Autoimmune Disorders

Question:
We met at the book signing after your talk in Ann Arbor. You asked me to write you because there wasn’t time to answer my question. I am trying to overcome an autoimmune disease which doctors have variously diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjorgren’s syndrome, and lupus. My eyes are so severely dry that they have had to plug my tear ducts to prevent damage to my corneas and loss of vision. Did you have any ideas of how energy techniques could help me? I am willing to travel to see you as a patient if necessary.

Answer:
While autoimmune illnesses may express themselves in a broad spectrum of symptoms, energetically they share many features, whether named rheumatoid arthritis, Sjorgren’s syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, chronic fatigue disorder, or any of a host of 50 other tricky conditions (see the Autoimmune Association’s website at www.aarda.org). Western medicine is the first to admit that, while invasive interventions such as steroids are available to suppress the symptoms, little is known about how to cure these illnesses, where antibodies are produced against a person’s own tissue. By addressing the energetic roots of these conditions, however, I have seen the symptoms go into apparently permanent remission in cases where doctors could give no reason for hope, and I have seen this happy result dozens of times in my 23 years of practice.

Four primary energy intervention strategies should be considered for any autoimmune illness:

1.Calming the triple warmer meridian (and thus the immune system’s overresponse) and establishing a balance between the spleen and triple warmer meridians (see Chapter 8 of Energy Medicine).
2. Establishing and maintaining crossover patterns throughout the body (see the discussions of the Celtic weave in Chapter 6 and the homolateral crossover on pp. 250 - 252 of Energy Medicine).
3. Establishing and maintaining a general balance and harmony among all the energy systems, using techniques such as those in the 5-minute "Daily Energy Routine" (Chapter 3 of Energy Medicine).
4. Establishing and maintaining space in the body for energy to move, using lots of stretching and exercises such as "Connecting Heaven and Earth" (pp. 266 - 268 of Energy Medicine).

While for any serious, longstanding condition such as yours, I would strongly recommend that you find an energy healer in your area (see the recommendations for finding a qualified practitioner on the "Practitioners" page on my site or in the Appendix of Energy Medicine), these four points map a general approach to autoimmune disorders that would also be tailored to the person’s specific symptoms.

Regarding the severe dryness in your eyes, without being able to see or energy test you, I can only make a guess. Stomach meridian governs the body’s moisture, and it’s pathway travels through the eyes. Therefore, working with stomach meridian, such as tapping the ends of the meridian, holding the meridian’s acupuncture points, or flushing the meridian (trace backward once and forward three times) should help correct the energy imbalance that your symptoms may reflect.

Also, make a point of keeping spleen meridian strong by checking it regularly and using tapping, tracing, or holding to correct imbalances. This helps with autoimmune disorders by strengthening the immune system while maintaining a healthy inner environment.

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Karen BerryAutoimmune Disorders

Vertigo, Nausea, & More

Question:
My mother has begun having awful episodes of illness that have mystified not only our family but also the emergency room physicians at the local hospital. She tells me that each episode begins with ringing in her ears followed by a paralyzing dose of vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and shaking. Needless to say, this cluster of symptoms leaves her in a pretty debilitated state, and I’m really worried about her. When I took her to the ER last week after a particularly strong bout, the doctors ran a series of diagnostic tests but, to everyone’s surprise, they were unable to find anything wrong. They simply sent her home with a recommendation that she have her ears checked by an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. She plans on doing this very soon because her symptoms returned the very next day. I’m wondering if you have any strategies for working with this type of case using energy medicine?

Answer:
​Actually, energy work might help your mother a great deal. Whenever she feels any of the symptoms of vertigo, instruct her to sit down and do a "hook-up" (described on p. 119 of Energy Medicine). That is, have her place the middle finger of one hand into her navel, push in gently, pull up; the middle finger of her other hand at the point between her eyebrows, push in gently and push up. Hold for up to a minute. This can re-stabilize the energies that are at the root of vertigo and bring instant relief or at least stop the symptoms from going any further.

