You are currently browsing the daily archive for January 22, 2012.
Katherine Willow’s monthly diary
Our Christmas was challenging and yours truly did not step up in best form. My attitude was downright negative and I held in some pretty intense anger, feeling justified that it was a reasonable response to what had happened (the story is inconsequential), forgetting my repeated lessons that it is NEVER useful to STAY angry.
I paid for it with the most miserable flu in my life. Couldn’t eat, sleep or walk. Everything hurt to the bone. I was freezing and unable to get warm and so weak I couldn’t imagine ever feeling strong again. It felt like end of days and I was ready to leave! More bad attitude, I should know better. . . .
Finally I made the connection between my feelings and my body, but I felt totally stuck and couldn’t remember any of my tools. Or didn’t want to is more likely. Luckily it was a Wednesday and Gwen Rowbottom, one of our massage therapists, was working on Thursday and willing to come over to the house to give me a session of ‘somato-emotional release’ (SER).
It was gruelling — I sobbed, got in touch with deep pain, broke through to some crucial insights about love and then felt unstuck. Within two hours I felt 80% better. OK, point made, another chunk loosened, I’m ready to move forward again with a bit more awareness and considerably more humility. And thank you Gwen!
Two weeks later it was three year old grandson Felix’s turn. He started to act out with uncharacteristic rage, throwing things, yelling and screaming, not listening. Shocked, I didn’t even know what to do at first. Luckily we’re not allowed to hit kids anymore. I took him in my arms and held him while he raged safely. After 15 minutes he was calm and then he slept for 2 1/2 hours. When he woke up, I fed him lunch and he promptly threw up all his food — the classic healing crisis for an anger issue. Since then he has been fine in that regard.
Another story worth telling is the aftermath of Felix’s broken arm. He had two pins in his bone to help the healing and one was taken out without anesthetic with considerable pain. The other pin was jammed too far in to pull out and he had to go back to the hospital for an operation to remove it.
A week later this was accomplished, but Felix was no longer himself. He came home from the hospital with a fever, a bad cough, low appetite and a fraction of his usual exuberance. The only bright spot was that we were able to use remedies for the pain instead of Tylenol. After a few days of Felix not really getting better, I called our homeopath Veronika Zhmurko, who prescribed a remedy to antidote the anesthetic. The next day his cough was worse and he was covered in itchy hives and quite irritable.
At first I wondered what he had eaten or whether we had some new laundry soap, but then realized that this was the anesthetic working its way out. Within minutes of this realization, Felix calmed down and his hives were gone the next morning. He is still recovering his vitality though and it is startling to see how long it is taking. No wonder the doctor was doing everything possible to avoid anesthetic for him. . . .
This slow recovery means a lot of missed time at the Forest Preschool where Felix spends his weekdays and a lot of work time lost for me while I watch him. It has been a great opportunity to work with more of my anger and frustration in a different way, seeing that I can deal with this gracefully for the good of both of us. Right now Felix is quietly playing on the floor at my feet while I write and every once in awhile he climbs up beside me to see what I am doing. The last time, he pulled my face down to his and murmured, “You’re awesome Nana.” You too Felix, you too.
by Allison Brooks, natural health contributor
One New Year’s resolution that may not come to mind immediately is practicing better oral hygiene.
Attaining and maintaining optimal oral health does not require expensive products or procedures that may be popular yet harmful in the long run. Approximately $40 billion is spent yearly (by North Americans alone) to treat oral conditions. Consider the benefits of a natural or herbal approach toward ideal oral health for 2012.
Resins
Myrrh is a resin that is found in the regions spanning Arabia and North Africa and has a warming effect. Pine resin, also known as “pitch,” resembles chewing gum with a firm consistency. Moreover, propolis, made from bees, encourages new tissue growth and is great for soothing oral ulcers. All three resins are anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.
Anti-Bacterial Herbs
Bloodroot is a plant found in the eastern woodlands that stunts growth and effects of bacteria that lead to plaque buildup and decay. Usnea is a lichen that trumps penicillin in killing staphylococcus (staph) and streptococcal (strep) infections. The weed, plantain, is found all over the world and is effective in treating inflammation such as an abscess.
