StayWell And Travel with Spirit

Bleeding for Mother Earth: The Blessings of Hypericum, Calendula and Martial Training

2008-04-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

“To know and not to do, is not to know.” Lao Tse, Socrates and my Sensei! And a variation on that theme “Do or do not. There is no try.” Master Yoda.

Earth Day 2008 finds me back in Truth or Consequences, the Hot Springs oasis in the New Mexico desert, after a month travelling in new Mexico, Texas and the deserts of Mexico. I am making my way back to the Great White North, which by now will be less white than it was when I left it. An amber coloured, full, desert moon was hanging low over this dusty desert community with the quirky name, when I drove into town last night. My friends and colleagues, Karen and Antonio, and their friend Larry, a fellow tai chi instructor, visiting from Oregon, had the Hot Springs bath already fired up, so a late night mineral water soak was the order of the evening before bed. Ah those rejuvenating mineral waters! It was truly a pleasure to once again be soaking in the same hot mineral waters that the famous Apache warrior Geronimo used to heal his wounds. What a blessing, this still unspoiled oasis of healing hidden away in the New Mexico desert..

Karen, a homeopathic practitioner and midwife, and her husband Antonio, an Ayurvedic chef, bio-diesel expert and eco-friendly builder, are masters of natural health and sustainable living. So, Earth Day 2008 began with the customary freshly squeezed grapefruit and lemon juice. Oh, did I mention that Karen and Antonio are Raw Spirits, connoisseurs of fine raw vegan cuisine, which many experts say is the most eco-friendly, not to mention health conscious diet, on the planet. In fact, Karen was the one who initiated me into the raw food lifestyle last July. Last year, after attending the sundance ceremony where I had originally met them nearly 4 years ago, I made a stop in TorC while travelling in the opposite direction than I am now heading from Arizona to Texas, and the rest is history – eating mainly raw foods seemed like a healthy and earth friendly thing to me – so said, so done! Karen and Antonio are 99.9% raw and I still fluctuate between 95 to 75%, depending on how long I’ve been away from my raw food mentors…

Karen and Antonio have taken an old adobe style hot springs bathhouse and are in the process of renovating it and transforming it into a leading edge natural healing centre. Besides renovating the Hot Springs Mineral Baths, they are adding a treatment room and creating a workshop/teaching room, and they have surrounded the property with a papercrete wall. This centre will be a retreat for juice fasting and natural detoxification using raw foods, as well as offering homeopathy, hot springs soaks and other healing modalities. It is a work in progress. After downing our fresh juices and each going through our morning routines, a healthy midmorning salad, accompanied by guacamole, raw almond hummus and beijou, a Brazilian delicacy made from ground tapioca, all organic of course, were the order of the day. Considering that I was just coming out of a three day juice fast, having recently revived my bio-lunar juice fasting routine, and knew better than to fill up on oily foods so soon post fast, I did get carried away with the ‘raw wrap’- salad, guacamole AND nutty humus, surrounded by the yummy beijou wrapping. But, oh how sweet it was, healthy, fresh, earth-friendly AND tasty!.

Following our morning meal the four of us headed off to gather flat rocks for the outdoor hot springs pool that is being added to the healing centre by a foursome of incredible brothers who are master adobe workers and stonemasons extraordinaire. Antonio had already been on site early in the morning. Larry and I had watched a slideshow of the construction of the soak pool on Karen’s computer the night before, but I had yet to see the latest addition to the healing centre. We drove past a burnt down old ranch with a sill functional windmill and past the retaining wall for the Cuchillo Creek Dam, then along the gravel road beside the dry creek, which obviously must flood at some points in time otherwise there would be no need for such a high retaining wall. Gathering river rocks is not one of my usual Earth Day activities, but hiking through dry riverbeds amid the spiny ocotillo plants, chaparral bushes and cactuses with the occasional desert hare scurrying by, seemed like such an appropriate activity for a desert EarthDay. After all, we were outside in one of Mother Earth’s harsher environments, enjoying the elements in all their glory, at the same time being physically active and making a useful contribution to the construction of the healing centre.

It was hard work finding just the right flat rocks from among the thousands of rocks strewn alongside the gravel road, and harder work still hauling the rocks over to the wooden trailer hitched to Antonio’s car. With so many rocks to choose from it didn’t take the four of us long to have gathered enough to fill the bottom of the trailer. With Karen and Antonio’s two dogs racing madly behind the trailer we took off back to town. Arriving at the healing centre with the freshly gathered load of river rocks, we set about unloading the trailer. Most of the rocks were between 20-50 lbs, easily manageable by one person, but there were a few mother rocks, and one in particular, a beautiful cream coloured slightly dimpled rock, not the biggest of all the rocks we had collected, but close to it, must have weighed at least 125lbs. Larry was inching it off the trailer, so I went over to help him. Something told me not to lift that rock, a voice I would later realize was that of the rock itself, but seeing Larry trying to get it off the trailer by himself I ignored that warning. Mistake number one. The stone masons were all working in and around the pool, and Karen and Antonio were hefting other rocks around as I helped Larry get the rock to the edge of the trailer, ready for it’s no more than 2 foot drop to the ground. Both Larry and I were convinced that the rock would roll forward and on to the reddish brown dirt below. Mistake number two. Stones are dangerous and they have a mind of their own, or so I was told later by the elder stone-mason, and I now realized that to be the case.

So heavy was that mother rock, that in less than a flash, after we launched it off the edge of the trailer, the top end fell back and crushed the middle finger on my right hand against the metal bar at the bottom of the trailer. It all happened in the blinking of an eye, and here is my first blessing, -- years and years of martial arts training have sharpened my reflexes, not enough so that I listened to that voice that told me not to help lift the heavy rock, I guess that must come with more years of training than I currently have under my belts, but enough that I almost instantaneously pulled my finger out from behind the over hundred pound rock. Many martial artists train so that they can protect themselves if by chance they are attacked unexpectedly in a dark alley. For me my years of training have been put to use in many more mundane settings – the time I slipped on the cobblestones of a road under repair in Real de Catorce, Mexico and landed on my butt without spilling my orange juice, the time when I knocked my camera off the table and caught it before it touched the ground, or when I slid on the ice this past winter and did a break fall without losing a drop of the hot tea I was carrying, and now this, my Lightening Speed Removing Finger About To Be Crushed By a Heavy Rock Technique! If I had not been so caught up in the numbed finger with blood spewing out at the moment I would have patted myself on the back and started counting my blessings and saying thanks to my Sensei for every time he gave me a tongue lashing when I wanted to stop training. Ooos Sensei!

Utilizing my newly developed Lightening Speed Removing Finger About To Be Crushed By a Heavy Rock Technique allowed me to escape with out a single broken bone, with only two inches of ripped flesh, a hanging black and blue fingernail that will soon fall off, a swollen throbbing bloody fingertip with a few gashes and several millilitres of blood spilled on Mother Earth. One of the best possible scenarios, all things considered! Again, here’s where my martial training brought yet another blessing. I learned many years ago that if I am injured in the dojo it is my fault, no one else’s. Blaming my sparring partner when I do not block, or move off centre line is just not an option. The responsibility was mine, and the lesson was for me. All those years of martial inspired wellness training kicked in on the spot. There were no tears, none of the freaking out that Karen later told me she would have expected with an injury of that intensity, no ‘Woe is me’ anywhere in my psyche as I jumped about shaking my now throbbing and bloody finger as the warm red blood spewed over my green shirt, on to my beige pants and down on to reddish brown Mother Earth. In fact my first thought was ‘I wonder why that happened?’ and my second thought was ‘I wonder why I needed to give Mother Earth an offering of my blood on Earth Day?’ My Sensei would be proud, that is, after he finished chewing me out for not listening to my gut in the first place!

On to blessing number three. All of this happened in front of the not yet finished, but still with many natural remedies inside, healing centre and not up the dry creek, in the middle of nowhere with only a collection of no doubt medicinal, but not terribly useful at the time, desert bushes in sight. Less than two minutes after I had finished making my Earth Day Offering to Mother Earth with the accompanying Sacred Dance of the Wounded Finger, I was sitting in the healing centre with my finger in a cup with a mixture of hypericum tincture, calendula tincture and cold water. Cold has never felt so good! Hypericum, or common St John’s Wort, makes a deep red tincture that is a strong antibiotic and widely used by herbalists and other healers for treating wounds, bruises and other injuries. It is best known for it ability to helps with internal nerve damage as well as to repair skin damage.. Calendula is also strongly antiseptic. It helps to stop bleeding and to assist in the healing of wounds and burns. Now, I ask, why are so few people aware of these vital first aid remedies? Why don’t all hospitals carry them, not just natural healing centres? I think back to when I slammed the same right middle finger in a car door as a young child. We were living in Jamaica at the time and my mother, who is knowlegeable about certain herbs and remedies, would have loved to know something that would have rapidly eased the pain of her then crying and Dancing with the Wounded Finger little daughter, not that those herbs are that common in Jamaica, but neither are many that are found in the local drug store!

Back to the healing centre in the desert, with the by then only slightly gushing wounded finger. Karen usually uses LM potencies of homeopathic remedies, they were all in her office, so out came a bottle of 200C Hypericum. When the bleeding had mostly subsided Karen wrapped my finger in sterile gauze covered with a natural skin ointment. Viola! Fifteen minutes after the Lightening Speed Removing Finger About To Be Crushed By a Heavy Rock Technique, Earth Day Blood Offering and accompanying Sacred Dance, my finger was all bandaged up and I was dismissed from further rock lifting volunteer duties for the rest of the day. Blessing number five, my now sore back tells me. Thank you to the ‘common weed’ hypericum that became the powerful tincture! Blessing number six. Thank you to the once beautiful calendula! Blessing number seven. And last but by no means least, thank you to Karen, the wise practitioner, who knew exactly what to do and which remedies to use. Blessing number eight! . Blessing number nine was knowing Reiki and using it to facilitate the healing.

When I wandered back outside to observe the rest of the rock moving activities I was given a gentle, but yet very martial like lecture by the elder stone mason, “Stones are very dangerous.” He told me, and made his point by repeating that statement at least four times throughout our conversation. “You cannot hurry. You must take your time when working with stones and listen to them. The stones will speak to you.” Wow! New Mexican Zen or what! The stone had told me not to pick it up, but I didn’t listen, and a less than an hour later I get a lecture from a man with a more than 40 year relationship with stones basically telling me to stay focused, be in the moment, move slowly and listen to the stones and to my gut! I almost said Ooos Sensei when he was done. That too was a blessing..

Well, my Lightening Speed Removing Finger About To Be Crushed By a Heavy Rock Technique saved my finger but ruined any thoughts I might have had about a future career as even an assistant stone mason! Oh well, maybe in my next life! But it did provide me with the perfect opportunity to shed my blood on Mother Earth, in a relatively controlled manner, and not in the way that our current global habits and patterns of greed and disharmony are causing so many people to do involuntarily around the world! The Lightening Speed Removing Finger About To Be Crushed By a Heavy Rock Technique, Earth Day Blood Offering and the accompanying Sacred Dance of the Wounded Finger allowed me to learn many sacred lessons on Earth Day. Blessing number ten, and probably the most powerful blessing of all.

Lesson One: Always listen to my gut, and to all the elements of nature. They do communicate with me and I can hear them, if I have a relation with them [the elements and my instincts], and if I take the time to listen.

Lesson Two: Always stay focused. Live in the moment. Move slowly and develop a relationship with whatever you are working with.

Lesson Three: Always give thanks to the Creator for the healing properties of herbs, natural remedies, martial training and the power of chi!

StayWell and Travel with Spirit, in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

Arriving in Truth

2008-03-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico late on Monday night after driving 13 hours that day and meeting up with more people at every stop who were interested in the SmartCar ... it is such a conversation piece... everywhere i go the questions are -- Is it Electric? What's the gas mileage like? etc, etc ... So many people seem interested in the smallness of the car. I even had one man, who reallly wanted to buy a SmartCar, but was vetoed by his wife, ask me to drive by his house to show her the car. Most people have never seen a SmartCar in person.

Arriving in back in TorC is a wonderful experience. This is an incredible little desert town that has been hidden away but is becoming a mecca of spiritually enlightened people who are concerned about the environment and into natural and alternative health. Karen and Antonio are remodeling an old Hot Springs bath house and turning it into a healing centre. The town is very small and an odd mixture of very chic hot spring spas in colourful southwest style adobe buildings, lovely old adobe houses and very rundown trailers and trailer parks, health food stores, chiropractors and thrift stores. It is a town in transformation it seems.

Karen has a young midwifery student coming to stay with them for 10 days prior to heading off to her training in southern New Mexico. She is doing an exchange, working around the centre so that Karen can focus on the online courses she is developing. They are heading to Las Cruses to pick her up the morning after I arrive. I have settled in and done some writing. My computer is not happy and it's keyboard is acting up. My computer is my lifeline.

I head off to Las Cruses with Karen and Antiono. There is a major brush fire several miles of the highway. We notice the smoke shortly after getting on the highway. The huge clouds of smoke are billowing up. You can see the bluish white smoke with black clouds from miles away. It is wafting towards a nearby community ... It looks just like a cloud as it gets there. The community has no idea that there may be chemicals and toxins in the clouds that heading their way. we speculate on the origin on fo the fire. It has become a large brush fire. As we drive closer we can see the fire spreading. We take a few pictures and say a prayer that no one is injured and continue on our way.

Heading on Down the Road

2008-03-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I left the Aamjiwnang reserve in Sarnia, Ont, where I had stayed overnight with my friend Ron and his wife and family. I am driving a SmartCar, so my car is loaded down, between my back packs, books, laptop, sleeping bag, blanket, groceries and karate and kobudo gear. I get to the bridge to the US and, as my father predicted, the border guard asks me, 'How do I know you're going to come back?' after he looks into the car and see the passenger seat piled up with stuff and I tell him I am not coming back till May. My response was, well, my drivers license and car registration expire on my birthday in May, so i have to be back by then. His response, "Well you could just let them expire if you're not planning on coming back."

I guess he's right. It'd be a stupid thing to do, but I could. Then he asks to see in the back of the car -- it's a Smart car. Really, there is about as much room as a very small trunk at the back... just enough for my big back pack and a few other bags. He opens the back and immediately closes it and says 'You can be on your way'. I was going to ask him what made him quickly change his mind from thinking of me as a would be illegal alien to someone who can just head on down the road, but decided not to ask. I do think that driving a green SmartCar may have had something to do with this change of mind tho... after all, it is not exactly an inconspicuous car -- and i certainly could not get all my worldly possessions in the car, even if it was packed to the hilt which it almost is.

So, driving a Smart in the US is a novel experience indeed. I have yet to stop anywhere without getting at least one comment from someone. The first place I stop to fill up in Michigan, the gas station attendant asks me what type of car it is. He already knows it is sold by Mercedes and tells me that last year someone from Canada had stopped there with a similar car and told him they were going to be introduced in the US this year, but he says he hasn't seen any since. He says he hears they get 80 miles to the gallon. I can't tell him because I operate in kilometres and litres. I tell him how much it costs to fill up and how far I can go. Wow! he says.

Well, that would not be the last wow! I would get on the first day of my trip. Everywhere I stopped the response was the same. Wow! Every gas station I have stopped at someone has asked me either how many miles do I get to the gallon, or whether the car is very fuel efficient or a similar question, to the man who pulled his car into the parking lot of he motel i stopped at last night to ask me what kind of car it was,whether it was electric, how many miles to the gallon I get and to tell me that it was the smallest car he has ever seen. Well it is the smallest car i have ever driven i replied!

I have spoken to more people on this trip than ever on any previous trip. Everyone has been very positive, with one exception. In the second service station I stopped at i went to the washroom after filling up and paying. When I came out and was walking back towards my car, the attendant says to me "Someone asked whose ugly car is that?' As she says that a big guy who had been in an aisle close by shows up. She points to him. I say -- "You mean you don't like my green SmartCar? I think it is beautiful." He says 'Your car's ugly. My Ford Explorer is beautiful." I say " I think my car is beautiful too" He says "I don't care if it costs $100 bucks to fill up, my car is beautiful, and I could just squish your car." Well, what can you say to that -- My response, 'yes, but it would leave a big dent!" as I walked out of the service station. Interesting how just seeing my SmartCar brought up alllll those issues...

This morning I was reading an online article that critiqued bio-fuel as a false solution to greenhouse gases and suggested that growing corn for ethanol in the US will be taking corn away from the food supply that could be used to feed hungry children. I've been thinking about converting my diesel SmartCar to biodiesel because although my car consumes a relatively small amount of fossil fuel, it still uses fossil fuel, and as an interim solution bio-diesel is a step in the right direction, especially if it is made from recycled biofuel. But, more than anything the article made me think that with people who still have the "Your car's ugly, mine's beautiful; I don't care if it cost $100 to fill up; and I can squish your car with my car" attitude, no wonder we've still got a long way to go towards healing this planet!

staywell and travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller

Welcome to 2008! Eight Tips for a Healthier 2008.

2008-01-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

May 2008 bring you all peace, love, truth, beauty and expand your limits in all the right ways! Maybe you won't be able to do a one finger handstand like the Shaolin monk shown above but you can certainly do something or things that you have never done before!

Now, coming from a long line of people who give advice whether it is asked for or not, I could claim it is in my genes, as my father suggested in his holiday newsletter this year, but environmental health promoter and ex-molecular geneticist that I am, I am sure that my lifestyle choices and the environments I have inhabited, all those good epigenetic influences, also play a significant role in my
unsolicited advice-giving behaviour.

Whatever the reason, let me regale you with my 8 Simple Tips for a Healthier 2008:

1) Breathe Deeply -- as often as you can. Fill your lungs with the breathe of life. Allow those tiny molecules of oxygen to connect your lungs with the elements of all life on earth.
http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/breathing.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2005-mchi/2552.html

2) Eat Naturally -- eat fewer processed foods. Chow down on fruits and vegetables. Have a huge raw salad at least once a day. Drink more water. Choose seeds, nuts and sprouts as snacks. Whatever you eat becomes who you are.
http://www.mychoicesonline.com/sect_diet/colello_raw_article.php

3) Sleep Well -- Get lots of sleep. Go to bed before 9:30pm one day a week. Wind down before bedtime -- shut off the computer and the TV and give your brain time to relax. Keep a dream journal.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3410/01.html

4) Move your body often -- Take a 20 minute walk in nature every day. Take stretch breaks at work ... dance when no one is watching. Do yoga, tai chi, karate, aerobics, breakdancing, belly dancing,pilates, push ups, sit ups -- whatever it takes. Go running. Stretch your limits.
http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/getmoving
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1066943,00.html

5) Connect with Others and Create Community -- Smile at strangers on the street. Speak in elevators. Help old people cross the road. Talk to your neighbours. Hire a local kid to do a job that need to be done.
http://casparcommons.org/Library/HowToBuild.htm
http://www.northernsun.com/n/s/4193.html

6) Love the Earth -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle more ... Conserve water and energy ... Choose green cleaners and personal care products... eat organic ... celebrate the seasons ... spend more time in nature.
http://www.monumentalmassage.com/articles/love_mother_earth.html

7) Have the Courage to Try Things that Seem Impossible -- do something you have never done before and thought you couldn't do. Take a new route when you go to work. Go somewhere different every week. Study something new for half and hour every day.
http://tow.charityfocus.org/?tid=410

8) Follow Your Dream!! -- Find your dream and pursue it! Now is the time! The world is changing. Be part of the solution. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Be positive and thankful for what you have and who you are.
http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/dreams.htm

Check out two inspiring videos that have been shared with me -- videos that remind us that the world indeed is changing and our choices make us a part of the solution, or a part of the problem .... http://theshiftmovie.com/index2.html

and NEVER forget the line from that 1949 Sigman and Russell song sung by Linda Rondstadt in 1983 -- Crazy He Calls Me -- 'the difficult I'll do right now; the impossible will take a little time' ... enjoy ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c

Curious about epigenetics -- check out this video ....
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3411/02.html

StayWell and Travel with Spirit, in Beauty and Truth, The SpiritTraveller

Classical Martial Arts Training: An Eastern Inspired Path to Wellness and Empowerment

2007-11-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

"The primary meaning of the kata is for the performer himself. If he is unable to immerse himself in the kata and so release his emotions or life force, a master will say of the performer that he is still "in the dance", unable to emote or express his feelings at will" The Karate Dojo. Sensei Peter Urban.

Ahh! After being on the road for 10 months and doing only sporadic training, I am back into my regular martial arts routine, and oh what a joy it is!! Most people know about the health and wellness benefits of yoga, but few are aware of the benefits of another Eastern tradition, classical martial arts training. Before I started seriously training 8 years ago, I was like many women who pictured karate, the only martial art I knew much about at the time, as a ‘sport ‘ for teens or twenty something or thirty something men, like my two younger brothers that practiced it. I had dabbled in yoga over the years and taken a few continuing education classes in tae kwon do and karate, but saw them as means of exercising, not much different than the aerobics classes that I loved to attend. It was only when I started doing classical martial arts training in a dojo [translation – place of the way or centre of spiritual enlightenment, or on the more mundane level, a school of martial arts] that offered a variety of different arts that I began to understand what was meant by ‘training’ as opposed to taking yet another fitness program that lasted about as long as it took me to get bored of it. It was this idea of training, of progressive improvement towards a goal, the goal being mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, that has allowed me to ‘stick with the program’ and to reap some of the rewards.

Back in the days when I was an undergraduate student in Genetics, more years ago than I care to remember, I was the studious keener who got good grades because I spent lots and lots of time studying – sitting in front of books, typewriters and later my computer. My diet wasn’t all that great and I loved to reward myself for all my hard work with yummy goodies, so needless to say I was few pounds over weight. This had been my pattern since high school. Being an achievement oriented person that came from a family and a culture that sweated the small stuff, I had learned to push myself to the max and to really stress myself out at exam times, when I had to do a presentation or generally whenever I found myself in a time crunch. Trying to do more was always better from that point of view. The aerobics classes I took during my undergrad years and the dance and yoga I did in grad school helped to reduce my stress and maintain my weight but, I never really lost weight, and try as I might, my lung capacity was not the best and, all the exercise I did didn’t really relieve my stress because when the time crunch arrived, the first thing to go was the exercise. My stressed out mind would always tell me that I didn’t have time for it!

When I was working full time and finishing up a doctorate in environmental studies, the stress of work and school and the bodily fluctuations of peri-menopause began to catch up with me with more and more sleepless nights and less and less energy. One day I walked into a dojo that I had passed almost every day for 4 months since I started working in the area and it really changed my life, or maybe saved my life, who’s to know. I was 39 when I began training, at the time, one of the older beginners in my dojo. At first I started doing Tai Chi because I wanted to relax and the truth was that even though I had been working in health education and health promotion for years and knew all the theories and explained them to others I was still not totally applying them to my life.

In fact, overachiever that I was, it took me twice as long to get things as some of the other people who started at the same time, but already know how to really relax and go with the flow. I was so busy trying to ‘get it’, to figure out how to move like the black belts and instructors, that I didn’t really tune in to the thing that was so different from all those aerobics classes, dance classes and hours at the gym – the flow of chi or vital energy in my body, the importance of my breath and that present moment awareness. I hadn’t yet learned that less can be more – less thought and slower movement. It was three years into my tai chi training while also doing practicing the daily meditations I had learned years before, that I really began to be able to go with the flow of my energy and the energy of the chi field, or the field of vital energy, created when a group of like minded people are focusing on the same movements at the same time with the same intent. It took me three years of focusing my intent on feeling the energy in the movements and consciously willing myself in my first twice a week, then three times a week, then daily practice to let go of my need to always be right and to always know what I was doing, that is to finally start to learn not sweat the small stuff.

As I practiced tai chi chuan and ghi gung regularly and with intent, I learned to be more relaxed, not only while I was training but at work and in my studies. In my early 40’s after a lifetime as a type A worrywart I was learning to develop inner peace. Once I began to feel the chi I understood in an experiential way, not in a theoretical way, that there was a flow and a harmony to the Universe, there were forces greater than myself that I could not comprehend or begin to understand, but which I could tune into, if I slowed down, quieted my mind, which took me a long time to learn to do, and learned to focus. Research on Tai chi has found that it increases focus and mental concentration, enhances circulation and helps to balance the functioning of the internal organs, promotes proper posture and helps to calm the mind. My experiential knowledge has corroborated these studies. Through my training I learned to pay attention to my breath and in times of stress, how to co-ordinate my breathing with my movement. On a more spiritual note, the meditation and inner exploration taught me how to connect to our inner self and to become more balanced and whole person. Tai chi had started me down an incredible path towards mental, emotional and physical wellness.

After training in tai chi for a couple of years I became interested in Iaido, Japanese sword, one of the other arts taught in the dojo I was at and began to train in that as well. There is a hardness and a rigidity to iaido that is so different from the softer more internal martial arts yet there is also a grace and flow to the movement, very similar to tai chi and chi gung, and an incredible attention to detail as one repeats the then 10, now 12 cuts, over and over and over again, ever refining the detail of the body movement. I had always been an ideas person, a big picture kind of gal, and the detail and repetition of iaido combined with what I was learning from my tai chi training forced me to focus my attention and allowed me to begin developing a more zen-like mind, one that could focus on many details at the same time, even in stressful conditions. When I had reached a basic level of proficiency in tai chi and iaido, and was exposed to kobudo and goju-ryu karate at a dojo seminar, my enquiring mind, wanted more. I started with kobudo and later added karate to my plate.

Both kobudo and karate are more external arts, which focus methods of formation of power and on expressing one’s internal power. I found them both physically more demanding than tai chi, chi-gung or iaido, but my solid footing in meditative movement that I had developed through my tai chi practice was to serve me well as I ramped up into a more physical martial practice. While I was not training as many hours in each of the arts as many of my dojo colleagues who focused on one art or the other, there was an element of cross-training that benefited all my arts and the chi or energy development was common to all. Training is indeed training, and learning to integrate the hard and the soft elements of the different arts has taught me valuable lessons for everyday life. When I finally learned to apply various principles from each of martial art to the realm of everyday life, I was better at making spontaneous decisions, at interacting with difficult people, diffusing potentially challenging situations and at maintaining a positive mental attitude.

My one mistake with my training was that spending as much time as I did in the dojo, training and instructing in the various different arts, often up to 18 hours a week, I had given up the daily home-based practice I had developed in earlier years. I would learn how important the personal practice aspect of martial arts training was when I went on the road. Over the past 10 months I have been travelling in the US and Mexico and though I started off with great intent, after a while my regular practice diminished and I found myself only training periodically. Physically my body has felt the effects and this recent respite has allowed me to see really clearly what I was getting from my regular martial arts training. As a form of physical exercise, martial arts training in a dojo, is not only an active individual practice, but also a social endeavour. It involves aerobic conditioning through cardiovascular exercises that work the muscles and help practitioners to develop strength, speed, balance, coordination, awareness, stamina and endurance. I lost a lot of each of these during my hiatus though it happened so slowly that I didn’t really notice until I entered a heritage run sponsored by the American Indians in Texas and found that not only had I gained back much of the weight I had lost through consistent training, which my tight clothes had clued me in on, but my lung capacity was nowhere near what it was when I was training and my endurance had rapidly declined in less than a year of no longer regular training. My poor placement in that race made me reflect on what I had been missing over the past months. I had the technology. I know more katas, chi gung exercises and tai chi sets than I could shake a stick at, after all, I had assisted and taught kobudo, tai chi and karate classes for several years now, but despite my commitment to my physical health, the social environment that the dojo provided me was not there. Gone was the comraderie of the two women who had gone from white to orange belt in karate with me. Gone was the cohesiveness of the group of 6, 5 guys and myself, who had graded for shodan together, and assisted each other with difficult moves and combinations. Gone was the spiritual bantering with the other tai chi instructors and I slacked off.

But, my time away taught me how valuable my training, and the environment in which I had been training, has been. While in Arizona I eventually did find an Aikido dojo, which also had a great ambience and later began learning a new form of healing chi gung. I realized that the variety of movements and exercises we do in the different martial arts I practice are not only beneficial for health and fitness, but kept my mind, which seems to require a lot of change and stimulus, from getting bored with the same old, same old routine. A few years ago I read a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM, 2004: 143-147) and can now attest that my experiential knowledge substantiates what they found, which is that martial arts training is a complete form of exercise which decreases body fat and promotes physical strength and flexibility in middle aged practitioners. Over the years the constant challenge as one moves from one belt to another, from one art to another, becoming proficient at one thing only long enough to grade and then add more complex and newer elements, has also helped me to boast my confidence and my self-esteem in a way that none of my many academic achievements did. It taught me how to take control of my life and not let circumstances control me or stress me out. Martial arts training has been a path to empowerment for me where I have learned important lessons about energy, vital life force and mostly about power and methods of formation of power.

As an academic, though now more of an ex-academic, I lived in my head and spent most of my time out of touch with my body. Martial arts training showed me how to tap into my internal power and how and when to externalize that power. I learned how to be assertive and balance that assertiveness with a sense of respect for myself and for others, something assertiveness training workshops never quite managed to do. It showed me tactics and tactical thinking and gave me the confidence to avoid conflicts and provided me with methods of conflict resolutions when conflicts arise. As well as techniques for avoiding conflict, I, after being somewhat of a introvert most my life gained the confidence which allowed me to go off and travel for 10 months, putting my life in the hands of various people I didn’t know and hanging out in places I knew little about. The ability to just jump off the cliff and know you will be taken care of is a really valuable asset to have in one’s mental health and wellness toolkit. This lessons I learned from my years of martial arts training about present moment awareness, living in the now, being confident, resolving conflicts and know how and when to defend myself are mind-body wellness tools that are particularly importance to women, but also to men, living, working and travelling in our increasingly complex and chaotic world today.

Mayan Art and Hispanic Culture

2007-10-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Mayan Art and Hispanic Culture – September 28, 2007

While in Albuquerque waiting to connect with Karen and Antonio who would take me to the people who were going to host us while we took part in the traditional medicine and healing gathering, I met up with Linda who was in Albuquerque to take part in a Civil Rights event at which her uncle, a champion for civil rights in the Hispanic community, was being honoured.

