With a smile

I know that you are familar with the title of our article today. And to remind you, it derives from the Eraserheads hit song With a Smile!

I was in HighSchool when this song becomes very popular and amazingly it is still a hit for me specially right now that i had stroke. I cant imagine myself having this illness to myself. All i thought only before is I want to understand Stroke so that i could handle it properly with patients. I know i could learn it by reading books or articles in the website but now i am learning and overcoming it through experience.

In relations to the title of this article, luckily my stroke does not affect so much of my actions. except on my first 3 weeks from February 14- it paralyze my left part of my body. my left legs could not move so as my arms and hands. The paralysis reached my left face that makes me to have slurred speech.

I was so down that time and my left part of the body is literally cold and at that time i considered it dead as if your right part of the body is alive and moving while the left part is dead. i want to move it but literally i could not move. i could not even picked my nose using my left finger or wash my butt when i poop. it has no strength to carry a tabo (dipper) or even a glass of water. But in my mind i refuse to be enslaved and be chained by stroke. literally stroke makes you a prisoner within your body that makes you not only limited but totally all your freedom are frozen.

Luckily, i have a companion here in the Shrine. Lakay helps me to be warmed up and battle the coldness that covers my body. With the help of the Diwata through a Hilot Orasyon and pagpapahid, the natural heat of my body has been restored that now i can walk and move my arms. But i am still working out my smile.

Life goes on even with Stroke

As Manghihilot, We are not exempted to any form of illness even to Death. I remember my teacher, Dr. Rueben M. Galang Jr. at the School of Alternative Medicine when he died years ago. Many have asked why he died when he is a great doctor and have treated many patients and made them well but was not able to take care of himself. This is the same question that been playing around my mind when my ,mother died 3 years ago. I am a Manghihilot, why i was not able to take care well of my mother. And now, I am a Manghihilot and why you have stroke. When my mother died, I already planned to stop practicing, but people around me in person even at social media encouraged me not to stop but continue what I have started to do. And this time that I’ve got stroke, I already have mentioned that i plan of retiring but my current students and recent graduates have encouraged me to continue.

One of my current student at Non Contact HIlot: Mind and Spirit work have wrote me a letter of encouragement that says:

I am appreciative of the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan and all that I have learned. Apu has helped me connect to my Filipino identity in a way that feels authentic to who I am, my approach to healing, and my passion around decolonization. In learning the historical context of pre-colonial healing, how hilot practitioners were utilized prior to the introduction of western medicine, and how colonization forced manghihilots to hide or assimilate, I found an even deeper reverence for my ancestors and the manghihilot and babaylan who died because of their beliefs. In this course I was able to connect more to my highest, spiritual self, which I have rarely experienced in any other healing modality I’ve learned, even as a reiki practitioner, and especially as a psychotherapist. What feels special about learning hilot is that it brings me great pride to know that this is a healing practice that looks at the person in their entirety, not just the physical, but also the emotional and spiritual, and it all originated from my homeland, the Philippines! Learning and practicing tawas was extremely helpful because I was able to trust my intuition and the unconditional support of my ancestors. I feel a powerful connection to my inner wisdom and feel more confident as a practitioner after I practiced tawas. I have learned to really trust my instincts, when so much of living in America is focused on logic and achievement. I have not had a chance to finish the remaining course lessons and the assignment due on February 27th, but I plan on going through that material this week and weekend.

WIth teary eyes, i feel that people value my work even if our Government does not recognize it, but at least my little work on our Culture and Tradition have reached out Far and Wide across the Globe.

I am also thankful to the Universe for teaching me personally to experience Stroke that I may know personally how to handle well stroke patients in the Future

Thank you, Apu, for your love, energy, and time and for sharing your wisdom with us. I am eternally grateful. I hope you heal quickly and get the care and support you need. I look forward to perhaps attending another workshop or course you or Likai provide in the future. With love.

Hilot Recipe works wonder

I was able to talk to a friend yesterday from overseas and she mention that her mother is ill. I ask her what kind of illness that struck her mother and she told me that her mother is having difficulty to walk due to constant numbness of both of her legs.

I do distant tawas on her to see what the cause of her illness. And this is what I saw. As the oil drips as i introduce it to the flame of candles, it forms an intestine. As i finish the ritual, the smoke attached to the paper formed the image of a girl that has black spot on her chest. I tell her the situation of having emotional disturbance that she confirm to me to be right. I also mention the intestine that i saw that might cause her irritation. She confirms that she also have difficulty in her bowel movement that i made me land to provide recommendation of using Coconut Milk and Carrots as a remedy for 7 days which she will take on alternate days.

