Lavender Etc.

The brown-bag workshop we attended (and I helped organize) yesterday was on Folk Medicine in the Latino and Asian cultures. Ya know... I think they're on to something. I learned about disease diagnosis via tongue appearance. (My tongue is red and slightly swollen, meaning--no shock here--I've got too much heat/anger.) I was reminded that Aromatherapy was pioneered by the Aztecs. I know S and I have just about had our fill of Western Medicine. I was at a community clinic a couple of weeks ago and I made that statement to the white male doctor who was there and he agreed with me. He said he's had more success curing Asthma by surgically releasing the 3rd rib down than any other treatment. He pressed on my 3rd rib and demonstrated how tight it felt. My colleague that was with me watched, amused and grinning--but I saw the doctor's point!

So today, my face still twitching, I took a long lunch and went to the Target to invest in some lavender-scented aromatherapy items. Lavender is supposed to be the very thing for stress! I got incense, room spray, hand lotion, and oils. I've recently developed a new stress-induced symptom, a painful neck, and I intend to make S rub my neck tonight with the oil while we light the incense. I've never had neck pain before so this is particularly making me unhappy.

I also got in some good girlfriend-therapy last night, as R. the angel took me out to eat at one of my favorite places! Before we knew it, we'd spent 2 hours at the joint, commiserating. I even got in some music therapy as there was a Dixieland Jazz Band comprised of geezers playing all night long, too! They played some of my favorites, including "I Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans."

I'm off Roy D. Mercer for my humor therapy and am on a Cheech and Chong CD now. All this aromatherapy investigation I've been doing made me think of J. and me in Australia, at a spa in the sort-of-outback, and we had to order from a menu of strange flavors of oils and herbs. We had a good time in our ignorance laughing at the "Ylang ylang" and pronouncing it in our best hillbilly accents, "Why lang, why lang!"

Eventually I might have to get into this acupuncture stuff. I believe S should try it for his back and stomach pains. What I DON'T want to have to do is go to my American Dr. and have him prescribe me a bunch of mood elevators and shit like that! Nope nope nope. Aromatherapy, humor therapy, music therapy, bibliotherapy, and cinematherapy first!

S did get a good deal on Seinfeld Season 8 last week, and so we have been watching that at night before we go to sleep. He also got me a long-stemmed red rose the other night which helps--I'm such a skirt sometimes!