Get Down with Chakra Dance
By Jackie Christensen, BS, HHP, NC, MH
Faculty Member of GCNM
Chakra dance is a practice aimed at energizing and uniting the mind, body, and soul. It is a combination of spontaneous dance, music, and guided imagery that works by satiating the body and soul in tranquility. Chakra dancing encourages the expression of emotions through dance which helps to relieve the stresses of everyday life. Apart from the physical benefits gained by dancing vigorously for a couple of hours, chakra dancing is really about rebalancing the mind, body, and spirit so they work together in harmony.
The chakra system has been at the heart of most eastern philosophies and healthcare practices for thousands of years. Essentially, a chakra is a spinning vortex of energy. Like electricity, chakras are invisible to the naked eye. They are the energetic gateways through which subtle energies flow. Every human being has 7 major chakras which start at the base of the spine and run up toward the top of the head. Each charka governs a certain part of the body, as well as organs, an endocrine gland, and emotions. If a charka is out of balance it will eventually manifest on a physical, emotional, or spiritual level.
Starting at the top of the physical body is the crown chakra. It is located at the top of the head and is associated with higher consciousness. Physiologically, it governs the brain and central nervous system and the pituitary gland. Dancing to the frequency of the crown chakra has been described as a moving meditation. Next, it is the third eye chakra which is located in the centre of the forehead. The third eye chakra governs the physical eyes and the pineal gland. Through exploration of this chakra, one can gain insights on dreams and is able to tap into psychic abilities. The throat chakra is located in the throat area and is primarily associated with communication. It governs the throat, neck and vocal cords and the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Dancing to the higher frequency that stimulates the throat chakra enables one to reveal inner truths and discover new forms of self-expression and communication. The heart chakra is located at the centre of the chest and governs the heart, lungs, thymus gland and influences the circulatory system. As music embraces the heart it moves the body moves in a gentle and expansive way. As the heart chakra is activated unconditional love, compassion and self acceptance are explored. The solar plexus chakra is located just below the sternum. It deals with issues such as personal empowerment and will-power. It governs the digestive system and is associated with the pancreas. As music touches this chakra one can connect with their own inner power, strengthen and ambition. The sacral chakra is located about one inch below the navel. Physiologically the sacral chakra governs the sexual organs, urinary system, reproductive system, and the gonads gland. As one dances to the beat of the sacral drum, an expression of sexual energy is released and expressed. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine. It governs the legs, feet, bones, teeth and large intestine. It is also associated with the adrenal glands. The music which stimulates the root chakra resonates with low vibrations of earthy, tribal-like music. Through guided exploration of this chakra one can invoke a deeper connection with this primal base energy, become more conscious of ancestral patterns and re-connect with animal instincts.
An important aspect of chakra dance is the music. Each Chakra has a unique danceable sound which reflects its’ specific purpose. This music used in chakra dance is composed and recorded by professional musicians from all over the world and includes a wide variety of instruments. Chakra dance has become all the rage in London and Australia. However, classes are now popping up all over the United States. Charka dance classes are suitable for any age group, fitness level and can be enjoyed by everyone. So let go of your inhibitions and feel liberating beat of Chakra dance.
Book Review
No More HRT, Menopause Treat the Cause
By Karen Jensen, ND and Lorna R Vanderhaeghe, BSc.
Dr. Karen Jensen and Lorna Vanderhaeghe are both every well qualified to write this informative book, which I consider to be an essential survival manual for women of all ages. Karen Jensen is a naturopathic doctor and Lorna Vanderhaeghe is a nutritional medicine expert, both have authored several health books. In No More HRT, Menopause Treat the Cause they address the misinformation about our hormones and menopause, present research findings which disclose the health risks one takes by using the synthetic hormones typically prescribed for hormone replacement therapy and for birth control, provide understandable information about options for synthetic and natural, or bio-identical, hormones and discuss when HRT may be a good short term option for some conditions. The main message of the book is that menopause is not a disease that requires ongoing treatment with pharmaceutical drugs for years on end. Women in many other cultures were not previously known to experience any difficulty with symptoms and passed through menopause with little or no noticeable events, although this is now changing in countries like Japan due to consuming a more typically western diet and assuming a western lifestyle.
