NeuroSomatic Flow & Dance:
Healing Therapy for Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

BY karen gipple

Sacred Scholarship Video Presentation & Paper
NaiAsa Institute NeuroSomatic Flow™ Teacher Training - May 2022

“What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of thinking that one knows; for it is impossible to get a man to begin to learn that which he thinks he knows.” - Plato

I was born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), once thought of as a hereditary genetic disease and a devastating death sentence for a newborn child, that which would not allow one to thrive into adulthood let alone make it past the age of twenty-one. As Plato states, how can we really know unless we lose the inherited mindset and fear to begin to learn how to rethink that which we think we know?

Since the 1980’s when the CF gene was first discovered we have had amazing breakthroughs in technology and scientific findings to help improve the quality and longevity of those suffering from this so-called genetic disease, but we are still haunted by this inherent idea that we are victims to our genes. According to Bruce Lipton, PhD. an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit, stem cell biologist, and bestselling author of The Biology of Belief. We are not victims of our genes, but that we must think and create a perception beyond our genes. Recent scientific discoveries of quantum physics and epigenetics show the basis that our bodies are made of energy and our cells function as a community that is controlled by its environment (1). So, if we could eliminate this victim aspect of our genes by rethinking and rewiring the neural pathways in our brain through practices that change our cells environment, rewrite limiting beliefs and thoughts, move and dance our bodies into Being co-creators with all of Nature, and begin to express a different energy wave in all our cells, we could ultimately change the chemistry of how our CF gene is expressed.

“The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.” – Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.

The objective of this paper is to summarize how NeuroSomatic techniques and Flow Art Dance practices are viable healing therapies for Cystic Fibrosis that can lead to rewiring and rewriting our thoughts/limiting beliefs, mindset of the disease, and potentially the chemistry of our CF gene expression and cell environment in the body.

Cystic Fibrosis is a disorder affecting the exocrine glands, specifically the Na/Cl ion channels in the body. Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator or CFTR gene cause the production of abnormally thick mucus in the body through abnormal functioning of this ion channel on a cellular level leading to the mis-folding or non-production of the CFTR protein that regulates the Na/Cl channel within our cells. This thick mucus production, in turn, leads to the blockage of the pancreatic ducts, intestines, and bronchi of the lungs often resulting in chronic respiratory infections and bronchiectasis. There are over 1,700 different CF mutations that affect the expression of the CFTR gene differently in the body, some with adverse symptoms with severe decreased lung function, the need for feeding tubes, or liver disease and some with milder symptoms of daily cough, no pancreatic insufficiency or liver disease (2). Although Cystic fibrosis comes with such a wide array of severity in mutation expression of symptoms there are still a lot of other physical and mental daily symptoms that arise from just living with a chronic disease like, Cystic Fibrosis. Some of which are depression, chronic physical and mental stress on the body from coughing or malnutrition, social and lifestyle challenges, and chronic respiratory infections and exacerbations leading to multiple hospitalizations.

Cystic Fibrosis affects over 70,000 people worldwide according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation patient registry and this continues to rise with approximately 1,000 new diagnoses of children under two years old each year. (2) As the rise of new children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis growing there is no better time than now to implement and rethink the way we treat these mental and physical symptoms not as a machine that can’t be fixed or is hereditary, but through holistic therapies that treat the whole person to redirect the learned behaviors, lifestyles, thought processes, and downloaded programs that we observe during the first seven years of life, but to be one of a responsible hero and advocate for our disorder and not a victim of our genes.

It has taken me many years to come to this realization and I am still in the process of rethinking and reprogramming my initial processing downloads from my childhood as it pertains to how I think about, what I have learned about CF, and how I respond/act to my disorder. Along this healing journey I have learned many worthwhile holistic beliefs, practices, and lifestyle changes that have aided me in living a higher quality and quantity of life than some of my other fellow cystic fibrosis patients and some I too still must learn and reprogram. Many of these lifestyle practices, like yoga, breath work, sound healing, reiki, herbalism, and dance have aided me tremendously in reducing mental and physical stress on the body providing ways to relax my overactive sympathetic nervous system and have allowed relief in my daily physical symptoms of tension, stress, and pain from chronic coughs, asthma attacks, and malnutrition.