Astringents
Recent studies reveal that plants fortified with tannin (a polyphenolic compound that forms strong bonds with proteins) may possess anti-viral capabilities. Oak galls (also known as “oak apples”) are effective as a dentifrice in powder form and contain nearly 50 percent tannin. Sage and tormentil combined make an effective gargle solution to treat inflammation of the gums. Krameria, which includes 40 percent tannin, makes an effective powder dentifrice in combination with myrrh.
Other Herbal/Natural Solutions for Oral Health
Essential oils and natural immune strengtheners are also effective in attaining and maintaining excellent oral health in the New Year. Essential oils that prove beneficial include fennel, sage, peppermint, and cinnamon. These essential oils encourage better blood circulation of the gums and are anti-microbial. Immune strengtheners include baptisia, an anti-microbial antiseptic and echinacea, which is an effective rinse that promotes regeneration.
Diet
Perhaps one of the most effective ways to minimize or halt oral health issues, such as cavities and gum disease, is limiting the diet of processed foods and refined simple sugars. This is no easy conversion for many, but the oral benefits are well worth the resolutions to attain and maintain the very best oral health with cost-effective and safer alternatives through herbal or natural solutions.
But just remember; if serious issues occur do see a dentist. These suggestions are to help you maintain better oral health between visits. There is no excuse, from Ontario to DC, dentists are on every corner.
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Allie Brooks studies different forms of healing and has a degree in Biomedical Anthropology from the University of Mississippi. She and currently does field studies while finishing an ethnography of biomedicalization in Bolivian cultures. She can be reached at naturallie23@gmail.com
by Katherine Willow ND
(ed note: pics of Laura Tromp (right) & Carla Brown (w/ antlers) this past Xmas, Chad Clifford and Laura’s triplets out enjoying a sunny winter day.)
When we found out that naturopathic student Laura Batson was coming to preceptor (student teach) at the clinic in early January when there were no patients booked, we decided to create a family healing house program for her to experience and help with. Our general manager Laura Tromp volunteered — with her triplet six year old boys!
We put together a program involving outdoor wilderness activities and indoor crafts for the boys with Matt Selic and our homeschooling wilderness teacher, Chad Clifford. Laura B. would do a naturopathic assessment and program for everyone, then lead Laura through some nature exercises for inner awareness as well as some meditation in the evenings.
Kim Trott, our trusty cook at the centre, would plan and prepare the meals as well as give a cooking class. Sarah, my assistant would help in all kinds of ways. Laura’s husband Chris would join us for dinner, take the boys home for bed and bring them back for breakfast to give Laura a break. I was to be the coordinator and general host.
Well, it would have all been perfect if I hadn’t gotten sicker than I’ve ever been in my life! Luckily the whole team pulled together and it all happened mostly as planned, only somewhat chaotic, parallel to me tottering around in agony at times, but mostly in bed oblivious to everything that was going on.
The best thing about it is that we now have an experience of hosting a family and can fine-tune the details in order to offer this as a wonderful program for whole families that want to experience some healing time together in nature. Thanks to Laura and her family for being our guinea pigs!
From now on the healing house will be on hold until I get back to my book — I know, it is taking a long time — and we have the new buildings here, most realistically by the fall of this year. Until then we will be creating a well-organized system, learning from all of the wonderful guests we have had so far. . .
Much appreciation to everyone involved!
katherine
by Katherine Willow ND
(ed note: see David Shackleton’s post this month– it’s another interesting take on Thrive)
On Saturday, Jan 14, we had our first movie & potluck evening after the monthly open house talk, this time on holistic dying — which was well attended by an open-minded group who offered much touching and inspiring input.
The movie we chose was Thrive, made by Foster Gamble of the rich and famous Proctor and Gamble company, and he spent almost 10 years making it. His original question was why we weren’t thriving as a species in spite all of our creativity and potential.
Well. . . turns out we were in for a classic conspiracy theory presentation, how the richest families in the world control everything from money to energy to agriculture, education and medicine with the goal of ultimate world domination, complete with eugenics and plans to deplete much of the world’s population. Not to mention the suppression of all challengers to the status quo, including alternate energy systems and alternate healing. It ended with the thrivemovement.com website and suggestions for nonviolent change in the world.
