Posted on by

Healthcare Death Panels: When Saving Money Became More Important Than Saving Lives

grief

Insurance companies are the real healthcare death panels. In 2020, after years of serving as a mental health professional, I made the heartbreaking decision to retire from counseling and therapy. I didn’t leave because I no longer cared for my patients or because the work had grown too difficult. I left because insurance companies were actively prioritizing profit over people—refusing to pay for life-saving medications that my patients desperately needed. The ethical weight of this reality became unbearable, as I found myself no longer preparing my patients for healing but instead preparing them for death.

This is the story of how a system that was meant to protect lives betrayed my patients, my profession, and my hope for a better future. It is also a story about why insurance death panels are driving health care professionals out of the profession.

Health Care Should Be About Saving Lives not about Death Panels

As a mental health professional, I spent years working with individuals who struggled with severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other life-altering mental illnesses. Many of these conditions are not just debilitating—they can be life-threatening. Effective treatment often requires a multi-pronged approach: therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and, in many cases, life-saving medications. Since I worked in a medical clinic, I also saw patients with chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease that required medication to keep them alive. At first, I saw them because they had anxiety over how they were going to afford their medications. As the greed of the healthcare death panels grew, eventually I started seeing these people for depression because they could no longer afford their medications and they knew they were going to die.

These medications are not optional. They’re not a luxury. For many of my patients, medications such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics were the only things keeping them alive—keeping them from succumbing to the darkness of their illnesses. For my patients with diabetes or other chronic ailments, medications like insulin kept them alive.

But the insurance death panels didn’t see it that way.

Insurance Companies: The REAL Death Panels

Over the years, I watched in frustration as insurance companies consistently denied coverage for essential medications. The process was infuriatingly familiar:

  1. Doctors and therapists recommend a specific treatment plan tailored to the patient’s needs.
  2. The insurance company’s death panel rejects it.
  3. Appeals are made. Hours are spent on paperwork and phone calls. Precious time that could have been better used for patient care is wasted.
  4. Patients are left in limbo, unable to afford the medications they need to survive, denied yet again by the healthcare death panels.

This wasn’t just bureaucracy—it was a death sentence. Many patients couldn’t wait weeks or months for approvals that might never come. They were living day-to-day, fighting to keep their chronic illness from consuming them. And yet, to the insurance death panels, their lives were reduced to dollar signs and cost-benefit analyses.

My Job Became Preparing Patients for Death

healthcare death panels when saving money becomes more important than saving lives

In my last few years in the profession, I began to notice a grim shift in my role as a therapist. Instead of helping patients work toward a brighter future, I found myself preparing them for an unavoidable end.

  • Patients who couldn’t get their medications began losing hope.
  • Therapy alone wasn’t enough to keep their suicidal thoughts at bay.
  • They would ask me questions like, “What happens if I don’t wake up tomorrow?” or “What do I tell my family when I’m gone?”

I tried to hold space for their pain, but it felt like shouting into the void. I could no longer offer solutions because the system had taken them away. I had to prepare my patients for the unimaginable—for the reality that their lives weren’t deemed worth saving because saving money was more important.

This was not why I became a mental health professional.

A Broken System That Costs Lives

Insurance companies are supposed to make healthcare accessible. Instead, they’ve become gatekeepers that stand between patients and their right to live healthy, fulfilling lives. While insurance executives enjoy multi-million-dollar salaries, real people are left to suffer, deteriorate, and die.

Mental illness is already stigmatized enough. Patients often have to summon immense courage just to ask for help. To then be turned away because insurance won’t cover the cost of their care—it’s cruel and inhumane.

The consequences of these decisions are real:

  • Patients left untreated face higher rates of hospitalization, incarceration, and suicide.
  • Families are shattered by preventable losses.
  • Mental health professionals are left burnt out, demoralized, and hopeless.

This isn’t just a failure of healthcare—it’s a moral failing of our society. If we judge our society by how we treat our most vulnerable members, what does this say about America?

Why I Had to Walk Away

Retiring in 2020 was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I loved my work. I loved my patients. However, I could no longer reconcile my role within a system that failed to value human life. Every denied prescription, every preventable death, chipped away at my faith in a profession I once believed could change lives for the better.

My decision to retire was not about giving up—it was about refusing to be complicit in a system that prioritizes profit over people. I couldn’t continue to watch patients die when I knew that their lives could have been saved.

We Deserve Better

Mental health care is healthcare. Full stop. And healthcare is a human right. No one should have to beg for the medications they need to survive. No one should lose their life because an insurance company decided they weren’t worth the cost.

If we want to create real change, we need to hold insurance companies accountable. We need to advocate for reforms that put patients first—not profits. And we need to treat mental health with the same urgency and compassion that we give to physical health.

Final Thoughts on Insurance Death Panels

To those still fighting within the system—patients, families, and fellow mental health professionals—know that your work matters. Your lives matter. You are not alone in this fight.

I may have retired, but I will never stop speaking out against the injustices I witnessed. I hope that by sharing my story, we can shine a light on the system’s brokenness and inspire meaningful change because saving lives must always come before saving money.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, don’t hesitate to seek help. Resources exist, and your life is worth fighting for.

Share Your Thoughts about Insurance Death Panels!

