Norman Cousins wrote the book that inspired me to become a physician back in 1979. It was
called Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. When I was in Medical School, his
book The Healing Heart lifted me up when I was exhausted and frustrated with the grueling
work that was shaping me into a physician. In my second year, I stayed home from school and
read it in one day…then wrote him a letter to thank him for the timely effect on my psyche his
words of hope and comfort had imparted to my heart. He graciously wrote me back and
encouraged me to keep going. I treasure that letter.
Recently, I went back to order The Healing Heart on Amazon for a friend who I thought might
also be inspired by the book and I found another book by Norman Cousins that I had never read.
It is called The Celebration of Life, a dialogue on Hope, Spirit, and the Immortality of the Soul.
This book is written in a Socratic dialogue format and is a survey of modern science, philosophy,
religion, physics, politics, ecology, and the biology of the human spirit. It was my inspiration this
weekend. What I can share with you is that it is an optimistic conversation that supports a
hopeful view of the future grounded in the recognition of our common humanity. I needed his
words again, and once again I was inspired and comforted by them.
Let us start with this: He says “We may have no jurisdiction over the fact of our existence, but we are
not barred from imparting meaning to that existence. The tragedy of life is not in the fact of death, but in
what dies inside a person while he or she lives. No person need fear death; we need fear only that we may
die without having known our greatest power—the power of our free will to give of our life to others.”
Have you felt that sense of something dying inside you? I have, and these words struck a chord
in me. I remember the blog I wrote when I was going through the process of getting a hip
replacement in 2012. On Saturday, May 12, 2012, I wrote a friend with grief hope is.
I was one month out from the surgery. Here was the turning point for me of moving from feeling
something dying inside me to feeling my life force return and sustain me in a vision for the future.
I looked squarely into the face of both hope and despair. I felt as if my heart and my body had
closed off and doubted they would ever make it back to being my vehicles for expressing myself
again. Yet I hoped that the surgery could possibly help me come back to life. I had been so tired
and in so much pain for so long that it seemed I might not be able to come back. I compared the
emotional colors of grief (sorrow, heartbreak, heartache, bereft, bereaved, mourning, sorrow) and
hope (trust, desire, feeling, want, promise, expectancy, anticipation, initiative, somebody, soul,
individual) and I saw myself living in the tension of the paradox created by their juxtaposition.
I realized then how hope and despair come together in healing. They are like ingredients in a
chemical reaction. With the acknowledgement of what we have lost coming together with what
has been restored in us, in our life with others, in our recognition of our common humanity,
there is a spark of hope created to once again light the fire of our spirit within us.
We can put our hope in others, but in the depth of transformation, within our self, we find grief
gives birth to hope, which is not gone, just gone missing. It is within our self that the birth of
hope lives. We don’t have to name it or give credit to another for it. It just lives inside, waiting to
be found. Others may be here to nurture it, keep it going, but we must with our imagination find it
and connect with it. With compassion for our own suffering, we can see ourselves for what we
really are. Cousins called it “individual cells, in the immortal body of humanity.” We are
individuated, but part of the larger whole as well. There is something beyond us waiting to
spark us if our fire goes out, and it looks, to our surprise, like us. Is there really such a thing as
elf and other? Perhaps all things are really connected, and we are truly more alike than
different. This is what I think Cousins means by the recognition of our common humanity. When
we are suffering, we may feel we are isolated and disconnected, but we never really are. With
our imagination, we can reach out and connect to the past and be inspired by those who have
show us the way, to the present and be connected to those who love and care for us, and to the
future to imagine what we may yet have to offer. This gives us a reason for being here and a
sense of continuity with the integration of experiences that have brought us to this point.
Let’s be honest. Life is difficult. There are many obstacles and it can be hard to see the way
ahead. Look regularly to the wise words recorded by those who have come through life’s
difficulties and let them inspire you. Learn from what they share with you and apply this to
cultivate your way of being in the world and let that guide your actions. Remember we are all
part of the continuity of the flow of human experience. Live like who you are and what you do
will impact the future of every person on earth for better or worse, because it will. If you don’t
see how the way your life is contributing to the lives of others, it is time to exercise your free will
and make choices that will give you a reason for being here that connects you to the source of
your inspiration and gives you hope for a better world.
