Independently Healthy

SNM GRAD SHARES HER SELF HEALING TRANSFORMATION

Portia came to the School of Natural Medicine Summer School in 1991 in a wheelchair and left dancing. She was a person of knowledge and experience but life had given her something that wouldn't heal so we had a firey and potent mentoring that resulted in deep friendship, powerful self healing and a success story that continues year by year. Portia is doing some great work with ethnobotany projects so I will report on that with another blog very soon. Portia writes:

"We are all Teachers, we are all Seekers, we are all Healers, we are all on a journey of Healing. Our task is to know when we are called to each element of our Being, to honor that calling and take action. Every part of us is imperfect and perfect at the same time. And so our Journey is ever unfolding.

As with all Initiatory places along my journey, the Universe draws me to just the right place at just the right time. Such was the case when I made a simple inquiry about the School of Natural Healing one day about 14 years ago. I'd been a traditional herbalist, psychotherapist, writer and business owner (Global Academy of Natural Healing) for years. These are just some of the roles I chose as expressions on my spirit. My journey had taught me that "when the student is ready the teacher will appear". Ethnobotany (the study of how cultures use natural plant and food medicines) was a strong element in my life. Learning from Traditional Healers of many native paths had added to my life and to the lives of those I helped along the way. My own healing journey was at a cross roads.

After being struck by lightning,(and being clinically 'dead'), I thought my recovery would be as easy as most other injuries I had experienced. The white hot electrical fire of lightning seared through my nerves, leaving scars, pain and eventually a change in my immune system that resulted in a diagnosis of System Lupus. Years of pain wore down my resolve to allow nutrition and natural forms of therapy to guide my medical experience. Pharmaceutical interventions became my main focus, and multiple hospital stays each year from being critically ill became "the norm". I was given a maximum of 10 years to live in 1991.

By the time I found my way to Farida Sharan and the School of Natural Healing, I'd given up. On choosing to take a leap and go to the School of Natural Healing in Boulder, Colorado, I was choosing to face that I had gone as far as I could go on my own. I closed my full time healing practice, my years of research in ethnobotany sat idle in my home office, I was over 200 pounds, exhausted from years of being on high doses of Prednisone to combat the Systemic Lupus, plagued with daily migraines, using a cane (when I wasn't in my wheel chair)... basically I felt done with life. I felt empty, unable to offer anymore to those around me, unwilling to participate in life as I knew it. Little did I know how my life was about to change - and oh, so much for the better! But change did not come easy. Resistance to healing did. Thankfully the teacher, Farida, showed up with a deep well spring of love and patience and the strength of a drill Sargent. I was to do what every one else was doing, albeit a bit modified, learn and master the knowledge and skills in order to earn my diplomas, and put this into practice within my own life... no excuses. Well, I had come prepared with plenty of excuses! So, this Teacher (me) struggled to stay in the Student Seat, and at every turn I managed to whine with yet another excuse. Farida did not cave in her resolve to press forward with wisdom, high expectations and love."

The last time I saw Portia was about 8 years ago when I was driving through Flagstaff. I arrived to find she had booked me into a fine hotel and as it was mother's day, treated me to a fantastic breakfast and gifts, and showed me over her school, herbal clinic and practice location. What a transformation.

Although Portia has creative interests shown on her website www.ThePeakLife.com, she also work as a family therapist, consultant in natural medicine, and id very active in ethnobotany (a life long journey). She is working with other naturopaths to bring volunteers together to serve under-served Native American locations on Reservations, disaster locations, crime victims and women/children who have been victimized as sex trade slaves worldwide.

Portia says: "The body of knowledge and wisdom I earned prior to SNM was greatly added to by your expert and compassionate teaching. You have forever added to my life, and therefore to all the lives that I touch, and all the lives that they touch."

RAINBOW SURPRISES IN THE SKY & IN THE HEART

Yesterday the misty rain ocean clouds opened to a blue sky with a brilliant clear rainbow directly over where I was working on a project, thrilling, completely beautiful, like a portal into a new world, and then it doubled, like a mirror, intensifying its presence in the sky.

When I returned to the school an email awaited me, a rainbow portrait from a loving child, a gift for a day of rainbow surprises just as completion and new beginnings come together as one.

The drawing is a child's portrait of me, an offering from a loving heart wishing me a safe journey back to Boulder and the dream of my heart to come true. Lovely to know a child sees me this way. I close my eyes and imagine the beauty of being transparent radiant light!

Rainbows have always blessed and surprised me and my time with the Rainbow Tribe in the early 70's in California set me well on my way to self healing and naturopathy after a 40 day fast and several months on wheatgrass and raw food in the desert.

The most mystical rainbow was the night rainbow gifted after a 10 day Frankincense deep sea water cleanse I co-created with Dr. Frankincense, Randyl Rupar of Mana Kea Sanctuary near Kealakakua Bay, at a lovely home in Kohala on Big Island in Hawaii several years ago. The night before departure with everyone gone but my dear friend Merrin the full moon shone through mist and created a night rainbow that hovered before us. In awe we watched the miracle of rainbow light and then bravely danced into the color, the light and the mist. Truly these magic moments reveal a beauty in times of transition that let you know you are doing your work, are on the right path, you have persevered to completion and you are ready for the next cycle of transformation and service.

WE DREAM OF A PARADISE ON EARTH - A HEALING RETREAT

Over the years many students of health, healing and their own life and body dream of a temple in nature, a community, a place where harmony restores us, brings us back to happiness and peace. It is not paradise it is on this earth and it is born of effort, work, dedication,  service, vision, power, discipline - it is the work of love - it is a true healing center. We dream of lotuses, and temples, and healing waters, and kindness and service. We know it is possible and we seek for the path in a world that values indulgence, materialism, power and desire, but those that seek, they will find. Our beloved School of Natural Medicine is a step toward this dream.

