Elephant Nature Park

The Beautiful Giants: A day with Lek, Animal Planet, and a White Elephant

"Far Beyond Pearls Is Her Value"

Sangduan ("Lek") Chailert is an accomplished woman. She is pioneering the movement to end the abuse of elephants, educating people about their plummeting numbers, and finding harmonious ways we can share this earth together with the elephants. I met Lek while visiting the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. This November Lek was honored in Time Magazine(Asian version) as a "Hero of Asia 2005" for her activism for elephants. Lek has created an elephant haven in Thailand, the Elephant Nature Park, the only one of its kind in that country. It is a touch of heaven for elephants, most who have survived a great portion of their lives in extreme hardships, abused and tortured. There is an elephant who has had all her legs broken. There is a blind elephant who has had both of her eyes shot to pieces with a bb gun, horrific abuses. What the elephants now experience is an abundance of love, and miraculously great healing begins to happen. Elephants that were not predicted to survive begin to feel hope. There is hope. The elephants at the park have formed four families and they seem happy and joyed to be there. Each family has a baby or child it has adopted and raises. To great celebration, one baby elephant was recently born at the Elephant Nature Park. That baby will never have to experience the abuse by humans that its parents lived.

The elephants at Lek's Elephant Nature Park have the side of a mountain to jungle around on and be elephants, and a river to bathe and play in. Each elephant has a mahout, an elephant care-giver who watches over them with love, to help the elephant avoid dangerous situations like stumbling into a neighboring banana or other crop field where the elephant could be shot. The mahouts at Lek's place are learning a new way to be with the elephants. Almost every "domesticated", not free in the wild, elephant that is seen in Thailand has been sent through a process called "breaking the spirit" of the elephant. The details of that horrible process is documented in a special Lek did with Discovery Channel. Basically, the elephants are taken from their mothers at a very young age and beaten for weeks on end until they are submissive. Lek's message is that elephants do not need to be beaten but instead loved to win respect. This is a revolutionary premise on a planet where brute force has been a dominating factor. In a place, where elephants will kill their abusive mahouts and by-standers, or commit suicide by inhaling their last breath and then stepping on their trunks, or lie down and refuse to get up even if severely beaten, what is desperately needed are other alternatives and working solutions so that the interaction can be beneficial for elephants and humans.

The elephant trekking business is big money in Thailand. At Lek's I learned the back spine of an elephant is not meant to carry people, only near their necks is strong enough to support comfortably a person. Yet every elephant trek I saw in Thailand features people, usually 2 or 3 riding on an elephants back. It is very popular to go on these treks, but people don't realize the inhumane treatment almost every elephant has suffered, endured, and/or lives in daily. Lek's park proves you can run a successful place with elephants and not have to put the mahouts, the tourists, and elephants at risk or grave danger. The tide is changing within Thailand because of the attention Lek's not-for-profit Elephant Nature Park has received through media and word of mouth. Lek has teamed with an organization that is training elephant mahouts to earn the respect of an elephant by love. She has paired with Monks to preserve the jungle areas so that elephants can have a place to roam and call their home. Lek is continuously educating guests at the park and elephant owners, rescuing elephants, or arranging medical attention for elephants in need in remote locations in Thailand. Her good will is spreading to the care of African elephants too. It is the hope that elephant business owners will realize that it is financially possible to have elephant friendly tourism without the cruelty practices.

Lek's journey has been in uphill climb. Her life has been threatened for exposing the ill treatment of elephants. One of her baby elephants that she rescued, nursed, and nurtured as her own, and was also featured in the Discovery Channel documentary, was given cyanide by someone posing as a guest to the Elephant Nature Park. Killing her might cause too much international attention but killing her baby elephant was an emotional knife wound to her heart. Lek has not been stopped and the good words about the Elephant Nature Park are spreading like wild fire in tourist towns like Chaing Mai in Thailand. I imagine and hope there will be more elephant friendly havens in the near future. It is the leadership and progressive attitude of Lek, Thailand's “elephant whisperer”, other ele lovers, and caring humans that are making an elephant friendly world possible.

Visit, volunteer, and support the magic, the testaments of forgiveness and healing, the grand, intelligent, and family-oriented world of elephants, at the amazing and beautiful Elephant Nature Park, or on-line. Perhaps we can let Lek inspire us to become more conscious of the many cruelty practices that exist in our homelands and by exercising our energy and money wisely, end them. The elephants at the park deeply touched my heart with their stories, compassion, and ability to forgive, and live and love even after terrible trauma. The day I spent with the elephants was my favorite day in Thailand. I only recommend that if you visit the Elephant Nature Park like I did that you stay there more than my one day. I was just getting to know some of the 20+ elephants at the park when the sun began to set and my ride prepared to drive me back to Chaing Mai. For more information on the elephant park visit their website: elephantnaturepark.org.

