Body, Mind and Spirit Alignment: The Highest Wellness Goal

Over the past couple decades we’ve seen more and more practitioners offer holistic balance for mental and physical wellness. These practitioners have responded to the numbers of people in search of their modalities and they’ve achieved a great deal of momentum and success. Still, the mental and physical wellness they help their clients achieve is incomplete. This is because a deeper dimension to the human being exists. The most successful holistic caregivers are those who connect with this far deeper dimension. It’s how they help their clients achieve more complete and lasting wellness.

This deeper aspect, call it spiritual if you want, exists outside of religious beliefs. We find it also in the consciousness of atheists and agnostics.

Energy medicine supported by ancient holistic philosophies knows that just as there are generally invisible energy fields surrounding the physical body (the ethereal, the emotional, and the mental), there is also an outer spiritual field that envelops the whole. Called the “causal” field, it is intended to be cause over all other aspects of our being (that are effects).

For most people, the human experience reflects the journey on which we discover ourselves and the world. We learn first about and through the body, then through our emotions and later our intellect–and never going beyond.

It is insufficient if we subscribe to the notion that our spirit has primacy, even dominion, over all other aspects of our being. Our spiritual self projects an energy field that directs and maintains the harmony of the other fields only when we have a conscious awareness of it. Its most direct effect is intended to be on the mental, which in turn should control the emotional, the ethereal and finally, the physical.

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That alignment is the highest wellness goal.

The ideal integration from spirit to the material body is extremely rare, yet possible. It is exemplified by the white or golden aura depicted by artists to convey the perfection of spiritual masters.

Auras are generally visible only to the few that have developed that special gift, those who are attuned to such higher frequencies.

Wellness and wisdom are intertwined and wisdom is expected to be gained with age. Ultimately, for those of a certain age, wellness requires an acceptance of the cycle of life with physical death as its natural conclusion.

Acceptance and surrender become part of our emotional, mental, and spiritual evolution. It is a precondition to maintaining wellness for older people.

Wellness centers have the potential to become learning centers where we should gain knowledge about ourselves, from the physical to the spiritual, and where we are taught how to

live from the spiritual to the physical. This is achievable even with those who do not believe in any God but who have an openness of mind regarding a dimension of humans existing beyond the mental and physical.

Clearly, not everyone is ready for this which is a good thing because there would not be enough teachers to go around. Yet, it is not too early to get started!

At the first stage of wellness where we align our mental and physical health we learn to be aware that our life experience and our state of wellness are products of what we do, feel and think. We learn to develop ways to achieve greater control over our body and emotions. We choose physical activities to create or enhance awareness in the moment as attention and energy flow through the body. 

Meditation helps the process of inner self-discovery and achievement of greater dominion over body and mind, but at the more advanced level where we seek alignment of all three–body, mind and SPIRIT, a deeper practice of meditation reveals to us that we are not simply our body, emotions, and mind activity any more than we are defined by our title, financial capacity or size of our house.

We discover a new connection, a higher spiritual dimension from which all else depends. This revelation initiates a shift from a life centered on our body-mind entity ensconced in our particular life situation to a vision of our unique identity as a state of consciousness that we can elevate by the decisions we are willing to make and live by.

In this higher process, it becomes clearer to us that our ego is not who we really are. We discover that it is rather a make-believe sense of self that represents an obstacle in achieving higher levels of wellness, wisdom, and peace.

Achievement at this higher more esoteric yet important level of being can appear to be contrary to the beginning of our search for wellness when we placed such great emphasis only on how we look and feel. But at that point it should become clear that from this new state of consciousness, it becomes easier and more enjoyable maintaining our body, emotions and thoughts in a state of harmony and true wellness.

Source: Energetic Skincare, Naturally by PHYTO5® President Jon Canas

The Body's Five Fluids and the Importance of Drainage

One of the important functions of drainage is the natural transport of waste products away from the tissues.

The human body contains five fluids, each associated with one of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). These are essential to the proper healthy functioning of the body. They are:

1. vital energy (Wood/Spring)

2. red blood (Fire/Summer)

3. lymph (Earth/any of the four 18-day transition periods between the other four seasons)

4. blue blood (Metal/Fall)

5. water (Water/Winter)

Stagnation of any of the fluids causes health issues that reflect on how we look and feel.

If you can stimulate or balance any of the five fluids in a totally non-invasive way, you achieve something enormous. You achieve a truly and purely holistic balancing of not just the fluids but skin.

It’s possible to target any one of the fluids by using specific colors of light by combining PHYTO5’s light machine, the Chromapuncteur, with the Biorhythmic Drainer (drainage machine) and applying them to skin.

It’s simple and easy to connect these two pieces of equipment.

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The mechanical function of the drainage machine (suction/repulsion within the glass cups connected to the pumps) stimulates the fluid movement while the light machine targets the selected fluid.

Massages are also recommended as a means to move fluids. Specially trained lymphatic massage therapists can do a very light and extremely slow massage targeting the lymph, however a good manual drainage is difficult to perform as the rhythm of the movement must be painstakingly slow and the pressure extremely light, requiring a sustained focus and significant physical effort by the therapist.

In a drainage treatment using the PHYTO5 Biorhythmic Drainer (drainage machine) you hear the gentle humming of the pump of the drainage machine as you feel the gliding of its glass cups over your face or body. Before starting the machine, the technician has applied vegetal-based oil mixed with an essential oil on the area being treated. The oil facilitates the gliding of the cups on your skin and an airtight contact of cup against skin.

As the pumps alternatively suck in and release the skin layers, the cups are guided by the esthetician or massage therapist following prescribed pathways. The essential oil added to the vegetal oil promotes the movement of fluids below the skin.

Like most people, you will very likely enjoy the subtle aroma of the essential oils before the rhythmic humming of the pumps even starts. The gentle sound will help you relax so much that you might fall asleep during the drainage.

When lights are used, either as part of the drainage, or when applied on acupuncture points or chakras, you will most likely feel nothing more than the sense of relaxation you get from the drainage.

On the other hand, you might be like some people who feel a very subtle sensation from the energy of light. You might even feel the difference when different colors are selected.

When the PHYTO5® Biostimulateur™ is also used during drainage, the vibrating rubber tip of the module is brought over to touch the skin at the acupuncture point or the reflex zone. At that time you feel a gentle vibration whose rhythm changes as it is switched from one frequency to another.

The equipment never produces any pain or unpleasant sensation. There are no invasive frequencies produced and transferred and no electric currents are used on your skin. The machines are fully holistic, energetic, and natural in the work they perform.

Doing a full body manual lymphatic drainage takes well over an hour and a half of hard work. The PHYTO5 Biorhythmic Drainer (drainage machine) is a very practical alternative. The machine is steady, fast, and tireless. It is also less demanding on the therapist, although as effective when using the Biorhythmic Drainer.

The different rhythms of suction of the machine help target the different fluids. An even more advanced and reliable method combines the Biorhythmic Drainer with the PHYTO5 Chromapuncteur (light machine).

Although there are a few contraindications for lymph drainage, it is generally safe to say that most people will benefit from regular drainage, particularly people who fall into the Earth category in traditional Chinese medicine.

A good drainage gives instantly visible results making lymphatic drainage a very worthwhile spa treatment. It can be part of a facial, taking an additional ten minutes, or can be offered as a specific body treatment of under an hour when using the equipment.

Source: Energetic Skincare, Naturally by PHTYO5 President Jon Canas

Drainage of the Five Fluids: What It Is and Why You Should Have Treatments

The human body contains five fluids essential to the proper healthy functioning of the body. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), they are: vital energy (Wood element), red blood (Fire element), lymph (Earth element), blue blood (Metal element) and water (Water element). 

Stagnation of any of the fluids causes health issues that reflect how we look and feel.

Everything is alive and every part of a living organism vibrates according to its own specific characteristics. Each fluid has its specific range of vibrations as well.

Just as the energy of each of the seven major chakras corresponds to one of the seven colors that constitute natural light, each of the five fluids corresponds to a specific color from the visible spectrum. This is because colors have their specific range of frequencies and those ranges are in vibrational harmony with the frequencies of the fluids.

To be able to stimulate or balance at will any of the five fluids in a totally non-invasive way has enormous potential.

