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http://peruvianproject.blogspot.com/
Overcoming physical challenges necessitates drawing on one's spiritual reserves as a necessary component of the healing process. Note the section on PHYSICALITY below quoted. The section on the city of Huaraz,Peru is a gem in travel knowledge and to demonstrate to my satisfaction the healing power of the natural scene as it imprints on the mind.Note the beauty of the photos in this post.AYAHUASCA IS MENTIONED AS A TEACHING PLANT AS IF THIS PLANT POSSESSED SPIRITUAL AND "PERSONALITY" POWERS PER SE.
Overcoming physical challenges necessitates drawing on one's spiritual reserves as a necessary component of the healing process. Note the section on PHYSICALITY below quoted. The section on the city of Huaraz,Peru is a gem in travel knowledge and to demonstrate to my satisfaction the healing power of the natural scene as it imprints on the mind.Note the beauty of the photos in this post.AYAHUASCA IS MENTIONED AS A TEACHING PLANT AS IF THIS PLANT POSSESSED SPIRITUAL AND "PERSONALITY" POWERS PER SE.
FEATURES OF THE AYAHUASCA PLANT WE IN THE WEST KNOW SO LITTLE OF.
.
- Shamanic healing and ceremony
- Accessing Nauta and Jenaro Herrera on the edge of "Civilization"
- Ayahuasca as conduit and healing plant
- Its constituent elements
- It aids in what western medicine cannot do
- The spiritual dimensions of illness
- Generally, the wisdom of shamanic healing is sorely lacking in Western medicine.
- The stunning incident in 2005 before the injury is presented in a comprehensive and understanding way.The plant worked in deeper recesses on deeper paralyzed tissue eliciting an indescribable delight in feeling new life to these nerves and this tissue.Telepathically, ayahuasca can communicate.This deeper injury antedated the main injury,as I understand, and the plant telepathically could fathom and address it.
- The body is cleansed cellularly, shedding finished cells through purging. I noticed nausea in my stomach. Understanding where this organ lies in my body, I surprisingly felt releases from various other regions. With each purge, energy would rip from deep-rooted pockets of paralysis. From behind the knee, lower back, under the scapula and further, aged, suppressed emotion fled open. I was humbled, hanging around, downloading enough information to write this blog for months.The cleansing process and purging process seem to work concomitantly through pockets of paralysis, and this turnexd out to be humbling for Teresa.
- Journalizing these experiences after their occurence does seem to be of aid in planning, if one can how one can schedule the uses of this "all wise plant".Little wonder it is connected to other worlds and visions.
- Social dieta outside of ceremony: the home atmosphere.He arrayed such gifts in front of me, informing me what we were drinking. Bear with my spelling, por favor:Chacruna, Sanango, Punga Blanco, Punga Negra, Tortuga, Uvos, Hayahuma, Lopuno, Waca Purana, Capirona, Doctoro Caspi, Way Racaspi, Tamamuri, Punga Amarillo, Pinlla CaspiSimple or not, predictable or not, I love this medicine. I cherish the setting, vibration and people of Infinite Light. Luco and Megan have something special blossoming out there. Infinite Light feels more like home than anywhere else since I left the United States. In fact, they have built into their apprentice house, a bedroom for my recovery designed with ADA set up. How beautiful is that!?
- Actually, Simon and I have yet to physically meet; we have been e-introduced via e-mail and our sessions are held over Skype. He is a cuandero, a healer, and a magnificent one at that. Simon is a shaman, a craniosacral therapist and holds a deep understanding of plant medicine. We speak often about Sanango and another Amazonian indigenous medicine, ayahuasca. Working with me at the generoresity of his own time, it is a privilege to absorb his knowledge and the energy he shares The e-introduction mentioned in this quote introduces another valuable and informative source in this Australian cuandero, and that the body of such healers has spread beyond Peru.
- "The main focus of my work is to point to the interrelated and usually unseen threads which lead to the formation of disease," Simon writes to me one afternoon. That said, it seems Simon and I share a similar belief; our body's physicality is a reflection of what is spiritually cycling within. If our spirits are dampened, our physical bodies will reap it. I refer to it as a cobweb. His business, Quantum Life Bodyworks expresses in its mission statement, “Discovering and Attending to our Deep Body Stories”.Our treatments are a demonstration of intuition, extrications and discovery. Cobwebs are explained and the reflection of physicality of spiritual cycles within has been well known and authenticated among the ancients and is not understood at all in the west.
- Dropping into a body meditation, we collectively scan for areas of disruption, inflammation and bound-up pockets of thick paralysis. Simon tunes into them, stating what he feels may be causing such a block. I often resonate with his findings. He clears them in a shamanic tradition; I do so by using my breath and intention. It is necessary that I integrate newly discovered patterns and opportunity for change into my life. The message is, “Let go”.Simon and I don’t necessarily dissect my healing, but uncover it. The necessity of integration is recognized and practiced.
- Our neural DNA imprints all of our experiences; we work to release the negative ones. As the past can get stuck in our bones, tissue and all cells, I find it essential to shed the heavier layers. This will transform the physical.I enjoy this passage from Simon’s site, quite a therapeutic script:“Stories arise out of the experience and are often articulated, as the dreambody is accessed and often unheard aspects of being are given voice. The energies released in this process are transformed in a variety of manners, using traditional shamanic tools such as chant, whistling, rattle and drum.The healing engendered by the work is authentic and relies on the power of individuals and their own archaic knowing. A number of points here relative to shamanic healing are made succintly: Undoing the past in our bones,essentially we are shedding layers and the shamanic tradition is integral to the process;accessing the dreambody and the unheard is given voicee; released energies are transformed; traditional shamanic tools have proved efficacious and time effective over the spans of time. What wisdom these indigenous cuanderos, these healers, have and that acquired intuitively.
