In the text healing wise there is an interesting story to demonstrate this point about a midwife who when thanked profusely for her assistance in birthing states, “I’m there to help her remember HER power; not to display mine. I am there to support HER to deliver the baby; I don’t deliver. …The more invisible I am- the more I can really help.” In my view, the statement of this midwife was a perfect expression of “Christness”.If you want to call it that…But I prefer to call it the awareness of a consciousness that it is indeed “at one” with all things and therefore, in assisting the “other” the midwife was only assisting herself. Isn’t God/Goddess- the one in the many and the all that is- invisible? I found her remark to be profound.

I believe that in the pursuit of seeking wellness and balance for our body, at some level we are also seeking the same for our inner state of being. All of us are wanting to feel “good” about ourself. When we do not feel good on the inside it is as much an obstacle for us as experiencing dis-ease on the outside; in the body itself.

Susun makes the statement in the text, “Flexible and common, claiming no healers, having no universities, no institutions, the Wise Woman tradition is hard to see. I feel it as an invisible thread humming with wholeness, ancient and vibrant, stitched through my life, stitched through the lives of all who went before and all who come after me. An invisible tenacious thread.”

This same approach could be applied also for inner awakening and spiritual growth as I see it. Indeed, we are all interconnected. In truth, spirit is an “invisibility” that permeates us all whether we acknowledge it or not. Some may be more attuned to this than others. This is ok. Regardless, we are all threads upon the web of life. Susun articulates some of the principles of the wise woman tradition- I use the term principles for lack of a better one. Although there seems to be some sort of “path”, it is a path one carves out as they walk it. In this way- there are no rules or “healers” or anointed ones- rather, all set themselves to the task before them in the spirit of the recognition of oneness over personal self…in the spirit of selfless service.

Susun states, “Nourishing is an invisible process. …Wise women nourish in invisible ways, helping others to empower themselves without saying, ‘Hey, look at me healing you. Look at me teaching you!’” This remark embodies the idea of at-one-ment in my view. Nourishing is not to be an arrangement where one seeks the gratification of self satisfaction. Rather, it is a mode of sharing- recycling so to speak the one power and energy we all carry within.

“Mothers are invisible…Virtually all health care given is provided by mothers who care for their families…But this is not measured nor paid for, and anyway, isn’t that what mothers do?” This remark makes me thing about the ceaseless giving of our own mother Earth. The spirit of the goddess constantly in action. Creating, sustaining and destroying for continued growth of all her children. As the earth gives without conditions- shouldn’t we too?

“A woman making dinner is invisible…To claim that she is engaged in healing her family and community and keeping her universe in balance is a lot to claim for dinner….” Well- this one really hit home. What about all the times I disdained at preparing yet another mundane evening meal when I would much rather be out DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT. Who wants to rejoice at the prospect of more dirty dishes and screaming children at the dinner table. Yet, from personal growth and experience I can tell you that the implication of Susun’s remark is very accurate. The now moment is all that we have. While making a meal, doing laundry, or cleaning the toilet we have an opportunity to hold in our consciousness the awareness of peace, healing, love…Doing any task in this spirit indeed heals not only family and community- but sets forth a vibration that goes out to the entire universe. In this light, what more important job is there to do?

“Spoken words are invisible…The Wise Woman tradition flows from experience rather than faith in books; from creativity rather than dogma; from many unique individuals creating new ways to heal/whole…it is nonrepeatable, nonreplicable, ever changing.” There is a big difference between intellectual apprehension of a thing and the direct perception of its reality through experience. As a book hound, I well understand that although much food for thought can be gleaned from books and studies, none of it can become a dynamic expression of yourself until you own it as part of your own being consciously. This is a learning that comes from the heart, from being humble in the sense that one is teachable- listening for the best response in the situation one is presented with rather than being on automatic reaction to it. This kind of word is indeed invisible because it comes from within.

