I love being a naturopath and am always thinking about how to keep you SAFE, how to OPTIMIZE your experience and heal WHOLISTICALLY! Check out this 10+ minute video on how to prepare for a psychedelic journey!!
Ketamine treatments for depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD and substance abuse are skyrocketing across the US. I am so thankful to be part of a community of healers who are finding new and creative ways to offer ketamine therapy to patients seeking help and healing at this time of awakening for entheogenic (empathic) medicines. I love working one-on-one with patients for deep healing with ketamine, but I sometimes come across resistance from patients to do this work in a small group setting, and here is the reason why I think small group healing with ketamine is not only helpful but is actually the BEST way to heal with this medicine. The pandemic highlighted an already serious collective problem of the deep isolation and disconnection we often experience from each other. The time has come in 2022 to re-member, re-group and re-connect with other beings for shared support, nurturing and healing connection. We know how to keep ourselves and each other safe in the context of the ongoing pandemic, and now it is time to step into the group healing space for collaboration and connection.
1. Group Learning
If you’re used to doing ketamine assisted therapy for anxiety or depression on your own or one-on-one with a practitioner or counselor, you’re missing out on all the amazing learning happening with other people who are also on this journey for healing and self-discovery. In many cultures, the incorporation of entheogens (psychedelic medicines) happens almost universally in a group setting, and this is because the medicine teachings should be shared with everyone. Whatever you’re working on for your healing may be very different from the person sitting next to you, but they may come back with wisdom, insight or a teaching that is relevant to another aspect of your health or healing.
2. Witnessing and Empathy
This is also a huge reason to give yourself the gift of small group work with ketamine. Everyone feels a little more anxious and vulnerable working with ketamine in a group setting, but this dynamic is purposeful and provides a huge opportunity to witness other people’s courage in sharing their scary, painful, or vulnerable stories and insights when working with ketamine (or other non-ordinary states). We are hard-wired biologically to respond to other peoples’ emotions, stories, and non-verbal cues (thank you mirror neurons). This is not a liability, this is a chance to feel a deeper level of emotion, strength and meaning in your own body/psyche when witnessing and participating bravely in a small group setting.
3. Deep connection through shared experience
I see the future of ketamine work in the group setting. There is nothing more powerful than a small group of people moving through a challenging experience together and coming out the other side (i.e. AA groups, army pals, or grad school cohorts). Doing hard work together in a small group over time is one of the most transformative and deeply connecting experiences that humans can have. This also amplifies and augments the integration work after the journey is over. If you have a few trusted friends or connections whom you can reach out to for support, to share insight or progress and to keep you accountable to yourself and your goals, your progress will be exponentially amplified and accelerated.
4. Empower yourself
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in working with entheogens in the group setting is to be empowered in my own healing. I love doing one-on-one work with my own healers, but sitting in a group and continually turning my focus inward is challenging and has often brought my own disempowered parts up to the surface for healing. In a group, you know the facilitator is supporting the group as a whole, which encourages you to work through your own emotions/obstacles/challenges internally. The structure of a group requires some self-discipline and an effort to return to yourself again and again. Many people who work with ketamine and other entheogens for healing define themselves as “deeply empathic” and often struggle to maintain boundaries with themselves and others. When people are open in the group setting, they have the opportunity to learn how to maintain appropriate boundaries, by keeping themselves grounded, focused and not allowing themselves to be distracted with others’ emotions, noise, movements, etc…
5. Cost
Many people are having trouble accessing ketamine and other psychedelics due to the high cost and little/no reimbursement from medical insurance at this time. Group ketamine work is not only less expensive, but amplifies the benefits you can get from the medicine (see above reasons). Group work is a co-creative process that works synergistically with psychedelics and ketamine and can often be offered by facilitators more frequently and for a lower cost than one-on-one sessions.
How do I know if KETAMINE is right for me versus magic mushrooms or PSILOCYBIN?
I love answering this question because either way you slice it, these two psychedelic medicines are mostly likely going to help! There’s so much overlap in terms of the psychedelic experience itself, but there are a few key factors that help patients determine which might be the best option for them to start with.
Also, before we get too deep into this conversation, I want to be very clear that in Oregon, as of the time this blog post is published, psilocybin is still illegal to use. However, in January 2023, there will be many healthcare centers and providers engaging in specific training to be able to help people with certain mental health conditions by treating them with psilocybin.
So, this is one of the main reasons that I often help patients learn more about ketamine assisted therapy. Ketamine is a controlled substance, but it is legal and there are many amazing training programs for providers to learn how to use this safely in office with patients right now. Psilocybin might be slightly more well-known with the general public (thank you Michael Pollan), but the research on ketamine is expanding rapidly and the results are very promising.
So, without further ado, here are some of the most helpful differences between ketamine and psilocybin that patients are weighing when considering journey work.
Mechanism of Action:
Most people who are seeking healing with psychedelic medicines may not be as interested in the specific scientific details on the mechanism of action for these medicines. I however, feel that this is super important as this is one of the best ways to differentiate ketamine from psilocybin. Ketamine works on multiple brain pathways, and ultimately supports improved synaptic connections between neurons via Glutamate (a very important excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain) and NMDA receptor antagonism, which has been shown to help with acute depression and suicidal ideation. We also know that ketamine can improve chronic pain, partly due to improved synaptic connectivity and partly due to minor stimulation of sigmoid opiate receptors in the brain. Many of the physical benefits of ketamine last so much longer than the journey itself because of the changes that happen over time with improved synaptic connections in the brain…amazing!
Psilocybin works more directly with serotonin receptors in the brain, specifically the 5HT2A receptors which are different from the mechanism of most antidepressants (which work on 5HT1A receptors). The stimulation of the 2A receptors improve creative thinking around stressors/obstacles which is very helpful for people who feel depressed and stuck. These 2A receptors also allow for increased neuronal “cross talk” which is another way of saying that they open the lines of communication between neurons so that new pathways of thinking and perceiving the world can be experienced.
Ketamine:
NMDA receptor antagonist (helps with acute depression and suicidal ideation)
Glutamate receptor antagonist (increases the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate which has been shown to be significantly reduced in depression)
Increases brain levels of BDNF
Sigmoid receptors (positive effect on chronic pain)
Psilocybin:
Agonist of 5HT2A receptors (binds to specific serotonin receptors in the brain…not the same ones as antidepressant medications).
Very little dopamine agonism (compared to LSD)
Duration of effect:
I think this is one of the stand out ways to differentiate ketamine journeys with psilocybin journeys. I also have seen these medicines used back to back within the same time frame and they often work synergistically.
I love ketamine because this is a much shorter journey. It feels “bite sized” although the insights and epiphanies that come from this space are just as intense, valid, and life-changing as they are with any other medicine. What I love about ketamine is that you can set a clear intention and come back with lots of material for processing, but not an overwhelming amount.
On the other hand, with psilocybin or longer journeys, the opportunity to dive into the deepest, sometimes darkest places in our psyche happens over this longer period of time. I think psilocybin can be extraordinary in a retreat setting or when someone really takes a few days to be with the medicine.
Some people choose to do several short ketamine sessions and then a larger/longer psilocybin journey, and this is a really nice approach for novice psychonauts as the ketamine experiences help provide shorter, often less anxiety-provoking experiences and set a good foundation for longer, larger session with other medicines. I have many other opinions and strategies to share on this particular concept but I’ll put that in another blog for future reading.
