Archive for the ‘authored by: S. Brooke Elliott’ Category

About Me… and Living Intentionally

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

I’ve spent the last ten months dealing with a strange, painful and itchy rash on my hands and shoulders and shins and face. My first attempts to heal this rash included the natural healing stuff I already know– herbs, EOs, energy work, etc. Nothing worked. Then I tried changing up my diet. (And now I know that gluten is not my friend, nor are soy lecithin, sulphides, nitrates and other preservatives, most toiletry products including soap and toothpaste, and my favorite nut– the filbert.) It helped, some. I even found alternative soaps and toothpastes.

But I still have the rash. In fact, it currently covers most of both hands, which is the worst it’s been and done yet. At least it isn’t currently on my neck or forehead. That is always unhappy and exhausting for me.

I worked with an Allergist, and a Dermatologist– both skilled and capable professionals that I would gladly recommend to anyone. Except that for all the information they DID give me, I still have the rash. And I’m not ready to be on antibiotics and steroids for the rest of my life. I also worried– especially when my forehead was a red, weapy mess– that it was a ridiculous (some might say RASH) thing to try and earn my living as a healer when OBVIOUSLY I wasn’t at the peak of health myself. But clients still came, and we still made awesome life-changing progress together, and they still recommend me to others, so I’ve stopped worrying so much about that. My healing skills aren’t sick, after all.

Finally, from reading about celiac’s disease (allergy to wheat and gluten), I came across more and more references to MCS– Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. And the more I read, the closer I came to realizing that I might fit into that category, too. MCS.

So I called my insurance company to find out if any local doctors specializing in Environmental Medicine were on the “in-network” list. My insurance company had never heard of MCS, nor Environmental Medicine. Not even the supervisor’s supervisor had heard of it. So I did a google search, and found that there is a CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE right in Portland. YAY!!! And even better, the doctor who is now managing my MCS treatment plan is actually “in-network!” Even if a lot of the treatments that might detoxify my neurologic, immune and hormonal systems are not covered by my insurance. There is hope.

I might be able to type without pain from the rash on my fingers. I might be able to have ENERGY for more than three days a week. I might be able to eat chocolate again. And use actual dish soap so I can wash my own dishes. And eat at a nice restaurant without paying for it in itchy bumps and exhaustion for days after. WOW! HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Of course, the first thing the doctor did was proscribe a variety of lab tests so that we can know for sure what is causing my symptoms. This doctor plans to treat the CAUSE, and not just the symptoms, dontcha know. And of course, this meant that they took six or seven (I tried not to count, and then I was too woozy to count) large and full vials of my blood. And then I drove from Portland to Boondockia to run errands, totally forgetting about little things like lunch. Sigh.

So this week is now officially a rest week for me. Which means lots of naps, a little exercise and fresh air, yummy food that I make from scratch (with only ingredients I KNOW I do well with) including lunches, and perhaps I’ll catch up on my blogging and book-reading and cat-skritching in between naps.

That way, I’ll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with a smile in my heart and a lilt in my step, and words that are beautiful, when I come down to Portland this Friday. The workshop I’m teaching on Friday (from 3:30 to 6:30 pm at the SisterSpirit Office) is one of the Lifeway Learning classes I offer– Living Intentionally: Organize and Prioritize Your Lifeway. This workshop encourages effective goal-setting. We talk about what it takes to set an intention, and live by it. How to know when you’ve reached your goal, and how to integrate your personal values with your intentions and goals. We even talk about each person’s realistic next-steps in relation to the goals and intentions and values you’ve set.

So for me, this week is about practicing what I teach: Knowing that my goal is to offer the best support, tools and insights that I have to each of my workshop attendees and individual clients. Knowing that I need to shift my priorities and next-steps and goals for this week so that I can reach my goals with you this Friday and Saturday. Knowing that my priority for the next few days is to nourish myself– rest my mind, fuel my body, get lots of hugs, and give thanks to All That Is for what I can do when I am at my best as a Healer and Sage and Shaman.

If you are ready to Live Intentionally and reach some of  your outstanding goals, Join Me this Friday, February 24th. And above all, Be Well. I know I will.

| Posted in Research/Info, To Your Health, Workshops, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | No Comments »

Wildlife

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Walking the dog yesterday, I heard a woodpecker testing it’s stereo system. Seriously, this big brown bird was perched on my neighbor’s roof, tat-tat-tat-tat-tating away at his metal chimney pipe. And it echoed.

Then, there were the two little Junko birds in the back yard. They were practicing synchronized flitting. Hopping along in tandem, stopping at the same time, pecking the ground a bit here, flitting on to a more likely spot in the grass– and carefully checking to make sure they were always exactly 14 inches apart. At one point, they turned opposite directions to peck, and accidentally wandered about 2 feet apart. The one who noticed first went RACING back to his position, 14 inches from his partner. Now I understand where ballet came from.