What do you think? Have you ever been denied lifesaving medications or care by an insurance death panel? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Posted on by

The Goddess

The Goddess White Buffalo Woman

Upon emerging from the Cave, the Goddess in the form of White Buffalo Woman appeared to Coyote.

“Tell me what you saw in the cavern,” White Buffalo Woman began.

Coyote described what he had seen. As he spoke, a smile spread on her face while the firelight danced in her eyes.
He told her of the fire with the mysterious backward-facing dancers. He described the masks they wore. He told her of the dream of being dismembered by the two-leggeds. He told her that when he had tried to escape, the opening was no longer there, but a new way had opened on the other side of the cave. When he had finished speaking, she stirred the fire with a sharp stick as she spoke in reply.

“The two-legged tribe is called the “People of the Ashes.” They went on a quest to find fire for themselves, and they were able to find it. But in their greed, they wanted to keep it for themselves. They forgot to return and share it with the rest of their tribe. They jealously guard the secret of their fire.

When they teach one of their tribe to make the fire, that person is sworn to secrecy on pain of death. They only teach other members of the tribe how to make the fire in secret rites and rituals, and they are not allowed to talk about it with people outside of their own tribe. That is why, when they saw you, they sought to tear you to shreds. They prize the fire, but they burn with jealousy at the thought of anyone else ever learning its secret. Because of this, their fire contains more heat than light.”

The Goddess

“They wear the masks because in their hearts they remember their other brothers and sisters that they left behind, and they secretly long to reconnect with them. The masks remind them of what they lost when they became greedy and wanted to keep the fire to themselves.

Yet the masks also blind them, so that they cannot see the way out of the cavern. It has been sealed to them forever out of their own blindness. The masks they wear to remind themselves of their four-legged brothers and sisters are the very things that keep them from finding their way back.”

“When first they saw that they could not escape the cavern, they began to dance backward, trying to re-trace their steps in order to find a way out. They forgot that the way forward does not lie in the past. By walking backward, they are merely re-living their past mistakes. They are caught in a spiral dance with no end, and they shall never escape until they are able to sacrifice their selfishness. When they are able to do so, they will cast aside their masks and the way will be open to them again.”

As she spoke, she leaned over and began to stroke the fur on Coyote’s head.

“You were sent this vision of your own death to remind you not to tread the path that they have chosen. When you entered the cave, you were full of self-doubt. You did not think that you would ever be able to complete your journey. The vision of your death has changed that about you, for once you have faced your own death, what else can stand in your way?”

Coyote puzzled over her words. She watched him struggling with these new ideas.

“Do you not yet understand?” She motioned for him to stand, “If you think you cannot complete your journey, you will be correct. But if you think you can complete your quest, then that wisdom will be the very thing that allows you to succeed.”

She guided him to a still pond nearby. Although the snow was falling all around, the pond’s surface had not yet frozen. She watched the sparkling moonlight reflecting from its surface and motioned for him to look into the water. “What do you see?” she asked.

He gazed into the glistening pool and saw a reflection of himself. His face was familiar to him and yet not familiar. In that face, he saw newfound wisdom. In his face, he saw knowledge and confidence, and he knew that her words were true. With a renewed sense of purpose, he determined to go on. He was now willing to face whatever might come.

He looked up as the Goddess White Buffalo Woman bid him farewell, and he continued on his journey.

Wisdom of the Goddess

“For she is the incarnation of the promise of perfection, the soul’s assurance that, at the conclusion of the exile in a world of organized inadequacies, the bliss that once was known will be known again…”

– Joseph Campbell, The Hero’s Journey

The Road of Trials is harsh. Even with the ability to call on our Supernatural Aid for assistance, conquering unknown lands can be taxing. It is the portion of the journey where we are leaving our old selves behind and discovering who our new selves might be. The difficult part of the Road of Trials is that while we already know from experience what doesn’t work, we may not yet know what does work. This trial-and-error process can lead to second-guessing and self-doubt on the road to spiritual enlightenment. This is why it is a perfect time for a little extra help from the supernatural in the form of the Meeting with the Goddess.

The Goddess here isn’t necessarily an actual divine entity, although she can be. Since the heroes in most of the myths Campbell studied were heterosexual males, the Meeting with the Goddess represents the ideal partner for a heterosexual male. Since we’re talking about a spiritual and metaphorical level here, the Meeting with the Goddess symbolizes the idea of completeness and perfection and not some actual physical entity.

After having our former identities stripped away in the Belly of the Whale, and after our Initiation in the Road of Trials, the Goddess appears to us in ideal form with the promise of what could be, if we persevere. The Goddess represents perfect love. It is a love that is truly unconditional; a love that applies not only to others but to self as well.

Share Your Thoughts on the Goddess!

Have you had your own metaphorical meeting with the Goddess? What wisdom does she impart? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Posted on by

The Cave: Escaping

escaping the cave

In our Coyote story escaping the cave means successfully completing the Road of Trials. In our story, Coyote symbolically dies to his old way of being by being ritually torn apart by the dancers in the cave. His spiritual death to the old way of being was a metaphorical emptying of his cup so that it might be refilled when he is re-born to his new spiritual self. Once the symbolic death to the old way of being has occurred, the cave has fulfilled its purpose. The time in the ashes is over. It is time to escape the Belly of the Whale and to take up the Road of Trials.

The cave in our Coyote story that represents the Belly of the Whale may be a symbol for many things on the path of the Coyote. At the threshold to the cave, the Seeker may once again face some of the doubts and fears that first surfaced upon his Call to Adventure and his subsequent Refusal of the Call. He may need some time to reflect and meditate upon his journey and the treacherous Road of Trials ahead to find the courage to continue. It is also a time for ritual purification as the Seeker casts aside any remnants of the old ways of being, burning them in the sacred fire of enlightenment.

It is also a time for casting away any lingering self-doubts, regrets, and recriminations. This ritual process of elimination and purification is necessary so that the Seeker may step out of the cave and into the light as an empty vessel for the journey to fill with wisdom.

At this point on the journey of the vision seeker, the transition to the Road of Trials involves caring for others by caring for yourself. Healers love to help people. It’s what we do. Just remember when you are healing people to include yourself in the people being healed. Those of us who nurture and care for others sometimes think it is selfish to take time to care for ourselves.

In fact, just the opposite is true. If we never care for ourselves we will eventually have nothing left to give others. If others depend on us and we allow ourselves to become exhausted or burned out, we won’t be able to do them any good either, so it is highly important to take time out once in a while to recharge our own batteries. One of the best ways to do this is to spend time in nature. So crawl out of that cave and get out into the sunlight!

As the Seeker climbs out of the cave onto the Road of Trials, she is face-to-face with the portion of the path that will test her to the limits of her endurance. It is as if the Universe wishes to evaluate our sincerity and commitment by throwing everything it can at us. The wisdom of the healer on this portion of the journey allows us to care for our own needs as well as the needs of others.

It is also a reminder to know when to lead and when to follow. We don’t have to do it all. We can sometimes delegate and let others take charge for a while, relaxing and following their lead.

The Road of Trials in the Way of the Coyote involves learning a new way of being in the world. It is the way to escape the cave. It is a journey into the unknown and a setting aside of old patterns of thought and behavior. It involves an element of trial and error as we learn to do things in new ways without falling back into old habits. As you contemplate your own Road of Trials, meditate on your answers to the questions below.

Questions to Escape the Cave

As you cross onto the Road of Trials, it may be helpful to escape the cave by meditating on your answers to these questions:

  • What rules did you follow in your life before and after your Belly of the Whale experience?
  • Who do you follow in your life now? Who did you follow prior to your time in the ashes?
  • What things that you have followed in the past might be hindering your walk on the Way of the Coyote?
  • What is the key to letting them go and leaving them behind?
  • What things that you plan to follow in the future might be helping you to walk on the Way of the Coyote?
  • In what ways can you follow a healing path rather than a path of harm?
  • In what ways may you use the wisdom of the Coyote to heal others?
  • In what ways may you use the wisdom of the Coyote to heal yourself?

As you meditate on your answers to these questions, call upon your own inner healer so that you may heal yourself by healing others. If it helps, you may draw on the archetypal energy of your totem animal’s supernatural aid. You may also wish to burn a bit of healing herb or incense in thanks for the healing you have received while completing this exercise.

Conclude this exercise with a spirit of health and wholeness, knowing that you have already received the healing you need to live in the Way of the Coyote.
 

Posted on by

The Road of Trials

road of trials

This week we rejoin Coyote on the Road of Trials. When last we saw him, he was in the process of escaping the cave and his time in the ashes…

Glad to find that he was not dead, Coyote looked up to see what had become of the dancers. The cavern was empty. All that remained of the fire were the dying embers. The tribe of two-leggeds was gone, and with them the haunting music. Not knowing what to do next, he decided to leave the cave, but as he turned to go back the way he came, he saw that the path behind him was blocked. The opening was no longer there!

In a panic, he ran around the chamber looking for a way out. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the embers, he spied an opening on the other side of the embers, and he made his way towards it.

The passage was narrow, and he had to crawl to make his way down. It seemed to go on forever. Just when he was at the point of thinking that coming into the narrow tunnel had been a mistake, he saw a faint glow at the other end of the passage. Steeling himself for what might lie ahead, he continued to crawl towards the light. It grew brighter and brighter, until he found himself outside of the cave, standing in a valley.

There in front of him was White Buffalo Woman. Her right hand held the torch of magical fire. She greeted him once again, and they both sat down on the snow-covered ground while she kindled a fire with her torch. The fire was bright. The snow reflected the light of the flames, giving the landscape a beautiful yet ghostly appearance. Coyote watched the light of the fire twinkling and reflecting off the new-fallen snow. As the fires blazed, she began to teach him about the road of trials ahead.

The Road of Trials: Ashes Time

“He who angers you conquers you.”

-Elizabeth Kenny

The Road of Trials begins with what the poet Robert Bly calls “Time in the Ashes,” or “Ashes Time.” Spending time in the ashes leads one to realize that sometimes things get worse before they get better. As the spiritual seeker’s old identity is stripped away in the Belly of the Whale, there is nothing yet with which to replace it. To a spiritual seeker, this katabasis may feel like the end of the world. Sometimes it manifests as a sense that one’s entire life has been meaningless up until this point. Author Richard Bach, in his bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, describes this feeling best:

“I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?”

