Independently Healthy

ESSENTIAL OILS GRAD - FRAGRANT DEATH PASSAGE

Our beloved Sherry, Essential Oils Therapist Graduate in Boulder, Colorado, a divinely attuned massage therapist, loving hospice support, and colonic therapist, anoints her clients with the "oils of joy and gladness", shares her use of oils with a client during her death passage.

"Farida, thank you for all you do in bringing this work into the world in such a blessed way filled with beauty, love and laughter.

(NEXT CLASS APRIL 18th - five days, with three days devoted to the change, loss, grief, death, dying trauma processes and passages)

"I want to share with you and any of your students my use of the medicinal grade essential oils in my death passage work. I have been caring for an elderly woman since November whose colon cancer had returned and also suddenly was showing some signs of dementia which possibly could have been a brain tumor.She had been given 3-6 months to live.  Her family consulted with me and decided to keep her at home with me being her lead caregiver.   

Ten days prior to her passing she became quite anxious one evening after going to bed.  There were many "people' in the house none of which she knew at this time and felt she needed to be up with them.  After all you don't sleep when you have company.  She was becoming quite agitated.  Traditional medicine would have recommended giving her valium to calm her anxiety or something stronger if this didn't work.  A little White Angelica on her forehead and an assurance that
we didn't need to entertain and she was able to go back to bed and sleep.

As her passing became closer and more labored I brought in Valor and applied it to her feet, Peace and Calming for Diffusing, Lavender massaged over her entire body and Release on her throat..  Not only did these oils help her but really changed the energy and the vibration of all in the room.  I had the sense of people tapping in to a deep remembrance of what it is like to midwife a loved one through their death passage in the same way you would attend or hold space for a birth.  Within moments one of her daughters was recalling when her own son had been born in that very room where she was now with her mother and how her mother had been such a support for her at the birth. Quietly singing her favorite family songs and prayers were recited throughout the next days.

Within days Marie passed away at home with her 4 daughters and one son and some of her grandchildren by her side.  We prepared her body for washing and used the YL oils we had been using for the past 10 days.  I put lavender and Peace and Calming in with all the water in the vases of flowers in the room and continued to diffuse the Peace and Calming.  We had a 3 day vigil at home and everyone remarked on the energy of the room when they were there holding space
for her.  I know angels are always present and this time I felt the oils were making their work a little easier."

GRAD LOUISE HARVEY’S REPORT - OILS IN ECUADOR & PERU

Louise Harvey, our School of Natural Medicine Graduate from Montana, attended the Young Living Essential Oils Training in Ecuador with Gary Young in March, and went along to Peru afterward.

“Gary showed us some new work with neuro-auricular therapy.  The focus is on the Locus Ceruleus 1 to ½ inch above the hairline on the spine) and the 6 1/2 inches on the spine below that. He calls it the switchboard (the longest complex of receptor sites) for the central nervous system where we can work with both the sympathetic and parasymathetic systems.

We used glass auricular probes or glass droppers to gently go into the spaces between the vertebrae and apply the oils and some stimulation. (In our oils classes in Boulder we have been using Q-tips!!) We focused on RutaVaLa, Valerian, Lavender and Frankincense oils – although we were invited to use our intuition forother oils as we moved through the process. The work with the spine is in connection with depression issues and weight concerns for clients at the NovaVita Clinic.

What I found helpful in "practicing" on my husband since I have been home is to refer to the EODR and chart of the Nervous system connection points, particularly the 7 cervical vertebrae.  AND the emotional connection from Carolyn Mein's Releasing emotional patterns with Essential Oils particularly charts B & F to see all the points she has named, the oils and the emotional charge.

RutaVaLa is also quite impressive in relieving muscle pain - as I used it on my feet and ankles after the Peri hike. That and Relieve It seemed to be the most helpful.

The work with the spine is in connection with depression issues and weight concerns for clients they are working with at the NovaVita Clinic.

He also offered 5 ways to keep in balance as life brings us stress.
1.  Spiritual Connection
2.  Attitude - have a passion for life
3. Have a dream to live the passion
4.  Have a way to live out the dream with a purpose driven life 
5.  Be doing it for the future, for God and for others and we will be given the energy to persist.

PERU
Yes a very wonderful and full Adventure in both Ecuador and Peru. All the years of Self -Healing with cleansing, herbs, essential oils, movement, (especially yoga), meditation, and nutritional support made it possible for me to successfully accomplish this 27 mile Inka Trail at 8200 to 13,750 feet in elevation in 4 days and 3 nights of camping.  Very much a soul journey and one of further opening of my heart.