Ketamine: approximately 75-minute journey time, session total: 3 hours
Psilocybin: approximately 6- hour journey time, session total: 8-10 hours
Safety profile:
Ketamine: caution in some mental health disorders, high blood pressure, some cardiovascular conditions and some bladder conditions, some medications
Psilocybin: caution in some mental health disorders, some cardiovascular conditions, some liver conditions, some medications
“Quality” of the Experience:
Just to be clear, with all psychedelics, there is some overlap in terms of what kinds of experiences people can have. Overarching themes of connectedness, love, new perspective about life and healing, are shared among many medicines. This comparison is truly artificial, and the range of experience with psilocybin versus ketamine versus any other substance is individual at its core. However, I do think it’s helpful for patients/participants to have a general sense or understanding of what differences they might experience with different medicines. I have spoken to friends, patients and colleagues who are very experienced psychonauts and many will agree that some medicines just speak to some people more than others and it’s all okay. If we come to these experiences with a sense of curiosity, openness and intention for healing, each medicine will show itself to you in a deeply loving and personal way.
Ketamine:
- Rolling landscapes
- Connection, heart-opening
- Muted visuals
- Tends to be inwards (eyeshades, headphones), introspective until the journey is done
- Feeling of spaciousness, molecules, expansion and upward movement
- Disconnection or being completely out of the body and then coming back into the body
- Altered body perception, present moment awareness
- Altered perception of time and space
- Insights, messages, epiphanies
Psilocybin:
- Vivid visuals
- Increased/heightened senses (smell, taste)
- Some people are very introspective, some are more social/communicative
- Present moment awareness, body awareness
- Altered sense of time and space
- Insights, messages, epiphanies
- Sense of beings, entities, helpers, guides
Where it comes from
Ketamine: Pharmacy/Lab
This is lab-created, combination of a ketone with an amine (organic compounds). This was originally discovered when scientists were searching for the “perfect anesthetic” for surgery in the 1960’s. What’s amazing about this molecule is it’s incredible variety of uses. Ketamine can be micro dosed, moderate doses are psychedelic in nature, and at high doses it’s a very effective and safe short term anesthetic. Ketamine is also versatile in it’s administration. I can be ingested orally or intranasally, and can be injected just under the skin (subcutaneous), to the muscle (intramuscular injection), or administered intravenously (IV). Although not directly from the Earth, I truly believe that our creation of this amazing medicine was divinely inspired.
Psilocybin: Nature
This is the more scientific name for magic mushrooms! And magic they are! They grow on almost every continent on Earth (but prefer the subtropics for sure) and there are over 200 species known to contain the “active” ingredient known as psilocin. The most common is psilocybe cubensis, but many other species are employed for powerful healing journeys. This medicine is ingested orally, either by eating the dried whole mushroom bodies and caps or dried and powdered and placed into capsules for ingestion. Some people even make magic mushroom tea! What I love about this is that these mushrooms come directly from nature, and if organically grown, they are free from chemicals and can be taken in their most holistic form. The only “downside” of ingesting magic mushrooms themselves instead of a psilosin standardized extract is that you don’t know exactly how much of the “active ingredient” or potency there is until you try it. For many, this is not a problem and feels like part of the adventure. For some, this can make them feel more anxious or stressed because they don’t know their “true dose”.
Guided psychedelic journeys are an enormously fast-growing topic of interest, discussion and research in both alternative and conventional medical circles. Patients are demanding better and safer options for treating mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, disordered eating, addiction and substance use, you name it! (Thank you Michael Pollan for spotlighting some of these psychedelic treatment options and putting the misconceptions about their use and public opinion to the test of informed investigative research!)
As a healthcare provider on the forefront of emerging psychedelic medicine, I have come across a few common questions and concerns from patients regarding the now well known concept of “set and setting”. People are curious (and excited) about the possibility of healing from within, but often feel a little lost and can be hesitant about safety, logistics and who might be a good fit to work with.
1. To keep your body safe!
In some ways this seems to go without saying, but it really doesn’t. Keeping your body safe does not mean someone you know who can sit on the couch in the other room while you have a psychedelic trip. This does mean someone who helps to set up the environment to reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries (things like appropriate lighting, moving obstacles in the room, having CPR training, knowing how to handle vomiting/purging, etc…). This person should understand how to be calm under pressure or in urgent/emergent situations and how to respond without themselves going into fight or flight mode. Ideally, this person has some basic CPR and first aid training…believe me this can come in handy. People in NOSC (non-ordinary states of consciousness) as in psychedelic journeying, may move their bodies in ways that are unexpected, or need to use the restroom without really being able to use their limbs normally, etc… Having someone on your team who knows how to deal with changing safety situations will make you feel comfortable and safe and able to let go into the psychedelic journey.
2. To call you out on your BS!!!
This one gets three exclamation points, because out of this whole list, this is probably the MOST important one. Another way to look at this is that a skilled psychedelic guide will help you set a clear intention, be there to witness the journey itself, and then help you move through the obstacles and old limiting patterns that will inevitably surface later on. A skilled healer should know exactly what patterns of limitation/challenge/obstacles you are facing and not let you get away with falling back into those patterns once you have a clear new direction from your journey work.
***this process may not happen after one single psychedelic journey, your insights may be rolled out over a few sessions, or take even longer in some cases***
3. To bring in the element of human connection and to amplify the energy field.
Humans are social creatures, we crave unconditional love and acceptance of our most authentic selves, and being in the psychedelic space allows us to shed some of the layers of inauthenticity that we carry with us in our normal, waking lives. Having a healer who can witness us in our burgeoning authentic states of being is a powerful force for healing and transformation. Your guide also provides an “amplification” factor for the love and intention that one brings into their journey. Having a skilled facilitator witness some of our most vulnerable and life altering moments is key for transformation. This person should be fully present for what’s happening throughout the psychedelic journey and can also serve as a touchpoint in the future, you remember and recall the transformative messages, insights and changes that occur during this kind of peak life experience.
As a healer and guide, I am often praying, sending love and holding the intention for the highest level of healing and transformation for my patients in their journey state. In psychedelic journeys, I find that the 1 + 1 of me and the patient creates a field of healing and energy transformation is exponential.
4. To create a clean “energetic bubble” in which the journey can occur.
This sounds super “woo woo” but I honestly cannot stress the importance of clean energy enough. When someone is on a psychedelic trip or journey, they are accessing large and often unfamiliar parts of their brain and nervous system which are normally “damped down” by the moderating parts of the brain or ego structure (otherwise known as the default mode network or DMN). During a psychedelic journey, these wide open nervous system states and alterations in consciousness create extreme vulnerability and susceptibility to internal feelings, the feelings of others, and if you believe in it, Higher Consciousness. In other words, it’s critical for a journey guide to be able to assess and evaluate the energetic space in which the psychedelic trip will occur and take steps to clean it up if necessary. This can include strategies like intention setting, grounding, releasing negative energy, cleansing the space, and creating sacred space with altars or sacred objects. Healers are ideal for this kind of guided journey because we are called to work with people in vulnerable situations…DIS-EASE of any kind. The empathy and compassion that healers bring to a psychedelic healing journey are pivotal for creating the transformative changes that patients are asking for.
