HEALTHY

A Color Journey For Your Body

2012-02-05T03:26:00.000-05:00

Take a few slow, deep breaths. Close your eyes for a moment, and as you do, feel your body -- every cell and particle of energy that makes you who you are. Breathe with those cells and particles and invite them to share with you now how color may help you heal. Then open your eyes and enjoy an exploratory color journey.

The earth provides a gorgeous color spectrum. Feel yourself being washed with loving colors from this rainbow. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up the complete rainbow prism because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides vibrant, empowering Red; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Red, like a flower reaching towards the sun yet rooted in the earth, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides creative, energizing Orange; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Orange, like a flower vibrating its essence in a tropical tree, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides happy, giving Yellow; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Yellow, like rays of the sun pouring down at sunset, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides vivid, feeling Green; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Green, like vitalized leaves after a gentle rainfall, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides full, expressive Blue; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Blue, like the moving depths of the ocean waters, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides mysterious, revealing Indigo; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Indigo, like the emergence of brilliant-hued clay amidst a land that seemed only brown, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

The earth provides mystical, pure Violet; feel yourself being washed with this color. Feel which parts of your body and being drink up Violet, like an unexpected tree of flowers that blossom in every direction, because they need to receive this for healing and re-balancing ~

Breathe... What did your body say?

***

May the colors of this marvelous Earth move you, help you feel, and help you heal.

(all photos by Marnie Burkman)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

What Winter Brings

2012-01-29T20:27:00.001-05:00

Winter brings myriad shades of subtle colors that slowly ebb and flow through the sky. Whites and grays rest against pale blues and pinks in passing clouds ~

Deep-brown tree limbs stretch to tickle the atmosphere and reveal their intricate weave of wooden arms and fingers ~

A walk down a snowy lane at first seems quiet and muted, until the wind travels through the trees. A roaring deep howl reverberates in every direction, so mysteriously ~

Snow creates a delicate pattern up a tree trunk ~

Suddenly the sun peeks through the dense cloud-cover. I can't help but turn to look and smile. To say, yes! ~

What does winter bring to you?

(all photos by Marnie Burkman)

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Winter Dry Skin Support

2012-01-28T15:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took a walk along the Huron River and enjoyed an area of gentle rapids tumbling over rocks. This is a photo from my walk ~

In contrast to this flowing water, the month of January for me has been marked by dry air and dry skin leading to a flare-up of eczema, a skin condition that I have experienced occasionally over the years. Inspired by my body's messages via the eczema, I have refreshed my study of remedies to help soothe and heal dry skin and wish to share some of them with you here! One caveat to this: I know from my and others' skin experience that what helps one person, may not help another, so trial and error (and eventual success!) may be needed with various remedies to see what works for you.

Tools To Try:

Increase internal hydration, i.e., drink more filtered water. Achieve more warmth and detoxification on a cold day by sipping hot water with fresh lemon juice squeezed in it when you first awaken, and throughout the day. Read my previous blog article here to learn how increasing water intake alone helped my skin recover from acne when I was in my 20's.
Increase external hydration. After you bathe or shower, drip dry to keep the moisture from the water on your skin, then use a chemical-free lotion or body oil to encourage absorption of soothing elements into your skin. This company and this one make nice-smelling lotions with safe ingredients, and this company makes a wonderful natural body oil. You can also use aloe vera gel or unprocessed coconut oil as regular moisturizers. Caveat: if your dry skin is more dry, or more itchy, after you use a moisturizer, you may have to skip it. My eczema worsened with anything I put on my skin, even topical treatments that were supposedly made for treating eczema.
Avoid chemical-laden skincare products. Read the ingredients of anything you put on your skin -- if you would not want to eat the product and/or do not understand what the ingredient is, then be cautious putting it on your skin as your skin absorbs everything into your body and this definitely impacts health. The chemicals are also irritants to the skin and can exacerbate any skin condition. For more information about product ingredients and to find which brands may be safer, visit www.safecosmetics.org, and read the book Not Just A Pretty Face by Stacy Malkan.
Use a humidifier when you sleep at night. My skin and mucous membranes definitely feel more hydrated during dry winter months when I use one.
If you have eczema or more severe dry skin, cover that part of your skin (if you can) with a soft cotton fabric that will not irritate the skin and will protect it from exposure to harsh cold windy weather or layers of clothing that may rub against it.
Try homeopathy. At times this has been the only remedy that seems to soothe the itching of dry skin I have experienced via use of either a homeopathic cream made for eczema or an oral remedy such as this blend which is actually for poison ivy rashes but seemed to work for the eczema I had too.
Purify your nutrition. Minimize/avoid intake of white flour and gluten products (such as wheat-based breads and pastas), white sugar, pasteurized dairy, and processed foods. Many people have food sensitivities to these types of foods and the health of the skin can definitely reflect this. Increase intake of vegetables and fruits of all colors of the rainbow (read my blog entry about this here), probiotic foods and supplements, and maximize in your diet foods that are anti-inflammatory.
Relieve excess stress. Intensified skin reactions often reflect internal stress, so let any skin condition be a goad to incorporate more relaxing and playful activities into your everyday. Find out what makes you laugh and feel lighter, and let yourself enjoy those activities!
Try taking a supplement of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose oil, borage oil, and black currant oil, at a dose of 500mg twice-a-day. It may take 6-8 weeks to notice an effect. GLA has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and improves the health of the skin (see this study for example).
Reflect on what the dry skin condition may symbolize. Does the tightness reflect tension you are feeling about some issue in your life? Are you "itching" to change something in your life? Is the roughness of your skin a signal that you need more self-nurturing or tenderness from loved ones? The skin is a wonderful communicator of underlying emotional issues that need to be brought to one's conscious awareness. Often, just working through the emotional issue leads to the healing of the skin (and other organs too!).

