Return To Health (Pando Health Groups)

What is your greatest fear? For many people, it is death. For even more people, it is living  WITHOUT  our capacities -- our wonderful, creative, unique minds and our amazing bodies that we have spent our lifetime inhabiting. Losing balance and stability and the ability to move about our magnificent planet really hurts. So what to do? How do we keep our minds sharp and functional and our bodies mobile, free and capable? To me, this is in our power and it is not with crossword puzzles (or even computer programs for stimulating memory) or praying for mercy. There  ARE  things we can actively do to enhance (and even deepen our cognition) while keeping our bodies supple and moving. The whole medical research world is hungry for the magic pill to prevent and reverse dementia and the key to staying strong. However, the answer will  NOT  come in a pill (no matter how hard we search or how much $ we pour into the investigation). The answer is in how...

This is a great class that we offer at Pando. Diabetes and high blood pressure are incredibly common in our society and the treatment usually involves mostly prescription medicines. However, there are so many good things people can do to improve and even reverse these conditions. In my experience as a primary MD, these conditions are particularly sensitive to lifestyle changes and working through emotional or challenging situations. It can be dramatic how these physiologic states can become less severe or even go away when the environment has changed or the inner perception of oneself is improved. It is not a fluke ; it is the natural way. Even more importantly, it is incredible how proud of themselves people feel when they reverse a health condition like diabetes or high blood pressure. Of course, weight loss helps and exercising can create a major shift -- we very much like to help with these challenges. Resolving a painful state (i.e. back pain, depression or speaking up when y...

Yoga and meditation have become mainstream in recent years. Here in San Diego, yoga studios are pretty much everywhere. The concept of yoga has now become truly ingrained in the daily life of many Americans. So, what is it about these ancient practices that is so enticing that a national movement is moving ahead full steam. I think the draw is "restoration"and "rejuvenation" in one regard but also as an avenue to peace and a quieter state of mind. While yoga combines bodywork and poses which promote strength in the body while calming and stabilizing the mind, meditation is a practice requiring pure focus into and with the mind. People generally find meditation to be challenging in the beginning as the "monkey mind" is particularly a challenge to face head-on as there are no distractions when just sitting in meditation. Because it is not easy at the onset is not a reason to forsake it. The benefits are almost limitless. It has been associated with lower...

Our vision of creating a new paradigm in medicine is beginning to take form. We are getting clear on our message and putting it out into the world. While we value and are enthusiastic about our classes and  creating group dynamics, we are focusing on individual consultations with me to introduce people to our world. Communication and connection can be learned and felt in the one - on - one setting and this is what I aim to nurture and develop. My nurse Kim supports me with her radiant warmth and guidance in Center Point Rest (our own meditation technique) while Sebastian Slovin is ready to work with our clients on his restorative exercises and mindfulness approaches to all activities (including boxing for those who need to burn off some steam) as a support to my one - on - one visits.  Our classes/groups are ready for launching as our concept spreads and the world comes to "get" our vision. We have a full schedule of classes to support those with most every medical challeng...

Last week at Pando, we had Steve Bierman MD as our guest speaker for our Tuesday night lecture series. He is a medical doctor and medical inventor (IV catheters) as well as a powerful hypnotist. I have seen him do his work and it is quite astounding to observe both his style and his subject's response. I have been witness to some very profound changes he helped my patients create (no bleeding during surgery, aided in bringing a cancer into remission). In his lecture at Pando, he shared the art of self hypnosis. Here is his summary of the essential steps:

Sebastian Slovin, Pando's movement expert, recently helped me put these together. Specific energy-enhancing strategies that can be done right away 
by time-pressed business owners and execs or anyone needing a little more juice. The following are our “go-to” list of quick strategies to give a boost to a tired body and mind. Each individual strategy works well and combining 2 or 3 is even more enhancing. The rationale for all of these energy-enhancing strategies is to get the individual out of the thinking mind and into the body. Increasing blood and oxygen flow is the mechanism of the benefit and each of these strategies accomplishes this in a different way. As a physician, I have worked with many clients who are challenged by the combination of high stress and prolonged sitting. Breaking this cycle is absolutely mandatory for maintaining high functioning and optimal performance. 1        1)     Focus 100 % of your attentio...

In our weekly lecture series on Tuesday nights, we are bringing in the best and the brightest in San Diego to clarify our vision of getting healthy. Here Steve Alper -- MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) teacher shares one of the core concepts of mindfulness.