This knowledge leads to the feeling that one’s life is out of control. Feeling out of control can lead to anger, especially regarding our relationships with other people. When we feel out of control we most often take it out on the people we care the most about. This is often the first step on the Road of Trials.

We often forget, however, that if someone has the ability to anger you, then that person just controlled you. If you allow others to “make” you feel angry, you have relinquished control over your own emotional well-being. Similarly, anger is often the result of failed attempts to control others. By analyzing our beliefs about control, we learn to manage our moods so that control is no longer an issue on the Road of Trials.

Once there was a sculptor who was famous for his carvings of animals. Of all the animals he carved, his elephants were the most lifelike and inspiring. One day an art student came to him and asked him the secret to creating such beautiful elephants.

“The answer,” he said, “Is simple. You just get a block of marble and chip away anything that doesn’t look like an elephant.”

When difficulties arise in our relationships, it’s usually because we’ve set out to carve an elephant, but we suddenly find ourselves carving a bear or a donkey or some other animal instead. When this happens, we’ve gotten caught up in the details of living, and we have lost sight of our original goal, the elephant. The way to get back to carving the elephant is to realize that we cannot control others. We also cannot control what life throws at us. What we can control is what we believe about what life throws at us. That ability to change our beliefs to get the results we want is the secret to escaping the cave.

Share Your Thoughts on the Road of Trials!

Have you walked your own road of trials? What was the experience like? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Posted on by

Journey to the Otherworld: Awakening

journey to the otherworld

The journey to the Otherworld in the Way of the Coyote is a quest for knowledge and wisdom within your unconscious mind. On your journey to the Otherworld, first, find a place where you will be undisturbed for the duration of your journey. The journey itself may be as long or as short as you like. If you’re participating in an Ecospirituality group, your instructor may have a specified time for the journey. If doing it on your own, you may do it for whatever length of time seems appropriate.

Such a journey is best undertaken outdoors. I’ve had some powerful visions while camping alone in the woods, for example. But you may also engage in spirit journeys from the privacy of your bedroom if you’re not able to be in a natural space. If you have to be indoors to do this, it may help to have recordings of nature sounds to play during the meditation. You may also bring in some plants and place them in the area where you plan to engage in the meditation.

It may also help to make the journey more authentic to what our ancestors may have practiced if you are able to create some sort of representation of the womb of the Earth Mother. This could be a tent, or a blanket over your head, or even a sweat lodge if one is available. A word of caution first: Don’t attempt to build a sweat lodge of your own without instruction from an expert! People have died in improperly constructed sweat lodges!

Journey to the Otherworld Meditation

When you’ve selected your space and determined the length of time for your journey, follow the steps below.

  • Begin by grounding and centering. Do not go any further until you are fully relaxed and clear of purpose, with a firm and fixed intention.
  • When you are grounded and centered, meditate on what parts of you are “dying” and what parts of you are being “reborn.” What of your old life do you wish to leave behind? What areas of your new life as a shaman do you wish to grow in? What does this symbolic rebirth mean to you?
  • To access the Otherworld, you must first cross the waters. Water symbolizes the mind, and the depths of the sea represent the vast depths of the unconscious mind. When crossing the waters, I find it helpful to visualize myself in a boat upon a calm sea. Gradually the boat moves into a fog that becomes thicker and thicker. I then will the mists to part, granting me access to the Otherworld that lies within my unconscious mind.
  • The way to enter the Otherworld is to begin by knowing you are already there. Picture every life consciousness in the Universe as a silver thread. See the silver threads stretching out to infinity, forming a web of infinite probability. This Silver Web represents all possibilities in all worlds and all universes. Consider the purpose of your journey here, and ask your own Supernatural Aid to guide you to the proper thread to find the answers you seek. Take the thread that stands out to you and follow it until it leads you to the purpose of your journey.
  • When you have arrived at the knowledge you seek, follow the silver thread back to your body. As you return, allow yourself to gradually become aware of re-entering your body. As your body comes back to you, breathe deeply and slowly become aware of your surroundings. When you are ready, open your eyes, remembering the knowledge you have gained.

After you have completed your own death and rebirth rite and meditation answer these reflection questions:

rebirth journey to the otherworld
  • What were you dying to or leaving behind of your old life when taking this rebirthing journey to the Otherworld?
  • What was being born in you in your new ecospiritual life when taking this rebirthing journey to the Otherworld?
  • Assuming you conducted this rebirthing rite in an outdoor space, what elements of nature assisted you in completing the journey to the Otherworld? Were there any signs or omens in the natural space in which you conducted your meditation? Examples of such “omens” might include animals behaving in ways that attracted your attention, or any other sights, sounds, aromas, textures, or unusual experiences that seemed to call to you?
  • Did you use any sort of music while undertaking this journey? If so, what did the music add to the meditation? If not, what did the absence of music add to the meditation?
  • In what ways are you a new person now that you have been reborn to your new ecospiritual life?

Now that you have completed your time in the ashes, you are able to be reborn with new spiritual eyes. You are no longer seeing the world through your old assumptions and perceptions. You’ve learned a new way of seeing and a new way of being in the world.

This newfound vision will help you as you continue on the Road of Trials that leads you to your new, ecospiritual self.

Share Your Thoughts on the Journey to the Otherworld!

What was this experience like for you? Let us know in the comments below!

