HOW VENUS INFLUENCES YOUR LIFE

“VENUS you make the heavens tremble and the earth quake. Great Priestess, who can soothe your troubled heart? You flash like lightning over the highlands; you throw your firebrands across the earth. Your deafening command … splits apart great mountains.” D. Wolkstein & S. Kramer, Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth

“As they turn, the planets are showing us the mysterious workings of God’s hand, expressed in the harmonious movements of the spheres. Each planet, as it revolves in its orbit, reaches positions where Earth, Sun and Planet form distinct alignment patterns. Only one planet shows us a perfect geometrical form. This form is pentagonal and the planet is Venus. Creating five equally-spaced alignments over a period of eight years, she draws the perfect, hidden and secret symbol of the five-pointed star in the heavens. As above, so below. The very landscape bears the sign of her secret revelation.”
—Key To The Sacred Pattern by Henry Lincoln

The quotes above were taken from http://www.maverickscience.com/venus.htm ”The Many Faces of Venus” , 

AND

http://www.aniwilliams.com/magdalene-venus.htm ”Venus and the Return to Beauty”

It has been documented throughout history by scientists and astronomers and astrologers alike, that Venus definitely seems connected to great catastrophes to the earth.  She has been linked with the great Influenza of 1918, the Sars epidemic of 2003 and possibly even the H1N1 (Swine Flu) 2009.

 Apparently Venus has no magnetic field of her own, so when she passes close to our atmosphere her turbulent ‘emotion-in-action energy’ interacts with the magnetic field of the earth.  Venus can easily sway and control the elements of water, air and fire in her favor.  Many pictures of Venus/Aphrodite depict her as the fire and air of the imagination, floating naked in a conch shell, upon the rippling waves of the seas uncontainable surges. 

In mythology Venus/Aphrodite birth was complex and subtle.  Uranus, her father was cast into the ocean, the unconscious and feeling element prior to her birth.   Born from his genitals, senusal organs, this symbolized her connection with feelings, the power of water, the unconscious and with pleasure.  Almost immediately after being born she rose from the ocean into the air.  I’m sure you’ve all seen the famous painting by  artist Botticelli,  showing Venus rising from the sea called  The Birth Of Venus.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus_(Botticelli)

Astrologically, we’ve come to know Venus as the planet of love and beauty.  But really she is the planet of what you like and dislike.  Venus’ cycle comes into play in our astrological chart around 10 months of age.  After a lifestyle of the ’same stuff’ , we start wanting something else. 

Venus also represents your sense of  ’taste’ what you like and don’t like, and taste is also tied into  early memories of what’s nice and not nice, what’s beautiful and not beautiful as well as our Self Worth and Personal Values. 

Everything that you like and don’t like is a statement of your values.  And your values will depend on how secure you felt with your mother, represented by the Moon in your chart.  Your self value  also has to do with how she loved herself and if she truly wanted kids or not. 

Value and Self-Worth (Venus) also represents how beautiful you ‘think’ you are.  From a Scale of 1-100, how beautiful are you in the morning?  Do you have to enhance it or is your image beautiful just the way you are. 

Like Venus, we all want attention, to be liked and noticed.  It does make a difference when you are liked and you like yourself.  When we don’t get the attention we need it affects our emotions, how we live and our habits (Moon).  How do you eat when you are rejected or don’t feel loved? 

So if we are going to look at Venus in  your chart, we also have to look at the Moon, for the Moon is the primary feminine archetype in astrology and represents your relationship with her which will inflence, all relationships to come.  

“We can understand Venus as describing what we like, sort of what tastes good to us. But like sweet sugar in the mouth, the pleasure it gives is nice, but might not be very fulfilling. The Moon describes what feeds us. Therefore, it is important that we understand the relationship between Venus and the Moon in our natal charts. If the two are in conflict, extra attention may need to be paid to make sure that pleasure feeds us, rather than leaving us undernourished. Someone with Venus in Cancer, for example, might appreciate the cozy and caring aspects of a love affair. But if the Moon is in Aries, space for spontaneity must also be included. This person can be very responsive to the partner much of the time (all other chart factors being equal), but suddenly pull away to reclaim her/his individual space. This can lead to confusion for both partners. It’s really about addressing two very different needs. The difficulty is that Venus and the Moon are close enough in their natures to mislead us into reading one for the other. Liking and needing are not the same thing. The form of love (Venus) and the substance of emotion (the Moon) may or may not be similar for a given individual. ”  by Jeff Jawer http://www.zodiacal.com/articles/jawer/intimacy.htm

Oh and what about your financial stability, that’s a Venus aspect too.  Someone once said Money is one of the greatest spiritual masters on this planet because no one touches it without a change of values…….so all that glitters isn’t gold. 

What happens when you want something you can’t have or spend all your money on a special dress for that unforgettable evening, only to find out someone is wearing the same dress and paid a 1/4 of what you paid.  Will it cause you to reevaulate things?  Will you stay at the party? 

So Venus is about how much you like yourself, how satisfied you are with your life and these all tie into your Self-Worth.  

 to be continued…..

DIABETES – AND THE IMBALANCE OF SWEETNESS IN YOUR LIFE

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which a person cannot metabolize sugar in the blood.  As the levels of blood sugar, known as glucose rise, especially over a prolonged period of years, the sugar becomes toxic to a number of systems in the body, including the cardiovascular system. 

 The cells of our body need glucose to produce energy……AND….the brains only food is glucose.  Glucose needs to be at a certain level for the brain to function normally.  After we eat, sugar levels normally rise in the body triggering a release of a hormone called insulin from cells in the pancreas called beta-cells.  Insulin ‘knows’ how to opens the doors of all our cells in the body, allowing glucose to enter them.  As glucose enters the cells, sugar levels drop off until we eat again. 

 This site http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/overview/ gives a clear and concise overview of diabetes as well as a wealth of information on clinical trials and research. 

 “When people eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into the cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose…….

 TYPES OF DIABETES

 TYPE I DIABETES

 Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection—the immune system—turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live……

TYPE II DIABETES

 The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.”

 METAPHYSICAL CAUSES OF DIABETES

My brother passed away from a Diabetic Coma at the young age of 34.  Like so many who have lost loved ones at an early age, I started searching to understand the energetics of this disease.   Two years after Len’s death, I found myself catapulted into Alternative Healing.  Every person encountered taught me more about the forces and causes behind an illness and how each illness acts upon and affects one’s physical well-being.  Each healing  shared, helped me to recognize what needed to change about myself. 

  

How Others Intuit The Energetics of Diabetes

 “One of the things I have discovered about diabetes is that it requires being in the present. It forces us to be diligent. It requires us to manage our lives – every little tiny thing: food, sugar, sleep/rest, testing, insulin, exercise, treatment options. It requires we take responsibility for ourselves. Our health, our quality of life depends on our ability to act responsibly.” Carolyn Myss

RESPONSIBILITY FOR OURSELVES 

I understand what Caroline Myss is saying, for it is absolutely essential to understand a disease.  Type II diabetes can place major obstacles in your efforts to stay healthy, but this disease can magnify other risk factors, especially  your cardiovascular system and nerves.  Damaged nerves stops us from feeling the sensations of heat, cold, touch and pain.  You may not be aware of the pain that results from the heart not getting sufficient oxygen.  Without this warning singal, you may not be conscious of angina or even heart attack.  Also when sugar levels stay high in the blood, damage can occur in the tiniest blood vessels transporting oxygen to the tissues.  These tiny arteries or arterioles become scared or clogged with cholesterol-containing plague.  

Only YOU can manage your disease,  Of course your doctor will prescribe insulins or oral medications but ultimately it is YOU who must be the one in control on a day-to-day basis.  

There is extensive material on the internet and in books about diabetes.  Take the time to really learn all that you can about your condition.  

The good news is, diabetes can be well controlled.  In both type I and type II, diet and exercise play major roles and are essential as part of your treatment.   Stack the odds in your favor by doing all you possibly can to work with you doctor and bring your diabetes under control. 

The most important element to self healing is the ability to be present with your self.  You cannot begin if you are preoccupied with the past or living in the expectations of future times.  All these do is scatter your ability to focus and  leave you powerless. 

Being in the present  will begin the process of releasing powerful emotions that have been masked or blocked.  It means courageously looking back and inward on a pain originally based on a fear…..an often painful process  we all try desperately to avoid.  AND  when we avoid pain, we experience frustration, anger and exhaustion…..our bodies only get sicker. 

Taking care of yourself requires discipline and focus……it takes alot of courage to nourish and respectfully pay attention to YOU. 

It is your right and responsiblity, as well as your joy to love and be loved.    

“The sugar level in our blood obviously relates to the amount of sweetness and love in our lives and to the opposite, anger and sourness. Diabetes can indicate that the love we are receiving is uncontrollable and excessive, to the point where it is smothering or overwhelming. It is also unusable as it is constantly being eliminated in the urine, thus responding to a sense of loss and inner sadness. In this state there is a great desire for affection and love, yet an inability to know how to act if it is received. This give rise to anger and resentment, a blaming of others for our own inner fear and confusion in dealing with love. The word spleen also means moroseness and irritability. Hypoglycemia indicates the same conflicts with expressing and receiving sweetness, but the conflict leaves an inner depletion and emptiness.” Deb Shapiro

From Louise Hay’s “Heal Your Body”:
“Diabetes (Hyperglycemia, Mellitus):
Probable Cause: Longing for what might have been. A great need to control. Deep sorrow. No sweetness left.
Affirmation: This moment is filled with joy. I now choose to experience the sweetness of today.

Pancreas:
Represents the sweetness of life.
Affirmation: My life is sweet.

Pancreatitis:
Probable Cause: Rejection. Anger and frustration becauuse life seems to have lost its sweetness.
Affirmation: I love and approve of myself, and I alone create sweetness and joy in my life.”

 

DIABETES: Mental Attitude: Refusing to give. Takes the form of deliberately withholding Self from others. Fear of never being able to have enough. Thinking Self does not have enough to give, therefore being stingy with how one gives.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be courageous. You can’t hide your Self forever, and fear is a limitation. Bring the real you out where others can see you. You may find you are a pretty valuable person. Practice giving something away every day to a stranger. It must be a stranger so you will not expect something from them in return. Choose to give to someone you will not see again. This is a place to begin.

Pancreas
Mental Attitude: Desire to give and holding back on this. Fear of losing from giving. Attitude of Self righteousness which is selfishness. Conditionally giving and receiving. Jealousy.
Suggestions for Improvement: Have the courage to reveal the Real you. Give to ten people each day. Find a present for someone each week, a present that is very special and just exactly for that person.   Daniel Condron

EMOTIONAL IMBALANCE AND HEALING

There are many different reasons why illness and disease develop in the human body. And although we have come to know that all illness has its roots in spirit, we cannot simply decide that all people with diabetes suffer psychologically from it the same way.  There are so many extenuating circumstances and conditions that a soul may have experienced, that each illness should be looked at as unique in terms to it’s meaning for each person. Many have written on the meaning of different illnesses, however, it has to feel right to in order for the information to empower you in taking charge of your life. 

Dis-ease, and the circumstances of your life cannot be simply explained away by just telling yourself you’ll love and honor yourself more. The crux of the problem is discovering what prevents you from loving yourself first that needs to be explored.  Once uncovered then you can take your old beliefs and replace them with beliefs that support who you are. 

Reality is created according to our beliefs and feelings about ourselves, the Universe and the Divine. So if a soul identifies with the need to suffer in order to learn, it will see that belief reflected in the reality he/she is in.  In fact all of life is truly an attempt at healing.  We learn more about ourselves and our life on Earth from falling off balance, then finding our way back to balance again.  There is no value to pain and suffering unless it leads to some kind of learning. 

DE-MISTIFYING THE PANCREAS 

Imagine if you could actually plug yourself into a main computer; you’d be able to listen in and discover how the interplay of emotions and feelings affect every cell and organ of your body.  Today we’re going to zoom into the pancreas and discover what could cause low blood sugar or diabetes.   In the next section we’ll look at a couple of case studies and what is needed to balance the sweetness in our lives.

 The pancreas’ main function is to assist in transforming and transporting foods and fluid throughout the body, purifying the blood and chi (lifeforce/energy) in the body. So the pancreas has a nurturing, nourishing energy about it.  

 In Chinese Medicine, the pancreas is paired with the Spleen Meridian.   This meridian is feminine (Yin); its element is Earth, relating this body-centered organ to the archetypical Mother.

For most of us our mother was the first encounter we had with being nurtured and loved, we were dependant on her care.  Constantly we had to watch, anticipate and respond to her needs and wants, trying our best to make her happy. What an emotional rollercoaster!  A smile or a frown can change our perception that the world is safe or dangerous.  And we carried these emotions, these feelings and our ways of coping with them all through our life.