“There is no visible stucture in the wise woman tradition…There’s no president, no guru, no chairman of the board…You can’t get a degree or certificate…You can’t be tested on it, because there are no right or wrong answers.” In truth, this is so because life is a process of growing, learning, evolving. The Wise Woman tradition emphasizes the process we experience in the school of LIFE- as opposed to the level of status honored in conventional schools. This is not in any way to devalue universities, courses and other modes of education. It is to take it a step above the intellect and make learning not for the sake of collecting data, but for the sake of making it USEFUL in one’s life. And practicality only comes from application in any endeavor regardless.

The symbol of the wise woman tradition is the spiral. The spiral represents the beginning and ending of all things in a perpetually infinite universe. To some points of view there are beginnings and endings; but to the Wise Woman view there is only the process. It regenerates, takes away the old to make room for the new. Death becomes the doorway of life- and life becomes the experience of the soul that has for the present attained itself a body! The Wise Woman tradition encourages the experience of the void. Why? When the rest of the world “needs to know”, “have an identity”, “be something”. The answer is because in the void, in the nothingness is everything. All possiblity exists without limitation. We fear death mainly because it is a state of unknowing. We can’t control it. The Wise Woman tradition yields to the process of letting go rather than holding on. The whole cosmos is in constant expansion and motion and yet we all seem to think if we fight hard enough- work long enough- even attempt to reverse aging- we can somehow remain predictable and constant. We can be “stable” and find “security”. People need to think about that. I know I do. Most every day in fact. What is this all about? What exactly are we here for? If we can’t take anything with us but our own self - then what is the real priority? My body is also what I am- but what happens when I need to let it go?

I learned alot from these and other insights expressed by Susun. The most striking thing I think I discovered however is how similar our sense of physical well being relates to our inner being. We do not live an “either/or” existence. Instead, we experience both the visible and the invisible every day. For me, the Wise Woman tradition is less a school of thought than a way of being. Personal being that is. I feel that being more aware of my actual “being-ness” for myself; only opens the door to greater opportunities for growth and self discovery on all levels. With that I would like to end with some comments from Susun herself on this point, “Chaos, permeability, and nonsense are honoured in the Wise Woman tradition, not instead of, but in addition to honoring order, boundaries, and logic. Life and death co-exist; there is no pitched battle; there are no enemies in the Wise Woman tradition. The next time you have to make a choice between, try this: change the ‘or’ to ‘and’ and look at your decision from a place of inclusion. Let new vistas appear. Let the spiraling path of the Wise Woman tradition become more visible to you.”

I chose Susun’s work as a focus for this article because I find that contained within her holostic (which means wholeness by the way) approach, there are many, many deeper and inherently valuable meanings to her insights which- at least for me- have made an impact in a variety of ways.

I recall being at a particularly depressing moment not that long ago, and I casually opened opened the book “Healing Wise”. I have over 300 spiritual, holistic, entheogenic, and ancient and modern texts at my disposal by the way- so it was not as if THIS one would be the first choice for someone who was feeling as crappy as I was. I felt like a “spiritual failure” and completely cut off from everyone and everything. Yet, right on the page I opened there was smack dab in the middle a chart comparing the various “traditions” employed for health and wholeness, and a notation under one of them named “The Heroic Tradition” which said, “I’ll save you…” Hmmm….was I really looking for a savior? I felt so incapable at succeeding in my own efforts towards awareness and here is this one little phrase taunting me. Then right next to it I saw the phrase under the “Wise Woman Tradition”, “I’ll play with you in the sacred garden…I will love you unconditionally”. THAT was the answer. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Without judgment, measurement or reservation. I was loved unconditionally by the universe and yet I was busy beating myself up over my perceived “lack”, “failure”, “Badness”.

Often times attempting spiritual “enlightenment” we unconsciously measure ourselves by how much discipline we can withstand, how “perfect” we have been that day, how rigorous are our “renunciations”. Not to mention the humungous, magnanimous spiritual egos we create in the process which we eventually have to contend with. “Yes - yes- I have already walked that path- Ominous-Auminous- I will heal YOU.” Now I have run into that sort of persona a thousand times. And true- many do recieve a healing of some sort via this method and I don’t knock this type of thing. Yet- it wasn’t at all a help to me to be told, “You are healed because I have 22 years of kriya yoga behind me, am a vegetarian and surrendered my self to the cosmos.” I walked away feeling nothing. No change in depth. On the other hand, I have found real teachers to teach by their life. Their life is their message. Here’s one from Susun I found to be unique, “I do not want those who come to me to learn WHAT I learned, but HOW I learned so that they will know for themselves.”

