The Chi Machine

The other day I went for a massage at a new place. Before massage my masseuse asked me to spend a few minutes on a weird machine I have never seen and never tried. It is called the Chi Machine. Enjoy the video!

I am sure that most of you know that Chi means energy force in Chinese culture. It is also a name of a dragon in Chinese mythology. But you probably don't know that Chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length ("Chinese foot"), approximately ⅓ of a meter. Chi is a name of a River in Thailand.

"Chi, according to traditional Chinese culture, qì or ch'i (also known as gi in Korean culture, ki in Japanese culture and Prana in Indian culture) is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qiliterally translates as "breath", "air", or "gas", and figuratively as "material energy", "life force", or "energy flow". Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts.

Concepts similar to qi can be found in many cultures, for example, prana in the Hindu religion, "chi" in the Igbo religion, pneuma in ancient Greece, mana in Hawaiian culture, lüng in Tibetan Buddhism, ruah in Hebrew culture, and vital energy in Western philosophy. Some elements of qi can be understood in the term energy when used by writers and practitioners of various esoteric forms of spirituality and alternative medicine. Elements of the qi concept can also be found in Western popular culture, for example "The Force" in Star Wars and Jediism. Notions in the West of energeia, élan vital, or "vitalism" are purported to be similar." Wikipedia

Put simply, chi (qi) is that which gives life. In terms of the body, chi is that which differentiates a corpse from a live human being. A strong life force makes a human being totally alive, alert and present while a weak force results in sluggishness and fatigue. Energy can be increased in a human being. You can increase and develop your chi to overcome illness, become more vibrant and enhance mental capacity. Consequently, the development of chi can make an ill person robust or a weak person vibrant. 

The concept of chi also extends beyond the physical body, to the subtle energies that activate all human functions, including emotions and thought. Unbalanced chi causes your emotions to become agitated and distressed. Balanced chi causes your emotions to become smooth and more satisfying.

Qigong, tai chi and other form of Taoist martial and healing arts, help you to develop subtle chi-energy, not as an idea but rather lead you to directly feel and experience what this is in your body.

As I was explained later, Chi Machine is the result of 38 years of medical and scientific research by renowned Japanese scientist Dr. Shizou Inoue. The Chi Machine enables the human body to gently move from side to side in a figure of eight (the same way a goldfish swims), maximizing the body's natural absorption of oxygen, using all the movement orbits of the human anatomy. This movement may be compared to a masseuse holding your ankles and swinging you from side to side after a massage.

The machine has an ankle cradle on the top which oscillates (moves from side to side), at approximately 140/minute - a multiple of the average pulse rate (72) and the cerebro-spinal pump rhythm (12) synchronized with your heart rate, blood pressure and spinal alignment - creating a balanced, rhythmic, relaxing wave-like motion throughout your entire body, thereby oxygenating every cell and tissue via blood circulation, thus enhancing your metabolic rate, aiding detoxification via the lymphatic system, aligning your spine and activating the autonomic nervous system.

Excellent benefits for the frail, physically challenged, seniors, wheelchair bound or bedridden:
Due to its low impact operation, the Chi Machine is extremely valuable to those who through age or physical limitations, can't exercise. These people in particular benefit tremendously from the gentle massaging effect created by the oxygenating passive exerciser and its assistance in the movement of lymphatic fluid in the body.

The machine relieves aches, pains and stiffness enabling seniors to be more comfortable and mobile.

The Chi Machine 'work-out' is done lying down with no pressure, stress or tension applied to any part of your body. NO risk of injury. Heartbeat and blood pressure do not increase. NO stress to your spine, heart, muscles, ligaments, joints or lungs.

PRIMARY BENEFITS:

IT'S ALL ABOUT MOVEMENT OF THE BODY.

The Chi Machine allows Cellular Oxygenation, Lymphatic System Detoxification,
Spinal Alignment, Autonomic Nervous System Stimulation and Mental Focus.

The very specific one set speed and figure of eight motion of the Chi Machine aligns
your spine, regulates body functions and relaxes your body without any stress or effort.

The Chi Machine creates massage of internal organs via passive aerobic exercise.

Movement of the body - consistent motion energy - creates cellular oxygenation
of both the body and the brain, thereby allowing:
1) Reduction in muscle soreness, tension, stiffness, body aches and pains.
2) Improved flexibility of muscles and joints, more limber - spinal alignment.
3) Improved function and regulation of internal organs and body systems.
4) Improved circulation - activated lymph drainage and detoxification.
5) Relief from stress related conditions.
6) The brain shifts into a relaxed Alpha brainwave state - mental calm, focus, clarity,
and relaxation.
7) Sound, restful sleep.
8) Improved metabolic rate - Increased energy and improved sense of well being.

This is how the aura of a person clears as a consequence of using the Chi Machine. 

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM:
Your Lymphatic System MUST be activated daily in order to remove toxicity.
Lymph can only be moved around the body as the result of physical activity.

The Lymphatic System is spread like a tree, throughout your body delivering nutrients to the cells and removing the waste that is left behind. it is vital to take daily actions to stimulate the flow of lymph to assist in the removal of waste products from your body. In fact it is so crucial to your health, that you would die within 24 hours if this system quit working.