Over our potluck we had a discussion about the movie and our responses to it. Interestingly enough, no one doubted that this scenario was true, however there were varying positions on it, from having to fight back to realizing that we are all part of the picture and needing to take responsibility for our piece of the puzzle first and foremost.
Personally I have been aware of this hidden agenda since I was a teenager. I remember being in Chile teaching children to ski the summer I turned sixteen, when there happened to be an armed coup, which I got to see first hand. On returning home, I was shocked to read a totally different story in the media and through some adults who had connections beyond the mainstream, was able to discover why the United States would manipulate the news in this direction, in their favour.
This was in combination with being aware of how modern medicine totally ignored and suppressed natural medicine in the name of profits and control — given that there were three generations of homeopaths and naturopaths ahead of me — and already some pretty clear exposures of this situation in German, my first language.
This early awareness led to an existential crisis, depression and not knowing where to turn as a young person. Everything seemed to feed back into the system! It took a decade or two to develop my own strategy of how to rally myself in the face of what looked like a hopeless situation. A big part of that was my spiritual training, which taught me that the most important thing I could possibly do was to develop my higher and deeper faculties.
So I see working at creating the EcoWellness Centre as a framework for doing my personal work, purifying my ego and allowing some deeper wisdom to emerge. I must say that the outside work is a lot easier than the inner, however the glimpses I get of the light behind the clouds convince me of the strength of our inner selves. As long as we are still living from a position of fear and competition, we are affirming the powers that be, no matter how we might clothe ourselves in alternative philosophies and lifestyles.
And the movie reaffirmed this position. But it was based on escalating the “Us versus Them” opposition that is getting us in trouble in the first place. I agree that it is important to be aware of how things work and don’t work in order to guide us in our choices of how we vote, school our children, heal ourselves and even contribute thoughts to the human mind field. However, I still maintain that the most effective action we can take is to open our hearts. This is contagious and helps to move our species closer to the tipping point more than anything else we can do, at least in my humble opinion. . .
The movie yet for next month’s Free Events Open House Day, Feb 25, is Food Matters, starting at 3:30 — before then will be a natural health talk on Osteoporosis from 1-3pm — we hope you’ll join us for an entertaining afternoon/evening of sharing food and good talks!
This spring will bring with it some great new beginnings, but also, the regretfully somewhat early end to my time here at Carp Ridge Natural Health Clinic.
I came here to start my career with the support of Dr. Willow’s mentorship (I felt I needed some wisdom to balance my fresh-out-of-school perspective!) I found this and so much more here.
I found a place to nourish my own soul, living closer to the earth in my little cabin made of straw bales surrounded by the beauty of this land. I found the opportunity to contribute to the further education of new naturopaths that will follow in my footsteps with the development of the Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre Residency Program to leave in my place.
Beyond all I am learning from Dr. Willow, I have found my most profound teachings have come directly from each of you, my patients, who have allowed me the privilege to join you on your healing journey. It has been an inexpressible honour to work with each one of you.
At the end of March 2012, I will be leaving Carp Ridge Natural Health Clinic to return to my hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan where I will be stepping in to cover the maternity leave of my first Naturopathic mentor. I feel so blessed with the incredible opportunities I have found laid before me in this past year.
Although I had originally planned to stay at Carp Ridge for as long as I was useful in keeping the office warm awaiting Dr. Kealy Mann’s return from maternity leave, my experience has told me to take a good opportunity when it feels as right as this one does.
For your continued care, Dr. Mann will be adding Fridays to her gradual return to work by mid-March. Then, by the fall, if not sooner, Carp Ridge Natural Health Clinic will be infused with more fresh ND energy with the arrival of the first official resident!
I will not yet officially say goodbye, because I am still looking forward to the next couple months that we still have together!
In health,
Laura Stark ND
from Cindy Fleming, healthy food consultant at Carp Ridge Natural Health Clinic
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), although thought by many people to be a grain is actually a grain-like vegetable similar to buckwheat and amaranth.
