Category: Meditation

Foot Whisperer

September 10, 2024 / manabunnow4zph / 0 Comments

Angela gave me permission to post her story and pictures below on recent therapies she has found have offered relief from the symptoms of Parkinsons she currently experiences offered by foot whisperer Randy Eady.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease

I met the author, Randy Eady, in Delray Beach, Florida, where he is known as the “Foot Whisperer” for his promotion of whole body health through treatment of the feet. I was intrigued as he had apparently had the same insight as Janice Walton-Hadlock in that PD is related to a blockage of Chi energy in the foot. I saw Randy for several sessions over the period of a month. He calls his work Ancient Walking to Primal Rhythms, a form of “movement meditation.” Each session began with a soak of my feet in a mini hot tub, followed by a foot massage concentrating on acupressure points particularly K1 (kidney 1). He had me try a number of different modalities:

Walking on a pebble mat (also called a Chi mat). At first this hurt a lot like walking on stones but I have become used to it. Randy gave me a pebble mat to take home with me and I use it faithfully every day.

Wearing shoes with individual toe sleeves. Randy got me a pair of Fila “skelatoes” shoes that are the next best thing to going barefoot. Shoes of this type are all the rage right now in the world of running. I find them exceptionally comfortable and superior to any walking shoe that I have ever owned.

Non-focused eye movement. He gave me a number of exercises to do that help train the sides of the brain to do tasks that formerly the other side had done (at least this is my interpretation of the exercises). -Tai chi. Randy instructed me in the first half dozen movements of tai chi, both sitting and standing. I am afraid I am a slow learner (could never learn to dance either) but feel that tai chi is one of the keys to solving the PD problem which I am coming more and more to believe is an electrical problem that can be corrected.

Counterrotating arms. At least this is something I can do quite easily: rotate one arm clockwise and the other arm counterclockwise. Again, I feel that this is about training the brain and creating new neural pathways.

– Vibroacoustic lounge and vest. Randy obtained both of these on loan and I was able to try both. I had previously used a vibroacoustic lounge at Robert Rodgers “Jump Start to Wellness” workshop in December 2009. In my opinion, the vibroacoustic vest was just as effective. The deep vibrations produced by the vest or lounge seem to entrain the tremors of PD, offering considerable relief. The sessions I had were highly relaxing; indeed, I fell asleep.
It is interesting how a tuning fork held against acupressure points, particularly the one on the top of the head, feels so very good.

Walking in nature. Randy introduced me to Delray Oaks, an incredible nature preserve that was less than half a mile from our condo. Walking through that park was one of the most joyous experiences I have ever had and I was literally overflowing with gratitude.

And so much more. Foot whisperer Randy Eady is a true Renaissance man for the 21st-century who has something significant to offer to people with movement disorders such as PD.

Blessings from the blessed,

Angela

Meditation and the Brain

November 6, 2012 / manabunnow4zph / 0 Comments

Dear Robert: The reason for my letter this morning is the topic of meditation and the brain. From Sarah McLean’s book Soul-Centered, I learned that it changes the brain. She cites a journal named Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, Jan. 2011. After just 8 weeks of meditation, 27 minutes a day, they could see beneficial changes in the brains of a group of meditators, and the changes remained after the meditation period.

Among those changes was a ‘taming’ of the amygdala, which would mean less anxiety. (And I think those changes are possible even if we have our usual daily upsets, which we could deal with mindfully.) The people who partook of the experiment were most likely healthy. I guess the best way to find out if it’s helpful for us with PD, is to start a practice. I find it hard to get started, though. It’s somehow easier to do something, like exercise, than to sit down and do nothing. I need reassurance.

Stresses are not just about the daily ups and downs. I find that during a perfectly easy day, I can be made to tremor by just somebody looking at me in a certain way. Deeply embedded memories of a teacher looking for the right answer or your mother asking you where you’ve been could be the culprits. Nothing I can prepare for – it just happens out of the blue.

