My sister is visiting and we’re having a lovely time catching up on our lives and spending quality time with Mumsie, who’s absolutely thrilled to have her two daughters with her. Of course, when we gang up on her to try and get her not to do something she shouldn’t, she’s somewhat less thrilled!

As usual, when my sister visits, our relatives and friends all want to see her. That means juggling dates and times to fit everyone in while making sure we’re not rushing about too much and exhausting Mumsie. My sister, who is one of the most considerate people I know, is caught between a rock and a hard place. Although her main priority is to spend as much time as possible with Mumsie, she understandably also wants to see some of our cousins and friends to catch up on their lives. So, between us, we have quite the juggling and balancing act going.

With all this constant mental and physical activity, meditation is what I need right now. But, wouldn’t you know it? I can’t focus enough to meditate. I can focus on everything else except meditation – the soft murmur of conversation between Mumsie and my sister, the distant drone of traffic, the persistent buzzing of the fly, my suddenly very itchy nose…as Charlie Brown would say, “aaarrrggghhh”!

But I’m going to persevere – I won’t force it but will continue to try and meditate daily. I may think I’m not meditating as well as I should, but I’m still finding that it’s making a difference in how I approach my day. I find I can easily juggle all those balls in the air without “freaking out”, so something must be working.

Hey ~ I just realized that Mumsie’s asleep and my sister’s out with some friends, so there’s no time like the present to get in some meditation. Bliss.

Tags: meditation, family visit, quality time with my mom, how to meditation during busy day

What fragile beings we are. Certainly, the mind spectrum I have observed includes my associations with colleagues, friends, gurus, monks, mystics and the myriad of patients with minds that have been altered by toxins, strokes and traumatic brain injuries.

There is now enough medical knowledge to treat or transplant almost every organ in the body. The brain and its nervous system are the final frontier. Studies are being done every day establishing insight in to the workings, capacity and adaptability of this fascinating collection of cells. New research is supplying data regarding the effects of diet, toxins, exercise, stress and sleep. More recent studies reveal the positive effects of a daily practice of mindful meditation in areas related to awareness, memory, learning and more. Use of imaging studies like an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and other types of scans are showing actual structural changes in specific parts of the brain that correlate with awareness, memory, etc. We can actually improve our brains and, consequently, our quality of life.

In life, we make sacrifices of time, money and health for our business or profession. Years are spent in education and training. Money is borrowed and spent with risk of loss or debt. We give up sleep, meals and health for our business. With hard work and perseverance, we usually succeed. However, many of these sacrifices eventually have ill effects on our bodies and minds.

Yet many of us will not put out the same effort to invest in our mind.

Protect your brain by wearing appropriate head gear during certain physical activities.
Allow for healing when injured even slightly.
Become proactive: promote your mind and mental health.
Eat correctly.
Exercise appropriately.
Avoid toxins when possible.
Deal with stress and get quality sleep.
Develop a daily practice of mindful meditation.

Your mind is your main business. Invest in it and the dividends will pay off with interest.

Stay tuned for the next blog covering other aspects of my Magical Medical Tour:

• Quid quid latine dictum sit altum viditur
• Mind. Your Own Business
• Radio GaGa

Tags: magical medical tour, Glenn Wollman MD, medical school training, mental health, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI

What follows here is my attempt to digest all that Felicia had to say in her session this evening, and to summarize for you, dear readers, just some of her awesome tips for better all-around digestification:

No, that’s not a real word. It’s late…you’ll have to cut me some slack.

1. Drink hot water with lemon. I’ve heard this before, that you’re not supposed to drink ice water, that it’s harder on your system, that room temperature water is better, but Felicia explained why this is the case so well that I am now going to live by it religiously. It’s advised, she said, because in order to have healthy digestion we want a strong digestive fire. What does ice water do to fire? That’s right, folks – it puts it out.

2. Eat When You’re Eating. Again, not totally new advice, but Felicia reminded us that we are ingesting not just what we eat, but HOW we eat. And what we ingest becomes a part of us. This means, if I’m eating in a blind hurry and not breathing and not noticing, then I am becoming, well…at worst, frantic and, at best, numb to the present. And neither of these are what I would like to become. Ever.

