A fairly regular inquiry I receive relates to movement going well in one moment, and then shortly thereafter, the movement is slow, or feet are stuck to the floor, or movement is frozen altogether. Today we explore what is happening.
I need to do a little bit of explaining, so please stay with me on this one.
Have you ever gotten a beep on your cell phone that you had a voice mail, but the phone never rang? And you look at your phone and think, “I have 4 bars, this is a good connection, my phone should have rung.” Then you listen to the voice mail and call the person back, and the call goes right through and gets connected.
Let’s explore what happened. Suppose the cell tower is 300 feet (91 meters) tall and at the top of the tower there are receivers to accept the calls coming in and transmitters to connect them to the correct cell phones. Now suppose that 10,000 calls came in simultaneously, and the receivers tried to route them to the transmitters simultaneously, and then the transmitters had to instantly “find” 10,000 cell phones.
When add in that some of those cell phones are in cars driving in rural areas and some are in people’s pockets while the people are in their basements, the likelihood of all 10,000 calls getting connected to the phones is practically non-existent.
So, why does your phone show a great connection with 4 bars? Because your phone only has to find one 300-foot tall stationary cell tower, most likely the tallest thing in the area. I can almost hear all of you saying, “Okay, Howard, but what does this have to do with the concept of energy flowing in my body?” Everything!
Your Parkinson’s Adrenaline-Mode mind is constantly bombarding your brain with fear-based mental chatter. It keeps going and going and going. The Adrenaline-driven Parkinson’s mind uses an inordinately large amount of brain power (ENERGY). It uses so much more than what should be its normal allotment of energy because it does not stop. The Parkinson’s mind wants to be perfect, and in its quest to be perfect, it simply does not slow down or shut down…it wears down the brain’s energy resources.
It is like the Adrenaline-driven mind is sending 10,000 cell calls to the receiver on the top of the cell tower…some people are not going to have their calls connected. Maybe the liver does not get its energy delivered correctly so it cannot properly cleanse toxins from the blood. Maybe the kidneys do not get their energy delivered correctly so they cannot cleanse liquid waste properly. Maybe the stomach does not get its energy delivered correctly so it cannot properly digest food. Maybe the legs do not get their energy delivered correctly so they cannot walk properly, or they cramp or freeze. Maybe the hands do not get their energy delivered correctly so they have a hard time holding things and sometimes drop things. I think you have a better picture of what is going on now. Simply put, you are out of balance and the limited energy from the brain cannot service all of your body all at once.
Think about this: In a meditative state and when sleeping, symptoms subside and often disappear. Why? Because the Adrenaline-driven mind is not active. The mind is calm, no physical or mental demands are being made upon the brain, the senses are at rest, and all of the brain energy can flow smoothly throughout the body.
The Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® brings you back into balance. When you are doing the Medical Qigong for Liver, you are strengthening the liver so it can function better. However, the liver needs more energy to function better.
When you are exercising your liver, it is contacting your brain (like the cell phone with 4 bars finding the cell tower) and it is saying, “I need more energy to cleanse toxins. Remember me? I know there has been difficulty with you finding me because the Adrenaline-driven mind has been occupying your time too much, so I am going to keep pinging you so we can re-establish our old connection and proper energy can flow between us. We will get back into balance. However, I must let you know that my pings are weak as a result of low energy and they are having a hard time getting through the blockages in our communication system, so I need stronger energy from you to hit these blockages and break them up…then we can have full-energy and crystal clear communications.”
Each one of the Medical Qigong exercises in the Recipe is communicating with the brain this way. Plus, the Brain Vibration Chanting creates more energy in the brain, which is why people often will tremor more when doing the Brain Vibration Chanting — the brain is taking the extra energy created and it is answering the pleas of the organs and doing its best to break through the blockages in the communications system. Calming your mind, meditating, sitting zazen, deep breathing, etc., these are the things that allow the most amount of energy to stay in your brain so your brain can best open the blockages and talk to your body.
And opening your heart…that is why we are alive. I do not believe we are here existing for the purpose of being sad or anxious or fearful or insecure – it does not serve us well, and thus we cannot serve others well.
I feel that our purpose is to be connected, first with our own essence of joy and happiness by connecting with our Higher Power, and then serving others and ourselves at the same time by sharing the essence of who we are…joy and happiness, compassion and gratitude, and love, empathy, and forgiveness.
You are what is in your heart and soul – no negative stuff there, no Parkinson’s there. The negative stuff is in your mind, and Parkinson’s has invaded you in mind and body. Opening your heart gives you balance in life and it releases your dopamine to bring balance to the adrenaline-dopamine relationship.
Re-connect your organs to your brain. Physical part of the Recipe.
Re-connect your body parts to your brain. Physical part of the Recipe.
Re-connect your mind to calm, peaceful, thoughts. Mental part of the Recipe.
Re-connect your heart and spirit to the joy within you. Spiritual part of the Recipe.
Re-connect your Inner Divine to the Higher Power Divine. Spiritual part of the Recipe.
This is the formula called the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®.
This is the formula that brings your life back into balance.
This is the formula that brings your Parkinson’s into recovery mode.
This is the formula that leads to your full recovery.
You can do this!
