When I posted, “Fighting Parkinson’s, and feeling a new pain or more tremors” a few days ago, I did not anticipate that a Part 2 would be forthcoming. However, as a result of my email being flooded with feedback on this post, I am posting a Part 2 as a way to go a little more in-depth into this issue.
Besides emailing me that the previous post was right on point for what people were experiencing, some were looking for explanations to be able to make a little more sense out of what was occurring. One person did the Qigong and was feeling great and then a leg froze. Quite a few people were doing the Standing Qigong or the Brain Vibration Chanting and their tremors became worse.
We tend to get caught up in the symptom changes and we go on the “how are my symptoms doing compared to yesterday” roller coaster. This emotional roller coaster is not conducive to Parkinson’s recovery. Quite to the contrary, it blocks the way. Many times when we look at changes in our symptoms from day to day, if something “bad” or “unusual” has occurred, we stop or change what we were doing, and stopping or changing the Recipe for Recovery is just what our Parkinson’s wants us to do.
I will do my best to explain what is occurring in our healing to help you understanding that if you are doing the Recipe for Recovery, you are making PROGRESS no matter what those day-to-day symptom changes look like. For starters, I will go with the easy explanation: If you are doing the Recipe for Recovery, you are doing Qigong, chanting, eating healthier, calming your mind with meditation, and connecting better with your Higher Power — nothing detrimental here — it is all PROGRESS in your recovery, so do not let your Parkinson’s try to convince you otherwise. Stare down you Parkinson’s and tell it definitively, “I AM MAKING PROGRESS!”
Okay, now the harder stuff…why are you seeing temporary increase in pain or tremors or an occasional slowing or freezing in movement? Your body is healing, but your brain does not have enough energy to heal everything at once, so as your energy is focused on healing one area, the other areas may suffer a bit.
To the person who was doing great with the Qigong and was walking well, and then a leg froze, I explained, “The Parkinson’s brain has a limited amount of energy to send to the body. When we do the exercises, energy is generated, and the brain is sending the energy to the places in the body where it is needed the most. It is why we cannot become too concerned if a tremor or a pain or a stiffness occurs because we do not know why the energy is not going there…the mind and the body are sending it somewhere else where it is needed more. That is why my experience was “good or bad, nothing lasted more than a day or two.” It is why we cannot become afraid when something occurs that is unusual…we have to have faith through the bad, and not too much excitement through the good, all the while knowing we are healing.”
To the people who experienced increased tremors during Standing, I explained, “In doing the Qigong, not only are you increasing your body’s energy, but you are stirring up toxins, and the body needs to get the toxins out. Part of Standing is to let the body and the brain work in conjunction without your interference (you are not moving) to allow the energy flowing in the body to open up blockages and work in the most efficient way possible. When you are doing the Recipe, if you are experiencing more shaking initially, it is a result of progress…low brain energy equals weak neural impulses, resulting in weak tremors at the blockages…more brain energy created by you equals stronger neural impulses, resulting in more tremors at the blockages…so, please have excitement instead of fear and worry as I am certain fear and worry do not make your tremors go away and probably make them worse.”
Some people have reported experiencing calming of their tremors during Standing. That is physical proof of PROGRESS — your body has opened some of the energy blockages, and your energy is flowing more freely and relaxed.
If you look at the comments on Fighting Parkinson’s, and knowing your enemy you will see this:
“Laurie Diaz says:
January 12, 2012 at 4:40 am
Dear Howard, What a blessing we have, you cheering us on!!! When my faith falters … you believe for me … and it’s contagious. YEAH! SO what did I get tonight when doing the raising of the hands at the beginning of each rep of Medical Qigong for Liver? STEADY HANDS! This is after MONTHS of increasing shakyness. I showed Justo (my husband). “That’s very good,” he said. My hope is dancing. Laurie in NZ”
So, you do not have to take my word for it; Laurie has shared her actually experience, and it is wonderful that she had the confidence in the Recipe for Recovery and in herself to know that she was making progress even in the face of increasing shakiness when raising her hands to do the Medical Qigong for Liver. And, Marie commented as well,
“Marie says:
January 12, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Yeah, Laurie! Yeah, steady hands! That is a wonderful moment when after proceeding on faith suddenly there is positive change. It is working! We believe it is working even before we get that proof, but that moment when the “progressive degenerative disease” reverses is truly a joyful one. Good for you!”
