Fall Equinox 2024: Get the Most Out of This Auspicious Event

September 5, 2023 phyto5.us

As the sun passes South across the equator we will experience equal amounts of light and dark on the Fall Equinox 2024. This auspicious solar event is balance point in the year just as the Vernal Equinox was. Energies draw inward. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) calls this yin energy. Harvest time ends and plants wither and die but it's beautiful. We can tap into these energies and live better.

The Spring Equinox expressed dynamic yang energy outwardly with plants sprouting and greening in the sunlight. But with the Fall Equinox we see and feel energies begin to draw inward. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) call this yin energy. Harvest time ends and plants wither and die.

Full moons often happen around the Equinoxes. They bring energy that’s palpable and pivotal. For the ancient Chinese, the Autumnal Equinox full moon represented the beginning of the dark yin or female half of the year.

Our internal and external energy is noticeably winding down this time of year, moving out of the total yang of Summer and late Summer but not yet descending into the total yin of Winter. As such we call this season ‘yang within yin’ to reflect that last burst of yang energy before the complete yin immersion in Winter. Most people love this final burst as it reveals itself through the leaves changing color to the most beautiful bright reds and yellows. —Mindi Counts in Everyday Chinese Medicine

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Fall Equinox 2024 is September 22.

The Fall Equinox occurs during TCM’s energetic Fall and the Metal element on September 21, 22 or 23 each year. This year 2024, the Autumnal Equinox falls on the 22nd.

Depending on how close to the equator you live determines whether you’ll see a bit more or a bit less than 12 hours of daylight.

Once Fall Equinox 2024 arrives, daylight hours will start dwindling. And they’ll continue to dwindle up until the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and beginning of Winter.

Fall Equinox 2024 will completely oppose the Spring Equinox of 2024.

Both Spring and Fall Equinoxes feature a feast of seasonal produce. During both occasions plants are responding to the shift in balance of light and dark. That shift reaches its pinnacle during the both Equinoxes.

The Vernal Equinox which occurs around Easter, Passover and Nowruz(1) presents:

… the first bitter greens of Spring, a newly-born lamb (perhaps), fresh eggs (plucked from the nest of amorous birds who mated on Valentine’s Day) and often items made from the fresh butter and cream available as the cows, goats and sheep produce milk for their young. — Waverly Fitzgerald in Celebrating Autumn Equinox

The full moon that occurs closest to the Equinox often coincides with the harvest.

Contrary to the fresh green sprouts of Spring earlier this year, Fall Equinox 2024 will yield, as always, its abundance of produce on the edge of dying. Says Fitzgerald:

ripe pumpkins and squashes, elegant jams and jellies, bread made from the freshly reaped and ground grain, wine and beer made from the harvested grapes and hops, and poultry (either game birds shot out of the air or culled from the domestic flock).

The energy of Fall Equinox 2024 you can conveniently tap into to shift your lifestyle.

For most people the Fall Equinox marks the official start of Autumn. And Autumn is an important time of year to cleanse the body.

Lung and large intestine, the organs of TCM’s Metal element, require cleansing at this time.

You need to keep them strong and healthy as we march into eventual Winter. And you can do this by first cleansing the body, then enriching your diet with the more heat producing foods of Fall. These actions will help carry you through Winter.

Notice the changes in light and movement in the heavens on the Fall Equinox 2024.

All of nature responds to these changes that happen on and around Fall Equinox 2024.

And plants aren’t the only living beings responding to changes in light on that day.

You’ll respond to them too whether you’re consciously aware of it or not. The Fall Equinox signals to both human body and mind that now is the time to slow down, gather your energies and go within.

The Fall Equinox of any year will occur when the sun moves into Libra—the sign of balance. And the sun moves into Libra on September 22 explaining the precise date and time of Fall Equinox 2024.

Learn from the balance of light and dark this Fall Equinox 2024.

Equinoxes always strike a perfect balance of light and dark and you can take important cues from this solar event.

Fall Equinox 2024 is the most perfect day to stop and contemplate how much balance you have in your life.

Do you have balance in body, mind and spirit?
Where are you out of balance in your life?
What can you do to regain balance?

Several months ago, nature turned on the ignition key for the year in the Vernal Equinox. And it ushered in a great revving up of life, growth and activity. You too got more physically active and dynamic.

But now Fall Equinox 2024 begins to pull those active energies in to rest. And you right along with it.

Days shorten and darkness increases. And just like the energy of the Metal element prevailing at this same time, you can shift from outward dynamism to more resting time, even the start of incubation.

Earth is giving up her copious bounty in her last breath and display. And she’s showing that you need to make shortening days, and the need for rest and contemplation the focal point of your life.

While you’ll recognize and celebrate Earth’s spectacular abundance, Fall Equinox 2024 will remind you Earth’s beginning to go into incubation and so should you.

Mirror this phenomenon in your spiritual and lifestyle practices. Resolve to dive deeper into your spiritual essence and foster an intimate connection with it.

These spiritual practices will make your Fall Equinox 2024 meaningful.

Known in various philosophies and traditions by many names—Mabon, Feast of Avalon, Cornucopia, Harvest Home, Festival of the Vine—the Fall Equinox has a mystique all its own.

Tap into this mystique help and get the most out of your Fall Equinox 2024 and the time immediately before and after.

Here are some ideas for celebrating your Fall Equinox 2024:

Gather with friends around a bonfire in the spirit of your yin energy Fall Equinox 2024 as Summer’s yang outward energies come to a close.
Find an outdoor place of special beauty and atmosphere. Meditate there or make affirmations to attract your desires into your life.
Make an altar in your home that pays homage to Earth’s bounty.
Bake bread from scratch and make rustic sandwiches using grilled harvest type vegetables.
Make a hearty Fall Equinox 2024 stew appreciating the bountiful produce of the Earth. Serve it to family or friends with rustic decorations all around.
Decorate your living space with apple garlands, wreaths, candles, homemade centerpieces and sheaves of grain. Light your candles at night and be mindful of the balance of energy.
Create a bowl of nuts and seeds and share with the birds and animals who are already so tuned in to this auspicious Equinox.
Give thanks on Fall Equinox 2024. Focus on gratitude for the natural life-giving world all around us.

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Endnotes:

(1) Nowruz is the first day of the Iranian new year, occurring on the Vernal Equinox (usually March 20 or 21).

(2) Fitzgerald, Waverly. Celebrating Autumn Equinox: Customs and Crafts, Recipes and Rituals for Harvest, Sukkot, Mid-Autumn Moon, Michaelmas, Eleusinian Mysteries and Other Autumn Holidays. United States, Genesta Press, 2019.

…

Sources:

Shipway, Jilly. Yoga Through the Year: A Seasonal Approach to Your Practice. United States, Llewellyn Worldwide, Limited, 2019.

Forest, Danu. The Magic of the Autumn Equinox: Seasonal Celebrations to Honour Nature's Ever-turning Wheel. United Kingdom, Watkins Media Limited, 2015.

Counts, Mindi K.. Everyday Chinese Medicine: Healing Remedies for Immunity, Vitality, and Optimal Health. United States, Shambhala, 2020.

Lane, Mary. Divine Nourishment: A Woman's Sacred Journey with Food. United States, Dog Ear Publishing, 2010.

L'Esperance, Carrie. The Seasonal Detox Diet: Remedies from the Ancient Cookfire. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 2002.

Fitzgerald, Waverly. Celebrating Autumn Equinox: Customs and Crafts, Recipes and Rituals for Harvest, Sukkot, Mid-Autumn Moon, Michaelmas, Eleusinian Mysteries and Other Autumn Holidays. United States, Genesta Press, 2019.

Photo courtesy of Karolina Grabowska at pexels

How the P'o Spirit of Lung Helps Us Live Life More Fully

August 16, 2023 phyto5.us

Both traditional Chinese medicine and Taoism believe humans have two souls. They believe every living person has both a yin and yang aspect to the soul. Each soul aspect has a name and the Metal element’s spirit or consciousness aspect is called P’o. In this article, we discuss the Metal P’o spirit of Lung and how it can guide you to live a fuller life.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) long ago observed five aspects of our spirit/consciousness:

Our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual expression are all integrated facets of human life ordained by these five aspects of spirit.

These five aspects of soul align with the yin organ of each of the five elements’ pair of organs.

For example, the spiritual ethereal yang soul that leaves the body after death is called Hun. This soul is the spirit of the Wood element's organ–Liver. The Chinese gave the name Cloud Spirit to the ethereal Hun and formless consciousness.

But the P’o spirit of Lung is a yin soul. It has actual substance and remains with the body after death.

And the Chinese gave the name White Spirit to the corporeal soul and tangible consciousness‚ P’o.

The word P’o literally means soul.

We write the word P’o with an apostrophe between the p and the o to signal pronunciation. Make a breathy puff of air just after the p and before the long ō.

“The Spiritual resource is P’o, translated as the animal-soul, which enters our being with the first breath from heaven.”— Gary Dolowich, MD in Archetypal Acupuncture: Healing with the Five Elements

P’o is the ruler of the body.

The Chinese use the term P’o li to describe one who’s in charge of his being. This person is ‘with it,’ excited, and maybe even extra-animated. P’o li describes a confident person who’s deeply and fully involved in an activity.

The P’o Spirit of Lung Is Closely Linked to the Breath.

Traditional Chinese medicine considers breath the pulsation of the P’o spirit of Lung. It finds breath of vital importance to not only a healthy body but a healthy P’o.

Good breathing roots P’o into the body. In fact, good breathing animates and grounds us making us better able to live in the now.

Good breathing, in part, comes from strong Lungs. Strong lungs actually assist us to register physical sensations from what we feel, see or hear. When the P’o spirit and Lung are strong and in balance, we feel bodily sensations.

Weak Lung and P’o spirit causes shallow breathing that makes us much less aware of bodily sensations. In effect, we end up feeling distanced or cut off from others because we cannot feel.

Lung is very much associated with our innate survival response. Similarly, P’o guides our instinctive reactions. For example, when we instinctively reach out our hand in order to catch a falling thing, this is P’o spirit in action.

If our Lung capacity and therefore our P’o spirit of Lung are weak, we are out-of-balance in Metal. This causes disorder in our very necessary instinctual drives. We may lose our instinct for self-preservation and begin to feel vulnerable and useless.

Weak P’o leads us to obsess and grieve over a future that has not even arrived. And we will probably lose our ability to bounce back from stress.

Grief is the emotion of Metal. The P’o spirit of Lung gives us the ability to accept the inevitable losses we experience in life as we grieve them. It also gives us strength to let go of what no longer serves us.

P’o inspires us to breathe deeply and fully and live life to the fullest. An aware connection to our P’o spirit of Lung supports us to participate fully in life.

The P’o Spirit of Lung Helps Us with Spiritual Balance.

The P’o spirit of Lung helps us strike balance between our spiritual life and material desires. Whether conscious of it or not, most Metal Types somewhat naturally find spiritual balance.

The person who completely shuns the material world to become a full-time spiritual seeker demonstrates P’o imbalance. She needs to fill the gap she feels inside. Therefore she wanders from guru to guru and seminar to seminar looking to fill a sense of emptiness. And she is never able to find the deep inner spiritual connection she seeks.

“Metal is very much associated with clear awareness and P’o is intricately involved in the understanding of the impermanence of the form/physical but is death within life and relates to the calmest of all aspects of being.”—David Nassim in The Nature of Classical Chinese Medicine

P’o encourages all of us to be dependable, conscientious, respectful and virtuous. These often come easier to the Metal Type. Their connection to P’o supports them to be happy and enjoy a good life as they age.

We Can Support P’o Spirit of Lung with Physical and Mental Exercise.

Exercise helps us maintain a balanced Metal energy and Lung chi balance.

If you are a Metal Type, you will want to exercise outdoors to help you contact the heavenly chi through the breath. Metal Types often crave being outdoors for this very reason whether they realize it or not.

Exercise for Lung chi balance doesn’t have to be strenuous. Brisk walking outside is quite adequate. Many Metal Types often feel mentally and physically stale so going outside for a walk is an antidote.

Charles A. Moss, MD,(1) offers the following breathing technique to strengthen Lung spirit of P’o:

“… inhale thinking of the Chinese word P’o, which represents the positive qualities of Metal, and exhale [thinking] one of the following words:
inspiration, acceptance, value, respect, appreciation, endurance, resilience or letting go.
The qualities embodied by these words are key aspects of the healthy Metal Adaptation Type. Repetition of the concepts can reinforce their strength within Metal Types. If other thoughts intrude as [you] do this exercise, simply observe them and bring [your] attention back to the breath and the word repetition. Alternate these words while exhaling and inhale P’o each time.”

…

Endnotes:

(1) Author of Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Sources:

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Nassim, David. The Nature of Classical Chinese Medicine (Book 1 of 2). N.p., HI Publishing, 2013.

Clogstoun-Willmott, Jonathan. Western Astrology and Chinese Medicine. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1985.

Dolowich, Gary. Archetypal Acupuncture: Healing with the Five Elements. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Jarmey, Chris. The Foundations of Shiatsu. United Kingdom, Lotus Pub., 2007.

How Can I Let Go of the Past, You Ask?

August 15, 2023 phyto5.us

A rugged looking handsome man wearing blue denim gazes at a blue mountain range and a tube of quantum energetic Metal element Day Cream and a slate blue Flower of Life symbol is in the foreground

If you keep asking yourself the question, How can I let go of the past? you’re not present to life. Getting yourself grounded in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance is when you’re more able to let go of the past. It’s because you’re living rooted in the now.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) teaches you how to live fully in the now by connecting with your soul. You let your soul—the spirit of TCM’s Metal element called P’o guide you into this serene state of being.

The word P’o literally means soul.

We write the word P’o with an apostrophe between the P and the o to signal pronunciation. Make a breathy puff of air just after the P and before the long ō.

Every time you ask yourself, How can I let go of the past?understand P’o is ruler of your body. When you live in synchrony with this P’o ruler of your body, you have dominion over your life and emotions.

You’re in charge and not plagued revisiting energy wasting memories of the past.

The Chinese use the term P’o li to describe people in charge of their beings— deeply, fully and presently involved in an activity. They’re rooted, ‘with it,’ excited, maybe even extra-animated. Active with life, the thought of the question, How can I let go of the past? usually doesn’t even enter their minds.

**Understand the mechanics of P’o so when you ask, How can I let go of the past? you have your immediate answer.**

Both TCM and Taoism believe humans have two souls or aspects of souls.

They believe every living person has both a yin and yang aspect to the soul. And each soul aspect has a name.

As complement to yin P’o, we have yang Hun. Hun is the spiritual ethereal yang soul that leaves the body after death.

This soul aspect is the spirit of the Wood element's organ of Liver. The Chinese gave the name Cloud Spirit to ethereal Hun and formless consciousness.

TCM tells us actual substance composes P’o and it remains with the body after death. The ancient Chinese appropriately gave the name White Spirit to the corporeal soul and tangible consciousness‚ P’o.

Like breath, yin is inward drawing, quiet, softly flowing, and gentle.

“The Spiritual resource is P’o, translated as the animal-soul, which enters our being with the first breath from heaven.”— Gary Dolowich, MD in Archetypal Acupuncture: Healing with the Five Elements

How can I let go of the past, you ask? Start with the breath.

The P’o spirit of Lung is closely linked to the breath. Both P’o and Lung work in harmony to keep us grounded here now through the breath. Once you get grounded in the here now, you’re better able to let go of the past. You are free.

P’o encourages us to draw breath in and inward—deeply, fully and consciously.

TCM considers breath the pulsation of the P’o spirit of Lung. And breath is vitally important to not just healthy body but healthy P’o.

Good breathing roots your soul P’o into the body. Present breathing animates and grounds you in the here and now.

When you develop strong Lungs you create good breathing.

When P’o spirit and Lung are strong and in balance, you’re able to feel bodily sensations. P’o and Lung help you register physical sensations from what you feel, see and hear.

Weak Lung and P’o causes shallow breathing. You’re much less aware of bodily sensations. You feel distanced or cut off from others because you can’t feel.

Lung is very much associated with our innate survival response. P’o guides our instinctive reactions.

For example, when you instinctively reach out your hand in order to catch a falling leaf, your instinctive reaction is your P’o spirit in action.

If your Lung capacity and consequent P’o spirit of Lung are weak, you’re out-of-balance in Metal. You’ll experience disorder in your instinctual drive. With a diminishing instinct for self-preservation you start to feel vulnerable and useless.

The converse of How can I let go of the past? is How can I be less fearful of the future? Weak P’o leads many to obsess and grieve over a future that hasn’t even arrived. It also reduces the ability to bounce back from stress.

Grief is the emotion of TCM’s Metal element. The P’o spirit of Lung gives us the ability to accept the inevitable losses we experience in life as we grieve them. It also gives us strength to let go of what no longer serves us.

In alignment with the Metal element and to help bring balance to grief and worry emotions, PHYTO5 offers you the quantum energetic Metal line of skincare. It works to balance skin, the energy of circulation as it balances these emotions.

As you use the Metal line for skin, you’ll also experience an emotion balancing effect and know that all is well. The products in the line brimming with the fragrance of healing and balancing terpenes will help restore you to center. You’ll be more able to let go of the past.

P’o inspires us to breathe deeply and fully and live life to the fullest.

An aware connection to our P’o spirit of Lung support you to participate stop asking the nagging question, How can I let go of the past? and start living rooted in the here and now.

**The constant question, How can I let go of the past? means you may not be allowing your P’o Spirit of Lung to bring you to spiritual balance.**

The P’o spirit of Lung can help you strike balance between your spiritual life and material desires. Let the breath of Lung and the still small voice of your P’o soul guide you into balanced spirituality.

Spiritual balance means you have balance in all aspects of your life: emotional, mental and physical as well as spiritual.

Most Metal Types—people primarily dominated by Metal’s aspects—relatively naturally achieve spiritual balance.

But anyone who completely shuns the material world to become a full-time spiritual seeker often develops P’o imbalance.

Such people need to fill a gap they feel within. They wander from guru to guru and seminar to seminar looking to fill that sense of emptiness. They often are never able to find the deep inner spiritual connection they seek.

“Metal is very much associated with clear awareness and P’o is intricately involved in the understanding of the impermanence of the form/physical but is death within life and relates to the calmest of all aspects of being.”—David Nassim in The Nature of Classical Chinese Medicine

Support P’o spirit of Lung with physical and mental exercise. These will also help you let go of the past.

Exercise helps us maintain a balanced Metal energy and Lung chi balance.

If you’re a Metal Type or if today’s date falls between August 7 and October 20 inclusive (TCM’s energetic Fall and Metal season):

Exercise outdoors to help you contact the heavenly chi through the breath.

Metal Types often crave being outdoors for this very reason whether they realize it or not.

Exercise for Lung chi balance doesn’t have to be strenuous.

Walk briskly outdoors. That’s adequate. Many Metal Types find stepping outside an antidote to the frequent mental and physical staleness they feel.

Charles A. Moss, MD,(1) offers the following breathing technique to strengthen Lung spirit of P’o:

“… inhale thinking of the Chinese word P’o, which represents the positive qualities of Metal, and exhale [thinking] one of the following words:
inspiration, acceptance, value, respect, appreciation, endurance, resilience or letting go.
The qualities embodied by these words are key aspects of the healthy Metal Adaptation Type. Repetition of the concepts can reinforce their strength within Metal Types. If other thoughts intrude as [you] do this exercise, simply observe them and bring [your] attention back to the breath and the word repetition. Alternate these words while exhaling and inhale P’o each time.”

