HEALING IN HANA

We come around a bend and see the Congregational church of Kaupo, a whitewashed wooden structure on a wind-swept plain jutting out into the ocean. I read in my guide book that there are three heiaus (Native Hawaiian temples) there, one from the 1700's and two from the 1800's. Of course we stop to visit, and maybe, we think, to have lunch.

We drive into the church parking area, and for some reason continue around the church and park right in front of the heiaus. I get out and immediately feel drawn to go visit a bit of the heiau's stone wall which has been cleared away from the brush. There is a light gray smooth stone placed in front, and I need to put my hands on it. As I do, the stone feels like it melts under my hand, as if it is living flesh. I feel this is a needy spirit, perhaps a baby, who would love hours of Reiki. I decide to give it a few minutes and stop, overwhelmed already at the enormity of the need.

I walk around the outer walls of the heiau, and am overwhelmed by sadness. I begin sobbing. Looking at the hundreds of volcanic rocks which form the sacred site, I realize they contain the spirits of many Hawaiian people who lived and died here. It occurs to me that these spirits were honored during ceremonies here for centuries, then were abruptly dropped when the church was built. Loyal beings, they stayed here, not knowing where else to go.

I catch up with Kathy, who says nonchalantly "Let's wait to eat lunch somewhere else." In the car, I send distance Reiki to these trapped spirits, and continue to sob until the treatment is almost finished. Then I feel a sense of peace come over me, and I am relieved. Kathy admits to me that she felt it too, but was afraid that if she let herself feel it she might not be able to drive. Thank you, Hawaiian spirits of Kaupo, for allowing me to participate in your healing.

-Liza

Some time last year I starting feeling not quite right. I was having problems sleeping, I was anxious and moody, I felt hot and tired a lot, and I was having some digestive problems (reflux). What was going on? When I started seeing Lan Kao my acupuncturist (Kailua clinic 262-7899), she knew immediately I was starting to go from my Summer years into Fall.

We've all heard of the 'change of life', menopause, and even remember when some of our relatives went through it. Whew! Now a lot of us are between 42 and 55 years old, some younger or older. Suddenly the word per-menopausal creeps in and the symptoms start creeping out. Other symptoms may be irregular periods, vaginal dryness, loss of bladder tone, (Oh, please- watch out when you laugh, sneeze, or cough), skin and hair changes, loss of muscle strength and tone, weaker bones, and heart disease. Then there are the emotional changes, irritability, mood swings, lack of concentration, difficulty with memory, tension, anxiety, depression, etc. Need I say more?

So what's a woman to do? First thing is to see your health care provider. She or he can check your hormone levels by a blood test. Make sure you identify the right culprit before you start treating it. Discuss with your practitioner what your options are for treatment and do some research. I looked on the web and found tons of websites on Women's Health just by doing a search for Women's Health.

So what did I do personally? Lan put me on a Chinese herbal remedy for a couple of weeks. She also recommended I take wild yam and red raspberry leaves in capsule form, watch my diet, and exercise. I am also taking a supplement that is made specifically for women with peri-menopausal symptoms (ask me for more info).

How do I feel now? Great!! It really helped me a lot when I found out what was going with my body. Now I am able to sleep at night, my moods are much better and I am genuinely happy and not as hot and tired. There are many ways of treating all of the symptoms and you must choose what you feel will work for you and see what effects your treatment plan has on you. I still like to go the holistic route and find that works for me . Liza is always telling me my body is a temple and I should treat it as such, and when I do I do feel great.

Do not let menopause be a bad word for you. I have many good women friends who have gone through the change and have a renewed sense of self and empowerment, who are wise and don't take stuff from anyone. So there is a lot to look forward to. Please feel free to call me, or email me for more information, referrals, or questions

-Kathy