Ask Yourself Why? Why for COVID-19?

I have a hard question to ask you.

Regardless of your stance: 

Whether you think the virus is wild, man made, Bill Gates vaccine agenda, or just coincidence… 

Whether you are for the Stay At Home Order, or protesting and defying the SAHO… 

Whether you totally trust the MSM and government, or think they can’t be trusted…

We could argue, split hairs etc.  Let’s not though. 

Right now, I ask you: Why is COVID19 the thing that got the world to shut down? 

Is shutting down the world for months the best way to handle a virus that has an over 95% survival rate at its onset & that mainly effects the same populations as any other spreadable illness (elderly, immunocompromised, etc). 

The US alone has been through a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, World Wars I & II, 9/11, Smallpox, Measles, The Spanish Flu, and Polio!

In none of those incidents did we shut down the entire US Economy. 

But right now, for the first time, free citizens are isolating ourselves and accepting decrees more stringent than ever in US history. Not only in the US, but globally… for COVID19.

Why for COVID19?

There is true and real suffering that is going on right now directly and indirectly related to this novel virus. Every life is sacred. Every death is sacred. There are healthcare providers and advocates pouring their hearts-minds-souls into addressing this historically profound global crisis. 

Simultaneously, there are other preventable global crises that take millions of lives year after year. Of course there are many viruses. Some very deadly. Yet, this singular virus is the sole reason our national and global governments are claiming we need to take drastic measures because they care so much about our health. I want to believe this is true. I want to believe our governments care this much about our health.  

Let’s look at the biggest existing and preventable killers of humans in the world. Let’s ask why such drastic measures are being taken for this one virus. Let’s ask why NOT for these other killers. We could have been saving exponentially more people for years with less drastic measures than are being taken right now. And with these less drastic measures, our global population would be able to handle this and other viruses with far fewer symptoms and deaths.  And no need to shut down the world.

Tobacco cigarettes are still for sale amidst a global pandemic attacking the respiratory system. Nicotine kills 7 million people every year.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these products are the leading cause of preventable death IN THE WORLD. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/problem/toll-global  

The whole economy could stay open, except the tobacco industry and anyone making money off of these people being sick and dying, and we’d save 7 million people.

Why not shut down cigarette businesses 

for 7 million people who die from smoking tobacco every year?

Why have we shut down the world for COVID19?

Even though the WHO says cigarettes are the leader, according to a study conducted by the Seattle based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) titled 'Global Burden of Disease’; junk food is killing even more people than smoking tobacco.  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/eating-junk-food-is-killing-people-more-than-smoking-finds-a-study/photostory/69202527.cms?picid=69202655

So…

If the governments care about our health, why have they not shut down fast food restaurants and producers of highly processed junk foods with no nutritional value and known disease-causing ingredients? This ‘food’ is even served inside our hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. Much less every grocery store in the world 

Why are these products not only allowed, but promoted widely, when junk food kills 11 million people every year? Why are we dolling out these toxins when malnutrition and obesity put us at higher risks for complications and death when contracting a virus, and a myriad of other diseases?   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190403193702.htm

Why not shut down junk food business 

for 11 million people who die from eating junk food every year?

Why have we shut down the world for COVID19?

Here’s one that will be a hard pill for many to swallow. But let’s try. 

According to the WHO, alcohol kills 3 million people per year. WHO says one in 20 deaths worldwide was linked to harmful drinking. And global consumption is predicted to rise in the next decade.  https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/alcohol-related-deaths-1.4833011   

During this global shutdown, the liquor stores are open. 

Why haven’t we shut those down right now? 

Why not for 3 million people who die from alcohol every year? 

Why have we shut down the world for COVID19?

We could keep the entire economy open, except alcohol, cigarette, and junk food producers and sellers…  give all of those people jobs on organic farms that replace the spaces those mega-toxic-dangerous industries take up with health-giving products,  

and save a MINIMUM of 21 million people every year.  

Why not make some big changes for 21 million people every single year 

without having to shut down the whole world?

Why have we shut down the world for COVID19? 

How many people are going to die from COVID19, even combined with every other cold & flu induced infection this year?  Next year? The year after that?  How many died with any virus as cause of death on average last year?  Hint… not 21 million.  According to the CDC, the common flu kills up to 290,000-650,000/year. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1213-flu-death-estimate.html 

Everyone of these lives is sacred. Their lives and deaths each have a powerful lesson that I hope will help us learn to reduce or avoid such tragedies in the future. Based on history and current events, our odds are not looking good. This virus is now in the general population to stay, along with dozens of others. Some more dangerous, some less. Hundreds of thousands will continue to die every year with a virus as the primary recorded cause of death. But the odds of death for alcohol, nicotine, and junk food addicts are infinitely worse. 

Even for those with a virus labeled as the cause of death… how many of these deaths had cofactors? How many of these people (for example) regularly drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, &/or ate junk food? How many were immunologically fragile for a myriad of reasons, and risked death if they had gotten a bad strain of flu? How many could have likely reduced or avoided symptoms, much less death if they had practiced better hygiene (wash hands regularly, cover coughs/sneezes with something other than our hands, etc). Wouldn’t they have been more likely to recover from the flu if they had not had regular alcohol, cigarettes, &/or junk food?  What if they also had free basic healthcare, and a fair working wage, and lived in an economy that prioritized services and products that promoted a healthy planet and people?  

