October 9, 2025 • 37 mins
Director of the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services on record EMT certification scores
Canaan Valley Spa and Wellness Shamanic Practicianer Angie Shockey on their grand opening and Shamanism
Canaan Valley Spa and Wellness Shamanic Practicianer Angie Shockey on their grand opening and Shamanism
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Clarksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two five five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike notlting Well.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good Thursday morning. It is nine oh seven. Welcome to
Talk of the Town. Let's see four down, one to
go before we get the weekend started. Ethan Collins is
our producer today. You can reach Ethan at eight hundred
seven six five eight two five five, And of course
we'd love to hear from you. Got the text line
(00:45):
for that that number three oh four talk three oh four,
Please use that to get your thoughts into the broadcast booth.
Let's see certification test scores for EMT statewide are setting
records and that is great thing. We're going to talk
to the Director of Emergency Medical Services in the state,
(01:05):
Jody Ratliffe, about those scores and would signal a maybe
good morale among the troops. Will double check that. And
now I'm sure that this is a first for the program,
but we're going to be talking to a certified shamanic
practitioner Angie Shockley, she's going to be talking about a
(01:27):
brand new spa opening in the Canaane Valley coming up
this weekend. As a matter of fact, that's roadmap for
the program. Let's take a look at a couple of
headlines before we get things started. Well, after weeks of
consternation and meetings, it now appears that the Morgantown, Montengelia
County Warming Shelter will be at the old Bartlett House
(01:50):
location on West Run Road, facility now operated by the
West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness. Mont County Commission President
Jeff Barnett made that announcement at during their regular meeting
on Wednesday, and that was following a special meeting of
the Morgantown Community Resource Board earlier Wednesday morning. Now that
(02:14):
facility already has the staffing in place, already kind of
have the template for the operation. It's already they're ready
to go, so they're going to move it in. Their
plans are still being finalized, though, Let's see Arnett did
say Hazel's House of Hope, where the shelter was in
twenty twenty four twenty five, that will be the alternate location.
(02:39):
A new executive director for Boupark has been named. Morgantown
High School graduate lifelong city resident Greg Travinsky appointed to
the position by the Bow Park Board during their Thursday
meeting Wednesday meeting. Excuse me, Travinsky. He's the current director
of Programs, Athletics and Facilities for the organization. Now he'll
(03:03):
take over for current director Melissa Wiles. She will be
retiring later this year. Up Also Wednesday afternoon, just about
at two o'clock, a nineteen year old suspect wanted for
murder in Ohio was apprehended apprehended by the US Marshall's
Service in Preston County. Mountain State Fugitive Task Force received
(03:26):
a tip from their counterparts in Ohio. A positive positively
identified wyman did not at a residence on Kale's Road.
They took him into custody Wednesday afternoon just about two.
He's accused of killing another person in the shootout in
the Cleveland area that happened in April of this year.
(03:48):
Wednesday edition of Talk of the Town, we welcomed the
Mountaintop Beverage People team leader Best Pratt to the program.
We learned that Mountaintop Beverage growing their customer base, and
they're doing it with the local workforce of just about
two hundred and twenty five people. That three hundred and
thirty thousand square foot facility is now producing stable dairy
(04:14):
products twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
So and I'm sure as those of you who were listening,
we talked with Beth about the bridge that's being built
that they can look at and see that's coming on
the horizon, and they're certainly very excited, and who knows,
(04:35):
maybe there's talk of an expansion We'll keep our fingers
on the pulse there. Governor Patrick Morrissey, he's got a
news conference scheduled this afternoon at the state Capitol that
is set to begin at twelve thirty this afternoon. When
we come back, spend a few minutes with the Director
of the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the State,
(04:59):
Jody Ratliffe. It's coming up next on Talk of the Town.
It is nine eleven on AM fourteen forty FM one
oh four point five WAJR. Well, good Thursday morning, and
welcome back to Talk of the Town. A few clouds,
maybe some fog where you are forty three degrees, some
very good news released this week about EMS certification test scores.
(05:24):
We've got the director of the Office of Emergency Medical
Services in the State, Jody Ratliffe, with us. Good morning, Jody,
how you doing.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Good morning, sir, I'm going good.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Hey, excellent, excellent. Well, I tell you what, I've been
following the EMS issues here with the Delegate Joe Statler
and others here for the past three to four years
and saw that press release and it immediately peaked my interest.
I'm sure that it did yours as well. Give us
those results, please.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yes, absolutely so. When we first started this and started
looking at some of the pass rates in twenty three
and then we started to take action in twenty four,
what we were looking at is our em T pass rate.
We're in the mid to low forties. Our AMT was
our Advanced Nursery medical Technician. We were good with am T.
We were in the eighty percent pile, around eighty six percent,
(06:18):
and then our paramedic we were in sixty percent pile
back then. So when we started to make our changes
in twenty four, all of a sudden, now our EMT
pass rate is around eighty six percent. Our AMT pass
rate is still in the eight mid eighties percent, Our
EMR pass rate MIEN up to seventy one point five percent,
and our first time pass rate for paramedics is ninety
six percent. So it couldn't be more happier than that.
(06:41):
I am right now with the effort that our Insight
put into this, our office put into this, our educational
institutes put in our instructors, and our students too.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You know, Jody, so many times we hear people talk
about how it's the government's job to empower groups in
order to do good, not to say step in and
do it themselves. And I think if you take a
look back at twenty three twenty two, when some of
those investments were coming in from the state for you know,
free training uniforms, the investment in the mobile ambulances, you know,
(07:15):
talk about some of these investments and maybe how that
might have played into this.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Yes, absolutely so. What what happened with the investments that
was put in. What we did was we basically took
it with the Insight and they came in and gave
a presentation to us in the in the secretary at
the time on what they saw, and then we'd already
been in a discussion with them is what we wanted
them to advise us on everything, and we went around
the other states around the nation to see what they
were doing and what we were doing and how could
(07:42):
we improve it. So we took those investments and basically
we empowered our educational institutes. Really, what we did was
we said, okay, we're going to start having oversite a
little bit more more oversided on our educational institutes, which
caused the educational institute to start had more oversight over
their instructors, which caused more oversites over theretudents. We was
able to take all the resources that the state was
(08:03):
able to do use for us or get to us,
and put it in the effort with all the pass
rates and the classes and the education. And it didn't
just stop with the national restry testing, and we also
use that with our classes. Just this past weekend with
the PDS symposium, we had the trucks down there and
all of our resources down there educating the people who's
already in the MS. So it's really it's really all
(08:23):
around great thing for the state.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Hey, if you would describe what one of these training ambulances.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Are, sure, so it looks like a regular ambulance it's not,
but it looks like a regular amuletce it is for
me at my age and I'm an old paramedic and everything.
It's high tech. It is. The mannequins they have in
there are absolutely unreal. They will talk to you, they breathe,
they have a pulse. We can do all of our
(08:51):
skills on it. We can do a full assessment, the
cardiac monitors in there, and we can work these annekins
and these trucks with everybody from an EMI are all
the way up to a critic care nurse.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And as I understand it too, the state now pays
for these recertification tests as well.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So the state doesn't pay for the recertification tests, using
the agencies pay for the recertification tests and things like that.
