Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Click here for more details or to order your products. Or call the office at (425) 348-5207.
Dr. Mitra Ray, one of the “Four Doctors” on the video will be in Everett December 5th speaking on How to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out. For details call the office at (425) 348-5207 or email DDilday239@aol.com.
Best to begin, I guess, with the Disclaimers since I avoided and don’t intent to take on the issue of whether it’s “good” for you or “bad” for you to do these postures. If you are an adult, use your best judgment. If you think it will help, see you doctor and get their input.
Here is a guideline we use in our office: if it hurts when you do, it hurts an hour later, and it still hurts the next day, you probably shouldn’t do it.
The trouble with that advice when it comes to sitting postures is that there is going to be some pain. Pain is the signal that there is stress on tissues. How much pain and how long you choose to endure it will be a learned skill. The distortions and structural defects in flexibility and alignment that we are always attempting to correct are a result of abnormal function: motion and alignment. It is always a matter of time and pressure. Remodeling and rehabilitation are going to also be a matter of time and pressure. It’s almost always true that lots of time (daily practice) and a little pressure are preferable.
So the sitting postures are an example of a daily practice (if possible), where you choose which postures and how long you spend in each posture by trial and error. You then build on the time spent in each posture until you are satisfied: a function of priorities, values, etc.
Cycle through each posture spending whatever is a reasonably comfortable/uncomfortable time. Your body will adapt and relax, and you will gradually be able to spend more and more time in each posture.
I do the sitting postures on couple of pillows placed on a Yoga mat. At the same time, I read, drink tea, and watch the squirrels and other wildlife in my backyard do what they do. And I do them pretty much in this order.
Crossed-Legged (Indian Style) Sitting Posture
I am not talking Lotus or even half Lotus, just cross-legged. On a pillow makes it easier; on two pillows makes it even easier, etc. Knee trouble might make this one a posture you “shouldn’t” do. If you have a health professional familiar with your knees issues, get their input. If not, use your best judgement and error on the conservative side. There is plenty of time to add it, do it longer, or sit lower down the road. Sit with your legs crossed first one way and then the other.
Japanese Sitting Posture
This might be a good time to mention that the names for these postures are made up. Lots of people sit the way the Japanese sit. Later I will refer to Thai style and Tibetan style. They are just different postures. Somewhere along the line I became aware that someone in these countries sat this way once. In the case of the Thai style it is common there, but I saw Ben Kingsley sit the same way in the movie about Ghandi, so maybe it is popular in India as well.
The point for our purposes is that each is a distinct posture and each offers different stress on the body and affects different tissues.
Japanese Style sitting involves sitting with your lower legs together and under you so that your butt is on your heels. Your knees and lower leg are on the ground. This stretches (and yes stresses) the knees and quadriceps muscles as well as the muscles along the front of the lower leg (anterior tibialus if you talk like that). It also stretches the ankles and feet. It is usually very comfortable on the lower back because the slight lumbar curve is encouraged.
A little time in this posture can sometimes go a long way. A common occurrence is cramping and “Charlie horse” action. So you will just have to move out of it and come back to it later.
Once a Great Place for Coffee
Tibetan Sitting Posture
Remember, it’s just a name. I read in a book yesterday that this is called the 90/90 squat by some folks: they had to call it something.
For this one I move the blanket and pillow out of the way so it is just me and the Yoga mat. You are sitting on your butt with one knee out in front of you and the other off to the side. The knees are bent so the foot of the front leg is up against the knee of the back leg and the foot of the back leg is tucked back behind you.
(I know, we need pics, and we will get them eventually☺)
This is a great sitting posture for stretching the famous Ilio-tibial Band (IT Band). That runs along the outside of the upper leg. That and the hip muscles that rotate your leg outward (toe out to the side) are stretched very nicely – even more so if you gently lean toward that front knee. You are flexing and drastically stretching your lower lumbar spine when you do this forward lean, BE CAREFUL. If there is any doubt in your mind that it is ok to do it, don’t. Incidently, this posture also stretches the muscles that rotate your leg (at the hip) inward (on the other leg). Few movement and postures do that and many of us need that stretch: another good reason for doing this posture.
Do both sides. In other words, after a few minutes with both legs curled toward the left, switch them around so they go to the right.