The Ancient Wisdom encapsulated in those mountains, including Machu Picchu  exists within the very center of all of us - it is up to us to take the quiet time to tap into it.

I was the "oldest" woman on the trek!  At 63, I can say I am very grateful and humbled by all the loving support I had from beautiful beings on this planet and from those of another dimension.

Much Peacefulness to you and all those who choose to live healthy and naturally!!
Many Fragrant Blessings, Louise

WE HAVE A WONDERFUL ESSENTIAL OILS THERAPIST TRAINING COMING UP APRIL 18 FOR 5 DAYS AT THE SCHOOL OF NATURAL MEDICINE IN BOULDER COLORADO. STILL TIME TO ENROLL!!

SNM ND GRADUATE - DONNA CAIRE, NEW ORLEANS

Donna attended Summer School 2005 after depth Self-Healing, and also came on our Puerto Rico Living Foods Rejuvenation & Training twice, the second time to receive her ND Diploma, in April 2007. Her picture is shown with her Iris Mandala created during her Iridology training. I would love to bring her to Boulder to share the 3 day Mayan Abdominal Massage Self Care workshop once she has completed her training. Well done Donna. Many of our graduates go on to further studies and it is inspiring to hear of their love of the natural healing arts.

Donna Reports:
"Thanks Farida, I enjoyed your musings on the interconnectedness of our self-healing community.  I feel your energy often and hear your words spring up at times and I feel connected. 

I have pursued further studies and have now attended 4 levels of visceral manipulation with the Barrral Institute, which has further expanded the Mayan Abdominal Massage I do.

I am headed back to Belize next week to get certification to teach the 3 day self care workshop and hope to travel and teach.  I will continue with the visceral work and move on to nerve manipulation with Barral.  Such fascinating work, and so helpful in healing.

Wishing you continued blessings in your work and those who connect with you. Donna Caire

TARAH MICHELLE CECH ACHIEVES GRADUATION

Tarah has been in the school about five years, highly motivated to complete her studies quickly until she opened to the self-healing evolutionary journey,  enjoyed exploring and becoming an Anusara yoga teacher, building a yoga studio and teaching practice, co-creating a web based aromatherapy company, Ananda Apothecary with her husband, & becoming the personal trainer of Sakyong Rimpoche, head of the Shambala Spiritual Tradition, along the way.

Tarah graduated as a Reflexologist, Living Food Teacher, Flower Essence Practitioner, Master Herbalist, Master Iridologist and Natural Physician and joined us on the Philippine Malapacao Purification and Rejuvenation Retreat in Palawan in October.

She has also contributed to the School of Natural Medicine Flower Essence Training as a teacher by taking the students into the Rocky Mountain meadows to identify plants and make flower essences and sharing her experience with the Flower Essence Society Flower Essences. Tarah is a radiant living example of loving dedication. Her study assignments are absolute perfection, illuminated with spiritual quotes and beautiful visual images and art.

Tarah lives in Boulder, helps her husband run Ananda Apothecary, teaches yoga and yoga teachers,  runs marathons with the Sakyong, guides clients seeking self-healing with naturopathy, herbal nutrients and iridology and serves the community as a living example and authentic guide. Congratulations Tarah (Misty) Michelle Cech.We love you.

HEIDI JARVIS COMPLETES FULL SNM GRADUATION

It is with great pleasure that I presented Heidi, our beloved Herbs of Grace Director and School of Natural Medicine Pharmacy/Dispensary teacher, already an ND and Master Herbalist, Certified Aromatherapist, founder of her own herb company Earth Pharmaceuticals and creator of her own herb gardens, with her Master Iridologist and Natural Physician diplomas.

Heidi came to School of Natural Medicine in January 1997, eleven years ago. In February 2000 she traveled with another student and myself to experience a purification and regeneration naturopathic cleanse at the Institute of Naturopathic & Yogic Sciences, in Bangalore, India as well as Ayurveda treatments in Kovalum, Kerala and Delhi. After attending Clinical Training in she graduated as an Master Herbalist in 2001, about the same time as she took on the responsibility of managing SNM Herbs of Grace, and graduated as a Naturopath some time later.

Since then she has built a beautiful pharmacy/dispensary and teaching space in her home in Aurora, works part time at Vitamin Cottage, and has a private practice. Several times Heidi attended the Elemental dances in Summer School, and this year she took the Flower Essence Training in July and contributes teaching to the Essential Oils trainings. Along the way she also became a Certified Aromatherapist and had a beautiful daughter, Kalina, August, three years ago.