Enjoy this picture of a temple in Bali, a place of lotuses and beauty that reminded me of my dreams. I arrive Monday in Boulder, Colorado to create my next temple of healing, truth, beauty and loving service. All are welcome

With self healing the first task is your own life and body. Until you have transformed your life into health giving and health loving how can you create a healthy family, work place or community?

Here are a few words of a beautiful new student dreaming of her vision, her future and what she wishes to create and offer the world. I say YES! go for it and enjoy the process and do the work of transformation and self healing and create an oasis and a temple of healing and nourishment for others.

"This is my goal that I have been blessed to vividly visualize and believe this is going to be a reality, a goal I needed to help me through my studies!!!  I just have to tell you the visions I've been getting and that I have shared with my husband and this is what is giving him more confidence in what I am trying to accomplish!

We want to purchase a beautiful peace of land, I don't know where YET, but it exists somewhere I just have to find it.  Through my experience thus far, I have realized that its been a personal upward hill struggle to organize and adapt to this new way of thinking, living, and understanding....SoooOOoo...this place will be a retreat like place that someone who is searching for what you teach and that I have learned, will be engulfed in the lifestyle, with every aspect being taught to them, hand held through the process so that they can feel more confident in their journey of newly discovered health.  I am realizing that I needed or need this and am learning so much through the discovery part, but for those that just need the more hand held help approach it will all be there. 

 The property will be like a living community, a place my family can also be with me and see with their own eyes the beauty of healthy living.  It will have a teaching facility, meditation area surrounded with nature and beauty, chronic healing center, dispensary and garden, lodging for those who take classes, natural products being produced for the items that will help in the additional therapy recommendations, a home for where my family will stay, and the best part a special cottage or living quarters for you when ever you are able to teach or want to stay to be close to this retreat, no one else will be allowed in this place it will just be there for you whenever you want!!!  Doesn't this sound so beautiful.  It is so vivid in my visions that I cannot deny that this is attainable. 

I have a clear vision of what I can accomplish and that is helping me study more and more.  What do you think?  For now I am starting to log and putting daily, weekly accomplishments or just a journal entry into my discovery of this journey so that someone can see my story and know that anyone can walk this path, and it gives validity to my story For a person like me just opening the door to this new world...it is a dream come true.

I believe in my heart this will be the greatest gratitude to you that I can blossom your teachings into this reality.

SEEDS OF GRATITUDE FLOWER IN SOUL GARDENS

I believe our relationships are flowers in our soul garden. This lovely image from Go Gratitude shares the same idea.

When new students enter the field of the School of Natural Medicine they are like buds longing to flower into all they can be and it is a joy to nourish and be part of that unfolding. In this way the field of creation blooms and each one of us is an offering.

When learning is growing we become more of who we are. When studying is the joy of unfolding we radiate love and gratitude. All the good things grow more of the good things.

FEBRUARY CLASSES AT SNMI IN BOULDER, COLORADO

Self Healing Adventures & Naturopathy Teachings

with Farida Sharan ND at the

Boulder Center for the Healing Arts
Healing Diets – February 13 – 16
Essential Oils Therapist – February 19 – 23
Master Touch Reflexologist – February 26 – March 3

COLORADO BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED

PRIVATE OCCUPATIONAL SCHOOL

email for information

OUR NEW HERBAL STUDENT FROM SANTA FE NEW MEXICO

Megan was searching for a new home when she enrolled in the School of Natural Medicine Master Herbalist diploma program, and after some traveling she has settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here Megan shares about her life and her reason for beginning her training. There is a happiness when we discover our purpose especially when we know we can be of service and help others.

"Joining the school is definitely a turning point in my life, and I have never been more excited! Things keep opening up, the magic is crystal clear, and now I can put my energy into something fully, knowing that it is helping myself and others live a happy, healthy life! I am so, so glad that I found this program. The school seems very unique and I can't wait to get started!!! The stories are so inspiring and together we can support each other in our endeavors. 

I was born in Sitka, Alaska, the youngest of six children.  I absolutely love having a big family, and even though we're all in different places now, we still get together as often as we can. When I was four years old we moved to a small, beautiful valley in eastern Oregon, where I lived until graduating high school then went on to college at a university in Oregon. I spent a lot of my time drinking and feeling very alone, getting more and more depressed. On Christmas Eve we found out that my brother Sean had died, and I was more confused than ever about life. I felt completely lost, and I didn't know if there was a God. I felt frustrated that I was alive, feeling absolutely miserable, with no explanation as to why I was there. Since I was alive I felt I had the right to know the purpose of my existence. I wanted answers! I completed that year, and went part of the next year. 

A friend opened my mind to a much better life, and showed me that God is not separate from us, and that we are creators of our own lives. I realized that I felt incredibly trapped in college and the energy was not supportive of a healthy lifestyle.  I didn't even know how unhappy I was until I decided to drop out and explore the world.

I went to Ethiopia and my time there opened my eyes to what true happiness is: already being happy without the need for material items to create that emotion. Despite the sickness, overpopulation, less than ideal living situations and for many, experiencing the loss of family members at a young age, I saw that Ethiopian people had a natural light that showed in the sparkle of their eyes and their genuine smiles.  I volunteered at an orphanage and school for a few months and it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

I continued traveling, going to New Zealand, Fiji, Peru and Chile, coming back in the summers to fish in Alaska.  I was in exploring mode, getting to know myself more and more through different experiences, having a great appreciation for other cultures and learning new ways of living life.  I began to get more and more interested in healing.  Sometimes I would forget about or ignore the pull I felt towards it, but it has always come back to healing.  Of course, this started with myself, and is an ongoing process, and I have come a long ways.  It is so exciting to learn more and more and see the connection of everything. The healing process continues to amaze me and I want to share what I have learned with others, so that humanity and Earth can live in harmony.

