Healthcare: It’s a You-and-Me World

A line started forming just after midnight Tuesday at the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood, California by thousands of people hoping to get free medical, dental and vision services being offered courtesy of the non-profit group Remote Area Medical. The people in line were not just the uninsured, but also the insured whose deductibles and co-payments are too high for them to handle.

Whether we are one of the insured or uninsured, the debate over the American health care bill affects us.

I have been listening to the debate astounded by those who are opposing the possibility of health care for all of our citizens. Those who are opposing the bill seem to think that if we provide services for the uninsured, that we will somehow be taking away from them – or, as a number of the protesters have argued, “taking away their America.”  I find some irony in that argument. Isn’t America a country that built itself on this premise: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teaming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” (Quoted on the Statue of Liberty).

I wonder if this you-or-me mentality is something that we are going to have to contend with for the upcoming decades, or if we can consider a shift in perspective to a you-and-me nation, and ultimately a you-and-me world?

“Just as blood in the body must flow to all parts of the body for health to be maintained, money is useful when it is moving and flowing, contributed and shared, directed and invested in that which is life affirming. When blood slows down and begins to stop or clot, the body becomes sick. When water slows down and becomes stagnant, it becomes toxic. Accumulating and holding large quantities of money can have the same toxic effect on our life.”

– Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money

I mention this quote because it seems to speak to the toxic meltdowns we have seen recently – Bernie Madoff, AIG, Lehman Brothers – and in particular the situation with the health insurance companies.

We’ve heard about those Americans rejected by health insurance companies for having a “pre-existing condition.” I have been one of them. Getting that letter in the mail (twice) stung with a feeling that the insurance company’s choice was never really about the well-being of people, but rather it was about more money in their pockets.

Well now the money has clotted in their bank accounts, and the toxicity has grown to infect our whole country. If things continue to go in the direction they have been, our “health care” system will turn into a “health chaos” system.

Luckily, there are companies like Remote Area Medical who believe in sharing time, talents, and resources to help those in need. “An infected tooth can’t wait while Congress debates healthcare reform. We’re taking care of people who need help now,” says Don Manelli, Executive Producer of the week-long LA event.

I am not saying that doctors, health organizations, or health insurance companies should be offering their services for free. Of course not. What I am looking at is where the money is getting caught up, where it is losing its flow, and what can we do to change this?

As we continue in this health care debate, I wonder if it is possible to shift the very basis of the way we think – from one where we compete and fight for what seem like “scarce” resources, to one where we realize that there actually are enough resources and that we just need to look at how we allocate them so we can help one another.

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Tabby Biddle is a writer and editor specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and emerging authors get their message out. Additionally she is the founder of Lotus Blossom Style, a yoga lifestyle company created to support women in their personal transformation. She lives in Santa Monica, CA.

Nature-Deficit Disorder

Yesterday was Earth Day. My email Inbox was packed with announcements, newsletters and events all in honor of this day. I didn’t attend any particular event, but I did go out for my daily walk in my Santa Monica neighborhood and soaked in the beauty of the flowers, the warm breeze and the revitalizing sunshine. Nature, big or small, has always been an elixir for me.

Last weekend in the New York Times Magazine I read an article that said even a limited dose of nature, such as looking to the outside world from your window is good for your health. It’s reported that hospital patients heal more quickly and prisoners get sick less often. Mama Nature = healthier, happier people. Could be common sense, right?

I have to admit that after seven years of living in New York City I was beginning to feel like one of those prisoners or hospital patients aching for sunlight and earth connection. I sought out every possibility the city had to offer a nature junkie…walks, runs and lazy days in Central Park, biking and blading along the Hudson River, sitting on park benches listening to the birds, stopping in flower shops just to stare at their miracle beauty – but many times, it wasn’t enough. Too much concrete and not enough green.

The alternative to starving my soul of Mother Earth magic was to take the train from Grand Central up to Cold Spring and spend the day in the woods. It was incredible how just one afternoon on a hiking trail could bring back my physical and mental health for weeks at a time. I read recently that a growing body of scientific research suggests children who are given early and ongoing positive exposure to nature thrive in intellectual, spiritual and physical ways that their “shut-in” peers do not. My experience would second that.

So now here we are at a time in our history where our technological advancements have taught us how to exploit our earth’s resources at a rate higher than she can sustain. It is no secret that we are in peril of soon exhausting our natural resources. It should seem obvious, but I think we sometimes forget…our earth is fundamental to our existence. How long can we go on without a real, honest return to a diligent respect of Mother Nature?