If the Tibetan Sitting Posture is tough for you, then you will not be ready for the Thai Sitting Posture at all. Wait until you can do the Tibetan for five or ten minutes at a time before starting to break into the Thai Style.
Thai Sitting Posture
This one may require a picture to be clear but I am going to describe it for now… because I don’t have a picture.
Starting from the Tibetan Sitting Posture you simply take the foot that is by the knee and move it behind you so that the lower leg of the front knee comes under the other lower leg; the top of the foot connected to the front knee is then placed on top of the other ankle.
Once you’ve gotten into this position you may think you have done well. And you have. Now do that while sitting up straight with no assistance from either of your hands! It may be no big deal for you, but it make take a very long time before that becomes comfortable.
Unique to this posture is the strength in the lower spine required to hold yourself upright: it takes a lot of strength. So sitting this way is one way of getting all the stretch to the hips and lateral thigh while developing strength in the lower back.
Again, sit with the legs off to one side for a while, then off to the other side for a while.
In this as well as the Tibetan Sitting Posture, it’s the knees you have to watch out for. They may not take this stress. If it hurts your knees don’t do it. Or do it in tiny doses until things relax and get used to it. Be careful.
Mt. Baker from the Mukiteo Ferry Landing
The Full Squat
This isn’t really a sitting posture, but many cultures sit in this posture. They meet, eat, work and carry on many of Activities of Daily Living while squatting all the way down. (And research has shown that they tend to have less arthritic changes in their lower spine than we do. Cause? Effect? Correlation?)
When I first attempted it, I had to hold on to something, and managed about 11 seconds before I had to get up and out of the position. To this day although getting there and staying there for reasonable periods of time is comfortable, getting up results in some pretty significant dizziness – so I don’t do it much.
But, it’s a fabulous way to stretch the ankles, hips, and lower back. Be careful, it flexes and pulls on the lower back and isn’t for everyone.
Sunset over Lookout Mt., Methow Valley
From the Skipley Farm - a local CSA
Wednesday, October 28th at 6:30 p.m. in our office, The Whole Truth Revisited, a DVD featuring Dr. Richard DeBois, one of the world’s leading authorities on infectious diseases, will highlight a presentation focusing on boosting your immune system.
We’ll also talk about the latest research showing how you can decrease your risk of getting sick while all around are sniffling and sneezing.
Diet AND exercise, two ways to stimulate your resistance to disease and build health, if you know how. Join us to learn more.
For questions or to RSVP, email DDilday239@aol.com
You can learn about our favorite nutritional products or place your orders by going here.
If you would like information on how to get FREE Garden and Orchard Blend for children between ages 4 and 18 years of age – for up to three years!!! – contact our office at (425) 348-5207.
There are also opportunities to get FREE Vineyard Blend or Complete. Call for additional information.
“I propose to do nothing less than redefine what we think of as good nutrition. You need to know the truth about food, and why eating the right way can save your life.” – The China Study
Needless to say, in the end, we are all going to get sick sometime. Here is the GoodGuide’s 5 Part strategy for avoiding it and dealing with it. In particular they have info warning you about the popular hand sanitizers that are making someone rich. They have plenty of other great info as well.
I say “Chinese” Wall Squat to differentiate this from a squat where your back is to the wall. I say Modified because it is. Here is a clip demonstrating a pretty good example and good cueing instructions.
Why is this important? Because it is the basic body mechanic for all bent over lifting of any kind. Because it’s so rare to see this done correctly. And because this fault in body mechanics is responsible for an almost infinite number of lower back injuries. Because that means time lost from work, productivity loss, and health care costs. Here is a link to an excellent article showing how to squat down and why it’s critical to do it correctly. If you don’t read it, at least look at the picture: it’s the most important impression and alignment issue in protecting your lower back from injury.
(Actually, if you are only lifting a pencil or a hat, and your lower back is healthy, there is another bend and lift technique that is healthy. It simulates the Good Morning stretch/exercise. What that means is that your hips go backward, your knees stay bent just a little (but otherwise your legs are straight), and you bend forward focusing on keeping a slight curve in the lower back – the curve is critical, the butt back is critical, and the slightly bent knees are critical! If you can not do this manuever and keep a curve in your lower back, then stretch your hamstrings, they are too tight.)
