Archive for the ‘Parkinson’s Disease & My Chinese Father’ Category

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog Post Number 600; Part 3 of first trilogy on our Beautiful Brains -

2021 January 11, 22:55 — January 12, 00:10; January 12, 22:18–23:28;  January 13, 14:14–15:10; 17:44–19:27; 19:56–22:36

California USA

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Look what happens when persistent (chronic) pain pathways take over the other brain functions – impacting my emotions, problem-solving, memory, creativity, and …”

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All graphics in this blog post are from Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO

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When Beautiful Brain is not producing pain -

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When Beautiful Brain is producing acute pain –

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When Beautiful Brain is producing persistent (chronic) pain -

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According to Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, Dr. Norman Doidge, Dr. Danielle Rosenman -

There are 9 areas in the thinking brain (actually a few more, because some are on both sides of the brain) that control our personal experience of pain and discomfort. This is where pain signals are received.  Normally, only 5% of the nerve cells in the brain process pain.  In persistent pain, 15-25% of the cells of the entire brain are involved! The actual map of the brain has changed, with an increased part of the map given to pain.  This is because the pain areas get bigger, stealing nerves and synapses (connections) from the rest of the brain.

The relationship between pain (or discomfort) and mood (includes anxiety and depression):

Remember that the brain has different areas for different functions? It’s actually more complicated than that! Many brain functions are located in the same areas or are very close together, and there are some shared connections. (Review: “Nerves that fire together wire together.”)

Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden say to “flood” the brain map, interrupt pain signals with pleasurable –

- THOUGHTS

- IMAGES

- SENSATIONS

- MEMORIES

- SOOTHING EMOTIONS

- MOVEMENT

- BELIEFS

Dr. Danielle Rosenman adds: “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your Brain.”

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I refuse to let pain pathways hijack other Brain functions. Some days I win the steering wheel/control panel. Other days Pain/Depression win. The more consistent I give my Beautiful Brain pleasure, the more winning days I shall have.

“Dr. Danielle Rosenman (via ZOOM sessions) has guided and coached me (with techniques from Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden) in creating my unique ‘bag of tricks’ to interrupt pain, depression and other unpleasant signals.”

Dr. Norman Doidge and Professor Lorimer Moseley say: “MOVEMENT is critical in retraining the nervous system. Even imagining movement will retrain the system!”

https://www.normandoidge.com/

https://www.neura.edu.au/staff/prof-lorimer-moseley/

How do I create Pleasure for my Brain? How do I communicate with / give feedback to my Brain?

My evolving “Bag of Tricks” (with the 7 modalities) to give my Beautiful Brain pleasure:

“Imagining” any of these modalities when I can’t access the physical form (especially during COVID-19 Stay At Home order) serves me well.

THOUGHTS -

When pain or depression signals (including unpleasant thoughts) pop up, I have to interrupt them with pleasurable thoughts.

Pleasurable Thoughts this month include:  candied wintermelon pastry (thanks to MT’s selecting); sweet persimmons (thanks to EO); Nan’s signature pesto; Linda’s signature pear Clafoutis; Sasa’s signature salads; Pad Thai with fresh ingredients.

IMAGES -

Because our brains store all experiences (including what we see in movies. read about, and hear about…), I have to stay away from all unpleasant images (even some of my favorite movies, details of sensational news) while I am retraining Beautiful Brain

Pleasurable images include looking at – my photos taken in Paris; postcards of paintings by  Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall; photos from MT of her hikes; photos from Marie-Christine (she’s in France);  photos of nature and kids (2-legged and 4-legged ones) from all my friends; art by Chandra Garsson, Cynthia Tom, Cris Matos, Sharon Leong;  photos of Happy Dog (my sister Maria Kawah Leung’s hero in her book Little Heroes Of Bay Street);  seeing Linda’s little Gracie; the montage (of me and “Brain-no-pain”) at the end of this blog post.

SENSATIONS -

Some sensations I liked (before persistent pain began) aren’t pleasurable right now – drinking hot tea fuels pain right now.

While I am happy for neighbors who are modifying their house for “Aging In Place”, the construction noise (hammering, drilling) also fuels pain and depression right now.

Pleasurable sensations include -  cool and cold water on skin; seeing green plants, blue sky, squirrels and hummingbirds in our patio and neighbor’s; laughing at GOMER PYLE USMC episodes (especially Season 3, Episode 6); smiling for myself; listening to “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy; tasting sweet fruit on tongue; smelling roses; firm and soothing touch to the body part that is feeling pain.

MEMORIES -

Because our brains store all memories … when unpleasant memories pop up, I have to interrupt them with pleasant ones.

Pleasurable memories:

- Being with people I care about.

