The multi-talented holistic healer Laura Bonetzky-Joseph of Healing With Spirit, joins host Hilary on this episode of Mystical Messages.
A born empath and medium, Laura’s mission is to help others rediscover the power that lies within and find treasures buried in their shadow. She guides clients to become their own superhero by addressing root issues, transforming pain, bridging science and the practical magic of sacred, ancient traditions, Laura elevates the best in those she works with.
Laura has run her private practice near Boston, MA, since 2006. She is a published author, speaker, award-winning advocate, podcaster, teacher, an experienced rooted healer, multi-generational intuitive, spiritual mentor, social justice warrior, and certified Jikiden Reiki® Shihan as well as a Reiki Master Teacher in the Usui/Tibetan tradition.
Laura has published many articles on the topics of Holistic Health, Spirituality, Reflections from a Spiritual Medium, Healing Trauma Associated with Abuse, and Reiki.
This was followed up with her first solo book, The Secrets To Healing released during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2022.
As a guest speaker and host of the podcast Triggers & Spiritual Medicine, Laura addresses the intersectionality of the trauma infection that impacts all areas of life – addiction, domestic violence, racism, homelessness, sexual abuse, chronic health issues, cancer, environmental issues, climate change and root systems, provide proven practical methods to empower clients.
She was also a featured guest on CBS radio and noted recipient of “Sixteen honorees were selected for innovation, leadership, and community service” by the New England Business Bulletin.
Laura is currently planning on leading a pilgrimage to Ireland in the spring of 2024.
Three BIG days of healing! No more failed resolutions, just classes and workshops to help you heal and live your best life from 2023 forward! Join us and find a solution to move your health in the right direction without having to make another New Year’s resolution that just doesn’t stick.
Our amazing speakers will teach you how to create habits that stick, change your thinking, release what isn’t serving you, create a new way of seeing yourself and move forward in way that feels good mentally, emotionally and physically.
This is NOT an in person event and will be broadcast LIVE online.
Laura Bonetzky-Joseph will be a featured speaker at the SheisMe Conference Health Expo
TOPIC:Becoming Whole By Getting To The Roots
We as a culture have been conditioned to search for external solutions to heal what ails us. However, your body’s ability to heal itself is greater than anyone ever let you know. We will share some core principles and practical ways to tap into your body’s natural intrinsic ability to heal and restore wholeness.
A THREE Part Post – Morning Reflections in Nature On The State Of Society Questioning How Do We Move Forward – A Successful Case Study Involving the Transformation & Integration from Grief & History of Domestic Violence – Benefits of Blackberry & Burdock From My Morning Reflections- Tips for Triggers, Stress & Fears – Tips Around Food Scarcity- Why Work With Me
I do not know about you, the intensity that has been climaxing has been quite difficult to navigate no matter where we are in our lives. I sometimes like to write my processes and thoughts after certain experiences.
This morning I was reflecting on the sad state of our society and how on one level how hyper triggered & stressed folks are and on the other level how toxic so many folks are expressing their pains by projecting them onto vulnerable populations such as victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, homeless or low-income populations, folks with certain religious beliefs, and women. The growing misogynistic vitriol on women seems to be the most vile I have ever witnessed. It is sometimes hard to witness as if I am reliving the early days of the Burning Times of Witches or as if I am watching Chapter 2 of the Handmaid’s Tale play out.
Why am I sharing this? We can’t heal old wounds or create policy change by sticking our heads in the sand. I am not about band-aid approaches, because frankly we have seen how well those have worked out for us haven’t, we.
Humans in general are resistant to change and we are experiencing evolutionary times on so many levels simultaneously which can be difficult for the average person to adjust yielding lifetimes of lessons to be addressed.
The current energies of Saturn and Pluto retrogrades are amplifying this construct through at least October 2022 when Saturn stations direct. Pluto won’t go direct til 2023.
However, for folks who are struggling with chronic health or mental health challenges or implications as a result of trauma or faced with systemic oppressions, or folks who are faced with one adversity after another without the ability to come up for a breath – this can feel extraordinarily burdensome.
In this post I want to share a couple of experiences I have had this week in hopes it inspires us as a culture to SHOW UP better.
I personally like going into nature start my day and for some reflections. This morning was of no exception. I live on land of the original Massachusett & Wampanoag First Nations. It is rich in wildlife, nature, and medicinal plants – that some would call weeds. There has been lots of incorporating herbal medicine this week in my life & in my work.
Client Story
Earlier this week, I spent a half day with someone in deep pain and surmountable grief. They are a survivor of past domestic violence where the system failed to protect the children now grown adults. They thought their life was finally on track with a new marriage and stability in their life.
However, when they came to me the other day, they were struggling with immense grief-stricken trauma associated of losing a spouse and child in a short span of time compounded by the fallout afterwards and old wounds were opened and bleeding out.
They have been stuck in a downward spiral with their overall health for over a year now with little support structures in place, felt like they were about to break, and nothing they were doing was working.
After incorporating a multidisciplinary approach over several hours including:
spiritual coaching & guidance,
somatic trauma healing and recovery work,
a holistic health assessment,
outdoor nature therapy,
a customized herbal medicine plan including a custom herbal medicinal tea blend as shown here.
The next morning, they reached out to me to tell me their nerves & anxiety were calmed, a lot of their physical symptoms were not present, pain noticeably diminished, and had the best night sleep since they can remember … sleeping through the night without any additional medication or aids.
They are initiating new daily protocols to help themselves navigate moving forward.
Hearing all this make my heart jump for joy. Meanwhile thinking to myself, how do I share WHY folks need to consider these very approaches in their lives to break to toxic cycles they are stuck in.
So, when I was out for my walk in my very large diverse backyard this morning reflecting upon society, I struggled with the notion that how few Americans find value, or seek out THIS type of help with a seasoned experienced healer and that makes me sad.
Then I get the calls for help and guidance from folks. We do the work. We get results and I am reminded that folks are seeking this out – they are seeking an alternative way of healing – of being – of living – of working etc. and I put my ego in check and go back to work honoring my path and this sacred work.
We have a lot of work to do and the Universe if forcing us to evolve. Old ways of BE-ing, working, living, and how we relate to ourselves, each other, the world around us MUST CHANGE.
However, just like that my once heavy heart was lifted by the surrounding plant medicine around me this morning. Like an inquisitive child, I discovered a new wild blackberry bush while I stopped in my tracks to admire this gorgeous burdock lavishly making her presence & medicine pronounced & loud.
From there, this post was born.
Blackberries
Blackberries are not just yummy. They pack a host of amazing health benefits. Some of the benefits wild blackberries include:
low glycemic index – this means that is likely to spike blood sugar levels.
nutrient dense – such as Vit C, Vitamin K, and manganese
high in fiber – That’s a problem: A low-fiber diet has been linked to digestive problems like bloating, constipation, and stomach pain. And according to a 2013 study, not getting enough fiber may increase your risk for heart disease.
may boost brain health & prevent memory loss according to a 2012 study
one of the top 10 highest-antioxidant foods
a 2013 study showed anti-inflammatory & antimicrobial benefits in oral health and a reason to add blackberries to your diet.
and more … Here is a good source for more on blackberries for health
Burdock
The plant that led me to find the blackberry bushes was this gorgeous burdock – a plant we often “weed it out” as a nuisance, but it’s medicine is one of my favorites for its support in liver health, promotes circulation and combats inflammation. Burdock root helps to strengthen the immune system and speed healing. Some of the benefits include:
tonifies & “purifies” blood/liver
effective in removing toxins from blood/liver as proven in a 2010 Study
Nutrient dense
antioxidant rich including quercetin, luteolin, and phenolic acids
inulin rich – prebiotic that aids in digestion
according to many studies, it may inhibit certain growth of some cancers such as pancreatic cancer.
3) Create space to see where the triggers & stresses are rooted … beyond the obvious story.
4) Allow yourself the gift of sleep, rest, and Process
5) Implement & increase self care … go for a walk, get outside, turn off the TV, take an Epsom salt bath, get a massage or reiki session, listen to soothing music, take a COLD shower, dance even if naked in your house.
6) Eliminate expenses that REALLY are NOT necessary
7) Remove toxic experiences, people, things
Consider seeking out a knowledgeable experienced healer, earth medicine expert, or herbalist to see what medicinal plants may be best for you.
Addressing food scarcity fears
1) Grow SOME of your own NOW … hydroponics have come a long way. So this CAN be possible even in an apartment setting.
