Healers and Healing

This is the story of my experiences living as an ex-pat in Mexico since 2003. It's to culminate in a published book. With your help, I'll be editing, selecting a title, and cover art: a participatory project. Your comments encouraged!

Health clinic in Centro of Tepoztlan, Mexico. This is a mainstream medical facility. A large hospital and many specialists are a half hour drive away in Cuernavaca. Mexico City is an hour and a half drive. Photo by Don Karp.

From the regular mainstream practitioners to far out forms of alternative healing and traditional indigenous medicine--you'll find it all, side by side, in Mexico. Mexico is far less regulated than the US, and much less expensive for treatment. For these reasons, many folks from the US come to Mexico for a "medical vacation."

If you are planning on taking a medical or dental vacation to take advantage of lower costs for care, I'd highly advise checking credentials and references first.

In this article, we'll take a look at the plethora of body work centers along the main streets in a video slide show. With photos, you'll see the contrasts of the different types of clinics. And in video interviews, you'll meet some local healers.

This slideshow was made walking down two of the main streets. There are many massage and other healing centers. Video by Don Karp. The sound track is a frequencies meditation for opening of the crown chakra. For more information contact Jim Doney, http://facebook.com/jimdoney.mandalatrece.

Pharmaceuticals or herbs?

The upper image is a generic pharmacy. The lower image is a regular pharmacy, not specializing in generics. Photo by Don Karp.

Mexico offers more choices than the US. Here are photos of different kinds of pharmacies in Centro. There are also stores specializing in herbs, and herbs are for sale in stalls in the market.

Twenty minutes from Tepoztlán is a small village, Amatlán. Amatlán has an herbal clinic.

See the photos and link below.

        The upper image is a generic pharmacy. The lower image is a regular pharmacy, not specializing in                                                                                  generics. Photo by Don Karp.

Herbal clinic in Amatlán. Left is an image of the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl, the deity born here. The                        bottom image shows a waiting room, above it, reception desk. Photo by Don Karp.

This is the mainstream health clinic in Amatlán where pharmaceuticals are prescribed following clinical t                                                                  ests and diagnoses. Photo by Don Karp.

Healers

In the video below, I interview four healers from this area who differ widely in what they offer. From Dra. Lourdes, a general practitioner, and a Mexican, to Laura, a "path finder," from Seattle, you'll learn how and why these healers came to Teopztlán, what types of healing they provide, and how they came to their fields.

                                      Interviews of four healers of Tepoztlán, Mexico.Video by Don Karp.

Variety and abundance of healers and healing in Mexico is only one advantage of being here. Read back on my past blogs and you'll find many other reasons.

What do you think? Would you consult with one of these healers? Why or why not? Please let us know in the comments below.