- Eating breads and quiches, buying postcards, and walking and gawking at buildings in Paris

- Living sans clutter

SOOTHING EMOTIONS – this is most difficult for me

When my reaction to someone’s behavior brings on pain and other unpleasant signals, I send my thoughts to what the person means to me.

Remember what the good doctors said about “the relationship between pain (or discomfort) and mood (includes anxiety and depression)?

Please see Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION page 35 through page 75.  And, I hope you’ll find someone like Dr. Danielle Rosenman to coach you.

MOVEMENT -

Walking in the neighborhood (when my Brain is occupied with looking, listening, smelling… I feel no pain); dancing with Ms. Sophia Loren, Ms. Rita Hayworth, and Ms. Cyd Charisse (thanks to Youtube clips) ; imagining flying (ballet) over Paris; and running on dirt tracks and fields of wildflowers!

BELIEFS -

That I hold the power to be pain-free and depression-free; that every task can be accomplished with ease; that wellness is reality

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung at Place des Vosges, Paris.(photo by Margie Yee Webb et Sasa Southard 2016)

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Thank you, Dr. Norman Doidge, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, and Professor Lorimer Moseley!

Thank you, Naomi Schaeffer Draper, M.S. Physical Therapist, for teaching me Feldenkrais techniques! Thank you, mentor Lynn Scott, for the referral!

Thank you, Dr. Danielle Rosenman!

https://www.medicalcounseling.net/   Danielle Rosenman, M.D. uses neuroplasticity, imagery, meditation, psychotherapy, and other techniques in her Medical Counseling practice and in her innovative “Tools for Healing” groups.

Thank you, Dr. Amy Grace Lam !  vibrational energy healer

http://amygracelam.com/

Thank you, all dear hearts who care about me and have helped/are helping me on this journey !!!!!

My next blog post will be about what I continue to learn from: “Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley – Successful Ageing Seminar 2013″  https://youtu.be/5p6sbi_0lLc  41 minutes

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

I wish you, dear Reader and your Beautiful Brain, wellness!

Sincerely,

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung, photo by Emily O. on Nov 8, 2020

Love Made Of Heart ®

To read Part 1 of my trilogy on our Beautiful Brains:

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ would feel NO pain” http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-theme-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-scarecrow-in-the-wizard-of-oz-would-feel-no-pain/

To read Part 2 of my trilogy on our Beautiful Brains:

Story Continuity/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Adaptable Brain, Let Quiet Enter.” http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/storytheme-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-adaptable-brain-let-quiet-enter/

Teresa Jade LeYung, an American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a story continuity/theme consultant, author of LOVE MADE OF HEART (daughter-mother novel archived at the San Francisco History Center and used by college professors), BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS (a workbook), and TALKING TO MY DEAD MOM Monologues (the first monologue received an award from Redwood Writers Ten-Minute Play Festival), an advocate for public libraries and public schools, creator of http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/ , and, admirer of City of Light. Composing Haiku poems is a new love for LeYung.

January 3, 2021 California USA 20:00-22:00

Thank you, Marie-Christine Cornet, for sending this lovely image from France!

Meilleurs voeux 2021!

 Story/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Adaptable Brain, Let Quiet Enter.”

IS part 2 of my trilogy to honor our Beautiful Brains.

Finding URLs (of videos posted on Youtube) for mentors has given me an opportunity to learn (again) what I can do to help myself transform persistent pain signals (when there isn’t new damage to body tissue) and depression signals… into a refreshed Brain so that I can do what I love doing during my waking hours.  I am most grateful to the precious people in my life who care about my well-being.

 May these sites help you, dear Reader, and your loved ones too . . .

 Norman Doidge, M.D.

https://www.normandoidge.com/

“Dr. Norman Doidge | The Power of Thought” on YouTube  https://youtu.be/2c5aTlq3nYI

Dr. Doidge’s first book – The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (translated into 26 languages)

Dr. Doidge’s second book – The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity (translated into 19 languages so far)

Professor Lorimer Moseley

Dr. Danielle Rosenman

Teresa Jade LeYung’s Haiku poem 2020 December 28 Monday 03:55

Sweet raindrop music

May we all be safe and warm

Today and always

(Although the 5-7-5 structure was added on December 28, 2020 to honor the Haiku form,  the composition has been my fervent prayer for decades, long before the word “pandemic” was in my daily vocabulary.  Because Haiku poems aren’t titled, please accept the publishing date as identifier for this piece.)

Teresa Jade LeYung’s Haiku poem  2021 January 3 Sunday 20:40

Quiet please enter

Let Brain imagine Paris

Depression Pain leave

To read Part 1 of my trilogy on our Beautiful Brains:

Story/Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ would feel NO pain” http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-theme-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-scarecrow-in-the-wizard-of-oz-would-feel-no-pain/

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

Sincerely,

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O

Love Made Of Heart ®

Teresa Jade LeYung, an American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a story/theme consultant, author of LOVE MADE OF HEART (daughter-mother novel archived at the San Francisco History Center and used by college professors), BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS (a workbook), and TALKING TO MY DEAD MOM Monologues (the first monologue received an award from Redwood Writers Ten-Minute Play Festival), an advocate for public libraries and public schools, creator of http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/ , and, admirer of City of Light. Composing Haiku poems is a new love for LeYung.