Linda took time out of her busy schedule to visit the Mayan textile exhibit at the National Hispanic Cultural Centre (NHCC) and I met up with her there. The NHCC was launching an exhibition of Mayan Textile Art, which showcases “Mayan textiles which, as works of art, reflect the splendor and continuity of the Mayan culture.” There were two other related exhibits opening at the same time - Threads of a Different Colour: Guatemalan Textiles from the John Shaw Collection, a collection of very colourful hand woven huipiles, or blouses, from Guatemala, and as well, an exhibition of the photographs of Linda Montoya called Mayan Indians – Weavers of Colour, which documents Linda Montoya’s journey to Chiapas Mexico to connect with Mayan Indian women and children.

The textiles were exquisite. Each colourful and intricately woven piece was only surpassed by the neighbouring piece, each a work of art with delicate traditional and modern patterns with detailed designs. Each of the vibrant red, green, yellow, blue and white pieces spoke to the time and patience involved in weaving the fabric and putting together the blouse. Each one was a testimonial to the creativity and artistry that lives in the Mayan soul that is expressed so beautifully, so colourfully in each piece – each similar, but at the same time completely unique. The vibrant colours and intricate work reminded me of the yarn art and the beadwork of the Huichols that I had visited with in Real and the Sierras. The vibrant colours and the designs of the Mayan, like the Huichols, are a reflection of their spiritual beliefs and their view of the world. Art for them is not something to only hang on the wall to be admired, as these pieces were, but art is practical, art is an intimate aspect of everyday life. In fact, art is life, as clothes and colours are life.

After a brief tour of the textile exhibit, Linda had to leave to rejoin her family before flying back to San Antonio. I stayed for a video presentation and discussion of latinos in WWII. This was an aspect of history that I knew nothing about and was interested in finding out more. While waiting for the film to start I met an interesting woman who told me she was a historian. She asked me where my Spanish ancestors were from. The truth is I don’t know, but I said that I thought they might come from Toledo given the connection I had to that city while I was in Spain. I had not felt that connection in any of the other places I had visited in Spain. Putting her historian hat on she began to explain the history and meaning of the name Toledo. We talked for a while and as the mathematics would have it, in a crowed centre, with many people in beautiful outfits present for the opening of the Mayan Textile and the video presentation, I would connect with someone who had an interest and knowledge of holistic medicine and natural healing. She talked to me about curanderas and about three herbs with incredible healing properties, one of which was the common culinary herb rosemary. She herself had used rosemary when she had broken her arm, which she had set herself after she had treated it using rosemary to draw the swelling, blood and toxins from her arm, so that she could set her arm She had not gone to see a physician and her arm, which was still sporting an adjustable support was healing nicely. I suspected that she had more knowledge than she let on, who knows, maybe she was a curandera herself, but I did not have too much time to talk with her as the film was starting.

The session was opened by Eduardo Diaz, the director of the NHCC and featured Hector Galan, who had been producing programs for public television documenting the works of Latinos. He produced the 2 clips that were shown. The first was part of the story of latino mineros and their struggle for fair wages and equal pay and told the story of their role in WWII. The second clip was from a 14 hour PBS series on WWII. Galán noted that when it was about to air there were no latinos featured in the entire series and the reason he was given for that was that no latinos came forward when they were looking for stories. Sound familiar? No doubt wherever the call went out for stories it was not in Spanish, and did not appear in any of the Hispanic media.

When Galan reviewed the footage, he noted that there were many latinos in the WWII footage but they had no voice. The piece he showed featured two latinos talking about their experiences. It was shown at the end of the first show of the series. He noted that the battle of omission had been won but the war wasn’t. Many people were still very unhappy about how the latinos were placed and the fact that there weren’t more in the series. An all too familiar story of the dominant culture eyes that do not see what is outside of their field of view and why the struggle for representation and for social justice is as important now as it has ever been.

The clip that was shown was an eye opener for me as it recounted that, unlike the situation with the African American and Japanese American troops, the Hispanics shared barracks and eating quarters with the white personnel. This was the first time that many of the Hispanic and white boys had experienced that type of intermingling and it changed both groups of men. One of the latino veterans mentioned that even though when he came back to the US he still faced the same discrimination that he had when he left, he had been changed because he had risked his life and fought for his country and knew that this country was just as much his as it was the property of the white servicemen he had fought alongside.

What an evening it was from Mayan textiles to the latino presence in WWII. The events at the National Hispanic Cultural Centre cleverly intermingled art and social justice, colour and beauty. It was a veritable feast for the eyes!

A Gathering of Traditional Medicine and Healing in Albuquerque

2007-10-02T16:49:00.001-07:00

A Gathering of Traditional Medicine and Healing in Albuquerque – Saturday September 29/2007.

After saying goodbye to Masauke, Linda and all the other healers I had been working with, learning from and sharing information with over the past months, I sadly left San Antonio and the wonderful community of people that had become family to me. I made my way to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico to collaborate with Karen and Antonio, who I knew from the Sundance, and who are starting a healing centre with many of the elements of the centre I want to start in Toronto. I arrived in TorC just long enough to unpack and drop off my luggage at their house before I headed off to Albuquerque where Karen and I had been invited to take part in a gathering of Traditional Medicine and Healing.

The gathering was organized by Kalpulli Izkalli, a community organization that is a grassroots intergenerational action and resource centre dedicated to transforming the health and environment of the local community, Their motto, Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth is one of the concepts I have used for years in the courses I have taught, so I immediately resonated with this wonderful organization and their incredible event. Kalpuli Izkalli was started as an effort to create an alternative institute that could serve as a model for “integrating strategies to educate, advocate, and take action on those changes necessary to protect human life and the earth, and her resources with proactive alternatives that promote traditional knowledge and ethics of behaviour that celebrate the intrinsic value and sacredness of the natural world and its interdependence on humanity.”

“Kalpulli Izkalli are Nahuatl words meaning Kalpulli (Community) and Izkalli (House of the Light/Resurgence). Kalpulli Izkalli was formed in 1996 to promote, preserve and protect cultural and traditional practices. They are dedicated to community healing through these practices which include agriculture, medicine and traditional healing, ceremony, as well as the use of art, music, dance, writing and individual creativity to enhance personal, family, community and general human development. Kalpulli Izkalli exists to strengthen the capacity for individuals and families to create positive changes in the way we live that foster healing and renewal for ourselves and Mother Earth.”

The health fair took place in the parking lot of the Topakhal Clinic. The Topakhal Clinic (House of our Medicine Clinic) is one of the projects of Kalpulli Izkalli. It is a family practice clinic which combines Western and Eastern medicine, allopathic and naturopathic approaches. It has a beautiful community garden and a well designed clinic with treatment rooms, a small community kitchen and even an altar room for ceremony! What a progressive community health centre. I have been involved in the community health centre movement in Toronto for many years and have yet to see one with such an incredible integration of traditional and Western medeicines.

The gathering began with a Danza Azteca ceremony which honoured Mayahuel, the Guardian of Medicinal plants and healing and dona Predicanda, a local curandera or traditional healer, who had been healing the community for more than 60 years. Dona Predicanda was born with the ‘don’, the healing gift and grew up learnig from her grandmother, an indigenous curendera from Chihuahua, Mexico. Dona Predicanda and twp other curanderas were presented with plaques and honoured in the ceremony.

All the healers who had volunteered their services, myself included, were called into the centre of the circle of Aztec dancers to stand in front of the curanderas who were being honoured to be blessed with copal, prayers and agua de flores, flower water. After our blessing and the presentation of the plaques of honour to the curanderas, the Aztec dancers continued their dance into the early afternoon. The large group of Aztec dancers and drummers dressed in colourful clothing and elaborate feathered headdresses occupied most of the large parking lot. Information tables and healing tents had been set up around the perimeters of the parking lot. There was information on pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding, services for people who had been physically or sexually abused, and information on local environmental justice projects.

In the two tents close to ours there were massage therapists, Reiki practitioners and curanderas offering limpias or spiritual cleansings. There were three practitioners in our tent, Karen Ferreira, a homeopathic doctor who was providing information on healthy natural foods and homeopathic consultations; Dr Miguel Ortega, an iridologist from Cuernavaca, Mexico, who was staying with the same people who were hosting our little group, and who was examining eyes/doing iridology consultations and I was doing energy work and bodywork, incorporating some of the techniques I had learned from Masauke and company despite the fact that I had left my feathers in San Antonio.

We had a large number of people sign up for all of the different therapies when we first set up the tent but we were following Sundance rules and waiting for the ceremony to be over before we began the treatments. It was only some time after noon, when the woman who had been the first to sign up came over to find out if I would work on her that we found out that the tradition in Mexico was different from the Navajo Sundance tradition and that treatments were common while the dancing was going on. With that information in hand, I started working on her and from that time on wards there was a steady stream of people coming to our tent all afternoon. The treatments continued even when high winds suddenly began to blow and the tent almost came down around me and the woman I was working on. Karen and the husband of the client Miguel was working on grabbed the tent poles as the wind picked up, and along with the small group of people who quickly jumped in to help, they saved the day. We continued to work even after many of the information tables had been packed up and other practitioners had left. Miguel closed up shop finishing his last consultation under a tree as a group of volunteers came to take the tent down around him. Like at the sundance our services were voluntary.

It was a beautiful event which for me really demonstrated the integration of traditional and western medicine, as the regular Family Practice clinic was going on inside the Tophkal clinic. The waiting room was full of clients while the fair was going on and periodically the practitioners and interns from the clinic would come out to watch or take part in the ceremony. Many of the traditional practitioner who were practicing in the healing tents also provide services in the Tophkal clinic. All in all, the day was an amazing example of a community based model for integrative wellness – integrating traditional medicine, natural healing with ceremony, wonderfully healthy food and western clinical services. Bravo Kalpulli Izkali for a job well done!

For more information on Kalpulli Izkali and their annual gathering of traditional Medicine and Healing visit www.kalpulliizkali.org

For more information on Homeopathy or the Gaia Sophia visit www.gaiasophia.com

Wellness -- It's All in The Feet!

2007-09-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Wellness – It’s All in the Feet!
September 10, 2007

Wow! I feel good … tanannana …. Like I knew I would … tannanana … It is rare that I am wowed by a new therapy or holistic treatment because I have tried so many different things, but 1 session of this combo treatment has really made me feel different. My head is clearer, and colours seem brighter and it feels like I am breathing easier. It feels like my whole body is running a little bit better than it was before we started the session.

I just had an ionic footbath treatment followed by a mineral soak. Although, like the machine, I am from Canada, and I had heard about it from an ex-coworker, I had never tried it. As usual, I approach every new therapy with a healthy bit of skepticism. The treatment was administered by Gayle, a pain elimination specialist, who uses a combination of NST [neuro-structural integration technique] and Reiki, when working with her clients. As well as these modalities, Gayle assists her clients to eliminate pain using the IonSpa and mineral soak. I had met Gayle just over a week ago at a healing circle that Masauke was facilitating.

As I too work with Reiki energy, I offered to be a guinea pig for one of her students in the Reiki classes she was teaching and after the session I had the opportunity to speak with her about her practice. She mentioned the ionSpa Detox Footbath and it immediately intrigued me. The footbath is described as “a holistic way of approaching disease through saturation of the blood, tissue, cells and organs with ions.” “The ionSpa,” the flyer she gave me tells me, “produces negative hydrogen ions, which act as both an energy carrier and an antioxidant in the body.”

I read that the ionSpa “allows for a large uptake of negative ions into the coenzyme NAD (nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide) which creates active NADH, which the flyer reminds me is the essential coenzyme of all cellular regeneration and reproduction.” I am thinking back to my undergraduate biochemistry days and remember that NADH is used in the Krebs cycle, which is supposed to allow the body to generate cellular energy – more than that I can’t remember. I make a mental note to do some more research on how this all works.

Back in Gayle’s treatment room she sits me on a comfortable chair next to the sink as she wraps a large basin in a double layer of plastic, “for sanitary reasons,” she tells me. She hooks up a small square black box – the brains of the operation, I am told – and hooks it up to an electrode that reminds me of the ones I used to use for gel electrophoresis back in the days when I worked in the lab. I placed my feet in the basin turned footbath on either side of the electrode and she filled up a large container with warm water and pours the water over my feet, almost up to my ankles. So far, so good.

She adds a couple scoops(less than a quarter of a teaspoon) of sea salt to the water, then punches in some numbers on the buttons on the little black box. I feel a light tingling in my feet when she first turns on the current. I look at my feet. Bubbles are coming up out of the electrode in between my feet. The water is clear. I remember my colleague Debby had told me about her friend who had tried it and had ended up with black water. I am sure that my water will be pure, after all, I’ve been eating a mostly organic diet for years and, after I finished working as a molecular geneticist, where I am sure I soaked up more than my fair share of noxious chemicals, I spent several years doing regular juice fasting and all manner of cleanses to help my body to detox from the chemicals I knew I had been exposed to over the years, despite all the precautions we had taken in the lab. In recent years I had started purchasing and using primarily natural, nontoxic products and had been doing a regular liver flush to help my body to reduce it’s toxic load. Surely, I thought, my footbath will be different. I will be the one person who has almost clear water at the end of the treatment.

Well, I was right for about the first 4 minutes of the session. After that this yellowish colour began to ooze from my feet. I remembered that the flyer had said “Because of poor diet and high stress, we tend to accumulate and store excessive quantities of waste products. Particles, fat and mucous residues found in the water after bathing reflect the waste that have left the body during the 30 minute session. Neutralized particles are pulled out of the body through the skin via osmosis. Colour changes in the water are only some of the indicators that toxins are removed from the body.”

I look down at the basin watching my feet. At first there was only a hint of yellow colouring coming off my feet. Two minutes later the yellow colour is seeping from my feet and spreading throughout the entire basin. A few minutes later the water is changing from a light yellow to the colour of light corn syrup, with a slightly reddish tinge. A small mucousy plaque floats out and Gayle tells me that it could be from vitamins or supplements that are not completely natural. That’s definitely a possibility because although I am normally very careful about the types of vitamins and supplements I take, when I was younger I certainly wasn’t as aware as I am now and also since I’ve been traveling I haven’t always been able to find the type of supplements that I normally buy.

Gayle smells a little bit of a sweet smell and says that may be petrochemicals coming out. I think back to my little Smart Car sitting in the garage in Toronto and wonder how much of the diesel fuel soaks up into my body when I’m standing at the gas pump, because there aren’t a whole lot of other petrochemicals in my environment. Mental note: another thing to do some research on – Are we exposed to trace levels of petrochemicals when we breathe in exhaust fumes while sitting in heavy traffic or might they com from gasoline fumes while pumping gas at the gas station, and/or are there trace amounts that soak in through the hands from whatever might be on the pump handle. Beep goes the machine. “It is going into a new cycle.” clarifies Gayle.

A tiny blue speck floats by on the surface of the water. Gayle tells me it is a star of aluminum and it’s one of the biggest one’s she’s ever seen. Aluminum I think, where would I have been exposed to that? Well, I stopped cooking with aluminum pans about 17 years ago so it’s not there. I don’t use aluminum foil when I cook but I do sometimes buy pies in aluminum pie plates and I don’t always cook for myself and I don’t know what others use. Ah, I remember. If this footbath pulls out stuff that’s been stored for a long time then of course there were those aluminum tumblers that my brothers and I used to drink out of when I was a child. Growing up in Jamaica where bauxite is mined and sent off to be processed into Aluminium, those tumblers were very popular. Mine was red, very light and I really loved it. Could trace amounts of aluminium still be in my body 40 years later from so many breakfasts drinking fresh squeezed orange juice out of that cup? Does slightly acidic juices leach aluminium out of those cups like oily substances are supposed to leach plastic from the containers they are stored in? Mental note: more research needed here too. Yes, says Gayle, when I mention that I don't cook with Aluminum pots, and what about cans? Have you ever thought about how many people drink daily from Alumimum cans? Ah yes, those aluminum cans that I occasionally drink Ice Tea from. Good Point! I have not totally reduced my exposure to aluminum as I had thought.

She asks me if I have had any allergies recently. Yes, I reply. Actually I have had for the first time in about 20 years since I have been traveling. It is mostly in the mornings that I’ve been waking up sneezy and slightly stuffed up. I suspected it had something to do with the carpets in the places I’ve been staying. Back in Toronto I had no carpeting in my home and since I’ve been traveling many of the places I have stayed at have some sort of carpeting, usually in the bedrooms, so I have been sleeping in rooms with closed windows, because of the air conditioning, and with carpeting. I know that carpeting is one of the main sources of indoor allergens and environmental toxins from my years working in environmental health. Gayle’s next comment is “It seems like something you inhaled.” House dust and cat or dog fur from the carpets could be it I think. But Gayle says that she thinks that my allergic reactions may be to the mould, weeds and oak that have been present in the environment in Boerne at the time of my treatment. Gayle told me that she had been seeing much the same thing in many footbaths during the same period of time. "Maybe dust might have been a factor for you", she points out, "but by the look of the response, it did not look like it was dust or dander. Dust or dander would have most likely come out in the look of the water in the foot bath as lymph. I'm not sure why that happens but it does seem to" Gayle clarifies More questions I think, but there’s definitely something to this machine because Gayle is picking up stuff that I hadn’t told her.

By now the surface of the water has a reddish yellow film on it and underneath the colour is a strong yellowy red. So much for me being different. So much for my body being less toxic. Gayle says it has the look of copper. The mixture is starting to look like a newly opened can of tomato soup. She writes something else down on the cue card she has been making notes on. She asks me if I have ever smoked, something is showing up that suggests tobacco smoke. I’ve never smoked but have been exposed to second hand smoke at various periods in my life. She suggests that it not likely to be secondhand exposure but if it was it was an old exposure since recent exposures show up on the surface and this is in the underwater. She says that anything that comes out on the surface of the water is coating the body’s cells, making it more difficult for the body to operate since impulses have to get through the coating before the cells can communicate with each other.

There are no liver or gallbladder related colours or materials. Gayle tells me. That is common with many people though the response showing gallbladder apparently can change in a matter of days. There’s that sweet smell again. Can you smell it? It’s those petrochemicals. I get a wiff of a very, very faint sweet odour. Beep goes the machine. “Have you ever had a hair analysis done? There’s a combo of metals” Gayle says. “It looks like lead and mercury.” I look at the now quite darkish rusty coloured water but don’t have a clue what she is seeing. I notice the brownish bubbles in the centre over the electrode. “Is that it?” I ask. “No” says Gayle. “That’s yeast.” Could be I think. I first did a Candida cleanse in 1992 and then spent several years on a sugar free, yeast free, wheat free, dairy free diet to eliminate all the yeast from my body. In the last few years and more so in the past few months of my travels I have been eating more sugar and bready type goodies than I usually do so a resurgence of Candida is not out of the question. Gayle would explain later that the lead and Mercury was showing up in the under water and was a dark gray and then turning to a deep black. She knew it was heavy metals, most likely Mercury.

Beep! The machine sounds off again. The session is normally over 25 minutes after it begins but Gayle tested you and added an additional 5 mins. in the water. The basin at my feet looks like a freshly opened can of frothy tomato soup. As I take my feet out and wipe them with a paper towel I leave a brownish yellow film on the white towel. This does not look good I say to Gayle as she puts down a fresh basin with water and takes away the now brownish mixture of water with the goopy ooze that came out of my feet. I would have thought that with my years of healthy, mostly organic, eating and non –toxic living my first session would have been better than this. Gayle laughs when I tell her that I had expected that the water would be clear. She says “This is about ¼ as bad as most people on their first session, so your healthy eating and living is doing something!” I feel a bit relieved.

Now comes the mineral soak. I ask Gayle if the soak is important to rebalance the mineral content of my body after the detox treatment. She replies emphatically "NO! Not what I said. The mineral soak is not needed after a mineral soak to put back minerals that have been stripped out. I don’t want to give anyone that impression. Most people would do their entire “run” (the number of treatments that it takes for that person to remove the years of toxic buildup) before doing a Mineral Soak. That is a separate treatment. You are right that until some of the toxins are removed the minerals are not readily uptaken by the cells….which is the reason to wait until most of the toxins are removed. In your case, you are certainly “clear” enough to go ahead doing the Mineral Soak after only one Detox. Does that make sense?" Gayle brings out a large stainless steel container. She fills a large plastic container with water and pulls out a series of bottles. Which ones resonate with you? She asks. These two go into every treatment she says putting one dropper full of a clear liquid labeled Magnesium and another labeled Mineral Complex. Chose three more. I select Pancreatic Support, Circulatory Support and Balance from among the 6 bottles she offers me. Each bottle contains a proprietary mixture of various Minerals and support essences. I put my feet in the steel basin as Gayle pours the lukewarm mixture on my feet. She dims the light and leaves the room, advising me to focus on my breathing. I go into relaxation mode, beginning my meditation by slowing down my breathing and clearing my mind.

25 minutes later Gayle is back. As I come out of my meditative state I scan my body. Wow! I feel good … tanannana …. Like I knew I would … tannanana … it really feels great … my mind is clearer and the colours around me are brighter. It is easier to breathe. There is definitely something to this treatment. Gayle tells me that normally she would do a run of treatments – 5 to 7 being the most. To do the initial detox and then the individual only needs to come in periodically to maintain it, and all for the low price of $60 for the combo treatment. "When people finish a run", Gayle tells me, "They may come back for 2 or 3 mineral soaks, or they may come back in a month or 2 for the combo treatment just like you had. It seems to be a very good way to do it." Wow! Wellness in a footbath and a mineral soak bottle! What a treat! Thanks Gayle!

Delicious Dinner for the Divine Divas

2007-07-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

"True Peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice." Martin Luther King, Jr

I arrived in Truth or Consequences late Tuesday night. Karen, the homeopath who I was to stay with, had just arriving home from a concert, where Miriam, a Peace singer had just entertained a local group for several hours. Karen welcomed me with raw hummus, raw vegan crackers and olives and tales of the beautiful music, which I had missed by a few hours. Karen decided to host a dinner the next evening for all the Divine Divas -- the spiritually inclined women in the community -- to say goodbye to Miriam and to meet with me.

Karen and her husband are raw foodists so the feast the next day was to be a fare of 100% raw food. Though I have eaten vegetarian for many years i had not really thought about food in terms of whether it was raw or not. My stay with Karen was to make me look at the world with new lenses.

The next morning Karen started calling and emailing the local women. We went down town to the local health food stores and met several women who Karen immediately invited. Everywhere we went we met women who we interested in the gathering, some who could make it and some not. In the end we had 9 women who formed the first Goddess Circle in the community, what those who came are hoping will become a monthly gathering for the spiritually minded women.

Karen and I worked all afternoon preparing the spread -- guacamole made with fresh organic avocados, tomatoes, onions and garlic; raw vegan crackers; gaspacho with tomatoes, onions, zucchini and green pepper; my mother's amazing cucumber salad, a huge raw organic salad with romaine lettuce, fresh pea sprouts; carrots, green pepper and tomatoes; a plater of sliced carrots, cauliflower, broccoli; raw goats cheese; a raw banana coconut pie with a walnut date crust; an avocado chocolate mint pudding; gingered grapes and hibiscus sun tea. It was a feast fit for a Goddess, or a Divine Diva.

Women started arriving slowly congregating in the kitchen until the crowd began to spill over into the living room. We introduced ourselves and Miriam welcomed us with several songs of Peace sung in her native language, Hebrew. Karen sang a song she had shared with Miriam the night before and Lou recited a poem. Peace was the topic of the evening. Peace, a Raw feast, Hot Springs and Divine Divas ... what more can you ask for ... a combination made in heaven!!

Firing the Grid and Admiring the Desert

2007-07-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

"Responsibility does not lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace we can be at peace with those around us. When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us to develop inner happiness and peace" his holiness the Dalai Lama.

Thursday July 17 was the day to fire the grid. People from around the world were connecting energetically through prayer and meditation to our mother the Earth and sending love, peace and harmony and the energy of collective cooperation to heal the earth and to awaken our individual and collective souls as human beings on this planet at this conjuncture in time-space to our true purpose. If you were not part of the process or know nothing about firing the grid you can find out more at www.firethegrid.com.

I was a one of the millions of people around the world who fired the grid at 11:11am GMT or 4:11am Arizona time. I had originally planned to be on my way to San Antonio, Texas via Truth or Consequences, New Mexico on Monday but decided to stay to collectively fire the grid. It seemed like a good way to end my stay in Prescott.
Although I had stayed up very late packing up and cleaning up the apartment in the healing centre where I had been staying, I was up at 3:45am when Daisy came over to prepare the healing centre. The women started arriving a few minutes later. By 4:09 am there were 7 women gathered. We all sat in a circle around the deerskin rugs in front of the altar and we were ready to begin. The final two women who would join us came in just after we started the ceremony.

After a brief introduction, Daisy played the flute and and Margaret, who runs the sweat lodges at the healing centre, began drumming. That was their prayer for the earth. The rest of us were meditating and praying, sending healing energy to mother earth. Part way through the hour we listened to a CD of chants and the drum and flute prayers continued and our meditations continued. The birds were beginning to sing outside the window of the healing centre, joining in with us. Towards the end of the hour we began to name beautiful and not so beautiful places on the earth that we wanted to be healed. We all joined hands and I imagined that we were holding hands with all the people around the world that were firing the grid at the same time that we were. We did a visualization where we draw the vital energy from the sky, from source, through our bodies and sent it down into the earth to wrap three times around the core of the earth, the heart of our mother pacha mama. It was 5:11am. A few women had to leave to go to work and a few remained to discuss the prayer.

It was starting to get lighter. Margaret suggested that we go outside and drum in the sunrise. It was a great idea as it allowed us to walk on mother earth with a new sense of connection and respect, still focusing on peace, harmony and balance. We went over to the sacred ground where the sweat lodge is usually held. It is a clearing surrounded by firs and desert shrubs. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains in the distance. There were 4 of us. Margaret was drumming and singing a Lakota turtle song for Mother Earth. It was a powerful experience indeed.

After tea and breakfast I finished packing the car and was on my way. It was much later than I had planned to leave and I had hardly slept so I only drove for an hour heading towards Phoenix before I had to stop to have a nap. Ten minutes later, totally refreshed, I was on the road again and did not stop till I got to Picacho Peak State Park. I had seen the name when I googled Sonora desert and for some reason it caught my eye.

I pulled off the highway when I saw the sign, paid my $3 fee to enter the park and was informed by the two park rangers that it was over 104 degrees and probably not a great time of day to be hiking up to the peak. I knew it was hot but did not realize that it was quite that hot. I was told it would take over an hour to hike up to the top of the peak. I was still planning to arrive in Truth or Consequences relatively early so decided not to do the climb. Instead I drove to the furthest part of the park and hiked around that area, enjoying the incredible view of the rolling desert plains, with the train tracks in the distance and the blue, blue Arizona sky.

I was very thirsty. I opened one of the juices I was carrying in the cooler and made a cheese sandwich, eating it as I looked out over the distant horizon, wondering which of the famous cowboys I had read about when I was a child had passed through this area that was now a park. I had visions of covered wagons moving across the plains and gun slingers and cattle rustlers riding among the tall cactus. Other than myself, the plants and the warm breeze, there was no one around and no movement anywhere nearby. Off in the distance I could see the tiny cars passing by on the highway and the even tinier train halfway across the plain.

This was a perfect place to continue to celebrate my connection with Mother Earth. I did a standing meditation facing the rugged mountain peak and then lay down briefly on the earth, feeling the incredible heat that had been accumulating all day on my back. It felt good to connect with the earth, to remember my connection to this powerful element that sustains us and gives us life. I thought back to the ceremony earlier in the morning when millions of people around the world joined together to send our energy, our healing energy, to nurture our mother who has nurtured us and continues to feed and clothe us. I said a prayer of thanks to the earth before I quickly got up before the heat of ground became too much. There was such a sense of peace.

Lessons learned: 1) Many hands make light work. We need to each do our part to nurture and take care of the earth. 2) Sometime you can find peace only a few steps off the beaten path, 3)Beauty is where you are.

Desert Rain! Oh How Sweet it is!

2007-07-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Whoever Can See Through All Fear Will Always Be Safe" Tao Te Ching.

Ah!! The monsoons have arrived! I was hoping they would come before I left and today was the day. It has been raining since 2:30pm this afternoon and it is 10pm and it is still raining. Oh how sweet it is -- rain in the desert. I have never appreciated rain as much as I did today.

I was at the healing centre all morning and about 2 pm decided to go downtown to say goodbye to a few people I had met before I left and pick up a few things for my trip tomorrow. This time I took my camera, having found my battery charger the night before after it had hid itself away for the past 2 weeks. My first stop was to be the bank across from the square, but as I had my camera in hand I drove by the Aikido dojo where I have been training for the past 2 weeks to take a couple of photos before heading off to the square. There were a couple of large dark clouds hanging low in the sky and a few rumblings but there had been rumblings and the occasional dark cloud for the past week. I had been told that the monsoons were coming but truthfully did not expect to see rain before I left.

When I first arrived in Prescott just about a month ago the days were very hot and the nights quite cold, much like you would expect in any desert area -- not much of a difference as in the Wirricuta desert in Mexico. It got cold enough at night that I was sleeping with a blanket and with the windows closed. Not so of late! After I returned from the Sundance I noticed a shift in the night temperatures. It was getting warmer at night because of the increasing cloud cover which didn't seem to affect the daytime temperature, which was still hot but at night it was no longer that delightful cool then quite cold, in fact if it got to delightfully cool you were lucky. It was more of a balmy almost tropical summer night.. much like it had been in Jamaica when I was growing up. In fact some nights it was so warm that I found it hard to sleep. I was told that the balmy night weather had to build up for days until finally it rained. I kept hoping for the rain.

Well, it arrived today and has it ever rained. I arrived in the plaza downtown with many heavy clouds and took photos of the square trying to capture the light. I went into a spiritual bookstore hoping to find a present for Daisy the guardian of the woman's altar and 'bumped into' two of the people I had planned to see before I left. As I left the bookstore the rain started ... Those big, fat delicious raindrops that you get in the summer and oh the smell of the wet earth. It was amazing after so many weeks of hot dry weather. I stopped at the local natural food store to stock up on some items for my trip and by that time it was pouring. The heavy sudden down pour that we always used to get in the afternoons in summer in Jamaica. Ahhh.. and me with no raincoat! There I was running into the store like I used to run in the rain between classroom in high school.