P’o encourages all of us to be dependable, conscientious, respectful, virtuous and spiritual balanced. These often come easier to the Metal Type.

Whether you’re a Metal Type or not, you can tap into the energetic gifts of the element.

These energetic gifts will assist your P’o to guide you into a more present moment happy and good life. The perennial question, How can I let go of the past? will become a distant memory.

…

Endnotes:

(1) Author of Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Sources:

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Nassim, David. The Nature of Classical Chinese Medicine (Book 1 of 2). N.p., HI Publishing, 2013.

Clogstoun-Willmott, Jonathan. Western Astrology and Chinese Medicine. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1985.

Dolowich, Gary. Archetypal Acupuncture: Healing with the Five Elements. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Jarmey, Chris. The Foundations of Shiatsu. United Kingdom, Lotus Pub., 2007.

Energetic Fall and the Metal Element: Balance Point Between Activity and Rest

August 7, 2023 phyto5.us

The Metal element facial product trio and a burning white taper with a steel blue flower of life in the background and a quantum energetic banner in the foreground

Summer and its Fire element(1) offer us the peak of yang energy for the year. Yang energy is about activity, sunlight, celebration, and social connections, for example. When Winter and Water come, we’ll descend deeply into yin energies. But as the year winds down, the natural cycle of the seasons must provide us with balance. Fall and Metal offer that balance between activity and rest. And so beginning August 7 energetic Fall and its Metal element introduce us to yin. Darkness, evening, the moon, meditation, quiet are all examples of yin energies.

Lung is the yin organ of Metal according to traditional Chinese medicine. The yang organ of Metal is Large Intestine. And both of Metal’s organs share Metal’s fundamental tendency towards purity, precision, quality, perfectionism, and spirituality.

Energetic Fall opens a window of opportunity to take in new experience. It tells us it’s time to let go of the old. We begin to sense that a whole different time of year is afoot.

The weather is changing and a whole parade of holidays is on its way. All the activity of the holidays will seem contrary to the yin Winter time of year. We’re going to need balance in our lives more than ever. We also feel the imperative to keep our bodies strong and immune to Fall and Winter viruses.

The Metal Element Encourages Us to Create Structure In Our Lives.

We can achieve that much needed balance by creating structure in our lives. The characteristics of Metal are hard, strong and precise. Though Metal is rigid it can also be melted or remolded. This means we can be flexible with creating structure in our lives. But we have to work with Metal’s energy to do that.

The element of structure that Metal is will support us to restructure our lives. When we create a sensible structure we’ll enjoy more quality of life in the seasons ahead. We can encourage healthy order in our lives when we focus on new habits. Soften boundaries, develop the structure of an easy routine, and create inspiring spiritual rituals.

It’s very important to let go of certain attachments, beliefs, and habits that don’t serve us. We have to look at those honestly and then let them go. Metal and the falling leaves of autumn teach us this. The trees release their leaves to actively but gently fall back to Earth to rest.

Contrary to energetic Summer, rest is key at this time of year. In our article, yang energy and activity of Summer we wrote:

“In Summer, the Fire energy is very yang and all about action, movement and change. We’ll want to align physical activity with a similar kind of energy and action. Activity and exercise are especially important at this time. It keeps the pores open and chi flowing smoothly throughout the body.”

So much activity is perfect for Summer when there is little space for rest. This is why Metal and energetic Fall are so valuable at this time of year. It’s time to get the hang of resting once again.

We Should Find Balance Between Activity and Rest.

In energetic Fall, we transition from yang to yin and from activity to rest. Finding balance between activity and rest during energetic Fall builds us a foundation for life.

Make lifestyle adjustments during energetic Fall that speak to Metal’s energies. You’ll encourage this balance by doing so.

Change your skincare regimen. In fact, change your skincare regimen from season to season. PHYTO5 offers skincare for each of the five seasons of traditional Chinese medicine. This is good for the skin.

Also change your diet and the way you prepare your food. We offer all kinds of tips to do that here in our blogs.

We know that physical activity is very beneficial for proper circulation and health. It supports our ability to resist disease. But rest itself helps restore the body too.

Rest not only relieves physical and mental fatigue, it restores our physical strength. Both activity and rest are important, but it’s actually the balance between the two that’s key.

In fact, this balance creates a normal healthy active life at any time of year. But the energies of the Metal season absolutely support us to strike that balance. Without that balance we fall prone to the prevalent sicknesses of Fall and Winter.

Take Important Cues from Nature.

We’ve lived through the cycle of the seasons and we’ve adapted to each as it came. We’ve experienced the bounty of the Earth especially during Summer. We enjoyed its huge array of nourishing produce over the last many months. Without the natural cycles of activity and rest, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy such bounty.

Metal is the time to pause and appreciate this balance in perpetual motion. And as part of nature ourselves, we’re smart if we’ll take our cues from nature.

Metal offers a time to slow down and appreciate the sweetness of life. It invites us to cultivate our inner spirit in earnest.

Essential oils extracted from flora are perfect examples of nature’s bounty and the cycle of seasons. Consider PHYTO5’s Metal element Phyt’Ether serum. Our chemists blend a precise set of premium essential oils to improve slightly more mature skin.

Use it on skin and scalp to mineralize and support circulation. Inhale its fragrance to help balance emotions of grief, sadness, worry. All natural high grade essential oils are found in all PHYTO5 serums and skincare products.

These Exercises Help Strike a Balance Between Activity and Rest.

Exercise is still important during energetic Fall. It just won’t be the kind of all-out go-for-it exercise we suggested for Summer.

Exercise can support you as you process grief, build your immune system, develop clarity of mind. It helps release stagnation and stuck energy in the body too.

Adjust your exercise practice to line up with the energies of the season. The best exercises for energetic Fall include upper body training rather than lower body training.

Fall best exercises might be any of the following:

swimming
walking
walking meditation
rock climbing
Tai Chi
Qi Gong (especially exercises for clearing the Lung since Lung is the yin organ of Metal)
meridian stretches
Pilates
Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises)
Yoga

Practice yoga. It’s an ideal form of exercise for energetic Fall especially resting, standing or prone postures. This is because you must be very precise when holding a yoga pose. It forces you to let go of rigidity, both physical and mental.

Flowing movement yoga incorporates breathing practices that benefit Lung. Chest opening yoga poses very much support the energy of Metal.

Yoga is the essence of balance between activity and rest. In yoga, you will alternate between the activity of the pose and rest in the breath. You will follow each pose with a counterpose important for balance.

Some people thrive with yin yoga. It’s a slow-paced style of yoga that incorporates principles of traditional Chinese medicine (as does PHYTO5 skincare). In yin yoga, you hold postures longer than in other styles of yoga. But any yoga practice will help you achieve balance, flexibility, self-confidence, and roundedness in the body.

There’s No Better Time than Fall to Breathe Deeply and Properly.

Blend your yoga practice with outdoor gentle activity to stimulate Lung and strengthen your immune system.

The Lungs distribute oxygen to every cell of the body. We remove CO2 from the blood when we exhale.

When we inhale we call on the respiratory system to absorb and expand. When we exhale we allow that system to let go and clear out.

Both of these actions are essential to the energy of Metal. And one balances the other.

Since Lung is one of Metal’s organs, breathing is #1 during energetic Fall. Expand yourself into a regular breathing practice, called pranayama in yoga.

Breathe to where the chest rises, falls and spreads a proud openness across the collarbones.

ACTIVITY: Full chest breathing stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to supply the body with energy for activity.
REST: Deep, slow abdominal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to relax both body and mind.

Both breathing methods above will help create the balance between activity and rest during energetic Fall.

Be sure to read our article, Six Breaths a Minute to Slow Aging and Its Causes. Here you will learn a simple breathing practice anyone can do that offers excellent health benefits.

Give the Body All It Needs to Create Balance Between Activity and Rest.

Care for your body as an intimate friend especially during energetic Fall. Tune in to it so you can detect the slightest change. Listen to what your body is telling you.

If you’re serious about tapping into the energy of Metal, go one step further. Treat your body like a temple. Metal types are quite spiritual and they understand the body as essential vehicle of their spirit. Act as if you’re a Metal type.

Make it your goal to create balance between activity and rest during energetic Fall— August 7 to October 20. The lifestyle tips in this article will definitely help.

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Endnotes:

(1) According to traditional Chinese medicine.

…

Sources:

Duncan, Alaine D., and Kain, Kathy L.. The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner's Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2019.

The Fine Pure Salt Crystals of the Bex Salt Mines Are Switzerland’s White Gold

August 7, 2023 phyto5.us

Switzerland is famous for its Alps, beauty, exacting purity and manufacturing standards and wealth. These factors play a big role in Switzerland’s lesser known salt Bex (pronounced bay) salt mines. The Bex salt mines have actually played a major role in the development of Switzerland. They provide valuable premium salt for chemical and pharmaceutical companies all over the world. And Bex salt (Le Sel des Alpes) hugely contributes to Switzerland’s own wellness tourism industry. Swiss-based PHYTO5 chooses Bex salt the main wellness ingredient for its five element Selextreme exfoliation products. PHYTO5 takes Le Sel des Alpes and perfectly saturates it with high grade essential oils. This process creates five exquisite exfoliation products, each with a specific mission:

Wood Selextreme for vital energy support and skin lightening.
Fire Selextreme for calming and soothing sensitive, irritated skin.
Earth Selextreme for detoxification and encouraging circulation of lymph.
Metal Selextreme for mineralization and blood circulation support.
Water Selextreme for improved hydration and balance of water retention.

“The history of Swiss Saltworks goes back over 450 years. Salt embodies typical Swiss characteristics such as innovation, tradition, reliability and quality.”—houseofswitzerland.org

Salts from the mines of Bex are considered Switzerland’s impeccable white gold.

How Did the Alpine Salt Form?

When the planet was born many billions of years ago, salty oceans covered the planet. Between 200 to 60 million years ago, the present Rhône Valley was a shallow sea. As continents began to form, the sea withdrew from the land. Salt layers up to 330 feet thick formed in northwestern Switzerland, the Jura and Central Plateau.(1)

In the area that is now Switzerland, rock which eventually formed the Alps trapped the salt within. There the salt remained pure and protected from all pollution for at least 200 million years. The salt deposits of Bex come from the sea where the Rhone Valley exists today.

The Tiny Town of Bex Is Now Famous Because of Its Salt.

In the Alpine valley of La Gryonne, a train runs through. It connects the tiny village of Bex to the slightly larger Aigle, five and half miles south.

The entire region would be historically unremarkable without the discovery of Switzerland’s only working salt mine.

“A steep road, but practicable for chars-à-banc,(2) leads through most beautiful scenery to the entrance of the mines. The salt is obtained either from the brine-springs, six or seven of which, of various degrees of strength, burst forth in different parts of the interior of the mountain, or from the rock salt…” —John Murray in the 1838 book, A Handbook for Travelers in Switzerland and the Alps of Savoy and Piedmont

The Swiss had to rely on expensive imports of salt all through the Middle Ages. They bought salt mainly from Franche-Comté, a cultural and historic region of eastern France.

This Is the Legendary Story of the Discovery of Bex Salt In Switzerland

But then came the discovery of their own salt supply.

The legendary discovery happened in the fifteenth century when the shepherd Jean du Bouillet pastured his goats one day. He took his goats to Panex and also to the Fondement just North of Bex. Du Bouillet noticed his goats preferred water from these two springs at these sites.

He tasted the water and found it salty. The farmer filled a cauldron full of this water, boiled it and let it evaporate. Du Bouillet noticed a pinch of salt at the bottom of the pot after evaporation. And so the discovery of salt at Bex was nearly complete. Nearly.

In the mid-sixteenth century, the original merchant family Zobel from Augsburg purchased the land. They mined salt only from the brine-springs(2) in Bex.

Aware of health benefits of the brine, the region opened wellness brine baths. These baths attracted people from all over the world.

But around the year 1823 the brine-springs began to fail. The German-Swiss geologist Jean de Charpentier got involved. He suggested driving shafts and galleries into the mountain to search for rock salt. By doing so they discovered a very large and rich vein of salt within the mountain.

For centuries ownership of these salt mines meant wealth and power. Today, ‘les Mines de Sel de Bex’ belong to the canton(4) of Vaud.(5)

How Is Le Sel des Alpes Extracted?

A 30+ mile labyrinth of passages and tunnels yields 30,000 tons of salt per year.

Mine operators at Bex extract rock salt by means of evaporation or leaching. They use the latest technology and green energy to preserve the environment’s delicate balance.

They drill holes 160 to 1300 feet deep and pump in crystal clear Swiss mountain water. Next, they pump the salt solution (brine) created back to the surface to heat it. As the water evaporates, a pure fine salt crystallizes.

The mountain also holds a number of reservoirs of briney water. Miners harvest salt from these reservoirs, too, through a process called graduation.

The salt mines of Bex give us many beautiful minerals. These minerals include very clear crystals of selenite(6), muriacite(7), and anhydrite.(8)

42 valid minerals have been detected in the salt residues of the Bex salt mines.

Le Sel des Alpes is very elevating to well-being. It naturally offers perfect amounts of iodine and fluorine to the human body.

A rough anhydrite stone also known as angelite

Bex Salt Mines Offers Unique Tours.

The Bex salt mine Le Bouillet(9) offers a museum and a two hour long tour. An audiovisual display shows visitors the evolution of salt mining techniques from 1684 to today.

A long underground narrow-gauge train takes visitors into the low-lit subterranean world for firsthand observation. The train also transports visitors to the inner mountain restaurant located 1300 feet below the surface.

Le Bouillet contains a gallery driven horizontally into the bowels of the mountain. The gallery travels a distance of 6636 feet, seven and a half feet high and five feet wide.

Tours offer subterranean on-foot treks into the mines and tunnels that still exist to this day.

Over the centuries, the Salt Mines of Bex have been visited by many illustrious guests.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau visited in 1754 and Alexandre Dumas visited the mines in September of 1832. Dumas wrote an epic and now famous report on his experience. Napoleon’s second wife, the Empress Marie-Louise, also toured the mines. Le Grand Reservoir was named after her.

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Endnotes:

The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps.
Chars à banc: horse drawn carriage or early motor vehicle
Brine meaning salty water
Canton: A state of the Swiss Confederation; a subdivision of a country established for political or administrative purposes.
Vaud is a mountainous district in western Switzerland bordered by Lake Geneva to the south and France to the west. Lausanne, the capital, is known for its medieval cathedral and Olympic Museum in Ouchy port.
Selenite: Also known as moonstone, selenite is a form of gypsum occurring as transparent crystals, sometimes in thin plates.
Muriacite: Also known as halite, muriacite is a term applied to the crystalline varieties of anhydrous sulphate of lime; sodium chloride as a mineral, typically occurring as colorless cubic crystals; rock salt.
Anhydrite is a white mineral consisting of anhydrous calcium sulfate. It typically occurs in evaporite deposits.
Named for the shepherd who discovered the salt; story above.

#####

Sources:

Murray, John. A Handbook for Travelers in Switzerland and the Alps of Savoy and Piedmont, Including the Protestant Valleys of the Waldenses. Germany, John Murray & Son, 1838.

Teller, Matthew. The Rough Guide to Switzerland. United Kingdom, Rough Guides Limited.

Tourismus, Schweiz. “Mines de Sel de Bex.” Switzerland Tourism, www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/salt-mines/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2023.

“Notre Histoire.” Notre Histoire | Schweizer Salinen, www.salz.ch/fr/notre-histoire.

“Salt – the Raw Material from the Swiss Alps.” House of Switzerland, 22 Apr. 2020, houseofswitzerland.org/swissstories/history/salt-raw-material-swiss-alps.

Bergamot Essential Oil: Powerful Skin Purifier, Conditioner and Balancer

July 25, 2023 phyto5.us

Bergamot citrus whole and halved fruit with PHYTO5 Earth element Yogi Body Gel and Yin Massage Oil in the foreground

Bergamot essential oil (Citrus bergamia) is an oil widely used in cosmetics not just because of its cooling and refreshing nature but because of the wide array of skin and health enhancing benefits it offers. On the physical level, bergamot makes skin resistant to microorganisms that can compromise skin’s purity. This is one reason why PHYTO5 has formulated bergamot essential oil into Earth element Yogi Body Gel. On the mental/emotional level, bergamot is nervous tension relaxing. For this reason, bergamot essential oil can be enjoyed in PHYTO5’s organic certified Yin Massage Oil.

Bergamot is a type of orange although its exterior color is not orange at all. The fruit looks more like a lemon or lime than an orange. It is three to four inches in diameter and has a uniquely distinct scent and flavor—a combination of lemon and bitter orange. According to Alan Davidson's The Oxford Companion to Food (2nd ed.), unlike its other orange cousins, bergamot is too bitter to be eaten raw.

The essential oil of bergamot is a greenish to yellow clear thin and viscous liquid. It has a sparkling citrusy sweet green and fruity-floral odor. It’s cold expressed from the pericarp or peel of the fruit of the dwarf variety of the Seville orange tree.

Bergamot blossoms during the Winter and grows naturally in northern Italy in the Lombardy region but it’s commercially grown in the southern Italian region of Calabria. There are many small cultivators of bergamot throughout the world but more than 90% of the world’s production occurs in Calabria. Argentina and Ivory Coast production are a distant second and third to Italy.

Among all the citrus peel oils, bergamot essential oil is the most valuable.

Bergamot is almost exclusively grown for the production of essential oil and not for juice consumption although the fruit is an ingredient in traditional Mediterranean cooking.

Bergamot essential oil serves as flavoring for sweets, tobacco, Curaçao liqueur, teas (Earl Grey), baked goods, desserts, chewing gum and soft drinks.

More than 200 chemical constituents have been identified to make up bergamot oil including very many terpenes.(1)

For example, the terpene linalool in bergamot offers analgesic action while promoting relaxation and stress relief. This is in addition to linalool’s calming fresh, floral fragrance.

Bergamot essential oil is an excellent skin conditioner and soothing agent. It fosters healing and regeneration of skin and is all around beneficial to skin.

It is best suited for oily and acne prone skin because it makes skin resistant to microorganisms killing facial bacteria before skin has a chance to create blackheads and pimples. It also controls excess oil production. Conversely, bergamot will stimulate or balance sebaceous gland production if skin is too dry.

Because of its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, bergamot is utilized in the pharmacopoeia of a number of countries. The pharmaceutical industry also uses bergamot essential oil in sanitary preparations.

Bergamot essential oil has been successfully used to treat conditions like nicotine addiction, acne, ringworms, depression, out-of-balance stress response, urinary tract infection, fever, headaches, muscle aches, anxiety, insomnia, constipation, scars, body odor, cracked heels, wounds, coughs and colds (antiviral properties).

Bergamot essential oil is known to help fight skin conditions of acne, eczema,(2) cold sores, herpes, shingles, psoriasis, dark spots, dull and dry complexion, dandruff, seborrhea, and excessive perspiration.

The properties of bergamot are many:

analgesic
antidepressant (also helps relieve anxiety and unbalanced stress response)
antiseptic (mouth rinses that contain bergamot essential oil are especially beneficial to combat bad breath and infection)
slightly astringent
antispasmodic
cicatrisant (reduces or prevents appearance of scars)
digestive
deodorant
expectorant
febrifuge (fever inducing)
vermifuge (worm killing)
vulnerably (wound healing)
sedative

Bergamot essential oil should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, children or persons with sensitive skin or sensitivity to ultraviolet light. Since bergamot makes skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light (phototoxic), bergamot accelerates tanning of the skin as do all citrus oils.

