Intuitive Concepts in Ohio uses Feng Shui to Effect Sweeping Positive Change
December 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I originally contacted Diana Garber of Intuitive Concepts early in 2004. We were moving into a new home and I wanted a better life for us. Our debt was high, our career (as contractors) was not satisfying, and our children had health issues. The fee was more than my husband was comfortable with so we searched for other Feng Shui consultants. On hind site, we could have saved time, frustration, and even money!
We hired a consultant specializing in Vaastu (Feng Shui of India) and implemented the remedies he suggested. This didn’t seem to do much. Then we hired another consultant who, because of her real estate experience, we felt comfortable with. We implemented her recommendations which included plants in our wealth area, red in our fame area, etc. However, her suggestions could ultimately result in $20,000 for decorating and new furniture. We met her interior decorator but something told us to hold off.
I called Diana back 1-1/2 years later and was surprised she remembered me. She asked how things were going for us but (at that time) I did not tell her about the other practitioners. Anyway, what I want to say is we could have done it right the first time. Our goals were still finances, career, improved relationships, and family health.
Based on the energy of our house, Diana said the front door was less of an influence than the surrounding geography (the other practitioners based their findings on the front door). Diana advised us to move the abundance of plants out (that we were told would help our wealth), and to make a long story short … we undid everything the previous consultants suggested. We’ve implemented everything Diana has said to do and now love our home.
A few examples of what has changed since working with Diana: 1) Our home increased in value from $315k to $360k. We paid off a $60k loan. 2) I was unemployed when hiring Diana and shortly afterwards was offered a job. Within a short time, I received an unprecedented $5/hour raise. 3) My husband reduced his hours at work and spent more time with the family. Our communication has improved. We are able to support each other in more ways. 4) My children definitely are healthier and happier. 5) We sold our car and my husband’s bike for a good amount of money which we were not able to sell for a long time.
We also hired Diana to help us with an investment property in Cincinnati. It was on the market for months. We even tried different realtors and dropped the price. After Diana advised us, it went into contract within 30 days. It was a miracle!
Now we’re moving to Texas so if anyone is looking for a Feng Shui home, call Diana for my contact information. We’ve even added a home theater room, and another bedroom and full bath.
Client of Diana Garber
Intuitive Concepts
Sunbury, OH
www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/IC68999
New Partner After Feng Shui Consultation
November 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I have finally found the perfect words to describe the changes in my life after Amanda came into my home and performed her Magic… Really that’s what it is. I would describe my life before Feng Shui as very balanced and happy, but I did not have that special someone in my life and had been single for the last three years. My bedroom happened to be my love area; there was nothing in there that promoted a partnership in my life. Amanda told me very important changes I needed to incorporate into my home. I am not even joking or exaggerating but literally two weeks later I met my present husband, and he has just added to my already beautiful life.
Nichola Davenport, Real Estate Investor
Client of Amanda M Collins
Feng Shui Consulting by Amanda Collins
Certified Feng Shui Designer
www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/Amandacollins
Testimonials for Celebrated Feng Shui Expert, Cathleen McCandless
November 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Hi Cathleen-
I think of you often and give thanks often for your coming into my life. I believe that you like to hear about success stories. I have to tell you that from the time you came to our home last year our financial success has blossomed. From that moment forward the flood gates opened. This year has been unbelievably successful. I also was finally able to find a contractor to complete an exterior restoration project that came out beautifully. Prior to that, the project was started and stalled several times over 4 years due to an inability to find someone to take on the job.
Additionally since your visit to my husband’s office he has a new, energetic, vital team and he is thrilled. We know this is a result of your help. There is a feeling as if a huge ‘weight’has been lifted and everything has been so much more successful.
Thank you again, Cathleen. You are very special.
Sincerely,”
J. K., Coronado, California
“I discovered Cathleen when perusing the web in search of a feng shui expert I could trust. I’m glad I called this West Coast-based woman since she has plenty of clients in New York and is happy to schedule New York consultations. With Cathleen’s help, my home on the upper west side of Manhattan, has been transformed into a peaceful, comfortable, lovely space to live and work. Cathleen’s recommendations were excellent and surprisingly affordable. People often make comments about how good it feels to be in my home. Another benefit… I’ve doubled the revenues in my business since taking Cathleen’s advice. I highly recommend her.”
