Social Media and Critical Thinking

Recently, my brother surprised me by telling me that he believes seed oils are incredibly unhealthy and one of the reasons he now rarely eats out at restaurants. The surprise was not so much the information on the dangers of seed oils, which is debatable, but hearing it from my brother, who, upon further probing, appeared to be merely repeating social media chatter. With the current US administration and its health secretary, we are being flooded with information related to the Make America Healthy Again movement that is questionable, at best. In the world of social media there is so much information being put out every day, that it is increasingly difficult to sort the useful from the noise.

There is also a tendency for influencers to repeat other peoples’ ideas, without questioning the validity of the source. In the endless quest for likes and followers, there is an incentive to generate continuous content that can lead to misinformation, or simply providing an echo chamber for other users’ thoughts. One sees this in the internet (and traditional) news cycle. A health or wellness story will arrive and immediately be rewritten, paraphrased and shared, so that it will appear to come from multiple sources, when in fact it comes from one location. The rush to be relevant and to fill the news void is more important than verification or providing original content.

These tendencies are exacerbated by the amount of chatbots online that mimic actual voices while merely adding to the noise. Whenever we encounter something that grabs our attention, we are tasked with asking, why is this important? What does this source want from me? Is it helpful? Is it an attention grab? Is it a product that I need to buy for my health and happiness?

There is a difference between critical thinking and cynical thinking. Not every idea must be rejected out of hand. Rushing to a decision is risky. So is altering one’s world view based on a charismatic story. Carefully listening, without pre-judgement, is an important skill. Time becomes our ally. Do we need to reply to that email right now? Is the fiery comment on a post necessary, or can it wait? Often giving time and space, responding rather than reacting, can lead to better outcomes.

Meditation helps one in many ways. One of which is that it assists one in being present in the here and now. It slows down time allowing us to have a moment to observe our feelings as they come up and gives us an opportunity to respond mindfully as opposed to reacting. In person, that moment can be the difference between having a positive, engaging interaction and devolving into an argument. When engaging online we have even more time. For instance, often we can wait 24 hours before sending a response or adding our thoughts. After that time has passed we may find we no longer need to add our input after all.

Teaching

Teaching is a tricky craft. Whenever I feel like I’ve got it figured out, something happens to make me realize I have a lot to learn. It could be as simple as walking into the classroom with a lesson plan designed for 20 students, and discovering that today, there are only six. Or, a group that asks so many questions, promoting a full blown class discussion, that we run out of time for instruction. Or, halfway through a lecture, realizing I’ve lost most of the class either through boredom, or my over complication of the subject.

Preparation is key. Even if I don’t use a plan, it’s invariably better to have written one than not having one at all. When I give a speech, I dislike reading from notes. (I’m shocked by how many people think it’s acceptable to read their speeches from their phones.) But, that doesn’t mean I haven’t prepared a speech. I usually write it out as I imagine delivering it, then memorize the important connections and improvise the rest.

One of the rewarding aspects of teaching is learning. I learn about the subject I’m sharing, and about myself. Astute students probe the gaps in my knowledge and understanding of a subject and encourage me to delve deeper. Just because one knows how to do something doesn’t necessarily mean that one can teach it to someone else. Teaching requires one to break down a topic into digestible chunks and in so doing, one deepens familiarity with it.

Teaching also encourages humility. When confronted with a question that one simply doesn’t know the answer to, it is far better to admit, “I don’t know,” or “I don’t have an answer for that,” than to bullshit a half-assed response. Then one’s homework is to go back to one’s books and do one’s best to find the correct answer, bringing one back to the teaching is learning benefit.

When teaching physical movement, especially capoeira, I sometimes have to show or explain a technique that I cannot successfully perform myself. For example, Macaco, which is a form of back handspring begun from a low squat, is a movement I’ve struggled with for years. I can do a corrupted version of it, but I don’t have the hollow body arch (as in a back bridge) that makes the move truly beautiful. However, I can describe the steps to get there and show enough that a young, flexible capoeirista can do it, sometimes the very first day they try it.

I’m trying to improve my understanding of pedagogy (def: the art, science, or profession of teaching - Merriam-Webster, or from Greek for, one who guides a child.) Essentially, examining how students learn most effectively. Like learning a new language, the deeper I go, the more I realize how vast the practice of sharing knowledge is, and how much more there is to explore. The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 showed us that technology can and will play a big part in learning, moving forward. The methods we use are constantly evolving and adapting to our current culture, our modern students and the tools we have at our disposal. Rather than finding this frustrating, I find it exhilarating and simutaneously terrifying.

