I am excited to be posting again. I know you all have read about our prayer pipe in previous posts. Well, I have taken pictures of it just to show you. Along with finding some really cool links that discuss the pipe and the symbolism behind it. You can find one HERE! I had heard this story told by James, our Medicine Man, and a few other friends who are also involved in the Native stuff. But…I LOVED reading it on this site and thought it was VERY educational!
Also, this morning I spent about 3 hours studying the Huichol Indians. David, another Medicine Man friend, spent quite a bit of time with one of there Shaman. He believes that the sacred priesthood covenants have been carried on through this tribe. He discusses this in his book that is on my sidebar called “The Righteous Branch.” David considers the Shaman his teacher and has learned quite a bit from him. They are an AMAZING tribe of people! One of the only tribes who have held onto and passed down their traditions so well that today they are still following most of those traditions. It has been fascinating for me to read about them and how they live and so on. David is letting me borrow a couple of books so I can learn more. It would be SO exciting for me to go and stay with them awhile to really experience how they live. HERE is a site that is VERY informative about who they are!
Isn’t it BEAUTIFUL? Both Chris and I feel so blessed to have it in our lives. The sage sitting next to it is for purification. I LOVE the smell of sage. It is common place in most of the ceremonies I have attended. It is a VERY healing herb and is used for smudging to prepare yourself both physically and spiritually for what is about to take place. We burn it regularly as we am smoking our pipe!
I just recently learned from James that the reason they put the leather pieces around certain spots on the pipe is because the pipe is so sacred that the leather is to protect it from touching anything else. This is done to show how very honored and revered the pipe is. I place the bowl underneath the end so I won’t be wasteful and can catch any leftovers from the tobacco and herbs that I put in it. I just recently put together a woman’s combination of tobacco, red raspberry, rose buds, and lavendar. I have been enjoying this blend.
So…this is the basic set up I have got on my porch right now. I regularly read my sacred scriptures while praying with the pipe. If you notice, the stand of the pipe has a eagle holding up the pipe. For Chris and I this is VERY symbolic. Chris’ spiritual Native name is Spirit Eagle and mine is Eagle Dove. This is one of the MANY reasons we felt so honored with this pipe. It helps us remember who we are and what we stand for. The eagle is HIGHLY revered for it’s ability to see all, carry wisdom beyond our understanding and help those who stand in need.
This is one of the MOST beautiful parts of the pipe, I think. Here is another eagle. The bead work is intricate and brightly colored. Today I was honored to hold a pipe ceremony with some great friends of mine. It was the first one to be held outside my personal family. I felt inspired with thoughts and ideas that helped me really understand what each of my friends was going through. I learned more about myself and the woman I was working with. I felt LOVED and MOVED to such an extend that my heart of so full of gratitude for all things living. We were surrounded by the GORGEOUS Mount Timpanogos. Thank you, my dear friends, for sharing this experience with me.
Lastly, I would like reiterate that I don’t actually smoke our pipe. The four elements of fire, water, earth and air are all utilize for their symbolic purposes. We bring the smoke into our mouths and mixed it with the water. The herbs in the pipe represent the earth and when you light them you are creating fire. The air comes in as you release your prayers through the smoke to the universe. The pipe carries the help of all things through all the symbolism it holds. I have felt blessed to use this very powerful healing modality.
So…like I said, I have been emotionally eating for about the last 3 weeks now. It is interesting because I can’t really emotionally eat. Since I am still having my jaw pain off and on, I am still limited in my chewing. I can chew a bit better on the other side of my mouth because it has healed a bit more but without back teeth I feel like a rabbit chewing lettuce. I think I look like one too!!
It is interesting to me still when my jaw pain comes and goes. When I am stressed and angry in a hard hearted manner, then, of course, the pain is much more prominent. I have found that when I relax, soften my heart and really let myself feel my feelings whether they be anger, resentment, fear or sadness, I can move through them and understand them SO MUCH quicker!! When I choose to stay in that negative place, it seems I hold on forever from letting myself learn what I should be learning and letting go. I am all about “the quicker the better.” We can still be gentle with ourselves and move through things by just accepting and ackowledging our feelings and them releasing them. It’s that simple. It can feel really hard sometimes when we are going through. I am learning how to trust myself, others and Christ so I don’t have to suffer. I can reconize that my LOVING Savior already did that for me.
I am now doing MUCH better again. I had been eating alot of raw fats and salt and could tell by the end of the 3 weeks, I did not like the way I was looking and feeling.