What skin remedies have been most supportive for you? Please share in the comments if you are moved to do so...I love to learn from others what has helped you!

(photo by Marnie Burkman)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Trying New Things - Solomon's Seal Tea

2012-01-22T13:57:00.001-05:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of dining at Arirang, a Korean restaurant in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition to my tasty meal and the receipt of attentive friendly service from the staff, they served a house tea that had a gentle roasted green tea flavor and was very soothing to drink. In fact, I loved this tea and could not get enough of it. Our waiter shared that the tea is called "Solomon's Seal" tea, contains no caffeine (despite its roasted green-tea-like flavor) and is made from the root of a plant. Happily, they sell little containers of the bulk root at the restaurant, so I bought some to try at home.

Solomon's Seal root

There happens to be a tremendous amount of information on the internet about this plant. It is purported to have dozens of medicinal properties. I like this simple summary of it, written by acupuncturist and herbalist Letha Hadady: "Solomon's seal is a blood-building and moistening herb described as being capable of enriching nutrition, enforcing the spirit, generating bodily power, and preventing illness and aging. It reverses the damage that accumulates over time from stress and modern life."

The genus name for the plant is "Polygonatum", and there are many different species that each carry the common name of "Solomon's Seal". The various species are native to North America, Asia, and Europe. I don't know which species I have from the restaurant, but several species have been studied for their healing properties. It is being researched as an anti-tumor agent, as a support to reverse bone loss, as an aide to prevent and treat diabetes, and as an analgesic. Other traditional uses for this remarkable plant are for anti-inflammation; to soothe digestion; to reduce nervousness; to treat menstrual cramps; to relieve coughs; and it is used topically for acne, cuts, and bruises. A real plant all-star! It is important to gain knowledge of safe use of this plant if you wish to harvest it yourself, as the berries, leaves and stems are poisonous; only the young shoots and roots are edible.

This morning, I brewed a steaming mug of the tea from the roots. I followed the instructions of my waiter from Arirang, as follows:

Take 6 or 7 pieces of the root...

And add to 1 liter (4 cups) of water...

Boil for at least 10 minutes...

Then strain and enjoy your tea!

This tea has a nutty, earthy, satisfying aroma, and feels very soothing to drink. Another lovely gem that the earth has provided that may support health. Thank you Earth!

(all photos by Marnie Burkman)

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Enjoying 10-Minute Walks

2012-01-15T14:46:00.001-05:00

For the past two weeks, I have been craving short walks outdoors. When I walk and feel the brisk air on my face, hear the crunch of my feet on the ground and observe the trees quietly but powerfully emanating their lovely presence, I feel happy and refreshed. Cleansed, relieved of stress and invigorated by the time I return to my home. It feels good to move. It feels good to be present with nature in the elements this winter season brings. It feels good to pause from technology, or sitting in a chair, or being indoors. Being outside, moving, breathing more deeply, witnessing the beauty of nature, simply feels good.

Here are some pictures of the sky from recent walks I have taken.

Beautiful blue sky afternoon ~

Picture of the sun. It reminds me of the iris of an eye! I learned that "iris" in classical mythology is the goddess of the rainbow ~

Gorgeous sunset at dusk ~

Lavender paints the sky as nighttime emerges ~

What activities have you been enjoying lately that simply feel good to you?

(all photos by Marnie Burkman)

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Simple Happy Moments

2011-12-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

Hello! Happy Holidays! It's been about 6 months since I last wrote, but I have thought about this blog often. As we are about to shift into 2012, momentum to share again has been stirred.

Something that characterized the fall season for me was finding (and sometimes stumbling upon) moments of simplicity that brought joy and relaxation. Late in the summer I discovered an activity I never knew I enjoyed -- weeding! After work I would take time to roam around my yard weeding and pruning in my garden beds and giving certain overgrown trees handsome haircuts. I loved relating to each plant, feeling its texture, smelling its aroma, appreciating the gifts it brings to the yard. As I did this I felt myself relaxing, my inner pace slowing... I felt the beauty and healing power that nature offers in every moment. And I experienced simple moments of magic, just by being present and slow while engaged in this activity I liked to do.

