Wei Chi and the Beauty of Emotions

Nature’s richness lies in its power to nourish all living things;
its greatness lies in its power to give them beauty and splendor.  –The I Ching

Make a little time for things that ignite your joy!  –Heart-Math Institute

Maintaining an active Wei Chi is the best way to maintain a strong immune system. In our prior articles of the Wei Chi series we saw the importance of emotions in two ways.

First, Wei Chi is enriched by emotionally satisfying relationships, and second, an absence of negative emotions eliminates the five “devils” described in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the natural enemies of Wei Chi.

We could say that a high E.Q (Emotional Quotient) is the best predictor of strong Wei Chi, and chi defense, in general.

Another way to say it is that mature emotional intelligence that is capable of managing both good relationships with challenging ones combined with a strong mastery over our own negative emotional reactions are the most important elements over which we have and could increase control for the benefit of our holistic health.

As the slogan of the Phytobiodermie method behind PHYTO5 skincare products states: “Beauty is health made visible!”

Even if we do a lot of other things right such as maintain a good diet, get appropriate amounts of exercise, practice breathing exercises, get plenty of sleep, and make regular spa treatments a priority, it will all be insufficient if our E. Q. is low.

Squarely addressing the matter of negative emotions as a barrier to wellness and of positive emotions as a booster of Wei Chi is so important for human wellness that PHYTO5 has evolved an extension of its well-known energetic method to contribute techniques and tools to assist anyone feel and look better.

This treatment approach will soon be presented as a new program called: “PHYTO5 and the Beauty of Emotions.”

The evolution of PHYTO5's new treatment approach is largely borne of two significant factors:

• the fundamental principles of TCM, and

• the evolution of PHYTO5 product formulation resulting in even higher potency levels.

We will explain this new program more fully when we roll out the Beauty of Emotions program and protocol in the near future. For now, and to summarize it into one brief statement, PHYTO5 has developed a new formulation method which has measurably increased the vibrational potency of select PHYTO5 energetic products.

Feeling good must be our objective. It causes us to enjoy life more fully and it makes us more pleasant to be around. Nevertheless, it is almost too easy to focus on the good part of feeling good while many of us are challenged to even recognize or identify our feelings in the first place.

In other words, we must first become conscious of how we feel moment to moment and the impact we make on others' feelings when we interact with each other. 

We cannot manage our emotions and reactions unless we are conscious of them. It is a sine qua non condition of developing our E. Q.

The Beauty of Emotions program as a program of wellness begins by assisting the client/patient to first become aware of how he or she feels.

At first, it may sound at once overly ambitious and somewhat invasive. In our society, we have a tendency to keep our true emotions hidden to such an extent that we either lose our awareness of them or we make efforts to hide them.

Still, there are ways to overcome these tendencies, at least with anyone who is willing. That is why an understanding of the importance of emotions in the process of achieving wellness is so relevant. That willingness borne of our understanding will assist us in improving our emotional quotient. As we improve our E. Q. we automatically elevate our health, happiness, character, and even our physical appearance.

The second part of the Beauty of Emotions program encompasses a number of new and specifically formulated PHYTO5 products which are essential tools of the program. From their very inception, PHYTO5 products were successfully formulated for the purpose of balancing chi. PHYTO5 accomplished this for many decades by creating products in alignment with the formulation principles of TCM and its foundational 5-Element Theory.

All along, PHYTO5 has understood that the "5 Devils” described as the natural enemies of Wei Chi (and of chi, in general) affect all aspects of our health, particularly the energy of our five pairs of organs and the function of the five major fluids. Balancing chi always has a beneficial effect on the emotions attached to each of the five pairs of organs. 

PHYTO5's new product formulation has significantly increased the vibrational rate of PHYTO5 skincare products causing them to work faster and more deeply to balance not only the physical but the emotional aspects of our being.

We'll be sharing more on this fascinating subject when we unveil the Beauty of Emotions treatment protocol at the end of May 2017.

Of course, this program will need to be adapted to functions that a well-trained spa therapist can effectively perform and which he or she is allowed to perform by relevant state authorities. Special training for the Beauty of Emotions protocol will be involved.

In the meantime, think about the benefits of such an approach when you know how most of our spa clients, in fact, most of our population, live daily life under the duress of all sorts of pressure and unprecedented levels of stress.

👉🏼To be among the first to know when The Beauty of Emotions Program is unveiled, please opt-in to our e-newsletter (see bottom of next column for sign-up).

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Sources:

We are inspired by many authors when writing on the vital energy subject, but in particular, by:

1. Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with the Seasons. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 2003. Print.

2. Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

3. Elias, Jason, and Katherine Ketcham. The Five Elements of Self-healing: Using Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity, Wellness, and Health. New York: Harmony, 1998. Print.

4. Gerber, Richard. Vibrational Medicine: New Choices for Healing Ourselves. Santa Fe, NM: Bear, 1996. Print.

5. The abundant writings of Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Wei Chi and the Holistic Treatment

The word 'holistic' is often used in the health and wellness oriented industry, and frequently, very loosely, but what is a true holistic treatment?

As the word indicates, holistic encompasses an approach for a treatment that embraces the entirety of the being. It begs the question: What, in addition to the physical body, exists in and surrounding the patient that must be taken into consideration in order to fully embrace the whole being to make any practice truly holistic?

The first level of increased awareness, going beyond the physical, is fairly obvious and includes the mental and psychological aspects. What people think about themselves and others, combined with their emotional state, are relevant factors affecting any treatment, be it in a spa, a doctor’s office, or on a hospital bed.

At the second level of awareness of what is perceived as a part of the whole being is the notion of vital energy common to all energy medicines. This is sadly absent in so many wellness or medical practices. The fundamental idea that the physical body we see is but the tip of the iceberg is often ignored or considered too esoteric. Yet there is something else that is invisible but essential, namely, that the body is not only vital matter but also vital energy. Further, it is the vital energy that makes the matter vital.

To see a human being in a way that envelopes these two levels is already quite an accomplishment, yet it is incomplete, particularly when it comes to serious diseases with consequences devastating enough that the very spirit of the patient is also under attack. Critical to any possible healing are the core beliefs of the patient in view of the experience he or she is living. This is obviously a subject that concerns not only medical people but patients and would-be patients although this topic remains a very delicate one.

The third level has to do with the spiritual dimension of the one being treated. Some of us might be totally unaware of this aspect, or we might be simply putting it aside, maybe for examination at a later date. Another possibility is we might simply be genuinely oblivious to this part of our constitution. 

From an ultimate point of view, the spiritual state of consciousness of the patient is not only relevant but might be a critical factor in dealing with serious ailments. Clearly, rare are the practitioners who will embrace this view or be willing and comfortable enough to incorporate the patient's spiritual state of consciousness into the equation when faced with a deeply serious health issue which on the surface appears to be simply material or physical.

But how is all of this relevant to our wellness and beauty focus? It actually directly relates back to PHYTO5’s motto: “Beauty is wellness made visible!”

In our previous blog, “Wei Chi and the Three Levels of Defense,” we saw that wellness and beauty concerns are outside the picture at the third and fourth levels of defense, but they are reasonable ones for the first two levels even when both Wei Chi and chi are under attack. It is when Wei Chi is strong and an effective defender of our health that our wellness and beauty objectives are most effectively achieved. 

Maintaining a strong immunity with an active Wei Chi is of primary importance. The role of emotions and the matter of emotional intelligence as the arena we can most directly influence to maintain a strong immune system. Further, even if we do a lot of other things right, such as focus on a proper diet, get adequate exercise, practice breathing exercises, and get plenty of sleep, it will be in vain if our E. Q. (Emotional Quotient) is low.

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Sources:

We are inspired by many authors when writing on the vital energy subject, but in particular, by:

1. Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with the Seasons. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 2003. Print.

2. Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

3. Elias, Jason, and Katherine Ketcham. The Five Elements of Self-healing: Using Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity, Wellness, and Health. New York: Harmony, 1998. Print.

4. Gerber, Richard. Vibrational Medicine: New Choices for Healing Ourselves. Santa Fe, NM: Bear, 1996. Print.

5. The abundant writings of Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Wei Chi and the Three Other Levels of Energetic Defense

When you look for it, there is nothing to see.
When you listen to it, there is nothing to hear.
When you use it, it is inexhaustible.
–Tao Te Ching

Wei Chi is the protector of our outer energy field (aura) and of the superficial layers of the body, the skin.

Any pathogen that will eventually attack the physical body needs first to defeat Wei Chi by penetrating through the aura and past it, through the skin layers. 

We outlined the four sources of Wei Chi:

• one of which (ancestral energy) we have no control over;

• two that are related to our lifestyle and environment and over which we have only partial control; and,

• the fourth one (our positive emotional relationships) over which we should be able to have the greatest influence.

Wei Chi has natural enemies. The first group of these enemies is what traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) calls the five “devils” (essentially climatic conditions) over which we have limited to no control. The second group of enemies is the negative effect of any of the five emotions when they are in excess, out of balance (out of control).

Each of the 5 emotions corresponding to one of the 5 elements is like a coin with two faces, a positive side and a negative side.

