According to the Washington State Department of Health, over a fourth of Spokane area adults are obese. While a similar number of adults experience high blood pressure, two out of five adults have high cholesterol. One in 16 Spokane area adults have had a heart attack, coronary heart disease, or angina (heart related pain). The entire State of Washington has similar statistics begging the question: What can we each do to ensure our own heart health and the health of the people in our community? ... Read More...
Immunotheology: Imagine Two People with Cancer With Very Different Levels of Anxiety on Spokane Favs [Full Article]
A number of people have asked for my Jewish Intersections Reading List. In 2013 when I began my conversion to Judaism in earnest I asked friends what books I should read as I studied. In the end I compiled a list of books that taught me about the places where Judaism intersects with other traditions. It has been an amazing journey.
Some of my reviews of the books appear on Goodreads. Beyond the Pale, Elana Dykewomon People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks The Jew in the Lotus, Rodger Kamenetz This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared, Alan Lew In My Brother's Image, Eugene L. Pogany Shalom Japan The Mormon Candidate, Avraham Azrieli
Brewer-Smyth, K. and H. G. Koenig (2014). "Could spirituality and religion promote stress resilience in survivors of childhood trauma?" Issues Ment Health Nurs 35(4): 251-256.
Trauma is a precursor to many mental health conditions that greatly impact victims, their loved ones, and society. Studies indicate that neurobiological associations with adverse childhood experiences are mediated by interpersonal relationships and play a role in adult behavior, often leading to cycles of intergenerational trauma. There is a critical need to identify cost effective community resources that optimize stress resilience. Faith-based communities may promote forgiveness rather than retaliation, opportunities for cathartic emotional release, and social support, all of which have been related to neurobiology, behavior, and health outcomes. While spirituality and religion can be related to guilt, neurotic, and psychotic disorders, they also can be powerful sources of hope, meaning, peace, comfort, and forgiveness for the self and others.This article provides an overview of religion and spirituality as they relate to the neurobiology of resilience in victims of childhood trauma. Did you vote on my story in the SAGE USA contest: Red, White, Blue and Yellow? Check it out and let me know what you think. It is a poem from a collection I am working on (The Journey Home) from my bicycle ride across America with Hazon. Thank you to everyone who voted in the SAGE Story contest! We are proud to announce that Story #1 is the winner. Congratulations!
1. Red, White, Blue, and Yellow. A story by Kimberly Burnham, PhD, a 56-year-old lesbian who bicycled 3000+ miles across America on the 2013 Hazon Cross USA. Many things are frightening on a Cross USA bicycle ride a truck may come within inches seeming for a moment not to see me or a car that doesn't want to share the road full of cracks and pot holes visibility equals life so does vigilance Awareness and attention keep me alive on this journey even so I am scraped up from a fall my attention lapsed as I crossed a railroad track. my concentration, my focus on the journey may wander from time to time but me, I am not hard to see in my red, white, and blue Hazon jersey mile after mile from Seattle to Washington, DC People can see who I am and I wonder about discrimination our "People of the Bike" jerseys clearly marking us as Jews we ride through rural America, where white church steeples dot the landscape conservative Christian billboards scream messages then across the Mississippi into the diversity of the densely populated East. Completely white my hair peaks out from under my bicycle helmet I wondered if I might die before my 56th birthday in Minnesota at the half way mark across America. looking at me anyone can see the years of experience before this ride Experiences in communities, in the world, in America teach me how to create a sense of safety to live passionately find community visibility equals life waves of emotion as my attention flows to those around me finding the common ground sharing the road along the way My bicycle marked with symbols my choice, a rainbow flag a blue square with parallel yellow rectangles the equality sign of the Human Rights Campaign I am riding out in rural America Okay, I'll give you I am a little scared it's a little daunting to think I might be the target of hate but proud of my choices and this country in which I can choose whom to love and wear a giant yellow and blue equals sign on my back knowing some people will recognize I am a lesbian The ones that don't know the symbols on my sleeve are not part of my community my chosen family still they are welcome to join me on the crossing as I look for how we can connect and be seen together because visibility equals life.
