Best Eating Practices for Fa

As we approach the conclusion of the Fall energetic season (ending October 20), let's check in with our diet and make sure we align our eating practices as much as we possibly can with the season. When we live in harmony with the spirit of the season and of the earth, we will live far more vibrant lives full of health and vitality.

If we observe the season, we’ll notice that our natural environment is beginning to slow down and to contract. It is preparing to rest for the Winter. 

If we choose to align ourselves with nature’s current seasonal behaviors, we’ll slow down, too. We’ll sleep a little longer, become a little more contemplative and inwardly focused and we’ll eat warming, nourishing foods, especially foods that nourish the lungs, the organ associated with Fall. 

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Best eating practices for energetic Fall include eating lung clearing and moistening foods (lung is the organ associated with the season) like apples, pears and persimmons. Sounds like it’s time for some fresh baked pie!

Foods with gently pungent flavors strengthen the lungs and should be balanced with sour foods which work to protect the skin against attack from the winds of Autumn. 

Gently pungent flavors come from herbs and spices like basil, coriander, bay leaves, capers, cardamom, chives, cinnamon, cloves, dill, fennel, ginger, oregano, nutmeg, rosemary, safflower, thyme, and turmeric. More powerful pungent flavors such as white pepper, garlic, chilies, onions and horseradish are best to use sparingly at this time. Gently pungent vegetables include cabbage, leeks and turnips.

Sour foods to balance the pungent might include sauerkraut, sour plums and apples, olives, pickles, lemons, limes, grapefruit and yogurt.

The Fall energetic season is the time when we may tend to eat less salads and raw foods while cooking our food at low temperatures for longer periods of time. For example, steam your food rather than do a quick stir fry. Or make some hearty, slowly cooked and simmered stews and soups that include navy and lima beans which are very good for the lungs. Begin phasing in to your soups and stews root vegetables which we will soon even more heartily use in the Winter.

Using small amounts of Himalayan sea salt in your cooking will help alleviate dryness caused by windy Autumn.

Autumn is a time of establishing a rhythmic order. There is a downward energy, grounding our bodies, minds and even our food into the earth. It is the ideal time to focus on the colon as life energy contracts and will prepare for a dormant state in the winter. Autumn is associated with white, and also the time of year our “white” foods are at their peak. They are the digestives and immune boosting foods such as: apples, pears, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, and leeks.  – Kate Kennington, Holistic Health Coach

Here’s a list of supportive nourishing foods to incorporate into your best eating practices for Fall as we build our immune systems in preparation for Winter:

1. almonds

2. apples

3. apricots

4. asparagus

5. bananas

6. basil

7. bay leaves

8. black pepper

9. broccoli

10. cabbage

11. capers

12. cardamom

13. cauliflower

14. celery

15. cheese

16. chilies (sparingly)

17. chives

18. cinnamon

19. cloves

20. coriander

21. cucumber

22. dill

23. fennel

24. garlic (sparingly)

25. ginger

26. grapefruit

27. grapes

28. Himalayan salt

29. horseradish (sparingly)

30. leeks

31. lemons

32. limes

33. miso

34. mustard greens

35. navy beans

36. nutmeg

37. olives

38. onion (sparingly)

39. oregano

40. pears

41. persimmons

42. pickles

43. radish 

44. rice

45. rosemary

46. safflower

47. sauerkraut

48. sour plums

49. sourdough bread

50. soy beans

51. sweet potato

52. thyme

53. turmeric

54. turnips

55. vinegar

56. walnuts

57. white pepper (sparingly)

58. yogurt

What's Behind Jet Lag or "Unexplained" Periods of Physical Exhaustion?

While all energies flow throughout the body at all times, there are periods when certain energies are stronger than at other times. As is true of the five energetic seasons and with the cycle of life (as with the five 15-year cycles), it is also the case every day since every two hours one of the energies become more active within your body.

The cycle repeats itself every twenty four hours. This is called the “diurnal energy cycle.”

There are five elements and each has a pair of organ meridians accounting for the energies of the ten organs. In addition, there are two other meridians, the heart constrictor (also called the pericardium) and the triple warmer, both of which belong to the Fire element.

Altogether they represent the twelve major energy meridians of the body. The energy flows within the meridians, but also from one meridian to another creating an endless loop.

Of course, the flow has a set pathway and increases its activity according to a set sequence and time frame which goes as follows:

1.  1-3 am: liver energy

2.  3-5 am: lung energy

3.  5-7 am: large intestine energy

4.  7-9 am: stomach energy

5.  9-11 am: spleen energy (also pancreas for its organic function)

6. 11 am-1 pm: heart energy

7. 1-3 pm: small intestine energy

8. 3-5 pm: kidney energy

9. 5-7 pm: bladder energy

10. 7-9 pm: heart constrictor (pericardium) energy

11. 9-11 pm: triple warmer energy

12. 11 pm-1 am: gallbladder energy

This realization has led some doctors to recommend taking medicine for certain organs during the peak of their energetic activity. This is called chronotherapy (from the Greek chronos meaning time). Chronotherapy has found a certain degree of recognition by medical doctors in the West.

