In 2001 I moved back to NY. After 9/11, I had recurring dreams of hooping with firemen, children and fellow New Yorkers. I listen to my dreams so in October, I quit my job as a sous chef in Aspen and returned to NY. For the next 2 years, I developed my Kids Hoop Warriors Program and fine tuned my Hoop Core program for adults. My programs were already styled to increase balance, flexibility, mind-body awareness and core power. I added specific movements, breathwork and visualization to help in PTSD recovery. More info and pictures are on my CLASSES page.

That same year, I had a brain injury in my right frontal lobe. I slammed my head into a steel beam while jumping onto stage, for a dress rehearsal, at the old Limelight nightclub in NYC. This was the worst injury out of my 4 head injuries. The other 3 were all concussions from hitting the ground with my head, while snowboarding without a helmet. I lost consciousness and broke my ankles all 3 times. This last head injury, was the worst. I had slurred speech and impaired motor skills. I had NO short term memory, lost a lot of long term memories, couldn’t problem solve, lost my facial expressions and humor. My doctor from Rusk Institute in NYC said that, had I not been using my Hoop Core program for the past few years, my proprioception, motor skills, balance and speech would be significantly worse than it was. They suggested that I spend the night in the hospital and start neurolinguistic reprogramming for my speech and memory. I didn’t have the money so I just went home.

Cats are Angels

My brain had a significant amount of swelling. It would have been easier if I had a family member or a friend close by. But my entire family had already died and I didn’t have any friends who still lived in that area. I forgot what the doctor said, except to rest and try not to think, as any mental activity would increase inflammation and pressure in the brain. This was very hard. He also said that I needed someone to wake me up every hour or so. None of my housemates wanted to do this but thankfully, Spock, the cat owned by one of them, came through. He would press his paws into my head every night. When I didn’t wake up, he’d sit on my head. He was truly an angel.

CT Scan

My cognition and motor skills were significantly impaired for one or two months. Most of this time was foggy but I do remember how I used mind over matter to reduce brain swelling and anxiety from mental confusion. (I wish I can do that with limiting my brownie intake or that third drink of whisky..)

I lost all short term memory. The first week of the injury, I tried to find a doctor in the phone book. I’d forget what I was looking for and get confused as to how to write in down. I’d get up to find a pen and wander around for an hour, forgetting what I needed. Eventually I’d have the pen and phonebook. That took another hour or so to remember who I was looking for. My speech was slurred. I was dragging my legs as if I had a mild stroke. I might have, but didn’t remember what the doctor said. My neck/head coordination was disconnected and shaky at best. My tongue felt too big for my mouth and many times, I’d forget to swallow. My legs felt weak yet very heavy. I would drag them when walking and to get up to the third floor attic room that I rented. I remember sitting on the staircase for an hour or so. My body couldn’t figure out how to lift my legs. I lived with a few people. I don’t remember them offering much help. The only things I could do without thought, were to sleep, go to the bathroom, breathe and sometimes eat. My brain and motor skills were ‘offline’. My only sense of safety and structure was my breath. So that’s what I focused on.

One Breath, One Thought, One Movement

In 1999 - 2001, I lived in an Ashram outside of San Diego. I had already been teaching my Hoop Core program for two years as well as getting certified and teaching Anusara Yoga. I still call the community and land my home. We had week long intensives for Kundalini, Tibetan and Hatha Yoga. This included chanting, meditation, breathwork, reading from scriptures, music education, nutritional cooking, hot/cold therapy and Whirling Dervish Ceremony (my favorite!) Aside from years of rock climbing, I developed my skill for ‘one pointed focus’. This proved to be the single most important factor in limiting brain swelling and carving a path back to having clear cognition.

Dozens of times every day, for weeks after my concussion, I could feel my brain swelling. So much pressure was in my head at times it felt like it could explode. If I had friends or family around, I’m certain they would have taken me to the doctor. I’d lay in bed and have thoughts. Most were fear based, out of being alone and confused. Some were the usual fleeting useless thoughts. I became highly aware that even one thought, on repeat, would cause my brain to swell. The thought would create a counter thought and then my body would react. Sending hormones and signals to parts of my brain and body. I had to figure out how to get out of a reactive state altogether. This seemed near impossible as my brain/body was still used to firing on all cylinders. My mental training at the Ashram was an amazing foundation for this. But I was still lost. I knew I’d stay in ‘conflict’ (active mind) if I tried to make my mind or body do.. nothing. This uses the energy of attachment and control. So I had to start with my breath and with The Great Prajnaparamita, Heart Sutra.

Form is emptiness and emptiness is form. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind. No form, sound, smell, taste, touch or attachment. No hindrance of the mind, no hindrance, therefore no fear…. I would recite the long prayer dozens of times while laying in bed. As soon as I felt ‘cellular excitement’ as I call it, my brain would swell. I’d feel tons of pressure in my head like I was scuba diving without an oxygen tank.

I didn’t sleep much. I guess you could say that for those long days and nights which turned into the longest, forced meditation ever, I became proficient and stopping thought, and in turn, stop brain swelling. I also had to stop the emotion of fear that followed. I did this by my own very basic guided breathwork. I’d say '“breathe in” and my breath would follow. I’d say “breathe out” and I’d exhale. Only challenge was that I’d do this for hours without interruption. Then I’d direct the breath to go to my feet. Then my legs. Then my fingers and so on. I became aware and connected to my physical form and how it felt in space and gravity. This increased my proprioception (my body’s awareness of it’s position and movement in space) I pictured my tendons and bones and cells and skin, all connected and in gravity.

A.B.C. Chiropractic

My dad was an amazing chiropractor and I’d often learn how to correct structural misalignment on his patients, who were in the home office. One night, maybe a week or so after my concussion, I went for a drive. I don’t remember if I were looking for a chiropractor or not. Magically, I saw a lighted sign that said Chiropractic! Scott was about to close. I explained to him, with very slurred speech, what my accident was. When I left his office, my brain had quite a bit less pressure. I felt grounded and a bit more balanced in my lower body, than I had felt since my injury. I think I saw him weekly. Without him, I doubt I would have healed so well. His style is Advanced BioStructural Chiropractic.

Hoop Core