We also get a lot of deer and skunks out this way. Herds. Of skunks. My partner has a theory that they are wandering around together, because every time he takes the dog out for one last tinkle at bedtime, he sees a herd of deer, and smells a local skunk. I think the deer just got sprayed by the skunk at some point, but I don’t want to spoil his theory.

Speaking of wildlife, our neighbors have an interesting sense of humor. I was driving past a big empty field recently (neighbors– in Boondockia) and glimpsed a large fox running for all it was worth. A second LONGER look (that almost landed me in the ditch) clarified that I was seeing a planted metal cutout of an oversized fox running at full speed. In the middle of an empty field. In Boondockia.

And every time the dog passes the place where my cat is sleeping, a long declawed paw SHOOTS OUT and whaps him once or twice, and disappears again. But the cat is sleeping, so we still don’t know whose paw that is. Of course, the dog manages to get really excited and accidentally stumble over the cat in his excitement that HEY– THE HUMANS MIGHT BE GOING TO STAND IN FRONT OF THE DOG TREAT BAG!!!! at least twice a day. But, seriously, it’s an accident, so you can’t be angry at him for that. …I figure if the cat had claws, things would be a little more even. But she doesn’t. Thank goodness.

That was my weekend. Lots of little mysteries to enjoy, and lots of opportunities to laugh at the way my world works. How was your weekend? How is your world working these days?
Be Well.

| Posted in Laughter Makes the Best Medicine, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | No Comments »

Wow!

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Can you believe that Julie’s makes organic gluten-free ice cream sandwiches?! My narrow little world just got wider again. (insert happy sigh here)

AND they come in a little recyclable round tube thingy. VERY cute, and difficult to smush with canned goods while driving home from the store. We tested it.

…. Happy….

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Beach Being

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

Can you believe it’s February already??

Imbolic/Candlemas was on February 2nd. Also, apparently, Groundhog Day. According to my twitter feeds, and the fact that it snowed again this week, winter isn’t over yet. So I’m lighting a candle, and celebrating all that is warm and gloriously alive at this time of year. For me, Candlemas symbolizes the return of the light, the opportunity to clean house and start the year fresh… I love February. The storms and the sun seem to chase each other around, and both are beautiful.

I’ve also been challenging myself to actually take time off. This may account for the lower frequency of blogs this month, sorry. And I’m not just taking time off from work to run errands and do other tasks– but really– time off of any schedule “must-do” activity. Time in which to just BE, notice how beautiful Mother Nature is, and allow all the experiences and learning opportunities I’ve had to really meld. When I make time for what I’ve learned to blend with who I am, it’s easy to become a better me. To move forward with all I’ve done effectively. All because I took time to stop, rest, and catch up with myself.

Recently, in an effort to just BE a little more effectively, I spent a day at the beach. Walking, picnicking on the organic humus and carrots and garlic-olives I brought. Watching a bit of glass turn into a beautiful flowing multicolor form in the hands of an expert glassblower. Laughing at all the happy dogs running and digging and sniffing on the sand, and losing myself in the rhythm of the crashing waves. It was time off, well-spent.

This month, I hope for you that there is time to stop. Rest. And allow who you are to meld with all you’ve accomplished or experienced.

Be Well.

| Posted in A Wish For Tomorrow, To Your Health, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | No Comments »

The Road Less Traveled

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

I’m only three chapters into this book (The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck, M.D.), and I LOVE IT! The author manages to combine life experiences, deep understandings of lessons (rules) learned in childhood, and adult outcomes from those childhood experiences. He turns these stories and threads of experience into an adult awareness of what we are missing, and how we can get it back.

The funny thing is, this man grew up saying things he shouldn’t. He probably managed to offend just about everyone by saying what was true, and not what was polite. Now, as a skilled counselor, he uses his truth-telling tendency to share a deeper understanding of where we came from, and how we can do better for our own children.

For example, the first line of the book says, “Life is difficult.” So true! He goes on to talk about delayed gratification as a life lesson, and the importance of openness to challenge. He clarifies that “The tendency to avoid challenge is so omnipresent in human beings…” When we get counseling, “we deliberately lay ourselves open to the deepest challenge … and even pay the other for the service of scrutiny and discernment.” (page 53)

While I am learning much about follow-through, I am also reminded of how important it is to let our lives serve as an example of What TO DO RIGHT for our children– and for our community at large– and to let our words simply mirror our experience. “Do what I say, not what I do” can lead to some pretty messed up understandings of the world. There’s a better way to be, and so far, I think this book delivers.

For a list of the books you can find on my professional shelf, and other books I might just suggest as “homework” someday, please visit my website, and check out the link to Brooke’s Books.
Be Well.

