Having trouble picking out the right yoga mat to buy? With all the options available, choosing a yoga mat can be a daunting task. There are many factors to selecting the best yoga mat, and this guide will go over the most important factors.

What Type of Yoga? – The type of yoga you practice is a very important factor for the type of mat you’ll need. Figure out your style of yoga before making a big purchase. If you’re just beginning, you can use mats at the gym until you know which style of yoga you prefer. If you do intensive yoga or sweat a lot, you should consider a mat that doesn’t absorb odors and is anti-bacterial. A practice that is about flowing (vinyasa) postures requires a mat with superior grip. A gentle practice doesn’t require as much, so there are many more options to choose from.

What Kind of Material? – The material you choose will determine a lot about the stickiness, sponginess and durability of the mat. There some pretty standard materials and now many companies are combining the materials to create even better products.

• PVC/Vinyl – Much more durable than other mats, PVC mats can last up to a decade. PVC mats are the smoothest mats on the market, so if you don’t like texture these may be the way to go. These mats aren’t sustainable though and can release toxins as they are used. PVC mats are the most spongy available.

• PVC (phthalate and latex-free) – There are now PVC mats available that are phthalate free. This means they aren’t releasing harmful toxins (to our knowledge). This is a great alternative to the rubber mats if you have a latex allergy.

• Rubber (natural and recycled) – Much more earth friendly, natural rubber mats are available in a wide variety of textures, thicknesses and styles. They don’t release toxins, but often start with a rubber odor. They are spongy but not as spongy as PVC mats. The traction is usually very good, especially with thicker mats.

• Jute – Another great eco-friendly material! Jute mats don’t start with an odor like rubber mats. They have a rough, almost scratchy texture that bothers some but not others. They absorb more and will require more cleaning. It doesn’t have a spongy feel to it, but still has superb grip.

• Organic Cotton – These mats are great for those who need more cushioning. They don’t have the same kind of gripping as the above mats, so they’re better for slower paced practices. These are usually very comfortable!

What Thickness is Right? – The thickness you will need depends on a few factors. A thicker mat will be better for someone who has sensitive knees, ankles or wrists or if you have arthritis or other joint issues. Thicker mats can handle more intensive practices without sliding around too.

Consider a thin mat if your yoga practice isn’t too intense. If you plan to carry your mat around a lot or travel with it, a thinner, lighter-weight mat is easier to manage. Also, thin mats provide a stronger connection to the ground which can be great for stability.

Price and Skill Level – The price of yoga mats ranges from $10 – $100. Your skill level will determine a lot about how much you should consider spending on a yoga mat. For beginners, you’ll probably be able to find a mat that supports your needs for $20 or less. People who are becoming more serious about yoga may want to consider eco-friendly, higher-quality mats at around $40 – $60. Beyond that, you get into professional mats which can be great for people practicing more advanced yoga.

Keeping Your Mat Clean – Keeping your mat clean will help its performance and reduce bacterial buildup. This is especially important for pvc mats (which lose their traction if they’re not clean). A sweaty practice will require that you clean your yoga mat more often too. There are many sprays, rosins and cleaners available for keeping your mat clean. Many mats you can just wash in the washer or in the bath tub. When in doubt, check with the manufacturer for the best cleaning method.

Other Accessories – Besides cleaning products, there are other products on the market that can complement your choice of yoga mat. If you’re having trouble keeping your grip, you might want to consider sticky towels, which add extra grip and absorption. There are also sticky gloves and socks available, which can eliminate the need for a mat entirely.

The Best Mat for You – Determining what factors are most important to you is the best way to figure out what mat to pick. Do you have sensitive joints? Get a thicker mat. Do you care about the earth? Get an Eco-friendly material. Do you practice hot yoga? Get an anti-bacterial mat. Understanding your style of yoga and your body’s needs are the first steps to picking a mat that can best support you.

In order to grow a Yoga practice, teachers must not be static. The practice of Yoga has evolved over time and teachers have been at the forefront of that movement. A Power Yoga teacher training course can be a great asset to an already established practice. Beginners may also be attracted to it because it is more of an Americanized version of Yoga – meaning that there isn’t a lot of chanting or meditation. The focus is more on the actual physical body instead of the spiritual one. For many people that are just getting into Yoga, it can be a more accessible way to practice.