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Thank you Howard for always being there explaining, it’s like winning the lottery! One week short of 5 months now doing the recipe and feel positive things happening! Feeling very grateful. Love to everyone
‘The Parkinson’s mind wants to be perfect, and in its quest to be perfect, it simply does not slow down or shut down…it wears down the brain’s energy resources.’ This sentence really resonates with me. Parkinson’s makes me feel ‘hectic’ – the mental equivalent of having a hot sweat and longing to plunge into a cold pool. It also makes me feel that I’m constantly pressured for time, even though people might imagine that time hangs heavy on my hands with an illness that keeps me overly confined to the house. I am so focused on my cure that anything that takes me away from the Recipe and healing practices sets up a conflict in my brain and distresses me. Like, I am currently writing an essay on Judas Iscariot; I want to do it and the subject absorbs me but my mind is simultaneously accusing me: you need to use your energy to exercise; you need to clean your house. I find apportioning my energy and prioritising activities a big challenge – i.e. getting my life back into balance. I can see why energy blockages occur, as explained by Howard’s analogy. You notice I blame Parkinson’s for how I feel. It’s me, isn’t it? One thing I’ve noticed is that I tremor more when jumper cabling. Does this happen to anyone else?
Hi Val,
Thank you for your comment and question. It would be nice to hear if others are having increased tremors when doing jumper cabling. The reason it occurs is that you are sending energy up the organ meridians, and when the increased energy hits blockages, the tremors increase.
This is a positive sign that you are increasing your internal energy. As you asked, how are others doing with this?
With gratitude, love, and blessings,
Howard
Thanks, Howard, for facilitating the discussion on the stop/start nature of internal energy flow. Thank you for the kind words and useful comments from all those who shared how they experience jumper cabling and other vibes, and for insights into managing Parkinson’s. I think Anne made a good point about celebrating every little spark of energy. It is all too easy to pick up on the bad signs while completely overlooking the good. I’m going to notice more what’s going on in my body and try to accentuate the positive. God bless y’all.
Yes , especially holding the little finger 😀
Hi Val, I know exactly where you’re coming from with the time management thing. I am exactly the same. I just try and do my best and it ebbs and flows. Some weeks I meet my schedule and feel great, other weeks life gets in the way, but I feel great on the days I complete my exercise. On other days it’s a matter of acceptance. As for Cabling, my leg goes into Elvis mode – mad isn’t it?
I find my anxiety worst when I am on the phone, I shake and feel self conscious and think I wonder what the person at the other end hears and thinks, which just makes it worse. Anyway, keep faith in yourself and I hope life is good to you.
Graham
Wow-you nailed it, Val. All of the above applies Including the realization that it is me and not the PD or dis – ease. Thank you.
You describe it well Val. At first intense time management was an adrenaline consuming way to perform at peak efficiency. Then it becomes something that cannot be turned off easily, including the energy consumption that goes with it.
During the exercises my tremors are at their worst during brain chanting. The tremors diminish during jumper cabling. Perhaps this is because I am practicing meditation at the same time (except for the occasional check of the clock).
Brilliant post as usual! Sending blessings of healing to all of your readers.
Wonderful and encouraging post – thank you Howard.
As always Howard – just what I needed, just when I needed it. Spot on!
with love,
Patricia
Thank you Howard, our pesky minds at it again!
Thank you Howard, every Friday this wonderful post of support,
great explanations to understand how it all works! Thanks!
Thank you Howard for this wonderful post!
Lovely and understandable analogy. It helps me to more easily disregard the mind and its distractions.
As for the jumper cabling, I find it relaxes me and slows the mind. It is comforting. I get a tiny tremor on one finger when doing the standing meditation. Usually I just ignore it. But now I will say, hi there energy! Thanks for your work.
Love to all of us, Anne, Portland, Oregon
Thank you Howard for once again helping us to remain diligent in our recovery. When I am experiencing physical symptoms of Parkinson’s, my ego mind is quick to criticize my progress. Your encouragement and explanations are a booster shot to my will to recover. Bless you.
Dianna in Wyoming
Today I have been doing the full recipe + extra qi gong for 5 months every day. The last few days have been the hardest as my symptoms which started mild have suddenly increased greatly. More tremors, stiffness, pains in new places, head and ear aches. The adrenaline mind is saying FEAR. My heart says qi gong is a gentle relaxing exercise and causes no harm; PD does not suddenly increase like that so Howard is right. His recipe is slowly working. It is tough but I will continue until I am fully healed. Re the jumper cable: it does not cause me tremors. I get tremors when sitting zazen which is why I meditate standing as I get no tremors and can relax my mind better. I also suffer low back pain from herniated discs which sitting aggravates, not standing. Thank you Howard for your continued support. Best wishes to all. Our collective qi will merge with the universal qi. Haola. All is well, getting better.
Respected Howard sir,
Thanks for explaining the energy distribution by a newer easier model of cellphome tower. As I am on medication, I experience on/off phenomenon with pills. Jumper cable calms my hyperactivity. The meditation and deep breathing also help me control my hyperactive state. Thanks for the recipe. It helps healing, but very slowly..Regards Mona.
Howard, thanks. About two weeks ago, something strange started in my head when I am chanting. In my head on the right side it makes a sound like “Blubb”. (Like a blubb in a swamp or when spinach is boiling). Between 5 and 20 times. It feels good and I name it good. Anybody has this too? Any ideas? Bye Uwe
Another great post by Howard. Thank you for the simple explanation of the internal energy flow, which explains what our body is going through in the PD mode and how the Recovery Recipe assist us in overcoming these symptoms.
“ This is a positive sign that you are increasing your internal energy….”
But I don’t feel more tremors doing it – usually feel calmer.
Thanks for another informative post, Howard.