The Most Versatile Essential Oil for Skin and Health: Peppermint

Better and more versatile than the herb itself is the essential oil of peppermint found in PHYTO5’s Earth and Water element Skin Toners. Peppermint essential oil is produced by the cold extraction of the hybrid species of spearmint and water mint’s fresh aerial parts of the plant. It offers our overall health very beneficial topical, internal, and aromatic applications and is one the best essential oils to keep in your medicine cabinet at home.

Used topically, peppermint essential oil calms, softens and tones the skin. 

In the report, Commercial Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials to Treat Skin Diseases, peppermint oil is indicated as effective for reducing blackheads, chicken pox, greasy skin, dermatitis, inflammation, itchy skin, ringworm, scabies and sunburn.

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With a higher sun protection factor (SPF) than most other essential oils, peppermint can relieve the pain of sunburns while hydrating burned skin. 

Peppermint oil is used in skincare products because it is very cleansing, slightly antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and toning. It purifies sluggish pores and when added to a steam bath activates the skin. Very suitable in treating oily skin, acne and blackheads, it is refreshing and stimulating.

Peppermint essential oil is also found in these skincare products by PHYTO5: Yang OE Cream, Contouring Serum, and Chi Yin Massage Oil.

Peppermint essential oil is very cooling to relieve sore muscles, muscle aches, and joint pain. Studies have shown peppermint oil beneficial in the treatment of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome (1).

Peppermint can provide seasonal allergy relief by relaxing muscles in the nasal passages and helping to clear out pollen from the respiratory tract.

It is especially invigorating for cases of low energy simply by gently inhaling its fragrance. Inhaling the scent can help keep you awake during the long periods when you need to stay awake because it energizes the mind. It can also help improve memory and mental alertness. Similarly, the oil’s fragrance can boost physical performance such as when you are training for an athletic event.

As a case in point, a study published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine investigated the effects of peppermint ingestion on exercise performance. Thirty healthy male college students were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. All the men consumed a single oral dose of peppermint essential oil and their physiological parameters and performance were monitored. The researchers noted remarkable improvements in all of the tested variables in the men who ingested the peppermint oil. They showed an incremental and significant increase in their grip force, standing vertical jump and standing long jump. The peppermint oil group also showed a notable increase in the amount of air that is exhaled from the lungs, peak breathing flow rate and peak exhaling flow rate. 

Peppermint essential oil helps to improve circulation to alleviate headaches. Simply apply two to three drops to temples, forehead and back of neck.

Digestive disorders can be attenuated with peppermint oil’s soothing effect on the gastric lining and the colon. Taken in capsule form or by taking one to two drops in water, peppermint oil has been shown to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by reducing spasms in the colon, relaxing intestinal muscles and reducing bloating and gas.

Peppermint oil, of course, naturally freshens breath and supports oral health because it kills bacteria and fungus that leas to cavities and infection.

Peppermint oil also naturally thickens and nourishes damaged hair. It stimulates the scalp and improves the condition of thinning hair.

Itchiness, formally termed pruritus, can be relieved by peppermint essential oil.

Ants, spiders, cockroaches, mosquitos, mice and lice hate the smell of peppermint oil so it’s an excellent bug repellant.

Although research is still ongoing, studies are beginning to suggest that peppermint may be beneficial as an anticancer agent.

Peppermint is antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumor, analgesic, antioxidant, anti-nausea, and anti-inflammatory. It can prevent the spread of an existing infection. One of the best essential oils for colds, flu, cough, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions, it can unclog sinuses and provide relieve from a scratchy throat and it works as an expectorant to open airways, clear mucus and dispel congestion.

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(1) Chronic pain in multiple myofascial trigger points (“knots" or as hyperirritable spots in the fascia (the thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ surrounding skeletal muscle.) and fascial (connective tissue) constrictions. It can appear in any body part.

Sources:

Meamarbashi, Abbas. “Instant Effects of Peppermint Essential Oil on the Physiological Parameters and Exercise Performance.” Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, Jan. 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103722/

Orchard, Ané et al. “Commercial Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials to Treat Skin Diseases.” Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, May 4, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435909/

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. Healing Arts Press, 1999.

Photo by Rob Sarmiento on Unsplash

Soothing Apricot Oil for Radiant More Youthful Skin

With an oil content of 40 to 50%, apricot kernel essential oil found in a number of products in PHYTO5’s Metal element skincare line is pressed from the kernels of the Prunus armeniaca–the apricot. Rich in the fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which helps skin maintain its moisture balance, it is light enough to leave no oily residue making it especially suitable as a base for facial serums and moisturizers. In mature skin, apricot essential oil softens and improves skin’s elasticity helping to smooth out fine lines.

The fatty acids (excellent for firming and toning) and high concentrations of vitamins E and A (which help to slow the aging process) present in apricot oil help revitalize, rehydrate, moisturize, nourish, soften and smooth dry and/or mature skin.

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Apricot oil is composed of approximately 90% polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omegas 6 and 9) which are excellent for cell growth. GLA is vital in helping the skin to maintain its balance of moisture. Skin cells use these healthy fats in their membranes to be better able to absorb nutrients and produce skin strengthening compounds. Stronger skin means fewer lines and wrinkles.

- Omega 6 fights inflammation and promotes circulation; GLA mentioned above comes from Omega 6.

- Omega 9 is also known to promote a healthy inflammation response and supports the immune system.

Apricot oil is rich in vitamin A, an antioxidant that plays a critical role in healthy skin and cell growth. Bursting with beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A) which gives the apricot its orange color, beta-carotene turns wrinkle forming free radicals into harmless compounds. Apricot is one of the very best sources of beta-carotene.

Apricot abounds in vitamin E, a primary free radical fighting antioxidant critical for health and the natural slowing of signs of aging.

A great source of vitamin C, the main water-soluble antioxidant of the body, means that the vitamin C in apricot essential oil can attack any free radicals in the watery parts of the skin cells protecting those areas from damage.

Apricot is a great source of iron which makes skin look radiant. The skin needs oxygen to complete the metabolic processes necessary to maintain its strength, firmness and resilience. The red blood cells require iron to carry that needed oxygen throughout the body including the skin.  

Apricot’s vitamin B and potassium content combined with a number of other important vitamins and minerals are potent for combatting signs of aging in the skin.

Light and gentle, it is also beneficial for all skin types including sensitive and skin suffering from conditions such as eczema. The oil is readily absorbed by the skin.

Beneficial for sallow or oily skin, apricot enlivens a complexion lacking tone and vibrance. It provides the skin a barrier against irritants and dehydration and is an ideal substitute for petroleum-based oils.

Apricot oil is soothing, pain-relieving and an anti-inflammatory. It helps maintain the immune system strengthening the body’s ability to fight infections and viruses like colds and flu.

Mixed with a carrier oil, it can be massaged into the scalp and hair to cure a dry and flaky scalp and to help restore damaged and chemically treated hair. It brings back the shine of the hair and is excellent for conditioning fly-away hair.

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Sources:

Curtis, Susan, et al. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. DK Publishing, 2016.

Tannis, Allison. Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles: Eat Your Way to Firmer, More Beautiful Skin with 100 Foods That Turn Back the Clock. Fair Winds Press, 2009.

Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Both Strengthens and Relaxes Body and Mind

Soothing sweet marjoram essential oil, found in PHYTO5’s Metal element line of skincare, has traditionally been formulated into remedies for acne, psoriasis, eczema and for rashes stemming from allergies, however because it is so rich in antioxidants which fight free-radical damage, it has the ability to naturally fight premature signs of aging when formulated in skincare. It is one of the few essential oils able to both strengthen and relax.

Marjoram is a tonic, anti-fungal, antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, antiseptic, antiviral, and bactericidal. It is used in skincare formulations for its refreshing restorative action and its sweet camphoraceous scent. It is fortifying, comforting, soothing, and warming.

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Marjoram’s generic name ‘origanum’ comes from the Greek oros and ganos meaning joy of the mountains. Its essence helps to achieve mental calm, balance, self-assurance, integrity, courage, confidence, focus, perseverance, restoration, and a sense that all is well. It can help counteract anxiety, hysteria, hostility, self-isolation, mental strain, tantrums, anger, irritability, hyperactivity, and weak will. In terms of its tonifying and strengthening influence, marjoram may be used for chronic lethargy and nervous exhaustion and is particularly helpful for conditions where tiredness may be characterized by anxiety or insomnia.

Marjoram has been widely used since ancient times for both medicinal and culinary purposes. The ancient Egyptians used it to make perfumes, unguents and medicines. The Greeks used it as a funeral herb planting it on graves to bring spiritual peace to the departed, but additionally then and now, marjoram has been found to assist persons grieving to accept their deep loss.

A symbol of love and honor, the ancient Greeks also used marjoram flowers to crown young married couples. It was associated with Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In England’s Tudor times the mere fragrance of sweet marjoram was believed to help to maintain one’s health.

