HOLISTIC HEALTH Hardship leads to workshops

Miki Thomas is using her pain to help others.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Most people understand that the events in our lives help shape our future. If we are faced with a great deal of hardship, we have the choice of giving up or using our experience to share so that others' paths may be easier. People who have chosen to be healers often have had a life-changing experience, or a series of them that spurred them to develop a particular set of gifts.
Miki Thomas of Youngstown is one such person.
Thomas was born in Kumagaya City, near Tokyo, in 1944, but she is quick to point out that peoples' age makes no difference on what they can accomplish. "Birthday numbers have nothing to do with what you can do, how you think, or what you can be, or are," she said. "Birthdays are an indication of maturity and wisdom. That is my life philosophy."
Shortly after she graduated from Saitama University, she met her first husband, Glynn Nolan, of London. He had been working in Vietnam with building air bases, and came to Tokyo when his work was finished. They were married three weeks later, in 1967.
"We did some wild '60s stuff," Thomas said. "We traveled around the world for two years looking for a home but never found it. We tried Mexico, but that didn't work, so we went back to Japan. My husband was not allowed to work there, so he left and found a job in Canada, where he worked for the department of transport, checking the weather and how it might affect planes and ships, not really a meteorologist, but he kept track of hazardous conditions."
During that period, they lived on remote islands in British Columbia. The first two were inhabited by other families, but on the last one, Ethelda Base Radio Beacon Station (for little airplanes), they were the only people there, where they lived for eight years.
Difficulties
"We went for supplies once a month, but otherwise we were completely isolated," said Thomas. This period was not only difficult because of the extreme living condition hardships, but Thomases marriage was also struggling.
In 1986, the marriage ended. Thomas divorced her husband and moved to Hawaii, where she became a full-time student at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, graduating in 1989 with honors. She got a degree in teaching English as a second language.
It was there that she met her future husband, Ken Thomas, in March 1988. They were married in August 1989. "We considered the day we met as our real 'anniversary,'" Thomas said. "We talked for 20 minutes, and I suddenly heard myself saying, 'when we are living together.' When I realized what I had said, I was shocked, but Ken didn't seem bothered. We both knew then that we would be together."
Ken was in Hawaii at the time giving workshops on energy, vitality and wellness. "It was a tough road to pursue, but I helped him out. At the time, I was also going to counseling on relationships, and discovered that Ken was, too. I was dealing with a comment my father made to me as a little girl. He told me I wasn't very pretty."
Miki said that her self-esteem was shattered after that, her grades went downhill, and she believes that comment led her to make poor decisions related to her first marriage. But, in looking back at photos, she saw that she was very pretty.
"I was able to get to know and become close to my father, and eventually learned that he made that remark innocently, because he wanted me to develop the inner, spiritual aspect of myself," she said. Both of her parents are deceased, and she said she is still working with issues of healing and forgiveness.
Workshop on partnerships
One of the first workshops that she and Ken developed was helping people to choose the right partner. When they met, they had both made a list of ideal qualities they wanted in a mate, and the two of them clicked. They began teaching others how to do the same in Honolulu and eventually returned to Youngstown, Ken's original home. Her union with Ken was a dream-come-true. Sadly, Ken recently passed away from cancer. But Miki continues the work they did together in a series of her own workshops.
In addition to the workshops, Miki and Ken wrote a book called "Gifts From The Masters," a humorous and witty collection of little poems and illustrations, in English and Japanese, filled with thoughts, wisdom and reminders on ways to create the life we dream of living. It is available through Miki.
Thomas also does one-on-one consultations.
She may be reached at (330) 782-8598, or pepinternational@att.net.
XLaughing Crow is a practitioner of holistic healing. She may be reached at laughingcrow@neo.rr.com.