Growing up living with CF, there are many mental and social challenges that patients must undergo other than the normal physical challenges on the body. A study done on CF patients and caregivers showed that these individuals had an increased risk of psychological problems from stress and anxiety. The study measured the psychological symptoms reported by 6088 CF patients and 4102 caregivers across several European and US countries ranging from adolescents to adults.

The study showed 10% elevated symptoms of depression in adolescents with CF and 19% of adult caregivers whereas 22% of adolescents had elevated symptoms of anxiety with adults having 32%: of these adults, mothers and fathers having 48-36% anxiety symptoms as caregivers. The studies resulted in the overall elevations being 2-3 times those of community samples taken (3).

As the rise of children diagnosed with CF continues to rise every year, it is apparent that we address these psychological symptoms from the very beginning, so that patients and caregivers learn how to cope with the multiple stressors and anxieties that living with CF can have on a person. If we teach how to respond to these anxieties and stress with daily mindfulness practices at an early age to keep our bodies out of chronic flight/fright and freeze symptoms we can be better equipped to cope with stressors later in life and be able to maintain states of mental and physical homeostasis in the body and the brain.

I believe Flow arts dance and NeuroSomatic Flow™ techniques can aid us in doing this in a fun and playful environment that children and adults with CF can enjoy with quick results.

According to Dr. Jinju Dasalla and co-founder of the NaiAsa Institute “Flow Arts Dance is a variety of movement-based disciplines including dance, juggling (poi, hoop, or otherwise), fire-spinning, and object manipulation that have been cross-pollinated with martial arts, yoga, acrobatics, hula hooping, and beyond” (4). This expression of dance or arts has allowed people to enter a mental flow state where you are fully immersed in an activity or feeling, focused fully on the enjoyment and involvement of the moment, known as the ‘Flow state’ of optimal experience according to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi the author of the book Flow (5).

NeuroSomatic Flow Techniques (NSFTs), designed by the NaiAsa institute, are ‘healing modalities and practices designed to integrate the use of flow art movement, specifically using poi and hula hoop as props, combined with yoga therapies of breathwork and intention to enter flow brain wave states (Theta and delta waves) to rewire and restore the nervous system.’ (4) NSFTs use a combination of studies of somatics (the dance movement/brain waves) and ontology (intention/Being/Flow state) to change the neuroplasticity of the brain which has been associated with studies showing brain wave states directly related to reducing anxiety, stress, and depression when using these dance, yogic breathwork, and juggling type practices (4).

In the first study, they presented a trial that investigated the therapeutic effect of juggling on anxiety disorders. They examined 17 individuals with different anxiety disorders over a 6-month period including treatments of psychotherapy, medication, and counseling techniques. In the last 3 months of the study, they separated the individuals into juggling and non-juggling groups where the juggling group practiced juggling beanbags as a therapy. Psychological testing was performed before and after the 3-month juggling therapy and found that tension anxiety, depression and anger hostility were significantly lower in the juggling groups than the non- juggling groups and vigorous activity scores were significantly higher in the juggling group as well.

Leading to the findings that brain activity using visual motion information, like from juggling with bean bags in this study, causes rapid eye movement when combined with physical movement via meditation and yoga therapies might improve the psycho-neurological networks in the brain which may reduce anxiety through relaxation (6). The hypothesize of the study that juggling therapy contributes to improvement in patient anxiety through changes in emotional memory processing (6) could also be associated with similar juggling practices like poi flow art dance in the NeuroSomatic Flow Techniques providing similar results, but more studies need to be performed.