Feeling the fat warm drops on my back and head. What a delight. In the store I again 'bumped into' another one of the few people I knew in Prescott. When I got everything I needed and was at the checkout counter the young woman who was on cash was looking longingly outside as the rain poured down. I'd love to be out there she said, but I am stuck in here. Everyone in the store seemed to have a smile on their fact. Rain in the desert where there has been a 12 year drought is enough to make even the hardest hearted person smile. As I went outside with my bags of groceries there was a woman sheltering from the rain under the eves. She asked if I was from here and did I know how long it lasted. I laughed and said I wasn't from here. Just then a man came out the store so I asked him if he was from here and how long the rain lasted. He said it usually lasts 20 minutes but that he was not going to let it keep him here because you never know how long it will really last.

I followed suit and ran through the rain to the car. It felt great to get wet in the desert. As I drove back to the healing centre I noticed so many puddles that had not been there only 2 hours before and the smell of the fresh wet pines. Oh how sweet it is. It doesn't get any better than this. I was later told by a local woman who came to the altar for a ceremony that the day before she had called her grandchildren in Vermont and they had told her that they had done a rain dance for it to rain in Prescott and her grandson had sent one cloud to her. Well, what powerful kids, I said. That one cloud must have picked up several friend's on the way because when it arrived in Prescott, it rained from 2:30pm till the wee hours of the morning...

Lessons learned: 1) Rain beautiful rain. Give thanks for the element of water in all its beautiful forms. 2) Our prayers are answered, 3) Innocent children carry powerful medicine.

staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

Traeger, Ecological Acupuncturist

2007-07-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Traeger Stertzbach, Ecological Acupuncturist.

I met Traeger at my first Aikido class in Prescott. He is a student of Sensei Bob Ward, who I had met at the sundance and who graciously allowed me to train in his dojo while I was in Prescott. When I found out that Traeger also does acupuncture I thought he might be a great subject for my blog, so I went to visit his practice which is located in the space owned by the Shanti Wellness Project, a not for profit Organization which provided low cost Wholistic Health care for Women in Yavapai county. More about Shanti in another post.

Traeger graduated last year from the 4 year program at the Oregon College of Oriental medicine. After finishing an undergraduate degree in natural history and ecology, he went to Portland planning to go to Naturopathic College but after talking with senior students at both colleges decided to go into Oriental medicine. At the time it seemed like a huge shift. But what he asked himself was whether he wanted to continue to operate in a Western scientific framework or if it was time to step outside of the box. The answer was Oriental Medicine.

“I graduated with an undergraduate degree in natural history and ecology from Prescott College in 1999. The same year that Shanti was finishing up her project. I graduated from Chinese Medicine school last September. When I came back to Prescott I was looking at partnering up with a chiropractor, or something like that. I was hoping to find someone to work with or learn from. I called everyone I knew and no one seemed to need a partner. The truth is in Arizona, if you partner with a chiropractor who is billing for your services it’s a bit tricky since acupuncturists are not allowed to bill for our services. I realized that I needed to just go for it and open my own practice. I found out that the Shanti Wellness Project was looking for practitioners through two friends who are acupuncturists. They work out of room 1 on Monday’s, Fridays and Saturdays. I called Sherry and arranged to see the space. When I came I felt that the energy here was great, so I put some paint on the walls and a rug on the floor and here I am.”

“The mission of the Shanti is something that I fully connect to and I have several related projects on the go. Jason and Laura, the two other acupuncturists, and I are discussing the possibility of a community based acupuncture clinic similar to the working class acupuncture project that they have in Portland, Oregon. You can think of it as a type of group acupuncture or network chiropractic. The practitioner sees each client individually to take the pulse and check the tongue and find out their chief complaint but instead of having one room, one client all the treatment is done in a room with several clients. The practitioner puts the needles in and goes on to the next person.. This allows the practitioner to charge $20-$35 per session making it feasible for people who do not have a lot of money to come in once or twice a week.” That way of practicing is much more similar to the way they treat patients in China.

I asked him if he saw OM as more of a spiritual path. His response was that he does but that this path is also helping him to be more grounded to the physical realm as his tendency is to think a lot and this is a very physical and very practical form of medicine. He uses a lot of shiatsu in his treatments. For him it is very important to be fully present with the patient and the real time changes that are going on during the treatment. “It is possible to get off into your head, but the hands-on work requires you to really pay attention.” he says. Traeger is a minimalist when it comes to point selection. His training is much like mine – use as few needles as possible. He explains this drawing on the imagery used in a lecture he once attended – the pond effect he calls it – the difference between the ripple effect after throwing one or two stones into a pond and throwing many stones into the same pond. He sees oriental medicine as a medicine that more in tune with the ecology of the human body than the reductionist approach of allopathic medicine.

Although he is a fairly new practitioner, he is drawn to meridian style acupuncture where he sees the channel as a whole. He loves to have 5 element acupuncture done to him, but on his patients he focuses on the entire meridian, or energy channel.

I asked Traeger to explain why he sees acupuncture as more like ecology, than reductionism. He takes me back to my undergrad ecology days, reminding me that the root of ecology is eco’ logos – the study of the family home, and that it focuses on looking at the organism in relation to the environment they are in and the greater system that surrounds them. He says that in oriental medicine we have to take into consideration the organism, their environment and factors in their day to day – that is ecology. In fact, oriental medicine stems from a real close observation of nature. He talks about the time when he was walking near a shipyard and noticed the variations in the river channels he immediately thought back to the he-sea points and the shu-transport points on the energy channels he had studied and realized that this was how the analogies were made, by observing these relationships in nature.

Traeger adds “After I finished my undergrad I left Prescott wondering how am I going to affect change in this environmental crisis? I am not an activist nor am I a policymaker. This seemed like a way to affect change at an individual and a community level. Not only can we use specific acupuncture points to affect the ecology of an individual but that individual is him or herself an acupuncture point in their community.”

One of the projects that Traeger is working on really integrates his ecology background with his love of oriental medicine. That is the herbothecary and teahouse he is working on creating with Margaret, the owner of Magpie, a local food coop and health food store. They plan to sell bulk teas and to serve teas in a traditional way.

“In relationship to my clients, I see myself as a guide or a listener. I really see them as the teachers. Everyone is just an incredible resource. I am getting a lot of difficult cases and they are teaching me how to practice this medicine. I feel fortunate that I have been able to help some of them make changes in their lives. I love to come to work to help people make changes in their lives.”

Healing Myself at The Women's Altar

2007-07-12T10:42:00.001-07:00

"Power is not given lightly but awarded to those who are willing to carry responsibility in a balanced manner" Jamie Sams and David Carson

I've been staying at the Morning Blessing Way Healing Center since Sundance ended. Daisy had invited me to come back and stay for a while. The invitation was in fact an invitation from the Grand Will, there were things I still needed to learn and much I still needed to do at the healing centre. Masauke was heading back to San Antonio with Linda after the Sundance to do some carpentry work and transform her house. Linda, who had driven from Texas to the Sundance, wanted to spend some time with Masauke and to enjoy a slow drive from Arizona to Texas, connecting with friends and relatives along the way. Spirit was again coordinating our agendas -- I would drive her car back to the women's altar allowing her to head back to Texas with Masauke and me to have a vehicle to get me back to Texas after my stay. The Great Mystery works in amazing ways if we are truly open to the workings of Spirit.

Before I had left for the Sundance, Daisy and I had done our first work together at the altar facilitating an energetic shift for a man who had a very difficult childhood and was still carrying the energetic resonances of his early childhood experiences. It had been a beautiful experience working together at the altar as we work in very different but complimentary ways. Daisy, using the flute and drum as she connects to the Great Spirit in prayer, and I doing energy work and featherwork, clearing away resonances from his energy field. He had wanted to come back for a deeper session but I had been leaving for the sundance so Daisy invited me back.

There have not been a lot of people coming to the altar since I have been here other than him. Those who come are those who should be there. When Daisy and I worked together again Daisy rebirthing this man and I helped to connect him to his mother's love and his father's strength, neither of which he had experience before even though he is now in his late 50s. It was a powerful experience for each of us - him because he was able to feel those powerful emotions and for me because it allowed me to trust my inner knowing that I would know which of the healing tools, the medicines, I carry would be appropriate and when to use them.

Daisy and I have since worked together to do an energy clearing and to introduce a visiting woman to the energy of the woman's altar. Most of the time that I have been here Daisy has been working on finishing her book. I have had the opportunity to read and review the book which tells a truly powerful story about the healing of her son and her spiritual journey. As well, I have had time to experience a new martial art - Aikido at the local Aikido dojo, to write and to visit several local organizations and individuals some of whom I had met last year when I had visited after the sundance and many of whom serendipity or the Spirit has newly presented.

Mostly what I have been doing while I have been here though is healing myself! Listening to the voice of Spirit, listening to my inner knowing and truly learning to follow that. I have been sleeping in the apartment built by Masauke ajoining the healing centre which serves as a retreat for those visiting. The center surrounded by trees and a dry wash/river bed divides it from Daisy's house and the area where the Blessing Way sweatlodge is conducted at times of the year when there is no fire ban [There has not bee a sweat since I have been here because of the fire hazard, but I am told that the monsoons are coming and hope to experience them before I leave in a few days.

Every day I have been spending time at the women's altar, meditating and praying. A few nights when I could not sleep I would go quietly into the healing centre and lie on the deerskins in front of the altar, falling asleep to beautiful dreams of a very old medicine man and medicine woman working on me as I sleep, massaging my spirit and soothing my mind, removing that which no longer serves me from my mind, body and spirit. I have been re-connecting with the exercise and meditation routine I used to follow and figuring out what is right for me at this time. I have been following a simple but very well balanced diet and getting as much rest as my body has demanded. I have been doing my headstands and my tai chi and martial arts routine regularly. It has truly been a gift to have this time at this beautiful healing centre to focus on healing myself. What a blessing indeed!

Thanks You Daisy! Thank You Linda! and Thank You Masauke! for all you have shared and for all you have taught me about listening to myself and healing myself, and most of all thank you to the Great Spirit, for working through Masauke, Linda and Daisy.

Lessons: 1) Always listen to your body and your inner knowings, 2) Know when you need a rest and take it! 3) Be true to your self and your path. Do what is right for you!

staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller

Blessings

2007-07-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Blessings to everyone reading this blog:

May your path continue to be illuminated.
May you find peace and joy scattered like rose petals at your feet on your journeys.
May you dance with innocence and enchantment.
May truth fall like raindrops and refreshen the ground you walk on.
May love encircle your heart and send it's root into your soul to nourish nourish nourish you and keep you strong.
May Faith, Joy and Hope be your constant companions.
May blossoms of beauty scatter in front of you like tiny seeds blowing in the wind, and may all the desires of your heart become whispers that echo in the canyons of possibilities, manifest in the realm of dreams and take root in the lands of opportunity.
May ALL that is good, true, beautiful, magical and harmonious be your now and always and may you find those you truly love and continue to walk together with love in your heart, beauty in your soul and joy in your steps and the deep and true knowledge that you are always connected through time and space to the ends of infinity and eternity and back.
May you bathe in fountains of love and swim in rivers of abundant blessings.
May you know that you are a precious and true manifestation of the Divine and that you are always truly, truly blessed and that you are also a true blessing to Gaia/Pacha Mama, our home and earth mother.

This is my blessing to you ...

StayWell and Travel with Spirit, in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller

Hanging Out with HyoChul

2007-07-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

"Unlike goddesses associated with fertility, Tara is approached primarily as a protector and preserver of life. In the sky above, a dragon emerges from the clouds clutching a wish-fulfilling gem. In the Buddhist tradition, the pearl without price symbolizes the wisdom of selflessness, of great compassion - "the one force benefiting both self and others." Celestial Gallery. Romeo Shrestha.

Hyochul is a very special 14 year old boy who lives in Prescott, Arizona. He has lived here for 11 years and before that lived in Idaho. Hyochul loves to draw, ride his bike and rollerblade. Hyochul tells me he had leukemia for 3 years and says that he was dealing with the medical stuff for a long time. His mother clarifies that it was the rejection to the bone marrow transplant and the after effects of the transplant that lasted 6 and a half years. Thirty percent of kids who have the transplant die during the transplant and another 30% die in the first year. HyoChul is one of a very small percentage of kids who have survived a specific type of childhood leukemia, and his mother Daisy feels that he is a precious gift who came into her life to reinforce her faith in the Great Spirit and that through his sacrifice and her sacrifice to keep him alive, she found the strength she needed to become the guardian of the women's altar.

His mother, who has studied with many great teachers including Swami Hiraharinanda Giri, the last living disciple of Sri YuctaSwa and Yoginanda's fellow disciple, with Luke Chan the first Master of ChiLiel Chi Gong in the West and with Masauke, says that HyoChul is her greatest teacher. She tells of the time when they had found out how serious HyoChul's leukemia was. He had 0.02% chance of living because he had a very specific translocation and did not go into remission. She and her husband had to decide whether or not to go the route of a transplant and she had 4 people pray and send chi when they were making the decision about whether he would have the transplant that had as much chance of killing him as saving him.

Many say that HyoChul is still alive now because of Daisy's faith, she never ever gave up, and also because of the energy and chi and prayers sent by the thousands of people around the world who were part of Daisy's chi gung network. Hyochul's story touched the heart of a Navajo medicine man who gathered 21 native men who had never met HyoChul and did a sweatlodge for his healing. The Bodinath temple in Katmandu did a ceremony for his healing. Daisy even went to the local Tibet store and asked them to take a picture of HyoChul to Garchen Rimpoche and he too gave a blessing. "China and Tibet were completely united in that little child at 7 years old" she says.

After several attempts during the 6.5 years to reduce the anti-rejection meds that kept HyoChul's transplanted immune system from rejecting the rest of his body, he finally came of the meds last year just before he want to the Sundance. Daisy firmly believes that it was the days of drumming at the Sundance that kept HyoChul's body from needing to go back on the meds. When asked about his experience at the sundance last year, HyoChul said that it was nothing special, just another religious thing, but that he had met some people that he really liked at the Sundance.

Hyochul's first love is his art. He says that the love of art has always been in his family and that even when he was very little he can always remember scribbling and drawing, He's just gotten better as he got older. He feels that he is good at art because he practices every day not so much because he was born being really good.

The thing he loves best about living in Prescott is his friends. He loves hanging out with his friends and even more hanging out with his 4 older brothers and 1 older sister. Most of the time he is not very excited by Prescott though because he says that there is nothing to do in Prescott.

He is working on drawing a comic book which he started a few years ago and which features an evil inventor who created a character named after Hyochul who must escape from the clutches of his evil creator. The story sounds really interesting though I haven't seen Hyochuls' drawings yet. We spent some time this afternoon hanging out at the ice cream parlour in front of the downtown square eating sorbet while HyoChul filled me in on the plot of comic book.

Hyochul has been home schooled for most of his life and has had 1 year of regular school. Although he thought that the 'regular' school is more social and that you meet a lot of people, he did not like going to school because many of the kid were jerks to use his words.. They talked about people behind their backs and to their faces and he really did not like that.

He also plans to create designs that he wants to put on t-shirts and sell. He is already a bit of a business man as he negotiated a deal with Masauke to buy some of his Huichol t-shirts at cost and he sells them to visitors to the healing centre.

HyoChul has tried Aikido but found that sitting in ceza [sitting on your knees] was very hard on his legs that he says are not as flexible as many other peoples. I taught him some of the basic karate stances, kicks and punches and he seemed to really connect with karate so I plan to take him to one of the local karate schools later this week to see if he connects with that art in a way that will help him find the pearl without price in himself.

It has been a wonderful experience meeting this special kid who is struggling to find himself and his gift to the world and who despite everything he's been through, does not feel that he is any different from any other 14 year old.

Lessons learned: 1) Life is Precious, 2) Never make assumptions about who people are or what they have gone through, 3) Prayer is powerful! Faith even more so.

Staywell and Travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

Supporting the Sundance

2007-07-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

"Driven by the forces of love, the fragments of the world seek each other so that the world may come into being. Love alone is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves" Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

This was my third year as a supporter at the Little Big Medicine Sundance. How I was called to connect with the LBM sundance was totally a story of following Spirit. A chiropractor/ homeopath friend of mine had received an invitation to support the LBM sundance by volunteering her services for the local Navajo community and for the sundancers. She was really clear that she needed to go and when I heard about it, something really spoke to me so I asked her to forward the email invite to me. I contacted the homeopath who was organizing the healing tent to find out whether they needed acupuncturists and was invited to come. By the time my friend decided that she was not going to the sundance I was already committed energetically and financially [I was really excited about going and had already booked off that time as vacation time and bought the plane ticket].

I however knew nothing about the Sundance ceremony. As I am part native I had been studying with an Anishnawbe elder who encouraged me to go to the Sundance but would tell me nothing more than that the ceremony involved 4 days of fasting, praying and dancing. "Go and find out for yourself if this is a ceremony, a medicine, that speaks to you." She said, "You will know if this ceremony or something like it belonged to your people, you will feel it." Having never been to Arizona and knowing no more than the little I can find on google about the sundance ceremony, I asked Karen, the healing tent organizer, for a contact person to talk to … I felt there was something very serious about the sundance and knew I needed to be properly prepared.

I spoke to Cheryl, a local naturopath who had been to the sundance the year before and she filled me in on a lot of the etiquette and suggested that I call her when I get to Albuquerque airport and if the timing worked out I could get a ride with her. The talk with Cheryl set my mind at ease in many ways but there I was, the night before getting on the plane for the Sundance feeling like I was jumping into the unknown, feeling sick to my stomach so much so that I called the airline to find out if I could change my departure date. Not without paying another $150 was the reply, so after throwing up all night, I packed in less than an hour, arrived at the airport an hour before the early morning flight was to leave and was on my way.

I knew that where I was going was very significant for my spiritual development as the Adversary was already putting up roadblocks, or who knows maybe it was the Great Spirit who had decided to test my resolve. Was I committed to the path that I had chosen? As it turned out I was. When I called her from the airport, Cheryl had already left the city and had arranged to make a few stops before heading to the sundance. That worked out well because my luggage, with my camping gear and acupuncture supplies, had been delayed and when it had not arrived 3 flights later I rented a car and went to tour downtown Albuquerque. When my luggage came in on the last flight of the evening it was too late to start my journey. I stayed overnight in Albuquerque and in the morning I went to the grocery store to stock up on supplies before heading off into the unknown.

I had been to PowWows, full moon ceremonies, sweat lodges, shaking tent ceremonies, sunrise ceremonies, solstice and equinox ceremonies, but somehow this felt different. I had been reading Douglas Adam’s book Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and had connected with the part where Dirk was following a lead and jumped on a plane not really knowing where it was going then gets in a cab at the other end and passes a sign that says ‘Gusty Winds May Exist’, so as I am driving along I-40 heading towards Arizona and I see the same sign and I immediately felt at ease. “Ah, a wink from the Great Spirit” I thought at the time. The passage from the book I had just recently read had manifested in my path to let me know I was indeed heading in the right direction – going where I needed to be.

Well, I arrived at the Sundance the first time after taking many wrong turns and driving half way across the Navajo reservation and back but when I arrived I was greeted by an older woman with a beautiful spirit who invited me to set up my camp in the area that she and her daughter and granddaughter were camping. She took me under her wing as though I was her own daughter. From that moment it felt like coming home and I knew why the Great Spirit had led me to this place at this time. I received many winks from the Great Spirit at that first Sundance and once the ceremony began I immediately connected with it. It felt as though my many years of martial arts training, meditation, fasting, praying and dancing had all brought me to that moment to be there supporting the sundancers both during the ceremony with my dance, as well as after the ceremony with the acupuncture, massage and other healing arts.

Last year I supported the Sundance again and felt that my connection was even stronger than the first year because as well as supporting in the ways I had the year before, during the dance, I really connected energetically with one of the sundancers, a man who I never met and knew almost nothing about, and felt that during the 4 days of the dance that my prayers were being taken directly to the Creator through him and his dance. It was a very powerful experience that awakened in me long forgotten memories of a time gone by -- maybe this sundancer was my energetic counterpart at some moment in time, who knows, but our purely energetic connection awakened memories of past lives, or maybe they were ancestral memories encoded in my DNA, who is to know but the experience and the dance were very powerful.

Again this year I returned to support the LBM Sundance and it’s beautiful vision of many little medicines coming together to make one big medicine that will be healing for all the individuals at the Sundance as well as for our families, our communities and for the entire planet. This year I was called upon to do more than I had in previous years, to help take care of a young child, so that her mother, a sundancer, could dance, to assist at Masauke’s altar when he and Linda were called away and to continue assisting with the healing work I had been doing in the past 2 years.

This year I was also called to take part in the ceremony at a deeper level, and received permission to dance the last day of the dance to give thanks to the Creator for all the wonderful blessings that had been bestowed upon me and to ask for my own healing and for the healing of all sentient beings. Being in the dance itself, even for such a short time, was extremely powerful, even more so because the energetic connection I had to the sundancer who is like my energetic double was re-established and once again he too served as a channel directing my prayers to the Creator.

To think that three years ago Sundance was a name that I only associated with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Spirit has really lead me a long long way and who knows where this path will end.

Staywell and Travel with Spirit in beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller

Tibet in Arizona -- Happy Birthday Dalai Lama

2007-07-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

"Generosity Brings Forth Fortune. Perfect Self Restraint Creates No Enemies" From the wall of the Garchen Institute stupa.

Last night I was getting restless, feeling that I am in between assignments, waiting for further instructions from the Great Spirit. Daisy and I had worked together for the second time and done a very powerful healing/rebirthing for a local man and I had since been working on my book and feeling called to get away from the healing centre and out into nature. I pulled 3 cards from a deck of self care cards at the center and they had read - Nature, Help and Wait. How appropriate. I asked Daisy for help...the name of a good place to go and sit with nature. She suggested several. The third one was the Garchen Tibetan Buddhist Institute which was about a half hour drive from the healing centre. This one resonated with me as I had just pulled out my travelling altar and placed it on the desk beside my laptop. As well as the kanji for compassion given to me by my Sensei I have a picture of the Dalai
Lama and several other sacred items.

The Tibetan Buddhist Institute seemed like a great place to visit -- though I am not Buddhist I am familiar with and have great respect for their teachings and spent several days receiving the teachings directly from the Dalai Lama himself when he was in Toronto. As one who travels with Spirit, I travel with my own altar with all the things that are sacred to me and at the same time I respect all spirits and all spiritual traditions. I always ask permission of the spirits of the land wherever i go before entering any sacred space and I honour the deities of the people with whom I am travelling or in whose lands or territories I find myself.

Yes, when I woke up I was sure that greeting the Tibetan Buddhist Deities residing in this part of Arizona seemed like an appropriate thing to do today. I took highway 89 into Chino valley, past the Safeway to the next road, Perkinsville Road and then turned right.

Starting off with the typical suburban scenery, several Arizona style houses in close proximity, Perkinsville Road soon gave way to open countryside -- the road was fenced on either side and several herds of cows roamed the dry pasture land. I passed a gravel quarry, then several small farms or ranches. The road switched from a paved road to a gravel/dirt road. I kept going. It was almost 10 am. The sun was already quite hot. Unlike most of the other days since i had been here when the sky was completely clear, today there were many clouds.

I thought back to my high school geography classes tyring to remember the names of these particular clouds, but they escaped me. I studies the clouds as i drove slowly along the dirt road. There were several different kinds of clouds some round and white floating very high in the sky and others whispy, hanging in the sky behind the hills in the distance, changing the blue skyline to a hazy gray. The hills look very dry. The brown dirt is covered with patches of sparse green brown grass and short round green bushes. I see many short seemingly stunted fir trees. I keep driving slowly observing the scenery and slow even more when I spot a young cow sitting in the middle of the road. Luckily I am gong so slow that it has time to get up on what seem at first like wobbly knee and then run off gracefully into the field beside the road. I pass a faded sign that says welcome and wonder if that is the institute but keep going.

The next entrance way on the right sports a sign that says The Garchen Institute. I have arrived. I notice some very faded prayer flags on a tree. I drive in along the natural gravel nd dirt road and pass more prayer flags.. green, red, white, blue and yellow, streaming in the wind. The road is very windy and this is the middle of the desert. The ground is parched. I drive by a house and wonder if it is the institute, there is no sign. I keep going. I see a sign saying Keep Right. I follow the sign up the hill to where the road widens into a parking area with several fir trees with tattered prayer flags and a stone facade witha small green tile roof that says Garchen Institute. There is a metal pole behind it with a gold orb on top and a line ao prayer flags area attached to the pole. I know I am in the right place..

I park the car beside the 2 other cars in the parking lot which both have window shades to protect from eh already brutal rays of the sun. The stone facade has information about the institute, pictures of 4 lamas and announcements about the retreats that have just passed and retreats to come. The crickets are singing and in the background I hear the crows calling to each other. I stand in the parking lot for a moment and admire the beautiful view of the nearby beige hills covered with stubbly green desert vegetation and the distant red cliffs reminiscent of the red rock country of Sedona.

I turn to walk up the hill. a sign by the path says Natural Wildlife Area. Please Watch Carefully for Snakes. I keep my eyes peeled on the ground noticing several short gnarled sticks that resemble snakes, but no snakes [I would be warned later about the 6 foot rattler that was spotted int eh parking lot but luckily it wasn't there when I passed by!]. My first stop wa st the stupa, a beautiful octagonal white building with red trim around the windows and doors, a green roof with red trim and 4 sets of eyes painted on the steeple like structure above the roof -- presumably each set of eyes is watching one of the four directions.

I take my shoes off before I enter the shrine. It is decorated with blue red and gold wall hangings around the outer walls with statues of various buddhas and teachings painted on the walls. There are numerous sacred objects in the shrine along with a sand mandala. I stop to examine each item as my feet sink into the plush burgundy carpeting with the gold trim. The silence in the shrine and in the whole area is tangible. The energy is amazing.

Next I visit the temple, which is a much large space with long red rectangular floral carpets on the floor. Again I take off my shoe and hat to enter. There are piles of meditation cushions and an altar with a picture of the Dalai Lama and with numerous statues of Tibetan Deities. The walls are all decorated with colourful banners. There is an oriental woman sitting down at the front of the temple space with a laptop computer sitting on a short stool. She is documenting something. I sit down on one of the mats to do my meditation. Half an hour later when I come out of my meditation I notice another woman has entered the temple and is sitting crosslegged on a meditation cushion praying. There is complete silence inside the temple.

After I leave I bump into Trish who coordinates the work of the Institute and who asks me if I want a tour or if i would like to wonder around. I chose the latter option and spend the nest 3 hours exploring the grounds and hanging out with the rattle snakes, who luckily kept out of sight. As I am leaving I go to the washrooms in the office area and notice a sign which says that In honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama' 72nd Birthday there will be a ceremony in his honour on July 6th at 9 am. I realize that is why the Great Spirit has directed me here to this little piece of Tibet in Arizona today, to honour His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 72nd birthday, by visiting the temple and connecting with the teachings and the energies.

staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

Lessons Learned: 1) There are no co-coincidences, 2) Nature is a beautiful teacher and a great healer, 3) Always listen to your inner guides. If you have done your homework and know how to listen, they will not lead you astray.

A Prophesy Fulfilled: Tales of the White Sundancer

2007-07-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

A few days before we left for the Sundance, Isaiah, one of the local sundancers, stops by to visit. He works in the forests behind the healing centre and had walked over the mountain to stop by to connect with Masauke. I spoke to Isaiah about his journey as a Sundancer. He is an eagle dancer at the Little Big Medicine Sundance that i have been attending/supporting for the past two years. He has been sundancing for 8 years -- this was his 9th year. As well as sundancing he has been doing sweatlodges for 12 years since he was 16 years old. He told me that he had bolted out of the first sweatlodge that he ever attended in Florida and had sat outside for the rest of that sweat wishing that he had never left.

Isaiah informs me that Souix sweats are part of the Souix 7 sacred ceremonies brought by White Buffalo Calf Woman. The Sundance is a part of the same spiritual system. The Sundance is the the most sacred, of the sacred of the sacred ceremonies. When Isaiah started sweating he knew nothing about the Sundance. He was sweating to connect to the earth and to hear the traditions and teachings from the Lakota Souix.

When I asked how his life might have been different if he had not become involved with Sweatlodges and the sundance, Isaiah tells me "I have always been a spiritual person and have connected to other spiritual traditions form around the world and see that if I would have pursued one of these traditions the details of my life might have been different. The underlying essence of the dance is to have this practice that is to relieve the suffering for all sentient beings. In many ways the underlying goals and motives are very similar to the Tibetan Buddhist path."

As well as being a sundancer, a sweatlodge conductor and someone with a deep connection to Native American Church ceremonies, Isaiah is also a feather worker. Like Masauke, he uses the feathers from a variety of different birds to make ceremonial fans for sundancers and Native American Church ceremonies.

"My spiritual connection to birds is related to the Sundance. It is my medicine. The style of featherwork is also related to the family I am in. In the Peyote way there is a tradition of featherwork that I am adopted in, it is a complete way of using all of the bird species in different ways. It is based on what these birds are, the essence of the bird. I use my connection to the bird in the sundance when I am doing the featherwork, but in general as an eagle dancer my greatest connection is to the eagle."

What else have the sweat lodges taught you? I ask. "I take a psycho-spiritual approach to conducting sweats using the concepts of psychoneuroimmunology bringing that from a traditional standpoint and applying it to modern principles of psychological growth. The sweat that I use is all about healing. I'd mixed sweats and mens sweats. There are many ways to run the sweats for different reasons eg if someone is sick or if they want to celebrate."

As a white boy from Florida, how did you get introduced to your first sweatlodge? His reply is simple. "Some friends of my family had an organic farm and they had a sweatlodge there."

After the first sweat what called you to continue? is my next question. "The feeling of wanting to … there was noting more profound."

How has the sweat lodges and the sundancing helped you to understand native people and their culture? His reply shed light on something that I already knew about Isaiah, he had a deep connection to native cultures. "Through the traditional ceremonies, different tribes maintain their cultural belief systems. The ceremonies are the heart of their cosmology, by sitting in ceremony you learn from the inside out , not as an onlooker. I have a lot more inter-cultural sensitivity because of this path."

What made you lead sweatlodges? "Because I wanted to sweat. I love to sweat. After you sundance for 4 years you earn the right to lead sweat lodges, to pour water. Mine is a mixed sweat because it is a family fireplace. If I do a sundance sweat it is a men's sweat."