IRIDOLOGY TRANSVERSALS & PROFOUND SELF HEALING

The Eyes of the World have always been my teacher as the universe sends profound classes with each student self healer or client and I am in awe at how much one can see and feel and know if one opens to messaging revealed in the iris in relation to symptoms and history.

Dearest Sandra, School of Natural Medicine graduate, taught me about iris transversals. Way back in the eighties she asked me for a consultation as she was having pain and discomfort in her liver and kidneys. When I looked in her eyes there were swollen transversals in both areas.

I learned about transversals in the early 1980's when I visited Joseph Deck and Willy Hauser in Germany. Willy Hauser showed me around his fantastic clinic and then we joined Joseph Deck for dinner at a restaurant in a castle. Joseph Deck had had a stroke so I was unable to talk to him but I was able to share some of my ideas of how the iris changes in response to depth purification and regeneration naturopathy cleanses and diet changes in combination with individual herbal formulas. 

Joseph Deck took me to his office where he had the expensive Leica iridology equipment and magnified an iris over six feet tall to show me the swollen fibers of transversals that branch out like antlers or forks in areas of pain, inflammation and stress. I began to notice them when I returned to England and my practice and teaching, but Sandra's transversals were the most swollen I had seen and the first associated with such symptoms of distress. I enjoyed sharing transversals with Dorothy Hall, Bernard Jensen, Harri Wolf & Denny Johnson of Rayid when I brought them to England for seminars and conferences. It was a time of sharing and learning what iridologists were doing in different parts of the world.

Willy Hauser stayed up all night reading my Iridology home study course and said it changed his life as he had never thought about emotions and purification and regeneration in that way. He learned English so that I could bring him twice to offer seminars in Cambridge sharing his work and understanding of Iridology. They were exciting times as we worked together to enlarge the field of iridology with individual discoveries.

When symptoms were relieved strength and health returned, Sandra enrolled in the school and became a Naturopath, Master Herbalist & Iridologist and studied many more things besides, becoming a radiant example of the teachings. Sandra always appeared for classes beautifully dressed in rainbow outfits, a pleasure to behold. This picture must be from one of her turqoise days, the color of wisdom.

When I was seeking a cover for my book Herbs of Grace I sent out a call to the universe, telling the gods of all things that I would not write another word till I had a cover. That was on a Friday and on Monday morning Sandra appeared and unrolled a canvas. "In my meditation I received a message that I was to paint the dream you told me about the turtles and the sky, and there is was, the cover of Herbs of Grace," she said and I burst into tears and hugged her. A true soul sister, Sandra is also a dear friend and a radiant example of self healing and the truth of the teachings of School of Natural Medicine.

Sandra is now retired in beautiful Estes Park, enjoying high altitude, her art and natural health and living. I see her from time to time and always love sharing what she has created from her passion, love and effort.

SNM GRAD BUILDING CLINIC & HERB COMPANY IN MEXICO

Ofelia attended her School of Natural Medicine Summer School in 1994 and attended other trainings to complete her graduation as a Naturopath, Master Herbalist and Master Iridologist with SNM in Boulder Colorado. After graduating Ofelia developed a practice in Colorado and looked after the Herbs of Grace SNM pharmacy for a time before Heidi took it on.

Because of her Hispanic background over the years her family has developed a clinic and herbal company in Mexico. Due to educating her children they shift back and forth and it is wonderful over the years to hear from Ofelia and keep in touch.

Her love of herbal and natural medicine combined with her creative energy and dynamic family blend all the ingredients for passion, commitment and self healing into a successful enterprise.

Congratulations Ofelia on your Mexico clinic and I look forward to seeing you in Boulder at the new school location.

TOUCH THE SOLES OF THE FEET, TOUCH THE SOUL

How beautiful these past days, sharing in a small class Master Touch Reflexology in England with depth, profound touch experiences in a School of Natural Medicine certification training. The beginning is the natural touch, allowing each student to feet at home with their feeling quality and how they sense and know and move and what feels good. Then we progress to developing quality of touch with the focus always on sensing, feeling, knowing and each session being a unique creative process of communion. From the first those receiving felt the sessions were fantastic Very beautiful!!

"The wisdom and knowlesge or your body is deep and profound. In this reflexology course we have gone beyond the mind, out of the head and into the heart, connecting with the energy within, encouraging the body to open, to release, to express and to heal within a safe space. Katrina"

Each student progresses in self connection as they seek connection with the other. All information is informed from inner attention and learning to align with energy pathways such as the spiral, long currents, polarity therapy balancing, pulses and expansions and contractions makes even the deep work effortless especially when combined with weight of the body and dynamic two hand and use of bones and knuckles is integrated with long slow deep parasympathetic movements. Wonderful! This is the best way to build a practice.

"Such a powerful and fantastic class! To be able to let yourself go and drop into that relaxed natural state. Such a lovely feeling the powerful connection between giving and receiving, the class had an incredible energy. Just exploring the different areas of the feet was just so amazing. Thank you so much for the class. Melissa

"Learning for me is always a profound reflection of where I am in my life and what I need. The course has demonstrated this explicitly. Resistance, courage, letting go, finding space, giving, receiving, experiencing, healing and ultimately gratitude. What a gift to realize how much I have to offer, how Much I already new, though experience, and to receive in peace."

NEW SNM STUDENT ENROLLEE HAILS FROM NEW ZEALAND

The latest School of Natural Medicine student, Katrina Brundsen, hails from New Zealand but has been creating, teaching and traveling around England and Europe for a few years and is now moving to Vancouver to begin a new cycle of offerings and will attend classes in 2010 in Boulder, Colorado. Students are being drawn from several different countries for our new cycle of teaching at the Boulder Center for the Healing Arts.

Katrina is a creative magnetic force. Her website, twitter, linked in and youtube videos reveal a dynamic personality full of the passion of life for yoga, weight loss, raw food and other creative areas of communication and teaching. Since her degree in business several years ago she has wanted to become a naturopath and even enrolled in several schools only to be disillusioned by their academic and medical approach, that is until she found School of Natural Medicine.