Other studies provided details on how yoga and breath work may benefit patients with CF to improve quality of life and adherence to therapies aiming to determine the effect of yoga and breath work on prevention and treatment of many aspects of CF life, such as lung function, exercise tolerance, nutritional status, and alleviating symptoms of pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression. Subjects participated in six, 1-on-1 yoga and breath work sessions over a ten-week period with several standard CF patient questionnaires following evaluating each level of symptoms before and after each session. Results showed that mean immediate anxiety scores decreased, joint pain improved, CFQ-R emotion subscale improved from 79.2 to 85 a significant difference of p=0.073 and the respiratory subscale improved from 66.7 to 79.2. (7)

Results of a multi study review showed numerous studies that have demonstrated the positive healing effects of yoga and breathwork on a broad spectrum of health areas from physiologic factors as well as psychological wellbeing (anxiety and depression) including the stress response in the body that is regulated by the autonomic nervous system which regulates the sympathetic (fight/flight response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) and how we adapt to stressors in our environment and within the body (8). Making yoga and breathwork practices a viable holistic therapy to be used as an option within integrative and complementary medicine treatments that many CF patients including myself have found numerous healing benefits of yoga and breathwork practices as CF treatments. Further evidence for yoga and breathwork efficacy and effectiveness for this as a CF therapy is still in its infancy although studies done on adults and children with obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma did show evidence that supported the efficacy of yoga in showing improvements in quality of life and in some cases improvement of pulmonary function, but more studies need to be performed (9).

In conclusion, overall studies showed there are significant benefits and efficacy of these holistic therapies of yoga, juggling, and breathwork as viable complimentary lifestyle practices to aid in reducing anxiety and depression from chronic emotional, physical, and environmental stressors. There is also evidence that shows efficacy of yoga and breathwork as it pertains to improving the physiologic factors as well as psychological wellbeing of practitioners with some beneficial evidence that these practices are advantageous treatment options for patients with Cystic fibrosis that aid in reducing symptoms of pain, sleep disturbance, reduce immediate anxieties while improving lung function and overall quality of life.

I believe these alternative healing modalities need to be implemented into the CF community as specific options for CF treatment therapies for the disease and should be implemented at a young age to aid with regulating the mental and physical stressors of CF life as well as improve treatment adherence to other pertinent pulmonary treatments such as vest chest physiotherapy and nebulizer treatments that improve lung function and aid in reducing the rising numbers of CF patients with depression and anxiety issues. In my own personal experience from attending Cf conferences and research conventions, many CF patients are turning to more holistic alternatives compared to standard western medicine techniques recently because the current treatments are not providing long lasting relief of symptoms as these alternative methods provide by reducing daily symptom stressors of chest pain, muscle tension, asthma attacks, stiff muscles, stagnant energy, stress, and anxiety.

In my personal experience, I have found so much healing just in my physical and mental states from daily practices of yoga, stretching, exercise, and breathwork exercises. Even other holistic therapies of sound and energy healing, salt caves and saunas have been amazing therapeutic therapies to aid with CF symptoms. Following this holistic path has led me to this NeurSomatic Flow training where I have found continued healing in my physiological and psychological wellbeing as well as it pertains to areas of CF symptoms. Undergoing a daily five to thirty minute session of flow art dance and NeuroSomatic flow techniques has shown drastic changes in my overall mental health and awareness providing beneficial changes to mental areas of reduced anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional mood swings of frustration or irritation. Uplifting mood and feelings of expansion, confidence, inner fire, fun, sensuality, and abundance bringing me out of a depression state of mind back into shining my true soul fire of childlike perception, awareness, curiosity, creativity, imagination, and playfulness allowing me to speak my truth and express myself fully again.

Breaking down the NSFTs with the flow art props has helped in quieting my mind, allowing me to enter states of Flow where I am Being instead of constantly needing to be doing allowing me to focus on breathwork aiding in opening the chest and clearing areas of stagnation and stuck mucus. Connecting me again to listening and feeling into my body bringing awareness to my breath, posture, and physical areas of stagnant energy that needs acknowledged or moved in a certain way to be released emotionally or physically.