This guy (below) is having quite a bit more trouble and I think if we could see him from behind we would be able see where his flexibility is most limited. But even in this view you can see that his butt tucks in earlier and to a greater extent than it should. (If he is like the vast majority of people we see, he can’t get his knees to go out sideways far enough.)
There is a lot going on in a wall squat and many common actions are enhanced by developing the ability to do wall squats. Basically, anytime you lift anything that requires the knees, hips and/or back, so that includes getting yourself up out of a chair or out of the car as well as any time you lift anything off the ground – even a pencil.
Try it.
And, as usual, the Chinese thought of it first (see my Recommended Reading List) so here is a short commentary on it’s history and use by a representative of the Chinese Qi Gong crowd. [Be careful taking everything this lady says as Gospel, if you pay close attention you will see contradictions in how this exercise is performed and a very serious and careful consideration of the bending of the lower back is in order. In fact the more I read it the more confused I got - not too unusual in the tai chi and qi gong community unfortunately. Until you know precisely what you are doing and why, I would recommend you stick with the form as done by the guy in the first video.]
HarborView Park, Everett, WA
This is view from where I ate lunch yesterday. I don’t know what the weather people called it but I call it a perfect day. A short walk down the hill from the house, this is usually a walking destination, but today I drove past the house to eat hear and enjoy the view.
Here is a couple more. The island on the left is Whidbey, then there is the passage to Deception Pass, and Mount Baker is hidden in the clouds.
And while I am at it here are a couple pics from our Labor Day trip. It was supposed to be a backpack into a lake, fish slaughtering and all around great adventure. Instead due to weather, we car camped, sat around a large fire and stopped at these close-in spots for photos. My guest, from Ireland, enjoyed it just fine though, and a little rain doesn’t bother an Irish guy much.
Colonial Creek Campground, Highway 20, WA
Align Yourself with Nature and Enjoy the Flow!
Last week I got told off by a patient for not telling her about our favorite nutritional products.
In an effort to avoid more of that kind of thing happening again, and to let you know about an opportunity coming up this Friday, here you go:
“Take Control of Your Health” with Humbart Santillo, N.D., the developer of the Juice Plus+ formula, a health education seminar, Free to the Public.
Where: Bellevue Hilton, 300 112th Avenue SE
When: Friday, September 18th at 7:30 p.m. (the doors open at 7 p.m.)
Why: This presentation will be about making prevention you number one health care strategy. (This is timely since, for example, in the case of the Swine Flu “epidemic” our authorities best offer is: (1) let us give you a shot (trust us we’re the Gubment), (2) wash your hands, and (3) create a 3 foot “buffer zone” around you in public – no more shaking hands or kissing cheeks. No mention of increasing your “health” and no apparent notice by the media that there is no mention of increasing your health.
Here are some details on “Smokey’s” biography:
Dr. Santillo earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Edinboro State Teachers College where he attended on a football & track scholarship. He also earned a degree as a Doctor of Naturopathy & Master Herbalist.
He is highly sought after by sports and talk shows, and is read by millions in the print media across America. Dr. Santillo is the author of several best selling books, including Natural Healing with Herbs, food Enzymes – The Missing LInk to Radiant Health, Intuitive Eating, and his most recent, ProMetabolics – Your Personal Guide to Transformational Health and Healing. (I have read two of these books: the enzymes book is good; the ProMetabolics book is great!)
Dr. Santillo continues to be an example of his own teaching by competing actively in track and field events.
I will be adding excerpts and quotes from ProMetabolics here as and when I get the time, so check back now and then.
From, “The Purpose of This Book”
Page 15: ‘Every problem carries the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.’
“… Disease is no different. We attract it and bring it to ourselves in most situations. Consciously or unconsciously, we create it.”
16: “The monitoring system in this book identifies metabolic changes you are going through so you may determine at any given point in time what you need nutritionally.”
17: “By monitoring the changes in your digestive system and the pH of your saliva, urine, blood, and other tissues, you can turn any of these disease processes around.”
18: Twenty-five years of clinical experience using every diet imaginable, training athletes of all ages, and working with over 20,000 clients made me realize that we all need a system, a simple and inexpensive system that we can use at home to monitor our bodies and the changes we experience.”
