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 Health & Beauty | February 2008 
Natural Medicine Fair in Puerto Vallarta
 JOY! - PVNN
| | The Encuentro Internacional Vallartense de Medicina Natural, Traditional, Alternativa, being held at Lazaro Cardenas Plaza through February 17th, is the first International natural medicine event ever staged in Puerto Vallarta. | | |
I started this out trying to explain the orbs away as dust on the lens, but dust doesn't move around and show up as detailed mandalas when you zoom in. The orbs seem to interact with the dancers and each one is as unique as a snowflake.
The Encuentro Internacional Vallartense de Medicina Natural, Traditional, Alternativa is the first International natural medicine event ever staged in Puerto Vallarta.
It began on Friday, February 1st at 6:30 am, when Pre Hispanic fire dancers started their ceremony to summon a circle of light into the center of Lazaro Cardenas Plaza, engaging an ancient battle with forces of darkness who want to keep the light to themselves.
Around the circle of light, a sacred fire was lit and fed pieces of oak and cedar. The dancers circled the fire, beyond them, invisible to most human eyes (but miraculously captured by the camera!), the Ancestors held space in the form of Orbs of light. Beyond that, a circle of women, then everyone else, including members of the public, drawn to the drumming and conch shells, formed their own circle.
The ceremony ends when the sun rises, filling the sky with light. The dancers have won again; the light belongs to all the people, not just a few.
Every day, until the fair ends on February 17th, you can witness the dancers wage their ritual battle at sunrise and sunset in Zona Romantica. Grandfather Fire will be watched over and kept alight by a rotation of no less than 15 shaman from North and South America, including Huichol, Aztec, Mayan, Apache and Hopi.
Across the road at the school 63 workshops will be held over the weekends of the fair, on subjects ranging from Feng Shui and massage to herbs and bio energetics. Programs (in Spanish) are available at the fair.
A Temazcal, (traditional Mexican sweat lodge,) operates at 8 am and 8 pm every day until the 17th. Thanks to Hector Lugo, organizer of this event, I have been given the unique privilege of being allowed to film what happens inside the Temazcal. I'll be going in on Wednesday for the new moon solar eclipse, and will let you know what happens in there.
I've recently started sharing my emPOWERment Tools to help you live a more JOYful life through a video series here on BanderasNews, and will be offering my view of the fair through that medium as well.
As a whole health practitioner, I am beyond thrilled to have the chance to interact with so many different kinds of traditional therapies and therapists, and to see so many natural alternatives being presented to the public.
This is a fabulous opportunity to observe native culture, and to see and have experiences you will not get anywhere else in the world! I feel like I'm in a National Geographic film as I wander round this fair.
Martin and Esther are from the Purhepecha Tribe in Michoacán. According to Martin, this unique traditional Purhepecha massage begins with healing the soul and moves out to the body. They are both Shaman and have been practicing this ancient healing art for years. The sticks Esther uses are sacred, and do more than just bear her weight; she feels through them where the pain is on the person and often uses the sticks to help clear the blockages that were creating the pain.
 I was a bit dubious as I watched them work, it's fascinating to observe but I didn't know how I would feel about having someone, however tiny, walk on my much abused body. So I watched half a dozen people have the treatment and consistently saw them go in with pain and come out 14 or 20 minutes later without it, until I finally felt reassured enough to give it a go.
Oh my. Esther realigned my coccyx, and did something to my lower back that, after following Martin's instructions to sleep on the floor (actually I slept on my spare bed, which is easily as hard as the floor.) I feel great today. This treatment cost $200 pesos!
On Sunday, I had the rare privilege of being involved with filming two Huichol Shaman - Huichol's don't normally allow themselves to be filmed or even photographed, so I am feeling very humbled and grateful for this chance. Actually Ray Dion's video production company, PromoVision, filmed the event. Ray's catch phrase is 'See is to Believe.' I haven't yet seen what he shot, but I'm a believer after this experience!
I got to have my energy cleansed by one magnificent elder, and had an unexpected and very intense healing from another – not what I intended to capture on film! I was so blown away that I had to cut the filming short and let my body assimilate what had happened.
Ray and I will go back on Wednesday to capture the things we missed, so that we can share them with you if you aren't lucky enough to be in Vallarta. If you are in town, come on down! Have your own grand adventure at the fair.
 JOY! Is an internationally acclaimed life transformation coach, famous for her unreasonable success in helping people move through their challenges with her unorthodox approach and emPOWERment tools. For more information, visit her website ExperienceJoy.com or call 044-322-129-1128.
Click HERE for more articles by JOY! |
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