Alternative Health Care Tips

Healing With Crystals Part VI

2009-02-03T20:25:00.001+07:00

In this final article in a series about Healing With Crystals I?d like to talk about Marcel Vogel?s work with crystals, along with a few more of the remarkable attributes I?ve found inherent to the Lemurian Seed Crystals, as well as concluding the legend about them and how they are serving the evolution of consciouness.

Marcel Vogel's research and use of crystals at IBM is well-documented. He developed the first liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Vogel knew from his scientific research in electronics that quartz crystals have the inherent capacity of cohering and amplifying energy vibrations or frequencies.

Crystals capacity to structure and amplify is why it became the primary component in our modern day electronics. Vogel's research led him to postulate that quartz would also cohere and amplify mental and emotional energies and he conducted numerous experiments with plants, connecting with them and projecting his intent of love into the crystal while pointing it at an intended plant recipient for his pure energetic intent.

Once it was reported that a colleague of Vogel's was within the field of a plant Vogel was pointing a crystal at with the intention of sending love to it, immediately his colleague went into an altered state of consciousness.

This surprised and disturbed Vogel who reportedly vowed to give up his research with his ability to amplify and project thought and emotion with a quartz crystal. Soon enough, however, Vogel's curiosity overcame his reluctance and he resumed his studies.

One of the remarkable attributes inherent to the Lemurian Seed Crystal is its capacity to create a protective force field that attracts light and dispels darkness and confusion. The Lemurian Seed Crystals are also extremely powerful when used in a grid or parallel formation.

In the legend of the Lemurian Seed Crystals it is said that these crystals are attracted to the people who can actively assist in anchoring the energies necessary to aid planet earth at this time to evolve.

The Lemurian Seed Crystals are not as yet fully activated for the purpose they were programmed for. Presently the Lemurian Seed Crystals are setting a strong foundational pattern in which love can flourish throughout creation when the time is right.

It is thought that as humanity awakens to the truth of our primal unity with all things we will open our hearts to being channels of love and the energy transmitted by the Lemurian Seed Crystals will more deeply permeate the layers of resistance and separation so inherent to our present level of awareness.

KG Stiles is a certified aromatherapist practicing in Ashland, OR USA PurePlant Essentials is her line of pure organic and ethically wild crafted essential oils. KG's DVD & book, Your Aromatic Signature ~ How to Formulate Blends that Heal, are scheduled for release in 2006. To learn more & purchase PurePlant Essentials: PurePlant Essentials Menu Please refer to KG's Essentials Safety Guide before using any aromatic oils! KG invites you to Subscribe to Health Mastery Ezine to WIN FREE Aromatherapy Products. To learn more visit: Subscribe To Win Contact: KG Stiles Springhill Wellness Center, 2520 Springhill Drive Ashland, OR USA (541) 941-7315

Dance and Music Therapy

2009-02-03T20:05:00.001+07:00

Dance and Music therapy are forms of therapy wherein the participants are taught to channel constructively and express their thoughts and feelings. These are very helpful in individuals, young and old, who feel that they are unable to truly let other people know who they are inside and what they feel by just using speech and writing.

Dance and Movement Therapy

Human beings have the innate capacity to communicate and express thoughts and feelings through physical movements and body language. Dancing is common to all tribes and races of the past and present. Young children are able to express in this way without oral communication and without inhibitions. Unfortunately however, as people grow up in our modern society, they are bogged down by rules, etiquette and norms that discourage this kind of free verbal and physical expression resulting in pent up feelings. These hidden emotions can often lead to physical manifestations and illnesses.

This form of therapy can be applied to any individual from any age group who is willing. Dance and movement therapy's goal is to enable the person to discover the physical movements he is capable of. This therapy is also intended to help individuals express and hopefully resolve deep-rooted problems through communicating and relating to others through the medium of physical movements and dance. It helps people recognize, understand and come to terms with these repressed emotions and communicating them to others at the same time.

Dance movement therapy can help relieve psychological, emotional and stress-related disorders. It can also help people who are anxious and depressed, people with addictions, problems pertaining to physical, sexual, or verbal abuse and even learning disabilities. It has been observed that children who respond strongly to this therapy are often found to have physical, mental, behavioral and intellectual problems like autism. This form of therapy is said to be most beneficial to those with psychological and emotional disturbances and those who are intellectually challenged.

Dance therapy sessions are most often done in certain day-care and 'drop-in' centers and hospitals. In these sessions, the therapist may suggest movements but encourages participants to take the initiative and make their own. Eventually, the participants learn to express their feelings constructively, talk recognized problems over and learn how to resolve them better.

Music Therapy

Making music has always been an essential part of all cultures as leisure, as a mode of communication as well as a medium for expression. Music is a very powerful tool and has shown great effects on human beings. Music can entice, captivate and excite. It can also stimulate feelings of sadness, fear, joy and serenity. Because of these reactions, the experience of making and listening to music can be very beneficial when used as a form of therapy.

In music therapy, the participants make music as a mode of communication and as an expression of their deepest emotions. In a session, they make use of different instruments as well as their own voices to create music. Music therapy can help people with various disorders but is especially helpful in children and adults with intellectual and learning disabilities. This can also help those who are physically limited in some way by improving breathing and muscle coordination.

These sessions are often done in certain hospitals, in residential homes and schools. Trained therapists with a qualification in music are required to conduct the therapy.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Alternative guide.

Which Acne Alternative Treatment Is Right For Your Acne?

2009-02-03T12:53:00.001+07:00

If you suffer from acne then you already know that there are hundreds of acne alternative treatments being sold in stores and online. In fact if you do a search for acne alternative treatments using the Internet you will find a myriad of websites that are stuffed full of testimonies from former acne sufferers who have used the latest zit and pimple treatments in order to eliminate their irritating skin blemishes. Unfortunately what these testimonies can't do for you is guarantee the elimination of your acne because every individual that has acne could very well need a different type of acne fighting solution. The actual proof is in the pudding so to speak. You won't know 100% for sure if an acne alternative treatment will cure your blackheads until you actually try it out on your acne.

For many consumers that have successfully eliminated their acne it only came after they had gone through a lineup consisting of acne topical treatments, a dose of pimple fighting antibiotics and in the most serious acne cases a prescribed treatment using Accutane. If these are considered the traditional methods of treating your acne then what about the alternative or nontraditional acne fighting solutions? Can they effectively prevent an acne outbreak from happening on your skin? Just like the routine ways of fighting zits, you won't know if an alternative method will work until you actually try it for yourself.

Before trying any alternative acne treatment it is highly recommended that you become an educated consumer. You can accomplish this task by asking around with your family and friends, chances are one of them is suffering from acne or has recently cured their acne outbreak. Check to see if they used any type of alternative means or methods to clear their skin up. If they did, then use that combination of prescribed treatment on your own acne to see if you can duplicate the same results. I'm sure you already know this, but traditional acne remedies are rather expensive. Fortunately many of the active acne fighting ingredients are the same in the cheaper alternative solutions. It may be worth it to experiment with the lesser priced creams and zit cleansing solutions in order to cure your acne at a reasonable price.

One aspiring method of alternative acne treatment involves the use of a naturopath. This professional specializes in the use of gentle cleaners made from herbs and vitamins to treat you acne. In fact, they have been known to clear up acne by prescribing a simple treatment plan consisting of regular dosages of Vitamin A, which is what the more expensive Accutane is derived from.

Another very promising method of alternate acne treatment focuses on the use of red and blue ultraviolet rays of light. This regiment of light therapy treatment can be done in the comfort of your own home with a laser that safely emits the required light rays. For a more powerful application you can seek outside help from a trained esthetician who specializes in using a more power light emitter too cure your acne.

The reality is even if traditional means of curing acne don't truly work on your eliminating your unsightly skin blemishes you don't have to despair. There are many different acne fighting alternative treatments that you can easily and safely try out to see which one is right for curing your zits and pimples.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Clear-Skin-Solutions.com. He provides more acne clearing solutions, remedies and acne alternative treatments that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

What You Can Do When Your Feet Catch Fire Part II

2009-02-03T12:34:00.001+07:00

In Part I of this series, Pete had discovered he had Peripheral Neuropathy, nerve damage in his feet, over a year ago. His doctor prescribed Neurontin?, and for awhile it worked. But the condition was progressive, and the pain increased. It seemed the drug was having an increasingly difficult time handling it.

Pete wasn?t satisfied that his condition had no cure. He got on the Internet and found out?

Peripheral Neuropathy has a variety of causes (For a more in-depth explanation, see www.neuropathy.org).

These are:

-- Immune Related, the most prominent of which is the Guillane-Barre syndrome in which the body's immune system attacks the Peripheral Nervous System. Weakness in the legs is usually a preliminary sign of this condition.

-- Diabetic, caused by excessive blood sugar. This can take the forms of either Peripheral (damage to the extremities) or autonomic (damage to the Central Nervous System).

-- Infectious, caused by HIV, Hepatitus or Lyme disease.

-- Drug and Nutrition Related. Excessive alcohol consumption can result in a deficiency in thiamine (Vitamin B1) that is essential to the health of the Peripheral Nervous System.

-- Hereditary. Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease is an example of hereditary Neuropathy. Nerves in the legs are affected first, followed by those in the feet and ultimately to the hands and arms.

-- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Neuropathy resulting from repetitive damage.

-- Critical Illness. Neuropathy can be brought on by attempts to combat cancer, such as chemotherapy.

-- Idiopathic. A word for saying that nobody knows what causes it.

And nobody, it seems, knows how to cure it.

TWO ESSENTIALS YOUR NERVES DESPERATELY NEED.

Neuropathy brought about by excessive alcohol consumption is thought to be caused by the reduction of Thiamine, or Vitamin B1, in the body. Thiamine has long been known to be vital to the healthy functioning of nerves and was linked to the disease Beriberi in 1937.

It has long been known that nerves respond to the presence, or absence of Vitamin B1, but only recently, Neuropathy has been shown to also be made worse by the absence of B12 which supports nerve cell sheathing and promotes and regenerates nerve cells.

Unfortunately, both Vitamins B1 and B12 are water soluble complexes that are not retained long in the body. Thiamine is flushed out of the body in 4 - 5 hours, and less than 1/2 of 1% of Vitamin B12 consumed orally is retained. It is almost impossible to get enough of this vitamin, and nerve cells are not protected well without it.

So, is there a possibility that with the proper intake of Vitamins B1 and B12, that damaged nerves can be healed?

There may be gain that kills the pain

Pete was getting scared. The Neurontin? dosage levels weren't cutting it and the neuropathy was rapidly taking over his feet.

Where was this headed? And, more importantly...

Was there any way to stop it? Was there any actual ? cure -- out there? Somewhere?

From his Internet research, Pete learned that there was indeed some ongoing medical research into the role Vitamin B1 played in actually reversing Neuropathy, but little was known.

But then he discovered something. Medical research was focused on water soluble vitamins B1 and B12, vitamins that didn?t remain long enough in the body to do much good.

If somehow they could be retained by the body longer ?

HANG AROUND AND SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN.

Pete discovered there was a possibility that Vitamins B1 and B12 could be retained in the body long enough to be therapeutic for nerve damage. It just had to be in an oil soluble form, rather than water soluble.

The term like dissolves like has been a maxim of Chemists since the dawn of Chemistry. It has long been known that chemicals can be divided into two classes: polar and non-polar. The former are generally water soluble, and the latter are oil soluble.

Oil soluble materials are taken up by the body and retained longer than the polar, water soluble, chemicals.

A new form of Vitamin B1, known as Benfotiamine, has been discovered to be retained in the body much longer than Thiamine, and Methalcobalamine, known as Methyl B12, is also retained longer and is effective for nerve repair.

Packaged together they may provide a real alternative for Peripheral Neuropathy sufferers, particularly those with Neuropathy symptoms in their hands and feet.

SOMETHING MORE?

Pete needed something more than pain management. He needed something that would actually therapeutically work to heal his condition, but he couldn't find it in conventional medicine.

All available drugs did little more than to block or manage the pain, and as time went by and Pete's condition worsened, they were having steadily more difficulty doing that.

Vitamin therapies exist which offered promise...but Pete was reluctant to try them. He was locked into the notion that any alternative solution to a medical problem was somewhere in that hazy world of medical quackery...

And he didn?t fully realize that alternate therapies were relegated to ?quackery? by an industry dependent on pharmaceutical companies whose business economy depends on increasing the public?s drug dependence....not true therapy.

But alternate solutions do work, and without the side effects conventional pharmaceuticals usually produce.

Vitamin therapies, based on oil soluble B complexes, are known to have a powerful role in healing damaged nerve cells without side effects, are based on sound medical principles ?that provide bright hope for healing Peripheral Neuropathy.

John Young is a writer with a scientific and programming background. He is recommending an alternative therapy for Peripheral Neuropathy at http://www.health-medicine-alternatives.com

Arthritis: Benefits of a Natural Approach

2009-02-03T00:25:00.000+07:00

It is not uncommon for an arthritis sufferer to have varying degrees of more than one type of arthritis. Regardless of the type of arthritis, the end result is pain and inflammation at the sight of affliction. This fact has led to the popularity of over-the-counter and prescription medications to combat inflammation, and thus diminish pain. Medicines such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs come with long term side effects, including a worsening of the arthritic condition. They work by interfering with hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins.

For decades, medical researchers, including those with the Arthritis Foundation itself, refused to acknowledge that diet, nutrition, and allergies could play a role in immune function and arthritis. Today however, studies have shown that arthritis can be reversible, and in some cases, curable with proper diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes. These changes can not only relieve the inflammation and pain but stop degeneration and rejuvenate the affected joints.

Unlike toxic drugs, natural therapies and diet modification can often provide relief from chronic inflammation and pain. One of the most compelling reasons for using natural therapies in arthritic conditions is that while some drugs can cause cartilage destruction, natural therapies correct the underlying factors involved in arthritic cartilage degeneration. Natural therapies have been shown to perform by the following mechanisms:

Attracting water to the cartilage locations to enhance synovial lubrication.
Inhibiting COX-2 (enzyme responsible for prostaglandins and inflammation)
Suppressing cartilage-destroying enzymes, collagenase and phospholipase
Suppressing TNF-alpha, IL-1b, and IL-6 (cytokines, responsible for systemic inflammation and hypersensitivity)
Inhibiting the formation of PE2 (inflammatory compound)
Promoting the synthesis of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in the joints
Reducing production of LTB4 (facilitates IL-1b and IL-6)

The principle keys for treating and preventing arthritis is proper diet and nutrition, detoxification, stress reduction and exercise. As it is with most programs, there is no single treatment that is right for everyone. Since there are different forms of arthritis, there is not a single prescription that will help all sufferers. The treatment needs to be tailored to fit the individual. It is for this reason that we would like to provide the different modalities that are available and that have had great success with arthritis.

Judy Phillips is the founder of Jash Botanicals, a manufacturer of physicians grade herbal extracts and medicinals. A naturopath and herbalist with over 25 years of experience, her passion for producing herbal formulas of exceptional purity and strength grew from a dissatisfaction with mainstream herbal products. She is an author of various natural health topics, from detoxification to dietary modification, and works to assist the expansion of knowledge to individuals in search of natural treatments.

JashBotanicals.com offers a wide range of informative articles, including a alternative healing newsletter and a natural health blog.

The Healing Arts: Exploring HeartConsciousness Part 5 It's a Muscle You Can Strengthen

2009-02-03T00:22:00.001+07:00

In this moment, every cell of your body is receiving information. Each takes in sensations from its immediate external environment and also from its internal environment. Each cell sends that data to your brain, whose job it is to assimilate the information it receives and then direct the rest of the organism that is you to, both locally and systemically, respond.

Of the billions of sensations that are being processed in your body at any one time, you are consciously aware of about 20. The brain?s duty of assimilation is no less important than its role as a filter to make sure that you don?t experience everything at once.

Strychnine?s (rat poison) mechanism of action is that it strips away the ability of the brain to filter out information. The affected being, experiencing every miniscule sensation in its body, becomes overloaded and dies by seizure. LSD, oddly enough, works on the same principle ? it temporarily dissolves filters -- though on a much more limited basis. We cannot function without these filters.

Right now, each cell of your skin, for example, is registering the pressure that its surroundings exert on it. For some it is air, for others, clothing and still others register the pressures exerted by every nearby hair follicle. Each of these cells, individually, go unnoticed until enough of them experience enough pressure that you, the being who is composed of these cells, suddenly becomes aware of it. The sensation essentially bursts through your other filters.

Do this now. Close your eyes and pick an area on your arm to focus on. Now, allow your awareness to take in every sensation that is there. You may feel movement of arm hairs, the gentle touch of a breeze, or even a ?curiosity? about, ?Is that an itch I feel?? as you zero in on a particular area. This point is you can make a choice to have that area of your experience be the localization (focal point) of your consciousness. What you are doing is filtering out most of the other sensations you may be experiencing in favor of that experienced by one area of your body.

There are filters of sensation and filters of perception as well. Have you ever spent time with someone and had a hard time being with them because they reminded you so much of, for example, an abusive other? Perhaps you had trouble ?seeing? that person for who they were. You were actually experiencing that person through the filter of your past experience.

Once you recognize that your interpretation is based on something that was, rather than something that is, you are able to remove those filters and concentrate on the moment in front of you, without the distortion of past associations.

At any one time, we do have a significant amount of choice in where we localize our consciousness through the filters we use or remove. Of course, ?where our consciousness is located? is a metaphor. But still, it rings true that, in the instance of a bee for example, when that bugger sticks that stinger into your skin, for all you know your consciousness IS right in that patch of skin. Every bit of it! And until you realize that the person in front of you is not that abusive other, you will tend to react protectively.

The point I wish to make is that consciousness, and how you apply it, is a muscle that you can strengthen and train with practice.

In the case of working with heart-consciousness, it?s a matter of choosing to filter your experience through the awareness of your heart. When you place your consciousness on a patch of skin, you are able to receive whatever information those accumulated cells are available to relay to you. When you filter your consciousness through your heart, you are able to receive whatever information is available through it.

Although not proven empirically, researchers are working with the theory that the brain deals more with matter (particles) while the heart deals more with energy (waves). The brain takes in data through the passage of information (chemicals) across the synapses while the heart absorbs and assimilates vibration or frequency.

Working with brainpower most often involves ?working through? a sequence of events to come to an end point. Let's take a problem like What does three times three plus two equal? In calculating the answer, if you mess up any of the parts, like multiplying 3 by 2 and adding 3 instead, your answer is wrong. With the heart, it appears vibrations recognize vibrations, and immediately ? without any form of sequential analysis that we can identify, recognizes 3X3+2is11.

Shifting your consciousness to move through the filter of your heart ? which is a simple act of will once you get enough practice -- (perhaps literally) ?tunes you in? to what the heart understands.

Our hearts are assimilating and interpreting vibration and frequency this very moment. What we've forgotten is how to respond to and act on that information. In essence, we over-exercised our brains and now they are the dominant muscles of our perception. We can strengthen our ability to use the consciousness of our hearts as well.

Next installment will have some exercises for you to try out.

Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site http://mauihealingartist.com. It is a potent resource for those wishing to deepen their abilities in connection and develop their powers as healers. For a powerful free tool to explore your inner world, please check out his adjunct site http://thestoryofthis.net

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

How To Choose An Anti Wrinkle Solution

2009-02-02T15:23:00.001+07:00

Finding an anti wrinkle solution that works for you is a long and tiring process. You're faced with offerings from hundreds of companies using a variety of unproven components that promise to leave your face as smooth as it was in your youth. Most men and women want to erase the ravages of time, remove facial wrinkles, and restore their skin to its younger days. As a result a great deal of creams and various other skin treatments have been created to solve this ever-present problem but few of these treatments are effective and safe. Which combines the most effective anti aging skin care ingredients with a new revolutionary component in a blend that will really leave your skin feeling young and smooth.

There is no need to undergo expensive and painful surgery or shots which offers risky and far from permanent results. More importantly the continual use of wrinkle solutions that can gradually rejuvenate the tone and texture of your skin to leave you long lasting effects.

Why Choose the An Anti Wrinkle Solution?

Wrinkle Solution offers fast results targeting wrinkles, crows feet around the eyes, and other signs of aging and can help to remove 10 years or more from your complexion. The isolates in wrinkle solution can dramatically decrease the appearance of wrinkles and revitalize your skin in addition to increasing collagen and elastin for men and women.

Many customers report that it is more effective than Retinol and Vitamin C creams and Emu Oil in reducing the signs of aging and removing the appearance of wrinkles. When comparing your options for anti-wrinkle creams there are a number of creams on the market which can cost upwards of hundreds of dollars but few offer the effectiveness and value for money.

Find out more information about wrinkle cream - http://www.deception-wrinkle-cream.com

Foot Baths

2009-02-02T15:21:00.001+07:00

Hot foot bath -- In this method, the patient should keep his or her legs in a tub or bucket filled with hot water at a temperature of 400C to 450C. Before taking this bath, a glass of water should be taken and the body should be covered with a blanket so that no heat or vapour escapes from the foot bath. The head should be protected with a cold compress. The duration of the bath is generally from 5 to 20 minutes. The patient should take a cold shower immediately after the bath.

The hot foot bath stimulates the involuntary muscles of the uterus, intestines, bladder and other pelvic and abdominal organs. It also relieves sprains and ankle joint pains, headaches caused by cerebral congestion and colds. In women, it helps restore menstruation, if suspended, by increasing supply of blood especially to the uterus and ovaries.

Cold food bath -- Three to four inches of cold water at a temperature of 7.20C to 12.70C should be placed in a small tub or bucket. The feet should be completely immersed in the water for one to five minutes. Friction should be continuously applied to the feet during the bath, either by an attendant or by the patient by rubbing one foot against the other.

A cold foot bath, taken for one or two minutes, relieves cerebral congestion and uterine hemorrhage. It also helps in the treatment of sprains, strains and inflamed bunions when taken for longer periods. It should not be taken in cases of inflammatory conditions of the genito-urinary organs, liver and kidneys.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

Cost-free Miracle Asthma Cure
Overcome Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes Naturally
Alternative Treatments for Incurable Diseases made easy

Pink Eye Secrets Revealed

2009-02-02T08:09:00.001+07:00

You?re probably familiar with a little disease called pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis. If you haven?t experienced this nasty little inconvenience first-hand, you may have a child or know someone who?s child has had it. And although it is most commonly known to occur in children, it does affect people of all ages.

Pink eye can be very contagious, although not in all circumstances. The contagious type is brought on by a virus or bacteria. The non-contagious type is brought on mostly by allergies. You will know if you have pink eye because the whites of your eyes become red, hence the pink, swollen and generally irritated. The lids and area around the eye can also become red and the infected eye will sometimes frequently tear and / or produce a funny-colored discharge. Sometimes it even causes the eyes to become sensitive to light. If not properly taken care of, pink eye can become quite a serious situation, and if it seems to be getting worse, you should definitely see a doctor.

Pink Eye starts in one eye and very often spreads to the other, usually due to touching your eyes and transferring it from one to the other. Be sure to wash your hands every time you touch your eyes so as not to spread the disease. Those with pink eye should also not wear contact lenses or any eye makeup as these things will further irritate the ailment. If you have used eye makeup while experiencing this discomfort, throw it away and also wash any pillow cases or towels that have made contact with the infected eyes.

If the pink eye is not the contagious kind, and if the infection has not yet become serious, there are certain remedies you can try before consulting a doctor. Over-the-counter eye drops or eye washes sometimes alleviate and reduce the symptoms. You can also try a warm compress to help relieve the discomfort and remove any crust that has formed around the eye. You might want to also ask your pharmacist if they can offer any suggestions for over-the-counter medications.

If pain is occurring in the infected eye, or if it feels like there is a foreign object in it, or any discharge is present for more than 24 hours, this is most likely the contagious version of pink eye. You should consult a physician because antibiotics for eyes are only available through a prescription. If your doctor does prescribe any ointment or drops, take care not to touch the applicator tip to the infected eye as you could possibly spread the pink eye.

pink eye For pink eye symptom detection and diagnoses. Visit pink eye symptom to treat pink eye immediately and effectively.

What is Magnetic Therapy?

2009-02-02T07:57:00.001+07:00

Historically it is reported that magnets have been around for an extremely long time. Magnets were first documented around 2500-3000 years BC. Magnets have been used in Chinese medicine from around 2000 BC in-conjunction with reflexology and acupuncture. It is still used today as a first line treatment for many common complaints. However the last 15 years has shown a prolific increase in medical research into magnetic therapy. There have been over 57 studies in the USA into incurable diseases and magnetics.

Science has discovered that a magnetic field over and around the point of pain increases blood flow in the effected area. The blood contains iron and when therapeutic magnets are placed on the skin the magnetic field penetrates through the skin and into the surrounding tissues and blood stream. The iron in the blood is attracted to the magnetic field, this causes movement within the blood stream and the increased activity causes the blood flow to improve. This increased blood flow carries with it greater quantities of oxygen, vital nutrients, and especially endorphins which relieve and soon remove and alleviate the pain.

When static magnets are placed over an area of inflammation, the magnetic field penetrates through the skin and deep into the tissues and blood stream. Damaged cells will react to the presence of a magnetic field by realigning their ions into the correct position. This begins the process of eliminating the excess fluid from within the cell. Cell damage will stop and healing of the cells will begin over a period of days. In real terms the effects of these magnets will reduce pain and discomfort in and around the area that they are placed.

The truth is, magnets need to be placed directly over the area of pain to have an effect. Unfortunately you can not treat the whole of your body with just one magnet. Magnets do not block the pain signal. They work on the cause of the pain, which is why static magnets have to placed as close to the point of pain as possible. In short, wherever your pain is located you must place the magnets within that area or the very close proximity.

The pain reducing effects will remain for as long as the magnets remain in place, thus reducing the need for other analgesics.

Best of all, magnets are natural, contain no drugs or chemicals and have no known side effects. Magnets leave a lasting and deeply beneficial reduction of painful symptoms for 82% of users that will stay with them for as long as they continue to use them.

Research studies have shown magnets to be effective in 82% of cases and have demonstrated benefits in the following conditions:

Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Spondylosis, Fibromyalgia, general joint pain, muscular pain, M.S., stroke, insomnia, migraine, stress, depression, bowel disorders, Diabetes, high blood pressure and poor circulation.

Debbie Shimadry is qualified magnetic therapist and pain nurse specialist. She appears on several BBC radio stations as an expert guest on magnetic therapy and is also the managing director of leading magnetic therapy company worldofmagnets.co.uk. To find out more on how magnetic therapy can help you, visit magnetictherapyfacts.org.

Alternatives In Mental Health

2009-02-01T22:33:00.000+07:00

Health and illness are contrasting terms. They can be used in physical or in mental context. We know that physical exercise done on a regular basis keeps us healthy. Mental exercise also keeps us mentally healthy. Just like after doing physical exercise we need rest, after mental exercise the mind also needs rest. But we hear the term physical rest frequently. The term mental rest is rarely used. No doubt then that as mental activities have increased with industrialisation, stress has increased. This stress results from our inability to allow our mind to become inactive or relaxed for even a short time.

Some people believe that our brain becomes inactive when we sleep. If that were so then we should not have any dreams. Dreams are evidence that our mind remains active, even when we are asleep. This simply means that our mind is active 24 hours a day without any rest at all. Just imagine how our bodies would behave if we were to go through 24 hours of physical activity.

Although research may show that 30% of mental illness may occur without a trigger of stress, it also shows that a majority - 70% - of mental illnesses occur with stress. The research may have failed to look at the other 30%, mentally ill who may not be 'acknowledging' stress at a given moment. This gives us a pessimistic view of mental illnesses. We are made to believe that we can do nothing about them. We are also told that mental illnesses occur because of our genes, our upbringing, our personality, our temperament, our lifestyle and we can do nothing about them. Stress or no stress, we are told, if we have all these factors loaded in our personal history, we are prone to have a mental illness. Some psychiatrists adhere to this belief strongly. This belief is then put across authoritatively as the gospel truth of science. Naturally, this brings up a sense of low self-esteem and helplessness in the person who is suffering with the illness. We are then made to believe that medications are man-made answers to mental illness, which is a curse of nature.

Prayer, which was until recently considered unscientific, has now been shown to have beneficial effects on patients.1 Similarly, the current belief in psychiatry is that mental illnesses can be treated by medical professionals only and the person who is mentally ill has no control over their lives. The medical system works in a way in which the doctors themselves have limited choices other than prescribing drugs. The patient has no choices worth mentioning. From the legal perspective, a person who is mentally ill is considered not capable of taking any responsibility for their actions. This is one of the most unfortunate aspects of mental illnesses. People who are mentally ill also have a sense of responsibility in many areas of their lives.

The role of emotions in mental illnesses has been totally ignored by scientists. Yet researches do show that separation from mother,2 losses3 - including deaths,4 traumatic events, especially when they occur over the previous three months5 can trigger mental illnesses. What has been looked at is the history of such events in a person's life. What is ignored is the emotional upheaval it causes in a person's body and mind. Emotional expression ameliorates the effects of trauma.6 Repetitive upheavals in the body are simply not forgotten. Release of emotions by emotional expression explains the role of counselling and confession. We tend to believe, erroneously, that everything will settle with time. Things do settle with time - but not everything. It is these issues and their emotional effects, that cause mental illnesses and psychosomatic illnesses. It is obvious that whenever we undergo any emotional experience, our nervous and hormonal systems are shaken-up. The nervous system and the hormones together control the activities of various parts of the body. If the neurohormonal expression is allowed to go through completion, a physiological calmness occurs in the body. This has a scientific basis.7

For people who attend church regularly, a common experience is the sense of calmness on entering a church. Coupled with music, incense and sermons spoken in a low, soft tone, a sense of calmness dwells on the person. There is scientific evidence to suggest that going to church helps a person remain healthy.8 More interesting is the fact that there is little research to state that music or aromatherapy help to bring about mental health. Yet experience shows that they have a calming effect. Only recently have papers started to be published in scientific journals bridging the gap between spirituality and science.9 It has now been researched that people who are religious in orientation have a lower rate of strokes than those who are not religious.10

The whole area of mental illness is about losing a sense of freedom. When we find ourselves bound to emotional issues of our life, that we cannot rid ourselves of, we lose our freedom of thinking. This creates stress in our mind and our body bears the brunt of it. This loss of freedom brings up a sense of fear or a sense of helplessness. Both such feelings bring up a sense of insecurity. A person loses confidence in their own worth. Self-esteem becomes low. With lack of confidence and low self-esteem, comes poor decision-making. A person suffers with all these conditions when suffering with a mental illness. This changes the behaviour of the person. The behaviour is affected by the way the person feels and thinks. If the person feels fear for a long time, the chances of becoming phobic and paranoid increase. Withdrawal from social situations occurs. The family members observe the person to be unwell. Such a person is then asked to see a doctor. With the person's self-esteem low, vulnerability increases. This does not mean however, that the person becomes totally irresponsible towards their own well-being. Many times the person wants to do 'something' to get better, but the health system has limited resources to offer much in terms of growth of the person, except medication. When a mentally ill person goes to seek help - confidence, self-esteem and sense of freedom are already lost. Instead of helping the person become independent, there is a tendency to make the person dependent on medication.

