It’s August 27^th, 2010 and today is the anniversary of my beloved Mother’s passing. It’s not an easy day for me… and this could very easily be a real downer for the topic of my blog. But the truth is I see it a day to celebrate her life, and mine.  I have also come to realize that by sharing my (our) grief, by telling the story of my (our) grief, I can come to understand it’s power of transformation. This, too, is something to celebrate.

My mother passed away after a long battle with cancer. While her struggle with the disease and the attending pain was devastating, the drawn out nature of her passing offered the unexpected gift of time to make sure all had been said, shared, and tenderly held. When I received a call from my father giving me the news that mother had been given a prognosis of “3-6 months”, the inevitable screeched into my mind, and all fantasies of dramatic recoveries were over.  I was sitting on the back porch of a friends’ home.  At the precise minute that I hung up the phone with my father, frozen with disbelief, poised to explode into tears, a hummingbird arrived, buzzing right up next to me, mere inches from my face.

Native American wisdom, which is a part of my personal spiritual practice, speaks of the “medicine” of animals. According to this belief, each animal has great wisdom, or medicine, to impart. It is said that Hummingbird conjures love as no other medicine does, and that Hummingbird feathers can open the heart.  Without an open and loving heart, you can’t drink deeply of the ‘nectar of the flower’, the great joys of life.

My mother loved life. Like a Hummingbird darting from one beautiful flower to another, she tasted the many joys of life. She brought people together and brought out the very best in them.  Harmony and beauty were her gifts to all of us. She had loads of Hummingbird medicine to share.

In that split second when I received the call and the hummingbird came, I had this strange glimmer of recognition that there was going to be a gift of beauty and joy for me. And somewhere inside me, I could have clearly articulated that, even in that moment.

My mother did not see 6 months, or even 3. She died 24 days later. I was with her in that tremendously painful and overwhelmingly beautiful moment. A precious gift.  The grief that engulfed me after her death became my great teacher.  Wise, unyielding, paradisiacal. She was my best friend in life, and her death broke my heart – but a broken heart is an open heart. 

I descended into grief, but slowly, ever so slowly, I ascended, with a deeper appreciation for the joys of life, for the gifts she gave me, in life, through her illness, and in her death.

In honor of my Mother, and the Hummingbird medicine that we now both have, I’ve hung a hummingbird feeder on my back porch. As I write, there are 2 beautiful Hummingbirds feeding.

Rev. Sandra Bargman
Spiritual Counseling
Meditation & Guided Imagery
Oriens Community Leader


Need to talk or work something through? Rev. Sandra can help!

As a woman who has breast cancer survivors in her family, it is very important for me to stay up to date on all of the research that is out there; as well as keep educate myself and my patients about the importance of breast health and self examination.

I recently came across an article on a research study conducted to see if acupuncture could help with the side effects of medications taken to treat of breast cancer. Many women may opt to have a lumpectomy, lumpectomy with radiation or in some cases chemotherapy, but others do have the choice to go with medications – a treatment course which can cause side effects similar to menopausal symptoms. I remember speaking with a nurse several years ago at Sloan-Kettering in NYC and she shared that, at that time, there were not many things they could prescribe or suggest for menopausal symptoms – which can include heat flashes, sweating and fatigue.

When my own Mother underwent breast cancer surgery, one of the first things she was prescribed was Effexor to help curb her hot flashes. What we know now is that acupuncture can help curb hot flashes just as well as medications, and without any side effects.

“Treatments for breast cancer can lead to unpleasant side effects for most women, including hot flashes, sweating and lack of energy.  Now, new research suggests relief can come from an unconventional therapy — acupuncture.

Research from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s annual meeting in Boston, studied acupuncture use among 47 women who were receiving anti-estrogen treatments, including tamoxifen or anastrozole (Arimidex). The drugs are known to lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence, but they can trigger menopause-like symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. Half the women were given the antidepressant Effexor, which has been shown to reduce hot flashes in breast cancer patients. The other half received acupuncture therapy once or twice a week during the 12-week study.