This is key: The negative aspect of each emotion diminishes wei chi while the positive side of each one of them becomes our greatest opportunity to strengthen our wei chi.

In short, the source of Wei Chi that we have the most control over is related to our emotional intelligence. It encompasses an ability to minimize the negative while increasing the positive aspects of our emotional life which is very nourishing to our wei chi, the energy of our immune system and the guardian of our health. It literally keeps us out of the doctor's office.

The original slogan of the Phytobiodermie (energetic skincare) method, and of PHYTO5, its skincare brand, “Beauty is health made visible” dates back to the 70’s and in today’s terms we might be more likely to say, “Beauty is well-being made visible.”

This motto is an expression of the Phytobiodermie philosophy and mission. It is the logical outcome of its deep roots in TCM that takes into consideration all the elements that constitute our being. 

Poor eating, poor breathing, lack of movement, climatic aggressions, or destructive emotions, significantly weaken wei chi and our immune system to the point that it might no longer be able to prevent pathogens from reaching deeper into our physical body.

Fortunately, as TCM tells us, there are not one but four different energetic protection levels.

If the first level of wei chi fails, the second level of protection is the chi which flows through the body along meridians or pathways of vital energy.

There are five basic functions attributed to Chi:

1. movement

2. warmth

3. protection

4. transformation, and

5. support.

When pathogens have pierced through wei chi to attack the chi, the illness becomes more stubborn, creating both physical and emotional disturbance in a more pronounced way, although it is not life-threatening.

When the illness gets deeper, the third level of defense–the vital energy of what TCM calls “blood”–has been affected. According to TCM, “blood” is an energetic function that goes beyond the arterial and venous circulation. It includes the movement of other fluids such as those from the hormonal glands and the transport of nutrients, among others.

When this master transportation system breaks down, the body enters a chronic illness level with severe health and emotional consequences. Pain is deeper and more prolonged. From this one and the next level, the body might never return to full health. Containment and mitigation might be the best available outcome.

Any worsening leads to an attack on the fourth level of defense, the energy of the organs. What is at stake at this level, is the very survival of the organs.  A defeated organic chi creates a domino effect, a negative spiral, since each organ affects the proper workings of all the others. When any organ is under siege, it deeply affects how we feel in all aspects of our life. 

At all levels, but particularly the third and fourth, illness is not limited to the physical aspects. Addressing psychological, emotional, and spiritual issues are the only way to bring all aspects of our being now under siege into restored healthy alignment. 

In this state, achieving wellness might be a distant dream.

At the fourth level, survival becomes the ultimate objective. Pain management is a moment-by-moment concern. Healing through the restoration of chi within the entire body requires a proper holistic treatment. In other words, a comprehensive holistic approach to getting well is absolutely required. It is this important topic which we will pursue in our next article and blog post of this Wei Chi series.

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Sources:

We are inspired by many authors when writing on the vital energy subject, but in particular, by:

1. Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with the Seasons. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 2003. Print.

2. Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

3. Elias, Jason, and Katherine Ketcham. The Five Elements of Self-healing: Using Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity, Wellness, and Health. New York: Harmony, 1998. Print.

4. Gerber, Richard. Vibrational Medicine: New Choices for Healing Ourselves. Santa Fe, NM: Bear, 1996. Print.

5. The abundant writings of Deepak Chopra, M.D.

30 Fun Ways to Get More Green Into Your Diet

Since we’re well into the Spring energetic season (until April 17), a time associated with life-giving, detoxifying green, it’s wise that we support ourselves with as many green foods as we can.

Not everyone enjoys green leaves and vegetables but what follows are a number of novel and fun ways to make sure you amp up your diet with green and enjoy the deliciousness of it too!

While most of these ideas provide ways to creatively add greens and green foods to your entrees and side dishes, don’t be afraid to make green the main event!

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

1. Scramble your eggs with cooking greens or add them to your frittata.

2. Add fresh fruit like strawberries to make your highly nutritious spinach salad more interesting.

3. Make a batch of green pesto to have on hand for adding to dishes like pasta or for garnishing dishes like scrambled eggs, soup or roasted veggies.

4. Learn to sprout! It’s so easy to do right in your kitchen with some mason jars, cheesecloth and sprouting seeds. In just a couple days you’ve got green sprouts absolutely brimming with nutrition that you can add to salads, add as soup garnishes or throw in your smoothies.

5. Learn to identify wild edible greens and pick them. Some might be in your backyard or favorite local forest preserve.

6. Everybody loves nuts and seeds so add them to your salads. Not only will they provide texture but lots of nutrition too.

7. Add a handful of spinach or other green to your favorite smoothie to make it green. We suggest spinach ‘cause it won’t alter the flavor intent of your smoothie.

8. Garnish your soups with parsley or cilantro.

9. Never miss adding a beautiful green leaf to your sandwiches. Experiment. Go beyond iceberg or romaine lettuce.

10. Garnish your sandwich plate or even top your salad with dehydrated kale chips. Depending on the sauce massaged into the kale before dehydrating, kids will love eating them instead of potato chips.

11. Add a handful of fresh basil, leaves and stems, to your blenderized soups for a subtle flavor enhancement and nutrition boost.

12. Add green legumes like pea pods and green beans to your side dishes for color, texture and vitality.

13. Learn to make a mean tabbouli. With the main ingredient being parsley, this minted salad is incredibly fresh tasting and you’ll feel so much better about yourself after eating it! You can sub quinoa for the bulgur wheat, if you prefer, and it will taste just as great.

14. Fold finely chopped parsley or spinach into your mashed potatoes or alfredo sauce.

15. Mush some not overcooked broccoli into side dishes for texture, flavor and nutrition.

16. Make some avocado topped toast or spread your toast with a mélange of peas tossed with a small amount of olive oil, quartered grape tomatoes, and edamame. Avocado toast is a current wellness trend!

17. Add shaved or grated courgette (zucchini) into your salad.

18. Have a nice spinach salad or other green leaf salad for breakfast. It’s a fantastic way to start the day.

19. Explore fresh green herbs (oregano, rosemary, basil, dill, cilantro, chervil, chives, tarragon) and learn how to add them to your dishes for an added dimension of healing and flavor.

20. Make green bean “fries” for an awesome snack. Toss washed whole green beans with a bit of olive oil, and then garlic granules, salt and pepper to taste, and munch!

21. Make your wrap sandwiches raw wraps using collard greens, bibb lettuce or swiss chard leaves; you can do the same when making tacos, too.

22. When puréeing your homemade hummus, throw in a half cup of spinach; it will lend a green hue to the hummus and give you added nutrition, but it won’t alter the flavor of the hummus.

23. Top your burger with lightly sautéed greens.

24. Make green dips; spinach-artichoke is always nice.

25. Make simple homemade green salad dressings in your blender; throw six to eight dandelion greens in the blender along with a cup of soaked raw cashews, a half cup of soaked raw sunflower seeds, a cup of water, a squirt of lemon juice, a half teaspoon of turmeric and Himalayan salt to taste and blend until smooth. Delish.

26. Double the amount of green vegetables and half the amount of animal protein in your dishes.

27. Be a sneaky chef; purée some greens and add them to marinara sauce or grate or finely mince the greens and add them to your burger and meatloaf mix.

28. Join the Meatless Monday movement and make green foods the centerpiece of the day.

29. Wilt your greens like spinach, arugula, mustard and dandelion greens; you can add them to your favorite dish or eat them straight with a little salt and pepper and a dash of olive oil.

30. Slightly blacken bundles of bok choy, broccoli or asparagus spears for a unique taste and nutrition treat.

Best Eating Practices For Living In Harmony With Energetic Spring: Part Two

“Adapting itself to obstacles and bending around them, Wood in the earth grows upward without haste and without rest. Thus too the superior man is devoted in the character and never pauses in his progress.”  – Nei Jing (475-221 B.C.)

We still are experiencing the remnants of the Water energy of Winter so though traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) says we have entered the energetic season of Spring, the new energy of the Wood element, as of February 5, it's a bit challenging to think Spring right now, but let's give it a whirl!

As we've said, in TCM the element represented by Spring is Wood. To live in balance with the 5-Element Theory of TCM and indeed, to live in balance with nature of which we are an inherent part, we’ll want to embrace the following attributes, characteristics and specific organ activity for the Wood element and Spring season.

If you are affected by liver problems (the organs associated with Spring are liver and gall bladder), it’s a sign your body may be suffering from insufficient or lack of Wood chi. You can strengthen your Wood chi by consuming more Wood element foods which tend to be sour in taste (sour is the taste for the Wood element). Sour foods facilitate clearing an overburdened liver.

Wood element foods act as astringents and help the blood to circulate, your energy to flow, and emotions to move more elegantly through you. Eating fresh greens during this season naturally cleanses the body of physical and emotional impediments. 

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Wood element foods are cooling and contracting and prevent leakage of body fluids. If you’ve been indulging in a rich, greasy diet, you’ll want to switch to the Wood element foods at this time. 

Check out column two for an exhaustive list of foods for Wood.

Additionally, there are some herbs and spices we can use in springtime food prep that have a sour taste: dill, sour jujube fruit, and hawthorn berry.