Medication plays its role in controlling the condition or state of illness. It does nothing to improve the quality of life permanently. To improve their quality of life, the person needs to take responsibility for their own well-being. This is encouraged in some of the organisations, which are being run by the sufferers themselves. GROW is an example of such an organisation. Are there any alternatives to medication in mental conditions? A doctor can only prescribe drugs to control the mental condition. The current trend in some other parts of the world is to encourage people suffering with mental illnesses to take responsibility for their own well-being, along with medication. Psychotherapy11 and self-help is encouraged. The usage of medication in such situations is minimised or eliminated.

In psychiatry, we know that the suicide rate among physicians is higher than in the general population and psychiatrists are at a greater risk among physicians, than other specialists.12 Research shows that psychotherapy is more economical than medication alone in treating mental illness.13 Conditions like schizophrenia are also being treated without medication in some parts of the world.14 It is also a known fact that the more positive the attitude we have, the more balanced are the chemicals in our body.15 This would be more acceptable for those who see the positive role of religion on mental health. Some authors have suggested that the medicine of the future is going to be prayer and Prozac.16 Mental health is a preventative activity. Do we need to suffer first before we take steps to deal with it? If we could only assume responsibility for our own mental health, we may not have to suffer. The best medicine in this case is certainly prevention.

We live in a free society. The freedom to suffer is also one kind of freedom. We also have the freedom to look for answers to minimise our suffering.

REFERENCES

1.ASTIN, J.A., (2000) Prayer, Other Forms of 'Distant Healing' seem to have Positive Effects. Medscape. Annals of Internal Medicine 132: P.903-910.
2.HARRIS T., BROWN G. W., BIFULCO A., (1986) Loss of Parent in Childhood and Adult Psychiatric Disorder: The Role of Lack of Adequate Parental Care. Psychological Medicine 16: P.641-659.
3.BROWN G. W., HARRIS T., (1978) Social Origins of Depression. Tavistock, London.
4.BIRTCHNELL J., (1970) Depression in Relation to Early and Recent Parent Death. British Journal of Psychiatry 116: P.299-306.
5.BROWN G. W., BIRLEY J. L. T., (1968) Crises and Life Changes and the onset of Schizophrenia. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 9: P.203-214.
6.KELLER, S.E., SHIFLETT, S.C., SCHLIEFER, S.J. & BARTLETT, J.A. (1994) Stress, Immunity and Health. Handbook of Human Stress & Immunity. San Diego: Academic. P.217-244.
7.CHADHA, P. K., (2000) Drugless Psychiatry - Physiological Basis of Clinical Experiences. Paper presented in 6th Conference - Innovations in Psychiatry, London, April 2000.
8.COMSTOCK, G.W., PARTIDGE, K.B., (1972) Church Attendance and Health. Journal of Chronic Diseases 225: P.665-72.
9.SLOAN, R.P., BAGIELLA E., POWELL T., (1999) Religion, Spirituality and Medicine. Lancet 353: P.664-67.
10.KOENIG, H.G., (1997) Is Religion Good for your Health? Haworth Pastoral Press, N.Y.
11.POMERANTZ, J.M. (1999). Focused Psychotherapy as an Alternative to Long Term Medication. Drug Benefit Trends 11 (7) : P.2, 5.
12.KAPLAN, H.I., SADOCK., B.J., (1998) Synopsis of Psychiatry - 8th Edition - B.I. Waverly Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. P.865.
13.TALLEY P. F., STRUPP, H. H., BUTLER S. S., (1994) Psychotherapy Research and Practice, Harper Collins: London.
14.McKENZIE, C.D., & WRIGHT, L.S., (1996) Delayed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders from Infancy - The Two Trauma Mechanism. Harwood Academic.
15.MOON, A. M., (2000) Positive Psychology Halved Depression in Kids. Clinical Psychiatry News. 28 (5): P.29.
16.MATTHEWS, D.A., LARSON, D.B., (1997) Faith and Medicine: Reconciling the Twin Traditions of Healing. Mind/Body Medicine : 2: P.3-6.

Dr. Pradeep K. Chadha is a psychiatrist,who practises as a psychotherapist specialising in drugless treatment of psychological conditions. He is the author of 'THE STRESS BARRIER - NATURE'S WAY TO OVERCOMING STRESS' published by Blackhall Publishing, Dublin. He is based in Dublin, Ireland. His website address is:http://www.drpkchadha.com

Essential Oils For Healing And Therapy

2009-02-01T22:26:00.000+07:00

Essential oils are aromatic oils extracted from plants and have many therapeutic benefits. Essential oils are used to soothe the skin, heal cuts, eliminate pimples, help you relax, relieve digestive problems and even cure colds and flus.

For therapeutic purposes, only the most pure oils will do. Unfortunately there are many companies out there selling low quality oils and you should only buy from a source that you trust. Like with anything else, you get what you get what you pay for so if an oil seems to be priced quite cheaply, it?s probably not a good quality oil for medicinal purposes.

When using essential oils, it?s important to remember that these oils are strong and should not be applied directly to the skin. Mix them with base oils like almond or wheatgerm oil to reduce their potency.

Essential Oils And Their Uses

Lavender

Perhaps the most popular of the essential oils, lavender has many uses. It is a great topical treatment which can help heal cuts, bruises and burns and is also a wonder aid to help you relax and can be a natural sleep inducer.

Peppermint

Peppermint oil is great for treating digestive complaints and may be used in preparations for freshening breath.

Tea Tree and Eucalyptus

These oils have long been used to treat a variety of respiratory ailments. These oils can be massaged into the chest or used in an oil burner and help relive congestion making them excellent oils to use for colds. Tea tree oil is also a natural antiseptic and can be dabbed on cuts, bites and stings. It can be used to treat spots and pimples and can be used to gargle but should never be swallowed.

Geranium

Geranium oil has been used for years as a pain reliever.

Rosemary and Thyme

Not only do these herbs taste good but they have wonderful antiseptic properties and can be good for healing problems with the skin.

Citronella

Citronella oil is a natural insect repellent so it?s no wonder they use it in the manufacture of oils and sprays as well as candles to repel insects. To protect your pet against fleas, try soaking his collar in citronella oil. To help keep down insects in summer, buy some citronella Geraniums and put the around your porch or deck.

Garlic

Garlic is another natural insect repellent and is vital in helping to keep your immune system healthy. It can be a great way to help prevent colds and viruses naturally. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. And it tastes good too!

Patchouli

This fragrant oil smells great when used in an oil burner but it is also a great topical treatment for eczema and dandruff.

Ylang-ylang

This is another fragrant oil that can be burned for it?s aroma, and is also reputed to relieve stress, palpitations and high blood pressure.

Orange Oil

Use this oil as an aroma therapy, it is reputed to help with depression and nervous tension.

Cinnamon

This tasty herb is becoming popular for many treatments but it?s great when used as an aroma therapy. Mix it with orange oil and you?ll have a wonderful homey smell in your house. As a topical oil, it is excellent for warts and viral infections.

If you are really ambitious, you can grow these herbs yourself and collect the oil by stewing large amounts in pure water. Collect the steam and let it cool. The essential oils will rise to the top of the drained water and can be collected with an eyedropper. Or if you want a less labor intensive method, you can buy a product called a flower still which will help make the job easier.

Lee Dobbins write for Herbs and Home Remedies where you can find out more about using herbs and other home remedies.

The Bird Flu Is it Really that Scary?

2009-02-01T13:04:00.001+07:00

This information was sent to me from Dr. Laibow and are his opinions. But the crux of what he says is that we need not worry so much about Avian Flu. Why? Because we can prevent or treat the Avian Flu easily, and naturally according to Dr. Laibow.

Please remember, though, that this information is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. It is educational material intended to help you develop your own personalized disease prevention or treatment strategy. You might want to consult a nutritional professional or natural physician to help you personalize it for you and your family.

The way Avian Flu does its damage to the body is by depleting Vitamin C stores so quickly that the cause of death is fulminate scurvy. This is the same scurvy that killed seamen on long voyages. If we don?t get enough Vitamin C, we get sick or die. Humans cannot make Vitamin C but we need it for a great many vital processes including immune function and vascular integrity. This type of virus, Avian Flu, uses up Vitamin C stores so quickly that the immune system is overwhelmed and the blood vessels loose their structural integrity.

So, Dr. Laibow says that prevention is Vitamin C: lots and lots and lots of Vitamin C. and treatment? Lots and lots and lots of vitamin C.

This is how Dr. Laibow suggests taking the Vitamin C to be sure you are at an immune level that will keep you well:

Vitamin C is not toxic. Under stress (like a viral infection), your need for Vitamin C is increased. When your body has had enough, your body will tell you by soft stools or diarrhea. This is not a sign of toxicity: it is a sign that you have reached Bowel Tolerance (BT). Once you get there (and it can be at 1 gram or 20 grams: your body will tell you), cut back to 75% of the dose that represents BT for you and keep taking that dose EVERY DAY.

Write down each of the 4 daily doses of Vitamin C that you take each day because you will be increasing your intake gradually until you find the amount that you need for immune support. This dosage information is important enough that it could literally save your life so it is worth taking the time to record this information carefully and stick to the dosing schedule precisely. If you mess up, don't quit, but do make your best effort to stick to it.

You will start with 1 gram per dose so, for example, on Day 1, suppose that you take 1000 mg (= 1 gram) of Vitamin C every 4 hours for a total of 4 grams. On Day 2, increase the first dose to 2 grams and then take 1 gram for your other 3 doses. (You will take 4 doses per day). On day 3, take 2 grams for your first and second doses and 1 gram for the remaining two doses. On Day 3, you would take 2 grams for the first three doses and 1 gram for the next dose. You would continue increasing your dosage in that way until your body lets you know via your GI tract that you've reach the level you need. Now multiply that total daily dose by 0.75 and you've got your daily dose.

For example, suppose you reach Bowel Tolerance at 10 doses. Multiply by 0.75 and you now know that you need 7.5 grams of Vitamin C a day for immune system support. You would do well to take reasonable doses of Vitamins E and A along with Zinc and reduced L-Glutathione since they work together with Vitamin C. How much? That depends upon your weight, health, etc. I would also recommend that you take a good Multivitamin along with the preventive levels of Vitamin C described above.

And I hope it goes without saying that the more processed foods you eat, the more chemicals, flavors, preservatives, pesticides, sugar and artificial sweeteners, in short, the more junk you put into your body, the more acidic your body will be and the less resistant to viral infection it will be. So now would be a great time to switch over to a diet rich in fruits, dark and brightly colored veggies, free range animal protein and organic everything. Those are food choices that build your immune capacity, not bang it around.

You can assist the body in becoming more alkaline by using Alkalife drops. By using 2 drops in an 8 oz glass of water you create alkaline water and this will affect the pH levels of the body and move it in an alkaline direction. Disease cannot live in an alkaline environment; however it will flourish in an acidic environment. You can learn more about Alkalife and Bicarb-balance at www.drclarkuniversity.org

Children's doses should be titrated the same way taking the weight of the child into account.

That part is important: this part is even more important: at the very first indication of anything that might be viral disease, increase your Vitamin C immediately. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE IF THINGS GET WORSE! INCREASE YOUR VITAMIN C TO YOUR NEW BOWEL TOLERANCE LEVEL. That level might be very, very high. Vitamin C is not toxic. Unlike drugs, which poison enzymes and are thus capable of severe toxicity, nutrients, especially water soluble ones like Vitamin C, have no meaningful level of toxicity. Your body knows what you need. Pay close attention to it.

In the event that you think you may have the flu, take the amino acids l-lysine, l-proline and l-glycine. An average size adult can take up to 3 grams of each one 4 times a day since they help prevent the spread of the virus in your body.

My personal regimen for immune health includes high dose Vitamin C and Vitamins A and E along with zinc and L-Glutathione:

I travel with Olive Leaf Extract, Oil of Oregano (not to be taken by pregnant women since it can cause abortions), goldenseal, Echinacea, curcumin (from turmeric), probiotics, B complex, fish oil and alpha lipoic acid. I drink organic green tea and I do not eat any sugar whatsoever.

If you do become ill, the best thing you can do is contact a physician who practices natural and nutritional medicine and begin a regimen of Intravenous Vitamin C treatments (you may need between 100 and 200 grams (not milligrams) for a short time since the Avian Flu is so good at using up your urgently needed Vitamin C.

Here's what not to do:

Do not take Tamiflu (oseltamivir). The widely touted antiviral drug (like its cousin Relenza or zanamivir) produced drug resistant viruses in 18% of children treated with the drug and a drug resistant strain has been found in a Vietnamese girl treated with the drug. A drug resistant strain would be a far more dangerous virus than one which had not learned how to evade the drug's effect. Viruses can not become resistant to Vitamin C.

Do not take FluMist

FluMist is a live virus vaccine which introduces between 10 and 100 million viruses into the nose. Those viruses are not the same as the Avian Flu and therefore do not confer immunity against it since only the identical virus could do that. FluMist is based on last years viruses which were not effective against last year's viruses. They are certainly not effective against the Avian Flu virus which has not yet become infective to humans so no vaccine exists against it in its infective form.

Flu Vaccines for a pandemic version of the Avian Flu do not exist. The only way to make a vaccine against a particular virus is to have the virus available and then make a toxic brew filled with poisons (mercury, aluminum, squalene), foreign particles (egg, chick, and other proteins) and contaminants (stealth viruses, etc.)That flu virus does not yet exist, we are told. Assuming that it is not already manufactured and waiting for release in a lab somewhere, it would be 6 months before an Avian Flu vaccine could be ready. Vaccination with anything else would not help a bit with the Avian Flu strain which we are supposedly facing disaster from.

Again all of the above are for educational purposes only. I make no claims about curing anything. These are suggestions that have come to me that I feel are worth consideration. We do not diagnose, treat or cure any disease. There is a host of information on many diseases, what causes them and how to alleviate them at www.drclarkuniversity.org or www.drhuldaclark.org

Selenium blocks deadly mutations in the Avian Flu virus (J American College Nutrition 20: 384?88S, 2001; FASEB Journal 15: 1846?48, 2001; Journal Nutrition 133: 1463?67S, 2003) while elderberry syrup has been shown to be an effective flu remedy (J International Med Research 32:132?40, 2004; Israeli Medical Assoc Journal 4:919?22, 2002; European Cytokine Network 12:290?6, 2001; J Alternative Complement Medicine 1:361?9, 1995). Garlic is a highly effective anti viral substance which should be part of your diet ( Planta Medica 58:417?23, 1992).

Michele Michaels has been active in raising awareness for alternative and natural methods of curing and treating all manner of illnesses.

The Definition of Alternative Medicine

2009-02-01T13:01:00.001+07:00

Have you ever suffered from a horrible headache when you thought the best remedy might be for someone to bash you over the head, or to pull your hair out? Then you might have some experience with alternative medicine!

In all seriousness, alternative medicine is not about hurting yourself, but involves investigating other potential methods to treat an ailment besides synthetic drugs. A good purpose for alternative medicine is to avoid developing a dependence on drugs of any type, which can supersede any medicinal or curing effects they might have. Searching for different ways of dealing with your physical or emotional issues or conditions can end up being better for you in the long run.

A great deal of alternative medicine treatments come from ancient medicinal knowledge and insight. Many different types of remedies used by different cultures through the years, including the use of needles for pain relief, herbs for medicinal treatments, or even massage therapy, are considered a form of medicine by the respective users because they work to some degree. However, many alternative treatments are unknown to the general public, as they are not in conformity with the mass marketed treatments and pharmaceuticals.

The definition of alternative medicine

There is really no one ultimate definition of alternative medicine. There are so many various methods and treatments that have been and continue to be investigated and promoted that it is hard to firmly define it.

Some of these alternative names to alternative medicine include holistic medicine, natural medicine, integrated medicine, and complementary medicine. They are all variations of the same idea, which is natural and alternative medicine. The design of alternative medicine is to ensure that all parts of a person?s life and being are well and strong.

The point of view of the alternative medicine collective

A standard of those who advocate alternative medicine is that health isn?t only the absence of illness or disease. Alternative medicine works to ensure that one?s purpose in life is sustained, because a person without a purpose is not able to achieve his fullest potential. There needs to be inspiration and motivation to allow life to be lived to its fullest.

It is thought that illness might not be the end of one?s world. Infection is not the only cause of sickness. The mind has the power to change one?s personality completely. Take the great warrior king Asoka, for example. He was so stirred by the death and devastation brought about by the Kalinga war that he became a Buddhist reformer. In this respect, illness has the capacity to bring about change, to make us better human beings. For that reason, alternative medicine strives to consider not only the physical health of a person, but also his personality and emotions in treating ailments and bringing about total well-being.

Sometimes, when you aren?t feeling that great, it might be better to relax by listening to calming music, taking a walk, or just thinking about life, rather than taking a pill to treat something momentarily. Discovering your purpose will give you a feeling of strength and the realization that life is worth living!

If you would like to learn more about alternative medicine visit http://www.discover-alternative-medicine.info

Cleansing Made Easy

2009-02-01T05:02:00.001+07:00

We have all completed a thorough cleanout of our desks only to discover it makes for a much better work environment. Most of us also do an intense spring cleaning, removing unwanted items from our garages, basements, and even our closets.

If cleaning our outside environment improves our inner balance and harmony, wouldn?t it make sense to cleanse our inside as well for optimal health?

Unlike fasting, which can be too intense for many, cleansing your system two to three times a year is a gentle approach that helps remove toxins that accumulate in your body. These toxins are often the predecessors that tip the scale in terms of illness and disease. There are several different contributors to toxic buildup?be it faulty digestion, the water we do or do not drink, supersizing foods, refined sugars and flours, and an over-consumption of bad fats such as partially hydrogenated fats.

Luckily, once given the proper nourishment and hydration, the body has a very forgiving nature and gravitates towards a state of wellness. After cleansing your body, you will notice significant improvements in your outside appearance and internal health. From the bags being cleared up under your eyes and a radiant complexion, to an increase in energy and weight loss, the benefits of cleansing are unmatched.

Cleansing for Better Health

Follow these simple guidelines for a minimum of seven days to reap the best results.

Flush Out with Fibre

Fibre acts as an internal ?dust-buster,? helping to flush out and remove unwanted waste from the intestinal tract. I recommend one to two Tbsp (15 to 30 mL) of ground-up flaxseeds daily sprinkled on your cereal, in juice, in a shake, or on their own.

Acidophilus Supplements

Acidophilus is the ?good bacteria? that inhabits your intestinal system and is necessary for keeping unwanted viruses, bacteria, and yeast at bay. Unfortunately, due to the overuse of antibiotics, as well as diets filled with an excessive amount of refined sugars and flours and lack of green foods, our ?good bacteria? tends to be on the low side. It?s best to obtain a bottle of acidophilus that has a minimum of 10 to 20 billion organisms. During the cleanse, take one capsule three times daily with food.

Eat Your Phytonutrients

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemicals called phytonutrients that fight off and help prevent disease. These chemicals help to repair and reverse any cellular damage that has occurred due to environmental toxins found in our food, air, and water. During the seven-day cleanse, eat as many vegetables as possible (with the exclusion of white potatoes) and a maximum of two selections of fruit per day.

Eliminate Refined Flours and Sugars

Refined flours and sugars found in many processed foods suppress immune system function and fluctuate energy levels. Replace these food items with whole-grains such as spelt, kamut, flax and multi-grain breads, pastas, and cereals. To quell any cravings for sugar, eat fruit or drink berry herbal teas.

Drink Water

Drink six to eight glasses of high-quality, distilled, steamed or reverse osmosis water per day to flush out the toxins from your system. For an even greater effect, squeeze fresh lemon into your water for its cleansing properties.

Don?t Eat before You Sleep

Stop eating by 7 pm. Allow your body to have a mini-fast to clean out your system from 7 pm to 7 am. By doing so, you will notice an improvement in digestion and in your overall energy levels.

It is best to cleanse your body a minimum of two to three times per year. Start by following the aforementioned cleansing steps and you will quickly notice yourself looking and feeling your very best!

Joey Shulman, DC, RNCP is the author of the national best seller The Natural Makeover Diet (Wiley, 2006). She is a regular contributor to alive magazine. Visit http://www.alive.com for related articles.

Discover Alternatives to Trans Fatty Acids

2009-02-01T05:00:00.001+07:00

We all know about the harmful effects of trans fatty acids now. Medical experts say there is no safe level of trans fatty acid intake.

Therefore, finding alternatives to trans fatty acids is in the best interest of your health and well-being.

The problem with trans fatty acids is that they aren't natural at all. They are basically artificially created and therefore they are alien to our bodies, which cannot metabolize them.

The first thing you need to do is to avoid any and all trans fatty acids to the best of your ability.

The way to do this is to read labels. The rule of thumb is simply this: if you see partially hydrogenated on the label anywhere, then it contains trans fatty acids. It can be partially hydrogenated soybean oil, corn oil, or anything....just put it back on the shelf.

Another thing to be aware of is that by law, foods can say no trans fats or trans fat free on the label, yet contain some trans fat in them! This is very strange, but true. It has to contain less than a certain level of trans fat and then it can claim trans fat free even though the product may actually contain some trans fat!

That's why you should read the label and make sure you don't see anything in the ingredients list that says partially hydrogenated. That's the best way to tell.

Alternatives to Trans Fatty Acids

So, if you want to avoid the health disaster that trans fatty acids represent, what should you eat?

The answer is simple: natural fats!

Our bodies were designed to metabolize natural fats. The media has gotten it all wrong for years to the detriment of millions of people's health. You have been told fats are bad, but that's not true.

Fats are vital for good health. As long as they are natural fats.

Even saturated fats are important for your health. It's true! Your body was designed to metabolize saturated fats and you need a certain amount for good health.

Some of the most important fats you need -- and they should make up a part of your alternatives to trans fatty acids diet -- are omega 3 fatty acids.

The best source of omega 3 fatty acids are fish.

In particular, fish oil supplements would be the ideal source rather than eating fish, because most fish now harbor contaminants due to pollution that exists in water sources.

Fish oil supplements give you important omega 3 fatty acids without the pollution if they are purified, because a process called molecular distillation removes the pollutants, leaving only the oil rich in omega 3 fats.

No less an authority than the American Heart Association and the Food and Drug Administration have made positive remarks about omega 3 fatty acids.

Other good alternatives to trans fatty acids that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids include: flax seed oil, nuts (like almonds), and leafy greens, like spinach.

Learn about purified fish oil rich in omega 3 fatty acids, one of the best alternatives to trans fatty acids by visiting: http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com

6 Natural Ways To Have Great Health

2009-01-31T18:29:00.001+07:00

Take control of your own health. People often don't think about it until they develop health problems. Here are some common sense things you can do to create good health for yourself.

1. Open yourself up to become aware and learn.

There are many approaches to health using natural techniques. It may be using nutritional supplements. It may be using health professionals such as chiropractors or massage therapists. Look into finding naturopathic doctors practicing in your area. The thing is to open up your mind and explore different options.

2.Maintain optimal weight.

You have to find a weight that feels right to you. Some people naturally weigh more than others, but a 5% loss of body weight(10 pounds for someone weighing 200 pounds) can lower health risks.

3.Eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.

Organic may be best, but just make an effort to eat more. Eat what you like, maybe even experiment with different fruits or vegetables you may not of tried before. One such unusual fruit is mangosteen, It comes from the rainforests of southeast asia. It has potent antioxidant power. One brand is Xango, which processes the fruit into a juice. This makes it very easy to use.

4.Relax

There are many methods to accomplish relaxation, such as meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga. Also remember to give yourself time to do what you like whatever it is. Gardening, painting, reading, even playing with your pets. The choice is yours, just remember to set aside time for yourself.

5.Exercise

This doesn't have to be formal exercise. Just make an effort to move around more than you are now. Walking is an excellent, easy form of exercise.

6.Get your antioxidants.

Vitamins C and E are important ones. The mangosteen juice as mentioned before can be very helpful. Green tea has been found to be a very effective way to get antioxidants. It can normalize weight. It can also promote relaxation.

When you think about it, these 6 ways all work together, It is not that difficult to become healthy. Just be aware,learn, and explore.

Joseph Beres http://www.healthdepotonline.com Simple ways to achieve great health.

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #16 Even God Doesn't Mess With Choice

2009-01-31T18:27:00.001+07:00

Moments are composed of intricate patchworks of choices. To a certain extent, everything we do is a choice even though most are made unconsciously.

Each of us has a vast array of filters. They are extremely fluid. They are filters of our physiology and experience as mitigated through the filters imposed on us by others. Our genetic makeup is a major filter through which we respond that differentiates us from the rest.

A person who has grown up in the bayou, for example, is far more likely to have a filter operating that allows him to embrace the wonder of a snake whereas a city-dweller automatically recoils at the sight, or even thought, of one. Perhaps the bayou resident has a filter that places the snake within the larger context of being a natural expression of nature, where the city person sees it as a dangerous aberration to be feared.

Interpretation of an event as either something welcoming or threatening is based on filters that also can come through choice. Since the city-dweller can take the time to read and learn more about snakes, he is just as capable, a week from now, to embrace the wonder of a snake. The only thing that changes is that new filters are added, some of which negate old ones, thereby shifting the interpretation. Our choices are based on our interpretation of events through the filters that are in place at the time. In a circular relationship, our interpretations are based on our choices as well.

As a healer, when faced with someone making a critical choice in her life, it?s helpful to tune in to some of the filters that are in operation for her at the time. Although basic history and physical evaluation has its place in regards to getting a broad overview of the person, to a large extent, all of these indicators take a back seat to the filters that are operative in that very moment.

A healer can act like the Optometrist who sits his charge down in front of a machine with rotating filters called lenses. She works with the person, using different dimensions of lenses until the right combination comes into place and clarity of vision occurs. The trick is not so much interposing your own filter on the individual, but finding the filters that work within the context of the person?s own history.

Ultimately, though, we cannot account for, nor understand, every filter through which an individual experiences her life; responding honestly to the filters that are present, she will make a choice that appears to us as self-destructive.

Each of us makes choices like this all the time. In fact, if you look at it with a smile, we are a people who spend a significant part of our lives saying under our breath, ?Wow, that Gal is killing herself.?

The bottom line is each of us makes innumerable choices that can and often do contribute to our deaths. Death is a part of the structure of what we know as life. This could be the most common filter of all. It makes you wonder; for all filters can be modified!

Another filter, for most of us, is that there is a Higher Power in some way involved with every moment. This ever-shifting form of intelligence, interpreted by the individual (and institutions for the individual) is called, for want of a better word (and out of my own laziness!) God. Because death happens, at a certain point we must accept that God is cool with any choice we make, even unto death.

When a bunch of a person?s individual filters complement and support each other -- no matter how seemingly twisted to the observer -- there?s comes a point at which a choice may evolve that becomes fixed. Even the God of any of our choices simply allows that to be. This is where the only approach left is to identify that choice, honor it as real and valid for that person, and, perhaps most important of all, let him know and then let it go.

Healers spend a portion of their time witnessing the unbearable; responding to choices that so fly in the face of their own life interpretations that it is painful to be around. But the reality is, the more you try to impose your own filters upon the individual, the more likely you are to encounter resistance.

By working under the assumption that ultimately, the person will make choices appropriate to his history (and future!), you allow the person to direct his energy away from resistance and move it closer toward seeking balance for himself ? whatever that may look like and whether you understand it or not.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #5 You're There for Who's There

2009-01-31T10:30:00.001+07:00

Let?s drop the illusion of there being a different kind of people who get to be healers while the rest of us skate. We?re all called upon to be healers in our lifetimes, whether it is for ourselves or others. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges to our ability to live peaceably with each other is that we have forgotten our interdependence. This includes the concept that each of us is called upon to share equally in the bearing up of others who cannot do so on their own.

And the truth is there is not a one of us who doesn?t need help sometimes.

We?ve been trained to accept that there?s a clear division between the healer and the patient. Healing itself does not distinguish between the two. It is a force that flows over and through and envelopes everything. Healing is something that brings things un-connected into connection.

Most of us discover that we are vehicles for healing when we chance upon a dynamic where everyone else is at a loss and we just seem to know what to do, do it, and then good comes of it. There we stand, witnesses to a shift in direction or energy that could not have happened without our presence. We realize that in some mysterious way we were ?placed? in that situation to do a job.

Our lives are like huge key rings which hold innumerable keys which are the moments of our lives. These not only unlock the puzzles that live in our own situations, but are useful for others. The reason for this is simple. Since no one of us can experience and understand everything, we must rely on others to fill in the gaps.

The only thing that differentiates healers from others is that they put forth, by word or deed, the intention to use their gifts in service to others. From that moment on, it is as if healing, in its purest form, is activated. It then is only subject to the modulation caused by the maintenance or erosion of that intent and the cultivation of skills to affect it.

It is intention that activates healing. Calling upon healing intent does not necessarily mean what will happen next ? or who it will happen to ? is predictable. Healing energy has a much broader picture of any scene and goes where it is both needed AND accepted. Even it cannot go where it is not welcome.

Those who choose to work with healing intent learn to pay attention to the moment that is in front of them. Metaphorically, they identify which of the locks in that situation might respond to the particular keys they have available to use.

But like water, healing finds its own level. It cannot step into a room and not affect everything in it. When someone walks in to an out-of-control situation and is able to defuse the tension, the moment of healing that happens affects everyone in the room, including the person who facilitated that shift.

Healers learn to pay attention to where the healing energy that moves through them wishes to go. Who appears to be the focus of their attention may very well not be the target that healing wishes to effect. In fact, the wisdom of healing may dictate that the path to the healing of one involves the healing of another or others first.

Healers through most of history have understood that the healing of one could not occur outside of the context of ?For the good of all.? Healing of the individual meant bringing someone who was out of connection with the greater community into deeper connection with the community that embraced them. Even though, for the most part, we have lost that sense of community connection, the force that is healing has not.

The healing energy that moves through you ? whether that expresses itself through procedures, therapies or comforting touch or words ? seeks a place, or places, to do its work. Of course there is the center of your attention, but there are always factors and people present that can be utilized to affect a greater result. Your job is to be open enough to allow healing to find its target, and not to resist when your internal sense begins to point out another possible direction to take to reach the intended destination.

Yes, of course, there is always the focus of both your attention AND intention, yet experience teaches it?s not always the patient who?s the patient. By simply incorporating the intention to be present for the moment, no matter whom or what is in the picture, you?ll develop a second sense that directs you to the locks that will respond to the keys gifted you.

Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site http://mauihealingartist.com It is a potent resource for those wishing to deepen their abilities in connection and develop their powers as healers. For a powerful free tool to explore your inner world, please check out his adjunct site http://thestoryofthis.net

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #11 Each Moment Is A Convergence of Many Things

2009-01-31T10:29:00.001+07:00

It?s so very easy to forget everything that happens and everyone involved is connected in some way. Most people, most of the time, fixate on one aspect of their experience to the neglect of the others. You could say this is a by-product of our human wiring that seems to say we?re meant to handle only a limited number of things at a time. This may be true, but our choices and enculturation play a major part in what we believe we can handle at any one time. How we experience ourselves in relationship to others and our environment is under more of our control than we often realize.

If you look toward indigenous cultures, you?ll find what appears to be a moment to moment awareness of much more than just the Self. One way of putting it is that the experience of Self happens within the context of a much greater whole.

In terms of their relationship with the environment, though it may not be fair to generalize, the orientation leans toward being a part of rather than separate from everything else that is. Animism, where most everything has a spirit of some sort, recognizes that just like everything else, the human has a spirit, as opposed to our dominant culture which states the only thing with a spirit is us. In Animism, ALL the spirits dance with each other.

Even in terms of time, indigenous cultures recognize this moment as the gathering place for every moment that has been experienced by the ancestors and the jumping off place for stewardship of the generations to come.

Most often, these orientations are present in indigenous languages themselves, which place the object first, rather than the subject, as in ?The box was placed by me,? rather than ?I placed the box.? There is both an implied relationship and a certain amount of mutual dependency implicit in this way of thinking.

The Lakota phrase ?Mitakuye Oyasin? speaks to this orientation. Roughly translated, it says ?all my relations.? It applies to time, to place, to weather, to person, animal, stone, plant and on and on throughout every thing or event, living or dead in the universe. It says, ?There is nothing that separates any part of this experience from another.? We are all the expression of what is.

One metaphor for this is seeing the world through the eyes of the heart.

Poets have been speaking of the consciousness of the heart since there have been poets. A commonality that they all seem to speak of is that, when you think with your heart your vision embraces the physical, emotional, spiritual and lyrical; in essence, the complete dance of life rather than one aspect of it.

Anyone who has ever been a child or in love can recall vivid periods when experiencing the environment was all-encompassing; where the senses were opened and what they saw was more than what was in front of them. The experience of the moment included everything in the periphery, both internal and external, and ?self? was a part of that, rather than the center of it all.

Can you recall times in your life when the seat of your consciousness was centered more in your chest than in your head? Where, rather than looking out through the windows of your eyes as an observer, you were an extension of your surroundings?

Today, science is showing us the heart is an organ that does far more than just pump blood. In embryonic development, both the brain and the heart are composed of atrial-neural cells; which means they each can function as either brain or heart cells. As differentiation occurs, the brain cells specialize into a strictly neurological function. While about 35 percent of the cells in the heart are devoted strictly to pumping related activity, however, the remaining 65 percent continue to function as neurological cells.

Seeing through the eyes of your heart ? experiencing that sense of convergence in the moment -- is a concept you can test out for yourself. Spend some quiet time breathing into your heart. Continue doing so until you can feel expansiveness in your chest, your heart actually beating, or the blood pulsing through your veins and arteries. Stay in that place for a few minutes, keeping your awareness on your breathing and heart. Then, maintaining that attention, look into a mirror at yourself.

By just being open to the possibility, you will begin to notice a wonderful latticework of connection that includes you, the people you?re with, and the environment that envelopes you, within the context of the time all these things are occurring.

Out of that, you begin to sense the subtleties of how the moment brings you all together. And when your intention is to promote healing, you will find more tools becoming available for you to use.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Herbal Medicines The Most Popular and Effective Natural Remedies

2009-01-31T01:18:00.001+07:00

We've Come So Far - How Much Better Can Alternative Medicine Get?

Herbal and natural medicine has gained so much more attention than it ever had in the past seven to ten years. So, why is that? There must be something to it other than a consumer trend or a fleeting fad. And there is - a whole lot more. Consumers are finding that herbal medicines are helping them in many of the same ways as traditional medications prescribed by physicians - without the high cost, sometimes adverse side effects, and over-prescribing and combining of too many meds at once.

Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of healing and aiding the human body and mind and eliminating or alleviating human suffering. Hippocrates, one of the most famous philosophers and earliest proponents of natural medicine and herbal healing, believed that humans were meant to live in harmony with nature, and that nature itself prescribed cures and antidotes for human ailments - we just had to find out through trial and error which of nature's plants were the best choices to heal various human illnesses of the mind and body.

Hippocrates notoriously believed that we should let food be our medicine and medicine be our food, meaning we only had to look as far as our environment and natural surroundings for cures and remedies to heal and mend ourselves, as well as to keep our bodies in optimal condition for as long as possible in order that a productive and meaningful life may be lead.

Herbs, natural compounds and botanicals were discovered to have dramatic healing capabilities as well as therapeutic properties for health maintenance and prevention centuries ago, before modern medicine evolved into what it is today. The most interesting part of the history of herbal medicine is that herbalism simultaneously occurred in vastly different areas of the globe.

What we know today as Indian herbal medicine, or Ayurvedic, Chinese herbal medicine and western herbal medicine, all have deep roots of ancestry going back as far as 202 BC. The fact that so many cultures came up with their own version of natural medicine is pretty staggering. What's even more fascinating is the culmination of all of these cultural medicines paved the way for modern, man-made medications that we all know today.

What are the Most Popular and Effective Alternative Remedies Today?

Remedies for lack of sleep, stress relief and relaxation, depression, anxiety, pain, weight loss, hair loss, skin problems and more are some of the most popular and in-demand herbal products currently on the market today. Along with these, there are more obscure remedies for illnesses and physical conditions, such as hemorrhoids, smoking cessation aids for withdrawal symptoms, cold remedies, and even herbal medicines purported to help people with cancer and even to help prevent cancer cells from forming.

While herbal medicine may be regarded by some with skepticism, especially those in the medical and pharmaceutical profession (go figure), its long standing usage and history of effectiveness is nothing to be scoffed at by any stretch of the imagination.

If you really examine what herbal medicines are and how they are discovered, is it really all that different from modern medicine? Not only that, but most modern medications have been derived from nature, albeit they are in an altered and corrupted form in the final stages of manufacture. Still, they have largely begun in a naturally biochemical state.

Herbal medicines have come a long way since their ancient origins, and are making new strides every day, just like modern medicine. Not only that, pharmaceutical engineering and medicine have actually helped to make more powerful and effective herbal remedies. In a way, the real journey for herbal medicines and alternative methods of healing has just begun!

Visit Effective Herbal Medicines for information on the most effective herbal medicine products on the market today ranging from anxiety and stress formulas to skin supplements. Danna Schneider is the founder of Herbal Therapeutics Natural Remedies, which offers the latest in herbal medicine and alternative healing.

Apitherapy How Bees Can Help You Not Harm You

2009-01-21T00:29:00.001+07:00

Apitherapy is a cutting-edge therapy that uses the medical application of bee stings or bee products to treat an ailment. To put it simply, using bees to ?sting? you out of disease or using bee products to cure you is what Apitherapy is all about.

The term Apitherapy arises from the Latin word ?Apis?, meaning bees. Bee therapy consists of using bee products for therapeutic purposes. Honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, bee propolis are some of the products that have medicinal effects. From chronic pain and arthritis to multiple sclerosis and even cancer, these products are said to combat a lot of diseases.

The origin of Apitherapy can be traced to ancient Egypt, China and Greece. It is said that even Hippocrates, the ?father of medicine? used bee venom to treat joint problems and arthritis. The practice slowly gained popularity, and today thousands of practitioners use Apitherapy throughout the world. The most commonly used bee products are:

Bee venom: The bee sting is considered to cure a variety of ailments. Bees are caught and placed on trigger points associated with the ailment. The venom injected by the bee when it stings is supposed to stimulate the adrenal glands that produce the hormone Cortisol. Since Cortisol has anti-inflammatory properties, the sting enables the body to unleash its own healing power. Thus bee venom is used to treat conditions that involve inflammation, like bursitis, tendonitis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid.

But before you get yourself stung, find out if you are allergic to it. Always consult a trained practitioner for the treatments. The practitioner typically places the bee on the area near the joint or muscle. The sting is of course a little uncomfortable. The silver lining is that a bee?s sting is less painful than that of a wasp or a hornet. Usually, an ice pack is applied to the area prior to the sting to reduce pain.

Honey: Raw honey is a quick source of energy and a natural storehouse of vitamins and minerals. Its mild antibacterial and antibiotic properties make it good to fight small ailments like sore throat, minor burns and cough. Honey which has not been heated or processed in any way is healthier and more wholesome.

Royal Jelly: This milky white substance is produced in their salivary glands by the worker bees to feed the queen bee. It is this substance that makes the queen bee live a long, fertile life. Royal Jelly is claimed to fight a variety of medical conditions including asthma, fatigue, infertility and lack of appetite etc. However these claims are mainly anecdotal and there is no medical proof to back the claims. But Royal Jelly was successfully used to lower cholesterol level in human beings. Commercially, Royal Jelly appears in anti-wrinkle and other cosmetic creams.

Bee Propolis: Bee propolis is otherwise called ?bee glue?. It is a sticky resin that oozes from the buds of some trees. Worker bees collect the propolis and use it to coat the inside of their hive. The bee hive is believed to be so safe because of the anti-bacterial properties of the propolis. Thus propolis has been used as a salve for bruises and cuts. It is also a rich source of potent antioxidants and thus prevents cell damage.

While Apitherapy has a number of ardent proponents, it must be noted that there is little scientific proof to back the claims of patients who have recovered. However, it is true that a large number of patients have reported lasting effects after Apitherapy. Since there are no side effects, the treatment is definitely worth a try.

Alternative Medicine

Shaitsu

2009-01-21T00:03:00.001+07:00

It?s weird how relaxing it can be to lie there while someone waves your leg in the air. Some years ago I started having Shiatsu sessions to compensate myself for the particularly awful job I was in, it was the usual kind of thing, too much responsibility and not enough money. I?d shuffle in to my session on a Friday afternoon, with a brain full of bitchiness and bickering and an hour later I?d float out, completely empty headed. Fabulous!

Yoga is relaxing, so is Tai Chi but they both require active participation, you actually have to move your body and concentrate on what is going on so you don?t fall over. Shiatsu, however requires you to do nothing, your job is to flop your limbs and let someone else do the work. The word Shiatsu means pressure with fingers, though in a session a practitioner can use their feet, palms, elbows, thumbs, fingers or arms to release trapped vital energy or Ki. It?s the same sort of principal as acupuncture without the spiky things. You lie fully clothed, on a futon in a dimly lit room, to be prodded, stretched and freed from tension.

Shiatsu was great throughout my pregnancy, it kept me supple and suppressed my morning sickness. A month before the birth my lovely Shiatsu lady trained my bloke to use key pressure points to help me in labour. When he said casually ?this is supposed to open your cervix? all my cynicism and scepticism vanished, it worked, and it worked fast. I had a relatively quick, drug free birth and instead of feeling in the way, my bloke played an active part in the great occasion. I still have regular Shiatsu sessions, now to mend a back that aches from hefting a seven month old limpet boy around, to straighten shoulders slumped from breastfeeding him and to alleviate the stress of sleep deprivation.

After Shiatsu I feel more comfortable in my body. I feel as if all my bones are in the right place and my mind is no longer a trap for useless niggles. I drift dreamily home and I am a nice person for at least 24 hours afterwards.

The Mothers Milk Marketing Board at http://www.lactivist.co.uk sells slogan t-shirts that promote breastfeeding and gentle parenting for babies, toddlers and mums.

Healing Power of Colours

2009-01-20T08:30:00.001+07:00

Chromotherapy is a method of treatment of diseases by colour. It is best used as a supportive therapy along with other natural methods of preserving health such as correct diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise, yogic asanas and so on.

According to practitioners of chromotherapy, the cause of any disease can be traced to the lack of a particular colour in the human system. Colour therapy is a technique of restoring imbalance by means of applying coloured light to the body. It was a popular method of cure even in ancient times. Some 2,500 years ago, Pythagoras applied colour light therapeutically and ?colour halls? were used for healing in ancient Egypt, China and India.

The pioneer of modern colour therapy was Niels Finsen of Denmark. Following the discovery, in 1877, of the bactericidal action of solar ultra-violet energy,Finsen studied the possibility of assisting the healing of wounds with visible light. He subse- quently used red light to inhibit the formation of smallpox scars and, in 1896, founded a Light Institute ( now the Finsen Institute of Copenhagen) for the phototreatment of tuberculosis. In 1932, Gerrard and Hessay, two Californian psychologists, scientifically established that blue light had a calming effect and red a stimulating power on human beings.

Blue and red colours are considered at the two extremes with yellow representing the midpoint. These are also the three principal colours in a rainbow. A patient is first subjected to an examination to ascertain which colour he lacks. The deficiency is determined by observing the colour of the eyeballs, nails, urine and excrement. In cases of the lack of red the eyes and nails will be bluish, and the urine and excrement white or bluish. If there is a deficiency of the blue colour, the eyes and nails will be reddish and urine and excrement yellowish or red.

Every substance on earth contains colour. Even the rays cast on earth by celestial bodies contain colour in the form of white light. The rays of the sun contain seven different colours - violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These are natural colours which are highly beneficial to the maintenance of health and for healing diseases. According to Dr. Babbit, a well-known authority on chromotherapy, sunlight is the principal curative agent in nature?s laboratory and where light cannot enter, disease does. Chlorosis, anaemia, leukaemia, emaciation, muscular debility, degeneration of heart and liver, dropsical effusion, softening of bones,nervous excitability, physical deformity, stunted growth and consumption are the result of excluding oneself from the beneficial effects of sunlight.

Sunlight plays an important role in the recovery from chronic diseases. Judicious use of sunlight can be part of the curing process in almost every affliction. The rays of the sun improve digestion and nutrition, quicken blood and lymph circulation and increase the elimination of impurities through the skin.

The action and effect of various colours on the body and their healing qualities are as follows:

Red:
Symbolic of heat, fire and anger. It is a stimulating and energising colour. It stimulates arterial blood and brings warmth to cool extremities. Used as a general tonic, it is very valuable in the treatment of diseases like low blood pressure, rheumatism, paralysis, anaemia and advanced cases of tuber- culosis.

Orange:
Symbolic of prosperity and pride, orange is useful for stimulating blood supply and energising the nerves. It is beneficial in the treatment of kidney and gall stones, hernia and appendicitis. It is also used to stimulate the milk producing action of breasts after childbirth.

Violet:
Violet is beneficial in the treatment of nervous and emotional disturbances, arthritis, acute cases

Yellow:
Associated with joy and happiness, yellow is laxative and diuretic. It is a stimulant to the brain, the liver and the spleen. It is also effective in the treatment of diabetes, indigestion, kidney and liver disorders, constipation, eye and throat infections, syphillis and impotence.

Purple:
Purple or indigo combines the blood-warming red and the cooling antiseptic blue. It is an excellent stimulant without being an irritant. It is beneficial in the treatment of advanced stages of constipation, hydrocle, leucorrhoea, many disorders of the stomach and womb, cataract, migraine and skin disorders. It exerts a soothing effect on the eyes, ears and the nervous system.

Green:
Made up of the blue and yellow, green is regarded as a colour of harmony. It is a mild sedative. It is useful in the treatment of nervous conditions, hay fever, ulcers, influenza, malaria, colds, sexual disorders and cancer. It preserves and strengthens eyesight. Being highly medicinal and depressive, it is of great help in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

Blue:
Cool, soothing and sedative, blue alleviates pain, reducing bleeding and heals burns. It is beneficial in the treatment of dysentery, colic, asthma, respiratory disorders, high blood pressure and skin aberrations. IN a study at the New England State Hospital in the United States, 25 members of staff with normal blood pressure were bathed in blue light for half an hour. It resulted in universal fall in blood pressure. The blood pressure rose when red light was applied.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

Cost-free Miracle Asthma Cure
Overcome Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes Naturally
Alternative Treatments for Incurable Diseases made easy

You Might Just Feel A Bit of a Prick ...

2009-01-20T01:16:00.001+07:00

But that sensation won't last too long!

People are surprised to find that acupuncture is relatively painless. Whilst the needle is penetrating the skin, there could be in a slight sensation of pain, but this is not usual. Sometimes, but not often, there could be an electric, shooting sensation if a nerve is hit. Sometimes, a sharp sensation if the needle is in the vicinity of a vein, or artery. If this happens this is the possibility of a small bruise in that the adjacent area, but this is really of little consequence, compared with the many attributes and advantages of acupuncture.

I one of the reasons for lack of pain, is because our needles are very fine, only about twice the fitness of a human hair. Totally unlike the hypodermic needles used in conventional medicine to inject liquids or take a sample of blood. These are hollow and of course have a greater bore than acupuncture needles. Ours are solid, flexible and much, much thinner. Patients are often very surprised at how flexible the acupuncture needle is and wonder that it can penetrate the skin and underlying flesh in a straight line. Because of the tiny diameter of the needles and the skill of the acupuncturist, this is not difficult. It is possible to penetrate much harder material, than the human skin, with one of these needles, without bending it.

Acupuncture is a very safe and mostly comfortable, form of effective, alternative medicine. Any discomfort that may occur on an occasional basis is more than made up for by its therapeutic activity.

The word 'acupuncture' comes from two Latin words: 'acus', meaning 'needle' and 'punctura', meaning 'to penetrate'. Thus, the word 'acupuncture' means 'to penetrate with a needle'.

Acupuncture, is a potent and efficacious, alternative to many of the treatments of western medicine, Acupuncture hails from China. Its origin goes back several thousand years.It is based on the premise, that there are energy patterns, or energy flows, throughout the body and these are necessary to maintain health and well-being of the organism. He is when these energy flows are disturbed that people become sick. Acupuncture often restores the body's balance of these meridians and corrects the energy flow.

A treatment of acupuncture normally lasts from 30 to 40 minutes and is very relaxing. A number of very fine needles, usually 1 to to 10, are inserted in specific spots on the skin. These are called acupuncture points.

There are a often matched with organs of the body. Almost all acupuncture points lie along acupuncture meridians although there are several off meridian points which are utilised by the experienced acupuncturist. And each acupuncture point can treat many diseases, as it influences many organs of the body.

Acupuncture has also been used in animals to great effect. If you own a beloved animal, try acupuncture. Seek out the veterinarian who uses alternative medicine and who may also use such other natural aids, as homeopathy, herbalism and aromatherapy, etc, on animals. You might be surprised by the beneficial results, on your precious four legged friends. Using alternative medicine in animals is even more convincing, as there cannot be any suspicion of the 'placebo' effect, which is sometimes found in humans, who are taking medicaments.

About The Author
Ray Cunningham is an owner of two diplomas of acupuncture. One from Australia. The other from Hong Kong. At the moment he resides in Central Florida, U.S.A.. For more information, on acupuncture and alternative medicine, go to his website at: http://alternative-health-4.us.

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #15 Connection Is the Gateway to Healing

2009-01-19T19:23:00.001+07:00

Of all the medicines used in the treatment of dis-ease, Hope is probably the most potent. The idea that there is some form of light at the end of the tunnel allows people to mobilize their reserves to move toward recovery. When there is ?no hope? (once again, an idea), there is nothing to move toward.

If you look at all the modalities of healing throughout the ages you will find slews of therapies, treatments, counseling, medicines and even procedures that, by today?s standards, would never work. Yet, so many of them did on so many people ? regardless of all the facts that we know today. Even in spite of them!

Somewhere within each modality that worked when all outward indications screamed otherwise, was hope. And if you were to trace each incident to its turning point you would find that the person seeking hope found it, in some form, through connection.

Using the metaphor of a key and a lock again, the form that gives hope life is the individual?s ability to, in some way, feel in synch, be a part of, or move in alignment with that which is offered; a connection. In essence, the person who can connect with what is offered is most likely to derive benefit from it.

The funny thing is a person may embrace an option offered ? no matter how outlandish ? if he or she feels a connection with the person offering the option. Faith healers, clairvoyants, doctors, therapists and snake-oil salesman of all stripes have the power to inspire confidence in the routes they offer to wellness.

Much of that power stems from their own belief in what they have to offer (as in their own connection to it). So often it is the perceived potency of the person doing the offering that turns the trick.

If a practitioner is able to reach the part of the individual that only has the lack of hope standing between herself and wellness, she can then begin to mobilize her defenses. The force we call healing can use anything as a springboard. Sometimes, it will use a charlatan to ignite the fire of hope in someone that will then lead them to a real solution.

This is not meant to encourage deceit; rather it is offered to illustrate the tremendous power that connection holds in the lives of those in need, and its efficacy as a tool for healers. It is of paramount importance that the healer understands this. The implication here is that use of connection to further healing is a sacred trust and deserves the respect of being held in that light.

When you feel you can connect with a therapy, idea, healer, procedure, Higher Power, or whatever, you?ve taken the most pivotal step toward attaining wholeness. To know that whatever ails you can be accessed and opened by the right (or combination of right) key(s) is the light at the end of the tunnel.

The biggest fear is of the unknown. It?s important that you find some way to communicate that you are a real person and that whatever you will be doing from that moment on is a by-product of your connection with the person, the situation at hand, AND your connection with the therapies you can deliver. All it takes is a few words, a gesture, or an action to begin that phase of a healing relationship.

Physical proximity and touch (where accepted) are hugely important tools. Recent studies have shown there is a measurable, energetic connection between human hearts in proximity to each other. When a person in distress is physically close to someone who has come to help, within a few minutes of their contact, you will see something very interesting: If each is hooked up to an EKG (electrocardiogram) machine, which records in wave form the electrical activity of their hearts, a reading of what is called ?entrainment? occurs. This is where both people?s hearts establish a common rhythm.

The important thing here is that the affected does not necessarily adopt the helper?s rhythm, though it reaches out to meet the calmness and lack of distress evident therein. Together, they establish a common rhythm.

Connection is all about a joining of forces. Just as certain chemical combinations in a pill will join forces with the chemical combinations in the blood to produce a favorable change in the overall chemistry of the patient, so, too, does the connection between people produce a blending of energies that complement each other, thereby effecting change.

Rather than worrying about whether or not, or how, you?re connecting with the person in your charge, keep focusing on the moment with that person, and deal with it honestly. The healing connection will take care of itself.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Tips

2009-01-19T12:20:00.001+07:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Men and women can take preventative steps for avoiding breast cancer and staying healthy. Essentials within your control, include:

?aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week
?maintaining a positive mental attitude
?breathwork and deepening body-awareness (yoga is great)
?expressing your feelings to keep your energy flowing
?eating healthy foods and taking the ?right? supplements
?avoiding toxicity.

Some things to avoid:

?Any medication containing acetaminophen. Products such as Tylenol, Sudafid, Bromo seltzer,vicodin, and many others drive down the glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is an essential antioxidant and detoxifier.

?Aspartame (not to be confused with aspertate) has been proven to cause cancer in rats. It is a common ingredients in many no-sugar products such as yogurt, ice cream, desserts and carbonated beverages. Splenda is also harmful.

?Toxins. Use toxin-free, organic products. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly with soapy water to remove chemical residues. Better yet, buy only organic products and non-GMO (non-genetically modified) foods. Read labels (Veggies and fruit will have an 9 to indicate organic and an 8 for non-GMO).

?Active computer screens should be at least 18 inches away from your body. You need to be at least 36 inches from your active television screens.

Breast Self Exams are the number one method for detecting changes in breast health. Finding any symptoms does not mean you have cancer. Early detection means your survival, and thriver rate, is very high. Very high! It also means you have a broad range of alternative and complementary treatment options. So learn the signs.

No one knows your body as well as you do. That?s why it?s essential to exam your breasts at the same time every month - so you can detect any changes that might occur. When you do the self-exam, you are reassuring yourself that your body is still in great condition.

There are numerous websites that now offer instruction in self-exams. One I prefer is the Komen Foundation, (www.komen.org) which offers an interactive video you can watch on your home computer, while doing your exam.

Many women find it helpful to have a buddy to call each month to remind or be reminded to conduct the self-exam. It?s never to late to begin a good habit, so invite a Yoga buddy to be your breast health buddy now.

The signs to pay attention to include the following:

A lump, hard knot or thickening
Swelling, warmth
Redness or darkening
Change in size or shape
Dimpling or puckering of the skin
Rash
Itching or scaling, especially on the nipple
Pulling in of your nipple or other breast areas
Sudden discharge from the nipple
New pain in one spot

Some clients have reported one or more symptoms to their medical practitioners, and been told it?s ?Nothing?. That may be true. Often the lumps and rashes are not a sign of cancer. But they could be. Rely on your inner wisdom. It if feels ?not right?, then keep getting other opinions until you?re satisfied with the results. Thermography, Thermal imaging, a new form of breast cancer detection, is highly recommended as a non-invasive method which is available at some breast care centers in the US.

Dr. Talia Miller, sought after breast cancer & holistic wellness coach, author and seminar leader, is a long-term breast cancer thriver. Contact her at t@BreastCancerCoach.com, visit her website at http://www.BreastCancerCoach.com or call 530-271-0747 for a complimentary phone coaching session.

She is the founding director of the Breast Cancer Support Center, a 501c3 non-profit specializing in utilizing the body-mind-spirit connection for healing. The Center offers free educational seminars by phone, on prevention and avoiding recurrence. Email Director@BreastCancerSupportCenter.org to register for the free October 30th class or free Newsletter.

Living Well with Chronic Illness

2009-01-19T04:18:00.001+07:00

Living with chronic illness impacts one?s physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Living with chronic illness often causes one to feel helpless and hopeless, discouraged and isolated. It can devastate one?s career and financial security, friendships and love relationships, creativity, concentration, motivation, and one?s very peace of mind.

It is important now and useful long-term, to remain as active, social, and productive as possible. That means focus on what you can do and let go of what you can no longer do. Create priorities for your body, mind, heart, and soul.

Ancient philosophers and healers recognized that the body and the mind were one. Modern research confirms this body/mind connection. In the last 15 years, Western medicine has coined a term for what the ancients knew: psychoneuroimmunology. Harvard Medical School now publishes a professional journal called Mind/Body Medicine. Studies show that improved physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being stimulate an innate healing response in the body. It is possible to create a healthier lifestyle that will promote wellness. The key is to balance the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life.

Improving and maintaining physical well-being includes proper nutrition, rest, and exercise. It means carefully selecting the activities in which you participate and the people with whom you spend time to ensure that you are making good choices about expending energy and making the most of each day.

Paying attention to the psychological and emotional aspects of your life includes becoming a good observer of your thoughts, feelings, and how/what you feel in your body. This is a time to allow yourself to experience, examine, and express your thoughts and feelings in an honest and forthright way.

Accurately expressing yourself is one of the most important aspects of living with chronic illness. No one will know how you feel and what you can reasonably be expected to do or not do unless you tell people directly. Value yourself and take ownership of your feelings, and thoughts, your resources and choices.

Honor and express your deepest truth and make what you say and how you say it match what you feel. Say your real ?yes? and your real ?no? and say what you feel without blaming or needing to please others. Don?t avoid saying what is in your heart or on your mind to say. Don?t hide your worries and concerns because you don?t want others to know you are not in control.

Accessing your spiritual nature can be as easy as watching the sunset or taking a walk through a beautiful garden. You might also consider meditation, yoga, chanting, or praying. Whether you call it God, the Universe, higher power, or ?the force? a la Steven Spielberg, it is quite comforting and healing to experience the inner peace that is uniquely you.

Sitting in the quiet and allowing your attention to flow inward is very foreign to men and women in the Western world. It is, however, a fundamental practice if one is to develop and maintain health and well-being, inside and outside.

Human beings are resilient and adaptable. When faced with seemingly insurmountable tasks, we rise to the occasion. Chronic illness often motivates us to re-evaluate and reconsider every aspect of life; to review and change habits, goals, choices, and decisions.

This review includes everything from food choices, career/work, social relationships and recreational activities, to including naps and going to sleep earlier. Now is the time to create a more flexible schedule and intentionally pace yourself.

Determination and persistence will enable you to stay motivated through the tough times, and stay involved in activities that are meaningful and joyful. Maintaining your sense of humor is essential.

Invite people into your life who are kind, respectful, and compassionate. Stay away from well-meaning, well-intentioned people who have an agenda for you and can?t see you or hear you accurately.

This is the opportunity to create the changes in your life that will bring meaning to every day and cause you to choose and maintain a lifestyle that promotes and sustains your well-being: physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual.

While chronic illness may close some doors, it will no doubt open others. Take good care! You?re worth it.

Remember, only YOU can make it happen!

If you like this article, please read more about Dr. Jackie?s relationship dating advice and help for issues and problems.

This article may be re-published with appropriate attribution to the author including name, web site, email address and telephone number.

Dr. Jackie is an internationally recognized relationship expert, educator and coach. Advice and coaching about personal relationships is Dr. Jackie's passion. Her goal is to inspire and support single men, single women and couples through the challenges and pitfalls of dating, loving and building lasting, committed relationships in today's fast-paced world. Dr. Jackie's Relationship Coaching Programs and Groups, her Blog, downloadable PodCasts and her Internet streaming radio show are jam-packed with valuable dating tips and strategies.

Check out Dr. Jackie's Podcasts here: http://www.relationshiptalkpodcast.com

Check out Dr. Jackie's Blog here: http://www.askdrjackie.com

1.866.419.5928

What is Alternative Medicine?

2009-01-18T18:54:00.001+07:00

What is alternative medicine? This is a term used to describe the different forms of medicine other than conventional methods. Alternative medicine includes a wide variety of medical practices including non-European (non-Western) medical practices and will include some new approaches to medicine. There is also a term called complementary medicine. This is a combination of conventional medicine coupled with alternative medicine.

With increasing research and new findings in medicine there is a universal rise in the Western nations of alternative medicine. In the Eastern part of the world, namely the Orient, some forms of alternative medicine has been practiced for many centuries. Part of this trend in the West may be due to the growth of medical education among people and the increased amount of travel to different regions. More literature is now available on this subject and medical societies specializing in different forms of alternative medicine are available.

Some of the most common forms of alternate medicine are:

Acupuncture
Homeopathy
Naturopathic medicine
Osteopathy

Acupuncture: this is an ancient art which had its origins in the Orient. It involves manipulating and inserting needles into special points in the body. It is thought to restore health and create well-being. There are several forms of acupuncture which are taught worldwide. This is one of the most famous forms of alternative medicine.

Homeopathy: is a form of medicine that tries to stimulate the body?s immune system in order to promote healing. The practice of Homeopathy endeavors to bring the entire body back into homeostasis, or balance.

Naturopathic medicine: Is a practice that is designed to stimulate the body?s own healing system. This system utilizes multiple forms of alternative medicine. It can also be referred to as Natural therapy, and can include dietary supplements, exercise and different foods.

