Radio Interview -Tracy Latz & Marion Ross

We will be on Mirrors of the Soul on Thursday 12/18 at 5:00 Eastern, 4:00 Central, etc. on www.healthylife.net . You can listen live. Just click on the Live button on the site.

We hope you can join us!

Namaste,

Docmarion

Marion Ross - Be Positive

Is my glass half empty or half full? Have you ever spent the day with someone who has no idea how little he likes or respects himself or how stuck he is being a victim of the world and the masters of the universe who failed him? He doesn't even perceive that he has a glass at all and if asked would tell you that all its contents have evaporated. A day where you zipped up a lot because you had no choice but to be with him for one reason or another? He is just spending his time anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop and surprise he has had a bad cold which just lingers on and on which he seems to be spreading around...

If you are feeling negative and over stressed remember that you are talking to every cell in your body and as Bruce Lipton so clearly expressed in The Biology of Belief, your cells are responding to those thoughts and expressing them in terms of your health and equilibrium. Rethink your responses. Revamp your perceptions. Be conscious. They are a choice and you are not a victim. Even though you may feel super stressed and that the world is falling apart, monitor your thoughts and change your language by getting into your heart for yourself. You have the tools. (I hope he is reading this.)

When asked something as simple as, "How are you?" you may be: "So stressed out about seeing my family during the holidays" or "I'm so ashamed that I am so behind paying my bills" or "I'm really worried losing my job" or "I'm afraid to tell the kids I can't afford to ..." Remember there are always other "true feelings" as well...and you can choose which ones to focus on and express verbally.
So when a friend or co- worker asks "How are you?" make an effort to choose a new answer that is both positive and a truth, even though you are also aware of your fears. Try filling in the blanks below and focus on your positive feelings:

I'm looking forward to _______________

My kids did really well in school and _______________

I am so happy that

What gave me such relief today was _______________

Make the positive choice and keep your vibration high and you will begin to attract differently. Tomorrow is another day.

Marion Ross & Tracy Latz - Dharma For The Holidays

DAILY DHARMA FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Make time for yourself every day. Don't get so caught up in the fast pace and stress of the day that you lose the clarity to observe where you are and what you are creating in your life. The holiday period is an especially rich time for tests and challenges as we are all well aware. Family gatherings, travel, financial pressure and expectation levels can be overwhelming. An accumulation of little disappointments over time can feel like heartbreak and lead to a sense of unworthiness. The importance of mindfully healing the heart daily can't be emphasized enough. Remember that the power to create or manifest anything with great love and joy lies in a free and flowing heart center. Make a commitment to yourself to take at least 10 minutes every morning and 10 minutes every evening to use your tools,practice self care and get centered. Try to take several small 2-3 minute breaks during the day to just close your eyes and relax, breathe, or meditate. It really does make a difference.

Much love and light to all,

DocMarion

Radio Interview -Marion Ross and Tracy Latz

We will be on the Bonnie D. Graham show at 6pm est on Friday December 12, 2008.
"Up Close & Personal with Bonnie D. Graham" streams LIVE worldwide at http://www.am1240wgbb.com/home.htm [Click LISTEN LIVE NOW button at top of the page].

We hope that you can join us.
Much Love and Light to all,

Docmarion

Adult ADD or Something Else?

Adult Attentions Deficit Disorder (ADD) has been talked about and diagnosed more in the past few years. I recently had someone interview me on this topic and thought I would share some of it with you as I certainly have had more inquiries about this in my private practice in the last 2 years.

"I am interested in your comment that what might look like ADD to someone without medical training is often actually something else. How are the symptoms of ADD and low-grade depression or anxiety similar?"

One of the hallmark criteria for for ADD is inattention (inability to sustain focus). With both depression and anxiety you can have difficulty with concentration. It can be difficult on the surface to determine the subtle difference between these two different and yet related issues. With poor concentration, you will have difficulty recalling information or retrieving information that you have stored in your memory. With inattention, you will have difficulty sustaining focus long enough to store information into the memory for later retrieval.

Another hallmark criteria for ADD is fidgeting or daydreaming. With anxiety, you can become wrapped up in worrisome internal (sometimes obsessive) thoughts that can be distracting, create more anxiety, and can cause hand-wringing, leg jiggling, hair-twirling, etc that are anxiety induced but can look from the outside like 'fidgeting' to the untrained observer.

A person with ADD will often report that thoughts rapidly shift in their head from one topic to another since they are easily distractible; for instance, they might be thinking about doing laundry when the cat meows and they follow the cat to the kitchen and then realize that they didn't do the dishes so they start to pile them up into the sink but hear a car outside that reminds them they have not gotten the mail.... and so on. A person with anxiety can also report rapid thoughts that are anxiety ridden (ie, worrying about finances when they hear a siren outside and then they immediately panic that someone they love might be hurt or injured, etc). Also a person with Bipolar Disorder (formerly known as Manic-Depression) who is in a manic state will have rapid thoughts that race through their head with increasing rapidity until eventually they can become psychotic with thoughts that are incomplete and make no sense whatsoever if they are untreated (or heaven forbid diagnosed as ADD and put on an amphetamine agent which would make their thoughts go even more rapidly!).

"Some ADD websites claim that undiagnosed ADD itself actually leads to depression and/or anxiety. True?"

Yes, untreated ADD can lead to depression or anxiety due to feeling constantly judged as "less than" or "lacking" by others (or by self) due to taking more time than everyone else to complete tasks, poor organizational skills, and high distractibility (being seen as flighty or an "airhead"). It can lead to anxiety about anticipating yet another comment about how inept, late, unorganized, scattered the person is perceived by others. It can lead to low self-esteem and ultimately eventually to depression that life does not seem as easy for them as others.

I have referred many women who feel such anxiety or low self-esteem to meditation courses that I have taught for 6 years where they are guided through meditations where they are able to release self-judgment, anxiety, anger and resentment about their situation. My co-author and I finally wrote the book SHIFT: 12 Keys to Shift Your Life to make our techniques and meditations more readily available to the public.

"Many women who have been diagnosed with ADD believe that their condition was overlooked for too long because ADD in girls and women is more likely to manifest in socially acceptable ways - such as being a social butterfly. True? Or not?"

ADD can present with hyperactivity or without hyperactivity (ADD versus ADHD). Most of the people who go into adulthood without being diagnosed as ADD are the ones who do not exhibit hyperactivity. It is easy to diagnose ADHD in childhood from a mile away as those children are the ones who are all over the place and terribly impulsive. It is the terribly impulsive, hyperactive ADHD patients that tend to be more socially unacceptable and seem to at times not respect body space of others. People with ADD tend to be inattentive to social cues from others and therefore can be seen as rude at time or "spacey" by others in social situations. A social butterfly in my mind tends to be someone who pays attention to all cues very well and is adept at seemingly effortlessly gliding from one situation/person/topic to another. I do not feel that this is the case for most people with ADD until they are teated.

"What behaviors or tendencies would a woman look for in herself to know whether she should consider asking for a professional evaluation for ADD?"

Inattentive symptoms (You should have at least 6 of these symptoms present.):

-difficulty sustaining attention in work-related tasks or home activities

-often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly

-often does not follow through on instructions and fails to complete work, chores, or duties (this failure is not due to intentionally refusing to do the task or not understanding instructions)

-often has difficulty organizing tasks or activities

-often avoids engaging in tasks that require sustained mental effort

-often loses or misplaces items needed for doing tasks or activities

-is often easily distracted by external stimuli

-is often forgetful in basic daily activities

-often has low frustration tolerance

Hyperactive/Impulsive symptoms (You can have ADD without any of these)

-often fidgets with hands or squirms when seated

-often unable to sit still

-often reports subjective feelings of inner restlessness

-often has difficulty performing activities quietly

-is often "on the go" or often acts as if they are the "energizer bunny"

-often talks excessively

-often interrupts others

-often has difficulty awaiting turn

"Is there a very basic explanation you can give me for why the treatment for ADD so often includes stimulant drugs when the condition itself so often seems to involve a racing mind?"

When we talk about the use of stimulant medications in psychiatry, we generally are referring to methylphenidate, amphetamine, methamphetamine and pemoline. The first two are by far the most commonly prescribed medications for ADD. The stimulant medications increase the release or block the reabsorption of dopamine and norepinephrine, two brain neurotransmitters. This increases the transmission between certain neurons. Each stimulant has these effects in slightly different ways. Thus each specific medication may have similar or different effects on the ADD symptoms of a given individual. A study using a mouse model reported in the January 1999 issue of Science suggested that methylphenidate elevates levels of serotonin, and that this may possibly account for some of its calming effects in people with the hyperactivity component of ADHD.

There have been many studies showing the effectiveness of stimulants in children, adolescents and adults. Generally, stimulants effectively decrease inattention, distractibility, over activity and impulsivity in three quarters of individuals with ADHD.

