May 10 dawned; a fresh chill spring day in New Hampshire, as I traversed the back roads and bustling commuter highways to catch my flight from Boston’s Logan airport to Charlotte, NC. My bags were packed for 2 weeks on the road, as a I would be co-teaching two cutting edge Lyme and autoimmune workshops, one in North Carolina, the second in Florida. My enthusiasm ran high, looking forward to helping those in need and collaborating with wonderful physician teachers.
May is national Lyme disease awareness month, but my teaching work can honestly run full year around the clock, (if I allowed it) as the plight of this pandemic infectious illness is picking up speed, with the now dire rates of annual infection (well over 300,000 in USA and 800,000 recorded in Germany anually). Millions of people sadly are misdiagnosed with autoimmune illnesses or vague conditions, with a 40 year old out dated first line ELISA test being relied upon by the CDC and the average physician. My work, as you sense, is endless. We need more accurate testing immediately and critical care training should be mandatory for all health care physicians ASAP! But, this blog is about my experience as a teacher and individual person in process of life’s constant journey towards enlightenment.
Landing in rapidly growing Charlotte, a 2 hour car ride took me to my final destination- The Art of Living Retreat Center, a Hindu community of yogis, nestled high in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Initially built on feng shui earth alignment by the great master Guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , as one of his 5 prime Transcendental Meditation Centers of the world 40 some years ago. When Mararishi passed away, some time later, this breathtaking ashram was purchased by the internationally revered Art of Living – an evolved body-mind-spirit network of prominent thought pioneers with centers in 170 countries of the world! I was deeply honored when Bob McCandish, program director at the Boone, NC facility called me last fall to come teach to the South on Lyme disease.
Fast forward now to May 10, 2017, as I step out of the mini-van to a sweeping view of the indigo hued valley and the late Marareshi’s enormous Hindu temple sitting behind me, its golden turrets and broad marble steps facing East, as appropriate, to greet the rising sun. A conglomerate of townhouses, dorms, teaching and yoga rooms, a very lovely Aruveydic Health center, a labryinth and a drop dead gorgeous dining hall, are all positioned to ancient Hindu feng shui alignment on the 3000 acres. The temple can hold 3700 for meditations and is 100% full when the now presiding revered Guru master Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is in residence. Immediately, I sensed I was on holy ground.
My welcoming and settling into a comfortable room with a view, was flawless as Venkat and Heather treated me with such grace. My co-teacher, whom I had personally asked to share this venue and her vast wisdoms and experience with these conditions, Dr. Jodie Dashore and I convened for dinner, both of us delighted to be together, while the settling evening light back lit the valley with a luminous quality we honestly carried within our own selves and workshop for the 5 days to come.
Both Jodie and I took in some time together of the spectral deck and looked at one another, a knowing shared smile, that Yes, the Universe had orchestrated us both to be here together, bringing healing and hope to a world in physical and spiritual crisis. Deeply synergystic, Jodie and I took a welcome photo, anointing our shared project of an educational healing series to unfurl in the years ahead. Without a second thought, we both felt the enormous, yet simoultaneous serene energy of this center and the surrounding natural elements. An hour later we learned Mararishi had purposely selected this location, as a giant vein of quartz crystal rock lies under the topsoil. All sacred sites of the world, are built on such veins and other ley lines.
The 4 days to come would register within us and our treasured group of participants as deeply personal, healing and truly life altering. Dr. Dashore, is an internationally awarded neurologist and Lyme literate practitioner, with a profound gift for the autism spectrum. She is a genius, a deeply loving being and a soul sister of truest proportions. Together our tandem of holistic sensiblilities and thousands of client hours made for a beautifully harmonious week of teaching. I can honestly say, that witnessing the personal transformation and spontaneous healings so many of our participants were experiencing touched me, as well as made me aware of how truly in need our nation is for true Spiritual Healers.
Jodie and I are both trained as Spiritual Healers, and come from a strong lineage of personal work ourselves on this level, as we are both survivors of advanced neurological Lyme disease, whom had to dig deep and reach wide to embrace the type of healing modalities that this treacherous, multi-systemic illness asks for.
The Art of Living Retreat Center was the perfect environment to allow us to create an intimate and safe setting with our participants so that they could do the inner work needed, in order to unlock their trapped personal healing powers and utilize them for recovery. Tapping into the mind-body-spirit pathway is a process I am honored to teach others, for this parcel of innate intelligence is what helped me make that home run hit for full recovery, in my 10 year Lyme disease journey.
Dr. Dashore and I were also delighted to welcome Dane Boggs and his wife Aimee, for a fabulous evening of Rife technology information and demonstration. What gifts they both are, and Dane’s personal story of 100% recovery from chronic Lyme with rife is inspiring.
We also welcomed motivational speaker and Clinical Nutritionist, Dane Johnson, with his key insights into the importance of nutritional work with all autoimmune diseases. His personal recovery from decimating cron’s disease is another eye-opening revelation into the misunderstandings traditional medicine bears on this illness and how heavy pharmaceuticals and chemotherapy actually damage more than help.
Our weather varied from wide, beaming sunshine atop the mountain ridge, to deep grey misty clouds laying at our feet below in the valley, as a storm blew in from the west. The deeper we dove from lectures and the fun of Bollywood dancing in the sunlight, to digging out of our past wounds and betrayals in metaphysics and family constellation therapy, we found the weather echoed our process here at AOL. And, synchronicity would ring even louder as Jodie and I were formerly introduced to the lovely yogi community at evening kirtan, with revered Krishna Ji
presiding. I felt our auras glowing 🙂
The cleansings, the joy, the new energy radiating in our attendees faces and hearts, were potent examples of just what 5 days with 2 veteran practitioners and enlightened healers can induce. Spiritually blessed organic vegetarian menus prepared by the famed executive chef Roberto Mendoza and his team, and the therapeutic aruveydic spa on premise added more nourishment to our time in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I am truly honored to share my experience and skills with dear Dr. Jodie Dashore and all of you whom come to work with us in our workshops. My path as a healer was ignited as a small child, and has expanded and been empowered with each year and each personal challenge and evolution. To touch the lives of all of you with my words and healing presence means so much to me- it is my life purpose. Thank you for caring and sharing your time and essence with me and us.
Please join Dr. Dashore and myself at our next tandem event, October 13- 15, 2017 at the Rowe Center, Rowe, MA. Tucked up in the Berkshire mountains (another highland retreat setting), we aim to awaken your ability to heal and restore, as well as educate you on the mechanics of Lyme disease that traditional doctors do not understand at all.
http://rowecenter.org/wp/events/tick-action-getting-serious-recovery-lyme-disease/
Thank you friends far and wide, for your support and understanding that Jodie and I are collaborating in order to bring you a deeper and purer approach to recovery from Lyme disease, autoimmune illnesses, autism spectrum and emotional disharmony.
We send you our love and light,
Katina Makris and Dr. Jodie Dashore
Katina I. Makris 