Positive Health Online

Positive Health PH Online Issue 246, made up of an apparently eclectic mix of editorial features demonstrates, on further reflection, how unified is Body / Mind / Spirit. 7 Reflections on Art and Touch by bodyworker and musician David Lauterstein, with mentions of including Joe Williams, Gustav Mahler, Martin Buber, Williams Blake and Benjamin Franklin, quintessentially merges the realms of music and touch “our instruments, these miraculous hands, and the ultimate wild medium, this living, naturally self-transcending human who is our client - this is the struggle that makes us therapists grimace and delight.”

The Skinless Path to Spirit by Paul Newham, well-known for developing applications of voice, sound, and music in psychotherapy, psychology, music therapy, and audio therapy describes a harrowing account of his painful journey:

“Whilst stumbling about in the absence of light, I came across a tribe of those who feel they have no skin.
They looked the same as you or me, but sensed things differently, because everything entered in.
They could not let things pass over them, or brush moments off with a glance.
They could not turn a blind eye, or listen with deaf ears.
Because these are the skinless ones, and everything cuts them to the bone.
To the skinless, your pain is theirs; and they feel it like their own.
To join this tribe requires a price paid with our own skin.
We must shed our costume and covering, and know how naked we really are…”

In Why it's Hard to Change your Thinking, Thomas Garvey and Helen Kogan discuss one of our most intractable issues:

“many of the changes we make are only superficial and many of our problems are still there, year after year. And even when you can identify the problem, why is it that you are not able to make long-lasting changes and, crucially...stick to them!?”

Other innovative articles discuss technology-based, clinically effective approaches to Sleep and Headaches. On the subject of Cancer, features include What to Say and Not to Say to People who have Cancer and New Innovations for Catching Cancers Earlier.

In Ayurveda, Blood is Considered Life Itself  Dr Charlotte Bech MD discusses the blood disorder Anaemia:

“In Ayurvedic medicine, a blood disorder in general is called Panduroga, meaning ‘the pale disease’ because the patient tends to get a pale complexion…
“In Ayurveda, blood is considered life itself in the human body. Blood is considered to be the sap of the human body, the river of life, the underlying flow of intelligence, upholding life in the body. Thus, the blood is the sap of the body, the essence of the body, in the same way as the essence of a flower, a tree and other plants is found in the colourless transparent sap which is the underlying flow of intelligence, the all-pervading source of life at the deepest level of the flower, tree or plant.
“According to Ayurveda, all imbalances of any type can be classified as either 1. The too much type, 2. The too little type or 3. The wrong type. Imbalances can occur in all the different components of the blood, such as in the red blood cells, blood platelets, white blood cells, plasma or other components of the blood.”

HRH Prince Charles, PM Narindra Modi, Amarjeet S Bhamra

Ayurveda and Yoga articles and research have formed a considerable body of information across PH Online, and thus it was with some excitement that we learned that The College of Medicine has signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) to create centres of excellence in the UK. We have reported in the Short Features and Brief Takes Issue 246 with a photo of HRH Prince of Wales and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi jointly unveiling a plaque at the Science Museum in London for the UK’s first Centre of Excellence and Research in Yoga and Indian Traditional Medicine.

The Letters to the Editor present ground-breaking information regarding cancer, threats posed to homeopathy by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), petition to sign regarding mercury fillings ban, and how wrong is the prevailing biomedical model.

My own knowledge and understanding is constantly being updated; I learned recently that PH Online author Dr Tina Berkowitz RCP PhD ND Naturopathic doctor, Homeopath, clinical Reflexology therapist, Acupuncture therapist, Nutritionist, Birth Doula, Child Birth Educator, and Postpartum coacher has recently been honoured for her service to saving lives. Many congratulations to Dr Berkowitz.

And sometimes, while watching film documentaries I realize how little I know about modern-day contemporary history. This revelation occurred while viewing the outstanding and shocking Cuba - Unseen Archive Footage: Habaneros: You Say You Want a Revolution? Parts One and Part Two which revealed an account of corruption, utter poverty and squalor which affected the Cuban people throughout the many decades of the blockade by the USA. Time will tell whether the future following the death of Fidel Castro will bring some respite and prosperity to the people of Cuba.

I present to all readers PH Online Issue 246 for enjoyment, stimulation and revelation.