In her text, “Healing Wise”, one of the very first chapters addresses the various traditions (in general terms) applied in our search for wholeness. I gleaned great spiritual wisdom from the information given. Susun wrote about 3 main traditions, that is, the three main lines of thought used by humanity on the whole toward greater health and wholeness. These are as follows- (and I paraphrase):

The Scientific Tradition: (Conventional physio-psychological approach) Walking the knife edge of keen itellect, analytical thoughts, measuring and repeating, then measuring again.
The motto of the scientific tradition is: “TRUST MY MACHINE”

The Heroic Tradition: (Alternative Medicine) The way of the savior, a path of rules, punishment and rewards, and purifications.
The motto of the heroic tradition is: “TRUST ME”

The Wise Woman Tradition: (Spontaneous Approach) The path that leaves no trace, integration and nourishment with a focus upon uniqueness of each individual who is addressed as such. The approach of wholeness.
The motto of the wise woman tradition is: “TRUST YOURSELF”

Looking at these approaches from a spiritual perspective I saw certain aspects of myself in ALL THREE of them. I had attitudes and ideas composed of all three. And in my own way, as screwy as it sounds, I saw clearly that what Susun was addressing from a health perspective was completely applicable from a spiritual view. Here is how it looked to me in that context:

The Scientific Tradition: “TRUST MY MACHINE”- Immediately the thought went through my mind that this is the equivalent of, “God doesn’t exist, just follow the system. You are SUPPOSED to run around searching for money and stability and honor and fame so GET TO IT and push everyone and everything out of your way!”

The Heroic Tradition: “TRUST ME”- This one produced the corresponding thought of, “Now just say ten hail mary’s and ten “our fathers” and know that Jesus will save you. DAMN IT! You are not subservient to the calling of Christ! You are a sinner- let me redeem you. Don’t speak- just let go and let GOD. Trust me….”

The Wise Woman Tradition: “TRUST YOURSELF”- Instantanseously the idea hit me, “KNOW THYSELF”.

I discovered that was innately repulsive to me about the scientific and heroic traditions was the quality behind them. A quality that exists in a subject and object relationship. “I am me and YOU are YOU and we are different and I am here to help YOU because YOU ARE IN A POSITION OF NEED.” The wise woman tradition on the other hand made no distinction between the healer, the healed and the healing. One is encouraged to help themself and work with their own being. In fact, the healer, healed and actual healing are all interconnected in the philosophy of TRUST YOURSELF.
to be continued…

You can lift weights or run to work your biceps and calves, but what about the forgotten muscles — the ones in the vaginal and perineal (the area extending from the anus to the vulva) region? What can woman do to strengthen these muscles and why would we want to?!

During pregnancy there is an increase in pressure on your bladder, which may lead to urinary and bowel incontinence. Toning the muscles surrounding this area through exercises known as Kegels may help alleviate this common side effect of pregnancy. Strengthening the vaginal and perineal muscles will also help with delivery, enabling you to isolate the muscles used to push your baby through the birth canal. Kegels are also something that can help after the birth of your baby - aiding the vagina in shrinking back down to pre-pregnancy size. Kegels therefore, are important for the pregnant and the post partum woman.

How can you isolate these muscles that you may have never known you had? Next time you urinate, stop the flow … those are the muscles. You want to use that same tightening motion as you strengthen the vaginal and perineal muscles. Start by squeezing and holding for five seconds and releasing for five seconds. Feel that?! Work your way up so that you are doing it often, as in 20 or more times a day, holding as long as possible each time.

