Personal Retreat: A Journey to Well-Being by Mimi Sandeen, with Accem Scott, ND

Facing the challenge of serious illness can take us on the journey of a lifetime. In the case of Wayne, an artist facing the very personal challenge of incurable hepatitis C, the path led him to Asheville, NC. Daring to choose a pathway of change, he journeyed there to undertake a personal retreat at Tools of Light Healing Center. And he came away with renewed vigor and a new life. The Tools of Light Program that Wayne undertook is grounded on solid principles of health & well-being. Through this program, Dr Accem Scott, ND, working from the perspective of naturopathy, introduces his clients to the concept of well-being as a holistic, integrative practice. His approach always includes diet, exercise, & cleansing - all necessary for physical health. He works, as well, with the emotional, mental and spiritual levels of well-being. A standard itinerary of activities reflects this holistic approach. He ensures that the basics are always covered, but the schedule is also kept flexible to reflect the special needs & progress of each client. This creates an open experience that supplies a foundation for healthy living, while also encouraging true personal growth and change. Facing the Challenge Wayne came to this program on the advice of family and friends. His brother, also dealing with Hepatitis C, had worked with Dr. Scott and achieved a remarkable turn-around in health. At the time that Wayne consulted with Accem Scott, he was in constant pain, controlled by the powerful drug morphine. His liver was severely damaged with chronic cirrhosis. His enzyme levels were elevated 1&1/2 times over the norm. He had struggled with his condition for over five years, seeking the best treatments available through contemporary Western medicine. During the past year, he had failed to respond to the last that this system could offer him - interferon treatment. The prognosis was not a good one. He was left with one option - get a liver transplant, with a dubious outcome. Wayne’s condition and needs were such that Dr. Scott felt immersion in an intense, one-on-one retreat was the best course of action. Wayne had battled his disease with all Western medicine had to give. But traditional Western doctors offer an approach to healing that’s limited to a particular perspective. The Western medical model, as a matter both of philosophy and practice, is limited by the belief system it both reflects and supports. Patients depend on doctors to cure them. They see health as something that is given to them by professionals who hold specialized knowledge. In the Western perspective, people also see disease has something that happens to them. “Fall victim to disease” or “a victim of cancer” are commonly heard phrases that reveal an underlying belief that illness is a force outside of ourselves. It happens to us. Then we turn to another outside force, the medical community, to save us. Leaving Kansas How to break out of this belief system, and seek (or even see) another pathway to health? Like Dorothy and her friends in the Wizard of Oz, we may need a shift in perspective to see where we’re coming from and to discover the possibilities we already hold within ourselves. Wayne was himself stuck in this limited vision of the Western paradigm. He needed to envision health in a different way - as a lifestyle based on personal, self-aware choices. He needed to be convinced of the healing qualities of food and physical exercise. He needed to experience the power of chi. To be open to this new vision, he needed to get completely away from what he already knew and believed. Ultimately, he needed a fresh perspective and a fresh start from which to grow. But to make a choice for change requires a true commitment. An artist who works in oils, Wayne had two major exhibitions, both of them just a month away, for which he needed to prepare. In addition to having a loving wife, he also has a daughter, at the time a year old. A devoted father, he treasures every moment he has with her. To leave career and financial obligations, as well as family life, behind for ten days was not an easy choice. And underneath it all was a natural trepidation of letting go of the familiar. But to hold onto this life he loved, he needed to have his health back. He needed hope and health for his own life to continue at all. For Wayne, the time had come to make a commitment to a new way of living and of looking at himself. Goals Wayne arrived in Asheville with specific goals in mind. He wanted to arrest the progression of his disease and to eliminate dependence on pain medication. He wanted to build up his immune system. He wanted to not cause further damage, learning, for instance, how food choices affect his body. And, specific to his artwork, he wanted to deal with how toxic solutions, like varnishes, were affecting him. An important part of his goals included spiritual fitness. He had spoken with his brother and others, as well as Accem, about the affects of subtle belief systems on one’s life. What we believe, and what we’ve been told to believe, shapes the choices we make in everything. And every choice we make builds our lives. So well-being grows not only out of our choices, but also out of the beliefs that fuel those choices. Wayne, in his own words, felt “bottomed-out spiritually”. As much as he had hope, he also held anger, bitterness, and hostility to other people. Facing the guilt and shame that were part of his life was another aspect of his spiritual, as well as emotional, health. He “wanted to find out what the old movies in his head were about” and “to move on to