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This is the Most Important Lesson
I Have Ever Shared With You

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In the United States we have the Public Broadcasting System, and it features wonderful commercial-free programming. In 2006 PBS featured an exciting program called: Paul McCartney's "The Space Within Us." I was and am a big Beatles fan, and love Paul's post-Beatles music as well. But the best part of that great show was the name. The more I thought about it, the more I connected it with the space within all of us, which I call our IGS.

The key to our Internal Guidance System is our body's own energy.  Is the IGS a part of our body? Well, yes, sort of.  I like to think of the IGS - that space within, or inner space - as being like the gasoline that powers our automobiles, or the electrical energy that powers most things in our society. In my book, From MS to Wellness, I referred to a book, The Body Electric, by Robert Becker, M.D. wherein he wrote about the innate energy that powers the body and he compares it to electricity.  In quantum physics it is often called our "energy field or quantum field."

It is important to know that there are ways of enhancing our body's energy, and ways of blocking or lessening its effect.

Probably the biggest protagonist of our IGS is our own belief system. I like to think of our belief system as a matrix, or something within us from which something else originates. In other words, our belief system is the "womb" from which we create our personal reality. Wow! If we can just get our heads around that, we will have the formula for creating what we want in our lives.

Stress is also a big enemy of all life-giving and self-healing functions of our body. Through evolution our bodies developed the fight or flight function in order to survive in a hostile environment. It works by releasing chemicals that put our entire body on alert. But in today's world we humans do not need those chemicals and they become enemies of a healthy body.

I have recently been exploring using feeling my body's own energy to reduce stressful situations, and it is a relatively easy technique to learn. When I feel stressed, wherever I am and whatever I am doing, instead of relating to the stressful situation, I just take a deep breath and tune into and feel my IGS. Then silently I say to myself, "this too shall pass." This sounds so simple - actually it is - but it does not happen easily. Old reaction habits are not easy to change. But it does work, and I am getting better at doing it.

I believe that nothing is as detrimental to a healthy body as stress-induced chemicals. Anything we do to reduce stress in our lives will strengthen our body's self-healing function. Examples -- you all know them -- are meditation, deep breathing, exercise, etc. Yoga and Qi Gong are great examples. I have now been a student of Qi Gong (chi Kung) for about 12 years, and I truly believe that I walk and live a normal life today thanks to years of practicing those simple healing movements.

There are reportedly over 150 different Qi Gong movements, and each teacher may choose to use any of those to make up his/her own routine. I have quite a collection of different Qi Gong programs with different teachers, but only two I have found work for me. One is the Tai Chi for Seniors routine that I recommend so highly. At least five days each week I do that routine. It is especially good for those with limited mobility.

One Qi Gong program I have on an old VHS is no longer available. I have tried repeatedly to locate a source for the program, or to locate the person on the internet who created the program, as well as its publisher, but with no success. I have had the program for many years and do not know from whom or when I acquired it. The gentlemen who does it is apparently deceased. I am going to attempt to get some DVDs made from it, and If I am able to get it copied, perhaps I can make it available to you also. It is a short 12-minute Qi Gong program that I find extremely relaxing and I do it almost every night just before I go to bed.

The power of Qi Gong lies in moving the body's energy. Our body was designed to "move," and when we do not move our body that energy becomes blocked and stagnant. Other things like stress, poor diet, lack of necessary nutrients, also block the energy flow and allow it to become stagnant. Natural Chinese medicine teaches that the source of dis-ease in our body directly relates to such blockages.

In his brilliant book, A New Earth, Elkhart Tolle teaches that we have an inner energy body, as well as an outer physical body. Sometimes I find there seems to be a connection between the two, and that is where the IGS comes in. When we physically feel the body's energy, we are actually feeling that inner body.

Intuition:  When you are "tuned in" to your IGS, you will experience heightened Intuition. I think of intuition as "knowing" without rational evidence. It is a powerful healing tool that we all possess in varying degrees.

The power of your breath - The breath is one of the tools we use to "power" our IGS, and the breath relates directly to our states of mind. A deep belly breath is relaxing and cooling. A top-of-the-lungs breath is energizing and warming. When you are tense the top-of-the-lungs breath feels restricted.

You "feel" your IGS as your stomach digests food, or you develop indigestion, as the case may be, primarily related to your state of mind. You also "feel" your IGS system at work as you become aware of your heart beat, when you feel hot or cold, etc. I think our autonomic nervous system [everything that works automatically in our body] is a function or part of our IGS.