Don’t be shy, you can do Kegel exercises anywhere - in your car at a stop light, during a board meeting or in bed at night as you read a book. No one will know! Kegels require no special machine or gear. They are one of the great ways to get your body physically ready for the birth of your child. So ladies, remember, Kegels, Kegels, Kegels!

Sluggish elimination, reabsorption of toxins, bad breath, weight gain, and an increase in allergy symptoms are some of the problems which may result from long-term build-up in the colon.

The herbs Psyllium and Cascara Sagrada are two of the most commonly used remedies in colon-cleansing programs. Psyllium acts as a bulking agent and Cascara stimulates the intestinal lining. It’s very important to drink plenty of fresh, filtered water at all times, but for a successful cleanse, drinking plenty of water is crucial. If you are consuming concentrated fiber foods such as psyllium which absorb fluids like a sponge, constipation or intestinal cramping may result without sufficient water. Drink at least three liters of purified water daily during your cleanse.

Detoxifying the liver is also very important in a comprehensive cleansing program. A healthy liver is a vital part of your body’s “detox” mechanism, and it cannot do its job properly if it’s not functioning at its best. The herb Milk Thistle is one of the primary therapies used to detoxify and protect the liver. Over 100 studies show that this herb not only protects the liver, but also helps to generate healthy new liver cells. Other herbs traditionally used to support healthy liver function include Dandelion, Yellow Dock, Artichoke, and the Chinese herb Bupleurum.

Your diet during the cleanse will also play a role in your body’s elimination of toxins. Eliminate intake of red meats, dairy foods, flour and bread products, dressings, butter and vegetable oils, extra-virgin olive oil may be consumed during your cleanse, however, since it assists in the eliminative process. Emphasize intake of steamed vegetables, which usually are more digestable than raw veggies, and clear broths or soups with garlic and ginger. Organic, homemade chicken broth and miso soup (free of grains) are excellent choices to help facilitate the detoxification process. Small amounts of steamed fish or baked poultry are also advisable during your cleanse so as not to become deficient in your protein intake.

It is best to eat 5-6 smaller meals daily every three hours, instead of 2-3 larger ones less often. This is well-advised regardless of whether you’re cleansing or not, due to it metabolic stimulating benefits. Larger, less frequent meals will tend to over-burden the digestive system.

Exert yourself to the point of perspiration, since this is another way the body will detoxify itself. Jogging, stairstepping, cycling and brisk walking are all suitable forms of cardiovascular exercise. To obtain their full benefits, try to maintain a moderate level of intensity for at least 20-30 minutes before stopping.

If you’re taking nutritional supplements on a regular basis, you may choose to discontinue them during your cleanse, or not according to your preference. An occasional short break from your supplements may be well-advised, but if you choose to stay on them during your cleanse, make sure you continue taking them with food which contains some fat. This will be easy to do if you consume some extra-virgin olive oil, as previously recommended.

Consider that regular, seasonal cleanses are a very important part of maintaining optimal health, and certainly one of the most effective tools available to keep your immune system and energy level functioning at their best!

It looks very cool on the X Games and Gravity Games and it doesn’t cost a lot to get started. So, what is the first thing you need? A skateboard. You can pick up a skateboard at flea markets, yard sales, discount stores, online, and lots of other places. Why pay $30 or more for a new board when you can get one for 50 cents at a garage sale?

Skateboards have changed a lot since their beginning (no one is sure exactly when, but over 30 years ago). The board you see in a junk pile may belong there. You need to know what to look for and why you would want to pay more for a good board.

The quality of the board will determine how fast you learn and how much you enjoy boarding. A bad board will only making it harder to learn and may prevent you from learning tricks.

Let’s start with the most basic part, the deck (the part you stand on). Decks can be made from plywood, fiberglass, aluminum, or other materials. Generally plywood is your best bet. It is the deck the most skateboarders use. Forget the paint job on the bottom, make sure the deck itself isn’t warped or cracked and that it is solid and slightly flexible.

Next comes the wheels, spin the wheels by hand. If the wheels wobble, stick, or look warped, keep looking. You will want to get urethane wheels, they last longer and perform better than clay wheels. The size of the wheel depends on the kind of boarding you plan to do. For street and freestyle, you want 1 1/8 inch diameter wheels. For downhill you need 2 1/4 or 2 5/8 in wheels.

