Riding Elephants…..

Prior to traveling, in ceremony and among other offerings, I look to the sky… Here is my traveling sky! And with it, I am off to southern India where I will be working with traditional healers in harnessing the healing powers of our Earth Mother via healing plants, ceremony and our actions in conservation of biodiversity and culture. While there I will be directing symposia on Healing Across Cultures at two local universities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, our delegation is comprised of scholars, integrative medical practitioners and traditional healers from all around the world and all of whom come together in these venues to begin to effect positive change via traditional healing. We work together for true healing and a paradigmatic shift in wellness spawned by age-old tradition, the wisdom of our elders, and movement for conservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage.

The area is known locally as “the spice capital of the world” and “gods own country” for its rich history, culture and natural beauty. The area has rich healing traditions with oral lineage components dating back thousands of years. For millennia people would flock to the region for its culinary and medicinal plants, natural splendor and biodiversity, and its deep healing traditions. Traditional healers of the area focus location and practice in different areas, the main traditional regions where we will be working are Kanyakumari Beach “where three oceans meet”, Spice Mountain, Western Ghats and Back Waters “Venice of Asia”. The main healing traditions in practice in the regions are: Ayurveda which is still taught in its original poetic Sanskrit and via oral lineage; Naturopathic healing which focuses the power of the sun, moon, stars and elements of nature—earth and mud, water et cetera; Herbalists who use natures pharmacopoeia to heal in harmony with the earth; and Unani siddha, a ritual healing practice involving sound, harmony, and rhythmic oscillations therapeutically and in a fashion unique to south Indians. 

Check back as I will update you throughout the adventure in healing. Also, I will be sure to ride an elephant in the Western Ghats!