Your IGS has both automatic and non-automatic aspects. In healing we are concerned with the non-automatic functions...those over which we have conscious control. That is where exercise, stress reduction, good nutrition, etc., come into play. Those are the obvious ways we can effect our IGS system.

If we can accept that we indeed can play an important role in our health by effecting our IGS, then doesn't it make sense to make a real conscious effort to do that?

~ Energy work is both short-term and long-term ~

There seems to be something deep inside my psyche that almost forces me to be a student of how my body works, both psychologically and physiologically. It began many years before MS became a factor in my life. After I was diagnosed I became almost ferocious in my efforts to learn more about what I could do to help myself. And I am proof positive that I have learned to do just that.

Just today I looked up something for a reference from the little book I wrote in 1996-97, From MS to Wellness. It had been quite a while since I had actually opened it. It was almost like I was reading something someone else had written. I got so into it that I ended up reading much of the book. I am amazed that everything I wrote in it is still relevant today, 12 years later.

Another book that I have recently been re-reading and applying is The Healer Within, which I have highly recommend for many years. It is written by a Chinese Medical Doctor, Roger Jaffe, and is another Qi Gong masterpiece. The name, The Healer Within, is Dr. Jaffe's description of our body's own self-healing energy system.

The truth is that doctors and their drugs can never heal anyone of anything! They only assist the body's self-healing. Only the body has the power and ability to heal itself! ALL HEALING IS SELF-HEALING! All healing comes from the inside out and cannot come from the outside in! It is in our genetic coding. This self-healing ability has been passed down from generation to generation in the genes of every human being – including you and me!

It is important to remember that self-healing isn't some mysterious concept; and it is so simple. You do not need to understand how it works in order to benefit from it. Interestingly in The Healer Within all the simple self-healing movements are illustrated, in every case, standing, sitting and lying down. My favorite exercise in this book is just shaking your body, as much as you can, all over.  I love it because I can feel the increase in the energy flowing through my body every time I do it.  There is absolutely no one who cannot benefit from The Healer Within. If you don't have this book, you need to order it today.

I hope many of you will write to me and share your experiences in learning to recognize your IGS, as well as using some of the suggested techniques.

  Bon Appétit - Healthy Food Tips and Recipes
 

Mostly Raw Couscous (or Rice)
(From the Hallelujah Acres newsletter)

1 c. organic couscous
1 1/2 c. water

Add to water herbs i.e. thyme, basil, oregano, pinch of cayenne, dash of cinnamon. Bring water to a boil and pour flavored water over couscous, stir, cover, let sit 5minutes, and do not re-heat.

Add to the couscous finely chopped vegetables. Be creative each time. For a base use: 2 carrots, 1/4 sweet onion, broccoli (including soft stalk), tomato, freshly squeezed lime juice. Additions could include sweet red bell pepper, grapes, an apple, or raw finely chopped walnuts or almonds, cauliflower, spinach, celery, etc." ENJOY!

I keep trying to find interesting ways to incorporate more fresh, raw fruits and veggies into my diet.  When I tried this I loved it.  I took the same idea and added fresh chopped fruits and veggies to warm cooked Brown Basmati Rice.  Fresh lemon or lime juice really perks up the flavor.  

[If you are totally eliminating gluten, then you need to know that couscous is a pasta product that normally contains gluten.]

Into the cooked, warm rice I added chopped uncooked spinach, bell pepper, chopped onion, chopped tomato, a couple of spears of asparagus, and half a small avocado.  I sprinkled the veggies with about a tablespoon of lemon juice, and mixed it well and served it immediately while the rice was still warm.  As my grandson would say, it was "out-a-sight" wonderful. I absolutely loved it.   It makes a lovely light dinner on a warm summer evening.

This is also a great way to clean up little bits of fruit and/or veggies. You could also add chopped cooked chicken (warm or cold). Be creative and try it for your family.

Apple Cake Squares
(from Dr. Weil)

        1 c. gluten-free flour (or whole wheat flour)
        1/4 t. salt
        3/4 t. nutmeg
        1 t. baking soda
        1 t. cinnamon
        3 T sugar
        3 T softened butter
        2 eggs
        2 c. apples, peeled, cored, finely shredded
        1/4 c. finely chopped dates
        1/4 c. confectioners' sugar

GARNISH (Optional)
        1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts
        1/4 c. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and stir thoroughly.

Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir in the shredded apples and dates until they are completely distributed throughout. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly into the batter.

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease it with 1/4 teaspoon of butter and pour in the batter.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.

