Health
Care for All Colorado
An Idea Long Overdue
by Richard Gingery, M. D.
Leading up to and following the elections
in November, the media has been quite busy polling people about their views on
relevant issues of the day. Listening
to those poll results, one is quickly aware that four or five themes dominate
our attention as a nation. While focus
on scandals waxes and wanes and opinion on the war in Iraq is steadily shifting
from pro to anti, concern about the American health care system is steadily growing. It seems that everyone is now aware we have
a problem with health care, and that problem is getting worse. The system provides no coverage for far too
many Americans and is so costly that even companies like General Motors must
move some of their production out of the United States to remain
competitive. As a consequence, in spite
of having the best-trained health care providers in the world we rank,
according to the World Health Organization, no better than 37th
overall for health care outcomes.
Many grass roots organizations are
springing up across the country seeking to solve the health care crisis. Here in Colorado one of the pre-eminent
organizations addressing the crisis is an organization called “Health Care for
All Colorado.” It is truly a grass
roots movement representing both consumers and providers of health care. Organized originally in Denver, it now has
chapters in Boulder, Fort Collins, Alamosa and Montrose with chapter
development beginning in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Durango. The organization began as an advocacy group
recognizing that the fairest, most cost-effective way to provide health care
would be to push for a single payer program that could provide universal health
care coverage. The president of the
state organization, Dr. Elinor Christiansen, has traveled extensively in Europe
and Canada to study their health care systems to better understand why their
outcomes are now so much better than health care outcomes in the United States. Dr. Rocky White, a board member of the
organization, is an internist in Alamosa who has actually written legislation
which could be adopted as a model for health care reform.
The basic flaw that we who are involved in
Health Care for All Colorado see in our present system is that, unlike the rest
of the industrialized world, we treat health care as a commodity. While the rest of the world sees health care
as a basic human right, we are still offering it to the highest bidder and
leaving out those who cannot bid. As a
consequence we have developed a convoluted and ever more expensive health care
insurance system in which as much as 30 cents out of every health care dollar
goes for administration. As a
consequence of the spiraling costs of health care, 50% of all personal
bankruptcies occur when an individual or a family confronts an unexpected
medical bill. More than 18,000
Americans die prematurely every year from a condition called “underinsurance,”
meaning simply that people without insurance or with inadequate insurance
forego needed medical care until it’s too late.
Universal single payer health care is the
only option which can successfully address the deficiencies of our present
system. As long as we have multiple
payer systems, we will have unacceptably high administration costs, even if we
figure out how to cover everyone. A
system that is truly universal will no longer exclude people because once upon
a time they had a benign lump in the breast or migraine headaches. At the same time, a single payer system can
improve access to health care for everyone by eliminating those insurance
company “panels” that restrict your right to see the physician of your choice
and by making a practice in a rural area as viable an alternative for the
physician as a practice in an urban area.
A single payer system provides enormous bargaining power with the
pharmaceutical industry, which will help contain drug costs. At the same time, it is important to
recognize that a single payer system is not “socialized medicine.” Rather, it is “socialized financing” of the
fee for service medicine that is the hallmark of private enterprise. The final good news about this approach is
that countries which have adopted this system spend one-third to one-half of what
we spend, and they get better outcomes.
There are several reasons why you should
get involved now in the Uncompahgre Chapter of Health Care for All
Colorado. One reason is that it is
important to have your voice heard, as health care reform is already a work in
progress in Colorado. A Blue Ribbon
Commission on Health Care Reform has been organized and will be studying
several proposals with the idea that one of the proposals will appear on the
ballot in Colorado in 2008. There is no
better time than now to ensure a proposal gets on the ballot that actually
reforms health care. A second reason is
that 47 million Americans without health insurance is not simply an
injustice—it is a moral outrage. But
perhaps the most compelling reason is the fact that at the present rate of
inflation of health care costs, by the year 2025 (only 18 years away) the
average family health care premium will equal the average household
income. Should we wait till the system
self-destructs, or does it make good sense to be a little more proactive? The choice, right now, is ours, but all too
soon, we won’t have a choice.
Richard Gingery, M. D.
Montrose, Colorado
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Karma, The Universal Law of Healing
by Charley Cropley
When we are burning with desire for chocolate, sex or
money or we are afraid of pain, losing money or sexual pleasure we often become
blind to the consequences of our behaviors.
