chakra test ~ how open are yours?

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

What did Jung have to say about chakra traits?

I don't know.

I hadn't thought of it in those terms. Some of that makes good sense as personality theory. But my point was that Mr. Berker's questionnaire items were not working as I thought they would. The issue is the adequacy of the items used to get people's impressions of how their chakras are functioning. Maybe I don't understand the scoring scheme.

Btw, I had a little email discussion with Mr. Berkers. He refused to tell me which items pertain to Root chakra. If I wanted to crunch some numbers and do a factor analytic study - or if I was even thinking about doing one -- I'd need to know which items are being used to get at which chakra.

Well, wouldn't exercise help out with root chakra problems? {As in Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies?} However, I'm drawing a blank for an appropriate song to rework the back-up vocals to incorporate an appropriate Sanskrit chant into. {I must admit, that when it comes to Sanskrit, my language skills are probably somewhere between that of an infant and that of a toddler! }

[Alex P]

I freaking Love Richard Simmons, what a man! What taste, what style, what energy, what an attitude, what moves, what doooo! (hair do)

[Pathless]

Uh-oh. Close the third eye, P-Nut! Close the third eye!!!




Root: Open(25%)
Sacral: Over-active(94%)
Navel: Under-active(19%)
Heart: Open(31%)
Throat: Open(50%)
Third Eye: Over-active(100%)
Crown: Open(50%)

I have to find out what's wrong with my navel, too.

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Pathless

Uh-oh. Close the third eye, P-Nut! Close the third eye!!!




Root: Open(25%)
Sacral: Over-active(94%)
Navel: Under-active(19%)
Heart: Open(31%)
Throat: Open(50%)
Third Eye: Over-active(100%)
Crown: Open(50%)

I have to find out what's wrong with my navel, too.

Perhaps some navel gazing might give your overactive third eye something to do. {Pass the pipe...}

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Well, wouldn't exercise help out with root chakra problems? {As in Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies?}

Say a little more. How long have you been doing the Richard Simmons workouts? How much of it is actually aerobic? And how much of it deals with the root chakra problem?

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

Say a little more. How long have you been doing the Richard Simmons workouts? How much of it is actually aerobic? And how much of it deals with the root chakra problem?

I haven't been doing the Richard Simmons workouts, so I can't answer questions specific to them.

However, the psychological benefits of exercise have been documented. Here is a blurb about it from MayoClinic.com.

[wil]

Originally Posted by Pathless

Uh-oh. Close the third eye, P-Nut! Close the third eye!!!




Root: Open(25%)
Sacral: Over-active(94%)
Navel: Under-active(19%)
Heart: Open(31%)
Throat: Open(50%)
Third Eye: Over-active(100%)
Crown: Open(50%)

I have to find out what's wrong with my navel, too.

Why don't you have your third eye look into it?

And I think Richard Simmons vids are mostly aerobic, but the reference may be that he has no root chakra issues and it may rub off.

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

I haven't been doing the Richard Simmons workouts, so I can't answer questions specific to them.

Sorry, I thought you were recommending the Simmons from personal experience. Did you have some workouts you can recommend personally?

However, the psychological benefits of exercise have been documented. Here is a blurb about it from MayoClinic.com.

The "expert" cited in the Mayo Clinic article does not seem to have done any research in this area at all and thus would appear to be totally dependent on unidentified secondary sources. This is not compelling support.

I ran a study on the effects of aerobic swimming on depression. There was no significant change in depression scores, though there was a trend in the expected direction. Maybe the failure to get significant results was due to a ceiling effect. The subjects were not clinically depressed at baseline.

I wonder to what extent studies that have found an effect are documenting the influence of the experiment's demand characteristics. If you're recruited for research participation in a study on exercise and mood, what would you think the researcher is looking for??....

Also, without knowing effect sizes obtained in a given study, I would be very skeptical. As you know, statistical significance is influenced by sample size. In a large enough sample a very small shift in depression could be reported as "significant."