So… if we nixed alcohol, cigarettes, junk food, and improved education and access for basic hygiene practices… we’d probably keep a whole bunch of those 650,000 people alive, along with any others dying with viral infections like COVID19 as part of their co-factors. As a bonus, we would save at least 21 MILLION others too!  

The world has been through major wars and pandemics.

We never shut down the entire world for months, much less suggested total draconian measures like mandated long-term social distancing, microchipping, and inoculation.   

Why are we handing over our rights, minimizing or all-out-excluding any natural medical solutions, isolating ourselves, keeping alcohol/tobacco/junk-food businesses open, and letting huge swaths of our global economy crash… 

for COVID19?  

Honestly, I do have some theories, but I don’t know why.

I don’t want to be a ‘conspiracy theorist’. Really, I want someone to tell me why, that doesn’t involve a conspiracy. 

Because here I am, sheltering in place, wearing a mask to get groceries, with nearly no income and all the same bills coming in. 

Hands-on naturally-based healthcare practices have been decimated. I have a clinical doctoral degree and am a medical professional with 20 years of healthcare experience. I am trained to diagnose and treat from classical medical perspectives that have been navigating viruses for 3,000+ years. This in addition to working with all health issues.

Our state, national, and global healthcare and government systems opted for a global shut down to deal with a novel virus with a likely less than .5% mortality rate (if you factor in all the people who have not been tested). They are doing this without calling in natural medical practitioners to work the front-lines. Rather, they are shutting us down almost entirely. I mean, this part is nothing new. But at least we found ways to operate within the system, even if on its fringes. 

They are barely even looking at our herbal formulas, acupuncture protocols, yoga and qi gong movement practices, etc. Things that have shown to be extremely effective both preventatively and curatively for respiratory diseases, including COVID19.  https://classicalchinesemedicine.org/a/clinical/

And I am just wondering… WHY?  

Why are we shutting down natural medical research and treatment for COVID19, while we ramp up pharmaceutical research and treatment at lightening speed?  

And more importantly, why are we NOT shutting down services that directly contribute to 21,000,000 or more preventable deaths every year? 

I didn’t even mention children dying from hunger, or people dying just because of inadequate access to clean water, etc, etc, etc

Because those are tougher problems to tackle.  

Although I think we could have done it with less expense than is going to go into treating and recovering from this pandemic. 

But I’ll leave it at simply looking at alcohol, cigarettes, & junk food…  verses a novel virus with an extremely low mortality rate right out of the gate. 

People… I know it is scary. I know we need to be careful (full-of-care) with each other through this crisis. As always, it is important to protect and care for the more vulnerable among us. I know the major government bodies and MSM are sure this is a novel virus pandemic worthy of these severe measures. It certainly seems that social distancing mandates are working their way into the fabric of our long-term public lives, as is most likely a large-scale attempt to microchip and inoculate every citizen. I also know that no matter how things go from here, many of us have seemingly insurmountable challenges to face in how we will survive, and certainly how we will even remotely find our ways back into a flow within our material circumstances.  

What I don’t know is why didn’t this forced shift come earlier, and in more gentle ways for the global economy? Why didn’t the global focus on radical healthcare measures come through implementing restrictions and shut-downs for only the top three PREVENTABLE killers of humans on the planet? Measures that would also exponentially help increase the recovery rates from viruses.  

Why for COVID19, and not for the tens of millions who die easily preventable deaths year after every single year? 

I can not tell you why. No one will ever be able to definitively tell us why.

What I can tell you, is that cutting regular use of alcohol, smoking tobacco (and I’ll add using those toxic liquid vape pens), and eliminating junk food… and practicing basic good hygiene will save infinitely more lives than this virus is going to take.  

Exercising, having access to clean water and food, getting out in nature, and having healthy social networks in the real world, reducing screen time, and developing relationships with naturally-based healthcare practitioners will exponentially improve health outcomes across the board. Why not just give these things a try even, before shutting down the world, and certainly before all these draconian measures that are putting some of the healthiest among us in precarious long term situations, much less those in various disenfranchised demographics. 

Whatever your opinions on how this moment is being handled on a global scale, at least ask WHY it is happening.  Then, ask what you are doing to help flatten the curves that have been rising unremittingly for decades; killing our loved ones in the order of tens of millions every year, now including the several hundred thousand dying right now with a COVID virus in their bodies. 

I asked hard questions here. One that likely none of us can definitively answer. That makes it even more important to ask.

Healthcare is often a practice of solving mysteries. I often feel like a detective. I specialize in building stronger immune systems, and treating addictions and trauma. Many of my patient-students have complex cases and conditions. Most of us do when we get down to it.

Whether you need support with a viral health issue, or any health issue, I am here to support you using all of the skills I have acquired through decades and thousands of hours of study and practice.

I have been offering remote consultations for years. So, no matter where you are, if you would like my support, I will be with you every vital breath of the way!

I am happy to consult, compliment, and support conventional MDs and healthcare practitioners and their patients. I am happy to help you regardless of your beliefs, as long as you believe there is a place for natural healthcare measures in your life, and the lives of all humans on this planet. 

