Movement and Mindfulness

Another summer is coming to a close… another year wiser? I’m amazed by the clipped speed of time passage— 53 years on this planet and the unfolding of time makes me realize the finite experience of life. As a result, I’ve decided to protect my sanity and to reduce my media consumption— especially during this tumultuous political moment. I cannot absorb the incessant negativity and expect myself to remain balanced and open in the work that I do. Everyone is fighting some sort of battle… if you identify as one of those people, you have my unwavering support and compassion. You are loved— regardless of your political perspective. 🙏🏼

Kindly sign the petition if you agree.

This campaign needs you now Urge the FDA to Approve M**A for PTSD Treatment

We attended a beautiful New England wedding this weekend. 🤗❤️❤️❤️❤️

Newton porch fest was a delight! Thank you for a fun two hours of music levity. If only the pollen count wasn’t so freakin high— the day was spectacular otherwise.

Happy spring! Let’s embrace the idea that every day is beautiful. No joke— there’s not a bad day, just bad thoughts about unfolding moments. The truth is that thoughts aren’t dedicated to truth-telling. I’d tell you to “think about that”— but the lesson might get lost. lol. 😂

"Forget about enlightenment. Sit down wherever you are and listen to the wind singing in your veins. Feel the love, the longing, and the fear in your bones. Open your heart to who you are, right now, not who you would like to be. Not the saint you're striving to become. But the being right here before you, inside you, around you. All of you is holy. You're already more and less than whatever you can know. Breathe out, touch in, let go."

-- John Welwood

The death of the actor Matthew Perry was shocking and tragic news. It also brought up important questions — especially for those of us who work professionally with the drug Ketamine. Since I am a supporter of the clinical use of ketamine, I thought I'd chime in with my educated view on the topic. Granted, I'm not a pharmacological expert, but I know enough about how ketamine works to understand how it may have contributed to this high-profile untimely death.

First, Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic — it was designed to disconnect the body from the mind so that soldiers on the battlefield being treated for their injuries had a safe method to receive surgical care. It is also used for children who break their arms and are inconsolable in the ER during the bone reset process and need some peace. In these two examples, the dose of ketamine is exceptionally high — but at the same time, the dose is also exceptionally safe. Why? Because a healthcare professional is administering it! A drug with a dose level that elicits loss of consciousness should not be taken while the person taking it is alone. Never. Secondly, for people with heart/ cardiovascular conditions, Ketamine is only prescribed with a great deal of caution. Matthew Perry was diagnosed with coronary artery disease (a cardiovascular condition). He was receiving IV Ketamine treatment from a medical facility — the ONLY situation where a person with a cardiovascular condition MIGHT be considered for Ketamine...and that is ONLY because he would not be alone, but under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Third, Matthew Perry was mixing Ketamine with Buprenorphine — which he was clearly using to treat his opioid addiction. Also known as Suboxone, this is a medicine used to treat narcotic dependence and has side effects that include: feeling sleepy, dizzy, and vertigo. Suboxone can also be considered a safe drug, but only when a person prescribed this drug is under closely supervised treatment — which they typically are. When I worked in a methadone clinic, the people receiving care with methadone or suboxone were carefully monitored daily — and only under very thoughtful evaluation were patients provided with a take-home form of the medicine. Lastly, put a person with a cardiovascular condition, taking suboxone and mixing a street-curated version of ketamine IN A HOT TUB BY HIMSELF, it is no wonder he is no longer with us. In my opinion, with proper care and supervision, this was a preventable tragedy.

Ketamine, although it is an extremely safe treatment (and generally safe for most people), is still a medication that needs to be respected and its use monitored by healthcare professionals. I use Ketamine in my practice at Movement Mindfulness Medicine treating people with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, as well as PTSD. The medicine is prescribed by a medical professional who spends time evaluating whether or not this treatment is appropriate for each individual. The medicine session itself happens under the care and guidance of a trained and state-licensed facilitator (me) and at a dose that is very tiny compared to that which is prescribed in an infusion clinic. Safety is the number one priority in healthcare: DO NO HARM.

Education is key to the safe use of any drug for whatever purpose. This is why I plan to offer a free webinar answering your questions about the safety and efficacy of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and specific questions about group-based

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Please DM me with questions or if you are interested in attending. You may also find more information on my website:

https://movementmindfulnessmedicine.com









Artist: damian israel shiner

Please check out my website-- The evolution continues.