In order to gain real perspective on Power Yoga, aspiring teachers should know how to do the poses correctly, with the correct posture and breathing techniques. A teacher training course can help teachers create routines and establish a rapport with the students in the class. It will also help educate teachers on how to work with and around injuries. All of those are core aspects to becoming a knowledgeable and evolved Power Yoga teacher.

The power of Yoga as a recognized workout is a momentum that is best kept moving forward. Becoming an informed Power Yoga teacher requires some time and dedication, but doing so can help to improve your connection with Yoga, therefore helping your students do the same. Change through growth and forward thinking can help us on our journey through life. Finding and then taking the right Power Yoga teacher training course can greatly expand your understanding and help to deepen your connection to the practice of Yoga.

Regardless of which style one has roots in, Yoga certification in more than one style helps teachers become well-rounded in their knowledge. Power Yoga instructor courses contain knowledge regarding safety, alignment, adjustments and assisting. The Yogic subtle body and some Sanskrit training are a plus, when shopping for the right Yoga course.

Here is a few things you can do in your home to help reduce asthma triggers in your home.

Dusting

Avoid feather dusters. Feather dusters tend to upset the dust and put the dust back into the air. Instead, use a slightly moist cloth or specially designed dry cloth to wipe, trap, and remove dust on all hard surfaces.

Choose the Right Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuums come in all shapes and sizes and prices. Unfortunately when it comes to vacuums you get what you pay for. Many vacuums suck up the dust and then spew it back out into the air. You should make sure that the vacuum has a HEPA filter and is well made with tight seals around openings so that no dust can be leaking out of the vacuum as you are using it. Make sure the vacuum is easy to open and empty so that when you are emptying a full vacuum the particles of dust and dirt are not entering the air again.

Cleaning Products

When choosing a cleaning product make sure you are reading labels and purchasing cleaners that are non-toxic with little to no odor. Avoid aerosol products as they are another potential irritant.

Pet Dander & Dust Mites

You want to make sure that pet dander is limited. Dust mites use pet dander as food. Pet dander will settle on pretty much any surface, specially linens, furniture, blinds, carpet, etc. You want to make sure that you vacuum and change bedding on a weekly basis. In every room of your home you should vacuum furniture, curtains and drapes once a week. If at all possible choose easy to clean flooring. Carpets tend to hold on to pet dander and dust mites very well. You must vacuum often. Easy to clean flooring such as hardwood, tile, and laminate flooring are great choices for any home and room. They are easy to keep dust free and they are easy to wash.

Bedroom

Because dust settles into the fabrics of bedding you want to make sure you purchase special mite-proof bedding. You should also consider purchasing a mite-proof mattress as well. Bedding should be washed on a weekly basis and the room should be vacuumed weekly as well. If you have pets you should keep your bedroom door closed so that the pet dander doesn’t accumulate as much in the bedroom. Never allow your on your bed.

Bathroom

Bathrooms tend to be a warm and moist environment. Warm and moist areas are the perfect breeding ground for mold. Mold is commonly found in the shower and shower doors/shower curtain, under the sink, on towels, floor mats and tiles/grout. To minimize mold issues in the washroom you need to remove it as soon as you see it growing. While showering or having a bath put the fan on or open a window to help reduce moisture. Use washable floor mats and wash them on a weekly basis. Wash all towels and show towels on a weekly basis. If your tub or sink tends to have a bit of water left over after being emptied make sure you wipe it out at least once a day.

Indoor Air Pollutants

Avoid having a wood burning fireplace in your home and kerosene heaters. Avoid scented candles and air fresheners as well.

Depending on how severe your asthma is you may want to consider hiring a cleaning service to take care of the cleaning for you. There are many great services out there that are affordable and dependable.

Are you bothered by skin problems? If so you are definitely not alone. Skin problems of some kind are among the most common complaints of adults and teens. Proper treatment and care help correct various skin problems.

1. Acne condition – you are probably aware that acne is one of the most common complexion complaints especially among teens. Why does this problem occur so frequently during the teen years, when appearance is so important?

During maturation, sex glands increase the secretion of hormones, and this produces many body changes. There is noticeable spurt in growth and an increase in body hair. A childish figure begins changing into that of an adult at the same time these hormones stimulate the oil glands to produce more sebum. This extra oil causes the acne problem.