I also wanted to point to a seemingly good program, The Healing Journey. The person, who developed it, is a Canadian, Alastair Cunningham, OC, PhD, C Psych. Unfortunately for us, it is written for people with cancer. It is offered in many cancer support groups throughout Canada. It has withstood the test of time – 20 years or so. In the introduction, the author maintains that the program could be used by anyone with aÂ chronic illness. Part of the reason we get sick is a high allostatic load (stress) and a way to soften the impact of that is, among other things, to meditate. You can download the program without cost. If you as much as look at part one, I think you’d be excited. It might even help you not to have too many days of doubt you mentioned yesterday. Mind-Body ‘medicine’ works.

I emailed dr. Cunningham some time ago, and his secretary was kind enough to reply. In a nutshell, she thinks the program would be beneficial for us with PD, but that it would need to be rewritten for our needs, and that would involve money. I might bring it up with our local support group. Meanwhile, I’d better get started meditating!

I enjoyed your show yesterday, as usual. I was a little unnerved by the Mirapex and heart problems, as I haven’t heard about that before. Also, the Tetanus shot – what to do about it?

Best of luck with your new book Language of Recovery. I will most definitely order a copy.

Thanks for all you do,

Canadian Fan

What a fantastic overview that provides a sweet overview of meditation and the brain. You offer rich resources for people to access for free. Yea!

I worked with author Nancy Welch to create an amazing book which explains how people can find a meditation practice that works for them. Through my collaboration with her and interviews with all the experts on meditation, I learned a great deal about its beneficial impact. Nancy wrote a book titled Medicine and Meditation which has a focus on meditation for persons with chronic illnesses.

As for what to do about lingering effects of tetanus inoculations … keep in mind this may not be an issue for you, though several independent resources have found it to be problematic for a surprisingly large proportion of persons – perhaps as high as 25% to 30%. There are two options as I see it. The first requires that you work diligently to strengthen your immune system so that your body can address the issue naturally. The second is to use sound or light frequencies to invite the little critters to depart your body.

Of course there are many other approaches which can be also effective. Know that there are alternatives out there that are helping people reverse the neurological symptoms that they currently experience that have been caused by a wide spectrum of factors. The connection between meditation and the brain helps sort what therapies can be useful to any recovery program.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Relaxation of Muscles with Qigong and Meditation

May 3, 2011 / manabunnow4zph / 2 Comments

Is it true that people with parkinsons experienced a harder stomach than others…what I mean is, my Mom seems to have a very hard stomach as a result of toxins/wind inside. And it seems to be the case that with the recovery process her stomach is a bit softer (e.g. she’s been doing QiGong and meditation). Is this what you heard from people who are recovering?

Which other aspect of the body have you heard of improving during the recovery process? I’m presuming tremors takes the longest to heal?

Gino

Response:

Many people who currently experience the symptoms of Parkinsons have very rigid and tight muscles. Energy workers have told me that the bodies of some persons feel like concrete to them when they first start working with a client. After several treatments the muscles soften and the person becomes much more flexible.

Qigong and Meditation

Your Mom is accomplishing the same transformation doing Qi Gong and Meditation. Congratulations to her. May she now celebrate her remarkable accomplishment. She is now officially on the road to recovery.

You also ask what aspects of the body improve during the recovery process. For most people the journey to recovery is rocky. Once certain therapies are started a healing response will be experienced. Some people feel better instantly. This is rare. Most people can and often do feel worse before they begin feeling much better. It takes a little time for the body to make the adjustments that are needed to return to full balance and hormonal harmony.

In response to your last question, I have been told by a number of people that tremors are the last symptoms to resolve.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

My Old Energy Has Returned

August 26, 2010 / manabunnow4zph / 1 Comment

I was diagnosed early stage PD last January and have been on Sinemet ever since. I wasn”t seeing any definitive response to the med which my doctor saw as troubling, suspecting that might mean I had Parkinson’s plus… a grimmer diagnosis that simple Parkinsons. We worked up to 7 pills per day, which is a lot to start off with. The good news is that my old energy has returned.

