As animal lovers and ones who share our lives and purpose with them, we must now look to them and the natural world to inspire us to rediscover and ignite our joy, our enthusiasm to keep trying.

The massive and incomprehensible forces of division that have swept across the globe these past two years under various disguises and insulting names have created and perpetuated a level of fear that we and our animals have not been able to fully withstand without the help of each other.

As simple beings, animals offer us love, bring us joy and make us smile which is why there has been a shortage of pets for adoption over the year as we seek solace in their company as our own lives become harder to navigate.

Our pets and companion animals are also subjected to the same influences and assaults, albeit with differing and different coping mechanisms ,which is why we seek help from animal health professionals and integrative veterinarians who better understand such interactions.

Currently we are all facing an unprecedented, unnatural attack upon our health.

This will require us to dig deeper into our collective consciousness and use the mightiest of all weapons we have always had at our disposal but have forgotten how to wield….LOVE POWER

Fortunately, as domesticated beings spared from the harsh brutality of the wilds,  our animals also enjoy the luxury of a heart centred approach to life. They are largely protected from the mind hell that we, as humans, are prone to suffer and they do not need to kill each other any longer in order to survive.  This is partly why they are pivotal role models for our endurance as we take tips from their simplicity and genuine acceptance of life.

The prompt for this posting today….

 

My mind does not know

Where it is going.

My heart does not know

Why it is crying.

My life does not know

Why it is failing.

But I do know

What I am doing:

I am doing what I am inspired to do

From within.

With further commentary, also in  Sri Chinmoy’s own wise words….

“The best thing is not to use the mind to execute anything unless and until you have heard from the inner Source what you should do or what you should say. If you are prompted to do something but have not gone deep within, do not do it.

Before we actually execute what we feel like doing, let us go deep within. When it is an important matter, the best thing is not to even think of doing anything without going deep within. That is wisdom.”

We all know how intelligent and clever our animals can appear to be but few realise that this is survival intelligence and not the type of mental activity that causes suffering in humans. Animals have instinct which in the human is called intuition. It is their key to survival and we have mostly lost our own connection to this key. Our thoughts and the actions arising therefrom are too easily influenced by the over reliance we have on our large brains and the thirst for information.

We have forgotten to listen to our ‘gut instinct’ or our heart…our intuition.

It is difficult to find a healthy balance inside worldly messages as we naturally rely much more on rational thought, logic and the opinions or dictates of others. This is the defining difference between us and our pets given that we are all subjected to the same living conditions, climate and dietary influences, all of which have been discussed elsewhere as factors for disease. However disconcerting this may appear it is further compounded by the fact that rational thought, discussion, logic  and reliable information, once termed truth, have also been hijacked in the current world dilemma, so we must rely on our intuition even more strongly.

As a world currently in ‘disease’…not at ease…

here’s the kicker……up until now we have decided to give our pets and animals the medical interventions that we understand they need to keep them ‘healthy’. They have no choice in the injections or medicines they receive from us or our representatives. It is also widely recognised that dogs cannot attend school or boarding facilities or travel without their ‘shots’. Suddenly an eerie parallel appears in our current global ‘crisis’ that leaves me wondering who my ‘owner’ is and when this happened without my knowledge or consent.

The governing factors behind animal health management practices have been covered elsewhere  but we are being actively and aggressively prevented from discussing the factors influencing global human health management practices. This is a situation we must now learn to navigate with courage and conviction under a constant bombardment of real and manufactured fear, coercion and polarisation.

Using our helpmates, “our little brothers and sisters”, as Sri Chinmoy affectionately describes them, we must dig deep and listen to our higher selves as the messages get more and more difficult to hear against a tirade of senseless, divisive and useless background noise and fear.

Just as our dear dogs are ‘super sniffers’ and need to filter out the smells that are less important so must we too now learn to filter out the messages that are less important to our health and happiness as a human race. The only way forward, the only healing of the massive rift that has divided  and separated us from our fellow human beings has to be the emboldening and strengthening of our individual and collective spiritual heart because all mental battles are failing against the tyranny of technology. There can never be Artificial Heart.

Some tips for heart strengthening,

Pat or cuddle your pets/children often (if they are obliging)

Remind them how much you love them

Place fresh flowers in the house to appreciate beauty or stop to enjoy them in the garden

Walk every day and concentrate on the breath you take into your heart

Look at all things and all others with kindness

Take help from Mother Nature every day as food and inspiration

Be grateful and teach yourself to prioritise this feeling and most importantly…… be kind to yourself because we really need all good hands on deck for the foreseeable future.

“Before you look at the world, muster all your love”

Song, Sri Chinmoy

“I must meditate and meditate

And meditate

Either to illumine my mind

Or to conquer the disasters

That my mind creates.”

 

Excerpt 478..My Morning Soul-Body Prayers, Sri Chinmoy

I have always been an advocate for clean healthy nonGM foods for my family and I took pains when my kids were little to avoid as much as possible these genetically altered foods.  These days my time is spent supporting biodynamic farmers and food co-operatives as well as growing food at home.

My son still remembers me taking him to Melbourne on the train in 2008 to our Victorian Parliament House to demand that the Premier of the day say NO to lifting the ban on GMO crops. The Premier did not hear us, or he did not care to listen, or he got other information he would rather believe. He signed away our future that day without even blinking.

When I developed this web blog in 2005 I made a commitment to keep politics out of it but given that our lives have been turned upside down again this year on this same issue only now in the guise of “vaccination”, I feel compelled to shine some light on this alarming situation since it is no longer just the food this industry is targeting, it is our children themselves. Vaccination happens to be my area of professional expertise and we have to choose our battles. It is a very uncomfortable conversation to have and with the thick fog of confusion that has engulfed us all to an alarming extent it is even harder to engage in meaningful communications with each other without feeling sick.

Politics is a major culprit in creating and fuelling this conflict and as law abiding decent people, it can be hard to stand against a government that is overstepping it’s remit.

As a veterinarian, a parent and a health practitioner, politics has invaded my territory again and it is not welcome.

We have been forced to endure a story, a falsehood, that has been sold to us as a solution to a problem and not truthfully declared to be a massive experiment on the genome.

YES..It has happened again in 2021 with a different Premier from the same party only this time it is humans that are the GM Organisms as we ourselves become the unwitting test subjects.

GMO has permeated the food chain and animal foods now for over two decades and it has probably caused a lot of the adverse food events we have seen in the veterinary world over recent years. It is pertinent to revisit the ethics of this technology when there is so little other information coming out to help people make healthy choices in this current dilemma.

It will not be long before genetic manipulation will enter animal (and human) health treatment plans and it will not be long before there are more new and untreatable chronic diseases emerging as a direct result of the derailment of natural evolution and the natural order of biological systems that obey natural laws.

The bottom line in this current crisis, one that all virologists and immunologists must confess, is that you cannot make a vaccine against coronavirus.

This is undeniable unless the definition of vaccine is changed.

The bigger picture is that the human genome is now being patented and genetic engineering of the human is a much more alarming problem.

This massive rollout of genetic assault heralds the beginning of a new era of medicine.  Now that the stops are pulled out and there is no scrutiny or accountability required of the practice, we are fair game.  Unless we wake up to the potential and reality of the rapidly unfolding disaster that this approach is creating, we will have to fight even harder to reclaim our health and humanity. For sure there will be opinions regarding the benefits of these technologies and success stories of miraculous cures to genetic diseases but that is a very small fraction of the unfathomable reality. These advancements deserve thorough safety studies and slow steady development not rolled out as quickly and indiscriminately as possible under the guise of an emergency.

Most things being injected in the name of vaccination for coronavirus are genetic experiments that have largely unknown effects. They are certainly not going to create herd immunity either. Furthermore, they are likely to act as an obstacle to allowing natural immunity (true herd immunity) in the majority of people who may contract the virus in the wild.  There is even an emerging pattern of exacerbated symptomatology in those having been injected and then contracting the disease that warrants investigating before any further demands are made upon the public to subject themselves to further experimentation.

Herd immunity which protects populations of animals (yes it is a veterinary concept), is best achieved through naturally acquired infection and recovery and in some diseases with some vaccines also through vaccination. Historically, coronavirus was/is notorious for not producing protective antibodies which is why we keep getting the ‘common cold’ and why this has been such a controversial issue. Ironically however, we are discovering that many people in the world already have a level of protection to the novel coronavirus that contributes to herd immunity, likely through other antibody/immune pathways yet to be identified but involving cross reactivity amongst a host of other mechanisms. This quality research towards an ethical solution is being hampered from being of further benefit to us all by blanket vaccination policies. These forced injections are clouding any truly scientific approach to a discovering a sustainable and humane solution.

The vast majority of people who contract coronavirus recover uneventfully or show few symptoms. The ones who develop more severe or worrying signs need to be treated and yet there has been NO discussion about the availability and effectiveness of treatments for this virus. Instead, there has been a massive media driven scaremongering and suppression of helpful, truthful, hopeful information that the public deserves to have to be able to treat themselves promptly and without panic or fear. It is a complex issue made even more so by the prevention of communication between a variety of health professionals and scientists who could be collaborating and co-operating if they were enabled.

Given that many thousands of people who may read this or become aware of it will already have been injected, I encourage you to discuss with naturopaths, homeopaths and other integrative medical authorities about what can be done to mitigate some of the side effects that you may or may not yet be experiencing. Bear in mind that these vaccine adverse effects can manifest weeks and months afterwards and that is not being acknowledged let alone discussed.

As confronting as this advice may appear, it is the best I can offer given that we have all been pushed so quickly along this trajectory of fear that we have little time to assimilate and no opportunity to communicate before it is too late. It will be some time yet before the full data is collected and examined and before it can be of lasting benefit to the long game but in the meantime we must be allowed to have the discussions and conversations that we have been denied over these past two years. Nobody can truthfully claim to have all the answers which is why we must find the courage and compassion to listen to everybody.

Knowledge is power but wisdom is kindness to yourself and to others and we need both at this unprecedented time in our Earth history.

Basics

-This is a treatable disease.

-It is NOT a preventable disease through injections of any kind.

-Education about nutrition and immune competency is more helpful than messages that engender fear and lower immunity further.

-Social and family support networks enhance immunity

Question: What shape is our manifestation taking politically?

Sri Chinmoy: Politically we are not in the forefront, but our aspiration is entering into politics for the illumination of political minds. Outwardly, politicians do not want to receive light, so we are trying to give it silently. We feel that politics as such is far from perfect and needs illumination; therefore, inwardly and silently we are trying to do the needful according to our capacity.

Sri Chinmoy, Politics and spirituality: can they go together?, Agni Press, 1977

Question: Can a spiritual aspirant participate actively in politics?

Sri Chinmoy: Very often we hear the word “politics,” and it is followed by “a dirty business.” People say, “Politics is a dirty business.” There is considerable truth in this. There is very little light, practically no light, in the political world. Politics is wanting in light because it is wanting in true sacrifice. It is only a kind of competition that is going on between parties which are equally bad. Naturally, one of them will win eventually.

If we feel that we will be able to change the face of the world by the path of politics, then we are sadly mistaken. Nothing can change the face of the world save and except inner aspiration. Inner aspiration only is of paramount importance, especially for the seekers of the Truth. Those who want to take an active part in politics will undoubtedly lose their purest aspiration for God.

God is in everything; so naturally God is also in politics. But we have to know how we can best approach God. It is our aspiration that will lead us directly to the Highest. Once we reach the Highest, then the highest Supreme Himself will take us into the heart of humanity.

I am not telling you to stop voting. No, far from it. But the most important thing is to make your inner choice. The spiritual aspirants have to vote for the divinity within themselves. When that divinity tells them what to do, they have to do it. Then, no matter what happens in the outer life, in the political world, the seeker has to be satisfied.

Who will solve the problems of your country? Not this party or that party. It is you who will solve the problems of your country, and not a political leader. Your aspiration for humanity will be able to save not only America, but the entire world. Each one of you here has that burning flame of aspiration. When your aspiration climbs up to the highest and then climbs down to kindle the ignorant world, then only will the world become a better place.

A sincere, genuine seeker must be careful of how much he is involved in politics. Spirituality, inner life and inner discipline are his first and foremost business. There are billions of people in the world who can be involved in politics, since they are not involved in spirituality. But sincere aspirants should remain far above the world of politics, in the Lap of the Supreme. There they will constantly grow into light, peace, bliss, confidence and universal harmony.

Sri Chinmoy, Politics and spirituality: can they go together?, Agni Press, 1977

There is much hidden wisdom in our collective history and subconscious that still needs to come to light. Perhaps none so more than in these present troublesome and turbulent times have we sought to find meaning in our existence and connection with our purpose.

Reflecting on this adage today and being uncertain as to when it came into common usage, I have always taken this to mean …literally, don’t wake a sleeping dog that may be dangerous when aroused and allegorically, don’t try to go back to fix a problem once it has been resolved or put to bed.

My insight today leads me to share another perspective on the interpretation of this old saying.

Many Eastern philosophies speak of the great illusion in terms of Lila or Maya or just simply the great illusion we are living under. An illusion is basically a lie, a falsehood. The basis of this is not to dismiss the importance of life but simply to remind us that our experiences here are transitory and constructed to teach us important lessons before we move back to our reality which is our divine existence. In Western philosophy it roughly translates as …make the most of your life since we only live once and then are dead for a very long time.

It is not difficult to see why many of us are searching for more meaning to our short existence if we come from a Western culture and another well known adage…East is East and West is West and ne’er (never) the two shall meet…has been put into contention in recent decades as more and more of us here, seeking a higher purpose, turn to the beauty of Eastern philosophies.

The many differences between Eastern and Western cultures are being mitigated by globalisation and expanding awareness of our oneness home and more of us are seeking similarities rather than differences. Ironically and perhaps not surprisingly in this age of global technocracy, we have indeed all been placed in the same hand basket this year regardless of where we live on Earth.

In spiritual terms we talk about the ones who are not awake as being the people who have not yet recognised their inner truth or the sovereignty of their own higher beings. All philosophies term this the Soul but varied interpretations abound. The only truth to be had resides inside each and every one of us only some of us can access this more readily than others.

 

In 2021 I have come to realise…..let sleeping dogs….dogs in this regard are the dogs of war, the dogs of industry, the ones who ‘dog’ us to comply to unreasonable regulation ..also not awake to their higher purpose…..lie……propagate falsehood….. “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

This little exercise of mine therefore, having been born from a need to express myself creatively in an increasingly hostile world, has rejuvenated an old saying that brings new insight. I am sure there is much wisdom to be found in our collective human history of similar ilk so I will keep you posted…..maybe my next attempt will be to work out what the hell ‘ilk’ is or from whence it came.

In the meantime, Paws to Heal continues to support animals and their people to find common ground through meaningful communication so that we can all stay well and healthy.

Thank you all for your ongoing support, appreciation and encouragement.

His mind refuses the truth

His mind refuses to accept the Truth
Because
Truth is too powerful.

His mind refuses to face the Truth
Because
Truth is too beautiful.

His mind refuses to love the Truth
Because
Truth is too fruitful;
Truth is too soulful.

The health benefits obtained from simple whole organic foods are literally life saving. Pistachio nuts for example contain the highest amount of food derived melatonin which will augment restful sleep cycles in humans and assist body repair. The companion animals will sleep better when we do.

Admittedly it is not always accurate to extrapolate knowledge from the human world of natural medicine to animals, so I don’t recommend routinely using nuts in cat and dog diets.  Although interestingly, it was animals themselves that originally led to many discoveries for us during our close association with them over thousands of years. Our observations of the natural world and the behaviour of animals has helped humankind to adapt to a wide range of environmental stressors and has led to the discovery of many natural medicines.

I have written about this zoopharmacognasy elsewhere.

It is probably also safe and appropriate to extrapolate mammalian physiology given that we are all in the same family of organisms and share most of our cellular traits even though the mechanics of the digestive systems vary based on the evolution of dentition. Humans do have a greater capacity to digest and assimilate carbohydrates and grains as we evolved from carnivore to omnivore over centuries and dentition to grind and masticate more like ruminants. Arguably we have largely arrived at herbivore/plant based nutrition status. Our cats and dogs have not. That does not mean however that they will not attain benefit from plant foods as will be discussed in more detail in this post.

As holistic veterinarians that think deeply and widely about optimizing health through nutrition, my colleagues and I can attest to the parallels in nutritional approaches to cure. We are still endeavouring to understand many elements that have been widely studied in human medicine to see if they have a role in animal health. It is encouraging that these approaches are gaining traction with the relatively recent focus on the microbiome  and the importance of feeding the gut. I am sure that our efforts have brought this to light for mainstream veterinary practice and strengthened by animal carers like yourselves who challenge your veterinarians to account for nutrition based health decisions and real food recommendations for your animals.

It has been some time now since we developed dietary recommendations for cancer care for animals and whilst these have on occasion been challenged for evidence by schools of veterinary science nevertheless remain firm advice for most animals in my care with good results for improved wellbeing.

Not surprisingly, this diet is very similar to other health promoting suggestions of mushrooms, brassicas and fish oils. It can be hard to get dogs and cats to eat some of these things but there are many more options available these days with mushroom extracts and powders and access to Chinese teas and medicines.

This particular post arising on the high tide of virus paranoia that is currently sweeping the world addresses some very simple life affirming nutrients that protect mammals from virus invasion and replication.

I am grateful to my naturopathic colleagues in the human world for presenting a micro view of the cellular universe we all inhabit as much of the information I am about to share has been made available this year for obvious reasons.

Human medical research is a huge and lucrative enterprise on the world stage and most of us do not get to hear about a fraction of what is being studied or discovered unless there is a commercial market for it or we are rigorous in searching data bases for theses or scientific papers.

In a nutshell…..FOOD IS MEDICINE……….TRUST YOUR GUT FEELING..

More specifically certain factors and enzymes are famous in the nutrition world for protecting us from viral or bacterial invasion.

The prize for 2020-2021 has been awarded to Sulphoraphane for being the most helpful nutrient to not only battle oxidative stress (cancer included) but also to prevent cell invasion by virus and bacteria. The complex biochemistry is well explained via terms like Nrf2 and signaling sequences and as with much of the natural world there are some enchanting paradoxes in this science for those of us interested in looking more closely. Suffice to say that in order to be resilient to cellular damage there needs to be a primary defence mechanism that stops the organism entering the cell and an off switch in the case the hull is breached.

Ironically the primary defence is also triggered by stress. Too much ongoing stress then of course causes trouble. Much of the damage caused by coronavirus invasion for example, occurs because there is no off switch that stops the body from damaging itself as an overreaction to this invasion. Fear is a mega stress for us all at present and fortunately not one that animals succumb to very often except from our example. Other emotions like anxiety, doubt, despair and anger will also lower immune function and the converse is that laughter and happiness will increase immune capacity.

The off switch is Nrf2 that comes from Sulphoraphane.

Needless to say many other whole foods are also hugely beneficial and it can be hard to get cats and dogs to eat broccoli and cabbage. It is also best that these vegetables be lightly cooked/cut/fermented for optimal benefit.

Plant based fibre is a boon to health for all animals. Hay and roughage are much more healthy rations for horses and livestock than grain based diets. Recent studies have confirmed that racehorses fed grain based rations will have a higher risk and incidence of gastritis (stomach inflammation) than those fed roughage or hay rations.

We have known for a long time that cattle and chicken raised in feedlots have higher inflammatory omega6 in their muscles and fat (meat), resulting from them being fed grains.

Adding fibre to your pets diet with plant foods will also enhance the gut-brain and gut-lung axes given that these interactions between certain naturally occurring healthy bacteria in the gut and the organs will augment optimal function. Baby mammals drink milk because the lactobacillus in the gut protects their lungs via a butyrate pathway. Fibre in the diet is the precursor (prebiotic) for these healthy bacteria to flourish for example. Arguably mature mammals do not need milk or milk products to remain healthy but fibre is always essential for myriad other good bacterial processes. Perhaps my increased desire for butter recently indicates a need for butyrate in my diet but I acknowledge it may also just be an excuse for comfort food. Dogs and cats on the other hand must have raw fats and uncooked oils for energy.

Some simple recommendations for enhancing viral immunity include

Brassicas (cooked/fermented/mashed)

Fibre from other raw vegetables pulp and plants/leafy greens

Tumeric (powder or fresh root)

Vitamin A and D (occur naturally in fish oils, meat/offal and dairy).

Quercetin (do NOT give cats or dogs onion which is highest in this, use leafy greens instead)

Good bacteria, Bifidobacterium for example

The above information pertains specifically to enhancing immunity.

Protocols for detoxification from harmful chemical assaults upon our bodies are similar but require refinement so please contact me should you be needing this kind of support for your family.

.

Recommendations for complete and balanced best diets for dogs and cats can be found at Dr Clare Middle’s website.   or by visiting or contacting Paws to Heal. 

Harness Mother Nature’s gifts….do not join the fight against Her.

Eat well to be well yourselves and provide the same boon to your beloved pets.

It can take an effort to get going but perpetual motion takes less effort as we try to move forward together towards a healthier planet and a higher purpose.

Over these past two years we have all been overly distracted by health threats but it seems that very few of us have sufficient education and knowledge to understand or navigate the serious corruption of health information and misinformation being perpetrated. I am privileged to be placed in a position of some degree of authority, to have the ability to discern what constitutes health and to provide options to restore and maintain health for as long as possible. It is my livelihood and it is a privilege. I am a Veterinarian and we are all members of the animal kingdom.

It has been and continues to be a distressing time for the higher mammals like ourselves and subsequently, by virtue of their dependence and service to us, the lower mammals with whom we cohabitate. My practice is busier than ever because many more people are starting to realise that perhaps there is a better way to stay healthy and also keep their pets strong and resilient without chemicals or the need for genetic engineering.

Most people like myself with a background in virology, immunology, epidemiology and pharmacology have been trying to make sense of the global health situation that has spiralled out of control. A few of us, or maybe many of us, are seriously alarmed by the manipulation of our behaviour through fear and threats both perceived and real.

We are all being treated like we are all the same and we are not.

Some of us have a greater ability to discern and discover helpful information.

Some of us take a snippet of this information and weave it into a story.

Some of us deliberately like to upset or frighten others.

Some of us think that we know everything

Some of us know that we know very little.

All of us are confused and upset.

 

This blog was initially established in 2005 to support my clients and help others to think differently about the options we all have for managing to stay healthy. It is also an offering to my spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy for his belief in a “Oneness World Home”.    

More than ever in my life this ideal is being challenged in 2021 as our world faces what I can only understand to be cataclysmic, divisive change  and alarming harm. I have decided to call this period in our history the Health War because all the mainstream rhetoric and catchphrases abounding are disgraceful attempts to trademark unacceptable actions that I refuse to endorse as normal human behaviour. Few of us realise that some dictionary words have been redefined this year and retrofitted to suit these purposes and perhaps fewer still care…..but I do care….I really do. I’m not sure what pains me more, the fact that this is occurring or the fact that so few people seem to care.

There are countless many other valiant and courageous people starting to reach out to our fellow human beings with information that can support them to make decisions in these turbulent times.  The way I navigate the perils of conflict and mistrust is to try to feel what makes me peaceful inside in contrast to what deeply unsettles me. This requires silencing the mind and that can take considerable practice and patience.

The best things in life are simple and free.

It is only recently that the information I have needed has become available to me because it has had to permeate through a web of hostile intent generated by the forces we have been feeding and allowing to overly influence our lives through technology in the past twenty years or more. These filters allow fragments of information to be available that can be assembled in so many permutations that they fail to communicate any truth at all.

The only thing I can say with any certainty is that things are not right in the world.

There are many good people waiting to be of service to humanity and life on this planet if we know how to access them and encourage them to contribute to the discussion with their reliable knowledge, expertise and wisdom.

The animals have been feeling our anxiety for a long time which is partly why my practice is flourishing. They are doing their bit but like most of us are desperate for support.

Animals rely on our compassion and our love and that is what we need to share.

Health has been hi-jacked not only by opinions but by politics and corporations because it is a hugely important and profitable industry. Science is a fragment and a fragmented enterprise of the whole picture that provides accurate information to establish a way forward but often only select pieces of this information are given value by those who get to decide what they want people to know.

There is good science to support our decisions to manage our health through natural and innate mechanisms that does not cost the Earth and does not require us all to be treated as identical game pieces. We are all different and cannot be subjected to a forced health agenda on the premise that one size fits all because that is a totally inaccurate and dangerous assumption. Fear is an extremely powerful weapon and we must be strong enough regardless of our opinions to hold the centre ground for the long term survival of all species on it. Extreme views are inherently destructive to our goal of a unified and peaceful world and they are hard to harness for good.

I will continue to post blogs with nutritional and spiritual survival tools. In the meantime, anyone who wants links to the science supporting the fact that many of us probably already have a level of immunity to most microbial things we encounter and that the current herd immunity concept is based in outdated 1970’s data, please contact me directly.

I can also describe to you very simply and clearly how immunity works should you like to have that basic knowledge to make important decisions for all the animals in your family.

The way forward is with courage, kindness and compassion regardless of the individual choices we make to manage our health and that of our animals, as those choices are our sovereign right…… “Be brave, be brave, no fear, no fear.”

We must be mighty mammals until such time that we further evolve and all this becomes less important.

8429

“Be wise!

Do not allow at any time

Your outer life-turbulence

To disturb your inner life-poise.”

8004

“Please

Do not forget

That you have

Many, many friends

In the world.”

7940

“Our mind-windows

Have to be cleaned every day

If we want to see truth through

them.”

77,000 Service Trees by Sri Chinmoy

At the start of 2020 I was unsettled by my sense of pending change and uncertainty and whilst that has abated considerably as the year has unfolded, I still have some reservations and concerns about the directions we may still choose to take in the near future. Will we make the right choices?

As a spiritual aspirant my life is considerably enhanced and guided and I do forget that I probably do not have to do anything more than continue my daily practices. But as a veterinary scientist and an advocate for the natural environment, I subconsciously allow my mind and my ego to cause me more problems than necessary and then dissatisfaction and impatience cause me to lose my equilibrium and my joy.

2020 has been a joyless year on the whole.

There have been definite bursts of goodness and happiness this year that remind us of our purpose but we must try harder now to cultivate these precious opportunities to be kind and considerate. Our lives depend upon our perseverance to be happy.

The spirals of negativity that abound in an age of overreliance on social media  and the rabbit holes of confusion and nonsense that ensues are increasingly difficult to ignore once they are given importance and impetus.

As this difficult and disastrous year draws to a close I am reminded that with every New Year comes a new hope and a new promise.

I am feeling much more positive about the New Year and its possibilities for positive change with a renewed focus on doing many things better. If given the proper chance to identify, discuss and implement these crucial adjustments back to what really matters for our health and happiness we will come out of this year stronger than we entered.

2020 provided the catalyst and 2021 must be the driver of this long anticipated progress.

An impediment to sensible and effective social and global change will be the culture of polarization that has been allowed to take hold in many areas of society over the past decade and has become firmly reinforced over recent months. This has brought a mind centered, anxiety provoking way of solving disagreements by gross oversimplification of important issues  and assigning them as absolutely right or absolutely wrong. The acceptance of misinformation or poorly formulated advice is creating havoc and distress for many people who understandably cannot discern the truth in the mire of confusion that is being sold to us as news or official views.

Polarity has become rigidly entrenched in our wider global society. It has insinuated its way into becoming the norm and many of us do not even realise the dire consequences this brings to the establishment of a peaceful and harmonious community. If we are polarised in our views then we cannot ever come together to solve anything.

Polarisation employs a mindset of extreme rigidity and prevents all discussion and communication of ideas. This current sociopolitical culture that places everyone who is not “with us” as being “against us” and shuts down any discussion whatever on the subject at hand is of grave danger to democracy.

A polarized society is a war zone and the proponents of this are dictators.The terms Anti this and Anti that are clear indicators of polarity as this literally means ‘against’.

A progressive and peaceful society, in contrast, ought to embrace open discussion and unpacking of the bigger questions facing us all without pigeon-holing us into convenient boxes that can have the lids nailed shut at the whim of a few for even suggesting a dialogue on uncomfortable subjects. We therefore all have an obligation to reject polarised opinions and fight our own tendencies towards extremism.

There are many controversial topics that have been polarised and we must be more open minded to see the truth and to create peace. We have to be prepared to find a meeting point without fear of retribution.

I choose to engage on health issues because they are naturally of specific interest to me and because without natural healthcare options and food sovereignty being recognised and reinstated there will be very little future for any of us here or elsewhere, regardless of our choice of personal identity, lifestyle or endeavour. We must be much more discerning about what we really care about if we are to survive and we must be prepared to  engage in informed discussion without prejudice or personal criticism derailing the exercise. We must prioritise discussion of issues that are relevant to everyone and not just to a minority.

Australia must reclaim her independence as a food nation and focus attention and resources on producing organic, clean and healthy foods at a local level. I am glad to see that this is happening.

Food production, availability and affordability should be the most important topics on the table and we are still ignoring them in the bigger picure for the sake of argument over things we will probably never agree upon.

In the background there is a worrying overreliance on non-Australian owned corporations and businesses that would shock the majority of Australians if they had access to the truth or the machinations of governance. If you own the food, you own the people. Our government is democratic but by no means transparent and increasingly unrepresentative as it sells us all off to the highest bidder and hopes we won’t notice. This, along with the serious issue of overreliance on technology to solve all our problems, is a topic for another day except to say that localization is a concept that urgently needs addressing. We should be focusing on what we can do here and now at a local level so that we can regroup and move forward together as we reject the divisive agendae being forced upon us.

I have personally felt quite isolated this year at times, as I have been provoked into debates and situations that have taken me away from my centre. We must stop fighting with each other and allowing fear to dictate our actions.

As there is strength in unity so must we strive to achieve unity. There is a reason that SriChinmoy refers to the world as a Oneness Home where we can choose to dwell either in our mind caves or our heart gardens.

This week the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) has issued an invitation to members of the wider community to identify and address priorities for a sustainable future for our region. This is as commendable as it is promising.

kudos to CoGG.

We will be given an opportunity to suggest and discuss options for sustainable practices including local food production but encompassing a wide sector of our local community, from building and development to education, business, health and the natural environment. We will be given a chance to listen to each other and work together and better understand what really matters as we build an inclusive, supportive and harmonious society. We have a chance to be happy about the future here if this can be achieved by embracing and welcoming change for good.

Opportunities such as this bring us in touch with inspiring, innovative and enterprising members of our community that have passion and vision for humanity and the wider ecology of our planet.

We will need all hands on deck to best represent the whole community and to give us a better chance of formulating a clear positive direction forward that will take most of us with it. It is possible to have a heart centred approach in all human endeavour and this is our strongest and most commendable quality that now needs to come forward as our population explodes and our resources become constrained. We need a better and more regulated building code that puts the environment and the community above profit. We need public spaces set aside for local food production and we need to engender respect for our natural resources by employing organic management practices and maximizing rainwater collection to name a few basic and easily implemented codes of practice. I also will be advocating for natural weed control with goats in urban places. I want to see us get smarter about the way we do things creatively, cleverly, compassionately and for the right reasons, the greater collective good.

I want to have something to look forward to again.

Ask me later whether my optimism was well placed and in the meantime hope that it sets a precedent for informed, compassionate and effective governance. At least at a local level to start with.

Merry Christmas to all my dear readers and their families, furry and otherwise. May 2021 bring us all a renewed enthusiasm to attain peace in our own lives and in the wider world through our untiring striving for perfection of our nature, illumination of our minds and opening of our hearts.

Question: If somebody feels that he is doing something for his community or for mankind, but at the same time he feels that what he’s doing is slowing him down in his aspiration, what should he do?

Sri Chinmoy: If he is insincere, if he is just showing off in the name of helping people, if it is not God within him but his ego that is compelling him to try to help people, then he has to change his attitude. You can serve someone with true devotion because you want to please God, or you can do that very same service just to feed your ego. If you are doing it just to feed your own ego, then it is worse than useless. In that case, it is a serious mistake and it will delay your own progress.

The best thing is to get the inner command about whether or not you are authorised to help your community. If you feel that the answer is yes, then the next thing is to do your part devotedly. You should be grateful to the Inner Pilot, the Supreme, that He has authorised you to serve Him in mankind, and you should do it with utmost humility. In the spiritual life one has to get the inner command about one’s service to the world. Only if one is authorised, should he serve God in mankind. Otherwise, it will be a terrible spiritual mistake.

Sri Chinmoy, Politics and spirituality: can they go together?, Agni Press, 1977

One of the many challenges arising this year is the establishment of a way forward in a world that has been rocked by direct and serious threats to health and the environment. Whilst many people are looking for things to get back to normal, we need to define what this means.

The definition of normal is functioning in a natural way.

Nature has been overlooked, redefined and undervalued as a teacher and a protector in so many ways over the past decades that most of us do not even know what ‘natural’ looks like anymore.

The accepted paradigm in medical practice is still that we think we know better than the laws of nature and it is our misinterpretation of nature’s gifts that is causing the most damage.

It is frustrating and disappointing that committees established across the world to address antimicrobial resistance and One-Health initiatives for example, repeatedly fail to appoint natural health practitioners and experts in the field of treating disease without the use of these substances in the first instance. An invitation has never been issued to experts in these areas to present their findings and a time must come soon when the skills and expertise of integrative practitioners will be recognised and appreciated.

I often forget that homeopathy has never been proffered the ear of the public in any positive or wide reaching manner that would help people to know these options even exist but the people who make the big decisions are aware of this medicine and repeatedly discredit it to the shame and detriment of humanity and the animal kingdom.

Bearing in mind that we have all been born into the Modern Era, we are unlikely to see the need to extend our vision past what we have always known unless we realise that what we still know is next to nothing, or more fairly, highly inadequate. Perhaps we do need to learn from the lessons of the past as we attempt to create a better future.

This posting is for those people for whom a shift in thinking about what constitutes health and how to achieve it is desired or required. It starts with the courage to admit that what we know is only a snippet of the possibilities available.

We may assume that we have made huge progress in the practice of medicine and have been easily persuaded to believe as much since we cannot imagine otherwise. In fact this is only partly true and mostly only true in the area of diagnostics and not in the treatment of disease itself. Surgical procedures have made huge advancements with technology but since we, as biological organisms, have not evolved much at all over many hundreds of years, the treatment of medical diseases has floundered and still fails. There is only an illusion that this is not true as we actually get less and less healthy and accept that to be the new normal. Our successes with treating ancient diseases like leprosy, plague and tuberculosis with antibiotics has lead to an overdeveloped reliance upon pharmaceuticals without acknowledging that sanitation, good hygiene and a better appreciation of the role of nutrition were probably the most crucial aspects in eradicating these diseases. Homeopathy enjoys the same level of success in disease outbreaks over history, by the way, both as a prophylaxis and as a treatment but anyone raising this fact is treated as a heretic. We have developed an unhealthy reliance on pharmaceuticals that are arguably causing more harm than good as they erode our innate healing capacities and cause dependency.

Moreover and as a direct result, we have translated this approach into the practice of small animal medicine in particular.

As much as we progress and study towards better understanding, the further removed we have become from the self evident truths of the natural world. So much so that the formal study of medicine has become narrower and narrower following a model of reductionism.

This reduces everybody to the same prescribed treatment irrespective of unique differences or personal indications and reactions. We are considered to be no more than points on a bell curve. This will become strikingly evident quite soon in the proposed solution to the challenge of 2020, which is largely still a mystery to the masses but will be ‘solved’ by the modern medical industry, no doubt more quickly than it ought.

It will be packaged, promoted and sold as the recommended solution to our predicament with very little mention of sound alternatives.

We are an integral part of nature but nature has lost her voice.

We have gone from being a part of nature to being apart from nature.

We have had many harmful medical practices recommended and practised throughout the course of our development. Over the past few hundred years it was wise and necessary to abandon the majority of these but what we failed to see is that we threw the baby out with bath water and then proceeded to develop more insidiously harmful medicines in the name of progress and modernity. Marketing has corrupted the language of medicine. Newer, safer, better, all mostly not true.

We forge ahead on a path predetermined by profit and neglect of duty to the higher truths that govern our existence.

If, as wise and intelligent medical practitioners and homeopaths, we had noticed that our medical art was being hijacked back at the turn of the twentieth century we would arguably be in a much healthier and progressive world than we currently tolerate.

Homeopathy is medicine that requires the highest intellect and insight.

Samuel Hahnemann had inadvertently stumbled into the quantum realm prior to 1900 because he was a visionary, highly intelligent, intuitive and observant. He challenged the medical fraternity of the era and unfortunately they still feel challenged today and resist any changes to the rigid mindset that governs modern medical practice. Subsequently it has become far too easy to adopt the current business model of medicine that one size fits all since it so very easy to sell. The illusion that our scientific medical achievements are unsurpassable is actually a delusion.

Hardly any medically trained people on the planet at present have any knowledge of the true art of healing or the curative actions of the medicines they are prescribing.

All of the above is compounded by the disastrous results that our interference with companion animal genetics has wrought upon their health. The disgraceful insinuation of packaged plastic foods and unnecessary chemical burdens that our pets are forced to endure in the name of progress have created serious impediments to their health and vitality that we have come to recognise as being normal. Most of our dogs these days are genetically and immunologically flawed especially with skin and behaviour symptoms foremost, however they are not usually totally beyond help with the correct approach.

Rest assured that if your pet has an acute emergency, modern techniques are highly recommended and often life saving. Plus I hasten to add that all veterinarians are trying to do the best that they know without realising that what they know has been limited and most of us would admit that we do very well in emergencies but have limited real understanding of the chronic diseases that plague our pets.

It is also pertinent to mention that finally there is a lot more investigation and acknowledgment of the importance of the microbiome to health than ever before undertaken and this is a big step in the right direction. To recognise the paramount role that bacteria play in keeping us well is crucial to the advancement of medicine in a modern world that must place good food back on the top of the remedy list. At least an opportunity to have a conversation has arisen even if it may be a while before we are invited to the table. Even though more natural and raw diets are emerging as mainstream it will be quite some time before they are widely recommended. It is also good to be aware that all ‘ready to eat’ prepared foods are convenient and can be the subject of cost cutting fillers and persuasive marketing even when we may all have to choose them occasionally.

Bottom line, choose your dog breed wisely and look at the genetic characteristics that comprise good health or be prepared to accept a lot of flaws and their subsequent challenges. The hybrid vigour on the Heinz variety pound or rescue dogs still offer the best value for money unless you find an exceptional breeder.

The new designer breeds are very, very expensive these days and can be more so when we are trying to remedy the side effects of breed defects of anxiety or fear reactivity in particular. Although these conditions can be brought about by diets, interventions like desexing and chemicals, (epigenetic factors), they are also being bred into many modern dogs. In fact as I peruse the latest list of ‘genetic’ mutations and DNA tests in dogs I am reminded of how many of these are miasms with incomplete expression that have arisen as a result of our chemical and nutritional assault on their species over the past few decades especially. The more obvious physical deformities of the brachycephalic breeds have been given publicity in recent times as an animal welfare issue.

I encourage anyone reading my blog to find the courage to follow the dictates of your own intuition. Your dog will still know what is best for it too, so follow its lead or ask a veterinary homeopath to interpret.

Your health, your choice and so too for those beings directly in your care.

4.

Science says to Nature:
“I do not need you.”
Nature says to Science:
“But I love you.”

From the book Science and nature

29.

Science says to Nature:
“To me, you are utterly useless!”
Nature says to Science:
“To me, you are deplorably harmful!”

From the book Science and nature

44135

We go to Mother Nature
To give us joy,
But when Mother Nature
Is displeased with us,
We become utterly helpless.

From the book Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 45

Question: Why is humanity polluting and destroying Mother Nature?

Sri Chinmoy: Mother Nature is being polluted and destroyed by the unaspiring realities of life. It is very sad. Mother Nature has become so helpless, and the people who are trying to preserve Mother Nature are in no way helping. They are only talking, talking, talking! Governments also are only talking. They come forward and say, “Yes, we want to preserve the trees and fields,” but their actions produce the opposite effect.

Because we human beings see enemies all around us, because we are afraid someone will come and attack us, we use all our money and energy to make ourselves powerful. To make ourselves powerful enough to fight our enemies, we cut Mother Nature into pieces and take her resources. We give importance only to scientific and chemical advancement, which does not allow Mother Nature to remain beautiful or powerful. Chemical advancement and Mother Nature’s progress cannot go together. As long as there is fear on earth, Mother Nature will never be able to fulfil her divinity. It is only when we no longer see others as enemies that we shall be able to keep Mother Nature intact.

Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy answers, part 7, Agni Press, 1996

This has indeed been a taxing year for us all to date even though we are seemingly doing less.

The challenges are personal as much as general and involve confronting ones own issues as there are not the usual distractions to stop us from having to spend time on self reflection and transcendence.

In a sense we ought to be rejoicing at this opportunity to do the things we have been putting off for so long but there are only so many hours you can bear to clean the house.

Some of us cope better with change than others too. Personally, I am slow or reluctant to embrace change without a full and complete analysis of my options and quite frankly we are not going to get that in our current global crisis. It is a crisis because it is causing massive change although I have suggested previously that this is good and I still believe that it can be such if we all recognise the opportunities arising and moreover, implement them.

Despite the confusion and despair that some of us may be feeling, I see there is also a greater sense of oneness emerging than we ever had BC. (aka Before Covid)

In general people who don’t know each other that well are starting to notice each other and extend greetings to them. Even if you cannot see the smiling face, the quick wave will suffice. It seems to me that we are now looking for connection with each other that we had previously not valued. This was also evident in New York after September 11 and in some ways albeit with far less terror and toll, we are again experiencing a new paradigm for our society as we learn to care again about our neighbours’ welfare.

This era is also bringing out our creativity and our generosity as we need to source our provisions and base our lives once again in the local community. I am very happy about this because it is one of the most empowering aspects of our society, our willingness to connect and care about our environment and the beings we share it with.

So what of our dear pets?

Much is being surmised about the impact of our changed living and social arrangements on the mental health and behaviour of dogs especially. I’m sure cats are happy to have more laps to sit on and dogs are happy to be walked more often as an excuse to get out the house but since the introduction of compulsory mask wearing in public it may be a little while before good information comes to light about the impact this is having on young minds including our children and pets alike. From my personal observation and understanding there are some animals that adapt faster than others and the major challenge again is one of change. Dogs will react to unfamiliar experience and changed conditions, then they will usually adapt. We are not sure how much they depend upon our facial queues but I would expect mask wearing to halt learning and disrupt responses especially towards people they don’t know. For example, it has long been recognised that dogs have learned to smile only by observing the facial expressions of their owners in the same way that human babies do, so there is evidence that they notice our faces.

It was not long ago that anybody approaching wearing dark glasses, hoodie or hat and a mask was actually likely to be threat so we should not expect dogs to know the difference in such a short space of time. On the whole it seems they may be faring quite well as my practice is seeing only the occasional deranged animal and as a behaviourist I am likely to hear about these problems. I have had a couple of cases in recent weeks that highlight the need to keep ourselves well balanced as dogs belonging to people who are not coping  well will also not cope well. It will be quite a while before data from this debacle will be analysed even if it will ever be deemed interesting. In the meantime it is advisable to treat your dogs, irrespective of their age, at this time as young puppies again and remember to reward them for appropriate behaviour and signalling when out of doors and challenged by any product of our current situation. Ironically I had the completely opposite experience recently whilst out running. As a runner I don’t wear a mask and I was almost attacked by a dog that had decided that I was a threat, so it is all relative. Perhaps that dog had never seen a person not wearing a mask. Let’s pray that parents are spending enough time indoors smiling at their babies too or we may face a pretty grim future.

Strange things are happening ain’t no doubt about it as our friend Randy Newman says but also you’ve got a friend in me.

21710

Smile, smile, smile!
Your anxiety-mind
Shall disappear.

From the book Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 22

22898

Smile, smile, smile
At your mind
As often as possible.
Your smiling will considerably reduce
Your mind’s tearing tension.

From the book Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 229

31755

Smile! Smile!
If you do not smile,
You may suffer the attacks
Of the most powerful loneliness.

From the book Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 32

It has become more difficult for me to treat urinary incontinence in dogs successfully these days because like many Integrative Veterinarians in Australia, I want to cure them. This approach involves finding out why they are exhibiting this symptom and also how to apply homeopathy to strengthen them.

This can take time.

When an animal is working hard on many levels, the area that is weakest will exhibit the symptom. If a dog is protecting or caring for a family or if it is easily overwhelmed by anxiety or overwork then the area of weakness in speyed bitches is likely to be the urinary bladder.  In very young animals there should be an investigation into other causes to rule out the possibility of developmental anomalies or congenital defects. Very rarely is there an infectious cause for this condition and if any bacteria are found they are almost certainly secondary to the incontinence. Nevertheless it is prudent to conduct a full urinary tract examination and urinalysis on these dogs to maximize treatment options.

In the old days of my conventional practice life I would give incontinent desexed female dogs stilboestrol tablets and this would fix 90% or more of them. This tablet is an oestrogen analogue with some testosterone activity and works on the premise that the animal is oestrogen deficient from speying, which they usually are.

One problem with this approach is that some of these dogs develop spey incontinence very early in life and a lifetime use of stilboestrol is potentially dangerous to health. They are prone to developing blood dyscrasias and becoming attractive to male dogs again. Hormone replacement therapy has many setbacks yet to be fully recognised or appreciated but recent discovery of the link to lutenising hormone overload in speyed bitches and the subsequent health issues this causes is leading to better options including ovary sparing spey procedures and the trial of gonadotropin releasing hormone supplements.

Over the years there have been a number of other products developed by pharmaceutical companies since it is a worthwhile investment given that desexing has become compulsory in many states. I happen to object to compulsory desexing on a number of grounds with health and long term growth and developmental issues being at the forefront of my concern. I recommend desexing them later in life if required or using the gonad sparing techniques.

Given that it is not practical, nor desirable in many situations to keep bitches entire and also that many of them arrive to families after they have been speyed, there must be other options available for managing this pesky condition.

Some of the pharmaceutical options also don’t work in some cases so there are a number of reasons for looking for alternative approaches. There also does not appear to be a lot of evidence that keeping them entire for a while will prevent the problem once they are eventually desexed although I do think it helps them to be mature before desexing. I have also spoken about ovary sparing technique which is  an added benefit for preventing urinary incontinence, amongst other things.

Without sounding like a stuck record I have to mention that it is possible to cure this condition in some dogs simply by strengthening them by feeding a natural diet. Nothing you buy cooked in rolls, cans or packets is natural.

Never underestimate how important it is to the health of your pet to feed it properly. Chewing species appropriate diets sends chemical messages to the brain to keep animals strong in their entirety.

The other important factor that is coming to light in treating urinary incontinence in dogs is patience. We are too used to ‘quick fixes’ and with drugs we often get a quick effect, which makes us think that cure should also be rapid. However, these drugs are not curing. They are using the parts of the animal that are healthy such as the liver, immune, nervous and circulatory systems to suppress or change the parts that are not, such as the urinary bladder sphincter in this particular example.  Herbal remedies may give fast results for similar reasons and may actually help to strengthen the animal but anyone who has used homeopathy will know that this is the best option to cure because it does not rely on any other organs of the body to be effective. It may take longer and that can be frustrating but it is the only medicine apart from time and the animal’s inherent vitality that can bring about true cure if cure is possible.  It is difficult to properly replace hormones or other essential elements the body needs as well as nature can achieve but homeopathy can be an effective tool to help these natural health affirming processes when all factors are considered.

A homeopath will need to identify all the factors contributing to the disease as for the most part the owner will understandably be overly focused on the incontinence.

It is the most obvious and frustrating symptom but there will be others even if it is only a matter of lifestage, juvenile or elderly. Older animals are likely to have other symptoms that can help to form a remedy picture and assist selection of the most likely medicine to use for treatment. As with all homeopathic medicines there are pathophysiological, constitutional, miasmatic or situational approaches to remedy selection and if we can get as much correlation in these as possible we can have a better result.

To be in balance is to have all these factors in harmony and whilst it can appear that there is nothing else ‘wrong’, there will always be some reason why incontinence persists in intractable cases. This will be the key to remedy selection. There is always a cause even if that is difficult to remedy.

The difficulty is adding strength selectively to an area that is dependent upon a number of factors to function properly especially when there are other issues like anxiety, excitability or demand for energy in other areas of the animal’s life, irrespective of age. As with all cases of disease, a constitutional approach should yield best results but miasmatic medicines should never be overlooked in one -sided cases.

The main thing is to never give up on the idea of cure and to think broadly in approach to therapy. We do owe them that much since we have probably caused the problem in the first instance.

233

I do not give up,
I never give up,
For there is nothing
In this entire world
That is irrevocably unchangeable.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 3, Agni Press, 1983

8192

Never give up,
No matter how long
You have to suffer
From an uncertainty-mind!

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 9, Agni Press, 1998

8966

There is no calamity
That cannot be cured.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 49, Agni Press, 2008

I confess to those who may care to know that I have been struggling to grapple with the way we have been heading in recent days/months for obvious and also personal reasons.

My holistic veterinary practice has always stayed open and I have remained available as a homeopathic veterinarian but I had just been suffering a bit behind the scenes, as I am sure many others have also been doing. I’m relieved to report that I have regained my equilibrium and perspective and feel better equipped to continue, partly for the following reasons.

Good information is coming through after six months of global reflection that has enabled me to reinstate my balance and once again enjoy my purpose and whilst many people are waiting for the ‘end’ most of us now recognise that ‘it’ is only just beginning.

There has never been a situation in my lifetime that has made every human being on the planet take notice simultaneously. For example and as a brief diversion, if this was the ‘second coming’ and we all recognised it the same way, we may all be instantly saved and the world changed for ever.

Instead it is nature bringing us a reminder that we have to change and our salvation will require many more years of hard work to make that change positive and progressive. We have a unique opportunity to do things better and it is essential we recognise this and implement our combined efforts towards doing things better for Earth and every living thing here.

In essence while we are all changing the way we think and do business, we are hoping to God that the coronavirus, COVID-19 (aka ‘it’) itself is also on its way to doing the same thing. In order to survive and be useful in the world it is a disadvantage to kill your host. We as humans need to get stronger and ‘it’, as a virus needs to mutate to be less of a threat. We can stop killing our earth home and ‘it’ can stop killing us. The previous infectious agents that shook the world seem to have established an equilibrium that we have learned to live with so we need to be reminded that this is just the next wave of blowout in the natural order.

Have  we forgotten that whilst good hygiene is paramount to good health, the obsession with nuking all ‘germs’ that has arisen over the past decade and is understandably escalating now, has created antimicrobial resistance, superbugs and an over reliance on chemical and pharmaceutical interventions instead of on our innate immune capacity when supported appropriately. Wash your hands by all means but please ditch the likes of Glen 20 on behalf of the thousands of helpful and essential organisms succumbing to mass destruction wrought by those disastrous household chemicals.

We all need to change.   

The snippets of irony prompting this update are as follows;

With the suggestion that snakes may be an intermediate host for COVID-19 I am reminded of the homeopathic snake provings for pneumonia and immune mediated diseases along with a common theme of fear. During my recovery from mental distress (fear) over our global pandemic I dreamed of the red snakes which are symbolic of power as distinct from the black snakes of danger and the genome of COVID-19 is close to that of Bungarus, a not well studied snake medicine. Yes he is red. The homeopathic medicines are gifts to humanity that will come to be recognised as such in the near future by more than those of us already benefiting from them. We will see homeopathy rising to play a very significant role in the health of our whole planet in the near future.

Perhaps even more exciting albeit incongruous, is the discovery that tobacco plants can produce the COVID-19 antigen six times faster than any other cell line and they can be used to harness material for vaccine studies. This is really a hoot! The same corporations that have been destroying peoples’ lungs and lives for decades will once again rise to save them from the same pathology…really?… is that a homeopathic coup (like curing like), or like most other things in our art, just another example of the inevitable and inexplicable ways of nature and true irony.

I am reminded that whilst most people’s minds do not work the same as my own, how humour is truly the best medicine. If we do have to use our minds during current events please let it be for keeping us positive and happy so that we are better able to access what Samuel Hahnemann himself referred to as our ‘higher self’. There is nothing funny at all about people being distressed and frightened and our global situation is serious but I do think we can use the best we have to  find a comfortable way to cope and for me that would be to engage a heart centred approach. Sri Chinmoy reminds me that fear is my unrecognised separation from God so I will be endeavouring to stay closer from now on.

In order to practice homeopathy well I need to look at the big picture and nothing gives me more joy every day than seeing the messages that Mother Nature provides for my continued happiness.

It is also necessary to function through our hearts to be happy and those closest to nature will find this easier to attain.

Laughter may prove to be indeed the best medicine.

642

My louder than the loudest laughter
Is, indeed,
One of my life-preservers.

From the book Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 1

45959

Humour is
A hidden wisdom.

From the book Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 46

35749

Humour is essential
In everybody’s life.
Never outgrow humour.

From the book Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 36