Certain pungent and sweet foods such as scallion, garlic, cinnamon, fennel and ginger tend to have an expansive, rising quality. They are very nice to add to springtime meals and will help you resist colds and allergies.

As always, avoid or reduce consumption of foods and drinks that have little redeeming value for the body such as deep fried foods, oil, fat (aside from the more beneficial oils and fat content derived from olive, avocado and coconut), salty foods, spicy foods, alcohol, and sweets.

While we slow cooked our food in Winter by preparing stews and hearty soups, best cooking methods for the Spring energetic season are sauté, stir fry, light simmer, blanch, quick boil, pickle, and marinate.

At this time of year, our diet should be the lightest to enable our systems to cleanse and strengthen the body, mind and spirit.

Check out PHYTO5's Wood element skincare line to address imbalance in the skin such as oiliness, blackheads, hyperpigmentation, and issues of vital energy circulation.

Best Foods for Wood Element (in alphabetical order)

• adzuki beans

• almonds

• baby spinach

• barley

• black cherry

• black currant

• blackberry

• celery

• cheese

• chicken

• chives

• cod

• collard greens

• grapefruit

• green beans

• green cabbage

• green tea

• halibut

• hazelnuts

• herring

• leafy greens

• lemon

• lettuce

• lime

• liver

• long string beans

• napa cabbage

• nuts

• oats

• olives

• peas

• pickles

• pineapple

• plums

• raspberry

• rose hips

• rye

• sauerkraut

• scallions

• sour grapes

• sour green apples

• sour green star fruit

• sourdough

• spinach

• sprouts

• tomatoes

• vinegar

• walnuts

• wheat

• yogurt

 …

Sources:

Nguyen, Phil N. Feng Shui for the Curious and Serious. New Jersey: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Print.

Thunderhawk, Denise, L. Ac. The 5-Element Guide to Healing with Whole Foods. N.p.: Lulu, 2016. Print.

Best Practices for Living In Harmony with Energetic Spring: Part One

Though the weather may still feel like Winter because of the remnants of the Water energy of Winter according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the new energy of Wood since February 5, is well into the energetic season of Spring.

In TCM, the element represented by Spring is Wood. To live in balance with the 5-Element Theory of TCM and indeed, to live in balance with nature of which we are an inherent part, we’ll want to embrace the following attributes, characteristics and specific organ activity for the Wood element and Spring season.

1) The color for the Wood element is green. Bring green into your life in all sorts of ways–in your diet and even in your home decor.

2) Liver and gall bladder are the organs associated with the Wood element. If you have liver or gall bladder issues and/or you have a Wood element imbalance, incorporate more of what is outlined in this post and in the post to follow into your daily life. Click here for complete best eating practices.

Indications of too much Wood chi, a Wood imbalance, include stiff muscles and joints, liver troubles, sallow or yellowish skin, panic attacks, hysteria, neck pain, and stroke. Emotion-oriented displays of Wood imbalance include anger, resentment, bitterness, lack of compassion, erratic behavior, low self-esteem, shouting, complaining, arguing, violence, abuse, incessant arguing. These indicate strong Wood imbalance.

3) In addition to food, Wood element fragrances like lavender, orange, citrus, grapefruit, and chamomile can be used and enjoyed to uplift and strengthen Wood chi and help create more balance in Wood.

4) The green gemstones of green jade, emerald, and green opal may assist the flow of Wood chi. 

5) TCM-advised sound and breathing exercises for each element also help to bring imbalance to balance. 

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

For Wood, the healing sound is easy. It’s a long “Shhhh” – as in telling someone to be quiet. On the exhale of a deep breath, this sound will help to release anger and frustration. It can help to soften the person suffering with anger and at the same time assist to quell ailments in the liver and gall bladder. 

The five element healing sounds are actually breathing exercises that are best done every day at least five times a week, taking at least six deep breaths, the deeper the better. It is most beneficial to do the exercises outdoors where chi is fresh, preferably in the morning, with the sun shining on you from the East but they can most definitely be done indoors too.

You will want to inhale through your nose until your abdomen is full of fresh air and then exhale out through the mouth making the soft healing sound Shhhh. On the inhale, imagine positive chi entering your body and cleansing the negative chi and ailments in your body. On the exhale, imagine pushing out the negative chi and ailments.

6) It is important to practice mindfulness and meditation at this time of year to bring clarity of vision, because the liver governs the health of the eyes and the clarity received applies both literally and figuratively. 

7) The time is energetic Spring! Rise early with the sun and take brisk walks. Live in harmony with Spring!

Check out PHYTO5's Wood element skincare line to address imbalance in the skin such as oiliness, blackheads, hyperpigmentation, and issues of vital energy circulation.

…

Sources:

Nguyen, Phil N. Feng Shui for the Curious and Serious. New Jersey: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Print.

Thunderhawk, Denise, L. Ac. The 5-Element Guide to Healing with Whole Foods. N.p.: Lulu, 2016. Print.

Skincare Professionals! Here's How to Truly Set Yourself Apart from All the Other Spas In Your Area

PHYTO5 equipment was designed and is manufactured in Europe starting with earlier versions several decades ago. It stems from our conviction that in addition to the visible aspect of the human body, there are others, unseen, with great influence on how we feel and how we look, namely, our energy envelope and interior energetic centers and pathways.

These are the tenets of PHYTO5’s philosophy which we apply to our award winning technology:

1. The body is not simply matter but vital energy as well. It is vital energy which makes vital matter vital (alive vibrationally). This understanding dates back to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine. It was revived in the twentieth century with the findings of quantum physics. Since those findings, a number of members of the medical community in Europe, Asia, and the U. S. have conducted conclusive research on the subject. Today, vital energy is measurable, thus proven. It is a carrier of essential information to all cells, tissues and organs of the body.

2. The body is about 80% fluids (matter). TCM highlights five major fluids: water, arterial blood (red blood), venous blood (blue blood), lymph, and vital energy. The function of the major fluids is to provide oxygen and nutrients to all cells and tissues (function of red blood), and consequently, to provide waste removal (blue blood removes carbonic gas and lymph removes waste matter resulting from the metabolism of the cells). Water being the largest component of the body, it must be allowed to circulate and not stagnate. That circulation depends on the activity of the diaphragm when we breathe and move around. It needs to fight gravity that would accumulate water in our legs. None of those functions would occur with the flow of vital energy.

3. The skin is an organ. It receives vital energy and its tissues are fed and cleansed by the harmonious workings of the energy of the five elements and the proper circulation of the five fluids corresponding to the five elements.

4. TCM attributes five aspects (phases or components) to vital energy. They are called the five elements. Each element drives the energy that is specific to each one of the five fluids.

5. Everything in the body is in a vibrational state. In fact, everything in the universe and on planet Earth is submitted to its own vibrational state although our five physical senses are not equipped to notice.

6. Any object (matter)–any piece of solid or amount of fluid–will respond to a specific vibration according to its mass. It is called the “pitch” of the object. This is part of the laws of harmonics stemming from the study of music whose consequences have been used in modern engineering and many other fields. 

7. In his book Vibrational Medicine, Richard Gerber, MD. states two important truths:

• “The physical body is actually a complex network of interwoven energy fields.”

• “If we are beings of energy, it follows that we can be affected by energy.”

Of course, we can be affected either in positive (wellness enhancing) ways as we can be affected in negative ways ranging from discomfort to illness.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Equipment

There are two primary pieces of equipment created by PHYTO5:

1. The Biorhythmic Drainer: This technology balances the five major fluids according to TCM. A number of companies have created similar drainage machines or incorporated similar functions in multi-purpose pieces of equipment, however the PHYTO5 Biorhythmic Drainer is still unique inasmuch as it is not limited to lymph drainage.

2. The Chromapuncteur is a light machine. This PHYTO5 machine is unique inasmuch as it does not use LED technology that provides limited frequencies but a dichroic filter technology that reproduces the entire range of frequencies for each of the seven natural component colors of sunlight. The Chromapuncteur can be used to work on acupuncture points, chakras (energetic centers), reflex zones, and to perform energetic drainage in tandem with the Biorhythmic Drainer.

3. Each piece of equipment can be free-standing, or the two can be combined to work together, in particular, to perform “energetic drainages” for the purpose of balancing the five major fluids. The machines are made to connect together the mechanical movement of the drainage with the energetic potency of any of the nine colors of light from the Chromapuncteur.

A third piece of equipment, the Biostimulateur, is totally unmatched in the industry, and reserved for advanced energetic treatments on energetic zones, acupuncture points and meridians, in support of treatments offered in spas, wellness centers, and skincare institutes.

How PHYTO5 Equipment Works

Here we are focusing on the two primary pieces of PHYTO5 equipment:

1. Biorhythmic Drainer: Its purpose is to be able to balance any of the five major fluids of TCM (water, red blood, blue blood, lymph, and vital energy). All skin conditions can be improved by working not only at the level of the skin, but also on the energy of the fluids. To that end, the Biorhythmic Drainer has five pre-calibrated frequencies that set the proper (balanced) rhythm of each of the five fluids. Since each fluid, when balanced, has its own specific “pitch” and moves at its own specific rhythm, the drainage with the Biorhythmic Drainer using the pre-calibrated rhythm will “remind” the fluid to move at its proper rhythm to maintain its harmonious movement thereby providing optimum function.

