The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • September - December 2017 • Page 99
though I knew all about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, I continued to push my limits. I worked long hours, some days without sleep. I got through the night shifts by eating half a dozen chocolate donuts and drinking two cups of espresso. I learned how to keep myself awake despite my exhaustion. I constantly craved sugar and carbs, but I didn’t realize that they had actually altered my brain chemistry, hormones, and metabolism. I gained a lot of weight and felt exhausted. And then, I got chronic fatigue syndrome and developed type 2 diabetes by the end of my residency. Finally I was forced to listen to my body and respect the way it worked.
I often share with my patients that one of the easiest ways to feel happier is to direct your attention to the good things in your life. Similarly, shining a positive light on the bad or neutral things changes how you feel about them. By all measures I was a successful family physician, but my personal illness gave me a firsthand appreciation for the power of integrative medicine. I was trained to help my patients get their health back, but now it was my turn to do the right thing. I realized I needed a detox. I eliminated sugar, caffeine, and junk food, tested myself for food sensitivities, and eliminated the allergens that drive inflammation in the body. I also learned to slow down and practice meditation. Through meditation I improved my mood and my immune system. I often share with my patients that one of the easiest ways to feel happier is to direct your attention to the good things in your life. Similarly, shining a positive light on the bad or neutral things changes how you feel about them. These days I spend 30 minutes in the morning after I wake up practicing gratitude meditation. As I progressed on my recovery journey, I came home to visit my mother, Dr. Shan Kong, who is a well-known, licensed acupuncturist in Ann Arbor, and received acupuncture treatments once a week. After evaluating my underlying chemical imbalance, I started to take supplements and herbs. In six months I completely reversed my diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome — personal proof of the efficacy and power of integrative medicine!
The principle of health is very simple: take out the bad stuff and put in the good stuff. Unfortunately, many people subject themselves to the same bad lifestyle choices that I did. We use sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or worse to manage our energy and moods. We don’t pay attention to what we eat, how much we sleep and exercise, and how much time we make for connecting with family and friends.
The Crazy Wisdom Calendar Yoga (cont.) Open Level Yoga with Michele Bond of Yoga House • Sundays, 7:30-9 p.m., Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m., Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. • Mixed level class with variations offered for all levels. $14 preregistered. $18/drop-in with permission. Contact Michele at 3588546; michele@yogahouseannarbor.com or yogahouseannarbor.com. Yoga Happy Hour: Basics and Restorative with Michele Bond of Yoga House • Fridays, 6-7 p.m. • Learn basic alignment, simple postures and breath, along with some delicious restoratives. Feel your stress melt away. $11/pre-registered. $13/drop-in with permission. Contact Michele at 358-8546; michele@yagahouseannarbor.com or yogahouseannarbor.com. Yoga for Athletes with Michele Bond of Yoga House • Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. • Athletes or anyone looking for a strong practice will enjoy increasing core strength, enhancing flexibility, agility, balance, and mental focus. $14/pre-registered. $18/drop-in with permission. Contact Michele at 358-8546; michele@yogahouseannarbor.com or yogahouseannarbor. com. Yoga Essentials with Michele Bond of Yoga House • Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. • For those new to yoga, or new to this system. Learn Universal Principles of Alignment that are an invaluable aid to learning the postures, deepening your understanding of the body, developing a yoga practice that is safe, joyful, therapeutic, and fun. $14/pre-registered. $18/ drop-in with permission. Contact Michele at 358-8546; michele@yagahouseannarbor.com or yogahouseannarbor.com. Yoga Classes at The Yoga Room with Christy DeBurton • Mondays, 4:30-5 p.m., 6-7:15 p.m., Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9:30-10:45 a.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m., 6-7:15 p.m., Saturdays, 8:30-9:45 p.m. • Offering Hatha, Yin, and Vinyasa yoga classes. See website for pricing and full schedule. Contact Christy at 761-8409; info@christydeburton.com or yogaroomannarbor.com. Yoga with Cats with Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center • Sundays, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 • Practice Hatha style yoga with the furry feline masters at Ann Arbor’s own cat cafe! Bring peace to your mind and body while filling your heart with joy as you help animals - proceeds help the homeless animals in our community. $10. 10th class is free. Contact Karen at 661-3530; tinylions@hshv.org or tinylions.org. Hatha Yoga with Kashi Walters • Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. • This class uses quieting yoga sequences to help destress and restore the body. The movements calm the nervous system and bring subtle energies back into balance. Please bring a yoga mat. $15. Contact Kashi Nivas at 883-6947; atmaram@kashinivas.org or kashinivas.org. Restorative Yoga with Kashi Walters • Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m. • Designed to soothe and refresh the body and soul using props and guided meditation. Please bring a yoga mat. $15. Contact Kashi Nivas at 883-6947; atmaram@kashinivas.org or kashinivas.org. Purna Yoga with Raisha Love • Call for times • Come back to the roots of yoga in our new studio. Contact (989) 284-1042; askraisha@yahoo.com or purnayogaannarbor.com.
I believe the human body has an innate ability to heal itself, but sometimes it needs professional help. In my medical practice, I look into the underlying reasons a person’s body is not working well and treat the root causes. In fact, the principle of health is very simple: take out the bad stuff and put in the good stuff. I evaluate factors that are negatively influencing the patient such as food and chemical sensitivities, allergies, microbes, toxins, nutritional deficiencies, mind/body imbalance, and so on. Once these factors are identified, then we can help the body to heal based on the individual’s specific needs. Ann Hughes, M.D., is a board-certified medical doctor in integrative medicine, family medicine, and acupuncture. She comes from a family that has practiced Chinese Medicine and acupuncture for eight generations. She opened her holistic medical practice in August of 2016. For more information, contact her at (734) 905-0318 or visit www.DrHughesHolisticCenter.com.
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson