Healing with Plant Medicine: Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera or Sabila is my very first herb that i like most. It actually is my favorite and for me i called this as my personal sacred Plant. I grew it as a child and even filled the wall of our fence with it. I thought it was just an ornamental plant but when i grow up I learn it has a powerful medicine within it. I also have seen its flower. Yes! Through time it gives flower and it smells sweet. Though i rarely see it blooming in pots and i don’t know when it will give flower once again. I’m so sad that i was not able to capture it flowers through film because that time i don’t have camera nor mobile phone that has camera. Yeah! I’m very old school that only knows soil and its healing herbs.

Aloe Vera or Aloe Barbadensis Miller has been known for its medicinal and cosmetic purposes. I have read that this plant was used to embalm ancient Pharaohs of Egypt as well as Jesus Christ. The word Aloe has an arabic origin which means Shinning Bitter substance while Vera is a Latin word meaning True. In my old notes on healing herbs, i found that this herb can endure extreme stress such as i test it hanging on the air without soil and water for about a year but still it is alive and didn’t dried up. It taught me spiritually to become patient, tolerant and humble. As i work on it, i found its power to be amazing. I apply it to open wounds, burns and even on skin infection. Our Elders have taught that this plant is a good hair grower and can heal all kinds of skin disease. And later on i found out that we can scrape of the white gel on it and eat it directly.

In making Herbal Healing Oil i add 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel in distilling coconut oil with mix herbs and when i put my finger in it while boiling i didn’t get burn.

It is found out that Aloe Vera has many active potential constituents such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugar, lignin, saponins, salicylic acid and amino acids.

Vitamins: It contains vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and choline. Antioxidant neutralizes free radicals.
Enzymes: It contains 8 enzymes: aliiase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, and peroxidase. Bradykinase helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically, while others help in the breakdown of sugars and fats.
Minerals: It provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc. They are essential for the proper functioning of various enzyme systems in different metabolic pathways and few are antioxidants.
Sugars: It provides monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and polysaccharides: (glucomannans/polymannose). These are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant and are known as mucopolysaccharides. The most prominent monosaccharide is mannose-6-phosphate, and the most common polysaccharides are called glucomannans [beta-(1,4)-acetylated mannan]. Acemannan, a prominent glucomannan has also been found. Recently, a glycoprotein with antiallergic properties, called alprogen and novel anti-inflammatory compound, C-glucosyl chromone, has been isolated from Aloe vera gel.
Anthraquinones: It provides 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. Aloin and emodin act as analgesics, antibacterials and antivirals.
Fatty acids: It provides 4 plant steroids; cholesterol, campesterol, β-sisosterol and lupeol. All these have anti-inflammatory action and lupeol also possesses antiseptic and analgesic properties.
Hormones: Auxins and gibberellins that help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.
Others: It provides 20 of the 22 human required amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids. It also contains salicylic acid that possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Lignin, an inert substance, when included in topical preparations, enhances penetrative effect of the other ingredients into the skin. Saponins that are the soapy substances form about 3% of the gel and have cleansing and antiseptic properties.
National Center for Biotechnology Information

On basic uses of Aloe Vera, it is effective on wound or burn healing. I remember my nephew when he was 3 years old playing around my kitchen on our Canteen and he accidentally placed his whole hands on a boiling pot of soup. It was too hot because we boil it continually in low fire using fire wood for our Mami Soup and thankfully i have my aloe vera around and apply it directly, and amazingly no trace of burn can be found on my nephew.

Another testimony on the effectiveness of Aloe Vera is when my younger sister accidentally hammered her little finger. We brought her to the hospital and the doctor said she need to undergo surgery removal of her finger or stem cell treatment. We do not have enough money for the surgery so we just went back home and apply aloe vera on her finger. With patience and faith in God her finger was cured and no trace of being hammered can be seen.

Aloe Vera Gel can also be taken internally to treat stomach ulcer. It is also used to clean up our intestine and give us good bowel movement. It is said that Aloe Vera can also use to lower blood sugar and it has antioxidant to boost our immunity.

Plant aloe vera in your home it may be handy and helpful for you someday as it will heal you from your illness or it may be your living companion in your house that will listen to your prayers.

The Power of Prayer to Heal

Even before the Christian Era, our ancestors already know how to pray. It is documented that since the late Neolithic or before 2000 BC. the Ancient Filipino already know how to pray. This is evidenced through the cave wall writing in Angono, Province of Rizal through the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyph.

The engravings are mostly symbolic representations and are associated with healing and sympathetic magic.

