Ellen F. Franklin, PhD
This morning, we woke to snow in the mountains and the golden light of fall blankets the Earth here at the Mothership. Donna has been diligently at work converting the growing dome from summer to winter plants and we are still enjoying some of the bounty from the outside gardens as well as the last tomatoes, cucumbers, chilies and spinach from the growing dome. We’ve not had a frost yet, but given the temperature drop today, it is likely that we will have one soon. Our classes for the year have wrapped up with a great group of students from around the globe moving toward their Acutonics Certification.
In this month’s Acutonics newsletter we profile Acutonics licensed senior faculty member Joanie Solaini who will be offering Acutonics Level I & II in Poland this month. Carol Cobine who was recently at the Mothership for advanced training is our featured student. Lynn Wedekind, senior licensed faculty provides this month’s astrological overview. Lynn offers classes in Todos Santos, California Baja Sur, Mexico with two amazing opportunities to launch your training with an Acutonics I & II Intensive in a beautiful location – November 11th to 19th, and December 1st to 9th, 2017. Judy Bernard shares quick treatment ideas from her September tweets and Paul and Jude Ponton provide seasonal treatment tips to connect with the abundance of the harvest and ease into Autumn. Additionally, as I framed the conversation for my October 1 blog on environmental trauma and wellbeing I was drawn back to a piece they wrote after the March 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Fukushima, Japan some of which I share below. As you look for opportunities to complete certification, please check out the Acutonics website as many of our licensed senior faculty who offer advanced classes have posted their schedule into 2018. Below you will also find some ideas for working with the vibratory energy of Venus when she rules the sign of Libra which are particularly relevant during times of global strife and environmental devastation.
If you are looking for clinic hours Donna and I will be exhibiting at Pacific Symposium in San Diego, California November 2nd-5th, 2017. This is a great opportunity to gain up to 20 clinic hours. If you are interested please contact sande@acutonics.com.
As natural disasters continue to spread throughout the world there is a sense of heightened ecological consciousness emerging as millions of people experience trauma brought about by extreme weather conditions, fires and earthquakes. At its most basic level emotional trauma is a deeply distressing, painful, frightening or disturbing experience of extreme stress to the body which can overwhelm our ability to cope and have long term effects on our lives. It is often difficult to integrate these experiences which can lead to a deep sense of being overwhelmed, feeling helpless, or simply unable to cope with day-to-day activities. Research demonstrates that despite cultural variations between countries, individuals and communities that acute traumatic stress is the most common response post environmental disaster, and while symptoms subside once conditions of safety and security are reestablished some survivors will continue to experience chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) along with a range of symptoms that might include grief, depression, anxiety, poor sleep and drug or alcohol abuse. Compounding the problem is the fact that despite all the supporting studies that demonstrate the severity of the problems we still have many deniers. Global warming is observable in the rise in sea levels, shrinking glaciers, reduction in Arctic sea ice and a warming climate contributing to the increase in devastating hurricanes and tornados.
In the past few weeks we have continued to see environmental destruction from a series of hurricanes that have brought tremendous destruction to Houston, Florida, the Caribbean Islands, and Puerto Rico. A series of earthquakes in Mexico have left more than 300 dead including many children, and a devastating fire is burning in a canyon near LA with high winds fanning the flames. There have been other Earthquakes and fires and political unrest in the US and around the globe continues to grow. Striking images in the media not only include photos of total devastation, but people in wheelchairs being pulled from hearings while attempting to protest the latest attempt to remove health care from millions of Americans. While North Korea and the US president continue to engage in highly destructive behaviors with potential ramifications for the entire world. We are living at a time of crisis and fear.
As I watch the nightly news it is easy to think the world has gone amok and to lose hope. Yet, I cannot lose sight of our responsibility as health care advocates to take care of ourselves so that we are able to be present for others who are trying to navigate these difficult times. Transforming lives affected by emotional trauma is of course possible – we see it every day in our clinical work, but it can lead to compassion fatigue for those individuals involved in aiding or assisting people exposed to the trauma.
Self-care plays an important role in practitioner well-being. A daily practice of just fifteen minutes can make a profound difference in our ability to stay grounded and present and bring a renewed sense of hope to our lives. Play the gongs, sound the chimes or take just a few minutes to use the tools on yourself. In my doctoral research into self-care with nurses a simple ten-point acupoint protocol with Acutonics tuning forks made a huge impact in the quality of life for the nurses in my study. The results identified demonstrated that after completing the protocol 7 to 15 times over a 4-week period all participants reported reduced anxiety, feeling more relaxed, calmer, increased ability to focus, and breathing easier. Five (71%) identified improved sleep and greater ability to focus, ground, and center. Study participants used words like I experienced a sense of grounded wellbeing and wholeness. One participant wrote: “Once I started using the forks I started sleeping…getting back toward my normal sleep patterns. I mean I was sleeping, I’m sleeping better, I felt better, and I felt refreshed. Another commented: “When I wake up scattered with everything pressing on me, the forks seem to quiet everything, calm things, slow things down, center everything…”
In a response to the devastating Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami in 2011 Paul and Jude Ponton reminded us that all life is a hologram. “The planetary energies activated on the global/ecological level are mirrored in us and can make us unsettled and fearful but can also stir our higher selves to compassion. Bringing ourselves into harmony with these energies can reflect to the macrocosm and help heal both ourselves and our planet.” Some examples of points and tools they propose you work with include:
Ohm/Sedna on KID 3, Great Surge to accelerate energy to the kidneys for support of transformational and healing processes.
Ren 4, Origins pass is a source of grounding and connection to core energy consider using the Ohm Octave for deep grounding and rooting to source.
LIV 14, Gate of Hope can be used to expand vision and aid in the flow into a new cycle.
The root chakra relates to fear and survival – Pluto/Chiron heals fear and helps us to access our power.
Heart Chakra, Ren 17 – relate to compassion and unconditional love for the collective. Ohm/Venus provides a feeling response for those suffering from Earth calamities.
Many people in the Acutonics community understand the power of working from a distance. When we come together in solidarity as a global community from all corners of the globe with the intention to fully engage hearts and minds toward a single common intention for peace, holism, and planetary health we have the power to transform trauma into a renewed sense of wellbeing and hope. Whether you have gongs, chimes, tuning forks or just your mind, heart and spirit in resonance call in the archetypes and planetary beings to align with a vision for planetary healing and peace.
Ellen F. Franklin, PhD
Llano, New Mexico
October 2017