I am here for you & to support you through this … what some see as isolation, confinement or quarantine … I see as cocooning.
Many of us mystics have been warning & preparing us for these times building up until now and there have been many prophecies foretold over the years.
We have a choice.
If you say we don’t, we do. We have a choice to go outside or not. We have a choice to be mindful of our actions or not. We have a choice to use hurtful words or kind words. We have a choice to find opportunities, potentialities, and possibilities in chaos.
Let us … all the spiritual people who have been apprenticing for decades for these times … help you navigate these changes.
Join us VIRTUALLY in the comforts of your home for some virtual love, spiritual guidance, energy updates and meditation and more as we navigate these shifts together.
DONATIONS:
Funds are running low to keep these events operating for FREE. Help support our FREE initiative, by making a donation to help us keep offering these events for FREE by making a donation via VENMO to Laura-Joseph-88
I am here for you & to support you through this … what some see as isolation, confinement or quarantine … I see as cocooning.
Many of us mystics have been warning & preparing us for these times building up until now and there have been many prophecies foretold over the years.
We have a choice.
If you say we don’t, we do. We have a choice to go outside or not. We have a choice to be mindful of our actions or not. We have a choice to use hurtful words or kind words. We have a choice to find opportunities, potentialities, and possibilities in chaos.
Let us … all the spiritual people who have been apprenticing for decades for these times … help you navigate these changes.
Join us VIRTUALLY in the comforts of your home for some virtual love, spiritual guidance, energy updates and meditation and more as we navigate these shifts together.
DONATIONS:
Funds are running low to keep these events operating for FREE. Help support our FREE initiative, by making a donation to help us keep offering these events for FREE by making a donation via VENMO to Laura-Joseph-88
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.
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
A hearing date, OCTOBER 28TH, has been announced for Mass bill S 168 “An Act Regulating Bodyworks” under the guise of preventing sex trafficking.
Who will be joining me at the public hearing on Monday, October 28th in Boston, MA? This is not just about reiki. This bill affects:
yoga
meditation centers
Buddhist centers
martial arts
thai chi
psychic mediums
spiritual centers
wellness professionals
reiki
reflexology
professional caregivers
indigenous shamanic healing
death doulas
hospice volunteers
vulnerable populations – homeless, those face with addictions, senior citizens, low income, victims of rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, terminally ill, immigrant populations dependent on THEIR own cultural practices.
basically ANYONE who does ANYTHING that alters chi using word or touch. That is the entire population!
S.168 Summary:
S.168 is a bill that has been filed in the Massachusetts legislature by Senator Montigny under the guise of a solution to end human trafficking.
The bill, if passed, would require professional licensure for more than 200 alternative and complementary holistic modalities, and offers no direct route to licensure.
There is NO grandfather clause for seasoned well established practitioners in any of these modalities
In addition, S.168 would dramatically reduce healthcare options for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Considering that I have personally witnessed healing in people where our broken healthcare failed except driving up immense healthcare costs to those individuals including myself into the $100,000’s and creating a culture of addiction.
The bill redefines holistic healthcare occupations as bodywork and affects all modalities that direct movement or work with energy aka “chi” (1). The bill proposes a Board of Massage Therapy and Bodywork that would have 3 massage therapists and two bodywork professionals on it.
These two body workers would have to set the educational requirements of more than 200 holistic disciplines and spiritually based practices that are the religions for many in the Commonwealth.
In addition, you can only become licensed if you take courses at “state licensed schools“. There are currently no state licensed schools that offer courses in the majority of these disciplines.
How You Can Help SAVE:
REIKI & OTHER spiritual based healing and/or holistic health modalities in Massachusetts:
Why This Matters
If this bill were to pass, it would become ILLEGAL for anyone to practice Reiki, any spiritual or professional practice that can alter “Chi” without a license.
Those receiving volunteer services through hospice, hospitals, non-profits, elder care, etc will NO longer be able to provide these services for a variety of reasons as listed in this post.
LICENSES ARE EXPENSIVE and Practitioners including volunteers need to start your education AGAIN FROM SCRATCH. Considering the MAJORITY of practitioners are VOLUNTEER, this would be devastating to those receiving as mentioned earlier.
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP THIS HORRIBLE BILL!