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The Big Red Book

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

This is one of many book reviews I offer via blog. What makes this one special is that there’s a link to this review from my website, www.bewellmedicine.com, where I’ve started a work-in-progress list of Brooke’s Books.

Brooke’s Books is a listing of the books I have (or want) on my bookshelf. Books that have helped me to become a better person, a whole Self in the world. Happy. Fulfilled. Consciously creating my life-story. Many of the books I’ll eventually include on that list (and thus review here on my blog) are also ones I’ve used as resources for Life Coaching and for Healing my clients. Books I suggest as “homework.” I hope you find some of them useful for your inner work as well. –Be Well.

Rumi was born in 1207 in what is now Afghanistan. In 1244, he met Shams Tabriz, in Turkey. Shams Tabriz became his spiritual mentor and literary muse. The result was years of deeply felt, deeply imagined poetry. The Big Red Book.

Coleman Barks, the author/translator of my favorite version of Rumi’s musings and poetry, says that “For centuries, Rumi’s collection of these verses has traditionally been bound in a red cover, hence the title of this inspired classic of spiritual literature.” (inside front cover)

While I don’t own this particular book yet, I borrowed it from the library and eventually ran out of renewals. I’m sharing it with you because each piece of writing leaves room for thought. For imagining our own reality that much more clearly. For wondering how the pieces of our Self fit into this beautiful whole. And how we fit into the old groove of friendship, of partnership, of All-That-Is.

On page 162 of Rumi: The Big Red Book, by Coleman Barks the poem A Great Rose Tree, from Rumi’s writings known as Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, is found:

This is the day and the year of the rose.
The whole garden is opening with laughter.

Iris whispering to cypress.
The rose is the joy of meeting someone.

The rose is a world imagination cannot imagine.
A messenger from the orchard where the soul lives.

A small seed that points to a great rose tree.
Hold its hand and walk like a child.

A rose is what grows from the work the prophets do.
Full moon, new moon.

Accept the invitation spring extends,
four birds flying toward a master.

A rose is all these,
and the silence that closes and sits in the shade, a bud.

This next couplet comes from page 378 of Rumi: The Big Red Book,
part of Libra: The Scales…

Do you think I know what I’m doing?
That for one breath or half-breath I belong to myself?

As much as a pen knows what it’s writing,
or the ball can guess where it is going next.

And so I leave you, not so much belonging to myself or to anyone else, but rather participating with joy in All That Is. Be Well.

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Getting Out of Your Own Way

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Well, I’ve learned that my Lifeway Masterclass workshops definitely need the full 3 to 3.5 hours to really get through the content effectively. And I’ve learned that the January Getting Out of Your Own Way masterclass feeds nicely into the February Living Intentionally masterclass. One is about finding your personal road-blocks and starting to overcome them. The other is about setting goals and recognizing success in realistic and nourishing ways.

I’ve also learned that my desk computer is now so old and out-of-date that I can’t download the updates to programs that support the online formats and applications I’d like to be utilizing. Like TweetDeck. Sigh. Definitely time for a new computer. And also, my apologies if you normally follow my daily tweets. It’s a technology glitch in the mainframe. And I’m working on that.

Now, I’m off to support the local library with my intentional collage art. We’re offering a workshop for setting intentions in the New Year, and I’m one of the guest artists. Such fun! I actually teach an intensive version of this as part of the Self-Centering Woman series (part 3). And I’m looking forward to that, too.

I think for most of us, Getting Out of Our Own Way requires that we learn to trust the process, and that we learn to take small steps in a chosen direction even though it’s scary. When we really care about an outcome, taking a risk can be scary. When we don’t really care about the outcome, then moving forward isn’t taking a risk. Submitting that paper for review, asking for a raise, participating in an art class, telling someone we love them, telling someone they’re sick and they need help. It’s easy to do if you aren’t really involved in the outcome.

If we have art in our hearts, but we’ve never let it out because– what if it isn’t good enough?! Then attending an art class is a risk. Our lifework, and our dream is somehow on the line. But if we just want to try something new, and we’re there to have fun and learn from our own mistakes and growing experience– then showing up is more about making sure the car has enough gas to get us there.

One way to set your fear aside is to approach that art class (or that conversation with a loved one) as the goal itself. If you do that, then you’ve succeeded, no matter what the outcome. No matter what comes after that. Showing up is actually succeeding. Showing up authentically, and standing in our own power as individuals– that’s the best possible outcome. Even if your art looks silly the first time you pick up that paint brush. Perfection is, after all, boring.

