Tag Archives: New York

Spa Alert: Uproar re NY Times Article, “How Yoga Wrecks Your Body.” Red Flag Needed.

Ok, let’s calm down. Perhaps we should all take a collective deep yoga breath.

One morning a couple of weeks ago I noticed an article in the NY Times Magazine titled, “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body.”

It was quite lengthy (3500 words to be exact per my trusty Microsoft Word word-counter). It got quite a bit of attention – due to its length, and the title no doubt.

Initially I read through the first half of the article and skimmed the second. I was a tad overwhelmed with all the negativity and examples of people who had experienced horrible injuries as a result of something that happened in a yoga class – broken ribs, strokes, brain injuries. Scary. Being fairly familiar with the medical evidence for yoga (thanks to www.spaevidence.com where you can find the medical research for yoga quite easily ) my initial reaction was fairly pragmatic. I know there is a lot of evidence to support positive outcomes from practicing yoga and so I thought it probably wasn’t such a bad thing that someone was pointing out the risks. After all, it is something my aging body has begun talking to me about as well lately.

A few days later several people at the office mentioned the “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body” article and asked for my opinion. Later in the week, I attended a press luncheon announcing our SpaFinder Top 10 Spa Trends for 2012 and the topic came up again – this time in casual conversation after the luncheon. There were some rather strong opinions expressed ranging from people feeling that the reporting was very one-sided to others who could relate as they too had had (or witnessed) injuries in yoga classes.

I thought I better go back and read the article again. Sure enough, I noticed a few things that I had completely missed the first time around. For one, most of the mentions about serious injuries were from research reported in the early 70’s. In fact (and yes, I checked using that Microsoft Word counter again) 1500 words of this article were attributed to these early 70’s findings. Also the statistics mentioned from the Consumer Product Safety Division showing that there were 13 emergency hospital admissions due to yoga injuries in 2000 compared to 20 in 2001 and 46 the next year seemed to ignore the fact that there were also very likely more people doing yoga. And frankly, I didn’t think the number of injured was all that high. I am sure more people end up in emergency rooms due to crossing streets than are injured doing yoga and we aren’t exactly suggesting people quit doing that. And we have all heard about people dying during sex – and as far as I can tell, that hasn’t started a movement encouraging “extreme caution.”

But the biggest ah-ha came when I noticed this statement at the very end of the piece:

“ This article is adapted from “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards,” by William J. Broad, to be published next month by Simon & Schuster. Broad is a senior science writer at The Times. Editor: Sheila Glaser .

This entire piece was just an excerpt from a 336 page book. It must have been the editor Sheila Glaser who decided on what excerpt of the book to publish. And we do not know – and this is extremely important – is who decided on the title of the article?

It was the title of this article and the selection of the excerpt that was causing all the fuss. And for that, I feel we need to throw up a red flag!

When you have a book about the risks and rewards of something, to just publish the risks (or just the rewards) and slap a title on it to underscore that point of view, resulting in the impression that this is the conclusion of someone’s five years of investigative work, well, I think that is misleading.

Because I am involved in the writing and publishing world to some degree (our various SpaFinder publications and articles or interviews I do for other publications), I have learned that the person who is the source of the information DOES NOT SELECT THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE. And the source does not decide on WHAT EXCERPTS ARE QUOTED.

Those decisions are made by others. Often, the excerpts are decided by the editor and someone entirely different decides on the title (usually someone who is very good at selecting “attention-getting” titles.) This is likely what happened in this case. The result? Lots of feathers got ruffled. The truth? Something you have to really dig for.

The Science of Yoga book isn’t out yet nor is the e-version available today. Apparently it will be available in February. Common sense tells me however that if a writer is a respected science writer for the NY Times (he has received two Pulitzer Prizes!), has researched a book for five years and written 336 pages, it is unlikely that the entire focus is on “How Yoga Wrecks Your Body” – a headline that seems more suited for a tabloid magazine rather than the NY Times.