2. Chromapuncteur: Light is energy that moves as electromagnetic waves. Each of the seven component colors of white (sun) light consists of a range of frequencies. The equipment reproduces that range for each of the colors offered by the machine. The “pitch” of each fluid will respond to a specific color of light because it is in harmony with that particular range of frequencies. 

To Sum It Up:

1. The Biorhythmic Drainer is superior to any other similar machine for two reasons:

   1. No other machine has a systematic way to work on more than simply lymph.

   2. It is made to be combined with the Chromapuncteur to perform award-winning“energetic drainages” that are unique to PHYTO5.

2. Although the Biorhythmic Drainer has a proven track record and can significantly improve the results of any skincare treatment (face and/or body), the results are enhanced when both Biorhythmic Drainer and Chromapuncteur work in tandem to perform the “energetic drainages” and balance the energy of all five TCM fluids.

3. With the Chromapuncteur, not only are energetic drainages possible, but additional energetic work using light therapy becomes available.

Make Eating a Conscious Thing

Most people are now aware that fast foods are generally bad for their health and that consumption of fried foods should be kept to a minimum.

There are many slimming diets on the market, but too often they are not balanced meals for proper ongoing nutrition.

We are all very different physically and so are our nutritional needs. It makes sense to try to find an approach that is adapted to you, rather than following government sponsored guidelines that are flawed. These guidelines treat everyone as if they were made by the same widget factory.

The concept that Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo outlines in his book, Eat Right for Your Type, makes sense because it recognizes our individual differences based on our blood type (one of four) corresponding to different metabolic capabilities and, consequently, different nutritional needs.

Ayurveda also teaches nutrition according to the three doshas or energetic types known as pitta, vata, and kapha. Ayurveda also illustrates the need to adapt to our specific composition or dominating energies.

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D. challenges, in an informed and documented way, what they call the “Diet Dictocrats” who are all the governmental and quasi-governmental agencies more bent on defending the interests of powerful corporate lobbies than promoting the well-being of the people.

Energetic Food: Traditional Chinese Medicine offers an approach to nutrition based on the five elements. That is the basis for the FoodScan program created by the German company, Medprevent whose approach is very complementary to the PHYTO5 method. And the work of Dr. Haas, author of Staying Healthy with the Seasons, is in total harmony with the PHYTO5 approach.

From an energetic point of view, it is good to remember that food releases energy during the metabolism process. Both the quantity and the quality of energy matter.

Food contributes to the vital energy that we need, but that energy comes with a certain bulk that needs both energy and oxygen to process.

It is advisable to eat what is energetically rich (natural nutrients) with limited bulk and to avoid what is abundant in bulk but limited in energy. In this respect, the model of good food is a genuine farm egg that is free of added antibiotics and hormones. It represents great concentration of nutrients for a small volume.

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The worst is any bulky food heated in a microwave oven that kills all the nutrients and remains void of vital energy. Many people have a bulk-rich diet void of nutrients and vital energy. As a result, they remain hungry and eat more bulk that eventually accumulates in their body. It becomes a vicious cycle. It is one of the real issues in the standard American diet, yet few people speak about it in those terms because the politically powerful food industry is more about bulk than nutrition.

The energetic quality of our food is either yin or yang.

Meat is more yang than vegetables. Red meat is the most yang; veal or pork are less yang; and poultry the least yang of meat.

Although, some fish, such as tuna, is quite yang, fish is more yin than meat.                                                   

Vegetables that grow in the ground such as potatoes and beets are more yang than leafy vegetables.

It is recommended to eat cooling or yin food during the strong yang season such as Summer and to eat yang food during the strong yin season of Winter.

It makes more sense to have a steak and mashed potatoes in the Winter than on a hot summer day when salads and fruit are more appropriate.

It is always recommended to eat the food of the season because they are in balance with the energy of that season. The color of fruit and vegetables is often used as a telltale sign of when it is best to eat them.

For example, yellow fruit and vegetables are recommended during the transitional Earth season happening now (the period of 18 days between seasons), while a (red) tomato is preferred during the Summer, the season of the Fire element according to traditional Chinese medicine).

The Chinese New Year Is January 28! What We Can Learn from Taoist Astrology for 2017!

The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle, contrary to the Gregorian calendar which is based on the apparent movement of the sun. The date of each Chinese New Year takes place on the second moon after the Winter solstice. Because the dates of the new moon vary from year to year, it follows that the date of the New Year varies from one year to the next. 

The Chinese New Year is broadly observed in Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly, China, Korea and Japan. It has its roots in Taoism.

It is interesting to note that there are twelve branches in Taoist astrology as is the case for Western astrology with the twelve signs of the zodiac. Each branch is designated by the name of an animal reflecting some of the characteristics implied in the nature of the animal. 

As with all things that are rooted in Taoism, each branch is declined in five versions to reflect the characteristics of each of the five elements of Chinese medicine—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—and also, simultaneously, by the yin/yang duality.

Consequently, there are six yang branches and six yin branches. It means that 6 of the 12 animals are deemed yin and 6 are deemed yang. The yang years are the ones ending with an even number; and the yin years are the ones ending with an odd number. The yin animals will only appear in years ending with an odd number, and the yang animals will only appear in years ending with an even number.

Altogether, this creates a cycle of 60 years. It means that the yearly characteristics of Taoist astrology repeat themselves only every 60 years. It provides for ample distinctions on the energetic influence of each year! It is interesting to note the influence of numerology in the organization of the Chinese astrology system. 

The Chinese New Year starting January 28, 2017, is the one of the Phoenix, more popularly described as the Rooster. It is defined as a yin branch (animal), but as it is declined in the 5 elements, each element brings a lesser or greater yin or yang influence.

2017 is a year for a Fire type animal as it is the case for any year ending with a 7. Phoenix being a yin animal, will appear with the yin aspect of Fire. That combination – yin of Fire - is given the purple color which is why 2017 is the year of the Purple Phoenix.

A yang animal, such as the Monkey (the animal of 2016) during a Fire year (as it was in 2016) represents the yang of the yang and is given the descriptive color of red. No wonder that the Red Monkey of 2016 created such havoc on so many different levels! It was predicted.

In 2017, the characteristics of the Purple Phoenix are defined by a Fire influence, the most yang aspect of the 5 elements, but it is tempered by its inherent yin.  

Taoist astrology predicts that: “The year of the phoenix is a time of practical endeavors, conscientiousness, hard work, and discipline. Politically, conservative police states gain power, and law and order are championed.” 

“Purple Phoenix adores the spotlight…In business, Purple Phoenix desires success, fame, wealth, and status in society. She is intense and competitive when pursuing materialistic goals…”

–Levitt, Susan, and Jean Tang. Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. p. 171. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 1997. Print.

A Tao Te Ching Verse for Phoenix

Fame or integrity: which is more important?

Money or happiness: which is more valuable?

Success or failure: which is more destructive?

If you look to others for fulfillment you will never truly be fulfilled.

If your happiness depends on money you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have. Rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize nothing is lacking the whole world belongs to you.

Sources:

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Feng Shui: The Ancient Roots of the Chinese Art of Placement. Rochester, VT.: Destiny, 2000. Print.

Levitt, Susan, and Jean Tang. Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. p. 171. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 1997. Print.

Clarifying the Effect of the Energetic Seasons on Your Skincare Regimen: When to Switch from Water to Earth

January 17 is the end of the energetic season of the Water element associated with the Winter energy.

This means that the energetic influence of Water will cease operating and from the 18th of January to the 4th of February the seasonal energetic activity “returns to Earth” for 18 days before it reappears on the 5th of February as the energy of the Spring season (Wood element).

How does this change affect your skincare regimen and your choice of products?

We need to remember that there is a lag time between the change of energetic influence and the visible consequences, or symptoms, of the change.

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When the Water season ends, its climatic influence is still felt. At that time, the climate in most of the U.S. is still one of Winter, particularly in the Northern half of the country, and the need to protect against the cold and its effects on our skin is still present and not to be ignored. 

For most people it means that a continuation of the Winter regimen is quite logical as long as the Winter climate is in effect, but the people who have a predisposition to Earth conditions (pimples, blemishes or acne, and issues of lymph circulation) need to be aware that with the Earth season their condition will worsen.

It is also the best time to address the issues of the earth skin conditions. They are the people who need to switch lines (and professional treatments) on time.

Using both the Water products and the Earth products might be called for depending on the individual’s condition and the climate at the time.

Because the Water products are also anti-aging products (hydration and tone), given the age and skin condition of the individual, the Water line might be the right choice for most of the year. 

For many of our clients in the U.S., it is important to prolong the use of the Water line past the January 17 unless their dominant concern is the skin conditions associated with the Earth element. In that case, switching to Earth is recommended. 

Late Winter Lifestyle Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

The Earth element in Chinese medicine corresponds to what we might think of as the ending of each season and is related to the concept of transformation. Although the Earth element is often associated with late Summer or Indian Summer, it also occurs in late Winter, late Spring and late Fall. 

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In other words, as the end of each of the traditional four seasons approaches, the “heavenly” (cosmic) seasonal energy goes back to the Earth for transformation into the energy of the next season.

