A Veteran’s Healing Oasis

— By Jodi Seidler

Everyone on the planet Earth has stress. It is a fact of everyday life. With some sufferers, stress manifests with relentless headaches.. With others, stress can dramatically affect an individual’s stomach and overall GI tract. The list of physiological effects is truly endless. Now…just think of the psychological effects that veterans experience as they are returning home from war in the Mid-east. In addition to the more readily apparent disabilities, it is estimated that nearly 230,000 returning veterans suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Anyone who experiences trauma of any kind can suffer with PTSD. Both civilians and veterans can experience flashbacks and memories of a traumatic incident— during the day or even transforming dreams into terrifying nightmares. For an affected individual, there is literally no escape from the emotionally startling terror. Stress that is fueled by PTSD is often accompanied by depression, sleep disorders, chronic pain…often resulting in problems with alcohol and substance abuse.

Rhonda, a single mother, began experiencing significant stress after volunteering to serve in the army at the ‘tender’ age of eighteen. Rhonda was deployed to Germany to work during the end of the Vietnam conflict…. essentially thrown from a ‘Leave it to Beaver” lifestyle into an unimaginable state of reality. Stretched beyond anything Rhonda had ever experienced, she was daily pushed to the limit and suffered an extreme level of stress. For Rhonda, it resulted in 1996, with a diagnosed condition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia. After an honorable discharge from the army, Rhonda continued to work for four more long and arduous years. Rhonda’s daily existence involved consuming prescribed medication for her pain, depression and arthritis. Each day, she continued hoping there was more to life after the army than just managing her pain. So she began researching techniques for relaxation and healing, leading her on an odyssey of self-healing. This quest brought her to Heaven and Earth Oasis and healer Valerie Heath.

With Valerie as a guide, Rhonda pursued the understanding of Theta healing. This innovative approach involves getting to the root cause of an individual’s persistent pain. Rhonda began with diet and lifestyle changes. “Meditation was the first thing that helped me. It calmed my body and caused some of the pain to subside. I learned that we create pain from all the traumas that we experience. As I began my soul searching, researching and experimenting different modalities, the teachers and healers showed up – because I was ready. I began trusting the instincts that told me what to do.”

Valerie Heath taught Rhonda more about self healing and the modalities to help her release her stress. Valerie’s personal inquiries through Theta healing created an in-depth healing landscape; knowledge of what would be good as far as supplements and self healing techniques. Rhonda called Valerie Heath “Her Midwife for healing”. Rhonda also enjoyed healing on the BIOMAT – the magnetic surges and infrared heat was “like someone plugged me in and charged me up. With the energy of the BIOMAT and Valerie’s Reiki hands-on healing, the calm and recharged feelings lasted for days. Rhonda emphasized “Valerie’s healing energy, and her ability to really hone in on what I needed to know, and what I needed to hear sped up my healing process. She hits it on the nail when she talks; I have learned so much from her because she is tuned in when you talk to her. Even with a phone call, there is a transference of healing energy. She is one of the healers that really helped me a lot in the last few years. I get to a point and then I hit the wall, and when I can’t get through it – she helps me through…a little door will open. Valerie Heath’s in-house healing birds also helped me in the healing process. After several treatments, I was empowered to get on with my life feeling more whole”.

As far as her own healing practices, Rhonda says “I am becoming a wounded healer myself through my own healing quest. Valerie is providing an opportunity that is really needed, not treating the symptoms – but getting to the root without using drugs of any kind”.

A lot of the veterans from many wars are still living in the past, back in the war…lost. They can’t move on and a lot of their illnesses come from that. With places like Heaven and Earth Oasis, they can begin their healing journey – and learn tools for self-healing. Mediation, supplements, diet changes, Theta healing, Reiki, BIOMAT, yoga, talk therapy…moving through the pain and stress – and not just disguising it with medication. Rhonda agrees, “It’s been a hard journey but everyday I am excited to see what I am going to learn next. Every day something within me is changing”.
As more veterans and holistic practitioners continue to work together, the possibilities for greater healing, pain management and awareness will continue to grow. Imagine a world where veterans possess a healing tool kit of many techniques and modalities to work with, and their own individual treatments can be customized. Heaven and Earth Oasis is a shining example of what is possible!
Valerie Heath
For 20 years Valerie has worked with military groups, such as the Veterans Assistance Network, as a sales consultant for computer products and phone equipment. During this time, she became aware that military veterans need the most help to heal physically and emotionally and was gripped by a determination to do something meaningful for them.
With Valerie Heath’s background and experience using holistic, non-invasive techniques to heal illness, she founded Heaven and Earth Oasis, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3). http://www.heavenandearthoasis.org
The organization is dedicated to healing military personnel by applying an array of established alternative and complementary methods of treatment that work. Many of the methods they employ, such as Reiki, are now successfully incorporated by military organizations to help heal war veterans diagnosed with combat-related illnesses such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Contact Valerie Heath at: Valerie@heavenandearthoasis.org