Martin, Gandhi and Occupy Wall Street

At this time of the dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington and the reminder of this great soul who graced the earth and left such a huge imprint on so many of us, I am also reminded of one who inspired him and current day protesters who have in turn ( perhaps) been inspired by both of them.  And, I ask myself the question...what does Martin, Gandhi and Occupy Wall Street have in common?

One may ask, why include Occupy Wall Street? At least if you are Cain, or able-bodied and have a job or money or both and believe in boot-strap boot camp, then I hear you, that is, that those folks down there on Wall Street are disorganized ( don't have a 1-2-3 point message - according to CNN talking heads); therefore they cannot hold a flicker of light to MLK or Gandhiji and therefore should not be included in the same breath! But here's the deal, at least what comes to mind for me, on this most momentous day.

When Gandhiji fought for India's Independence and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commenced marches for the Civil Rights Movement, no one took them seriously either.  The British never dreamed that they would be defeated by non-violent protesters, and in the U.S., who would have thought the non-violent thrust of the Civil Rights movement would change the face of racism in America for ever! But such is the impact of satyagraha as was practiced by Gandhi in the early 1900s and later by Dr. King in the 60s with the Civil Rights movement. Occupy Wall Street is another satyagraha movement.

Satyagraha is a sanskrit word which according to wikipedia means (loosely) "soul force" or "truth force", or "non-violent resistance" " or "civil resistance".  The term coined by Gandhi comes from the sanskrit word "satya " meaning "truth" and "Agraha" meaning "insistence" or "holding firmly to", says wikipedia. Unlike "passive resistance" satyagraha is an active approach to non-violence in the face aggression or other negative behavior .  In satyagraha practice, the victim actually practices the yamas (abstinences) of satya and ahimsa ( non-injury) , precepts of the ethical social discipline teachings of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, toward his or her opponent . Satyagraha is a weapon of the 'strong' and unlike passive resistance, it holds to the truth of its principals.

In the article "Remaining Human: A Buddhist Perspective on Occupy Wall Street http://www.theelephantjournal.com/ ", Michael Stone says,


"This movement is also showing the power of non-violence.  Non-violence a core precept in my own Buddhist practice, is not an ideology. It's the power of facing what's actually going on in each and every moment and responding as skillfully as possible." 

In the Raja Yoga practice of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ( as practiced by Gandhiji)  the practice of satya and ahimsa and upholding these virtues ( even slightly!) are no easy task.  When I speak to students about practicing ahimsa toward the door, and not slamming it, or satya toward any form of truth we wish to cover up, we begin to see the depth of these teachings  and when practiced as a group ( like a meditation)  how powerful they can be! Christian pundit, Thomas Merton, author of "Seven Story Mountain" , like Dr. Martin Luther King, reiterates this in the social justice teachings of Christianity and  the Bible which again emphasises  non-violence not unlike  those teachings of other major religions.  In "The Non-violent Alternative", Merton says,

 "The Christian is one whose life has sprung from a particular spiritual seed: the blood of the martyrs who, without offering forcible resistance, laid down their lives rather than submit to unjust laws.."

Michael Stone, in " Remaining Human: A Buddhist Perspective on Occupying Wall Street", says:

 " The people of Occupy Wall Street and now Occupy San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Copenhagen and 70 other cities...are trying ..to take over a space that's been wrestled from the people, and also hold to a new way of living". 


On the Rock here in Bermuda,  we are also feeling the ache of  space that has been wrestled from us and it is this rumbling that is beginning to shake us at our core in a way that we have never experienced before.

