[Thunderwolf]

The Medicine Wheel is a sacred symbol to many NAI for it embodies many native concepts and teachings. For many NAI (and non NAI), it has been used successfully in Addiction recovery work. Most folks are familiar with AA's 12 Steps. For many NAI, AA is found lacking, non native, and fails to connect with them as a people. The Medicine Wheel has been a most welcome alternative to AA.

This website does a very nice job in laying it out.

http://open-mind.org/Wheel.htm

[nativehealer]

Originally Posted by Thunderwolf

The Medicine Wheel is a sacred symbol to many NAI for it embodies many native concepts and teachings. For many NAI (and non NAI), it has been used successfully in Addiction recovery work. Most folks are familiar with AA's 12 Steps. For many NAI, AA is found lacking, non native, and fails to connect with them as a people. The Medicine Wheel has been a most welcome alternative to AA.

This website does a very nice job in laying it out.

http://open-mind.org/Wheel.htm

The Medicine Wheel ( or the Cross Roads ) is the primary centering piece for all things in life. From it we have the four directions to balancing our lives. When one point of the Medicine Wheel is out of balance, an individual will be sick. The four balance points are Emotional, Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. With these points the NAI live in harmony with the land and others around them.

[sirI]

The Medicine Wheel is utilized differently by different tribes. As a Cherokee Elder once said, "The Medicine Wheel brings together the energies of all creations and all our relations here on Mother Earth in a simple way that allows the complexity of life to dissipate from our busy minds."

The Cherokee Medicine Wheel includes the seven Cherokee clans as they relate to society, religion, politics as well as personal relationships. The number seven (7) is a sacred number. And, each clan represented by a color. An expression of life, we give thanks for all things bestowed and all things learned as well celebrating life itself.

(exerpt from J.T. Garrett, Ed. D., Member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)