- I have found that when the wisdom of the body is unencumbered by notions of expectation, achievement or attainment one is offered the possibility of "gratuitous grace". This opens the path for profound emotional, physical and energetic healing. The most profound healings arise spontaneously.Each session unfolds in the moment, as the meeting of the facilitator and the client dictates. I see the role of the facilitator as one of listening, finding pathways and giving voice, rather than a "doing-for".How I have come to work with Simon could be difficult to convey; yet it appears to be a divine introduction.The wisdom of the body is indeed unencumbered, and the possibility of gratuitous grace is offered the body in the very healing process. Each session is of the moment and unfolds accordingly. The role of the facilitator is to give voice to "the dreambody" accessed in this intuitive process.The power of individuals and their archaic knowing infers that the knowledge is synchronistic and acquired as aggregate knowedge in an organic shamanic tradition.
- I find it to be a weaving of synchronistic and supported paths by these such plant spirits. A mutual friend Lakshmi, who has an incredible healing story with Simon, led our official introduction. In the past decade, Lakshmi has cured herself of both multiple sclerosis and then breast cancer with the use of plant medicine. Her story is extraordinary. "Lakshmi's Story" can be found on Simon's site under Testimonials. The story of Lakshmi will be told in another post I shall dedicate . She has cured herself. I will also mention Quantum Life Bodyworks. I can also learn much from the ART INTERLUDE section of this post.
Fundraiser helps Teresa Schroeder receive treatments
for paralysis in Peru
Teresa is a 25-year-old young woman who
suffered an incomplete quadriplegic spinal cord injury three years ago in a
snowboarding accident. Since her injury she has had three surgeries, has
undergone thousands of hours of rehabilitation, has tried many remedies both
western and eastern in nature to help her body heal. While
doing this she returned to college and painting with her limited arm movement
and helps others who are living with similar injuries.
From the moment I met
Teresa, only hours after her accident, I knew I was in the presence of a
spirited being. Someone whose purpose on this
planet goes beyond a mere simple life.
Although she did not will this experience upon herself, she has taken on the
challenge with serenity, determination, and faith.
She refuses to give up on herself or others. Don’t get me wrong, she does have
her bad days, but I truly see her spirit as one whose message will eventually
help thousands.
P H Y S I C A L I T Y
I am delighted to write of shifts in my physicality.
It has been a strong two months and I feel drastically different.Daily I spend,
at minimum, an hour on my feet. This has now grown to two hours daily in
September. Thirty to forty minutes at a time, 3-4 times a day, feels best.
Standing solely with the walker at this point, my posture is slowly and steadily
improving. Although it does not, most likely, resemble the posture of yours, the
improvement does permit my standing to be comfortable. Muscle layers along the
spinal column and abdomen are growing tighter, slowly returning my organs to
proper alignment internally. I do, unfortunately struggle with lordosis in my
low back. It is a sway in the lumbar, rather uncomfortable and caused by weak
muscles. This is where I tend to lose balance while standing or taking steps; it
is what resists my independent walking. Muscles in this region need to gain
endurance. Wonderfully, this can be cured by physical therapy, time and
treatments.I no longer have a need to wear ankle orthotics. I’ll repeat that,
for it is a joyous statement: I am no longer in need of the ankle orthotics!
Freedom! And lots of cute shoes! I have worn these braces for 3 years and
although grateful for their purpose, it is blissful to have them off. With
lighter movement and greater ease, I build stamina day by day. Leg muscles are
firing at a deeper level. I feel more in my body.Slowly, a hyper-extension issue
is being addressed behind my left knee. I overstretched it two years back and am
working on returning the strength to the tendon underneath. Letting go of the
orthotics has surprisingly helped this. I wear a soft knee brace to stand. Short
term goal: I am searching out an accessible gym to use a recumbent bike.Taking
steps is different without the orthotics; a bit more challenging. It is still
much assisted, though I am sturdier. I tend to work with one person and step
across the room. I find it difficult to acquire enough strength in my left side
to walk independently; it withholds a few problem spots. I take a few steps, my
left fatigues. My right side waits patiently for the next opportunity to walk.
Due to muscle imbalance, extensive sitting and a funky mishap during my first
year of recovery, I acquired double scoliosis. I was aware of this condition
before I arrived in Peru. Recently, the curves and twist appears, feels and are
straighter. Manos Que Curan treats a number of people with scoliosis daily. We
have chipped away at mine over time. As my posture improves, finger and hand
dexterity follows. Core strength and deep arm muscle help open mobility to the
fingertips. As for the range of motion of my arms, they are lighter, though not
quite where they are going to be yet. When sitting at the chair, the right arm
indeed raises the 180°; the left side around 100°. I have difficulty using my
arms without back support. This also has to do with the lumbar atrophe/lordosis
issue.Almost 2 years ago, I temporarily lost the use of my left arm for half a
year, in result of a faulty Botox treatment. I then began over using my right
shoulder and arm, trying to find strength from somewhere, eventually developing
a wretched case of tendinitis along that right limb. It got pretty bad.
Horrific. Some days I could barely eat, move the chair or paint. There was
little luck finding treatment for such tendinitis and challenging to rest my
most mobile limb. I eagerly announced it to the therapists when I arrived here
at the clinic. Gloriously, with months of treatment, it feels miniscule. I do
rest it when I sense it getting hot. It tends to flare up when standing.I love
the excitement I see with my therapists lately. One particular woman, whom has
worked at this clinic for nine years, is a pleasure to chat with. She has
treated nearly a dozen individuals with a spinal cord injury; all of them have
walked! Pleased with my progress, she behaves excitedly when I stand in front of
her and feels certain my independence is on the horizon.