Bermudians are now seeing 8% joblessness of Bermudians,  in a country that once bragged about zero unemployment. Today young people come back to Bermuda with degrees earned on the maxed-out mortgages of their parents, only to learn that the "foot in the door"  is no longer a reality except in instances of perhaps nepotism. Those over 50 are seen as too old for hire, even with a Masters degree ( despite the fact that these folks represent the second largest segment of our society) ; and, as one frustrated graduate- degree over 50 unemployed woman said,

" the HR person doesn't call you back, doesn't acknowledge your application and gives no response for why you were not considered for the job, even if you are fully qualified! And then you meet someone at church, newly arrived to Bermuda who says they were one of 11 new non-Bermudian hirees at their company. "

Then there is the cost of health care, those who dare to get sick and those who are made to pay for it.  As a result of these and many more issues here on this steaming rock as old as its sister the U.S. of A., the air in the space that we inhabit is becoming stifled; and, corporate greed, economic inequality, and government lack of support for the poor and disadvantaged, is not to be discounted. If all continues, it is just a matter of time when Rise Up Bermuda, takes on a whole different flavor!!

In the end, the truths resonating with Occupy Wall Street, are intrinsic and truths that all of us get and feel deep in our bones. And like Occupy Wall Street, the Civil Rights Movement or the overthrow of the British in India,  satyagraha has that capacity to touch us at our tender most spots and cause to rise a shrill and an action to move mountains and change societies for good. Gandhi knew that, as did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Occupy Wall Street, if it remains true to form, will realize this also.

                                        Yoga On The Rock

                                                                   FAQs

1.      Is Yoga An Exercise?

No, yoga is not an exercise.  In fact, the “stretches” practiced in yoga are not even called exercises.  They are called poses or postures, or the correct Sanskrit name is “asanas”.  Asana, according to the yoga sutras (yoga philosophical text) means “steady comfortable posture”.  The postures should always be comfortable and practiced without strain; and, this “sthira” (firmness steadiness, alertness) and “sukha” (comfort, ease) should always be maintained in unison during practice. Hence yoga does not “expand” energy as such, like when exercising, but rather allows the practitioner to “gather” energy from practice, which stays with them long after the class is done.

2.      What is the difference between hatha yoga, asthanga yoga, vinyasa flow yoga or yin yoga etc., are they similar?

Actually, they are all the same, in that they are all ‘hatha yoga” practices.  Much of the yoga we see practiced in the gym or the yoga studios or with private teachers is hatha yoga, which is the physical aspect of yoga.  So asthanga, vinyasa flow, yin yoga and even power yoga are all hatha yoga practices.  “Ha” means “sun” and “tha” means “moon” , hence in hatha yoga the sun and moon energies within the body are brought into balance. All the different ways of practicing hatha yoga strives to create this condition within the body and mind.  How they differ is the way they approach this practice.  Vinyasa flow is usually practiced in a quick continuous flow moving from one pose to another in rapid fashion, while yin yoga is practiced deliberately slowly where focus on one pose could last as long as 5 minutes. The style of each way of practicing depends on individual tastes; asthanga yoga really puts much emphasis on alignment while the integral yoga approach emphasizes the meditative aspects of practicing hatha yoga.  While there are indeed different types of yoga, for example, bhakti yoga, karma yoga, raja yoga, jnana yoga etc. these aspects of yoga are not hatha (physical) yoga practice.  The physical yoga practice is all hatha yoga.

3.      Many people say they like to practice yoga for stretching but they do other exercises for strengthening the body or for a cardio vascular workout.  Is that true that yoga is only for stretching?

No, that is not true.  Yoga in our western society is so misunderstood, although we are learning.  While I say we should continue to do our workout at the gym, swim, walk or run if we enjoy that along with our hatha yoga ( in fact, hatha yoga will enhance physical activity); however, if we wish to just focus on hatha yoga we can get a full workout from our yoga practice.  In fact many people who practice serious hatha yoga only do that and maintain strong healthy bodies.  I always tell students in yoga you learn to lift your own body weight.  When you consider a headstand and/or arm balances, that is clearly what one has to do.  These poses require great strength in order to perfect them, and this strength does not come from lifting weights, but from slowly building up the ability to lift one’s own body weight through consistent yoga practice.  Also a vinyasa flow approach to yoga provides a great cardio workout, as do standing poses that are great strengtheners for the body and a stimulant for the heart muscle.  As one whose main workout is practicing yoga, I always tell students, at the end of the day, when we reach three score and then some, the three best practices to do to keep the body fit is walking, swimming and yoga. That’s it!

