qigung

Western doctors are experts at diagnosis, and they have many fancy machines to help them in that project. However, on the treatment end, they are far behind the Oriental or "alternative" practitioners. Or at least it could be said that they have a great deal to learn from them.

In 1987, I was diagnosed with multiple large fibroid tumors. My gynecologist (GYN) was the head of his department at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, California. He was so concerned about my condition that he took out his surgery schedule in order to postpone a surgery for the next day and fit me in for a full hysterectomy. However, I told him that I was afraid to be put under anesthesia and afraid of being cut up, and besides I didn't have any money or health insurance for surgery. He asked me, "Well, what do you want to do, then?" I said that I had seen advertisements in a magazine about schools of healing, and would like to try attending one in order to cure myself of the tumors.

He sat for a long time, tapping his pencil on the desk, and finally said, "OK, Susan, you go ahead and go to a "school of healing", and then I want you back here in 4 months, and I'm going to make an appointment now for you. If you're not significantly better at that time, then I must do the surgery....and don't worry about the cost; I will take care of that." He was a kind man and had been my doctor for several years.

(to be continued....posting parts at a time)

There were several different schools of healing advertised in a
"new age" magazine. Most concentrated on the power of positive
thinking, and a few were touting exercise plus candles and prisms.
One ad was very different; it said that they emphasize diet,
lifestyle, exercise and spiritual growth....and an understanding of
the Order of the Universe. Well, the last part sounded a little
hairy-fairy, but I took a chance and enrolled in the two-week course.
The school was called the Vega Study Center and was located in
Oroville, California.

Arriving at the school, I discovered a small, old building that
had been a hospital in the past. The directors of the school were
Herman and Cornellia Aihara from Japan; they had studied macrobiotics
under George Ohsawa and then had moved to America to share what they
had learned.

We were a class of 11 students, together for the two weeks to
come. The other ten students were ALL terminally-ill with cancer of
various types, and yet I was the weakling of the group, not being able
to stand or walk for more than about a minute. So for the first week,
I spent all day in bed and ate only rice cream and drank bancha tea,
while the others attended the cooking and exercise classes and ate
full meals prepared in the cooking classes taught by Cornellia. Each
night, I gathered my strength to attend the lectures by Herman. His
words were so practical and inspiring that I knew that there was hope
for me and that I had come to the right place. He taught us about
anatomy, about acid-forming and alkiline-forming foods, about yin and
yang in the Universe and in all things and in anatomy and in foods,
about the purpose of Life and "the Spirit" and Infinity and how we all
fit in. His incredible knowledge mixed with his delightful sense of
humour put me "on the edge of my chair" for each 1-1/2 hour session,
night after night.

(to be continued)

Natural Healing (part 3)

By the end of my first week at the Vega Study Center, I was beginning to feel much healthier and more energetic, and was able to join the other students for cooking classes, exercise classes and meals. The food was wonderful: a smorgasbord of grains, vegetables, beans, miso, sea vegetables, various condiments, desserts and teas. In the cooking classes, we learned how to prepare basic recipes and how to become creative and to try combinations and casseroles and to have fun experimenting. We knealt on mats on the floor, in Japanese style. The exercises were mostly from sotai, a mild form of stretching which is helpful for people with severe medical conditions.

By the end of the second week, I felt much stronger and clearer mentally. The last lectures by Herman were extraordinary. Some things that he said I still remember, and luckily somewhere I have many notes from his two weeks of lectures. He gave us an upbeat view of Life and the Universe, which was basically a combination of Buddhist beliefs, macrobiotics per George Ohsawa and eternal optimism by Herman Aihara. At one point, he advised us to "take on the religion of your ancestors." That made sense to me, and so upon returning home, I was baptised into the Evangelical Lutheran Church -- a branch of Christianity which recognizes all of the religions of the world.

For the next three months, I practiced everything we had been taught at the school, as well as I could remember -- with the help of some friends and many excellent macrobiotic books. My health continued to improve, and gradually the cooking became easier and the concept of yin and yang became more familiar. When the four months had passed, I prepared to return to Santa Barbara to see Dr. Moncur again at Sansum Clinic.

(to be continued)

Yeah, well I read that eating brown seaweed helps people keep the weight down and I've been on it for awhile now and it seems to work. I'm all for it. I don't know how they prepare it though. I kinda wonder since here in Taiwan the shore is said to be fairly well polluted with run-off from semiconductor manufacturers that dump selenium and various arsenic compounds straight into the once pristine local rivers. But I have this theory that if you eat stuff that tastes like hell, you'll inevitably feel better. I think I picked that up from Mom.