Updated 2020 November 6, 13:22 PST

2020 October 29 California USA

2020 November 4,5,6

In American author L. Frank Baum’s children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,  Dorothy and her dog Toto meet the Scarecrow who wants a brain, the Tin Woodman who wants a heart, and the Lion who wants courage.

I shall focus on what the Scarecrow doesn’t have and wants.

The Scarecrow who doesn’t have a brain would feel no pain.  He can’t.

He might sustain injuries and illnesses, but, until he gets a full brain (the thinking conscious brain in addition to the automatic survival brain), he would not feel any pain. Without the thinking conscious brain, he wouldn’t feel any sensation – pleasant ones or unpleasant ones.

Unpleasant sensations?   Pain.  Depression. Anxiety.

If I were the Wizard, before granting Mr. Scarecrow what he wants, I would tell him this:

Dear Mr. Scarecrow,

When you get what you want – a beautiful brain – you will be getting an adaptable nervous system – adaptability which scientists call neuroplasticity.  The brain changes whenever we learn to do something new or when we stop doing something. The brain produces sensations, including pain.  According to Dr. Norman Doidge,  Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, Dr. Danielle Rosenman, Professor Lorimer Moseley and other neuroscientists and physicians … pain is our most sophisticated protective device.

In Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s most engaging workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION, they inform: “Acute pain is an alarm going off in the brain that signifies danger and/or damage to the body….  The experience of pain may be the single most important perception we have to help us survive…. This is quite different than persistent pain experience, in which the signal sets up an endless loop between body and brain, inflammatory processes become chronic, anti-inflammatory processes are overwhelmed, and the nerve cells dedicated to pain increase up to five-fold.  Acute pain helps with survival while persistent pain transforms danger into misery.”

In his presentations, Professor Lorimer Moseley says: “We feel pain in our body, in a particular location, but, it is impossible to feel pain without the brain, and, it is definitely possible to feel pain without the body part.”

Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden also say: “This is why general anesthetics work – by separating the thinking conscious brain from the automatic survival brain. During anesthesia, the survival part of the brain stays active, but, the perceptive part of the brain is turned off.”

By the way, Dr. Moskowitz is Chapter 1 in Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself -  Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

I am giving you this information because you say you want a brain.  Understanding how your brain and pain pathways work can help dissipate fear.  Your loyal friends will stick by you, as mine have (I am forever grateful to them), but, you will be the one experiencing the sensations. Even the most courageous heroes can feel defeated when persistent pain takes over their lives.

“What is the antidote for pain, depression, anxiety, and other unpleasant symptoms?  PLEASURE.

“How to accomplish this?

“By studying the brain and practicing … by using thoughts, images, sensations, soothing memories, soothing emotions, movement, and beliefs … to harness the power of our brains,” Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden instruct.  On the last page of their workbook, they leave us with plenty of hope: “Neuroplastic Transformation opens a new approach to treating people living with persistent pain ….   The overarching message is that persistent pain can be challenged and defeated  by using the same principles that have created it.”

The simple act of smiling for yourself will help your beautiful brain’s natural production of chemicals that include GABA, Anandamide, Endorphins, Oxytocin.

Dr. Danielle Rosenman reminded me:  “When you learn to talk to your brain, you are opening up a new life.” Thank you, Dr. Rosenman

Mr. Scarecrow, I wish you a new beautiful life. Also, I wish you, and Dorothy, Toto, Mr. Tin Woodman, Mr. Lion, and everyone you folks care about — safety, excellent health, and plenty of pleasure for all your beautiful brains.

Here are the names of a few “Wonderful Wizards” who have enriched my life through their books about our brains and wellness, their talks, or their treatments

https://youtu.be/5p6sbi_0lLc  to see the 41 minute talk  “Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley – Successful Ageing Seminar 2013″ on Youtube

http://www.neuroplastix.com/  for Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden - TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION workbook and webinars and brain graphics

http://www.normandoidge.com/ for Dr. Norman Doidge (look for his talks posted on Youtube)

Dr. Doidge’s first book – The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (translated into 26 languages)

Dr. Doidge’s second book – The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity (translated into 19 languages so far)

To my compassionate primary care physician (present and past) and the entire team at SEBMF, I thank you!

https://www.medicalcounseling.net/   Danielle Rosenman, M.D. uses neuroplasticity, imagery, meditation, psychotherapy, and other techniques in her Medical Counseling practice and in her innovative “Tools for Healing” groups.