4.      Does yoga help you lose weight???

Now everyone wants to know the answer to this question although often people are afraid to ask.  I always tell people “yes” and “no”, which sometimes will turn some off, especially when they are looking for a quick fix.  But what I do encourage people to do is to look at the whole picture, and in this regard yes, yoga is great to help work on weight loss and maintenance.  Of course we do know the only real way to lose weight is to stop eating the junk and/or overeating. But what yoga does is help us get rid of the stress which is the greatest impetus for curtailing overeating and making poor choices in diet, in the first place.

 Yoga works directly on the mind (our biggest culprit when it comes to overeating) and on all the systems of the body, for instance, the endocrine system, thus stimulating the thyroid and parathyroid glands.  It works on our digestive system through twisting poses, hence our digestive system improves tremendously.  It works on circulatory, elimination, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, and nervous system etc. and has an overwhelming effect on how we manage and maintain a healthy stress level.  Hence indirectly in this way, through practicing regular hatha yoga, the pounds melt away.

5.      Can yoga help with health issues?

Because many of our modern day health issues come from stress, yoga is an excellent way to help improve body/mind health and wellness.  The diseases of our modern world (unlike many diseases in countries like Africa and India), are non-communicable diseases, that are not caught from contagions, but are life-style diseases caused by how we live and manage stress in our lives. Cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish has designed an award winning practice using yoga, diet and meditation to reverse heart disease in patients with CHD. Yoga is also widely known to be effective in auto-immune health and wellness and those suffering from auto-immune diseases, for example fibromyalgia, arthritis, sarcoidosis etcetera; or, respiratory diseases like asthma or digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome. These and many other health issues are greatly benefitted if not cured, by practicing hatha yoga.

6.      Do I need a teacher to practice yoga?

No, many people begin or are inspired to practice yoga through practicing with a book or video.  However if one is serious about the practice of yoga and/ or is inspired by being in a group, then a yoga centre or working with a teacher is best for you; this is particularly important if one wishes to work with yoga to help improve health and/ or correct structural problems with the body, as these require expert advice and guidance to safeguard the student.

7.      Is yoga a religion?

No, but yoga can benefit body, mind and spirit.  Hence those who practice the “spiritual” aspects of yoga – raja yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga – these practices are designed to assist the student’s mind for higher development and self- awareness. Hence it can benefit any religious practice, but remains neutral more like software for any religious practice one may subscribe to. However, this is not accomplished through the practice of hatha yoga practiced in most yoga studios as this practice

 ( hatha yoga) mainly works on the physical body.

Joanne Wohlmuth, Director –E-RYT-500

Yoga On The Rock  :    http://yogameds.blogspot.com/  twitter.com/#!/yogaontherock

Fall 2011 Course Programs

Pranayama and The Energy Body              New!!

Commencing Tuesday, September 13th      7:30-9:00pm

This Course will provide students with a clear and informed understanding about "prana" and the energy body that threads through all yoga practice.  A formal sitting of pranayama (breathwork) each week is also an integral component of this course.
A 6-week course                                                  $140

How To Deepen Your Meditation

Commencing Thursday, September 15th         7:30-9:00pm

This course is for beginners and regular practitioners who wish to learn or relearn the "how to" of meditation practice and become inspired to develop regularity and, experience a deeper richness in your practice.
An 8-week course                                              $160

Wellness Over 50

Commencing Saturday, September 17th     11:30am-1:30pm

This course provides an holistic approach to wellness to help manage stress and improve lifestyle choices and daily living.  It incorporates body, mind and spirit, thus providing students with practical applications for daily yoga practice, mindfulness practice, health and diet and the management of relationships and conflict in the context of spirituality and/or purposeful living.      
An 8-week course                                              $175

All classes taught by certified yoga instructor E-RYT 500

Leave a comment or email jewohlmuth@logic.bm or call   (441) 295-7525 if you wish to register for any of these courses.