According to Chinese medicine,

 “…its influence manifests for 18 days at the end of each of the four seasons and it does not pertain to any season of its own…” – The Classic of Categories (1624) by Zhang Jie Bin.

Earth is not unlike the center of the compass. It is a pivot point, so to speak, around which the four seasons and the other four elements spin. But, occurring four times a year for 18 days each, these periods totaling 72 days and which bear similar characteristics are referred to as the Earth energetic season or fifth season of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

The next Earth energetic period is from January 18 to February 4. An Earth imbalance creates any one of the following group of conditions affecting the skin:

• blemishes

• toxicity

• acne

• psoriasis

• enlarged pores and

• lymph circulation problems.

PHYTO5 has created a very specific skin and hair care line designed to help address these imbalances.

Unlike Wood and Fire elements in TCM defined by a rising and peaking yang, and unlike Metal and Water elements with a rising and peaking yin, Earth represents a balance between yin and yang energies. As such, the Earth element represents warm, stable, grounded, loving, emotional characteristics. It is nurturing, comforting, calm, solid and stable. Earth is all about family, community and gathering, eating now and gathering, collecting, holding and storing for later.

Earth energy type people are sentimental and maintain their attachments to other people, things, and places. Earth types tend to savor the sweetness of life and being human and they find enjoyment in all the comforts and pleasures of life. But, as with each element, Earth types can become imbalanced and demonstrate physical and emotional challenges.

According to TCM, Earth is about ingestion and absorption, not just of food but of ideas and emotions. An Earth element imbalance in the body is the result of ingesting too much, or its opposite–stagnation, the slowing down of chi energy flow in the body, or an outright inability to consume or subsequently digest ideas, emotions, or food.

Earth types are thoughtful but can worry too much. They can feel sympathy, deeply allowing them to feel connected to others, but these same emotions taken too far can cause them to feel stuck, unable to act or think clearly, with an over-dependence on others for their opinions, judgment and advice.

Earth types are quite good at maintaining family and friend relationships. They love situations that require them to work with others. They enjoy teamwork and collaborative work environments.

Well-balanced Earth people usually have a healthy complexion, soft facial features, sturdy and balanced body frame, exhibiting an earthiness to their appearance.

The organs most closely associated with Earth are the spleen and the stomach and the digestive system as a whole. The Discussion of Prescriptions from the Golden Chest (c. AD 220) by Zhang Zhong Jing says:

“During the last period of each season, the Spleen is strong enough to resist pathogenic factors.”

Earth also has influence over the pancreas, the large muscles of the body on the upper arms and lower legs, the abdomen, the middle back, the lymph system and the diaphragm. Of course, proper lymph circulation is important in keeping a strong immune system and a healthy complexion.

The Earth periods are the best time to address Earth conditions. They are also the times when Earth energy can make existing Earth imbalance in people worse, therefore balancing Earth energy during the Earth periods with Earth treatments and products is highly recommended, particularly for Earth type people.

Sources:

Maciocia, Giovanni. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Text. Edinburgh: Elsevier, 2015. Print.

Bridges, Lillian. Face Reading in Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2012. Print.

Living Beyond Our "Prescribed" Genetics

Among many critical factors influencing the aging process, our genetic heritage is a major one. Obviously, genetics escape our control, yet twins with an identical genetic imprint can age differently, pointing to the presence of other factors, namely lifestyle related.

Some are the conditions in which we live such as climate over which we have no control either. But other factors have to do with how we choose to live our lives. At the same time, many of these choices are still not within the realm of our decision-making so long as we have not become aware of their effects, positive or negative.

The physical effects of aging may accelerate as a result of:

• where you live (dry or humid, hot or cold, temperate or extreme climates)

• your socioeconomic conditions (depening on the time and resources you have to take care of yourself)

• your relationships (family and friends)

• your psychological frame of mind (tendency to worry, embrace fear and anger, or to laugh and be merry)

• your diet

• your exercise routine

• your socializing habits

• various personal disciplines you might or might not have, including how you handle stress (at work and in your private life) your spiritual life.

Some factors have little to do with the amount of free time or disposable income you have.

• Do you drive when you could walk instead?

• Do you take the escalator rather than the stairs?

• Do you take every opportunity you have to stretch, exercise, and breathe deeply?

• Do you take a few minutes, even a few seconds, throughout the day to meditate and to manage your negative emotions when they appear?

• Do you find reasons to smile and to laugh?

• Can you stay clear of smoking and alcohol (beyond an occasional beer or glass of wine) and recreational drugs?

Exercise, nutrition and diet (including the choice for energetic foods and phytochemicals in our diet), colon therapy and inner cleansing, and mindfulness practice are all key elements of a lifestyle designed to slow the aging process as much as possible.

In this post, we’ll focus on exercise, so pertinent for this time of year, and we’ll discuss food, inner cleansing and mindfulness practices in soon upcoming posts.

Exercise does not need to be strenuous, but we do need two types of exercises: stretching and cardiovascular.  Exercising in general, and stretching in particular, sponsors the movement of vital energy throughout the body, accelerating the flow of blood that brings necessary nutrients to all cells. It also stimulates the process of elimination of waste within cells and tissues.

It is good to remember that we generate more internal energy as we exercise, but depending on the type of exercise, we might also expend a large amount of energy, leaving us depleted at the end of our session. The goal is to build up energy while expending as little of it as possible. In that respect, low impact and moderately intensive cardiovascular exercises are superior forms of wellness enhancement.

Mindful exercising connects intention to action. It is important because energy follows our intention, therefore we can redirect it. Yoga, qi gong, and tai chi are known for their focus on the coordination of movement and breath with intention and awareness. There are many other activities that can be performed with conscious focus, from golf to simply walking upstairs.

All this is contrary to the frequent practice of mechanically performing exercises while listening to music or watching television in an attempt to distract the mind from repetitive and boring movements.

Conscious breathing should also be considered part of our exercise regimen. For most people, twenty to thirty minutes of accelerated breathing three times a week is quite sufficient.  Experts point to the need of breathing from the abdomen and not simply from the top of the lungs. This action helps the movement of the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body that acts as a major pump for the movement of lymph and of water throughout the body.

Source:

Energetic Skincare Naturally by Jon Canas

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The book by PHYTO Distribution President Jon Canas that evokes a greater awareness of the possibilities for achieving enhanced beauty and vitality when working with vital energy.

Energetic Skincare Naturally outlines a very progressive yet non-traditional approach to skincare. It is based on principles different from those used by the great majority in the beauty industry although more and more professionals are now paying attention to the concepts of vital energy, not simply in the rhetoric of marketing, but in their practices. The book's core message is that proper skincare is an integral part of a consciousness of wellness; this comprehensive book takes the reader on a journey through energy medicine, both modern day and time honored.

Author, Jon Canas, was CEO of the Swiss company, Laboratoire Gibro, S.A., which formulates, manufactures, and distributes the PHYTO5 skincare lines worldwide and is now President of its American distributor, PHYTO Distribution, Inc.

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Back to Basics: Five Key Ideas On Energy and Consciousness

First, the body is not simply matter but is what is known as vital energy as well. In fact, it’s vital energy that makes vital matter, vital.

Second, everything has an energy field.

Third, our being is not simply physical. It has a number of additional dimensions or aspects of our being, and each aspect creates a specific energy field. 

Each field is more or less strong depending on how important that aspect of our being is. This includes our physical body, our emotions, our thoughts, and our beliefs. It covers the physical, the psychological, the mental, and the spiritual realms.

As a result, we are a symphony of energy fields.

Each one of us is like a musical band playing its own particular music more or less loud, more or less melodious, more or less soft or aggressive… constantly projected outwardly into our environment.

It reaches not only other humans, but animals, plants and beyond since we know from the work of Masaru Emoto that it is proven that water molecules respond to our thoughts and emotions. 

It is significant to be aware that our presence has an impact on every one else in contact with us—humans, animals, plants and everything else that receives the energetic imprint of our presence; and, conversely, who project their own.

That awareness is self-awareness (in a good sense) and part of conscious living. A lack of that awareness is likely to present in behaviors from caustic relationships with others to a lack of sensitivity for our ecological environment. 

Fourth, what we commonly perceive with our physical senses and intellect is never the whole picture. 

Example: The physical body hides the presence of vital-energy from our physical senses and “common sense.” In short, what appears is not the full reality. True of us. True of others, thus the importance of the practicing “holistic” approach.

It is a key principle in all energy medicines but should apply to all aspects of our lives starting with our relationship with others.

It means that to discover the real picture we need to look beyond the appearance, beyond the obvious, and see the person as a whole being and to evaluate any situation within its broader context. 

Fifth, all human emotions can be placed on a spectrum defined by two sets of fundamentally opposite qualities.

On the one hand, we have love and its many manifestations: respect, civility, patience, tenderness, compassion, empathy, and the various altruistic expressions.

On the other hand, there is fear, anger, hate, jealousy, and the many expressions of selfishness.

That which tends toward love is referred to as among the higher emotions and that which tends toward fear is referred to as among the lowest emotions. This has been expressed in modern language as the “positive energies” and the “negative energies.”

