Wrap-Up: Overall Feelings on Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and alternative medicine is a holistic approach to health care. The goal of Chinese medicine is to restore the proper balance and flow of energy, while strengthening the body's defenses. This, as we have studied and practiced, is believed to be attained through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and proper exercise and nutrition. Many believe that alternative medicine has cured them of illnesses, prevented them from becoming sick, and has greatly contributed to overall well-being and healthfulness.

We realize that we have only been participating in these practices for three and a half weeks, which means that we have only dabbled into the truth of these very complex and long-term healing and preventative processes. We acknowledge that in order to see measurable changes, we would have had to practice acupuncture, reflexology, herbal treatments, and yoga/pilates for months, if not years. That being said, we have still given a lot of thought about how these nontraditional treatments can fit into our Western society. Is there room for Eastern medicine to exist alongside Western treatments? Can the two be practiced together? Should health care providers cover any Eastern practices?

In order to more fully answer these questions, we interviewed one of Stanford's most well respected cardiac surgeons, Dr. Robert Robbins. We also interviewed Menlo's athletic trainer, Jon Cohen.

Our interview with Dr. Robert Robbins:

For most of our interview, we discussed the legitimacy of Eastern medicine, and the potential of combining it with Western medicine. We thought he would have an interesting perspective, considering surgery is so technical, and nontraditional practices are so spiritual.

On benefits experienced due to Eastern practices, Dr. Robbins explained, "Even if it is the placebo effect, if you think you're feeling better, then maybe there is something to it... I know people who live by chiropractors, especially for back problems, and after going a few times, they claim to feel a lot better. That one too [chiropractory] I don't get as much, but even so, it is probably better than getting multiple surgeries on their back." He went on to say that there is a concrete difference in the healing power between these two treatments and therefore, acupuncture isn't going to provide the same results as open heart surgery. However, he did say that "Prevention is sort of the basics. We are getting more and more refined now to be able to detect and prevent things. None of this alternative stuff can compete with actual surgery or diagnostic tests, but if someone knows that they have an issue, maybe a predisposition to a type of cancer, then they can use some of these methods-yoga, maybe acupuncture- as prevention or stress reduction." Dr. Robbins believes that there is a role for nontraditional treatments in our Western society, but would like to see more hard data to prove their effectiveness. Even so, he is an avid supporter of yoga and believes that relaxation tactics will lead to a longer and healthier life.

Our interview with Jon Cohen

In this interview, we discussed more of the practicality of combining Eastern and Western medicine, rather than the theory behind Eastern techniques. On the differences between Eastern and Western treatments, he said, "Western medicine is much more on the treatment side and we’re much more reactive here – we give people drugs from depression, or pills for weight loss. With Eastern medicine they really focus on the centering of the body and the person as a whole, rather than the drugs for treatment. So they give peolpe more herbal remedies that are much more natural. I don’t think there’s one method that’s right or wrong – I think that whatever works for the individual should be what they use." He went on to explain his belief that the two can definitely be combined in our society; because they work in such different ways, they can complement each other.

Our Thoughts

We both believe that alternative medicine can have a significant positive effect on the body. While we did struggle with yoga, we don't deny that it relaxes the body and the mind, which has an overall positive effect on the person. Like Dr. Robbins said, relaxation is crucial because it can help people to lead longer and happier lives. In yoga, there is time for reflection and awareness of the body, mind, and self. This may not produce a measurable medical change but definitely improves quality of life (and flexibility!).

Similarly, we believe that acupuncture can play a large role in pain relief if the patient is willing to accept that it works. Not only is it beneficial in pain relief, but it can also help in a variety of other ways by addressing the root problem rather than the symptom. In addition, it is beneficial for relaxation and stress reduction.

Both of us struggle to accept the concept of qi, or energy flow. While practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine believe that acupuncture works because it enhances the patient's qi and therefore improves bodily function, we believe that it has a distinct physiological effect aside from qi. Since it hasn't been studied as extensively as many Western tactics, there more room for doubt of its validity. That being said, there are many studies suggesting the positive effects of acupuncture for medical reasons that have nothing to do with qi.