Acne cannot be prevented or cured but it can be controlled, in most cases acne clears by itself after the teen years but don’t wait yourself or your teen outgrow the acne it is better to get help as early as possible.

2. Boils – When bacteria that cause pimples penetrate all the layers of the skin, an infection called boils will develop. This tissue surrounded by pus that is compose of living, dead bacteria and white blood cells. Like pimples boils should not be squeezed because once you did it will spread the infection all over the skin and increase damage.

3. Warts – often warts appear as horny, raised growths on the epidermis. Warts are caused by a virus that can be contacted anywhere. Up to this time there are no drugs that could kill virus. Mostly warts appear on the face but it can grow anywhere particularly in warm moist areas. It can easily spread around the body and multiply rapidly because it is contagious. Doctor’s advice is important to eliminate this problem. A special procedure maybe conducted as per doctor’s advice.

4. Skin Spots – White spots, also known as vitiligo are patches where the skin fails to produce melanin. There is no explanation so far why this condition occurs. There are special drugs that said to have success in treating this disorder however covering the spots with cosmetics are more practical.

5. Moles – are excess pigment and slight overgrowth of epidermis and dermis. Usually moles with light and dark brown colors are harmless but you should be alarmed if the mole is black or blue because it can be dangerous. Moles can be develop into skin cancer anytime so it is best to consult your doctor especially when you notice rapid changes in your mole like change in color, bleeding or irritation.

6. Cold Sores – also known as herpes simplex type 1 in medical term. Herpes is the virus that produces cold sores also known as fever blisters. This virus remains dormant in skin until a cold or fever stimulates it. Such sores begin as collections of fluid in the upper layers of the skin. Later they form crusts. Although cold sores can appear in any part of the body but it commonly occur on the lips or mouth. It is best to consult the doctor to avoid complications and have better remedy.

7. Chaps and Burns – Outdoor exposure may cause chaps and burns. Exposure to wind and cold can cause the red and stinging skin of a chap or windburn due to drying of epidermis. To prevent these condition apply skin creams, lotions or oils into the skin before exposing yourself or if you have been expose application of these solutions may help soothe the dry areas. A more serious problem however is frostbite. It needs proper first aid and medical attention.

Sunburn – is caused by skin too much exposure to sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate even clouds and cause severe burn if the skin is over expose. Sun blocks offer the greatest protection against burning and tanning. They contain high concentration of an acid called PABA.

8. Skin Scales (Psoriasis) is a skin disease that appears as patches of red, raised skin and silver scales of dead epidermis. It is most common on scalp, elbows, knees, and outer surfaces of arms and legs. It can last a short or a long time and it appear and disappear in cycles. Psoriasis seems less severe in the summer than in winter because oil glands are more active during warm weather. The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown however, prescribed creams, ointments, lotions or skin therapy can control it.

9. Allergic Reactions – If something you eat or smell makes you itch or a jewelry you wear causes your skin to rash, this is the implication that you have allergy. Allergy is the reaction of the body tissue to irritating substance. Allergic reactions depend on individual body to react. A strawberry can be a delicious dessert to a person but it cause allergy to another person. People with the same allergy can have different allergic reactions. It may experience severe or mild reaction. There can be vomiting, nausea and diarrhea or slight itching, redness and swelling of the skin and mucous membranes. If the reaction is severe it may collapse of the circulatory system, heart failure and even death.

10. Eczema – many people believe that eczema is a specific disease but this condition is an example of strong allergic reaction. Many substances can produce eczema but the reactions to each one are similar: redness, swelling, crusting and scaling of skin. Minute blister also form within the epidermis and ooze a clear fluid.

Massage is a well documented and medically proven method of beneficial touch that eases tension, provides relief from pain, and can even cure some ailments. There are many reasons that people seek out talented massage therapists to help them manage pain, stress, and the aches of daily life. You don’t need to be a professional masseuse to learn massage, but if you take the time to learn this skill, you will be able to provide friends, family, and loved ones with a relaxing and rejuvenating experience.

