10
in other words
may7
2015
Small Town, Big World: Is Modern Medicine Missing Something?
Five years ago, I ventured off to
India to study eastern medicine with a
small group of students and an interna-
tionally recognized Ayurveda physician.
The basis of the “medicine” I was study-
ing consisted of eating and living with
the seasons, using herbs, physical activ-
ity and breathing practices to create a
personalized, daily wellness formula. In
such a place where healthcare is hard to
come by, prevention proves to be worth
its weight in gold.

As one of eight “medical stu-
dents,” six of whom were actually doc-
tors, we spent nearly twelve hours per
day learning and practicing our skills
with patients in clinic.

India was truly amazing, but the
part I found to be best of all was clinic. I
say “clinic,” but it wasn’t fancy. It was a
pad on the floor in the living room of an
old farmhouse, with the kitchen convert-
ed into a “farm-acy.” The “lobby” was
a small room with a screen door — no
chairs, with room enough for crowded basic treatments and witnessed many things validated by western testing.
things we did not understand but myste-
seating on the floor.
These diagnostic processes, al-

In this little country clinic, I riously and perfectly lined up with west- though dissimilar in many ways to our
witnessed physicians from across the ern medicine. We saw the uncanny, yet western medical approach revealed
globe accompanying their patients from unfaltering correlation between physical how our bodies are a living map of our
wealthy countries in search of solu-
choices, and how we do anything is
tions to unheard of health ailments,
how we do everything. The mind
and I saw impoverished farm work-
is a profound teacher, healer, and
ers who had never stepped foot out
guide when we build a respectful
of their villages. We saw typhoid
relationship with it to accomplish
fever, liver and kidney failure, can-
good things in our lives, and it is a
cers, schizophrenia, depression,
misguided and loose cannon when
severe anorexia (not the psycho-
we do not take time to get to know
logical type, but the kind caused
it and direct its energies toward the
by internal mal-absorption), and
good life.
the rarest of skin conditions. And I
My take-home message, liter-
saw amazing treatments and heal-
ally, was this: just because I can’t
ing take place I would not have
see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t real, and
been convinced possible had I not
just because I don’t understand it,
The lobby of the farm clinic, outskirts of Pune, India. doesn’t mean it isn’t some seriously
seen with my own eyes.

As student providers, we were trait and disease. We witnessed how eye powerful medicine.
taking pulse (the seven layers... not just characteristics, nail shape, tongue color
Here’s to eating with the sea-
the lub dub), assessing organ strength and landscape, skin tags, and pulse pre- sons, moving your body, breathing
and discerning the relationship between sentation expressed the honest and inno- deeply, and trusting that there is more to
what is happening in one’s psychology cent truth of what was happening within medicine than meets the mind.
and one’s physiology. We administered one’s body and mind. And we saw these
The Vernonia Lions Club
held their annual “Spam
& Eggs” fundraiser for
the Vernonia Cares Food
Bank at R&S Market on
Saturday, April 11th. The
Lions raised $285 and
many pounds of canned
protein. Hormel supplied
SPAM T-shirts, coffee mugs
and Frisbees to help boost
donations. Pictured are
(L to R) Randal Harvey,
Teresa Brucken, Sandy
Welch and Muffy Marshall.
SE
6, Noon-6 pm
upon
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A new self serve car wash has opened
in Vernonia.

Reggie Ward has installed a spray
wash facility that utilizes a water recovery
system behind his auto repair shop on Adams
Avenue. Entrance to the car wash is from
Maple Street.

Cost to use the self serve spray washer
with soap brush is $2 for four minutes. There
is also two coin operated vacuum canisters
and an interior shampooer that costs $2.
Kitchen Countertops
Fireplace & Furniture
Tubs & Vanities
ra
lo
th Health Se
l Pa
r
ca
tio
n!
ces
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New Day Massage
and Bodyworks
Self Serve Car Wash Opens
Na
tu
By Britt Bensen Steele
Dr. Carol McIntyre
Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine
503.429.3928
cccmnd@yahoo.com
naturalpathhealthservices.com
CCB#204480
Phone 503-429-2617
AbsoluteMarble@frontier.com
758 Weed Avenue
Vernonia, OR, 97064
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Computer problems? We can help.
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bill@rangelights.com
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Burgers & Beer
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