However, our opinions on reflexology are a little different. In an interview with a family friend, Debra Cibilich, she explained that reflexology saved her many foot surgeries. She is a competitive dancer and had been to several doctors who all recommended surgery. But Debra underwent many painful reflexology treatments, and could "feel the webs tangled in her feet before the treatments, and afterwards could feel the webs untangling". We don't doubt that the reflexology improved the pain in her feet. She clearly had tight muscles in her feet, and therefore, a deep massage such as reflexology made all the difference for her. In this type of situation, we would recommend reflexology. However, we do not believe that reflexology can improve organ function. We have not seen enough data to believe that there is a correspondence, and think these ideas are a little far-fetched. On top of that, it's almost too painful to endure.

Overall, we believe that there is a place in our society for nontraditional medicine. It can't replace Western medicine, but a combination of the two can have many beneficial effects. Western medicine can be used for treatment, while Eastern works better as prevention. Obviously, there are cases where Eastern practices can treat-such as acupuncture for back pain or reflexology for foot pain- but as a whole, Western practices are generally going to be more effective for treatment.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the time allotted to research and practice this fascinating field of medicine. We hope we have kept you entertained, and even tempted you to try these different practices now to relax your bodies, and in the future if you have an injury. Thank for you for following us!

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting very fine stainless steel needles into various areas of the body. Its origins date back to the 15th century, but it has become more popular in the past three decades. It now must be performed by a licensed physician or doctor. The doctor will insert the needles into "trigger points", which are generally tender spots (ashi) and muscles that contribute to the overall pain. Needles can also be placed along nerve roots, and will therefore bring different sensations to different parts of the body, hypothetically healing the patient after numerous visits. According to classical Chinese texts, the needles are inserted into specific parts of the body where qi and blood flow. Qi is a Chinese term meaning energy flow, and one who practices Eastern Medicine tries to attain a balanced and healthy qi (by doing things like yoga, reflexology, and acupuncture). Acupuncture is designed to simulate the body's internal energy source. Different points and channels on the body can contribute to balancing the qi, and can make a person feel less pain as well as feeling healthier and stronger. There are 12 main channels for acupuncture (which are not the only points needles can be inserted to), which correspond to different organs. This correspondence is known as zang fu. A few of the zang fu of the 12 different channels are the Lungs, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, and the Kidney. Not only is acupuncture used to block pain, but also to address the root of the imbalance causing the problem.

In order for a traditional Chinese physician to correctly diagnose where to insert the needles for each person, there are four methods.

1) Inspect the face and tongue and analyze shape, color, tension, and coating.

2) Listen for sounds and smell for odors.

3) Look for the 7 inquiries: chills/fever, perspiration, appetite, thirst/taste, defecation/urination, pain/sleep, and menstruation.

4) Feel the body for ashi (tender points)

Common health problems for which people seek acupuncture treatment: (this list is only a partial list)

Neurologic: headaches, migraines, epilepsy, post stroke problems, MS, Parkinson's disease

Gynecologial: PMS, leukorrhea, insufficient lactation, dysmenorrhea

Musculo-skeletal: Tendonitis, whiplash, backache, disc problems, lumbar pain, sprains/strains, arthritis

Psychiatric/emotional: anxiety, depression, nervousness, insomnia, hysteria

Ear, Eye, Nose & Throat: sinusitis, sore throat, cold sores, cataracts, night blindness, most eye problems

Gastrointestinal: indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, hiccups, abdominal pain

Misc: allergies, asthma, herpes, kidney stones, URIs, substance abuse, sexual dysfunction

Our Experience:

We went to The San Mateo Spine Center to receive our acupuncture treatments. Sarah had previously been there for treatments on her lower back, and had been referred to Dr. Yung Chen by a Western sports medicine doctor. We each told him where our pain was: Sarah's lower back and left ankle and Emma's upper back and neck area. We got to be in the same room, and he told us not to worry. He placed the needles into each of our painful areas, and next put on an electrical current to contribute to the flow of qi. We both found the treatment very relaxing and soothing, so much so that we practically fell asleep. We went back for a second treatment, and liked it as much as the first time. Typically, for ongoing conditions like ours, we would need several more treatments before feeling significant results. Fewer treatments are necessary for injuries that are more recent. However, with Sarah's experience two years ago, she found that the acupuncture made a significant difference. She had tried physical therapy and gone to several doctors, but it was the acupuncture that she felt really treated her pain.