ADHD and the Brain: Self-regulation and attention are complex phenomena. There are different types of attention, including selective attention, sustained attention, strategy development, flexibility and response inhibition. Researchers are just at the beginning of their attempts to understand how different types of attention correlate with brain anatomy and physiology. However, research has shown some differences between the brain functioning of individuals with ADHD and that of normal subjects. Individuals with brain injury to the frontal lobes of the brain may show attention problems similar to those of ADHD adults.

"Is there a reliable count or estimate of how many women are diagnosed with ADD each year? Is that number growing?"

There is really no good reliable count of how many women have a true diagnosis of ADD. The CDC analyzed data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health and published their data in a report entitled Mental Health in the US - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on September 2, 2005. In it they reported a national prevalence of ADHD in males to be 11.0% and a national prevalence of ADHD in females of 4.4%. ADHD is diagnosed 2.5 times more frequently in males than in females.

The awareness of ADD in the general public is likely the cause of the increase in new diagnoses that seem to be noted recently. Some of that is due to pharmaceutical companies advertising directly to the public and people presenting themselves to their primary care doctor asking to be treated for the self-diagnosed ADD symptoms. There is some thought that the ADD (without hyperactivity) diagnosis is seen more often in women and so that is why it is under-diagnosed in childhood as they are not behaviorally problematic in classrooms; but they are now being diagnosed due to increased awareness as adults pursuing answers to why they have had the plight of the guilt and shame of inattention and lack of organizational ability most of their lives.

DocTracy

Common Scents

Nature has provided a healthy solution for stress and stamina.
Here are a few great sniffs:

Peppermint: Inhaling the vapor from peppermint tea or oil reduces congestion. Add a few drops to a cotton ball and put it near an air vent and it will reduce fatigue.The scent of peppermint causes your capillaries to constrict and dilate and sends a rush of blood and oxygen through the body.

Vanilla: Sniffing vanilla beans or burning a vanilla scented candle can calm you down because it increases serotonin levels in the brain. It can leave you with a delicious feeling of security. Some find it addictive.

Lavender: Widely used for soothing and relaxing as lavender contains linalool,which helps block the stress response. Lavender has also been used to treat hyperactivity and insomnia. Just light a lavender candle, sniff some in a bowl or use some lavender oil in an infusor and feel your pain diminish.

Common Scents to be continued...
Doc Marion

Suicide Prevention During the Financial Crisis

The World Health Organization is predicting an increase in suicides as a result of the financial crisis.

It is not a surprise to those of us in the day to day trenches working with
psychiatric patients to acknowledge that there is an increase in suicide risk. I have seen several patients who were struggling with failing businesses and the banks will likely be foreclosing on their homes in the next few weeks.

I have also seen an increase in cases of stress, anxiety, and depression as a result of the international financial crisis in both adults and children (as they pick up on their parents' fears, anxiety and sadness). I have had some people reporting suicidal thoughts as a result of their perception of doom, guilt and shame over their financial dilemmas. It is helpful for people caught in this to focus on changing their perceptions of recent events. I suggest that people stop listening to the news except for a brief period once a day so that they do not have continual stimulation of their worst fears. I reassure them that this is just a moment in time and that everything concerning the financial crisis will predictably change over time;that the stock market and financial down trends will gradually improve. I tell them it is much like watching clouds floating by in the sky- there is a beginning, a middle and an end to any major crisis no matter what it is and that the sun will certainly reappear.
For those who truly seem to be on the edge of personal financial collapse I discuss considering bankruptcy, which was developed specifically to give someone a chance to start over financially, which is not necessarily the case in other countries.When people are living in fear of the loss of retirement or college fund monies, yet have no intention of retiring or having children leave for college for 5 or more years, I point out that the loss of money for them is either only on paper or in the ethers of the computer databases, as their wealth will begin to grow again as the market recovers from the down trend and that it will indeed improve with time.

I assist people with taking a look at their priorities and realizing that there are so many things that are more important than possessions and perceived status of cars, jobs, houses... such as family, relationships, and health.

I have had some people who think of suicide as an option to get life insurance
monies for their family.I point out that many life insurance policies have an exclusion of payment for anyone who commits suicide. Some people believe that suicide is a "way out" and that their "troubles will end"- to those people I say that suicide creates a whole list of new troubles for the ones who are left behind to pick up the pieces. Risk of suicide increases dramatically once another family member has taken their own life; suicide then becomes a viable option for dealing with problems. Children, friends, and loved ones almost always blame them selves for the person's death, even if a suicide note is left.

I recommend that people who are dealing with stressful situations be mindful of getting regular sleep, taking care of their body with good nutrition and some regular exercise. Exercise is a means of natural stress reduction and helps reset neurotransmitters to assist with combating anxiety and depression. Taking time to take care of our own self to relax and play is important all of the time, not just during crisis situations.

If you are having have suicidal thoughts it is important to talk with someone about what/how you are thinking and what you are feeling such as trained mental health professionals (therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers), your family physician or family or friends. You are not alone. There is help available in the form of psychotherapy, support groups and antidepressant medication that can work fairly rapidly to improve mood.
Your perception and where you focus your thoughts are of key importance to transform suicidal thoughts. We can look at everything as if the glass is half empty constantly or we can choose to look at things as if the glass is half full. We energize what we think about- if we are always looking for the worst case scenario,then that is all we can see and we will have difficulty seeing the things that are still beautiful and wonderful in our life. Exercise, spending time with people and doing things that we love are helpful with keeping us focused on what is right and joyful in our lives. Antidepressant medication (Serotonin specific reuptake inhibitor agents) and/or mood stabilizing medication can help a great deal for those who seem to remain depressed in their mood for 2 or more weeks without relief. Hospitalization is an option for those who do not feel that they are able to keep them self from acting on suicidal thoughts.

What's the gift in this crisis? Maybe it's time to recognize that we need to set new priorities in our lives and understand what is really important to us and not be defined by our jobs or possessions. Take a moment to recall in Greek mythology the story of Pandora's box. After Prometheus stole the secret of fire, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create the woman Pandora as part of punishment for mankind. Pandora was given a large box and was told never to open it by Zeus, but she did. It contained all the evil of mankind including greed, vanity, lies, slander and envy which escaped the box. When she managed to close it again one value was kept inside represented by a tiny winged angel. That was HOPE.

Holidays After Divorce

5 Things to Do:
1. Be sensitive to the fact that your children are looking forward to the holidays with you and also with your ex. Do not take it personally that children like to spend time with both parents. Create new or continue old holiday traditions to make your children feel good about the holidays.

2. Do coordinate big gifts with your ex. There is nothing like the let-down of both of you getting your child the same big gift. It is a let-down for both the parent and the child and is completely avoidable by communication between both parents.

3. Do send a card to your ex's family if you are close to them. It is natural to still have feelings for them if you were close emotionally to them. However, do not say anything derisive or negative about your ex in the card.

4. Call a truce with your ex in the spirit of the holidays if you do not have mutually respectful relationship or still harbor animosity toward them. The holidays are a time to transform anger and to have goodwill to all men (and women)... even if that includes your ex.

5. Do take care of your self during the holidays- take time to de-stress in healthy ways (exercise, massage, good nutrition, refrain from over-indulging in food or alcohol). If the children are not with you over the holidays, then plan to do something that would be fun and nurturing rather than sitting at home and being miserable.

5 Things Not to Do:

1. Do not compete with your ex to out-do in gift-giving.... it only spoils the children and makes everyone feel uncomfortable (including the children).

2. Do not punish the children for having a good time with your ex or sharing stories of the good times they had at your ex's home. Don't you want your children to have good memories of their holidays? They have a good time with you too and are also sharing that with your ex. Your children need to feel happy and loved in both homes and not be made to feel guilty about it.

3. Do not send a mean card to either your ex or your ex's family. If you can't say something nice (especially during the holidays), then don't send anything at all.

4. Do not tell your children how lonely you are when they are not with you over the holidays. It is NOT fair to make your children feel responsible for your feelings, thoughts or behaviors. We are very powerful in our choices, and we can either choose to be miserable or choose to be happy. After all, the adults were the ones who chose to get a divorce. The children are just having to deal with the situation.

5. Do not over-extend your self over the holiday with attempts to be super-parent to outdo your ex (by volunteering in the school, with sports team, or community parties).

DocTracy

Insomnia and Stress

Humans are very much affected by biological rhythms (Circadian rhythms) and these rhythms are determined by length of daylight hours. In the center of our brain we have a structure called the pineal gland that is instrumental in regulating hormonal balances in our body based on our length of exposure to daylight. Primitive man only had to deal with light in the form of daylight of moonlight; however, modern man has a more chaotic light exposure with the advent of technology such as the electric light bulb, computers, video games and television. We are no longer limited in our activity by the length of our available sunlight or moonlight.

Much of the early sleep studies were done at Van Cauter Sleep lab at the University of Chicago. A 1999 study there showed that chronic insomnia could trigger metabolic and endocrinological changes that mimicked aging. A 2001 study revealed that sleep deprivation could lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for the development of adult onset diabetes. A 2002 study showed chronic sleep deprivation could decrease immune function and make a person more susceptible to infection.

