The Heart Rules Our Posture

Did you ever wonder why the world is dominated by all things right sided?

Start to look around at your fellow humans. You might begin to notice the right side dominance isn't just about people using their right hands. Oh no, it goes much deeper than the activity of the right hand.

The right side dominance largely develops out of the size and position of the heart. The heart itself is not symmetrical. It has 4 chambers, two atria and two ventricles; with the left ventricle being the largest of the chambers. These chambers create the body of the heart which is located mostly on the left of the body with a slight tilt to the right and behind the sternum. As it takes up a significant portion of the upper left compartment of the chest cavity the other organs develop around it asymmetrically. 

 Separated by the heart are the Lungs. Though there are two lungs they are not equal. The left lung only has two lobes to allow the heart to tuck within and slightly behind it. The right lung dominates the right side of the chest cavity with three lobes. Moving down to the feet we find the lungs contacting the parachute like diaphragm.  Again because of the heart's position on the left the diaphragm has to extend higher on the right side of the body.

From the diaphragm we move down toward the feet again and into the abdominal cavity. Here the largest part to the liver is tucked up into the diaphragm on the right side of the body. There are four lobes to the liver with three on the right side and the smaller forth portion positioned behind the sternum and contacting the stomach to the left of the body.

Are you starting to get the picture? Because we value are heart so much we have heavily weighted the right side of our body to compensate for the room we've given the heart. For most of us this means we will lean to the right. Do some people watching. Ask your friends how many of them have problems on their right hips, legs, feet and left shoulders. The reason for this cross body phenomena is partially the heart's dominance and creation of the internal asymmetry of the internal organs.

Subconsciously, then, the world becomes built around this right side heaviness so to speak. Then we begin to favor our right hands and we further the asymmetrical repetitive habits. 

We are given two arms and two legs with symmetry to compensate for the asymmetry created by the heart. We are ideally suppose to use our left arm and right leg (and visa verse) to move us forward. The heads of our femurs are suppose to move within the hip sockets like pistons (up and down and backward and forward). However for most of us we lack movement in the pelvic girdle and the femur heads move out of the sockets to the outside of the body before moving forward.

There are a few people out there who use both sides of their body equally and have not paid attention to the right side weight. Most of us are not that lucky and must start to bring more awareness to your left side. Play around with taking your first step with your left foot, reach for items with your left hand and pick things up with your left hand. This will begin to retrain your brain. See how long it takes your posture to change as you reprogram your brain with reciprocal movement. 

In future posts I will discuss how to continue to reprogram the brain by addressing the Diaphragm's right side dominance. I believe when we understand the functioning of the diaphragm we begin to understand the body's true core is the diaphragm. This realization will revolutionize your postural awareness. Stay tuned....

The Palm of Christ upon the Stomach Part2

How Castor Oil Can Help with Constipation Issues

Let's start where my castor oil education began, with why the naturopaths used it for digestive issues. These holistic doctors were working with patients dealing with constipation. Though some holistic doctors will prescribe castor oil as an internal remedy, meaning they will have you ingest it by mouth, my education started with a topical method called a "castor oil pack".

Some older people may remember their grandparents giving them spoonfuls of castor oil as a child as a home remedy for stomach cramps and constipation before the popularity of  the naturopathic profession. The FDA has determined it safe and effective for humans to use internally as a stimulate, laxative. However, some individuals who have consumed too much for extended periods of time have experienced unpleasant results. These unpleasant results were; diarreha, nausea, vomiting, fluid and electrolyte imbalances, abdominal cramping/pain and sever gas. These results have not been reported with external use of castor oil.  Still, as with any treatment, one should be aware of any unusual symptoms that linger, stop the treatments and should inform one's doctor or health care provider.

This post will be dealing only with my education and knowledge of  castor oils topical benefits and treatment.

During my time working for the naturopathic doctors I was trained to be a colonic therapist. Which meant I had to learn, among other things, what constitutes healthy bowel movements. How the bowels move depends on peristalsis  ( the contraction and relaxation of the intestines). It is this alternation of muscle contraction and relaxation that moves the feces through the intestines into the colon and out. Besides the elimination of feces the movement of the bowels creates nutrient absorption.  The nutrients are best absorbed when the nerves and muscles of the small and large intestines work together in a  rhythmic manner.  How often an individual moves their bowels depends on what they eat, how often they eat, the state of abdominal fascia, the state of neuromuscular communication and how frequently they allow themselves to have a movement. Typically we should be more like babies, eliminating approximately 1-2 hours after eating. However, with the introduction of working outside of the home and social graces, adults develop a habit of holding the bowels until they are in the privacy of their home. This holding habit is what starts the issue.  The issue is first revealed when the individual finds the need to push or strain in order to move the bowels. Once this happens individuals may began to go less frequently.  Now combine this habit of holding onto your bowels with stress and the common habit of not drinking enough water and you are on your way to constipation. If you throw in stagnation of the digestive track and tension in the abdominal muscles you have just added another layer to the problem.

