Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936), a prominent physician, researcher, bacteriologist and homeopath, believed that, "Disease is entirely the result of a conflict between our spiritual and mortal selves." This is quite a statement, given his background, I'd say.

He further believed that, "Disease is the reaction to interferences.  This is temporary failure and uhappiness, and this occurs when we allow others to interfere with our purpose in life and implant in our minds doubt or fear or indefference."  

Dr. Bach determined the root causes of conflict to be fear, uncertainty, indifference, loneliness, over-sensitivity to influences and ideas, despondency or despair, and worry or over-care for the welfare of others.  In contrast to these seven states, he believed that the seven stages of healing are peace, hope, joy, faith, certainty, wisdom and love.  So, overcoming disease is a matter of bringing the consciousness into a state of harmony so that the body may express its natural wellness of being.  

Dr. Bach identified 38 specific flower essences which will have a positive effect on a person's ability to heal, when used to bring balance about in the emotions.  These essences are simply sun infusions of flowers, wild plants, trees or bushes, spring water, and natural substances as such.  It is a very mild concentration of the actual plant which is used, as all of homeopathy is, but this is actually the energy of the plant you receive. 

Flower remedies work very safely and gently to reinforce a person's positive nature.  They are not used directly for specific illnesses, but rather they are chosen in accordance with an individual's state of mind at the time.

Emotions can impact upon our health in many ways.  Sorrow, bitterness, fear, resentment, worry, reactions to trauma, unresolved guilt, self-piuty, unforgiveness of self or others, to name just a few.   Stress alone is often at the root of countless physical complaints.  Even momentary emotions can cause a problem, such as clouding our judgment or giving indigestion to us.  Long-term emotional imbalance can lead to disease or to a diagnosis for a mental disturbance, when perhaps all we need is a little help in finding our best and true self, or to calm down and give our body a chance to heal. 

Flower essences can help us to move the emotional blocks to our healing, by strengthening our positive qualities and restoring a sense of wellness and peace.  As Dr. Bach is quoted as saying, "Health depends on being in Harmony with our souls."  That's what the flowers help us to do.

There are numerous ways to determne which flower remedy or combination of remedies would be indicated in a particular case.  There are 38 in all (plus more outside of the Bach system of classification), and sometimes more than one at a time may be called for.  There is an emergency essence which combines five separate remedies in one formula.  If 5 or 6 different remedies seem appropriate, it is often recommended to use this one particular blend.

So in choosing which particular essences would be best to use in a particular case,  the ailment is not what is considered.  There might not even be an ailment, because it's really not required for this kind of healing to work.  What this type of healing does is help to bring the physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of being into a better balance.  The flower essences are very good for this type of work. 

If a person is well, there may still be problems under the surface brewing from unresolved emotional and spiritual issues.  Why wait for symptoms to come?  And if symptoms are present, even serious disease, this is still not a reason to use this one or that one or to not use them at all.  The particular disease (or dis-ease) will give clues to the imbalance...that's all.

So yes, consider the physical condition, for in that there are given clues.  For instance, a person with a tight colon might very well be a person who is feeling tense or overburdoned.  This is not a diagnosis, but rather a clue.

Consider a person's state of mind at the time, for even the most acute situations can be eased with the aid of these flowers.  An example of this might be if someone were faced with an immediate trauma, such as an accident, or to a child it might be bumping a knee.  To have some Distress Remedy, or Rescue Remedy/Emergency Essence on hand might be good, just to help a person get their emotions under control.  Star of Bethlehem is one of the flowers in this formula, and it is very good in combination or alone in cases of shock.  It is a combination of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Star of Bethlehem.

Also consider a person's temperment beyond the immediate moment.  Take their tendencies and characteristics into consideration, both extremes, good and bad.  For every weakness there is a strength.  The problem is not lack of strength but rather a particular characteristic being out of balance for this reason or that.  The remedies work towards the goal of bringing the best out in a person...to bring them back into balance, per se.

This is not the same as what is attempted through medications and drugs.  There are absolutely no side effects to flower remedies (unless a person chugs down the tiny bottles for the alcohol base...), so there is no concern about using the wrong one or too much.  These remedies work on a vibrational level, much the same as love, fragrance, music, and other certain non-tangible things will have a good effect.  The flower remedies work in much the same way as these.  They don't make the body conform, or suppress, or anthing else...they simply allow it to feel safe in returning to it's natural state.  Fear is at the root of much disease, and it takes many forms.  It is these various forms and which one is being expressed that gives us more clues as to what's going on and which one to use.

There is a Self-Assessment Questionairre for this purpose which I find quite helpful.  I find it very easy to pinpoint which areas are out of balance when using this form, because certain characteristics or feelings tend to be grouped together.  It's very interesting to note how the answers fall. 

There are other similar tools and indicators which can be used...keys which identify behaviors...certain personality types and social styles can be identified, and common remedies used for each one...even astrological signs could give clues.  Muscle testing can be used, too, and also intuition is often a very good guide, as is paying attention to body language and inflections of voice.  Being no harm and only positive effects to be gained, there's no reason not to start right away.  It's very easy to get good effects. 

Flower remedies can be used for animals, too, and are often met with great success, as an animals guard tends to be down and they are easily influenced quite naturally that way.  Take the case for instance of a dog who panics when it's owner leaves, or a cat who is just a little toooo jealous of other cats.  There are flower remedies for many of the emotions pets feel.  They work for horses, birds and animals of every sort, with results which cannot be feigned.

They are quite easy to use, and can be dropped under the tongue, applied to particular points on the body, put into water or juice, diffused into the air, mixed with essential oils, put directly onto food, used in the bath, rubbed into the skin...the important thing is to use them and not worry about if it's right or wrong!  They do have a positive effect, particularly when used with a positive mind!

