Please pass on this information to those that share the mission!

Here is the link to the first article, "What is Yoga Therapy?".

Having been on the committee at www.iayt.org that drafted the first operational definition for the assoication, I can now appreciate the time and care we took to formalize a rich and meaningful definition. The craft involved in taking such a deep practice such as Yoga therapy and bringing it down to a operational definition was hard work. By no means exclusive or exhaustive, I'd love to hear your response or questions to this article written 4 years later after we first published an answer to "What is Yoga Therapy?".

Please spread the word!

I had the pleasure of sharing some of the science of being "good" with the 7th-12th graders at my alma mater, Aquin Catholic High School in Freeport IL on October 20, 2010.

                           Kathy Runte, Prinicipal making her introduction.                                               

 The lineup of Aquin faculty  "saints" that continue to influence my life.

In the evening I gave this slightly modified version of the presentation to the adults of the community.

Below is the audio file which matches up with the powerpoints slides located here in pdf handout form: Slides.

The 60 min matching audio file allows you to follow along with the slides and enjoy the presentation. You can just push "Play" to listen from your computer while you open the pdf in a different browser window or download the audio file to your MP3 player/i-Pod and listen without the slides.

           Explaining the science of changing mind/bodies.                      

               "What's wrong with our posture???"

            Shifting human clay with spirit and attention.

 Try it yourself…here's a fun 65 min class on transforming your body and your mind: 

Choosing Sides as a way to transform your mindbody experience

Push the Play Button to Listen

This is the 15 min Meditation  on Fear and Passion

Let me know what you think and please share back any additional information or research that would augment this presentation.

Go 'Dawgs !!!