Holding grudges keeps your life force energy bound up in the past.  It affects your health in many negative ways, and can be the root of a disease process. This is one of the most obvious reasons to forgive: for your health and happiness. 

Forgiving is not the same as forgetting. Forgiving is letting go of bitterness and resentment, and changing your relationship to what happened. By changing how you carry and connect with what disturbed you, you are able to move on with your energy and reclaim your life force. Forgiveness is not rooted in making the person who judged, abused, or hurt you change.  Forgiveness is acknowledging the pain and suffering you feel. Wouldn’t you like to have all of the energy that is meant to for your body be there to support your cellular function? Sometimes forgiving needs to be done on a regular basis to train our mind to not get stuck on the resentment or bitterness “radio station”.

Resentments are literally held in the tissue: the spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental body.   In the long haul grudges end up hurting the people who harbor them. 

Here are some quotes from Carolyn Myss to inspire you:

“When we harbor negative emotions toward others or toward ourselves,
or when we intentionally create pain for others,
we poison our own physical and spiritual systems.
By far the strongest poison to the human spirit
is the inability to forgive oneself or another person.
It disables a person’s emotional resources.
The challenge is to refine our capacity to love others as well as ourselves
and to develop the power of forgiveness.” 

[pullquote]“Forgiveness is no longer an option but a necessity for healing.”
[/pullquote]

“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself.
The challenge is to silence the mind.”
~ Caroline Myss ~

Here is what I do to forgive myself and others:

• When the difficult memories or thoughts come up I create space by putting them on a faraway planet, or across the earth in my mind’s eye. I do this each time I remember the situation, until it is less charged. Depending on the memory this can take years for some people. It is a mindfulness practice.
• I realize that I cannot change the situation, but I can detach, and not be so affected by others actions, and if I cannot do this I try to figure out what will help me detach. 
• Sometimes it is scary to detach, because of fear of abandonment; this can happen with our family. Remember that there will be support from places beyond what you know that will come into fruition. We may not get support from where we expect it, yet we should be open to having it from many places. 
• I sometimes ask forces larger than myself to take care of the pain, and ask for help
• I look at the person who hurt me in a compassionate way and wonder what happened to them to make them act the way they did…usually they have unresolved traumas…
• I acknowledge the pain when it arises and let it blow through me like a wind, and pass
• I try not to talk about it when it is a “fresh” incident over and over again, this can deepen the trauma “groove literally in our brain, and change our neuroplasticity to orient towards victimhood.
• Most of all… I forgive myself for getting hurt, and know that most people would be affected by the actions that happened, and appreciate the blessing of being a sensitive, awake person.
• Lastly… I think of resources for me: dogs, trees, the ocean, chocolate, and those who love me… and remember all the wonderful love that I have in my life.

So how do we know we are off of our beam? Here are a few of the signs:

• We experience…anger
• loneliness
• fatigue
• sadness
• having trouble focusing
• not being interested in others feelings or connecting with those we love
• looking  for conflict rather than resolution with others
• feeling bad, even when nothing bad is happening
• being harsh and judgmental of others
• basing our outlook on life from a place of fear rather than love
• not asking for help and support when we need it
• choosing to focus on the pain rather than the joy
• seeing things as black and white rather than gray
• not being able to  apologize and repair when we hurt others
• feeling like a victim
• being in a state of constant overwhelm

Here is how we differentiate from our pain, and get back on our beam:

The most important aspect to stay on our beam is to create quiet in our lives every day to say “hi” to ourselves…so we can notice if we are on our beam. Noticing when we are off of our beam is a huge part of regaining balance.  Ask what do I need right now to feel settled and calm? Space, food, sleep, a hug, see Dr. Kate????

What brings up my mood and energy? Exercise? Eating better fuel for me? Supplements?, Music? Dancing? Friends? Nature?

What can I say to myself to soothe what is happening? What do I need to acknowledge before I let go of what is difficult?

Write a list of resources (things that comfort you and lift you up)

What is the tape that is playing out, and how can I change stations like a radio to a more healthy station?