Lotus Light

"It's not an adventure until someone has a near death experience."

Parting words of a fellow traveler just hours before I in shock find myself at an ICU wing at Chaing Mai Ram Hospital, praying next to a friend whose been nicked by a red truck as we crossed a busy intersection in Chiang Mai. The nick was enough to throw him to the ground and out of consciousness, blood pouring out of him from initially unknown sources. Time paused while the scene impressed indelibly in my mind, and I placed urgent calls to the higher powers that be to make this situation somehow better.

The situation unfolded tenderly and prayers were answered. The friend who was hit was accompanying me to the hospital to inquire about their denistry(!). Fortunately, if it had to happen, he was hit right outside the hospital. The ambulance did not have to travel far and his care began immediately. From the beginning of my time in Chaing Mai, I had been hearing about this wonderful hospital--Chaing Mai Ram--and about how people in the west come to Thailand for their exceptional denistry at very low cost and their other medical services. The rooms at the Chaing Mai Ram had been equated to luxurious Thai hotels. It was said the staff really listened to patients and were open to suggestions and treatment procedures. Soon and eerily enough all these hospital details I received leading up to the accident were all soberly verified. It almost felt like I was walking through a deja-vu episode because the hospital rooms had been described to me, I had visited the hospital earlier and made some premonitory comments, the whole scene was familiar , and I had just finished reading the book Waking The Tiger by Peter Levine about healing trauma.

My friend was shook up and definately in shock and traumatized, but he recovered quickly and the physical wounds, thankfully, were all superficial. He spent about 4 days in the hospital. As predicted, he received excellent care.

The whole experience, although unfortunate, if it had to happen, was healing. My brother had been hit and killed by a truck many years ago, and I was unable to help then. This accident provided me an opportunity to work through an old trauma in a new way. For the fella that was hit, he also had an old accident wound that never, until then, got a chance to be examined and healed.

While in Chaing Mai I visited this hospital regularly, it needed mention when discussing my "adventures" in Thailand. About denistry my other reason for going to Chaing Mai Ram, if you need any major dental work it is best to take a beauty filled vacation to Thailand, contact a dentist office maybe at Chiang Mai Ram, and know that you'll probably still have money left-over compared to what you would have spent in a dental office in the States. My dentist was truly lovely too. She spent a lot of time with me and her work was full of integrity. She graduated from Emory in the States and teaches denistry in Thailand. If you're in Chaing Mai, get in one of those infamous red trucks, for 15 baht, and go to the Chaing Mai Ram Hospital on the second floor, and make yourself an appointment for some dental work. I hope your stay in Thailand won't include the other hospital floors unless you need them, but if you do, know you're in good care.

Next, recouping at the ritzy and fabulous Tao Garden and a visit to the inspiring and healing Elephant Nature Park.

Thai Yoga Anyone?

Next stop, Chaing Mai!

Chaing Mai is a comfortable, fun, but high pollution city. The old town is surrounded by a moat, and the rest of the city extends around. Uniquely designed temples dot many of the city streets with their sparkly colors. In the evenings there is a night bazaar where the vendors start their prices at double the going rate to see how new you are to the city. It's a lot of fun to haggle for the best price and create a dynamic interaction with the locals. Thai Yoga Massages are offered on almost every street. The cost is about $3 to $14+ for an hour session depending on where you go. There are foot massage stations set up on the sidewalks, and both the tourists and locals take advantage of these. A foot massage is about $3 for an hour! An American even with a small income can live quite luxuriously in Thailand for a lengthy period.

My main interest in Chaing Mai was to study Thai Yoga Massage and Chi Nei Tsang (internal organ massage). I spent two weeks studying Thai Yoga Massage with a wonderful teacher, Therdchai Chumphoopong (Mac). He is a teacher that Sunny Klaber introduced me to (see holy day entry). The first week of study with Mac was a part of our healing arts trip. He speaks english well, is very affable, and has a great sense of humor. The classes are a family affair. His lovely wife Isabelle is there and she's very kind and helpful(if you're lucky, Isabelle may serve one of her delicious, made with lots of love cakes! Those are nice medicines to a day filled with lots of bodywork both giving and receiving.), Mac's brother is a teaching assistant, and Mac's Mum also participates and adds her years of wisdom. Mac learned the art from his mother. He has taught at ITM (a very reputable thai yoga school), and now has his own teaching studio. I highly recommend studying with him. For more information about classes and Thai Yoga Massage, Mac can be reached at mactherdchai@hotmail.com

After two weeks of study in Thai Yoga Massage the one thing I know is two weeks is not long enough. I will need to practice many more years before adding this to my credits. The art is not something that can be learned fully in a couple weeks, arguably no art can. I don't mind a single bit having to return to Thailand for further study. I do feel my current somatic practice has definately benefited from its Thai massage influences. An astute client with Thai massage experience will be able to feel the flavorful Thai spices I do add. Make your appointments today!

