All Women are Healers

In the place I have been staying this weekend, which I will describe in the next post, I of course checked out the bookshelves and one of the books was All Women are Healers.  I only had time to read the introduction and the first two chapters, but I was very impressed with it.

It's written from a feminist perspective, with lines such as "Dis-eases of women's reproductive system are reactions to the belittlement that women face in patriarchy."  There is a lot of discussion of the emotional issues behind disease.

The description of gemstone healing sessions in Chapter 1, including a case of a woman with uterine fibroid that she treated who felt so much better afterwards that she cancelled surgery that had been scheduled, was very interesting. I'm going to contact the author to see if she can recommend any gemstone healers in my area.

An interesting book worth checking out.  I put it on my TO READ list so will check out the other chapters later.

The Wisdom of Menopause

I'm really not ready to contemplate buying a book on menopause, but I just heard that the book by Christiane Northrup The Wisdom of Menopause has a chapter on fibroids.  So might be worth checking out if you are at that stage.  I looked over the table of contents and it looked like a very good book.

Natural Healing Wisdom

This evening I went to the grand opening party for Be Yoga in Palo Alto CA.  After the excellent yoga class, my husband availed himself of the snacks, but I wasn't interested.  But I did spot the book Natural Healing Wisdom and curled up with it on the couch for a little while.  It's a lot like The Whole Earth Catalog or Our Bodies Ourselves (remember those? guess I am totally dating myself! Anyway I was a kid when those came out!) in size and style.
I couldn't read it all in the 20 minutes I had, but what I read I thought was really good. For example the lymphatic drainage self-massage was explained well and I plan to give it a try.   
Especially if you're new to alternative healing, I think it would be a better value than buying a bunch of books on each different healing modality. 

Wild Feminine

Sorry to have not been writing lately, it's been busy here.

Wanted to let everyone know about a fascinating book I just started reading, called the Wild Feminine.  Written by a "holistic pelvic practitioner" it's about how women can reconnect with their pelvic bowl.  She doesn't talk about fibroids specifically but I think everything she is talking about is highly applicable, and am finding myself furiously underlining.  There are tons of exercises too.  I expect this book will keep me busy for awhile!

smart woman's guide to PMS and painful periods

Also just learned about this book, which has a chapter on fibroids.  Sounds interesting too.  The Smart Woman's Guide to PMS and Pain-Free Periods

just read Fibroids Miracle

A new e-book called Fibroids Miracle has been popping up a lot on the internet lately.  And although to be honest I tend to be rather skeptical of e-books, I just had to check it out.  I'm glad I did.  I thought the author did a very nice job, and frankly this book would have been much a much more helpful one to have when I first found out about my fibroids than Healing Fibroids was.

I'm a bit busy with work right now, so plan to write a more detailed review later.  Will say for the time being that I thought the advice on cleansing was good (and inspired by that did a cleanse this past week called Fast Track Detox), the diet advice sensible, and a lot of interesting supplement recommendations including for choline which I only found out about recently.  Also liked the overall tone, and amount of info feels just right -- as opposed to Healing Fibroids which when I first read it was completely overwhelming and kind of made me paralyzed.  Fibroids Miracle seems to concentrate on the key things.

I think the combination of Fibroids Miracle (which focuses mainly on cleansing and diet and supplements) and Gillian Bowles' book Cure Fibroids Naturally (which focuses mainly on emotional issues) would be a really good two books for someone to get started on their fibroid shrinking quest.

some thoughts

I've been so busy with work lately have not had a lot of time to write about some of the interesting things I have been doing.  One of them has been working with an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) coach.  You can download a free do-it-yourself manual, which I found helpful, or read one of the many books out there such as The EFT Manual (EFT: Emotional Freedom Techniques) or Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing: The Last Self-Help Book You Will Ever Need.  But I felt to really get into it I needed some expert assistance. So I went on the practitioner directory on the EFT site and found an EFT practitioner who specializes in fertility issues.  She is really fabulous, caring and insightful, and I feel like I am making real progress in working with her.   I'm doing weekly sessions, and really look forward to them.

In EFT one talks a lot about past experiences that created an emotional charge in the body, and then work to clear that charge.  So part of what we are doing in our sessions is a kind of detective work.