Posted on by

Conquering Fear: Death and Rebirth

death and rebirth

Death and rebirth are necessary parts of new beginnings. Before you can be reborn as a new person, you have to die to old ways of being. Throughout the world at various times and in various cultures, there have been shamanic traditions. One of the tasks of the shaman is to commune with the dead. Another is to journey to the Otherworld (or the Underworld) and to bring back knowledge. Most, if not all, shamanic traditions have some sort of initiation rite in which the candidate “dies” to his former life and is reborn to the life of the shaman.

These death and rebirth rites usually took place in some sort of representation of the womb of the Earth Mother. The Hopi tribe used kivas for this purpose. In ancient Europe, there were many earthmounds. One of the largest of these is Brú na Bóinne in Newgrange, Ireland.

Some Celtic tribes engaged in a ritual called “bull sleep,” in which the shaman ingested psychoactive substances and wrapped himself in the hide of a bull while seeking visions. Many Native American tribes used sweat lodges for such a purpose.

No matter the form the rites took, they were symbolic of the rebirth of the shaman into his new role. Such a rebirth followed a phase of preparation and purification, then a period of sensory deprivation involving an earth mound, tent, leather hide, sweat lodge, or other representation of the womb, and finally a re-birth into a new life.

There is usually a feast prior to the rite. The candidates do not eat at the feast, nor will they eat for the entire period of their initiation, although they may ingest plants or herbs to enhance their visions. This practice of fasting is common among many shamanic traditions.

death and rebirth sweatlodge

Amid the dancing and the drumming, the candidates are admitted to the central chamber of the mound. There are no torches or other light sources, so the candidates await the journey in total darkness. The journey into the darkness of the mound symbolizes death and burial. This is consistent with the technique of sensory deprivation used by many cultures throughout the world.

When used in this manner, the senses are deprived of stimulation to achieve a state receptive to visions and dreams. Lacking any outside stimuli, the mind turns inward. When turned inward in this manner, freed of distractions, the mind makes contact with the collective unconscious shared by all. It is a time when the candidate may call upon his or her Supernatural Aid for guidance.

Many shamanic practices use three days and three nights for such initiations.

So the petitioner finds himself (or herself…there is also a large history of female shamans) in the center of a burial mound, in total darkness, calling upon her Supernatural Aid to guide her to the Otherworld. The petitioner may spend up to three days and three nights communing with the spirits of the Sacred Ancestors present with her there in the womb of the Earth Goddess.

On the third day, at dawn, the candidate emerges into the sunlight, marking the first time in three days that she has seen any light whatsoever. This also marks the first time she has seen the Sun with her new, shamanic eyes. She leaves the chamber, sometimes crawling through a narrow earthen passage like an infant struggling to be born, so that she may share the sacred wisdom of the vision with the rest of the tribe.

This rebirthing exercise will allow you to experience your katabasis in the Belly of the Whale by engaging in your own ritual death and rebirth. The idea of sensory deprivation, or of stimulating certain senses while repressing others, is a useful technique when engaging in vision quests of this nature. Music is one of the tools used most often for this purpose.

Anything from rhythmic drumming to flutes to symphonies may be used when seeking visions. To employ this method, lie comfortably, preferably in darkness, while allowing the music to take you. Allow the notes and the rhythms to create landscapes in your mind. If you are doing this workbook as part of an Ecospirituality group, your instructor may hold a drum circle or other rite for such a purpose. If doing these death and rebirth exercises on your own, you may select or play your own music.

Prior to your own rebirthing rite, you may experiment with isolating and stimulating merely one sense at a time. For example, try shamanic meditation while sitting in a dark room with incense burning, or gaze at a single lit candle, or lie in a warm bath. Another influence on shamanic journeying is the position of your body. Try this: Sit cross-legged on the floor or the ground with your hands resting on your knees.

Notice what the energy in your hands feels like. Now try the same thing with your hands palm up in your lap. Finally, place your hands, palms together, in front of your heart. Do you sense any difference in energy in these various positions? Likewise, the position of your body during vision seeking can determine the quality and flavor of your vision. Experiment until you find a position suitable for your needs.

Do these practices make it easier for you to engage in your own death and rebirth experiences?

Share Your Thoughts on Death and Rebirth!

What does “death and rebirth” mean to you? What things are you ‘dying’ to that you may be reborn as an ecospiritual shaman?

Posted on by

Katabasis

katabasis


Katabasis is Greek for “to go down” or “to descend.” To be in the Belly of the Whale is to engage in your own personal katabasis. It is a realization that the way you have lived your life up to this moment is not in accordance with your own true nature. If this were not so, you wouldn’t have taken up the Way of the Coyote in the first place.

Katabasis means asking yourself, “If nothing changed from this day forward, could I live the rest of my life this way?” If the answer to that question is, “no,” then obviously something must change. In katabasis, change happens when the fear of staying the same forever becomes greater than the fear of changing forever by taking the journey into the unknown.

Katabasis: Time in the Ashes

“The word ‘ashes’ contains in it a dark feeling for death; ashes when put on the face whiten it as death does…some men around thirty-five or forty will begin to experience ashes privately, without ritual, even without old men. They begin to notice how many of their dreams have turned to ashes.”

–Robert Bly, Iron John: A Book about Men

The way to escape the Belly of the Whale is by completing the process of katabasis.