The events, activities and enthusiasm from yesterday are encouraging. Take for example Omega Institute’s Center for Sustainable Living. They are working toward being a leader in sustainability education and a model for the Living Building Challenge. Yesterday, volunteers were busy planting 8000 plants to create what Omega called the “Eco-Machine.” This is a constructive wetland that will reclaim and purify the wastewater that is generated at the Institute campus which sees 20,000 people come through its doors annually. “It’s not just about compact fluorescent lightbulbs…,but looking at what are the systems and the ways of engineering that are available to us now so that we can move to a higher level of sustainability, one that is truly balanced with the natural environment,” says Skip Backus, Executive Director at Omega.

Instead of inventing new man-made technology, sounds like it’s time to invent new ways to use our earth’s au natural technology.

Omega and many other individuals and groups did incredible and commendable work across our nation yesterday. In addition to that great value, I think the most potent lesson is a reminder of our interconnectedness. Already we see this everyday through the Internet, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – but now it feels like it’s time to translate this to a wider scale.

I like what the Buddhists say, “There is no environment that is ‘out there’ separate than us; we are the environment.”

I think this statement is key. I wonder if we took on this perspective we would not only heal our split with nature, but heal our split with a number of other things.

Your thoughts?

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Tabby Biddle is a writer and editor specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and emerging authors get their message out. Additionally she is the founder of Lotus Blossom Style, a yoga lifestyle company created to support women in their personal transformation. She lives in Santa Monica, CA.

Seeking Clarity

photo by Lee Schneider

Last week as I went to wash my face before bedtime, I noticed that my right eye was bloodshot. Tired? Maybe. Too much computer time? Probably. But, I looked a little more closely and saw that along with the red, I also had a little white dot on the white part (sclera) of my eye. It looked like a pimple! This is something I had never seen or experienced before. I tried not to freak out, and immediately thought that it must be from the stress I was experiencing lately. A bit disturbed by this hopefully harmless growth in my eye, I decided I would wait until morning to see if there were any changes and if I needed to do anything.

I awoke to find the bloodshot and dot still there. My husband suggested that I call our doctor. In the past I have waited to call a doctor. I usually think that whatever I have will pass and that it’s best to let things run their natural course. Additionally, I would rather avoid the unplanned expenditure.

As I wrestled with what to do, it dawned on me that in my meditations over the past few days, I had been asking for clarity. Clarity with a capital C. I was asking for the ability to see my purpose clearly so that I could take my next steps forward. It occurred to me that with this eye development, my body might be trying to tell me something. But what?

As a yoga teacher and all-around kinesthetic/experiential learner, I have often found that my greatest lessons and insights have come through the wisdom of my body. When I was in my 20s, I had incredible back pain that made it impossible for me to sit for more than 10 minutes at a time. The pain grew so excruciating that I eventually had to leave a desk job (that I actually adored) and many loved ones behind and went on the road to travel. Movement. Ahhhhh…

That single trip completely changed my perspective and outlook on life. It allowed me to move from a fairly small lens where I saw mostly what was right in front of me, to viewing with a much grander perspective where I started to glimpse not only the global, but the interconnectivity of all life. A pretty big shift that my soul must have been calling for because as soon as I stepped foot on the airplane to head out on my journey, my back pain dissipated and I have not experienced anything like it ever since!

So I wonder with my eye condition… Am I being asked to reflect even more deeply than I already am about what I am not seeing? Must I somehow identify my blind spot? Is that possible? One friend thought I may be cleansing out things, metaphorically speaking, that are keeping me from seeing clearly. Like a purification.

Eventually I did go to the doctor and found out that there is a real name (which I can’t spell, pronounce or even remember right now) to what I have and there are special drops for me to take to get rid of it. With a couple days of drops in me, my eye is clearing and I have been breaking through incredible ground in areas that I have been avoiding for months. In some cases, years. While I still may have a little ways to go, my eyes are clearing physically and it feels to me, symbolically.

When you get symptoms of any kind, do you ever wonder if there is anything that may lie beneath the symptoms? Do you ever let them be a door to open you to something bigger?

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Tabby Biddle is a writer and editor specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and emerging authors get their message out. Additionally she is the founder of Lotus Blossom Style, a yoga lifestyle company created to support women in their personal transformation. She lives in Santa Monica, CA.

