Sastun – a book review
Sastun, My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer, by Rosita Arvigo, 1994.
A beautiful ode to Don Elijio Panti, a legendary Maya Medicine Man who lived in Belize, Central America. This story is a gift to those of us seeking a spiritual context for our healing work. A reminder of the powerful healing held in the lives of so many dedicated herbalists who care for the majority of the world’s people.
Rosita Arvigo, ND apprenticed with Don Elijio for many of his final years. From him, she learned to identify and use native plants and herbs of the Belize rainforest. Her journey to him and with him was not an easy one. Coming from Chicago, she and her husband had to figure out how to live in this vast, wild, remote forest while they raised a family and started their own healing clinic.
Sastun is an intimate portrayal of two very dedicated healers.
Rosita honors the vast knowledge and compassion of her teacher, Don Elijio beautifully. At the same time she shares her thoughts and emotions as, she herself, is transformed by the Maya Spirits, the plants of the rainforest, and the people who live there. The book offers many stories of physical healing by using plants and ritual to affect the Spirit of the person in need. Spiritual healing is explored as the central method to healing all aspects of the individual.
Reading this book convinced me to go study with Rosita in Belize. She is a gifted teacher and healer and I am grateful that I have been able to study with her directly. She offers a variety of courses both in Belize and in the US. In addition, she has very effective herbal formulas, from plants harvested ethically in Belize, available on her website. For more information, go to www.arvigomassage.com.