Working on posture, one of the better days. This is actually quite a bit of
effort.The
orthotics. I bid you a farewell. Ciao, chicas!
This is lordosis at it’s finest. Acquiring lower abdomen and back strength.
Posted by Teresita at 7:44 PM 0
comments
Sunday,
October 4, 2009
Perú, Mucho Gusto
Huaraz is a city in the highlands of Perú, amongst the Cordillera Blancas, the tallest mountain range in the country. My sister, Amanda (Panda) lived three months recently this year. We visited for a short weekend, I found the place stunning. It is a hot spot, catering to outdoor enthusiasts of all kind. I know this isn't a travel blog, but could not resist:Cordillera BlancaPanda in Llaca ValleyHuascaran, tallest mountain in Peru (6,800 meters)HuascaranRanrapalca (6,162m)Huaraz rooftopAntacocha
Posted by Teresita at 6:50 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Vídeo del Tratamiento en YouTube
My treatment video, See Me Speak has been posted on YouTube.Mom, I must say, I am impressed with your techy skills. You are so 2009.Click here if you have not watched it yet.
Posted by Teresita at 3:58 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Medicina Ayahuasca
To reach Infinite Light is a wild adventure of its own. One must first fly or boat, to Iquitos, Peru, the largest Amazonian city on the continent and unreachable by road. Once there, Luco and Meghan, the shaman and shamaness of Infinite Light, greet you and the posse of plant medicine participants and apprentices. You gather and drive two hours further into the jungle to the small port town, Nauta. At Nauta, you hop aboard and boat three hours downstream to Jenaro Herrera, a village of roughly 500 Amazonian natives and the home of Infinite Light. It is exciting, exotic and intriguing and the medicines have yet to be introduced.Coiling out of the rain forest is a vine and plant medicine known as ayahuasca. It is indigenous to this area and considered by many to be a master “teacher plant”. This is what returned Amanda and I to Infinite Light last month. Ayahuasca has a reputation as a conduit, curing many ailments through spiritual expeditions and cellular transformation. This medicine has personally enticed me over the past few years, however occurrences while at Infinite Light recently have left me stunned. I have witnessed ayahuasca rewire my central nervous system, reopen nerve pathways, and teach my body how to work as a whole again. The makeup of an ayahuasca brew is interesting. For those unfamiliar with the plant, a brief explanation may be helpful. I am not a source to quote; however, I can sum up for you what I learned in McKenna’s True Hallucinations:An ayahuasca brew is traditionally drunk in a ceremony setting. It is prepared from the two plants ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) and chacruna (Psychotria viridis). The ayahuasca vine contains harmaline, a central nervous system stimulant and essential MAO Inhibitor. Chacruna leaves contain dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a natural drug also produced in the human body (although its function there is undetermined). The harmaline’s MAO Inhibitors protect DMT from being destroyed by our body’s natural enzymes upon consumption.Once ingested, the brew of ayahuasca enters the bloodstream, eventually passing the blood-brain barrier and then into the brain. It is then absorbed into the spinal cord. Ayahuasca aids in synaptic bonding. It is an antidepressant and generates no addiction. At this point, I have worked with the medicine for a few years. Ayahuasca has always drawn itself to the deepest paralyzed areas of my body. I took a deep liking to it when I felt increased nerve firing, circulation, water temperature and many other bodily mends drastically shift overnight. I have always deemed this injury to be afflicted due to a spiritual matter. The event below elucidates this further: Six months prior to sustaining the injury in 2005, I witnessed, what I now realize to be, the straw that broke the camel’s back. I was engaged in a particularly difficult event, when my body absorbed trauma in its final toll. In that moment, I felt stunned, feared and eventually outraged as a shock ran through the left side of my body. It stung first in my heart, then out my left arm and down the left leg in a fierce, strict line. I remember the moment precisely. I doubt I will ever forget it. Six months later, I then sustained this spinal cord injury.This line, a convergence of specific nerves, is now the most paralyzed area of my body. In fact, not only does it withhold the paralysis, but also my mentioned cobweb feels stitched here. The remaining paralysis grows from these meridians outward. It is the most painful area of my body and the field most desired and responsive to treatments when at Manos Que Curan.This issue arose while working with ayahuasca recently. An excessive amount of energy was working these particular nerves. I have witnessed this before with the plant, however never to this extent. Ayahuasca drew my attention deeply inward. A strong current of energy stirred along the left side of my body. The medicine began working on the deeper paralyzed tissue, vibrating, massaging and pushing into the deeper pockets. Suddenly, there was a large, electric pull; a zap and the meridians blew wide open! A new sense of life surged these nerves. My nervous system vibrated for hours. I was astonished, curious and excitedly playful. I did not sleep a wink.The saga continues. Voiceless ayahuasca can reach you telepathically and she has much to say. I amusingly see the medicine absorbed into the spinal fluid, polishing tissue within reach. The body is cleansed cellularly, shedding finished cells through purging. I noticed nausea in my stomach. Understanding where this organ lies in my body, I surprisingly felt releases from various other regions. With each purge, energy would rip from deep-rooted pockets of paralysis. From behind the knee, lower back, under the scapula and further, aged, suppressed emotion fled open. I was humbled, hanging around, downloading enough information to write this blog for months. In fact, I just may. Outside of ceremony, the day is tranquil. Luco creates a separate decoction that was drunk for four evenings, providing a social dieta for our group. Fasting begins at 2 PM daily. I watch Luco brew our tea. He arrayed such gifts in front of me, informing me what we were drinking. Bear with my spelling, por favor:Chacruna, Sanango, Punga Blanco, Punga Negra, Tortuga, Uvos, Hayahuma, Lopuno, Waca Purana, Capirona, Doctoro Caspi, Way Racaspi, Tamamuri, Punga Amarillo, Pinlla CaspiSimple or not, predictable or not, I love this medicine. I cherish the setting, vibration and people of Infinite Light. Luco and Megan have something special blossoming out there. Infinite Light feels more like home than anywhere else since I left the United States. In fact, they have built into their apprentice house, a bedroom for my recovery designed with ADA set up. How beautiful is that!?