This phenomenon also explains why travelers going through several time zones in a short time suffer from jet lag. It does not have as much to do with the plane as it does with the fact that the process forces the body to alter the time frame of its energetic flow in order to adapt to new time zones.

The more a traveler suffers from energetic blockages, the more difficult it will be for the body to make a prompt adjustment. For this reason, travelers going from east to west or vice versa over several time zones, should plan on an energy balancing session before taking a long flight and also before tackling major tasks once arrived at their destination.

It makes particularly good sense to work on the energies that have been affected, given the time frame of the travel.

Yin and yang wax and wane. For example, in the diurnal cycle of the world outside the body, yang starts growing stronger after midnight and by dawn it dominates over yin, continuing to grow until it reaches a peak at noon, then declines and gives way to yin which gains ascendancy after dark and peaks at midnight. A similar cycle is thought to exist in the human body, with the body rising in vigor from dawn and turning passive after dark. The seasons likewise see yang growing rapidly in early spring and reaching a peak in mid-summer; by the autumn yin is ascendant and finally reaches a maximum in winter.

–Hong, Hai. Principles of Chinese Medicine: A Modern Interpretation. Second ed. ICP Publications. 2015. Print.

Do Trees Have Energy? Yes. And You Can Use Their Energy to Uplift You.

Zhan zhuang: the art of standing like a post

Trees provide us with the healing benefits of the negative ions they give off. And equally so, they offer us the energy of Wood, according to traditional Chinese medicine. Trees are relevant for the Spring energetic season because Wood is the element of energetic Spring.

Enjoy the energy of the cypress tree in many of PHYTO5 Wood line products. All 5-element products by PHYTO5 are quantum energetic. This means the products work at not only the level of skin, they also work to balance your vital energy and emotions.

The Wood line, in particular, works to stimulate and balance your unseen vital energy. It potently balances emotions of anger and lack of confidence to kindness and confidence.

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.

Do trees have energy? Yes. They offer you the energy of Wood which is very vital energy stimulating.

1. Enjoy how the vibratory frequencies of trees positively affect you in a healing sort of way. Feel mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually stimulated by the energy of Wood. Tune in and feel.

2. Discover the trees of Finland's Koli National Park through this short film created by award-winning documentarist Brandy Yanchyk. Hug a Tree to be Happy and feel the energy of Wood.

3. Learn about forest bathing of Japan and many countries. Feel the stimulating energy of Wood through Shinrin-yoku. This term means "taking in the forest atmosphere" or "forest bathing." It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive healthcare and healing in Japanese medicine.

4. Electromagnetic changes in the surface of leaves and roots have been measured by specially designed equipment. This proves the energy of Wood. Discover the singing trees and plants of Damanhur, Colorado.

5. Study how some trees offer the stimulating vital energy of Wood and medicinal healing for many conditions and sicknesses. Both bark and leaves are used for making tinctures, salves and poultices.

6. Develop ‘listening energy’ with trees which some call ‘tree chi gong.’ Trees have energy you can learn and benefit from.

7. Practice zhan zhuang, pictured above, to experience the energy of Wood element. This is the art of standing like a post. Begin this posture until you can feel the chi flowing between your palms. Then with your palms try to feel the energy of Wood flow of the tree. When you feel the current of the tree, stop and tune in to your listening energy. When you feel the tree’s energy of Wood flow, allow your own energy flow to synchronize and connect to the tree’s energy stream. This is tree chi gong practice.

8. Read about the ringing cedars of Russia in the Ringing Cedars series of books by Vladimir Megré. Ringing cedars are more than 500-year old Siberian cedar trees (also called Siberian pine, Pinus sibirica) that over their lifetime accumulate so much energy of Wood they start emitting a vibrating ringing sound. It’s believed these trees or pieces of their wood may produce a beneficial influence on human health and consciousness. Megré asserts through direct personal experience that the energy of wood of the ringing cedars has powerful healing properties and is capable of curing any disease of the flesh.

“Trees do emit a wide range of audible sounds apart from the rustling of their leaves, and you do not have to travel to Siberia or seek out some extraordinary specimens to hear that! Note that the sound Megré describes as ‘ringing’ is actually not a ringing of a bell or your cell phone, but rather a crackling sound similar to that of high-voltage power transmission lines. Such sounds are entirely within the range of trees’ natural capabilities…both the structure of trees (from their DNA to leaves or needles, branches and roots, and to the crown as a whole), and the materials they are composed from (be it sap, resin, wood, or waxy coating of needles) betray natural wave-receptors and energy accumulators.” –Dr. Leonid Sharshkin, Secrets of Cedar Products

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. Wilderness is a necessity. –John Muir (1838–1914), Scottish-born American naturalist, a pioneer of environmental conservation. Muir was largely responsible for the establishment of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks in California (1890).