That's usually who pays for them.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Okay, okay, we've kind.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Of the person does the typically the agencies.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
M We've got the director of the Office of Emergency
Medical Services in the state, Jody Ratliffe, with us. And
you know, the other thing that caught my attention here
is the fact that when you have people that are
scoring very high marks on these tests, that those are
probably the people that are more likely to maybe pursue
this as a career and maybe not just a part
(09:48):
time pursuit.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Oh. Absolutely, you know we have we have different different
people from different walks in life who come into EMS.
But with what we're doing through class, we we're looking
to hold everybody to a seventy percent standard and if
we can do that, we're finding out obviously through the
pass rates, the first time pass rates that people are
passing and when they do pass, and we change the
(10:11):
structure of the class around just a little bit, which
probably become mandated within the next couple of weeks, but
we've changed around a little bit so when we first
come into it, instead of going through all the boring
stuff at first, you come in and do a few
ride alongs, so that way you can actually see what
EMS is about and get into the excitement of it,
and then they kind of fall in love with it
they want to do better in class.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, that makes perfect sense. You know, you get to
get out feel it, and you know understand why you're
learning what you're learning, and you know, we've learned in
other areas that that is a huge motivating factor.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yes, sir, absolutely, it is. People think of EMS of
different ways and what we want to do is we
want to show them that it is a profession. We
are professionals and when we go out there, we have
a lot of responsibilities. The general public typicity don't know
what all we do with patients, but it's it's it's
a lot. And these paramedics and the e mts and amts,
they are highly trained, highly educated, and highly skilled.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
And I think that I know here that they've added
whole blood to ambulances here and I'm sure that that
changes the dynamic for training as well.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Oh yes, absolutely, we've been rolling the blood classes out
throughout the state, just had more of them down to
PEDIAX and posium blood is on its way towards I
believe Mineral County based that should be happening soon. I
believe Charleston's fire department here in Kanaal County, in Kanall
County Ants they're they're getting theirs up and running soon.
So it's really starting to spread throughout the state, which
(11:39):
is a great thing, and it's not blood so EANs.
In West Virginia. We started not too long ago as
one of the lowest rating states with our protocols, and
now we're around twelve across the nation. Our protocols have
really come around, and that's what benefits patient. It's even
though it looks good for the state, and it's great
that government governor went, she's leading us on this and everything,
(12:02):
but who it really benefits is the patients, and that's
who we're trying to target. Those patients.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
You know, when I look at this whole thing, and
like I told you when we started this conversation, I've
been kind of following this topic here for the last
three four years, and you know, the only concern that
I see or that I have is that they would
be the pipeline of incoming EMTs, because I've noticed that
after that huge investment and the offers of free training
(12:29):
and things like that, you know a lot of people
went through those classes, and some of those classes aren't
seeing the enrollment that they have in the past. What
can you tell us about the pipeline?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Sure? So you know, this is what I always say,
and I've saidis of legislation. We didn't lose all these
people yesterday, so we're not going to get in back today.
It's it's a marathon, it truly is. So what we're
seeing is after we saw the three classes and we
saw the boost of it. What we was only seeing
was about thirty three percent of all that group was
only making in the EMS, the same amount that we're
passing right now now it's still a little bit of
(13:01):
over thirty three percent. So, but what we are seeing
is better pass rates, which is a better education, which
means as we get people to come into these classes,
we have a much better chance of getting them into
the EMS than the four So even though it might
not be as many people coming into class, the people
who are come into class or passing class, so it's
the same amount of people who's actually making it into ums.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Are these the kinds of things that you can take
to the legislature and say, hey, here's why maybe you
ought to think about funding the firefund?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Oh yes, or absolutely, you know that's something that the
MS coalition would work on. We were just supplied in
with the data and things like that, and then they
would go over there and work with legislation and things
like that.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
And I guess in closing, Jody, when you take a
look at the overall EMS network across the state and
the testing, and you know, it would appear to be
a kind of a vibrant building system that is getting
ready for the future.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Oh yes, absolutely. If we're working on fixing things today,
we are so far behind and that would scare me.
But we're already working on what's going to happen in
the next five to ten years, fifteen twenty years, things
like that. So between with what we're doing, and we've
got the whole state involved, and that's one of the
things that makes me the happiest. Also is is the
governor has given me the opportunity to go around the state,
(14:22):
pull all these EMS agencies together, bring them together, and
start working as one unit across the state. And that's
been a huge benefit. EMS sees it. I mean I
see it from sitting in this office, but when I
go out and talk to my friends out in MS,
they all see it. And to have people from Berkeley County,
Ohio County, Monroe County, you know, I can keep naming
all the counties all come together and I'm seeing them
(14:44):
all at conferences and different meetings. That says a lot
for where we already in mess today.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Okay, beautiful. The Director of the Office of Emergency Medical
Services in the state, Jody Ratlift, Jody, really do appreciate
your time this morning.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Thank you very much, absolutely absolutely thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Absolutely have great day, Jody, Jody right left, the director
of Emergency Medical Services in the state. Definitely good work,
and his good work means increased safety no matter where
you travel throughout the state of West Virginia. You wanted
to share something real quick before I do the text
line three to four talk three four. I got a
(15:24):
lesson in Morgantown history on Wednesday afternoon. I had a
conversation in the morning with the University High School principal
Kim Green and University High School teacher Suzanne Ernstas We
were talking about the homecoming preparations, the homecoming parade, tailgate shuttles,
(15:45):
and everything that's going to be happening up on Baker's
Ridge this weekend, and they brought up the name Lewis
barakas as being the oldest known graduate of University High School,
and a little checking, of course, it really wasn't sure
on how to spell Lewis Baracas, But what I found
is that Lewis is a lifelong Morgantown resident and is
(16:10):
also likely one of the oldest living members of a
WVU football team. What I learned about Lewis Wednesday afternoon
was I believe it was in nineteen forty four he
qualified for what was then called the WVU Wartime football team.
(16:31):
He then went and served in the military for two years,
came back and he was a Mountaineer. He played football
under two different coaches up through nineteen fifty and I
thought that he was in the parade last night, and
he's also going to be a part of their festivities
(16:55):
coming up this weekend. Now, let's see. He played under
coach Dudley Degrut from nineteen forty eight to nineteen forty nine.
Then he played one season for coach Art Pappy Lewis.
That was in nineteen fifty the oldest graduate of University
(17:16):
High School, and of course University. They're celebrating their one
hundredth graduating class this year and on the field, they'll
take on Connellsville, Pennsylvania, coming up on Friday night. Kyle
Wiggs will have that call. We'll get a preview of
that game coming up tomorrow. The homecoming parade held last
(17:38):
night in downtown Morgantown and coming up let's see, I
believe that their tailgate gets started at five o'clock up
on Baker's Ridge coming up tomorrow and once again the
shuttle will be departing, I believe from two ninety nine
Baker's Ridge Road, and they certainly encourage folks to take
(17:59):
advantage of that shuttle rather than endangering themselves and possibly
walking along that narrow road. In the Hours of Darkness
program note coming up tomorrow, we're going to be speaking
with Morgantown May Danielle Trumbell and we've got a complete
list of topics. I know that we had let's see
(18:21):
sixth Ward councilor marked downs in or I'm sorry, fifth
Ward councilor markdowns in just the other day. We're talking
about some affordable housing issues. We're going to pick up
that conversation with Morgantown May Danielle trumble tomorrow and we'll
also be talking about the decision to move the warming
(18:42):
shelter out to West Run Road. And a tool trailer.
