converting to Skype

so, I remember trying to use Skype some years ago with a professional group - I found the sound poor, and we kept on dropping out - not a pleasant experience, which put me off for quite a few years.

Subsequent to this, I discovered Apple's Facetime, which I really liked - discovering I could chat for literally hours with a friend in Canada for no extra fee.  Brilliant.

And recently, I re-visited Skype for a supervision session with someone in North America - me based in the UK.  And, actually, now, for whatever reason, I found it amazing.  We used webcams, which worked well.  It was a bit disconcerting setting up, and I found myself noticing my falling cheeks - but/ and I remember that video is apparently very ageing. 

I wasn't crazy about looking at myself talking the whole time, but mainly I saw my companion.  And, of course, talking from home, I became a bit aware of what I was wearing, and how tidy my sitting room was. 

And, really, I had a useful session; my companion even met my cat.  And it would be virtually impossible to have the same sort of activity - an international meeting, where I paid for my colleague's time, but with no need to pay for travel or communication costs (bar of course all my Apple kit, and Broadband costs...).

so, I am somewhat of a convert - probably behind quite a few people - perhaps those with children there to train them up, or to inspire them to meet up via Skype to see where they are and what they're up to.

an extraordinary treatment – treating kyo to remove jitsu discomfort

So, today I had a shiatsu treatment – I was rather looking forward to it, though was distracted by increasing discomfort in my poor old shoulder.  I broke the clavicle last year, and after lots of work and various miracles thought I’d pretty much cracked it, or rather got to a point where I could worry about another aspect of my life.

I’ve been playing a bit more tennis in recent weeks, and think that this may have worked into slight imbalances in the new position of my shoulder as a result of the break.  My consultant calmly told me a while back that it would probably be a centimetre of two shorter as a result – I was horrified – that’s about an inch cut off my shoulder. 

anyway, I slithered in rather miserably for my shiatsu treatment and summarised my present feeling – rawness really all in that shoulder area, though pain/ discomfort running along the clavicle, and also in the infraspinatus (lower back shoulder blade area) – apparently this muscle may be not holding the shoulder back properly, such that is what they call ‘dropped’ which actually seems to mean that the shoulder is more forward than it should be.

 

anyway, somewhat to my surprise, even though I’m a shiatsu practitioner myself, my shiatsu practitioner today started off with slow, calm, palming bodywork of my left back area.  I realised that it felt like my right shoulder was calming itself somehow as a result.

I realised that I was experiencing what I often explain to people about chi/ ki/ energy – that we as shiatsu practitioners will often work on the kyo (low energy) areas first, which brings energy into these areas, so that the high energy (jitsu – often noticeably uncomfortable) areas may ease.

wow – I do this stuff all the time, but I was still blown away at the feeling of ease at the end of the treatment.

My practitioner and I had also been talking about how we distinguish conventional treatment (eg physiotherapy) from ‘un’ conventional treatment such as shiatsu.  They both can be amazing and clever and skilful – but this treatment was a reminder of the ‘holistic’ ness of shiatsu.  Wow (again).

the interface between beauty and health treatments...

Following the break of my clavicle in May last year, I had this feeling of wanting a compress on the area to feel better.  This led me to ask a few herbalists for help – the ones that replied made me think they were likely to offer me a tincture to drink, or pills / supplements to take, which wasn’t quite what I was after.

Rather by chance I had my first Dr Haushka facial today, and to my surprise they gave me a foot and hand massage, as well as some work on my shoulders, along with the expected facial treatment.  I must admit I wasn’t quite sure what to expect; don’t remember ever having had a ‘facial’ before, because I’m not so sure of the benefit of creams on the face. 

However, it was a really good experience; one thing that stood out was the hot towels placed on my shoulders.  (I was lying down on a massage couch at this point – I hadn’t realised a facial happened lying down – a lot to learn it would seem in this area!).  Following the treatment, my injured clavicle area felt better, and my shoulders felt more relaxed in a way that feels nourishing for this injury.

I mentioned this to the staff, who were interested and sympathetic.  But when I said if I were to have rung up with a broken clavicle, they immediately said they would have sent me to my GP.  It seems to me there is a lack of awareness somewhere here, in that I would imagine this kind of treatment would have been great at a much earlier stage of my injury.  I can imagine weekly treatments being beneficial.

Similarly, I mentioned my wish for massage-type bodywork to a local colleague, and she immediately said she wouldn’t work with me until the injury was completely healed, which seemed to somehow be defeating the object of my enquiry.

So, my point is, how can we bring all appropriate nourishing treatments to everyone’s awareness, whether patient/ service user, and practitioners and health/social care managers of all types.

Do post comments below if you have any thoughts to build on these observations.

regards,

Catherine.

on dog poo...

As I was tidying up our village a bit earlier today, I saw a green plastic bag in a bush, and thought I’d pick it up to throw into the garbage.  As I got close to it, I wondered if it was someone’s bag for their dog’s poo – presumably on its way to... what, a dog poo container somewhere.

And I was reminded of how ridiculous it seems to me to put dog poo in a plastic bag, where it would seem to me it won’t be able to rot down properly – perhaps anaerobic as opposed to aerobic breakdown.  So often, it seems to me that things aren’t thought through properly.