Bergamot as Spiritual and Emotional Healing Agent

A study with animals showed bergamot essential oil to affect hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity by reducing the corticosterone(3) response to stress. Bergamot essential oil was found to create a balancing effect on the activity of the hypothalamus gland.

The hypothalamus gland is the center of our more intense emotions such as terror and rage. This gland works in synchrony with the pineal and pituitary glands to help regulate and balance hormonal cycles including natural sleep and wake cycles. It is believed that bergamot’s ability to balance natural sleep cycles may make the essential oil helpful for relieving symptoms of jet lag.

Bergamot Essential Oil and Lymph(4)

Bergamot essential oil helps reduce swelling in tissue by stimulating improved flow of lymph. It is very decongesting.

Earth element skincare by PHYTO5 has a primary function to support flow of lymph in the action of detoxification. This creates skin that is purer, normalized and more radiant.

“Metaphysically, the lymphatic system and immune system are related to a strong sense of self-worth and a feeling of ‘I can do it.’ When you doubt your ability to take care of yourself and lack confidence, your immune function can be affected. Energetically, your psychic defenses to protect against foreign invaders are lowered. Bergamot oil may be helpful for building morale and self-esteem and can help you to rebuild strength and regain self-confidence.” —K. G. Stiles in The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide: Over 250 Recipes for Natural Wholesome Aromatherapy

Two Precautions When Using Bergamot Essential Oil

Never consume bergamot or any essential oil without it being properly diffused by a carrier oil.(5) Good carrier oils include fractionated coconut oil, apricot kernel or sweet almond oil. You must also know how to use bergamot essential oil in the right proportion to the carrier oil and this really should be left in the domain of a cosmetics chemist. This is because essential oils are highly concentrated. Bergamot essential oil is not only highly concentrated, it’s highly photosensitive.

Most essential oils that can be ingested—and bergamot essential oil is one of them—must be infused with a carrier oil and then only in very small and appropriate amounts. Any essential oil applied or consumed without delivery by means of a carrier oil may cause a healing crisis or at best, very uncomfortable symptoms. Essential oils are very potent and not all of them can be taken internally.

High grade and natural essential oils perfectly and precisely mixed in PHYTO5 skin and body care is a safe way to enjoy many of the benefits of a whole array of essential oils. The amount of bergamot essential oil in Earth element Yogi Body Gel and in Yin Massage Oil is determined by PHYTO5 expert chemists who know the proportions and manner of formulation to safely and healthily achieved the desire effect.

Because of adverse reactions called berloque dermatitis experienced by a number of people since the 1950s, much bergamot essential oil used today in the cosmetics industry is synthetically produced. Berloque dermatitis is a phototoxic reaction on the skin created by exposure to long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) radiation on bergapten, the only photoactive component of bergamot oil. This combination of exposure induces an intensification of both hyperpigmentation and melanin production in the skin.

Bergamot essential oil can easily be found on big box store shelves for aromatherapeutic purposes. But you may want to research if the bergamot essential oil you’re using is naturally grown and produced with integrity.

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Endnotes:

We have published two extensive articles on the topic of terpenes:

for treating dry and not moist eczema
Corticosterone is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex in response to stress.
Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, which bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.
A carrier oil is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in skincare applications, massage and aromatherapy. They carry the essential oil onto the skin. Diluting essential oils is a critical safety practice when using essential oils because of the very high potency of quality essential oils. Essential oils used alone are volatile because they begin to dissipate as soon as they are applied. The carrier oil slows the rate of dispersion which varies based on how light or heavy the carrier oil is. Carrier oils often do not contain a concentrated aroma and they do not evaporate like essential oil. Excellent high integrity skincare products will use carrier oils that are completely natural and free from adulteration.

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Sources:

Kinai, Dr. Miriam, Bergamot Essential Oil. N.p., Booktango, 2013.

Zulpa, Amy. Essential Oils - The Ultimate Resource: A Beginner's Guide to the Use of Essential Oils. N.p., Jela Properties LLC, 2014.

deGroot, AntonC., and Schmidt, Erich. Essential Oils: Contact Allergy and Chemical Composition. United Kingdom, CRC Press, 2021.

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.

Stiles, KG. The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide: Over 250 Recipes for Natural Wholesome Aromatherapy. United States, Page Street Publishing, 2017.

Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2014.

Perna, Simone et al. “Efficacy of bergamot: From anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms to clinical applications as preventive agent for cardiovascular morbidity, skin diseases, and mood alterations.” Food science & nutrition vol. 7,2 369-384. 25 Jan. 2019, doi:10.1002/fsn3.903

How the Yi Spirit of the Spleen Contributes to Our Clarity of Mind and Well-Being

July 10, 2023 phyto5.us

According to the Five-Element Theory of traditional Chinese medicine, our organs each have a spirit:
Wood element • Organ: Liver • Spirit: Hun
Fire element • Organ: Heart • Spirit: Shen.
Earth element • Organ: Spleen • Spirit: Yi
Metal element • Organ: Lung • Spirit: P’o
Water element • Organ: Kidney • Spirit: Zhi.

Understanding the spirit energies of each element helps us to better know how to live in harmony with the season we are in and even transform our health. We can learn to become well adapted to our “Type.”(1) In this article, we discuss Yi, the spirit of the Earth element’s organ, the Spleen.(2)

Defining Yi
Yi is roughly translated as thought and intention.

In Chinese ethical philosophy Yi is more fully defined as faithful performance of one's indigenous duties to society. Intent or intention is the drive we feel within ourselves that compels us to be of service to others, to be empathetic, and to be part of a community offering support to those in need. In its deepest sense, Yi is service to others given in the unique ways that each of us individually can offer. By serving others, Yi gifts us with the byproduct of that service: contentment and satisfaction.

Yi is also defined as righteousness and justice, morality and meaning. And in traditional Chinese medicine Yi is considered to be the intellect.

The direction of the Earth element in traditional Chinese medicine is center. Likewise, Yi is found in our core, our center—the stabilizing and grounding influence we derive from past first memories of feelings, smells and touch—whether they are the warm loving experience of being on our mother’s breast or the cold fearful feelings of being in the sterile hospital room at birth.

Yi also represents nourishment from and connection to the Original Universal Mother, giver of the breath of sustenance, support and security that we first experienced as newborn babies.

One aspect of Yi and the Earth element is introspection—a balanced but not excessive turning inward to learn about the self and one’s place in the world. When we have grounded Yi within us we become better able to follow our own hearts and be true to ourselves.

Spleen Supports Nourishment On the Physical and Mental Levels
Spleen is the origin of chi and blood and it is responsible for nourishment and nurturing.

In our former article, The Earth Element and the Spleen: How a Balanced Spleen Is Vital to Digestion, Nourishment, Mental Function and Vitality, we said:

“The Spleen is responsible for the intake, processing, sorting and distribution of nutrients from food. Nutrients are then transported upwards by the Spleen to the Lungs where both Heart and Lungs take over generating chi and infusing the body’s blood with these nutrients.
The Spleen both transforms food into nutrients and then transports these nutrients through the pushing/ascending action of the spleen chi.”

The Spleen is controller of transforming and transporting nutrients(3) but this doesn’t only apply to nutrients from food. It applies to intellectual nourishment as well. From a mental-emotional perspective, the Spleen is involved in issues of nourishment not just on the physical level but on the psychic level, too.

Yi and the Mental Processes
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is said that the Yi spirit of Spleen provides housing for the intellect which is responsible for applied thinking, memorizing, focus, concentration, mental application, study and the generating of ideas.

The nature of Yi means that the Spleen, together with Heart, is responsible for our ability to think and study with clarity. Cramming for exams, for example, or spending an inordinate amount of time each day writing or thinking can weaken Spleen.

“One of the major problems when the Spleen is imbalanced is the tendency for the person to become preoccupied, or at worst obsessed. Si or knotting of the qi (chi) occurs and diminishes a person’s ability to think one thought and then move on to another. This inability to think clearly can diminish a person’s creativity, spontaneity and happiness.” —Angela Hicks in Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture

From the perspective of emotions, the Spleen is adversely affected by pensiveness, worry, rumination and in severe cases, obsessive thinking.

The French writer-poet Voltaire perhaps unknowingly described a pathology of the Yi when he said:

“Madness is to think of too many things too fast or of one thing exclusively.”

Strong Yi allows us to dream our thoughts and ideas clearly so that they will coagulate and manifest in our world.

When the Spleen is weak we become unable to accomplish our goals causing us to feel unfulfilled. We feel unable to get things done leaving projects started but not finished.

This is why we define the positive, in-balance emotion of the Earth element on our website as ‘creative self-expression.’ All of the products in each of our five element quantum energetic lines of skincare are formulated to help balance emotion with the highest degree of concentration of that energy found in the Phyt’Ether serums. The negative, out-of-balance emotion of Earth is feeling overwhelmed, excessive rumination, causing a state of scatteredness.

Well known British classical acupuncturist, J. R. Worsley,(4) called this called the inability to think clearly and decisively an inability to reap a harvest, harvest being completely symbolic of the Earth element and its functions.

Strong Yi helps us follow through with our intention. We have the ability to focus the mind on something we desire. Harvard Medical School professor of medicine Ted J. Kaptchuk(5) has described the aspect of this intention embodied by Yi as the “consciousness of potentials.”

Yi enables chi to move. We must often first form a mental image of chi moving for it to move. And that initial image is assisted by Yi.

We also need Yi for self-motivation. If Spleen is weak, so are Yi and chi and also our ability to concentrate on work, execute a project to its completion or even be present to a conversation we are having with a friend.

Weak Yi diminishes our ability to remain steadfast to our purpose in life.

A deficiency in Spleen makes a person who is not psychologically centered and grounded lose self-confidence. When we feel unable to accomplish a life goal or pursue what we’d really love to do, it can often lead to depression, anxiety and despair. We feel a sense of unease, unhappiness, and loss of direction. Agitation, insecurity or lethargy of the spirit can make it difficult for us to stick to our chosen paths.

…

Endnotes:

A person exemplifying the ideal or defining characteristics of one or more of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine; the Type is not always in balance or adapted to his or her Type in which we call it out-of-balance or maladapted. To learn more about each element Type, click through below:

Click through to read our former article on the Spleen and the Earth element: The Earth Element and the Spleen: How a Balanced Spleen Is Vital to Digestion, Nourishment, Mental Function and Vitality
“The Spleen functions to control the digestive system and as such is as ordinary or common as a cook who is on duty 24 hours a day. Its work is basic. It does not have the glamor of the Liver which is a general, or the Lung which is a chancellor. We can compare this job to that of a mother who is always available to care for and support her family. A mother’s job is an important one, often unacknowledged until she is ill or away.” —Angela Hicks in Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture
J. R. Worsley (14 September 1923 – 2 June 2003) was a British acupuncturist who is credited with European five element acupuncture which is termed 'classical acupuncture.’
Ted J. Kaptchuk is professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard-wide Program in Placebo Studies and the Therapeutic Encounter (PiPS) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also a professor of Global Health and Social Medicine.

…

Sources:

Maciocia, Giovanni. The Psyche in Chinese Medicine: Treatment of Emotional and Mental Disharmonies with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2009.

Moss, Charles A.. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Acupuncture in Practice: Case History Insights from the West. United Kingdom, Churchill Livingstone, 1997.

The Thymus Gland–Producer of Anti-Age Hormones and Powerhouse of Immunity

July 5, 2023 phyto5.us

An attractive brunette woman wearing a red tunic gently tapping her sternum to activate her thymus gland

Our bodies’ hormones are made by the tiny(1) but mighty glands of the endocrine system. Though the amounts of hormones our glands secrete into the bloodstream or the fluid surrounding our cells are minute, these hormones are incredibly powerful and determine how long and well we live. All glands and hormones work in concert and exquisite balance with each other but some glands become weak as we get older. One such gland is the very important immune system regulating thymus gland positioned near the Heart, the yin organ of the Fire element.

Hormones regulate our digestion and the transformation of nutrients into blood, bone, and tissues. They regulate our heartbeat, liver and kidney function, fertility, sexual behavior and even our personality. And they are very well known for mobilizing our bodies’ defenses against human or germ attack.

“Much like a lock and key, many hormones act by binding to receptors that are produced within cells. When a hormone binds to a receptor, the receptor carries out the hormone's instructions, either by altering the cell's existing proteins or turning on genes that will build a new protein. The hormone-receptor complex switches on or switches off specific biological processes in cells, tissues, and organs.” —Environmental Protection Agency, Overview of the Endocrine System

Though hormones circulate throughout the body, they will only affect their target organs and according to how much the body needs, provided the body is relatively in balance. The more hormone in the blood the more active the target organ becomes.

In traditional Chinese medicine hormonal balance is closely associated with yin and yang energy balance.

We wrote in our former article, Balance: Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Simple Must-Have Key for Total Well-Being, Enduring Health and Longevity:

“Yin and yang chi, the fundamental feminine and masculine energies, respectively, help establish the balance and harmonious flow of vital energy which is crucial to maintaining balance throughout the body.”

Both hormones and yin and yang energies depend on one another to function properly. Too much or too little yin or yang energy in the body and imbalances occur which, in turn, affect the hormones.

Hormonal imbalance doesn’t happen overnight but as we age. It takes time for the symptoms of hormonal imbalance to become apparent.

Hormonal imbalance does, however, occur faster in some people than in others. And if the feedback our glands are receiving from the body is faulty or the glands fail to produce enough of the hormone required, we develop physical and even mental conditions.

Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency; “Overview of the Endocrine System,” EPA, www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-system.

The word hormone is derived from the Greek hormao meaning “I arouse to activity.” Hormones are messengers of physiological information inciting the body to activity in one way or another. The biochemical information carried by hormones creates an energetic impetus which directly affects the way we feel not just physically and mentally but even spiritually if we are attuned to sensing it.

This is because the esoteric/spiritual energy chakra points and the physical endocrine glands pretty much line up with each other in their positions in the body. By virtue of these alignments, chakras and glands communicate with each other in important ways.

The ancients, especially in Egypt, were very much aware of how the energy systems in the body were connected to glandular function. They found these energy systems or chakras to be sensitive contact points where the spiritual world touched the physical world. They even had a holistic understanding of the significance of glandular function and its central role in reproduction and also in consciousness itself.

The thymus gland is located in the upper chest, behind the sternum and between the lungs. The thymus being a physical counterpart to the Heart chakra, the ancient Egyptians found the Heart to be a critical activator of consciousness.

This lines up with how traditional Chinese medicine of antiquity and today view the Heart as shen, the higher universal consciousness in every person which regulates emotions and many mental functions.

“Yoga looks at chakras as the body's energy points.(3) And they are located almost exactly where the hormone-secreting glands that connect our mind, emotions and body are situated,” writes Shikha Sharma of Hindustan Times in What You Must Know about Your Body and Its Chakras

For example, the fourth chakra seal located in the region of the Heart is associated with unconditional love and the thymus gland. When this seal is activated or when Heart is healthy and in balance, a flow of love is expressed and felt. And as a result, the thymus gland releases its hormone thymosin. This hormone has been directly related to the aging process by University of Texas medical researchers.

Thymosin is a hormone that helps keep the body young and healthy. Many call this hormone the anti-aging hormone.

But thymosin levels in the blood have been found to decrease dramatically with age. This is probably because the thymus atrophies over time with the process beginning when we’re quite young.

The thymus is most active when an infant is in utero. It is large in early childhood and at around age eight or ten it begins to decrease in size until at about age 20, it is only five to ten percent of its original size. By age 50, just a small portion of the thymus remains with fatty tissue replacing it somewhere around age 75.

The thymus gland provides us with a built-in immunity. It helps to activate the body’s defenses against infection.

Dr. Glen Rein of HeartMath Institute(2) has been able to prove that an irregular heartbeat caused by emotional upset produces erratic thymus function which in turn suppresses the immune system. Dr. Rein also found it possible to train people to control their heartbeat through biofeedback and raise their level of immune function.

The shriveling of the thymus gland is scientifically believed primarily responsible for aging and the destruction of the body.

The thymus gland offers us protection against diverse pathogens, tumors, and antigens, while it is mediator of tissue damage. Though the thymus has the capacity to regenerate itself, it is often insufficient to reconstitute a fully intact thymic function.

The great disturber of all endocrine function including the thymus gland is stress. Stress can be defined as a physical, chemical, emotional, or electromagnetic pressure which goes beyond the safe reserves of a person and his or her ability to respond resiliently to that pressure.

Stress of any kind and possibly in any amount may stimulate any endocrine gland to excessive or deficient production of that gland’s hormones. For this reason, over- or under-activity of glandular function is a fairly common condition.

Dysfunction of the thymus gland leads to an increased risk of opportunistic infections, autoimmunity, tumor relapse and adverse clinical outcomes. It is proven associated with severity of atherosclerosis.

One of the functions of the thymus is to process and mature killer T-cells. In effect, these T-cells are the immune system’s warriors.

The T in T-cell stands for thymus. A T-cell is a a white blood cell occurring most especially in the lymphatic system. Also known as lymphocytes, they actively participate in the immune response. They fight viruses and malignancies.

A T-cell began as a stem cell which then became a lymphocyte in the bone marrow. Through the action of the thymus hormone thymosin, the lymphocytes, having migrated to the thymus gland, now multiply and mature in the thymus to become cells capable of producing an immune response.

What can we do to shore up our thymus gland and immune response?

Though you may be older and have deduced after reading this article that your thymus is virtually non-existent, you should know that no vital part of the body ever truly vanishes. An energetic imprint of your thymus gland remains where there may now be fatty tissue.

First, consider the power of your mind and intention to will the thymus into robust action. Also remember that, as mentioned above, the thymus has the ability to regenerate itself.

Second, consider that thyme is believed to stimulate the thymus gland. The terpene thymol in thyme essential oil is an anti-age antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. It has proven effective in treating colds, flu, and respiratory viruses. It works as an anti-microbial for lungs.

Third, no matter your age or thymus gland condition, you can perform simple thymus tapping to activate the gland and boost your immune system. The vibration you create by tapping gently on your thymus for several seconds helps to stimulate the release of T-cells.

With your fingertips or the side of your fist, gently tap two to three inches up and down your sternum, between and above your breasts for 15 to 20 seconds. Breathe normally through the exercise.

…

Endnotes:

The largest of the glands, the pancreas, which is very involved in digestion, weighs on average less than three ounces and is about the size of your hand. The smallest gland is the pineal, about the size of a grapeseed. The combined weight of all the other glands in the human body is between four and seven ounces. In addition to pancreas and pineal glands, the other glands are thyroid, four parathyroids, twin adrenals, pituitary, thymus and paired ovaries of women or testes of men.
https://www.heartmath.org/
The first or root chakra is associated with the gonads (male testes and female ovaries).

The second or sacral chakra is associated with the adrenals.

The third or solar plexus chakra is associated with the pancreas.

The fourth heart chakra aligns with the thymus from which anti-aging hormones are released.

The fifth throat chakra aligns with the thyroid and parathyroid.

The sixth third eye chakra is associated with the pineal gland which unveils the knowingness of the subconscious mind.

The seventh crown seal chakra associates to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands which work together to regulate the entire endocrine system and encourage enlightenment.

…

Sources:

Dispenza, Joe. Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind. United States, Health Communications, Incorporated, 2010.

Winter, Ruth. The Anti-Aging Hormones: That Can Help You Beat the Clock. United Kingdom, Crown, 2013.

“Ancient Egyptians: ‘Your Glands Are Your Chakras!’” YouTube, 21 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2No07yt-IA.