What am I supposed to learn from this: pain, difficulty, suffering…etc

Here is my resource list as an example:

• being outside
• calling a friend
• listening to music
• dancing
• dogs
• making art
• hugs from loved ones
• watching silly movies
• chocolate
• bodywork: craniosacral, acupuncture, chiropractic care…
• silly jokes,  stories, and goofy friends
• etc…

Often what is needed is a very simple to stay on our beam. Humans can make it much more complicated than it needs to be to stay resourced. Creating space is probably the largest resource you can use. Space for yourself to rest, eat, slow down, and get a break from toxic situations. Keep it simple. One of my favorite ways to stay on my beam is with some form of body work. I guess that is why I chose the profession I am in…so I can stay on my beam and I know how to quickly hop back on, and support others in this!!! Chiropractic care works with the beam on a literal level, by allowing energy to move through your bones more freely when they are in good alignment and motion, energy moves more readily. Craniosacral supports patient’s to be on their beam energetically by magnifying and strengthening their midline, and whole energy field. I find it rather interesting that I was drawn to do my work by focusing on the spine, and having a need to work with my hands. This is the literal and energetic manifestation of our beam. It is not so much about the spine being straight, as it is about the spine expressing its full range of motion between joints and the bones themselves breathing. As the great cranial Osteopath Dr. Becker said: “Life is Motion”… So take some time this winter to stay on your beam by keeping things alive, and flowing. 

We are affected by the seasons, the change in daylight, and the change of seasonal foods that are available. Our body changes with the seasons, as we head into winter the body needs different foods to stay healthy. One thing we all need here is the northeast is vitamin D3. Sunlight makes vitamin D3 and it occurs by our skin being exposed to the sun. In the winter even if we are outside a lot, we get limited sun exposure because we are covered up to protect us from the cold. Vitamin D3 is a major player in the function of our immune system. It also has an effect on our mood. Winter and the lack of sunlight can also affect our mood. There are supplements that can really help with those that are sensitive to a lack of light. We also need more fats and proteins in our diet to keep us warm in the winter. It is a good idea to come in for a tune-up to re-check your supplements and foods for the oncoming winter season. We have different needs for different times of year.

Chiropractic adjustments and craniosacral therapy can help the immune system when we are exposed to viruses and pathogens. These treatments are also extremely helpful for stress from the holiday season. We are constantly exposed to pathogens with the packed public transportation here in New York City, and those of you with children are getting a lot of exposure as well. It is important to keep your immune system strong so that every “bug” that comes along does not take hold in your body. I have a special offer for those of you interested in maintenance care see under “Dr Kate recommends”.

How to stay healthy in the winter:

• keep warm when you are outside, especially your head, neck, and torso
• drink hot liquids, avoid a lot of cold foods and liquids
• make sure you have enough animal protein in your diet, and lightly steamed vegetables
• don’t overdo it with sugar during the holiday season, sugar lowers your white blood cell efficacy, which depresses your immune system
• continue to exercise regularly
• green juice daily
• meditate daily to help decompress from the holiday stress
• keep your feet dry and warm when you are out and about
• wash your hands frequently

“Wheat is not the same as it was 50 years ago. It is 2 ½ feet shorter. The stockier plant can support a much heavier seed bed, and it grows much faster.  It is not genetically modified; when a plant is genetically modified a gene is inserted or deleted. What has been done, is that the plant has been hybridized and crossbred to make it resistant to drought, fungi; and vastly increase the yield per acre.  Agricultural geneticists have shown that wheat proteins undergo structural change with hybridization, and that the hybrid contains proteins that are found in neither parent plant.  Thousands of “Frankengrains” have been created over the past 50 years, using extreme techniques, and their safety for human consumption has never been tested or questioned. 

These extreme techniques include: generating new strains that involve processes such as:  gamma irradiation, and using toxins such as azide (which is a deadly poison).  You cannot avoid these strains by only eating organic whole wheat. This is because the organic plant is the same as the non-organic plants.  It’s almost as if we’ve put lipstick on this thing and called it organic and therefore good. The truth is that it is hardly any better at all.

