Confessions of a Yoga Practitioner, Part 1.

Discovering the path I was born to travel.

At some point between age 14 and 16 yoga came into my awareness. It both fascinated and intimidated me. Asceticism and self-discipline were the words that stood out. Born in the early '70s to parents raised in Texas, USA, there was little for me to draw on, though it seemed to me that these words also described the life of Christian monastics. On first glance I saw that the background culture of yoga is polytheism, thus I remember it being labelled "heathenism".

I was deeply pulled toward spiritual life, but remember thinking that I wanted to try out other options first. I believed that devotion to God was an exclusive proposition. Sex for pleasure rather than as spiritual communion struck me as non-devotional. A career that was not of direct service to humanity, travel for leisure rather than a pilgrimage... these seemed the epitome of worldliness. Somehow I knew that it would never be too late to follow the spiritual path, so I would try as much of the social norm as I could take.

The transition from high school to college gave me an opportunity to do just that in the most awkward of ways. Coming from a childhood marked with a series of unsettled transition beginning around 9 years old, my attempt at gaining status and standing was an extremely bumbling pursuit. Though very natural for my peers, a "conventional" career path didn't last me all the way through my twenties. It felt like a lie, and everyone around me knew it. I was fascinated by ancient wisdom, longed to experience earth-based ceremony, to touch the Higher Mind. Nature-based healing techniques pulled my interest. The Hermit and Hierophant archetypes fascinated me, both solitary, wandering mystics. 

Just before the mid-point of my junior year in college a homeopathic remedy (a "constitutional dose")  brought me home with a crash. After my fourth yoga class ever the remedy kicked in and I could no longer pretend to be part of the mainstream. The truth of me could not be ignored: the academic world would crush my soul. In my heart I knew that my life was meant to serve others, and I could not pour myself into any study found in the halls of academia. I left a full-tuition scholarship with all my possessions, including pocket sized Tao Te Ching & Bhagavad Gita, to embark on self-study.

I soon came to martial arts. Right away it became clear that this is a practice of discipline. My soul perked up when I heard "if you want to make progress, practice three hours on your own between classes", guidance that echoes the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: progress will be seen in proportion to the level of effort given to it. I continued to travel but learned martial arts avidly. I took all free and introductory classes I came across, gathering fragments of different arts, and practiced them in a park.

Self-study eventually required funding. I got a job waiting tables in Harvard Square, Boston. Divine Grace opened my awareness to the Boston Shiatsu School after a year of passing directly below it from a taekwondo school to the restaurant. It was 1997. Thus began my commitment to Shiatsu Bodywork, the earthly partner of my Spiritual Path.

Sometimes I think about what a "hot mess" I was during these days. I tried to be a "good person", but was emotionally volatile, easily triggered, and identified more with the archetypes of science fiction than any human in society. As I moved around the country I encountered people who had stabile homes, lived near their families or close to childhood people and places. This was totally foreign to me. I didn't know how to behave in society. Seriously, I had no understanding of social politeness, and I'm fairly certain I was the wildcard at any gathering.

My friends didn't know what to expect from me. My constant companion was a sketchbook, which I schlepped everywhere to unload the contents of my subconscious. Anyone who asked about it was given access to it. It was the only way I knew to communicate with myself.

Martial arts helped me find focus, acknowledge the effect I had on others and learn to follow. Shiatsu pulled me out of aimless wandering and started the long process of becoming a person. It was not only a safe landing place, it was the school I had been seeking. I began to see the deep and wordless journey I had been on.

To be continued....

Part 2.

Blessings,

Christian

Take-aways from September 2024 travel

At the Shiatsu College:

Dragon mural on Red Lion Road, Norwich, England. 

I cannot overstate how wonderful it is to be among colleagues. Especially in the context of having been on travel and not being able to do the Shiatsu practice for 3 months, it is refreshing to experience the knowledge coming through me on a reflexive level. Cat Woodward is simply gifted in front of a group, albiet these are very enthusiastic learners, she has a comfort level in her own body that models the concepts she conveys. Basti Deans has a variety of the same that continually confirms my belief that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is based on reality. Clearly there are as many ways of being an effective Shiatsu Practitioner as there are people who practice Shiatsu.