"The quality of the food we eat is so important to our wellbeing. There are 18 million Americans with diabetes, some due to genetics and some due to the quality of the food they are consuming. What we eat not only affects our physical bodies but also affects our ability to think, reason, relate, create, and manage stress. The food we eat directly affects our brainās function. Poor input equals poor output. I have experienced this myself again and again. It is more fun, easier, and less expensive to make the easy choices of pre-packed foods versus grabbing whole organic food. There is no problem grabbing oneās favorite comfort food now and again. But I have noticed personally that when processed foods become the majority of my diet that my mind slows and sadly my emotions are less stable. ā"
Read the Complete Article on Achieve Success Without Stress, Melissa Heisler Stress Reduction Expert Liverese to English, If Your Liver Could Talk by Kimberly Burnham, PhD, The Nerve Whisperer6/11/2013 Imagine if this was your day....a headache before you went to bed, then you woke up at 2 am and never did quite get back to sleep. At seven when the alarm went off you thought about calling in sick but there is just too much to do and then irritated you realized you ran out of breakfast cereal and had a pop tart instead. Your eyes can't focus on the report you are preparing. Last night's head ache is coming back and you wish that you had had time for a better lunch.....It is not a good day for you or your liver.
What would your liver say, if it had a voice, a say in how your life flows, the amount of energy you have, how well you sleep and how happy you are? In fact, your liver is talking all the time, communicating how it feels and is functioning. Here is a brief Liverese to English translation guide, followed by some things you can do to bridge the communication gap: Low energy in the afternoon : Low energy often means the liver is not doing it job. Normally the liver regulates many substances important in maintaining your body's normal state, stores nutrients including blood sugars and clears out waste products. Easy bruising or bleeding gums - The liver is partially responsible for maintaining a good level of clotting factors. Anemia and other vitamin deficiencies - The liver also stores fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K), folate, vitamin B 12 , and minerals such as copper and iron. Dark circles under the eyes and yellowish skin color - The liver is telling you it is not clearing toxins and the bilirubin from old red blood cells is turning the skin a yellowish hue. Swollen ankles - Decreased amounts of liver produced protein, albumin may lead to swelling and water retention. Difficulty digesting fats - Bile produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder is a greenish fluid need for fat digestion. High cholesterol - Cholesterol, needed for cell membrane structure, hormone balance and proper nerve conduction, is produced or processed in the liver. If the production or processing is off then cholesterol levels rise. A healthy liver keeps it all in balanced. Hot flashes and other hormonal disturbances - Yup, liver again as it plays an important role in hormonal modification and endocrine balance. Chest distention, sighing, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, diarrhea, depression, moodiness, PMS, breast tenderness, painful and/or irregular menstruation - Liver talking again. Headaches - The liver removes harmful substances and irritants from the blood, when it doesn't they can irritate the lining of the brain. Hang over - Alcohol and sugar are primarily metabolized by the liver, and accumulation of its products can lead to cell injury and liver problems. Gallbladder pain / gallstones - The gallbladder is considered in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be the pair to the liver and as you know when one partner is not doing his job the relationship suffers. Trouble sleeping between 1am and 3am - These are considered the peak hours for the liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Difficulty between 1 am and 3 am is often ascribed to an unhappy liver. Problems with the eyes, tendons, tears (dry eyes), nails - All associated with liver's acupuncture meridian which flows along the inner leg on both sides. Anger management issues - In Traditional Chinese Medicine the liver, considered a wood element is associated with the emotion anger. So, what is there to do to ensure everyone is