I personally have used flower essences in many ways at many times in my life.  Childbirth, with my children, with my pets, with my mother who's going to be 95 very soon.  They're safe enough to be used by all, as is prayer.  I think God gave us flowers for this, and for this my prayer is of thanks!

As a Doctor of Naturopathy and a Certified Traditional Naturopath, I believe strongly that there's not a case which can not be helped by using these remedies first.  It doesn't matter if a person is on medication or not.  There is no interaction or bad effects.  It is very hard to heal if there are emotional blocks or unresolved trauma or fear in the way.  Even sorrow can make healing difficult.  These are spiritual issues.  Again, God gave us flowers for this!  This is my fervant belief.  (Speaking as a minister, there!)

The applications are many.  I will be writing more very soon, and possibly giving a class.

Here is the Basic Key (very short version), showing Behavior, Flower, and Root:

• Hiding problems behind mask--Agrimony--Fear  *(Remember there's always a positive side to every negative characteristic when it's in balance...in this case it is being a truly joyful and cheerful person who is able to accept when faced with challenges.  It is as this with all on the list.)
  
• Unidentified fear/panic--Aspen--Fear
• Intolerant--Beech--Anger
• Weak-willed--Centaury--Fear
• Advice-seeking--Certauro, Fear
• Fear of losing control--Cherry Plum--Fear
• Failure to learn from past--Chestnut Bud--Anger
• Manipulative--Chicory--Fear
• Daydreamer/spacey--Clematis--Fear/Sorrow
• Disgusted by unclean--Crab Apple--Fear
• Overwhelmed--Elm--Fear
• Despondent--Gentian--Fear
• Hopelessness--Gorse--Sorrow
• Self-absorbed--Heather--Sorrow
• Jealous/hateful--Holly--Anger
• Living in the past--Honeysuckle--Fear/Sorrow
• Overwhelmed--Hornbeam--Fear
• Impatient--Impatiens--Anger
• Lack of confidence--Larch--Fear
• Fear of known/jumpy--Mimulus--Fear
• Unidentifieable depression--Mustard--Fear/Anter
• Workhorse--Oak--Fear
• Total Exhaustion--Olive--Anger
• Guilt--Pine--Sorrow
• Worry--Red Chestnut--Fear
• Terror--Rock Rose--Fear
• Rigid/inflexible--Rock Water--Anger
• Indecisive--Scleranthus--Anger
• Shock--Star of Bethlehem--Sorrow
• Mental Anguish--Sweet Chestnut--Sorrow
• Over-enthusiasm--Vervain--Anger
• Domineering--Vine--Fear/Anger
• Change/transition--Walnut--Fear
• Aloof/reclusive--Water Violet--Anger
• Mental chatter--White Chestnut--Fear/Anger
• Uncertainty/confusion--Wild Oat--Fear
• Apathy--Wild Rose--Fear
• Bitterness/resentment--Willow--Anger

Blessings of Flowers to All!

Naturally Yours in Good Health,

"Vibraceous, ND"

Dr. Mary Jo Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D,.

All Natural HealthWorks!

Holistic Education and Research Unlimited...

allnatureworks@aol.com 

Mood:  hungry

INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.

Ummmm....Excuse me, Auntie, but shouldn't the ingredients for Maple Syrup be.............

???? 

Maple syrup gives us the strength of a TREE! 

Now...about those pancakes...

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 1/4 cups rice milk
• 1 Tablespoon evaporated cane juice
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (soaked overnight)
  
• 1 cup chopped apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon

(Here's Aunt Jemima's...with bleach and aluminum!  E-gads!)

INGREDIENTS: ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE

Have a nice breakfast and a wonderful day!

Naturally Yours in Good Health,

"Vibraceous, ND"

 Dr. Jody Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

All Natural HealthWorks!

Holistic Education and Research Unlimited...

Mood:  incredulous

I am a doctor of naturopathy.  That means I have a very extensive education in following the natural path.  It doesn't mean I am trying to take the place of a medical doctor.  They are something entirely different from me.

When someone has attained the title "doctor" in another area of study, that seems to be okay with the world.  A doctor of philosophy...a doctor of divinity...a doctor of science...a doctor of education...ever notice the letters J.D. after some lawyer's names?  That stands for Juris Doctor.  So why is doctor of naturopathy so different from any of that?  It simply means that I have a degree in studying natural health. 

The word "doctor" originally meant "teacher."  Teaching is what I like to do best. Then people can better be able to take care of their own healing needs...and maybe not need a medical doctor.  That's not me taking the place of a medical doctor...that's people just plain getting well!

I received a letter the other day from a reader asking my advice as to how a person can practice naturopathy when the State has a different idea about what a doctor of naturopathy should be.  Some states are enacting licensure laws which dictate what a doctor of naturopathy should be, and in my opinion, it isn't at all the same thing.

It is very upsetting to me that the government should limit our right to use a title that has represented our work for a very, very long time. 

The way the licensing laws are set up is to turn us into something we're not by requiring that we learn medical ways.  Naturopathy is all about using nature as an alternative to medical ways!  I mean, sure, you can use them together (known as "integrative" or "complimentary" medicine), but those are not the same as using natural methods of healing.  All natural means ALL natural...something which drugs never will be.   And drugs, afterall, are what medical doctors are trained to use.  So why should naturopaths be trained in the same way?

Supposedly it is to protect the public, but what is the puplic being protected from?  From learning how herbs are used?  How to use food to stay well?  From learning that water can be a healer?  That laughter is good for you, too?  

That's what we teach...the basics of LIVING in accordance with nature and how good health is a by-product of that.  We teach about smelling the flowers and noticing colors and eating what grows from the ground!  

We teach about what's been used throughout time.  Simple home remedies like teas, enemas, and how to apply poultices and how to relax.  We teach about dancing and movement and singing and how these things can help you feel good!  We teach about giving massage and about the goodness of sunlight and yes...we teach what the research shows.  We show you were to get the information you need in order to make up your own mind.  And then, if the natural route is the route that you choose, we show you how to apply what fits with your life.  