Reflexology

Background

After finishing with yoga and pilates, we had our first experience with reflexology. Reflexology involves manipulation and massage of the hands and feet in order to reduce stress, combat certain illnesses, and improve organ function. As you can see from the diagram above, different spots on the foot are said to correspond to different parts of the body. Practitioners of reflexology view the foot as a 'mirror' for the rest of the body. For example, when the practitioner presses on a certain part of the foot said to correspond to the liver, it is supposed to stimulate the production of bile and detoxify the blood. It is also believed that reflexology improves circulation, balances the system, and revitalizes energy, and is therefore often uses as preventative health care. Reflexology is also supposed to produce a calming effect, which is why some practitioners add in relaxation techniques such as a foot soak in hot water.

Our Experience

For our reflexology treatment, we went to J.F. Foot Spa in Millbrae on Tuesday. The spa offers services in reflexology and various types of specialized massages.

When we arrived, the two practitioners, one male and one female, immediately led us from the empty lobby to a private room, where we sat side-by-side in two lounge chairs with blankets on our lap and our feet soaked in near boiling water. Without any explanation, they left us alone and told us to relax. Little did we know, there was no way we could relax ourselves enough for what was about to occur.

When the practitioners came back, they assured us that the treatment wouldn't be much different from a pedicure. They told us not to be scared, that they knew what they were doing. I don't doubt that they did in fact know what they were doing, we just didn't expect the pain that came along with their expertise. To start, they rubbed each one of our 10 toes, and we understood the pedicure reference. Moments later, each toe was revisited, and not left alone until the fatal sound of a cracked toe could be heard. Ouch. As we winced in pain, the practitioners looked up and saw the horror on our faces. Rather than trying to console us, they smiled and continued.

They began to apply pressure throughout our feet. Sounds like it'd be a pleasure, but really, it was torture. With their magic fingers, they managed to find the most sensitive areas of our feet. However, they pushed so hard that we were flinching in pain. Our reflexes told us to pull our legs away and kick, but we knew we had to maintain composure and endure the endless amounts of pain. The male practitioner asked how we were doing, and when we responded with "it's a little painful", he so kindly assured us that it was "good pain". It wasn't good pain at all. For the entire hour long session, we constantly clenched our fists, dug our fingers into our seats, and squeezed our eyes shut, but the pain would not subside. For an hour, our feet were poked, prodded, rubbed, and beaten to death. When they had finished, there was no comfort in knowing that we were already half way done, because that meant we had to go through the pain all over again.

Regardless, we went back today for round two, hoping this treatment would be better. It was less shocking because we knew what was coming, but still excruciating. The practitioners told us we would be "lighter on our feet", and maybe we will be. But in the future, we'd rather sacrifice a little heavy footedness in order to spare ourselves the agony. In the final post, we will discuss our beliefs on the effectiveness of this practice, as well as yoga, acupuncture, and herbal treatments.

Comfortably awaiting our reflexology treatment... How misleading this foot soak was.

Herbal Medicine

On Friday, we went up to the city to go herb shopping! We first went to a Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy. This pharmacy combined Western medicines with Eastern medicines. They had products like Aveeno and Burts Bee's, which you can find in a Walgreens or a Target. Aveeno products, for example, only contain natural ingredients like feverfew, soy, oats, natural shiitake, lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang. Aveeno is FDA approved as 100% natural and is commonly recommended by dermatologists and doctors. This pharmacy also carried several brands of tea like Yogi. The different teas are labelled according to what they do for your body rather than their ingredients. For example, Emma bought a tea called 'DeTox', which "promotes healthy liver and kidney function". There were other types such as 'Calm' and 'Sleep'. They also carried more nontraditional medicines, such as homeopathic medicines. For example, Sarah bought a Boiron homeopathic medicine targeted to improve complexion.

Homeopathic Medicine

The alternative medicine method of homeopathy originated due to the work of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician from the 1770’s. After receiving his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1779, Hahnemann began to analyze the effectiveness of medical practices at the time. Critical of ineffective remedies such as purgatives, Arsenic poisoning, and blistering plasters, Hahnemann started to develop a revolutionary new form of treatment: homeopathy. Hahnemann believed that the most effective way to treat a particular disease was to give the patient a remedy that produced similar symptoms to the disease itself. He thought that this artificial induction of the disease would get rid of the pathological disturbance in the body (in other words, the actual disease) and replace it with an artificial one that the body could cure. Through extensive research and many clinical trials, Hahnemann was able to discover the pharmacological or toxicological effects of many natural products, which he referred to as symptoms. In the year 1810, he published his findings in Organon of Rational Therapeutics, a book that is still regarded as an authority on homeopathic medicine today. By the time of Hahnemann’s death in 1843, his theories had gained popularity and the first homeopathic hospital had even been opened. A possible testament to the effectiveness of his homeopathic methods, which he practiced for fifty years, Samuel Hahnemann lived until the age of eighty-eight.