Posted by Teresita at 9:19 PM 0 comments
Photos de Selva
Collecting plants for throughout the Amazon tributaries.Medicine trek.A short walk outside of Infinite Light.Preparing ayahuasca.
Posted by Teresita at 8:02 PM 0 comments
Friday, August 14, 2009
La Selva
Amanda and I are leaving this afternoon for the jungle. We will be at Infinite Light Peru, occupying and dabbling ourselves in plant medicine. I will sit in dieta for eight days. In two weeks when we return, I look forward to sharing it with you.
Posted by Teresita at 9:00 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Quantum Life Bodyworks
I have had the privilege of meeting a remarkably gifted, Australian gentleman by the name of Simon Green. Actually, Simon and I have yet to physically meet; we have been e-introduced via e-mail and our sessions are held over Skype. He is a cuandero, a healer, and a magnificent one at that. Simon is a shaman, a craniosacral therapist and holds a deep understanding of plant medicine. We speak often about Sanango and another Amazonian indigenous medicine, ayahuasca. Working with me at the generoresity of his own time, it is a privilege to absorb his knowledge and the energy he shares. "The main focus of my work is to point to the interrelated and usually unseen threads which lead to the formation of disease," Simon writes to me one afternoon. That said, it seems Simon and I share a similar belief; our body's physicality is a reflection of what is spiritually cycling within. If our spirits are dampened, our physical bodies will reap it. I refer to it as a cobweb. His business, Quantum Life Bodyworks expresses in its mission statement, “Discovering and Attending to our Deep Body Stories”.Our treatments are a demonstration of intuition, extrications and discovery. Dropping into a body meditation, we collectively scan for areas of disruption, inflammation and bound-up pockets of thick paralysis. Simon tunes into them, stating what he feels may be causing such a block. I often resonate with his findings. He clears them in a shamanic tradition; I do so by using my breath and intention. It is necessary that I integrate newly discovered patterns and opportunity for change into my life. The message is, “Let go”.Simon and I don’t necessarily dissect my healing, but uncover it. Our neural DNA imprints all of our experiences; we work to release the negative ones. As the past can get stuck in our bones, tissue and all cells, I find it essential to shed the heavier layers. This will transform the physical.I enjoy this passage from Simon’s site, quite a therapeutic script:“Stories arise out of the experience and are often articulated, as the dreambody is accessed and often unheard aspects of being are given voice. The energies released in this process are transformed in a variety of manners, using traditional shamanic tools such as chant, whistling, rattle and drum.The healing engendered by the work is authentic and relies on the power of individuals and their own archaic knowing. I have found that when the wisdom of the body is unencumbered by notions of expectation, achievement or attainment one is offered the possibility of "gratuitous grace". This opens the path for profound emotional, physical and energetic healing. The most profound healings arise spontaneously.Each session unfolds in the moment, as the meeting of the facilitator and the client dictates. I see the role of the facilitator as one of listening, finding pathways and giving voice, rather than a "doing-for".How I have come to work with Simon could be difficult to convey; yet it appears to be a divine introduction. I find it to be a weaving of synchronistic and supported paths by these such plant spirits. A mutual friend Lakshmi, who has an incredible healing story with Simon, led our official introduction. In the past decade, Lakshmi has cured herself of both multiple sclerosis and then breast cancer with the use of plant medicine. Her story is extraordinary. "Lakshmi's Story" can be found on Simon's site under Testimonials.Of my most enjoyable conversations with Simon, is that in which we speak of ethnobotany. His understanding of plant medicine is helpful, encouraging and ultimately impressive. He has spent much time studying his trade in South America and areas of the Amazon. As he understands Sanango, we exchange theories of spiritual, emotional and mental development as I process my previous dieta. I value such input as I manage the experiences and shifts of my inner and outer self. There is an interview with Simon on an Australian radio talk show. I found it drawing and quite interesting. You can listen in here.At this point, I am not certain when I will have the opportunity to physically meet Simon; which feels interesting, seeing that he plays such an important role in my healing. Nonetheless, I am sure of the lessons of intention, self-healing, flow of space and timeless time he delivers. Quantum Life Bodyworks
Posted by Teresita at 8:12 AM 0 comments
Friday, August 7, 2009
Peyote Healing by Robbie Robertson
More often than I am willing to admit, I use to hang around my home in the U.S. and play this peyote prayer. While visiting a friend's site tonight, I happened to stumble across it. I can't help but grace this page and share it with you.(I bit the video from youtube...)In translation from Lakota to English:Wani wachiyelo Ate omakiyayo (Father help me I want to live)Atay nimichikun (Father you have done this)Oshiya chichiyelo (Humbly have pity on me)Wani wachiyelo Atay omakiyayo (Father help me I want to live)Wani wachiyelo Atay (Father I want to live)Sam Slovick is the name of the man who brought this song back to my memory. He also writes a great blog, The Cure List: An enlightened discussion of effective healers and healing practices from around the world.