Our passions overwhelm our intelligence. We want what we want.
We’ll pay the consequences later.
Repeated indulgence of unwise choices grows them into habits that grow
into demons and return again and again and bully us into repeating the
behaviors that we know destroy our Health and happiness. Facing these hungry ghosts makes cowards of
us all. Our bad habits cause the best
among us to repeatedly compromise our integrity. We do what we hope our children will not do and we lie to
ourselves and others about it. We lie
about whether we have control over them or not; whether we are really harming
ourselves; and often we hide our actions from others.
Bad habits rule like tyrants, demanding
that we sell them our beauty, youth, health and our relationships in return for
short term pleasure. Day after day
inexorably and inescapably they produce greater sorrow and regret. As Buddha said “They bring us lower than our
worst enemy would want.”
Bad habits, evils of all kinds, thrive in
darkness. The light of truth
annihilates them. They shun and repress
all forms of honest inquiry. Our sleezy
selves prefer such thoughts as “Oh, its not that big a deal.” “I know I could quit if I really wanted to.”
“Lots of people do it.” And we believe
in a “someday” as in “Someday I’ll change.”
But never, never today. “Now” is
utter horror to our dark side. We avoid
information and education about the harmfulness of our ways or the benefits of
behaving differently. We devote
enormous energy in repressing the voice of our own conscience with
justifications, rationalizations and excuses.
A stiff dose of Truth is THE remedy for self inflicted suffering of all
kinds.
The inescapable law that governs the
results of all our actions is called the law of karma, dharma, justice, love,
cause and effect, action/reaction etc.
This law has been stated in many ways: “As you sow, you reap. As you give, you receive.” “You won’t ever get figs from thistles.” “When you choose an action know with
certainty that you also choose the consequences of that action.” Or
“Insanity is thinking that if you repeat the same action somehow you
will get a different result.” “Treat
others (everything) as you would treat yourself.”
Karma, the moral law of Life, governs our
relationship with everything: food, body, men, women, earth, money,
business. It is 100% reliable and can
be perfectly trusted. Contemplating
deeply the inescapable certainty of Universal Law has been perhaps my greatest
source of moral strength to free myself from my own self-inflicted
suffering. The more clearly I have
understood the working of universal law, the more quickly and easily I have
chosen wisely. When I found myself
lacking the power to choose wisely it was because I had forgotten both how much
I wanted the rewards inherent in beneficial action and I’d forgotten the
inescapable certainty of the suffering inherent in wrong action. My most cherished bad habits: alcoholism,
smoking, smoking marijuana, overeating sweets, fear of public speaking, self
loathing, not listening to my wife, have each lost their charm or their terror
through daily reflection on the working of Karma.
This is some of what Karma is teaching
me. It has hugely exposed and mildly
eroded my indifference and outright hostility toward anything that obstructs my
selfish desires. It has grown a
certainty that unintelligent, unkind desires and actions feed an unending cycle
of misery: short-lived pleasures followed by long-term regret. I am increasingly convinced of the absolute
impossibility of avoiding being burned when I put my hand into the flame of
wrong desires. I.e. whether I procrastinate
five days, five months or five years I will face the identical challenges that
I am avoiding today only I will be weaker and my vices will be stronger. Truth and love are supremely seductive and
patient and by the action of Karma cultivate an indomitable passion for wise,
caring action. A wise mind and a loving
heart constitute my spiritual immune system against suffering. Intelligent, loving action IS happiness
itself.
Clarity is power
A Self Healing Exercise
If you would like to shorten the time
required for you to make the changes you want to make but have not been able to,
do this simple exercise every night for a week. Select one wholesome change that you would like to make; Stopping
a bad habit or beginning a good one. Do
that right now. It takes 10
seconds. Reread the above article. And write for 10 minutes about the law of
Karma so you dispel any delusion that what is bad for you will not cause you
suffering or that you will not thoroughly enjoy the rewards of what you know to
be good for you.
While doing this mental exercise,
deliberately avoid any thought that you must take any action other than to
think deeply. All you are committing to
do is to think about your behavior, not to actually make any of the
changes. As you gain clarity about the
inescapable misery or rewards of your actions, your actions will naturally come
into alignment with your clarity. Thinking deeply is a natural healing response
to every problem. Clarity is power.