happier? If you think of vision / eyesight, liver / gallbladder health and anger forming a triangle, three connected points, each influencing the other for good or for bad. Imagine one point of the triangle is your vision, your ability to see the colors of a rainbow, recognize the face of your best friend, or read an inspirational book like, Pebbles in the Pond, Transforming the World One Person at a Time. Another point is the liver and the gallbladder, they are linked in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The liver meridian associated with the color green, runs along the inner leg. The gallbladder meridian runs along the outer edge of the leg and up into the area over the ears. Rubbing the head as in a scalp massage can stimulate the liver and gallbladder points. Pressure on liver and gallbladder points along the leg is also thought to soothe the liver. Due to the interaction between the three points of this triangle, improving the eyes with exercises, eating more essential fatty acids, such as olive oil, avocado, salmon or through acupuncture or manual therapy will also have a beneficial effect on anger management and liver / gallbladder health. You can go in another door and work on improving the liver and gallbladder by eating organic foods, and maintain a diet low in processed sugars or alcohol. There are many herbs and detoxifying foods that can help the liver and gallbladder function more efficiently. Improving liver and gallbladder health typically also improves vision and anger management skills. Going in the anger door of the triangle will also affect the other two points. Another way to increase internal communication is to rest quietly with one hand over the liver (right side of the lower rib cage) and the other hand on the area you want to connect (ie) the heart to improve blood flow and cholesterol or the spleen (left side of lower rib cage) to improve the way the liver talks to the immune system or the head to improve headache symptoms. By talking to a psychologist or life coach, doing things you love and enjoy, watching one of your favorite movies, like my favorite, The Last Holiday or writing in a journal can each improve your anger management skills. As your level of uncontrollable anger or rage decreases, your vision and liver / gallbladder health may also improve. By improving one of the three you can improve the other two. One of my favorite Japanese sayings is, "There are many ways to the top of Mount Fuji." Once you understand relationships in your body or in your life you can find the access or doorway into improving the overall system. For some people doing talk therapy or coaching for anger issues can be the easiest, fastest way to improve their life. for someone else eliminating processed sugar from their diet might be the best way to improve vision and reactivity to the world. Originally Published at Giving Voice to Your Story with Dorit Sasson http://www.givingavoicetothevoicelessbook.com/home/ Happy New Year. I look forward to consulting with people who want better movement, pain-free comfort, internal body communication and vision in 2018. Please contact me if you want to work with me in 2018.
Here are a few of the exercises I shared with clients around the world in 2012. 1. Sensational Medicine, healing the sensory system with new activities. You know the saying, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But do you know the second half? The fastest way to become an old dog? ... Stop learning new tricks. So in 2013 learn something new a new trick, observe a new sensation, notice something old in a new way. These are the ways to improve your brain and eye function. Pick something up every day and notice the shape, color, texture, sound, taste, smell, temperature, consistency, and how the parts make up the whole and how it is connected to its surroundings. How is it similar or different from what is around you. 2. Blinking exercise like pushups for the eyes. These exercises and more are about 28 minutes into this video http://consciousnessnow.tv/video/interview-with-kimberly-burnham-phd-on-the-2012-consciousness-raising-summit/ You can also read my blog posts which are part of my upcoming book, Harnessing the Placebo Effect, It Is Not What You Think, It Is What You Expect. 