5. Comforting touch from another being who is comfortable in the altered space is a powerful thing.
At my core, I am a bodyworker. I have always felt a profound connection with my loved ones through the power of touch, and have discovered this is one of my deepest loving offerings as a healer. Sometimes, in an altered stated, the power of love and connection can be shared with a simple arm on the shoulder or with the holding of hands. It’s amazing to me how in non-ordinary states, we are more childlike, and often more receptive to love perceived through our feeling, sensing bodies, not just with words and actions. I love to offer comforting touch for those who wish to heal and connect in this way. If you are interested in psychedelic journeying, talk to your guide about touch that is either welcome or unwelcome during your journey state.
6. Help set a clear intention and remind you of it before, during and after the psychedelic journey.
We’ve already touched on the importance of…ahem….intention-setting and grounding BEFORE embarking on a psychedelic journey. And let me tell you, there are a lot of folks out there who may tell you that you don’t really need to sit down before a journey and work it out. They may tell you “everything that needs to come up will happen organically during the journey” or “just choose a word to focus on during your journey, that’s enough” or “the integration is more important than the preparation”. This is not true in my own personal journeywork experience nor that of my patients. I have seen time and time again that the more love, focus and intention you lay down before going into your journey, the more you get out of the actual psychedelic experience as well as the integration process.
***Don’t let intention setting stall you from actually taking your journey. Some peoples’ fear and anxiety can keep them for too long in the intention setting process, ultimately serving as a tactic to avoid doing the actual letting go into a psychedelic journey***
7. To walk you to and from the bathroom during a trip.
OMG I can only express how this is a real….actual….thing. Going to and from the bathroom in the middle of a journey without having an accident is sometimes a monumental feat, especially with ketamine (but other medicines as well). And more important than the physical act of walking to the bathroom is the importance of not letting the journeyer get distracted and pulled out of their experience by going to the bathroom. Having a skilled guide recognize your physical needs early and respond to them quickly helps you to STAY in the altered state that you want to be in for healing to occur. This includes things like not chit chatting too much on the journey to and from the bathroom, normalizing our bodily functions and changes that sometimes happen when people are in altered states, etc…
8. To care for your needs during and post journey.
This is a little piggybacking on #7 but it truly bears repeating. We are human beings in human bodies that have human needs. We need warmth, food, water, bathroom, all of it. Especially with psychedelic journeys that are long….like 6, 8, 10 hours long. It is critical to have a journey guide who has thought of these details before the journey and can respond flexibly to your body’s needs during and after a psychedelic journey. This helps you to feel more grounded, like keeping your blood sugar stable for example, not in a state of lack or worry (I don’t have my water bottle, etc..), and again STAY in the energetic mindscape for healing to occur.
9. To hold your hair back
Sounds dramatic I know. But seriously, physical nausea/vomiting/purging in psychedelic journeys is a thing and you need someone who is not only comfortable with this possibility, but will help you through the process. Instead of feeling weird and “shamey” around this possibility, a skilled guide should help you to get the most out of this kind of physical, often karmic release.
10. They bring their own guides and insights into the space.
If you are stuck, it’s helpful to have someone with you that is “unstuck” or at least aware of and moving towards their own healing. In my ketamine psychedelic sessions with patients, I always offer to keep a journal entry of the experience. I write down the details of the session including start time, dosage, and whatever they share as their intention before the journey begins. Once the journey starts, some patients are quiet and introspective, some are more social or communicative. Either way, I keep a journal of everything they share and also write down my own intuitive insights, speculations and feelings as the journey progresses. I work actively with my own guides, helpers and Spirit, and will record what is going on for me during the session. It constantly amazes me how what comes through is often spot on for what the patient was feeling, seeing, experiencing within their journey, even if we are not sharing the words or visions until after the journey is finished. If you are stuck in the journey, a skilled healer should be comfortable calling on their own guides and helpers to elicit movement towards health and healing.
Do Botox Injections Hurt?
Nope, not really! Way less than the average vaccine for sure! We use tiny (seriously tiny) insulin needles to do Botox injections in the upper face (forehead, frown lines and crow’s feet). These needles are only slightly larger than acupuncture needles and don’t go in nearly as deep as acupuncture needles often do.
The Botox solution is also not painful when injected, as some vaccine solutions tend to be or can cause a burning or stinging sensation.
How many actual injections are there?
Because Botox is applied to small areas of the face, we use several small needles to get the overall effect we are looking for. Most providers are balancing using enough injection sites to cover the area fully but not so many that we are injecting areas needlessly.
Paradoxically, when I inject Botox for patients, I use several syringes per area (i.e. three separate needles/syringes for the frown lines typically) but each syringe has a brand-new needle attached, so you actually feel less discomfort. Some providers will inject multiple areas with the same needle, this reduces the sharpness of the needle with each injection and makes each subsequent needle poke a little more uncomfortable.
Can anything be done to reduce discomfort?
Almost universally, patients don’t require any extra measures for comfort during Botox treatments because they are so quick and simple, you’re in and out before you know it! If you do prefer or require additional support for discomfort, using a simple ice pack to numb the skin before injecting is quick, easy and effective.
How often do I need to get Botox?
Typically, patients get Botox treatments every 3-4 months. Each person’s body and activity level will cause them to metabolize the botox a little differently, but 12 weeks is a general recommended timeline for follow-up treatments.
What if I need more Botox?
I always recommend patients schedule a short follow-up visit 1-2 weeks after their initial Botox injections, that way we can do “touch-ups” if there are any areas of concern that weren’t covered with the initial injections.
What now?
If you’ve never experienced Botox injections with me, you can schedule a new patient 60-minute visit online at www.aureopdx.com. The new patient paperwork will be sent for you to fill out before your appointment and we will go over your skincare regimen, medications, supplements, general health history and come up with a great plan for you. In this 60-minute visit, if there are no contraindications to Botox treatment, you can get your first set of injections that day!
As a naturopath, I hold tightly to certain values and perspectives in my life and in helping my patients with their health and wellbeing.
Some of those values are:
- Do No Harm (or reduce harm as much as possible to the patient and the planet)
- Disease Prevention (preventative medicine is SO critical)
- Doctor as Teacher (explain, discuss, teach and offer options)
Because I offer Botox and microneedling with PRP “vampire facial” in my office, I often get asked the question, “Is Botox really naturopathic?”
What is Botox?
This is a neurotoxin produced by bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) that essentially blocks the conduction of nerve impulses to muscles. This neurotoxin is produced by these amazing little bacteria, is then purified and packaged so that it can be injected in tiny amounts for a controlled response from the nerves and muscle cells.
Our facial expressions are largely controlled by voluntary muscle groups, and the more we flex or use those muscles, the higher likelihood there is of wrinkles forming over time from repeated use or contraction.
Although our facial structure can vary widely, we tend to use the same muscle groups in generally the same ways for different expressions ie: smiling, frowning, surprise, etc..
Botox injections provide a tiny controlled change in the conduction of nerve impulses to target the strongest muscle groups in the face that temporarily (3-4 months) stops those muscle contractions and weakens or atrophies these muscles.
Botox is an effective treatment not only for eliminating these muscle contractions at the time of the injection (and for 3-4 months afterwards), but generally weakens the muscles so that new wrinkles are less likely to form (preventative medicine at work!).
How is Botox Preventative?
I really truly feel that Botox injections can be used preventatively. A little goes a long way, and the earlier patients get started, the less intense, expensive and painful treatments they’ll need to do later in life for aesthetics and wrinkle-reduction.