And it is possible to target any one of the fluids by using specific colors of light using PHYTO5’s light machine known as the Chromapuncteur™ combined with the Biorhythmic Drainer (drainage machine). The two pieces of equipment can be simply connected.

The mechanical function of the drainage machine (suction/repulsion within the glass cups connected to the pumps) stimulates the fluid movement while the light machine targets the selected fluid.

The selection of the proper light for a drainage relies on the principle of complementary of colors. For the moment, it is important to note that fluids are matter and that to each color of matter corresponds a specific energy.

The energy of red matter, for example, is green, the complementary color of red. The energy of green matter is the complementary color—red light.

As a result:

• Green light targets the fluid of Fire (red blood)

• Yellow light targets the fluid of Metal (blue blood)

• Red light targets the fluid of Wood (energy)

• Blue light targets the fluid of Earth (lymph)

When it comes to water, the orange color has proven to be the most effective, therefore

• Orange light targets the fluid of Water (water)

An energetic drainage is actually a balancing of the energy that commands the flow of the targeted fluid.

Imagine what can be achieved during an energetic stimulation of water or of blue blood on someone with heavy legs or someone suffering from water retention or poor venous circulation. The result is immediately visible, felt, and sustained.

Seventy plus percent of the body weight is fluid and the proper flow of fluids is essential to health and beauty. Proper stimulation of fluids in a totally holistic, natural, and non-invasive way provides a quantum jump in maintaining wellness.

This modality can be easily included in face or body treatments while personalized according to the client’s needs. For example, it is possible to calm down an overly reddish face by balancing the superficial red blood circulation on the face. The same equipment, with large cups, can be used to reduce fluid retention in legs.

There are some contraindications to drainage, such as fever, bacterial infections/flu, infected sinuses, active cancer, hemorrhaging, congestive heart failure, kidney failure, tuberculosis, and thrombosis.

There are also other conditions requiring special attention such as pregnancy and heavy menstruation. If in doubt, consult with your doctor. If your body is very toxic, which is very common with people who fall into the Earth category of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we advise performing drainage on the entire body in two (or more) sessions since toxins that are released too quickly over a large surface might induce fatigue and headaches.

It is always imperative to drink plenty of water before and after any body drainage treatment.

The energetic drainage is not painful. In fact, it’s quite pleasant and relaxing and most feel rejuvenated at the end of a drainage treatment.

Source: Energetic Skincare, Naturally by PHYTO5 President Jon Canas

How to Amplify Your Vital Life Force Energy

If you want a higher quality of life—health, healing and vitality, live in ways that amplify your life force. But what is life force?

Energy medicines, with their long-standing traditions rooted Asia, India, ancient Greece and Egypt, operate on the same foundational tenet: Yes, the body is physical matter. But it’s just as much unseen vital energy—the life force that animates all living beings.

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The Life Force Definition Expanded

Various spiritual philosophies call life force energy by different names.

• prana: In yoga, Ayurveda and Indian martial arts, the Sanskrit word for life force or vital principle; the life-giving force;

• pneuma: In stoic thought, the vital spirit, soul, or creative force of a person;

• qi: the circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); this life force energy fills the universe.

According to TCM, there are many kinds of chi or qi imbued with a life force energy all their own. TCM calls this qi heavenly because it includes the energy of the planets, stars and constellations, sunshine and moonlight, and the energy of God the Infinite Itself—the source and force of creation and Universal Love.

The near one hundred year old seminal books, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, chronicle the teachings of advanced Himalayan Masters. These Masters possess unlimited wisdom on human potential—physically, mentally and spiritually.

And they define life force energy this way:

It was only a short time ago that your learned men began to know of the delicate system of arteries and veins composing the circulatory system of your bodies. It is still left for them to determine that there is a far more delicate and subtle circulatory system throughout the body, which carries the life force to every atom.

Through your nervous system this life force is sent to a set of cells in the brain. These cells, in turn, act as a distributor for the [life] force and it is sent out to every atom of the body along the nerves, for which it has an affinity. It also acts as a protection for the nerves.

If the life force is dissipated, the cells become set and cannot change for the new cells that are formed to take their place are thrown off instead of the old ones, which gradually decompose and die.

If the life force is conserved, the cells change as readily at five hundred years as at ten.

Conserving, even amplifying life force energy, is part of how the Himalayan Masters enable themselves to live indefinitely.

Networks of Life Force Energy

Did Modern Day Deepak Chopra, MD Study the Himalayan Masters? He defines life force energy very much like they do.

In Chopra’s first book on agelessness, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old, he discusses how humans are magnificently organized networks of energy, information, and intelligence.

He explains how we participate in dynamic exchange with our environment, fully capable of transformation and renewal.

Chopra defines vital energy as a subtle energy flowing throughout the body.

We may think the human body is little more than biological matter similar to machinery that deteriorates steadily and unavoidably over time.

But Chopra explains life force energy in the human being differently: When life force energy flows abundantly, we slow the aging process.

We amplify our life force energy through lifestyle and belief. It’s all in the way we treat our bodies and even in how we treat and utilize our minds.

The universal principle of “Like Attracts Like” is always at work. So anything we do to reaffirm life and vitality will reaffirm, even increase, life force energy, and vitality and life itself in our bodies.

Especially during yin energy times of year—the seasons when we withdraw more into ourselves—take time to absorb the heavenly qi and increase your life force energy. These yin energy seasons according to TCM are energetic Fall and Winter.

The energies of these seasons will absolutely support you to amplify your life force energy.

PHYTO5 offers respective lines of quantum energetic skincare for the skin conditions associated with TCM’s five seasons and for the seasons themselves. Quantum energetic, they’re formulated to help you balance your skin condition, vital life force energy and emotions.

Earth’s Helpful Qi

Earth itself has energy to give you that will encourage your life force energy flow. The martial art, Qi Gong, calls the practice of absorbing natural lie the art of gathering heavenly qi. When you practice Qi Gong or any of the following activities, you grow your life force energy.

1. Walk barefoot.

“Prana contained in the ground is called ground prana or ground vitality globule. This is absorbed through the soles of the feet. This is done automatically and unconsciously.” — Choa Kok Sui in Miracles through Pranic Healing: Practical Manual on Energy Healing.

2) Practice prayanayama or pranic deep breathing (also known as Tan Tien(1) cleansing breath).

Accomplish pranic breathing nourishing to life force energy by:

• touching your tongue to your palate;

• breathing through your abdomen and through the nostrils;

• inhaling slowly and holding for one count;

• exhaling slowly and holding for one count;

• being sure you don’t over-expand or over-contract the abdomen.

If this seems too complicated, simply practice six breaths a minute. The life force energy you amplify with this practice will slow aging and many of its causes.

Read our instructional blog on six breaths a minute here.

Life force energy charges your aura as well as your body. Choa Kok Sui also says:

“Pranic breathing energizes you to such an extent that your aura temporarily expands by 100% or more. The inner aura expands to about eight inches or more, the health aura to about four feet or more, the other aura to about two meters or more.”

3) Sit in a nature setting and absorb the flowing natural energies. Invite them into your own vital life force energy.

4) Eat living food rich in real earth nutrients. When you eat fresh produce it’s like eating light. Living fruits and vegetables actually contain trapped light you can absorb to increase your life force energy.

Try to eat more organic than conventionally grown produce. Some experts say organic contains a higher overall nutritive content not to mention its own life force will be more intact than conventionally grown.

5) Drink pure water. Water absorbs prana life force energy from sunlight.

6) Absorb the life force energy of the sun, moon and galaxy. Your skin and eyes will absorb their qi life force energy. This nourishing energy will travel into your brain and circulated through the pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands to animate them with life force.

7) Hug a tree.

“Certain trees such as pine trees or old and gigantic healthy trees exude a lot of excess prana. Tired or sick people benefit much by lying down or resting underneath these trees.” — Choa Kok Sui.

And says Jasmuheen in The Madonna Frequency and the Food of Gods:

“Trees and all plant life are living fields of intelligence that just happen to exist within the confines of a different molecular structure than the human bio-system. They operate via a group consciousness and are not as individualized as we are and they love receiving our carbon dioxide as much as we benefit from breathing in the oxygen they generate.”

8) Walk in breezes to absorb wind prana life force energy. Its life force will cleanse and revitalize you.

9) Ask in prayer to feel and receive qi life force energy. The universe will bow to your prayer.