The acupuncture sessions worked just as well as the antidepressant Effexor to curb hot flashes. Women who received acupuncture also reported fewer side effects and more energy, and some reported an increased sex drive, compared to women who used Effexor, the study showed.”

Dr. Eleanor M. Walker, the Director of Breast Radiation Oncology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said that while she expected to see some benefits from acupuncture, the results were surprising: “I was surprised by the duration of the effect. I didn’t realize it would last so long or result in an increase in sex drive and energy. That was a surprise.”

To read the full NY Times article, please click here.

Sharon Wyse, MS, L.Ac
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation

I have always believed in the integration of Eastern and Western modalities in our healthcare system and hope that it is a pathway that progresses in our near future.  If you or anyone you know is suffering from menopausal symptoms you are not alone, and we are here to help!

To schedule an appointment with one of our acupuncturists, massage therapists, nutritional counselors or spiritual counseling, please call 212-213-5785. We look forward to helping you on your journey to health.

Walking home to the subway a few days ago, I overheard a woman laughing hysterically. This laugh was so contagious, so over the top, so absolutely beautiful that I found myself smiling with a little chuckle as I walked down the stairs into the subway. On my ride home I started thinking... what’s happened to our laughter?

Is it that as we grow older we laugh less? Do we find things not as silly as we did because of all the added stressors in our lives? Does our laugh change as we grow up? Is it our laugh at all?

I feel as though I laugh a lot, but not as nearly as much as I would like – so I’ve started an exercise that I will continue to do every morning...  laughing therapy.

This morning before I got into the shower, I stood looking at my disheveled hair-do in the mirror, I stared smiling, and then laughing for one full minute. One minute may not seem like a long time, but standing there just laughing for 60 seconds definitely made me look crazy. The sillier it looked, however, the more I laughed, and by the time I left my apartment for the day I felt lighter, happier and well, just giddy...

I remember reading a quote from Voltaire some time back that read:  “God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.”   It’s so true.....

Think of the contagious kind of laughter babies have. When we see a baby laughing, nobody says, 'Doesn't that baby have a wonderful sense of humor?' They simply laugh without being embarrassed or self-conscious. So don’t be afraid to let your own laugh come from a deep place, the deeper the place; the stronger the laugh.

We all need laughter in our lives – no scratch that – we all DESERVE laughter in our lives. So wake up your mornings with laughter....even just 60 seconds a day can change your world...


To learn more about natural remedies and how acupuncture can optimize YOUR health and energy and natural immune system, please call to schedule an appointment at Oriens Healing Sanctuary 212-213-5785

Sharon Wyse, MS, L.Ac
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation

For the first thirty years of life, it’s likely that most of us don’t give menopause a second thought. We’re too busy growing – mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and certainly physically to spend much time considering what our body’s journey will be later in life. Somewhere in our late thirties, however, we begin to know in a deep way that menopause is part of our path. For many women this inspires worry … and fear. Fear around aging, around changes in our bodies and lives, in our sexuality and our identity.

We can have confidence though, because one thing that women experience all of our lives, is change. Our bodies are NEVER stagnant. Our hormonal bodies are always shifting – and menopause is just one of those shifts. In fact, peri-menopause and menopause are a gift of change for women.  If we are at our strongest and most confident, we will know that menopause is not a loss at all – rather, it is the recall of the self.

As we hit puberty, our bodies naturally prepare for motherhood – and they sustain that role for a long time. This is embodied – built into our DNA – mapped into us genetically. There’s no judgment about whether we have a family – or a child. It is simply how our bodies guide our journey. Our bodies (and perhaps even our souls) have a map that says that the years in between puberty and menopause are focused on the “nature” of mothering – to be loving and caring – to be focused on others. We see again and again that this is true for us, as a species of women, whether we have children or not. We are the growers of humanity.

Later, when we reach menopause and begin to experience the end of our menstrual periods, we are at an age where our identity begins to shift away from “others” and back to our own process. Our bodies themselves are no longer focused on “mothering” (or finding mates) – our map shifts – and we are once again connecting with self. THIS TIME in our lives is a huge opportunity for a renewed spirituality. Why?  Because spirituality takes TIME and focus. Two things we do not have when we are focused on being the growers of humanity and mothering the universe around us.

