Monday 1 February 2010

Osteopathy and Disneyland

G’day mates,
This is my first blog of hopefully a long series of holistic articles on your health.  To give you a quick background, I am an Australian-trained Osteopath who has returned back to Canada to help pioneer and promote this old therapy in a new country.  Actually, I have just returned from a week in Disney World, so this Canadian who studied in Australia, has just come back from the U.S. to write for readers around the world.  How’s that for a holistic start?
As many of you may know, Disneyland prides itself as “the happiest place on Earth”.  As an Osteopath, I am interested on a clinical level, why is that, what causes people to be so happy and how can I use that to help my patients.  My theory is based on your physiology and how your brain is like a drugstore, and the fact Disneyland is full of rides and attractions that unlock your hidden hormones for natural highs.  In medical terms, this drugstore in your brain is called the Pituitary Gland and your happy hormones are called Endorphins, just one of many hormones that make up your Endocrine System.
The important thing I realized is that you don’t have to Disneyland to release these hormones.  To make where you are the happiest place on Earth, it starts with changing your physiology.  For example, smiling causes certain muscles in your face to contract, which stimulates your brain to release endorphins, similar to how running can lead to a runner’s high.  When you are feeling tired or depressed, take a note of your posture and breathing.  Most likely you will notice your head is looking down, your shoulders hunched forward, and your breathing is more shallow.  If you change your physiology and posture, then you will change your mood and feelings.  So lift your head up, look straight, bring your shoulders back and practice breathing more deeply- feelings your breath coming more from your diaphragm than your chest.
By making simple changes like this, your body will take over and your brain will have you feeling better in no time.

Dickson Wong
Osteopathic Practitioner
www.Holistic-MediZen.com

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