We don't use drugs, we don't diagnose disease, we don't do surgery...(if you need surgery PLEASE go see an M.D.!)  We work in the world of wellness...we teach ways to live in accordance with the way that we were designed.  We believe good health is a natural thing!

More and more in print you will see where it is claimed that only those with medicalized training in naturopathy are truly ND's.  This push for licensure is very deceptive to my way of thinking.  Read my other posts on Naturopathy if you'd like to know more about my opinion on this.  The public is drastically being misled into thinking that what's been around since the beginning of time needs to be regulated by the government before it is safe.   

So if the day comes when you no longer see Vibraceous, ND...Just look for Vibe, CTN.  I am a Certified Traditional Naturopath as recognized by the American Naturopathic Certification Board.  A rose by any name smells as sweet!  

Naturally Yours in Good Health,

"Vibraceous, ND"

Dr. Mary Jo (Jody) Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

Mood:  hungry

Live food for live bodies....Whole food...not just extracted bits of this and that but the whole food.  (Example...protein isolates...not what they're cracked up to be!)

Live food to feed live cells.  Feed your cells not just your belly!

Food should be eaten in its natural state...whole...complete...ripe...raw...grown without chemicals...and certainly not genetically modified.

Food is best when it's fresh.  Locally grown is best for this reason.  The closer the better.  The least processing and handling possible is best and the least time in transit.  Food can be much, much, much fresher this way, and also they're more liketly to have been picked ripe.  The riper the produce when picked, the more full of nutrients it is; and the fresher it is, the more of it's nutrients remain.  It's as simple as that.

In season and local is also best because what you need is always close at hand in nature.  That is my spiritual belief, plus it has proven true.

Organic for sooooooo many reasons.  People really don't realize, I think, the amounts of chemicals used and the truly detrimental effects.

As to raw, specifically...cooking destroys nutrients!  What you are left with is sludge in the intestines after cooked food is consumed.  Oh, it may have some minerals left, but come on!  The And what about vitamins?  Vitamins are the vital energy of the plant.  How can it remain alive?  The enzymes are totally gone.  Plus when you cook food it turns into something toxic for your body in many ways, through chemical reactions and also just the fact that it sits there and rots when it can't break down and  move through the system efficiently.

I've been working in my own dietary practices to incorporate more and more raw food into my diet...raw fruit, veggies, seeds, sprouts, nuts, and raw natural syrups...yum yum.  You'd be surprised at how many wonderful ways there are to prepare such foods!  There's a lot more to be enjoyed tham simply gnawing on a raw carrot stick!   If you're in the Cleveland area, check out this MeetUp Group.

Hippocrates said, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."  But please....it has to be real food...not altered with cooking and with chemicals and with over-processing to be of any real help.  Real food for real people!  Life begets life.  You can't get life out of something that's dead!

When food is alive with the nutrients it was created with, it will sustain us and regenerate us and keep us healthy, internally cleaned, and fortified.  Think about it...it only makes sense.

Raw Family Signature Dishes: A Step-by-Step Guide to Essential Live-Food Recipes

I'm going to go make some nice raw food apple pie!

Naturally Yours in Good Health,

"Vibraceous, ND"

Mary Jo (Jody) Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

www.essentials-of-life.org

Nothing I've written is intended to take the place of duly licensed medical care.  What I share is the result of research, opinion, insight, and spiritual belief...it is not medical in nature, but rather nature itself!

Cats....we have seven here in our house, and it's a very interesting place.  There are two sitting here with me right now helping me to type this.  Oh my!

I've had many pets over the years.  I was born with a natural instinct to love them.  I love the ones in my care, and also the ones in the wild and in cqaptivity all over the world.  They're really not so different from me, except I was blessed with a bit more of a good life, being a person and all.   So I try to make life as good as I  can for them, too.  I think that's the human charge.

When I was a child, I used to drag animals home all the time and ask to keep them for pets.  I had a tomcat one time....he was all scratched up and dirty...pretty wild, too, when I found him.  My mom let me keep him and I cleaned him all up with a bath and taught him to be a nice housecat.  I thought he was a really great cat.  His name was Whiskers, and we had him for quite a long time. 

He did have a little trouble with his manners sometimes, especially concerning that spraying thing that tomcats have a habit of doing...but all in all he was a really great cat.  My older sister made a comment recently that got me wondering if there was foul play involved when Whiskers disappeared in the end....Perhaps he went on the trip to see the doctor where sometimes animals never come back.  It seems everyone didn't like him so well.  All these years later, that made me cry to hear that. 

In some ways, I still have the heart of a child.  People make fun of me for it sometimes, but I'd rather have it that way.  

I love animals.  Always have, always will.  And yes, for those who don't know me, I'm a vegetarian and have been since I first found out you could live without meat, way back in 1968.  Dr. Victor Zarley brought California ideas to Ohio.  There wasn't much in this area before then in the way of vegetarian flair, but Dr. Zarley was instrumental in changing all that.  He taught about the health aspects of a vegetarian diet, and the spiritual aspects, as well.

"Vegetarian" was a word that most people had never even heard of back then! The common knowledge was that you couldn't LIVE without meat!  ("Organic" was another such word...)  Health food stores were few and far between, although we did have one right downtown.  It was called Alexander's.  I usedto love to go into that store!  (I remember how awful the vegetarian meat substitute tasted back then...thank goodness it's better today!)

So I became a vegetarian back before it was cool like it is today.  Or cooler at least, I would say...In some circles it's still not considered so "cool."  It's amazing how many grown people can make fun of the way someone eats.  I get tired sometimes of the jokes and the stares, as if it is weird not to kill just to eat when there's really no need. 