Further digging I found these quotes labeled “Praise for the book” (possibly these are on the book’s back cover?) Hmm – an entirely different tone:

Yoga, an ancient practice with millions of modern practitioners, has been the subject of overheated speculation and grandiose claims; it has been dismissed without warrant as well, underappreciated by some who might well benefit from it. The Science of Yoga is a lucid and long overdue account of what scientists have found in their attempts to ferret out the truth about what yoga can and cannot do to heal and make better the body and mind. It is a fascinating and important book.” — Kay Redfield Jamison, author of An Unquiet Mind and Touched With Fire

“The Science of Yoga offers a riveting, much-needed, clear-eyed look at the yoga mystique. In this investigation, science journalist William Broad pulls back the curtain on the little-discussed world of yoga injuries and risks, while setting the record straight about the numerous potential benefits. Downward dog will never look the same.” — Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

“If this book doesn’t motivate you to practice yoga, nothing will. Broad sheds light on yoga’s health benefits and hoaxes, covering everything from headstands to hypertension, the vagus nerve to the YogaButt. Finally I understand why I feel so good when I do yoga.” –Priscilla Warner, author of Learning to Breathe– My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life and co-author of The Faith Club

“William Broad is optimistic and hopeful in pointing the way to its future as a major force in preventing and treating disease.” — Gail Sheehy, author of Passages in Caregiving

Bottom line? For me, several conclusions:

Few things are all good or all bad – yoga included. www.spaevidence.com is a place I can go to get transparency. It takes me to the actual medical evidence for various spa modalities so I can put things into context myself. The fact that yoga gets so many high “A”and “B” ratings (that very few other spa or wellness modalities receive), is impressive. http://www.spaevidence.com/spaevidence/yoga/research
Am planning to download “The Science of Yoga: Risks and Rewards” when it comes out next month and see what more I can learn from Broad’s five years of investigative work. I have a feeling the book is going to be a great contribution when read in its entirety. At some point I hope to learn what the author of the book might have thought about the NY Times piece.
I am reminded to continue being diligent about headlines as they have fooled me before. Alas, I need to be on my toes when reading the NY Times now as well.
And finally, I plan to continue doing yoga as part of my weekly exercise regime and I am going to feel just fine about not being in the advanced class anymore where they are doing headstands and back arches.

Spa Solutions to End Overeating

Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

In my last post I raved about Dr. Kessler’s New York Times Best Seller’s book, The End of Overeating. A variety of people posted comments including Jeff Butterworth, Wellness Director for the Jumeriah brand and Deborah Szekely, founder of Rancho La Puerta and the Golden Door spas. Both also enthusiastically recommended the book. They too felt that Dr. Kessler’s book brings important new ideas and solutions to the conversation about overweight and overeating. I think it is a good fit to incorporate in any spa (even if only recommending the book) and know of one spa that is considering adding an entire curriculum based on this program.

Ok..I promised some solutions from the book in this blog. Here are a few that resonated with me:

Planned eating – have structure, set meals. It’s better for your body and for your brain as it signals satisfaction which grazing all day does not. One of the reasons so many are overweight is because food, for most of us, is available all day everyday everywhere. (except on airlines as I have found out flying from NY to California frequently)

Don’t ‘overserve’ yourself. You can’t count on getting a full signal from your brain anymore…it’s broken.

Eat foods that satisfy you – the ones you like – or you’ll set yourself up for temptation. Will power doesn’t work when tempted by hyperpalatable foods.

Stop yourself at the earliest thought regarding overeating or eating unhealthfully. If you entertain the thought even for a little while, you won’t have the will power to resist.

Engage in competing behavior – substitute something you enjoy at the point of temptation.

Detox from the hyperpalatable foods (this is where I think going away to a destination spa is best). There you will start training your body and brain to become healthy again and your brain once again shuts off the desire to eat more when you have had enough.

Support from others always helps.

I know these tid-bits might sound familiar…however if you read the book, you will see that the brain chemistry issue (which Dr. Kessler explains far better than I did) underlies it all. If you have ever struggled with weight issues, this book is worth reading.

