Now That's Weird: Hefty Calves have a Leg-Up on Resistance to Strokes

Dear Yin Weaver,

I remember once when I was in my twenties I was walking down the street in a skirt.  Suddenly, a car full of black men drove by and started shouting something at me.  Sensing it was some sort of "dog-whistle"--and obviously short on self-esteem that day--I called out, "What?"  Because I didn't understand what they were saying.  So they shouted the compliment again.  "What," I called again.  Once again, they bellowed. 

I still didn't understand, so I turned to a gentleman walking next to me and said, "Did you hear what they were saying?"  "Yes," he replied, "they were saying 'look at them fat calves.'"  Well, this was long before the days that hearing "baby got back" was high praise, but I learned from some of my coworkers later that day this comment on my calf size was indeed appreciative. 

Needless to say, this little white girl was mortified.  At least now I can look back and laugh.   Not only that, as it turns out my "swimmers calves," as I like to call them, may be healthier for me: "Though it sounds counterintuitive, a French study found that women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers."


The author suggests sipping green tea to stay heart healthy is probably more useful than hitting the gym to bulk up those babies. "In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke."

Well, we're not in Japan, and with our problem with obesity, we are high on the list of at-risk nations for stroke:  "Over 20 million per year worldwide have a stroke and over 5 million per year die from strokes. In the U.S. about 700,000 people a year have strokes. 500,000 are first time strokes and 200,000 are recurrent strokes. About 61% of stroke deaths are women. Strokes are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart attacks and all forms of cancer combined."

It's quite possible, then, you may some day be in a position to help someone who is having, or who has had, a stroke.  So grab that cup of tea and read the following  taken from An Energy Practitioner's Guide to Medical Emergencies on how to identify when a stroke is occurring, and what you can do to improve the victim's chance of recovery.

STROKE SYMPTOMS:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the arm, leg, or face, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble understanding or speaking
Sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, or dizziness
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

The symptoms of a stroke can be difficult to recognize, and this can spell disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:


Ask the person to smile
Ask the person to raise both arms
Ask the person to speak a simple sentence
If the person has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

WHAT TO DO FOR SUSPECTED STROKE UNTIL THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVE:

Medical Necessities: If the person has stopped breathing, administer CPR, including chest compressions if there is no pulse. This is the top priority.

Common Sense: Make the person as comfortable as possible.

ENERGY METHODS to help restore neurological balance:

Do a hook-up (one hand in navel, one hand on third eye, push in and pull up).

Push the middle finger of one hand into the person’s “power point” (indent at center base of skull where skull meets the neck) and with the other hand hold the K-27s firmly for at least a minute.

Hold the “electrical points” at the base of skull just above the neck (on either side of the power point) for at least a minute.

Do a crown pull

Do a frontal/occipital hold (one hand across the forehead area at the hairline, the other at the back of the head where the skull joins the neck) until you feel a pulse in the forehead. The top part of the hand on the forehead activates the liver neurovascular points (liver meridian feeds the heart) at the hairline and the bottom (across the eyebrows) activates the bladder neurovascular points (bladder meridian governs the nervous system).

Hold spleen neurovascular points (one inch above ear on either side of head) for one to two minutes.
The triple warmer strengthening points (TW3 & GB41, then TW2 & BL66) if the person appears to be leaving the body. Talk to the person and ask the person to stay with you. If you have help available, have another person pulse the K1 points on the bottom of the feet.
Even if you're not trained in Eden Energy Medicine, just doing a few of these according to the directions can be immensely helpful. 

If you are in the position of helping someone who has been a stroke victim, Donna Eden suggests the following: 

"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."

By the way, a figure eight is nothing more than the number eight lying on its side, or an infinity symbol:   ∞

Last but not least, you can increase your own heart health with Eden Energy Medicine by practicing the Daily Energy Routine on a--guess what--daily basis!  In addition, clear your heart chakra on a regular basis.  Check out my blog on the heart meridian as well for more tips. 
  
Blessings,
Rose

 

Now That's Weird! I'm Giving Money Away to Total Strangers

Dear Yin Weavers,

Once when I was in college a friend asked me to visit her in DC.  The cost of the bus ticket from Towson, Maryland to Washington was exactly $5.  Despite the fact I didn't have a nickel to my name, let alone a five bucks I agreed to visit her that weekend. 

You wouldn't think five dollars was much to sweat, and in the grand scheme of things it wasn't.  I could have borrowed it from someone (in which case I'd have to pay it back).  I could have asked my mother for it (in which case I would have to endure the maternal grilling).  I could have earned it (in which case I would have had a job, which I didn't). 

Or I could have prayed for it.  This is the option I chose.  Then I put the question of how I was going to find the fare in less than a week out of my mind and went about my business as a student.

A few days later I was going to lunch at the school's cafeteria.  Two girls were walking ahead of me.  Suddenly I saw a five dollar floor flutter to the ground at their feet.  At least it seem to be coming from their feet.  I picked it up and called out to them, "Hey, you dropped your..."  But they were long gone.  I sensed an opportunity.  I could claim this as my answer to prayer and scurry on into the lunch line.  Or I could follow the girls (who were passing by the cafeteria) and return the money. 

I chose to follow the girls back to their dorm a few minutes away.  Since I was behind them a little bit by the time I reached them they were in their room.  I knocked on the door.  One of them answered, a girl with dark hair whom I'd not met before. 

"Excuse me," I said, "you dropped this back by the cafeteria.  You or your roommate."  I waved the money in the air.

"No, I didn't," she replied.  "Hey, Anna (I made that up, I don't remember either of their names)," she called over her shoulder, "did you lose some money?" After a moment of silence the answer came back negative.  "Nope, it's not ours!  Sorry!"  And with that she shut the door on me. 