Such as all the worry about plastic bags, and the production of ‘bags for life’.  I often use a lovely wicker basket for shopping that was my mother’s.  People frequently comment on it, and admire it.  [though, as an aside, I do wonder if supermarket staff these days are not told to pick on something unusual about a person and comment on it, so as to strike up a positive relationship – or to congratulate them on their shopping choices!].  Wicker baskets like this work really well, and could mean that the ‘bags for life’ are not necessary.  I also find that the ‘biodegradable plastic’ ones are kind of weird.

anyway, regarding dog poo, of course it is desirable not to have it in the way, and to step in it.  But, couldn’t we find a better way to dispose of it, so that it can break down properly.

ideas welcome – do post your comments or thoughts here in this blog.

cheers,

c.

a few thoughts on aloe vera

Aloe vera is well known to be a healing plant.  I remember living in Puerto Rico in the 1980s, and using the sap from plants growing there on burns, and there were also sprays produced commercially for burns, which were made of aloe.

In the UK, I often hear about Forever Living which uses aloe vera in its products, and although for some reason this kind of pyramid selling doesn’t appeal to me, I know many people who are reps, with varying degrees of financial success from it.

Recently, I thought I had sustained a chemical burn on my forehead, and used aloe vera sap on it, to help heal it, and I think it felt quite good.  Subsequently, I discovered it was in fact a shingles rash, and a health practitioner I visited recommended aloe vera for this, and kindly gave me a plant.

I don’t think it is always easy to know about these kinds of remedies, and then what to do with them, in what dose, how frequently.  My friendly practitioner suggested applying it twice a day, but I actually found it better to use at least that, and as the area felt itchy.  As the shingles faded I found myself tired of having the area covered in ‘stuff’, and reduced application.  I think I have heard among herbalists, such as Christopher Hedley, this idea of attuning to appropriate use and does, and a shiatsu colleague I was discussing this kind of thing with recently, also made a comment along these lines.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on these topics:  use of aloe vera, traditional remedies for burns and shingles, how to know what to use, in what way and how often.

cheers, c.

Moocs, OU and Coursera

I was going to post this on my Open University blog, but it's not allowing me to post, so I thought I'd post this pondering on my studying a Mooc about The Upper Limb on Coursera here...

So, there is quite a lot about right now about Moocs, and I’ve been a bit curious.  My progress so far has included:

I started off by signing up for an OU pilot Mooc in education but found it really hard to get started – didn’t feel I knew how to navigate the page – to me, it didn’t feel intuitive, and I probably didn’t give it enough time.

There are quite a few programmed on the radio about Moocs, and I’m aware of Cousera in the States, and the OU et al recently-ish started ?UK venture. 

I signed up for an interesting look course on modernity by Coursera, building on some things I wanted to clarify from an OU course I studied (U207 Issues in Women’s Studies) many moons ago, and a beloved module I tutored (K221 Perspectives in Complementary and Alternative Medicine).  I probably didn’t give it enough time – I found the lectures a bit ‘teacher-led’ – and I didn’t really get engaged.  However, I was impressed with how many people were – and high-powered sounding in the sense that many of them seemed to already have MAs in the Arts.

Now I’m engaging with a course on The Upper Limb, having fractured a relevant bone recently, in tandem with cpd for my Shiatsu practice.  Given it quite a bit of time this morning, catching up on the first couple of weeks – seems pretty clear – again, pretty much a video lecture, with more Powerpoints I think than the modernity course.  Pretty orthodox, and I would personally like to see some reference to eg acupuncture points and how and where they fit.

all for now,

anyone else any thoughts on this and related comments? – please post your thoughts as response within this blog.

Catherine.

comfrey - what to do with it...

Comfrey (Symphytum, or 'knitbone') is a traditional herbal remedy for broken bones.  So, quite a few people mentioned comfrey in the context of my broken clavicle:

1.  My friend somehow talked with a homeopath friend who recommended homeopathic comfrey – I obediently got some – but she then said it would be knocked out by drinking coffee, which worried me since I wasn’t in a stop coffee drinking space.

2.  A medical doctor/ acupuncturist also suggested it, but without specifying form or frequency.

3.  A shiatsu practitioner also suggested comfrey cream, and drinking comfrey tea.

 

Obediently, therefore I got some comfrey cream, and put it on the affected area (on top of armica cream) after my morning bath.  I also managed to buy some dried comfrey from Bumblebee in London, and drank a small pot of tea daily.

I ran out of that batch recently, and managed to get some more in London at Neal’s Yard Remedies yesterday.  Whilst there I looked at a book on herbs there, which said comfrey should not be used for internal use since there is a risk of liver cancer.  Oh dear.

I remember that there was something about comfrey not too long ago – a couple of years perhaps where I think I heard hearing it was banned by the ?MHRA – presumably for this risk.  But I also remember it as being rather controversial, and many disagreed with this ruling, presumably because the risk was arguably exaggerated or irrelevant to context used.

So now I’m not sure what to do.

One thing I may do is try to research further.

I think there is a general point that it often seems hard to get exact information, or even any information about what to do with folk remedies.  Also, I think there has been some legislation which forbids the mention of what certain remedies have been used for traditionally.  I seem to remember hearing this again at Neal’s Yard remedies – that buying a product in a bottle – eg I vaguely remember this was about the ‘woman’s herb’ Dang gui, they may not put what it’s ‘for’.  If bought loose, then I think it was considered OK.

all very confusing – just for a change.  Do post any thoughts or information you may have which may help enlighten us!