When I was first introduced to homeopathy it was presented in a way that was not easily palatable. It was very "foo foo" and all about spiritual healing and "energy" work and a bunch of stuff that really sounded like whackadoo, new age babble to me at the time. Shocking, I know since I often find myself trying to describe it in this way to others and I can only guess from the furrowed brow and polite smiles that they are dismissing me as a nut. When I first discovered the amazing results of using homeopathy I actually mentioned it to my former supervisor. What on earth was in my mind to think that a scientist would actually consider its validity...a pharmaceutical one at that, but he was polite in his quick dismissal that it was complete crap and only created a placebo effect. After a few years of experience and study, I am hoping I can articulate the case for homeopathy in a more concrete way than using only fluffy spiritual words.
So here goes:
We are all at our smallest components, made of particles called atoms. Agreed? Agreed.
An atom consists of a teeny tiny mass, called a nucleus and a enormous space that surrounds each atom where electrons fly around, right? Good.
So the only physical, tangible thing in an atom is the nucleus, the rest is air. Therefore when these atoms all join together to create something we perceive as a chair or our bodies, it is mostly air. Air with moving electrons. Moving really fast. Vibrating, if you will. Kinetic energy.
So if you look at the chair you perceive a solid mass, but there isn't much solid mass there. It's vibrational, kinetic energy. Your mind being of this physical world fills in the space, but really almost everything around us is 99% vibrating air.
Ok, I know I just took a leap away from what most would consider reality but it is all just quantum physics. Quantum physics is the science of very very small. The very very very miniscule small. So small its a whole universe unto itself. Its actually the science of spirituality and in most cases you can just exchange the term.
So if you extrapolate this information you are able to realize that the body, we, are all a conglomerate of vibrating energy.
So when there is dis-ease in the body, it is vibrating at a frequency and it brings about the physical manifestations of that frequency in the form of discomfort and ailments. In the same way we can perceive the chair as solid because it is the physical manifestation of the vibrating electrons, we perceive physical maladies of our bodies because of the vibrational frequency of our beings. It always starts in the vibration (spirit) and as the vibration begins to manifest physical evidence of its current frequency, the symptoms become more recognizable. First they appear in the emotions of the person, then the thought patterns of the person, and lastly as physical maladies which in most people is the first indication of a problem.
So homeopathy works because in the 1800s doctor named Samuel Hannehman discovered like cures like. When your body is exposed to a vibrational frequency similar to the one it is in, it is able to recognize the dis-ease path it is on. Your vital force, the force that animates your being, sees the FULL spectrum of the dis-ease path it is on and can course correct. Homeopathic remedies are the physical thing that helps this. Since the entire universe contains physical structures, made of atoms with circulating electrons creating vibrations, the universe has provided the method to heal before the dis-ease even exists. Some might find it more familiar to use the label G*d when referring to this infinite source of all energy. Whatever the term, all that is needed is already here and available to us.
Hannehman discovered the unique properties of hundreds of remedies by diluting them beyond avogrado's number. Which means, diluting to the point of there being nothing physical left to find. In other words, taking something physical such as a bug or the leaf of a plant, grinding it up and doing serial dilutions repeatedly. Basically reversing the process of creation. Taking something physical and bringing it back to just its energetic (spiritual) form. The vibrational imprint of this plant or bug can then be "preserved" if you will, in water. Water is known to record vibrational imprint. (See my post on Messages in Water). Then this imprinted water is applied to pellets and now you have the vibrational imprint of a plant on a pellet. When given to a healthy person, they begin to exhibit symptoms. Hannehman kept records of these symptoms, a practice that has continued on, so now there are thousands of remedies in a big book called the Materia Medica. The book of all the things we can heal with and what symptoms they should be matched up with in a person.
For simplicity sake I am just going to use one of the most well-known remedies with its most common physical symptom. If someone experiences a lot of bruising and muscle aching the electrons of their body have been vibrating at a frequency that produced an emotional and mental state in them, culminating in the physical bruising. Then there is this plant called Mountain Laurel that, when diluted and given to a healthy person, produces a similar set of symptoms. A homeopath recognizes the symptoms of the client and matches it up to the remedy that causes the same thing and suggests Arnica (Mountain Laurel). Now the vital force, which knows its own vibrational state and its selected manifestations of that state, is given a pill containing the complete picture of that state. It can see the path its heading down (DEATH) and make a shift. The symptoms disappear. It essentially sees itself in a mirror and says, "Ew. No thanks." Just like when we see ourselves in a mirror and feel it necessary to comb our hair. The situation existed before we were aware, but when made aware we can take action to correct it. That's what the vital force does and then dis-ease can be cured gently and permanently.