At Philippa's Ashtanga Nirvrta training:

The message hit home that the most correct form is the best form at all times. In the past I have allowed myself a few repetitions of the Sun Salutation to "warm-up" with and take three breath cycles in Extended Side Angle B to let the space sink in. Nope. Philippa insisted that I find the exact form immediately. This teacher has more than 30 years invested in her practice and is onto the 5th Series. (I've been seriously working on the 2nd Series for almost 7 years.) How much more credential do I need to trust her to guide my practice? With Philippa's adjustments every day my practice, body and mind fee better.

Philippa Asher in Downward Facing Dog.

Landing in Portland:

This gave me time to dive into the new yoga material at Near East Yoga and deepen my connection with that community. Casey Palmer excells in his understanding of yoga philosophy. He teaches aspects of Ashtanga that are not commonly found in yoga shalas including immersion into the Yoga Sutras. Being able to spend any time in his shala is worth the trip and even worth the awkward practice hours. He's not currently staffed enough to hold a 4-hour Mysore practice window, but I saw the glimmer of an assistant-in-training.

Before leaving the Pacific Northwest:

I stopped into K2 Gym, a hidden gem in Everett, WA, featuring Jiu Jitsu, Boxing and Kettlebell Sport training, owned by Saiko Shima-Kolser a former KB Sport student. She set up a 75-minute time for me to teach Recover Smarter. I created this class specifically for her people, distilling the essence of my Ashtanga learning into anatomical terms and experiencial exercises. The class was a hit, opening the door for more visits and classes in the future. Saiko also asked for me to develop of a stretching routine for her younger athletes to do after training. I'm hoping to return to her gym with more information in the later part of January next year.

I want to skip over the car accident that happened in Spokane, WA, but the take-aways there are so rich it's not possible. Whether it was my fault for not stopping at an unfamilliar uncontrolled intersection, my impatience to return to Missoula and blind trust that another person would yield, or simply the Universe forcing me out of the idea that My Plan is the one that's going to happen, my car was hit in the back passenger door to the extent that the right rear tire was bent on the axel and the side airbag went off. I spent Sunday through Thursday of that week unravelling the emotional impact (no physical injury to myself or the other driver) and finding out just how the insurance claim process works. 

My metaphorical surfboard was made of Grace. The person who had let me stay in her spare room for the stop-over from Saturday to Sunday still had that room available for me during the next week. She also has a two-car driveway that my crushed Little One is occupying while it's fate is being determined. By the time I started looking for another car my surfboard became Faith, and this is what happened. By Wednesday I was looking for another vehicle, Thursday I found a replacement in Couer d'Alene, Idaho, and on Friday October 11th a loan officer at Clearwater Credit Union made the paperwork happen to get that car paid for. Because the car I had just bought wasn't ready that day, I loaded a rental car with most of my posessions and drove back to Missoula.

It was a stunning event. Not even knowing if the insurance company is going to declare my car a total loss is part of the amazingness of it all. I have returned to Missoula to get my stuff into the new home I arranged before leaving. Also, there was a world-wide walking meditation scheduled for Saturday morning, and I absolutely needed to attend. The folks who befriended and let me stay at their rustic cottage offered that place again, not knowing any of what was happening to me. At the beginning of the meditation, the leader declared "This one is for The World! It's a New World!" As I breathed and visualized, I knew that there will be nothing the same in my present or future life as what was with me upon leaving Missoula on September 15th.

It is now October 18th. I've been in Missoula for a week. It's been a busy time setting up a free class at the library, connecting with yoga and bodywork community and looking into future classes that I can offer both locally and away. The insurance debaukle is still unresolved as the insurance adjuster is out of her office until next Monday.

England trip travel notes

 Norwich, the largest city in Norfolk County, East England

Right off the plane I boarded a train to Norwich (Nor'ich makes it so the conductor doesn't give you a double-take). Exited the train and immediately smelled the place in vivid color. Monty Python depicted the smells very well, in period style, of chamber pots and food scraps being tossed out of windows onto the street. Conjures something like that.

Once I found the Air BnB, a Tesco (more later on this) and located an Apple store to get an electrical socket adapter, I slept 10 hours.

The next day, multiple discoveries:

• It's the place where the classic rural English accent must originate. Farmers Market = Fahmas Mahket, Castle = Cahsel, City Center = Ci'y Centa. Recall the old movie Labarynth, "tha' way goes strait to the cahsel."
• The place was built by and for horse carts, thus resembles our New England towns, ie. many spokes rotating around a central hub (Ci'y Centa & the Cahsel) created by concentric spirals. Ergo there are no straight roads.
• Food smells, especially pastries, are akin to road signs indicating when it's time for that meal.
• As the county market seat, it also is home to some 54 churches or cathedrals (two of them pictured below). This type of archetecture on cobble stone pathways is the style of Norwich.

