Soma Gnosis

Herbal Fertility Support within a Maya Abdominal Therapy Practice

2010-08-14T13:40:00.005-04:00

by Angela Ferri, MA, LMT, Holistic Healthcare Provider

As a practitioner and former instructor of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy (MAT), I see many women for fertility issues. The populations I see most are in their 30’s and early 40’s. Two common stress factors affecting a woman’s ability to conceive and carry to term are Vata imbalance and boggy uterine tissue. The term “Vata” comes from the East Indian practice of medicine called Ayurveda. Vata refers to the air element, which is quick, of the mind, and changeable. My approach in working with these factors is summarized below, as is sharing herbs used to support fertility generally.

Population Overview

With younger populations in their 30’s preconception care includes self-care massage, which I teach during our first session together, as well as herbal support and nutritional awareness. In the area surrounding Washington, DC women seek me out when nothing that is covered by health insurance works. Consequently I see many women who are terrified of surgeries/pharmaceuticals and who are desperate: fear overlays the symptom picture.

Many of the women I see are in their early to mid 40’s. I find this population most often conceives and carries pregnancy to term when they are committed to a spiritual practice and self exploration; are receiving MAT and acupuncture, using herbal support, have awareness around nutrition and practices yoga in some form. They have financial resources and are committed to a holistic approach.

My 3-4 hr. sessions include an intake; usually lasting about an hour, though for some this can go up to two hours, depending on a woman’s history. During this time I am making notes about relevant herbs, supplements and nutritional factors that will build health for the client. I am aware of the diagnosis my client has been given before they arrive for their session. What I listen for during the intake is for unresolved trauma – physical or emotional; for nutritional habits that may be problematic; for the level of support they have in their lives; and for heredity factors, both physical and emotional. I am also paying attention to the physical/energetic constitution of the person in front of me: Are they lean and nervous? Do their tissues feel boggy? Is there a lot of fire or anger?

A client will receive the manual work of Maya Abdominal Therapy following the intake interview. This usually runs about an hour and a half. While they are on the table I teach them how to do the abdominal work for themselves. I give them a handout describing how to do the massage, which helps them remember the details when they get home.

Often the first formula contains blue vervain (verbena officinalis) and/or borage (borago officinalis)/hawthorn berries (crataegus oxycantha) to provide healing on an energetic level for shock and/or heartache in addition to the plants I use to support fertility. What follows is a summary of how I work with each constitution I have just mentioned, and then sharing of herbs I may use to enhance fertility.

Vata Imbalance

If a woman is lean and nervous I first look at her diet to determine whether she is consuming foods and drinks that are contributing to Vata imbalance. I recommend eliminating the irritating factors and suggest substitutions, such as weaning off of coffee and instead drinking Yerba Mate, for example. I often suggest alternative sweeteners, and recommend decreasing sugar intake overall. If the client does not partake of caffeine or excess sugar, I may suggest chamomile (matricaria recutita) tea, and will include nervines in her custom formula such as passionflower (passiflora incarnata), motherwort (leonaris cardiaca) and skullcap (scutellaria laterifolia). If she avoids caffeine and sugar, and still presents as nervous and high achieving particularly, I recommend they test for progesterone levels.

With nervous and high-achieving women I like to rule out the possibility that they may have a genetic marker that prohibits them from synthesizing folic acid/vitamin B9, and consequently are not able to produce enough progesterone to carry a pregnancy to term. Apparently, this challenge is becoming more common. There is an expensive genetic test for this condition called MTHFR. A woman instead, for less expense, may have their progesterone levels checked a week after ovulation to determine whether this might be a factor. If progesterone levels are low at this stage of the cycle, supplementing with Folic Acid and B9 may help with this condition. Testing and supplementation for these women is very important because it reduces the risk of potential heart-breaking outcomes such as stillbirth and spina bifida.

Boggy Uterine Tissue

Some women who are trying to conceive present with boggy uterine tissue. The woman may have irregular and/or heavy menses, and/or excessive or abnormal vaginal discharges. It is important to understand factors that may be contributing to the symptom-picture. A common factor I find in this instance is that the client has had previous trauma to her pelvis, usually through an accident, from abdominal surgery, or from sexual trauma. This woman’s hips torque in some way. She may present with lordosis or kyphosis. This displacement of the skeletal structure often irritates nerves exiting the spine. The irritated nerves enervate end organs: bladder, uterus, bowel, and consequently the organ(s) become inflamed. Inflammation produces edema; excess fluids.

A physical trauma that has happened at any time of life, and has not been corrected through manual therapies is likely present in the posture of the client. If she has had abdominal surgery, the adhesions (scar tissue) that form often harden over time and begin creating strain patterns within the body. Not only is this the cause of structural misalignment, but it may also cause organs to adhere to one another, to the pubis; or the adhesions may entrap nerves, organs and other tissues. This is the source of much otherwise unexplained abdominal pain and pathology.

Mis-alignments are sometimes held so long in the body without resolution, that the mind becomes numb to the signals of pain. Once a physical misalignment is resolved, often the client is able to make better nutritional and exercise choices. Her mind is not distracted by her physical discomfort. Maya Abdominal Therapy addresses the structural misalignment and adhesions directly, enabling the body to begin healing itself. The nerves are no longer chronically irritated, and the tissues of the end organs are no longer receiving inflammatory signals from the nerves. The body reabsorbs the excess lymphatic fluid (edema) and pathology resolves. Herbal allies I use to support this process include astringents such as shepherds purse (capsella bursa-pastoris) or yarrow (achillea millefolium) in the initial fertility support formula. I also consider dietary components that may be aggravating boggy tissues, such as excess sugar consumption and possible food allergies.