A. H., New York City
“I am the president of a large corporation. Our business was in decline and my health was suffering also. When Cathleen came in to Feng Shui our main office, I was skeptical at first. She had so many wonderful, practical suggestions, that I was just amazed. She also discovered that there was a very high electromagnetic field in my personal office space. After moving into another office space with a safe electromagnetic field, my vitality and health has returned, and our business profits are way up. I am now a firm believer in the benefits of Feng Shui!”
A.B., San Diego, California
“Our company had been struggling financially. In desperation we called Cathleen on recommendation from a business client of ours. Within twenty-four hours of our consultation, the phones began ringing off the hook. CBS News even contacted us to do a segment on our business. Our business is now thriving and I am certain it was the result of our Feng Shui appointment and Cathleen’s expertise.”
C.A., San Diego, California
“We were moving into our new home and wanted to make it as excellent and supportive for our goals as possible. Cathleen’s suggestions were invaluable in creating a beautiful, supportive environment for our family. Our friends are always commenting on how comfortable and what good energy our home has. We are thrilled with the results we have seen as a result of our consultation.”
H.M., Rancho Santa Fe, California
“Cathleen was the guest speaker at one of our conventions which was held in San Diego for a group of leading East Coast dentists. The topic was “Feng Shui in a Dental Office”. At first the dentists scoffed at the subject, but Cathleen was such an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker, within just a few minutes the dentists were frantically taking notes and totally involved in the subject matter. Everyone agreed it was the best presentation of the entire three-day conference.”
J.S., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Ever since we moved into our home my family’s health, vitality, and overall happiness had declined. Almost immediately after putting into practice the Feng Shui enhancements Cathleen suggested, our home became a happy, healthy, loving place. Our finances and marriage have also improved greatly. We feel so fortunate that Cathleen came in and helped us when she did. Our lives have been so enriched as a result of her help.”
M.O., Encinitas, California
“Cathleen’s workshops and classes are so informative and entertaining. I can’t believe how much I have learned and how quickly the time went by. I didn’t want the class to end.”
R.B., La Jolla, California
Clients of Cathleen McCandless
Feng Shui Practitioner
La Jolla, CA
www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/cathleen
Stroke Complications Overcome With Feldenkrais Method
November 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment
My right foot has suffered from neuropathy resulting from a stroke I suffered four years ago. By the fall of 2006, this neuropathy had progressed to the point that I did not feel comfortable walking. My right foot would give out on me, without warning and I would stumble. I considered carrying a cane, but chose to consult with Michael Wesson instead. After just 2 visits, Michael had coached me to a dramatic improvement. He recommended exercises designed to increase my lower torso mobility and coached me back to a traditional amble. With Michael’s guidance, I replaced the gait that I had developed in compensation for the neurological damage caused by the stroke. My new gait is balanced and confident. I would heartily recommend Michael’s skill as a Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner. His work has allowed me to walk with confidence.
Dr. Brian McKenzie, University Professor
Client of Michael Wesson
Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
Fresno, CA
www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/movementsolutions
EFT and Hypnosis for Chronic Pain
November 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment
In this article I report a case that uses a combination of two novel forms of psychotherapy, Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy (HHC) and the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), to treat chronic pain. Hypnotherapy has a long history in treating chronic pain. The results of this case also suggests considering acupressure meridians as an adjunct treatment with chronic pain conditions.
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Case Study
The patient was a 45 year-old female who was referred for pain management. She had complained of excruciating lower and middle back pain for the past two years. As a result of the pain she was unable to work consistently and reported having trouble in her marital relationship. She had not responded well to medical treatment and the physician felt hypnosis and therapy would be appropriate.
At the initial interview I found that the patient had apparent high level of intellectual and psychological functioning. She stated that she was occasionally mildly depressed and anxious. Depression and anxiety corresponded to the back pain and accompanying stress. She reported no other psychiatric disorder. As a part of her pain management program she agreed to Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy (HCH).
During the induction phase of the hypnotherapy she became visibly upset. She stated that the pain was spreading from her lower back down to her buttocks, upper back, and reported pain sensations in her hands. She reported that it was a 10 (on a scale from 0-10 highest). We went to the working phase of the session where she regressed immediately to a scenario when she was a child (5-6 years of age) being beat with a leather strap by her raging alcoholic father.
