Healing & Wellness Spaces_APA Workshop2 (1)

Healing & Wellness Spaces
An Overview of Indigenous & Contemporary Practices
InFusion A + UD, LLC c 2016
1

Wanda Mills-Bocachica, Ph.D.
Presenter – AZ APA Chapter Workshop
Snell and Wilmer Conference Room, One Arizona Center, Phoenix, AZ
19-August-2016
2

Indigenous Workshop Goals
TO EDUCATE by engaging faculty, students,
professionals, and policy leaders in culturally
appropriate design and planning practices.*
 COMPARATIVE LEARNING EXERCISE
 Burton Barr Library DESIGN APPLICATION of
INDIGENOUS HEALING MODEL: Chinese
five elements theory (4000 years in
existence).
 APPLIED LEARNING EXAMPLES: Review of
Healing and Wellness spaces case studies.
 Indigenous Healing & Wellness Examples
 Contemporary Healing & Wellness
Examples
 INFORMAL DISCUSSION
* Mission statement phrasing borrowed from University of Calgary
“This knowledge can
help ensure that the
places we create, will
support and enhance
the lives of the people
who live [here], and
for visitors, keep them
coming back!”
Kevin Walters
3

Working Definitions & Relationships
4
Health &
Wellness
Space/Spaces
Soul Healing
Quality of Life
Energy Healing
Indigenous
Planning
Social & Environmental
Determinants of Health
Five Elements of
Chinese Healing
(indigenous example)

The Unlimited & Specific Parameters of Space
A region beyond the earth’s atmosphere
or solar system.
A boundless three-dimensional extent in
which objects and events occur and
have relative position and direction.
An opportunity to assert or
experience one’s identity
or needs freely or an
opportunity for privacy or
time to oneself.
5
SOURCE: Miriam Webster’s Online Dictionary.

Indigenous Worldview (in a nutshell)
Humans
Earth &
Environment
Cosmos
(Heaven)
 Heaven’s Blessing
Defined by birth characteristics,
such as specific date and time
of birth; birth location; cultural
heritage and family.
 Human’s Blessing
How one uses or expands talents
and intelligence. Attitudes and
behaviors are reflected in the
circumstances of daily life
experiences [or physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual
experiences and responses].
 Earth’s Blessing
Positive or negative influence of
the chi in the surrounding
environment impacts daily life
and work environments: home,
workplace, community, country
and the earth. Feng shui practices
aim to reduce negative chi in the
environment.
6
PSYCHOLOGIST: “Tell me how you think, how you feel, how you act and
I will tell you your life.”
FENG SHUI SPECIALIST: “Show me your home (or space) and I will tell
you your life.”

Indigenous Cosmological
Perspective NATURAL WORLD
■ Everything is alive
■ Each is endowed with a soul
and energy
■ Places have much to teach
us (plants, animals, rocks,
mountains, rivers, places large
and small).
HUMAN WORLD
■ Transmission of memory
■ Oral histories
■ Storytelling
■ Performances
■ Traditional ceremonies, songs
& prayers
ANIMAL WORLD
■ Belief that animals have
powerful souls
■ Animals sustain and inform
■ Can carry spiritual energies &
possess healing powers
SPIRIT WORLD
■ Belief that invisible forces
abide in sacred sites
■ Spiritual traditions & practices
of indigenous peoples and
communities
(altars, religious practices,
prayers and meditations)
Distinct cultures
with diverse
customs &
practices
• BALANCE: Avoid too much emphasis
in one direction (mentally, physically
and materially).
• CONNECTION TO THE CELESTIAL
WORLD: Knowledge of heavens and
how things happen in the universes
and the planet earth.
• Earth cycles (earth’s relation to the
sun, moon, stars; tides and currents;
seasons of the year; agriculture)
• Belief that everything is connected
(sun, moon, stars, mother earth, wind,
rocks, plants, animals, humans)
• HEALING SPACES
• Springs & Waterfalls
• Places where medicinal plants &
special animals can be found
• Places for celestial observation
(sacred forests)
• Places for dreaming, visioning,
listening to the land (i.e. waterfalls,
exposed boulders, organic patterns,
flowing stream, plants with healing
qualities, man-made environments)
7
SOURCE: The Land Has Memory: Indigenous Knowledge, Native
Landscapes and the NMAI. Smithsonian National Museum of the
American Indian, 2008.