If you are a healthcare professional, you may be interested in integrating yoga and other asian bodywork therapies into your practices that are needed now more than ever. I would love to help you do that. 

Thank you to all who took your precious time to read this long essay. It only shares one small part of my thoughts at this time. I hope though, that it gives some perspective and inspiration for how we can work together to be healthier, and help millions of others live more vitally.

In Service to Health,

Dr G

www.TheLotusWay.org

OpenMindsHardQuestions.jpg

13 Tips To Take To Heart

What you do now and everyday onward will dictate whether you have only a relatively mild case that quickly resolves, or struggle with more severe symptoms.

I specialize in preventative and natural medicine and chronic immune related issues. So, I’m not on the ‘frontlines’ with this pandemic.

I’m who you were hopefully working with before this, and if you do not currently have a URI, I am who can help you greatly reduce your risks of this and other factors affecting your health going forward.

I’ve been offering remote/virtual consultations for years. So, please reach out for individual support... or support for your household. Schedule yours now HERE.

Here are 13 tips that I hope you will take to heart:

Read more

Creating Strong, Healthy Community and Immunity

For the last few decades, if we had all been doing the BASIC healthcare practices we need to be doing right now to address this particular virus, millions of lives would have been saved.

So, let’s start doing these things - and keep doing them - to get through this one, and start taking our health more seriously going forward.  

Let’s let this be a wake up call. Seriously… while we focus on the issue of the moment with great care… let’s focus on the long game for once too.  Make the long-term changes in your diets, lifestyles, and communities that will reduce the numbers of all the things that are killing us. 

Hysteria will help no one. 

But if we are going to be hysterical - why have we not been so around the leading, preventable, and reversible causes of illness and diseases that kill millions of people every year?  MILLIONS

Right now we are freaking out over a new viral strain that will now be in circulation with hundreds of other existing viruses (some more and some less dangerous than this one). 

Even if this one is ‘more’ dangerous than the flu. Why haven’t we been addressing the flu virus with as much attention nationally and globally?  

Look at the numbers:

  • The influenza virus is the 8th leading cause of death in the US.

  • EVERY YEAR, it kills 30-60,000 people. 

  • The majority of those people got flu vaccines.

But the people who are dying from viruses almost always have poor diets and are not exercising regularly and doing other preventative medical practices. 

HEALTHY PEOPLE GET SICK. 

IT IS NORMAL TO GET VIRAL AND BACTERIAL INFECTIONS. 

OUR SYSTEMS WERE MADE TO INTERACT WITH THESE THINGS AND FIGHT THEM. 

When new ones come around, we must carefully learn to interact with them, and build our immune systems to learn to successfully fight them.  

This one causes Upper Respiratory Infection. 

So, RESPIRATORY HEALTH IS PARAMOUNT! 

If you are generally healthy and symptom free, and not in an area with high infection rates:

Be aware that if you engage with people with any contagions, you can still be carrying around and transmitting the contagions. So, be conscientious of your hygiene, especially if you are coming within 6 feet of anyone who is immuno-compromised in any way (this includes newborns who’s immune systems are still developing, and elderly people in general). 

Pay attention to lifestyle practices that build and maintain healthy immunity. These practices may be different for each of us depending on many variables: location, finances, access to preventative care from physicians, access to organic foods and clean water, work environment, geographic location (hot, cold, damp, dry, pollution, etc), etc. 

So, find healthcare providers who are well versed on your area’s circumstances, and who practice implementing INDIVIDUALIZED healthcare protocols that address your specific needs. 

  • Relax… and do things that help you relax. Stress lowers immunity.

  • Exercise… at home and in nature.  EVERY DAY.  Move your body.

  • BREATHE… Conscious breath work is vital!

Deep breathing exercises. If you have not studied breath work, find teachers who specialize in this type of work and get committed to practices that connect the mind, body, and breath in a very serious way. I can not emphasize the importance of this work enough. It is what is missing in our educational and healthcare systems, and specifically builds healthy RESPIRATION.  Kind of important for preventing and treating an respiratory disease, don’t you think?!!

KEY INITIAL SYMPTOM OF COVID-19:  

DIFFICULTY HOLDING BREATH FOR 10+ SECONDS

Realize that if you have not been doing breath hold practices, this might be hard even for someone without this virus!  So, start practicing this now. So you can notice if/when your abilities are reduced.  Bonus… you will improve your general respiration and health! 

If you are generally healthy and in an area with high infection rates:

Do all of the things above AND minimize your exposure to infected people.

Get tested, just like we do anytime we think we might have exposed ourselves to a disease. And be mindful during the incubation window of whatever disease you were exposed to, until you get test results or are out of that time window and have no symptoms.  

If you are not in generally good health…

I, nor anyone, should give you medical advice over social media. So… get in touch with me for an individual consultation and I will be happy to work with you on preventative measures that will best suit your circumstances.  

But in the least, do all the things mentioned for healthy people, and do everything you can to develop strong, healthy relationships with healthcare practitioners that will help you navigate your existing conditions, and then who will be able to jump on any new issues that might arise for you.  

Other general tips for healthy respiration and minimizing risk of being impacted by this particular infection:

  • Sit with a straight spine, chin slightly lifted. Take a deep full inhale (fill chest and belly), hold for 10+ seconds… then even longer exhale.