Botox prevents “dynamic wrinkles” which are the wrinkles that form during active movement of muscles. But Botox can also be used to prevent the development of “static wrinkles” that are visible without any facial movement and tend to occur more frequently after we age, especially after the hormonal shifts that happen before and during menopause.
The other nice thing about using Botox preventatively is that you may not need to get injections every 3-4 months exactly, but at first can see how much benefit you get from 2-3x per year and use Botox in conjunction with other skin healing treatments like topicals, microneedling, diet and exercise.
Is Botox naturopathic?
Although Botox is created in a lab, the multiple uses and benefits of Botox treatments are definitely in-line with naturopathic values. I am very picky about which aesthetic treatments I offer my patients and I firmly believe that Botox is:
- Minimally invasive and painful
- Works as a dynamic treatment for 3-4 months after injections
- Works preventatively for long-term wrinkle reduction
- Very minimally harmful to the body and has no systemic effect/impact
Check out this quick 10-minute video on how to prepare your body and mind for a psychedelic journey!
Over the last two decades a surge of scientific research on low dose ketamine and ketamine assisted therapy (KAP) has shown promise for the treatment of a host of mental health concerns including treatment-resistant depression, OCD, and PTSD. I wanted to take a few minutes to explore the research specific to ketamine therapy for the treatment of anxiety. Although the body of research for generalized anxiety disorder and other anxiety mental health diagnoses is smaller than for depression, the results are encouraging and the risks generally low.
Here’s what some of the studies specific to patients experiencing anxiety state:
- A small study of patients with GAD were treated with either ketamine or midazolam. There were changes seen on improved fear questionnaire scores as well as changes in brain (theta) waves what were comparable to conventional medications used for anxiety.
- Another study compared patients with refractory generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) who reported reduced anxiety 1 hour after dosing, although these results were from intravenous infusions (not oral or intranasal ketamine dosing).
- This study was continued and the impact of maintenance ketamine therapy was measured for patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). The study concluded that 18 of 20 patients continued to experience ongoing improvements in their GAD scores with intermittent maintenance ketamine dosing.
- In anxious depression, a study was conducted that both anxious and non-anxious patients with bipolar depression had significant antidepressant response to ketamine therapy. This is important as it has been shown that patients who have bipolar depression with anxiety tend to have poor responses to conventional medical treatments. Further study for this patient population was recommended.
As with many available treatments for anxiety and depression, risk/benefit evaluation needs to be individualized. I often see patients who describe their experiences with a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health and the sense of pain and hopelessness they feel when they “run out of options.”
As a Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist, I live in the world of alternatives. I am so grateful that I have been trained to understand and engage in the western medical model, but really where naturopathic medicine shines is in providing alternative treatment options to typical standard of care medicine. We use herbs, needles, hydrotherapy, touch therapy, counseling, nutrition, medications, and exercise to provide a multitude of alternatives for every type of health concern under the sun, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many other mental health concerns.
When I first learned about ketamine assisted therapy (KAP), I was intrigued by this amazingly versatile molecule. It works on both the physical and psychological levels to help patients who are profoundly depressed, anxious or both. Low to moderate doses of ketamine can be used in an outpatient office setting to quickly and profoundly improve stubborn depression, anxiety, OCD, etc.
We know that approximately 30-40% of patients with anxiety and/or depression have a poor response to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other medications in similar classes. Alternative classes of treatments are available including the older MAO inhibitors and newer medications which are often in the antipsychotic classes of medical treatments. Many patients experience that these medications are ineffective or not well tolerated due to significant side effects.
Ketamine is an emerging treatment option and more research is absolutely necessary to further delineate which patients/treatment groups will be most beneficially impacted by this therapy. Research is also needed to assess the effectiveness of low to moderate ketamine dosing, and alternatives to IV or IM ketamine.
However, low to moderate dose ketamine and ketamine assisted therapy is legal, available, and low risk for many patients. In my practice, I provide a medical evaluation, risk assessment, and informed consent regarding ketamine therapy. I have witnessed the truly life changing, life-saving transformative power of this medicine and hope that more information, research, and education becomes available to both patients and providers for this encouraging alternative medical therapy.
References:
Ionescu DF, Luckenbaugh DA, Niciu MJ, Richards EM, Zarate CA. A single infusion of ketamine improves depression scores in patients with anxious bipolar depression. Bipolar Disord. 2014;17(4):438-443.
Glue P, Medlicott NJ, Harland S, et al. Ketamine’s dose-related effects on anxiety symptoms in patients with treatment refractory anxiety disorders. J Psychopharmacol. 2017;31(10):1302-1305.
Glue P, Neehoff SM, Medlicott NJ, Gray A, Kibby G, McNaughton N. Safety and efficacy of maintenance ketamine treatment in patients with treatment-refractory generalised anxiety and social anxiety disorders. J Psychopharmacol. 2018;32(6):663-667.
My first in a series of interviews with AMAZING local Portland healers! This one is about some of the basics of SIBO Lactulose breath tests with Dr. Crane Holmes!
A quick 30-minute video looking at all aspects of SIBO lactulose breath testing including when to test and re-test, SIBO prep diet tips and more!
In almost all counseling/therapy practices, there’s an understanding that in order to help alleviate someone’s emotional pain, empathy and psychoemotional connection is absolutely necessary.
The counselor/healer needs to have an understanding of what it feels like to be in that person’s shoes, and help label and process those feelings.
In shamanic practice (from many traditions), it is necessary for the Shaman to take in the sickness of their patient and transform it within themselves in order to know what to do to help the sick person heal.
This is the same principle as in counseling/therapy, and it’s true also in Kundalini Mediumship. The healer must feel in themselves the energy, emotion, or pattern that is coming up in the “sick” person or patient; it is essential to facilitate connection to Spirit and healing.
For me, this is one of the hardest and one of the easiest parts of being a healer and working with Kundalini energy. Sometimes in working with a patient, I easily recognize the pattern, pain or emotion within myself, it feels familiar and I can easily connect to myself and the other person. During these sessions, it seems that things move quickly and somewhat effortlessly…I know which rhythms are needed and which Spirits are working through us and with us.
At other times, I don’t feel the connection at all or have a difficult time understanding and feeling into where the other person is at, which makes the tracking and bodywork in Kundalini Mediumship more difficult, as I don’t feel as clearly connected to Spirit. During these sessions, it may be due to my own blocks or defenses, or that I don’t have an easily accessible memory, experience or imprint of that particular pattern. These sessions sometimes feel more slow, less connected or insightful, or are more draining.
During this quarantine time, I’m in my second pregnancy, with 2 days to go, my 2 year old and husband are at home, and I’ve been struggling with many difficult patterns and emotions. In our current situation, I sometimes feel unable to “escape” these difficulties…in my body, mind, emotions. I can’t lean into the same strategies and comforts that I have before, it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under me again and again.
This has been at times super painful and challenging, but is also a gift and a lesson from Spirit. Without being able to cope or escape, I must face these painful wounds and sit with them (sometimes feeling like I’m being forced to do so). Being with my own pain has provided me with deep, visceral feeling and insight into some of the wounds/patterns that I didn’t feel I had access to before.
