Fine Master Steve Yost called for Bell Ringers and Rex Stults reported the success of the Chamber's Savor St. Helena event,
which was co-chaired by our new Rotarian, John Vowell of Merrill Lynch. Fine Master Yost then asserted his control by fining Father Mac and Chuck Bailey for talking
during Rex's announcement. Poker was the subject for the day. Steve asked how many Rotarians have seen poker on TV-a surprising number had. Steve then called on Rudy Papale and John Sales
to answer arcane questions about poker for easy fines. He also got Kathleen Patterson. Joel Toller and Tim Coon were allowed to counsel together so they came up with the right answer.
Somatic Conditioning Rex Stults
introduced speakers Beverly Davies-Mes and Servaas Mes to talk about their new Somatic Health Center at 1120 Pope Street. Servaas
began by asking what we understood by the term "health." He then defined health as the sensation of how well we feel rather than the conventional
meaning of what a doctor tells us about our condition in terms of absence of disease. He described health improvement as improvement in our ability to sense our own well-being. Servaas:
"The term 'Somatics' is derived from the Greek word 'soma', meaning 'body'. The body is not just a 'body' like a piece of meat, but it is alive and is able to sense and to move,
meaning function. People talk about the 'mind', the 'body' and the 'spirit', but these are all part of the same human being, being the person."
"During our lives, our bodies are continually exposed to different types of stress, injuries, traumas, surgeries or habitual movement patterns. Our bodies react with
spontaneous muscular reflex patterns of tension. These repeatedly triggered reflexes create habitual contractions which we cannot voluntarily relax. The results are patterns
of stiffness, soreness and weakness that can sabotage normal joint and movement function." How many of us have felt tension in the trapezius muscles between the neck and shoulders? Servaas
explained these muscles are often the first to tighten under stress, and Somatics works to relieve the tension that tends to build up over time, and hampers easy movement.
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When Servaas asked for a volunteer, Miles Metzger
popped up and laid himself out on the table, perhaps hoping for a massage. Servaas showed in a simple leg exercise how Miles initially used many muscles to perform one simple movement, and then
invited him to perform the same movement again. Miles confirmed the second way felt simpler and more relaxed.
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Servaas Mes shows Miles Metzger a simple leg exercise while Beverly Davies-Mes
looks on. |
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After the presentation Linda Beard-Delucchi spoke enthusiastically about her father Ed Beard's significant health
improvement with Somatics over the past 18 months, and reported that she herself gained a full inch and a quarter in height and greatly strengthened her back and reduced pain
through Somatics. Later orthopedic surgeon Wendell Dinwiddie reported that he, too, had benefited from Somatics after an ankle injury.
In closing, Servaas assured us that aging does not mean we must become stiff and sore, and on that positive note President Phil adjourned the meeting. The Somatic Health Center is on the web at www.somatichealthcenter.com. |
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