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

Sorry, I thought you were recommending the Simmons from personal experience. Did you have some workouts you can recommend personally?

Nothing specific, sorry.

The "expert" cited in the Mayo Clinic article does not seem to have done any research in this area at all and thus would appear to be totally dependent on unidentified secondary sources. This is not compelling support.

Here's another article for your consideration.

I ran a study on the effects of aerobic swimming on depression. There was no significant change in depression scores, though there was a trend in the expected direction. Maybe the failure to get significant results was due to a ceiling effect. The subjects were not clinically depressed at baseline.

One of my neighbors was able to get off of her depression medication by doing aerobics for 45 minutes per day. Her doctor was amazed.

I wonder to what extent studies that have found an effect are documenting the influence of the experiment's demand characteristics. If you're recruited for research participation in a study on exercise and mood, what would you think the researcher is looking for??....

I wouldn't know.

Also, without knowing effect sizes obtained in a given study, I would be very skeptical. As you know, statistical significance is influenced by sample size. In a large enough sample a very small shift in depression could be reported as "significant."

Well, from the very small sample size I have observed, the effect was very significant.

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Here's another article for your consideration.

The article mentions that "the three-hour-a-week group had a substantial reduction in symptoms." What does substantial mean? Need estimate of effect sizes to make any sense of such a statement. Need much more detail about the sample, too.

One of my neighbors was able to get off of her depression medication by doing aerobics for 45 minutes per day. Her doctor was amazed.

Did she start this program because of your suggestion? Anything else she was doing that may have increased her sense of control and well-being? What about time of year as a possible confound in seasonal depression? Was she actually diagnosed with depression or did the doctor decide one day to prescribe something for emotional distress because the doctor couldn't think of what else to do?

Misdiagnosis of mood disorders is a pervasive problem. MDs are (notoriously) poor at it. It's no surprise to me that many people do not respond well to antidepressants: It's because they are not actually depressed in a clinical sense. They have other things going on. Did the neighbor lady have other things going on that may have mimicked depression -- like maybe a sleep disorder that would in fact respond to exercise?

Eating disorders with mood regulation issues are not uncommon. In one study, almost half of the subjects diagnosed with anorexia qualified on DSM-IV criteria for exercise dependence. These folks are dependent on exercise for mood regulation. However, it would appear that many anorexics use exercise mainly to control weight and don't necessarily seek out exercise because it improves their affect. Treatment of anorexia should include psychotherapy.

People with anorexia also have sleep problems that may benefit from exercise. I'm thinking that diagnostic criteria for depression requires that you rule out the eating disorder. Is this neighbor lady anorexic?

Real clinical depression is a fairly serious condition and sometimes requires hospitalization. I personally think exercise is worth trying. But in fairness to the patient, exercise should not be the only thing in the way of treatment. For one thing, depressed people often have motivational deficits known as "behavioral inertia" or "impaired executive functions." They may be too shut down to get dressed or brush their teeth, let alone keep going with a 45-minutes-a-day exercise program. Some depressives are near-catatonic.

I wouldn't know.

Umm, would you think the researcher is looking for a significant increase in depression as a result of exercise?

Well, from the very small sample size I have observed, the effect was very significant.

Touché my dear. But from a statistical point of view, a sample size like this (N=1) is not convincing. There may be a thousand people who experience little or no relief at all for every one person who does benefit. Not knowing whether the person in question qualifies on diagnostic criteria for Depression makes the study even less compelling. Call me fussy.

[Dream]

Alex, I remember now about the long line! That is the one thing that they did mention. You probably have the 'Long life' line on the palm of your right hand. Also, if the two longest lines intersect its either good or bad, but I can't remember.

Venturing a guess.....

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

The article mentions that "the three-hour-a-week group had a substantial reduction in symptoms." What does substantial mean? Need estimate of effect sizes to make any sense of such a statement. Need much more detail about the sample, too.