Last night I was reading one of my favorite books, Calling in the One .  This is the one dating book that I found to be most useful during my long single years (although I would also highly recommend Getting to 'I Do'and Mars and Venus on a Date).  So why am I reading a dating book now that I'm happily married?  Because Calling in the One is not about dating techniques, but more about working on yourself so that you are a more emotionally balanced and happy person who will attract someone who is a good partner for you.  A good theme even if one has already found one's "One".  And it worked so well, that I found my husband after I had only read and implemented about a third of it.  So I'm reading it now, to glean the rest of the learning.  I think this book is a must-read for anyone who is single, and even if you are not I think it is so well-written and insightful that it could be helpful esp. if you substitute your current issue (such as "not getting pregnant" or "not being able to get rid of the fibroids") for "not having found your partner."  For example, I read the chapter on manifesting last night, and for me it made a lot more sense and was more persuasive than the book by Wayne Dyer that I read a few months ago.

Anyway, the chapter I was reading last night talked about how experiences as a young child can set up patterns in how we perceive ourselves and how we interact with the world.  This brought to mind something I hadn't thought about in a long time.  When I was very small, e.g. about 1 year old, my mother did something that she had learned in her college child development class was a good way to help children learn to be more independent. She would put me in my playpen, and put me in the backyard by myself.  I would be in front of her watchful eye from the kitchen window, however even if I cried she would not come out to me, and instead force me to cope with being alone and somehow amuse myself. Now I don't remember this, but my mother told me about it later, I believe in the context of joking that it had perhaps worked too well because I am extremely independent. 

A few years ago I was on a group trip and one of the other participants was a child psychologist.  On one of our long talks during the drive portion, I mentioned to her about this and she confirmed that this was indeed a popular idea in the 50's, and that indeed it's very contrary to what is considered today to be healthy for a child.

I was telling my husband about this last night and he said "that sounds like a 'grievance story' to me", using a phrase from a book that we have been reading together called Forgive for Good (title self-explanatory!)  I told him not exactly, because I have completely forgiven my mother.  She was just doing what she had been told was the best thing to do, and she honestly believed that it was something good for me.  I'm sure that when I am a mother I am going to research what is supposed to be the best way to raise a child, and will do what is supposed to be the best thing. So I don't blame her, and indeed I'm guessing it probably was not very pleasant for her either.

However, even though I forgive my mother, that doesn't change the fact that I think this negative experience affected me at some deep level, and created some deep-seated beliefs about myself and my relation to the world.  Particularly when soon after that my sister arrived, and from then on due to her cerebral palsy my parent's focus had to be on her needs and I did not get as much attention to my needs and had to take care of myself in a lot of ways.  So it seems to me that the leaving-me-out-in-the-yard might have created an emotional dynamic that was then exacerbated after the arrival of my sister, kind of a double whammy.  In other words, the leaving-me-out-in-the-yard thing, while bad in itself, might not have been as significant if it hadn't been for what followed.

If I were to try to sum up that dynamic, I think part of it may have been a negative impact on the relationship with my mother.  I think that in some way I lost the ability to trust that she would take care of my emotional needs, and indeed I've always felt that somehow we lacked the closeness that other mothers and daughters share.  And indeed I often feel that my mom doesn't "get" me or listen to my needs well -- maybe because at some deep level I don't expect that she can, or for a long time I never gave her the chance to because at some level I decided I had to shut myself off from her in order to prevent myself from being disappointed? 

I think this also may affect my ability to trust other people to be able to be there for me or to help me.  To be honest I think it might be affecting how I relate to my husband.  I think at some level I set up very high expectations for people and how they will behave, and become disappointed when inevitably they can't live up to them.   Also if we are talking about the issue of trust, there are all the issues I have with doctors, and my deep lack of trust that they can really help me.

I think another possible negative impact is that I do seem to have this feeling that I have to try harder than other people at things, that things don't come naturally to me, that I have to exert incredible power and energy to make them happen.  I'm guessing that when my mother didn't come when I cried, that I felt I had to cry harder and yell louder  to get her to come.  And maybe that worked, and so maybe I got the idea that I have to make extraordinary efforts in order to achieve anything.  And yes I do achieve a lot but there's a big exhausting effort required.  Like years do fruitless dating and reading every dating book ever published before I met my husband.  Or now, becoming an expert on fibroids for goodness sake!  I am sick of trying way too hard at things.  And in fact got some messages about that this week: 1) my acupuncturist has like many times before talked to me about how I need to stop feeling that I have to orchestrate everything, that I am overusing my liver and 2) I had a BodyTalk appointment and the practitioner told me I needed to use less masculine energy to get things done, and more feminine energy of letting things unfold and attracting things to me.  All fits a pattern I think.