The patient quickly gathered herself emotionally and reported in a small yet stern voice that she continued to experience intense back pain. When queried further she reported excruciating pain and injunctions from her father that she “would get it worse the more she cried or complained.” The patient froze and stated that she could not do any release work because of the pain. She immediately went to an anchored safe/relaxing place. During the respite she agreed to a trial of what was characterized as acupressure desensitization to help ally the intense pain and fear she was experiencing and enable her to get some energetic movement.
After finger tapping activations of her acupressure meridians, she reported a shift in her pain that allowed her to return to the scenario and begin the release work. Following brief release work she reported some minor relief in the back pain but complained that she might not be able to move forward in the process. Another series of taps created a shift in her pain and she again continued with the release part of the therapy. Several more rounds of acupressure desensitization helped facilitate more release until she came to resolution and relief from back pain with this particular scenario.
The patient followed up for more sessions of Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy and reported tremendous relief from back pain, lowered anxiety and depression, and has worked consistently at her job.
Overview of pain, hypnosis and EFT
Alternative and complimentary therapies can be an ideal avenue and adjunct to more traditional medical treatments. The medical establishment are increasingly aware of the mind-body relationship, the role of attitudes and emotions in medical disorders, and that many disorders need a multimodal interdisciplinary approach. Cognitive and behavioral interventions such as relaxation training, biofeedback, and hypnosis have been the core of adjunctive treatments for the management of pain.
Pain is multifaceted with both physiological and psychological factors. Goldberg (1994) found rates of prior abuse up to 47% in chronic pain patients, compared to control rates of 15% to 20%. Chronic pain has been thought to represent a somatified form of PTSD (VanderKolk, 1994). In the trauma survivor, physiological responses or somatic flashbacks are exacerbated when environmental cues are triggered. As VanderKolk’s patient remarked, “the body keeps the score.”
The treatment of PTSD has utilized mind-body therapies. Hypnosis has been used consistently with good results by ameliorating physiological, psychological, and dissociative symptoms. Release techniques and cognitive restructuring then allows the client to revisit traumatic memories while simultaneously modulating physiological arousal.
Another alternative therapy used to treat PTSD is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). EFT was developed by Gary Craig after training with Roger Callahan who developed Thought Field Therapy (TFT). Craig transformed and simplified the TFT procedure. EFT is a meridian based technique that works by tapping on a series of points on the body that correspond to acupuncture points in the energy meridian system. The meridian system is the conduit between the energy field and the physical body. When there are blockages in the energy field, there are corresponding disruptions in flow of energy through the meridian system. Mountrose (2000) states that “these blockages are, in turn, reflected in the unconscious patterns (thoughts and emotions) in the mind and in the functioning of the physical body” (p. 26). The emotional shock of PTSD is “stuck” in the subtle energy system of the human body (meridian system). EFT releases blockages in the meridian system, mind, body, and in more subtle levels of the energy field.
The patient’s chronic pain was an experience traversing the physical, mental, and emotional realms (spiritual realm was dealt with in subsequent sessions). The patient did not have the ability to see beyond the pain until the energetic blockages were manipulated allowing clarity of vision of the true origins of the pain. The combination of HCH and EFT helped the patient move from excruciating pain that suppressed her vitality to sense of well-being, from painful unresolved emotions to joy in life, and from limiting beliefs and limited opportunities to feeling a part of a unified whole. Although this case may be anomalous for sufferers of chronic pain the combination of HCH and EFT appears worthy of further investigation.
Using Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique in dealing with chronic pain.
H. Ray Wooten. Journal of Heart Centered Therapies. Spring 2002
H. Ray Wooten is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
References
Goldberg, R. (1994). Childhood abuse, depression and chronic pain. Clinical Journal of Pain, 10, 277-281.
Mountrose, P., & Mountrose, J. (2000). Getting thru to your emotions with EFT. Sacramento, CA: Holistic Communications.
Vanderkolk, B. (1996). The body keeps the score: Memory and evolving psychobiology of posttraumatic stress. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 1, 253-264.
H. Ray Wooten, Ph.D., St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX
Holistic Nutritionist Christie Korth Overcame Celiac and Crohn’s
November 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
In my life, I have struggled with the diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease as well as Celiac Disease and have successfully nursed myself back to health without having to rely on medications, after a long battle of illness.