The Lymphatic System - which also includes the spleen, thymus, tonsils, and bone marrow - is constantly defending the body against millions of microscopic attackers. The lymphatic system is given considerable attention in the treatment of toxicity as well as reducing edema.

Tiny vessels carry a colorless fluid called lymph. Suspended in the fluid are lymphocytes (white blood cells) whose purpose is to fight disease and infection. The network is connected by small bean sized organs called lymph nodes. Lymph nodes - which are mostly in the arm pits, neck, groin, chest and abdomen - filter the fluid and initiate your body's immune system response.

You have 3 times as much lymph fluid in your body as you do blood but, unlike blood there is no pump to circulate the fluid. Lack of exercise, shallow breathing and even anger causes the lymphatic system to become sluggish, which can cause circulation to the cells to be impaired. This, in turn, can effect the removal of toxic waste. Exercise, massage and deep breathing will stimulate the Lymphatic system, enable detox, cleansing and pain release.

If toxins are not eliminated from your cells effectively, numerous disorders effecting the Immune System will develop. The original Sun Ancon Chi Machine effectively and speedily moves body fluids, aiding the lymphatic system in detox, extremely important for those who get very little exercise, the elderly, the sick and people in physical rehabilitation.

"What is so remarkable to me is the ability of the Chi Machine to activate the lymphatic vessels
to purify the lymph fluid that cells live in, with little or no effort on the part of the patient."
- Dr. Samuel West.

Dr. Samuel West, Chemist and Lymphologist, a leading authority on the Lymphatic System states "Every healing art on earth involves getting oxygen to cells!" Dr. West has dedicated a lifetime to studying the Lymphatic System. "When the lymphatic vessels are properly activated they have the ability to pull out the dead cells, poisons, and excess water from around the cells to get the cells into what is called the "Dry-State".

When we do what is necessary to get the cells into the "Dry State" there is no excess water around the cells, only enough water to fill the crevices around the cells, and that is all. This is the condition that all the cells in your body must be in to get oxygen from the blood stream. Furthermore, you don't get pain, loss of energy or disease (of any kind) when the cells are in this condition." - Dr. Samuel West.

Professor Neil Piller one of the world's top ten leading authorities on Lymphoedema, said he found the Chi Machine to be the most globally efficient method of lymph drainage, after he completed 16 months of scientific clinical trials and medical research, at the prestigious Medical Centre of Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. The results were so impressive that Flinders University - who have absolutely NO vested interest in the Hsin Ten Company (HTE) or the Sun Ancon Chi Machine - have issued 3 booklets (Secondary Lymphoedema, Venus Oedema and Patient Testimonials), on the results of the medical trials for their patients, their staff and for the public.

Improving the Immune System 
The Chi Machine stimulates globulin production which increases the immune system's level of response.

Cellular Activation
Massage stimulation to the sympathetic nervous system, opens up the bronchioles to provide maximum oxygen access to the lungs. Simultaneously the blood flow to and from the lungs is increased, enhancing oxygen exchange from the lungs to the blood and therefore to the body cells, which excites cellular metabolism.

Blood Production
Blood is produced in the spleen and spinal bone marrow. Reduction of spleenal blood production can arise from the spleen's susceptibility to damage. The Chi Machine's action on the spine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing spinal 'marrow' blood production. Any form of anaemia can be benefited by this massage action.

Spinal Alignment
With the body relaxed in the lying position with no weight on the spine, the machine will influence a correction to certain conditions of misalignment. Such corrective action can in turn cure or alleviate complications arising in vertebrae joints from certain spinal misalignment.

Utilization of Full Spinal Movement
The spine's design permits sideways 'snake-like' movement that serves to relieve vertebrae joint pressure and thereby promote greater 'well being'. Modern man fails to exercise this design feature, part of the reason being that stress of the mind creates body tension and rigidity. Spinal movement has been reduced to a forward and upright bending action and even in walking, the natural twisting - sideways movement of the spine from arm, leg and upper torso momentum, is restrained by body tensions and rigidity.

When we awaken or feel tired, we raise our arms, stretch and yawn, and in the process, flex the spinal column in a twisting snake-like movement (cats and dogs do exactly the same movement several times a day). Instantly we feel a pleasurable sensation of energy movement and alertness of mind. The reason being that in yawning, the lungs fill with air and greater oxygenation of cells occurs, pressure on the in-vertebral discs momentarily releases and the autonomic nervous system is stimulated.

Restoration of Balance to the Autonomic Nervous System
If the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems fail to ensure balance of function, insomnia, excessive dreaming, digestive problems, stomach pain, palpitation, anxiety, constipation, neurasthenia and extensive forms of aches and pains as well as mental stress may surface. The influence of the Sun Ancon Chi Machine on the sympathetic nervous system can restore the vital balance to the nervous system, resulting in restoration of health from such conditions. It is interesting to note that cancer patients are stuck in the sympathetic mode of 'fight or flight', when they really need the parasympathetic mode of 'rest and relaxation'.

SPINAL ALIGNMENT, BACK PROBLEMS
The Chi Machine - Specific motion energy to balance, align and strengthen the spine and spinal cord.

What is the role of the spine and why is adjustment necessary?
FYI: Doctors stress the importance of spinal traction and the adjustment of bones and muscles. This is because bones and muscles support and regulate the main and collateral spinal channels. An improperly aligned spine leads to sore bones and problems in the main and collateral channels, as well as in the vital organs of the body. Thus, if the spine is out of proper alignment, it can cause such things as inflammation of the shoulder, spurs, nerve pain, stomach aches and joint pain.