Ok, so that's a bit of amateur self psycho-analysis I suppose, but I share it all with you as an example of the level I think we need to get down to if we really want to shift what is going on with our bodies.  And I don't think it's enough to just be aware of these things, one needs to change the pattern and to release the negative stored energy associated with it.  That's where I'm finding the EFT to be helpful.  Not sure exactly how this all will relate to getting rid of fibroids or improving my fertility, but my gut feeling tells me that cleaning out this kind of old "gunk" certainly won't hurt. 

The Uterine Health Companion

The Uterine Health Companion: A Holistic Guide to Lifelong Wellness is a new book coming out next week.  It sounds like a must-read for us fibroid shrinkers!

reading to my unborn baby

In my post the other day I mentioned how I am reading to my unborn baby, to bond with him/her.  It's something I came up with on my own, and it feels to me like it's something really helpful.

I have five books that I am reading (one is a 3-book boxed set).  The theme of each of them is love, and they are all so cute!  When I read them it makes my heart feel open and I feel a connection with the baby.  It makes it easy for me to imagine actually reading to the baby someday, after they are born.

Here are the books:

Snuggle Puppy (a love song)
Hug Time
The Love Library: Guess How Much I Love You / Hug / Love and Kisses

Book review -- The Fibroid Cure

You've probably seen advertised on the internet an e-book called The Fibroid Cure byShola Oslo.

Curious as I am, I had to get it and see what it's about.

It's ok, but no earthshattering news. Exercise regularly, eat organic foods, take supplements, do cleanses to detox, try acupuncture and Chinese herbs. The basics, presented in an organized way, but nothing new to me except a couple of specific recipes for different detoxes you can do (which mostly involve drinking various combinations of lemon juice and olive oil, and drinking herbal tea).

In short, pretty much the same info you can find on this blog, or in Healing Fibroids: A Doctor's Guide to a Natural Cure.

Zen Warrior Exercises

My husband picked out this cute little book, enticingly subtitled Zen Warrior Exercises, while we were poking around a bookstore on our trip this weekend.

What it turns out to be is some simple and nice qigong exercises. And I am on a big qigong kick, so was delighted. But even better is that HE picked them out HIMSELF and wants to do them with me! I think the whole zen warrior bit is appealing to guys. Hey, whatever works.

This is a small and appealing book, and the exercises are explained clearly with nice illustrations. The text talks about how these get your energy flowing, which is what we who want to shrink our fibroids and/or enhance our fertility need to do!

two excellent books, and my plan going forward

I have read two books lately that I thought were really excellent, and coincidentally both had the same theme -- that we need to free ourself of over-reliance on doctors, and instead learn to heal ourselves.

The first was The Fertile Female, by Julia Indichova. Having overcome infertility herself after doctors told her it was impossible for her to get pregnant, she went on to start a support service for women struggling with infertility. This book contains the lessons learned from that work. It talks about key things like diet and the need to clear emotional blocks that are affecting our bodies -- what she calls "the issues in our tissues." But the main message is that you have to figure out what works for you, and take charge of your own healing process. I highly recommend for anyone who is working on their fertility.



The second was a more general book, The Healer Within. I had ordered this book a long time ago but never read it. When I picked it up this time, I thought "I've already read plenty of books about Chinese medicine, this is going to be a repeat." But instead I found it fresh and inspiring. Again, his emphasis is on how to heal yourself, and take responsibility for your own healing. He provides concrete techniques based on Chinese Qigong, self-massage, meditation and breathing techniques. They are very simple and non-intimidating techniques, and some were familiar frm other things I had read about and tried -- this book put them all into a framework, which was helpful. So in a sense it was good that I read it after other things, but on the other hand it would have been easier to have just started with this one! And the stories he tells particularly of a cancer survivor's group in Shanghai, are inspiring. It's all about figuring out how to activate the "medicine within", as he calls it, that all of us have. I recommend this for anyone interested in healing and health improvement, particularly if you are working on something as tough to deal with as fibroids. Wish I had read this when I was first diagnosed! It would have helped me get onto a good path more quickly, and would have been more empowering than some of the things I did read.

