And it was really interesting to hear the comments. Some people had a ready response and you could hear the joy in their voice as they answered the question. Others were almost stunned, as if they had no idea what fun was or how to have it. Why do you think Pete asked that question?

From my perspective, it’s really important to find things in life that bring you joy, that help transport you into that place where time and “stress” doesn’t exist. Think back to the last thing you did that you would consider “playful”. Maybe it was playing with your kids or grandkids, maybe it was playing golf or tennis or basketball, or maybe going for a hike or a run around a beautiful lake or on a scenic trail. Maybe it was going into the backyard and playing with your dog. How did you feel? If you have some kind of pain issue you are working on, how did your pain feel when you were playing? I’ll bet you barely noticed it, or that at least it was diminished. How quickly did time pass by? Did it drag on, or fly? I’ll bet it flew for you.

Research shows that when we are playful, it doesn’t just help our mental health, it helps our physical health. Play triggers a series of biochemical responses that nourishes our adrenals, strengthens our immune system, lowers cortisol levels in the body, reduces inflammatory markers, and generates a host of other changes.

Now, a question. When you play, do you really play or do you use play as another opportunity to “grind”? I used to play golf regularly, but I realized I was never actually “playing” golf, I was “doing” golf, just grinding away, experiencing some satisfaction with good shots, and experiencing a lot of frustration on not so good shots. It never felt like play to me, so I laid it down and picked back up the game I really love, tennis. Most of the time, tennis DOES feel like play to me. But I need to be careful, especially when playing matches. The weight of expectation can lay heavy on my shoulders and sometimes I find myself getting tense and frustrated. “How could you hit THAT shot in that situation, are you an idiot?” Great self talk, huh? Sure sounds like playfulness, doesn’t it? Not!

So I found the advice in the email newsletter I got this morning to be right on point and I wanted to share it with you. I’m going to try out the techniques listed below and I encourage you to try them as well. Let’s put the fun back into our play. Now, what are YOU going to do to have fun today? Go play!

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Welcome to Health Sparks
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When was the last time you played playfully?

“Played what?” you might ask. “Tennis, cards, the guitar, a good crossword puzzle?”

Could be. It’s also possible to embody the spirit of playfulness while doing your job.

But when you’re playing with a grim determination to excel, you’re not being playful.

Playful: “liking play; prone to play, like a child or kitten; experimental; frolicsome,” says the dictionary. “Lighthearted, in the now, letting go of judgment, gently poking fun at oneself,” adds the spiritual master.

Experts agree that playfulness makes life better:

It is a sign of health among animals. Scientists say the healthier and safer the herd feels, the more they play.

Playfulness is one of the signs of a marriage that is likely to last, according to relationship researcher Dr. John Gottman. It can ease tension during times of stress.

“Playfulness motivates people to learn mathematics and makes them more likely to own what they learn,” says the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics.

People who practice “laughter yoga” reduce their blood pressure as well as the stress they feel.

Finally, playfulness made the short list of the 24 most important human strengths identified by researchers in the Positive Psychology movement.
Are you ready to play?

Try these exercises from our Euphoria! personal learning course to move you into the safe, lighthearted space where playfulness thrives.

1) Take a deep breath and raise your shoulders up to your ears. As you exhale, drop your shoulders and make the sound “Ahhhhhhhh.”
Do it one more time. Feel as if you’ve let go of a large burden. You’re free. Let that feeling flow down through your body to the soles of your feet and out. Ahhhhhhhh.

2) Now gently smile, remember some experience that gave you great satisfaction, and make the sound “Hmmmm,” the sound we make when something is absolutely delicious.

Notice the breath deep in your belly. Put that smile in the corners of your eyes and the corners of your mouth, and make that happy hum again.
Feel the breath flowing in, through every part of your body, into your belly, expanding your lower abdomen. Then exhale, Hmmmmm, and feel the breath flowing out through every part of you, expanding your field of vision and your sense of possibility.

Now, ask yourself, “What’s the right way for me to add a dash of playfulness to my life right now?”

The answer is inside you.

Have fun!

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We have to do better!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/what-school-lunches-look-like-in-20-countries-arou

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I’ve told clients before, inflammation is not the problem. What is causing the inflammation is the problem. Focusing on inflammation is like focusing on the red warning light on your dashboard telling you to check your engine oil. Well, how much sense would it make to put a piece of tape over the warning light so you couldn’t see it, thus declaring victory of the problem because now you can’t see that pesky warning light? Well the answer is obvious, it wouldn’t make much sense at all. You have done nothing to address the actual problem, right? The same holds true with inflammation. Let’s say you have tennis elbow, or maybe hip pain. From our perspective, you have those pains because your body has lost postural balance so those joints are incurring unacceptable amounts of ongoing friction as you use them. And guess what happens with you present a joint with constant, excessive friction? That’s right: inflammation. So now guess what happens if you inject the joint and chemically suppress the body’s ability to inflame the joint? Well, you’ll probably feel better for a short time, but the pain will almost invariably return, and when it does, it is often worse than it was before. Why? Because the joint IS worse! The friction was still present but you couldn’t feel it, so you did all those things that caused it to hurt before but now you didn’t get the pain signal that told you to stop running or playing tennis and the joint began to structurally degrade. Now the chemical wears off and, put simply, you’re screwed.