Why does pain occur in the vital body organs? - Because nerves radiate from the spine to the vital body organs. The nervous system is the brain's communication system. A crooked spine constricts the peripheral nervous system radiating from it. If that nerve happens to extend to the stomach, the stomach will be pathologically changed. Vital organs will ache. The most severe symptoms that can result from this is compression of the peripheral nerves.

How does the Sun Ancon Chi Machine adjust the spine?
Adjustment by Traction: When you are reclining, the spine does not have to support the weight of the body, so it assumes a natural state. By repeatedly vibrating the spine every day, misalignment may be greatly reduced.

Repetitive Massaging: If you are massaged repeatedly by the action of the Chi Machine you may not develop spurs. The Chi Machine may adjust the spine by oscillating the patient from head to toe like a wriggling centipede adjusting the whole spine all the way up to the cervical vertebra.

NOTE: The Chi Mahine is very popular with chiropractors for relaxation and spinal alignment, which makes their office adjustments much easier to perform.

Enclosed within your spinal cord, is the Autonomic Nervous System:

The Autonomic Nervous System(ANS), is an essential part of the body, controlling most of your involuntary and intuitive everyday body functions. It is composed of two branches, the Parasympathetic and the Sympathetic. These two branches are enclosed within the spinal cord and extend to the lungs, heart, blood vessels, the eyes, stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys, bladder, sex organs and sweat, salivary and digestive glands. When any of these nerves malfunction, when one system becomes more active, the body begins to act up and respond accordingly.

When these systems are working properly, the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nerves trade off as needed. In times of stress or when extra activation is needed, the Sympathetic system steps in. Once the crisis is averted, the body settles down under the gentle care of the Parasympathetic System.

The Sympathetic Nervous System sends signals to multiple different body organs, stimulating the body - fight or flight.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System inhibits and keeps activity calm - rest and regeneration.

How to use the Chi Machine
Simply lie down, set the timer for 4-6 minutes and the Chi Machine will do the rest.
Two minutes to begin, for the frail or the unwell, 4-6 minutes to begin with for everyone else.
15-20 minutes maximum, per session - 1-3 times daily.

Where to get a Chi Machine

You can order the original Sun Ancon Chi Machine or get a Chi Master or other machine from Ebay. Some Chiropractors and other practitioners like masseuses also sell Chi Machines.  

Since my visit and first try of a Chi Machine at the massage place, I became a happy owner of one. I got mine on Ebay and have been using it daily! I have noticed great energy increase, more flexibility in my spine and in body in general. I will be using it daily!

Neurotherapy - where East and West meet

Have you heard about NeuroPhysics Therapy and Ken Ware? If not, let me introduce you to this amazing therapy.

NeuroPhysics Therapy is something you all want to get to know and let your family and friends know about it. This therapy will be a game changer in exercise, personal training, rehabilitation, healing and how we view our body and its capacity to heal and to recover. It will be revolutionary in prevention, too.

Let's start with one of the videos that grabbed my attention:
The Most Effective Therapy for Rapid Relaxation of a Scoliosis of the Spine (One Patient’s Testimonial)
Ken Ware and the NeuroPhysics team has a centre on the Gold Coast, Queensland and planning to open at many other locations, too.

Put simply, NeuroPhysics Training and Rehabilitation (NPTR) is a scientific, systems based, exercise programme that has the capacity to optimise the functional performance of any person who engages in the process. NeuroPhysics continues to achieve unprecedented results for patients in remarkable time scales and this is what drives their vision to be the most scientifically advanced and best form of training and rehabilitation in the world.

The team trains and provides treatments to a diverse range of people including elite athletes, spinal cord injured patients, people wishing to improve their general health and wellbeing as well as patients recovering from trauma and neurological conditions. Their team of practitioners consistently achieve fantastic results with their patients.

The Neurophysics Team believe that everyone deserves a better quality of life. In order to bring about true health and healing they believe it’s the person, not the problem that needs to be treated no matter the disease or disorder. NeuroPhysics is designed to do that – Enhance Lives. It does not discriminate and provides everyone that engages in it with the tools to improve their quality of life.

 Unlike most other training and rehabilitation methods, this therapy targets the origins of the disorder rather than just the mechanics and symptoms. It’s a solution focused process rather than a problem focused one, assisting patients in the control and management of their disorder/condition. Ken has been practicing for over 30 years and has helped thousands of patients with various complex ailments and pathologies.

What the team does encompass everything - the programme and process stabilises and restores the physical and emotional integrity of the individual. You cannot alter one without altering the other for the better. It is a holistic health & wellbeing programme. So all of their patients regardless of their disease or disorder all have great and positive emotional shifts.  All ailments have emotions attached to them and sometimes it is the instability of the emotions that cause the physical ailments so these are things that they are very practiced at dealing with and get great results with also.

 

You can also visit the following websites that showcase what they are about, the science behind NeuroPhysics FMC and case studies and testimonials from a variety of patients and patients they have helped over the years.