I am fortunate that the teaching I do is rooted in the physical realm and must be embodied. It cannot be outsourced to an AI large language model. My students have to forge the neural connections and pathways through practice. They can read all they want, or watch a million videos, or have Claude do their homework for them, but the doing of the activity, whether it’s bodywork or capoeira, is how it is learned.

Each time I prepare for a class, or a new cohort, I think of the teachers who inspired me, and sparked a fascination within me, and strive to be able to do the same for my students.

The How, Why & When of Homework

When I first started this practice of massage therapy, I was keen on helping people fix themselves by giving out homework. As this was usually unsolicited advice, it didn’t always go down very well. I’m pretty sure I drove off several clients. I’ve since learned that homework should be shared sparingly and lands best when a client asks for a specific suggestion as to how to address an ongoing issue.

Rereading last weeks entry, I perhaps came across as preachy and implied that one needs to be constantly fixing oneself with tips and tricks, or the overused, and, imho, misused, phrase, life hacks.

I am a believer in the benefits of receiving bodywork as a way of staying healthy, connected and grounded, (and not just because it’s beneficial to me and my coworkers.) Between those once a month sessions, I play around with the aforementioned daily practices*, gradually exchanging less healthy activities for more fulfilling ones. But, if the daily habits become chores that one is ticking off a list, and one chastises oneself every time one misses a day or a session, the process becomes somewhat self defeating.

These ideas and practices are simple remedies for when one is feeling off, or finding oneself trapped in a cycle of doomscrolling or mindless consumption. They are not intended to replace seeking out professional help, be it talk therapy, a doctor visit or bodywork. But, professional help is not always immediately accessible, whereas practices, with a low barrier to entry, are always there. Taking five deliberate, slow breaths, with a slightly longer exhale than inhale will bring down one’s heart rate and calm panicked thoughts. Walking when upset or angry alleviates tension and calms the nervous system. Standing outside and soaking up some sunlight helps reset circadian rhythms; in hot climates, like mine, this may need to be done at dawn or dusk.

Perhaps you don’t need a nudge, or you already have your own routines that keep you balanced. I only like to propose ideas that I’ve tried out myself, but what works for me, may or may not work for you.

Exercise: I can’t help myself. Nadi breathing, also known as Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is a pranayamic yogic technique that has lots of benefits including lowering heart rate, calming the nervous system, preparing one for sleep and reducing sinus pain.

If my description is confusing, or hard to follow, simply look up Nadi breathing on YouTube and you’ll find plenty of follow along videos.

Using one’s right hand, extend the thumb and ring finger and fold the index and middle finger towards the palm. Press thumb to the right nostril blocking it, and inhale for a count of five through the left nostril. Hold the inhale for a count of five, then release the right nostril, press and block the left nostril with the ring finger, and exhale through the right nostril for another count of five. Pause after the exhale for a count of five, then breathe in through the right nostril for a count of five, and hold the inhale for another count of five. Unblock left nostril and cover and block right with the thumb, exhale through left nostril for a five count and pause, post exhale for a five count. Then the cycle repeats: inhaling through the left…etc.Repeat 5-7 times (or more, as needed, up to five minutes) finishing by ending on the exhale through the left nostril. Enjoy!

*see Health is Wealth post.

Health is Wealth

When I teach Continuing Education workshops, a question I always ask participants is, “How many of you receive regular bodywork?” Bear in mind that these participants are practicing massage therapists who know the value of this work. Unfortunately, out of say, twenty students, only approximately 3-4 will raise their hands.

To be good, effective practitioners, we need to receive treatments ourselves. Every time I get bodywork, I am reminded of why I do this job; it feels fantastic to receive, during, and in the afterglow. I learn from the session. Some of my aches and pains melt away, as I get deeply relaxed and my nervous system down regulates.. Occasionally, rarely, I’m even reminded of what not to do. It helps me grow into a more empathetic practitioner.

I like to rock climb. Most of the time that happens on a wall at my local climbing gym and, on real rock, less often than I would like. I practice and teach capoeira* multiple times a week, which includes a lot of pushing the weight of my body from the floor using my arms, and, attempting to fall gracefully. I give treatments, both energetic and physical. I cook, clean and build or fix things. All of these activities take their toll, so I’m also involved in a lot of self care. Walking outside, self-myofascial release, mobility work, breathwork, hanging from a bar, yoga, writing and drawing, reading, practicing music, meditation, eating clean whole foods, sauna, cold plunging, and importantly, regular bodywork.