Dr. Charley Cropley, N.D. is a practicing
Naturopathic Physician, teacher and author now living in Paonia. He has trained hundreds of doctors, taught
at medical colleges and universities, produced DVDs, books and many courses in
nutrition and self-healing. He uses no medicines. He teaches people to Heal all
types of Health problems through the power of wholesome nutrition, strengthening
exercise, positive thinking and honest, caring relationships. For Personal Appts, DVDs, books or courses
call 970-527-7008 or charleycropley@tds.net.
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Remembering Aztlán
a Column of Poetry, Culture & Spirit by Art Goodtimes
The real scandal of the Bush Administration
GOD BLESS US
… The real scandal of the Bush administration won’t be cured by impeachment,
though accountability is indeed called for. What I have trouble believing -- as
a man who spent several decades as an Old World Christian, who even went so far
as to study for the Roman Catholic priesthood (1959-1965), graduating from
jeans and tennies, to suit and tie, to cassock and biretta – what I have
trouble believing is the Christian Right. How could televangelists and their
crusading champions have failed so miserably in bringing this nation peace or
justice? Just the opposite. The political leaders they support have given us
war, torture, the loss of civil liberties -- spilling over into partisanship in
our most treasured national institutions, murders in our schools, and a fast
increasing gap between the red haves and the blue have-nots … Truth is, I have
trouble believing that this administration has acted in anything resembling a
Christian manner. And that’s a much deeper scandal in my mind … If our
religious leaders are lying to us, whom can we trust?
WORLD’S OLDEST RITUAL …
Our understanding of human history just changed with a startling archaeological
discovery this past summer in an area of Botswana known as Ngamiland. According
to the Research Council of Norway, Associate Professor Sheila Coulson, of the
University of Oslo, uncovered a cave where Homo sapiens were performing
advanced rituals 70,000 years ago – 30,000 years earlier than was thought to
the be the dates for the earliest manifestations of culture among our human
ancestors … In searching for Middle Stone Age artifacts in the Tsodilo Hills of
the Kalahari Desert (an area renowned for having the largest concentration of
rock paintings in the world), Coulson found a cave sacred to the San people in
which a rock sculpture of a python was clearly evident, along with workings and
tools that established the site’s date. Combined with other cave features, the
cave yielded some 13,000 artifacts, almost entirely spearheads that had been
brought from some distance away … “Stone age people took these colorful
spearheads, brought them to this cave, and finished carving them there,” said
Coulson. “Only the red spearheads were burned. It was a ritual destruction of
artifacts. There was no sign of normal habitation. No ordinary tools were found
at the site. Our find means that humans were more organized and had the
capacity for abstract thinking at a much earlier point in history than we have
previously assumed. All of the indications suggest that Tsodilo has been known
to mankind for almost 100,000 years as a very special place in the pre-historic
landscape.” … As the Research Council of Norway noted, “It was a major
archaeological find five years ago that made it possible for Sheila Coulson to
date the finds in this little cave in Botswana. Up until the turn of the
century archaeologists believed that human civilizations developed in Europe
after our ancestors migrated from Africa. This theory was crushed by
archaeologist Christopher Henshilwood when he published his find of traces from
a Middle Stone Age dwelling in the Blombos Cave in Southern Cape, South
Africa.”
COLO PROGRESSIVE COALITION
… I was honored when this statewide social justice non-profit invited me to
join their board, as a representative from the Western Slope. Recognized
nationally for their work (USA Today, LA Times, and more), their
accomplishments for 2006 include helping lead the campaign to Raise the Minimum
Wage statewide, cleaning up the raw sewage dumped into Pueblo’s Fountain Creek,
leading a health justice project that helped pass a state prescription drug
affordability law and convinced Sen. Ken Salazar to help defeat a multi-billion
dollar asbestos corporation bailout bill, sponsoring Colorado Unity network and
working to protect civil rights in the juvenile justice system and for
immigrants, turning back a move a deficit-busting move to repeal the federal
estate tax, seeing one of its own staffers (John Kefalas) win a Fort Collins
representative seat in the state legislature, and hosting new grassroots
leadership academies in Aurora and Pueblo … CPC does great work in this state.
