Friday 27 December 2013

Learning to live with less

Happy Holidays to you all!

Well, less is more sometimes, and in homeopathy the minimal dose is the best dose.  In our life we tend to overdo most things.  And me, I definitely do this in the baking, cooking and feeding category.  Unfortunately, I wish I could say this about exercise!

Over the holidays, I have chosen not to bake and intake (haha) as much, with my end goal being a healthier immune system.  As I embark on my India adventure, I want a really healthy tummy.  I always knew of my stomach as part of my gastrointestinal system and my skin, as my integumentary system.  I was really use to "chopping up" the whole into parts.  Now I have learned that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.  I have also learned that all of these "systems" are an extension of a bigger part.

Now I picture the GI system as an envelope; as if the skin just continues on inside from the exterior surface.  The skin is the first part of the body which microbes and viruses come into contact with before they enter our system. So, in essence it is the largest part of the immune system.  Furthermore, if you think of the skin as a huge protective barrier which just extends as an envelope into the interior aspect, which is the gut....then wouldn't it make sense the gut is also hugely involved in immune function! 

My family has all had a cold, or coughs, and I have been staying healthy and strong!  With only 10 DAYS to go, until I depart for India this is important to me.

I have made the decision to back-pack to really appreciate the beauty of less is more.  We'll see how that goes.  My dad tells me, "Katie keep everything valuable on you."  I say, at this point, toilet paper, a cloths line and clean underwear may be my most valuable.

Our team from Western College is so excited.  Some of us are "practice" trial packing our bags.  Camper's Village has been so helpful and cost effective for some of the girls.  I have been so grateful for a sister-in-law who is a world traveler, who comes with abundant advice on packing.

We will be using homeoprophylaxis to protect ourselves from diseases like Malaria, and Dengue Fever.  There is an extensive protocol offered by Calgary Homeopath's based on Dr. I. Golden's works.  Homeoprophylaxis is a BIG word, but in a nut shell, it is a way of providing protection against infection illness. I will attach a blurb at the end of this blog that is a brief summary on homeoprophylaxis. The best study I know of with use of this method, in cases of leptospirosis is a study from Cuba, http://www.homeopathy-soh.org/research/research-and-the-society/research-news/cuban-vaccine-test/

Equipment:  I learned about a Steri-pen this month.  They say they are world leaders in portable water systems, http://www.steripen.com/  It is a method of using UV light to kill bacteria, viruses, and protozoan.  I am not into Typhoid, so I thought I would opt for the steri-pen.  My brother, will be using it for the West-coast trail hike this summer, it has a shelf life and usage of 7 years.  

WHAT IS HOMEOPROPHYLAXIS?

Homeoprophylaxis is used protect individuals from the effects of infectious diseases. In contrast to conventional vaccination, homeoprophylaxis does not rely on antibody formation, but on changing the susceptibility of the child or adult to disease. The philosophy behind homeoprophylaxis is different from conventional vaccination in that the micro-organisms are not in themselves seen as the sole cause of disease, but rather the interplay between the micro-organisms and the individual susceptibility of the child or adult: the healthier the patient, the less susceptible he or she is to a disease.
Disease prevention in homeopathic history and today
Homeopathy is used to address the individual’s expereince of disease states and to prevent individuals from falling ill. The founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, wrote in 1801 on scarlet fever: ‘Who can deny that the perfect prevention of infection from this devastating scourge, and the discovery of a means whereby this divine aim may be surely attained, would offer infinite advantages over any mode of treatment, be it of the most incomparable kind soever?’ The principle of homeoprophylaxis basically states that what will address the expereience of a diseased state according to the law of similars will also prevent individuals from falling ill from these kinds  of diseases. Famous homeopaths have practised according to this principle during the centuries: Boenninghausen, Kent, Burnett, Tyler, Blackie, Boger and others. In modern times, it has been Dr Isaac Golden from Australia, who has addressed this issue in a systematic manner. (http://www.thehomeopath.org.uk/?page_id=210)

Monday 25 November 2013

Let's get ready for an adventure!

As I get ready for the count down for India 2014, I commence on the journey of protecting my internal state.  Travel Stress is the topic at hand.  I am excited to say, I have complete peace about my adventure off to foreign lands.  It will be interesting having a new expected bedtime, as I believe there will be about a 12 hour difference from Western Canada.

Presently I am reading daily historical mission stories about India, which is so interesting.  The most interesting part, is that these are not stories which I chose to read.  These stories are part of my children's curriculum.  I can't believe, God has provided knowledge and learning to my children through this experience.  This to me is such a gift and I can't wait to see it unfold through our family.  Initial panic, will eventually set in, as mom get's ready to go.  The house will run a little bit different, I am sure.  But never the less, it will still run and life will still go on.  

Probiotics check, melatonin check, and for the sake of my travel mates, cocculus check!  

Hope you will all chime in from time to time and share this wonderful journey with me, as the students of Western College of Homeopathy (that's me!) prepare to learn from some of the world's most renowned homeopath's in India.