A study done at the University of Chicago (published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in December 2004) found that sleeping only 4 hours for 2 nights had the effect of decreasing the hormone leptin by 18% and increasing the hormone grehlin. Grehlin is produced by the stomach and triggers the sensation of hunger. Leptin is released by fat cells and stimulates the brain to feel satiety or fullness. These 2 hormones can play a long-term role in regulation of body weight.

We have long known that women's menstrual cycles are influenced by Circadian rhythms as menstrual cycles run on 28-day cycles, the same as the lunar cycle. A study at the University of California Sand Diego Sleep Lab revealed that the length of women's menstrual cycles were altered by exposing women while they slept to artificial light around the middle of their cycles (near the time of ovulation). Hormones that trigger ovulation and even sperm maturation process are tied to natural biological or Circadian rhythms. The pineal gland is instrumental in a calibrated release of melatonin and cortisol during restorative sleep stages. Compared with good sleepers, people with insomnia secrete more cortisol in the evening before bedtime and in the first half of their sleep.

Stress is the principal cause of insomnia and affects millions of Americans. How does stress cause insomnia? Falling asleep is a natural process that involves a series of events. As we approach sleep, metabolism gradually decreases, heart rate slows and blood pressure lowers. Breathing becomes deeper and more regular; and we utilize less oxygen. the muscles in our body, which have been tense much of the day to keep us upright and moving about, begin to relax. At the same time, the processing activity of the wakeful brain shifts. The activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex slows and becomes more synchronized, indicating a transition from the complex, activated patterns of waking consciousness toward a more homogenous, deactivated state. As a result, we stop paying attention to the sensory messages coming in from the outside world, and we slip into a peaceful, quiet sleep.

Cortisol, released during a stress response, is excitatory; it wakes us up. Blood levels of cortisol have been shown to increase between 50 and 160 percent within thirty minutes of waking; that produces the powerful jolt to awaken us and get us up and moving in the morning. After that, cortisol levels should decrease as the day progresses and reach their lowest point in the evening, allowing us to rest, relax, and then drift off to sleep.

Cortisol levels are often affected by the stress of our daily hectic lives. Threatening or demanding events cause us to temporarily secrete higher levels of cortisol. Typically, that's a good thing, because we need to be aroused and vigilant in order to face and deal with the tests and challenges that arise in our lives. However, when we experience prolonged stress, whether real or perceived, our cortisol levels get stuck at a chronically high level, that's bad news for our bodies and emotions, and especially bad news for our ability to sleep and relax. Chronically elevated cortisol leaves us perpetually hyperaroused. Numerous studies indicate that insomnia is accompanied by excessive activation of the stress-response system during both waking hours and sleep as well. Furthermore, chronically high levels of cortisol and its precursor, adrenocorticotropic hormone, can make sleep shallow, broken, and unrestful with a delay in the onset of sleep.

Meditation, stress reduction techniques and mindfulness exercises can assist with significantly decreasing stress and improving the quality of sleep and periods of relaxation. Our book SHIFT: 12 Keys to Shift Your Life was written after teaching the concepts in seminars and courses for 6 years and using the tools and techniques to dramatically decrease perceived stress, anxiety, and mild depression in patients, colleagues and friends.

DocTracy

Positive Intention- Nice, Airport

Today I spent a few hours at the airport waiting to take off. Our flight was delayed again and again and I was inspired to do a short experiment. I set my intention to center myself in my heart and look around acknowledging that every single person I saw was not only just another complaining and frustrated passenger, but also a fellow creation of God/Universe /Source. I further acknowledged that we were all connected and a reflection of one another. With that feeling in mind(consciousness)and my heart expanded I attracted so many people my way. I had been standing in a relatively empty space and after 3 minutes there was a large number of smiling, laughing, positive and chatty people around me.

Living in your heart is a very loving and powerful feeling. The power of our energy to attract like energies and effect the collective consciousness of others is enormous. Don't wait to go to the airport to try it!

DocMarion

Imagination and Group Intention

Imagination is the most powerful thing that we possess. It is the thought fueled by the intention (or emotional energy) behind it. That is why if we have conflicting intentions/imagined things, the most powerful one will win out and be created... unless they are of equal value and then they may just cancel each other out nothing happens.

Meditation studies have been done where, for instance, a group of thousands of people gathered in Washington, DC imagined/pictured/meditated on peace; and the crime rate in DC went down significantly during the 10 days of gathering. That is the power of group intention. That is the importance of each of us SHIFT-ing out of old negative, reactive constructs or patterns in our lives. It IS important to become aware of those "shadow aspects" (areas of darkness) in our selves and then to bring Light to that to transform it (rather than stuffing it down and burying it). that is why my co-author and I felt it was our purpose to write the book SHIFT... so many people were not understanding the true power of creation that we have as a God-given right of being human. It is important to become aware of the obstacle WE have wittingly or unwittingly place in our own path to creating heaven on earth rather than a personal hell of experiences.

We are, in fact, the continuation of creation form the time of Genesis/Original Creation. There is a piece of God creating through each of us in our life and on this earth. Unlike the archangels and angels, however, we are not directly impulsed by the will of God. We have been granted out own Divine Free Well... we have the gift (or some might say the curse... grin) of CHOICE. We are very powerful in our choices. We choose and are responsible for our own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. If we do not like what we created yesterday, then we have the chance to choose differently (or to imagine differently) today. How wonderful!! We learn from our choices... no matter what we choose.. we learn either who we truly are (our True Essence) or who we are not (the creation of our Trickster/Shadow energy). We are so loved no matter what we create. For how could God/Source/Universe/Spirit experience every aspect of creation if it were not for each of us creating a little bit differently from one another. It is all good ultimately... as strange as that may sound... as we all learn from one another. We are reflections of one another. If I am truthful, then is there not a shadow aspect inside of me that might not be unlike a Hitler or a shooter in a bell tower somewhere? When have we been a terrorist in our own life to our self, to others in our relationships or in the world? There is something for us to reflect on in everything that is out there in the world... yet if we send our energy to something and focus on it regularly, then we will further energize and fuel it. (Something to think about when we attend certain movies or tv shows, etc.)

The importance of meditation/prayer is to make certain that we remain connected to the awareness of who we are and where we come from... and to allow an impulse or connection to our purpose to flow into our life. And, yes, I believe that we each have both a personal and grander purpose in this wonderful universe that we live in. Smile. And we are so loved whether we just work on some personal issues here of if we also work on stepping into our grander purpose. If we do not SHIFT our own personal "stuff" (faulty thoughts or "sins" that do not resonate with the vibration of love and compassion that we each truly are as a piece of the Original creator), then we are often too wrapped up in drama, chaos and suffering that prevents us from being aware and stepping into what is on the wondrous grander scheme of things.

Become aware of the beautiful universes within you... and then become aware of the beautiful universes surrounding you! What a joy this journey is!!

DocTracy

Gardisil Vaccination - Girls Only?

Why are we vaccinating only the girls for a virus that is sexually transmitted when half of the infected population includes the boys as well? Yes, the virus can cause cervical cancer as well as genital warts (in both males and females). Boys are at risk for infection as well as transmission. Yet, the burden is on the girls and the vaccination is only approved at present for the girls under the age of 17 or before sexual activity. Why are the girls being targeted? It makes no sense to me as a physician, a psychiatrist, as an immunobiologist or as a mother of an adolescent girl, an adolescent boy and a pre-pubertal boy.

When I pointed this out to my children's pediatrician, she realized that it didn't make any sense to her either. If we truly want to stop the spread of the human papilloma virus, then we need to vaccinate both the girls and the boys. Why are we holding the girls responsible only? Why are we generating potential shame for the girls? Why are we not acknowledging the responsibility of the boys? What are we teaching our children? What is society and the medical/pharmaceutical community implying to parents and teenagers/young adults?

Any thoughts or comments?

DocTracy

Barefoot Stress Relief

I love digging in the dirt and feeling my connection to the earth. I find it quite helpful for releasing tension and stress. I also find walking barefoot in the grass to be a great stress reducer. I had a journalist ask me about this a few months back - he wanted to know why walking barefoot might be a "good" thing to do since it seemed to be "beat out of us" as we grew into adulthood. This is what I told him over the phone... as I was walking barefoot in my backyard. Grin.

I recall when all my friends and I would run barefoot outside in the new spring grass... how soft the carpet of cool green felt under my tender feet. I recall how sensitive my feet were in the spring and then how they would toughen up over the summer months; and it was a badge of honor to be able to walk calmly over small pebbles or areas of gravel without making a face by the end of the summer. I recall the warmth of the sun on the summer grass as we ran around and played freeze tag, leap frog and roll the bat.

I also have memories of my father, the only doctor in two counties, chastising all of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade children in our small neighborhood 'gang' running and squealing with laughter in my backyard as we chased fireflies in the early evening. he would yell that we should know better than to go barefoot. He would remind me often that a person should wear shoes as soon as they weighted enough to make a nail on the ground puncture a foot if they accidentally walked on it.