Trust me, menopause and peri-menopause should not BE frightening. Yes, this is a period of change (no pun intended), but it can be a time of great laughter and freedom. Our autonomy and power become very apparent to us. As empowered women, we have a renewed freedom from the “roles” that are put on us by others or society. While we might have been tied down by approval in our 20’s and 30’s, this is definitely released as we approach menopause.  We are attractive for US.  We are alluring for US.  We are engaging for US.  It is no longer about others:  a mate, a partner, our children, our obligations.  

Don’t be fearful – be THRILLED! We often achieve great things in the years of menopause. Gifted with time, a renewed focus on self, and LIFE EXPERIENCE, we soar to new heights in life – we begin our own businesses or create amazing new careers, we finish (or even start) our education, we write that book, we take that trip.

USE this time to claim your life and spirituality anew. Rediscover your body. In peri-menopause or menopause our bodies need a new kind of tender loving care and respect. Consider yoga to stay peaceful and fit at this time especially – and Maya Abdominal Massage to gently guide your body through its process – increasing vital blood flow to organs and maximizing hormonal health. Most of all, embrace this time. It is YOUR time – and while every moment in our lives IS ours, we are finally empowered enough to know it – body and soul. 

Simone Burgos, LMT
Maya Abdominal Massage

Honor Your Sacred Body with Maya Abdominal Massage

Simone Burgos is a Certified Arvigo Practitioner, bringing the wisdom of the ancient Mayan tradition to the West. “How amazing I feel after a fresh flower, life, leaves takes away all of the burden of the day, of the week. And cleanses my aura.” 

I think the word is finally out that meditation is not an “out there” activity or a disruptor of religious or spiritual beliefs!  Meditation is such a stress reducer - calm inducer that someone told me recently they know of a law firm that installed a meditation room and gives their staff lessons!  How far we’ve come!

Even 5 years ago, when I would bring up meditation as a suggestion to my SuperWomen and fertility patients I work with, you could see my credibility factor lose a few points by the subtle look of, “Is she nutty?” float by in their expression.

But now when I bring it up, their question isn’t about the validity of meditation, it’s HOW to do it. 

Meditation is so EASY! I can hear you readers thinking already, “Are you kidding? My mind jumps around like popcorn and my skin starts crawling within 10 seconds of starting!” My response to that is,”You are making it too difficult – holding yourself to some image you have of what meditation ‘should’ be.”  Take heart, fellow SuperWomen, everyone’s mind goes bonkers with to-do lists and worries,  and brews fantasies like a bad soap opera.  Everyone faces the “I can’t do it” feeling. Trust me, a life-changing, energizing, happy-making breakthrough comes when we say, “Oh, I guess I’m like everyone else. This is normal. Now I can relax and stop trying so hard.” 

When we give ourselves a break and allow humor—I mean these thoughts are so random and the planning and plotting is so predictable—then we’re getting somewhere. 

Sometimes I actually break out laughing when I clue in to how my mind has been wandering and bring it on back to whatever my focus is.  Laughter is SO good for you. That burst of nitric oxide and the relaxation ride of laughter—that’s why they say, “Laughter is the best medicine!”

Back to how EASY meditation is. For example, I was just meditating before starting to write this blog. What was I doing? I was sitting on my patio up in the Hudson Valley, where my weekend home is.  I was thinking of my deceased grandma because I was sitting on HER fabulous patio furniture, on which I’d had many a family meal.  I was reminiscing and feeling gratitude for her. 

From that place of gratitude I started meditating. That is to say, I started feeling the wind and sun on my skin, hearing the breeze and the birds and locusts, staring out and being fascinated by the grass and leaves moving…in other words, tapping into the sounds, sights and sensations of my environment.  Feeling myself sit on the chair. I moved peacefully out of my goal-driven mind and into my present circumstance—observing it, being part of it.  Relaxation overtakes me. My body starts melting into a state of high awareness and deep calm simultaneously. I see, hear and sense everything, but analyze nothing. My breathing slows. When a thought pops into view, I simply say to myself, “Thanks, I’ll remember to get to that later,” and I go back to enjoying the sensual bounty I’m experiencing.  I’m meditating, by golly!