I think people assume I'm going to preach...or maybe they get upset by thinking they're reading my mind...but I really don't preach about the way that I eat.  Oh sure, when you ask me and make a big point of it, I might, or else when you come hear me do a presenation on food, or if you read some of my writings, or when you just plan simply ask!  Then still, I try  not to speak with the voice of judgement, but I will tell it the way that I see it...why hide how I feel when one asks?

It's the health aspects, too.  I believe it's healthier to eat a good vegetarian...or vegan especially....made up of predominately organic whole and preferably raw foods.  There's not meat in that....no factory farmed eggs and pasteurized and homogonized milk...and there's no white bread, preservatives, refined sugars, chemicals, pesticides, artificial ingredients, trans fatty acids and all that other stuff which oftentimes passes for food. 

Do I stick to that diet perfectly?  No.  Do I try?  Every day the best that I can.  When I veer from my ideal do I sometimes eat meat?  NO.  Not ever.  Not eating meat goes further than that in my life.  To me it's a very spiritual thing.  But if you ask me what you should do about eating meat, I will tell you that's up to you...but if you eat it, eat it clean...not factory farmed from animals mistreated and raised in filthy conditions with drugs injected in them.

When I sat down I didn't know I was going to type about this, but the cats here with me made me think.  There's really no difference between them and chickens and pigs and cows and the others.  Other animals are just as intelligent and capable of affection and responsive to love.

I feel  sorry for their lot is all I am  trying to say.  There are so many of them just born to offer their lives to us.  It's such a shame they be mistreated, as well.  And they are.  They truly so miserably are.

I also happen to live in two rural communities, where a lot of the people around like to hunt.  Hunting for meat does provide cleaner meat for consumption, and also it does bring the hunter face to face with the source of the meat, which to me is a little more in touch with reality than just picking frozen patties up out of the freezer case. 

But still...I don't understand why they call it a "sport."  What kind of mind sees killing as fun?  That's just beyond me, somehow.  I went to buy hiking shoes and there was a bulletin board full of snapshots of men, women and children proudly and happily displaying their kills.  Coyotes, bears, rabbits, deer, turkeys, squirrels, fish...The whole thing just gives me the creeps.

There now.  I guess I've had my say about that for right now.  It's hard to pussyfoot around about how I feel about all of that in a world where it's so easy to call  me a freak!  

It's especially difficult considering part of my life's work is helping people to understand good health as a natural thing!  

So, here's my professional stance on the matter...

• If you eat meat, consider cutting it down.  To eat meat at every meal isn't necessary and in my opinion it's not the healthiest way.  There is a multide of research to back up that it's not.
  
• Eat organic!  People ask what organic meat is...it is meat from animals that have not been injected with drugs....it is meat from animals that have not been raised on a factory farm (hopefully...that IS the true intention of the word, but there are interests at work who find it profitable to alter that meaning, so it's best to find out on your own)...it is meat from animals that have been fed a natural diet of foods it would naturally eat (cows not eating cows, etc.)...it is meat from animals not having pesticides sprayed on their food (ick...who would want to eat that?!)...Organic meat is meat without steroids and hormones and antibiotics to enter into your system with every bite that you take.  Same thing with dairy.  Beware!
• Pay attention to where your food comes from.  It's silly to just buy it blind or based on big money ads.  The best way is to buy from local farms where you can know the conditions under which the animals are raised and slaughtered...and make it your business to know.
  
• Eat a LOT of raw fruits and vegetables.  Buy a raw foods book and see how many ways they can be prepared...you will be very surprised!  Juicing is also a way to get lots of good nutrients in.  Also whole grains, preferably sprouted, and raw nuts and seeds.

I became a vegetarian at a very young age...obiviously...1968 put me at right about in the middle of junior high, and it was not a popular choice at a very awkward age for a very tall girl with braces who already stuck out like a sore thumb in a crowd!  I got made fun of a lot for my chioice, and believe it or not I still get made fun of for it today every once in awhile.  I'm used to it, but I still don't get the joke.  To me it's a very personal choice...a very big part of the way I spiritually look at the world.  Please respect this in me.

As for my cats?  They eat meat.  It's their way and I respect that in them.

Naturally Yours in Good Health...

"Vibraceous, ND"

Jody Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

Mending Broken Dreams:  Spiritual Healing After Abuse

I’d like to preface this talk by letting you know that I am not a medical doctor, nor am I a psychologist.  I am a doctor of naturopathy, meaning that I have been trained in traditional methods of natural healing and health.  I am also an ordained minister. This is the perspective from which I will be speaking to you today.  Nothing I say is intended to take the place of the advice of a medical doctor or licensed psychologist.

I work from a holistic viewpoint, meaning that when addressing any condition, I work towards the end of bringing the physical, spiritual and emotional realms into balance, regardless of how the problem presents itself.  Wellness comes with the balance of these three aspects of being.

I believe that we were given everything that we need to heal from the very beginning.  It is my belief that with enough faith along with the proper application of natural methods, there is no condition which cannot be healed.  Oh, and by the way…”enough” faith means about the size of a grain of mustard seed!  That’s all!

It is my hope that I will in some way be able to help even one person.  This is my most earnest prayer

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to completely heal physically if there is a need for a spiritual healing which is not attended to. This is the part of us from which springs forth our life.  In cases where abuse has occurred, there is always a need for the Spirit to be brought back into balance and healed.  I always consider the needs of the Spirit, even when problems appear to be purely physical in nature, because oftentimes, there is an underlying spiritual cause.

Religion and Spirituality are two completely different things, although issues involving religion can certainly play a big part in how we view or express our spiritual selves.

Religion is a system of belief and practice as set down according to man. It is something we follow, something we belong to, a certain way of looking at things. But it is only a part of our lives due to whatever importance we give it. It is not actually a part of us.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is a part of us. It's a part of who we are. Actually, it is the essence of our true selves.

Our sense of spirituality is our awareness of our true nature...Our realization that we or not merely our bodies...that sense of knowing, somehow, there's more.

