Posts filed under ‘Reflections’
Sources of Inspiration
Nearly ten years ago, my journey towards becoming a naturopathic physician was just beginning. A large leap of faith had landed me amongst over 100 1st year ND students crowded into an auditorium at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington for orientation. Hints and highlights about what to expect for the next four years of our lives gradually unfolded with each speaker who stood before us – everything from tips on how to protect our livers from the formaldehyde in the gross anatomy lab to reminders that arriving to Bastyr at all reflects a deeper calling towards becoming a healer. But what still stands out most to me from those few days of absorbing all that this new world of natural healing and learning had to offer was my first introduction to homeopathy from Dr. Ellen Goldman. At that time Dr. Goldman was the head of the Homeopathy Department at Bastyr, and when she stood before my class with her true passion and love for this modality echoing through words, I knew that when I “grew up,” I wanted to practice homeopathy. I wanted to listen deeply to a patient’s story and have a place to understand why the patient stuck his feet out of the covers at night or craved bacon. I wanted to be able to address fears of thunderstorms and chronic respiratory illnesses all with the same medicine. At that moment, I became inspired.
Before I was able to take any of Dr. Goldman’s classes, she retired from her position at Bastyr and moved to Florida. I still remembered how she lit that spark in my soul for homeopathy and often shared the story when patients asked me how I came to study and practice this form of medicine. Much to my surprise and joy, I recently saw Dr. Goldman at the National Center for Homeopathy Conference in Alexandria, VA this past weekend. I was so excited to share with her what a gift she had given me without even knowing it nearly ten years ago. She, too, found joy in this story as many of us would in learning about a seed we’ve planted that later comes to full bloom. I’ve been blessed with many mentors who continue to guide and shape my experience as a healer. My hope is that my patients will be the ones who most benefit from this circle of learning and teaching, mentorship and inspiration.
Retreat
The concept of retreat was introduced to me as early as grade school when one to two days per year were devoted to building community amongst my classmates, nurturing a spiritual connection, and generally stepping away from daily patterns that interfere with personal growth. Thankfully, I have continued the tradition of devoting time to retreat throughout the years which has been a vital part of sustaining balance and wellness during my work as a naturopath and while living in a world where stresses and challenges also reside. Retreat can be just as much about disconnecting from what drains and depletes our energy as it is about reconnecting with what support and heals us. The true learning occurs while integrating that reconnection back into daily life.
During my recent trip to Belize, Central America, I retreated to a land rich in mystical Mayan culture and full of respect for the diversity of life rustling in the leaves of the jungle and swimming in the depths of the sea. During my stay on the mainland, I toured the famous Ix Chel Medicine Trail founded by Dr. Rosita Arvigo who studied with a native Mayan shaman who lived to be 103 years old. Along the trail I learned about the traditional Mayan uses of native plants such as Allspice berries for toothaches and the bark of the Gumbo-limbo tree as a natural anti-biotic. My adventures to the local Belizean Cayes landed me at a small yoga retreat resort called Ak’bol (www.akbol.com) where I waded in the still blue-green waters of the Caribbean Ocean, held steady Warrior poses against the ocean breezes, and dined on omega-3 rich wild caught fish fresh from the morning’s catch. I am grateful to the Belizean people for their hospitable spirits and sincere appreciation for the beauty of Nature that surrounds them.
I arrived back in Baltimore just as Spring was beginning to emerge – perfect timing! The moment-to-moment shifts in Nature that occur this time of year have helped to keep me connected to the same awe and excitement I felt in gazing out at the crystal blue Caribbean water or spotting a toucan hidden in the trees. Now blooming daffodils and budding cherry blossoms help me recall a sense of retreat.
Below are a few spots in the Baltimore area where I have found a sense of retreat:
Sherwood Gardens: Near 4100 block of St. Paul St.; The Tulips are Coming!
Teavolve Cafe: Harbor East; Enjoy local musicians while you sip your tea!
