OjaiHealing.com

Malidoma Somé will lead The Gender of Magic: Men and the Other World, and a Fire Ritual to Heal Our Relationship with the Ancestors

Ojai, CA—Malidoma Somé, Ph.D., and an initiated elder of the Dagara people of Burkina Faso, will be in Ojai to lead a public talk and two three-day rituals in November. The public lecture will be on Thursday, Nov. 11, from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. in the Council House at the Ojai Foundation. This event will be followed by a men-only retreat on November 12-14 entitled, “The Gender of Magic: Men and the Other World.” Later in the month, November 19-21, Malidoma will lead a ritual for both genders on “Healing Our Relationships with the Ancestors.” Both will take place at Temenos Center for Wholeness, a retreat center in Ojai.

Continue reading "West African shaman in Ojai for two healing rituals in November" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 03:49 PM | Permalink

What comes to mind when you hear the word relaxation? A sunny afternoon by the pool with a glass of iced tea? A cozy fireside chat with good friends? Deep stretching and breathing in a yoga class?

For many people, massage is synonymous with relaxation. Experienced hands soothe aching muscles and the stress of everyday life melts away. A study conducted jointly by a massage therapy organization and a university medical school found that regular massage lowers levels of anxiety, depression, stress hormones and even blood pressure!

Swedish massage is a combination of different techniques that soften tight muscles, increase blood flow to sore areas and calm the nervous system. Swedish massage can be done with gentle or firm pressure depending on your needs and preferences. Gentler pressure may be used around superficial veins or if you are looking for pure relaxation. Firmer pressure may be used to work out the kinks after a day full of hiking and exercise classes. You and your massage technician talk about what would be best before the massage begins, and adjust as you go if necessary. Try one today!

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 04:02 PM | Permalink

Learn the amazing Ancient Art of Qigong Healing. Certified Qigong instructor in Ventura. Find out how you can harness the power of your own Chi to heal yourself and others. This program is designed to give you the tools you need to always feel your best. Contact Elaina for more information.
Saturday or Sunday
May 8th or 9th
10am to 3pm
$179
Register by 4/28/10
SAVE $50.00
Contact Elaina (805) 649-9992 or email her laina@pacbell.net to request a PDF Flyer for this event or to get on her mailing list to learn more about upcoming events offered at Ojai Holistic Journey

Posted by Elaina Fletcher at 06:23 PM | Permalink

Vibrant Health is an ongoing journey, requiring deep awareness of one’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual walk through life. The body has the innate capacity to create, regenerate and heal itself. It proved it over millions and millions of years as it developed from the simplest, one-cell-organism form of life to the complexity of the human body of today. And it goes through this process again and again as it develops from 2 cells the size of this dot ”.” into a community of 50-75 trillion cells that we call the human body, over a period of 9 months, during the pregnancy.

Biological systems are in continuous movement and designed to self-regulate, self-correct and live interdependently with all other forms of life, pending they are provided with the optimal tools to do so. Recent industrial progress has considerably altered our basic needs for healthy living: air, water, food, ways of life, community. Degenerative dis-eases including autoimmune disorders and cancers are rampant and more and more “new illnesses” are surfacing almost daily.

Continue reading "A Philosophy of Healing" »

Posted by Dr. Tudor Marinescu at 03:09 PM | Permalink

Everyone who gets headaches, even occasionally, knows that a headache can slow you down like nothing else. There are probably as many types of headaches as there are sufferers, and as many cures. As a massage therapist, there are two types of headaches that stand out because I know I can help relieve them.

Continue reading "Causes and Cures for Headaches" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Guest Editorial from Dr. Chandler Collins
*comments closed due to spam*

You're not alone. Ever. Every second of every day you're accompanied by billions of other organisms that live within you, flourishing based upon the choices you make.

This is a good thing.

I'm talking primarily about your digestive tract. Specifically, the beneficial bacteria -- frequently referred to as the normal flora -- that exist in your intestines. While other parts of your body are also populated by friendly bugs, your gut is where their impact seems to be most frequently noticed.

Continue reading "A Bad Gut Feeling" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 10:47 AM | Permalink

I was thinking about being well. What are the signs of wellness?
I was thinking about where did I feel “off”? What was out of harmony with being totally well?
I remembered the saying that a chain is as weak as it’s weakest link.
What were my weakest links?

Continue reading "The Weakest Link" »

Posted by Wyn Matthews at 08:08 AM | Permalink

I've been working with Nathan Kaehler for about a year now and I just wanted to share a little about the experience.

I first went to Nathan because I had a malignant bit of melanoma removed from my leg. I told Nathan that I never wanted cancer again. In his typical gentle, thoughtful fashion, Nathan explained to me that there are certain Chinese herbs that have been used to balance the conditions that underlie tumor formation. Chinese medicine works, as I understand it, to balance the various forces in the body - chi, blood, organs, etc. "Skin cancer" was not my Chinese diagnosis, although Nathan found that there was long-standing heat in my heart which he felt was important to clear.

Continue reading "Testimonial about Nathan Kaehler's work" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 12:00 PM | Permalink

Guest Editorial from Dr. Chandler Collins
*comments closed due to spam*

I had a patient come in a few days ago who got up that morning, bent over to pick up an exercise mat, and was unable to come back up due to excruciating pain in her lower back. I hear this kind of story frequently.

People come in, bewildered, wondering how doing something that they’ve done hundreds of times before, on that particular day, could literally drop them to their knees in pain. How is it that picking up something as light as a fold-up exercise mat could make your back “seize up”?

Clearly, it wasn’t the mat that did it.