Like this moment, when I had paused to sit on my front sidewalk after some weeding, looked over, and saw this praying mantis quietly resting on the wall of my home:

And another time where I paused to simply feel the moment and how good it felt, looked up, and saw a lovely rainbow in the late afternoon sky:

Through this fall and early winter, other simple moments of connection and beauty have emerged, usually when I am engaged in something I already like to do and I pause to slow down and feel amidst the activity.

Are there any examples of this happening in your own life? What simple happy moments have emerged amidst your everyday activities?

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Community Agriculture -- Delicious Food

2011-06-29T19:23:00.001-04:00

Recently I joined a Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) food network. I have been loving picking up my family's box loaded with just-picked goodies from a local organic farm every couple weeks. I am receiving a gift every time, and I never know quite what will be in the box. This week we received an abundance of nine different kinds of greens, root vegetables, herbs, and peas. The contrast of how this truly fresh produce tastes and digests compared to store-bought produce is major. For example, in a recent box there was kale. Usually when I buy this at a grocery store, it is hard for me to eat it raw as it is too tough and chewy...I usually need to cook it in some way. However, with the kale from the CSA box I ate it raw in a salad and the leaves were so tender they were like buttery lettuce that melted in my mouth. An amazing difference.

I am a big advocate of nurturing the earth and eating local, extremely fresh, organically grown, loved fruits, vegetables, and grains. Increasing the ratio of these foods in one's diet is one of the most dramatic interventions one can make to improve health and prevent disease. A great documentary called "Forks Over Knives" is airing across the country right now that illucidates this reality in an inspiring way.

Today I happily prepared a salad-lunch using items from my CSA box along with some other additions. This salad was vibrant in color, complex in texture, and I felt my love and gratitude for this farm-fresh produce as I rinsed and prepared it was transmitted into the salad. Here's a picture!

Ingredients
From the CSA farm: 3 types of lettuce, turnip greens, snap peas, spring onions, thyme.
Other additions from my home garden and the grocery store: parsley, avocado, mango, red cabbage, carrot.
I topped it with some feta cheese crumbles and salad dressing. It was delicious and filling.

May the food you eat be raised with love from the earth, touched with gentle hands, and eaten with gratitude for this gift of nourishment.

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Horse Lessons In Facing Fears

2011-06-05T12:20:00.001-04:00

This morning I had the special opportunity to go horseback riding. I was riding a sweet 18-year-old Appaloosa horse named Kent, who lovingly rode with me as a somewhat beginner. I was asked to ride him to accompany his owner/mom who rode a young 6-year-old horse named Mystic. Mystic has not been "around-the-block" as often as Kent and easily gets spooked by strange objects and shadows when out on a trail with mom riding him. However, if Kent is along for the ride, Mystic is more relaxed if he sees Kent comfortably walking past anything unexpected on the path.

At various times on the trails, we passed odd-looking brush piles; shadows; wooden structures; a small construction site. Each time Mystic would balk and not want to go near these areas. Kent would then walk ahead of him and model to him that he was safe to walk past these, and Mystic would relax and follow. All four of us (Kent and me; Mystic and his human mom) would then circle back and walk past the unknown things a couple more times until Mystic could do this comfortably without needing Kent to guide him. Exposure therapy in action for a horse!

What a nice example of facing fears. Here are some simple tips about facing fears I learned from observing Mystic and Kent:

Face your fears one small step at a time... you don't have to overwhelm yourself. Balance this learning and challenge by alternating with "paths" that you already enjoy.
Let a loving and relaxed friend walk with you as you try something new that frightens you. You don't have to do this alone.
You don't have to be perfect as you face a fear; in fact, you may stumble the first few times. Keep trying though -- it gets easier each time as you find and feel your grounding and inner strength.
Being with a calming presence helps transfer that state to yourself.
Reward yourself with love, praise, and treats when you've moved through a challenge.
Relax afterwards by playing in your "pasture", whatever that is in your life!

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Healed Headline Story

2011-06-04T09:26:00.002-04:00

I just read this actual headline, which made me happy:

"British Intelligence Battled Al-Qaida With Cupcakes", in which the intelligence service infiltrated an Al-Qaida magazine that had a homemade bomb recipe and substituted a recipe for cupcakes.

I'd take it a few steps further...

"Intelligence officials and Al-Qaida operatives baked cupcakes and felt surges of happiness move through them. 'How could something so simple help me feel so good?,' they asked themselves. 'I never feel that way when I'm fighting or spying or scheming.' They collectively decided that they wished to live lives richer in simple moments of joy rather than hurting others, and to help others feel this also. Cupcakes have become global symbols of peace that remind people to feel the joy of every moment. People from all walks of life are dropping their destructive behaviors and choosing to deepen planetary joy instead and give to the earth and each other."

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Refreshing Spring Smoothie

2011-05-11T20:14:00.000-04:00

Today was a warm summer-like day here in Michigan. It feels so nice to be able to open the windows to allow in the breeze, to walk outside feeling the sun's radiance, and to receive the scent of blooming spring blossoms wafting by. Ferns are emerging and uncoiling, like this family I saw one bright spring morning a few days ago ~

When I returned home from work today, I was craving a cleansing, refreshing beverage. I blended up a vibrant green spring smoothie, which I'd love to share with you!