I have had digestive problems since age 9, without a clear cut diagnosis until I was 19, despite my mother dragging me from doctor to doctor. Over the ten year period where I was struggling to come to a diagnosis, my symptoms would come and go. There were periods of time where I would be fine that could stretch on for weeks, maybe months. But sometimes, my stomach would act up in manner that was unbearable, for no definite period of time. I missed a considerable amount of school as a child due to varied digestion problems. No matter what I would eat, my “tummy” would always hurt. I had been curious all my life, constantly asking myself “What the hell is going on in there?” And even as a sassy little 9 year old, with my fathers natural health books in tow, I would question why my doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me. It was not until I entered college that my digestion became so out of control to the point where I could no longer eat without vomiting afterwards. Try having an active and normal social life when you fell like Barfo-The-Clown…
Needless to say, I felt things were spiraling out of control for me. I eventually dropped from a healthy 135lbs to just about 100. My doctor became frantic for a diagnosis and after many, many tests….
Finally, after 10 LONG years, my Doctor found the culprit! I am probably the only person in history who practically fell out of my hospital bed and danced when I found out I had Crohn’s disease. Knowledge is power, and I felt I finally had the power of knowing how to help myself. But, boy, I did not have it easy. Because it took so long to diagnose me, my intestines were in pretty bad shape. I was constantly in the hospital for awhile and over 2 years, tried over 20 conventional therapies that failed for me. From steroids that made me blow up like a cow to the junk they prescribe you for anthrax, my doctor prescribed it! I told people that my pocketbook was like a walking drugstore, and you know what? I still felt like crap!
But then one day, everything changed for me. I was in the hospital, getting an infusion of Remicade for the Crohn’s and a woman who was also getting an infusion turned to me and said, “Read The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin and you will be okay.” That was it, she said nothing else, and then she got up to leave the hospital. As odd as that was for me at that time, All I have to say is: I would certainly not be doing the job I am doing today, had that woman not lead me to read that book. So I thank that women, she was an angel, I have no doubt. From what I had been told quite a few times, I should not even be alive. Considering, I survived through several near death experiences, each one shocking all of my doctors alike. Had I not listened to that woman, who knows what would have happened. I am still known affectionately at my doctor’s office for being “the girl with the big yellow folder”, boasting the biggest file in the practice.
Because I have been blessed with the ability of conquering my own life health obstacles, public health is now my life’s mission. After being inspired by The Maker’s Diet, I vowed to become a human sponge and read health books like a monster. During this process, I learned more and more about my diagnosis until I became a powerhouse of knowledge. I even went on later to discover on my own that I had Celiac disease. Coming across the Celiac was the missing piece of the puzzle that had been missing for so long. It is a blessing that I finally found true and pure health, after a total of 15 long years of waiting. But I say this with the utmost of seriousness, although my health struggles have been bittersweet, to me they symbolize a beautiful part of my life. My struggles gave me the ability to help those seeking to find their own health. And that alone, has made the past all the more worth its weight in gold. Helping people achieve Happy & Healthy Wellness is my mission in life. I plan to go out in the world and raise awareness not only to Crohn’s and Celiac diseases, but the overall failing health in America. I just want people to be given the opportunity to live healthy and complete lives in today’s crazy fast-paced world.
In my education, I have learned over 40 different dietary theories and have been exceptionally trained in the field of Holistic Nutrition. Currently, I hold a Bachelors Degree of Science in Holistic Nutrition with the Clayton College of Natural Health in Birmingham, AL. I am presently in the process of working on my Masters Degree with Clayton. I am also Certified in Integrative Nutrition with Columbia University’s Teachers College and have obtained certification through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. I also completed a comprehensive training program with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC, certifying me as a health counselor. I have been trained by some of the best in the alternative health industry including Marion Nestle, Head of Public Nutrition at NYU, as well as Dr. Andrew Weil, who is renowned in The Natural Health field for his findings. Further, I have completed training with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. With CCFA, I am currently a group leader for those patients who are newly diagnosed with either disease. As a group leader, I address popular concerns with both illness and assist those in developing valuable methods to controlling an otherwise chronic illness.
HHWC is affiliated with both the CCFA and The Suffolk County Celiacs.
Christie A Korth CHC, BSHN, AADP
Happy & Healthy Wellness Counseling
Certified Holistic Health Counselor/Holistic Nutritionist
Huntington, NY
http://www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/ckorth
Don’t Ever Give Up On Yourself: Maureen’s Story of Overcoming Panic
November 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment
How Did It Start?