If you’re interested in social justice issues, consider joining. Check the CPC
website at www.progressivecoalition.org
FIRST TAKE
… Got a couple interesting publications in the mail recently … Meena 2
is a bilingual Arabic/English arts and literary journal out of New Orleans,
published by friend Andy Young and her partner Khaled Hegazzi … Meena
means “port” in Arabic and the mag seeks “to create more, and varied, dialogue
as it is clear that we need ports-of-entry now more than ever.” Their second
issue sports fine work by Charlie Simic and Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mafouz,
who passed away this past summer. Go to their website to get a copy, www.meenamag.com…
And another old friend, Padma Thornlyre, has come out with a marvelous little
chapbook of poems by his young daughter, Circe Morganna, and himself, Sometimes,
Grace Goes Cuckoo (Mad Blood Editions, Evergreen, 2006). Both of their
poems resonate for me, the father of several children. This is the perfect book
to give to someone starting a family. And it’s a very affordable $5 … For info,
email tpadma@qwest.net
POT STOPS ALZHEIMER’S?
… That’s the latest headlines coming out of the science community. Of course,
the report says it’s the chemicals they’re isolating, not the natural substance
ingested, that gives the benefit. Of course, in a society where drug cartels
are among the most profitable of corporations, and where most research money comes
from these tainted sources, what else would you expect?
© 2006 Art Goodtimes
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The Community Integration Project Of Montrose and Delta Co.
Whole Life Network Release
In 1999, The Colorado Trust, a grant
making foundation based in Denver, began to examine how increasing numbers of
diverse immigrants and refugees were changing communities in Colorado. Though Census 2000 data had not yet been
collected, it was becoming increasingly clear to people across Colorado that
many new immigrants had moved to the state.
These newcomers tend to bring many strengths: strong family values,
cultural richness, and a strong ethic of work and perseverance. At the same time, new immigrants face many
challenges such as language barriers and lack of understanding of their receiving
communities’ culture and institutions, such as education, health care and law
enforcement, as well as suspicion and hostility in their new homes. The Colorado Trust launched its Supporting
Immigrant and Refugee Families Initiative (SIRFI) in 2000. As of the fall of 2006, Montrose and Delta
join Gunnison, Mesa, Routt, Moffatt and La Plata Counties and the Cities of
Telluride, Aspen and Parachute on the Western Slope, out of a total of 19
communities throughout Colorado which are working on this initiative.
The Colorado Trust awarded the grant
serving Montrose and Delta Counties to the Montrose Health Partnership. MHP is
a collaboration of health related agencies, schools, concerned citizens and
non-profits, including the Whole Life Network, which is dedicated to a
proactive collaborative process as the best way to determine the health needs
of our communities and effective responses as an integrated community to meet
those needs. The working definition of
health which guides this community integration project is the mental, physical
and social well-being of the entire community, which includes foreign born
newcomers as well as citizens of the receiving communities. It is understood that integration requires mutual
exchange amongst the diverse cultural groups who find themselves living
together. Opportunities for cultural
exchange, dialogue, community
visioning, identifying target issues to
address and designing solutions will occur throughout the process of coming
together at collaborative meetings and community forums which will be scheduled
in both Montrose and Delta Counties.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday,
Feb 5th, 7-9:00 pm, in Delta. Become part of The Community Integration Project
to meet new people from around the world and pioneer innovative ways to support
healthy community as the effects of global migrations are felt here at
home. For information contact Elizabeth
Roscoe, Montrose Health Partnership, at 249-0397.
*There is an excellent article in the
Nov./Dec. issue of Foreign Affairs titled ‘Immigration Nation’ by Tamar Jacoby
which discusses the economic impacts of large numbers of immigrants entering
the workforce.
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Water: Thinking Outside of the Faucet
by Patty Painter
Water (H2O) is one of the most precious
combinations of elements on the planet. It covers roughly 2/3 of the earth’s
surface; comprises over 65% of our bodies and it takes only three days to die
of thirst. We live in a closed
hydrological system; the same water we use today has been cycling through the
atmosphere and earth as it did thousands of years ago. Rainwater is the only sustainable source of
fresh water. How often do we really think about where it goes, how much we use
or abuse, or what we are doing to ensure its quality for all beings? It is a source too often, and for too long,
taken for granted until it is not there anymore.