It is at this point that Masauke tells us the story of a white sundance chief who goes for the first time to another sundance where everyone is native and is feeling a little bit tenuous because of the colour of his skin when a native sundance chief comes up to him and says, "When I was young my grandfather predicted that there would come a time when the white man would be dancing in our ceremonies. I did not think I would live to see that prophesy fulfilled. Thank you for being the person who has fulfilled the prophesy"

Lessons Learned: 1) We never know what path the Great Spirit will lead us on, 2)Always follow the path with heart as Carlos Casteneda would say, 3) Respect for others and their traditions is respect for ourselves and our traditions

staywell and travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Lunch with the Sinagua People of Walnut Canyon, Arizona

2007-07-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” Marcel Proust

It is about 2pm in the afternoon. I am sitting on the dirt under an overhanging cliff on the island trail in Walnut Canyon, Arizona. As I take a bit of the juicy red organic fuji apple I brought with me on the short hike and sip the still somewhat cool water I have been carrying around, I look out past the remnants of the ancient walls of the small room built by the Sinagua people more than 800 years ago. Behind me the walls of the cliff/cave are still blackened with smoke from the fires they used to cook their food. I am eating my lunch where someone, likely a Sinagua woman, spent many hours cooking and possibly where the family also ate. It is a lunch invitation I have taken a long time to accept.

The Sinagua people [sin agua from the Spanish meaning without water – these were the people without water] are no longer with us but they left a powerful indication of there presence, life and culture in the cliffs of Walnut Canyon. I was driving from Wheatfields to Prescott Arizona and the Walnut Canyon National Park sign caught my eye as it had the two previous times that I had passed this way on highway I-40. This time I am in no hurry to get anywhere and so I answer the call of Spirit and accept the age old luncheon invitation.

The road to the park has pine forests on either side. As I drive up to the park ranger’s booth, I remember that I had planned to stop at a bank machine in Flagstaff. I have only $5 US currency in my purse and a few Canadian bills that I have not yet converted. Before I have time to wonder if I will be able to get in the female ranger says, “Only one person? That will be $5”. Spirit is making sure that I can keep my lunch date. The visitor’s parking is only a few feet away from the ranger’s station, with the Visitor’s centre hanging off the edge of the cliff on the right side. I am pleased to see recycling containers lining the parking lot. They are few and far between. So far I have not seen any at the many rest stopped I have made along my journey. I have collected a large plastic bag full of plastic water bottles and metal tins along the way and am glad for the opportunity to finally recycle them.

The ranger in the visitor’s centre has a beautiful smile and a twinkle in his eye as he tells me there are two trails that will allow you to see the cliff dwellings – the easy one, a 0.7 mile trail along the rim of the canyon passes by the ruins of rimtop structures, while the second one is a bit more physically challenging I am told as it involves a 185 foot climb into the canyon on the 0.9 mile trail which I am told goes past many of the cliff dwellings. I decide to take the more challenging trail and the ranger advises me to carry some water with me. I return to the car for my water bottle and decide to take my lunch, an apple and orange with me.

Descending the 240 stairs to the island loop is not difficult but I pass several couples huffing and puffing as they make their way back up the stairs. The canyon rim is nearly 7000 feet above sea level so going up hill is not as easy as it is at lower altitudes. I walk along the constructed path wondering what it was like to navigate when the pavement was not there. I stop at the first overhanging cliff which looks like it has several flat bed like structures carved out of the rock at the base. There are no walls, but the overhang would certainly keep away much of the rain, snow and the mid day desert sun.

I am fascinated by the canyon vegetation which varies from tiny red bell like flowers to prickly pear cactuses, pinyon pine, ponderosa pines and balsam firs. It is such a mixture of what looks like temperate as well as semiarid vegetation. On the other side of the cliff face I see caves with walls inside. These must be the cliff dwellings I think as I walk further along the path and come face to face with several shallow caves, mostly not much taller than my 5 foot 3 inches height, with remnants of walls built from what looks like limestone rocks and clay. Each ‘room’ is small about 3 feet by 6 feet and many of the back walls are blackened with the smoke from years of cooking.

I walk further past other open and semi open cave rooms and am finally find the perfect spot to sit and eat lunch in a relatively open room with half a wall and a magnificent view of the canyon below. Apparently the Sinagua began building their cliff dwelling around 1100AD and lived there until about 1250 AD when they are thought to have moved to new villages closeby along the Anderson Mesa and to eventually become assimilated into the Hopi people. Exactly why they left is not known but they certainly left behind enough to spark our imagination about what life must have been like without water high up on the slopes of Walnut Canyon.

After my lunch date with these ancient people is over I make my way along the remainder of the path admiring the magnificence of the canyon before hiking up the stairs back to the visitors centre and heading on my way.

Lessons Learned: 1) Water is precious. Our bodies are made of 70% water. We need water to live. Learning to respect and take care of the water element is an important part of maintaining a healthy life and a healthy planet, 2) Nature is beauty. Stillness is peace. 3) Whenever you find a beautiful spot away from the madding crowds take a moment to stop and meditate, soak up the energies of that spot or simply sit and have lunch with the inhabitants of days gone by. You will be surprised what messages and memories the walls and the wind may share with you.

Travelling with Spirit in Prescott Arizona

2007-06-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I flew into Phoenix Arizona and Masauke met me and took me to the healing centre in Prescott Arizona. The Morning Blessing Way Healing Centre is run by Daisy L, a long time apprentice of Masauke and a medicine woman in her own right. Daisy is an artist extrodinaire, a writer, drummer, fluteplayer and singer of medicine songs. She is currently finishing her soon to be published book At The Same Time, which tells of her spiritual journey on her path to connecting with God and establishing a woman's altar.

Daisy's story is an incredible one. She is the mother of 7 children, one of whom she conceived as a gift for an infertile friend when directed to do so by the Holy Spirit. In her book she tells of the miracles that saved her now 14 yer old son from leukemia and the blessings she received behind the wounds. Her work at the centre involves healing the spirit which she does through a rebithing process using the energy of the hicuri medicine altar, drumming, singing and flute playing.

Shortly after I arrived Masauke directed me to go to the altar and lie down on the birthing bed It is a bed made of a stack of sleeping mats sitting ona dibuck skin given to Daisy's father by an african tribe that he worked with in then Rhodesia during World War II. The sleeping mats are covered with several deerskins which had been obtained by Masauke during ceremonial hunts for deer. In the Huichol tradition the deer are the mediators between us and the world of spirit -- without them there can be no ceremony. The bed is facing the altar which has a shallow planter with a large hicuri medicine cactus, a beaded buffalo skull, a beaded deer skull, several different types of feathers, an eagle fan, bottles of sacred water from different sacred sites, beaded gourds made by the Huichols and a small gourd containing all the quarters and bills left by people to be sent to the desert as offerings. Directly over the altar is a small circular Huichol yarn painting with an image of a woman giving birth that symbolizes the women's birthing energy of the altar

The healing centre is beautifully decorated with Daisy's medicine paintings adorning the 3 walls surrounding the altar. Two of Daisy's paintings are large images of Masauke . There is a third one of Anthony D, Masauke's Kiowa dad and another of a beaded deer skull with the profile of the shaman, Masauke, against the background of the Wiricuta desert depicting the peyoteros on their pilgrimage. Behind the bed which sits a few feet away from teh altar, on the other side of the healing centre is a part finished painting of a young Wirriraca girl. Two large batiks portraying different views of forests with several deer,adorn the walls. They were donated by a local woman artist who also has come to the centre for healing work.

I arrive at the healing centre and before doing anything else Masauke suggests that I go to the altar to pay my respects and that I lie down on the birthing bed so that Daisy can bring me back in tune with the energy of the medicine and ramp down my energy from the high speed energy of big city life. I lie down on the bed and feel my whole body sinking into the deerskin. It is hot in the healing centre. The afternoon sun is pouring through the small high rectangular windows. Daisy comes in and sits on one of the Huichol birthing stools behind me. There are 3 birthing stools and 1 chair similar to the ones in the house in the desert, the healing centre annex. Like I do when I meditate, I am focusing on my breathing.

Daisy begins to play the flute behind me. The melodic notes carry my consciousness deeper and deeper inside myself. My years of meditation practice makes it easy for me to go deep inside. I become aware of the presence of a young child, a girl. She looks like me, but not me. I ask her how old she is. She says she is 5 years old and that she is my daughter. She tells me her name is Kyra. When I was married, my husband and I had always known that we would have a daughter. We used ot talk about her and both had a similar vision of her. After we got divorced I never thought about her again and though I had several opportunities where I could have chosen to get pregnant, I never did. I had forgotten about the daughter I never had until she showed up as I lay on the birthing bed, her spirit waiting to be born.

As Daisy sang I could feel her in my belly and then she was out -- not a baby but still quite young. I followed Daisy's instructions to nurture her. The music changed. Daisy was playing the drum, her vibrant voice echoing from the skin that covered the drum. As Kyra finished nursing and moved to take her place on my left side, I could see another figure curled up in the inner recesses of my subconscious mind. A woman this time. A very very sad woman curled up in fetal position. I asked her who she was -- your sister was the reply. She told me her name was Sandra and that she was 38 years old. She too had never been born. I knew it was my job to birth her, to act as the surrogate for my mother. When I did give birth to her, Daisy suggests that I hold her and comfort her until her sadness is transformed. I hug my sister for what seems like a very long time. Then, unlike the little girl, she was gone .... Back to the world of spirit maybe, I will never know.

The music continued to play. Daisy had switched to a different flute. I was still deep in that place inside myself and as the music slowly trailed off, I followed the notes back from the planes of inner consciousness to the bed in front of the altar in the healing centre as the rays of the hot Arizona sun poured in through the window shades. I was relaxed, re energized and felt that I had let go of energies that I had been carrying around for many many years -- the daughter I had planned to have but never did and the sister that maybe my parents had planned to have but also never did. Daisy had just facilitated a powerful healing at the Women's Birthing Altar.

When I later talked to Daisy and told her about my experiences she was thrilled to find out about the little girl and the once sad sister who had come to me. She had done a lot of work rebirthing women and birthing the spirits of babies who had been aborted or miscarried but this was the first time that a child that had never been conceived had appeared and she was thrilled at the new direction this was taking the work of the healing centre .... more to follow

Lessons Learned: 1) Spirit works in mysterious ways, 2) Our wishes, hopes and desires can and do manifest in the world of spirit before they manifest in the world of form. Sometimes healing involves giving birth to those wishes, hopes and desires we have forgotten we at one point had, 3) Letting go of the old allows us to let in the new.

staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

The Altar of Grandmother Ocean in San Blas

2007-04-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

"No one in the world was ever you before, with your particular gifts, abilities and possibilities. It is a shame to waste those, by doing what someone else has done." Joseph Campbell.

Having deciding to extend my trip a few more weeks I was able to stay an extra 4 days in Puerta Vallarta with Masauke and Linda and the contingent of people we had met in Vallarta. The journey from Puerta Vallarta back to the desert was to take us 3 days, stopping at the altar of the ocean in San Blas and an energy vortex known as the foco tonal in Ocotlan. Masauke, Linda and I were joined on the return journey by a young couple who were going to the desert seeking their paths. They were Javier, my spiritual bro Julian's roommate and Javier's girlfriend, Michelle. How Javier and Michelle ended up in the van, going back to the desert with us is typical of what Masauke would call the mathematics of the Great Spirit.

The day before we left Puerta Vallerta, Javier and Michelle were to accompany Masauke, Linda and myself to the house of Lala, a local traditional healer who has studied the massage techniques of the Purepeche, a group of indigenous people from Michocan, and heals with different forms of energy. Javier and Michelle were accompanying us to Lala's home/treatment centre, as we had only vague directions and were not familiar with the neighbouring town. On the way we stopped to buy a nieve or snowcone, from a roadside vendor. As we were all standing around, each ordering our nieve, Masauke, out of the blue, invited Javier and Michelle to come to the desert to 'take a spiritual step up'. We were leaving a day and a half later.

As the lovely mathematics would have it, Javier and Michelle were planning to take a 1-2 month leave of absence from their respective jobs so that they could go to Mexico City to study with a spiritual leader who was going to be facilitating a session somewhere outside of the city. They had planned to leave the next day but had found out that morning that the spiritual leader had broken his ankle and that the session was postponed. At the time that Masauke had issued his invitation he did not know that Javier and Michelle had their bags almost packed ready to head off on a spiritual adventure, only to find out that they had nowhere to go. The timing of his invitation was impeccable. The young couple decided to ponder the invitation overnight and get back to Masauke the next day. As you can no doubt guess from my earlier comment not only was their answer to Masauke's invitation yes, but they were very excited at the great opportunity!

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Masauke sharing his traditional healing techniques with Lala by doing a session on her. His techniques were very different from the techniques that she works with and Lala spent an equal amount of time telling us about the work that she does and how she does it. She invited us all to a local resteraunt where the conversation about spirituality and healing continued. During the course of the meal Lala mentioned a visit she had made to a well known energy vortex site in a town called Ocotlan, somewhere between Puerta Vallarta and the Wirricuta desert. Her story about her experience at this site was so intriguing that we ended up taking the long way home so that we could visit the Foco Tonal in Ocotlan. That is the topic of another blogentry.

The next day Julian, the young scuba diver instructor, as a goodbye present, arranged for Linda and myself to go diving in a beautiful cove about half an hours drive outside of Puerta Vallarta. It was a very healing experience for both of us for different reasons, me because it helped me to let go of an old trauma I had been carrying around for almost 40 years, of having nearly drown after being pushed under water by a competitor at my first swimming race after my first semester of swimming lessons when I was 7 years old. Although I had gone through scuba training almost 20 years ago I had never been able to do it without experiencing that I'm going to drown feeling [feel the fear but do it anyway was also my motto then].

This time when the ocean floor dropped off and I felt the wall of cold deep water hit me I again felt that panicky "I will never make it to the surface before I run out of air feeling" that I knew so well from my other scuba diving experiences. I had told Julian about my childhood near drowning experience while in the pool training, so when I began to signal that I needed to go to the surface, he signalled asking if I was out of air, then if I was sure that I had to go up. I hesitated a few seconds before responding yes. I am sure that it was because of the hesitation that he realized the reason for my sudden urge to surface. At that point he took my hand indicated that we should swim back towards shore, but underwater. We headed back, only gradually surfacing. It was then that we say the most beautiful stingrays and several large fish. They were my reward for not panicking and staying under water until the wave of panic had subsided! I was letting go of 40 year old traumas and it felt great.

We left Puerta Vallarta later that day and drove to San Blas to leave an offering for Tataearamara, Grandmother Ocean. It was quite fitting that we were to visit this altar after my healing in the ocean only the day before. We slept out on the beach at San Blas and were nearly devoured by tiny mosquitoes which made their way to the beach from the swampy marshland close by. Very early the next morning we found one of the local fisherman who was willing to take us to the altar. it is a half an hour boat ride from the fishing dock, past the numerous small boats with early morning fishermen reeling in their catch that dotted the shoreline. We past the fishing boats and headed out towards a large apparently white rock that looked like a snow covered mountain sticking out of the ocean.

Even from a distance the flocks and flocks of brown pelicans crowding the surface of the large rock were very evident, as were several other species of somewhat smaller water birds. The sacred rock, altar to Grandmother Ocean, as barren as it was, was home to an incredible amount of wildlife. We neared the rock and circled it as the fisherman attempted to get the boat as close as possible to the huge rock on which it was now possible to see the statue of a female deity that had been placed on the top of the what looked like 30-40 foot rock.

Linda, as the elder female, had collected all our offerings and wrapped them in a red cloth. She mad her way to the fron of the boat as Michelle and I held on to her so that she would not become an offering to Grandmother Ocean herself as she tried to place our offerings on the tiny ledge on the side of the large rock without falling out of the boat. The boat approached the rock Linda reached out. We held her. She could not reach either the ledge or the long rope that dangled from the top of the rock clearly a recent addition to steady the boats so that pilgrims could leave their offerings without the waves crashing the boat into the side of the roack. The second approach was successful. She grabbed on to the dangling rope with one hand while trying to place the offering on the ledge with the other hand. Michelle and I were hanging on to her arms and her skirt for dear life.

With Masauke, the only one of us who had made previous pilgrimage to this altar, calling out instructions ... no not there , over there. Eventually Linda placed the offerings in exactly the right spot just as the waves swept the boat back out to sea forcing Linda to let go of the dangling rope. It was done. the offering to Grandmother Ocean completed. We spent several minutes in silence, each with our own prayers, before the gentle ocean breezes and the beauty of the pelicans gliding over the ocean was to bring me back to the here and now of being in a small boat on my way back to the dock at San Blas.

Lessons learned: 1) Always pay attention to the mathematics of every situation, 2) Everything is mathematics, 3) Feel the fear, but do it anyway.

Stay Tuned [my entries are not as regular, but I will continue to fill you dear readers in on the remainder of the lessons learned on the first portion of my travels with Spirit]. staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

The Sundancer's Sweat Lodge

2007-04-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

"Life is an art. The way we live our lives is an expression of our deepest understanding and our whole being" Thich Nhat Hanh

It has been a long road back from the ocean to the desert and then from the real world to the plastic world. It seems loong long ago and oh so far away, but let me recount the tale of the sundancer's sweatlodge or temascal in Puerta Vallarta.

Linda, Masauke's long time companion, a sundancer and a medicine woman in her own right,is a strong woman who casts her own shadow. At the age of 59, after accomplishing a lot of impossible tasks in the Sierras, Linda decided she was going to sundance recognizing the four year commitment that involved. I met Linda 2 and a half years ago at the sundance but did not really get to know her until I started to spend time studying with Masauke. I had heard that Linda poured water for a traditional Lakota sweatlodge but had never had the opportunity to sweat with her.

I had sweat many time in Toronto with the Anishnawbe women. My teacher, a MiqMak elder, Wanda Whitebird, had been teaching me the tradition she follows. I had also sweat with the supporters at the sundance and the women who poured water there followed a variety of different traditions. I had never experienced a traditional Lakota sweatlodge.

The sweat lodge is a traditional medicine that was given to many indigenous peoples. It was given to the Lakota people by White Buffalo Calf Woman. It is a purification ceremony that involves healing the mind, body and spirit. The physical purification results from the sweating and the release of many toxins stored in the body. The spiritual purification comes from going into the womb of the mother, mother earth, which is what the sweatlodge represents, and being reborn, and the mental healing is accomplished by through the prayers that are done on behalf of the group as well as individually. The sweat lodge is a place for leaving that which no longer serves you behind, letting go old emotions, releasing bad habits or old relationships and asking for whatever you want to become part of your life. The gratitude, the petitions and the prayers are a powerful part of the healing. Lodges can be done as a healing for a particular person or they can involve asking for healing for ones self or for others.

Three days after we had arrived in Vallarta Masauke had been invited to perform a blessing at the beginning of a local temescal or sweatlodge. The sweatlodge is not his medicine and Masauke never participates in them, but he has a strong relationship with the fire so he agreed to open the ceremonies. At that temascal, which was a mixed lodge, i.e. for men and women, Masauke asked if there was a women's group who would be interested in a women's sweat, knowing that Linda, his companion was coming to Vallarta in 3 days. The women of Vallarta were thrilled with the possibility of a traditional Lakota sweat and Diana, a young woman, friend of my spiritual brother Julian and his very spiritual roommate Javier agreed to organize the women and make the arrangements with the owner of the site where the lodge was held. Julian volunteered to get the wood for the sacred fire.

I emailed Linda to confirm that the sweatlodge was really on as Masauke, in his usual mischievous fashion, had only told her to bring her feathers because he had left from the desert without his, thinking he was going on vacation. He would later tell me "That's what I get for thinking about taking a vacation!". Linda arrived on Tuesday and the sweat was scheduled for Wednesday evening. The morning of the sweatlodge Julian, who is a scuba instructor par excellence, arranged for Linda and I to take the first scuba lesson in a pool in one of the luxury condominium hotels by the sea. I had scuba dived many years before but at 63, this was Linda's first time trying something she had wanted to do all her life. The experience of connecting with the water, which I will elaborate on in a later entry, was to prepare us well for the sweatlodge that was to follow.

Diana, the young Mexican woman who was to become Linda's chief assistant for that sweatlodge, also a scuba instructor, joined us at Los Tules. At 5pm we headed out of town to a close by suburb where the group had built the sweatlodge. The men agreed to wait in the van outside the property, where Masauke would later hold court for the young men who would arrive. After sweeping the entire grounds and putting the coverings on the lodge frame, Linda was ready to say the opening prayer needed to set the wood for the the ceremonial fire. That done, Linda set the base pieces of wood in the directions they needed to be and then we piled on the rest of the wood and added the 28 grandfathers and grandmothers, the volcanic stones that would be holding the heat for our ceremony.

Under Linda's instruction Diana tended the fire. When the stones were hot enough we made the prayer ties that would carry our prayers and would serve as protection during the ceremony. Two women who were on their moon and one who was 8 months pregnant could not enter the lodge but stayed outside with the sacred fire. The remainder of the group of about 15 women entered the lodge, circling around the now enclosed frame and circling at the entrance way before going in. It was a very large lodge. I was used to lodges that were much smaller.

I sat in the position I usually sit in, facing the door, one of the hottest spots in the lodge, though I expected that would not be an issue because of the size of the lodge. I was wrong! Linda's lodge is very traditional and very powerful. We started about 9 pm at night and it ended about 1 am. It was the first evening lodge that I had ever taken part in. Linda sang some powerful Lakota songs. The women joined in with an array of songs in Spanish that I had never heard. We greeted the spirits, invited them to join us, each said our own prayer and then thanked the spirits for joining us. Even though the fire was dying towards the end, each of the rounds was hotter than the last.

I felt that I was recognizing and letting go of some powerful companions that had been with me for a long time, energies that I no longer needed. Although it was not as hot as other sweats I have been in, there were times when I felt I could not breathe, that there was an elephant sitting on my chest. I was praying constantly. I felt that I was 'pagando caro' as the Huichols would say, paying a heavy price, for what exactly I was not sure, some past emotion, deed, thought or action that I needed to be rid of. It did not want to let go of me and struggled till the bitter end to stay in place. In the end, the power of the sundancer's Lakota lodge had it beat. When it was finally time to leave the lodge, I did feel as though I had been re-born, as if I was crawling out of the womb.

All the women who were in the sweat lodge were incredibly grateful to Linda for all they had learned about the Lakota way of the sweat lodge and for the powerful blessing and healing they had received. I too had to say thank you Linda for the incredibly powerful healing!!

Lessons learned: 1) When you are on the spirit path there are no vacations!, 2) As I have learned in my martial arts training, always be prepared to do anything you know how to do!, 3) Expect the unexpected!

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Oceans of Healing

2007-04-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

¨"Follow your bliss! If you follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you. The life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you see that you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. i say, follow your bliss and don´t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn´t know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors Will open for you that wouldn´t have opened for anyone else! Joseph Campbell.

Since we have been in Vallarta, residing in the ´luxury´ van at the foot of the Avenida del la Republica de Chile I have personally experienced oceans of healing and have worked with Masauke on others who have received morning blessings by the ocean. Daybreak finds us on the beach with feathers in hand, I with my pelican feathers and Masauke with eagle feathers on loan from Javier. Masauke plays the flute he bought from a native Totonaco man instead of his customary eagle bone whistle, with two long eagle feathers with stems wrapped in red thread in hand the blessing commences.

Those who have come seeking blessings sit in the sand or line up facing the ocean. Masauke works on our guests with the eagle feathers. The voice, motion and actions of the feathers take the visitors on a journey to meet with their ancestors and other spirits and to connect with the power of the Ocean, La Abuela. I have been given the task of harvesting the energy of the ocean, of removing the energies that no longer serve those who are seeking healing and of renewing their energy with the energy of the abuela. I use my pelican feathers, which have a strong relationship with the ocean to gather the energy, using techniques I have learned from Masauke, from the Purepeche of Michioacan, the curanderas from San Rafael, and incorporating the movements and fluidity of my tai chi, chi gung and other martial arts training.

The energy of the ocean is strong, and as someone whose Taino spirit name depicts my relationship with the ocean waters, I work well with this powerful yet profound feminine energy. I tune in to her movements. She answers me when I call her. I take our visitors to the depth of their emotions held within the waters that flow in the rivers of their bodies. There they connect with emotions and feelings long forgotten, to re-experience them, decide they are worth holding on to or forever let them go.

I too have gone through a long process of using the powers of the ocean to heal myself since we spent 3 days at the oceans of Ixtapas after leaving Morelia, before heading back to the desert. It was there I spent a whole day observing the flight, behaviour and movements of my relations the brown pelicans,whose feathers I now hold. It was there that I began to let go of that which I had been carrying around from who knows how many life times, it is there that I really dove deeply into my own healing so that I could be a good guide for others wanting to heal themselves.

"Physician, Heal Thyself" Luke 4:23. I came to the desert to heal myself and to perfect my techniques for healing others. I was called to the ocean, to the waters of the abuela to cleanse that which I no longer needed and to connect to the power that is my name, my birthright, my heritage. I have been called again to the oceans of the bahia of Vallarta to finally leave behind the old hurts, pains, traumas, ancestral debts that have inhibited the free flow of my energy and created pools and eddies of turbulence in my health and my life. Learning the techniques of healing myself and being able to guide others through stages of their own healing has been a powerful gift from Abuela Ocean and the Great Spirit.

Lessons learned: 1)When we follow our bliss that which we seek will be revealed to us, 2)Each of the element so nature has its own voice and its own power. Take the time to listen to them. You will be surprised at what they have to tell you! 3) When the spirits speak, be they the spirts of the fire or the spirits of the ocean. Do not ignore their voices, they come as messengers from other realms with lessons to guide you on your way.-

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Indigenous Knowledge: Lost and Found

2007-04-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

"Don´t Seek the Truth. Just drop your opinion." Zen Saying.

We arrived in Puerta Vallarta last Thursday. This was to be the gand finale of my spirited travels for the moment. I was scheduled to return to Toronto on April 15th but the generous support of many devoted readers, friends and family has made it possible for me to continue my travels for another month. Many thanks to those who have supported the Wirriraca people and myself through the purchase of one of their sacred yarn art pieces.

We came to Puerta Vallarta at the invitation of Julian, Masauke´s ´adopted´ son and my spiritual brother. I first met Julian two years ago at the Sundance and had taken him as my spiritual brother while we were both visiting at the Morning Blessing Way healing centre in Prescott, Az. I was glad to have the chance to visit with Julian who had planned to visit us in the desert, but a sudden family matter had diverted his trip.

We arrived in Vallarta to crowds and crowds of tourists,mostly Mexicans, as the second week of the 2 week Easter holiday was coming to a close. We connected with Julian, a 30 something scuba diving instructor, at the hotel where he was giving an in pool scuba diving lesson, and were immediately invited to spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool. Later that evening Julian took us out on the town. Puerta Vallerta is a typical tourist town ith crowds of foreigners, lots of resteraunts, craft stores and places to go drinking and dancing. Julian took us to eat at a resteraunt owned by one of his friends, for a walk through the crowded downtown boardwalk and to one of the local bars that played blues, jazz and reggae. At first it felt like I could have been back in Toronto, or New York or Anylargetown but later the energy of the place really hit me.

What I saw was hundreds and hundreds of people who were lost, who had left where ever they lived to come to makebelieveland, to do what they would not or could not do at ´home´. These were lost people looking for themsleves in all the wrong places. Don´t get mewrong, the setting in Puerta Vallarts is quite beautiful-- too urbanized to maintain any natural coastal beauty, it is a beautiful though artifical paradise that people flock to in droves. It saddened my heart to see and more to the point to feel the energy of so many people who were so far outside of theri centres, so disconnected from themselves. "There is much work to do with people like these" my spirit guides told me. Not exactly what I had wanted to hear.

After spending one night in the hilltop apartment Julian shares with his friend and roommate Javier, a thirtysomething fellow seeker on the spiritual path, who is working as a photographer for one of the local outdoor adventure games, and Javier´s girlfriend Michelle, a recently graduated yoga instructor, we left the crowded noisy downtown for the peace and quiet of a small street between luxury condos that deadended on the ocean. Ah, an ocean side view of La Abuela, the Grandmother Ocean as she is known. Sleeping in the two bed, no bathroom luxury van with none of the conveniences of home was wonderful as it was soo close to the ocean that we could get up in the morning and in 5 minutes we were on the beach for the sunrise ceremony .. more to follow on this later!

No sooner had we arrived than Julian and Javier asked Masauke if he could do the opening prayer at a temascal, sweatlodge, ceremony that they regularly attend. the ceremony was being held on Saturday night. Not one to ever turn down an opportunity to take part in a ceremony or a healing, we were off to assist with the set up of the fire. Having decided he was going to have a vacation for the first time in a long time, Masauke had not brought his feathers. I, on the other hand, having only recently received my pelican feathers.. more to follow on this later, carry them around with me everywhere I go. Just when it looked like Masauke would have to use my feathers one of the group pesenteed him with a mogeri, the feather wands used by the Huichols. He called in the spirits and said a blessing at the beginning of the ceremony.

It was very interesting to me to see how many non natives, mostly Mexicans but also one Canadian tourist [not me!], who were taking part in this North American Native ceremony. There is a traditional of temascals in Mexico among certain indigenous groups, but the ceremony was being done in the North American native tradition which is quite different. I was torn between feeling that this was an apppropriation of another indigenous tradition and being amazed at how ´popular´native spirituality and native ceremonies are around the world and wondering why people who have never met the native people whose traditions they are following are so drawn to those practices. I did not have an answer for my many questions.

The next day Javier and Michelle took us to a nearby Huichol village. It was a very small village an hour outside of Vallarta. We took the highway then drove over miles of bumpy dusty windy mountain roads, not nearly as far or as isolated as Las Latas, but certainly off the beaten track. We arrived mid afternoon. There was no one home! Not a single person in the whole entire village. There were many dogs and chickens runing around but not a person to be seen. Javier suggested we drive to a local beach some hlaf an hour drive away. He thought they might be there. Sure enough he ws right. We arrived, parked and headed towards the beach wehre Javier suggested they would be. I was completely saddened to see the group of Huichols sitting around a fire playing music, most with a large cerveza in their hand. They were gathered right in from to their calaway, their sacred ceremonial centre that they had built on the beach, there had been a very sacred ceremony the night before and the atmosphere was not at all like the attitude at Las Latas.