This natural monument in the Province of Rizal shows that we as Filipino believe that there is a Higher Power than us that could provide us healing when we are sick. And in search for that Higher power we have learned how to pray. And for us we believe that Prayer has an amazing power to heal us in time of illness.

But how can Prayer Heal?

People recognize that they are sick when they feel it as secondary reaction to the main disorder of their internal system. It is through our feelings that we describe our illness. When we assess people when they are sick, we ask them how they feel. We usually measure their pain as well as the limitations it gives when we are sick.

Prayer can help people get well and have healing since it works towards the mind and emotion. Prayer is a form of Divine Communication that we express our thoughts, and our thoughts describe through prayer what we feel; and our feelings/ emotions as a reaction to the stimulus that been made. Prayer is a form of voicing out what is within us such as in a distressful situation we call out for Help.

In praying for Healing, we recognize that we are in need; that something is not going right within us that make us ill. By recognizing that something that is not right, we are given counsel by our higher selves the thing we need to do so that we may feel better and restore wellness back into our life.

Lana at Liwanag, our Tools in moving prayer

Hilot is a form of Prayer in Action. Action is needed when we pray as we have taught it in the Shrine.

Prayer in Action

Every action that we do in Hilot, whether in Pulse Reading Analysis, Tawas Spiritual Diagnosis, Suob/ Palina Ritual, Kilubansa, Dagdagay, Bentusa and Masahe are all form of Prayer and communication of the manghihilot to the Divine Self of the Patient we are healing. Thus as Manghihilot, our Orasyon or Prayer is not useless but it has direct effect of healing to relieve the person from illness and dis Ease.

Looking for a cure

Through out our writings and teachings here at Hilot Academy, we have taught that the medicine for our illness can be found within our yard. The herbs that grows within our community is our best medicine for our illness. But the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease that originates in China and now have spread world wide that it is declared as Pandemic, where can we find its cure?

We might not be able to help out our brothers and sisters in the Medical and Scientific Field, but the Wisdom of our Ancestors can be handy in preventing the spread of this disease.

As Manghihilot according to the principles of herbalism that we practice, we do not deal with the disease but rather we deal with the strengthening the body of man in order to heal our selves. The First Principle of Traditional and Alternative Healthcare is that we believe that man has own ability to heal our selves. That is why when we are sick complete bed rest and taking a lot of fluids are advised until the symptoms are gone.

The next thing we ensure is that the place where we live is thoroughly clean and sanitize so that re infection will not happen. Cleanliness and personal hygiene is necessary. We also have taught that in order to benefit from Healing, it is not only the body of the person we need to treat but also the environment. Remember our Gold Fish analogy?

When one of the Gold Fish is sick, we remove them from their aquarium and clean the aquarium, and the sick gold fish is separated to the healthy one so that it will not contaminate and infect the healthy one.

Sponge bathing is one treatment we do to maintain body temperature when the person is having a high fever. We place cold wet towel on the forehead to cool down and protect the brain from being cooked due to the rise of temperature.

Hypocrates also have mentioned that creating artificial fever would help in healing any kinds of illness. Thus the practice of Suob/Luop/Palina aka Steam Bath are advised to artificially raise up the temperature within the body to fight pathogens and free radicals that comes in to our system that cause illness.

Keeping our body warm and hydration is the best practice we provide in treating illnesses. In the practice of suob, we also prepare glass of drinking water so that from time to time we let the patient drink water as s/he will perspire a lot during the treatment. Giving a drink will hydrate the patient and replenish the loss of water in his system.

In keeping our body warm when we are sick, our parents cover us with blanket at wear us socks in our feet. There is a traditional practice also in making out feet warm is by clipping a clove of garlic or slice of ginger to the in between of our toes. And to some they also place a round slice of onion to the soles of their feet while wearing socks at bed time.

Hilot Masahe is also provided in giving warmth to the body as well as in aligning nerves or bone structure into position. Sometimes disalignment is also cause of pain and imflamation.

IRR of PITAHC Defined Hilot

Yesterday as i checked on the Website of Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care i saw on their home page that they already have revised the Implementing Rules and Regulation of the Republic Act 8423 or other wise known as the Philippine Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997. This law creates the Department of Health institution on Traditional and Alternative Medicine. In this Revised Implementing Rules and Regulation of PITAHC they have stated their objectives in encouraging Scientific Research on the Traditional Medicine as well as to develop alternative healthcare system that has direct impact on public health. It is also stated in the IRR the promotion and advocate the use of traditional, alternative healthcare modalities that are proven safe, effective, cost effective and consistent with government standards on health care practices.

You may check and download the IRR by clicking it here.