2) Shop LOCAL – mom and pop food stores & farmers markets. Shopping local & supporting LOCAL farms are MORE sustainable & better for the planet
3) Watch waste … Americans waste enormous amounts of food daily. Buy fresh and use only what’s needed. Cut back … I get not everyone is doing this, but Americans DO throw out more food than other countries.
4) If you are in a position, SHARE with the elderly and folks who are struggling. I mention the elderly cuz this demographic rarely complains but often must choose between food, shelter, medical care.
5) Donate food to especially domestic violence shelters that are currently under funded with DV skyrocketing and victims trapped due to lack of financial means to leave & systemic misogynistic biases making leaving difficult
WHY WORK WITH ME:
Quite simply, I use a multidisciplinary approach that has a track record of getting results.
Since 2006, I have been offering spiritually based integrative holistic health enrichment with a subspecialty in somatic trauma healing and recovery.
Over the years, I’ve empowered thousands of people heal issues and restore wholeness – personally, mentally, physically, spiritually, professionally – by addressing root causes, transforming pain, bridging science, research and practical magic of sacred ancient traditions & spiritual medicines.
I am a published author, speaker, award-winning advocate, teacher, an experienced rooted healer with teachers based in Kyoto, Japan, seeker, intuitive spiritual mentor, social justice warrior, and a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault, with over 15 cumulative years of experience in the field of healthcare.
If you read this far down, what’s peaking your interest?
Are you wondering if working with me is what you need right now – whether a half day/full day immersion or a private one-hour session(s)?
Welcome to Episode #5 of Triggers & Spiritual Medicine Podcast with our Guest Rae Carter of EmpowR
Topic:How The Burning Times of Witches Influence White Women Culture From The Eyes of A Breast Cancer Survivor
In this episode Rae shares her breast cancer journey and what it is like to heal the root issues both within herself and as a society as she continued to deepen her healing and recovery. The deeper she went, the more she discovered.
What she discovered along the way is short of inspiring, it is eye opening with that Ah-ha moment of like “Oh crap, so this is where everything is rooted”.
Have you ever wondered why women do not support each other – especially white women? Especially in business and careers? Instead, we often feel envy, jealousy, or judgement?
Have you ever wondered why women are so darn critical of other women? Like where does this stuff really come from?
Have you ever wondered why women feel an instinctual need to compete against each other, but you do not know where it is rooted or why if we are hard wired to be in community and support of each other?
Have you ever wondered where the ideology of women serving the man ever came from?
I ask you to tune in to THIS very thought-provoking amazing episode as we shed the beliefs systems, we’ve been conditioned to believe that runs through our very DNA over hundreds of years.
I will add this episode may be triggering for some who are not ready to dive deep into the root issues many of us women – especially white women are experiencing and WHY we keep repeating cycles that do not serve us OR repeating cycles that serve us in a way that still keeps us chained to the patriarchal expectations.
This is sure to be a POWERFUL episode, and, in the end, Rae’s offers 3 things you can do today to make a shift.
ABOUT RAE:
Rae Carter (she/her) is a dialogue facilitator, culture builder, communication strategist, healing navigator, and intuitive arts practitioner. She cultivates community and creates opportunities for vulnerable connection, courageous conversations, individual wholeness, and collective healing. She works at the intersection of health, communication, culture change, and consciousness.
Inspired by her personal experience navigating cancer and trauma, her career background in communications, and training in holistic health, Rae facilitates a nurturing, intuitive, and feminine approach to healing. She specializes in holistic wellness—the interconnectedness of the physical body, emotional and mental health, spirituality and belief systems, interpersonal relationships, and awakening consciousness as ALL interdependent to influence our well-being. Rae integrated her career background in communications, organizational development, human behavior, and social change with training in holistic health and intuitive healing practices sparked by her health crisis. Her deep exploration into trauma and ancestral healing as she navigated allopathic, naturopathic, and spiritual medicines catalyzed her personal transformation and revealed a vision for connecting personal and cultural healing.
Rae embodies her life purpose as one small player in the shared work to heal the heart of humanity. She catalyzes movement towards this vision as the founding co-creator of EmpowR, a container for personal, organizational, and cultural transformation accountable to transformative justice and emergent strategy principles. Rae approaches transformative justice with a deep empathy and understanding of the vast and varied entry points for change. In her work with EmpowR she nourishes a growing community of change makers co-creating cultures of empathy, healing, community, and accountability centered in equity and belonging. EmpowR facilitates connection between personal and cultural transformation with sessions for individuals, services for organizations, and educational programs and events.
Rae lives in Plainfield, Vermont with her partner and animals where they grow organic and wildcrafted medicinal herbs and steward Grandmother Cherry Sanctuary, a forest sanctuary for healing, change making, and land-based EmpowR events. WEBSITE: https://empowr-transformation.com/
Vision: To break the unrecognized endemic of unresolved unhealed trauma & create sustainable systems for recovery, healing & empowerment.
Mission: To help others rediscover the power that lies within and to find that treasure buried in the depths of the shadows. To help them become their own superhero.
We hope by helping you connect the dots like a web, we can help others understand the trauma infection that impacts all areas of life – addiction, domestic violence, racism, homelessness, sexual abuse, chronic health issues, cancer, environmental issues, climate change and more.
We hope by highlighting these infected areas and what they share in common, a new perspective of solutions, healing, and resolutions can be birthed.
This is a NEW collaborative program with industry experts, survivors, who have figured out the “how” to heal the effects from their trauma breaking FREE from the chains that bound them in ways society said was not possible.
We’ll feature a different guest w/ each episode sharing experiences & solutions w/ the greatest epidemic of our times world – an epidemic of unrecognized unhealed unresolved trauma that is placing misguided burdens on our society, increasing rates of chronic illness, mental illness, & addictions & stressing an already taxed broken healthcare system ill-equipped to treat root issues because it is NOT profitable.
This is an invitation to hope, healing and guidance during some very challenging times of cocooning.
I want to tell you a story that is relative to what is happening all around me with the growing mental health crisis I am witnessing before my eyes. I hope it will shed light for someone who needs it.
The year is 2005. I don’t always have a smile on my face. Some days are just darn right difficult.
I say bad things about myself. I sabotage my efforts and tell myself that there must be something wrong with me. I say things from … “who do you think you are? Are you nuts? No one thinks you have anything to offer.”
To things like “You’re tainted. No one will ever love someone like you and who could blame them after what you been through.”
I developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder as well as traumatic brain injury due to several co-occurring factors including … Domestic abuse, domestic violence by proxy, multiple concussions, car accident, rape etc etc.
I went from buying my first house at 19yo to building a successful business in finance to losing it all to point of homelessness due to an abuse from a man whom I was married to for 9yrs but endured 11yrs of court battery w/ over a $300k legal bill. He hoped it would kill me so he could cash in the life insurance policy. I wasn’t going away and I was not giving up fighting for the safety of my children.
I fought back, becoming a fierce advocate for family court reform in custody cases involving domestic violence. I collected 20 credible cases of severe injustice and gross judicial abuse against one judge.
My naivety thought the TRUTH WILL PREVAIL … I was even contacted by a 20/20 reporter about my work. I thought. “Wow. If this happened, I must be onto something.” So, I pushed harder. At one point I had 12 interns helping me.
Well, when one of my interns pushed too hard to access public information about a judge who was PAID by certain groups to help incarcerated abusers gain custody, I suddenly had a target on my back and suddenly thrown into prison shortly there after.
PTSD is a fucked-up thing.
Do you know what was WORSE than that which I endured?
Good people … Every day neighbors, so called friends, etc who did the unthinkable … who judged and shamed me vs the abuser. They turned a blind eye. I am sure if I were someone famous or someone in a position of power, I would have been treated differently.
What I could not understand is WHY “good people” could easily ignore and turn a blind eye to the astounding fact of 58,000 American children being legally trafficked to abusers and pedophiles EVERY year was staggering to me.
It was the mindset that if it wasn’t their kid, who cares.
I was trying to make a difference in this world especially for those without a voice, and I failed. I failed my children and I failed all the US children being abused.
In Dec 2014, I stopped doing that work after the MA Supreme Court ruled in favor of a documented abuser to gain custody for financial reasons ignoring the best interest of the child statute.
There is now in 2020 a PENDING Supreme Court Case in Ma to make a history of domestic/child abuse inadmissible as evidence in a custody case. So the systemic abuse and oppression has NOT stopped.
The harder I fought the injustice, the bigger hole I made for myself. So I changed my focus. I shifted to speaking and healing trauma associated with abuse. I felt my efforts were more useful here.