It means if she take the coconut milk with carrots juice today, tomorrow she will not take it but on the other day until she complete 7 intake of the recipe. And today as she does it, she message me with her testimony. ( I hide her identity as part of client privacy. I do not usually expose the names of my client or patient even with consent. This is part of the sacredness of our practice in hilot.)

In this situation of Pandemic, we as manghihilot are not hindered to provide our care to people who need our services. We can still provide our wisdom to people who needs for it. So if you need our help, you can also connect with us by contacting Apu Adman Aghama through his mobile number at +639952467040 or email at hilot.binabaylan@gmail.com

Defining Hilot according to Filipino living abroad Part 1

This pandemic of Coronavirus, staying at home and physical distancing made us to utilize more the available resources that we have such as the use of our laptop, desktop and mobile device to learn our cultural pride which is at the same time our very own Traditional Healing Arts and Science that we know as Hilot. It is a struggle for me to create this training program, since Hilot is more of Traditional Method whereas now we are using modern devices in order to share the wisdom of our Ancestors in Healthcare.

As we begin our online study on Non Contact Hilot training program, we ask our student on how they will define Hilot in this present generation. I will omit their name here but will share the works they have done and these are what they write about defining Hilot:

Introduction (from our June 2020 online trainee)

When I was growing up, my father taught me a form of massage that I thought was hilot, but in this essay, I will review the complex system of indigenous healing that is hilot based on the eight different sections presented by the Hilot Binabaylan Academy taught through Apu Adman and Lakay. These eight sections give an overview of the origin and virtues of hilot through the generations of healers, the terminology of health and illness, the understanding of health and illness through the natural law that is divided into purpose and integrity, and the modalities and healthcare delivery system of hilot. Lastly, I will conclude with how I would explain hilot to others.

General Overview

The overview’s glossary of Tagalog-to-English terms, as well as clarify that hilot is more than just massage, is the highlight of this section for me. It is especially important for people in the diaspora, who may be reclaiming and relearning their languages to have access to the specific terminology of illness and wellness. Much of the heart of the culture is the language, and by beginning with a language lesson, we begin with a meeting of the heart and the mind, to bring about the voice.

Modalities

Since the first section established that hilot is more than just massage, I found that this section on modalities is extremely important to describe what else is part of hilot. It also goes through the general framework of hilot procedures, which is very helpful and clear– there is a divination/diagnosis of illness with tawas, a cleansing with banyos and/or suob, then deep healing with hands-on methods, and then recommendations for home-care treatment such herbs, prayers, and lifestyle changes.

Virtues

Though I am already familiar and have a deep respect for the virtues of hilot, what was important for me to understand here was the explanation around giving money and the belief that it lessens the ability to heal. My father has told me that according to the traditions in his lineage of hilot, we cannot put a price on the healing or touch the money directly afterwards and instead only accept donations preferably sent as an e-transfer or given to a third party to put in a box somewhere, but he never explained why this tradition existed. This beautiful explanation that life cannot be bought, that this is more of an energetic exchange, resonates with me deeply.

Origins

This is the first time I have been introduced to the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs and I am so deeply grateful. I am familiar with the petroglyphs of the indigenous peoples of this land and how it is connected to their healing and way of life, and to know that our people have that too makes me determined to not only do a pilgrimage to the petroglyphs of the Anishinaabe, but the petroglyphs in the Philippines. I am also grateful to the Kabunian creation story, and the use of the hands as the first healer, and the different kinds of clay that made the different peoples. I disagree that some people are burnt or undercooked, and instead see them as reflecting the different colours of the world around us.

Concept of Life, Health, Illness, and Wellness

The world “silbi”, or purpose, was significant for me in understanding life, health, illness, and wellness, as my whole understanding of wellness revolves around purpose. I appreciate the 10 different functions of life that is understood to be part of the purpose, but I also understand that each function is actually representative of a much larger spiritual concept, such as each organ or limb is a physical manifestation of a spiritual concept. For example, “reproduction” can mean physically reproducing, but it can also mean spiritual bringing forth more creation energy into the world through art, technology, creativity, joy. “Excretion” can mean the physical removal of waste, but it is also connected to all cleansing processes, including the spiritual ones. “Metabolism” are chemical reactions about breaking things down and releasing energy, but they are also the spiritual connection we have to other beings, and our place in the cycle of life and death. “Respiration” is very similar in that it represents spiritual connection, but this is more about the reciprocal stage that maintains life, as opposed to the cycle that also includes death.