For example, I’ve never before faced a true depression, even though I have felt depressed at moments and have many people in my life who’ve confided in me about their experiences with depression. Over the past several months, I’ve felt deeply and painfully stuck in my own depression, and am able to relate to those energetic patterns and imprints in ways I never have before. I know intellectually and from a distance that this will be invaluable to my work as a healer, but in those moments of negativity and despair I would rather scream and yell and get away.
I don’t believe that only “healers” or “shamans” have the ability to do this, I think this empathy and connection from our own felt experience is a part of the innate human capacity. We often tone down or turn off our ability to feel our own and others’ pain in order to defend or protect ourselves from discomfort, but it is actually the key to healing and growth.
In some ways, this quarantine experience is a crucible, a concentrated experience of discomfort for many that can be an opportunity to face our triggers and work with them. In stating this, I also realize my own place of privilege in my society/community and that for many, this is not an “opportunity” but a serious struggle for survival and life and death. I don’t know how to offer consolation or full understanding for that life and death struggle other than to acknowledge it’s existence and continue to work to help those in greater need than myself.
If you can, take time to think about and feel your triggers when they come up. Sit with the anxiety, depression, panic, fear that come up for you, and see what happens when you let yourself face the emotions rather than running or escaping. Find someone, a counselor, friend, family member, energy healer, whomever, to help you process these patterns and triggers, or consider connecting directly to Spirit. This moment in time can be used to help you move deeper into yourself, and your journey into healing.
One of the most foundational aspects of creating an opening for healing to happen is creating safe space. This is a “hot topic” in the world of psychology and alternative health and healing, as we culturally become more aware and sensitive to trauma and it’s impact on body mind and spirit.
The Kundalini Mediumship method tends to be more provoking than some other spiritual paths. By “provoking” I mean that we encourage turning into the discomfort that comes up with painful or difficult conversations, and encourage the full experience and expression of our own suffering to identify our wounds and create opportunities for healing and transformation.
In contrast, some healing methods avoid or actively discourage direct communication of those painful wounds, but instead try to create a “safe space” to encourage voluntary sharing over time with or without others hearing/witnessing that pain. For example, some meditation practices are solely founded on continuing to allow the unpleasant thoughts/feelings/sensations to arise and let go, with a detached observation and no engagement in those patterns whatsoever.
Neither of these methods are good, bad, better or worse. They are different and I am grateful that there are so many spiritual paths that provide different doorways to healing and transformation.
However, I do feel that in the Kundalini Mediumship philosophy, it’s important to recognize and have a deep understanding of how to create Safe Space for people to be in contact with their own vulnerability and discomfort. In some ways, this is even more critical than methods that don’t encourage direct confrontation with discomfort, because those methods will never push or provoke. In the Kundalini work, we emphasize direct confrontation and discussion of pain and suffering as our main doorway into healing.
In order to do this work responsibly, I want to bring to conscious awareness the need for comfort, safety and respect in all aspects of this work with ourselves and others.
What I’m learning from other teachers and in other healing methods is that creating safety is individual, although there are some universal aspects and environments that tend to help people feel more at ease and comfortable in moving towards openness and vulnerability.
I would love to open up a discussion for what peoples’ experiences have been either in one-on-one healing sessions, group settings, ceremonies and other places where this may have come up for them. I’m very interested in hearing the positive and negative experiences with creating safe space, and any references or materials/reading that could be helpful for people doing Kundalini Mediumship to be aware of.
For myself, Justin and others actively engaging in Kundalini Mediumship for others (our patients mainly), I know we are constantly working towards seeing our blind spots and improving what we do for the benefit of others and our connection to Spirit. I know that creating Safe Space has been brought up but as I learn more in other areas of my interest/healing, there is a lot of work to be done here. Please do reach out and let us know what you think and feel about your experience with Kundalini Mediumship, be that working individually or in our workshops or small group classes. I’m also very interested your experiences outside of this work, and am happy to engage/talk more for those that are interested in helping us create safer spaces and grow this work.
Photo by Simon Matzinger on Unsplash
So many of us are captivated by Frida Kahlo, I know I am! Her culture, creativity, her life story, it enthralls and inspires. I believe there’s something in the collective right now that connects to her on so many levels, which is why she’s now an icon in pop-culture and images of her are everywhere.
Now more than ever, I feel her Spirit and the archetype of her life journey, coming up in the energetic field to teach and heal us during this challenging time.
Frida endured extreme physical and emotional pain and injury during her life, and learned to paint during her convalescence after a terrible bus accident at age 18.
Many of her paintings are self-portraits, and I believe that they partly stand out because of the raw pain and suffering that is so openly revealed in her images.
In Kundalini Mediumship, one of the key elements of deep healing is the transformation of a wound by going in and exploring the painful and uncomfortable places inside; including the event, emotions, and beliefs that we carry from that wounded place. In order to transform this wound into healing, and ultimately to connection with Spirit, we have to be willing to break through our walls and defenses and feel into our own vulnerability and suffering.
I believe that Frida did this over and over during her lifetime, not just exploring the pain of her physical injuries, in her relationships to others and to Spirit. From that place of deep wounding, Frida transformed her suffering into incredible works of art which I believe are true Divine Manifestations of her wound transformed.
Now more than ever in our current state of quarantine and isolation, we have an incredible opportunity to explore our own wounds, pain and injuries, and use creative expression to transform our pain to healing and connect with Spirit.
With the typical pace of life for most of us, quiet and solitude are rarely available, but in this stillness and “convalescence” where we are trapped, sequestered, and unable to lean into our normal habits and strategies for daily living, we can make a conscious effort to allow ourselves to creatively express and connect to Spirit.
In doing my own Energy Work lately, Frida’s energy and archetype keeps coming through, over and over, to help us understand the opportunity for Creative Genius that comes from exploring our painful patterns and wounding.
I encourage you to look at pictures of Frida, learn about her life, and connect with her Spirit in your own Energy Work and meditations. She has so much beauty, strength, and wisdom to offer us during this time, I hope you can feel her with you.
Around 95% of my patients struggle with fatigue. I wish I could say there’s one silver bullet cure to this but that just isn’t the case. Fatigue is related to so many different systems. But, what I want to talk about is the main obstacle for people feeling better.
Watch this short video to learn more - https://youtu.be/6hYvGb3abXE
Most working moms that come through my door know what they need to do to get healthy but simply don’t have the time to do those things. That time resource is so precious, so valuable, and so challenging when it comes to getting healthy.
Unfortunately, the medical model right now is your typical consult-to-consult based. They will give you a plan and tell you to follow that and then have a follow up in a month. So many things can happen in that month to throw you off that plan.
The problem with this is that in the long term your fatigue only gets worse and worse. You’re basically just putting bandaid solutions on in the meantime, trying to implement what changes you can.
So many women in their 30’s, and moving into their 40’s, and then heading into menopause, feel completely burnt out and are unable to function. That affects their ability to be resilient, positive and optimistic, and ability to be present for their families in a way that they want and need to be.
So, if you’re feeling tired now, it’s important to find out what you can do between now and that menopause time in 10-15 years. Those should be the best years of your life, not the hardest.
When it comes to that time obstacle, part of the problem is nobody has really designed or thought outside the box in terms of creating a program that’s actually going to allow someone to make sustainable change.
What I want to offer you is a program that I’ve created from start to finish with you in mind every step of the way. The reason that was easy for me to do is because I am right there with you. It’s designed to give you the option of checking in a few times a week either in office or online, and having 24/7 support in between. You’ll have that accountability to walk you through step by step. I’m there to help you troubleshoot your way through any problems from day 1 to the end of the program.