A few minutes later I come back to my more normal “what’s going on and what do I need to do” brainwave frequency.  But I feel different. I know more.  By that I mean, what solutions wouldn’t come to me when I was trying so hard, I often realize that I know the answers now. Universal wisdom snuck in there when I wasn’t looking.

Did I mention that all my breakthroughs, best ideas and insights come after my morning meditation each day, or in the shower, or after exercise? Letting the mind go and being supremely present to sensation—that’s meditation! Anyone can do it – believe me, It sure ain’t about sitting cross-legged, thought-free and chanting. (Although the deeper you go with meditation, the more these ancient techniques become appealing and lead you into the juicy stuff!) 

Meditation is there for you anytime, anywhere. You can change your day, your minute, your attitude, your happiness quotient in short order.  I personally do a quickie one-minute game changer at least 3 times in my work day….especially when I feel anger coming on or anxiety setting in.  We’re busy. We’re managing a lot. Life is not a controlled process. 

Meditation helps you ride the rough rapids and enriches the easy floats.

WOW.  …as I typed that last bit, finishing this blog, a dragon fly lit on my hand! I stopped momentarily and got to see the intricacies of its body and wings. 

Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac., CEFP, Founder and Director of Oriens

If you are ready to begin a deeper experience with meditation, Oriens is here to support you completely.  Our Yoga and Meditation Expert, Christina Pearce, provides two expert services over the phone that can get anyone started with meditation.

Through her Meditation and Creative Visualization Call, you learn and deepen your ability to refresh and rejuvenate your mind. This is a mind-body coaching call to explore one-on-one, heart-to-heart. Tap into your joy and your Self. In addition, Christina has created a powerful Mantra and Personal Affirmations Call, guiding you to creating and experiencing the power of mantra and affirmations in your practice and your life.

I’m Dutch, German and Irish— so how could I not be a potato freak?  I like them roasted and scalloped, baked, mashed and stuffed, au gratin, steamed, grated, parboiled, plain and in any sauce served.  And of course, as chips and fries.

My dad likes to joke that if I’m ever autopsied, they’ll find chips.

Segue to my professional life in women’s health….gynecology and reproductive health, fertility, body image, eating issues and women’s identity concerns, aging. 

I once had a dream that I was lying on a gurney outside an operating room in a hospital with hundreds of IV’s leading out of my arm transporting my blood into the OR where women were giving birth and having miraculous recoveries.  This doctor comes out of the OR and says, “I need a sample of your blood. I want to know what’s in it that’s making all these women well.”  So he comes back with his report and shows it to me and tells me my bloodwork is perfect except for one thing:  I’m high in potatoes.

My husband loves this dream. He says it’s my conscience playing with me when I’m overboard on the chips.  He says I hold my chip bag like its gold bullion, protecting it lest anyone try to wrest it from me.

So what if chips and fries have evil hydrogenated oils, which are not only carcinogens but contribute to neurodegeneration—both of which relate to arachidonic acid metabolism and tumor initiation.  Once you know anything about fried food, it’s kind of hard to choose it on the menu.  And Did I mention artery clogging?

I’m good with the fries. It’s the chips that undo me.  Even if you can dismiss the hidden health risks from your mind in a chip-fever, there’s still what I call the “butt-enhancing” effect.   Potatoes are in the same category as pasta and bread:  in the mouth, straight to the thighs.

So as my incredible assistant – Liz—and I were trying to assuage our guilt around this afternoon’s butt-enhancing, cancer risking, artery clogging, brain degenerating snack, she turned to me and said, “We’ll just have to take the karmic view, it might be killing us now, but we’ll live again.”

Belly laughs between us.

