TEN MILLION Are you one of the ten million people worldwide living with Parkinson's disease? Is someone you love losing their independence or their ability to walk due to Parkinson's disease? Possibly you have found success in medications and surgery. Perhaps you are looking for other ways to decrease the tremors in your hands, so you can enjoy a dinner out with friends. Maybe you want to improve your walking or are a lifelong runner who has had to give up exercise because of the stiffness in your legs and the pain in your back. Maybe you are reading this book to learn some easy ways to balance your brain chemistry and feel more expressive, more focused, and more successful. ACUPUNCTURE, REIKI, CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY Have you tried acupuncture for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease? Have you been thinking about how Craniosacral therapy, Integrative Manual Therapy or Reiki could improve your life? MATRIX ENERGETICS, EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE (EFT) Maybe someone has talked to you about the benefits of Matrix Energetics, Emotional Freedom Technique's light tapping or Nature's Sensational Medicine. Perhaps you have never even heard of any of these things but your are searching for something that will help you feel better and are open to something new. OLD DOG? There is a saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," but do you know the second part of the saying? "The fastest way to become an old dog? .... Stop learning new tricks." CRAZY EXERCISES? Yes, some of these exercises can seem crazy but before you decide, spend two minutes doing one of the many exercises, visualizations, movements. Spend some time looking at the colors around you or reading the research from ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine or the latest article from Amy Cuddy, a Harvard professor who has found that two minutes of "Power Posing" or standing in a Wonder Woman or Superman posture can improve testosterone levels, literally making you a more powerful leader. Striking a two minute pose, standing or moving in a particular way also decreases cortisol levels, which makes you more adaptable and less stressed. Read the research linking dopamine to the energy of your gallbladder, even if it has been removed. In Acupuncture the gallbladder meridian is associated with the color green. It is, along with the liver a Wood Element. What if visualizing the color green flowing through your body, through your brain, through your liver and gallbladder could improve your control of movement, walking, or your facial expressions? Would it be worth spending two minutes a day? What if visualizing yourself moving in a smooth controlled conscious way could help you in the real world to drive more safely, walk without falling and enjoy your family more. Read the research on motor imagery, on using the mind to heal the brain, on the response of dopamine to physical exercises as well as imaginative rehabilitation. IMAGINATION Imagination is being able to see something before it is visible before it is real in your life. Would your life improve if you were more confident and compassionate or less angry and disappointed? What would change in the here and now if you could imagine a future, a full and independent life? DISGUST EXERCISES What if spending a few minutes a day thinking about disgusting food could improve your basal ganglia function. The basal ganglia is the part of the brain where surgically the deep brain stimulator is placed to suppress unwanted movements like ticks and tremors. WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO FEEL BETTER? What do you have to let go of to harness the healing in your own hands and in your own mind? Are you consciously using touch to improve your independence, your movement, or your comfort? Easy tips and exercises to use in daily life from the fields of: Craniosacral therapy Integrative Manual Therapy Reiki Matrix Energetics Emotional Freedom Technique Accupressure Nature's Sensational Medicine
