Today more than ever, thoughtful consideration of methods to increase well-being abound. This most likely reflects our growing awareness and appreciation for the mind-body connection … how a calm, positive and confident mindset can help ease discomfort and pain. My understanding of this is when freed from discomfort, the immune system has an enhanced ability to work toward returning the body to wellness. And this is, certainly, a low range understanding of the dynamic.

I’m interested in different modalities available for both healing and end of life transitioning and so it follows that within my stories, my characters practice some of these methods. It’s amazing at the variety of therapies now available.

In Nardi Point and A Path through the Garden, readers were introduced to holistic nurse practitioners, Reiki bio-energy practitioners, flower essence therapies, folkway health treatments and a very new concept for end of life transitioning, Golden Rooms.

Yellow Pansies in a Blue Cobalt Jar released October 10, 2014. Heroine Rhose Guerin is a bibliotherapist who uses poetry, books and movies in her private practice. Clients in bibliotherapy may find it easier to work out their issues identifying with characters from literature first, before growing self-understanding.

Most recently, I’ve become aware of musicians who serve the ill and dying with live music to facilitate and promote healing or assist in the life/death transition. These musicians offer music therapy in hospice/hospital/home settings. The Mozart Effect, playing music to an unborn child, has been recognized as possibly increasing certain cognitive/spatial skills in a child. For the ill or transitioning, there may be a corresponding affect of the music to increase energy should the patient seem lethargic, or be calming if the patient is restless.

These are fascinating alternative options to explore and they represent many non-invasive, inexpensive, and therapeutic treatments my characters love to investigate!

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