 The brain is the first to record traumatic events and experiences.  When the brain can’t handle the excess stress it passes it on to an organ in the body, which immediately records the emotion.     

 The need to be loved is a secret hunger for the Pancreas.  Eating is a social act that has deep emotional meanings.  Early in life food somehow got mixed up with love and caring — we started eating because we felt undernourished and/or didn’t get enough nurturing. There are also some of us who eat to feed the hungers caused by stress or loneliness. All this has an impact on our pancreas, affecting our energy, our attitudes and blocking our metabolism.

The Pancreas is also extremely vulnerable to intense emotions and feelings caused by a reaction to an outer event.  In fact both the spleen and pancreas react to serious events that can affect us for life.  These two organs absorb most of our severe shocks. 

Emotional shocks felt physically and emotionally by the body are recorded by the unconscious mind in two-thousandths of a second!  Physically we can dress and heal our outer wounds but the memories of the trauma become imprinted in the unconscious mind. When something or someone triggers that memory, it resurfaces activating a rush of adrenalin, fear and stress in our lives.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR AND ITS PROBABLE CAUSES

When writing Daniel Condron’s (intuitive thoughts/feelings/ideas on diabetes and the pancreas, (see above) my mind searched to understand his true meaning.  Words Daniel spoke of, like refusing to give, holding back and selfishness all seemed (to me) to be trapped in a web of ‘Self Interest’.  Most dictionaries describe selfishness  as “an excessive interest in oneself”, or egoism.   But I wanted to go deeper, I wanted to get to the ‘Source’ of how a person becomes selfish in the first place.  How is it they become blind to the need of others?   

We know the pancreas/spleen thrives on being understood, accepted and loved.  When functioning at its fullest, we feel good about ourselves….we give unconditionally to others and experience a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.  

But what happened along the way that the pancreas didn’t get its needs (love, nourishment) met?  Where was it that a person’s normal development of personal power (the ego) got thwarted?  Was it someone very close and dear (a parent, caregiver, teacher) who kept telling them as child they weren’t good enough, smart enough or strong enough to make the grade.  Was the parent(s) emotionally cold, depressed or consistently unavailable?  Perhaps verbal and physical abuse as well?  

 When a mother/parent is emotionally distant, the child soon learns to keep his/her own distance as well.  Rejection from a parent can lead to a child rejecting the parent which can lead to rejecting his/her own life-force.  To survive, he/she numbs their body, numbs their feelings, constricting and minimizing their life energy.  Holding it in, they look and appear independent, others admire their independence, but they are virtually alone in their own world, determined to avoid, at all costs, being vulnerable to rejection.    

The pancreas/spleen is also affected when a person is told over and over  “you’ll never make it”, “you’ll never be good enough”, or is being overly controlled.  Its energy draws in on its Self, the individual feels frustrated, hurt, discouraged and brokenhearted….wounded, the pancreas starts to shutdown.   When this happens, an alarm sounds off!  The Heart and Heart Meridian gets its lifeforce from the pancreas/spleen meridian.  The body/mind sensing something isn’t working as it should, tries to takes over and in the pancreas’ case, fights to gain a sense of control.  But if a person is unable to express his/her anger to his/her abuser, their sense of self-worth is threatened and the pancreas becomes doubly wounded.  This can also lead to craving for sweets and rich foods, which indicates a way of compensating for the lack of love in one’s life. 

If only a person could see how much he/she is truly loved and admired by others.   

Anger is a way of protecting our boundaries and showing others we will not tolerate others intimidating or injuring our own sense of worth.  Unfortunately, everything and everyone is seen as a threat and  the angry person finds themselves in a vicious circle of conflict, causing separateness, loneliness and despair.  As Louise Haye, Caroline Myss and others have noted,  ‘the sweetness is gone’. 

 Balancing receiving with giving helps us to experience a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.  Not only do we feel accepted by others but we also begin to accept ourselves.  We escape from the circle of constantly needing to achieve to get others approval in order to feel worthy and accepted.  The next section will delve into this more.

If you’ve read this article from the beginning, you’ll remember the Element ruling the pancreas/spleen is Earth.  The Earth’s highest expression is being there for others…it is the comfort-giver and empathizer, graciously supporting and caring ALL who are in need.  An Earth person is wonderful to be around.  They listen attentively to your problems and know exactly what to say to make you feel better.  They love to please.  At their worst, Earth people worry and overthink everything excessively!  This of course can prevent the mind from seeing the truth objectively, restless and searching everything seems in a muddle and they can’t make a decision. 

But what happens when the Earth person lacks the solid inner foundation of self-esteem this motherly archetype provides.  Toxic waste strips them of their natural resources and severs their connection to Her rhythmic cycles.  This in turn has triggered a painful disconnection from their own inherent nature.   

My mother suffered abuse and rejection as a child and this spilled over to her own children.  It’s a wonder all four her children didn’t get diabetes.  

It was my brother who suffered from and absorbed her feelings.  Leonard was sensitive to her struggles of unworthiness which in turn made him feel isolated and unworthy.  He was only 8 when they discovered his fainting spells were caused from a lack of sweetness in his life, projected from the mother.  As an adult, he  seriously believed he’d never be able to love another because of this serious health problem.  He never quite felt he belonged.  In an attempt to cover this up, Leonard bent over backwards to make everyone else’s life happy and fulfilled.  He gave of himself freely what he felt he didn’t deserve himself.  He constantly rejected any praise from others, he couldn’t accept their compliments.  He was so focused on his own failures and limitations, he couldn’t see what others saw that was right and good about him.  He didn’t believe in himself.  If only he could have seen how others saw how wonderful and lovable he was, perhaps he would be alive today.    

THE PLANET VENUS 

This leads us to Astrology, especially the planet Venus.  Venus rules the secretion of insulin, the assimilation of sugars and carbohydrates in the body.  She also rules the saliva in relation to digestion, the swallowing reflex  as well as the our sense of taste, touch and smell.  

In the next section we will see what happens when Venus is strong in a natal chart and in difficult aspect to other planets.  In a couple of case studies we’ll look at this and a person’s predisposition to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or diabetes.

 In ending this segment I’d like to quote what Jeanne Avery wrote in her book ASTROLOGY AND YOUR HEALTH….. 

“Almost all people who are psychic or who work in areas where psychic energy is an essential commodity, have a predisposition to hypoglycemia or diabetes.  This is particularly true of clairvoyants, mediums and astrologers.  Such problems are also common in people who work as therapists and healers.  People in these fields seem to have a particularly heavy draw of energy from the solar plexus area, which includes the pancreas.  This is the center ruling the emotional body.  If the balance of love and pleasure is disrupted or destroyed, that area of the body may be afflicted.  It is very important for healers to allow pleasure and love to be a major part of their lives.  These dedicated people give a great deal of their universal love energy and frequently have a lack of that energy on a personal level.  With this kind of imbalance, energy is also drained from surrounding organs such as the kidneys, spleen and gall bladder.  It is necessary to consider all of the related planets when a diagnosis is made.”

Here is an interesting site on the spleen/pancreas meridian.  It contains a wealth of information and all you wanted to know and understand about it!  http://www.meridianpress.net/spleen.html    

Stay tuned to the next segment…….

PART 3 – METAPHYSICALLY UNDERSTANDINGING ARTHRITIS

Continued from Part 1 & 2 Metaphysically Understanding Arthritis

Fiona was scheduled for another Reiki session the following week.  She called to cancel the appointment at the beginning of that week due to fighting a bad cold. 

 Sometimes, when a person is healing and releasing a buildup of toxins from the body, he or she may contract flu like symptoms, as the toxins find a way out of the body. People with a great deal of accumulated stress or emotional blocks can find everything stirred up especially after the first and/or second treatment.  Many people don’t understand that these symptoms are actually the body healing itself.  All pain experienced is pain leaving the body. 

DISTANCE/ABSENT HEALING. 

I asked Fiona if she’d like distant healing for the week she was away with a cold.  She agreed and we set a time for the following evening when she would be turning in  for the night.   

Distant healing is about empathically connecting and creating a spiritual link to another person who is at a place other than where you are.  Distant healing transcends time, space or shape…..it doesn’t matter how near or far the client is……all that is required is a desire, and love/compassion (not pity) to heal another.  Intent is of the utmost importance as well as meeting the comfort level of the person receiving the healing.  

Every healer discovers and develops his or her own unique way of receiving and sending energy.  After learning various methods they find what they like best or even develop their own from what they’ve gathered along the way. 

All that’s needed is a client’s full name, birth date and where they reside.  Without this, Reiki or other healing modalities will have no place to focus and just won’t have enough power to fill a body with healing energy. 

Sometimes distance healing can be better and more powerful than hands-on healing.  Connecting spirit to spirit, opens the heart, creating a glowing network of invisible threads of unconditional energy.  Absent healing is even more effective when the client cooperates with the healer and is in a relaxed state at the time or sleeping…..this bridges the gap of our humanness….it’s when miracles can happen.  

No absent healing has ever been the same for me.  Distant and hands-on healing shares in a unique mutual exchange of energy….each one is a mirror, causing healer and healee to take a deeper look at her or himself.   This higher wisdom/vibration helps us to hear and see truth more clearly.  Every healing has a message for all involved.      

FIONA’S DISTANT HEALING 

In Part 2 of this previous segment, we discussed the Alta Major, located at the base of the skull.  Its color is magenta, a mixture of red, green and violet. When the Alta Major is balanced, we have the ability to see and understand a situation spiritually; it allows us to step back and see the bigger picture.  But when unbalanced we lose the sense of excitement in our lives.  We shut down and either blame someone else for our problems or go into denial.   This form of denial blocks our energy system. This is what I felt when establishing a connection with Fiona.  A great many of her fears were linked to her history.  

THE HEALING CONNECTION

As I relaxed and centered myself, my mind went into a kind of daydream state gently focusing on Fiona’s form until it became clear.  Knowing what Fiona looked like made it easy to zero in on Fiona’s physical body.  If we’d never met, my imagination would have kicked in, visualizing and sensing an energy body of light lying before me.  This is my ‘anchor point’ to return to if I happen to lose my focus.  

Opening my inner awareness for any impressions, the first thing I usually ‘see’ is energy highways flowing from the client’s chakras.  These highway of energies,  criss-cross and  intersect throughout the body, creating a cascade of light (aura) that emits beyond its boundaries. Surrounding the aura, energy dark patches or shadows might be seen.  Making a mental note of the areas, allows me to return and explore them further.

Returning to  Fiona’s throat chakra, I felt as if I had been bumped up against a wall.  This area was packed with a whole lot of clutter and a lot of commotion.  Her heart chakra was congested to the point that I felt squeezed into a tight corner, unable to move or breathe.   Sprouting from her body were lines or cords each one making a connection Fiona had with someone.  Some were dark and stiff, others brightly glowing.  The darker ones symbolized a unhealthy connection; they drained Fiona of her energy and weighted heavily upon her.  Intuivtively I felt they could be the cause of her tension as well as arthritic pain.  

Where there should have been brightness, a damp mist seemed to hang around her stomach, (Solar Plexus Chakra), which slowly dissipated around the hip area or 1st chakra. Her abdomen felt tight and distended.     

 As I focused on sending the distant healing symbol of Reiki, it transformed into a liquid light of energy, attaching itself to a huge, gossamer network.  Adding the Power Symbol, tiny bubbles of light bathed the delicate strands with soft glowing light.   As the light grew stronger, it was joined by another light that seemed to move up from the earth along Fiona’s right side and then circulated down her left side and back from where it came.  When witnessing this happening, I intuitively knew this healing session was at its max.  I could visually see this higher vibration clearing Fiona’s energy.  Golden scissors started cutting the dark stiff cords, one by one loose.  Some had strong emotional attachments and started to sprout back.  Visualizing the Sei-Hei-Ki, helped zap them clear into outer space. 

Continuing to use the Distant Healing Symbol, I asked for the healing to repeat itself every 2 hours for the next 7 days and then bowed in reverence and respect for this sacred moment.

 FIONA’S DREAM

 This absent healing had quite an impact on Fiona’s life and her dreams.  I didn’t find out until I saw her again, 2 weeks later.  

Fiona told me as the absent healing took place she fell into a very deep sleep.  In a dream, she met a Hermit who presented her with several pieces to a very large puzzle.  The puzzle when finished was supposed to describe her whole life, from its beginning to present.  Though she was tired and didn’t feel well, Fiona reached out and picked up the pieces trying to make them fit together.  No matter how hard she tried the puzzle kept falling apart.  And Fiona was falling apart too, crying but still determined to make all the pieces fit together.  This was when Fiona heard a voice ask her “Why are you trying to do this yourself.”   She remembered answering angrily back “how else am I supposed to do it.”   In fact she remembered speaking these words out loud as she started waking from the dream.    