All the great moral and social philosophers and all the major spiritual teachers throughout the ages have spoken of this. For some, it is the law of karma. For others, it is the Golden Rule–“do unto others as you would have them to unto you,” or “as you sow, so shall you reap.”

The wisdom of the ages, religious or not, is now proven by science. It clearly tells us that the so-called positive energies are more beneficial to us and others than are the negative energies.

Positive energy promotes more positive energy and negative energy promotes more negative energy.

This is magnified in groups as collective consciousness that becomes an energy of its own affecting anyone in its sphere of influence. It is visible in religious groups as much as it is visible in political ones, and it affects the nation’s frame of mind.

Yes, you could object by pointing to the approach illustrated in older Judaic scriptures, “an eye for an eye.” That was the common wisdom expressing a self-preservation state of consciousness some 3,500 to 4,000 years ago.

But a higher level of consciousness was taught some 2,000 years ago by a Jewish rabbi of Nazareth who preached: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

This precept is found in just about all authentic spiritual teachings. It is also the altruism found in the great humanists, be they believers, agnostics or atheists. It is the higher wisdom that “conscious living” attempts to promote. It benefits us, others, and our environment.

Conversely, fear, anger, hate, jealousy and selfishness are not only destructive to our environment and to our relationships, they poison our own essence and substance, slowly destroying our own fabric, causing sickness and misery.

Jesus, in his seminal Sermon on the Mount, taught to an astonished audience that sinning is not simply in the act (i.e. stealing, adultery, killing) but also in the emotions and thoughts of desire, anger, selfishness.

This idea was expressed 2,000 years earlier by Taoist sages and their practical notion of Traditional Chinese Medicine, that sickness can be created by negative emotions. It makes even more sense when you learn that the term sin was a translation of the Aramaic idea (Aramaic being the form of Jewish language actually spoken by Jesus) meaning, missing the mark. In other words the “missing of the mark” is a fundamental error, a mistake, a not knowing the truth. 

It is not only relative to the rules of religion, but of conscious living. It is the boomerang that returns to hit us unaware.

13 Possible Signs You Have a "Water Element Imbalance" According to Chinese Medicine

During Winter, it is important that we conserve our energy as a seed does in nature, that we rest and preserve the essence of life, preparing for the rebirth of Spring. 

Water, the element associated with the energetic season of Winter in traditional Chinese medicine, is the source of life.

It flows, hydrates and purifies. It’s a vehicle carrying nourishment to living things–plants, animals, humans. It can be hard or soft, gentle or powerful, flowing or standing still and stagnating.

In its natural environment it seeks always to flow downwards and fill every space it contacts, but in our body the water circulates in spite of the lack of a designated pump such as the heart for blood circulation. The proof that there is such water circulation is the fact that without it our body shape would be totally different with all the bulk in our legs.

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Water circulation is the function of the aspect of vital energy called Water. Proper distribution comes from movement and good breathing. Deep breathing throughout the day activates the largest muscle in the body, the diaphragm, which provides a powerful pumping action ensuring water circulation throughout the body.

In very cold climates, the Winter tendency to hibernate and reduce physical activity must be overcome to ensure enough physical movement and deep breathing necessary for proper water circulation and to avoid water retention, particularly in the legs.

When we’re born, our bodies are about 80% water. As we grow older, we progressively lose water from evaporation that has not been properly replaced. A healthy adult body is comprised of about 75% water. Elderly people might even get to a low of 60%. Further dehydration can become a cause of death.

“The more buff you are (muscle tissue stores more water) the wetter you are. Because women generally have more fat cells, they tend to be a bit drier. Fat cells aren’t as moist. The water that lubricates your joints flushes your waste, assists seminal reproduction, and absorbs shocks to your bones—as you age, the moisturizer in you slowly dwindles.” –Robert Krulwich, Krulwich Wonders on NPR

The importance of proper hydration cannot be underestimated. The medical community is increasingly realizing that most adults are more or less in a severe state of dehydration.

Unfortunately, our drinking water quality is not always satisfactory. Drinking an ample amount of good water is necessary but not fully sufficient. Minerals and electrolytes are necessary. In this regard, fluid from fruits and vegetables is highly desirable. Conversely, too much dry food ( an example would be crackers) contributes to inner dryness.

It is recommended to drink a cup of water per waking hour at regular intervals during the day. It is also good to have water available if and when we wake up during the night. Drinking sodas or coffee is not a substitute for our very necessary water intake quota. In fact, any diuretic such as coffee will eliminate fluid from our body requiring a double dose of hydration to compensate. 

Although occasional flushing of toxins from active perspiration is desirable, the rest of the time, limiting natural evaporation–loss of water from our body–is necessary. Application of a good hydrating cream on the face or hydrating body lotion after a bath or shower will also assist to reduce the rate of evaporation through the day.

During the Winter energetic season, , signs that we are not in balance with the energetic flow of the season and its element, Water, include the following:

• Joint weakness, joint swelling, rheumatism, arthritis, tooth decay, osteoporosis (bones and bone marrow are the tissues associated with Winter in TCM). All bones draw nourishment from the energy of kidney and bladder. The cells that carry nourishment, strength and renewal throughout the body are regenerated in the bone marrow.

• Thirst and dryness (water is the element associated with Winter according to TCM).

• Frequency or infrequency of urination (the Winter associated orifices are the genitals, urethra, and anus; kidney is Winter’s organ and bladder Winter’s viscera).

• Excess or deficiency of perspiration, putrid body odor (when the water element is not flowing adequately even to the point of stagnation in the body).

• Reduced metabolism; dehydration compromises metabolism.

• High or low blood pressure (salty is the taste of the Winter season). Too much salt in the system causes fluid retention and is therefore not recommended for high blood pressure patients. Too much salty food is bad for the blood.

• Sexual weakness, infertility, sterility (the genitals are one of the orifices associated with Winter in TCM). Healthy reproduction, the functioning of the testes and ovaries, and the flow of energy necessary to perform the sexual act all depend on Water element balance. The environment essential for the development of the embryo is water.

• Depression, inhibited or blocked emotions, apathy, lack of will power or determination (will power is the spiritual resource associated with Winter in TCM). The kidney (Winter’s organ) stores Jing, the life force or impetus. Without good Jing, one can have difficulty coping with even the simplest of tasks.

• Fear, aloofness, shyness, phobias, an inability to face risk (fear is Winter’s associated emotion). A feeling of foreboding or anxiety may arise. An inability to let go of anxieties or falling into despair is a sign of Water imbalance. “Extreme fear can damage the kidneys, but it can be counteracted by contemplation.” –Neijing Suwen

• Vertigo, dizziness, loss of balance (ears are the sense organ for Winter in TCM).

• Balding (hair is the external physical manifestation of Winter). Strong healthy hair reflects good Jing or life force.

• Constant complaints (moaning and groaning are known as the sound associated with TCM’s Winter energetic season).

• Shaking as a release of withheld tension (accumulation and storage are associated with the Winter element in TCM).

...............................

Sources

– Krulwich, Robert. Krulwich Wonders. "Born Wet, Human Babies Are 75 Percent Water. Then Comes The Drying."http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2013/11/25/247212488/born-wet-human-babies-are-75-percent-water-then-comes-drying. N.p., 26 Nov. 2013. Web.

Chellini, Serena. Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine. N.p.: Google, n.d. Print.

More Than A Dozen Oh So Nutritious Black Foods for Winter

Chinese medicine’s health “encyclopedia,” the Neijing Suwen, translated as ”The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor,” says that the corresponding relationship among all the "fives" (seasons, elements, organs, flavors, moods, colors) gives clear guidance in how to maintain harmony of body, mind and spirit during the natural cycles of each energetic season.

The color is black for the energetic season of Winter which we have recently entered (Nov. 8 to Jan. 17). 

So how do we harmonize with Winter with the color black? One way is through the food we consume during this time.

Believe it not, the Neijing Suwen prescribes the consumption of black foods. In Chinese medicine, black foods are the best for Winter, green foods for Spring, red foods for Summer, yellow foods for late Summer and white foods for Autumn.

Black foods tend to be rich in inorganic salt and melanin. Inorganic salt can help promote fluid metabolism and it is a detoxifer. Melanin can help restrict nitrosamine (a carcinogenic compound) and thus prevent cancer.

FYI!: foods containing nitrosamines include cured meats, primarily cooked bacon, beer, some cheeses, nonfat dry milk and occasionally fish.

We’ve included an interesting list of black foods in the next column along with just a smattering of their bountiful health benefits. One thing you’ll notice is a common thread running through these foods: antioxidants! Black, deep purple, nearly black foods contain lots of them!

Black foods tend to be overlooked in our diets and are just as nutritious as eating green foods which are already commonly accepted as ultra healthy. 

Black foods abound in natural plant pigments called anthocyanins (derived from Greek meaning “flower” and “blue”). This is what makes cherries red, blueberries blue, and blackberries black. Actually, most black foods are blue-black or almost black. The darker the pigment of the food, the more anthocyanins are present. Anthocyanins belong to the flavonoid class of molecules and are essentially, antioxidants. The seed coat of black soybeans contains the highest recorded amount of anthocyanins.