Here are additional things she can do once or twice a day, and they may also help with an episode:

  1. Have her place the fingers of either hand on one of her cheekbones and push upward with considerable pressure (stomach meridian). With the other hand, squeeze the sides of either big toe at the base of the toenail (spleen and liver meridians).

  2. Massage or tap the K-27 points (come to the corners of the collarbone right beneath the neck, and drop into the cattycorner about an inch beneath it, where you will find a little indent on each side). Give these points a real workout.

  3. "Smooth Behind Your Ears," that is have her place the pads of her fingers in her temples, take a slow deep breath in and out. On the next deep breath, have her push her fingers to about an inch above her ears, and on the outbreath, drag them down and behind the ears and down the neck. Have her hang her fingers on her shoulders for several seconds and then rake her fingers over her shoulders.

The 5-minute "Daily Energy Routine" (Chapter 3 of Energy Medicine), focusing especially on the crown pull, can have a preventive effect by keeping her overall energy system in balance.

Western medicine often struggles with diagnosing and treating patients when symptoms come and go, as happens with your mother. Despite this, I’d still encourage her to seek help from an ear, nose, and throat physician, and I’d suggest she consider simultaneously seeing an acupuncturist or other energy worker. Look for someone who is skilled and well thought of in her community. Very likely, she has energy imbalances that are more subtle than the medical tests she was given in the ER could detect. This is an instance where energy medicine holds a definite advantage over laboratory diagnoses and outright guesses about which medications to prescribe.

Also see the discussion on tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

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EverettVertigo, Nausea, & More

Traumatic Brain Injury

Question:
I've referred several of my Truamatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients to your "5-minute Energy Routine" on YouTube. They like it for the general sense of balance it creates, but I wondered what you would add to more specifically target cognitive function for improvement?

Answer:
​TBI is very challenging, and its incidence is increasing at an alarming rate due to the wars. Energy work can make a distinct difference. Several exercises come to mind that could be added to the Daily Energy Routine for TBI, although there is the problem with any diagnosable condition that the same symptoms might involve one energy constellation for one person and a very different constellation for another. So there is never a one size fits all protocol. But here is what I would add to the Daily Energy Routine -- while still keeping it relatively brief -- to give the brain a nice "energy bath" that promotes healing and improves cognitive function. It brings the 5 minute routine up to a 10-minute routine, though they can be done separately.

  • Add a fourth thump to the "Three Thumps": stomach meridian points under eyes (about 10 seconds).
  • Stretch ear lobs (about 20 seconds)
  • Triple Warmer Smoothie, p. 253 (Energy Medicine, 2nd ed), about a minute.
  • Isometric Head Press, (pp. 154 - 155, 90 seconds)
  • Memory exercise, p. 225, about a minute, best done sitting down.
  • Front and back neurovascular hold while breathing deeply (place one hand over forehead, other at back of head, behind the eyes, hold lightly for about a minute).

I hope this is helpful for your patients!

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EverettTraumatic Brain Injury

Spinal Cord Narrowing

Question:
Over fifty years ago, at age sixteen, I broke my neck in a diving accident and was hospitalized for three months. Thankfully, my recovery from the initial paralysis was nearly complete and I retained only a slight limp. I was able to lead a full life, marry a wonderful lady, and have five children. Seven years ago, however, I broke my hip and since that time I’ve needed the use of a walker and a wheelchair to get around. Doctors tell me that my spinal cord has narrowed, and that this has slowed down the communication signals between my brain and my body. Are there any energy exercises that could address this problem?

Answer:
Yes, several come to mind. The first is to have someone do a "spinal flush" on you every day with great deliberation and care. Essentially a spinal flush involves having someone massage along each side of your spine in order to stimulate key neurolymphatic points (see p. 79 of Energy Medicine). This will flush toxic energy from your body, leaving you deeply relaxed and with your energies flowing. It is normal for these points to be tender at first, but most people really enjoy having this done. Not only does it clear toxins from the body, it also pumps the cerebrospinal fluid that flows along the spine.