Chinese medicine finds that marjoram tonifies and circulates chi energy. Its chi moving action results in very distinct antispasmodic and analgesic properties such as for muscular strains, stiffness, spasm, aches and pain, nervous spasm, intestinal colic, and osteoarthritis. It stimulates respiratory and circulatory function and can serve as an expectorant to relieve coughs and colic.

Smoothing the flow of chi energy in the chest, marjoram can also be used to calm and regulate the heart especially for indications of palpitations, tachycardia and hypertension.

Marjoram is probably the best aromatic herb for women, because it naturally helps regulate painful menstrual periods and challenges dealing with menopausal symptoms. 

Marjoram is a superior herb for treating bad breath. By chewing and holding three leaves in the mouth for several minutes and then swallowing, marjoram keeps the mouth fresh and clean all day. The oil penetrates into the gums and creates saliva excretion that cleans up bad bacteria in the dental cavities which is why the herb gains the name sweet marjoram.

Chinese medicine also finds marjoram to be innately balancing. Its sweet, nourishing and balancing quality combined with its regulating effect on mental functions associates marjoram primarily with the Earth element (beginning October 20). When Earth type people are out of balance by allowing themselves to become depleted or subjected to high levels of stress, they tend to overthink, worry, and feel unsupported by others in their lives. Marjoram helps to calm their tendency to excessive thinking, ease emotional neediness and promote their innate capacity for inner self-nurturing. It nourishes the place from where emotional neediness springs helping one to shift from self-absorption to giving, literally demonstrating its namesake, joy of the mountains.

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Sources:

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood and Emotion. Bantam, 1997.

Yellowdawn, T. H. The Sun, Human & Food: A Self-Treatment and Practice with Natural Food. Author House, 2011.

Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit: a Guide to Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance through Essential Oils. Gaia, 2005.

Learning Great Breast Care Offers Self-Care Techniques That Can Extend to Wellness of the Entire Body

The benefits of caring for the breasts and the surrounding area are essential for overall health to the body and your state of being. Practicing positive breast care and expanding our repertoire with more ways to nurture ourselves can improve the overall health of our breasts and skin tissue including our unseen vital energy.

Lymph circulation is very important for breast health. Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells which are responsible for protecting the body against viruses and bacteria and may trap cancer cells. Lymph bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream. Lymph is filtered through the lymph nodes which are small swellings in the lymphatic system located throughout the body. The largest groupings of lymph nodes are found in the neck, armpits, and groin areas. 

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Since lymph drains impurities into the bloodstream, various methods of self-care aimed at stimulating blood flow are vital for great health of skin and tissue. Increased blood flow frees up the stagnation of fluid circulation and increases the elimination of impurities.

Check out these tips to improve lymphatic circulation for breast health from mammalive.net.

Improved blood circulation enables tissue repair and renewal. Better blood flow distributes nutrients, especially oxygen, throughout the body, breasts and skin. Improved circulation assists the carrying away of metabolic wastes, toxicity and pathogens that must be eliminated for breast and overall health. 

Supporting the health of the breasts can be easily added to any spa or wellness treatment.  A technician comfortable working in this area can educate you on the importance of caring for your breasts. Learning how to care of your breasts at home is important not just for women but for men as well.

PHYTO5 offers treatments that are beneficial for releasing the discomfort of congestion, breast soreness, discomfort caused by underwire bras, and changes to the body before, during and after menopause.  

Advanced treatments can be done with PHYTO5’s Biorhythmic Drainer,* Chromapuncteur,* and Biostimulateur ** with the proper training.

Some professionals are incorporating these treatments with thermography which can be an alternative to mammograms to proactively improve and maintain the health of the breasts.

A thermogram is a test that uses an infrared camera to detect heat patterns and blood flow in body tissues such as in the breasts. Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) is the type of thermography preferred by some medical professionals. The use of DITI is based on the principle that metabolic activity and vascular circulation in pre-cancerous and cancerous breast tissue is almost always higher than in normal breast tissue. 

Over the past 30 years, an estimated 1.3 million American women have actually been overdiagnosed with breast cancer that posed no threat to their lives. In 2008, an estimated 70,000 women were overdiagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. alone accounting for 31 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed that year.

According to Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD, women who tend to be most at risk for breast cancer are those who have difficulty nurturing themselves and receiving pleasure. Embracing a practice of self-care, self-love and self-acceptance is an important part of creating physical, mental and emotional wellness and vitality.

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*The Biorhythmic Drainer mechanically reproduces the gentle movements of a manual massage intent on moving fluids. 

**The Chromapuncteur produces energetic frequencies from the visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves in alignment with the energies of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and of the seven major energetic centers (chakras) in order to balance the client's vital energy.

*** The Biostimulateur is a sophisticated tool to balance vital energy working on points. meridians, and reflex zones with pre-calibrated mechanical vibrations. It also provides toning and dispersing frequencies.

Lemon Essential Oil For Skincare and Emotions

Lemon essential oil, which is present in many Metal element line skincare products by PHYTO5, is obtained by cold pressing or steam distilling pure, untreated lemon peels. It is astringent, antibacterial and antiseptic making it perfect for skincare. Cleansing and stimulating, it is primarily and best used for 1) oily and/or acneic skin and for tired, sluggish and aging skin, and 2) the nervous system, however its benefits to our health do not stop there.

Fortunately and obviously, lemon is one the most common oils and because of its abundant presence in nature, it is most often cold pressed. The more rare and expensive steam-distilled oil has an indefinite shelf-life and is the one most suitable for skincare.

Lemon oil lightens and brightens the skin by removing dead skin cells from the surface as it gently and deeply cleanses. It provides tone, tightening and lifting the skin. 

Lemon essential oil in skincare controls oil production in the skin and helps shrink large pores. It eases out blackheads as a result of its skin tightening ability and prevents blackhead formation by blotting excess sebum and shrinking the pores.

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“Typhus germs may be killed in less than one hour; germs causing pneumonia in three to four hours and staphylococcus germs in five minutes. Its antiseptic properties will last for twenty days.”

— Susanne Fischer-Rizzi in Complete Aromatherapy Handbook: Essential Oils for Radiant Health

Antioxidant-rich, it can help prevent premature aging because of its citric acid and vitamin C content. It boosts collagen and helps the skin regain elasticity.

Lemon reduces scarring, makes the hair shine and balances skin’s pH.

A disinfectant and styptic, lemon can stop wounds from bleeding. It may be applied directly to insect bites to stop the itching and reduce swelling. 

Lemon is also an antibacterial and acne fighter. Its antibacterial properties give lemon its potent germ-killing ability.

Lemon essential oil, present in many Metal element line skincare products by PHYTO5, is excellent in treating colds and throat infections. By adding one or two drops per quart of water in a sponge bath, lemon oil relieves itchy eczema.

Lemon oil is perfect for destroying air-borne germs in well populated places when used in aroma lamps and diffusers. 

Lemon also strengthens vascular tissue and is therefore beneficial for treating varicose veins. It strengthens the heart and proactively may prevent the onset of arteriosclerosis. It also promotes red blood cell formation.

Lemon stimulates the immune system. It cleanses the blood and activates white blood cell formation for the purpose of protecting the body during flu or any virus epidemics.

Lemon can be a great heartburn remedy and can help balance sickness-causing high body acidity. By taking lemon essential oil orally, it can help counteract a high acid content in body fluids by stimulating the production of neutralizing potassium carbonate in the body. (Caution: Never consume more than one or two drops of any essential oil at a time because their composition is extremely concentrated.)

In massage, lemon essential oil can be a vital muscle tonic.

Lemon also stimulates the nervous system. Lemon lifts the spirit and is excellent for both physical and psychological heaviness. It can be psychologically strengthening people who feel depressed or fearful. 

Lemon essential oil is known to increase concentration and the ability to memorize by activating the center of the hippocampus in the brain. It helps clears the mind and aids one in the decision-making process. Lemon is quite helpful in calming stormy emotional outbursts and when pursuing challenging intellectual tasks.

Lemon essential oil is present in the following products by PHYTO5.

• Metal element Phyt’Ether serum

• Metal element Day Cream

• Metal element White Clay Mask

• Metal element Shampoo

• Wood element Phyt’Ether serum

• Wood element Day Cream

• Wood element Night Cream

• Wood element Green Clay Mask

• Wood element Shampoo

• Wood element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element Skin Toner

• Earth element Phyt’Ether serum

• Earth element Yellow Clay Mask

• Earth element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element Shampoo

• Fire element Skin Toner

• Water element Skin Toner

• Phyt’liss Hair Conditioner

• La crème acide [Natural pH Balancing Cream]

• L’émulsion corporelle [Body Lotion]

• Le Phyt’Acid [Phyt’Acid Face & Body Cleansing Gel]

• La crème visage [Face Cream with Vitamin E]

• L’alguessence bain [Algae-Essence Bath]

• Chi Yin Massage Oil (certified organic)

• Contouring Serum

• Hand Cream

• Ageless La Cure Nourishing Cream

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Sources:

Fischer-Rizzi, Susanne, and Jeanette Green. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook: Essential Oils for Radiant Health. Sterling Pub. Co., 1990.