Rather than turn on GPS and follow my phone, I decided to pull up a map on my laptop and study it in sections. When I got lost I would sit on a stoop, pull out the computer and reorient. In this way I learned some visual landmarks and main roads. ie. the football stadium, the hill up to the castle, Prince of Wales & Rampant Horse Streets.

A good deal of hill walking every day, some of them quite steep! Pedestrian ways abound in Norwich. Every few blocks a little segment of a map is posted to orient people, as many destinations include streets that turn off at irregular angles, or are actually more like alleys.

London, third largest city in the World
London, huge. Emerging from the Underground/Tube after four-and-a-half days on foot in Nor'ich, I immediately felt the modern vibe, ie concrete sidewalk. A bit more space between stinkiness, but still very present smells.

I had reserved my entire London stay in one of the YHA hostels. Due to human error, I ended up getting moved to a different location, which turned out to be much better proximity to the yoga training and several blocks away from the bustle.

If Norwich has the homogenous, east country accent, London has all the rest of the accents applied to the English language. Like from all other countries and parts of the UK. Employees/volunteers at the hostel gave me the most impressive concert of nationalities I could have found anywhere.

My yoga training was in the highly-touristed Central London where in one block I might hear 3 different languages. Once I figured out how to walk to the yoga venue I was able to start exploring. In London, between two points a mile and a half apart there are infinite routes.

Within the first few days I made a few discoveries:

• Because my 5-day training started each day at 7am and ended when I completed my yoga practice (around 9:30am), I saw several different "Londons": the early-day-no-stores-open London, when the public works employees were cleaning up from the night, morning deliveries arriving. Few other people on the streets, just a few cars; after practice was the late-breakfast-early-museum London, when lines in cafés and tour groups were happening. Mostly tourists, public works employees on the many construction jobs, and a few locals, who stood out by their annoyance at the slow-moving lost visitors. (One evening I saw the mid-dinner-early-bar London, when the "scene" crowds were gathering for the night. The streets smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. Unabashedly slow-moving crowds.)
• A city of many nationalities, major thruways that strongly resemble alleys, beloved park-like squares, double-decker busses, milling crowds, it's amazingly pedestrian-centric.
• Free museum tickets available online! Most museums offer free collection access with a few select exhibits requiring payment. Though tickets are not required, without one the lines are long. I visited the British Museum, the Portrait Museum and Tate Modern.
• The self-catering kitchen is one of the benefits hostels. I was able to buy and prepare fresh food every few days. With the purchase of some super cheep storage containers, it was easy to stay close to my preferred diet.

Food in London
Grocery stores = are everywhere. Tesco is the easiest to find, maybe 4 blocks apart in some places. Low in price and quality. Sainsbury's Local is a step up and present in every neighborhood, while Marks & Spencers (M&S) Foodhall has the greatest variety, quality and are fewer/farther between.

The "made without gluten" selection = are built-in to grocery stores and proportional to the store's stock. Restaurants included dietary need initials (V, NF, GF, DF) and a key on the menu.

Cafés and Bakeries = everywhere. A croissant can be had at any one, but each has a unique selection of other pastries, pies, cakes and savories.

International cuisines = countries I haven't heard of are represented in Central London food. Certainly European, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Mexican... it's a mecca for someone with an adventurous palette.

Clotted cream = The American Keto Culture is missing out big-time. This is very minimally processed rendered milk fat. It's delicious, and isn't part of the American diet because of pasteurization (it is made with fresh milk). There are two main dairy regions in the UK that source the entire country.

Places beyond Central London

• Trafalgar Square. The large plaza surrounding the fountains was filled with Hare Krsna devotees on the Sunday I first saw it, a huge line around the block to get into The National Gallery art museum. The second time I walked through it was blocked off for a movie being filmed in the plaza. This is a place of transit, hardly any touristy things, not even a Tesco.
• Hyde Park Corner. On the day I happened into this area there was a Gay Pride rally. Very cool to see the London gay and trans youth decked out. Seems that the trend is goth meets S&M, by the way. And rainbows everywhere.
• Regent Park. Once I finally walked the other direction from Central London, the next place north is Regent University and the lovely public park. The only place I had to pay (20p) to get into a toilet. After a particularly sweaty practice at Ashtanga Yoga London I went to this park to get fresh air and let my clothes dry out.
• Camden Town is where one of the Triyoga locations sits. I was able to connect with some of the teachers there briefly before wondering farther into the city center, which is an absolute hipness bonanza. Canal-front multi-storied shops, eateries and general touristy gear. This is what Boulder would like to be but never can. The marajuana and psilocybin culture is well-tended here.

