Nicholas Sieben, LAc (’08) has had the distinction of being published in the August 2011 issue of Acupuncture Today. His article, “The Sinew Channels: A Lesson in Wei Qi”, focuses on a famous text entitled the Ling Shu. The Ling Shu suggests that the rich wisdom of acupuncture is at risk of being lost if it is not preserved. The full power of acupuncture, as a complete system of medicine, is said to be contained within its teachings.

Nicholas also writes about the historic use of nine needles in acupuncture, compared to the single style of needle popular today. “This is as an "ode" to the wisdom of the Ling Shu, as well as to my own teacher Jeffrey Yuen. I am committed to help preserve the art of the needle, as presented in its original form.”

Congratulations to Nicholas on his accomplishment.

Aside from thanking God and my parents for carrying me through this tumultuous, challenging, arduous one year and a half while attending to my studies at Swedish Institute, I cannot thank enough my lovely Liz Jacobs for her maternal, incessant & eternal love & care for all of her students, giving her ALL to see to it that her students succeed and looking out for me when I lost her grasp; Vincent "Mr. Neurology of all Neurology Scholars'' Metzo, for his impeccable and amazingly infinite amount of knowledge he owns in that gift of a brain of his; Gary Williams - The Tools Whisperer - for believing in me, MJ, when I reached a point I lost hope in myself; Caren Messing for showing me that a Medical Massage Therapist actually exists within me when I couldn't find her in me; Charles Pegg for reminding me of that hard-working, multi-tasked researcher in me that once existed & bringing out the Sports Massage / SISTEM Cheerleader out of me; Mark Proctor for believing in my hands as a contributing gift in therapeutic massage & always making time to chat about career steps; Geoff Dawe for his wisdom and also the giggles to break the ice when learning became so serious & intense for me when I should have been a little more relaxed; Scott Dietsch for his patience and for his time even at his most busiest to take the time to make SURE I was really "getting it"; Thom Paul for the smiles, laughs & counseling; Lohk Min Lee for EVERYTHING!!!! Janine Strenta for not only laying down the path of faith for me but also lending me her shoulders to cry on when life outside of school became so overwhelming; and the one & only Russ Beasley, who brought to light my PURPOSE when reflecting on all semesters past. It is not an easy pair of shoes to fill as a student here at The Swede. I've learned an infinite amount of things never imagined before I enrolled in this school and I want you all to know you've marked yourselves permanently in my life.

With all my gratitude, love & cheers,
Your student & fellow Massage Therapy family member,
Marie Judith Joseph - aka "MJ"
Class of Winter 2011
xoxoxo

On Sunday, November 7, the New York City Marathon was run by 46,000 athletes, making it the largest race on earth. Students from Swedish Institute, as well as SISTEM therapists, joined in the excitement of the day by caring for athletes at the start and finish of the race. Charles Pegg, director for Offsite II, and Executive Director of SISTEM, created the following time line of the day to give a sense of just how much our team of therapists accomplished. 

6:00 am

Race day started early for two of our senior therapists who were hired to work for the NYRR at the Continental VIP tent in Staten Island. Natalie and Teruko get on the sponsor’s VIP bus and head to the start line. 

Natalie and Teruko provided pre-event support to the athletes in the Continental VIP tent. They were done by 10:30 am and driven back up to the finish line in Central Park to join in there. 

Meanwhile Scott and Will loaded the van with equipment for the SISTEM teams in the medical tents, the OS II student training events with Fred’s team, and the area for runners from the FDNY. 

SISTEM Supervisors Thom, Carrie, Natalie, Brenda, Lori, Betsy and Kendall met at the corner of Central Park West and 66th St. (During visits to the NYRR Operations Trailer to provide paid stress reduction teams throughout race week, I had decided on having us meet tucked out of the way on the North East corner. This was quickly changed by popular need to the sunny West side of the street. The weather was brisk and our race day plans were escalated!) 

Twenty-five SISTEM therapists and interns met, signed in, and were placed into teams and dispatched to medical tents. 

We passed through security and our teams were established in one of four medical tents around the finish line in Central Park. We were provided with “bibs” that said LMT and worked as part of integrated teams alongside equally bibbed physical therapists, nurses, medics and doctors. 

The first wheel chair athletes crossed the finish line. 

Extra Wonder Warmers were delivered to each SISTEM team. 

What are Wonder Warmers? These are brilliant little heating devices: Silicone bags filled with saline solution. Food grade and environmentally friendly, they trigger a crystalline reaction, get hot and stay hot for 40 minutes. They can be boiled to reuse. A great product that’s invaluable for the cold. Temperature control is always a large part of our service and from the forecast we were expecting a chilly day. Thankfully, our wonderful product sponsors were able to provide for our race week’s needs. Having them made us the envy of all the other practitioners. 