Miller, Light, and Bryan Miller. Ayurveda and Aromatheraphy: The Earth Essential Guide to Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing. Motilal Banarsidass Publishing, 1998.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The Miracle of Niaouli Essential Oil In Skincare and Overall Health and Vitality

The essential oil of niaouli found in many of PHYTO5’s Metal element line of skincare is an essential oil so versatile and multi-faceted, the list of health benefits it provides is near endless. With an earthy herbaceous fragrance similar to eucalyptus, it is mild on the skin and especially great to treat sensitive skin for everything from cleansing to reversing scar tissue. The key to niaouli’s incredible overall effectiveness in treating all sorts of conditions in the body is that it promotes growth and boosts health by promoting proper absorption and distribution of nutrients in the body. It boosts the body’s immune system to help it proactively ward off sickness.

Niaouli essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of the leaves and young twigs of the niaouli evergreen tree (also known as melaleuca viridiflora tree). Largely grown in Australia, Madagascar and New Caledonia, niaouli is a cousin to the tea tree.

As an exceptional cleansing agent, niaouli helps to reduce oiliness, acne and outbreaks of blemishes. As an astringent, it is effective for toning and tightening the skin. Niaouli stimulates new cell growth promoting regeneration of damaged tissue. This means it is excellent treating and reversing scar tissue.

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Niaouli relieves the pain of sunburn especially when combined with lavender as an excellent antiinflammatory. Cancer patients shield their skin against burns from radiation treatment with a preparation that includes niaouli.

Very important for more mature skin, niaouli is a tonic for the lymphatic system stimulating the removal of wastes that interfere with flow of lymphatic fluid which causes signs of aging. In addition, it stimulates blood circulation which is also necessary for a more youthful appearance.

Antiseptic, anti-fungal antibacterial and antiviral, niaouli helps to reduce the duration of colds and flu while offering relief from sore throats, stuffy and runny noses and coughs. Inhaling niaouli oil in a steam bath can quickly open sinus passages to improve congested breathing. 

Niaouli essential oil can be used to counteract air pollution; diffusing niaouli throughout a space can cleanse and purify the air especially after exposure to cigarette smoke.

Niaouli is well known for its infection fighting properties. Additionally, it helps to lower body temperature when a fever is present by fighting the infection that caused the fever and by promoting sweat. This also helps to detoxify the blood to some extent thereby promoting faster relief from the fever.

As an analgesic, niaouli helps to reduce pain by inducing numbness in the nerves and desensitizing the area treated.

Niaouli can be used as an effective sleep aid. It helps to dispel mental fatigue and invigorates the mind. It balances emotions, strengthening the will and determination.

Niaouli essential oil is also quite beneficial for treating the following conditions.

• allergies

• athlete’s foot

• insect bites

• cold sores and fever blisters

• respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis

• stiff joints, rheumatism, arthritis

• ear infections and earaches

• headaches and migraines

• toothaches

• muscle and joint pain

• genitourinary tract infections

• yeast infections and vaginal candida

• cystitis

• hemorrhoids

• hepatitis

• intestinal problems

• candidiasis

• diarrhea

• intestinal worms

• seborrhea 

• gum inflammation and swelling

• out of balance hormones in women

• chronic fatigue syndrome

Niaouli essential oil is present in the following skincare products by PHYTO5.

• Metal element Day Cream

• Metal Phyt’Ether serum

• Metal element White Clay Mask

• Metal element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element purifying Skin Toner

• Contouring Serum

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Source:

Wilson, Roberta. Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty. Avery, 2002.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Be a Rice Bran Beauty: How Rice Bran Oil Is Perfect for Anti-Aging Skincare Regimens

Rice bran oil, present in Metal element skincare products, is a highly valued anti-aging ingredient in Asia. Historically, Japanese women added the leftover water from washing rice to their baths to soften and smooth their skin. Both rice bran and rice bran oil are commonly used in Asia to brighten and help detoxify the skin and remove blemishes. It is a very high compliment in Japan to tell a woman that she’s a “rice bran beauty” or that she has a “rice bran splendor.” 

Also known as rice bran extract, rice bran oil is produced from the bran of the rice kernel. The ferulic acid content in rice bran oil, an organic phytochemical compound found in plant cell walls, has potent anti-aging properties. Because of the anti-aging effect of rice bran oil, it is also an important ingredient in PHYTO5’s Ageless La Cure Five Secrets Serum and Cream Duo for a 3-Week Cure.

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Deeply hydrating, rice bran oil is very light and readily absorbed into the skin. Vitamins B and E combined with a high percentage of fatty acids which deeply penetrate the skin, beautifully and gently moisturize, firm, tighten and lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Rice bran is exceptionally good for treating dehydrated, flaky, delicate and mature, fragile skin.

Rice bran oil provides a good source of tocotrienols, an antioxidant that is even more potent than vitamin E. Its antioxidant components beta-carotene and lycopene (a red carotenoid pigment present in tomatoes and many berries and fruits) help protect the skin from the harmful effects of aggressive environments. For this reason, rice bran is especially beneficial to skin during cooler months of the year.

“When you use rice bran oil, you get exactly the benefits you need to reverse skin aging, including the synthesis of vitamin D, essential for good health.” Roxy Dillon, Bio-Young: Get Younger at a Cellular and Hormonal Level

Coenzyme Q10 present in rice bran oil helps the skin maintain a more youthful glow. In addition, rice bran oil is an excellent source of squalene which helps to stimulate your body to produce collagen, the main structural protein found in skin and connective tissues which helps your skin remain firm. Squalene in rice bran oil helps keep the skin bright, soft, supple and smooth.

Rice bran oil has been shown to prevent every aspect of ultraviolet damage and to reverse aging at the genetic level. It also helps reduce pigmentation and even out skin tone.

There are many other rice bran oil health benefits in addition to those for the skin:

Cardiovascular health

Rice bran oil is also known as a heart-friendly oil. It helps lower cholesterol because it contains the perfect amount of the antioxidant known as oryzanol. It helps decrease cholesterol absorption and increase cholesterol elimination.

Weight reduction

Free of trans fatty acids, rice bran oil is an optimum choice for cooking.

Hair growth

Ferulic acid (mentioned above) and esters present in rice bran oil have the potential to boost hair growth and health.

Immune system

The abundance of antioxidants in rice bran oil fight free radicals which would otherwise contribute to aging and sickness.

Hormones

The high presence of vitamin B in rice bran oil balances hormone production in the body.

Menopause

Gamma oryzanol (mentioned above) in rice bran is known to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms of menopause.

Liver health

Rice bran improves liver function. It assists in the prevention of fatty liver development. 

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Source:

Dillon, Roxy. Bio-Young: Get Younger at a Cellular and Hormonal Level. Atria Books, 2017.

Thyme Essential Oil: The Tiny Herb That’s a Powerhouse of Cleansing, Healing and Restoration

Thyme essential oil commonly found in PHYTO5 skincare especially the Metal element line (see list of products in which this oil is used end of this article) is widely used in home remedies, aromatherapy, skin and hair care products, mouthwashes and herbal rinses, and even insect repellents. The oil is steam distilled from the evergreen perennial herb. It belongs to the same family as peppermint, lavender, marjoram, basil and oregano and is produced mostly in Asia, southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North America.

Fresh, spicy, herbaceous, aromatic and green, its leaves may be tiny but they’re incredibly powerful. For this reason, thyme essential oil must always be diluted in a carrier oil such as avocado or almond oil because it is a potent dermal and mucous membrane irritant when used alone.

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Thyme has historically been utilized in medicine, cosmetics, food, perfume, incense and Greek, Egyptian and Roman embalming rituals. The ancient Greeks burned thyme as incense for a variety of sacred ceremonies as a symbol of courage, fortitude and admiration.

Whether thyme is utilized as a tea, tincture, syrup or essential oil, thyme’s main areas of remediation are digestive complaints, respiratory problems, circulatory sluggishness, muscle and joint discomfort and the prevention and treatment of infection. It is a powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. As a case in point, dried thyme was burned in hospitals of old for its powerful germ-killing ability to prevent the spread of infection.

Thyme also works to alleviate bronchial and intestinal disruptions and is widely used as a decontaminant for food products.

The essential oil of thyme in skincare provides skin conditions with a clean surface to inhibit surface bacteria. As a result, acneic skin may benefit from not only remarkable healing but antiseptic toning as well.

Thyme essential oil lends to skincare formulations tonic properties for aging skin along with relief from the itching and tightness of dry skin.

Perhaps most importantly when it comes to skincare, thyme essential oil helps to increase facial blood circulation thus improving the complexion and rendering a more youthful look.