Obviously, homeopathic medicine is very different from Western medicine. But, according to fans of this alternative form of treatment, it might be better for a few reasons. First of all, it is safe to administer. Unlike several prescription medicines, homeopathic medicines are not associated with harmful side effects, risk of addiction, or risk of structural damage to the body. Next, it is preventative. When administered correctly, homeopathic medicine strengthens the immune system and reduces the body’s susceptibility to illnesses. It is also a long-term solution to health problems, not a temporary cure. When a patient takes a treatment for a specific ailment, the treatment is supposed to fully correct that ailment, not just reduce symptoms for a short period of time. Also, homeopathic medicine is easy and convenient. Many homeopathic treatments are distributed in sugar pills, which are easy for all patients to take, including children. For example, the medicine Sarah bought is meant to taken three times a day by dissolving five small pills on the tongue. And lastly, homeopathic medicine is individualized to suit the needs of each patient. Treatments are created based on factors such as age, gender, lifestyle, mental state, emotional state, personality, and many more.

We next went to The Scarlet Sage Herb Company. This store was much more 'nontraditional', and did not contain any mainstream products like Aveeno. They had several interesting books about homeopathy, herbology, mind/body healing, reflexology, reiki etc. We bought a book called Energy Tapping by Fred P. Gallo, which outlines how to use emotions to do things like 'control fears and negative emotions' and techniques for 'weight control and overcoming overeating', 'lowering blood pressure', 'improving immunity and managing allergies', and 'recovering from addiction'. We hope to explore this later during our senior project time.

We also bought different herbs to help indigestion. Some of the herbs included cinnamon, ginger, and fennel, among others. The woman who worked there asked about Sarah's indigestion, and accordingly chose different herbs which she thought would help improve it. We both believed that these herbs have practical use and can actually make a difference in Sarah's indigestion. We are planning to brew the herbs into a tea. In total, the herbs weren't expensive at all--it was only about $5 for enough to make 10 cups of tea.

Emma bought an elixir called 'Star Fire'. It is a Sublingual Botanical Supplement, and is a non-alcoholic liquid that is supposed to drop under the tongue or added to a beverage. Elixirs are a blend of wholeplant extracts, herbs, and homeopathy. The specific bottle Emma bought is supposed to "heighten energy, stamina, and awareness, assist in healing wounds of the subtle body & boosts the body's immune system". When the woman working at the store was explaining elixirs to us, we eyed each other in a slight disbelief at the strangeness of her explanation. Unlike with the herbs, it seems a little unbelievable that the ingredients in this elixir, such as pineapple, ginger, juniper berry, citrine, blood-stone, and peppermint (and many more) can actually cause changes in behavior. Maybe we will notice a difference in Emma's behavior after taking the elixir for a period of time, but as of now, if we saw a change we think it would be due to the placebo effect.

Wrap-Up: Movement Unit

After two and a half weeks of posing, stretching, aching, and sweating profusely, we have finally finished with the "movement" section of our project. We managed to attend many different types of classes, and sometimes even mustered up the willpower and energy to attend two classes per day. We took these classes at two different locations, Equinox Gym in Palo Alto and Being Yoga Studio in Burlingame. Here's what we did:

Bikram Yoga
This cleansing type of yoga is also known as "hot yoga" because the class is conducted in a room heated to 105°F. In this hot and humid environment, participants strike over 20 different poses and customarily do 2 breathing exercises as well. Like many other varieties of yoga, Bikram Yoga works by stretching and strengthening the entire body. However, there are also a few ways in which Bikram Yoga is unique; it is intended to detoxify internal organs and also stimulate the body's glandular systems. Many Bikram Yoga students believe that it is more effective than other varieties of yoga for achieving weight loss, possibly due to the cardiovascular challenge that this class involves. Unfortunately, beginners in this class sometimes cannot feel the benefits right away; it is very common for newcomers to experience nausea or dizziness. But, in our experience, we did not notice either of these unpleasant side effects. On the contrary, we enjoyed this class a lot. Even through the sweat and the stench (which was truly terrible in the yoga studio), we both agreed that this class felt very rewarding afterwards. As we slipped on our mats and dripped sweat from our foreheads, we struggled to hold difficult poses and slow down our rapid breathing. The class was a challenge, but we left feeling as though we had really gotten a full-body workout. And, we had the sweat to prove it.