During my medical school training, I recall a microbiology instructor, from maryland, informing the class that all sorts of parasites could be contracted by walking around barefoot. He used as proof the 'fact' that all southerners were "naturally lethargic and slow" due to having contracted so many parasites by going barefoot from childhood to young adulthood. he even went so far as to say that that was the likely cause of the South losing to the North during the Civil War. (It was all I could do not to scream out loud at his ridiculous statements and accusations....sheesh.)

After I had become licensed to practice medicine, board-certified in psychiatry and had been in practice for 5 years, I began to pursue additional training in complementary and integrative (mind-body) medicine. I began to learn about acupressure points, reflexology, meditation, traditional Chinese medicine, color and sound therapy, and other ancient techniques for well-being and improving. then I became aware of different points on the bottom of the feet that correspond to every organ system of the body, and how stimulating them is believed to promote health and wellness. it appears that walking barefoot may actually massage and stimulate some of the key areas on the bottom of the feet better than walking with feet trapped on a flat surface of the insole of a shoe. Who knew that perhaps everything we needed to know about promoting wellness we instinctively knew when we were in kindergarten? Grin. What would our parents say?

DocTracy

SHIFT: The Movie

Very inspiring ! Have a look at the clip: http://www.theshiftmovie.com/
There is a lot of positive news out there. Come join in the shift!
Docmarion

Commitment Phobia & Cancelling Appointments

"Commitment phobia" means a fear or avoidance of making a commitment to a relationship or... it could be many things: a promise to be loyal or faithful to another, to be true to yourself and your own goals.

Phobias are fears that stem from traumatic and painful events or relationships, which might have caused feelings of anger, resentment, helplessness, powerlessness, guilt, shame, abandonment, separation, heartbreak, unworthiness, or a sense of overwhelm. Our book gives the reader the ability to become aware of what the obstacle is that is paralyzing him or her from making or keeping a commitment, and then we give the tools to rapidly disperse the issue.

Our society has become increasingly fear driven which is readily apparent if you frequent airports or read/listen to the media or politicians. This increase in fear and anxiety perhaps causes people to be more stressed out and overwhelmed today then they were 5 years ago. Or perhaps the increasing lack of intimacy in communication with the advent of instant messaging, emails and voice mails have caused us to be insensitive to others since we do not have to look people in the eye or speak to them directly to cancel or not show for appointments or meetings. last minute cancellations may happen for a variety of reasons:

1. Sometimes canceling allows us to act out our rebellious nature. this scenario stems from a fear of powerlessness, or a fear that our needs won't be met, or we simply have a better last minute option which causes less stress. Canceling in this case is one way to indirectly express anger, resentment, frustration, etc. and feel like we are finally exerting some control over another person or situation.

2. Anxiety often causes us to cancel appointments for doctors, business or social engagements which might make us feel comfortable. We may distort our priorities at the last minute to avoid feeling rejection, abandonment, lack of self worth, shame or embarrassment.

3. Problems with self-discipline, attention or procrastination may cause us to have little awareness of what we are feeling or where our priorities are in any given moment. When this is the case, there is often lack of time management skills.

DocMarion

Guilt and Shame

It is normal to have the Obstacle of Guilt and Shame stop us in our tracks as quickly as a joyful puppy can be yanked backwards by a tug (or even a hard yank) on a leash.

What makes Guilt and Shame so heavy and difficult to release at times is the sense of gut-wrenching fear that it can stir up of "if anyone knew about this then they would KNOW how terrible a person I really am and they would run for the hills!" "Everyone would truly know just how unlovable and unworthy of love or of anything good that I am!" This can lead to attempting to hide the guilt and shame and sense of unworthiness more in our secret garden of "crapola" that we tend to quite well... we will tend that garden far better than we tend to our own garden of self-nurturing.

We are so hard on our own self. Would we be so hard on our niece, nephew, best friend, child, pet or other loved one? Sometimes we may have to sit for at least 20 to 30 minutes in the Loving Benefactor meditation having the loving and compassionate benefactor sending us Love and just allowing our self to feel it and to receive it... before we can even come to grips with being ready to release our own self from the leash that we have been cruelly yanking and at times choking our own spirit with.

Overcoming this obstacle is about un-tethering our self from all the past pain from situations that we either had little control over at the time as we were such young children, or so coerced, or so frightened, or sometimes simply at a lower level of consciousness than we are now. It is about having some compassion for where we were at the time... and sometimes for where the other person was in their consciousness at the time... it is not about saying that what happened was okay then or that you would feel that it would be okay now. It is about allowing the dirt to wash clean from our souls and allowing our self to return to a state of grace... or prepare our self to receive a state of Grace.

DocTracy

September Classes

We are planning 2 classes in September.

The first is an advanced 12 Keys Class (for those who have completed the first 10 Keys) - Tuesday, September 16th from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM Cost: $150
We will cover the Obstacle of Habit and Obstacle of Self-Discipline and any maintenance questions that have arisen while using the 12 keys.

Also a Color and Sound Class- Thursday, September 18th at 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Cost: $150
We will discuss and demonstrate healing with color and sound in various
forms and modalities including our new crystal bowls.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in attending either class. They will be held in Dr. Tracy's healing room, so space will be limited.

Please confirm by email at info@12keystoshift.com by September 5.

DocMarion

SHIFTing in the Workplace

I was recently questioned on the use of SHIFT techniques in the workplace.  These are excellent and very practical questions to ponder!  Especially during these stressful economic times.  Work groups can take on the role of second 'family' in our life... they can be loving and fun or they can be quite dysfunctional at times.  (I immediately think of the t.v. series 'The Office' and all of the dysfunctional antics that go on there with the resulting anger, guilt, shame, sense of unworthiness, abandonment issues, etc. that get fueled so readily with the insensitive comments or actions of others.)

"How does someone in an assembly unit/line deal with an obstacle when their performance is based on production and they can't stop to tap, or meditate, or Connect heaven and Earth - in fact, they can't step away for a moment until the designated break period?"

The most important thing for SHIFT-ing an issue is to get into your heart.  It takes little time to picture your Compassionate Benefactor standing in front of you - I do this all the time no matter where I am or what I am doing if I feel an obstacle rearing its ugly trickster, shadow head.  Once you have practiced this exercise or meditation, it can easily be done even with eyes wide open (again, I do it all the time to get into my heart for a patient overwrought with sadness or grief... or for an abusive patient who is angry and in pain over some issue going on in their life but verbally attacking me as they lash out... to prepare for radio interviews... to have heart to heart conversations with someone that is insensitive... or just if I am feeling alone, unworthy, etc if someone pushes an old reactive button of mine).  Then I picture this Loving Benefactor standing just behind my left shoulder as I go about addressing the issue at hand or just to feel the love and peace and worthiness of the Loving Benefactor.  it really can help with dealing with dysfunction in the work place or in life in general... standing in line at the grocery store... during meetings that seem senseless, etc.

"How does someone maintain enough energy to block and/or transform the negative energy of co-workers for 8, 10 or 12 hours on-stop and then still have energy to enjoy their time away from work?"

This is where the Self-Care techniques come in and are invaluable.  Doing the 3 thumps daily followed by the 'zip up' can help immeasurably with this issue.  The 3 thumps boost your own energy and then the 'zip up' keeps others form zapping your energy at work or anywhere else.  If you know that a situation at work is going to be particularly problematic, then do the 3 thumps and 'zip up' before walking into it.  Also, the regular stress-reduction techniques that you decide to do for your self in the Obstacle of Stress are a regular stress buster and rejuvenate you... that is why that is included in the book as an obstacle.  When we do not take the time to de-stress, then we feel more vulnerable, feel overwhelmed and have less energy because we use up so much of our energy trying to 'hold it together' by tensing our muscles, worrying about what new stressor will pop up, etc. as we anticipate more trouble in our lives and harbor anger and resentment.

Regular PAR (Peace and Restoration) activities are crucial, making certain we take care of our self- mind, body and spirit.. which brings in the daily Dharma issue.  When we keep the connection to awareness of who we really are (True Essence) and foster a sense of connectedness to all that is as these energetic, spiritual beings, then it makes us take situations at work or elsewhere much less personally.  when we take things personally, we spiral down into various faulty thoughts and it drains our energy.  We become harsh our selves and then contribute to the negativity in the workplace or wherever we are.  Then we become part of the problem that we are battling... a cycle of negativity can be set up that will drain our life force out of us as we get so tied up in our egos.

The more you remove your own obstacles in your path, the easier holding the higher energy will become.  We all struggle at first with falling back into the lower energies (we feel depleted when we do) at first, but each time we SHIFT back again into our heart, we are able to hold it there longer.  Eventually it becomes almost second nature although we still have to keep an awareness of where we are choosing to live... in our heart in the moment or in our ego mulling over something in our past or coming up in the future.  Where will you choose to live today?  Tomorrow? At work? At home? On vacation? It is easier to hold our selves in our heart when we are less stressed.