Why am I airing all this out NOW?
Things are different NOW. OR are they?
YOU DECIDE.
That was then, BEFORE I understood WHY I endured such horrors.
Why it has taken me 15yrs to heal and regain my life again.
Why the very year I was supposed to put the last part to my healing journey and recovery into play … buying a house again. Build my business with 2 locations. Travel internationally AGAIN … This year Ireland & Japan …. All came to a screeching halt thanks to the COVID shutdown.
I am sharing this, because I recognize that many people’s reactions to what is currently happening with COVID19 as to how I was then and as to what I was faced then.
I see things differently from a different lens.
There’s more to “THIS STORY” than the public is told. I have LIVED this level of institutional gaslighting and abuse before.
I am not sharing this to gain sympathy. I’m inviting you to a view what is happening from a DIFFERENT lens.
PLEASE HEAR ME OUT.
I’m seeing a lot of parallels to my experience in 2005 to now. The difference between then and today?
Then … it was targeted towards victims of abuse/rape on average depending on stats 1:3 with higher numbers in BIPOC* communities.
Today EVERYONE is impacted. 100%
Nature doesn’t discriminate. Humans do.
This pandemic is full of a LOT that I won’t go into at this time outside that we are NOT being given all the facts. I find the current narrative to be highly problematic with visible gaslighting/abuse perpetrated upon the people. Scientists who challenge this narrative have either been discredited or murdered. Freedoms of speech highly censored as ordered by governments and there have been doctors who have committed suicide. There is something happening here that is MORE VIRULENT than COVID19.
Most Americans do not have any frame of reference to calm their fears about the sudden life changes and about dying from THIS infectious virus. Most are not aware of the annual normal deaths associated with cancer, flu, overdoses, nor car accidents. This has created a shock.
I want to focus on the growing contagion of trauma and mental health crisis that is happening that is RARELY addressed or talked about.
I know gaslighting.
I know false narratives.
I know trauma.
I know being silenced.
I know being censored.
I know being discredited by persons in power.
I know the harm & oppression perpetrated by the system.
I know panic.
I know being defensive.
I know chaos.
I know loss.
I know fear.
I know having everything stripped away from you, powerless to act or do anything, knowing I did everything right … the best I could.
I know isolation and helplessness.
I know the “pinch me” factor, wondering if this is all a bad nightmare that I will wake up from.
I know the feeling of questioning what’s real and what’s not.
I know the hypervigilance.
I know the desire to flee.
I know the blame game.
I know the feeling of ‘how am I going to survive’
I know the feeling that I didn’t belong on a planet so cruel.
We are ALL cocooning. Evolving. Changing in ways unseen by the logical minds eye.
The Invitation
I invite you to step out of fear and put our freedoms to work as a sovereign Be-ing. I invite you to make healthy choices and put in place everything we know about how to be healthy and strong in the face of life’s critical moments.
I invite you to be open to another narrative. I invite you to be open and be that curious child. I challenge you to BE skeptical. Healthy skepticism is good.
For me, there’s a BIG difference between how I am responding NOW vs THEN.
I spent 15yrs working on myself incessantly healing, purging, letting go, befriending my shadows, looking at the darkness within, finding SOLID credible teachers to help support me … all to heal, let go as well as build a healthy spiritual immunity and resiliency.
I’ve harnessed my super powers to sniff out corruption, gaslighting and abuse when I see it.
I have dared to be brave.
I faced fears.
I questioned the narratives.
I stepped up.
I have worked on improving my language understanding that language has spiritual power – ‘kotodama’.
I’ve avoided multiple major surgeries by employing spiritually based integrative holistic health practices.
I got off medication cuz they were no longer needed.
I avoided the need for antibiotics.
I changed my diet naturally without much effort eating things I would normally have found gross like spinach …
My body started to heal.
My mind started to heal.
I learned how to tap into the body’s magical powerful way of healing itself.
I’ve had to learn what self-love looks like.
I had to redefine what safety looks like.
I removed toxic relationships and inserted healthy boundaries with ones I wanted in my life.
If I wanted a different external situation, I needed to work on the internal one FIRST.
I became my own superhero. Is it easy? FUCK NO.
However, today I am pausing.
I pay attention to the inner cues and whispers like clues on a treasure map.
I am reflecting on how far I’ve come and that I am actually alive.
I empathize with all of those who are being highly triggered right now. I’ve been there.
I empathize with all of those who are being hypervigilant right now. I’ve been there.
I empathize with all of those feeling of anger, frustration, and feeling trapped. I know these emotions
I have learned some serious mad skills over the years to help me adjust.
I’m now really realizing how far I have come because of how I am responding to this crisis.
I want to share them with you.
I invite you to learn something different … to learn my “how” to become your own superhero especially during times of crisis.
I extend an invitation into self-discovery learning how to build healthy spiritual immunity and resiliency.
Let me show you.
I’ve invested in you. Will you invest in you?
There is light in the darkness.
There is possibility in times of chaos.
Can you see beyond the chaos?
Can you see beyond the obvious?
Our souls hold the wisdom we seek.
Our souls wait for us to be heard.
There is a way to master the calm within the storm.
I am here.
I’ve spent 15yrs building and acquiring an arsenal of tools to share with those who are ready for THIS medicine that is ministered to the human spirit.
How we look at the world is crucial. The world is as we see it.
This invitation is NOT for those who are already set in their ways and beliefs. I am not trying to convince anyone of anything.
This invitation is for those who are struggling with searching for a new narrative knowing there is a different way but may not know the what or how.
Please join us May 17th while we explore and journey into self discovery over a period of 5 weeks. Learn how to not only be an empath survivor, but an empath thriver while building a stronger spiritual immunity and resiliency during times of crisis. Click here.
Am I making sense or do I sound like a crazy lady?
Thank you for reading.
Below is a list of resources to help you navigate these changes.
To book a private 1:1 virtual session with me, click here.
With appreciation,
Laura
Spiritual Medium, Healer, Speaker, Writer, Metaphysician, Advocate, Holistic Health Practitioner, Facilitator, Trauma Specialist, Empowerment Specialist and Spiritual Badass.
For more information about classes, click here and our events calendar, click here.
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As someone who has been practicing spiritually based integrative therapies since 2006, looking into using complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) for holistic treatment options as part of an addiction treatment program intrigues me. Personally, in my own recovery, not from addictions, but from complex post traumatic stress disorder or CPTSD, these therapies I credit for saving my life, reduced my need to be medicated and potentially reduced my risk for addictions.
In this post, I was hoping to learn more about how effective these therapies are in treatment for addiction, but have found limited scientific data.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)[1], approximately 23 million Americans require treatment for a substance use problem, but only 2.5 million people in the U.S. receive treatment which includes:
pharmacotherapy, including medications to treat addiction or related mental health conditions;
or a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy.
As we are learning to understand, due to the complexity of how addiction affects each person, there is not one single treatment right for everyone.
With that said, even the best treatments cannot guarantee complete remission of addiction and drug-seeking behaviors, which is why integrating CAM approaches as part of the treatment option might improve the recovery outcomes.
Types of CAM approaches are separated into two categories:
Natural products such as mineral, vitamins, herbals, Adaptogens like Ashwagandha and probiotics.
Mind and body therapies such as yoga, chiropractic, osteopathic, meditation, massage, acupuncture, Thai chi, expressive arts, reiki, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda medicine, homeopathy, naturopathic medicine and more.
CAM treatments can benefit addiction treatment in at least three ways[2]:
addiction prevention,
increasing treatment compliance,
and boosting treatment outcomes.
In the case of prevention, CAM interventions can be implemented to treat underlying conditions that commonly occur in association with addiction, such as mental illness and chronic pain. If these issues are addressed and managed early, addiction may never develop. For mental illness, there is good evidence to support that CAM strategies are effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.[3]
The Benefits of Adaptogens
Adaptogens like Ashwagandha[4] root are natural substances that help the adrenal system regulate hormones and manage stress. Over recent years, I have seen how well Ashwagandha works for so many especially those with diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, addictions, and sleep issues that have astounded me and have had reports of some in recovery who have used this as part of their treatment effectively.
One of the attributes of ashwagandha is its ability to induce calmness and clarity by regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and the stress hormone cortisol. Research has shown that consuming ashwagandha may “substantially” reduce chronic stress to help your body adapt to and alleviate the stomach-churning anxiety stress can cause. (Mercola)
Research indicates there’s a likelihood that ashwagandha may be useful for helping patients in opioid withdrawal as well as reducing or eliminating dependence on benzodiazapene drugs such as Xanax and Valium[5].
