Issue 29

Issue 29

In this issue:

1) Welcome Letter by Sibyl McLendon
2) Downwind From Flowers by Lee Paton
3) Promoting Balance In Your Daily Life by Francoise Rapp
4) Sweat Lodges by Sibyl McLendon
5) Beyond Nutrition by Renee A. Wentzell
6) Universal Law by Staci Backauskas

7) The Power Of Music

Greetings, and welcome to you all. I hope that your Memorial Day is a peaceful and fun one for you all. Memorial Day is a big deal for American Indian cultures, because it is the modern way of honoring warriors. We consider all Veterans to be our modern warriors. There are pow-wows held all over the country in honor of Memorial day! This year, instead of just sitting in the house watching cars go around in a circle for hours, why not see if there is a pow-wow being held near you? Here is a link to a site that lists pow-wows being held all over the place Indian issues
Go take a look.. If you have never been to a pow-wow, you are in for a real treat. Just please, be respectful and don't take any pictures without permission.
This week, Bobby and I have gotten a couple of very moving letters from people that we do not know, but who have been touched by our healing basket. Our healing basket is a real basket, and it holds the names and prayer requests that people have given us over the course of 8 years. It is a big basket! It is prayed over every day, not just by us but by other people we have met over the Internet.
We seldom ever get any feedback about the things that are in our basket. We never, ever take a prayer request out of the basket, even when we know that the person has passed. Once you are in, you are in for good! Anyway, we have received 2 letters about some miraculous changes that have occurred as a result of these prayers. Both letters said that nothing else in the lives of the recipients had changed, the only thing that they could see that could have brought about these changes would be prayer. It just so happens that both letters concern children who have had horrendous drug problems that suddenly just took a complete turn around. It is so moving to us to hear this. Never underestimate the power of prayer!
So, I invite you to send a prayer request to the healing basket. There is no limit to the requests. You don't have to give any names if you do not want to, the Creator knows who you are! Just click here to mail them to us and they will be put into the basket immediately.
We have a new contributor this week! I am proud to announce the new Nutrition and Health series by Renee Wentzell. Renee and her husband David own a store in Hudson, New Hampshire. Renee is very knowledgeable about nutrition, heath, herbs... you name it! I know that you will enjoy the articles. Please, feel free to e-mail Renee with all your questions and comments. She is a delightful person and a good friend.

All of you received a offer this week to subscribe to my new newsletter, Spirit Path. Thanks to all of you who already have! For those of you who didn't, let me just say that this is going to be a twice monthly letter, sent out on the 1st and 15th of each month. It is totally dedicated to American Indian Spirituality. If you think you might be interested, you can try a subscription by going to Brown Mouse
or by sending an e-mail to spiritpath-subscribe@topica.com
The first issue will come out on June 1st. I also want to highly recommend a newsletter that I just discovered. I received my first issue this past week, and it is wonderful! You will not regret this. To see the site, and subscribe to the newsletter, go to Native Circle You will love the flute music!
Be sure and check out the site for the other articles. I put the Power Of Music there this time, too, because this thing is long this week! Blessings to you all.

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"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
places to play in and pray in,
where Nature may heal and cheer
and give strength to body and soul alike."
-- John Muir

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Downwind From Flowers
A Tibetan Story of Healing
By Lee Paton

Several years ago in Seattle, Washington, there lived a 52-year-old Tibetan
refugee. "Tenzin," as I will call him, who was diagnosed with one of the
more curable forms of lymphoma. He was admitted to the hospital and received
his first dose of chemotherapy. But during the treatment, this usually
gentle man became extremely angry and upset. He pulled the IV out of his arm
and refused to cooperate. He shouted at the nurses and became argumentative
with everyone who came near him.

The doctors and nurses were baffled. Then Tenzin's wife spoke to the
hospital staff. She told them Tenzin had been held as a political prisoner
by the Chinese for 17 years. They killed his first wife and repeatedly
tortured and brutalized him throughout his imprisonment. She told them that
the hospital rules and regulations, coupled with the chemotherapy
treatments, gave Tenzin horrible flashbacks of what had suffered at the
hands of the Chinese.

