By “balance” I mean “steadiness.” I found out, on the Detox, that I had so gradually lost my sense of balance that I didn’t even know I had lost it. If you walk by a pile of rocks on the beach you might never guess that they once were so precisely balanced as the image on the left! I considered that any unsteadiness I might have had, at any time in the last several years, was just natural, or natural for a fat guy, or natural for an old man. If you had asked me some months ago whether, in all my research on health matters, I have heard that “stored toxins” could adversely affect balance I would certainly say “no.” One of the great joys for me, while doing this Detox, was the exciting voyage of discovery that launched. All during the Detox I was busy observing the changes going on within MY body -- and pursuing these observations with my usual research technique. I did NOT understand how "stored toxins" could adversely affect balance before doing this Detox -- I do now! Thus I have started yet another great new research project – not to prove the efficacy of the Detox, but to find the link between “released toxins” and “regained balance.” The beginnings of those research findings are HERE. A brief summary of the findings, so far, include the following: It is obvious when you read the warnings on almost any drug label what one of the MOST COMMON side effects is: "Dizziness!" For several years I suffered terribly from what I thought was "arthritis pain." It could have been either entirely caused by, or aggravated by, the residue of various pain-killer drugs I had taken in recent years. One particular drug, an over-the-counter very popular drug that many people take, was Aleve. When you read the warning label about Aleve, what do you find?
My new awareness of poor balance came in a back-handed way.
The first day of my Kung Fu class I found that I was not able to bow without falling over. That didn’t dismay me because I doubt if in any of many past years I had tried such a bow – so I didn’t worry about my lack of balance. It had not been important to me to try to use some standard of precise posture as my measure. So, at the Kung Fu class I simply spread my feet apart to get a more stable stance and bowed. My back may have not been straight, but I bowed. There was not even any correction of my spread feet from the gentle instructor. But, being aware of the value of “precise forms” in Kung Fu, I tried the next few classes to bow properly. I cannot believe that the mild exercises during Kung Fu made the dramatic change, but on about the third Kung Fu, after about two weeks on the Detox, I found that I could bow properly without falling over. This was a tremendous win for me – a tiny thing, to be sure, for most people, but a sign that something as basic as balance could be changed at all, much less so easily!
I could blame that on a recent hip replacement, my pot-belly and old age, but I still couldn’t kick. After another two weeks on the Detox, at a Kung Fu exercise class, I found that I could kick if someone “lent me a balancing hand” – as the instructor did – and encouraged others to use. My pot-belly was still there and obviously was NOT the cause of a lack of balance. I may not have been fully balanced, but I was supporting all my weight on one foot – something I had not considered possible before. Then, with a bit of unsteadiness I found that I could actually stand on one foot without hanging on to someone! Another big win.
Buddha is most often pictured in a cross-legged position! He wasn't young in those images and I suspect his belly was about the same as mine! I have marveled at my ability to cross my legs so that one knee is actually on top of the other. After my hip surgery this was described as a posture I should not and probably could not use. I don’t do it easily, but I can do it. For some time I’ve been able to cross my ankles – hadn’t done that at all before the Detox. These changes mostly seem exercise-related, but loss of toxins could well be involved.
I "decided" to get better before I started to get better. The decision always comes first. I had the choice of continuing my comfortable slide into those Golden Years of retirement, or moving forward to a Golden Age of Accomplishment! You do NOT get better from a pill or exercise class -- it is the decision first! A better word for "decision" is "postulate." This word, "postulate" has a quite useful and much more precise definition in the writings of Mr. Hubbard. There is another factor to "making a decision" (or "postulate") that is vital. The great majority of people don't know "how" to make a decision of this type. They say, to themselves usually, "I'm going to start doing exercises." A funny thing about "decisions" is that they always work! What happens with the above wording is that the ACTUAL decision is better revealed as, "I'm going to (at some time in the future -- that's why I use the future tense!) start doing exercises." Since the decision "always works" it is then true that the exercise actually starts "some time in the future!" It is an observable fact that the "future"is "not now!" So, this type of thinking or wording doesn't produce the desired result. (If it seems to work, then there was a more workable decision made, even if mentally only, and even if without recall.) What is needed is a different wording and a different mental attitude when "making a decision." Consider how much different the following scenario is from the above "decision." You say, instead, "I am starting exercises NOW!" Then you start. You are the one who has to define the word "exercise." But "NOW" means now, not some time in the future. You could have two operative definitions here. When I did my first Hubbard Detox about 25 years ago, there was a popular motto of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about exercise: "A modest beginning with a gradual progression!" You could decide that, "The modest beginning for my exercises is that I will rotate my shoulder blades in a circle, 20 times per day and do these in the mornings. The first 'set' of this exercise is NOW. The schedule is (now) to do one set of 20 rotations every morning." The second operative part of the decision could be, "I use my heart rate monitor to measure the number of beats of my heart every time I do this exercise. Whenever the heart rate does not reach at least 110 beats per minute the number of sets is increased that day!" It may well work out that this "gradual progression" rule will not "work." That is, you may NEVER get your heart rate up to 110 with this type of modest exercise beginning. No problem! Just dream up a better "modest beginning" that can start "NOW." There is a world of further information about exercise on my Kung Fu web site. If you really want ALL of my information on this, CLICK NOW to go to that site. There is much more Mr Hubbard teaches about decision making. The Kung Fu exercise continues to progress into recovered abilities. The Kung Fu exercises are very different from the treadmill on the Detox, I still don’t think the Kung Fu exercises would give me these successes so quickly were it not for the Detox. But, you should not start your new exercise life with JUST the treadmill -- even if you start doing it at your local gym. There is SO much more to learning about effective exercise. This overall win about balance expanded in a rush on one of the last days of my Detox. I reported it to the person in charge of the Detox this way:
I often feel “great” after a day at the Detox and THEN realize that the great feeling was my being exterior from the body. When it gets common to feel the great feeling I usually don’t look for the exterior stuff. The physical sensation is “great.” It is more subtle to observe the exteriorization. There is a “feeling” I have now and then – much of my last full day on the Detox was this way. I started the completion cycle the day after the below experience. When I now walk down the hall, or just in any room, I feel extremely stable – like I can walk confidently without putting attention on balance. In many years past I have had this feeling. I used to practice racquet ball. My practice
Other times I didn’t put my hand out but was aware of not being steady on my feet. I would hardly ever go up those stairs without using the rail. Yet, there are certainly examples in nature of remarkable balance. Examples continue even among living creatures! Notice the images on this page of the "balancing rocks" and the "balancing bird!" The last day on the Detox I felt a significant difference – it was a feeling of I noticed that also simply in my bedroom – I could walk across the room and feel “centered” or stable. Part of the bedroom layout is that we have a dresser sticki If you enter the closet in the dark, at night, it would be prudent to keep attention on that corner of the furniture so as to pass it without hitting it. It is a small thing, but I noticed on the night after my last day on the Detox that I could walk past that dresser in the dark, into the closet, with a significant increase in stability and confidence. It was as if I were exterior from my body and guiding myself with non-eyeball stability points. This is a real phenomenon to me and very welcome.