The City of Morgantown now has a tool trailer that
they're using to I guess check out tools like you
would if you went to a library. If you need
a drill, you need something there around the house in
order to do a project. Well, they can check that
(19:03):
tool out to you. It's a trailer, and they do
have a couple of events coming up in the very
near future in order to show that tool trailer off
and how it will work. And I believe that the
proposed City Identification Card program will play a role in that.
And also there's an Arbor Day celebration coming up this
(19:24):
weekend that we'll be talking with Mayor Danielle Trumbull.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two finy five. This is the Talk of
the town.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
A good Thursday morning. It is nine thirty four, some clouds,
maybe a little bit of lingering fog, forty four degrees
in the University City in studio. I've got Angie Shockley
with us, and now Angie is with the Knane Valley
Spa and Wellness Center. Do I have that right?
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You have that correct?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Okay? Perfect? Now tell us about the Canaane Valley Spa
and Wellness Center because actually they don't open until the twelfth,
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
That's correct.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
We have a grand opening on Saturday the eleventh, and
everybody's invited, so your listeners are all welcome to come
to Canane Valley and be there for the grand opening celebration.
We're going to have a lot of really great fun
and food and music. Larry Pack is going to be speaking,
Mark Bow Barnwood Builders, the Davis and Brothers are going
to be playing music for us. So it's going to
(20:38):
be a great afternoon. So would love to invite everybody
out to that. But let me tell you about Kannane
Valley Spa and Wellness Center. So it is an almost
nine thousand square foot building. It is built like a
bank barn, which if you're a farmer, you know, a
bank barn is built back into the bank, So it
(20:58):
has this very rustic appealed to it. As far as
the building itself, it was put up. The structure was
put up by Barnwood Builders and there are two episodes
of their TV show about the building and the project
as a whole. And then Larry Paul of Knane Valley
is the general contractor who was overseeing the building of
(21:18):
it from the structure that the Barnwood Builders put up.
So it's a beautiful building designed by care Intillery. Just
incredible and invite everyone to come see it. It's really
hard to put into words, but the building itself is really,
you know, it's going to be a great addition to
beautiful Canane Valley, West Virginia. We're going to be offering
(21:39):
spa services, some traditional spa services such as massage, and
we have a fitness center.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
We have a yoga studio.
Speaker 5 (21:47):
We have estheticians, so various kinds of skin treatments and facials.
We also have mineral soaks which we have sourced our
minerals from the dead sea, and then we have these
beautiful tubs that you can go in and soak in
these dead sea minerals that are infused with essential oils
(22:07):
for various healing properties. We also have three infrared saunas.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
We have a salt.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Room with halo therapy. We're going to be offering neurofeedback
for folks in the community. So we have all kinds
of services that we can provide.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Okay, I have to know what neuro feedback is. That
sounds awfully technical for a spot, well for a radio
show a spot.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
So neurofeedback is a non invasive way to retrain pathways
in the brain. So let's say it's something I've been
involved with for over ten years at this point, and
we work with a company that's based in South Carolina
called symmetry Neuropathway training, and the way that it works
is you do a brain map. You put these electrodes
(22:58):
on your head, and you actually get a app of
how the brain is working.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
So let's say it's someone who's had a.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Stroke, for example, and when they have the stroke, you know,
it can affect certain pathways in the brain. So perhaps
one part of their body is not working as well.
You know, the left side, for example, tends to be
affected quite a bit, and so what's happening in the
brain is those pathways that control that part of the
body are not working effectively or efficiently, and so using
(23:24):
neuro feedback you can actually retrain pathways in the brain
to help increase the recovery of that part of the body.
So it's non invasive. So you do the brain map,
you see what's happening in the brain. There are protocols
based on whatever diagnoses happens from the brain mapping, and
then you place these these sensors on the brain. They're
(23:47):
not doing anything to the brain. There's nothing being given
to the body at all. It's it's taking a reading
one hundred percent taking a reading, and so there are
various ways that it works. One way is that you
can have a monitor in front of you and you
can just be watching your favorite video, for example, and
as your brain starts to you know, for lack of
a better word, malfunction not work correctly, the screen will
(24:10):
go gray. And so that's a visual stimulant that tells
your brain, hey, wait a minute, I was watching that,
And so it causes the brain to kick in and go, oh,
let's pull that back up. And so it starts building
these new pathways in the brain. So it's it's really
great for like I said, stroke victims, for traumatic brain injury,
(24:31):
for kids who have ADHD, for kids with autism spectrum disorder,
and and the various things that come along with that.
It's great for emotional regulation and sleep, you know, better
sleep wake patterns, and so yeah, so that's something that
I've wanted to be able to provide in Tucker County
for a long time, but it's difficult to do it
(24:51):
just you know, stand as a standalone business, because if
you were to go and get those services for you know,
an individual somewhere where you could actually perhaps here in
Morgantown or maybe Charleston or somewhere that's not Canane Valley.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
You know, we're very rural there.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
It's going to cost probably one hundred and fifty to
two hundred and fifty per session, and that's not really
accessible to a lot of local folks. So being able
to provide that through the SPA, we can do it
at a much more affordable rate to allow people to
come in and you know, benefit from that for themselves
or for their children.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Okay, now we're going to talk about shamanism and how
you become a practitioner, but before we do that, how
can maybe people get more information about making an appointment
and coming up on Saturday. Folks can just show up.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Absolutely, Folks can just show up on Saturday.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
It's the address is thirty Aster Lane, Davis, West Virginia
is the city. And as far as finding more information,
our website is Kannaine Valley SPA wv dot com. Right now,
our services are not live online to book, but they
will be beginning on Sunday the twelfth, and you know,
(26:05):
all of our information is listed on the website. A
really great way to see what's happening is to follow
us on social media. You know, we have Facebook, we
have Instagram. We have TikTok. We have all the things.
I don't manage any of those things, but we have
all the things. But it's a great way to kind
of see what's happening. But yeah, we'd love for people
to come.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Okay, great, We're gonna take a real quick break and
when we come back, we're gonna get an education on shamanism.
It's coming up next. It's forty four in clouds in Morgantown.
Take a quick break. We'll be back on Am fourteen
forty f M. One oh four point five w A
j R.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Now back to the talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Well, good Thursday morning, a few clouds, forty four degree
in the University City. Coming up on Saturday. That will
be the grand opening of the Canaane Valley Spa and
Wellness Center in Davis, West Virginia. In studio, we have
the certified I'm sorry, the yes, certified Shamanic practitioner, Angie Shaki.
(27:18):
I'm always struggling. I'm wondering if I'm saying it right,
but i think I'm okay, Yes, you are, okay, good deal,
all right, So let's just be honest with one another.