What Sounds Help You Tune Into Your Best Vibes?

photo by Lee Schneider

Stressed? Yes, most are these days…but what do you do to bring back your sanity?

I tend to choose yoga, quiet time, fresh air, walking, running, and being with friends as my de-stressors, but there is something else that has been showing up on my radar …and that is chanting, singing and the power of SOUND.

Think of how you feel when you hear the sound of a baby crying, compared to the soothing sound of trickling rain, to the sound of a jackhammer, ocean waves, gunshots on the tv news, or the sound of laughter. We all can feel how sound affects our mood, but what is interesting to me is why and how.

I recently learned that sound does not go through a thinking process. Sound actually connects to the emotional component of our brain.  Sound vibrations also reverberate through our bones. Knowing that, it’s more clear how sound can stress and conversely how sound can relieve and heal.

One of my resources for learning about the power of sound is my good friend Cecily Miller who has been using sound techniques for almost 20 years. Cecily is a sound specialist and is the founder and creator of Baby Welcoming, a company that supports pregnant women and their partners as they lovingly welcome their baby into their life. Sounding is one of Cecily’s amazing services. Click here for a sample.

So what if you are not a pregnant woman, but want to try out sounding as a de-stressor and technique to enhance your well-being?

If you live in the Los Angeles area, Cecily offers group classes as well as private sessions that she calls “Tune-Ups.” She says: “When we stress we contract and this activates in the nervous system a flight/flight/freeze reaction. Sound speaks to, infuses and clears cells, bones, tissues, and muscles…Sound will communicate with the real you and tune into your best vibes.” Cecily is a great teacher and I highly recommend working with her.

If you are not in the LA area or aren’t into trying out a class, you can tune into sounds from your own body such as your breath or your heartbeat, you can tune into nature sounds such as ocean waves or the birds outside, or you can tune into the sound of your loved ones.

What sounds help you tune into your best vibes?

Sacred Gift-Giving

As the holidays approach, it is definitely that time of year for gift-giving. This is one of those times that I love and also go crazy over when I can’t find the right gift! I always want to get my loved ones the “perfect” gift, but sometimes I am stumped.

I find it particularly difficult to shop for the gentlemen in my life – like my dad, brothers, and nephews. My fiancé, that’s no problem. He is a yogi, like me. And since I am with him day in and day out, I am attuned to what would be a great gift for him. But what about my family members who live across the country and who I have been giving gifts to for decades. Will I be able to think of something new? Can I use my creativity in any way? What is it that they really want? All these questions spinning around and what I realize is that what’s most important is that the gift is meaningful.

There is a new trend happening all around us as I am sure you are aware called Green Gift Giving. “Have a Green Christmas!” “Go Green Christmas!” “Give Great Green Gifts!” and other green slogans are permeating our tv commercials, magazine ads, newspaper circulars, and store window displays. But what does all of this actually mean? Is giving a green gift better than giving a gift that is not green?

Tommy Rosen, Founder of the EcoGift Festival based in Santa Monica, CA, describes green gifts as those products coming from companies that don’t plunder the earth and have environmental sustainability in mind. He and a team of others created the EcoGift Festival to provide a solution to the environmental waste associated with holiday shopping and provide people with an uplifting experience around holiday gift-giving. You can check out the EcoGift Festival this weekend if you are in the Los Angeles area. It takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am-8pm at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Main Street. Even if you have done all of your shopping, it will be a fun, holiday-spirit celebration! There will be live music (15 bands!), organic food and inspiring speakers. Arianna Huffington, Linda Loudermilk and Gurmukh will be speaking to name a few. I’ll be there (of course!) — vending Lotus Blossom Style (booth 407). They’ll be great prices, great people and great fun!

Through some investigation I am starting to see “green gift-giving” as a code phrase for not only products that produce less waste and reduce impact on Mother Earth, but also for thoughtful gestures and ideas that include and go beyond environmental savvy-ness. I read recently in an article called “Shifting Your Gifting” about a woman who received a wonderfully creative gift. She said that during a particularly difficult time in her life a friend gifted her a calling card, and a “free pass” for several hours of late night uninterrupted listening to her vent about her ex. She said it was the perfect gift because it showed how much her friend really “got” her.

After some thought, I am thinking that our gifts this season don’t necessarily need to be “green” to be super gifts. If they are – FABULOUS!! If they are not, I think the important question to ask is – how will this gift add value to the recipient’s life?