To introduce this immense topic, and the
myriad of issues relating to water, author Craig Childs will give the morning
presentation at BUG’s winter symposium, “Water: Thinking Outside of the
Faucet” on February 24, 2007. Craig is
the author of numerous books, including The Secret Knowledge of Water
and House of Rain. Craig will
speak about his adventures and observations in search of water in places
through out the southwest, the influence of this life-giving resource on
cultures and the value of healthy watersheds.
Following his talk, Craig will be available for a book signing.
The afternoon session will begin with an
introduction to our local watershed. To be followed by speakers who have
participated in programs hosted by the Front Range organization CREEC (The
consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminates). EC’s (emerging containments) include:
pharmaceuticals, cosmetic product chemicals, hormones, detergents,
disinfectants and pesticides. The
speakers have been and are involved in studying the effects of EC’s on aquatic
and other life forms and the environment, and will answer questions following
their talks.
The afternoon wraps up with a presentation
about utilizing energetic and vibrational methods of positively influencing and
cleaning water; some of which has gained recent attention through the work of
Matsuro Emoto, a Japanese researcher and photographer of water crystals.
It promises to be a full day of thought
provoking information. We, the members
of BUG, invite you to mark your calendars, February 24th, and join
us to learn more about our “greatest liquid asset”.
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Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by Kathy Gates
Love is in the air, it is the essence of
life itself. When we take a moment to contemplate the vastness of life, the
richness like deep dark chocolate, milk chocolate, raspberry chocolate, orange
chocolate, well the list goes on and on.
Love is that way too. New ideas keep coming, and are created into
reality, for the practical and not so practical business of living.
Each individual a great value to the
wholeness of life. Just as color is not just one color but many. Love is a source of life that has no end.
(Do not drive while in
meditation)
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
this is sacred air, the breath has no beginning no ending. It's free for all.
Relax, continue to take deep belly breaths, holding each breath in for the
count of three, and then blowing it out with great force. Sometimes this will
be fallowed by awe, like a sigh of relief.. Do this until you feel at peace, at
ease and relaxed.
Close your eyes, picture in your minds eye
a big pink heart. Place your hands
across your heart , feel your heart beating, listen with your inner ears, see
if you can hear the sound of your heart thump thump, thump thump, as it
continues to beat your life. The richness of you, flows through every vein of
your being. The richness of spirit, the perfection within all hearts.
From the center of your heart see a single
atom, a circle within a circle, picture that atom as a beam of pure light. At
the center of the pure light is a silver cord that holds soul to body, or you
may picture it as a gold cord, whichever feels right to you. See within your inner eye the light from
within the core atom of your heart reflecting light from the cord, silver or
gold. Notice the richness of colors, a prism of beauty coming from your heart.
This prism is the light of your inner world. Know at anytime if you want
improved perception, or properly flowing emotions, or if you want an improved
attitude towards money or prosperity you can go to this place within you.
Fallow the silver or gold cord and see where it may lead.
The place of love is the best place to go
when life appears off and we need to get back on track. Getting back to loving ourselves, life and
others will surely make life a wonderful experience, for love is the richness
of life in all its many forms.
Having a profound inner life, brings
knowledge, new ideas and potential. It
all comes from thoughts, feelings and a deep connection to our Source. Love is
in the air, in every sight and every sound.
Love is now, is life. As our hearts beat our life, lets unify and shine
bright with love. Happy Valentines Day
Women's Spirit Retreat-3 day weekend
retreat February 16th@7 pm-18th-"Love" is the topic for this
intensive outrageous workshop. Email
wsretreat@aol.com or call 856-7665 (970) to register.
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Cannabis Medicinally
© Anne Calzada Herbalist
Marijuana (Cannabis sativa or Cannabis
indica) is a member of the Cannabaceae family. The word "sativa"
means "useful" and it has along history of cultivation. The common
family name of the Cannabaceae family is the Hemp family. Hemp is known as
Cannabis sativa, but with the compond tetrahydrocannabinol also known as
"THC" removed. It is one of the most well-known and recognizable
plants in the world. The Cannabis sativa plants have the characteristic 5
leaves and the Cannabis indica have the characteristic 7 leaves. They can grow
to about 8 feet tall or taller.
