I was able to heal my chronic pain using all natural techniques. Most of which I adopted after studying the Law of Attraction and the mind/body connection.
The following is a contribution to the Heroes of Healing Group Writing Project by Mokihana Calizar. Thank you Mokihana for sharing the inspirational work of Rachel Naomi Remen. The bottom of this post will share updates on where the Project is now.
Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. by Mokihana Calizar (who can be reached at ssvardo@gmail.com)
“Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the earliest pioneers in the mind/body holistic health movement and the first to recognize the role of the spirit in health and the recovery from illness. She is Co-Founder and Medical Director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program featured in the Bill Moyers PBS series, Healing and the Mind and has cared for people with cancer and their families for almost 30 years…She is also a nationally recognized medical reformer and educator who sees the practice of medicine as a spiritual path. In recognition of her work she has received several honorary degrees and has been invited to teach in medical schools and hospitals throughout the country. Her groundbreaking holistic curricula enable physicians at all levels of training to remember their calling and strengthen their commitment to serve life.”www.rachelremen.com
Rachel Naomi Remen is a master storyteller who finds the essence of humanness through her gifts as listener and teller.Her 54 year old personal history of Crohn's disease has woven a rich, authentic voice as a physician, teacher and healer of self.Her books Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings are filled with beautiful tales that heal the heart and soul of a society seeking comfort and connect at times of lost hope, confusion and isolation.Before there were bloggers, there were storytellers like Rachel Naomi Remen.
What have I, Mokihana Calizar, learned from Rachel Naomi Remen:
(I have included several quotes from this original article that appeared in the Noetic Sciences Review, Spring 1996 because it may not be readily available to be read in its entirety.)
I am a storyteller who was given a reprint of an article “In the Service of Life,” written in 1996 by Rachel Naomi Remen at a time when the threads of my life were snipped into pieces.There lay the disconnected parts of my life/my story I thought would always be true.What I learn from this article served as compost for my shredded life at the time, and continues to teach me twelve years later.I thought I needed “help” but after reading this article again and again, and then again year after year, I learn Help is not what heals. “Helping incurs debt.When you help someone they owe you one.But serving, like healing is mutual.There is no debt.”That lesson remains the core life lesson of my life.I have experienced many losses in my life, and sought teachers, physicians, counselors and friends to aid me.Time and time again throughout my more than 60 years, I live the lesson that fixing and helping are different than serving.“Fundamentally, helping, fixing, and service are ways of seeing life.When you help you see life as weak, when you fix, you see life as broken.When you serve, you see life as whole.”
When I began the rebuilding of life as I’d known it 14 years ago, I suspected that many ideas I had about myself and the way I understood life might need tweaking.Today I laugh at the depth and breath of a ‘tweak’ when it comes to the evolution of my soul.Storytellers like Rachel Naomi Remen have given me hope and courage to challenge people in positions of authority when their opinions smell of helping or fixing my life.When I was diagnosed with “cell tissues of questionable character” coupled with two surgeons opinion to remove my thyroid because of that diagnosis I heard my deep self ask, “What would Rachel Naomi do?What stories would she encourage in me?”The answers I got from this experience have led me to believe this final paragraph from the article “In the Service of Life,” “Fixing and helping are the basis of curing, but not of healing.In 40 years of chronic illness I have been helped by many people and fixed by a great many others who did not recognize my wholeness.All that fixing and helping left me wounded in some important and fundamental ways.Only service heals.”I live with my whole thyroid with cell tissues that re-generated with time and attention.She, my thyroid, is as I have come to believe, the messenger of love situated on my fifth charka point in the throat.To be without her would mean love to be a distant ‘thing’ dependent upon prescriptions someone has conjured.I have much to learn about being of service to life, and know in my bones that when questionable cells show up they have stories worth hearing and“Real stories take time …” (from “Listening Generously The Medicine of Rachel Naomi Remen.)
PROJECT UPDATE:
The Deadline for Submissions is still Friday October 3, 2008. There are still many Heroes missing from the below list. Contact me at jennymannion@yahoo.com if you want to write about someone not posted or comment on someone already on the list. I am THRILLED with the way this project is turning out and look forward to posting the full list Monday, October 6th on my new site. Thank you for all your support!