As the oil perks up the skin through improved blood circulation, tissue repair, skin renewal and fortified skin result. The better blood flow thyme makes possible distributes nutrients throughout the body and skin, in particular, oxygen. Improved circulation assists the carrying away of metabolic wastes, toxicity and pathogens that must be eliminated for overall health as well as luminous clear skin. This proper blood flow ensures even skin tone, nutrient delivery to the skin cells and necessary detoxification of the skin—a key factor in healthy, glowing skin.

Thyme essential oil can be both stimulating and relaxing to the psyche. What results is a regulation of emotion. The clarifying, refreshing scent of thyme has always been believed to help heal sorrow, generate courage, strengthen the will, dispel fear and mental instability, relieve the dreamer of nightmares, restore one from nervous exhaustion and release melancholy. It almost literally disinfects the mind from potentially toxic thoughts and patterns.

The emotion of the Fall season of the Metal element in Chinese medicine is sadness. For this reason, thyme essential oil is a key component in PHYTO5 Metal element skin and haircare as it helps to restore us to a sense that all is well. Lightly inhaling just one drop of Metal Phyt’Ether serum in the palm of your hand can lessen feelings of sadness or grief and restore a feeling of contentment, even joy, to your being. The serum now comes in two sizes: 1 oz. and the pocket size 0.16 oz.

Other PHYTO5 Skincare Products with Thyme Essential Oil:

Ageless La Cure Nourishing Cream

Algae Essence Bath

Extreme Hydrating Hand Cream

Body Lotion

Contouring Serum

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Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Source:

Young, Kac. The Healing Art of Essential Oils: a Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use. Llewellyn Publications, 2017.

The Yin and Yang of Happiness: Realizing that Sadness Has the Potential to Lead Us to Happiness

In the last few months and in keeping with our guiding theme of wellness building for our blogs and newsletters, we’ve addressed the alarming societal crisis of seriously diminishing happiness. Although some factors such as economic indicators or the stock market have hit historically high levels the happiness factor in the U.S. has continued on its significant downward trajectory. We wish to stress that this focus on happiness should not be perceived as the Holy Grail in and of itself. We’re not looking to achieve a perpetual state of giddiness, not only because it is not possible, but because it is actually not desirable.

The yin/yang theory of traditional Chinese medicine reminds us that life is a dance between two states: the yin that corresponds to contraction and the yang that corresponds to expansion. It is represented by the diurnal night and day cycle. It teaches us that happiness is better protected when we have learned to deal with the inescapable periods of adversities that pepper human life.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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Being prepared for these ‘down’ periods comes with emotional maturity that is developed by learning as early as childhood that not every day is a play day. The emotionally immature and unprepared person is likely to unnecessarily take any degree of adversity as an over-emphasized great hardship. Recovery for him or her becomes longer and more difficult it needs to be.

A balanced yin/yang perspective sees the silver lining in everything that occurs as an opportunity to learn, evolve, adapt, and grow. Through that process we become less effect and more cause in the unfoldment of our life experience. It makes us take baby steps toward the vision expressed by William Ernest Henley in his famous poem, Invictus, ending with the verses:

I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

We are currently in the energetic season of the Metal element of Chinese medicine that is the Fall. After the peak expanding energy of Summer–yang energy–we have the progressive contraction of that energy preparing us for the Winter–Water/yin energy–when yang is at its nadir and yin at its zenith.

The normal dominating emotion of Fall is sadness–sadness at the diminishing exuberance of Summer yang energy felt with the reduction in daylight hours.

How we react to this trend in Fall energy determines what benefit we get from it. The natural contraction of nature is an invitation for us to focus internally in a process of introspection and acceptance of changes naturally occurring both in our lives and in nature all around us.

The successful emotional passage from Summer energy to Fall energy, at the peak of contraction, is to embrace sadness as a natural tendency that can be transcended through opening up to a deeper feeling and knowing that all is well and as it should be. That is what is meant by being in balance emotionally with the energy of the season. That psychological balance is critical to our well-being and leads to a positive level of happiness.

Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash

One Simple Method for Measuring Quantum Energetic Skincare

Alfred (Antoine) Bovis (1871-1947), was a French physicist and archaeologist who noticed a difference in the energy levels surrounding the great pyramids while traveling through Egypt in the 1930s. Fascinated by the subtle energy emanating from matter he became focused on devising a method to measure what he called the Life Force Index generated by places, people, animals, plants, and food. He was particularly interested in identifying foods that contribute to our vitality in order to eliminate the others that weaken both our vitality and immune system. The outcome of his effort became known as the Biometer or Bovis Scale.

It turns out that Mr. Bovis was a contemporary of my grandfather, a medical doctor. As a young child I used to make fun of my father using a pendulum to evaluate what foods to eat to benefit him most. I suspected that his predilection for my grandmother’s chocolate mousse was more guided by his taste buds than the vital energy of the chocolate! Yet, as I became more aware of and interested in vital energy, I discovered that a dedicated and honest (non-biased) practitioner with a pendulum can help a patient make important choices and decisions just as modern muscle testing has proven, when used professionally, to be very helpful in selecting supplements, vitamins, food, and even medicine and doses.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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Bovis was also a contemporary of Einstein. They lived in an era when the whole issue of relationship between matter and energy came to a head with Einstein's famous equation. At that time it became fair game to talk about energy transforming itself into matter as well as matter changing itself into energy. The notion that matter constantly emanated a subtle energy was no longer a joke. Scientific measurement of that subtle energy had to wait a while longer until the appropriate scientific equipment became available to prove the hypothesis. Such equipment is not available to all of us whereas the Bovis method and scale continues to be a simple worthwhile approach.

Click the video below to see how dowsing and the Bovis scale work to demonstrate the high vibrational frequency of PHYTO5 quantum energetic skincare.

PHYTO5 professionals from Weiler Academy in Wisconsin demonstrate PHYTO5 Fire element Phyt’Ether serum’s high vibrational frequency using dowsing rods and the Bovis scale

The Bovis method uses an empirical tool such as the dowser forks or a pendulum. The object is positioned next to the Bovis scale (see illustration) and the pendulum is held over the object as the practitioner waits for the emanating invisible radiation to start moving the pendulum. As it moves it will point toward a number on the scale. Bovis original scale went from 0 to 18,000. He determined that negative energies were below 6,500 and positive ones above 6,500. That number became his neutral point. The idea is that anything above 6,500 contributes to vitality and anything below weakens vitality. Besides using this approach on food, he was fond of also measuring the energetic frequency of sacred or other kinds of places on earth.

At it is often the case with empirical methods that have proven useful throughout the ages, subsequent scientific discoveries might give a greater level of rationale to explain why the method gives results. In that regard, some scientifically inclined practitioners have reasoned that the Bovis method was actually measuring the intrinsic photon* energy of a person (bio photon**), place or thing. Another way to put it is that the Bovis scale quantifies how positively or negatively charged a substance, creature or place is.

Scientific research seems to show that a positive or life-enhancing value on the Bovis scale relates to a counterclockwise direction of the spin of atoms. A clockwise spin of atoms and molecules gives a Bovis reading below 6,500 which is weakening. It is also said that our own DNA and living pure water produce a leftward or counterclockwise spiral, whereas cancer cells and “dead” water produce  a rightward/clockwise turning spin.

Most sources indicate the minimum vibratory rate of a human being is approximately 8,000 Bovis units although there are many students of vibration that say the human vibratory rate is revving up significantly at this time in our energetic history. They say it is accelerating in order to remain in alignment with the accelerating vibration of earth.

The stress we cause ourselves by dwelling in negative emotions and destructive habits can actually be measured on the Bovis scale. Emotions like fear, anger, anxiety and habits that detract from our vitality rather than add to it will decrease our vibratory rate making it more difficult for us to maintain a high vitality level as it diminishes our life force and destabilizes our immune system.

We can maintain and increase our own vibratory frequency not only with higher frequency food but also by living more consciously and by making choices that vibrate at a higher frequency. In that regard, our emotions and how we relate to destabilizing events or simply unpleasant situations become critical as they impact our energetic field and level of vitality.

One example of a higher frequency lifestyle choice would be choosing to eat high spectrum foods. For example, if we eat food that might measure at only 5,000 Bovis units, especially if consumed repetitively, it stands to reason that this habit would be debilitating, tiring, and would ultimately compromise our immune system. On the other hand, if we were to choose to very frequently consume organic fresh salads, we would add to our existing vitality and our immune system would be strengthened. We would be able to live an all around higher quality of life.

The products of the traditional PHYTO5 energetic lines have for some 40 years registered around 12,000 Bovis units which exactly corresponds to the Bovis definition of ‘energetic.’ PHYTO5’s new generation of quantum skincare products are registering at the 18,000 Bovis units level placing them at the subtle or “spiritual” level. This measurement falls in line with the definition of quantum. At the quantum level, energetic PHYTO5 products balance vital energy, balance skin conditions, and balance emotions. This is the unique selling proposition of the PHYTO5 energetic line which makes for unique spa treatments as well as home regimens.