Finally, some people have commented to me that they experience increased tremors while doing Brain Vibration Chanting. I have explained that the chanting creates more energy in the brain and therefore more energy is hitting the blockages and you shake more. Clearly, creating more energy in a Parkinson’s low-energy brain is PROGRESS.
If you want to see PROGRESS in your recovery, look inside yourself. If you are doing the Recipe for Recovery, you are making PROGRESS in your recovery…you can feel it inside. Then, Parkinson’s gives you a little extra pain or stiffness to try to make you look outside yourself, and that is where fear and worry and doubt and anger and frustration appear.
So, every time your Parkinson’s wants you to look outside yourself, focus yourself within. Everything you need to recover is inside of you. Do the Recipe and cultivate your garden…you are making PROGRESS!
Aren’t you worth it?
All my best,
Howard
Please Note: On a previous post, “Fighting Parkinson’s, and it’s time to heal the world,” I explained what we are doing moving toward a clinical study of the Recipe for Recovery. I have received an outstanding response from people pledging to send their neurological records, and I already have received neurological records from people in 6 different countries. Yes, we do have the power to heal the world, and I am grateful for all of you.
dear howard,
reading your mails gives me more courage and i am more determined then before to look after my mom the way you say it. my mom too hangs on to every word you write and follows it religiously .but being humans sometimes we loose patience.so i totally agree we have to have faith through the bad, and not too much excitement through the good, all the while knowing we are healing.
thanks once again .
Hi Bhavna,
You are welcome. Your mom is fighting this very hard and she is fortunate to have you there with her every step of the way. Yes, I agree about patience…I wish everybody in our Parkinson’s community was fully recovered already, and then I have to remind myself to be patient, too.
Blessings,
Howard
Hello again Howard…. Hello again dear PD Recovery group
How blessed we are, Howard to benefit from your encouragement and your experience in recovering from Parkinson’s.
I could have chosen to consider January as a difficult month because I was experiencing such physical challenge… Throughout January, I’d been coping with a persistent virus and a busy work schedule. So of course my energy would be addressing some of the blockages the virus created and of course there would be less energy for other blockages…..and yes sometimes my tremors were accentuated during this time. And it was difficult. And there were times when I thought the PD was “getting worse”.
But, you know, when I consider that despite the virus, despite the sometimes increasing tremors, that my overall energy is actually much better than it had been a couple of months ago, I am delighted! How amazing….how wonderful!!….How could this be?… isn’t PD supposed to be a progressive degenerative disease? Then how is it, despite having a virus and a busy work schedule, that I have markedly increased energy after doing the Recipe for Recovery for 6 months?
And yes I am committed to staying the course through all the ups and downs…it’s important to me to consider all perspectives…especially through the not so fun times….
With gratitude and wonder,
Penny
And we are blessed to have you here with us, too, Penny.
This was an uphill-battle-January for you, and I appreciate you sharing with all of us that despite the virus and tremors and physical challenges, you are able to look inside yourself and know that you are healing…and you are. What an inspiration! Thank you.
With gratitude and blessings,
Howard
My falls have increased. I am simply meditating that this is a temporary period from which I am bound to recover soon and nothing can affect my soul or the superior divine, which is the only permanent thing in the universe.
Hi Kumar,
Although falling can bring about the greatest of fears, I am so happy to see that you view the falling as part of your journey in healing. And you get back up and stay on the path. You are exhibiting the level of courage and perseverance it takes to recover. Thank you for inspiring all of us.
Blessings,
Howard
Pingback: Fighting Parkinson’s, and trusting in your recovery | Fighting Parkinson's Drug Free