It is a wonderful food for vegetarians and for those looking for healthy sources of protein — its protein contains healthy amounts of all the essential amino acids. People with food sensitivities or allergies should know that it’s gluten-free. It is also an excellent source of iron and magnesium and is a good source of many of the B vitamins, calcium and phosphorous.
Quinoa is cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes. It has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to rice or couscous.
Historybit: Cultivated in South America for more than 7000 years, quinoa was considered sacred and called “chesiya mama,” (mother grain) in the Quechua language.
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TIPS:
- Rinse quinoa before cooking it to remove the soapy, bitter coating. Quinoa takes about 15 minutes to cook and is done when you can see the curlicue in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite.
- Use it as a bed of grain for bean or vegetable dishes in place of rice
- Use it to make pilafs with nuts and dried fruits
- It’s great for stuffing vegetables
- Make tabbouleh-style salads with it. Add diced crisp vegetables, fresh tomatoes, and minced herbs. Toasted pine nuts add a delicious touch
- Just use it simply, as a nutrition-boosting side dish
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Here is a recipe to try:
Simple Quinoa Pilaf with Peas and Almonds
Serves: 4 to 6
- 3 cups vegetable stock, or water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 1/2 cups raw quinoa
- 3 to 4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning (like Spike or Mrs. Dash)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
Bring the water or stock to a simmer in a large, heavy saucepan. Rinse the quinoa well in a fine sieve. Stir the quinoa into the boiling water along with the onions and seasoning blend. Cover and cook at a gentle but steady simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the peas and olive oil, then season to taste with salt. Transfer the pilaf to a serving dish and scatter the almonds over the top. Garnish with parsley if desired.
by David Shackleton
(David can be reached at david@integraldesign.org)
It sometimes seems that the theme of my life has been discovering all of the ways that we can be out of balance (often by living that way myself), and how to recognize them. Since I consider that human maturity is primarily about balance, I am beginning a monthly column about balance. Each month I will consider a different aspect of this endlessly interesting phenomenon.
This month’s offering is sparked by my attendance a week ago at the CREWC ‘Free Events Day’ screening of the movie Thrive. The basic message of the movie was that there exists a hidden conspiracy of elite movers and shakers who for many years have kept us all from thriving. The movie holds these powerful individuals responsible for withholding a cure for cancer as well as technology for boundless, cheap energy which is apparently available to anyone from the very fabric of the universe, and for the western pattern of indebtedness, as well as other things that I can’t remember at the moment.
I happen to know from my own researches that some of these ideas are simply wrong: free energy devices just don’t work — they violate the law of conservation of energy, for a start. And fractional reserve banking, far from being a conspiracy to turn us all into debtors, is simply a way of sharing out a valuable resource (credit) for maximum use, the way we share out other resources (telephone connect time, roads, sewers, etc.) for public use. But this is not my main point here. Rather, I want to point to the basic imbalance of the movie’s stance, and why this is appealing, even seductive.
The implicit (and often explicit) message of Thrive is that all of us have been unwitting victims of this powerful, evil conspiracy of a few of the world’s most wealthy and elite families, and that much of the unhappiness of our lives derives from this. In other words, we are all innocent victims, and all of the responsibility rests with these bad guys. Do you see the imbalance? How could it be true that all of the responsibility was on one side, and none on the other. The idea is implausible at best, ridiculous at worst.
Furthermore, the addiction recovery movement has shown us that recovery from addictive patterns begins when we stop seeing ourselves as victims, and take personal responsibility for our situation. And indeed, surely this must be true in general, not just for addictions. After all, if we believe that we are innocent victims, then we believe that we have no power in our lives, that we are totally manipulated by the actions of others. This is not an attitude which would empower a person to make changes in their life, indeed it is the opposite of empowerment. So why is it so attractive?
The answer, of course, is that it is painless to hold others responsible for our misfortunes, but painful to admit to ourselves and others that we are the authors of our own difficulties. If we find ourselves in debt, as so many do these days, it is pleasant to abdicate all of our responsibility for the decisions that created that situation to a few evil manipulators. And yet we were not powerless, we signed the loans and spent the money. The seduction of victimhood is the seduction of innocence, the flight from the pain of guilt. It is a kind of regression into infancy, to a time when we were indeed innocent and powerless. It is an avoidance of adulthood.