All Classes held at The Yoga Centre on Victoria Street in Hamilton, across from City Hall Car Park.

New Course Dates

Certified Teachers Training Program. Those interested in joining this 5 module (200 hour) Yoga Alliance Certified Training program, please contact us via email or call while we are still are accepting new students.  This offer ends  August 2011.

Deepening Your Meditation Course ( Level I)
This meditation course which commenced Thursday, May 26th, is an 8 week course for beginners or regular practitioners who have fallen away from practice. The course provides in-depth information about the practice of meditation with ample time for discussion and questions. Regular meditation sittings are also an integral part of this class. Cost price $150. New comers are currently still accepted .

Upcoming Meditation Course Dates

Yoga On The Rock offers its New Winter/Spring Meditation Course Dates.

Meditation II: A Five (5) Week Course commencing Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30pm, at The Yoga Centre.

This Course focuses on the more intricate nature of the mind and how it works to support or impede meditative practice.Students too will be given tools to assist in their practice . See previous posts for a more in-depth description of the course. Course price - $100.

Meditation I: Basic Deepening Your Meditation Course. Commencing Thursday, March 17th at 7:30pm. This course is good for New Beginners and for those wanting to get back into regular practice and needing the extra boost of "how" and "why". This is an Eight (8) week course . See previous posts for a more in-depth description. Course price -$150.

Yoga On The Rock
Upcoming Courses/programs/Retreats –
for the New Year 2011, January-March.

Wellness Programs:
The Thirty (30) Day Challenge – Program commencing Wednesday January 5th thru to Wednesday February 16th. This program invites students to a 6 week (45 day) membership to practice 30 days of yoga in a 45 day cycle. The cost of these classes are drastically reduced from our regular class prices to just $10 per session. Classes include Yoga On The Rock classes, The Yoga Centre open classes (with Bill, Elaine, Frances and Joanne), Yoga with Sarah and /or Elaine and Living Yoga classes. Classes are held early morning, mid-morning, lunchtime and during the evening. The prices of these classes generally ranging from $15-$20 per class, all are being offered at $10 each.

Practicing yoga on a regular basis greatly benefits all the systems of the body. A simple backbend can tone the thymus and thereby improve endocrine health – our endocrine system when working well, helps balance out various hormones in the body; a shoulder stand can improve our circulatory system and standing poses our posture and therefore our skeletal system. One notices these changes instantly when practicing yoga. When practicing regularly or through a 30 day challenge initiative, health is noticeably improved and participants feel and look better.

All classes are taught by experienced, Yoga Alliance certified teachers, some with training in pre-natal yoga, restorative yoga and cardiac yoga ( as designed by well-known cardiologist, Dr. Dean Ornish).

Companies are encouraged to share this information with staff and/ or partner with those interested, to financially meet the challenge for the 30 days. We are open to any ideas you have of how this might work for your employees.

Workplace Wellness – Yoga On The Rock is offering Workplace Wellness Fridays to companies either exclusively for their staff, or by allowing employees to join workshops on particular scheduled dates available to all companies employees.

Workplace wellness is about managing stress in the workplace. It focuses on training to improve workplace relations and effectively managing conflict in the workplace. It encompasses keeping the body healthy through desk yoga techniques as well as yoga practice for daily life. Meditation techniques and tools to understand and focus the mind, right eating and individual wellness coaching, focusing on personal needs and goals, are part and parcel of this course. The date for the next general Workplace Wellness seminar is Friday, January 14th from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Wellness- Body, Mind and Spirit – This is an 8 week wellness course designed to take participants through 8 weeks of yoga, meditation, healthy eating, spirituality and connectedness both with those in the community and the good earth. The aim of the course is to utilize group support and encouragement to motivate individual back to wellness regimes. A weekly report- card to chart successes and monitor habits that hold us back and prevent “wellbeing” living, as well as candid group discussions are mainstays of this course. The goal is for improved and healthier lifestyle choices for overall greater wellness and “purpose” – body, mind and spirit.
This course is held on Saturdays at 11:30am. Yoga stretching practiced at each class session. The next course commences Saturday, January 15th. Course price - $175

