Every season has its joys and challenges. Summer tends to be my personal favorite with the long, warm days. We have a sense of leisure to the rhythm of my family with kids out of school and general free time to spend their days exploring their own interests and participating in the magic of the farm. But then there are wildfires.
Last week 2 fires encroached too close to our home and pushed all of us (horses especially) into our primal state of survival. As the plumes of smoke came over the cliff above our home and the ash with still red tinges of cinder was falling around us we packed everyone up on the farm, grabbed our essentials and most precious things, for what has become an all too familiar evacuation project. Thankfully the fire was contained with amazing swiftness considering the dry, hot season and most of the homes in the area are just fine.
Farm Life Lessons
This season the blending of Stillwater and Hart Farm took some new directions. We had the return of our Summer Theater Program in the early summer. 13 children spent 6 weeks with us enjoying a routine of animal care and creativity and culminated in the most incredible production of Peter Pan in the farmyard. It was truly the most magical theater experience I’ve witnessed with the children transforming into their characters and the story came to life in a whole new way.
The herb beds and vegetable gardens have become prolific as I’ve shifted my focus from harvesting for production to the ease of permaculture sustainability. Our animal community continues to change with the complexity of our new members personalities, and the sheep and horses finding the balance of their roles all together.
Farm life certainly teaches me how to let go of my agenda and be witness to the unfolding of what is. I am reminded constantly that my plan may not be what serves the whole and so I try to observe, listen and adjust to support the larger system.
Return to the Roots of Chinese Medicine
This September I have an opportunity to join my original Chinese medicine teacher, Heiner Fruehauf, in a journey to China. He is taking a group of Chinese medicine practitioners to spend time with the elders of the lineage of Classical Chinese medicine, that has been the foundation of my training. We will share a 21 day qigong and meditation practice visiting temples in rural China. In addition, we will spend time at one of the most ancient regions of moxa production, the herb that is used to burn on acupuncture points of the body to activate health. Here the tradition of moxibustion has its deepest roots and its most thorough knowledge. The people of this area are working hard to preserve this resource in a time when it is less honored and appreciated. Our group will participate in advanced moxa training and will directly support the moxa farms and people who care for them.
This journey will be an opportunity for me to take a step out of managing the day to day needs of the farm, my family and patient care, for the month of September. As you know, the past several years in healthcare and small business have been exceptionally challenging. I have been witness to some of the most difficult times for many patients, friends, and family members. I have been seeking opportunities to connect more directly to the places on this Earth where the vitality is greatest, both to fortify myself and to be in relationship with the places that need our protection and love in order for their vitality to continue to flourish.
Heaven, Earth and the Human Being
One of my favorite principles of Chinese medicine is the observation of what humans are here for on this Earth. It is recognized that through our unique position of being connected to the heavens, yet firmly connected to this earth, we alone are responsible for fostering the balance between these 2 polarities. While it seems so simple, it is truly our greatest struggle as humans. Qigong practices are designed from ancient principles of simply how to exist in harmony inside ourselves and to foster harmony in the world around us. One of my passions with qigong is to bring it to places that need healing support. Being in depleted areas, we can utilize the practice of qigong to activate the harmonic energies of heaven and earth.
My trip to China will begin earlier than the group travel, with an initial stay in Wuhan. Known as the origin of the Covid pandemic, the wet market of Wuhan is a location that has been central to the deepest global trauma of our lifetime. It is my intention to bring with me all that I have been in resonance with as I sought out safety in the incredible beauty of the high country of the Rocky Mountains. I hope to carry this resonance into the heart of Wuhan in an effort to harmonize myself and hopefully ripple out to others.
In order for me to manage the expenses of deepening of my practices and capacity as a healer I am sharing this message also to ask for support. Taking time away from my farm and family means I’ll need to recruit others to fulfill the tasks of the daily routine that I otherwise keep in motion. Stepping out of my practice for a month creates a significant financial deficit for my family. This and the cost of travel, the funds necessary for the lineage elders for their care and support, is a very large expense.
