Everyday Reiki Class for Special Needs Parents & Advocates

I thought I would post an upcoming event I am facilitating. My 'soul' purpose for this class is to empower other parents and advocate with a simple, yet profound tool we have been using daily with our children for the past few years. If you are in central Ohio I hope you can join us.

THIS PRACTICAL CLASS WILL EMPOWER PARENTS & ADVOCATES OF SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN TO USE HANDS-ON REIKI FOR EVERYDAY CHALLENGES.

Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that can be performed in a variety of ways promoting ease and relaxation for the participants.

Be prepared to learn what Reiki (energy) is, how to use it and how its application can assist in the daily challenges of the special needs family & classroom.

Other material covered will include how autism and other disorders are related to the CHAKRA SYSTEM and how MEDITATION & the POWER OF INTENTION can dramatically effect our children.

Dress in comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat or towel to lay on during the hands-on exercises. Refreshments will be available.

WHY I OFFER THIS CLASS:

They say pictures speak a thousand words.... The left pic is my daughter when she was in an autistic state of catatonia (Note the distance in her eyes). The right pic is 4 months later after consistent Reiki/Energy Work.

http://www.facebook.com/ph

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40.540810.329192760439

DISCLAIMER:

Reiki doesn't cure Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD, ADHD, ODD, PDD-NOS or any other emotional/physical conditions, however by alleviating some of the major energetic stressors in these very sensitive children, overall calming effects can take place without interfering with conventional treatments. In fact, we have found some of the more traditional therapies to be more effective in conjunction with Reiki.

COST:

Cash or a secure payment via paypal... please reference the email: LadySusan@sbcglobal.net

$100

IF you have a medical card or receive county funding, let me know... although I do not accept those funding sources (yet) I will offer you a discounted rate.

ABOUT ME:

Susan E. Richardson, BS ~ Art Therapy, MRC ~ Counseling, Reiki Master

I have a unique background in counseling, holistic wellness and a variety of energy healing modalities. I have been compassionately leading experiential groups and classes for 13 years. I use Reiki daily with my family and have seen miraculous changes in my daughter on that is on the autistic spectrum with consistent Reiki. My goal is to share this information with others so that they may experience similar results.

National School Lunch Week Is A Farce

IF "Healthy school meals contribute to academic achievement and more productive days in the classroom", then why does the same organization making this statement offer processed, over priced non-nutritional garbage to our youth for lunch?

It is national school lunch week, and I am disgusted with the contents of our lunch selections. This week alone the menu consists of:

Monday:

Cheese Nachos or Hot Dog

Seasoned Corn

Assorted Fruit (not fresh)

Milk

Tuesday:

Johnny Marzetti or Texas grilled cheese

Tomato Soup

Assorted Fruit

Milk

Wednesday:

Pancakes w Sausage or Asian Vegtables w Rice

Hashbrown Patty

Assorted Fruit

Milk

Thursday:

Chicken cheese burrito or Cheesy Bread

Seasoned Green Beans

Assorted Friut

Milk

So, I am not a nutritionist and I do have so much more to learn about this topic. However, It doesn't take a dietitian to see that these lunches are full of complex carbohydrates. Certainly, most of this menu is tainted with high fructose corn syrup, pesticides, preservatives and artificial ingredients. Where is the real food? The fresh fruit and vegetables? A good source of protein?

Is it no wonder our children are struggling academically and socially? Yet alone, they are faced with childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes at higher rates than ever before. As they face a depletion of essential nutrients their minds, bodies, and emotions are suffering. I once read an article that said it would cost the parents $4 per lunch to provide a lunch like I am advocating...

There is no way a parent is going to shuffle out $20 per kid per week for lunch, right? Maybe or maybe not... I can't answer that.

But, I am not so sure that a healthy lunch would cost that much. I am not sure where they get there numbers... I spend probably half of that amount on fresh foods for lunches per child per week. (which is still less than the amount I'd be spending if I were to purchase their lunches from the current school cafeteria menu.) Knowing that the companies providing lunches would purchase in bulk, I don't know how they come up with these numbers.

Co-Sleeping Offers The Building Block For Trust and Open Communication

As some of you know, I am an advocate of the family bed. We happened upon this the evening of the day we brought Emily home from the hospital. I couldn’t tolerate that my tiny new baby lay in that cage of crib all alone after spending the first part of her existence within me; my maternal instincts screamed at me to pull her into the bed with us. As soon as I heeded this urge, I felt my anxiety melt away and fell into an innate rhythm of nursing and sleeping through the night.

In The Mother Consciousness I discuss how this prompted me to research the practice of the family bed around the world. I discovered that we were one of the few countries to displace their infants and children from the vicinity of the sleeping quarters of the mother; most infants of the world sleep within the close proximity of the mother in order to beckon the needs of her off spring. So, with my innate yearnings and the realization that this was only taboo in my backyard we ventured into the realm of co-sleeping.