In college we were told that crossing the legs was a bad thing – and I discovered that I was always crossing my right over my left. I vowed to break the habit. That didn’t work so I decided to cross my left over my right every time I caught myself with legs crossed. It was painful, very stiff, and I couldn’t hold it for more than a few seconds without numbness. (I am going to sidestep the whole issue of whether or not crossing your legs is a bad thing for right now. See your physician if you need advise on that.)
Years later I had to quit an Aikido class because the rules were that when you were not on your feet doing Aikido stuff you were required to be either sitting Japanese style, or cross-legged. I could not sit in either position for more than a minute or two without so much pain that I had to move.
Years after that it all came together for me when the Lanna Thai restaurant opened its doors and my wife and I, and the neighbors went out for dinner. On the way in to be seated I noticed a lady sitting on a small cushion on top of a low hardwood table. She was playing a stringed instrument. Over an hour later I when I went up to pay, she was still sitting there. She hadn’t moved the entire time. Her legs were both off to one side and bent under her, but she sat up straight and looked comfortable. I asked at the cash register, “Is that how they sit in Thailand?” The lady said, “Yes.” I asked, “Do they ever sit with the legs the other way.” She said they did…as a matter of comfort (no kidding!).
I went home that night and tried to get into what I now call the Thai sitting posture. Both legs bent under and off to one side, the foot of the lower leg up on the leg on top. I couldn’t even come close. While looking at the lady in the restaurant I thought the position was all about the flexibility; now I realized it was the strength in the lower back that it takes to hold the body up that was the limiting factor – for me anyway.
It took seven months of regular practice before I was able to assume that position and stay in it for any length of time. And the recommendation for sitting postures was born. By the time I had gotten to where I could sit in that posture, I realized the great value, and simplicity, and economy, of doing sitting postures for many of the people who see us for care.
In another installment I will describe another aspect of the process that lead up to my recommending sitting postures. For now, the short story is that “I don’t have time” stopped almost everyone from doing the custom programs I designed twenty years ago for inside-the-gym workouts on weight machines. That or “I don’t have room” often prevents people from doing the series of home exercises that I came to call the “Basic Spine Exercises” which used to include one in which you are in the “spread eagle” position on the floor. And finally, “I can’t afford it” can keep some people from getting a gym ball and doing those exercises. These reasons are all valid. My job is to offer enough options so that anyone who wants to get results finds an option that will work for them.
So the qualifier for even talking about doing Sitting Postures became: “Is there any time during your average day when you are sitting and, if you wanted to, you could sit on the floor?” If the answer is yes, then talking about the sitting postures makes sense. (A primary lesson of past experience is that trying to fit something else new into a person’s schedule might – and often does – doom the whole project.)
Sitting Postures don’t take any extra time. They don’t cost any money. While you are sitting you can do any number of other things at the same time. They require no equipment, no travel, no membership fee or change of clothes. And there is no elaborate learning curve. But why do them in the first place? Well, besides those eight reasons, there are these:
1. They stretch muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. A very large contributing factor in the back and neck pain episodes we see every day in our office comes from the lack of flexibility in these very same places.
2. This stretching causes huge increases in nerve system stimulation of impulses into the brain, and this results in a relaxation response. When you get up from doing sitting postures you feel loose, limber, warmed up and relaxed.
3. Sitting postures force you to become more aware of posture. Awareness is a healthy thing.
4. There is a strengthening of some postural muscles in some sitting postures – I mentioned the Thai sitting posture already. A stronger spine is a healthy thing. The strength I’m referring to here is muscular endurance strength, which is critical to postural muscle function.
5. There is also a breathing benefit that comes from having the torso contorted so that breathing is constricted (during a sitting posture). If you can become aware of this, you will notice how your breathing opens up and fills more of your lung area when you return to a normal (unconstructed) posture.
As I describe each of the postures in Part Two and how they affect the body you will begin to understand better why in cultures where people relate to the floor, the elderly maintain more of their lower body strength longer. You will also understand why some of these cultures experience less lower spine arthritic changes (when compared to the U.S. population). All I know is that now I can sit cross-legged on the floor for up to 45 minutes without difficultly. I consider that a healthy thing.