Home | m+m+m The body and mind are one, which is why the foundation of movement mindfulness medicine is based on a marriage of physical health and mental wellness. One cannot exist without the other, so the promise of finally feeling good is more than just a strategic, therapeutic conversation—it is about ta...

Are psychedelic medicines safe?
As a child, the notion of psychedelic drugs unsettled me, conjuring images of half-clothed individuals carelessly frolicking in the rain with a hint of madness. The hippie generation had been vilified for their drug use, although my artist parents did not subscribe to those stigmas. While the 1970s marked the decline of psychedelics, the associated myths persisted, and by the 1980s, drug use, in general, became symbolized by a fried egg in a cast iron pan. Fast forward to the present, and a new psychedelic revolution has emerged. Now, we find ourselves being asked to embrace drug use, challenging decades of warnings about the potential destruction of our minds merely by glancing in that direction.
Decades of research have shown that psychedelic-assisted therapy can be a highly effective and sustainable treatment for several mental health obstacles when combined with thoughtful and skillful therapeutic interventions. Contrary to an enduring political stigma, it is a safe, legal, affordable, and highly effective treatment for PTSD, addiction, anxiety, depression, and healing from trauma.
If you’d like to be involved in this conversation or participate in an upcoming free webinar— please leave a comment or DM. I will keep you updated on this important topic!

Are psychedelic medicines safe?

As a child, the notion of psychedelic drugs unsettled me, conjuring images of half-clothed individuals carelessly frolicking in the rain with a hint of madness. The hippie generation had been vilified for their drug use, although my artist parents did not subscribe to those stigmas. While the 1970s marked the decline of psychedelics, the associated myths persisted, and by the 1980s, drug use, in general, became symbolized by a fried egg in a cast iron pan. Fast forward to the present, and a new psychedelic revolution has emerged. Now, we find ourselves being asked to embrace drug use, challenging decades of warnings about the potential destruction of our minds merely by glancing in that direction.

Decades of research have shown that psychedelic-assisted therapy can be a highly effective and sustainable treatment for several mental health obstacles when combined with thoughtful and skillful therapeutic interventions. Contrary to an enduring political stigma, it is a safe, legal, affordable, and highly effective treatment for PTSD, addiction, anxiety, depression, and healing from trauma.

If you'd like to be involved in this conversation or participate in an upcoming free webinar-- please leave a comment or DM. I will keep you updated on this important topic!

Are you a resilient warrior, who has explored meditation, done therapy, tried lots of self-help techniques, but continues to struggle with inner critical voices, crippling self doubt, and a general lack of feeling safe?

I’m thinking about offering a free informative talk about how Psychedelics— specifically Ketamine-Assisted Therapy can help connect you to a sense of purpose, confidence, and meaning-making without needing to book a trip to Peru, spend a small fortune, or complete another ten years of therapy.

Would you be interested in learning more?

Please DM me with your email address and I’ll let you know the date!

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated anyone on recent developments— for the past couple of years I have been deeply invested in training and research for use of psychedelic medicines for mental health! I’m in the process of creating ketamine-assisted group therapy experiences and hoping to post more about a possible free training in the very near future! If you have questions you would like to have answered about psychedelic medicine and/or psychedelic-assisted therapy— or specifically about ketamine therapies, please send me a DM. I’d be happy to include your question or story in my online event.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2019/07/ketamine-isnt-an-opioid-and-treats-depression-in-a-unique-way

It's been awhile since I've updated anyone on recent developments-- for the past couple of years I have been deeply invested in training and research for use of psychedelic medicines for mental health! I'm in the process of creating ketamine-assisted group therapy experiences and hoping to post more about a possible free training in the very near future! If you have questions you would like to have answered about psychedelic medicine and/or psychedelic-assisted therapy-- or specifically about ketamine therapies, please send me a DM. I'd be happy to include your question or story in my online event.

Ketamine Isn’t an Opioid and Treats Depression in a Unique Way Ketamine Isn’t an Opioid and Treats Depression in a Unique Way 07/31/2019 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share on Pinterest Share via Email Print this Page Credit: Getty Images Fast Facts Click to Tweet Ketamine’s reputation as an antidepressant is restored; it’s not an o...

This lil puppy… of course she’s not so little anymore.

