Portland observer., May 13, 1998, Page 12, Image 12

Page B4
MAY 13,1998
(Tlje |Jorthntò (0bserüer
Eric Yao Vorm anns: M aster H ealer
and T eacher from G hana
T h ro u g h o u t h is to ry , p e o p le
fo r d a y s at a tim e . H is e n tire
th e w o rld o v e r h av e to ld s to rie s
h ead w o u ld feel as if i, w as on
a b o u t sp e c ia l in d iv id u a ls w ho
fire and w h en c o ld w a te r w as
h av e th e a b ility to h e a l. In tr a ­
a p p lie d to s o o th e h im , it im m e ­
d itio n a l c u ltu re s , su ch as A f­
d ia te ly tu rn e d to ste a m . W hen
ric a , In d ia , In d o n e s ia , S o u th
he w as s e v e n , h is a u n t d e c id e d
A m e ric a an d th e N a tiv e trib e s
it w o u ld b e b e st to se e k m e d ic a l
o f N o rth A m e ric a , th e se h e a l­
a d v is e sin c e th e m e d ic in e m en
e rs w e re at th e v ery c e n te r o f
an d h e r b a lis ts c o u ld no, a ffe c t
th e e x is te n c e o f th e c o m m u n ity .
his c o n d itio n . A n o p e ra tio n w as
T h o se w ith th e g ift o f h e a lin g
th e n re c o m m e n d e d .
w e re h o n o re d an d re v e re d .
D ra p e d fo r s u rg e ry , w ith a
O f p a r tic u la r in te re s t la te ly
n u rse w h e e lin g him d o w n the
b y th e “ c i v i l i z e d ” W e s te r n
h a ll, little E ric h e a rd th e v o ic e
w o rld is th e stu d y o f how p h y s i­
o f h is S p irit g u id e s in s tru c tin g
c a l, e m o tio n a l and m en tal d is ­
him to te ll th e n u rs e he had to
e a se m ay be a ffe c te d by w o rk ­
g o to th e b a th ro o m . W ith o u t
ing w ith t h e “ u n s e e n " e n e r g y o f
q u e s tio n , he m a d e h is su d d e n
a p e rs o n . V e ry few W e ste rn
re q u e s t. A n n o y e d an d b a ffle d ,
m in d s a re a b le to b re a k th ro u g h
th e n u rse a llo w e d him to go.
th e v e il o f p h y sic a l form and
F ro m th e re , th e S p irit g u id e s
se e th is fie ld o f e n e rg y . W e can
to ld him to go h o m e to h is
learn m uch from th o se in d iv id u ­
G ra n d m o th e r. L a te r th a t d ay ,
a ls w ho h a v e th e a b ility to p e r ­
on a n e a rb y b e a c h w h e re E ric
c e iv e an d h eal in th is w ay . E ric
o fte n w e n t, he had a life a lte r ­
V o rm a n n s is such an in d iv id u a l.
ing e x p e rie n c e . A ll he re m e m ­
E ric w as b o rn in a tin y v il­
b e rs is se e in g a s w ir lin g , c o lo r ­
la g e in G h a n a , W est A fric a .
fu l, sm o k e c o m in g o u t o f th e
B e fo re his b irth , his p a re n ts and
se a an d se v e ra l v e ry p o w e rfu l
G ra n d m o th e r w e re to ld by th e
B e in g s c o m in g to w a rd him and
v illa g e E ld e rs th a t th is c h ild
t o u c h i n g h is f o r e h e a d . H is
w o u ld p o sse s th e g ift o f h e a lin g
G ra n d m o th e r fo u n d him u n c o n ­
an d b a re th e re s p o n s ib ility o f
s c io u s , w ith a sm ell o f p e rfu m e
te a c h in g h e a lin g to o th e rs . A f­
all a ro u n d him . S he c a rrie d him
te r h is b irth , he w as ta k e n to th e
h o m e. F rom th a t d a y fo rth , he
O r a c lis t, w h o c o n firm e d th e
n e v e r s u f f e r e d fro m th e m i­
p re d ic tio n s . D u rin g th is first
g ra in e h e a d a c h e s a g a in .
sev en y e a rs, E ric g a in e d a re p u ­
L e a rn in g to s u rv iv e as a p re -
ta tio n in his c o m m u n ity for b e ­
te e n , E ric fo u n d tw o jo b s . In
ing a b le to te ll p e o p le m any
b etw een jo b s , he w en, to sch o o l,
h id d e n th in g s a b o u t th e ir liv e s
an d a lth o u g h he had a to u g h
an d h e a lth .