I don’t do all these activities every day. Realistically, I do most of the above less frequently than I would like. Some I do daily, the low hanging fruit, but most, spread out throughout the week (or the month.) Healthy habits build upon each other, so one is best served by initially choosing something simple and accessible, such as walking, or writing. Making one’s selection a daily activity, starting with short bursts, such as 5-7 minutes/day, and seeing where it leads.

Exercise: Find something you can hang from while still bearing some of your bodyweight on the ground. Go from a straight arm passive hang to an active hang. A passive hang is fully relaxed, allowing your shoulders to be pulled upward toward you ears and stretching your latissimus dorsii. An active hang is engaging those lats, pulling your shoulder blades (scapulae) down (inferior) and together (retracting) without bending your arms.

Hold in each position for 3 seconds and repeat for 10 reps. If you feel strong and confident with this movement, try without feet touching the ground. Or, try hanging from one arm at a time, feet still in contact with the floor, engaging and relaxing, active to passive. Enjoy that deep stretch through the vertebrae and the lats, obliques and serratus.

* for an explanation of what capoeira is, see Movement and Health from a Capoeirista's Perspective post.

Core Synchronism

As mentioned in the previous entry, last weekend I took the Core Synchronism (1) workshop in Boulder, Colorado with Alyssa Gillespie. What an illuminating and enjoyable experience! It took place at Trinity Shore Wellness Center and I was one of sixteen participants. We had two amazing assistant teachers, Lauraleigh and Amy, both experienced Core practitioners, who provided hands-on assistance as needed. Class was a mixture of theory, q & a, and mostly hands-on practice, with each participant giving and receiving a treatment in each of the 6 sessions.

This workshop felt more like a retreat than others I’ve taken. A delicious, home made, plant-based lunch was provided each day (as an affordable add-on) and there were lots of tasty, healthy snacks, like nuts, figs, energy bites etc, to eat on breaks, as well as herbal tea to drink. Everywhere I looked there were beautiful touches, Indian fabrics, meditation pillows, incense, essential oils, chains of marigolds, singing bowls, bells and flower essences.

We covered a lot of material over the three days. Many, but not all of the participants, were already body workers and there were at least two others, besides myself, who were already Core practicioners. I’ve been using Core in all my treatments since taking my first class in the modality in 2016. Depending on the requirements of my client, there may be more or less in a particular session. I came to this workshop ready to learn, to revisit the training and to invigorate my practice.

Core Synchronism is a hard modality to put into words; it needs to be felt, experienced and practiced for one to begin to understand it. Alyssa rose to the challenge using a mixture of analogy, metaphor, personal anecdotes and visual props, disarticulated skulls, an anatomical skeleton, images on iPads and handouts to help explain what the students were feeling. She did a great job of answering all of our questions and had the humility to admit when she didn’t have an answer. With thirty two years of experience, she is still learning, challenging herself and growing in her practice. Thank you Alyssa!

On the morning of the first day, the students were feeling the cranial rhythm and floating femurs, occiputs and sacrums into place. In the afternoon, students were palpating the Core current as it spirals clockwise at Bregma (the anterior fontanel) and connecting that electrical current of sound and light to the vertical Core that flows from the head to the feet and back. A suggestion from Alyssa that I loved, and found immediately useful, was silently telling the Core, “I speak Fluid Mechanics.” and allowing the Core to slow down and show us the Core Column flowing inferior to the feet.

In our treatment trades, we synched all the bones in the lower body with each other and with the sacrum and then all the bones of the upper body with the parietals. With each session, the students receiving treatment achieved a profound level of relaxation. On the afternoon of the second day, and morning of the 3rd, we synched the cranial bones, gloving up to do the internal maxilla, the vomer, the teeth and the palatines. In the afternoon and in our final session, we gave the Core Lymph treatment which is a very different and much more gentle experience than manual lymph drainage. Instead of focusing on lymph nodes, it focuses on the ducts, the Cisterna chyli, the Right Lymphatic and the Thoracic ducts and preparing the heart to receive the transmuted lymph fluid. It is truly a magical treatment that boosts the immune system of our clients.

As Core practitioners, our job is to witness without judgement what we’re palpating. By simply doing this we allow the Core current of our clients to move towards synchronization and greater health and harmony. We are not healers, we are mechanics. allowing our clients to reach a deep state of relaxation in which their bodies can heal themselves.

