Network Healing Centre - NHC Newsletter

March 11 – Gateway to Healing Introductory Workshop – 7:15-8:15pm ; please sign up at front desk or email info@networkhealingcentre.com to reserve your space

An Information Session for all NSA New Patients to attend as well as anyone who is interested in learning more about Network Spinal Analysis and how this gentle method can help in many different ways. The Workshop consists of a half hour talk about the work, followed by a half hour demonstration of the work. This workshop is an important part of your care and we encourage you to join us. Call Diane at 725-0988 to reserve your space.

Babies who are unable or unwilling to nurse properly may benefit from CranioSacral therapy (CST). The causes may include birth injuries, congenital or neurological problems, or the effects of drugs used before the baby's birth. Circumstances surrounding the birth may be the cause such as a very fast birth, a cesarean birth, the use of vacuum extractor or forceps, an unusual presentation, or a baby with a large head. Even a normal birth can cause trauma to the babies head and spine. Traumatic events during the birth can result in excess pressure on the cranial nerves, particularly those that control the jaw/ tongue/mouth. Compression of these cranial nerves (glossopharyngeal, vagus and hypoglossal) can cause nursing difficulties with babies unable to open their mouths widely enough to latch effectively. These babies can cause pain to the mother by clamping on the nipple.

CST can also be beneficial for babies who are hypertonic with the classic arching posture. This may be a sign of difficulties with the nervous system, possibly caused by pressure on the nerves that occurred during the birth. CST is often dramatically effective in reducing hypertonic behavior and encouraging the baby to nurse more efficiently by very gently relieving pressure on the nerves.

Babies' skulls are designed to mold during delivery, enabling them to pass through the birth canal. Typically babies’ skulls do correct themselves after the birth, although many benefit from assistance in achieving a well-balanced cranial shape. A CST practitioner will gently examine the baby's head for overlapping cranial sutures, symmetry, and suture irregularities as well as a whole body assessment for imbalances. The very gentle techniques (under 5g. of pressure) used in CST encourage the body to correct itself. CST practitioners with experience in pediatrics work in collaboration with Lactation Consultants, Midwives, Doulas, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Dentists, Medical Doctors, etc.

This month I am inspired by Daniel Goleman, author of the best selling Emotional Intelligence. I am sharing a small portion from Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships © by Daniel Goleman, Banton Books. For me, this piece combines the insights of neuroscientists, psychologists, social scientists, common sense and ancient wisdom.

On a five-day visit to Brazil with my son, we noticed that the people we met seemed to get friendlier day by day. The change was striking.

At first we largely sensed aloofness or reserve from the Brazilians we met. But by the third day we encountered noticeably greater warmth.

On the fourth day it followed us wherever we went. And by our trip’s end we were hugging people good-bye at the airport.

Was it the people of Brazil who had changed? Certainly not. What had melted away was our own uptightness as gringos in an unfamiliar culture. Our defensive reserve had initially closed us off to the Brazilians’ open, friendly manner – and it may well have signaled them to keep their distance.

At the beginning of our trip – like a radio set to a slightly off-channel signal – we were too preoccupied to take in the friendliness of the people we encountered. As we relaxed and tuned in to those around us, it was as though we had zeroed in on the right station, the warmth that was there all along. While we are uptight or preoccupied, we fail to register the sparkle in someone’s eye, the hint of a smile, or the warm tones of voice – all prime channels for sending messages of friendliness.

A technical explanation for this dynamic spotlights the limits on attention itself. Working memory, or the amount of memory that we can hold in our attention at any one moment, resides in the prefrontal cortex, the citadel of the high road. This circuitry plays a major role in allocating our attention by managing the backstage business of an interaction. For instance, it searches our memory for what to say and do, even while it attends to incoming signals and shifts our responsibility accordingly.

As the challenges thicken, those multiple demands increasingly tax our capacity for paying attention. Signals of worry form the amygdale flood key regions of the prefrontal cortex, manifesting as preoccupations that steal attention away from whatever else we are dealing with. Distress overtaxes attention: merely being an uptight gringo will do it.

Nature puts a premium on smooth communications among members of a given species, sculpting the brain for a better fit – sometimes on the spot. In certain fish, for instance, during courtship a female’s brain secretes hormones that temporarily reshape her auditory auditory circuits to improve their attunement to the frequencies of the male’s call.