Yoga Classes:
“New" Bob Marley plus, Reggae Flow Class – New daytime vinyasa flow class-
This class will use the conscious soothing vibe of Bob Marley, Apache Indian, Collie Buddz and others in this morning and lunchtime flow yoga class designed to rock your soul, thighs and abs. A great way to get a good workout while enjoying the conscious beat. Monday 9:30am-11am or Friday 1:10pm-2pm.

“New” Early Morning Ease- Vinyasa Yoga – Monday, Wednesday and Friday 7:30-8:30am – Join in our new open yoga classes on M.W & F and get your early morning yoga workout to easy listening popular tunes to allow you to ease into your day on a good note and step before the real work begins. An easy but strong yoga class. Better than a cup of coffee! These classes commence Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Christ Centered Yoga Practice and Meditation – Early morning yoga commencing at 5:45am -7:20am, generally M,W & F ( held M-F during the 30 day challenge) –

This class now in its 6th year! continues to attract those early birds who wish to practice meditation and yoga early in the morning to jumpstart their day. This class is a Christ focused meditation class (5:50am-6:30am) and a 40 minute Christ focused spiritual music vinyasa flow commencing at 6:35-7:20am. A wonderful way to pray into your day and to set the tone for blessed assurance thereafter. Classes remain as always, $10 per class.

Meditation Courses:
Deepening Your Meditation II Course – A five week course commencing Tuesday, January 18th – Tuesday, February 15th at 7:30pm- 9:30pm .

Exploring the analytical mind, this course will raise awareness about the intricate nature of the mind and encourage a clearer understanding of the obstacles that impede effective meditation and contemplative living. Discernment in the Christian tradition, Jnana Yoga in the yogic tradition and shenpa and tonglen in the Buddhist tradition are some of the methods introduced and explored, so that we more clearly come to understand where the mind goes and what we can do to get it back to balance. This course is a 4-part program, with one additional week to provide for intro and wrap-up components. A pre-requisite is Deepening Your Meditation I course or special permission. A half-hour meditation will be practiced each session. Course Price - $100

Deepening Your Meditation Course (Basic) - Revised and Enhanced – An 8 week course (reduced from 10 weeks) with new and improved approaches and material concepts. Thursdays commencing January 13th at 7:30pm-9:00pm.
A comprehensive meditation course for those wanting a thorough introduction into meditation - theory and practice. This course looks at several meditation traditions and provides a basic template for practice, while introducing students to effective tools to help strengthen and deepen meditation. Good for all new beginners as well as seasoned meditators who need a boost to get serious and regular with their practice. A half-hour meditation will be practiced at each session. Course price - $150.

Teachers Training:
Yoga On The Rock – Teachers Training ( Basic 200hours) – Yoga Alliance Certified: Interview Sessions, January 2011.
Yoga on the Rock will commence its 2nd Yoga Teachers Training Course in March, 2011 and with this in mind, we are now preparing to interview those interested in taking this training.
The head teacher for this training is an experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500 (E-RYT500) and therefore teachers trainees enrolled in this course will be eligible to register as a certified yoga teacher under yoga alliance.
As the course training is rigorous and demands a full commitment from those interested in participating, we ask that those interested to please email jewohlmuth@logic.bm for an interview session in commencement of the acceptance and enrollment process. These interviews are conducted during the month of January only.