My ingredients included: 1 ripe organic pear, 1-2 handfuls organic spinach, 2-3 fresh lemongrass leaves, 2-3 fresh mint leaves, 1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin coconut oil, juice from half a lime, a handful of ice, 1 cup filtered water. If you want more sweetness, you could also add honey or agave to taste.

I blended these ingredients in a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix) for 2 minutes, to create this ~

It was mildly minty, cooling, tasty, refreshing and hydrating. I sipped it outside while enjoying the last strands of today's summer-like sun sparkling on the vibrant green growth of nature that is truly popping at this time of year.

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Yoga 4Eva

2011-05-06T11:18:00.002-04:00

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of busy-ness and emotional "processing" of different things in my life, and as I shared in my last blog entry, my low back has been speaking to me of its need for attention and support. Over the past decade whenever my body is in need of physical rebooting and realignment, I re-discover a yoga instructional book written in 1969 that is just a really awesome and simple step-by-step manual that, at least for me, produces very quick results -- increased flexibility, release of muscle spasms, increased bodily relaxation. The book is Richard Hittleman's Yoga: 28-Day Exercise Plan. It is a paperback book with pictures and easy instructions that day-by-day introduces new yoga postures and philosophies, each day building on the previous day's bodily learnings. The yoga routines take about 10-15 minutes per day, so not a huge time commitment, which I love! And it is just amazing how quickly positive changes can be felt through following his progressive routine.

I read on the wikipedia page for Richard Hittleman that, "Through his books, lectures, recordings and TV programs, he brought Yoga to more people than any other person alive at the time he was most active (the 1960s and 1970s)." He has certainly helped me through his simple book. This past week when I started the exercises, I had release of an intense back muscle spasm for which not much else had worked to relieve it, within one day.

There are many other helpful yoga instructional books, DVDs, and many wonderful teachers out there, including for those in the Ann Arbor area Patty Hart, who teaches out of the Aprill Wellness Center where I also have my practice. I recommend exploring yoga with a supportive compassionate teacher like Patty or manual like Richard Hittleman's... Yoga practice can help catalyze healthy rebalancing for countless physical, emotional, mental, and energetic blockages.

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Excess-Sitting Rehabilitation Program

2011-04-24T16:29:00.001-04:00

For the past month I have spent many hours of each day sitting in a chair. I have had less time for movement for various reasons and I am feeling the repercussions of this in an aching low back and paradoxically increased bodily tiredness. Last week I read with interest an article from the New York Times called "Is Sitting A Lethal Activity?" by James Vlahos, where he discusses research that has been done that shows how excess sitting without compensatory bodily movements leads to dramatic metabolic changes including decreased effectiveness of insulin and decreased ability to remove harmful lipo-proteins from the blood. I pay great heed to the messages my body gives me, and in conjunction with reading this research I've started to incorporate more movement into my day amidst days where I must spend hours in a chair.

I feel inspired by an invention by Dr. James Levine called the "walkstation" discussed in the above article, an upright computer desk attached to a treadmill so that someone working at their computer can choose to stroll at the same time.

In lieu of spending the thousands of dollars this cool unit would cost to purchase, I am trying to weave reminders to stand, stretch, and move into my workday. I created my own personal "stand-station", which I guess could be a "walkstation" if I marched in place, so that if I am typing at my computer I can be standing up rather than leaning over a desk sitting constantly. I cleared space at my office windowsill for this which has the extra benefit of allowing me to look out the window to see nature. Here's a picture of my "stand-station":

I also put a sticky note in the staff bathroom, reminding me to "PAUSE - BREATHE - FEEL - STRETCH BODY". Years ago I learned of a simple stretch to open up the shoulders and chest muscles, great for anyone who tends to sit alot or hunch their shoulders, and this sticky note is my reminder to do this every time I go in the restroom using the corner where two walls meet. One hand presses on each wall at about shoulder height as you gently stretch/push your chest into the corner:

The last component of my personal "excess-sitting rehabilitation" program is to make time every day for enjoyable exercise which for me means setting my morning alarm earlier so that I can have enough time each day to do some moving. Lately, this has been interval training on my mini-trampoline - jumping and dancing to music I love while following this 12-minute interval training protocol developed by John Douillard - followed by a few minutes of yoga. When I do this, my body is happy!

It feels good to support my body's health and happiness through letting it MOVE more, everyday. Is more physical movement needed in your life? What are fun ways you've learned for incorporating movement into your everyday?

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Environmental Health Tips: A Public Service Announcement!

2011-04-15T14:17:00.002-04:00

Environmental toxins that affect health exist in many places: in pesticide-residues on food, in cleaning products, in cosmetics, among others. This is a fact of living right now and not completely avoidable, but people can "stack the health odds" in their favor through making informed conscious choices. Here are some basic tips and information that may be useful to you!