It's the part of us which believes in that which is not seen by the eye, but in that which is evidenced through life and it's events. It's that part of us that knows better when we do something wrong, not because we're afraid to get caught, but because we want to do right. It's the part of us that wonders what is the meaning of life, where we came from, and what will happen to us after we die.

Spirituality is the part of us that still believes in the Ultimate Power of Good, and that wishes and dreams can come true.

Spirituality is the love in our heart, and that feeling of oneness with others. It's the part of us that knows when we look to the sky that there is something bigger than us, even if it's just planets and stars. It's the part that feels humble and meek.

Spirituality is the part of us which is a part of the whole. It's the part that connects us with everyone else in the world. It's our unique and individual expression of life.

In actuality, this is the part of us that's perfect; the part that is created equal in all; the part that was created in the image and likeness of God.  But make no mistake, this part of us can be in pain, and it can surely bring problems with health, as it's implications reach far into the physical and emotional realms.

How does this part of ourselves get damaged if it is perfect?  Well, our Spirit doesn’t actually get damaged, but rather our perception of ourselves as Spiritual beings and the way we relate to the world, and to love, and to God.  This can particularly occur when we are treated as if we are of no value by people we love and in whom we trust.  This type of pain goes deeper than emotional pain. It cuts to the core of our identity--who we believe ourselves to actually be.  We allow someone else to decide this for us through the trauma and shock of abuse. 

When we are born, we know who we are. We are not confused until we enter the world of confusing and conflicting ideas! It is then that we begin to question our place in this world, why we came here, why we have to ask to be fed and to be held, and why we sometimes are told we are "bad."

If abuse occurs, of any type, be it physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual abuse, problems with our physical health can result. These problems might include high blood pressure, heart problems, allergies, substance abuse, eating disorders, headaches, immune system problems, and a myriad of other things. Links to tumors have even been found!

Similarly, our spiritual nature can be deeply wounded. Chronic fear, low self-esteem, and self-hate can develop, with feelings of worthlessness, self-doubt and mistrust of others. Depression and anxiety often set in.

Rather than using drugs to correct these problems, I suggest we instead look to the spiritual roots of the problem, and address it from that angle first.  Again, I am not a medical doctor nor a licensed psychologist, and nothing I say is intended to replace the advice that they give.  I am merely suggesting that we work to heal from the inside out.

Abuse can be devastating at any age, but when abuse occurs as a child, it can be especially deeply embedded into the sense of self. Heck, plain everyday living with people and all their moods can be hard on a kid just trying to form a sense of identity in relation to everything and everyone else in the world, even without anything which could be termed as "abuse.”  Their spirits are very fragile and impressionable, and they need to be handled with love.

There are all types of abuse.  Treating someone like a servant, or as if they are incompetent, verbal humiliation and degradation, accusations of mental illness, destroying belongings, isolating the victim, withdrawing financial support, institutionalizing the victim, or making threats of any kind…These are all forms of emotional abuse.  These tactics are attempts to gain control over others, and they begin the process of victimization.  Recurring emotional abuse is extremely common.  Verbal humiliation may well be the batter’s most powerful coercive technique.

Control is at the root of abuse, which is defined as, “a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, designed to dominate and control another person so the abuser gets his or her own way.” 

Physical abuse picks up where emotional abuse lets off.  It begins with threats of violence, and escalates into behaviors such as throwing or breaking objects,  restraining or shoving the victim, and actually hitting, biting, kicking, burning, strangling, pushing down stairs, and the use of weapons.

Physical abuse is the most immediately dangerous type of abuse.  Domestic violence accounts for 1.6 million deaths worldwide each year…probably more.

Sexual abuse, likewise, can take many forms, and includes such behaviors as withholding birth control, forced abortion, forced viewing or acting out of pornographic scenes, all the way to out and out rape.  Sexual abuse can also include attempts to humiliate the victim, or infringing upon their privacy. 

Spiritual abuse is another type of abuse.  Spiritual abuse is not a sexual thing, although sexual abuse in churches, temples, and mosques of all religions is a much larger problem than most people have any idea.

It is important to realize that RELIGION IS A MAN-MADE INSTITUTION! The people who work in places of worship, whether priests, pastors, rabbis, youth ministers, whatever...are just PEOPLE. They are people, subject to making mistakes. If you put these people up on a pedestal, you set yourself up for confusion, disappointment and hurt.

What spiritual abuse actually is, is an attempt at controlling another through the misuse of authority by spiritual leaders.  It demands unquestioning loyalty to it’s tenets and leaders, and any dissent is suppressed.  Spiritual abuse occurs when the purpose of the spiritual relationship is distorted, and the vulnerable are thus victimized.

Spiritual abuse can also occur outside of the place of worship, using anyone’s spiritual beliefs against them in an effort to control through spiritual fear, or using a person’s religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate them.  Preventing the partner from practicing their religious or spiritual beliefs is another form of this type of abuse, as is ridiculing the other person’s religious or spiritual beliefs, or forcing the children to be reared in a faith that the partner has not agreed to.

If you suspect that any type of abuse has occurred, you need to recognize and deal with it in an environment outside the place of abuse. It is easy to get wrapped up in an abusive cycle without even realizing that it is happening to us, and it can have profoundly devastating effects.

It is not unusual when abuse has occurred for the victim to feel angry with God, or to turn the anger inward.  It is advisable to seek spiritual help. Oftentimes someone else can lend perspective when things look so bleak and grim, especially in times of great loss. Whenever there is abuse, there is loss, because something very precious was taken from us…Our ability to feel safe and secure.   It is important in healing to reach out and establish a relationship with someone you are able to trust.

This could be someone from your own religion, if you should have one, or someone who's spiritual ideals you admire. If you need someone to listen and offer input and suggestions as to ways in which you can begin to heal, please feel free to contact me, and if I can’t help you, I will help you find someone who can, or at least try to help you sort it all out just a bit.