Starting on the Path
Dr. Mitra Ray will be appearing in Everett on Monday, July 20th.
You will want to see her presentation, How to Look & Feel Beautiful Inside and Out where you will learn:
Why eating more plants is essential for optimal health and fitness
How to protect yourself and your family from degenerative diseases, and…
How the the skin is a reflection of the total “State of the Body.”
Join us at 7:30 at the ARAMARK conference room located at 7200 Hardeson Road between Sievers Deucy and Merrill Creel Parkway.
Dr. Ray is the author of two books, From Here to Longevity, and Do You Have the Guts to Be Beautiful.
Please RSVP via email to DDilday239@aol.com
Also here are details on another opportunity coming up on Thursday, July 23rd in Bellevue. This presentation features Dr. Pamela Benetiz, M.D., a Board Certified Surgeon who specializes in the treatment of breast cancer and breast disease.
The Science of Good Health
• What are free radicals and oxidative stress?
• Understand the role of antioxidants in health, disease, and cancer.
• Learn about inflammation and its role in disease.
• Gain knowledge about nutrition and its importance for your body.
• Learn about the multiple dimensions of VITALITY.
THURSDAY, JULY 23 at 7:30 PM
(doors open at 7 PM)
Hilton Bellevue Hotel
300 112th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA
For more information, please contact:
Dennis Dilday, D.C. – (425) 328-4850 or DDilday239@aol.com
Uncle Bill, Betty & Jill
GoodGuide has an interesting piece on sunscreens. “Health Issues to Consider for Sunscreens.”
And there is a list of recommended products, which is lead off by Burt’s Bees! (GoodGuide, in case you haven’t heard of them, is a great site that rates products for both their safety and effectiveness as well as their environmental impacts. It doesn’t have everything yet, but it is a great way to check on a product that you are considering using. Some say that up to 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body. Think about that!)
Last weekend I attended a Wagoner family reunion at Lake Chelan. A great opportunity for sun screen! It was a blast and I was glad I was able to throw the frizbee and swim in the lake with all the kids. (The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are that all of your body parts work, they work very well and they work all the time (the definition of health) and you can basically do whatever you want to do.
Here are some other photos from the reunion… (Also, as always, not everyone gets to make it to the family reunion so here is a nephew doing his second TV commercial appearance in Austin, TX who was unable to attend.)
Julie Wehmeyer (Wagoner)
Holly & Todd
Sister Patty, nieces Jenny & Shanoaha, and Daniel
Rich Wagoner (Spokane)
Kenny & Shawna (Omak)
Elmers Court
Helen attended Elmers Court School from age five to eleven. In September they are having their first ever reunion. This post is to help folks connect and find their way back.
It should be a peak experience and I know that Helen is looking forward to seeing all those who shared the Elmers Court childhood experience.
The Reunion day for Bronze plaque and tea is Sunday, September 13th, 2009.
Helen’s email address is: ASINAC@aol.com and she would be happy to help you get connected. Send her a note.
And… I just read the comments by Norman Drake, the organizer of the reunion. I am posting them here so you don’t have to go looking around for the details.
Back to Elmers Court Day
Sunday 13th September 2009
Hello and Greetings
With only weeks to go before this, possibly once in a lifetime event is held, I am asking if you will be coming?
We have had a very good response with so far over 40 ‘Old Elmerians’ committed to coming along. Together with their guests that’s nearly 80 and that’s only today’s number. Therefore with folk representing every year, from some of the first boys in 1948 right through to 1981, therefore I’m sure there will be people with whom you will have something in common attending.
As I have set out in the various notes I have posted on the Friends Reunited site there is no cost in attending this get together, for MacDonald Hotels and Resorts are allowing us the use of the lovely Ballroom and also providing a light afternoon tea, all with their compliments. We shall also be unveiling a bronze plaque during the afternoon to leave a tangible reminder of our tenure of the building all those years ago.
If you have put your name on the Elmers Court page of Friends Reunited then that probably indicates that your stay at Lymington meant something to you. Therefore I do invite you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity to catch up in person and enjoy our combined items of memorabilia as well as sharing memories of our good times there.
So why not come along on Sunday the 13th of September and join with us in Celebrating the time spent there in our childhood days? It is shaping up to be a wonderful occasion and it will be made all the more special, if you and perhaps a guest wish to come along.
