Archive for the ‘Research/Info’ Category

Walking on Alligators

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

I’ve been sorting through my books, and remembering how many awesome books I have, and how useful they’ve been at different points in my development. And I’ve decided that there are a few worth revisiting.

For example, Walking on Alligators is A Book of Meditations for Writers, by Susan Shaughnessy. She says that “It takes a certain fearlessness to do this. Truth is not to be approached lightly. If what you’re writing makes you squirm and wish to wriggle away, you are probably on the right track. …It is not enough to describe cleverly or depict vividly. A story must also unfold– a story in which truths are caught in a way the reader never saw before.” (pg 158) And on page 44, she quotes Gustave Flaubert: “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”

And Walking in the World: The Practical Art of Creativity, by Julia Cameron. She also wrote The Artist’s Way. On page 24 of Walking in the World she says, “Faith moves mountains, and when we see art as an act of faith, then we begin to see that when we commit to our art, mountains may indeed be moved as a path becomes clear.” …It might be time for me to work through this book again, with where I am NOW in mind.

There are many more amazing books on my shelf, but for now, I’m off to enjoy the out-of-doors, and possibly also a late lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant, with a good friend this afternoon. Rediscover your own resources. Find new ones. Remember, you don’t have to struggle forward alone. This is about receiving support, moving forward with Grace, and enjoying what is.

Be Well.

| Posted in Research/Info, Resources, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | Comments Off

The Shaman’s Journey

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Andre Lorde once said, “I am still learning– how to take joy in all the people I am, how to use all my selves in the service of what I believe, how to accept when I fail and rejoice when I succeed.”

Meridel le Sueur acknowledged, “Women know a lot of things they don’t read in the newspapers. It’s pretty funny sometimes, how women know a lot of things and nobody can figure out how they know them.”

And Anne Wilson Schaef explained, “Growing up and claiming our own lives is partially a process of listening to our own voices and distinguishing them from the crowd inside us, especially when the internal committee is a group of addicts.”

And I must also agree with Cornelia Otis Skinner, who admitted that, “Women keep a special corner of their hearts for sins they have never committed.”

Have I ever told you that I yearn to participate in a tomato-throwing fight someday? And I’d really love to learn to surf. And knife-throwing holds a particular appeal. But mostly, I hope I learn how to be me– gracefully– while there’s still time to enjoy it. I think that as we learn to recognize our true Selves, and to embrace and appreciate who we are, and what we are capable of accomplishing in this lifetime… we encounter a kind of awe, an awareness of what we COULD DO with all that ability. And therein lies hidden guilt.

In my case, I sometimes stop what I’m doing long enough to acknowledge what I’m doing. And in those moments of quiet, I feel quite overwhelmed by the blessings and support I receive in the course of my work. Seeing peoples’ truths, their “how I got here,” and often knowing how to give them tools that will make the rest of this particular journey easier– more enjoyable– better. Offering life-shifts that will change how an individual interacts with the world from now on– and thus changes their lifetime for the better. Listening to both what is said, and also what is being ignored because it is too painful. Making room for hope, possibility, joy, healing, wellness.

An acquaintance, Avery Energy, told me about Shamanic expert Dr. Michael Harner, president of the Center for Shamanic Studies here in America. I visited his website, and found an article he’d written many years ago. The article defined various aspects of Shamanic Practice. Not only was it interesting to read, but it also brought me face-to-face with large parts of the work I do in the world. Things I hadn’t really let myself recognize. They were too big for just-me to be doing.

Things like knowing- and not just believing. Things like performing miracles. Talking with plants, animals, and rocks, and all of nature. Journeying to nonordinary reality. Soul-retrieval. Extraction. Seeing illness in a client’s body as if with x-ray vision. Conducting lost souls. Spiritual Healing, Seeing and Divination. I utilize all of these in the course of my work. And these, plus a few equally amazing skills, are all the tools of a Shaman.