FOOD SAFETY:

Lower your exposure to xenoestrogens like BPA:

Remove food from plastic wrap, freezer cartons, and/or styrofoam trays before defrosting and cooking. They are not heat stable and could leach hazardous compounds from the container or plastic wrap to the food.
Do not reuse trays and containers that came with microwave convenience foods.
Plastic that contains BPA contains the #7 recycling symbol - so avoid these whenever possible.
Reduce your use of canned foods. Eat fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, or choose glass instead.
Avoid microwaving polycarbonate plastic, which is used in packaging for many microwaveable foods and may release BPA when heated.

ECO-BEST seafood are low in environmental contaminants, mercury, and PCBs, and high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Source: www.oceansalive.org

Non-genetically-modified (GMO) food tips:

Go to www.nongmoshoppingguide.com for facts and suggestions.

***

COSMETIC AND BODY-CARE PRODUCT SAFETY:

From www.safecosmetics.org:

“The Food and Drug Administration has almost no authority to regulate cosmetics. FDA cannot require safety testing of products before they are sold, and does not systematically assess the safety of ingredients. Instead, the cosmetic industry polices the safety of its own products through a safety panel that is run and funded by the industry's trade association. In the absence of mandated testing or even FDA guidance on product safety, some companies make products safe enough to eat, while other companies routinely add carcinogens and other hazardous chemicals to their formulations.

More than 1,000 companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to remove chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems (see who signed at www.safecosmetics.org). Unfortunately, not one of the large mainstream companies – the brands found in most drug stores, supermarkets and high-end beauty stores – has signed the pledge. In fact, the largest companies and their trade group, the Personal Care Products Council (formerly the Cosmetics Toiletry and Fragrance Association), have lobbied against laws that would protect consumers from hazardous chemicals and have fought hard to keep their products unregulated. In the face of mounting concerns about toxic ingredients, the largest cosmetics companies are rolling out a major new marketing campaign to convince us their products are safe – rather than actually making their products safe.

In the short term, you can choose safer products and learn more about the issue of cosmetics safety at www.safecosmetics.org and on EWG's Skin Deep site at www.cosmeticdatabase.com. But we can’t just shop our way out of this problem. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics believes that consumers should not have to memorize long lists of hazardous chemicals in order to protect our families. Chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects do not belong in any beauty products, at any level. We should all be able to walk into any store and buy health and beauty products that are safe for babies and safe for everyone. Cancer is an epidemic in our society: in the United States, 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Companies must be required to eliminate cancer-causing chemicals from all possible sources immediately – starting with baby shampoo and bubble bath. You can help by writing a letter to companies and the government through our online action center.”

***

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT SAFETY:

Go to www.HouseholdProducts.nlm.nih.gov to learn what’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room. Learn what’s in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming... :+)

To Health and Happiness!

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5-Minute Health Intervention

2011-04-08T23:26:00.001-04:00

Today I was attending a holistic medicine conference that involved about 7 hours of lectures in a convention center, where thousands of pieces of information were given by the various presenters on many aspects of health. By lunchtime, my brain was overwhelmed by the effort of trying to absorb and integrate the key pieces of knowledge that seemed most relevant for me and my practice. I felt a yearning for simplicity and gentleness amidst all the mental dispensing of information. I paused in the hallway and looked out the window. I saw a simple gesture that no one talked about today but that is one of the most powerful health interventions that exists: giving and receiving with nature.

On a city street and amidst people bustling by, I walked outside and connected with nature. I felt my body relax, my breath deepen, a smile emerge on my face, and a sense of re-balancing washing through my cells. I felt love and gratitude for the nature elements that existed and served, even here next to this huge convention center.

I stood in the sunlight here ~

I received the green color of the bushes through my tired eyes ~

I honored the new buds of spring emerging on a tree ~

I enjoyed how the tree shadows danced in the breeze ~

The tree trunk entering the earth reminded me to remain grounded ~

I gazed at the gorgeous blue sky and felt thankful for this earth ~

May you weave giving and receiving with nature into your everyday work and play.

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A Simple Aromatherapy Toolkit

2011-04-07T23:35:00.001-04:00

Aromatherapy is the practice of inhaling certain scents whose molecular components, along with one's emotional relationship to those scents, triggers a healing response in the body. Greater physical, emotional, mental, and energetic balance can be stimulated through artful and enjoyable use of aroma in conscious ways.

Here are some of my favorite aromatherapy tools and ideas for their use.