Another superb technique for working with cerebrospinal fluid was taught to me by a Hopi elder and is described on page 285 - Energy Medicine.

A third exercise, which you can do while sitting down, is called "pumping the cerebral spinal fluid." It combines deep breathing with a series of hand positions. Begin with a crown pull (Energy Medicine p. 77). Then:

  1. Place your left hand in the middle of your chest and simultaneously place your right hand on the right side of your head above the ear with your fingers pointing upward towards the crown of your head. Take about four deep, slow breaths as you hold this position.
  2. Leave your left hand in place and move your right hand to cover the lower back part of your head over the occipital area. Take a few more slow, deep breaths.
  3. Move your right hand to the middle of your chest and place your left hand on the left side of your head with fingers pointing upwards as before. Breathe deeply and slowly.
  4. Leave your left hand in place, and put your right hand over your forehead with finger pointing upwards. Again, take a few more slow breaths.

This exercise occasionally makes people a bit dizzy, but this only indicates that it was needed (cerebral spinal fluid that was sluggish starts to move more quickly) and the dizziness usually passes quickly.

After the spinal flush or the Hopi technique, you might ask a family member or friend to do one more thing for you. Lie face down and have him or her place one hand on your sacrum and the other at the base of your neck, and rock you very gently back and forth for one to two minutes. The rocking motion frees energy to move between the vertebrae of the spine.

All of the above exercises unblock clogged energy and help to make space in the body for energy to flow. You might find it valuable to do them one or more times daily.

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EverettSpinal Cord Narrowing

Sedating Triple Warmer “Is Not for Sissies”

Question:
Having attended one of your workshops specific to weight loss issues, I would like to share some of the results several of us, vigilant about sedating triple warmer and strengthening spleen, have experienced. Initially there was wonderful euphoria, with feelings of well-being and contentment. Then, as if triple warmer was rearing up in rebellion, most of the women experienced surges of crying jags, anger, and confusion. These flashes came out of nowhere and passed through quickly, but left us shaken and disoriented. Old personal issues were/are reappearing and creating momentary chaos. My theory regarding this process relates to addiction work.

Answer:
One of the reasons women overeat is to suppress painful feelings and memories. As triple warmer was sedated and spleen strengthened, these feelings surfaced. Registering the unsettled feelings, triple warmer became threatened about having let its guard down and having given more power to the spleen meridian, and it reflexively overreacted, causing a transitional roller coaster response. Overall, the whole process, although difficult, has felt positive. But our motto has evolved from "free your body" to "sedating triple warmer is not for sissies!" Would you please comment on our process and theory?

A. "Sedating triple warmer is not for sissies" says it all! I have been through everything you've described and would like to add a few more comments about your experiences.

Triple warmer has no inclination toward letting go of old patterns, especially survival habits. And it is very smart! Remember, as your body's militia (see Chapter 8 of Energy Medicine), it has established strategies which have literally saved your life. Even during the time of euphoria you all experienced, triple warmer was building new strategies to undercut the changes and return to the earlier patterns where it was in control.

I will warn you about a repetitive pattern I've witnessed with groups attempting to control their weight or overcome addictions. As the positive results show themselves, such as with weight loss followed by euphoria, the individuals become less vigilant about maintaining energy routines, personal contact with other group members, and overall group support. People just "forget." Triple warmer is tricky and as you become less vigilant in changing the energy habits, it sees this opening, and moves in for the coup and a return to the old rule. Making you forget your new routines is its path of least resistance.

You need to support the entire system during a change process, and this involves continually "reassuring" triple warmer as the transition occurs. Sometime after you have begun sedating triple warmer and strengthening spleen, within 30 days approximately, begin to sedate and then STRENGTHEN triple warmer before strengthening both spleen and stomach.