3. Pay Attention to What Happens AFTER You Eat. Keep a food diary, make up a little food song, record a voice memo (I loved all of these suggestions, especially the one about making up a song), do whatever you have to do to notice how you feel after you eat what you eat. It will be the best measuring stick for what you should and should not be feeding yourself.

4. Move Around. Digestion, Felicia says, is not static. It is a process that is constantly changing, constantly in flux, so movement can help us to digest, not just physiologically, but mentally and emotionally. Felicia gave the example of how you can be stuck on a problem and then get up to go for a walk and magically have the solution appear. That, my friends, is digestion.

5. Sleep Well. Sleep is one of our primary times for digestion and detoxification, so adequate sleep and quality sleep are very important to the whole human system. Felicia suggested sleeping in a darkened bedroom free from electronic equipment. (This one has always been hard for me…I will not admit to the number of nights I fall asleep while watching something on my laptop, which is balanced on my or my fiance’s belly. But it’s a lot.)

6. Meditate. “Meditation,” Felicia said, “is like the sorbet between courses.” It is the place where we integrate what we’ve learned. It is the time when we pause the constant influx of thought and information that usually bombards our system. Amen, sister.

7. Connect to the Earth. Stand on the ground with your bare feet. Touch a plant or a tree. Gaze up into the sky for a period of time. Do anything you can to remind yourself that there is something larger out there than you and the contents of your mind. Sigh. I think this might have been my favorite of all the incredible advice she gave. It’s so sweet, and so simple, and so achievable.

8. Exhale More. The exhale is the place of relaxation and digestion for the spirit, so if you need a little more of that, see if you can’t make your exhales just a little bit longer than your inhales.

Phew! That is a paltry re-hashing of what was a really wonderful and information-packed session by Ms. Tomasko. If you want to get fully inspired by all of these tips and a whole lot more, just head on over to Felicia’s YogaHub profile page and check her out!

It was a quasi profound moment when my scientific mind started thinking about Signal to Noise Ratio, a measurement used to define how much a signal has been distorted or corrupted by noise; or the level of desired signal over background noise.

It made me realize how important it is, while listening, reading or watching the news, to determine whether it is signal or noise. This also applies when we are meditating, trying to sleep, or having a conversation. Sometimes signals may be clear but they are the wrong signals or just plain noise, especially when they are coming from the body, mind, or the environment.

Are we receiving and sending clear signals – or is it noise?

Stay tuned for the next blog covering other aspects of my Magical Medical Tour:

• MIND. YOUR OWN BUSINESS
• Radio GaGa
• Prime Cut

Tags: magical medical tour, Dr. Glenn Wollman, Glenn Wollman M.D., radio ga ga, Queen, Noise Ratio

Surgery is a team effort. The surgical team does its part in preparing through education and training. But how are you preparing?

I would like to offer some choice tips. Knowing that each person and situation is unique, variations would be in order.

There are three general situations when a surgical intervention could occur.

The first is Emergency Surgery. This might occur because of an accident or because a body part, such as an appendix or a blood vessel, bursts. There is not much time for preparation other than trying to be in the best physical, mental and spiritual condition at all times. (In actuality, this applies to all three situations.) I would also suggest speaking with your doctor for input regarding a plan in case of an emergency. It is a good idea to have some access to your medical records at all times.

The second is Elective, Non-Essential Surgery. Things that are neither life nor limb, nor sight threatening. An example of this would be a cosmetic surgery. Before making the choice to have the surgery, look at your options, your motives and your consciousness. If they are not clear, then avoid the surgery. Don’t get me wrong. I love surgery. I did my post-medical school training in surgery. I have gone “under the knife” many times and each resulted in a near-perfect outcome. It is just that when your body is exposed to a surgical procedure, there is always a Yin and a Yang. It may be perfect or there may be side effects or unexpected results. If you choose to go ahead, then follow the suggestions of the third surgical situation.

The third is Elective, Essential Surgery. Everything else falls into this category.

TIPS
Pre-op (before the surgery):

1. Gather knowledge: Understand why you are having the procedure, what will happen during the procedure, and how you and your life will be altered after the procedure.