Due to overwhelming demand I have extended the deadline for submission to the Group Writing Project "Heroes of Healing" to Friday, October 3, 2008. The newer list of posts is below. Please see my previous post for my Heroes, Project Guidelines, etc. I feel this is a very important project and I am so grateful for the response. This list will be a resource for people beginning to seek healing and wanting to make life changes to those who are seeking continued growth and knowledge. I, myself have found new people I am very excited to learn from by the wonderful contributions so far.
I have others that have said they will write and I will be adding their Heroes to the list shortly. The complete project will be displayed with the launch of my new site jennymannion.com which I am happy to say is coming along very nicely (thank goodness)! My husband Ray's computer programming skills are being utilized as he explains the ins and outs of wordpress to me in layman's' terms. Here is the newest list as well as a list of people I would love to still be included but haven't been submitted so far.....
I would love to see the following people written about:
Gary Null
Gary Zukav
Caroline Myss
Andrew Weil
Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz
Who else is missing from this important list? Please see my first post on Heroes of Healing for details and email me at jennymannion@yahoo.com with who you would like to add. I am so excited for this project! I and am very grateful to all of you who have expressed how important you also believe it is and to all of the authors who already have submitted their brilliant posts! Thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me! :-)
What makes someone a Hero of Healing? I feel a Hero is someone that is brave enough to put saving/helping others ahead of whatever might come in the way. The people on this list have gone against the “norm” and had to put “what the masses might think” aside to get their message across. They have all faced criticism and nay-sayers but it did not stop them from pursuing their important work because they KNEW they were helping many in the process. I am grateful for their perseverance, continued strength and determination because they have empowered, saved and helped millions of people to discover how to live their best lives.
Why put this list together? This list is really at the backbone of my beliefs. EVERYONE has the capacity to heal themselves. Whether it be from physical and/or emotional trauma/dis-ease. I feel a KEY to self-healing is finding teachers that resonate with you. People face resistance as they pursue paths of healing because it means breaking what perhaps are YEARS of “bad habits”, “being on Automatic pilot” and lots of time NOT listening to your self-talk or being conscious. Having teachers you can continually learn and grow from helps keep you on the right path even when you feel “stuck” or are facing resistance. The people on this list ARE Heroes of Healing because NOT ONLY are they helping others but they are encouraging others to become the Hero in their own lives.
Description of Project:
This Project will have 2 phases. Over the next week it is an open call for people to add to the Hero list. Specific Rules are at the end of the post, but briefly; you can participate by either writing your own post on a Hero or by commenting on what you have learned from someone on the list. I will keep adding WHO has been written about as well as a link to the author in the next section. (This way you will know who has already been written about). The deadline for submissions is NOW CHANGED TO Friday, October 3, 2008 due to many requests -- although I would prefer having the NAME of WHOM is being written about before that if possible). At that point, I will put all of the posts together into one list. I and some of the other initial contributors will post the complete list in one HUGE post of Healing Heroes as well as the comments added for each one after it is complete and reviewed. PLEASE see the end of the post for specific rules if you want to participate. It will ensure everyone's inclusion and my sanity. ;-)
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor became fascinated with the brain because her brother was diagnosed with Schizophrenia. She trained at Harvard and became a prominent neuroanatomist (brain researcher). It was her knowledge of the brain that enabled her to recognize when she was suffering a severe stroke and fully "process" it as it was happening. Her stroke affected the left side of her brain which deals with cognition, language, processing and "ego". What took over was the right side of her brain whose function is the emotional and "spiritual" side of our brain. Her stroke left her without speech and physical mobility and it took her 8 years to fully recover. Her story is one of inspiration, courage and pure amazement as you listen to her experience. She credits KNOWING the importance of telling others about her experience with giving her the will to recover.
Since her recovery she has written a best selling book, been on the Oprah Soul Series and has spoken at the TED Conference as well as many other public appearances. She travels speaking about her experience and expressing her important message of living from LOVE and consciousness. The video below is of her speech at the TED conference. It is 20 minutes long but I assure you -- you have never seen anything like it.