On Rule 2 of the IRR we can see the definition of terms and we found on section 1 and phrase P, they have defined Hilot as to the science and art of the ancient Filipino healing grounded on the principle of balance of the physical elements, together with the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of the person, with the use of manipulations, “bulong” or “oracion”, and medicinal plants for the prevention of disease and for the restoration and maintenance of health and well-being. They have beautifully defined Hilot being the Science and Art of Ancient Filipino Healing but through their definition they have omitted the function of the Manghihilot in performing diagnostic procedure such as in the practice of tawas and pagpupulso.

We also notice in their definition of Traditional Medicine is different from what the World Health Organization have defined it.

PITAHC Definition of TRADITIONAL MEDICINE as the sum total of knowledge, skills and practice on health care, not necessarily explicable in the context of modern, scientific, philosophical framework, but recognized by the people to help maintain and improve their health towards the wholeness of their being, the community and society, and their interrelations based on culture, history, heritage and consciousness.

While the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION defined Traditional Medicine as:

It is the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

In Hilot Academy we follow the Definition of World Health Organization thus we claim that Hilot is not just a Healing Art and Science but as a Traditional Medicine. As Manghihilot we are not just a Healer but we are a Traditional Medicine Practitioner which means we apply our knowledge to maintain health, for diagnosis, prevention, improvement or treatment of Physical, Emotional and Mental Illnesses. As manghihilot we employ our knowledge on the use of Herbs (Halaman), Heat (Init), Light (Liwanag), Time & Words (Orasyon+ Prayer and Time) and water to affect cure to our patient.

52774181_10155683585616537_3824163825804902400_o

64465480_2748155295258780_6966312296981200896_n

64439095_2748155651925411_8521685130715070464_n

2019 Status of Habi

FB_IMG_1547645416443 Year 2019 is almost over and before it end, we thank the Universe for its blessings and challenges that we have met through this year. At the start of the year i thought that it will be permanently Good Bye for Habi as i plan to stop sharing my knowledge and experience in Philippine Traditional Hilot and focus on attending to my Mother’s failing health. But despite of the situation while my mother is in the Hospital, i had an opportunity to be Interviewed on a TV Show at GMA 7 I juander about Hilot.

free consultation The TV interview and my nanay’s condition encourage me to do well in Hilot that i started to formulate the Amulaser Tablet Herbal Food Supplement and that is the first blessings that came to Habi in 2019. Though in the past i already tried making herbal capsules and tea bags but it does not goes well for me. I’m not discouraging anyone not to use capsules but making herbal tablet works faster than using capsules or tea which you will learn more if you enroll to our Hilot Herbal Class.

When my nanay died, all my dreams for Hilot collapsed and said to my self to totally stop everything and keep it all to my self including my faith. The death of my nanay hurt me as i feel that i’ve been a failure. As people come to comfort the family through my nanay’s lost, the voice of the Spirit cheered me up and affirm that my Nanay want me to continue the works that i’ve started in preserving and promoting Philippine Traditional and Indigenous Medicine. And through Nanay’s Blessing she blessed us to produce new Hilot Binabaylan from Washington DC, USA; Turin, Italy; and in Grenoble, France. And on September i welcome Stroke patient for home visitation treatment.

Agar Agar, Turin Italy

Kai Kai, Washington DC,USA

Patient Tatay Ricardo of Fairview, QC

As i meditate on the Status of Hilot Academy, i recognize our struggle in reintroducing Hilot to the world specially to our Fellow Filipino. The real meaning of Hilot is heavily calloused by the misconception that it is a form of massage due to the limitations of the government policy imposed to its practitioners in order for modern medicine to take place instead of applying the Traditional Wisdom of our Ancestors.

In Hilot academy we emphasize that Hilot is not just a form of Massage but a complete art and science of diagnostic, healthcare and treatment of physical, emotional and mental illness practiced by our ancestors. You will experience Authentic Hilot if you booked an appointment to visit us.

People might think that Hilot Academy of Binabaylan is a business for profit institution but in reality it is not.

Hilot Academy is an Educational Ministry member of Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. The Academy only operates as an Educational Institution during the availability of the Students. HIlot Academy does not have School Calendar or specific dates when we offer our classes. All of our Training Program are designed for one-on-one or group actual sharing and transfer of technology to all who request to learn from us. Unlike regular schools that needs to meet the minimum number of enrollees before the training program to commence; in Hilot Academy we do our class even if there is only one enrollee.