It made me really apprecaite what the pilgrims at Las Latas had told me which was that they were one of the few communities that continue to maintain their traditions. I felt that I was seeing the loss of a culture and a tradition and it saddened my heart. The people were friendly, inviting us to partake of the fish they were frying aand to join in the circle wehre they were singing but I needed to stand back and just observe as I was so struck by the differences in communities of people who come from the same culture.

We stayed a while. I bought a few yarn art pieces from two of the women and Masauke bought some bracelets. Like in many other places, one of the women told us that she didn´t even want her husband to see how much money she was getting because he would want to use some of it to buy beer and she wanted to buy food for their children.
Traditional knowledge being lost to the world of beer, soft drinks and catering to tourists. It was sad to see but it felt good to be able to talk to the women and to assist them in even a small way.

Lessons Learned: so many lessons.. I am still reflecting on them

Stay tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller..

Visiting the Altar of the Scorpion

2007-04-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

"Never Hide, Never Hide. Shine!" Writings on the Wall in Guadalajara.

Having spent a week finishing the current round of consturction at the healing centre, making and rearranging the shutters for the windows, putting up a bathroom door in the chateau, the unit for visiting healers, and bringing running water to the kitchen, we were up at 6 am on Tuesday morning. We went to ask the spirits of the desert for a blessing before we were on the road again.

We headed through Zacatecas towards Guadalajara. It is a beautiful time of the year as the desert in in full bloom. The yucca trees have thelast of the beautiful white blooms that shoot up from tehtops of the trees. The trees must bloom in waves as the last time we were on this road, about a month ago some of the trees were also blooming. The side of the highway islied with tiny speckles of yellow, white and purple flowers. Even the cactuses are in bloom. The tunas, or buds have burst open on round cactuses with beautiful red spines revealing pink or yellow flowers. The maguays, that give us agave syrup, a natural sweetner that diabetics can use instead of sugar, are also sending blossoms out from the 6 foot shoots that I have been seeing creeping up over the past month. The governadora bushes which cover the desert floor are covered with yellow blossoms. Spring has sprung in the desert and all is right with the world!

We passed through Guadalajara, a large, beautiful but very industrial town with miles of highway surrounded by industrial parks, roadside resteraunts and universities, only beautified by the amazing purple trees that are in full bloom. I have yet to find out the name of these trees, but they remind me of the book The Colour Purple when Shug says to Celie, Whoopie Goldberg´s character in the movie of the same name, "I think that God must smile whenever he sees the colour purple in nature. Well, God, the Creator, the Great Spirit must certainly be smiling near Guadalajara Mexico, not only because of these stunning purple trees which are not in full bloom but also because of the masses of purple bouganvillas that can be seen everywhere. Purple red, pink bouganvilas climb over fences,along the side of houses, around trees as they compete with the riotous yellow trees, caled Primaveras, or spring trees, I have been told and the mysterious purple trees.

We pass through endless fields of cactuses, a relative of the maguay, used for medicinal purposes but mostly known for their use in making the famous Mexican beverage -- tequilla. The fields stretch on and on, the green cactuses looking like a patchwork green blanket thrown over the undulating hills. We are on our way to the small city of Chapala about 30 kilomoters outside of Gudalajara. Chapala is on the edge of one of the largest freshwater lakes in Mexico. In the centre of the lake is an island that is sacred to the Wirriraca or Huichol people. Chapala is also a tourist centre. There are more Americans here than any of the places I have visited so far.

As we park the van and head across the plaza to store where we are to buy candles for the offering at the altar of the scorpion, we pass a young man in a wheel chair speaking on his cell phone. When we are on our way back, he is still there. Masauke stops to talk to him. Greeting him ad telling him that it is beautiful to see him here enjoying being alive. He tells him that he was reminded that although his body may be trapped his spirit is always free. Masauke tells the young man, an American, that we are going to ask for a blessing for ourselves and our families adn others who have requested we carry their names with us to the altar, and that we would be happy to mention his name at the altar. We have never met this young man before, but he is delighted that we took the time to stop and talk to him. He shakes my hand and asks us to say a prayer for him.

We head off towards the pier where a groups of coulurful boats are sitting awaiting passengers. We are approached by one of the boatsmen who agrees to carry us over to the island and wait for us for half an hour while we make our way to the altar, say our prayers and ask for a blessing. We climb into the boat which is in a sea of water lillies. The shore of the lake is a green sea, so covered it is with masses of water lilies from the´beach´ which can no longer be used to the edge of the docks where the boats are anchored. A young boy comes to push us out and we are off across the lake. Masauke prepared me for theceremony while we ar ein theboat. I focus on the names of those who have asked for a blessing and on the prayer that I am to say when I get to the altar.

When Masauke explains this altar to me he tells me that "There are many spirits that have appeared to the Huichol people in the history of the people. As in the case of the Catholic people, the many saints that they recognize have different gifts. The spirit that apppeared at this lake was a protector if your walk was upright and also the grim reaper if your walk was not upright. He like all spirits took an animal form and came to reside in a tiny island in the middle of the lake. The animal spirit that he took was the scorpion. The spirit of the scorpion protects us from other spirits. The ones that are in the employ of the adversary. The prayers at this altar are for all things that we need , that our families be protected against sickess, our corn against loss, our livestock agaist disease and a great many other things. My prayer here at this altar has always been that the spirit of the scorpion protect me from myself. That I not fall victim to what is referred to as the weaknesses of the flesh. Among many, the high priest of these weaknesses is ego."

We reach the island passing flocks of waterbirds nesting along the shore of the island. Leaving the boatman by the dock, we head through the resteraunt that has been built, comercializing this once islolated and sacred place. We ask directions to the altar, as it has been a while since Masauke was where. We head over the rocks, behind the windmill and through the bouganvillas to a large rock on the other side of the island. The rock is covered with offerings left by other pilgrims. Masauke later recounts the various visits he has made to that altar with his Wirriraca brothers. He reminds me of how fortunate I am as many Huichols have never been able to visit this particular altar because of its distance from the Sierras, because of the difficulty of transportation and because of the cost of taking the boat across the lake to the island.

Masauke introduces me to the spirits of th altar as he has at all the previous altars and pyramids. He starts with "I present she who you have summonsed..." The rest is between me and the spirits. He leaves me there to commune with the spirits of the altar, to say my prayers ad to leave my offereings. He isnot far away and returns as I finish to close the ceremony. We climb back down ove the rocks and head back to the boat. The energy of the place had made us both very quiet as we reflect on the blessing we have received.

Lessons Learned: 1) Blessings come in many forms, 2) Nature´s beauty is truly one of those blessings, 3) Taking care of Mother nature is taking care of ourselves.

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

The Bad to the Bone School of Shamanic Leadership

2007-04-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

¨The world is like a mirror that you see. Smile and your friends smile back."

Well, here I am back in the desert in San Rafael, SLP Mexico. It has been a long time since I paid much attention to the lead up to Easter, but in Mexico local folks are very much into celebrating the death and cricifiction of Jesus. I accompanied Masauke on one of his trips to Real de Catorce and was amazed at the long long line up of pilgrims flooding into the city for the long weekend to see the re-enactment of the crucifiction and to visit the Cathedral of St Francis of Assis, who around here is better known at Santo Panchito!

In the neighbouring town of Wadley there have been festivities every day since Thursday. Races for children of all ages in the plaza, an annual Saturday night dance that is attended by most of the town and the neighbouring pueblos, the Easter church service and so much more. Family comes from far and wide for the long weekend. Easter here is a big deal.

I decided today that Masauke´s training should be called the Bad to the Bone Shamanic School of Leadership Training. Bad to the Bone is a term that Masauke often uses to refer to a person or a thing he thiks is extra special. The task of learning shamanic techniques, of being an apprentice medicine woman is a diverse and often difficult one, that involves learning many skills that I had never expected that I would learn in the course of learning about healing.

Much of what I have learned, outside of ceremonies and visits to Las Latas and the pyramids, has been learned while building the healing centre or while in the co-pilot seat on one of our many long drives from one location to another. I have learned as much about carpentry, plumbing and general contract work as I have about healing. But then again Masauke does not distnguish training or healing from living life. All must be approached in the same way. It is all about the mathematics, and everything is mathematics.

I have learned the mathematics of carpentry as I assisted in making the cabinets for the kitchen, in puttting the windows into the bungalow and th chateau where i am staying, in constructing and installing the shutters for the windows, in putting up a closet in the bedroon, in installing the door on the chateau. When I arrived in January there were no windows or doors on the chateau where I am now sleeping. There was no bathroom, just adobe walls and a dirt floor.

I assisted in installing the plumbing for the bathroom that I now use, and only this week, in installing running water in the kitchen, so that the dishes no lo0nger have to be done outside!! All the while Masauke was sharing his perspective not only on plumbing but on the medicine way he follows and on the lessonbs that plumbing and carpentry have to teach us about wallking the medicine way.

It has been a truly wonderful experience learning to build the house that you will live in. I have learned about sustainability and about leadership. I have learned what i can only call shamanic leadership skills, which is really about deciding how we will approach life regardless of what life throws our way and trying to figure out the equations for the solutions we have been given, trying to understand the mathematics that are in front of us.

1) Everything in life can be approached in a medicine way 2) Every aspect of one´s life is mathematics. 3) We are often given solutions but fail to understand what the equations are that match the solutions we have been given.

Staytuned. Staywell and Tavel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

The Great Spirit Makes a Way continued

2007-04-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

"It is going down into the abyss that you recover the treasure of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure" Joseph Campbell.

The other side of the spirit makes a way is that the phone continued to ring right up until the moment that we left Texas to head back to the desert. This time it was ringing with people who were blessed in one way or another by Masauke during the 2 weeks we spent in San Antonio. Whether it was a spiritual blessing,or steppping up to a different level, tomando un paso, receiving an instrument -- a ceremonial gourd or a ceremonial fan, people were calling in and coming by with their love offerings.

Even as we left town headed back to Mexico we stopped to meet people in different locations, often at banks, waiting for a withdrawal or a deposit, to speed us on our way. Masauke told me as we waited in the van outside one of the banks "I guess myself I feel good about the long hours of stooping over, doing the threadwork and featherwork, when I see the reaction, the response from those who end up with these instruments. One´s that they will come before the fire with or sing that spirit song or that prayer with."

Masauke says that on the rare occasion that he finds himself in the native American church ceremonies as an invited guest, "It warms my heart to see all of my children which is what I call my works of art." He remembers each one of the ceremonial insturments he makes individually as he does the healing necklaces, which according to Masauke "are done based on the person´s walk, that is, the energy that the person brings before the altar." This informs him as to which stones to use based on the stones properties. These pieces are more spirit helper pieces of spirit animal piecesin stone personalized to the individual´s personal encounter with the spirit with which Masauke travels.

It is his hope that the person and the piece, the ceremonial instrument or the piece of jewellry, become one whether to promote understanding or to provide protction when they step into the realm of the spirits. "These pieces, this altar and the work tht I do seems to attract only the most advanced and dedicated people that work with the many forms of energy." Masauke calls his altar a place where healers come to heal.

The old traditional native way of bartering is alive and well among those that still follow their traditions. As Masauke receives partial payment from a native carpenter who does fine woodwork, he hands the recipient of a ceremonial gourd and a fan he has yet to finish, the blueprints of a cedarbox which Masauke will take as the remainder of payment on his work.

While waiting in the van I overheard several calls from those who had received ceremonial items. The calls came in from Hot Springs, Arkansas; Albuequerque, NM; Prescott, Arizona. "Brother, I have receives this, I will trade it for that ... that you have. I´ll be in yor neck of the woods the first of next month. Hold that item and I will hold mine." or "Thank you for that beautiful instrument. I´m having a ceremony on April 6th. I will bless it then and use it. I have not seen this quality of carving on a gourd before. Thanks for looking out for me."

Lessons Learned: 1)Bartening is indeed alive and well and living in the true heart of the native spirit, 2) The Great Spirit makes a way for those who follow tha path of Spirit, 3) As joseph Cambell says, it is in going down into the abyss, or letting go of all the traditional securities, that we recover the treasure of life.

Mirrors of the Soul

2007-04-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

"Let not one seek others' fault's, things left done and undone by others, but one's own deeds done and undone." Buddha.

Self reflection allows us to discover both our positive and negative qualities so that we can cultivate the positive and eliminate our negative qualities. Thia journey for me has been a journey of self reflection and self discovery. I have met so many incredible people who have been mirrors for me of where i am at in my life an dwhere i still have to go. I have been truly belssed by the Great Spirit to be able to take this long journey of self discovery and have learned that all paths lead home. That we never leave home if we tak it with us and that when we treat others as if they were ourselves we are treated that way by those we meet who others migh call strangers, but who really are just mirror images of our self.

En La'kesh, A La'Ken ... You are my other self. Whatever I do to you I do to myself.

The Great Spirit Makes A Way

2007-03-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

"From the pine tree learn of the pine tree and from the bamboo learn of the bamboo." Basho.

It never ceases to amaze me how Masauke interacts with the spirits and other native people and how the Great Spirit makes a way for him to do the healing work he does but never charges for. Having arrived with his funds depleted after generously sharing his funds with many people in the desert and particularly with the Wirarica pilgrims, the prayer went down for a financial blessing from the Spirit. People began to arrive, some with blessings and some to be blessed.

The first morning we were back in Texas the phone did not stop ringing. Masauke fell into his zone and negotiated the trade of beautiful feathers for other beautiful feathers and a good amount of cash. I am always amazed that the more he gives to the people who need it, the more the Great Spirit gives to him. While in Mexico, we did not pass a single person who looked like he needed a coin in his cup or a taco in her belly.

In Spanish people always say to him "Que Dios te da mas, may God give you more" and his answer to them is always "He has already advanced me, so I can share it with you", but he takes the blessing because it comes from their heart and it is all they have to give. He always thanks the old lady or the old man then he is on his way. He never doubts that his needs will be met for he says that "He provides for the birds that neither reap nor sow. Christians say that He created us all in His image." Masauke says that sometimes he wonders what He has him doing and sometimes he dare not wonder for he sees so many people blessed on this road. "He will provide the desires of your heart, him they call the Great Spirit".

Masauke tells me "There are two worlds that exist, the real world and the plastic world. Coming from the real world where 50 pesos or $5 US is a substantial amount. It can buy the luxuries like mayonaise and canned corn, a real treat. In the plastic world you poke your card into the machine and get out $500. I wish I could be as happy with my $500 as the old lady was with her 50 pesos and could enjoy a meal or a treat with my money as much as she was going to enjoy her treat."

When he goes to Las Latas, Masauke always provides some support for the widows of his deceased teachers and as well he assists his comadres and compadres by purchasing as much as he can of their sacred yarn art and their beadwork. He pays them a fair price and sells these pieces when he makes his way back to the 'plastic world'. As well, when in Mexico he purchases the components for necklaces which he then assembles using a variety of different stones, beads and prayers. Each of his necklaces are created with the mathematics of the Spirit in mind and carry with them the power and the blessings of the prayers he puts into them. The Great Spirit makes a way for him by sending the right buyers at the time when he has healing necklaces, sacred yarn art, feathers or ceremonial fans to sell. I was amazed at how synchronious the interactions were.

Masauke says "Not because I am anybody or know anything, but sometimes it is great to receive a smile from the Great Spirit. Somehow he lets me know that I am to load the wagon and not to worry about the mule going blind. They say not to worry about the small stuff because it is all small stuff." Masauke never worries about his financial needs being met, because they always are!

Lessons learned: 1) The Great Spirit always makes a way when we trust in Spirit; 2)What goes around, comes around. ie. what you put out will come back to you, 3)The blessings from the Great spirit are indiscriminate. They will be bestowed on anyone who truly walks the spiritual path.

Healing The Community: Esperanza, Peace and Justice

2007-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Speech is blasphemy, silence a lie. Above speech and silence there is a way out." I-tuan

I visited the Esperanza Peace and Justice Centre in San Antonio. Esperanza is the Spanish word for Hope. As I walked into the lobby I was greeted by brightly coloured walls - lime green, purple and yellow. There is a hand painted sign on the wall, lime green with a beautiful floral green border. On the sign, two women dressed in the bright colours I had seen on the indigenous women in Mexico, are holding up a sign that says 'Bienvenidos a Nuestra Hogar", Welcome to our Home". I immediately felt like I had come home. This place was true to my heart, a place of beauty, a place that integrates art and life with hope and healing for all those members of the who have been wounded by domination and inequality. www.esperanzacentre.org.

Esperanza is located just North of downtown San Antonio, in a renovated 1910 building, which was once a car dealership. The entrance way is lined with bookshelves and bulletin boards, laden with pamphlets, flyers and booklets advertising upcoming events and providing free information on numerous topics to all who venture in through their door. There is La Voz de Esperanza newsletter, a flyer announcing the upcoming Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice, a poster offering free HIV testing, pamphlets on women's history, and an invite to an upcoming book launch. I realize that this place is serious about it's commitment to integrating arts and social justice before I even walk through the door.

Passing through the old wooden door frames, I step into a world of women and divinity. A bright pink sign announces the exhibit that is currently inhabiting the lobby and gallery of Esperanza. "Mujeres: Divinas y Humanas, Women: Divine and Human" the sign says. The exhibit, which I take in just momentarily as I am whisked into the main office, is an exhibit of the works of the women of the Castillo Family of Puebla, Mexico. The Castillo family has a long tradition of making beautiful clay works of art and have recently been focusing on arboles de la vida or trees of life, which tell stories of family,community and society.

The exhibits celebrates and honours working women -- the tortillera, the woman weaver, the florist, the woman artist who works in clay -- as the centre of the community. It portrays the integration of working woman's inherent struggle to survive with women's divine knowledge. I later picked up the pamphlet from the exhibit. It quotes one of the artists, Veronica Castillo, as saying that "women are constantly struggling to be respected and achieve their rightful place". The art works are visual protests against the subjugation of women. The artists, women who do not participate in marches or demonstrations, remind us of the strength of women and encourage women to find our voices, our beauty and our inner divinity.

I walk into the deep red communal office space, which also serves as a library and computer training centre and am drawn in by the beautiful artwork on the wall. Almost every inch of the red walls that are not covered by bookshelves or a beautiful artistically aligned row of clipboards, is adorned with a piece of artwork. The centre piece is a large stunning piece with an older Hispanic woman in the centre. The reds in the piece meld into the reds on the wall, causing the women to look like she was peering over a back yard wall, looking into the office. I am stunned by the beauty of this place of work, that looked more like an art gallery than the office of any non-governmental organization I have ever visited. The office in itself shows that they walk with talk of their slogan "Arte es Vida, Art is Life".

The room was a beehive of activity. There were four staff members and two students amidst a cluster of desks with computers, an open working space and a workspace for students. Despite all the activity Graciella, the executive director, and Jennifer, one of the program staff, took the time to show me around and tell me about their programs. They have a long history of working with community healing, in both the traditional and non-traditional sense. Graciella tells me about the Mexican traditional healer who periodically come to share her knowledge and talents with the local San Antonio community. "We always get an incredible line up when she comes to town" she says. Last time she did a meditation and cleansing ceremony that lasted all morning and then spent the afternoon sharing her knowledge about the healing properties of the different herbs and remedies she used in her practice."

Cristal, a local healer and sobadora, also does work with Esperanza, sometimes that involves hands on work and sometime it's as simple as referring a phone call from someone in the community who calls to find out the recipe for a traditional cure that the grandmas used to use. Validating, respecting and preserving traditional knowledge about herbal medicine, curanderismo and Mexican folk medicine is a part of their mandate of hope. Graciella asks how long I plan to be in town and invites me to come back and find out more.

I am given a tour of the Esperanza space. The art gallery takes up most of the first floor besides the office space. We head up the stairs, the walls of which are also decorated with artwork. On the second floor there is an open space with a stage and overhead track lighting. I am told that the space is used for performances, dances and other programing. The kitchen and snack bar is decorated with a group of hanging puppets and papermache dragons left from an earlier performance. Arte is indeed a central part of the Vida of the organization.

I am told that much of the programing that Esperanza offers takes place within the community, the barrio,itself. There the Esperanza staff facilitate community discussions about the history and traditions of the pueblo or people of the barrio. They work on intergenerational programming identifying the knowledge keepers, the viejitas and viejitos and creating opportunities for them to share their knowledge with younger members of the community. Esperanza provides hope for a future where all knowledge, cultures and traditions are equally respected. It works with communities that have experienced marginalization to promote peace, facilitate economic justice and revive and preserve traditions that are central to the local culture of diverse communities, especially the diverse Hispanic communities.

Lessons Learned: 1) Arte es Vida. Art allows us to see the world the way it is and to envision the world the way we would like it to be, 2)Women's humanity and our divinity are both central to our roles as keepers of culture. Honouring and celebrating our beauty and our strength, knowing our worth, is vital to creating a culture of hope, peace and justice, 3)Art and culture connect us with our histories, give us joy and hope, and plant the seed for our self-worth.

Stay Tuned. StayWell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Anthony Davis' Featherwork, Alive and Well and Living in San Antonio and the Wiricuta Desert

2007-03-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

"We do not learn by experience, but by our capacity for experience." Buddha

Donning his spectacles, Masauke starts the tedious work of assembling rough feathers into ceremonial fans. The majority of these feathers were dropped by the birds or found on roadkills along the many highways that Masauke travels. They were found in various states of disrepair. Using his tiny pair of scissors Masauke repairs the tips of the feathers to bring them as close to their natural beauty as these roadkill feathers can be brought.

There is a knock on the door. It is Linda's neighbour. She walks in to the kitchen, says good morning then starts to talk about the power washer she had been using to wash her driveway. "It won't start" she says. She asks Masauke to help her fix it. He gets up, leaving his featherwork on the dining room table. Ten minutes later, with the sound of the power washer engine whiring in the background, he is back. Linda and the two grandchildren who live with her are playing a board game on the other end of the dining room table. Mark, the youngest, is chanting "I want my pancakes" as they play.

Last night Masauke had promised that he would make desert pancakes. He sits down to cut the leather that he uses to wrap the sticks used on the ends of the feathers. Let me put these on so they can dry while I am making the pancakes he says. After cutting and gluing the leather on several of the ten feathers, Masauke gets up to make pancakes. As he whips up the batter, he switches to his military mode insisting that Mark be sitting down at the table with everything ready in front of him before he will start to putting the pancakes in the pan. I order 3 pancakes, not knowing the size of the monster pancakes. Masauke advises me to try one first. I am glad he did not force me to stick to my word as I see the enormous pancake coming off the grill!

Breakfast over Masauke returns to his featherwork. "A few years ago I watched a film about my dad, Anthony Davis," Masauke tells me. "Besides being the president of the Native American Church of Texas for forty years, he was also a renowned feather genius. He brought the talent of fixing feathers for the native people from his native home of Oklahoma, from the Pawnee. This film was about his ability to fix feathers." Masauke says, "It was a well done documentary on the life of my dad, but I took offense at the closing statement that with the passing of Anthony, the talent or ability to fix these feathers went with him. Anthony did not teach me the art of fixing feathers. It is an ability that comes from the proper alignment of your energy so that your creativity can be best utilized. I saw Anthony for many years fixing feathers. I just saw him doing that."

"All the people wanted him to fix feathers for them. I realized that it was just not the feathers they sought. They sought him out so that he could put his energy , his beautiful spirit in the feathers, and like myself I thought that if I had some of his feathers I would have some of his energy, some of his spirit, but the spirit that Anthony had came from a life long relationship with the medicine, something his mother told him. His mother said when he ran a ceremony for her, that this medicine is wonderful. She told him never to leave it and to his last days he never did. It was after his death that I decided to do feathers. I drew on his expertise that I had seen for many years, but ultimately it was the energy and the spirit and the relationship that I have personally developed with these feathers, be they eagle featehrs, macaw, turkey, each bird has a spirit and an energy of it's own."

"Today in Texas, I walk into a tee pee ceremony, normally in the morning, and I am pleased to see all my fans there, in that 90% of the fans used by the local people were made by me. When I make the fan I know how it will be used. I know the many prayers that will be said with this fan, the many gifts that they will make. Before I made my first fan, I came before Anthony's spirit. I said to him. "I would like to start fixing feathers, Dad." "That'd be alright" his spirit told me. Being from Oklahoma, that was the approval I was seeking."

"In the rare moments when I am totally into my featherwork, I sense him watching me. The colours that I use are the native colours of the fire and the medicine. His colours were healing colours, ours, the Coauhuiltecos, are fire colours. We are desert people. I am sure that he approves of me doing it my way. Anthony was world renounced for his beadwork. Myself I do floralwork, the multicoloured feather work combinations that the medicine gives me, and threadwork. The bead work is farmed out. I keep one thought in mind when I fix my feathers, my dad's advice was that one had to be extremely careful not to take anything from the feathers. The beauty is in the feathers themselves."

Masauke looks up from the feathers. He is tightly wrapping black thread around the white leather handles he had glued to the stem of the feather. Peering over his glasses again he continues. "I sought the man who produced that film. I found him in Sedona, Arizona. I told him that Anthony Davis' featherwork was alive and well and living in the desert, operating out of San Antonio, Texas, with more people seeking my work than I have time to fix feathers for. I invited him to the healing centre in Prescott Arizona for a couple of reasons, one of which was to show him my featherwork. We became good friends and brothers, and now I make my way along this road with my featherwork."

"When I come home to rest and see my family, I spend long hours into the night and early morning fixing feathers and I best remember Anthony at this time. Those that knew him were blessed. That he took me as his son was a true honour. Today I carry his fireplace of the Pawnee people. This fireplace is a chawie" fireplace. I have yet to use this fireplace, not because I don't know the mathematics or the structure of the ceremony, but because I have not yet developed the relationship that Anthony had with the fire and the medicine." "As I put the finishing touches on this beautiful scarlet Macaw centre feather," Masauke stops to tell me "Each bird only has 1 of these. These are 10 birds." He says. "This is what they call a peyote fan. My brother, also a road man, awaits the finishing of this piece."

"The waterbird fan whose production you documented, the one that I finished last night, will be picked up this morning. It will be used by a water woman of the Native American church to bless the morning water and the morning food to conclude their ceremonies. The fans are obtained by people that give a generous contribution for the expenses I incur on the road. I have never demanded payment for any of the Great Spirit's work. The path itself is payment enough."

Sitting in front of a bag full of numerous spools of brightly coloured threads, he picks up another feather to measure to see that the threadwork is identical. Adding the glue he continues his work. Having seen the entire production of the waterbird fan, I eagerly await seeing the final touches on this beautiful scarlet macaw fan. I never met Anthony Davis, but I cannot imagine that he would be anything less than proud at the fine featherwork his son is doing. Anthony Davis' featherwork is indeed alive and well and living in San Antonio, Texas and the Wiricuta desert!

Lessons Learned: 1)We honour our ancestors by keeping their traditions alive, 2) Keeping traditions alive involves developing a relationship with the medicines of those traditions, 3) When we honour our ancestors and follow spirit, the Spirit always makes a way.

Stay Tuned. StayWell and Travel with spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Travelling With The Spirit Traveller

2007-03-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

Back in San Antonio, Texas, I have had the opportunity to sit down with several of my readers and get some feedback from them. Mario, is one such reader. He is a visually imparied rape crisis counsellor, a Chicano who hails from El Polvo, West Texas. He is a Chicano who is still in search of his Apache roots. I met Mario last July at the Little Big Medicine Sundance in Arizona. He helped many women at the sundance who were still healing from the long terms effects of rape and sexual abuse, including some of the healers themselves.

Masauke, Linda, Mario and I had lunch at Greens, advertised as the first vegetarian resteraunt in San Antonio, where Masauke could barely stomach the veggie burger, diehard carnivour that he is. Linda, Mario and I on the other hand were delighted with the healthy vegatarian fare.

Finishing the desert, Masauke very skillfully set Mario up with a question. Masauke wanted a unique perspective on my blog through the eyes of a blind man. Mario commented that all the time that Masauke had known him he had not asked him for his opinion about anything. Masauke wanted me, the Spirit Traveller, to truly understand my blog and the effect that it had on the people reading it.

After Masauke advise me to be still and listen, this is what I heard. Mario thought for a few moments before expressing himself. He said that the blog to him was a way to journey, that he could see these places that the Spirit Traveller writes of, that he was there. He too had travelled with Masauke and he had visited several places I described including San Rafael and Las Latas, and he was able to re-visit them.

Linda, a healer and Sundancer, who is Masauke's long time companion and who makes a living as a community facilitator, also gave me her response to the blog: The blog for me is a way for me to be there with you. For example when I was reading the entry about learning the lesson about doing what you are told, that one really hit home for me in several ways. I was sitting there and reading it and smiling because I could visualize you all there. It is an opportunity to share that experience since I cant be there and in many cases I long to be there. It is also like I am learning with you or being reminded of some of those things that I need to remember about being out and about in the world. It makes me feel as though I am travelling with the both of you when I cannot be there.

Miranda, a sister in the spirit, healer and an occupational therapist, who works in berevement service, preparing those who are terminally ill and their families for dying sent me the following email: "You are truly blessed little sister. May your blessings multiply as you continue your travel with the compassionate and loving spirits. They protect you well and you are learning to listen in a respectful way. I thank you for the blog. It allows me to travel with you and to have an idea of what it must be like to meet such wonderful, knowlegeable, and spiritual people. Mitakuye Oyasin. Miranda.

Karen, a busy homeopath and midwife, who travels internationally and has spent years providing natural health services to indigenous people, also takes the time to read the blog. She wrote: I read your blog. It was really beautiful to take a little part of the journey. Thank you for writing it and for staying in touch.

Mario had some suggestion on improving the blog. He suggested that the entries were quite short and he interested in more information about the spiritual aspects of the travels. He gave me a lot more feedback from a blind man's perspective. It was at this time that I considered asking for the opinions of the other readers of the blog. I welcome your imput. Please leave comments and feedback for me on the blog or send them to travelwithspirit@yahoo.ca Many blessings...

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Healing the Community, Healing the Environment : Bashing The Basura

2007-03-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Do not mistake understanding for realization and do not mistake realization for liberation" Tibetan Saying.

