One question I am always asked is “What prompted you to go into the healing profession?” So here is the long version, read it if you dare… good time for a cuppa!
As a child I was always sick. Dizzy and weak most of the time, couldn’t play much. In 1970 I met a wonderful woman who lived in Cinnaminson at the time. I had received reflexology treatments from her and wonderful educational conversations. My feet were soooo bad that I gripped the arm rails of the chair when she worked on me. She said that my feet should not be that bad – I was too young! She had asked a lot of questions, from which I had learned that my diet growing up had created the body that I then had. Fran introduced me to juicing to help clean my body and rebuild my health (I had suffered from chronic constipation). She also took me to have colonics at the Clymer Clinic in Quakertown, educated me on the value of FRESH vegetables, how to steam them, even how to make a salad! She literally turned my life around by teaching me sound diet principles. About this time I also met Frankie Avalon’s mother, right now I can’t recall her name (I think her first name might be Rosemary – she is still giving classes in the Marlton area, if you are her reading this Please call me!) who was giving cooking classes using a special set of cookware that allowed you to quickly steam vegetables. It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot more about cooking healthy from her.
The next turning point was when I became pregnant with my second child. I had morning sickness with her 24/7! The doctor gave me medicine to help stop it because it was so out of control. I was happy to have food stay down even though I still felt weak and dizzy, so I thought this was a good thing… well my daughter was born with jaundice. They sent me home and kept her to get the bilirubin, light treatments for the jaundice. Sent home, I was tidying up preparing for my baby’s homecoming when I found the information paper that came with the medicine I was taking for the morning sickness. I found out that the medicine creates a Vitamin B-6 deficiency. So off I go to the health food store to buy books on Vitamins and our health. I had devoured those books. Adelle Davis “Let’s Have Healthy Children” was one of the key ones. Anyway, my research taught me that B-6 deficiency (also called anemnia — anemnia isn’t just for B-12!) creates dizziness and weakness – the symptoms I was experiencing during the time the doctor had me on the medication. Then I decided to look up jaundice and GUESS WHAT??? B-6 deficiency!!!! Being post-partum did I cry! I felt by taking the medicine so that I could hold down food, I had caused my baby’s jaundice. Now I know it wasn’t the end of the world, but I was thinking – what if it could have been prevented??? Believe me, by my third child I did things differently!
So for the next decade or two, I was passionate about studying vitamins and minerals. After that I’ve been studying herbs and how they can assist us in healing. Did you know that most of our drugs come from plants? The researchers find the active constituent in the herb that works and replicates it in the labs to come up with a drug. Now that is fine and it works, but a lot of the time the drugs produce side effects usually depleting us of critical nutrients which in turn could cause other problems. Now it is my belief that drugs are needed in certain situations, however, what happens when you use herbs is phenomenal. God gave us the herbs to use in a whole form. The plant contains other “factors” that work together in the body eliminating side effects. Naturopathic Doctors would align with this belief, some medical doctors are skeptical.
Native American Indians understood this concept of healing. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go on a medicine walk with a Native Indian Medicine Women in Canada where she pointed out the various plants and how they help us. It was very validating for me, we shared information and even sang the Cherokee morning song together!
Intrigued yet?? There’s more…
In 1985 I was in a car accident that produced major neck and upper back pain. I dutifully took the pain meds and muscle relaxants. After being zombied out for a few weeks and not getting any better I searched out alternative methods. Chiropractic treatments helped a lot, but didn’t totally get rid of the pain. I was introduced to a wonderful massage therapist and started receiving regular treatments. This is what made a difference for me. I was introduced to massage therapy years earlier, but I had to go into the city for the sessions. This therapist was much closer. Through my experiences with the two massage therapists, I just KNEW this was what I was to do. I was taught how the fear from the accident was still being held in my muscles, I had learned how to deep breathe to help release the tension, I had learned how we “stuff” our emotions in our bodies, etc. etc. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.
My story continues… my family and I have gone through a ton of grief in late 2012 and 2013. I’ve embarked on a spiritual healing journey in the years that have followed, learning how to deal with my grief and bring joy and purpose back into my life. It’s been a rock and roll journey at times! These events in my life have created the person I am today. I’ve done some stupid things in my life, but I always bounce back and I always keep it real. Staying in my heart center and living in the moment is what my day is about!
I truly believe that I am doing the work that God had planned for me. Every client is a blessing and a teacher to me. I am always learning, it is not something that I will ever be done with.