When Fiona recounted this dream to me, she told me it felt as if it had been imprinted on her body/mind and soul.  “No matter where I was or what I did, the dream kept flowing up into my consciousness.  It wouldn’t leave me alone.”  

DREAM INTERPRETATION 

Fiona and I did speak right after the absent healing, so she knew what had been heard and seen visually . Somehow I felt the distant healing and the dream were related.  The old energies hiding out in her heart were forcing her to deny, doubt and undermine her intuition and power. I told Fiona to seriously look back and see when she had given someone the right to make her decisions and decide what was best for her.  It was a path that definitely wasn’t hers.   

When logic can’t get a grip on something, we go into a tizzy and when this happens our intuitive side is unable to grab the attention of our conscious or unconscious minds.  Fiona’s Base, Sacral, Alta Major and Throat Chakras were off balance.  The Alta Major when balanced helps us to assemble and bring together different aspects of the Self.  It allows us to give and receive energy without even thinking about it.  Not being able to put the puzzle pieces together Fiona agreed it seemed to say she was cut of from the Divine’s great source of energy.  The emotional feelings of others, was influencing her progress.  Feeling sick and tired symbolized a feeling of weakness and insecurity.  Without a focus, Fiona was drifting aimlessly in a world symbolized by the hermit. 

You have to remove yourself from your personal drama”, and realize it is all symbolic.  

I told Fiona to seriously look back and see what energies supported her well being and those that were counterproductive.  She also needed to clear her past and devote her energy on the relationships that made her feel good and those that were stealing her energy.  As she did this, it would attract interesting people with similar intentions and goals into her life.  All the people we know and meet are reflections of our inner self.  

Fiona questioned the last sentence.  To demonstrate I gave her a crystal and asked her to look at the many different facets in it.  Just as the crystal has many faces, so do we.   We are in fact a collection of multiple personalities.  Some are angry, manipulative and critical; some are beautiful, inspiring and loving.  Some are hidden from us and have a life of their own.  When emotionally charged, a personality (archetype) projects out, attracting energies of the same kind.  The goal or reason is to heal and embrace these aspects of ourselves and in so doing find their hidden treasure.  

We talked more of her friendships and relationships and how some of them showed the imbalances in her life.  We spoke of how our own childhood experiences attracted a partner that made us reenact our childhood injuries.  Fiona saw her husband as one who was retrained, self-contained and buried his feelings and desires.  “Oh my god, she said, that’s a splitting image of me!”  Fiona knew she also had a habit of distancing herself from others.  Again we talked of the Hermit whose life is admired for his independence but who lives virtually alone in his fortress, avoiding the pain of being vulnerable and then rejected. 

IN SUMMARY 

All of us have lived many lives and gathered experiences along the way.  This has allowed our soul to understand, integrate and process the information for us to use in another time again.  This leads us pursue more answers which puts us in sync with other human beings, angels and guides.  It puts us in touch with our own Family of Light where events and circumstances are created to move us beyond the limitations of fear.  They help us to heal various aspects of ourselves. 

Integrating all this information was not an easy process for Fiona.  At first she was blasted with chaos and confusion.  Many of her archetypical energies (multi personalities) were in conflict with themselves.  In fact some of these conflicts were not understood until something happened further down the road to reveal their meaning. She is still discovering everything we see in the outer world has an inner meaning for us. 

Fiona did go to counseling and learnt more about her-self.   She changed her diet, exercised and lost some weight.  As she changed so too did her husband and family.  “There are still struggles to deal with but not as many as before”.  Some friends fell by the wayside and although it was painful to lose them, she learned to  intuitively understand it was their time to go.  

Fiona is still amazed how the Reiki healings were able to see right through her defenses and began the profound change of embracing her own life.  Her arthritic pain has lessened a great deal, though it still reminds her it’s there when the seasons change or there’s dampness in the air. 

 

 

 

 

PART 2 – METAPHYSICALLY UNDERSTANDING ARTHRITIS

THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT VISITS 

When Fiona came back the following week, her energy, her aura felt shut-in, guarded and defensive..  Her eyes were visibly swollen, her face sullen and pale.  What in the world happened?   When I approached and gently touched her shoulder, Fiona broke down sobbing.  Through her tears she spoke of having a fight with her mother earlier in the week, which then carried over and continued with her husband.  Rather than looking at her own thoughts and feelings, needs and desires, Fiona gave up and walked away to avoid anymore confrontation. My eyes searched hers with the question ‘why’ and her quick reply was “my kids were in the house at the time”! 

I handed her a tissue box nearby and sat quietly as her emotions spilled out.  As she slowly calmed down her energy field/aura started looking clearer and brighter as she released some of her pain. 

 BODY SCAN

Before starting the Reiki treatment, I did a complete scan of Fiona’s body, holding my hands about 2 to 3 inches away from her body.  Sometimes my hands raised higher or lower, to sense or get a feel of her energy. When this is done slowly and steadily with a gentle sweeping motion, a practitioner can feel and ‘listen in’ to an array of emotions and feelings (positive and negative) generating from the body. 

 I’ve found my hands feel more of the subtle changes when my fingers are slightly separated and even more when I move my hands apart. The trick is not to linger in one place too long, just keep it slow and steady and paying attention to the cues your ‘hand chakras’ are picking up.   If you are attracted to a certain area, don’t stop until you’ve assessed the complete energy field of the client.  Then you can go back and recheck and focus more intently.

Some healers start from the toes up to head, others start from the head down.  I like to start with the head, although I don’t think it matters. What is important is the different sensations you may feel (hot, cold, tingly, pressure etc.) emanating from the body.  Keep a note of the energies you feel/sense/intuit or makes notes of them in the client’s file.  Do whatever works for you.  I like to write things down, make quick notes and expand on them after the treatment.  Keeping a log not only helps me to remember, it has helped others who had similar issues. 

I had noticed some swelling on the inside back of Fiona’s legs..  This area also felt very ‘hot’! As I sweeped over this area…..an image of a steaming vocano, seemed to indicate  an immobable inner conflict of frustration and anger.  Other areas noted were her fingernails which appeared brittle and dry, swollen eyes, wrists, feet and toes.  All these areas indicated an imbalance in the Meridians, especially the Liver and Spleen.  Other messages or cues were picked up in the Second and Third and Fourth Chakras.

AREAS OF FOCUS

THE SPLEEN CHAKRA

The spleen assimilates and distributes prana (chi, oxygen, life-force)  to all of the meridians.  It’s circulatory system also links to the liver, pancreas and the entire body. One of the necessary colors assimilated by the spleen is magenta-rose (neutral color).  Nerves of the etheric system that do not have enough magenta-rose are sensitive and prone to intense irritability.   After scanning Fiona’s body my hands intuitively wanted to return to the area of  her spleen.  As my hands hovered over this area, I was given the message this organ as well as the pancreas were the ones absorbing most of Fiona’s (shocking) upsets and emotionally charged situations.  I intuitively felt that Fiona had stifled alot of her own life, her own self in order to do what her family and husband wanted her to do.  Her Spleen showed me Fiona was not living the life she wanted! 

(For your information, There is a chakra in addition to the main 7, called the alta major, it’s color is Magenta.   This unfamiliar chakra is located at the base of the back of the skull which contains memories and survival patterns from prehistoric time to present (collective unconscious); it also contains knowledge of our creative purpose. 

The atla major alerts us to dangers and contains the contractual agreement (our higher purpose) we made with our inner Self before being born.  It is also our telepathic link to others (interchangeable communication with others), to all knowledge as well as the center of higher truth.   

In healing, Magenta can be used for nervous as well as mental exhaustion.  It’s also an excellent color when we need help Spiritually, to understand and come to terms with why we’re in the situation we’re in.  We’ll see more of this chakra in Part 3 of  Fiona’s healing).   

THE HEART CHAKRA

Another area of interest was her Heart Chakra.  This chakra radiates the color Green and in Fiona’s there was alot of Yellow!  Yellow in this area is a person trying to control the emotions in their heart with their intellect.  After a person has gone through hopeless pains of rejection, they will be frightened to give their heart deeply.  Fiona was hurting deeply.

I asked Fiona if she felt a tightness in this area, which she nodded yes.  If you remember, at first glance, Fiona looked very pale.  This can be due to a problem with her blood circulation.  As I scanned her front and then her back, there appeared to be a blockage in her back at the rib area  this can cause a heaviness in one’s chest. 

I also noted that Fiona needed to see her family doctor.

THE REIKI TREATMENT 

Fiona laid down on the treatment bed face-up and the healing began.  From the head to the throat Fiona was relatively quiet.  When my hands reached her 4^th chakra, I could feel she had shut this area down to retreat from her pain.  The problem with this, is when this area shuts down, we cannot receive or feel the love from anyone  else.   I asked Fiona to remember someone or something she loved deeply as a child.  Her first memory was her dog Elmo.  I asked her to visually remember Elmo and imagine him running joyfully towards her.  I asked  her to imagine giving him a big hug, then walking with him to their favorite place.  As she experienced the love of this moment, her Heart Chakra opened up.  Hues of Green flowed graciously to her Throat Chakra, her throat and heart opened up……   

Fiona talked openly of her home and childhood and how she had always felt powerless and resentful in the face of her controlling parents.  She had learned at an early age to hold her frustration and anger inwardly….visually I saw a Grey closed box filled with three ghostly entities….humiliation, resentment and pain.   

Remembering Elmo, helped Fiona to realize this beautiful cocker spaniel was the love of her life back then.   

Fiona went on to say she had always felt neglected, abandoned and hated by her parents…..”since I can remember it was always this way.”   This caused her to withdraw from both herself and others……..leaving her with the feeling of why she was here (living) at all.  I sensed that what her unconscious really wanted was to feel alive again and to heal the wounds of her childhood. This created a search an unconscious attraction to someone who would meet her emotional needs.  This was when she met her husband.  

As Fiona spoke of her past, her chakras, especially the heart, solar plexus and sacral released a tremendous amount of dark grey energy.  As I saw it filter up,  I used a counter clock motion to twist it up (like a corkscrew) and placed it in my imaginary bucket of sea salt.  When this was done, I used a rounded quartz crystal with the cleansing symbol Sei-Hei-Ki and the power symbol Cho-Ku Rei to remove the remainder of old energy. 

When we were done this session, Fiona was surprised at how much lighter and bouncier she felt.  “It’s as if a huge boulder has been removed off my chest.” 

I told Fiona I’d like to see her again the following week.  She wasn’t sure she’d have to the money to pay…..I offered to do the session with no fee.  It was also mentioned to make an appointment with her family doctor for a complete physical and to consider going to counselling.  I also gave her the name and phone number of a good friend of mine who specialized in natural healing foods and herbal medicines.   And one more suggestion was to look at Glucosamine Sulfate,  Chondroitin Sulfate and MSM.   All three have been known to reduce and slow down the progression of arthritis. 

FIONA’S THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT VISITS

A power statement taught in my Reiki class was “you work with a patient until you start to see a change”.   As the body adjusts to the energetic charge of the Reiki Hand Placements, the patient begins to experience a perception change. 

From my Reiki I Manual

“The hand positions are related to the locations of the chakras and the endocrine glands. Reiki, seems to have an accumulating effect in the endocrine glands, which keep our immune system in top-working order. When enough energy has gathered, then the chemical reactions of the glands push the immune system into different cycles of the healing process.

 When a person has a long-term imbalance, there is usually not enough energy to trigger a higher immune response, and the “condition” seems stuck and on-going. But, when additional energy is introduced, then the immune system can draw upon it, kicking the body’s defense mechanism into a higher level of healing, and the condition will begin to change/mutate, the purification process is triggered, and the body re-gains balance and stability.

By doing Reiki on the specific hand positions, a practitioner can give the fastest “charge” to the glands that are responsible for maintaining ‘health’, and accelerating the healing process. It is possible to just lay hands on one area of the body, but it will take much longer for the energy to find its way and gather to each of the organs of the immune system. 

to be continued….

METAPHYSICALLY UNDERSTANDING ARTHRITIS

WHAT IS ARTHRITIS

Before we look at the metaphysical causes, let’s look at what arthritis is. 

Arthritis is a chronic degenerative disease that is sweeping across North America at an alarming rate. Well over three million people suffer from this disease and a large percentage of them are woman and children.

Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints accompanied with stiffness and pain. The primary cause of inflammation is from a buildup of toxins within the body fluids and tissues.  Arthritis can escalate to severe degeneration of the joints, crippling and immoblizing movement.

There are many different kinds of arthritis based on the various symtoms and causes. The four common forms of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. 

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms where cartilage and tissue deteriorates and hardens, sometimes creating painful bone spurs (a bony growth on normal bone).  It affects the weight bearing joints, including the hips, knees, feet, fingers and spine.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the joints.  The mild joint pain and stiffness may be accompanied by fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight. 