Hammoudi Halat, Dalal et al. “A Focused Insight into Thyme: Biological, Chemical, and Therapeutic Properties of an Indigenous Mediterranean Herb.” Nutrients vol. 14,10 2104. 18 May. 2022, doi:10.3390/nu14102104

Thapa, Puspa, and Donna L Farber. “The Role of the Thymus in the Immune Response.” Thoracic surgery clinics vol. 29,2 (2019): 123-131. doi:10.1016/j.thorsurg.2018.12.001

Shealy, M.D., Ph. D., C. “The Endocrine System - Edgar Cayce Health Care.” Edgar Cayce Health Care - Education And Information Relating To Edgar Cayce Health Readings, 16 Oct. 2017, cayce.com/health-information/edgar-cayce-the-endocrine-system/.

Dai, Xianliang et al. “The Pivotal Role of Thymus in Atherosclerosis Mediated by Immune and Inflammatory Response.” International journal of medical sciences vol. 15,13 1555-1563. 20 Oct. 2018, doi:10.7150/ijms.27238

“Overview of the Endocrine System,” EPA, www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-system. Accessed 26 June 2023.

Remedy, My. “Thymus Tapping.” My Remedy Natural Medicine, 7 June 2018, myremedy.co.nz/articles/thymus-tapping/#:~:text=Thumping%2C%20or%20tapping%2C%20your%20thymus,and%20boost%20your%20immune%20system.&text=Gently%20tapping%20on%20the%20thymus,release%20of%20white%20blood%20cells.

Sharma, Shikha.“What You Must Know about Your Body and Its Chakras.” Hindustan Times, 2 Aug. 2014, www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/what-you-must-know-about-your-body-and-its-chakras/story-a4XKHxkAHJZ5yVBoicJeeJ.html.

Biosaccharide Gum-1: Beneficial Polysaccharide In Anti-Aging Skinca

June 21, 2023 phyto5.us

Polysaccharides(1) are increasingly formulated into skincare products that are geared toward wellness and healing. They are used in cosmetics for film-forming, texture-enhancing, soothing, humectant (water-binding) and anti-aging properties for skin. PHYTO5 incorporates a number of polysaccharides into the five element Yogi Body Gel products (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) because of such excellent skin conditioning properties and benefits.

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

A saccharide is a carbohydrate or sugar biomolecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrate chains come in different lengths and biologically important carbohydrates belong to three categories: monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

A polysaccharide is a kind of carbohydrate or sugar ingredient created from vegetable substrates. The principle polysaccharide or assembly of sugars in PHYTO5’s Yogi Body Gels is known as Biosaccharide Gum-1 (trade name: Fucocert or Fucogel). It is obtained from brown algae by a fermentation process involving sorbitol.

Because it’s a ferment, Biosaccharide Gum-1 works synergistically with other well known ferments like hyaluronic acid, inulin (a prebiotic) and xanthan gum.(3) Xanthan gum is not only a gelling agent, it’s a fermented sugar with its own moisturizing properties. Xanthan gum is also an ingredient in all five element Yogi Body Gels by PHYTO5.

Biosaccharide Gum-1 can also work synergistically with other actives such as collagen, aloe vera gel, many botanical extracts, certain types of vitamin C esters, niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3 and cell repair antioxidant), and panthenol (provitamin B5).

Biosaccharide Gum-1 is used as a moisturizing active that creates a biofilm or breathable screen to protect skin against dehydration while stimulating cell renewal. Its potent anti-aging activity is often compared to the similar action of hyaluronic acid. In fact, the gum helps to stimulate the production of skin's own hyaluronic acid.

Biosaccharide Gum-1 owes its biological effectiveness to its affinity for fucose receptors—a type of carbohydrate receptor site on the skin—and also from its unique ability to modulate skin sensitivity response through the ASIC (acid-sensing ion channels) pathway of the nervous system.(4)

With an innovative molecular structure the polysaccharide improves adhesion and interaction with other molecules, essentially forming a barrier over the skin and shielding it from exterior stressors that lead to aging of the skin. It very effectively limits penetration of damaging ultraviolet light and pollutants into the skin.

Biosaccharide Gum-1 works to bind water to the epidermis, creating that moisture-binding film on the skin to yield a soft smooth feeling.

Biosaccharide Gum-1 is now well known for being a catalyst for skin’s well-being. For skincare, it’s a comfort and softness boosting ingredient.

The manufacturer of Biosaccharide Gum-1 labels it a S.M.A.R.T. sugar meaning it is:

Soothing
Moisturizing
Anti-aging
Restructuring
with a soft-to-the-Touch effect on the skin.

Soothing
Biosaccharide Gum-1 provides an anti-inflammatory response for irritation and sensitive skin. The manufacturer tested for its soothing properties in vivo by first creating an irritation on the skin using lactic acid. With a 3% solution of Biosaccharide Gum-1 applied to human skin, the irritation was decreased by 47%. Biosaccharide Gum-1 in Fire element Yogi Body Gel, for example, helps skin repair after superficial damage from sun exposure, cooling skin by keeping the skin moist.

Moisturizing
A kind of biofilm is created on the skin encouraging greater moisturization ability. The end result moisturizing effect of Biosaccharide Gum-1 is said to be quite similar to that of hyaluronic acid. While hyaluronic acid offers a quicker moisturizing effect within approximately one hour, a stronger hydration effect is observed from Biosaccharide Gum-1 three hours after application. After eight hours both hyaluronic acid and Biosaccharide Gum-1 become equalized in their ability to moisturize skin.

Anti-Aging
Biosaccharide Gum-1 helps protect skin cells from premature breakdown by stimulating the production of certain proteins like sirtuin-1(2) and collagen making skin firmer, stronger and younger. Ex-vivo tests conducted by the manufacturer showed Biosaccharide Gum-1 to stimulate a skin protein called sirtuin-1. This protein is known to help skin cells live longer and function better.

Resurfacing/Restructuring
The stimulation effect of sirtuin-1 mentioned just above offers quicker cell renewal, a function that continues to occur in skin but which slows down as we age. This cell renewal leads to restructuring of the skin assisting in the regeneration of skin’s barrier function. This action is very beneficial for fragile and sensitive skin.

soft-to-the-Touch
Biosaccharide Gum-1 creates a very obvious and pleasant soft touch feeling.

Though you won’t be able to distinguish it in the Yogi Body Gel products, Biosaccharide Gum-1 is lightly viscous with a colorless to light yellow liquid. It’s non-sticky with a gel consistency and absorbs quickly and easily into the skin.

All five element Yogi Body Gels contain the polysaccharides Biosaccharide Gum-1 and xanthan gum however Metal Yogi Body Gel, whose primary purpose is to provide mineralization to skin, contains several unique polysaccharides as follows:

Saccharomyces/copper, -/iron, -/magnesium, and -/zinc ferment (glucose polysaccharides)
Minerals are converted by a yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae into a bioavailable, low molecular weight glycopeptide.(4) The yeast Saccharomyces provides the base onto which the metal is attached. The yeast is then removed so that the mineral peptide can penetrate the skin as a skin conditioning agent.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that studies have shown that copper peptides, in particular, act as antioxidants and promote collagen and elastin production.

All four mineral ferments (copper, -/iron, -/magnesium, and -/zinc) are used to promote good skin condition providing anti-aging, moisturization, and anti-inflammatory effects.

The ferment itself, even before a mineral is introduced, is also healing, protective and a good antioxidant. It acts as a stabilizer for other compounds, particularly enzymes and minerals. Because of its stabilizing activity and ease of use, it is increasingly utilized in the formulation of skincare products.

“Live yeast-cell derivatives have been shown to stimulate wound healing, but ‘much of what is known about yeast’s effects for skin is theoretical, and concerns yeast’s tissue-repair and protective properties.’”

— truthinaging.com

For more on the importance of certain minerals for skin, please read our article, The Best Ways to Mineralize for Skin’s Radiance and More Youthful Appearance, here.

#####

Endnotes:

Energy is stored in plants in form of carbohydrates, including sucrose (i.e., saccharose, a disaccharide) and starch (a polysaccharide).
Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) is member of seven protein families that function in the cellular response to inflammatory, metabolic, and oxidative stressors.
“Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, a type of sugar that is made from a bacteria called Xanthomonas campestris, through a process of fermentation. Xanthomonas campestris infects a wide range of cruciferous plants, such as cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, causing diseases such as black rot and bacterial wilt. product does not contain any viable bacteria, so there is no risk of xanthan gum causing infections.” —medicalnewstoday.com
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) can detect a broad range of physiological pH changes during pathological and synaptic cellular activities.
A glycopeptide is an amino acid polymer (a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together) consisting of one or more residues with sugar molecules covalently attached to some of the side chains.

Sources:

https://www.truthinaging.com/ingredients/biosaccharide-gum-1

Michalun, M. Varinia, and DiNardo, Joseph C.. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. United States, Cengage Learning, 2014.

“Xanthan Gum: Uses, Health Information, and Substitutes.” Medical News Today,www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320272#_noHeaderPrefixedContent. Accessed 19 June 2023.

“Sirtuin 1.” Sirtuin 1 - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/sirtuin-1. Accessed 19 June 2023.

Kweon, Hae-Jin, and Byung-Chang Suh. “Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs): therapeutic targets for neurological diseases and their regulation.” BMB reports vol. 46,6 (2013): 295-304. doi:10.5483/bmbrep.2013.46.6.121

Péterszegi, G et al. “Studies on skin aging. Preparation and properties of fucose-rich oligo- and polysaccharides. Effect on fibroblast proliferation and survival.” Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie vol. 57,5-6 (2003): 187-94. doi:10.1016/s0753-3322(03)00031-3

DiNardo, Joseph C., and Michalun, M. Varinia. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. United States, Cengage Learning, 2014.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine View on Balancing Heart and Spirit with Mindful Speech Practices

June 14, 2023 phyto5.us

According to traditional Chinese medicine,(1) the Heart, the yin organ of the Fire element, is considered the home of Shen—the higher universal consciousness which descends from ‘heaven' and resides within every person. The Shen regulates emotions, consciousness, and many mental functions.

Heart and small intestine, Fire’s yin and yang organs, respectively, are connected to the Shen and to our chi (vital energy) and link the Spirit with the body’s physical processes.

We can assess Shen by observing the eyes because Shen is especially projected through them. We can see Shen in eyes that are lively and express love.

We can also assess Shen through the degree of vitality that resonates from the exterior tissues and a facial expression that is calm.

We bring vitality and balance to the Heart through the more obvious methods of cleansing and balancing Fire’s other organs (small intestine, circulatory system and autonomic nervous system), but there are less obvious very important Shen-clarifying practices we can perform that will benefit the Heart.

Heart and our speech are inextricably linked. In traditional Chinese medicine,(1) the Heart is said to flower into the tongue. An internal branch of the Heart channel connects with the tongue, therefore it is responsible for our ability to speak appropriately. This refers to emotion charged speech such as insults that stem from an angry Heart and to speech impediments such as the lisp.

Since speech issues forth from the Heart, we must pay better attention to it by listening to and observing the content and quality of our speech in order to either maintain or reestablish a healthy Heart and Shen.

Since speech is said to issue forth from the Heart, we must pay better attention to it by listening to and observing the content and quality of our speech in order to either maintain or reestablish a healthy Heart and Shen.

When Heart is out-of-balance, we can be sure the Shen is disturbed. This disturbance can potentially lead to insomnia, nightmares, and emotional disorder. We can’t concentrate, our memory is compromised, and we’re irritable and anxious. We are mentally hyperactive.

Excessive thought and worry racing through the mind creates an impoverishing energy to Heart. In severe cases, the yang aspects of the Heart—heat, vital energy and Spirit—flood upward into the head causing fever, headache, irritability, insomnia and mental disturbances. And with all this mental disturbance going on, we tend to lash out at others with our words.

The traditional belief(1) is that balanced Shen gives us the ability to transform, accept change, be malleable, and go with the flow. By doing so, we are at peace and so is our self-expression through speech.

Understanding that our words issue forth from the mind, we can see the condition of our Heart and Shen in the reflection of our spoken words resulting from our thoughts. Our words possess the power to be received as truth and alter life.

We can’t see our Shen but when it and Heart are balanced, we think clearly and rationally, we feel calm and peaceful, and we’re able to cultivate healthy relationships with other people. We speak from the Heart which is honest and true and loving.

A scattered mind and spirit will produce scattered words and hurtful and/or self-disempowering language.

By heightening our awareness of the words that come out of our mouths, we actually can strengthen the Heart. The scattered mind and its Spirit can be collected and organized by way of mindful speech patterns.

Shen- and Heart-focusing practices include:

prayer
meditation
devotional singing
mantra recitation (in any language)
chanting
affirmations and decrees
quiet contemplation on uplifting images
out loud recitation/reading of poetry or sacred texts.

Any of these balancing practices should be done in a mindful and deliberate way. They will not only help calm and clear the mind and elevate our speech, they will help bring balance to all our other organ systems as well.

Well known for calming the Heart and Spirit before an energy healing or acupuncture treatment is the practice of first calming and centering the mind of the patient.

Acupuncture physicians will initiate a treatment on the area of the upper back at the Heart associated acupuncture point.

As ancient as the Inner Classic text, we read:

“All proper needling [and healing] first treats the Spirit.”

In energy medicine sessions, the healing practitioner will always first offer a prayer to heighten spiritual awareness and bring calm to the patient.

Once spirit becomes sufficiently concentrated in the Heart, the mind will stop racing and integrated thought (as opposed to superficial flighty thought) begins. The person receiving the healing becomes more fully present, participatory and receptive.

By using basic speech awareness practices like the ones listed above along with some dietary discipline(1) we are better able to balance our mental wellness, our Shen and our Heart. We can improve the yin energy of Heart so that our Shen is held in the Heart by a protective barrier of yin essences.

#####

Endnotes:

Traditional Chinese medicine references in this article reveal practices and beliefs of antiquity in their historical context.
A simple diet with occasional light fasting is wonderful for creating deep, peaceful thinking. Avoiding food habits that scatter the mind or overheat the body will help prevent depletion of yin fluids. Meals with few ingredients, simple and less spicy foods, and refraining from eating in the evenings can encourage healthy sleep and a clear mind during the day.

The following foods are beneficial for Heart and Shen balance according to traditional Chinese medicine(1):

Oyster shell: excellent for building the yin of the Heart; can be consumed in the form of oyster shell calcium as a nutritional supplement.
Grains: whole wheat, brown rice, and oats; these grains gently but profoundly calm the mind
Mushrooms: nearly every form of fungi offer cerebral effects; reishi mushroom is an immune tonic and directly nurtures Heart, soothes the Spirit and calms the mind.
Silica rich foods: oat straw tea, barley gruel, oat groat tea, cucumber, celery, lettuce; excellent for improving calcium metabolism and strengthening nerve and heart tissue.
Fruit: mulberries and lemons for calming the mind with mulberries being the stronger of the two. Schisandra berries calm the Spirit and are prescribed in Chinese herbology for insomnia and to add memory recall and concentration.
Jujube seeds: very widely used remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for calming the Spirit; believed by traditional Chinese medicine to directly nourish the Heart.
Dill and basil: for a calming effect.
Chamomile or valerian: helpful for the nervous person or insomniac until the diet is improved to the extend that herbs are unnecessary; rose hips with these herbs supplies vitamin C for soothing the nerves.
Animal products like quality cow and goat milk and ghee (clarified butter): to nourish the spirit of the Heart in people who can tolerate these foods.

Sources:

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Poland, North Atlantic Books, 2003.

Best Eating Practices for Healthy Heart, Digestion and Balanced Fire Energy

June 8, 2023 phyto5.us

The Fire element’s organs are Heart (a solid and yin organ), Small Intestine (Heart’s hollow counterpart and yang organ), and the circulatory system and autonomic nervous system (including the parasympathetic(1) and sympathetic branches). The Small Intestine transforms food into nutrients and energy and then provides that nourishment for Heart to deliver throughout the body by way of the blood. The relationship between our diet and the balanced function of Fire’s organ’s and thus, prevention of heart disease cannot be overstated.

Summer is the season of abundant variety of produce and it offers us the opportunity to vary our diets more with healthful produce that supports the Heart. Our Summer diets should reflect the bounty of the season.

Cooling Food Consumption Practices
It may seem illogical as practices during hot Summer, but instead of drinking cold beverages and sitting in icy cold air conditioned spaces, drink hot liquids and take warm showers. These induce sudden sweating and actually cool the body down.

Certain foods that are cooling to the body are fresh salads, sprouts, fruit, cucumber and tofu. Flower and leaf teas like chrysanthemum, mint and chamomile will also help cool the body from within.

Too many cold beverages and too much icy food will cause an inner contraction of the digestive system, holding in sweat and heat, thereby weakening the digestive organs.

Cold food and drink is really best avoided during Summer.

Dispersing hot spices are very beneficial during Summer and though they will initially create warmth they ultimately bring body heat up to the surface to be dispersed. You won’t really feel that heat very much because your body is already well accustomed to mirroring Summer's heat.

Examples of heat dispersing spices include:

red and green hot peppers
cayenne pepper
fresh ginger (not dried)
horseradish
black pepper

Don’t be overly liberal with the use of hot spices though because doing so could cause a loss of yang energy resulting in weakness. It can even impact your ability to stay warm in future Metal (Fall) and Water (Winter) seasons.

In Summer, the healthful rule of thumb is to eat light and eat less. Heavy foods, especially on the hotter days of Summer, will cause you to be sluggish.

Such heavy foods include meats, eggs and an excess of nuts, seeds and grains.

A dietetic tenet of traditional Chinese medicine is that of avoiding too many cold and raw foods. A “digestive fire” exists within the digestive system that “cooks” the food you consume.

If we consume too many cold or raw foods, this dampens that fire making the small intestine much less effective at breaking food down into the nutrients needed for nourishing the body.

“Use plenty of brightly colored Summer fruits and vegetables, and enjoy creating beautiful meals—make a dazzling display with the colors of the food, and design a floral arrangement for the table. Cook lightly and regularly add a little spicy, pungent, or even fiery flavor. When sautéing, use high heat for a very short time, and steam or simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use little salt and more water.”

— Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods

The Fire element relates to bitter flavor as we commonly find in herbs, but green leafy vegetables and most lettuces have some of this bitter quality also. Unsweetened coffee, tea and cacao have a bitter quality, too, and these are helpful when consumed in moderation.

The property of bitter foods is descending and centering.

The bitter flavor of any food “enters” and affects the Heart. There that bitter food has a number of functions:

The bitter cleanses deposits from the physical heart and associated arteries.
Bitters cool an overheated Heart. They also help tone up a stagnant Liver which in turn makes more energy available for the Heart.
Bitter foods sedate and lower yang qualities in the head (an overactive mind) and draw them down and concentratesthem in the Heart so a person may become more centered.

If Your Fire Is Too Strong

If you are an overheated person with a red complexion, full of energy and very busy, talkative, and one who finds it difficult to slow down and relax, you may be out-of-balance with Fire. You have too much yang Fire energy.

Foods that will help to bring you back to balance are cooling juice- and water-rich fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits, cucumber and melons are good examples of Fire balancing foods.

If Your Fire Is Weak and You Have Too Much Yin
When a person is overworked and denies the body and mind periods of time to slow down and rest, fatigue, weakness and anxiety are the result and these indicate a Heart yin deficiency.

Traditional Chinese medicine says that Heart’s function of pumping blood doesn’t just help keep the physical body in balance, the Heart as source of consciousness and thinking helps keep thought processes and mental activities in balance, too.

When Heart’s yin or yang energy is out-of-balance, symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and restlessness can result.

Often when Fire is not in balance, circulation slows resulting in extreme coldness and a pale face indicating a Heart yang deficiency and a yin energy excess.