10) Meditate. Meditation gives you a sound and solid foundation for increasing your life force energy from within.

“In a comfortable place, on a warm evening under the stars … sit in meditation. Engage Tan Tien breathing(1). Find the rhythm of your breath and your center of balance and close your eyes. Let your breath open and relax the joints of your body. Now with your breath, circulate the Chi through the Orbits.(1)” —Elise Dirlam Ching et al in Chi and Creativity: Vital Energy and Your Inner Artist.

11) Practice Tai Chi and/or Qi Gong. It will surely increase your life force.

“What sets Tai Chi apart from other exercise programs is its internal work. In a series of postures, or forms, the mind and body work in unison to move Chi (vital energy) from one part of the body to the next.” — John Young Man So in Tai Chi for Everyone: A Life-long Exercise Program for Longevity and Health.

12) Do yoga to amp up your life force energy. Even practicing  at your own pace and level is all you need to achieve an increase in life force vitality.

13) Learn to feel your chakra system and work with it to amplify your life force energy.

“Chakras are personal energies. They are energy vortices, or wheels, inside the body that receive and moderate universal life force energies, or chi. Each chakra acts as a kind of valve or regulator and controls the flow of energy through our system. The universal life force (chi) enters the body through the chakra at the top of the head and travels down the spinal column to the other chakras. When we are living in harmony with the Universe, these vortices, or valves or chakras, are open and allow an abundant flow of chi energy.” — Connie Johnson, Connie in Spiritual Concepts for a New Age: Psychic Serenity in the Human Experience.

14) Don’t underestimate the power of visualization. Visualize the flow of qi life force energy flowing throughout your body and mind.

“With consistent practice one can visualize Chi flowing inside the cavities and meridians of the body, creating a sense of health and well-being.” — John Young Man So in Tai Chi for Everyone: A Life-long Exercise Program for Longevity and Health.

15) Receive life force energy amplification from an energy medicine practitioner and/or bodyworker.

“Prana can also be projected to another person for healing. Persons with a lot of excess prank tend to make other people around them feel better and livelier. However, those who are depleted tend to unconsciously absorb prana from other people.” —Raphael Merlotte in The World Before Lies.

Bodywork includes many holistic therapies like massage and acupuncture. The work they do will positively get your energy flowing and ignite your life force energy.

16) Finally, laugh, laugh and laugh some more. Laughter is an uplifting healing therapy. It makes your whole being come alive with animated life force energy. It brings you into a relaxed state paving the way for unrestricted life force energy to flow and heal.

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Endnotes:

(1) Orbits: “Energy flows from the Tan Tien(2) down to the base of the spine, then up the back along the spine to the crown, then over the head and down the front of the body.  Practitioners believe this exercise prevents the body's natural Qi (Chi, energy) from becoming depleted.” —http://sarinastone.com/microcosmic-orbit-practice.html

(2) Tan Tien is loosely translated as elixir field, sea of qi, or simply energy center. Tan Tien are important focal points for meditative and exercise techniques such as Qi Gong and other martial arts like Tai Qi Ch’uan; also in TCM.

…

Sources:

Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, Vol. 1. DeVorss & Company, 1935.

Sui, Choa Kok., and Choa Kok. Sui. Miracles through Pranic Healing: Practical Manual on Energy Healing. Metro Manila, Philippines: Institute for Inner Studies Foundation, 2004. Print.

Jasmuheen. The Madonna Frequency & the Food of Gods. Noosa Heads, Australia: Self Empowerment Academy, 2005. Print.

Ching, Elise Dirlam., and Kaleo Ching. Chi and Creativity: Vital Energy and Your Inner Artist. Berkeley, CA: Blue Snake, 2007. Print.

So, John Young Man. Tai Chi for Everyone: A Life-long Exercise Program for Longevity and Health. Place of Publication Not Identified: Lulu.com, 2008. Print.

Johnson, Connie. Spiritual Concepts for a New Age: Psychic Serenity in the Human Experience. Print.

Merlotte, Raphael. The World Before Lies. First ed. 2012. Print.

The Timing of TCM's Seasons Doesn't Exactly Line Up with the Gregorian 4-Season Calendar

People are often surprised when we announce the start date of any energetic season according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For example, Metal energetic season—the energy of the Fall—starts on August 7. Early August still feels like the peak of Summer with no Fall in the air yet. 

Let’s clarify the start of any of the five TCM seasons:

The start of an energetic season means that a new and invisible energetic influence is at work and that in time its manifestations will become tangible. The start of the Metal season doesn’t mean that Fall is here.

It means that a new influence is at work and will bring about a change. Yet, when Metal energy comes into play, the manifestation of the Fire/Summer energy is still being felt although the energy of Fire is no longer at its peak. 

A metaphor might help: 

You push a stroller in front of you and decide to give it an extra push and let it roll in front of you on its own. What you have done is create a momentum for the stroller making it move as if you were still pushing it although you are not. You can see two phases in what happened: First is your energetic action and second, the result or manifestation of it. 

While the analogy is not complete, it might help differentiate between the start of a season that initiates a change and the remnant of the manifestation that lingers on over the next energetic season.

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Since it is the energetic “push” that has an influence on humans, animals and plants, in order to maintain a state of balance—wellness—we need to focus on the period of the “push” rather than simply when the manifestations are evident. This is the reason we make available to our clients the dates of the five energetic seasons, because we cannot act simply when the seasonal manifestations are felt.

It is also worth reminding that the energetic seasons are entirely based on the apparent movement of the sun at it travels between the zenith of its course in the northern hemisphere, and the nadir of its course in the southern hemisphere, and back; making the same trip every year. In fact, it is the timing of that trip that defines the yearly calendar. In other words, the calendar is framed by set dates: the two solstices and the two equinoxes. That is the reason the energetic calendar has fixed dates year after year, contrary to the Chinese calendar based on the movement of the moon, yielding different dates for the Chinese New Year, every year.

Tao is a composite of everything, the intrinsic order of all things. The way we interact with Tao, with nature, is described by Yin-Yang and the Five Phases. Chinese cosmology suggests that life’s movement is like a spinning ball on a flowing river, a tide of wind and water, a vortex revolving while rhythmically contracting and expanding (Yin-Yang) as we are varied along by the currents of Tao….

The Five Phases identify stages of transformation, patterns of expansion and contraction, proliferation and withering. Each Phase has an intrinsic primal energy, an ontological influence that shapes events. For example, human beings go through cycles in their lives similar to the seasons in nature—beginning in birth and ending in death, with stages of growth, maturity, and decay in between. Within the life cycle, the power of each Phase can be observed.

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

Skin Is Your Third Lung

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views skin with great reverence. It’s more than a barrier between the inside of the body and the outside environment. Skin is linked to the organ function of Lung—a breathing and eliminating function. Consequently, TCM links Lung to the energy of the Metal element.

But there’s more: Your skin is particularly important because it is a reflexive organ that provides important telltale signs of what is going on within your body. Any recurring skin problem in the same area is an indicator of your health condition. Your skin’s role as a provider of natural early warning signs can help you maintain or achieve an improved state of wellness.

We all know that smoking is very bad for our health, but few realize the particularly dreadful cumulative effect smoking has on skin health and quality. This is because the lungs and skin have a very specific and direct connections and is why Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to the skin as the third lung.

For most people, twenty to thirty minutes of accelerated breathing three times a week is quite sufficient for the health of their skin and body. During these sessions, the breathing should be deep enough to completely empty out the lungs and then fully renew the oxygen content of the lungs. Lack of frequent and deep breathing causes parts of the lungs and a significant portion of the lung alveolus to remain collapsed.

Experts point to the necessity 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.

The lungs (along with skin, kidneys, and colon) are one of four major organs for eliminating bodily waste (gas, fluids and solids). Poor lung energy manifests as disorders of skin and mucous membranes as well as poor venous and lymph circulation. Lungs and the large intestine are responsible for separation, distillation and elimination.

The reflex zone for lungs is found on the face, namely on the cheeks extended from the corner of the mouth, alongside the jawbone to the ear, on both sides.

Lungs are paired with the large intestine in TCM (lungs: yin and large intestine: yang). They belong to Metal element/Fall season. Lungs are where internal energy from nutrients in the blood mixes with external energy of air to provide vital energy.

