Integrative Veterinarians 'Surf' the Wave Of New Knowledge

Surfers often rise before the sun and travel to their favorite locations in search of the perfect wave. Surfing is more than just a sport. It contains elements of physics and athletics, and many surfers experience a spiritual/mental awakening and love of nature as they achieve a state of mind in balance with the sea and its tremendous energy. When the surfer becomes aware of waves, communicates with them and learns to read their "secrets," then he or she can harness the wave's energy and ride in a remarkable demonstration of cooperation and harmony. In this ride is a balance of awareness, energy and perception that leads many surfers to become practical philosophers.

As I watched the sun rise over beautiful San Diego, California I couldn't help but notice the similarities between pioneering integrative and holistic doctors and surfers.

Surfing has a long history that pre-dates recorded history. The indigenous people of Hawaii were intense lovers of the sea who migrated from Polynesia around the fourth century AD. In Polynesia local people developed belly boards, but it was not until they arrived in Hawaii that larger boards and standing up on the boards became common. The sport was ruled by strict codes, many of which are still present today. In 1779 Lieutenant James King made a ship's log entry describing the sport in a two page entry that said: "The above diversion is only intended as an amusement, not a tryal [sic] of skill, and in a gentle swell that sets on must I conceive be very pleasant, at least they seem to feel a great pleasure in the motion which this exercise gives."

Efforts to assist one another in healing and health also reach back thousands of years. Healing is an intimate part of our efforts to improve our relationships spiritually and physically. Healers learn by direct observation and contact, as well as trial and error. They seek to translate the power and potential of nature into wisdom and practical, love-centered methods they can use to better assist their friends and families in their effort to survive. Like surfers, healers capture nature's power, and attempt to better balance and align it with their patient's needs. They both seek to understand and use their resources, and in doing so, improve our ability to enjoy more intimate and productive relationships.

At the recent AHVMA annual meeting, professionals traveled from all over the world to gather and "catch the wave" of integrative, complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM). Surgeons, veterinary school faculty, board-certified internists and oncologists, and some of the top people in their fields of therapeutic nutrition, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM), chiropractic, osteopathy, Western Herbal medicine, homeopathy, homotoxicology and bioenergetic medicine arrived in San Diego for four jam-packed days of professional exchange.

Healers and surfers both harness naturally occurring energy in different ways to propel themselves towards their goal. And since energy manifests itself in different ways but is still energy, as we study energy we learn that its behavior can be influenced by life in many ways. While some people are surprised at this integration, the growing number of professionals doing biologically-friendly therapies find it quite natural to realize that energy -- which is the basis of all things physical -- has something to do with disease manifestation, health creation and recovery. Like surfers we are simply learning how to read energy patterns and use them to improve our ability to coexist and live in better relationship with those around us. That activity of improving relationship, finding harmony and creatively existing, brings about spiritual and mental balance -- and actually affects the energy states of matter as things organize into either "ease" or "dis-ease."

It is funny how these concepts are so clearly shown in the conceptual origins of our basic language.

• Dr. Steve Marsden is one of the most qualified integrative veterinarians in the world. He was recognized as the Canadian veterinarian of the year last year and gave presentations on a wide variety of topics. He is uniquely qualified to treat both human and veterinary patients and does just this in his Canadian practice. On the first day of the conference, he discussed in detail why we see seasonal occurrences of certain disease conditions in human and veterinary patients.

This lecture nicely integrated conventional and ancient pattern diagnosis as developed in different modalities. Each season presents its unique challenges, abundances and deficiencies, which living systems must address for optimal survival. Attendees learned many techniques that better assist them in addressing the unique needs of individual patients as they relate to seasons. Dr. Marsden also discussed the use of adaptogenic herbs like astragalus, and TCVM approaches to skin diseases.

Life is this vast activity which defies understanding, but when people come together and associate with the purpose of exchanging knowledge, we grow in our ability to help one another. As we grow we generate a wave that propels us forward and carries others in the process. Having more tools simply allows us to improve our relationship with ourselves, our families and our world -- and that is a wave I hope we all catch!