The Path To Wholeness: Healing The Four Elements

The word "Holistic" came from the word whole, to become whole again and holy, but how can we retrieved the lost fragments of our self?

The main principles of holistic health is to Cleanse, Detox, Nourish and Balance the energy, it is in this order that it was applied, you can not nourish and balance the energy in your body without cleansing and detoxifying first, in order the treatment to be more effective cleans and detox first.

Elimination channels.: 

This is a very important organs in our body, this is where we eliminates our body wastes and toxins, they are the kidneys, liver, intestines, anus, ear, nose, throat, skin. The functions are self explanatory, so we really have to care of this organs if one fails we are likely to develop a disease or a condition. So before nourishing we have to make sure we regularly cleans and detox our elimination channels.

Balance of Energy

There are so many imbalances in the energy levels of people of today due o stress, depressions, lack of exercise and physical activity, meditations, yoga, tai-chi, qi-gong, kung-fu, karate are some forms of activity that can balance one's energy.

The four lower bodies (elements) in Oriental medicine (Fire air water and earth) correspond to spiritual, mental , emotional and physical manifestations of well being. The cause of Disease or Dis-ease is due to imbalances in any of the elements. The precipitation of disease starts from spiritual stage to mental to emotional until it become physical, exactly in that order or manner, when it is physical already we need physical intervention could be with use of conventional or traditional medicine. Certain karmic conditions manifest as disease because it was not rectify at the spiritual stage, or mental or emotional stages, sometimes science can not understand why some people feels sick and yet physical examinations is normal, that is why they  have a term "psychosomatic disease" or psychological disease.

The four stages of disease and the four levels of healing:

Healing the fire element ( spiritual): Some dis-eases are in the spiritual level, meaning if you are not attune with your divine self or your God,  sometimes physical disease heals the spirit and make some people closer to God. It a way of the spirit calling our attention for the abuses we have done in our body. Spiritual renewal is a great medicine it makes us connected with the divine and be inspired on how we deal with our emotions, mind and physical world. Some disease are of spiritual in nature, if you are not spiritually healthy it affects your mind, emotions and the disease become physical (precipitated). No matter what is your religion or religious affiliation it doesn't matter as long as you are comfortable on your belief system, remember being religious doesn't mean we are spiritual and being spiritual it doesn't mean we have to be religious. It is more of a personal relationship and attunement with your God. Prayers, meditations, affirmations and rituals  are spiritual tools to get us attuned to the source.

Healing the Air elements (Mental): They say that we can't go on our spiritual way with mental problems, many people not aware they have mental problems and needs a professional help, I also is not an exemption, I went through a difficult childhood and have so many excess baggage in the pasts but I overcome it makes peace with the past, this also makes me liberated, learn the art of forgiveness and be  a more better person than I used to be.  It healed old wounds and make me look forward and grow spiritually.Discovery of our inner child is a great healer of the mind, we have to have a child-like (not childish) attitude to deal with our psyche, they say a child's mind is pure and is unadulterated.

Healing the water (Emotional): Emotions are like water sometimes it is clear and peaceful and sometimes turbulent. Roller coaster emotion leads to many conditions and disease, like hypertension, they say caused by stress which is an effect if we could not contain our emotions, anger is a destructive force, emotional outburst is not really healthy, so we have to learn and manage anger. One way is to learn compassion not sympathy and be more understanding of one's personal space and problems. Listen to classical music and not to destructive music like rock music and ballads with subliminal messages ( you may also read my post on musical energy). Take time to relax, stop and smell the roses, go to spa, or a salon and treat yourself for a relaxing and pampering session, learn o love yourself and others and their imperfections. If you have problems in your psyche it will be hard to deal with your emotions, emotional problems are precipitation from the mental stage. If you could heal your emotions it will heal your psyche as well.