Not enough practitioners and/or receivers/benefactors of these modalities have taken the time to contact their legislators.
It is CRUCIAL FOR YOU TO ACT NOW.
EVERYONE COUNTS.
Laura Joseph, Health Care Lobby Day, June 2018
My Views
Speaking as a survivor of rape and domestic abuse who was subsequently diagnosed with CPTSD taking decades to reclaim my life as well as someone with years doing advocacy work in Massachusetts for victims, SADLY THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX TRAFFICKING AND WON’T STOP IT.
I’ve met personally with several state senators and representatives who agree that this bill will NOT do as promoted. It is a shame that the propaganda sold to Massachusetts residents is that if you do not support this bill, then you are harming victims of sex trafficking. THIS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH.
I have worked with survivors in varying capacity for over 14 years. Yes, there needs to be better laws to protect victims, but how do we legislate bad behavior, colonization mentality of women, young girls, and children when the laws currently on the books are NOT enforced?
This is a regulatory bill to regulate “Chi”(1) through the use of word or touch. How does one regulate “chi”? Really? When we think about this, this is frightening to me and very triggering to someone who is a trauma survivor who depended upon these very practices to SAVE MY OWN LIFE when our traditional healthcare model almost killed me and caused more harm.
In my opinion as a survivor of abuse and rape, advocate, and healer, this is a slap in our faces. This is a gross form of systemic abuse to every victim who has ever been abused or raped.
I have personally dedicated the last 14 years of my healing Journey and helping other survivors of abuse to heal in a variety ways where AGAIN our system FAILED.
I see predatory behavior quite easily AND THIS BILL is PREDATORY.
The state does not have the expertise to set the curriculum of more than 200 disciplines that derive from various “culturally appropriated indigenous and non-colonized foreign cultures” . The American collegiate system is NOT a leading authority in these practices. Those with bloodlines from these cultures who apprenticed students into teachers over YEARS of dedication and training ARE the leading authority.
This in my view is also another attempt to “COLONIZE” sacred teachings further causing irreparable harm to many spiritual based, indigenous, and immigrant cultures not to mention it is racist when you look at the origins of these modalities and who their real targets are.
Issues List
S.168 would arbitrarily and inaccurately redefine hundreds of holistic occupations as bodywork. The broad definition of bodywork affects more than 200 diverse disciplines and professions and many thousands of practitioners (many of whom are women) who now provide for their families working in this field.
Due to the restrictive standards set forth in the bill, many will be forced to close their doors, adversely impacting their household and children and increasing unemployment claims and WELFARE assistance increasing the burden on taxpayers.
S.168 would dramatically reduce citizen options for tens of thousands infringing on freedom of choice.
The proposed board of massage therapy and bodyworkers only has 2 bodyworkers to represent more than 200 holistic professions.
You can only become licensed if you take courses at state licensed schools. There are no state licensed schools that offer training in all these disciplines.
The state does not have the expertise nor are the leading authorities to set the curriculum of more than 200 disciplines as stated above earlier.
Why bodywork licensure is not a viable approach to addressing human trafficking:
Contrary to the Massachusetts Interagency Human Trafficking Policy Task Force recommendations, S.168 seeks to reduce human trafficking supply through occupational licensure rather than reducing the demand for human traffickingthrough enforcement of existing “John laws” or the promulgation of sensible new laws.
Occupational licensing has not been recommended in the Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 2013; or by the US Department of State (see ’15 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking’}
The National Human Trafficking database reports only 4 cases of human trafficking in Massachusetts at illicit massage spas. There is no accurate data on the number of human trafficking cases at illicit massage spas in MA as many counties combine prostitution cases with human trafficking cases when reporting data.
What YOU Can Do:
LEGISLATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW.
The fate of Reiki and ALL spiritually based integrative healing, holistic health, spiritual practices, martial arts is in YOUR hands.
Attend the Public Hearing and give support to the individuals testifying. (We need a very large crowd to attend to show a strong opposition)
Boston State House 24 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02133
References
Chi definition; Merriam Webster Dictionary ; Noun (often capitalized); “vital energy that is held to animate the body internally and is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment (such as acupuncture) and of exercise or self-defense (such as tai chi) “ – Chinese (Beijing) qì, literally, air, breath
Have you ever gone to your physician while not well only to be told “it is just stress, go home & relax?”