Osteopathy: Was originally a form of alternative medicine based on manipulation of the joints. It is still used for chronic back pain. It is often used with other forms of medicine.

When treating illness and serious diseases it is important to consult your physician before taking any decisions. Many doctors will endorse some sort of alternative medicine coupled with conventional medicine, especially if conventional medicine is not proving very effective for a chronic condition. Despite the lack of credibilty given it by MD.s, some alternative medicine can work surprisingly well. It will all depend on your particular illness and your own body?s functionality whether alternative medicine will work well for you.

Zach Thompson is a Glyconutrients Consultant. His clients range from pro athletes and actresses, to cancer patients and children with Learning Disabilities. To learn if glyconutrients can help you, visit Buy Glyconutrients Product

Gout Treated with Alternative Medicine

2009-01-18T08:55:00.001+07:00

The name of the disease is not what concerns the person who treats the patient holistically, for they are looking at the die-ease in the patient, not the gout. Gout is a manifestation of the dis-ease in the patient, treating the presenting symptoms with drugs for the inflammation and pain may well relieve the symptoms temporarily, but it's not treating the cause of the condition.

So what is the cause of gout? One might be told that some families have a predisposition to gout, and you may be told that some foods exacerbate the condition, and that's about all that can be done if you are treated conventionally, you will also be given some prescription drugs to alleviate your pain, and to reduce inflammation. If you do nothing else to correct the cause of your gout, then it's very unlikely you will see any improvement in your health.

You may say that since you have been taking a certain drug that you have not had any gout attacks, and as far as you are concerned not much else matters. Unfortunately the prescription drugs have only palliated your condition, and with constant ingestion of anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers your gouty condition will continue to develop behind the scenes, and your general health will deteriorate as a result of the drugs you are taking.

Alternative medicine, depending on what modality you have chosen, would firstly want to overhaul your diet, for a diet rich in purine foods would certainly exacerbate the condition, and may even be solely responsible for your gout.

Foods high in purines and are therefore to be avoided: Meat gravies, stocks, organ meats, shellfish, anchovies, sardines, herrings, mussels, mushrooms and asparagus. Alcohol, particularly beer is high in purines, and for that reason must be avoided. Any alcohol taken should be followed by copius amounts of water to avoid dehydration and consequent uric acid build-up. Meat, white flour, sugar, poultry, dried beans, fish, oatmeal,cauliflower, spinach and peas are moderately high in purines, and may need to be avoided.

The ideal diet should contain lots of organic fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and a very important dietary addition is wheat grass. Fruits, vegetables and juices assist the excretion of uric acid, and foods that neutralize uric acid are strawberries, cherries, and celery juice, also drink lots of filtered water. Many people have found that the addition of cherry juice to their diet has prevented further gout attacks.

You may be given herbs or homeopathic remedies for your condition, however a change in your dietary habits may be all that is needed to improve your health. What a simple answer to what could remain a life-time problem if you may no effort to change your eating habits. If you wish to rid yourself of your gout, alternative medicine can certainly help you.

Colleen Redman webmaster and publisher of http://www.goutyjoint.com This site offers many alternative treatments for gout and provides tips and articles to treat gout.

Cold Immersion Bath

2009-01-18T04:49:00.001+07:00

This may be taken for four seconds to 20 minutes at a temperature ranging from 100C to 23.80C. Before entering the bath, cold water should be poured on the patient?s head, chest, and neck and the head should be protected with a cold moist towel. During the bath, the patient should vigorously rub his or her body. After the bath the body should be quickly dried and wrapped up in a blanket. If the climate is favourable, moderate exercise should be undertaken.

This bath helps to bring down fever. It also improves the skin when taken for five to 15 seconds after a prolonged hot bath, by exhilarating circulation and stimulating the nervous system.

This bath should not be given to young children or very elderly persons, nor be taken in cases of acute inflammation of some internal organs such as acute peritonitis, gastritis, enteritis, and inflammatory conditions of uterus and ovaries.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

Cost-free Miracle Asthma Cure
Overcome Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes Naturally
Alternative Treatments for Incurable Diseases made easy

The Healing Arts: A Firetender's Lesson Part One Surrender and the Sweat Lodge

2009-01-17T18:28:00.001+07:00

Will we see you at Sundance this year?

The words took me by surprise. I had neither anticipated nor sought them out. As I stammered Uh, well, uh...sure in response, I had a rush of fear because I knew that this was not a question or a request, it was a directive. And the directive was not from this man called Godfrey; it was from Spirit.

About a month and a half earlier, in 1990, after a ten-year involvement in various Twelve-Step programs based on Alcoholics Anonymous, I had come to an unusual realization. For the first time in my life, I found myself expressing a desire to have a Teacher that would help facilitate my spiritual path.

I was never one to follow anyone in my life. I knew that following wasn't what it all was about. I had no idea what such a Teacher would look like. I simply longed to be able to sit at the feet of someone of flesh and blood for a change who could perhaps model what a well-rounded relationship with Spirit was, perhaps just talk to me about such things...who knew? The gist of it was that I was tired of having my spirituality so deep inside me that it had no form.

Within two weeks of expressing that intention in my prayers, I was at a local coffee shop and saw a makeshift poster announcing a Cannunpa (Cha-nupa) Ceremony, a ceremony with the Sacred Pipe by a Lakota family, who was in town. With no particular investment, I went to the address, only to find that it was at the home of a friend.

I found myself in a circle with about twenty people, and quietly watched the proceedings. Curious. The family was named Chips; a mother and her three sons, with a couple of assistants. It was all very simple. The eldest brother, Charles, led the ceremony after talking a little bit about their lives on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He said nothing at all astounding or earth-shaking, and I suppose what I appreciated most was that he seemed very aware, and happy to be alive.

He said they were there doing healing ceremonies for the sick, that they had been invited, or sponsored by a local family, with whom they would be staying for a month or so. He spoke of the Yuwipi ceremony where Spirit comes through his younger brother, Godfrey, and directs the people seeking healing. Through Yuwipi, Spirit tells them what they need to do in order to restore their health.

Having been involved in conventional medicine for sixteen years, and having had my own deeply Spiritual experiences with life and death, I was more than curious; I was determined to be a part of what they had to offer. In my typical way, after we had all prayed and shared the Pipe and most of the attendees had left, I lingered and queried as to what it would take to be a part of a ceremony. Of course I thought I might be able to step right in, and of course what I found was that such sacred things are not spectator sports.

After a couple of weeks of maintaining contact with my friends--and, embarrassed as I am about it, lobbying to be a part--I was told that the family would be asked if I could attend an Inipi, better known as a purification or sweat lodge. I was told that there, Godfrey would know my heart and only then would I be invited to get more involved. Or not.

The Twelve Steps had taught me about surrender, and even with all my enthusiasm, I knew that the best I could do was to open myself up completely to what was happening and leave the rest up to powers greater than myself. So that's what I did. After a while I was invited to an Inipi, and then another and another, until I did four nights in a row. My world was rocked.

I went through what felt like the successive stages of a human being's spiritual development. There was little thought during the ceremony itself. In the midst of the ancient songs and drumming and prayers and heat and fear and relief and sweat and pain and expansion, contraction, deaths and rebirths, it felt as if my insides were re-ordered--every part of me. I had been brought from the visceral experience of the first person looking up and perceiving the moon in wonder to the expression of humanity that I was on that fourth day of ceremony in 1990.

Next: Intention in action.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Body Mind Spirit The Key is What's InBetween

2009-01-17T12:30:00.001+07:00

If you have a health problem with your body, go to a doctor. With your mind, go see a psychologist. With your spirit, see your pastor, priest or rabbi.

What could be wrong with that?

Do you know when most heart attacks occur in American society? Mondays between 6am and 8am. Why is that? Well, of course, it's because we wake up after our happy weekend and we think Ugh, Work. And that bothers some of us so much, we just die. Literally.

Is there a physical cause to this heart attack? Of course. Maybe the person was overweight, or maybe they had too much cholesterol in their blood. But why did they kick off on a Monday?

Most health problems have a mental aspect as well as physical. Remember Fred Sanford in Sanford and Son? Everytime his son would aggrevate him, he would fake having a heart attack. I'm coming, Elizabeth!! Obviously, he was just pretending, but it is true that an emotional event can bring on all kinds of physical problems.

So, what happens when you go to a doctor about your heart, or your elbow, or your sore throat? He can only inspect the physical. He doesn't feel qualified to delve into the emotional, mental or even spiritual aspects of your problems. And yet, you know those things are there, and you know they're contributing to your problem.

Your doctor might refer you to a psychologist if he suspects that your problem includes something mental, but that's usually only after he's exhausted all his physical options. It used to be doctors would say Don't worry, it's all in your head. Now that's not considered very good manners. But what a strange thing to say! What disease isn't at least partially in your head?

Cancer has been proven to be a problem with the immune system. If your immune system is operating at full power, it fights and beats the cancer cells before they have a chance. And it's also proven that your immune system takes a dive whenever you feel bad emotionally.

Can you imagine? Depression could be linked to cancer?

Most doctors would not admit that. They say cancer is linked to genetics and possibly to diet. That's it. Physical causes only.

But there's so much more we can do.

For our example of a better approach, let's look at Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chinese Medicine is a very interesting combination of therapies that address body, mind and spirit.

They also focus on the in-between. These therapies recognize, not only body, mind and spirit, but the intangible something that sits in-between each of these. They even have a word for it. They call it chi. This is a kind of life force that regulates all the parts of you: body, mind and spirit. If your chi is good, then your health is good.

Chinese therapies include acupuncture, where tiny needles are put into the skin in certain parts of the body. The focus? To improve chi. It also includes chi gong, which is a set of exercises and meditations to improve, you guessed it, chi. Chinese massage, tai chi, herbs, and many other therapies are all focused on the in-between, the chi.

Many ancient health systems have a similar concept to chi. With the medicine practiced in India, called ayurveda, there is a concept called prana. It means the same thing. It's a life energy, and all Indian therapies focus on improving that life energy, bringing it up to full force so your body, mind and spirit can thrive.

In America, we tend to want medications that will mask over the symptoms of our problems, not those that go after the root cause. In fact, the top five selling pharmaceutical drugs were all symptom-fixers, including Lipitor, a cholesterol-reducing drug, and Zoloft, an anti-depressant. Does this really seem like the best way to combat illness? To throw a blanket over the problem so we can't see it?

Next time you have a health problem, no matter how small, I'd like you to think about how it might be your chi. It might be a problem, not with your throat, or your butt or your head, but it might be something that a qualified Chinese medical doctor could help you with, and, in the process, help your overall health in every way.

Daryl Kulak is the author of Health Insurance Off the Grid, a book to help you be able to afford your holistic lifestyle.

The Healing Arts: Exploring HeartConsciousness Part 4 It's About Relationship

2009-01-17T01:03:00.001+07:00

By the time I was born (1951), 90% of my environment was composed of things gleaned from information, not nature. (Maybe 99%, I grew up in Brooklyn!) As such, the vast majority of my decisions have been based on what my head thinks, rather than what my heart knows.

My ancestors, for example, were indigenous to a place unknown, became named in Spain, moved to Italy at the time of the Inquisition and then on to North America in the 20th Century. I can muse, in broad strokes, on the process of how the shift from heart-based consciousness to head-based consciousness may have occurred in my kin.

Once the connection was broken with their immediate environment, they had to ?learn the ropes? of new environments through history related by others as much as immediate experience. Information started to become a keynote of survival as well as response to the immediate environment. As time went on, each succeeding generation of my ancestors had to digest and assimilate more and more ?head-based? information the further they strayed from ?home? in time and place, and the more clearly they developed what we call civilization.

When the Machine age hit, the amount of information to digest increased exponentially, and now, in the Information Age, exponentially once again. The consciousness of the heart has progressively taken a back seat to reliance on the brain. It might be useful to note that this all seems like a natural progression, as opposed to something that was imposed or forced or even chosen in opposition to heart-consciousness. We are learning who we are.

And who we are, at our core, are creatures who spent most of our development time having no other way to look at things except within the context of relationship to our environment. We simply had not altered our environment or affected it enough to be able to see the difference between us and anything else. We moved with the seasons, traveled with the game, and depended on and followed the rhythms of the earth we inhabited. The key word here is inhabited, for what we do now, and have done for only a few hundreds of years, is dominate.

It took me a good 30 years after my childhood to re-connect with my heart. I was blessed with being able to live with a Lakota medicine family on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They are full-bloods and descendants of Woptura, Crazy Horse?s medicine man. I would spend perhaps four hours on some days just sitting with Charles, the eldest brother, in silence at the edge of the prairie. Filled with questions, I?d ask one and then be told, ?Shhh!?

At first, it was like agony. Much to my initial dismay, when it came to actually being ?taught? by any of the Traditionals I was with, I was sorely disappointed. For months I just mimicked, and then, something started to seep in.

I learned of the mechanics of tending fire for Inipi, the sacred sweat lodge. After a while, I could sit up at night and run through the sequence of ?stacking? the fire in my mind ? not a simple exercise because for ceremonial fires, there is a very precise way to do things.

I took a certain amount of solace in finding that I was getting better and better in knowing what to do. Yet, as each day went by and I became more automatic in doing each step, I found that there was something else going on. Something not about what was done but about how it was done.

My logical mind noted what Richard, my mentor, did; how he physically balanced the pile of stones. At first, I?d study which he chose, trying to figure out his logic. I would meticulously order and stack my own pile, and invariably, half way up, they?d collapse in a heap and I?d have to begin again and again and again. My head seemed to have nothing to grasp on to; I checked the shapes and ?saw? where each would fit. But they wouldn?t cooperate. Wouldn?t cooperate? That flied in the face of anything I knew!

Then, one day while I was working with the stones, I picked one up from the pile and something strange happened. To my immense surprise, in the center of my chest I felt resistance. I put the stone down, like ?Whoa! Sorry,? and then picked up another. This registered ?I want to go!? I was stunned, but had learned not to argue, so it went.

I kept moving in that way in my choices, realizing (in the center of my chest) it wasn?t about *my* choice anymore, but that it was about relationship. Then, when it came to ?stacking? the stones, one after another they took their place on the tipi shaped cone. They took their place.

For the first time in my experience as a firetender, all of them interlocked and held their balance on the pile without my having to juggle or change a thing. And in those moments, my brain found the words to describe what my heart already knew, ?Stone People.?

Next installment, we'll talk about filters, and how they relate to heart-consciousness.

Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site http:// mauihealingartist.com. It is a potent resource for those wishing to deepen their abilities in connection and develop their powers as healers. For a powerful free tool to explore your inner world, please check out his adjunct site http://thestoryofthis.net

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Breast Cancer Treatment: Conventional Treatment Methods

2009-01-17T00:59:00.001+07:00

Your team of doctors will make treatment recommendations based on the stage of your cancer. Your standard treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. If you have been diagnosed with DCIS or LCIS, your stage is the lowest and the road you will travel will be easier. For DCIS, your options may include breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy with or without radiation and hormone therapy.

LCIS treatments options are a bit different. They include observation to determine changes, hormone therapy to prevent cancer from developing, or bilateral prophylactic (preventive) mastectomies.

Things get more complicated when your cancer spreads beyond the ducts or lobes/lobules. Once your cancer has been staged, you can visit www.cancer.gov to determine your treatment options. They will typically include: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and/or hormone therapy. For IBC, treatment options are similar to the other types of breast cancer, but they will always include chemotherapy because of its aggressiveness.

?Surgery: Breast surgery can be either a lumpectomy, where the tumor is removed, or a partial or modified radical mastectomy. With a lumpectomy, it is typically followed by radiation. This way, you get to keep your breast and studies have shown no difference in survival rates between lumpectomy/radiation and mastectomy.

Note: Not too long ago, they used to perform radical mastectomies where the breast, all the lymph nodes, and the underlying muscle were cut away. Thankfully, medicine has discovered that's not necessary. Now, a partial or modified radical mastectomy is performed, where either part of the breast tissue, or the entire breast, and possibly a portion of the lymph nodes, are removed. On the whole, a mastectomy isn't too bad a surgery, although everyone is different. I found both of mine to be quite easy, but you will wake up with drain tubes, which you?ll typically have for at least a week.

?Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is defined by Wikipedia as ?the use of chemical substances to treat disease. In its modern-day use, it refers primarily to cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer.? This can be a frightening prospect for anyone. We've all heard horror stories about how very debilitating chemotherapy can be. However, much progress has been made in the management of chemo's side effects, to the point that, once you have the right management tools, you can continue to enjoy the activities you typically do. Chemo is a means of treating your cancer systemically and is typically recommended for those whose tumor is larger than a certain size and/or the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. The thinking is that if your cancer has had the opportunity to access the rest of your body, your treatment should be systemic as well.

?Radiation: Radiation therapy is typically a localized treatment option, where rapidly dividing cells are damaged. Cancer cells are very rapid dividers, so radiation is an effective option. Typically, radiation therapy is given for about six weeks, five days a week. It's very much like lying still for an x-ray, only instead of lasting a second or two, it lasts a couple of minutes. It can cause fatigue, toward the end and slightly after, and can cause a sunburn effect on your skin.

?Hormone Therapy: Many breast cancers are hormone-dependent. In these cancers, there are receptors on the tumor that can be filled with estrogen. The thinking is that when estrogen fills these receptors, it causes the tumor to grow. This is called estrogen-receptor positive (ER). These cancers respond well to hormone therapy and the hormone therapy drug that will be recommended for you will depend on your menopausal status. These drugs are in pill form and you take them once a day. The most popular of these drugs, for pre-menopausal women, is Tamoxifen and, for post-menopausal women Femara or Arimidex. There is new evidence that suggests that taking Femara, after taking Tamoxifen for five years, increases survival rates.

?Immunotherapy: There is a fourth modality of treatment on the horizon and it's called Immunotherapy. This involves getting your immune system to fight your cancer and there is, and will be, a lot of research being done in this area.

Melissa Buhmeyer is a breast cancer survivor and has been so for seven years. She is also the founder of http://www.breastcancer-treatment.us, a site focusing on breast cancer treatment options, news, articles, and survivor experiences.

Alternative Medicines Why The Silence?

2009-01-16T20:42:00.001+07:00

If there are alternative medicines and natural treatments that really work, why don't we hear more about them? I don't think there are many true conspiracies around, but this is one of those areas that makes me wonder. The movement between government posts and positions in the pharmaceutical corporations is well documented. This easy movement between the boardrooms and the FDA and other agencies certainly leaves room for abuse and back door agreements.

More often than not, though, there is just a conspiracy-of-common-interest that prevents safe alternative medicines from coming to market, or from becoming widely known. For example, drug companies don't want the competition of safe alternatives to their drugs. Meanwhile, it is politically safer for the FDA to not allow a product, because if they approve something and it causes any problems, they get the blame. This is a convenient coinciding of interests.

Also, natural products, like silymarin (Milk Thistle Extract), which is used all over Europe to treat poisonings and to protect the liver, are legal here, but not well known. This is because, as a natural product, there is no way to patent it. Without being able to exclude others from selling it, no company can afford to spend the millions it would take to get it approved as a medicine here.

A natural product also can't be marketed heavily. Imagine if a large company spent millions to promote a medicinal herb. As soon as they got the public's attention, all the smaller companies could undercut them on the price, since they spent nothing on marketing, and a plant product is usually the same no matter what the name on the label. No company wants to spend big money on a product they don't have an exclusive right too.

When a plant isn't approved as a natural treatment, there are no pharmaceutical reps out there educating doctors about it (Didn't you know that's how doctors keep educated?). In addition, even if a doctor has read about a useful plant, he is more likely to face a malpractice suit for an allergic reaction to an alternative medicine than from killing someone with a standard and accepted treatment. Which do you think he'll recommend?

Companies face the same issues of liability. In addition, the companies are limited in what they can say about these natural products. This is why you can look all over the box that some plant medicines come in, and never once see a mention of what it is for. It is tough to learn about these natural treatments, isn't it?

In other words, if you want to know about alternative medicines and medical treatment, you have to look outside the mainstream for your information. You have to read the magazines that cover these alternatives, and sometimes, when it is safe, you have to even experiment a little on yourself.

As for my own approach, I like to see that there is actually some real research that demonstrates a benefit. Anecdotal evidence doesn't mean much. People get better all the time, and credit whatever they happened to be using at the time. On the other hand, if it is inexpensive and safe, like eating blueberries to improve vision, I'll try almost anything once.

Do natural treatments work? Sometimes. I have twice removed skin growths from my face that may have even been precancerous. They were there for many years, yet it took just weeks to make them disappear using a simple and cheap natural product. I have also witnessed the fastest healing of a cut (on my foot) that I've ever seen, after applying a common plant to it. Some alternative medicines really do work.

Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more and get a free gift at: The Secret Information Site (http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com)

Which Magnets are the Best for Magnetic Therapy Healing?

2009-01-16T09:29:00.001+07:00

Magnetic therapy has gained a lot of interest from the press in the last few years. This article looks at what are the most effective magnets for magnetic therapy healing. First lets discuss the different types of therapeutic magnets.

Not all magnets are created equal. Magnets come in many shapes and forms. Magnets are used for hundreds of applications from large industry purposes like the automotive industry to domestic applications such as audio speakers; you will even find them in your television. With so many different types, shapes, and strengths of magnets it can be easy to mistake an industrial magnet for a healing magnet. I will discuss the difference between the various materials magnets can be made from and their applications.

Ferrite magnets

Hard ferrite (ceramic) magnets were developed in the 1960's as a low cost alternative to metallic magnets. They are made from strontium carbonate and iron oxide both of which are readily available and low in cost. Even though they exhibit low magnetic fields (compared with other permanent magnet materials),ferrite magnets are widely used for industrial and domestic purposes. Ferrite magnets have good resistance to demagnetization, excellent corrosion resistance and the biggest advantage of such economic cost.

Ferrite magnets are made in many shapes and sizes, cylinders, bars, discs, horse shoes and rings.

The positive benefits of ferrite magnets are

? They retain their magnetism for a very long time.

? They have a high stability and do not demagnetise very easily even in high temperatures.

? They are relatively low cost to produce.

? They can be manufactured to be flexible, by mixing the ferrite with plasticized rubber compounds, which creates a bendy and pliable magnet.

The main drawback of ferrite magnets is that they are quite fragile and tend to break easily, so they should be handled with care.

Ferrite magnets are used for healing purposes. They are commonly found in magnetic therapy wraps, straps, magnetic bedding and shoe insoles (using flexible ferrite magnets). Whilst ferrite magnets will keep their magnetism for a very long time you must always be careful to ensure that their strength is adequate. Each magnet should be at least 800 gauss. You should also be wary of products that could be easily damaged as once the magnets are broken the magnetic device should be discarded.

Neodymium magnets

Neodymium magnets are a member of the rare earth magnet family and are the most powerful permanent magnets in the world. They are also referred to as NdFeB magnets, or NIB, because they are composed mainly of Neodymium (Nd), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B). They are a relatively new invention, first manufactured in 1984 and have only recently become affordable for everyday use.

Neodymium rare earth magnets have a high resistance to demagnetization, unlike most other types of magnets. They will not lose their magnetization around other magnets or if dropped. They will however, begin to lose strength if they are heated above their maximum operating temperature, which is 176?F (80?C)

If you have never handled neodymium magnets before, you will be amazed at their strength. Neodymium magnets are over 10 x stronger than the strongest ceramic magnets. If you are currently using ceramic magnets in your project, you could probably use a much smaller neodymium magnet and have greater force.

Neodymium magnets also have some limitations due to their corrosion behaviour. In humid applications, a protective coating is highly recommended. Coatings which have been used successfully include E-coat (a liquid dip epoxy coating), dry electrostatic spray epoxy, nickel plating and combinations of these coatings. Changes in composition and processing over the past several years have resulted in significant improvements in corrosion resistance and high temperature performance.

Just like ferrite magnets neodymium magnets come in the same wide array of shapes and sizes, but because of their greatly increased size it is possible to use a measurably smaller neodymium magnet and still have an equal or greater strength than that of a ferrite magnet. This is one of the main reasons why neodymium magnets are much more widely used for healing purposes than ferrite, as a much smaller and lighter weighing magnet can be used.

The positive benefits of neodymium magnets are:

? They are the strongest magnets available approximately 10 times stronger than ferrite magnets.

? They are very lightweight.

? They do not demagnetise very easily and can with stand temperatures up to 80 C.

? They can be manufactured to a very small size e.g.2mm x 2mm and still have a strength of several thousand gauss.

The main drawback of neodymium magnets is that they have a low resistance to corrosion. To prevent corrosion from water, they must be coated with plating or an epoxy resin.

Neodymium magnets are used for all magnetic therapy healing applications. They are the first choice due to their strength and size. They will also stay magnetised for at least 10 years, so they are a very economical choice for users. Most good quality magnetic therapy jewellery, straps, wraps and bedding will contain neodymium magnets.

The Healing Crisis

2009-01-16T01:06:00.001+07:00

A healing crisis may occur when the vital forces within the body build up enough strength to handle detoxification. A healing crisis manifests when the body is ready. For example:

1.You have caught up on your rest.
2.You have stopped taking drugs/chemicals/alcohol and other nutrients that are not working for you.
3.You replace old and destructive eating patterns with new healthy eating patterns.
4.You have cleansed enough from your system to strengthen the nervous system or blood supply.

Eating fresh raw fruits and vegetables:

1. Improves oxygen utilization
2. Helps burn up waste products in the system
3. Stabilizes the bloods pH and makes it more alkaline. This, in turn, gives the body energy to fight off disease, so that it can detoxify and rebuild (in that order).

Note: Cooked, processed, or pasteurized fruits and vegetables are devoid of enzymes. Heat kills many vitamins. Cooked fruits will make the body more acidic. Disease only survives in acid bodies, so you really need to eat raw foods for optimal health. Consuming three servings EACH DAY of raw fruits and vegetables is the minimum for optimal health.

Hering?s law of cure: All cure comes from within the central core of your body first, then moves outward and from the top of your body, down to your feet and in reverse order in which the first symptoms occurred. Working from the head downward, one must clear old thought patterns, attitudes, and feelings and replace them with new healthier thought patterns, attitudes and feelings.

The following symptoms may occur occasionally during a healing crisis. These are a signs that housecleaning is occurring:

Fever, swollen limbs/face, headaches, mobilization of mucous, weakness, weight-loss, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other digestive disorders, pains resurfacing, worsening of existing symptoms, rapid pulse, skin eruptions, and some say they feel like their world is collapsing.

Yuk. Why would you want to feel like that!? And how do you tell if you are going through a healing crisis or just another bout of disease? Good question?.Read on?.

The Answer: You can only get better, permanently, by shifting back into time. Therefore, you may have to experience some uncomfortable brief symptoms. You know when you are having a healing crisis because:

1.The crisis usually lasts only one to three days. The symptoms can be so mild that you may not recognize that it is a healing crisis.
2.At the end of the healing crisis you feel much better than before the healing crisis occurred.
3.You are eating all the right things and up until the healing crisis have had a good attitude.
4.You know you are making changes in your lifestyle and are working on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of your life.
5.You are mentally prepared to get through the healing.
6.You may have just pampered yourself with some kind of bodywork?this sometimes stimulates a healing crisis. This is a good thing.

If you are truly sick, the symptoms above feel awful as time progresses. The symptoms are more than transient and more than mild. In your gut you know you don?t feel right. You don?t feel that higher plane of health. See a doctor or your favorite healer for advice and drink lots of water.

I remember going through my own healing crisis. Once in college I had a pig tip a fence panel on top of my foot, breaking my big toe. I could not walk on it for more than a week and boy was it black and blue.

During one healing crisis 16 years after that incident, the same toe turned black and blue. I had not done anything to it and it didn't hurt at all. It was so strange. The bruise went away in three days. I recognized it as a healing crisis because I had just worked through other dis-eases. I was studying to be a naturopath at the time and had made a list of all the physical disturbances and diseases I had experienced in my life. I reviewed some of the other symptoms that had come up in the last 60 days and working backwards from the most recent diseases backward, the toe incident was in that time frame of healing.

As healing crisis symptoms come up (if they do), they will last just a fraction of the time of the original disease and not be as severe. Chemicals and drugs will come out of the body as well when the body builds sufficient energy and strength to liquefy and throw off catarrh (mucous). I've noticed this may take a couple of years of nutrition and cleansing in the most chronic situation.

Detoxification of chemicals happens in a variety of ways. For example sulfur escapes through the skin, mercury through furuncles (boils), ulcers, abscesses, opens sores and hemorrhoidal discharges. Toxic gases find their way out of the body through body odor, furry tongues and in bad breath.

APPLY WHAT YOU?VE LEARNED:

Exercise: In a journal or on a piece of paper think back to your childhood.
1.Write down everything that ever went wrong health-wise.
2.Now organize these in a time line.
3.Write them in the order of most recent to least recent.
4.Now draw little box by each item in the left hand margin.

When you start your healing process, check off the boxes as you experience the symptoms. This exercise teaches you to notice what is going on in your body. Sometimes the symptom will be so mild you may think it is a coincidence. Other symptoms, like swollen lymph nodes, may last longer. This is a wonderful experience and positive reinforcement that you are making progress in your health.

A patient may go through several heeling crises at various time intervals indicating reversal of more than one condition. When your body is ready to heal it will release the toxins. There really is no way to determine exactly when or if a healing crisis will occur. One can never predict which symptoms will present or how severe hey will be.

Ways to work through a healing crisis:

1.Drink lots of water.
2.Treat yourself to a massage or hot bath.
3.Apply a piece of felt soaked with castor oil to the liver area and cover the area with saran wrap. This is called a castor oil pack and draws the toxins from the body. Repeat and change daily for 3-5 days.
4.Fast for a day or two.
5.Get a chiropractic adjustment.
6.Pray and do some attitudinal work.
7.Find a support team to ask questions about your healing.

This is a great time to pamper yourself. You deserve it for all your efforts.

Dr. Bernard Jensen says:

We cannot expect sweet thoughts with a sour stomach. And for this reason, all stress in any organ has an effect on every other aspect of our being. Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual processes are all interconnected and need to be in balance for healing to occur.

? 2005 by Dr. Denice M. Moffat
This article comes with reprint rights providing no changes are made and the resource box below accompanies it.

Dr. Denice Moffat of The Healing Center is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1993. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free monthly newsletter. For more articles on the Basics of Health, go to: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/BasicsofHealth/basicsofhealth1.htm

Alternative Medicine Using Herbal Remedies

2009-01-15T16:41:00.001+07:00

Alternative Medicine (also known as complementary medicine because people often use it alongside traditional Western medicine) is becoming more and more popular, as people have begun rejecting the idea that they need to take particular drugs or medications for the rest of their lives (particularly synthetic ones). Instead, the focus has turned to ancient remedies and those which have been passed from generation to generation.