http://amygracelam.com/ Dr. Amy Grace Lam, vibrational energy healer,  says: “I do this work by connecting with your body’s vibrational energy field to learn what unconscious beliefs and emotions are hindering you the most and supporting you in accessing your body’s wisdom for transformation.”

http://www.duskyswondersite.com/ Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, MFT says: “Mind/body approaches such as EMDR and Emotional Freedom Technique are scientifically proven methods that we might use to address trauma or deep emotional wounds.”

http://www.mariechristinecornet.com/ Marie-Christine Cornet (now in France), Chi Nei Tsang and Somatic Experience practitioner, says: “Connecting to your body and its wealth of intelligence and wisdom is the portal to living Life deeply and authentically.”

http://stephaniedoucette.com/  Stephanie Doucette, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. OM, is a California Licensed Acupuncturist and Clinical Herbalist. She is nationally certified as a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine and practices integrative orthopedic therapy, bringing together acupuncture, deep tissue massage and manual orthopedic techniques to treat neuromuscular injury and chronic pain.

https://www.victoriasweet.com/ for Dr. Victoria Sweet

Dr. Sweet’s first book – God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine

Dr. Sweet’s second book - Slow Medicine: The Way to Healing

Remember to smile for your beautiful brain, not just on the Yellow Brick Road but wherever you are.  During the pandemic when we’re all wearing masks to protect others and ourselves… all the more reason to smile for your brain’s pleasure pathways.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Love Made Of Heart ®

Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ would feel NO pain”

I recommend this spellbinding workbook -

Transforming the Brain In Pain

Neuroplastic Transformation

by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD and Marla D. Golden, DO

Why doesn’t the pain stop?

Listen to your body talk

Use your brain to stop your pain

https://shop.neuroplastix.com/Neuroplastic-Transformation-Workbook-92-W8PZ-LIIY.htm

http://www.neuroplastix.com/ for Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s webinars

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O, July 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

To help prevent spread of COVID-19 virus, I wear face-covering AND keep at least 6-foot-distance with people who don’t live with me. No blaming No shaming; I protect myself and everyone else.

Teresa Jade LeYung speaks out and offers resources through her Blog: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Teresa talks about her work of art entitled ”Four Desks for the Four Femmes In Me” at A PLACE OF HER OWN (Founder/Director/Curator: Cynthia Tom) 2018 Exhibition https://youtu.be/JtvIsTjcbOk  2 minutes, 44 seconds

Teresa Jade LeYung, September 2019 photo by Mary E. Knippel

Teresa Jade LeYung, an American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a manuscript-theme consultant, author of Love Made Of Heart (daughter-mother novel archived at the San Francisco History Center), Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days (a workbook), and Talking To My Dead Mom (monologues), advocate for public libraries and public schools, and, admirer of City of Light.

P.S. October 11, 2020

THE Dr. Michael Moskowitz (Chapter 1 in Dr. Norman Doidge’s book  THE BRAIN’S WAY OF HEALING) has cowritten a most engaging workbook with Dr. Marla Golden – TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN.

Thank you, Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden !!

Neuroplastic Transformation Workbook

YOUR BRAIN ON PAIN

by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD and Marla D. Golden, DO

https://shop.neuroplastix.com/Neuroplastic-Transformation-Workbook-92-W8PZ-LIIY.htm

Visit http://www.neuroplastix.com/ for Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s webinars

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P.P.S.  October 12, 2020

During Q&A in Webinar Part One, Dr. Moskowitz praises how Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor in his presentations and says to find his talks on YouTube.

“Pain, the brain and your amazing protectometer – Lorimer Moseley” https://youtu.be/lCF1_Fs00nM

 ”Professor Lorimer Mosely, ‘The Pain Revolution’, April 2017″  https://youtu.be/oji2mfcjisk

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October 14, 2020

03:33 – 07:00 California 2020 August 22

The best time to read books about improving one’s health, recovering from illness, how our beautiful brain works IS when one is not battling illness.

Five years ago, I read Dr. Norman Doidge’s books to help people I love; they were battling illness and disease, they didn’t have the bandwidth to read or listen to audio books.  Now, five years later,  I am the one who doesn’t have energy to read …  I am the person who is experiencing “brain continues sending pain messages even though my illness is running its course”.  Please, Beautiful Brain, STOP already.

I am thankful that I did read years ago; I know what to do to help my brain stop overwhelming me with pain signals.

Knowledge that leads to health and wellness – this is my wish for everyone.

Dr. Doidge’s books are most engaging- I learned from the stories – I did NOT have to look up medical terms; the footnotes were equally engaging.

NOT having current information about how our brains work (to help every part of the body) would be like operating life with the belief that the world is flat.