Frame of Reference: Eastern & Western
Parameters for Workshop Presentation
Central Pennsylvania –
Amish Country
NY/NJ/PA: Historic Colonial CorridorOhio – Native American
(Indian) Mounds
Native
American
peoples in
urban areas
(Minneapolis/St
. Paul). The
stress of
displacement
and alcoholism
common health
challenge.
Indigenous native
American culture,
memory, agency and
evolution are visible.
Health conditions such
as diabetes, obesity,
heart disease and non-
healthy dietary
practices are of
alarming concern.
Puerto Rico:
Long-term
research on
indigenous
Afro-Puerto
Rican
settlements &
communities.
U.S. Virgin Islands:
Traditional (post-hurricanes
Hugo & Marilyn) & colonial
historic preservation
research (direct linkages to
US & Europe).
8

Indigenous & Indigenous Origins
 Native Americans
 Europeans
 Africans
 Asians
 Australians/South Pacific Islanders
Trace your indigenous origins…
and you will discover how interrelated we all are!
9

…or we can simplify and follow migratory
routes of the ancient wild camels!
Source: http://quatr.us/economy/camels.htm
Wild camels first originated in North America, and then, before the last Ice Age, they spread from North
America to East Asia and then across to Central Asia and Iran and Arabia (and also south to South
America where they became llamas, vicunas and alpacas). While they survived in Asia and Africa, the
camels became extinct in North America possibly during the Ice Age. K.E. Karr, Ph.D.
in North America!
10

We all carry indigenous memory in our DNA!
So, let’s explore what we have in common.
How is the human race (inter)related?
How can indigenous healing and wellness
traditions inspire and design the indoor and
outdoor spaces that we live in?
11

Finding the Balance
Documented Historic &
Contemporary Knowledge
Systems
(top down)
Indigenous (Ancient & Rooted)
Knowledge Systems
(bottom up)
12

Desert and Tropical Landscapes:
Yin and Yang Natures in the Natural World
Arizona/Phoenix Metro Region U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico
The yin and yang in Chinese philosophy considers opposite or contrary phenomena to be complimentary,
interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world. They give rise to each other through their
interrelated natures.
13

Indigenous Desert & Tropical Plant Materials?
Finding common ground through shared experiences with vegetation.
14

Intuitive Memory & the Leatherback Turtle
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. St. Croix, USVI
15

Defining Your Reference Points:
The Four Cardinal Directions
 Nearly every culture on
earth has a concept of
the cardinal directions:
north, south, east and
west.
 The four directions are a
means of establishing
basic geographic
orientation to many
indigenous peoples.
 Cardinal direction markers
are represented in
ceremony, art, clothing
and architecture.
 The four directions are
often imbued with
metaphor and
supernatural powers that
relate to our existence as
human beings.
 Many native peoples
associate colors, seasons,
and animals with the four
directions, which form the
basis for the medicine
wheel.
16
Echo Canyon/Camelback Mountain north
South Mountain south
Papago Buttes westRed Mountain east
SOURCES: Morrison-Meyer, L. Sacred Home: Creating Shelter for Your Home, 2004 and Henry, J. P. & K. Brumley. “Cardinal Direction Markers: Bringing the Four Directions to NMAI” in The Land Has Memory, 2008.

Angeles Arrien, Ph.D. is
an anthropologist,
who bridges cultural
anthropology,
psychology and
comparative religions.
She queries
indigenous wisdoms to
better understand our
relationships to our
families, our
professional lives and
the planet earth.
17
FromthePyraneesMountainsofSpaintothevalleysofIdaho.