Do trees have energy? Most definitely, yes.

And they maintain an inner spiritual structure called the djed(1), the tree of knowledge.

It’s this inner tree in all trees that we spiritually share with them when we embrace them.

As Celtic tradition teaches, each tree species embodies its own knowledge. We can tune in to tree wisdom and converse with it. Our tree teachers are available to us all. We only have to sit with a tree and listen.

…

(1) djed: from Egyptian mythology, a pillar-like symbol in hieroglyphics representing stability

…

Source:

–Hidalgo, Sharlyn. The Healing Power of Trees: Spiritual Journeys through the Celtic Tree Calendar. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2010. Print.

Energy and Chakras

The seven colors that compose natural light also correspond to the energy of the seven major energetic centers of Ayurvedic medicine, or chakras.

In holistic living, we have already begun to think of the body as an energetic system:

• Vital energy powers and directs the body.

• Vital energy sources include ancestral energy from our parents and energy transformed in our bodies from the air we breathe and the food we eat.

• We are also subjected to the energies of our environment from:

  • heaven (in the sense of cosmic energies) and

  • earth–called telluric energies (from the Latin ‘tellus,’ meaning ‘earth).

Energy is constantly transformed and flowing within each of us, and it also flows in and out of each of us.

Ayurveda also has energy points known as marma points that correlate highly with acupuncture points, and energy channels called nadis.

There are also chakras, or energetic centers. Each chakra receives and sends out energy, creating an energy distribution system not only within the body, but also between the body and our energy field. Each chakra has its own range of energy vibration that corresponds to one of the seven colors of the rainbow. Energy blockages can also occur in chakras.

It is possible to balance chakras by giving them the lacking energy. There are a number of ways to balance chakras and PHYTO5 does it with the application of certain energetic essential oils or by applying specific colored light.

Chakras are numbered from one to seven, starting at the root chakra and ending at the crown chakra. It is best to simultaneously balance chakras by pair, determined by their symmetrical position relative to the middle or heart (fourth) chakra.

Note that the sum of the paired or complementary chakras is always eight: 7 + 1, 6 + 2, and so on.

To each chakra corresponds certain organs and for some, one or two of the eight hormonal glands. The health of organs and hormonal glands depends on the energetic quality and quantity of the corresponding chakra.

A healthy hormonal system requires a healthy chakra system, thus the importance and practicality of working with light and oils to energize and balance them.

Chakras go deep into the body in a funnel shape and extend outward several inches beyond the skin level into the layers of our energy field—the aura around the body. See illustration, right column.

When our chakric energetic centers are in balance, meaning they are neither transmitting nor receiving too much or too little energy, they are in balance. This energy center balance assists in the creation of good mental, emotional, spiritual and even, physical health because each of these aspects affects all the other ones.

Each individual aura has its own blend of vibrations, energy and color combination, specific not only to each individual but also subject to changes from moment to moment and particularly according to emotions felt.

The closer we live to nature or in harmony with it, our energy fields and centers align to the energies of the earth and we consequently experience more balance and better health. Because of the challenges our current modern world presents to us, we must find ways to ensure our chakric system stays in balance.

The chakras are divine, subtle energy centers from which all experiences in life originate. They have been described as spinning vortices of subtle energy through which the individual receives, transmits, and processes the universal life-force energy… They form a subtle and psychic network of energy through the body, mind, and spirit operate as one holistic system… The sole purpose in gaining awareness of the chakra system is to assist the individual in achieving a state of harmony within her.

–Seidman, Maruti. Balancing the Chakras. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 2000. Print.

This article adapted from the book, Energetic Skincare, Naturally by PHYTO5 President, Jon Canas. 

What Is Bioceutical Skincare?

A good example of creative marketing is the coining of the words “cosmeceutical,” “bioceutical,” and other similar terms you can increasingly find on skincare product labels today.

The terms imply that the products bear a pharmaceutical or life-giving quality, respectively. They cause the unaware consumer to think that the products must be a higher level, more serious and more potent type of skincare.

In fact, the U. S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes only two types of products: Drugs (as in medicine) and cosmetics.

Drugs are either a prescription type (doctor required) or the more benign over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that can be purchased on the retail market.

There are no other FDA product categories (as of this writing), therefore there really is no official “cosmeceutical” category.

Another regulated term is “active ingredient.” It is used quite frequently, particularly by European skincare lines, because those specific words do not have the same definition in Europe as is given by theFDA.