Yoga On The Rock – One Day Retreats:
Sunday, January 16th – One Day “Justice Yoga” One Day Retreat- (9:30am-4:30pm)
This one day silent yoga retreat honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will focus on the teaching of Dr. King, Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Thich Nhat Khan and other great guides and justice and peace spiritual leaders. The retreat is intended to inspire and call to action a focus on our own path in support of the cause for justice and peace in our world. Meditation, yoga, pranayama and other yoga retreat standards will interlace the teachings to make for a day of reflection and opening to a New Day, new cause and new beginning for making the world a better place in which to live. The cost of the retreat is $65 which includes breakfast, lunch and snack as well as several yoga sessions. Early registration recommended. Spaces are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.

Sunday, March 6th – One Day Yoga -Lenten Retreat Day – (9:30am-4:30pm)
In commencement of the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday- March 9th) this one day Lenten, Christ focused yoga retreat will have at the heart of its practice Christ focused yoga and meditation and inspired teachings for spiritual Christian living, geared to prepare us for the Lenten Season ahead. Meditation, yoga, pranayama and other yoga retreat standards will interlace Christian Spirituality geared to prepare us for Eastertide. The cost of the retreat is $65 which includes breakfast, lunch and snack and the various yoga sessions through the day. Early registration recommended. Spaces are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.

Yoga and Preventive Health Care

These were comments sent to the Bermuda Health Council about yoga's contribution to preventive health care in our Bermuda community.



Bermuda Health Insurance Report 2010 – Bermuda Health Council
( Comments – As invited)

By Joanne Wohlmuth (August 30, 2010)
Overview: I decided to send my comments on the above mentioned report for a number of reasons. I read glimpses of Dr. Astride-Stirling’s remarks over the recent months in the Royal Gazette, and have been very interested about many of the issues and concerns about public heath care that have been raised. I am keenly interested in health and wellness and social sustainability as it relates to health in our Bermuda community and, operate and co-manage a wellness center (The Yoga Centre) in our Bermuda community, and have done so for the past 16 years. I strongly believe in and advocate wellness as a way forward to improve the overall health and wellbeing of my students (particularly as we age) and feel that in our wider Bermuda community, the only way to improve health and cut cost for rising healthcare effectively is to begin educating community members about the importance of preventive medicine and wellness.

In addition to running a wellness center which operates as a not-for-profit organization, I have been self-employed for the past 10 years as an OD consultant and trainer. Notwithstanding, I continue also to work part-time, which restricts putting my energies into what I really want to do, because I simply cannot afford the health insurance. I work part-time in a charitable organization for a minimal wage, just to cover my health insurance, while I continue to try to make a living, doing my “real” work on the side. At this charitable organization, they have never in the past 6 years been able to give me a raise in pay other than a cost of living wage which I have received only in the past three years. This however, because of the increased cost of health care, has diminished my salary over the years, not increased it!

As I get older I see myself working not for a living, or for enjoyment in what I do, but to pay for continued protection through healthcare insurance. I wish that my situation were unique, and if it were, I probably would not be so keen to offer my comments. But it is not. My voice also echoes the sentiments of many aging persons in Bermuda at the expected end stage of their work careers. Hence I share my comments, add my voice, and advocate, for those do not, cannot, or will not, speak out also. Something has to be done to reverse the tide of rising health insurance costs, for the insured or those who would be insured in our Bermuda community, if we are to remain as a thriving community in which to live!

Wellness and the Bermuda Community
To begin with, in your points # 21 and #22 you state, “The leading causes of death on the island are associated with chronic, non-communicable diseases. Chief among them are circulatory system diseases, which include atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease, among others. Circulatory system diseases were responsible for 47% of all deaths in 2007. Lifestyle factors are poor diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, and high levels of alcohol consumption contribute to the incidence of these conditions.

Circulatory system diseases, along with cancers, diseases of the respiratory system and other chronic non-communicable diseases are anticipated to drive and intensify health system utilization and expenditure over the next decade. The management of chronic diseases requires integrated services from preventive care, to primary care, to hospitalization. This has two implications for Bermuda’s health system. First, it challenges the degree to which the standard hospital benefit package can adequately meet the basic healthcare needs for the population. Second, it requires a financially strong and well functioning health insurance system that treats all strata of the population fairly and equally.”

