Originally posted in July of 2014 after the passing of my friend, Dr. John.
When I moved to the suburbs of Chicago shortly after my 20th birthday to begin graduate school, as much as I needed to learn about human physiology and clinical sciences, I was in even greater need of general life guidance. Having been raised by ultra conservative immigrant parents, I had more than a few things to learn about how to understand and interact with people.
I had the great fortune of having as a classmate a fellow named John who was 47 years old and excited to begin a second career. He had done well as a real estate appraiser and property flipper on the east coast, and though he never boasted of his wealth, I knew that John had earned enough to be retired, and was pursuing a career as a health care provider because he had restored his own health with alternative therapies and wanted to share his passion for natural healing with others. Read more
90/90 hip mobility work is highly effective for improving functional range of motion of your hip joints.
Before beginning 90/90 work, I suggest warming up your spine, particularly your lower spine, as sitting in the 90/90 position can put some strain on your spine and surrounding soft tissues, and thoroughly warming up your back will decrease risk of straining muscles and ligaments in and around your spine. Read more
Just a reminder that it's never a good idea to leave a young child in a car, even for a minute. Children are not able to regulate core body temperature and tolerate heat and cold to the same extent that grown-ups are; if left in a car in warm weather, young children are at risk of quickly experiencing hyperthermia - stroke, seizures, and even death can occur if hyperthermia is severe enough. Read more
As long as you don't have issues with blood sugar and insulin regulation, you can experience a solid colon cleanse as well as a systemic cleanse of all of your cells with a number of regimens that aren't "greens-centric" - our Apple Cleanse would be one such protocol if you skip the small amount of greens with your dinner meal as suggested.
But for those who want a super simple cleanse to follow, I have long found a 2 or 3 day mono diet of fresh papaya to be highly effective and easy to get through. Read more
A deck squat is the name for the movement pattern of rolling gently onto one's back, then using the momentum of rolling forward into a body-weight squat. Read more
You'll need a comfortable surface to lie back on - a yoga mat or gym mats work well - as well as a strong anchor point that you can secure your hands on behind your head. Read more
For those looking to address or prevent hip pain and stiffness without having to get on the ground, this is a simple and highly effective way of improving hip health daily. Read more
Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) are a staple of Functional Range Conditioning, a system of improving human mobility taught by Dr. Andreo Spina.
For those who have trouble getting to the ground to exercise, this video provides a look at some CARs that one can do while standing.
As you should do with all exercises, please be mindful of breathing regularly and deeply as you do CARs. You can linger in areas where you feel some stickiness. Read more
After 21 years, we made the difficult decision to bring our catalogue to a close. To stay connected with Dr. Kim's writings, please feel free to subscribe for free here: Dr. Ben Kim on Substack. Sending best wishes and thanks to all.