A greater number of people are not only seeking out massage therapists, they are actually being prescribed massage as a way to handle medical problems that previously required medical intervention. For example, head massage can provide relief from headaches and even severe migraines, and people who receive this kind of massage benefit from long-lasting results. Massage routines designed to target a specific area of the body are some of the easiest to learn, and you can begin using them almost immediately. Sharing the techniques of massage you learn is an excellent way to connect with people and show them a special and personal level of care that they may not get anywhere else.

Part of learning massage means understanding how the body works – the influence of soft tissue, muscles, joints, ligaments, and bones on our overall well-being. Many body massage techniques are designed to soothe and relax the major muscle groups that can lead to problems like aching backs, sore feet, and even tension headaches. Learning how to properly use tissue manipulation in these areas will allow you to better understand human body. You may find that one of the best ways to learn massage techniques is with a close partner. Not only can you practice on one another, you will be able to provide care and stress relief as well.

Therapeutic massage techniques are designed to improve everything from body posture to rehabilitate the body after an accident or injury. If you often provide care for a loved one who is recovering from a significant injury, including surgery, learning the correct procedures can speed their healing process while providing some much-needed relief. Many people care for a parent, spouse, or even a child that has special medical needs due to a particular condition, and massage is ideal for people in these situations. Other uses of bodywork include improving circulation, lowering blood pressure, relieving TMJ pain, reducing the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, and too many other benefits to list. If you have a family member who suffers from a medical condition, you have the perfect reason to learn the art of massage.

Learning massage techniques is about more than just giving a good back rub. Massage helps you better understand how the body works, and gives you tools for reducing pain and healing the body. Whether you want to learn massage in order to build a career or simply want to provide the people you love with relaxation and enjoyment, massage is an art that will never go unappreciated.

A chiropractor is a practitioner of chiropractic, a form of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) focusing on the musculoskeletal system as dentistry focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of dental and oral health disorders and problems.

Chiropractic is derived from the Greek words kheir for “hand” and praktikos which means “effective”. Based on this etymology, chiropractic can be taken to mean “effective hands”. This jibes with the definition given by the health sector to chiropractic, that is, making adjustments to the body’s main structures: the muscles, nerves and bones using the hands, with special attention to the spine. Chiropractors believe that the relationship between these structures and physical health is directly proportional to and run parallel with each other. An infraction in any of the three structural systems has a direct adverse effect on the general heath, function and physical well-being of an individual.

Most of the symptoms associated with ailments that require chiropractic treatment and care manifest as back pains. There is some evidence that idiopathic scoliosis can be treated by a chiropractor using a variety of treatment regimen, usually in combination with one or any number of the following treatment techniques: manual therapy (manipulation of the spine and vertebrae), exercises, health, diet and lifestyle counselling.

Like any other branch of medicine (alternative, modern or traditional), chiropractic cannot meet all of its promised therapy outcomes which becomes a source of controversy between its practice and that of mainstream medicine, especially on the matter of subluxation and innate intelligence. It boils down to semantics and overlapping claims of efficacy and scope of coverage.

Chiropractic is founded on rationalism, spiritual inspiration and vitality, a philosophy based on deductive reasoning from dogma setting it apart from mainstream medicine allowing it legal basis for practice and instituting chiropractic as an autonomous profession.

Notwithstanding controversial positions taken by forces within and without the chiropractic practice and profession, its continued presence in the complementary alternative medicine sector is sufficient proof that chiropractors are necessary and valuable elements in health care and treatment.

It seems an unfortunate directional happenstance that alongside rapid technological advancement in all sectors, discovery of new and inexplicable ailments plagues the growing population of the world. Some of these ailments have no known cures or remedies yet available in both extremes of the medical practice spectrum. Middle-course complementary alternative medical therapy such as chiropractic has, time and again, proven helpful in treating or mitigating patient pain in some cases of such mysterious ailments.

Part One of Three – Refuting Mind-Body Duality

Last Tuesday I was teaching a workshop for massage therapists. The topic was deep tissue using your elbow. I rarely use this technique any more but it used to get me great results, and a lot of therapists ask that I repeat the class regularly.

In all my workshops, I use the first minutes to ask each of the participants, what do you hope to get from the workshop?

On Tuesday they all said the same thing. Their clients always tell them to go deeper.

Does it serve them to go deeper, I asked.

This got them all talking! Each said that going deeper doesn’t relieve muscle tension.

Then why do you want to learn it, I asked.

To please the customers.