3. Tibetan eye chart for vision, insight and eyesight. Place the chart with the center line at eye level about an arm's length from your eyes. Moving only your eyes look at each of the outer circles, rotating your eyes in a clockwise direction. Do this twice then do two circle in a counterclockwise direction. Notice the colors and shapes. Then run your eyes through the center from top to bottom, then back to the top again several times. Then run your eyes back and forth a few times along each of the diagonal lines through the center. Notice the patterns, colors and shapes. Next make another circuit around the outer circles clockwise and counter clockwise. Lastly look up to the right, down to the left, up to the left and down to the right creating a figure eight pattern with your eyes. The chart is at http://kimberlyburnhamphd.com/Self-Care___Intake_Forms.html or email me for an attached picture. 4. Neck tapping gives your brain two different perspectives on the same activity, increasing your attention to sound, to what you hear in the world outside of you and the vibrations you hear inside of you. This is a great exercise to do in the morning to increase your conscious alertness and creativity during the day. Tap on the back of your neck with all of your fingers like you are playing a piano along the back of the neck. After a moment cover your ears with the heel of your hands and lightly tap again. Notice the difference in the sound, the tone, the loudness of the vibration, feel the feeling of your fingers on your neck and notice how the sound changes depending on whether you are covering your ears or not. 5. Darth Vader breathing for better hearing, decreased neck and jaw tension and relaxation before going to bed. Darth Vader breathing means to stand or sit and suck in the air making a sound like Darth Vader. The point is to make a sound as you draw in a deep breath. This ensures not only that you have a few breaths that are deep and fill your lungs with oxygen but also that your brain hears you breathing and is reassured, allowing you to relax. 6. Mindfulness eating for taste, smell and power. For two minutes before eating, stand or sit in the power pose (feet spread wider than shoulders, hands on hips, head up, spine elongated). Think about the food you are about to eat. The temperature, the color, the texture, the shapes, and more. What are you most grateful for? For more exercises, ideas and book to help you sleep deeper, decrease stress and chronic pain, improve your balance and transform your life, visit Kimberly Burnham's Amazon author's page http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Burnham/e/B0054RZ4A0 (Parkinson's, Sleep, Vision, Balance and more...) "I wrote Finally, an IEP for Mom! because I want Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs to know that life gets better when they shower themselves with love and appreciation, shift their focus from their worries to their desired outcomes, and share their dreams and hopes with others." Doreen Fulton, Believe in a Ray of Hope Interview
Read the Complete Interview Here. "By the time I was 28, I had caught butterflies in Colombia, photographed lions in Kenya, climbed the Eiffel Tower, and run up and down the escalator of the 1958 World's Fair Atom in Brussels Belgium. I have SEEN a big chunk of the world, despite being born with a genetic condition of the eyes.
I was diagnosed with keratoconus, a potentially blinding thinning of the cornea in my 20's. That diagnosis set me on a path to heal my own eyes and inspire others with genetic, vision, and nervous system related conditions to expect miracles and set the bar for nervous system healing and functioning higher. I began seeing the world and learning from people different from myself since I was six.." Read the full interview with Pebbles in the Pond, Transforming the World One Person at a Time author Kimberly Burnham on Angie Azur's WRITING TEAZURS. Read the full interview with Pearls of Wisdom, 30 Inspirational Ideas to Live Your Best Life Now author, Kimberly Burnham on Angie Azur at WRITING TEAZURS. "Beauty comes from our experiences." I believe this to be true. No matter your beginning, no matter where you are now, your experiences mold and change you. If you can see the beauty in each one, you will grow."
Read the full interview with Pearls of Wisdom, 30 Inspirational Ideas to Live Your Best Life Now author, Kimberly Burnham on Angie Azur at WRITING TEAZURS. Read the full interview with Pebbles in the Pond, Transforming the World One Person at a Time author Kimberly Burnham on Angie Azur's WRITING TEAZURS. Camp, M. E. (2011). "Religion and spirituality in psychiatric practice." Curr Opin Psychiatry 24(6): 507-513.