    • Do no more than 5 of these in a row. Then resume natural breath.

    • Do this several times every day.

  • Avoid processed foods (including homogenized/pasteurized dairy products), refined sugars, alcohol, and inflammatory foods. 

  • Eat nutrient dense, natural, whole foods.

  • Get regular exercise and rest.  Yoga, qigong, meditation, time in nature, good sleep, etc. 

  • Take immune system boosters: Vitamin C, zinc, elderberry (if you are sure you don’t have a URI), other herbs and boosters that your doctor recommends best for YOU.

  • This should go without saying… NO SMOKING OF ANYTHING.

  • Drink clean water and herbal teas that specifically support healthy respiration and moisturization of the throat.   IE:   Breath Easy and Throat Coat are great options and readily available.  They even have versions that add immune boosters.  

  • Stock up on high quality throat lozenges… I like Golden Lotus cough drops. You can buy them in bulk online. These moisturize and tonify the airways and make it difficult for viruses to ‘latch on’ and make their way into the lungs. 

COVID19 is a cold-phlegm disease.  If it goes unchecked and un or mis treated… it  congeals in the lungs and causes suffocation symptoms.  

Physicians using acupuncture and Chinese herb formulas to treat individuals based on the various symptoms each one is presenting with, are having great success treating this virus.  

If you have any other questions, please schedule an online consultation through this link:   

https://go.oncehub.com/BookDrG

*Free 15-minute consultations are only for answering questions about my rates and service offerings. They are not for diagnosing or treating individual issues. 

If you know you want my support, please book a 30-minute consulation, or a 60-minute session if you want a consult and to begin doing the work and practices that I feel will support you best.  

Now, please, literally take a DEEP BREATH… In… and… Out. Then take a few more.

Then get in touch if I can support you in any other way.  

Otherwise, focus on being as healthy as possible and staying as calm as possible.

And thinking of how you can make major changes in our life and community so we are all healthier and living more sustainably with each other.  This really is the best thing we can all do right now. So we reduce or even eliminate the issues that we feel so threatened by right now.

Viruses are real. This one isn’t going away. More will come. So will wars, and natural disasters. Let’s let this be an opportunity to wake up and start living like we realize this.

And create lives that reduce the chances of these things, or at least minimize their impacts on us.  

In Service, 

In Love,

Heather

aka ‘Dr G’

What Is Eastern Medicine?

Basic History of Asian Medicine Systems

‘Asian Medicine’ covers A LOT of history, lineages, practices, and systems of healing modalities. This is a very general overview to convey the basic and common roots of the major systems that arose from this large and diverse part of the world that we generally refer to as ‘Asia’.

We are referring to the medical systems that have been practiced and evolved mainly out of China and India.

The two main categories of Asian Medicines are ‘Chinese Medicine’ and ‘Yoga and Ayurveda’. Asian Medicine is a broad concept that covers roughly 3,000 years of history (at least 2,000 years with documented/written history) and includes medical practices that have been practiced widely and sometimes exclusively in many Asian countries.

Chinese Medicine evolved on the eastern side of the Himalayas. Its teachings and practices have been used in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, South and North Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Tibet, Nepal, and many others.  

Yoga and Ayurveda were the lineages that evolved on the south side of the Himalayas and have roots in India, Tibet, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, and other Asian countries.  

These Classical philosophical and medical systems developed independently of Modern/Western medicine for thousands of years and were responsible for treating every disease that arose. 

The historical roots of these medicines are based on living in harmony and balance with the natural world. Even as civilizations evolved, these systems advised that we look at individuals and our cultures and take caution with anything that disconnects us from Nature's cycles and systems. 

These CLASSICAL ASIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS all have one main thing in common: they embrace an approach to treating physical/mental/emotional well being that acknowledges a numinous aspect of life.

We can call this numinous aspect ‘spirit’ or ‘energy’ or ‘qi’ or ‘prana’ or even ‘God’.

Over time, these systems were influenced by regional/cultural influences such as Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other philosophical and/or religious systems. But the fundamental tenant of these medicines is that man is a part of Nature. There is a numinous/spiritual aspect to Nature. The microcosm of an individual person is a reflection of the macrocosm of the world or even universe that we live in.

When we see ourselves as a microcosm in this way, we realize how important it is to care for our internal and external environments in a way that restores ‘natural’ order and flow. In order to ‘see’ this connection, these Classical systems have extremely refined ways of seeing our physiology in connection with the natural elements that we (and all things) are composed of.

Understanding the movement of these elements in our physical bodies requires seeing beyond the purely physical. This can be difficult to understand until you study and experience the teachings behind these systems. However, once you sincerely begin working with Classically trained physicians, it is difficult to deny the benefits of integrating these ‘ways of seeing and being’ into our modern lives. 

Asian Medicines are comprehensive systems rooted in these common beliefs in natural and spiritual approaches to healing. They evolved and diversified over time (depending on which side of the Himalayan Mountain Range they trickled up or down). We often refer to them as ‘Eastern Medicine’.

Another term to honor whole-medical systems that are rooted in Asia and have been intact and in use for more than 2,000 years is ‘Classical Asian Medicines’. These Classical systems developed independently of ‘Western’ or ‘Modern’ medicine for more than 3,000 years. In the past 300 years, these Classical systems became influenced by Modern/Western sciences and medicines.  Modern medicines are exciting, and young. Integrating the best of the Classical systems with the best of the Modern is likely the best opportunity we have at this time in the evolution of healthcare. 