Something similar can be seen in a two-month old baby who detects his mother approaching: he will instinctively become still, quiet his breathing a bit, turn toward her and look at her face, focus on her eyes or mouth, and orient his ears towards any sounds coming from her, all the while making an expression researchers call “knit-brow with jaw-drop.” Each of these moves enhances the perceptual ability of the baby to attune to what the mother says or does.

The more sharply attentive we are, the more keenly we will sense another person’s inner state: we will do so more quickly and from subtler clues in more ambiguous circumstances. Conversely, the greater our distress, the less accurately we ill be able to empathize.

In short, self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let along compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.

It has been a particularly long winter this week since we received our first snow fall back in early December. Many people have a difficult time getting through the long days of less sun and many aren’t as active as they might be during the rest of the year.

With less sunlight (our Vitamin D) and less exercise we can often become a bit melancholy. Over half a million people are affected each year with seasonal affective disorder and many more can at least report feeling under the weather after a bout of long, grey days.

If you are looking for a way to get through this last month of unpredictable weather, of deep-freezes, more snowfalls and possibly rain. Why not consider coming in for a massage. The rhythmic and soothing strokes of massage therapy trigger the nervous system into a relaxation response. The side effects (if I may call them that!) are a wonderful sense of well-being and nurturing…a nice little body high even! This is because part of the response results in a release of endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ hormone. This can cascade into many other benefits such as a decrease in blood pressure and perceived dis-ease, better immunity, improved sleep and an increase in blood circulation which helps to oxygenate and energize all the cells in our body.

So if you are in need of a boost until the promise of warmer days and basking in the sun arrive then consider doing something that will affect your mood and keep you a happier person until then. To learn more about what massage can do for you please contact Erin at erin@networkhealingcentre.com.

