Dear friends of CHNA,

You haven’t heard from us in a while.  This is definitely not because nothing has been happening.  There is lots going on behind the scenes so it is time to share some of that with you.

New Board members

Pat Mackinnon RN, DNM, LAC, Naet Practitioner from Prince Edward Island has just moved into our CHNA Secretary position.  We are happy to have the Maritimes now represented on our Executive.  Welcome, Pat.

Catherine Ralphs, who has been BC Rep, is now Membership Chair.

Kim Watson, who has been strongly linked with CTNIG and is moving into the role of Chair of CTNIG (Complementary Therapies Nurses’ Interest Group of RNAO), is now taking on the Ontario Rep Position for CHNA also. 

We are happy to point out that our nation’s professional organization for holistic (energy) nurses is now represented nation-wide on our Board.

 The Web Site features

Over the next year we are planning for two new changes on the web site.  We are looking for ways to enable online credit card payment for those who wish to pay that way.   We were hoping to have that available for membership payments this fall but unfortunately we have some work to do before we are able to set that up.  We will let you know when we are ready to move forward with it.

Also, our members tell us that they would like to be able to have some way of connecting with like-minded people and we are listening to you.  We would like that also.  Through our Web Master, we are exploring ways to offer this opportunity to our members.   We want you to feel comfortable sharing information as well as confident that the people with whom you connect are actually members.  This feature will only be available to members.  

Membership Sign up and Renewal

Speaking of membership.  This is a reminder that it is that time of year again.  Members, your renewal will be requested with the newsletter that will be sent out soon.  Many of those receiving this email are not yet members.  I invite you to consider JOINING.  Your membership is a mutually beneficial relationship.  You will become part of an organization of professional nurses who are, like you, interested in energy nursing.    Your commitment to this professional nursing organization inspires those of us providing leadership to continue the volunteer work we do with CHNA because we know people like you are being served by it.

The Blogs:

If you haven’t been reading the blogs, it is time to go to the site and check them out.  I especially recommend THE BOOK REVIEW written my Daryl Fenty.

In Closing

Summer is coming to a close as we move into September.  We at CHNA wish you an inspiring and stimulating Fall as you take advantage of new opportunities and experience new beginnings.

Blessings,

Marie Knapp

Eight members of the Calgary CHNA Peer Support Group met on Monday April 19, 2010 to discuss the book The Unbroken Field: The Power of Intention in Healing by Michael Greenwood, published in 2004.  Michael Greenwood practiced Family Medicine in Victoria, British Columbia for many years. His interest in healing arose out of his own experience of chronic pain, after a motorcycle accident when he was a medical student. Dr. Greenwood’s explorations for pain relief led him to study Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and meditation.  He was one of the founding staff-members of the Canadian College of Chinese studies, where in addition to teaching, he initiated a research study into the use of acupuncture for post-motor-vehicle accident chronic pain.  That research evolved into the residential program at the Victoria Pain Clinic where he is the Medical Director.

This book describes Dr. Greenwood’s approach to chronic illness and pain at this residential pain clinic.  Dr. Greenwood’s approach involves moving toward symptoms rather than masking them with medications and other traditional medical interventions. Dr. Greenwood believes “that people who have lost connection to their Heart – to their intuition, to their emotional intelligence, to their spirit and to their compassion for themselves – become chronically ill.” (p. 29)  Illness first arises as an energetic distortion long before it appears on the physical level and symptoms are a direct result of the original energies that have become diverted or fragmented. Healing results when there is reintegration of psychic fragmentation including transformation (rediscovery of lost energies), and transcendence (integration of disparate energies).  In our group we discussed how transformation is necessary before transcendence can take place.  We need to embrace transformation energy to become well.  We need to be in our bodies to become aware of our repressed energies.  Dr. Greenwood feels that people with chronic illness/pain have difficulties at the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th chakras and by opening the heart can gain access to the transcendent energies of the upper three centres.