The Lotus Way focuses on studying, teaching, and practicing with Classically trained physician-teachers who are also well trained and versed in Modern sciences and medicines.

Classical Asian Medicines are based on: cultivating naturally focused and spiritually-centered communities, meditative & martial arts (such as asana yoga, qi gong/tai ji), herbal medicine, bodywork (like acupuncture, massage & bone setting), and dietary therapies. 

Modifying Diet and Lifestyle for an individual’s health are considered the superior medicines. If a physician can cure dis-ease through guiding a patient-student to adopt diet and lifestyle changes that are optimal for their constitutions and current symptoms, that person acquires the skills and abilities to heal themselves and maintain their health, and then help others in their lives to do the same.  

Another foundational concept in Classical Asian Medicines is Preventative Medicine. Historically, a Classical physician-teacher was paid a retainer to help keep people healthy. As long as the patient-students studied and practiced as prescribed, if someone became sick, the physician would not get paid again until the patient’s health returned. Surgery was a part of Classical medicines (until Western sciences evolved and monopolized this field). Surgery was seen as an inferior medicine. If physicians had to resort to surgery, this was considered the most inferior type of medicine. If they had done their job, there would have been no need for surgery! A physician was ‘holistic’, and able to treat all physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual dis-eases at any stage. The masters however, prevented dis-ease.

Practicing medicine in Classical ways is challenging. Our healthcare systems are dominated by Western medicines which heavily focus the on manipulating the physical, and have very little to do with restoring balance with nature (‘naturally’). Modern medicine has also compartmentalized medical specialties which makes ‘wholistic’ treatment difficult. This is true now even with modern Asian medicine systems. The style of Chinese Medicine that is exclusively practiced in the People’s Republic of China today, for example, is not Classical at all. It is termed ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ or TCM. This communized version of the Classical medicines is extremely simplified, censored, and westernized. Some of the most significant teachings and practices were removed. TCM was brought to the US in 1971. It is still the most prevalent style of Chinese Medicine taught and practiced in the United States. Thanks to scholars and practitioners who kept the Classical texts and ways alive (often at great risk to themselves and their families), we now have more access to the full repertoire of medicines. More understanding and support of these Classical systems is happening both in the Chinese and Modern medical schools. Classical Yoga and Ayurveda schools and practitioners are also difficult to come by. But they are out there!

This is an exciting time in history, whether you are a patient-student and/or a physician-teacher. It is a time where we can study and practice teachings that have served humans for thousands of years to live long vital lives, and recover from the most serious diseases.

Practices that help people live and even die more peacefully. Ways that support communities to live in harmony with each other and with nature.  Using these Classical systems can reduce our dependency on pharmaceuticals and surgeries, especially if our pharmacists and surgeons get on board!  

The goal is for us all to be healthier, spend less money on healthcare, and use as few drugs, surgeries, and even herbal formulas, and needles as possible. This is more possible when we INTEGRATE our services and work together… all physicians, all patients…. and become teachers and students too.  

I hope this history lesson gives you an idea of what the future of medicine can be!

-Dr. G.

January News from The Lotus Way

2020 is shaping up to be an epic year for this organization, our services, and the community that is taking root and blossoming.

Spiritual Director
Dr Heather Gail George
970-209-6723

Membership & Student Services
Melissa Romano
304-476-2002

In this month’s Newsletter:
 I.     www.TheLotusWay.org is becoming a WV 501c3!
II.    An invitation to connect, align, flow, and grow The Lotus Way
III.    Wednesday class and Satsang times (some available live/online)
IV.    Dr. G’s schedule, available services, and ways to book with herI. Worshiping and Serving the Body, Mind, and Spirit as Divine.

I. The Lotus Way 

A phenomenal community of Spiritually centered practitioners and scholars has been growing around The Lotus Way since its formation in 2001. We have roots in Colorado, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and West Virginia. As of 2020, The Lotus Way is nourishing its original vision and becoming a 501c3. We are establishing places to worship, study, and practice the healing sciences and arts that are integral to our beliefs. We are building a community, a healthcare ministry, a school, and eventually a residential retreat center and farm.

Nature is our God/Goddess. 
Love is our religion. 
Our bodies are our temples. 

Melissa will be sending out an email to anyone interested in the details and application process for our 800-1020 hour certified Yoga Health Educator & Therapist (c-YHET / c-IAYT) program launching this Spring.  This will be our flagship training and an ideal certification for any healthcare professional to integrate into your professional services. So please get in touch with her to be added to that email list.

Join This List

II. An Invitation

If you long to be connected in a diverse multi-generational community that acknowledges Spiritual growth as a necessary component of ALL things; where learning and practicing healthy ways of living in balance with nature and each other is essential, then we welcome you to join us as we grow. There are many ways to begin getting involved in little and big ways. We are here and look forward to hearing from you, meeting with you, and having you join us as we connect, align, flow, and grow The Lotus Way.

III. Community Classes & Gatherings 

Most Wednesdays we will gather at 5:45pm for Dr G’s community Yoga Nidra + Acupunture class at The Mind Body Center in Cheat Lake. There is only room for 20 people to attend the class (so please book in advance using this link). At 6:45 you can join us in person or online for Satsang.