The role of religion and spirituality in psychiatric practice has long been a topic of discussion among mental health providers, patients, and faith communities. This review examines the recent findings in the literature that shape current dialogues on this topic and provide implications for patient care. An increasing body of evidence correlates certain aspects of religion/spirituality with mental and physical health outcomes, and researchers continue to explore how and when psychiatrists should intervene in matters of faith. As this topic is inherently multidisciplinary, many encourage approaches that incorporate neurobiology, faith, and psychology for enhanced understanding of patient experience. Many also stress the importance of effective interpersonal communication between providers and patients, using a person-centered framework. In all of these dialogues, implications for patient care are highlighted. The proper role of religion and spirituality in psychiatry continues as a matter of debate. However, current publications attempt to clarify issues that may lead to more evidence-based and empathic care in this area. Feel Better by Rearranging the Particles and Collapsing the Wave on a Better Reality (Quantum Physics in Integrative Medicine) by Kimberly Burnham, PhD, Brain Health Coach
Imagine for a moment, a potential client calls wanting to know if you can work with them on cancer-related issues. They want to wake up free of cancer, related stress and symptoms, with more energy and more satisfaction with their life, relationships and activities. Can you, as a Health Coach, hold the space, listen and ask questions, animating their process and recovery? Can you ask them, "What if a miracle occurred overnight and the cancer or other troubling physical ailment was gone tomorrow. When you wake up, how do you know it is gone? What do you notice? What is different in your life? Can part of the road to fulfillment lie in these and other questions?" Recently, Mesothelioma.com posted a page on "Health Coaching" for people with mesothelioma and other cancers. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer of the mesothelium or tissue surrounding the lungs. There is only a limited range of medical treatment options for this cancer, which is due primarily to asbestos exposure. Let's consider the health coaching options. There are palliative options including: helping the client and their family gain clarity around what they want, what increases their quality of life and what might provide better stress management. Health coaching takes the point of view that the client is whole and has their own best answers. On some level they each know what they need to do to achieve their goals. Faced with surviving a diagnosis while the medical system provides little hope can be daunting. As Health Coaches, can we envelop ourselves and our clients with healthy ideas and healing morphic fields? In cancer, more than almost any other chronic degenerative disorder, attitude seems to play a crucial role. Can a dose of hope, a sense of control over the situation, more laughter and joy cure cancer? People with cancer have gone into spontaneous remission. Can this happen for the person with a diagnosis of mesothelioma? Perhaps. While we can't judge or predict outcomes, we can see the impact of coaching, mindfulness, and visualization on the individuals we have contact with. We can be surprised. We can paraphrase the late author Laura Whitworth as in Co-Active Coaching and say to the client, "The answers might be part of your conscious awareness. You may turn to a health coach to help you stick to your plans to eat well, exercise, meditate, relax, wake up happy or laugh more. The solutions might be deep within your subconscious as you turn to your health coach to ponder the questions. Consider new perspectives and allow the information on how you can improve your life to percolate up to the surface. "The answers come from you, the client, from your inner wisdom, the power of your mind and subconscious. You may never have sought these answers before the coach asks the questions. Questions create channels for self-discovery and the answers are already there. And, with each answer, comes healing, energy, love and laughter, enough to change your life." More and more people with cancers, including mesothelioma, are giving health coaching a chance to create more joy and satisfaction in their lives, provide pain and stress relief, enable choices that hasten recovery after surgery, and reduce the side effects of certain medications, including chemotherapy. As a Health Coach, are you up to the challenge of holding space while a person diagnosed with cancer creates a different reality for themselves? Request a Free PDF Report on Cancer and Alternative Medicine via email Email Kimberly Burnham at NerveWhisperer@gmail.com Mention your top 8 health goals for 2018 for a free report on how you can feel better with easy self-care exercises. Connect with Kimberly Burnham on Social Media or Email for a Free report on Brain Health Exercises, Mention your top 8 Health Goals for 2018. by Kimberly Burnham, PhD, Brain Health Coach