She came to the UK this week for the Master Touch Reflexology class I am teaching in England and I will see her in February for Healing Diets, Essential Oils classes and again in June and October as this is one passionate student who loves achieving goals and recognizes depth training. This summer she was teaching in Greece and Italy at retreat centers. Katrina will be a great inspiration for other students to create an abundant work life that allows you to live your dream.

EVOLUTION, WISDOM & THE CALL OF THE SOUL

What is Evolution? Some months ago I received inspiration about Evolution and enjoyed creative time designing ideas for classes, seminars and logos, and lately almost every time I open my computer I hear of others playing with these words and designing seminars and courses and icons based around personal and feminine evolution. I love the unfolding universe and how it reveals the time for collective consciousness to recognize and bring forth the idea of the time.

Today an email from Women on the Edge of Evolution connected me with several high profile women speakers on the same wave edge of consciousness and a month or so ago I heard about the Integral group that has evolved out of Ken Wilbur 's teachings and are now presenting iEvolve.

While personal evolution has always been a part of my depth individual work with students, graduates and clients I feel it is now entering a larger domain both with web presence and media strong speakers and leaders. I salute that and honor their presentations and also feel grateful that my work is with individuals and small groups and those committing to profound self healing.

I think it is interesting to dialogue and discuss ideas however to really evolve requires a deeper process, a willingness to work on all levels: physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual. It is necessary to prepare oneself to receive resonant vibrational levels through physical purification and regeneration, to release emotional wounds and enter the realm of forgiveness and forgetting beyond power struggles and the need to win or be right, to clear the emotional field and enter the heart of compassion, to purify the mind through practice and enter into communion with the personal aspect of soul that is waiting for us and calling for us. However the question remains. Truly, what is evolution? How does it get activated? What is its purpose? Do we truly evolve?

Today I remembered Proverbs and a magnificent writing that speaks of Wisdom calling our souls to return to their original home. Although I haven't read the Bible for years, this passage is included in a Treasury of Mystic Terms from the Science of the Soul Research Center. Wisdom is described as the cry of the soul, the call that pulls us forward to evolve toward our highest purpose and our return to our soul home.

"Does Wisdom not call meanwhile? Does discernment not lift up her voice? On the hilltop, on the road, at the crossways, she takes her stand; Beside the gates of the city, at the approaches to the gates she cries aloud: Oh men, I am calling to you; My cries go out to the sons of men, You ignorant ones! Study discretion; And you fools, come to your senses! Listen I have serious things to tell you, from my lips come honest words. My mouth proclaims the truth, wickedness is hateful to my lips. All the words I say are right!".... and then further on "Accept my discipline rather than silver, knowledge in preference to pure gold, For Wisdom is more precious than pearls, and nothing else is so worthy of desire".... Proverbs 8:1-11

These beautiful biblical sentences describe the inner call of the soul, the wisdom that awakens us to look at our lives and begin to prepare for the greater journey, to face ourselves and our purpose and enter on to the path of personal evolution that will lead us home. It is this call from our soul wisdom that opens the path to personal evolution. It is there within each one of us to listen and heed this call. Wisdom has many faces, forms and appearances and Kwan Yin is one of those. She pours the milk of compassion and calls with her grace and beauty toward spiritual truth.

I am most pleased once more to be in tune with the great unfolding and the wisdom of the universe within and without. We all hold our place and our truth and once more gratitude fills my heart at my return to Boulder, my opening of a healing temple and the new cycle of the teaching. I am always thankful for the privilege of knowing and being part of the wondrous personal evolution of self healing students, graduates and clients. May we all evolve together in love, consciousness, compassion and truth.

SELF HEALING EVOLVES ALL LEVELS OF BEING

This letter from a School of Natural Medicine Naturopathy student explores some of the learning growing feeling sensing facing self and transforming self that goes on during their Self-Healing. It is entirely appropriate that as we evolve we develop our connection communion with our inner world and become more able listen to its messages and guidance with feeling sensing and develop full brain integration whenever discrimination and decisions require attention. When we transform our selves we transform the world around us.

Thank you so much Farida... I have finally organized myself "almost" completely as it has taken me some time to finally focus on myself and not have to worry so much about my family. Please understand the immense load their healing has taken off my shoulders.  I am working on every aspect...at this point it has been to either mend or get rid of all the toxic relationships I have allowed to pollute my mind and soul and I tell you it has been a bigger feat than I thought it would be, but it is allowing me to shed the old skin of my old self and is bringing more clarity as I clear my path. 

I also finally recognize that I really have neglected myself for way too long and I didn't realize that I was not doing as much as I should, with my own program, I just put so much attention on my family's healing that I put myself to the side a bit more than I should have, BUT I'm sorting out my life as best as I can along with the drama of clearing all of this negativity that I have surrounded myself with; furthermore, it really is such an eye opening experience to understand that it is not my destiny or my responsibility to carry other peoples' burdens and/or fix them.  I'm recognizing all of this dysfunction that I couldn't believe I put up with and I believe made me not be as positive and loving as I could be...now instead of dealing with things "my old way" I can now take time to sort these things out, and after praying and meditating about a particular issue, I don't respond to an unhealthy situation from a shadowed place; rather, a loving place and it has made me feel so much better about things, to where I can just allow the outcome to happen instead of assuming or yearning for a specific result. 

Now with all that has happened with my own health, its God putting it all front and center, and that it is my time to finally embrace what they have guided me to and now I have the answers (much gratitude to you) I just have to put full effort, I have to be honest though...I don't know if its because this is a whole new life style, new language, new everything that I did have a lot of resistance towards it because it just felt overwhelming and bad habits are hard to break.  I am making big strides though towards fully completing my program, and am starting to see images of myself, healthy and thin and more importantly HAPPY, when I meditate (yes, I am incorporating lessons from our meeting together), I think that my mind, body, and soul has just adapted to being in this unhealthy state for so long that it was just such a far fetched idea to finally see an image of me, when I was healthy, active, and energetic. 