Lavender essential oil ~ An overall tonic in the body...relaxing...immunity-raising...cleansing...tissue regenerating...emotionally soothing. Try opening the essential oil bottle and simply taking 2 or 3 deep breaths of the scent. Can put 1-2 drops in the palms of your hands and inhale from your palms, then rub on the back of your neck or anywhere on your body that may need soothing. Put a few drops in a warm bath for relaxation. Lovely for promoting sleep -- put a drop on or underneath your pillow at night.
Sweet orange or tangerine essential oil ~ Delicious, refreshing, enlivening scent. Invites cheer. Inhale scent with a couple deep breaths; put on palms and inhale aroma; put a few drops on a tissue in your car if you need a driving "pick-me-up".
Lemon ~ Energizing and refreshing. Smell the essential oil in ways noted above or cut open a fresh lemon and deeply inhale the scent.
Eucalyptus essential oil ~ Immunity-inducing, airway-opening, enlivening, head-clearing. Put a couple drops on a tissue and deeply inhale the scent. Put 1-2 drops in a bowl of steaming water and do a steam inhalation if you're sick. See my blog entry here for more details about this.
Peppermint essential oil ~ Very invigorating. Calming to digestive system if nauseous, too full, or have indigestion. Can be balancing for tension headaches. Deodorizing. Note that for some people, putting peppermint oil directly on skin can be irritating and even burn (as is the possible case for any essential oil). If this is you, mix with a "carrier oil" such as olive oil or jojoba oil first before directly contacting skin. Can inhale scent of peppermint as noted for other scents above. Can put one drop on tongue to freshen breath or calm digestion. Can put one drop mixed with carrier oil on bottom of each foot before putting shoes on to deodorize feet throughout the day. Inhale scent if you're driving and need to be energized.
Geranium essential oil ~ Very lovely for easing anxiety and depression. Inhale scent as noted in examples above. Mix a few drops into an unscented lotion to create your own hand lotion.
A couple other fun aromatherapy facts: A study examined premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit, and found that those who inhaled the scent of vanilla had decreased episodes of apnea. Apnea is when someone temporarily stops breathing and is common in premature infants. Other fun facts about vanilla are listed here. Another study has found that inhaling the scent of jasmine can have anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia effects similar to the medication Valium!

One final aromatherapy tip: If you've over-indulged your nose in all these wondrous scents and your body is on overload, "cleanse your scent palate" by inhaling from a bag of coffee beans. Aaaahhh, this is, in itself, an awesome scent, and balancing for an overworked nose.

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A Phytonutrient Rainbow

2011-04-03T00:32:00.001-04:00

Red apple skin. Orange carrots. A yellow banana. Green kale. A handful of blueberries. White onions and garlic.

What do the diverse colors of these foods have in common? They contain phytonutrients, natural plant compounds that promote and protect health. The color of a plant and its fruit reveals the different phytonutrients it contains. For example, carrots and other orange vegetables and fruits contain carotenes which are commonly known to be protective for eyesight. Kale and other green foods contain indole-3-carbinol that may help prevent breast and prostate cancer, zeaxanthin that protects eyes against macular degeneration, and several other phytonutrient components. White foods like garlic and onions contain allylsulfides which help suppress tumor growth.

The amount of nutritive elements that plant foods contain far surpasses scientists' ability to understand and quantify them. But a mental understanding is not needed to receive and honor the benefits that fruits and vegetables offer for people who consume them. In the course of a day or even in the course of a week, being conscious to eat a rainbow of colors of fruits and vegetables is a simple way to know you are taking in these precious phytonutrients that support health in so many ways. Rather than asking yourself, "Did I have my zeaxanthin today? How about my indoles?", you can ask, "Have I eaten green foods today? How about blue, or yellow?"

Eat a rainbow of colors of fruits and vegetables on a consistent basis, and feel how this may help your body thrive.

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Body Appreciation

2011-03-30T14:01:00.003-04:00

In this moment, how do you feel about your body?
When you have looked in the mirror today, what thoughts or feelings or sensations have you had in seeing your appearance?
How do you talk about your body and your appearance with others?
How do others share with you about how you look to them?

Two really interesting studies have come out, both examining factors that affect women's body image. In the first, researchers looked at how women talk with others about their bodies. For women who engaged in "fat talk" with their friends (where one woman asks the other if she is fat or complains about how she looks, and usually the other friend offers reassurance that the other is not fat, then insists that she is the one who looks fat or bad, and on and on the cycle goes...), the more frequently women talked like this with their friends the worse they felt about themselves. This "fat talk" and how a woman felt as a result had no correlation with a measure of the woman's actual body weight and height.

In the second study, the more women graded their appearance based on other people's opinions (regardless of their actual weight), the worse they felt about themselves and the more out-of-touch they were with the natural intuitive bodily signals for when to eat and when they were full. These women ate more emotionally, rather than based on actual hunger signals. One article about this study writes, "On the flip side, the more women are able to focus on the inner workings of their body -- or how their bodies function and feel -- rather than how they appear to others, the more they will appreciate their own bodies. And the more a woman appreciates her body, the more likely she is to eat intuitively -- responding to physical feelings of hunger and fullness rather than emotions or the mere presence of food."

These studies offer guidance for developing new relationships with our bodies based on appreciation from ourselves and others.

If you are someone who engages in negative body-talk with others (whether you are female or male), I invite a challenge: go for one week without speaking in negative terms about how your body looks or how other people's bodies look. Instead, share something you are grateful for about your body. Invite friends to do the same.

When you look in the mirror, for one week notice any tendency to be self-critical. If it happens, observe the thought but do not engage it or feed it. Breathe, and then feel one thing you are grateful for about yourself as you gaze at this miraculous human form you inhabit. Do this every time you look in the mirror.

Review the people you spend time with, your friends and family. Who speaks negatively about others' appearances or about themselves? Who speaks in supportive compassionate ways? For one week, spend more time and have more conversations with those who are more compassionate, and limit time around peers who are critical. This includes through social media outlets like facebook.