Healing the Earth element (Physical form): This  one is too complicated, it is a stage of final precipitation of a disease or condition. It is the hardest part to deal and sometimes you really to go through the process of dealing with the four elements and undergo conventional medical intervention, it could be surgery or rehabilitation.  When the Disease is physical you have to deal with it physically, it may take a long process and it could be hard. Both conventional and traditional approach may be applied, it is all about choices, if you choose a holistic approach: cleans, detox, nourish, balance energy and  for conventional it could be surgery, antibiotics and other medical interventions. So it is important to address our health at the level of spiritual stage, from there it is easier to be transmuted. 

Just to summarized my point:

Stages of Dis-ease: (how disease manifest )

Spiritual >>>>>> Mental>>>>>Emotional>>>>>>Physical


Stages of Healing: ( healing the disease  starts at healing our mind and soul) 

Physical>>>>>>Emotional>>>>>>Mental>>>>>>>Spiritual

Medicine Woman Plant Encounters: Roses, Lady's Slipper, Sweet Gale, and Sacred Waters

Before we get to the photo-story of my last week, FIRST things first .... I'm DELIGHTED to highlight for you one of my very special Lady's Slipper Ring Members! 

Sue is an extraordinary woman.

Through our work together I've seen the incredible strength of heart and passion for mother earth that Sue holds and expresses. It's truly an honor for me to know and serve her, and I'm excited to share with you the most wonderful gifts she offers and the ways in which she serves others.

In her own words, she writes:

"After two years of several major life changes and then a tragic loss, self-care of any kind seemed a lifetime away.  The simple act of reflecting on why I am worthy of self-care is slowly becoming a daily reminder.  I have one of the those personalities that strives for constant production; self-care was often on the to-do list but I just never got around to it.  My place in the mystic is still raw and uncertain and sometimes I am my worst enemy. But my effort to keep my worthiness front and center helps to break free of that kind of self-critical thinking.  

One of the changes I made was to leave a 20 year career in higher education to pursue my own business. The learning curve has/is constant! Inserting some of my values into my business design is a wonderful feeling though incredibly time-consuming. I started a gift basket business that is inspired by the scents and aromas of herbs & spices. Ninety percent of my products are created by small American businesses including two herbalists. I offer several of the traditional ready-to-eat food baskets but also design multiple thematic collections.  You can check out my unique designs at http://thewitheredherb.com." 

Thank you, Sue, for being YOU and for sharing your beautiful, yummy, gift creations!

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The land is painting itself with color and inventing its signature scent of May 2012. 

The Orchids are blooming in their exquisite perfection and provocative shapes

The Cottonwood fluff is *everywhere*

Plant walks abound in the Happy Valley, and I'm happy to finally make it to one

  .... wild lettuce detail ...

Aralia neudicaulis, wild sarsaparilla, is widespread along the forest floor..

Tangles of mystery, deep in the forest

More Aralia..

 Little peeks from the rattlesnake plantain

Mountain Laurel is blooming elegantly

 I'm a sucker for gorgeous tree bark, especially on the black birches

and for the spicy-sweet delicacy of fresh sassafras root bark. I'm happy to have started a fresh jar of elixir. 

The wild roses cascade along the landscape, scenting the bike path and the highway wind

I patiently anticipate the linden blossoms.....

Creatures have been paying me auspicious visits. This Northern Flicker was at our Red Tent....

I blended a sensuous and uplifting aromatherapy oil with Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang, Roman Chamomile, and Vanatu Sandalwood, to help calm and ground my nerves (and those of my Lady's Slipper Members) during stressful times. 

And I saw a black bear for the first time in my life: 

!

I took a hiatus on the holiday weekend ... spending a day with the waterfalls in the woods, and then a day at the beach gathering roses with my mama......

Sacred waters

Renew the spirit

and make me very, very, happy

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The Rose Harvest:

Rosa Rugosa

Best to start early, when the mist is still hanging over the water

The scent is at its richest early in the day

I brought my menstruums with me so I wouldn't lose a drop of perfume, or magic

Thanks to my crazy fabulous facebook herbal community, I made friends with a new fragrant plant: Sweet Gale, or perhaps a closely related spp of Myrica which I haven't keyed out yet.