NOT having current information about how our brains work  is to give up on ourselves or people we care about and let other people’s attitude and behavior ( “there’s nothing more we can do about your condition” or “keep on taking these drugs and be warned about horrific side effects”) dictate the outcome of our well-being.

http://www.normandoidge.com

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Dr. Doidge’s books make for fascinating reads – our brains and the phenomenon of neuroplasticity -  thank you to all the patients who did not give up, their advocates and their physicians who did not give up, and the dedicated neuroscientists . . .  for providing the stories.

Even if your physicians and healers have not read this book . . . YOU can arm yourselves with the information and ask them targeted questions and give you referrals.  How can doctors know what you want when they juggle 20 patients in a day?

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

is vailable in over 100 countries, and 19 languages including translations in Italian, French, German,  Spanish, Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil,  Finnish Hungarian,  Czech, Polish,  Romanian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Traditional Characters, Chinese Simplified Characters, Turkish.

English Editions: North American Editions, (Viking Penguin U.S.A.) UK Edition, (Penguin U.K.) Australian & New Zealand Edition (Scribe) Kindle Edition, Amazon.     Audio books by Brilliance Audio in North America, and Bolinda in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand

In my October 21, 2015 blog post “The Brain’s Way of Healing – Chapter Titles and Index in Book Spark Hope and Motivation to Ask Physicians the Right Questions”  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/the-brains-way-of-healing-chapter-titles-and-index-in-book-spark-hope-and-motivation-to-ask-physicians-the-right-questions/  I had written:

I understand now. . . that our brains can change themselves, and, our brains create “maps” for every body part; if I don’t use a body part/a movement, my brain operates on a “use it or lose it” basis.

The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge, M.D.

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself

Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

Chapter 2 A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms

How Exercise Helps Fend Off Degenerative Disorders and Can Defer Dementia

Chapter 3 The Stages of Neuroplastic Healing

How and Why It Works

Chapter 4 Rewiring a Brain with Light

Using Light to Reawaken Dormant Neural Circuits

Chapter 5 Moshe Feldenkrais: Physicist, Black Belt, and Healer

Healing Serious Brain Problems Through Mental Awareness of Movement

Chapter 6 A Blind Man Learns to See

Using Feldenkrais, Buddhist, and Other Neuroplastic Methods

Chapter 7 A Device That Resets the Brain

Stimulating Neuromodulation to Reverse Symptoms

I. A Cane Against the Wall

II. Three Resets: Parkinson’s, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis

III. The Cracked Potters

IV. How the Brain Balances Itself—with a Little Help

Chapter 8 A Bridge of Sound

The Special Connection Between Music and the Brain

I. A Dyslexic Boy Reverses His Misfortune

II. A Mother’s Voice

III. Rebuilding the Brain from the Bottom Up: Autism, Attention Deficits, and Sensory Processing Disorder

IV. Solving the Mystery at the Abbey: How Music Raises Our Spirits and Energy

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Another book that ought to be in every home is

Victoria Sweet, M.D.’s new book

SLOW MEDICINE The Way to Healing 

https://www.victoriasweet.com/  Over the years that Victoria Sweet has been a physician, “healthcare” has replaced medicine, “providers” look at their laptops more than at their patients, and costs keep soaring, all in the ruthless pursuit of efficiency.

Victoria Sweet, M.D. is the award-winning author of God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Knowledge that leads to health and wellness – this is my wish for everyone.

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

Sincerely,

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O, August 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Theme Consultant / Author / Advocate

Teresa Jade LeYung

Love Made Of Heart ®

I wish you and everyone around you safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious eats, and sweet laughter!

To help prevent spread of virus, I wear face-covering AND keep at least 6-foot-distance with people who don’t live with me.

No blaming No shaming; I protect myself and everyone else.

Teresa Jade LeYung speaks out and offers resources through her Blog: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Fernando Flores Esq. says:

On the July 31, 2020 episode of Health and Wellness University,  I interviewed Amy Grace Lam, Ph.D.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-body-and-spirit-connection/id1344979967?i=1000486753700

Amy Grace Lam is a healer, writer and activist committed to supporting diverse global communities for healing and transformation. Through her energy work, Amy creates experiences for individuals to bridge spiritual and physical realities into a magical conversation with each other.

She loves working with individuals to connect to their inner wisdom, step into their leadership and confidently manifest their gifts to the world. Amy’s writing and art have been featured in literary and academic journals and Bay Area performance and artistic venues.

She works with immigrant and refugee serving organizations to vision and design transformative programs.

To connect with Amy, please visit:   http://amygracelam.com/

Vibrational Energy Coaching         

Reconnect to your body’s knowing  

Are you looking to improve your mind-body-spirit connection? Do you tend to ignore what your body is saying to you?  Do you want to understand how your emotions affect your body and how to change your body’s response to emotional triggers?  Are you curious about exploring your connection to your higher self, your ancestors, nature and the universe?