Dr. Greenwood practices Dynamic Interactive Acu-Bodywork (DIA). The purpose is to experientially explore symptoms, without expectations of any specific outcome. The principles of the exploration are to work with compassion, empathy and without judgement. The process is to enter the void, find the edge between pain and no pain, breathe deeply whenever there is discomfort to facilitate energy movement, allow for spontaneous physical, emotional, and mental expressions to facilitate the natural flow of energy, and allow for myoclonic shaking (a spontaneous energetic rebalancing) and spontaneous realignment.  Some of the people in the group had experienced myoclonic shaking during a body session and shared their experiences. His description of energy slivers was an aha for those in the group that have actually felt them and didn’t know what they were. He also talks about how daily meditation can set up the same conditions as DIA.  The principles of dynamic meditation include achieving a state of restful alertness, asking for help and opening the heart, moving awareness toward the symptom, breathing slowly and deeply, and welcoming the unexpected. I was personally interested in his description of downstream effect symptoms – when a quantity of energy has been released in one part of the body but becomes trapped or blocked again in another part of the body. At Easter I had pneumonia which was followed by acute lower back pain. Dr. Greenwood says that acute illness is really only illness we have not paid attention to as it develops.  When I read this I knew I needed to pay more attention to what my body was trying to tell me.  I believe everything happens for a reason and this was a good time for me to read this book. 

The book The Unbroken Field: The Power of Intention in Healing is a bit complex in spots when Dr. Greenwood describes Chinese Medicine and how it relates to his philosophy of helping people explore their symptoms.  However, this book is full of case studies/brief vignettes from his practice that help to illustrate his philosophy.

Our next Calgary CHNA Peer Support Group gathering will be at Barbara Dobbie’s house on Saturday, November 6, 2010.  We will be discussing the book Second Chance At Your Dream by Dorothea Hover-Kramer. If you would like to join us for this gathering, please contact Susan Morris by emailing her at sbmorrisis@shaw.ca. for more information.

Submitted by:

Daryl Fenty, on behalf of the Calgary CHNA Peer Support Group.

Email: cvanwyck@langara.bc.ca

Healing Modalities: Healing Touch – Certified Practitioner, Certified Integrative Energy Healer

The next meeting will be held May 8th 2010
10am till 3pm, at the

Kerry Wood Nature Center in Red Deer
6300-45 Ave, Red Deer

(403) 346-2010

There will be a Chapter business meeting from 10-12 noon,

     12 noon-1pm, bring a bag lunch

     1-3pm, Educational Session.

The Educational Session will be an introduction to and experience of the meditative process of iRest Yoga Nidra.

Bring a mat and/or blanket, eye pillow if you have one.

Contact: Cindi Reopell, CHNA Alberta Provincial Rep

email: creopell@telus.net

or phone: 403.374.2554

Happy Spring!   As we look ahead to the growth of life all around us, we can reflect on the inner workings of nature.   In my part of the country, the trees are still bare although there has been some early budding.  But you can look at a forest, seeing only stillness and a little coldness but know for sure that there is busyness going on within.  The trees’ energy is operating in unseen ways, giving it vitality and guiding its process to reaching its potential.

And so we see the same things happening within CHNA.  The quieter we are, the more you can be sure that there is a lot of busyness happening within.  There is new growth happening.

Susan Morris has been an inspiring President and has a group of people coming together through meditation and imagery to bring more awareness to the CHNA path.  You see, being on the executive for CHNA allows you to use what you know about energy and energy shifting in a leadership role.  In fact, working in this leadership capacity is as much energy nursing as is the hands on approach you take with clients.

With this in mind, I would ask you to strongly consider how you might use your holistic energy work in a position on the CHNA Board.   We have the following positions open:  Secretary,  Membership Chair and President Elect.  You would be working with an inspiring group of people who are ready to find new ways to create an organization that truly meets the needs of its members.  You would find that you can talk about energy and how we relate energetically with each other in leadership with a group of people who would know what you are talking about.  What an inspiring way for you to enhance your leadership ability.

As Chair of the Nomination Committee, I would be interested in hearing from you and would be willing to discuss possibilities with you.   

Warmly,

Marie Knapp

Past President

Nomination Committee

marieknapp@rogers.com

I extend to you an invitation to go to the web site www.chna.ca  and read the blog inputs that you may not have read as well as the Events page.  This will be of particular interest to the people from Alberta but I invite those from other provinces to consider how you might offer something similar to people in your area. 

And now an important message from our President:

Dear Members and Friends of CHNA:

The 2010 Olympics are fast becoming just a wonderful set of memories, and the renewal of spring is just around the corner. I am enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face, as I am sure most of you are too. 

Last night I watched episode two of the ONE OCEAN series on Nature of things.  The result is that I want to share what I believe is an analogy between nature and the work we do when using energy based modalities with our clients.