Skin is called the third lung in TCM because it is the limit between the internal and the external. For this reason, skin is regulated by Metal energy. Breathing (lungs) affects the movement of vital energy through the body.

It is said, “Where chi goes, energy flows.” Body-mind exercises such as yoga demonstrate how intent and breathing can direct energy with its attendant therapeutic benefits.

“As the interface between our inner and outer world, the Lung manages external security. Sometimes referred to as the “third lung,” the skin is the outermost surface of the self, providing an elastic envelope that contains us, shielding against intrusion. The Lung transpires across the dermal layer: through perspiration, plus opening and closing the pores, it constantly adjusts the moisture and temperature of the body. Like a screen of variable porosity, the Lung tightens and thickens the skin to ward off undesirable influences and seal in valuable internal resources, or it loosens and thins the skin to release unwanted internal substances or feelings and permit penetration of desirable influences.”

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

…

Source:

Canas, Jon. Energetic Skincare, Naturally. Eustis, FL: Phyto Distribution, 2010. Print.

How Reflex Zones Provide Telltale Signs of Our State of Health and Vitality

The Metal element in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manages the interface between our internal and external energies. The skin is a reflexive organ, in part, composed of a patchwork of reflex zones. Reflex zones in the body point to skin manifestations. They indicate energies in our bodies that are out of balance.

This property stems from the huge energetic network of channels connecting the energy of the organs to the surface of the skin. It means that the skin reflects the internal activity of the body viewed from the outside.

Most people have heard of reflexology but they think it is limited to the bottom of the feet or to the hands. Few know that the entire skin surface has a reflective quality.

That is why proper skin evaluation can provide precious telltale signs. Most often, when something goes wrong inside the body, the skin lets us know in a visible way before it becomes a serious health condition.

It is only when we ignore the warning signs that the condition might evolve to a more critical stage. PHYTO5 trained technicians have learned how to read the face since so much is happening there.

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All five organic energies are reflected on the face. Hormonal energy is also reflected on the face. The face is a mirror of our internal activity.

The organ system reflected on each area of the face is identified by the color of the corresponding element (see illustration above).

Wood Reflex Zones:

• Liver: in between the eyebrows

• Gallbladder: temple areas

Fire Reflex Zones:

• Heart: upper lip and tip of nose and around nostrils

• Small Intestine: forehead

Earth Reflex Zones:

• Spleen: bridge of nose and sides above the nostrils

• Stomach: extension of the spleen area over the cheekbones, on both sides. Also the frontal part of the neck, below the jaw and between the large intestine areas

Metal Reflex Zones:

• Lungs: cheeks extended from the coner of the mouth, alongside the jawbone to the ear, on both sides

• Large intestine: extension of lung area down the side of the neck, on both sides

Water Reflex Zones:

• Kidney: lower part of the circle around the eyes

• Bladder: upper part of the circle around the eyes, as well as hair line, above the forehead

Hormonal Reflex Zones:

• Chin area, from below the lower lip, the width of the mouth, down to the jawbone.

Reiki is similar to acupressure. It is specifically concerned with moving energy through the body in order to balance it. Reiki is thought to affect the energy field and the endocrine system. Thus, healing occurs in the body as a whole, and is not specific to a particular disease. Followers of reiki believe that because our skin comes into direct contact with the world, it is a symbol for making contact with others, as well as drawing boundaries between ourselves and others. Reiki therapy is aimed at helping those with skin problems to break through the boundaries they have made between themselves and the world, as symbolized by rashes from within or injuries from outside the boundaries of their skin. 

—Jacknin, Jeanette. Smart Medicine for Your Skin: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Conventional and Alternative Therapies to Heal Common Skin Problems. New York: Avery, 2001. Print.

How to Tell if You Have Over-Processed Skin and How to Resolve It

A relatively new skin condition has evolved. Many doctors call it “over-processed” skin. As the name implies, over-processed skin an excess of invasive treatments causes over-processed skin. Here the skin is so abused it eventually loses its natural properties—from appearance to its capacity to heal.

Over-processed skin:

• looks like paper and is void of vital energy;

• displays an uneven color or a great deal of redness;

• is flaky even after exfoliation;

• may exhibit a shine though it is actually dehydrated and taut;

• causes wrinkles and lines prematurely especially around the eyes and upper cheeks.

Too many chemical peels, excessive dermabrasion and maybe even excessive or unsuccessful surgery have affected the skin to the extent that the natural vital flow of energy is blocked. It creates two negative conditions:

• the stripping of trace minerals essential to natural osmosis within the skin layers

• proper fluid movement.

As blood, lymph and water no longer flow properly, the skin is lacking nutrients. Oxygenation does not reach all the layers of the skin. Elimination of toxins is affected. In short, the skin has lost its capacity to hydrate and to heal from within. More procedures only aggravate the condition and skin products no longer produce their former effects.

Our experience is that the condition of over-processed skin is best met with:

✔︎PHYTO5 Metal element energetic line; this line focuses on mineralizing and promoting oxygenation.

✔︎The Metal element PHYTO5 facial, recommended in a series of treatments.

✔︎Oligo 5 by PHYTO5; a mineral spray and essential add-on to be used morning and evening as well as a few times during the day.

✔︎A recommended series of energetic drainages to stimulate and balance all five fluids (lymph, red blood, blue blood, water and energy).

✔︎Balancing Five Clay Mask facial by PHYTO5

✔︎Ageless LaCure by PHYTO5 Face Kit cure

The very existence of this condition is a sad but very good demonstration of what happens when the skin is not respected for the organ it is, and when it is treated as if it were a mere piece of cloth.

Holistically minded estheticians are alert to these risks and educate their customers that more invasive treatments are not better.

Prevention and Restoration of Over-Processed Skin

Let’s remember that major skin conditions do not erupt overnight unless they are related to food intolerance, chemical poisoning, or infection. Undesirable esthetic manifestations evolve progressively.

To pay attention to, and to know how to read the signs your skin is giving you is up to you and your PHYTO5 professional.

Most skin conditions, including over-processed skin, can be remedied favorably when they are addressed at their early stage. Of course, the knowledgeable esthetician knows how to recognize the root cause of esthetic manifestations and how to select the appropriate energetic tools to use.

Benign conditions left untreated can become chronic over time. This increases the difficulty of resolving them by natural solutions. Often, adjustments to lifestyle must parallel a well-conceived treatment series and home product selection.

Balanced skin is a blessing to be preserved. It can be maintained with good lifestyle habits and personalized skincare regimentation.

The PHYTO5 Balancing Five Clay Mask facial is a treatment protocol well adapted to balanced skin. Alternatively, we highly recommend the treatment of the energetic season, supported by seasonal home-use products.

An occasional Ageless LaCure by PHYTO5 Face Kit cure is a good three week balancing home treatment and is particularly adapted to maturing skin.

Preventive and restorative skincare represents an investment on your part. In view of the high cost and high risk of invasive facial techniques that lead to damaged, over-processed skin, one ounce of holistic PHYTO5 prevention is worth a pound of invasive treatment!

“Irritant reactions are characterized by red, flaking, and uncomfortable skin. The skin often stings after almost any product is applied. This is caused by irritants easily penetrating the damaged barrier function and stimulating nerve endings that cause the feeling of stinging and burning. The redness is caused by the immune response. Estheticians often refer to this as overprocessed skin.”—Lees, Mark. Skin Care: Beyond the Basics. Albany, NY: Milady, 2001. Print.

“Overprocessed skin can lead to premature aging, overly sensitive skin, and rosacea.”—Douglas, Kym, and Cindy Pearlman. The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.

9+ Ways to Prepare for TCM's Energetic Fall Season Beginning August 7

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Energetic Fall and the Season of the Metal Element begins August 7 and ends October 20.

As the wheel of the seasons turns to fall, the days shorten, the earth cools, and the expanded energy of summer begins to consolidate. – Bliss, Nishanga. Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health & All-day Energy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2012. Print.

• Metal energy is consolidating with inward movement, like a flower closing its petals. Be one with nature. It's okay to close your petals for awhile.

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

• Metal is associated with the lungs, respiratory system and is related to the nose. Take in the heavenly Chi.

• Metal is also associated with the large intestine, an organ of elimination. Through the lungs we not only regenerate from the air we breathe, but we also eliminate the carbonic gas produced by the metabolism of our cells. Elimination and cleansing is both a physical and a psychological activity. It is one of the purposes of this energetic season.