As a child, I was a worrier – nervous, timid and shy. At social events or in new situations, I felt afraid and my heart would race. Yet, I didn’t have my first panic attack until I was 22 years old.
I had just completed my junior year of college in England. It was the night before I was to return to the States. I awoke from a sound sleep with the most terrifying feeling of fear, and with an equally strong urge to run outside. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to explode. I was covered in sweat.
It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I experienced my next panic attack. I was under tremendous stress from events in my life. My father had been sick for many years, and he was losing a long, hard battle. My father and I were very close. He was the most significant person in my life. I don’t have a vocabulary to articulate the intense pain I felt when he passed. At the same time, I was downsized from my job, my relationship ended, my roommate and I parted ways, and I moved to a new city.
What Was The Suffering Like?
At this time, the panic attacks began to happen on a daily basis. Throughout the day, I would have waves of panic washing over me. I felt afraid of everything. I experienced object distortion, drug-like states of disorientation, scary thoughts and shortness of breath.
I had no idea what was happening to me – or why – so I just kept living my life. I told no one. The only problem was my life was getting smaller and smaller with each passing day. Eventually, it got so bad and my life was so small, I had to seek out professional help.
Diagnosis
The first therapist I went to misdiagnosed me; she said I was suffering from ‘situational stress’. She had no knowledge of panic disorder. The therapy gave me some relief by addressing and reducing the symptoms of my panic, but it didn’t address the panic itself. Thus, although my panic stopped for a while eventually it came back. I had a similar experience with my second therapist. Again, the therapist had no experience or training in panic disorder, thus the therapy only offered temporary relief.
About 5 years after I started to seek help, I finally diagnosed myself, through my own self-education. I then searched for and found a therapist who specialized in anxiety and panic.
In my first session with my new therapist, I told her all my symptoms and what I had been going through all these years. To my amazement, she raised her right hand in a dismissive motion and nonchalantly said, “Its just panic. It’s completely curable. Consider yourself lucky.”
I will never forget the sense of relief her words gave me. It was a turning point in my life – the point when I started to reclaim my life.
My new therapist was trained in the “MAP program”, developed by Dr. David Barlow. “MAP” is short for “Mastery of your Anxiety and Panic”. We immediately embarked upon this course of treatment, which is a cognitive-behavioral program specifically designed for overcoming panic disorder.
However, before we could finish the process, my therapist moved out of state, and we had to end our work together. She referred me to the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. The Center is run by Dr. Barlow and is the premier facility for treating panic disorder.
Healing
The first thing I had to do at the Center was to undergo an in-depth, four-hour evaluation. The intake nurse asked me every conceivable question concerning my scary thoughts, depression, social situations, behavior, etc. After the intake, my case was discussed at the weekly staff meeting. Then, I was assigned a therapist who would work with me on a weekly basis throughout the three-month program.
The first part of the program centered on education. I learned all about the biology, psychology and history of panic. I learned what was happening to my body when I panic, why it was happening and what all the sensations meant. I also learned about the factors leading to a predisposition for panic.
Education was a very comprehensive part of the program, and it helped me tremendously. I finally knew what was happening to me and that I wasn’t crazy! My panic was simply a manifestation of stress.
Next, I learned how I had associated my bodily sensations as triggers for a panic attack – how I had actually created my own panic. Then, we worked on “cognitive reframing” – changing the way I thought about my bodily sensations.
One of the most important things I learned during this process was how our thoughts create chemical reactions in our brains. If I think a certain way, a certain chemical reaction is going to take place, causing a certain result. Thus: change the thought – change the chemical reaction – and change the result. Basically, our brain can act as our own “pharmacy”.
Next, we moved on to recreating the sensations which triggered my panic. We actually induced panic attacks! I needed to experience panic so I could use my new “cognitive reframing” skills and develop new behavior in relation to panic. I also needed to experience panic repeatedly, so I would understand it wasn’t going to hurt me.
This was the most frightening thing I have ever done – to invite panic. Yet, the quickest way to recovery is to truly understand that panic is your own creation and there is no reason to be afraid of it. Once you do this, you take all the power out of panic.
My program lasted three months and today I am panic free. I still get anxious sometimes, but I don’t turn it into panic.