Katabasis is Greek for “to go down” or “to descend.” To be in the Belly of the Whale is to engage in your own personal katabasis. It is what the poet Robert Bly referred to as “spending time in the ashes.” When our old ways of being in the world burn down around us, we cannot go on anymore the way things were. We must start over by finding a new path. The way to escape the Belly of the Whale is by reversing this process of katabasis. To explore one possible way of doing this, complete the exercises on this worksheet.

What is your own personal katabasis? What past thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds have led you to descend into the ashes? What sameness can you not allow to continue for the rest of your life?

As of this very moment, what is your own true nature?

As you spend ashes time in the Belly of the Whale, what are you casting aside about the way your life has been in the past?

What new thoughts, words, deeds, and feelings would you need to embrace in order to live more fully according to your own true nature in the future?

What about your current reality needs to change in order to live according to your own true nature?

Use the definitions below to formulate your answers to the questions that follow:

  • Assumptions – Guesses we make, often without supporting evidence, about the way the world works
  • Perceptions – The “filter” through which we view the world, based on our assumptions about how the world works
  • Intentions – What we are trying to accomplish with our lives
  • Motivations – What we hope to be rewarded with if we accomplish our intentions

What assumptions about the way the world works would you have to change in order to re-create your present reality so you may live according to your own true nature?

What perceptions about the way the world works would you have to change in order to re-create your present reality so you may live according to your own true nature?

What intentions would you have to change in order to re-create your present reality so you may live according to your own true nature?

What motivations would you have to change in order to re-create your present reality so you may live according to your own true nature?

Use the information from the previous questions to make a list of all the thoughts, feelings, actions, and beliefs you would like to leave behind in the ashes as you prepare to leave the Belly of the Whale. This list should consist of things you never hope to return to; the things you cannot allow to continue. The list represents the old self that you are “dying” to in preparation of being reborn in your new ecospiritual True Self.

Now that you have completed your list, go to an outdoor space, preferably during the evening, and build a small fire if possible, being sure to follow all fire safety precautions as you do so. Once you have built your fire, take the list you created above. Hold the list in your hands and make an announcement to the Universe that you are dying to your old way of being and that the old you is being symbolically cremated. Now throw this list on the fire. As it burns your old self is melting away into the ashes, in preparation for the birth of the new you.

If you are doing this as part of an ecospirituality group or program, your coach may go around the fire and have each participant say something meaningful about their list before throwing it on the fire. At the end of the ceremony, you may finalize the death of the old self by burying the ashes in the earth.

Share Your Thoughts on Katabasis!

Have you had your own katabasis experience? What was it like? How did you resolve it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Posted on by

Rebirth

Rebirth

Rebirth means leaving behind old ways of being and becoming a new person. Before we can set out on the road to rebirth, we must first commit to the journey. The problem with crossing the first threshold is that it is stepping into the unknown. The unknown is unfamiliar. We don’t know the rules. We don’t know what’s expected. We don’t know how to act. We don’t know the dangers. We don’t know what to assume about the way the world works now.

To learn new ways of being, we must first cast off our assumptions about the way things worked before. Our assumptions create our perceptions, and our perceptions create our reality. If we’re journeying to new realities, our old perceptions and assumptions must be discarded before rebirth. This can be an especially difficult task since many of our assumptions and perceptions are involved in our sense of identity.

If we cast them off, we might lose who we are. But to become someone new, we must lose who we were before. We must die to our old ways of being. We must be willing to bury old ways of doing. We must cast off old assumptions and perceptions so that we may gain a new reality.

Jonah spent three days in the Belly of the Whale after his Refusal of the Call and before his rebirth. This was Jonah’s casting off of his former identity so that he could step into his new role as a spiritual leader. This time in the whale’s belly is a time of reflection and of challenging preconceived notions before initiation into a wider world. It is the preparation for the death of the old so that the new may be born.

Rebirth: Empty Your Cup

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

-Carl Jung

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”

-Gloria Steinem

rebirth teacup

There is a Zen koan about a student who came to a Zen Master for training. The student wanted to impress the master with his knowledge, so he talked non-stop for several minutes about the previous masters he had studied with and all the knowledge he had accumulated. As the student talked, the Master offered him a cup of tea.

The Master, still listening intently, placed the cup before the student and began to fill it. When the cup was filled, the Master continued pouring until the tea ran out of the cup, onto the table, and into the student’s lap. The student yelled for the Master to stop pouring the tea, “Can’t you see that the cup is full? There’s no room for any more tea!”

“Yes,” the Master replied, “Once the cup is full, it cannot be filled any further. You come to me to learn, but I cannot teach you. Your cup is already full. You must first go and empty your cup. When you have done this, then I can fill it again.”

In Phase One of the Hero’s Journey, the Departure, we learned what it means to seek a new spiritual path by leaving the familiar behind. In Phase Two, the Initiation, we will learn what it means to die to the old ways of being and to seek rebirth as a spiritual seeker in the Way of the Coyote. Like the student with the full cup, a seeker on the Way of the Coyote must first empty her cup of all other teachings.

This means forgetting old ways of being. It means casting aside any assumptions or perceptions about what may lie ahead on the path. To die to the old ways of being means to erase the past, letting go of any preconceived notions about the way the world worked in the past. It means starting over in every sense of the word.