It is a dioecious, meaning that it
produces male and female flowers on separate plants. The male flowers grow in
racemes and the female flowers in dense clusters. This is a small family with
only two genera and about 3 to 5 species worldwide.The other well-known member
of this family is Hops (Hummulus luppulus). Hops are known as one of the
primary ingredients in beer. Cannabis is one of the oldest known plants used
for its many healing purposes.
Cannabis leaves and seeds have been found
in Scythian tombs dated up to 300 B.C. The Greeks infused Cannabis into wine
for joyous interaction and celebration. Chinese Herbalists have recorded the
use of Cannabis from 4,000 B.C. It is still used today in Asian patent medicinal
formulas. The Chinese call it "Ma" or Ma Fen". They have used it
for rheumatism, constipation and female disorders. Hindus have used it and call
Cannabis "Bhang". They believe that is it is a sacred plant used to
heighten delight and sexual desire, also deterring evil presence. The Africans
call Cannabis "Kif" or "Dagga". They have used for
sickness, fever and even childbirth. Native Americans, the Maya and the
Mexicans have used cannabis.
The word "Marijuana" was
actually a Mexican slang word, which became popular in the 1930's in America
during the governmental and media involvement known as "Refer
Madness". This was the beginning of the illegal use of marijuana, as it
had been legal for all purposes of use until 1937, in fact it was listed in the
United States Pharmacopoeia until 1937.
Hemp is legal to possess and is used for
many purposes such as cloth, fiber, paper and food, however Marijuana is not
legal unless you are licensed to use it under the medical marijuana acts. In
1999 the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine concluded through
the result of two years of research funded by the United States government
"there are some limited circumstances in which we recommend smoking
marijuana for medical uses".
Cannabis contains over 400 constituents.
Besides the well-known cannabinoids, the plant also contains amino acids,
flavinoids, glycosides, essential fatty acids and vitamins. Used for its
healing properties, it is analgesic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory,
anti-convulsant, sedative, anti-depressant, bronchial dilator and an
expectorant. The flowers or the buds are sweet, neutral and drying in their
energy and flavor. Cannabis is used by smoking, inhaling, eating or taken as a
medicinal formula. It is useful as a topical analgesic for rheumatism and stiff
joints, no pun intended. Its analgesic, antispasmodic and sedative properties
make it useful for menstrual cramping, migraine headaches and insomnia. It has
been shown to help some instances of epileptic seizure in some patients and reducing
pain and spasms of those who have Multiple Sclerosis. Cannabis has been used
for depression and stress, acting on the nervous system with its sedative
properties. Cannabis is very effective for nausea as noted by the United States
patent medicine named "Marinol" which is standardized
tetrahydrocannabinol produced synthetically, but not produced from Cannabis.
Cannabis is helpful for cancer patients
who are going through chemotherapy and the side effect of nausea and vomiting.
It induces the appetite of those who are prone to lack of appetite such as AIDS
patients, cancer patients, people with wasting diseases and even anorexia.
Glaucoma patients that use Cannabis find that it is extremely effective in
relieving intraocular pressure, relieving pain and preventing more damage to
the eyes.
Cannabis is a bronchial dilator and
expectorant making it helpful for asthma, congestion and expiration of phlegm.
The seeds are rich in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are necessary for
optimal functioning of the cardiovascular system, the hormonal system, the
musculo-skeletal system not to mention the hair, skin and nails. The seeds are
highly nourishing, lubricating and anti-inflammatory, making them useful for
the colon and intestines Hemp nuts as they are known are found as cold pressed
oil and the nuts themselves. Keep refrigerated and use in foods and beverages.
Cosmetically Hemp oil is used for wrinkle reduction and prevention, it is
highly moisturizing for the skin. It makes great hair oil as is seen in Ayurvedic
Medicine; it is used as a treatment for dandruff. Hemp oil makes wonderful
massage oil.
Cannabis flower essence brings openness,
and a certain joy of not taking things so seriously, to relax and take oneself
out of oneself, redirect and see the illusion.
For some Cannabis is a sensuality enhancing aphrodisiac, for others it may be too sedating. It has been used ceremoniously to inspire desire in many countries for thousands of years. In India it is made into a provocative
beverage consisting of milk, aromatic herbs, spices and sugar. Moroccans mix up
a romantic electuary called "majoon" consisting of Cannabis, spices
and honey.