Equine Assisted Therapy
Statistics, data, and research is lacking in the field of complimentary alternative medicine. However, CAM approaches can be helpful by keeping the individual engaged and active in their course of addiction treatment.
One such technique is horse-assisted therapy (also known as equine-assisted therapy), an intervention that actively involves horses during the therapy process. Results show that people stayed in treatment for twice as many days and were much more likely to complete treatment than those in traditional programming.[6]
Mindfulness Based Approaches
According to NCCIH, mindfulness-based approaches have shown some success when applied to the treatment of substance abuse and addiction by improving distress tolerance.[7]
Available data suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may help significantly reduce the consumption of several substances including alcohol, cigarettes, opiates, and others compared to control groups; however, many studies have had small sample sizes, methodological problems, and a lack of consistently replicated findings.
Other types of CAM treatments studied with effectiveness include[8]:
Mindfulness meditation has been effective in reducing cigarette use and reducing cravings.
Mindfulness Based for Reduction in Pain: A 2016 review also found that mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduce pain intensity, improve functional status, improve pain-related psychological consequences, and improve quality of life; they can also be used as adjunct therapy aimed at improving health-related quality of life in individuals with substance use disorders interested in self-management strategies.
Mindfulness Based For Reduction of Consumption: A 2014 systematic review of 24 studies found evidence suggesting that mindfulness-based interventions can reduce the consumption of several substances including alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, cigarettes, and opiates to a significantly greater extent than wait list controls, non-specific educational support groups, and some specific control groups.
Hypnotherapy study in 2014 found that hypnotherapy patients were more likely than nicotine replacement therapy patients to be nonsmokers at 12 weeks and 26 weeks after hospitalization.
Yoga has been shown to reduce cravings and to ease withdrawal from nicotine, with stronger results in women.
Thai chi seems to enhance mindfulness and one’s ability to break the cycle of nicotine addiction.
Acupuncture has been studied with a number of addictions.Most notably, electric acupuncture has helped to reduce relapse rates for people addicted to opioids.
Several studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the effects of mindful attention on the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex in smokers, the areas of the brain associated with cravings and self-control.
In a 2017 study of 23 participants who completed either mindfulness training or cognitive behavioral treatment for smoking cessation, the researchers found that stress reactivity in several brain regions including the amygdala and anterior/mid insula was related to reductions in smoking after treatment.[9] The findings suggest that reduction in stress reactivity may be one of the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness-based treatments.
The Benefits of Tibetan Singing Bowls
Tibetan Singing Bowls[10] have been used by Tibetan monks for centuries for healing and meditation purposes. These bowls create a range of sounds to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of diseased and out-of-harmony parts of the body, mind and soul.
A 2016 study examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically Tibetan singing bowl meditation, which “concluded that Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being. This meditation type may be especially useful in decreasing tension in individuals who have not previously practiced this form of meditation.”[11]
Although the study results are brief, I find it promising. I began using Tibetan singing bowls in my work in 2015 as something I felt drawn to do on an instinctual basis for my own healing. As someone who has a history of trauma resulting in CPTSD, I welcome this study.
I went through the traditional medicinal route and felt I was given a band-aid with a wound that continued to grow and fester with no relief in sight. So since 2005, I began looking into me. Who I am, and how can I heal especially when my very trust in humanity was so broken. I went up into the spiritual unknown to build my trust in my spirituality.
“If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.” — Dr. Mitchell Gaynor
Reiki For Addiction
Other potential viable options also include reiki. Since traditional nonwestern forms of reiki (Jikiden Reiki[12]) has been prevalent in my own personal healing path as well as with those I have treated and/or taught who are in recovery, I looked into reiki research. Jikiden Reiki® is the “direct teaching” of Reiki from Japan that is free from Western influence. The word Reiki itself means “soul energy”, which is the natural, vital healing force found in all life.
Jikiden Reiki® sessions focus on removing toxins from the body and guiding it towards wholeness. Jikiden Reiki is known for its effective treatment of acute and chronic conditions, as well as to address deep rooted beliefs, habits, traumas and addictions. Reiki has been effective treatment option like alleviating pain, pre-op and post-op surgery recovery, anxiety, skin conditions and post-traumatic stress.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a quality study on the effectiveness of reiki for addiction, but found numerous individual accounts of addiction and recovery on how reiki helped their own recovery as evidence.
According to the Rehab Center which offers reiki therapy, states “alternative medicine, like Reiki therapy, for addiction has been successful for some individuals, but is likely only effective when it meets the unique needs and beliefs of the person”.[13]
Benefits include according to this site:
may help an individual with some aspects of recovery
boost energy
lower stress
reduce pain
help with symptoms of withdrawals
reduce agitation
promote relaxation,
may also help a person remain calm during the early and stressful stages of addiction treatment.
According to Sober Nation, if done within the few first days of detox, Reiki therapy may help make withdrawal symptoms more tolerable to endure. Secondly, people are better able to deal with stress of recovery and life in a healthier manner.[14]
Additionally, Reiki therapy for drug and alcohol addiction also helps those newly recovering deal with anger and resentments which are common triggers that can lead people back into active addiction. I have personally witnessed this aspect in my own practice when reiki is used effectively from a qualified practitioner. Reiki therapy also helps repair the physical and psychological damage that addiction causes and allows the individual to get back on a path towards a healthy lifestyle.[15]
I did find one recovery site that had concerns regarding reiki “detoxication” which can be explained simply from my experience.[16] Most Americans are trained in some form of “westernized” reiki which is NOT the full scope of training as it was taught in Japan with many added “new age” concepts. When the traditional training is adhered to which takes decades to master, the so called “reiki detoxification” mentioned has been reduced by 90% with a 90% reduction of intensification from my own personal experience of doing THIS work since 2006.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there is a lack of evidence to support the use of many forms of CAM despite numerous individual claims of benefit. I can personally attest to this so-called phenomena. For this reason, most of the sites I researched urged “caution” in initiating CAM treatments due to lack of safety.
This only makes me question is this due to the lack of research or money lobbied by big business, wall street and Big Pharma. I say this because known therapies such as meditation and yoga have repeatedly been shown to be effective and safe and have been effectively practiced as part of a spiritual based practice for thousands of years.
I also feel that how is it possible to quantify and make quantitative something that is spiritually based like yoga, reiki, Thai chi, or meditation just to name a few which can vary based on personal beliefs, spiritual beliefs, and experiences that at the end of the day are all personal.
This is not a one shoe fits all approach. It takes someone skilled at knowing their clients, their needs and belief systems to know which approach is best suited for them. It is part of what I consider the spiritual journey. These therapies are different from other forms of spiritually based therapies as they are free from religious indoctrination and dogma and tap into the something that links all spiritual beliefs that are our innate BE-ing.
Based on what my research is showing and from my own personal experiences, the results of implementing complimentary alternative medicine as part of a treatment plan can be very promising with much less serious if not deadly side effects seen in traditional medical approaches and can be used as part of a treatment program during ALL stages addiction treatment.
I am hoping you found this guide helpful. This is just the tip to what is possible and plausible.
I would LOVE to hear from you as to what you found most resourceful for you
With appreciation,
Laura
Spiritual Medium, Healer, Speaker, Writer, Metaphysician, Advocate, Holistic Health Practitioner, Facilitator, Trauma Specialist, Empowerment Specialist and Spiritual Badass.
For more information about classes, click here and our events calendar, click here.
Please note that content on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, not is it meant to diagnose or treat a health problem, symptom or disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read on this website. Information provided on this website DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and any doctor affiliated with our website.
Today marks the beginning of the last year in a half century for me and I’m feeling quite vulnerable these days.
I originally had planned to talk about all the amazing incredible things that I want to accomplish and do and adventures I will take before I begin the next half century, and what should I do to transition with a BANG … BUT we’ve been given quite the curveball of a bang now. Haven’t we?!?!
All of my events and classes have been canceled thru April 15th. Some into May already.
My trip to Ireland next month has been canceled and unsure the scope of future travel plans elsewhere including Japan this fall.
HOWEVER …
I am surrendering all my fears and worries whether my business will survive this storm, and trusting all is as it’s supposed to be.
I should have known better cuz I wrote about this stuff in my 2020 forecast Jan 3rd. I was hesitant and careful at how I delivered the message as I didn’t want to create fear, but a guide on how to navigate.
BUT WOW.
