Back to Back Issues Page
Mountain West Wellness Health Tips, Issue #040
June 06, 2016
Hi

Welcome to our June 2016 Newsletter, it is short and sweet. Enclosed is an invitation to my qigong class this June and I hope you will read about it and consider coming. Additionally, we have a little article about PTSD. I hope you enjoy it.

Qigong Class June 25th

I would like to invite you to be part of our qigong (chee gong) class this June 25th. In an effort to help the people that I work with achieve maximum health, I want to teach you this simple, yet powerful system of self care that has been used in most of Asia for more than 2000 years. Qigong is part meditation, part breathing exercises, and part yoga. The exercises that I am teaching can be done as a part of your personal self care system along with any other exercise, meditation, yoga, etc. that you already practice. What you can expect through regular practice is increased health, energy, and balance in your body’s organs.
The form of qigong that I am going to share with you was taught to me nearly 20 years ago by an amazing woman named Chen Hui-xian. What made her so amazing was that she was her story. She was diagnosed with breast cancer that had metastasized and even after surgery she was not expected to live more than 6 months. She had trouble walking and was very sick and said she was about to give up. One day at the university at which she taught she met a small group of qigong practitioners who were cancer survivors and she began practicing with them. When I finally met her it was 15 years later and she was a vibrant powerful lady who traveled all over teaching. She is still alive and continues to travel and teach!
This experience was not unique to her, this was apparently something that happened to others that she practiced with. I saw this happen with another teacher of mine who, without any treatment cured himself of esophageal cancer. I personally have used qigong practices over and over to benefit my own health.
While from a western science model we really don’t know much about what happens to our body when we practice qigong exercises, we do in the Chinese medicine model. Your body’s circulation opens up and you get better flow throughout your body. With better circulation we get more blood and vital substances to our organs, limbs, brain, and produce better health.
Obviously, there is no promise that you or I will beat such serious illnesses as my teachers, but we really have nothing to lose. I have practiced qigong for most of my life and I can honestly say that the physical and emotional benefits have been powerful for me. However, you are never to young, old, sick, or healthy to start realizing these practices for yourself.

Class Date: Saturday, June 25
Time: 9:00am-11:30am
Cost: $50
Location: Shaolin Hung Mei Chinese Cultural Center, 1750 38th Street, Boulder, CO

Please sign up early as space is limited.

Ways to Combat PTSD Naturally

PTSD is a physiological disorder that can result from being exposed to a traumatic event. The disorder results in several different symptoms including anxiety, irritability, insomnia and flashbacks. The effects of post-traumatic stress disorder in someone’s life can be far reaching. Feelings of hopelessness, shame and despair, problems at work or with relationships, serious health problems, depression, anxiety and drug or alcohol abuse are not uncommon. Getting help can be hard at first, but can have a great impact for helping PTSD.

Acupuncture, MSRP & NADA
 The Military Stress Recovery Project (MSRP) is a unique program that provides free community acupuncture to veterans and active duty soldiers with PTSD and their family members.
Treatment in a MSRP clinic is unique for several reasons. Patients are treated in a group setting, sitting in comfortable chairs. There is an environment of calm and support. The patients are treated using the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, a series of 5 needles placed in one ear. The program is designed to address all the needs of people with PTSD. The MSRP clinics have been very successful. Patients report stress reduction, improved mental clarity, improved energy, enhanced performance, better sleep, fewer bad dreams and headaches, less anxiety and depression, reduced anger and pain, improved general health and better relationships.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 
Cognitive therapy involves talk sessions between a therapist and their client. The therapist will help the patient work through their trauma and memory and can include techniques such as exposure therapy. This type of therapy is not for everyone but has been proven effective in beginning the steps toward recovery from a traumatic experience.

Relaxation methods
 A lot of the times, anxiety and high blood pressure come with PTSD. Practicing daily relaxation methods can help lower stress and anxiety due to PTSD. Meditation, yoga and breathing exercises can all help lower heart rate and calm the mind. Spending time in a quiet place in nature can also have calming effects. Taking the time out each day to practice mindfulness can be very beneficial in lowering PTSD symptoms.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing 
EMDR therapy is practiced with a trained EMDR psychotherapist and involves allowing the brain to reprocess traumatic memories. It has been shown to reduce recovery time for PTSD patients and is less likely to cause triggers from the trauma than talk therapy. The American Psychiatric Association and Department of Defense/Veteran’s Administration recognize it as an effective treatment. Guided imagery
Guided imagery is a meditation therapy that can be used at home and involves listening to dialogues to help reduce anxiety, depression and other symptoms of PTSD. The recorded dialogues are listened to a few times a week and involve imagining oneself in nature and a calm environment.

How to Help Someone with PTSD

Watching someone you love and care about suffer from PTSD can be hard. You may feel like you don’t know how to act around them or want to help but don’t know how. Below are ways to support those with PTSD.

Educate yourself The first step you can take in helping those you care about is learning more about PTSD and what it means to suffer from it. Take the time to understand the causes, symptoms and effects to better understand what your loved one is going through. When things get tough, it is easy to get frustrated with someone who is dealing with this disorder. Remember that they are going through something out of their control and your support is important.

Listen, be patient Sometimes it can take a person dealing with PTSD a while before they seek treatment. While it is important to encourage treatment, they also need to come to this decision on their own. Being supportive and a good listener in the meantime can be very helpful for their ultimate choice to seek treatment. Don’t push them to talk, but let them know you are there to listen. If they do want to talk, try to listen without judgement so that they feel comfortable to keep coming to you.

Make sure to take care of yourself Being around someone who is struggling with PTSD is not only hard for them, but can take a toll on you mentally as well. Make sure you are taking care of your physical and mental health as well. If you feel overwhelmed or stressed, don’t forget to take time for yourself to destress and relax.

Understanding triggers and symptoms If you are living with someone with PTSD it is important to recognize their triggers. Triggers can be anything, sometimes an object, person or place that reminds them of their traumatic experience. Ask your loved one to explain what triggers them so that you can best help them avoid those triggers. Make a plan for when triggers or a flare up of symptoms do happen and ask them what you can do to help when this happens.

There are many resources out there to help those with PTSD as well as their families and loved ones. For family and friends of veterans, visit www.ptsd.va.gov for more information and help.

Sources: http://bit.ly/1rSwjDe, http://bit.ly/24Y9YCE

Please Like Us On Facebook

If you are a Facebook user please "Like" us. Just click the box below and you can join. Sometimes we post special deals just for our fans!

You can also follow our blog on our office website at www.mountainwestwellness.com From there you can just click the
. blog button.
In addition, thanks for opting in to receive this newsletter digitally rather than by mail. It will help us to save paper and resources, thereby protecting the environment.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to anyone that you know who might be interested in the information.

Stay Healthy!

Jack, Kim, Alicia, Jonathan, and Lynn



Back to Back Issues Page