First off, one thing: HELLO! to Daniel’s student who surfs the net frequently and found (and directed) my blog to Daniel and the rest. And HELLO! to Daniel and everyone else who are probably gonna read this. Lol.

This post is going to be divided into two parts. The first will be my (extremely enjoyable) experience during this drumming circle; the second, unfortunately, will be a rant (which in no way at all concerns Daniel or his students ((at least I believe that the dude I’m gonna be ranting about isn’t his student)).

This was the first ever drumming circle I’ve allowed myself to go to. Seems that these past two weeks and everything (from healing to workshops) have been because I chose to allow myself to go and experience.

And it was fun. Hyper-exhausting, hungry (sound vibrations passing through my body always make me hungry), almost-deaf (what else should I have expected, right?  ), but fun.

I didn’t bring my drum along because it was really too huge for my short height (I always accidentally knock it against stairs or stuff), and because I really had no idea what went on during a drumming circle and didn’t want to embarrass myself with my lack of aptitude for rhythm. As I told a friend, my heartbeat has more rhythm than I do. Heh. Okay, fine. If I hadn’t been so concerned with “pride,” I could’ve drummed. So…meh. I’ll bring my drum the next time I participate in Daniel’s drumming circle come September.

We went through the various beats Daniel uses for his practice, from one- to nine-beats. The odd-numbered beats are masculine in energy; the even-numbered ones hold feminine energy; the nine-beat rhythm signifies a closure, a wrap-up of energies, so to speak.

So, Daniel led us through all those beats for a round or so. Since there were some people who hadn’t brought instruments, those who had extras shared theirs amongst the rest. N. (not sure if the people whom I’ve interacted with are comfy with me using their full names, so I shall just use initials) generously allowed me a shaker he’d created himself, and so we started.

We all stood up, and tried to remove as much internal inhibitions as we could, drumming/rattling/hitting instruments vigorously as we moved about. I had to be reminded to breathe as I rattled the shaker and tried to find a rhythm I could work with. My right arm grew warm and tired after some time, so I kept switching the shaker between my hands.

After some time of getting used to the cacophony of sounds which merged into some sort of background-noise-harmonious-rhythm, we stopped, and did some small discussion about it.

Daniel then asked who in the circle wanted healing, and all but one did. And so, off we went again with making sounds. Each person took turns standing on a placemat and everyone moved clockwise about him, drumming or rattling or whatever else until the sounds became harmonious; then the next person takes the first’s place. And on it went.

Daniel likes to place his drum on or near someone’s body and hit on it vigorously, and he did that a few times with me. I thought that was fun. Drum beats are always nice to feel on the body, methinks.

When it came to my turn, perhaps it was because we’d ran out of time/overshot the time, or that I’d raised my hand to be next simultaneously with another girl my age, we both found ourselves standing back-to-back on the placemat while Daniel drummed around us, others shook or hit whatever they had, and all that. The vibrations were intense and became almost-numbing in a sense, as they permeated my whole body and went slam-ram-slam-ram from all directions. Apparently, my face was flushed after that, although I was more deafened than dazed.

(Speaking of which, I’m staying away from anyone holding loud rattles and singing bowls or metal stuff which can be hit with something else from now on. I’ve always had too sensitive ears, and some people really just thrust those metal things right in my face or beside my ears and all I felt inside wasget that thing out of my face dammit! I think that’s why I use only the drum – not because I feel it’s more “shamanic” or anything, but because my ears are safe with its resonating beats. I’ve even stopped using my tingshas because of the higher-pitched sounds, which also really hurt my ears.)

So, the healing went on for about…two hours? We took a ten-minute break, and went back to it until everyone who wanted to be healed was done. After that, when all was done, we all started the nine-beat rhythm to bring our energies back and have a closure. We had another small discussion/question-and-answer session thing, and the circle was done.

I’d definitely want to go for the next one, and I’m going to drag my partner along since he’s a drummer and will probably like it quite a bit. I shall be bringing earplugs along to spare my ears the next time.

Thanks, Daniel, N., and Y.!