NeuroPhysics Functional Movement Centre

www.neurophysicsfmc.com

NeuroPhysics Education

www.neurophysicseducation.com.au

Testimonial Videos:

https://vimeo.com/user20254671

NPTR YouTube channel:

www.youtube.com/user/NeuroPhysicsFP

Facebook with weekly updates:

https://www.facebook.com/NeuroPhysicsFP

With the recent international and national media coverage for NeuroPhysics and Ken Ware, and the roll out of NeuroPhysics centres across Australia, New Zealand and internationally, they anticipate that this will grow even further as the overall benefits of the programme are fully appreciated. There has been confirmation of a collaborative research agreement with the highly regarded School of Advanced International Studies for Applied Theoretical and Non Linear Methodologies of Physics (SAISTMP), at the University of Bari in Italy. The NeuroPhysics founder, Ken Ware forecasts some unprecedented and unique scientific research outcomes from this collaboration, which will complement the significant practical outcomes being achieved on a daily basis by his scientific, systems based, exercise programme.

The Scientific process has been documented and published in the prestigious Frontiers Scientific peer reviewed journal and presented at numerous high level international scientific conferences. Here are some links to these articles for your review, although some of them are quite lengthy these documents are full of valuable Scientific based information.

Scientific publications:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ken_Ware/publications

To contact the centre with your enquiries:

NEUROPHYSICS

t. +61 7 5593 0688

e. info@neurophysicsfmc.com

Unit 5, 2 Energy Circuit, Robina QLD 4226

1800 YOUR NEURO | www.neurophysicsfmc.com

This therapy will change how physical training, exercise, healing and rehabilitation will be done in Australia and hopefully soon, around the world. What is more exciting, prevention will take place much earlier, thanks to NeuroPhysics Therapy!

The Truth and Facebook

Facebook is still only 12 years old in 2016 when I write this blog article, although it feels like it has been part of our lives forever...

Most of my friends who are similar in age to me or older are still not on Facebook. They still think that Facebook is just for "young" people and it's all junk. Let's not go there right now! :)

Those of us, who belong to the "older" generation on Facebook, our lives are in a very different stage and what interests us, might be quite different from my students. Being a teacher, my social circle is probably quite different from the average member's. Many of my ex-students are from Hungary. Those relationships with them are very different from my students from Australia or other places. It is hard to explain why... Maybe because I was a young, beginner teacher teaching music and running a 120-member children's choir travelling and performing a lot. The experience we lived through together in music is a very strong bond. Maybe because our school, the Kodaly School is one of the most unique schools in the world, no doubt about that. We had a very special relationship that lasted despite the 22 years that I have spent in Australia and the 15,549km-s that separate us.

It is lovely to see their lives unfolding on Facebook. Getting their degrees, finding their life partners, seeing the pictures of their first, second, third children and how quickly they grow up. Pictures of my friends' holidays, traveling, dinners, lunches and even breakfast shakes while the world goes by. In the meantime we see the tragedies that the news share with us, the consequences of our human acts and how we kill living habitats of our Earth and destroy our planet. Pictures of war, terror acts and the terrible things that some human beings do. Not a happy sight!

There is much talk about how we pretend on Facebook. How we all try to put up the best pictures of ourselves, share our success, the Good News, brag about our trips, our holidays, our new belongings, whatever would make others envy us, envy our lives. Try to cover up the not so good aspect of our lives.

In the meantime life is happening behind the scenes, behind the logged out screen of Facebook.

This might not be the reality for many of my students, for many of the younger generation but they will catch up with time, too.

Life has it's cycles. There is a time for schooling, getting your first job, seeing the world, meeting The One, there is a time for getting married, starting a family, buying your first home, having your children then being fired from your job, being depressed, getting sick, relationship break ups, loosing your best friend, separation, divorce, your parents divorcing, finding a new job, getting cancer, your parents passing away, your children growing up and going through the same cycle. For some, things don't happen at the usual time line but earlier or later, depending how "lucky" you happen to be. It makes a big difference how good family and friend network you have to support you through tough times in life.

I lost my parents and loved ones very early in life. I also left behind everyone when I came to Australia. I am pretty much well trained in grief, if I may say it like this. Maybe this made me distance myself more as a protection. Lost enough people whom I loved dearly.

However, I remember the day when on Facebook I learnt about the passing of a dear mentor and friend. I was stoned. Somehow you think, everyone is immortal on Facebook, no bad happens to anyone but only on the news and your friends will be there with you forever. It was really hard what and how to respond. However, the best came out as people responded genuinely, honestly and very warmly. His page became a memorial page to his life. I don't know how much comfort his wife and family got from it. I think Facebook is the last thing you want to see when you lost a loved one. Real real human interaction and support is what you want in those times.

Not long ago a friend of mine, similar age, lost her husband due to cancer. There were some lovely, very touching posts from her about his passing, his life and her memories about him. People were really good expressing their empathy and sympathy. For me, it was obvious that my friend needed to get it out on Facebook and share it with her circle of influence. Honestly, I was glad she did it. For many reasons. Most importantly, for her sake. Writing it out, expressing yourself in whatever way you feel like has a healing, cleansing effect. Just get it out. Shout, cry if you need to. There is always enough time for quiet contemplation. There is enough time when you are alone. The nights are long enough...