"I know you mean to help him," she said, "but he feels tortured by your
treatments. They are causing him to feel hatred inside - just like he felt
toward the Chinese. He would rather die than have to live with the hatred he
is now feeling. And, according to our belief, it is very bad to have hatred
in your heart at the time of death. He needs to be able to pray and cleanse
his heart." So the doctors discharged Tenzin and asked the hospice team to
visit him in his home. I was the hospice nurse assigned to his care.

I called a local representative from "Amnesty International" for advice. He
told me that the only way to heal the damage from torture is to 'talk it
through.' "This person has lost his trust in humanity and feels hope is
impossible," the man said. "If you are to help him, you must find a way to
give him hope." But when I encouraged Tenzin to talk about his experiences,
he held up his hand and stopped me. He said, "I must learn to love again if
I am to heal my soul. Your job is not to ask me questions. Your job is to
teach me to love again." I took a deep breath. I asked him, "So, how can I
help you love again?" Tenzin immediately replied, "Sit down, drink my tea
and eat my cookies." Tibetan tea is strong black tea laced with yak butter
and salt. It isn't easy to drink! But that is what I did. For several weeks,
Tenzin, his wife, and I sat together, drinking tea. We also worked with his
doctors to find ways to treat his physical pain. But it was his spiritual
pain that seemed to be lessening. Each time I arrived, Tenzin was sitting
cross-legged on his bed, reciting prayers from his books. As time went on,
he and his wife hung more and more colorful "thankas," Tibetan Buddhist
banners, on the walls. The room was fast becoming a beautiful, religious
shrine.

When the spring came, I asked Tenzin what Tibetans do when they are ill in
the spring. He smiled brightly and said, "We sit downwind from flowers." I
thought he must be speaking poetically. But Tenzin's words were quite
literal. He told me Tibetans sit downwind so they can be dusted with the new
blossoms' pollen that floats on the spring breeze. They feel this new pollen
is strong medicine. At first, finding enough blossoms seemed a bit daunting.
Then, one of my friends suggested that Tenzin visit some of the local flower
nurseries. I called the manager of one of the nurseries and explained the
situation. The manager's initial response was: "You want to do what?" But
when I explained the request, the manager agreed. So, the next weekend, I
picked up Tenzin and his wife with their provisions for the afternoon: black
tea, butter, salt, cups, cookies, prayer beads and prayer books. I dropped
them off at the nursery and assured them I would return at 5:00.

The following weekend, Tenzin and his wife visited another nursery. The
third weekend, they went to yet another nursery. The fourth week, I began to
get calls from the nurseries inviting Tenzin and his wife to come again. One
of the managers said, "We've got a new shipment of nicotiana coming in and
some wonderful fuchsias and oh, yes! Some great daphne. I know they would
love the scent of that daphne! And I almost forgot! We have some new lawn
furniture that Tenzin and his wife might enjoy." Later that day, I got a
call from the second nursery saying that they had colorful wind socks that
would help Tenzin predict where the wind was blowing. Pretty soon, the
nurseries were competing for Tenzin's visits. People began to know and care
about the Tibetan couple. The nursery employees started setting out the lawn
furniture in the direction of the wind. Others would bring out fresh hot
water for their tea. Some of the regular customers would leave their wagons
of flowers near the two of them.

At the end of the summer, Tenzin returned to his doctor for another CT scan
to determine the extent of the spread of the cancer. But the doctor could
find no evidence of cancer at all. He was dumbfounded. He told Tenzin that
he just couldn't explain it. Tenzin lifted his finger and said, "I know why
the cancer has gone away. It could no longer live in a body that is filled
with love. When I began to feel all the compassion from the hospice people,
from the nursery employees, and all those people who wanted to know about
me, I started to change inside. Now, I feel fortunate to have had the
opportunity to heal in this way. Doctor, please don't think that your
medicine is the only cure. Sometimes compassion can cure cancer, as well."
============================
Lee Paton is a recognized expert in pain and symptom management, end of life care, and spiritual concerns for people with serious illnesses and their families. She has just completed a research study on the experience of suffering with advanced cancer and is currently developing future studies to examine other aspects of living with serious illnesses.