Today when Heidi said that the teachings had become her way of life I smiled. Heidi's evolving radiant beauty, dedication and wisdom is a joy to journey with. Her commitment to the school, the pharmacy and the teachings is a wonderful example for future students and a support to all Self Healing and diploma and certificate students as well as graduates. Thank you Heidi. We love you, appreciate all your devoted work and congratulate you on your achievements.

VISITING SNM GRAD, SHANTI, IN GOLDEN BAY, NEW ZEALAND

I had such a wonderful time visiting Shanti (ND & Natural Physician Graduate) and Theron (Self Healing) in Golden Bay, New Zealand. They moved to New Zealand over three years ago and after a year of WOOFing and working settled in Golden Bay, a fantastic microclimate west of Nelson on the top of south island and a warm community, and are now permanent residents.

Shanti's love and enthusiasm for her life, her partner, her practice and Golden Bay is infectious and she showed us a wonderful time. Her company Divine Herbals offers fine teas for healing and enjoyment and her practice includes iridology, reflexology, herbal medicine and much love and inspiration.

The first night Shanti and Theron hosted a gathering of friends interested in studying with SNM in the future (we are planning Feb March 2009) and had some of the most interesting conversations and warmest welcomes ever!!!

The next day we went on an herb walk in The Grove, a native bush area, led by John, an herbalist with 22 years of experience in the area.

We drove high into the mountains overlooking the bay for the view (see pic of Shanti and me) followed by an amazing time with tamed wild horses - a blog on them soon!

After a superb organic vege lunch we swam in the refreshing sea, visited an iridologist to see her husbands jade carving workshop and gardens followed by dinner in famous The Mussel Inn near Onekaka, Golden Bay. Although the day included much more, these were the highlights of our too brief time there, as my two week visit also included 2 days in Auckland with dear friends, 5 days near Nelson in a valley where it turned out I knew several friends, two days at the Maruia Thermal Resort in central alpine south island (Fantastic!!) and four days in Golden Bay when we arrived where, alas, the bright and beautiful Shanti, was on north island at a Freedom Festival at that time, so we returned to spend two days with her. The pictures tell more than words!! Enjoy. To Golden Bay I shall return. Love to all. Farida

Here is a wonderful iridology map I saw in Shanti's office - created by Michael McCammon.

SNM GRAD HONORED IN NEW YORK TIMES - PET HEALER

CHRISTINE AGRO  SNM ND GRADUATE PET HEALING CLIENTS INCLUDE THE RICH & FAMOUS
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/nyregion/21bigcity.html?ex=1201582800&en=408fe15fc88983f3&ei=5070&emc=eta1 