Amy Grace Lam says: “Reconnect to your body’s knowing”

Teresa Jade LeYung says:”Thank you, dear Amy Grace Lam, for teaching me how to listen, ask questions, listen some more … to my body and reconnect to intuition / my body’s knowing. You helped me solved three life-changing problems, and, I was able to go home to Paris again and again, with peace of mind and joy in my heart. I am forever grateful.”

What is “The Health and Wellness University”? 

https://www.healthandwellness.university/hwu/ Podcast supports others in their journey to achieve optimal levels of health and holistic wellness. Health and Wellness University? focuses on key areas of well-being, including physical, social, spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, environmental, intellectual, occupational, nutritional, relationships, energy, stress management, anxiety, depression, purpose, and recreation.

 

 

*****

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O, July 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Teresa Jade LeYung

Love Made Of Heart ®

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

Teresa Jade LeYung says:  “I wish everyone safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious eats, and sweet laughter. To help prevent spread of virus, I wear face-covering AND keep at least 6-foot-distance with people who don’t live with me.  No blaming No shaming; I protect myself and everyone else.”

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Teresa Jade LeYung, American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a manuscript-theme consultant, author of Love Made Of Heart (archived at the San Francisco History Center), Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days, and Talking To My Dead Mom monologues, and, advocate for public libraries and public schools. Teresa speaks out and offers resources through her Blog: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

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Please share – panel of experts and helpful Q&A at Senator Nancy Skinner’s July 24, 2020 virtual Town Hall on the senator’s Home Page https://sd09.senate.ca.gov/

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How to Protect Yourself & Others (this page offers information in 5 languages)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

 

 

23:40  28 July 2020 California

14:58  31 July 2020 California

Studying the performance by actress Marsha Mason (portraying Maggie Paul) in the movie CINDERELLA LIBERTY  (screenplay by Darryl Ponicsan) led me to watching (again) the movie THE GOODBYE GIRL (written by Neil Simon) where Ms. Mason portrays Paula McFadden.

By the way – the term “Cinderella Liberty” is used in the Navy -  a pass that expires at midnight.

In the movie The Goodbye Girl,  Richard Dreyfuss portrays Elliot Garfield (Mr. Dreyfuss’s performance brought him the Best Actor Oscar award.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-whraNgiWH0 )

In the movie version of the play LOST IN YONKERS (written by Neil Simon), Mr. Dreyfuss portrays Louie Kurnitz (Uncle Louie the gangster).

One video leads to another to another ….

Mindscape: Oscar-winning Actor Richard Dreyfuss on Living with Bipolar Disorder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsE6c4XkiAc

The Menninger Clinic Chief of Staff John M. Oldham, MD, MS interviews actor Richard Dreyfuss who talks about his experience living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder also known as manic depressive disorder.

Mr. Dreyfuss said:

“I started calling myself manic-depressive when I was 14.”

“… when people say ‘I looked up at the stars, I realized how small I was.’  Well, when I looked up at the stars, I knew how big I was.”

Dr. Oldham asked Mr. Dreyfuss about stigmas.

Mr. Dreyfuss said:

“I did not fall into the trap of hating myself.”

“One of the reasons I said that my manic-depression worked for me was that I was able to turn every bad thing into a good thing … when I was not a good academic student, I became the best glib talker in class. They couldn’t fail me because I was too vivid….”

“Right protocol of medication. I am Richard inclusive of my drugs.”

“The darkness of depression”

Mr. Dreyfuss didn’t use one-word adjectives; he told us stories (his experiences), he painted pictures for us.

Thank you, Mr. Dreyfuss! You have helped me gain understanding of how my mother suffered, also how she thrived, living with mental illness.

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Stamp Out Stigma is a consumer driven advocacy and educational outreach program designed to make positive changes in the public perception of mental illness and inform the community about the personal, social, economic and political challenges faced by people living with mental illness. Founded by Carmen Lee. Ms. Lee has moved to eastern USA. Ms. Lee, wherever you go, you educate, inspire, and empower us. Thank you!

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To: Mr. Sam Huss, Community Outreach Specialist at RehabSpot.com

Thank you for your email of July 30, 2020 asking me to include your page  “Determining If You Need Rehab or Detox” https://www.rehabspot.com/treatment/before-begins/determining-need-rehab/

BOOKS:

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Stories of Remarkable Recoveries and Discoveries by Norman Doidge, M.D.

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge, M.D.

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http://californiaclubhouse.org/

California Clubhouse… Working to bring Clubhouse to San Mateo County in 2014  
     Our mission The mission of California Clubhouse is to give those whose lives have been disrupted by mental illness the opportunity to recover meaningful work and relationships as they reintegrate into the broader community.