This week I will have “thrived” through 52 trips around the sun… I’m so grateful that each returning voyage on this blue-green rock has brought me insight, wisdom and meaning about the purpose of our lives…while we are here… in these forms. I’m thankful for every person, every personality, every soul that has crossed my path and shared with me your light and wisdom. I’m the embodiment of all the learning I’ve gained from exposure to every single timely encounter. With the culmination of this trip, I want to thank all of you… whether our experience together was fruitful, neutral or tragic, I’m blessed to have crossed your path.

Me and my workout buddy… actually Vespers not allowed in the gym until I’m done.

I have changed how I work out. I just watched most recent podcast on exercise. Despite the fact that I’ve been exercising for decades— I just realized things need to change drastically. I’m a few weeks shy of 52 years old and like most people over 40 I’m losing muscle at an exponential rate… even though I workout 4-6 times a week, I weight train, do yoga, hike, and pelaton my ass off… it’s too much! I am going to follow the 3 x 5 rule suggested in the podcast— 3 to 5 exercises, 3 to 5 reps, 3 to 5 sets, 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets. Use heavy weight… so that 3 reps feels next to impossible. I find this so much easier than three sets of moderate weight and high reps without much rest between… the app kind of recommends speed over load… I’m happy to be done with that for awhile. 🤗🤗🤗

The Cure… whoot! Is it 1987?

She gives good counsel 🤓

Vesper is the real genius behind my work as a mental health professional. 🐶

Isn’t nature cool? 🙃

Fur people.

Another wonderful visit— escaping the cold of the northeast for the balminess of southern Florida. Thank you and for being such wonderful hosts… Sonia, Tj did superbly! You’d be proud!! Looking forward to future fun when we can all be together… love and light to you both .

Again… instagram cropping I’ll never understand. Here we are ready to celebrate a wedding in Miami— looking forward to spending time with family.

Antidepressants Linked To Dementia Including Alzheimer’s New research finds

Beach life with Vesper.

Puppy love.

This stuff is amazing. Firefly Chocolate your product is worthy of sharing. Did you know that chocolate... real, unsweetened cacoa is considered one of the most nutritive foods on the planet? It has more flavonoids than a glass of red wine (and no inflammatory risks from alcohol), it has more calcium than cows milk, promotes healthy digestive processes and most importantly it’s been proven to improve mood, reduce depression and support an over all feeling of well being. My favorite is the vibrant vitality cacoa because it combines the nutrient Maca (which is great for balancing hormones) with ashwaganda (helps with stress management)... I serve it with foamed macadamia nut milk 🥰😋

Also, they’re not paying me for this— I’m genuinely just sharing a product that I absolutely love.

You can find details here:

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Feeling tired all the time? Could be mold. My recent hormone panel suggested my TSH levels were fairly high, which means my thyroid isn't working up to speed. DHEA, a precursor to s*x hormones like testosterone and other androgens is also low. Conventionally, a doctor would just put me on levothyroxine and call it a day, but using a functional perspective the question becomes "why?" Recently I was exposed to a cloud of mold-- it left me coughing and gagging. I also have a long history of allergic reactions to mold. Given the combination of my history, the recent event, and hormone panel-- it suggests something is to blame. I am waiting for a mycotoxin test to arrive, but I have a feeling I will need to do a detox in the near future. This is how we should approach wellness-- symptoms offer a direction to whatever the root cause might be... so don't stop your healing process at "symptom management"-- keep asking the question "why?"

How to Detox Your Body from Mold Poisoning: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment Mold is not just something that happens in abandoned or unkempt buildings. It is much more common than you think and there’s a good chance you’ve already been exposed. “We estimate that

Avidya means “without knowledge”— it’s not a tricky way of calling a person stupid— it literally means not knowing who you actually are...

“The mind is important because we spend so much of our waking hours in it— thinking, planning, remembering, feeling, absorbing information— but it is not the deepest or most profound part of us; it’s just a way station for incoming experience. What lies below the mind is where peace is experienced, and for that, we have two wonderful tools to lead us: breath and awareness.”
—Eddie Stern from One Simple Thing

Truth. This really speaks volumes to me and I hope it does the same for you. As a yoga practitioner and meditator, I have spent so much time just building the awareness that my existence is more than the jumbled, craziness of my mind... and if you concentrate intently, and let-go long enough you too will realize that there’s another dimension behind the noisy gobbledygook between your ears. There is actually a place of peace. We are all capable of accessing it— I’m certainly not more gifted than you are, my limited success came because I was just curious and put in the time.