Used by professionals who know when the term is used loosely, there is really no harm even though it is quite improper. In these cases, the words are used to point

to the ingredients responsible for the intended action of the product—what gives it its characteristics and uniqueness.

They could be called functional, key, or defining ingredients, but to use the phrase, “active ingredients,” with anyone who might take it literally is fraudulent. This is because what defines a drug is the very presence of at least one active ingredient which is very specifically defined and regulated by the FDA.

These ingredients are listed as such on any drug container. An absence of FDA approved active ingredients makes the product something other than a drug—and that means a cosmetic product—regardless of the creativity of a copywriter intent on conveying something other than what it is.

Cosmeceuticals and other similarly named products have no “active ingredients” otherwise they would be considered a drug and would be under FDA regulation. 

Some manufacturers claim that the presence of a so called “bio-active” ingredient is the justification for their attempted differentiation. Unfortunately, the term bio-active is also a fabricated one that is not regulated (as of this writing). Ingredients such as minerals, vitamins, and essential oil can be deemed “bio-active.”

Again, all this creates a false image. It tries to convey exclusivity for unregulated products based on the presence of some unregulated ingredient(s). Pure marketing genius!

If you can’t beat them, you might as well join them!

Since there is ample “bio-activity” in PHYTO5 products and because natural high-grade essential oils make them energetic, the terms “Bioceutical” and “Phyto-Energetic” are now being used by PHYTO5.

Some manufacturers claim that natural ingredients justify the notion of bioactivity. Some point to the superior bio activity of natural essential oils or algae or natural vitamins.

That would make PHYTO5 and a handful of other good skincare lines that have always included such ingredients, pioneers in the field of cosmeceutical and bioceutical skincare without even knowing it!

The Yin and Yang of Body Shapes and What They Say About You

According to the Five Element theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all body shapes fall into one of five categories. This philosophy embodies a simplified approach limited to the interaction of yin and yang energies within our bodies.

While there are an infinite number of body shapes, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) categorizes them into five groups based on specific characteristics and corresponding to each of the five elements of TCM theory.

You might find it interesting to see where your body shape falls in the schematic representation to the right. For more information on body shapes and morphology, go to our blog post of Friday, September 2.

Note: Yang is represented by an equilateral triangle (all sides equal) standing not on its base but on the opposite angle. Conversely, yin is represented by an equilateral triangle standing on its base.

1. The upside down triangle: With dominating yang energy, favors the development of the upper part of the body at the expense of the lower parts (big shoulders and skinny legs).

2. The triangle resting on its base: With dominating yin energy, favors the development of the lower part of the body at the expense of the upper part.

3. A rectangle standing on its smaller side: Balance of yin and yang.

4. Two triangles joined at the opposing angles with their base both at the bottom and at the top: With strong yang on the upper part of the body and strong yin in the lower part of the body creating a constriction in the midsection, results in insufficient energy for assimilation and elimination with all the attendant health and skin problems this condition generates.

5. Two triangles joined at the base with opposing angles both at the top and the bottom: With limited development of legs and shoulders and strong development of midsection, points to overactive assimilation and elimination but weak regenerating function.

Here are fascinating excerpts on Yin and Yang physical tendencies from two ancient Chinese medicine textbooks.

Abundant Yang

“People with abundant Yang hold their head high while standing because it is the nature of Yang to rise. They shake their body while walking because it is in the nature of Yang to move. They often hold their hands behind the body with the arms and elbows by the sides of the body as it is in the nature of Yang to be exposed.” — The Golden Mirror

“A Greater-Yang type of person looks arrogant with the chest and stomach projected forward as if the body was bending backwards. This is the picture of a Greater-Yang type of person. A Lesser-Yang type of person holds the head high while standing, and shakes the body while walking… 

A person with abundant Yang is emotional and as warm as fire; he talks fast and is swollen with arrogance. It is because the Heart- and Lung-Qi of such a persona are abundant; Yang-Qi is therefore plentiful and flows freely and vigorously. For this reason, it is easy to stimulate his spirit, and the Qi arrives quickly when acupuncture is given.”

— Book Two, The Spiritual Axis, from The Neijing Suwen

Abundant Yin

“Persons of the Greater-Yin type have a sombre countenance and pretend to be humble. They have the body build of a grown-up, but make themselves smaller by bending their back and knees slightly… They are restless while standing, and walk as if to hide themselves…

Persons of the Greater-Yin type are constitutionally excessive in Yan and deficient in Yang. Their Yin and blood are thick and turbid. Their defensive Qi does not flow freely…” — Book Two, Spiritual Axis, from The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor

Harmony of Yin and Yang

“People with the body shape with harmony of Yin and Yang look elegant and graceful.” 