It is also helpful to internally speak to triple warmer as you sedate it. Consciously honor its contribution to your health. Your energy systems are responsive to your conscious intentions. As you flush the triple warmer meridian or hold its sedating points, you might mindfully acknowledge that this is an incredibly intelligent energy system, the mastermind of your immune system, and thank it for its care and protection and its role in keeping you alive and healthy. Assure it that you are looking out for your body’s well-being with these interventions and encourage it to trust you, to relax, and to withdraw the "troops." At the same time, encourage it to keep the troops, the resources of your immune system, fit and in readiness for real threats to your health.

This practice affirms triple warmer's value, diffuses defensiveness, and heads off a reactionary panic. As you win triple warmer’s confidence and cooperation, the harmony of spleen, triple warmer, and stomach can be restored. As old energy habits are released, calories are burned, and weight is lost—all within a smoother and less labile experience

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EverettSedating Triple Warmer “Is Not for Sissies”

Sick After a Session

Question:
I am a naturopath and have been increasingly incorporating energy techniques into my work. I’ve found Energy Medicine to be a wonderful reference, and I have generally found the techniques you describe to be gentle and helpful. Occasionally, however, energy work can be disruptive to a person’s system. I have had two people now go into a "healing crisis" where old symptoms returned after a session, where anxiety from old traumas was reactivated, and where the person felt much worse than before we began.

Answer:
I’m afraid that most practitioners meet this one somewhere along the way, although I don’t like the phrase "healing crisis." I think of "healing crisis" as a defensive term that health professionals use so they won’t be blamed for triggering a second health crisis in someone who came to them because they were already in a health crisis. Sometimes the treatment does stir the pot, causing new symptoms or reactivating old ones, but to call it a healing crisis often obscures the dynamics so the person’s complaints are dismissed rather than dealt with. Energy medicine moves energy; the new complaints provide vital information for the next step.

And sometimes the next step involves revisiting an old health problem that has become dormant as the person has learned to cope and adapt—what my friend Peg Mayo calls "wallpapering over the cockroaches"—but the unresolved problem is still robbing the person of vital energy, causing underlying exhaustion, and dulling the mind, even though overt symptoms are no longer troubling. This can happen with physical as well as psychological problems and can be very awkward for the healer. The return of old back pain, respiratory problems, or severe anxiety may be your "thank you" after what you thought was a brilliant session.

Carrying a perspective that allows for these dynamics helps you to anticipate them and prepare yourself as well as your client. While you don’t want to give a hypnotic suggestion that itself sends the person into a "healing crisis," you can set a healing context where problems that go beyond the original problem may readily be embraced. Rather than dreading this kind of development as something bad, I hold a space that appreciates the opportunity that sometimes arises for people to have a more profound healing than they bargained for. So, I find it easy to be sincerely upbeat as I say to someone, "This energy here in your chest feels very old. Working with it may stir things up, and I want you to be prepared for that."

Of course many of the standard energy techniques for keeping the body’s energies balanced can help to head off an unnecessary "healing crisis." Doing an appropriate adaptation of the 5-minute Energy Routine (Chapter 2 of Energy Medicine) early in the session so you begin with a relatively balanced energy system is pretty standard for me, as is suggesting that an energy routine be done on a daily basis after the session.

During the session, if you sense that the person’s energy is beginning to go into an unexpected reaction, you can safely assume that the triple warmer meridian has been activated. One of its main jobs is to resist change, even when the change is beneficial. Triple warmer can pull out all the stops to prevent change, from scrambling the physical energies to sending waves of anxiety through your client. So you may be sailing along during a session and suddenly find that everything stops working until you sedate triple warmer, which gives it a calming message that causes it to stop treating the treatment as a foreign invasion.

