Balance

My "Balance" ecoBowl

Balance is my new mantra... Wish me luck!

I spent two weekends in August in New England working on ideas related to energy healing.  First was a series of workshops led by Dr. Miriam Wolf in Putney, Vermont.  Two days of learning and working on healing techniques on many levels - it was eye-opening, challenging, very positive, and centering.  After that great experience, the next weekend, the whole family (it was our anniversary too!) traveled to Exeter, New Hampshire for a little R&R and for me to work with Hilary Crowley, to catch me up in my Reiki master level training.

Both these weekends got me thinking much more about balance and the need to reestablish balance in my life.  I tend to go 110 miles an hour on everything, rather than balancing.  So now I am going to start making a conscious effort toward more balance.  That may mean letting go of some of my preconceived notions of how and when things need to get done, figuring out what it is important to focus on at any given time and what can wait.  I am hoping that this new outlook will be liberating but it will definitely be work for me to let go of some of the old paradigms.  I also have to recognize that it won't happen overnight - it will take time to recalibrate and, in a first step in that direction, I recognize that this is okay.

While in New Hampshire, we stayed at the lovely Exeter Inn - our stay was terrific, the only downside was that our shower, while beautiful, was not designed for tall people (the building is older and space constraints dictated what they could do).  While I worked with Hilary, the boys explored Exeter and then we met up to check out Portsmouth, New Hampshire - which was completely charming.  While there, I happened upon a great shop that had opened up only days earlier called Presence of Nature.  This shop sells beeswax bowls (ecoBowls), the creation of which helps beekeepers (who sell their scrap beeswax to create the bowls).  You use the bowl as a vessel into which you can place all sorts of materials, including air plants, to create a very personal environment (you can buy pre-made versions or create your own with their huge selection of items).  The shop's (and website's) tag line is "No matter what you choose, it's right."  You cannot make a mistake - I love that! When I walked in one of the first things I saw was a small flat stone with the word "Balance" engraved on it - there's a message for you!  I used that as a centerpiece to create my own bowl, which is now in our dining room (see the photo above).

Both weekends inspired me to continue to learn more about different energy healing modalities and to challenge myself to open up my mind to new ways of thinking.  One thing I am now very excited to learn more about is Matrix Energetics, a powerful healing modality developed by Richard Bartlett, DC.   But there are so many other things to learn about as well.  Dr. Wolf introduced me to some amazing books a variety of aspects of energy medicine that I cannot wait to dig into.  Of course, I have to balance all this new learning with the rest of my life!

The "Placebo Effect" -- Not Your Imagination?

The placebo effect has gotten a bad rap. The first line of the Wikipedia entry for placebo states that "[a] placebo is a sham medical intervention." The negative reputation of the placebo effect is based, in lay terms, on that idea that because something is "all in your head," it is a bad thing -- regardless of whether its effect is actually positive. A cynic might say that is because it is hard to bottle and sell the placebo effect.

However, more and more investigation of the placebo effect shows that placebos can have very powerful effects in healing. A recent article online at Wired.com provides a useful history of the placebo effect and its impact on modern medicine. In fact, according to this article, the placebo effect seems to be getting stronger in pharmaceutical trials, which has resulted in more medications failing trials because they are not sufficiently outperforming placebos. Research is being conducted now to explore ways in which the placebo effect can be used therapeutically in the treatment of patients.

But for those interested in energy medicine, the power of the brain to help heal the body is nothing new. The idea that the mind and the body can harness energy to heal and to stay well has long been accepted by practitioners and patients who treat or are treated using energy medicine techniques. The basis of energy medicine is described by Donna Eden on page 1 of her book Energy Medicine: "The first practitioner of energy medicine is you, the one who inhabits the body being cared for. Using the principles of energy medicine, you can optimize your body's natural capabilities to heal itself and to stay healthy."

I am interested in energy medicine generally and I also am a certified Level I & II Reiki practitioner, so it is no surprise that I am a believer in these powerful healing modalities. I have described to many friends the first time that I did Reiki on Henry. Rather than give a "full treatment," I asked Henry where he thought my hands should go. He indicated that the he wanted one hand at the top of his back and one at the base of his spine, which is the area I had wanted to treat. When I placed my hands and began treating him, I felt a strong energy flowing up and down his spine. I did not say anything to Henry though. When I finished, he turned over and immediately said, "Wow, that was like lightening going up and down my back!" Pretty powerful stuff!

Similarly, the mainstream medical establishment is beginning to learn that placebos are powerful healing tools are well.