During its operation, the Academy will ask certain amount of money to its student in a form of Training Fee that will compensate our trainers as well as for the expenses on the Training Modules, Materials, Venue, Food and Accommodation of he stay-in student/s. Not all day, weeks or month we have student. So if we rely our living to the income that we earn through teaching hilot, it will not sustain the daily living of our volunteers. The operation of the Academy is purely based on dedication and in its advocacy to preserve our Traditional and Indigenous Medicine which is part of our Cultural Identity as Filipino.

By the Year 2020, we will still continue to share our knowledge of Filipino Traditional, Indigenous and Natural Medicine in preservation and promotion of Hilot. But this coming year, we will focus on Herbal Cultivation and Production so that we can share it to people who are in need. Students who will enroll into our Training Program will have the chance to sponsor underpreviledged individual that is suffering from Cancer, Diabetes or KIdney problem to have free Amulaser Herbal Tablet that could help them relieve from their condition. We believe that Mother Nature has a cure for our illness and through your enrollment to us we can extend the blessings of healing to come to those people using our product.

With these goal in 2020, Hilot Academy of Binabaylan will document all the plants, herbs and trees that grow in our backyard. We already have Aloe Vera, Acapulco, Avocado, Cacao, Guava, Guyabano, Gotu kola, Makabuhay, Mulberry, Mugwort, Nyog Nyogan (Ficus Psuedopalma Blanco), Serpentina, Sinenguelas, Turmeric, Star Apple, oregano, pandan, tungkod pari, Mango and Lagundi. We will set a special page of these plants on our website indicating its medicinal properties and the illnesses that it could heal.

We will utilize these gifts of Mother Nature to us and apply our knowledge in manufacturing Herbal Products such as Healing Oil, Salve, Liniment, Tincture, Syrup, Medicated Bath Soap, and Herbal Tablet as food supplements.

Our doors will remain open to those who seek healing through hilot and they can have it through donation basis. The elderly specially those who suffer from cardio vascular ailments such as stroke will be our outmost priority and the only case that we can do for home.visitation treatment. Couples who want help in having a baby must book an appointment to have fertility hilot session.

To have an appointment kindly email us at hilot.binabaylan@gmail.com or give me a call at +639952467040

Feedback on Amulaser food supplement

A friend of mine has a friend whom she want to help. This person is a woman abroad that has a good heart but suffers from great pain from her kidney stone. My heart is moved that i pray for her and send her some herbal tablets that i made which is Amulaser. After two weeks of taking the tablet, she private message me with a testimony.

76640108_2293430654280391_8074907269487132672_n

” Good Evening Apu, Indeed i feel great as i wake up and there was time before for a whole day i could not climb the stairs in our house but today i can even lift 60 kilos of things. I am very thankful and hoping for my complete healing.”

78253010_486662032057459_6476016280921964544_n

A friend forwarded this message to me telling the amazing wonder of what Amulaser have made to her life.

“Good evening how are you? I already taken the herbal and i feel extra strong. My pain due to Rheumatism have gone and i can jog and run. I even have managed to lift towels with these extra strength i have after taking the herbs (Amulaser). ”

I am very happy to see this positive feedback that we gain after people taking our Herbal Food Supplement. It is my goal to help people improve their lives by simply removing their pain so that they could move and do again enjoy living their life. At the same time we give back the Glory to our Creator as she provide her blessings through Nature.

Habi is now at M Enchanted

71396622_415085705818541_7197772435364511744_n (1).png The long wait to improve our Academy is over. Starting November Hilot Academy of Binabaylan will have a partnership with M Enchanted Beauty and Wellness Shop which is located at 11 Olives Street, Dona Petrona Subdivision, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Novaliches, Quezon City, 1107 Philippines. We officially have arrange for a shared space to learn our very own Philippine Traditional Medicine. Along with the Seminar, Trainings and Workshops- M Enchanted together with Hilot Academy will provide services and products to the public.

Now we can accommodate 8 students for our stay in training programs as our shared space has two spacious rooms prepared for our potential students of Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan.

For inquiries please contact Apu Adman Aghama at +639952467040 or email us at hilot.binabaylan@gmail.com

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.

Sacred Modality of Healing

In Hilot Academy we don’t just share our knowledge with our students but we also learn as we interact personally with each one of our potential Manghihilot. Indeed that Hilot is the Philippine Traditional Medicine, but our Medicine is not solely exclusive for the Filipino. It also welcome other people of different color, language, ethnicity and race. Hilot is an inclusive modality where anyone can experience from it. And through experience people learn the ancient science and art of Hilot. Before starting to learn the techniques of Hilot, it is important that the individual experience it first so that they may understand well the awesome wonders of this modality and how it will help people improve their lives.