Eclectic Herbs for Fertility

Raspberry (rubus spp.) leaf tea is a staple uterine tonic for all stages of life and particularly throughout pregnancy. It is useful after birth also, as it has extraordinary toning affects upon the uterus and the entire pelvic area. Both wild and cultivated varieties are beneficial. If you are able to pick the leaves of the wild variety (be sure they have not been sprayed), dry them or use them fresh. As Rosemary Gladstar has said “The wild variety is considered more potent and carries with it the indescribable, yet discernable, strength and vitality of things that belong to the wilderness”.

The following are herbs I most often use in my formulas for fertility. These suggestions are also applicable to the man in the family.

2 capsule of dong quai three times a day, except during menstruation. (Men should take 2 capsules of ginseng every day.)
Take Liquid Floridix with Herbs regularly, following dosage recommendations on the bottle.
Take the following fertility tonic daily; ¼ teaspoon 3 times a day:

4 parts rehmania (rehmania glutinosa)

1 part dong quai root (angelica sinensis)

2 parts false unicorn root (chamealirium luteum)

3 parts wild yam root (dioscorea villosa)

1 part vitex berries (vitex agnus castus)

2 parts partridge berry (mitchella ripens)

1 part ho-shu-wu (polygonum multiflorum)

Drink ginseng tea daily or take ginseng capsules. Ginseng is most helpful for fertility issues relating to weak or cool sexual organs. Ginseng increases heat in the pelvic region and helps remove blockages.
Take sitz baths several times a week for several months. This increases circulation in the pelvis.
Use acupuncture in conjunction with these recommendations
Try homeopathic remedies. Consult a homeopathic physician for an appropriate remedy.
Belly dance!

When you begin to use herbs, awareness develops around our undeniable interrelationship with Gaia, our earth. In this formula I am aware that false unicorn root is extinct in the wild. A new level of awareness and learning is developing around using sustainable, effective substitutions. In this way using herbs is healing on many levels. As they give us their gifts they make us more mindful of our place in the web of life.

The following links offer more information on using herbs to support fertility:

The indomitable Henriette Kress’s article Trying to Get Pregnant? looks at stress, tight jeans, model-thin proportions and discusses going off of carrot seed or taking lily and peony.

Kristena Haslam at Dreamseeds Organics has written a tribute to Exotic, Erotic Damiana and even has a picture of the (in)famous Mexican Liqueur bottle shaped like a sitting pregnant woman.

Gail Faith Edwards of Blessed Maine Herbs has had 25 years of women bringing their red clover babies to her and writes Red Clover Is Not Just for Healthy Women Who Want to Conceive, It Is for ALL Women Who Want to Conceive. She recommends that men with low sperm count smell roses too. Note you must have Facebook access to read the piece.

Karen Vaughan has written Staging Herbal Formulas to Enhance Fertility, taking the stance that the yin and yang parts of the cycle deserve different formulas, since women have cyclical tides of hormones and discusses how menstrual charting can be used for more than finding fertile days.

Rosalie de la Foret’s very comprehensive Holistic Herbal Perspectives for Challenges With Fertility discusses preparing yourself for conception, nutrition, dosing and herbs.

Angela Ferri’s piece on Herbal Fertility Support Within A Mayan Abdominal Practice discusses herbs for vata imbalance and boggy uterine tissue. She brings the experience of a body worker who looks at physical connections with the internal chemistry.

Darcey Blue of Gaia’s Gifts wrote Nutrition for Pregnancy which looks at nutrient dense foods and micronutrient requirements from a combined Paleo-diet and modern nutrition perspective.

New Conventional Treatment for Uterine Fibroids

2010-08-13T00:10:00.002-04:00

Interventional Radiology: Zapping Uterine Fibroids With Heat from High-Energy Sound Waves

ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2010) — There's a new interventional radiology tool showing promise in the treatment of uterine fibroids: magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), a minimally invasive treatment that uses high-energy ultrasound waves to generate heat at a specific point to destroy uterine fibroid tissue and relieve symptoms. A study of more than 100 patients shows that women can get lasting relief from uterine fibroid-related symptoms with MRgFUS -- thus avoiding myomectomy, the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, or hysterectomy, major abdominal surgery to remove the uterus, say researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

Read remainder of article here

Cost effective estrogen dominance test and solutions!

2010-08-11T22:35:00.001-04:00

This is a link that tells you how to order this test and how to calculate whether or not your estrogen levels are problematic and how to improve them if so.

Estrogen Dominance Test

Healthcare workforce was amended so that it now officially includes, “licensed complementary and alternative medicine providers and integrative health

2010-03-25T22:18:00.002-04:00

The health care reform bill has passed and many people will be celebrating that, finally, the United States will work to assure every citizen health insurance that cannot be canceled because you change your job, because you get sick, or for any other reason.

Those of us who believe in preventive health care, integrated health care, functional medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine have special reasons to celebrate. This bill has provisions that explicitly support these approaches to health care. One of these is the creation of a National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council, which I testified about before the Senate last February.

The Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) was created in 2002 and has been quietly working on Capitol Hill to bring about the kinds of changes in health care that we all want. Last month, I was in New York presenting at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium and I was on a panel with IHPC’s executive director, Dr. Janet Kahn. When I heard her describe what IHPC has been doing about health care reform and the things that are lying quietly in this bill, I got very excited about their work and what is to come in 2010.

Dr. Kahn explained 3 major aspects of this bill that IHPC helped shape.

1. Due to Kahn’s work with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the definition of the healthcare workforce was amended so that it now officially includes, “licensed complementary and alternative medicine providers and integrative healthcare practitioners.”

2. IHPC was a collaborator on the creation of the Wellness Initiative for the Nation (WIN), a document that prompted the inclusion of the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council that I mentioned above. Truly remarkable.

3. And third, IHPC worked hard to have the Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research in the bill. This will allow functional medicine approaches to be evaluated toe to toe with conventional medicine.