"How do you deal with someone who has authority over you, who oozes with negative energy and disrespect, especially when concerns or complaints about that person are routinely ignored?"

This is a true test and challenge.  It is important not to take their behavior personally although that can be a real test if they seem to target you as some people do, especially if they are intent in living in their negative, angry energy and they see that you are a Bright Light.  They can sometimes want to make it their personal mission to put your Light out.  It will be very tempting to step into your own abuser, angry energy to actually put your own Light out... this is what they want either consciously or subconsciously.  It is best not to go there as the only person who will suffer the consequences are your self.  (There is a lot more of this negative energy/trickster energy floating about recently since so many people are in fear, so be on the look out for it!)  You could all band together (the Light Brigade) at work and throw a surprise party for this offensive person, letting them know how much you appreciate them for the role they play (there must be SOMETHING good about them, right?).  Grin.  This is what my mother-in-law would have called "killing them with kindness".  It serves to suddenly get them in a state of surprise to be popped into their heart... a place they may not have been for some time.  It is uncharted and forgotten territory for them... sometimes they need a little tour of that wondrous place.  They might decide to SHIFT their energy there and move in  for a while... who knows?  Grin.

If they are truly abusive and it is detrimental to your own growth and well-being, then it might be time to put out some serious feelers and inquiries for a new position under a different supervisor or with a different company.  You do not have to quit a job before you have secured a new one.  (I wouldn't recommend it in these times.)  Perhaps the job environment no longer serves to put a mirror in our face if we have SHIFTed our sense of unworthiness and lack of self-respect, if that is what the energy of the supervisor has been mirroring for us... and perhaps the new position in the job in the ethers has a new mirror to reflect dignity, self-love and self-respect back to us.  After all, this is just another relationship that we have wittingly or unwittingly drawn to our self for us to learn by... who we are and who we are not.

If the new job is not feasible at this time or while you are looking for one (if the boss does not SHIFT with the wall of Love coming their way... grin), then the 'La Cucaracha' Technique in our book can be quite helpful and assist with not taking it personally on those days where you think that you are going to blow.  The boss will start wondering why everyone seems to be humming or singing 'La cucaracha, la cucaracha.... la la la la la la la la laaaaaaa".  Smile.

"Further still how can you share your own SHIFTing experience and knowledge appropriately in a workplace? With costs of living so high and so many people living literally from paycheck to paycheck so many can't afford a seminar, or a computer or internet access- even a book is a luxury compared to feeding the kids or putting gas in the car to get work.  How can we share what we're learning and pass it on to those who so desperately need it?"

I find the best way to share it is first to be a role model... walking what you talk about... practice what you preach.  If you are living your life going from fits of anger as you go from your victim energy to your abuser energy and then back again, no one is going to believe anything you have to say about how transforming anything you are using is. In fact, they are going to want to stay as far away from you as possible.  Can you imagine if your supervisor you are asking about came up to you and recommended a book they were reading that was having a powerful effect on them that they used daily and helped them behave as they do at the workplace?  yikes!  We should find such a thing and hand it out to all the armies in the world to get them into killing mode!  Divide and conquer.... or just divide and to heck with the conquering!  Chuckle.  Get my point?

People WILL notice when you truly SHIFT and are walking with increasing expression of your True Essence in you life, whether at work or at play.  That is when you share with them how it is that you came to live more in your heart and share a bit of your journey with them.  There are teachable moments that are ripe for such sharing.... of a story... of a technique.  That is how we Shine our Light into the world and then we leave a Trail of Light for others to follow.

As for budgets, this blog site is free (tell them to visit it) as is the on-going discussion of the book concepts and techniques on the Beliefnet website at the SHIFT group at http://community.beliefnet.com/index.php?page_id=1107&group_id=1168 

You can also request that your local public library obtain a copy of the book for circulation so that your friends and co-workers can check it out of the library.  Just a thought.  Smile.

DocTracy

The Benefits of Gratitude

An old French proverb states that gratitude is the heart's memory. When we put our focus on finding everything that is positive and loving in our lives wonderful things happen. Gratitude opens our ability to see the grace and gifts in our lives as we go beyond the material world to feel the fullness of our being.  We need to make gratitude a daily habit.

We create very powerfully with our thoughts and our intentions. It is important to be mindful of the creations we choose to send out into the world because our negative thoughts create as powerfully as our loving, positive ones. It's very easy to forget this as we move along at light speed in our daily lives and are faced with a multitude of stressful situations. Rumi the great poet reminds us that we lack nothing . "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that have built against it."

We suggest keeping a gratitude journal daily to remind ourselves to choose to create from our heart and not our thoughts fueled by anger, resentment, anxiety and fear.  Having an attitude of gratitude has great benefits for your health, relationships, happiness and motivation level.

DocMarion

Tennis Ball Therapy

Don't throw away that old tennis ball, especially if you are aching after the game is over.
I played tennis for many years and used my old tennis balls for trigger point therapy to treat my sore and aching feet and back.

Some great theraputic uses for tennis balls:

To treat sore feet-
Place a ball under the heel, arch or ball of the foot and put your weight on the ball. Hold it for several seconds. Stretch out those tendons and muscles. Be sure to balance out this treatment by doing this with both feet.

Treat your back by lying on the floor and placing the ball close to
wherever you feel pain or a sensitive spot. Either increase or decrease the pressure on your back by slowly rolling the ball around until you find the right spot. Then hold it for a few seconds, take a few deep breaths breathing into the pain, until the pain dissipates or it becomes uncomfortable. Always balance the body by doing both sides. Don't do this if you have any inflammation in the area or the pain might get worse.

You can also use a tennis ball to treat your back as you lean on a wall, roll the ball around until you find the right spot and put pressure on the ball.

Traveling light weights-Cut a hole in the ball and fill it with sand, change
or lead pellets and lift.

To increase hand strength- Squeeze the ball several time on a regular basis
to increase your hand strength.

I hope this helps keep you on the ball!

DocMarion

Doc Marion quoted on CNN.COM

(Tribune Media Services) -- Taking a deep breath just doesn't work anymore. Not this summer.

No, this summer calls for voodoo planes.

Alan Fiermonte owns a collection of them -- "one for each airline," he says -- against which he unleashes his frustrations about silly fees and nonexistent customer service.

"I recommend a well-stocked pin cushion," adds Fiermonte, a Conshohocken, Pennsylvania-based travel agent.

If that sounds a little extreme -- and I'll be the first to admit that it does -- then let me acquaint you with a few facts about traveling during the summer of 2008. Gas costs an astounding $4-plus per gallon. Several airlines are charging $15 for the first checked bag -- the most outrageous in a deluge of outrageous new surcharges. Customer service, meanwhile, is circling the drain.

If last summer was the summer of our discontent, then this summer's sequel will be better than the original.

There's more discontent. Lots more.

We're not dealing with it very well, either. Among our coping methods of choice:

Violence: That's what a Pittsburgh-area woman is accused of resorting to when a motorist in front of her drove too slowly. She reportedly loaded up her pellet gun and fired away. Among the plea bargain offerings made by prosecutors were anger management classes. With gas prices going through the roof, isn't that something we could all use?

Cigarettes: Smoking may be strictly forbidden on airline flights, but try telling that to a JetBlue passenger who lit up on a recent flight. In the ensuing dispute, she is said to have socked a flight attendant and kicked and screamed when crewmembers tried to restrain her. Talk about being stressed out.

Booze and pills: A hard-charging general manager of a Boston TV station recently admitted in court that she went on an alcohol- and prescription drug-fueled tirade at Logan International Airport. When troopers tried to restrain her, she threatened to call a news crew and "ruin (his) life." The executive resigned.

There's got to be a better way to handle all this negativity than voodoo dolls, recreational drugs and firearms. So I asked a few experts to tell me how they'd cope with this summer's travelin' blues.

Take care of yourself

The unspoken rule of summer travel is that the moment you leave the house, you've agreed to be hungry, tired, lost, dirty and disappointed, says psychologist LeslieBeth Wish. "Negativity stems from not being prepared and not being willing to face that travel just ain't the way it used to be," she says. But by taking some simple steps like packing a lunch, getting plenty of rest and printing directions, you can eliminate lots of the negativity. "It's the best cure for negativity and the blues of travel," she adds.

Lower your expectations

Not so long ago, you could depend on certain things when you traveled. Like, that the room rate you were quoted would be the one you paid, plus maybe taxes. In an era or unfair resort fees and hidden charges for having a safe in your room -- whether you use it or not -- that's probably not gonna happen. And this summer, you can be sure they'll come up with a few new extras. "Be realistic about what to expect," advises Marion Ross, the co-author of "Shift: 12 Keys to Shift Your Life." "Then let everything else go." In other words, expect to be taken advantage of. That way, you won't be disappointed.

Think of travel as an adventure

That's the advice of Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist. "If you view travel as an adventure and a challenge -- including the long lines and delays -- then it can be fun," he says. His advice is to build in enough time to experience this adventure -- a cushion of time, "just in case there are delays." Avoid tight schedules and deadlines. After all, you're on vacation.