Day to day, I get to talk to lots of interesting people one on one in my treatment rooms. I learn
about great books, movies, documentaries, TV shows, events around our town and state, and all
kinds of news from around the world. I’ve been struck lately with how truly vast our options for
learning about what is going on in the world are. We are getting what we know from so many
sources that the whole idea of consensual reality and access to information has taken on a new
meaning. The information explosion and the willingness we have to spin that information in just
about any way we want to have left us confused and unable to know what to believe.
We can no longer assume that we share a common set of information about anything. For those
of you who are 30 or less, I realize you know this and have already been working on ways to deal
with it. But for those of us who grew up with a comforting sense of having some commonality of shared experience within our neighborhoods and thought we could trust Walter Cronkite to tell us what was happening in the world, this feels like the ground beneath us has been taken away.
And so it is with information in health care and medicine. I am spending a lot more time these
days making sure I can trust what I read and hear. Where is the information coming from? Who
paid for it? Who stands a chance to benefit from it or be harmed by it?
Why are there such polarities and outrageous biases about such things as vitamin supplements,
immunizations, or medications for lowering cholesterol or treating depression, anxiety, or pain?
I suggest you be wary of anyone who is giving you a definitive simple sound bite on either end of an opinion about these matters. Such statements as “the case is closed” and “enough is enough”
which were used in an editorial about vitamin use in the Annals of Internal Medicine a couple of
years ago are as arrogant as they are absurd1. We are dealing with a complex system when it
comes to our bodies, and we need to acknowledge that complexity in reporting information
about health issues.
I also hear physicians these days defining their turf, drawing a line between treating disease and
promoting health, as if that is an either/or proposition. As physicians, aren’t we supposed to be
doing both of those things? Don’t we want to know what promotes health and prevents disease?
I surely do!
There are some truths we can count on if we turn our focus within and recognize we do have
some choices about how we live that most certainly affect our health for better or worse. There
are some things we know that we can rely upon to guide us. Our bodies have the capacity to
heal and more robustly recover from the injuries and illnesses we will inevitably experience--if
we give them an environment in which to thrive.
Think of the basics.
Do you eat healthy food?
Do you know what you are eating, where it came from, and how it was prepared?
Do you know what chemicals are in your soaps and beauty products and detergents and
cleaning supplies?
How much exposure do you have to things you know are harmful to you like smoke and
alcohol and recreational drugs?
Do you get enough sleep?
See the article “The Case is closed: Editorial bias prevents reasonable evaluation of dietary supplements!” From Thomas Guilliams’ blog from December 2013
Do you have time to cultivate the relationships you have with the people who are
important to you?
Do you feel part of a community?
Do you walk at least 10,000 steps a day?
Do you exercise enough to feel it helps you release the tension in your body you know
relates to the stresses in your life?
Here’s the thing: we live in a world where most of us look at those basic questions and realize
we are a long way from feeling good about our answers. Yet instead of paying attention to them and working toward a lifestyle that gets closer to better ways of living, we turn our attention outward for a fix of some kind. I encourage you to take some time to look within and work on those things you can. Stand up for yourself and your family and take time for each other, for meals together and healthy recreation, for resolving your conflicts, for enough sleep to actually feel rested.
A basic principle in health is to know yourself. Your body, your emotions, your mind, your
conscience, and your sense of what are the true and real responsibilities we all share as citizens of this world. Work on that. Then you can certainly address the far more complex work of
understanding and relating to others. If we all work on that, we could be better at addressing the questions of our time with a little more clarity and a lot less bias.
-David N. Grimshaw, DO 01-11-2015
below is an article published in the Detroit Free Press on January 4th about Flotation Tanks in which I was interviewed and quoted.
Link to Article
(or you can read below)
It looks like a pod and holds 144 gallons of water permeated by 900 pounds of Epsom salt. Step inside, close the hatch and lie down. You're in the dark, defying gravity as you float in a foot of water. Your thoughts are your only company.
This is flotation, and proponents say it helps with stress, sleep disorders, chronic pain and muscle soreness. It's easier than meditation, they say, and it doesn't have the side effects of drugs. An hour-long float costs about $65-$70, although packages can lower the price of an individual session.
Growing numbers of Americans are discovering flotation's benefits. The largest U.S. manufacturer of flotation tanks — Indianapolis-based Royal Spa Manufacturing — built 75 in 2012, its first year, and is now up to almost 800 annually.
