One of the many benefits of my work is that I can travel and teach anywhere. This past week, I was in beautiful Pagosa Springs, Colorado, cooking for a client. Not only was the environment breathtaking and the weather perfectly dry, but the healing waters from the springs added healing support. On the last day, we enjoyed a hot-air balloon ride—my first and something that has been on my bucket list.
It was more than a balloon ride; it was two people celebrating triumph over physical adversity. It was a demonstration of rising above unsettling diagnosis, fighting against harsh medical protocols that don’t individualize you, and learning to live outside the medical box to regain health and quality of life. I was diagnosed with two medically incurable diagnoses of Crohn’s disease and Takayasu Arteritis, and now, 40 years later, I am still living a disease-free life.
My client was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and is now, 1 1/2 years later, cancer-free and continuing her healing journey in a brave and adventurous lifestyle.
I use the word brave because it takes “strong guts” to stand up to the standard protocols that may get us out of an emergency situation but don’t heal and don’t ascend us to a vibrant quality of life.
Looking over the beautiful landscape, I was filled with gratitude for the way my life has evolved. Throughout the seven years of suffering, medical dead ends, and unanswered questions, I kept my focus on the bigger picture, as the details of my healing needed to be addressed. It was the everyday consistency of self-care that brought me forward.
Education was the key to helping me break through the fear and overwhelming medical prognosis. Macrobiotic lifestyle knowledge built my confidence in speaking up for myself to seek and find the appropriate treatments.
As I taught, prepped, and cooked with my client in that kitchen, which overlooked the San Juan Mountain Range, I was filled with gratitude for knowing and respecting the power of food. It is up to us and how we feed ourselves to bring us back to wholeness and allow healing to happen in order to live our bigger picture.
Begin your healing knowledge and join us this Saturday, August 10th, at 9:30 a.m. for a cooking class. This month’s class will focus on end-of-summer cooking and self-care. According to Chinese medicine and the macrobiotic lifestyle, it is time to focus on and care for the spleen, pancreas, and stomach. I will be lecturing on the important physical and mental health influences these 3 organs play as we transition into fall weather.
The delicious meal that will be demonstrated will feature seasonal recipes for this time of year. Come with an open mind and excited taste buds, and bring a friend who would benefit from healthy lifestyle education.
My best,
Virginia