The research suggested that the effects of long-term cigarette smoking show up in terms of memory loss, inability to connect past experiences with actions in the present and a drop in overall cognitive skills. Researchers were unsure of the mechanism behind smokers’ rapid mental decline. They cited vascular or lung damage as the probable reason for this dementia.

The exact reason for this sex-difference remains unclear. Researchers suggest that the higher volume and longer duration of cigarettes smoked by men in comparison to women could be the contributing factors. Other lifestyle habits, like drinking more alcohol, may also account for this difference.

The study lead Severine Sabia said, “Our results show that the association between smoking and cognition, particularly at older ages, is likely to be underestimated owing to higher risk of death and dropout among smokers.”

The study illustrates the importance of examining risk factors for mental decline earlier in life.

The study is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Source-Medindia

A national study has found that many who are physically sick also have mental illness and vice versa. Hospitals have started to screen their patients in the hope of helping them manage their double-trouble conditions better

SCREENING THE PHYSICALLY ILL FOR MENTAL PROBLEMS

A national survey has found that a significant number of physically sick people are plagued at the same time by mental illness.

And hospitals have been ramping up their efforts to screen such people for mental disorders.

Results of the Singapore Mental Health Study, which were released last month, showed that 14.3 per cent of patients who have a chronic physical illness are also psychologically unwell. This works out to about 170,000 people here.

But for one reason or another, more than 84 per cent are being treated only for their physical symptoms.

The study could provide a guide on where screening may be widened, said Dr Mythily Subramaniam, deputy director of research at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). She was part of the team led by Associate Professor Chong Siow Ann, vice-chairman of medical board (research) from the IMH, which did the study.

Right now, all six public hospitals screen patients with long-term physical problems for mental conditions such as depression or anxiety as part of a government-funded initiative.

Each has chosen a condition to base its screening on – usually an area of focus for the hospital. They are diabetes, stroke, Aids-causing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), irritable bowel syndrome, traumatic injuries and gynaecological cancer.

Patients who are found to have psychological symptoms are managed by a team which can comprise doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, medical social workers and nurses.

The study indicates a number of illnesses have yet to be included. These include chronic pain and respiratory ailments such as asthma which, together, have the highest prevalence of accompanying mental illness. About 15 different types of chronic physical conditions, including cancer and heart and brain diseases, were covered.

It is hardly surprising that such debilitating physical illnesses would be accompanied by psychological distress.

Some physical illnesses share the same genes as mental disease, said

Dr Mythily. For instance, diabetes and schizophrenia could have similar genetic causes. The same goes for depressive symptoms and coronary heart disease.

But that aside, chronic physical diseases take such a toll on a patient’s daily functioning and overall well-being that they could cause mental illness, she said. And that could compromise a patient’s prognosis.

Dr Mythily said: ‘Without treating the mental problem, the physical problem may not improve. It could even get worse.’

One 58-year-old housewife, for instance, said even though she was on medication for irritable bowel syndrome, her condition improved only after she went to a psychiatrist for her symptoms of anxiety. She no longer needs medication.

‘Seeing the psychiatrist was better than any medication I had ever taken,’ she said.

The hospitals’ own recent experiences suggest that patients would welcome having something done about their psychological symptoms.

Hospitals say at least nine out of 10 patients now agree to answer a questionnaire about their mental well-being.

Those found to have depression or anxiety also tend to be open to counselling and treatment.

There are various reasons why they may not be seeking help on their own.

People might not recognise the symptoms, which could be similar to those of the physical complaint, said Dr Mythily.

For instance, symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, lethargy and apathy, are also signs of stroke and other chronic physical illnesses.

Others may feel a stigma in talking about their mental health, even to a doctor.

Now, at least some are being picked up in the screening initiative, which is funded by the National Mental Health Blueprint, formulated in 2007 to promote mental health here.

At Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), which screens in-hospital stroke patients for depression, the rehabilitation doctor and his team of nurses, therapists and psychologists manage both the physical problems and any mild to moderate depression.

