The Middle way – Navigating my first jab
I got my first jab last week. For those who know me, this will probably come as quite a surprise.
The bind here in New Zealand is getting tighter now, you can feel the dense stickiness in the isles in the supermarket. People are getting restless and frustrated, and unconsciously projecting it onto each other. I too was starting to feel the pressure and decided I would rather get my shot while I had a choice, not be forced to it (as this seems to be the direction we are headed).
In the last few weeks, I have tried to find “the middle way” in regard to my thoughts on the vaccine. Trying to release from the rigidity of definitive “no” and make space for alternatives. The goal was to remain sovereign as best I could, should I go ahead with getting the jab. I took a huge step back from social media (probably for the best either way) and found I kept coming back to the same question, “What would Ram Dass do?”. He was an American Spiritual teacher whom I admire for his ability to see all situations with joy and love. My conclusion was, he would probably just laugh at the whole thing. And in all honesty, it was a great reframe, I was able to see the gems in some of the information that is out there. Synchronicity stepped in and it lead me down the path of looking into the realms of detoxification after the shot, the aftercare, the one thing that seems to go unmentioned.
“Because to take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.” – Madeline L’Engle
A brief bit about myself that might help understand my perspective:
Growing up I was an incredibly sickly child and spent a lot of my time on antibiotics (which I definitely needed at the time) but they ruined my gut biome and in turn my immune system.
At 29 I started looking into alternative medicines and therapies as a way to rid myself of asthma, frequent chest infections and medication that was beginning to fail and having challenging side effects like depression.
Since then I have spent 10s of 1000s of dollars on my health and wellness, with therapists, at workshops, and in clinics, and have dedicated countless hours to become the best/healthiest version of myself through practices and research.
I understand the sensitivity of my body and its systems and am cautious of how I treat it.
I barely touch alcohol.
I don’t smoke.
I seldom do recreational drugs.
I promise I’m more fun at parties than I sound.
I eat relatively well.
Don’t drink coffee or sugary drinks.
I meditate, exercise and have a sustained morning routine.
Through this journey of wellness, I’ve not been to the doctor for at least 4 years (except for checkups).
I avoid any pharmaceutical medications unless they are absolutely necessary.
I owe my writing to the channels it comes through as a result of my journey of clearing trauma and cleansing my body and mind, and I actively try to foster that link.
I’m not entirely sure what caused my shift in direction to go ahead with getting the first shot. I think a few factors were at play:
The hope of silencing the voice in my head, that’s been an incessant nagging day in and day out the last 18 months in hope of making the “right decision”.
The fear of not having a choice in the future (a very real concern in NZ).
Mercury in retrograde combined with the new moon in Libra (joking..ish)
The hope of “quieting” the barrage of announcements coming through in all forms of media.
Travel restrictions. My dreams involve visiting the pyramids, and to doing more training abroad.
I think, more than anything it was not wanting to upset friends, inconvenience people, or cause a scene.
“Not in my 10 years of being in this field have I seen public shaming change people’s opinion a topic, it comes from kindness and compassion” – Richie Hardcore
The irony is that none of those people telling me what to do had to sit in the self-deprecating thoughts I had for the days that followed. I felt I had gone against my instincts and disrespected my body. I was furious at myself. I kept it quiet as I didn’t want either side to know. I was ashamed of my decision. That was until I was reminded by a good friend that what’s done is done and all I can do now is send myself love and gratitude for I’d learned a valuable lesson in self-sovereignty. We all deserve an equal opportunity to have our human experience and feelings seen as valid, and no one deserves to be forced into anything that affects their mind and body. Even the act of this alone can generate trauma, the trauma that the perpetrator will never have to live with.
I do believe that there is more to this effort to “save” the world than meets the eye. The virus is a very real threat but never has a narrative been so driven home or had opposing views from just as reputable sources silenced en masse. For some reason, right now, we aren’t allowed to ask questions. Maybe it’s purely for financial gain (many of the world's wealthiest people have seen huge increases in net worth since March 2020), or in order to tighten control, or to limit population growth, or restrict consciousness. Maybe it’s all of the above, who knows, we can only speculate. But my stance did loosen somewhat when I took a step back and saw how little encouragement we need to become enslaved, just look at the way we consume content, choose poor quality food, live stagnant lifestyles, and rely on drugs and alcohol to avoid feeling and causing all manner of disease and illness. Unfortunately, a sizeable portion of society doesn’t really need any help along the way.