Today
Today, I view my panic disorder as a gift. It helped me to become brave.
In addition to my cognitive-behavioral skills, I practice deep relaxation breathing. Through my daily relaxation breathing, I have come to experience a deep sense of peace, calmness and strength.
My Message to Others
I lived with panic – and the feeling there was something wrong with me – for well over 15 years before I found the help I needed. I had lots of false starts, but I never gave up on myself. Eventually, I accomplished my goal to become panic free. My road was bumpy. There were days when I didn’t know if I had the courage to endure the severe panic attacks I was experiencing in therapy, but my desire to recover was stronger than my fear.
Don’t ever give up on yourself and your ability to rid yourself of panic. Panic is a learned behavior. If you have mastered the skill of bringing on panic attacks, give yourself a pat on the back for having learned to do that! Now, it is time for a new goal: to master the art of living a life free of panic.
If I can do it, you can do it. If you would like to contact me, please feel free to email me at smallhands123@yahoo.com. I’m happy to help someone on their road to recovery.
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”
– Abraham Lincoln
Interview with Homeopath Cathleen Springer
November 18, 2007 | 2 Comments
Long before she had ever tried alternative medicine, California resident Cathleen Springer suffered from debilitating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. For four and a half painful and frustrating years, doctor after doctor offered her little to no relief–and then she visited a Homeopath. Her healing began instantly, and she eventually experienced a complete recovery. Now she practices Homeopathy herself–helping people overcome a variety of ills like autoimmune disorders, migraines, women’s hormonal imbalance issues, grief states, depression, and even ADHD.
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Muriel’s Bongo Surprise
November 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Muriel was 95 years old when I first met her and drummed with her. She was a resident at an assisted living community at which I did therapeutic drumming programs whenever I could.
She immediately took to the bongos, the small, paired Afro-Cuban drums. Over the course of several sessions Muriel became quite the bongo player; able to hold simple parts and even weave her own improvisations into the group rhythms.
During breaks in the drumming, we would talk about ourselves and our lives and Muriel once said, as many other residents did, how she loved visits from her family, but did not like their pity and sadness for her.
Later, as I was bringing in the instruments before one of our sessions, I could see Muriel beaming brightly with something she wanted to tell me.
“Jim”, she said, “my great grandchildren just asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and guess what I told them!? I told them I wanted a pair of bongos… you should have seen the looks on their faces!”
The pixie in her reveled in the thought of her family’s reaction to this new, secret life of hers and that their usual looks of pity were changed to surprise and joy!
(I wrote a longer version of this story for the book, The Healing Power Of The Drum, by Robert L. Friedman, published by White Cliffs Media in 2000)
Jim Greiner
Community Drumming Leader, Speaker, and Author
Hand’s On Drumming
Soquel, CA
http://www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/handsondrum
Drumming in the Heartland
November 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment
In the mid-1990’s I was contracted to lead a community drumming program for a large city in the American “farm belt” as part of their annual civic festival. Many people from other regions of the country, and other nations, had moved into the area inThe organizer had heard about my work and wanted me to do my community building program to help them bring diverse elements of the population together. He was concerned that not many people would participate, since, in his words, “This is, after all ‘heartland America’ and may not be inclined to try new things.”
Over 200 people joined in! The organizer, and the participants themselves, were amazed that so many actually drummed together in such harmony.
Later, someone sent me some photos of the event with a note that read, “Take a close look at the man wearing the John Deere cap and standing on the edge of the crowd.”
I found him, a strongly build man with sunburnt arms and face. In the first photo he was standing erect, but leaning slightly back from the drumming group, his arms folded across his chest and with a look on his face that clearly said, “What the heck are these people doing?” In the second photo he was leaning slightly forward with his hands on his hips. A slight, friendly smile playing across his face. In a later photo, there he was… leaning forward at the waist, clapping his hands, with a huge grin that seemed to come from deeply within his heart.
I think about this man often, and admire him for how he allowed himself to be moved by the drumming to participate in something that he probably never imagined he would ever do! He is an inspiration to me whenever I may be feeling stuck in a rut. The term “heartland America” also has a new and profound meaning to me!
Jim Greiner
Community Drumming Leader, Speaker, and Author
Hand’s On Drumming
Soquel, CA
http://www.holisticwellness.com/profiles/handsondrum