Cool and fun moments

Caffé Nero in Norwich City Center. Once I had slept and found the Apple store, I needed a place to sit, charge up and get online. The ladies at this specific shop were just lovely! It was my first scone and butter (clotted cream not available), and a green tea as rich as could be.

The Farmers Market stalls in Norwich are a fun little catacomb of shops that I would certainly visit again.

The health store in Norwich, known by fellow shiatsu students. It wasn't on my map at any resolution. This is what confirmed in my mind that Diagon Alley, from Harry Potter books, is a real place. I felt this little nook actually did open and close in the spaces between doors. They sell 100% Dark (Real) Chocolate in multiple flavors! I got Orange and Cocoa Nibs, and plain.

My bunk mate at the Central London hostel. We both arrived the same day, Laura is an American Mid-Westerner who had arrived for a month-long Shakespeare workshop. We hit it off right away and for the 5 days she stayed kept tabs on each other's daily activities at the beginnings and ends of days. She is still there. We've exchanged an email, and I hope we can continue to correspond.

Healing & Cleansing Part 3

The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

I encountered the above axiom in a movie about someone overcoming excessive substance use. It is quite pertinent to the subject of cleansing, especially when improved health is the anticipated outcome. 

If you've read all the way through parts 1 & 2 you may be wondering if I'm going to leave the story a cliffhanger. This is the third act, where something unexpected enters the picture: Intuition.

An aside for context. Carolyn Myss was an inspiration for me in the first few years of my Shiatsu practice. She was the first person I encountered (in 2002) who talked matter-of-factly about Energy Medicine, the chakras and the reality that mental/emotional conditioning can cause undiagnosable health concerns. I saw her, a Medical Intuitive, as a spokesperson for the reality I was living. In a 2017 TED talk  she acknowledges that there isn't proof that our small daily choices effect our health, but asks the audience to "listen with your heart and your gut, and see if it doesn't settle well there like good chicken soup."

It is the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere for life to cleanse itself, this last installment of Healing & Cleansing is intended to pique the intuition. To call out the deep mammalian sense of knowing that the opportunity to let go of any excess is now, and to trust that the space created in that release will become an avenue for positive change. This is a deliberate shift from healing as the first priority (something has happened to draw complete focus to the health), to cleansing as a method to prevent ineffective habits from building into bigger issues.

Fall Cleansing can be done on any and all levels. Be it literally cleaning house, clearing through mental/emotional turbulence, or switching less nutritious foods for more nutrient dense options. Best to do this well ahead of the holidays/cold season, when the energy of change is all around us. We can move easily in and out of doors to shuttle materials away from and into our homes. And to take some of our mental/emotional conundrums out for fresh air and motion.

Start where you have the most understanding of what will improve your health. Meaning, if it's obvious to you that there is too much sugar and not enough vegetable content in your diet, make a shift in this respect. If you need intellectual proof to help change your thinking, then start a research project. Reach out to a therapist if you know emotions are the hardest barrier. Then find ways to make these changes sustainable. Small and consistent changes give our whole being time to adjust to new experiences.

Acknowledge what you can control now. Because you may not have had complete control over what originally compromised your health. We all make use of strategies to stay intact through potentially damaging times. However these survival tactics need to be reevaluated as soon as danger is passed. In the natural world, our fellow mammals all have methods to shake off trauma and reground themselves. We humans seem to have lost this impulse, but it's still necessary.

Hand-in-hand with this is to admit the truth about strategies that have become bad habits. This may look like statements of ownership such as "I got into the habit of eating convenience foods when I didn't have time to make my own lunch," "I used to let myself overthink situations when I had less security at home," "I let one side-track derail my entire self-care routine," "My thinking became rigid when I was always having to defend my position," etc. This simple act of self-awareness can open a world of new options that would otherwise be unavailable.

Be prepared for the urge to relapse.