Posted by Teresita at 6:55 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 17, 2009
Rehab is the New Black
Over the past seven months, I have witnessed new, promising and deep, although sometimes painful changes in my physicality. My understanding of the human anatomy and reconditioning it has broadened widely during my time here.When a person sustains a spinal cord injury, the body, in response to shock, begins to retreat inward. In a state of protection, it slowly draws the tendons, nerves and muscles into the position it knew while in the mother's womb. The fingers and hands clench. Shoulders or ankles may slightly bow inward. Spasms may trigger the knees to pull up into the chest and also the hips to slightly tighten. There's more and unfortunately their actions are less than spectacular. Fortunately however, my treatments are releasing a great deal of this tension and bound-up tissue. I am drastically more comfortable in my body.At treatment I often find myself face down on the adjustment table, dropping into a deep focus and observation of the methods used on each limb. While treating the spinal column, I sense the nerves branching off the spinal cord to be in a state of revival. This is an opportunity to deepen the connection; speaking to my body in this language older than words. I experience the tendons lengthening, the breaking up of adhesions and even somewhat corrugated muscles, all while gradually awakening the central nervous system and moving spinal fluid sufficiently throughout the cord while doing so. My body is coming alive.I am grateful for the lightness I am feeling throughout my body. The movement, the motion of spirit within, flows with greater ease. My range of motion has expanded and the motions in which I can move requires less effort. In result, I am experiencing a shift in my endurance as it requires less energy to move in these open ranges. In conjunction to greater endurance, my diaphragmatic muscle and lung capacity expands. This greater intake of oxygen is considerably helpful.Indeed my muscles are growing stronger, slowly as muscles do, and I have to behave patient as they do so. There is a pattern of two steps forward, one step back. The body can only support, as I have been informed, a millimeter of nerve growth a day. I honor that with a slight Ugh. At the least, I am on my feet 25 minutes a day, occasionally an hour. My posture as I stand continues to show improvement, as does my sturdiness. Often areas of my body grows sore, which for a long time was not the case. The reason being that with a spinal cord injury, the central nervous system often fatigues before the muscles have an opportunity to. This soreness displays an improving nerve to muscle connection and deeper layers of muscles growing. This is all a much greater amount of stimulation and growth than my body had received over the previous three years. I have to bring myself to rest quite often.
Posted by Teresita at 4:49 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
See Me Speak
Posted by Teresita at 6:33 PM 0 comments
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Art Interlude
I am an entrant in an art competition hosted by Volkswagen in Washington, DC next week. The entry is submitted via online. Here is a peek, with the exception of the art narrative and essay also required. Additional pieces are available for viewing at www.teresitastudios.com.personal statement: "The works I create extend far beyond any limitation within my physicality. They are conduits of my soul and self-expression, exhibiting love and life without end."Things We Love2008A mixed-media piece, Things We Love marks an era of transformational grief. Beginning at the center with a spiritual foundation and core, the painting grows outward portraying my Native American ancestery, love, music, a disability, and the human body. Things We Love, trimmed with gold, is nearly a self-portrait.Abuela Espiritu2009Sprung from a soulful experience with indigenous healing, Abuela Espiritu captures a tranquil setting of the Amazon Rainforest. This painting represents the pristine and sacred qualities of nature; while floral and bright colors illuminate, emphasizing life-force and organic strengths created from within. Angel Wings II2008 In this painting a palette of predominately warm colors is set behind the universally-recognized angel wings. The background hosts imagery of a windblown horizon in result of the wings' flutter. Angel Wings II displays an epoch of spiritual expression.Flora Peruana2009Flora Peruana is the first painting in a series influenced by a street vendor's array of foreign flowers. The original florals' liveliness and vibrancy rings wild in this piece, portraying my experience of nature and cultural beauty.
Posted by Teresita at 6:47 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Manos Que Curan II
*Doctora (Dra.) is simply the feminine form for doctor, in Spanish.Over the past few weeks, I have begun working solely with Dra.* Laura at Manos Que Curan. Treatments now include work on the cranial area. Ohhh... slightly painful in moments. Incredibly powerful nonetheless, as Doctora treats the skull lining and nerves around the head, triggering nuero messages down the spinal cord while doing so. I can feel them run their track, lighting up peripheral nerves, until it reaches the base of the cord. Activate, revive, renew... this is the pattern during sessions. For example, treat an area underneath the scapula and I feel the electric current run down my fingers. Trigger an area underneath the tricep and nerves fire down the spine, to the leg, the sciatic nerve and out the foot. These are quick, strong impulses showing life revitalize throughout the body. Simultaneously, I look to it and through it, visualizing the nerves receiving manipulation and growth. Treatments are aerobic activity for the central nervous system.Dra. Laura has introduced a new style of creams as well. The ingredients come from Mexico, some which are flowers that bloom only once a year. This is the same blend of ingredients Dra. was treated with years ago, after she sustained quadriplegia. I am the only client she uses these particular creams on, within all three of her clinics.I stand daily. On a strong day, I reach 40 minutes continuously on my feet. The girls help me walk each day as well, roughly 100-200 feet each time around. There is much focus on my low back-low abdomen-hip flexor, the regions of my body needing most work. My right side holds up the sturdiest. I identify with the memory and normalcy of the body's fluid motion, although in moments of fatigue I admit to feeling like a fish out of water. A variety of other exercises weasel in throughout the week.If you have ever noticed, I often wear orthotics to support and prevent injury to my ankles and knees. I am now outgrowing them! Slowly, my calf muscles are developing larger then the braces' original mold. So exciting! It could still take six months until I am able to wean off of them... this will be determined upon the rate my lower back strengthens.
Posted by Teresita at 8:58 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Twitter me
I signed the Peruvian Project up on Twitter...http://twitter.com/PeruProject
Posted by Teresita at 4:45 PM 2 comments
Gratitude
I extend endless gratitude to each of you and all financial contributions received last month and over time. Your generosity, encouragement and endless support is deeply heartfelt. I thank you, I thank you, I thank you.