Did she start this program because of your suggestion? Anything else she was doing that may have increased her sense of control and well-being? What about time of year as a possible confound in seasonal depression? Was she actually diagnosed with depression or did the doctor decide one day to prescribe something for emotional distress because the doctor couldn't think of what else to do?

It was late summer/early fall. Her oldest daughter was close to the cut-off age for starting kindergarten, so she had her tested to see if see was ready. The test results showed that her daughter was significantly delayed in her large motor development, and my neighbor asked me for some suggestions. I suggested that she start an exercise program for herself, and that her daughters would probably join in with her of their own accord.

Misdiagnosis of mood disorders is a pervasive problem. MDs are (notoriously) poor at it. It's no surprise to me that many people do not respond well to antidepressants: It's because they are not actually depressed in a clinical sense. They have other things going on. Did the neighbor lady have other things going on that may have mimicked depression -- like maybe a sleep disorder that would in fact respond to exercise?

She went to an HMO. She did complain to me that one of her medications was causing her to have nightmares. When I explained to her how the body produces endorphins in response to exercise, and that this might help her get off some of her medications, she really started to warm up to the idea of an exercise program.

Eating disorders with mood regulation issues are not uncommon. In one study, almost half of the subjects diagnosed with anorexia qualified on DSM-IV criteria for exercise dependence. These folks are dependent on exercise for mood regulation. However, it would appear that many anorexics use exercise mainly to control weight and don't necessarily seek out exercise because it improves their affect. Treatment of anorexia should include psychotherapy.

People with anorexia also have sleep problems that may benefit from exercise. I'm thinking that diagnostic criteria for depression requires that you rule out the eating disorder. Is this neighbor lady anorexic?

No eating disorders. Weight was not an issue for her. The only sleep disorder she mentioned to me was one of her medications giving her nightmares.

Real clinical depression is a fairly serious condition and sometimes requires hospitalization. I personally think exercise is worth trying. But in fairness to the patient, exercise should not be the only thing in the way of treatment. For one thing, depressed people often have motivational deficits known as "behavioral inertia" or "impaired executive functions." They may be too shut down to get dressed or brush their teeth, let alone keep going with a 45-minutes-a-day exercise program. Some depressives are near-catatonic.

I would have to agree. Depression can have many contributing factors, therefore, unless a specific cause can be identified, limiting treatment of depression to only drugs, or only exercise, or only counselling, is not the best approach, imo.

Umm, would you think the researcher is looking for a significant increase in depression as a result of exercise?

lol.

Touché my dear. But from a statistical point of view, a sample size like this (N=1) is not convincing. There may be a thousand people who experience little or no relief at all for every one person who does benefit. Not knowing whether the person in question qualifies on diagnostic criteria for Depression makes the study even less compelling. Call me fussy.

However, even though my observations might not be convincing to you, it in no way invalidates my observations and experiences.

[Alex P]

I'm seeing my brothers name poppin up here and there around this thread, better not be bad mouthing Simmons!

DREAM: I asked my beloved rose she said he had something to do with beauty lol... In a good way! I mean.

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Root: underactive (-19%)
Sacral: overactive (63%)
Naval: underactive (-63%)
Heart: open (19%)
Throat: open (25%)
Third Eye: open (31%)
Crown: underactive (-31%)

It's strange that this "test" goes against the majority of the local pagan community's perceptions of me (they want to train me as a healer due to the dominance of my Heart chakra [what am I, a puppy?])

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

Root: underactive (-19%)
Sacral: overactive (63%)
Naval: underactive (-63%)
Heart: open (19%)
Throat: open (25%)
Third Eye: open (31%)
Crown: underactive (-31%)

It's strange that this "test" goes against the majority of the local pagan community's perceptions of me (they want to train me as a healer due to the dominance of my Heart chakra [what am I, a puppy?])

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

You're a "cat wrangler."