Visionary Art Museum: Downtown Baltimore, MD
Shambhala Center: Baltimore, MD; Open Meditation Thursday evenings
Bon Secours Spiritual Center: Marriotsville, MD; Walk the Labyrinth
I welcome learning about your stories of retreat or place/experiences that have helped you reconnect to your wellness. Please feel free to e-mail stories to dremilytelfair@gmail.com.
Connecting Your Wellness with Haiti’s Relief
The first few weeks of this decade have truly jolted the entire world to consider the fragility of life and how vulnerable we can become in the face of Nature. The spirit and resilience of the Haitian people also remind us that amidst devastation, miracles are possible.
Welcoming Back the Light
The darkness of winter brings with its stillness and quiet a greater appreciation for the liveliness and radiance we associate with the light of summer. In winter we tend to crave the light and resist the natural slowing down of time and life around us. Living in a world which places value on fast-paced productivity and “burning the candle at both ends,” we can quickly forget the value of winter in our lives. Winter gifts us with an invitation to look inward – to visit our own places of darkness and welcome back the light.
During the recent Winter Solstice, I reflected upon the healing experiences I’ve been honored to witness over this past year. The most profound moments shared with patients arrived through stories and insights that reminded individuals of their own spark and brilliance. As a practitioner, I am learning more and more that the process of healing is a journey back to the light. Facing the darkness guides the way to where the light is most needed.
“So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.” – T.S. Eliot
Arriving Home to Wellness
Home – a place to hang your hat or store your treasures. The concept of “home” is more real for some than for others. Some people move around the country so often that “home” become a dizzy blur between state lines and changes of address while others spend their entire lives within the same zip code. And despite being a transient or homebody, every person is subject to feeling lost and ”far from home,” especially when facing chronic illness.
This week in practice, I’ve been reminded through the experiences of my patients of how much healing can feel like coming home. “I feel like myself again,” is a phrase I often hear when the scales of mind, body and spirit tip back into balance and patients become empowered with the understanding of how they arrived to their own healing. The arrival home begins with the awareness of being lost in the first place. Only in knowing that we are disconnected from our “most well self” can we actually find our way back there once again. As a practitioner, I see my role as holding the flashlight and shedding some light on the path while patients navigate the sometimes uncomfortable yet transformative journey ahead. Whether you don a baseball cap or fedora, you’ll always have a place to hang your hat when you realize that “home” is you, and the treasures inside are immeasurable.
Reclaiming Wellness: Jim’s Story
When Jim first came to see me a year ago to redeem his gift certificate for a one hour massage, neither of us had any idea of the healing and transformation that we would witness together during the months to come. At that time, Jim’s doctor had recommended shoulder replacement surgery to ease the suffering of his chronic pain as a result of rheumatoid arthritis. As he describes, ”In May 2008, I was in crisis. The pain overpowered my barrage of analgesics. I could not sleep. I could not think. Every moment was unbearable….But pity the pain that meets Dr. Emily, for its time has come.”
Jim’s pain was so severe when he first arrived in my office that he could barely move his right arm twenty degrees from his side. After just several massage sessions, his range of motion drastically improved and now he can reach up to touch the ceiling in the shower! Not only has Jim incorporated almost weekly massage sessions as part of his wellness plan, he has also made adjustments in his diet and shifted to a more positive state of mind for viewing the world and the challenges it presents.
Jim wants his story to be shared so that others may benefit from his transformation.
“I am very grateful I found this source of wellness. Slowly, I am able to turn away from embracing my illness to embracing my Wellness. I have adjusted my budget to assure this is part of my life.”
It Takes A Village
The city of Baltimore often feels like a small town, and in some pockets it can feel even more like a village. When I first moved here, I was struck by how quickly I felt part of the wellness community, and then by how valuable this became as I began to build a practice. The future of healthcare may have just as much to do with the relationships that patients share with their practitioners as it does with the relationships that practitioners experience between one another. And while modalities such as naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and other “alternative therapies” all take into account the whole person, they each do so through a different lens and from historically unique traditions. There is great value in seeing the whole from these varied perspectives which is why I am so grateful to work with such a talented team of healers – both at Great Soul and Seeds where I share office space and in the greater Baltimore area.