What about you? What is your gift-giving philosophy?

Crossing the Boundary

As many writers know, writing can be painful but also one of the greatest joys!

Recently I was presented with a challenge of someone responding with anger and rage to words that I had written in a blog. The email I received from that individual was laced with what seemed like venomous intention. This took me aback. I read and re-read my blog to see what I had said that would call for such a response and I was stumped. The blog obviously triggered something deep inside of that person that may or may not have had anything to do with me. But what was clear (after sharing the response with several people) was that the response was disproportionate to what I wrote and the words directed to me were totally out of line. This left me with some questions.

I have been writing on and off for years. I have worked as a reporter, an editor, a researcher and a writer. Since my college years I have dreamed of being a writer (a journalist moreso) and telling the stories of the world. This early writing dream eventually expanded into wanting to write my own novel, my own screenplay and my own songs. What held me back over and over from getting serious about this and taking my writing to the next level was the fear of writing from a personal place and others judging me. In other words – I had a fear of being exposed.

So here I am almost two decades later from the initial spark of the writing dream and I was being confronted with what I feared most – using my voice and in return getting a negative response. In one moment I felt on the edge of being set back 20 years. In the next moment, I saw that this was coming to me as a graceful challenge to see how much I was really ready to claim my voice.

As I move forward, I am contemplating these questions…“What do I do about people who respond negatively to what I write?…Do I simply not respond so as not to engage them? Or, as a blogger, is it my place to respond to them? And… is it really okay for someone to speak to me in a disrespectful and rage-filled manner and not address it? What will be my response when someone crosses my boundary?”

What is your response when someone crosses your boundary?

Are We Our Own Healers?

As I sat in the waiting room at the dermatologist’s office today, I thought about how much our attitude affects our health and our healing process.

I was diagnosed with melanoma just over 10 years ago at my very first appointment with the dermatologist. I had made the appointment under the plea of my mother who had been heavily suggesting a check up for the past few years! I was young – in my 20s – and thought I was the queen of health and surely invincible. That particular appointment back in 1997 showed me otherwise.

Upon the diagnosis, I felt scared, confused, angry and guilty. I felt guilty that I had not taken better care of myself, angry that this was happening to me, confused about what my chances for living were and scared that I had NO idea what this all meant for my future. Could it spread in me unknowingly and that would be that? I was a victim.

As suggested by my doctor, I took care of the melanoma through surgery and began on a schedule of regular check-ups. Young and not wanting to believe that I had a condition that was life threatening – I tried to move on with my life. I took a job overseas, lived and traveled abroad for a couple of years and the “regular” check ups at the dermatologist became scarce. I was trying to convince myself that I had moved on completely. Actually I was in denial.

Within a couple of years I moved back to New York and decided it would be a good idea to get a check up. I was quickly awakened from my state of denial when I was diagnosed with a second melanoma. I felt helpless and angry at my body. What was going on in my body that I could not see? How could I feel so good and yet be confronted with something that is life threatening? A bit of the victim mode snuck back.

At this point I had been a victim, been in denial — and now was confronted with the fact that two family friends had died from melanoma in the recent years. I began to see that if I wanted to live I better shift my practices and my ATTITUDE. Instead of playing victim, I decided that I wanted to know more about what was happening “behind the scenes” in the cells of my body and become a player in my own healing.

One major tool I used to find out more was yoga. Yoga helped me become acquainted with my body in a deep and intimate way. I could feel when my kidneys were in fear, when my liver was in anger, and when my heart was closed. I could feel when my mind was relaxed, my hands happy, and my eyes at peace. I studied and explored yoga and yoga therapy and soon added Reiki, acupuncture and massage. I had my chakras read, my aura read and became a big fan of Louise Hay and her book “Heal Your Body.” All of this work helped me understand the connection between illnesses I was having (not only the melanoma) and the emotions and attitude behind the illness.

Today as I waited in the doctor’s office, I felt calm and secure. I felt that after spending years with a victim attitude and years in denial, that this time I was the one determining my diagnosis. I have learned tools that have empowered me to be my own healer. This is not to say that I won’t be going to the doctor on a regular basis for checkups, preventative care and early screening, but it does mean that I have a new attitude about healing. No longer victim, I am a partner with my doctors and I know deep in my heart that I have the power to change any negative result. As my yoga teacher, Saul David Raye, said in class tonight., “Our bodies have a deep intelligence…we have the power to change things…Look at the election!”