There are many in the audience that when they hear
the word shaman, they're not thinking healing. And there are
many many skeptics, So peel this onion back and we
(27:41):
want the facts.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Okay, Yeah, absolutely, And I was one of those.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
I think for a lot of years that word was
it was intimidating to me, or it held a connotation
that was not accurate. And so I've always been since
I was little. I think my parents would agree to this.
I was dragging people home when I as a kid.
So I've always been a helper people, animals. I've always rescued,
I've always It's just kind of who I've always been.
(28:08):
And so I think to be a healer, it's something
that you are, not something you learn. But I was
very blessed to have a beautiful friend of mine. Her
name is Kim Lenrick, and she knew she saw in me.
What was happening is I was going through my career,
my professional career, which has always been working with at
risk kids and young adults. And she saw what I
(28:29):
was doing and she introduced me to a shaman in Sandpoint, Idaho,
who I then went and worked with. And the first
part of this journey is me doing my own work,
my own healing, going through my own journey of discovery,
and through that process, I realized that what shamanism is
(28:51):
is the oldest medicine on the face of the planet.
Every indigenous culture around the world has a shaman or
a medicine manner.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
You know, in the United.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
States, we tend to go more to the Native American
culture of a medicine man, medicine woman in a village. Right,
It's the same concept in all around the world. And
when I think, how, you know, it's been here for
thousands of years, and you know, nobody was communicating with
each other thousands of years ago, but yet they all
had the same basic belief system.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
And so it's not religion.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
I think that's one of the biggest things that people
get confused about. It's not religion shamanism. Shamanism and religion
are two very, very different things. However, in my practice
of helping other people, I do connect with God, and
I do have a strong faith in God, and I'm
very spiritual, and so that's a part of how I
help other people.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
But it's not about religion.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Well, let me ask you this, doctors. I guess every
person in the medical profession has a set of tools.
If someone were to ask you what your tool are,
what would you.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Tell That is a great question and I'm going to
recommend other people ask that question.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
It's a great question.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
So my toolbox is very, very full of tools. And
my tools include breath work, meditation, shamanic journeying, which is
just a deeper level of meditation, prayer, faith, trust, understanding
things that are more literal, like the triangle, like living
(30:30):
in a triangle. Are we in a triangle with somebody
else with the world. Do we feel like the world's
being done to us? Or do we feel like we
are participating in the world, And that's we could do
a whole other segment just on that online, right, But
understanding where we fit into the world and what is
our purpose in the world, and so all of these
things are tools that we can use. Being able to
(30:52):
energetically track something, which means get information on different levels
of perception. Perceptual states what is happening at the literal level,
but what is also happening at your soul's journey, And
you get different information when you look at something from
a different perspective. Right, We've heard that forever well, what's
the bird's eye perspective, look, the bigger picture perspective, And
(31:13):
it just takes that concept and breaks it down so
that you learn how to use those tools to gain
information on different levels. And that's a very important part
of this journey.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
M Yes, the phrase that comes to mind is peace
of mind.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
Yes, absolutely absolutely. You know that takes me to the
word flow. You know, a few years back, flow was
the big buzzword around. You're listening to podcasts, reading books,
everybody's talking about being in the flow, and I was like, huh,
wonder what that actually means. And now I really understand
what that means. That means being fully present in the
moment that you're in. You know, we do not create
(31:51):
in the future. We create in the present moment. And
so if we are busy worrying about what's happening in
the future or lamenting what's happened in the past, and
we're totally missing our life, being fully present in the
moment that you're in, that's being in flow, that's having
peace of mind.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Now, is there a link between shamanism and say osteopathic medicine.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
I would say that it's it's they're not there's not
a direct link, but we're in the same tree because
holistic healing includes everything in my opinion, and you know,
it's it is kind of funny. I have a daughter
who's a pharmacist, and I have a son who's a physician.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
And they have a mom who's a shaman and uh and.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
And we all have we all work together, you know,
we the three of us, will work together when there's
a challenge in our family, especially you know, if I
have something going on, I have incredible medical team around me.
I do have medical issues at times, and I go
to those doctors.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
I love them.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
They're awesome, and they work with me to address any
medical issues I have. But at the same time, I
can't tell you the last time I had a cold,
never tested positive for COVID, and I don't know that
I didn't have COVID, but I never got really sick.
And so I the way that I take care of
(33:05):
myself is more from an energetic perspective than it is
through any kind of traditional preventative medicine.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
But if I'm reading through between the lines correctly, if
your son or your daughter said, Mom, you know, maybe
you ought to take this, yeah, you would do it. Yeah,
I mean, if.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
It made sense and I thought it was going to
help something. You know, I'm like every other sixty year
old woman. I've got arthritis and aky knees from basketball
and all kinds of things, you know, So I definitely
am not like you know, Superwoman, that's not it at all.
But I also, like I said, I don't get colds.
I don't get sick like that. I don't catch things
(33:47):
that the viruses that are going around, I just don't.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
How many were running close on time. But shamanism, how
long is it fast acting or is it over time?
Speaker 4 (33:58):
It's over time. It's a journey.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
It is not a fast acting Now we'll tell you
that you can when you do your first session, it's
pretty it's a pretty significant shift. You start to feel
things pretty quickly physically, emotionally, energetically, mentally, you start to
feel things pretty quickly. But it is you said, peel
the onion back, and that really is what the shamanic
journey is. It's peeling the onion back until we get
(34:20):
to those things that are limiting us, that are holding
us back. And there is such a connection between what's
physically ailing us and what is energetically and emotionally holding us.
And when we can clear that connection, then we clear
the path to health.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
What's the length of those initial appointments? How long does
it take to get started?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
The first appointment is about an hour, and I typically
spend about an hour with each one of my clients.
Sometimes it's a little bit longer. I have clients that
I see weekly. I have clients that I see every
other week. I have clients that see me once and
I may not hear from them again for three months
or six months, and then it hits them and they
call up and they come back in and we do
(35:03):
another session. So there's not really a set protocol for it.
It's a very individualized process.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Is a shamanic practitioner a job? Are there other people
that are training to do this?
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Yes, and there are a lot of shamanic practitioners around.
I'm sure I don't know all of them. And I
think that you know, what we've talked about is the
skepticism and the judgment that comes around that word. I
think that keeps a lot of people quiet, not talking
about the work that they do. But yes, I know
of at least two other people who have become certified
(35:36):
since they started working with me in my area and
more who are moving in that direction.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
So yeah, Angie Shaki, she is the shamanic practitioner at
the Kannane Spa, the Khanane Valley Spaw and Wellness Center
that will open this Saturday. Thank you very much for
coming in.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I'm so grateful to be here.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Thank you, beautiful, take care of yourself.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Forty four degrees in clouds. Will be back to wrap
things up coming up after this on Am fourteen forty
f m one oh four point five w AJR.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Well, good Thursday morning, fair and forty four degrees. Certainly
very very enlightened after that conversation about shamanic practitioning, be
sure and check out the Canaane Valley Spa and Wellness
Center online and once again that grand opening ceremony that
will be this Friday in Davis. It's going to be
(36:52):
a great weekend to take a drive down in that
direction because fall temperatures have set in sunny and hive
sixty four today tonight, another clear, cool, crisp night, a
low of thirty eight degrees. I don't know about you,
but this is my kind of weather metro news talk line.