The challenge is if you knew how to relax to begin with, you would not be at your doctor’s office seeking help. Right?
Many people feel they are spinning their wheels, not getting better & searching for answers with no feeling of end in sight. There is a direct connection between stress and different diseases.
Come join instructor Laura Joseph to learn more.
Held on 10/15 at Lawrence School: Tues – 6-8 pm – 1 week$49
REGISTRATION & CLASS INFORMATION
Click here for details and registration through The Falmouth Community Schools.
Join us for a mid day boost of healing, self care and relaxation and discover how simple Meditation combined with a Reiki and the vibratory sounds of Tibetan Singing Bowls can bring about a powerful positive quantum shift in your life as well as stimulate a profound relaxation response.
The combined form of meditation is a powerful healing and spiritual experience that can bring about relaxation, clairvoyance, increased healing, enhanced awareness, greater ability toward visualization, reduce stress, balance your energy and aid you in reaching goals.
Bring a yoga mat or towel (limited chairs available for those who prefer to sit)
Bring a pillow for support for head and legs (optional)
See what others are saying about this class:
“I have attended, one of Laura’s Reiki meditation and attunment evenings and came away feeling like a new person. The energy was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Thank you, Laura! I am truly grateful, you are so very gifted!”
Good morning from Webb Memorial State Park in Weymouth, MA.
Please join us as we will be talking about the current cosmic energies, what is happening, how it is affecting all of us individually and collectively and why the wisdom of the body holds the key to the answers you seek.
We will also talk about trauma, the health links, healing trauma, and what is happening now.
We will end with some mindful breathing and meditation in nature. Please stay til the end. There is some magic to be seen.
I hope you will join me and together let’s raise the vibration.
( Recorded on Facebook Live August 9, 2019)
Please
✔ Join in the conversation
✔ invite others to join
✔ Share on your wall or group
Did you know we now have a YouTube channel?
Please subscribe to my channel and scroll for complete playlists on spiritual vlogs, spirit messages, energy updates, nature meditations, mindfulness in nature, reiki and more.
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.
Trauma … We have all been affected by trauma one way or another in our lifetime. However, we may not realize how a traumatic event may have affected our life or impacted our soul.
The challenge is trauma doesn’t affect us the way we perceive it. It affects us on a cellular and soul level and may not even be in our own awareness leading to chronic illness, cancer, pain, poor relationships, etc.
So, when I read the following quote, it struck me and gave me lots to ponder on and contemplate ultimately leading to this post:
“If your mind carries a heavy burden of past, you will experience more of the same. The past perpetuates itself through lack of presence.” – Eckhart Tolle
I am going on my 13th year when I made a crucial decision to leave an abusive relationship and begin my healing path for first time in my life.
One of the things that I have learned in my 13 years, is that the more I connected to the divine within, soul, inner child, it also reveals the root cause that wounded my core. I began to discover the roots to my fears, insecurities, and my own self sabotaging behaviors … to the place it all began … the seed that began decades before I married an abuser.
I began my healing journey broken wondering how to put all the pieces of me back together.
I began to employ traditional therapies (which didn’t help me much), support groups, spiritually based practices such as developing my sequestered intuition, meditation, reiki, acupuncture, journaling, dance, connecting to nature and more.
We have technology which is supposed to make us more connected than ever. However, we are actually more disconnected than ever. We are not connected to the very life that breathes underneath our feet, Mother Earth. We are not connected to our own BE-ing or essence. We live in a society of wanting everything now, instant gratification, and a “plugged in” to that technology 24/7.
Unfortunately, healing doesn’t work like that. Employing a one day at a time mindset goes a long way as well as a lot of self-compassion. Learning new ways “to be” takes time. Discovering you again takes time. Developing new skill sets to heal takes time. Finding someone to help you who has the skill sets is huge if you can find that coach/healer.
Employing a mindset of presence helped me with my trauma, PTSD, anxiety and the physical illness that resulted from my trauma. There’s many ways to learn the art of presence whether through meditation or mindfulness-based practices, but from me, learning Jikiden Reiki changed everything for me. This is where I have seen the most growth in my life since I began this journey in 2005.
Want to learn more?
Please join me at one of these 4 events this spring:
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.