Indigenous Planning Highlights
Planning practices that incorporate traditional
knowledge systems, cultural identity, and
stewardship over land and its resources.
 Indigenous planning paradigm is actually a
reformulation of practices that have been
used by “traditional” communities for
millennia. Seven generations…
 Land is a birthright and collective
stewardship is the primary mode of
maintaining it.
 Transformation is tempered by the need to
assure the community that new ideas are
mindful of the past, cognizant of the
present, and suitable for the future.
 World-views embodied values that are
essential toward attaining a balanced and
symmetrical interrelationship between
humankind and the natural environment.
SOURCE: Ted Loyola. Indigenous Planning & Tribal Community Development, 2000.
InFusion A + UD,
LLC c 2016
18
TIMELINE (1992-95)
 Started with the Community
Fellows Program in the MIT’s
Department of Urban Studies
and Planning.
 Advanced “postmodernist
discourse” among students
from “communities of color”
regarding grassroots activism
and culture.
 Formulated of a new theory
of action that is coined
indigenous planning.
 Aimed to radically reexamine
contemporary planning
practice to:
(1) Promote long-term
learning about
communities;
(2) Empowerment of the
community voice; and
(3) Advocacy defined by
cultural and traditional
knowledge systems and
intelligence.

19
“We are still here…
We still practice what our
ancestors passed on to us,
and our beliefs and
traditions live!”
John Paul Jones
Cherokee/Choctaw
Seattle, WA

Burton Barr Public Library
Phoenix, AZ
DESIGN APPLICATION of the INDIGENOUS HEALING MODEL:
The Chinese Five Elements Theory.
20

21
Monument Valley Butte
Burton H. Barr Library – East Facade

The Five Elements Chart (Abridged)
22
ELEMENT YIN ORGAN YANG ORGAN UNBALANCED
EMOTION
BALANCED
EMOTION
COLOR SEASON DIRECTION ENERGY
WOOD Liver Gallbladder Anger Patience Green Spring East Generative
FIRE Heart Small
Intestine
Depression,
Anxiety &
Excitability
Joy Red Summer South Expansive
EARTH Spleen Stomach Worry &
Depression
Love &
Compassion
Yellow Change of
Seasons
Central Stabilizing
METAL Lung Large
Intestine
Grief &
Sadness
Courage White Autumn West Contracting
WATER Kidney Urinary
Bladder
Fear Calmness Blue Winter North Conserving

The Five elements in Barr
Library architecture.
23
Fire, Earth &
Metal
Earth, Light &
Shadows
Fire, Light, Air
Water
Is this façade
made of
wood or
metal?

Crystal Canyon
What qualities or
impressions do you
receive or perceive
from this space?
24
Water Feature (a
rectangular reflective
pool; complimented by
the therapeutic sounds
of flowing water)
Source
of Fire:
The Sun
Source
of Fire:
The Sun

Color Applications
25

Exterior Building Facades
What natural qualities
or impressions do you
receive or perceive
from the Burton Barr
Library façades?
26

Wellness is much
more than merely
physical health,
exercise or nutrition.
It is the full
integration of states
of physical, mental,
and spiritual well-
being.
27
Health and Wellness for All Arizonans!
Motto: Arizona Department of Health Services
Seven Dimensions of Wellness. University of California, Riverside
[https://wellness.ucr.edu/seven_dimensions.html]

Indigenous Healing & Wellness Examples (East)
• Pinones & La Torre Communities. Loiza, Puerto Rico
• El Barrio San Anton Community. Ponce, Puerto Rico
• Moravian Multipurpose Education Center. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
28

Indigenous Case Study: Pinones (Loiza), Puerto Rico
Wellness Qualities & Characteristics (circa 1995 -
2002)
• High life expectancy rates.
• Food security: natural and cultivated
• Inspiring environment (paradise):
phosphorescent pools; inland pools replete with
fish; therapeutic sound of the ocean;
• Trusting environment (8-9 historic family clans)
• Privacy & safety: cryptic network of canals and
concealed developable land.
• Calm demeanor even during stressful times. Until
the late 1990’s, and over the centuries, residents
were constantly under threat of being
displaced.
• 7.5 bicycle & walking trail along the coast.
Healing Qualities & Characteristics (circa 1995 -
Present)
• Indigenous technique for regenerating plant
growth after the branches are cut to make
charcoal.
• Able to harvest produce in sandy soils.
• Coconut derived products, including coconut
water, is a primary staple for the well-being and
healing qualities among the residents.
• Therapeutic sounds and vistas. Numerous
environmental opportunities to exercise the mind
and body.
• Popular gastronomic center. Conserves Taino,
African, Arabic and Spanish culinary traditions.
29

Indigenous Case Study: Barrio
San Anton Neighborhood
Ponce, Puerto Rico
30

31
Indigenous Case Study: El Barrio San Anton
Ponce, Puerto Rico

Indigenous Case Study:
Moravian Multipurpose Education Center – St. Thomas, USVI
32
CREDIT: Weddle & Gilmore Architects, 2012.