I would love to chat with you! You can schedule a 30 min, free consultation call with me and we can discuss all of the problems you’re facing and how we can address them.
Book a complimentary discovery call with me here - https://www.drlindsaywilkinson.com/contact
Join my group on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/workingmomsgethealthy/
Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/doclindsaynd/
Hello stellar busy working moms!
I wanted to share a story with you today about one of my patients. She’s a 35 year old mom of two, she works full-time and her husband does as well, and she is so chronically stressed.
I notice her stress right away but she can’t even identify it because she’s so used to always being on the go, not feeling very good, so it doesn’t register with her that her stress is off the charts.
The main symptoms that she comes to me with are:
Irritability
Anxiety
Depression
Those are known effects of chronic stress. Physiologically, your body changes.
To learn more, watch this short video - https://youtu.be/KMJt5iYLoHY
I wanted to show her the impact of this so we did a cortisol test, which involves testing it 4 times throughout the day. Needless to say, her levels were off the charts the whole day. It was so enlightening for her that she bursted into tears. She couldn’t believe that this was related to stress.
Sometimes it takes seeing those numbers to really see the impact it’s having on your body.
I just wanted to acknowledge all the amazing moms, partners, and families out there who are trying to make everything work. There’s a lot going on in our lives. You start to feel at the mercy of your moods day in and day out. Some even begin to feel chronically anxious about everything going on, even if there’s nothing bad happening.
This story has mirrored so many patients of mine and in my life as well.
So I wanted to talk to you about what can happen to your body long-term under that level of chronic stress.
Here’s some of the things:
Deep depression
Chronic fatigue
Chronic joint pain
Cardiovascular disease
Stroke
Heart attack
Insulin resistance
Diabetes
Thyroid dysregulation
If you don’t address chronic stress or don’t know how to address these issues early on, it can lead to some really serious consequences.
If you feel like this is you and you haven’t talked to anyone about this, then book a complimentary discovery call with me here - https://www.drlindsaywilkinson.com/contact
Join my group on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/workingmomsgethealthy/
Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/doclindsaynd/
Hi Everyone!
I’m just getting started doing some video work to share what I do on my wesbsite! This is a super exciting video post for me, a HUGE part of my journey in healing has been finding my own voice and getting it out there in my own creative way…so here goes nothing!
In this video, I share a song I learned from some amazing healers who understand the absolute transformative power of music and rhythm. I am just barely skimming the surface of discovering my own music and song, but here’s a taste of what I sometimes share in workshops and with my patients in clinic!
Here’s the English translation of the lyrics which were written in Spanish. This song is about Eagle Medicine…which is about soaring close to Spirit, seeing the Big Picture and so much more!
Sacred Medicine
Rain of colors
Healing hearts
Of our souls
It is the protector
Holy curator
flying allegre
There is the day coming
Florida eagle
Fly with the skies
blues of life
Everyone (well almost everyone) has heard of using a Neti Pot to treat everything from chronic sinusitis to allergies to migraine headaches, and don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan! But for many, the Neti Pot just doesn’t cut it, or only gets them halfway.
I’m so excited to share this sneaky awesome weird treatment that will help you GET THERE with your chronic headaches, sinus pain, allergies, snoring, mouth breathing, sensory issues…the list is almost ENDLESS!
So many patients’ lives have been radically improved by this treatment. And many have NO IDEA that:
They need it
That this treatment even exists, or
Where to get it….so I’m here to answer all 3 of those questions!
The NASAL SPECIFIC treatment (as it’s known in the Naturopathic and Chiropractic world) is a gentle, minimally invasive manipulation of the tiny bones that make up the bridge of the nose…including the very important SPHENOID bone that sits right behind your schnoz.
What happens during a treatment?
The treatment works using little balloons inserted into the nasal passages and a mechanical pump inflates the balloons for a quick second to help “gap” and create movement in the tiny nasal bone joint spaces. The balloon inflation is performed a total of 6 times (for each of the 3 nasal passages on the left and right sides) which takes a total of 20 minutes or less….IT’S SO EASY!!
So why do we do this?? Because allowing more movement in these small facial/nasal bones is KEY to optimal vital health and wellness not only for your nose, but for your ears, throat, brain…almost everything from the neck up could use this shake-up treatment. But seriously, we need to have a tiny bit of breathing room in this area to allow for new fresh blood, lymphatic fluid, nutrients and oxygen to get to where it needs to go. This treatment also helps drain your sinuses, reduces swelling in the nasal cavity and sometimes can help open up clogged ears…it’s easy and AWESOME!
Who needs this?
Anyone who’s every had a blow to the face should get evaluated and treated right away. A surfboard to the nose, a fall off of a bike, a skateboarding faceplant…come on admit it, you KNOW you’ve been there (no shame, I literally walked into a pole once). These types of blows cause the bones to get stuck in one position, and create stagnation, lasting pain, and ultimately can lead to the inability of these joints to move at all!
Anyone with chronic, unrelenting environmental allergies, sinusitis, headaches triggered by barometric pressure changes, migraine headaches, tension headaches, patients who are “mouth-breathers” or have snoring or sleep apnea, patients who’ve had a concussion or TBI (traumatic brain injury), patients with sensory loss of smell, there are SO many reasons to give this treatment a try.
Okay, I hope I’ve given you enough reasons (and enthusiasm) for this treatment to ask….where can I do this?!?
There are actually lots of practitioners (mostly NDs and Chiropractors) who can do this treatment for you in the Portland area, but you should come see me because I WANT to do this treatment with you and HELP YOU solve your head pain and sinus pain and nose pain! I see patients at Kwan Yin Healing Arts Center both EAST and WESTside locations to make it convenient for YOUR BUSY LIFE!!
You should come see me for 2-4 treatments, you can do them as often as 2-3 days apart or 1-2 weeks apart, whatever works best for your schedule! If you can’t see me (or don’t want to see me…sad face), please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask me for recommendations on where else to go…I want you to FEEL BETTER, so whatever I can do to make that happen for you, let me know!
Cheers to your health,
Dr. Lindsay Wilkinson ND, LAc
Honey, you need to SIMPLIFY. I already know what you’re doing day in and day out!!! It’s a thousand different things from the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you close your eyes at night (and even then sometimes it takes another hour or two to turn off the To Do List in your head)!
I am a new mom, a healer, a business owner, a friend, there is literally never a time when I can’t think of something else to do with my time these days! But, a few months ago, as my new-mom learning curve started to level-off, I was holding my baby girl in bed one morning and was filled to overflowing with gratitude for the sweetness in my life and deep mama love for this baby girl. I was supposed to get up that morning and start check, check, checking boxes off of my personal To Do List including: cleaning the house, shopping for a birthday gift, planting some stuff in the garden, writing a thank-you card….etc. etc. But while I was laying there in bed, my sweet baby smiling at me and rolling around the bed, I had a sudden realization that all of those little things on my to-do list were so much less important than savoring this moment with my baby, giving her my full attention, resting my body, and feeling the peace and quiet of my home keeping us both safe, warm, and comfortable.
I realized at that moment that there are only 3 really important things in my life right now, and that’s family, my work, and my spiritual practice. Every other category that came after that either wasn’t that important to me, or was somehow a part of the BIG 3. Whoa, only 3 THINGS??