Kung Fu is actually used to teach the blind: Stefan's (left image) workshops are ideal for both blind students and those who work or live with the blind. Attendees will learn:
My first "experiments" with further improving my balance were on August 19, 2005. For the first time I realized how I can teach balance on such an easy gradient that virtually anyone can start with whatever age and body condition he has, and make regular and satisfying progress. Are you interested? ON The day after I finished the Detox I had occasion to "stand in line" for something. I "just stood there!" That was all I did. But, after a minute or two of "just standing there" I realized that I was standing with my feet together, straight legs and back, arms comfortably at my side and "just standing there" without any feeling of strain or discomfort. It is hard to believe that some toxins locked up in my body for many years could have caused me to been part of an "irritation" or "annoyance" with "standing straight." I realize, now, that "Movement" is healthy for a body, but I believe a body should also be comfortable, when you want to do it, in just standing, sitting or lying comfortably, without moving. I've "experimented" since then -- in situations where I would normally rush to get a seat, so I could "be comfortable," I found that I could "just stand still" without discomfort. What an amazing thing to discover that you can stand up straight for a while, and even feel you could continue for some time, with no shifting, n I looked around for pictures of people "standing in line" and found one of people standing in line to vote -- that would be an experience common to many people. Take a look at how this random selection of people "stand." I didn't see a single one just "standing straight." I've begun to notice others standing in line, now. I see them standing on one foot, then the other -- shifting their weight from side to side. Or, they are slumping forward, or leaning on something, or whatever! You can learn to stand straight! How would that be? |
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When you are training in Kung Fu there is a ceremonial “bow” of respect to the instructor. Much of Kung Fu teaches “precise form” and posture. So, the “bow” is done with both feet together, toes and heels, and you bow from the waist, keeping the back straight and horizontal. You keep your arms flat to your side, fingers pointed, etc. 
Kung Fu, of course, involves “kicking” and kicking involves putting all your weight on one foot while moving the other. Early in my Kung Fu exercises we practiced modest kicking. I, “of course,” could not come even close to the motion. I could not stand on one foot if my life depended on it. 
There were also some other exercises in Kung Fu that I could do for the first time one Saturday. These related to my ability to sit on the floor and pull one foot up towards my groin – to then rotate the ankle in that position, or other similar positions where one leg crosses another. I have felt that it was my “too big belly” that prevented these postures before, but even though I have lost some weight I don’t think the belly is enough smaller to account for this rather sudden new ease of limberness. I am also getting closer to touching my toes during bending. There are still some motions where others bend or stretch FAR more than I yet can. 
Senior to both Kung Fu and the Detox was the decision to change. That comes first. 
There has been a paradigm shift in my balance. It may have been that I’ve been exterior from my body without noticing it, and maintaining balance with exteriorization and 
included starting in the center of the court, closing my eyes, and then seeing how close I could walk toward a wall without touching it. I would walk toward the wall, eyes closed, and stop, then open my eyes to see how close I was to the wall. I got so that I could usually be within a few inches of the wall. These were also times of a tremendous feeling of stability and balance – with my eyes closed. 
The downstairs hall in the building where I go for the Detox is a good example. That hall is uneven in surface and rather dark. For the many weeks I’ve been walking that hall I have often felt that I had to put my hand out to touch the wall. A few times I have actually done that – just to be sure I was steady. The main stairway up to the lobby has called for the same action. 
confidence just in the simple walking down the hall. I also walked up those stairs without using the railing! 
ng out from the wall, holding the very large TV. The corner of the TV and dresser protrude into the bedroom space right next to the closet entrance. This means that you actually have to turn your body sideways a bit to enter the closet. 
I have postulated that such a degree of exteriorization would be the key to effective Kung Fu exercises and fighting. I am not seriously expecting to do Kung Fu with my eyes closed soon, but then I might just start experimenting with that! 
E of the keys to my new technology takes advantage of my newly developing camera skills and plan to shoot hundreds of photos of "plastic human body models" that allow "30 points of articulation" of major joints in the body. Look at the photo of a simple human figure to the left -- simply standing straight. I found that I "didn't know how to stand straight" without shifting my weight or slumping or leaning. 
even while "just sitting" or "lying in bed" I had a compulsion to fidget or feel uncomfortable if I did not move. The Detox cleared me out of those toxins! 
o strain, no discomfort. Wow!