Send date:	Friday, 29 February 2008
Mailing subject:	Network Healing Centre March 2008 Newsletter
Mailing content:
Network Healing Centre March 2008 Newsletter Dates to Remember March 24 – Easter Monday – We will be CLOSED for a statutory holiday March 11 – Gateway to Healing Introductory Workshop – 7:15-8:15pm ; please sign up at front desk or email info@networkhealingcentre.com to reserve your space Gateway to Healing Introductory Workshop Tuesday, March 11, 2008 7:15-8:15 pm An Information Session for all NSA New Patients to attend as well as anyone who is interested in learning more about Network Spinal Analysis and how this gentle method can help in many different ways. The Workshop consists of a half hour talk about the work, followed by a half hour demonstration of the work. This workshop is an important part of your care and we encourage you to join us. Call Diane at 725-0988 to reserve your space. CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY FOR THE NEWBORN Contributed by Rosemary Brown-Tucker, RMT Babies who are unable or unwilling to nurse properly may benefit from CranioSacral therapy (CST). The causes may include birth injuries, congenital or neurological problems, or the effects of drugs used before the baby's birth. Circumstances surrounding the birth may be the cause such as a very fast birth, a cesarean birth, the use of vacuum extractor or forceps, an unusual presentation, or a baby with a large head. Even a normal birth can cause trauma to the babies head and spine. Traumatic events during the birth can result in excess pressure on the cranial nerves, particularly those that control the jaw/ tongue/mouth. Compression of these cranial nerves (glossopharyngeal, vagus and hypoglossal) can cause nursing difficulties with babies unable to open their mouths widely enough to latch effectively. These babies can cause pain to the mother by clamping on the nipple. CST can also be beneficial for babies who are hypertonic with the classic arching posture. This may be a sign of difficulties with the nervous system, possibly caused by pressure on the nerves that occurred during the birth. CST is often dramatically effective in reducing hypertonic behavior and encouraging the baby to nurse more efficiently by very gently relieving pressure on the nerves. Babies' skulls are designed to mold during delivery, enabling them to pass through the birth canal. Typically babies’ skulls do correct themselves after the birth, although many benefit from assistance in achieving a well-balanced cranial shape. A CST practitioner will gently examine the baby's head for overlapping cranial sutures, symmetry, and suture irregularities as well as a whole body assessment for imbalances. The very gentle techniques (under 5g. of pressure) used in CST encourage the body to correct itself. CST practitioners with experience in pediatrics work in collaboration with Lactation Consultants, Midwives, Doulas, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Dentists, Medical Doctors, etc. Fine-Tuning Contributed by Dr. Michael Tucker, DC This month I am inspired by Daniel Goleman, author of the best selling Emotional Intelligence. I am sharing a small portion from Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships © by Daniel Goleman, Banton Books. For me, this piece combines the insights of neuroscientists, psychologists, social scientists, common sense and ancient wisdom. On a five-day visit to Brazil with my son, we noticed that the people we met seemed to get friendlier day by day. The change was striking. At first we largely sensed aloofness or reserve from the Brazilians we met. But by the third day we encountered noticeably greater warmth. On the fourth day it followed us wherever we went. And by our trip’s end we were hugging people good-bye at the airport. Was it the people of Brazil who had changed? Certainly not. What had melted away was our own uptightness as gringos in an unfamiliar culture. Our defensive reserve had initially closed us off to the Brazilians’ open, friendly manner – and it may well have signaled them to keep their distance. At the beginning of our trip – like a radio set to a slightly off-channel signal – we were too preoccupied to take in the friendliness of the people we encountered. As we relaxed and tuned in to those around us, it was as though we had zeroed in on the right station, the warmth that was there all along. While we are uptight or preoccupied, we fail to register the sparkle in someone’s eye, the hint of a smile, or the warm tones of voice – all prime channels for sending messages of friendliness. A technical explanation for this dynamic spotlights the limits on attention itself. Working memory, or the amount of memory that we can hold in our attention at any one moment, resides in the prefrontal cortex, the citadel of the high road. This circuitry plays a major role in allocating our attention by managing the backstage business of an interaction. For instance, it searches our memory for what to say and do, even while it attends to incoming signals and shifts our responsibility accordingly. As the challenges thicken, those multiple demands increasingly tax our capacity for paying attention. Signals of worry form the amygdale flood key regions of the prefrontal cortex, manifesting as preoccupations that steal attention away from whatever else we are dealing with. Distress overtaxes attention: merely being an uptight gringo will do it. Nature puts a premium on smooth communications among members of a given species, sculpting the brain for a better fit – sometimes on the spot. In certain fish, for instance, during courtship a female’s brain secretes hormones that temporarily reshape her auditory auditory circuits to improve their attunement to the frequencies of the male’s call. Something similar can be seen in a two-month old baby who detects his mother approaching: he will instinctively become still, quiet his breathing a bit, turn toward her and look at her face, focus on her eyes or mouth, and orient his ears towards any sounds coming from her, all the while making an expression researchers call “knit-brow with jaw-drop.” Each of these moves enhances the perceptual ability of the baby to attune to what the mother says or does. The more sharply attentive we are, the more keenly we will sense another person’s inner state: we will do so more quickly and from subtler clues in more ambiguous circumstances. Conversely, the greater our distress, the less accurately we ill be able to empathize. In short, self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let along compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action. Beating Those Winter Blues! Contributed by Erin Whyte, RMT It has been a particularly long winter this week since we received our first snow fall back in early December. Many people have a difficult time getting through the long days of less sun and many aren’t as active as they might be during the rest of the year. With less sunlight (our Vitamin D) and less exercise we can often become a bit melancholy. Over half a million people are affected each year with seasonal affective disorder and many more can at least report feeling under the weather after a bout of long, grey days. If you are looking for a way to get through this last month of unpredictable weather, of deep-freezes, more snowfalls and possibly rain. Why not consider coming in for a massage. The rhythmic and soothing strokes of massage therapy trigger the nervous system into a relaxation response. The side effects (if I may call them that!) are a wonderful sense of well-being and nurturing…a nice little body high even! This is because part of the response results in a release of endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ hormone. This can cascade into many other benefits such as a decrease in blood pressure and perceived dis-ease, better immunity, improved sleep and an increase in blood circulation which helps to oxygenate and energize all the cells in our body. So if you are in need of a boost until the promise of warmer days and basking in the sun arrive then consider doing something that will affect your mood and keep you a happier person until then. To learn more about what massage can do for you please contact Erin at erin@networkhealingcentre.com. Be well!