Whether you do or whether you don't attend any type of religious program, it is helpful to discuss issues regarding religion and spirituality, exploring different ideas, and forming a network of spiritually like-minded friends. It is not necessary to go to church, per se, but it is helpful in developing and nurturing this part of ourselves to set aside time for just that...time to honor and explore the spiritual aspects of life.

Being a part of a spiritual group can help you to form a support network, it can provide avenues for study, and it can help to remind you to live by practices which are in accordance with what you believe. It can be a very good thing. As a matter of fact, there has even been research to show that people who attend church regularly have far less problems with health!

Something else that has proven time and again to be effective in helping us to recognize the power of good in our lives is to spend time doing volunteer work. It is good to get out of our own problems sometimes, and to help others, instead.  It makes our problems not seem so big, and it gives us a sense of purpose to be able to help someone else.

And if you REALLY want to give a boost to your spiritual state of well-being, try giving in secret! It works! Practice doing good things to benefit others, and not letting ANYONE know!

The more we reach outside of ourselves to help, the more we realize we have something to give. And strangely enough, it comes back!  We also realize through helping others, that there is no shame in needing help, too.

Minimizing the importance of our particular problems is not to say they're not hard, and it is not in any way meant to imply that we are not important! We are! But no matter how big our problems are, they're really quite small in the big scope of things. We surely have the strength to get through with support.  It’s okay to reach out for help.  

It is very important to nurture the spiritual self. Look to that part of yourself as being sacred...It is! Treat yourself with respect, and with care, just like you would treat someone you love very much.

Time spent in quiet, reflecting on the good things in life, or just listening to the still small voice within is especially important to awakening this part of ourselves. Practice increasing your awareness throughout the day, by looking for spiritual solutions to everyday problems, like applying faith, forgiveness, compassion, and love. Honesty honors the spiritual part of ourselves, as does integrity, too. It's important to learn to be comfortable with who we are, what we think, and how we feel at any given moment in time. There's no need to hide our true selves.

Spiritual healing has to do with coming to believe that we're precious...the way we were created to be! It has to do with being happy with who we are. It has to do with loving ourselves, loving each other, being in love with all of life and the world!

Spiritual healing has to do with opening the channels of healing and love. It has to do with forgiveness and peace.

Forgiveness is a topic of great importance in healing.  Love is the energy which heals us, and to block this energy is to deny our own healing.  God is the great healer, and I believe God is Love.

In practicing forgiveness in situations involving abuse, it can be very difficult to forgive the abuser.  Forgiveness, however, does not mean that what they did was okay.  Abuse is never okay!  Forgiveness means not hating the person, or holding them outside of God’s circle of love.  To forgive does not mean that you have to be involved with the person.  In cases of abuse, it’s often better to forgive from far away. 

Forgiveness simply means recognizing that the abuser is sick, and praying for their recovery as well as your own.  That is all.  It is to wish the person would not behave in that way any more, and it is recognizing that something must be terribly wrong for a person to act in that way.  It is praying for them to be healed.

Again, this does NOT imply that you should become re-involved with the person, nor does it mean that it doesn’t matter that you were hurt!  Forgiveness also does not mean that you should not take any applicable steps to gain retribution.  Not revenge…nothing fueled by anger or hate…but seeking retribution is fine, in the way of legal measures and such.  It is okay to have someone arrested, to have them barred from your presence, or to have them repay you for damages done.  You can do all of this and still forgive.

And don’t forget about forgiving you, too!  Part of the cycle of abuse is the tendency of the victim to blame themselves. This is the intent of the abuser, and in a sense, the victim is brainwashed to believe it’s their fault.  It is not!

Even if you did things that provoked the attack.  Even if you did not act your best in response.  Abuse is never deserved.  NO one has it coming to them!

A sense of hopelessness can set in with abuse, but please don't give up on yourself, and don't give up on your dreams. Maybe you just need to take another look at what's good in you and the world. Believe in yourself, believe in your dreams, and believe in the power of truth, goodness, and love in your life and the world!

Here are ten points to consider in implementing your program of spiritual health and recovery after abuse:

1. Develop an attitude of gratitude!  Look for the good in your life...in yourself, in others, and in every circumstance. It is there!  Make a habit of keeping a list!

2. Strive to practice forgiveness, of yourself and others.  Again, this is not to imply that you should remain involved with the perpetrator, but it is to say that it is spiritually helpful to you to practice internal forgiveness of them, considering them as a sick person, and praying for them to be well.  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Be sure to practice self-forgiveness, as well, because the root of the ongoing problem lies in the tendency to blame oneself for the abuse. 

3. Find some way to be of useful service to others, either through volunteer work or else just making a special effort to do something to help someone else on a regular basis.  Try giving in secret!

4. Exercise your creative talents.  Creativity connects us with our spiritual self.

5. Spend time in silence each day and become comfortable with the stillness within.  Make this a sacred time.

6. Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people! Allow yourself be loved until you can learn to love yourself once again.

7. Nurture your goodness and be your own best friend.  Healing requires that we learn to practice self-love.  Speak words of love to yourself, and pamper yourself by allowing yourself time to relax and partake in activities which you enjoy.

8. Seek answers to the questions that point to your purpose and to the meaning of life, for this will give you something to cling to at times when you otherwise might want to give up.

9. Ask for help when you need it…and especially when you don’t think you do.

10. Strive to live in accordance with principles of honesty, integrity, and love, and within the tenets of your own beliefs.  This will help you to stand strong in a position of self-respect.

In conclusion, allow me to give you just a few natural health tips which might help you to remove spiritual blocks.

1.     Flower remedies.  God gave us flowers to heal the spirit and the emotions.  Flower remedies are intended to help open channels of healing which are blocked by fear and resistance to love.  Flower remedies work differently than essential oils, but the two work very nicely together.  Contact me at allnatureworks@aol.com if you would like a personal consultation to determine which remedies might work best for you.