At Oriens we layer the 80/20 rule with the Pleasure Principle when it comes to food.  80 percent of the time you make choices that build your health and a super solid foundation that can’t be rocked by anything you do with that other 20 percent.  The Pleasure Principle states that food and eating should be enjoyable…pleasure is a nutrient.  So when Kathryn Flynn builds the Oriens Weight Optimization programs or her Hormone Balance meal plans, or develops any kind of Nutrition protocol for our clients, she’s always making sure you will LOVE your food.

For me, potatoes are here to stay…and are a staple on my 20% list.  Yum!

Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac., CEFP, Founder and Director of Oriens

PS:  Although I am a big advocate of 80/20 – remember what the 80 really means. Attend to your nutrition, and exercise, and choose a lifestyle that reduces stress and  entertains all the feelings and identity shifts around this issue and this time of one’s life.  (At Oriens, we always feature the Big 4 of self care: Nutrition, Acupuncture, MAM, and Spiritual Counseling.) And LOVE the 20 – it’s a vital part of THIS amazing life!

About Elizabeth Carpenter:  I maintain an ongoing dialogue with collaborators, mentors and role models in my commitment to women’s health and women’s issues. Specialties: Patient Evaluation & Program Planning, Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, Bowen Therapy, Natural Facelift Alternatives

I was out at my mother and father's house recently and noticed that my Mom had lemon thyme plants growing in the backyard, right in front of the back door that leads into the house. My mom explained that the lemon thyme works as a natural mosquito repellent and that every time she goes to sit in the backyard, she takes a few leaves, bruises them by crushing them in her hand, and then places the essence from the leaves around her ankles, knees, elbows and shoulders. Amazing, right?

There are other natural plants that act as mosquito repellents, such as Lavender, Rose Geranium, Lemon Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, and Citronella, which can be found in most health food stores. If you don't have a back garden or any place to grow these plants, I would advise buying natural sprays, lotions or candles from your local health food store.

Other tips to avoid getting bit by mosquito’s are:

• Avoid dark clothing (dark clothes and foliage are initial attractants).
  
  
• Avoid floral or fruity fragrances (perfumes, hair products, and scented sunscreens, also watch for floral fragrance from fabric softeners).
  
  
• Avoid staying near standing water. (Even small amounts of water, for example: moist plants or mud puddles will draw mosquitoes. Standing water also allows mosquitoes to reproduce.)
  
  
• Avoid excessive perspiration. (Humans release more lactic acid when we’ve been exercising or after eating certain foods, for example: salty foods and high-potassium foods.)

Keep in mind that 'natural' does not automatically imply 'safe'. Many people are sensitive to plant oils.  So, while natural repellents provide an alternative to synthetic chemicals, please remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using these (and all) products.

To read more about natural mosquito repellants, please click here.

To learn more about natural remedies and how acupuncture can optimize YOUR health and energy and natural immune system, please call to schedule an appointment at Oriens Healing Sanctuary 212-213-5785

Sharon Wyse, MS, L.Ac
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation

I’ve always loved cardinals. They are one of the few birds that stay north the winter time. When the landscape is gray and white, the bright red color of the male cardinal is stunning and exotic and always takes my breath away.  At my home in the Catskill Mountains, we’ve had a gorgeous pair hanging around our home for a few years now.

Last February, I watched as the male started to feel his mating mojo and began a very curious ritual. He would sit in the bushes by the kitchen window and fly into the window, over and over again, banging his beak into the glass.  Amazed that he was not hurting himself, my husband told me Mr. Cardinal may be seeing his own reflection in the glass, and, thinking it was another male, simply defending his woman – and his little piece of the world. Every morning we would awaken to the thumping of his beak into the kitchen window.  It was loud! As time went by, his little ritual expanded to include flinging himself into the window by our bed and then, even more creatively, the rear view mirrors on not only my car, but our next door neighbors’ car as well. This bird was crazy!

Well past mating season, and babies fledging, he is still engaged in his daily rounds.  But now, when I hear the thumping on the window, I am oddly comforted. Somewhere over the last months, the bird morphed from being a symbol of crazy confrontation and destructive willfulness, to becoming a symbol of endurance, and therein the power of perseverance.  Rather than seeing his bizarre behavior as a mad response to competition with attack, I began to see this ritual as Mr. Cardinal meeting himself, over and over again, with perseverance, determination and patience.  He went from wacko warrior to Spiritual Warrior. Yes, the beat, beat, beat of his beak reminds me of the beat of my own Inner Amazon Warrior.