“Quantum healing moves away from external, high-technology methods towards the deepest core of the mind-body system. This core is where healing begins. To go there and learn to promote the healing response, you must get past all the grosser levels of the body–cells, tissues, organs, and systems–and arrive at the junction point between mind and matter, the point where consciousness actually starts to have an effect.”

— Deepak Chopra

To gain a better perspective of what this means for PHYTO5 skincare, consider that cosmetic products made essentially of synthetic chemicals will be in the 5,000 Bovis units range. Even the new wave of plant-based skincare products commonly found for sale today do not appear to rank near or above the neutral point of 6,500 Bovis units.

*Photon: a concept developed by Einstein. It is a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation. It carries energy but has no mass.

**Bio photon: photon of light in the ultra-violet and low visible range produced by a biological system.

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Inn, Melinda Iverson. Spirit of Dowsing Publishing, San Francisco, 2009.

Rizzo, Fabio. Osteofluidics: The Path to Health. Karmika.net, 2015.

16 Keys to Happiness: Simple Techniques to Begin Elevating Your Happiness Level Immediately

In prior blogs we’ve stressed the notion that happiness is an important condition for and component of wellness. This was noted within the context of many different studies pointing out an alarming decrease in the happiness factor in the U.S. at this time. In this article, we’ll explore one simple technique suggested by Dr. Joseph Mercola and which anyone can practice to begin elevating our personal happiness index immediately.

Of course, there are many reasons for why we may not be able to say we’re happy or well satisfied with our lives. These reasons can include physical factors affecting our physical, mental and emotional health and vitality. It is always best to seek the counsel of a more holistic-oriented healthcare practitioner who will look at all areas of your life with the goal of pinpointing any possible physical causes such as brain chemical/hormonal imbalance for profound unhappiness. Barring these, let’s look at what Dr. Mercola’s key concept for creating happiness.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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In his daily newsletter of August 9, Mercola reminds us that “only 1 in 3 Americans reports being ‘very happy,’ and nearly 1 in 4 experience no life enjoyment at all.” This sorry state has motivated a number of authors and researchers to find ways to combat what can be seen as a psychological dysfunction. Fortunately, there's hope.

As Mercola states,

“small changes in perspective and behavior can add up over time, and practicing gratitude is at the top of the list of strategies known to boost happiness and life satisfaction.”

That prospect is worth focusing on, particularly since it is not only a way to improve satisfaction in our lives but because, as proven by recent research, it also actually produces clear health benefits.

Mercola concludes:

“enhancing your health and well-being, then, may be as simple as taking the time each day to reflect on what you're thankful for.”

Here are the salient points from the Mercola article entitled, “Gratitude Makes You Healthier, Happier and More Popular.”

Enriching relationships are key to happiness.
When we appreciate our relationships it increases both our relationship experience and satisfaction. In turn, our sense of pleasure is boosted which reduces stress. Finally, the more we appreciate our relationships, the more we are able to meaningfully expand our social circle.
Gratitude for everyday things helps us to become better people. Just by feeling gratitude for the everyday little things in life, we become more patient and organically strength our willpower enabling us to make better decisions in every arena of our lives.

Gratitude is a form of generosity which is linked to happiness.
Whenever we give to another no matter how small the gift or gesture we get happier.
Gratitude has been shown to combat depression.

“Experiments have demonstrated that getting in the habit of listing three things you're grateful for each day results in considerable improvements in depression, sometimes in as little as two weeks.”

Gratitude has antidepressive effects, it helps regulate mood-regulating chemicals, reduces stress, improves work performance and enhances emotional resiliency.

Grateful people tend to pursue health enhancing activities and good self-care.
As a result of a consistent practice of appreciation, all sorts of physical benefits result such as better quality of sleep, improved cardiovascular health, reduced pain and inflammation, better mental and stronger immune function.

Dr. Mercola offers a number of methods for cultivating happiness and you may come up with your own unique ways. Some of Mercola’s suggestions include:

• Keeping a gratitude journal—

“Focus on the benevolence of other people. Doing so will increase your sense of being supported by life and decrease unnecessary anxiety. Also, focus on what you have received rather than what's been withheld.” —Robert Emmons, founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology

• Writing thank you notes—Show others your appreciation in writing often. This isn’t done very much these days so the impact you’ll make on the one you write to will probably be significant.

• Saying grace at mealtime—Foster your connection to the food and the earth that gives you life.

• Don’t sweat the small stuff—Most centenarians interviewed say that the key to their longevity and happiness is that they learned how to let things go. Always see the bigger picture. This will help you realize it’s not worth it to angst over most of what worries you and it will help you grow and evolve in a satisfying way.

• Follow your own counsel—If you’ve got a problem or are facing a dreaded issue, what advice would you give to someone else if they came to you with that same situation? You should probably follow it.

• Express yourself nonverbally—A soft and caring touch, a hug, a smile—all these will not only positively affect the receiver, they will affect you as well.

• Become more selfless—Give genuine ‘other-directed’ compliments often.

“Research shows that using ‘other-praising’ phrases are far more effective than ‘self-beneficial’ phrases. For example, praising a partner saying, ‘thank you for going out of your way to do this,’ is more powerful than a compliment framed in terms of how you benefited, such as ‘it makes me happy when you do that.’”

• Practice being in the now moment—Make prayers of appreciation or follow a mindfulness meditation practice to develop a habit of lingering in the now moment of safety and peace.

• Make a nightly ritual of appreciation—These can be any activity you create to reinforce your appreciation for everything in your life such as a gratitude jar where you add notes of gratitude on a daily basis.

• Put your money into experiences rather than things—

“… spending money on experiences not only generates more gratitude than material consumption. It also motivates greater generosity.”

• The key to happiness is learning to appreciate what we have, do and are in the moment.

• Running after more money does not necessarily bring happiness. Once we learn to appreciate what we have right now, we allow more abundance to come. When that increased abundance comes, we’re ready to receive and utilize it in a healthy way.

• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help—Look into this simple meridian tapping technique that is proven to alleviate emotional stresses and restore inner balance and healing.

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Source
Mercola, Dr. Joseph. “Gratitude Makes You Healthier, Happier and More Popular.” Mercola.com, Mercola.com, 9 Aug. 2018, articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/08/09/gratitude-benefits.aspx?utm_source=dnl.

What Women Want: How Both Beauty and Wellness Objectives Empower Today's Woman

Each year, the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) identifies new trends they perceive will have a meaningful impact on the $3.7 trillion wellness industry. It is important to note that this is the only wellness forecast that draws on the insights of more than 600 executives who were delegates and presenters at the 2017 Global Wellness Summit. In addition, the GWS Forecast is the sole trends report based on the perspectives of renowned economists, medical and wellness professionals, academics, and leaders across all sectors of the wellness industry. Trend #8 for 2018 is “A New Feminist Wellness.” Here’s a brief summary of the ways in which GWS sees women impacting approaches to wellness and the greater industry in 2018 and beyond.

Less Me, More Us

A new wave of feminism–a new concept of self-care that involves political activism–is arising from a growing realization that governments and medicine aren’t hurrying to “solve” for women’s bodies and lives. As we move through 2018 and beyond, we will see powerful new intersections between women’s empowerment, feminism and wellness. The wellness world has long been quietly “solving for women” so it’s a natural outcome that today’s activist and wellness-oriented women will take hold of solving for their own bodies.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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Women Supporting Women

New women-only clubs, co-working spaces, and collectives are popping up designed for women to meet, network, support each other and each others’ businesses, learn and be politically active together and much of it served up in wellness environments. New York City's The Wing (pictured above) is a network of co-working and community spaces designed for women with the goal of creating new opportunities, ideas and conversations that will lead to greater mobility and prosperity for womankind.

FemTech

We are witnessing a whole crop of women doctors, technologists and designers who are identifying unaddressed issues surrounding women’s bodies and their lives. These fixes targeting women’s bodies and sexuality fall under an umbrella being called “FemTech.” FemTech may be about creating apps for easily accessible real-time fertility and hormone tracking for women, creating new approaches to menstruation like the diva cup or period panties. FemTech is also embracing women-designed and created “smart” bras and clothing that actually fits larger sizes. A new trend in fashion sports a more covered-up, loose, unstructured look for women’s business attire which acknowledges the actual size of real women’s bodies.

Solving for Women of Color and Revising #WellnessSoWhite

Women of color are a powerful customer base and they’re passionate about self-care. Specifically designed fitness and yoga classes and beauty brands rolling out cosmetic lines to suit dozens of skin tones are part of this new solving for women of color.

Women’s Empowerment Wellness Travel

Safe extreme adventure travel for the solo woman as well as more emotional healing retreats for women or retreats designed to help women get their sexual wellness back are catching on.