I do count this as a HUGE life lesson though because without all that I am going through I would not be able to sympathize with my future clients and this is a most valuable lesson that I am finally looking at with a total shift of perspective.  Thank you for that...I owe you more than I think I could ever give back to you in this lifetime.  TONS OF LOVE

NEW NATUROPATHY STUDENT ENROLLS FOR 2010 STUDIES

Renaya, our new School of Natural Medicine naturopathy student, enrolled while visiting Israel.

"I am interested in studying natural medicine including learning to prepare remedies from herbs and plants. I just completed a six month program on a sustainable farm in Modi'in Israel. While on the farm I studied permaculture, natural building and took a few courses on herbal medicine. We prepared Lavender oil, Calendula oil and salve, Nettle and Milk Thistle tinctures, and were taught about the medicinal properties of many other herbs that were indigenous to that area.Through that experience I discovered where my interests lie. My research has led me to your school and I would like to talk to you about how I can further expand my educational and career path by studying with you."

Yes, she called me from Israel where I am in the UK and we talked, and her knowing, commitment, passion and our connection was immediate and she enrolled in all three home study courses and all three February classes - essential oils, reflexology and healing diets. I just received her beautiful photo and plans today. Renaya returns to her family in Chicago during December and then on to Boulder to settle near the school. Our other student, Megan plans to settle in Boulder also during her studies. SNM attracts the most wonderful students. Welcome Renaya!

SNM GRAD JOURNEY FROM GRATEFUL DEAD FOLLOWER TO AUTHENTIC LIVING EXAMPLE OF HEALTHY LIVING

Dearest Amy, School of Natural Medicine Naturopathy Graduate, was following the Grateful Dead when she saw my Herbs of Grace book in Taos, New Mexico, in the bookstore run by another SNM Grad and recognized me as her teacher. She called her mom, and they met in Boulder and came to see me and her mom signed Amy up for everything the school offered. Amy of the clear loving heart, large open eyes, and sweet nature had a dream for a life of truth. After her studies she apprenticed and worked as my assistant in the school for a couple of years.

When I met her the first day I asked her to tell me about her life goals, and aside from wanting to be a healer and live a healthy life she said she wanted to marry an Indian. This dream came true during her studies when I took a group of students to a sweat lodge and she met her future husband. They married in style, her in a buckskin dress, and he in full regalia, and when they moved back to North Carolina to be with her family, they hosted their own sweat lodges and ceremonies. Amy still visits the yearly sun dance in Colorado and when I talked to her recently she said she did the dance this year, instead of acting support as she had for years.

Amy is a practitioner, teacher, leader, authentic healer having accomplished profound self healing and transformation both during and after her studies. I have a special place in my heart for Amy and she feels like a daughter. This picture I share during the Air Heart Chakra Elements dance in a Summer school in 1998 was when she experienced an angel coming into her and bestowing angel wings. Amy is a true angel in human form and those she nurtures and supports are fortunate she found a path of loving service. Love you dearly beautiful Amy. After posting Angie I was reminded of Amy and found this wonderful photo.

YOUNG GENERATION OF STUDENTS SEEKING HEALING

Angie, our new School of Natural Medicine International student in Vancouver BC, works at Gaia Garden Herbals pharmacy. She was drawn to natural medicine, completed a year course in Alberta and soon after arriving in Vancouver landed a job in Gaia, a most wonderful herbal company with its own gardens, lab and retail outlet both on Broadway an in the Granville Island Market. Robert, our other Iridology student, has worked there for over 16 years, and our new student, Michelle, manages the dispensary. Angie keeps advancing in the company and loves her work there.

Angie carries the magic, strength and vulnerability of the young and her passion for natural medicine and her own personal self healing is a joy to be part of. Angie and Robert as well as Jennifer on the Sunshine Coast are planning a trip to Boulder to participate in studies during 2010.

Gaia Garden offers an exclusive range of over 200 dried herbs, over 150 single herb tinctures (practitioner-grade) and a wide array of therapeutic tincture formulations and tea blends. Other remedies also include creams, salves, liniments, essential oils, aromatherapy gift items and other herbal formulas. Gaia also supply cosmetic ingredients, massage oils, vitamins, minerals and a range of books on natural medicine and self-care.

THE PHOENIX RISES WITHIN FRACTAL UNFOLDING

Phoenix energy is very powerful when it rises from the ashes and the fire with a pure clear light  in harmony with the fractal unfolding of the universe. Whenever a cycle diminishes or ends a new one emerges. Whether we choose to cling to something that is past its prime or whether we are able to release with joy and move on change, transformation and fractal unfolding are realities of the universe we live in. A beginning emerging out of the old, a fresh opportunity to create in a new moment of time, self similarity there but creatively emerging as a renewed pattern - very exciting!!

I let go of School of Natural Medicine in Boulder July 1st 2008 because a student I had known for five years wanted to buy it. I thought what a wonderful solution to allow more time for writing and teaching but within a year she closed the school to the loss of all. I released twenty years of dedication and focus to provide the opportunity of a healing oasis of truth and light and healing to another only to find myself returning to a new cycle of creativity and transformation with a sense of thrilling excitement. Just like the fractal unfolding there is the similarity and yet the difference. It is a new cycle.

The school will be aligned with School of Natural Medicine International, with reciprocity to SNM UK and accreditation with the UK and EU, and will be renamed in Boulder as the School of the Healing Arts receiving the same benefits and connections nationally and internationally as before.

