Lissa Rankin, MD – We’d all like to believe that someone we entrust with helping us heal when we’re vulnerable can safely protect our tender hearts, confused minds, and beautiful bodies. Yet sadly, some of the most traumatized and unapologetically ruthless people hang up a shingle and call themselves a spiritual teacher, therapist, shaman, psychedelic guide, lightworker, or life coach. The red flags can be easy to spot, once you know what you’re looking for, but as my wise sage daughter said, “If you’re wearing rose colored glasses, red flags just look like flags.”
As cult recovery specialists like Steven Hassan, Janja Lalich, and Rachel Bernstein teach us, “undue influence” and “coercive control” can show up anywhere, not just in cults, but in cultic romantic relationships, abusive family systems, and sadly, even in therapeutic settings where people abuse their power over someone vulnerable. Continue reading →
Aletheia Luna – Every child deserves the fundamental right to feel safe, secure and protected.
But not every child does.
Growing up, it is the emotional and biological responsibility of our parents and family members to create a safe environment for us. But not all parents accept that responsibility, are aware of that responsibility, or have the capacity to fulfill that responsibility.
Safety doesn’t just mean physically protecting us from harm, feeding us, or the other essentials. Safety also means supporting us on the emotional, psychological, and spiritual levels inherent to us as human beings.
What happens when we don’t feel safe as children? What happens when this feeling of endangerment is constant and long-lasting? The answer is that a huge gaping wound appears in the psyche. This painful wound is often unknowingly repressed by us as adults … but its impacts are profound and far-reaching. Continue reading →
Treating chronic pain is a complex issue because there are numerous factors that contribute to its development and persistence. Contrary to popular belief, most instances of chronic pain do not actually originate in the muscles, bones, and tissues, but rather in the nerves, which means eating foods and taking herbs that promote central nervous system health may be the best approach to getting rid of chronic pain for good. Here are 10 ways to treat chronic pain naturally without drugs:
Willow bark
1) Willow bark. Used for thousands of years in many different cultures to reduce fever and inflammation, willow bark is a powerful painkilling herb that is still used today to treat back pain, arthritis, headaches, and inflammatory conditions like bursitis and tendinitis. The active ingredient in willow bark, salicin, is actually the compound that was first used in the 1800s to develop aspirin. Though it may not work as quickly as aspirin, willow bark is said to provide longer-lasting benefits without the harmful side effects. (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/willow-bark-000281.htm)
2) Cannabis. Aside from its psychoactive effects, the active ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is a powerful analgesic with proven pain-relieving properties. Numerous studies have found that taking cannabis can help ease neurological pain without causing harmful side effects, which makes it a far more promising candidate than what conventional medicine has to offer. And even better than smoking cannabis is juicing its leaves raw, which has been shown to actually reverse chronic pain and illness. (http://www.naturalnews.com/035759_cannabis_juicing_health.html)
3) Turmeric. One of the most powerful known anti-inflammatory herbs, turmeric is virtually unparalleled in its ability to treat arthritis, gout, autoimmune disease, sciatic, and other inflammatory conditions. Systemically, turmeric helps quell disease-causing inflammation in all its forms, and may be the key to overcoming whatever pains might be ailing you.
Lissa Rankin, MD – We’d all like to believe that someone we entrust with helping us heal when we’re vulnerable can safely protect our tender hearts, confused minds, and beautiful bodies. Yet sadly, some of the most traumatized and unapologetically ruthless people hang up a shingle and call themselves a spiritual teacher, therapist, shaman, psychedelic guide, lightworker, or life coach. The red flags can be easy to spot, once you know what you’re looking for, but as my wise sage daughter said, “If you’re wearing rose colored glasses, red flags just look like flags.”
Aletheia Luna – Every child deserves the fundamental right to feel safe, secure and protected.