We will chant, discuss our community’s growth and cultivate our practices. In order to join us for this and other services, please make sure you like the The Lotus Way’s general Facebook page, And become a member of our Satsang group.

Book Wednesday Evening

IV. Dr. G’s Services

If you are an individual, a group, or an organization that could benefit from working with Dr G to integrate the wisdom of our most ancient sciences and healing arts with all that this modern world offers, she is happy to offer herself through speaking engagements, as a ceremony officiant, and of course through private and small group sessions and retreats. In order to meet your needs where ever you are, she provides in-person and hands-on sessions as well as remote consultations.

Click here to book, or call/email for her availability to travel for lectures/presentations.


Book Session with Dr. G.

The lotus, a universal symbol in the East (its symbolism is taken on by the lily and sometimes the rose in the West) is “the flower that was in the Beginning, the glorious lily of the Great Waters… that wherein existence comes to be and passes away.” It is both yin and yang and contains within itself the balance of the two powers; it is solar as blooming in the sun and lunar as rising from the dark of the waters of pre-cosmic chaos. As the combination of air and water it symbolizes spirit and matter; its roots bedded in the darkness of the mud depict indissolubility; its stem, the umbilical cord of life, attaches man to his origins and is also a world axis; rising through the opaque waters of the manifest world, the leaves and flowers reach and unfold in the air and sunlight, typifying potentiality in the bud and spiritual expansion and realization in the flower; its seeds, moving on the waters are creation. The lotus is associated with the wheel both as the solar matrix and the sun-wheel of cycles of existence. Iamblichus calls it perfection, since its leaves, flowers, and fruit form the circle. As lunar-solar, yin-yang, the lotus is also the androgyne, the self-existent. It has an inexhaustible symbolism in Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism alike. Again it appears as both solar and lunar associated with sun gods such as Surya and lunar goddesses such as Lakshmi; solar with Amitabha and lunar with Kwan-yin and androgynous in Kwannon. The lotus is the Golden Flower of Taoism, the crystallization and experience of light, the Tao. While on the spiritual level it represents the whole of birth, growth, development, and potentiality, on the mundane level it depicts the scholar-gentleman who comes in contact with mud and dirty water but is uncontaminated by it. Apart from its almost endless symbolism, the lotus is a flower of great beauty and highly evocative; as Osvald Sirén says, a sheet of lotus blossom “emanates a peculiar magic, an atmosphere that intoxicates like fragrant incense and lulls like the rhythms of a rising and falling mantra.”  Jean Cooper ‘The Symbolism of the Taoist Garden

Better to wish to Grow, than wish to Know.

Monkey Mind

“This man, on one hand, believes that he knows something, while not knowing (anything). On the other hand, I — equally ignorant — do not believe (that I know anything)”   Plato 

Monkey Mind is our desire to know… to control.

It’s our egos running the show… futilely attempting to gain control of ‘our’ lives.

But it isn’t ‘our life’! It is simply LIFE!  

We are a part of a dynamic system of ebbs and flows.

Certainly, we have some ‘control’ over a relatively small aspect of that system.   But it is better to think of that ‘free will’ part of our role as a ‘contribution’ rather than focusing on how we might use our precious time and energies to ‘control’ it.

When we refocus our energies and time on ways we might be able to contribute to it… we cease to separate ourselves from the big picture and instead begin to develop a deeper connection to it.

Life becomes expansive, the mind rejoices in opportunity to work in conjunction with all of the energies outside of our selves.

Wishing to know and control… our minds must separate, isolate, contract.

We become like a gerbil (or monkey) trapped in a cage with only a little wheel to spin out our energies. Look at the pace of the modern world: Lots of gerbils, racing away on our wheels, in our little cages. 

Step out of that box… go sit in stillness with nature and breathe deeply until you find some level of connection to the earth and the air both inside and outside of ‘you’. And when your mind starts looking for that gerbil wheel to race in… bring your attention back to your breath (the air) and your body (the earth) and focus your thoughts on your deep desire and wish to grow.

In time, knowing anything will feel so much less important. And the best part of this practice is that you will probably begin to know more than ever.  And most certainly, you will grow.     

And that is The Lotus Way.

Connect, Align, Flow, and Grow.

The Endocannabinoid System: A Beginners Guide to Supplementing with Cannabis

Hopefully you read the first in this series of blog entries on the Endocannabinoid System.  If not, do check it out:  The Endocannabinoid System: 101

Now we are moving on with some more details in Part II of this series. I’m going to include the link to the site where I am guest-blogging for one of the best dispensaries in the country, Urban Pharmacy PDX.

Margo is an owner at Urban Pharmacy and co-authored this particular piece with me, as she is truly an expert on this plant. She is one of the most knowledgable people I know who has been working ‘on the ground’ with this plant for decades. She was one of the first dispensary owners in Oregon and has jumped all of the hurdles to ensure she is able to provide the best services to her customers. She understands the plant in its myriad of varieties, and has seen countless uses (and misuses) of various products in thousands of individuals over the years. I am proud to call her a colleague and friend. And honored to be doing this work along side such an amazing advocate and provider of plant-based medicine.