Peri-menopause and menopause are natural phases of the female life cycle and signal an important transition for women. The authors describe the endocrine organs that influence the hormone balance in the transition years, including the adrenal glands, the pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid and the ovaries as the musicians in the hormone orchestra, each playing their part of the hormone symphony. In times of transition when our hormones fluctuate greatly the hormone symphony can go out of tune. The pituitary gland, the concert master, can’t signal the hypothalamus gland, the Conductor, or one of the musicians goes out of tune from the group and we have hormone imbalances. The liver and bowels play a significant role here, as materials for elimination pass from the liver to the small intestine and bowel, so even mild liver dysfunction can cause imbalanced hormones and toxicity. Once the adrenal and thyroid glands become stressed we become symptomatic.
The authors put forward their very convincing case that menopause is not a disease, but rather the symptoms we experience are due to excessive toxic load that is disrupting our immune system functions. From the tremendous toxicity and adulteration of the food supply, the water and the air, from the external, internal and structural stressors we are constantly coping with in our daily lives, our nervous and endocrine systems become overly stimulated, their defense mechanisms become exhausted and unable to maintain optimal function. This chronic state of hormonal imbalance can result in inflammatory diseases and auto-immune disorders such as bowel diseases, Lupus, Allergies, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Diabetes, Macular Degeneration, Alzheimer’s, Fibromyalgia, Eczema and Asthma.
Building optimal health begins with bowel cleansing and maintenance, and detoxifying the liver with herbal remedies such as Burdock root, Dandelion root, Globe Artichoke, Milk thistle, Turmeric, Indole-3-carbinol or calcium-D-glucorate. Balancing adrenal function with adaptogenic herbs is also highly recommended, using American or Siberian ginseng, Russian Rhodiola, Ashwaganda, Schizandra or Jiaogulan. Once the bowel and liver are cleansed and detoxified it is safe to complete the allover cleanse which is recommended for ten to fourteen days.
After all the cleansing and detoxification is completed supplementation with Vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B-Complex, L-glutathione, zinc, selenium, magnesium Co-enzyme Q10, sterols and sterolins are recommended to help restore immune function. The authors provide important information about drinking water, foods, supplements, homeopathic and herbal remedies, and healing modalities that can be used to effectively restore balance and resolve the symptoms of menopause that can make this time of life very difficult for some women.
According to the authors, most allopathic doctors believe that menopause is essentially a disease of the endocrine system that requires treatment with pharmaceutical drugs, and further, that all women need estrogen for optimal health during and after menopause. The evidence of this attitude is seen in their routine prescribing of HRT to women. One of the health concerns regarding estrogen use is that estrogen decreases bone reabsorption, but associated with this is a decrease in bone reformation so it does not appear that it actually protects against osteoporosis as claimed. Estrogen causes a six fold increase in the risk of endometrial cancer. Claims that estrogen reduces the risk of myocardial infarction by about 50% were based largely on the pharmaceutical promotional information, not good research.
Estrogen in any form is associated with risks for a multitude of cardiovascular diseases. The authors cite some warnings found in allopathic medicine books, the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS) of the Canadian Pharmacy Association and the American Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) regarding estrogen use causing increased blood pressure, altered coagulation tests, aggravation of migraine headaches, myocardial infarction or coronary thrombosis, neuro-ocluar lesions (retinal thrombosis and optic neuritis), thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism or cerebral embolism. Estrogen has also been found to cause blood clots in the legs of women taking oral contraceptives. The National Institute of Health (NIH) stated that long term use of estrogen or progestin increased healthy women’s risk of stroke by 41%, heart attacks by 29% and breast cancer by 24% and their study of 16,000.00 women was halted.
The book is clearly organized, presenting actions and precautions for preserving good health through management of diet and stressors, supported with natural interventions when needed for going through the transition of menopause easily. They’ve provided checklists for adrenal stress, liver congestion, Candida yeast, Dysglycemia symptoms, Osteoporosis, menstrual symptoms, as well as a stress test to determine your immune status. There’s an abundance of information on healthy alternatives with a holistic approach for mental, emotional and spiritual health. The book ends with a section on holistic health practices and behaviors that support positive spiritual attitudes and beliefs, to encourage harmony and guide us to maintaining balance in our lives. Menopause is a time for enjoying life, not being plagued by the many symptoms that interrupt your day and night, the hot flushes, dizziness, lapses of memory, insomnia, restless legs, weight gain and loss of energy.