Painmoons is the new coined word describing how women’s wellness travel gets real about offering healing spaces for women to deal with their anger and sadness. Painmoon retreats acknowledge that women (like men) so often go through rough chapters at times when they need wellness the most. We are seeing more retreats focused on helping women get past emotions of hurt, sadness or low self-esteem and thinking you’re not beautiful enough.

Solving for HER Pleasure and Sexual Wellness

Sexual pleasure brands are currently and boldly aligning themselves with wellness while sex is quickly shedding its taboo.

The Power of Education and the Purse

“From 2013-2023, the global incomes of women will explode from $13 trillion to $18 trillion, and that $5 trillion increase represents more than twice the expected growth in GDP from both China and India. By 2028, women will control close to 75% of discretionary world spending.

In the UK it’s predicted that, by 2020, women’s pay will overtake men’s, and that they will own 60% of wealth by 2025, with a similar figure forecast for the U.S.”

Women are also massively gaining an education advantage.

“Women in the U.S. earned 42% more degrees than men in 2015  (to grow to 48% by 2022) while in Britain it’s predicted that a girl born in 2016 will be 75% more likely to attend university than a boy.

As women’s career success and spending power skyrockets, their spending on designed-for-them wellness will also soar."

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Source: McGroarty, Beth, et al. 2018 Global Wellness Trends Report. Global Wellness Summit, 2018, 2018 Global Wellness Trends Report, globalwellnesssummit.com.

Best Practices for Living In Harmony with Energetic Fall

In Chinese medicine, the Metal element is aligned with the energy of Autumn. In order to better understand this concept, visualize a majestic snow-capped mountain, itself composed of minerals of all kinds. Its base is wide and firmly rooted to the earth and at the same time it reaches upward with authority and might towards the heavens.

Keep in mind this metaphor of the mountain as you realize that Metal:

• gives us our sense of quality and value

• offers us an avenue for looking at the majesty that lies beyond ourselves

• extends to us the power to let go as it returns to us our essence

• represents a paternal energy.

Our inner attributes of the Metal element give us a sense of self-worth.

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Metal is meant to be the period of tranquility of our conduct.

Metal reflects back to us our core issues, the most refined aspect of ourselves. Even if we don't have a particular affinity for Metal, we are all called to deal with our core issues during Metal/Fall.

People with an affinity for Metal tend to to be drawn to beauty. They enjoy symmetry and find inspiration in purity. 

Metal qualities include fortitude, independence, focus, intensity, righteousness, fluency in speech, determination and power. 

Metal types inevitably learn the importance of becoming less opinionated, accepting change, and letting go of the past. Metal types tend to dwell on the past if they are unaware so they need to be attentive to the action of letting go.

In TCM, the emotion of grief is associated with Metal. The challenge is to express grief and then let it go otherwise it can fester into persistent negativity and abject sadness. 

There is often an acute awareness of time passing and growing old in the Fall. Know that this is part of the energy of the season. Just let those thoughts go without dwelling on them. 

In Fall, the Metal element is at its peak and particularly responsive to treatment. At this time of year, if we are out of Metal balance either physically, mentally or spiritually, the season's energies are very much supportive of bringing us back into Metal balance. The energies of the season can support the replenishing of depleted mineral stores in the body and/or bringing Metal back into balance mentally and spiritually. 

Metal governs human behaviors such as organization, order, communication, the mind, setting and protecting boundaries. 

Now is the time to explore the following for your best harmonious energetic Fall experience:

1. Engage in self-evaluation.

2. Be open to new experiences; let go of always only what is familiar.

3. Stand up for what is right.

4. Follow your heart.

5. Persevere through challenges.

6. Take action even if you’re fearful; embrace hope.

7. Consolidate and begin storing energy for the upcoming Winter months.

8. Take time to meditate.

9. Speak only when necessary; stop the small talk.

10. Exercise your will calmly and quietly.

11. Contain yourself and behave with a degree of restraint.

12. Gather your soul and spirit together; explore your core issues.

“There are three months of autumn,

they denote taking in and balance.

The qi of heaven becomes tense.

The qi of the earth becomes bright.

Go to rest early and rise early,

get up together with the chicken.

Let the mind be peaceful and tranquil,

so as to temper the punishment carried out in autumn.

Collect the spirit qi and cause the autumn qi to be balanced.

Do not direct your mind to the outside and

cause the lung qi to be clear.

This is correspondence with the qi of autumn and

it is the Way to nourish gathering.

Opposing it harms the lung…”

— from The Neijing Suwen

Editor's Note: This post was originally published September 20, 2017 and has been updated for freshness.

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

16 Ways to Prepare Physically, Mentally, and Emotionally For Energetic Fall Beginning August 7

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the Metal (金) energetic season begins August 7 and ends October 20. Here’s how to best prepare ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally for Fall in the days leading up to it.

As the wheel of the seasons turns to Fall, the days shorten, the earth cools, and the expanded energy of summer begins to consolidate. – Nishanga Bliss in Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health & All-Day Energy. 

• Metal energy is consolidating with an inward movement much like a flower closing its petals. Focus on being one with nature. It's okay to close your petals for awhile.

• Metal’s motion is determined, forceful, strong, unyielding, self-reliant, reserved and sophisticated. Utilize these attributes to your best advantage.

• Metal is associated with the lungs, respiratory system and is related to the nose. Consciously breathe in the heavenly chi (also known as prana).

• Metal is also associated with the large intestine, an organ of elimination. Through the lungs we not only regenerate ourselves from the prana in the air we breathe, we also eliminate carbonic gas produced by cell metabolism. Elimination and cleansing are both physical and psychological activities. They are the purposes of the Fall energetic season.

• Both courage and sadness are emotions associated with energetic Fall. Allow yourself to weep when you feel to but also find the courage to face what's ahead.

• Metal represents the Westward direction (the direction of dreams and visions). In Taoist mythology, West is guarded by the White Tiger, known for righteousness, independence and determination. Make it a point to stand facing West and consciously honor the "Westness" of Autumn.

• This season's color is represented by white or blue. Light white candles to counter the growing darkness of the season.

• As we let go of Summer’s and Indian Summer’s growth and harvest, practice letting go in all things.

• As the new season comes close, allow its energies to assist you to release old resentments or hurts and begin anew.

• Sadness and discontentment can be prevalent in the Fall. If you are feeling sad or stuck, remember the Law of Impermanence. This too shall pass.

• As we approach cooler weather and a time for retreating, take the time and focus now to eliminate negative and destructive habits which could be uncomfortably intrusive during the Fall and Winter times of withdrawing and hibernation.

• Meditate or pray. Fall is the time of year when spiritual vision comes easier. Take advantage of these energies.

• Cleanse your body on the inside. Support your immune system by consuming more plant-based foods which align best with the human body (organic if at all possible) and less animal products.

• Help your body to rehydrate itself by drinking lots of pure water and eating high water content produce. As Winter approaches, the produce of the season is lower in water content so take advantage of the more watery produce now and into Fall.

• Breathe in and appreciate the new scents of nature and the season. Note the subtle or remarkable changes in the quality of the air we breathe.

• Now is optimum to complete unfinished projects. Prepare for the winter.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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Skin ‘Cliff’ Notes for Fall

Dryness is the ruling chi of the Fall/Metal energetic season. For skin, the Metal energetic season is the optimum time to address demineralization, surface dehydration, puffiness and congestion, and dull, lifeless skin. The PHYTO5 Metal energetic line has mineralizing and anti-inflammatory properties, increases circulatory energy, promotes oxygenation of skin, diminishes swelling and puffiness, and rehydrates and rejuvenates the skin.

Food ‘Cliff’ Notes for Fall

“Sour foods like lemon, plum, pear, and mango work to obstruct bodily functions, which makes them helpful in alleviating diarrhea, excessive perspiration, and hemorrhoids, among other conditions. Sour foods are most active in the liver, where they counteract the effects of rich, greasy food. Sour foods are related to the fall season. ”

— Rosa Ross and Suzanne LeVert in Chinese Healing Foods

“Your diet should be dictated by the rhythms of the external world. Food gains power to maintain health from its relationship to the external world...  Root vegetables such as burdock and turnips have downward-moving energy so give in to the natural desire to eat them in the fall.”

— Misha Ruth Cohen in The New Chinese Medicine Handbook: An Innovative Guide to Integrating Eastern Wisdom with Western Practice for Modern Healing.

For an excellent Fall season Qi Gong exercise to support your optimal lifestyle, check out the YouTube video below.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published July 29, 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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Photo by Lolame at Pixabay

Sources:

Bliss,Nishanga. Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health & All-Day Energy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2012. Print.

Ross, Rosa and Suzanne LeVert. Chinese Healing Foods. New York: Pocket, 1998. Print.