I have way oversimplified this for the sake of explanation but just wanted to see if I could explain it without it being infused with too much new age spirituality.
At its core, homeopathy is very simple in concept. G*d/Universe/Higher Power/Evolution created all things. In its wisdom, it created the cure before the disease. The only thing needed to cure an ailment is a vibrational shift. Homeopathy facilitates the shift by using the principles of quantum physics.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Eating again
Pregnant Dog Report: So happy that Marley is eating again, after about 10 days of not really eating.
Dog Show Report: We're off to Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Sunday. Canaan Dogs show on Monday. We're not showing our girl ourselves and are just going to enjoy the show as spectators and cheer on Camber and Vixen. The group competition airs live Monday night on the USA network. Tune in to see if one of our girls is out there!
Yellow Dog Report: Isaac, our oldest dog who will be 11 this year has been suffering from digestive difficulty for the last 2 months. We visited the vet in December and she put him on worming meds, something I usually decline but there is only so much diarrhea one is willing to clean up off the floor before desperation sets in. I don't really think that helped, in fact while taking it he was much worse. She also had us take him off raw food and start feeding him cooked rice and turkey. That also didn't really work well for him and we ended up having to add a whole lot of pumpkin help firm things up. The vet indicated that he would probably need to be on cooked food for the rest of his life because old dogs don't do well on raw. Well, in that one month he lost 6 lbs off his already thinning frame. He went from a too thin 42 lbs in December to an emaciated 36 lbs in January. I started him on a homeopathic remedy and that is continuing. I also switched him back to raw food and am so relieved that he is now back up to 40 lbs (2 weeks later). I started adding some digestive enzymes and probiotics to it. He's still a little gassy but seems to be doing ok for now.
Dog Show Report: We're off to Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Sunday. Canaan Dogs show on Monday. We're not showing our girl ourselves and are just going to enjoy the show as spectators and cheer on Camber and Vixen. The group competition airs live Monday night on the USA network. Tune in to see if one of our girls is out there!
Yellow Dog Report: Isaac, our oldest dog who will be 11 this year has been suffering from digestive difficulty for the last 2 months. We visited the vet in December and she put him on worming meds, something I usually decline but there is only so much diarrhea one is willing to clean up off the floor before desperation sets in. I don't really think that helped, in fact while taking it he was much worse. She also had us take him off raw food and start feeding him cooked rice and turkey. That also didn't really work well for him and we ended up having to add a whole lot of pumpkin help firm things up. The vet indicated that he would probably need to be on cooked food for the rest of his life because old dogs don't do well on raw. Well, in that one month he lost 6 lbs off his already thinning frame. He went from a too thin 42 lbs in December to an emaciated 36 lbs in January. I started him on a homeopathic remedy and that is continuing. I also switched him back to raw food and am so relieved that he is now back up to 40 lbs (2 weeks later). I started adding some digestive enzymes and probiotics to it. He's still a little gassy but seems to be doing ok for now.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Gypsy Soup
My favorite cooked dish this past winter has definitely been Gypsy Soup. A friend originally gave me the recipe because it is out of the newer edition of The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook. However you can google the name and a close version of the recipe will come up. I dislike being tied down to a recipe and this is such a great one for using up veggies that are going soft so really play around with it. The spices used are what give this soup its interesting flavor, the vegetables are unimportant. The technique and order of additions to the pot do make a difference in the final outcome. I'm not good about "amounts" because I don't measure but for the sake of recipe writing I'll estimate them.
In a big soup pot gently heat some olive oil, let's say a few tablespoons. Coat the bottom of the pan. You want the heat at medium-low.
Add:
1 diced onion and let that carmelize while you chop and add the remaining veggies.
2-3 stalks of celery, diced (use the leafy green parts, if you have them)
2-3 carrots or 1 large sweet potato diced
1 diced bell pepper, any color
Let these all slowly carmelize and soften for a few minutes. Then add optional fresh veggies that you are using up such as diced summer squashes, green beans or broccoli.
Next add the dried spices:
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. This simmers in the soup for so long it adds a nice warming sensation every bite similar to when cayenne is added to chocolate, but go easy or you'll end up with spicy soup.