My luv who showed up ending my day Aaaamazing bringing SOME of my favorites
So today, I stop. Pause. Reflect. And cocoon myself in while I re-calibrate.
I do what I have been preparing and trained to do over the last 49 years but especially the last 15 years.
I look for the opportunity, gifts, and blessings in the midst of chaos. So today I bless my junk.
I surrender into the flows and web of life like a life raft floating down a bumpy river. Sometimes it’s calm and other times it’s raging rapids.
I close my eyes, focus on my breath and remember my purpose.
I tap into the wisdom within, the wisdom of my ancestors and the original stewards of the land I reside on, the Massachusett people … being open to receive all that is to be received.
I honor the teachings. I show respect. I trust in the path unknown before me, and I allow life to unfold FOR me.
Today, my clients and classes are canceled. I will be planning opportunities for online bookings, classes, and meditation.
So instead, I will focus on Usui Sensei original reiki teachings for some much needed spiritual medicine. I recite the gokai every morning, every night, and every time I feel stressed.
Kyo dake wa (Just for Today) Ikaruna (Do not anger) Shinpai suna (Do not worry) Kansha shite (Be grateful) Gyo-o hageme (Do your duties fully) Hito ni shinsetsu ni (Be kind to others)
I bow in gratitude to all who have helped shape who I am and continuing to grow up to become to be.
I don’t know what the future holds. None of us really do.
I surrender to the abyss of opportunity and possibility.
All I do know is that I am upping the dosage of my spiritual medicine, herbals, rituals, meditation, reiki, vibrational healing, self care and more.
There is so much frenzy going on regarding the cornonavirus. I won’t belabor what is wrong.
So with that said, I felt I wanted to share with you MY tips to keep yourself healthy and boost your immune system. We forget that our bodies are designed to heal themselves. What I want to propose are ways to help strengthen your mind, body, and spirit during this crisis.
First, outside the basics of what is already flooded everywhere on the internet and social media such as good hand washing, minimize social contact, stay home if sick etc, there is more. I will NOT go into all that, but instead I will go into the OTHER stuff that sometimes is not addressed in the mainstream.
Are you ready for some of my home remedy tips?
Before we start, I would like to say, I do NOT do all of these at once. I pause. I listen to my body for what it needs intimately. Over the years in healing myself and my body, I have learned the power of building a relationship with my body and know what various emotional triggers, sensations, pains etc represent to me.
I encourage you to build a relationship with your body as it knows best what it needs. The body carries within it, infinite wisdom for your healing needs.
With that said, I will usually do a combination of these based on what I feel my body needs at that time. In this post I will address:
The herbal and vitamin tips
Things to increase
Eat more …
Things to avoid
and final thoughts
Here are my general recommendations:
The Herbal and Vitamin Tips
Elderberry: Elderberries have been used traditionally, and in some observational and clinical studies, as supportive agents against the common cold and influenza. (NCBI)
Turmeric (click here) has long been recognized for its medicinal properties. It aids in the management of oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia. (NCBI). My favorite way of taking this is: turmeric root shaved 1 tsp (if only have access to spice powder then substitute), dash of cracked pepper in 6-8oz of hot water. Seep for 5min. Drink all. This is a chemical thing. Personally. I have found this combo work as effectively as other anti-inflammatories without the added side effects of liver and/or kidney damage. Click here for other top 10 evidence based benefits.
Vitamin D and Vitamin K2: Vitamin D has important roles in addition to its classic effects on calcium and bone homeostasis as well as immunity. I personally take 6000 IU of Vitamin D3 with added K2. Vitamins D and K are both fat-soluble vitamins and play a central role in calcium metabolism. Studies suggest that optimal concentrations of both vitamin D and vitamin K are beneficial for bone and cardiovascular health. (NCBI)
Zinc and vitamin C: Supplementation of vitamin C was found to improve components of the human immune system such as antimicrobial and natural killer cell activities, lymphocyte proliferation, chemotaxis, and delayed-type hypersensitivity (PubMed). Likewise, zinc also plays a role in immune function.
Probiotics: A prospective study of probiotic supplementation results in immune stimulation and improvement of upper respiratory infection rate (NCBI). Considering the coronavirus attacks the lungs, this might be something very easily dismissed in its role by the mainstream. We forget that gut health is paramount for overall health.
Honey: Honey clasps several medicinal and health effects as a natural food supplement. It has been established as a potential therapeutic antioxidant agent for various biodiverse ailments. Studies show it exhibits strong wound healing, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, and antidiabetic effects. It also retains immunomodulatory, estrogenic regulatory, antimutagenic, anticancer, and numerous other vigor effects. Research also shows that honey, as a conventional therapy, might be a novel antioxidant to abate many of the diseases directly or indirectly associated with oxidative stress (PMC). Personally, I choose raw organic unfiltered honey that is local or manuka honey for therapeutic treatment. Manuka honey has shown it kills bacterial pathogens.
EZC Pak – This is a physician directed tapered immune support pack with high concentrations of organic Echinacea, Zinc, and Vitamin C. EZC Pak (click here) is one of the main things I personally took (on top of the other recommendations above) in December 2019 with some odd virus that was unlike anything I have ever had after travelling abroad in the fall. It was so odd, I actually researched “international diseases” for travelers aka warnings etc. Was it COVID19 I had? … I am not 100% sure, but my symptoms matched it perfectly, and I am sure this is also was killed my beloved Ava.
Things to Increase:
Rest & Sleep:
Have you noticed that when you do not get enough sleep, you are prone to getting sick? Not getting enough sleep can lead to higher levels of a stress hormone. It may also lead to more inflammation in your body.
Most of our body’s ability to repair itself happens when we are at rest. So ensuring we get enough rest is important. Also, increasing the dosage of sleep might be needed as forecast moving through the energies of 2020.
One new study has explained how sleep contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system (Medical News Today).
Meditation
Meditation boosts antibodies. A recent study confirmed that, after being given weekly meditation training for 8 weeks, 48 biotech workers had significantly higher levels of antibodies than the control group.
Meditation stimulates immune system brain-function regions. Mindfulness meditation has shown increases in electrical activity in the prefrontal cortex, the right anterior insula, and right hippocampus, all parts that control positive emotions, awareness, and anxiety. These are also the areas of the brain that act as a command center for your immune system. When stimulated, they make the immune system function more effectively (The Chopra Center)
DON’T KNOW HOW OR STRUGGLE: Practice being present and try some mindful breathing or go into nature and UNPLUG from your devises. Sometimes 5-10 min a day is all the body needs.
Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese complementary alternative mind body medicine therapy that works with the human body’s bioenergy field.
Our bodies are designed and fully equipped to heal themselves, but many of are so use to looking for external solutions, we may have forgotten. Reiki taps into those innate healing abilities. By doing to, it can also promote the body’s natural immune response.
Jikiden Reiki practitioners, for instance, are trained to sense levels of toxins present in the physical body. Reiki is then used to intensively promote detoxification and a return to the body’s normal homeostasis. When minor sicknesses, such as coughs and colds are being treated, they will typically move through the body much faster than usual.
Yoga
Yoga is a mind and body practice with a 5,000-year history in ancient Indian philosophy. Various styles of yoga combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. (Medical News Today)
Research published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine suggests that yoga can be helpful way to boost your immune system and decrease inflammation in the body. (Psychology Today)
Massage
There is growing body of research indicates massage therapy can benefit the immune system. Researchers have reported people who undergo massage experience measurable changes in their body’s immune and endocrine response. (Science Daily)
Thai Chi, Exercise, etc
With age, our immune systems become less nimble and not quite as ruthless. The number of T cells drop. The B cells also start to wind down, making fewer antibodies that respond to outside intruders and more errant ones that turn on the body itself.
Small studies have yielded some evidence that exercise seems to re-energize the immune system (Harvard Medical School)
Tai chi might have a strong effect on the immune system because it manages to bring exercise, relaxation, and meditation together in “one behavioral intervention,” the researchers said. They theorized that tai chi enhances T cell activity by quieting the nervous system’s “fight or flight” response, which can, in certain circumstances, interfere with the immune system. (Harvard Medical School)
Shin Rin Yoku
This is a Japanese term otherwise known as “forest bathing”. Current literature supports the comprehensive health benefits of exposure to nature and green environments on human systems on something that has been incorporated as part of the Shinto culture in Japan to decrease undue stress, potential burnout and “technostress.” (NCBI)
Studies have also found that “forest bathing” has “positive physiological effects, such as blood pressure reduction, improvement of autonomic and immune functions, as well as psychological effects of alleviating depression and improving mental health” (NCBI).
bone broth is the secret ingredient in our mother’s chicken soup with all sorts of yummies for our immune health,
seaweed ( I like sneaking it in soups),
organic “berries” such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries
fresh rosemary,
holy basil,
fresh parsley,
ginger root – in teas, soups, dishes,
raw garlic has been shown to help fight viruses and bacteria. I eat this generously on the daily whether on toast or in dishes. It is one of my favorite go to foods.
