Loose Leaf Notes

– The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on November 25, 2015 

Sun filled the main hall for a Ceremonial Day of Gratitude at the Blue Ridge Center for Chinese Medicine (BRCCM) on Saturday November 7. The all day event was open and free to the public and included community singing and dancing, guided meditations, prayer flag making, a biodynamic farming workshop, a poetry reading, children’s storytelling, a potluck feast and more.

The idea behind the event was to set aside a day from work and to create time for the sacred, said event organizer Naomi Crews. “We wanted to give thanks for the land and for the community that supports us.” Speaking about the center’s Appalachian Medicinal Herb Growers Consortium (AMHGC), of which Crews is a team member, she said, “We’re doing a big farm operation that we want to keep spirit centered.”

The non-profit center, which is about 12 minutes from town, operates the AMHGC, a Chinese medicinal herb growing production, under the direction of David Grimsley. The center also provides healthcare based on Chinese Medicine and offers classes in internal martial arts. Amy Avery was recently hired to help with administration, promotion, and record and data tracking for the medicinal herb program.

Crews described a blissful early morning scene on the Day of Gratitude. BRCCM acupuncturist and herbalist Nile Bachman was doing Auricular Acupuncture, a five point protocol used to treat ailments like anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, ADHD and addictions. Ashera Rose from the Anahata community was facilitating a crystal bowl sound meditation. Another woman was playing guitar and softly singing, while others were doing Reiki (a hands on healing art).

Later, as more families with children arrived, the center filled with activity. Some children played outside and made prayer flags.   People toured the herb gardens or attended an Exploring Biodynamic Farming workshop in the barn, led by Mark New Moon and Adam Fisher, an AMHGC team herb gardener. Highlights of the afternoon included community singing and Dances of Universal Peace (also known as Sufi Dancing), which combines singing and folk dancing as a spiritual practice.

As many as 100 people came. Some stayed all day and others came and went as they wanted.   There were four cars from Charlottsville, someone came from Lexington and a group came from Roanoke. The attendance was multigenerational. Crews noted that people appreciated the practical skills offered, as well as the fellowship, ceremony and those “connections with each other that blossom later.”

“I couldn’t have planned a day like that,” she said.   “All I did was invite people to offer their gifts and we set up a schedule for that.   Nobody charged for anything. Everyone gave of their time.”   – Colleen Redman

Post notes:   Area residents can visit the center’s mobile Acupuncture Pain Relief Clinic at the June Bug Center every Wednesday from 10.m. to 4 p.m. for sliding fee of $15 – 40 (call 540-651-2682 for appointments) or their Donation-based Community Acupuncture Walk-in Clinic every Wednesday from 6 – 7 p.m. For class schedules and event go to the BRCCM webpage at www.brccm.org or visit them Facebook.

______Our World Tuesday