Quack Busters

The Pharmaceutical industry (through the "news" media) seems to be stepping up its campaign against alternative medicine. A recent newsweek article attacked Oprah for supporting alternative medicine. Many other articles and stories are surfacing about the dangers and/or ineffectiveness of alternative medicine. This is likely in response to president Obama's upcoming reform of the U.S. Health system. You may be disinterested in politics but, if natural, effective medicine is outlawed or ignored by our evolving system of healthcare, we will have lost an important opportunity to save millions of lives. For a blunt and somewhat entertaining explanation of the conspiracy to eliminate alternative medicine, visit Tim Bolen's Quackpot Watch. Even if all you do is educate yourself, you'll be making a difference.
Stay healthy!
Randall

The role of a healer

What is a healer's role? If faith or belief is all that is required to get well, why go to a healer? If only we can heal ourselves, why go to doctors, counselors, bodyworkers etc.? I consider those to be good questions which could have many answers. The healer can support the client in healing himself or herself. The healer can speed up the process of self-healing. The healer can point the client in the right direction for self-healing. One of the best answers in my opinion is that the role of the healer is to bring awareness. That could be awareness of stress or imbalance in the body. It could be awareness of an organ or body part which is being ignored or denied. It could be awareness of an emotional issue or trauma which is the root cause of the pain or injury. Often it is all of the above. Bodywork (or Touch Therapy) brings awareness to the body through the simple act of touch. Competent bodywork eventually exposes any and all physical stress, imbalance or injury. Bodywork combined with dialogue eventually uncovers any mental or emotional stress, imbalance or injury.
Touch brings awareness.
Touch brings consciousness.
Touch heals.
Sound redundant? Good. Have a great week!
Randall

Free Information

There are abundant resources, many of them free, to help you become healthier and happier. What's holding you back? If you crave information or education, this is your age! I receive several free electronic newsletters. One health related newsletter that I enjoy is from Dr. Mercola (Mercola.com). Of course when something is free, it usually means there are things for sale. We also have to sort through information and sometimes do our own research. I would never advocate trusting any one source completely. I consider these small annoyances to be well worth the excellent health information and interesting articles. See what goldmines of knowledge you can find on the net. My website includes many useful resources on the links page and the research page. Education is one way that you can take responsibility for your own health. Your health is far too important to leave in the hands of doctors.
Randall

Relationships

Are relationships ever easy? I read about ways to make a relationship "healthier" or "deeper" and ways to improve communication but, I never (OK - almost never) see a relationship that is easy. I suppose it is because we human beings are responsible for mistakes, miscalculations and misunderstandings on a daily basis. To expect relationships not to reflect those mistakes is to disconnect our relationships from our humanity (and our reality). We are not always honest with ourselves or with others. We are strongly influenced, even manipulated, by less than conscious drives, urges and addictions. The best of us are constantly working to reduce those influences, change the patterns and better reflect whatever individual ideal we ascribe to. Many others don't have a clue where to begin or even that there is problem. If we look at EVERY relationship as a mirror into our own souls, we can use each one to help identify our own issues, patterns and addictions. Then we can begin to work on accepting those parts of ourselves.
Randall

Quote of the Week

"Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Others call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep."
Lao-tzu