The new wave of students are co-creators as their contributions to the school will be the funds to rebuild a new cycle for the benefit of all. Today Renaya from Israel enrolled in all three homes study courses and sent deposits for all three of the classes in February. Today I honor her for her trust, passion and commitment. It is an exciting time as day by day the new students appear to become part of the phoenix beginning and I bow in gratitude knowing that I am in tune with my dharma, my destiny and the universal unfolding. I hope to add Renaya's picture soon. Also many thanks to the graduates and teachers who offer such dear love and firm support for the new beginning. I arrive back December 1st to begin in the new location. Look for invites and news!!!

NEW STUDENT FROM DOWN UNDER AUSTRALIA

Daniel recently enrolled in the full School of Natural Medicine Naturopathy program with all three home study modules and is going on a walkabout adventure in Australia over the next few months and as he is a Geminii like myself is going to take his study materials with him. Here is his pic and some sharing from his email. It was great fun getting to know Daniel during his enrollment process and we look forward to welcoming him to classes in both the UK and Boulder, Colorado schools.

"Yeah it feels great to know that soon I will be learning a great and masterful tradition and be part of the healing community. I am 28 now and during school I enjoyed maths, science, and engineering and enrolled at the University of Western Sydney to study engineering where I graduated with a bachelor of engineering mechatronics.

Thought I was on my way to becoming the greatest engineer that graced the earth and worked for about 6 years of in the field and even managed to score a great gig in Wisconsin last year for 8 months. I learned a lot from the job and those wacky Yanks. I loved the cultural experience and traveling though I found myself unhappy and bored with the routine of getting up - going to the office - talking to a computer and doing it all over again the following day. I was unhappy with the politics surrounding the business life and felt a slave to the system.

Recently I have taken a great interest with traditional healing, and I become inspired hearing about the positive outcomes that it brings. So much so that I want to be a part of this great practice. It would bring a life altering experience for me, but IIknow that i will enjoy and embrace it. I am healthy and am very conscious about the food I eat. it does make a difference to my life, as ye old cliche goes 'you are what you eat', or even more vividly, 'one can dig his own grave with his mouth'.

WHERE IS THE HEALER IN YOU?

Where is the Healer in You? This Eye of Horus from the ancient Egyptian tradition was the eye of wisdom, skill and compassion that physicians embodied as their ideal. What level of consciousness do your eyes reveal? Do they shine bright with energy and compassion? Do they light with love on others? Do they radiate your own heart of embodied wisdom?

How does a person become a healer? Information is only part of the picture. The most important aspect to consider when wanting to become a healer is who you are as a person. How can you deepen your understanding of the mystery of life, your responsibility as a human being, and the challenge of overcoming the weaknesses of our nature and transforming them to compassion.

School of Natural Medicine is based on Self-Healing, the profound process of personal evolution. Self Healing is not just experience gained from overcoming physical conditions, but continuing growth on emotional, social, mental and spiritual levels of integrated being.

All classes include healing processes. Information is absorbed through experience, embodiment and practice. Students always say they learn more than they ever realized.

All you can ever give to a person is your self. When you enter a school that supports you becoming all that you are and offers the prime focus as your self healing, evolution and growth, you have entered a school that cares about you. All our graduates represent the teachings of the school as authentic guides and living examples of inspiration and wisdom in whatever field they take their profession - graduates work in hospitals, clinics, prisons, health food stores, spas, herb companies, product companies, and more, and also create their own businesses and practices.

When you become all that you are you naturally have the courage and creativity to forge your own path. Discover who you can be through School of Natural Medicine trainings. All are welcome

AWESOME CREATIVE DIRECTIONS OF SNM GRADS

You never know what a School of Natural Medicine graduate will do! I just love to hear from past students and graduates with their self healing testimonials, challenges, victories and professional accomplishments. I share as many as possible so you can get to know the many faces of SNM International.

Today I share about Helen, a much loved student who joined the school in 2003 in the full naturopathy program, attending summer school, clinical training and other courses and always a welcome presence at gatherings and special events. She moved on to practice in Longmont, Colorado, at the same time integrating her immense technical skills, achieving profound self healing from a chronic disease, raising a daughter and always mastering new skills. Lately she began a new training at a Denver Med Center. 

Because SNM offers a loving community of support students move through personal evolution and gain the confidence, courage and creativity to make their own way toward abundance and success.

Above is a beautiful picture of Helen rising in SS 2003 after receiving a special group self-healing. Thrilled to be opening SNM International's Boulder School of the Healing Arts in North Boulder this December to offer a new cycle of beauty, truth, love, friendship matrix for professional creative opportunities.

Here is her invitation to students, grads and staff in Colorado: I can offer free ultrasound GYN and pregnancy screens at the Med Academy in Aurora Tuesday & Thursday afternoons. Contact Helen:

ONIONS OVERCOME BACTERIA, VIRUSES & FLU

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people a doctor visited farmers to see if he could help them and many had died, but he came across one farmer and his family that were healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home.
 
The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.
 
She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick.
 

I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put one end on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing the jar next to the sick person at night. It said the onion will be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough the story reports.....the onion was a mess and person was better.

During the plague onions and garlic were place around homes and around the necks of those who worked with the sufferers and survived. Onions have powerful antibacterial, antibiotic, antimicrobial, antiviral properties.

Try and see. Buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. If you get sick try the onion, fork and jar and let us know. Simple remedies can be very powerful.

FURTHER NEWS ON CHILD POLYCYTHEMIA HEALING

Kristina wrote again to tell me her daughter who is now healed from her infant pulmonary polycythemia is only two years old! From all her participation and willing understanding of her own process I was having a hard time accepting she was only three. Such wisdom in a child!! Truly, if we are present with our children and really see, feel, sense, listen, it is amazing what they know and understand.

"Such wonderful results...I feel so blessed!  I did want to mention to you though, she is only two, she just turned two in August (I still count that she would have been technically been two in October, being a preemie, but understand she birthed herself when she was ready.) 

