Short Documentary on Traditional Healers

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to share an episode from a 1970's show that showcases the value and healing abilities of traditional Mesoamerican healers and also Inca healers. The show may be outdated but the information is still extremely relevant!! And I think the statements made in this documentary were ahead of its time.

My only criticism of the show is that it uses the word "Witch Doctor" which I absolutely loathe!

PLEASE NOTE: Most of the time you cannot photograph or take a video of a ceremony as it is something very private and sacred, in this case I decided to post these videos because the healers were more than likely consulted and they also did not tape the whole ceremony. 

Also Note the PHYSICIAN WHO IS ALSO A CURANDERO!!!! 

PART 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91MZvIOiO9I

PART 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4HWCVWN2c&feature=related

Ashta Nemanha!

Copal

Copal is a tree resin that is burned as a ceremonial incense offering in traditional Mesoamerican medicine.
Copal is used in various contexts, a person may simply burn the copal inside their home in order to ward off bad winds or spirits and thus cleanse the "soul" of their home. Additionally copal is burned before dances and during prayers. Furthermore copal can be used during a Limpia by a curandero/a in order to aid in the healing of a person (similar to a North American Native smudging ceremony).

 Picture acquired from: http://nebelfront.org/images/incense/copal_blancomexico.jpg

ASHTA NEMANHA NUIKNEW!

The Yaqui traditional Healer

About one month and a half ago I hurt my back while I was exercising. At the moment that I got injured I thought that it was just a minor muscle strain and kept on exercising. When I was done exercising I took a shower and went outside to where my car was parked.

I went to my car, opened the door and while I was placing my laptop computer on the back seat I felt an acute pain that ran from the bottom of my back and went down both legs. The pain was unbearable and I almost collapsed on the ground because I felt as if my legs were going to buckle.

I waited a few minutes in my car fearing that I wouldnt be able to drive to school and that my back injury was severe. I was lucky enough that the pain went down a little and I proceeded to drive to school. From that day on I couldnt make any large movements with my right leg (like lifting it high or kicking ) nor support my weight on it. Furthermore I had this throbbing pain whenever I would sit down or would walk for a long period of time.

Thanks to the creator for having given me the opportunity to learn about my culture and traditional medicine because I knew that in order to fix my problem I didnt need pain pills but that I needed the services of a Sobador/a or Huesero/a.

A month went by with me suffering from my ailment and lack of exercise when  a woman that I had met told me that her sister was a traditional healer from the Yaqui tribe and that she did sobadas. The woman gave me her sisters phone number and I went ahead and called her that same day. The healer told me to come over that evening and I did.

There I was in my formal clinic attire after getting out of my medical rotation site driving in the humble Yaqui tribal region. When I got to the house of the healer and I sat down to wait for my turn her husband was surprised when I told him I was a medical student. The husband said "It is extremely rare that people with medical training comes to see us many even ridicule our traditions."
I responded to the husband's comment by telling him, "that is extremely unfortunate"

Well my turn came and the healer first did a type of spiritual cleanse by burning herbs and then proceeded to work on my body by doing a type of gentle massage combined with a technique where she would pass her hands over my body without touching it. I would feel sensations of heat and cold, pressure etc. When the healer was done with me I felt a huge sense of relief.
From what I can tell Yaquis use similar healing techniques to those used by the Curandero/as of  our Nahua and Mayan peoples. and I spoke about this with the healer and her husband.
I drove back to my apartment under a gentle monsoon shower and slept well that night.

The next day I felt sore as if the day before I had done a heavy workout. After two days I started working out and I didnt have any pain and my leg movements were normal.

I give thanks to the creator for having put me in contact with this traditional Yaqui  tribal healer here in Arizona. Thanks to her healing gift and that of her husband's as well I am able to exercise like normal and return to my daily routine without having to experience pain.

Having personally experienced the benefits of traditional ceremones solidifies the appreciation that one has for the knowledge of our native peoples of the lands of Anahuac and the rest of the "Americas!".

Dreams

The peoples of Mesoamerica from ancient times until our present day have placed great importance upon the dream world. Dreams aren't just considered fragments of memories that are being organized by the brain when one sleeps, like western society tends to think.

For our people dreams serve as an arena where we can reflect upon our daily lives, our spirit can leave our bodies and travel to where it pleases, we can receive celestial messages, a curandero or curandera can help heal a person and they may even be a way in which a deceased loved one can come and visit us.

Dreams are so important that in some places like in El Salvador, every morning upon awakening last night's dreams are the topic of discussion and are analyzed to decipher their meaning.

A memorable experience that I had with the dream world was when my grandfather came to see me one last time the night before he passed away from a chronic illness. That was his way of saying goodbye because I hadn't seen him in 8 years due to my schooling.

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew!

Prickly Pear Cactus

picture acquired from: http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/opuntia_robusta2.jpg
The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.), also known by the names of nopal, tuna, beaver tail cactus, has many culinary and medicinal uses.

There are more than 300 species of prickly pear cactus, all of which are native to the Americas. The prickly pear cactus is a rustic, rugged plant with extensive segments. These segments called platyclades are characteristic of the cactus. These pads are oval succulent and "meaty" and their color varies from green to purple depending on the species.

Both the pads and the fruit are edible. For example the segments are extremely versatile and can be eaten raw, stir fried, grilled, and have a flavor which in my opinion is reminiscent of green bell pepper with a hint of lime. One of my favorite recipes is to stirfry onions prickly pear pads, serrano chili pepper and fresh tomatos with a little bit of salt.