For just this one week, practice loving appreciation, as best as you can, for your body, infusing appreciation into your thoughts, words, emotions and actions when you are alone or with others. This will have a positive healing effect for you and others around you. Thank you for doing this. I will too.

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Smoothie Sunday

2011-03-27T20:45:00.001-04:00

Today's Sunday Smoothie Experiment:

Ingredients: 1 large leaf of kale, 1 small apple, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 2 dates, 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter, water, pinch of sea salt

I blended these ingredients in the Vitamix for a few minutes and after tasting, added a pinch of allspice and a pinch of ground cloves. The end result was a beautiful light green color that sparkled in the sun ~

It had a gentle flavor that was mildly sweet, creamy, with a hint of eggnog-flavor and texture. After drinking this slowly, I felt good -- relaxed with a clear mind. I love this about raw food smoothies, the balancing energy they offer. Thank you to the plants!

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Taking A Deeper Breath

2011-03-22T15:01:00.002-04:00

This morning I needed to leave my home earlier than usual due to maintenance being done. I felt tired as I would have preferred to sleep-in longer, and I had needed to rush too quickly to prepare for my day than I would have liked prior to leaving. I had a couple hours before I needed to be at work, so I drove to a coffee shop. I sat in my car before going in, just feeling tired, a bit foggy in my brain, wondering if I had forgotten anything at home that I needed, and a little grouchy due to the more abrupt and fast start to my morning. In short, I felt stressed. It felt hard to muster the motivation to leave the comfort of my car seat to go in the coffee shop, something I usually enjoy.

I sat there, and noticed I wasn't really breathing. Not deeply anyway. So I paused and took a couple slow breaths. At first the air stayed in my upper lungs, then I tried to breathe deeper into my core, into my gut area. Within seconds of my breath dropping into this deeper bodily zone, I felt like a cloud lifted from my head. I felt a surge of natural balanced energy. I felt excitement to go in the coffee shop and engage my day. It was magical actually, the power of this simple conscious gesture of taking a deeper breath.

I tell people to connect to their breathing every day as part of my work and I try to be conscious of this in myself, but of course, stress can take over at times where all of this can be forgotten. Until it is remembered, and practiced, and within seconds healing change can occur.

Pause now, notice however you are feeling, and take a slow, deep breath. Take another one and see if it can drop more deeply into the core of your body. How do you feel now?

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Mother Nature's Fungal Helpers

2011-03-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

I was inspired today when I read an article by Paul Stamets, a mycologist who researches the medicinal properties of mushrooms. His article entitled, "Mycoremediation of the Japanese landscape after radioactive fallout: The Nuclear Forest Recovery Zone" discusses his ideas for how fungi could help transform the areas in Japan that may be devastated by nuclear debris into a thriving forest. This process would take decades, but I felt enlivened by the hope that this is possible.

The gifts that fungi offer are amazing. I loved reading about how some fungi help decompose wood, which is a large component of the debris around the nuclear reactors in Japan. There are also fungi that use radioactivity as an energy source to help them grow!

I am awed by how nature contains anything that is needed to restore balance and promote growth through the organisms she has birthed. What is toxic to one organism is like "manna" to another. The diversity of life and the interrelationships between all beings is beautiful. Every organism has a unique gift and talent. We depend on each other for the deepest balance and to restore health to struggling areas.

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Smoothie Power!

2011-03-19T00:09:00.001-04:00

Eating fresh organic fruits and vegetables every day is good for you. Yes, you have heard this before in countless ways. No, it is not always easy to incorporate this into your daily diet! One of my favorite ways to do so in the course of a busy day is to create a delicious smoothie.

Blending fruits and veggies into a "smoothie delivery system" has many benefits. Smoothies are convenient, fun, tasty, creative, and breaking down the cellular walls of the plants pre-digests the produce and makes it easier to absorb the nutrients into your body.

One of my favorite resources for raw smoothie recipes is the book Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko. Smoothie-making is also a purely creative and experimental process where the more you practice with different ingredients and proportions, the more you know what tastes and textures and blends resonate most with your body.

Here is a recent smoothie I made for dinner, after a long work day of eating heavier cooked foods. When I drank it, my body immediately received a boost of energy and mental clarity.

My ingredients that evening were: 1 banana, 2 carrots, large handful spinach, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin raw coconut oil, juice of half a lime, 1 date, 1 small apple, and filtered water.

I blended these ingredients in my VitaMix blender for a few minutes, to create this:

I offered gratitude for the plants and I sipped my smoothie slowly, following the sage advice I have learned to "chew your smoothie" rather than gulp it down, which invites slowness into your digestive process to interact in full relationship with the yummy nutrients you are drinking. This particular smoothie tasted like a tropical pina colada. Salud!

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Sun Through The Rain

2011-03-13T19:24:00.001-04:00

"I'm going where the sun keeps shining through the pouring rain" -- Harry Nilsson

There are intense changes happening now on the planet on every level. Natural disasters in Japan and other parts of the world... Revolutions of governments and their people... Personal crises and life changes on an individual level that seem more overwhelming than in years past...