Elements & Faculties

This section covers 13 different parts of life and humanity: 3 faculties (thoughts, words, and deeds), 5 elements (earth, wind, fire, water, spirit), and 5 aspects (physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual). By understanding the harmonious relations of these 13 concepts with each other and in themselves, we also have another picture of how “silbi”, what individual purpose, is all about, beyond the 10 functions described in the previous section. But more than just individual purpose, we have integrity, or dangal. The harmony of the functions, elements and aspects must be expressed in the faculties, which then can be witnessed as dangal/honour. Our individual purpose must manifest in this world with integrity, otherwise there is an imbalance, an illness.

Indication & Contraindication

Like the first section, I love the sixth section for the same reason– the language lesson, the deeper understanding of culture, and in this case, of “pilay”. By understanding the “natural law” that is also deeply outlined in sections 5 and 6, pilay can also be seen as ways that the natural law is broken. For example, “pilay lamig” is an indication that the elements are out of balance, that there isn’t enough fire, while “pilay hangin” shows that there is too much wind. Supporting rites of passage as a human grows also supports the function of “growth” and “metabolism” and “respiration”, the connections between beings, and the cycles of life and death.

Healing Practices and Healthcare Delivery System

Though I am familiar with the history of the different generations of healers, what is very helpful and new to me was the categories of preventive, promotive, curative/therapeutic, and rehabilitative. I find this very helpful because when I am doing tawas and it shows the different imbalances in the past, present, and future, then also I can use the framework of the healthcare delivery system to understand what to prescribe. If I am talking about the tawas paper that represents the future, then I will be prescribing preventative and promotive. If I am talking about the tawas paper in the past, it may be curative or rehabilitative. The tawas paper of the present can be any of the four.

Conclusion

From all that I have learned so far under this sacred and human guidance, I would tell people that Hilot is all about understanding natural law — what is the purpose of life and humanity, and how is that purpose expressed with integrity and honour. This natural law means many different parts are in balance (such as the functions, elements, and aspects), and when they are not in balance, we become ill. Pain and illness is a message from the universe about what needs balancing around us, and we understand that through tawas, a form of communication with the natural law of the human and the world around that human. Once the imbalances are determined, there are numerous methods to bring balance back, that must be done with the active participation of the one that is ill. This does not just include massage, but herbs, talismans, charms, potions, prayers, exercises, and lifestyle changes. The manghihilot is not just a masseuse– they are actually an interpreter and channel of natural law, a vessel for the Creator’s power and plan.

We would love to know what you think about our Training Program. If you have been already with us in the past and have experienced the wonderful healing arts of Hilot, kindly share your stories with us by sending us an email at hilot.binabaylan@gmail.com

You can also experience Hilot and learn with us by enrolling our Hilot Online Training Program. We still have a spot for our September 2020 class. To know more about our Non Contact Hilot Mind and Spirit Working Online Training Program, you may check out our page here.

The Sacred Fire of Life

It’s been one year already that we have our Hilot Binabaylan come to learn with us. And i want to share it here for the world to know her experience.

4 years ago, nati and mamerto did a spirit clearing on me and said that I am the reincarnation of my great great lolo; that something not finished is coming through me. my family does not have access to that generation, but this past Christmas, I found out that great lolo fermin was a manghihilot. reiki has been so helpful in my healing, but I felt it was necessary to honor and learn my own people’s energy and healing modalities, especially knowing healers were in my family.

for months I have been setting the intention to learn hilot, and today, I was initiated as hilot binabaylan. i laugh because universe has a way of synchronicity. I found out only recently that the training would be an 8-day live in study, and decided to change my plans so that I can squeeze in training before the busyness of HK and expo. today was my last day of study and of course it ends up being on the strawberry moon, a portal of expansion and initiation/full moon in sagittarius, my moon at that. lol, universe.

apu adman let me know that a diwata visited my room last night and told him my spirit name; that I will find out later during closing ritual. during my ceremony, apu and lakay called on the diwata that guides me to serve as witness. they wrote 14 names of the diwata and rolled them up for me to choose one. who else but the white bright moon, Diwata Bulan La Mogoaw, the moon goddess. apu and lakay just laughed and smiled because I kept taking pictures of the rising full moon the night prior and kept singing the small lyrics I know of “buwan.” I truly am a daughter of the moon. she calls me and I am listening. this diwata will continue to guide me on my path as a healer and she has blessed me with the name, “Dayang Alab ng Liwanag” – blaze of light, keeper of sacred fire of life. they already printed out the certificate before I chose my diwata guide….