Gout can be caused by a severe acute pain or tenderness in a joint and often afflicts the big toe.  Other areas affected can be the knees, ankles, feet, hands, wrists and fingers.  As it progresses, the affected joints become inflamed, red, swollen, hot and extremely sensitive to touch.  Gout was once known as the “rich man’s disease” as it’s been associated with rich food and alcohol.  But in truth, it affects us all.

Other disorders of the joints and connective tissue include: lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, Reiter’s syndrome, and ankylosing spondylitis. 

WHAT CAUSES ARTHRITIS

If you asked this question to a medical doctor, he’d probably say it’s hereditary combined with an unhealthy lifestyle.  If your work for example requires alot of heavy lifting, this may have created a great deal of  stress (wear and tear) on your weight-bearing joints (knees, wrists, hips, etc.) 

In alternative healing, we look at the body energetically.  When an illness or dis-ease strikes,  something has caused a tremendous drain on the body’s energy reserves and immune system.    The body’s own natural defences have broken down, opening itself to an  invasion of  toxins, viruses and bacteria, assaulting its system.    Why?

Many of us don’t realize that every thought, word and action we say and do in life is transmitted via the etheric and nervous system to every organ, cell and molecule of the body.  In less than a second your energy system starts working towards your choices and actions.  If these are not congruent with your beliefs, goals and values, the result will be a physical or chemical imbalance in the body.  

We are all motivated at a subconscious level to stay on the path of our purpose.   When we deviate or refrain from this path, for whatever reason, our inner being starts working against us, alerting us to look inside ourselves and at what we are avoiding, denying or resisting.  If we refuse to listen, we become anxious, stressed and plagued with fear and confusion.  When we deny what we feel, we feel trapped and become ungrounded.  Life feels chaotic.

With Arthritis we are torn at which direction to take.   The area most afflicted in the energy body is our liver and gallbladder meridan.  It is the energy of the liver that plans our next step and the direction we need to go in.    It also houses family guilt and the concerns of our most deepest self.  Guilt can make us very dependant upon another where every decision cannot be made without consulting our mentor or judge.  It’s as if we don’t trust our own creative expression; perhaps as a child we weren’t allowed to make our own decisions.  Now as an adult it’s difficult to constructively solve our problems.  We feel like a flop as a human being and we start bingeing out on food and alcohol for comfort.  But all that does is make us more stressed out and irritable.  The liver becomes congested and unable to detox the body.  Our digestive system becomes upset, the work of the intestines slow down, sapping our energy. 

The gallbladder, located on the undersurface of the liver can get irritable and angry when things go screwy.  It is the first organ to react (anxiously or angrily) when we change our habits or surrounded by negative energy. 

If the liver and gallbladder are out of balance so too are our body and emotions.  we experience extreme mood swings like withdrawing, then acting angrily. slamming doors. yelling, or even tracking mud in the house. 

With arthritis the cartilage that covers the ends of the bone has a high water content (emotion) as well as a gel-like protein called collagen.  If there is an imbalance between these two, the joints become stressed, inflamed or damaged.  It’s as if the outer world and our inner world are a reflection of each other. And if this is true then are inner world is the main source of everything that happens to us in the outer world.  

 METAPHYSICAL CAUSES OF ARTHRITIS

Arthritis; represents ‘oozing resentments’. You are so angry your joints become inflamed. Who or what is it that you resent so much? Louise Hay suggests this comes from feeling unloved.”
From: Compassionate Dragon Healing http://www.compassionatedragon.com/metaphysics5.html

I have not found the above statement to be totally true.  There are so many other factors involved, you just can’t narrow it down to resentments and anger. 

Let’s look at what other healers, medical intuitives have to say…….

“Arthritis: The joints give us free and graceful movement, so arthritis is connected to our innermost feelings about the movement we are taking, what we are doing within that movement, or the direction we are going in. There may also be a sensation of the energy pulling back from moving forward, maybe out of fear of the movement, or because we would really rather be doing something or going somewhere different. This state also indicates self-criticism (stiffness), lack of self-worth, fear, anger (inflammation) and bitterness (pain). There can be a sense of being tied down, restricted, restrained and confined; also a developing inability to bend, to be mentally flexible or to be able to surrender. This can reflect a lack of self-trust as well as a hardening attitude towards life. These feelings are about ourselves, but rather than being acknowledged inwardly they are usually projected outwardly towards others. The part of the body being afflicted with arthritis indicates further information; see also entries on the specific joint and side of the body, Joints, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. ”  Deb Shapiro: Your Body Speaks Your Mind 

Daniel Condron’s “Permanent Healing”… ”Arthritis (see also joints):
Mental Attitude: Restrictions placed upon Self. Release the past and come to terms with anger.
Suggestions for Improvement: push beyond the limitations you have imagined for your Self. Know what you want and don’t take no for an answer.

Joints (see also Arthritis, Elbow, Knee):
Mental Attitude: Mental restriction
Suggestions for Improvement: Eliminate for six months from your life and vocabulary: “I can’t, I won’t, I shouldn’t, I couldn’t, and I haven’t.” Replace them with I can, I will, I want to, I am able.”

Caroline Myss: ”The Creation of Health”………….“Energy Analysis of Rheumatoid Arthritis: This illness is generated by a combination of chronic anger and resentment. Specifically, these emotions are generated because a person feels controlled by the emotional and/or psychological needs of someone with whom they are closely involved. Usually, the patient perceives the controlling source as a person who is emotionally very dependent, and, for that reason, the patient feels unable to challenge the imbalanced emotional dynamics of the relationship. In one sense, the patient often feels as though he or she is being held in emotional bondage with no alternative available for emotional release other than to internalize it. The patient perceives that his or her own movements are being restricted due to the demands of another person.”

Hmm, okay so with Caroline Myss, we’re back to anger and resentment with however, more of an explanation of how these emotions are generated.

BODY/MIND

It has also been proven that our emotional and psychological states can influence the onset of an illness and more and more practicioners are looking at the body/mind together instead of separate. The question is how do we discover the cause and find the cure?

CASE STUDY # ONE

Fiona was forty-five years old when she came to the clinic for healing. She suffered from arthritis in her neck, hands and hip area. When we met, I extended my arm and hand to greet hers, it was met with a weak and weary handshake.  I noticed Fiona’s wrist was very swollen and her hand cold to touch. At that moment a vision filled my awareness with painful images and emotional experiences. I wasn’t prepared for its onslaught and my body started to sweat, breathe heavily and react with a racing heartbeat and nauseous stomach. I wasn’t able to move, ….all this happened in seconds!

As I let go of Fiona’s hand, my body was trembling, weak and emotional. Thankfully I knew this reaction was from feeling and sensing Fiona’s energy. Silently thanking the information, I shook my hands, letting the emotions/feelings go. This is a must is you’re interested in healing or you’ll become too emotionally involved and won’t be able to help another.

Unconsciously, there was alot going on beneath the surface of Fiona’s guarded facade that inhibited and weakened her life force. When she spoke, her voice was timid, soft spoken and each sentence trailed into silence. Physically, there was extra padding around her hips, forming a hard protective shell around her sexual and creative area.

I saw a similar pattern to her energy and the energy of the couple in a former article in this blog called Spiritual Addiction = Self Destruction. Fiona had silenced the voice of her own body….she had closed the door to her own sensuality and closed down her own passion. Why?

From the many quick images I had seen earlier through touching her hand, I wondered if Fiona’s husband had been unfaithful to her? Was Fiona feeling deeply betrayed, hurt, angry? I didn’t present this until Fiona was comfortable and had let down her guard a little. When I did speak of the visual I saw earlier, Fiona sighed and fell silent for a moment, her face marked with sadness. She told me it was true, her husband had been unfaithful, making her feel old, fat, small and ugly. It had been a very dark time for her in which she felt life had very little meaning and joy. Although the affair was short-lived, Fiona feared losing her husband. She was too afraid to try facing life alone. So, instead, she gave in to his every whim, suppressing her own emotions and feelings.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this” said Fiona a short-time later, “I knew I’d never trust him again”.

When I scanned her body, another image I’d seen came forward, it was like a nightmare, very unsettling. It was an image of her in a bathtub. Her face was above water but her body was immersed in what looked like an eroding acid bath, bubbling and eating away at her body. Her facial area was untouched, her body a tangled mess of skin and bone. I kept this image to myself until I understood it and found a way to express it. It symbolically meant something but I wasn’t sure what at the time?!?!?

It wasn’t until I actually started the Reiki treatment that the realization of the above image spoke to me. I’m not sure if it was Fiona’s inner self, my intuition, my guides or inner wisdom who led me to it, but it was a Eureka!! a sudden realization that soared through my body and mind. Fiona was supposed to be going through a major transformation and she was doing everything in her power to stop it!

(When we are not in touch with our ‘need’ to change, others, close members (family, husbands, friends) will unconsciously ‘force’ this change by acting as ‘agents of disruption“!)  Oh my gawd, that was it! I kept this to myself for the time being…..until I felt Fiona was ready to believe and accept it. 

From my Reiki III manual…..

“The symptoms of dis-ease is also the symbol of spiritual separation and this is directly linked to resisting change in one’s life, emotions and/or thinking. When we refuse to change, the immune system of the body breaks down, the lymphatic system becomes blocked and conjested causing swelling as well as joint aches and mind confusion. But, to detox the body faster than it can acknowledge what’s actually going on, could overtax and cause the whole bodily system to shut down.”

The first Reiki treatment for Fiona, was the basic hands-on-healing, without the use of the emotional symbol Sei Hei Ki. This would be applied later, once Fiona was willing to go through her pain, not avoid it!

SUMMARY OF FIRST TREATMENT

When we don’t do what makes us happy, we eventually become angry and resentful.  This sentence certainly fits with the three different metaphysical causes of arthritis.  Fiona wasn’t displaying anger but it was definitely gurgling and bubbling deep inside.  Instead she repressed her anger and frustration and poured out all her energy to being a submissive, obedient wife.  Usually sexual betrayal creates volatile angry feelings.  There certainly was a high voltage of energy wanting to come out but instead it was sizzling inside her.  It created an acidic bath that was having a corrosive effect on her body.  

Fiona was full of theories and excuses why she couldn’t do what she wanted to do…….Fiona was a ‘victim of love’.   Victims of love deny themselves the very things they know would make them happy.  They put others needs before their own and this was what Fiona was doing.  And it always left her feeling drained and lethargic with empty hands and heart.  It seemed her arthritis had come about from resisting, holding, tightening and compressing.  This was an analysis of our first visit and I recorded my thoughts and feelings along with the findings. 

 The next visit, if Fiona chose to come back, would begin loosening and releasing the past so Fiona could reclaim her life-force.  It wouldn’t be easy.  First the anger of rage grief and jealousy had to come out.  Then a long process of carefully listening inside for guidance and groping forward in the dark, one step at a time.  If I had told her this on her first session, I probably would have never seen her again. 

Not only was Fiona  in deep physical pain, she also suffered from migraines and her body was starting to go into premature menopause.   There was alot of work to be done and Reiki alone wouldn’t do it.     

 THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT VISITS  to be continued in part two

REMODELING AND STRENGTHENING YOUR BONES

“To attain conscious control of the structural balance of the human body, we must know its component parts, their relationships, and the forces acting upon and within them. We must understand its materials and their functions and behavior.” Mabel E. Todd

To re-build and remodel our bones, we need to become our body’s own architect. To do this, we need to discover what materials are available that will re-build and re-assemble a remarkably strong and sturdy structure.

You’d think the skeleton’s unique honeycomb structure would weigh alot but the fact is, bone is very light, yet it’s strong enough to support and protect our flesh and organs…..that’s remarkable in itself!

A wonderful health magazine http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/ published in Toronto has a wealth of information on many health topics. In November of 2006, Vitality printed with permission, a excerpt from a new book called “The Bone-Building Solution” written by Sam Graci, Dr. Carolyn De Marco and Dr. Leticia Rao. You can view the whole article http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/breakthrough_bone-building_solutions and a snippet of it here….

“Why Grandma and Grandpa Never Experienced Osteoporosis

………Your grandparents’ bones didn’t turn to dust, probably because their diet was similar to the current recommendations in this book. They used cod liver oil instead of pharmaceuticals-grade fish oil, and ate lots of green vitamin K1-rich foods, consumed fermented foods to convert K1 to its biologically active form K2, got natural sunshine on their skin (producing sufficient amounts of vitamin D3), and they walked daily and did manual chores that challenged their bones to adapt by becoming stronger. They also ate a micronutrient diet full of critical, alkalinizing calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and bone-building cofactors. Their diets did not contain all the processed foods — the foods of modern commerce — that make our modern-day diets far too acidifying, which leaches calcium or potassium from the bones to buffer or neutralize the overproduction of acids by acting as acid sponges, leaving weak, porous bones. “

Sam Graci is the creator of the well known greens+ and although the book promotes his products it is very informative on bone health.