Thank you, Diane W., for telling me about California Clubhouse’s  immediate goal to raise $350,000 to finance the 2014 launch.  June 2016 now – California Clubhouse’s home is in San Carlos!

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https://nami.org/

National Alliance on Mental Illness

From its inception in 1979, NAMI has been dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

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https://bringchange2mind.org/

 1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind.

BringChange2Mind.org is a not-for-profit organization created by Glenn Close, the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF), Fountain House, and Garen and Shari Staglin of IMHRO (International Mental Health Research Organization).

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How the movie The Goodbye Girl and the movie Lost In Yonkers led to Dr. John M. Oldham’s interviewing Oscar-winner Actor Richard Dreyfuss Living with Bipolar Disorder, Manic Depression… led to my gaining a better understanding of how my mother suffered and also thrived living with mental illness.

I wish you and everyone around you safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious eats, and sweet laughter!

Sincerely,

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O, July 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Author and Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung

“To help prevent spread of COVID-19, I wear face-covering AND keep at least 6-foot distance with people who don’t live with me.  No blaming No shaming; I protect myself and everyone else.”

published December  14, 2019

Reading Victoria Sweet, M.D.’s new book SLOW MEDICINE The Way to Healing https://www.victoriasweet.com/ and watching/listening to Carole King (“A Conversation with Carole King” – Veteran journalist Mike Barnicle talks to Ms. King about her memoir A NATURAL  WOMAN at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on April 12, 2012) https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/2012-04-12-a-conversation-with-carole-king motivated my completing Part 2 of Author Teresa Jade LeYung’s New Monologue “What The Man In 17-B Wanted”

In my blog post http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/blog-post-3-of-3-papa-makes-decision-while-in-nursing-home-again-by-teresa-jade-leyung/  my father was coping with his circumstances – as a reluctant resident at a nursing home.

This is what happened in November and December 2018.

Remember that piece of paper that I needed to fill out for the nursing home staff? The one about naming a mortuary.  Every resident must fill out that form http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/author-teresa-jade-leyungs-new-monologue-what-the-man-in-17-b-wanted-part-1/

Well, there is another form to deal with – “Notice to Terminate Lease” -  the agreement between my father and the apartment building property management – that a tenant must give up his lease after six months of absence and vacate his apartment.

I waited for a “good” day to show this second document to my father.  Only his signature would be accepted by the property manager.  That day, Papa appeared to be cheerful, the sun was shining. I said to him: “Papa, remember you went to the hospital in July? You’re safe here with nurses and CNAs who care about you. Your Social Security money is paying for you to be here. There is no money to pay for your apartment too. Also, the lease says that you have to give up the apartment by end of December. I will help you. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. You just have to sign this paper.  Okay?”

He signed.  I don’t know what happened after I said “Goodnight” to him. He probably cried when no one was watching.

What I didn’t have the heart to tell him was that every object which represented his life had to go away – to a storage unit , to a recycling center, or to the dump. If not for my brother’s first wife and four other precious friends, I wouldn’t have been strong enough to take on this job.

What irony for a writer – I (narrator) wanted to give my father (protagonist) what he wanted (to be able to return to the place he called “home”) but he was a fall risk and could no longer live alone.  Because he was relying on me to be his advocate, and,  because he didn’t get what he wanted most, he probably viewed me as an obstacle as well.

Like the son in the movie Garbo Speaks (written by Larry Grusin), I was the daughter who was worn out chasing after something that seemed impossible to obtain.

Back to that first piece of paper that I needed to fill out for the nursing home staff.

I need to do the right thing when Papa dies. Mrs. Chu, the oldest resident at the nursing home, is 107! My father is only 85. He has a long way to go.

Does my father want to be buried or cremated? He won’t talk about illness, certainly not about funeral.  I cannot read his mind.

Thanks to Amy Grace Lam who said to me “Teresa, you will get your answer not by asking your father but by finding the right person to ask your father.”

The right person would be someone who speaks fluent Cantonese and is the archetype to ask such a question.

On the day when all three Cantonese-speaking team members (nurse, social worker, chaplain) showed up at the nursing home to meet my father and me, Amy Grace Lam’s words replayed in my head.

I showed Chaplain Yuen the piece of paper  and told him: “I want to honor my father’s body and need to know what he wants.”

I did not need to explain any further; the chaplain nodded, and took the paper from my hand.

While he was chatting with my father, I stepped aside to talk to the nurse and social worker.

Fifteen minutes later, I hear Chaplain Yuen telling my father that he would visit again.  As though a director was in the room and we were all rehearsing a scene, a CNA comes into the room to distract my father. The chaplain says to me: “Your father wants burial, not cremation.”  The social worker tells me that she’ll get me a list of mortuaries which will include those catering to families of Chinese heritage.