Carrie and I started working with the elite professionals. We provided emotional support, cramp relief, temperature control, pain management and more cramp relief. Interesting to see how we fit in to the plans of the other practitioners. Who wants to do what and what are the different techniques being used? Always nice to see the other modalities warm to our approach and usefulness. The WWs helped too! 

The equipment team delivered tables and admin supplies to the FDNY OS II event at a hotel in midtown. 

Supervisor Jen, SISTEM therapists and Renee’s FDNY team report in to work at the OS II site. 

OS II student therapists reported to work, were signed in and briefed, then set to work with the fastest FDNY finishers. 

Natalie returned from the VIP tent and rejoined the SISTEM teams that were hard at work looking after the quicker athletes. Cramp relief, muscle tears, exhaustion, temperature controls, breath support and backing up the medics doing BPs, temps, electrolyte readings, IVs and oxygen. 

Student intern teams were assembled and allocated to bolster the medical teams. We met up, distributed passes and walked in past the streams of athletes in the finish line shoot. The crush of bodies, the vibe, the smells! We worked the current, regrouped and interns were distributed to medical tents along the way. 

The equipment team delivered massage tables and admin supplies to the second OS II event with Fred’s Team at their hotel in midtown. 

OS II supervisors, Taiine and Jess, reported in and prepared to work. 

OS II student therapists reported in, were briefed, prepared and set to work with the Fred’s team athletes that run for Memorial Sloan Kettering charity. 

FDNY OS II interns finished their 3-hour requirement. Through this event, most students find they’ve realized their massage skills and are thrilled by the experience; some volunteered for more and other therapists were reallocated to assist the firemen. 

More interns were requested to back up the farthermost medical tent and we responded with a team of five, bringing extra blankets and WWs. We were busy immediately and the students did a great job providing basic skills. This stuff works and the students’ confidence lights them up. The suffering athletes appreciate the work; recovery times improve. 

By this time, medical tent 5 and Brenda’s crew had seen 1,000 athletes. This number was announced as 400 more than the number at the main finish line tent. A cheer went up! One hundred cots were still full of athletes waiting for care. 

Fred’s team OS II wrapped it up and the equipment team joined the supervisors with the FDNY. 

Medical tents were closing and we were still providing care. The older and the slower athletes, having given just as much, if not more than the quickest of pros, needed a little help and a moment of care to get them home. 

Over 3,000 competitors were cared for today. Skills and products were utilized and recognized. Next, we needed to get equipment back to the school. 

Slowly, we were able to congregate, greet each other and share stories of the day—how Will was able to show an MD how to treat a cramp, how often we’re the ones to have hands on first, the things we do well. Opportunities were earned for races and situations to come. 

Volunteers were thanked, especially Hallie for being there first and for her admin support, Chisato for her language skills, Sang for stepping in when necessary, Kasha for being there at the end and all the others that did something special that went unseen! 

Thanks also to Dr. Weiss and the New York Road Runners, who have stepped up and started to include us. There’s more paid work and volunteering on its way…. so get prepared and be ready for next year! 

Congratulations to second semester MT student Kirstie Pendergrass, who won the raffle for entries in Farewell to Fall. Her prize is a $25 gift card to Starbucks. Thanks to all those who sent in their reflections.

Winter, Finally
The school children come out of their classes
Crying for joy and wonder
They look forward to the presents and candy that will be coming in the final month
The snow which they can make snowmen out of and have their snowball fights
But what they crave the most are those times when the news reports that schools have been closed

The college students, oh we must never forget them too
Doing all-nighters for their final exams, studying for the first time of the semester
Drinking their coffee and energy drinks for their mind
Last minute projects and papers, which have been procrastinated to the last second
For they have the vacation much longer than their little siblings

The cold climate is arriving soon
The time of hibernation has come for me
I contemplate my past year
Pondering the greatest moments that have made me jump for joy
And the lessons learned from climbing out of the holes I have fallen through
As the winter comes, it speaks to me and I listen
With its cold wind and piling snow
I continue on the path of my Way

Raymond Long
MT, 4th semester
Advanced Personal Training

Getting Ready for the Long Hibernation 
Winter is certainly not my favorite time of the year. The holiday season can be beautiful and joyful, but after the twinkling lights come down off the streetlamps, there is the long, hard slog of short, cold, dreary days. Even when it's finally late March, spring only seems to come in stops and starts. 