We also had a chance to see how the days, weeks and months brought comfort and how my friend busied herself and built herself up after her loss. She is the type of person who learnt to appreciate the smallest things in life. A sunrise, a beautiful bird, the unique Australian landscape, a visit of a friend, a good chat and a cup of tea or a lovely sunset, she took it all in and she appreciated it. She was grateful for every day, even without her husband. She taught us a lesson too.


My other big topic is ageing. And especially ageing women. I really think that Facebook has a huge role in changing the culture. Just the other day I watched 60 mins. There was an interview that Ray Martin did with someone. I noticed that he is not getting younger either. But while I was looking the wrinkled face of this interviewer, I wondered what happened to his female colleagues of the same age? You simply do not see old female TV personalities. They get booted as soon as they loose their freshness. The only ageing women you see is the SBS reporter, Lee Li Chin. She is quite a character and a fantastic TV personality, I think that saves her! I hope that time comes when all ages and races will be much better represented in Australian TV and movies. Ageing is natural. Those of us who live long long enough to age are the lucky ones. Many people have not been that lucky and left us way too early. Ageing also gives you a chance to become who you really supposed to be.

There are some really great examples in the film industry, where actors like brilliant Maggie Smith and Meryl Streep are changing the role of older female actors. Maggie Smith is the Grand Lady and whatever she takes on, makes it a success. Be it Downton Abbey or The best exotic Marigold Hotel. Meryl Streep is showing the world that ageing women can be funny, sexy, clever and presentable on screen. Unfortunately, men can just be themselves and age. No hairdo, no make up, no waxing, no fancy clothes. Women, on the other hand, constantly need to face the expectations that century long conditioning put on us. For example, a few minutes after birth you need to be back in shape and be a Super Mum. A woman is like the Hindu's multiple-armed Goddess of Durga! Life for women is like Big Brother constantly watching!

Let's stop here for a moment. Celebrities. Our lives on Facebook is a little like the life of celebrities. Sunshine, fast cars, big house, women and travel. The perfect life! How far is it from reality? Wrinkles, orange skin, fat bulges, sickness can't be part of it. Don't even try unemployment, financial troubles, sickness and death. Most people just scroll. It's too hard! However, this is the time when you would know who your real friends are.  Because most of the many hundred friends you have on Facebook CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! That's when you should cull and keep the ones that support you. The rest is just garnish!

Anything that is a little bit more heavy topic, like politics, climate change, education, health care or the darker side of your life will be taboo. For most of them. Some will even un-friend you if you carry on too long on those topics.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not one who likes to be bombarded by tragic news, political news, negative posts or tragedies of life. There is enough of that everywhere. I like positive, uplifting and happy things on Facebook and in life. However, I think it is also a mistake to live up in the clouds and totally ignore reality. It is a mistake to ignore the cries of my friends for help, for support. Otherwise Facebook is really junk, useless and unreal, virtual gathering of people you know.
There has to be a balance and reality. Of course, there is a limit how much bad news or whinging you can take from your friends. But we need to feel connected and real for Facebook and our life to make sense. We need to be able to handle the truth. Does not matter how unpleasant or tragic it can be at times. Pain is necessary to feel alive and to appreciate when things go well.

I must admit, I really enjoyed Facebook before beautiful pictures and funny videos took over my wall. There were more honest, interesting and real life posts from my friends. Then 'celebrity life' took over. It became a competition of who can find nicer, better, bigger or more interesting photos or videos. It became a delusional place. An imaginery, dream scene where we go to escape from reality. Many times when I scroll I scroll the pictures and videos and look for words. My friends own words. There is a limit how many cute cats, dogs, baby photos or beautiful landscapes you want to see. I really enjoy posts of friends with special interests other than cats, dogs, recipes and babies although I like them, too. Anything, just be different is good! God, sometimes what a relief to be a musician!

I am sure that some of my friends feel the same way, here she goes again about music! But you see, variety, being different, loving and caring about different things is good!

It just shows that your truth and my truth are not the same.

Facebook's truth? It teaches you to question everything!

The value of migrants - ANZAC DAY 2016

I was listening to the radio this morning. It is ANZAC Day today. Anzac Day, 25 April, is one of Australia’s most important national occasions.

It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

It was Jon Faine from 774 ABC Melbourne broadcasting from the Shrine of Remembrance. ANZAC Day is my favourite Australian public holiday. 

During my first seven years working at the ANU in Canberra in ACT,  I spent every ANZAC Day singing at the War Memorial and watching the march from the front seat with my friends. What a view we had! From the elevated War Memorial we could see all the people walking and marching on the Avenue with a an incredible backdrop of Lake Burley Griffin and the Old and New Parliament House on the other side of the lake! 

We knew all the songs and had chance to get to know the local heroes and their stories. Then when I became the Music Director of the Canberra Choral Society of more than hundred singers, suddenly dawned on me, what an honour is to be leading the choir and performing those songs that mean a lot this way or that way to every Australian with the Duntroon Military Band. I fondly remember these performances and how after singing a group of us went to have a meal or a cup of coffee together or changed into bush walking gear and had a fabulous day in the bush!