What are the common signs of constipation:
1. Not eliminating at least once per day on a regular basis
2. Fecal matter appearing lumpy, hard or like little bunny pellets
3. Pushing, straining or taking longer than a couple minutes to poop ( the amount of time it takes to pee is the time it should take to poop)
4. Feeling bloated, heavy or the need to go again soon after a movement

Now let's look at what Castor Oil is and why it can help move the bowels and promote health. Castor oil is extracted from seeds of the castor plant (Ricinus Communis). It is classified as a vegetable oil. It's biology defines it as a triglyceride, monounsaturated 18 chain fatty acid. The component that sets it apart from other vegetable oils and makes it the miracle oil is Ricinoleic acid. It is also biodegradable.

 Castor oil works on the small and large intestine.  It is absorbed through the skin into the lining of the bowels. The oil works within the intestine without taking up any of the intestinal moisture (water).  Castor oil lubricates the tracks and releases fecal matter moving it through the channel into the colon. It also stimulates circulation. The body always functions better when new blood and oxygen move through an area, allowing the area to receive nutrients and fluids for flow.

What will you need to place the Palm of Christ on your stomach and get your bowels to move more efficiently?
1. Castor oil
2. Wool flannel
3. Hot water bottle
4. large towel

What type of Castor oil:

The appearance of the oil can vary. I find, the higher grade, 100% natural, organic, unrefined, cold pressed products sold in health food stores tend to have a darker, richer color and often have a bit of a woody smell. For added benefits I've been told to select the raw product. The bottle should also say for external use only.

 My favorite brand

The Wool Flannel:

If you have scrap wool and flannel pieces at home from craft projects you can use those if you don't want to spend money at the store.

Hot water bottle:

Now you have all the tools what do you do with them?
1. If you don't want a lot of mess, what I do is pour the castor oil into the palm of my hand. Enough to have a pool of it. I cover my abdominal area so that it has a good shine to it.

Note: another method is to put the wool flannel in a bowl and pour the castor oil over it to soak the wool in the oil. This is pretty messy.

2. Cover your shiny belly with the wool flannel.
3. Put the hot water bottle over the wool flannel
4. Cover everything with a large towel
5. Relax comfortably for 15 mins and allow your skin to absorb the oil.

To increase the effectiveness of the Castor oil pack it is good to add a gentle self abdominal massage after you have allowed the castor oil to absorb into your skin for 15 mins. You can use more castor oil for the massage or another oil of your choice. I find it is best to demonstrate who to do this self massage rather than try to describe it. In general though, you always start at the lower left part of your abdominal area near the left hip. Then you move across to the lower right side. Then up and under the right part of the lower ribs, moving across and under the left lower ribs. Then you spiral towards the belly button moving just outside of the belly button. Then you spiral in and over the belly button. Pause, and the reverse your spiral, moving over the belly button, just outside of the belly button (this will be 1 and 1/2 of a spiral) to the lower right hip area then back up to the right lower rib area, across to the left lower rib area and finally ending where you started at the lower left side of the abdominal area. You want to have a soft hand and be gentle through out this process.

When working with the oil pack and the self abdominal massage the best results are seen when used once a day for one month. However, most of my clients seem to be able to do it faithfully once a day for two weeks. As with any thing it is best to stop using for a while and see if the body can resume its
natural function without the external aid. If things are better but not quite back to full function another round can be taken and then another rest period. If the body still is not at its top functioning then a re-evaluation by a doctor is strongly recommended to see if the body is in need of other help.

In another post I will go into detail regarding how I combine Castor oil packs and Thai Abdominal Massage to help detox, tone and improve overall well- being of the Abdominal area and the body in general.

Who's The Real Master of Your Work Out

You may think you and your trainer  are in charge of your work outs. Or maybe you think it's your muscles. Really the true master in charge of your work outs and for that matter your every day functional movement is your Fascia.

For decades now fascia has been on the back burner when it comes to discussing how the body functions. Some of the leading instructors in the world of body work have been over looked for the important information they have to offer to the wellness industry because their fascial information was largely not understood. The science behind fascia was slow to reveal itself.