During hot Summer, minerals and oils also get sweated out of the body and losing them can cause us to become weak. But certain foods can be utilized to replenish your Fire if you’re feeling weak and fatigued.

If your Fire is weak, a more warming and cooked food diet that includes whole grains like buckwheat, millet, oats, brown rice and rye will help.

Grains also have a helpful bitter aspect which is in their germ and bran. Unfortunately, these are removed in the processing of refined wheat flour and white rice so consume grains with their germ and bran intact.

Spices, too, like cayenne, ginger and curry help add Fire to your blood.

A weak Fire is also often caused by a poorly functioning small intestine (Fire’s yang organs).

The small intestine is responsible for sorting and separating food in the digestive tract and for proper blood formation.

When food is improperly digested it creates damp mucus in the body which may cause obstructed blood flow. It creates an effect where too little yang energy is available to move the blood.

Stagnant blood flow often occurs in people who develop coronary artery disease, inflammation of the heart and angina.

If your small intestine needs a jumpstart, some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners offer an a time honored recipe to help cleanse and tone the small intestine. It involves an approximate two week practice of consuming a daily cup of equal parts simmered brown rice, lentils and sunflower seeds in one and half times the amount of water. This recipe is an excellent heat producer and should benefit the assimilation function of the small intestine.

Years of consuming red meats, animal fats, sugars and starches, without regularly pausing to cleanse the toxins those foods feed the body will clog up blood vessels.

“The greatest cause of all heart trouble is a wrong diet, which causes impure blood and weakens the heart… other causes are lack of exercise and poor circulation. Often palpitations of the heart are due to gas and fermentation in the stomach.

… When so much food is eaten that is robbed of its life-giving properties, and since the real health-giving properties that have refined out of foods are the properties that strengthen our bodies and heart, the heart gets weaker and weaker. ”

— Jethro Kloss in Back to Eden: A Human Interest Story of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root, and Barkce

Nutrients That Support a Healthy Heart and Balanced Fire Energy
Magnesium very importantly supports calcium to function properly in the heart and nerve tissues. An interesting benefit of magnesium is that it also restrains the “anxiety peptide” in the brain which appears to contribute to anxiety.

You can get the magnesium you need with a healthy leafy green and whole grains based diet.

Magnesium in foods that are healing to and balancing for Heart are virtually depleted when grains are milled or refined so again, consume whole and not overly processed grains.

Green foods are magnesium rich. The mineral magnesium is uniquely positioned at the center or “heart” of every chlorophyll molecule.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that consuming food that is red in color is good for not just your heart and small intestine but also for your brain.

These foods would include carrots, tomato, sweet potato, strawberry, chili, red beans, red pepper, jujube (2), goji berry, dragon fruit, apple, brown sugar, and any other food that is a shade of red.

Do consult your traditional Chinese medicine health practitioner (or alternative health physician) before engaging in practices mentioned in this article.

…

Endnotes:

The parasympathetic(a) nervous system is also known in traditional Chinese medicine as the Triple Heater. The Triple Heater is believed to be a body cavity of some kind which has the ability to influence other organs, and overall health, mainly through the free movement of chi, the fundamental energy or life force.

(a) Parasympathetic relates to the part of the automatic nervous system that counterbalances the action of the sympathetic nerves. It consists of nerves arising from the brain and the lower end of the spinal cord and supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands.

(2) Jujube seeds (Ziziphus jujuba/spinosa) are a widely used Chinese herbal remedy to calm the Spirit and nourish the heart.

Sources:

Haas, Elson M.. Staying Healthy with the Seasons: 21st-Century Edition. United States, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2012.

Kloss, Jethro. Back to Eden: A Human Interest Story of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root, and Bark. Bahrain, Back to Eden Books Publishing Company, 2004.

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Poland, North Atlantic Books, 2003.

Why and How to Harness the Peak of Yang Energy of the Summer Solstice

June 2, 2023 phyto5.us

The radiant sun is the source of all human life. The cycle of human life revolves around it. People come and go but the sun remains shining day after day. It never fails us. Steadfast symbol of perpetual life and vibrant energy, we take the sun for granted rarely pausing to appreciate its unceasing life-giving nature and live by its example. The Summer Solstice event is always an opportunity for us to honor and harness the energy of the sun and its aspects and to become part of and expand our consciousness by way of this energetic solar event.

Sunrise on the Summer solstice occurs every year on June 20 or 21. This day is the peak of yang energy ushered in by energetic Summer and the Fire element.

We’ll want to harness this peak of yang energy at this time since the lively energy of yang will begin declining when energetic Fall and the Metal element arrive August 7 and we decline even more profoundly through energetic Winter and the Water element.

We can harness the Summer Solstice peak of yang energy by acknowledging it exists and opening our hearts to it—the heart being one of Fire’s organs according to traditional Chinese medicine. Place your focus on the heart during energetic Summer by 1) feeding the body heart nourishing foods(1) and 2) staying active—a yang energy—so that the heart will receive positive energy and support like improved blood circulation.

When summertime and the Summer Solstice arrives it is very important and integral to your body to remain active. (Please read our recent blog on increasing yang energy here. The article can help you harness this peak of yang energy.)

The quantum energetic Fire element line of skin and hair care by PHYTO5 will also assist you to get the most out of energetic Summer and its yang energy. All products in all five element lines are highly energetic with the highest concentration of this potency found in the Phyt’Ether serums. This unique vibrational quality in the products gives them the ability to balance not just skin, but vital energy and emotions as well.

On the Summer Solstice the sun is at its highest point in the sky and marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. This day marks the start of astronomical summer and the tipping point at which days start to become shorter and nights longer. The Summer Solstice calls for introspection and presence unto ourselves—a hallmark moment in time calling us to creatively and profoundly experience the spirituality, meaning and vibratory frequency of the solstice energies. This event can be extremely powerful in helping to take us to new heights spiritually and vibrationally.

The word solstice comes from the Latin words sol (sun) and stitium (still or stopped). The ancients, even as early as the Stone Age, noticed that as Summer progressed, the sun stopped moving northward in the sky as it began to track southward again as Summer advanced to Fall.

Our forebears from all over the world, undistracted from the rigors of modern daily life and who lived in greater harmony with nature than we do today, noticed there was something very special about the Summer Solstice.

Approximately 800 years ago, Wyoming plains native Americans built the famed 80-foot wide Bighorn stone Medicine Wheel. It was built with 28 spokes one of which pointed to Summer solstice sunrise and another to the Summer solstice sunset.

Chumash Indians of California bored carefully placed holes in walls and ceilings of caves through which only the Summer Solstice light would shine.

Anazazi Indians of New Mexico painted two spirals on a rock in Chaco Canyon. At noon on the Summer Solstice a beam of light pointed to the center of one of the spirals.

In Central America, the Aztecs, Mayans and Toltecs built great temples aligned to the moment of the Summer Solstice sunrise.

In the Mayan city of Chichén Itza in Mexico, the Spiral Tower is built with windows and doors that are oriented to the rising and setting sun at both solstices and equinoxes.

At the ancient Mayan observatory Uaxactún in the Guatemalan rainforest, present day viewers can welcome the Summer on a viewing platform to see the sun rise over a series of small pyramids, an astronomy cluster of four structures, built in exact alignment with the great solar event.

The Summer solstice was the most important day of the year in ancient Egypt when the waters of the Nile would begin to rise at this time. From the view of the Sphinx, the sun sets squarely between the Great Pyramids of Khufu and Khafre on Egypt’s Giza plateau on the Summer solstice.

The solstice was joyfully celebrated in ancient Europe with flower head wreaths, games and bonfires. It was believed that bonfires would boost the sun’s energy for the rest of the growing season and guarantee a good harvest for the Fall. And while the actual purpose, function and origins of Stonehenge, the neolithic megalith monument in the south of England, has been long debated by archeologists, the site happens to be aligned with the direction of the Summer Solstice sunrise.

In ancient China, the Summer Solstice was associated with yin, the feminine force, which is balanced by the yang masculine energy of the Winter Solstice. Festivities celebrated the earth, femininity, and the yin force. The ancient Chinese saw the sun prevailing in Summer with yin energies beginning to wax as yang energies began to wane.

According to some ancient Greek calendars, the Summer Solstice marked the start of the New Year and also marked the one-month countdown to the opening of the Olympic games.

In the days leading up to the Summer Solstice, the ancient Romans celebrated Vestalia to honor Vesta, goddess of the hearth. At this time married women left offerings in the temple of Vesta as pleas and prayers for blessings for their families.

Midsummer was a pivotal time of year for the Vikings, who would meet to discuss legal matters and resolve disputes around this auspicious time.

Cultures around the world still celebrate the day with feasts, bonfires, picnics and song. Today, people dance around bonfires that blaze on hilltops in Cornwall, Wales and Ireland. Yoga centers and spiritual circles around the world usher in the solstice with drumming and chanting.

Each one of us has the individual opportunity to dive deeper into life and the Summer season by becoming more deeply acquainted with the Summer Solstice. One way is by intimately experiencing the darkness of the evening preceding the solstice to assist us to know and appreciate the light of the Summer Solstice sun the next morning more fully.

Here is a list of simple yet powerful practices to help us usher in the Summer Solstice more consciously while embracing the peak of yang energy.

Eat simply throughout the day leading up to evening.
In the evening, turn out all the lights in your home.
Unplug your television, computer, and all electrical devices.
Light candles.
Go outside, outstretch your arms and breathe in the night air.
Take a long walk during this evening. Take note of the stars and the clouds.
Light a fire outside, if possible. If you don’t have a firepit, use a portable grill.

Play an instrument fireside if you can.
Sing or chant quietly and reverentially.
Bake potatoes in the fire you built.
Lay down on a blanket near the fire and doze.

Go back inside and read a book by candlelight.
Take time to sit in silence.
Wake up before dawn that day to be ready to greet the rising sun.

Feel the energy and the presence of your ancestors.
Relish the power of the rising sun.

Sing a song or whisper a prayer in honor of the dawn.

…

Endnotes:

Red fruits and vegetables, (red being the yang color associated with energetic Summer and the Fire element) are considered by traditional Chinese medicine to be beneficial to a warm heart with a healthy chi.

Sources:

“Chinese Summer Solstice Features Feminine Energy and Cold Noodles.” eChineseLearning Blog Chinese Summer Solstice Features Feminine Energy and Cold Noodles Comments, www.echineselearning.com/blog/chinese-summer-solstice-features-feminine-energy-and-cold-noodles#:~:text=Ancient%20Chinese%20saw%20the%20summer,Yang%20energies%20begin%20to%20wane. Accessed 2 June 2023.

“The Vestalia: Celebrating Vesta and Purifying Rome.” History and Archeology Online, https://historyandarchaeologyonline.com/the-vestalia-celebrating-vesta-and-purifying-rome, 6 June 2019

“History of Summer Solstice Traditions.” National Trust United Kingdom, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/history-of-summer-solstice-traditions

How and Why to Increase Yang Energy Activity During Energetic Summer and the Fire Element

May 30, 2023 phyto5.us

One of the foundational tenets of traditional Chinese medicine is that of adjusting our lifestyle habits to align with the seasons. These lifestyle habits include how we eat, move, and live throughout the year as we experience the changes of each of the five seasons of traditional Chinese medicine. This is a mindful practice and a rhythmic approach to living where we learn to adapt, flow and enjoy life more. We ease into ways of living that work very well in support of body, mind, and soul. This type of rhythmic living helps us avoid stress and its harmful effects and it elevates our well-being.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, energetic Summer which begins May 6 and runs until July 19 every year is the season of the Fire element. Summer is the most yang period of the year—a time of expansion, peak vitality, and outward and upward movement.

At the Summer Solstice is when this Summer yang energy peaks. Yang represents the day while yin represents the night and at the Summer Solstice we mark the longest day and the shortest night of the year. On the Summer Solstice we have the most yang day of the year and the peak of yang Fire energy.

Balance of Yin and Yang
In traditional Chinese medicine, balance is always sought in order to achieve and maintain wellness. The ancient Chinese recognized the duality of our universe and saw that all things were composed of energy and that energy was composed of two complementary yet opposing actions. These two forces are yin and yang and they're interdependent and interconnected.

The ancient Chinese and we today can see that a natural ebb and flow of yin and yang energies is constantly occurring throughout all of life. We must acknowledge and embrace this ebb and flow as part of the cycle of life if we wish to live harmonious lives as part of the natural world. Balancing yin and yang energies is essential for balance of body, mind and spirit.

Summer Is Yang
The five seasons of the year each represent either a yin or yang energy primarily and for Summer, its energy is primarily yang—the energy associated with action, movement and change. Yang is the moving, dynamic, warming aspect within nature and our bodies.

Even if we don’t have background in traditional Chinese medicine, we sense all this, because we feel this expansion of energy in different ways during energetic Summer. The days become longer. We enjoy more sunlight and energy. We feel like engaging in more activities and we find it easier to gain momentum. We even feel more outwardly social and instinctively look for ways to engage with the world.

Both yin and yang principles play an important role in how active we are at any point in the year. There are types of exercise or movement that will best suit each season’s yin or yang expression.

In Summer, since the Fire energy is very yang and all about action, movement and change, we’ll want to align the movement of our physical bodies with a similar kind of energy and action. Activity and exercise are especially important at this time to keep the pores open and chi flowing smoothly throughout the body.

“To increase yang, spend more time in active, ambitious pursuits. Cultivate your outer expression, physical strength, firmness and personal interactions. Initiate projects. In your home, use warm colors - yellow-green, yellows, oranges, and reds.”

— Hope Karan Gerecht in Healing Design: Practical Feng Shui for Healthy and Gracious Living

Our bodies’ chi and energy are at their peaks during the season of Fire so we can take advantage of the window of opportunity the season provides for getting projects we were planning all Winter and Spring finally done.

Yang Tissues and Exercise
The body itself has yin and yang tissues. Yang tissues are the ones we are most familiar with—our muscles. It’s no coincidence that Summer yang activities and exercise target the muscles and involve rhythmic repetitive movements. Our Summer exercise should tend to push us a little more, needing to use more force to achieve our health and fitness goals. An aligned fitness goal for Summer would be to build strength or endurance in our muscular tissue.

Activating our yang tissues by exercising will definitely provide a plethora of health benefits, however if we solely focus on yang activities during Summer, this can wear our bodies down and heighten the fight-or-flight response in our nervous systems. A yin practice like walking to balance a gym workout invites us to slow down, be more present in our bodies and relax into the moment.

How to Work with and Benefit from Summer Yang

Cultivate your yang chi energy by sunbathing, but be sure to use sun protection.
Avoid prolonged stays in air conditioned cold rooms. This causes chi and blood stagnation.
Avoid excessive sweating when exercising.
Get sufficient sleep. You can go to sleep late but by 11 p.m. is best. Get up early. Do not be tempted to sleep too long in the morning. A midday nap is also very beneficial during Summer.
Augment your regular exercise schedule with a short period of morning exercise when your yang is rising. This practice also nourishes the mind. Do not exercise immediately on rising. First, drink a cup of warm water and then do not too strenuous morning exercises for about 20 to 30 minutes. Qi gong, yoga and tai chi are perfect for this.

Types of Summer Yang Exercise

Exercise every day enough to just break a sweat, but do not overexert and drink a good deal of water when you’re finished.

Enjoy any sort of outdoor activity.

Practice strength training, muscle building, core exercises and short high-intensity training(HIIT) sessions.

Make sure you include cardiovascular/aerobic exercise:

“Cardiovascular fitness goes a long way in maintaining adaptation for the Fire Type. At the least, a brisk walk every day of at least thirty minutes can make a huge impact. If health and age allow for it, jogging or other aerobic exercises should be part of a daily routine. Many of my patients state they don’t have the time to set aside for this type of commitment, to which I reply that they don’t have any choice. Studies have shown that walking for shorter periods twice a day accomplishes the same training effect as one longer session. For the Fire Type especially, caring for the Heart is the first priority.”

— Charles A. Moss, MD in Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

The more active practice of yang yoga works on the yang muscles and blood flow while building strength, stamina and flexibility. These types of yoga include power vinyasa (provides rhythm and repetition), ashtanga, and Bikram.

For the really athletic, there’s high jumping, running, and sprinting.

Take an evening walk. The mind can become easily distracted in Summer and an evening walk can help nourish the mind with quiet and tranquility not to mention it will help balance your more strenuous activities of the day.

Do some Summer evening stretching to loosen muscles and movement. This can help promote systemic blood circulation, thereby reducing your cardiac burden and improving your quality of sleep.

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Sources:

Yin and Yang: Unlocking the Power of Harmony. N.p., Xspurts.com.

A TCM Way to be Healthy, Inside and Out. N.p., FriesenPress, 2017.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Gerecht, Hope Karan. HealingDesign: Practical Feng Shui for Healthy and Gracious Living. United States, Journey Editions, 1999.

Benefit from the Superior Swiss Water Purity of Jurassic History in PHYTO5 Skincar

May 21, 2023 phyto5.us

Water is the most life-sustaining fluid on the planet, and nowhere is it naturally more pure than in Switzerland. PHYTO5 skincare uses this pure Swiss mountain water in all its formulations.

Switzerland is widely known and recognized for providing the best quality drinking water to its citizens. The Swiss enjoy incredibly pure water right out of the tap in a way that no other country quite enjoys. Even though the Swiss tend to consume more high calorie foods, they have one of the lowest obesity rates in the world. A major factor is that the large amounts of completely safe indigenous water Swiss people drink cleanses and purifies their bodies.

“It will be important to acknowledge that safe water is one of essential components or needs for healthy living, along with adequate sanitation and proper nutrition. Together, these are the essential health needs to be met in the developing and the developed world. All three contribute to reduced disease and increased health, and the lack of one can degrade the beneficial impact of the others.”

— Mark D. Sobsey, PhD., Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina

MySwitzerland.com says:

“The water distributed in Switzerland meets very high-quality standards. Eighty percent of the water comes from underground sources, the rest is taken from the lakes. The establishment of groundwater protection zones makes it possible to distribute half of this water without having to treat it. It can be drunk from every tap without posing a health hazard. Tap water in Switzerland also has a much better ecological balance than bottled mineral water.”

And finally, we see how prized a resource water is to the Swiss as we read this from the Wasser für Wasser (Water for Water) Organization, Switzerland(1):

“Swiss drinking water is of very high quality and meets strict guidelines regarding hygiene and safety. Like any natural product, tap water contains trace substances, but due to the stringent regulations on drinking water treatment, their concentration is at such a low level that it can be drunk without hesitation.

In view of the long-term goal of supplying the Swiss population with natural and healthy drinking water, it must nevertheless be stated: The quality of Switzerland’s drinking water is decisively a product of our use of the resource water. Effective water protection measures and their consistent implementation are essential if we want to ensure the high quality of our tap water for future generations.”

In the process of providing such pure water to their citizens, the Swiss government takes many measures to keep the country’s water resources and environment intact. The country is ranked #1 by the World Health Organization (WHO) for water quality. This is because of the nation’s strict treatment standards and superior natural resources. In fact, Swiss tap water is as pure as its bottled water but it is 500 times cheaper.

The U.S. doesn’t even come close to matching the water quality of Switzerland or several other European nations, for that matter. In fact, the WHO ranks the U.S. currently sixty-fourth in rural drinking water quality and 26th overall.

Swiss Jura Mountain Water in PHYTO5 Swiss Skincare
Switzerland is known as the water tower of Europe. Most of the largest rivers in Europe are sourced in Switzerland. Eighty percent of Swiss drinking water stems from natural springs and groundwater and the rest comes from lakes.