There is no question that whole wheat flour is better than white flour. However, that is like saying filtered cigarettes are better than non-filtered cigarettes. Taking something bad and replacing it with something less bad is still not good.  Wheat makes us fat because it contains amylopectin A which is more efficiently converted to blood sugar than any other carbohydrate including table sugar.  Two slices of whole wheat bread increase blood sugar to a higher level than a candy bar does!  This spikes our insulin levels, and creates inflammation all over the body. Then your blood sugar dramatically drops in about 2 hours and you feel shaky, your brain is foggy, and you are starving. Then you reach for more
carbohydrates. This cycle repeats itself throughout the day.  If you eliminate wheat from your diet, you are no longer hungry between meals, you have stopped the insulin spiking cycle,  have cut out the appetite stimulant, and you lose weight very quickly.  I have seen this with thousands of patients.

Wheat can trigger effects that you do not perceive. Small LDL (low density lipoportein) particles form when you’re eating lots of carbohydrates, and they are responsible for atherosclerotic plaquing, this in turn triggers heart disease and stroke. Even if you are a slender, vigorous, healthy  person you are still triggering the formation of small LDL particles. Carbohydrates increase your blood sugar, which causes a process called glycation. This is the glucose modification of proteins. If I glycate the proteins in my eyes, I get cataracts.  If I glycate the cartilage in my knees and hips I get arthritis. If I glycate the small LDL, I’m prone to atherosclerosis. By eating fair trade organically grown whole wheat bread that sounds so healthy you are repeatedly triggering high blood sugar and will wind up with more visceral fat. This is not just what I call the wheat belly/muffin top that is flopping up over the belt, it is also the fat around your internal organs. As visceral fat accumulates, your risk increases with diabetes, and heart disease. 

Wheat is addictive: National Institutes of Health researchers showed that gluten derived polypeptides can cross the blood brain barrier and bind to  opiate receptors in the brain. The new hybridized wheat has a much higher level of gluten in it than its original form. When you eat wheat you get a mild euphoria because of this. People can experience some difficult withdrawal symptoms for about 5 days when getting off wheat.  Once you overcome the addiction to wheat your cravings subside, your calorie intake decreases, and your alertness and overall health improve. 

NIH research shows that wheat stimulates appetite. It is no wonder that Americans are becoming fat from eating wheat.
Solutions to this would be to go back to using the heritage forms of wheat before they were hybridized, and restore it to its original organic form. For now just not eating wheat whether you are gluten sensitive or not.”

For example when I am diagnosing an injury of the spine it is important to do range of motion tests, and orthopedic tests for diagnosis and treatment planning.  This is when the linear domain is appropriate. 

What do these linear and non-linear domains have to do with muscle testing?  Sometimes when I muscle test I am testing the linear domain and other times the non-linear domain.  The domain that I am testing depends on the questions I ask.  This is called the Heisenberg principle.  The Heisenberg principle states that the observer becomes part of the experiment.  Whatever the tester’s intention is when they ask the question has to do with the outcome and results they get. 

For example: measuring temperature is a linear domain: it is 50 degrees outside. The non-linear domain is your experience of the temperature: it is chilly, or it is a comfortable temperature depending on your personal experience.  It is a subjective experience.  Muscle testing takes the unknown and narrows it to a probability, and then to a possibility.  That is why it is important for the tester to have an understanding of what they are doing.  Clinical research has shown that muscle testing accurately diagnoses health issues.  For example I saw a patient that had a fever.  She said she thought she had the flu. I muscle tested her meridian system.  What showed was her gallbladder reflex was imbalanced. Her viral reflex was normal, (she did not have the flu).  I told her to go to the emergency room and get medically tested for her gallbladder.  Sure enough it was inflamed, and she had it surgically removed a week later.  This is why I use muscle testing. If she had stayed home thinking she had the flu, who knows what would have happened…