One more way to head off an unnecessary "healing crisis" is that if a great deal of energy is moved in a session, you can close the session by strengthening spleen meridian, using the acupressure strengthening points. This enhances the body’s ability to adapt, incorporate, and metabolize new information. The "hook-up" is another way to anchor in the benefits of the treatment

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EverettSick After a Session

Sixth Chakra Opening

Question:
I have always wanted to develop my psychic awareness, and I have been an on-and-off meditator for years. But meditation is very slow, at least for me. It is very hard for me to get out of my mind, and I actually don’t know if all my meditating has really lead to any progress in terms of psychic abilities. I recently heard you speak about using energy methods for opening the third-eye chakra, and how this can open a person’s psychic awareness. This interests me very much, and I wonder if you can tell me more about how to go about this. But I also heard you say that opening the sixth chakra can be like an "explosion." This scares me. Please say more.

Answer:
By "explode," I mean that suddenly where energy had been prevented, it moves in with power and freedom, filling up the space, just like a glorious light show. Be assured this is a good, wonderful type of "explosion." There is no pain, just gain. Nonetheless, some people are terrified when they start to see colors or open their psychic awareness, and it can be very helpful to seek out someone who has already been there. Also, in rare cases, a "kundalini awakening" can be traumatic, but this is unusual and should be the topic of a different discussion. The one piece of precautionary advice I would emphasize is that as the sixth chakra is opening, be sure to re-balance all your chakras and keep them in a good balance. Here are three of the many techniques for moving through the obstacles to opening the sixth chakra:

  • Place your bent fingers in the middle of the back of your neck. Pull your fingers forward, toward the sides of your neck, raking your neck with some pressure. Do this 3 times. Then place the middle finger of one hand into the center indent at the base of your head and the middle finger of the other hand at the point at the very top of your head and hold for a minute or two.

  • If too much mental energy is interfering with the sixth chakra's opening, the following helps the energy move out of the mind/sixth chakra area. Lay in bed or otherwise get comfortable and do some simple relaxing/centering meditations (such as "Notice Breath, Soften Belly, Open Heart") and place your hands over your belly (second chakra). Let all of your consciousness drop down into your second chakra, and let your being move into a reverie of gratitude and connection.

  • When you reach that reverie of gratitude or connection, gently "tap it in" at the third eye point. Do this as well at other times you are experiencing joy or happiness.

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EverettSixth Chakra Opening

Stroke Victims and Figure 8s

Question:
Would tracing figure eights be helpful for people who have had a stroke?

Answer:
Tracing figure eight energies helps the energy cross over from the left hemisphere to the right side of the body and from the right hemisphere to the left side of the body. It also helps energies cross over every part of the body, through the organs, even the cells. Another person can do this tracing of the cross-over energies (see the discussion of the Celtic weave in Energy Medicine Chapter 6). The stroke patient can also imagine the energies weaving. If possible, the person could trace figure eights of any size with a finger or a hand, or you could do it for the person by tracing the eights directly on or just above the body. Also, encourage the person to "doodle" by drawing figure eights on a piece of paper. This helps to imprint crossover energy patterns into the brain.

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EverettStroke Victims and Figure 8s

Suicidal Depression

Question:
I have a close friend who is the father of four children. He is caught in a terrible depression, and he recently tried to kill himself. Is there any way that energy work can help him?

Answer:
​I feel for your friend and his obviously desperate situation, and I know that you must be very concerned. In addition to whatever professional help you can get him to seek, there are some energy techniques that could improve his state of mind. Try to get him to do the 5-minute "Daily Energy Routine" (Chapter 3 of Energy Medicine) at least twice a day. This will immediately help organize some of his basic energy patterns. Whenever he feels unable to handle things or out of control or particularly depressed, have him do a "hook-up" in that moment (Energy Medicine p. 119). All of this he can do for himself. The following will need someone else’s assistance:

Find out if his energies are flowing in a homolateral pattern by energy testing him while he looks at an "X" and then again while he looks at a pair of parallel vertical lines. He should energy test strong on the X and weak on the parallel lines (this indicates that the energies are crossing over properly between the left and right sides of his body). If you get any other result, have him do the "homolateral crossover" (Energy Medicine pp. 233 – 235) instead of just the cross crawl during his daily routine.