Stay tuned for tips and trips to the Chaing Mai Ram (Hospital), Chi Nei Tsang at the Tao Garden, and amazing experiences with elephants at the Elephant Nature Park

Bangkok & Fra Frank

Sweet Prince Asa and his Mama

My very sweet and handsome rat nephew, Asa says, "CongRATS! on your Gaduation!"

9/05 God spoke. There was light. And some millenniums plus a year later, Megan Living Stone graduates with Honors from Boulder College of Massage Therapy(BCMT), one of the best massage training schools in the country. The World thrilled and buoyed by the promise of Megan's talents and skills, celebrates this moment with her. Wilhelm Reich, a father of somatic (body) therapy is rumored to have said, "What Megan is doing in massage therapy makes me want to re-incarnate! She's a genius." When Megan heard his delightful praises she responded, "I'm not a genius. I'm more like a genie." There you have it folks!

While a student at BCMT, Megan interned at two community hospitals where she worked with patients before and after major surgeries. This work has helped prepare her for working with traumas and injuries in her own practice. She also earned a coveted sports internship at CU at Boulder. There she was able to work with Division 1 athletes from all different kinds of sports. Her work increases athletes’ sports performance, decreases sports injuries, and improves recovery time. Megan was found at many local sporting events doing post-event massage. Along with Megan’s excellent results working with the injured and athletes, she also provides a unique Massage experience that promotes relaxation and optimal well being, which is a necessity during these creative times. Some of Megan’s eclectic influences include a BA in Theatre Arts, spending three years apprenticing with a medicine man/shaman from Ecuador, certifications as a teacher of yoga and Reiki, and 8 years studying and practicing the arts of healing.

A session with Megan is a wholly unique experience. Megan is an integrative massage therapist that creates a personalized journey into the nature of the body. Integrative clients have said their sessions have felt like a dance on their bodies that brought deep relaxation and healing to many levels. Her sessions last about an hour and a half, but can be designed around your schedule and income. Megan's beautiful office is centrally located in downtown Boulder. Appointments can be made with Megan at (720)284-4986.

And now a massage, I mean message, from Megan(!): I will be out of town for the entire month of November. Please make your appointments before that date or after I return. I am offering very reasonable, "first year out of school" rates. Also package deals and gift certificates are available. Anyone who mentions, "God Spoke", will receive $10.00 off their first 90 minute session. The gift of a massage is a transformative experience that makes a beauteous present to yourself or another.

I look forward to providing massage therapy to our community.

With heart and spirit,
Megan

"Helped are those who love the broken and the whole, none of their children nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves shall be despised." ---Alice Walker

Green Elephant 

Live in Boulder?

I invite you to experience a session of mindful somatics. Comfort the soul and nourish the body. You are worth it! Mention this blog and receive $10.00 off your first session. My beautiful office is centrally located in the Newland Mansion Healing Arts Building at 3011 Broadway @ Dellwood, Boulder. Telephone for an appointment today: 720.284.4986.

Megan Living Stone, CMT

Integrative Somatic Therapist

(720) 284. 4986

Supporting our journey towards a healthy planet

Member of American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)

Holy Days

I have just returned to the states from a 5 week healing arts adventure in Thailand. My first week was spent in a temple outside of Bangkok. We were greeted by a western monk from Chicago named Fra Frank. He had been living in this temple under very stark conditions for three years. It will take another two years before permission will be granted for him to leave the temple to visit family and friends in the States. We were the first people from America that Fra Frank had seen in a long time. We relished in each others company. He shared his wisdom, challenges, and an opened heart with us. He was joyed to have learned from his father a week earlier that the White Sox had won the World Series. Living at the temple would have been difficult to imagine without him. The wat was not accustumed to western visitors and since none of us spoke Thai it would have been difficult to integrate in the short time we had. Fra Frank is a beautiful, humble man that treated us like royalty. We received meditation training daily: walking and sitting. We were introduced to and given darshan with the Abbot of the wat. He also arranged for master nuns and monks to give Buddhist teachings to us. The wat was very beautiful. The temple housed Buddha relics that were just recently received from Sri Lanka. My first time meditating in the temple I could feel this immense, warm, uplifting energy. It was later I learned about the crystalized bones of the Buddha. It is said that being in the presence of these bones is having a moment with the Buddha. The name of the temple is Wat Sanghathan. Fra Frank can be contacted at: watthan@ksc.th.com. From the temple an over night train takes me to Chaing Mai to study Thai Yoga Massage, Chi Nei Tsang, and to visit an amazing and very special elephant nature park....postings and photos soon to come. This was a healing arts trip Sunny Klabber led. She can be reached at bodyandsolmassage.com