Now a new study has come out talking about the impact of cortisone on the healing process and guess what they’re finding? Those who get cortisone injections get to a point of complete recovery MUCH more slowly than those who do not get the injections. It would appear that cortisone actually impairs the body’s ability to repair and regenerate. You can read the study here.

Folks, if you hurt, stop chasing symptoms. Give us a call and allow us to help you figure out the core reason why you hurt, then let’s map out a plan to give your body precisely what it’s asking for so that it can heal itself and you can get back to doing all those things you love to do!

Don’t settle for a life of pain and limitation. 2012 can be a great year for you. It’s time to step up and get your body right! We look forward to partnering with you to help you become pain free in 2012!

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http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_best_10_ted_talks_of_2011.php

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If you or someone you know has arthritis, give us a listen:

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/58361/heal-your-arthritis-naturally

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I’m going to be joined by David Smith, our clinic director in San Francisco, as well as a special guest from the Champion’s Tour (the senior golf tour) who is a multiple winner on the PGA tour. You won’t want to miss this show. You can listen in here!

http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2022/stop-your-pain

The show is on at 3pm CST but can be listened to via MP3 archive or as an iTunes podcast. Tune in and let me know what you think!

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http://www.bewellbuzz.com/headline/flu-shots-danger/

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Hi folks! This Wednesday, 12/7/11, I’ll be starting a new radio show on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness channel. Stop Your Pain! will air every Wednesday at 1pm Pacific/3pm Central. You can click on the link above to listen live, or to listen later via archive. It will also be available in iTunes as a podcast. Below is the information for the first episode, help us spread the word!

Episode #1 – 12/7/11: Do you have back pain? Have you tried every form of therapy you can find and you still hurt? Are you a candidate for surgery? We have good news! We don’t believe you have a “bad back” and we don’t believe you are destined to suffer. We are going to explain why you hurt, how you got into this situation, and most importantly, how to get out of it and heal your back without drugs, surgery or manipulation. If you’re tired of treating symptoms and you’re ready to find the core problem and fix it, this is the show for you! We will have a special guest for this show, John Cattermole, the clinic director of the Egoscue Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. John worked in the physical therapy field for 25 years, and worked with many patients with severe and chronic pain. When he began to introduce them to Egoscue, he saw remarkable results and decided it was time for a career shift. Tune in to find out how Egoscue can help you live a pain free life! Join us, and let us help you Stop Your Pain!

If you would like help with your pain, we invite you to call into the show: 1-866-472-5792
or email us: Austin@Egoscue.com

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I enjoyed reading the newsletter below and thought it was some good, timely advice and I wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy!

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Thankfulness. Admiration. Understanding. Gratitude. These are all aspects of a powerful human emotion we call appreciation. Feelings like appreciation, care and forgiveness come from the depth of our being—from the core of the heart. They have a highly beneficial impact on body and mind. Science shows us when we feel appreciation all systems in the body, including the brain, work in greater harmony. A sincere feeling of appreciation has the power to change how we see our lives and the world around us.

Most know the importance of appreciation, especially this time of year when we gather around the turkey with family and friends. But what about all the other days of our lives? I know. Life is too complicated. There’s just too much to do. Besides, what is there to be thankful for when we’re dealing with tough issues like job security, relationships, finances or health?

Perhaps the real reason we reserve appreciation for our late autumn ritual and don’t apply it as much as we could, would or should is we forget. Or maybe we simply don’t have a practical way to do it. So, I’ll make it easy: Recall one thing in your life you take for granted and spend 30 seconds feeling appreciation for it. NOW!

Remember, it’s just about impossible to feel appreciation AND worry or anxiety or frustration, etc. at the same time. And that’s something to appreciate!

Here are some other ways you can add more appreciation to every day.

• Every day tell someone—a friend, loved one or co worker—one thing you appreciate about them.
• Find three things to appreciate about a tough situation you’re facing. I promise: # 2 and #3 are easier than #1!
• On your way to work, appreciate the scenery. It sure beats worrying about all you have to do!
• When you pick up the phone or answer an email, find one thing to appreciate about the person on the other end. You don’t always have to say it; feeling it is what’s important.
• Once a week, take turns sharing what it is everyone appreciates about each other around the dinner table.
• Make a list of all you appreciate about yourself.

Take care,
Kim Allen

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http://egoscueportland.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/a-health-quiz/

Easiest way to take it is to print it out, then circle your answers and then check on how you did. It’s fun and informative, good luck!

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