Now the science is here and fascia is set to revolutionize health care. You can't speak about any aspect of the human being without speaking about its connection to fascia. Fascia is in every cell of the human body. Fascia is the bridge, the inter/intra-connector of every structure/matter within the body.  It also creates and applies the tension and compression  to every structure it  weaves with.

Fascia is the reason your skeleton stays erect and your organs don't flap out of your stomach onto the ground. It is what helps your blood clot and begin your wound healing. The webbing of fascia is the telephone lines for your nerves to communicate information from your brain to cause your body to function.

Your fascia is the best net -worker you will ever meet. It can in an instance respond to the slightest movement from the tilt of your head to view your text message to the tip of your big toe as you move your foot without thinking while responding to the text. It is the mover and shaker of your world, knowing everyone and everything that goes on with this world (so to speak).

My go to person when it comes to information and research on fascia is Thomas Myers, the author of Anatomy Trains. Tom defines fascia as, "the extracelluar matrix of fibers 'glue' and water surrounding all your cells and wrapping like plastic wrap around muscles fibers, muscles, muscles groups, organs, bones, blood vessels and nerves." Another way of saying this is fascia is both a solid and a liquid capable of moving, causing movement or preventing movement from occurring. Seeing fascia in this manner we begin to understand why it is the master in charge of our work outs.

As with all things in our body, some areas are healthier than others and this is true of fascia. When fascia is in its healthiest state it moves and functions most like a fluid, gently embracing and supporting the body as a whole. On the flip side it can be in a hyper-defensive mode acting like a straight jacket locking everything down. When fascia claps down on muscles and other structures it can also trap fat causing areas to appear clumped, chunky and/or cellulite ridden. Ever feel like you work out hard, eat all the right, healthy foods but still have chunky areas and cellulite? This may be due to the fact you have not been paying attention to how to care for your fascia.

Defensive fascia also creates areas of stagnation. This is like a traffic back up on the free way and emergency vehicles trying to get through. It can be done but with much difficulty and very slowly. In the body this means areas where the brain can't signal the muscles properly. This translates to the appearance of weak muscles  even though you have been working out for weeks. In truth your work out potential is not dependent on your muscles but on your fascia. You won't really know what your muscles are truly cable of until you allow the full, free and healthy functioning of your fascia.

Here are a few things, according to Tom Myers, we currently know about fascia:

1. Unlike what has been thought and taught, most injuries are connective tissue not muscular injuries
2. There are 10x as many sensory nerve endings in your fascia than in your muscles
3. Due to the misunderstanding regarding the body's  functional movement traditional anatomy texts       are inaccurate.

 According to Tom Myers,  here are some ideas to help fascia health and thus overall body health?
1. Enhance the elasticity of the fascia by engaging in full body slow, sustained, multi- plane, multi- directional stretching which will help prevent adhesions from forming
2. Give fascia plenty of water. The fascia has what is called GAG= glycoaminoglycans these are water absorbing proteins. These proteins allow the fascia to lengthen which is what we see as a stretch
3. Connective tissue/ fascia responds best to opposing muscle repetitive motion exercise such as walking, running and bouncing
4. Avoid jerky, abrupt changes in direction during your work outs
5. I can't stress enough how important it is to move slowly when it comes to fascia. It might take
6 -24 months to train fascia so be patient
6. Fascia requires variety in angle, tempo and load this is where cross training comes into play
7. Go for whole body movements that require constant adaptation i.e. constantly challenge your body in new ways. For example, instead of just walking on smooth flat trails and the same trail in the same direction every day, vary your trail, have level changes and texture changes, and direction
8. Avoid repetitive movement  within a work out. You want to have very easy to very hard in the same task. You want to vary your load as you go as well.
9. Proprioception and  kinestheasia are primarily fascial in nature not muscular. Due to the fact that fascia has 10 x more sensory nerves your muscles can't move without the fascia moving first. Play around with feather touch to sense your fascial responses. Slow elegant movement is best.
10. Unlike muscles, with fascia you want to think in chains. When you think about working your pectoral muscles you must also think about working your second finger because of the fascial strap extending from one to the other down the arm.
11. Rest is important!  Fascia goes through a cycle of becoming weak immediately after a heavy work out to gaining more strength the day after. You want to rest between events and you must have total rest days. The new rule of thumb  for rest periods during work outs is 5 mins of rest for every 25 mins of work out. For total rest days that means no working out at all; no aerobics, no yoga; nothing other than normal daily actives like walking to the car or around the house to get from one place to the other. A total rest day should be about pampering. You want to soak in the tub, take naps, mediate or just be a couch potato guilt free!