• First off, remember that 100% is the easiest choice. This takes all the guess-work and anxiety out of figuring out what is "moderation," especially when choosing better food/drink habits.
• Second, recognize that if a habit has been with you long enough to negatively effect your life, it has it's own routine, and will attempt to reestablish that pattern when you're not paying attention. Similar to what most meditation teachers say, simply notice the deviation and return to your present goal.
• Third, have an Anchor always available for the moments when the body/mind/emotions are throwing the craving code so hard you would abandon all progress for that one indulgent moment. An Anchor can be anything. A fidget toy/worry stone in your pocket, a mantra or affirmation, an essential oil, a book, alarm clock set for an earlier time, a new water bottle, literally anything that keeps you in mind of the new habit you are actively establishing.
• Fourth, when you overcome the urge to relapse, applaud yourself! The accumulation of memories in which you chose a healthier route may some day become your Anchor.

This last installment is the most vague because taking proactive steps for health is a very individual process. Each of us has a unique relationship with our intuition. Indeed, intuition is a "knowing" that will guide us to improved health and connection in life. My suggestions are meant to stimulate your internal awareness. Keep listening to your own instinct for health.

By the way, if you watch only the first 7 minutes of Caroline Myss' TEDx some inspiration will arise.

One final note about proactive health. If we do any cleansing act that endures on any level, it will have a positive effect on all other levels of our being. Just try it, you'll see!

May we all be blessed with the grace and courage to experience life in a healthier way,

Christian

Healing and Cleansing Part 2

Continuing with the initial question "Why is healing painful?"

The previously mentioned illnesses and injuries have external causes. Occurrences that leave marks on the body (such as scrapes, burns, bruises, and the like) or can be easily observed as a change in a person's behavior (such as acute toxic/pathogenic invasions or prolonged exposure to extreme weather).

Far less apparent is when a person has come to a "healing crisis" due to gradual and long-term damage.

Causes of a healing crisis are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.

A combination of these is most likely.

On the physical level this is the build-up of residues from mild or moderately inflammatory foods and the consumption of drugs,* physical patterns that are not habitually balanced, and a regular intake of environmental toxicity.

Regarding consumption of inflammatory foods and drugs over a long period, the natural healing industry recognizes disorders generated in this way as "long-term inflammation" conditions. Included are type 2 diabetes, gout, obesity and related disorders, etc.

Concerning unbalanced physical patterns, a common diagnosis given is "over use injury." This is when a person does the same movement or assumes the same posture over such a long period of time that it creates a neuromuscular excess within that kinetic chain. Another related diagnosis is "muscular imbalance." This is given when a person repeatedly uses incorrect physical mechanics to do common tasks. Both of these habits become problematic when the person does not then balance the entire musculoskeletal system and actively pattern correct mechanics. 

The regular intake of environmental toxicity may or may not be avoidable. As one might deduce, this is a regular exposure over time to toxic particles in air, water and food. It's worth noting that sound and light pollution can also congest the sense organs over time.

The most common symptom for long-term physical problems is pain. This could be joint/muscle pain, digestive discomfort, head/body aches, general listlessness, etc. To most people these are completely hidden from an outside viewer, unless an observer is trained to notice pain expressions such as a grimace or limp. Friends and family will notice diminished physical energy, make note that recovery from common illnesses takes longer, and that seasonal concerns get progressively worse over time.

If we regularly analyze and overhaul our habits we can actively change the physical catalysts for long-term inflammation. Some methods are: consume more nutrient and fiber-rich foods than highly processed junk foods (80:20 ratio is a good starting place); habituate daily activities that support physical balance; improve the quality and quantity of drinking water; and remove all unnecessary chemicals from home and work environments.

Changing physical influences will produce a cleansing effect. Although a proactive choice to adjust habits will have a positive effect it is important to not overlook the discomfort of change. When the body is changing its fuel source, even from a poor one to a nutrient rich one, there will be symptoms commonly associated with detoxification. Re-patterning movement will generate soreness in new areas and is very likely to flare up old areas of pain. Organs that have been filtering toxicity will go through a cleansing process once the damaging substance is gone.

Some comfort can be had in knowing that it will take half or less the amount of time to cleanse the body than it did to create the imbalance.

Emotional, mental and spiritual habits need to be recognized and healed for full recovery.