 Another great read on an upcoming book STRONG BONES by Dr. Michael Colgan is with a great site called VISTA Magazine online.  This is the 4^th part of the series, but if you scroll down to the bottom, parts 1, 2, and 3 are included. http://www.vistamagonline.com/vista_articles/page.php?tp=&p=&id=&s=strong_bones_-_part_4

 The only thing that bothers me about the articles by Dr. Colgan, is he targets mainly ‘older’ women with osteoporosis.  I don’t know how old this article is, but he excludes the fact that osteoporosis is now being diagnosed at an alarming rate in men, women and children. 

 Stress is the most potent toxin producer in the body.  Unconsciously stress keeps our body in a defensive mode without us knowing it.  In time we begin to experience pain and develop symptoms of illness, from old memory patterns keeping us in a constant up-tight survival mode rather than being in the present moment. 

 Food takes second place. The ingesting of acid producing fatty foods like bologna, pastries, chips, hamburgers and pizza, is creating a major health issue in our society. The acidity from these foods is a major culprit in bone reduction.  Acid eats bone!  And we consume too much of these products which consist of meats (including poultry, fish) dairy products and grains.  Processed foods are great for people with busy lifestyles but they are laden in Salt.  Salt is a major contributor to osteoporosis as well as heart disease, cancer, strokes and more!  Salt creates uric acid in the body affecting the liver, kidneys and adrenal function. 

 There are great books and web sites on osteoporosis which I’ll list at the end of this blog. There are authors out there who are truly open and honest, sharing and interacting their truths and experiences with others. If you find yourself suddenly guided to a certain book or person. synchronicity is at work offering you a message, an insight or realization about your life. Often this creates a shift in your energy that will astound you!

 A synchronistic event is where we personally experience an uncanny coincidence that evokes an emotionally charged response that may be felt as chills up the spine, or a sudden revelation (light-bulb effect).  Synchronicity somehow links us to a sequence of events that inspire and point us in a new direction.

As I was writing this, I was inspired by a friend to read the lyrics of a song called “Fire” http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/new_direction/fire-lyrics-1168486.html  And Rachel found this in a book called Until Today by Iyanla Vanzant.  Now that’s synchronicity at work!

I can feel the fire shut up in my bones,
like Jeremiah, it won’t leave me alone.
I can feel the fire shut up in my bones,
like Jeremiah, it won’t leave me alone.
Verse 1:
Something down inside of me, I can’t hold me peace, no,
all I know it feels good to me way down in my bones.
I wanna run, I wanna scream, I wanna shout, and throw up my hands,
I’m feeling something special that you may not understand.

 “If you want to enjoy your power in life, you must have a plan for your physical body.  More important, you must follow the plan.  There is divine power in your bones that flows with greater effectiveness when the tissues and muscles surrounding the bones are fine-tuned.”  Iyanla Vanzant

 MOTIVATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

 If you are determined to change your eating habits, before you start, ask yourself a motivational question like “why am I doing this?”  This type of questioning is one of the most crucial factors in reaching whatever goal you’ve set for yourself.  It helps direct you toward a specific purpose and on the alert for new and better ways to improve your health and life.

 
BONE HEALTH
“Can you imagine what would happen if a drug company came out with a single pill tha reduces the risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, PMS, SAD, and various autoimmune disorders? There would be a media frenzy, the like of which has never been seen before! Well guess what” Such a drug exists…….it is the sun.”
M.F. Holick MD, discoverer of Vitamin D3

The main function of Vitamin D is to regulate all mineral and vitamin metabolism, especially the minerals Calcium and Phosphorous. It also controls the levels of Calcium in the blood and influences normal gland function for all the body’s muscles, especially the heart. Vitamin D also helps in the growth, maintenance and repair of all bones and teeth. It also works with the thryoid gland to produce hormones and the parathyroid glands in regulating and distributing calcium throughout the body.

Is it possible Vitamin D could be discovered as a hormone rather than a vitamin? Reason being, it’s produced by the body, through the action of sunlight on the skin. When a body is healthy, it uses the liver and kidneys to convert Vitamin D into an active form the body can use.

The liver and kidneys? Hmm, this was a great interest to me. I’ve been doing an extensive study on the meridians and most recently, the bladder, kidney and liver. The bladder and kidney meridians when imbalanced, have an adverse affect on the bones as well as the teeth, ears, spine and autonomic nervous system.

On http://vitalitymagazine.com/ there is an excellent article on vitamin D3. This is where the above quote by M.F. Holick MD came from. http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/june09_helkefeat

In the article, by Helke Ferrie, my question wondering if Vitamin D could be a hormone was answered…..

“Vitamin D3 is a prohormone and thus the most important precursor of all hormones, vitamins, and minerals. Without D3, the body’s signal systems (hormones, neurotransmitters), and super-catalysts (minerals), cannot enable all other catalysts (vitamins) to cause the liver to create the 600 vitamin/mineral-dependent enzymes our bodies depend on. And Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus levels, without which our food cannot nourish us properly.”

“In the 1990’s he [Michael F. Holick] proved that actually every cell in our bodies has D3 receptors, not just the liver and kidneys.” Ohh I didn’t know that! This article IS an excellent read for everyone. It also states….

“The research of the last five years has further shown how D3 works to prevent (and even cure) certain types of liver disease (such as fatty liver), as well as bacterially-caused pregnancy problems, tooth decay, organ rejection in transplant surgery, certain skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, psoriasis), Type I diabetes in children, Multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. D3 also reduces the need for painkillers in chronic pain patients.” Add Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Osteoporosis to this list!

And…….

“Exposure to the sun for at least 20 minutes twice a week is necessary. In a bathing suit in summer, your skin will produce 10,000 IU in an hour [wow]. In fall, winter and spring, all Canadians should supplement with optimal amounts — especially lactating mothers and their breast-feeding infants, because human breast milk is virtually devoid of D3 and babies generally can’t sunbathe.”

Further on in the article it talks of sunscreen and the chemical properties of these products. “According to www.skinbiology.com: “It now appears that many heavily-used chemical sunscreens may actually increase cancers by virtue of their free radical generating properties. And more insidiously, many commonly used sunscreen chemicals have strong estrogenic actions that may cause serious problems in sexual development and adult sexual function, and may further increase cancer risks……

Adding to the problem is that large amounts of applied sunscreens can enter the bloodstream though your skin. This may be a factor in the large increases in cancer (breast, uterine, colon, prostate) observed in regions, such as Northern Australia, where the use of sunscreen chemicals has been heavily promoted by medical groups and the local governments.” Yikes!

Unfortuately, as we age. it’s harder for our body to produce Vitamin D3. One possibility is hyperparathyroidism, a disorder of the parathyroids that can cause abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood. The parathyroids function is to release hormones into the blood which balances the levels of calcium released from the bones into the blood stream. When you’re scheduled for your next blood test, or suspect hyperthyroidism, I highly suggest you ask your doctor to check your parathyroids.

A great site http://www.parathyroid.com/parathyroid-disease.htm

VITAMIN K

Vitamin K is essential in the process of blood coagulation, which takes place in the liver, where the blood is prepared to go to the site of bleeding and form a mesh like substance to stop further bleeding.

An excellent site on osteoporosis, vitamins, etc… http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1081.html

“Vitamin K helps promote strong bones by binding calcium and other minerals to the bone. The recommended dosage of vitamin K is 150mcg a day. Avoid taking too much vitamin K as high doses can cause flushing and sweating. In addition, if you are taking the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin), talk to your doctor before taking a vitamin K supplement as it may lessen the effects of the drug.”

You really don’t need to take a Vitamin K supplement. If you do increase your fruits and vegetables, you’ll get all the Vitamin K you need and in a lower dosage. You’ll find vitamin K in spinach, lettuce, parsley, watercress, celery, broccoli, beetroot greens, green beans, kelp, cucumber, leek, dandelion, endive, sprouted seeds and all fresh fruits.

LYCOPENE

Lycopene is found mostly tomatoes. It’s what turns the tomato red and recently has been discovered as a potent antioxidant, helping to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.   Usually cooked foods lose large amounts of nutrients…..however cooking tomatoes (tomato paste, spaghetti sauce) helps release the healing power of lycopene.

Check this site out on lycopene http://www.essortment.com/all/tomatolycopene_rmls.htm

We’ve all heard the term ‘free radicals’ that can cause havoc in our bodies.  Free radicals cause tissue damage, are responsible for aging, wrinkles and possibly the cause of some dis-eases.  Lycopene somehow inhibits these ‘free radicals’ from creating anymore damage.  This red pigment also slows down the osteclasts – ‘the cells that break bones’.

This is a good site on understanding how your bones continually remodel themselves… http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/our_beautiful_bodies/116548    

SODIUM FOODS

This is NOT SALT! Salt is inorganic sodium (chloride) which too much of causes kidney problems, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.

SODIUM is only valuable when it’s Organic and balanced. Sodium foods like celery, help the body produce saliva, which is essential for carbohydrate digestion. Sodium also maintains the body’s levels of calcium which protects against lose of calcium from the bones! Sodium is an important mineral as it keeps other mineral elements soluble within the bloodstream, preventing a buildup of solid deposits. Celery juice mixed with Carrot is the best natural medicine for eliminating toxic substances that have deposited in various parts of the body.

This excellent site http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/bones#causeosteo leads us to our next topic…… “Osteoporosis is a disease of calcium loss from the bones, not a lack of calcium intake in the diet. Calcium loss from the bones is due to eating too much protein, especially animal protein, which increases calcium excretion in the urine. Not only does dairy not protect against osteoporosis, it actually contributes to it. Therefore, calcium intake isn’t very important for protecting against osteoporosis and vegans are protected due to the lack of animal protein in our diet.”

ACIDITY AND BONE LOSS

This morning in sync with this topic, I received an email/newsletter from Vivian Goldschmidt, author of The Bone Health Revolution and website saveourbones.com . The article is titled “Can milk damage your body AND bones.” Vivian writes…..

“Mark Hegsted, a retired Harvard professor of nutrition, has said,”To assume that Osteoporosis is due to calcium deficiency is like assuming that infection is due to penicillin deficiency.

Now you may be wondering, like I did, “Milk is rich in calcium; calcium strengthens bones; so milk strengthens bones.” But this is one of the biggest medical myths of our time.

You see, milk is an acidic animal protein. When consumed it imposes excessive demands on the kidneys.

So as a response, our bodies must neutralize all that acidic protein before it reaches the kidneys. It accomplishes that with calcium. Think about Tums or Rolaids–the main ingredient in thetablets is calcium and we take those to neutralize stomach acid.

Our bodies automatically do the same. And which is the most readily available source of calcium? You guessed it–our bones!

So while milk contains calcium, our bodies leech even more calcium from our bones to neutralize the effect of milk in the body.”

Thanks Vivian.

Last year a friend and I attended an interactive health fair with a wide range of exhibitors displaying their health products. It was wonderful! We saw demonstrations, received samples and talked to health professionals. We learnt a wealth of information that day!

One of the many topics was milk, especially cow’s milk and the acidifying effect on the body. Cow’s milk has more acidifying elements (phosphorus and chlorides) than alkalizing elements like calcium and magnesium.

Back in the days of our grandparents cows grazed on grasses that came straight from untreated soil and were fed foods free of additives. Then milk did have a neutral or alkalizing effect but unforunately not now. Now, protein is added to cow’s feed to increase milk production. Milk from high protein fed cows has a very high acidifying effect on humans.

Osteoporosis develops when the calcium and magnesium supply in our bones is used to neutralize the acid in our bodies. In other words, our bones have to bail us out of the mess caused by our dietary habits. Valuable reserves of alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium in our bones is called upon to neutralize the acid ash from foods. The problem with this, is calcium is supposed to be doing something else, like keeping the bones solid and strong. Most foods aren’t acid when you eat them, but acid ash is left as it’s processed. The more junk food you eat, the more acid buildup in your body.

OTHER ACID FOODS

Our bodies also accumulate excess acids from various sources such as stress, high protein foods (meat), medications and lack of exercise. Just think of the chips, beer and hamburgers you ate on the weekend. These foods can be eliminated through the kidneys and bowels, but the body needs to neutralize the acid first. If acid wasn’t neutralized, it would burn sensitive tissue on its way through the digestive tract. And again, if your alkaline reserves are low, the body will use calcium from your bones to buffer the acid.

This site lists an array of foods that leave an acid ash http://nh1.ccone.com/acid-diet.html

Our bodies are alkaline by design. Your cells work in an alkaline environment, yet acid is produced as they function and cells are functioning all the time. However, this acid is weak by comparison to acid foods and is easily expelled by the lungs.

