Alternative Healing, Juggling Away Your Anxiety
Are you aware of a study that indicates juggling may be beneficial to anxiety? Cool huh?
I’ve seen those laughter classes which even I think are weird. Takes a lot to phase me. If I had to give a reason why I’d say that it seems to gloss over stuff. (Yeh yeh, I know …..body mind connection….physiological effects etc etc).
More co-ordinated than me
I can say with certainty that the thought of watching someone who is anxious juggling doesn’t bother me in the same way, unless they are using chainsaws. Anxious people would go for the soft non-injury producing balls anyway.
From the study, full version here:
Subjects were 17 female outpatients who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. Subjects were treated with standard psychotherapy, medication and counseling for 6 months. For the last 3 months of treatment, subjects were randomized into either a non-juggling group (n = 9) or a juggling therapy group (juggling group: n = 8). The juggling group gradually acquired juggling skills by practicing juggling beanbags (otedama in Japan) with both hands. The therapeutic effect was evaluated using scores of psychological testing (STAI: State and Trate Anxiety Inventry, POMS: Profile of Mood Status) and of ADL (FAI: Franchay Activity Index) collected before treatment, 3 months after treatment (before juggling therapy), and at the end of both treatments.
This is an alternative healing therapy that might take off. Reminds me of brain gym where alternative natural healing happens as both right and left brain are activated…maybe juggling AND singing!
Blessings,
Keri Eagan
Tags: alternative healing, alternative natural healing, anxiety, balls, depression, juggling
Hi Keri,
that sounds fascinating.
I wonder why the learning and practicing juggling as an alternative healing modality assisted in the relief of anxiety. Like I’m wondering if it stimulates another part of the brain or something like that which in turned fostered the relief of anxiety.
MOST interesting, indeed, as your blog always is.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Single Baby Boomer Dating Success Expert
Juggling is fun and in a pinch we can always pick up a few extra bucks as a street performer.
Steve Chambers, Sale Trainer Speaker
That interesting it looks like a cool solution keep your mind occupied
Jose Escalante
http://www.joseescalante.com
Juggling has many benifical things going for it, particualy for personal development skills. When learning what is known as the 3 ball cascade, the physical process of crossing over the balls means you have to get both sides of the brain working at the same time. Not many things in life involve this happening, I think ti chi is one of them? Over the last 16 years I have been teach juggling and circus skills and have during that time been doing some teaching work involving kids with various behaviour conditions from adhd to dispraxia with some great results! Anyway sorry about the bad spelling and just jumping in but anything to spread the joy of juggling.
Yours Jugglingly
Mark
I can just imagine this doctor/therapists waiting room with all the people waiting for their appointments…
Seize the Day,
Rob
Emergency Preparedness For the 21st Century Family
Keri,
Mind, heart & body has close connect with each other.
I do believe laughter and humour does a lot good to the body. Remeber Dr Adam the Clown at the children ward hospital?
John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion
Great information as always. Greetings from the Nations Capitol.
Scott
http://www.salesjunkie.net
http://www.scottpayne.me
Juggling tends to elicit a trance-like state through expanding your visual field (NLPers would know this as peripheral vision). Apparently, the brain is wired in such a way that negative emotions such as anxiety cannot be accessed whilst you’re in peripheral vision.
Doesn’t stop the anxiety coming back, though, when you drop a ball!
http://www.martin-wright.com
Looks like I need to learn how to juggle.
Robert Martin
http://www.carbuyinghq.com
I’ve always wanted to learn to juggle! Now I have another reason to push it up on my to do list.
MissMentor
Hiya Scott, Jeez you must be busy.
Keri Eagan
Yes I do! I know here in NZ we have just begun to incorporate “clown doctors” for the kids.
Keri Eagan
Hi Mark,
I love you for teaching these skills to behaviour challenged kids. I know it does make a difference, often miraculous. Welcome.
Keri Eagan
Hey thats a cool idea. I wonder how long it takes to learn…
For giggles we juggled when we were younger. It made me laugh even though I was not very good at it. As kids we were not afraid to have fun doing anything.
Vicki http://www.bridal-threadshq.com
[...] week, in Keri Reagan’s blog on juggling I was reminded of the usefulness of peripheral vision. This technique can increase your impact by [...]
HOw much had to do with juggling versus learning a new skill. Learning lights up all sorts of brain parts. I have a hard time attributing this to juggling and have no problem attributing it to the learning (pre-frontal cortex??).
Either way, glad some experienced a beneficial outcome.
Katie
Did they benefit from laughter because they were so bad at juggling or did they simply throw their focus into the learning of a new skill?
I’m with Katie on this one. I bet it has more to do with learning a new skill that requires mental acquity and physical dexterity. Playing an instrument would have a similar effect (my bet).
Kate
I wonder if this would apply to the development of other skills as well. For example, hacky sack seems to be an activity that might have the same effect.
Health, Fitness for Working People — Darryl Pace
It’s late – juggling? Are you serious? Who comes up with this stuff? I had a psychology professor who once taught us about “nude encounter therapy.” When we all started laughing and asking how that could possibly help he gave us the theory behind it, then said “Everything works for someone, but nothing works for everyone!” I love that quote.
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
Babysitting Services, Babysitting Tips, Babysitters, Nannies