She currently maintains a private consulting practice in the greater Portland, Oregon area focusing on improving the care of residents and patients in retirement communities, nursing homes, and also works with private patients and their families. Lee is affiliated with the Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center and the School of Nursing at Oregon Health Sciences University. She has lectured widely in the United States and in Asia on issues of hospice and palliative care, pain and symptom management, and the relief of suffering.
============================
Reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul, 101 Stories to Sow Seeds of Love, Hope and Laughter (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
by Jack Canfield (Editor), Mark Victor Hansen, Marion Owen, Cindy Buck

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"The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.
Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind."
-- Philipus Aureolus Paracelsus

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Promoting Balance in Your Daily Life
by Francoise Rapp

It can be a real challenge to stay balanced with the busy lives
we lead today. We're not only trying to juggle our work and home
lives, but somehow we manage to find time to exercise, eat
right, maintain important relationships, and enjoy our social
lives. With all this stress, it's important to take regular
short breaks to revitalize and replenish our energy. We need to
make time to put our daily stresses aside and remind ourselves
of those things that are most important to us, and most of all
to enjoy the moment. By doing so on a regular basis, we will
enhance inner happiness.

There are two key points to remember, though, if you wish to
attain perfect balance and peace of mind. You'll want to
practice these two tips regularly to help you gain equilibrium
more easily and efficiently.

1. Shut down your "chatting" mind

Your mind can quickly become overworked, and thus less
balanced. Each day, you face a constant flow of unworthy
information that can take away much of your energy and time.
With such busyness running through your mind, how is it
possible to find inner peace while releasing useless and
negative thoughts? You can do exactly that by simply preparing
the following aromatic blend.

Ingredients:
-4 drops of Sandalwood essential oil
-3 drops of Lavender essential oil

Add these oils to a 10-ml bottle, and fill with vegetable oil.
Anoint your third eye area (the 6th chakra) as well as your
neck. Breathe it in deeply.

Try to stay totally silent for at least 1 hour, or even better,
try it for an entire day. Don't watch TV, read, listen to music,
work on the computer, etc. Instead, enjoy your environment by
taking a walk or soaking in a warm bath. You will be amazed by
all the thoughts that come to your mind. Simply acknowledge them
and--more importantly--let them go.

After this exercise, you will feel
more refreshed, rejuvenated,
peaceful. The more often you practice this ritual, and the
longer you can do it, the better you will feel.

2. Be centered and "in the moment"

Like most people, you probably spend so much time thinking
about what you need to do, as well as what you've accomplished,
that you're left with little energy to appreciate the here and
now. The following aromatic blend will give you inner balance
and strength while allowing you to enjoy the precious moments of
your life right now.

Ingredients:
-5 drops of Sandalwood essential oil
-3 drops of Patchouli essential oil

Add these oils to a 10-ml bottle, and fill with vegetable oil.
Anoint the sacrum, solar plexus and third eye. Pour up to 10
drops of the blend into your bathtub. Breathe it in deeply
anytime during the day.

************
Visit http://www.aromalchemy.com/aromatherapy/sandalwood.html
to purchase or read more about the Sandalwood essential oil.
Visit http://www.aromalchemy.com/aromatherapy/lavender.html to
purchase
or read more about the Lavender essential oil.

Visit http://www.aromalchemy.com/aromatherapy/patchouli.html to
purchase
or read more about the Patchouli essential oil.
*************

In Good Health,
Francoise Rapp
Melusine-Arom'Alchemy
Healing through your senses
http://www.aromalchemy.com
francoise@aromalchemy.com

This article was originally published by Françoise Rapp in "The
Arom'Alchemy Newsletter," an electronic publication dedicated to
educating and inspiring people to live a life of total harmony
through the use of aromatherapy and flower essences. Françoise
was formally trained in aromatherapy and perfumery by priests
and alchemists in France, and her talents have been featured in
RedBook Magazine and New Age Journal. To have her free
newsletter delivered to your email, visit
www.aromalchemy.com/education/index.html.