The acid produced from meats, dairy and grains. can be eliminated but not by the lungs. Dietary acid ash is eliminated through the kidneys and in the process, vital minerals are lost with it. And when the kidneys have too much protein and toxins to eliminate, they become sluggish. Physically, you’ll feel tired no matter how much rest you get. Swollen eyes or rings under them could be an indication the kidneys are under stress. Lower back pain is another issue when your kidneys are worn out or exhausted.

PH BALANCE

Of the many presentations at the health fair, one was in regard to PH paper. Everyone was given a tiny booklet containing small strips of PH paper. These strips can apparently show you how your body ‘responded’ to the foods you ate yesterday.

We were told that upon awakening the next morning, to catch some urine in a small clean container and test it with a strip of PH paper. We were given a pocket size color chart to test our results. Yellow, orange and red were indicators of acid, green and blue alkaline or neutral. The PH paper registered between PH 5.5 and 8.0. The higher the number, the less acid.

We tried the PH strips in the morning and shared our findings. The first urine in the morning is a great indication of the foods that were processed ‘out’ while you were sleeping. Both of us were very acidic!

This was such an eye-opener for me. Honestly looking at the foods I was eating, there were more meats and grains than fruits and vegetables. And my friend who suffers from allergies was told allergic reactions could be the result of body stress. The more proteins, pastas, cola’s and fast foods we eat, the more toxic the body becomes. The adrenal glands become exhausted from being overworked, which can affect other organs as well as digestive problems and muscle aches.

We were also warned not to drastically change our diet all at once. Unfortunately, I’ve always been one to dive into something whole-heartedly. I shocked my system by flooding it with an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Ohhh I’m sure you can imagine what happened! My intestines were in distress!

SUMMARY

Adding more calcium to your diet is not the answer to building new bone. Changing the way you eat will. Reducing your meat, dairy products, cereals and grains to 25 % of your daily meal and upping your fruit intake to 75%, will. Don’t do this all at once! Adding an extra serving of vegetables or fruits to the table is a start. For breakfast, instead of having cereal, have a smoothie instead. Greens+ created a delicious tasting instant smoothie……I have one every morning and add a generous amount of my favorite fruits (blueberries, rasberries, blackberries) to the drink. I enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables in the summer, and use frozen in the winter.

Slowly reduce your intake of protein foods by serving smaller portions of beef, poultry or fish. Slowly, reduce your intake of salt, coffee, soda drinks and processed foods. Don’t forget you are radically changing the way you eat. It could take up to 6 months to before you’ve found your ‘ideal’ diet. Your body will be the best indicator at how fast you can go.

Use the PH test strips, first thing in the morning, to evaluate the acid in your body. If you’re not comfortable with the urine test, check your saliva instead. Don’t put the strip directly in your mouth, some people are allergic to the dyes. A small amount of saliva on a clean finger will do. Then check your ’score’. This is one of the most accurate ways of evalutating how well your body is functioning.

What we eat has a definite role in the start of osteoporosis, especially acidic foods such as meat, coffee and soda drinks. Calcium, one of the most important alkalizing minerals in the body and will be taken from your bones, acting as an antacid to reduce acid production. Often the first stages of osteoporosis begins 10 to 20 years before it’s discovered through either a fall or a bone density test.

EXERCISE AND OSTEOPOROSIS

When I started looking at exercises to strengthen bone, I was shocked, surprised to learn that twisting, bending, crunching exercises were not recommended for  osteoporosis or osteopenia.  Apparently these put too much stress and pressure on the spine.  Even carrying the groceries has implications on the spine and I never thought of that!  It wasn’t uncommon to see me trudging up the stairs with 5 or more loaded bags purchased from surrounding stores.  I considered this to be a a weight bearing exercise of sorts and healthy for me!  Now I’ve learnt that this form of slumping forward increases the risk of bone fracture(s).  Walking and walking tall helps to prevent  joint and spinal compression. 

Whatever exercise you do, be gentle with yourself. Never strain or force and always give your body time to warm up at the beginning. Stretching exercises are a wonderful way to begin. This allows your blood vessels to expand, the blood to circulate more freely and enough oxygen to be carried to the muscles. Starting too fast causes anaerobic (without oxygen) combustion which builds up toxic wastes in the muscles, such as lactic acid, and results in pain and strain.  Inflammation in the body can actually cause calcium loss/leakage from the bones.  Be gentle to yourself!

YouTube has some excellent stretching exercises you can watch and do…. Top 6 Stretching Exercises http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaDXNjFjjnU

Lower body stretch http://exercise.about.com/cs/flexibility/l/blstretch.htm

Five fantastic stretching exercises http://www.halhigdon.com/15Ktraining/Stretch.htm

Weight bearing exercises are great for the bones too.  Every other morning I dawn a pair of light ankle or wrist weights (1 or 2lbs each) and do either slow endurance exercises in the home or walk around the block before going to work.  Walking sends an electrical impulse to the bones, stimulating bone cells, improves blood flow which then provides healthy nutrients such as calcium to be deposited on the bone.  Of course this means I have to wake-up a 1/2 hour earlier, but hey if it improves my health and works the bones, it’s worth it!  

Another great exercise to challenge your bones and simple to do is pushing against a wall while lying down on a good floor mat.  The floor mat cushions your vertebrae and back from the floor or carpet. 

I tried resistant bands and the darn things snapped after a couple of months.  Now I use an old pair of nylons and these work just as well if not better.  If you don’t have nylons in the house (for the men) they can cost as little as $1 or $2 to purchase.

www.bonesforlive.com teaches classes that improve and stimulate bone health.  Watch this excellent video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL53iQtjYU8 and see the coordination and balance improvement of the students who attended these classes. 

This website http://www.bones4life.org/ is great for students and teachers.

From http://cynthia.futurelifenow.com/?p=16

“Posture and movement are intimately linked to this remodeling. Research continues to confirm that posture affects blood pressure and even our heart rate. Additionally, the way we move makes a difference in the way the body recreates itself.

One way movement impacts us is in bone remodeling. Stress on the bone creates tiny microfractures. In the way that muscle is built, bone can also become stronger by being stressed to the point of an imperceptible fracture (or tear), and lo and behold a new construction crew comes in and repairs it better than before.  If this stress is uneven, the bone remodeling is stimulated unevenly. This means strength, size and shape of each bone and joint can be dramatically affected by the way you move.”

The internet is loaded with exercises and self-help programs.  Each of us is unique and one exercise that may benefit one may not benefit the other.   Let your intuition guide you.  IF something feels right for your body, go for it, enjoy it and reap the benefits!

 

to be continued…

SPIRITUAL ADDICTION = SELF DESTRUCTION

Within our humanness, there is a drive, a hunger, to seek, find, understand and re-unite with an essence greater than ourselves. It is a sense that somewhere exists an infinite place of total, unconditional Cosmic LOVE. A place of such magnitute that all human experience pales before it. We ‘all’ yearn for this, whether you believe this or not.

We all need a place where we can rest in silence and solitude. It’s a place, a safe haven where we can reconnect with that ’still’ small voice and hear the whispers and guidance from a higher wisdom. It’s a place where we can escape from the fast lanes of existence, balance ourselves out and feel comfortable and relaxed in our bodies. The problem is when we don’t want to come back to reality. We want to stay (hide) in the free flowing, worry-free living of space. It becomes an addiction.

“Meditation, however, is anything but a cure-all and has dangers too. Many people use meditation as a method for relaxation and may complicate a problem that already exists: lack of extraverted involvement. For such people, the indiscriminate use of meditation may unnecessarily increase loneliness and contribute to reducing lively contact with reality.”
Arnold Mindell

In the last segment of this blog, we learnt that inactivity leads to bone loss. We also discovered weightlessness, has many scientists worried about the bones of astronauts who venture and stay in space.

Spiritual addiction leads to physical inactivity which also leads to bone loss. Spiritually addicted people prefer a quiet, dreamy solitude, they lack interest in the daily routines of life and their own physical body. This can lead to lack of exercise and careless eating habits, which quickly can affect the bodily system and undermine its health as well. The body lacks breath, motion, experience, curiosity and many other activities that make life worth living. The more we live in the higher chakras of the body, the more disconnected we will become to reality. The upper chakras will be spinning at full throttle but the torso, legs and feet immobile. Less blood will be pumped through the circulatory system, causing softening of the vein walls. In time, the heart could utterly collapse from lack of movement.

“In my view, the drama of human existence, and the drama of the transpersonal, take place against a rich psychological backdrop of good and evil. If we deny the psychological reality of evil, then how can we partake fully or deeply in life’s drama? This does not mean, however, that we must therefore accept the existence of transcendent Evil, in the sense of a metaphysical reality beyond the realm of human experience. For me, and this is crucial, the transpersonal does not necessarily imply, nor depend upon, the metaphysical transcendent. Transpersonal means the transcendence of ego boundaries, not the transcendence of human, psychological or interpersonal realities. Transpersonal development involves becoming more fully and more deeply human, not rising above our humanity.

In order to reclaim and enrich our humanness it is necessary, I believe, to acknowledge fully the shadow side of human nature, both personal and collective, and to find meaningful, creative, soulful responses to the challenges that this awareness will bring. As human beings who happen to be transpersonal psychologists, we should also realise that there is an important shadow side to the transpersonal that must be understood and responded to.” The Shadow in Transpersonal Psychology by Michael Daniels

The below case study deals with a couple who were very much into the Hippie Movement, Woodstock and illicit drugs.  They believed in the slogan “Turn on, tune in, drop out”  adopted by Dr. Timothy Leary, one of the founding fathers of the Hippie Movement.   

Dr. Leary apparently ate the legendary “sacred mushrooms,” which he purchased from a shaman. The psychedlic mushroom apparently put him into a  state of mystico-religious ecstasy, which he described as the deepest religious experience of his life. From then on, Dr. Leary, a lecturer in psychology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, dedicated
himself totally to research on the effects and possibilities of the use of
psychedelic drugs.  This research was doomed from the start and Leary was put in prison for possession of illegal drugs.

This link http://www.flashback.se/archive/my_problem_child/chapter5.html#6 is about Dr. Tim Leary and is actually chapter 5 of a whole book entitled My Problem Child From Remedy to Inebriant by Albert Hofmann. 

“After nothing had been heard from Leary for a long time, his name again appeared in the daily papers in summer 1975 with the announcement of a parole and early release from prison. But he was not set free until early in 1976. I learned from his friends that he was now occupied with psychological problems of space travel and with the exploration of cosmic relationships between the human nervous system and interstellar space – that is, with problems whose study would bring him no further difficulties on the part of governmental authorities.”  Albert Hofmann
CASE STUDY

This case study involves a couple I met at a Health Conference in Toronto, 5 years ago. Chris and Gail were both in their late fifties and in their younger days, known as the Hippie Generation and the Love Children.  They both definitely knew of Dr. Leary and both Chris and Gail had tried LSD and ‘magic mushrooms’.  It isn’t for certain if the drugs had anything to do with their inability to have children…..only Gail sadly spoke of this. 

Today, Gail suffers from osteoporosis and other complications. Chris had severe osteoporosis and died 2 years ago from Cancer invading his whole body.

After the Hippie movement, Chris dedicated his life to Buddhism and Channeling, Gail worked feverishly to pay the rent, keep the home clean and meals at the table. She gave Chris space to further his studies and worked with him in her spare time. On weekends they went into seclusion, meditating each day from morning to night. Neither one knew how this threatened the bodily function, until Chris slipped a couple of stairs and broke his hip and pelvis. A bone scan revealed his bones literally melting away!

GAIL’S HEALING

At the time of our meeting, Chris was wheelchair bound with a nasty cold. Gail, a tiny frame of a woman, told me her energy felt divided between her daily tasks and her spiritual activities. She told me the more she meditated the more she wanted to spend there. “The world seemed so cruel and unyielding all I wanted to do was escape the turmoil.” Instead of training her mind at the task at hand, she and Chris lived in the Universe’s all embracing love. Instead of being aware of their surroundings, they dissolved them into nothingless. “The more I did this, the more scattered and confused I became.” Reality had given them a hard knock, forcing them to re-gain consciousness.

Both were intrigued with Hands-on-Healing and asked if Reiki would help them. At the time I wasn’t sure how or what the Reiki would do; the only way to find out was to try it. And that we did. Gail came first. As I scanned her body, her outer energy felt distorted and revealed it had suffered a great loss of energy, especially to the immune system and endocrine glands. Also, for Gail’s age, her skin was wrinkly, her hair all white. As my hands scanned her throat area, the former vibration of heat from her energy body suddenly went numb and cool. Although healers are not allowed to diagnose, I felt her thyroid levels of thyroxin were low. Hypothyroidism can mimic aging which is caused by an abnormal decrease in a person’s metabolism. I recommended she ask her doctor for a full blood test. I also felt Gail was dehydrated, depressed, malnourished and inactive.