It's herbaceous, lemony, astringent, and very uplifting, with a long tradition of use in fermented beers, meat seasoning, and topical balms.
My first experiment with it is a batch of elderberry - myrica kombucha. I'll also make an oil.

Herons are always enchanting to see...

I loved the abundance of the white roses as well, who exuded an equally delicious perfume with a little spicy twist. 

 To die for beautiful. I took so many photos! 

Happiest in the outdoors, collecting plants, by the water. 

And always wearing that dorky camera bag :)

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

        

*sigh*

Sweet peas are just beginning their showcase as well. These make excellent trail grazing, yum.

 Thank you roses. Thank you water. Thank you trees. Thank you Earth. 

I am grateful.

I am grateful for your healing waters, and abundant medicine

I am grateful for your fragrance, your colors, your moods, 

 and for sharing your blessed body with me.

Love, Ananda

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If you're also out adventuring - be sure you're prepared! Bites, stings, and many manner of wild unpleasantries can be easily remedied with my versatile and powerful Medicine Woman Set - Don't leave home without it! 

 

Woodswoman Medicine Set

How to Fight Diabetes Naturally

Well, I am not a Diabetic, but members of family is not spared by this condition.  It's  not even in family history but family history is not relevant these days, no one is really safe because our environment and lifestyle makes us ill.

I just read in the papers that Diabetes is a complication / side effects of taking too much or long maintenance from anti-hypertensive and lipids (statins) drugs.

I agree because I also observed to friends and family members who's taking too much medications and prolonged use of these maintenance drugs developed diabetes and that was sad and alarming. Also the lifestyle and eating habits of mostly processed carbohydrates like white sugar, flour and pasta. Sugar is everywhere in soda drinks, breads, pastries, cakes, candies, bottled juice drinks, fruit snacks, and so on. Too much of these can stressed our pancreas to produce more insulin.

I created a design to combat diabetes naturally as possible to help friends and family members with limited financial resources. Here are my options: 

1. If you are a Type "O" individual you must  go on a strict low carbohydrate diet, it was noted that type "O" person has a poor metabolism of carbohydrates and tend to store more glycogen in the body and are prone to diabetes and getting obese.

2. One misconception about hyperglycemia according to my friend Dr. Sonny Viloria is that sweet fruits will  increases your blood glucose. But he said no,  as long as you take the fruits in its freshest form (not bottled, processed or canned), because mostly of fruit sugar is fructose which is different from glucose which causes diabetes, so go and eat fresh fruits in moderation of course.

3. Moderation in everything is the key, low fat, low salt, high fiber diet helps a lot, avoid diet rich in processed carbohydrates but instead choose whole grains as substitute like brown rice, red rice or unpolished rice, these kind of rice is slowly metabolized compared to the white rice so there is gradual release of glucose when it breaks down, no shoot up,  banana and camote (and other root crops) are good source of carbohydrates for diabetic. Obesity is a contributing factors for diabetes especially the type 2 non insulin dependent.

4. Have an OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) it is the best test to diagnose diabetes, it is a combination of Fasting (FBS), and Post-Prandial Blood Sugar test (PPBS) and Oral Glucose Challenge Test (OGCT). It can monitor if you have poor sugar metabolism even though you have a normal FBS. 

HgBA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin) test is to monitor the average sugar level for the past 3 months, our blood cells undergo a glycosylation process in times we have a high sugar levels, so even if you have a normal FBS today and you have a high HgBA1C it means your sugar levels are poorly controlled or you could be cheating on your diet.

Panutsa or Raw Sugar better than white sugar

5. Low glycemic index sugar substitute I would like to recommend: 

Agave sweetener, it is a natural sweetener from Agave plant from Mexico. Coco nectar is a natural sugar from coconut flowers, Stevia is also a herbal sweetener, it is easily to grow and when dried and powdered has the same sweetness of commercial white sugar.

