Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Season Greetings from Wild Salmon Retreat!

What will the new year bring? What is/are my goals? What are your goals? My goal is to keep my mindspiritbody in balance, to reconnect them, and bring them in harmony. My scar from my masectomy - which I call harmony, will always remind me. This past year, chemo and radiation did their job; they tore me down. Now is the time for me to rebuild my strength - spiritually, mentally and physcially. I'm going to be kind to myself and I hope that you will be kind to yourself too.

Below I have listed the 6 principles of Naturopathy and my goal this year to is apply them as needed; i want 2010 to be a year that my cells will giggle and dance.

My class schedule for Winter quarter is Tues, Wed and Thurs. I will spend Fri - Monday in Puyallup. Monday and Friday mornings (9-1) I will be at Curves. I look forward to seeing all the smiling faces.


The practice of Naturopathic Medicine includes six underlying principles of healing. These are based on the observation of health and disease. This observation process involves the use of modern scientific methodologies and language.
The following principles make Naturopathic Medicine different from all other medical approaches:

First do no harm: Primum No Nocere
Illness is a purposeful process of the organism. The process of healing includes the generation of symptoms which are, in fact, an expression of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should be complementary to and synergistic with this healing process. The physician's actions can support or antagonize the actions of the vis mediatrix naturae -- the healing power of Nature. Therefore, methods designed to suppress symptoms without removing the underlying causes are considered harmful and to be avoided or minimized.

The healing power of nature: Vis Mediatrix Naturae
The body has an inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician's role is to facilitate this process, to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to establish or restore a healthy internal and external environment.

Identify and treat the cause: Tolle Causam
Illness does not occur without cause. Underlying causes of disease must be discovered and removed or treated before a person can recover completely from illness. Symptoms express the body's attempt to heal, but are not the cause of disease. Symptoms, therefore, should not be suppressed by treatment. Causes may occur on many levels including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The physician must evaluate fundamental underlying causes on all levels, directing treatment at root causes rather than at symptomatic expression.

Heal the whole person:Tolle Totum
Health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, a whole involving the complex interaction of many factors. The naturopathic physician must treat the whole person by taking these factors into account. The harmonious functioning of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects are essential to recovery from and prevention of disease. This requires a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.

The physician as teacher:Docere
A cooperative doctor-patient relationship has inherent therapeutic value. The physician's major role is to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility for their own health. The physician is a catalyst for healthful change, empowering and motivating the patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient, not the doctor, who ultimately creates/accomplishes healing. Teaching with hope, knowledge, and understanding, the physician acts to enable patients to heal.

Prevention:Prevention is the best cureThe ultimate goal of any health care system should be prevention of disease. This is accomplished through education and promotion of life-habits that create good health. The physician learns to assess risk factors and to sharpen their deductive reasoning, and understand the patient's circumstances. Appropriate interventions are then sought to avoid

Season Greetings

Its hard to believe that one year ago, November 24, I was diagnosed with breast cancer - where did the year go? It passed so fast just like the blink of an eye.

I just finished up Fall qtr. I was enrolled in two classes, but I ended up taking an incomplete in one. I just didn't have the energy or endurance to plow through. I learned some valuable lessons this quarter; the most important is to acknowlede that I presently have limitations, therefore it is important to pace myself. Do any of you have any idea how difficult that is? I'm sure you do. While my mind may say one thing, my body says something different. My goal is to bring both of them into alignment and find a balance.

Next qtr (Winter), I have decided to take classes that will build me up and contribute to my health. I call them fun classes - Foods and Herbs, and Hydrotherapy. I think both of these classes will nourish and heal my cells. My priorities have shifted - my health and my family is more important that school right now. My lighter load at school will allow me to work at Curves a couple hours/week while Theresa is on maternity leave.

I am going to be a grandma in about 6 weeks - I am so excited. About 4 weeks ago, I began a beginning knitting class. I am having so much fun knitting - it's all I want to do. I found some fabulous organic yarn at Fred Meyers in wonderful warm colors.

I hope you all are being kind to yourself - I sure am with each day. I've gotta keep my cells giggling.