Reviewed by Moira Khouri NC MH CCP 
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Exercise of the Month
Exercise: Seated Leg Extensions
Begin the exercise by sitting down on a chair or bench. Make sure you are sitting up tall and straight. Feet should be hip distance apart. Keeping both knees still and stomach muscles tight, you want to straighten one knee and lower it back down by bending the knee. Please repeat with the other leg. **Make sure to always keep a slight bend in the knee and never “lock” it out.
To make the exercise more challenging add ankle weights.
Motivational Article
Leadership – To Be or Not Be a Leader – Top 5 Obstacles
By Gail Solish
These days being a good leader is something everyone is either talking about or wants to be doing. There are a multitude of books that have been written about the qualities of great leaders, and certainly whenever there is an election politicians are constantly evaluated in terms of their leadership potential.
During job interviews, people’s leadership skills are an important consideration. Companies want to hire people who have, or are willing to develop, the qualities of leaders.
It is important to know not only what qualities are relevant, but what might interfere in attaining your potential. Here are 5 obstacles which could prevent you from becoming a great leader.
1. Not being self aware
Self awareness is one of the key tools an individual requires in order to be successful in life. When you are unaware of what your strengths and weaknesses are, how you interact with others and how you come across in various situations, you are vulnerable. If you have a false sense of how you behave and how you present yourself, then responses people have to you might create a great deal of confusion. For example you see yourself as working well with staff and encourage their ideas, but you take the credit for their ideas. This creates a problem.
2. Poor response to constructive criticism
The ability to accept criticism is an asset if your goal is to move up in the work environment and become a leader. It may be difficult to hear the feedback and our natural inclination is often to become defensive. If you discount constructive feedback you will eventually get the reputation of being "closed" and unavailable for collaborative work which could ultimately diminish your chances for promotion. Do you expect yourself to always have the right answer and know exactly what to do? If so, you are setting yourself up for the impossible. You never know what kernel of wisdom will be present when someone gives you feedback. Being open to constructive criticism means you acknowledge that you have things to learn.
3. Ineffective listening skills
Many people are guilty of not fully using their listening skills. If you are not paying attention or make assumptions based on the person who is speaking, you will not hear what someone is actually saying. When participating in a meeting, if you are distracted by your blackberry or thinking about other things, you are not attending to what is happening in the moment. If this occurs you are unavailable to guide and direct people in the best way possible. You are not listening for opportunity or potential.
To be an effective listener, you need to suspend judgment, make an effort to listen intently and be willing to ask for clarification.
4. Difficulty moving outside your comfort zone
If you have difficulty with change, it could be very challenging for you to establish yourself as a leader. Imagine a leader who always wants everything status quo. Working hard to keep things the same in spite of the fact that the world is changing, is not possible. You will need to push yourself to tolerate discomfort in order to achieve and develop. Just because things have always been done "a particular way," does not necessarily mean it is the most productive or efficient way. If you find yourself stuck in old habits, pay attention to how it may be holding you back and begin to take small steps towards change. Being willing to make changes means that one is able to let go of old assumptions or beliefs and take different actions.
5. Being an ineffective manager
People sometime assume that if you are promoted to a managerial position that you automatically have the skills for the job. Generally there is a learning curve. You may now be responsible for people with whom you used to socialize and you will need to manage and interact with them differently. At times this can be quite tricky.
Communication is a critical component of being a good manager. If you are constantly criticizing your employees, doing their work because you believe they are not capable or make rude and sarcastic comments, it will be difficult for staff to relate to you and trust you. As a manager your job is to help them grow and develop their skills. The better they do their jobs, the better you look as a manager.
To be a powerful, effective leader you will need to eliminate these obstacles and develop the skills that will help you achieve success.
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About the Author
Gail Solish is a Communication and Relationship Coach helping people expand their communication skills, develop positive business and personal relationships and create a balanced life. For more on developing effective communication skills, visit www.actualizeyourgoals.com or email coach@gailsolish.com
Search online for values in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