Now look at the trucks (the part holding the wheels to the deck).They should be solid, but still allow you to turn the board. When you lean to turn the wheels should be at the edge of the board or just beyond the edge.

Skateboards come in many shapes and sizes now. To learn find a freestyle or street board, once you learn to skate you can try out different style boards to see which works best for you.

For more on beginning skateboarding, check out the book picks.

According to the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, D.C., healthcare is a $1.5 trillion industry, 13.2 percent of U.S. economy. Because everybody is in this for the money, it is important for doctors to cram as many patients into their day as possible. Physicians blame managed care for making them rush through their appointments. The reason being, when you have an HMO, doctors get paid a flat rate per person, whether you come in or not. Obviously, the more people you see, the more money you get. No matter that the person did not get what they are entitled to from the visit. The fewer tests they order, the lower the cost for the HMO and the bigger the physicians financial incentive from the HMO for keeping cost down.

What are you getting for your buck? “Don’t let your HMO kill you” by Dr. Jason Theodosakis and Dr. David T. Feinberg gives us this example. Let’s say your premium is $100. As stated previously, your doctor’s practice will still get paid every month whether you show up or not. The money you save the HMO for not showing up will go in their pocket or go towards another patients care. About 15 percent goes to profit, roughly $37 is saved unless you’re hospitalized and the rest is put into a pool with the rest of the patients payments to pay the doctors. Some of the doctors are in specialty clinics such as OB/GYN and they might only see about $3 of the original $100 premium. They are going to see as many patients as they can to cover their cost. They have someone breathing down their necks to keep cost down and if things run according to plan, this person gets a bonus. This person is also rewarded if they keep referral down and probably is not interested in new treatment or test.

Despite recent reports that doctors are actually spending more time with their patients than they used to, I’m not seeing this and the emails I receive aren’t saying this either. Now, maybe the situation was the doctor was getting ready to go out of town and he was in a hurry to get the surly duty of sick patients out of the way. This was not the first time that I felt my visit was a monumental waste of time, energy and patience. I smirk when I see a commercial or advertisement with a smiling, great looking physician surrounded by smiling, healthy, great looking patients. I rarely see any of my physicians smiling.

I am not the only person that is unhappy with this. Approximately 60 percent of Americans with insurance are unhappy with it. Even with what I know, I am still shocked when I see a doctor and I am hurried along or there is no real interest in new symptoms or concern when another has worsened. You don’t expect to encounter rudeness, neglect and impatience when visiting a doctor. There is a certain amount of compassion and understanding that should be demonstrated. After all, doctors are supposed to be in the business of diagnosing and fixing what ails you and I would hope that part of the lure of being a physician was because you feel compelled to help other people. Perhaps doctors have become desensitized from seeing nothing but the sickest of the population day in and day out. I am not a normal, healthy person. I sometimes average an appointment a week. You would think they would want to prevent any future problems but the reality is if they can put off a test or two in exchange for prizes, why not?

And what are we going to do? Treat ourselves? Resort to alternative care? Tempting, but we just don’t have the resources or access to the things we need; prescriptions, test, knowledge, we are stuck. You can always switch doctors but how many times can you do that before you are profiled as a difficult patient? Will the next doctor know my history? Will they be rude? Will they listen to what I have to say instead of blowing me off? What is a premium, paying patient to do?

Well, the best thing appears to be to stick it out unless your doctor is a complete incompetent or is not treating you like a human being. Instead of complaining to your friends and family or seething silently, talk to your doctor and let him/her know what your needs are. Be persistent. Know yourself and your condition because doctors pay attention to patients who are interested in their healthcare. I liken it to the good student and the bad student. If you show up to class on time and turn in your homework, then the teacher pays a lot more attention to you. If you show up when you get ready and halfway do your work, if at all, then the teacher barely acknowledges your existence and doesn’t pay attention to you. Be a star patient. It challenges your doctor and it educates your as well, which is a win-win situation.