2.     Whole organic raw foods and herbs to bring about balance and strengthen the constitution.  Root vegetables to stay grounded, especially if very depressed.

3.     Massage and other body work techniques can  help to release deep rooted memories and pain which is trapped in our bodies.  Be sure to drink plenty of water when undergoing massage for this purpose, as toxic chemicals are likely to be released along with the negative energy which is being discharged.  Also, be sure the massage is performed in a spirit of trust and the deepest respect.

4.     Breathing exercises have been used throughout the ages to help us connect with our inner spirit.  You can try simple breathing techniques on your own, or consult with a professional regarding techniques designed to release spiritual pain. 

5.     Vibrational healing techniques are especially effective in helping to break through the blocks that abuse can create.  These include such techniques as color, light and sound healing, as well as visualization and prayer,

The important thing to remember is that you were created perfect in the vision of God, and that perfect in that you will remain until the end of all time.  Open your heart and allow yourself to be healed.  Just open your heart and give thanks!

May all your broken dreams be mended by Love.

Naturally Yours in Good Health,

"Vibraceous, ND"

Mary Jo (Jody) Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

All Natural HealthWorks!

Holistic Education and Research Unlimited...

and

Essentials of Life Holistic Enrichment Center

The internet is really a great  way to stay connected with people and news from all over the world.  Miuch better than standard media ways, and it makes travel to cultures and commerce from all over the world possible, as well as some very long distance good friends.

But sometimes it scares me.  It might be a phobia of mine...a consipiracy theorist kind of a thing...But right now I'm sitting out in the country in a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL setting, and not  many people know that I'm here.  It is nice.  And then when I started my internet, it computed my location.  Actually it did this twice.  Once by the internet provider chip and once by the browsing service I used.  That made me feel more than a little geeked out.

This might be a good time to make an announcement...on a happier note!  I've decided to start writing books!  I've got several in the brewer right now!

But as for today I decided to do a little writing right here, and tell the rest of the whole world hello!  I was thinking of the topic of day-to-day healing...kind of in response to what most people ask about natural health.

We all have things that need healing.  It's the human condition.  If we were in a whole and complete fit state of perfection, we'd be able to fly with no need of wings but what's in our mind!

Have you ever thought to yourself or said to somebody else any of the following phrases?

Oh....I don't want to write them because I don't want to put them on my own "I am!"  You know the phrases...Anything that starts with "I am" and then ends with something negative.  Those are the types of phrases which become embedded in our subconscious if we allow them, and then color our whole entire world!  

So, step one to healing is don't allow it!  The words "I am" are very powerful tools!  Remember you were created in the image and likeness of God, so it's actually quite blasphemous to put anything bad after those words.  When I start to think them (and yes, sometimes like everyone else, I do dwell...that's what I'm trying to help not to do!)...I try to rearrange them all in my head to say things like "I'm healing," instead.

I'm healing...my body is reforming itself into the best that creation intended for it to be... which is perfect and so am I!  I'm a beloved child of God just like everyone else, and if the world, including myself, would just remember just that little thing every day, then a much healthier and happier whole lot we would be!  

So  with that, part of my daily prayer every day is "Dear God help me remember that I am O.K.!  (And so is everyone else...kinda like the book, "I'm OK, You're OK!"  Hahaha!  I can't help it, that just came to mind!  Hahaha!)

So here I sit this  morning in this beautiful setting.  I'm overlooking the most beautiful woods.  If I knew how to download what's on my camera I would surely attach a picture for you, but I don't...and I'm not sure how this webcam on works.

I'm  on a hill, surrounded by woods.  They go down  into a ravineand then back up the other side of a great big hill as tall as the one I'm sitting on.  Hundreds of acres of woods are easily viewable from where I sit, and 40 of those acres belong to this house.  

It's winter, so you can see a lot more land than when covered by summer's leaves.  It's a good time of year to get to know the place in a way which will be hidden again very soon.

Every morning I take time to look out the windows and to go outside for awhile.  (Yesterday I went out in the snow with my bare toes to throw some food to the animals and I got locked out of the house!  Yikes!  Luckily there's an entryway and help was on the way really soon!  Hahaha!  Oh!!!!)

So what I like to do in the morning to start my day off on the right foot (and hopefully not to get locked out of the house!) is to open the windows and breathe in the fresh morning air.  I start before sunrise, so I try to be quiet at first and just listen.  I go to windows on all sides of the house, but mostly just on the two sides overlooking the woods.  I also like to go out on the deck.  

I have a birdfeeder on the deck, and the birds come according to which type of seeds that I use!  I find that amazing.  I'm finding that learning about the animals and true wildlife watching is a really, really fun thing to do! Of course that's something I've always known.  It's what I loved most as a kid! 

I always played with rabbits and toads and field mice and even the grasshoppers and praying mantises and bees.  So here there are lots of birds, and just about every kind of animal you could think of, I bet!  All the ones native to this part of the country are most likely right here on this land!  That is simply amazing to me.  It's what I've wanted my whole entire life!

It's funny, though...the animals here are reeeeal quiet.  The first trip down into the woods was when I first noticed how quiet they are.  I knew there had to be hundreds and hundreds of creatures aware of my presence at that very moment as I sat with my sweety on a tree limb out there, but there was not hardly so much as a bug to be seen.  Even the birds were real still.  Trips into the woods since then have been much the same.

But I've noticed that putting the birdseed out has certainly made the birds plentiful up close to the house.   Then one day I tossed an apple out into the field and a bunny came tumbling along.  This place will be nice in the spring!

I've noticed that the crows really do tell the story to the whole woods, and on various occassions they've told the woods about  me.   Sitting and listening to nature is something I really enjoy.

Yesterday morning I tried something new...and I did it again already today.  When I was at the window taking in my morning air, I decided to sing to the woods.  So I sang a song with no words but just sounds...it's a song that I often sing.  I'm a big believer that singing is very natural and very healing, so I sing around the house quite a lot...I could type pages and pages about just only that!  Singing is soooooooo good for the health!