Coming up next on the Voice of Morgantown w AJR,
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Clarksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two five five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike notlting Well.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good Thursday morning. It is nine oh seven. Welcome to
Talk of the Town. Let's see four down, one to
go before we get the weekend started. Ethan Collins is
our producer today. You can reach Ethan at eight hundred
seven six five eight two five five, And of course
we'd love to hear from you. Got the text line
(00:45):
for that that number three oh four talk three oh four,
Please use that to get your thoughts into the broadcast booth.
Let's see certification test scores for EMT statewide are setting
records and that is great thing. We're going to talk
to the Director of Emergency Medical Services in the state,
(01:05):
Jody Ratliffe, about those scores and would signal a maybe
good morale among the troops. Will double check that. And
now I'm sure that this is a first for the program,
but we're going to be talking to a certified shamanic
practitioner Angie Shockley, she's going to be talking about a
(01:27):
brand new spa opening in the Canaane Valley coming up
this weekend. As a matter of fact, that's roadmap for
the program. Let's take a look at a couple of
headlines before we get things started. Well, after weeks of
consternation and meetings, it now appears that the Morgantown, Montengelia
County Warming Shelter will be at the old Bartlett House
(01:50):
location on West Run Road, facility now operated by the
West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness. Mont County Commission President
Jeff Barnett made that announcement at during their regular meeting
on Wednesday, and that was following a special meeting of
the Morgantown Community Resource Board earlier Wednesday morning. Now that
(02:14):
facility already has the staffing in place, already kind of
have the template for the operation. It's already they're ready
to go, so they're going to move it in. Their
plans are still being finalized, though, Let's see Arnett did
say Hazel's House of Hope, where the shelter was in
twenty twenty four twenty five, that will be the alternate location.
(02:39):
A new executive director for Boupark has been named. Morgantown
High School graduate lifelong city resident Greg Travinsky appointed to
the position by the Bow Park Board during their Thursday
meeting Wednesday meeting. Excuse me, Travinsky. He's the current director
of Programs, Athletics and Facilities for the organization. Now he'll
(03:03):
take over for current director Melissa Wiles. She will be
retiring later this year. Up Also Wednesday afternoon, just about
at two o'clock, a nineteen year old suspect wanted for
murder in Ohio was apprehended apprehended by the US Marshall's
Service in Preston County. Mountain State Fugitive Task Force received
(03:26):
a tip from their counterparts in Ohio. A positive positively
identified wyman did not at a residence on Kale's Road.
They took him into custody Wednesday afternoon just about two.
He's accused of killing another person in the shootout in
the Cleveland area that happened in April of this year.
(03:48):
Wednesday edition of Talk of the Town, we welcomed the
Mountaintop Beverage People team leader Best Pratt to the program.
We learned that Mountaintop Beverage growing their customer base, and
they're doing it with the local workforce of just about
two hundred and twenty five people. That three hundred and
thirty thousand square foot facility is now producing stable dairy
(04:14):
products twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
So and I'm sure as those of you who were listening,
we talked with Beth about the bridge that's being built
that they can look at and see that's coming on
the horizon, and they're certainly very excited, and who knows,
(04:35):
maybe there's talk of an expansion We'll keep our fingers
on the pulse there. Governor Patrick Morrissey, he's got a
news conference scheduled this afternoon at the state Capitol that
is set to begin at twelve thirty this afternoon. When
we come back, spend a few minutes with the Director
of the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the State,
(04:59):
Jody Ratliffe. It's coming up next on Talk of the Town.
It is nine eleven on AM fourteen forty FM one
oh four point five WAJR. Well, good Thursday morning, and
welcome back to Talk of the Town. A few clouds,
maybe some fog where you are forty three degrees, some
very good news released this week about EMS certification test scores.
(05:24):
We've got the director of the Office of Emergency Medical
Services in the State, Jody Ratliffe, with us. Good morning, Jody,
how you doing.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Good morning, sir, I'm going good.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Hey, excellent, excellent. Well, I tell you what, I've been
following the EMS issues here with the Delegate Joe Statler
and others here for the past three to four years
and saw that press release and it immediately peaked my interest.
I'm sure that it did yours as well. Give us
those results, please.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yes, absolutely so. When we first started this and started
looking at some of the pass rates in twenty three
and then we started to take action in twenty four,
what we were looking at is our em T pass rate.
We're in the mid to low forties. Our AMT was
our Advanced Nursery medical Technician. We were good with am T.
We were in the eighty percent pile, around eighty six percent,
(06:18):
and then our paramedic we were in sixty percent pile
back then. So when we started to make our changes
in twenty four, all of a sudden, now our EMT
pass rate is around eighty six percent. Our AMT pass
rate is still in the eight mid eighties percent, Our
EMR pass rate MIEN up to seventy one point five percent,
and our first time pass rate for paramedics is ninety
six percent. So it couldn't be more happier than that.
(06:41):
I am right now with the effort that our Insight
put into this, our office put into this, our educational
institutes put in our instructors, and our students too.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You know, Jody, so many times we hear people talk
about how it's the government's job to empower groups in
order to do good, not to say step in and
do it themselves. And I think if you take a
look back at twenty three twenty two, when some of
those investments were coming in from the state for you know,
free training uniforms, the investment in the mobile ambulances, you know,
(07:15):
talk about some of these investments and maybe how that
might have played into this.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Yes, absolutely so. What what happened with the investments that
was put in. What we did was we basically took
it with the Insight and they came in and gave
a presentation to us in the in the secretary at
the time on what they saw, and then we'd already
been in a discussion with them is what we wanted
them to advise us on everything, and we went around
the other states around the nation to see what they
were doing and what we were doing and how could
(07:42):
we improve it. So we took those investments and basically
we empowered our educational institutes. Really, what we did was
we said, okay, we're going to start having oversite a
little bit more more oversided on our educational institutes, which
caused the educational institute to start had more oversight over
their instructors, which caused more oversites over theretudents. We was
able to take all the resources that the state was
(08:03):
able to do use for us or get to us,
and put it in the effort with all the pass
rates and the classes and the education. And it didn't
just stop with the national restry testing, and we also
use that with our classes. Just this past weekend with
the PDS symposium, we had the trucks down there and
all of our resources down there educating the people who's
already in the MS. So it's really it's really all
(08:23):
around great thing for the state.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Hey, if you would describe what one of these training ambulances.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Are, sure, so it looks like a regular ambulance it's not,
but it looks like a regular amuletce it is for
me at my age and I'm an old paramedic and everything.
It's high tech. It is. The mannequins they have in
there are absolutely unreal. They will talk to you, they breathe,
they have a pulse. We can do all of our
(08:51):
skills on it. We can do a full assessment, the
cardiac monitors in there, and we can work these annekins
and these trucks with everybody from an EMI are all
the way up to a critic care nurse.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And as I understand it too, the state now pays
for these recertification tests as well.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So the state doesn't pay for the recertification tests, using
the agencies pay for the recertification tests and things like that.