Those with more serious symptoms are seen by hospital psychiatrists.

This integrated approach reduces stigma, said Dr Aaron Ang, the head and consultant at the hospital’s psychological medicine department.

So far, hardly any patient who has been offered psychological treatment has refused it, he said.

Hospitals say it is more difficult to persuade those being seen at outpatient specialist clinics to return to see a psychiatrist.

To make it less daunting, diabetic patients at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) who show signs of distress get to talk to a medical social worker first.

Psychiatrists will be called in for more serious cases, said Dr Chan Keen Loong, a senior consultant at the hospital’s department of psychological medicine.

At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), which screens patients with irritable bowel syndrome, patients who are reluctant to see a psychiatrist are invited to join a support group instead.

During meetings, they learn how to cope with their symptoms from a doctor and can share their problems with other patients, said Associate Professor Ng Beng Yeong, head and consultant at the hospital’s department of psychiatry.

At TTSH’s Communicable Disease Centre, patients with HIV are screened for depression and the results are documented in their case notes.

Their doctors are then aware of their emotional issues and can persuade them to seek help if it is needed.

Some hospitals, such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Changi General Hospital, screen patients with traumatic injuries for emotional distress.

When such patients get the help they need, they benefit from it.

Early data from the hospitals shows that patients scored lower in depression and anxiety and higher in quality of life after psychological treatment.

Physical ailments may also improve.

Diabetics at KTPH, for instance, had better control of their blood sugar, with the average levels of sugar in their blood decreasing after six months to a year of psychological treatment.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome at SGH also reported fewer bowel symptoms such as stomach pain after their mood improved, while stroke patients at TTSH scored higher on their level of function and quality of life.

Aside from the mental and physical diseases which share the same root cause, patients who feel better are more in control and more motivated to take care of themselves and take part in rehabilitation, doctors said.

Some hospitals are getting proactive about catching patients with other chronic diseases for depression.

KTPH, for instance, is screening some patients at its weight management and geriatric clinics for depression, on top of its pilot programme for diabetics.

The National University Hospital, which screens women with cancer of the reproductive system for depression under its pilot programme, hopes to extend this to breast cancer and other physical illnesses.

SCREENING THE MENTALLY ILL FOR PHYSICAL PROBLEMS

More than half of all patients here with a mental illness also have a physical illness.

In contrast, 14.3 per cent of people who have a physical illness also have a mental one, results of the Singapore Mental Health Study, released last month by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), found.

A higher proportion of mentally ill patients also have a physical illness probably because people with serious mental illnesses rarely pay attention to their physical health, said Dr Mythily Subramaniam, the deputy director of research at the IMH.

Research also shows that people with mental illnesses tend to smoke more compared to those with physical illnesses, though the reason for this is not clear, said Dr Mythily.

Smoking is a major risk factor for illnesses.

The survey also found that people with depression are most at risk of physical problems. Depression is the most common mental woe in Singapore.

As part of the IMH’s effort to review patients with schizophrenia and other delusional disorders regularly, it set up a clinic last year to screen these patients for any chronic physical problems annually.

Schizophrenia – which is often characterised by loss of contact with reality (psychosis), hallucinations (usually, hearing voices) and firmly held false beliefs (delusions) – is the most common condition seen at the IMH.

Of the 1,500 patients assessed in the first year, more than half were overweight, said Dr Jimmy Lee, a consultant psychiatrist at the institute.

A fifth had high blood pressure and the same number had hyperlipedimia, where there is high cholesterol and fatty substances in the blood.

One in 10 had diabetes, mirroring the national average.

The figures were similar to those in other countries.

The screening may be extended to patients with other mental problems in the future.

The survey did not determine the percentage of the mentally ill who sought help for their physical problems.

Dr Lee said there are plans to embark on a study about why many do not.

14.3% of patients who have a chronic physical illness are also psychologically unwell

Click Here for Full Published article.