Wellness for Mom

After too many years of claiming I was going to do something and too many failed efforts, I jumped at the opportunity to try a different approach. My good friend Kathleen Reily is my new guide in improving my health. My work with Kathleen will fit in nicely with the only things for myself I have stuck with lately, Heilkunst – my healing work with the amazing Rudi Verspoor, Dr. Raphael Kellman, Reiki, and EFT – and I don’t do enough of the last two! Kathleen is very devoted to families facing ASD. She has been working with families with special needs for over 20 years in a variety of capacities including as a nutritional interventionist for children with ASD and ADHD. She recently decided to bring her practical and nurturing approach to wellness to a more specialized counseling practice for moms and has developed a six month program focusing on helping moms to better care for themselves in addition to providing nutritional guidance for the children. Having known her as a friend and NAA colleague for awhile, I am thrilled to be working with her as a client.

I am one week into my work with Kathleen and already feeling better. I feel more energetic (even my usual 3:00 slump seems to have disappeared!) and I am making changes I can stick with – I hope. Kathleen is a proponent of picking a few small things to change at a time because all of those small changes add up. I need this approach. My usual approach, left to my own devices, is to jump into something full bore, only to give up because it was too drastic and difficult. Kathleen tempers this in me. She also gives me someone to be accountable to in making my changes. These are things I definitely need. Add to that her knowledge, insight, accessibility and helpful tips and this is winning package!

So, what are my changes this week? I am supposed limit wheat at dinner as much as possible to improve digestion and inflammation. OK, that has actually been pretty easy!

I am supposed to make green smoothies a few times a week… Check! I went to a local health food store for fresh green smoothies from the juice bar while I was shopping for a high-powered blender to make the smoothies at home. I am the proud owner of a new VitaMix (ordered Weds. night and had it by Sat. – wow!) – it has the horsepower of some small cars. I have been making smoothies every day. I toss in all manner of greens and fruit and a minute later everything is mixed into a smooth smoothie – no lumps. I am choosing a green (kale, chard, romaine or some mix), parsley, cilantro, ginger, beet, celery, cucumber, some fresh lemon juice, chilled herbal tea, an apple (and maybe some other fruit). I am endeavoring to use all organic produce and I will mix it up depending on what is on hand and available either from the CSA or elsewhere. I add some maca powder and maybe a few cacao nibs and blend away. Yum. These shakes are surprisingly delicious - honestly. I usually have a hard time eating breakfast and these are a really fast, easy way to have a hit of nutrition at the start of the day and I have no problem drinking them down. I spend maybe 5 minutes the night before putting all my veg in a bowl and each morning I make an extra cup of tea to chill for the next day. In the morning, it is just coring and quartering my apple and dumping stuff in the blender. Super fast!

Next, I was supposed to try to go a few days without coffee this week. I have not had a cup since last Tuesday. I did not mean to stop cold turkey but it seemed to just happen. I am a fortunate coffee junkie – if I stop I don’t get the headaches etc. so this has been a not too difficult switch. I have been enjoying some herbal teas instead, but I am not foreclosing the possibility of a cup of coffee on occasion.

As an unintended benefit of these small changes, I am not craving the Coca-Cola that I know I should not drink, but love anyway. I have only had Coke on one day since I started working with Kathleen. That is probably the biggest and most unbelievable change – and it was not even on purpose.

Finally, on the fitness end, I was supposed to spend 30 minutes on Sunday reacquainting myself with the Wii Fit balance board that I have owned (and ignored) for longer than I care to admit. I put on the EA Sports Active disc and did a workout. I chose medium intensity workout that included running, boxing, kicking the heavy bag, squats, lunges, curls, inline skating, bent rows and other things. It was actually a lot of fun. However, perhaps I should have started off a bit more slowly as my quads have not been happy since Sunday!!!

More about Kathleen…

Kathleen is experienced and knowledgeable about a wide range of healing modalities. She is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Nutrition Consultant and holds a degree in Natural Health Sciences. She also is a Board Certified and Accredited Member of The American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP), with affiliations to The State University Of New York (SUNY). Moreover, she is a certified level 1 and level 2 Reiki practitioner.

To top it off, she is also a trained professional chef and personal chef, having cooked in homes and restaurants in New York, London and California. Kathleen’s cooking is delicious and healthy and she has shared with me recipes and food and I am always amazed. I especially appreciate her recipes that fit Henry’s dietary restrictions but are delicious and elegant enough for any event.

In addition, Kathleen and I are both involved in the NY Metro Chapter of the NAA and serve together on its Parent Mentoring Committee. She regularly attends AutismOne and Defeat Autism Now! conferences. Her website, autismhelpathome.com explains her services in more detail.