That's usually who pays for them.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Okay, okay, we've kind.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Of the person does the typically the agencies.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
M We've got the director of the Office of Emergency
Medical Services in the state, Jody Ratliffe, with us. And
you know, the other thing that caught my attention here
is the fact that when you have people that are
scoring very high marks on these tests, that those are
probably the people that are more likely to maybe pursue
this as a career and maybe not just a part
(09:48):
time pursuit.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Oh. Absolutely, you know we have we have different different
people from different walks in life who come into EMS.
But with what we're doing through class, we we're looking
to hold everybody to a seventy percent standard and if
we can do that, we're finding out obviously through the
pass rates, the first time pass rates that people are
passing and when they do pass, and we change the
(10:11):
structure of the class around just a little bit, which
probably become mandated within the next couple of weeks, but
we've changed around a little bit so when we first
come into it, instead of going through all the boring
stuff at first, you come in and do a few
ride alongs, so that way you can actually see what
EMS is about and get into the excitement of it,
and then they kind of fall in love with it
they want to do better in class.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, that makes perfect sense. You know, you get to
get out feel it, and you know understand why you're
learning what you're learning, and you know, we've learned in
other areas that that is a huge motivating factor.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yes, sir, absolutely, it is. People think of EMS of
different ways and what we want to do is we
want to show them that it is a profession. We
are professionals and when we go out there, we have
a lot of responsibilities. The general public typicity don't know
what all we do with patients, but it's it's it's
a lot. And these paramedics and the e mts and amts,
they are highly trained, highly educated, and highly skilled.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
And I think that I know here that they've added
whole blood to ambulances here and I'm sure that that
changes the dynamic for training as well.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Oh yes, absolutely, we've been rolling the blood classes out
throughout the state, just had more of them down to
PEDIAX and posium blood is on its way towards I
believe Mineral County based that should be happening soon. I
believe Charleston's fire department here in Kanaal County, in Kanall
County Ants they're they're getting theirs up and running soon.
So it's really starting to spread throughout the state, which
(11:39):
is a great thing, and it's not blood so EANs.
In West Virginia. We started not too long ago as
one of the lowest rating states with our protocols, and
now we're around twelve across the nation. Our protocols have
really come around, and that's what benefits patient. It's even
though it looks good for the state, and it's great
that government governor went, she's leading us on this and everything,
(12:02):
but who it really benefits is the patients, and that's
who we're trying to target. Those patients.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
You know, when I look at this whole thing, and
like I told you when we started this conversation, I've
been kind of following this topic here for the last
three four years, and you know, the only concern that
I see or that I have is that they would
be the pipeline of incoming EMTs, because I've noticed that
after that huge investment and the offers of free training
(12:29):
and things like that, you know a lot of people
went through those classes, and some of those classes aren't
seeing the enrollment that they have in the past. What
can you tell us about the pipeline?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Sure? So you know, this is what I always say,
and I've saidis of legislation. We didn't lose all these
people yesterday, so we're not going to get in back today.
It's it's a marathon, it truly is. So what we're
seeing is after we saw the three classes and we
saw the boost of it. What we was only seeing
was about thirty three percent of all that group was
only making in the EMS, the same amount that we're
passing right now now it's still a little bit of
(13:01):
over thirty three percent. So, but what we are seeing
is better pass rates, which is a better education, which
means as we get people to come into these classes,
we have a much better chance of getting them into
the EMS than the four So even though it might
not be as many people coming into class, the people
who are come into class or passing class, so it's
the same amount of people who's actually making it into ums.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Are these the kinds of things that you can take
to the legislature and say, hey, here's why maybe you
ought to think about funding the firefund?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Oh yes, or absolutely, you know that's something that the
MS coalition would work on. We were just supplied in
with the data and things like that, and then they
would go over there and work with legislation and things
like that.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
And I guess in closing, Jody, when you take a
look at the overall EMS network across the state and
the testing, and you know, it would appear to be
a kind of a vibrant building system that is getting
ready for the future.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Oh yes, absolutely. If we're working on fixing things today,
we are so far behind and that would scare me.
But we're already working on what's going to happen in
the next five to ten years, fifteen twenty years, things
like that. So between with what we're doing, and we've
got the whole state involved, and that's one of the
things that makes me the happiest. Also is is the
governor has given me the opportunity to go around the state,
(14:22):
pull all these EMS agencies together, bring them together, and
start working as one unit across the state. And that's
been a huge benefit. EMS sees it. I mean I
see it from sitting in this office, but when I
go out and talk to my friends out in MS,
they all see it. And to have people from Berkeley County,
Ohio County, Monroe County, you know, I can keep naming
all the counties all come together and I'm seeing them
(14:44):
all at conferences and different meetings. That says a lot
for where we already in mess today.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Okay, beautiful. The Director of the Office of Emergency Medical
Services in the state, Jody Ratlift, Jody, really do appreciate
your time this morning.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Thank you very much, absolutely absolutely thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Absolutely have great day, Jody, Jody right left, the director
of Emergency Medical Services in the state. Definitely good work,
and his good work means increased safety no matter where
you travel throughout the state of West Virginia. You wanted
to share something real quick before I do the text
line three to four talk three four. I got a
(15:24):
lesson in Morgantown history on Wednesday afternoon. I had a
conversation in the morning with the University High School principal
Kim Green and University High School teacher Suzanne Ernstas We
were talking about the homecoming preparations, the homecoming parade, tailgate shuttles,
(15:45):
and everything that's going to be happening up on Baker's
Ridge this weekend, and they brought up the name Lewis
barakas as being the oldest known graduate of University High School,
and a little checking, of course, it really wasn't sure
on how to spell Lewis Baracas, But what I found
is that Lewis is a lifelong Morgantown resident and is
(16:10):
also likely one of the oldest living members of a
WVU football team. What I learned about Lewis Wednesday afternoon
was I believe it was in nineteen forty four he
qualified for what was then called the WVU Wartime football team.
(16:31):
He then went and served in the military for two years,
came back and he was a Mountaineer. He played football
under two different coaches up through nineteen fifty and I
thought that he was in the parade last night, and
he's also going to be a part of their festivities
(16:55):
coming up this weekend. Now, let's see. He played under
coach Dudley Degrut from nineteen forty eight to nineteen forty nine.
Then he played one season for coach Art Pappy Lewis.
That was in nineteen fifty the oldest graduate of University
(17:16):
High School, and of course University. They're celebrating their one
hundredth graduating class this year and on the field, they'll
take on Connellsville, Pennsylvania, coming up on Friday night. Kyle
Wiggs will have that call. We'll get a preview of
that game coming up tomorrow. The homecoming parade held last
(17:38):
night in downtown Morgantown and coming up let's see, I
believe that their tailgate gets started at five o'clock up
on Baker's Ridge coming up tomorrow and once again the
shuttle will be departing, I believe from two ninety nine
Baker's Ridge Road, and they certainly encourage folks to take
(17:59):
advantage of that shuttle rather than endangering themselves and possibly
walking along that narrow road. In the Hours of Darkness
program note coming up tomorrow, we're going to be speaking
with Morgantown May Danielle Trumbell and we've got a complete
list of topics. I know that we had let's see
(18:21):
sixth Ward councilor marked downs in or I'm sorry, fifth
Ward councilor markdowns in just the other day. We're talking
about some affordable housing issues. We're going to pick up
that conversation with Morgantown May Danielle trumble tomorrow and we'll
also be talking about the decision to move the warming
(18:42):
shelter out to West Run Road. And a tool trailer.