I will also be sending you a picture of a painting she did yesterday.  Although I didn't get to get her saying this on camera, as she painted a few strokes on the right side of her artwork she said aloud, "Mommy's teacher, Baby teacher," she has never mentioned you while painting before and it just struck me by surprise that from my excitement earlier in the day that she understood that "I" finally realized she was healed (I say that because she probably gave me signs before to stop worrying).  Everyday she amazes me in how she is trying to communicate to me her truth and wisdom. 

You opened my eyes more to this blessed gift she is transmitting to me, she continues to do this in any way she can, either by actions or her ability to tell me verbally.  I've encouraged painting as an activity, because when she is tuned into what she is doing, I just sit back, watch, and listen to all she is trying to express and find that she already has so much to reveal.

I look forward to reporting more wonderful progress, and wish you well in your travels and change/transitions.  I hope you know my daughter and I are always sending you loving, happy thoughts.  Kristina

SNM STUDENT HEALS CHILD'S PULMONARY POLYTHYCEMIA

Pulmonary Polythycemia cured!!!! School of Natural Medicine Self Healing testimonials amaze me even though I have heard so many over 35 years. How wonderful to start off the new energy of November with a beautiful email like this one in mostly capital letters ( I love those !) from Kristina, School of Natural Medicine student from the San Francisco area. Kristina enrolled in late spring and attended a Self Healing One on One session with me for three days in September in Vancouver British Columbia. By that time both her and her daughter Kadence had been on their Self Healing programs for a couple of months and even then her concern for her daughter with her conditions and medical prognosis was intense.

Teaching true concepts of cause and effect, constitution, inner ecology nourishment and balancing to Kristina and then mentoring her through all the changes was fascinating and enjoyable as Kristina is so filled with love she is a delight even when she is worried!! It seems Kadence's healing achievement came as a gum inflammation and Kristina brought her through with completely natural treatment and a lot of trust and this is the result. A supposedly incurable condition cured!! Congratulations K & K - what a mother daughter team. This is the three year old who kisses my books and says, Mama's teacher's books, and already dances to the Elements of Life DVD's so we honor her as our youngest student and a being of truth. Love you two dearly. Here is her email, CAPS and all, full of excitement and gratitude – just as life should be when we achieve our dreams!

HELLO FARIDA!!I WAS TOO EXCITED AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET A HOLD OF YOU BY PHONE.. I JUST GOT THE BLOOD TEST RESULTS BACK FROM KADENCE'S PULMONARY SPECIALIST...  ALL OF HER BLOOD TESTS RESULTS CAME BACK NORMAL  ...  SHE DOESN'T HAVE POLYCYTHEMIA ANYMORE!THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION OTHER THAN WITH YOUR HELP WITH HER PROGRAM AND THE HERB FORMULA YOU CREATED FOR HER ALONG WITH THE DIET, AND HEIDI LOVINGLY BLENDED THEM TOGETHER TO SEND TO US...IT CURED HER AND NO ONE OR ANYTHING ELSE WILL CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.  I ALSO AM GRATEFUL THROUGH MUCH PRAYERS THAT GOD PUT YOU IN MY PATH TO DISCOVER SUCH A BLESSING. THESE DOCTORS PUT SO MUCH WORRY AND FEAR IN ME THAT IT WAS SO HARD TO LISTEN TO MY INNER VOICE, BUT YOU HELPED GIVE ME CONFIDENCE TO TRULY LISTEN TO THE HIGHER FORCES AROUND ME AND MY DAUGHTER! 

This is such an amazing news that it takes so much weight off my shoulders. I can now feel relaxed to follow through, committing fully to my own Self-Healing now that my daughter is looking to the future with great health and if there is anything that comes up, I understand the steps it takes to get her back to the blissful good health.

THANK YOU SO MUCH...Farida please understand the appreciation that I feel to have you in my life and my daughter's life that I can not find the words to express how very much I treasure you and so grateful that you are willing to share your work.LOVING BLESSINGS...KRISTINA

SCHOOL OF NATURAL MEDICINE INTERNATIONAL OPENS BEAUTIFUL TEACHING SPACE IN BOULDER

Just as School of Natural Medicine UK gets settled in its new location the perfect place opens up in Boulder, Colorado for all the School of Natural Medicine International activities in our new teaching facility there - a work/live loft and studio in North Boulder, next to the foothills and hiking trails. Built 3 years ago it is the perfect space for the various activities of the school .

I decided to work in cooperation and reciprocity with CSHNS but keep our activities separate. The Boulder school has Private Occupational Status approval for all the classes offered as well as all the UK and European reciprocity accreditation and USA professional organizations memberships.

All students signing up for the February, May/June and October classes and more will attend classes in North Boulder at the beautiful new teaching location. December 1 will be the move in date and I will plan a house warming for all local students, graduates, potential students friends and teachers. Study classes, gatherings and other activities to support local students will continue as well as a consulting clinic for Self-Healing.

All enrollments are to be made through Farida Sharan directly to the Boulder school, and any payments made through Heidi at CSHNS will be transferred over. It is wonderful that Heidi will offer new programs in Clinical Aromatherapy and develop the herbal training as well.

I will be looking for a personal assistant so anyone interested in trading for classes I will be happy to meet with you when I return end of November.

It has been an interesting circle year - leaving Boulder last July, supporting the creation of the UK school for some time and then adventuring in British Columbia while I was writing my latest book. Toward the end of my stay in Vancouver I received a clear feeling I should return to Boulder, and felt it strongly when I was there on my visit as well. So all has been accomplished with divine synchronicity and many blessings of grace. I am very thankful to have found such a perfect location for the school and my other creative works in publishing and consulting.

COURAGE, CREATIVITY, CONFIDENCE, CARING COMMUNITY

As the current tsunami of School of Natural Medicine International enrollments come in I am in touch with new students in Israel, Canada, Guatamala, Australia, USA, and England. As a teacher I am delighted with the passion, confidence and courage of the new students to commit to a path of study and self-healing. Students look for an authentic teacher and a teacher looks for authentic students - with so much personal connection all these new students represent excellent win win connections.