1 TBSP basil
2 tsp tumeric
1 TBSP cinnamon
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste. I use about a TBSP at this point and maybe more later. People. Good soup is seasoned correctly, which means it is salty. If you salt early in the cooking process (any recipe) the food just tastes properly seasoned and not like freshly added salt. Food that is not seasoned before it is done cooking requires that the consumer salt it later and then it, well, it just isn't
as good as it could have been. Salt now, please.
So once this is all cooking add a box of veggie broth/stock and a can of diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer. At this point, the original recipe calls for a can of well rinsed garbonzo beans (chicpeas), but I prefer brown rice pasta. Either broken up spagetti or ziti. Cook until pasta is done. At the end I also like to add a good handful of frozen peas and frozen corn. Add water if it got thick. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. YUMMY!
Tonight I was wanting something bread-like so I made a quick vegan cornbread. It was the perfect thing for dipping! This is a huge pot of soup. Good for the three of us for several days. I like leftovers. Consider halving or freezing half if you don't need as much, though I always find previously frozen soups are sort of lackluster.
In a big soup pot gently heat some olive oil, let's say a few tablespoons. Coat the bottom of the pan. You want the heat at medium-low.
Add:
1 diced onion and let that carmelize while you chop and add the remaining veggies.
2-3 stalks of celery, diced (use the leafy green parts, if you have them)
2-3 carrots or 1 large sweet potato diced
1 diced bell pepper, any color
Let these all slowly carmelize and soften for a few minutes. Then add optional fresh veggies that you are using up such as diced summer squashes, green beans or broccoli.
Next add the dried spices:
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. This simmers in the soup for so long it adds a nice warming sensation every bite similar to when cayenne is added to chocolate, but go easy or you'll end up with spicy soup.
1 TBSP basil
2 tsp tumeric
1 TBSP cinnamon
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste. I use about a TBSP at this point and maybe more later. People. Good soup is seasoned correctly, which means it is salty. If you salt early in the cooking process (any recipe) the food just tastes properly seasoned and not like freshly added salt. Food that is not seasoned before it is done cooking requires that the consumer salt it later and then it, well, it just isn't
as good as it could have been. Salt now, please.
So once this is all cooking add a box of veggie broth/stock and a can of diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer. At this point, the original recipe calls for a can of well rinsed garbonzo beans (chicpeas), but I prefer brown rice pasta. Either broken up spagetti or ziti. Cook until pasta is done. At the end I also like to add a good handful of frozen peas and frozen corn. Add water if it got thick. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. YUMMY!
Tonight I was wanting something bread-like so I made a quick vegan cornbread. It was the perfect thing for dipping! This is a huge pot of soup. Good for the three of us for several days. I like leftovers. Consider halving or freezing half if you don't need as much, though I always find previously frozen soups are sort of lackluster.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A Stretch Outside of the Comfort Zone
I came across this blog entry. I thought it was well-written, well thought out and thought provoking. I provided the link to give the author due credit.
http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/09/28/whats-so-bad-about-socialism/
What’s so bad about socialism?
This month’s proposed bail-out of Wall Street financial institutions has gotten me thinking about socialism — in particular, the knee-jerk reaction that some conservative Americans express whenever the word is mentioned. They say, “Oh, we can’t have nationalized healthcare because that would be socialism,” as if the word alone makes the argument self-evident. But here’s my question: if socialism is so bad, then why don’t conservatives complain about the many socialized institutions that seem to work just fine and that we all take for granted? For example, our nation’s various police and fire departments are all socialized institutions, but we don’t hear conservatives screaming about making those into private industries (notwithstanding wealthy conservatives who live in gated communities with private security guards). Likewise, our nation’s judiciaries (both criminal and civil) are socialized, but we don’t hear conservatives calling for private funding of judges.
So, given that conservatives consider socialism OK in some situations, but not in others, what, for them, distinguishes “good” socialism from “bad” socialism? Here’s my theory: conservatives don’t mind having everyone share the cost of things such as police, fire, judges, etc., because conservatives tend to be people with wealth and power…and people with wealth and power tend to own more assets than people without wealth and power. And what better way is there to protect those assets against loss (fire, theft, fraud, etc.) than by making everyone share the cost of things like police, fire, courts, etc.? Of course, not all conservatives are wealthy and powerful, and not all wealthy or powerful people are conservatives, but I’m talking here about conservatives who unquestioningly accept socialism in some contexts, while blindly rejecting it in others. I suspect these people realize (consciously or subconsciously) that, for them personally, socialized cops are good but socialized doctors are not. They’re content to let their neighbors help pay for the police that protect their mansion, but why should they help pay for their neighbor’s broken leg?
