PARADIGM SHIFT
I first got involved in the field of holistic health as a result of my own health issues and also due to my dream of wanting to help create something better for our society. I spent the first 10 years of my professional life as an Environmental Planner, working in Northern California and on the Coast of Oregon, helping bring better land use policy planning policies to the areas I worked. That included adding more bike paths and creating a sustainable land use plan that would preserve more open space, create more parks and add a natural feeling to our cities and towns.
After 10 years, however, I realized I was having only minimal success and that the impact and results I was seeing were not as great as I had hoped for, even though I was working incredibly hard day and night. The political process was so time consuming and stressful, and my efforts were giving few direct results. The stress of work was also creating health problems for me. It was then that I started seeing a homeopath and acupuncturist for myself.
When I entered an acupuncture college in 1979, I did so with the goal and hope of creating better health for all who I touched and everyone I worked with. Even though I now work with people one on one, I still feel that each person who begins this road to natural health and wellness contributes to our goal of a better planet.
I also teach and have become aware, as I’ve taught classes in health awareness over the years, that public health is really where I could make a bigger difference. Public health is the bridge between my former career as an environmental planner and my current career as a holistic doctor.
So it was with great excitement last month that I reached one of my personal goals: to be asked to speak at a multi-national corporation on product development of natural health food items.
This company was taking a serious look at modifying some of their products. Their current food offerings are the ones we grew up with that contain sugar, white flour, artificial chemicals and other artificial additives that are so unhealthy. But now they are trying to learn from me and other doctors of natural medicine what it is we generally recommend to our patients.
This multi-national company had assembled a group of far-sighted participants from all over the world. They wanted to know what diets and products we recommended to our patients, and what we would like to see on store shelves that would help promote health.
In my mind, this important meeting signaled the fact that our culture is beginning to take very real steps on a deeper level to regain its health. I am so excited to be part of this revolution in health consciousness When the changes are beginning to occur even on the level of the multi-national corporation, I would call it — a true paradigm shift.