… Things to Avoid …
Stress – Avoid or Minimize
Stress or at least work towards minimizing and taking steps to release stress when necessary. When we’re stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why we are more susceptible to infections. Check out Stress, Illness and the Immune System.
WHAT TO DO: You can try CBD to help cope with stress which targets the endocannabinoid system.
Some studies suggest that cannabinoids like THC and CBD are immunosuppressant, which can explain the relief experienced by medical cannabis users with autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. Other studies have shown that regular cannabis use can increase white blood cell counts in immunodeficiency disorders such as HIV, suggesting an immune-boosting effect.
Research shows that dietary habits influence disease risk. Poor diet quality is implicated in almost every disease and health issue. Processed foods harm your gut bacteria and promote insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and overall disease risk (NCBI).
WHAT TO DO: Research indicates that diets abundant in plant foods and low in processed products strengthen your health (Healthline). Choose whole grains and things that do NOT come in a box.
Alcohol: Avoid or Minimize
Clinicians have long observed an association between excessive alcohol consumption and adverse immune-related health effects such as susceptibility to pneumonia and more recently to a greater likelihood of acute respiratory stress syndromes (ARDS), sepsis, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and certain cancers; a higher incidence of postoperative complications; and slower and less complete recovery from infection and physical trauma, including poor wound healing (NCBI).
Alcohol can cause dehydration and lower immune system function, which may worsen cold symptoms as well as adversely affect other cold and flu medications. Therefore, reducing alcohol consumption would be a wise move at this moment unless you are a hot toddy type of person.
EXCEPTION: Some suggest the warm beverage’s ingredients of a hot toddy are known to alleviate cold symptoms. Whiskey, specifically, also contains the antioxidant ellagic acid, which studies suggest may help treat viral and bacterial infections (Fatherly)
Processed Sugar: Avoid or Minimize
A high-sugar diet (HSD) induces Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, which severely threaten human health including immune response. (PubMed). Eating or drinking too much processed sugar curbs immune system cells that attack bacteria.
WHAT TO DO: When it comes to viral infections, eat healthier forms of sugars found in fruits, vegetables, and honey (as mentioned above), which are rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene and zinc. Go for a wide variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, including berries, citrus fruits, kiwi, apples, red grapes, kale, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots (WebMD)
Dairy: Avoid or Minimize
Dairy is a known inflammatory food and gut disruptor that can aggravate health conditions, such as: eczema, asthma, acne, mood disorders, autism, many autoimmune conditions, especially type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and more.
ALTERNATIVES: Healthier options include goat milk, flax seed milk, hemp milk. If you MUST do the dairy thing, I suggest things like yogurt and butter are generally ok, but avoid milk, cheese, ice cream.
… Finally,
What I have provided here is just a guide. There are so many other alternative and complimentary therapies that would be beneficial. I just wrote about what is in my filters of knowledge and expertise backed by research and other credible information.
I would sincerely like to know if what you found here was helpful to you during these crazy frenzied times we are currently in.
I was told my my wise Osteopathic physician father who has been practicing medicine for over 40+ years tell me, prevention is the best medicine.
Prevention includes making life style changes as well because a pill, an herb, a treatment session is still just a band aid in many situations if you do not correct the underlying culprit.
And as I stated earlier, this is a BIG year energetically where we are being called to do the needed inner spiritual work.
Spiritual bypassing will no longer be an acceptable route to take moving forward. If you missed my 2020 energetic forecast earlier this year, you can click here for the full post including tips to help you navigate these energies.
Please note that content on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, not is it meant to diagnose or treat a health problem, symptom or disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read on this website. Information provided on this website DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and any doctor affiliated with our website.
Alcohol and the Immune System; National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine; Dipak Sarkar, Ph.D., D.Phil., M. Katherine Jung, Ph.D., and H. Joe Wang, Ph.D. ; 2015
Biofield Science and Healing: An Emerging Frontier in Medicine; National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine; Shamini Jain, PhD, John Ives, PhD, Wayne Jonas, MD, Richard Hammerschlag, PhD, David Muehsam, PhD, Cassandra Vieten, PhD, Daniel Vicario, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP, Rauni Pritten King, RN, MIH, CHTPI, and Erminia Guarneri, MD, FACC; 2015
Therapeutic Manuka Honey: No Longer So Alternative; National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine; Dee A. Carter, Shona E. Blair, Nural N. Cokcetin, Daniel Bouzo, Peter Brooks, Ralf Schothauer, and Elizabeth J. Harry; April 20, 2016
Vitamin D and the Immune System; National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine; Cynthia Aranow, MD, Investigator ; 2012 Aug 1
I have decided to post about this important herb as a resource for our growing community searching for healthy alternatives. Over recent years, I have seen how well it works for so many especially those with diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, addictions, and sleep issues that have astounded me.
I began talking to others and exploring success ratios to my astonishment, which led me to begin working with many practitioners in the traditional broken American healthcare system educating them regarding my experiences personally and professionally. I am pleased to see some doctors, nurse practitioners and psychiatrists/licensed mental health prescribers beginning to consider this herb as a viable alternative to barbiturates, tranquilizers, anti-depressants, or other drugs such as the gabapentin.
As a matter of fact, I was recently diagnosed with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, and I had stopped taking the Ashwagandha root personally too. As a result, I have decided as part of my own personal treatment plan to start taking this again (including my daily meditation, thyroid anti-inflammatory diet, jikiden reiki practice, and mindfulness as well as increasing my daily Vitamin D3 to attain a more optimum level).
So, here is more information compiled from some trusted sources (listed below) for you regarding this amazing herb.
Disclaimer: Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before using supplements if you have any health conditions.
What is it?
Ashwagandha, one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurvedic healing, has been used in India for nearly 5,000 years for a wide variety of conditions. One of the best known is its use as an adaptogen, meaning that it helps you manage emotional and physical stress.
The name Ashwagandha is from the Sanskrit language and is a combination of the word ashva, meaning horse, and gandha, meaning smell. The root has a strong aroma that is described as “horse-like.”
In Ayurvedic, Indian, and Unani medicine, ashwagandha is described as “Indian ginseng.” Ashwagandha is also used in traditional African medicine for a variety of ailments. Don’t confuse ashwagandha with Physalis alkekengi. Both are known as winter cherry.
A member of the Solanaceae family, or nightshade family, ashwagandha is related botanically to potatoes, pepper, and tomatoes.
Why Use Ashwagandha?
Do any of these common symptoms sound familiar?
Stress
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Poor memory
Trouble sleeping
Low libido
Frequent illness
Anxiety
Low endurance (mentally or physically)
Joint pain
Neurological condition
The use of ashwagandha can help alleviate these symptoms and support an energetic and rejuvenating sense of well-being.
Ashwagandha as an Adaptogenic Herb
In Ayurveda, there are specific herbs with adaptogenic benefits—ashwagandha is one of them.
Adaptogens are substances (a combination of amino acids, vitamins, and herbs) that modulate your response to stress or a changing environment. Adaptogens help the body cope with external stresses such as toxins in the environment and internal stresses such as anxiety and insomnia.
One of the attributes of ashwagandha is its ability to induce calmness and clarity by regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and the stress hormone cortisol.
One of the attributes of ashwagandha is its ability to induce calmness and clarity by regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and the stress hormone cortisol.
Research has shown that consuming ashwagandha may not only reduce cortisol levels but also, as an adaptagen, can “substantially” reduce chronic stress to help your body adapt to and alleviate the stomach-churning anxiety stress can cause. (Mercola)
Research indicates there’s a likelihood that ashwagandha may be useful for helping patients in opioid withdrawal as well as reducing or eliminating dependence on benzodiazapene drugs such as Xanax and Valium.
Benefits of Ashwangdha
Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including withanolides (steroidal lactones), glutathione (powerful antioxidant), alkaloids, choline, fatty acids, amino acids, and a variety of sugars.
While the leaves and fruit have valuable therapeutic properties, the root of the ashwagandha plant is the part most commonly used in Western herbal remedies.