What Jenny Mannion has Learned from Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
There is so much more out there than meets the eye. The right side of the brain is as (if not more) important than the left but most of us predominantly use the left side. There are ways to "silence" your mind and get to that "space" of love and quiet that your body and mind so desperately need for happiness and growth.
Dr. Wayne Dyer
Dr. Wayne Dyer is affectionately called the “father of motivation” by his fans. Despite spending his childhood in orphanages and foster homes, Dr. Dyer has overcome many obstacles to make his dreams come true. Today he spends much of his time showing others how to do the same. With many books, audios and televised events as well as speaking internationally -- he has encouraged and helped millions of people find their inner strengths. Dr. Dyer’s books range from his powerful talks on “Intention” to one of his most recent where he gave up most of his belongings for a year and LIVED the Tao Te Ching. He has 7 children and STILL maintains a constant sense of presence and calmness.
Not only does Wayne Dyer give these important messages to adults but he also has children's books that are wonderful for giving children skills they need early on to be unstoppable and persevere. Dr. Wayne Dyer was recently on Oprah's Soul Series and it is a wonderful interview to watch. Dr. Dyer also has MANY videos he has done for public access television.
My favorite quote that helped me to heal was “When You Change the Way You Look at Things the Things You Look at Change”. I was indeed on automatic pilot for YEARS and not even processing my self-talk. Dr. Dyer's message rang true and it was that simple shift that allowed my healing to continue. Whenever I felt myself "stuck" in a previous thought pattern I was able to ask myself "How ELSE can I look at this?". I still use those words to this very day ALMOST EVERY DAY!
Dr. Eric Pearl
Dr. Eric Pearl was a chiropractor with a thriving practice when his life began to change. A series of events led to his patients “feeling” other people in the room as they laid there with their eyes closed letting their adjustment set in. He began to heal people without even touching them including healing people with CHRONIC LONG Term health problems including disfigurement. It also led to patients channeling the same 6 messages to him… the first of which was “We are here to tell you to continue what you are doing”. His work is called “The Reconnection ” and his story is truly amazing. For those skeptics, he is also backed by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer and is known worldwide. His "Reconnection Work" has been tested thoroughly by prominent people such as Dr. Gary Schwartz of the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health at the University of Arizona. After a few years Dr. Pearl figured out how to pass on this gift of healing to others and continues to create "Reconnective Healing Practitioners" worldwide. The book is mind-blowing and his story very easy to read as he takes you through his journey of trying to figure out WHY and HOW these events were happening.
The basis of The Reconnection is reconnecting the meridian lines (sometimes called the acupuncture lines) on your body to the same pattern as the Universe. There are thousands of practitioners and even people that have practiced energy healing for years that say this healing is like no other. Reiki practitioners after going through The Reconnection have often given up Reiki because this has even greater potential for healing. This has also been called a healing that has come at this time due to the vast SHIFT the world is currently undergoing.
Website: "The Reconnection" has news articles, practitioners, seminar dates and much more.
The book “The Reconnection ” is a page turner and is an experience like no other.
What Jenny Mannion Learned from Dr. Pearl
There is much more to life than meets the eye. Healing exists on many levels and just because you have not heard of it before does not mean it is not more powerful than anything you have ever experienced. You do not need to be “special” or a prophet to heal others. Healing is expanding to include many different methods and modalities. I have undergone 2 "Reconnection" healing sessions and they are unlike anything I have ever experienced. Without anyone touching me I felt heat, touch and many other sensations in my body too impossible to explain. I am pursuing the "Reconnection" further and will keep my readers informed of my journey.
Susan Sark
Susan Sark is unlike any other writer I have encountered. She writes in colored markers and draws doodles on the pages. Her free writing makes the reader feel free as well. SARK (as she is often called) is a survivor of sibling incest and used her writing to heal from that experience. She tells her readers that it is okay to write on walls or stay in their pajamas as they write and she lifts your spirit with her writing style. SARK suggests writing down your 10 favorite females, favorite books, inspirational people and encourages friendships. SARK is good for the soul and almost feels like a guilty pleasure she is so much fun to read – but she has an important message as well. Writing CAN be fun. Write down your impossible dreams, draw on the pages, write with no lines… live life with joy and it will be joyous.