The Swiss Jura mountain water in PHYTO5 skincare specifically comes from the Jura(2) mountains. ‘Jura’ is the Celtic word for ‘forest.’

The Jura mountains are a sub-alpine mountain range located north of the Western Alps mainly following the course of the France–Switzerland border in the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn, Jura, Bern, Neuchâtel, and Vaud. The Swiss lab where PHYTO5 energetic skincare is made, Laboratoire Gibro, S. A., is located in the canton of Neuchâtel. Lakes Neuchâtel, Biel (Bienne), and Morat, connected by canals, are survivors of a former glacial lake in the lower Aare valley located at the base of the Jura Mountains.

Swiss Jura mountains near Fleurier, Switzerland — **Jura mountains near Fleurier, Switzerland, home of PHYTO5’s factory, Laboratoire Gibro**

The Jura mountains are rich in mineral and thermal springs. This is because both their tectonic fragmentation and pronounced relief structure allow groundwater to hydraulically rise from great depths to the surface.

The pristine fresh water used in PHYTO5 skincare comes from a Karst system in the Swiss Jura mountains. Karst topography is a landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves.

Areuse ravine, Switzerland — **Areuse gorges, Switzerland**

Underground stream sources from the Jura are many including the Areuse (situated close to Fleurier, Switzerland and PHYTO5’s Laboratoire Gibro), Schüss (Suze), and Birs rivers in Switzerland.

Areuse gorges, Switzerland — **Areuse ravine, Switzerland**

Quality In, Quality Out
If you’ve ever had the occasion to drink tea, coffee or beer, for example, that have been made using ultra high integrity pure water (not the kind of water we buy in the U.S. labeled “Purified”), you will be struck by the remarkable quality and taste in the end product. Water is actually the most important ingredient in all three beverages. When it is very very pure, the beverage product is remarkably delicious. And just as it works in these beverages, so, too, does Swiss water elevate the quality and performance of Swiss-made skincare products.

Only water that is free of toxins, pollutants and microbes is allowed to be used in the formulation of skincare products. This water would be distilled or purified by the cosmetic manufacturer. But while other skincare companies say they use purified water in their cosmetics content, almost none overall can say they use Swiss Jura mountain water.

In PHYTO5’s case, the lab in Fleurier, Switzerland additionally passes this already pristine water through high tech filters before adding the water to skincare formulations in order to extra-purify it. This water supports your vitality when consumed by osmosis through the skin.

The pure and balanced Swiss Jura mountain water has a similar mission to the premium grade essential oils, extracts and high tech natural compounds that make up PHYTO5 skincare. Its mineral composition encourages tissue regeneration, revitalizes cellular metabolism, and exhilarates the skin’s natural defense system.

The Vibration of Life and Vitality
So we see how completely the water in PHYTO5 Swiss holistic skincare is ultra-pure, nourishing, and life-supporting. And not only is that water already extremely pure, Swiss Jura mountain water emits a higher vibration than water used in cosmetics manufactured in or near big cities and which has been insulted by being transported through big city piping networks. All things carry a vibratory frequency and this concept is especially evident in water.

**Evidence of high vibration in a water molecule crystallized**

Water is a carrier of vibration—low or high according to its source and its treatment—and that vibratory frequency gets passed on to you when you consume it through drinking or absorbing it through the skin.

Renowned Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto (1943-2014), who proved human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water and who conducted now famous experiments on water purity and vibration said:

“We strenuously observed crystals of tap water, river water, and lake water. From the tap water from rivers and lakes near big cities, we could not get any beautiful crystals [indicating high vibration]… however from the water from rivers and lakes where water is kept pristine from development, we could observe beautiful crystals with each one having its own uniqueness.”

So the added benefit of PHYTO5 skincare is the higher vibratory frequency of the principle ingredient, pristine Swiss mountain water. That higher vibratory frequency adds to the product and then to your skin.

Water is the Principle Ingredient In Almost All Skincare
All skincare contains some degree of ‘aqua,’ the name utilized on official ingredient lists in the European Union. Water is the most precious and most widely utilized ingredient in the cosmetics industry, often appearing first on the product’s list of ingredients. Depending on the product category, beauty products may contain anywhere from 60% to 85% water on average. Rinse-off products, such as haircare, shower gels or cleansers, may contain up to 95% water.

While it is difficult to determine the exact percentage of water content in a skincare product, if “water” or “aqua” are the first words appearing in the list of ingredients, this means that the product contains more water than any other ingredient.

Water is a primary ingredient in most skincare because it is a universal solvent. Combined with emulsifiers, water can be mixed with denser ingredients such as butters and oils to facilitate the formation of emulsions in creams and lotions. Water also plays an essential role in the extraction and manufacture of many natural raw materials such as plant extracts.

Water plays an enormous role in all phases of the production, supply and consumer usage of skincare products. There is currently a budding conservationist trend in the formulation of skincare products—that of creating anhydrous solid skin and haircare formulations without water. Water-free cosmetics support the reduction and elimination of packaging while conserving water, but water must still be used on the backend by the consumer to activate the product. Still other companies are beginning to opt for using recycled water in their skincare formulations in their efforts to conserve.

There may be potential benefits to solid anhydrous skincare especially if the water that would otherwise have been utilized must go through somewhat rigorous purification processes. But the Swiss Jura mountain water which is the kind formulated into PHYTO5 skincare does not fall into that category since it does not need such rigorous purification processes.

Today, there is a definitely a movement of growing environmental consumer consciousness. More and more people are opting for natural and organic products not only for their own well-being support but for the well-being of the planet. At the same time, we should look to products made that honor the Earth and the very wellspring that gives life to all—water. And nowhere is it found in greater reverence and purity than in Switzerland.

“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”

— Jacques Yves Cousteau

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 15, 2022 but has been significantly expanded in this post for freshness and comprehensiveness.

#####

Endnotes:

Wasser für Wasser is the Swiss non-profit organization with a vision to change the way we use water. We are committed to safe access to drinking water and sanitation for all, to raising awareness of the value of clean water and sanitation, and to the eco-friendly consumption of water.
The term ‘Jurassic’ is an adjective of or pertaining to the geological period between the Triassic and Cretaceous periods and comes from the french ‘Jurassique,’ which literally means “of the Jura Mountains” between France and Switzerland whose limestones were laid down during this geological period.

Sources:

Top 10 Healthy Things To Do In Switzerland, March 29, 2016: http://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-healthiest-things-switzerland/

Top 10 Countries With the Best Tap Water by Sammy Said; http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/location/top-10-countries-with-the-best-tap-water/

Wonder Water: The Value of Water, EuroGeo Surveys: The Geological Surveys of Europe http://www.eurogeosurveys.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Water-Book-Layout_full-low-double-no-print.pdf

– Encyclopedia Brittanica

Sobsey, Mark D, and S Bartram. “Water quality and health in the new millennium: the role of the World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality.” Forum of nutrition vol. 56 (2003): 396-405.

Beech Tree Bud Extract of Everlasting Youth: How It Helps Mitigate Signs of Aging in the Ski

May 12, 2023 phyto5.us

The powerful extract of the beech tree bud (Fagus sylvatica) found in Ageless La Cure’s firming Eye Serum is created from naturally fallen buds which occur at a precise point in the more than 200-year-old life of the beech tree. The beech tree, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America, is also known as the 'Tree of Everlasting Youth.’ Understanding the botanical aspects of beech assists us to understand why its extracts promote cell renewal and youth. This article primarily focuses on the extract of the beech bud only.

The beech tree is a member of the Fagaceae family which includes oak and chestnut trees. Embodying strength and elegance, the height of this deciduous tree can exceed 115 feet. It reaches maturity at 60 years and can live up to two and half centuries. The beech tree can continue to grow almost all its long life and is able to prevail very well against all other species.

Beech tree actually shares its longevity genes with you when you use Firming Eye Serum. This is the science of nutrigenomics in action: the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease and degeneration.

Taking this concept one step further, the relatively new understanding of a principle called xenohormesis asserts that certain molecules in plants when shared with the human body can have significant health- and longevity-enhancing effects that could possibly turn out to surpass anything current pharmaceuticals can achieve.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and it absorbs more than 60% of what we put on it. The ingredients of our skincare penetrate the body and join the bloodstream either nourishing or toxifying not just skin but body. It’s common sense that nutrigenomics and xenohormesis also apply to the ‘nutrition’ we topically provide to the skin and that beech tree bud extract has the potential to share its coded energetic, survival and longevity information with your genes. (Read our more exhaustive blog on the topics of nutrigenomics and xenohormesis here.)

The buds of the beech tree are highly energetic. This means they are full of alive vibrational potency. They can produce an abundance of plant material (leaves) as large as a 14-inch stem producing close to a dozen leaves. The buds grow alternately, one at a joint (not in pairs), on the twigs. Each bud is naturally arranged to ensure that every leaf that sprouts from it gets the maximum amount of sunlight.

It is because of this intense energy of growth and strength that its extract increases activity of skin cells.

Beech tree bud extract contains hydroxyproline(1) that helps build collagen and elastin in the skin. In fact, beech tree buds’ hydroxyproline content is the primary reason for harvesting the buds for use in skincare.

The extract is vitamin-rich and contains powerful plant growth hormones. These hormones assist in active cell turnover and help to reduce wrinkles and fine lines which is why beech tree bud extract was chosen to be a unique ingredient in firming Eye Serum. The extract of beech tree buds improves cellular oxygen consumption and the synthesis of keratinocyte protein which strengthens the architecture of the epidermis.

Beech tree bud extract is found to perform equally as well, if not better than, niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 and cell repair antioxidant that has the potential to improve an array of skin concerns including acne and hyperpigmentation. This is not to infer that beech tree bud extract contains vitamin B3. It does not but it provides very similar skin repair actions to those of the vitamin.

Beech tree bud extract:

improves cutaneous moisturization and is especially good for thirsty skin;
helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines;
reduces the depth of fine lines;
revitalizes skin by boosting protein synthesis;
firms and tones the skin by strengthening the epidermal structure;
oxygenates the body and skin and fights free radicals critical for health and the natural slowing of aging;
stimulates cell oxygen consumption increasing oxygen uptake (+71%);(2)
soothes inflamed skin;
inhibits the buildup of dead skin cells.

The famed youth-promoting buds are harvested for their intense concentration of polyphenols,(3) amino acids, and other primary metabolites (substances necessary for metabolism) that will enhance the effects of the extract.

The high energy actives, flavonoids(4) and peptides(5) found in the extract, are the key elements responsible for improving the epidermal structure of the skin that results in firmer, younger skin that presents a more even texture.

Beech tree bud extract also, and just as importantly as all of the above, has a large glutathione content. This antioxidant is a major part of the tree’s own defense mechanism. Glutathione is a master antioxidant and an ancient metabolite able to perform modern tasks in the body. (Antioxidants are responsible for fighting free radicals in the body that cause premature aging.) Glutathione is generally produced by the body, however its production does decrease with age. The beech tree’s gift of glutathione can be an important adjunct to your age-mitigating strategy.

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Endnotes:

(1) A metabolite of proline both of which are unique amino acids and comprise approximately one-third of collagen protein in the body.

(2) One beech tree alone can provide enough oxygen for 10 people for one year.

(3) Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found largely in the fruits, vegetables, cereals and beverages. They are secondary metabolites (substance necessary for metabolism) of plants and are generally involved in defense against ultraviolet radiation or aggression by pathogens

(4) Phytonutrients (plant chemicals) found in all vegetation.

(5) Naturally occurring biological molecules found in all living organisms and playing a key role in all manner of biological activity.

Sources:

Wohlleben, Peter. Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World. Greystone Books, 2018.

Pandey, Kanti Bhooshan, and Syed Ibrahim Rizvi. “Plant Polyphenols as Dietary Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease.” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, Landes Bioscience, 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835915/.

Wu, Guoyao, et al. “Proline and Hydroxyproline Metabolism: Implications for Animal and Human Nutrition.” Amino Acids, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3773366/.

Edelweiss Essential Oil: Signature Properties and Benefits In Anti-Aging Skincar

May 1, 2023 phyto5.us

The extract of the alpine mountain flower Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), which is part of the sunflower family, has been found to have incredible age-mitigating antioxidant power and it has attracted much interest from today's skincare industry. For this reason and many others, edelweiss essential oil is known as an anti-aging and regenerating oil, supporting skin’s elasticity.

Edelweiss essential oil can be found in Ageless La Cure Perfection Cream which works to reduce and eliminate brown spots associated with aging or sun damaged skin as well as inhibit melanin production that causes new spots to form.

PHYTO5 has also formulated Face Gel with edelweiss essential oil as unique ingredient. And edelweiss extract is a unique ingredient in Face Gel Mask.

Edelweiss is known to strengthen skin’s natural barrier against the penetration of pollutants and it also supports epidermal water management protecting skin against trans-epidermal water loss.

Active compounds in Leontopodium not only help prevent or slow the signs of premature aging in the skin, they calm irritation and protect the integrity of blood vessels to impede the appearance of fine thread veins under the skin.

Edelweiss is one of nature’s most potent protectors against the harmful effects of too much sunlight since it has had to protect itself from intense mountaintop sunlight. The carotenoid and vitamin E content of edelweiss is part of what offers this protection, however there is far more to it than these as you will read throughout this article.

The benefits to skin which edelweiss offers are scientifically proven:

“The clinical test in vivo demonstrated that constant application of LACCE [(Leontopodium Alpinum callus culture extract] on the face and skin tissues improved anti-periorbital wrinkles, skin elasticity, dermal density, and skin thickness compared with the placebo.”

— Won Kyong Cho et al in Anti-Aging Effects of Leontopodium alpinum (Edelweiss) Callus Culture Extract through Transcriptome Profiling

The Physical Construct
Edelweiss has woolly white bracts(1) around its small flowers and downy gray-green leaves. The woolly bracteal leaves, acute and arranged in a star formation, serve to attract pollinating insects. The bright white color of the woolly petals is the result of thousands of microscopic air bubbles that reflect the light issuing an invitation for insects to pollinate.

The white fuzziness of the bloom also creates protection against evaporation, ultraviolet radiation and the harsh cold. In addition, the snow itself that falls at such high altitudes in the Alps also serves as a protective coat for the plant.

Edelweiss naturally grows in limey soils in broken and crumbly rock meadows from altitudes of between 3,300 to close to 11,500 feet. Edelweiss is in danger of becoming extinct in Europe's mountain habitats because of excessive collection and is now a protected species whose gathering is controlled but mostly forbidden. For the last twenty years, alpine edelweiss has been carefully and organically cultivated to compensate for this loss. Still cultivated in the Alps away from the busyness of human life, edelweiss plants are allowed to benefit from their unique Alpine environment free of pollution while they enjoy high soil terroir(2) and pure Swiss water irrigation.

The Leontopodium flowers bloom in the Alps between July and September. They are often cultivated and sold in pots for home and garden enjoyment however since they are cultivated differently at low altitudes for this purpose, they are usually taller, have little of their trademark woolliness and are not their natural beautiful white but are instead a greenish color. This is because the plant has no longer had to exert itself to survive in harsh conditions. It has no need to generate woolliness or its bright white color as alpine cultivated Leontopodium does for the myriad of reasons mentioned in this article.

We discuss this concept at length in our blog, Nutrigenomics and Xenohormesis: Two Recently Coined Scientific Terms Whose Understanding Is Vital to Our Quality Longevity. In it we discuss the same concept that applies to the properties that edelweiss essential oil can pass on to you through your skin:

“A biological principle exists that explains how it is that we can derive health benefits from eons of plant stress response evolution: Environmentally stressed plants, through the ages, have produced bioactive compounds that can confer stress resistance and survival benefits to humans and animals that consume them…”

Against all odds, Edelweiss, which grows at great heights on cliffsides and in other dangerous areas, offers the benefits of centuries of stress response, namely, survival and regeneration to the skin in PHYTO5’s Face Gel Mask and Perfection Cream for hyperpigmentation.”

Uniquely, edelweiss produces its own antioxidants called leontopodic acids. In addition to their customary free radical fighting function, these acids exhibit a strong ability to protect collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin. They limit the degradation of vital macromolecules found in skin.

Often called the cloud flower, the name edelweiss is a mid-nineteenth century term from the German edel meaning noble and weiss meaning white.

The botanical name Leontopodium alpinum comes from the Greek leontos, the genitive of leon meaning lion and podion, a diminutive of pous meaning foot. We can translate the botanical name then as small lion’s foot which refers to the shape of the flower which might remind us of a lion’s paw. The specific epithet alpinum derived from latin quite obviously means from the Alps.

As the pictures in the slideshow above demonstrate, edelweiss has silvery white felt-like blossoms shaped like a star. The dense hairy texture of the bloom appears to protect the plant from cold, arid conditions and ultraviolet radiation. In fact, the ability of edelweiss to protect against ultraviolet radiation occurs, in part, by reflecting it. This ability is the plant’s signature.(3)

Its fleece also prevents dehydration and shields the plant against the cold.

Edelweiss is extremely rich in natural antioxidants that protect the skin from damaging age, sickness and disease-causing free radicals:

Chlorogenic acid present in edelweiss cleanses as well as removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents. Chlorogenic acid is a natural compound that works in the body to help reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and it supports the circulatory and nervous systems.
Luteolin, a common flavonoid and antioxidant that exists in many types of plants including fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various diseases such as hypertension, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. Having multiple biological objectives such as helping to reduce inflammation and allergic reactions, luteolin functions biochemically as either an antioxidant or a pro-oxidant as appropriate. It protects the skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Edelweiss contains antioxidant derivatives of the bisabolene (aromatic) sesquiterpene (a natural compound constituent of all essential oils). It offers a calming action to the skin. Sesquiterpene molecules deliver oxygen molecules to cells similar to the way hemoglobin does in the blood. Sesquiterpenes naturally delete bad information in cellular memory.
Beta-sisterol, a plant sterol which appears to offer a number of overall health benefits and calms and soothes the skin, reduces the amount of free oxygen radicals in tissues which drive chronic, excessive inflammation and oxidation known to promote aging.

Evidenced pharmacological activities of edelweiss include:

the capacity of extract of edelweiss to inhibit the migration of the cells responsible for inflammation such as leucocytes(4) and mastocytes(5) thus creating potential anti-inflammatory properties;
antimicrobial properties, which have been proved, at least in laboratory, to combat pathogens such as enterococci, staphylococci and streptococci.

Other studies suggest the presence of substances in Leontopodium that might have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, stimulating synapse activity via one of its amino acids, acetylcholine, which acts as a neurotransmitter. This action could lead to potential memory improvement as well as applications for patients with dementia.

History
Historically, edelweiss extract has been used to treat a number of physical conditions such as abdominal disorders, heart conditions, bronchitis, rheumatism, fever and dysentery. It was cooked with butter and honey and used to treat respiratory ills.

Because of the wide array of active compounds found in the plant, edelweiss was and still is used today in traditional medicine of Alpine countries as an astringent, antitussive, anti-rheumatic, and anti-dysenteric. It is mainly utilized in powder form, as an infusion, as an alcohol-based tincture or simply as a preparation when boiled in milk and honey (or butter and honey).

An infusion of the plant was used during Summer in Eastern Europe to help protect skin from the sun. Many women washed theirs faces with the infusion for a healthy glow since the flower improved microcirculation in skin.

Because of its unique appearance, its typically high mountain habitat and its rarity, edelweiss has become the symbol of alpinism and mountains since around the year 800. It’s a symbol of the development of Alpine tourism and exploration. In two Alpine countries, Switzerland and Austria, edelweiss is practically the national symbol.