another level”. A Healing Place To achieve these goals, Asheville was the perfect destination. Sheltered within a valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this community has become a focus of local folk traditions & alternative healing practices. Its mountains, rivers and waterfalls, immense and beautiful, create a setting that nourishes the spirit. Its physically invigorating landscape vitalizes the body. Feeling this as a “very powerful, old place” with a strong sense of tradition & a rich history, Wayne was immediately drawn to its spirit, calling it a “wonderplace”. This same healing landscape & the community resources it hosts had also deeply affected Accem Scott & his wife Eleanor Hancock, also a practitioner - so much so that they brought their Tools of Light Healing Center to Asheville. Doing the Program Wayne arrived around the middle of the day, upbeat and excited. He, Accem & Eleanor spent time getting acquainted over lunch. He showed them pictures of his family and his artwork, and they talked briefly about what they would be doing. Accem did a treatment with Wayne in the afternoon, including massage, acupuncture and light and color therapy. Later that evening, they discussed the program in more detail, and Wayne had a chance to ask questions and share where he was coming from. He continually stressed that he was ready for a new start, that his wife and young daughter are an inspiration to him, and that regaining his health was an important part of being the husband and father that he wants to be. A truly personal retreat, Accem & Eleanor opened their home to Wayne. He had his own room, but shared in the family life, getting a first-hand feel of well-being as a life-style. This was invaluable for him. More than a therapeutic experience, this retreat was a living experience. Already having the support of his wife, who is a vegetarian, this was a reality he could envision incorporating into his own home life. Over the following days, Dr. Scott, with the participation of Eleanor, introduced Wayne to a whole new way of living. The schedule they followed stressed learning the basics - breathing, exercise, nutrition. Each day added to the previous ones with new information and techniques. A major emphasis of this retreat was on teaching Wayne about nutrition - how food affects his body, how to choose food, and how to prepare it. He learned a completely different approach to diet - one which supports liver detoxification and regeneration. Prior to this, Wayne’s diet centered on beef, chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread, and a lot of sugar and coffee. Organic fruits and vegetables, brown rice, and sprouted bread now became the focus. Some foods were particularly significant - for instance, beets & artichokes (which are particularly good for the liver). Likewise, sprouted grains, which are alive with the enzymes necessary for digestion. The fresher and more vitalized the food, the more accessible it is for the body to digest, and the more nutrients it has to share with the body. To get the most he could from this key principle, Wayne learned how to sprout seeds, and he added juicing to his kitchen repertoire. The importance of drinking high Ph water - a very potent anti-oxidant and de-toxifier - was introduced. The main portion of his second day, after the morning Pa Kua* session, was spent hiking a short portion of the Appalachian Trail. Along the way, Accem gave Wayne his first lesson in kinesiology, preparing him to test for his own foods and medicines. Arriving at Hot Springs, he did a short Watsu treatment (a gentle massage with flowing movement of water over the body) with him. When he came out of the deep meditation of this treatment, Wayne said it was a powerful experience. That evening they went by the health food store, where Accem had Wayne test himself, using kinesiology, for herbs. Wayne closed his eyes, and Accem gave him different herbal formulas to hold to his chest. Wayne moved towards one, that he was strong for, and away from the others, which his body didn't need. When he opened his eyes, Accem showed him that the formula he had tested strong for was a liver formula, whereas the others were for different conditions. Wayne was sold. "This technique works!" Throughout the retreat, many new ideas and treatments were introduced. Wayne learned about homeopathy, flower essences, and herb teas. He felt the power of moving his own energy (chi) through Pa Kua and banging on the bones*. Acupuncture and massage, as applied by either Accem or Eleanor, also had their effects, sometimes subtle. After an acupuncture treatment, stomach pain present at the beginning of the session had dissipated - something Wayne hadn’t noticed until Accem asked the question, “What feels different?”. Working with Multiple Levels The Tools of Light Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, multi-level approach. It recognizes that wellness must be addressed at all levels of being. In this holistic view, every part of our self - emotional/physical/mental/spiritual/psychological/psyche - affects the well-being of our whole self. Learning this concept and putting it to work in real, practical ways were a significant part of Wayne’s retreat. Lessons about how energy works, about chakras and about chi added an important dimension of understanding for him. Lessons on the history of energy - from Egyptian cosmology through Indian and Chinese systems and on into present-day quantum theory - gave him a new perspective. This, in turn, gave him a way to open up his own belief system to new possibilities. These lessons, and the accompanying exercises that made