Today, we live in a world where children are disconnected from their mothers & fathers for the majority of their day. Working parents send their younglings to daycare and nursery schools leaving them with a couple waking hours to spend together. If older children are not in school they are off with their friends or absorbed by all of the technology the 21st century offers them. My conclusion is that if you spend time sleeping together at least you have the opportunity to energetically connect.

Recently, I observed some teens that have both parents working out of the home. Now, I am not against the working mother. I was a working mother for the first 6 years of my motherhood, but I am against the parent that takes mothering lightly resulting in unsupervised children or children left with no moral development. A few of the things I saw these kids doing alarmed me... like lighting bottle rockets at their neighbor’s home and lying in the street during rush hour.

That evening during one of our twilight conversations my daughter and I discussed the behaviors we had observed. We talk about the safety issues, the lack of self control and even the boy girl dynamics we witnessed. We were able to have this discussion in the quiet of the night without contempt or the lecturing that typically follows such incidents; at an angle of respect, unconditional love, and self-empowerment.

This is just one of the many times that I understood that the family bed offered a sanctuary to my budding tween. Somehow over the years she has been able to disclose feelings and experiences in this setting that she hasn’t been able to process during the height of the day. It had become a safe haven where all judgment lay behind and it is understood that no matter what she discusses with me regardless of the topic is met with openness.

Could co-sleeping have prevented such deviant behavior in those teens? In and of itself…probably not, but it could have set the stage to reduce the need for attention seeking behaviors that could harm oneself or others. When an infant cries it is cueing the mother to respond, when the infant's needs are responded to appropriately and in a timely manner, the child learns that they can trust the primary caregiver which generalizes to all adults.

When children are displaced and forced to sleep in a separate room and cries are not satiated, they are being hardwired that they cannot trust the adults around them. I believe that when this occurs they learn early on that they have to have dramatic tantrums (lying in the street) in order to get the attention they deserve. In this case, negative attention is better than no attention at all.

I understand the need for independence and self empowerment, but I believe this can be achieved through other means than displacing our children from the close proximity of the mother during the sleeping hours. I also understand the concern of the marital bed, but let me reassure you that in no way has this inhibited our relations. In fact, this has created the opportunity to become creative and spontaneous in our connections. More so, the flirting and quiet sexual innuendos between my husband and myself during our daily activities has created a greater sense of romance; something I see missing from many couples that are far beyond the honeymoon phase of their marriages.

All in all, I have no regrets for the decision we had made in regards to our sleeping arrangements. In fact, I believe that one of the reasons that our youngest daughter (whom is diagnosed with autism) easily displays affection to us and people outside the family construct is because of the foundations laid by attachment parenting practices; co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding. I believe that each of my children have gained positive attributes that have been fostered through these practices.

Last night, however, after creating the perfect sleeping space, Emily decided on her own accord to sleep in her new room. It was a long night for us all… we could hear her toss and turn among her surrogate mothers (stuffed animals) trying to find that perfect nesting space. Then her little sister tossed and turned with the absence of her big sister.

This, too, is a task that I am sure we will all adjust to. And in the mean time, I will have to make a conscious effort to continue to connect with my daughter and offer opportunities for open communication based on trust and respect.

Artificial Dyes in Our Foods, Medications & Cosmetics...

I went to the grocery to purchase hot dogs for our first seasonal cookout… I was shocked when I read the label of a popular brand of dogs that read “Red #40”.

I put them down and went to the pasta aisle. My daughter had been begging me for some real Mac-n-cheese. (Now mind you, her definition and my definition of real differ quite a bit.) I thought this popular side dish would be an okay rare treat to go with the rare dogs, but…

Upon reading the label of the Mac-n-cheese I, also, found yellow dye #5 and #6, as well as monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the box. Having removed all foods containing artificial dyes some time ago from our diets, I just couldn’t do it. So, I left, knowing she was going to be heart-broken… no dogs or Mac-n-cheese!

I suppose that was a small price to pay for her health—Let me explain…

Our foods are laced with millions (yes, millions) of pounds of artificial coal-tar and petroleum based dyes (Red #3, Blue #1, Blue #2, Green #3, Yellow #5, Yellow #6, and Red #40).

Americans consume more than 17.8 million pounds of dyes through food, medication, and cosmetics each year. Your child is expected to consume between 1-3 pounds by the time he/she reaches the age of 13! I am perplexed that the average person doesn’t question some of the food practices we have in this country.

While some dyes are used to make the product look more appealing to the target consumer (blue and pink yogurt) others are used to cover up the beginning stage of spoilage of products such as meat. And yet, other dyes are being used as a procedure to make under-ripe foods look ready to eat as in apples and strawberries. We also have dyes in our pet food, pill coatings, cosmetics, shampoos, ice creams, and popsicles—really the list is endless.