At the end of each day’s practice session, they sat beneath a coil of wire that sent a brief magnetic pulse into the motor cortex of their brain, located in a strip running from the crown of the head toward each ear. The so-called transcranial-magnetic-stimulation (TMS) test allows scientists to infer the function of neurons just beneath the coil. In the piano players, the TMS mapped how much of the motor cortex controlled the finger movements needed for the piano exercise. What the scientists found was that after a week of practice, the stretch of motor cortex devoted to these finger movements took over surrounding areas like dandelions on a suburban lawn.

The finding was in line with a growing number of discoveries at the time showing that greater use of a particular muscle causes the brain to devote more cortical real estate to it. But Pascual-Leone did not stop there. He extended the experiment by having another group of volunteers merely think about practicing the piano exercise. They played the simple piece of music in their head, holding their hands still while imagining how they would move their fingers. Then they too sat beneath the TMS coil.

When the scientists compared the TMS data on the two groups–those who actually tickled the ivories and those who only imagined doing so–they glimpsed a revolutionary idea about the brain: the ability of mere thought to alter the physical structure and function of our gray matter. For what the TMS revealed was that the region of motor cortex that controls the piano-playing fingers also expanded in the brains of volunteers who imagined playing the music–just as it had in those who actually played it.

“Mental practice resulted in a similar reorganization” of the brain, Pascual-Leone later wrote. If his results hold for other forms of movement (and there is no reason to think they don’t), then mentally practicing a golf swing or a forward pass or a swimming turn could lead to mastery with less physical practice. Even more profound, the discovery showed that mental training had the power to change the physical structure of the brain.

OVERTHROWING THE DOGMA

FOR DECADES, THE PREVAILING DOGMA IN neuroscience was that the adult human brain is essentially immutable, hardwired, fixed in form and function, so that by the time we reach adulthood we are pretty much stuck with what we have. Yes, it can create (and lose) synapses, the connections between neurons that encode memories and learning. And it can suffer injury and degeneration. But this view held that if genes and development dictate that one cluster of neurons will process signals from the eye and another cluster will move the fingers of the right hand, then they’ll do that and nothing else until the day you die. There was good reason for lavishly illustrated brain books to show the function, size and location of the brain’s structures in permanent ink.

For Further reading of article proceed to

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580438-2,00.html

Presented by Sarah Smith, this two hour special asks whether hypnosis should be more widely available to people unsuited to, too weak for, or afraid of conventional anaesthetics. The programme includes discussion and debate as well as live and archive examples of the efficacy of hypnosis in a surgical context, and culminates in a live hernia operation being performed under hypnosis with no anaesthetic at all.

http://youtu.be/nwAYpLVyeFU

In our anxious world, we often protect ourselves by closing off parts of our lives that leave us feeling most vulnerable. Yet invulnerability has a price. When we knowingly or unknowingly numb ourselves to what we sense threatens us, we sacrifice an essential tool for navigating uncertain times — joy. This talk will explore how and why fear and collective scarcity has profoundly dangerous consequences on how we live, love, parent, work and engage in relationships — and how simple acts can restore our sense of purpose and meaning.

Speaker: Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work where she has spent the past 10 years studying courage, shame and authenticity. She is the Behavioral Health Scholar-in-Residence at the Council on Alcohol and Drugs and has written several books on her research.

My friends tell me, “If you say it will fail, it will sure fail.” So I change my speech and say, “I hope the project does not fail”. But in my mind, I have little faith it will succeed. Naturally, the project fails and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why do I do this to myself? Sabotage my own project? Rather than being applauded for being the one with the Midas touch, I will be the one who would be named “Project Killer”!

Woah…Okay, a bit too melodramatic but you get the drift? I am sure all of us at one point in our lives have gone through this before? For some of us, it could have been a very short period of time while others may have been longer and still suffering from it.

The thing is, I believe, is not in our speech or language. It is not about the way we use certain words or our tone when we speak. It is the mindset we take when we view certain things and how our thoughts are, then projected into our speech and behaviour.

