01/01/2018
Happy New Years!!! Today John and I started our morning with a beautiful yoga practice. My intention for the new year is to view my journey as the destination. Finding joy and gratitude in every day.
Happy New Years!!! Today John and I started our morning with a beautiful yoga practice. My intention for the new year is to view my journey as the destination. Finding joy and gratitude in every day.
12/25/2017
Merry Christmas! Last night it started to snow for the first time this year, which is unusual for our home in Utah. We usually get snow in late October. John spent the morning shoveling the drive and the mini-ramp before heading to the annual Bethers' Christmas breakfast. He has also updated the snow park features for Sundance and in the past, they would already be up at the resort ready to ride. They are sitting on a trailer in the yard ready to go just waiting. It’s turning out to be a warm and dry winter though. Pray for snow!
Merry Christmas! Last night it started to snow for the first time this year, which is unusual for our home in Utah. We usually get snow in late October. John spent the morning shoveling the drive and the mini-ramp before heading to the annual Bethers' Christmas breakfast. He has also updated the snow park features for Sundance and in the past, they would already be up at the resort ready to ride. They are sitting on a trailer in the yard ready to go just waiting. It’s turning out to be a warm and dry winter though. Pray for snow!
12/24/2017
Like so many of the Sanskrit mantras, the word ‘Gnarnia’ does not hold a literal meaning for me, rather it is synonymous for home, realizing one’s potential, clarity, healing, and love that is unconditional. Like the timeless story of Narnia, Gnarnia with a ‘G’ comes with it’s own tale of struggle and triumph. It can get a little gnarly around here sometimes.
The Gnarnia website has sat for years without much love, so I decided to use the Gnarnia space to share ideas and haps of the Bethers’ compound and our experiences outside of this happy bubble. John creates his ramps and other art pieces. Through his commissions, he has selflessly provided the means for my training to become a doctor. So here is our story for your reading entertainment.
First year of medical school was super weird. Leaving Gnarnia to pursue training to be a doctor in another state was tough. Change has always been an uncomfortable concept because it is the unknown, but necessary for growth. It is through the struggle that some of the best things manifest… the attainment of knowledge, talents, and experiences that are cherished the most. Nobody wants to read a story that lacks struggle to overcome. It is with this idea, that I move forward with hope and joy for the journey.
I am studying to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine in Washington state. Osteopathic medicine is the art and practice of healing, with the philosophy of 4 tenets as stated by the AOA as being:
1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
When I graduate, I will be able to diagnose, prescribe, and even perform surgery if I so choose. The western minded doctor I initially wanted to become, may not be where I want my journey to take me. Hopefully I’ll find more clarity in my 3rd year rotations, but today I am drawn to becoming a healer that utilizes a more alternative approach to medicine, as opposed to the prescription drugs and surgery to treat chronic conditions.
This realization came after my first year of med school. Standing for long periods of time in anatomy lab produced significant back pain. I have severe scoliosis and at the age of 14 had a 12-level spinal fusion, with 2-fourteen inch rods attached to my spine. I’ve managed the pain with NSAIDs and was living off these over the counter meds last year. The more I learned about the side-effects of these seemingly ‘safe’ drugs, the more I realized I needed to find a better way to turn down the pain. Through osteopathic manipulative therapy provided by my classmates, personal meditation and yoga practices, I was able to make it through my 1st semester of 2nd year only having to use the Ibuprophen 3-times! I want to be able to share this with others who might be experiencing similar pain and see if the results are reproducible for my future patients.
Like so many of the Sanskrit mantras, the word ‘Gnarnia’ does not hold a literal meaning for me, rather it is synonymous for home, realizing one’s potential, clarity, healing, and love that is unconditional. Like the timeless story of Narnia, Gnarnia with a ‘G’ comes with it’s own tale of struggle and triumph. It can get a little gnarly around here sometimes.
The Gnarnia website has sat for years without much love, so I decided to use the Gnarnia space to share ideas and haps of the Bethers’ compound and our experiences outside of this happy bubble. John creates his ramps and other art pieces. Through his commissions, he has selflessly provided the means for my training to become a doctor. So here is our story for your reading entertainment.
First year of medical school was super weird. Leaving Gnarnia to pursue training to be a doctor in another state was tough. Change has always been an uncomfortable concept because it is the unknown, but necessary for growth. It is through the struggle that some of the best things manifest… the attainment of knowledge, talents, and experiences that are cherished the most. Nobody wants to read a story that lacks struggle to overcome. It is with this idea, that I move forward with hope and joy for the journey.
I am studying to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine in Washington state. Osteopathic medicine is the art and practice of healing, with the philosophy of 4 tenets as stated by the AOA as being:
1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
When I graduate, I will be able to diagnose, prescribe, and even perform surgery if I so choose. The western minded doctor I initially wanted to become, may not be where I want my journey to take me. Hopefully I’ll find more clarity in my 3rd year rotations, but today I am drawn to becoming a healer that utilizes a more alternative approach to medicine, as opposed to the prescription drugs and surgery to treat chronic conditions.
This realization came after my first year of med school. Standing for long periods of time in anatomy lab produced significant back pain. I have severe scoliosis and at the age of 14 had a 12-level spinal fusion, with 2-fourteen inch rods attached to my spine. I’ve managed the pain with NSAIDs and was living off these over the counter meds last year. The more I learned about the side-effects of these seemingly ‘safe’ drugs, the more I realized I needed to find a better way to turn down the pain. Through osteopathic manipulative therapy provided by my classmates, personal meditation and yoga practices, I was able to make it through my 1st semester of 2nd year only having to use the Ibuprophen 3-times! I want to be able to share this with others who might be experiencing similar pain and see if the results are reproducible for my future patients.