Ultimately it is the patient who benefits from this team approach – from the network of connection that may occur behind the scenes when colleagues reach out to each other for guidance and support. We all have a role in this village with the patients guiding the learning for the practitioners and the practitioners in turn passing along knowledge to the patients. In this cycle we all grow, we are all transformed and somehow, we are all connected.
(pictured left to right: Seeds practitioners Gina Corso, acupuncturist; Andrea Wenger, nutritionist & Reiki practitioner; Sarah O’Leary, acupuncturist; Emily Telfair, naturopath)
Adventures in Detoxing
I was first introduced to the practice of detoxification while in school for naturopathic medicine. As students we were encouraged to experience an “elimination diet” so we could better understand the challenges that would face our future patients. I remember scouring the internet for gluten-free, dairy-free recipes, the all-natural cookies I made that fell apart due to lack of a binder, and somehow developing a taste for foods that most normal humans would classify as “unpalatable.” Those days are all revisiting me now as I practice solidarity with the class of 8 willing participants who volunteered to take my Spring Detox Class. We have reached Day 11 of our 21 day detox program which consists of a progressive elimination diet and the incorporation of other naturopathic modalities such as exercise, hydrotherapy and mindful self-reflection.
When it comes down to it, detoxification is about coming back to what is simple and natural about living in this world. Unfortunately, it can take a lot of effort and planning to arrange for simplicity – waking early enough on a Saturday to make it to the farmers’ market, baking granola from scratch because all store-bought granola contains sugar, stopping to read labels at the grocery store and putting back on the shelf what you cannot pronounce. I am grateful for this time to remember the wonder of the human body and how it can rise to the challenge of the complex world we have created. It remains to be seen if my gluten-free baking skills have evolved as brilliantly as the liver’s detoxification system!
Naturopathic Doctors Lobby for Healthcare Reform
On Monday May 4th a group of approximately 100 naturopathic physicians, medical students and supporters of natural healthcare ventured to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of all those touched by dis-ease in this country longing for a new approach to healthcare. We met with staff members from the offices of Senators and Congressmen/women throughout the day bringing the message to include an emphasis on prevention and wellness in any upcoming proposals for healthcare reform. The event which takes place annually was organized by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, an organization that works very hard to ensure that licensed naturopathic physicians and our patients have a voice in federal legislation.
I participated in meetings at the offices of Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski and Representative John Sarbanes (Maryland’s 3rd District). In both meetings our messages were well received. It was a great pleasure to join forces with my Maryland colleagues to represent both our current and future patients with the hopes that our efforts will increase awareness about naturopathic medicine on a state and national level.
A Wellness Retreat in Costa Rica
It has already been several weeks since I’ve returned from my “well-cation” to Costa Rica. This rainy spring day in Baltimore has me dreaming back to the sunny skies just ten degrees from the equator in the Guanacaste Province. This was my second year retreating to the peace-filled resort of Panacea de la Montana where I was greeted with open arms by the gracious hosts Mary, Debbie and Peter. Together they have created an calming oasis for rest and rejuvenation. Days at Panacea begin with a warm greeting from the early rising sun into your private cabina, followed by yoga class guided by Mary’s soothing and supportive instruction. Debbie meanwhile has prepared a delicious vegetarian feast that awaits your now growling stomach. The rest of the day may find you lounging by the pool, catching a ride to the nearby beach, joining in water aerobics class, heading off for an adventure in zip-lining, receiving a restful reflexology session from Peter, and enjoying more phenomenal whole foods cuisine. Sharing this experience with my mom and sister only brought more joy, laughter and peace to my stay at Panacea. Visit: www.panaceacr.com to learn more…
You don’t have to journey all the way to Central America to experience a “well-cation” of your own. Honoring yourself with a several hours or a long weekend designated as time to reconnect with your own wellness can serve as a personal retreat without going far from home. Try a new yoga or meditation class, visit a park that you’ve never been to before, or create a small space in your home that nourishes your spirit. Retreating allows your own well of health and vitality to replenish so that you can give more fully to the people and projects that support and inspire you.