Indigenous Case Study:
Moravian Multipurpose Education Center – St. Thomas, USVI
33
Reduction of proposed building’s volume
Weddle & Gilmore Architects – Scottsdale, AZ
Nisky Moravian Campus - circa1830
Charlotte Amalie Historic District

Contemporary Healing & Wellness Examples(West)
• Apartment Home Development – Phoenix, AZ
• Rejuvenate Healing Center – Paradise Valley, AZ
• Mathnasium Learning Center – Chandler, AZ
34

Energy Healing
Energy medicine proposes that imbalances in
the body's "energy field" could result in illness. By
re-balancing the body's energy-field, health can
be restored. Source:
VERITABLE ENERGY
THERAPIES - Examples
 Magnet therapy
 Colorpuncture
 Light therapy
35
Biofield energy:
hands are used to
direct or modulate
energies.
Veritable energy: non-
hands on. Identifiable
energy source.
BIOFIELD HEALING
THERAPIES - Examples
 Therapeutic touch
 Healing Touch
 Esoteric healing
 Magnetic healing
 Qigong healing
 Reiki
 Pranic healing
 Crystal healing
 Distant healing
 Intercessory prayer
 Other

Soul Healing
Heal the soul first through the healing qualities of the mind’s thoughts and its physical
environment. Physical healing will follow.
Master Zhi Gang Sha
Compas
- sion
Forgive-
ness
Visualized
Healing Light
Love
Gratitude
Service
Humility Flourish-
ing
Enlighten-
ment
36
SOURCE: Soul Light Institute
Catholic Miracle Hour
Prayer Wheel

Apartment Home Development
Residences @ 4225 (Near to 44th Street & Mc Dowell intersection)
37

Urban Living in Action
Central City/Arcadia Village
• Located on the edge of the Arcadia urban village
• Diverse population of residents; pets allowed
• Major employment center, including the Sky Harbor airport
• Major highways, along the 44th corridor that connects sky
harbor airport and Paradise Valley
• Walkable and bikeable district; safe environment for
outdoor exercising
• Proximity to natural reserves, including the Papago Buttes
InFusion A + UD, LLC c
2016
38

Residences @ 4225
Development
39

For the love of
animals…
40
Dog Park and Retention Pond

Other Nature Inspired Indigenous Healing
Remedies
Difficulty in expressing oneself.
Indecisiveness. Excessive shyness
or the reverse, excessive talking
about trivialities. Fear of being
judged.
•POTENTIAL FOR BALANCING
•Observing a boundless,
transparent sky and water.
•Contemplation of clear blue sky
in water.
•Listening to wave sounds
•Neroli to calm
•Sage to loosen the tensions in
the throat.
•Element: ether (spirit)
See obstacles everywhere. Sense
that “life is a struggle.” Feelings of
low self worth. Need to
manipulate others.
•Warm golden sunlight.
•Contemplation of sunflowers or
sunny yellow scenes.
•Lavender to calm
•Rosemary to stimulate and
refresh.
•Element: fire
Over-emphasis on the rational
mind or the reverse: confused,
irrational states. High-
mindedness.
•Contemplation of starry, inky
blue skies.
•Listening to music that evokes
images or feelings of the cosmic
dimensions.
•Contemplation of pink sunsets
and flowers.
•Pinks and greens in your living
space or clothes.
•Walks in the green countryside.
•Rose to heal old wounds and
geranium to calm and soothe.
•Jasmine to sharpen the senses
and connect energies of the
heart and brow.
•Element: all elements.
41
SOURCE: Mystery Arts. United Kingdom. (www.mystery-arts.co.uk)

 Proactive preventative approach to healing
and wellness by combining knowledge of
Western medicine and Eastern medicine
 Foundation in traditional Chinese practice
 Practice concentrates on inner health and
wellness for balance and harmony in life.
 Empowers clients to create abundance,
fulfilling work, self-expression, better health and
a deeper spiritual connection.
Space Qualities
 Ordered Space; feng shui applications.
 Energetic vibrations permeate the space.
 Harmonious arrangement of objects.
 Balance, contrast and harmony between light
and dark colors.
42
Healing Space – Business
Master Debra Manning,
RN, LPN - Owner
Rejuvenate Center
Paradise Valley