A revelation for me was that Alyssa does not consider Core Synchronism energy work. We agree that all bodywork is energy work, but because we are accessing the Core Current through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), we are focusing on the mechanics of that movement and it is therefore not solely energy work. When I’m teaching Polarity Therapy, I tell students that that modality is a gateway between traditional forms of bodywork, such as Swedish massage and energy work, and I’ve thought of Core Synchronism as being even more in the realm of energy work. But, this workshop helped me remember that, while Core is a type of energy work, it is grounded in the fluid mechanics of the body, making it accessible to all, regardless of their ability to sense energy.

To learn more about Core Synchronism please visit Dr Robert Stevens’ (discover of Core Synchronism) sites https://nmsnt.org or

coresynchronism.org https://nmsnt.org/healing-modalities/core-synchronism/description/

There are lots of free articles, to sharpen your interest, available to read on the site. To really find out more, get a treatment with a Core Synchronism practitioner. We’re all over the country!

Exercise: Place the heel of your hand, palm towards your face, on the bridge of your nose allowing your fingers to mold around your forehead. Wherever your middle (fire) finger lands will guide you to Bregma, the anterior fontanel; the suture where the frontal bone meets the parietals. This is the spot where the Core current enters the body. Now using either your index (air) or fire finger, lightly touch that spot. By lightly, I mean using the same pressure that you would use to touch your eyelid. Listen with your fingertip for a spiraling current. From the top of the head it should be spinning clockwise, (from your face towards your right hand). It may be stopped or spinning counterclockwise; if so, stop it with your will and allow it to restart, it will start spinning clockwise. Don’t be frustrated if you feel nothing, be patient. It may be moving too fast to palpate, ask it to slow down. Keep listening. Try again. Still nothing? Try later today, try tomorrow, or the day after, you’ll get it. Whether you do or you don’t, get a Core treatment and it will help you feel what we’re talking about….Enjoy!

Long Absences

Classic. To write that this will be a weekly thing and then not post anything for years. No promises this time; I will take each week as it comes. Passo a passo as they say in Brasil - step by step. One thing I can vouch for, is that this is just me writing, without a chatbot assisting me. I just can’t bring myself to use AI, but perhaps that’s a post for another day.

Today, I am on my way to Boulder, Colorado to take a Core Synchronism workshop (Core 1) taught by Alyssa Gillespie. I took Core One back in 2016 with Robert Stevens ND, NTS (the discoverer of the modality) at the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics. I’m now in the process of developing a Core 1 Continuing Education workshop that I hope to teach next year, so this feels like a good opportunity to re-familiarize myself with the material. I’m also excited to learn from Alyssa who is a great and inspiring teacher.

If you’re unfamiliar with Core Synchronism, it is a modality that blends elements of Cranial Sacral and Polarity Therapy into its own unique form of hand medicine. It is deeply relaxing and provides an excellent environment for the client’s body to heal itself. When teaching, I often comment that all the modalities take slightly different approaches to give our clients opportunities for self-healing and Core Sync is one of the deepest and most powerful. For more details on Core Synchronism, please visit Robert Stevens’ websites: https://nmsnt.org or

coresynchronism.org https://nmsnt.org/healing-modalities/core-synchronism/description/

Recently, I was visiting my parents in London. Traveling, with its many opportunities for patience and being in unfamiliar environments, gives one an excellent opportunity for people watching. One thing I noticed was how many people, of all ages, have difficulty walking. Obviously, posture and head position are key factors, but what struck me was how many people seem to be crashing about, striking the ground really hard, lurching along with very little grace. This can be as simple as the way they’re using their phones as a constant distraction, or the uncomfortable way their backpack or bag is slung over a shoulder, or even twisted or sagging clothing. But at the heart, it seems to be an obliviousness as they walk carelessly, gracelessly, and often, in obvious discomfort.

Exercise: Try putting in earplugs, noise cancelling head phones, or some type of hearing protection, and walking around your house (or yard). Listen for the sounds of your footfalls and try to step as softly as you can. Blocking the ears from outside sounds increases one’s levels of interoception, allowing one to feel one’s heartbeat, breath and internal temperature and, in this case, to notice the shock waves passing through the body with each heavy step. Try walking like a cat; soundlessly. Like the other exercises, this one compounds with practice. Try for 5 minutes at a time, daily, and see if it helps bring some grace and style into the way that you walk. Enjoy!

What's in a Name?

I recently changed the name of my business. It was Energetic Body Mechanics and is now Tidal Rhythm Therapeutics (TRT.) The shift is partially due to my focus on the subtler side of bodywork, using the cranial rhythm and working with the Core current. Also, the old name was perhaps, unnecessarily obscure. Recently, a massage school opened in Santa Fé, named Body Mechanics, to add to the confusion.