So while I was singing out the window to all the woods, many things went through my mind.  I wondered what the animals thought.  This was a strange and new sound to them out there in the woods.  The way the canyon is formed, my voice carried to all of them there.

I sang quite awhile...probably five or ten minutes, I'd say.  The thoughts that went through my mind went the whole range as I sang this song without any words.  It's a very meditative experience to sing in such a way for an extended period of time.  A lot of spiritual thoughts and realizations flowed through my mind in a song of thanksgiving and of connecting with nature in such a fabulous way.  I felt so blessed to be part of it all.  

I thought about silly things, too, which is fine.  It was a very happy feeling to feel as a child!  I thought about Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, and how they all sang to the woodland animals, and how very much they were adored by them all.  A feeling of excitement came over me to imagine that they might come to love me here, too!  

Then I thought of Julie Andrews and how she must have felt singing that song in the Austrian hills.  I really do love the woods!

I brought my song to a close and then I just stopped to listen for a response.  About ten seconds went by, continuing in silence as was before, and then all of a sudden the call came to ask me where I had gone  It was the call of the coyotes!  How cool!They usually howl at night if you listen, but this was the morning and they were already sleeping until I woke them up!  It was such a fabulous feeling to know they were listening to me and that they were responding directly to me!  I howled back a couple of times and they howled back to me in return, and then I let them finally go back to sleep, which they most blissfully did, because not so much more as a whimper was heard...Until this morning when I did it again~!

Day to day healing...That's what I started writing about.  This is my day.  Everyone needs to make up a day of their own.  When I'm at my house in town, I open up the upstairs window and look out into the snow, but I don't sing to the village too much.  I do sing, however, once the window is closed up again!  Singing is good no matter the setting, and so is breathing the air.  As for the wildlife in Hartville...well there used to be more rabbits and birds in my yard, but now there are seven cats at my house!  And two dogs to howl to the world!

Day to day healing  has to do with establishing your place in your day.  Connectingwith your environment and doing that which will heal...such as singing...breathing...taking it in and letting it out.  Dancing comes naturally, too, and is one of the best ways to heal.

I like to turn on some music and dance...stretching every way I can stretch.  I don't always take time, and I should.  It shows on my health when I don't.  

Today I used the mini-trampoline.  I have it positioned in front of the window from which I sang today's song.  So I lightly bounced...it's not necessary to even take the feet off of the surface...It's not like a big bouncy trampoline out in the yard.  Mini-trampolines are meant to be gentle and just get the lymophatics pumping along.  

I enjoyed my time this morning...I bounced, stretched, and did a little dance.  It reminded me of the times I used to go with friends off to pow wows and dance the traditional dances of this American land.   

Now I'm going to go take my bath.  I'm going to open the window again and I'm going to lay in the water scented with natural essential oils.  I like to put my ears under the water and lay back and do my "Ohms."  You know...."Ohmmmmm.....Ohmmmmm...."  The vibrations are very good.

The question that people have about how to heal is best answered by pointing out that all day is an opportunity to bring healing energy into your life.  It's not this herb or that herb which heals...although yes very healing they are.  More importantly is the way each  moment is lived.

While  my water is running I'll make some herb tea, and I'll take it upstairs with me along with a book.  Today I'm reading about greenhouses, because that's something I'd like to learn how to do.  After reading and  doing my ohms and drying off I'll come down and clean up the house a bit while listening to music and moving around.  Then my day will go on from there...on to a nice raw foods lunch with someone I love, and I give thanks that life is so good!  This is how healing occurs...it's in the little every day things that we do.

Have a blessed day today!  That's what I'm planning to do!  Even when I'm cleaning the house.

Naturally Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Jody Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

Mood:  happy

How is health created?  Health is created by living in accordance with that which we were meant to be.  Good health is a natural thing! We were created in perfection in the image and likeness of God, and we were placed in an atmosphere conducive to healing, offering up everything we need to live.   The universe is as it should be, and everything in it acts together in balance and harmony.  The design is completely unflawed.  Life was given to us in abundance, and God saw it as good. 

Celebrate life!  Not with fake food from which the vital nutrients have been stripped away...and not with beverage which dries up the cells of the body and brain making them brittle and dry.  Celebrate life's goodness with drink and food which reflect the goodness of life...food with the nutritional value intact and food which has not been senselessly tainted through un-natural means!  

Celebrate life with dancing and singing and laughing and loving!  These are gifts meant to bring happiness and healing to us!

Celebrate life by smelling the flowers...and the pine trees...and the wonderful smells of the fruit orchards and the sweetness in the air after a rain and the natural scent of your mate.  What could be better than natural fragrances?  (Synthetic ones are actually toxic to your nerves and brain!)

Celebrate life with prayers of thanksgiving and works to help others find a more healthy and joyous life.  Celebrate life with your family, your loved ones, with strangers and also alone with yourself.  Celebrate life in your heart!

Celebrate life by seeing the good in it ALL.

Blessings,

Mary Jo Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

"JODY....Vibraceous, ND"

Mood:  a-ok

Natural is ALWAYS better.  Come on!  Everyone KNOWS that!  When is the fake product ever better than the real one?  When are artificial ingredients ever better than pure?  Why do we accept imitations so easily in food?  Why in medicine, too, of all things?  The public in general, I think, has been SCAMMED!

All Natural HealthWorks!  It's real! 

(If you don't think real is better, can I sell you a fake diamond, then?  Hahaha!  THINK about what you base quality on!  Just because it's well-known and used more than the real thing, doesn't make artificial as good!!!)

Just my thought for today!

Hmmm....

Naturally Yours in Good Health!

"Vibraceous, ND"

Jody Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP, D.D.

All Natural HealthWorks!

Holistic Education and Research Unlimited...