— Book Two, The Spiritual Axis, from The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor

“People with a strong body build and relaxed skin, in whom Qi flows smoothly, will live a long life; while those with a strong body build but tense skin, in whom Qi stagnates, will die young…. As medical practitioners, we must understand the connection between body build and body shape so that we may have an idea of the patient’s life expectancy.” —The Golden Mirror

About the Texts Quoted:

Also known as The Imperially Commissioned Golden Mirror of the Orthodox Lineage of Medicine, The Golden Mirror was the Qianlong emperor’s serious effort at categorizing the treatment of sickness and injuries in order to establish a comprehensive standard Chinese medicine textbook.

The Spiritual Axis is one book of the Neijing Suwen, also known as the Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor, one of the most important classics of Taoism, as well as the highest authority on traditional Chinese medicine. Its authorship is attributed to the great Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor, who reigned during the third millennium BCE.

24 Ways to Reap the Benefits of Earth’s Gift of Negatively Charged Ions

Anyone can reap the benefits of earth's gift of negative ions. For a quick summary of what negative ions actually are, see our article entitled, “8 Ways to Expose Yourself to Earth’s Healing Negative Ions.”

The healing effects of negative ion therapy were discovered by Alexander Chizhevsky (1897-1964), Russian biophysicist. He founded “heliobiology” (the study of the sun’s effect on biology) and “aero-ionization” (the study of the effect of ionization of air on biological entities) and invented the first negative ion generator.

Negative ionization of the air is now mandatory in many Russian and European hospitals and workplaces. 

Here are just some of the enormous benefits of negative ion charged environments. Negative ions help to:

1. detoxify impurities from the skin and lymph by deeply penetrating the skin

2. reduce inflammation by defusing excess positive electrons

3. lessen chronic pain

4. increase physical energy

5. speed healing and shorten recovery time

6. support adrenal health

7. strengthen the skeletal system

8. balance the nervous system

9. combat free radicals in bloodstream

10. lower stress hormones resulting in a more calm demeanor and better relaxation

11. normalize biological rhythms such as Circadian

12. regulate blood flow and blood pressure or where necessary, decrease blood pressure; improve the function of the cardiovascular system

13. improve the function of the cilia in your respiratory tract which protect your lungs from irritation and inflammation; this reduces colds, flu, asthma and the symptoms of hay fever

14. relieve headaches and muscle tension

15. lessen menstrual and menopausal symptoms

16. eliminate jet lag

17. provide protection from EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies)

18. clear the air of mold spores, pollen, pet dander, odors, cigarette smoke, bacteria, viruses, dust and other hazardous airborne particles; negative ions achieve this by attaching to the positively charged particles of the pollutants mentioned in large numbers.

19. overcome depression (many view them as a natural anti-depressant)

20. elevate a sense of well-being

21. increase productivity

22. enhance mental clarity by increasing oxygen flow to the brain

23. achieve better rest and sleep

24. stimulate plant growth

Read our other viral blog on this topic: “8 Ways to Expose Yourself to Earth’s Healing Negative Ions.” Click here.

“Imagine a simple force of nature that can: Provide you with a feeling of well-being; offer a quick rush of energy; allow you to sleep better; relieve asthma, allergies, and other respiratory disorders; lower blood pressure.

Sounds crazy, but it's true, and it's something that a drug company cannot sell you.

The healing power of negative ions first became known to the public in 1900, when a young engineering genius named Nikola Tesla published an article about the amazing work he had been doing with electricity. Using his new invention, the Tesla Coil, he was able to transmit several hundred thousand volts through the air instead of using wires.

Even more remarkable, he was able to send the current through this own body without harm. In so doing, he noted that his exposure had a beneficial effect on his body. The effect that Tesla reported was the direct result of negative ions.

Now, over a century later, researchers understand the science behind the phenomenon that Tesla experienced.”

—Mindell, Earl. The Happiness Effect: The Positive Benefits of Negative Ions. 1st ed. New Hyde Park, New York: Square One, 2015. Print.

8 Ways to Expose Yourself to Earth's Healing Negative Ions

Let’s dive deep into one of the ways we can get the most out of the Fall energetic season: Exposing ourselves to earth’s gift of negative ions.

[This blog was updated for freshness and comprehensiveness on July 16, 2021. Be sure to visit the updated version of this article HERE.]

What are negative ions?

Positive ions are atoms or molecules that have lost one or more electrons and consequently have a shortage of electrons. In contrast, negative ions have gained one or more additional electrons which makes these odorless, tasteless, invisible molecules negatively charged as a whole.

There is a delicate positive-negative ion balance in nature. In a thunderstorm, the natural ratio of positive to negative ions can be disturbed very easily.

The normal concentration of positive ions in the air is very high. During and following the storm, the number of positive ions gradually declines while the concentration of negative ions increases.

It is believed that negative ions are actually biologically active and make a positive impact on the natural 24-hour cycle. Created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, ultraviolet rays, the vital energy of plants and moving air and water, they are not harmful even if their concentration is high. 