I love the ocean; I was born on an island and TRT speaks to that loss; the pull of the tide, the sounds of the sea, the crash of waves on the shore, the humidity and the smells. Paradoxically, I revel in my life in the desert, which satisfies my love of mountains and solitude. I am working to create a new logo that reflects this shift in attention.

I am sharing my thoughts through these blog posts, to meld my enjoyment in writing with engaging with my community. Here’s another movement snack that can be easily incorporated into one’s day.

A lot of clients come to me with knee pain. This is often a result of restricted hip or ankle mobility, resulting in one’s knee being forced to work in a way that it was not designed to. Carefully rolling the foot out with a lacrosse ball can help. A tennis ball can work, if the lacrosse ball is too intense, or a golf ball, if one needs added pressure.

Exercise: Start with the ball at the ball of the foot behind the third toe, lean as much weight as comfortable onto it. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Roll the foot forward on the ball 1” and repeat. Keep repeating, 1” at a time, until the ball is at the heel. Then, work the lateral line, starting behind the 5th toe and working one’s way back to the heel, 1” at a time. Then, work the medial line starting behind the big toe and repeat the process. Switch feet and do the 3 lines (center, lateral & medial.) It should take about 5 minutes to do both feet.

Only 5 minutes a day! Try it out for 2 weeks and see how you feel.

Tools needed: Ball

While this exercise was designed for treating plantar fasciitis, it will affect the fascial sling that comes down the lateral leg and up the medial and help hip, knee, ankle and hamstring mobility. Try a forward fold, before and after, and one should notice an immediate change in how far down the hands can reach.

Movement and Health from a Capoeirista's Perspective

Hi folks,

this is the first of what I hope will become weekly musings on the nature of movement nutrition and how it relates to our health.

One of my passions is the martial art of Capoeira. I’ve been a capoeira practitioner for the last 24 years, with some breaks for career and family in that time. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates dance, fight, ritual, music and play. It was created by the African slaves that were brought to Brazil, against their will. For many years, it was illegal to practice and it has morphed over the years, from a clandestine art into a worldwide phenomenon, consisting of thousands of schools in many countries.

Capoeira is played in a circle of participants, the roda, to the rhythm of Afro-Brazilian instruments and call and response songs. Two players move around each other trading movements such as kicks, cartwheels, feints and dodges. Sometimes the game is cooperative, at others, it is combative. The berimbau dictates the style of play. It is a bow shaped instrument, with a gourd that acts as a resonator, attached to it. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, it can control the tempo, encourage variations of play and mesmerize the audience in much the same way the physical movements can.

If you’re interested in practicing capoeira and you’re in the Albuquerque area, come try a class with our group, Capoeira Girassol. Class times, prices and location, here :

https://www.capoeiragirassoluca.com

I’m bringing up capoeira as, it is one of the ways I incorporate movement into my daily life, and provides utility for my strength, mobility and flexibility practices. Though these forms are useful in and of themselves, it can be helpful to have an extrinsic reason to make them daily endeavors. The work of a massage therapist is quite physical and requires us to think of ourselves as athletes, if we want to have longevity in our careers. I’ve heard the same statistic about capoeiristas and massage therapists; the practitioner/job longevity is, on average, 4-5 years. One of the leading reasons that people stop practicing massage is injury. (It is similar for capoeiristas.) Injury can take the form of repetitive stress, causing pain in the joints and from occupational overuse, essentially doing too many treatments in a week without sufficient recovery time.

The paradox is that it can be helpful to do more physical exercise in order to relieve the stress of work. There’s a false idea that one’s energy is finite and that if one works out, one will be more tired afterwards, but it can have the opposite effect. A daily practice can be enormously helpful. Whenever one is starting out, making small, incremental changes is key. In other words, not trying to do too much too quickly. I’ve tried to add in (or give up) multiple things at once and have failed because the changes were incompatible with my busy life, juggling jobs, parenting and hobbies. Consistency has cumulative effects and committing to 5-10 minutes of daily mobility or stretching or stillness practice has a low cost and high gain.

Exercise: If one is just beginning a daily practice, consider spending 5 minutes, right after waking in the morning, with repetitions of reaching up with the arms, keeping legs straight, attempting to touch the ceiling then forward folding with bent knees. Inhaling while reaching up, exhaling while folding forward. After 6-10 reps. move to hands and knees and do repetitions of Cat and Cow; inhaling in cow, exhaling with cat. Focusing on bringing the movements from the sacrum (anterior pelvic tilt in Cow, posterior pelvic tilt in Cat.) Try for a couple of weeks and see how it feels in one’s spine. Enjoy!