Medical researchers have been studying ashwagandha for years with great interest and have completed more than 200 studies on the healing benefits of this botanical.
Animal studies have found constituents of the herb, including alkaloids, steroidal lactones, and saponins, to reduce inflammation and calm the nervous system.
Ashwagandha, today, is used for arthritis, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), balance, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trouble sleeping (insomnia), tumors, tuberculosis, asthma, a skin condition marked by white patchiness (leukoderma), bronchitis, backache, fibromyalgia, menstrual problems, hiccups, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic liver disease. It is also used to reduce side effects of medications used to treat cancer and schizophrenia. Ashwagandha is used to reduce levels of fat and sugar in the blood.
Ashwagandha is known to help people strengthen their immune system after illness, chemotherapy, or surgery. It is a highly effective, evidence-based remedy for anxiety and stress—by lowering cortisol levels and mimicking the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.
Some people also use ashwagandha for improving thinking ability, decreasing pain and swelling (inflammation), fertility problems in men and women and also to increase sexual desire.
Ashwagandha is applied to the skin for treating wounds, backache, and one-sided paralysis (hemiplegia).
Ashwagandha contains chemicals that might help calm the brain, reduce swelling (inflammation), lower blood pressure, and alter the immune system.
Stress.Taking a specific ashwagandha root extract (KSM66, Ixoreal Biomed) 300 mg twice daily after food for 60 days appears to improve symptoms of stress.
Reducing side effects associated with medications called antipsychotics. Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia but they can cause levels of fat and sugar in the blood to increase. Taking a specific ashwagandha extract (Cap Strelaxin, M/s Pharmanza Herbal Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat, India) 400 mg three times daily for one month might reduce levels of fat and sugar in the blood in people using these medications.
Anxiety. Some clinical research shows that taking ashwagandha can reduce some symptoms of anxiety.
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Some clinical research shows that a combination herbal product containing ashwagandha may improve attention and impulse control in children with ADHD. The effect of ashwagandha alone is unclear.
Bipolar disorder.Taking a specific ashwagandha extract (Sensoril, Natreon, Inc., New Bruswick, New Jersey) for 8 weeks might improve brain function in people being treated for bipolar disorder.
A brain condition called cerebellar ataxia.Preliminary research shows that ashwagandha in combination with an alternative form of medicine known as Ayurvedic therapy might improve balance in people with cerebellar ataxia.
Fatigue in people treated for cancer (chemotherapy).Early research suggests taking a specific ashwagandha extract 2,000 mg (Himalaya Drug Co, New Delhi, India) during chemotherapy treatment might reduce tiredness.
Diabetes.There is some evidence that ashwagandha might reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
High cholesterol.There is some evidence that ashwagandha might reduce cholesterol levels in patients with high cholesterol.
Male infertility.Some preliminary clinical evidence suggests that ashwagandha might improve sperm quality, but not sperm count, in infertile men. It is not known if taking ashwagandha can actually improve fertility.
Osteoarthritis.Early research shows that ashwagandha taken along with a zinc complex, guggul, and turmeric might improve arthritis symptoms. The impact of ashwagandha alone is unclear.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Early research shows that ashwagandha root extract might reduce symptoms of OCD when taken with prescribed medications for 6 weeks better than taking the prescribed medication alone.
Parkinson’s disease.Preliminary research suggests that a combination of herbs including ashwagandha improves Parkinson’s symptoms. The effect of ashwagandha alone in Parkinson’s is unknown.
Rheumatoid arthritis. Early research shows that ashwagandha powder taken for 3 weeks followed by 4 weeks of sidh makardhwaj (a mixture of gold, mercury, and sulfur) slightly improves symptoms in some people with RA. The impact of ashwagandha alone in RA is unclear.
Increasing interest in sex.Early research shows that taking ashwagandha extract daily for 8 weeks along with receiving counseling increases interest in sex and sexual satisfaction in adult women with sexual dysfunction better than counseling alone.
According to Ayurveda, our bodies are woven from food. The nutrients we ingest are metabolized into the energy and information that form our cells, tissues, and organs. Every day our bodies need essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to maintain our body’s delicate balance.
Ashwagandha is classically taken as a fine powder mixed in honey or ghee. In western countries, it typically ingested in capsule form.
The typical recommended dose is 500 to 1,000 mg. For people who suffer from insomnia and anxiety, having a cup of hot milk that contains a teaspoon of powdered ashwagandha or an ashwagandha capsule before bedtime is beneficial.
Special Precautions:
(discuss with your physician before taking Ashwagandha)
Prescription Medications – American Pharmaceutical DRUGS
Before I go to precautions with Ashwagandha, let’s look at the side effects of some commonly prescribed medications before we judge the side effects of this powerful herb.
Let’s compare. Then you decide which is safer.
What I see as the alternatives being prescribed daily in our traditional healthcare system carry MORE serious concerns.
Many traditional medicinal prescriptions carry side effects ranging from leading to addiction to causing dementia or increase risk for suicide. Yet the medical community is concerned about recommending Ashwagandha because why????
Commonly prescribed medications that carry serious side effects include:
Gabapentin (Seizures, Nerve Pain, Fibromyalgia, Anxiety, Depression, Pain): dementia, addiction (which is rarely listed but increasing problem), suicidal thoughts, life threatening rash, organ failure, blurred vision, kidney problems, could make moods worse, aggressive behavior, chest pain, bloody stools, and more.
Lamictal (Seizures, Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety) :carries a black box label that can cause life threatening rashes to meningitis to suicidal thoughts. Irritable bowel type symptoms which is NOT listed. – – – My story: I was given this drug for PTSD and Anxiety. My IBS symptoms went from 7 days a week to 1-2x a mo instantly when I stopped this drug several years ago. This drug is also listed on Psycom as “The side effects of Lamotrigine are relatively harmless as compared to other options”REALLY? “Lamotrigine induced mania is usually treated with Topiramate or lithium” (Pscycom)REALLY? Another DRUG to treat a side effect of this drug?
Paxil (Depression, PMS, PTSD, Anxiety): decreased interest in sex, changes in sexual ability, hallucinations, loss of coordination, severe dizziness, numbness/tingling, easy bruising/bleeding, fast/irregular heartbeat, seizures.
Xanax (Anxiety, PTSD): hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, slurred speech or difficulty talking, loss of coordination, trouble walking, memory problems, and can lead to addiction.
Adderall (ADD/ADHD): Psychosis Caused By A Drug, hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, high blood pressure, seizures, anger outbursts, and can lead to addiction.
Pregnancyand breast-feeding:Do NOT use ashwagandha if you are pregnant. There is some evidence that ashwagandha might cause miscarriages.
Diabetes: Ashwagandha might lower blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar closely.
High or low blood pressure: Ashwagandha might decrease blood pressure. Ashwagandha should be used cautiously if you have low blood pressure or take medications for your blood pressure.
Stomach ulcers: Ashwagandha can irritate the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
“Auto-immune diseases” such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other conditions: Ashwagandha might cause the immune system to become more active, and this could increase the symptoms of auto-immune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to avoid using ashwagandha.
Surgery: Ashwagandha may slow down the central nervous system. Healthcare providers worry that anesthesia and other medications during and after surgery might increase this effect. Stop taking ashwagandha at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
(discuss with your physician before taking Ashwagandha):
Ashwagandha may increase the sedative effects of benzodiazepines such as Valium, Ativan, Xanax, and other depressants. It may also interact immunosuppressant medications. Talk with your doctor before beginning a supplement regimen that includes ashwagandha.
In animal studies, high dosages have been linked to toxicity, including impacts on thyroid function; however, human studies are limited.
Medications that decrease the immune system (Immunosuppressants) interacts with ASHWAGANDHA – Ashwagandha seems to increase the immune system. Taking ashwagandha along with medications that decrease the immune system might decrease the effectiveness of medications that decrease the immune system. Some medications that decrease the immune system include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids), and others.
Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines) interacts with ASHWAGANDHA – Ashwagandha might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Drugs that cause sleepiness and drowsiness are called sedatives. Taking ashwagandha along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Some of these sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others.
Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with ASHWAGANDHA – Ashwagandha might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking ashwagandha along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.
Minor Interactions:
Thyroid hormone interacts with ASHWAGANDHA – The body naturally produces thyroid hormones. Ashwagandha might increase how much thyroid hormone the body produces. Taking ashwagandha with thyroid hormone pills might cause too much thyroid hormone in the body, and increase the effects and side effects of thyroid hormone.