According to Dr. Feingold dyes are toxins to the human body:

Red #3 – Linked to thyroid tumors and chromosomal damage – FDA tried and failed to ban it.

Red #40 – Linked to Lymphomas (lymph tumors) - Banned in European Economic Community (EEC)

Blue # 1 – Linked to chromosomal damage – Banned in France and Finland

Blue # 2 – Linked to Brain tumors – Banned in EEC

Green #3 Linked to Bladder tumors – Banned in EEC

Yellow #5 – Linked to allergies, thyroid tumors, lymphocytic lymphomas, chromosomal damage – Banned in Norway

Yellow # 6 – Linked to allergies, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage – Banned in Norway and Sweden

Isn’t this an awful large risk to take to change the natural color of the foods we eat?

Other findings I came across linked the use of artificial dyes to Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Is it not logical to look at what we are fueling our children with as a possible link to some of the violence, behavior, and developmental issues that are running ramped in today’s industrialized world? I urge everyone to read every label of food that crosses your lips, of products that touch your skin, and more.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest asked the FDA to ban the most common artificial dyes or at least put a warning label on the food packaging: "Warning: The artificial coloring in this food causes hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children." Yet, the FDA maintains these additives are generally safe.

I cannot tell you what will or will not happen if your child (or you) consumes the globs of artificial dyes in our products, but I can say educate yourself! And If you are concerned with the use of petroleum and coal-tar additives in your foods, meds, and cosmetics here is a few suggestions on how to protect yourself:

1. Write your congressperson and senator and ask them to become more proactive in the government regulation of food safety.

2. Keep a food journal to see what reactions or behaviors your child exhibits after consuming foods laced with these ingredients (with any ingredients, really). Eliminate the foods of suspicion and see if behaviors change.

3. Avoid all foods containing artificial dyes and colors or U.S. Certified Colors.

4. Eat organic certified fruits and vegetables or shop at a local coop/farm.

5. Avoid cosmetics and toiletries containing these ingredients.

What Difference Will You Make?

When I woke up this morning it was cold, wet, and dreary. I felt a surge of sadness envelop me; a solemn morning for our nation’s collective memory.

Do you remember where you were when you heard that two young boys were on a killing spree at their high school in Columbine, Colorado?

I do.

I bet that when you read the word ‘Columbine’ it triggered all of those memories of April 20, 1999. Somehow we have embedded memories like this into our unconsciousness complete with sounds, smells, and sights; ready to replay on cue.

I was 7 months pregnant with my first baby. I was young and full of hope about entering a new chapter of my life… BUT, I remember thinking, “Oh what have we done bringing another child into this violent, disconnected world?!?!”

For one day my life paused.

I remember grieving for the loss of those 12 victims and their teacher, but I also grieved for Dylan and Eric, for their families, for our nation. It was this first mass school killing and the nation watched paralyzed in disbelief.

We wondered why.
We cried out how.
We craved answers!

I really doubt that we will ever be able to obtain those answers. Of course, people will try—recently 3 books were released based on 3 separate theories about what happened that day. Certainly, these authors can only speculate something I am not even going to attempt.

To me, it doesn’t matter what snapped within those young boys, it doesn’t matter who was leading who, it doesn’t matter if there were clicks, bad parenting, missed clues, bombs… none of this seems relevant in this day of solemn remembrance.

The questions should be personal not distant. What have you learned?

Violence is prevalent among our youth, there does not seem to be a sense of remorse, human life seems less revered. .. What can you do?

How will this motivate you into being a better parent, sibling, teacher, counselor, community leader, president?

What can you do today, in this moment, with your child, niece, nephew, neighbor, student?

What role can you take in your community, in your schools, at your churches?

It is time for us to turn the page and face a new chapter in our lives. What difference will you make?

Tweety Breaks Through Austim's Glass Wall

I have vivid 30 year old memories of Saturday morning cartoons. Mom would wake us up; still in our pajamas we would race to the front room to the “DA DA DA DA DA DA” of Looney Toons. We weren’t inundated with cartoons 24/7 like our children; this was a two hour excursion after a long week of work and play.

We only had one opportunity a year to see Mickey and Minnie. After our last class of catechism before summer break, we would gather with our classmates in the church basement to watch this yearly flick. I remember the chips and hotdogs; somehow those dogs were the best. I am sure Father Ott prepared them no differently than mom, but I can still smell them in their doughy bun as if it were yesterday.

These fond memories have been embedded in the recess of my mind.... so, when my daughter’s friend gave her a DVD of Looney Toons, I became excited. Finally, appropriate viewing for our kids who have access to cartoons day and night. It was kinda surreal to prepare my own kids to get a glimpse of my past. We popped some popcorn, climbed in our sleeping bags, and the familiar “DA DA DA DA DA DA” began.