2. Define communication channels with your surgeon, primary care specialist and the anesthesiologist. This will help to eliminate fear. Discuss your fears regarding the surgery.

3. Make sure medications and post-op prescriptions (pain, nausea, etc.) are filled and ready before you have the surgery.

4. Prepare your home for recovery (including a way to get to and from the surgical facility). You may need a surgical bed, a special toilet or shower, crutches or other medical supplies. If you live alone, set up some visits from friends and family to make sure you are okay. If you are in a relationship, make sure the caregiver will be able to assist you in recovery – and also make sure the caregiver can take some time out for themselves.

5. Nutrition. If you are able to, begin to go to a softer, more liquid (blended) diet a few days before the surgery. Make sure that it is still balanced with macro and micro nutrients. Stock up on the dietary delights that will serve you best for recovery. Avoid dairy products for at least a day or two after general anesthesia.

6. Follow all the instructions of the doctor and the hospital.

7. Mantra. This is optional but it has worked for me and all of my clients. Once you decide to have the surgery, begin to focus your mind in a positive manner. Do this at least once or twice a day and do it immediately whenever negative thoughts or fears come into your mind. It can be spoken and/or visualized. For example:
_I am ready for surgery and my body is receptive. The Surgical team is ready and will be skillful. The surgery will be perfect . The healing and recovery will be perfect._

Please use this as a template and feel free to elaborate. I personally picture the intravenous line going into my body, the medications entering, the actual surgery, and more.

8. It is always a good idea to consider your Prime Directive*, a legal will, and the possibility of organ donation.

9. Peri-Operative. This is the time that starts moments before you lose alert consciousness; it continues during the whole procedure and ends when you are first become aware that the surgery is over. Again, this has worked for me and all of my clients.

The last thing you do before you go “under” is SMILE. You may start with your mouth and face but make it an entire body, mind and spirit smile.

The first thing you do when you are aware that the surgery is over, before you say a word, is SMILE. That way your entire procedure will have been surrounded, sandwiched or bookended by a SMILE – and what could be better?

10. Post-operative. This starts when the surgery is over and you are in recovery. It may include a hospital stay or you may be home after an out-patient procedure.

You probably received medications for anesthesia and to help you relax. Begin breathing exercises such as the Meta4Square Breath to help detoxify your body. It will also help to prevent complications such as pneumonia.

11. Honor the fact that you just had SURGERY. Give yourself a longer time to heal than your doctor gives you. Use your normal state of health, medications, age and healing abilities to assess the time line. Just as a rule of thumb and assuming all things are good and normal, triple the time. If the doctor says two days, consider six days, two weeks, six weeks, two months. Do the math.

12. While recovering and healing, spend time evaluating all aspects of your life that may have been part of the cause: weight, diet, stresses, physical activity, etc. and change those aspects that do not serve you well.

By following these simple tips, it may help to ensure that your next surgical procedure will be a PRIME CUT!

*Prime Directive – Indicate your wishes should you have a cardiopulmonary arrest or go in to a vegetative state. This should be on record with your family and your doctor.

Stay tuned for the next blog covering other aspects of my Magical Medical Tour:

• Radio GaGa
• Prime Cut
• Cell Mates

Tags: Emergency Surgery, medical records, medical science, Prime Directive, Surgery, surgical procedures, surgical team, tips after surgery, tips before surgery, tips for surgery, Yin and a Yang

We have visitors staying with us again – seven in all this time. My sister and her family left a couple of weeks ago and we had just a few days’ break before Hubby’s cousins came. And while they are wonderful and easy going people, there’s still a lot to do and there are times when I’m not sure which “cap” I’m wearing (chauffeur, tourist guide, chef, etc). I also have to take Mumsie into account to make sure she’s not overdoing it or encouraging me to overdo it. As I think I’ve mentioned before, she’s from the old school of hosting, so she thinks it’s only natural for me to add “personal slave” to my already full repertoire. Bless her – she tries her best to help but, at 92, there’s not much fetching and carrying she can do.