Medical Caution:Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before using supplements if you have any health conditions. Laura Joseph and Healing With Spirit are not licensed medical physicians. Ashwagandha is not recommended for women who are pregnant.
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Laura has been providing spiritually based integrative holistic health enrichment services, classes, and programs since 2006. She has experience as a domestic violence advocate, college educator, and over 15 years working in the healthcare industry with multiple certifications in areas in holistic health, spiritually based practices, healing, and more.
Her primary office is located inside Cohasset Medical in seaside Hingham, MA.
Please subscribe to our channel and scroll for complete playlists on spiritual vlogs, spirit messages, energy updates, nature meditations, mindfulness in nature, reiki and more.
I just left my endocrinologist’s office for a follow-up visit and was pleasantly surprised that THIS happened.
During the visit he opened my chart and my eyes could not believe what I saw. I had to take a double take. What was it? It was the word Reiki written in kanji.
My doctor began to tell me that after my last visit with him, he was so taken back by my last visit that he decided to do some research on Jikiden Reiki® in his own. He even went on to show me his written notes from my last visit where he wrote the word Reiki in kanji. I was pleasantly surprised as this was unexpected.
So TODAY he inquired more about Jikiden Reiki® and how it has helped me overcome some of these “issues” where the American healthcare system was unsuccessful.
He was very curious and inquisitive which was refreshing to see from someone in the medical field. He said as a physician, he is limited in scope of care and there are many things that in the healthcare system, people just have to live with and listed many examples on why that is – eluding to how broken the system is.
My reply was “But it does not have to be so and this is why”. He said he’s never met a patient like me before in all the years he has practiced medicine.
I thought wow. I made this much of an impression on this western doctor so much so that after my last visit, he took it upon himself to research how reiki works medically.
Granted what I have overcome throughout the years shocks many. I explained to him that I am not a doctor, and looking to solicit his assistance to help working together to find out what this last issue that is hindering me to back to myself fully 100%. It is my belief that he can help me do that with appropriate tests and a diagnosis so I know how to treat possibly myself either via Jikiden Reiki®, nutrition, supplements, etc.
To give you a little back story about me and how I landed here…
Some of you know my story, but most of you don’t. To summarize, I left an abusive relationship in 2005 only to have my abuser use the system to continue patterns of abuse until 2014. As a result, I was officially diagnosed with complex PTSD.
In search of “healing the broken me” as I would like to call it, I originally delved into the traditional American Healthcare System in hopes I can quickly return to my unbroken self. Like many others, I have felt that I was not getting better and band-aids were being applied to my mental, emotional, and physical symptoms that were not getting better and began to spiral out of control.
This affected everything with many bizarre symptoms that I felt or manifesting physically as a result of the trauma and abuse I endured.
Some of these symptoms include:
From my ability to swallow
Choking on water and own saliva
Enlarged thyroid
Extreme fatigue
Intestinal issues
Bladder issues
Hemorrhagic uterine bleeding
Low stress tolerance
Heart flutters and palpitations while in a calm state
Avoidance issues and fear
Nightmares and flashbacks
Anxiety and panic attacks
Chronic physical pain
Memory issues
Vision disturbances
Left sided weakness
Fluctuating weight
Circulatory issues
So I increasingly became very frustrated with our system and their ability to help me put myself back together with each new physical symptom that popped up. No one seem to be able to connect the dots to whole picture.
I am more than my uterus or brain or thyroid etc. My body is a miraculous being that is interconnected and multi-functional. There is NO one shoe fits all as the system attempts to do. Just look at how separated our system is designed by specialists in areas of body parts. Where is the physician who can tie into the link between what is going on in my inner ear with my gut for instance? That what might be going on in one area of my body my actually be caused in another area of my body?
I realized there had to be more to all this and began looking into the spiritual aspects of my issues that the healthcare system couldn’t figure out.
I started reconnecting to my spiritual path. I began meditating. I eliminated inflammatory foods. I sought out reputable teachers and healers. I started connecting with the divine within me and my divine team. I learned and studied multiple holistic health modalities and spiritually based practices.
It wasn’t until I learned Jikiden Reiki®, my entire life drastically changed. I had already been practicing and teaching the more westernized cousin of reiki for 6yrs. But this was different, and in a league of its own.
I’ve learned over the last several years that we have become a culture that will take something that is pure in its roots and traditions … that is connected somehow deep to some ancient wisdoms and healing … and “Americanize” it or westernize it. This is when we have lost the magic aka medicine for the soul to fully heal those deep wounds that escape our awareness.
While practicing all these other westernized forms of healing and spiritually based practices, I didn’t quite understand this until recent years. As time goes on and I work on my craft and my own personal healing, the clearer that gets.
Needless to say, today I see my health almost fully restored thanks to these alternative treatments.
I avoided a hysterectomy, a root canal, 3 rounds of antibiotics for infections due to these therapies and saved my body from additional physical traumas and toxins that would stifle the work I am doing to restore wholeness in my life.
So sometimes, there is more to what’s going on with you than meets the eye.
My question for you is this … when the healthcare system is unable to help you restore “wholeness ” in your life, do you or would you consider alternative therapies to help you?
Do you believe there is more to illness and disease than what’s presented in the way the healthcare system categorizes it?
I come away with a few thoughts:
Don’t give up on you docs who are AT LEAST open to learning, supporting, and aligning with the concept of mind-body medicine or proven alternative therapies
Be a good patient. Walk the walk. Do the work to improve your life physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually without spiritually bypassing, and watch everyone around you ask you how you did that. Best testimonial is your own story.
When you take responsibility for your life and health – eat right. remove toxicity – foods, thoughts, poisons, environment, etc. not only employ therapies such as yoga, reiki, meditation, thai chi, etc, but embody them… your health care team will want to learn more on how you do that without the need to “sell” them.
A pill and/or a procedure will fix very few things so called, wrong. When we understand this and understand how to support our body’s ability to heal itself, and actually choose to live a better healthier life, toxic pills and harmful procedures will be lessened and the burden on our health care system financially will be significantly reduced. This is not to mention the side effect of a lessened burden on our ecosystem and environment due to reduction of medical waste.
Please subscribe to our channel and scroll for complete playlists on spiritual vlogs, spirit messages, energy updates, nature meditations, mindfulness in nature, reiki and more.
Laura has published many articles on the topics of Holistic Health, Spirituality, Reflections from a Spiritual Medium, Healing Trauma Associated with Abuse, and Reiki.
Laura Bonetzky-Joseph will be a featured speaker at the SheisMe Conference Health Expo
Why am I sharing this? We can’t heal old wounds or create policy change by sticking our heads in the sand. I am not about band-aid approaches, because frankly we have seen how well those have worked out for us haven’t, we.
Earlier this week, I spent a half day with someone in deep pain and surmountable grief. They are a survivor of past domestic violence where the system failed to protect the children now grown adults. They thought their life was finally on track with a new marriage and stability in their life.
– a plant we often “weed it out” as a nuisance, but it’s medicine is one of my favorites for its support in liver health, promotes circulation and combats inflammation. Burdock root helps to strengthen the immune system and speed healing. Some of the benefits include:
1) Stop.
1) Grow SOME of your own NOW … hydroponics have come a long way. So this CAN be possible even in an apartment setting.
Quite simply, I use a multidisciplinary approach that has a track record of getting results.
You can 
Why am I airing all this out NOW?
Today EVERYONE is impacted. 100%
I know the harm & oppression perpetrated by the system.
The Invitation
My body started to heal.
Thank you for reading.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The Benefits of Adaptogens
According to NCCIH, mindfulness-based approaches have shown some success when applied to the treatment of substance abuse and addiction by improving distress tolerance.
likely than nicotine replacement therapy patients to be nonsmokers at 12 weeks and 26 weeks after hospitalization.
Tibetan Singing Bowls
Other potential viable options also include reiki. Since traditional nonwestern forms of reiki (Jikiden Reiki
Final Thoughts
I am hoping you found this guide helpful. This is just the tip to what is possible and plausible.
Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including withanolides (steroidal lactones), 
(Per 
To give you a little back story about me and how I landed here…
So I increasingly became very frustrated with our system and their ability to help me put myself back together with each new physical symptom that popped up. No one seem to be able to connect the dots to whole picture.
I’ve learned over the last several years that we have become a culture that will take something that is pure in its roots and traditions … that is connected somehow deep to some ancient wisdoms and healing … and “Americanize” it or westernize it. This is when we have lost the magic aka medicine for the soul to fully heal those deep wounds that escape our awareness.
With love and appreciation,