If you get really excited, she has already posted Part III in this series on her site.
And there is more where that came from, so stay tuned and please contact me if I can be of service in any way… The Lotus Way.

The Endocannabinoid System: A beginners Guide to Supplementing with Cannabis

Medical Marijuana

I am posting this paper that I wrote in my first year of medical school in honor of the great distance I have travelled since then in my studies and understanding of the cannabis plant, and then into the newest and oldest ways of looking not only at this plant, but at the systems that it has led me to learn about. The next few blogs I’ll be posting will be based on my recent work in this regard. So, I thought it both nostalgic and relevant to revisit this piece, as it contains some still very important information that continues to need disseminated. I have learned a great deal since I wrote this piece. For one thing, I stopped using the term marijuana that year. Please, read on and then stay tuned for more on cannabis, and beyond.

15 June 2014
Public Health Policy
Medical Marijuana
Research shows the marijuana plant offers high potentials for healing with low risks of use.

Cannabinoids (the active compounds in the marijuana plant) when consumed by humans, bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body causing significant pharmacological effects.1 Research has been showing this for decades. The US Government did not have control over the use of and profits associated with medical marijuana. The government chose to restrict/criminalize use of this plant as well as suppress and control research on its medical benefits. However, enough research and real life experiences have been documented to validate the low risks of use and the high potentials for healing this plant offers, warranting extensive study and medical use.
Historical use, research and government action all indicate the high potential and need for further research for the use of medial marijuana/cannabis. From 1850 to 1937, the U.S. Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for more than 100 separate illnesses or diseases. The Marijuana Tax Act was introduced in 1937. At this time, the American Medical Association (AMA) and drug companies testified against this act stating that cannabis was known to have great medical potential and had never caused any observable addictions or death by overdose. They also argued the importance of continued research believing it could be used in even more effective ways than had yet to be evidenced.2 Despite these and further attempts by the AMA and major universities, The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 ensured that ‘independent’ (read: university) research was suppressed and future independent studies were banned. Only American pharmaceutical companies were allowed to finance and judge any and all past and future research without any safeguarding regulations.3 In 1973 President Nixon created The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In the same year, hoping to prove marijuana caused cancer, Nixon requested studies be done at the Medical College of Virginia. To the contrary of his hopes, the study documented cannabinoid’s anti-tumor effects. This ‘Anti Cancer Activity of Cannabinoids’ study showed among other things that “delta-9-THC modifies other cell responses that may have greater biologic significance in that they have antineoplastic activity.”  (Inhibiting or preventing the growth and spread of tumors or malignant cells.) This study also said that “these compounds readily cross the blood-brain barrier and do not possess many of the toxic manifestations of presently used cytotoxic agents, makes them an appealing group of drugs to study.”4
Another demonstration of the medical value of cannabis are the government-owned patents on cannabinoids and attached research that state its effectiveness in treating cancers and other diseases. These patents substantiate the position that medical marijuana has promise and warrants further research. US Patent 6630507 states unequivocally that cannabinoids are useful in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases including: autoimmune disorders, stroke, trauma, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and HIV dementia. The patent, awarded in 2003, is based on research done by the National Institute of Health, and is assigned to the US Department of Health and Human Services.5  Another US Patent clearly states that “cannabinoids, including THC and cannabidiol (CBD) are able to promote the re-emergence of apoptosis so that some tumors will heed the signals, stop dividing, and die.”6 These facts make it difficult to rectify the government’s public stance against medical marijuana.  
In addition to the government history, research and patents on medical marijuana, there are many independent studies showing positive results in the use of cannabis for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Here is just one example:
Researchers at the University of Milan in Naples, Italy reported in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics that non-psychoactive compounds in marijuana inhibited the growth of glioma cells in a dose-dependent manner, and selectively targeted and killed malignant cells through apoptosis. “Non-psychoactive CBD (cannabidiol) produces a significant anti-tumor activity both in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting a possible application of CBD as an antineoplastic agent.”7 There are dozens of credible scientific journals that all share consistent conclusions that cannabis shrinks tumors and selectively targets cancer cells. This information is now readily available to the public on numerous websites, which cite legitimate studies.8
Opponents of the medical use of marijuana will remind us that it is illegal according to federal law, denounce its medical value and warn people of the dangerous ‘side effects’ of the use of cannabis such as respiratory damage, cardiovascular disease, impaired cognitive development, and mental illness.9
Research efforts have been extremely compromised since marijuana was completely outlawed in the Marijuana Tax Act of 193710. “Recruitment into studies of a drug currently classified as Schedule 1 in the US may be difficult due to the stigma attached or the additional burden placed on researchers.” 11 Despite government attempts to suppress the research and use of marijuana medically, there are dozens of studies showing that the side effects are minimal and temporary, especially when compared to the alternative conventional drugs and procedures used instead. “Reported adverse effects are typically not serious.”12 “No direct fatalities (overdoses) have been attributed to marijuana, even in recreational users of increasingly potent marijuana.” 11
When considering the medicinal potentials derived from the cannabis plant it is important to consider (without bias) the historical use and governmental regulations of marijuana, the US patents on its components and the independent research. This data supports the position that many researchers have concluded for several decades: The marijuana plant and many of its various components (especially the cannabinoids) show promising benefits for a myriad of medical conditions. In addition, evidence suggests that the potential side effects of marijuana, when used for medical purposes and in recommended forms and doses, are very low. This is especially evident when compared to other conventional drugs and treatments used for the same conditions. All of this information and research makes the various components of cannabis ‘an appealing group of drugs to study’2.
Works Cited
1. National Cancer Institute: PDQ® Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Date last modified 05/13/2014. Available at:http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional. Accessed 06/14/2014.
2. Guither P. Why is Marijuana Illegal? Drug Warrant. Available at: http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/. Accessed June 14, 2014.
3. Herer J. The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Chapter Six. AH HA Publishing; 12th edition. November 2010. Available at: http://www.jackherer.com/thebook/chapter-six/. Accessed June 14, 2014.
4. Munson AE, Harris LS, Friedman MA, et al. Anticancer Activity of Cannabinoids. Journal of the National Cancer Institue. September 1975; 55(3): 597-602. Available at: http://www.drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/cancer/THC_cancer_sep_1975.htm. Accessed June 14, 2014.
5. Hampson AJ, Axelrod J, Grimaldi M, et al. Inventors; The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, assignee. US patent 6,630,507. October 7, 2003. Available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph- Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrc hnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6630507.PN.&OS=PN/6630507&RS=PN/6630507. Accessed June 14, 2014.
6. Parolaro D, Massi P, Izzo AA, et al. Inventors; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Limited, Gw Pharma Limited, assignee. US patent 30130059018 A1. March 7, 2013. Available at: http://www.google.com/patents/US20130059018. Accessed June 14, 2014.
7. Massi et al. 2004. Antitumor effects of cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, on human glioma cell lines. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Fast Forward 308: 838-845.
8. Taillard M. 34 Medical Studies Proving Cannabis Cures Cancer. The Mind Unleashed. Dec 10, 2013. Available at: http://themindunleashed.org/2013/12/34-medical-studies- proving-cannabis-cures-cancer.html. Accessed 14 June, 2014.
9. Richter KP, Levy S. Big Marijuana – Lessons from Big Tobacco. New England Journal of Medicine. June 11, 2014; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1406074. Available at: http://www.nejm.org.ezproxy.ncnm.edu/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1406074 Accessed 14 June, 2014.
10. Full Text of the Marihuana Tax Act as passed in 1937. Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. 15 May, 2007. Available at: http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/mjtaxact.htm. Accessed 14 June, 2014.
11. Koppel BS, Brust JC, Fife T, et al. Systematic review: Efficacy and safety of medical marijuana in selected neurologic disorders. Neurology. April 2014; 82(1): 1556-1563. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000363. Available at: http://www.neurology.org/content/82/17/1556.long. Accessed June 19, 2014.
12. Borgelt LM, Franson KL, Nussbaum AM, et al. The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis. Pharmacolotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, Feb 2013; 33(2):195-209. DOI: 10.1002/phar.1187. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.ncnm.edu/pubmed/23386598. Accessed June 14, 2014. 