I have been accused of being anti-doctor and that isn’t true. I’m disenchanted that’s all. They are a necessary but I feel shortchanged. What are you getting for your money? The price of healthcare rises constantly but the quality of care does not necessarily reflect that. I’m not against keeping cost down; I’m against doing it at the patient’s expense-our out of pocket expense and at the expense of our health.

You try again, this time revealing that you are having sharp pains in your wrist. Your doctor appears irritated and orders you to get on the examination table. He grabs your wrist and unsympathetically bends it in all directions, insensitive to your obvious pain. He asks you how long it’s been going on and you say about a week. He ask you what your doing when this takes place and you say “Just normal everyday stuff, lifting groceries, typing, driving the car”. “Hmmm” he says. The doctor asks what you’re taking for pain and you say ibuprofen. “I think you might have carpel tunnel. I’ll write you a prescription for Percocet and the nurse will issue you a wrist brace. Your insurance should cover it. If not, we’ll bill you. Call the office if your symptoms don’t change in a couple of weeks.” he replies. “

Time spent waiting in the lobby - 30 minutes. Time spent waiting in the examination room - 25 minutes Time spent with the doctor - 9 minutes. Now, if you knew that you would you have to wait for almost an hour for an exam that took 9 minutes would you have shown up? Wouldn’t that make you feel shortchanged? Would you feel as if you were being rushed through your appointment? Really, an office visit can run anywhere from $55 and upwards, you arrived on time, had to wait for 55 minutes before you were actually seen and got a whole 9 minutes and where made to feel as you were imposing.

This scenario is not that unusual and is taking place in physician’s offices all over the country. The patient is not getting their money’s worth and if current information is correct, you will be paying higher premiums and you will be getting even less service unless you are willing to pay out of pocket. But you have insurance? Sorry, that was the scenario for an insured person. A person without insurance would not be seen unless they had cash up front. Otherwise, the uninsured turn up at emergency room doors with problems that has gotten worse because of lack of attention.

To be continued…

How many times has your optometrist asked you about your diet? Often, nutrition is an overlooked solution to future eye problems. Your sight can be improved with the right nutrients and the right foods. Learn more about these sight saving nutrients.

Lutein Lutein is a member of the carotenoid family. Its yellow/orange tint is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards, cabbage, tomatoes, as well as in the yolk of eggs. By eating just five servings of lutein-rich foods per week, you protect your vision from future deterioration.

Lutein protects your vision in two ways: By acting like a soldier, attacking free radicals, protecting your vision from cataracts and by acting like a filter, filtering out dangerous blue tints, preventing macular degeneration.

Vitamin C This vitamin stops cataracts from progressing as well as from forming. The most well known source of vitamin C is the orange. Vitamin C is also found in fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, grapefruit, tomatoes, cantaloupe, peppers, and cabbage.

Best known for preventing scurvy and treating colds, vitamin C is also a protector. Like lutein, vitamin C attacks free radicals. Recent studies show that a diet high in Vitamin C may reverse the onset of cataracts, preventing future cloudiness.

Vitamin A Also known as retinol, vitamin A is concentrated in our eyes. It is essential for proper vision. If there is a deficiency, the first sign is poor night vision or trouble adjusting to bright lights. Fortunately, this can easily be corrected.

You can obtain vitamin A from many sources. Preformed retinol is present only in animal products such as cheeses, fish oil, milk, liver, and eggs. Fruits and vegetables don’t contain Vitamin A, however they do contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A by our body. By eating more colorful fruits and vegetables ranging yellow to orange, such carrots, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, yams, etc. you increase your intake. Since carotenoids are also antioxidants, they protect as well

Zinc Second only to iron, zinc is the almost the most concentrated nutrient in our body. Zinc is found mostly in high protein foods such as oysters, chicken, cheese, liver, turkey and beans. You can also find nuts and cereals like pecans, wheat germ, granola, and walnuts.