And there will be more. As Kahn so clearly told the audience in New York, this health care reform bill is just the beginning. It contains toeholds from which we climb toward what we really want – a nation that really understands how to help people live healthy lives and that supports the availability of many different pathways to healing.

I often say that I practice functional medicine because it tackles and fixes the underlying causes of health problems and doesn’t paper over the symptoms as so much of conventional medicine does. That is exactly IHPC’s approach to health care reform. IHPC is about reforming the very architecture of American health care.

Mark Hyman, M.D.

join our Online Action Network
http://capwiz.com/ihpc/mlm/signup/?ignore_cookie=1

By joining IHPC’s Online Action Network you will receive regular updates from IHPC, and will be provided opportunities to take action on important healthcare policy when it matters most.

Winter Classes

2010-01-03T08:25:00.006-05:00

The long nights of Winter are upon us. Today is the coldest day I can remember in Maryland for a long, long time! The following classes are offered to aid you in increasing your health and happiness. Movement, introspection, earth wisdom, relational support and self empowerment are important ways to become and stay connected to your inner wisdom and inherent health.
All of the following classes will be held at Body & Soul Healing Arts, 22201 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, Maryland 20876. Pre-registration is required. Please contact me to register. Hope you can join us!

SPIRITUAL BELEDE
Ongoing Thursdays beginning January 21 at 11:30a.m. Six one and one half hour sessions. $120 for the series, $25 per class. Class size limited to four participants.
Every Spiritual Belly Dance class is both different and the same. All classes taught in this way include the basic vocabulary of belly dance movements that can be learned anywhere-hip circles, hip drops, shimmies, etc. All of these movements generally come from distinct energy sources. For example hip circles and figure eights are second chakra movements; shoulder shimmies come from the heart...However, beyond these movements, the energy of any one given day is unique. In fact, every minute of every day comes with a different energy. Spiritual Belly Dance teaches the student to notice and furthermore control these energetic differences and then to blend them into traditional dancing techniques.
The intended final result of all of this teaching is to help women to be stronger, healthier, and happier in all aspects of life, not only dancing. Please bring a hip scarf and veil if you have them!

DREAM GROUP
Ongoing Thursdays beginning January 21 at 1pm. Six two-hour sessions. $180 for the series, $35 per session. Limited to eight participants.
Gather with us to share your dreams and explore their meaning in a structured, yet intimate environment. The messages in our dreams are gifts from our soul. We will work to understand the language they are speaking to help guide us through our journey through life.
We will meet for six Thursdays beginning January 21th and ending February 25th, 2010. The group will have the option to continue ongoing meetings. Commitment to attendance of each weeks gathering is strongly encouraged.

WINTER HERBAL SUPPORT
Saturday, January 30, 2-4 pm Fee: $30. Limited to 8 participants.
Learn how to nurture your body during the winter season. We will discuss which herbs and foods to use to fight infections, stifle symptoms and rebuild health. Learn how to make and use tinctures and cook with herbs to keep healthy! Angela has been an herbalist for over nine years. She grows, wild-crafts and makes herbal products using her plant allies. Come join us learn to live in harmony with nature’s gifts!

PREGNANT BODY CARE FOR COUPLES
Saturday, February 13, 2-4 pm Fee: $40. Limited to three couples.
Come and learn what you can do for yourself or your partner to help ease discomforts that often develop as your body grows ripe. I will show you gentle massage techniques, suggest products to use, and have on hand, as well as movements that help your baby position correctly. My intention is to lovingly support, prepare and empower you in your birthing experience. Bring your questions and see where they lead us!

HEAL THE UTERUS (Hands on Health the Maya Way )
Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Fee: $120, Limited to 8 participants.
Discover the wisdom of Maya traditional healing in recovering and maintaining the health of your reproductive, digestive and urinary systems. This work is helpful to so many “female” concerns. During this class you will learn about Dr. Rosita Arvigo, her apprenticeship with Don Elijio Panti and other healers from Belize. You will learn the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology as it relates to the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage (ATMAM), and of course, to specific health issues. I will teach you Maya Abdominal Massage (MAM) for your own Self Care. We will also identify situations in which practicing MAM would be contraindicated. If time permits we will experience a guided meditation, and discuss other modalities such as diet, lifestyle, herbs that support MAM.
To register please send a check for $30 to Angela Ferri, 3710 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson, MD 21755

Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage Self Care Training

2009-10-23T09:10:00.003-04:00

This class is a prerequisite for professional training as a practitioner of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage...

Dates of training are:
Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, 2p.m. until 6p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. until 6pm
Sunday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. until 5p.m.
at Body & Soul Healing Arts, 22201 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, Maryland 20886

Phone:	2402772826
Email:	angelaferri@comcast.net

Description

Dr. Rosita Arvigo’s Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage are based on an ancient Mayan healing method: applying external manipulation to the abdomen to facilitate blood and lymph flow, nerve conduction and Qi, (or Chu-lel, as it is know to the Mayan people) movement throughout the body. Maya Abdominal Massage (MAM) helps reposition reproductive organs thereby reducing symptoms of a displaced uterus or swollen prostate, which may manifest as fibroids, endometriosis, infertility, low back pain, painful menses, IBS, acid reflux, constipation, incontinence, prolapsed uterus and bladder, and over 30 other symptoms. It is helpful after abdominal surgeries such as hysterectomy, cesarean births and exploratory surgeries.

This two and a half day workshop will teach the participant about the anatomy and physiology of normal abdominal organs and structures, and what happens when they become imbalanced. Signs, symptoms, causes and the related pathologies will be included in this program. This modality incorporates a holistic approach to health care which includes massage, nutritional considerations, guided meditation, emotional and spiritual healing, as well as herbal healing remedies. Dr. Arvigo believes that with any natural healing technique, these areas must be addressed simultaneously to promote optimal health.

Completion of this program will qualify the participant to perform the abdominal massage on themselves ONLY, and will prepare the licensed practitioner to go on to
Professional Training with Dr. Rosita Arvigo, DN.