The City of Morgantown now has a tool trailer that
they're using to I guess check out tools like you
would if you went to a library. If you need
a drill, you need something there around the house in
order to do a project. Well, they can check that
(19:03):
tool out to you. It's a trailer, and they do
have a couple of events coming up in the very
near future in order to show that tool trailer off
and how it will work. And I believe that the
proposed City Identification Card program will play a role in that.
And also there's an Arbor Day celebration coming up this
(19:24):
weekend that we'll be talking with Mayor Danielle Trumbull.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two finy five. This is the Talk of
the town.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
A good Thursday morning. It is nine thirty four, some clouds,
maybe a little bit of lingering fog, forty four degrees
in the University City in studio. I've got Angie Shockley
with us, and now Angie is with the Knane Valley
Spa and Wellness Center. Do I have that right?
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You have that correct?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Okay? Perfect? Now tell us about the Canaane Valley Spa
and Wellness Center because actually they don't open until the twelfth,
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
That's correct.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
We have a grand opening on Saturday the eleventh, and
everybody's invited, so your listeners are all welcome to come
to Canane Valley and be there for the grand opening celebration.
We're going to have a lot of really great fun
and food and music. Larry Pack is going to be speaking,
Mark Bow Barnwood Builders, the Davis and Brothers are going
to be playing music for us. So it's going to
(20:38):
be a great afternoon. So would love to invite everybody
out to that. But let me tell you about Kannane
Valley Spa and Wellness Center. So it is an almost
nine thousand square foot building. It is built like a
bank barn, which if you're a farmer, you know, a
bank barn is built back into the bank, So it
(20:58):
has this very rustic appealed to it. As far as
the building itself, it was put up. The structure was
put up by Barnwood Builders and there are two episodes
of their TV show about the building and the project
as a whole. And then Larry Paul of Knane Valley
is the general contractor who was overseeing the building of
(21:18):
it from the structure that the Barnwood Builders put up.
So it's a beautiful building designed by care Intillery. Just
incredible and invite everyone to come see it. It's really
hard to put into words, but the building itself is really,
you know, it's going to be a great addition to
beautiful Canane Valley, West Virginia. We're going to be offering
(21:39):
spa services, some traditional spa services such as massage, and
we have a fitness center.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
We have a yoga studio.
Speaker 5 (21:47):
We have estheticians, so various kinds of skin treatments and facials.
We also have mineral soaks which we have sourced our
minerals from the dead sea, and then we have these
beautiful tubs that you can go in and soak in
these dead sea minerals that are infused with essential oils
(22:07):
for various healing properties. We also have three infrared saunas.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
We have a salt.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Room with halo therapy. We're going to be offering neurofeedback
for folks in the community. So we have all kinds
of services that we can provide.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Okay, I have to know what neuro feedback is. That
sounds awfully technical for a spot, well for a radio
show a spot.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
So neurofeedback is a non invasive way to retrain pathways
in the brain. So let's say it's something I've been
involved with for over ten years at this point, and
we work with a company that's based in South Carolina
called symmetry Neuropathway training, and the way that it works
is you do a brain map. You put these electrodes
(22:58):
on your head, and you actually get a app of
how the brain is working.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
So let's say it's someone who's had a.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Stroke, for example, and when they have the stroke, you know,
it can affect certain pathways in the brain. So perhaps
one part of their body is not working as well.
You know, the left side, for example, tends to be
affected quite a bit, and so what's happening in the
brain is those pathways that control that part of the
body are not working effectively or efficiently, and so using
(23:24):
neuro feedback you can actually retrain pathways in the brain
to help increase the recovery of that part of the body.
So it's non invasive. So you do the brain map,
you see what's happening in the brain. There are protocols
based on whatever diagnoses happens from the brain mapping, and
then you place these these sensors on the brain. They're
(23:47):
not doing anything to the brain. There's nothing being given
to the body at all. It's it's taking a reading
one hundred percent taking a reading, and so there are
various ways that it works. One way is that you
can have a monitor in front of you and you
can just be watching your favorite video, for example, and
as your brain starts to you know, for lack of
a better word, malfunction not work correctly, the screen will
(24:10):
go gray. And so that's a visual stimulant that tells
your brain, hey, wait a minute, I was watching that,
And so it causes the brain to kick in and go, oh,
let's pull that back up. And so it starts building
these new pathways in the brain. So it's it's really
great for like I said, stroke victims, for traumatic brain injury,
(24:31):
for kids who have ADHD, for kids with autism spectrum disorder,
and and the various things that come along with that.
It's great for emotional regulation and sleep, you know, better
sleep wake patterns, and so yeah, so that's something that
I've wanted to be able to provide in Tucker County
for a long time, but it's difficult to do it
(24:51):
just you know, stand as a standalone business, because if
you were to go and get those services for you know,
an individual somewhere where you could actually perhaps here in
Morgantown or maybe Charleston or somewhere that's not Canane Valley.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
You know, we're very rural there.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
It's going to cost probably one hundred and fifty to
two hundred and fifty per session, and that's not really
accessible to a lot of local folks. So being able
to provide that through the SPA, we can do it
at a much more affordable rate to allow people to
come in and you know, benefit from that for themselves
or for their children.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Okay, now we're going to talk about shamanism and how
you become a practitioner, but before we do that, how
can maybe people get more information about making an appointment
and coming up on Saturday. Folks can just show up.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Absolutely, Folks can just show up on Saturday.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
It's the address is thirty Aster Lane, Davis, West Virginia
is the city. And as far as finding more information,
our website is Kannaine Valley SPA wv dot com. Right now,
our services are not live online to book, but they
will be beginning on Sunday the twelfth, and you know,
(26:05):
all of our information is listed on the website. A
really great way to see what's happening is to follow
us on social media. You know, we have Facebook, we
have Instagram. We have TikTok. We have all the things.
I don't manage any of those things, but we have
all the things. But it's a great way to kind
of see what's happening. But yeah, we'd love for people
to come.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Okay, great, We're gonna take a real quick break and
when we come back, we're gonna get an education on shamanism.
It's coming up next. It's forty four in clouds in Morgantown.
Take a quick break. We'll be back on Am fourteen
forty f M. One oh four point five w A
j R.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Now back to the talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Well, good Thursday morning, a few clouds, forty four degree
in the University City. Coming up on Saturday. That will
be the grand opening of the Canaane Valley Spa and
Wellness Center in Davis, West Virginia. In studio, we have
the certified I'm sorry, the yes, certified Shamanic practitioner, Angie Shaki.
(27:18):
I'm always struggling. I'm wondering if I'm saying it right,
but i think I'm okay, Yes, you are, okay, good deal,
all right, So let's just be honest with one another.
There are many in the audience that when they hear
the word shaman, they're not thinking healing. And there are
many many skeptics, So peel this onion back and we
(27:41):
want the facts.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Okay, Yeah, absolutely, And I was one of those.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
I think for a lot of years that word was
it was intimidating to me, or it held a connotation
that was not accurate. And so I've always been since
I was little. I think my parents would agree to this.