Deep Flow Yoga
The Deep Flow Yoga class at Equinox is a spinoff of Vinyasa Yoga. The two classes are very similar in several ways; both focus on movement from one pose to the next, and are designed to improve balance, alignment, and physical awareness. The key difference between the two classes is that in Deep Flow Yoga students hold individual poses for much longer than in the regular Vinyasa Yoga class, and the poses are slightly more basic. As a result, this class focuses much more on the individual student's goals, breathing, and overall experience. Both of us enjoyed this class much more that its' more vigorous counterpart; Deep Flow Yoga felt simple and soothing, and we left the studio feeling relaxed. Some of the poses were challenging, but there was almost always a "beginner" version of the pose that was much easier. In Vinyasa Yoga, on the other hand, we were constantly scrambling to hit each pose and left the studio feeling dejected. The Deep Flow Yoga class allowed us to focus on our breathing patterns and short-term goals for the class. Overall, this class felt very satisfying; we were able to leave feeling as though we had succeeded, for once!

Kriya Yoga

The main objective of Kriya Yoga is purification of the body, mind, and spirit. Through a slow series of different poses and rotations, yoga students direct their life energy to revolve around the body. This is supposed to purify the student and bring them closer to spiritual enlightenment. In practice, Yin Yoga is very similar to a meditation session; the poses are not strenuous or difficult, and there is a strong focus on breathing. Physically, we both found this class to be manageable. For once, we actually had good enough balance and flexibility to work through the poses with the rest of the class (we kept up, too!). Mentally, it was a little bit more difficult. During some of the longer meditation periods, we had a hard time maintaining focus and staying present. Throughout those long sessions, our instructor repeatedly told us things like, "let your thoughts pass by like clouds in the sky." Both of us agreed that this was much easier said than done. Whenever a foot itched or a muscle was sore, it was difficult to stop thinking about it and focus instead on breathing or "thought itself." Afterwards, we felt as though we hadn't gotten as much out of the class as many of our classmates because we both struggled so much with meditation.

Nia

Nia is a combination of martial arts, dance, and poses designed to provide a cardiovascular workout as well as muscle strengthening and conditioning. The class is very fast-paced, and it incorporates dance-step combinations that involve each of the above elements. As a pair, we definitely lack rythmic coordination, and both of us would describe ourselves as terrible dancers. So, Nia was a challenge for us. The movements and poses were generally manageable, but repeating and combining them was more than we could handle. For the first half of our first class, we pathetically tried to imitate the instructor but were constantly lagging behind the rest of the class. Slowly, we were able to pick up our pace a little bit, but our fundamental lack of rythm still held us back. This class is intended to restore the body, mind, emotions, and spirit, but unfortunately, we had a hard time experiencing these uplifting benefits and instead suffered serious injuries to our pride.

Pilates Mat

This class provides an introduction to the principles of pilates. It emphasizes strength, flexibility, and agility through series of movements and gentle repetition. Unlike Pilates Power Play, this class is not much of a cardiovascular workout, but it does condition and stretch the muscles. The class also incorporates a mini yoga ball to provide an extra challenge and improve stability. This class was challenging but not frustrating; in other classes, we often felt as though we were falling behind or failing to hit the correct poses but in Pilates Mat we were able to challenge ourselves to a comfortable level. Using the mini yoga ball was often difficult, and because both of us have fairly poor balance we found ourselves falling over or shaking more than our experienced classmates. But, since the class was comfortable and slow-paced, it wasn't frustrating when we couldn't stay stable or had to re-start a pose. This was another class that felt rewarding afterwards; our aching muscles were proof that we had worked hard and conditioned our bodies, but we also left the studio without a sense of embarrassment or failure (we weren't quite proud of our performance yet but at least we weren't ashamed!).

Pilates Power Play

For more information about Pilates Power Play, check out our blog entry about this class!

Vinyasa Yoga

For more information about Vinyasa Yoga, read our blog entry about this class!