So, what about public schools? Well, not all schools are funded by the public; only grades K-12. Why? Well, people with wealth and power have, historically, been the people who own the businesses in America, and they need a literate workforce. Not a curious, college-educated, authority-questioning workforce, just a literate one. So, it makes a lot of sense to them to have the public provide that workforce, thereby saving them the cost of teaching their potential employees to read and write. This is one reason why so many conservatives push for things such as standardized testing and “no child left behind”: they don’t want to get stuck with the burden of educating an illiterate workforce. It’s also one reason why they push for things such as school vouchers and (Christian) prayer in school: the belief that morality is just as important as literacy and that America’s moral values are (or should be) based on the Bible. Likewise, they see no reason to help pay for curious, authority-questioning kids to attend college; to the contrary, the less that access to college is based on intellectual merit and the more it is based on, say, a family’s wealth, the more likely that smart, poor kids can be hired for low wages and that the kids of wealthy families can go to college (and eventually inherit the levers of wealth and power).
So, with reference to the title of this post — “what’s so bad about socialism” — the answer is that there isn’t necessarily anything inherently bad about socialism; society’s movers and shakers have simply disparaged the term in situations whenever it benefits them to do so.
Indeed, let’s compare nominally “capitalist” America to some nominally “socialist” countries in Europe. Countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, etc., have much higher income taxes, much higher gasoline prices, nationalized healthcare, nationalized universities, shorter work weeks, longer vacations…and they still have a stronger currency, a healthier population, fewer people in prison (per capita), fewer violent crimes (per capita) and a far smaller military (per capita). All of which leaves me with a question I’m going to leave with you: what’s so good about American-style capitalism?
http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/09/28/whats-so-bad-about-socialism/
This month’s proposed bail-out of Wall Street financial institutions has gotten me thinking about socialism — in particular, the knee-jerk reaction that some conservative Americans express whenever the word is mentioned. They say, “Oh, we can’t have nationalized healthcare because that would be socialism,” as if the word alone makes the argument self-evident. But here’s my question: if socialism is so bad, then why don’t conservatives complain about the many socialized institutions that seem to work just fine and that we all take for granted? For example, our nation’s various police and fire departments are all socialized institutions, but we don’t hear conservatives screaming about making those into private industries (notwithstanding wealthy conservatives who live in gated communities with private security guards). Likewise, our nation’s judiciaries (both criminal and civil) are socialized, but we don’t hear conservatives calling for private funding of judges.
So, given that conservatives consider socialism OK in some situations, but not in others, what, for them, distinguishes “good” socialism from “bad” socialism? Here’s my theory: conservatives don’t mind having everyone share the cost of things such as police, fire, judges, etc., because conservatives tend to be people with wealth and power…and people with wealth and power tend to own more assets than people without wealth and power. And what better way is there to protect those assets against loss (fire, theft, fraud, etc.) than by making everyone share the cost of things like police, fire, courts, etc.? Of course, not all conservatives are wealthy and powerful, and not all wealthy or powerful people are conservatives, but I’m talking here about conservatives who unquestioningly accept socialism in some contexts, while blindly rejecting it in others. I suspect these people realize (consciously or subconsciously) that, for them personally, socialized cops are good but socialized doctors are not. They’re content to let their neighbors help pay for the police that protect their mansion, but why should they help pay for their neighbor’s broken leg?
So, what about public schools? Well, not all schools are funded by the public; only grades K-12. Why? Well, people with wealth and power have, historically, been the people who own the businesses in America, and they need a literate workforce. Not a curious, college-educated, authority-questioning workforce, just a literate one. So, it makes a lot of sense to them to have the public provide that workforce, thereby saving them the cost of teaching their potential employees to read and write. This is one reason why so many conservatives push for things such as standardized testing and “no child left behind”: they don’t want to get stuck with the burden of educating an illiterate workforce. It’s also one reason why they push for things such as school vouchers and (Christian) prayer in school: the belief that morality is just as important as literacy and that America’s moral values are (or should be) based on the Bible. Likewise, they see no reason to help pay for curious, authority-questioning kids to attend college; to the contrary, the less that access to college is based on intellectual merit and the more it is based on, say, a family’s wealth, the more likely that smart, poor kids can be hired for low wages and that the kids of wealthy families can go to college (and eventually inherit the levers of wealth and power).