Wellness Space – Business
Mathnasium Chandler
 Ordered space.
 White upper walls and tables
reflects clarity and courage.
 Black strip provides grounding
and establishes spatial and
perceptual boundaries.
 Red in the lower half of wall
coincides with the base
chakra that guides successful
performance and outcomes.
 Results: mental stimulation and
high success rates for student
success.
43

Psychology, Transformational
Wisdom & Planning Practice
Gary
Zukav
Wayne W.
Dyer
Esther M.
Sternberg
•Exploration of Soul Relationships
•Dancing Wu Li Dancers
“Indigenous peoples are one
of the world’s most persistent
voices of conscience,
alerting humankind to the
dangers of environmental
destruction. And as the world
searches for alternative
strategies to deal with global
problems, it is turning more
and more to indigenous
peoples. Much of their
respect for nature, their
methods of resource
management, social
organization, values, and
culture are finding echoes in
the writings of scientists,
philosophers, politicians, and
thinkers.”
---Julian Burger
The Gaia Atlas of First Peoples:
A Future for the Indigenous World
InFusion A + UD, LLC
c 2016
44
Transforming from
the Ego to the
Sacred Self
Your Erroneous Zones
• Intuitive Power
(Carol Myss)
• The Science of
Place and Well
Being

Could we have a design conversation?
45

References
 Arrien Ph.D., Angeles. The Four Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior,
Teacher, Healer and Visionary. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.
 Blue-Spruce, Dwayne and Tanya Thrasher. The Land Has Memory: Indigenous
Knowledge, Native American Landscapes and the Museum of the Native
American. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2008.
 Healthy Community Design Collaborative. Healthy Community Design Toolkit:
General Plan Updates. 2014.
 Jojola, Theodore. Indigenous Planning & Tribal Community Development.
Planner’s Network Magazine. NY:NY, 2000.
 Matlin, Stuart M. & Arthur J. Magida. How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential
Religious Etiquette Handbook. Woodstock, VT: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2006.
 Morrison-Meyer, Lisa. Sacred Home: Creating Shelter for Your Soul. St. Paul,
MN: Llewelyn Publications, 2004.
 Robin, Sean & Wanda Mills-Bocachica, Editors. Indigenous Planning &
Development Times (Vol. 4). Manhattan, NY: 2000.
46

References (Cont’d)
 Sha, Zhi Gang. The Power of the Soul: The Way to Heal, Rejuvenate,
Transform and Enlighten All Life. New York: Atria Books, 2009.
 Skinner, Stephen. Feng Shui Style: The Asian Art of Gracious Living.
Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2004.
 Seven Dimensions of Wellness. University of California, Riverside.
[https://wellness.ucr.edu/seven_dimensions.html]
 Sternberg, Esther M. Healing Spaces: The Science and Place of Well-Being.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009.
 Tsosie, Rebecca. “Exploring the Politics and Practice of Religious
Sustainability”. In Sustainability at ASU: 2014 High lights. See
sustainability.asu.edu/thought-leader.
47

48 Local Energy & Soul Healing Resources
Bart Standish & Marjorie Rosenman
Tao YiBiZi
Tao Calligraphy Soul Master Healing
6217 North 29th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85016
www.TaoYiBiZiCalligraphy.com
taoyibizi@gmail.com
Debra Manning RN Lac
National Board Certified in Acupuncture
Rejuvenate Center
Tatum Professional Plaza
14640 N. Tatum Blvd., Ste 8
Phoenix, AZ 85032
602-923-1125
www.balanceandharmonyforlife.com
debra@balanceandharmonyforlife.com

A Special Thank You
Sandra Hoffman, AICP
Abraham Bernard James III
Shern Willie, M.D.
49

50
Contact Me:
Wanda Mills-Bocachica, Ph.D.
(In)Fusion Architecture + Urban Design, LLC
(602)418-8890
wmb2infusiondesign@gmail.com
www.infusiondesignaz.com

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