Continuing Education Credits for Level 1 Self Care Training

The Arvigo Institute is approved by:

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider for 17.5 CE hours;

19.8 contact hours by the American Holistic Nurses Association which is accredited as an approver of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses credentialing Centers Commission on Accreditation;

16 contact hours for the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council.

Prerequisites:
Anyone may register for this class.
No prior training or licensing is required.
To inquire about scheduled classes click on www.arvigomassage.com
Registration must be submitted through the Arvigo Institute at: www.arvigomassage.com

What do you FEEL when you watch this?

2009-09-09T07:06:00.001-04:00

Here is a video by MoveOn.org and R.E.M.

http://pol.moveon.org/healthcare_cantwait/?id=17196-7739238-zb8OP1x&t=2

Why I Am a Conservative on Health Care Reform

2009-08-14T21:39:00.001-04:00

by Dr. Andrew Weil

I appeared on Larry King Live Wednesday night to discuss health care reform with a panel of respected, high-profile physicians. I sounded the themes I wrote about in The Wrong Diagnosis: that Americans must change the content of health care, not just access to it, or we'll remain among the unhealthiest people in the developed world, and the costs will sink us.

Bill Frist, a physician and former Senate Republican majority leader from Tennessee, responded with what has become the conservative line: that "we do have the best health care" and what Americans principally need is "insurance reform" rather than improved health care practices. Later in the program were video clips of what host Wolf Blitzer termed "conservatives" disrupting town hall meetings on health care reform. Clearly, the prospect of change in health care is highly emotional and disturbs many people.

But here's my question: Since when is it conservative to embrace new, overpriced, corrupt systems, like the health-destroying and ruinously expensive protocols of much of modern medicine? "Conservative" has several meanings, but two central ones are "favoring traditional views and values," and "avoiding excess."

I hold that nothing could be more wild, unconstrained, and downright liberal than the path medicine has taken in just the last 20 years -- an unprecedented bacchanalia of excess and contempt for traditional American values.

Pharmaceuticals, once just one of many therapeutic modalities, are now synonymous with medical care; more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines for chronic health problems. Medical journals, formerly bastions of objectivity, are today often ghostwritten shills for moneyed interests. And physicians, once free to make healing their only goal, must now obey the dictates of lawyers and stockholders by ordering endless tests and dangerous, dubious surgeries for even minor conditions.

While billions of dollars are shunted into very few pockets via such abuses, insurance premiums skyrocket, leaving 47 million Americans with no coverage. The result of medicine's libertine spree? The relief agency Remote Area Medical, established to bring health care to rural parts of third-world nations, now sends 60 percent of its missions to U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, California and Knoxville, Tennessee.

By contrast, integrative medicine (IM), the system we teach at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson (and that is taught at more than 40 other medical schools nationwide including Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic) is profoundly conservative in at least three ways:

1. It is philosophically conservative in that it aims to restore core values of medicine that were strong in the past, such as a reverence for the healing power of nature and the importance of the therapist-patient relationship.

2. It is medically conservative in stressing prevention and advocating lesser rather than greater intervention -- the least invasive, least harmful, least expensive treatments that the circumstances of illness demand. IM practitioners always observe the Hippocratic precept of "First, do no harm," relying in simpler interventions whenever possible and turning to more drastic ones only when the former fail to produce desired outcomes.

3. It is fiscally conservative in its willingness to look beyond the blinders of high-tech medicine to identify inexpensive therapies that may be useful and in its insistence that they be held to the same standard for clinical- and cost-effectiveness in well-designed outcomes trials.

I urge Senator Frist and all Americans to join me and thousands of physicians and patients in demanding a return to sensible, sustainable, conservative values in medicine. The liberals have had their day.

Andrew Weil, MD, is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and the editorial director of www.DrWeil.com. Follow Dr. Weil on Twitter. Become a fan on Facebook.

Tikkun Magazine - Deepak Chopra on How to Convert to A Peace Economy

2009-08-14T09:01:00.001-04:00

Tikkun Magazine - Deepak Chopra on How to Convert to A Peace Economy

Shared via AddThis

Creating prosperity from within

2009-08-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

Author and speaker Deepak Chopra hails the global downturn as an opportunity to rebuild the world’s economy

By Shannon Sweetnam

6/15/2009 - “We are not in an economic crisis, we are in an economic opportunity,” Deepak Chopra told the crowd of Kellogg students who flooded the Tribune Auditorium on May 29 to hear him speak.

“Today, we are witnessing a dying carcass. We are witness to the collapse of an exhausted system built on toxic assets. This is an opportunity for reincarnation.”

Chopra is the founder and director of education at The Chopra Center for Well Being, co-founder and president of the Alliance for a New Humanity, and a world leader in mind-body medicine. He is also an adjunct professor at Kellogg, where he teaches The Soul of Leadership, an executive education class focused on personal awareness.

Chopra told the student audience that it can no longer deny that it is not directly affected by the fact that half the world’s population lives on less than two dollars a day.

“There is no solution to the world’s problems unless it is global,” said Chopra, explaining that the problem of poverty is intertwined with crises around the world. “The old paradigm about ‘me’ as a separate self is dead. What’s happening today forces us to recognize that we are members of one body, one energy field and all contained in one global consciousness.”

Chopra urged Kellogg students to think of business not as a means to enhancing shareholders’ value but as a way to enhance the quality of life. “If we keep that in mind, there is no limit to the prosperity coming out of here,” he said.

He also reminded students of the power of their creativity and collective consciousness. “Each of you contains the potential and creativity needed to help turn this crisis around and to create prosperity,” he said. “All we have to do now is get in touch with our soul, where our humanity lives and where we connect with each other.”