Many European clubs, associations and military troops have inserted the flower into their emblems. Its use in coats of arms and armorial bearings signify daring nobility, purity and immortality.

The name Edelweiss has been given to a plethora of restaurants, hotels and other tourist attractions not just in the Alpine region but all over the world.

Edelweiss is considered a symbol of boldness and courage and the conquest of great challenges. Greedy flower collectors have snatched edelweiss for use not just because of its symbolic value but because they have found that Leontopodium conserve their characteristics even if dried.

In Hanokotoba (the Japanese form of the language of flowers or floriography and a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers), the flower symbolizes courage and power.

In folklore, edelweiss is believed to provide powers of invisibility and bullet-proof protection. If you’ve seen the classic movie, The Sound of Music, you’ll remember how the Von Trapp family quietly sang the patriotic song, Edelweiss, during one of the final scenes of the film and were protected from the Nazis as if invisible.

Leontopodium was also used for preparing love potions and was believed to gladden one’s heart and fill it with joy. People felt it had magical powers helping make dreams come true.

Conclusion
True Alpine edelweiss, having survived harsh weather and atmospheric conditions of very high altitudes, is well-equipped to help protect the skin from environmental stressors. It is the constant challenge to survive that lends edelweiss essential oil particularly important in shielding skin from environmental stressors and promoting its anti-aging action when it shares its longevity codes with us through the skin.
#####

Endnotes:

A bract or brachial leaf is a modified leaf or scale, typically small, with a flower or flower cluster in its axil. Bracts are sometimes larger and more brightly colored than the true flower as in poinsettia or edelweiss.
A terroir is the complete natural environment in which a plant is grown, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.
In the plant kingdom, a signature is what deviates or is unique or special about the plant over other plants.
A leucocyte is a colorless cell that circulates in the blood and body fluids and is involved in counteracting foreign substances and disease; a white (blood) cell.
A mastocyte is a mast and resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine (a compound which is released by cells in response to injury and in allergic and inflammatory reactions, causing contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of capillaries) and heparin (a compound occurring in the liver and other tissues which inhibits blood coagulation); it is a part of the immune and neuroimmune systems. A mast cell in connective tissue releases histamine and other substances during inflammatory and allergic reactions.

Sources:

Cho WK, Kim HI, Kim SY, Seo HH, Song J, Kim J, Shin DS, Jo Y, Choi H, Lee JH, Moh SH. Anti-Aging Effects of Leontopodium alpinum (Edelweiss) Callus Culture Extract Through Transcriptome Profiling. Genes (Basel). 2020 Feb 21;11(2):230. doi: 10.3390/genes11020230. PMID: 32098197; PMCID: PMC7074254.

Gabriel, Julie. The Green Beauty Guide. United States, Health Communications, 2008.

Morgan, Ned. In the Mountains: The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Spending Time at Altitude. United Kingdom, Octopus, 2019.

Gregg, Susan. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, Revised: A Practical Guide to Creating Healing, Protection, and Prosperity Using Plants, Herbs, and Flowers. United Kingdom, Fair Winds Press, 2013.

Vadhera, Shalini. Passport to Beauty: Secrets and Tips from Around the World for Becoming a Global Goddess. United States, St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2006.

Graves, Julia. The Language of Plants: A Guide to the Doctrine of Signatures. United States, Lindisfarne Books, 2012.

Handbook of Formulating Dermal Applications: A Definitive Practical Guide. Germany, Wiley, 2016.

Mazza, Giuseppe. “Leontopodium Nivale.” Monaco Nature Encyclopedia, 6 Oct. 2019, https://www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com/leontopodium-nivale/?lang=en.

Barefoot Walking and Grounding Methods: How Earth's Electrons Can Help You Can Slow Aging and Elevate Your Health and Well-Bein

April 16, 2023 phyto5.us

Grounding, also known as earthing, is a freely available and accessible way to tap into the highly effective and natural medicine known as Earth’s restorative and incalculable energy. It can help rebalance your body to restore you to greater levels of health and vitality. The best most direct way to get grounded by the Earth is to go barefoot as often as you can. Going barefoot has been shown by many a devotée of the practice to significantly slow the process of aging. It offers a whole host of other remarkable benefits as we’ll discuss throughout this article.

There’s a reason why most of us kick off our shoes when we get home from work or an outing and it isn’t just to save our carpet: It feels good.

“Research shows that going barefoot strengthens our feet, makes them more flexible and improves body alignment. Why, then, are we buying shoes for infants who can’t yet walk? Wearing high heels that hurt with every step? Spending hundreds of dollars on running and hiking shoes? Some of us are following social conventions or fashion trends. Most of us think we’re protecting our feet and keeping them clean.”

— barefoot walking guru, Dr. L. Daniel Howell in The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes

At the least, wearing most shoes can:

upset natural weight distribution
overload joints
decrease foot flexibility
reduce shock absorbtion of the arch
cause bunions and in-grown toenails

But even more than these, our disconnect with nature along and our innate ability to heal caused by our present day modern lifestyle is proving to be a major contributor to overall physiological dysfunction and lack of wellness. But barefoot walking is a simple practice that can help reverse that disconnect.

By barefoot walking, we literally reestablish our connection to our Earth Mother while our body utilizes Earth’s electrons for healing. It has been said that Earth functions as a “global treatment table” when we connect to Earth in this way.

If you prefer not to go barefoot, there are other ways to ground yourself such as sitting, working, or sleeping indoors while you’re connected to earthing devices. These devices bring the Earth's electrons from the ground outside and transfer them through the device into the body.

But going barefoot does so much more than grounding. It not only takes advantage of Earth’s abundance of electrons, it properly and naturally adjusts the body’s posture and internal organs to say nothing of the greater sense of well-being and self-esteem that is achieved simply by being out in nature.

Two hundred thousand neurotransmitters in the soles of the feet send messages about the terrain you are trampling under your feet via neural pathways to the brain. This information assists both body and Earth to work together to heal, protect, strengthen and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. The brain literally responds to the sensory feedback received by the soles of the feet and direct physical contact with the vast supply of healing electrons on the surface of the Earth help to supply energy to the body.

An example of earthing’s restorative effects on the body is the one of acclaimed author and expert on Colorado flora, Dr. Bill Weber. On his best days he’d have to walk with either a walker or two walking poles, but he began walking barefoot at age 90 and within months ditched both walker and poles for the freedom of walking on his own two legs doing laps barefoot around his neighborhood. He died March 18, 2020 but he’d made it past 100 years of age.

In Sue Regan Kenney’s delightful book, How To Wear Bare Feet, she recounts her personal story of feeling the ravages of degeneration at just age 55.

Says Kenney:

“I began thinking about how our First Nations people had stayed so healthy. They wore moccasins with no support, slept on hides on the ground, used herbs for medicine, did ceremony and ate food foraged from the forest. Was something in the Earth missing in our holistic approach to wellness? From that place I researched barefooting and learned about earthing, human movement, foot function, anti-aging, footwear dangers, and why I was afraid of falling.”

The intimate account Kenney shares in her book along with Dr. Bill Weber’s story above prove that anyone can get started walking barefoot at any age and enjoy a significant range of natural health and vitality benefits.

Scientific studies are finding that the influx of free electrons absorbed into the body through direct contact with the Earth neutralizes free radicals and thereby reduces acute and chronic inflammation and slows aging, in many cases, actually reversing certain symptoms of aging.

“Throughout history, humans mostly walked barefoot or with footwear made of animal skins. They slept on the ground or on skins. Through direct contact or through perspiration-moistened animal skins used as footwear or sleeping mats, the ground’s abundant free electrons were able to enter the body, which is electrically conductive. Through this mechanism, every part of the body could equilibrate with the electrical potential of the Earth, thereby stabilizing the electrical environment of all organs, tissues, and cells.”

— Gaetan Chevalier et al in Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons

Chevalier adds,

“Modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans from the primordial flow of Earth’s electrons.”

We’ve been increasingly wearing insulating rubber or plastic soled shoes since the 60s and during recent decades, chronic illness, immune disorders, and inflammatory diseases have also increased dramatically so much so that some researchers who cite environmental factors as the cause are beginning to also cite a lack of environment as cause.

Major benefits from grounding have been scientifically found to include:

pain reduction
reduction of primary indicators of osteoporosis
improvement of glucose regulation
enhanced immune response
improved heart rate variability (HRV)*
reduction in tension and overall stress levels
improved healthy sleep

Our bodies are being constantly bombarded by electrical fields. Many people report becoming chronically ill from the constant insult of these frequencies. Earthing actually reduces such electric fields imposed on the body.

A 2005 study by electrical engineer R. Applewhite:

“… showed that when the body is grounded, its electrical potential becomes equalized with the Earth’s electrical potential through a transfer of electrons from the Earth to the body. This, in turn, prevents the 60 Hz mode from producing an AC electric potential at the surface of the body and from producing perturbations of the electric charges of the molecules inside the body. The study confirms the ‘umbrella’ effect of earthing the body explained by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman in his lectures on electromagnetism. Feynman said that when the body potential is the same as the Earth’s electric potential (and thus grounded), it becomes an extension of the Earth’s gigantic electric system. The Earth’s potential thus becomes the ‘working agent that cancels, reduces, or pushes away electric fields from the body.”

— Chevalier et al. in Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons

Chevalier’s research finds that going barefoot outdoors or getting connected to grounded conductive systems indoors may be a simple but profoundly effective health strategy for dealing with chronic stress, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV,(1) hyper-coagulable blood, cardiovascular disease and more.

In the journal article, The epidemiological Revolution of the 20th Century, by De Flora et al. we read:

“Since the late 20th century, chronic degenerative diseases have overcome infectious disease as the major causes of death in the 21st century, so an increase in human longevity will depend on finding an intervention that inhibits the development of these diseases and slows their progress.”

Grounding ourselves consistently just may be one of the most effective tools in our arsenal to combat degenerative disease.

Go barefoot outdoors as much as you can especially when weather is most cooperative in Spring, Summer and Fall. Let the sensory receptors in your feet help you to feel your happiness and vitality. Take your shoes and socks off. It’s good natural medicine and it’s free.

The simple act of going barefoot has the potential to provide the following advantages to your quality of life:

more efficient movement of the body
slowed aging process
sharpened brain function
increased physical energy
improved posture

Achilles’ heal can be healed
core muscles strengthen
chin naturally settles into proper position
shoulders relax
better postural alignment can be achieved [both knees should touch each other when you stand up]
the back strengthens
the body becomes better able to focus on important functions other than maintain alignment and posture
reduced inflammation

improved balance
reduced stiffness and increased flexibility
regulated body temperature
arches in the feet returned to a more youthful height and spring
lessened, if not eliminated, bunions and calluses (calluses come from the wearing of shoes)
eliminated athlete’s foot or smelly feet
improved dental bite
reversed vaginal atrophy
decreased allergies
improved digestion
more balanced body weight
increased physical strength and muscle definition
strengthened gait and more even stride (Many people tend to shorten their steps as they grow older for fear of falling or for other reasons.)
improved reaction time (reflexes)
relaxation into a more natural state of being

The skin on the soles of the feet adjusts to the barefoot environment quickly. There are no real side-effects to going barefoot.

In summary, the benefits of barefoot walking come from two primary sources:

the electrons when walking on bare earth and
simply from allowing your feet to walk free wherever you walk (so barefoot walking is good to do even on pavement).

#####

Endnotes:

(1) the physiological phenomenon of variation in the time interval between heartbeats; reduced HRV has been shown to be a predictor of mortality after myocardial infarction, for example; a measurement of the heart's response to autonomic nervous system regulation.

Sources:

Howell, L. Daniel. The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes. Hunter House, 2010.

Sandler, Michael, and Jessica Lee. Barefoot Walking: Free Your Feet to Minimize Impact, Maximize Efficiency, and Discover the Pleasure of Getting in Touch with the Earth. Three Rivers Press, 2013.

Chevalier, Gaétan, et al. “Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons.” Journal of Environmental and Public Health, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/.

de Flora S, Quaglia A, Bennicelli C, Vercelli M. The epidemiological revolution of the 20th century. FASEB Journal. 2005;19(8):892–897.

Applewhite R. The effectiveness of a conductive patch and a conductive bed pad in reducing induced human body voltage via the application of earth ground. European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics. 2005;1:23–40

Feynman R, Leighton R, Sands M. The Feynman Lectures on Physics. II. Boston, Mass, USA: Addison-Wesley; 1963.

Regan Kenney, Sue. How to Wear Bare Feet. CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2017.

Stress and Liver Chi Stagnation: What It Is and How to Bring the Flow of Chi Energy Back Into Balance

April 11, 2023 phyto5.us

Flow of chi energy represented by green undulating waves

Liver chi stagnation is a syndrome(1) of the buildup of emotional pressure. It manifests outwardly not just through emotional expression but via physical symptoms as well. Traditional Chinese medicine understands liver chi stagnation in terms of vital energy.

What is vitally important is that we become aware of stress in our lives and learn ways to manage and prevent it otherwise this syndrome can deteriorate into still other syndromes and finally degenerate into chronic illnesses.

The quantum energetic Wood element line of skincare by PHYTO5 is formulated to support your vital energy flow and the most concentrated effect can be found in Wood Phyt’Ether serum for skin, body, scalp and emotions.

In a previous blog entitled, “How the Liver is Directly Involved in Energy Flow, Emotional Balance and Life Planning According to Traditional Chinese Medicine,” we said:

“In traditional Chinese medicine one of the principal roles of the liver, the organ associated with the Wood element and energetic Spring, is to help chi (vital energy) and emotions flow smoothly throughout body and mind. Its physiological function is to dynamically bring smoothness to the flow of chi. If it doesn’t, liver stagnates causing mental, emotional and physical problems.”

And we further explained:

“Liver chi stagnation may also lead to overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, elevated cortisol levels and higher stress levels, and these, in turn, compromise the immune system.”

There are many types of stress. In addition to heart pounding, shallow breathing, forehead sweating stress, sinking into more volatile emotional and darkly depressive states are also forms of stress equated with liver chi stagnation.

“To Chinese medicine, these states into which people get themselves were described over 3,000 years ago. We have just invented new ways to reach them.”

— Jonathan Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott in Qi Stagnation Signs of Stress: Ancient Chinese Secrets–The Way to Master Stress

In the body, stagnant chi energy for many people though not all, causes a sensation of fullness—a feeling of swelling, distention, stuffiness and being blocked up.

As the pressure of stress builds up, the signs of liver chi stagnation may include a number of the following physical and corresponding emotional symptoms:

The Adam’s apple seems to want to push up into the mouth. You have the urge to swallow. The throat tightens and your voice feels strangled. Emotionally speaking this means you feel stuck, challenged to express yourself both generally and creatively. You feel challenged to handle conflicts in a positive way.
Your bladder feels full accompanied by a sudden urge to urinate. The emotion is that of feeling ‘pissed off.’ The rectum tightens creating the urge to pass a stool. You feel damn angry. You lash out.
For women, the breasts feel swollen similar to how they feel pre-menses. The woman cannot offer her innate nurturing compassion to others.
Breathing feels tight and more labored. Your nose may feel narrower on one or both sides. Emotionally, you feel claustrophobic. You want to get away, run away. You’ve lost your confidence.
The ears feel blocked as if you are in a fast ascending elevator. The pressure of stress is so severe you will not or cannot hear truth. In denial, you refuse to hear what you need to hear.
Your eyes feel larger and you need to blink more. This also translates into a lack of clear vision or purpose in life. You “cannot see the forest for the trees.”
The forehead feels pressured and squeezed as if you’re trying to force something from it. Your third eye chakra is blocked. You’re stuck in your head and your calculating, rationalizing ego mind.
Your intestines feel tight and you get cramping. And as the intestines are located in both the sacral and solar plexus emotional regions of the body, you feel angry, frustrated, irritable. You may even experience mood swings and feel depressed and negative. Your creativity is blocked.
The heart pounds as if it’s too large. You feel constricted, unable to make decisions. You can’t give love or receive it. The emotion of gripping fear or panic ensues. You feel stuck. You want to flee, to get away.
Your jaws stiffen, your shoulders tighten and your limbs feel rigid. Your hands are either too hot or too cold. This also translates into an attitude of inflexibility. It’s “your way or the highway” and you leave no room to learn something new.

One way to begin to resolve these stresses before they evolve into something bigger is to tackle what is obvious and more tangible through the simple vehicles like 1) breathing, 2) eating, 3) drinking, 4) exercising, and 5) slowing down. Take care of yourself on this base level and the benefits you derive will tend to cascade into the less visible emotional and energetic levels.

Breathing

In our previous blog entitled, “Six Breaths a Minute to Slow Aging and Its Causes,” we discuss a very simple breathing technique anyone can do to live better and in greater health and ultimately reduce the body’s negative response to stress. (Premature aging is often caused by the ill effects of stress when we are unprepared to respond resiliently to it.) Right breathing, in particular, delivers much required nourishing oxygen to all parts of the body including the Wood element’s organ, the liver.

If you’re really intrigued with learning different breathing techniques, look into the pranayama techniques of yoga.

Eating and Drinking

Green is the 5-element color for the Spring energetic season, the Wood element and the color of plants that begin to sprout in Spring. It's also the color of the food we should consume during the season.

Consuming green foods, especially during energetic Spring, will support your vital energy flow and not just liver but also gall bladder balance.

Green produce, especially when fresh, is imbued with solar energy and light. When you eat green whether it’s spinach, broccoli, green apples, or kiwi, you’re actually also consuming the light they absorbed while growing to energize the body and stimulate your vital energy flow.

Drink green juices made of leafy greens, cucumber and a bit of green apple. Simply by drinking no more than one ounce of wheatgrass juice, you’ll derive enormous cleansing and balancing health benefits.

Many believe that one green smoothie a day will significantly improve your health. The entire smoothie doesn’t have to be made from green ingredients to be a green smoothie. Just add chlorophyll-rich foods to your smoothies like barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, blue green algae, ceremonial grade matcha green tea, parsley, kale or spinach.

Eat green bitters like rye, romaine, asparagus, endive and dandelion greens. They improve digestion, help to alleviate springtime allergies and balance the liver.

Drink dandelion tea. It’s the celebrated liver cleanse tea. Wash the dandelions, snip off the flowers, immerse in hot water and steep for 15 minutes. Or drink hot mint tea to soothe the liver's chi energy.

Slow down with conscious breathing such as the “six breaths a minute” technique mentioned above immediately helps us to slow down and relax the body so that vital energy may flow more freely.

Slowing down doesn’t mean kicking back on the couch and watching television as your only means of relaxation. The Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku or forest bathing can be an exceptionally beneficial practice for melting the effects of stress away, almost immediately.

Surrounding yourself with negative ions which naturally occur in nature will also uplift mind, emotions, body and spirit. For negative ion sources and how to enjoy them, read our viral blog entitled, “8 Ways to Expose Yourself to Negative Ions,” here.(2)

Essentially, participating in the more yin energy oriented activities in nature such as walking meditation, sitting on a park bench and taking in the sights around you, sunbathing or enjoying the feeling of a breeze as it blows across your skin and body are simple exercises you can take pleasure in to reduce an adverse response to stress and support your liver chi.

Finally, by ensuring the routine of your Circadian Rhythm or Cycle—the natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours—you will support the systems, fluids and organs of your body, including the liver and vital energy, to function at their best.

Shut down your computer and stop consulting your smartphone at least three hours before you go to sleep. Establish a routine of going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times every day. If you have trouble getting to sleep or sleeping through the night, it is possible your body is deficient in melatonin and you need to reestablish a healthy Circadian Rhythm.