Cannabis is not water soluble, more
reliable to be extracted in fats and then alcohol Smoking the plant has seemed
to be the norm, although eating it has been popular as well. Smoking releases
the cannabinoids into the lungs within seconds. Taken orally, the liver must
first process the cannabinoids and then the GI tract receives absorption.
Contraindications: Cannabis can cause adverse
effects in some people such as paranoia, short-term memory loss, and perceptual
loss and has been known to induce euphoric states. Dry eyes and mouth can occur
with use. Cannabis is a psychoactive plant that may open one's aura to unwanted
psychic congestion Excessive use can lower sperm count in men and androgen
levels which contribute to libido. Avoid during pregnancy. As with all
psychoactive plants, Cannabis is to be used respectfully and medicinally.
It is currently illegal to possess or grow
Cannabis in the United States, unless you are licensed under the medical
marijuana act.
There is no legal or otherwise documented
case of death or permanent mental psychosis or personality disorder with the
use of Cannabis.
References:
De Luca, Diana. Botanica Erotica, 1998
Edwards, Gail Faith. Opening Our Wild Hearts To The Healing Herbs, 2000
Elpel, Thomas. Botany For A Day, 1996
Mars, Brigitte. Sex, Love & Health, 2002
Tierra, Michael and Cantin Candis. The Spirit Of Herbs, 1993
The Rocky Mountain Center For Botanical Studies, Class Notes 1997-1999
www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org
www.letfreedomgrow.com
Anne Calzada is a Certified Herbalist and
founder of Healing Heart Herbs. For consultations please call 626 5663 or email
her at annecalzada@aol.com.
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One Thing
by Jerry Overton
As we move into February, you’ve probably
realized that all those resolutions that you made for this new year don’t seem
to be getting done. And, you’re probably tempted to start feeling guilty and
even depressed. Instead of putting yourself through all that, I‘ve got a better
idea! Why not just pitch that list and do this instead. How about deciding on
just one thing that will make a difference in your life this year. It doesn’t
have to be something monumental (notice I didn’t suggest THE one thing), but
rather anything simple that will contribute in some way to making your life
better. Perhaps it’s deciding to take more walks, keep a cleaner car, cook a
good meal every so often, call up a friend you haven’t seen in awhile, take a
weekend trip, read a good novel, have a meaningful conversation with
somebody—maybe your kids or spouse—or take more naps.
The idea is to decide on something that
you might actually do, and that will provide some nurture and care for
you. The reason this is important is that, from my observation, there is far
too little self-care going on these days. Somehow we’ve gotten it into our
heads that everything and everybody else comes before we do. That we have to
expend all our energies on taking care of all but us—that it would be selfish
to actually care for ourselves. And then we wonder why the world seems so
violent and life feels so harsh—and why so many folks seem to be hanging on by
a thread because of so much stress.
The obvious, but often overlooked, fact is
that the better we take care of ourselves, then the more good energy we
actually have to give to others. And not only do they benefit more from our
good energy, but we do too, because we’re now giving from the fullness of
ourselves, which can start with doing just that one thing that will provide a
measure of nurture for us.
I know from personal experience that as we
identify one thing and start to do it, we’ll begin to see how easy self-care
can be. And as we start to feel its benefits, we’ll be motivated to identify
another and then perhaps another until we begin to feel the fullness of the
love and care we’ve generated. From that internal fullness of love and
self-care, we’ll begin to see life and the world differently—as more loving and
gentle—and we’ll be far more motivated to be fully engaged with it. And what’s
more, we’ll actually want to give some of our good energies to help
others!
So, what will you choose as your one thing
that can provide a measure of nurture and self-care? Make it something simple and
easy, especially to begin with. Something that will get you on your way to
choosing and actually doing more of those things. For the more you do, the
better you’ll feel, and the better you feel, the more you can actually give to
those you love and to the world at large.
Consider this. What if we all decided to
take better care of ourselves in this New Year? What kind of world will we have
created by this time next year? One can only imagine how good it might be!
So, dear friends, as this new year moves swiftly
on, pick that one simple thing—the one thing that can make all the difference.
Then do it, and see how much better you feel!
Copyright 2007
Dr. Jerry Overton
Jerry is a practitioner of The Emotional
Freedom Technique, a simple process anyone can learn that brings about all
sorts of physical and emotional healing. He can be reached at 970-252-9311.
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