After scanning Gail’s body, the Reiki treatment began. Starting at the head area, I slowly worked to the position of invoking the Sei-Hei-Ki symbol for mental/emotional healing. It is in this placement we intuitively ask the client if they would like a spiritual and emotional healing. Most times a Reiki practictioner will hear a Yes or No; sometimes the body itself will physically reveal if it does or does not want to proceed. In Gail’s case, it was a big YES!

I was not prepared for what happened next. Unbenownst to me, Gail’s tissue and muscle (especially the upper back, the reverse side of the heart) had served as an armor to hold in all past emotions and prevent them from rising to the surface.

Blocks are held by the tissue, the story behind those blocks are held in the bone. Layers and layers of hidden and denied needs cried out for recognition. Each had a voice of their own as the room suddenly seemed full of several different entities. Gail’s body seemed to slightly rise up and slump back down on the Reiki table. She started sobbing as repressed wounds and clinging pasts were released. I’d never seen anything like it! Deep down I sensed feelings/past-lives/issues still weren’t ready to be released, they held on like glue. They were locked away in her lymph glands and sub-basement, more work was needed for Gail to find the key.

(When I do a healing, my guides are automatically present and beside me. I imagine a white pail filled with sea salt by my feet and near the treatment bed. This pail is used to absorb, cleanse and purify darker energies put in it. At the end of a healing session, I imagine the pail being hurled into space and cleansed/transformed by the light of the Sun.)

The whole session took nearly 2 hours to complete. Her adrenals and liver were lethargic and exhausted. When this happens, the cortex of the adrenals gives off a hormone called cortisol. When this hormone is dramatically elevated it reduce’s the stomach’s ability to resist its own acid, this could lead to ulcers and gastritis. All this can also affect the thyroid, the gas pedal of our metabolism. If you’ve ever felt an inexplicable inner shakiness, this could be caused by an exhausted thyroid gland.

I explained to Gail that as she continues to let go and clean out old experiences, her aura will change color, become clearer and less dense. It will flows smoother and more evenly and her energy patterns will increase. I recommended acupuncture, acupressure or shiatsu to work on her swollen lymph glands (these glands are an important part of the immune system). It is here foreign substances are surrounded and dealt with by an army of white blood cells called in by the physical body.

Gail was amazed of the initial healing and frankly so was I.  The healer’s body is but a conduit for a higher power.

CHRIS’ HEALING

Chris’ healing was a totally different story. When he finally came to see me, through the urgings of Gail, his energy was silent, withdrawn and lethargic. More than once I had to call him back to reality as he seemed to lose focus and disappear into a spacey, dreamy kind of altered state. It seemed to be his way of skirting different aspects of himself as well as refusing to be consciously aware of ‘things as they are’. He seemed split off from life to avoid the challenges, risks and unplesant experiences that are a necessary part of living. When one does this, he becomes less in contact with himself and less in contact with his surroundings. Chris seemed to be putting himself to sleep to avoid his own feelings and desires. A hynoptic sleep to ignore these experiences.

When our thoughts are free, our feelings flowing, our bodily senses intact, we have contact with the outer world as well as what’s happening on an inner level. As I nudged toward this possibility, Chris changed the topic to, annihilation of the Ego to reach elightenment through Ascension. Oh my gawd, this is a misconception many spiritual teachers and gurus have taught their students….to kill the ego to make real spiritual progress.

“Those who try to “kill” the ego by an act of will are usually those who are least comfortable with their own ego, whose ego is in active conflict with their spiritual aspirations and who wish to achieve the wishes of one part of their personality at the expense of some other part. This is psychological rape, for which the abused psyche will surely seek revenge. Generally these people convince themselves that they have destroyed their own ego, when in fact they are merely ignoring it.” Marilyn Waram

We are to live in this world, we won’t survive it or protect ourselves if we don’t. Chris seemed to be in search of a world, an illusionists dream of a world filled only with unconditional love which he couldn’t seem to find. This endless search, I discovered, left him with a horrible craving and an empty feeling inside. The more he yearned for it the more ungrounded he became. I could tell his physical system was starting to burn up by this high circuity of energy and sooner or later he was going to blow a fuse.

When I approached Chris to scan to his body, he in turn took two steps backward, as if to say, “I don’t want to do this.” Almost immediately I sensed a tension creeping through his body, as muscles tightened around his chest and stomach, making his breathing difficult. His body stumbled towards me as if it was crying out for help. It was obvious he was visibly disturbed at what I had just witnessed and tried to compensate for what was happening. I in turn was feeling at my wits end on how I was going to help this guy. It took a few seconds for me to realize it was he who was projecting those thoughts on me. I had to re-center myself so as not to lock in on his emotions.

Emotions force us to do something to remove the tensions they’ve caused. And one of the best ways of removing tension is to talk. So I decided to break the ice. Through experience, I have learned that although emotions are aching to be released, sometimes we wait for the other person to put our puzzle pieces into a whole picture….which I was grasping to do. The problem was, all the pieces didn’t seem to be there! Or, I had become too emotionally involved.

I asked Chris what he was trying to do with his life. It was a question he appeared ready for. His answer was to make the world a better place through his spiritual work. I told him, if he wants to change the world, the best place to start is his own life. I reminded him that the Aborigines in Australia were the ones that said….”you must become the change you want to see in the world.” Chris looked as if he was going to escape into another dream world, when a sudden commotion down the hall jolted him back to the moment. Again, it seemed something or someone was intervening. Chris seemed drained of trying to hold in all that unwanted energy and leaned against the healing bed. “How can you help me”, he asked. “Let me show you” I answered.

As I scanned his body I told Chris everything I was doing but not ‘all’ what I was feeling. His insides were chaotic and literally on fire. It was if there was a rebellion going on, a war that had been going on far too long. I’d seen this before and although I wasn’t totally sure, (and not allowed to diagnose) Chris’ body showed signs of possible cancer. Cancer has no regard for human life, only for its own survival. Could it be that all those denied and pushed away feelings were now rebelling, forming unsociable behaviors, that in our outside world is seen as gang related. And these gang members were wreaking havoc on the normal cells of Chris’s body? Again, I wasn’t sure.

When I tried the Reiki mental/emotional symbol on Chris, the answer was a flat NO. He wasn’t ready to release anything yet. His emotions were locked up as if in a tightly secure prison with no way out. As I proceeded to do hands-on-healing, I could feel this tightly held energy trying to force its way up my arms and through my body. Fortunately, Reiki attunements and its symbols won’t let this happen; they protect the healer from coming in contact with these extreme static energies.

THE KIDNEY/BLADDER MERIDIANS

The Chinese beleived that the vital force call chi, circulates in the body thorugh meridians traveling a set route between organs and systems. The meridians are either yin or yang depending upon which way the chi flows. The meridians have an intimate connection with the nerve pathways of the body’s autonomic nervous system which is linked to every organ and part of the body. When chi is flowing through each of the twelve meridians, the body is kept in balance and good health. The autonomic nervous system works continually without you even having to be aware of it. This system helps you breathe, digest, grow new cells, keeps hormones balanced and your heart beating to name a few. It is only recently that we are paying more conscious attention to our bodily functions rather than leaving them on auto pilot.

Paying close attention to the flow of Chris’ meridians, the kidney meridian was one of interest. The kidney meridian (Yin) flows ‘up’ the body. It starts at the sole of the foot and runs up the back of the leg to the front of the body. From this point it ascends in a straight line to the breast bone. Disorders associated with this meridian include brittle and soft bones, back pain, asthma, phlebitis, varicose veins as well as uterus and prostate problems and a weak bladder.

The bladder meridian (Yang) complements the kidney bladder and flows ‘down’ the body. It is one of the longest meridians that starts from the inner corner of the eye, passes over the head and divides at the base of the neck, creating two branches that run down along each side of the spine, past the buttocks, down the back leg and ending at the little toe.

While I was scanning Chris’ body, my hands, especially the fingers, followed the meridian lines which sensed what was balanced and what was not.

When energy work is needed on the meridians I like using a Herkimer diamond which complements and enhances the Reiki healing energy. Because these herkimer diamonds are small and hard to handle, I sewed mine into a pair of laced cotton gloves. I don’t need to worry about losing them and their effectiveness and healing potential are increased with most cotton materials.

Chris and I talked through the whole procedure though he carefully guarded his deepest secrets. I realized Chris wasn’t truly meditating, he was using it as an escape to avoid being bulldozed by the weight of his emotions.

I suggested an alkaline diet for Chris which comprised of mostly fruits and vegetables. Also a complete medical was adviced. I aso told this to Gail who made sure Chris made the appointment. It was through the medical field that Chris was diagnosed with cancer of the prostrate which eventually found its way into his liver and lungs. Sadly, Chris passed away in 2007. Gail has taken living in the moment very seriously. We are still in contact with each other even though we’re thousands of miles apart. After Chris died, Gail decided to move closer to her sister’s farm in Texas.

HEALTH CONDITIONS/DISEASES THAT CAN CAUSE BONE LOSS

The thickness and size of your bones are, most probably, gentically determined. We know that larged boned people will have a higher bone density then those who are small-boned. We also know large boned people won’t be as affected by bone loss cause they have more to spare!

Other factors in the cause of Osteoporosis could be diet, lack of minerals, vitamin D and adequate exercise. If you’ve had the flu and been stuck in bed, for a week, you’re going to loose bone…..it does grow back though when you get back to ‘normal’ if normal has to do with standing and walking a lot.

NOT GROUNDED

Bones ‘need’ gravity to grow. And the ones who would know more about this are the space scientists who are worried about the astronauts and their bone loss due to weightlessness in space.

This website is a Science Cafe with very interesting interviews you can download, read and follow on twitter. http://www.ucsf.edu/science-cafe/conversations/gravity-free-cell-growth-space-scientist-millie-hughes-fulford/ This particular conversation is on bones and weightlessnes in space. The whole article is fascinating….especially if you’re a science ‘nut’ like me!

“Hughes-Fulford, who was the first woman scientist to ride in the space shuttle in 1991, has long been a world leader in exploring what happens to our immune system and our bone cells when suddenly thrust into a gravity-free environment. It’s not a pretty picture. From bone loss to infections, humans in space seem fragile creatures. And indeed, extended space travel to distant planets – let alone the creation of a moon base – seems far too risky without “doing our homework,” as Hughes-Fulford continually insists.

“……….I got very interested in looking at the diseases associated with space flight, and they’re mainly in the areas of osteoporosis and Immunosuppression.

So that’s how I got started on my road to looking at the body systems that seem to depend on gravity for normal function.

………So basically the bone cells need gravity to perform properly, and in some cases you can do a lot of resistance exercise and cut down the bone loss. On Apollo, they lost in two weeks an average of 2 percent, on Skylab in 30 days one guy lost, I think, seven and a half percent of his bone, and then on space station Mir, we had people who were up for six months, and one individual lost 24 percent of his bone and he did not recover it.”

Your probably wondering what my purpose was to include this science article in my blog. I did it because I have seen an alarming number of people developing osteoporosis who are extremely creative and spiritual. They are literally ‘up there’….so much so, they’ve denied their body’s basic needs. The body’s support (bones) weakens, crumbles. We don’t think much about our bones, but we should. If we could seem them under a microscope we’d see a lacy network of living fiber. Bones are continually renewing and replacing blood cells from deep within the marrow! They not only protect and support us, bones are live tissue.

When we ‘avoid Life’ and continually divert our soul/spirit UP, our lower chakras are no longer available to hold us. The vitality and energy needed in the abdominal and hip location is forced up and into the head region, depleting the blood-flow in the pelvic area. Not only are our bones affected, our muscles, organs and cells will be too. To maintain or regain our balance, we need to keep our House Structure (bones) healthy and strong. When we can do this, we align the body with Spirit and Mind. (We’ll discuss this more in the next chapter)

CAUSES OF OSTEOPOROSIS

Coming back to the causes of Osteoporosis, we know too much caffeine can contribute to bone loss. Other factors are….

Thinness,
Small Frame
Old Age
Genetics (family history of osteoporosis)
Early menopause
Absence of menstrual periods
Abnormal menstrual periods
Diet low in calcium
Medications such as corticosteriods and anticonvulsants
Inactive lifstyle
Smoking
Alcohol
Energetically top heavy

Did you know steriods such as prednisone and cortisone can decrease bone’s mass? Steriods have been used to treat asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Diabetes can lower bone mass and some heart condition meditations can cause calcium to be excreted in the urine. Some antacids can decrease calcium aborption, except for calcium based anatacids, eg., Tum’s. Also thyroid meditation given in too high a dose can cause depletion of the bones. And we mustn’t forget bone mass can drop after menopause and the lack of estrogen and/or progesterone.