Based on this reading, and some other things I have investigated lately that I have not had time to write about yet here, I am now feeling like I really have all the tools that I need to do self-healing. My main obstacle is time -- I have a busy job that keeps me in front of the computer way too much. But if I am really going to make some progress with my self-healing, I am going to need to put more time into it. So I am setting some goals --

1. From now on, minimum 2.5 hours per day on healing activities. The healing activities will be from among the ones listed below. If I am busy at work and cannot do the 2.5 hours in a given day, then the un-done time will be carried over to the next day, and all time from the week will need to be done by the end of the day Sunday, no matter what. This could mean some Sunday evening activity blowouts, but that's ok if need be.

2. In order to keep myself honest and committed to this plan, I am going to post on this blog every day what I have done, under a header "today's activities". So you readers will all be helping me with my commitment to this plan.

3. As part of this plan, I will strive to reduce my weight and body fat percent, and my metabolic age. I just recently got a Tanita scale that measures these things, and I will post every Monday. I am aiming for 129 pounds and less than 29% body fat, and hey let's say metabolic age of 29 too (not sure if that is realistic but let's try!) Weight and body fat are of course not the main goals here, but since I can't check my fibroids myself this will at least give some measure of progress as to changes in my body.

The healing activities I will engage in will be a combination of the following (these are either things I have been doing already but not enough, some new things I learned about recently, and some things I used to do a long time ago that I am going to get started with again). Some of the ones not yet mentioned in this blog I will write about in more detail in future entries.

"Regular" exercise:
Walking
Bicycling
Weight-lifting (I plan to join a gym and get back into this after a few years hiatus)
Yard work

"Special" exercise:
Hula-hooping
Belly dancing
Yoga, especially fertility yoga and Kundalini yoga
Qi Gong, especially Fertility Qi Gong, and techniques from The Healer Within and Fertility Wisdom
Stretching
Pilates
Mini trampoline
Feldenkrais
Yamuna foot walkers
The Miracle Ball Method

Bodywork:
Acupressure, especially from The Fertility Cure, Fertility Wisdom, and Facelift at Your Fingertips
Moxibustion, from Fertility Wisdom
Abdominal massage
Castor oil packs

Energy work:
Exercises from Energy Medicine for Women
Jin Shin Jyutsu
Meditation (especially mindfulness, chakra clearing, and special ones received from advisors I have worked with)

Emotional work:
Working with various different books, many of which have been mentioned here previously
Emotional Freedom Technique

Yes this is a lot of techniques. These are the ones that I think have the most promise, based on my research and what I have noticed myself. But they are only going to be helpful if I spend more time on them! In other words, do them rather than think about doing them! A "home practice" as they say.

I am already doing really well I think being consistent and doing the right things with my diet, supplements, acupuncture, BodyTalk and BioSet treatments. What I need now is to pick up the pace on the self-care activities described above, which is what I think is really going to turbo charge my healing process!

Santa Cruz Hagaddah

So, I'm sure you are wondering, what does a Hagaddah have to do with fibroids? Or, if you are not Jewish, you are more likely wondering, what the heck is a Haggadah?

The Haggadah is the book that is used for the meal/service called the Seder that Jews (and this year President Obama too!) participate in during the holiday of Passover. The Hagaddah tells the story of the Jews' liberation from Egypt.

To be honest, I always felt that the Haggadah was pretty dry and boring, and struggled to find its relevance for me.

Then this year I went to a seder in Santa Cruz, and my hosts were using a photocopied cobbled-together Haggadah. I was completely fascinated by it, it really spoke to me. It talked a lot about liberating yourself, asked thought-provoking questions and even quoted Martin Luther King Jr's Mountaintop speech which never fails to bring tears to my eyes and of course is so appropriate for Passover. I thought to myself, this reads a lot more like the various books I've been reading in my fibroid-shrinking quest than it does a typical Haggadah! I was actually disappointed that we went through it quickly (whereas normally I'm happy to rush through the service to get to the food.)