Chopra added that prosperity is a process that must be created from within. He offered a number of ideas for doing so, including ridding oneself of clutter, including the energy wasted on mindless things; focusing on nourishment, whether with regard to one’s body, relationships or the economy; and giving something away each time one purchases something.

“If you buy a new suit, give an old suit away. If you eat at an expensive restaurant, pay for a meal for a homeless person,” he advised. “And every once in a while, do something not motivated by profit.”

Dear Abbey, My ecomomy has been cheating on me...

2009-08-14T08:08:00.001-04:00

An article from the San Franciso Chronicle by Deepak Chopra:

The shock is in the statistics. For the months of September and October, consumer confidence fell lower than at any time since it's been measured, going back forty years. The same for consumer expectations for the future. More than 70% of Americans say they are spending less than last year. A third of Americans are at risk for moving downward economically, another third know someone who is in that position.

What statistics can't measure is the psychological blow we've all taken. Rich, poor, and in between, the economy has been cheating on us. The relationship has been hit hard. It may or may not fall apart.

It didn't help that the first people to be bailed out were the cheaters themselves. At a time when they lost over $80 billion for their investors, Wall Street's leading investment banks paid themselves $230 billion in compensation and bonuses. GM is crashing, but its CEO has a reported annual salary of $8.5 million. A pittance, actually, compared to the take-home of a few leading hedge fund managers, who reported incomes for 2007 in the range of 2 to 3 billion dollars.

It's like having your husband take you to McDonald's while he takes every other woman in town to the Ritz in Paris.

The first stage of reacting to a cheating spouse is shock, followed by hurt, anger, guilt, and the need for revenge. One way or another, the American public is going to go through all of those reactions. It won't happen fast. We've been forced into rational solutions — particularly the big TARP bailout of $700 billion, with a huge stimulus package to come — long before the initial shock has worn off.

Almost a century ago the great British economist John Maynard Keynes observed that all markets are psychological. For the past decade, the mood has been manic; now it's depressive. The one thing that might have brought steadiness (serious regulation of Wall Street) was considered unnecessary, even by the smartest, most liberal economists. They were saying, in essence, that your spouse will be faithful even if you don't demand that he or she come home at night. Cutting someone loose isn't the best way to feel secure in a relationship. Or in an economy.

Now that the cheating has been exposed, one wonders what it will take to restore confidence. Time, I imagine. Public works and stimulus packages are all well and good. Saving endangered industries is the compassionate thing to do. So is saving endangered mortgages. But somebody should step forward and talk about the emotional wounds being suffered all around. You may scoff at therapy when times are good, but there's no substitute for it when times are rough. People want their feelings heard, understood, taken seriously, and then healed. It's true in a relationship; it's just as true in a society.

Deepak is the author of over 50 books on health, success, relationships and spirituality, including his most recent novel, "Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment," available now at www.deepakchopra.com. He is an Adjunct Professor at Kellogg School of Management.

Classes Offerings at Mountain Spirit Yoga Studio

2009-08-12T11:38:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to announce that I will be giving classes in Middletown, Md this Autumn at www.mountainspirityoga.com.

“Hands on Health the Maya Way”
September 6, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Fee: $100

Discover the wisdom of Maya traditional healing in recovering and maintaining the health of your reproductive, digestive and urinary systems. This work is helpful to so many “female” concerns. During this class you will learn about Dr. Rosita Arvigo, her apprenticeship with Don Elijio Panti and other healers from Belize. You will learn the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology as it relates to the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage (ATMAM), and of course, to specific health issues. I will teach you Maya Abdominal Massage (MAM) for your own Self Care. We will also identify situations in which practicing MAM would be contraindicated. If time permits we will experience a guided meditation, and discuss other modalities such as diet, lifestyle, herbal supports that support MAM.

If you would like to continue onto Professional Care Training after taking this class, I will give you a $50 credit toward taking the Professional Care Training with a class I have scheduled. Class Participants who attend this one-day class are not eligible to attend Professional Care Training; to attend Professional Care Training persons must attend a 3 day Self Care Workshop taught by a Certified Self Care Instructor and meet professional licensing qualifications. This One Day class is not eligible for continuing education units, participants do not receive continuing education units for attendance.

Staying healthy with the Seasons, Herbal Health for Autumn
September 27, 2-4 pm. Fee: $20

Learn how to prepare your body in the autumn for the winter season. We will discuss which herbs and foods to use to build health. Learn how to make tinctures and cook with herbs that grow locally and wild to keep healthy! Angela has been an herbalist for over nine years. She grows, wildcrafts and makes herbal products using her plant allies. Come join us learn to live joyfully and in harmony with nature’s gifts!

Pregnant Body Care for Mom’s to be & Couples
October 4, 2-4 pm. Fee: $30

Come and learn what you can do for yourself or your partner to help ease discomforts that often develop as your body grows ripe. I will show you gentle massage techniques, suggest products to use, and have on hand, as well as movements that help your baby position correctly. My intention is to lovingly support, prepare and empower you in your birthing experience. Bring your questions and see where they lead us!

Staying Healthy with the Seasons, Herbal Health for Winter
December 6, 2-4 pm. Fee: $20

Learn how to nurture your body during the winter season. We will discuss which herbs and foods to use to fight infections, stifle symptoms and rebuild health. Learn how to make and use tinctures and cook with herbs to keep healthy! Angela has been an herbalist for over nine years. She grows, wild-crafts and makes herbal products using her plant allies. Come join us learn to live in harmony with nature’s gifts!

Breastfeeding Newborns Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer

2009-08-11T14:03:00.001-04:00

August 11, 2009

Boston (DbTechNo) - For new mothers, breastfeeding their babies may reduce their own risk of developing breast cancer. This is amazing news, and could result in more new moms opting to breastfeed their children opposed to feeding from a bottle. Previous research has also proved that babies who are breastfed have a reduced risk of numerous health problems when they get older, more positive evidence for breastfeeding. According to the researchers, the benefit to breastfeeding moms was only in women who had a family history of the disease.