One fan is Patricia Scott, a retired schoolteacher turned life coach from West Bloomfield. Scott, who suffers from insomnia, tried flotation at the NeuroFitness Center in Southfield, one of three places in Michigan that has flotation tanks, after a friend recommended it.
During the hour-long session, she let the salty water support her body and coat her skin. She hovered between sleep and wakefulness. And she relaxed. Really relaxed.
Afterward, she was hooked.
David McCullar, owner of NeuroFitness Center in Southfield, added a flotation tank after sessions at Great Lakes Flotation in the Flint area.(Photo: Romain Blanquart, Detroit Free Press)
"It's not a natural thing to lay back and trust," she said. "But once you do it, it's amazing. It truly feels like nothing."
After a session, Scott said she sleeps better, and the benefits appear cumulative, lasting longer the more she floats. Her sleep is now deeper for up to a week after a float.
Proponents of floating say some of the benefits come from the magnesium in the Epsom salt, while other benefits come from floating in the soundproof tank.
In addition to NeuroFitness, which has one tank, Great Lakes Flotation in the Flint area, with two tanks, and Delta Floats outside Lansing, with three tanks, also offer flotation.
Bob Dapper, owner of Royal Spa Manufacturing, said most of his company's tanks are sold to float tank operators — at a cost of $22,500 each. Some go to chiropractors and a few to private homes. One buyer was a couple in Florida who installed the tank in the living room of their apartment to help the husband, who suffered from chronic pain.
Dapper said bacteria and other icky things cannot grow in the float tank because the buoyancy of the water pushes everything to the surface. Plus, the tanks are equipped with skimmers and purified with ozone and ultraviolet light. Some owners also may use chlorine.
"It's impossible to get a cootie from a float tank," said Dapper, whose company also manufactures hot tubs, saunas, spa pools and baptismal tanks for U.S. military chaplains.
Patricia Scott of West Bloomfield uses a flotation tank for insomnia.(Photo: Romain Blanquart, Detroit Free Press)
Dapper, who has a tank at his home, said he is convinced the high concentration of Epsom salt, which is absorbed by the skin, "gives your body the nutrients to do maintenance on your nervous system. ... It is recharging your batteries."
"Your nervous system gets frayed by overuse and tension and anxiety, and this product puts you in a position to restore your frazzled nervous system. It allows to you repair your wiring," Dapper said. "If you're able to sleep better, great. If you work through the stresses plaguing you, super. But you cannot promise that. Everyone has a different experience in a float tank. It allows you to open yourself to calmness and relaxation."
Dr. David Grimshaw, an Okemos physician who treats patients with chronic illnesses, arthritis, lupus and head and other injuries, said he checked out flotation after a patient who had been severely injured falling off a horse made a remarkable recovery and attributed it to floating.
"She not only got better, but ended up a lot healthier than I ever imagined," Grimshaw said. He now recommends floating to certain patients, those "who are looking for healing in a bigger way. ... I think about it as helping people along who are trying to do a lot themselves to improve their health and I've gotten some great feedback from the folks I've sent."
Polly Baker, a Fenton physical therapist, also has recommended flotation, especially for patients who have been in car accidents. She said it helps them deal with the trauma of the accident "so they can better handle the rehabilitation process for their injuries."
"If I can calm their nervous system, they can handle pain better," said Baker, who has done flotation herself for deeper relaxation. "You end up getting in a meditative state. It helps you get in touch with a calmer state."
David McCullar, owner of NeuroFitness, said he decided to get a float tank in May after floating at Great Lakes Flotation.
He said his first try was "pretty rocky" but after the second time, "I was blown away by how I felt. I felt so relaxed, at peace and calm."
McCullar said some first-time floaters are afraid that they will feel claustrophobic in the tank, but he assures them that a gentle push is all that is needed to open the door, and they can turn on lights or music with the push of a button. He said the water is buoyant enough to support people who weigh as much as 400 pounds.
Terri Stangl, owner of Great Lakes Flotation, said that for most people, the first float "takes a little longer to unplug." By the second or third float, "they're able to settle in much more quickly and really enjoy it."