I asked my hosts about it and it turns out the parts that appealed to me were from the aptly named Santa Cruz Haggadah. For those of you who don't know Santa Cruz, it's the epitome of what people in the rest of the country think of when they think of California -- a town full of surfers, vegans, and spiritually aware folk.

I looked it up on the web, and here it is!I also found this description which I think describes it well: In addition to acknowledging the historical Exodus, The Santa Cruz Haggadah pays attention to the idea that it is up to us to heal the planet (Tikkun Olam) and free ourselves from whatever holds us back from being the best people we can be. In essence, it nurtures a very interactive seder that encourages personal liberation. Using this haggadah ensures a Seder that is deep, high and fun; meaningful, joyous and memorable for all who participate.

If you are looking for an alternative to the regular Haggadah that feels more integrated with the personal growth you have been trying to do, this is it. This would also be of interest as general reading for to those who are interested in tying their religious beliefs to the emotional work they are doing. (The Leader's Edition evidently has extra thought-provoking questions too)

Healing Fibroids: A Doctor's Guide to a Natural Cure

There's been some discussion on the Healing Fibroids Naturally Yahoo Group about the book
Healing Fibroids: A Doctor's Guide to a Natural Cure and I'd just like to share with everyone the comments that I shared there.

This was one of the first books that I read when I found out I had fibroids. I think it's one of the better ones out there, so if you haven't yet I would suggest looking at it. However,
I'd like to mention that while I think this book is really helpful and better than most, I had some problems as a result of having it be my main guide when I first discovered I had fibroids.

1. Following his advice to eat more fish, I made it one of my main protein sources. But I ate too much esp. tuna and ended up with a mercury overload.
2. The author says eggs are a good source of protein, but I started relying on them as one of my main sources and this was not good (from a Chinese medicine perspective too phlegmy, I discovered). Also I didn't realize that eggs can have hormones too so you need to eat organic ones if you are going to eat them. My acupuncturist has said no more than 2-3 per week.
3. Same with soy, based on what this book said I started eating a lot of it, esp. soy milk, which I have later discovered is not necessarily good for you. My acupuncturist thinks that all the soy caused damp which aggravated the fibroids.
4. Based on what this book said I stopped eating meat. But the book didn't talk enough about how to avoid getting anemic, and other foods to substitute. I only learned later that if you are not eating meat you need to load up on iron rich foods and likely will need to take an iron supplement too. He also didn't talk enough about adding other protein sources like quinoa etc.
5. The author's emphasis is on Western herbs, and he doesn't talk much about Chinese ones. However, I have since discovered that the Chinese ones are the ones that have clinical evidence behind them, and I would have liked to have known about them sooner.

So while I like this book, it has some drawbacks, wanted to mention so others who are reading it will be aware.

Book review -- The Tao of Fertility

When I first found out I had fibroids, I would not have been willing to read a book related to fertility or go to a clinic specializing in the topic. In fact I think that one of the reasons I have fibroids is due to the high-stress period in my late 30s and early 40s when I was having difficulty finding The Guy. At that point, thinking about fertility was very distressing as I knew someday I wanted children, and that my fertile years were not unlimited, but that I was lacking an important necessary ingredient – the right man. However, I know now that acupuncturists who work on fertility have a lot of experience with fibroids, and I wish now that my first step in my fibroid journey had been to find someone with this specialty.

Now that fertility is my focus, and I have been cleared by my gyn to TTC, picking up a book on fertility by a Chinese medicine expert seems like a natural thing to do. However I understand how some readers of this blog might be in a different situation, such as where I was a few years ago.

At any rare, it turns out that Tao of Fertility has some good input for fibroid fighters. In the beginning he spells out the Chinese medicine approach in a way that is very well-written and easy to understand. It’s perfect for someone who doesn’t have any prior knowledge of this topic and who might have trouble “getting it” -- I’m going to have my husband read it! The book also outlines a detox program and general diet suggestions that are good ones for fibroid fighters –just go easy on the meat and eggs and wheat included.

The most interesting part of the book for me is a simple 10-step Qi Gong practice that targets the reproductive system, and also is quite easy. He says that patients have shrunk their fibroids using it. One thing I have been thinking that I really need is more routine and discipline – so I am going to try to start doing this regularly. (As readers may recall, I took a Qi Gong class this spring that I enjoyed but have to admit that with everything going on in my life lately it’s been hard to practice on my own. I want to start doing it again, but at the same time I like the one from this book as it’s specifically focused on reproductive issues. If I can really get organized, I’ll do both!)