Bibliography:
1. Velasco G, Carracedo A, Biazquez C, et al. Cannabinoids and Gliomas. Mil Neurobiol. June 28, 2007; 36(1): 60-7. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650. Accessed June 14, 2014.
2. Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets: Cannabis/Marijuana. Available at: http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/cannabis.htm
3. Pharmaceutical Strength Marijuana. Aug 15, 2013. Available at: http://drsircus.com/medicine/pharmaceutical-strength-marijuana. Accessed June 14, 2014.
4. Medical Cannabis A Short Graphical History China. Available at: http://antiquecannabisbook.com/chap2B/China/China.htm. Accessed June 14, 2014.
5. Rose sd. Traditional Chinese Medicine: How Marijuana Has Been Used For Centuries. July 1, 2013. Available at: http://www.thenorthwestleaf.com/pages/articles/post/traditional- chinese-medicine-how-marijuana-has-been-used-for-centuries. Accessed June 14, 2014.
6. Walia A. The Top 4 Medical Studies That Prove Cannabis Can Cure Brain Cancer. Nov 3, 2013. Available at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/11/03/the-top-4-medical- studies-that-prove-cannabis-can-cure-brain-cancer/. Accessed June 14, 2014.
7. Blazquez C, Gonzalez-Feria L, Alvarex L, et al. Cannabinoids Inhibit the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Pathway in Gliomas. American Association of Cancer Research. June 10, 2004. Doi: 10.1158/0008-5472. CAN-03-3972. Available at: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/64/16/5617.long. Accessed June 14, 2014.
8. McKenna GJ. The Current Status of Medical Marijuana in the United States. Hawaii J Med Public Health. Apr 2014; 73(4): 105-108. PMC3998227. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.ncnm.edu/pmc/articles/PMC3998227/. Accessed June 14, 2014.
9. Webb CW and Webb SM. Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis: A Patient Survey. Hawaii J Med Public Health. Apr 2014; 73(4): 109-111. PMC3998228. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.ncnm.edu/pmc/articles/PMC3998228/. Accessed June 14, 2014.
10. Medical Marijuana. Available at: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org. Accessed June 14, 2014.
11. Mack A and Joy J. “Can Marijuana Help?” Marijuana As Medicine?: The Science Beyond the Controversy . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2000. Available at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9586. Accessed June 14, 2014.