During the program I was struck by comments by Bill Ballantine a retired Marine Biologist and Activist from New Zealand.  Bill has successfully promoted the establishment of marine reserves in New Zealand and other places.  But what I believe I heard him say is that when a decision is made to set aside a reserve area we really do not know what the outcome of that decision will be.  A decision is made to set aside an appropriate sized space, ensure that no fishing, extraction, construction, or discharges are allowed in that area, and then everyone one must wait and see what happens.   No “management” is required!

In the same way, when we use energy based modalities with our clients, we do not know what the result will be.  We ask that our client set an intention for the session; then as practitioners we provide the best environment we can for the client and we ask that the work we do with the client will be for that client’s highest good and wholeness.  However, we do not “know” what will happen, nor can we try and “make” something occur.

It struck me as very interesting that in these marine reserves, just as in the work we do, and within this organization itself, we can only do our best to promote the most advantageous environment and then wait and see what happens.  The process will manage itself.

So, that is my personal lesson from nature and you may use it, or not, as you choose.  If you did not see the Nature of Things and are interested in learning more, go to: http://oneocean.cbc.ca/series/episodes

Okay, I also have a couple of quick things to direct to members.

First, our Annual General Meeting will occur by teleconference on Tuesday June 22 at 7 PM EDT.  I would ask that members make a space for this meeting in their calendars.  Details were in the February Newsletter. At this meeting, the election of officers will occur.  There are several positions coming available as current members complete their terms of office.  If you have an interest in sitting on our CHNA Board please contact Susan Morris at sbmorrisis@shaw.ca and I will provide your name to the nomination committee. 

Next, the Heritage of Service award will be presented at that AGM, and we are accepting nominations for that Award.  In order to be nominated, an individual must be a current member of CHNA and must have provided exceptional volunteer service to the organization.  Think of someone who has gone above and beyond the normal call of duty.  Please send nominations to me at sbmorris@shaw.ca  by April 30, 2010.  Include the nominee’s full name and the reason why you believe she/he should receive the award.  The executive committee will review the nominations and make the final selection.

That is it for me – thanks for listening.

In Light

Susan Morris

President CHNA

Personally I find that often nature and the outdoors speak to me through metaphors.   Recently when skiing, I was finding myself on some trails that posed a bit of a challenge to me.  If I worried about landing off the trail and into a creek or trees, my body took me there and I would fall in advance to protect myself .  I watched myself and noticed how what I was doing resembled our travels on life’s path. 

Before long I realized that as long as I could be disciplined enough to keep my eyes focused on the trail ahead where I wanted to be, my body could brilliantly take me there.

Next time I faced a challenging hill, I made a point of looking at the trail where I wanted to go.  Oh I was so strongly tempted to let my eyes go to the object I feared and whenever I succumbed, my body took me to the very thing I feared. 

As long as I kept focused on the path I wanted to choose, I was able to competently follow my eyes.  I now use this metaphor when facing some challenges in life.  I acknowledge the things I fear but find that by focusing my attention on where I want to go, I get there.

If you have some examples of metaphors from nature and the outdoors, perhaps you will share them with me and I will post them on this site for others to read.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Marie Knapp

marieknapp@rogers.com

Science and the mind have been life savers and have helped many people live a close to normal life that could not have otherwise done so.    When the body is in crisis, the work the mind has done to try and unravel the mysteries of the body is helpful in trying to get it back on track.  Using research to uncover what the well body does,  can lead to ways to interfere with the disease or trauma to get the body working again.   

Healing is different.  Healing is about allowing the body, in fact the whole self,  to do the work it does know how to do well.   Healing is about allowing our body, mind, emotions and spirit to be its best in the circumstances in which we find ourselves even when in crisis. 

 Healing through a grieving process, for example, allows us to grieve well.  Healing through a tough diagnosis allows us to be fully human with love for ourselves and others.  

 Healing with energy is a way to help create the right energetic environment in which healing can best take place.  Our thoughts are energy too.  Through our thoughts, we can allow ourselves  to submit to the wisdom of the body rather than fight it.   Healing is about being with the flow and being good to ourselves in the process, acknowledging the difficulties, feeling the emotional pains in our body and asking for guidance from that source greater than ourselves. 

 Thanks for listening.  Now I will get back to Bruce lipton’s book and see what other things are triggered.

Wishing you health, joy, healing and love

Marie Knapp

Phone: 403-256-1984

Email: reader2511@shaw.ca

Healing Modalities: Healing Touch