In 2004 I was rear-ended by a car on Torrey Pines Road, and it exasperated my already compromised back. Prior to 2004 I was managing my back with a stretching routine and living an active life: working out with a trainer, biking, hiking, golfing, dancing and tennis. However, the accident terminated my biking, golfing, dancing and tennis, and I had to make regular visits to the chiropractor, acupuncturists, physical therapist and a specialized personal trainer who understood back problems. Fortunately I could still walk, and my routine workout included a short walk at five miles and a long walk at eight miles.
I continue this practice today. In January of 2012 upon returning from Kenya via Dubai I had a 14-hour flight to Los Angeles and then a 100-plus mile drive to San Diego. Not a smart decision, as the next day I could not even walk. For four days I had to crawl from my bedroom to the bathroom. Very humbling for an active guy! During this time I also was getting cortisone shots and being treated by an osteopath specialist. I was advised by my doctor to get back surgery, but I chose against this, having had a sister who went through multiple surgeries eventually getting addicted to legal drugs and passing away at age 57.
I have been a staunch non-believer of surgery and legal drugs. I rarely even take a Tylenol or an ibuprofen. However after this trip from Kenya, I had no choice but to go on some heavy-duty painkillers – thank God not for very long. Thanks to my 2-hour-a-day meditation practice I was able to weather the storm. Through the mindfulness that a meditation practice provides, I was able to quickly get off the painkillers and get through some extremely painful days, with the belief that the body is an amazing organism that can heal almost anything.
If you are fighting ill health or challenges pick up Dr. Joe Dispenza’s “You are the Placebo.” In his own personal story, Dr. Joe was hit by a car while bicycling at 50 miles an hour. Several medical opinions advised surgery and the addition of two long metal rods in his back. Though doctors told him he would never walk without surgery, he declined it and decided to heal himself through a mindfulness meditation practice. He was running in 10 weeks of the accident. Amazing! Here is a synopsis of the book:
Is it possible to heal by thought alone – without drugs or surgery? The truth is that it happens more often than you might expect. In “You Are the Placebo,” Dr. Joe Dispenza shares numerous documented cases of those who reversed cancer, heart disease, depression, crippling arthritis, and even the tremors of Parkinson’s disease by believing in a placebo. Similarly, Dr. Joe tells of how others have gotten sick and even died the victims of a hex or voodoo curse – or after being misdiagnosed with a fatal illness. Belief can be so strong that pharmaceutical companies use double- and triple-blind randomized studies to try to exclude the power of the mind over the body when evaluating new drugs.
Dr. Joe does more than simply explore the history and the physiology of the placebo effect. He asks the question: “Is it possible to teach the principles of the placebo, and without relying on any external substance, produce the same internal changes in a person’s health and ultimately in his or her life?” Then he shares scientific evidence (including color brain scans) of amazing healings from his workshops, in which participants learn his model of personal transformation, based on practical applications of the so-called placebo effect. The book ends with a “how-to” meditation for changing beliefs and perceptions that hold us back – the first step in healing.
“You Are the Placebo” combines the latest research in neuroscience, biology, psychology, hypnosis, behavioral conditioning, and quantum physics to demystify the workings of the placebo effect . . . and show how the seemingly impossible can become possible.
This is exactly what happened to me after an 11-year battle with low back pain. At an event in San Diego, I was fortunate to meet a practitioner of a healing modality called “Feldenkrais.” I came to research the Feldenkrais method on Google and found this:
The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve movement and enhance human functioning. Through this Method, you can increase your ease and range of motion, improve your flexibility and coordination, and rediscover your innate capacity for graceful, efficient movement. These improvements will often generalize to enhance functioning in other aspects of your life.
The Feldenkrais Method is based on principles of physics, biomechanics and an empirical understanding of learning and human development. By expanding the self-image through movement sequences that bring attention to the parts of the self that are out of awareness, the Method enables you to include more of yourself in your functioning movements. Students become more aware of their habitual neuromuscular patterns and rigidities and expand options for new ways of moving. By increasing sensitivity the Feldenkrais Method assists you to live your life more fully, efficiently and comfortably.
Through my Internet research I found the Gravity Lab in Old Town run by my now good friend Roy Waters (www.GravityLab.net). I have been under his tutelage since January 2015 and can now celebrate the fact I have no back pain.
I have found a solution for me. I am back playing golf, tennis and dancing! Yeah! The body is indeed an amazing creation! So no need to despair when you consider that your magic bullet does exist! And it may be closer than you know. Belief and faith reside in the soul, and it can indeed manifest miracles. I am a firm believer in that. So let us all go dancing!
My best wishes for a very healthy and joyful life.
