Dooley Noted: 1/24/15 There’s a high price on being perfect that no one can seem to pay. People fear mistakes to the point of not wanting to try. I see it in students and patients. Yesterday, one of my amazing colleagues at Einstein was discussing with me about letting medical students make their own mistakes. “You have to make your mistakes yourself. You can’t always learn from someone else’s.” – Dr. Sam Lan This isn’t … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/22/2015 Yesterday, I had the honor and privilege to help Einstein medical students perform brain removals. As dark as that may read, it’s one of the highlights of my teaching year. As they removed the scalp, they saw a true appreciation of its five-layer thickness. As they exposed the skull, I heard comments like the following: “Whoa. It’s RIGHT there. It seems so vulnerable.” Having removed hundreds of brains myself, I did my … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/21/15 I have an intense schedule. But I designed it. So, it’s my responsibility to assign priority. This week, I fell short for a few people that depend on me. Knowing that “busy” is an illusion and an unacceptable excuse, I admitted my shortcomings. One must plan carefully and design a set of time management skills that helps you prioritize. I’ve designed some ways I help myself re-prioritize. Perhaps it can help you, … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/20/15 I bet you wonder what went wrong the moment your back went out. You may have been picking up something heavy. You might have been tying your shoes. Or making your bed. Or lifting your baby. Or doing laundry. I’ve heard them all. But the event during which your back went out was only the last straw. It was a long time coming. You flexed, extended, rotated, and explored life through a … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/19/15 This past weekend, I was in London teaching NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT) level I. When you’re an instructor and therapist, it’s not always easy to find someone to treat you. When you write a daily, quite personal blog, it’s even harder. People get nervous they won’t be able to help you. But I’m lucky to know some amazing therapists. I went to five different practitioners, each with a different idea of what was … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/16/15 If you’re lucky, you meet a few people in life that pave the way to make your dreams reality. Joe Boffi is one of those people for me. I’ll never forget the day I met Joe. It was in January 2012. I hosted the great Dave Whitley for a kettlebell skills seminar. My friend Ari Harris invited Joe for his birthday. Joe approached me for help with his back pain. He did … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/14/15 I asked a patient to toe touch. He immediately said, “I fear that movement.” He had a flexion intolerant low back. Thus, I understood the fear. The perception of difficulty fuels fear. And fear stuns and stagnates. I watched his fearful attempt and asked if there was pain. He said, “No. I’ve just had pain doing that before. It’s how I initially hurt my back.” Now, a toe touch is global flexion. … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/13/15 My big sister and I are different. We don’t always agree. I’ll admit that I get caught up in our differences. There have been times I’ve given up. But she never gave up on me. What I have learned is that giving up is easy on you – and hard on everyone else. So, I stopped being a brat and started remembering all the times she has been there for me. During … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/11/2015 Today, we carried over the anatomy and palpation knowledge into corrective work on the core muscles. The anatomy lecture and palpation definitely carried over into the nuances of corrective exercise. We helped distinguish quiet breathing from tension breathing. We built a stable base before progressing into more challenging drills. We discussed the important of internal awareness versus external cueing. Since I’m a huge fan of quizzing for accountability, attendees repeated back to … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/10/15 Last night, we made history. We had some seminar attendees and the Immaculate Dissection team camping out and getting ready for our premiere. In one corner of my domicile, Danny Quirk painted the models. In another corner, two seminar attendees were bending bolts and tearing cards. I saw the combination of people attracted like a magnet to functional anatomy and strength. I watched Anna Folckomer perfecting our PowerPoint as Danny painted her … Read more