Pack your sense of humor

Because travel is so absurdly difficult this summer, it's actually funny. What, you don't think the idea of charging airfares by the pound isn't just a little silly? Carol White, a recreational vehicle expert, says bringing a sense of humor is critical to having a good trip this summer. "It will reduce your own negativity -- if not that of those around you," she says.

Role playing, anyone

"Pretend you're a spy in a totalitarian country," advises author and travel expert Kelly Monaghan. (No, really. Stay with me on this one.) "The last thing a good spy wants to do is draw attention to himself. So relax, do exactly as you are told, never ask why, don't be chatty, and make mental notes about what the procedure is, just as you would do if you had to report back to your case officer when your mission is completed," he says. When Monaghan first shared this unconventional advice with me, I thought it was amusing. But you know, I have three young kids, and I'm willing to give it a try. Besides, when it comes to the airport, he's right about this being a totalitarian country.

Condition yourself to think positively

It isn't enough to treat the negative emotions when they bubble up, say experts. You have to inoculate yourself against badness before you travel. "Watch for the tendency to focus on the negative," says human behavior expert and blogger Pam Ragland. "Then replace it with a positive." How do you do that? Ragland says you have to condition yourself to look for the positive things that the travel industry does, like an on-time takeoff or returning your checked luggage after you land.

Look inward for a solution

Maybe the problem isn't travel. Maybe you're the problem. That's what Mick Quinn, author of the book "The Uncommon Path" suggests. When problems arise on the road, he says you're normally with what he calls "buried aspects" of yourself. "So when this, that or they tick me off, it is likely that I am being shown a window into my sub-conscious mind," he says. Quinn believes people bury these feelings and project them on to others, from a ticket agent to a motorist sharing the highway with us. His advice? Be aware that essentially you may be annoying yourself.

I know what you're thinking. What's with the pop psychology, dude? Look inward? Come on.

Well, folks, it's that kind of summer.

The only alternative is to not travel at all. That's what Burnett Moody, a retiree from Hilton Head, South Carolina, has decided to do. "My wife and I have been making three to four air trips per year for the past 40 years," he says. "Starting this summer, we will only go by car."

(Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. This column originally appeared on MSNBC.com. You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at celliott@ngs.org).

© 2008 CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

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Doc Tracy Quoted in Hartford Courant

On: Jun 11, 2008 5:23 AM
Heroism Or Hesitation?
Is Failure To Act In A Crisis Human Nature, Or A Sign We've Abandoned Our Values?
By KATHLEEN MEGAN | Courant Staff Writer
June 11, 2008

In the nearly two weeks since Angel Arce Torres was hit by a reckless driver who fled the scene, there has been endless dissection of a videotape of the Hartford accident and endless hand-wringing over whether bystanders took too long to come to his aid.
Those bystanders and motorists who failed to help immediately have been called callous and detached by some, while others point out that, indeed, four bystanders did call 911, and help arrived very shortly. But there are long moments when it appears from the tape that no one is doing anything.

All of this raises the question: How can humans be expected to react in such situations? Is this an example of inhumanity, or was it a normal response?
We talked to a number of experts, who make it clear that there is no simple way to interpret what happened on Park Street.There are social psychologists who say it has nothing to do with heartlessness and everything to do with how our mind works in an emergency, while an ethicist sees it as a failure to act on our shared values. A media expert sees people isolated by fear instilled by all that they read and hear in the media, while a psychiatrist sees it as a failure of human connection.

For social psychologists like Marianne LaFrance at Yale University and Charles Lowe at the University of Connecticut, what happened on Park Street is a textbook example of what's called the "bystander effect." LaFrance explained, "The basic logic is that the more people there are to witness an emergency, the more uncertainty is aroused on a number of different counts about what to do and who should do it."

Because an emergency is by nature uncharted territory, people look to those around them for cues about how they should react. "If no one rushes to the scene, people assume the others know more than they do," said LaFrance. "Often people assume that somebody else has already called the police or has gone to get help and that they might be redundant or in the way or that other people have perhaps more expertise than they themselves have."

After an incident like the one on Park Street, people react by questioning what has "happened to our fellow feeling. … They assume that something is awry, something is very wrong," said LaFrance, "as opposed to realizing that this is built into the human system: to check out what others are doing, to look to others as a source of information and guidance as to how one should define the situation and as to how one should respond."

"People don't want to be seen as foolish; they don't want to get in the way; they don't want to act precipitously, so they use other people's lack of response as a cue to their own response." Lowe said there is also a factor called "diffusion of responsibility." If a number of people witness an event, then the responsibility is spread across all of them, he said. "It makes you feel like, if something is wrong, it's really not my fault because everybody saw it, whereas if you're alone, and it was you alone who saw it, you are responsible." The chances of your getting rescued, whether you are being attacked or collapsing of a heart attack, LaFrance said, "is much greater if there is just one person who saw you than if there are several."

In many cases, that pause to check with others can be seen as mature and wise, LaFrance said. "It's taking a second to figure out what's going on before impulsively rushing … into the burning building to save the baby."

Such hesitation can also be seen as "the least beneficial thing to do, but it is part of how we are. It's not a statement about heartlessness or lack of care for others," LaFrance said. "It's not alienation produced by city living. It's a statement about how our minds work."

What about heroes? Those people who don't seem to care a whit for their own safety and reflexively rush in to help? LaFrance said much research has been devoted to searching for the personality type or traits that make people rush to help, but nothing definitive has been turned up. She said there is some data, however, suggesting that heroes are people who are somewhat disengaged from the social world — people who aren't particularly attentive to the other people and will "rush in where others fear to tread."

However, in general, she said, the human response to emergencies is "far more complicated than some people are good, caring and empathetic and others are frozen and uninvolved with other human beings."

Or, as Lowe said, "It's the not the type of person; it's the social situation that determines the behavior. … If you and I were at that particular scene, we wouldn't have helped either." Lowe said that calling for help on a cellphone was a healthy way for people to respond.

But from the perspective of an ethicist, what happened on Park Street is more about dysfunction. Gerard Magill, a professor of health ethics at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, says the situation points up what he calls "a deep chasm between our ethics and our reactions." While many of us were raised on the Golden Rule and the parable of the Good Samaritan, Magill said, "the harsh reality is that the [Golden Rule] is disappearing in front of us, evaporating like the fog in front of us."

Magill said the people who walked or drove past the accident without stopping — though several did call 911 — were "probably good people, fine parents, God-worshiping believers, but none of them took action."

What happened reveals "a deep divide in our society between who we are and what our values are," said Magill. "A deep division between our daily life and our proclaimed values."

David Walsh, founder and president of the National Institute on Media and the Family in Minneapolis, said some bystanders hesitate to help because they see the world as a dangerous place.

"It's called the 'mean world syndrome,' and it's because of media's tendency to focus on the negative," said Walsh. "We don't hear about the hundreds of nice things people do for each other. All we hear about is the negative."

This exaggerates "that tendency that we all have to keep to ourselves, stay safe and isolated, and to just look out for number one rather than to create a community where people care for each other and look out for one another," said Walsh. "When it comes time for us to help our neighbor, this is a barrier we must overcome."

Dr. Tracy Latz, a North Carolina psychiatrist, says that when people are trapped by their own fears and concerns they fail to reach out and connect with others. Instead of jumping in to help, Latz said, people may be thinking: "I need to get here or there; I'm on the way to work; if I get involved someone will sue me. … If I get involved maybe a gang person will come after me."

In this case, Latz said, people might have thought, "If I pick up the phone and call 911, that completely absolves me … instead of stopping and talking to the person, letting them know someone cares."

Latz said that a feeling of unity among people tends to arise during huge crises like the attack on the World Trade Towers or like the earthquake in China. "Does it have to take a huge crisis?" she asked.

Mancow-Tracy Interview Full of Shift...

Adapting to Financial Change- Why is it so Difficult?

I am currently seeing several patients who are depressed, stressed and anxious due to losing their jobs. I am also seeing several bankers and real estate developers who are living in fear as they anticipate possibly losing their jobs and/or lifestyle in the near future as the economy has weakened and the bank stocks have tanked.

Many of these folks are so attached to their material possessions and how they will be perceived by their friends and families if they lose their status that that can't envision what life will be like if they need to take a step backwards. They don't remember who they really are as human being without their stuff. In fact they go into crisis because they don't know how to define themselves anymore.

We live in a society that defines us by what we do, how much we make, how many toys we have and the size of our house among other superficial standards. We spend the first half of our lives building our ego identity through the lens of what we think meets socially acceptable standards so we can be perceived as successful. We forget about the importance of family friends and all the loving relations we have . Too often people perceive that love is earned. If these same people see themselves as no longer being a good provider they will then believe themselves to be judged as unlovable, not good enough, a failure, a loser, and will then be abandoned by friends, family, loved ones, peers and colleagues.
Once they are in fear of losing their economic status they become so overwhelmed with fear that they can't see the light at the end of the tunnel: the eventual future, when the economy improves and they can rebuild what they have lost.