Cohen, Misha Ruth. The New Chinese Medicine Handbook: An Innovative Guide to Integrating Eastern Wisdom with Western Practice for Modern Healing. Fair Winds Press, 2015. Print.

The Wellness Facial Is New and Trending But PHYTO5 Has Been Perfecting and Elevating Our Wellness Facials Steadily Since the Late 70s

The beauty industry has finally caught on to “Wellness Facials” and they’re now considered a beauty trend. It reinforces what PHYTO5 has been doing and talking about since the 70s. Good skincare practice should always provide a critical byproduct of not just a beauty glow but an enhanced level of wellness which is exactly what PHYTO5 is all about. PHYTO5 facials and scalp and body treatments become wellness treatments because PHYTO5 quantum energetic products are extraordinarily potent.

Our fundamental premise is that the body is not only vital matter but vital energy equally so. It’s an unimpeded flow of good vital energy (without blockages) that keeps matter vital, healthy and functional.

The subtle energy that Ayurveda calls “praña” and which traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) calls “chi” is the fundamental premise of all energy medicines and of PHYTO5 skin and hair care.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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Good vital energy is energy that enjoys a balance of its five major components which are known as the five elements or phases in TCM. These are named Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

These components must be in balance meaning that all work together synergistically with none of the five either dominating or being dominated by another. Such a vital energy balance is tricky since many factors can disrupt it.

Disruptive factors can be external ones such as climatic considerations, the energies of the seasons, the quality and the quantity of the food we eat.

Disruptive factors can be internal such as our psychological state. Indeed, our emotions are extremely important to our health and well-being. Positive emotions will sustain balanced vital energy whereas negative emotions are a factor of physical imbalance because they disturb the chi.

Because of its proprietary blends of premium grade natural essential oils first formulated in the 70s and steadily and constantly improved ever since, PHYTO5 energetic products have a proven record of successfully balancing vital energy. As a result, PHYTO5 professional treatments and regular home regimens with the energetic products maintain that essential balance of vital energy required to make us not only look but feel good as well.

But, actually, it even goes further. 

Since late 2017, a new formulation process created by our Swiss factory has boosted the vibrational frequency of the already energetic products to the quantum level. Since the higher vibrations provide greater potency, our now quantum energetic products enhance not only vital energy balance and bring balance to vexing skin conditions, they also balance our emotional state. This concept is explained by the well documented relationship between vital energy and emotions as part of the Five Element Theory of TCM.

We also know that wellness requires a balanced state of emotion with a healthy dose of happiness. Unfortunately, happiness is most often quickly chased away anytime we succumb to negative emotions for more than a passing moment. This should give all of us an extra reason to ensure that both our vital energy and our emotions are balanced which can actually be achieved in the same process that balances our skin condition when using PHYTO5 skincare or enjoying a PHYTO5 face or body treatment.

How Our Emotional Intelligence Affects Not Only How We Feel But How We Look

In 1996, I attended a business conference and was asked to participate on a Q & A panel. In one of my answers I mentioned I was encountering some significant pointers in a new book I was reading, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman, first published in late 1995. As soon as I uttered the name of the book I heard sneers of mockery or disbelief. How could those two contrary words belong together? In the time since 1996, the emotional quotient (EQ), coined by Goleman and in contrast to the traditional IQ, has been taking its place as a predictor of success in social and family relationships, in the management of people, and in teaching and learning (as stated by Goleman in his book). We have, as a culture, largely come to realize that our EQ often matters more than the intelligence quotient (IQ) for living enriching, fulfilled and healthy lives.

It requires a shift in focus to realize that, in fact, intelligence is not limited to rationality for indeed rationality and emotionality are dramatically different. But intelligence must not be limited to the intellect if we associate the intellect as the instrument of rationality.

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In the last twenty plus years, an enormous movement in collective consciousness has, at least for many, made sense of the notion of emotional intelligence to the extent that it is now. It has also been studied for some time in colleges and graduate business schools. After a few centuries since The Age of Reason when rational intelligence dominated our Western culture, it became more broadly recognized that skillsets other than IQ are necessary to successfully undertake a number of personal and professional activities. 

The five components of Goleman’s presentation are:

• Self-awareness of emotions

• Self-regulation of actions driven by emotions

• Motivation to achieve

• Receptivity to emotions of others

• Social skills/managing relationships

Emotional intelligence captures a higher view of the relationship between oneself and others. It is less egocentric and more inclusive of how others feel and react. It turns its back on coercion in favor of cooperation. In a word, it is more respectful and more civilized.

The clincher is that EQ is proven to be more effective. And for those reasons we need to pay attention to the idea and its approach. This is also true at least for those of us who have the objective to live in a way that enhances our state of well-being and promotes a sense of happiness.

PHYTO5 is a quintessential wellness skincare line. From its conceptualization in the 70s, in the method underlining the formulation of the products and in the method of their application, the notion of balancing vital energy was key. It was recognized by the founders of the method and products that balanced vital energy was a precondition to feeling and looking good.

That relationship between how we feel and how we look was so clear that the company’s slogan was: “Beauty is Health Made Visible!”

In 2017, the exclusive Swiss manufacturer of PHYTO5 skin and hair care pioneered a breakthrough process to elevate the vibrational frequency of the already energetic level of the products. Now the products were raised to the quantum level of frequencies. At such a high frequency level the products are able to not only balance vital energy with positive effects on the skin, they also have the potential to balance our emotions. As negative emotions are dissipated the natural surfacing of positive ones take place. What results is a renewed feeling of happiness which is an incredibly important component for wellness.

For additional info. on happiness and wellness, in general, and how PHYTO5 quantum energetic skincare has the potential to elevate both, we invite you to review the following blog posts:

A Theory of Happiness: We Probably Can't Be Totally Healthy and Well Without It

Energetic Swiss Skincare Pioneer Makes Yet Another Breakthrough: Swiss-Based PHYTO5 Creates the First Quantum Skincare Line

Do You Feel Truly Comfortable In Your Own Skin?

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Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

Sources:

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ. Bloomsbury, 2010.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Amazing Remedy for Skin, Body and Emotions

Eucalyptus essential oil is a remarkably potent oil that is steam distilled from the tree’s leaves and twigs. With an aroma that’s clean, crisp and cleansing, it blends beautifully with lavender and rosemary (see Earth element Skin Toner). In addition to its rather cure-all physically therapeutic qualities as decongestant, antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal and analgesic, eucalyptus is very beneficial to help shift and uplift emotions and clear a confused mind for better concentration.

Eucalyptus is a fast growing evergreen Australasian tree that has been widely introduced all over the world. Because of the oil’s purifying, cleansing, clarifying, and immune-boosting properties, it is ideal for use in skincare and in aromatherapy. For this reason, eucalyptus essential oil is often used in PHYTO5’s Earth element line of skin and hair care. 

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Because of its its soothing, stimulating, and anti-bacterial properties, eucalyptus oil is a popular ingredient in balms, inhalers, massage oil blends, and dental hygiene products. It provides support for the respiratory system and soothes aches, pains and physical discomforts. Add analgesic anti-inflammatory eucalyptus essential oil to a warm bath to soothe stiff and sore muscles.

Eucalyptus essential oil will moisturize an itchy scalp and remove dandruff flakes. Enjoy eucalyptus essential oil synergistically blended with other essential oils and unique ingredients in PHYTO5’s Citrus–Cypress Shampoo. A natural insecticide, this oil has even been known to eliminate lice.

In addition to soothing irritated skin caused by wounds, cuts, burns, sores, stings and bites, it relieves pain while protecting skin lesions from infection and promoting quicker healing.

Eucalyptus essential oil “clears the air” both literally and figuratively. It can help you move emotional issues that are stuck or blocked as well as relieve headaches or mental exhaustion. The aroma boosts circulation to the brain and helps jumpstart the mind out of sluggishness so to speak. A rejuvenation of spirit often results.

• Place two to four drops (don’t overdo because it’s powerful) on a one-inch square piece of cotton cloth and sniff gently when you’ve become emotionally upset.

• Place a tiny bit of eucalyptus essential oil in a lit diffuser while meditating to help you get past a nagging issue, when you need some relief from mental overload, or when you want to make a positive change in your life.

This may help you ward off getting a cold as the 18-day period of Earth transitions to the next season, in the current case, Metal and Fall: place a very few drops of the oil on a small piece of cotton cloth and keep it under your pillow. This form of aromatherapy may help boost your immune system and keep you impervious to colds and flu.

If you already have a cold, cough, or sinus infection, diffusing four drops of the oil for 20 minutes three times a day can help bring you relief. This practice can help to clear nasal passages as well as eliminate harmful airborne bacteria.

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

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Sources:

Young, Kac. Healing Art of Essential Oils—A Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use. Llewellyn Publications,U.S., 2017.

Kirkwood, John. The Way of the Five Seasons: Living with Five Elements for Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Harmony. Singing Dragon, 2016.