Continue reading "Psoas Strain and Back Pain" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

A new, antibiotic-resistant strain of Staph bacteria has made its presence known in the US. Once mostly found in hospitals, the strain is now spreading through casual contact in communities. It is extremely difficult to control with Western medicine, although strides are being made. This Staph infection is particularly dangerous to susceptible populations, the sick, the elderly and the very young.

The question is: Do "alternative" healing modalities have something to add to the conversation? What can we, as Healers, offer in the way of prevention and/or cure?

Continue reading "Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Guest Editorial by Chandler Collins, DC
*comments closed due to spam*

How many times have you woken up some morning in the not-too-distant past to find that you have a new ache or pain? Trouble turning your neck. Pain around your shoulder blade. An uncomfortable lower back.

Where does this pain come from? Did you "sleep wrong"? Was the bed too hard? Too soft? Why, of all mornings, is it bothering you on this one?

The sensations we have in our bodies are not random. The perhaps unimaginable complexity of the human system can make what we experience seem random. But just because the pattern is too difficult for us to figure out doesn't mean that there isn't one.

Continue reading "Referred Pain Can Be A Pain In The Neck" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 10:57 AM | Permalink

Remember high school chemistry? Acids and bases (or alkalis)? Our bodies work hard to maintain a constant pH - not too acidic, not too alkaline. The real challenge we face, given the foods most of us eat and the constant low-grade stress most of us experience, is to keep our bodies from getting too acidic. An acid body can be an achy body and is a great environment for germs to grow - everything from the common cold to candida to yeast infections and athlete's foot.

Continue reading "Healthy Challenge #3 - Get Your Greens!" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 09:21 AM | Permalink

A recent study looked at patients with celiac disease and with IBS characterized by diarrhea. It found that a whopping 72% of patients with IBS characterized by diarrhea became symptom-free as a result of a gluten free diet.

Gluten is present in many unexpected places, and elimination can be challenging. Here are two resources for living gluten-free, if you decide to try it:
Celiac Disease Foundation
and celiac.com

Continue reading "IBS may be improved with treatment for Celiac Disease" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 10:26 PM | Permalink

Back in the 70’s, a friend was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. We were in our 20’s. This was something that wasn’t supposed to happen — if at all — until much later in life. Weren’t we young and invincible and immortal?

Continue reading "Raw Vegan Living-Food Lifestyle" »

Posted by Wyn Matthews at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Here’s a big challenge: Eliminate wheat from your diet for a few days or, even better, a week. When I say wheat I mean everything containing some kind of wheat flour – whole wheat, white flour, semolina, durum and even wheatberries – and anything with wheat derivatives in it, like tamari, seitan and couscous.

So why would you do this?

Continue reading "Healthy Challenge #2" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 02:48 PM | Permalink

Every few weeks, I send my clients motivational emails with practical steps to take toward healthier living. I'll also be reposting them here.

Just about every chemical reaction in your body depends on water. This week’s challenge is to ensure you are drinking enough water.

Continue reading "Healthy Challenge #1" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 01:37 PM | Permalink

I’ve had a number of clients recently talk to me about how wonderful homeopathic medicine is. They go on to talk about the benefits of herbs, colon hydrotherapy or perhaps acupuncture. All of these treatment modalities, homeopathy included, fall under the larger umbrella of “Alternative,” “Complementary” or “Holistic” medicine. Homeopathy is a specific type of treatment, based on the philosophy that “like treats like.”

Continue reading ""Homeopathy" is not the same as "Alternative Medicine"" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 01:21 PM | Permalink

Tressa Kahler is offering a 50-hour Watsu training program here in Ojai.

Dates: June 26 - June 30
Location: 263 Carrizo Street, Ojai
Contact: Tressa, 646.2233 or 798.3125
Class is limited to 7 participants.

Summer seems like a great time to learn this water-based modality!

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 08:27 PM | Permalink

As a professional in the alternative health field, I can tell you the importance of communication with my clients. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in the massage studio. If you have had massage, you know there is a difference between a massage and a sensational massage. If you haven’t had massage therapy, what are you waiting for?

Continue reading "How To Talk To Your Massage Therapist" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 03:29 PM | Permalink

1) Begin to understand some foods as a kind of medicine which can rebalance your body. When you find your body out of balance, certain foods can often help restore it. Foods have a subtler and slower effect than herbs, supplements or medications, but over a period of months and years they can support your immune system, build your body’s endurance, aid in ridding the body of the results of overindulgence, and support various body organs. Adjustments in diet alone may not be adequate to treat illness or disease, but the role food can play in healing should not be underestimated.

Continue reading "Five ways to support your health with food and herbs" »

Posted by Nathan Kaehler at 02:38 PM | Permalink

Lots of us know that antibiotics may interfere with the "good" bacteria in our systems even as they help us get rid of infection and illness. Recent studies have shown that a particular probiotic, S. boulardii, can support our systems during a course of antibiotics. People with Giardia were more likely to be completely symptom-free at the end of treatment if they took S. boulardii at the same time.

Continue reading "Better "Good Bacteria" During Antibiotic treatment" »

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OjaiHealing.com is a healing blog, and companion site to OjaiHealers.com, which is a one-stop resource directory for alternative and traditional healing in Ojai and Ventura County, California.

Ojai is known as a healing community, from destinations such as the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa and The Oaks at Ojai to dozens of world-renowned healers in a dizzying array of modalities and expertise. We are bringing together a number of talented healers to share their knowledge and advice on a wide range of health and healing issues.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to bookmark us or add our feed. Best of health to you and your loved ones.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:09 AM | Permalink