The other major realization I had at that moment was that every time I was doing one of those 3 things, I would be feeling bad and guilty that I was somehow neglecting the other two! It was such a CRAZY no-win situation I’d put myself in. I’d be home with my baby in the morning, thinking about the email I hadn’t answered from a patient the night before, and feeling like I should be meditating to deal with the feelings that were coming up…it was a negative cycle of feeling like I was never doing enough of anything!
Once I saw this pattern in myself and figured out my 3 real priorities, I could finally feel FOCUSED and that I had a CLEAR INTENTION moving forward each day.
Fast forward to a few months later, and I can’t believe how much these insights have helped me to FEEL BETTER IN MY BODY. Now when I’m stressed out about getting my paperwork done or going to the gym 5 days a week or writing the thank-you card, I literally just come back to my BIG 3 priorities and realize that I can let go of the stress of everything else.
It’s been so crazy helpful for me to keep my stress under control, which I know deeply affects how my body feels, how I sleep, how I eat, my mood, my interactions with others, EVERYTHING.
My mind and body feel HAPPIER and HEALTHIER knowing that almost all of my time these days is spent on those 3 things. So, instead of holding my daughter but actually thinking about the email I haven’t answered from the night before, I have set up my day so that I get full-on baby time each morning, I have time for work in the middle of the day and I get to end my days with something related to Spirit, even if that’s just a quick thank you prayer for the day or a few minutes to sing, chant, or meditate.
I know it sounds crazy, but SIMPLIFYING your life with a few BIG PRIORITIES will help keep you grounded throughout the day as you navigate the thousand tasks + invitations to do more + daily grind work.
Start by writing down what you think your values/goals/priorities are and add-in the things that seem to keep popping up for you about what you “should” be doing when you’re engaged in something else. Once you have your list, take a moment not to think, but to FEEL into each of the items on your list. Just connect to your body by taking a few deep breaths, and you’ll definitely get a GUT SENSE of which things are really, truly important to you and which things are not on your BIG LIST.
Once you have your 3 priorities (okay it can be 1 or 2 or 4 …but 3 is such a nice, round number!) just go through your normal day and recognize how much time you are spending doing those things, and how much time you are spending doing other things. As you stay conscious and revisit these new BIG LIST items, you will naturally start to spend more time and attention on those things and place less emphasis on the other million little things that are crowding out your true passions in life. Seriously, getting out a thank-you card on time is not as important as taking yourself and your family out for a walk, or spending a few moments connecting to yourself, or giving your honey a big hug and kiss.
I really do feel like that moment of realization I had with my daughter at home in bed was divine inspiration to help me (and ultimately help YOU) get away from the rat-race of being overwhelmed by life. My mission is to truly help you find peace and health as a whole person, and I hope this idea/suggestion will help you in your quest for finding BALANCE in body mind and spirit!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with comments questions…give this method a try and tell me what happens, I want to know what happens!
Happy Healing!
Love,
Dr. L
Hi Everybody! It’s been a little while since my last post, but believe me, I’ve been doing lots of interesting work lately!
Today I want to talk about all the difficult conversations we NEED to have but often AVOID like crazy.
Who am I talking about? Probably lots of different people in your lives. Take a quick second to think about someone in your life that really BUGS you, gets under your skin…I’m sure someone popped into your mind!
Now think about what it is about that person that really bothers you…just sit with yourself and think about it for a moment. Don’t get caught up in the STORY of why they bother you, just try to identify an EMOTION or the feeling that comes up when you think of them.
It could be anger, frustration, jealousy, loneliness, etc…the list goes on and on.
Usually, there are 2 things going on in these situations.
The issue is not actually with them….it’s with YOU. (shocking I know, but we’ll explain)
Whatever feeling is coming up for you may be because you haven’t had a much needed difficult conversation with this person expressing what you are feeling (usually because it’s SO UNCOMFORTABLE and ultimately vulnerable).
Okay, let’s break this down…
When you get frustrated/irritated/whatever with someone else, ultimately it’s because there is a “wound” or emotional pattern inside of you that’s being poked or triggered. The problem is that these wounds are trying really hard to stay hidden with all kinds of complex defense mechanisms. It’s often hard for people to even identify that they are being triggered or that they have a wound somewhere below the frustration because they are so well hidden.
The person or situation or story that you are telling yourself and others is actually just the very tip top surface of the iceberg…the real problem is somewhere in YOU (and it’s under the surface and it’s hard to see).
It’s too difficult to get into all the ins and outs of how to start breaking down those defenses to really get at the deeper causes or wounds, but that’s part of what the KUNDALINI MEDIUMSHIP bodywork helps you to do.
The other main issue with these people is that we often AVOID (like the plague) having difficult conversations with these people. Why? There are literally a thousand different reasons I’ve heard from friends/patients/colleagues and myself as to why they (or I) don’t want to bring up whatever it is.
The problem with avoidance however, is that it entreanches the defenses and patterns you have and the ones that they have also. If for example, there’s a co-worker that does something really annoying everyday that drives you up the wall, and you never tell them, it only makes you suffer deeply, and doesn’t help create an opportunity for that pattern or behavior to shift or change for you or them.
But, you might say, it’s not worth it to bring it up, it will create conflict in the workplace. Yes, that may be true, but ultimately confronting whatever issues you have with yourself and others is the only way for those patterns to truly heal. It often feels very risky to put yourself out there (be vulnerable) and have a difficult conversation with someone, but the real risk is continuing to keep yourself in the same patterns that aren’t ultimately serving you. Maybe you feel uncomfortable with conflict all together, or maybe you are afraid of the other person’s reaction or are afraid of looking stupid in front of others…the list goes on and on as to why you want to keep avoiding this conversation.
But the REAL question is….
Why do you feel you have to be the peacemaker or avoid conflict?
Why are you afraid of other peoples’ anger or emotional reaction?
Why are you so afraid to make a mistake in front of others?
There are so many deep, rich places in yourself to start exploring and shifting these negative patterns, but in my experience, it takes a lot of hard work and difficult conversations.
Wow, there is SO much more to this topic than what I can get out on a blog post, but if you’re curious about this concept, or know you need or want change but don’t know how to get there, you might REALLY love the Mind/Body approach of Kundalini Mediumship bodywork.
We dive deep into these patterns and difficult conversations in the safe, private space of a treatment room, and then integrate what we talk about with bodywork and connecting deeply to yourself and to Spirit.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, and feel free to practice dealing with difficult conversations by calling me out if there’s something here that I missed or need to address!
Happy Monday and have a great rest of your week!
Question of the day: Why are we (modern America) so absolutely, entirely, overwhelmingly obsessed with stories about zombies and vampires? Admittedly, I’ve watched my fair share of True Blood and The Walking Dead, and I’m always asking myself why these gory images are so compelling.
The answer I’ve come to…the zombie and the vampire are both manifestations/symbols of a part of the collective unconscious that is literally permeating every part of our modern life. The vampire is a symbol of manipulation, seduction and persuasion at its worst. Where is this symbol reflected in our outer world? I see it in every fiber of our capitalist infrastructure, every marketing scheme, every advertising campaign, and in our relationships with others. Ever had an “energy vampire” literally suck the life out of you at work or at home? It happens in small ways every…single…day.