Video
Unfortunately I could not find a video of Sark. If you know of one please let me know as I would love one for my final post. I highly recommend visiting her website or calling her "inspirational phone line" which has been inspiring people for ten years at 415-546-3742. Here is a link to a mp3 file to hear her speak.
Resources:
Website: Planet SARK – very representative of her books and so much fun.
When I was upset about being so sick -- writing became yet another place for me to talk of how sick I was. Sark showed me I had a lot more positive things to write about and she introduced me to writing gratitude lists.
Sark also showed me that everyone has a story – their own unique life and if you don’t get it down who will?
"We are each born creative—then we forget our purpose, or mission. We believe our doubts and fears, and slowly stop “being creative,” as though it were a separate thing." -- Susan Sark
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle's "A-Ha" Moment came when he was contemplating taking his life. The sentence spoken in his head was "I can't live with myself anymore". He realized when he analyzed that sentence there were two distinct people in the "I" and "myself". He then KNEW it would be up to himself to change the person he was from the inside out so he could and would be happy to live with himself. In that moment Eckhart became conscious and his path after became more and more clear. Oprah has called him a "prophet" during the Oprah/Eckhart Webinar on his book "A New Earth" and Eckhart exudes enlightenment more than any other person I have come across. He frequently quotes Jesus and the Bible and has some beautiful interpretations of passages that make you see them in a new light.
Eckhart's essence is one of peace as he explains consciousness in accessible terms so everyone can understand. He has caused many people to "awaken" and to think about their life totally differently. His work and talks on the pain body and the roles we play in the relationships in our lives is something I feel most of us can greatly relate to and learn from.
I have learned just how many of my thoughts were ego-driven and how to quiet my mind so that I can be IN THE NOW.
Eckhart has shown me that the pain body (a part of your subconscious that stores negative emotions not processed) can take over if you are not mindful of what is happening. Mr. Tolle has shown me the power of being in the NOW and letting go of some of the limits language can put on us. I can now go for a walk and admire nature without having to label everything and can just "be in the moment of enjoying them.
Mr. Tolle has also shown me that we are NOT the roles we assume. Yes, I have the role of mom and wife and daughter but that is not my true essence. I enjoy being a mom, wife and daughter but it benefits myself and everyone around me if I truly know and love who I am and am not just a "collection of roles".
Vaishali
Vaishali is the author of “You Are What you Love” and is an amazing radio show host. She radiates love and has been called the “spiritual hostess with the mostest”. Vaishali has overcome many hardships physical and emotional to come out on top. She has obtained a degree in Religious Philosophy, studied many different religions and spirituality firsthand and has encompassed them all into her teachings. Vaishali makes spirituality more accessible and easy to understand. She will explain spiritual concepts incorporating The Simpsons or Cheech and Chong so that it is modern and we can all understand clearly what she is speaking about.
Vaishali exudes love and kindness and when you hear of all she has come through to be where she is today you will feel it is possible to get through anything. Vaishali and I have personally emailed and she is a beautiful person through and through.
“Your love and Your Awareness Are One” If you are putting all your attention on something (even if it is negative) for example anger or worry then you are loving anger and worry. Instead be mindful of where your attention is and love what you want to continue to bring into your life.
Oprah Winfrey
When the talk show craze hit its peak in the US you could not turn to a channel without finding some guest out of their seat leaping toward another like on Jerry Springer or screaming in anger on shows like Montel Williams. Oprah Winfrey took the high road and wanted to use the show to teach people life lessons and inspire people to live to their fullest potential. Oprah started from humble beginnings but did not let that stop her from pursuing and living her dreams.