Offices, factories, and shopping malls are places where we will encounter an excess of positive ions.

We should very frequently expose ourselves to places with very high concentrations (tens of thousands) of negative ions such as these:

• mountains

• parks

• waterfalls/water fountains/your bathroom shower

• springs

• beaches/pounding surfs

• forests (especially pine forests)

• moving air/wind

• dirt/earth

Along with placing ourselves in nature settings teeming with negative ions, here are some other creative activities you can do to generate negative ions right in your home or office environment:

1. Burn beeswax candles; they are said to clean the air, produce negative ions and assist with allergy and asthma reduction.

2. Operate a Himalayan salt lamp wherever you spend a good deal of time in your home; they counteract the electronic vibrations and excessive positive ions caused by electronic devices in the home; the heated salt attracts and absorbs water in the air and then evaporates it; the salt mixes with the water molecules creating a solution: the positively charged ions of sodium and the negatively charged ions of chloride become neutral and are released into your environment; this reduces pollutants, irritants and allergens from the air.

3. Run an indoor fountain; the force or energy of falling or splashing water causes the neutral particles in air to split which frees electrons to attach to other air molecules resulting in negative ions.

4. Have amethyst and tourmaline crystals nearby or wear them; tourmaline is believed to convert moisture from the air to negative ions; amethyst is considered to be similar in nature.

5. Surround yourself with plants; they clean the air by taking in carbon dioxide and breathing out fresh oxygen and many negative ions; some plants release higher levels of negative ions than others (best choices are chrysanthemum, coconut palm, gerbera, spider plant and weeping fig) Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-147606/How-cleanse-air-breathe.html#ixzz4Ik5VOM9b

6. Use radiant heating from far infrared devices (they warm the body and not the air) and emit negative ions.

7. Sit in front of bon- or hearth fires; they creative negative ions, too.

8. Walk barefoot or use earthing/grounding inserts in your shoes; try earthing sandals (see earthrunners.com); coming into direct contact with Earth, your body is suffused with negative ions and aligns to the same electric energy level as the earth.

Read Part Two of this article on the benefits negative ions lend to our health and vitality. Click here for 24 Ways to Reap the Benefits of Earth’s Negatively Charged Ions.

There are more ions in the WOODS than in the FIELD; more on a SUNNY day than on a CLOUDY day; and more where the ground has a high RADIOACTIVE content. PLANTS are nature's most prolific source of negative ions for they conduct the negative energy of the earth into the air by ejecting it from the tips of their leaves. We are told that "there are life-giving properties in the BALSAM of the PINE, in the FRAGRANCE of the CEDAR and the FIR, and other TREES also have properties that are HEALTH-RESTORING....

One potted plant per 100 square feet of floor space can help clean the air in the average home or office.... 15 to 20 potted plants of the right variety, such as PHILODENDRONS, SPIDER PLANTS, ALOE VERA, PEACE LILIES, CORN PLANTS, POTTED IVY, SNAKE PLANTS, and FLOWERING BANANAS would do the work of a good high-efficiency air cleaner in purifying the air in a room.

– Paulien, Gunther B. The Divine Prescription and Science of Health and Healing. Brushton, NY: TEACH Services, 1997. Print.

What Really Is Holistic Skincare?

What is meant by “holistic” as far as skincare is concerned? 

The American Heritage Dictionary gives the following definition of ‘holistic:'

emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of the parts.

In other words, the body cannot be looked at as a collection of isolated parts—visible and invisible/outer and inner—but as a whole entity where everything is interdependent.

This particularly translates in the fact that our skin is affected by whatever is going on within our body, both physiologically and psychologically. Now, how is that possible?

The full answer to this question can only be found in the principles of energetic medicines, of which Ayurveda from India and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are great exemplars.

All energy medicines have a common premise:

the body is not simply matter, but matter and vital energy.

It is vital energy that makes matter vital. Ayurveda and TCM province detailed explanations of how this very subtle but essential vital energy is gathered by the body, stored and redistributed to all parts of the body according to chakras (energetic centers) and acupuncture meridians and along set pathways.

It is the constant flow of vital energy throughout the body that keeps all of the body parts (organs, glands, tissues, etc.) connected by a flow of information that travels with vital energy, in the same way as radio waves bring music or voices to your radio station, whether stationary at home, or traveling in a car.

Another fundamental premise of all energy medicines is the requirement for vital energy to flow without any blockage.

Vital energy-based treatments are always about ensuring a proper flow of vital energy and removing any potential blockage.

The major differences among the various energy medicines are in their preferred approaches to ensure that our vital energy is free-flowing.

The myriad of interconnections between our skin and all other parts of the body makes of our skin not only an organ, but a reflexive organ. Indeed, the skin will react in predictable and generally visible ways to any variance from the norm as far as the inner parts of the body are concerned.