The same reduction of breast cancer risk was not seen in women who did not have a family history of the disease. For those women who breastfed and had a family history of breast cancer, their own risk of developing the disease dropped by as much as 60 percent.

More info pertaining to this study can be found in the published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

A Useful Guide for Transition!

2009-05-12T10:30:00.003-04:00

The Keys to Senior Housing: A Guide for Two Generations

About the book: Where should senior citizens live? Both seniors and adult children will learn how to decide about staying in the current home with modifications or moving to more appropriate housing like retirement communities or assisted living facilities. For seniors, it validates your self-worth and guides you through each stage. For the adult children, it teaches you how to direct your parent into finding the safest possible housing. By learning about these topics of modifying the current home or deciding to move, doing the homework, learning about the many housing choices, having the interview, downsizing, moving in, and acclimating, you will have the keys to successful senior living. Both generations should participate in the conversation that flows from "I am not ready" to "I do not want to move" to "I am not sure" to the realization of "I love it here."

Please click here: http://www.publishamerica.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?catalogid=29417 to secure your copy of the book. Your copy will ship upon coming off the press.

If you would like to mail in an order, please see: http://www.publishamerica.com/orderinginfo.htm

Swine Flu Kit

2009-05-02T09:14:00.002-04:00

Due to the overwhelming media exposure and calls about the Swine Flu here is a list of products that recommended for those who are looking for a “Swine Flu Kit”.

New Chapter, Immunity Take Care Lozenges: Immunity Take Care, with the exclusive extract, ViraBloc, is the first all-herbal, natural therapeutic that acts to block viruses from entering human cells therefore preventing them from replicating.

14 lozenges = $14.00 30 lozenges = $27.60

New Chapter Host Defense has been shown to increase human Natural Killer (NK) Cell activity by up to 300%. The immune-enhancing power of Host Defense comes from two sources: the unsurpassed quality of the New Chapter Activated Organic Mushrooms and the proprietary combination of species. Each of the New Chapter Activated Organic Mushrooms species has, on its own, an ability to support human immune functioning, but the combination of these 17 mushroom sources creates synergies, waves of reinforcement, that bathe us in immune support.

60 soft gels = $28.00

Boiron:
Oscillococcinum: As soon as you start feeling run-down or have other flu-like symptoms, take Oscillococcinum. Oscillo® is regulated as a drug by the FDA and is supported by published clinical studies as well as more than 65 years of use throughout the world.
* Clinical studies show that Oscillo reduces the severity and duration of flu symptoms
* Great taste and convenient to take
* No side effects or interactions with other medications
* Good for everyone 2 years of age and older

12 dose Bonus Pack = $19.00

From Washington Homeopathics:
Influenzinum 08-09 9c: Influenzinum is the only homeopathic remedy that is made fresh every year - In fact, the manufacturer is required to make it fresh each year. The manufacturer buys the current vaccine for this year and makes that into Influenzinum. Then what doesn’t sell gets discarded. Influenzinum cannot be advertised as a preventative, but when the flu season hits you should start taking it if there are cases in your neighborhood. If you have a Repertory and a Materia Medica you can look up your exact symptoms and take that remedy - often in addition to the Influenzinum.

2 dram vial = $5.69*

4 dram vial = $7.29*

Chinese Herbs for Swine Flu, Tamiflu Warning

2009-05-02T09:11:00.001-04:00

Regarding the new epidemic of the swine flu virus, we recommend prophylactic (preventative) doses of one of the following:

Gan Mao Ling is a Chinese Herbal formula well-known for its anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties; there are some wonderful anti-viral herbs in Chinese medicine and this formula is the best. Many people take this 4 to 5 times per week through the winter just to prevent those "flu bugs" from taking hold. In addition, I always take it when I'm going to fly and I've never come home "sick". Ten drops daily in a little water is a good prophylactic dose. If you get any symptoms, up the dose to 20-30 drops 2-3 times/day. For children under 3 years, 2 drops daily; 4-12 years old, 5-6 drops daily.

Zhong Gan Ling is a Chinese Herbal formula recommended if you get symptoms with a fever. Alleviates severe cold and flu symptoms like sore throat, stuffiness, and achiness with a fever.

If you would rather do homeopathics, these are both favorites:

Influenza Multi-Strain Flu Formula - contains 16 proven official homeopathic remedies shown effective for everything from the common flu to the largest of epidemics and pandemics of the past 100 years. This is a water-based formula.

Flumax Pro - another homeopathic with the best of official flu "nosodes" that counteract all strains of influenza. This is an alcohol-based formula.

And, of course, these natural defenses against the flu should be considered:

* Optimize your vitamin D levels: Some researchers believe that therapeutic dose could be as high as 1000 units per pound of body weight for three days
* Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods: Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately
* Get Enough Rest: Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu
* Have Effective Tools to Address Stress: Make an appointment for acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, or Reiki
* Exercise: Exercise increases circulation and blood flow. Components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads
* Take a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
* Wash Your Hands: Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good
* Eat Garlic Regularly: Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. Unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up.
* Avoid Hospitals, unless having an emergency. Hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds.
*
*

If you are considering Tamiflu please note:

According to Alice Bello, editor of Healing Pathways reports:

In the case of Tamiflu, a flu medication an approved for treatment of uncomplicated influenza A and B in children 1 year of age or older and for prevention of influenza in people 13 years or older, thousands of cases of abnormal behavior, neuropsychiatric problems like convulsions, delirium or delusions, and brain infections, have been reported.

Tamiflu went through some rough times in 2007, as the dangers of this drug came to light when the FDA investigated 1,800 adverse event reports related to the drug. Common side effects of Tamiflu include:

* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Headache
* Dizziness
* Fatigue
* Cough

Swine Flu, from Rosita in Belize

2009-04-30T10:50:00.004-04:00

Those people that died in Mexico from this stain of influenza did not seek medical help until they had been sick for a couple weeks.Then the Doctors and Nurses that saw the people didn't know what to make of the problem and didn't give appropriate treatment.