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

• Metal represents the direction West (the direction of dreams and visions). In Taoist mythology, West is guarded by the White Tiger, known for righteousness, independence and determination. Stand facing West and honor the "Westness" of Autumn.

• This season's color is represented by white or blue; light white candles against the growing darkness of the season.

Here are 9 More Tips to Thrive During the Energetic Season of Fall

1. Practice letting go in all things.

2. Release old resentments or hurts. Start fresh.

3. When feeling sad or stuck, remember that nothing is permanent. It will pass.

4. Eliminate negative and destructive habits.

5. Meditate or pray. This is the time of year when spiritual vision comes easier.

6. Cleanse your body. Support the immune system by eating more fresh fruits and veggies and less animal products.

7. Help your body to rehydrate by drinking lots of water and eating high water content produce.

8. Breathe and smell the new scents of nature and the season. Note the subtle or remarkable change in the quality of the air.

9. Complete unfinished projects. Prepare for the winter.

Skin

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

Food

Sour foods like lemon, plum, pear, and mango work to obstruct bodily functions, which make them helpful in alleviating diarrhea, excessive perspiration, and hemorrhoids, among other conditions. Sour foods are most active in the liver, where they counteract the effects of rich, greasy food. Sour foods are related to the fall season. – Ross, Rosa, and Suzanne LeVert. Chinese Healing Foods. New York: Pocket, 1998. Print.

Your diet should be dictated by the rhythms of the external world. Food gains power to maintain health from its relationship to the external world...  Root vegetables, such as burdock and turnips have downward-moving energy, so give in to the natural desire to eat them in the fall. – Cohen, Misha Ruth. The New Chinese Medicine Handbook: An Innovative Guide to Integrating Eastern Wisdom with Western Practice for Modern Healing. Fair Winds Press, 2015. Print.

For an excellent Fall season Qi Gong exercise, check out the YouTube video below.

All About FOOD for the Energetic Earth Season

The fifth or transition season between seasons according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, we call it the Earth element season. It runs until August 6 when energetic Fall begins.

In Chinese medicine, our bodies are microcosmic mirrors of the world. They are hemselves small worlds containing all the energies and elements of the Earth. Our bodies are fully connected to our environment whether we live as if we realize this or not.

Our organ systems, our emotional beings, our energies, even our personalities will reflect the color, the energetic characteristics, the flavors, the sounds, the tastes, the direction and the striving for certain perfections of the season.

Because we’re so intrinsically connected to our environmental world, our bodies must change as our environment changes.

When we move into the Earth transition season of late Summer (according to TCM), the 18-day bridge period between energetic Summer and Fall, our diets should change.

We should adjust our way of eating in a way that builds and tones the body. Mild tasting simple foods are best. As we get ready to move into energetic Fall, we need more fat and proteins than with our previous Summer diet.

We might start craving more sweets at this time. Be sure to choose smart sugars like those below as much as you can.

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Here are some of the best naturally sweet foods to eat during energetic Earth season:

• millet

• rice

• corn

• amaranth

• carrots

• parsnips

• sprouts

• potatoes

• sweet potatoes

• lettuce

• apples

• cabbage

• peas

• cucumber

• dates

• figs

• grapes

• olives

• peaches

• pears

• squash

• tomatoes

• apricots

• cantaloupe

• kidney beans

• string beans

• walnuts

“The Earth Element has a strong influence over the fifteen days surrounding each of the two equinoxes and two solstices (7-1/2 days before and after). These are neutral buffers between the seasons, which change at the equinoxes and solstices. These interchange periods represent pivotal pauses in the light patterns we experience from the sun, the center of our solar system… To attune with the seasons, choose some foods for each meal that harmonizing and represent the center–mildly sweet foods, yellow or golden foods, round foods, and/or foods known to harmonize the center… – Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 1993.

Season your food minimally with onion, leek, ginger, cinnamon, and fennel. It is now time to begin purifying and cleansing after a season of summer fun and indulging.

Now that we know what to eat, it is also important to acknowledge how we eat them. With stomach and spleen being the organs of the system, we want to assist them to function most easily by practicing more deliberate eating, chewing and digesting. Eat more slowly and with consciousness. Pay attention to portion sizes also.

Take a short rest after eating and follow it with some sort of movement. A simple short walk will assist digestion.

Late Summer is associated with community and mealtime. Share meals with friends in the open air, if possible, and take a walk en masse.

Our digestion represents and is located in the core center of our bodies. When the stomach and spleen organs are balanced and healthy we obviously will be full of vitality and energy. As a result, we will be more productive in our work and able to fulfill our responsibilities.

If our digestion is out of balance with the Earth season, we will experience fatigue, lethargy, lack of motivation and stuck behavior that prevents us from being truly creative.

Poor digestion and imbalance with Earth will show up as nausea, abdominal bloating, loose stools, loss of appetite.

18 Keys to Inner Beauty

We've all encountered a person who’s not obviously physically beautiful but was more than beautiful nevertheless. He or she was the total package radiating outward an inner beauty. People like these are more beautiful than mere physical appearance could ever boast on its own. They’re far more beautiful than supermodels. Their inner beauty glows and affects their outer beauty.

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Here are 18 Keys to Inner Beauty You Can Simply and Immediately Put Into Action:

1. Become rooted in your spirituality–your connection to a higher power (not religiosity); inner beauty is a spiritual thing;

2. Resolve to be kind to everyone; let your light shine through your eyes and in every smile you give;

3. Be a generous giver; an unexpected benefit of giving charitably of your time and service is that you feel gratified and it radiates outward;

4. Focus on letting go of the need for approval from anyone; stand firm in what you feel is right for you to do and don't look back; this kind of confidence is utterly attractive;

5. Be compassionate; put yourself always in the other one's shoes; when you do your heart warms and shines;

6. Allow other's their path; let go of the need to correct anyone else no matter how off track you think they are; don't worry, they'll find their way;

7. Eradicate judgment from your life; know that there are always other sides to the story and that everything we perceive goes through our own personal not usually objective filters;

8. Practice the art of zen, of being in the now moment; you won't necessarily achieve perfection or come even close to it but the moments of success you will have will take you very far along the road to inner stillness;

9. Practice meditation every day; it will engender a tantalizing peace about you;

10. Refrain from talking about yourself unless someone asks; don't be the one who is so self-consumed, every conversation must revolve around you;

11. Nourish your mind and soul with uplifting, inspirational and spiritual texts;

12. Resolve and know that every single thing you do you do on purpose; this higher level of consciousness will make you very attractive;

13. Just as we feed our physical bodies with nutrition, our auric fields require nutrition, too; attend bonfires or sit in front of a bank of candles and let the light of the flames feed your aura;

14. Consciously open your communication channels with the Divine who resides within you; re-esta blish the easy back-and-forth flow of communion between you and your Creator;

15. Feel; don't think so much; get attuned to your heart and live by it;

16. Be an integrity person, a person of your word; say what you mean and mean what you say;

17. Live in accordance with your core values and beliefs in all arenas of your life; don't compromise these or you will become very sad, unhappy, maybe even depressed which is completely contrary to inner beauty;

18. Make your heart and soul an inner altar where prayers and offerings are placed; build your altar over time; create a relationship with it and intentionally and always infuse it with light and love.

PHYTO5 five element lines of natural skincare, in essence, help you achieve your natural beauty aligning your skincare regiment with the five seasons of traditional Chinese medicine.

Stay Well. Don't Ignore the Transition Period Between Summer and Fall.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we strive to live in harmony with the seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. But TCM also has a fifth season which occurs four times a year. These are TCM’s 18-day "between seasons" periods called Earth that form bridges of energy from one season to the next.