Posted by Teresita at 4:43 PM 0 comments
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About me
Teresita
Peru
OneLove infested peacock spending time with fellow butterflies. Age 26, most often painting, reading, stretching, finding peace in peanut butter or sweating out my prayers, with God. I am a survivor. An ayahuasca indulging, tipi honoring and pachamama serving Beautiful Nerd on a mission to shed paralysis. View my complete profile
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Huaraz is a city in the highlands of Perú, amongst the Cordillera Blancas, the tallest mountain range in the country. My sister, Amanda (Panda) lived three months recently this year. We visited for a short weekend, I found the place stunning. It is a hot spot, catering to outdoor enthusiasts of all kind. I know this isn't a travel blog, but could not resist:Cordillera BlancaPanda in Llaca ValleyHuascaran, tallest mountain in Peru (6,800 meters)HuascaranRanrapalca (6,162m)Huaraz rooftopAntacocha
Posted by Teresita at 6:50 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Vídeo del Tratamiento en YouTube
My treatment video, See Me Speak has been posted on YouTube.Mom, I must say, I am impressed with your techy skills. You are so 2009.Click here if you have not watched it yet.
Posted by Teresita at 3:58 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Medicina Ayahuasca
To reach Infinite Light is a wild adventure of its own. One must first fly or boat, to Iquitos, Peru, the largest Amazonian city on the continent and unreachable by road. Once there, Luco and Meghan, the shaman and shamaness of Infinite Light, greet you and the posse of plant medicine participants and apprentices. You gather and drive two hours further into the jungle to the small port town, Nauta. At Nauta, you hop aboard and boat three hours downstream to Jenaro Herrera, a village of roughly 500 Amazonian natives and the home of Infinite Light. It is exciting, exotic and intriguing and the medicines have yet to be introduced.Coiling out of the rain forest is a vine and plant medicine known as ayahuasca. It is indigenous to this area and considered by many to be a master “teacher plant”. This is what returned Amanda and I to Infinite Light last month. Ayahuasca has a reputation as a conduit, curing many ailments through spiritual expeditions and cellular transformation. This medicine has personally enticed me over the past few years, however occurrences while at Infinite Light recently have left me stunned. I have witnessed ayahuasca rewire my central nervous system, reopen nerve pathways, and teach my body how to work as a whole again. The makeup of an ayahuasca brew is interesting. For those unfamiliar with the plant, a brief explanation may be helpful. I am not a source to quote; however, I can sum up for you what I learned in McKenna’s True Hallucinations:An ayahuasca brew is traditionally drunk in a ceremony setting. It is prepared from the two plants ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) and chacruna (Psychotria viridis). The ayahuasca vine contains harmaline, a central nervous system stimulant and essential MAO Inhibitor. Chacruna leaves contain dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a natural drug also produced in the human body (although its function there is undetermined). The harmaline’s MAO Inhibitors protect DMT from being destroyed by our body’s natural enzymes upon consumption.Once ingested, the brew of ayahuasca enters the bloodstream, eventually passing the blood-brain barrier and then into the brain. It is then absorbed into the spinal cord. Ayahuasca aids in synaptic bonding. It is an antidepressant and generates no addiction. At this point, I have worked with the medicine for a few years. Ayahuasca has always drawn itself to the deepest paralyzed areas of my body. I took a deep liking to it when I felt increased nerve firing, circulation, water temperature and many other bodily mends drastically shift overnight. I have always deemed this injury to be afflicted due to a spiritual matter. The event below elucidates this further: Six months prior to sustaining the injury in 2005, I witnessed, what I now realize to be, the straw that broke the camel’s back. I was engaged in a particularly difficult event, when my body absorbed trauma in its final toll. In that moment, I felt stunned, feared and eventually outraged as a shock ran through the left side of my body. It stung first in my heart, then out my left arm and down the left leg in a fierce, strict line. I remember the moment precisely. I doubt I will ever forget it. Six months later, I then sustained this spinal cord injury.This line, a convergence of specific nerves, is now the most paralyzed area of my body. In fact, not only does it withhold the paralysis, but also my mentioned cobweb feels stitched here. The remaining paralysis grows from these meridians outward. It is the most painful area of my body and the field most desired and responsive to treatments when at Manos Que Curan.This issue arose while working with ayahuasca recently. An excessive amount of energy was working these particular nerves. I have witnessed this before with the plant, however never to this extent. Ayahuasca drew my attention deeply inward. A strong current of energy stirred along the left side of my body. The medicine began working on the deeper paralyzed tissue, vibrating, massaging and pushing into the deeper pockets. Suddenly, there was a large, electric pull; a zap and the meridians blew wide open! A new sense of life surged these nerves. My nervous system vibrated for hours. I was astonished, curious and excitedly playful. I did not sleep a wink.The saga continues. Voiceless ayahuasca can reach you telepathically and she has much to say. I amusingly see the medicine absorbed into the spinal fluid, polishing tissue within reach. The body is cleansed cellularly, shedding finished cells through purging. I noticed nausea in my stomach. Understanding where this organ lies in my body, I surprisingly felt releases from various other regions. With each purge, energy would rip from deep-rooted pockets of paralysis. From behind the knee, lower back, under the scapula and further, aged, suppressed emotion fled open. I was humbled, hanging around, downloading enough information to write this blog for months. In fact, I just may. Outside of ceremony, the day is tranquil. Luco creates a separate decoction that was drunk for four evenings, providing a social dieta for our group. Fasting begins at 2 PM daily. I watch Luco brew our tea. He arrayed such gifts in front of me, informing me what we were drinking. Bear with my spelling, por favor:Chacruna, Sanango, Punga Blanco, Punga Negra, Tortuga, Uvos, Hayahuma, Lopuno, Waca Purana, Capirona, Doctoro Caspi, Way Racaspi, Tamamuri, Punga Amarillo, Pinlla CaspiSimple or not, predictable or not, I love this medicine. I cherish the setting, vibration and people of Infinite Light. Luco and Megan have something special blossoming out there. Infinite Light feels more like home than anywhere else since I left the United States. In fact, they have built into their apprentice house, a bedroom for my recovery designed with ADA set up. How beautiful is that!?