Put the confectioners' sugar in a sifter and dust it over the cooled cake a few times until all the sugar is gone. If you want

to garnish, mix the walnuts with the maple syrup and drizzle over individual serving plates. Cut the Apple Cake into 9 squares and serve.

ORGANICS - YES OR NO!

It is always best to avoid exposing ourselves to potentially harmful pesticides by choosing organic product whenever possible. However, with the increasing cost of food world wide, then we need to educate ourselves on which foods need to be organic, and which ones do not necessarily need to be organic.

Always remember that all produce - whether organic or not - needs to be washed thoroughly to remove dirt and bacteria, as well as pesticides. A good way is to add a drop or two of your regular kitchen dish detergent to a sink full of water and immerse all produce in that solution, washing and then rinsing thoroughly.

ITEMS YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY ORGANIC

Fruits
        Kiwi and Mangos
        Bananas and Pineapples

Veggies
        Asparagus and avocados
        Onions and broccoli
        Cabbage
        Corn and Peas (sweet, frozen)

BUY ORGANIC WHEN POSSIBLE

Fruits
        Peaches and nectarines
        Strawberries and cherries
        Apples and pears
        Imported grapes

Veggies
        Spinach and lettuce
        Potatoes and celery
        Sweet bell peppers

  Exercise - Use It or Lose It

Gluteal Stretch:  This exercise works on an area that many ignore, the gluteal muscles, which are the major muscles in your buttocks.  When these are tight, they can affect the lower back, so they are an important area to work on. I will offer either a floor version or a chair version for those who prefer or need to remain seated.
 
For those who will work from the floor, start lying on your back on the floor, with your legs resting up on a sofa or chair seat.  Bending your right knee out to the side, cross your right ankle above your left knee, if you can.  Slowly move your left knee in towards your chest.  For those who are more flexible, try to bring your left foot all the way to the edge of the seat.  You will feel a wonderful stretch behind that right hip and buttock area.  If you can’t cross the ankle above the knee, use your right hand to cradle your right knee, and with your left  hand, carefully grab the outside of your right shin or foot.  Then, very gently try to pull the leg in towards your chest with your hands. (This sounds a lot more complicated than it really is!)  Hold either position for a slow count of 3 breaths, and repeat on the other side.
 
To practice this from a chair, move to the edge of the seat and place your feet hip-width apart.  Lift your right leg, rolling your right knee out to the right, and place your right ankle above your left knee.  Place your fingers at the creases where your hips bend, with your thumbs on your hips, on the sides. Sit up tall as you inhale, and very slowly, as you exhale, lean forward, keeping your back straight and your head and neck relaxed. On each inhalation, focus on lengthening the spine forward, and on the exhalations, relax your shoulders, abdomen and muscles in your hip area. Hold for 3 breaths.  To come out of the pose, inhale and very slowly sit up. Use your hands to help remove the right leg and set the right foot onto the floor. Repeat on the left side.
 
Stretching the muscles around your buttocks, and those behind your upper thighs is so important and we hardly ever do it!  These areas get tensed whenever we walk or stand, so they need to be stretched!  It is also helpful in keeping full range of motion in your hips, by bringing the knee out to the side, because you are rolling the leg in the hip socket out sideways. Keeping all these muscles loose helps to prevent stress and tension in your lower back. Try to add this to your routine!
 
If you have any questions relating to this column, you can email me directly at shsh@mobilityltd.com.  (Remember, I am not a doctor, so please do not ask medical questions.)
 

  Research News

Be sure you read the "Important Safety Information" at the end of this report.  It is enough to prevent almost anyone from participating in these kinds of clinical trials.  One has to wonder why the FDA allowed the trials in the first place.  Notice that in this "failure" notice they still use the term "top-line results" in their headline.

GENENTECH AND BIOGEN IDEC ANNOUNCE TOP-LINE RESULTS FROM A PHASE II/III CLINICAL TRIAL OF RITUXAN IN PRIMARY-PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - April 14, 2008 - Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and Biogen Idec, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced that a Phase II/III study of Rituxan® (rituximab) for primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) did not meet its primary endpoint as measured by the time to confirmed disease progression during the 96-week treatment period. Genentech and Biogen Idec will continue to analyze the study results and will submit the data for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting.

"We are disappointed in the outcome of the primary endpoint, but not surprised given the significant clinical challenges presented by PPMS," said Hal Barron, M.D., Genentech senior vice president, development and chief medical officer. "There was some evidence of biologic activity, and we will continue to review all the data to better understand the role of B cells in MS."