I wasn’t expecting that answer. I wasn’t willing to teach them a technique they didn’t believe would be therapeutic. So we talked longer than normal, before getting started with any technique. I asked, why wouldn’t deep tissue help the muscles relax?

Because muscle tension is in their mind, said Amy. For a couple of years she had tried the physical methods she learned in massage school. But she didn’t notice much change in a one-hour session. Worse, she didn’t see any therapeutic results. By the time people came in for another massage, they were just as physically tense as they had been the time before.

In case you didn’t know this already, massage therapists (who last) are usually the kind of people who want to make a difference in people’s lives. What’s a therapist to do when the techniques she was taught, don’t work? In fact, the vast majority of therapists have given up on the career within one or two years after graduating from massage school.

But Amy had an idea. She tried a non-physical approach. When she could get away with it, during a massage she would get people talking about their mental tensions. And now after six years practicing, she feels the mental approach is the only thing that helps them relax.

Massage therapists are trained to work only physically. Yet Amy says that physical measures are useless. If she is correct, the whole profession is a sham.

Responding to Amy’s comment took an hour of group discussion, but I believe it served them all well. Now a week later I thought it would be interesting not just for massage therapists, but for a wide variety of readers, so I decided to share it here.

Like most therapists, Amy was not trained in philosophy. Her school had not given her a therapeutic model, so she created her own. Her model said two things; physical tension is caused by mental tension, andphysical tension is resolved only with mental interventions. Let’s call her model, mind over matter. Under this model, she couldn’t believe in deep tissue. In fact, she couldn’t believe in any physical therapies, because she believed they couldn’t resolve the mind’s tension. But an hour later, she and the others had a new model that made more sense to them.

You may be surprised to know Amy’s model has been passed down for more than 360 years. René Descartes (1596 – 1650) wrote some very influential philosophy that I will summarize into three propositions.

1. Descartes proposed there are only two kinds of things in the universe, mental things and physical things. In an individual, these two things are the mind and the body. He said the mind and the body are two different things. And so we call this belief mind-body duality. Du-ality, because duo means two in Latin. (I don’t want to give away the ending, but if you noticed, the subtitle of this article is refuting mind-body duality..)
2. Descartes is most often quoted for three little words, cogito ergo sum, which translates to, I think, therefore I am. Basically Descartes was saying, I am my mind, but I have a body. My body is a possession I own, like my car or my house. But it is my thoughts that make me who I am.
3. Descartes proposed that the mind controls the body. All I have to do is think, and it makes my mouth speak, it makes my legs walk, it makes my hands write what I am thinking. Thoughts control the body’s behavior. The mind is like God, or the King, completely in control of the body. Mind over body.

Did any of these statements resonate with you? It should come as no surprise that Descartes’ philosophy remains influential today. Mind over body-that’s also Amy’s belief. Mind over body continues to strongly influence alternative therapies.

But medical science has switched its flavor of dualism to body over mind. Researchers found that sticking an electric probe into a living human brain will trigger a random memory or emotion. The brain, after all, is a body organ, weighing three pounds. Controlling the brain controls the mind. Suddenly the body explains mind. Thoughts are nothing more than electrochemical interactions in the neurons-all physically measurable. Mental qualities like mood and anxiety are now calmed using chemicals the body ingests.

Which causes which? Which explains which? Which controls which? Mental or physical? Body/brain or mind? Tangible or intangible? Alternative or mainstream medical-where do you stand? Today no less than in 1650, these debates continue.

Baruch Spinoza (1632 – 1677) solved this debate, but not the way you might think. He began his career tutoring young people in Descartes’ very popular philosophy. Quite early, however, Spinoza began slipping non-dualism into his teaching. Neither mind nor body is more powerful. Neither causes the other. Neither explains the other.

Instead of two things, Spinoza taught that mentally and physically are just two ways of looking at the same thing. Unity. In fact, error arises when you try to explain a physical situation in mental terms, or when you try to fix a mental situation with physical interventions.

Some may wish to debate who is right, Descartes or Spinoza? Are mind and body two things, with one dominant over the other? Or are mind and body two perspectives of the same thing? Where do you stand now–duality or non-duality?

Spinoza offered proofs in his masterwork, Ethics. But I’m feeling daring and I’d like to give an alternate refutation of duality. My proof is a thought experiment.