What is your attitude about healing?

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Tabby Biddle is a writer and editor specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and emerging authors get their message out. Additionally she is the founder of Lotus Blossom Style, a yoga lifestyle company created to support women in their personal transformation. She lives in Santa Monica, CA.

The Trickle Up Effect

Did you watch the final Presidential debate on Wednesday?

I was stunned by John McCain’s efforts to paint Barack Obama as a big-spending, big-taxing liberal and accuse him of wanting to take away American’s hard-earned money.

Yes Obama would increase taxes for the wealthiest 1% of our country’s population, but this is because of the Bush administration’s fiscally-irresponsible tax breaks for the highest income Americans and who needs to bring up dropping a bundle on a war? Now we see where that has gotten us. The irony of McCain’s accusations is that Obama would cut taxes for 95% of the population and give bigger tax relief than McCain would give to 60% of Americans.

As I listened to the debate, I started to wonder – does it really all come down to taxes for some voters? And if so, what about domestic and social needs such as fixing our national healthcare system and lowering health costs, re-valuing early childhood education, improving our schools, making college more affordable, fighting for pay equity between women and men, eliminating gender discrimination, strengthening domestic violence laws, building clean energy and using renewable resources, and living with hope that we can rebuild our country with strength from the bottom up.

I think Barack described our situation well when he said, “When that dream of opportunity is denied to too many Americans, then ultimately that pain has a way of trickling up.”

Are we stuck in the trickle up effect?

But wait a minute, is this really all about taxes? Why has the conversation run aground in the debate over taxes when it should be sailing in deeper water – meaning what do these candidates really represent to us?

Obama for me and I know many others has been celebrated as a voice of hope and possibility. From what I can tell, McCain supporters see him as a representation of safety, familiarity and paternal security.

Instead of getting narrowed in the debate over taxes, this to me is the real debate – do you want hope or do you want a false sense of security? For some of us, it’s an easy choice.

Can War Really Lead to Peace?

I was recently invited to attend Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Day of Peace event here in Los Angeles in Griffith Park coming up on September 21. This day will commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace that was established in 1981 to highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace around the world. On this day there is actually an official “Global Ceasefire.” After watching the Republican Convention a couple of weeks ago on television and seeing so many military families present, I questioned as I always do — do people really think that war can lead to peace?

Since I was a child I have always questioned the purpose of war and still to this day do not believe that it is helpful and certainly do not believe that it can bring peace. Some people would call me naive and question me about how I would “protect” my country. I didn’t necessarily always have an answer, but did know in my heart and common sense intellect that war would only breed more war and the cycle would continue.

So I was thrilled to hear about the Peace Intention Experiment coming up on September 14. Lynn McTaggart, internationally recognized spokeswoman on the science of spirituality and award-winning author, is working with scientists to test the power of group intention to lower violence in areas experiencing high levels of conflict and war-torn areas around the world. In other words, they are embarking on scientific studies to determine whether “group mind” has the power to increase peace in our physical world.

On this same note, I heard that last Saturday, thousands of people gathered in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to practice yoga in the name of peace. Later, thousands more came to add to the peace celebration and enjoyed the Power to the Peaceful Festival which is put on annually by yogi, musician and peace activist Michael Franti.

Events like these and the International Day of Peace give me great hope that with more and more of us meditating, praying, holding peace gatherings, peace concerts and so forth all over the world we can make progress.

At the same time that I was feeling so thrilled about the peace events, I came across a short article in LA Yoga magazine that made me question war and weaponry once again. The article was about the Hindu Goddess Durga. Durga is known as a warrioress who rides upon a tiger (sometimes a lion), carrying weapons and wearing a compassionate smile. It is said that Durga uses her power to defend the highest truths and that at times of adversity, her strength is called upon to overcome negative influences, destroy evil and restore peace! As you know, I am a big fan of goddesses and I know it is usually best not to translate the stories of the Hindu Goddesses literally, but I couldn’t help question, “do we really need weapons to destroy evil?” I still think ‘no’.

Do you think living in a world without wars is possible?

If so, what are the ways that you think we can achieve this?

If not, why not?

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Tabby Biddle is a writer and editor specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and emerging authors get their message out. Additionally she is the founder of Lotus Blossom Style, a yoga lifestyle company created to support women in their personal transformation. She lives in Santa Monica, CA.