“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” – Isaac Asimov
Something that came through for me heavily a few days after my first jab, once I’d settled my mind, whilst I was headed to work was this: “I played your game. I beat you fair and square, and now I’m coming for you. We will win the war on consciousness”. I felt my entire body light up, and it felt true to me, with every fibre of my being.
I had mild side effects from my first jab, a sleepless night, sore arm, and run down for a few days, nothing major, although a week on my nerves in my hand (the arm I got the shot) is still foggy. I put my limited symptoms down to my aftercare routine which began a week prior in order to detox and reduce the load on my body. I will continue this aftercare for at least a month in an effort to reduce the possibility of unknown long-term effects (The current NZ side effects stats can be found here). I’m not entirely sure if I will get my second. I have time to decide, at least 10 weeks according to actual science, not the media/government's attempt at speeding up the process.
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla
All I wish from this post is that it may help those on both sides remember that we are all human and deserving of love no matter our choices. This is YOUR life, and for better or worse no one else will live it for you. Not your highs or your lows, nor the consequences of your decisions. It’s heartbreaking to think that we are on the brink of living in a world where family members, lifelong friends, and lovers, may fall out based on a single decision.
Please do not attempt to use this work as a means of forcing your opinions on others.
Personally, I feel I will fully recover from this, as I have done for so many other things in the past, but I put that down to the effort I go to in taking care of my body and mind. If anything, I have doubled down on my practices leading up to and following the jab. I hope that what I have learned in regard to aftercare may benefit others, as it seems there is very little talk of this important aspect. Kind of like how there has been no talk of how to take care of yourself though-out this pandemic, to the extent that the New Zealand prime minster’s only suggestion in a press release last week for people suffering from mental health issues as a result of lockdowns was to “go to the pharmacy for medication, and get food delivered”. I’m sorry, what?…
Below is a list of aftercare tips and supplements that I have been using and firmly believe in. Im sure there are others but I cannot speak to them.
This is NOT medical advice.
NAC: I would go as far as to say that I would take this regardless of the shot. It clears heavy metals (sometimes used in the manufacture of vaccines), cleanses your liver, reduces the risk of blood clotting (a known side effect) etc. And best of all it's inexpensive. Make sure you supplement with magnesium, zinc and copper. Doses and more information can be found here. Get in touch if you are having trouble locating it.
Magnesium: I’ve supplemented 350-400mg a day for the last year and seen the impact it has on strengthening my immune system and helping with sleep. More here.
Water: Stay hydrated and help flush toxins out.
Boron: Another inexpensive, powerful detoxification tool that is worth looking into regardless. Doses can be found here.
Dandelion Root: Extract or tea. Blocks the virus's spike proteins from attaching to cells. Personally, I have an infused Dandelion Root Chai tea, which is filled with other powerful natural healing ingredients too. Another study here.
Celery juice: Unfortunately this one has coped with a bad wrap from influencers trying to make it their own reducing its effectiveness. Although there is little science for this one, and its sourcing is somewhat esoteric. That being said I know of many individuals who have seen the benefits including myself. I use a Breville juicer which I got second-hand super cheap as its one of those things people buy with the best of intentions and never use. You can read more about it here.
Time: There is evidence to suggest that waiting at least 10 weeks between jabs both reduces viral load on our body and improves the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Earthing: The practice of walking/standing barefoot on the grass and in nature. This reduces inflammation which can lead to illness, thins the blood and improves blood pressure, and helps calm the nervous system (amongst a plethora of other benefits). And the best part is, its free.
Prayer: Yeah, I probably lost you there hey. But what have you got to lose? Sometimes releasing to a higher power in the name of the greatest good can take a huge load off, and it doesn’t need to be religious in any way. I most definitely am not. I choose to surrender that which I cannot control to a higher power for the greatest good.
“We are the card counters at the blackjack table, and we’re turning the odds on the house”- Billy Beane (Moneyball, 2011)
If you have any other tips I’d love to hear them.