While I agree with and support your points #21 & #22, I’d like to expound upon the point about ‘preventative medicine’. Insurance companies and the companies/organizations that they serve and health care professionals, need to be encouraged to look at lifestyle management, preventive medicine and wellness as the best way to keep cost down and change the tide of rising health care in our western world. Hence companies that are prepared to invest in educating the community about preventive health care; insurance companies that are willing to partner with health and wellness centers and professionals to keep clients well; insurers who invest in seriously changing the tide in community health, by partnering with organizations like our yoga centre, should be applauded.

It is not good enough for doctors to just write prescriptions and request expensive testing. It is a proven fact that preventive approaches to healthcare that encourage insurance companies and the companies they serve (as well as healthcare professionals) to develop programs and/or liaise with wellness professionals, to educate clients to be more responsible about their health and to make quality health choices and significant lifestyle changes (if possible) before the damage occurs, is the most conscientious way to effectively bring down healthcare costs in the main, by avoiding them in the first place.

Bermuda, as per your report, has a population with 64% of its residents obese or overweight, 14% living with Type 2 ( I’m presuming) diabetes, a community where the leading cost of death is circulatory system diseases, for nearly half of its population. Our community is clearly one that has exorbitant health costs primarily due to poor lifestyle choices, which makes it a whole community issue, not just one for the insurance companies. From an article in John Hopkins Magazine, winter 2009, the writer Rich Shea makes reference to an article by Dr. Bernard Guyer, entitled “The Embarrassment of Riches”, in which he (Guyer) says, “the forces that shape the health of our population are not just medical but social, environmental, economic, political and cultural as well..” Guyer is also quoted , in the Shea article ( The Long View) , saying

“ Most of what goes on around adult chronic disease in health care is contemporary….Treatment, which often includes expensive medicines, caters to the patient after he or she has contracted a disease (this) costs a society a huge amount of money.”

Also on the Preventive Medical Research Institute website, the institute headed by leading cardiologist Dean Ornish - an ardent proponent of a lifestyle approach to health care and a cardiologist known for his work in reversing heart disease - this website states…

“we reported changes in gene expression in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in May 2008 (Dr. J. Craig Venter was the communicating editor). In that study, we found that changing lifestyle changes genes. After only three months, over 500 genes were beneficially affected—up regulating (“turning on”) disease-preventing genes, and down regulating (“turning off”) genes that promote cancer, heart disease, inflammation, and other illnesses. This is the first time that comprehensive lifestyle changes have been shown to beneficially affect gene expression in men with prostate cancer.”

What I am suggesting here is a greater emphasis on the importance of the management and promotion of wellness and preventive health care as an incentive and a premium way to measure and bring down the cost of health care in Bermuda. If more emphasis were put here, more insurance companies and workplace organizations would be ( I believe) more creative, more innovative and more inclined to partner with organizations like ours for better health care and wellness for their organizations, clients and staff . At present the major scope for insurance companies and workplace organizations when it comes to wellness, is a focus heavily on and geared more toward fitness and massage while more widely used approaches are either ignored or shunned. Preventive approaches like yoga, meditation, deep relaxation, nutrition and healthy relationship building (conflict resolution) as well, are also known to bring about major successes in stress management, healing and wellness, and are proven to be most effective and in lowering the tide of rising health care costs, and should be more seriously considered.

As wellness professionals our center has approached Colonial Insurance and Argus as well as the Cardiac Centre at the hospital about the use of some of these approaches for clients. As highly trained professionals with full accreditation for the work that we do, in particular certification in Dean Ornish’s Cardiac Yoga Training, yoga therapy training; extensive training in breathing exercises, the relaxation response, nutrition, conflict management and various other stress management techniques, we get invited into companies to do Lunch and Learns, but other than that, as professionals, we are being completely underutilized and undervalued in providing assistance to insurance companies and corporations, in this regard!