One form of alternative medicine which is increasing in popularity involves the use of herbal remedies. As herbs are natural products, many people are more comfortable taking a herbal mixture rather than something prescribed by their doctor that comes in shiny white (and obviously synthetic) pills. Unfortunately, too many people have the idea that natural equals safe although we should all know better! Marijuana is natural; is it safe? Tobacco is natural; is it safe? In fact, most of the deadliest poisons known today come from nature!

Should this put you off using herbal remedies? No. But it should make you a little bit more wary about what you're putting into your system. Fortunately, most herbal products that you can purchase from your pharmacy or health food store have been designed to comply with current regulations. Nevertheless, it's important to be aware that some herbal products can have side effects (and shouldn't be taken by people with particular conditions as a result) and some can be toxic in large quantities. Just because something is herbal doesn't mean it isn't chemical (all herbs are composed of different chemical constituents, some of which have been used and modified to create many of the medicines we're prescribed by our doctors).

Before choosing a herbal remedy over your prescribed medication, it's important to do your research, and it's also a good idea to visit an alternative practitioner who has expertise in the area of herbal medicine. Most medicinal herbs have been studied extensively by scientists in recent years, so it's often not difficult to find out whether or not a particular herb has been shown to be efficacious for a particular condition, or whether or not a particular herb has any detrimental or toxic side effects. It's also very important to see your doctor if you plan to take any herbal medication if you're already on prescription medication, as combining the two can sometimes be deadly.

Alternative medicine can be just as effective (sometimes even more so) than traditional medicine, but it's still important to be aware that all medicines (whether synthetically or naturally derived) contain chemical compounds which possess certain physiological effects. The wrong amount of these chemicals, or the wrong combinations of these chemicals, can spell disaster. Always visit a qualified health practitioner (whether traditional or alternative) before taking any medication (especially if you're already taking particular drugs), and remember to do your research.

Fiona Shearer-Hann has been interested in herbal remedies and alternative medicine for many years. She currently owns the website The Herbal Healing Guide and enjoys learning as much about herbs and other alternative medicines as she can.

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #6 You're a Vehicle on Their Path

2009-01-15T11:11:00.001+07:00

This, perhaps of all the principles that are being discussed, is the most exasperating to deal with.

Western medicine (for wont of a better description) presents itself as ?the? path, as opposed to ?a? path. The individual in need enters a system that, to a large extent, negates the whole system that is a person. Any medical modality that focuses on symptoms and their control and loses touch with the person as a whole ? whose system is as much under the direction of psychological, emotional, and spiritual factors as any physical expressions of dis-order ? essentially deprives individuals of the perspective so necessary to achieve and maintain their own health and happiness.

The power of healing is, for the most part, in the hands of the individual. Of course most practitioners do say that, but then it?s ??and be sure to take this three times a day with meals, it will reduce your discomfort.? The ?culture? of typical medical modalities revolves around the practitioner and tools being the hub of the healing process; an outer source for the cure.

The healer who understands the power of intent also, at some point, must recognize that he or she does not have all the answers. Intent is more about how a desired outcome feels rather than the specifics of how it occurs. The more you work with intent, the closer you come to understand that the best you can do is offer your skills and experience as a gift to the individual, to use or not as he pleases, in the way that he sees fit.

Experience shows that people will heal themselves through the most unusual methods. Who is the practitioner amongst us who has not been completely floored by how a ?patient? will identify and utilize an obscure, if not seemingly contradictory approach that does the trick?

Healers deal with the moment, and the effectiveness of that moment can only be determined within the context of the scope of the ?others?? whole life. The healer only gets a very, very finite glimpse into that life.

The real reason we?re there, in that moment, with that person, is often for a purpose that we?ll never get to understand. Yes, it often appears we?re there to reduce suffering or to alleviate distress, yet can we really count on knowing how the ripples from the pebble we are affect the person?s life as a whole?

By being fixated on one method or approach, and working under the assumption that if used a certain way it will be effective in a certain way, we replace the amazing miracle of the scope of healing with a form of certainty that just doesn?t exist.

Without incorporating a sense of the individual and their relationship with their own health AND the modality offered, we take away an element of dignity that is so essential to the healing process.

Predicting how what you offer will affect the situation beforehand is almost counter-productive to the task in front of you, which is to be an agent of healing: To be an agent of healing means being open to the power of healing to work through you as it chooses to express itself.

Healers recognize that there are tools that produce specific results, but most important is how they offer those tools. Are they offered as a sure-fire cure, or are they offered as ends toward a form of personal empowerment for the recipient that leads toward increased vitality? There is a difference, and it is important for the healer to be open enough to see it.

A constant source of frustration for most of us can be found in our holding on to the idea that what we have to offer will produce a desired, predictable result. The more resistance we encounter ? and let?s face it, there?s tons of that going around ? the harder and colder and more insulated we become.

The truth is, the more we fixate on the resistance and do battle with it, the less likely are we to notice just how wise is the individual with whom we?re dealing, and how strong a force is healing.

The most important part is to be there for the moment as it unfolds, on the moment?s terms. The more you fixate on a specific desired outcome, the less likely you will be able to recognize when tides are shifting toward an even better route that may produce a more meaningful turn of events in the life of the person with whom you?re working.

In its essence, it?s simply a matter of letting go and being open to the possibilities. You do what you can and let go of any investment you may have in an outcome that makes sense to you.

Recognize and acknowledge that your role, no matter how much or little time it consumes, constitutes nothing more than a temporary intersection with the life of the other. You are together for only a flash of time, and then, that person?s only job is to get on with the life she?s been given.

By all means, be the best vehicle you can to transport that person to her next phase. And then, grant her the freedom to use what you?ve offered in any way she sees fit. In the scope of her life, you are simply a temporary tool.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

ADD Stimulant Medications: Are They the Best ADD Treatments?

2009-01-15T02:49:00.001+07:00

Although there is controversy surrounding them, stimulants are still the most commonly prescribed type of medication for children with ADD and ADHD. The Drug Enforcement Agency says that stimulant drug production has increased 500 percent since 1991, and over half of the prescriptions for them are written by pediatricians. Stimulants are often effective in treating many of the symptoms of ADD -- but are they the best ADD treatment for your child? Many parents are concerned about the side effects stimulants can produce and choose to investigate other options like behavioral therapy and herbal supplements as well. When it comes to making a decision that affects your child's health, having the facts is essential.

ADD stimulant medications work by increasing the levels of the chemicals epinephrine and norepinephrine in the brain, which helps the brain to transmit signals between nerves. This improves a child's (or adult's) ability to pay attention for extended periods of time. But these medications also come with a risk of mild and serious side effects. Some of the most common side effects include headaches, upset stomach and increased blood pressure, all of which may diminish as the body adjusts after the first few weeks of treatment. Other common side effects include decreased appetite (80% of stimulant users report this), nervousness and sleeplessness. Research has also shown that stimulants can stunt growth during treatment, but have not been proven to affect final height. Less common but more serious side effects include hallucinations and feelings of suspicion or paranoia, Tourette's Syndrome, and suicidal thoughts.

Children on stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta are the best-known brands) should be watched closely and their dosages should be evaluated regularly. These medications are most effective when they are administered in the correct dosage for each individual and when they are combined with additional ADD treatments like behavioral therapy and practical and emotional support. Non-stimulant drugs, such as Strattera, can also be effective, but carry a risk of similar side effects.

In light of the risks that prescription medications carry, many parents are interested in exploring an herbal remedy for ADD. There is more than one herb that has been shown to be an effective ADD or ADHD child treatment, and there are a variety of natural remedies on the market that combine many of them. Ginko Biloba, Green Oats, Brahmi, Gotu Kola and Panax Ginseng are some of the best ingredients, and the positive effects of some of them (like Ginko) can become permanent even after discontinuing use.

While stimulant medication is often successful in treating ADD, it can sometimes cause its own set of problems. Weigh the risks and the benefits carefully, and make the decision that is right for your own child. Just as each child exhibits symptoms of ADD differently, each child will react differently to medication and treatment. Patience and thorough research should lead you to a healthy solution for your child.

Webmaster: You are authorized to reprint this article providing the author bio/resource box is left completely in tact - including all hyperlinks.

by Tess Thompson

Tess Thompson is a Homeopathic Practitioner, Reflexologist, Certified Aromatherapist, and Herbalist who contributes regularly to Native Remedies - where you can find All Natural Homeopathic and Herbal Remedies for many health conditions including natural ADD treatment and herbal remedy for ADD.

The Duration of the Fast

2009-01-14T16:19:00.001+07:00

The duration of the fast depends upon the age of the patient, the nature of the disease and the amount and type of drugs previously used. The duration is important, because long periods of fasting can be dangerous if undertaken without competent professional guidance.

It is, therefore, advisable to undertake a series of short fasts of two to three days and gradually increase the duration of each succeeding fast by a day or so. The period, however, should not exceed a week of total fasting at a time. This will enable the chronically sick body to gradually and slowly eliminate toxic waste matter without seriously affecting the natural functioning of the body. A correct mode of living and a balanced diet after the fast will restore vigour and vitality to the individual.

Fasting is highly beneficial in practically all kinds of stomach and intestinal disorders and in serious conditions of the kidneys and liver. It is a miracle cure for eczema and other skin diseases and offers the only hope of permanent cure in many cases. The various nervous disorders also respond favourably to this mode of treatment.

Fasting should, however, not be restored to in every illness. In cases of diabetes, advanced stages of tuberculosis, and extreme cases of neurasthenia, long fasts will be harmful. IN most cases, however , no harm will accrue to fasting patients, provided they take rest, and are under proper professional care.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

Cost-free Miracle Asthma Cure
Overcome Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes Naturally
Alternative Treatments for Incurable Diseases made easy

Natural Soap Making and Ingredients in Soaps

2009-01-14T09:21:00.001+07:00

What is in your soap?

Active soap ingredients have always been on the forefront of all beauty, bath and germicidal soaps alike but do you know which substances make up most of the ingredients in your regular soaps? Let?s take a look.

Among the most common soap-producing plants are the following:

Soap Plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum)
Soapbark (Quillaja saponaria)
Soapberry (Sapindus mukorossi)
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)

Roots are the primary source of saponins in most plants while others locate abundance of the same ingredient on the bark. Manual extraction procedure with water produces lather required for an immediate shampoo and body-cleaning needs.

It is obvious that people of the past have managed to use such ingredients in their purest form until they have discovered that other earth and animal-derived material can be used to enhance the efficiency and usability of such products.

Development of Soap Making

Our ancestors have seen the benefits of adding or enhancing the ingredients which makes up the soap they use. It was by accident which they realized that mixing saponin-containing substances with ashes or charcoal derived substances produces a more refined saponified substances as sodium stereate and in some cases, potassium stereate.

In addition, they have found out that the addition of rendered animal and plant fats with the then popular soldium hydroxide solution (which they have known then as an element and not a solution), produces a solidified version of soaps.

Plants are an abundant and popular known source of soap oils - olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, tallow, palm, olive oil, soybean oil among others .

Modern Soap Ingredients

The introduction of soap technology and as people rallying on to reducing the manufacturing cost of soap production, fat oils such as rendered pork fat or beef fat, derived from animals have overtaken the use the use plant oils plant-derived saponin sources.

But the inclusion of several ingredients in soaps is generally not advantageous for it proved to be irritating to most skin types. Soaps derived from animal fats are no more than different so synthetic materials which makes skin more prone to itching and bacterial attacks.

Plant Oils and Animal Fats

Plant oils used for making soaps are considerably milder and the skin soft. It leaves little residue which usually is dissolved by washing. Moreover, the addition of scents such as perfume adds to the irritating properties of some soap products.

This residue takes in the form of sodium hydroxide, a popular caustic base agent in soap, rayon and papermaking.

Fats and oils derived from plants and animals are good enough to use as soap themselves but they lack the necessary caustic agent for them to produce the lathering effect as seen when using regular bath soaps.

Soap-Making

Lye (sodium hydroxide), is used in the entire saponification process. As treated fats and oils are mixed with lye, it begins to react and form begin the process described above. This process brings about the characteristic thickening and hardening of the liquids and begins assuming a different phase - thickened soft solid mass. This process is repeated until all lye has reacted with oil so that molding and packing goes next.

Active Ingredients - What does this mean?

Active ingredients are one among the most controversial substances ever to put in a bar soap. Active ingredients determine the applicable usage of a certain soap to a person?s body and skin types.

For example, anti-bacterial soaps have triclosan and triclocarban as its active agent which inhibits the growth of specific type of bacteria (gram-positive).

In the same manner as BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) anti-oxidants and PEG-6 methyl ether sometimes found in detergents and added to soaps sometimes do more harm than good so it is best to check out for some of these substances.

You can find soaps made without petroleum or animal products if you have sensitive skin, allergies or are interested in natural products that are environmentally friendly.

Carla Donnelly is a writer on environmental and health issues at the MangoLife Wellness Website . Sign up for the free monthly newsletter and get a free vegetarian ecookbook plus a chance to win a chemical-free soap that raises the body ph and is good for the environment: http://www.mangolife.com/miracle2webpage2.html

Benefit of Fasting

2009-01-14T01:58:00.001+07:00

There are several benefit of fasting. During a long fast, the body feeds upon its reserves. Being deprived of needed nutrients, particularly of protein and fats, it will burn and digest its own tissues by the process of autolysis or self-digestion. But it will not do so indistriminately. The body will first decompose and burn those cells and tissues which are diseased, damaged, aged or dead. The essential tissues and vital organs, the glands, the nervous system and the brain are not damaged or digested in fasting. Here lies the secret of the effectiveness of fasting as a curative and rejuvenative method.

During fasting, the building of new and healthy cells are speeded up by the amino acids released from the diseased cells. The capacity of the eliminative organs, that is, lungs, liver, kidneys and the skin is greatly increased as they are relieved of the usual burden of digesting food and eliminating the resultant wastes. They are, therefore, able to quickly expel old accumulated wastes and toxins.

Fasting affords a physiological rest to the digestive, assimilative and protective organs. As a result, the digestion of food and the utilisation of nutrients is greatly improved after fasting. The fast also exerts a normalising, stablising and rejuvenating effect on all the vital physiological, nervous and mental functions.

The main rules for breaking the fast are: do not overeat, eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly ; and take several days for the gradual change to the normal diet. If the transition to eating solid foods is carefully planned, there will be no discomfort or damage. The patient should also continue to take rest during the transition period. The right food after a fast is as important and decisive for proper results as the fast itself.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

Cost-free Miracle Asthma Cure
Overcome Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes Naturally
Alternative Treatments for Incurable Diseases made easy

Healing With Crystals Part III

2009-01-13T16:58:00.001+07:00

In my last installment about Lemurian Seed Crystals I shared some of the intriguing bits of information available about these rare healing crystals. I've continued to use them in my healing arts practice with outstanding results.

Using the Lemurian Seed Crystals in a session is like hooking up a powerful jumper cable for generating and amplifying the body's own natural electro-magnetic flow also known as Chi or life force energy. The Lemurian Seed Crystals greatly enhance your body and mind's ability to respond to a treatment, as well as for integrating the balancing effect of your treatment for longer lasting results.

As I mentioned previously what sets the Lemurian Seed Crystals apart from other healing crystals is there characteristically unique series of horizontal striations that run up one, or more sides of the crystal.

These striations end in a triangular face forming an apex at one end of the crystal. This apex is used to help direct Chi, as well as untangle or pull out energy cysts and other types of blockages as necessary.

Since beginning to use the Lemurian Seed Crystals in my practice I've discovered that the pair that came to be with me are especially attuned to clearing, balancing and charging the chakras and the interrelationships between the chakras.

Soon after initiating my work incorporating the crystals in healing sessions I was directed to use visualization of specific colored lights with clients.

Usually a client is instructed to focus a specific color in a key area, as well as a general focusing of colored light suffusing their entire body, extending to two feet around them.

In Part IV of Healing with Lemurian Seed Crystals I will talk more about the legend of the Lemurian Seed Crystals, as well as discuss more of my empirical findings when using them in practice and when charging PurePlant Essentials.

Apitherapy How Bees Can Help You Not Harm You

2009-01-12T23:13:00.001+07:00

Alternative Medicine

Herbal Acne Treatments: Why Choose This Natural Method?

2009-01-12T04:32:00.001+07:00

Fact: Accutane is expensive and has some possibly devastating side effects. Another fact: Most people don't have the time or the inclination to keep up constant visits to the dermatologist office, let alone pay for each visit, and pay an arm and a leg for their acne medication - whether it is accutane or any other acne medication! This is precisely why herbal acne treatments are coming on strong and don't show any signs of slowing down in the world of acne treatment and alternative medicine.

Herbal acne treatments are now some of the most sought after alternative acne remedies on the market today. A lot of people might wonder why that is, but I think I have the answer. Think about how many people have been scared off by bad press of the most popular and widely known prescription acne wonder pill - Accutane.

This wonder drug, while capable of performing near miracles on some individual's acne ravaged skin, wreaked literal havoc on many peoples lives. Problems ranging from severe depression to birth defects have left a permanenet scarlet letter on this once heralded acne cure.

With the newer herbal acne treatments coming out, proposing to cure your acne just as well, if not better than the modern marvels of science and pharmaceutical medicine, many people suffering from mild, moderate and severe acne took notice - for a reason. People started to see some pretty amazing results on these alternative acne pills. Not only that, people were not suffering any harmful side effects, and if anything, were gaining the additional benefit of herbal, botanical and vitamin nourishment that most of these herbal acne treatments offer.

With the added advantage of ingredients such as DMAE, a known antioxidant and anti aging compound, Vitamin C and E, also powerful anti oxidants, and skin clarifying agents, and other natural, herbal and vitamin packed substances, people were not only gaining the benefit of cleared up, pristine skin, but they were also noticing more tone, definition, clarity and improved texture and color as well.

What's to Come for Herbal Acne Remedies and Other Alternative Acne Treatments?

You'll be hearing more and more on herbal acne treatments in the upcoming years, and probably years to come after that. Herbal medicine in general is really making a name for itself. People are fed up with being over medicated, over charged, and put in jeopardy just for the sake of cosmetic or health reasons. Hence the switch over to herbal medicine and the migration to a more natural approach to healing and treatment of common human conditions, whether they are physical conditions or cosmetic imperfection.

Danna Schneider is the founder of Alternative Acne Treatments. Visit Herbal Skin Care Products for information on an advanced natural acne medication for adults and adolescents, as well as other natural skin care for skin conditions such as wrinkles and rosacea, as well as skin supplements for an added glow and tone.

Alternative Medicine Redefined

2009-01-09T03:08:00.001+07:00

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defined healthcare as the prevention, treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions. If we follow this definition of medical care, then alternative medicine would be seen as the use of other means, either as a complement or in place of conventional orthodox medical care. This nomenclature and definition have relegated natural medicine to a second class status and unfortunately, this has been accepted by almost everybody involved.

Realistically, it might be foolish to attempt to regard natural medicine as superior and of more benefit compared to orthodox medicine; however, it won't be unreasonable to opine that both means of achieving balanced physical and mental health stand on equal grounds, both with its shortcomings and merits.

Most of the prejudice about natural medicine (or alternative medicine, if you want), is grounded on the premise that the procedures and substances employed are not scientifically proved, as far as modern science is concerned. But the fact remains that, if we look deep enough, there is countless research and evidence to prove the efficacy of most natural cures. Talking about scientific proof, you and I can name a couple of orthodox drugs that were certified safe and good for consumption by all agencies involved and later recognized to be damaging to health, after countless innocent people had lost their lives or suffered debilitating disabilities as a result of these drugs.

Let's face the fact, even in the most developed countries of the world, today, millions of people are every day becoming disillusioned with orthodox drugs and their approach to health and illness. Modern science is basically concerned with managing a disease after it has occurred, how far has this got us? There are countless numbers of terminal illnesses that have defied modern medicine. Natural medicine is unarguably better in this respect. Natural medicine, for the great part, is concerned with maintaining health and preventing illness instead of managing diseases. Nature is replete with substances, herbs, just name it, that when effectively used, can guarantee that you will hardly fall sick.

Besides herbs and other natural substances, natural medicine can boast several procedures that have been shown to be very effective. Let's talk acupuncture for example. This simple procedure has been in practice for over two thousand years and has remained as effective as ever. Long before modern medicine, acupuncture practitioners realized that there are several energy pathways in the body and by interrupting or stimulating energy flow across these pathways, the body is stimulated to enhance self healing, improve body function and provide an overall boost to the body system.

Look at massaging or yoga that have even been accepted by most medical practitioners as a complement to orthodox medicine. These procedures have been proved to be effective both in improving mental and physical health as well as emotional health. There are also innumerable nutritional supplements made with natural substances that are known to promote health and prevent several disease conditions. Although modern science would want us to believe that these procedures and substances are not medically or scientifically proved to be safe for consumption, one reasonable question to ask is whether the medically or scientifically proven orthodox drugs have been really safe.

So far, one can conveniently conclude that orthodox and natural medicines are both man's attempt to ensure better health, making use of the intelligence and materials that nature has provided him; thus, one approach might not be placed above the other, both should be seen as different approaches to the same problem.

Michael Russell Your Independent Alternative Medicine guide.

Flower & Vibrational Remedies What Can They Do For You?

2009-01-08T00:42:00.000+07:00

Although plants and herbs have been used for millennia as medicines for physical ailments, it is well known that they also have properties which can heal emotional and mental disturbances and disease. And plants are not the only vital energies that can be utilised; minerals and crystals can also be the basis of remedies, as can intentional thought. These remedies involve a very subtle form of energy healing, and come from the very essence or vibration of the plant or other base ?there are no active ingredients as found in herbal products or in allopathic medicine, it contains no chemical ingredient that can be ?proved? by science ? it is the very life force contained in the substance.

These vibrational essences are usually contained in a liquid, almost always water, with an alcoholic preservative like brandy added. Essences are not the same as the essential oils that are used in aromatherapy ? they have neither perfume nor flavour. They contain only the energetic properties of their original mother substance.

In contemporary times, the English physician Dr. Edward Bach has been the best-known essence maker of the modern world. Born in 1886 in Birmingham UK, he completed his university studies in 1912 and became a consultant pathologist, bacteriologist and homeopath. After a health crisis in 1917, when doctors gave him three months to live, he threw himself into his work researching and testing his flower remedies on himself and others. As the months went by, he found himself growing stronger which instilled in him the belief that mental states have a direct and powerful effect on physical health. After studying homeopathy in depth, he abandoned his lucrative Harley Street practice and devoted himself to his ?new? system of medicine ? the Bach Flower Remedies. Over the next five years he developed the series of 38 remedies and, a year later, he died after concluding this life?s work.

Dr Bach devised a system of seven major emotional groups into which people could be classified. These are:

Fear
Loneliness
Insufficient interest in present circumstances
Over-care for the welfare of others
Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
Uncertainty
Despondency or despair

38 negative states of mind are categorised into these groups and a plant-based remedy was created to treat each of these emotional states.

It is now believed that Dr Bach probably resurrected the old formulas used as far back as Paracelsus? times (15th century). We know that Aboriginals have used them for centuries. Flowers in honey have also been found in the ancient tombs of Egypt.

Since Dr Bach however, many others all over the world have produced vibrational remedies with delightful results, and dealing with issues that become more relevant in the modern age. They have been produced not only from plant flowers, but trees, roots, minerals, animals, place and healing energies - the sky appears to be the limit. Even the much maligned Japanese Knotweed has been used to make a remedy for helping promote group awareness and experience! We now know from Dr Masaru Emoto?s ground breaking work that water can hold and preserve the intent or message imprinted into it. This is the vibration contained in these remedies or essences.

Thankfully, there is now a myriad energy healing systems being used all over the world. These include Reiki, Chios, Quantum-Touch, my own Crystalistix Energy Healing and a host of others too many to mention. They all work on the premise that physical ill health is the outer manifestation of inner subtle life-energy imbalance, and utilise life force balancing skills to redress this disruption. When life energy is flowing smoothly and suffusing the whole body with its nourishment, the physical symptoms that trouble us usually melt away and are healed, as there is now no need for them to alert us to issues that must be addressed.* All dis-ease corresponds to an underlying emotional / mental negativity that has been allowed to penetrate the physical body through the hole in our protective energy system. A skilled energy healer can use many methods of detecting where such imbalance lies, and will enlist the help of many tools, including vibrational essences.

For the sceptics amongst you ? I recommend you try it!

* 'Healing' does not necessarily mean 'cure'. Healing is the process which has the intent of returning you to whole-ness, which is your natural state of being. Healing takes place at a very deep level and may happen somewhere - in mind, body or spirit - often far away from where the physical symptom manifests. At the end of the day, we all heal ourselves - it comes from within, not without. A healer?s job is to enable you to promote your own self healing, as far as nature will allow. There are some conditions that subconsciously are not ready to be healed - for whatever reason.

Occasionally the fear of being whole after a long period of illness can be daunting, and one must be ready to take that step and adjust thinking & emotions accordingly. Those who need to be healed but are not ready, because changing appears to them to be a more difficult task than not changing (for various reasons), are often not prescribed vibrational remedies until they realise that change is inevitable. The same applies to those for whom a (usually chronic) problem has turned into a 'dear friend' and who so rely on it to attract attention or caring response from others that, although they may air their tribulation often, they are not really interested in finding a solution.

Most people who are receptive to the idea of vibrational essences really want to improve their lives, and will benefit greatly from them.

Be brave - wellness is always a better option than disease!

Helen Thompson, MICHT, IIHHT is a multi-therapist and healer based in Coventry in the UK. After many years' experience in healing, she now offers reiki, reflexology, Indian head massage, Crystalistix Energy Healing, meditation tuition, stress management and ongoing workshops & reiki attunements. She invites you to visit her website and forum at http://www.healingholistix.com, and welcomes comments and correspondence from interested parties!

Reflexology and Chemotherapy

2009-01-06T22:37:00.001+07:00

Reflexology is a gentle non intrusive treatment carried out upon the feet alone, using reflex points that correspond to the body systems.

Reflexology is highly beneficial in alleviating adverse side effects of chemotherapy, by helping the patient to deeply relax, it also helps to reduce the level of anxiety, helping patients cope with the distressing symptoms of pain and nausea, the results reveal that treatments produce a significant and immediate effect on the patients' perceptions of pain, nausea and relaxation.

There is a myth that because reflexology rids the body of toxins, that the chemotherapy won?t work properly. There is no evidence to support this and there is a wealth of evidence about the positive results patients have felt.

Many people who have cancer and who have used Reflexology say that they find it helps ease some of their symptoms or helps them cope with the side-effects of treatment. Other people say that they just find it a very pleasant way of relaxing.

Reflexology is used by many people under going treatment for cancer, and Reflexology is included at complementary therapy centres within cancer units at Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Harley Street Clinic, and Lister Hospital as well as being offered at many Macmillan cancer relief hospices and day care centres, with very good results.

Many patients say that as well as enjoying the relaxation and stress relief they also feel able to cope with the physical side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Its also an important factor in having time for themselves and a person to talk to that is not a part of their family and in many cases, being able to voice their problems and fears without worrying about the effect on close relatives or friends.

Reflexology is a good treatment for helping those that suffer with lymphoedema (swelling of limbs) after surgery to remove lymph glands, as it helps improve circulation and lymph flow and the Reflexologist can work over the specific reflex points for the effected area. In some cases the limb affected with lymphodeoma can be quite painful, Reflexology is very gentle and effective and in such cases is a good compliment to lymphatic drainage massage.

Overall Reflexology helps to improve the circulation and lymph flow, which benefits all body systems and organs and aids deep relaxation and better respiration and mobility, helping patients to relax and cope with the physical side effects of their treatment.

Amy Brennan is the Director of Find a Reflexologist Ltd, UK register of fully-qualified Reflexologists, and hub of Reflexology on the web: http://www.findareflexologist.com

Arthritis: Benefits of a Natural Approach

2009-01-06T22:36:00.001+07:00

Attracting water to the cartilage locations to enhance synovial lubrication.
Inhibiting COX-2 (enzyme responsible for prostaglandins and inflammation)
Suppressing cartilage-destroying enzymes, collagenase and phospholipase
Suppressing TNF-alpha, IL-1b, and IL-6 (cytokines, responsible for systemic inflammation and hypersensitivity)
Inhibiting the formation of PE2 (inflammatory compound)
Promoting the synthesis of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in the joints
Reducing production of LTB4 (facilitates IL-1b and IL-6)

JashBotanicals.com offers a wide range of informative articles, including a alternative healing newsletter and a natural health blog.

Can Magnetic Therapy Help Sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

2009-01-05T22:25:00.001+07:00

What is chronic fatigue syndrome?

We all get tired. Many of us have felt depressed at times. But the mystery known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is not like the normal ups and downs we experience in everyday life. The early sign of this illness is a strong and noticeable fatigue that comes on suddenly and often comes and goes or never stops. You sometimes feel too tired to do normal activities or are easily exhausted with no apparent reason. Unlike the mind fog of a serious hangover, to which researchers have compared CFS, the profound weakness of CFS does not go away with a few good nights of sleep. Instead, it slyly steals your energy and vigour over months and sometimes years.

Causes of Chronic fatigue

For many people, CFS can begin after a bout with a minor illness such as a cold, or an intestinal bug. Often, people say that their illnesses started during a period of high stress. In others, CFS develops more gradually, with no clear illness or other event starting it. While no one knows what causes CFS, for more than a century, doctors have reported seeing illnesses similar to it. In the 1860s, Dr. George Beard named a similar or identical syndrome neurasthenia because he thought it was a nervous disorder with weakness and fatigue.

In the mid-1980s, health experts labelled the illness chronic EBV infection when laboratory clues led scientists to wonder whether the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), one of the causes of infectious mononucleosis, might be causing this group of symptoms. Evidence soon cast doubt on this theory.

Magnetic treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome

Successful treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome depends on increasing energy levels. Drinking magnetic water will increase energy levels and reduce tiredness.

One of the many benefits of drinking magnetised water is that it eliminates toxins in the body. Your body stores harmful toxins with in the tissues of the skin. These toxins are potentially harmful to your body and can not be safely detoxified by the liver. When you drink magnetised water the size of the water molecule is increased and its ability to absorb toxins is much greater, so as the magnetism flows around your body harmful toxins are drawn out of the tissues and safely transported to the kidneys for excretion from the body.

You can lose as much as 2 litres (4? pints) of excess fluid that you don?t need. Once the excess fluid has been eliminated the heart does not have to work so hard and blood pressure reduces, energy levels automatically increase as the body does not have to use up so much energy for basic functions. You will feel less tired, sleeping will be easier and generally you will have a great sense of wellbeing. Many people with chronic fatigue find that with just a few weeks of drinking between 4-6 glasses of magnetised water a day they can return to many of their previous activities, even return to work.

The effects of the magnetised water will dissipate fairly quickly with chronic fatigue sufferers, so to ensure energy levels remain at normal it is recommended to drink magnetic water permanently.