I recently realized that all the juggling I’ve been doing this summer has left me in a constant state of imbalance. I haven’t had a chance to go to my yoga class and I miss it – oh boy, do I miss it! As for meditating, I was doing really well for a while but these days I’ll be lucky if I have two minutes to contemplate my navel, never mind meditate for twenty minutes…

Ah…such is life. But you know what? I’m happy – exhausted but happy. There are so many people in this world who have nobody to care about them or share their lives with, whereas I am blessed to have so many loved ones who want to spend time with us.

Yes, my cup is more than half full – but living in an occasional state of imbalance is not necessarily a bad thing. So I’ll just go with the flow right now and find my balance in enjoying the company of loved ones.

Tags: imbalance, meditations, loved ones, daily yoga practice, visitors

But life is busy and chaotic with a houseful of people. Our days are filled with “what shall we do today?” or “let’s meet up with xxx” or “let’s go to the mall (or the park or wherever).” Then there are our conversations – we’re a family of chatterers and we ALL like to debate endlessly and share our opinions ad nauseam. Fortunately, Hubby is not only able to take all this in his stride, but he can also match us without any trouble.

But all this can get exhausting. Sometimes the noise and chaos gets to be too much, especially for Mumsie. But if she’s had enough, she just turns off her hearing aid and sits smiling beatifically while the rest of us continue with our noise-making! There are times when I wish I could do that – just switch off and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Yesterday, it suddenly all got to be too much for me – all the noise and the banter and the living on top of each other gave me a headache and turned me into a grouch. Rather than inflict myself on my family, I decided to hide in my bedroom and catch up on some reading. I’m halfway through “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert and yesterday I came to the part on meditating. That got me thinking about how long it’s been since I’d meditated.

I used to meditate every day without fail – and I really enjoyed the feeling of calm and peace that descended upon me once I’d let go of all my frustrations. But for some reason I stopped meditating a few years ago and just didn’t get around to resuming my practice.

“Today’s as good a day as any to start again,” I thought – and that’s what I did. I shut the door, unfurled my mat and sat on it, ensuring that I was in a comfortable position. Then I closed my eyes and proceeded to focus on my breathing. At first, it was hard not to get distracted by all the noise outside – my family chatting, a dog barking, the honking of car horns in the distance. But after a while, I found myself focusing only on my breathing – in, out, in, out – and not long after, I automatically began chanting my mantra in my head….

When I emerged from my bedroom some time later, I was a completely different person. All the irritation and frustration had left me, and I felt more energized and yet calmer and more at peace than I had in ages.

Earlier this year, I made a conscious effort to start improving my physical health. Now I realize that it’s time to also focus on my emotional and spiritual health. So I’ve promised myself that, from now on, no matter how busy I am, I’m going to carve out some time every day to meditate.

Tags: eat pray love, Elizabeth Gilbert, breathing, meditation, healing, quiet and peace

Here are some of the basic principles I have followed on my own healing journey and offer to my patients and clients for their healing journeys:

In general, I would always include my six categories for vibrant health: proper exercise, nutrition, stress management, sleep management, Spirituality, and patterns of behavior. By addressing these categories, one begins to practice Preparatory Medicine. This ensures that you will be in the best condition before anything detrimental to your health occurs.

The first and most important aspect of healing is KNOWLEDGE. This includes a basic understanding of anatomy. When you hurt yourself, you can figure out what you actually hurt (ligament, tendon, muscle, bone) and what it will take to prevent more hurting and begin healing. It is important to understand the body’s programmed responses to injury and inflammation. This brings up an important point. Although colleagues have varying opinions, I would suggest NOT taking nsaids (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen) at the very beginning of an injury. The inflammatory response is natural and necessary and should be allowed for a certain amount of time. Other treatments and medications can be used to address pain.

The second aspect is to HONOR the injury and the healing. Assume that when you get hurt, that is “time zero.” This is the best moment to start the healing and, even more importantly, stop the injury process. The longer the interval between time zero and the point where you accept the process, the less likely your chances are for optimal healing**. Another aspect needing to be honored is your age and how quickly you recover from anything. As aging progresses, it takes longer to heal.

The Third is CLARITY. Be very clear as to what you really want as a goal after you get hurt. Don’t fool yourself. Your decisions will affect your future and your present. While looking for clarity, consider the possibility that a life lesson was part of the process. If recognized and learned, that is good. If not, there is reason to believe the lessons might become harder and more painful.