In fact, it is this property that allows for the treatments known as “reflexology*”—the modality that consists of working on certain parts of the body each of which connect to particular major functions of the body—for the sake of removing potential energy blockages within the body.

The most common reflexology practice is the massage of the bottom of feet, but the same can be done on other parts of the body, in particular, the face. 

The face is particularly interesting from a holistic point of view as it includes reflex zones where each is energetically connected to specific physiological functions corresponding to ten pairs of organs and the hormonal system. 

The premise of holistic skincare is particularly well served by energetic skincare products. Certainly, the application of energetic products which include high-grade natural essential oils with energy balancing properties results in an immensely important by-product to facials. This action provides energy balancing as a superior reflexology treatment added to the benefits of the facial. The same products can also be used on the other reflex zones of the body and scalp. 

Energetic skincare is the most holistic skincare possible, but for greater benefits, it deserves to be supported by other activities that are part of a conscious living lifestyle.

* Reflexology: a system of massage used to relieve tension and treat illness, based on the theory that there are reflex points on the feet, hands, and head linked to every part of the body.

Body, Mind and Spirit Alignment: The Highest Wellness Goal

Achievements in creating holistic and balanced mental and physical wellness have been mostly adapted to the numbers of people in search of it, and although these achievements have gained a great deal of momentum, acquiring mental and physical wellness is nevertheless incomplete. There is a deeper dimension to our being that needs to be included for more complete and lasting wellness.

This aspect, call it spiritual if you want, exists outside of religious beliefs and can be found 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.

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

More On Vital Energy, 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 essential to the proper healthy functioning of the body. They are:

1. energy

2. red blood

3. lymph

4. blue blood

5. water.

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

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.

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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. They are: energy, red blood, lymph, blue blood and water. Stagnation of any of the fluids causes health issues that reflect on 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

14 Ways To Take In Heavenly Chi

It’s always important to absorb vital life force energy (also known as prana, life force, pneuma, chi or qi) for a higher quality of life including health, vitality and healing on all levels. Especially during a slightly more introspective time such as the Fall energetic season, we want to take small pockets of time to take in what’s known as heavenly chi. This action will carry us through this energetic season more resiliently. Here are 14 awesome ways:

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.” — 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.

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

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According to Master Choa Kok Sui, pranic breathing is accomplished 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 not to over-expand or over-contract the abdomen

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 energies present with your intention.

4) Eat living food–real earth nutrients. Eating uncooked produce is like eating light. The live fruits and vegetables actually contain “trapped light” you can absorb into your body.

5) Drink pure water. Water absorbs prana from sunlight.

6) Absorb the life force energy of the sun, moon and galaxy. The chi will be absorbed through the pores of your skin and through your eyes. Your body will take this nourishing light into your brain, circulating it through the pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands.

7) Hug a tree. Literally.

“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.” — 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.

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

8) Walk in the wind to absorb wind prana. It's cleansing and rejuvenating.

9) Ask in a prayerful tone to feel and receive chi energy. The universe will bow to your prayer.

10) Meditate.

“In a comfortable place, on a warm evening under the stars … sit in meditation. Engage Tan Tien breathing [see above under “pranayama”]. 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.*” —Ching, Elise Dirlam., and Kaleo Ching. Chi and Creativity: Vital Energy and Your Inner Artist. Berkeley, CA: Blue Snake, 2007. Print.

11) Practice Tai Chi and/or Qi Gong.

“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.” — 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.

12) Learn to feel your chakra system.

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

13) Visualize the flow of chi in your body.

“With consistent practice one can visualize Chi flowing inside the cavities and meridians of the body, creating a sense of health and well-being.” — 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.

14) Receive chi energy from an energy medicine practitioner.

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

*Orbits: “Energy flows from the Tan Tien** 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

** Tan Tien: 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 qigong, martial arts such as t'ai chi ch'uan, and in traditional Chinese medicine.

About The Timing of the Energetic Seasons

People are often surprised when we announce that 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 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 does not mean the 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: The Third Lung

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), skin is viewed with great reverence. It is more than a barrier between the inside of the body and the outside environment. It is linked to the organ function of Lung—a breathing/eliminating function—and consequently, to the energy of the Metal element.

But there is 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). Theybelong 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.

Energetic Skincare Naturally by Jon Canas

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

The Metal element in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is responsible for managing the interface between internal and external energies. Further, the skin is a reflexive organ with a patchwork of reflex zones.  Skin manifestations and their localization relative to reflex zones give an indication of the energy, or energies in our bodies that are not balanced.

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.

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 is caused by an excess of invasive treatments. The skin is so abused that eventually it loses its natural properties—from its 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.

There are 5 Major Skin Conditions: Which One Are You?