The book also has a simple 5-point acupressure practice, also intended to be done daily, that looks like it’s worth doing. Especially if you are not getting acupuncture regularly.

Several of the case studies involve women who had fibroids along with their other fertility issues. Each one of the cases studies finishes with the miraculous ending of the patient getting pregnant and having a healthy baby. Of course he’s not going to share any failure stories, and wants to showcase his best cases, but to be honest something about these case studies I found rather irritating. To be honest I had trouble relating to them -- either it seemed like him just boasting about how he worked magic on a difficult case, or someone whose lifestyle was so clearly out of whack even I as an amateur could have given them useful advice (e.g. cut back on the excessive running if you want to get pregnant! Duh!) But they do offer some hope and make for interesting reading.

In the appendix there is mention of a new group of acupuncturists who specialize in reproductive issues. This could be a good resource. http://www.aborm.org/ Interesting that this is becoming enough of a specialty to have its own group!

In sum, if you are planning to try to conceive soon or want to preserve your fertility for the future, this book would definitely be interesting and useful. As a fibroid shrinker not interested in fertility (e.g. don’t plan to have children or are approaching menopause), the central fertility emphasis might be annoying but it still might have useful information for you.

special needs siblings

Energy medicine experts often say that fibroids are related to pent up anger and emotional trauma -- old stuff that is not being let go of.

I identified that one set of issues for me were things relating to growing up with a sister with cerebral palsy. This changed the dynamics of our family, forcing me to be preternaturally mature, and at the same time to be starved for attention.

As part of the fibroid healing process, I decided to look at this issue more closely and try to heal it. I used two books, one called The Normal Oneand another called Being the Other One: Growing Up with A Brother or Sister who has Special Needs.

I had mentioned these in a previous post, but am now done working with them. Thought I would share my thoughts on them for others who might have this similar thing in their lives. And for those who don't perhaps my approach to healing on this issue might be a useful one to apply to other issues you are facing.

Yesterday I was reading an article about business books, that said for the businessperson that a book is that nice happy medium between "I need to hire a consultant" and "I don't know anything about this topic." A book gives you a lot of information for $20 or less, and if you apply what's in it yourself you can get a lot of value. As a business consultant who writes books myself, I still think that there are things one can gain from working with a consultant that are not written in books. On the other hand, many times I feel in my consulting "if you had only read my book first, we could have started off at a more advanced point."

I feel that the same goes for personal self-help type books. There are lots of experts who share all their best techniques and illustrations in carefully crafted books. It takes a huge amount of effort to write a good book, so why not take advantage of this great source of learning that can be had relatively cheaply.

I read The Normal One first and it was really helpful to me to get validation that some of my rawer emotions were completely normal. It also helped me identify feelings that were partially-buried or ill-defined, and bring them into greater clarity for myself. However, I have to say that the book left me a bit frustrated, because it didn't have a lot of positive steps I could take to help myself heal.

That's where Being the Other One really shone. It's a much more positive and practical book. It is not as emotional in tone as The Normal One, but after reading one book of that type I was ready for something different. The part of Being the Other One that I liked the most was the chapter on how to heal yourself as an adult to address the impact that being the sibling of a special needs child has been. The book also has a section for parents of special needs children with siblings, which I hope that many parents in that situation will read.

Taken together, the two books were a good combination for me. The Normal One helped dredge up buried emotions, then The Normal One gave me an idea of what to do about them.

Here's how I used the books:
1. While reading, I underlined or put a star by each section that resonated for me. I then journaled about my own feelings relating to those.
2. In Being the Other One, on pages 108 and 109 there is a list of questions to think about, in order to reflect on your experience. I journaled about each of these.

After doing that, and talking with my coach about some of the things that came up, I was able to work through this issue for myself. Now I feel like I am done with it, that there is not so much energy attached to it anymore. And now I'm ready to give the books away, to an old friend who also had a special needs sibling.

This was an extremely useful process, and I encourage other fibroid fighters to identify emotional issues and work on them as part of your healing process.

Eat Right for Your Type

My acupuncturist advised me to follow the diet in Eat Right for Your Type, the best-selling diet book of a few years ago. Well, to follow this diet in conjunction with his other recommendations.