This morning I accompanied Linda and her grandson Mark to the Basura Bash, San Antonio's annual river clean up. Once a year thousands of San Antonians venture out of their homes and head down to the river banks to pick up all the garbage, or basura in Spanish, that makes its way into the river and along the riverbanks. In this one day event San Antonia area volunteers pick up about 24 tons of garbage. According to the Basura bash's 2007 factsheet, the trash and recyclables that end up in the rivers and creeks are carried there by storm drainage, run off and careless humans.

This year for the first time the clean up efforts were expanded to include 6 tributaries of the San Antonio river. When the Basura Bash started in 1995, 400 volunteers turned out to help heal their community. Bob, the Basura Bash committee chair, told me that this year about 2,400 volunteers including many groups of school kids, corporate groups, teachers, ROTC trainees, retirees, and many many individuals were at one of the many sites along the river. For their labour of love, the volunteers receive a free t-shirt and a lunch where they get to hear a line up of talented youth sharing their talents.

We arrived at the Mission Country Park, the main headquarters of the Bash where we were going to pick up our t-shirts and find out which area of the river needed clean up. On our way to the park the main road was cordoned off with a police car blocking the road. We found out later there had been a bomb threat in a nearby area, not associated with the Bash!, and that the police had been defusing a real bomb they had found. We ended up cleaning up the area closest to headquarters because that area had been missed because of the bomb scare.

This year volunteers got the opportunity to vote in the Name The Fish competition. The mascot of the Basura Bash is a large fish sculpture made out of the recyclable metal and other garbage pulled from the river years before. I voted to name the event's mascot Al G. Eater, but the more popular name, Basura Bob, won out.

Linda is a meeting facilitator who facilitates community input around a number of issues including transportation and other environmental issues. Her company has been involved in supporting the Basura Bash almost since it's inception. Linda likes being involved because she loves being outside next to the river. She says that it always feels worthwhile because you can pick up a lot of garbage in a short period of time. "You can really see that you are making a difference. Also, there is always a lot of camaraderie during the event. People tend to support each other. The community comes together to do something for the benefit of the whole community. This event draws people from all over San Antonio, not only those who live or work near the river because people understand the importance of the river to the city both historically and physically."

Linda is hoping that Coahuiltecans of San Antonio this year will adopt the remnant of the river behind Mision San Juan de Capistrano as their clean up project. This is a sacred area for the Coahuiltecans as the San Juan Mission is where they annually comemorate the reburial of their ancestors in the year 2000. The Coahuiltecans are the "mission indians", the ones who built the missions for the Spanish and suffered genocide at their hands. Many of their ancestors were converted to Catholicism and their traditions and cultures were lost along the way. The Tap Pilam Cohuiltecan Nation is actively working towards restoring the culture and traditions of their people.

According to the Basura Bash's factsheet, the most common item collected from the river banks are plastic shopping bags. This was the main item that I came across while on the clean up. It is amazing to see where those seemingly innocent shopping bags can end up, wrapped around tree stumps, entwined in branches by the river and under rocks along the shore. Pulling out those pieces of plastic can be a challenge. Linda tells me that here in San Antonio they have started to make the plastic shopping bags out or biodegradable material. After today's close encounters with disintegrating shopping bags, I think this is a great idea!

In less than 2 hours we had pulled out old table legs, rusty metal fencing, plastic pop bottles, metal beer cans, old carpeting, rusty wheels, and lots and lots of plastic garbage bags. Between the 3 of us we had almost filled 1 bag of recycling and 2 bags of trash all of which we left by the banks for the garbage trucks to collect. Nothing like a good morning's work outside in the fresh air with your toes quishing around in the river muck. It felt great ... exercise, fresh air, healing the environment and working in community.

While picking up the trash from the riverside, I could not help remembering the town of Wadley in San Louis Potosi, where regular garbage collection had only begun less than a month ago. Prior to that the garbage was burned in a pit by the side of the road, not to far from the healing centre. Plastic shopping bags were again the most common item that was visible scattered around the desert and the streets of the town. Plastic bottles were the next most visible item. Every time I would see the smoke rising from the garbage pit I would think of my Environmental Health lesson 101 -- Burning plastic = dioxins. Dioxins cause cancer. I would wonder how much of the health benefits of living a relative stress free life in the beautiful desert environment were offset by the damaging effects of the burning plastics. Until the municipality provided a garbage truck and arranged for disposal outside of the city there were no other options. What difficult choices to have to make!

Lessons Learned: 1) Healing the environment can be a lot of fun! 2) Many hands make light work, 3)Spirit works through other people.

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Stalking Knowledge in Las Latas Round 3

2007-03-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

"Have good trust in yourself -- not in the one that you think you should be, but in the one that you are." Maezumi Roshii

Back in Las Latas the ceremony celebrating the return of the pilgrims was well under way. It was a very rare privilege indeed to be attending this ceremony. The Wiriraca/Huichols carefully guard their culture and their traditions, which is why their traditions have changed very little since pre-Columbus times. Because of their withdrawal to locations way up into the Sierra mountains, they were not subject to the same genocide of their peoples that many other indigenous people in Mexico and other parts of the world. They are considered by some to be the last group of indigenous peoples in the Americas who still follow their original teachings and live in their traditional way.

What I was about to witness was a ceremony that to this date a very small number of outsiders or Tewari's had witnessed in person. I was privileged to be there at the invitation of one of the chief mara'akame's or shaman's, Matsua, the captain of the pilgrimage. The Wira who are chosen as pilgrims hold that 'office' for 5 years. In that time they are responsible for taking care of all the ceremonial needs of the community, while still providing for the needs of their families, something which is not very easily accomplished, especially since there are no jobs and few sources of income in the Wira communities. Most live off the crops they plant, livestock they can raise and whatever they can sell or trade.

During the 5 year period, the group of pilgrims are required to undertake three pilgrimages from the Sierras to Wiricuta. These pilgrimages allow the Wira to hunt or to gather the hicuri, which is sacred to them, as well, the pilgrimage is a time in which the pilgrims revision their world and take their first look at the life of the mara'akame. In the whole community of Las Latas, there are about 10 mara' akames, 4 of them had taken part in this pilgrimage. All the past and present pilgrims turn out to celebrate the return of the pilgrimage. Most of the community comes to honour the pilgrims for the sacrifice they had made on their behalf. They dance with them and rejoice with them and welcome them back to the community. The previous pilgrims make a special effort to offer their support as they understand the sacrifice that this group have made in order to maintain this ago old tradition.

Despite his pivotal role in the ceremony taking place inside the Calaway, shortly after we arrived in the plaza, Matsua came out to greet Masauke and to welcome Linda and myself. Still not sure about the protocol around taking pictures, I missed an incredible Kodak moment when Matsua, who at that point had been up for 4 days and 4 nights, stood facing Masauke, who he greeted as his brother. The dancing was a key part of the ceremony. The pilgrims, who were usually sequestered within the Calaway, a round adobe building with a very high peak roof situated in the centre of the plaza, would periodically blow their horns and then all dance out of the Calaway following the lead mara' akame. They woudl then dance in a single file that moved in a serpent like fashion around the entire plaza. At a certain point the wives and husbands of the pilgrims would join in the dance. The women, who were not pilgrims danced ahead of the men and on either sides. Each round of dancing in the plaza would last between 10 and 20 minutes before the pilgrims would once again enter the Calaway not to be seen by those outside til the next round.

The ground was so dry that prior to each round of dancing members of the community would bring buckets of water and throw the water around the plaza, only to have it quickly soaked up by the parched earth. This was an attempt to quell the clouds of dust that would otherwise cause the pilgrim dancers to have to cover their faces with their scarves. The dancing did not stop, but continued moving betwwen the inside and the outside with a certain periodicity that I would not quite figure out. Members of the community came and went from the viewing spots surrounding the Calaway. Children played in the plaza. Old women brought out pots with finely shredded raw cabbage and cucumber, lime and frijoles, which were spread on something that resembles a very large crispy wafer, covered in chili sauce and sold for 6 pesos. They were delicious, and as there was no other food to be had anywhere, it was just as well.

The ceremony continued on into the night. We went back to the compound where we were staying to have a rest and returned at about 10pm. There were fewer people in the plaza, but the ceremonial fires were still lit and groups of people, including a significant number of young men, were gathered around the ceremonial fires. We took this opportunity to get closer. We greeted the sacred fires and approached the Calaway, where we were able to stand outside the door and look inside. For Masauke, this role as a spectator was very unusual, as he has accompanied the pilgrimage for many years and usually takes part with the activities inside the Calaway. This year, because he had given his place to his other apprentice Jessie, he was in the role of witness rather than participant. He commented on how unusual it was to be viewing the ceremonies from the outside.

As we stood in the plaza in dark, the light of the ceremonial fires behind us, under the dark starlit night, peering over the heads of others crowding the doorway to catch a glimpse inside the Calaway at the ceremony taking place within, I understood completely what Masauke's brother had said about the first night he had stood in the Calaway witnessing a ceremony. He had commented that it felt like he had gone back a thousand years. Peering in to the flickering lights of the candles and fire within the Calaway, in a community where there is no electricity, no 'artificial' lighting, observing the mara'akame performing a ceremony in the same way that their fathers and their father's father's and their father's father's fathers had witnessed the ceremony before them, I tuned in to the thread of time and in that moment understood how each of us is no more than a small whisper in the Symphony of the Great Spirit and yet each of those whispers together becomes such beautiful music.

I could not help but think about my Taino, my native South American and my many African ancestors, wondering how many nights such as this had my ancestors witnesses, how many such ceremonies had they danced at and as I witnessed the pilgrims partaking of their sacred hicuri medicine, I wondered what types of medicines were my ancestors medicines, what types of rituals spoke to their hearts and nourished their peoples. These people in the Calaway were not my people, their medicine was not my medicine, but the ancientness of their ceremony connected me back to a time when their ancestors were doing the same ceremony and somewhere, in some other parts of the world at the same time, my ancestors were also performing their own ceremonies, connected to each other only by a different view of the same ancient stars.

I stood there in awe, looking up at the twinkling stars smattered across the velvet black sky, as the ancient spirits of the Wira answered my questions. I asked them what I was doing there, so far from home, in a land where I knew so few people, and their answer was "You are searching for yourself." "You will not find what you are looking for here" they told me. "Our people are not your people. But we welcome you, as our ancestors would have welcomed your ancestors."

The Wiriraca are a people of peace. Though their lineage can be traced back 3,500 years, there is no history of warfare among the Wira/Huichol peoples. I understood deeply what it meant to be a people of peace that night as I stood under the stars and the spirits of the land welcomed me, and welcomed my ancestors, on behalf of the ancestors that had occupied this land when they had occupied theirs. It was indeed an honour and a privilege for me to have been standing and looking at that particular view of the starry night sky.

Stalking Knowledge in Las Latas 2

2007-03-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

"One who conquers himself is greater than another who conquers a thousand times a thousand in the Battlefield" Buddha

The path at the bottom of the hill opened up into a flat field, which was dry as a bone, but still had furrows. Across the field was the Calaway, the ceremonial centre, surrounded by a small smattering of adobe houses. Most of the Wira don't actually live in the valley, but in ranches way up in the mountains where they cultivate corn and beans. We did not head in the direction of the ceremonial centre that I could see in the distance but turned towards the closest compound of adobe houses off to the left of the trail.

Masauke was looking for Julio, the First Singer of the Rain, one of the meri'kame, or shaman/medicine man, who had stayed at the healing centre for a few days just before Masauke and Jessie had gone off on the pilgrimage. He asked Sebastian, Julio's eight year old grandson who had accompanied his grandfather when he had come to Wiricuta to conduct a ceremony for a group of Mexica pilgrims from California, if Julio was there or in the ceremony. Sebastian led us to an adobe room that functioned as a kitchen where his grandmother and a younger woman with a baby were preparing food. Julio we were told was still in the ceremony.

We headed across the field, first to the compound of one of Masauke's other compadre's to greet everyone who had not seen Masauke in almost 2 years and Linda in much longer, and then to the nearby compound where we would be staying. Each of the adobe houses in the second compound belonged to one of Otimio's children. Otimio had been one of Masauke's teachers. He had died just before the pilgrimage was supposed to have begun. In fact, the pilgrimage had been postponed because of Otimio's death, and of his 7 wives, only one had survived him. Both Matsua, the Captain of the pilgrimage and Jesus, Masauke's compadre, were sons of Otimio.

The compound was bustling with people, dogs and turkeys. Masauke greeted Otimio's widow, whose response was the most ancient of greetings, almost godlike, in which the Grandmother blessed herself, similar to doing the sign of the cross before us. She adopted a very humble posture and in her native tongue she addressed Masauke ... 'Masauke',she said, taking his hand and kissing it. Masauke would later tell me that her greeting cum blessing was by far the least deserving honour that he felt entitled to. It was however, a greeting in which she represented her recently deceased husband, for as Masauke says, he is sure that Otimio discussed with her his true heart.

We left our overnight packs in the compadre's one room house and walked across the dry furrowed field and through the gate into the Calaway compound. The ceremony, which had started 3 days before, was still going on inside the building on the far left side from where we sat on a log with our backs to the wall of one of the adobe buildings facing the Calaway. Across from us there were 3 temples, the temple of the Sun, the temple of the Deer and the temple of the Wind. There were people scattered around circular ground in front of the Calaway. There were children of all ages, grandmothers, women nursing babies beneath their beautifully designed blouses, men, youth. The community was sitting on steps,logs, protruding roots, or tiny wooden stools, waiting for the moment when the pilgrims would next come dancing out of the Calaway.

We sat for over an hour before the next round of dancing began. I occupied myself playing hide and seek with a group of young girls. I would hide my face behind my headdress and then peak out at them. They were having a great time. None of them would come very close but they would each look over in turn to see if I was hiding or not. My game with the kids was to continue over a period of at least 3 hours. Masauke later told me that the children were fascinated with the game, not only because I looked very different than the adults they were used to seeing, but also because it was very rare for them to have an adult playing with them and especially to keep playing with them for so long.

To be continued... stay tuned to this same bat channel ...oops, i mean blog entry!

Happy Spring Equinox!!!

2007-03-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

"Be the change you want to see in the world" Mahatma Gandhi

Spring Equinox is a time for balance and harmony. It is a time when the length of day equals the length of night. It is the time for manifesting our dreams and for synchronizing our inner and outer reality. It is a time for honouring our mother the Earth and for honouring ourselves.

2007 is the year for finding our purpose, our true path and our personal destiny on this planet. It is a time for doing what makes us feel alive and making mother Earth come alive with the energy of our aliveness. It is the light of spring that guides us along our personal journey towards our true purpose.

This is a time for true forgiveness leading the way to lasting peace. True forgiveness is healing -- healing for ourselves, healing for others and healing for the Earth. We all have experienced physical, mental, emotional, psychic or spiritual wounds, hurts, pain or suffering in the past. Continuing to nurse old wounds, to maintain grudges, to hold on to pain and suffering not only hurts ourselves, but also our mother Earth as the energies manifest in the earth body as violence and wars. Now is the time to forgive ourselves and to forgive others. In the eyes of the creator we are already forgiven.

Let go of the energies of all offenses we have committed against ourselves and others in this life or in any past incarnations ... Embrace inner peace and harmony. Find that balance within.

Today, as the seeds of light begin to grow once again, filling the earth with life, let us ask each of the seven directions [East, West, North, South , Above, Below and Within] to help us anchor purpose, peace and forgiveness in our hearts, minds and spirits and in the hearts, minds and spirits of all sentient beings resident on our mother, Earth. Let us stand together as ONE PEOPLE with all the elders from around the world, with the people from all nations and with the people with the bloods of all nations, as we usher in the light of a new beginning, a new way of life based on purpose, peace and forgiveness.

Today, no matter where you are in the world, do what only you can do, however big or small that may be ... say a prayer for peace ... meditate on the manifestation of your soul's purpose ... dance a dance to usher in the light ... chant a chant to celebrate balance and harmony ... shout out the coming of unity and equality for all people!!

To my sisters in the North with whom I normally celebrate Spring Equinox, I send a shout out ... Ashe... One Perfect Love ... keep your flags flying ... so be it ... so let it be ... it is written ... "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven."

Today, as I was meditating on the Spring Equinox the doorbell at Linda's house rang. I was the only person here. I answered the doorbell. It was Jessie, my spiritual bro, who I had last seen a month ago as he jumped out of the van as the pilgrimage headed West towards the Sierras and he went hoofing it back east the 2 miles or so to the healing centre. 'Yacko', I said, giving him a hug. 'Ere eMe' was his reply, as he gave me a big bear hug in return.

Jessie, is a thirty something long haired Mexica drummer and Aztec Dancer, who's dance company operates out of New York city. He spends his time travelling between there and San Antonio where he produces videos, drums and is studying the medicine way of the Wirrarica people. He was the only non Wira,Tewari, who was included as part of the spiritual circle of the pilgrimage, as Masauke had given up his traditional spot for Jessie, who had hunted the deer and thus earned the right to do the pilgrimage.

As Jessie was recounting his travels over the past month and I was recounting mine his cellphone rang. It was Masauke, who had left the house several hours earlier. He was checking to see when Jessie was going to come over. As the mathematics would have it Jessie was already sitting in the living room while Masauke was still on his way. When he arrived he conveyed all the messages from the pilgrims, including recounting what one woman had told him about how much the deer that Jessie had brought for the ceremony had helped the community. My bro was pleased with the info. He filled Masauke in on how things had changed for him since the ceremony.

As he was leaving, Jessie told Masauke that he was going to the hospital to drop off some natural health remedies for a man who had broken his neck and was paralyzed. This man had lived for years on a small ranch between San Rafael and Estacion Catorce, about as close as was possible to the healing centre. It was as though Masauke had received a calling card from Spirit. He packed his medicine bag, took out his feather box and his eagle bone whistle and we were off.

I am always amazed at how the mathematics of the medicine world works out. As we got in the van and turned on the radio a program was playing on veterans with spinal cord injuries -- we were on the way to the spinal injury ward of the veterans hospital! On the way we passed a forested green space. It had been raining and was overcast, the light simulating dusk. It was a very rare sight indeed, in the middle of a large city, to see a herd of 12 deer feasting on the budding blossoms. Masauke slowed the van so that we could both bless ourselves with their energy.

We followed Jessie til we reached the hospital. As we entered Masauke noticed the name Z...a, his last name, near the top of the patient list posted near the nursing station. It is a relatively rare Mexican name with that particular spelling, so Masauke inquired at the nursing station as to whether Z...a could have visitors. When the nurses told him he could Masauke told me to follow him and we went off to visit Z...a. We spent 10 minutes talking with Z...a before the nurse came to inform us that Jessie had gone to room 32 and that we were welcome to go, but as the man we were there to visit had an infection, we had to don gowns and gloves before visiting him.

Steve, was in a negative pressure room on the ward, to keep any potential microbes from leaving the room. Donning the yellow paper gown and blue disposable gloves took me back to my days in molecular genetics, getting suited up when going into a containment facility to work on a potentially contagious viruses. Those days seemed like many lifetimes ago when I compared it to heading into a hospital room to do a healing on a patient ... Steve, who had been paralyzed from the waist down since breaking his neck 3 months ago, had not been expecting either Masauke or myself, though Jessie had begun to prep him for what we were about to do.

Masauke introduced both of us and told Steve of our recent trip to Mexico, the pilgrimage, what we had been doing and told Steve what we planned to do with him. Steve was open to this so Masauke took out his feathers, deer tail and eagle bone whistle and began to call in Steve's ancestors and to take him back to a time and place when his body was whole, encouraging him to remember what that wholeness felt like.

As Masauke had been working with Steve for a while when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that there were other people in the outer room suiting up. Before Masauke had finished the ceremony, a tall white woman and a short Asian man entered the room and stood beside Steve's bed. The Asian man was Lama Tongham, who had been in the area doing a weekend meditation retreat. He was there with his host, who was a good friend of Steve's, to do some Tibetan medicine work on Steve. As Masauke finished up and the Lama was beginning Steve's left leg began to twitch. It had not done that before. Steve could feel the energy moving in his body in a way he had never felt.

As Masauke was putting his feathers away, the Lama came over to respectfully ask if he could touch Masauke's healing instument, the feathers and the eagle bone whistle. Lama Tongham was trying to locate the source of the chi, or energy, that we were using. It was very familiar to him, though not from these instruments. He requested that Masauke meet with him to discuss their respective healing traditions before he went to work himself.

As usual, Masauke charged nothing for the healing work. While he bade his farewells and went off to visit with Z...a again, I stayed a while longer in the outer room to watch the Lama at work. When I left to catch up with Masauke he was making arrangements with Z...a for us to come back on Thursday to do a healing on him!! It was all in a Spring Equinox's day's work .. such is the life of the medicine people called by Spirit to follow the medicine way.

Lessons Learned: 1) Always listen to Spirit ... I am only now beginning to learn what is a calling card from Spirit and what is not; 2) Call it mathematics or call it synchronicity, the mathematics never lie; 3) Trust the mathematics! It is ALL mathematics.

Stay tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Stalking Knowledge in Las Latas

2007-03-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

"God has no religion" Mahatma Gandhi

Back in the Sierras in the little settlement of Nueva Colonia, we got up the next morning and each went off to use the outdoor facilities among the fir trees. In the whole time I was in the Wirarica communities I never saw a bathroom anywhere, not even anything that resembles a bathroom. Bathrooms are a significant advancement and major health benefit in areas where fecal matter can contaminate groundwater sources and thus spread disease from person to person. Deserts around the world seem to be one of the topographies where there is still a consistent underavailability of bathroom facilities. Who knows if, because of the heat and the lack of water, they are somehow not quite as necessary as elsewhere. This is a topic I will reflect on in a later blog, but suffice it to say I quickly adapted to life without sit down toilets. Toilet paper is a necessity I have not learned to do without and in fact have learned never to leave home without!

After having a couple of slices of the bread that Linda had brought from San Antonio, my first multigrain spelt bread in months, washed down with hot chocolate made on our 'luxury' accomodations' one burner propane stove, we donned our Wira clothes becoming Tewaris Wirizado instead of what is more common, Wirrarica Tewarizado -- Wira folk dressed in Western clothes. I had the blue outfit I had worn during the pilgrimage. Linda had left her Wira clothes in San Antonio but borrowed an outfit from their compadre's newest wife. It was a beautiful red and green outfit, made of a textured red cotton with tiny green Christmas trees all over it. As I would soon find out, Christmas fabric is a popular favourite among the Wira women, who wear it all year round, because of the vibrant colours and the patterned borders which are often seen decorating the bottoms of their skirts. Masauke's outfit was the traditional for men , white with brightly coloured embroidered designs of sacred symbols in pinks, reds, greens and blacks.

It took us 20 minutes to walk from the settlement to the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley were Las Latas is situated. As I stood on the side of the mountain before we began our descent into the valley I paused for a moment in awe at the perfect strategic location of the community. It had taken us 2.5 hours by van, then 20 minutes on foot to get this far. It would take another 2 hours to descend into the valley below [our descent was much slower than that of the surefooted, altitude adjusted, Wira folk who passed us nimbly going down the steep path as we, especially Linda and I, often struggled to keep our balance on the rocky donkey trail]. This was indeed the perfect place to retreat when the Spanish conquistadores were ravaging the lands of the indigenous people of the lowlands of Mexico and later when the Church and State was attempting to ensure that indigenous cultures and traditions became a thing of the past.

The Wirarica people managed to maintain their indigenous language, cultures and ancient traditions almost completely intact until today precisely because of their brilliant retreat to many similar location with the ideal topography for disuading all but the most persistent visitors from venturing forth. As we stood at the crest of the hill and Masauke yelled 'Yacko' and a reply came back up from the barely visible figures in the valley below, I further appreciated the reverbrance of the bowl shaped geography. If potential intruders could not be seen, which we could be, then it was likely that they would be heard.

We descended quite slowly pausing at a huge rock that represents the half way mark and passing the campsite where the pilgrims stay on their final night before returning to the village. Everything was new to me, the stories, the history, the landscape. I was like a kid in a candy factory, inhaling every sound, gobbling up each new sight,trying to keep my eyes peeled on the breathtaking valley that was coming ever closer, while at the same time attempting not to land on my butt as the loose rocks scattered beneath my huarachas , traditional sandals made of recycle car tires soles and leather thongs, which continue to be used by most Wira folk. After sitting down on the job a few times, but without falling over the cliff, at last we reached the bottom of the hill.

More to follow ... stay tuned!

Staying Well in Mexico

2007-03-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

"There is nothing equal to wearing clothes and eating food." Zenrin Kushu

The long interval between entries is due to my 4 day stay in Las Latas, way up in the Sierras, followed by a still ongoing bout of traveller's diarrhea which incapacitated me for several days. Read about the trip to Las Latas in my next entry, On the Road Again, but for now let me reflect on the joys of eating food and having your body do what it is supposed to with it!

Well, it took 10 weeks in Mexico before Montezuma took his revenge on me. I have travelled many places around the world and this is the first time I have been struck by the dreaded traveller's diarrhea. I am always pretty careful about drinking boiled or bottled water when I travel, but other than that I eat what the locals eat. After spending over 2 months, buying and eating local foods -- cheese tamales and atole de avena in the square in Matehuala, tamales de frejoles from Dona Bertha in Wadley, champurrado and gorditas or chocolate and pan dulce in Real, helado in Catorce -- and cooking and eating sopa de arroz, quesadillas, aguacate, tomate and other veggies, often eating whatever we could find on the road, and after 4 days eating the food that Masauke and his companion, Linda's, co-madres provided in the Wira community of Las Latas, it was after we had dinner at our first 'good' restaurant, a seafood restaurant in Zacatecas, that I was struck by the bug.

Ah, as Zenrin Kushu says, there is nothing equal to eating food! After a night of projectile vomiting, when I really couldn't tell what was coming out of which end, I spent the next 2 days of not eating food and kicking myself for only bringing preventative remedies and nothing for treatment. But of course, I never expect that I, Ms Healthy, would get sick ... that only happened to other people, not to me ... I always do the preventative stuff, the good old oil of oregano and olive leaf tablets, blue green algae and vitamin C and never expect to get sick.

I had a very brief bout with the vomits one day about 5 weeks into my trip, but Dona C, the healing centre's caretaker, had soon fixed me up with teas of estafiata and ohasein, two very bitter local herbs widely used for stomach problems, followed by a limpia with a raw egg, to remove the mal ojo, or evil eye, that Dona C suspected was the cause of my sudden illness. Dona C's reading of the huevo that time confirmed that indeed I had been zapped by the dreaded evil eye. Whether it was the herbal teas that cured the vomits or the limpia with the egg that removed the evil eye I will never know, but certainly by the next morning I was fine. This time it was not so simple.

I had learned how to do the limpia with the huevo to check for evil eyes, so, in between running to the bathroom and lying prone for lack of energy, I did the pasos on myself.. Voila, I thought as I broke the egg and dropped it in the bowl of water, expecting to see more evidence of mal ojo than there was last time, since by that time I had been sick for 3 days instead of only a few hours the time before, but, though I had learned to read the 'easy' cases, I still was a novice at the egg trick, so the complicated picture before me was too much for my sick, tired and unskilled brain to interpret. But, the Spirits are kind... only minutes after I sat down baffled by the egg in bowl, Dona C showed up to check in on me.

Masauke and Linda had gone off to Real and I was alone at the healing centre. Dona C stopped by just in time to pour over the bowl and inform me that indeed there was no mal ojo this time! Well, could it be something so ordinary as regular bacteria, maybe a little amoeba or two, how terribly mundane for me who never gets sick, to admit to being stricken by a common microbe and not something infinitely more interesting, something from the realm of the world of spirits. Well, this time it seemed that the mundane world had won out. The next morning when Dona C came by again, she chastised me for not remembering to drink the herbal tea and marched me off into the desert to identify the two herbs that we needed to make the tea.

We walked down a dry river bed, where there was a bit more moisture than most places, I was looking all around not seeing either of the herbs, as Dona C began to say, look down, look down. I am sure she had spotted the tiny herb long before and was tired of waiting for me to see it. Finally I saw the small sprig of estafiate she was referring to and later another small twig, enough to make the tea she assured me. The ohasein, I had completely forgotten how to identify, though I had spent an afternoon with Dona C and one of her daughters identifying local medicinal herbs about 6 weeks before. Dona C took pity on me and pointed out the second plant we needed for the tea. Heading back to the healing centre, she boiled up a batch, and though it did help in the short term, it did not completely cured the runs.

What to do, Masauke was waiting to make sure I was better so that he could drive back to San Antonio to drop off Linda who had spent a week with us, those adventures are to follow. If I didn't get better, I would be alone at the healing centre, with the runs and none of my usual natural remedies. But, the truth is I was still expecting that my preventative measures would work sooner than later and that I would be fine to head South to the Purhepeche pyramid for the Spring Equinox celebration and to visit with La Guardiana again, while Masauke and Linda headed North to Texas.

What to do, what to do, I consulted the spirits of the desert, asking them before I went to bed on Thursday night whether I should go to the pyramid or stay at the healing centre. Two of the guardians of the healing centre, both teachers of Masauke who have now pass over to the other side, appeared to me that night, but neither had an answer to my question. As I woke up I had three prophetic dreams, in the first I was riding on the back of a dolphin, the second I was watching a group of models that I was about to give a class to when their chief instructor told us all to 'walk this way', and as I was waking up someone whispered, the Ottawa School of Nursing. Well, what kind of mumbo jumbo, is that message, I thought. I was certainly no clearer about what the answer to my question was.

I was feeling much better for the first time in days and joined Linda and Masauke and spent a wonderful day with a collective of women who make natural granola bars in Las Margaritas and visited Dona Domitila, the local curandera and her family who live close by, more to follow in later episodes, I returned to the healing centre and so did the runs! So, what to do what to do. I posed my question to the spirits again that night, but this time, at Masauke's insistence I asked whether I should go north to Texas as well as the other options. After, packing all my bags to prepare for whatever answer would come, I spent an almost sleepless night with the return of the runs. I had not a single informative dream. Disappointed, in the morning I asked the spirits for guidance, we already told you the answer to your question was the reply I received. It was only during my morning meditation that I realized that they had indeed replied before I had asked the question. Walk this way, Ottawa School of Nursing = Go North, Young Woman! It was not an option that I had given them at the time I had asked the question, but the answer was clear.