So I got my answer to prayer, and believe me...the answer wasn't the five dollars.  The answer was a sort of combo of "God loves you, Rose.  You are not alone" and the chorus from one of my favorite Stones songs: 

You can't always get what you want

you can't always get what you want

you can't always get what you want

but if you try sometimes you just might find

you get what you need.

You might think praying is a little too lazy to qualify as trying, but to a woman who has lost her job, or a man who is homeless and mentally ill, or a kid, say who was so abused at home growing up the thought of trusting in a loving God is as foreign as trusting a mother for five bucks...well, trust me, praying isn't all that lazy.  Sometimes finding the courage to say, "help me" is like lifting a two ton weight. 

I can't imagine how many silent prayers are out there right now for just a little help.  Just enough to prime the pump of hope.  Which is why I've decided to become a Kindness Investor for the week of April 10-16 right here in Chicago.  A Kindness Investor is someone who follows in the footsteps of Reed Sandridge who for 365 days (200 of which were jobless) gave $10 a day to a total stranger and then blogged about it at The Year of Giving.  Reed says anyone can do this, and I'm inclined to agree.  I mean, how hard can it be for a child of the sixties?  It's sort of like panhandling in reverse. 

I am sooooooooo looking forward to being someone's answer to prayer!  I  hope you'll follow my progress that week as I post my giving adventures on Reed's blog.  I'll send you friendly reminders, or maybe you'll just go ahead and start following his blog right now, or maybe you'll go here and like his page.  Or maybe you'll just cut to the chase and be a Kindness Investor yourself. 

Because you know it's weird to walk up to seven total strangers and hand away money.  But you know what's weirder?  Thinking money makes you rich. 

Blessings,

Rose

'America Is NOT Broke': Michael Moore Speaks in Madison, WI -- March 5, ...

Now That's Weird! Size DOES Matter...for Women, Too

Dear Yin Weavers,

If you're not packin' plenty, you may be thankful after reading the following.  The rest of you may not be so thankful.

What size is your bra?  A D cup may also spell diabetes: Women who wore a bra size D or larger at age 20 were one and a half times more likely to develop type 2 than those who wore an A or smaller, even after researchers adjusted for obesity, diet, smoking, and family history, in a 10-year study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It may be that the fat tissue in a woman’s breast is hormonally sensitive and influences insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, say researchers.

Prevent it: Incorporate high-intensity intervals into your exercise routine. In one study, adults who did six 30-second sprints on an exercise bike (resting for four minutes in between) improved their body's ability to metabolize blood sugar by nearly 25 percent after six sessions—enough to lower their risk of diabetes.

 For those of you who missed it, I posted a question on Facebook the other day that lead to a somewhat silly/somewhat useful conversation on how to manage sugar cravings.  Here's the question and here's what I got:

A couple of coolpeeps commented on my latest blog (about your smart fat), and it got me to wondering about cravings. I've found St. John's Wort helpful for reducing sugar cravings. Any other great ideas out there?

Sophie Hunter I found that sucking a clean pebble of amethyst help with any kind of craving. Put it in your craved for bottle if your craving is fluid. Make sure you cleanse the used pebbles by leaving them soak in salt water.

Anybody ever hear of that?  I did a little research on Amethyst Gem Elixir, and found this: 

The Eden Project Orgone Products sells the amethyst gem elixir: Our Amethyst Gem Alixir produces a calm, clear and focused mind. The stone for detoxification of Alcoholics, from the greek word 'amethustos' meaning 'non-inebriated' it has a dramatic purging... effect on the liver. Amethyst elixir acts upon the crown chakra, enhancing communication with higher aspects of self and helps in the overcoming of unwanted addictions. The elixir will supply your body with an overabundance of energy, reduce headaches and take pain away; aids in digestion and clears up the complexion. This versatile remedy also will stimulate the pituitary gland, facilitate the digestion of fats and sugars in regards to diabetes, relieve insomnia and hypoglycemia.

Oh, and the silly suggestion?

The Eden Project Sherri--all you need to do is put the words "Oreos & Milk" on a piece of paper and tape it to the side of a glass of water. The water will absorb the oreos and milk vibration. Drink up!

Donna Eden points out diabetes cannot be managed without keeping your spleen meridian strong. This is done primarily by sedating Triple Warmer (which drains Spleen chi) followed by strengthening Spleen Meridian. Refer to my earlier blog post to learn a quick way to sedate Triple Warmer. Other ways to strengthen Spleen meridian are listed here along with the page numbers from Donna’s book Energy Medicine:


1. Hold the acupressure points for sedating TW, followed by the points for strengthening Spleen (see p. 120).

2. Massage the Spleen neurolymphatic points on the torso (p. 84).

3. Hold the Spleen neurovascular points on the head (p. 274).

4. Tap the Spleen points (part of the three thumps in Chapter 3) several times a day.

5. Flush Spleen meridian by tracing it backwards one time and then forwards three times. You'll find a drawing on page 102.

6. Liver meridian is also often involved in diabetes (as well as hypoglycemia). You can follow the same basic steps described here for Spleen for balancing the Liver meridian.

7. Do the "Daily Energy Routine" to maintain better harmony in her body.

If you have Type One diabetes, you will probably always need to have insulin supplied externally. But I have seen these exercises be very effective in helping to keep sugar levels balanced and insulin intake reversed. I have also known people who have completely reversed Type Two diabetes following these exercises along with appropriate changes in diet and exercise.

And if you ask me, that's "sweet!"

Blessings,
Rose