From her Oscar nomination for the Color Purple, to her over 20 years on the Oprah Winfrey show, to her 2 magazines, her boarding school for girls in Africa, her shows on XM radio, her ground-breaking webinar with Eckhart Tolle and her soon to be OWN television network – Oprah has been inspiring millions and continues breaking her own records of success. Oprah is now concentrating more on spirituality and consciousness. She is wise, caring, driven, loving and juggles so many projects that sometimes I feel she must be living in some alternate Universe that has 50 hour days!
It does not matter where you are from or what your situation is – you can inspire others and be all that you dream to be.
Life is about continued knowledge and growth.
You can heal from whatever may have happened in your past and move forward with grace and power from lessons learned.
Rules:
For your own post:
Please keep the same format Hero, Video, Resources, Comments. It will make for better flow and MUCH easier incorporation. Please link back to this original post and email me at jennymannion@yahoo.com to give me a head's up that you have posted. Feel free to use your own affiliate links in the resource section but don't list more than 2 books and/or resources. A few resources for each is all that is needed for people to begin learning more. If you do not have a blog or a place to post -- please email me and I will gladly include you in the compiled list.
How will Duplicates be handled?
In the event more than one person writes about the same HERO I will evaluate the Summary section of the Hero and possibly use a little from each post -- I will give credit to each person that wrote about that Hero as well as a link to their post. The Resources can possibly be added to but again, I only want a few books/resources under each Hero. Only one video per Hero so I will embed only the first video posted but it is possible LINKS to other videos can be added. Comments will all be included which leads to my next way to contribute.
To make a comment on a Hero on the list
Please keep the format:
What "xyz" learned about "abc". Your name can be a hyperlink to your site or if you wrote a post to the permalink on your post on Heroes of Healing.
For example: What "Jenny Mannion" learned about Deepak Chopra would be the title and then I would list what I learned from him. When I do the final list EACH Hero will have everyone's comments on them listed. It will help for people to see what different messages were learned from each Hero as everyone takes something unique away from each teacher.
What if there is not a Hero on the list AFTER the project is done that I want to add?
Because I feel this is a very important post I will CONSIDER adding to the overall list after the deadline if I feel it is someone who is missing from the list that many people would benefit from. I ask you still keep the same format and that you give me a head's up to ask me beforehand....
Conclusion
I am excited beyond belief about this project and am very excited to see the final result. I really hope you take the time to think about who was the Hero in your life that made you think about life differently. The more teachers we add to this list the better chance people will find someone that resonates with them. Many can benefit from being introduced to these Heroes and learning from them.
Thank you to the initial contributors Akemi, Camille, Dawn, Lisa and Dr. Nicole for sharing this kick-off with me. Your patience was GREATLY appreciated and your questions made my vision even more clear. I hope readers and fellow bloggers jump in to add more inspirational people to this list!
As always, any other comments are always welcome as well!
UPDATE: 9/13/08
I am very excited about the response this is getting and many are asking for more time to post. I am more interested in getting a comprehensive list together than meeting a deadline. Please don't let the date Sept. 19 stop you from participating because I will most likely be extending the date.. not sure until when as I have a lot of other projects right after that... but PLEASE if you want to participate send me a Hero's name and I will reserve that for you on the list above.
Many have mentioned "my Hero was written about" - PLEASE let that be an occasion to write in (as Lisa Erickson has in comments) with what you have learned from that person. In the final compiled list I will have what different people learned from each Hero since many of us take different lessons away from the same person. This will allow people when seeking a teacher to have an even better idea of what that Hero is all about.
There are still so many people that are not on this list that I would love people to write about. Here are a few ideas mentioned by others as well as people I would like to see included: Gary Null, Gary Zukav, Andrew Weil, Carl Jung, Caroline Myss, Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz.....
Thanks for all the support and it is my hope that this resource can help many discover new people to inspire and empower them to be the best they can be.
If you have found this site useful please consider donating. Your generosity will ensure my ability to keep it updated with new articles and information. Thank you!
I an an author, intuitive healer and energetic catalyst. I find and create easy tools for people to tap into their souls to create their reality. I healed myself from 7 years of illness in 3 weeks and know all is possible. It is my passion to empower others and offer tools for them to change their lives. I use energy work, Akashic record reading and mind/body tools.