Notwithstanding, ironically, our centre has been an avenue for improved health and wellness of many persons in the Bermuda community over the past 16 years and has a number of faithful students who come to us, even when they cannot get support for our services through their organizations or insurance claims.

The techniques we offer are integral to most other wellness and preventive health programs abroad, why not here in Bermuda? Just recently a friend returned from Boston General from an operation for breast cancer. Ten days prior to the operation, she was given a Relaxation Response CD to listen to, to minimize the amount of medication she would need and also to accelerate healing. If these practices are honored in other major cities, namely the U.S. to help curb rising health costs, why not here in Bermuda?

I can and will make my plea again to the insurance companies, and to Corporate Bermuda, about the need to consider the services that we have to offer, in their wellness programs if they seriously hope to change the tide of rising health care costs in Bermuda. We would appreciate your support as well.

Healthcare for ageing adults/Self-employment
Secondly, I remember when my husband and I attempted to get house insurance for the home that we own when upgrades were done. I clearly remember that day, as a healthy woman in my early fifties at the time, who exercised regularly, who did not smoke, who was and had been a vegetarian for 25 years and who maintained a well disciplined diet, who drank only wine on occasion and who was an advocate and example of healthy living and had been for the last 30 years, who had never spent time in the hospital other than to deliver two babies, and yet, I was refused this insurance to protect my house! The reason being, my pre-existing health condition (hereditary hypertension, diagnosed at 50) albeit controlled through medication.

I was floored by this company’s response. I said to them, ‘so do you mean if I came in here and was a little younger and had an unhealthy lifestyle, which you as insurers know might lead to a heart attack or stroke or if I were obese and did not exercise or eat right, and if I led a risqué lifestyle, would I than be eligible, if not for the hypertension, albeit controlled? And they, said. “Yes”!’ I was floored again. With this experience in mind, I am happy to know that the Bermuda Health Council is advocating that insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions and that this kind of discrimination cannot happen in insurance companies or corporations when people need it most.

For about one year during the past 10 years I was fully self-employed, however because of the need to have health insurance and knowing that it was not possible to maintain healthcare and grow a business at the same time, I was forced to return to part-time employment to secure my health care protection. I found, realizing that I could not do both, that to maintain consistent health care and grow a business as a self-employed person, trying to get started, is extremely difficult to do in our society. I found it a huge risk, and for a period, like many others who have found themselves in similar positions, I was without protective health care as a self-employed person. Hence, I truly appreciate the consideration to protect self-employed persons in Bermuda, when it comes to health care; appreciating how difficult it can be for the average person in Bermuda who is self-employed, to maintain health insurance. The fact that our management team at the Yoga Centre runs a none-for-profit organization, where we serve the public without payment to ourselves is attributed to the fact that it has never been affordable to do otherwise. This however has an overall effect on our centre’s ability to growth and to remain in operation.

Finally, despite my eagerness to side with your council with your motivating insights and proposals, I still believe that with the infrastructure of Big Business and Insurance Companies, whatever regulations you impose, when all is said and done, it will be the consumer, the customer and/or the patient who will pay and who will be most disadvantaged. So how the Council works out these fine details, it shall be interesting to observe. The last amendment where the patient now pays up front has a huge negative impact on the average person who requires healthcare, such that now (because of lack of funds to pay up front) many members of the community are just not bothering to go to take care of their health needs. This is tragic!

Finally, I believe the report is a valuable and an important contribution for the improvement of public health in Bermuda. However if everyone is to truly benefit from these insights, everyone needs to feel involved, be made to be responsible; and, encouraged to do their share to help lower rising healthcare costs in Bermuda. So I do hope a healthcare/wellness conference will be a future endeavor of the Council, to educate the Bermuda community, and rally them to your cause.

Many thanks for this opportunity to share.

Sincerely,

Joanne Wohlmuth MA, E-RYT -500, Certified Mediator (workplace, family and spiritual institutions)