Today, I wish for you that you take heart, and Show Up Authentically in your own life.
Be Well.

| Posted in Get Involved/How-To, Workshops, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | Comments Off

Sometimes

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Sometimes the nourishment and warmth of drinking tea is just what I need to change a grumpy day into a gift. But today, I just noticed my tea mug sitting by the keyboard, and realized the tea is cold now, and I  hadn’t even sipped it yet. Having that beautiful hand-made mug by the keyboard was all I needed to create my “sitting down to write for a spell” reality, and stay on track.

…but sometimes? Sometimes the act of picking out dried medicinal herbs, filling the iron teapot with filtered water, watching the steam rise and smelling that first burst of yummy that comes when the hot water hits the tea leaves… Sometimes it is the act of making the tea that tells me I am special, and today is special. It reminds me to appreciate what is, to look for the beauty I’ve been too busy or too stressed to notice (a whole flock of tiny grey Bush Tits all a-flutter in the tree nextdoor). It reminds me of all that I’ve worked to hard to become in the past few years.

You see, learning to make herbal tea from raw dried herbs as medicine was one of the first skills I gained in my efforts to take control of my own health and well-being. I was tired of needing someone else to make me well. I was tired of living on the edge between healthy and unwell. Now, I  have herbs for headaches and bodyaches, herbs to improve my immune system or give me added nutrients and vitamin-C. I have herbs that smell and taste delicious, and that sooth my stresses or boost my confidence. I have herbs for sore throats and dry nasal passages. Herbs that cleanse, that break fevers, promote loosening of flegm, heal burns and sooth strained muscles. I have a whole arsenal of natural wellness, and I get to brew it on my own stove, whenever I know I could use the support, at my own discretion, and IT TASTES GOOD. It’s tea.

So for me, making a cup of tea is a bit of a spiritual act. It’s proof that I think my own well-being is worth the effort. It’s both relaxation and medicine. It’s community and independence. Self-expression and an intimacy of connection to the Earth herself. Like I said, sometimes drinking tea can be a healing act, but sometimes, I just need to sit with the herbs and the hot water and the clay mug, and remember who I am.

Be Well.
ps– If you’re interested, I’m currently on a Chamomile-and-Parsley kick.

| Posted in Blessings, Resources, To Your Health, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | Comments Off

…more Elliott Wisdom…

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

I told you about my latest book project a few weeks back. Well, here are a few more quotes from my writing thus far:

  • Gratitude gets you farther than whining. Whining just works faster.
  • Man-made chemicals and man-made foods (GMO etc) let us live longer, more toxic lives. Look to nature for healing.
  • Batman was right; it’s not what you have, but what you choose to do with it that defines you.
  • Learning to trust yourself is every bit as challenging as learning to listen to yourself. In fact, they are much the same thing.
  • If we do not consciously and actively make room for the unknown in our lives, it is easy to get stuck in the way it’s always been. But what if there is something better? What we “know” in this moment is so tiny compared to the vast beauty of the Void. Open to possibility, and breathe in hope. Miracles are often tiny, and rarely known or predicted before they happen.
  • No matter what, you are responsible for your actions, or your lack of actions. Become conscious of the life-story you are creating.

Be Well.

| Posted in To Your Health, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | Comments Off

Tiny Tarot

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Of all the skills and experiences and gifts I bring to bear on my work as a Healer, my favorite is Tarot. I love to give a good solid Tarot Reading that gets to the heart of a person’s life story and what they can do to move it forward, or heal unhealthy patterns effectively. Tarot gets my inner vision flowing and provides a natural framework for my shamanic insights about what’s wrong, why, and tools for healing/shifting the situation.

My favorite Tarot Deck for this kind of work is the Medicine Woman Inner Guidebook, by Carol Bridges. Right now, a full 3-hour Tarot Reading, including my own “seeing” and feedback has a hefty $300 price tag. And it’s well worth it. But I thought this month I’d offer a bit of an appetizer. Both because I love to do this work, and because I want to make sure folks have the opportunity to benefit from my skill. So this month, on January 26th, I’m offering up to eight individual mini Tarot sessions.

If you’re interested, please call or email me to register for a convenient half-hour time slot on 1/26. We’ll meet at my office in Hood River, and I’ll give you an abbreviated Tarot Reading, including what I “see,” for only $45. I love being in a place to provide this kind of offering. Something important, in a reasonable bite-sized chunk.

Please do call or email ahead to reserve your mini Tarot Reading time of the eight “Tarot Clinic” appointments I’m offering this year. Or, if you are ready to really take a deeper look at the many aspects of your life-path, let’s set up a time and location for a more complete three-hour reading. I’ve even got one opening left for my February weekend workshop at the coast– $375 gets you overnight accommodations and a two-day workshop processing of the full medicine wheel life-path Tarot experience.

Above all, Be Well.

| Posted in Register Now!, Workshops, authored by: S. Brooke Elliott | 1 Comment »

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