8 Tips for Reaping the Fruits of Summer's Labor As We Begin Our Transition to Chinese Medicine's Energetic Fall

The next transition or "between seasons" period began on July 20 and lasts until August 6 when energetic Fall begins according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Just as it's wise to live in harmony with Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, let's not ignore the "between seasons" periods! One of the five between seasons periods for the year has just begun. 

“Why is it then that Earth is most specifically awarded the place between Fire and Metal? The qualities of nurturance, abundance, fullness and ripeness align it naturally to the time of harvest, that time of year when the energy is neither rising (Fire) nor falling (Metal), a period of balance and harmony. Earth finds its natural place in the seasons of nature’s maturing.” —John Kirkwood, The Way of the Five Seasons: Living with Five Elements for Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Harmony

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We are an inherent part of nature. We are not separate from it. Logically speaking, living in harmony with nature will assist us to have physical bodies that are in harmony in all of its internal systems. We will eat in a certain way, exercise in a certain way, sleep and wake accordingly, give, love, contemplate, and nurture ourselves in alignment with the ways of TCM’s Earth season. Not only our physical bodies will benefit with health and vitality thereby preventing illness, our mental, emotional and spiritual aspects will be kept on balance and they will thrive as well. See also our blog post of July 15, 2016.

The element associated with this transition period is Earth, the color is yellow, and the organs are stomach and spleen.

Now is the time to think about harvesting what we have sown throughout the summer. It's simultaneously a time of "decrease" or slowing down and abundance. At this time, it’s helpful for us to incorporate the following insights into our everyday lives:

• Take a contemplative look at the fruits of our labor in a variety of arenas: in the relationships we enjoyed this summer, in our exuberance of life, and in the care of our hearts, both literally and figuratively.
• Start directing our focus to the nurturing of ourselves and in the ways that intuitively come to us.
• Intend to digest not only our food very well but our thoughts and emotions as well thereby enabling them to reach our minds and spirits.
• Begin winding down and gathering in all the energies we have created throughout the Summer.
• Direct our eye toward recognizing the bounty of the earth since harvest time will soon begin. We might look to see how we can be bountiful and generous in our lives with intentional giving to others.
• Contemplate the harvest aspect of our lives to see the areas that are bearing fruit and which are not and then to determine when energetic Fall arrives (beginning August 7) which ones can be let go or given focus.
• Decide on what is truly necessary in our lives and what is superfluous or a distraction and then take steps in alignment with these discoveries. This is important as we prepare to enter the Fall season where letting go is paramount.
• Observe and mirror nature at this time of year. The metaphor of the cycles of nature has much to teach us. Now is the time to begin contemplating how the seeds we plant (both physically and metaphorically) reap similar kinds of harvests. We can contemplate the seeds we have sown and realize that every harvest bears the seeds for the next one.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published July 16, 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm at Unsplash

Source:

Kirkwood, John. The Way of the Five Seasons: Living with Five Elements for Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Harmony. Singing Dragon, 2016.

There Are Really Five Seasons: Understanding the Rotation of the Seasons According to Chinese Medicine

The ancient Chinese saw how the cycles of the seasons profoundly impact everything from weather to plants and crops, animals and even human mental well-being. They surmised that to each season corresponds a specific energy that influences all life forms. They concluded that in addition to the cyclical movement of yin and yang, illustrated by the repetitive cycle of day-night, there must also be changing energies causing, and therefore related to, seasonal changes. The ancient Chinese subdivided yin and yang into five phases, also called elements which they named: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.

But why five rather than four phases to correlate with the four seasons?

Since all these energies were seen by the Chinese as coming from the earth, they surmised that at the end of each season the energy goes back to the earth for its transformation before appearing as the energy of the next season.

This transition period necessarily repeated four times a year became known as the Earth season. 

A little arithmetic made it clear that each energetic season is approximately seventy-two days and that the Earth season occurs for approximately eighteen days four times a year (for a total 72 days out of 365).

The Earth element seasons or “between seasons” periods are:

• January 18 to February 4
• April 18 to May 5
• July 20 to August 6
• October 21 to November 7

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PHYTO5’s Earth element skin and haircare products are formulated to help bring balance to what we call Earth imbalance.

An Earth type person whose skin is out of balance will manifest some or all of these: blemishes, toxicity, acne, psoriasis, enlarged pores.

Earth element products support balance by helping to detoxify, purify and normalize the skin using natural unique ingredients like: high grade essential oils of lemon, cypress, and eucalyptus. 

Lemon essential oil is an anti-inflammatory, anti-irritating and astringent that relaxes nervous energy while attenuating wrinkles. Lemon essential oil is best known for its ability to cleanse toxins from the body and purify the skin. It is widely used in lymph drainage treatments and to rejuvenate energy.

Recommended in treatments for conditions caused by poor circulation, anti-infectious cypress essential oil supports the body to remove excess water and salt that can lead to fluid retention. It also supports circulation. 

Eucalyptus essential oil is primarily used for its soothing and relaxing properties.

The synergistic proprietary blend of essential oils supports emotional balance when lightly inhaled. Earth types who are out of emotional balance will tend to worry, feel stuck and stagnant. They often have challenges saying “no” to others in favor of focusing on taking care of themselves.

“One of the imbalances of Earth types, however, tends to be lack of boundaries. It is evidenced in the volunteers who never say no and the friends who always offer a shoulder to cry on to the detriment of themselves. They have difficulty separating their lives from the lives of their friends or clients. They have forgotten how to take care of themselves. They have fallen into the groove of reacting to others rather than responding with awareness.” —PHYTO5’s blog post of October 24, 2016

Just one drop of Earth element Phyt’Ether serum lightly inhaled, for example, may enhance your innate but temporarily blocked sense of knowing and creativity. The aromatherapeutic fragrance of the Earth element product may help to open up abilities within you to begin new projects with clarity and focus.

“In balance Earth types are the people with the sunny disposition. They are very nurturing, caring and are wonderful friends. Earth types accept everyone into their world for they feel a kinship with all other human beings. When in balance, Earth types are very even, serene centers of gravity around which people love to gather. Tolerance is their guiding principle. They are able to feel empathy for another’s pain and can quite easily return to themselves without having taken on that pain. Balanced Earth types can do this because their boundaries are very well established within themselves. They give selflessly and are always available for their friends.” —PHYTO5’s blog post of October 24, 2016

If your skin is nicely in balance, now is the time for you to use Earth element products as well.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published April 14, 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

How to Live In Harmony with Summer for Maximum Enjoyment

“The three months of Summer are called the period of luxurious growth. Everything is in bloom and begins to bear fruit.

After a night of sleep people should get up early (in the morning). They should not weary during daytime and they should not allow their minds to become angry.

They should enable the best parts (of their body and spirit) to develop; they should enable their breath to communicate with the outside world; and they should act as though they loved everything outside.

All this is in harmony with the atmosphere of Summer and all this is the method for the protection of one’s development.”

— from the Neijing Suwen (The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine)

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The time honored and proven Yellow Emperor’s Classic, an ancient Chinese medical text that has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia, tells us that we can continue to harmonize ourselves with Summer all season long and achieve the highest level of vitality possible for each one us in a number of ways. We should:

1. Go to bed most nights at a decent hour. 
2. Wake up with the sun early in the morning. Trade room darkening shades and draperies for sheer white curtains and let the sun wake you up naturally.
3. Forego taking a nap during the day. If we synchronize with the Summer sun’s rising and setting, we may not have a need for an afternoon nap.
4. Pause and breathe when anger bubbles to the surface. Let some space of time spent on focusing on taking some deep breaths help to dissipate the negative emotion we feel. Allow the events which we reacted to to become less and less important in our world. Visualize it fading away slowly into a mist.
5. Be physically active. Engage in the opportunities for outdoor activity, athleticism, sports, fun and pleasure that Summer so readily provides. Take in the healing nourishing rays of the sun, while maintaining proper sun protection. Emulate the activity of growth and blooming of Summer’s flora. Be like a radiant vibrant flower yourself.
6. Combine physical activity whether indoors or outdoors with spiritual practices like meditation or reciting any inspiring mantra or spiritual passage you’ve committed to memory over and over. Sing or chant a hymn, prayer or song that holds particular meaning for you while you’re taking a walk, riding your bike or watering your flowers.
7. Practice pranayama, the yogic practice of conscious breathing. Take this time to learn to slow down the breath to a maximum of six breaths per minute to achieve ultimate longevity and vitality. Be sure to do some of your breathing practice outdoors if at all possible. For more information on the six breaths a minute technique, visit our sister site’s blog at agelesslacure.com here.
8. Have fun and appreciate all the nature display that Summer brings. Appreciate the vibrant colors, lush greenery, the warm and brilliant sun, the cooling showers, the warm breezes and the sound of them blowing through the leaves and trees, and the sounds of other people having fun outdoors. Hopefully, you are one of them!

Photo by Sarah Diniz Outeiro at Unsplash