Doc Marion

Heart Centered vs Fear Centered Living

Last week a 78-year old man was paralyzed by a hit and run driver in Hartford,Connecticut. Noone stopped to help him even though there was video of it..... a few people called 911 as they drove by him. How did we get into such a state?

I recall an experience I had at an amusement park 2 years ago (yes, I was either brave enough or stupid enough to take my 3 children ... ages 12, 10 and 8... to an amusement park on a holiday weekend... chuckle). We were in line in ninety-two degree heat for a ride and a little bit ahead of us was a 30ish-year-old African American woman and her approximately 11-year-old daughter.

Suddenly the young girl began to swoon and slowly collapsed to the ground. The appalling thing was that no one did anything but just look and pretend to not see it. I ran up to her and lifted her upper body off of the cement as her mother helplessly looked on in a stunned fashion. I do not know if everyone was afraid to either get involved or to lose his or her place in line. Such a feeling of sadness for the situation and then a great love and compassion for this young girl that I had never met before filled me. I yelled for someone to give me some water (lots of folks with water bottles around since it was a hot day).... and only one single person reluctantly handed one over. I gave the girl some water to drink and then asked her mother if I could pour some over her head, as she was incredibly hot and dehydrated. As I poured the water over her head and caressed her face, I asked if she thought she could stand with her arm wrapped around my waist with her mother supporting her other side. We moved her out of line and toward a shady area; the look of absolute shock on her father's face as he saw a Caucasian woman nearly carrying his young daughter toward him where he was awaiting them in the shade will stay in my mind for a while. They both thanked me and I just was amazed at how shocked people are today at a simple act of compassion. We saw them later in the park and this young girl and her sister were lively and enjoying themselves a great deal.

WHY DO PEOPLE STAND BY AND REMAIN DETACHED?
The true and fundamental essence of each and every person is actually peaceful and loving. In today?s Western society, however, our sense of peace has become disturbed and distorted due to our attachments, misperceptions, and faulty beliefs, all honed through our life's experiences. We have gone from being heart-centered to being fear-centered. The peace we once experienced has shifted into anger, love has transformed into fear, and happiness has evolved into confusion and sadness.

DocTracy

WBZ Radio spots with Doc Tracy

Cut and paste to Listen:http://multimedia.wbz.com/m/20039617/women_s_watch_shift_your_life_pt_1.htm

WBZ Radio interview with DocTracy

Go to:http://multimedia.wbz.com/m/20027573/women_s_watch_speaks_with_psychiatrist_tracy_latz.htm%3Fq%3D%252

Confidence and Empowerment- What Holds us back?

Our ego is trained and shaped by our society, media, parents, teachers,educational institutions, religious figures and culture in general to identify with everything that we are not; such as our professions, roles we play in our lives (spouse, parent, child), nationality, religious dogma, or political belief systems.There is a perception of reality that has been created for us. Increasingly over time we actually see this reality to be true and accept it as our own. This creates an experience of separation,lack,and futility, as we perceive our selves to be in competition for limited resources of love, wealth, power, control and happiness. It appears that there just isn't enough for all of us.Rather than defining ourselves as connected to everyone else, we perceive ourselves to be isolated and disconnected except through externally imposed social groups. We even actively search for differences to separate our selves further dividing us into groups of nationalities, religions,race and ideologies.
We spend the first half of our life looking into our outer space
and forgetting about our inner space. Then we spend the second half of our life trying to find life's deeper meaning and eventually look into our inner space to find out who we really are. How do we reach the turning point and decide to begin to look within? Often it takes a crisis in our life to cause our attachments to be abruptly wrenched from our grasp and strip our ego and force us to look within. For others,the quest begins with a sense of emptiness and lack of fulfillment,even when we believe that we have achieved all of our goals as set forth by us or by the standards of our society.

When we have lost touch with our true essence, we are not fully present in our daily lives.We have forgotten our innate gifts and abilities that we had in our innocence as children.When we sit in judgment of our self and define our self as the roles that we play, we do not feel or experience the true flow of joy and abundance in our lives.We feel limited, and thus we end up limiting our selves with the box of our reality that we have created.

The Obstacle of Inadequacy and Powerlessness:
We all have crises at some point in our lives.They are the tests and challenges that we all face in our daily existence.Some of them are small and seemingly insignificant in the scheme of things such as being late for an appointment or burning dinner in the oven. Some of our tests and challenges loom larger for us, such as a loved one dying, divorce, being fired from a job, a career has lost its reward, a driving dream was not
realized, financial problems, children leaving home, children in crisis and we feel helpless, relocation, retirement, or a sudden physical illness.Too often we beat ourselves up when one of these moments arrive, feeling that we have somehow failed or that we are being punished in some manner.

It is important to realize that tests and challenges are part of everyone's life and are a tool for growth, learning and expanding our perspective on our own life.It helps to view tests and challenges as an opportunity to shift and grow. These life challenges allow us to get out of our narrowly defined world of our egos and assist us with becoming aware of whom we really are versus who we are not.It gives us the opportunity to evolve into our greater self and, ideally, to develop more compassion and love for ourselves as well as for others.Or we can remain stuck. The choice is ours -- but recognize the choice is always there.

These challenge moments make us stop abruptly and examine who we really are,what we expect out of life, how we perceive ourselves and how we want others to perceive us.They define our strengths and our perceived limitations.Once we rise to the challenge of the moment, our perspective can expand.We begin to realize that we are not limited by anyone or anything except for ourselves.We are not victims of our circumstance; we are the creators in our daily lives.Whatever thoughts you had yesterday define who you are today, and whatever thoughts you have today define who you will be tomorrow.

Doc Marion and Doc Tracy

Doc Tracy quoted extensively on www. divorce360.com

cut and paste the link: http://www.divorce360.com/articles/914/are-you-the-cheater.aspx?page=2

Doc Tracy on Mancow Muller Show

7:35 to 7:50am on Tuesday May 27

Listen to Doc Tracy live at www.Mancow.com or any affiliate
station to be found on their site.

Thought for the Weekend

We must become in our lives that which we choose to experience and manifest as if they were already there NOW. Love, compassion, joy...

Feel the feeling as if our heart's desires have already been met.

Then the universe can mirror it back to us.

Docmarion

Fear Blocks Love

What keeps people out of a loving relationship?

Love is always possible and starts with us. Our feelings about our worthiness to be loved, self love, connection , expectations of others, etc.
If we perceive that nothing will go right we are correct, because that is the place from which we will create - negativity and fear.

We are not victims of anyone or any situation. We need to take responsibility for our feelings because we create our reality. Whatever fear or fears that are keeping us from getting out of our stuckness fear of: abandonment, heartache, lack of self love, anger and resentment, how we define ourselves create obstacles to healthy relationships and keep us from being the best that we can be.

Our obstacles need to be acknowledged and transformed so we can make different choices from a place of greater wisdom or we will continue to create a self fulfilling prophesy - another negative relationship.
When we have had negative experiences in relationships, we need to ask ourselves what lessons have we learned. What was he/she reflecting about me that I didn't like? Why do we allow ourselves to get to the point of no return? Did we perceive ourselves to be a victim?

We are in relationships to learn and grow.

EFT ( the emotional freedom technique),meditation and guided imagery are all good techniques to assist in creating a greater awareness and an ability to shift.

Tools to transform can be found in our book mentioned above or on our website at www.12keystoshift.com.

Marion Ross

There is No Easy Way!

A comment from a wise student


Hi everyone! Just wanted to mention a small, but very important point
that our favorite "Shifters" mentioned to me yesterday:
Many of us, myself included, take these classes to find an "easy way"
to fix our lives. During the learning/training sessions, we become
excited to see actual results. Then we go home with this knowledge
like it is a concrete answer that we can hold in our hands and say
"here it is, this is what I need" and then stop at that point. While
none of the techniques are difficult to actually perform, we often
don't do the daily work to keep the positive in our lives. While we
have been given a key, we expect the door to stay unlocked, and that
is not the case. We have to actually use the key. Simple, but true!

Jo-Anne

My Next Life Plan

Who Am I ?

Does this sound familiar? Charlie (or Charlene) has achieved the American Dream. Great success in their career, all the toys (including the yacht, sports car, great house), model wife or husband, great kids, not to mention receiving loads of accolades from the family, peers and community… and yet all Charlie (Charlene) can wonder about is: “Is this all there is? Because I am feeling depressed, empty, unfulfilled. There must be more to life than this!”

When our sense of power and all that we have achieved or accumulated feels meaningless, it’s time to reassess our self. What has seemed like success to you up until now may just be society’s interpretation of success. In the Western world today, we have gone from being heart-centered to being fear-centered. Just pick up any newspaper or turn on any TV to confirm this. Our egos are shaped and trained by the media, society, parents and the Roles that we play in our lives. There is a perception of reality that has been created for us, and often it takes a particular event or crisis in our life to make us begin to question whether this perception resonates with our own true essence.