Oh, I want to post a email that was sent to the yahoo group I have put together. There have been some great questions and insights and so here is what I have written lately. Instead of trying to say it all again, I thought I would just copy and paste it here. I think maybe some of my readers might be interested.
Here was the original post.
Hi Terry,
I am new to the list (I met Rachel recently). You must’ve connected psychically with me, this was my question (although my post is in draft form now) I am semi vegetarian and doing am uphill climb with a junk-loving family. I am adding more raw produce to my diet too. But I guess I have to remember to take it slowly and not get discouraged. In adding a lot more raw these past few days, my cravings for junk have risen a lot and I have eaten more food than normal (like as in feasting to the point of discomfort). Obviously I have issues. I hope that as I continue to try that the nutrients from the raw food will decrease the cravings. Is this true? Rachel told me that emotional issues tend to come out as the eating is changed — did I understand that right? Maureen
Here is my reply. Someone was discussing the uses of Ayvrveda nutrition and healing and so my response is concering that topic also.
Maureen,
You did understand it right. Without an opportunity to emotionally process when issues arise because of the increase of healthful foods, it can seem to much and you will stop. All foods carry a vibration, just like we ARE vibration. When we eat foods that come straight from Mother Earth, they will be a VERY high vibration especially when we are eating them raw and in the state that She offers them to us. When we raise/heal the vibration physically, then the body/soul will feel the desire to raise/heal in aspects.
The system only heals as a whole which means physically, emotionally and spiritually. If one aspect is changed then the rest will follow suit. It is just the way it works. If we “lighten the load” when it comes to what we eat, our inner knowing will then have a desire to “lighten the load” in all regards. Make sense? I am not surprised you are overeating. This is quite a common occurrence when we first start changing our diet. Most of us are VERY MUCH emotional eaters. We are eating for SO MANY other reasons than just getting nutrients in. This is one of the many reasons to seek emotional healing. Taking things as slow as we need to does really help us to not feel discouraged. It can seem daunting in the beginning but this is why I put this group together. With the hope that we can all discuss our discouragements along with our successes. You are doing great, Maureen. Look at the changes you are making and be grateful for them you and will find you won’t get so easily discouraged.
As for the Ayurveda, just like so many other things it can be another stepping stone of something we might need through our transitioning process. I truly believe in being gentle with ourselves and this means if you are feeling too overwhelmed to strive to figure out why you are feeling this way and help yourself understand that LIFE is a process. We are always learning new things and being open to the needed changes in our lives, is the very first step to creating them.
Ayurveda came be helpful in the beginning but from my knowledge of it, it has alot of “rules” of what you should eat and shouldn’t eat. For me, especially in the beginning of my raw diet, I needed something more flexible so my rule of thumb was “If it’s raw or you think it’s raw, you eat it.” I am not saying Terry that it can’t or isn’t being beneficial right now for you but just watch yourself and if you find you are feeling too overwhelmed by it all then be open to shifting to what you need to help lower any tension you might be having. It sounds like it is REALLY helping you right now and that is AWESOME!!
It is true that we each search what works for us and run with it. And for me, I have learned it is ALWAYS changing. I never know how life is going to be from one day to the next. I am learning to accept and appreciate life in this way. I feel MUCH more peace when I learn to lower or give up ANY expectations I might have of life and just be grateful that I am ALIVE! That the sun is shining and that each day is a new day for a NEW me to emerge.
I LOVE this little group I have put together. Some of the neatest, most responsible people I know are part of this group. I have/am learning so much from them. Thank you everyone for helping me understand myself and the world a bit better.
Here is what I ate today. I hope everyone notices the accuracy of my measurements. LOL!!
2 big bowl fulls of watermelon
1 quart of green smoothie
4 mangos
2 lbs. of cherries
2 more mango
1 quart green soup with corn, tomatoes, red bell pepper, sunflower greens, and dulse
When I wasn’t eating as ideally, I was just eating too much fat with my dinner. So I would eat my salad dressings that I would make. That was really it but even that after awhile was just too much. I can tell that I am a better emotional place and this does make it easier to stay on track with my diet. Is it the chicken or the egg?
This has been a really long post. I am still planning on posting the pics of my friends burns and I have some FUN 4th of July pictures to post. I need to get some clean up with my photo shop before I can do that though.
Have a PEACEFUL Sunday.
Abundant health and love,
Rachel