Finally, VISUALIZING. Begin the process of visualizing a connection between your mind and your cells (body). A connection between your mind and your Spirit and a connection between your Spirit and your cells (body).

Then, visualize healing.

• Optimal healing: Return to the state you were in one second before time zero (pain, range of motion, strength, and no medication).

Stay tuned for future blogs on the six categories and other aspects of my Magical Medical Tour:

• I Don’t Feel Your Pain
• Headlines, Relativity and Health
• Magical Medical Tour: Heal

Tags: glenn wollman, living suite, Medical Guide, Medical Guide, spirit, Optimal healing

Normally, I would not have wasted the effort. Today was different.

Given that I had just dropped my daughter off for a three-hour gymnastics practice and I had to wait for it to be finished before taking the hour’s drive home, there was time to kill. So I turned in the direction of the hill.

I wasn’t quite sure why I made the effort now. I could have continued my walk on the flat terrain, but I didn’t. Perhaps I took the more difficult path because my mind was twisting thoughts in the same way you would twist a Rubix cube to get the right answer. As a business owner, there’s always some puzzle to figure out, some problem to solve, or some new initiative to evaluate. I was mulling over one business problem on this day and could use the distraction of physical effort.

The hike up the steep dead-end street was just the ticket.

I made my way to the top and turned around. The view was spectacular. I could see well across the city. In this dead-end little side street, it was very peaceful. The noise from the busy city below did not carry up. And although it was indeed a dead end, it was much longer to the end than I anticipated.

I felt invigorated. Dead end or not, it was well worth the effort.

That got me to thinking…do I overlook the virtues of taking a dead-end path in life because I judge it to be “useless” or a “waste of time”?

When you get right down to it, is any road, or any action, ever really a dead end? Isn’t there always something there of value, something that made it worth the effort, some learning that would otherwise not be gained had the dead end not been taken?

For that matter, why do we call it a “dead” end? There’s no death here. Only us noticing what there is to notice along the way. Then we turn around to take another road. Isn’t that the way it works whether the road is a dead end or not?

When we make a decision and decide on a path, there’s absolutely no way to be sure if a dead end lies ahead. Even if every sign screams that that road is a dead end, we may find when we arrive that there is an exciting path that is little traveled but holds great promise.

As the last couple of lines of the poem “The Road Not Taken” point out:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Would Robert Frost still have taken the path less traveled if it was labeled a dead-end?

Trying to track out each and every path on the road of life — including the roads we meander down as business owners — is an impossible task. We think because we map it out, the path is clear. But we know from experience that as soon as we head down the supposedly open road, we can hit unexpected construction, an accident, or a nice view that we want to visit with for a while before we move on.

The supposedly open road can be a dead end. The dead end can be an opening.

At the heart of it, every road is just a journey.

Tags: dead-end, journey, Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken, business owner, hiking, spectacular view, beautiful view

First we had the Virtual World Yoga Conference in February. Then last Thursday we held the Encore Event, which was only for a day.

Accomplishing so much with our team is truly wonderful and I do feel blessed that we have touched so many people, and continue to do so. But the one thing that I have neglected to do is take the time to heal from my Laryngitis. I was feeling so much better weeks after the initial conference, but I now know that I did not give myself time to fully heal.

Then earlier this month there was the huge Eco Show event, where I had to have many conversations and meetings that taxed me to another level. I just kept going and going until – PLOP! My health took several steps back and I felt totally drained. It seemed sudden but it actually wasn’t. It was a slow dripping tap before all faucets came on full force.

It’s definitely no fun to feel like this, coughing so deeply and repetitively. I realize now that it really is time for me to rest, soothe my soul, and nurture my body back to balance.

It’s no longer about making sure I do that each day, for the first time in a long time I have no choice – my body is making the choice for me. I would be a fool not to listen this time. It’s time for some wonderful Himalayan Salt Bathes. I have been using my Neti pot daily and taking all my vitamins and nutrients, so I do believe it’s just rest that my body, mind and soul are craving.

This is not easy for me – but here I go on my road to recovery and balance.

Tags: healing, body changes, neti pot, encore event, virtual yoga conference, virtual event