Living Beyond Our "Prescribed" Genetics

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

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

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

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

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

• your relationships (family and friends)

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

• your diet

• your exercise routine

• your socializing habits

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

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

• Do you drive when you could walk instead?

• Do you take the escalator rather than the stairs?

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

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

• Do you find reasons to smile and to laugh?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Reduced metabolism; dehydration compromises metabolism.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources

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

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

More Than A Dozen Oh So Nutritious Black Foods for Winter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Combatting and prevention of cancer

• Anti-aging effect

• Reduced risk of hardening of the arteries

• A more efficient fat burning metabolism

• Decreased cholesterol and improved blood circulation

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

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

2. Black pepper: stimulates food digesting enzymes

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

4. Black tea: loaded with antioxidants

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

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

7. Black lentils: loaded with iron

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

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

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

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

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

13. Eggplant: packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals

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

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

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Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

Learn to Learn from Your Skin and Vital Energy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The taste associated with this season is sweet.

The climate associated with Earth is damp.

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

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

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

3. Drink room temperature water.

4. Avoid icy beverages.

5. Consume smaller, more frequent meals.

6. Take small portions and eat slowly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These tools could include:

• Relying on a trusted friend to share your feelings with

• A strong spiritual foundation

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

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

• A developed practice of meditation

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

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

A Dozen Tips for Completing Unfinished Projects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.