There are three components of this rebirth: Assumptions, Intentions, and Motivations (think of the word AIM to help you to remember these three components). Before you can be reborn to the Way of the Coyote, you must address all three of these components in the following ways:

  • Assumptions – What assumptions were you living by before answering the Call of the Coyote? How are these assumptions different from the assumptions you would need to live by to answer the call? What assumptions might you have made about your old life that led to problems? What new assumptions, if any, would you need to make to be reborn? To follow the Way of the Coyote?
  • Intentions – What was your intention in living the way you did prior to answering the Call of the Coyote? What were you trying to accomplish? What were your goals then, and how will your goals be different when you answer the Call of the Coyote? What is your intention in seeking the Way of the Coyote? What do you hope to accomplish?
  • Motivations – What were your motivations for living the way you did before answering the Call of the Coyote? What were the rewards for your old way of living? Were those rewards spiritual or material? What will be the rewards (motivations) for answering the Call of the Coyote? Will these motivations be spiritual or material? Are you prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to follow the Call of the Coyote? If so, what will the rewards be? If not, what’s standing in your way?

When you can answer all of these questions honestly you will be ready to leave the cave. You will have found a new truth to live by, and this new truth shall be your road map on the Way of the Coyote.

Share Your Thoughts on Rebirth!

Have you crossed the first threshold? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Posted on by

New Hosting Service Coming Soon!

New hosting service coming soon

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC is excited to announce a significant change that will enhance the overall experience of our clients and students: we are switching to a new hosting service. This decision marks an important step toward ensuring the quality, security, and reliability of our online courses and other digital offerings. In today’s increasingly online world, the platforms we use to deliver content are as important as the content itself, and we believe this transition will benefit everyone who interacts with our services.

Why We’re Making the Change

The primary reason for switching hosting providers is to improve the quality of our clients’ online experience. As our center has grown, so has our community of users who rely on our courses and resources for professional development, personal growth, and continuing education. While our previous hosting service served us well for many years, we began to notice some challenges as our client base expanded. Some of you may have experienced difficulties logging in or difficulties downloading materials. With our new hosting service such difficulties should be a thing of the past.

Increased Demand on the Platform

Our online courses, webinars, and digital products have seen a significant rise in demand, with more students enrolling each year. This rapid growth placed increased pressure on our existing hosting infrastructure, resulting in slower load times and occasional technical glitches. As we strive to provide a smooth, stress-free learning environment, we knew we needed a more robust hosting service to keep up with the increasing demand.

Security Concerns

In the age of cyber threats, ensuring the security of our clients’ data is paramount. Although we pride ourselves on the fact that since we were founded in 2007 we’ve never had a security breach, our new hosting service will provide extra security. Our former hosting platform was secure, but we realized the need for more advanced protection as new security risks emerged. Sensitive information, such as client login details, payment data, and personal progress reports, must be protected with the latest security protocols. The new hosting service will offer enhanced encryption and additional security layers, ensuring that all transactions and personal data are as safe as possible.

Technical Support and Reliability

Reliable and efficient technical support is essential, especially when our students depend on us for timely assistance during their learning journeys. Although our previous hosting provider offered some technical support, response times were not always as fast as we would have liked. In contrast, our new hosting service has a reputation for exceptional customer support, with 24/7 availability and a team that is dedicated to resolving issues quickly. This means our clients will experience fewer disruptions and quicker resolutions if problems arise.

The Benefits of the New Hosting Service

We carefully selected our new hosting provider to offer key improvements in several areas, and we’re confident that these changes will translate to a better experience for all users of the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s digital resources.

Improved Performance and Speed

One of the most noticeable benefits of the new hosting service will be improved performance. Faster load times and more efficient course delivery will enhance the user experience, particularly for those accessing courses on mobile devices or slower internet connections. This upgrade will ensure that all users can access our content seamlessly, whether they are downloading course materials, watching videos, or participating in live webinars.

Enhanced Security Features

The new hosting provider is equipped with cutting-edge security protocols, including advanced firewalls, secure socket layer (SSL) encryption, and frequent security audits. These measures will safeguard client data from hacking attempts and unauthorized access. Additionally, our new provider offers secure payment gateways, adding another layer of protection for those purchasing our courses or other products.

Scalability for Future Growth

Our new hosting service is designed to scale with us as we continue to grow. Whether we add new courses, integrate new technologies like virtual classrooms, or expand our offerings, this hosting provider will allow us to do so seamlessly. This means we won’t outgrow our platform anytime soon, and we can focus on expanding the quality of our services without worrying about technical limitations.

Improved User Interface and Accessibility

The platform we’ve chosen offers a more intuitive user interface, making it easier for clients to navigate the site and access the resources they need. We’ll be improving site navigation until the first of the year, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re enrolling in a new course, tracking your progress, or downloading materials, the experience will be smoother and more user-friendly. Additionally, the new hosting service offers enhanced accessibility features, ensuring that our courses are easy to use for individuals with disabilities or those who rely on assistive technology.

What This Means for You

For our current students and clients, the transition to the new hosting platform will be smooth and seamless. We’ve worked closely with the new provider to ensure that no data or progress will be lost during the transition, and you will not need to re-register or recreate your accounts. You can continue accessing your courses as usual, and any changes will be communicated clearly through email and our website. There may be brief outages during low-traffic times, but these will be announced in the blog should they occur.