There is so much more I could write but the decision is yours. If you wish to contact me, you can do so on Friends Reunited or via email drake@aapt.net.au
Together with all the others who will be there, I really do hope you will join with us on what will be very special day in September.
If however, you feel the day will not be for you, as I know that some people didn’t enjoy quite as much happiness during their stay there as others, then of course I quite understand.
However I really look forward to hearing from you if you do plan to come and then meeting you, along with so many others in September. Hope to see you there.
Kind Regards
Norman Drake 2/07/2009
One of Nature's Multivitamins!
Sometimes we talk about Exercise and Fitness, sometimes we talk about ways to cultivate a healthy mental outlook, and sometimes we talk about Diet and Nutrition.
Below is an announcement for this week’s Wellness Workshop. Sorry for the short notice, life has been full. If you can make it I know you will get something of value that you can use in your pursuit of a Healthier Lifestyle.
Ever wondered if your multi-vitamins are doing you any good?
Do you know the answers to these questions?
• Are some multivitamins better than others?
• What’s the big deal with Whole Food based nutrition, anyway?
• And why are some foods referred to as Super Foods?
• Are there really some vegetables that are that much better than others?
Find out these answers and LOADS of useful information about different multi-vitamins, individual vitamins, and an introduction to nutrition based on the Whole Food principle.
Join us this Thursday, June 18th, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Everett Chiropractic Center to watch and discuss,
“The Next Best Thing to Fruits and Vegetables,”
with Dr. Pamela Benitez, M.D.
Our discussion will center around recent scientific research on the use of multi-vitamins and the use of individual vitamin supplements. Do you know which vitamin supplements may be more harmful than helpful? Which vitamins are you getting too much of and which are you not getting enough?
Do you have children or work with children? We will also talk about the exciting new changes to the Children’s Health Study which offers the opportunity to get our favorite nutritional products free for children ages 4-18 years of age, for up to three years!
Are you physically active? Learn how exercise causes Oxidative Stress and what the German Olympic team and weekend warriors all over the world are doing about it.
We will have samples of many of our favorite nutritional products (which we offer) and we’ll talk about others that you can get at SuperSupplements or Fred Meyer.
Join us for a chance to find out if you are really helping yourself, and your family, with multi-vitamins and the options you have to take control of your health.
Dr. Dennis Dilday has been a student of diet and nutrition for 35 years, a practicing chiropractic for almost 25 years, teaches tai chi, and is a living example of what eating the right foods the right way can do for your health and well-being.
Parking Lot at the Spokane Howard Johnson's
Last night on the news there was a guy talking about all the tricky ways to get a work out in while traveling. He was running in place, leaning on the bed, stretching a few things, and talking about checking into all the trails, paths, and facilities available in the area where you travel.
Nice, I thought. So I decided to show the fitness facility I worked out in recently while staying in Spokane: the parking lot of the hotel. That’s what it takes to do Tai Chi. It takes even less – because you don’t need to walk around – to do Chi Kung.
It was 8 a.m. in the morning. I was able to do my usual Hand Forms, Sabre Forms, and Spear Forms – which take about an hour total, without any interruption, distraction or interference.
I did get a little high tech in the room though. I brought the exercise mat that I use to work my abs. Together with a few sets of push ups, there was very little in my usual routine that didn’t get done.
BTW, I was there for a graduation. Here is a photo of the happy graduate, Shanoaha Kay Smith with her mother, my sister, Valerie.
Whitworth College, May, 2009
While we are at it, I was in West Seattle last week for another niece’s graduation, this time from 8th grade. Here is Samantha Morrell, along with her mother, another sister, Natalie Morrell.
And since I am way behind on blog posts and trying to get caught up… here is the Thursday night Tai Chi class at the Everett Community College on our final night of class. That will be the final class in that building which is slated for demolition in the next month. The Tai Chi Class has been going for over twenty years and we look forward to a new Fall quarter teaching nearby in what used to be the Rite-Aid building while a new Gym is being built.
Tai Chi Class, Spring, 2009, Everett Community College
And lastly, I had to put this one in… they will likely be in a tai chi class someday, and graduating too!
Hayden and KaLynn, March, 2009
