“Soothing touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate the signs of distress. How can it be that we overlook its usefulness on the jangled adult as well? What is it that leads us to assume that the stressed child merely needs “comforting,” while the stressed adult needs “medicine”?” — from Job’s Body: A Handbook for Bodywork by Deane Juhan

Right now, maybe you are that jangled adult hunched over a computer, who could derive immense and immediate benefits from a great massage. If you think that massages are just a form of frou-frou pampering, think again. Massage has been linked to such an array of substantial and scientifically researched health benefits that The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society officially recommend massage as a part of a treatment for lower back pain. It may seem obvious that massage would reduce and soothe aches and pains, however as a therapy, its benefits are more far-reaching and profound than simple physiological improvements in the body. A large body of scientific research not only points to the tangible benefits of massage, but also uncovers the underpinnings of the therapeutic practice.

Mitochondrial Growth

In a fascinating small study done with just 11 participants at the Mc Master University, researchers discovered that massage aids muscle healing by activating compounds that calmed inflammation and promoted the growth of new mitochondria. In the study, 11 young men who pushed themselves to exhaustion on exercise bikes received 10-minute massages after exercising. Their leg muscles were biopsied prior to exercise, soon after the massage and 2.5 hours after the massage. The researchers found that just 10 minutes of massage had reduced signs of inflammation in a mechanism similar to pain medications. In addition, massaged muscles showed new mitochondrial growth. Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of our cells. They generate chemical energy in our cells and have them working in an optimal manner. More mitochondria translate to more energy. The new mitochondrial growth detected in the cells of the massaged muscles of the participants, further promoted quicker recovery from the exercise related muscle wear and tear.

Voice Restoration

Emerging evidence suggests that massage can make contributions to healing in avenues where conventional medicine doesn’t have all the answers. Dr. Claudio Milstein, a voice specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Head and Neck Institute treats functional dysphonia, a condition in which the muscles that control the vocal cord contract, tighten and lock and the patient loses his/her voice, with something as simple as a throat, neck and shoulder massage. A 2010 story in NPR reported the case of a mom, suffering from functional dysphonia, who got her voice back after Milstein did seven minutes of massage on her that carefully focused on loosening the muscles on her voice box! Earlier, CT Scans, an MRI and other conventional treatments had not resulted in any relief for the patient.

Other Studies point to a Wide Range of Benefits

Several studies have linked massage with various physical and mental benefits. There are too many to list, but here are a few significant ones. Massage therapy has been found to boost immune function in women with breast cancer, lower blood pressure in women with hypertension, reduce anxiety in patients who are about to have surgery, improve lung function in children with asthma and strengthen grip in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. And on the tiniest of all patients, premature babies, massages have helped with the all- important task of gaining weight. The perfect double blind study in a population that is devoid of any sort of bias!

My Story

Yesterday, I had an extraordinary massage. After writing down standard and somewhat vague answers to standard and somewhat vague questions, on the intake form, in the waiting room, I entered the therapy room that felt tranquil and safe. I lay down on my (new)massage therapist’s table not knowing what to expect.

Five minutes into the session, I knew that I was in the hands of a savant. My massage therapist and I had entered into a somatic and emotional space where there was little room for words. The standard and somewhat vague words on that form did not matter. My body told her a story and she responded with a knead, a roll or a push. On one level, the massage was about tense knots and soft tissue, but on another, it was far deeper than the physical.

I learned that the muscles in my shoulders and upper back were tense, tight and contracted. I also learned that I hold sadness and grief in my shoulders. After sixty minutes of massage, where my therapist worked primarily on my shoulders, I felt such pure, deep, unbridled joy and gratitude that I could have cartwheeled my way home. The sixty minutes brought back intensity of emotions that were seemingly lost to me in the last few years.

My story is yet another instance of the therapeutic potential of massage. Whether it is Deep Tissue, Swedish, Ayurvedic, Chinese or just a quick 10 minute chair massage at your pharmacy, make time for this safe, non-pharmacological, relatively inexpensive self care practice. Your mind, body and soul will thank you for this health edit.

Sources:

• Massage School Notes; Massage Quotes
• NPR; With a Quick Massage, a Voice Returns
• WSJ; Don’t Call it Pampering, Massage Wants to be Medicine
• National Institute of Health; Massage
• International Journal of Preventive Medicine; Durability of Effect of Massage Therapy on Blood Pressure
• Image Credit; freedigitalphotos.net

On April 22^nd every year we pause and reflect on the state of the planet. First celebrated in 1970, the Earth Day we celebrate in our present times honors what is considered the day on which the modern environmental movement was born. On this day, every year, we resolve to recycle, ditch plastic, save water, plant trees, support farmers and consume less. Anything you choose to do (or stay away from) to celebrate the day is honorable and every effort, big or small, counts.

This post is a gentle reminder to connect with nature and your surroundings today in a way that not only helps the environment but also benefits your health, because both the earth and you always have room for more tender love and care.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” — John Muir

Ideally, one should not wait for Earth Day to roll around to take a walk with nature. But if the weariness of winter has stayed with you for some reason, today is a fine day to shed it. Go out and walk in a natural environment for 30 minutes. Several research studies have demonstrated the immense benefits of walking, ranging all the way from reduced blood pressure to a boost in creativity, but a 2012 study from Toronto published in the Journal of Affective Sciences reported that walking in nature significantly improved memory and cognition in clinically depressed patients as compared to walking in busy urban environment. Whether it is a walk in a park, a meandering in a deep dark forest or a leisurely stroll on the path along a river that flows close to where you live, the idea is to seek a place that is wilder than what you are used to. A spot where nature gently tugs at you, a place where you can smell the earthy smells of beginnings and endings and ultimately a setting where you are reminded that, “the earth is all we have in common.” (Thanks Wendell Berry)

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” –Thich Nhat Hahn

Mindfulness is a wonderful thing. Although the word itself may sound like it implies to a concept that is primarily of the mind, it primarily implies to awareness; of the mind, of feelings, of physiological sensations and of the surrounding environment on a ‘at the moment’ basis. Medical and social research has established that practicing mindfulness for even a few minutes a day can ward off stress and depression, make us smarter by increasing gray matter in the brain, increase attention spans, boost the immune system and even help fight obesity.

If you have pledged to become mindful of your environmental choices today, why not extend them to other areas as well? Pay attention to your breathing, your physical sensations, your feelings, your thoughts, the foods you eat and your surroundings. Start a mindfulness practice today where you pause whatever you are doing to claim the beauty in the now. Derek Rydall in his book Emergence: Seven Steps to Radical Life Change recommends a daily mindfulness practice that only takes a minute. It “simply is to stop whatever you are doing, check in, breathe, reconnect and give thanks to life. And then you can go back to whatever you are engaged in.”

Happy reconnecting with the earth and with yourself!

Happy Earth Day.

Sources:

Baycrest; A ‘walk in the park’ gives mental boost to people with depression

Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life; What is Mindfulness?

Derek Rydall; Emergence: Seven Steps for Radical Life Change

Image Credit: Sridhar Chandrashekar

A January 2015 study published in the prestigious Journal Neuroscience established a firm connection between metacognition and lucid dreaming. Metacognition is the brain’s ability to think about thinking. Lucid dreaming is a state of dreaming where the dreamer is aware that she/he is dreaming. Not only is the dreamer aware that he or she is dreaming, but the dreamer can actually steer the dream in a direction that he or she wishes to go by manipulating conditions in the imaginary confines of that dream. Sounds like a science fiction movie, doesn’t it?

A buzzword in recent times, metacognition is emphasized for success in the world, all the way from classrooms to boardrooms. A 2012 blog post in the Harvard Business Review proposed that metacognition was a skill that every global leader needed. Educational psychologists stress that higher order thinking and metacognitive abilities lead to successful learning. A metacognitive learner is more conscious, perceptive, reflective and aware of her/his progress along the learning path.

The fascinating study done by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry reported that lucid dreamers had both a bigger anterior prefrontal cortex, and also higher levels of activity in that area of the brain. The anterior prefrontal cortex of the brain is responsible for complex cognitive processes, such as self-reflection, which is basically the ability to think or meditate upon about one’s thinking, behavior and actions, also known as metacognition. Commenting on the results of the study, lead researcher Elisa Filevich said, “Our results indicate that self-reflection in everyday life is more pronounced in persons who can easily control their dreams.”

 An earlier study from the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom concluded that lucid dreamers were more insightful and better at problem solving. The researchers said, “This suggests that the insight experienced during the dream state may relate to the same underlying cognition needed for insight in the waking state.”  

Artists, Metacognition and Lucid Dreams

Artists have intuitively known that the shape of their dreams has a profound effect on the shape of their art and life. Reflect on these quotes that were said or written at least decades before the above-mentioned studies were conducted.

“Our truest life is when we are in dreams, awake.” – Henry David Thoreau

“You’re never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true,” – Richard Bach

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” – Vincent van Gogh

“To concern ourselves with dreams is a way of reflecting on ourselves-a way of self-reflection.”- Carl Jung

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” – William Shakespeare

To Sum it Up

Our sleeping and wakeful states are inextricably linked. It may seem like a no brainer but it has to be said, awareness during wakefulness translates to awareness while dreaming. Conscious focus is a hallmark of both of these states. If lucid dreaming leads to metacognition, metacognition in turn leads to lucid dreaming. Our nighttime meanderings inform and illuminate our daytime paths. Lucid dreams may be key to bringing ‘you’ back to yourself.

So can you teach yourself to lucid dream? The Internet is full of tips and techniques, but the first tip is already available in the above-mentioned study, start reflecting on your thoughts when you are awake. It helps “to sit on a rock … and ask, ‘Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?”(thanks Carl Sandberg)

Paying attention to your dreams and keeping a dream journal also help.

Sweet (lucid) Dreams!

Sources:

• Journal Neuroscience; Metacognitive Mechanisms underlying Lucid Dreaming.
• Medical Daily; Lucid Dreaming Associated With More Pronounced Self-Reflection In Everyday Life
• Medical Daily; Lucid Dreamers Benefit From Insightfulness, Have Better Problem Solving Skills
• Harvard Business Review; A Skill that Every Global Leader Needs
• Goodreads; Dreaming Quotes

Can walking turn you into a poet or an artist? Can it bring forth the innate creativity that lives in you? It just may, says a Stanford April 2014 study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. The study was performed by recruiting 176 participants comprising of college students and other adults and was divided into four experiments. Led by researchers, Marily Oppezzo and Daniel Schwartz, the participants completed standard tests of creative thinking such as coming up with alternate uses for common objects and thinking of complex analogies for sentence prompts.

The four experiments took place in four different conditions. As a part of the first condition, participants walked indoors on a treadmill facing a blank wall. In the second, they sat indoors facing a blank wall. The third condition involved walking along a selected path in the Stanford campus. The fourth one included being pushed on a wheelchair (for a sense of visual movement) along the same selected path in the campus.

The study findings reported that participants were a whopping 60 percent more creative in ‘divergent thinking’ (in a test to come up with alternate uses for common objects), when they were walking as opposed to when they were sitting. In the experiment where participants had to come up with novel analogies, 100 percent of the walking participants were able to come up with at least one novel analogy as opposed to 50 percent of the sitting participants! Both indoor and outdoor walking worked equally well in this study and the effects of the walking lasted for a while after the activity stopped.

Commenting on the research conclusions, lead researcher Dr. Oppezzo, in an interview with the New York Times explained that walking may have a role in redirecting energy that would otherwise be spent on raining on one’s own creativity parade. Essentially, walking helps you get out of your own way and “may allow the brain to break through” some of its own, hyper-rational filters”, she said.

 Walking, the channel for William Wordsworth’s Transcendental Poetry

William Wordsworth is said to have walked around 175 thousand miles during his lifetime. Whether it was the epic twenty thousand miles he walked along with his class-fellow Robert Jones (instead of studying for his Cambridge University exams) to the Alps, or the daily 12 mile walk from Dove Cottage to the ‘post’, or the pacing back and forth in the premises of his own garden muttering the words “bum, bum, bum, stop” in his latter casino online years, walking was a way of being for the poet.

In a paper titled Poetwalker, author Polly Atkins writes that for Wordsworth, “the act of walking is indivisible from the act of making poetry. One begets the other.” His poems were a “rhythmical creation of beauty” (thanks Edgar Allan Poe) that he felt during his walks.

From The Prelude

“The earth was all before me. With a heart

Joyous, nor scared at its own liberty,

I look about; and should the chosen guide

Be nothing better than a wandering cloud,

I cannot miss my way.” 

From The Solitary Reaper

“I listened, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.” – The Solitary Reaper

Wordsworth’s walking was integral to his poetry. Walking was poetry and poetry was walking for him.

What is Left to Say

To walk is to experience the sacred. To walk is to walk towards joy. To walk is to walk away from the cares of the world. To walk is to connect with the earth. To walk is to become a part of the landscape. To walk is to shed your identity. To walk is to feel oneness. To walk is to heal. To walk is to be. 

Sometime late last year I started going on long 6 mile walks on a nearby nature trail with my husband on Sunday mornings. When I look back on 2014, those long walks have been some of my most cherished times of the year, they were sometimes intense, sometimes serene, but always wonderful. I noticed that I wrote more during that time. Who would have thought that the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other would bring such joy, peace and creativity?

This is my first post in the New Year. I don’t make resolutions but this year I have a prayer, I pray for chances to walk more. Hikes, short strolls, long walks, slow walks, fast walks, challenging steep uphill walks, tumbling down the hill walks, and even pacing up and down my garden (or my living room) muttering, “bum, bum, bum, stop” will all be considered blessings.

Happy walking and creating. Have a wonderful 2015!

Further Resources:

Courageous Creativity; Walking as Creativity

Sources:

The New York Times; Want to be more Creative? Take a walk.

Stanford University; Stanford Study finds Walking improves Creativity

Brown University; The Legs of William Wordsworth

Academia; How Did Walking Serve as an Integrative Activity for Wordsworth?

Poemhunter; William Wordsworth