So, with reference to the title of this post — “what’s so bad about socialism” — the answer is that there isn’t necessarily anything inherently bad about socialism; society’s movers and shakers have simply disparaged the term in situations whenever it benefits them to do so.
Indeed, let’s compare nominally “capitalist” America to some nominally “socialist” countries in Europe. Countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, etc., have much higher income taxes, much higher gasoline prices, nationalized healthcare, nationalized universities, shorter work weeks, longer vacations…and they still have a stronger currency, a healthier population, fewer people in prison (per capita), fewer violent crimes (per capita) and a far smaller military (per capita). All of which leaves me with a question I’m going to leave with you: what’s so good about American-style capitalism?
No appetite
Started to worry a little today because since she vomited on Tuesday she hasn't really eaten and has been very reclusive. I gave her a dose of homeopathic Nux vomica and she ate a small amount of ground food which made me feel a bit better. Maybe this is all sign that she has a larger litter than her last two? I hope so.
We are excited to be heading down to stay with our friends Keith and David next weekend while we attend the Westminster Dog Show. Our girl Camber was invited and her sister Vixen will also be showing. I am excited to be there to cheer them on and to not be stuck "on the bench" for the whole day and lugging gear in and out of the Garden in frigid temperatures. I predict this will be a very enjoyable Westminster experience, especially since it is the first one that Evan is going to with me.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Puppy Journal
In an effort to keep me blogging more regularly, I have decided to blog about the litter we are expecting. I hope to get some other deeper, more thought provoking things on here soon too as lots of thoughts are swarming in my head about the new administration and raw foods, but I don't get to those as often.
We decided to repeat a very successful breeding of our female Marley (CH Riverroc Three Sunrises Lyceum, CGC, ROM) to her one and only love, Harry (CH Rosendogs He Who Must Be Named). Marley, it appears, is a monogamous dog. Their romance began as puppies in the class ring and has stood the test of time. We have tried two other breedings and one was more or less a disaster, producing only one viable puppy (who is wonderful) and the other didn't take. She wants nothing to do with other males but is completely in love and very will to be Harry's girl. So instead of fighting an upstream battle and considering that the last litter produced three extremely sound and sweet, as well as beautiful, Canaan Dogs including last years National Specialty winner, we decided to just go with the flow. Marley and Harry together again... So there you have the backstory.
Harry came to stay with us for 2 weeks, during which time the they had 4 successful breedings or "ties." And right on target this week she has vomited and today refused food. Good signs that she is pregnant. We will take her for an xray the first week in March to confirm and count puppies and then we expect the little guys sometime in Mid-March.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Meditation Bubbles
A resolution of sorts, this year I am going to try to incorporate regular meditation into my daily routine. Finding the time is a challenge. I know I know, what's 10 minutes? Hell, what's 1 minute? According to Oprah, if you can't find 60 seconds a day to meditate you just aren't on a spiritual path. To me, that sounded like a challenge and I accept.
For the last few months my daily moment to myself has been taking an extra few minutes in the shower after the bathing portion is complete. I would sit and just take in the experience of being warmed by the water. It is my few moments of solitude and I enjoy it, but it didn't feel, well meditative.
And once my day is going, I hardly find the inclination to sit still and meditate so really the only logical time for me is first thing when I wake up or last thing before I fall asleep and that's usually what happens...I fall asleep. I do find meditation helpful for that.
So this morning after Evan had showered and left the room, I lay in bed and meditated. I have the same trouble as anyone else new to meditation. My mind wanders off on all the things I should be thinking about and then I have to pull myself back. I've had people say focus on your breath, count, pretend the thoughts are passing clouds and let them float on by but none of that clicked for me. This morning I came up with something that finally helped me manage the pesky mental chatter keeping me from the state of zen, so here is what I did.
I lay in bed and decided I was going to meditate for 60 breaths. Breathing in and out I counted each one in my head. I imagined the number inside a bubble...like the bubbles you blow with the little plastic sticks. On the inhale the bubble with a number 1 inside floated up and on the exhale it floated down and out. Then 2.... and so on. This worked for me because my next goal was just "see" the number in the bubble with my mind's eye but not "say" it in my mind. Everytime another thought appeared, and in my multitasking brain it was just in another bubble floating near my number bubble, I simply popped it. GONE. It was the one form of imagery that finally worked for me. I have heard that after some practice the need to count is no longer necessary to keep a quiet mind but for now I think its just what I need to center myself and do some meditation everyday.
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