Yin Yoga

Most yoga directs stimulation and conditioning towards muscular tissues, often known as the yang tissues. Yin Yoga differs from other types of yoga in that it directs the stimulation deeper than these muscular yang tissues, but rather to the connective tissues. The connective tissues, or the yin tissues are the ligaments, bones, and the joints. More specifically, Yin Yoga targets the connective issues in the hips, pelvis, and lower back. Yin Yoga is believed to lengthen the connective tissues, improving one's range of motion and flexibility more so than lengthening muscular tissue can. In order to lengthen these tissues, students are forced to hold positions for a much longer period of time than regular yoga, which requires much patience and relaxation. For us, Yin Yoga was indeed very different from the other types of yoga we had practiced. We often had to hold positions for a long time - mostly about 5 minutes, but we held one for 12 minutes! While many like to practice Yin Yoga during the day so that muscles are not warmed yet, we went to a nighttime class. Our instructor told us that he believes practicing at night is psychologically soothing. With Yin Yoga, we were really forced to fully relax our muscles and let them go, rather than than strengthen them and push them to hold difficult positions. Yin Yoga poses are much simpler and easier than poses we did during other types of yoga, but we found it more relaxing rather than boring. We both agreed that this was our favorite type of yoga; it was the most relaxing and we felt an immediate difference on our joints afterwards.

Yoga Tune-Up

This class is very similar to another Equinox class, Yoga for Beginners. The class went over basic yoga poses, when to breathe in and out, and how to hold and maintain difficult poses. We both enjoyed this class because we didn't struggle to keep up with the rest of the class. It wasn't necessarily easy, but it was much easier than the rest of the classes we did. We wish that this had been the first class that we had attended, but it was comforting and confidence-boosting to know that we could keep up with a class and that there were others in our same position!

Hour Log & Resources List

As part of our project, we are required to keep a record of the work we do each day. Below you can find an hour log from our first two weeks of the project. For the first week, we had to split up on some days due to our AP class schedules. And from now on, we will update our hour log every day or two.


WEEK ONE (EMMA)
Monday, May 3rd:

12:30-1:00 Met with supervisor

1:00-2:00 AP Statistics class

2:00-3:00 AP Spanish Language class

3:30-4:30 Went to library, selected and checked out two books on alternative medicine

Tuesday, May 4th:

8:00-12:15 AP Spanish Language exam

1:00-4:45 AP Statistics exam

Wednesday, May 5th:

8:00-12:00 AP Calculus exam

3:00-4:30 Went to Barnes & Noble, bought magazines about yoga and pilates

5:00-7:15 Went to Yoga Tune-Up (including transport)

Thursday, May 6th:

10:30-1:30 Went to Avalon Art & Yoga Center and interviewed instructor (including transport)

2:00-4:30 Read book

8:00-10:00 Went to Kriya Yoga (including transport)

Friday, May 7th:

11:00-12:30 Did online research on reflexology and reiki

2:00-4:00 Read book

TOTAL HOURS THIS WEEK: 30.25

WEEK ONE (SARAH)

Monday, May 3rd:

8:00-9:00 AP European History class

11:15-12:15 AP Spanish Language class

12:30-1:00 Met with supervisor

3:30-4:30 Went to library, selected and checked out two books on alternative medicine

7:00-9:00 Read books

Tuesday, May 4th:

8:00-2:00 AP Spanish Language exam (with extra time)

Wednesday, May 5th:

11:15-12:15 AP European History class

3:00-4:30: Went to Barnes & Noble, bought magazines about yoga and pilates

5:00-7:15 Went to Yoga Tune-Up (including transport)

Thursday, May 6th:

10:30-1:30 Went to Avalon Art & Yoga Center and interviewed instructor (including transport)

2:00-3:00 AP European History class

8:00-10:00 Went to Kriya Yoga (including transport)

Friday, May 7th:
7:00-8:30 Read book
11:00-12:30 Did online research on reflexology and reiki
1:00-5:00 AP European History exam

TOTAL HOURS THIS WEEK: 30.25 HOURS

WEEK TWO

Monday, May 10th:

10:00-11:30 Scheduled appointments

11:30-1:30 Went to Pilates Power Play (including transport)

4:00-6:30 Discussed pilates class, set up blog, wrote first two blog entries

Tuesday, May 11th:

9:00-10:30 Went to Nia (including transport)