    Christine Agro’s career as a pet psychic to the stars started, as so many auspicious events do, with a particularly open chakra. The chakra in question did not belong to her, but to a young woman who happened to pop into one of Ms. Agro’s yoga classes in upstate New York five years ago, and thanked her at the end of class for freeing up that center of spiritual energy. Contact Christine: www.healingdog.com
    When Ms. Agro moved to New York to join a boyfriend in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, a few weeks later, she had barely unloaded her Jeep when she noticed a familiar face coming down the street: It was that same yoga student, who, it turned out, worked most of the time as a dog walker for the famed fashion photographer Bruce Weber.
    Some New Yorkers would call it a coincidence; others would call it standard-issue happenstance for Cobble Hill, where yoga instructors and photographers’ assistants probably cross paths 14 times daily. Because Ms. Agro is also a trained clairvoyant natural healer — and yes, that’s what she puts down as her profession on her son’s preschool applications — she calls it kismet.
    Before moving to New York City, Ms. Agro had just started, at her clients’ requests, doing readings for their most mysterious loved ones, their pets. Upon arriving, she started focusing specifically on that niche for Mr. Weber, working regularly with him and his wife to help them understand their passel of dogs.
    “Animals don’t really have the ability to tell their people what’s going on,” said Ms. Agro, a young-looking 42 (which she attributes to diligent managing of her energy, just as others attribute that good fortune to smart managing of their diets). “This is a way for them to have someone advocate for them.”
    Part medium, part mediator, she began doing readings that gave voice to the needs of the Weber family’s dogs. Kindly don’t throw us in the car without telling us where we’re going, an irritated golden retriever named Palomino requested through Ms. Agro. Skye is such a big baby, vented a pup named True about a rival.
    Ms. Agro doesn’t need to see the pets to talk to them, just a land line — she communes with the pets while simultaneously relaying the conversation to their owners by phone. She reasoned with the Weber family’s dogs as she might her own 3-year-old son, explaining the basics of compromise, occasionally using her training, she says, to remove negative energy along the way.
    “She does see everything,” said Nan Bush, Mr. Weber’s wife, who works with Ms. Agro weekly, and relied heavily on her when two beloved dogs were dying. “I’ve recommended her to so many friends.”
    There are famous people, and then there are people famous to famous people and almost no one else. They are the specialized service providers unknown to the masses, but beatified by the bold-faced names who trade the coveted cellphone numbers among themselves. Into that category (of snowboarding instructors and antique repairers) has Ms. Agro softly landed.
    The Weber family introduced Ms. Agro to Grace Coddington, the fashion icon and creative director at Vogue, who referred her to Buffy Birrittella, an executive vice president at Ralph Lauren; both cat lovers are now regular clients. Ingrid Sischy, the editor in chief of Interview, Joan Allen, the actress, and Julian Schnabel, the director and artist — they all got results after seeking Ms. Agro’s help to divine the whereabouts of missing pets. Although she sees the occasional civil engineer or journalist, overall her clientele skews toward the glamorous.
    Some might theorize that Ms. Agro’s fashion-heavy followers represent a world already devoted to the power of the convincing fantasy (often a pricey one — in this case, $100 per half hour).
Others might wonder if Ms. Agro simply brings her outer-ether clients the compassion and common sense of a smart Brooklyn mom who shops mostly at Old Navy. And then there are those who would follow her instructions for their Samoyeds or Bengal cats all but off a bridge, either because they were true believers in a gift, or true believers in her impeccable In Style credentials.
    Recently, says Ms. Agro, some of her clients have started asking if she’d consider working on behalf of those other creatures who can’t articulate their needs: babies and toddlers. Ms. Agro is now working on developing that business, under the name the Psychic Mom. Since the only caretakers more obsessive than New York pet owners are New York parents, it seems likely that Psychic Mom will find some eager clients. Marketers would call it an untapped niche, but if her business explodes, Ms. Agro would probably just call it kismet.
E-mail: susan.dominus@nytimes.com

DIVINITY TOUCH GRAD REPORTS FROM KENYA

 
School of Natural Medicine graduate divinity touch reflexologist lovingly works on AIDS children in Kenya with grace, tenderness and compassion.

"The time in Kenya has been such a spiritual path in many, many ways.  It will take time to really absorb and integrate all that we have learned and experienced here. The reflexology is going well and I have had some wonderful experiences using reflexology in the children's wards.  There are many abandoned babies at the hospital.  They need loving, healing touch!  I also am developing a curriculum of education materials for use at the village paediatric clinics - covers a variety of topics.  So many people are economically poor, physically ill, and yet they keep smiling!  Such inspiration...
 
I had a beautiful experience at a Sikh temple - we stayed there for lodging during an overnight journey to the coast.  I was meditating on a bench that was atop an entrance gate to the gudwara.  It was evening and a soft, delicate breeze caressed my skin.  A deep, intense, sad longing filled me - I want to be filled with divine spirit like when water dances on the surface of a large body of water - the longing became almost over whelming and I opened my eyes.  Across the courtyard was the entrance to the upper prayer hall, and waving at the arched entrance was brightly colored yellow and pink garland.  My eyes rested upon the garland and I was filled with the knowing that god is all around, that the Divine is in everything and is all things.  It was such a feeling of peace and love.  I was reminded of the peace I had during summer school.  I had gone to such a place a beauty that I did not want to come back.  I was reminded that the beauty - divinity - is inside each of us...  Love to you, Mary Ann"

SNM GRAD - HEALING DOG LOVING SUPPORT

Christine Agro, our beloved brilliant creative SNM ND Graduate, is forever creating profound and beautiful healing protocols and trainings for dogs in the New York area. Check out: http://www.healingdog.com

Listen live Mondays 12 Noon EST on www.consciousanimalradio.com to Conscious Animal Radio.  The next BTS interview is with James Jacobson, author of "How To Meditate With Your Dog."  Available via podcast or download after September 28, 2007.

Christine is speaking Saturday, September 29th at 4 pm about the challenges of living in the City and how you can support your urban animal friends. info@healingdog.com  347-273-2962
 

SNM Naturopath Grads Embody the Teachings

Summer Siewert, a most beloved graduate of SNM, is a shining example of the foundation of our teachings, Self-Healing. Living the teachings, embodying the teachings, becoming the teachings, creates a unique graduate in touch with the source of creativity, service and love, an authentic teacher and guide for others.