Are we only the hats we wear? “Hats” refers to the various roles that we play in our lives or masks that we wear; “hats” are ego based. If we do indeed define our self by our hat, we are cooked. Because what will you be when you are no longer a banker, baker, president of the PTA or Exxon, successful speaker, loving parent or dutiful child, rich, powerful, team leader, best golfer, etc? In order to not define our self by a hat that we wear, we need to get in touch with our own true beliefs and awareness of who we really are. It is essential to be aware of how we define ourselves. Pointing out to you that the only true power is love, our sense of connectedness with each other, nature (of which people are indeed a grand part), may leave you thinking that just sounds pretty “out there”, “woo-woo”, New Age, or religious.

Step out of your box for a moment and evaluate where you are. When was the last time you recalled your own gifts, talents and abilities? Can you remember when you used to dream about how you wanted to change the world, perhaps ideally wishing to right some of the social wrongs? Can you just recall a passion you always wanted to pursue? Ask yourself what you missed out on that would have really felt good, been incredibly rewarding or fulfilling to follow while wearing your one of your various hats. What happened to all your heart-felt ideas? They probably don’t have an expiration date. Often they are just forgotten or seemed too lofty or silly or whatever.

Introspection, contemplation, and/or meditation can be useful to explore the question “who am I” at this juncture. Step out of your ego for a moment and prepare to shift your consciousness. Determine what beliefs are yours versus those of your family, media, society, friends, etc. and find out whom you really are. It’s time to get in touch with your inner space and let go of your outer world for a few minutes a day.

Ask yourself: “Am I present in my daily life? Peaceful, calm, centered? Do I have a sense of clarity and direction? Do I feel a sense of power without a need to be in control? How much time do I spend in my heart, in my thoughts, feelings? Do I experience joy and empowerment in my day?” Look at your definition of “Who am I?” Dig deeply within and, if pursuing the American dream isn’t working for you, decide what you need to create in your life going forward. Remember -Life is a banquet of choices once we become aware of what we wish to create in our lives.

Marion Ross & Tracy Latz

Tune in to SHIFT: Tracy on the Bob & Sheri Radio Show 4/10/08

If you would like to hear the show, cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.12keystoshift.com/Podcast/Podcast.html

Creating Discipline for Sport Performance

Whether you are a serious athlete or a weekend warrior these tips are helpful to increase focus and help you perform to the best of your capabilities.

Create discipline through centering:

1. Four rounds of Rhythmic breathing can help both lower your blood pressure and bring you to a state of calm before you begin play or whenever you feel overwhelmed, anxious or stressed during the game. This technique is explained in an earlier post.

2. A daily practice of meditation, yoga or a martial art has long been recognized for increasing focus including Tai Chi and Chi Gong.

3. Light a candle, focus on the the tip of the flame and be mindfully aware of what you see, sense or feel as you look into it and with a continuous stream of expression say out loud whatever it is that you see. As soon as you pause or repeat yourself you must to start over. Try to work up to a continuous expression of what you see for 2 minutes . Use a timer or do this exercise with a partner. This may seem like a silly exercise but it helps create intense focus and concentration .

4. Use a Sport Link or a similar focus trainer. Use the program for sports performance for 20 minutes a day or before you run. This is a great tool which has improved the game of many a pro and Olympic athlete in all fields.

5. Visualization of your goal. See yourself reaching your goal and feeling wonderful about it and with 2 fingers gently tap this vision into your 3rd eye ( between the eyebrows) a few times a day and before you compete. This only works if you are free from the killer issues that are blocking you - see next technique.

6. EFT tapping on your acupoints for lack of discipline, nervousness, anxiety, muscle tension, fear or failure or whatever your issue.
This tool is used to prepare yourself ahead of time and to use whether you are competing or just interested in adding more pleasure and satisfaction to your game. This will relieve the stressors and problems you have identified which are inhibiting you from maximum performance. See our book Shift:12 Keys to Shift Your Life for a more in depth explanation of the technique.
We have both had enormous success using EFT with patients. I often use it both for my own golf game and when I am coaching on the golf course.

Marion Ross & Tracy Latz

Restore Your Emotional Energy

Tie Up Loose Ends

When you procrastinate about attending to unresolved issues they drain your energy emotionally, mentally and often physically. Tackle the troubling things that need to be dealt with and put them to rest. In the meanwhile, be mindful not to allow future problems to be ignored. Our wounds fester when they are not attended to in a timely manner. Realize that buried problems always come to the surface eventually.

Expressing Your True Essence- Tip of the day

How do I know who I am?

Meditate daily and journal regularly. First find a quiet space to go within.
Meditation comes in many forms. Some may achieve this through a walking or guided meditation, drumming , a breathing practice, tai chi or qiqong, or chanting, whatever resonates for you and gets you centered. This helps you stay connected or reconnect with your true essence so you can express it more fully in your daily life.

We have wonderful guided meditations from our companion CD's to our book to assist you. These can be downloaded from: http://www.digstation.com/genre.aspx?genre=newage

Marion Ross & Tracy Latz

Back Pain Alternative Treatments

What alternative treatments (acupuncture, pillows, massage, etc.) can safely treat back pain ?
I have taught many of my patients alternative pain relief methods for various conditions. The following alternative methods could safely treat back pain during pregnancy as well.(I have 3 children of my own and can certainly relate to such a condition):

1) Tennis Ball Massage- A friend or partner can gently but firmly massage the affected area by rolling a tennis ball over the area with the palm of their hand. If the woman has noone to assist her, she can put one or two tennis balls in a long sock and can hold onto the top of the sock while flinging the end with the tennis ball(s) over her shoulder and can either lean against the back of a chair or a wall and gently move/massage the affected area herself with the balls applying pressure.

2) Meditation/Guided Imagery- Meditation or guided imagery can be used to diminish pain. Picturing a golden ball of light that starts at the feet and then slowly moving over the whole body relaxing and calming every area of the body as it passes. I have compiled a series of 24 guided meditations for various purposed titled SHIFT (available through www.CDBaby.com ).

3) Reiki/Healing Touch- We all instinctively place our hands on or over areas of our or another person's body that is in pain or distress. We have the ability to channel energy or life force or chi (qi) through the center of the palms of our hands to ourself or to another person if there is a need. While the intensity of the energy flow may be greater in someone who is attuned to or trained in Reiki or some other hands on healing/energy medicine technique, anyone can be a channel of this type of energy if they set their intention/desire to do so.

4) Polarity Therapy- We all have positive and negative poles in our body. If there is an area of the body that is experiencing pain or distress, we or another person can place the middle finger ("the fire finger") of one hand on the center of the spot that is in distress. Then we place the first ("pointer") finger of the other hand on the body directly on the opposite side of the body from where the fire finger is now placed. Then you simply hold the position until you feel or sense that the current or energy field moves the pain or distress out of the area (you can literally feel it being pulled out).

5) Music, Tones or Toning- There are various types of music that we are naturally drawn to that feel healing at different times. Become attuned to which music is most helpful to you when you are in pain, feeling sad, stressed or angry. Certain musical notes, tones, and specific colors can have healing or calming effects on different areas of the body. For instance, wearing red over an area of pain may intensify pain, while wearing pale blue or pink over an area of pain may soothe the pain and calm the area.

6) Acupuncture- While acupuncture can be extremely helpful for various pain situations, it is important to look for a trained acupuncturist with lots of experience in working on pregnant women as there are some points that should be avoided during pregnancy as they can induce labor.

7) EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)- This is based on tapping on some of the accupuncture points gently with one's fingertips while stating specific statements or affirmations. It can be easily learned and is safe during pregnancy. We teach a quick protocol inour book and you can learn the longer version at the website www.emofree.com by the founder of EFT, Gary Craig.

Tracy Latz, M.D.,M.S

From our book SHIFT: 12 Keys To Shift Your Life we offer the tip of the week for dealing with stress:

1) Rhythmic or Box Breathing - Rhythmic (or Box) Breathing is a helpful technique for rapidly decreasing stress, anxiety, heart rate or blood pressure. It also is centering and prepares you for a meditation or a peaceful night?s sleep.


Think of your breathing pattern as if it were a box or square drawn on a piece of paper with the breathing in being the left upward drawn line, holding your in-breath as the line on the top of the square from left to right, breathing out as the line going downward on the right side, and then the holding of the out-breath being the line from right to left on the bottom side of the square.


You slowly count the length of your breath going in, being held, or going out that is right for you. The length of your in-breath and out-breath should be the same count; just as the length of the held breath at top and bottom should be the same number of counts. As you practice your breathing, you might find that your square is actually a rectangle. Each person may find they have a different count from another person; and that is fine as we are all unique individuals. Just make certain that you are not strained in your breathing in or out or with the breath holds at top or bottom; if you find you are strained, then change the length of your counts for different sides of your ?box? of breathing.


Once you find the pattern of your square or rectangular box that works best for you, go through 4 to 5 complete rounds of the rhythmic breathing and notice how your body and mind respond.