them tangible, became opportunities for Wayne to explore different levels of himself, to see himself in new ways, to recognize connections within himself and with the world at large. Over several days time, ingesting a new understanding of his life as multi-leveled, multi-dimensional, and accessible through self-aware energy techniques, Wayne left limiting beliefs behind. Voice dialogue, a means of connecting with and embodying inner life, helped Wayne face issues within himself. A particularly powerful voice dialogue grew out of his mapping out his goals. With both Accem and Eleanor acting as facilitators, he began by examining what was in the way of those goals. The dialogue culminated in a cathartic process of inner revelation made manifest, as he identified and released some old childhood/family issues that were holding him back. Learning the Chinese Energetic Method was yet another aspect of this process. Based on Dr. Kam Yuen’s work, CEM - a synthesis of Chinese meridian work and quantum theory - is a means to recognize and work with our selves on subtle energetic levels. It combines the knowledge that “wherever the chi goes, that’s where all things flow” with the quantum concept that matter is always being affected by consciousness. In an energetic process, we can guide our consciousness with self-aware intent. Thus, not just following his chi, but also working with it, Wayne made corrections to his own energetic condition. The Spiritual Connection The exercises and techniques Accem introduced became a way for Wayne to bring the spiritual level - along with the emotional, psychological and psyche - into practice. When seen through the holistic paradigm, spirituality provides an understanding of how we connect within ourselves and with the universe around us. This insight gives us a powerful means to work with our lives in subtle and deep ways. And it facilitates a self-aware process of integration of our selves into a healthy whole. Thus, our spiritual self is an extraordinary resource for well-being. Becoming increasingly open and connected to his own inner experience, Wayne had powerful encounters at the level of spiritual being. Undergoing light and colour therapy was particularly potent for him. An artist with a strong affinity for colour, Wayne is highly visual. Even so, in the therapeutic process, Accem provided an important role as a facilitator, helping him move past the ego mind and connect with subtle levels of self. In visualizations during this therapy, as well as in a profound personal visitation during a traditional sweat lodge, Wayne connected with subtle parts of his self. All these experiences came together, readying and supporting him through a particularly challenging part of the retreat - cleansing and detoxing. Detox When Wayne first arrived, he was physically weak - so much so that Dr. Scott delayed a major part of the program - cleansing through a colonic and enemas. Typical for the kind of dietary changes Wayne was making, he was already spending a lot of time in the bathroom. Eating food that facilitates the body’s digestive process is a practical way to find out what a lot of people don’t realize - that they’re mildly constipated most of the time. In Wayne’s case, though, a thorough cleansing was especially important. The liver, spleen and large intestine are the major agents in the breakdown and processing of food. Blockage in the colon slows down and even stops the body from eliminating toxins and wastes. The colon should not be a dark, dank, congested place. Like all parts of a healthy body, it should function in a freely moving, easy way. But any blockage of energy and any build-up of toxic material have a profound effect on the entire body. This condition, in turn, increases the workload of the hardest-working organ of the digestive system - the liver. Now, in addition to this, think of Wayne’s liver, already stressed with disease, being asked to handle the presence of morphine - adding insult to injury. Yet this is not an extreme scenario: the most common side-effects of Western medicine are diarrhea &/or constipation. These preparations are hard on our bodies. They have a toxic effect that contradicts their purpose as agents of healing. Unexpected Development Wednesday was the day of the colonic. Accem did an energetic treatment with Wayne beforehand, and some issues Wayne was having with doing the cleansing came up for discussion. Then they made the trip into town to a professional colon therapist. It was quite painful. There was a significant blockage in the upper left transverse colon. Afterwards, Wayne felt weak, but also great. He said it felt like having a baby. He felt empty. Lighter. There was nothing inside. The learning and energy work continued, taking into account Wayne’s tiredness after the colonic. The following evening, Wayne, on his own, flushed all of his pain medication down the toilet. He hadn’t previously planned on doing it - all the elements of his retreat came together to inspire the decision. Among other things, the colonic from the previous day had given him the emotional awareness that now he could get rid of the morphine. This was an unexpected development for Dr. Scott, who had detoxed many people from a variety of substances, including cigarettes, cocaine, and marijuana, but always through a stepped-down program. Watchful and aware, he supported Wayne through the process, prepared to take him to another setting if need be. Surprisingly, there were no tremors, sweating or vomiting. Going off of 120 mg of morphine cold turkey should have been both dramatic and traumatic. Instead, the only effects were some sleeplessness