most of my family think that hilot is only massage, but hilot is such deep connection to spirit 😭, and specifically how to heal with body with H (halaman, herbs), I (init, heat), L (linawag, light), O (horas, orasyon, time; prayer), T (tubig, water). my tawas (form of divination through paper, egg, or candle wax) sent a clear message that my ancestors were communicating with me and asking me to answer my call of healer, babaylan, manghihilot. there was no other way but to get so sick, face near death with tsw and pneumonia, for me to understand this path of shadow, light, and spirit. through this path, I have come to build a relationship to plants and prayer in forms of meditation, movement, intention. i am honored to be a hilot binabaylan, reviving the duties and responsibilities of the babaylan in my lineage.

I have no other words than my people are magic. I am only at the beginning of my journey. I have a lot to learn and unlearn, and am readying myself to walk the path of both spirit and earth. I asked ancestors where to even begin and I am reminded to just trust; I will continue to be present on this path to see where it leads me. today, I am happy to be hilot binabaylan. I feel blessed to have had this sacred opportunity to learn from and live with apu and lakay for the past 8 days. I am missing the busy sounds of San Jose del monte, bulacan. I am missing the constant exchange of learning between us. I am missing our shared meals together and laughter. thank you deeply, apu Rolando Gomez Comon and Lakay ALsent Magbaya Aghama, and for those who sent affirmations during my study.

Suob Treatment becomes trending in Cebu City

From the start of this Pandemic of Covid 19, all medical and even the para medical community are working as one in finding cure to stop the spread of covid 19 all over the world. And different countries have their own local version of preventive medicine so that they will not catch the infection of Covid 19. Here in the Philippines as early as March 2020, there is a local Filipino Traditional Medicine that becomes trending on Social Media that been practiced by Filipino to counter act and protect them from the effect of Covid 19 and that is Suob.

Last week I receive a call from the production research team of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho which is a TV show of GMA 7 asking me some information about the effectiveness of Suob. And the video that you will see below is the full segment that talks about the topic we are sharing now.

Though at the beginning of this video we can see a tragedy has been presented in performing suob as an infant has been accidentally burned by a boiling water in doing suob. Before we discuss here the efficacy and benefits of Suob as a Traditional Filipino Healing modality, i want to give you a heads up in practicing safety as well.

In this traditional method of affecting cure, we are invoking the element of fire to produce heat in our body. So like in how we treat fire, we should handle this element with care as it might burn us and be injured. When we work with Fire, we should observe safety distance to it as it may give benefit to us or the worst is that it can injure us. Fire produces light as well as heat. It can directly affect our sense of sight as well as our sense of touch. When it affect our sense of sight, it provides us light to see the colors and beauty of the world; and as it affect the sense of touch, we can feel its temperature and will give us also a clear sense of identifying what is rough, smooth, soft and hard as it can activates our nerve endings to determine those things.

In performing our Traditional Suob, i have to remind everyone that we have two types. The first one is the Dry Suob and the other one is the Wet Suob. These two types of Suob has its own prescription to it self. This mean that both type of suob has different healing effect depending on the illness that you have. This matter has been discussed when you take our Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan Training Course here at Hilot Academy.

So in doing suob, the safe distance that need to observe between the skin and the fire should be 1 meter or 3 feet away. Of course when i say Fire i don’t meant it to be a burning flame. What i only mean is just an ember flame such as putting a charcoal in fire but it is not flaming.

On using wood ember to create a fume or vapor, we put fresh pounded healing herbs on it. Putting dry leaves on the ember will create big fire as it fuels and this will be dangerous as it will burn you. The purpose of our Suob Palina is to employ the fume or vapor to do their job in healing and the burning coal and fire is only an agent so that we may extract the healing properties of herbs that we need in healing. It is not also advised to place on fire medicinal oil such as the one commercially produced as it use Mineral Oil which is highly flammable or even herbal healing oil that is made with natural organic nutritive oil. On stone ember, you sprinkle it with herbal infused water or tea to create vapor. Remember in doing this you have to observe 3 feet distance to the fire as it may burn you. The only thing that you need in this treatment is the vapor or fume and not the fire it self.