The fruits known in mexico as xoconostle are delicious and from my experience I can tell you that each specie's fruit has a different taste and it ranges from acidic to sweet like the ones in the Sonoran desert that taste like water melon!

Not only is the prickly pear cactus and its fruit edible they are also have various traditional medicinal properties.

externally a poultice can be made raw or heated to treat bruises or contussions, you can also use the viscous substance that emminates from the pads to treat burns.

Internally: raw they can be eaten or drunk (after being blended) to help regulate blood sugar, aid digestion, and heal the gut.

The prickly pear cactus can be found growing wild in the desert and you can collect it by cutting the pads and scraping the spines off. Or you can buy them in some super markets whole with spines and all, chopped without spines, or bottled in vinegar.

Ashta nemanha nuiknew (until next time my friends)

The Value of Medicinal Teas

Now a days when one goes to the grocery store, health food store etc. here in the United States one sees shelves full of capsules, tinctures and other liquids in beautifully decorated and colorful bottles, most of the time these herbal supplements are quite steep and out of the reach of most of us. I dont want to degrade the importance and value of these products that are often times convenient, easy to transport and sometimes are the only way to get a hold of a fragile herb. Nevertheless we must not forget the humble medicinal herbal tea that has been used for millenia all over the world.

The medicinal herbal tea is not any less effective than other types of herbal preparations. There is a myth that is propogated in alternative medicine circles that states that herbal teas are not necessary because they have been substituted by more modern forms of preparation. In my opinion this boils down to nothing more than a smear campaign against teas in order to sell more expensive products

Photo acquired from: http://supplementalscience.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/cuppa-tea-govna/

Below I have provided some of my reasons as to why I believe medicinal teas are extremely valuable:

1) They are cheap

2) The person has a personal interaction with the herb they are going to use

3) The preparer is directly involved in the process of making their medicine

4) They are easy to make

5) There is no Alcohol involved

6) They are fast to employ

7) Its great to sip a cup of tea with a group of friends

8) They are effective

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew (until next time my friends)

Creosote (Larrea tridentata) infused oil

This is my first article on the medicinal plants of the Southwestern United States (many of which also grow in northern Mexico) especially the ones that grow in the Sonoran desert

Before I continue I would like to give my gratitude to the native peoples (both in the United States and Mexico) who live in this area and were the first to discover the medicinal properties of these plants which grow in their enviroment and have been using them for thousands of years. Furthermore I would like to give thanks to herbalists such as the late Michael Moore, Charles W. Kane whom have written books that have helped me learn about these wonderful medicinal herbs. Additionally I would like to thank my instructors Lynn Romero and Feather Jones, both certified herbalists, who teach classes at the Naturopathic medical school that I attend and have always been more than happy to answer any questiosn that I have had.

Now on with our conversation,

BEFORE YOU HARVEST ANY DESERT PLANT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ASKED PERMISSION TO DO SO IF YOU ARE NOT HARVESTING FROM YOUR OWN HOME. ALSO MAKE SURE THAT ITS NOT ILLEGAL TO HARVEST THE PLANT

Creosote bush (chaparral, gobernadora, hediondilla) Larrea tridentata

photo taken from wikipedia.org

Creosote bush a native plant of the desert is an evergreen bush that grows up to 1-3 meters (3-9 feet in height) the stems bear resinous dark green leaves. The flowers are 25mm in diameter with 5 yellow petals. The plant has an aroma that I would describe as burnt rubber, the leaves when crushed have a pleasant odor that reminds me of the desert after a rain shower. Creosote is endemic in the region where its found

parts used: Leaves and flowers

How to collect: find a place where there are several plants growing cut a few stems that appear healthy preferably during the rainy season when the plant is  most vibrant and full of life. try to collect stems from various plants that way you dont over harvest a single bush.

furthermore I strongly suggest that you give thanks to the plant and any entity to which you pray (god spirits etc.) for having the priviledge of using the plant as medicine and also asking for the healing of the person whom you shall give the remedy to.

External use: yes

Internal use: yes

mode of use: Oil infusion (external), salve (external), tea (internal), macerated fresh plant (external)

Medicinally the plant may be employed for all types of conditions both internal and external and in my opinion Creosote is like a medicine cabinet in a bush. Traditionally this plant has been used externally for such common ills like scrapes, cuts, burns, acne, skin infections, and more serious conditions like sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, varicella, and snake bites.

when you use the plant in an external form the aroma is quite pleasing. Internally when drank as a tea I can tell you from personal experience that it is extremely bitter.

Now how to make the oil:

Materals needed: ample amounts of olive oil (castor oil, or jojoba oil), heavy duty scissors, a 1/2 quart  transparent glass jar, a metal sieve and of course Creosote bush stems with leaf and all.

1) harvest several fresh Creosote stems

2) cut the stems with leaf and all into smaller portions in order to make it easier to place them in the glass jar. fill the glass jar 3/4 of the way full.

3) Add the oil until you cover all the plant material and fill the rest of the jar, if its necessary with a wooden stick you can move the plant material to make sure the oil settles in nicely.

4) put a tight lid on the jar and label it with the date and contents (both type of oil, and plant used)

5) place the jar in a place where it will receive plenty of sun light and wont be disturbed for at least 2-3 weeks.

6) After the time has lapsed you may now filter the oil from the plant material and split up the oil into smaller glass containers if you like.

7) The oil is now ready to be used and applied to the afected area of the skin

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew (until next time  my friends)