Posted by Teresita at 9:19 PM 0 comments
Photos de Selva
Collecting plants for throughout the Amazon tributaries.Medicine trek.A short walk outside of Infinite Light.Preparing ayahuasca.
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Friday, August 14, 2009
La Selva
Amanda and I are leaving this afternoon for the jungle. We will be at Infinite Light Peru, occupying and dabbling ourselves in plant medicine. I will sit in dieta for eight days. In two weeks when we return, I look forward to sharing it with you.
Posted by Teresita at 9:00 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Quantum Life Bodyworks
I have had the privilege of meeting a remarkably gifted, Australian gentleman by the name of Simon Green. Actually, Simon and I have yet to physically meet; we have been e-introduced via e-mail and our sessions are held over Skype. He is a cuandero, a healer, and a magnificent one at that. Simon is a shaman, a craniosacral therapist and holds a deep understanding of plant medicine. We speak often about Sanango and another Amazonian indigenous medicine, ayahuasca. Working with me at the generoresity of his own time, it is a privilege to absorb his knowledge and the energy he shares. "The main focus of my work is to point to the interrelated and usually unseen threads which lead to the formation of disease," Simon writes to me one afternoon. That said, it seems Simon and I share a similar belief; our body's physicality is a reflection of what is spiritually cycling within. If our spirits are dampened, our physical bodies will reap it. I refer to it as a cobweb. His business, Quantum Life Bodyworks expresses in its mission statement, “Discovering and Attending to our Deep Body Stories”.Our treatments are a demonstration of intuition, extrications and discovery. Dropping into a body meditation, we collectively scan for areas of disruption, inflammation and bound-up pockets of thick paralysis. Simon tunes into them, stating what he feels may be causing such a block. I often resonate with his findings. He clears them in a shamanic tradition; I do so by using my breath and intention. It is necessary that I integrate newly discovered patterns and opportunity for change into my life. The message is, “Let go”.Simon and I don’t necessarily dissect my healing, but uncover it. Our neural DNA imprints all of our experiences; we work to release the negative ones. As the past can get stuck in our bones, tissue and all cells, I find it essential to shed the heavier layers. This will transform the physical.I enjoy this passage from Simon’s site, quite a therapeutic script:“Stories arise out of the experience and are often articulated, as the dreambody is accessed and often unheard aspects of being are given voice. The energies released in this process are transformed in a variety of manners, using traditional shamanic tools such as chant, whistling, rattle and drum.The healing engendered by the work is authentic and relies on the power of individuals and their own archaic knowing. I have found that when the wisdom of the body is unencumbered by notions of expectation, achievement or attainment one is offered the possibility of "gratuitous grace". This opens the path for profound emotional, physical and energetic healing. The most profound healings arise spontaneously.Each session unfolds in the moment, as the meeting of the facilitator and the client dictates. I see the role of the facilitator as one of listening, finding pathways and giving voice, rather than a "doing-for".How I have come to work with Simon could be difficult to convey; yet it appears to be a divine introduction. I find it to be a weaving of synchronistic and supported paths by these such plant spirits. A mutual friend Lakshmi, who has an incredible healing story with Simon, led our official introduction. In the past decade, Lakshmi has cured herself of both multiple sclerosis and then breast cancer with the use of plant medicine. Her story is extraordinary. "Lakshmi's Story" can be found on Simon's site under Testimonials.Of my most enjoyable conversations with Simon, is that in which we speak of ethnobotany. His understanding of plant medicine is helpful, encouraging and ultimately impressive. He has spent much time studying his trade in South America and areas of the Amazon. As he understands Sanango, we exchange theories of spiritual, emotional and mental development as I process my previous dieta. I value such input as I manage the experiences and shifts of my inner and outer self. There is an interview with Simon on an Australian radio talk show. I found it drawing and quite interesting. You can listen in here.At this point, I am not certain when I will have the opportunity to physically meet Simon; which feels interesting, seeing that he plays such an important role in my healing. Nonetheless, I am sure of the lessons of intention, self-healing, flow of space and timeless time he delivers. Quantum Life Bodyworks
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Friday, August 7, 2009
Peyote Healing by Robbie Robertson
More often than I am willing to admit, I use to hang around my home in the U.S. and play this peyote prayer. While visiting a friend's site tonight, I happened to stumble across it. I can't help but grace this page and share it with you.(I bit the video from youtube...)In translation from Lakota to English:Wani wachiyelo Ate omakiyayo (Father help me I want to live)Atay nimichikun (Father you have done this)Oshiya chichiyelo (Humbly have pity on me)Wani wachiyelo Atay omakiyayo (Father help me I want to live)Wani wachiyelo Atay (Father I want to live)Sam Slovick is the name of the man who brought this song back to my memory. He also writes a great blog, The Cure List: An enlightened discussion of effective healers and healing practices from around the world.
