Health Care

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Dorena

I have had a number of interactions recently that have prompted me to view the differences in how I approach health and how other people approach health. I am curious about what motivates us to choose our way of caring for our health. Consider these four interactions that occurred yesterday.

I started the day meeting with the founder of an intensive counseling program. We were discussing the possibility of me offering services (Access Consciousness Bars and/or ThetaHealing) as part of their program. Although it did not come up in the short conversation, I was acutely aware that their website claims their program is “evidence-based” and if you read my earlier post, you know that I believe the best therapy may not be the one with scientific validation.

After my meeting I headed to the bunny rescue to help clean cages. I had a nice conversation with the caretaker. She fosters/owns 21 bunnies, many of them with health issues raging from broken legs to abscesses. She talked about treating a rabbit with an antibiotic resistant staph infection, another with paresis and how she was treating “head tilt” successfully with antibiotics.

Later at home I had a client that mentioned having an emergency appendectomy after a urgent care scan revealed a swollen appendix. We also talked about a surgery in a friend that resulted in pain so severe it couldn’t be controlled by morphine.

It wasn’t until the final conversation that I got how different I am. First, given the symptoms my client mentioned I would not even thought about going to urgent care. I would have started treating the symptoms at home. Further, if I did find out my appendix was swollen, I would not have automatically opted for an appendectomy. I would have looked for the cause of that and treated the physical aspects with herbal medicines and the non-physical with intuitive insight and energy. I don’t rule out mainstream medicine, but it usually is not the best choice for me.

I was also surprised about the friend with the severe post-op pain. I wondered, “Why didn’t he call?” Energy work is quite effective at relieving pain and, if that doesn’t do it, ThetaHealing or acupuncture are also good options. Of course, I probably would have tried other alternatives before the surgery he chose as well.

All this got me thinking about the bunnies and the choices the bunny rescue makes in regards to the health care of their animals.

I have been thinking about adopting a rabbit. However, the contract is too restrictive. The line, “You should take your rabbit to the veterinarian for a yearly check-up” clearly makes me a “bad” pet owner if I do not take my pet to a veterinarian. It also suggests that there is only one good way to care for pets.

I am reminded of a time when Chispa, my chihuahua mix, was attacked by a larger dog in a trail head parking lot. The other dog had taken her by surprise when he jumped out of the window of his car to get what might have looked like a squirrel to him. Upon inspection she was free of open wounds and I thought she would recover from the fright. However, she began to limp soon afterwards. I thought she might have bruised her hind quarters and it would resolve. A few days later, she was still holding her rear leg up when she walked. A thorough inspection of the leg led me to conclude that there was no injury. She felt no pain when I palpated it and she had full, pain-free range of motion. I suspected some sort of pinched nerve.

I never thought to take her to the veterinarian. When it did not resolve within the week, I called a friend of a friend who is a pet whisperer. At first Glen Philips could not find the problem. All he “saw” was an old injury on the other leg that she had when I let her move in with me. When I told him I thought the issue was located nearer the spine he was able to “see” the pinched nerve.

What happened next blew me away. Now, keep in mind, Glen is at home and we are talking on the phone. Glen tells me he is moving the nerve from where it is being pinched. In the next moment, Chispa gets up on her back legs and puts her front paws on my lap. This is the first time she has put weight on the leg in a week. Amazing! Where do I send the check?!

Why would I take her to the vet? I do not think mainstream medicine is necessarily the highest form of care. I also know that the results we get with whatever form of medicine we chose are not based on the medicine. Medicine has no self-existent power. The results are based on our own beliefs, subconscious programs and what we are thinking. Hence, I would not say my way is best. I just know it is best for me. I also know that each person knows within themselves what is best for them.

So, I’ll bite my tongue and allow people to choose surgery or pain or pharmaceuticals. I will continue to choose magic and natural products. Sure, I am crazy. It is nice having the freedom to be so.

Kali Transforms TESLI

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Dorena

The six foot Kali Mandala glowed magnificently under the influence of a black light last night. One of the participants, Kayt Gordon, called the mandala “off the wall” – literally – as she kept seeing it transform, leap off the wall, and enter the circle as another participant while us humans meditated with movement and dance.

Here is the daytime view. Kali Mandala on the new sound wall that Bob and I installed this last week. Much less noise from the neighbors industrial HVAC unit.

With the break of dawn today, I took down the masterpiece who’s creation consumed my time this past week. I was reminded of the sand mandalas created by Tibetan Buddhists – medicine that captures an energy that is meant to be used and what remains is allowed to pass away.

Originally my plan was to move the sacred art into my healing room. This morning, I contemplated and alternative plan. I could just leave it on the wall to fade in the sun. That felt good. However, I finally decided that I would put it on the front of the house where more people could enjoy it. That will take a little effort – the house is made of stucco and not as friendly to work with as wood, but I have a plan.

The next Goddess Wisdom event will be on December 26th. We will be celebrating Hestia, the goddess of eternal light and the hearth. Mark you calendars. I sense another mandala will be there to bless us all.

Goddess Wisdom Series

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Dorena

The Goddess Wisdom Series begins its 2015-2017 season this Saturday with a Kali Ritual/Circle. (More information and RSVP.) The intention of the series is to use sacred ritual to create change, transformation, and greater ease in the lives of the participants. Much of our actions in the world are controlled by subconscious reactions and programming that we often cannot simply force into alignment with our conscious intentions. An effective way to move the subconscious is through the use of sacred ritual.

While it is possible to attend each circle as a stand-alone event. The series is designed to allow people to use the support of the divine feminine to create transformation in their lives. Each event builds on the previous and flows into the subsequent.

The series begins with Kali, because often times it is more effective to build a new reality after clearing away the obstacles to change and discarding the old. Kali is the goddess that removes obstacles to spiritual progress. During this time when the veils between the worlds is the thinnest we will use the powerful transformative energy that Kali brings to facilitate the removal of confusion, attachments, and deep rooted dsyfunctional habits.

One can come to the Kali event ready to release whatever needs to go in order to be ready for the generative stage of creation or can use the event as a spring board for releasing work that will continue in the days and weeks after the event. If you can not make the event, this is a good time to join us energetically and do your own ritual ato home.

Then, on December 26th, we will have the festival of Hestia, the goddess of eternal light. After our releasing work is complete we are ready to kindle that light within us. During the darkest part of the year we will use the energy of Hestia to allow self-nurturance penetrate to our deepest core. (More information and RSVP.)

As the days grow longer again we will celebrate our creative energy and begin to institute our changes with Brigit on Jan 30, 2016. Brigit is the Celtic goddess that rules over computer programming, other high arts, and healing. Her energy will help us transform our vision into reality on the physical plane.
March 26, 2016 is the festival day of the great Bodhisattva Quan Yin (Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit). On our path to actualization we may find that deeper work is needed to get the results we want. Here we will call upon the goddess whom “hears all the calls of the world” as a powerful allay to aid in resolving past trauma and resentments so that we can know the true peace that comes with detachment, acceptance and the realization of our interconnectedness.
In the remainder of 2016 and into 2017 we will continue our celebrations with Mother Mary, Futura, Mandarava, and Venus.