Absence of zinc has long been associated with poor night vision. Now, zinc has been linked to protecting you from macular degeneration. And if fate has already stepped in, zinc may slow further deterioration.

Poor vision may seem like a lifetime away, but as each day pass, you risk increases. Be proactive. Eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients. Remember the golden rule; eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This can prevent future surgery and future loss.

Circuit training consists of going quickly from one exercise to another for an extended period of time, say 20 minutes. It is promoted as giving both strength and aerobic training in the same workout. It does that, but you compromise both. The strength aspect is not as effective as a dedicated strength workout, and the aerobic benefits are less than with strict aerobic training. Nevertheless, circuit training does have its place. For one thing, if your schedule is so tight you will not have the time to do both aerobic and strength workouts, you can at least get some of the benefits of each. Or, you can use it as a change of pace, or because it is fun. It will also keep you in shape if you’re spending most of your exercise time on a seasonal sport. There are ways to make circuit training more effective. If you want to do circuits, home training is ideal. At the gym, you may find someone sitting on the machine you need to use next, which breaks your rhythm and disrupts your circuit. At home, you just sail through.

For circuit training, use a weight that is about 60% of 1RM (the weight you can lift only once) for a given exercise. Do exercise 1 for about 45 seconds, take about 15 seconds to set up for exercise 2, then continue. Although the weight is light, you still need to take 3-5 seconds per repetition, so that you will do about 10-15 reps before moving on. Rotate body parts so you won’t overwork a particular muscle. A typical circuit would be: bench press (for chest), row or pulldown (back), squat (legs), military press (shoulders), biceps curl, triceps kickback, calf raises, ab crunches. Rest a minute and do another circuit. With a 3-minute warm-up (jog in place, climb stairs, jump rope) and a couple minutes stretching at the end, you have a good over-all workout in 25 minutes.

If you want to emphasize the cardio aspect, you can do super circuits, which involves doing cardio intervals in between exercises. Expand the period between exercises to 30 seconds, or even 60, and use that time to do cardio exercise. A stationary bike is the best to use for this, because it doesn’t usually require a lot of programming of the equipment. You could use a treadmill, if you keep it running, and if you are sure you can get on and off safely. Or, of course, you can run in place, go up and down an interior staircase, jump rope (a good cardio exercise), or even bounce on a rebounder.

Want more lower body or just heavier weight workouts? Do something like this: squats, bench press, bentover row, lunges, incline press, pull-ups, for one minute each, for your circuit.

If you have more time, you can do a third set. Two circuit workouts a week is good, but three would be better. Don’t do these two days in a row.

To help you deal with back problems or to avoid them in the first place, here are some tips:

- Your office chair should be adjusted so that your forearms rest perpendicularly to your upper arms when your upper arms are resting parallel to your spine. If you must, adjust your chair either up or down so that you can achieve this position with your arms. Since most modern office chairs have height adjustments, there is no reason for your chair to be inappropriately adjusted.

- Take advantage of the armrests on your chair. They should be adjusted so that your arms are lifted a bit at the shoulders. This will decrease the strain on your shoulders and neck.

- Your butt should make contact with the rear of the chair and a cushion should be in place that makes your lower back arch slightly forward so that you can avoid slouching. Don’t slouch while sitting because you will put stress on your lower back.

- Stand up routinely, and get away from the desk. Keep stretching and moving. There are exercises that can be done to keep you limber and help relieve tension that can build during the course of the day.

- One good exercise is to keep your bottom as close to the back of the chair as possible and put your fist behind your calf and in front of the chair. If you can’t, then adjust your seat. You should use a lower back support or adjust the backrest forward.

- You should focus your eyes on the middle of your monitor. If this is not the case, you should change the monitor or your seat.

- Keep yourself in shape with exercise. Yoga is an excellent way of exercising gently and reducing stress, which is another possible cause of back pain. Stress causes muscle tightening which can possibly lead to problems.

- The law requires your employer to keep its staff’s welfare and health in mind. They can offer you a risk assessment and they must take action with regard to any reports of health issues caused by the work environment. If you think that there is something your employer should or could do to improve your work environment, let them know.