This blog entry is not about the whys and hows of this. Rather, it is a call to hope and trust and movement towards healing and growth amidst what sometimes can feel like chaos. A call to feel how crises of any kind can inspire a remembrance of the bigger picture of one's life, of the interconnectedness of all beings, of how life truly is a Mystery beyond ordinary understanding.

I was driving the other night after having talked to a friend who was going through a traumatic experience. I felt my desire to serve others and constantly move towards deeper healing and clarity of my own life as well as deepening my ability to love. The song quoted above came on the radio and that particular line really spoke to me. The sun CAN shine through the pouring rain, through the storms of life both seemingly good and seemingly bad that occur. Each person can learn to be a sun amidst turbulence, can model that for others, can allow light to shine into their own lives for greater healing which then emits more peace and clarity for others who are struggling. We are here to help each other. Sun shining through the rain is beautiful, not just the sun itself, but also the rain and especially the relationship the two have with each other.

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Singing The Joys of Water

2011-03-09T17:13:00.001-05:00

Water is such an amazing substance. It has helped me in my life in so many ways. One way is through the incredible mystery I feel when I see, or swim in, an ocean.

Water is a great boon to bodily health. I love health interventions that are simple and the use of pure filtered water is one of the simplest and most natural interventions to support energy levels, mental clarity, immunity, and detox/cleansing.

Here are some examples ~

A great time to drink filtered water is first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach before eating breakfast. Try drinking about 1 liter of water, possibly adding some fresh lemon to it. This is a wonderful bodily detox that can be done every day, and also ensures that you are more hydrated throughout the subsequent day.

If it is the afternoon and you start to feel fatigued, get a tension headache, feel hungry even though you ate a good lunch... you may be dehydrated. Drink a good tall glass of water, and see how you feel in about 30 minutes. There is a nice book called Your Body's Many Cries For Water by F. Batmanghelidj, MD that discusses how many bodily symptoms people feel on a chronic basis can often be addressed by just becoming more hydrated!

Speaking of that book, when I was a teenager and into my 20's I suffered from intense facial acne. I tried changing my diet and for years ate a very clean vegetarian diet. I tried various nutritional supplements and topical treatments. Nothing worked. Then a friend referred me to the above book on water and I wondered whether just drinking more water, consistently, following the instructions this physician gave, would help my acne. Amazingly, within two weeks of practicing this new habit, the acne completely cleared and did not return. This is a personal testimonial...it may not work for everyone the same way, but I share it because this experience cemented my love for water and helped me learn firsthand of the powerful detoxification and cleansing properties water truly has.

Another use for water that I love is steam inhalations if I am feeling sick with a cold or flu. I boil a pot of water and add a few drops of essential oil such as eucalyptus, which is helpful for opening airways and has antibacterial properties to it. I position the pot on a table where I can sit comfortably leaning over the pot. I use a towel to drape/tent over my head as I lean over the hot steam rising -- the towel holds the steam in. Then, I enjoy about 10-15 minutes of slowly inhaling the fragrant steam. It is so warming and soothing when I am feeling sick, helps release mucus, releases toxins through sweat, and feels very self-nurturing.

Water is wonderful in so many ways and I feel such gratitude for its existence, without which human bodies could not exist since we are mostly made of water anyway! How has water been a wonder for you?

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Tilling The Soil

2011-03-06T16:27:00.002-05:00

Today, I've been feeling the early inklings of a cold developing in my body. Whenever I feel the start of this sensation -- the scratchy throat, lower energy, achiness, etc. -- I remember something I heard from a woman named Tieraona Low Dog, a holistic medical doctor and herbal medicine expert. She had shared that she rarely (never?) got sick due to the quality of the "soil" she tilled in her body. That she knew if her soil was healthy, it did not matter what she was exposed to, her soil remained healthy and she did not get sick.

I love this metaphor. At times of feeling sick or well, I check into how my cellular "soil" feels. I get an intuitive sense about it, just as if I was viewing actual soil from the earth.

Does it feel rich and lush, supportive of vibrant growth?

Or is it struggling and needs a health intervention?

If my intuitive picture of my "soil" is more the latter than the former, I feel how to "till" it to become vital and strong again. Does it need help from certain supplements or foods? Loving thoughts or images sent its way? More gentle nurturing touch? Laughter? Exposure to the elements of fire (sunlight, warmth), air (fresh and purified), earth (tending to plants, gardening, walking in nature) or water (hydration, baths, steams)? More rest? A deeper connection to Source/Spirit/Love?

These are all the fertilizer, the hydration and the sunshine for my personal "soil". If I feel a cold coming on, I check into these areas to sense what might be missing, then I give my body that support. It definitely helps.

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Visual Inspirations

2011-03-05T17:09:00.003-05:00

TAKE 3 DEEP BREATHS AND RELAX...

FEEL emotional and mental quietness and clarity...

Your unique essence grounded in the earth...

AWARE of the bigger picture of your life as you continue on your journey.

(photos by Marnie Burkman)

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