Hydration for your fascia:
A couple signs that your fascia is lacking water would be the appearance of wrinkles, the change in focal length of the iris in the eye.

The body is made up of between 75-95% water.  The baseline hydration for a healthy functioning person is half (1/2) the body weight in ounces (oz) of plain water each day. This is roughly 8-10 eight oz glasses of plain water.

How to calculate your baseline plain water intake:
Take your body weight 120 lb divide by 2 = 60 convert the 60 to ounces
Take  60 divide by 8 ounces = 7.5
7.5 is the # of 8 ounce glasses of plain water you should drink per day.


I keep saying plain water ,why? Because tea or something like sugared, fruit juice may not be a hydrating fluid. Some teas will cause you to increase urination. Increased urination will lead to dehydration. Sugared fruit juice (meaning juice with added sugar) will make the body work harder to process the synthetic sugar which can lead to dehydration.

Some of you might be thinking but there are times when I drink plain water all day long and I still feel thirsty. This could be due to your body for some reason not being able to get the water from the spaces surrounding the tissue  inside the cell. If water doesn't get into the cell so it can be used you will just eliminate it in the urine.

Now you ask, how can I get my 7.5 glasses of water into my cells? You need to bind it to a mineral. This is where electrolyte water comes into play. The most natural and most medicinal electrolyte water is out of a fresh, green coconut. Coconut water is the same make up as your blood plasma. It contains all the mineral, amino acids etc your body needs for functional hydration.

Hold on, I don't like the taste of coconut water, for that matter I don't like the taste of plain water. What can I do? Now we turn to fruits and vegetables. The most water filled fruits and vegetables are, watermelon, pears,grapes, cucumbers, and spinach. Other foods to help bind the plain water and get it into the cell are lemons and vinegar. And another way to add an electrolyte to your water is to add real/natural salt. Natural salt doesn't have anything added or taken out of it and it usually has a color (brown, pink or black). There can be up to 60 trace mineral in natural salt. Celtic sea salt, Himalayan salt, and Redmond real salt would be the types to add to your water.

How to make your own electrolyte water:

1. Get a pitcher of water,
2. Cut up one or more of the fruits and vegetables listed above
3. Get a pinch or two of the salt listed
4. If you need a bit of sweet then a teaspoon of raw honey or Xylitol  will be good
5. Combine it all in the pitcher
6. For the best results allow the water to combine with everything for at least 30 mins
7. Drink and enjoy

Another way to get your water into your cells is through movement. Gentle pumping, rolling and or compression of the tissues can move the water from out side to inside a cell. Finally you have truly and completely hydrated your body and your fascia.

We can't leave a discussion about hydration and fascia without speaking about the abdomen. We must have a healthy, functioning stomach and digestive system to have good absorption of water once we have finished drinking our 7.5 glasses. If the stomach, small intestine and large intestine are not breaking down food well and taking up the water into our tissue we will not see any results from our hydration attempts. One way to enhance the health of the abdomen is through  abdominal massage. When abdominal massage is performed you will have your skin, muscles, internal organs as well as your stomach and intestines worked out. This form of massage helps digestion, elimination, stimulates the lymphatic system, improves the circulatory system and immune system. It can also helps with posture, chronic neck, pack, pelvis, feet and shoulder issues. The respiratory system, and reproductive systems are greatly, positively affected by this technique as well.

To bring it back to working out what are we looking at when we want to exercise our fascia? When thinking about your work out and fascia the main things to remember are variety, hydration, rest and smooth, gentle flow.

If you are doing a weight work out, it might look something like:
Start with no weight at all, use only your body weight and do isometric contractions.  Then move to a couple repetitions with a theraband/rope. Transition to machines and vary the weight of each machine you do going from very easy weight to your max. Remember 5 mins of rest for every 25 mins of working out. So take 2-3 mins to shake out your muscles between each transition. Take a sip of water and breath as you go from one area to the other.

To bring the idea of variety into your work out week. Try exercising outside one day by walking or running (remember bicycling is not the best  fascial type work out). Use a mini-trampoline playing with height and what you do on it  (walk, run, swing your arms). If you haven't done Tai Chi or yoga look into these forms of exercise. Take a dance class one night a week. When you do this, you are doing more than just working your muscles and you can see how the master of your work out will revolutionize your being.

I hope this was helpful information and has given you something new to think about while you work out. I also hope by incorporating some of the tips you will decrease your body aches and pains.

As always remember to speak with your medical provider before changing your diet or exercise program.