Although I didn’t set a schedule for implementing my idea of consulting an oracle or other means of guidance for us to bear in mind, I was sort of leaning toward choosing one tonight so we could start the week out with something new to think about.
Well, if nothing else, that just goes to show what happens when you only sort oflean toward doing something instead of making the firm commitment to do it.
Had I made a definitive commitment to choosing on our collective behalf this evening, I would not have had a beer earlier.
Stickler for Clarity
I know; it probably sounds dumb. But I do try to keep myself as ‘clear’ as possible when doing energetic work, even if it’s as simple as centering myself and selecting some guidance. And that’s particularly true when I act on behalf of someone else. And since this would be accessing guidance on behalf of all of us, it stands to reason I would not want any substance cluttering up my ‘reception.’ Or perhaps it’d clutter up my request; who knows?
Either way, I’ve decided to wait until tomorrow night.
Of course, that leaves me in a lurch. Here I am with nothing to write.
My Personal Policy
I might as well come clean on my personal policy. I’m not exactly sure when or where it originated. Perhaps it’s just always felt like the right thing to do. If I could point to a specific person who modeled this behavior for me, I’d given them credit, but I can’t.
This whole attempt to be as clear as possible in order to allow the energy to flow unfettered extends, obviously, to when I have a session with a client. That means when I have an appointment scheduled with a client, I don’t drink alcohol the night before. Obviously, then, I would not indulge on the same day as doing any work for someone. (At least not before the session!)
Sometimes I think I do it because it’s simply a form of dedication and discipline. It’s a commitment I make internally to being a clear channel – the best purveyor – of information and energy I can be for my client. And it’s a small sacrifice I make, an awareness I bring to the responsibility of working on someone, that reminds me that what I’m doing isn’t a game. It’s an honor.
As March roars toward us at lightning speed, I’m excited to announce a special event that’s coming in May.
The long weekend of May 16th– 19th, 2019, I will be co-presenting a truly unique retreat with my colleague and friend, Wendy Warner, M.D., in the Appalachians of western North Carolina. The program is geared specifically toward physicians and other healthcare practitioners who might be curious about bringing shamanic work into their practice.
Some Background on Wendy Warner, MD
Wendy is a board certified ObGyn who spent 14 years in a conventional practice and eventually started investigating integrative holistic medicine as a means of being more effective in her work. She learned botanical medicine and energy work initially, as those things spoke to her. Eventually, she began teaching for the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (the original certifying body in Integrative Medicine); she also served as President of the Board. Since then, she has also become faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine.
In 2004, Wendy left her conventional practice and opened her current office, Medicine in Balance. There she practices integrative functional medicine, with a strong emphasis on botanicals and energy medicine. She shares space with a number of other providers so that our patients will have access to a panoply of therapies. These range from acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation and shin tai, to Rubenfeld synergy and – you guessed it – shamanic healing.
Upon opening her practice, Wendy loved how much more effective integrative holistic medicine is for chronic illness. And yet, there were (and are) those patients who are tough. The ones where you fix one issue and, months later, something else pops up. You fix that and yet another issue arises. We’ve jokingly referred to this as the “whack a mole” syndrome. She was frustrated.
A Doctor, A Lawyer, and a Shaman Meet in a Bar…
Although Wendy and I have known each other since 2001, we initially met in the context of her service as a board member of our local Planned Parenthood and mine as that organization’s Director of Development.
Sensing a kindred spirit, I confided in Wendy that I was engaging in an in-depth study of shamanic healing techniques, she encouraged me to contact her when I was ready to offer my services to the community. (To be honest, I laughed when she suggested this to me. In 2004, I couldn’t imagine I would be providing shamanic work to complete strangers in connection to a medical practice!)
Well – let that be a lesson!
Never Say Never
Our collaboration on behalf of her patients began in 2008, and overall, the results have been exciting, gratifying, and remarkable. Wendy recognizes that, sometimes, the best solution to a patient’s issues is attending to imbalances manifesting in their energy fields and the depths from which those imbalances are sourced. That’s where my work comes in. Together, we have witnessed some truly amazing and remarkable shifts in patients’ healing journeys.
There are precious few, if any, medical practices in our country that offer the depth and breadth of care and attention to patients’ needs as provided by Medicine in Balance. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that Wendy and her vision and open-minded approach to healing has provided me to be of service to our community.
Medicine in Balance – One of a Kind
It is precisely because Medicine in Balance is so unique that Wendy and I are offering this retreat. We are excited to share our experiences in bringing the most ancient of healing modalities to a modern, 21stcentury medical practice.
I’ve posted the details of this retreat on the Events page of my website. I would love it if you would consider sharing this blog post, or if you see it on FB, sharing it there – and tagging your friends or family members who are in the healing professions. Of course, if you are a physician or other healing professional – join us!
If you think you know any doctors or medical practitioners (and think outside the box here, too: dentists would also benefit enormously) who might be interested in exploring this work, please feel free to contact me for flyers or brochures. FYI, I make that comment about dentists because I actually have worked on people who were presenting with mouth and teeth issues that were baffling both physicians and dentists…and met with success in getting to the ‘root’ of their issues.
Finally, the setting will be exquisite: the private retreat center known as Amadell, which is located in the great Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina. One thing I know for sure: we’ll nurture the physicians’ souls that weekend, and that has to be a good thing for everyone.