Of course, it is important not to go too far in accepting responsibility, not to martyr ourselves to guilt. For the truth is that we are responsible for our choices, and we are also victims of circumstance and of the many constraints of being human. We owe ourselves compassion as we accept responsibility. We are responsible, yes, but our guilt is understandable and forgivable.
And so I reject the message of Thrive. I don’t know whether there is a conspiracy of wealthy industrialists and bankers, but it doesn’t really matter to me. What I reject is the notion that such individuals have power to shape my life, or to stop me from thriving. The power to thrive is a personal power, and I reject the seduction of innocence offered by the movie’s makers. Rather, I hold myself accountable for the shape of my life, with compassion for the fact that my decisions are not unconstrained, and that often I make poor ones. I am both innocent and responsible. I am both powerless and powerful. This is what I mean by balance.
I want this column to be about balance in many ways. One such way is that I want to be both teacher and student, both aware of what I know and equally aware that I have much to learn. Feel free to correspond with me if you feel moved to, whether you wish to agree or to disagree, whether you have questions or can offer correction to me.
Must RSVP to the clinic,
613-839-1198, by March 12th! Space is limited.
Cost: $235/person $450/couple (must pay before Mar 12th!
Simple overnight accommodations available, or participants can commute.
What is holistic cleansing & why should I do one?
It is cleansing & detoxing on all levels, physical, emotional, mental, energetic and soul. We will explore the theory and experience tools for purifying ourselves in all of these areas gently, slowly and according to our body types, lifestyles, stress levels and current health.
Everyone is welcome, no matter what your background or knowledge about cleansing. You can use this retreat to take your next step from wherever you are. If you practice Lent, this is a perfect fit!
Preparation for a cleansing retreat
It is best to start gently improving one’s diet before the actual retreat in order to have the best experience. If people want guidance on this, they can sign up with Cindy Fleming for a food sensitivity and supplement test and suggestions on how to modify your meals and lifestyle in preparation for the retreat. Or book with one of the naturopathic doctors at the clinic for a more in-depth assessment of how to start cleansing for your current health status.
Schedule:
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Friday
5pm: arrive and settle in to your lodging if you are staying overnight; meet other participants over a cup of relaxing tea and unwind from the week
6pm: delicious dinner—you won’t even notice you are cleansing or that we have eliminated wheat, dairy, caffeine, animal products and refined sugar for the whole weekend! Our retreats are renowned for their cooking
7pm: opening circle; introductions; where we are at and what we intend; identifying everyone’s body type for reference over the weekend
9pm: early bedtime opportunity
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Saturday
7am: cleansing the mind with simple meditations; basics you need to know to keep progressing; pitfalls to avoid; when not to meditate; supports
8am: delicious and satisfying breakfast according to your constitutional type and cleansing level
9am: one of your two theory classes on cleansing; intriguing, motivating and fun!! useful for the rest of your life. . .
10:30am: gentle movement &/or relaxation, depending on your energy level and desire; either yoga, qigong or walking in the woods
12 noon: another delicious meal and break where you can receive extra therapies like massage, craniosacral, lymphatic drainage, reiki and several other modalities which will be offered closer to that date
2:30pm: emotional cleansing with art, nature and gently tuning in to where we are blocked and learning how to release without retraumatizing ourselves
4:30pm: break to rest, receive therapies, chat or journal
6pm: a light yet satisfying dinner (by now your appetite will probably be waning as our hidden cleansing agenda takes hold!)
7pm: cleansing on an energetic level using sound and other enjoyable activities
9pm: another early bedtime if you choose to use it
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Sunday
7am: cleansing for the soul in ways we can all easily take part and continue at home
8am: breakfast
9am: second theory class on simple cleansing in everyday life; lots of safe and easy tools to take home and experiment with; resources for going further
10:30am: another movement session with choices
noon: our final meal together with a delicious dessert!
1pm: closing circle; often the best part of the retreat; what we learned; what we intend when we go home; further resources and support for continuing the process
2:30pm: go home and gently get ready for the work week if you are working; time to process what you have experienced without rushing