So, with as little pouting as I could manage, and constantly repeating the phrase of the Great Master, "not my will, but thy will be done" I gave up my plans to head off to the pyramid and caught a ride with Masauke and Linda back to the land of health food stores and holistic remedies. And here I am, chowing down on Acidophilus, colloidal silver, bentonite clay and other wonderful natural remedies for diarrhea. I had forgotten how much of a health food junkie I was until I stepped into the Whole Foods Store and saw all the aisles and aisles of options. I did not miss the traffic, the big houses, new cars and SUVs, but boy, did I miss big health food stores! A synchronistic meeting in Whole Foods with Miranda and Mario, the only two other people of the Spirit that I know in San Antonio, reassured me that I had indeed listened to the directive of Spirit. So here I am waiting for Spirit to guide me on my next steps on my journey. ...

Lessons learned: 1) Eating is such a joy. You never really realize how much until you spend a few days not eating! 2) Always be prepared ... whether it is to follow the directive of Spirit, or to treat diarrhea. 3) The mundane world, the world of microbes and bacteria, deserves just as much respect as the world of brujas and spirits ...

Stay Tuned. StayWell, and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

On The Road Again, Stalking Knowledge in the Sierras

2007-03-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

"The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and that you are out there." Yasutani Roshi

No sooner had we returned from the trip to Morelia and the pyramids, washed our clothes (with a bucket and old fashioned scrub board), taken a shower with hot water ( a recent addition to the healing centre), we were on the road again stalking knowledge in the Sierras. Travelling down the straight roads of the desert, through the endless fields of Yucca and cactus, we headed off to Zacatecas. In Zacatecas we were to meet Masauke´s companion, Linda, who lives in San Antonio. She was to accompany us to the ceremony celebrating the return of the pilgrims in Las Latas in the Sierras.

Zacatecas is a beautiful old, but very lively town, in the state of Zacatecas, about 3.5 hours drive from San Rafael across many miles of desert. Linda´s bus was delayed so we had time to visit the Museo Zacatecano, which had a permanent exhibit of the life of the Wira or Huichol people, who I had already met and who we were about to visit. On our way to the museo we passed a puppet show in a square which was an open space for cultural exhibits, stopped in on an International Women´s Day instillation "Say No to Violence Against Women", observed a political rally, passed by three marching bands, one of which was a Mariachi band accompanying a bride and groom and wedding party as they walked from the church to the nearby reception hall!! Zactecas is certainly a happening city. There is infinitely more excitement here than any of the small towns I had been hanging out in for the past few months!

When Linda arrived we headed off across the plains and around wide mountain roads towards the town of Huejuqilla al Alto. Huejuquilla is the closest town to the Sierras, a small town with a boulevard that I am told looks like Guadalajaras and the traditional old Spanish style square. It has all the typical street vendors, the pushcart selling all manner of fresh fruit with lemon, salt and chili, a delicacy for those who have never tried fruit prepared this way; down the street a stand with helote, or corn, prepared in much the same fashion with a coating of mayonnaise to wash it all down, only for those who are not feint of stomach, as the chili makes your eyes water and I am always mildly suspicious of the mayonnaise jar sitting out in the sun, but suspect that the chili will kill any potential microbes; other stands with children's toys imported from China, plastic household items and various home made sweets are the order of the day. Huejuquilla is home to a large number of Wira people who no longer live in the Sierras. Many of them are still in their traditional dress though many have also become Tewarizado [Tewari= non Wira] and dress in non-Wira fashion.

It was getting dark as we left Huejuquilla, not far out of town we turned off on the narrow road that would take us up hill and over dale to Nueva Colonia, a Wirrarica settlement, 1,300 km above sea level deep in the Sierras. It was dark so my view was mostly of the trees by the side of the narrow road which was currently being widened and reconstructed, hence the numerous detours down precarious dirt paths, or of the cliffs on the other side of the road. I could not get an idea of how high up we were or what the surroundings looked like until we were leaving 4 days later. I could tell by the vegetation that we were quite high up as the firs and evergreens reminded me more of the temperate forests in Canada than any tropical rain forest I had ever been in.

Two and a half hours later, after bumping our way up the sometimes very steep and narrow road and heading over mountain bridges barely wider than the van, passing only a few settlements along the way, we arrived at a complex of long adobe houses surrounded by stands of tall pines sheltering sleeping cattle, all barely visible in the starlight night. Three toots of a horn and several shouts of 'Yacko', the traditional Wira greeting, later, Jesus, Masauke and Linda's conpadre, appeared from one of the door, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Masauke inquired about the status of the ceremony, which we knew was already going on down the hill in the community of Las Latas. Jesus confirmed that the peyoteros or peligrinos, the pilgrims, would be dancing all night that night, Saturday, and that the ceremony would go on the following day, likely overnight the next night and end on Monday.

Tired as we were, and with only two small flashlights to illuminate what I would learn the next day was a very steep footpath down the side of the mountain to the community of Las Latas, we decided to spend the night in our usual accommodation, the van that transforms into a one and a half bedroom, no bath luxury suite. While quite workable for two, it was a very tight fit for 3, Linda sharing Masauke's usual just larger than single bed spot, while I was across the 'hall' in the just barely bigger than half bed unit. Lying with my head towards the window, the breeze from the pine forest wafting in and watching the beautiful display of night stars, I could only think how beautiful life is!

Lessons learned: 1) once again I have to reflect on how little we really need -- a few bowls of rice, clean underwear and a place to lay your head, not much to ask, 2) Life is good! 3) Life is good!

Stay tuned for part 2. Staywell and travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

La Guardiana, The Keeper of Ancient Knowledge

2007-03-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

"The merchant said to the boy "Why ask more out of life?" "Because we have to respond to the omens," the boy said, almost without meaning to, then he regretted what he had said, because the merchant had never met the king. "It`s called the principle of favourability, beginner`s luck. Because life wants you to achieve your Personal Legand," the old king had said. but the merchant understood what the boy had said. The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho.

As I made my way down from the pyramid of the moon, I felt truly filled with power. I felt I had been in touch with the ancient knowledge of the spirits of the temple.. They had spoken to me while I was meditating and told me about who I was and why I was here. They told me who my ancestors were and why I was on this path .. Some of what they told me I understood and most of the knolçwledge I received I could not comprehend, no doubt it will be revealed to me later.

My ancestors have been calling for an eternity. The ancestors have spoken to me ever since I was a child, whispering in my ear, speaking in languages I could not understand. They have come to me in dreams, in symbols I had no way of interpreting. Thought they have been talking to me all my life, I am still not always sure what they are saying, or why they have chosen to talk to me, and not one of my brothers or cousins. Why was I the one with this gift, the privilege and the responsibility of being called by the ancestors, of being able to hear their voices, whether or not I can understand what they are saying. Why was it me who was chosen?

I had chosen another life for myself… a much more ordinary life. A life that my best friend now lives – I had chosen to be a doctor, get married, have a loving husband, a few kids, the house on the outskirts of a town, the car, a 9-5 job… all the ingredients for a ‘normal’ life…but somewhere along the way my ancestors began calling me – whispering instructions I did not even know I was listening to, telling me to take this turn here, miss that train there, cross this road at that time, study with that professor, apply for this job, go to that dojo, all seemingly innocent steps along the way, all little steps and one day I woke up and realized that I was no where near the ‘normal’ path… My ancestors callings had taken me into uncharted territory, taken me down a path that no one I knew had gone before … I can’t say when I received the calling – that I do not know -- but somewhere along the road to the normal, average life, I took a fork in the road and here I am following the path of the ancestors.

After introducing me to the spirits and walking me up the pyramid and beginning the ceremony, Masauke descended to say his own prayer and awaited me at the base of the pyramid. After I joined him, we walked to the edge of the compound, which was surrounded by forest. I knew that I was to call the deer, so i called 3 times in Huichol ... Masauki, Masauki, Masauki .. I was looking straight ahead expecting to see the deer, but there was nothing in the woods in front of me. I felt a tap on my shoulder, Masauke turned me around and there behind me was a large buck standing between the trees about 20 feet away. . The buck stood watching us. It did not move as we slowly approached him. We stopped about 10 feet away and could see that the buck was not alone... standing behind him was a doe.

We all watched each other for several minutes. Then as we approached the deer turned and disappeared into the forest. We walked towards where they had been, along the edge of the compound. I could hear them but could not see them. I was calling them but they did not appear. Just as I turned to Masauke to say that they had gone, the buck and doe ran right in front of me as though to tell me that they wre still there. They seemed to say ... speak to la Guardiana ..so we went off in search of her.

The gatekeeper at the pyramid confirmed where la guardiana lived. We bid farewell to the spirits of the pyramids and drove the 6 blocks to the house with the purple gate and the hanging hibiscuses. A young girl answered our knock at the gate . When we told her who we were she asked us to wait while she consulted La Guardiana. She came back a few minuted later asking us to follow her. We walked up the short stairs and through the courtyard to the large kitchen where la Guardiana was standing. As she approached I did a double take. She looked like my mother's older sister .. everything about her looked like a relatve of mine.

She invited us to sit down. La guardiana told us that she was 72 years old. She had been the spiritual guardian of the pyramid for over 30 years. Her role was to help people with meditations, relaxation and visualizations. She told us that she had been given a gift from God and the evidence fo the gift was in the palm of her hand. She showed us the 5 pointed star in the palm of her hand, If was the representation of the Great Star she told us. She had known about this gift since she had been 13 years old when an old woman from the town had seen the star in her palm and had foretold all that would happen to her. Her life had unfolded as the old woman had predicted.

She told us that the spirits of the pyramids come and talk to her, that they ask her for what they want. She had only finished grade 4 in school, but she had written a book because the spirits had come to her and told her what to write. For years she would go to sleep witha pen and paper by her bedbecause she knew that between 3 and 4 am she would be woken up by something that felt like a small animal crawling up her right shoulder. It would feel like a cricket crawling into her ear and once she was fully awake she would write down everything the spirits told her.

At that point she got up and went to the chest of drawers behind her and pulled out a copy of a book about the pyramid with her name on it. La Guardiana had only 1 copoy of the book left and would not let it leave her home. It was all she had left she said. More than half of what the spirits ahd told her had been stolen by the woman who had helped her to put the book together. She had apparently published a book in her own name withthe rest of the material. "The spirits will not look kindly on that" Masauke responded to la guardiana. "She is probably living a difficult life, if she is alive at all. "

La guardiana spoke to me for a while about traditional medicine and about specfic natural remedies she had been given by the spirits. She asked me to come back the next day to do a reading of my energy and answer any questions that I had. We travelled back to Patzcuaro and returned the next morning.. The reading was indeed very powerful and I received an invitation to return for the celebration of the Spring Equnox ceremony, so this saga will continue ...

Lessons Learned: 1) Living as we do in the so called 'modern' world we are no longer atuned to the whisperings of the Spirit, 2) It is beautiful to cross paths with someone wh is blessed with the 'don' or gift of being able to communicate with the spirits, 3) it is wise to listen to the whisperings of our ancestors however unfamiliar we may be with their voices and however distant the echoes of their voices sound.

Stay tuned. Many thanks and many blessings to all those who have allowed the Spirit Traveller to continue on her travels. Thanks also for the many many kilometers of travel provided by the Morning Blessing Way Healing Centre Annex in San Rafeal, SLP, Mexico!!.

StayWell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Stalking Knowledge: In Search of the Ancient Pyramids

2007-03-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

"We shape clay into pots, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want." Lao Tzu

While in Morelia, Masauke was drawn to take me to a Purhepecha pyramid in the nearby vicinity. He had been there some 8 years before and had met with the spiritual guardian of the pyramid, an older woman who had a relationship with the spirits of the pyramid. She is the one takes care of the ancient knowledge that remains in the pyramid. She is the one who has the ability to speak to the spirits of the temple.

Masauke recounted the story of his first visit to the pyramid when the Guardiana had presented himself and the others who he was travelling with, to the spirits as, "I present you 3 Greats", with that Marauke recalls, his companions turned to him and said, Don`t you hear that music, there must be a ceremony in progress inside the pyramids- Masauke had neard nothing, but all of the others he was travelling with had heard the fanfare. They were told that what they had heard were the spirits welcoming them, as though they had been preparing for the Games.

Masauke had forgotten the name of the pyramid but remembered it by its location in the town, which he also could not remember the name of. So off we went in search of this pyramid and in the process discovered two others before we found the right one. At each of the pyramids Masauke presented me tot he spirits of the temples and left me to greet them in my own way, which was of course, a greeting of warriors, a combination of karate katas, tai chi and chi gung.

The first pyramid we found was in the archeological zone of Ihuatzio, the place of the Coyote god, which was also the garrison that housed all the Purhepecha warriors. One of the caretakers gave us a description of what had taken place at the pyramid and showed us the raised roads that surrounded the place de las armas. He pointed out all the ruins that had yet to be excavated because the nearby fields were still owned by private landowners. It was there that I did the greeting to the 4 directions, Sheva Shao Lohan, and a special warrior meditation. This was not the pyramid with the Guardiana, so after Masauke described the one we were looking for to the caretaker, he tokd to try s certain route which would take us to anothe nearby pyramid.

The second pyramid we found was the pyramid of Tzintzuntzan, which was once the administrative capital of the Purhepeche world. Prior to the arrival of the Spànish the complex housed 40,00 people and administered the entire Purhepeche kindom. It is now located in a small village of less than 1000.

The following day, bright and early we were again stalking the ancient pyramids. This time we were sure that we had found the righ one after several people suggested that the pyramid at Tingambato fit the description. It was only about an hour away from where we were. Ever hopeful we set off and after driving up a mountain, along narrow curvy mountain roads, through a pine forest and avocado plantations looking out over beautiful lakes, we finally arrived at Tingambato. We had indeed found the lost pyramid.

The Guardiana was no longer at the pyramid, but Masauke again presented me at the gateway of the pyramid complex. He presentd me to the spirits saying"A la que se han llamada, se presenta" "She who you have summonsed is here" While he was presenting me we were greeted with drums. When he had finished I turned to him and asked if he had heard the drums. He had also heard them. Needless to say there were no drummers in the pyramid comples, the music came from the world of the spirits. I repeated my greeting to the four directions and did a powerful meditation on the top of the pyramid of the Moon. Then we set off to find the Guardiana...

Lessons Learned: 1) I`m still working on the lessons learned at this one!!

To be continued ... Stay Tuned. StayWell and Travel with Spìrit, Spirit Traveller.

Meeting Fellow Travellers Along The Road

2007-03-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

"If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him" Ancient Zen Saying.

Masauke needed to go to Morelia come here to close some old circles, to leave behind some old paterns and habits that was still with him for the time he had lives here many years ago. Morelia is in the state of Michiocan, which at one point was the name for all of Mexico. The time in Morelia was a time of many lessons. It was the first place that I found a real kung fu dojo. I also met with the local indigenous women, the Purhepeche women, in the nearby city of Patzcuero. I will recount this in a later entry.

Morelia is a very old city with narrow streets and old stone buildings. There is a large old cathedral in the middle of the square. It is surrounded by palacial mansions, most of which have been converted into hotels or cafes. The governor mansion is also in the square. It is from this mansion the the grito del la independencia, the shout of independence, goes out once a year, following the tradition at the beginning of the revolution. The governor mansion is right in front of the Cathedral. I guess the thinking was that the closer that you live to the house of God, the more blessed you are viewed to be.

The people of Morelia are very Spanish looking, more juera or very light skinned, than in many of the other smaller towns I have visited. Sitting in the plaza in the evening I could have been sitting in Anytown in Europs or Anylargetown in Canada or the US. It is a university town, so at night there is a lot of activity. Unlike other towns, where many of the people selling in the streets have darker skin and most often are indigenous people, in the streets of Morelia there are more apparently 'upwardly mobile' students performing tricks or selling wares than there are people people selling their wares because there have no other means of earning a living.

This juxtaposition of the light skin students selling their talents and the darker skinned indigenous people selling their art and their talents, made me reflect on the power of discrimination, and on what the Western world has come to value. The art that the indigenous people were selling took much time and years of experience to do well, yet their work is not values, less so now that machines can do in minutes what they take hours to do and years to learn. The students are selling their talents to buy an education which will guarentee them a stable and secure place in society. Yet the native people have centuries of knowledge that is being lost and devalued leaving many of them with few alternative than to sell their art for a few dollars or to leave their traditions behind and join the so called civilized world. How much knowledge are we as a global society losing as the people change their ways of life to adapt to the so called modern world!

During the trip to Morelia, Masauke met with several people from the spiritual group that he was a part of while he lived here. One of the people we met was Miguel, a Spaniard living in Mexico who continues to study the medicine way with Masauke's brother who stil maintains a spiritual group in the city. Miguel was 15 days away from leaving the stable job he had for many years and heading off to Spain for 5 months before going to Canada with his wife and family, with no job and no prospects, only a few contacts. Miguel was about to do what I had done 2 months earlier.

Sitting at breakfast he told me that his safe stable job provided him with 2 houses but no joy.. He could support his wife and children but he was slowly dying inside. As he spoke to me and as I recounted my journey that had brought me here Masauke reminded me that he was indeed a mirror for me, that he was reading one of the letters that I had been given by the Great Spirit at the last ceremony he had performed for me.

Miguel and I met each other at exactly the ideal moment, when my faith was being tested and when he was doubting his decision. Miguel later told Masauke that what I had told him was exactly what he needed to hear at that time. It was truly a beautiful meeting of spirits on a similar path.

Lessons learned: 1) Kill the Buddha means that we need to learn to be a light unto ourselves, to learn to be our own light, our own Buddha's, our own authority, 2) The Buddha is neither outside or inside ourselves, we must kill all illusions of finding the buddha, we already are the Buddha, 3) Take the middle road -- learning to achieve freedom takes practice, practice in balancing freedom from with freedom to.

On that note, stay tuned. Stay well and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Oh Tears of Joy!

2007-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

"Physician, heal thyself" Luke 4:23

To be a healer, one must learn to heal one's self. I have been on the path of learning to heal myself for the past 25 years. It has been a long and windy road. I have placed myself in many situations tht have been physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically and spiritually challenging, each tiem a little more, so that I would push at my boundaries, unblock old blockages, unlearn lessons that not meant for me and undo old habits that no longer served me.

I have been healing myself for the past 25 years and still the work has not been completed. Instead I find this healing work much like removing the layers of an onion, or walking a labyrinth. Each time I remove another layer there is still another deeper layer yet to be explored and transformed. Learning to be who I really am, to follow th path that was chosen for me, or rather that I chose for myself when I incarnated as the person that i am, in this conjuncture of time-space, under the specific alignment of stars that I chose and to the parents tht I selected, learning those lessons have been particularly hard for me. Maybe no more than others I have been challenged to learn the lessons of trust, to learn the lessons of forgiveness and to learn the ultimate lesson, the lesson of love.

These lessons have all be difficult lessons for me to learn ... 1) trusting in that power, the nameless that has no name, that is beyond myself and yet at the same time trusting in myself, 2) forgiving myself for whatever mistakes, errors or misjudgements I believe I have made and at the same time forgiving all others for what I believe thay may have done to me and 3) loving myself unconditionally and learning to love all others, even those that I don't like. Thses have been difficult lessons that I have struggled toincorportate into my life for the past 25 years .. I am still learning tham .. as Socrates and Lao Tzu both said.. To know and not to do, is not to know.

Last week my faith in the Spirit was tested. I had left my jobs in Toronto and taken this sabbatical to learn new healing techniques and to renew my Spirit, to leap into the abyss and trust that I am always taken care of. It is a lesson that most aboriginal peoples who live off the land and trust in the Creator to provide their daily meals, and the Zen monks who travel with their bowl in their hands, and those who are homeless and live off the charity of others, know all too well. It is a lesson we mostly chose to forgot in the West, having structured our lives so that we have a steady and secure source of income.

I too had made sure that I had done all the calculations before I left and made sure that there would be sufficient funds for my sabattical. What I would do when I returned, well, only Spirit would show me that when I was ready to see that fork in the road. Trusting in Spirit, and following the path of many who had gone before me, I jumped into the abyss. All was well for the first two months, but I still had not been paid for some work that I had done before I left. I trust in Spirit enough to know that the money will arrive when I need it to arrive. As the end of the second month approached and the money did not appear, I began to lose faith.

It was then that Spirit once again intervened. Out of the blue, a longtime friend Bev emailed to offer to periodically deposit $20 in my account, as she knew that I was not working and had gone off on this sojourn. I received the email as a true sign from Spirit as it came at a time when I was doing serious battle with the Adversary, some call him/her Satan or the Devil, but this is the spirit that tests our faith in the Great Will, that appears as the darkenss before the dawn, that challenges us to lose faith just before we find that which we have been searching for. I had been doing battle with the Adversary when the email arrived.

I was still not out of the woods and sent an email to all my contacts offering to sell some of the artworks that I had purchased in an effort to support the local people in the different places I had travelled to. I had collected some beautiful yarn art from the Wirriraca people as well as some natural fibre items, all purchased on fair trade principles. I sent out the email in the morning and tears of joy were runing down my face when I checked my eamil the following morning when my father, my brother and a few of my friends all answered my request. A Jewish friend, who did not have space in her apartment for any artwork, offered to give me the gift of chai, or life, a gift of $18. All these replies were the voice of Spirit echoing through the mouths and hands of those I know. It indeed renewed my trust in the Spirit, and in the path that I have been called to travel.

For all those who have generously supported my travels or purchased artwork, I willi ndeed lay down a prayer for you in the desert. May you be blessed multifold and ay the Great Spirit be there for you when you are in need. I will continue along the road of healing myself. This indeed had been a powerful lesson in trust, in forgiving myself and in love ... As Masauke, my teacher often says, if the road to becoming a healer was an easy road then it would be crowded.

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller

Martial Arts in Mexico

2007-03-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

"Before I studied Zen, mountains were mountains and water was water, when I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I realized that mountains were not mountains and water was not water. Now that I have got its very substance I am at rest. I see mountains once again as mountains and water, once again as water" Chuan Teng Lu, The Way of Zen

When I am in Toronto, I spend a lot of time training in martial arts -- in fact, I train about 6 days a week. If I am not teaching tai chi, I am studying chi gung, if I am not teaching kobudo, I am studying jodo, if I am not studying karate, I am teaching it. I am not a particularly gifted martial artist. I do not have the natural talent of a Sheldon S, one of the young blackbelts who graded at the same time that I did, who can jump straight up in the air for at least 3 feet, and do a spinning flying side kick from that position, with what appears to be no effort at all. In fact, most of the guys who graded for their karate shodan at the same time that I did, started a long time after me..

I am not particularly gifted at martial arts, but martial arts for me has been a gift from the Spirit. It has been something that when I started training I almost left, sayiong that I would never be able to do it. I was first introcduced to martial arts at age 28, when I took one of those continuing education classes in shotokan karate. When I lived in Brazil I trained at two different dojos. At that time I was mostly interested in the exercise aspect of martial arts.

When I returned to Canada, Gloria, a good friend of mine, had recently enrolled in tae kwon do, so I signed up for a year and got as far as my first non white belt-- a yellow belt. It was when I was 39 years old that the martial arts bug really bit me. I was finishing up my PhD and was really stressed. I found a dojo where classical martial arts were taught -- many different arts in the same place. I started with tai chi, moved on to iaido, of Japanese sword, then added jodo to my repertopireand the rest is history... the bug had bitten so hard that I could not stop. Kobudo, or ancient weapons, was my next venture, and finally karate.

I was one of the oldest students in the dojo when I started. I certainly did not feel fit or that I had the ability to make the moves, or remember the katas that the black belts were doing. For the first few months I struggled to do what others were doing so effortlessly. My struggling, as my Sensei used to tell me, was not so much because it was physically difficult, though it was, byt mostly because it looked easy, and my ego mind told me that I was very smart and that I "should" be able to pick up something that looked so easy very quickly. I was used to learning quickly, so why was this so difficult.

I had forgotten, or maybe I had not yet learned, that learning with the body and learning with the mind required similar but different techniques. I was always over thinking and interfering with my own learning process. I was seeking the truth behind each of the martial arts instead of expereincing them as they were. Well, almost eight years later, taking it one step at a time, learning how to let go of my own interferance, I have achieved shodan (first degree black belt) and above, in five different arts/disciplines.

Now, here I am again, starting at white belt, learning a new modus operandi -- travelling with Spirit, trusting that I will be taken care of by the Great Spirit, the Creator, the Divine Mother, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, the Universe, the Goddess, whatever name I or others have given to the energy that moves that Universe. Again, I am challenged to put into practice, but ina different way, all of the zen philosophy and martial arts training I have been doing for the past 7 years.

Who would have thought that at 46 years old I would be called to leave the "normal" life behind and venture off in search of my personal destiny. That is the progative of youth. I always thought that I had missed my opportunity to seek my fortune, to fulfill my personal destiny, because I had gotten sidetracked doing what I knew how to do best -- to study. I had spent most of my adult life in University studying one thing or another, maybe that is why studying martial arts on some level was easy for me.... studying was what I knw best. Now I have been called to apply the lessons of martial arts to the artistry of life -- my Sensei always says that a martial artist is an artist of life! Like the Zen monks who have gone before me I am now on my walk about ....

I have been called to trust that the Spirit is leading me where I need to be, that I am learning the lessons that are needed for the moment where I am and that I will be taken care of. A couple days ago my faith was truly tested and I would like to thank for the most sacred place in my heart those of my readers, family and friends who responded and who have supported me in my travels. You have renewed my faith in Spirit and in the hand of the Divine acting through fellow humans. They say that when you travel, you put your self in the hands of strangers. They also say that strangers are really not strangers, only freinds you have yet to meet.

Lessons learned: 1) first and foremost, trust Spirit, 2) second and utmost, trust Spirit implicitly, 3) third and finally, trust Spirit always.

ps- if any of my fellow kareta ka from Hasu Dojo are reading this, I found the first real dojo since I have been in Mexico yesterday in Morelia. The Sensei is a Mexican who lives in China for many years. He teaches Kung Fu and Tai Chi... Martial Arts are Alive and Well and Living in Mexico too!

Taking The Pilgrims Home, Part 2 .. Establishing Relationships with the Women

2007-02-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

"Why would the desert reveal such things to a stranger, when it knows that we have been here for generations?" said another of the cheiftains. "Because my eyes are not yet accustomed to the desert," the boy said, "I can see things that eyes habituated to the desert might not see." "And also, because I know The Soul of the World" he thought to hmself. The Alchemist.

I am falling behind on these entries as so much is happening, but before getting up to date, I want to share some of my experiences with the Wirrarica women during the pilgrimage.

I was sitting in the van in Wadley, waiting for the group of pilgrims who had gone into the local stores to buy tortillas and refrescos, when Maria, the mother of Masauke's goddaughter's future husband, came up to talk to Masauke. I was introduced to her and she was the one who had commented happily that I was wearing one of their outfits. This was my first encounter with the women pilgrims, though I had already met several Wira women in Real and Matehuala, where many indigenous people go to sell their wares. I had supported as many of the women as I could by buying some of their art and beadwork, but had not been able to converse much with them as their lives, their health and their traditional medicines, as these were working women.

The other two pilgrim women were busily organizing things in the back of the pick up truck that they, along with a couple of male pilgrims and many baskets of personal effects, were travelling. Many of the men came over to talk with Masauke and were introduced to me, or vice versa. I had not been fully briefed on the protocal for interacting with the pilgrims, so I did not go up to talk with the other women, but mostly spent the time observing the pilgrims, who at that time were very new to me.

When we had delivered the pilgrims to their campsite near Santa Margaritas, the women and men had been equally involved in the harvesting of wood for the sacred fires, the lighting and greeting and of the fires and in setting up their individual sleeping area. I had observed from outside of the circle of pilgrims so as not to get drawn in to the energies of the fire and other sacred objects they were working with and to become amarrado or tied to the fire, which would require me to complete a 5 year cycle of pilgrimages, something Masauke had recommended I not do for a number of reasons.

The next time I met the pilgrims again was the morning when we went to pick them up to take them back to Mesquetic. Masauke knew that I wanted to interact withteh women so he had invited 2 of the women to travel in the van. The third woman was travelling with her husband. As this was the last, fifth year of the pilgrimage, the family of the pilgrims were able to accompany them on their journey. As well as this woman pilgrim's husband, the accompanying family members included a 5 year old Wira boy, who slept outside in the coooold weather as though it were nothing.

The second pilgrim travelling in our van, whose English name was also Maria, did not acknowledge me when she entered the van. but went to sit in the far corner with her son, who was one of the first time pilgrims. I had been told that she was one of Matsua's wives. Matsua, a very striking man, who appeared to be not much older than me, in his late 40's early 50', was the Captain of the pilgrimage. This was his second five year obligation. I was told that he was the only person who knew all the intricacies of everything that the pilgrims had to do during their journey.

She would later reprimand me in a firm but very gentle way, for not having greeted her and would let me know that with Tewaris, non Wira people, she only greeted those who greeted her. She would also let me know that she was also a student of Matsua and had spent the past 5 years of her 'cargo' or position, learning the traditions from him. At one of the later stops on the trip, the two Maria's were to bless me and present me to the altar where the rain was born, and ask Matsua to bless and present me as well.

From my perspective as an outsider, a Tewari and a westerner, the women seemed quite shy and not as involved but this was my western mind judging something about which I knew nothing. I would find out that in all crucial matters of coming before the Spirit it is the women who come to present the men. I am told that the spirits had mothers and are partial to the women's requests. Grandmothers are used for the delivery of all sacred offerings. Maria, who is the wife that travels with Matsua during any sacred outing, is the only one who blesses Matsua, who is the head shaman, the chief mericami. She is allowed for this purpose to handle and use the sacred mask of the deer, a right reserved only for a shaman. I have been told several times that, at this level there is no gender - a shaman is a shaman, and a pilgrim is a pilgrim.

I spent as much time as I could talking to the women whenever possible. Their quiet, strong, reserved energy reminded me of my mother's energy. Maria,the wife of Matsua, bears a surprizing resemblance to the women of my family, my mother, mu aunt Melli, who have a beautiful mixture of African, Indigenous and Europpean ancestors. Except for my hair, which they call 'muy china', or very curly, my colouring and features is also very similar to theirs. Maybe this was another reason for our connection.