I was dragging people home when I as a kid.
So I've always been a helper people, animals. I've always rescued,
I've always It's just kind of who I've always been.
(28:08):
And so I think to be a healer, it's something
that you are, not something you learn. But I was
very blessed to have a beautiful friend of mine. Her
name is Kim Lenrick, and she knew she saw in me.
What was happening is I was going through my career,
my professional career, which has always been working with at
risk kids and young adults. And she saw what I
(28:29):
was doing and she introduced me to a shaman in Sandpoint, Idaho,
who I then went and worked with. And the first
part of this journey is me doing my own work,
my own healing, going through my own journey of discovery,
and through that process, I realized that what shamanism is
(28:51):
is the oldest medicine on the face of the planet.
Every indigenous culture around the world has a shaman or
a medicine manner.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
You know, in the United.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
States, we tend to go more to the Native American
culture of a medicine man, medicine woman in a village. Right,
It's the same concept in all around the world. And
when I think, how, you know, it's been here for
thousands of years, and you know, nobody was communicating with
each other thousands of years ago, but yet they all
had the same basic belief system.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
And so it's not religion.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
I think that's one of the biggest things that people
get confused about. It's not religion shamanism. Shamanism and religion
are two very, very different things. However, in my practice
of helping other people, I do connect with God, and
I do have a strong faith in God, and I'm
very spiritual, and so that's a part of how I
help other people.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
But it's not about religion.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Well, let me ask you this, doctors. I guess every
person in the medical profession has a set of tools.
If someone were to ask you what your tool are,
what would you.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Tell That is a great question and I'm going to
recommend other people ask that question.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
It's a great question.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
So my toolbox is very, very full of tools. And
my tools include breath work, meditation, shamanic journeying, which is
just a deeper level of meditation, prayer, faith, trust, understanding
things that are more literal, like the triangle, like living
(30:30):
in a triangle. Are we in a triangle with somebody
else with the world. Do we feel like the world's
being done to us? Or do we feel like we
are participating in the world, And that's we could do
a whole other segment just on that online, right, But
understanding where we fit into the world and what is
our purpose in the world, and so all of these
things are tools that we can use. Being able to
(30:52):
energetically track something, which means get information on different levels
of perception. Perceptual states what is happening at the literal level,
but what is also happening at your soul's journey, And
you get different information when you look at something from
a different perspective. Right, We've heard that forever well, what's
the bird's eye perspective, look, the bigger picture perspective, And
(31:13):
it just takes that concept and breaks it down so
that you learn how to use those tools to gain
information on different levels. And that's a very important part
of this journey.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
M Yes, the phrase that comes to mind is peace
of mind.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
Yes, absolutely absolutely. You know that takes me to the
word flow. You know, a few years back, flow was
the big buzzword around. You're listening to podcasts, reading books,
everybody's talking about being in the flow, and I was like, huh,
wonder what that actually means. And now I really understand
what that means. That means being fully present in the
moment that you're in. You know, we do not create
(31:51):
in the future. We create in the present moment. And
so if we are busy worrying about what's happening in
the future or lamenting what's happened in the past, and
we're totally missing our life, being fully present in the
moment that you're in, that's being in flow, that's having
peace of mind.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Now, is there a link between shamanism and say osteopathic medicine.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
I would say that it's it's they're not there's not
a direct link, but we're in the same tree because
holistic healing includes everything in my opinion, and you know,
it's it is kind of funny. I have a daughter
who's a pharmacist, and I have a son who's a physician.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
And they have a mom who's a shaman and uh and.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
And we all have we all work together, you know,
we the three of us, will work together when there's
a challenge in our family, especially you know, if I
have something going on, I have incredible medical team around me.
I do have medical issues at times, and I go
to those doctors.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
I love them.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
They're awesome, and they work with me to address any
medical issues I have. But at the same time, I
can't tell you the last time I had a cold,
never tested positive for COVID, and I don't know that
I didn't have COVID, but I never got really sick.
And so I the way that I take care of
(33:05):
myself is more from an energetic perspective than it is
through any kind of traditional preventative medicine.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
But if I'm reading through between the lines correctly, if
your son or your daughter said, Mom, you know, maybe
you ought to take this, yeah, you would do it. Yeah,
I mean, if.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
It made sense and I thought it was going to
help something. You know, I'm like every other sixty year
old woman. I've got arthritis and aky knees from basketball
and all kinds of things, you know, So I definitely
am not like you know, Superwoman, that's not it at all.
But I also, like I said, I don't get colds.
I don't get sick like that. I don't catch things
(33:47):
that the viruses that are going around, I just don't.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
How many were running close on time. But shamanism, how
long is it fast acting or is it over time?
Speaker 4 (33:58):
It's over time. It's a journey.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
It is not a fast acting Now we'll tell you
that you can when you do your first session, it's
pretty it's a pretty significant shift. You start to feel
things pretty quickly physically, emotionally, energetically, mentally, you start to
feel things pretty quickly. But it is you said, peel
the onion back, and that really is what the shamanic
journey is. It's peeling the onion back until we get
(34:20):
to those things that are limiting us, that are holding
us back. And there is such a connection between what's
physically ailing us and what is energetically and emotionally holding us.
And when we can clear that connection, then we clear
the path to health.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
What's the length of those initial appointments? How long does
it take to get started?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
The first appointment is about an hour, and I typically
spend about an hour with each one of my clients.
Sometimes it's a little bit longer. I have clients that
I see weekly. I have clients that I see every
other week. I have clients that see me once and
I may not hear from them again for three months
or six months, and then it hits them and they
call up and they come back in and we do
(35:03):
another session. So there's not really a set protocol for it.
It's a very individualized process.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Is a shamanic practitioner a job? Are there other people
that are training to do this?
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Yes, and there are a lot of shamanic practitioners around.
I'm sure I don't know all of them. And I
think that you know, what we've talked about is the
skepticism and the judgment that comes around that word. I
think that keeps a lot of people quiet, not talking
about the work that they do. But yes, I know
of at least two other people who have become certified
(35:36):
since they started working with me in my area and
more who are moving in that direction.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
So yeah, Angie Shaki, she is the shamanic practitioner at
the Kannane Spa, the Khanane Valley Spaw and Wellness Center
that will open this Saturday. Thank you very much for
coming in.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I'm so grateful to be here.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Thank you, beautiful, take care of yourself.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Forty four degrees in clouds. Will be back to wrap
things up coming up after this on Am fourteen forty
f m one oh four point five w AJR.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Well, good Thursday morning, fair and forty four degrees. Certainly
very very enlightened after that conversation about shamanic practitioning, be
sure and check out the Canaane Valley Spa and Wellness
Center online and once again that grand opening ceremony that
will be this Friday in Davis. It's going to be
(36:52):
a great weekend to take a drive down in that
direction because fall temperatures have set in sunny and hive
sixty four today tonight, another clear, cool, crisp night, a
low of thirty eight degrees. I don't know about you,
but this is my kind of weather metro news talk line.
Coming up next on the Voice of Morgantown w AJR,
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