"While the primary results are not what we had hoped, we continue to believe in the potential of B cell therapy for patients living with MS," said Michael Panzara, M.D., MPH, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Neurology Strategic Business Unit, Biogen Idec. "PPMS is widely considered a difficult form of MS to treat and historically no therapy has proven efficacy in this disease state."

About the Study

This Phase II/III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study was designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of four courses of Rituxan in patients with PPMS. A total of 439 patients from approximately 60 sites in the U.S. and Canada were randomized 2:1 to receive either four treatment courses of Rituxan six months apart or placebo. MRI evaluations were conducted at baseline, weeks 6, 48, 96 and 122.

Detailed safety data from the study is currently being evaluated. The incidence of overall adverse events was comparable between Rituxan and placebo treatment groups. Serious adverse events were 16.4 percent in the Rituxan arm versus 13.6 percent in the placebo arm, with an incidence of serious infections of 4.5 percent compared with <1.0 percent respectively. Infectious events reported in at least 10 percent of patients in either group included upper respiratory and urinary tract infections.  Most infectious events in the Rituxan arm were reported as mild to moderate in severity, though events of greater severity were reported more frequently in patients receiving Rituxan.  There were more infusion-related reactions with Rituxan, the majority of which were mild to moderate in severity. The companies continue to monitor the long-term safety of Rituxan treatment.

About MS and PPMS

Rituxan, discovered by Biogen Idec, is a therapeutic antibody that first received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in November 1997 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). It was also approved in the European Union under the trade name MabThera® in June 1998.

In February 2006, Rituxan also received FDA approval in combination with methotrexate to reduce signs and symptoms and, in January 2008, to slow the progression of structural damage in adult patients with moderately-to-severely active RA who have had an inadequate response to one or more TNF-antagonist therapies. Rituxan is the first treatment for RA that selectively targets immune cells known as CD20-positive B cells. Rituxan does not target the entire immune system. CD20 is not found on stem cells, pro-B cells (B cell precursors), normal plasma cells, or other normal tissues. Rituxan does not target plasma cells. These cells make antibodies that help fight infections.

Rituxan does not target stem cells in the bone marrow, and B cells can usually regenerate and gradually return to normal levels after treatment with Rituxan in about 12 months for most patients.  Over the past ten years, there have been more than 1 million patient exposures to Rituxan.

Important Safety Information:

Rituxan has been associated with fatal infusion reactions, tumor lysis syndrome (TLS), severe mucocutaneous reactions and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Hepatitis B reactivation and cardiac arrhythmias and angina have also been observed. Patients should be closely observed for signs of infection if biologic agents and/or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs other than methotrexate are used concomitantly. Common adverse reactions (≥ 5%): hypertension, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, arthralgia, pruritus, and pyrexia.

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Over the years I have had many readers tell me that their MS went into remission during pregnancy, only to return with a vengeance following the birth of their child.   I'm sure you will find the following press release by the developer of Trimesta very interesting.

TRIMESTA is being developed as an oral, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory agent for the North American market. Estriol has been approved and marketed throughout Europe and Asia as a mild estrogenic agent for over 40 years for the treatment of post-menopausal hot flashes. Estriol is an important endogenous hormone that is produced in the placenta by women during pregnancy. Maternal levels of estriol increase in a linear fashion throughout the third trimester of pregnancy until birth, whereupon they abruptly fall to near zero. Our scientific inventor of TRIMESTA™ is a leading authority on the role that estriol plays in affording immunologic privilege to the fetus so as to prevent its rejection by the mother. It is a widely observed phenomenon that pregnant women with Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases (such as multiple sclerosis) experience high rates of spontaneous remission during pregnancy (especially in the third trimester) as well as high rates of relapse during the post-partum period (especially in the three-month post-partum period). Based upon these insights, the inventor of TRIMESTA™ has conducted initial clinical trials of TRIMESTA™ in non-pregnant female multiple sclerosis patients to determine safety and efficacy.

Doctors have known for decades that women often experience a sharp drop in MS disease symptoms during the course of pregnancy, specifically in the third trimester when the levels of estriol is being produced at their highest level by the placenta. The list of autoimmune diseases that improve during pregnancy includes multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, uveitis, juvenile rheumatoid arthirits, ankylosing spondylitis with peripheral arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

A landmark clinical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, known as the PRIMS study (Pregnancy in Multiple Sclerosis) followed 254 women with MS during 269 pregnancies and for up to one year after delivery. The PRIMS study demonstrated that relapse rates were significantly reduced by 71 percent through the third trimester of pregnancy from prebaseline levels and relapse rates then increased by 120 percent during the first three months postpartum before returning to prepregnancy rates.

   Hi Betty,