During energetic Winter, balance your black food intake with yellow-orange vegetables, tubers and gourds. Put the emphasis on eating warming foods. Warming foods tend to be yang, promoting circulation and metabolism and placing an upward, outward influence on the body.

Now’s the perfect time for stews and soups. Many of the following ingredients can be incorporated into your one-pot meals, especially black garlic, black lentils or beans, eggplant and black polished rice. Have fun! Yum!

Some health benefits of anthocyanin in black or nearly black foods: 

• Combatting and prevention of cancer

• Anti-aging effect

• Reduced risk of hardening of the arteries

• A more efficient fat burning metabolism

• Decreased cholesterol and improved blood circulation

14 Nutritious Black Foods That Satisfy and Contribute to Preventive Health:

1. Black sea salt (also known as Kala Namak): high sulphur content is very good for your skin

2. Black pepper: stimulates food digesting enzymes

3. Black currant: immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory

4. Black tea: loaded with antioxidants

5. Black polished rice or Forbidden rice: loads of vitamin E for immune system

6. Black soybeans (also known as kuromame): enormous anthocyanin content; see health benefits of anthocyanins below

7. Black lentils: loaded with iron

8. Blackberries: may help reduce cognitive decline in older age and fiber rich

9. Black beans: full of bioflavonoids that protect against cancer

10. Black sesame: enhances bone health and helps you sleep better

11. Black fungus (also known as wood ear),: rich in iron and vitamin K, regular consumption can help prevent atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

12. Black garlic: contains twice the antioxidant levels as fresh garlic; it is made by heating whole bulbs of garlic over the course of several weeks, a process that results in black cloves, a process which appears to double its antioxidant content

13. Eggplant: packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals

14. Kelp: a major source of iodine, kelp helps regulate the thyroid gland

15. Black mission figs: anti-cancer, fiber-rich, antibacterial

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Sources:

http://www.rd.com/food/fun/skip-the-greens-6-healthy-and-trendy-black-foods/

http://www.naturalnews.com/040968_black_tea_chronic_inflammation_foods.html

https://dailyhealthpost.com/top-7-black-foods-with-powerful-health-benefits/

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20471231,00.html

Hou, Joseph P. Ph. D. Healthy Longevity Techniques: East-west Anti-aging Strategies. Authorhouse, 2010. Print

Learn to Learn from Your Skin and Vital Energy

Your body is not only anatomically and physiologically complex, it is also energetically complex. Further, your vital energy flowing throughout all parts of your body is an intelligent communication linking your visible body to the invisible energetic fields that also comprise your being.

The energetic blueprint you received at birth from the cosmic and telluric energies that prevailed at the moment you were born were added to the energies inherited from your parents (ancestral energies), and like everyone else, you are affected by a number of cyclical energetic patterns.

There is a daily flow of energies within your body and a yearly flow of energetic seasons.

There is also the cycle of life with the sequence of five 15-year phases that start with the Wood element at birth and the other five 15-year cycles that start with the element of the biorhythm of your birth.

All this can be utterly overwhelming, yet in practical terms, it simply boils down to maintaining a balance of your vital energy. 

Learn to read your skin and body shape and to draw appropriate conclusions. (See our blog posts of April 11 and August 1 for learning to read your skin; see also our blog posts of September 14 and September 2 for information on body shape observation.)

Reading your skin and body shape should lead you to select the balancing skincare products you need along with appropriate balancing treatments whenever you can. Lifestyle adjustments may also become necessary however this can be journey of self-discovery. Make it so!

It is important to note that our skin is not only an organ, it has important and useful reflective properties which are the by-products of the energetic network that connects our skin to all internal parts of our body.

We can learn from our skin and respect it for the tell-tale signs it gives us. Consequently, it cannot be excessively stripped–mechanically or with acids–injected with chemicals, cut, stretched, and sewn, without consequences.

Likewise, what we eat, drink, breathe, and how we exercise our bodies or not will have consequences on our health as much as our skin. 

Our thoughts, emotions, and intent, affect our energetic system, and as a result, our physical being.

Skincare is not only caring for our body but for our entire being. This is why skincare must truly be a holistic proposition. Anything else is either neglectful or a shortcut with potentially undesirable consequences.

With knowledge comes the opportunity to take charge of your wellness. The exigencies and circumstances of modern life are very destabilizing, but with knowledge, our ability to maintain balance—mental, emotional, and physical— becomes that much greater.

It’s entirely up to you. Make sure you enjoy the process!

In your body, you have an interconnected system of subtle lines and vortices of energy that both emanate from and support the denser molecular matter of your physical body. These lines or channels of energy are called nadir in the Ayurvedic system of medicine of India. The vortices where the energetic channels converge to support the internal and external structures of the body are called chakras. All forms of non-Westernized medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and indigenous cultures around the world acknowledge that a vital life-force energy creates and sustains physical life… there is an invisible force that ebbs and flows within all living things and is the animating force of creation, sustenance, and destruction.

–Kamm, Laura Alden. Intuitive Wellness: Using Your Body's Inner Wisdom to Heal. New York, NY: Atria, 2007. Print.

Energy Fields and Social Coherence

In our blog posts and e-newsletters we’ve consistently written about our “energetic reality” and how it affects our lives. Most of you know that the idea that the body is not only matter but vital energy as well has origins in India and further developed in China going back several millennia. 

This fundamental idea was mostly ignored in the Western world until the advent of quantum physics and quantum chemistry which revealed the fundamental fact that matter is ultimately energy vibrating at speeds such that it appears to us as solids and liquids, and further, that vital matter is made vital by the presence and intelligent activity of vital energy.  That vibrational activity is now measurable with highly sophisticated equipment. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a particularly practical model known as the Five Elements Theory to explain the workings of not only our environment but our physical and emotional bodies. Energy medicines have in common this holistic approach that pays attention to physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms.

What has become evident is that as each one of us is a web of energy fields that projects outwardly. When we get energetically in contact with the energetic fields of others (people, animals, trees and plants, etc.), we influence them and they influence us in return. 

In this sense, we have a social responsibility vis à vis others and our environment that we shape in great part by what can be called our “state of consciousness” about self and others.

HeartMath Institute, a non-profit organization whose objective is to help the development of “heart-brain-coherence” says, “The Spiritual Heart is in a way a little like a smartphone, invisibly connecting us to a large network of information. It is through an unseen energy that the heart emits that humans are profoundly connected to all living things. The energy of the heart literally links us to each other. Every person's heart contributes to a 'collective field environment.' This short video explains the importance of this connection and how we each add to this collective energy field. The energetic field of the heart even connects us with the earth itself.”

We recommend you take a few minutes to watch this video from HeartMath Institute, a short white-board video for a unique understanding of coherence and social coherence. See how they make sense within your circle of family and friends and today’s global community.

When individuals are not well self-regulated or are acting in their own interests without regard to others, it generates social incoherence. Stressful or discordant conditions in a given group act to increase emotional stress among its members and can lead to social pathologies such as violence, abuse, inefficacy, increased errors, etc. It has become increasingly clear that the leading sources of stress for adults are money issues and the social environment at work. More than 9 in 10 adults believe that stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses such as heart disease, depression and obesity, and that some types of stress can trigger heart attacks and arrhythmias. While awareness about the impact stress can have on emotional and physical health seems to be present, many working Americans continue to report symptoms of stress with 42% reporting irritability or anger, 37% fatigue, 35% a lack of interest, motivation or energy, 32% headaches and 24% upset stomachs due to stress.

Source:

"Science of the Heart - HeartMath Institute." Heartmath.org. HeartMath Institute, 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

Natural Antibiotics Have a Real Place in Combatting Drug-Resistant #Superbugs

One of our first allopathic #antibiotics, penicillin, was discovered almost 100 years ago by Dr. Alexander Fleming. Its discovery caused a breakthrough in the field of medicine and the treatment of infectious disease as more and more antibiotics were developed in the years ensuing.

Year after year, antibiotics were praised for their seemingly “magical” properties as they quickly vanquished destructive infectious diseases but over time the antibiotic began to be resistant rather than many of the people being treated. While patients continued to be cured with newer and better antibiotics, the antibiotics began facilitating mutated or resistant strains of bacteria we would come to call superbugs, strains so potent they could survive an antibiotic onslaught.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year in the United States, at least two million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die … as a direct result of these infections.”

Of the six billion animals that are raised each year in the U.S. for purposes of human consumption, the vast majority of livestock are fed antibiotics in their feed every day (20 million pounds of antibiotics per year). On a routine basis, antibiotic-resistant bacteria develop in the animals which is then passed along to the humans who eat them. In 2011, more than half of the samples taken from supermarkets of ground turkey, pork chops and ground beef contained bacteria-resistant superbugs.

The feeding of antibiotics to livestock combined with more than 240 million antibiotics prescriptions written each year has caused an unparalleled spike in viral and bacterial infections and which is now being accepted as commonplace. Drug-resistant strains of bacteria are now dubbed superbugs or killer microbes.

This is a challenge that is becoming more serious by the year and the medical community acknowledges we must find new alternatives. The truth is, there are all kinds of alternatives already in existence and which the medical community seems to be hesitant in accepting and applying.