Healing With Crystals Part III

2009-01-05T00:54:00.001+07:00

Soon after initiating my work incorporating the crystals in healing sessions I was directed to use visualization of specific colored lights with clients.

Usually a client is instructed to focus a specific color in a key area, as well as a general focusing of colored light suffusing their entire body, extending to two feet around them.

What is Magnetic Water (Part 3)

2009-01-04T02:08:00.001+07:00

When you drink the magnetic water, it goes from your stomach into the bowel. The magnetic charge is absorbed into the blood stream and is then rapidly distributed around the body to all the major organs and all the tissues.

The effects of this are similar to the magnets that are placed on the skin, in that it increases blood flow, reduces inflammation and re-oxygenises the blood and the cells. But what the magnetised water also does that the magnets placed on the skin do not do, is it actually eliminates toxins from within the body.

We all keep toxins trapped inside our body from chemicals in the food that we eat and the tablets that we take. Toxins are stored in our body because the liver cannot detoxify them properly.

We can be walking around with an excess 2 litres of fluid in our body that we do not actually need that is holding the toxins in our body.

What magnetic water does is it detoxifies the body by excreting the toxins through the kidneys. Provided you continue drinking the water you will not retain that fluid back again.

The effects of this is that the heart has a break, that is we take the pressure off the heart. It does not have to beat so many times a minute to do its work and it does not have to work so hard to pump blood around the body. Blood pressure naturally begins to come down which is why magnetised water is excellent for people with high blood pressure. If you have normal blood pressure it won?t reduce your blood pressure to dangerously low levels as the body won?t allow this to happen. All it will do is just help take the pressure off the heart. The effects of this are that we do not feel so tired , we sleep better, we have less headaches, we feel less stressed and we have more energy.

Magnetised water sounds as if it is a cure for all but it is not. It is a great overall body tonic but it is not going to take all the pain away from all over your body because it simply is not strong enough. It is a great booster for magnets that are placed on the body. You can increase the strength of magnets used on the skin by up to 10 times when drinking magnetised water. It will also prolong the results of magnets meaning your pain relief will last even longer, weeks or even months. Best of all the water wand has a life span of 10 years.

So grabbing yourself a magnetic water wand is a worthy investment if you want to reduce inflammation, detoxify or simply boost the power of the external magnets you are already using.

Cold or Flu Remedy Drink Ingredients and Why They are Effective

2009-01-02T22:50:00.001+07:00

Remember the days when you were young and had a terrible cold, that cup of wonderfully hot, spicy and soothing drink that Grandma gave you? We are going to reveal the common ingredients and why they work.

Ginger has been used by the Chinese for more than 2,000 years and is one of natures? amazing antiviral herbs. It is generally used to treat an upset stomach, but it also helps to fight colds by removing congestion, relieving sinus pain and clearing sore throats. As the Chinese says, take a nice hot ginger drink to induce sweating and eliminate the ?coldness? inside your body!

Honey We?ve all heard how good honey is haven?t we? Although not sure why, modern research has shown that honey has the following healing properties:

blocks the growth of oral bacteria
coats the throat and reduces throat irritation
effective when used in the treatment of gastric or peptic stomach ulcers
effective in the treatment of various wounds and infections
effective antioxidant, which allows the blood to circulate better and provide more oxygen to areas of the body such as the brain
can be applied externally to promote healing when applied to wounds and burns
Last but not least - their sweet flavour is often crucial to cover up the otherwise bland/bitter taste of other herbs!

Brown Sugar has been used by Chinese as a substitute for honey to make herbal desserts. Brown sugar has a higher sucrose and fibre content than regular (white) sugar, and according to Chinese medicine, it is effective in blood circulation, ?warming? of the intestines, and elimination of ?coldness? from the body ? sounds ideal for tackling colds and flu!

Cinnamon has been used for centuries to fight infection, stop vomiting and relieve the feelings of nausea. The 12th-century German nun and herbalist Hildegard of Bingen even recommended it as ?the universal spice for sinuses? and a treatment for colds, flu, and ?inner decay and slime.? Of course, its sweet flavour doesn?t hurt at all!

Cloves are actually the dried buds of the clove tree. Used in China for more than two thousand years, Cloves are supposed to be an aphrodisiac. We do know that oil of Clove is a time-honored remedy for toothache. Clove oil is highly antiseptic and used to stop vomiting.

Garlic is the highly regarded herb in ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire ? legend has it that the Romans fed it to their soldiers before the battles! Garlic contains several antiviral compounds, including allicin, one of the most potent antibiotics in plants, thus making it an excellent boost to the immune system. Chives, scallions, onions and leeks have similar properties.

Echinacea (purple coneflower), used by the American Indians for centuries, is one of the top-selling herbs in North America. It is believed to help stimulate the production of white blood cells and makes your body stronger in fighting against cold or flu.

Lemon Balm promotes sweating and is ideal for those who suffer from cold sores throughout the winter. It also has relaxing properties if served as tea. Please note that those having an underactive thyroid should not use lemon balm on a regular basis.

St. John?s Wort is a valuable herb during the winter months, as well as exerting an anti-depressant and nerve relaxing effect it also works as an anti-viral. It is an ideal herb for overworked, stressed people with a tendency to feeling down in the dumps due to low light levels in the winter.

Ginseng is a valuable herb that helps the body cope with stress, strengthen the immune system thus helping to work against cold viruses. Please note that Ginseng is not suitable for use during acute infections.

Peppermint is a valuable herb used in the treatment of bronchitis, colds and flu. It reduces fevers by inducing sweating and cooling the body. It is also a painkiller for headaches and some migraines. It is a soothing decongestant and makes an effective inhalation for clearing blocked sinuses.

Yarrow has anti-inflammatory properties and promote sweating, great for fever, feverish colds and flu according to many herbalists. It is often taken in combination with elderflower and peppermint.

Citrus Fruits have the best source of vitamin C, which helps the body to fight against infection. A combination of citrus fruit will make a delicious and healthy drink.

Whisky is the traditional remedy for soothing sore throats. In fact, alcoholic drinks in general have antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties and a small amount is good for fighting colds and soar throats.

Stephanie writes a light-hearted daily blog on healthy, delicious and family-friendly beverages, together with nutritional value and fun facts on foods. Get the cold/flu remedy drink recipes and more at http://www.yourdailydrink.com

You Might Just Feel A Bit of a Prick ...

2009-01-02T01:54:00.001+07:00

But that sensation won't last too long!

Acupuncture is a very safe and mostly comfortable, form of effective, alternative medicine. Any discomfort that may occur on an occasional basis is more than made up for by its therapeutic activity.

The word 'acupuncture' comes from two Latin words: 'acus', meaning 'needle' and 'punctura', meaning 'to penetrate'. Thus, the word 'acupuncture' means 'to penetrate with a needle'.

What is Magnetic Water (Part 2)

2008-12-31T22:30:00.001+07:00

It is very easy to magnetise water once it has come from the tap. You simply place magnets of a sufficient type and strength in the water, these tend to be Neodymium magnets and they have to be coated in a non corrosive type substance to actually stop them from rusting. The easiest way is to use what is called a water wand or a coaster which is placed into the water or you place the water on a coaster. The difference between using a wand to a coaster is, when you place the wand into the water the magnetism is taken quicker because the wand is placed directly into the water. If you place your glass or cup or your bowl or jug of water on to a magnetic coaster it takes a lot longer for the magnetism to go through because it has to penetrate through the vessel?s layer whether it be glass or plastic to actually get the magnetism into the water so you would need a stronger magnet to actually do the job ,so it is better to use a wand that actually is immersed into the water.

Generally in a glass of water you would immerse the wand for 15 minutes or in a large volume of up to 2 litres would take one hour. So once you have placed the wand in the water for 15 minutes or one hour the water will then take up the magnetic charge and it would then be magnetised.

You do not have to worry about leaving magnets in the water too long because the water is like a sponge it will only take up as much magnetism as is needed and then it will stop absorbing it so if you left your magnet in the water overnight it will not have any detrimental effect . If you use a jug which you constantly top up from the tap such as a filter jug or a normal water jug or one you boil water in, you can leave the wand in there permanently if you wish and just keep topping up. Just always make sure the wand has been in there for at least an hour before you drink the water.

However, if you live in a hard water area, your water will contain large amounts of limescale, this will eventually attack the Rhodhium coating on the wand and brown spots will appear. This will not impede the function of the magnets but it will cosmetically look unappealing. To prevent this from happening, always immerse the wand for the minimum period required (i.e. 15 minutes or 1 hour) and then remove the wand, this will prevent limescale damage.

Alternative Medicine Redefined

2008-12-31T00:17:00.001+07:00

Michael Russell Your Independent Alternative Medicine guide.

Victorious

2008-12-30T00:06:00.001+07:00

There it is again. I muttered to myself, frustrated as I washed my arm. Every morning for five or six days in the fall of 2003, I noticed this rust-colored sticky stuff that appeared in both drips and smears on my left forearm and thigh. I had no idea where it could be coming from.

Finally, on Sunday morning I found the answer. My eyes followed my hand as I wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror. Looking past my fingertips, there it was. To my shock and horror, the rust-colored sticky stuff easily dripped from my left nipple.

In disbelief, I collapsed into my bedroom chair, swirling with a mix of grief and fear. I stared at the blank white wall, feeling vacant, distant, disconnected from what I had just seen in the mirror. All I heard was that loud, penetrating silence that surrounds and encompasses every thought and movement.

I called my doctor and was told that this was not an emergency room issue, but did need immediate attention. It could be cancer or another of many health challenges. Then, I began to wonder, what now? What is next?

After an exam, the breast cancer specialist made an appointment for that same afternoon to have both a mammogram and an ultrasound. They took two sets of two x rays on each breast and a third x ray of a specific area of my right breast. I realized I could have two areas of concern, not just the one.

Next, was the ultrasound. I could see the area of my breast where they had done the extra mammogram. There was a dark mass which had a very different pattern than the rest of my breast. After the biopsy, I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductile carcinoma, a rare, aggressive, deadly cancer that can quickly metastasize to the bones and lungs. Next is death. I had symptoms of both bone and lung cancer.

The ultrasound of my left breast showed a trail of little beads. Masses unevenly lined up from my underarm to my nipple. This could not be good, I thought. These masses were rubbing against several ducts, causing bleeding and discharge. That was the rust-colored sticky stuff. My left breast was diagnosed with a rare hyperplastic disease involving multiple ducts. My oncologist felt that I also had cancer in this breast. She was deeply concerned, and wanted to immediately remove the mass in my right breast and cut off 1/3 or more of my left breast. From now on, on medical history forms, I would check the box for cancer.

Even before these diagnoses, I had already decided that I did not want surgery. In my heart, I really did not believe I would live through a surgery, much less the chemotherapy or radiation. I preferred an alternative approach. I did have my health insurance to pay for most medical expenses, but it did not cover alternative therapies. Also, I had previous long term health challenges. I wanted a fix, not just a partial solution. I chose Mye Cell treatments in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and worked with Dr. Melenie Dunn, NMD in Scottsdale, AZ. Her number is 480.556.6700. I am now cancer-free.

I have the confirmed belief that each of lifes moments hold a purpose and a gift. There are no accidents. Nothing is random. Lifes lessons come hand in hand with their opportunities. I do not always remember to live by these beliefs, but I do always come back to them. I knew that this particular lesson was about trust. It was about my ability to trust. It was about my confidence in myself. My confidence in God. The lesson was about realizing, knowing with every breath and every beat of my heart, that I Am Blessed. We All Are.

Doreene Clement, a cancer victor and author of The 5 Year Journal, is currently writing a new book, Blessed, about her life and her cancer experience.

For more information:
http://www.the5yearjournal.com
480.423.8095

Camping out with Reiki Developing your Personal Reiki Practice

2008-12-28T23:50:00.001+07:00

Let?s go camping.

(If you have never been camping before then we recommend you suspend your disbelief and we?ll attempt to conjure up a likely image for you.)

It?s a gorgeous day, you?ve been wandering through the bush for a couple of hours looking for the perfect camping spot (yes, let?s make it an Australian camping story). You startle a wallaby as you turn a corner and she hops away as fast as her powerful legs can carry her. The white cockatoos screech at each other from towering gum trees and the exotic scent of sweet wattle hangs in the warm air.

Ahhh this is the life.

You?re searching for the perfect camping spot; one that will keep you safe and warm throughout the night.

On the other side of a great red boulder you finally see it? a clearing at the edge of a deep, vast valley with an uninterrupted panorama as far as the eye can see of the wild Australian bush and its turquoise sky.

At the centre of the clearing you notice a small clump of ashes with a log lying nearby that will be perfect for a fireside seat; you realise that someone has camped here before. This is always a good sign. You are not the first to have chosen this path, it must hold some merit.

You walk to the edge of the precipice. Breathe in deeply. You?re ready. All the equipment you need is in your backpack, you just have to make sure you use it correctly.

****************

Camping out could easily become an analogy for the wonderful world of Reiki. Or have we been too obvious already? Probably.

Choose your Reiki path with care. Will the course offer you the tools you need, will it build your independence and yet highlight a path that has shown itself to be successful for others?

Back to the story?.

******************

You are at your chosen camping spot. While it is still light you begin to unpack your backpack. You have everything you thought you would need as well as all those things that your friends and the camping store had recommended. Most importantly you have the basic elements of nourishment, water, shelter, your torch and ? for an emergency your charged up mobile.

But there is something special that you require when you go camping out overnight that you can?t buy. It?s something only you can make.

******************

Back in the world of Reiki you?ve paid for your course and you are being taught the basic elements of the system; hand positions, techniques and meditations, symbols and mantras, and precepts. You receive *reiju and you begin to feel ready to start your practice.

But there?s something more to this as well ?

******************

Fire.

Building a good Reiki practice is like building a great campfire.

First of all your practice needs to be ignited. Without ignition the fire doesn?t burn and there is no promise of future warmth or wisdom.

Obviously, you need good solid material to begin your fire with - kindling, dry matches and the perfect position. If all you hold in your hand is a pretty piece of paper, it will go up in flames in seconds leaving you with a smattering of uninspiring black ash and sore fingers.

Ignition is therefore a direct result of your experience during a quality Reiki course. Something catches alight when you bring together the basic elements of the system along with an accomplished teacher and your fellow students. This magical combination creates an environment predisposed to fire.

It might be during the practice of *hatsurei ho or when you receive reiju that combustion point is reached; you glimpse a sense of inner peace or perhaps feel momentarily connected to everyone and everything in the room or, more intensely, the universe.

You have been gifted with a promise. This promise is a transaction between you and something deep inside you that is normally covered with a thick veneer of society. You have just been offered a view of something that is beyond imagining; beyond your daily routine of work, recreation and sleep. But it is up to you to fulfil the promise.

Do you want that sense of inner peace to return again and more regularly?

Imagine continuing the experience of connectedness with everyone and everything? Do you want to try to be always moving with the flow of the universe and simply Being?

Now you can. Your fire has been ignited.

You must, however, feed it. Go gather more sticks, keep your fire burning.

At your course your teacher hands you something to take away. A practice and full support. Know that if you practice too little - your fire will go out. At times of doubt grab for that lifeline of support - or else you will forget the promise and your Reiki course will become nothing more than a pleasant memory.

Extend your given practice from 5 minutes a day to 10 and so on. Be aware of balance in your practice; some days you need a bit more and other a little less. It all depends upon your inner barometer and you are paying attention now, tending your fire.

So find yourself a comfortable spot near your great campfire that will warm you, feed you and light your way through the dark night. Build the fire gradually with the appropriate size logs until its constant white heat warms your inner soul. This spot will be like no other ? it is individual to you.

Sitting at ease on your log, you notice the firelight flickering against the mottled trunk of a nearby tall tree. You are reminded that the grand gum trees of the Australian bush purposefully litter the ground with their leaves to encourage fire. Fire offers this unique flora regeneration. It is when the perfect combination of eucalyptus oil and dry heat unite, combustion occurs and the bush is caught in the renewing force of fire.

Enjoy the night sky, watch the stars sparkle in the heavens and sip your *billy tea.

It is humanity?s innate ability to find peace within. Foster the right conditions, keep the fire of practice burning like a wonderfully controlled campfire, and enjoy the fruits of life in action.

GLOSSARY

*Reiju: In Japan, reiju is the name given to the method a teacher uses in order to communicate with individual students on an energetic level. In the process of moving from Japan to the West, reiju changed a number of its aspects including its name. In the West its altered form is usually known as an attunement, initiation or transformation.

*Hatsurei Ho: You will find versions of this technique here, in The Japanese Art of Reiki.

*Billy tea: Billy tea is created in a billy can or billy. This is a traditional Australian utensil for making tea over a fire. It is a cylindrical can with a lid. A stick is poked under its wire handle to enable easy movement on or off the fire. How to make Billy Tea: Pour water into a billy can, place in fire and wait for it to boil. Remove from fire and add a couple of teaspoons of black tea. Hold the billy by its handle and swing in a great arching circle from the ground to the sky a number of times. The pressure of the fast movement ensures that the tea remains in the billy and doesn?t end up all over you. Let it sit briefly before pouring. This unusual process ensures that the tea leaves settle well, yielding up a delicious cup of billy tea without having to use a strainer. Mmm mmm.

Reiki Masters Frans and Bronwen Stiene (pronounced stee-nuh) are authors of the internationally acclaimed The Reiki Sourcebook, The Japanese Art of Reiki, Reiki Techniques Card Deck and the A-Z of Reiki and are the founders of the International House of Reiki.

Their website is the http://www.reiki.net.au which is full of lots of articles and research into Reiki.

With over 16 years of combined experience as practitioners, teachers and speakers in healing and spirituality they have worked with, taught and researched healing in the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan. They are teachers whose passion is truth, education, support and spiritual development for all.

Herbal Acne Treatments: Why Choose This Natural Method?

2008-12-28T04:48:00.001+07:00

What's to Come for Herbal Acne Remedies and Other Alternative Acne Treatments?

How Does Polarity Therapy Work?

2008-12-26T22:36:00.001+07:00

Every human body has a flow of electromagnetic energy in an around the body. When this flow is undisturbed, the individual enjoys TOTAL health and well being on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual plane. Polarity therapy, developed by Dr. Randolph Stone, is a system of balancing this electromagnetic energy through nutrition, exercise, counseling and energy balancing.

If the flow of energy is blocked or impeded the resulting tension is manifested as pain, disease or illness. Polarity therapy seeks to remove these blockages and restrictions, thereby revitalizing the flow of energy in and around us. The resulting release from tension allows the patient?s system to return to its inherent fluid state.

What causes the block in energy? Human life is greatly influenced by factors such as environment, attitudes, life experiences, relationships and trauma. These external factors may affect us adversely and lead to blockages. The Polarity practitioner is trained to assess the patient?s energy system. For this, his main tools are palpitation, communication and skilled observation. Reflexology, energy exercises, touch, open communication and diet are some of the body works that are included in Polarity Therapy. These works enable the person to get better through self-awareness.

Polarity therapy can work in tandem with supervised medical care to cure allergies, arthritis, asthma, cancer, burn out, circulatory problems, depression, emotional problems, headache, hormonal imbalances, infertility, insomnia, injury, menstrual disorders, PMS, pre and post surgical pain, pregnancy, sciatica, skin diseases and problems related to stress.

In a typical Polarity therapy session, the patient is made to lie barefooted. Each session may last between 60-90 minutes. The practitioner guides the patient to focus all his attention and awareness on the subtle changes that he is experiencing. Some of the physical sensations include tingling, hot and cold waves or push/pull movements. Due to the subtle nature of this treatment, the patient may take some time to understand what he or she senses.

After the Polarity Therapy session, it is common for patients to feel a deep sense of relaxation and self-awareness. Patients also experience relief from specific symptoms and gain a new insight or clarity. Polarity therapy addresses the entire system of the person. Therefore the patient may experience a general improvement in the quality of his life as well as freedom from the symptoms that prompted him to therapy in the first place.

There is no fixed time span for this therapy. A patient may continue with the therapy for as long as he wishes. There is no fixed protocol followed in the therapy sessions. Communication is open ended, and one of the prime aims of the treatment is to facilitate self-awareness. The procedures used will vary from doctor to doctor and will also depend upon the needs of the client.

Polarity therapy is deeply influenced by the ancient Vedic philosophy from India that considers the human body to be made of the five Tattvas or five elements ? ether, air, fire, water and earth. There has to be a balance of these five elements for the individual to feel healthy and strong.

Polarity therapy thus stresses the importance of the body-mind continuum. The human being is considered to be an entire unit and healing process is practiced in a synergistic fashion.

Alternative Holistic Medicine

Natural Remedies For Common Ailments

2008-12-25T23:14:00.001+07:00

Some of the best remedies for common ailments seem to have been forgotten in today?s society where a trip to the pharmacy can yield a medicine that will cure anything. The next time you have one of these common ailments, try doing what grandma did and take a trip to your kitchen cabinet instead of to the drug store. It will be kinder on your wallet as well as your health!

While supplements of vitamin C, D and zinc will shorten the lifespan of a common cold, a hot lemon drink is also extremely good. Cool lemon juice and honey are a great soother for a sore throat and gives the body much-needed vitamin C at the same time The juice of one lemon in a glass of water is sufficient.

When you have the cold or flu the constant rubbing of tissue on your nose and lips can cause chaffing and soreness. Try a smear of vaseline or petroleum jelly on those sore lips and nose.

A 'streaming cold' where the nose and eyes water profusely, can be inconvenient and even embarrassing but believe it or not, you can help alleviate these runny symptoms with an onion. Simply dip a slice of onion into a glass of hot water for two seconds, then sip the cooled water throughout the day. In fact, onion is a good thing to have around when you have a cold and putting half an onion on the bedside table at night can get rid of your cold symptoms because its odor is inhaled while you sleep.

For those unpleasant times when you suffer from diarrhea, two tablespoons of brown vinegar will usually fix the problem.

In addition to common kitchen products, many herbs can be used to treat ailments instead of expensive drugs. For example, if you suffer from headaches dizziness or tinnitus, you might try feverfew leaves.

The Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oils are useful for treating a variety of respiratory ailments. These are excellent for the treatment of colds and coughs. They can be massaged into the chest or burned in an oil burner to help clear the airways and prevent congestion. Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic and can be dabbed on cuts, bites and stings. It is often used to treat spots and pimples and when diluted with water, acts as a mouth gargle (keep in-mind it should never be swallowed).

The herb black cohosh is a powerful relaxant as well and is extremely effective in easing painful menstrual cramps. Ovarian cramps will be relieved as well as bringing on a delayed menstrual cycle. It is also effective in the treatment of arthritis, osteo-arthritis, rheumatic pain and neurological pan. In small doses, appetite and digestion are greatly improved and is very beneficial for the nervous system in general.

Lee Dobbins enjoys learning and writing about herbs and home remedies. Please visit http://www.herbs-home-remedies.com for more on alternative healing.

Health: The HealingDeath Paradox

2008-12-24T23:00:00.001+07:00

Almost all healers and/or healthcare practitioners (traditional and alternative) that I know work hard at helping their clients heal from whatever ails them. At the same time all of these individuals believe that aging and death are inevitable.

So my question is: What impact do such beliefs have on their ability to effect any real change in the lives of their clients?

Well at the end of the day these beliefs affect in a major way the outcome of their efforts to heal. That is they defeat them outright!

You see trying to help someone heal when you, and they, buy into the inevitability of aging and death is like driving your car down the freeway with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake.

Where does all the energy go? Well it gets converted into heat or entropy. In other words it is wasted energy!

So in spite of all of the healing miracles that occur on this planet daily they all amount to nothing if that individual is ultimately going to die.

Yes, I know that you may say that such healing helps to improve the quality of that individual's life. Well if that individual walks away conscious of the fact that some day they are going to die how is that going to feel to them? If you are a healer how does it feel to you?

Do clients not turn to healers to help them extend their lives? By extend what I mean is indefinitely. Well of course they do.

Have you ever heard yourself or a client say Well I only want you to help me extend my life for 3 more years and then I will be happy to die?

I doubt it. You see, whether individuals have the courage to admit it or not they want to go on living happily, youthfully, healthily forever!

The problem is that in most cases they doubt that this will ever be possible and so they live lives of quiet desperation and fail to think big. This is because of how they have been conditioned to think.

Do you know that most young children need to be taught about death because they do not have ?built in? to themselves this concept. What does this tell you?

Thinking big is what it?s all about. In other words listening to what you really desire and not what you have been conditioned to think.

Your beliefs not only affect how you feel, they actually determine the course of your life and your reality. One of those pertains to aging and death.

Although many think of aging and death as inevitable i.e. a fact, it is only a fact because you believe that it is. This can all be changed and the ultimate outcome will then become your new fact or reality.

To learn more about this you may wish to visit the web link below.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called Spirituality And Science (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

Personal URL: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/SpiritualityAndScience.htm

My First Thermographic Experience

2008-12-24T00:29:00.001+07:00

I had been a bit nervous all day wondering what my thermogram procedure would entail. Would I need to undress completely? Would I be given one of those paper gowns that opens in the front and barely covers me? Would there be any heat coming out of the camera? I had been avoiding a mammogram after reading the latest information about the risks associated with X-ray; knowing that I was potentially putting myself at greater risk by not taking charge of my health. It was my massage therapist who told me about thermography as an adjunctive tool for breast cancer screening and now I find myself lost in my thoughts as I am driving to my thermographic appointment.

As I entered the lobby, I noticed that the temperature was cool and refreshing. The paintings on the wall were bright and cheerful with many colors that caught my eye. I felt at ease right away.

I was quickly greeted by the thermographer. She guided me to her office and there I felt all the tension melt away. She showed me around the office explaining the need for a cool temperature and allowing me to browse her collection of literature, leaflets, handouts and brochures. It smelled like my grandmother?s garden in the spring. Just a hint of orange blossom, honeysuckle, green apple all mixed with a light touch of rain forest greeted my nose. The plants were lush and healthy and soft music was playing in the background. The lights were dim and I could almost imagine myself back in grandma?s Arizona room.

The thermographer asked if I had any questions and of course I said no, trying to show her that I was calm, relaxed and not a bit nervous. She smiled knowingly and asked me to please step behind the room divider and change into a robe she set out for me. The robes were soft cotton and tied in the front. She then asked that I fill out the paperwork. She explained that I would need to do my best to keep my arms away from the side of my body so I could cool down and she could get a more accurate image. She then read over my information and asked me questions about my health in general and specifically breast health. All the while, I was grateful for the full coverage of the cool, cotton robe and remembered to keep my arms away from my body.

Next, I moved to the scanning area where I was shown the six different positions required for the scan. She then asked me to sit on the stool and turn my back to her. At this point, she asked me to drop my gown. I was told to keep my hands on my waist while she took my thermal picture. I learned that it usually takes 12-15 minutes for the temperature of my skin to come to equilibrium with the temperature of the room. Once my temperature stabilized, the scanning began. During the scan, she asked that I raise my hands above my head and remain still; allowing me to rest my hands back on my waist between the different poses. The camera did not emit any heat and never touched my body. The total scan time was about 5 minutes.

Once we were done, I changed back into my clothes and thanked the technician for a soothing and comforting experience. Before I left the office, I picked up a few of the breast health brochures to share with my family, friends and colleagues.

Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to www.proactivehealthonline.com.

Brenda Witt is co-owner of Proactive Health Solutions in Southern California. She is an American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT) certified thermographer in the Orange County area.

Alternative Health Treatments

2008-12-22T22:49:00.001+07:00

Do you suffer with one of the many health problems out there? Are you getting fed up with the traditional forms of health treatment? Are you looking into the different forms of alternative health therapy that are available? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this article may be of interest to you. In the article, I am going to write about some of these alternative therapy treatments which I, my family and friends have tried in the past. I hope you enjoy the read.

My wife has had many problems with her own health and also suffers from regular bouts of depression. She is quite a stressful person and at times finds life to be fairly tough. A couple of years ago she decided to find a different approach to ones she had previously tried. The first option she tried was reflexology. She was not entirely sure if she really wanted a stranger messing about with her feet but was more than pleased with the experience on her return. She could not believe how relaxed and chilled out it made her feel.

I have also found myself struggling to cope with the pressures of every day life. I now have turned my hand to meditation. This is not I am sure for everyone but it has certainly helped me to think in a more positive and clearer way. It took me quite a long to meditate in what would be known as the correct way as I originally could not seem to concentrate or relax enough.

My mother prefers to go to a womens wellness centre rather than to the doctors. She has not spoken too much about this to me but it obviously helps her as she has now been going there for years.

Tai chi is a very popular form of alternative therapy for many people. Tai chi is also very good at reducing peoples stress levels and is something I also considered before I took up meditation.

A friend of mine always raves on about yoga and the many health benefits that this has bought her. To me it all seems like a lot of hard work, however she insists that it isn't. In a way these things are like horses for courses. Some people prefer to do one thing and others prefer to do something entirely different.

My brother who also finds it hard to relax, it must run in my family I suppose, has found hypnotherapy to be very useful. He has been a smoker for many years and two years ago decided it was time to quit. He was very determined, which helps of course but by attending hypnotherapy sessions, also gave him that extra edge. He, from what he tells me has not smoked even one cigarette for the past eighteen months.

These are just a small number of the many alternative health treatments out there. It is worth pointing out that even though they have been successful in helping the above people, they may not work for everyone. In my opinion it is worth giving different things a try as it may just change your life.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

herbal health therapy

phobias and fears

quality aviation cleaning products

Folk Medicine The Natural Solution

2008-12-22T00:55:00.001+07:00

Long before orthodox medicine took center stage in the health care practices around the world people who were sick used to visit different kind of doctors. These doctors were not the steth-wielding, tech-savvy, white-coated medical geniuses of today. Mostly, they were bearded, wizened and gnarled humans looking less like physicians and more like witches or wizards. But they were revered, loved and even feared because of one particular skill they possessed ? the healing touch.

In the early days of civilization, a vast majority of people were cut off from ?formal? medical care. Competent physicians were a luxury, to be enjoyed only by the super-rich and royalty. For everyone else, there was the local witch-doctor who was respected for his or her in-depth knowledge of folk medicine. This was the man or woman who treated everything from boils to gangrene, from cesarean to malaria and even small pox.

What is astonishing is that many of these so-called ?doctors? effectively cured their patients. What is even more interesting is that these medicines have lost none of their charms with the passage of time and more and more of them are finding their rightful place in mainstream medicines.

Remember how your grandma used to give you wild cherry bark for cough, or boil the twigs and leaves of red cedar to cure your cold? Well, that?s folk medicine! If you were to ask your grandma how she learnt those techniques, she?d draw a blank! These unofficial health-related practices were passed on informally by word of mouth and were developed through observation and experimentation.

Illnesses ranging from the common cold and sore throat to warts, cancer, malaria, impotence and arthritis are said to be treated through folk medicine.