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Friday, July 17, 2009
Rehab is the New Black
Over the past seven months, I have witnessed new, promising and deep, although sometimes painful changes in my physicality. My understanding of the human anatomy and reconditioning it has broadened widely during my time here.When a person sustains a spinal cord injury, the body, in response to shock, begins to retreat inward. In a state of protection, it slowly draws the tendons, nerves and muscles into the position it knew while in the mother's womb. The fingers and hands clench. Shoulders or ankles may slightly bow inward. Spasms may trigger the knees to pull up into the chest and also the hips to slightly tighten. There's more and unfortunately their actions are less than spectacular. Fortunately however, my treatments are releasing a great deal of this tension and bound-up tissue. I am drastically more comfortable in my body.At treatment I often find myself face down on the adjustment table, dropping into a deep focus and observation of the methods used on each limb. While treating the spinal column, I sense the nerves branching off the spinal cord to be in a state of revival. This is an opportunity to deepen the connection; speaking to my body in this language older than words. I experience the tendons lengthening, the breaking up of adhesions and even somewhat corrugated muscles, all while gradually awakening the central nervous system and moving spinal fluid sufficiently throughout the cord while doing so. My body is coming alive.I am grateful for the lightness I am feeling throughout my body. The movement, the motion of spirit within, flows with greater ease. My range of motion has expanded and the motions in which I can move requires less effort. In result, I am experiencing a shift in my endurance as it requires less energy to move in these open ranges. In conjunction to greater endurance, my diaphragmatic muscle and lung capacity expands. This greater intake of oxygen is considerably helpful.Indeed my muscles are growing stronger, slowly as muscles do, and I have to behave patient as they do so. There is a pattern of two steps forward, one step back. The body can only support, as I have been informed, a millimeter of nerve growth a day. I honor that with a slight Ugh. At the least, I am on my feet 25 minutes a day, occasionally an hour. My posture as I stand continues to show improvement, as does my sturdiness. Often areas of my body grows sore, which for a long time was not the case. The reason being that with a spinal cord injury, the central nervous system often fatigues before the muscles have an opportunity to. This soreness displays an improving nerve to muscle connection and deeper layers of muscles growing. This is all a much greater amount of stimulation and growth than my body had received over the previous three years. I have to bring myself to rest quite often.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
See Me Speak
Posted by Teresita at 6:33 PM 0 comments
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Art Interlude
I am an entrant in an art competition hosted by Volkswagen in Washington, DC next week. The entry is submitted via online. Here is a peek, with the exception of the art narrative and essay also required. Additional pieces are available for viewing at www.teresitastudios.com.personal statement: "The works I create extend far beyond any limitation within my physicality. They are conduits of my soul and self-expression, exhibiting love and life without end."Things We Love2008A mixed-media piece, Things We Love marks an era of transformational grief. Beginning at the center with a spiritual foundation and core, the painting grows outward portraying my Native American ancestery, love, music, a disability, and the human body. Things We Love, trimmed with gold, is nearly a self-portrait.Abuela Espiritu2009Sprung from a soulful experience with indigenous healing, Abuela Espiritu captures a tranquil setting of the Amazon Rainforest. This painting represents the pristine and sacred qualities of nature; while floral and bright colors illuminate, emphasizing life-force and organic strengths created from within. Angel Wings II2008 In this painting a palette of predominately warm colors is set behind the universally-recognized angel wings. The background hosts imagery of a windblown horizon in result of the wings' flutter. Angel Wings II displays an epoch of spiritual expression.Flora Peruana2009Flora Peruana is the first painting in a series influenced by a street vendor's array of foreign flowers. The original florals' liveliness and vibrancy rings wild in this piece, portraying my experience of nature and cultural beauty.
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Manos Que Curan II
*Doctora (Dra.) is simply the feminine form for doctor, in Spanish.Over the past few weeks, I have begun working solely with Dra.* Laura at Manos Que Curan. Treatments now include work on the cranial area. Ohhh... slightly painful in moments. Incredibly powerful nonetheless, as Doctora treats the skull lining and nerves around the head, triggering nuero messages down the spinal cord while doing so. I can feel them run their track, lighting up peripheral nerves, until it reaches the base of the cord. Activate, revive, renew... this is the pattern during sessions. For example, treat an area underneath the scapula and I feel the electric current run down my fingers. Trigger an area underneath the tricep and nerves fire down the spine, to the leg, the sciatic nerve and out the foot. These are quick, strong impulses showing life revitalize throughout the body. Simultaneously, I look to it and through it, visualizing the nerves receiving manipulation and growth. Treatments are aerobic activity for the central nervous system.Dra. Laura has introduced a new style of creams as well. The ingredients come from Mexico, some which are flowers that bloom only once a year. This is the same blend of ingredients Dra. was treated with years ago, after she sustained quadriplegia. I am the only client she uses these particular creams on, within all three of her clinics.I stand daily. On a strong day, I reach 40 minutes continuously on my feet. The girls help me walk each day as well, roughly 100-200 feet each time around. There is much focus on my low back-low abdomen-hip flexor, the regions of my body needing most work. My right side holds up the sturdiest. I identify with the memory and normalcy of the body's fluid motion, although in moments of fatigue I admit to feeling like a fish out of water. A variety of other exercises weasel in throughout the week.If you have ever noticed, I often wear orthotics to support and prevent injury to my ankles and knees. I am now outgrowing them! Slowly, my calf muscles are developing larger then the braces' original mold. So exciting! It could still take six months until I am able to wean off of them... this will be determined upon the rate my lower back strengthens.
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Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Twitter me
I signed the Peruvian Project up on Twitter...http://twitter.com/PeruProject
Posted by Teresita at 4:45 PM 2 comments
Gratitude
I extend endless gratitude to each of you and all financial contributions received last month and over time. Your generosity, encouragement and endless support is deeply heartfelt. I thank you, I thank you, I thank you.
Posted by Teresita at 4:43 PM 0 comments
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About me
Teresita
Peru
OneLove infested peacock spending time with fellow butterflies. Age 26, most often painting, reading, stretching, finding peace in peanut butter or sweating out my prayers, with God. I am a survivor. An ayahuasca indulging, tipi honoring and pachamama serving Beautiful Nerd on a mission to shed paralysis. View my complete profile
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