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Sweat Lodges
By Sibyl McLendon

The sweat lodge is one of the 7 sacred ceremonies given to the American Indian people by White Buffalo Calf Woman. Europeans documented it as early as 1643. Of course, we know that it has been performed for many thousands of years. It is a ritual ceremony for healing, for prayer and for cleansing of the body, soul and spirit. If you were to put the words "sweat lodge" into a search engine, you would get back thousands of sites. The majority of these are advertising sweat lodge ceremonies that are being held all over the world, and most for an admittance fee. This is just wrong! As with all of our ceremonies, if someone wants to charge you to participate, it is not authentic! It is wrong to charge for ceremonies, and this type of healing.
The sweat lodge is built by using a frame of supple tree limbs. This frame is covered with any variety of available materials: blankets and quilts, leaves and branches, even canvas will work. It is necessary to dig a pit in the center for the stones that will be used. There will be a fire pit outside to heat the stones. I am not going to provide all the details here. Here is a site that outlines what is needed very well: Sweat Lodges
I am more concerned here with the effects of a properly held sweat. If the ceremony is done in the correct way, with a true spiritual leader and participants who are in the correct state of mind, then the effects can be miraculous. The sweat is used by every Indian culture. It can be used to prepare one for a ceremony, such as before participating in a Sun Dance, it can be used to cleanse one's self after some activity (many sweat after hunting, to cleanse themselves from the taking of a life and to honor the spirit of the animal), or just to get in touch with the Above Beings. It is known to be a powerful healing tool. Much prayer and singing goes on in the traditional sweat.
The Good Red Road: Passages into Native America by Kenneth Lincoln and Al Logan Slagle has an excellent story concerning the power of a sweat lodge healing.
The story is that a sweat lodge was held to help an American Indian man who had a very bad drinking problem. His family felt that he was close to dying because of it. Many conventional methods of treatment had been tried, to no avail. During the ceremony, a small dog came into the sweat lodge. It trotted around the circle, and went straight to the man who the sweat was being held for. The man became hysterical when he saw the dog. He started crying and yelling, trying to get away. The dog merely wagged its tail and licked the face of the man. After a bit, it turned around and left the sweat. At one of the breaks, people went out to find the dog. There was no trace of it; no paw marks in the dirt, and the fire-keeper had not seen a dog.
Later, the man admitted that the dog used to belong to his children. One day, in a drunken rage, he had killed the dog in front of his small children with his bare hands.
The man got better, and eventually was restored to health. His family came to the sweat leader to thank him, and to ask about the dog. The leader told the family that the healing had not been for the man; it had been for the dog. When the dog was healed of its violent death, and forgave the man, all were healed.
That is a true story, and illustrates the power of the sweat lodge.

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The sweat lodge, has to be an area of sincerity
So let us get to know each other
And keep the sweat lodge in order
In a Traditional Sweat Lodge, there is much energy And that is
the way we wish it to be
The Sweat was given to us by the Creator To purify ourselves
for the hereafter

~~Onkwe Tase, a Mohawk Tribal Elder

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Happy Memorial Day from Beyond Nutrition

Hello everyone, my name is Renee Wentzell and i am the co-owner of a health
and nutrition store in New Hampshire named Beyond Nutrition, I was asked by
Sibyl McLendon to write something for her newsletter on Nutrition and I will
be happy to answer any questions for you at this email address
RAW0211@aol.com, and at the end of this paragraph I will leave the store
information for anyone interested in purchasing vitamins, supplements, meal
replacements, gym apparel, and hand crafted jewelry, candles, bowls, and
other items, many made by Sibyl McLendon herself. At this time I do not have
a web page but I am looking into having one set up for the future so orders
could be made on line:

Weight Loss and Nutrition

I would like to take some time to talk about weight loss. Many people find
this subject to be a sore subject in their life but weight loss is not just
about the size jeans you wear it is more important from a health perspective
and the intake of carbohydrates and protein you take in on a daily basis. A
high protein lower carbohydrate diet is easy to follow and will give you all
the energy you need while you eat healthy to stay healthy.

