I am delighted to announce that I am practicing with Dr. Katina Martin of Vermont Natural Family Health, PC.

This is especially wonderful for me since my favorite doctor on TV is Doc Martin!

Dr. Katina Martin and I worked together as apprentices to Midwife Brenda Holcombe, ND/CPM.  I am especially grateful to Dr. Martin and her office manager Christina for putting my practice back together here in the Champlain Valley.  I will be taking the last half of December and first week of January off to recover from the move.  In the meantime, please call 802-352-9078 if you would like to schedule an appointment for January.  See you in the new Maya Calendar cycle!

Thank you,

Dr Sarah Wylie

I have an opportunity to manifest my dream of returning to the Green Mountains.  This dream has kept me from sinking my roots deep into our volcanic soil here in our fair city of Portland, Oregon.  While I have been considering this move for years, a little window opened for me 5 weeks ago, requiring me to take action in an accelerated manner…  I have completed my practice here in Portland in the second week of August.  And I am writing to explain what has happened.  I recognize this process may be unsettling for some of you.  As my practice in Oregon is what has kept me here this long, it is difficult for me to leave my practice, which I love.

I would like to announce who will be following in my footsteps …  She is mighty special and her name is Dr. Kathryn Dusseau Kloos. I am delighted to have found someone I really trust to tend my patients.  She is a Naturopathic Doctor and massage therapist who recently joined Kwan Yin Healing Arts. Dr. Kloos studied botanical medicine at the Naturopathic College in Seattle before going through the doctorate program at NCNM.  She has immersed herself in the study of traditional medicine of the Americas.  This year she has powered through the Arvigo Institute… We met in May when I went to teach the Advanced Class in Fertility and Pre & Post Natal Care.  I was instantly smitten by her compassionate attention and wise manner.  As a result of this time away from Portland, she joined Kwan Yin to enjoy the community of healers and our fantastic support staff.
In searching for my successor, my guiding principle was that she embody a deep therapeutic touch.  The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy are effective because they are deep.  If the practitioner is going deep into the body, she must maintain psychic connection with the patient to avoid harm.  All of this you will find with Dr. Kloos. I adore her, and believe we are cut from the same cloth.
Dr. Kloos works on Saturdays!  She is contracted with most insurance companies.  We are still working out the kinks with Blue Cross.  So please confirm the kinks are out before your appointment.  I will still be available for Skype or phone consultations starting the second week of September.  My rate for this will be $100 per hour.  My email and website will not change, and my contact info will be on the site.

More about me:  I am moving to Champlain Valley Cohousing in Charlotte, Vermont.  This property is in the Champlain Valley, with panoramic views of the Adirondack Mountains of New York over the magnificent Lake Champlain.  I will be living on 125 acres of land of which 116 are Vermont Land Trust.  Nestled between Lake Champlain and Mt Philo, my children will enjoying living in a concentrated neighborhood of 12 families.  There is an organic farm on the property and a gaggle of children to run wild with. What is that phrase? “Many hands make the work lighter”

I will open my practice in conjunction with a group of midwives.  I will be a mere 4 hour drive to enjoy time with my parents, cousins and sibling.  And only a mere 7 hour flight to my family in the United Kingdom.  Best of all, I will sink my roots deep into the soil that nourished me, and bringing the finest natural fertility and pre & post natal care to an underserved region.  It is my intention also, to become an expert in physical medicine for infants.  In this way, my life and energy will be more sustainable. A change I desperately need. I ask your forgiveness and compassion for the sudden departure.  I am doing my best to follow the path the universe has opened for me, as frightening as it is to do so.  Thank you for teaching me to be a better healer, every day.

more updates to follow

When my doctor told me I needed a short series of colonics, I wasn’t very happy about it.  Dr Carlotta Watson told me to be optimistic because colonic hydrotherapy is so transformative, and I was feeling stuck losing the last 10 pounds of baby wieght.  It has almost been a year since I gave birth, but a long year of night-time duties, hoisting myself up at the crack of dawn, and showing up at work to focus on the health problems of other mothers and mothers-to-be.

I asked my friend Dr Sara Hart for a referral, remembering she was doing a series of colonics just last year before she lost a heap of weight about her middle.  She directed me to Alec Steury of Chakra 17.

When the dreaded day arrived and I located Alec’s home office, I was greeted by a very bright and present practitioner.  He directed me to the freshly updated and cleverly designed clinic space in his basement.  He asked me if I was nervous, and I nodded.  Without any further ado, he said, “Let’s get going”.  We began with a heartfelt intention to relieve my body of toxic stress.  And over the next hour, I did that!