Physically, I understand endurance. The “no pain no gain” theory.  But I’m talking about a much larger sense of endurance – the spiritual quality of endurance. When I stumble and disconnect from my own sense of endurance, I can become mighty impatient and confrontational, mostly with myself

If we view life as something to willfully confront, to control and manipulate, then we are like my Crazy Cardinal, banging into a perceived illusion of competition and attack.  When we accept our life as it is, though, we awaken endurance, and we begin to use this new found sense of determination to strengthen our self-respect and self-love.  We become like my Warrior Cardinal, perpetually coming back to Self, meeting ourselves where we are, with perseverance and loving patience. It is from this place of self honoring that we can begin to make the choices needed to change our lives.

This is how we transcend our limitations.

Endurance is enhanced by a deep sense of gratitude for Life, for the gift of your Life and for the gift of being You.  Yes, gratitude…and patience.

Rev. Sandra Bargman
Spiritual Counseling
Meditation & Guided Imagery
Oriens Community Leader


Need to talk or work something through? Rev. Sandra can help!

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of Spirit.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability---and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually--let them grow,
Let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only Source could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Give the Divine the benefit of believing that her hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

By Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, (with minor adaptations)

This is a question I’ve asked about a thousand times since I met Elizabeth Carpenter in San Francisco a few months ago. Oriens provides amazing expertise around women’s services – especially fertility and hormonal imbalance (which I fall into, being peri-menopausal). 

They also provide a world of other services, however, that lay a foundation for self care. That is what I think an Oriens Woman REALLY is, we are a class of society who embraces that self-care is the core of success. Self-care means we embrace enough confidence, peace of mind and well being (not in that order necessarily) to create great things and inspire great people.

That’s a great idea in the abstract, isn’t it? A good affirmation, perhaps: “I create great things and inspire great people.”  But trust me, for an Oriens Woman this is anything but abstract. An Oriens woman makes the TIME to honor her body and her emotional self. Through healing arts like acupuncture, massage, and Chinese Medicine, we explore healing on a much deeper level – allowing ourselves time to be personally attended to in a holistic, life giving way. Maya Abdominal Massage is a primary example of this, since hormonal balance is key to everything we experience and create as women – as fertile goddesses around motherhood – and as women entering menopause and peri-menopause.

As an Oriens Woman we are also always learning. We are not content with the simple answers to things, choosing instead to learn deep core principles and teachings around wellness, nutrition, detoxification, and on and on. Bowen Therapy as a treatment for injuries, pain rehabilitation, stress, relaxation and fatigue is one example of this learning and healing. Bowen is a gentle and non-invasive treatment that subtly moves muscles and connective tissue. Bowen results are often compared to chiropractic, yet there is no cracking or strong manipulation.

Oriens Women honor their peace of mind and power-full spirituality. THIS is the key to all self-care, because without it, nothing else seems to work as well. It is the flow of energy underneath all things – blocked or freely moving. This is where Oriens begins to REALLY stand out as something different in the world of women’s services. Oriens’ Founder, Elizabeth Carpenter has brought in an amazing credentialed expert, Sandra Bargman, to provide mentoring around the toughest things that come up in life. Sandra has created one of the most powerful mentorships around owning our unique voice, brilliance and story that I have ever seen. And when we own and change our story, we change our lives.

Finally, an Oriens woman is BEAUTIFUL. Besides being healthy and cared for and knowledgeable and spiritually powerful, an Oriens woman does NOT let life erode her beauty. Personally, I love every little line around my eyes, they speak of joy and life experience and I love every extra pound on me – they were earned in joy and celebration (and the occasional stress binge). I lovingly release my lines to the universe however. They are gently erased with Cold Laser Therapy and Mehta Facelift Alternatives. And I release those pounds of excess energy through periodic cleanses and weight optimization run by an amazing nutritional counselor, Kathryn Flynn.