Hold the main neurovascular points (the "Oh, my God" points, Energy Medicine p. 90) on his forehead for several minutes. These points not only help to soothe the emotional system, they also help us to think better.

Balance his chakras (see Energy Medicine Chapter 5). They are a key component of the energy system. They store information regarding our past, our current challenges, and our emotions. And they energetically connect us to the universe. Having them in balance can help him make a tremendous difference in how he feels and in how clearly he can think.

Trace figure eight patterns slowly in front of his face several times and have him follow the patterns with his eyes. This creates a neurological effect that can help loosen the grip of long-standing depression.

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EverettSuicidal Depression

Swine Flu

Question:
​I am hearing a lot of different opinions regarding the Swine Flu. What can I do to protect myself and my family? Should we get the Swine Flu shot?

While I have strong opinions on vaccinations and personally am not getting the H1N1 vaccine or encouraging anyone in my family to get it, there are differing opinions from competent, caring, respectable health care professionals, and individual circumstances and risk factors may also be part of the equation. I think Dr. Oz offers a balanced discussion on the question. There is also a lot of sober discussion about how much fear has been generated around the Swine Flu "epidemic," including the biggest push for immunization since Polio. Is this Big Pharm flexing its muscles to feed its pockets or are the scare tactics justified? I found the article Swine Flue Fact vs. Fears to provide a good brief overview of what is known. I cannot advise what you should do regarding the vaccine, but I can suggest that keeping your immune system healthy and strong is the first line of defense against any infectious illness.

Besides the ultra obvious, such as keeping your hands clean, this means:

  1. Regardless of the pressures on you in our fast-paced world, making choices that minimize chronic stress should be at the top of your priority list. If you lose your health, it doesn't matter how important it was to do all those other things. They won't get done. So find a reasonable balance and commit yourself to maintaining it!
  2. Don't leave your energies in a homolateral pattern (pp. 250-252)!!! Do plenty of stretch and cross over patterns throughout the day (pp. 80-83 and 187-203).
  3. The Daily Energy Routine (Chapter 3) is designed to keep your immune system strong. I recommend that you do it daily, that in times of stress or vulnerability you do it a couple of times each day, and that in addition you do it or parts of it at any time you are feeling particularly stressed. Working your lymphatic reflex points moves toxins out of your body and is particularly supportive of optimal immune system functioning.
  4. If you sense you are starting to come down with a cold or worse, add: The Triple Warmer Smoothie, Connecting Heaven and Earth, flushing spleen & lung meridians, breathing deeply while tapping on the meridian endpoints, and any other techniques in the book which particularly call to you!
  5. Rest! Certainly if you feel something coming on, do not wait for it to be screaming at you before you pay attention. I like to start with a long hot bath! I do my emergency energy exercises in the tub. One of my favorites, which helps the lungs and is a good flu preventive, is to cross my arms, push my thumbs into my mid-arms, and place my elbows into my inner thighs, while they are supported by the bathtub sides. And feeling great or feeling down, be sure you are getting enough sleep. That is one of the most basic choices you can make to support your health.
  6. Eat well: Although your diet is obviously another basic set of choices for supporting your health, also remember that there are no guidelines, no generalizations, that can tell you what your unique body needs or what it needs at a particular time. Energy testing is a great tool for finding a good nutritional balance (Chapter 2). As David is fond of saying, "Test before you ingest." Same with vitamins and supplements, including those that strengthen the immune system.
  7. Use your body! Our ancestors were not sedentary creatures and your body did not evolve to spend 8 hours/day at a computer. If your job requires you to be at a desk, take frequent brief breaks where you move vigorously. Breath fresh air when possible. And as it is with diet, different bodies need and thrive best with different kinds of exercise.

Stay well!

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EverettSwine Flu

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