NSFTs have reconnected me to aspects of my feminine energy that I was unaware I was denying such as vulnerability and fear around sickness, connection, compassion, self-love, and worthiness to receive by breaking down limiting belief neural pathways and rewiring new belief systems. My posture has improved as well as my awareness of how I breathe: depth, length, resistance, or what part of my body I am breathing from, whether diaphragm, belly or upper chest breathing. From the benefits I have noticed in my short time of practicing these techniques I feel these treatments could have amazing results for reducing the high numbers of CF patients with psychological disorders and depression by implementing these techniques as a part of their daily CF therapies.

This NeuroSomatic Flow Techniques and flow art dance practices are fun and easy methods that can easily be implemented into daily life that would provide excellent treatment therapies for Cystic Fibrosis daily physiological and psychological symptoms. Providing a playful way to enter meditative brain wave states and yogic breathwork to reduce stress and anxieties, uplift mood, and provide movement exercise that are not overly exerting to open the chest, move stagnant energy/mucus in the body, and allow us to feel more into our bodies from a state of being instead of doing mindlessly. These practices are playful ways in which children could combine beneficial treatments for both CF airway clearance such as the monarch vest while doing mindful breathwork and NSFTs as a meditation treatment that allows for playfulness and fun possibly leading to increased treatment adherence of other CF treatments which is a major issue of younger children and adolescents with CF.

From the research found on the beneficial psychological and physiological aspects of these studies of juggling, yoga, dance, and breathwork as well as my personal experience of the NSFTs and flow art dance I have found that implementing these practices into daily CF life have aided me in reducing my levels of anxiety, mental and physical stresses, and have helped to move tension and stagnant energy out of my body helping me to move out of my sympathetic nervous system, flight/fright program that can lead to a victim state of our genes, depression, and other psychological symptoms in CF patients to one of the flow state or parasympathetic nervous system, rest and digest that leads to a mindful state of empowerment, healing, and better quality of life that I believe will make this a viable treatment for all patient with Cystic Fibrosis.

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References:

1.) Bruce Lipton. “Biology of Belief Full Lecture.” Youtube.com. Dec. 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82ShSNuru6c

2.) Cystic Fibrosis foundation. “About Cystic Fibrosis.” Cystic Fibrosis foundation website. < https://www.cff.org/intro-cf/about-cystic- fibrosis#:~:text=More%20than%2030%2C000%20people%20are,CF%20are%20diagnosed%20each%20year.>

3.)  Quittner AL, Goldbeck L, Abbott J, Duff A, Lambrecht P, Solé A, Tibosch MM, Bergsten

Brucefors A, Yüksel H, Catastini P, Blackwell L, Barker D. Prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with cystic fibrosis and parent caregivers: results of The International Depression Epidemiological Study across nine countries. Thorax. 2014 Dec;69(12):1090-7. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2014-205983. Epub 2014 Sep 21. PMID: 25246663.

4.)  Dasala, Jinju Dr., NaiAsa Institute: 2022 Neurosomatic flow teacher training manual. Spiral 1 Science and Theory Lessons. Pg. 58-59, 85.

5.)  Csikszentmihályi M (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper

6.)  Nakahara, T., Nakahara, K., Uehara, M. et al. Effect of juggling therapy on anxiety disorders in female patients. BioPsychoSocial Med 1, 10 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-1-10

7.)  McNamara C, Johnson M, Read L, et al. Yoga Therapy in Children with Cystic Fibrosis Decreases Immediate Anxiety and Joint Pain. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:9429504. doi:10.1155/2016/9429504

8.)  Ruddy J, Emerson J, Mcnamara S, et al. Yoga as a Therapy for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: A Pilot Study. Global Advances in Health and Medicine. November 2015:32-36. doi:10.7453/gahmj.2015.061

9.)  Jeter, Pamela E et al. “Yoga as a Therapeutic Intervention: A Bibliometric Analysis of Published Research Studies from 1967 to 2013.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 21,10 (2015): 586-92. doi:10.1089/acm.2015.0057