This year there was an alternate march held in Melbourne as a protest against RSL rule change. The group is frustrated with Returned Services League (RSL) rules brought in last year, that do not allow them to walk with their ancestors' banners in the march. Instead, the banners are carried by single representatives at the head of the parade, while the descendants walk together at the rear without the battalion markers. Only World War I descendants are affected by the rules. Denise Mears, whose grandfather was in the 39th Battalion, said the banner had enormous importance for her. "It's not that the descendants are trying to take the place or get any accolades ... we know we weren't at the war," she said. "But it's just to keep the tradition going." It really shows how much the young generation, relatives of the heroes, want to be part of the march and carry the torch.

There was another interesting aspect of ANZAC Day that I heard about in the radio. It was first time that a Chinese group took part in Melbourne's Anzac Day march. More than 40 relatives of Chinese soldiers who fought the Japanese in World War II walked behind their banner to the Shrine.

Ms Xue, 60, said her late father, Xiao Ping, suffered chronic pain for decades after sustaining bullet wounds to his back in the battle for FoMiaoLing​ village in Shanxi province in September 1941.
Mr Xiao was among 2000 Chinese soldiers who faced 10,000 Japanese in the the battle. With 500 colleagues dead or missing, he was shot in the back and crawled for more than one kilometre for help.  She said marching in Melbourne would help her son, Joe Wei, 32, and her granddaughter, Isabelle, 21 months, to know about Mr Xiao's story and honour him, and educate local young Chinese.

One of the group's organisers, Qifang​ Wang, of Notting Hill, migrated to Australia 28 years ago.
She said she would often watch the Anzac Day march on TV and her children would learn Anzac stories about Europe or south-east Asia at school. The Chinese experience in fighting the Japanese invasion was never mentioned. "It really bothered me," she said.

Hearing these stories and the Chinese being represented at ANZAC Day made me ponder about migrants, assimilation and our recent problems with new migrants.

The Chinese have been part of Australia for a long time. As I heard from Australians, from time to time there were problems with Chinese not assimilating and not speaking English. These are still issues in the community. However, the Chinese community is highly regarded as part of Australian society. How did they achieve this? By working hard. As Chinese do. By becoming a valuable, member of the Australian culture. By contributing to the economy. By being a decent citizen. By building a life as part of the community that meets the Australian standards. 

I remember, how important it was for me to represent my home country the best I can here in Australia. My contribution was and is mostly through my profession, music and teaching. Introducing Australians to Hungarian and other European music that I was fortunate enough to study, perform and many times buy and bring music scores to Australia that were rare or never performed. Enriching the culture, making it more colourful by adding my "Hungarian touch". By representing the world famous Kodaly music teaching method and teaching it here. By being a decent person, a valuable citizen and trying to fit in by standing out and standing out by fitting in. 

On the other hand, I was introduced to music, history, literature, nature and people and even to food and many other things that otherwise I would have never encountered. I became richer, more open, more accepting, a more colourful and interesting person than I would have never become if I stayed in Europe. And yes, many time I said or did the wrong things, too. Luckily, only on a minor scale....And there were times when I felt embarrassed by my Hungarian fellow citizens and did not want others know that I was Hungarian too....

The problem with many of the recent incidents is that no country wants trouble makers, no country wants lazy, uneducated citizens who will live on the doll. No country wants people who don't want to fit in, don't value the opportunities and what this new country has to offer. And definitely no country wants migrants who try to harm others. 

The responsibility has to be shared by many that this does not happen. Obviously, people need to be screened more and more carefully, considering the present hot climate. Then all the services need to be in place to accept and welcome new comers. I know.... many of my migrants friends would protest here and could tell their stories that when they arrived they got nothing and they had to figure out everything, learn the language, get an accommodation, find a job, work hard and create a life. However, times change...Migration becomes easier and things like language courses are offered, accommodation provided and jobs are readily available for some. Migration, even under these much better circumstances, are still not easy. 

The responsibility and the role of the already existing same nationality community is tremendous. I can't even imagine how much easier it must be when you have people around you who speak the same language, help you and give you advice and you can make friends with them. The support network makes life so much easier. 

I did not have that. But exactly that made me more resilient and assimilate better. I had to learn and speak English as quickly as I could to stay in my lecturing position. I had to make friends and figure out everything myself not to drawn. The pressure and the stress was tremendous. However, I was so busy staying alive and to cope that I did not have the time, the energy and could not contemplate blowing up a bomb or plot a terror act. I was too busy creating a life for myself in this country. I did not even know if I will be staying here or not. If I will like it to stay or not. 

A group, like the Chinese migrants or Italian migrants or even the much smaller Hungarian community create their reputation they have by living, breathing, acting, contributing here in Australia. I believe that all different nationality groups deserve the reputation they have. Because it is by their members acts that this reputation is built and deserved. By creating better communities we can influence people and the young generation. It takes time and takes patience. 

The presence of the Chinese group at this year's ANZAC Day march took a long time to manifest. It shows that they not only looked back at history and examined their contribution to China but they also feel being part of the Australian community and history. This is a big step forward. Every group has its own evolutionary time. This is how Australia grows and evolves. 

Lest remember. 

The benefits of whole body tapping EFT

Whole Body Patting (EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique) stimulates the energy meridians of the body through vibration, while increasing blood and lymph circulation.

In short, tapping yields enormous benefit. Simply on a physical level, tapping improves blood circulation, helps release tension, and improves skin elasticity, thereby reducing pain and promoting the healing process.