Within the Chinese Medicine system an "internal pernicious influence" is an emotional, mental or spiritual imbalance that a person has allowed for a long time. This is not widely recognized in a scientific model of health, even though a study of brain scans has shown that thinking about an extremely emotional event triggers physiological change within the brain centers. (This is unfortunate because if developmental traumas were recognized in Western Medicine then treatments for them would be more available.)

In my time as a shiatsu practitioner, I've seen that 

1. anything that happens on one level of our being is happening on others, 
2. unless there is a specific event that produced an injury, disorders begin on subtle levels, 
3. when the person in the body takes control of the healing process the prognosis is very good. 

The documentary Heal, by Kelly Noonan Gores, 2017, validated my observations. In it she highlighted researcher Kelly A. Turner, PhD. whose best-selling book Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds, expands on the top 9 factors people have used to completely heal from stage 4 cancer:

The reason I use this specific piece of research is because conventional (scientific) medicine stumbles on cancer. It is seen as congenital and thus unavoidable, an unexplainable auto-immune disorder, and in some cases a result of allopathic protocols, but has not been traced to a non-physical cause within the individual. At least not by "Western Medicine."

Taking control of our own health implies that we stop outsourcing it. Notice that diet, herbs and supplementation are part of the program, but much more of the emphasis is on emotional, mental and spiritual health. Number two, "Taking control of your health," is probably the most challenging mental leap for many people. This will require deep questioning, personal research and a higher level of learning than what is required to acquire an illness.

The placebo/nocebo effects provide valuable information about the power of belief.

The placebo effect is when a subject takes a sugar pill believing it is a medication and subsequently experiences alleviated symptoms as if they had taken the actual medication.

The nocebo effect is when a subject takes a sugar pill believing it is the medication and subsequently experiences negative side effects associated with the actual medication. It is also experienced when a subject is informed of the potential negative effects of a medication that they are prescribed to take. (This second instance is observed in every-day, non-clinical study medical practice.)

Placebo/nocebo effects occur in the "control" group of a study. Meaning, physiological symptoms occur with absolutely no chemical catalyst, rather by the power of suggestion. I see this phenomena as clear evidence that the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects are major components in health. As seen in Dr. Turner's research, these factors can be the most important element to complete health recovery.

Why is healing painful? Because there is no pill to alleviate guilt, shame or resentment.

Each person who truly wants to heal will need to embrace emotional/mental/spiritual imbalances that underly their health problems and take action to change their effects. This necessitates a full-scale personal re-evaluation, real honesty about goals, values and beliefs, acknowledgement of personal responsibility, asking for and giving forgiveness, and a long-term commitment to change.

If it's sounding like a spiritual re-birth then you are following my meaning. The physical process (perhaps 6 to 9 months long) is a mere blip in the scope of rediscovering spirituality, healing life-long emotional wounds, cultivating genuine self-love and creating healthy social connections.

The pain of healing long-term illness is cleansed through tears. Emotional and mental breakthroughs and surrendering to the vast, unified mystery of life is the mountain that must be climbed. Reclaiming Personal Power is the summit. This is not likely to be covered by any insurance plan offered in the US.

One thing our culture has created is the Support Group. This is recognition that inner-being health is initially damaged in relationship (with others and/or with self), and thus requires relationship to find a path to wholeness. 

In nature-based traditions a ceremony or ritual done with an abundance of community support would initiate this sort of healing. In current society we have representatives of these traditions in the form of psychotherapists, mediums, bodyworkers, hypnotherapists, vision quest guides and spiritual counselors. Some practitioners specialize in transformational healing sessions intended to open the whole being to its true nature. I believe that psychedelic-assisted therapies are answering the need to heal from repressed trauma.

The bottom line is that no one heals from long-term disease alone. There will be feelings of vulnerability, groundlessness, humility, sorrow and remorse. And there will also be a flood of positive influences, moral support, success stories and encouragement. Everyone who has succeeded in "saving their own life" will tell you it only feels alone while you are staring at your own navel. When you look up you will see how many people are in the same boat.

We cannot solve a problem using the same thinking we used to create it. This statement is attributed to Albert Einstein, but he most certainly was not the first person to realize it. 

From the bottom of my heart I wish you abundant health and joy!

Christian

* "consumption of drugs" refers to: non-nutritional plant, food or beverage items. These include recreational drugs that can be eaten, smoked or injected, empty calorie foods such as sugary drinks, candy, highly processed meals, and alcoholic beverages. Synthetic drugs, including over-the-counter and prescription medications, are well-known to be sources of inflammation when consumed for multiple years.