Although hard to diagnose, Lyme disease has become one of the most prevalent illnesses of our modern culture and cases are only continuing to rise. Early symptoms can include rash, fever, headache, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains, swollen lymph nodes and, if left untreated, can lead to increased pain throughout the body, decreased immune-response resulting in nerve issues and irregular heartbeats, and weakness and numbness in the arms & legs. Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi and co-infections most commonly found in the US in the deer tick.
One modality that is helping to relieve symptoms of Lyme is a Japanese lineage of honey bee venom therapy called Hoshindo. This gentle practice brings nearly homeopathic doses of bee venom along the access points on the meridians as understood in east Asian medicine. Working through the energetics of five elements coupled with the powerful medicine of the honey bee can bring profound changes to the body. There are over seventy compounds in bee venom that flush out bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi as well as reduce chronic pain, inflammation and bring balance back to the immune system.
Hoshindo is a way of receiving the medicine of the honey bee with respect and gratitude for the sacrifice of life she is making. The Hoshin practitioner fans the patient with feathers, releasing the residual energy of the day and preparing the physical and energy bodies for the healing ceremony. While engaging in a state of relaxation and receptivity the person who has felt called to receive this sacred experience settles into a calm state while the practitioner calls in the healing energy of Reiki. During the first treatment, the Hoshindo practitioner will check the patients’ sensitivity to the venom while the Reiki is being offered. By the end of the Reiki application the practitioner will have a clear understanding of how well the person is resonating with the bee venom which allows the treatment to be tailored to the individual's needs and the amount of venom to be used to match their sensitivities.
With care, gratitude and great respect the Hoshin Ryoho gathers a live honey bee, who is in her last days of her life cycle, holds her between thumb and forefinger and carefully catches and removes the sting with tweezers. Immediately the Ryoho takes the life of the sweet bee so she doesn't suffer. Meanwhile the sting actively pumps living venom for up to two minutes and the practitioner will bring the sting in contact with the skin in a gentle tapping method. With the barb of the sting barely catching the outer epidermis, the practitioner will work along the meridians, access points and places of imbalance to encourage the body on its healing journey.
In deep relaxation a sense of peace and well being washes over the person as the golden elixir of liquid sunshine washes through the body.
The practitioner now moves to the feet and begins Zokushindo, a Japanese foot massage that acknowledges the entire body is represented in the feet. This helps to incorporate the venom and further relax the body and mind of the recipient. Upon completion of Zokushindo the reiki is closed, the body is again fanned and respect and gratitude is shared with the bees for their sacrifice.
For the person experiencing Lyme and its co-infections, this approach can be very beneficial. Many times the person has been out of balance for quite a while, often years or decades. Often they are feeling depleted, overwhelmed and despairing of any hope.
When we approach the body with respect for its experience, with gentleness and encouragement, the whole system of the body begins working better. The venom and propolis dissolve biofilm and slow down movement and reproduction of the infection. The venom also breaks the cell walls of the bacterial invaders. When using the light touch of the Hoshin approach only the weakest of the infection are killed. This is important because it means that less warning signals are sent which would encourage the bacteria to begin evasive maneuvers. Also, by only taking off the weak edges of the infection we see a more manageable amount of toxins being released from the die-off meaning we lower the likelihood of Herx reaction, which can be very challenging for the person.
With the gentle Hoshindo approach of “less is more” we are able to encourage the body to recover strength and step forward with more surety upon the healing journey. The energetic offering of Reiki and Five Elements bring strength and encouragement to both the physical and energy bodies, while simultaneously the venom dissolves biofilm, removes infection, tones connective tissue, softens calcifications, improves nerve function, reduces inflammation, reduces chronic pain and brings a new lightness to the healing journey and life.
Thank you to the honey bee for your blessings to all of life!