Interestingly, being overweight has actually been shown to enhance bone strength, probably because of the stress put on the bones., Another advantage to weighing more, is that fat converts androgens to estrogen, which is ’said’ to contribute to higher bone density. Weight bearing exercises (jogging, walking, lifting weights) also helps to increase bone. (We will dive into all this including diet later).

I’ve also read that standing less than 4 hours a day on our feet, may result in lower bone mass, which could lead to the risk of bone fractures (hip, wrist, vertebral) in our later years….especially if we accidentally fall.

If you don’t spend time on your feet, you’re not getting the weight-bearing pressure (gravity)your bones need. Without gravity our bones and joints would buckle, under the numerous stresses, jars and shocks of daily living.

“The laws of gravitation and of motion were derived through the observation of falling bodies. Without a working knowledge of these laws the high steel skyscrapers and great bridges of today would be impossible.” Mabel E. Todd

Informative Links on Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis & Diabetes http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/16/3/176.full

Asthma & Osteoporosis http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/asthma-and-osteoporosis

Osteoporosis Prevention Strategies http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/node/2045

Osteopenia exercises done at home http://www.osteopenia3.com/osteopenia-exercise.html

A collection of links on Osteoporosis http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/researchOsteoporosis.shtml

The Osteoporosis Center http://www.endocrineweb.com/osteoporosis

Cultivating Good Posture http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/kyt19.html

THE CONTROVERSIAL BONE DENSITY TEST

I had my first bone density test last year. The results were, I have osteoporosis. In my last entry, Bone Loss – Osteoporosis, we discussed tense and tight muscles that can cause inflammation in our tissue as well as an uneven pull on our bones.

My issue with bone density tests is, they only measure the lumbar spine or lower back…..they don’t measure the thoracic or upper back, which is more likely to suffer vertebral crush fractures (this causes the dowager’s hump as well as loss of height). Also, the test can be mistakenly overread when there is an increase of calcium deposits in an area that has been afflicted with arthritis. Another issue is if your body has been structured inside a tiny frame (which is my case).

BONE MATURITY
By the time you reach the age of 35, your bones will have reached their ‘peak bone mass’. Yikes, that’s a pretty young age isn’t it? That means that osteoporosis isn’t something that comes about quickly, it happens over time. In fact, recent tests have been done on people in their 20’s and 30’s with indications that osteoporosis is already developing! But how do they determine what our ‘normal’ bone density should be? Obviously a large boned person and a small boned person are going to rate differently.

 The World Health Organization and National Osteoporosis Foundation established criteria (T-scores) for making the diagnosis of osteoporosis, as well as determining levels which predict higher chances of fractures: The T score is reported on a bone density test and measured against the bone density of a normal 35 year old. Apparently…..

If your T-score is within one standard deviation of the average 35 year old, ie. between +1.0 and -1.0, you have normal bone density.

If your T-score is -1.0 to -2.5 standard deviations below the average, you have low bone density, a condition known as osteopenia.

If your T-score is at least -2.5 or lower than the average, you have osteoporosis.

If your T-score is at least -2.5 or lower than the average and you have broken one or more bones, you have severe osteoporosis.

My T-score was -2.7, which my doctor decidedly deemed as osteoporosis. In the American Journal of Medicine Osteoporosis is “a disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, which leads to increased bone fragility and a consequent increase in fracture risk.” Does this mean my bones are likely to fracture? I don’t think so, it just means the possibility is there but may never actually happen.

From http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=307254

“Prevention of osteoporotic fractures requires accurate methods to detect the increase in bone fragility at an early disease stage as well as effective therapies to reduce the risk of bone fractures. Presently the prediction of the patient-specific bone fracture risk is primarily based on bone density, since this is the only parameter which can routinely be measured in vivo. However, these predictions might not always be precise because the fracture risk is also determined by the bone microarchitecture and the bones loading conditions.

Technology is always advancing. If you do check out this website, it talks of a new approach to analysing bone density as well as microarchitecture with 3D high resolution imaging. Most hospitals haven’t the funds for this new scanner, at least my hospital does not. So this new testing is still very futuristic. Now, if microarchitecture is not included in the bone density test, which is a major component to Osteoporosis, how can they determine who has or who hasn’t this disease? Just because my bone density is below the ‘norm’ doesn’t mean my bones will fracture. In fact, maybe they never will!

All this test does, is cause you and me needless fear. Before the test you were feeling fine, with no problems or discomfort and in fact, you may never have any.

“To me a “disease” is a clear-cut decision that lessens comfort or well being. Maybe there’s some use in broadening the definition, but if we do that, we should at least be clear about exactly what we’re saying.

Once you’ve been told you have a disease, you’re going to start looking for a treatment. The drug companies and the doctors know this, and I think it is part of the driving force behind some new “diseases”. For example women who learn from a test they have low bone density are more likely to be on hormone replacement therapy then those who haven’t; they think that without the hormones they’re bound to end up with a broken hip or a rounded back. They’re rarely given adequate information about what bone density reall means.” Dr. Susan Love’s Hormone Book.

I truly believe what Dr. Love says here is true. This is exactly what my doctor proceeded to do. He prescribed a once-a-month drug that supposedly would strengthen my bones. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. I opted not to take it.

An article written by Dr. Zoltan P. Rona in a Toronto magazine called Vitality stated that one possible osteoporosis drug Fosamax is possibly linked to the development of esophageal cancer!

The article is here… http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/may09_pg32feat

Here’s a sample….

“The FDA received 23 reports of esophageal cancer possibly linked to the drug between 1995 and 2008. Since doctors notoriously under-report drug side effects, the real figures may actually be much higher.

Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax, claims that their research does not indicate any association between the drug and esophageal cancer. Endocrinologists, internists and your friendly neighborhood GP agree, and so continue to prescribe this drug and other bisphosphonates. Can 50,000 Canadian doctors be wrong?

It is estimated that about 30 million people in North America take one of the class of drugs known as bisphosphonates. These include Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, Didronel, Didrocal, Zometa, Aredia and several others.

One undisputed fact is that Fosamax can cause esophagitis and gastrointestinal bleeding. Conceivably, for a patient with severe esophagitis (such as the condition Barrett’s esophagus), the use of Fosamax can make the problem worse. Gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia due to mucosal lining erosions caused by Fosamax are definitely a possibility.

Bisphosphonates have been linked to severe and incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain. In 2008, the FDA warned doctors this is a possible source of intractable pain for many people using the drugs, and may necessitate use of dangerous analgesics. When people who suffer from this side effect stop using the bisphosphonates, the pain usually subsides. Therefore, these are drugs that should never be given to people suffering from any form of arthritis or fibromyalgia.”

Oh my gosh! I suffer from fibromyalgia! My doctor knows this and prescribed this anyways?? And what of the millions who suffer from this illness too, as well as arthritis. What risks are they taking with these bisphosphonates? Do they know?

My years of learning about alternative therapies has taught me our bodies are intelligent and smart; the body’s main goal is to live and survive at all costs.

A disease doesn’t simply materialize out of thin air….it takes years to develop. Even if we were to find some magical drug to end Osteoporosis it still wouldn’t eliminate the source of the problem. Something has been steadily draining the body’s energy reserves and wreaking havoc on the bones, but what? The next segment(s) of this blog are going to explore these sources as well as Genetics, Family History and Lifestyle. It’s about how each of us can take responsibility for our own recovery.

“You are the one to decide how you are going to live, what you are going to eat, and what are you are going to think about. You have the choice of whether or not you are going to abuse your body. Only you can make your lifestyle decisions….

Anyone who is committed to taking responsibility for his/her own health can reach any level of wellness he/she wants.” Dr. M. Ted Morter, Jr.

BONE LOSS – OSTEOPOROSIS

“Osteoporosis; is the eating away of our firm foundation. Bones are the hardest substance in the body. They support and give strength to the body. They are also the most brittle of substances that make up the body. If we see ourselves as having little or no support in the world of a physical or of a metaphysical nature our own foundation is weakened and the structure collapses in upon itself. “
http://www.compassionatedragon.com/metaphysics5.html

The word Osteoporosis literally means porous bones. Bones are our inner scaffolding, a supportive solid structure created to give our bodies form as well as protect our internal organs and works as a frame for our muscles and skin. It is through our bones we strive towards independence and find our place in the world. But in a world that is in a continual state of flux and change, women and men are physically crumpling to the increased pressures and stress that surround them. Many who have been unable to regenerate their energy against the bitterest winds and storms are now being diagnosed with Osteoporosis.

Stress causes our body to become rigid, tight and inflexible. This in turn causes the muscles, ligaments and tendons to tighten and over time shorten, creating an uneven pull on the skeletal bones of the body. Eventually the tension can build up to a point where it causes pain, inflammation and bone malformation. As energy levels drop from the buildup of toxins, this puts a ‘crimp’ in our circulation of energy, our energy backs up, and the already maxed out immune system weakens and turns on itself. Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune conditions as well as Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Epstein-Barr Virus.

From http://www.alive.com/420a2a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=227

“Your immune system is the most complex and critical component of your body’s inherent defence mechanism: a vast network of specialized cells and organs including your liver, lymphatic system, thymus, spleen and bone marrow. Together they share the responsibility of maintaining your resistance to disease.

Immunity is partly inherited and partly shaped by lifestyle. Your ability to ward off disease is determined by the resilience of your natural defences.”

Most of our immune cells originate in the bone marrow, in fact there is a whole cast of characters that make up the immune system and its roots can be traced to the ’stem cells’ in our bone marrow. When balanced, the immune system cells are able to distinguish what is the “enemy” and what is the “self”.

If you’re really interested in learning all you can about the immune system this site “The Anatomy of the Immune System” is fantastic! If you click “elsewhere” on 1. Bone Marrow, you’ll discover and learn more about the various characters of our stem cells.

Look at it here http://www.microbiologybytes.com/iandi/2b.html

One of the stem cells, the macrophage is the easiest to identify under the microscope. It looks like a dark, horseshoe shaped blob and is rather quite large compared to the other cells of the immune system. If you remember the old Pac Man game then you’ll have a good idea what the macrophage does.

“Monocytes circulate in the peripheral blood prior to emigration into the tissues. Within certain organs they have special names, e.g. in liver they are known as Kupfer cells, in brain as microglia, in kidney as mesangial cells, and in bone as osteoclasts. Elsewhere they are referred to as tissue macrophages”

The macrophage also accumulates in tissues that are injured and inflamed, such as arthritic joints. There its venemous tentacles seek out, surround and destroy its prey. It dines on the bacteria or a clump of viruses that were tied together by your antibodies. Sounds like a horror story involving poisonous spiders, doesn’t it?

As mentioned in the above quote, the macrophage exist in bone as osteroclasts. These are microscopic cells specially designed to nibble, dissolve and breakdown bone. They are similar to the demolition crew in the construction industry. How and why an area is targeted for ‘remodeling’ is still not yet understood…although they are called in when a bone is fractured or broken. What we do know is that the osteoclasts spend a couple of weeks resorbing the bone and when done, mononuclear cells, the cleanup crew pull up and prepare the surface for new bone formation. Then, the osteoblasts take over and start rebuilding. So healthy bones are constantly remodeling themselves. But what happens in the case of osteoporosis or osteopenia? What causes the osteoclasts to continue demolishing?

“In osteoporosis, the net rate of bone resorption exceeds the rate of bone formation, resulting in a decrease in bone mass without a defect in bone mineralization. In women, osteoclast activity is increased because of decreased estrogen after the menopause. (Men with prematurely decreased testosterone may also have increased osteoclast activity.) These changes result in further net loss of bone. The amount of bone available for mechanical support of the skeleton eventually falls below the fracture threshold and one may suffer a fracture with little or no trauma.” From http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11794

So somehow the osteoclasts become hyperactive and perforate and penetrate too deeply into the bone. These osteoclasts act like hungry termites, gobbling away at the framework of your house, weakning the foundation of your physical being. There are more osteoclasts then osteoblasts and the fewer osteoblasts cannot keep up the demand of rebuilding and recalking the holes in your bone. Your bones become less supportive and more fragile.

Our bones are constantly losing and replacing cells….they are ‘living tissue’ that grow as the body grows. Bones, give our bodies form, protect our internal organs and work as a frame for our muscles and skin. It is our bones that enable our muscles to move, giving motion and life to our physical being.

How do we prevent and/or reverse the cause of bone loss? What makes our bones stay strong and healthy? Is calcium the answer? We’ll be looking at these questions and more in the next article(s) of this blog. Osteoporosis afflicts both men and women. In fact studies indicate that doctors/scientists have not paid enough attention to osteoporosis in men. Perhaps the reason women are catalogued more, is because, they are known to live longer than men.