• Scientists are currently studying the use of phages, viruses which kill bacteria but not humans. They were actually discovered in 1915, and they were used successfully for twenty years before penicillin. Thought obsolete in many places, phage therapy is still used in Eastern Europe.

• Hippocrates (father of Western medicine) noted in the fifth century, B.C. that fevers were reduced and aches and pains lessened with the use of salicylic acid extracted from willow bark.

• Healers in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tradition have relied on natural herbal antibiotics for more than 4,000 years.  During the Tang dynasty, the Materia medica of 657 A.D., chronicles more than 800 medical substances extracted from minerals, metals, plants, herbs, fruits, vegetables, and cereal crops.

• TCM’s foundational tenets teach that a person who lives in harmony with the five elements and five seasons or phases will have an immune system strong enough to combat disease including virulent bacteria.

• Practicing chi kung is an excellent form of preventive medicine. If your vital energy is powerful and flowing harmoniously, infection cannot develop even though sufficient infectious micro-organisms that would have caused sickness in another person, are present in your body. (1)

• The infectious disease, malaria, is now quite effectively treated with a tea made from an extract of sweet wormwood. During the Vietnam War, China’s allies in the North Vietnam were dying in large numbers from malaria as the mosquito-borne microorganisms known as Plasmodia had become resistant to antimalarial drugs in use at the time. 

• Little do many of us know that we actually may have some of the ten most effective natural antibiotics right in our homes or kitchens. See the list which includes oil of oregano, coconut oil, raw apple cider vinegar, cabbage, honey and garlic at myhealthwire. Other natural antibiotics are turmeric, tea tree oil and olive leaf extract.

In the West, we view disease as caused by something outside of ourselves (an invading bacteria or virus, for example). As a result, Western doctors focus their treatments on annihilating the invader often at great cost to the patient rather than strengthening the patient’s own system of defense, the immune system. 

While it is true that life-saving antibiotics have been developed, we have done this at the cost of pursuing true wellness and disease prevention while causing many unpleasant side effects and the proliferation of superbugs.

Unlike Western medicine, even for an infectious disease, the Chinese do the opposite. TCM places focus not on the microbes but on restoring the healthy conditions of the patient in which the microbes cannot survive.

Mao Zedong commissioned 500 scientists to find a new cure for malaria caused by the mosquito-borne microorganisms known as Plasmodia which had become resistant to antimalarial drugs in use at the time. Some of those he commissioned used synthetic chemistry. Others pursued an ethnobotanical cure based on the annals of TCM. Phytochemist Tu Youyou and her staff identified sweet wormwood, a member of the daisy family, out of more than 2000 herbal remedies. They discovered the tea should be steeped in cold water as opposed to boiling in order to extract its most maximum effective properties. Wormwood’s primary active compound was eventually developed into Artemisinin, one of the most successful treatments on record for malaria. In 2015, Tu Youyou received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

(1) Wong, Kiew Kit. The Complete Book of Chinese Medicine: A Holistic Approach to Physical Emotional and Mental Health. Sungai Petani, Kedah: Cosmos, 2002. Print.

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Sources:

Drlica, Karl, and David Perlin. Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT, 2011. Print.

Elias, Jason, and Katherine Ketcham. Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity: Understanding the Five Elemental Types for Health and Well-being. New York: Three Rivers, 1998. Print.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037074_natural_antibiotics_superbugs_flesh-eating_bacteria.html#ixzz4OQHou0KZ

Jabr, Ferris. "Could Ancient Remedies Hold the Answer to the Looming Antibiotics Crisis?" New York Times. 20 Sept. 2016.

Best Eating Practices for the Time Between Energetic Seasons: October 21 to November 7

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the natural sweetness of grains, fruits and vegetables is nourishing and stimulating to the spleen and stomach. They are very important to consume during the period between the energetic seasons of Fall and Winter which runs from October 21 to November 7.
 
The element associated with this season between seasons is Earth.

The taste associated with this season is sweet.

The climate associated with Earth is damp.

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The two organs of the Earth energy associated with Earth are (yin) spleen and (yang) stomach.
 
TCM explains that the spleen’s principal function is transforming food and drink into vital energy and blood. It distributes the chi (vital energy) and blood throughout the body.
 
In spite of the benefits most will realize eating sweet grains, fruits and vegetables, Earth types have a tendency to overeat as well as a tendency to gravitate to sweets. Earth types should be careful with this because it can disturb their overall balance of chi.
 
Here are 12 positive actions to assist people who have a tendency to overeat:

1. To curb the appetite, drink lots of water during the day which will increase the bulk of the food you have eaten while softening the food particles making them easier to digest.

2. Drink the bulk of your water in between meals.

3. Drink room temperature water.

4. Avoid icy beverages.

5. Consume smaller, more frequent meals.

6. Take small portions and eat slowly.

7. Take small second helpings if you’re still hungry.

8. Increase consumption of whole foods: grains, fruits, vegetables. You will feel full, they digest much more easily, and your body will absorb fewer calories.

9. Substitute fruit for sweet desserts. Figs, pears, persimmons, pomegranate seeds, grapes and, of course, apples are wonderful sweet fruits available at this time of year.

10. Stabilize blood sugar levels with legumes (lentils, chick peas, split peas, kidney beans, soybeans, fava beans) and root vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, turnips, parsnips, radishes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes).

11. Take the burden off your stomach and intestines by avoiding fatty foods, in particular, dairy products and red meat. Dairy and red meat are difficult to digest and create dampness caused by mucus in the system.

12. Eliminate dampness in your system by dry condiments like ginger, cinnamon, garlic, pepper, parsley, and cardamom. They support digestion and increase metabolism. They also help to reduce gas, water retention, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea and stomach pain.

The tendency of imbalanced Earth energy is to worry excessively. The worst fear of the Earth type is deprivation, most especially deprivation of relationships which are so important to Earth types. Often, when a relationship ends or is in stress, Earth types will resort to food to fill the emptiness and soothe the pain they feel. Many will even gorge themselves with food yet still feel an emptiness that cannot be completely filled.

It’s important to have a toolkit of practices in place so that when the going gets rough like this, we can rely on these tools rather than large amounts of food.

These tools could include:

• Relying on a trusted friend to share your feelings with

• A strong spiritual foundation

• A “go to” book of very powerful inspiration both in hard copy book form and audio format

• A memorized poem or passage of sacred text you can immediately pivot to to shift your mood

• A developed practice of meditation

• A small arsenal of mantras you can incant for quick relief and comfort.

Source: Elias, Jason, and Katherine Ketcham. Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity: Understanding the Five Elemental Types for Health and Well-being. New York: Three Rivers, 1998. Print

A Dozen Tips for Completing Unfinished Projects

As we approach the end of each energetic season, we begin to think about the next season and how to prepare for it. We want to get the most out of the gifts each season offers. 

Now’s the time, as we near the end of energetic Fall, to put things into place for a comfortable, contemplative, cozy Winter.

One important way is to complete projects we’ve begun but which maybe we’ve had challenges finishing. Here are some tips.

1. Get yourself connected to the reason for the project. If you don’t believe in it, you won’t have any real motivation to complete it. Humans are motivated by pain or pleasure and most of the time, we’re motivated by pain. Get connected to any undesirable consequences that will come your way if you don’t get the project finished. If the consequences aren’t all that undesirable and you still can’t get motivated, maybe you’re just not supposed to finish it.

2. Write down the stepping stones that make up your project with pen and paper. Use pen and paper rather than electronically record with your computer or smartphone; it’s just not the same thing. Writing it down with pen and ink is a statement of commitment.

3. Write only three or less steps to take each day. Use index cards and place them in a prominent place to check in with them such as on your kitchen counter. When one step is accomplished, rip up the card and throw it away.

4. By the inch, it’s a cinch. If three steps a day are too much, one will do. In 30 days, you’ll have more than 30 accomplishments you might not have realized before and that's a lot!

5. Record it. Use you the Reminders aspect of your iPhone to prompt you to complete a task. Make sure you ask Siri (or Siri alternative for Android) to remind you at a specific time on a specific day. Promise yourself in advance that when the reminder comes up, you’re going to take action right then and there.

6. Be realistic. Don’t set up a barrage of tasks to complete all on the same day. Spread it out.

7. Once a day, spend at least 30 uninterrupted seconds seeing yourself with the end goal accomplished and while you’re in a good mood.

8. Have a friend hold you accountable. Ask him or her to commit to calling you once or twice a week to check in to get a progress report from you. Ask your friend not to accept too many excuses from you. If you keep coming up short, maybe you’ve set yourself up to climb too high a mountain. Ask your friend to help you get reasonable with your goals and the steps you believe you should take towards completing them.

9. If the project seems daunting, instead of mapping out plans from start to finish, reverse engineer it. Start at the end result and go backwards jotting down or diagramming what it would take to achieve each step.

10. Just get it done. It’s okay if it’s not perfect. Do your best but don’t hold up completion of the project because it’s got to be perfect.

11. Ask for help. If you get stuck, don’t know how to execute the next step or just can’t seem to budge yourself off dead center, call a friend for ideas or encouragement.

12. Reward yourself when the project is completed with something within reason and which you’ve been wanting to give yourself for awhile. Celebrate!