"...the Earth element governs the change in the seasons, and ... thus the Earth element’s season, by definition, is the transition point between all seasons. By this logic, a weakness in the Earth energy of the body (which governs our Spleen, Stomach, and digestive function), could lead the body to be susceptible to outside illnesses when it is dominant–the time between all seasons." – from "Why Do I Get Sick When the Seasons Change?" by Marcie Griffith Bower, Lic.Ac., MAOM, Dipl. OM

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

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The element associated with this transition period is Earth, the color is yellow, the organs are stomach and spleen, and it's now the time to think about harvesting what we have sown throughout the summer. It's a time of "decrease" or slowing down and at the same time, abundance, when we can:

• realize the fruits of our labor (in the relationships we enjoyed this summer, in our exuberance of life, in the care of our hearts, both literally and figuratively);

• begin again to nurture ourselves in whatever way that looks;

• to intend to digest not only our food very well but our thoughts and emotions enabling them to reach our minds and spirits;

• start slowing down and gathering in all that we have created throughout the Summer;

• recognize the bounty of the earth as harvest is about to begin and to see how we can be bounteous in our lives in our giving to others;

• contemplate the harvest aspect of our lives to see the areas that are bearing fruit and which are not; then to determine in the Fall (beginning August 7) which ones can be let go or given focus;

• determine what is truly necessary in our lives and what is superfluous and a distraction then take steps in alignment with our discoveries; this is important as we prepare to enter the Fall season where letting go is paramount;

• observe and mirror nature at this time of year; the metaphor of the cycles of nature has much to teach us; now is the time to begin contemplating how the seeds we plant (both physically and metaphorically) reap corresponding harvests; we can contemplate the seeds we have sown and realize that every harvest bears the seeds for the next one.

The Four 18-Day Transition Periods Between TCM's Seasons and How to Harmonize With Them

There are four Earth energetic seasons in the Five Element Theory and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

These are 18-day transition periods between each of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. TCM principles tell us the energy of that seasons element “returns to earth." For example, the Fire element of Summer returns to Earth to be transformed into the energy of the Metal element for upcoming Fall.

This concept of transitional seasons repeats another three times during the other three transitional periods in the year from one season to another. Together, those four periods of 18 days each every 12 months constitute the full Earth energetic season, the fifth energetic season of TCM.

The Earth season is particularly important as it is a stillpoint in the yin/yang dance of energy throughout the year. In particular, from July 20 to August 6, the yang of Wood (Spring season) and of Fire (Summer season) has faded, and the yin energy of Metal (Fall season) that will peak during Water (Winter season) is poised to rise.

The color for Earth is yellow.

Yellow fruit and vegetables are highly recommended to consume during the transitional Earth season in order to be more in alignment with the energy of the season.

A more toxic body condition found more in some people than in others is what TCM refers to as an Earth condition, or imbalance.

Earth imbalance in the skin usually manifests as:

• blemishes, toxicity, acne, psoriasis, enlarged pores

• heavy looking hair, pimples on scalp

• lymph circulation problems (Lymph is the fluid associated with Earth.)

Acne is an Earth condition that needs to be treated with targeted Earth skincare and therapies. Severe conditions will require a pointed series of treatments to balance the energetic root cause. Drainage of the lymph is essential, not only on the face but also all over the body, especially in severe cases of acne. The condition of acne tends to flare up during the four yearly transitional periods described above (the Earth season).

Lymph drainage is essential.

When waste does not fully migrate out of cells, we manifest the most typical cellulite—an Earth energy deficiency. Cells have become increasingly more bloated with waste material. The condition is aggravated when there is already too much waste in the interstitial fluid. In this case also, lymph drainage is sorely required.

Although there are a few contraindications for lymph drainage, it is safe to say that, in general, most people will benefit from regular drainage, particularly people of the Earth type. A good drainage gives instantly visible results making lymphatic drainage a worthwhile spa treatment.

If your body is very toxic which is very common with Earth types, it is advised to do the entire body in two or more sessions as toxins released too quickly over a large surface might induce fatigue and headaches. It is always imperative for everyone to drink plenty of water before and after any body drainage treatment.

The energetic drainage is not painful at all. In fact, it is considered very pleasant and relaxing. Most people feel quite rejuvenated at the end of the treatment.

In light therapy, also known as chromatherapy by PHYTO5, we use blue light to target the fluid of Earth, lymph, with our award-winning light technologies.

The morphology* associated with Earth can be described as:

• good proportions between upper and lower body (yin and yang in balance).

• likely to develop a belly

• thinking type with stable demeanor

• can be nervous when problems occur

• sensitive to humidity.

The elements in TCM are also associated with epochs in our lives. Earth tends to be the time for more mature adults while Fire, for example, is the time of young adulthood.

The PHYTO5® facial for the transitional periods between seasons/Earth element addresses energetic imbalance with two energetically potent products–the high vibration Earth serum (Phyt’Ether) and the Yellow Colored Clay Mask.

Spleen and stomach are the organs of the Earth seasons.

Spleen has a critical and ongoing management function in Chinese medicine converting and distributing energy from nourishment. It also regulates lymph flow, a major actor in toxin removal from tissues and a critical function of the immune defense system.

Earth is a time to regain our physical and psychological balance and to be prepared to sustain the energetic influences of the next season.

Indeed, during each of the other four seasons, either yin or yang will be on the rise or on the decline.

Each one of us will react to the changes in our own particular ways that can lead to imbalance, but Earth provides the perfect time to detoxify both our physical body and our mental/emotional one. It is the time to be grounded, and to cherish our CHI.

*Morphology is the study of body shapes. Your physical appearance is the specific manifestation of the sum total of all hidden and subtle energetic influences at work within you—what you were born with as well as what results from where and how you live your life. While there is an infinite number of body shapes, they can be classified according to TCM into five groups based on specific characteristics. To each of the five elements corresponds a body type—a specific morphology.

Earth Season Morphology

#tcm #morphology #acne #lymph #toxicity #skincare #Swiss #organic #natural #drainage #lymphatic drainage #holistic

A List of Foods to Eat for Glowing Skin (+Bonus Recipe!)

Make your skin glow with light enriched foods.

Sunlight puts light into food. That light, when consumed, radiates through the skin. If you want to be sure if the produce you’re eating is filled with light, there’s one rule of thumb: If it's green, you'll glow.

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Eating these is the same as ingesting life-promoting light:

• Sprouts (nice and green ones) including wheatgrass

• Dark, leafy greens

• Green algae: chlorella

• Blue green algae: spirulina and aphanizomenon flos aqua (AFA)

• Seaweeds

• Ceremonial grade match green tea

• Other green teas

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in all plants, algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Vital for photosynthesis, chlorophyll allows plants to obtain energy from light by converting the sun’s rays into chemical energy. Since all life on earth—with the exception of some bacteria—is supported by the sun, photosynthesis is a fundamental and essential process.

A More Complete List of Chorophyll-Rich Foods:

• Green and Blue-Green Algae

• Cereal Grasses (wheat, oats, barley, etc.)

• Buckwheat

• Sea Vegetables

• Green Leafy Sprouts

• Spinach

• Asparagus

• Green Bell Peppers

• Broccoli

• Brussels Sprouts

• Green Cabbage

• Celery

• Collard Greens

• Green Beans

• Green Peas

• Kale

• Leeks

• Green Olives

• Parsley

• Romaine Lettuce

• Sea Vegetables

• Swiss Chard

• Turnip Greens

How to Make Matcha Green Tea Latte

First, make your own almond milk from raw imported (not U.S.) almonds by blending one cup of drained and rinsed almonds that have previously been soaked in pure water at least four hours along with two cups of chilled pure water. Run in a high speed blender about 45 seconds. Next, pour through a nut bag to filter out the almond pulp.

Place 3/4 cup of your fresh-made almond milk (or store bought) into a heatproof mug. Add one teaspoon of ceremonial grade matcha green tea. Next pour just-to-boiling water, about 1/4 cup and WHISK briskly together. Add some raw blue agave to sweeten and to taste.

Note: Ceremonial grade matcha green tea is worth what you pay for it. (The lesser grades are used for cooking.)

"Many studies have determined that matcha has 60 percent Epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]. EGCG is tea's most abundant antioxidant catechin; it is one hundred times more potent than vitamin C, twenty-five times more potent than vitamin E, and may have therapeutic applications in the treatment of many disorders since it aids in the destruction of free radicals." –The Healthy Matcha Cookbook

Matcha is just about the most potent agent against cancer, viruses (studies are now showing even HIV), hepatitis B and C, and bacteria.