Imagine the future elected Ruler of Earth, giving a speech on HyDef streaming video. She never goes out in public, and nobody knew her before he was Ruler. Since video only transmits sights and sounds, she has only been known from these two senses. Since every citizen of Earth has a tablet computer, fourteen billion eyes have seen the Ruler’s mouth moving. Fourteen billion ears have heard the Ruler’s voice in their earbuds. In fact, people rarely go outside, but spend all their time watching streaming video. Since they hold their tablets, they develop a sense they are holding the Ruler.

A social media group declare themselves to be sightists. Sightists claim two things: the Ruleris the sight of the Ruler, and the sight of the Rulerhas sound. Sight over sound is their motto. Of course many are insulted by the absurdity of the sightist position. Clearly the Ruler is sound. The sound of the Ruler comes first, and causes the sight of her. Sound over sight.

You don’t blame these people for their mistakes. You see how easy it would be for them to leap to these conclusions. After all, earth citizens rarely perceive anything but streaming video, sight and sound. Smell has been abolished, and technology has made everybody comfortable so touch is also on the way out. Sight and sound are the only ways the Ruler has ever been detected. None of them has ever experienced her presence. You are the only earth citizen wise enough to realize the Ruler is neither the sight of her nor the sound of her. She is something that cannot be adequately explained by either. But good luck explaining that to the sightists and soundists!

This must have been how Spinoza felt. And even though he explained it well in 1650, we still need good luck to understand it.

Back in our century, a patient needs help. If you are a competent mental therapist, your assessment would accurately detect that she has mental issues that require mental interventions. If she decides to come to you, your mental therapies would bring her mental resolutions. And also, if the guy across the street is competent physical therapist, his assessment would accuratefly detect that she has physical issues that require physical interventions. If she decides to go to him, his physical therapies would bring her physical resolutions.

So does she need mental or physical help? That question is a dualist question. If you agree with me and Spinoza that dualism has been refuted, you’llagree she could make progress seeing either one. Mental and physical are just two ways of looking at the same thing.

But you may not mix. Mental factors do not cause, nor explain physical disturbances. Mental interventions cannot cause nor explain physical progress. Amy’s model is in error because it mixes.

What’s so bad about a flawed model? Reduced service to all. The mixed model necessarily introduces confusion, which is counterproductive to the mental relief. Since she has no mental training, she could conceivably do harm to the person’s mind. It is also false advertising. This incongruence will reduce her business.

As an educator and an ethical person, I would like Amy to have an all-physical model that she can believe in. How would I give her that? About an hour into Tuesday’s class, this is what I said. Muscle tension is caused by the brain, which is like a big mechanical switch. It switches muscle tension higher whenever its sensory inputs report danger. We apply touch in such a way that the sensory nerves do not report danger. In fact, we position and touch the muscles in a way that the sensory nerves report safety to the brain. Under these conditions, the brain switches the muscle tension lower.

I could see their wheels turning, so I continued. The moment you feel the muscle softening, you know that the brain has switched. If you stay present with the brain’s feedback, you can keep the brain relaxing for minute after minute, practically the whole hour. You are definitely noticing physical results. And when the person gets up, she will be surprised how relaxed her body feels.

Amy and the others were moving to the edges of their seats. They now possessed an all-physical model they could believe in. So we finally moved over to the massage tables where I showed them how to use their elbows to sense muscles melting.

Amy’s old model was flawed two ways. First, mind over body draws her outside her training. And second, any model that makes one causing or controlling the other is dualistic. The model I provided was non-dualistic. True, the model I provided was all-physical, but only because that is how we Licensed Massage Therapists are licensed and trained.

Keep it physical, LMTs. Body over body.

I didn’t have time last Tuesday, but I’d like to explain to you the very interesting results that Amy had noticed over six years. It is a common experience. People often feel physically relieved after changing their mind, and mentally relieved after jogging or other physical activities. Does this refute Spinoza? Not at all. Digging deeper into Spinoza’s Ethics we read that mental and physical events occur in the same number of stages and the same sequence.