Body tapping circulates energy through the body and stimulates the central and peripheral nervous systems, helping to settle the mind, release stress and emotions, increase energy levels, and sharpen the senses.

The benefits of tapping can be greatly increased by regulating the mind. As with meditation, rather than letting your mind wander as you tap, keep directing your attention to the sensations in your body. For example, try to notice the vibration as it stimulates the muscles in your body and calmly watch, rather than react to, any emotions or pain that may surface through the tapping.

As you allow your mind to “sink into” and accept the feelings in your body, true transformation can occur: you can uncover and release old emotions and self-effacing beliefs, heal chronic pain and intransigent illness, and naturally experience feelings of inner peace, gratitude, and unconditional love.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not! When practiced with deep awareness and acceptance, tapping helps you release the many layers of stress and emotion that you may have built up inside over time, and allow you to experience a more essential part of your being.

You can thus encounter a deeper, common core of self from which you can experience a sense of connection with yourself and with the world. It enables you to hear the messages that your body is sending to guide you to a state of well-being.

Of course, as with any exercise, don’t overdo it. Stinging and pain are normal signs of blockage and stiffness in the body. However, if you feel excessive pain, try tapping more lightly or move to a different part of the body.

If you have specific health conditions, please consult a physician before trying this or any other exercise.

Stand with you feet parted shoulder-width and knees slightly bent. Extend your left arm ninety degrees from the body with your palm facing upward.

With your right hand slightly cupped, begin to pat the top of your left shoulder, and then pat down your arm toward your palm for ten counts.

Turn your palm over and pat up the other side of the arm for ten counts. Repeat on your right arm.

With both hands, pat your chest for 50 counts.

Move your hands down and pat your lower abdomen for 50 counts.

Bring your hands to your lower back and pat for 50 counts.

Then with one hand on each leg, pat down the back of your legs for ten counts, then up the front of the legs, down the sides of the legs, and up the inside of the legs for ten counts each.

Return to your lower abdomen, patting briskly for 50 counts.

This three minutes video with body tapping will change your life!

I start my yoga session by starting a tapping exercise focusing on the Dahnjoong—the meridian point found in the middle of the slight indentation in the center of the chest. This point is close to the middle Dahn-jon—the chakra located behind the heart. It's highly sensitive to everyday anxiety and is, for that reason, effective at relieving stress and promoting emotional stability. By tapping the Dahnjoong at least 100 times and controlling your breath, you may experience tingling sensations in your chest and fingertips that are signs that stagnant energy is leaving your body.

Apple banana coconut nuts overnight oats

I don't know how you are managing your busy mornings and your breakfast but I have my favourite combination of shakes that work for me. Eleven years ago I learnt about Herbalife shakes so for many years that did the job for me. However, when I have the time, my favourite breakfast is still eggs. Eggs Benedict, eggs salmon, eggs and avocado, omelettes in different combinations like mushrooms or a little cheese. Occasionally I feel like oats but that's rare.

In the last 6 months I found my perfect combination of shakes that I enjoy having most mornings. I share with you this combination, you might want to try it as it is extremely healthy, it's quick and it tastes good! It also can be changed and combined with other ingredients according to your liking!

It is a scoop or two of Herbalife Vanilla Formula 1 shake mix, 2 spoonful of Vital Greens, a glass of water, a banana and a spoonful of linseed combined in a blender. If you pour the water and add the linseed at first and let it stand for a few minutes, that creates a nice and creamy shake when you add the other ingredients!

However, today I want to share with you a breakfast that I started to make lately as it can be prepared previous night. You even can grab in a container and take it with you if you need to rush!

It is a delicious Apple Banana Coconut Nuts Overnight Oats.
I don't give you quantities. Just select a suitable plastic or glass container. You can make just one portion or prepare more for a family or to have enough for a few mornings. What surprised me with my container is that I thought I will make one or two portions for breakfast but next morning I saw that the oats got soaked with milk so much that I will have probably three or four breakfasts out form this one five-minute preparation! I love that idea!

I just threw together things from my kitchen cupboard. You can add or leave out any ingredients to your liking! I love recipes that easily can be altered so I don't get bored with the same food!

So try this:
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp chia seeds
1 grinded apple or sliced into pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts and pistachio
Raisins
Cranberries
Cinnamon powder
Cloves powder
Desiccated coconut
Almond flakes
Sliced banana
Milk or coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever you like!

Mix dry ingredients in a container and add milk. Mix and shake and let it rest in the fridge overnight for the flavours to mature and blend together. I found that after a few hours I needed to add more milk because the chia seeds and the oats soaked the milk in! So check it before you go to sleep.

If you have a busy morning, you can add the fruits too previous night so you just grab the container and a spoon and run!

If you have enough time to sit down and enjoy your breakfast, maybe you even share it with your partner and kids, add the fresh fruit and decorate the bowls with the fresh fruits and the chopped nuts.

Another trick. You can heat the milk and add to the oats while warm. You still can store in the fridge overnight the same way. In a cold winter morning you can heat the oats mix and eat it warm! It's really nice!

To further indulge, add a spoonful of fresh thickened cream to your oats! It's a real treat!

Tremors reduced after three piano lessons for 74 year old lady

People come to music lessons for many different reasons.
It's fun to teach children because they learn fast and most of them are easy to teach. Kids come to music lesson mostly for two reasons.
1. Their parents wants them to learn
a. because they learnt themselves too and they want their kids the same experience.
b. because they did not have a chance and these parents don't want their kids to miss out!

