Feeling That Post-Convention Glow

By Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO
AANP President

It is several weeks now since our annual AANP Convention in Tacoma. And, yet, I still feel warmed by it. There is something so incredible about a gathering of hundreds of passionate, intelligent and like-minded people who actually like being with each other. I don’t know if it was the genuine joy that I felt and witnessed as people greeted each other, or the reverence with which we listened to some of our speakers and presenters, or simply the act of sharing good food together… but something makes our convention feel good. Really good. And that good feeling lasts. I still have a little glow emanating from me.

All this makes me realize that despite health care’s highly contentious politics, heartbreaking inequities and confused analysis and repair, there are points of calm amidst this storm. The naturopathic community is one of these and is like a hearth fire. The steady flame that we keep alight draws people towards us. People who are embittered with the cold void of depersonalized healthcare seek us out. We warm them up, remind them of our shared humanity, and give them the gift of optimism and possibility. Some stay with us and our collective grows. Others leave as ambassadors to bring guidance and insight to the great, diverse and rugged terrain of health care.

I realize that this may sound a bit grandiose. I mean, really, how could a profession of thousands, in gatherings of hundreds, possibly influence the world around us in this way? I can’t prove that we do. I believe that we do. In the new physics, we know that there are a multitude of fields around us at all times – most of which are in dimensions that we don’t even know exist. Physics also tells us that every thought, every action and every intention impacts these fields and creates change that affects everything else. Following this same logic, collective intention that is manifested as cohesive action (e.g. our naturopathic convention) has major impact on these fields, becoming a force in the universe. The force of naturopathic medicine – directed, resilient and powerful.

We know our world is in great need and I am deeply grateful for the wisdom and love that the naturopathic profession holds forth. I simply cannot imagine this world without it. And, I have every confidence that we will continue to help shape a better future.

All this from the convention!