Limit your intake of "Media Influenza".

Low Levels of Amniotic Fluid No Risk To Normal Birth

2009-04-29T08:18:00.005-04:00

February 7, 2003
From Midwifery Today

Doctors may not have to deliver a baby early if it has low levels of amniotic fluid surrounding it, Johns Hopkins obstetricians report.

In a study to be presented Feb. 7 at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in San Francisco, researchers show that babies born under such conditions fared similarly to those born to women whose wombs held normal amounts of amniotic fluid. No significant differences were found in the babies' birthweights, levels of acid in the umbilical cord blood, or lengths of stay in the hospital.

Typically, doctors have been concerned about women with low levels of amniotic fluid during the third trimester – a condition called oligohydramnios – because too little fluid can be associated with incomplete development of the lungs, poor fetal growth and complications with delivery. Amniotic fluid is measured by depth in centimeters. Normal amounts range from 5 to 25 centimeters; any amount less than 5 centimeters is considered low.

"These study results are very surprising – they go against the conventional wisdom," says Ernest M. Graham, M.D., senior author of the study and assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics. "Amniotic fluid stems from the baby's urine, and the urine results from good blood flow, so if we see low fluid we assume there probably is not good blood flow and the fetus is compromised. This study shows the fluid test is not as good as we thought, and there is most likely no reason to deliver the baby early if other tests are normal."

The researchers studied 262 women (131 with oligohydramnios and 131 with normal amounts of amniotic fluid) who gave birth at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between November 1999 and July 2002, comparing the babies' health at birth. Patients with oligohydramnios were delivered sooner, but were less likely to need Caesarian sections. Babies born to moms with isolated low amniotic fluid were normal size and were at no increased risk of respiratory problems, immature intestines or brain disorders.

Study co-authors were Rita Driggers, Karin Blakemore and Cynthia Holcroft.

Abstract # 318: Driggers, R. et al, "Are Neonatal Outcomes Worse in Deliveries Prompted by Oligohydramnios?"

Related Web sites:

Women's health services at Johns Hopkins
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/women.html

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
http://www.smfm.org
MEDIA CONTACT: Karen Blum
PHONE: 410-955-1534
E-MAIL: kblum@jhmi.edu

The Land Is Healing Me...

2009-04-26T18:38:00.003-04:00

Fox Haven's Story

I exist within a nested web of being. I am a holon: simultaneously whole unto myself and a part of other living wholes. Long ago, people named this place Catoctin -"Land of Abundant Wildlife." I am a part of Catoctin, as many other beings are a part of me.

My body rests upon ancient bedrock bones, and my flesh, worn from those bones, covers itself with trees. I am a complex forest- this is my natural self-expression.

There was a time when the tissue of soil and plants over my bones was thick, rich, and resilient. People appreciated my wild nature. They gave me the gift of renewing fire, encouraging my fullest expression. In return, I gave them abundance: nuts and berries, and animals. We nourished each other.

Later, others came. When these people met me, they saw me as a savage to be tamed. They did not know that I could nourish them in my fullest expression, or that they could nourish me in return. I lost much of my tissue - plants, wildlife, and soil - in a very short time,
over and over again.

I always spring back. I am transformation. I unfold myself in every moment, each creation transcending a previous destruction. My slopes give a glimpse of how magnificently diverse I can be. I cover myself with beings within beings, nested one inside the other in glorious array.

-courtesy of H.C.

My Earth Day

2009-04-24T08:39:00.002-04:00

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life
and my children's lives may be,
I go lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water,
and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief, I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

-Wendall Berry

From Mothering magazine, safety of fetal ultrasounds

2009-04-23T11:03:00.000-04:00

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/ultrasound-risks.html

This Will Open Your Heart

2009-04-23T09:07:00.004-04:00

This was sent to me from my beautiful friend Rose Khalsa, an incredible cranial sacral therapist practicing in Takoma Park....

DOWNWIND FROM FLOWERS

Several years ago in Seattle, Washington, there lived a 52- year-old
Tibetan refugee. "Tenzin," as I will call him, was diagnosed with one of
the more curable forms of lymphoma. He was admitted to the hospital and
received his first dose of chemotherapy. But during the treatment, this
usually gentle man became extremely angry and upset. He pulled the IV out
of his arm and refused to cooperate. He shouted at the nurses and became
argumentative with everyone who came near him. The doctors and nurses were
baffled. Then Tenzin's wife spoke to the hospital staff. She told them
Tenzin had been held as a political prisoner by the Chinese for 17 years.
They killed his first wife and repeatedly tortured and brutalized him
throughout his imprisonment. She told them that the hospital rules and
regulations, coupled with the chemotherapy treatments, gave Tenzin
horrible flashbacks of wha t he had suffered at the hands of the Chinese.

"I know you mean to help him," she said, "but he feels tortured by your
treatments. They are causing him to feel hatred inside - just like he felt
toward the Chinese. He would rather die than have to live with the hatred
he is now feeling. And, according to our belief, it is very bad to have
hatred in your heart at the time of death. He needs to be able to pray and
cleanse his heart."

So the doctors discharged Tenzin and asked the hospice team to visit him
in his home. I was the hospice nurse assigned to his care. I called a
local representative from Amnesty International for advice. He told me
that the only way to heal the damage from torture is to "talk it through."

"This person has lost his trust in humanity and feels hope is impossible,"
the man said. "If you are to help him, you must find a way to give him
hope."

But when I encouraged Tenzin to talk about his experiences, h e held up his
hand and stopped me. He said, "I must learn to love again if I am to heal
my soul. Your job is not to ask me questions. Your job is to teach me to
love again."