Consider the physical sequence of events in muscle therapy, starting with 1) person’s sensation of pain, 2) brain perceives pain, 3) brain switches to guarded mode, 4) muscle tension begins, 5) therapist positions body for safety, 6) brain perceives safer position, 7) therapist presses indicated muscle, brain perceives pressure, 9) brain switches to safe mode, 10) muscle tension ends. Ten stages. Spinoza says that there will be the same number of mental events, in the same sequence. I am not a trained mental therapist so I can’t tell you what these events are in mental terms, but Spinoza guarantees they occur in the same number, and the same sequence. They would be mental things like concepts, thoughts, decisions, feelings, logic, imagination and so forth.

What Amy noticed was, there will be mental relief whenever there is physical relief, and vice versa. Do notice this correlation. Don’t say one causes, explains or controls the other.

Shall we revisit the elected Ruler of Earth? You recorded her speech so we could prove Spinoza correct again. You watch it twice; once with the sound turned off, and then again with the sound on but the screen turned off. From the video image, you count the number of syllables you detect when you see her mouth close then open. You tally the number. Then when you play the speech again on audio only, you tally the syllables you hear. You knew it would happen this way because you trusted Spinoza, but still you compare the two numbers. They are the same.

Just to be certain, you watch and listen one more time each. This time you mark the syllables along a timeline. When you compare the timing and sequence of the visually detected syllables, of course you find they occurred at exactly the same times, in the same sequence as the aurally detected syllables.

Do you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who is challenged socially? Do you realize that you don’t have to rely on the professionals who provide services to your child to enhance their social skills. Social skill groups and classes led by experts in the field are extremely beneficial but you also have the power to take every social interaction your child experiences and turn it into a teaching/learning opportunity.

As parents we interact with our children numerous times during the day. Each interaction has a specific reason attached to it, helping a child dress, tucking them into bed, or reading them a story are simple encounters that are almost done by default as if we are on automatic pilot. These can be anything from a greeting, asking them a question or giving them a direction that may be brief yet powerful. When you think of it, every contact we have with our children is a social one and as simple as it might be we can make it even more significant to our autistic child if we take 30-45 more seconds to describe what we are doing.

Children with Autism are very concrete and literal and we should not assume that they are picking up everything we do via watching or observing us. We need to be more mindful and deliberate when it comes to parenting a child with autism because they do not always absorb things just by being exposed to them. Realistically, there is much that is happening that is not being noticed unless we specifically point it out.

The best strategy for turning a social encounter into a meaningful learning experience for your autistic child is to call attention to the manner in which you relate to them and why. This is a simple yet effective way to expand your child’s social toolbox. Here are some tips on how to make each interaction you have with your child more meaningful and useful.

- Use the rewind button. After a typical social interaction you have with your child, rewind what you just did and replay it for them in slow motion. Ex. “Did you notice what I just did? I wanted to ask you a question so I made sure I was close to you instead of hollering from across the room.” Replay the scene using each approach and ask which one works best. For older children you can also get into a discussion of why that tactic was the better one to use.

- Pretend you need help. All children like being asked to share their opinion – it makes them feel important. When you have time to think ahead, try involving your child in a social skill decision. “I want to ask your dad a question but he looks as if he is busy right now, what do you think I should do?” Then present two plausible options, one more socially acceptable than the other and ask your child what do you think will happen if I use option A, then examine option B.

- Paint a picture of what you just did. “I wanted to make sure I had your attention so I leaned over and looked into your eyes.” Then follow up with a specific description of using that skill – “When you want to make sure someone is listening to you, it’s best to get in front of them and look at the color of their eyes.” Add any specific details that you think your child will need – in front of means an arms length away, not right up in their face, etc.

- Point out your mistakes. Even as adults, not all of our interactions are successful but we often know where we went wrong. This is a great opportunity to share your experience with your child and prompt them to think about what you could have done differently. When asking their advice do not let too much time go by after you pose the question or make them feel pressured by it, simply fill in the answer for them and briefly discuss it, if possible.

Remember, there is no such thing as too much repetition for a child on the autism spectrum. It is always a good idea to end each one of these possible scenarios with a specific description regarding the social skill you are trying to teach and duplicate it as often as you think you need to in order for your child to grasp the skill.

There is always ample opportunity to practice most of these skills because they occur over and over again in our daily activities. The added benefit to this process is that we grow in awareness as to how we utilize our own social skills to communicate and get to practice them more consciously.