Sunny Health

Chinese New Year is often a stressful affair that lasts a few weeks, especially if you're in charge of hosting! And sadly, there's no break for most after the "holidays" as work, household chores, caregiving responsibilities etc carry on as per normal.

If you didn't manage to sneak a vacation out of the long weekend, you're probably looking forward to some efficient form of relaxation to soothe those tired muscles.

Then perhaps you might take interest in something called Otonamaki. which literally means "adult wrapping". This is a Japanese therapeutic method that's meant to resolve posture and muscle stiffness problems often attributed to stress and long hours at the desk job.

In Otonamaki, you curl yourself up in a fetal position and are bundled up in a white breathable cloth. Each process lasts about 20 minutes.This therapy takes inspiration from babies being bundled up in cloth in a similar fashion, meant to stimulate their physical development.

The therapy is getting pretty popular in Japan and people who tried it claim they have found their bodies to become more flexible, a sign that the stiff muscles have loosened up. But medical professionals do not consider it a legitimate physiotherapy method; some caution against muscle strains and spinal problems if one stays in the same position for too long i.e. more than 30 minutes.

Personally I can think of several things that can go wrong, ranging from a sudden fire that causes me to be left as a helpless sacrifice to the flames, to a treatment turned revenge-murder by the helper who secretly bears a grudge against me. Perhaps my brain is in need of relaxation too.

In any case, if you're intrigued by this therapy, and can't fly to Japan to try it, here is a video that shows you how it's done.


Yes, you do need an assistant, someone that you can entrust your life to and who clearly knows what they are doing, someone that doesn't secretly wish to murder you.

For those who can't get a helping hand, or prefer something more conventional, stay tuned for the next update. In the meantime, take care of yourself, get sufficient rest and drink lots of water, stay zen, and focus on enjoying the reunion with the people you care about, because this is the only thing that deserves your full attention.

Wishing everyone a prosperous year of the Rooster!

Your parents probably knew what they were doing when they insisted on throwing a large wedding banquet and inviting all your neighbours, family and friends and maybe a few people off the street.

According to a report published by the National Marriage Project, a formal wedding, and the larger it is, may lead to happier and longer-lasting marriages. Reasons for such findings have been offered.

Public declaration of commitment encourages people to see through their commitments. This also leads to greater sense of security.

As weddings are traditionally public celebrations involving family, close friends and a wider network of people around the couple, a large wedding suggests stronger social network and greater social support, which are also important for a blissful marriage down the road.

There is also that feeling of contentment and ascertainment, from receiving the blessings of many important people in your lives, that one has done the right thing / married the right person.

Of course, this is also subject to individuals, and not having a formal or large wedding does not spell doom to your marriage. After all, a successful marriage is made up of many other components.

Throwing a lavish wedding despite the lack of financial means, for example, lands a couple in debt, which can lead to friction and become a cause for separation later when clearing the debt becomes a hurdle. Additionally, there have been horror stories of couples succumbing to stress and dissatisfaction at the other person's apparent lack of interest and contribution, and consequently calling off the marriage.

When getting married, it is very important to discuss with your partner about the necessity of a formal wedding, what kind of wedding both parties would like it to be, and what both of you are willing to do to make it a successful and happy occasion instead of a point of conflict. If you feel that you are unable to afford a wedding of your dreams, or can't spare the time and effort at the moment, consider holding the wedding later after your marriage, when you do have the means. It is never too late! In fact, renewing of marriage vows among old couples is becoming more popular, especially among those who have never had a wedding.

And if the parents are offering to organise the wedding and pay for it, well, why not graciously accept their offer and make it the best of all worlds?

In popular culture, zombies have always been associated with undead man-eating monsters that can induce fear alone with their rotting, bloody visage. Of course, they are also regarded as subjects of fantasy by most sane people. Although zealous fans would make themselves up as zombies and participate in zombie walks, organized public gatherings of people who dress up in zombie costumes for good, clean (subject to debate) fun.

On the other hand, there is a group of people who may not only move like zombies, but think they are somewhere between life and death. Before you laugh them off as maniacs, their condition is a real psychiatric problem known as the Cotard’s Syndrome, or the “Walking Corpse Syndrome”.

In 2003 report in the journal Neurology states that this condition is marked by “the fixed and unshakable belief that one has lost organs, blood or body parts” or has no soul.

In an interview with New Scientist , Graham, a victim of this condition, shared about his condition. He felt that he had lost his sense of smell and taste. He did not eat, and he rarely spoke as he felt that anything he did was meaningless. His teeth had turned black because he did not brush them, further convincing him that he was dead. Life became a nightmare as he struggled to find pleasure in life.

Graham was lucky to live to tell the tale. Victims of Cotard’s syndrome have reportedly died of starvation as they did not realise the need to eat. Others tried to use acid to get rid of their bodies in a bid to break free of their zombified state. They are indeed left for dead if they do not receive medical and social support.

It is not known how one ends up in such a state of mind, but some of the symptoms sufferers exhibit, such as lack of appetite, losing interest in things that used to pleasure them, and feeling that life is meaningless, do seem heavily associated with depression. Graham himself had been suffering from depression and attempted suicide by bringing an electrical appliance into the bath with him. The suicide attempt failed, but eight months later, he believed he had fried his brain in the bath.

PET scans of his brain activity were equally befuddling for the doctors, as they resembled that of someone who has been anaesthetised or is asleep.

Fortunately, the condition is not fatal if medical attention is received early. With plenty of psychotherapy and drug treatment, as well as attention from his brother and carers, Graham is on his way to recovery and no longer thinks he is dead. Cotard’s Syndrome is not at all common, but depression, which is far more common, has the potential to lead to fatal problems like Cotard’s Syndrome, and should be addressed early. Never underestimate the complexity and bizarreness of the human mind.

The next time someone tells you, without any tinge of humour, that they feel they are better off dead, don’t be too quick to brush them off.

There are two main causes of Prospopagnosia. Brain damage from head trauma, stroke, and degenerative diseases leads to acquired Prosopagnosia, while developmental Prosopagnosia is usually genetic, or due to brain damage and visual problems from childhood. Especially for those with development Prosopagnosia, it may be difficult even for the patient himself to detect this problem since it impacts on very specific areas of facial recognition.

For example, if one knows he has an appointment with his friend at a specific location, and he turns up finding his friend there, he would recognise said friend because he knows the friend is there. However, if he coincidentally meets the same friend on the streets and isn't aware that this friend would be there at that time, he would not recognise him at all!

In the case of acquired Prosopagnosia, the patient may confuse the image of a person with one that he had before he was stricken by the condition. In other words, his vision virtually time travels back, and in his mind is someone who has never aged or changed throughout the years.


http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1211572,00.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24385650
http://www.faceblind.org
http://www.cnn.com.sg/2013/05/23/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/brad-pitt-esquire-face-blindness/index.html