So really, I’m not doing this alone. I have a lot of help from energies that know so much more than I ever will. The challenge is in letting go of my fear, and being available to that knowledge. Being grateful for what is, and letting go of my desire to fit in– to be invisible among the many. That isn’t my path. I’m here to do something greater with my life and my energy. It is a hard road, and the lessons can sometimes be harsh. But then, as I open to learning new things, I discover so much that I already know. That I already am in the world. And there is room for celebration, and an awareness of Grace. Grace and good intentions create hope. Together with spiritual support and an openness to positive life-shift, they forge miracles.

Today, I invite you to welcome miracles back into your life. Maybe you begin with a little miracle– getting to the post office before it closes. Finding baby’s favorite teething ring before bedtime. Making it home safely from the company party. Miracles are everywhere, just waiting for us to notice.

Doris Lessing says, “That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.”

And Marian Wright Edelman clarifies, “If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.”

Adrienne Rich says, “When a woman tells the truth she is creating the possibility for more truth around her.”

So, having spoken my truth about learning and being for the day,
I leave you with a poem from M.C. Davies:

Iron, left in the rain
And fog and dew
With rust is covered.
–Pain rusts into beauty too.

Be Well.

| Posted in Blessings, Research/Info, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | Comments Off

Going Green the Mother Earth Way

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

I’ve been working to pull together a workshop on Green Living for about six months now. But it never felt quite READY, so I haven’t actually offered these workshops. And now that I know what I’m doing, I’ve got some serious updating to do on my website. www.BeWellmedicine.com

At first, I had a series of four workshops that functioned as an intro to all things Green– food, cleaning & furnishing a home, building green, etc. But I realized that the folks most likely to attend such a workshop probably already had their intro years ago… So then I added a fifth workshop on the Spiritual element of Green Living… which was more exciting to teach than the other four combined.

And finally, it hit me. I’ve done a ton of research on going green, but it’s become relevant to my life in the past few months because I’ve been struggling with new food allergies and new chemical sensitivities. And as a result I HAVE to go green. From my perspective, its as though Mother Earth decided that if I was going to be serious about protecting the Earth (it’s the only one we’ve got), I’d better live my life by Her standards. Clean UV-filtered water. Local organic produce. No artificial preservatives. No artificial fabrics, either. Natural cleaners and soaps and detergents. And I’m purchasing a cotton-filled Thai Massage floor mat as my new “bed,” because my regular bed gives me hives.That’s the easy stuff.

So, finally, I know what the workshop series is supposed to be about.
I’ll be offering this series for the first time in January/February of 2012:
The Mother Earth Way. And we’ll talk about food and allergies and health. We’ll explore resources and alternatives for folks with chemical sensitivities (or who want to avoid getting them!). And we’ll talk about the building and decorating materials in your home and your furniture that are slowly poisoning you– and what to do about it all– on almost any budget. This is my offering to the Earth, so I’m asking $20/workshop –which is a total steal– the fees cover the basic space and materials for the workshop. While my other workshops might make your life more worthwhile, this series will keep you alive long enough to do that.

And instead of pretending that all this is separate from my real life, I’m making it personal. This is about what I’ve learned, what I’ve tried, and why– and that includes my responsibility as one of Earth’s Protectors. It’s about my physical health, my mental health, my emotional health– and my spiritual health. And now, through The Mother Earth Way workshops, it’s about your health, too. I hope you’ll join me in January.

Be Well.

| Posted in Research/Info, Resources, Staci Says..., To Your Health, Workshops | 1 Comment »

On Gluten (or how to get off it)

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

By popular request, I’m writing more about gluten intolerance, food issues, and resources.

In one of the many books I borrowed from my local library, when I realized I was probably seriously gluten intolerant, I found this list (and it explained a lot!):

Foods or Food Labeling Terms that Indicate or Suggest the Presence of Gluten

  • Barley starch
  • Binder
  • Bran
  • Bulgur, cracked wheat
  • Caramel color
  • Cereal
  • Cereal Protein
  • Couscous
  • Dextrin (unless derived from corn, potato, arrowroot, rice, or tapioca)
  • Durum wheat
  • Emuslifier
  • Fillers
  • Flour (unless made with pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, or soy flour)
  • Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP) (unless derived from soy or corn)
  • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) (unless derived from soy or corn)
  • Kamut
  • Malt or malt flavoring (unless derived from corn)
  • Malted barley
  • Maltodextrin (unless derived from cornstarch or potato starch)
  • Maltose
  • Modified food starch (unless arrowroot, corn, potato, or tapioca)
  • Monoglycerides or diglycerides
  • Natural flavoring (THIS ONE REALLY MAKES ME MAD– ITS IN EVERYTHING!)
  • Oat bran
  • Oat germ
  • Oatmeal (rolled oats) (AND GLUTEN-FREE DOESN’T ALWAYS HELP!)
  • Pearl barley
  • Rusk
  • Rye starch
  • Semolina
  • Stabilizer
  • Thickener
  • Triticale (a grain crossbred from wheat and rye)
  • Vegetable gum (except carob bean gum, locust bean gum, cellulose gum, guar gum {which some folks are unable to do anyway}, gum arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, or xanthan gum)
  • Vegetable starch

And then came a whole page of food products that are likely to have one or more of these glutenous ingredients in it… It’s a very depressing list, really. It includes pretty much all condiments and salad dressings or marinades, nearly all canned soups, and most low-fat or flavored cottage cheese, shredded cheese, yogurt, ice cream, processed or american cheese products, candy, etc.

Also, “The Gluten Connection” is a great book that talks about a wide variety of diseases and disorders of the mind and body that have been scientifically shown to have a significant relationship with gluten sensitivity and celiac’s disease. ADHD comes to mind. Bloating. I’ve actually had a much easier time fitting into last year’s jeans since I got off gluten. And I don’t skip any meals, either. Skin irritations, adult acne, etc etc. Osteoperosis, too. Which I started developing at a very young age. Because if your body can’t process wheat or gluten, and you eat it anyway, it keeps your small intestine from absorbing most of your food’s nutrients. So you may eat really well, and still be horribly nutritionally deficient.

Check it out. And…
Be Well.

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Radical Health, Simplified

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

I’m reading two amazing books this week, and want to share both with you. One is called Radical Simplicity: small footprints on a finite Earth, by Jim Merkel. The other is the Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home, and Planet– One Room at a Time, by Beth Greer (the Super Natural Mom- seriously!).

I’ve been aware for some time that what we consume in a day or a lifetime as Americans is very different from what is even available in third-world countries. And I know that a lot of what we do have is man-made, even our food. As I learn about Carbon Footprints, toxic chemicals in our drinking water, and slowly learn to manage my own Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)… I look for ways to lessen my impact on the Earth. To live without so many man-made chemicals and without so many petrochemical products (like plastic containers for leftovers, toxic glue that gives off formaldehyde in every composite-wood piece of furniture in the house, and how many pairs of plastic-and-glue chemical-coated shoes does one girl need, anyway?).

In Radical Simplicity, Jim talks about his visit to a little third-world island called Kerala. The people there have a yearly GDP per capita of $566. For comparison, America’s GDP is $34,260 and India’s is $460. The people of Kerala are also well-educated, have great access to health care, and live happy lives. Jim wants to know how they do it, and bring those skills to America. Later in the book, Jim presents us with the Wiseacre Challenge. Well, my dad sometimes calls me a SmartAlec, but I’d never heard of a Wiseacre. Apparently, he’s figured out how many acres of land it takes to sustain different lifestyles– per person. And on a finite planet, he asks, how much is enough? One acre? Three? Or like most Americans, six acres of land and resources to sustain each person per year?

Thank goodness for the Super Natural Home book! I now have a simple list of hidden sources of MSG. (MSG: monosodiumglutinate== It makes your food taste better by messing with your tastebuds, chemically. And it causes a lot of health problems.) And a list of ingredients that usually indicate the presence of MSG, even if it isn’t clearly labeled. I also have a great home recipe for chicken nuggets, and information about which waterfilters and water purification systems actually filter what! And did you know that the cosmetics industry us basically unregulated in the US? That means that anybody can put any label on their product, and there’s no standard for saying if its true or not. So be careful who you buy from– they might be hiding something toxic in their chapstick.

It’s been a week of heavy reading– but also informative, and I have some good options I can trust the next time I go to the store (or the farmer’s market!). YAY ME.

Mostly, I wish for you to eat well, drink lots of tea, get out for a walk or a breath of fresh air now and then,
and Be Well.