Add to this all of this, some amazing movement experts (NIA dance, Private Yoga) and teachings and seminars on every level and you have an Oriens Woman – embracing our power AND our peace is the Oriens philosophy: More of who you are.

Mary Agnes Antonopoulos
Marketing Director

More about becoming an Oriens Woman…  

As Oriens moves into its next phase, creating the first private, by-invitation-only Woman’s Club in New York, I know one more thing about Oriens Women – we dream big and we make it happen. If you’re ready to be part of this experience and to embrace your own self-care, peace of mind, wellness and inspiration, join us.

Membership begins at only $197 per month and includes one full service with an Oriens practitioner; full access to the club itself – offering your own private place of respite in mid-town Manhattan; some of the most exclusive, private women’s networking events in New York; a discount on all Oriens events and services; a wide variety of teachings on all areas of women’s health and wellness; expert discussions – like using web 2.0 to build ourselves, our work and our philanthropic exercises; great neighborhood discounts; and more … and more .. .and more.

Inquire about membership by calling Liz at (212) 213-5785

Today is my birthday. It is a day to celebrate every good thing that would ever come to me!  Every precious friend, every love, every triumph – it all begins on the sacred day of our birth. On that day, for each of us, we are given a sacred, precious, beautiful body to move us through our life journey. It is amazing.

In our lifetime, our eyes will process more images than we can conceive, they look upon great beauty and will share our deepest soul secrets through even the most subtle of glances. They will be the doorways to amazing visions. Our ears will hear music, not only the kind we will dance to, but in the laughter of friends … and children. They will listen to the stories of those we love and they will share with great empathy in the hard times and will allow us to be there in support and friendship. Our mouths will taste great things – magical things. They will drink from the very fountain of life itself – water. Pure and simple and life giving. Our sense of smell will guide us toward amazing gifts of beauty, like flowers, and homemade bread, and the smell of our partner. Scent will also be a doorway to precious memories, long forgotten.

But it is touch that has guided MY life. It has been my gift of healing – to myself and to others. It has been the guiding force in my life – taking me from teacher to teacher, learning hidden and ancient arts – like Maya Abdominal Massage from a Mayan Shaman in Belize. In my native Brazil, I experienced touch modalities and herbs as a way of healing. My experiences with local "sages of the healing arts" gave me an intrinsic knowledge of the connection of all things. The frequent use of plants and herbs, praying and touch, awoke in me the desire to be of help to others and assist with the reawakening of our connection with all life.

I have learned from great institutions, like the Swedish Massage Institute, to share all of my soul through the healing art of touching another human being. We are born to this world in one sacred body, and every time we reach out to touch another person, or even more – when we are open and vulnerable and allow someone to touch us, we participate in that sacred connection.

I have been privileged and used my gifts to support men and women – but especially women. I have supported them through fertility issues and change of life, I have shared my sacred gift of Maya Abdominal Massage with those of us in menopause and those of us in recovery from illness. I have been graced to participate in healing both physically and spiritually. And today, the day that I celebrate my own sacred birth and sacred body, I am filled with gratitude for all of the bodies I have connected with through my journey.

May you spend this one day amazingly aware of YOUR precious body. May you “touch” those around you in meaningful ways. May you remember to allow others to connect with you spiritually – and physically. You are here to connect, and even through this article, I celebrate your connection with me.

Simone Burgos, LMT
Honor Your Sacred Body with Maya Abdominal Massage or
Work with Simone through personal Mayan Wisdom Talks

Simone Burgos is a Certified Arvigo Practitioner, bringing the wisdom of the ancient Mayan tradition to the West.

Allow Simone to guide you in a personal investigation of the link between physical and emotional illness in your life. She will re-introduce the use of healing techniques such as prayer, herbal bathing and incense to make ritual a sacred part of your healing process.

This program includes a 60 minute phone session.

“How amazing I feel after a fresh flower, life, leaves takes away all of the burden of the day, of the week. And cleanses my aura.”