I got what I wanted – the answer to my question. What more can a daughter ask for.

photo by Teresa Jade LeYung 2018 November 20

I wish you, dear Reader, excellent health.

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Teresa Jade LeYung - photo by Sharon Leong 2019 May 10

As a story theme consultant, award-winning writer, and platform-building coach for pre-published and published authors, Writing Coach TERESA JADE LEYUNG empowers her clients to identify their core themes in their manuscripts and career mapping.
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

TERESA JADE LEYUNG (formerly Teresa LeYung-Ryan) is the author of:

Love Made Of Heart

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Talking to My Dead Mom monologues

October 28, 2019 , 00:13, 18:50, 20:34  Paris times

November 5, 2019, 12:00pm; November 6, 2019, 4:33am California time

To Everyone Who Has Helped Me or Someone I Care About,

Acts of kindness come in countless forms, oftentimes given anonymously.

I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.

This blog post containing images of Parc Monceau, 8th arrondissement, Paris, France is to Thank You, the benevolent angels in all realms.

Today, October 28, 2019, my plan was to walk through Parc Monceau (enter at the grand gate at Avenue Van Dyck, exit at the grand gate at Avenue Velasquez). Well, Beauty distracted me. Twenty-eight minutes later, I realized I had walked a circle.

That is what I wish for you – may Beauty be with you always – may She lead you to where you need to go or come back to.

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http://www.mariechristinecornet.com/ Marie-Christine Cornet says: "I offer a body-based approach for healing and wellness. I believe that any step towards healing is a step towards evolution." photo by Teresa Jade LeYung

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All photographs taken by Teresa Jade LeYung on October 19,  24, 28, 2019, Parc Monceau, Paris, France

“Merci beaucoup to You,” says Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung

(formerly known as Teresa LeYung-Ryan).

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.

Teresa_Jade_LeYung_in_Paris_photo_by_Sasa_et_Nan

As a story theme consultant, award-winning writer, and platform-building coach for pre-published and published authors, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung empowers her clients to transform their dearest dreams into reality. Whether Teresa is in Paris, France or California USA, she helps writers identify their core themes.

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

Author Teresa Jade LeYung’s New Monologue

“What The Man In 17-B Wanted”  Part 1

When my papa was admitted to the nursing home, the folks in Social Services asked me to complete a half-inch-thick packet. A lot of it was reading material. There was this sheet of paper asking for name of mortuary.

Why? In straight language, when a resident “expires” (dies), the nursing home must remove “the remains” (the dead body) out of the facilities within four hours of death.

Since there are three residents in a room, you just can’t leave a deceased person in his bed as though he were in a private home.

I remember the night when my papa called me, to tell me that his roommate died, that he was afraid to sleep in the room and wanted me to go over there and take him to a hotel. I explained that he himself is a fall risk, I couldn’t just put him in a taxi and send him to a hotel. I suggested that he stay near the nurse’s station. Later that evening when I called his nurse, she said that he was in the hallway, fell asleep in his wheelchair. Later after his deceased roommate had been taken away, his CNA helped him back to bed.

Back to this sheet of paper … If this document isn’t filled out, then, at time of death, the dead body would be transported to the mortuary that the nursing home has a contract with. If that mortuary is not the one that the deceased or the deceased’s representative wanted, then, the representative would have to pay the “transfer” cost (moving dead body from first mortuary to second mortuary) in addition to the transport cost (the original ride from nursing home to the first mortuary).

The dollar amount of the transportation cost would come close to about 50 taxi rides to go half-way across town in San Francisco; double that if a “transfer” fee is incurred.

Every three or four months, the kindhearted staff would remind me about “that” sheet of paper.

Truthfully, I would like to know what my father wants. Does he want to be cremated or buried?  I can’t ask him.  The look on his face – when I dare to utter any word related to the subject of death – says: “Aah, daughter, so, that is why you are leaving me here.”

Most days, I say to myself: He’s so afraid of dying, he’ll be around another 15 years. I’ll probably die before he does.

[ Separate matter – regarding “Arbitration Agreement”  Thanks to two friends and the honesty of a staff member at the nursing home who spoke frankly…”If you don’t want to sign this…just write ‘decline to sign’ and date it.” http://www.canhr.org/arbitration/index.html  California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) says: “Don’t sign Arbitration Agreements in nursing homes and residential care facilities” ]

Sincerely,

Teresa_Jade_LeYung_in_Paris_photo_by_Sasa_or_Nan

Teresa Jade LeYung

an alumna of A Place of Her Own 2018

Teresa Jade LeYung of Love Made Of Heart says: “When I’m in Paris, I know I have come home.”

As an award-winning author,  theme consultant and writing coach, Teresa empowers writers to transform their dearest dreams into reality.

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.