At one of the stops I bought one of the Maria's a steak dinner, while Masauke paid for the dinner of the other and two of the men. Before we left I gave each of the women 120 pesos and a bracelet as one of them had commented on the bracelet I was wearing. It was a small gesture but it meant a lot to them . The shyest of the three women, whose name I was told, but dont remember, made a point of walking over in my direction to use the facilities, just as I was learving so that we could say goodbye. They all invited me to come to their village and see the final part of the ceremony and to see how theiy live. It is my plan to go.

Lessons learned: 1) Small gestures can have big results, 2) As we give so shall we receive, 3) There is so much that humanity that joins us it is amazing that people concentrate on all the things that separate us.

staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller

Taking The Pilgrims Home, Part 1

2007-02-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

"To realize one`s personal destiny is a person`s only obligation" The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho.

I started this entry the night after I returned from a 3 day trip taking the Wira pilgrims from Santa Margarita to Mesquitic a distance of several hundred kilometres, and it has taken me this long to finish it. Last week, I once again put on my traditional Wira dress as I accompanied Masauke to the ceremony to thank the fire and to close down the Wiricuta campsite of the Wira pilgrims.

This campsite had been their home for all the time that the pilgrims had been harvesting the medicine they would need for the next year. While making the two day trek up the Sierra to El Cemado, one of their most sacred sites, where many offerings were left, I am told that they left guardians to take care of their sacred fires. During the closing ceremony, each pilgrim payed their respects to the fires before they were put out. It was a simple but very specific ceremony. I am sure it would take many repititions for me to understand all the intricacies and significance of what they were doing. Once the spirits of the fires had been respectfully addressed and the fire put out each pilgrims was free to gather his/her basket with their belongings, their gourd or bottle of water and put their crate of medicine into one of the awaiting vehicles.

At this stage the pilgrims no longer walk as there is now too much to carry. The caravan included 6 vehicles, one truck was provided by the government`s office for indigenous people and the other 5 vehicles were pick trucks, SUVs or vans. The owners, only one of them Wira, have for years assisted the Wira people in thier pilgrimage by providing transportation on thier journey home.

This year the caravan was transporting 37 pilgrims from their campsite in the Wiricuta desert back to the site near Mesquetic where they had `officially`started the pilgrimage. There they would have a day to prepare for the next phase of the pilgrimage, the sacred hunt. The harvesting of the deer energy is very sacred to Wira people. Deer skins and other aspects of the deer energies are present in many, if not all, of the Wira ceremonies. Following the hunt the pilgrims will spend 3 more days walking over 2 mountain ranges to get back to the ceremonial centre in their main village.

The van that I had travelled in carried between 5 to 7 pilgrims plus Masauke and myself. There was usually at least one of the women pilrgims in the van, though on each leg of the journey, the group of pilgrims in the van had changed. To say that this was an amazing experience for me would be a total understatement. On the morning of the closing ceremony I had not eaten, as we had left early to catch the ceremony. By the time the ceremony, and the packing and loading of belongings, crates, and people, was complete, it was close to 11 am. I had planned to grab an orange but had forgotten to take even a bottle of water. By the time we made our first pit stop, several hours later, I was hungry and extremely thirst. The pilgrims had not eaten or drank in the time we had been travelling and showed no signs of discomfort.

As we were leaving the Wiricuta campsite, one more pilgrim piled in. I gave up my seat, in the back of Masauke`s van, which is arranged more like a talking circle in a psychologists office than the back of a passenger van. I rode the first leg of the journey a floor of the van, squished in between pilgrim`s feet, sleeping mats, the machetes each pilgrim carries to harvest wood and medicine, and pilgrims bundles. Most of the pilgrims had just met me, and as they are a somewhat reserved people, they did not say much to me though they did talk among themselves in Wira.

Maria, the woman who had been happy to see me dressed like them, asked me the occasional question. Maria`s son, a youth, who is engaged to Masauke`s goddaughter, decided to use the opportunity of the trip to practice the English he had learned in school. Thus my relationship with the youth contingent began. It felt good to don my teacher hat, which I had worn very rarely in the past few months, and engage the youth to practice the English they knew. Translating between English, Spanish and Wira, playing a sort of `I spy`game became the order of the day with the youth contingent and I for the rest of the trip.

The women pilgrims and I developed a very special relationship, despite the short time we spent together. I would go and sit with the group of women, who most of the time sat separately from the men, every time we stopped. When Masauke asked the women to present me at one of the altars that we stopped at on the way back, we really developed a closer bond. It totally warmed my heart to see how grateful they were when I gave them the package with the fabric for their outfits. The woman who received it kissed the package and thanked me profusely. The little money they have does not often stretch to new clothes for themselves.

Lessons learned: 1) Our needs are really very simple, eg none of the pilgrims changed their clothes in the time I was with them and neither did I .. a free afternoon is provided for at each river or watersource where one outfit is washed and hung on the bushes to dry and an alternate outift put on. The women I saw wore the same outer outfit the entire time ; 2) In the West, when we go camping we think we are living with nature. These are people who are still ONE with nature; 3) The practicality of their clothing, especially the long full cotton shirt, was greatly appreciated when the caravan stopped and everyone scattered in different directions to use the outdoor facilities!!

StayTuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Do The Right Thing!

2007-02-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

"As long as you seek "something" you will get the shadow of reality, not reality itself" Shunryu Suzuki

"Do The Right Thing" was one of my favourite Spike Lee movies. In my life I always try to do the right thing, but doing the right thing is not always as easy as it seems.

Yesterday morning I went with Masauke, the healer I am studying with, to visit the camp of the Wirrarica pilgrims, who had camped for 2 days in a conservation area about 40 minutes from the healing centre. I had met the pilgrims the afternoon they set up camp. They had spent the next day doing ceremonies to ask permision of the spirits of the land, the fire and of the medicine to permit them to harvest their sacred hicuri medicine. I was told that the energies of this medicine, known to the Western world as peyote, was very strong. Also that, because of the quantity of medicine harvested, and because I have not been a part of the purification ceremonies at the various altars that the pilrgims had visited on their journey from their home in the Sierras to the desert, where the medicine is plentiful, I needed to take the pecaution of staying in the van, so as not to be affected by the energy of the ceremony and the medicine.

I am particularly sensitive to spiritual energy, having meditated for about 15 years, trained in tai chi, chi gung and other martial arts, studied energy medicine and been inititated in a couple of spiritual disciplines. I have a group of specific chi gung exercises that I do daily to keep myself centered and balanced as I am what is known as an empathetic healer, someone who easily absorbs other peoples energies. Prior to my martial arts training I was always being affected by the energies of others. Even now, in my healing work, I am sometimes afffected by the energies of particularly difficult clients.

Although I was not getting out of the van, I had arrived dressed in the traditional outfit of the Wirriraca women, which I had been sent one by the wives of the captain of the pilgrimage, when she had heard from Masauke that I was going to be interacting with the pilgrims prior to the end of their journey. I had felt good about wearing the outfit when one of three women pilgrims had commented approvingly on the fact that I was dressed like them when I had first met them. I was also well aware of their traditions and the seriousness of this pilgrimage, and especially this particular aspect of the pilgrimage where they harvest their sacred medicine.

The pilgrimage is such an important aspect of their culture that traditionally, the wives of the pilgrims, who until recent times were all male, wore special dress so that their thoughts of their husbands would not be carried by the winds and make it difficult for the pilgrim to complete the arduous journey. Having also been a suppporter at a Navajo Sundance I understand that importance of modest dress during sacred ceremonies where prayers are being sent to the Creator.

When we arrived at their ceremonial camp site, I was surprised by the number of "visitors", who were at the site, from the local goat herder, who came to get a blessing from these powerful indigenous people, to groups of supporters whose families had long been assisting the pilgrimage by bringing food and supplies for the pilgrims. Among this group there were two women. Neither were dressed in the traditional Wirririca outfits, though one was very modestly dressed in a long skirt similar to the Wirriraca tradition. The one who was dressed in tight jeans was accompanying her husband, a long time suporter, within the ceremonial circle.

I watched from the van, where I could see all the activities of the group, some of whom were having a traditional breakfast of tortillas and a hot beverage, while others were busily sorting and packing the hicuri medicine they had gathered in wooden crates for the long journey back.
At first I was fine to be in the van, but as time passed, I began to resent the fact that the other women were out and about one mingling withthe pilgrims and not even dressed in traditional outfits.

As I became frustrated with the situation, or as my teacher later pointed out, as the energy of the hicuri medicine jumped on me and brought up all those old unresolved emotions, I started to think back to the teachings of my Sensei. In Toronto I train in a very traditional dojo. I have often gone to seminars and tournaments where there are senior Senseis from Japan and where students from other dojos, some junior but sometimes some senior to me, have behaved in ways that, from what I have learned from my Sensei, are not at all appropriate.

I remember the first few times this happened that I too wanted to take a picture with the senior Sensei, or to give a personal gift to my favourite visiting Sensei. My Sensei quite firmly made me, and all the other members of our dojo know that the behavour of the other students was not appropriate. Slowly, I learned to do the right thing, even when I really was tempted to do what my ego was telling me to do and not what my training has prepared me to do.

Now, here I was again, in a similar situation and I wanted to get out of the van and go over to talk to the pilgrims that I had met the other day. To hell with what my teacher had told me. I had to meditate deeply and take myself back to my martial arts training in order to remian in the van and not get really pulled in by my own desires, which I was later told, that the hicuri medicine was bringing to the surface.

Well, lesson learned. I did stay in the van, though I was more snarky than I would have liked to have been with my teacher when he came back. I cross questioned him on the other women present and their lack of traditional dress and ability to mingle freely with the pilgrims, only to be told that they were not healers and were not students of any medicine tradition. They were not on the Spirit path and as such not as open to the energies of the medicine and as well, they had known the group for many many years. Thanks goodness for my Sensei and the year that he beat those lessons into my head. I had done the right thing, contrary to what I, my ego self, had wanted me to do!! Somedays doing the right thing takes a lot of work!!!

Lessons Learned: 1) Do the Right Thing! Even when it is very hard to do. 2) Do not second guess those who have gone before about what the right thing might be... they have been done the path before and that is why we chose them as our guides or teachers, 3) Keep Doing the Right Thing!!

Stay tuned. StayWell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.

Helping the Spirit to Support Indigenous People

2007-02-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

"Lo Que Deseas Para Mi, Te Recebriras dos veces mas " ... Written on a wall in Real de Catorce, SLP, Mexico 2007.

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the afternoon as an observer of a portion of the last leg of the spiritual pilgrimage of the Wirriraca people, known to the world by the name the Spanish called them, the Huicholes, the local indigenous people from the Sierras. The pilgrimage arrived near San Rafael to rest and to purchase some final supplies, tortillas, frijoles, water, before heading back into the desert for the final 5 days of the pilgrimage.

From each of the Wirriraca villages high in the Sierras, where they are still observing the thousands of years old traditions, a group of pilgrims travel, for over 700 kilometres, mostly on foot, over a 2-3 week period, eating mostly tortillas and frijoles and experiencing the weather first hand. They travel to the desert to visit all the sites that are sacred to their people, to bathe and purify themselves in the sacred springs and to collect their most sacred medicine, the hicuri medicine, which they take back to their villages to be used throughout the year.

This is a spiritual pilgrimage which has been part of the culture of these indigenous peoples from a time, lost in history when a blue deer was seen coming out of the ocean. The deer was chased by the local hunters across many miles and over many terrains until the deer was finally felled by the hunters arrows in this area, in Wiricuta, the desert. The drops of blood from the deer became the sacred medicine of the people, which they continue to collect to this day, though in many comunities the ancient traditions are dying out.

This is truly a pilgrimage of the Spirit. As this group of pilgrims travels with Spirit, they reshape their world and their journey ensures the success of the harvest, the survival of the corn, which is life for the Wirrarica people. As their culture has been influenced by colonizing forces, only a few valient communities and fearless people continue to make the challenging commitment to continue the pilgrimage. Their indigenous knowledge tell them that once the pilgrimage is not more the way of life of their people will be lost forever.

I have supported the pilgrimage through my donation to their First Singer, one of their chief healers-medicine men or meracames, whose songs open the pilgrimage and ask the Spirits for the safe return of the pilgrims, and on behalf of Indigenous women from the Caribbean and Canada have made a donation of the fabric needed to make the traditional dressed for the women pilgrims. I would like to thank Dr Caliz-Monterro from Spain for her generous donation of $50, which was distributed among the only 3 women pilgrims of the group. They were travelling without money or food and this money arrived at a much needed moment and was truly a gift from the Spirit. They used the money to buy the food and supplies needed for their journey.

I will be privileged to return to thier community a the end of their final ceremony at El Cemado, the altar of the deer, at which all their offerings are left. I will be travelling back with them to their community and will keep you post. Any financial assistance that you can provide to these fearless pilgrims will help to ensure their safe return to their villages, the last stronghold to the ancient way of the Deer, and will be greatly appreciated by the Spirit. As the opening line states -- "What you wish for me, you will receive twofold". If you are able to make a donation, please email me at travelwithspirit@yahoo.ca and I will provide you with instructions.

Lessons Learned: 1) Our true needs are very simple; 2) Women are being prepared throughout the world to walk the path of Spirit and to take leadership roles; 3) The ancient traditions of indigenous peoples throughout the world maintains the integrity not only of their own lives and their communities but of the life of our mother the Earth and of all her peoples. Ache ...

Stay Tuned. StayWell and Travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller

Women, Life and Work in the Desert

2007-02-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

Over the past two weeks I have been alone at the healing centre while the healer that I came to aprentice with was off on a spritual pilgrimage. I have been interiewing the women of the nearby town about their lives, their health and their knowledge and relationship to traditional medicines.

I have spent many hours talking with several wonderful women about the tranquil but challenging life in the desert. Most of the women feel that they are very healthy because life is very relaxed and peaceful but say that is is very hard to make ends meet, even for those who have a small piece of landwhere they can plant some corn or have some goats or chickens. The lack of rain makes it a challenge to grow anything at times.

The lack of jobs and any type of employment means that those who do not have a little piece of land with an animal or two, often fed with what we in Canada would put in the compost bin, are truly living by the Spirit, as one resident told me. Living by the grace nd the works of the Holy Spirit. Doing casual labour when it is available, working in the maquiladoras when they are open, living from the money they make from the tourists who visit the area, many coming as apiritual tourists, as I will discuss in a later entry.

It is a precarious life for many. Those who are married and have grown or growing children can count on several sources of income as little as each person may bring in. The single women with children are the ones who really live by the Spirit. One women I talked with had three daughters with three different fathers, none of whom had ever acknowledged or supported their offspring. The mother is in her late forties and when she was pregnant with the first child was told by her mother that she had to fend for herself and take responsibility for what she had done. That was some 28 years ago, and now 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren later, she is still living by the spirit.. doing whatever it takes to support her children and the one grandson who lives with her.

Employment is what this town needs most several women have told me. It is important for the men, but many men go to other towns or `go to the other side`, ie to the United States, to look for a better life, but many of the young single women who do nt have relatives to stay with in other towns or cities are afraid to venture off to the big cities by themselves, to pay rent and be vulnerable to assault and loneliness. It is difficult at times to rely on the Spirit.

Lessons Learned: 1) In some places a decent job is a luxury, 2) living by the spirit should be a choice not a necessity, 3) Some things chang but in some places many things remain the same. The lives of women in the desert fo rmany remain as they have been for many years...

Stay Tuned. Staywell and walk with Spirit, in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller

Staying Well in San Rafael

2007-02-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

"Be grateful for whoever comes, for each has been sent as a guide from beyond" Rumi

Here I am actively trying to staywell in the desert and to trust that I am being taken care of by the Divine spirit. Some days it is harder than others.

This morning I started an Exercise Club for the women from the nearby town. We started with two women only - a mother and daughter, who had previously both asked me if I could suggest something they could do to lose weight. I had given them a number of suggestions including soem dietary changes, a liver flush and some simple exercises. I am not sure that they followed any of my suggestions for ore than a few days.

I decided to take the bull by the horns and have been have been sharing my dinners with a family of women, mother and 2 daughters, who all want to lose weight. I have been showing them how to cook nutritious low fat vegetarian meals that they can intersperse with their regular fare which is much higher in salt, fried foods and sugar. I am operating on the principle of "each one, teach one" and suggesting that they share what they are learning with their friends. I was pleasantly surprized when I went to eat at their house that they served me food that was very much along the lines of what I had been serving them. Now, if only I can convince them to stop snacking on the chips and cookies and to cut down on the fried foods!!

Anyway, today I started the Exercise Club because despite the fact that I had suggested that they do some simple exercises every day or go for a walk every morning or evening, they had not changed their daily routine to include more activity. So, I suggested that they accompany me when I went for my morning walk. They met me at the healing centre and we walked from there to the Panteon, the local graveyard, which is about a 15 minute walk. There we did a few chi gung exercises and then continued our walk back towards the town -- about a half an hour of extra activity added to their day, and I had company during my daily routine!

They agreed to make this a regular event - twice a week. Let`s see how well this works. I have also suggested that each one invite one more person. So far I have taught several karate classes and a few tai chi classes in the past 5 weeeks, but not to any groups that are here on a regular basis, so this may be my first regular `teaching` gig. It will keep the wheels of my body and mind oiled and help the local women to keep fit. StayingWell for all!!

Lessons learned: 1) If you can`t help everyone, then help one person or one family; 2) Tell me and I may remember, but involve me and I will never forget; 3) It`s more fun sharing our knowledge than keeping it to ourselves.

Stay tuned! Staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller

How Did I Get Here From There?

2007-02-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

"To study the way, is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be awakened to all things." Dogen

How did I get to be travelling with Spirit, or by the Spirit, in Mexico? I have asked myself this question several times. The seed for this journey was planted 7 years ago, though really it was planted a long long time ago. The final impetus that led me to where I am now came 6 months ago. So as not to be exceedingly ordinary, let`s start from the end and head towards the beginning of this story.

If you have never tuned into Rob Breszney`s Astrology, then I would highly recommend that you do -- google him to find out more! In his newsletter of Jan 31st, his prediction for my sign describes precisely the final impetus for deciding to leave my regular job and `normal` life, some 6 months earlier. He said "It is a scary responsibility to give people astrological advice. What if I suggested that you call in sick (even though you`re not sick) so you could wander off into the Great Unknown in quest of close encounters with mind blowing teachings? And what if in the course of following my suggestions you learned so many lessons about how to permanently expand your frontiers that you then decided to burn down a bridge to nowhere and give away your emotional baggage and live in greater devotion to your soul`s radically simple needs? Could I then get sued by someone in your life who really doesn`t want you to escape your traps?"

Well, 2 and a half years ago, when I when for the first time to the Little big Medicine Sundance, to volunteer as a healer for the sundancers and local indigenous community, I was introduced to a Mexican American medicine man who had spent years studying the traditions of the Huicholes or the Wirriraca people. After I attended a ceremony that Masauke conducted at his altar, I was invited to come to the healing centre he was building in the desert to receive a blessing. Well, needless to say I was not mentally, emotionaly, or spiritually ready to go at that time. I told myself I couldn`t go bacause I was preparing for a karate black belt grading but the truth is, this medicine man and his path scared me. BUT, he had opened up a door in my consciousness or my awareness, that try as I might, I could not close again.

I continued with my regular life and the next year when I went back to do my volunteer healing work at the Sundance, as I expected, he was there. During the ceremony I went to pay my respects to him and his altar. On the final day of the sundance I was invited to spend a few days in the healing centre that he is affiliated with in Arizona. I decided to go and ended up staying there for 4 days, instead of the 1 day I had planned. For those of you who have read Carlos Casteneda, my visit there was like something out of Carlos`books... Every time I was ready to leave something would happen so that I could not go. The Spirit was showing me a new path that I was not aware of. My adventures at the Healing Centre in Arizona are the topic for another entry but my stay there convinced me that I shuld accept the invitation to the healing centre in the Mexican desert.

In September I was off to the desert. Arriving in San Antonio Texas, i was met by one of his associates/apprentices that I knew from the sundance. After a wonderful Mexican dinner the healer`s partner put me on the overnight bus to the desert. I was met at the bus station and thus began what Rob Breszny describes as mind-blowing teachings.

This was not my first introduction to the medicine world. I had been on this path for many many years, but this was the first ime that I truly experiences what many spiritual paths describe as the direct connection withthe divine. I have been meditating for almost two decades, practicing many different forms of martial arts and using a variety of healing techniques to raise my energetic vibration and it was as though all the paths I had been following had finally come together and provided me with a direct connnection to the knowledge of the divine .. the spirit, the Creator.

I did as Rob B suggested and call my boss to borrow on my future holidays so that I could stay and extra week to go to visit one of the local sacred sites. I returned a person transformed. I knew that I was being called to follow a different path, though I was not sure what that path was or how I would financially be able to embark down yet another new road. I handed in my resignation for teh end of the year, decided to accept the invitation to come and learn more about this healing path and to find my personal path, and here I am!

Well, that`s enough of that story for now. There will be more to follow ...

Lessons learned: 1) Always listen to teh whisperings of your heart. It will never lead you astray, 2) Cultivate a good relationship with your inner self so that you are open to the whisperings of your heart. Do not ignore or deny them, or you will lead a life that was not meant for you. 3) Seven years ago I ws told by an Anishnawbe medicine man that "The longest road is from the mind to the heart". I am just beginning to understand this lesson.. having spent many years cultivating my mind it has been a real challange to learn to listen to my heart, bu the heart is where many traditional cultures believe our real knowledge and true wisdon lies. Do not deny or ignore the teachings of the heart!

Stay tuned! StayWell and travel with Spirit in Beuaty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

Saudades on Sunday in Wadley

2007-02-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where do you expect to find it?" - Dogen

This morning I woke up with what can only be described well with the Portuguese word -- Saudades. It is a term that means a cross between home sickness and longing or a familiar place or people.

Saudades... what is it about Sundays, that no matter where I travel, it is only when I am alone on Sundays, that I feel the old familiar longing to be sitting down to a meal with my parents and my brothers, eating a big plate of rice and peas with fried plantain and drinking a glass of one of my mothers wonderful juices.

This is the first time in the 5 weeks of my journey that I have felt saudades. Last Sunday morning I had finished washing my clothes, by hand in a series of buckets, as the healing centre has no electricity, much less a washing machine, and hanging my clothes on the barbed wire fence at the side, again for lack of a clothes line, when Dona Cele, the caretaker, came walking fromtown with a couple of friends of hers. She was bringing them to introduce them to me and to check on how I was doing.

One of the friends, seeing the clothes on the line told me " We never work on Sundays"she siad, "and we eat whatever we have in the house. Sundays are days for visiting friends and family and for socializing." I had not thought about this before but in my family when I was very young Sundays were the day when my grandparents came to visit and later when my brothers and I would visit my parents for Sunday Dinner. When I was married and living in Brazil it was also the day we went to visit my ex-husband`s families. Ahhh, now I understand those saudades... This tradition of visiting family and friends in this small town in Mexico was very similar to the tradition in my families across three countries -- Jamaica, Brazil and Canada.

Well this morning as I was "indulging" in saudades,to use a Carlos casteneda term, dona Cele stopped by because she said she thought there was some reason that she needed to visit me. She stayed for tea and a visit and then invited me to her house in Wadley to cenar .. for sunday dinner! Her oldest daughter and her two children were visiting from a nearby town for the weekend, so together with Dona Cele`s two daughters and one grandson who live with her we had a lively mid afternoon meal.

There were no rice and peas, but i was happy to chow down on sopa de arroz, or rice cooked with tomato sauce, tortas de papa con queso -- potato cakes with cheese, aguacate or avacado, tomates or tomatoes, some cuerdo, or pork for those who eat meat, and of course, the ever present totrillas! All cooked with love in dona Cele`s tiny one room house and served on a folding table in the still under construction outdoor kitchen to be. I provided the yogurt postre-desert, which was a hit with the kids and adults alike.

It was a wonderful Sunday dinner and though I couldn`t spend Sunday with my family or visit my friends. I am very happy to know that wherever I go there seem to be friends to share wonderful meals and laughs with ... After all, isn`t that what life`s about -- friends, laughter, love and great food!

Lessons learned: 1) Wherever you go there you are ... This is the title of a book by Jon Cabat Zinn, that I would highly recommend. It is also a great lesson ... Wherever you go enjoy being where you are and disfriutar, or enjoy the people and the customs. 2) Traditions in many parts of the world are often more similar than they are different. 3) Wherever you go, one of the key ingredients to staying well is good food and good friends. They are the basis of a good life!

staywell and walk with Spirit n Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveller.

Travelling with Spirit in Mexico!

2007-02-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

Greetings from a very old computer in a very small town in the desert in San Louis Potosi, Mexico!!

In another entry I will recount the adventures I had on my way here from Toronto and during the past month of my visit, but for now let me tell you of my trip from Estacion de Catorce to Real de Catorce today. What an adventure for me traveling up the side of the Sierra in a 30 year old Jeep, but for the people who live here this is their every day way of life and in fact for many, their only means of transportation.

I grew up in Jamaica and i have seen and travelled on very narrow, bumpy curvy mountain roads and recall being only felt mildly afraid as the drivers went careening around the windy corners at high speeds.

Well today I can say I was travelling with Spirit especially on the way down the mountain. I was reciting all the protection mantras I knew and repeating psalm 23 at the steepest spots, even though the Jeep could not have been going more than 10 kn per hour!

I went to Real de Catorce. I needed to get to a bank machine and the two closest towns do not have the luxury of having either banks or bank machines, something that I take for granted in Canada.

Real de Catorce is a touristy town, high in the Sierras, where the film The Mexican, with that hunky Brad Pitt, was filmed. The town has two entrances, one requires driving through the mountain for over a kilometer through an old mine shaft, Which is the way I have usually gone to Real . The other is via a very narrow road up the side of the mountain. I invited Cessi, the daughter of the caretaker of the healing centre where the Spirit has led me, to accompany me to go up the mountain road to Real. The outing cost 60 pesos per person, about $6 Cdn, for Cessi it was a rare treat that her family could not often afford.

We left this morning at 7:30am. Standing by the side of the recently paved though still very narrow highway near the healing centre, we caught an old bus to the nearest town, Catorce. It is a 9 km ride and costs 5 pesos -- about $0.50Cdn. As we got off in the plaza in Catorce Cessi pointed to the open back of an old Jeep and indicated that we were to jump in. I followed her lead. There were 2 passengers on board already. These old Jeeps are used to go in to the desert and up the mountains. The drivers usually wait until they are full or almost full before they leave.

A woman with a young child, then later a man climbed on board. The driver, an older man with the typical Mexican hat and sporting lots of warm clothes -- it is very very cold in the desert in the mornings-- climbed aboard. I asked Cessi if they were going to close the hatch at the back, she said `no`. i would find out why later!

We picked up 2 other passengers before leaving town and headed off on a relatively well paved road, for about 10 km then the fun began. The last passenger we picked up did not climb inside, but rode standing on the open hatch holding on to the ladder at the back of the Jeep!

I was told that this road was first made many many years ago by the Spanish to access the mines near Real. It is narrow and more windy than the old roads in Jamaica. In many places the road is cobblestone and in others it is just rock and dirt. Half way up the mountain, in an area where I could see nothing but cactuses, rocks, and a few large trees, there was an old woman waiting by the side of the road with her shopping bag. The Jeep stopped. She also jumped on to the hatch and held on! The women here are nothing if not strong!

We bumped and jarred our way to Real with the side of the cliff often no more than 1 foot from the path of the Jeep. Part way the 2 outside passengers jumped off and paid the driver for their ride. The driver charged them`lo que puede`` ie whatever you can afford. We arrived in Real, thè adventures there I will also recount another time. On the way back I wanted to be able to take some photos which was difficult from inside the Jeep so Cessi suggested we ride back on the roof of the Jeep. She assured me that the Jeep did not go any faster than it did when it was coming up. It sounded like a great idea not only because of the photos, but to avoid the horrible smell of diesel, which I know to be a known carcinogen, which was so strogn on the way up that at times we rode with our shirts covering our noses. I had opened the window beside me despite the strong breeze.

Well, so much for good ideas! I had my heart in my mouth almost all of the way down and have not said as many prayers since the first time I decided to go parachuting and jumped out of a plane! The Jeep was twice as full going down as going up. Before we left Real there were 4 men hanging off the back and one riding on the roof with us. I had to keep reminding myeself that these drivers make this trip every day and do it safely but when we were going down the steep inclines bumping along with the side of the cliff beside me, all I could do was pray!

Half way down, a pregnant women, and the 6 children who were travelling with her, joined us on the roof of the Jeep and another woman climbed on the back, hanging on with the 4 men. The maximum load for this Jeeps was 11 people and counting the kids there were at least twice as many! But as you can tell, since I am alive and well and recounting this story we made it back down the mountain. I have some wonderful photos to show for my adventure and a pain in the side from hanging on so tightly as we bumped around the curves and frim squishing myself in between kids, spare tires and bags of cargo!

Well, that`s my adventure for today.

Lessons learned: 1) Be thankful for everything and never take anything for granted -- especially not well paved roads, environmental controls on well maintained vehicles and nearby bank machines! 2) What to one may be an adventure travelling in the hand of the Spirit is for others an every day means of transportation; 3) Never slack off on those sit ups even though I am not training as regularly as before otherwise my muscles will not be in shape for the bumpy rides on steep mountain roads!

Stay tuned for more travels with Spirit... Staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveler.

2007,A Year to Travel with Spirit

2007-02-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Solar New Year, Imbolic and Candlemas! Lunar New Year is only a few weeks away.

"All monks were great travellers. They walked for miles and miles through fields, and over mountains, going from temple to temple looking for the who would get their spark to flash... to cause them reach Wu or satoryi" Alan Watts

Our mother the Earth is beginning to awaken from her long winter sleep -- the first signs of the apraoch of spring can be seen as the days begin to lengthen transforming darkness into light.

This year, 2007, I have been called to leave behind me that which no longer serves me, that which no longer belongs to me and that which I no longer really want to be a part of my life. I invite you to join me on this journey of transformation.

Transform yourself ... listen to the whisperings of the Divine and define your soul`s purpose... step boldly into the abyss,,

If you are not ready to take giant steps in your personal life then follow along with my journeyas I walk the tight rope from a safe, secure and comfortable life across the abyss into the realm of my soul`s purpose.

If the idea of leaving your comfortable life and following Spirit makes you shiver in your boots, start by reading the book "Feel the Fear, but Do it Anyway!".

stay tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit