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Rudolf Steiner was a anthroposophical philosopher who lived during the turn of the 21st century, and despite the distance of time, his ideas still have purpose and meaning for our current state of health care. He was an unconventional man who strove to understand the multi-faceted nature of human beings, societal structures, and the environment from which we interacted and in turn evolved. Surprisingly, we are still struggling for an understanding of the elements of human nature today, using a similar dialogue that was spoken back when he was an observer for our medical world.

I was introduced to Steiner and his published books through, Dr. Christopher Metro, a Portland naturopathic physician, who wanted to stress to me the importance of treating the whole patient. Dr. Metro explained that physical medicine, regardless of the therapies involved (natural or conventional) remains a limited perspective, mired within the material or physical way of understanding our world and the conditions of dis-ease. Truly assessing a situation requires a greater knowledge, encompassing the nonphysical playing fields in addition to the traditional physical aspects of medicine, like biology and physiology. Moreover, using a holistic perspective for treating dis-ease can adequately and easily be obtained for a patient through training in the spiritual, emotional, and energetic realms.

This quote by Dr. Steiner truly drives that point home, thought that you’d enjoy a small blast from the past:

“Some three thousand years ago, during the flowering of the most ancient Greek culture, there existed schools that were very different from those of today. The basis of these ancient schools consisted in the belief that man first of all was to develop new faculties in his soul before he could become capable of attaining to true knowledge concerning mankind.

“Now it was just because, in these ancient times, the more primitive soul-faculties did not incline towards the dreamy and visionary, that it was possible to experience, in the so-called mysteries, the spiritual foundations from which all forms of learning arose.

“This state of things came to an end more or less contemporaneously with the founding of our Universities– during the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. Since that time we learn only in a rationalistic way. Rationalism leads on the one hand to keen logic, and on the other hand to pure materialism.

“During the course of the last few centuries a vast store of external knowledge has been accumulated in the domain of biology, physiology, and other branches of research which are introductory to the study of medicine; indeed an amazing mass of observation, out of which an almost immeasurable amount may yet be obtained!

“But during these centuries all knowledge connected with man, which could only be gained with spiritual vision, sank completely out of sight.

“It has therefore become actually impossible to investigate the true nature of health and disease.

“In order to emphasize this remark, I may mention that even at the present time (according to the descriptions given in my books) it is possible so to raise the faculties of the soul that the spiritual nature of man may be clearly distinguished from the physical. This spiritual part of man is, for the spiritual observer, just as visible as the physical part is for the man who observes with his outer sense; with this difference, however, that our ordinary senses have been and are incorporated into our bodily organism without our cooperation, where as we must ourselves develop the organs of spiritual insight.”

–Rudolf Steiner — London 1924.

The following letter is originally intended for, Bill Maher, a political comedian who doesn’t flinch when it comes to the mudslinging in our US legislative practices.

Kosher or not, Bill tells it like it is, unafraid to speak out about our inconsistencies in our government, literally cleaning “House” attempting to keep the management of our great nation… well, more manageable.

A satirical newspaper, entitled Naturally the News, was also created by in-house Helfgott Blog writers, taking the obvious and adding a bit of sass and humor to the current state of health care.

And to get our message into the mind of a gutsy go-getter, Lou’s letter and Naturally the News will be presented to Mr. Maher himself on July 12, 2008 at the Arlene Schnitzer Hall in Portland, Oregon, where Bill plans to take to the stage for his comedy tour.

We’d like you to peruse Naturally the News as well (just click the blue rabbit above to open). This red-top is worth a read, best remedy for a depressed system any day! And most of all: enjoy, we certainly did. Prepare to laugh, cry, and beg for more… the Helfgott Blog crew is at it again, making health happen, employing every strategy to get the word out, the work done, and a revolutionized health care system underway.

. … . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

Mr. Bill Maher,

You may be wondering, “What do these people want from me?” Don’t worry. We are not looking to be writers on your show. You talk about America’s lack of exercise and nutritious diet, excess use of pharmaceutical drugs, and effects of living in a polluted environment on your show. We wanted to let you know, in case you are not aware, there is a medical profession, Naturopathy, who agrees with you. When the subject comes up on your show we would like to be added to the discussion. Why Bill Maher? Because you have the balls to say it.

Naturopathic medicine is based upon the healing power of nature. Rather than suppress symptoms with drugs, naturopathic physicians find the cause and support the body by giving it what it needs to heal itself. We use sustainable affordable modalities such as nutrition (diet), exercise, drinking water, botanical medicine (Sorry Bill, we can’t write you a script for marijuana), hydrotherapy, vertebral manipulations, homeopathy, and the list goes on. Naturopathic physicians work with the sick, but also work with the healthy to keep them healthy, in other words, PREVENTION of illness. Naturopathy is a much more cost effective approach to health care.

The current approach to health care is failing and the current attempts at a universal health care plan will not come close to saving it. If the government directly funds “for profit” insurance companies, and creating health is not in their best interest, then this funding format is not going to change our faltering health. Drugs, don’t worry, I’m not talking about pot, are not helping the problem but propelling it. Prevention of disease through healthy diet and exercise will, which is why people need to know Naturopathic medicine is an option.

Naturopathy is nothing new. It has been around for hundreds of years. The advent of antibiotics and the pharmaceutical industry overshadowed natural medicine. Drugs took over the scene in the mid 20th century because they took away all responsibility. People could do whatever they wanted and the magic pill would make it all better.

People are slowly realizing the magic pill is not the cure all it was originally thought to be. Health problems are not getting better with drugs. Slowly, people are shifting back to the philosophy of natural medicine. Diet, exercise, and the quality of the environment impact health. Taking poison pills for eating poison, drinking poison, and breathing poison will not make poison related diseases go away.

This is not to say naturopathic medicine should be used in all instances and allopathic medicine should be banned. Allopathic medicine is definitely the approach of choice in certain situations, but it is not the first approach for all health issues, especially those chronic and slowly evolving forms. Also, naturopathy is not for everyone. Not everyone wants to change their diet for the better and exercise.

Additionally, not all naturopaths are created equal. Taking a correspondence course online and calling yourself a naturopath is not the same as going to an accredited institution. This is like buying hooked on phonics and calling yourself president. Knowing where your naturopathic doctor received their training should be part of the selection criteria. For the record, I am a naturopathic student in a four year accredited institution.

Like you, I love this country. I think it was great and can be great again, but it will take work. Please include naturopathic medicine in your discussions. Let the people who agree with you know they have an option in their approach to their health.

Lou Walters

This is PART 6 in a 12 part series for the Year of Sagely Living project, entitled 12.12.12: A journey of self-discovery for a lopsided soul.
To learn more about the project 12.12.12, click here.

Well, another month as ticked away some 30 days and left behind an itemized grocery list of labor intensive events, which is good. Yep, (un)fortunately, for me, everything is manifesting according to plan, and it was necessary to maintain ample time for a little R and R along the way. Thank goodness for the previous months of developing skills of balance, without those in place, not only would the candle burn at both ends, but I’d be a bit crispy in this hot summer sun. Well folks, it’s what you’ve all been waiting for, the latest, greatest update on the human experiment: the seventh installment of 12.12.12. Maestro, drum roll if you will…thank you… the homework followed by the juicy details:

June- Spleen, Si 巳 (Snake)- Food choices - This category works in tandem with the previous one to help maintain the physical form of the body in an optimal way. Why this pairing? June is actually a great time to do fasting or other food restriction activities because most of us don’t feel any great desire to eat excessively in the summer heat. Further, reducing the burden on digestion will help us to focus on absorbing the pure Yang energy so abundantly available in June.

L’aperitivo: Long Island iced tea
I cannot really say that eating was a priority the month of June. In fact, I had so much going on that food became a side dish to life, and the projects at hand cluttered my proverbial plate. I guess that was acceptable because naturally the world was asking me to take in less physical calories and instead absorb all of the nutritiously-packed pieces for my perfect pie in the sky that I schemed earlier this year. Each task has kept me super busy, and at times it felt like too many cooks in the kitchen left me with little resources at the end of the day. Balance was pivotal to the progress I made during the month of June, a good night’s rest and ample walks in the park kept my sanity in check. Somehow (and I’m not exactly sure how) I packed so much goodness into June, all three goals were catered to, and, in turn, delivered fabulous results. Without much adieu, I present to you a five course meal.

Le hors d’oeuvre: Battered and deep -fried cheesy sticks
The “writing masterpieces” bit remains underway; it’s hard to distinguish if the writing is really masterful because the art of text and publishing has a lot to do with skillfulness backed with persistence and patience. I’ve managed to keep several Whispering ink projects moving towards some semblance of a finishing point. Three meaty choices exist at this time and I hesitate to apply such words as “crackerjack” or “hot damn, this will make millions”… because only accomplished selections can be judged and awarded with a blue ribbon. The butterfly/scholarship book for the Operation Oprah: Project 61 is almost seasoned to completion due to ample help from other Helfgotteers. Now it’s about hammering out the physical format for this little ditty, putting the words between sheets of a neatly organized binding. My little book of poetry, graphite, has a collection of illustrators and lithographers literally sketching out the details for its imagery and hopefully will be done at autumn’s end. And lastly, I still have wandering aspirations to create a tribute to Mr. Bradbury himself for his Fahrenheit 451, a personal adolescent classic that my budding brain devoured at the ripe age of ten. Those thoughts for that subject are simply an accumulation of sequestered brain cells and scraps of napkin stained messages kept in paper-clipped fashion in odd areas of my home. I’ve still maintained hope for that American apple pie tribute; however, it’s on the back burner at the moment.

The blue plate special: Green eggs and ham
As for the personal plan to diligently pursue cultivation through plantlings, also known as the illustrious Spider Plant Campaign, the success is overwhelming. I’ve got green thumbs, fingers, and all ten toes. I’m up to my ears in the propagation of spider plants, heart-shaped philodendrons, numerous variegated coleii, and at least a baker’s dozen of other odd varieties of indoor plants. All types of gardeners have crawled out of the wood work, chiefly the NCNM community and alumni have rallied for the cause to introduce clean solutions to indoor pollutions, introducing easy at-home health, and green donations continue to grow. Currently, the campaign consists of several individuals, Pablo, an NCNM ND student, being the backbone of the program with his weekly contributive efforts, as well as collection of other beautiful individuals (of which truly keep the momentum moving forward). Extra help is always around to lend a hand when a big gig comes along, and the best part is that anyone who helps out absolutely loves working on the project.

The campaign feels a bit like a secret club, where everyone is invited, and because it takes place in the work setting, a high level of cheerfulness pervades. I’m not sure what motivates people to participate, each seems driven by different means: a break from the routine, the ability to make a difference in the life of another, or the creative, crafty quality that is inherent to the project. Who knows, I’m just glad that others believe in the idea to keep it contributing to a larger audience. We cooked up a few novel requests for a couple of big events during the month of June that allowed the Spider Plant Campaign a little basking in the lime light. Fortuitously, plans to revolutionize heath care and plant cultivation overlapped beautifully, and each made tremendous headway.

The Archimedes Movement had their first annual meeting, and a few hundred health care aware people collected from across the state of Oregon to chew over the next steps for health care reform. All day Saturday, people mulled ideas and made key connections for furthering a more positive, altruistic future for health care. Thanks to some fabulous friends, a midnight run with a heavily laden Vanagon helped me deliver around 300 plants to the conference the day before the event so that after the conference each individual got an opportunity to take home a bona fide solution to creating cleaner indoor air as a parting gift. Talk about planting the right seed in the fertile minds of thoughtful people!

Shortly thereafter, NCNM’s Environmental Action Committee and the Portland chapter Sierra Club hosted its first annual “Impact Film Festival” at the Hollywood Theatre. For several months careful planning brought together documentaries and top experts in the fields of environmental protection, health care, and legislation, in order to demonstrate how pollution and lack of awareness on the subject can perpetuate poor conditions for our community, as well for our health. Several groups coalesced, mingled, and fermented on what steps our community can do to safe guard our health and the environment at large. Leftover spider plants for the Archimedes Movement conference were served up buffet style to those still hungry for more, who devoured the densely-packed details of indoor air quality. Pretty cool…!

Le dessert: Ambrosia with a flute of champagne
Adding icing to the cake, something that I was not expecting: I was asked to be the Research Editor for the hip, tree-friendly, intentionally urban INUR Magazine. This opportunity lends an inside look at the details of editorial madness and the outlet to research for nifty writing assignments, as well as a means to incorporate naturally-minded research into mainstream media. Think meetings concocted around powwow circles with cheap beer and pages of notes colorfully littered with comic book animation. The magazine release party was also this month, and it was quite posh, beautiful people packed elbow to elbow, cluttering a gallery in Southeast Portland. Nervous butterflies plagued me throughout the night and to remedy the situation, I walked around with silver tray in hand prompting the elite to eat strawberries. As party favors each guest was given a white needled pine tree to take home and to plant; I thought that was a pretty cool idea, especially since it reiterated the magazine’s paperless publication format, so I took one, too. Not sure how this one fell into my lap, but to continue the unashamed use of puns: I’m lapping it up and enjoying every minute of it.

Digestif: A chilled tumbler of arrack
An address to all of those out there in fast-food land looking to orient and discover direction in this orientally driven task of 12.12.12, a Year of Sagely Living, a word to the wise: focus. Yes, please…whatever your intentions may be, my salty advice is to focus. Earlier this year, I thought I did just that, limiting myself to three tasks (writing masterpieces, cultivating through plantlings, and the last rather lofty goal of creating revolutions within health care). In retrospect, I must stress, a mere six months into the game, that three tasks filled with heart-felt determination does bear fruit. In fact, the triad for my sagely scope of direction is proving SO fruitful that I can hardly keep up. So. To conclude: focus. Only put items on your plate that you can finish, or (if you were raised by southern folks like myself) you’re gonna hafta sit still ’til you cleaned your plate. Otherwise, you’re gonna go to bed hungry.

Sometimes, the sheer enormity of the problems in the world can make you feel that your efforts to help out are a bit trifling.  How can small changes on an individual level possibly make a dent?  Michael Pollan, journalist, author, and localvore, takes this mindset to task in a recent article that argues that little steps, individual actions and yes, even changing your light bulbs, really can save the world.  Pollan maintains that one of the “most powerful things an individual can do” is plant a garden.  He admits that it sounds pretty trivial, but says that it’s actually the key to “reduce your carbon footprint, sure, but more important, to reduce your sense of dependence and dividedness: to change the cheap-energy mind.”

I can vouch for this: container gardening changed the entire way I look at food, food production and my part in the whole system.  It didn’t happen overnight of course.  Just like my tomato plants, my concept of gardening took a while to flower.  I started out small – just a few herbs, like basil, parsley and cilantro.  I felt like an abject failure for a while because my coriander plants yielded nothing but a few spindly stems and then promptly bolted in about a month.  Why did my plant look nothing like the lavish bunches of cilantro I see at the grocery store?  It was maddening. Undeterred, I went bigger and gave lettuce, onions, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers a go. 

Little by little, my “separateness” from the food I eat became smaller.  I witnessed the entire process – seed to plant to flower to food to table – right there in front of me. Embarrassingly enough, until I actually grew veggies, I didn’t realize how different they actually look compared to the more processed versions available in stores.  I had a vague idea of how peppers come to fruition, but now, I get to check in on the whole process as I leave my apartment each morning for work.  And I still can’t quite believe how much lettuce six small plants can produce.  “I don’t think we have to buy any lettuce until October,” Chris, my significant other, said to me last week, almost giddily.   

 I recently went to a free container gardening workshop put on by a Portland organization called Growing Gardens.  There, I learned how to fertilize the soil, what times of the year are best to plant different veggies, and just how much food one can yield from very small spaces.  During the workshop, the teacher mentioned that a local restaurant called Rocket grows the majority of their veggies on the roof of their space using a range of containers, including kiddie pools.  That absolutely threw me for a loop.  If a container garden system can provide a restaurant with enough food to feed hundreds of stomachs each week, then surely I can feed my two-person household with some dirt, a few planters, and a little bit of know-how.

While I’m not quite at the level where I can forgo trips to the grocery store, I envision a summer when all the veggies I eat come from my backyard.  Container gardening definitely increased my sense of self-sufficiency and, at the same time, my concept of integration with the natural rhythms of life.  None of this is groundbreaking, and it certainly won’t be responsible for saving the world.  I can tell you though that my little corner of the world is different.  There are thousands of container gardens just like mine dotting the city of Portland and millions across the country.  All of those gardeners’ little corners of the world are better for it.  Pollan says, “The Big Problem is nothing more or less than the sum total of countless little everyday choices.”  Like a virus, or just a really good pop song, making better “little everyday choices” can stick with you and spread, transforming “The Big Problem” into a “Large But Not Intimidating Issue That Can Be Fixed.”