As a college educated woman, still en her early 30s, a modern person by most accounts, I trusted the western medical establishment with my mental health problems. As you probably read in my book, my doctor told me “I am going to give you a very good medicine.” Unfortunately, while the honeymoon with Paxil was very sweet, it was short lived. Even worse, the separation proved to be painful, ravaging and very scary.
I was lucky to find the amino acid therapy which didn’t stop the paxil withdrawal, but gave me enough confidence and hope that it could eventually kick in and help me feel better. When the amino acid therapy proved not to be the answer to paxil withdrawal, my next life line was www.paxilprogress.org. The people in this support group not only gave comforting words, they knew very well what they were talking about: paxil withdrawal is hardly treatable. The only treatment is time as the brain heals and the body learns to once again live without paxil.
Natural medication was pumping in my system already in the form of powerful amino acids as well as all sorts of things I found at paxilprogress such as valerian root for anxiety and sleep, magnesium supplementation etc. On the other hand, I was afraid of acupuncture since some of the paxiprogress people had reported adverse reactions to it. Still, I was very sick and in desperation, I once again looked online for help. I found the word “healing” in one other very different route: energy healing.
I had been away from my religion for a while. I am catholic but hardly attend church or practiced in any way other than daily praying and faithful following to Virgen of Guadalupe. I was not against my church, just not practicing at the time. I believe in God and hold the opinion that all religions lead to the same conclusion: be good, be calm, be kind, work hard, and everything will be fine. So, when I found the words “energy healing” in a Buddhist’s temple website next to the word “free” and an address only a couple miles from my home, I looked up the schedule and drove myself to the place that same night.
I had read a little about energy healing and in previous years I even checked out some books from the library on healing energy. I got very interested in Prantic Healing from the book “Your Hands Can Heal You” since the author, Master Stephen Co had a whimsical approach to his teaching. It was not religious teachings but it still emphasized kindness to the world and help from the divine. I didn’t read much of the book but I immediately liked his approach to healing being a mix of chakra healing, laying of the hands and meditation for the good of the world as a means of helping ourselves and others to heal. I also was attracted by the fact that his school was located on Chino Hills, California, 10 miles away from my home to the east, a convenient location given Los Angeles’ distances and traffic. Most meditation, yoga, healing, etc., places in Los Angeles area are located in West Los Angeles County in vicinities such as Santa Monica, Venice, North Hollywood etc. Given the Los Angeles traffic, the locations are simply prohibitive for most of the East Angelenos like me. At the time, I thought of registering for some classes at Master Stephen Co’s school, but I simply got lazy and didn’t do it.
Now, I needed a lot of help. I was suffering so I was willing to try anything. I presented myself at the Dari Rulai Temple in La Puente California on an October evening at 7:00 pm at which time free energy healings where given. I found the place located in a heavily industrial area, tucked away in a small street on an unattractive row shopping/industrial center. I was ready to leave since it was dark and saw no movement nor traffic going in/out the shopping center nor even the street. But I saw light inside the corner space and some movement. So… I entered. I young man opened the door and presented himself as the assistant abbot. I told him why I was there and he told me they were about to start. At this point I followed instructions to remove my shoes and entered the actual temple from the entrance hallway and saw… nobody. Behind me, the abbot welcome me while his assistant gave me 5-6 pages on healing and one where I would sign that they were not medical doctors nor substitutes for one. When they were ready, they asked me what the problem was. I simply said “withdrawal from prescription medication.” I am sure they thought I was a junkie but they made no further comment. They sat me on a chair, asked me to close my eyes and relax… for 30 minutes. I was in the midst of the worst anxiety I had had in years, the flu like symptoms where really bad, but somehow I managed to sit quietly and not open my eyes for the duration.
What did it feel like? Nothing really, I could hear the sounds of both men moving around me as well as the tape being played where a man shouted Chinese words against a background of chirping birds. The smell of incense was strong and the beating of bead one against other kept popping in my ears. Inside me, I prayed my childhood’s prayers in support of what the abbots were doing. I started feeling really heavy and at the end, just grateful for the time the abbots have given me. I left promising to come back and report on my condition. On my way home, a cold wind started swirling in my belly going up my chest and downing my arms. I thought it was just a chill from the anxiety… but later when the same exact chill came back after each healing, I learned to recognize it as the energy moved inside my body by the efforts of the healer.
I went back to the temple another couple of times; I purchased a meditation CD as a way to supply some funds to their efforts. “This is ancient meditaion, no new age stuff” the abbot told me, preparing me for the challenge I had ahead. It was not going to be fun, it was going to be work. I have done de CD about 3-4 times and it is intriguing since it claims to increase calcium inside the body without any supplements. The abbot told me women need calcium in order to support healing, so I chose the Calcium Enrighment CD and gave it a try. On Sunday healings I actually saw more people going to the temple and I even sat through one of their other Buddhists ceremonies. I was comfortable with the abbots and the people. I met a Mexican lady who was dressed in the traditional Buddhists robes and we talked for a while. I saw entire families coming in… but never more than about 20 people at the time. The temple itself is small and can accommodate about 30-40 people only. But the striking thing is the fact that the healings are free. All other healers I had contacted would charge from $50-200 per hour of work. One offered a ½ hour session of distant healing for free. I went to my bed and lie down meditating on healing at the hour we had agreed. I thanked him but since I am in no position to pay for further work, our communications stopped there. I only remember how really sick I was that evening and how I was not able to be very calm at all. But I quietly thanked this man’s efforts as well.
The Buddhist abbots took the time to talk to me about what they do, how to approach the altar, how to make a contribution to the temple etc. At this point I hadn’t told anybody about my healings simply because they are too “weird” for my very earthly husband, father, siblings… but not so much my mother. Still I wanted to try the experience and report later if necessary. I knew that if my husband found out that I was spending time with two men in some dark La Puente street by myself… he would find it highly questionable. Not that my husband would be jealous per se, he would just deem the whole thing really unsafe and maybe even crazy.
Eventually I did tell my mother. Her family have a few members who practiced spells and other works of magic. Hence, she is more open to energy, chakra, spiritual and magic talk. She smiled and told me in no uncertain terms that my next healing would take place at our own catholic church. The same priest who tied the knot between my husband and me was organizing healing masses and laying of the hands for people. No problem I said. What I found on my own church was a similar experience as with the Buddhist monks… with a twist.
Stay tuned for Catholic Laying of the Hands healing on my next posting.
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