Honey bee therapy: Entering the sacred realm of the bees

Bees are the most economically valuable pollinators of agricultural crops worldwide, responsible for the production of one-third of the food we eat. Photos: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Marvin Jordana laid a hand on the beehive in his backyard and said a silent prayer.

After a few moments, he spoke: "I ask for their permission to enter the hive, because this is their body. With so much respect and humility, I ask them."