Folk medicine largely depended on the use of natural materials such as herbs, plant roots, trees, barks, fruits, insects and food items. Therefore, these practitioners paid a lot of attention to botany.

But the advent of modern medicine saw a decline in folk medicine as these ?rustic? practices were put under the microscope, dissected and then discarded as worthless. One more reason contributed to the decline of folk medicine.

Folk medicine started its downward slide with the advent of magical healing powers. Seedy people on the lookout for a few fast bucks were successful in capitalizing on the trust and faith of large sections of the society. Once their ruse came to light, people began to lose faith in folk medicine. Soon folk medicine was relegated to a gray area between orthodox medicine and quackery.

However, as more and more people have started to realize, there is a wealth of knowledge in traditional folk medicine. As people have started adopting the holistic way of life, there is a struggle to re-invent the precious folk medicine of yore. In recent years, the folk medicine of indigenous people is becoming more popular.

Some examples of folk medicines that we use in our daily life are:

Garlic - to reduce blood cholesterol levels

Chinese acupuncture - to treat blood clotting and migraine

The juice of neem leaves - to treat malaria

Poultice - to treat infected wounds

Turmeric - to treat bee or wasp stings

Today, amazingly more than two-thirds of the world?s population rely on the healing powers of folk medicine at some point of their lives. For many nothing else is available or affordable. For some, nothing else is acceptable. And for a very few, nothing else works.

Natural Alternative Medicine

The Healing Arts: Exploring HeartConsciousness Part 2 You Can Remember It

2008-12-20T22:23:00.001+07:00

In the last installment I presented just a few examples of knowledge that science has gained that indicates the heart is not only a pumping organ, but also a center for the assimilation of information. These few were chosen to allow a mental picture to help bridge the gap between concept and experience. I?m well aware of the dangers of leaping to conclusions based on just a few facts.

Were not allusions to heart-consciousness so much a part of all cultures, however, this information would not have the implications it does. But when you tally the list of people from all walks of life throughout all ages who have spoken about working with this seat of consciousness, and then learn that there is empirical evidence to support that your heart also conducts ?brain-like? activity, the only thing left to do is to test it against your own experience.

Spend a little time with the concepts that have been presented here. Now, find a place to relax and think/feel back to times when, instead of experiencing the moment as if looking through the windows of your eyes, you felt the seat of your consciousness to be in your chest. Can you recall times when, instead of logically working through the steps of A + B ?E x F = G, you simply ?knew? (some people express it as ?in your gut?) what direction to head, thing to do, emotion to express or answer to declare?

Most of us don?t have to think back any further than the last time we were ?in love?. Do you recall how ?tuned-in? you felt to the other person? Was this based on a linear thought process, or embrace a sequence of events that rapidly moved from sensing to feeling to interpreting to acting with hardly a moment or worry in the interim?

Can you recall moments when ?moving in synch? with that special other meant such clich?s as ?reading her like a book,? and ?anticipating his every need?? Of course, we all know it can go deeper than this. For example, connection as a force has no spatial or time limitations. I recall a number of times when my mother, in the midst of, usually something to do with the kitchen and dinner now that I think of it, would clutch her chest and, exclaiming something like ?I need to call Anne!? (her sister), pick up the phone only to hear Anne?s voice rather than a dial tone.

Perhaps a more effective memory jog would be to go to a time after you spent, for example, a rapturous weekend with a lover. To what degree did you actually, consciously have to move away from that guiding feeling in your chest and, literally, back in to your brain?

What did the transition back into your brain-consciousness feel like in your relation to the world? Another way of saying this is, metaphorically, how many times did you find you stopping yourself from hugging someone at the water cooler because you ?thought better of it??

Let?s go back a little further to when you were discovering this world for the first time, as a child. Can you recall, not the experience of wonder but being a part of that wonder? Can you recall a time when everything was speaking to you (and you did not hold back answering!)?

Unfortunately, some of us have to go back further than others to re-connect with this way of being. Most of us, in fact, were socialized at a very early age to distrust our heartfelt impressions, disregard the things we ?knew? in favor of things we could prove, and control our unbridled emotions rather than express ourselves as was appropriate and then move on to new realizations.

Ironically enough, memories that often stand out are those where, amidst living the experience of being totally connected with the moment, there is a form of rebuke from an adult, basically communicating something like, ?Get down to Earth!?

And we do. We do get down to Earth quite quickly because the dominant culture teaches us what is acceptable and what is not. Those that don?t learn these ways (and there will be more on this) are most often ostracized and punished.

The reason I bring all this up is that I?m here to re-mind you that at one time this way of looking at the world lived inside you, so it must be there at all times, especially now.

For now, all I ask is that you allow the possibility that you have more than one center of consciousness in your body, that you are capable of accessing it again, and that you can strengthen your ability to apply it to, yes, even this practical world!

The seed that I?m hoping to plant is that you simply become curious about relating to the world through the consciousness of your heart and become willing to exercise the ?muscles? that you have that help you use it along with your brain.

In the next installment, I?ll be talking about heart-consciousness and the indigenous way of being.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Can Magnetic Therapy Help Sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

2008-12-20T01:55:00.001+07:00

What is chronic fatigue syndrome?

Causes of Chronic fatigue

Magnetic treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome

Successful treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome depends on increasing energy levels. Drinking magnetic water will increase energy levels and reduce tiredness.

The effects of the magnetised water will dissipate fairly quickly with chronic fatigue sufferers, so to ensure energy levels remain at normal it is recommended to drink magnetic water permanently.

What Does Holism Really Mean For Healing?

2008-12-18T22:23:00.001+07:00

The whole is more than the sum of its parts. -- Aristotle

Let's talk about quick fixes versus real fixes in health care options. Quick fixes may work quickly --- and stop working quickly.

For acute problems, like an occasional headache, quick fixes like an aspirin can make a lot of sense. For chronic disorders and diseases, however, we need lasting -- and more far-reaching -- help.

It is no accident that more people search the Internet for keywords related to alternative medicine rather than complementary or integrative medicine. Clearly, most people with chronic disorders and diseases are likely to start off on one or more conventional drugs that they have to take. But many people want more options, i.e., alternatives.

Once the shock of a diagnosis wears off, what you need are true options -- alternatives. Yet, as a consumer, you often assume that drugs -- or treatments that you use in a drug-like way -- must always be the centerpiece of the treatment. This all goes back to another unwise assumption, that is, that the way to treat symptoms in a body part is to block the body part from expressing the symptoms.

Suppressing the expression of symptoms cannot lead to true holistic healing, by definition. It simply re-arranges the disease so that the person develops a problem somewhere else. There can be a big cost to the person as a whole for blocking symptom expression in one place without truly healing the underlying problem. A useful analogy might be squeezing a balloon in one place, which forces the air inside to bulge into another. The air is still there, but the location is rearranged within the balloon.

For example, using steroid creams to stop a rash on the skin may lead to the later development of asthma or depression. The skin isn?t showing symptoms any more, but the lungs or the brain are. Conventional medicine might say that there is a different mechanism of disease in the lungs or the brain, making it ?absurd? to think that the asthma is related to the suppression of skin symptoms. And it is true that the mechanisms of asthma are different from the mechanisms of a skin rash, if you focus just on local structures and processes.

However, even at the forefront of conventional medicine, scientists are beginning to recognize that the body is a network of networks of systems. Genes and proteins themselves function in networks of activity. There is a complex and coordinated organization of interrelated and interdependent functions at work all the time, behind the scenes of the obvious physical structures.

Well-established forms of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, show you that you are an indivisible whole. Treating at a particular acupuncture point has far-reaching effects in body parts that are far distant from the specific location in which the needle was inserted. Acupuncturists believe that the information travels by way of special pathways called meridians. Even state-of-the-art scientific research with brain imaging technology shows that putting an acupuncture needle into a point in the foot can change activity in far distant, but specific regions of the brain other than those just involved in registering pain.

When people say they are getting ?holistic? treatment, they often mean that the mind affects the body ? and vice versa. They try to make a few changes in their lifestyle to reduce stress. But real holism is far more than just stress reduction.

A truly holistic way of looking at chronic health problems is that the symptoms are a major and persistent message from your body part that you as a whole living system are out of alignment with yourself. This situation can push you far off the path and away from fulfilling your unique life?s purpose.

In real holism, things that happen in one body part have consequences for function in the rest of the system as a whole. What this means for the best way to use alternative medicine is that you want to use the treatments to heal you as a whole, not as a collection of body parts. Constitutionally-oriented systems of care such as acupuncture/Chinese medicine, classical homeopathy, and Ayurveda are well-established holistic options that treat the person as a whole. Even if you come to the practitioner with a specific symptom or problem with a body part, their diagnostic and treatment approaches, though different from each other in the specifics, are geared to realign the function of your malfunctioning body part to resume its proper role within you as a whole.

Similarly, you could use a vitamin or an herb -- or even guided imagery (e.g., killing cancer cells) - in a drug-like way to suppress symptoms in a particular body part. But, for real holistic treatment, it is wiser to learn more about how to use natural products and mind-body methods to support your overall healing process throughout you as a living system of interconnected and interdependent parts (e.g., dialoguing in imagery with the body part to ask what it is trying to express symbolically about your issues as a whole). That is true holism.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line is kept intact.)

Iris R. Bell, MD PhD is an alternative medicine researcher, author, and educator. Discover a self-empowering system for treating arthritis with her new multimedia program, available at http://www.arthritiscaremap.com

The Real World Interacts Synergy among Health Care Treatments

2008-12-18T01:39:00.001+07:00

Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge. -- Winston Churchill

Synergy occurs when 2+2 add up to more (or less) than 4. This idea is important in health care for combining treatments carefully and thoughtfully. This point relates both to prevention of disease and coordination of treatment options for people with many different chronic conditions. You put multiple factors together, and they create something bigger ? or at least ?different? ? from what they could do on their own.

Synergy can work for good or bad. Different factors can be synergistic, additive, or even antagonistic (working against each other).

That is, in generating health problems, new research is showing more and more that you might be OK with exposure to one risk factor, but two or more risk factors together really increase your risk of a negative outcome (illness).

Recently, for instance, a study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that mice who were exposed to both polluted air and a high-fat diet had a lot more plaque build-up (over 40%) in the largest artery in the body, the aorta, than did mice who had no pollution exposure and a good fat diet (13%) or just a high-fat diet by itself (26%). This kind of interaction of pollution and high fat in the diet raises the risk for heart disease down the road.

In other words, the more risk factors that can be reduced, the better off you are likely to be. In practical terms, this can mean taking a good look at the location of where you live and work. Urban environments tend to have the greatest pollution of particles in the air, which is the kind of air pollution studied in the recent article. People who have long daily commutes to and from work or who live or spend many hours a day near busy traffic areas are going to be at greater risk from particle pollution in the air from vehicle exhausts.

What if you just can't change your location for now? Then at least take a serious look at the fat content of your diet. Both the amount and the type of fat may make a difference for different health risks. A diet that contains healthier fats (with lots of omega-3 fatty acids, as in wild Alaskan salmon) and/or the olive oil kinds of fats as in the Mediterranean diet, may be a way to transition away from the worse kinds of fats (the saturated variety) and hopefully too high a fat content in your diet.

General public health recommendations are for consuming less than 30% of your calories from fat and to emphasize the healthier types of fats (e.g., from olive, canola, or soy oils, non-hydrogenated versions). Lower fat and the right kinds of fat may lower your risk for illnesses such as heart disease and certain cancers.

Another place where synergy is starting to come into play is in food additive research. A new study looking at the toxicity of four common food additives ? two different food colorings, aspartame, and L-glutamic acid ? showed that combinations were toxic to developing nerve cells, whereas the isolated items by themselves were not.

We don't know for sure that these findings will translate into worries past the test tube stage, but they raise concerns. Our whole conventional way of thinking about toxic risks is to test each risk by itself. The trouble is, the world is all jumbled up together ? and things do combine. We know very little about what the combinations may mean for our long-term health outcomes, even if the single ingredients are OK.

In the real world, all of us are exposed to more than two factors at a time. The research is limited because of the difficulty in people juggling in their minds more than two factors. But reality is complicated. Complex, really. So, we don't know much at all about the interactions of different types or classes of factors for good or bad in our everyday lives.

So, synergy research for bad outcomes (illness) make us wonder if combining more than one treatment option might often produce larger benefits than staying too focused on only one thing. That is why the whole systems approach to making your health care decisions makes sense.

Sure, you have to start one thing at a time or it gets too overwhelming. But you can build on each step that you do take. For example, if you have chronic pain, would a combination of osteopathy or chiropractic or massage AND acupuncture help you more than staying with just one alone? Practitioners often claim that these kinds of benefits occur, but very little research has examined this possibility. We'll keep our eyes open for studies on package of care and let you know as they come out.

There is some research in diabetes prevention that hints at the advantages of a full package of treatments together versus a single drug. Intensive lifestyle coaching reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus (the most common type, especially in persons who are overweight) by 58%, whereas the drug with usual lifestyle suggestions only helped reduce risk by 31%. These are in comparison with just lifestyle suggestions alone. So, don't count on a drug alone to do everything possible in solving the complex problems that come together in chronic disorders and diseases.

In short, prevention and treatment can be both simple and complex. Knowing how to use the synergy concept empowers you to make more informed choices about your lifestyle and your treatment.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line kept intact.)

How a Type I Diabetic Got Rid of Her Severe Burning Diabetic Neuropathy Foot Pain in Two Minutes

2008-12-16T23:04:00.001+07:00

The other day, 'Mary' came back to my health food store to tell me about her extraordinary miracle. You see, Mary is an enthusiastic young woman in her early twenties who suffers from Type One diabetes. Not too long ago, Mary went into a coma and had to be rushed to the hospital ? that?s how bad her diabetes is.

She has also been suffering immensely from nerve damage in her feet and legs. Her condition had grown worse over time.

Her pain got so bad she was recently rushed to the hospital in the night. All they could do for her was to inject her feet with pain killers to numb her pain. If you knew Mary, this wasn?t a solution she wanted.

So she came to see me. She decided to get a bottle of sub-lingual 5,000 microgram vitamin B-12. Three days later she popped back into the store with a big, big grin. She told me that she had put one of the tablets under her tongue right after she?d left the store on the way to her car in the mall parking lot.

Here comes the miracle! By the time she got into her mother?s car her terrible burning pain was gone! And it hadn?t come back! She took a tablet every twelve hours or so. She said she sometimes she could feel the burning start back up each time she was due for another tablet. But each time the nerve pain vanished!

If you know anyone, ANYONE with diabetes, please forward this letter to them? do it even if they don?t have nerve pain?because they might get hit with it in the future? because sooner or later, nerve damage is extremely common in diabetics.

Your kindness in forwarding this information could save them from having their foot or leg amputated ? that?s how important this is.

You know what? Cancel that last sentence. Send this message on to everyone on your buddy list, because it will reach more diabetics that way.

If you haven?t received one of my huge health tips before, here is my vision: Together we can solve the nation?s health care crisis ? one person at a time.

William Kelley Eidem is the author of The Doctor Who Cures Cancer. He is also the author of It's Not Just For Sex, available exclusively online at http://www.itsnotjustforsex.com. You can also subscribe to his FREE Huge Health Secrets newsletter at the same address. Follow the link.

Chromotherapy Works! Or Are you Colour Blind?

2008-12-15T23:19:00.001+07:00

Chromotherapy or color therapy is said to have its roots in ancient Egypt where patients were kept in specially built solarium rooms with tinted glass. The use of colored gels, colored cloth filters and colored water was also prevalent in ancient Egypt. Down the centuries, color therapy has conquered a lot of skepticism and is now being used as an alternative method of healing.

This holistic healing approach seeks to correct the imbalance in the body through colors. In this context it is important to realize that all holistic or alternative healing sciences believe that ?dis-ease? occurs when there is some disturbance in the balance of the body. Once this imbalance is set right, wellness and health is restored.

In color therapy, a trained therapist uses the different colors of the spectrum to balance and enhance the body?s energy centers (also known as ?Chakras?).

Does color therapy have the backing of science? To a big extent, yes. Scientists, who have extensively researched color and light, agree that color brings out unexpectedly acute emotional reactions in man, be it physical, emotional, spiritual or mental. It shines upon us from the sun and is emitted by every single cell in the human body. What is even more interesting is that each person reacts differently to the same color. So, while the color red may make you angry, it might make another person feel romantic!

Throughout our lives we are continuously associating meanings and feelings with colors. Thus, we easily build up prejudices towards colors and attach happy and sad connotations with colors.

What cause this attraction or aversion to colors in individuals? It is believed that just as the body signals vitamin deficiency by causing food cravings, so also an individual is attracted to a particular color when the energy flow in a particular area is blocked. Color is absorbed by the skull, skin and the eyes and thus affects every single cell in the body. The healing journey starts when we understand why certain colors affect us favorably while others bring out the worst in us.

According to color therapy, each of the seven colors in the spectrum (VIBGYOR ? Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red) finds an equivalent in one of the seven main chakras of the body.

Man?s well being is not a purely physical issue. Color therapy helps to re-balance the imbalance in our chakras by applying the appropriate color to the body. So color therapy is effective because practitioners believe that a healthy human is the combination of body, mind and spirit working together.

Color therapy is a catalyst to the healing process and when used in combination with orthodox medical treatment, is found to be very effective. For instance, a recent announcement made by CNN discusses the application of blue light to the back of the knees to help people overcome jet lag.

A qualified therapist is able to decide what colors need to be supplied to the individual to make him better. The methodology of treatment varies from doctor to doctor. The most commonly used method is a light box. Other methods include meditation with color, color breathing, solarized water, using colored silks and directing colored light to the body.

Over the years, researchers have managed to identify the colors associated with certain ailments. Thus color therapy is coping very well with different illnesses. Although scoffed at by medical experts in the beginning, color therapy is slowly being recognized as a legitimate healing method.

Homeopathic Medicine

Write Your Way to A Pain Free Life

2008-12-15T00:56:00.001+07:00

You can begin today to write your way to a pain free life. Writing about your condition clarifies issues, presents further questions needing to be addressed and an answer to rid you of the pain.

To release yourself use these steps. They bring a new light to your life. They prevent you being a slave to pain. These steps worked wonders for my wife who suffered 10 years long term pain.

1. Decide to Investigate the Real Cause

Chose to obey the well-known words, Seek and you shall find. The biggest challenge with long term pain comes when the doctors tell you it's all in your head. They forget they have not endured the misery of years of not knowing the cause.

My wife and I found the biggest breakthrough came when we realized, as we kept a personal journal of our experience, that the presenting medical condition was not the real challenge.

That meant of course that the medication didn't work. Having been through more MD's than we could remember - plus countless specialists- we came across a grand MD who encouraged us with the words - It will pass. It wasn't his diagnosis that caused us to have fresh hope so much as his attitude.

Brainstorm to find a caring MD. Write down suggested names for consideration of those you could involve in your quest for a pain free life.

2. Take a Good long Look at The Word Disease

You will be amazed at this. When you sit and write down the word disease as Dis Ease you have an exciting starting point for getting back a pain-free life.

Seeing Dis Ease suggests you could write about relationship issues with your loved one. These may have caused a lack of ease in relating to one another. That may have caused deep sadness for you. As you write you'll find new things spring to mind. They need to be dealt with.

Deep sadness has been discovered by many as the actual problem hiding behind a medical condition. Extended times of writing about what you think is the reason for the deep sadness brings out the truth. This is no quick fix solution. It takes time. As you persevere think of the blessing of being able to live a pain-free life.

3. Write A Prayer Request for Your Dis-Ease

You may have exhausted all medical help for your pain relief. In this case you should write a prayer request and submit it at the Benny Hinn Ministries web site. Many people have been set free from their pain in this way. Their prayer request has proven to be the most important one they ever wrote.

When you've written all you can on your reflections, and detections on your pain if there is still no relief write your prayer request and place yourself in the hands of the Great Physician- Jesus.

Kenneth Little is a writer, teacher, public speaker and the publisher of a re-released classic - in a revealing ebook- that will show you how to get the best of health and wealth out of all your future years. True success will be yours no matter what your age. Amazing How I Became Young at Sixty brings renewed strength to your body, hope to your mind and increased prosperity to your lifestyle.==>

http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com

Acupuncture and Back Pain

2008-12-14T02:38:00.001+07:00

Research carried out in 2002 indicated that almost 80% of the world?s population would suffer from some kind of back pain with lower back pain being the most common type. In addition to the high rate of incidence, back pain is also known to have a high rate of recurrence in patients. With patients trying everything from over the counter painkillers to physiotherapy to gain relief from back pain, Acupuncture comes as a welcome change.

Acupuncture is a natural method of treatment that involves no chemicals or surgery. Thin stainless steel needles are inserted into the body at various acupuncture points to stimulate the free flow of Chi or life force through the body. Free flowing Chi results in a healthy and pain free body. Large bodies of research have been able to establish a connection between acupuncture and relief from back pain-especially sciatica.

Sciatica refers to a type of back pain in which the pain radiates from the buttocks down the legs. Sometimes, sciatica pain can also be a consequence of a muscle spasm impinging on the sciatica nerve. Acupuncture can be effectively used to alleviate muscle spasms. The results are almost immediate and can provide relief within minutes.

Back pain is generally caused because muscles that are not frequently exercised and stretched are suddenly put to excessive use. Muscle spasms are common in such cases and result in the individual feeling sore, stiff and a dull ache in the back. Patients suffering from sciatica may even feel a tingling sensation or numbness. This is generally due to the narrowing of the disc space or a disc protrusion in the lumbar region.

Acupuncture is used to improve blood circulation to the entire lumbar region and spinal cord. It relaxes paraspinal muscles and provides relief from muscle spasms. The increased blood flow provides greater nourishment to the discs and increases the elasticity and strengthens the spinal cord. Thus, acupuncture can be extremely effective in reducing back pain symptoms. It is important to remember that different patients respond differently to acupuncture sessions and it can take anywhere between 4-12 sessions to really feel the difference.

Betty Durden is a staff writer for The National Acupuncture Specialists located at http://www.acupuncture-treatment-specialists.com.

B Vitamins Work Best Together

2008-12-13T05:02:00.001+07:00

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain

Many vitamins are essential players in the natural biochemistry of your body. B vitamins are particularly important for proper functioning of your brain and nervous system. Although you can sometimes buy each vitamin by itself in a health food store, it is best to take B vitamins together. Doctors refer to them as B complex vitamins to emphasize their interactions and interdependence.

Many of the B vitamins were discovered and eventually isolated during the first half of the 1900's. They include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 pantothenic acid, B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), folic acid or folate, and biotin.

These vitamins are water-soluble and are known in more technical terms as coenzymes. That is, they help the enzymes of the body properly run the biochemical reactions we need to operate the functions of our cells. Food sources of B vitamins include whole grains, nuts, liver, red meats, green leafy vegetables, and brewer's yeast.

For instance, B1 or thiamine is important for the proper utilization of carbohydrates in the diet. B6 or pyridoxine is essential for processing the amino acids from proteins in the diet. In addition to iron deficiency anemia, lack of adequate amounts of certain B vitamins, such as B6, B12, and/or folate, can itself lead to different kinds of anemias, with fatigue, weakness, and poor tolerance of exercise. Alcoholics often deplete their supplies of thiamine and folic acid, making it essential to include vitamin repletion in treatment for this common and serious problem.

B vitamins play a major role in proper functioning of the nervous system. Low levels of B vitamins such as B6 can impair the ability to synthesize common brain transmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. This is the kind of situation when taking a drug for depression, for instance, may not help as much as it could, because of the brain's inability to make the brain chemicals that the drug works on. Inadequate B6 can even lead to seizures in severe cases.

In older people especially, low levels of B vitamins can lead to poorer cognitive (thinking) abilities. People at the lowest levels of several B vitamins in their diet and/or blood levels have the poorest memory and general cognitive function. Some people lose the ability to absorb B12 because of changes in their stomach and manufacture of intrinsic factor, which is necessary for B12 absorption. People who can't make intrinsic factor typically need B12 shots to get the vitamin into their bodies.

Many other people, however, as they age, lose the ability to make stomach acid. They have intrinsic factor to absorb B12, but the low acid condition in their stomach makes it hard to release the B12 from foods. In this situation, taking B12 supplements by mouth in capsules or tablets that dissolve easily or via liquid supplements can replace the body levels of the vitamin without needing shots in most cases.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in folate, B12, and B6, which are important in different steps for processing and detoxifying the amino acid homocysteine. Homocysteine can build up in the bloodstream and cause damage to blood vessels. In addition to cholesterol, homocysteine is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. The good news is that taking supplements of folate, B12, and B6 can often lower elevated levels of homocysteine and perhaps side-step or at least delay or lessen the health risks.

Many people do not realize how interactive the body's biochemistry really is. For instance, thyroid hormone regulates use of vitamin B2. In turn, vitamin B2 is needed to catalyze a reaction that generates the active form of vitamin B6. To clear out homocysteine, there are many metabolic steps, some of which require adequate amounts of B6, folate, and B12. In other words, the B complex vitamins are part of a biochemical network. Pushing the dose of any single vitamin might imbalance the interactions with the rest of the network. So, the bottom line at this point is to take a good multivitamin including all of the B complex vitamins in adequate amounts (at least the recommended daily allowance and perhaps a bit more).

Be careful of excess B vitamins. Although they are water soluble, high doses of B6 (200 mg or so per day for many months) can cause damage to peripheral nerves. Daily doses around 10-25 mg/day are probably OK for most people (but consult your physician for your own case). Excess folate can lead to insomnia and/or GI distress. People probably need somewhere between the RDA of 0.4 mg and the amount suggested for pregnant women to prevent the birth defect of spina bifida, of 0.8 mg/day. Higher doses may over-activate the nervous system and cause insomnia or irritability.

So, more is not always better, but the right amount for you is essential. In the world of complex interactions in networks, linear relationships are not common. Think instead of an upside down or inverted ?U? shaped graph - too little or too much is bad, but somewhere in the middle is just right.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line is kept intact.)

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #12 You Choose Your Dues

2008-12-11T22:22:00.001+07:00

Life extracts its toll. Period.

No one escapes trials. They look different for each person. Trauma is relative. The child who comes from a very loving home and environment can be traumatized by something that would seem, to the child growing up in the ghetto, as less-than nothing.

Yet, it isn?t nothing. For regardless the cause, when your overriding reality is suddenly disrupted by something unexpected, the reverberations live inside you for a while. There is no set time limit on how long you reel from the aftereffects of any one incident. It takes as long as it takes.

The only variable in the equation is your choice. And it is your choice to compress, eliminate or expand the time it takes you to move away from the cycle of your pain. It is your choice to stay locked into the past or future, or living inside the present moment.

Working within the healing arts exposes you to trauma of all sorts. It is virtually impossible to insulate yourself completely from the pain of others. To compound matters even more, healers often must run through repetitive internal gauntlets of personal doubts about their abilities, skills, sensitivities, and, yes, even intention.

It can be an extremely vicious circle when self-doubt creeps in to the work you?re called upon to do. It can begin through any number of ways, but a sure-fire entry point is that place where you accept there are dues to be paid.

In some situations, dues are simply an exchange for services: In return for this, you must pay that. But in a lot of cases, the concept is expanded to include something like if you want to do this, then you have to pay just like that. In essence, dues are a statement that this and that are the way things are; for me, for you, for everybody.

That?s where the problem occurs. When you accept someone else?s definition of dues (or their way of paying them), as your own, you are living their life, not yours.

Just like with natural consequences, there are natural dues. But they are written in broad strokes implying that, of course, there truly is a passageway and cost to gaining any kind of knowledge and experience. Paradoxically, while dues in general are not specific, the passageways and toll booths leading to them are very specifically designed for the individual.

That?s why the dues for you are not necessarily the dues for me. Even though, for example, we both want to be good Doctors, it?s going to take you a whole different set of lessons than me to get there.

And don?t forget, this concept runs both ways. As you must free yourself from adopting others? paths without taking the time to adapt them to your particular needs, you must also free others to find their own ways without imposing your definition of dues on them.

When you choose to enter into agreement with the concept there are dues to be paid that conform to a fixed, outward-driven criteria ? whether this be with yourself or others -- you are moving as if there is only one way to gain experience.

Where that falls flat is that it eliminates the factors of choice and your ability to affect both your circumstances and your attitude. These are among the most powerful tools at your disposal. To impose the concept of dues on them is to choke your potential.

As a healer, it is of paramount importance to live within the what is of the moment. That means maintaining freedom from any assumptions or expectations of how things will work out, or, by extension, what they will cost.

Believing that in any one situation you are just ?paying your dues? implies that you?re enduring what is happening now, rather than doing something to create a new moment.

Things do happen and you do get affected. These are the dues of life. It is ongoing. Things happen every moment. You are affected every moment. And though we may guess at how long any one particular incident may continue its effect, or how that will specifically manifest itself, we never really know; not for ourselves, not for others.

Dues are, by definition, ?that which is deserved, or owed.? It does not mean ?that which has been pre-determined.? When we lock ourselves into a belief system that we?re ?just paying our dues? we?re prolonging our time in a place of reaction rather than action.

Never should we discount the experience of others, but neither should we cling to it as something that defines our own paths. So pay your dues, to people, to situations, to your God, but only that which is earned or deserved. As long as it serves you, as long as there?s an even exchange, it?s worth it. But when the balance gets off kilter, it?s time to start to seek an approach that frees, rather than constricts you.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Natural Alternatives to Treat Acne

2008-12-11T00:27:00.001+07:00

Acne can be caused in teenagers just from the hormonal aspect of being a teen and genetics (that stinks!)

Many products on the market just don't work. That?s because my son tried some of them. Here are some natural remedies you can try with your acne regimen or alone if you don?t have an acne regimen.

To clean your face:

You can use oatmeal and add water. Rub this on your face and let it sit for 15 minutes. Oatmeal is a natural astringent that dries the skin.

Rinse off with water. Get a spray bottle or dab your face with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar from the health food store has all the enzymes and minerals your face may need. Also the vinegar helps get your skin back to its natural pH. Don?t worry if it smells vinegary, it will soon fade.

Then if you want to, you can dab some hydrogen peroxide afterwards. By scratching pimples you can cause an infection so the hydrogen peroxide helps. You can use hydrogen peroxide for any pimples that appear open and can get infected.

And stop touching your hair and face during the day! Do this treatment at least 2 x a day.

Here are other treatments you can try.

You can wash your face with a soap like Aveeno. If you use Aveeno, use the pump brand as soap can sit around and start developing bacteria. You can use a cotton ball to clean the oil from the skin with a cooling astringent. You can buy an astringent or use the vinegar.

Using Neosporin - Dad a little Neosporin on pimples and blemishes. The antibiotic helps clear up acne.

Phillips' Milk of Magnesia. Using this as a facial mask helps dry up the excess oils from your face, and dabbing it on pimples to reduce redness and to speed up healing.