I had to do a series of 4.  The benefits included feeling motivated to give up eating food that was bad for me (sugar & wheat), decreased bloating, feeling lighter and more clear, improving my energy and at long last… losing a few more pounds! Another surprise… Since I did not have much of an urge to push with either of my babies birthings, it was intensely healing to experience this and push!  So in some ways, it even cleared up some stagnant birthing energy I had been carrying around.

With medicine, it is always best to get a referral from someone you trust.  I think this is especially true for colonics.  Alec’s personality and compassionate approach are a perfect match for such a potentially awkward treatment.  In addition, he uses acupressure and meridian theories to improve the outcomes for his patients, stating he gets better results with less force.  That’s awesome!  His system uses no pump nor electricity.  Just good old gravity and filtered water.

My first teacher of natural medicine was Susun Weed, who is vocally opposed to colonics.  But I have always said there is a time and place for everything.  So I went with an open mind.  I am so glad I did because I have learned so much.  I feel I understand the large intestine in a whole new way… and now I am making referrals to Alec.  So go check it out…  Chakra 17 West comes highly recommended from me! And if I palpate your intestines in the clinic, you may find that I direct you to utilize this modality, too.

Mid-March in LA and working on Early April in MAUI !!!

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy^TM

Maya Abdominal Therapy

Self-Care Training

March 16th,17th, and 18th, 2012 in Topanga Canyon, Ca.

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy^TM incorporates massage, herbs, nutrition, meditation and emotional/spiritual healing into a holistic approach for wellness and disease prevention.  Maya Abdominal Massage is a non-invasive, external massage that guides internal abdominal and pelvic organs into proper position.  This technique improves digestive and reproductive health by restoring circulation and energy flow as well as reducing congestion and inflammation of the abdomen. It is effective for both women and men.

What is Self-Care Training?

This training teaches you how to perform Maya Abdominal Massage on yourself.  Additionally, we will discuss anatomy and physiology of the abdomen and pelvis, causes of a displaced uterus or swollen prostate, signs/symptoms, contraindications, emotional armoring and supportive healing modalities.  Our approach honors the body’s innate wisdom to heal itself and, as such, empowers participants with knowledge and tools that they can integrate into their daily life. Self-Care Training is an introductory workshop of the Arvigo Program; upon completion of this training, participants will be able to practice the Maya Abdominal Massage on themselves only.  This workshop is the prerequisite for the Arvigo Institute’s Professional Training, which educates licensed practitioners on how to perform this technique on others.

Who can attend a Self-Care Workshop?

Anyone who experiences one or more symptoms of a displaced uterus such as painful periods, PMS, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, infertility, miscarriages, painful intercourse, incontinence, low back pain, difficult menopause, digestive problems, etc.  Men who experience prostate pathologies or digestive problems benefit from this workshop as well. This course is also for those who are searching for a modality that heals the body holistically – physically, emotionally and spiritually.  This healing modality is for all who desire to have a strengthened connection to intuition, inspiration and creativity.  Additionally, licensed health care practitioners who want to integrate these techniques into their practice must attend this workshop before enrolling into Professional Training.

Continuing Education / CEUS – Approved Provider for:

●      Midwifery Education under Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) – 16 contact hours

●      National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) – 17.5 CE hours

●      National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) – 16 PDA pts

Cost: $450.00* – includes all instruction, notebooks/handouts, individual evaluation & treatment by a Certified Arvigo Practitioner.  Gluten-free snacks and tea provided. Please bring your own lunch. The workshop will be held Friday & Saturday from 9am-6pm and Sunday from 10am-2pm in Topanga, Ca.

Instructors Sarah Wylie, ND and Suzanne Tully R.M. are Certified Practitioners and Teachers of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy and Practitioners of Maya Spiritual Healing.  They have traveled to Belize and Mexico to study with Dr. Rosita Arvigo and are dedicated to bringing this wisdom to you in hopes of bridging the gap between indigenous healing and modern medicine.

To register, please visit www.arvigotherapy.com

For more information contact Dr. Sarah Wylie: 971-998-2196

sponsored by Birthwell Los Angeles www.birthwell.com

Benefits to taking this course now:  Level One is the prerequisite to the Level Two “The Professional Care Training”. This 6 day class follows Self-Care Training to develop the skill required for professional practitioners to apply the Arvigo Techniques™ in their practices. Level Two is being offered April 9th-15th 2012 in Corona, California. Once you have completed both courses you will be ready to charge for your services if you are a licensed health care practitioner. Licensed health care practitioners may include, for example, massage therapists, chiropractors, naprapaths, naturopaths, accupuncturists, nurses, physicians, etc.