**
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/susieellis

**
If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

In the News: New Vagina Spa or Gyno-Spa

In the News: New Vagina Spa or Gyno-Spa
by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider

After all of the buzz about the newly announced Vagina Spa or Gyno-Spa here in New York, I feel compelled to weigh in on the conversation. As I share my thoughts, I am going to try to stay away from all the puns being used on the internet to describe this latest news item. (It isn’t easy, by the way.) I must say the Huffington Post’s blog posts were the most creative.

Your best bet is to read the New York Times article from July 3rd which will explain that Dr. Lauri Romanzi, a board certified gynecologist, is going to be adding to her practice something she calls Phit – which is an acronym for pelvic health integrated techniques.

Here are my thoughts:
1. First let me say that if you are in the spa business (or perhaps have nothing better to do right now), it is an interesting development you might want to know about.

2. Note that Dr. Romanzi did not call it a Vagina Spa or a Gyno Spa. Those terms were coined by others and used by many (including me in the title of my blog) because they do work in terms of getting attention. Another note, Dr. Romanzi was quoted as saying, “It’s the dental floss of feminine fitness” so she is also clearly thinking “sound-bites.”

3. This isn’t the first time I have run across this idea or a related concept. There are, for example Gyno-chairs, at the Juvenex Spa here in Manhattan and they offer Gynotherapy which is a vaginal steam bath. And yes, I tried it several years ago because I thought it was novel and trying out novel spa treatments is something I do all over the world. Wooden chair with large hole…pot of steaming herbs…you get the idea. Anyway, it is a common practice in some cultures – especially after childbirth.

4. Whenever medical and spa come together, I think that is generally a good thing. And reading Dr. Romanzi’s bio makes me feel a lot better about what has clearly been a PR home-run for her.

BIO INFO FROM DR. ROMANZI’S WEBSITE:

Board-certified gynecologist, fellowship-trained urogynecologist and reconstructive pelvic surgeon. She founded Urogynics in 1998…is the first surgeon in Manhattan to perform the minimally invasive Tension Free Vaginal Tape procedure for urinary incontinence, and the pioneer of a scar-free, uterus-preserving (no hysterectomy) technique of uterine prolapse repair.

On her list of services: Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery: Uterine prolapsed, vaginal laxity, dropped bladder, rectocele, postpartum rehabilitation, bowel and bladder incontinence, childbirth injury and fistula of the pelvic organs. Sex & Wellbeing Therapy: Bioidentical hormone therapy, kegel exercise routines, treatments that increase libido, energy, mood and bone density, evaluation of medication side effects, supplements for brain health, bones, energy and sexuality, and referral resource for psychological, weight loss and endocrinology consultants.
**
If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

A Spa Moment of Balance with Hubby

A Spa Moment of Balance with Hubby…
by Susie Ellis

My husband is a gem. Sometimes I mention him in my blogs – especially when I can poke a bit of fun – but today I feel like telling you why it is so great to live with him and what makes him the best husband I could possibly have. I guess I am inspired by the three-day weekend we just spent together. We both felt it was kind of a magical time. Everything sort of came together. We didn’t talk about work (much), we ‘flowed’ – just sort of went with what was happening and what we felt like doing.

It reminded me of when we fell in love 25 years ago. It was just the two of us this weekend. He took care of making all of the arrangements like flights, hotels, car rental, etc. I had a lot to do with suggesting the plans. Neither of us put any pressure on the other. He watched some of the U.S. Open. I read the newspaper. He got up early and found a Starbucks. I went to work out. We traveled light – carry-ons only. We went to bed early and slept in.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that we had some pretty fabulous plans. Massages at the Mandara Spa in the Bahamas, a drink at the One & Only Resort’s beautiful beach bar, an overnight at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, dinner at their restaurant – Daniel Boulud (fantastic), a couple of hours on a pretty cool boat. We drove around the Palm Beach area reminiscing about what life was like back 13 years ago when I worked at the Mar-a-Lago spa and lived in West Palm for two years. We couldn’t even afford massages back then.