Using ReaLemon. Rub the ReaLemon lemon juice over blackheads before going to bed. In the morning, wash of the juice with cool water. Repeat this for several nights and you should see a big improvement in the skin. Also dab ReaLemon on any blemish a few times during the day when you have a chance.

When you break out in pimples, mix 1 tsp of Corn Starch with 1 tsp of ReaLemon lemon juice to make a paste. Apply to the affected areas and then let dry. This treatment eliminates the redness and helps pimples dry up faster.

Remember, always consult your doctor before using any of the above treatments.

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The Healing Arts: Head Hands and Heart: Part One A Paramedic's Journey

2008-12-09T23:40:00.001+07:00

I?ve had a simple concept grip me with such power that I?ve spent more than thirty years of my life exploring its many facets. Oddly enough, I didn?t know how to put words to it until just a few years ago. It has to do with learning how to be a Healer as opposed to what I call being a Flesh Mechanic.

The start of this journey took place in the back of an ambulance. I was on the first wave of Mobile Intensive Care Unit Paramedics in the country during the ?70?s and ?80?s. I began my 12-year career as an Emergency Medical Technician (a basic level of emergency care delivery). We used to proudly say that we worked with our ?Head, Hands, and Heart.? No truer words were ever spoken! These three, besides a limited array of bandages and splints, a cylinder of oxygen and a converted V-8, Cadillac Hearse, were all we had to use. The goal: Get the patient to the hospital as fast as possible, preferably alive.

Improvisation was a necessity. In serious cases, I?d run through my bag of tricks so quickly that all I had left to give was my self. Sometimes the only thing that seemed to stand between death and my patient was my desire that the patient live. I can?t count the intense moments I spent unassisted in the back of a careening ambulance doing cardiac compressions and giving mouth to mouth resuscitation (there were no face masks in use back then)?essentially breathing for and being the heartbeat of the person?for a breakneck ride to the hospital. Can you imagine a more intimate period of time with a human being than this?

Something strange would happen to me when my sense of compassion was ignited. I would simply know what to do. Something as simple as a gesture by my patient would be so familiar to me, so human, that?just for an instant?the ?difference? between my patient and me would dissolve. From that moment until I dropped off the patient at the hospital, I moved from someplace centered inside my chest, and my actions felt spontaneous. At the time, I was aware of the difference between acting from the heart and acting from the head, though not able to articulate it.

Once I started to fill my head with the therapies and procedures, drugs and techniques that are the stock in trade of the paramedic, however, I found myself turning into a superb ?Flesh Mechanic.? Focused on the delivery of care, it became easy for me to distance myself from the experience of being a human being with a human being in need. There was an almost imperceptible coldness growing in me. The tradeoff was convenience and comfort?I didn?t have to be affected so deeply, so personally. If the patient died, I could say, ?Well, the drugs didn?t work.?

This led me to a choice point, though, because I could feel myself losing my humanity. As I looked around me at my peers, from fellow EMT's through the heads of the hospitals I worked at, I saw the same creeping coldness take shape and stick. I was pulling away from the loop of connection that is so vital to the healing process. The more distant I became from my experience, the more my own life force seeped out of me. On the other hand, at times confusingly so, being invested completely in the moment with a person in need also provided a healing for ME.

I kept getting hints and tips to remind me there were different ways to work than being lost within the mechanistic process that was beginning to feel so empty to me. One call after another would come during a forty-eight hour shift, each more challenging and perhaps ?insane? than the one before it. After having no sleep for 36 hours or so I?d find myself in the middle of a complex incident where everything was going wrong. Overwhelmed, and not having a clue as to what to do next, internally, I?d throw my hands up in despair, and ?surrender? to Whatever it was that created me, my patients and the situation.

In those moments, something else seemed to take over. Completely. I would literally feel my consciousness shift from my head to my heart. I found myself in the midst of the moment, with all my heart, for that was all I had left. It was as if I could see with all of me, rather than just my eyes. I would move from my ?center? rather than in response to a thought process. There appeared to be no brain involved, no lag time, between perceiving something needing to be done and doing it. Miracles would truly come through me.

At the time, I wasn?t really aware of how one piece fit into another. Those experiences, however, prompted me to begin investing more and more of my time being as present as I could, in each moment, with my patients. I found that I could increase the odds of my being effective on a call by taking time to prepare and open myself to just deal with each moment as it unfolded. Rather than thinking about the technical approaches I could use, I began to take the situation in from a deeper place, and then do just what was necessary. I?d spend the rest of my time being with rather than doing to. I discovered so many of my actions became intuitive rather than ?logical?.

I recognized something important: preparation, and connection to myself and the moment and the patient really IS the essence of healing, and something in the heart makes it happen.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

Yin and Yang in Traditional Chinese Medicine

2008-12-08T22:37:00.001+07:00

The Yin-Yang symbol is a result of the Chinese Philosophy in regards to how the universe functions. The black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies called Yin and Yang; they are not completely black or white nor can they exist without each other. The curve of the symbol reminds us of the constant change of balance between yin and yang, which represent all the opposite principles one finds in the universe.

The Yellow Emperor said, ''The principle of Yin and Yang is the foundation of the entire universe. It underlies everything in creation.?

Yin, the darker element, is passive, dark, feminine, moist, death, small, and corresponds to the night; yang, the brighter element, is active, light, masculine, dry, birth, large and corresponds to the day.

The cyclical nature of Yin and Yang mean several things to a student of Chinese medicine and philosophy:

All phenomena change into their opposites in an eternal cycle of reversal.

Since one principle produces the other, all phenomena have within them the seeds of their opposite state. For example, sickness has the seeds of health and health contains the seeds of sickness.

Even though an opposite may not appear to be present, nothing is completely devoid of its opposite state.

Traditional Chinese Medicine applies the philosophies of Yin Yang to treat disease. When the body is in balance between Yin and Yang, health is predominant; when Yin and Yang are imbalanced, disease occurs.

According to Chinese medicine texts, diseases caused by yang pathogens usually present themselves with heat symptoms while diseases caused by yin pathogens usually present themselves with cold symptoms. Efforts to diagnose Yin or Yang pathogens result in intake forms with questions such as, ?Do you prefer hot or cold drinks?? or ?What is your optimal time of day??

Once a Chinese medicine doctor has determined the nature of an imbalance, he or she aims to restore balance through a variety of approaches such as acupuncture, herbs, and recommended changes in diet or lifestyle. As balance is restored in the body, so is health.

Betty Durden is a staff writer for The National Acupuncture Specialists Directory found at http://www.acupuncture-treatment-specialists.com.

The Healing Arts: 18 Things Healers Learn #18 Healers Need Healers Too

2008-12-07T23:58:00.001+07:00

Compassion comes from the Latin com (with) and pati (suffering), roughly combined as ?to suffer with.? Another interpretation of the word, which is a bit closer to our typical understanding and usage of it, might be ?connecting with suffering.?

Suffering is part of the human condition. To connect with suffering does not mean experiencing it as the other experiences it. Just like any other feeling, what you see happening in others is run through your own filters. Everyone suffers in his or her own way. Connecting to suffering may be better understood as not separating from the experience of it.

As a healer, your role is to lessen or alleviate the suffering of others. You and your peers deserve that very same kind of comfort.

The mistaken impression is that healers are supposed to remain rock steady through all phases and types of the pain of others. Nowhere is this more evident than in the relationship of healer to healer. There are few systems in place that support the people who know the challenges best to work with each other.

What the culture seems to support is an acceptance of building walls and barriers of separation, both in the moment with the ?patient,? and afterwards with each other. Acceptable behavior involves all shades of avoidance, from silence to the tolerance of any number of forms of abuse. With continued exposure, and in the absence of any relief valves, these barriers become progressively impervious. Over time, less and less of anything gets in.

Moment to moment, we have different emotions coursing through us, like surges of electricity: ?Wow, dig that.? ?That?s funny!? ?Are you serious?? ?Oh-oh, that?s scary!? ?How sad.? These are energies in motion (e-motion). The mechanism of handling the moment, during times of crisis is a string of choices that allows those feelings to keep moving underneath the surface, without fixating on any one of them long enough to interfere with taking the next action step.

Where the trouble comes in is afterward.

Each event and the waves of emotions that accompany it is subject to interpretation. Moments determined to be relatively benign are allowed to move through one?s being without question. But ?negative? emotions become the focus of an inordinate amount of energy that is expended to deny, suppress, avoid or somehow block the reverberation of their impact. From there arises a process of ?burying alive? what was real. Nothing buried alive goes down without a fight.

Compassion for self is the touchstone to which healers must continually return. That means allowing the echo of disturbing moments to be experienced rather than suppressed. Compassion (again, to suffer with) does mean to connect with one?s own suffering, but this paves the way for resolution in the moment and places the experience into a broader, more useful perspective.

Any form of suppression, however, takes what was an energy in motion and freezes it in place. The practical aspect of this is it takes a lot more time and energy to thaw and get to the energy tomorrow than it would have taken to move with the energy today, while it was still active.

By first establishing a regular time and place for you to sit down and face your own feelings, you bring what is real into the light. Often, that?s all you need. By framing what happened as something that happens -- without judgment of it or yourself ? you can allow yourself to let the energy of the emotions that passed move through you. You will be surprised how self-limiting they are when allowed to run their course.

Face your experiences. Write about them. Draw them. Put them on tape. Rant and rave about them. Scream them. Cry them. Make them real. Then, let them go.

But sometimes, the shadows are so numerous, you need whatever light is available to be reflected and magnified. That?s where others come in. Ask for help. You can make an appointment. Ask for undivided attention for 15 minutes where you can simply be witnessed. You can ask that no comments be made except at your request. To know there?s a time waiting just for you is magic.

Being a healer means creating a sacred space for healing to occur. That?s what you do whenever you enter a room. It is your intent that calls forth the wisdom you need to use your experience and tools properly. What healers often forget, however, is they and all the healers around them need that sacred space as much as any of their charges.

By banding together and creating safe spaces to share and bring the incredible experiences that are inherent in the ebb and flow of life and death to the light, healers accelerate the recovery of each other as surely as they change the lives of others.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

How to Spot a Natural and Alternative Medical Quack

2008-12-06T22:29:00.001+07:00

Why are so many alternative health sites more alternative than health? I don't know either, but typing natural health or alternative medicine into a search engine will show you just how many natural health sites there are these days. And the topics range from do-it-yourself therapies like aromatherapy to highly invasive procedures like colonics. So how do you know which sites are giving solid medical advice and which are preying on the fears of people overwhelmed by this huge topic? Here are some tips to help you sort the nonsense from the facts:

Not All Alternative Health Organizations Are Legitimate

For every natural health expert who works hard to legitimize his or her area of expertise there are dozens of charlatans just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting (and often desperate) people. If the verbiage on a web site or in a brochure feels more like a hard-sell than an attempt to educate clients it probably is. Natural health is a multi-billion dollar industry in the US and quackery is, unfortunately, more common than factual information.

Natural Medicine Is About Empowerment--Not Fear

For some reason natural health practitioners are among the worst offenders when it comes to instilling feelings of fear, anger and disenfranchisement into their clients. When I see claims like the government wants to suppress this or the medical community doesn't want you to read this I have to wonder why practitioners are moved to such desperate measures just to sell a bottle of herbs. Legitimate practitioners work to educate clients--not polarize and frighten them.

Legitimate Practitioners Don't Have To Exaggerate

Phrases like miraculous breakthrough or works for a variety of ailments may get your attention but they should also ring your mental warning bells. And be especially skeptical if you see something like absolutely no side effects. If a treatment is powerful enough to cause such a profound change in your body it's going to have at least some potential for side effects.

Legitimate Practitioners Cite Their Sources

No one practices in an intellectual vacuum. All legitimate practitioners--even those in natural health--use and read peer-reviewed literature. Look for specific references like in the June issue of instead of a study showed in articles and web copy. The more detail provided, the better.

No Therapy Is A Cure-All

Legitimate practitioners will offer you a variety of options; they won't try to limit you to their own favorite therapy. I suspect that every practitioner (natural or mainstream) is at least a little bit biased but a good one will work to design a full-spectrum program.

Most Important

Natural practitioners are often accused of trying to turn people away from mainstream medicine (and some do) but no legitimate practitioner believes that prescription drugs are evil. Overused, sometimes, but never evil. Legitimate practitioners will encourage their clients to minimize their dependencies on drugs by making changes in their lifestyles but they also know that medications are sometimes a necessary part of life.

Lisa Barger is a traditional naturopath specializing in natural health education. To learn more about Ms. Barger's belief in Empowerment through Education or to take a free online natural health class see her website, http://www.LisaBarger.com

Nature's Healing power

2008-12-06T03:02:00.000+07:00

People often under estimate the powers of rest. In today's world we are use to a heck tuck low rest day. We often work 10-12 hours a day plus, we spend an additional hour or two traveling to work. Basically, after we complete all of our days obligations, there is little time left just to sit back and reflect on the days events. It is very important for our bodies to get adequate rest to stay healthy and to heal.

One of our first steps to continuous health is to be cognizant of the things we say. Because the words we say will becomes our habits and our habits set our future. Therefore, only use inspiring uplifting thoughts and comments to yourself and others. Do not call yourself a loser,or say I'll never get things right , or that I can't save any money. Instead, say I am a winner, or I will figure this out, and I save at least ten percent of every dollar I earn. Furthermore. If your comments to your family, friends, and associates are not uplifting then do not say them.

When it comes to exercising, let's do things in our everyday lives that we often neglect. For instance, If you only live a few blocks from your job, why do you drive to work instead of taking a walk? Too often we ride places when walking could save us money, create energy, and maintain health, with in our lives. Walking is crucial for proper maintenance of many of the body's vital systems. Walking helps our cardiovascular system by strengthening our veins and cleaning out our arteries. It helps the circulatory systems by strengthening the lungs, heart, and pumping oxygen rich blood to your head. Walking helps move our bowels, thus helping with proper elimination. Therefore, next time you are thinking about using ransportation to go to somewhere that is less than a mile away, just walk.

If you have enjoyed this article you can read others at http://www.natureshealingpower.com

The Healing Power of Echinacea

2008-12-04T22:49:00.001+07:00

The use of Echinacea on wounds, infections, snake bites, insect bites and stings is beyond the miracles of modern medicine ever. It boosts the immune system about 30% to help the body?s own T-cells fight infection and rid itself of poisons. It contains a natural antibiotic which is comparable to penicillin.
Used as a mouthwash will get rid of canker sores, painful teeth and swollen gums. I have advised many of my subjects to use a combination of Echinacea and Golden Seal as a cure for strep throat. The results have had immediate effect and the streptococcus was gone within a few days.

Remedy:

Combine in equal parts. Put about a tablespoon of the powder in a muslin cloth tea bag and steep in boiling hot water for 10 minutes. Using it as hot as you can stand but not too hot to scold the tonsils, gargle for about 5 minutes at least 6 times a day of not more. This will treat the strep and soothe the throat but most important of all it will eventually release the pus sacs, in tact, at the back of the throat. When you spit out the liquid after gargling you will spit out the pus sacs as well. You may do well to put 1 or 2 drops of the liquid in each ear. This will help the itching go away. Continue use for about 10 days.
Echinacea tea can be used for colds, smallpox, measles, mumps and arthritis.

Remedy:

Put about a tablespoon of the powder in a muslin cloth tea bag and steep in boiling hot water for 20 minutes. Remove tea bag and drink very warm, about 6 cups a day throughout the day. You will notice that urination is more frequent and may be a darker color than usual. This is normal don?t worry, its cleansing the system. You may also notice that if a slight fever is present, that it will be lessened if not gone.
If fever or symptoms persist with anything for more than three days, it would be wise to consult a physician, as other problems may be present.

Tea Bags:

About 1-1/2 X 2 inches in size and made of muslin with a cotton string. One tea bag can be used at least three times. So, after each use put it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Discard product but do not discard the tea bag, wash it and reuse it.

Point in Fact:

My neighbor has a black lab named Abby. She is the sweetest old gal at the age of 14. The other day she got into a tiff with the other neighbor?s dog and acquired a gaping hole in her leg. My neighbor didn?t realize she was wounded until the fur on Abby?s leg started coming off in clumps. All he had on hand at the time was a bottle of capsulated Echinacea pills to treat the wound until he could take Abby to the Vet.
I told him to clean the wound with peroxide saturated cotton, let dry and empty 1/2 of the powdered Echinacea pill inside the wound, spray it gently with water to moisten, wrap and leave on until the morning. The next day when he removed the wrap, pus came out in a stream and you could see the swelling in the leg go down. He drained the wound for about 10 minutes then repeated my instructions. As the wound was too deep, Abby was unable to get stitches, so the wound was left to treat. He repeated my instructions reapplying fresh Echinacea twice a day. By the third day the wound was practically closed with the scab forming and the infection was gone. He was truly amazed at the Healing Power of Echinacea and quite frankly, so was I.

Echinacea will also treat these other diseases: influenza, tonsillitis, bronchitis, tuberculosis, meningitis, abscesses, psoriasis, whooping cough, ear infections, herpes, cold sores, cancers, leukemia, some tumors.

For Your Health Matters visit Shepherds Purse Naturals Herbs For Life

Cholesterol Drugs And Natural Alternatives

2008-12-04T00:29:00.001+07:00

For several years people have been taking cholesterol drugs as a means to lower high cholesterol levels. The most frequently prescribed class of cholesterol drugs are the statins, also known as lipid lowering medications.However they are known to have some quite serious side effects, such as causing liver function abnormalities. Statins currently available on the US market include :Statins currently available on the U.S. market include, Lipitor (atorvastatin) made by Pfizer, Zocor (simvastatin) made by Merck, Pravachol (pravastatin) made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lescol (fluvastatin) made by Novartis, Mevacor (lovastatin) made by Merck, and Crestor (rosuvastatin) made by AstraZeneca.

The latest cholesterol drugs that are soon to come on the market, are the CETP inhibitors. These new drugs have a different action as based on the latest scientific discoveries, it is now known that not all cholesterol is unhealthy. There are several types of cholesterol, including LDL bad cholesterol and HDL good cholesterol. The CETP Inhibitors work to also raise the hdl cholesterollevels which have been proven in themselves to aid in lowering levels of the ldl cholesterol.

There are however a large number of alternative cholesterol lowering drugs. Natural alternatives that do not pose such a risk, although of course any medication you take you should always check with your doctor first. You can lower cholesterol naturally by taking herbal remedies such as Guggul, Pantethine, Curcumin, Policosanol, and Beta-Sitosterol .These supplements are easily available and low cost compared to prescribed drugs. Of course there are also many lifestyle changes that can be made to lower your cholesterol levels naturally. Regular exercise and eating a diet for lowering cholesterol can also reduce your risk of developing heart disease. As they say, prevention is better than cure.

Natural Alternatives To Cholesterol Drugs

What is Magnetic Therapy?

2008-12-03T00:01:00.001+07:00

The pain reducing effects will remain for as long as the magnets remain in place, thus reducing the need for other analgesics.

Research studies have shown magnets to be effective in 82% of cases and have demonstrated benefits in the following conditions:

Introduction to Ayurvedic Medicine

2008-12-01T22:45:00.001+07:00

If you're familiar with the terms pitta and vata, then chances are you've been acquainted with one of the most ancient medical practices of Asia. Ayurveda (pronounced eye-your-VAY-da) has just began to break through mainstream Western medical consciousness as more and more people have began to look for drug-free and natural remedies to cure their ailments and spirits.

Ayurveda is the natural system of medicine that has been traditionally practiced in India for more than 5,000 years. It is a Sanskrit word that literally translated means the science of life and science of longevity. Ayurveda is the health care system that was slowly and steadily developed by traditional seers and natural scientists through centuries of meditation, observation, discussion and experiments. These Ayurvedic teachings were then orally passed on from teacher to student until the sixth century BC, where detailed Sanskrit texts were finally written. It is said that even the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese and Tibetan medicine systems are said to be derived from Ayurveda. Because of its rich history and philosophy, this multifarious medical system is still the treatment method of choice even for most of modern India and Southeast Asia.

Ayurveda is a holistic approach that emphasizes prevention of disease rather than its treatment. It has systems that aim for the rejuvenation of our body and the extension of life span. The Ayruvedic tradition believes that five elements -- space, air, fire, water and earth -- make up the world we live in. Each element is found in the human body and called the dosha. The forces and principles that are found in all of nature are also seen in our human systems. In Ayurveda, our minds (or consciousness) and our bodies are not separate - they are united as one, called the mind-body. Ayurvedic philosophy and practices reconnect us to ourselves and reminds us that we are one with nature and with the entire cosmos. Mental and physical health are one and the same, so in Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases in the mind (like thoughts and feelings) are just as vital as symptoms and diseases of the body (like pain and physical difficulties). These produce imbalance and illness, so both mind and body are treated simultaneously by restoring their natural balance. In short, to be healed, your whole physical lifestyle must be in sync with what you feel inside.

The Ayurvedic objective is to live a long balanced life that achieves our fullest potentials and expresses our true inner nature by adhering to certain daily practices that prevent disease. However, Ayurvedic treatments do not simply dwell on herbal medications. The system emphasizes the inclusion of meditation, yoga, massage and proper diet. It believes in integrating the mind, body and spirit to maintain good health and long life.

In India, Ayurvedic practitioners undergo state-recognized and institutionalized training, much like Western doctors. Only recently has there been a slow acceptance of Ayurveda in the West with the positive research outcomes of meditative techniques and yoga in Western medical literature. Today, more prominent and published studies have documented the success of the Ayurvedic approach in healing cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels, certain cancers, infectious diseases and most stress-induced illnesses.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Alternative guide.

Improving Health and through Kinesiology and Alternative Medicine

2008-12-01T01:24:00.001+07:00

People sometimes say to me: Kinesiology? That's muscle testing isn't it?

I often laugh and say It is, and it isn't. It's that, and so much more.

A natural therapy that originated in the 1960s, Kinesiology has brought life changing benefits to those experiencing depression, stress, anxiety, nervous tension, excessive worry, learning difficulties - and on a more physical level: pain, migraines, muscular disorders, nervous system disorders, immune system deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders (like Irritable Bowel Syndrome), allergies, women's health, and candida infections.

Kinesiology uses gentle muscle testing to gather information about your state of wellbeing, and about the stress and dis-ease in your system. To do so, it relies on the bio-feedback mechanisms between your muscles and your central nervous system. This is only one of many qualities that makes it a unique alternative health therapy.

Kinesioloogy is unique also because it creates, and honours, the space for your own body & spirit to direct the course of treatment. Using muscle testing, your practitioner communicates with your bio-systems; exploring the underlying cause of your health issue. In this way, your practitioner can create a health solution for you that is uniquely your own.

The change you are looking for might be a physical one, or an emotional one. In either case, Kinesiology is particularly effective for those wishing to change a certain area of their life.

For example, one of my clients wanted to increase her confidence in social situations. After just one session, she found herself immediately experiencing a greater sense of ease, comfort and confidence in talking with others. In subsequent sessions, she found herself experiencing a greater sense of ease in just being herself. She also experienced the feeling of wholeness, of being connected with her heart and her soul. She felt that her life had been enriched on a deeper level, that she was happy and well.

Kinesiology is effective because it gives you an understanding of how your behaviour, attitudes and world views are based on core beliefs and deep patterns - which you may not question or even know you have. With the client I've just mentioned, her core issues were about connecting and listening to her heart, so that she could engage with others ways that were more meaningful and fulfilling for her.

Kinesiology enables you to see these core beliefs and deep patterns, and challenge them so that you can change your life significantly and positively - in the way that you want.

A good kinesiologist will also create a space for you to recognise how you can be empowered, how you can actually make the changes that you want. This is a lot easier than if you were just struggling with it yourself.

If you have a physical health issue, Kinesiology gives you an understanding of the emotional, nutritional and energetic factors that underly the physical factors of your dis-ease (whether it is your immune system or your nervous system). This enables you to move faster towards a healing.

How can your kinesiologist do all this? How can Kinesiology have such broad ranging success?

First of all, Kinesiology does not heal you. Your Kinesiologist simply facilitates a journey for you, in which you heal yourself. Your Kinesiologist restores and re-connects you with your body and mind's innate ability to find balance, homeostasis. The idea of your self-healing potential can be found in ancient Western & Eastern medical traditions - ranging from Hippocrates to the Nei Jing.

Secondly, Kinesiologists are trained in a wide range of modalities including:

anatomy, physiology, biochemistry

counselling & psychology

chinese medicine psycho-spirituality

flower essences

esoteric sciences (chakra system, bio-field or auric systems).

This training equips them with many strategies for dealing with your health and wellbeing issue.

Michelle Soo is a holistic Kinesiologist helping clients to overcome stress, fear, depression and learning difficulties. Michelle is qualified in health science, nutrition, counselling, chinese medicine, reiki, flower essence therapy. She has over 5 years counselling experience and is currently practising in Melbourne, Australia.

The Healing Arts: Exploring HeartConsciousness Part 8 Heartconsciousness and the Healer

2008-11-29T23:57:00.001+07:00

The word healer, to me, is a catch-all term, much like the word God.

If you go back and look at its origins in action you will find story-tellers, music-makers, artists, herbalists, gardeners ? anyone in the community or tribe whose intent was to have healing energy move through them. From generation to generation different people of different lineages of different societal functions would take on the role of simply being available for the needs of others. We are all healers at one time or another and can be healers up to always in our lives if we so choose.

Anyone who uses all that he or she has in the moment to project an energy that has an effect on others for the good is a healer. Without identifying it as such, most forms of schooling for acting or comedy or performance, for example, sharpen the ability of a person to receive, embody and project energy, and this is all in the realm of heart-consciousness.

I studied the Meisner Technique of acting for about three years. For about six months we trained with an exercise called ?The Repetition Game.? Two people sit facing each other, about four feet apart. One of them begins with a word or a short sentence. The other repeats what he hears, then his partner repeats what she hears from him and they go back and forth like in a tennis game. The layering on of more and more complex observations follows listening and answering, as a base.

At the core of the game, however, is learning to ?tune-in? to the emotional life of your partner. By doing so you allow yourself to be affected moment-to-moment. What you see on stage or screen is a steady stream of moments of connection between two people. That mirroring is a form of healing for members of the audience who need it. What they see is not so much individuals, but where they connect. They join them in that connection, and through it, have an experience of union or wholeness.

Our greatest artists end up working primarily with energy. As an example, let?s use the Beatles. If you really listen to their music you?ll find that as they progressed in their career, they moved further away from literal, linear and coherent word pictures and more into gibberish and music that broke the mold of convention. Think ?She Came In Through the Bathroom Window.?

Their ?art? is communicating through word metaphors projected through the filter of pure emotion. The brilliance of what they do is that the same song affects each person who hears it individually. Do the Beatles know how and why they are affecting each person whom their song touches? Of course not, but something Universal and symbolic clearly comes through them to touch others specifically. From within their connection with the Muse, they beckon us to join them.

This is the language of the heart. To experience it in action, all you have to do is pick up and listen to a recording of something that is meaningful to you. The power of that moment of energy that was projected transcends the fact that it?s on vinyl, tape or in digits. It even transcends time because your experience of it is as real as when you first heard it. Something that lived inside the person doing the recording touched ? and continues to touch -- something living inside you. And odds are, it touches you in some ways it doesn?t touch others, yet it brings you to an experience of wholeness.

Is that not the essence of healing? Something that lives inside the recipient is touched by something that comes through the giver in the form of a therapy, procedure, treatment, medicine, or as simple as a word, sound or touch. It?s all about connection, and heart-consciousness both drives and utilizes that connection.

No one actually does the healing of another. At our best all we can do is be vehicles that allow healing energy ? in some form ? to pass through us. But there?s another aspect of heart-consciousness that deeply affects any expression of healing-intent.

The heart, through the information it receives and transmits, does not recognize separation. It interprets what comes in and what goes out as part of the same thing. There is a space between where healing intent meets the need for healing and it is a place that both people (energies) enter and coalesce. Heart-consciousness asks of us to enter the Sacred Room of Healing together. And for the healer that means they can receive the benefits of healing as well.

The fact remains when you incorporate the power of heart-consciousness into what you do, everything that comes through you gets supercharged. In that respect, living in a state of heart-consciousness turns anyone into an effective vehicle for healing.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact)

How To Choose An Anti Wrinkle Solution

2008-11-28T23:04:00.001+07:00

Why Choose the An Anti Wrinkle Solution?

Find out more information about wrinkle cream - http://www.deception-wrinkle-cream.com

Homeopathy the Basics

2008-11-27T23:44:00.001+07:00

Homoeopathy is also another method of treatment, based on the nature's Law of Cure-` Like Cures Like'. It was discovered in the year 1796 by a German scientist Dr.Samuel Hahnemann and has been verified experimentally and clinically for 200 years. Homoeopathy is gentle, highly scientific and effective system of medicine as all medicines are prepared from natural substances to precise standards and work by stimulating the body's own healing power.

Benefits of Homeopathy:

Homoeopathy offers long lasting to permanent cure; it not only cures the disease but treats the disease from its roots. It heals the patient from within. Homoeopathy is the most rational science with respect to its concepts of health, disease and cure. In homoeopathy it is believed that any disease is a total affection of mind and body, the disturbance of the inner system, the vital energy of the body. Therefore, in homoeopathy different medicines are not given for different afflicted parts of body but only a single constitutional remedy is given which will cover the disturbance of the whole person.

The good thing about homeopathy is that it is totally safe and unlike other medicines, it usually does not have any side effects. Homeopathy medicines do not have any chemical action, so they do not have the potential to cause any sustained damage. They have little or no pharmacologically active ingredients. They are effective in both acute and chronic conditions and offers positive results. The doses are given in sub-physiological quantities. So the same dosage can be given to both children and adults. Homeopathic medicines are usually sweet pills and that?s why even children make no fuss in taking them.

Cost:

Homeopathic treatment is comparably quite cheaper than allopathic and ayurvedic drugs. But as homeopathy treatments are not covered by insurance companies, many people do not go for it though it is an effective method of treatment. But you should always think of long-term gains as homeopathy can not only treat the immediate complaints but also take care of your future problems and it?s always better to take precautions before it gets late. Why wait for the disease to come and hit you when you can al well take medications to prevent it? This way there will be less medical consultations in the future. So the cumulative cost is very low.

Classical and Non Classical types:

There are two kinds of homeopathy: Classical and Non Classical. Hahnemann's formulation of homeopathy is often referred to as classical homeopathy. Here they use only one remedy at a time, and base their prescription also on incidental or constitutional symptoms. When a mixture of several remedies is used it is called complex homeopathy. Homeopathy is used both by professionals and as well as those who use based on formulations marketed for specific medical conditions, that is why many people are not familiar with classical homeopathy, and equate these practices with homeopathy. Today, everywhere the use of non-classical approaches exceeds that of classical homeopathy, at least in places where over-the-counter preparations are popular and also where many doctors use natural medicines in a conventional clinical setting.

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