So after daylight savings time ends, I have to start taking measures to get myself through the months to come. As the days get colder and darker, I spend more time inside. Instead of walking all over the city for exercise, I change my routine to focus on slower, more introspective yoga poses. Instead of eating lots of fresh vegetables from the CSA share, I start making slow-roasted root vegetables from the farmers market and broth-based soups. 

My absolute powerhouse secret weapons of getting through winter, though, are these: 

1. Knitting myself a pair of cozy socks and a new scarf each winter. 
2. "Here Comes the Sun" herbal tea from my neighborhood herbalist, meant to help you deal with the winter blues. 
3. Baking granola, cookies, and biscuits as often as I can to take advantage of the part of the year when I can actually stand to have my oven on in the apartment! 

Here's hoping we all find the resources to get through another long dark winter semester! 

Emily Landry 
MT, 2nd Semester
Transitions 
What I look forward to the most in winter is the peace. While I prefer late summer/autumn, winter has a certain peace about it. The white of the snow creates a sense of purity, few birds are left, but those that are make it seem like we're living in a painting. It's cold and layering is fun and opens a whole new world for scarves and hats and brand new fingerless mittens! The music of winter is more serene and less rowdy. Humans don't hibernate, but I see winter as a reset time. Stay warm, stay peaceful, and stay calm - so when the weather comes for us to be outside more, we have the energy and renewed sense of self. And of course, graduation in December! 

Marie Brewer 
MT, 4th Semester

This has got to be a first for Swedish Institute: a student who wins an Emmy award! 

Congratulations are in order for Lisa Orlando, an acupuncture student and film editor for CNBC, who recently won an Emmy award. Lisa, along with Lulu Chiang, Richard Korn, Maria Bartiromo, Wally Griffith, Patrick Ahearn, and executive producer Mitch Weiztner, received the award on September 27, 2010 at the 31st annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony. They won in the category of OUTSTANDING BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC REPORTING—LONG FORM for a report they did about Google, entitled “Inside the Mind of Google”. 

The show, which originally aired on CNBC-TV, can be viewed on Hulu.

Lisa, nearing completion of the master’s degree program, is fond of saying, “For my day job, I report on the Dow, but my vocation is to educate the public about the Dao.” Perhaps that passion will provide an idea for Lisa’s next Emmy!

One of the friendly faces in the school bookstore is Odalys Villanueva-Hernández, a massage therapy student who moved from Puerto Rico to study here. 

Arcadia is a musical collaboration between Peter Olsen (guitar) and Eric Olsen (keyboards), which was produced by Pamela Olsen, a Swedish Institute graduate. These original compositions were purposely created for use in a relaxation practice such as massage therapy, meditation, yoga and hypnosis.

Instructor Russ Beasley says of the CD, “This is great music for massage. I’ve used it in several of my massage therapy classes.”

Arcadia is now available in the Swedish Institute Bookstore!

Sample the CD at:
www.arcadiasongs.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/arcadia/id351674768
www.cdbaby.com/cd/ericpeterolsen

At the Central Park finish line of the Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday, July 18, runners crossing the finish line were greeted by cheers, bottles of cold water, wet towels, and the sound of Alicia Keyes singing “New York”. It was a great city scene, with 3,400 racers, well-wishers, family reunions and a boulevard of tented tables designated the “Finish Festival”.

Located in a large, shaded area within the festival was a huge tent where about 100 students, faculty, SISTEM management team, interns and licensed volunteers provided post-event massage for as many of the racers as they could accommodate.

Racers had started plunging into the current of the Hudson River as early as 5:50 a.m. Only elite professionals finished under about two hours, the massage tent was quiet when it opened at 8:00 a.m. But that soon changed. “It’s 9:45 and we now have a line,” shouted Thom Paul, off-site supervisor for the event, as the work and the day heated up. Though the temperature was nearing 100 degrees, it didn’t slow down those who were providing care for the racers.

The post-event massage lasted about ten minutes, and consisted of a lot of light effleurage, wringing, stretching and tapotment. Students were instructed to be sure athletes had cooled down and had something to eat and drink before getting on the table. Athletes were grateful for the help. One racer said he found “modern recovery techniques really important” to his athletic performance.

A medical tent near the finish line took care of any racers overcome with the challenges of the race and the heat. Working alongside medics were specially trained massage therapists who are part of SISTEM—the Swedish Institute Sports Team and Event Massage.

Charles Pegg, LMT, Executive Director of SISTEM as well as an elite amateur competitor in NYC Tri, has worked hard to get massage recognized as an essential part of athlete care. This is the fifth year SISTEM therapists have been in the medical tent, where they address recovery so athletes will hopefully not need more intensive medical care.