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Favorite Books…

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

Here, briefly and incompletely, is a list of my favorite books. I’m sharing because I just reorganized them on my shelf (after spending about an hour yesterday reading about how clutter helped invent penicillin– see book A Perfect Mess) and remembered all over again that I have a lot of really awesome books.

  • This is Just to Say: Poems of apology and forgiveness; by Joyce Sidman
  • Where Cats Meditate; by David Baird
  • Truth In Dating; by Susan M. Cambell
  • Micro Eco-Farming; by Barbara Berst Adams
  • A Handbook of Chakra Healing; by Govinda
  • Wisdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders; collected by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden
  • Full Moon Feast; by Jessica Prentiss
  • The Gluten Connection; by Shari Lieberman
  • The Chalice & The Blade; by Riane Eisler
  • Seven Whispers: A spiritual practice for times like these; by Christina Baldwin
  • Walking In The World: The practical art of creativity; by Julia Cameron (author of The Artist’s Way)

And so very many more.

| Posted in Research/Info, Resources, Staci Says... | 1 Comment »

Masonry Fireplaces and Macro Eco-Farming

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

I’m always reading about green building, green living, green technology, old ways of doing things that make more sense if we’re to live in harmony with Mother Earth. Today, I’m about half-way through a library book called Micro Eco-Farming, by Barbara Berst Adams. The subtitle is “Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth.” And that’s really what the book offers. Examples and stories of people around the world who are successfully and sustainably living off their little patch of land– mushroom farmers, chili farmers, local goat dairies, u-pick flower farms… All on small plots of land, with small families to make them work in partnership with Earth.

I know I’m a little late, but HAPPY EARTH DAY!

And speaking of Earth, I’m also reading a book about Masonry Fireplaces, called Masonry Heaters: Designing, Building and Living with a Piece of the Sun, by Ken Matesz. It has so many great photos of the variety of forms and functions that Masonry Heaters can take– and have taken over the past three hundred years. A masonry heater is usually wood-fired, but you only need to burn a few pieces of wood to heat an entire house comfortably. And the heat continues to radiate from the masonry system in your home for many hours, so you don’t need a backup system. You can even cook and bake in these babies. I’m totally in love.

I keep saying to my partner… “Someday, when we build our home…” and I believe that someday, we will.
Be Well.

| Posted in A Wish For Tomorrow, Research/Info | Comments Off

Night of the Witches

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

May Eve has been celebrated by various  names and in various parts of the world, for thousands of years. And not just the most recent two thousand, either. You see, All Hallows Eve is exactly across the wheel of the year from May Eve. And both are considered days– and nights– when the veil between life and death is thinned. A crossroads of sorts. It is possible to honor your dead individually and in-person on these days, and it is necessary to acknowledge the importance of the wise women in your community, for they are all that stands between you and the darkness.

In older traditions, the darkness itself was also celebrated, and women were honored for our ability to help our community connect to both the darkness and the light. Woman-Shaman-Healer-Wise One.  Women’s intuition was often stronger by the light of the moon and stars– in the dark. And the nights when there was no moon were crossroads in their own right. The hour of the wise old woman, the Crone. The womb itself was a wonderful and loving darkness, and the stars (representing both where humanity came from, and where each of us will eventually go) were only visible at night. Much of this ancient knowledge still holds true.

In May Eves past, people hung protective herbs over doors, and around the necks of their cattle. They cooked special meals to feast their dead ancestors and honor the visiting spirits. They kept their children close, and had big bonfires to drive away the darkness. They danced to celebrate what was. The wise women had easier access to magic and to divination. Sacrifices were made. It was not wise to interrupt a women’s gathering on the night of May Eve.

Having survived the terrors of the night, May Day itself became a day-long celebration of survival, of life blooming and green things growing. A celebration of the spiritual energy that fills all things– a celebration that the light came forth again in the morning. A celebration of what will be, and the Goddess who appears at the crossroads in our lives, guiding us safely home.

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Aging Gracefully

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Every year, no matter what we do, we all get a little bit older. Fact of life. And death. But we Americans tend not to talk much about death. Any kind of change seems to make the average American quite uncomfortable in fact– unless that change is that they just won the lottery and became a millionaire and got bigger boobs.