10:30-12:00 Went to Pilates Mat (including transport)

1:00-2:30 Went to library, checked out more books

6:30-9:30 Read books

Wednesday, May 12th:

10:00-11:30 Went to Nia (including transport)

12:00-1:30 Went to Pilates Power Play (including transport)

2:00-3:00 Met with supervisor

Thursday, May 13th:

10:00-11:30 Went to Pilates Mat (including transport)

12:00-1:30 Went to Deep Flow Yoga (including transport)

4:00-5:30 Did online research on the origins and history of yoga

Friday, May 14th:

11:30-1:30 Went to Vinyasa Yoga (including transport)

2:45-5:45 Read book

8:00-10:30 Went to Yin Yoga (including transport)

TOTAL HOURS THIS WEEK: 29.5 HOURS

WEEK THREE

Monday, May 17th:

12:00-1:00 Researched the health benefits of yoga

4:00-5:15 Blogged about Vinyasa Yoga class

5:00-7:00 Went to Bikram Yoga (including transport)

Tuesday, May 18th:

10:30-12:30 Went to Pilates Mat (including transport)

3:00-5:30 Scheduled acupuncture, reiki, and reflexology appointments

Wednesday, May 19th:

2:00-2:45 Met with supervisor

2:45-4:15 Updated hour log and resources list

5:00-6:15 Set up interviews and drafted interview questions for Rebecca Bara, Jon Cohen, and Mr. Robbins

7:30-9:30 Watched Sicko

Thursday, May 20th:

10:30-12:00 Finalized interview questions and finished hour log
12:45-1:15 Interviewed Jon Cohen about the differences between Eastern and Western forms of medicine
1:15-2:45 Transcribed interview
4:30-6:00 Worked on blog post wrapping up movement unit

Friday, May 21st:

8:30-2:45 Went to San Francisco and visited The Lotus Center, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, and The Scarlet Sage Herb Company (including transport)
TOTAL HOURS THIS WEEK: 26.5 HOURS


WEEK FOUR
Monday, May 24th:

8:00-9:00 Made tea with purchased herbs

9:00-11:00 Blogged about trip to San Francisco

11:30-4:30 Went back to San Francisco and purchased new herbs (including transport)

Tuesday, May 25th:

6:30-8:30 Went to Vinyasa Yoga (including transport)

12:30-2:30 Got reflexology treatment at J.F. Foot Spa in Millbrae (including transport)

3:00-4:30 Made and used herbal treatments

5:00-7:30 Read book

Wednesday, May 26th:
8:30-10:30 Got acupuncture treatment at San Mateo Spine (including transport)

11:00-1:30 Interviewed Debra Cibilich about her experiences with reflexology (including transport)

3:00-5:00 Got reflexology treatment at Happy Feet in Palo Alto (including transport)
Thursday, May 27th:
8:15-9:45 Interviewed Dr. Robert Robbins about the differences between Eastern and Western medicine (including transport)

9:45-11:15 Blogged about reflexology treatments

11:50-12:20 Met with supervisor

1:00-3:30 Read book

Friday, May 28th:
8:30-10:30 Got acupuncture treatment at San Mateo Spine

12:00-1:00 Read book

1:00-2:00 Made and used herbal treatment

3:00-4:15 Began outlining presentation
TOTAL HOURS THIS WEEK: 33.75

We have been taking most of our pilates and yoga classes at Equinox Gym in Palo Alto, with the exception of Bikram Yoga, Kriya Yoga, and Yin Yoga, all of which were offered at Being Yoga Studio in Burlingame. Click here for a schedule of the classes offered at Equinox.

As you may notice from our hour log, we have been doing a lot of reading about alternative medicine. Here's a list (which we will continually update) of our resources:

Books

"Alternative Healing: Opposing Viewpoints" by Gail Stewart

"Anatomy of the Spirit: the Seven Stages of Power and Healing" by Caroline Myss

"Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine" by Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold

"Healing and the Mind" by Bill Moyers

"Health and Illness: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia" by Laura Graccione and David Levinson

"Roots of Chinese Culture and Medicine" by Tsuei Wei

"Energy Tapping" by Fred Gallo

Magazines & Articles

"Do Yoga's Hindu Roots Matter?" by Lisa Miller (Newsweek, issue dated May 31 2010)

Yoga Journal magazine, issue dated May 2010

Websites

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Natural Solutions