But I was surprised! This experience was so different through my mom eyes. I was astonished at the violence and the message of immortality. I found myself interjecting, “Now girls, you know that would really hurt you if you did that.” – Or – “Hmmm, do you think a cat could really come back to life after having dynamite blow up in his belly?”

SHHHHH! (So much for processing.)

I tried to convince myself I was making it a bigger deal than what it was until last night... My youngest daughter was quietly playing in the kitchen while I was on the computer, or least I thought. Suddenly I felt a big “WHAP” on my head; I spun around to see her laughing as she raised the broom back up preparing to whack me again. Then she said, “Bad ol’ putty tat.”

As I stood up in shock, she missed my head but the broom handle came down and smacked my toe, “OUCH... that hurt mama!” I sat back down not knowing if I should laugh or cry. She climbed up into my lap with her head hanging low.

She looked me square in the eye and said, “I sorry!”

Wow... this was the first time I had heard her say something so enduring and heartfelt with such eye contact. I looked deep into her eyes and saw her intense concentration on the words she was articulating. And, again, she said, “I sorry!”

I knew instantly that she truly meant those words; they were not just rote words that she had imprinted in her memory, they had meaning and feeling behind them. I felt my eyes swell up. This was a huge milestone, an instant I will imprint in my memory forever nestled between hotdogs and Sylvester.

Looney Toons was able to inspire a fond memory after 30 years had past. Only this time instead of it being Saturday morning curled up with my sister, it was the catalyst that broke my daughter through her glass wall to meet me in a moment. It ended as quickly as it came, but imprinted in my heart forever

Co-Sleeping Promotes Security and Self Confidence

In the United States, prior to the 19th century, it was customary for an infant/child to sleep within close proximity to it's mother. However, it may surprise you that more cultures than not continue to participate in the parental act of co-sleeping with their young.

The mother co-sleeping is better able to attend to the child's needs when the child is placed in close proximity to her. This act tends to promote security and a sense of well-being within the child. Cultures that nurture their children 24 hours a day tend to produce more secure, balanced, and productive adults.

On the contrary, when a child is left isolated in a private room to cry itself to sleep, cortisol levels are raised creating a stressed immune response and higher blood pressure & insulin levels. A study was performed on baby monkeys that concluded that when a child is left in this manner, that even when it is able to self soothe it continues to have high cortisol levels.

So, our child is quite and we are all sleeping, but internally the child is experiencing biological stress levels even though it is not demonstrating an outward stress reaction. In the monkey study the monkeys cortisol remained high even after 80 episodes of being left alone. Could this contribute to some of the disorders and illnesses our children are experiencing now more than ever? (ADHD, autism, juvenile diabetes, violence, mental challenges?)

I don't know the answer to that... But I do know that when a child is soothed and it's innate cues (cries) are understood and responded to appropriately, the child will learn to trust and rely upon the mother and develop a greater self confidence. This trust and effective communication skill will transcend not only through infancy but through childhood and into the teenage years and adulthood.

P.S. Why is my Child Agitated?

From an early age my oldest child seemed to have mood swings. We would nervously chuckle over our concern that she was like a mini Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde. She would be sweet as pie, then without warning she would be bouncing off of the walls. My husband and I were baffled as the agitation increased. Where could she be learning this behavior?

We found that we were asking the wrong question; it was not where she was learning the behavior as so much as what was causing the behavior. About 2 years ago we decided to look at food sensitivities as a source of this agitation. Food sensitivity is not an allergic reaction, but intolerance to a food substance.

We immediately thought of food dyes and sugar, but surprisingly their elimination did not affect this behavior. Someone suggested removing potassium sorbate from her diet. Belonging to the University of Google, I started there, and found little information supporting my friends theory.

At my ends wit, I decided I had nothing to lose by removing this preservative from her diet. Nothing that is, but the hardship of reading every label of food that crossed her lips. As we began eliminating it we realized she seemed calmer. Or was that wishful thinking?

After the first month we realized she had a complete personality make over. No longer crawling in her own skin, but peaceful. We decided to test the waters and let her have something containing Potassium Sorbate, and to our shock we realized this was indeed real!

We have since completely eliminated potassium sorbate from our diets. On rare occasions she will come home from school in “a mood”. All I have to do is ask, “Did you eat something mommy didn’t pack in your lunch?” and inevitably she will say, “yeah, so-n-so brought in pizza/cupcakes/yogurt”. And I know to have more patience with her that evening as her body works through the intolerance she is experiencing.

If your child has ADHD, autism, aggression or is prone to mood swings, try eliminating potassium sorbate to see if it makes the same difference for you. (Don’t forget that it could be effecting mom and dad, too.)