I recently was in conversation with a woman who gave birth to her first child in July.  She said she used to be annoyed by her friends with children who had to decline invitations to socialize when they interfered with naps or the 5 o’clock dinner time.  She felt that they were letting the children run their lives. But now, she’s struggling in the way all new mothers do.  How do I create the space for myself to heal and rejuvenate, with a child and business to nurture?

Well, I am similarly averse to letting children rule over their parents.  But being a parent myself, I have 5 years experience knowing that routine for a child is necessary for ease.  It is with the routine, the stage I set, the expectations I present, that I stay in the driver’s seat with my children.

It is one of those paradoxes.  By giving up the spontaneous pre-baby lifestyle, you give your child a predictable set of experiences to make the big world seem safe.  With regular meals, outdoor play and rest, you help nurture strength in the kidney-adrenal system (and yours too).  This child is more likely to be agreeable and content.  Feed dinner by 5, they’ll be in bed by 7pm.  Then you get to have your self-care time until 10 pm, when it is best to curl up and fall asleep. So yes, the children rule your life in the sense that you’ll be cooking dinner at 4:30-5 pm EVERY DAY.  But the children understand you’re in charge then, because you are always one step ahead.  (This is my goal, at least)

One other golden tip I have learned:  If you find yourself in a battle of wills with your child, understand that the will of a child is usually very strong. In fact, this is their work in the preschool years – to strengthen it.  Instead of using words, take your child cheerfully by the hand and say ” It is time now for …… “  This approach has yet to fail me.

In my clinic this year, we have had a rush of souls gestating and birthing.  It is after all, the year of the Rabbit.  So far seven of us have given birth in 2011.  Of those seven, 2 went on to have uncomplicated homebirths, 1 had an uncomplicated midwife assisted birth clinic birth, 1 had a complicated homebirth (my breech) & 3 had c-sections.  Take note that I work with women who provide natural medicine for the community.

So that is a 43% surgical birth rate, among women who belong to the counter culture of medicine.

Of the c-sections, 2 were first-time mothers (primips) who were carrying breech baby boys.  So that means 3 of us had breech baby boys, 43%.  Outside our clinic, the rate of breech babies that do not turn is 3%.  So what is going on with that?  According to a study cited by chiropractor Caroline Peterson, The higher the education a woman has, and/or the higher her income, the higher the rate of breech presentation.  Interesting.

Well, shortly after my birth I was interviewed by writer Sue Campbell who writes for Metro Parent.  Follow this link to read her article.  See Page 12 “All about Cesareans”. 

In this article, she highlights the discussions many birth professionals are having about how to reduce the skyrocketing rate of cesarean births.  The standard of care at this time is to birth breech babies surgically.  But what if more women were given the opportunity to give birth vaginally to breech babies.  This question is being carefully pondered at OHSU.  Read the article to learn more.

I would like to add the following comment to the article…

On page 18, Sue Campbell writes that I acknowledge my decision may have been different (about homebirthing breech) had I known his position.  To clarify, what I meant was that if I had known he was breech, I may not have been able to have a homebirth due to anticipation and anxiety derailing my process.  As I didn’t know until I was pushing it was much easier to go with the flow.

Any comments?  I’d like to hear them!

SCFLYER

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy™

JANUARY 6^TH, 7^TH & 8^TH OF 2012

Alma Education & Movement Center

1233 SE Stark

PORTLAND, OREGON 97214

Rosita & Sarah

You Will Learn:

• How to Care for your Uterus
• the Anatomy & Physiology of the Reproductive & GastroIntestinal Organs
• Why You have Pain in the Pelvis & What to do about it
• How to Release Your Wounds from Past Traumas
• How to Improve your Digestion
• How to Care for Your Prostate
• Maya Spiritual-Medical Wisdom
• How to Nurture Your Fertility & Creative Power

This Class is a Pre-Requisite to Professional Training at

The Arvigo Institute

$400

Includes Instruction, Private mini-Session, Manual, Snacks & CEU’s for Massage Therapists, LAc’s & Midwives

Apply $50 Early Bird Discount until 11/29

Register At:

WWW.ARVIGOTHERAPY.COM

Search: Self-Care Courses

About the Instructor: Dr. Sarah Wylie is a Naturopathic Midwife who specializes in the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy™ to enhance fertility, support healthy pregnancies, efficient labours & restoration postpartum.  She has studied with Rosita Arvigo since 1998, and has the privilege of co-teaching the advanced class in the PreNatal techniques with Dr Arvigo.

pumpkin pushing

Well, I can certainly relate to that!

I love the candles!

A good friend put this on my facebook page and I just had to share it. I don’t know where it came from, but you are marvelous!

Now, I guess I’ll have to make the butt-first version!