The idea behind this book is that depending on your blood type, a different mix of foods is suitable to you. If you eat a food that is good for your blood type, good lectins (a substance in your blood) are created, and if you eat a food that is bad for your blood type, bad lectins are created. The more good lectins and the fewer bad lectins you have, the better you will feel. So the idea of following this diet for fibroid shrinkers is that it will help your body to operate more efficiently overall, which should indirectly promote fibroid shrinkage. In other words, this diet is helpful but just this alone is not likely to be enough. But it's a nice addition to the arsenal. As my acupuncturist put it, his patients just seem to do better if they follow it.

The information on lectins and their power was quite convincing, I have to admit. And there must be a reason why this book was such a big best-seller.

The book contains detailed lists of what to eat and not eat. I'm an AB, which means I have a particularly tricky diet with lots of things I'm supposed to be avoiding...

It says in the book that ABs are particularly prone to cancer. I wonder if blood type might be related to fibroids?

chakra clearing

Trying to learn as much as I can about energy and healing, I picked up a book on chakra clearing. I had read some things previously on chakras, but this one is the simplest and easiest to understand by far.

I saw somewhere that fibroids are a first and second chakra problem. The first chakra is evidently about feelings of security and rootedness, so any worries about things like your home, your finances, your possessions or your physical/security needs can mess it up. As soon as I read this portion I vowed to stop obsessing about how I'll ever be able to buy a home in the expensive area I live in! The second chakra relates to thoughts and feelings about health and physical issues. I'm sure worrying about the fibroids doesn't help this chakra. And I think my past issues (thankfully now resolved) of not being in a stable relationship for a long period of time didn't help either of these chakras.

The book comes with a CD that has a morning guided meditation and an evening guided meditation, in which you visualize the chakras clear and happy. The latter I find also is great for helping me relax before going to sleep.

I have been planning to try reiki to help with the fibroids, but am so busy with my regimen of acupuncture, abdominal massage, and NAET that I don't have the time. I feel like this CD is a good way to do some reiki-like stuff on myself.

I told my coach about this CD and she heartily approved. She also suggested an enhancement. I told her that in the meditation you are told to visualize a white light in your abdomen. She suggested also visualizing that light wrapping around and healing the fibroids.

Here is a link that has a nice discussion of fibroids and the second chakra: http://books.google.com/books?id=pJ3w7NhiXbwC&pg=PA169&lpg=PA169&dq=fibroids+chakra&source=web&ots=jXVuSwbZTM&sig=unJ-SL41NYceiHsup3ilEZ0WgOo&hl=en

Secret of the Shadow

As part of the work with my coach on addressing some of the unresolved emotional issues that may be at the energetic root of my fibroids, I am reading the book The Secret of the Shadow. The theme is all about embracing your "story" -- the difficult things in you

I have to admit that this book is not particularly well-written (as a professional writer I say she needed a better editor, it gets rather repetitive). Indeed if you look at the Amazon page using the link above you'll see that the "official" reviews are decidedly mixed. However, if you look at the reader reviews, they absolutely rave. If you can overlook the writing style, this book is very helpful, it has some good exercises in it. (Be sure to get a nice journal to use when working with it).

Changing the way you think about things can be one way to shift the energy in your body, and get out of whatever pattern helped give rise to the fibroids.

The Normal One

An important aspect of healing fibroids is figuring out what old stuck emotional issues they represent.

In my case, one thing I am giving a lot of thought to right now is the impact on me of having grown up with a severely handicapped sister. I am reading a book called The Normal One which explores this topic. The New York Times calls it a "persuasive examination of the considerable effect that...impaired brothers and sisters have upon their 'normal' siblings throughout life."

This sentence in the book jumped out at me: "They (siblings of special needs children) bear an inner weight of unarticulated sorrow at having missed much of the freedom and insouciance of childhood that others take for granted." I do think I am carrying around a lot of "stuff" related to my unique childhood and having to be mature and responsible preternaturally early.

If you have what this book calls "a difficult or damaged sibling" it would be well worth examining how that has affected you.

I also have on order Being the Other One: Growing Up with A Brother or Sister who has Special Needs -- this one looks good too.

It's time to deal with all the emotional stuff I've got buried in my belly!