Skin conditions, especially recurring or chronic ones, can be helpful in understanding the state of wellness of an individual. This is particularly important for anyone with a growing interest toward non-invasive, results-oriented modalities.

When you understand the underlying energetic cause of your skin and body conditions it makes it possible to harmonize the flow of vital energy, a precondition to wellness. Who doesn’t want to have glowing skin and to feel great at the same time?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), when we are out of balance, some undesirable conditions for our skin and body shape manifest.

The cycles of nature and the cycles of human life seem to be interrelated. Whatever affects the whole, affects the parts, and these parts affect other parts. This view of humans, subjected to their cosmic and earthly environment is common, in various degrees, to all energy medicines and it is central to TCM.

Traditional Chinese thinkers were fond of pondering the cyclical aspects of nature with the repetition of days, moons, seasons, and years as they observed the effects of those cycles on all living organisms. Humans, like animals and plants, are affected by nature’s cycles so it is not surprising that the study of nature was the first basis in their understanding of vital energy.

Knowing that there can be no effect without a cause, the predictable seasonal patterns pointed to the existence of a cause. Unlike ancient Greeks and Egyptians who attributed cause to the whims of various gods, the Chinese simply saw chi (energy) as the mover of matter, but not as a deity. They saw this energy being responsible for cyclical and predictable stages and changes.

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First, they broke down energy in its basic yin and yang components. Then they evolved the more complex and subtle Law of the Five Elements which includes the energies symbolically named Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water and the multiple aspects of their interrelationship.

TCM, like other energy medicines, attributes an energetic cause to any body malfunction. It is either an issue of energy quality or of flow (quantity). Consequently, energy balancing and removal of blockages are fundamental to all energy medicines, and, by extension, to beauty and wellness treatments.

PHYTO5 and TCM identify frequent skin conditions in this way. Which one or combination of conditions are you?

• A Wood imbalance associated with Spring usually manifests as:

  • Issues of vital energy circulation

  • Oily scalp and hair

  • Oily skin, blackheads, hyperpigmentation

• A Fire imbalance associated with Summer usually manifests as:

  • Redness, irritated, sensitive, blotchy or allergic skin, excessive heat and perspiration, couperose

  • Irritated, red, sensitive scalp

  • Issues of red blood (arterial) circulation

• An Earth imbalance (associated with each of the five transition periods between the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) usually manifests as:

  • Blemishes, toxicity, acne, psoriasis, enlarged pores

  • Heavy looking hair, pimples on scalp

  • Lymph circulation problems

• A Metal imbalance associated with Fall usually manifests as:

  • Dry skin, surface flakiness, dull and lifeless skin

  • Dry scalp, dry and brittle hair

  • Issues of blue blood or venous circulation (problems such as varicose veins and spider viens)

• A Water imbalance associated with Winter usually manifests as:

  • Dehydration, lack of tone, wrinkles

  • Excess kidney energy causing puffiness under the eyes; or kidney energy depletion causing dark circles

  • Scalp lacking tone. Limp hair with no volume

  • Issues of water circulation (water retention)

The five groups of skin conditions led PHYTO5 to create five elemental skincare lines, each to address the problems specific to one of the five elements. The products are formulated to provide the energetic potency to balance the aspect of vital energy which is out of balance, as demonstrated by the condition.

PHYTO5 professionals are trained to evaluate your skin condition and body shape according to TCM criteria. When the natural flow of energy in the body is out of balance, we look older, feel dragged out and then skin problems result.

PHYTO5 professionals can identify the likely energetic cause of the esthetic problem and address it with energy-balancing topical products and treatment modalities for better and longer lasting results. The treatment approach is always natural and holistic.

Information assembled from observing your skin condition, body shape, and biorhythm helps the practitioner to discover your particular energetic characteristics. From this, the likely direction of your personal aging process can also be surmised.

With this knowledge, you and your PHYTO5 specialist can mitigate the negative influences that might limit your ability to express the full measure of your genetic potential. This will also help you to make better and more appropriate decisions regarding your lifestyle in order to achieve and maintain a higher state of wellness, a pre-condition to beauty.

9+ Ways to Prepare for the Energetic Season of Fall Beginning August 7

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Metal (金) Energetic Season 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. It is often called the Earth element season. It runs until August 6 when energetic Fall begins.

In Chinese medicine, our bodies are microcosmic mirrors of the world, themselves small worlds containing all the energies and elements of the earth, fully connected to our environment whether we live accordingly 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 are so intrinsically connected to our environmental world, our bodies must change as our environment changes.

Now that we are in the transition season of late Summer (according to traditional Chinese medicine), also known as energetic Earth season, our diet should be one of building and toning and mild tasting simple foods are best. We need more fat and proteins than with the previous summer diet. We might be experiencing more of a craving for sweets at this time, so choose smart sugars as listed below as much as possible.

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.

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.