At Least a Dozen Ways You May Not Have Thought of to Make Your Home Environment Radiate with Peace

1. Burn unscented candles with prayer intentions embedded into them.

2. Keep everything in order. Get organized. Chaos creates more chaos. Clean and straighten as you go.

3. Keep your decor simple and refined.

4. Cover your television screen with a beautiful tapestry when it is not in use.

5. Keep your home aired out by opening doors and windows periodically.

6. One simple fresh flower or a plant will impeccably enchant the room.

7. Light a Himalayan salt lamp in each room. It purifies and deionizes the air. Explore Evolution Salt.

8. Keep your home accessories and supplies vegan and fair-trade friendly. They carry a vibration of non-aggression.

9. Watch and feel how energies feel in your home and shift furniture until it feels better.

10. Make your home decor meaningful to you. Your home reflects who you are.

11. By all means, post a picture or a statue of peace hero in your home such as the Buddha, Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, or Kwan Yin. You will be surprised at how it makes the room feel.

12. Have a set of tingshas, a bell or crystal bowl nearby and gently clang periodically to clear the energies of the room.

13. Never hesitate to do yoga in your living or bedroom. The energies you generate will uplift the room.

14. Play a continuous "OM" soundtrack in the background. The best one we've found is Eternal Om by Dick Sutphen. Or play chanting Buddhist monks. Their guttural chanting is amazingly comforting. Here is an amazing cd by Deval Premal and the Gyuto Monks (Tibetan Mantras for Turbulent Times) that is enthralling, reverential and moving. [All proceeds of this CD are directed to the Gyuto Monastery in Dharamsala, India; the Phowa Project; and Veggiyana.]

15. Use color and light therapies to bring gentle vibrations into your home. See our blog post of June 20.

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.

Feng shui is (in Chinese thought) a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), and whose favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings and rooms.

You can become a feng shui expert OR you can simply tune in to how placement and orientation of objects and sounds in your home FEELS. You will know immediately if a placement or addition is right for you just by the way it feels. Tune in to both ways: the way it was before and the way it is with the changes you have made. Your answer will tell you all you need to know!

It doesn't take a super built out plan or a lot of money to make your home environment the kind you desire. It merely requires:

• simplicity

• order

• a touch of creativity

You can transform your home in a matter of minutes just by clearing out the old and chaotic, rearranging items and adding sound and good vibrations to your living environment.

More Than a Dozen Ways to Start Living a More Peaceful Gentle Life Right Now

In the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, ahimsa is the principle of nonviolence and compassion toward all living things; it is considered one of five great virtues of man; its origin is from the Sanskrit language: from a ‘non-, without’ + hiṃsā ‘violence’

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi promoted Ahimsa in his life and in his life's service. He applied Ahimsa to all arenas of life. He said, "Ahimsa is in Hinduism, it is in Christianity as well as in Islam... Nonviolence is common to all religions, but it has found the highest expression and application in Hinduism (I do not regard Jainism or Buddhism as separate from Hinduism)."

Ahimsa tends to include the following loving lifestyle practices and leads to an overall more peaceful life:

1. Practicing vegetarianism and even greater, veganism in both food and clothing choices

2. Refraining from hunting and fishing whether to kill or to wound and release

3. Eliminating the caging of animals and visiting animals in zoos (animal sanctuaries for the wounded would not apply here)

4. Treating pets with love and respect, and creating structure within ourselves and for our pets so we may engender their obedience

5. Refusing to patronize companies that practice cruelty toward animals

6. Taking in abandoned pets in shelters; consider adopting an aging pet who is more likely to be passed by.

7. Taking loving care of our own bodies with high frequency exercise such as yoga, martial arts, distance meditative walking; see our blog post of June 10, 2016 for one such simple exercise.

8. Espousing moderation in what we take into our bodies such as quantities of food, alcohol, sugar, fats, drugs, tobacco

9. Meditating daily for at least a short period of time being sure to include some form of prayer before or after

10. Creating a home environment of peace and order that will support nonviolent tendencies within us

11. Gently rejecting negative and destructive self-talk realizing this is the ego talking and not us and that exactly the opposite is true about ourselves; this is practicing non-violent thinking.

12. Enriching our attitudes towards life by reading uplifting, inspiring books; see list below

13. Slowing down if we tend to rush through life; getting present to life

14. Recycling all that we don't use including clothing, furniture, tools; recycling food scraps

15. Buying organic and vegan

16. Walking or riding a bicycle whenever possible

17. Cutting way back on our consumption of paper, plastic and synthetic products

18. Becoming more acutely aware of our individual carbon footprint overall and how to reduce it

Some Titles to Read for a More Peaceful Loving Life:

• The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving and Manners by Grisha Stewart

• Living Ahimsa Diet: Nourishing Love & Life by Maya Tiwari

• Gandhi: An Autobiography - The Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Mahadev H. Desai

• Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words by Peace Pilgrim

• The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Compassion by the Dalai Lama

• Personality Development by Swami Vivekananda

All PHYTO5 Swiss-made skincare products are crafted in the spirit of Ahimsa. Animals are not tested and the highest good of the planet is at the core of all our manufacturing practices.

6 Reasons Why Buying "Organic Made In Switzerland" Assures Super High Integrity

Buying Organic Skincare Made In Switzerland Assures Super High Integrity.

In many countries (including the U.S.), skincare product manufacturers are not inspected for good manufacturing practice and neither are the ingredients they use.

Since there are thousands of untested ingredients used in skincare products, consumers should be really concerned about how suitable the products are for use on their bodies. Some may actually pose dangers to your health.

In today's world of "info.-by-internet," there are all kinds of misinformation posted by people who will benefit from it and which internet searchers buy as valid and correct.

If you buy organic products made in a country like Switzerland, you can be assured it goes through a multi-tier certification process, much more so than in the U.S. Add the final step of USDA organic certification once the products reaches the country and you and your product are virtually assured of its authenticity and benefit to your health.

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.

NOTE: Ageless La Cure skincare products by PHYTO5 are organic certified. PHYTO5 seasonal skincare products are not organic certified but many of the products contain organic ingredients and all are formulated with plant-based ingredients.

The 6 Tiers of Organic Certification for Skincare Made in Switzerland and Imported into the U.S.

1. Organic certification is required from the ECOCERT organization for European manufactured products as well as products from a number of other countries and the products are clearly marked as such.

2. European Union regulations for skincare products are very stringent and require many toxicology tests to verify them as completely harmless.

3. Toxicology tests on skincare products are conducted not only at the time of inception/formulation of the product but for every production batch.

4. European-made organic skincare including Swiss-made bears the professional organization COSMEBIO® icon which designates the product as natural, eco-friendly and organic.

5. Only in Switzerland, the government conducts regular inspections of manufacturing plants to asure they are using good manufacturing practices.

6. Organic skincare must additionally pass USDA organic certification once in the country.

More About Ecocert Certification for Organic and Natural Cosmetics

Introduced in 2003, the specification was drawn up in conjunction with all stakeholders in the value chain, i.e. experts, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, consumers and development organizations. Ecocert currently supports and guides more than 1,000 companies through their certification processes.

The basic principles of the Ecocert standard: To ensure an environmentally friendly cosmetic product, the Ecocert standard lays down:

1. The use of ingredients derived from renewable resources, manufactured by environmentally friendly processes. Ecocert therefore checks:

• absence of GMO

• parabens

• phenoxyethanol

• nanoparticles

• silicon

• PEG

• synthetic perfumes and dyes

• animal-derived ingredients (unless naturally produced by them: milk, honey, etc.).

• biodegradable or recyclable nature of packaging.

 2. A minimum threshold of natural ingredients from organic farming to be reached to obtain certification: For both labels, Ecocert Standard imposes that a minimum of 95% of the total ingredients come from natural origin;

• For the natural and organic cosmetic label: A minimum of 95% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.

• For the natural cosmetic label: A minimum of 50% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 5% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.

/!\: Some ingredients very frequently found in cosmetics (water, salts, minerals) cannot be certified as organic because they are not sourced from farming. For example, shampoos and some creams, mostly composed of water, contain between 10% and 40% organic ingredients, and always 95% natural ingredients. An essential oil, which does not contain water, can be up to 100% organic ingredients.

3. On-site audit is performed by an Ecocert auditor.

21 Short and Long Term Ways to Cope

Everybody runs into rough patches. That's the nature of life. Here are 21 enjoyable ways to transform the heaviness of life into light. Pick and choose.

1. Try not to isolate yourself. Align with a positive minded and emotionally healthy friend or friends. Reach out and share.