In terms of user experience, you can expect faster load times, better security, and improved reliability. Our goal is to make your learning journey as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, and we believe this new hosting service will help us achieve that goal.

Looking Ahead

This switch to a new hosting service is just one part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s offerings. As we look ahead, we are committed to continuing our tradition of providing high-quality, accessible education and resources in the field of mindful ecotherapy. Whether you’re a returning student or new to our center, we’re confident that the improvements to our platform will enrich your learning experience.

Thank you for your continued support as we make this transition. We’re excited about the opportunities this new hosting service will provide, and we look forward to growing with you in the years to come.

Posted on by

NOW AVAILABLE! Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy in Clinical Practice

Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy in Clinical Practice Online Homestudy Course
  • Target Audience: Mental Health Professionals
  • Online Home Study Continuing Education Hours: 20 (Twenty)
PURCHASE COURSE

Course Description

This self-paced online course offers a comprehensive introduction to Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy (SEAT), a unique therapeutic approach that integrates mindfulness, nature-based practices, and creative expression.

Participants will explore the foundational principles of both sandtray therapy and eco-art therapy, learning how to blend these modalities to create powerful interventions for clients in clinical settings. Through case studies, illustrations, and practical exercises, students will gain hands-on experience in facilitating SEAT interventions, promoting emotional healing, self-awareness, and personal growth.

We will also look at the history of sandtray therapy and eco-art therapy, list materials used for each, and discuss multiple interventions with Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy that may be used with your clients.

Finally, we will delve into the ethical and legal issues unique to the practice of Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy.

Ideal for therapists, counselors, and mental health professionals seeking to enhance their practice with eco-therapeutic tools.

The course is based on the textbook, Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy in Clinical Practice by Charlton Hall, MMFT, PhD and includes a pdf copy of the textbook plus several course documents that may be used in your clinical practice.

Privacy Policy | Refund and Returns Policy | Terms and Conditions

Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy in Clinical Practice Course Information Packet

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to

  • Explain the core principles, techniques, and benefits of using sandtray in therapeutic settings.
  • Discuss how nature-based art practices can enhance emotional expression and mindfulness.
  • Explain how to combine these two modalities into a cohesive therapeutic approach.
  • Create a healing environment that supports SEAT interventions.
  • Describe how mindfulness and nature connection enhance the effectiveness of SEAT.
  • Explain and facilitate the structure and flow of SEAT sessions, from initial assessment to closure.
  • Fully implement SEAT interventions, including preparation, facilitation, and processing.
  • Implement and facilitate a variety of interventions designed for different client needs and therapeutic goals.
  • Describe and discuss real-world applications of SEAT with diverse populations and clinical settings.
  • Utilize methods for tracking progress and measuring the effectiveness of SEAT interventions.
  • Address the ethical implications and cultural sensitivities involved in SEAT practice.
  • Explain some of the cutting-edge developments and potential future trends in Sandtray Eco-Art Therapy.

Instructor Qualifications and Contact Information

This course was created by Charlton Hall, MMFT, PhD.

Charlton Hall, MMFT, PhD

Charlton Hall, MMFT, PhD is a former Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor and a former Registered Play Therapy Supervisor (now retired from both those roles).

In 2008 he was awarded a two-year post-graduate fellowship through the Westgate Training and Consultation Network to study mindfulness and ecotherapy. His chosen specialty demographic at that time was Borderline Personality Disorder.

Dr. Hall has been providing training seminars on mindfulness and ecotherapy since 2007 when he founded what would become the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC, and has been an advocate for education in ecotherapy and mindfulness throughout his professional career, serving on the South Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy’s Board of Directors as Chair of Continuing Education from 2012 to 2014.

He served as the Chair of Behavioral Health for ReGenesis Health Care from 2014 to 2016 and trained all the medical staff in suicide risk assessment and prevention during his employment at that agency.

Dr. Hall is also a trained SMART Recovery Facilitator and served as a Volunteer Advisor in South Carolina for several years.

Dr. Hall’s area of research and interest is using Mindfulness and Ecotherapy to facilitate acceptance and change strategies within a family systemic framework, and he has presented research at several conferences and seminars on this and other topics.

Click here for instructor contact information

Click here to see a biography and summary of credentials for the Instructor

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7022. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

All course materials for this online home study continuing education course are evidence-based, with clearly defined learning objectives, references and citations, and post-course evaluations. Upon request a copy of this information and a course description containing objectives, course description, references and citations will be given to you for your local licensing board.

All of our courses and webinars contain course objectives, references, and citations as a part of the course materials; however, it is your responsibility to check with your local licensure board for suitability for continuing education credit.

No warranty is expressed or implied as to approval or suitability for continuing education credit regarding jurisdictions outside of the United States or its territories.

If a participant or potential participant would like to express a concern about his/her experience with the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, NBCC ACEP #7022, he/she may call or e-mail at (864) 384-2388 or chuck@mindfulecotherapy.com. Emails generally get faster responses.

You may also use the contact form below.

Although we do not guarantee a particular outcome, the individual can expect us to consider the complaint, make any necessary decisions and respond within 24 to 48 hours.

Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Refund and Return Policy

Be informed when new courses are added –

subscribe to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s monthly newsletter.