"It's not like running a tanning booth," she said. "People often come out of a float session and have questions and want to talk. They're thinking about stuff going on in their lives, thinking about changes they want to make, things they'd like to resolve with their families. When they float, they think and find results."
Wendy Johnson, owner of Delta Floats, opened her business in August 2013. She said it has grown steadily and is "as busy as I can handle it."
"Almost all of my clients are word of mouth and referrals," Johnson said. "For the most part, people are looking for stress relief, to get a break from all that stress, or to resolve some of what is causing the stress in their lives."
By Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press
Everyone is seeking happiness...with more or less experience and wisdom! Going from
one experience to the next, the individual discovers how elusive happiness can be!
Consider the happiest moments of your life. What caused their disappearance? Some
anxiety, or a desire, or fear? Where did such concerns come from?
According to the Siddhas, who developed the scientific art of yoga in ancient times, such
concerns arise from the subconscious mind, where the residue of all of our experiences
are stored. Like clouds covering the sun, such concerns mask our inner bliss. The
Siddhas have diagnosed this human condition: "We are dreaming with our eyes open,"
because most of what we do, we do subconsciously, out of habit. In the depths of
meditation they realized that there is, however, a space within ourselves which is totally
fulfilled, 24 hours a day, independent of all circumstances. The paradox of our human
existence is that we keep losing this perfect happiness, because of the reactions of our
subconscious mind.
What is their prescription for this universal human dilemma? They have said: "The
amount of happiness in life is proportional to ones self-discipline." To act with
awareness is the meaning of self discipline, or "sadhana". With this objective, one of the
great 18 Siddhas, Patanjali, defined yoga in verse 2 of his famous "Sutras" as "the process
of cleansing the modifications arising from the subconscious". The Siddhas, developed
various techniques, known as"Kriyas", "actions with awareness", to facilitate this
cleansing and to enable one to act with awareness rather than from habit. In modern
times, these were revived by a great Himalayan master known as Babaji Nagaraj, a
direct disciple of the legendary Siddhas Agastyar and Boganathar.
Babaji's Kriya Yoga is a scientific art which has as its central purpose access for
individuals who aspire to achieve direct union with God, through constant practice and
devotion. It was revived by a great Master of India, Babaji Nagaraj, as a synthesis of
ancient teachings from the 18 Siddha tradition1. It includes a series of 144 techniques or
"Kriyas" grouped into five phases or branches.
I. Kriya Hatha Yoga: Learning to control one’s body is including "asanas", physical
postures of relaxation, "bandahs", muscular locks, and "mudras", gestures, all of
which bring about greater health, peace and the awakening of the principal
energy centers, the "chakras". Babaji has selected a particularly effective series of
18 postures, which are taught in stages and in pairs. One cares for the physical
body not for its own sake but as a vehicle or temple of the Divine. The practice
of Yoga is not done only for oneself but also for one’s family, community, and for
the betterment of the world.
II. Kriya Kundalini Pranayama: is a collection of powerful breathing exercises to
awaken powerful latent energy and circulate it through the 7 principal chakras
between the base of the spine and the crown of the head. It awakens their
corresponding psychological states and makes one a dynamo on all five planes of
existence.
III. Kriya Dhyana Yoga: this aspect of practice hones the scientific art of mastering
the mind: to cleanse the subconscious, develop concentration, mental clarity and
vision, to awaken the intuitive and creative faculties, and to bring about the
breathless state of communion with God, "samadhi".
IV. Kriya Mantra Yoga: the mental repetition of subtle sounds to awaken the
intuition, the intellect and the chakras; the mantra becomes a substitute for the "I"
centered mental chatter and facilitates the accumulation of great amounts of
energy. The mantra also cleanses habitual subconscious tendencies.
V. Kriya Bhakti Yoga: devotional activities and service to awaken pure divine
universal love and spiritual bliss; it includes chanting and singing, ceremonies,
pilgrimages, and worship. Gradually, all of one's activities become soaked with
sweetness, as the "Beloved" is perceived in all.
Kriya Yoga brings about an integrated transformation of the individual in all five planes
of existence: physical, vital, mental, intellectual and spiritual. Everyone can practice it
and thus find happiness and peace.
To reach me:
David N. Grimshaw, DO
1 Govindan, Marshall. Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition, Kriya Yoga Publications,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1991. Babaji’s Kriya Yoga, page two.