Abstract: Health coaches help you improve how you feel and see the world around you. Vision can improve. Originally published in Health Coach Training News, 2011 healthcoachtraining.com/newsletter/article043.shtml In an interview on awakening to oneness, the Zen teacher Adyashanti defines enlightenment as "nothing more or nothing less than the perception of reality, to perceive what is, instead of to perceive what isn't." He continued, “All enlightenment is just seeing things the way they are, seeing things from an undistorted perception.” While not everyone is seeking enlightenment, most people would like to improve their vision both literally and figuratively. Health coaches are in a unique position to collaborate with people as they clarify the vision of what they would like their life to look like, as well as support their quest for improved visual health and eye function. By shining a light on the mental and physical barriers which contribute to distorted perceptions of the world, coaches can reinforce their client’s ability to achieve their goals and stick to their commitment to change. Health coaches can ask questions like: "What do you want to see in your life, in your relationships, in your environment? If over night your vision improved, how would you know? What would you see outside your window? What would make life easier for your eyes? What would make it easier for your brain to interpret visual information? What would enable you to trust what you see? What complementary medicine approaches, eye exercises, self care or nutritional changes have you tried in your quest for better vision or more clarity in your life? There is a Nicaraguan saying, "Eyes that see do not grow old." A growing segment of the population is asking, "How do we see better as we age rather than face progressive visual loss as the birthdays come and go?" They are also asking, "How do I maintain my quality of life by keeping up my ability to read and drive?" These questions are what I was asking myself 10 years ago. Today at 60, my vision is better than it was when I was 40. It is probably better than when I was 10 and started wearing glasses, and, despite a diagnosis of Keratoconus, a genetic condition of the cornea. An expert in vision development, visual clarity, and eye health, I have used coaching and a number of integrative medicine approaches to improve my own vision and that of my clients. There are so many options for vision improvement at any age. As health coaches, we can be there as the client sorts out what will work best for them in their quest for healthy vision. Request a Free Report on Vision via email http://www.nervewhisperer.solutions/brain-health-blog/coaching-the-quest-for-healthy-vision Email Kimberly Burnham at NerveWhisperer@gmail.com Mention your top 8 health goals for 2018 for a free report on how you can feel better with easy self-care exercises. Connect with Kimberly Burnham on Social Media or Email for a Free Report on Brain Health Exercises, Mention your top 8 Health Goals for 2018. Chiesa, A. and P. Malinowski (2011). "Mindfulness-based approaches: are they all the same?" J Clin Psychol 67(4): 404-424.
Mindfulness-based approaches are increasingly employed as interventions for treating a variety of psychological, psychiatric and physical problems. Such approaches include ancient Buddhist mindfulness meditations such as Vipassana and Zen meditations, modern group-based standardized meditations, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and further psychological interventions, such as dialectical behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. We review commonalities and differences of these interventions regarding philosophical background, main techniques, aims, outcomes, neurobiology and psychological mechanisms. In sum, the currently applied mindfulness-based interventions show large differences in the way mindfulness is conceptualized and practiced. The decision to consider such practices as unitary or as distinct phenomena will probably influence the direction of future research. Breast Cancer and Complementary Medicine Approaches for Recovery and Chemotherapy Side Effects9/1/2007 This months issues of The Burnham Review focus on decreasing signs and symptoms associated with Breast Cancer and with Low Back pain. There is also support for the idea that manual therapy approaches can improve tissue health and contribute to recovery and quality of life.
The use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by patients with breast cancer and survivors is on the rise. A recent study of 115 breast cancer survivors at least 1 year beyond active medical treatment found that 69% of participants reported use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). "Of CAM users, 73% reported initiating or changing CAM activity specifically because of their cancer diagnosis. Patients engaging in CAM for cancer-related reasons were younger and had been diagnosed with cancer at a younger age." Manual Therapies are being used to decrease nausea and fatigue as well as support the immune system in people with cancer. There were two particularly encouraging articles: 1.Hernandez-Reif, M., G. Ironson, et al. (2004). "Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy." J Psychosom Res 57(1): 45-52. [Abstract] 2. Potter, B. (2000). "Shrinkage of Ductal Carcinoma Tumor Prior to Operation." Center for Integrative Manual Therapy e-journal: |
Kimberly Burnham, PhD (Integrative Medicine)
860-221-8510 phone and what's app. Skype: Kimberly Burnham (Spokane, Washington) NerveWhisperer@gmail.com 4 Month Brain Health Coaching Package $600 includes: 8 one hour session (twice a month) plus ... Details Here
Regular Rate $120 per hour
Free 20-30 minute consultations available.. Call 860-221-8510 PST or email NerveWhisperer@gmail.com for an appointment this week.
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