This is the same when you apply Wet suob. You boil water with incorporating healing herbs. Turn off the fire and place the cauldron of boiled herbs under the chair and sit down cover your self with a blanket as the vapor rise to your body and make you sweat. In doing steam inhalation, you place the basin of boiled healing herbs on a table, open an umbrella and place a blanket over it so that you may inhale safely the vapor. With this i will make a video on how to do this steam inhalation suob for proper guidance of the Public.

Beat the Heat and Covid 19

Summer is about to end in the Philippines but the heat is still on and the temperature here in the City of San Jose Del Monte, Province of Bulacan reaches 36 degree Celsius or 97 degree Farenheit. As we are struggling to beat Covid 19, many of us who stay at home are also beating the wave of summer heat.

As some people say that summer heat is good to beat covid 19, but do not be comfortable with that as this heat may also bring some disaster towards our health such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, fainting and heat rash. It is said that the elderly, infants and young children, the obese, out door workers (front liners such as the Police, Military and Barangay Tanod at check point), and those with chronic medical conditions are prone to be affected with heat related illness or Hyperthermia.

So what are the signs and symptoms of having hyperthermia?

Elevated Body Temperature
Headache
Nausea
Weakness
Dizziness
Fainting
Muscle cramps
Siezures
Confusion and
Coma

How to prevent Heat Related Illnesses?

First is to drink a lot of water. Water is a cooling agent that will refresh your body. It is advised that with in an hour you have to take at least 2 to 4 glass of water. Pure water or fresh fruit juice are okay and avoid hot and alcoholic drinks as it will warm up your body.

During hot season the summer heat makes a person to sweat a lot and excessive sweating may consume all the minerals in your body that may cause you to have muscle cramps. With that at least eat a least a pinch of salt or drink sports beverages such as Gatorade. By the Way, Kefir water is a probiotic drink can also help to prevent muscle cramps as it has minerals that is similar to salt. Some of the Water Kefir Grains are being fed not only with sugar but also with a little bit of salt. Aside from Water Kefir as Probiotic Beverage you can also take the LAB from rice water. Watch the Video below in order to learn to make home made probiotic using rice.

Aside from Drinking of course taking a cool bath is the best way to beat the summer. And after that wearing light weight and light colored clothing to cool us down. Staying at Home is the best way to avoid the scorching heat of the sun and cooling down with native abanico fan or pamaypay, electric fan or AC unit. As much as possible plan your activities outdoor and limit travelling specially now that we are all under quarantine. Remember it is not only the heat wave we are trying to beat here but also the pandemic outbreak of Covid 19.

If ever that it occurs to you that you get a Heat Rash, Prickly heat or any skin illness condition due to summer heat it is advised that you apply aloe vera gel on it.

What is in the Glass?

It’s an broken egg with its yolk on the base of the glass while the albumen floats and create images.

This is an Egg Tawas. Our Mexican #Kapwa Curanderos does this too in their Limpia Ritual. So as in Italy they do this once a Year at the Eve of the Feast of Saint Peter.

Aside from Tawas, Hilot Academy also teach how to remove sick energies using the Egg. So we invite you to learn this technique by enrolling to our Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan Training which is an 8 day stay in training at Hilot Academy.

#HilotTotheWorld #EggTawas #SpiritualDiagnosis #HilotMethodOfScanning #PhilippineTraditionalMedicine #HilotBinabaylan #PhilippineAncestralHealingArtsAndScience #Manghihilot

Family Medicine

I ask our graduates how do they encounter Hilot in their life. And here is how Gerone (who is a Yoga Teacher in France that was born and raised in Davao) experience Hilot.

From hearing Gerone’s story, we realize that indeed Hilot is an act of showing our love to our Family members first. It was our lolo, lola, Auntie, Uncle, Nanay or Tatay who give hilot to us when we are sick. The act of Healing comes first to the Family and this makes hilot to be our first Family Medicine.

God is our Great Healer

Happy Sunday everyone and it’s 15th of September 2019. Let us thank God for the Medicine we have and let us continue to pray for his Grace and Mercy to do wonders to us and continually heal all our infirmities.

Hilot Academy of Binabaylan are open everyday from Monday to Sunday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Aside from our Trainings, Seminar and Workshop on Traditional and Indigenous Filipino Medicine, we welcome people for Free Health Profiling and Pulse Reading Consultation. We also offer Treatment Services at Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. that is located at Lot 79 Phase A Francisco Homes Narra, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

Text or Call us at +639480177571 or +639952467040 to reserve a schedule on Training or Treatment services.