I took a deep breath. I asked him, "So, how can I help you love again?"

Tenzin immediately replied, "Sit down, drink my tea and eat my cookies."
Tibetan tea is strong black tea laced with yak butter and salt. It isn't
easy to drink! But that is what I did. For several weeks, Tenzin, his
wife, and I sat together, drinking tea. We also worked with his doctors to
find ways to treat his physical pain. But it was his spiritual pain that
seemed to be lessening. Each time I arrived, Tenzin was sitting
cross-legged on his bed, reciting prayers from his books. As time went on,
he and his wife hung more and more colorful "thankas," Tibetan Buddhist
banners, on the walls. The room was fast becoming a beautiful, religious
shrin e.

When the spring came, I asked Tenzin what Tibetans do when they are ill in
the spring. He smiled brightly and said, "We sit downwind from flowers." I
thought he must be speaking poetically. But Tenzin's words were quite
literal. He told me Tibetans sit downwind so they can be dusted with the
new blossoms' pollen that floats on the spring breeze. They feel this new
pollen is strong medicine. At first, finding enough blossoms seemed a bit
daunting. Then, one of my friends suggested that Tenzin visit some of the
local flower nurseries. I called the manager of one of the nurseries and
explained the situation.

The manager's initial response was: "You want to do what?" But when I
explained the request, the manager agreed. So, the next weekend, I picked
up Tenzin and his wife with their provisions for the afternoon: black tea,
butter, salt, cups, cookies, prayer beads and prayer books. I dropped them
off at the nursery and assured them I would return at 5:00.

The following weekend, Tenzin and his wife visited another nursery. The
third weekend, they went to yet another nursery. The fourth week, I began
to get calls from the nurseries inviting Tenzin and his wife to come
again. One of the managers said, "We've got a new shipment of nicotiana
coming in and some wonderful fuchsias and oh, yes! Some great daphne. I
know they would love the scent of that daphne! And I almost forgot! We
have some new lawn furniture that Tenzin and his wife might enjoy."

Later that day, I got a call from the second nursery saying that they had
colorful wind socks that would help Tenzin predict where the wind was
blowing. Pretty soon, the nurseries were competing for Tenzin's visits.

People began to know and care about the Tibetan couple. The nursery
employees started setting out the lawn furniture in the direction of the
wind. Others would bring out fresh hot water for their tea. Some o f the
regular customers would leave their wagons of flowers near the two of
them. It seemed that a community was growing around Tenzin and his wife.

At the end of the summer, Tenzin returned to his doctor for another CT
scan to determine the extent of the spread of the cancer. But the doctor
could find no evidence of cancer at all. He was dumbfounded. He told
Tenzin that he just couldn't explain it.

Tenzin lifted his finger and said, "I know why the cancer has gone away.
It could no longer live in a body that is filled with love. When I began
to feel all the compassion from the hospice people, from the nursery
employees, and all those people who wanted to know about me, I started to
change inside. Now, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to heal
in this way. Doctor, please don't think that your medicine is the only
cure. Sometimes compassion can cure cancer, as well."

We all...must take Time...to smell the flowers and observe the nature...all around us...we will have a smoother Journey...to the next...Paths...

Colleagues' Creation

2009-04-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

April 20, 2009

Wild Feminine: Tami Lynn Kent

Entrant: Sarah E. Wylie, ND Midwife
Nominee: Tami Lynn Kent, Women’s Health Physical Therapist

Tami Lynn Kent is a scribe for those of us pioneering back into the frontier we collectively left behind, the Wild Feminine. Tami’s gift is to illuminate, and create a specific language for us to communicate about the female energetic presence within our flesh.

Tami Lynn is a mother to three sons, and women’s health physical therapist. Her hunt for the Wild Feminine, our divine femininity has brought us riches! She has sat with us, hours with hundreds of women, who have complaints that would otherwise fall on deaf ears. She is the healer who listens to the vagina, the sentient organ who never lies. Tami has brought relief to hundreds of ladies who couldn’t enjoy sexual intercourse, or suffer with vague or specific feelings of pain and unrest, or struggle with post-partum hurts.

This year Tami has presented us with a book, “Wild Feminine: Finding Power, Spirit, & Joy in the Root of the Female Body,” that clearly connects us to what she has discovered in her uniquely defined profession. This book brings together all that she has learned about the pelvic bowl, the wellspring of creative and healing spiritual energy, the place where spirit becomes matter.

This book covers the physical as well as the spiritual-energetic systems of the female body. It is written from a truly a unique perspective and will weave together the lessons we have learned from our great teachers, Dr. Northrup, Dr. Arvigo, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Caroline Myss and Ina May Gaskin — to name just a few. This book is also written in a way that all students of natural medicine and women’s health, regardless of experience or training can comprehend.

Tami’s pioneering work is also reflected in her way of being. She is the least conflicted self-employed mother that I know. From her grounded pelvic bowl, she seems to know exactly how and where to set limits upon her work in the world outside her family. As a working mother, I reference her and then remember to connect to my pelvic bowl whenever I feel conflicted about the demands from my professional relations. Mothering our children and our masterpieces comes from this core space in the pelvic bowl. Tami, by way of her awareness, intelligent perspective and artful writing, is offering us the opportunity to dig in to our birthright, the divine feminine who lives within each of us.

Tami Lynn Kent is a true hero for the female body and the feminine within all bodies. Let us make her book Wild Feminine a classic now, so that together we can heal the earth and her peoples, from this place of centered femininity.

Welcome

2008-11-09T11:33:00.003-05:00

Greetings Friends,

Welcome to my blog! My intention for this effort is to share articles and links that I hope you find useful and interesting. It is also a way of weaving community. I will also will use this forum to wax philosophical from time to time. Please take what you can that you find useful, and discard the rest.

Your friend in heatlth, Veriditas