Since Hilot deals with the Life Force with every individual, throughout the ages people thought that Hilot involved Spirituality. Indeed that Hilot is the gift of the Divine to Humanity, so it is appropriate for the practitioner to give credit to the Diwata or Divinity that gave Hilot to the world. There are some people who will neglect this part on giving Hilot but when they do it will not become Hilot anymore. It will just be like any ordinary massage where you can have in Spa or Massage Center.

The Teachings of Hilot requires Discipline as it teach each individual practitioner to provide Hope and Happiness, Inspiration, Love, Optimism and Trust. With these virtues that Hilot shares to the world, one must also build up relationship to the Ancient Filipino God who teach Hilot to our Ancestors. It is through the Divine Providence of the Diwata that the Sacred Science and Art of Hilot has been preserved through the colonization.

During the Sharing Time with our French Students weeks ago, i have realized that we as Filipino are blessed enough that even we undergo through colonization we have managed to preserved our identity and have brought Hilot to the modern world. As i meditate on this realization, i found out that our Love for our Ancestors made Hilot to survive the force of colonization and change in our country. It is also through our resistance, our Ancestors have fought for our Freedom and liberation. Hilot have survived as it has been passed by our ancestors to their children. It has not been taught academically but through practical application or actual giving of hilot to treat illness that it have come into our present time.

Now-a-days the Medicine of Hilot is struggling again with the rise of Modern Medicine and Commercialism. The new world adopts Hilot and have brought wrong information to the world that Hilot is the Filipino Massage whereas Massage is just one of the many modality that Hilot does. Commercialism breaks down Hilot and disregard the Spirituality of Hilot. Educational Institution standardize the practice of Hilot and it was categorized under Massage because it can be a great source of income opportunity. Whereas in fact Massage Industry in the whole world is already suffering with the infection of prostitution in its practice as some practitioners have entered the personal zone of limitation and also have disregard the barriers of professionalism and personal ambitions.

In Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, we will strive to make and maintain Hilot as a Sacred Modality of Healing. We are making Hilot to become an opportunity for the individual to get to know themselves and connect them through Hilot to their creator. Through hilot the each individual mind, body and spirit will be harmonized as one that will help them to achieve their ultimate purpose in life.

As Manhihilot, you will take the role of a Priest to the old Filipino God which is the Diwata. Through the manghihilot, you will become a medium between the individual to his/ her higher selves and their ancestors. You will also mediate for the persons to the nature spirits and obtain their blessings of Wellness through their healings herbs and fruits. As manghihilot, you do not just heal the body but also you heal the environment where the individual lives.

73277907_358933361507740_5986833073709252608_n (1)

Hilot Pulsuhan, Bentusa and Pahid Workshop is a Success

72433132_10156167219761537_2120975496396144640_n Thank You Iceberg Infante and Ms. Lera Padua for coming in to participate on our Hilot Pulsuhan, Bentusa and Pahid Workshop. Even by parts we have shared to you the Ancient Healing Methods of our ancestors. Indeed as we have discussed that our techniques might not be recognized by the allopathic doctors to be an exact science on determining the cause of illness but we can guarantee that learning Hilot Pulsuhan, Bentusa and Pahid can be a preventive healthcare modality that can maintain your optimum health and wellness.

By Learning these 3 techniques on Hilot in performing Pulse Reading Analysis, Bentusa Fire Cupping and Hilot Pahid as an art of Applying Medicine to your client, I am sure enough that you can obtain favorable result in your treatment session with them. Just be reminded that constant practice will lead you to perfection on your craft as it will teach you to discover and understand the different pulse activities and condition of your Patients. Always bear in mind that each person is different from one another so the technique on giving Hilot to our patient can not be standardized as the same treatment for everyone. Always recognize individual differences and respect that differences of one another.

In providing Bentusa i encourage everyone to overcome your Fear. The Fire we use in Bentusa is our Friend. Let this Fire Guide you to radiate your Love and Passion in Healing our student/ patient. As you send your love i am reminding you also to Trust you self. Doubt and Fear is the biggest factor why our healing ability will not work. Overcome it with Trust and Love. And finally allow your self be the channel of the Divine Spirit to be his medium. Consecrate your Hands to do the Divine Work of Creation, Co Creation and Re Creation. Let your hands be used by God and make it to be the Hand of God in touching people to improve their lives. Our Duty as Manghihilot is not a mundane work that need to be standardized by the Mundane Government that need to secure National Certification or License but only by the calling and ordination of God.

You have made it and God have allowed you to learn the techniques so use it now to bring back Glory to God.

72617609_458639828076938_522414958319763456_n