Eva, Megan, Matthew, Daniel, Dila, Patricia, another Megan, Hannele, Nannette, Lisa, Jennifer, Robert, Angie, Cassie, Kristina, Becky, Katrina, are committed and others are hovering waiting to settle into commitment. Beautiful to watch the new wave of students connecting from so many parts of the world.

Several are wanderers and explorers, already cut loose from familiar moorings and ready to land and begin a training to creative meaningful conscious creative livelihood. One is a physician from Tajikistan wanting to train in natural medicine and open a center with her daughter. Another is a Canadian on a grant to build her own practice. Some have attended Canada classes this summer, others are new. Most are beginning with home study e courses and self healing to prepare for classes.

This drawing by a student who attended our Living Food Teacher Training in Puerto Rico three times to participate in depth purification and rejuvenation in our naturopathy retreat represents courage. NEWS - I am partnering with a friend to create retreats once again. Watch for news.

The greatest courage is the courage to be yourself, to move beyond self limitation, family limitation, cultural limitation and create a path for your own life.

The beautiful part of all these students enrolling now is that they will gather in February and June and October in 2010 and meet and share together and make lifetime friends as they study. Some are moving to Boulder, Colorado to be near the school. Together they will create community that transcends time and spaceas with our virtual media connections we share worlds like never before. So many past students connect on Facebook and meet in trainings. Welcome all.

MIRACLE BIRTH PROVES POWER OF NATURAL MEDICINE

School of Natural Medicine International Graduate Summer created a profound Self-Healing protocol that helped her birth a baby the doctors said was impossible. Summer is a woman and a healer of courage, will and discipline and here is her story and pictures of Darshan Makaini being welcomed in to the world. A miracle son is born to a magnificent mother and an inspiration to all. I kept in touch with Summer and her mother through the process - May through September. It is always a privilege to work with a student of their own life and body willing to do their work!!

In April of 2009, at 14 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  I was told that my ability to carry my baby to term was unlikely and continuing the pregnancy would be a huge risk to my life and to the baby.  An immediate radical hysterectomy was prescribed, which would have killed my baby.  I chose not to do this, or the radiation and chemo which were the other treatment options given by the doctor.  I chose to keep my baby, live my life and do everything I could to heal myself with natural means which were safe for my pregnancy.  I did a lot of research and reached out to create a great healing team with friends and mentors of mine.  I visited Farida in Vancouver in May to go deep into a healing program.  Farida worked with me one-on-one for 4 days, during which I gained clarity, peace, and ease.  Farida helped me work out a self-healing protocol, which I adopted when I went home.  I was limited in what I could do by my pregnancy and certain herbs and supplements which were not necessarily safe for the baby.  I used herbal formulas, essential oils, water therapy, supplements, diet and other naturopathic techniques for 5 months and felt a great deal of healing of my symptoms.

There was a lot of stress in my life, however, as well as fear and uncertainty, perhaps a bit of disbelief in my healing which caused me to relapse around the 6th month of pregnancy.  I felt all the symptoms coming back and was quite an emotional wreck.  Then a good friend of mine encouraged me to come to a weekend class with Lou Corona, a living food teacher who has been doing it for 36 years.  I became completely inspired to begin his diet and four-fold treatment, which includes diet, oxygen therapy, enzyme therapy, and emotional processing.  I spent the last month before my son's birth on living foods, all the treatments and recommendations of both Farida and Lou. 

I felt all my cervical pain go away and had better energy than ever.  People kept telling me how I glowed and was the most radiant beautiful pregnant woman they'd ever seen.  People kept telling me how healthy I looked.  I would smile inwardly when they'd say this, knowing my truth.  I finally had a follow up doctor's appointment to assess the cancer.  It had not gone away, as I'd hoped, and had in fact grown.  I had, however, managed to keep it from growing too large for the prescribed surgery, which was a victory for me.  A natural birth was not possible, as the birth canal was completely cancerous and would not dilate.  After much soul-searching, I chose a date for a Ceasarean birth and agreed to the hysterectomy surgery.  I prepared for my surgery by keeping up with my program, drinking lots of fresh veg juice with whole fresh cayenne and habanero chilies juiced into them to reduce blood loss.  It was expected that I'd need 1-3 blood transfusions during the surgery, and the possibility of death from blood loss was a concern.  I surrendered to the choice I'd made, and experienced the birth of my son in the operating room.  

It was a beautiful birth nonetheless.  He was born completely healthy, vibrant and intact.  His dad was there to hold him as soon as he was born and cut the cord.  I got to spend some time with my new little son before my husband, Jimmy, took him and the hysterectomy was slated to begin.  I focused on my third eye and called on two powerful gurus in my life just as I went out under general anesthesia.  When I awoke, I realized I was still alive and felt joy.  Then I realized the operation had taken 2 hours less than expected, and I was told I lost less blood with 2 surgeries than anyone they'd ever seen with a Ceasarean alone.  I needed no blood transfusion and my total recovery was unbelievably fast.  The doctors are still talking about it.  My son, Darshan Makani, were able to come home 5 days later.  Darshan is growing at a record pace, already over 9 lbs at three weeks old!  My recovery is going very well, with homeopathic remedies to deal with pain and healing.  

I realise that surgery does not cure cancer.  I still have a healing journey ahead of me.  I have acquired faith in my self-healing.  I believe in it now, and have the opportunity to use methods that were not optional for me while I was pregnant.  I also am aware of the safety of treatments while breastfeeding, and will be carefully putting together my program from now on.  I do know my healing is assured.  Every time I look at my little son and my two older daughters I see how much I have to live for.  Every time I see a new day I rejoice in the beauty of life.  It's like I told the lady who hooked up my IV's on the day of my son's birth.  She had a button on her scrubs which said, "I love presents".  I said to her, "Remember, every moment is a gift, that's why it's called the present."