and slight mood shifts. It was, in fact, so anti-climactic, that it was amazing. Over the next few days, Wayne and Accem continued to work together. The sweat lodge was yet to come. And much time was spent working through the detoxing process and preparing Wayne to leave for home. Wayne’s suddenly eliminating his meds was taken into stride. It shifted the emphasis, but the important experiences and exercises continued. Anxious to return to his family, he left a day early, taking with him a new way to live and a renewed life. Wayne left the magic of the North Carolina mountains, “a wonderplace”, behind, but took with him the magic of his own transformation. He continues his new practice of diet and exercise, with the support of his family. He does CEM corrections and uses flower essences and herb teas to maintain his newly-found health. He has vigor and strength, as well as a fresh outlook on life. His personal retreat to Asheville, NC and the Tools of Life Healing Center became, for him, a pathway to rejuvenation and renewal. About the authors: Mimi Sandeen is a health and wellness writer and editor, specializing in energy and movement therapies, dance, and transformative narratives. She has several articles to her credit in Positive Health Magazine, and is published on the internet at www.wordalchemy.com. She lives in the USA. She can be contacted at msandeen@excite.com; Accem Scott, ND, is a Doctor of Naturopathy and a Reiki Master. He has studied with Dr. Kam Yuen, the original inspiration for the TV series “Kung Fu” and is the author of “Walk Like the Egyptians”, a soon-to-be-published book on integrative energy therapies and mind/body/spiritual wellness. He conducts retreats at Wellsprings, Wisconsin and Mt Shasta in California, as well as at Tools of Light Healing Center in Asheville, NC. He can be contacted at ; www.accemscott.com Further Information: For further information on Dr. Scott’s work, his forthcoming book “Walk Like the Egyptians”, Tools of Light Program, workshops, retreats, and seminars, visit www.accemscott.com For further information on Dr. Kam Yuen’s work, visit www.chineseenergeticmethod.com Footnotes: *Pa Kua, a martial arts exercise which is circular movement, enhancing the mind/body circuit *banging on the bones - an exercise devised by Dr. Accem Scott, systematically opening the meridians and moving chi [side bar] [kinesiology] Kinesiology - a means to work energetically with the intuitive self in a self-aware way - gives us a way to sense what we need, or should avoid. It puts us in touch with subtle knowledge of which we are unaware, or which we typically ignore or override. Wayne quickly learned how to work with this technique, going past levels of mental/emotional chatter to choose foods, herbal teas, and homeopathics that fulfilled his body’s needs. He learned to listen to what his body was telling him - a critical part of taking charge of his well-being. [side bar] [sample day from schedule] Monday, June 9th Pa Kua in the morning, Emerald Alchemy breakfast drink (formulated by Dr. Accem Scott, a combination of herbs, vitamins, & superfoods from around the world.) We introduce Wayne to sprouting almonds and other seeds by soaking them. We introduce Wayne to his Chinese herbal formulas. We begin making him teas with green tea and individual herbs that we test for. We show Wayne how we test for the herbs energetically. He is very inquisitive, and asks questions about everything. Acupuncture treatment with light and color therapy - spontaneous because Wayne is experiencing some pain. [side bar] [Kayo] We had a special evening with our friend Kayo, her daughter Masusi, age 12 and her nephew Timogen, age 9. We wanted Wayne to meet Kayo because she had Hepatitis C as well. Fortunately, because she is an herbalist, Kayo only went to Western medicine for tests to confirm what she suspected. She never went through the pharmaceutical treatments for Hepatitis C, but managed it completely through herbs and diet. Kayo lent us some marvelous material on Hepatitis C, herbs, and diet, which Wayne had already begun to read. He told us afterwards that the most powerful part of his experience meeting Kayo was her telling him "Hepatitis C is a completely manageable condition. You will get better!" [side bar] [voice dialogue] Voice dialogue is a technique which facilitates the emerging of the multi-dimensional selves we harbor within via visualization, CEM, and inner awareness techniques. Once certain parts emerge, it is the recognized facilitator's job to initiate a dialogue and help to move the fragmented part toward a new awareness of whole body/mind consciousness. If done correctly, at the end of this dialogue the fragmented part & the operating Ego have a renewed relationship with one another. This new relationship can now lead to profound changes in the person’s life. [side bar] [the liver] The liver is our largest organ. Located in the upper right portion abdominal cavity, the liver weighs approximately three to five pounds. The liver's primary function is to filter toxins out of the blood and break them down into harmless substances that can be eliminated from the body. At any given time, the liver contains about 300 milliliters of blood, which amounts to just under one and a half cups. The liver has many other important jobs in addition to its role as the body's blood filter. The liver metabolizes nutrients, stores blood glucose in the form of glycogen, and aids in the digestion of fat by producing bile, to name a few of its duties. Source: Annals of Epidemiology http://content.intramedicine.com/psv/weeklystudies.asp?factID=300 http://www.pharmasave.com/index.asp