The only way to get out of this would be to change our mindset. I bet you are thinking as you read this, “Oh yeah! It’s easier said than done!” No, it’s not easy but we could always try. What is there to lose? You are already thinking of the worst, anyway!? And so, I ask myself, “Do I love myself? Do I want to continue to feel lousy about myself?” Always feeling inferior to others because I think my work is not good enough; I am not smarter, faster and sharper than the next person.

ENOUGH! From here on, I will choose to focus on “what is right?” in my life. I will celebrate my successes no matter how small they are. And if I should fail, I will learn from the mistakes positively and move on…

Eleanor Roosevelt said in her book, entitled This is my Story that “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” So only you can decide how to think and feel and how to project yourselves to the world.

A young boy came home one day from school all exited and run up to mommy and ask. “Mommy mommy, I learn something fun today? Why did the geese fly south during winter.” The mom replied “I don’t know, tell me?” The young boy replied, you don’t expect them to walk there do you? The mother went “You smart Aleck” and the boy just hop away playfully. At times the most difficult situation in life can be answered in the simplest answers.

“Canada Geese have incredibly long migration routes. In the winter, they take up residence through out all lower US states, from California completely across to Georgia. Many even hang out in regions of Mexico.” So, when their food supply dwindles in the fall, they move further south to warmer areas, where the food is still readily available. Geese fly in flock on V shapes formations.

Some might have seen in movies like “Fly Away Home” which follows the story a young 13-year-old girl from New Zealand who survives a car crash that results in the death of her mother and how she successfully led a flock of Geese on a winter migration. The Mighty Ducks is another series of three live-action films released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures. About Ice Hockey and their V shape formation and team victory.

While we are on the topic of Geese, let me share with you about a story of a two geese conversing during the flight of Migration. Allets, a leading goose of many years was leading her flock through migration one day when she overheard a conversation between her left & right-wing geese.

The left goose was saying “My boss was always unreasonable, breathing down my neck, more demands and pushing me to the edge, in due time if I’m not going to get promoted to lead, I will definitely leave the flock.” And my love one they just don’t understand me, it is so frustrating.”

The right goose replied “Well my boss was also breathing down my neck too, he constantly remind me to perceive that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  To be able to lead the flock takes determination, will and confidence. Only when you are willing to walk the path and be positively driven are you ready. The migration takes a long route and baring in mind you have to be responsible to yourself and your flock. My family never understands me too, cos I fly so much. But whenever I return I’ll always see warmness in the home, my kids’ laughter that simply warms my heart. They may not say a word but I can feel their love and understanding.

Leaving the two geese to continue their conversation, Allets realize that this two geese where like her before. And in an instant the voices stop, as she glance back she realize that the voices were actually memories of her past. She was once like them, the conflict in her mind (positive & negative) resolve and she has been leading for many years now. She wonder if she have chosen the path of the left geese what life will she be. Shaking that thought she realize that the path she has taken to live positively brings her here today & she loves every single moment of the now.

Like the geese we as human have our own fair share of woes and thoughts. Some days I wake up and decide today is gonna be a shitty day and it ends up being one. It will start with the alarm clock did not ring, missed breakfast, someone cut into my lane on the expressway and it goes on and on… We can continue to be in that state and our life just spiral downwards. Or we can choose to take control and take a step aside to see a different perceptive. “If what you are doing is not getting you the results you want, change the way you go about doing it.”

The thing is you are in control of your life.  You can choose to feel sad, happy, stay positive or negative, angry at the whole world or even feel no one loves you. Only you can allow yourself to feel that way. Not the person who hurt you or your loved one who do not understand you or your unreasonable boss. Your mind can only hold one state at a given time, if you feel sad you can’t feel happy. If you feel anxious, calmness is not presence.

So take a step back like the geese look at them in the 3 position the left, the right & of coz the one who leads. Considering the situation or relationship from the perspective of self (1st position), another person involved (2nd position) and from a neutral, objective, detached point of view (3rd position). You will be surprise at what you can find & by simply seeing it in a different light changes your perceptive of the situation.

We are in-charge of our mind and therefore our results. The ball is now in your court, how you swing your racket determines what path you take. As what Eleanor Roosevelt says “I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life”