For those who value my offerings as a healer, our farm as a resource to the community and for those interested in maintaining the living traditions of ancient medical systems your support in this journey would be incredibly helpful. Chinese medicine has been the most comprehensive resource to understand not only health but also the intricate dynamics of how life generates more life. It is relevant to all aspects of sustainability and can serve as a guide for systems and thinking in all disciplines. I am grateful to be a resource for this wisdom to stay alive and intend to help it grow for many years yet to come!
Changes in our Health Culture
When I first started my graduate education in Naturopathic and Chinese medicine, the culture in healthcare seemed more open and accepting of integrating traditional wisdom and valuing resources of true healing. Now, we are on a fast track of suppressing these systems once again. While our modern healthcare model falls deeper into dysfunction, integrative models are being marginalized further. Over 50% of Chinese medicine schools in the US have closed in the past 5 years. States legislature is reducing Acupuncturists scope of practice and educational support from student loans. Naturopathic medical education is systematically becoming more aligned with pharmaceutical driven approaches to care and eliminating the natural medicine aspects of the training.
As I near the end of the second decade of my professional role as a doctor and healer, it is more apparent to me than ever just how important it is to keep the traditions of healing alive. Every person deserves an individualized approach to their healthcare and resources beyond pharmaceutical drugs to foster health. My hope upon my return from China is to more deeply embody the wisdom of qigong and the 5-element system, and to share this with my patients and community. I look forward to this time as an opportunity to build the framework of the book I've been working on writing and to re-vamp my online courses to be able to share the knowledge of these traditions in a broader, day to day way.
Your Support Appreciated
Please consider supporting this journey, I look forward to sharing reflections with you all upon my return! Messages can be sent to this email at stillwaterclinic@gmail.com, if you are able to contribute financially I can accept funds via Paypal at www.paypal.me/sararynhart, Venmo at @Sararynhart or directly at my home and office, Stillwater Healing Arts 2154 Apple Valley Road, Lyons CO 80540. Any funds generated in excess will be given directly to the moxa farmers and land stewards in rural China.
From this experience, I intend to maintain a routine of qigong practice that I’d like to open to patients and the general community. Please see my online calendar and register to join me for this transmission to continue,
Qigong Nature Connection
Mondays & Fridays in October
Hart Farm, Lyons Colorado
9am-10am
I apologize for the interruption in care for those who were looking to schedule with me in September but I look forward to having more resources to share with you upon my return!
Healthcare Resources
This season, we have shifted from the expansive fire element dominating toward the earth element governing natural forces. The earth element is nourished with routine and predictable patterns that focus around self-care. This routine helps us to connect to the wisdom that guides us to know what is enough, what is excess and how do we pare things down to discover a sustainable balance. For many this touches into the history of abandonment from the lands we were native to, from our family lineage and from the traditions our biology is accustomed to. Patterns of addiction, anxiety/depression, eating disorders and digestive health all are ruled by the Earth element. We can all benefit from healing support to help unravel the ancestral trauma that easily drives our daily life and metabolic patterns.
Chinese medicine and qigong practice is a wonderful way to stay in observation and alignment with how we can return to the balance of these elements with our health and our lives. We have now moved several generations away from a sustainable life routine. As the past catches up with us in the harm to our planet and bodies, we have a great opportunity to shift and reclaim a greater connection to the natural forces that govern all life.
I am so grateful to offer the resources of integrative health support and witness the healing process when people engage the wisdom of these traditions. I look forward to offering group opportunities both through Qigong classes and a new virtual health guidance program.
If you are interested in a monthly online group program to learn more about the regenerative systems of healing with Chinese medicine, Anthroposophy and Naturopathic care I am exploring ways to make this happen so please let me know. My focus will be immune restoration to help people navigate auto-immune disease, the origins of cancer, for prevention and treatment support, and generally how to enhance the regenerative aspects of organ function for longevity.
Please respond to stillwaterclinic@gmail.com and I'll add you to my list to connect with after my September journey.
Wishing you the abundance of the Earth element this late summer season to support your optimal health in the cycle of the year to come. ~ Dr. Sara Hart
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