2. The kids had some kind of an experience, they saw someone playing, at school they saw a performance, one of their friends is playing or in some families there is an instrument at home or in the family and the kids started to experiment on the instrument and the parents think their child has some music ability and should be exposed to music lessons.

Unfortunately, in Australia I can't list the third reason that is the most common in the country where I come from. That is that in primary school instrumental learning comes as an all inclusive subject with a choice of an instrument of the child and his/her family with weekly two lessons outside school ours.

However, I have always loved teaching all ages and all levels. Even when I was working with professionals, I still continued to have a small private practice and taught mixed ages. Because I enjoyed it.

When it comes to adults it is a totally different ball game. When a matured aged student turns up at my door fom lessons that is a conscious decision. Similarly to kids, for two reasons. Because they never had a chance to learn or because they did and want to get back to playing.

A few weeks ago a 74 year-old or the way I like to put it, especially in Sue's case, a 74 year-young lady called me to enquire about piano lessons. A few days later she turned up for her first lesson. Sue wanted to take up piano again because as a child she learnt and enjoyed it and now she has the time to learn again.

Sue is a lively, tall and very attractive lady with a great personality. Her commitment to learning manifested right away. She had the adult beginner book in her hand that I recommended to get.
Long fingers, manicured nails and quick reading of notes. Although she was a little hesitant at the beginning, I could see that in no time she will be back reading music and playing with two hands. What surprised me was that her right hand was shaking very much. The left was steady. Witnessing a tremor like this is quite interesting. It is almost infectious and you get a little agitated if you don't breath and control this feeling. During lessons I become one with my students so much in the learning process that even this tremor I experience through Sue.

I have never seen a shake like this before, although I have seen a lot of different things. I had kids and adults with weak hands, weak fingers or just an old injury that left the little finger on one hand really weak. The worst conditions that I saw an adolescent boy whose fingers in general were extremely weak to press the keys and they were a little shaky. Just like when you go to the gym after a long period of break and your legs are shaking for awhile! Then the legs get stronger and the tremors stop.

However, it only takes a few weeks or sometimes a few months to strengthen these muscles by playing the piano and practicing at home and all is back to normal. This is when you realise how important it is to play an instrument and to develop not only the coordination but the physical strength of the hands, arms and the whole body.

Sitting at the piano requires quite a core strength. Holding your upper body with good posture and using your arms to play is quite a tummy work out! Not to mention adding the pedals and operating them in a sophisticated manner add extra difficulty and more challenges to your core muscles. Good players breath with the musical phrases like in singing and that again improves strength, circulation, removes toxins and improves emotional, mental and physical well-being.

The skills that go into piano playing with two hands and into reading musical notes fluently has no rival in any other subject. Once you play the piano picking up any other instrument is no problem.

Sue made a very conscious decision to come back to piano. Music learning will keep her young, mentally and physically active and after the first lesson seeing her shaking right hand, I was hoping that even these tremors would improve with time as she gains more control of her nerves.

Just the other night I was reading about a new exercise method that is extremely successful at the Gold Coast. Even paraplegic people, who have been in wheelchair for decades are gaining back their movements. A lot of injured professional athletes turn to this method because it is so successful. I have great interest in it because in music I have been always taught to practice slow, master it, then increase speed. Many times, it is extremely difficult to slow people down, especially fast racing boys and men and to convince them to practice at first slowly so the nervous system can gain total control of the problematic passages and the fingers can learn then memorise the sequence of movements that are involved in that section.

Here is a section from what I have been reading on ultra slow exercising:
"Movements performed at the ultra-slow rate take more physical and mental effort (effort generates more signals) and the more relaxed the state in which they are performed (open to receiving and processing signals), the more they result in more system-wide information processed for every fractional inch of movement than otherwise. Only when new information is flowing does any system change its behavior." from the article Hypothesizing the body's genius to trigger and self-organize its healing: 25 years using a standardized neurophysics therapy by Sarah N Ross and Ken Ware in the Frontiers of Physiology. "By contrast, information coming into the system at high rates in any domain of activity can be difficult to process and can stress the system, triggering extremes in excitatory or inhibitory dynamics depending on system-perceived significance."

So for anyone who really wants to play well or do any physical or mental activity well, visualising and slowing down things for awhile are absolutely crucial. Giving enough time for the brain and the body to process things help to reduce stress and gain control. Then, gradually increasing speed without increasing the number of mistakes is another, very important part of the process. 

With Sue, this methodology is even more important to let her gain control of her nerves and her fingers to find their way on the piano and enjoy playing. She has already mentioned that would like to get a keyboard to practice at home which would increase her progress. Having fun at home by playing the piano every day and practice between lessons is just a great way to live at 74! 

Sue just had her third lesson. I regretted that I did not video her on the first lesson so I could show her and you where we started from! However, this is how steady her hands have become in three lessons! Rock Along has been recorded on the third lesson and this was the second time Sue has played this particular new piece.  

Working with Sue made me very curious about how much we will be able to improve her tremors. Seeing the progress in there lessons makes me extremely positive that we might be able to reduce it, maybe even alleviate it! Will keep you posted on Sue's progress!