2. Read spiritually uplifting books in your time of need; try reading The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, or Autobiography of a Yogi. Your life will be changed.

3. Read and study A Course In Miracles. There are concepts in the book you can immediately put into practice for your peace of mind.

4. Read success coaching books by people like Brendon Burchard.

5. Step out into nature for a walk or a visit. Let nature embrace and love you. It works. You'll feel better.

6. Get out of town for a few hours. Drive to a place you've been wanting to visit but kept putting it off. Enjoy the change of scenery.

7. Remember that nothing is permanent. It will pass.

8. Have at hand or in memory a number of mantras to repeat either aloud or silently that resonate with you.

9. Turn on some music and even better, sing and/or dance to it. The physical exercise of dancing will change you.

10. Adjust your physical posture. If you address your physiology, your mental will follow suit. Stand or sit erect, relax your face and make yourself smile.

11. Go be in service to someone somewhere. Don't put it off. Do it now.

12. Set up reminders in your smartphone to cue you throughout the day to stop for a moment and acknowledge the Divine lives within you as you.

13. Interrupt your pattern. Stop doing everything the same way every day at the same time of the day. Mix it up. Right now. Get up and do something different.

14. Watch a comedy. Get laughing. You can't ever laugh too much. Laugh till it hurts!

15. Pray. Call on your celestial guides to help carry you through your challenge. They can't help if you don't ask. They are waiting to respond to your call!

16. Set up an altar with an unscented candle(s) and pictures or even statues of your favorite spiritual figures throughout history. Say your prayers in front of this altar and know you and these people are one and the same, you have only to realize it.

17. If you can afford it, go get a massage right away.

18. Cleanse the energetic envelope that surrounds your physical body by smudging it with sage or whisking a bird feather through it. Keep cleansing the bird feather by sharply whisking it down towards the floor every few seconds. You can also sounds bells or gently beat a drum in your energy field (also known as your auric field).

19. Resolve to change the behavior that has brought you to a place of overwhelm. Choose just one thing to change and then take one small action toward making that change and do it immediately, no matter how small or trivial that action might seem.

20. Refuse to entertain all thoughts simultaneously which lead to overwhelm. Practice and learn to deflect them. You have the power, not they. This will help you to be in this moment NOW where there can be no overwhelm or worry. Practice being in the now by reading and studying the works of Eckhart Tolle.

21. Be with an animal. Go get near some animals, even if cows or horses grazing in a field. Adopt an aging animal from a shelter. Spend time with your neighbor's pet. They will all be present to you. They have no judgment.

18 Avenues for Releasing Stored Emotional Pain

All emotions, pain in particular, are recorded at the cellular level. Emotions stem from the body’s experiences and its mental interpretation of those experiences. Because of this, emotions are closely related to our bodies. They’re actually an extension of our bodies.

There is also evidence that mental pain and anguish have an impact on the body as if they were physical bodily injuries. This helps to explain why many massage therapists have experienced involuntary emotional reactions from their clients like unexplainable cries, shrieks, or tears. These happen when there is a release of a painful event which has been stored in the physical body as a physical and/or energetic blockage.

It's a good thing to get these blocks of energy released otherwise they might cause a physical illness down the road. Think about it: When energy is blocked from flowing in the body, how can that be good? It causes pain, dysfunction and 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.

Make it a habit, within the constraints of your budget, to see a holistic healthcare giver on a regular basis. If they are truly holistic, they will take your ability to pay into account and create a sliding scale for you. This is the meaning of holistic–taking all aspects of a person into account when treating, including the means to pay for services. Bring it up to your therapist if this is the case for you.

Here's a partial list of types of holistic practitioners* you might want to look into for yourself:

1. Massage therapist, of course, but preferably one with knowledge of balancing chakras

2. Doctor of Oriental Medicine or Acupuncturist

3. Energy medicine practitioner

4. Ayurvedic practitioner

5. Reiki practitioner

6. Biofeedback specialist

7. Chromatherapy specialist

8. Guided imagery practitioner

9. Therapeutic touch therapist

10. Doctor of Homeopathy

11. Thai yoga teacher/practitioner

12. Bach flower remedy specialist

13. Rolfer

14. Pranic healing specialist

15. Rebirthing expert

16. Sound therapist

17. Myofascial/trigger point therapist

18. Chakra balancing expert

*Some of these healthcare givers may require licenses to practice. Be sure to verify before accepting treatment.

The 7 Types of Ayurvedic Massage

Abhyangam
A full body hot oil massage with medicated herbal oil in the patient's particular dosha (dosha: each of three energies believed to circulate in the body and govern physiological activity). A comfortably warm temperature is maintained in the room and energy centers are stimulated to assist the body in releasing deep seated toxins.

Udvartana
In Udvartana massage, an herbal paste or dried herbal powders are applied oppositethe hairgrowth i.e. in an upward direction. This breaks down the adipose tissues in the body, increases circulation and releases toxins.

Garshana
The Garshana massage is a process of stimulating the body using raw silk gloves only minus the application of any lubricant. Light and vigorous movements eliminate toxins from the body by stimulating the lymphatic system and fat cells in the body break Dead skin cells are sloughed off leaving the skin clean and radiant.

Njavarkijhi
This massage increases perspiration in the body. A pressurized massage is given with the help of small cotton ‘blouses’ filled with a special type of cooked rice called Njavara. During the massage, these blouses are dipped in cow’s milk and a special herbal paste and applied to produce sweat. It is de-stressing and revitalizing.

Shirodhara
Here a stimulation of the nerves in the scalp is activated by pouring herbal oil on the head in a constant stream or ‘dhara,' thus relieving mental fatigue, increasing focus and clarity and alleviating headaches.

Ubtaan and Elakijhi
Various herbal or animal centric materials are used to vitalize the skin texture and nourish the body.

2 Effective and Natural Ways to Fight Potential Superbugs

On May 26, 2016 Sanjay Gupta, MD of CNN reported, "New ‘superbug’ no antibiotic can combat arrives in U.S." We've all heard how antibiotics aren't working like they used to. Microbes are adapting. They're learning how to survive the attacks of antibiotics.

In another CNN interview with a microbiologist, the health pundit was asked what new approach we could use to combat superbugs and he answered, PROBIOTICS. He said we have to start looking at probiotics for our health. Hello?! Where has he been?! I guess just steeped in the world of allopathic medicine but it's nice to hear they're more and more willing to give a real alternative like probiotics a good hard look.

What a simple, affordable and really healthy way to fight such pathogens! Keep your intestines populated with probiotics (also known as friendly flora).

Another microbiologist, Larry Harris, formerly of the CIA, was asked on national television several years ago about how we can effectively combat lethal pathogens and he said:

The only natural substance I know of that is effective against these microbes is colloidal silver. I tested that myself when I was with the CIA, and found it effective against both anthrax and the bubonic plague pathogens. –Former CIA microbiologist Larry Wayne Harris

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual. Barwick, Steve. Peoria, AZ: Life and Health Research Group, n.d. Print.

Concerning PROBIOTICS: Get a good one at the health food store. They are usually sold in the refrigerated section. Keep them refrigerated so that as many as possible of the millions and millions of friendly flora organisms stay alive. Don't take too much. Just take what the bottle says every day, at least until you learn how your body responds to them. There will be other benefits including much better waste elimination, glowing skin, resistance to colds, flu, healthier bones, nicer breath and more!

On COLLOIDAL SILVER: Again, get a good brand at the health food store, preferably one that uses nanotechnology. You want a silver with nanoparticles because nanoparticles are so small they can penetrate your mucous membranes far more effectively than regular colloidal silver. You can buy it in spray form or liquid dropper form. I use the liquid dropper form. It tastes fine.

Just put the prescribed amount under your tongue, hold it there for 20 seconds or so and swallow. Don't overdo colloidal silver either. Just take the amount prescribed on the label. And remember this mantra when taking colloidal silver, "Less is more and more is less." This means that if you take a much larger amount of silver than is suggested, it will be ineffective. But you can take it several times throughout the day.

We've all heard of rare people who turned blue after going wild on colloidal silver. Though this is rare, be smart. There's nothing to fear even if you take it every day.

Not only are probiotics and colloidal silver effective at outsmarting bugs and superbugs, they're a whole lot cheaper and with no ill side effects.

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