We are both manipulating others (the vampire) and being manipulated (unwitting victim) on a daily basis. This perpetrator/victim cycle is reflected in our work relationships, friendships, family dynamics, everywhere. It’s no wonder that we become obsessed with the overt and sometimes comically obvious symbolic images and storylines that these underlying archetypes represent.
I’m not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s just an unconscious thing. The more that we can bring these patterns of behavior and interaction into our waking, conscious life, the more opportunity the psyche has to heal from these hidden wounds. Which is essentially why these images and archetypes exist. They point to a particular type of energetic pattern that is part of the universal human experience. It is universal for humans to feel seduced by a person, a product, a food, an idea…anything can trigger this energy in us. It is also universally human for us to play a part in manipulation or control over someone else. It can be very obvious, like trying to sell something to someone, or a subtle suggestion or innuendo, and anything in between.
What now? Let’s assume you agree with me that the Vampire image is an unconscious symbol of the human experience of manipulation/control and victimization. If we become conscious of this pattern in our lives, what then? The first thing is to recognize this pattern in the outside world (like seeing it in The Walking Dead), the next step is to start to recognize this pattern in our own life, (like trying to get your honey to buy you something or feeling victimized by your boss), the final step is to integrate this pattern into your life and begin to make conscious choices around these energies when they pop up. Maybe that looks like saving up for that thing you want instead of trying to get someone else to buy it for you, or maybe you don’t need it in the first place. Or instead of feeling taken advantage of or victimized at work, you schedule a meeting with this person to talk about the dynamic or quit your job and do something else.
Why is this effective? Because you literally begin to step outside of an unconscious pattern that’s controlling you (another example of the Vampire energy pattern), and integrate your need for control or to be a victim and make choices (maybe making the same choices, maybe not) which could literally change the course of your life.
Okay, now let’s talk about Zombies. What are zombies? Completely unconscious. What do zombies do? They consume. And guess what? WE are unconscious consumers, all…the…time. We consume everything in sight! Food, television, iphones, clothes, ideas, politics, news, the list could go on and on.
So, let’s digest (haha) the symbolism here. Zombies were at one time human (aka conscious), and have degenerated into monsters (our inner demons taking over) and consume only conscious peoples’ brains…leading these new recruits into the same state of monstrous unconsciousness. And the cycle goes on until there are no conscious minds left and we are left with a post-apocalyptic world of hedonism and chaos.
The other interesting thing about these stories is that there are essentially three groups of leftover humans…the fighters or heroes (think Michonne in The Walking Dead), the manipulator or tricksters (who take advantage of the chaos in order to gain control for themselves), and the quitters who either take themselves out or become listless and depressed, thereby adding to the unconscious group of zombies.
I think that most people have felt all three of these energies in the face of adversity at one time or another. There have been times in my life that I have fought against the tide of pain and chaos that seemed too overwhelming to confront, I have been the person to take advantage of a chaotic situation, and I have definitely had times where I have given up and allowed the unconscious pattern to continue controlling aspects of my life and my behavior.
So, we are all zombies, all fighters, all tricksters, and all quitters. Why is The Walking Dead so compelling? Because often, in the face of an unconscious pattern we are all four of these archetypes/energies at the same time. We would love to see ourselves as the perpetual heroes, but there’s a part of us (either unconscious or conscious), that lives out the other three patterns as well.
Now that we know we’re all zombies too, what do we do with this information? We just start to track the pattern in ourselves and others. These patterns of consumerism are repeated in our lives in a million small ways every day. For example, people often eat on the go. We have a short lunch at work, we are on our way somewhere, we are exhausted at the end of the day. So instead of being with our food, smelling it, tasting it, enjoying it, we just CONSUME it. Quickly, thoughtlessly, and then we’re on to the next thing. For some people, eating quickly and unconsciously is fine…they make a conscious choice to do it, it doesn’t affect them or whatever. But for most of us (myself included), we get to the end of the meal, and either we didn’t enjoy it, we’re tired from stuffing it down, we get bloated and uncomfortable…something happens that we wish hadn’t. So instead of being conscious humans eating a meal, we become unconscious zombies; consuming and moving on.
The vampire and zombie archetypes are here and now. Every age has different patterns, stories, and archetypes that come to the forefront of humanity and these are some of the strongest and most common patterns we are dealing with in this century.
As a doctor and self-explorer, these energies are very important for me to keep close in my mind. On a daily basis, I come across patients who have literal eating disorders (zombie) and are struggling with what and how to consume. And other patients who feel sick and victimized by their own bodies, or the medical system or their family or job (vampire). So for me, these patterns are very real and are very much affecting mine and my patients’ health and well-being.
That alone is enough for me to continue to work with these energies in a conscious way. I work on these patterns by recognizing them in myself and others (energy tracking), and by doing bodywork to release them from my physical being (Kundalini Mediumship bodywork). And like I’ve said before, there are a thousand, thousand ways to work on these energetic patterns, it doesn’t have to be the way I’ve chosen. But I would encourage you to take a moment the next time you watch Interview with theVampire or iZombie, to find those unconscious, unintegrated places in yourself, and get to work!
Please feel free to comment, question, disagree, like or whatever this post and please share with anyone who you think would benefit from this type of work! Finally, full disclosure, I recognize that my own projections and biases and patterns will come through in my writing, just know that I am “consciously” working on it!
This is a short excerpt from one of my all-time favorite reads Kitchen Table Wisdom by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen:
“I have come to suspect that the subjective world is probably a hologram and the pattern of our most fundamental beliefs is reflected in the smallest of our behaviors. If this is so breaking up that pattern at any one point may eventually free us from it. The way in which we go to the grocery store may tell us everything about the way in which we live a life. The way we tend the life force in a plant maybe the way we tend our own life force.”
I have been re-reading this book because I remembered how much it impacted me when bought it during my first year of medical school; it had been recommended by one of my favorite teachers there.
When I came across this quote, it struck me that Dr. Remen is describing EXACTLY what we do during the first part of a Kundalini Mediumship treatment, we “track” our patterns and try to understand what patterns are underlying our behaviors and reactions.
We get angry, upset, anxious, irritated, depressed….essentially “triggered” by the external world and people in it all the time. Most often, we ignore or try to avoid these triggers because our feelings are often unpleasant. The problem is that when we don’t listen to these triggers, they tend to happen over and over again, and the feelings underneath become amplified until we feel we can’t take anymore and lash out or give up or run away.
What Dr. Rachel is saying is that we can choose at any point interrupt these patterns and free ourselves from our hidden wounds which is really what’s “triggering” us. Most people have no idea how to start to unravel those patterns and start to heal their wounds. I know I didn’t when I first found this work.
Kundalini Mediumship offers a path to start to understand those patterns from a place of conscious awareness, and helps us process the emotions/wounds/patterns in our bodies as well. Most treatments start with an “interview” where we try to untangle some of our triggers through discussion and then spend the rest of the session using music and bodywork to release emotions from the body, open energy channels and connect to our highest, wisest selves for guidance, insight and healing.
There are many different paths that people have found to do the same thing; meditation, yoga, Reiki, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Jungian Analysis, the list goes on and on! Ultimately, you’ll get the most benefit from the type of therapy/work that calls to you and it may take trying many different things before you figure out what works well for you. Kundalini Mediumship is a great option for people who like bodywork, who respond to music and rhythm, and people who feel ready to confront their patterns head-on.
Please feel free to reach out to me or any other Kundalini Mediumship practitioner for additional support, to answer questions, or schedule a session.