Behind the scenes, alumni Scott Burbine and Will Germosen were the force who moved 60 tables and 40 Shiatsu mats, as well as supplies, from the school and set up late into the night on Saturday. Despite that, they were there bright and early the next morning and kept things moving until the finish at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Few of the participants seemed tired; such is the case when there is genuine connection and excitement in the air.

Tri SISTEM team
Tri SISTEM team members who raced in the Triathlon were Charles Pegg, Henry Astor, Arlynd Fletcher, Zack Staszack and Kristin Warnick. Team member Sarah Sanborne was injured during the week and didn't race. Team captain Karin Linner didn't race the NYC Tri because she will be competing in the Ironman Lake Placid the following weekend, July 25.

All students are invited to contribute to The Swede by sharing 3 things they look forward to in summer. When sending in a submission, tell us your name, program and semester. Send submissions to theswede@swedishinstitute.edu.

All entries received between May 19 and June 25 will be put into a raffle for a slightly used massage table donated by a client of a faculty member. Entries will be posted to The Swede as they are received. A winner will be randomly selected from entries and will be notified by June 30.

Stephen Cooper
Third Semester
Massage Therapy Program

I am looking forward to:

   1. Continuing of a life I thought had ended.
   2. Rebuilding an idea that goes deeper than I thought possible.
   3. Living as I see it, not how I am expected to.

Marie Judith Joseph
Second Semester
Massage Therapy Program

Three things I look forward to this upcoming Summer:

1. To finally attend the US Open Tennis Championships as a NON-Employee - to finally experience the tournament as a bonified Tennis Cheerleader; a relaxed fan rather than working under heavy pressure.
2. For this beach fan to explore USA's #1 beach located right on New York's very own backyard - Southampton, Long Island - beating all beaches in California and Florida!
3. Having experienced professional massage services only once in my lifetime, to finally treat myself to a day at a designated day spa! I cannot wait for ''Pamper MJJ Day''! (date not yet decided) :)

Amy Eberhardt

Acupuncture student Lisa Orlando just finished editing a documentary for CNBC entitled “One Nation, Overweight”, a report that looks at the rise of obesity and diabetes in America. She is passionate about the issues it raises and hopeful about future changes.

“Obesity is replacing smoking as the number one health issue in the country,” Lisa said. “What’s incredible to me is that one out of three American children are overweight or obese, as are two out of three adults. That’s a crisis! The way we’re eating as a society has a lot to do with it; we’re not just snacking, we are eating all the time. One of the questions the documentary asks is ‘why are we eating like this?’”

Pathology Lessons Lend Subtle Help
Lisa has been working full time for CNBC while in the Acupuncture Program, which she will finish next spring. She found that her classes in metabolism and pathology were useful in covering the story. “Two aspects of my life dovetailed nicely, because my studies at Swedish Institute informed some of my decisions as an editor,” she explained. As an example, Lisa cited a segment she worked on that features a 15-year old girl. “There’s a shot of her from the back, so you see her neck. I recognized a symptom John Katomski described to us—acanthosis nigricans— a disorder associated with diabetes and obesity in which the skin becomes abnormally darkened and thickened. It’s something I would otherwise have missed. But I made sure to keep that shot in because it shows that even though this young girl is pre-diabetic, she’s getting this condition. If no changes are made, it will only get worse. But that’s the story; she is making changes in her life.”

Lisa feels the one-hour documentary shines a light on the problem. “The people we follow in the story know there’s a problem, but they don’t necessarily have a handle on what to do.” She hopes that in her future work as an acupuncturist she’ll be able to shine a light on what the solutions might be. “Maybe I’ll be able to introduce a whole approach on diet from a Chinese medicine point of view, in documentary form,” she mused. “Just as it’s hard to find alternative information in mainstream medicine, it’s hard to find it in mainstream media.”

Nutritious and Gorgeous to Look At
As someone with an eye for images, Lisa appreciates the visual appeal of food and feels that it makes a difference in the choices people make. “The segment begins with a shot of candy wrappers and junk food containers. The colors and jingles are so appealing; I wondered how can we ever compete with that?

“But later in the segment we look at a charter school in San Jose, California, where a company called Revolution Foods is supplying organic lunches for the students. The administration there feels so strongly about having healthy and educated students that the extra expense for food comes out of the education budget. The segment ends with images of fresh, beautiful food, black beans with rice, topped with cilantro; it looks like jewelry!”

Lisa is convinced that appealing images will help fuel the desire for foods that are healthier. “When I saw those images of foods that are nutritious and gorgeous to look at, I thought, ‘oh, we can compete with the candy wrappers. Because we’re a very visual culture, I think visual appeal will continue to be important as we go forward.”

The special will air on CNBC on May 18 at 10:00 p.m.