tim e c a tc h in g up w ith o th e r s tu ­
E ric “ h e a le d ” by sim p ly d o ­
d e n ts, he p e rs e v e re d , m a n a g in g
in g w h a t h is S p irit g u id e s in ­
to learn b a sic re a d in g , w ritin g
stru c te d him to do . He a lso re ­
and m ath . H is a c a d e m ic d if f i­
c e iv e d s p iritu a l in stru c tio n in
c u ltie s m ad e life m is e ra b le in
th e g a th e rin g an d a p p lic a tio n
sc h o o l an d at h o m e . E ric b e ­
o f p la n ts an d le a v e s th a t c o u ld
lie v e s th a t he w as in som e w ay
be u sed as a ta lis m a n to p ro te c t
“ b lo c k e d ” from le a rn in g tr a d i­
an in d iv id u a l.
tio n a l lin e a r w ay o f th in k in g .
E r ic ’s p a te rn a l G ra n d m o th e r
He th in k s i, m ay h av e b een a n ­
w a n te d him to liv e w ith h e r as
o th e r p a rt o f h is S p iritu a l d e ­
sh e k n ew a b o u t h is h e a lin g p o ­
v e lo p m e n t w h ic h e n c o u ra g e d
te n tia l. S tric t, b u t w ith an u n ­
h is in tu itiv e “ k n o w in g ” and a
c o n d itio n a l lo v e a n d a c c e p ­
d e e p e r se n s e o f th e p e o p le and
ta n c e , sh e g a v e E ric a s tro n g
w o rld a ro u n d him .
se n se o f b o u n d a rie s an d s e lf ­
At ag e s e v e n te e n , E ric w as
r e s p o n s ib ility . S h e w as w ell
re a d y fo r h is jo u r n e y o u t o f A f­
a w a re o f his d e s tin y an d a lw a y s
ric a to E u ro p e a n d , e v e n tu a lly ,
e n c o u ra g e d his c o m m u n ic a tio n s
to th e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d
w ith th e S p irit g u id e s he c a lle d
C a n a d a .T h e jo u r n e y la ste d five
h is “ f r ie n d s ” .
y e a rs and is a ta le o f g re a t h a rd ­
D u rin g th is p e rio d o f tim e ,
sh ip and g re a t fa ith . He w as
E ric s u f f e r e d fro m m ig ra in e
ja ile d , he b e g g e d , he w a lk e d ,
h e a d a c h e s . T h e se a tta c k s w ere
he h itc h h ik e d , he sle p t in the
so se v e re th at he c o u ld no , m ove
d e s e rt. B u rn e d by th e sun and
Raturopafhic fffedicine
Teaches Patients TJow To Tap
The Tjealing Power Of Rature
“Y ou’redoinggreat," Bob’s doc­
tor kept telling him. But Bob didn’t
feel great: He was totally disabled by
arthritis at the age o f 38. Sometimes
he could ge, around on crutches,
other times he had to use a wheel­
chair. He couldn’t work. He was
depressed.
“M ydoctorw as ‘pleased with my
progress’ and I was ready tocommit
suicide.” Bob recalls. “My foot was
the size o f the football, and my toes
were the size o f Italian sausages. I
was in excruciating pain.”
Bob'sdoctorprescribedanti-intlam-
matory drugs, then drugs for the nega­
tive side effects, and more drugs be­
cause the interaction made him sicker
“1, w asn't the arthritis that was
going to kill me, it was the medi­
cine,” Bob said. “ I knew if I were
going , > get better, I would have to
do it myself.”
After months o f research into al­
ternative therapies. Bob discovered
naturopathy, a practice o f medicine
that supports the healing power o f
nature, and a philosophy that calls
for treating the whole person.
Under the care o f a naturopathic
doctor, he began a dietary treatment
o f cleansing his liver and kidneys,
the body’s natural filters o f toxic
materials, and changed his entire
eati ng pattern. A fter three months o f
naturopathic treatment. Bob stopped
taking the anti-inflammatory medi­
cation, which caused side-effects of
hypertension and irritable bowel syn
drome, and he was getting around on
a cane. In three more months, he
could walk unaided. After two years
o f nutritional and other natural thera­
pies, he was running I OK races.
Naturopathy is nothing new - its
therapies and philosophy echo the
most ancient heal ing methods known
to man: nutrition, herbal medicine,
the healing touch o f massage and
manipulation, and more recent inno­
vations like 200-ycar-old homeopa­
thy. today, licensed naturopathic doc­
tors - N . D.s - are graduates o f accred­
ited four-year medical schools, such
as the National College o f Naturo­
pathic Medicine in Portland.
“Every day, all over America, we
are helping people heal diseases that
are supposed to be incurable," said
James Sensenig, N.D., a graduate of
NCNM. “We spend more of our
Gross National Product on health
care than any other nation, yet we
havea very high infant mortality rate
compared to most developed coun­
tries. as well as a very high rate of
chronic diseases such as heart dis­
ease. arthritis and cancer".
<
( Eric Yao Vormanns will be in Portland throughout June)
fre e z in g at n ig h t, he o fte n fe lt
th e “ w a rm th ” o f h is g u id e s b u t
th e y n e v e r in te rfe re d w ith h is
“ in itia tio n ” .
It to o k som e y e a rs fo r E ric to
b e g in to use his h e a lin g g ifts
a g a in . U n su re o f th e ir p u rp o se
o r a c c e p ta n c e in E u ro p e, he k ep t
them h id d e n from frie n d s and
w a ite d fo r g u id a n c e .
In 1984, w ith se v e ra l o th e r
p e o p le , E ric b e g a n “ T h e W o rld
F e d e ra tio n fo r S p iritu a l H e a l­
in g " in B e lg u im . H is v isio n w as
to c re a te a p la c e w h e re p e o p le
c o u ld r e c e i v e h e a l i n g , a n d
w h e re he c o u ld te a c h as m any
s tu d e n ts as p o s s ib le h is te c h ­
n iq u e s o f e n e rg y h e a lin g . T he
sc h o o l has m any g ra d u a te s w ho
p ra c tic e th is art and a re a b le to
s u s ta in the w ork w h ile E ric is
tr a v e lin g to o th e r p a rts o f the
w o rld .
E r ic ’s in te n tio n is to b rin g
h e a lin g to an y s itu a tio n . O n e o f
E r ic ’s d e e p e st b e lie fs is, “ H e a l­
ing is a m a tte r o f s im p lic ity and
LIFE S O N G
There is a tribe in east A frica in which the art of true
intimacy is fostered even before birth. In this tribe, the
birth date o f a child is not counted from the day o f its
physical birth nor even the day o f conception as in other
village cultures. For this tribe, the birth date comes the
first time the child is a thought in its mother's mind. A ware
o f her intention to conceive a child with a particular
father, the mother then goes o ff to sit alone under a tree.
There she sits and listens until she can hear the song o f the
child that she hopes to conceive. Once she has heard it,
she returns to her village and teaches it to the father so that
they can sing it together as they make love, inviting the
child to jo in them. After the child is conceived, she sings
it to the baby in her womb. Then she teaches it to the old
women and midwives o f the village, so that throughout the
labor and at the miraculous moment o f birth itself the
child is greeted with its song. After the birth all the
villagers learn the song o f their new member and sing it
to the child when it fa lls or hurts itself. It is sung in times
o f triumph, or in rituals and initiations. This song be­
comes a part o f the marriage ceremony when the child is
grown, and at the end o f life, his or her loved ones wilt
gather around the deathbed and sing this song fo r the last
time.
P K tS tM IH lS fO l PON VNDSWH
h o n e sty . We a re all born w ith
an in n a te a b ility to heal. W e
need o n ly the w ill to serv e w ith ­
o u t d is c r im in a tio n .”
Eric is e sp e c ia lly in terested in
the ch ild re n o f the w orld, he be-
lie v e s th a tth e c h ild re n , from very
young to teenagers, can be taught
to use th e ir “ hidden healing p o w ­
e rs ” to help us to ch an g e the
w orld and p ro v id e a b rig h te r fu ­
tu re for th e m se lv e s and all o f us!
Over 50 Children at the
Dishman Community Center
Presented Their Mothers With a
Touching Gift
T h e r e is a s tr o n g u rg e to c h a n g e th e v io le n c e th a t h a s
ta k e n h o ld o f N o r th P o r tla n d in r e c e n t y e a r s . T h e g a n g
v i o l e n c e , m u r d e r s , r o b b e r ie s , b u r g l a r i e s a n d a b u s e o f i l l e ­
g a l d r u g s h a s ta k e n its to ll o n th e c o m m u n ity . B u t th e
d i f f e r e n t lo c a l c o m m u n ity o r g a n i z a t i o n s o f P o r tla n d a re
c o m in g t o g e t h e r to b r in g n e e d e d c h a n g e in th e a r e a .
In c o n t r a s t to th e r is in g c r im e o f d r u g r e la te d v io le n c e
w h ic h c la im s th e liv e s o f i n n e r - c i t y y o u n g s te r s e a c h y e a r in
N o r t h e a s t a n d N o r th P o r t l a n d - N o r t h e a s t a n d N o rth P o r t ­
la n d m o th e r s w e r e h e a r te n e d o n M a y 9 th by th e s p e c ia l.
M o t h e r ’s D a y g if ts th e y r e c e iv e d fro m t h e ir c h ild r e n .
R e v . F o s te r o f S t. P a u l C h u r c h o f G o d & C h r is t o p e n e d
th e c e r e m o n y w ith a p r a y e r . B a r b a r a R o la n d th e s p o k e s ­
p e r s o n fo r th e D r u g - F r e e M a r s h a ls g a v e th e o p e n in g a d ­
d r e s s . T h e n H e le n S lo a n o f M o t h e r 's A g a in s t G a n g V i o ­
le n c e g a v e h e r s to r y o f h a v in g lo s t a so n to th e v io le n c e a n d
th e p r o b le m s o f d r u g s in a ll o f P o r tla n d . N e x t, w a s F r e d e r ic k
w o o d s o f P o s i t i v e Y o u th D e v e lo p m e n t w h o s p o k e o f th e
p r o b le m s o f d r u g s a n d w h a t it d o e s to th e liv e s o f th o s e
s t r u g g l i n g w ith d r u g a b u s e .
T h e s p e c ia l M o t h e r ’s D ay e v e n t w a s o r g a n iz e d by th e
C h u r c h o f S c ie n t o l o g y o f P o r t l a n d ’s D r u g - F r e e M a r s h a ls
p r o g r a m , in c o o r d i n a t i o n w ith P o s itiv e Y o u th D e v e lo p ­
m e n t a n d M o t h e r 's A g a in s t ( J a n g V io le n c e .
O v e r 50 c h ild r e n to o k th e s e v e n - p o in t D ru g F re e M a r s h a ’s
p l e d g e , r e c e iv e d t h e i r o f f ic ia l D ru g F re e M a r s h a l 's b a d g e s .
T h e c h ild r e n th e n p r e s e n te d t h e i r m o m s w ith lo n g - s te m m e d
re d r o s e s a n d t h e i r p r o m is e to le a d d r u g fre e liv e s . A t­
ta c h e d to e a c h r o s e w a s a M o t h e r 's D a y c a r d w h ic h r e a d :
“ T h is M o t h e r 's D a y y o u a r e g e t t i n g tw o g if ts fro m m e .
T h e f ir s t is th is lo v e ly f lo w e r a n d th e s e c o n d is m y s o le m n
p le d g e to liv e a lif e f r e e o f d r u g s . T o d a y I b e c a m e a D ru g -
F r e e M a r s h a l w h ic h m e a n s I p r o m is e to b e d r u g fre e a n d
h e lp m a k e m y c o m m u n ity d r u g f r e e to o . H a p p y M o t h e r 's
D a y .”
B a r b a r a R o la n d , a m o th e r o f tw o a n d s p o k e s p e r s o n fo r
th e C h u r c h 's D r u g - F r e e M a r s h a l p r o g r a m , c o m m e n te d , “ A
c h i l d ’s p le d g e to s ta y a w a y fro m d r u g s is th e b e s t M o t h e r ’s
D a y p r e s e n t I c a n e v e r im a g in e r e c e iv in g . It r e a lly m e a n s
a lo t a n d w ill c e r t a i n l y b r ig h te n M o t h e r 's D a y fo r th e s e
m o th e r s a n d t h e i r c h i l d r e n ."
T h e C h u r c h o f S c ie n to lo g y r u n s th e D r u g - F r e e M a r s h a ls
p r o g r a m in c o o p e r a t i o n w ith la w e n f o r c e m e n t a g e n c ie s ,
lo c a l c h u r c h e s , s c h o o ls an d c o m m u n ity o r g a n i z a t i o n s , to
d a t e , te n s o f th o u s a n d s o f c h ild r e n in c i t i e s th r o u g h o u t th e
U S h a v e ta k e n th e a n ti- d r u g p le d g e a n d h a v e b e e n s w o r n -
in a s D r u g - F r e e M a r s h a ls .
F o r m o re in f o r m a tio n on th e D r u g - F r e e M a r s h a ls p ro g ra m
c a ll B a r b a r a R o la n d at 2 2 1 - 4 5 0 4 . F o r in f o r m a tio n on P o s i­
tiv e Y o u th D e v e lo p m e n t c a ll R ita J a m is o n a t 9 2 0 - 1 3 6 0 .
.Fine A
Feel your best with
Naturopathic Medicine
Bringing low-cost naturopathic medicine to you for:
Asthma
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Menopause / PMS
Allergies
Headaches
Colds & flu
Fatigue
NCNM
Natural Health Centers at
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church
8725 N. Chautauqua
»? OF \ a »
1 - 5 p.m. Mondays and Fridays
Call for appointment; walk-ins welcome
255-7355
A teaching clinic o f the National College o f Naturopathic Medicine
Dr. Billy R. Flowers
Chiropractor
Chi rop racto rs,
Have Always Said
No To Drugs.
2124 N.E. Hancock
Street Portland,
Oregon 97212
Office (503) 287-5504
Fax (503) 287-8913