I felt better but honestly I myself wasn”t 100% sure it was because of the meds, because by that time (now i was 6 months post dx) I had gone beyond the shock and initial depression I had experienced upon initial diagnosis and was heavily into alternative treatments… (acupuncture, Chinese herbs, massage, exercise, twice weekly yoga, rest, meditation, Reiki, etc). reading your book was extremely helpful and inspiring. Facing my own deeper negative thought patterns was critical… particularly the belief that i wasn”t really ever going to recover.

My old energy has returned. Although I am not symptom free I do feel better as I learn how to take charge of my health more and more every day. Slowly I have come to believe in my capacity to recover. What a journey!

2 months ago I started gradually reducing my daily Sinemet from the peak of 7 pills to now 3, ramping it down half a pill per week. I plan on continuing this as long as I feel well, intending to get off it altogether several more weeks from now. Obviously I am pleased with this development, and recognize there will likely be more hurdles to overcome as I go forward. the point is I am ready for the challenge.

Dan

Thanks to Dan for giving me permission to post his update here.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Five Steps to Recovery

July 11, 2009 / manabunnow4zph / 1 Comment

Your Five Steps to Recovery book is terrific.

“Recovery will happen for me” is my new mantra.

My body is responding. Also, your suggestion for remembering the feeling from past times I made non wishy washy decisions and the outcome was never seriously in doubt. At first I couldn’t recall such decisions. Then it came later that I had indeed made 4 of them, all life and death decisions based on how I thought and moved in a very short time span.

In my experience as a helicopter pilot I had 4 engine failures over a 30 yr period. One from 500 feet with a student, one from 15 feet over a helipad one at night, over a city from 500 feet, and the last over the ocean from 200 feet with 6 on board. Each one the feeling deep down was that I knew the end result would be successful.

That same feeling is the same feeling I have about recovery. I also have been using the TV screen meditation with interesting, positive results.

I also have to give credit for 5 sessions of EFT with Bernadette Hunter. Y

. It’s all coming together slowly for me. Soon my Aquas will be arriving…

Monica

Response:

This is certainly an exciting report for everyone to hear. I am so happy to learn you found Five Steps to Recovery useful. Thank you for sending it me and giving permission for others to read it. There are clearly exciting developments happening in your life. When you are on the road to recovery, it becomes so clear great things are beginning to happen.

Energy is running. A new and powerful life force begins to re-emerge. Of course, the process is seldom smooth sailing, but at least you know something important is happening.

We all have a tendency to focus on symptoms that are troubling and do not celebrate improvement in symptoms that have resolved or become much better.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Testimonial for Centering Prayer, Meditation and Massage

May 29, 2008 / manabunnow4zph / 1 Comment

“While I’m new to the PD world (diagnosed 12/07),
I’ve been “experimenting” with meditative and
action techniques to help me cope…
Brief background: I hold a pair of Masters
degrees, was, until recently, Head Librarian
at Ohio University-Chillicothe (Ohio) campus,
and have an extensive background in
Zen meditation/Martial Arts–I hold Dan
rank in Karate-do, have been a member of
US teams in international MA competitions,
etc.

“My feelings/findings, so far:”

1. “Karate or any other “hard” art is “out”–
I get dizzy, confused, even while performing
a kata!”

2. “Zazen (meditation) is effective, as long as my discomfort
level with PD and its effects doesn’t prevent
me from “going deep”.”

3. “My wife and I have joined a local Lutheran
“Centering Prayer” group; the combination of
Zazen and Do-Zen, sitting in meditative prayer,
then moving silently, is effective in helping me
to “forget” the PD and its effects and to
relax… While moving in the Sanctuary of the
church, I have had good results from
“gathering Chi” and “spinning Chi” with my
hands while walking.”

4. “I have started getting massages, which
help to relax my body IMMENSELY. The
massager is tuned in to MA theories and
practices, by the way, which helps…
He has commented that my high tolerance
for pain helps him perform the massages,
since I don’t flinch (MANY years of MA
“torture” to account for that!).”

“Oh, I’m 60 years of age…”

Stan

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery