In the '80s, at American Health magazine, we often giggled
about a remarkable study on what is called "referred pain," in
which a balloon was attached to a long tube and inserted into the
rectums of some brave volunteers. The experimental procedure was sort of
like a colonoscopy, but instead of looking for polyps, the researchers
would inflate the balloon at various places along the colon to mimic
severe constipation -- and to trace where it might hurt. And the short
answer was, "Everywhere." Inflating the balloon created
stomach pain, back pain, neck pain, headaches, and joint pains. The
results underscored the deep significance of the phrase to "relieve
oneself" -- and also pointed to the vast complexities of diagnosing
pain. Where something hurts may have little to do with what is actually
causing the pain.
By the same token, profound healings can occur with seemingly
ordinary movements someplace else -- with results that can seem like
magic.
I was reminded of simple yet seemingly magical healings on a recent
visit to Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, which is located in the
Berkshires near Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Kripalu feels like a place
of healing. The grounds are spectacularly beautiful and soothing, the
site of a Carnegie mansion called Shadowbrook. The mansion burned, and
land was then given to the Catholic Church, and a Jesuit Seminary was
built in 1957. But the seminary never reached capacity, and in 1983 the
enormous building became an ashram for the devotees of Amrit Desai, a
guru in the lineage of the Indian saint Swami Kripalvananda. In the
early '90s, however, the celibate, all-volunteer organization was
racked with scandal, as Desai was exposed for having sex with his
devotees and living extravagantly on about $350,000 a year. The ashram
dissolved, but many of the devotees stayed to transform the place into a
not-for-profit yoga school and retreat center. Their goal was to embody
the ideals of Swami Kripalu in a sustainable business, and they have
succeeded. Kripalu has been rated the best yoga retreat in the nation
and currently trains about 500 yoga instructors annually. All told,
about 30,000 people now come each year for yoga training, special
events, or simply a few glorious days of R&R. Kripalu recently
opened a more luxurious and remarkably "green" 30,000 square
foot annex to keep up with their guests.
But it wasn't the yoga classes or postures that sparked
thoughts of miraculous pain relief. Instead, it was the Healing Arts
Center on the fourth floor, where many of the therapists are trained in
a form of gentle postural manipulation known as "positional
therapy," or "strain/ counter-strain." Developed by
osteopath Lawrence Jones in the '50s, the healing therapy is based
on creating proper alignment for the pelvis. By looking at my pelvic
alignment, for example, my therapist, Henry Horning, PT, quickly
pinpointed two painful spots in my spine and shoulder (the result of
years of rowing) -- places that various massage therapists have worked
on from time to time. But this time, by shifting my pelvic alignment
while I was fully clothed, both the painful areas relaxed. This pain
relief required no direct rubbing at all.
But the more dramatic healing occurred during a session that I
watched. After the pelvic alignment, the therapist, Lee Albert, asked
the woman if anything hurt, and she mentioned her hand. She said she had
been to hand surgeon who had failed to diagnose the beginnings of
arthritis but gave her a brace to wear at night. When the pain became
chronic, other doctors recognized the arthritis, declared it incurable,
and suggested ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation. But Albert saw it
differently. Her arthritis was an inflammation caused by a muscle being
under strain, so he took her hand and squeezed for about a minute to put
a "counter-strain" on another muscle that would allow the
tight muscle to relax. Much to her surprise, her pain went away. Albert
showed her how to provide her own counter-strain and suggested soaks
with Epsom salts. Two weeks later, she reports that her pain is much
reduced. Had the exercises been started when her symptoms first
appeared, she might not even have neck pain treatment arthritis.
Easy access to ever more powerful painkillers means that we often
don't fix things when they begin to hurt -- before the sore hand is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0l6od5PMZM
crippled or the sore hip needs replacement -- and before the gut lining
and liver are ravaged by painkillers. And most doctors are not trained
in healing arts like positional therapy and have no "billing
codes" for it, so they won't be reimbursed by insurance if
they learn. By the same token, many doctors still don't understand
that "incurable" is an extremely damaging way of saying
"I don't know how to cure it." The body is made of at
least 10 trillion cells, so the likelihood of anyone understanding all
its connections and misconnections is zero.
Albert also says that the basics of the therapy are not difficult
and can be learned during a weekend intensive at Kripalu. Will such a
week provide "miraculous" pain relief? Who knows? But the
combination of a beautiful and loving environment, high-fiber organic
foods, yoga, massage, and gentle body alignment probably makes for the
best overall health insurance one can get.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MiraclePainReliefatKripalu?-a0277998949