Lots has happened since that time – neither of us would have predicted we would be living in New York, working together running a company called SpaFinder. Life sure has a way of surprising us.

As Peter has often said…he is the best ‘wife’ anyone can have. After all these years together we have figured out that arranging our lives so each of us does what we enjoy the most and are best at doing is the way to go. In our relationship Peter does all the cooking, all the shopping (for food and clothes) and basically takes care of everything in our home. He also does all the decorating.

I know, its hard to believe but he absolutely loves all this domestic stuff. And he is really very good at cooking, shopping and decorating. And I am not good at those things. (Photos of a home I decorated years ago are a good reminder of that.) What do I do? Well, I get to work at a job I love. I have time to read, write, study, think. I have time to do the detail kind of work I do like planning the Global Spa Summit, digging into spa research, tracking trends, etc. I get to handle our philanthropy and maintain most of our family relationships. It’s an arrangement that works well for us.

What does all this have to do with the spa lifestyle? Well, we talk so often about balance of body, mind, and spirit and I guess Peter and I had one of those balance experiences this weekend. We know it won’t last all that long since daily challenges (and emails) intrude quickly. But it is nice to have a moment of gratitude and joy about a relationship that has gotten sweeter over the years.

If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

Reiki at a Spa. Real Energy Medicine or Bunk?

Reiki at a Spa. Real Energy Medicine or Bunk?
by Susie Ellis

Reiki. I have always found it mysterious. What is it exactly? Every explanation I have heard seems to be different. I have tried it a few times, however when faced with a choice between a wonderfully relaxing deep-tissue massage or a Reiki session, I have always opted for the massage. In Reiki there isn’t a lot of actual touch – and no massaging of muscles. In fact I have been suspicious of the possibility that a therapist likes to do Reiki because it isn’t as much work – a way for them to “rest” during a treatment.

Well, I stand corrected. I couldn’t have been more wrong about Reiki (or perhaps I should say about Reiki with a Reiki Master.) During my visit to the Trisara Resort & Spa they had arranged for me to have a session with this famous Reiki healer in Phuket.

Here is what I remember: The Reiki practitioner had a gentle and positive spirit. He explained ahead of time that we would begin with me on the massage table face up, and then later face down. I wouldn’t necessarily feel anything, however many people have found that they feel an energy release afterward. For some it is more immediate, for others within the next day or two. Some people get emotional, others just have a greater sense of the body/mind/spirit being in balance.

So we began. After washing his hands and some mental preparation, he cupped his hands and began “hovering” over various parts of my body. I could feel an intense heat from his hands which he kept close to – but not directly on – my body. He seemed to be channeling energy from his body to mine. This kind of energy transmission happened continually as he went from one part of the body to another. Always, there was heat from his hands. The entire session was about 75 minutes and the longer it went on, the more pleasurable the feeling of energy transfer was.

That was it. The only “ah ha” moment during this time was a very bright flashlight-like strobe which I saw while my eyes were closed which startled me. I really don’t know if I had fallen asleep and was dreaming or if some other phenomenon had occured.

Anyway, the practitioner bid me farewell after which I went right from the massage table to change and then head to the Phuket airport for my trip back to New York. As I began what would end up being a 24 hour journey home, I was aware of feeling a bit more relaxed than usual, a bit less anxious – in fact not anxious at all. And then it happened. A flood of tears during my layover at the Bangkok airport. The weeping lasted about two hours. Now I suppose it might have had something to do with the fact that my flight out of Phuket was delayed five hours and I missed my connection to New York and had to rearrange everything through Tokyo, etc. However, I am a seasoned traveler and have faced these sort of travel irritations many times and never have they resulted in an uncontrollable flood of tears. Something had truly shifted.

It seems time for me to learn more about Reiki and energy medicine. Please share with me whatever experience you may have had. You have my attention.