One rule to follow is you should always have a protein and a carbohydrate
with each meal early in the day to mid afternoon. Carbs should not be taken
in your body after 4;00pm, which is when the body slows down and those carbs
easily turn to fat. An example of this would be to eat between 4 and 6 small
meals per day.

Example: Breakfast: Oatmeal and egg whites, 3 hrs later, 1/2 white or sweet
potato and tuna or egg whites, 3 hrs after tuna fish or lean meat on
pumpernickel bread such as hamburger or chicken or turkey dog, 3hrs later
salad greens, chicken and green beans, 3hrs after that fish, brocolli and a
salad, these meals are taken in moderation and sugar free, jello can be used
as a dessert. I have combinations of things that can be done on a daily
basis if someone is interested.

Take a multi vitamin daily and work out 3 to 4 times a week walking outdoors
weather permitting, treadmill and light circuit training alternate this
workout one day cardiovascular which is walking and next day weight training.
Our store also supplies meal replacement packaged shakes and bars for the
person on the go that can be mixed with fruit and other ingredients.

I hope you have enjoyed this health tip and if anyone has any questions
please feel free to write me at:
RAW0211@aol.com

Beyond Nutrition
290 Derry Road
Unit 10
Hudson, New Hampshire 03051

603-598-1333 We are open 6 days a week from 10:00 AM to 7;00PM Eastern
Standard Time

Thank you and have a safe and happy Memorial Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Renee A. Wentzell

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Universal Law
by Staci Backauskas

"Like attracts like" is a Universal law. This week it’s on my mind in terms of applying it to how much I’ve accomplished vs. how much I have left to do. Sometimes all I see is the top of the mountain – and it’s no where near where I am. But focusing on that doesn’t get me any closer. In fact, it makes me want to dig a hole and crawl in. Because once I begin to think of all that needs to be done, the mountain grows – or so it appears anyway.

If instead, I focus on how far I’ve come, my entire attitude shifts . . . I feel more confident and capable when I’m aware of all of my achievements. When I recognize how each step I’ve taken was vital in getting me to my current location, things seem to make more sense. The mountain peak doesn’t seem to be as far away.

The reality is that the mountain hasn’t moved an inch. My perception of it has. Focusing on what remains forces me to focus on how much I still need to do. Focusing on what I’ve already accomplished allows me to see how I’ve grown and what I’ve learned. It also adjusts my attitude. There will always be more left to do. Give yourself the gift of recognizing what you needed to go through to get to where you are.

On final note from my good friend Myriam de-Serna Maytorena (www.manifestreality.com) . . .

Enough shovels of earth..........................a mountain.
Enough pails of water...............................a river.

Chinese Proverb

Shanti. Shanti. Shanti. Peace. Peace. Peace.
================================================

Copyright Staci Backauskas 2000
Strengthen your spiritual practice and nurture your soul at Fifth Goddess

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The Power Of Music

Twisted Hair
by Jim Wilson and Dave Carson

This was the way of it
Let the story fires be lighted
Let our circle by strong and full of medicine
Hear me
This is my dream song that I'm singing for you
This is my power song that is taking me to the edge
This is rock medicine
The talking tree
The singing water
Listen
I am dancing underneath you.

This was the way of it
It is a river
It is a chant
It is a medicine story
It is what happened long ago
It is a bead in a story belt
It is what has been forgotten
It is the smell of sweetgrass and cedar
And prayers lifted to sky father
It is a way, a tradition
The way it was always done by the people
It is a feeling of warmth
The sound of voices
Listen
I am dancing underneath you

From Music For The Native Americans
by Robbie Robertson and the Red Road Ensemble

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