But the scientific reality is that we all live every day of our lives– we’ve earned the right to be the age we are today. And all the work we’ve put into getting where we are now is worth celebrating– even if we still have plans to go somewhere else. Scientifically speaking, if you live long enough, you will eventually develop some form of dementia. And of all the clinically defined forms of dementia, 47% of people end up with the version we call Alzheimer’s.

I’ve chosen to take a Gerontology class about the realities of care giving for elders with dementia. I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect, and be given the opportunity to succeed in living a good life, at whatever age and ability they have. As a future doctor, I really want to understand the realities of the people I serve. And I’ve learned that a three-year-old can communicate some really profound truths. So can a 19-year-old (well, okay, that’s slightly less likely). And a 79-year-old. It isn’t about aging. It’s about listening.

So while I’ve already learned some of the medical processes related to Alzheimer’s and the clinical treatment of dementia… the most important thing I’ve learned is that even in the most cruelly advanced stages of these brain-diseases, people have something important to communicate. And as a caregiver, or as a care provider, listening takes on new importance, and new dimensions. If someone you love is living with dementia, and especially if you are the primary care giver for someone with dementia, I highly recommend these two little books we’re reading in class:

  • The Art of Dementia Care, by Daniel Kuhn and Jane Verity
  • Alzheimer’s Essentials: Practical skills for families and caregivers, by Gordeau and Hillier.

Often, in the middle stages of dementia, a person will insist that someone is sneaking into the house and moving things, hiding their glasses, dirtying their clothes. They may even start to see these “invisible people” in the room, threatening them. And often the truth is that the person with dementia is confused and frightened and embarrassed. They just found their reading glasses in the freezer or the sock drawer, and some smart person has taken away their keys– but all they know is they can’t find the keys, and the care facility you’ve put them in for their own safety isn’t HOME. They want to go home. So they need keys.

And when things aren’t the way the person’s brain says they should be– the person creates a story to explain the reality they find. Someone has stolen their keys. Someone is throwing food on their good clothes. It’s the end of the day, and time for them to go home. Even though they don’t really know where “home” is anymore– or they may already be there.

The challenge to caregivers is that we have to be compassionate and loving, rather than truthful. Respectful and aware. Good listeners– and we have to respond to the need behind what is expressed. We have to figure out what their reality looks like through their eyes– and interact with that reality. Tell the invisible man in the room to leave, and reassure your charge that you’ve put her keys in a safe place. She can help you with a game or folding some clothes. She can tell you where she wants her clothes to be put while you wait for her ride to show up. And the truth is that by the time the new task is complete, she probably doesn’t remember the white lie you told to help her feel sane in her crazy world. This place IS home, and there is no “ride.” You’ve also given her some control, and you’ve given her the respect of taking her fears about the invisible (and totally imagined) man seriously. Because that story has become real for her.

Like I said– listening is the most important thing we can do for the people around us. And doubly so when that person has dementia. We can celebrate the little things– the days that socks go in the sock drawer and dish rags go in their spot. The good days where everyone just enjoys the sunshine or the birds or the silly gameshow on TV. The times that offer us profound truths, if only we are listening for them.

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Happy April!

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Did you know that Easter was named after “Eostara,” the Goddess of abundance and fertility?! Her symbols were the egg, the color red, and rabbits. She was all about Spring, new life, feeding eggs to good little children, bright colors, and celebration. In many traditions, her day also honored the rebirth of the dead king. (Check out Barbara Walker’s The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets among other sources.)

We’re having a sunny day, I just started my outdoor compost bin, and made a rice-warmer for our puppy’s arthritic old knees. He’s snortling peacefully on his dog-bed right now, secure that he’s had all his treats (pills), his breakfast, and his mid-morning walk. And everybody loves him, so all is right in the world. At the moment, I feel that all is right in the world, too. Happy April. I hope you get some of that vitamin-rich sunshine on your face today. Enjoy the crocuses, the daffodils, the trees in bloom, and new life bursting forth around us.

Be Well.

| Posted in Research/Info, Staci Says... | Comments Off

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