…

Endnotes:

A syndrome is defined as a group of symptoms which consistently occur together.

…

Sources:

Clogstoun-Willmott, Jonathan Nigel. Qi Stagnation - Signs of Stress: Putting Chinese Medicine Into English this Book Explains Stress from Its Earliest Appearance Right Through to Severe. United Kingdom, Frame of Mind Publishing, 2013.

Six Breaths a Minute to Slow Aging and Its Cause

April 7, 2023 phyto5.us

In the progression of aging, many of our bodies’ systems become starved of nutrients and oxygen. As a result, blockages occur in blood vessels and nerve fibers in the form of plaque, inflammation and compression that frequently tend to lead to slowly failing tissues and organs. One ultra simple technique to deliver much required oxygen to all parts of the body is through our manner of breathing.

Most of us tend to breathe shallowly and quickly. This is a learned or conditioned behavior arising from repeated situations that present stress in our lives. This is very understandable. It has happened to almost all of us.

Many of us may be well acquainted with pranayama, the form of yoga devoted to the manner and practice of breath. Pranayama asanas (techniques) involve many forms of breathing configurations and methods and can be extremely valuable as a practice in contributing to our levels of youth, vitality and well-being.

At the same time, we can pare down to the very core essence of the breath. After all, there is great truth in simplicity!

Just the mere act of self-regulating by slowing our number of breaths per minute can create what Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School has coined as the relaxation response.

“The Relaxation Response is a helpful way to turn off fight or flight response and bring the body back to pre-stress levels. Dr. Benson describes the Relaxation Response as a physical state of deep relaxation which engages the other part of our nervous system—the parasympathetic nervous system. ”

— Marilyn Mitchell, MD, Psychology Today

In this vein, authors Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg call this form of breathing “coherent breathing.” They say:

“‘Coherent breathing’ is a simple way to increase heart-rate variability [HRV] and balance the stress-response systems.”

Twelve to eighteen breaths per minute seems to be the average unregulated rate of breathing for most adults. Scientists have tested people at a whole range of possible breathing rates and concluded that the ideal breath rate is somewhere between three and a half and six breaths per minute. At this rate, the electrical rhythms of the heart, lungs and brain synchronize with each other coalescing in a kind of synergy that delivers expanded levels of vitality.

This self-regulated, slowed, deliberate manner of breathing is actually a concept known for many centuries by spiritual adepts. When Zen Buddhist monks, for example, enter into zazen (deep meditation), they breathe at six breaths per minute.

Very tall people will want to breathe on the low end of the scale–close to three and a half breaths per minute while children under ten years of age will optimally breathe at the rate of six to ten breaths per minute. An easy rule of thumb to accomplish six breaths a minute is to do five-second inhales and five-second exhales. Each five-second increment multiplied times six equals 60 seconds.

Dan Brulé, author of Just Breathe: Mastering Breathwork for Success in Life, Love, Business, and Beyond says,

“Studies show measurable benefits with just five minutes of paced breathing at a rate of six breaths per minute, three times per day. You can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels (that’s the stress hormone!) by up to 20%.”

HeartMath Institute shares valuable information about a whole variety of self-regulating techniques for physical, mental and spiritual vitality including the “six breaths a minute” technique sharing that,

“… studies have shown increases in parasympathetic activity (vagal tone),(1) reductions in cortisol and increases in DHEA,(2) decreases in blood pressure and stress measures in hypertensive populations, reduced health-care costs and significant improvements in the functional capacity of patients with congestive heart failure.”

It is important to note that the DHEA increase mentioned in the previous paragraph is known to be responsible for the prevention of aging, improvement of sexual function, enhancement of athletic performance, and the treatment of osteoporosis.

HearthMath Institute counsels us to look at this kind of breathing as heart-focused even though we breath with our lungs and diaphragm. They say,

“Heart-focused breathing is about directing your attention to the heart area and breathing a little more deeply than normal. As you breathe in, imagine you are doing so through your heart, and, as you breathe out, imagine it is through your heart. (In the beginning, placing your hand over your heart as you breathe can help you in directing your focus to your heart.)”

“That breathing is essential for survival is common knowledge but proper breathing is a highly important key to mental and physical health. ”

— Vijai P. Sharma, Ph. D., Mind Publications

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(1) Vagal tone is an internal biological process referring to the activity of the vagus nerve (the tenth cranial nerve), which originates in the medulla oblongata of the brainstem. The vagus nerve serves as the key component of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, which homeostatically regulates the resting state of the majority of the body's internal organ systems that operate on a largely subconscious level, such as the heart, lungs, eyes, glands and digestive tract.

(2) DHEA (dihydroepiandrosterone) is a naturally occurring weak androgenic steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands with benefits such as the prevention of aging, the improvement of sexual function, the enhancement of athletic performance, and the treatment of osteoporosis.

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Sources:

http://naturalsociety.com/breathing-better-for-anti-aging-disease-fighting-happiness/#ixzz4na4qj9pJ

Mitchell, Marilyn, MD. "Dr. Herbert Benson's Relaxation Response: Learn to Counteract the Physiological Effects of Stress." Psychology Today 29 Mar. 2013: Web. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201303/dr-herbert-benson-s-relaxation-response>.

Brown, Richard P., and Patricia L. Gerbarg. The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions. Boston, MA: Shambhala, 2012. Print.

McCraty, Rollin. Science of the Heart: Exploring the Role of the Heart in Human Performance. Boulder Creek (CA): HeartMath, 2001. Print.

The Reparative and Age-Mitigating Benefits of Marine Algae Skin Care Products

April 1, 2023 phyto5.us

Marine algae skin care products can be high value anti-age skincare solutions. This is because marine algae nourishes, detoxifies, protects and lends its life-extension properties to skin. It’s why PHYTO5 formulates various types of algae into a number of our natural skincare products.

PHYTO5’s Wood element Skin Toner is a good example of a high value marine algae skin care product. (Wood element skin Toner helps lighten age spots while energizing skin.)

The brown algae in Wood Skin Toner is Laminaria digitata extract. Brown algae are most often used for masks, creams, shampoos, lotions or toners. It’s an extract rich in trace minerals, proteins, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. This seaweed mineralizes, revitalizes and moisturizes skin. It also firms and tones skin working to prevent wrinkles and fine lines.

Another type of brown algae is Fucus vesiculosus, commonly known as bladderwrack, is formulated in Algoderm base Mask. The brown algae powder reduces wrinkle depth, corrects small skin imperfections, and improves skin’s texture. Fucus vesiculosus helps stabilize moisture in skin drawing it to the surface from deep within the skin's layers.

Fucus vesiculous is anti-age antioxidant rich and works to defend skin’s surface from harmful effects of airborne pollutants. The algae is mineral rich and composed of a full array of essential amino acids. This helps facilitate the movement of water through skin’s uppermost layers.

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.

Marine algae skin care products combat radiation and its damaging effects.

Skin is constantly exposed to ultraviolet radiation and other environmental aggressors and toxins. These stressors often lead to cell membrane and DNA damage. They deactivate enzymatic action while they encourage a host of acute and chronic disorders.

Bioactive compounds in marine algae protect skin from ultraviolet radiation.

“Microalgae are useful to protect the population from the damage caused by UVA, UVB, UVC, and UV-vis radiation with high risks such as outdoor works, high-grade burns, skin cancer, etc.”

— Rafael G. Araújo et al in Effects of UV and UV-vis Irradiation on the Production of Microalgae and Macroalgae

Marine algae offers properties for skin you might not get from your diet.

It’s challenging to consume a perfect diet replete with every nutrient the body needs. And so skin often suffers because it doesn’t have the raw materials it needs to remain beautiful, radiant and youthful.

“The information available on the protective effects of microalgae on human skin suggests that they can be implemented in the dermatological field as cosmetics and sunscreens since some of the main advantages are that they stimulate and improve blood circulation, revitalize and firm the skin, they are toning, they are rebalancing, detoxifying, and naturally moisturizing.”

— Rafael G. Araújo et al in Effects of UV and UV-vis Irradiation on the Production of Microalgae and Macroalgae

Marine algae skin care products at their core benefit from the amazing action of the single-celled bioforms of algae.

Algae and micro-algae are simple, nonflowering aquatic plants including seaweeds and many single-celled bioforms.

These organisms have had to develop strategies and mechanisms to defend themselves against the challenges of their environment. This natural and never-ending quest for survival has forced them to produce beneficial secondary metabolites.

Secondary metabolites in marine algae zero in on defeating a number of challenges including:

solar radiation
predators
having to compete with other plants for resources
the innate urge to establish themselves as well rooted non-displaceable residents of their environment.

In our blog on nutrigenomics, xenohormesis and longevity codes we get from plants, we discussed exactly these concepts. Plants like algae found in marine algae skin care products work to pass their survival and longevity codes on to you. You can consume them through the mouth or through the skin. This is the primary unhailed benefit of consuming algae and using it in marine algae skin care products.

Marine algae skin care products benefit from the algae’s very diverse composition and functions.

Algae brims with vitamins and minerals like magnesium and zinc. But highly potent antioxidative enzymes like beta-carotene(1) and lutein(2) give marine algae its power.

Though both are known for protecting eyesight, they boost algae’s ability to improve skin’s hydration and elasticity.

Marine algae offers many distinct phenolic antioxidative substances all possessing a wide scope of important physiological properties.

And because algae have been naturally exposed to oxidative stresses as mentioned above, they’ve adapted by developing several bioactive compounds extremely useful in marine algae skin care products.

Seaweeds contain many bioactives as recent scientific studies have proven. These biologically active compounds include:

polysaccharides(3)
proteins and peptides(4)
phenolic compounds and polyphenols(5) and
phlorotannins (6), pigments and amino acids.

Without adequate proteins, for example, aging is accelerated. It shows up in the face more quickly than anywhere else in the body.

But the amino acids in marine algae fill and maintain skin cell membranes helping achieve a more youthful appearance through these actions:

helping prevent rough skin texture
lessening wrinkles
toning up flaccidity of skin.

While algae offer calming properties to human health, they are hostile to:

substances that are allergenic
fatty plaque in arteries
microbes
blood clotting and
carcinogens.

Marine algae skin care products are composed of algae of several colors.

Not all marine algae are green.

Brown and a number of red algae, along with green and blue green algae, are all rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, sugars, lipids and other bioactive compounds. Brown algae demonstrate eight interconnected phenol rings (phlorotannins[6]) that trap electrons to search for and neutralize age-causing free radicals.

Japanese brown algae, Undaria pinnatifida, or wakame, is a principle ingredient in PHYTO5’s Face Exfoliation product.

This Japanese brown algae is rich in fiber, nutrients, minerals and vitamins. It boasts a calcium content ten times that of milk. It intensely nourishes, revitalizes and restores radiance to skin.

We formulate wakame algae in Ageless Perfection Cream. This Japanese brown algae and other ingredients work to reduce and eliminate brown spots associated with aging or sun damaged skin. Perfection Cream works to inhibit melanin production that causes new spots to form.

An active ingredient in wakame called coben decreases and regulates the production of melanin in skin leading to hyperpigmentation (dark spots).

The high mineral content of marine algae is incredibly important for skin.

Marina algae minerals help create an epidermal barrier that protects skin from environmental aggressions.

They’re also instrumental in preventing and soothing inflammation of the skin. This is important for people who suffer from psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, acne, wrinkles and even hair loss.

Marine algae also contain starch, vitamin B, iron, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and calcium. All provides important skin firming and moisturizing benefits.

Marine algae skin care products are all around skin protective and restorative.

Marine algae skin care products provide a strengthening effect for skin making it more resistant to abrasions.

Some algae like aphanizomenon flos aquae or spirulina, when applied directly to skin as a paste constituted with a bit of water, hasten skin healing. Use it for rashes and bug bite reactions.

Marine algae skin care products provide a myriad of skin benefits:

anti-age
skin texture conditioning
hydration

nourishment
detoxification
mineral replenishment(7)
reduction of puffiness
protection against solar radiation
pore refining
lessening of fine lines
blemish prevention
skin damage repair
collagen repair
treatment of seborrhea
anti-inflammatory action
hair conditioning.

Marine algae skin care products generously share the benefits of algae without discrimination to any skin type. This makes marine algae skin care products perfect for natural and sustainable skin treatment aiming to truly nourish skin and mitigate the effects of aging.

…

Endnotes:

(1) Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that is an isomer of carotene, important in the diet as a precursor of vitamin A. (An isomer is each of two or more compounds with the same formula but a different arrangement of atoms in the molecule and different properties.)

(2) Known as the “eye vitamin,” the term lutein comes from the Latin luteus meaning yellow, lutein is a xanthophyll (an oxygen containing yellow carotenoid plant) and one of 600 known naturally occurring carotenoids (any of a class of mainly yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigments, including carotene, which give color to plant parts such as ripe tomatoes and autumn leaves). Lutein is synthesized only by plants, and like other xanthophylls is found in high quantities in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and yellow carrots.

(3) Polysaccharides are carbohydrate molecules with the ability to mimic the natural carbohydrate fraction found in the top layer of skin. They replenish skin and help skin to naturally hydrate and retain water. They are also vital for skin repair and skin renewal.

(4) Peptides work to rebuild and repair damaged cells and signal skin to produce collagen thereby slowing the aging process.

(5) “Phenolic compounds constitute a group of secondary metabolites which have important functions in plants. Besides the beneficial effects on the plant host, phenolic metabolites (polyphenols) exhibit a series of biological properties that influence the human in a health-promoting manner. Evidence suggests that people can benefit from plant phenolics obtained either by the diet or through skin application, because they can alleviate symptoms and inhibit the development of various skin disorders. Due to their natural origin and low toxicity, phenolic compounds are a promising tool in eliminating the causes and effects of skin aging, skin diseases, and skin damage, including wounds and burns.” —Magdalena Działo et al in The Potential of Plant Phenolics in Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disorders
(6) “Research on seaweeds provides a continual discovery of natural bioactive compounds. The review presents new information on studies of the potential and specific antiviral action of phlorotannin and their derivatives from marine brown algae. Phlorotannin is a polyphenolic derivative and a secondary metabolite from marine brown algae which exhibits a high quality of biological properties. Phlorotannin has a variety of biological activities that include antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, anti-diabetic, anti-allergic, antibacterial, antihypertensive and immune modulating activities. These phlorotannin properties were revealed by various biochemical and cell-based assays in vitro. This distinctive polyphenol from the marine brown algae may be a potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compound.” —V. Maheswari et al in Phlorotannin and its Derivatives, a Potential Antiviral Molecule from Brown Seaweeds, an Overview

(7) Though all algae are mineral rich, the composition of minerals depends upon the mineral composition of the seabed source from which the algae is harvested.

#####

Sources:

Araújo, Rafael G et al. “Effects of UV and UV-vis Irradiation on the Production of Microalgae and Macroalgae: New Alternatives to Produce Photobioprotectors and Biomedical Compounds.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 27,16 5334. 22 Aug. 2022, doi:10.3390/molecules27165334

Jorge Miguel, Goncalo Paxe. Natural Skin Care Tips. Germany, epubli, 2020.

Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology. United Kingdom, CRC Press, 2014.

Balasundram, N., Sundry, K., and Samman, S. (2006) Phenolic compounds in plants and agroindustrial by-products: Antioxidant activity, occurrence, and potential uses. Food Chemistry, 99, 191-203. Beauchamp, C., and Fridovich, I. (1971).

Microalgae Biotechnology for Food, Health and High Value Products. Germany, Springer Nature Singapore, 2020.

Działo M, Mierziak J, Korzun U, Preisner M, Szopa J, Kulma A. The Potential of Plant Phenolics in Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disorders. Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Feb 18;17(2):160. doi: 10.3390/ijms17020160. PMID: 26901191; PMCID: PMC4783894.

Algae Materials: Applications Benefitting Health. United States, Elsevier Science, 2023.

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Fall Equinox 2024 is September 22.

Fall Equinox 2024 will completely oppose the Spring Equinox of 2024.

The energy of Fall Equinox 2024 you can conveniently tap into to shift your lifestyle.

Notice the changes in light and movement in the heavens on the Fall Equinox 2024.

Learn from the balance of light and dark this Fall Equinox 2024.

These spiritual practices will make your Fall Equinox 2024 meaningful.

The P’o Spirit of Lung Is Closely Linked to the Breath.

The P’o Spirit of Lung Helps Us with Spiritual Balance.

We Can Support P’o Spirit of Lung with Physical and Mental Exercise.

**Understand the mechanics of P’o so when you ask, How can I let go of the past? you have your immediate answer.**

How can I let go of the past, you ask? Start with the breath.

**The constant question, How can I let go of the past? means you may not be allowing your P’o Spirit of Lung to bring you to spiritual balance.**

Support P’o spirit of Lung with physical and mental exercise. These will also help you let go of the past.

The Metal Element Encourages Us to Create Structure In Our Lives.

We Should Find Balance Between Activity and Rest.

Take Important Cues from Nature.

These Exercises Help Strike a Balance Between Activity and Rest.

There’s No Better Time than Fall to Breathe Deeply and Properly.

Give the Body All It Needs to Create Balance Between Activity and Rest.

Breathing

Eating and Drinking

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.

Marine algae skin care products combat radiation and its damaging effects.

Marine algae offers properties for skin you might not get from your diet.

Marine algae skin care products benefit from the algae’s very diverse composition and functions.

Marine algae skin care products are composed of algae of several colors.

The high mineral content of marine algae is incredibly important for skin.

Marine algae skin care products are all around skin protective and restorative.

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Fall Equinox 2024 is September 22.

Fall Equinox 2024 will completely oppose the Spring Equinox of 2024.

The energy of Fall Equinox 2024 you can conveniently tap into to shift your lifestyle.

Notice the changes in light and movement in the heavens on the Fall Equinox 2024.

Learn from the balance of light and dark this Fall Equinox 2024.

These spiritual practices will make your Fall Equinox 2024 meaningful.

The P’o Spirit of Lung Is Closely Linked to the Breath.

The P’o Spirit of Lung Helps Us with Spiritual Balance.

We Can Support P’o Spirit of Lung with Physical and Mental Exercise.

Understand the mechanics of P’o so when you ask, How can I let go of the past? you have your immediate answer.

How can I let go of the past, you ask? Start with the breath.

The constant question, How can I let go of the past? means you may not be allowing your P’o Spirit of Lung to bring you to spiritual balance.

Support P’o spirit of Lung with physical and mental exercise. These will also help you let go of the past.

The Metal Element Encourages Us to Create Structure In Our Lives.

We Should Find Balance Between Activity and Rest.

Take Important Cues from Nature.

These Exercises Help Strike a Balance Between Activity and Rest.

There’s No Better Time than Fall to Breathe Deeply and Properly.

Give the Body All It Needs to Create Balance Between Activity and Rest.

Breathing

Eating and Drinking

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.

Marine algae skin care products combat radiation and its damaging effects.

Marine algae offers properties for skin you might not get from your diet.

Marine algae skin care products benefit from the algae’s very diverse composition and functions.

Marine algae skin care products are composed of algae of several colors.

The high mineral content of marine algae is incredibly important for skin.

Marine algae skin care products are all around skin protective and restorative.

Skincare Professionals, click below to opt-in.

May We Help You?FAQsShipping PolicyReturns, Terms, ConditionsPrivacy

**Understand the mechanics of P’o so when you ask, How can I let go of the past? you have your immediate answer.**

**The constant question, How can I let go of the past? means you may not be allowing your P’o Spirit of Lung to bring you to spiritual balance.**

May We Help You?
FAQs
Shipping Policy
Returns, Terms, Conditions
Privacy