Honey  as long as it is wild, raw, pure and unfiltered, preferably highland honey, because some commercially available honey in the supermarket I am anxious if they are really pure, I heard some added sugar or those cultured honey bees are fed with sugars, so be careful in choosing and buying honey.

Muscovado sugar is less adulterated and processed so I preferably use this one than white sugar and less expensive from the previously mentioned sweetener, or if you can train your taste bud without sweets much better. Please please avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame, nutrasweet  splenda.  in the US, studies showed it is said to be the culprit of Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's diseases.

The local raw sugar (Muscovado) or "panutsa" in Tagalog, though it is very sweet, is natural, pure and it is safer than white sugar, because processed white sugar is bleached, chemically treated and all the nutrients are washed out with nothing left, only the sweet taste of C12H22O11,  but if you can't avoid white sugar,  use in moderation.

6.  Herbal supplements (available in fresh, dried and capsule) and Healing Modality that is  good in lowering sugars are :

Narra bark, taken the inner bark of Narra tree and boil makes a good tea and health drink, it not only lower glucose but also cholesterol and boost immune system. our country is exporting it to Africa and use it for their AIDS patients. Commercially available in Mercury drugstores as ECARMA  tea and capsules. I tried it and really good, also makes me lose weight .  

Taheebo (La Pachol) can lower blood sugar levels and have lots of other health benefits. 

Banaba tea is also really good, as a matter of fact my old relatives used to boil this as their health maintenance when I was a kid. 

Ampalaya tea is also proven by the Department of health to lower blood sugar so you may dried the leaves and boil and drink it, ampalaya leaves are also great garnishing for cooking like in corn soup, sardines and monggo dishes.  

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) when taken internally (2 tbps in a glass of water) 3X a day it is a powerful alternative to bring that sugar level to normal, I had proven this with my own family members, example are my diabetic brother religiously drink it and lowers the sugar levels dramatically.

IV Laser Therapy for Diabetes (a non-pharmacologic approach): 

Visit: www.integratedlasermedicine.com and www.ilacm.com for more info.

 Neem Tree Leaves is also very good for lowering blood sugar:

Cinnamon cures Diabetes: Recent studies on cinnamon suggest that it can help maintain blood sugar levels at a consistent area. According to Dr. Youngsoo Kim who showed the research from the University of Calgary .

7. Exercise and morning sun to burn those calories, excess sugars and store glycogen and also to stimulate our pancreas, no need for strenuous exercise a simple brisk walking will do.

8. Our circulatory and nervous system are affected by diabetes it makes our nerves, veins and  arteries hardened, so my Doctor friend suggest a lukewarm foot soak as often as possible. I also recommend this to my family since some of them are complaining of numbness and loss of sensitivity in their limbs and feet. Soak feet in lukewarm water for 30 mins to 1 hour, you may add epsom salt or sea salt for a more detoxifying action. It "awakens" our nerves and veins according to my friend and improved blood circulation. Long term diabetes could damage our kidneys and the eyes (diabetic retinopathy) so make sure it was under control and our circulation good always.

9. Regular detoxification and cleansing also help, consult a health practitioner in choosing the right detox programs for you., regularly check and monitor improvements and blood sugar levels it helps you to make an evaluation and trend on how your diabetes is improving or worsening.

10. Avoid too much dependence on anti-cholesterol, anti-hypertensive and steroids medications, long term use of these drugs causes diabetes, try to reduce cholesterol and HBP the natural way.

Recommended diet for Diabetic:

1. Macrobiotic diet 
2. South Beach diet.
3. Blood Type diet

 

Recommended Clinic and Doctors Treating and Managing Diabetes:

Dr. Angelita C. Sta Teresa (Integrative Medicine)

Dr. Danilo P. Delfin (Internist-Cardiologist) 

Integrated Laser and Complementary Medicine  Center (477-0644/631-7821)

www.integratedlasermedicine.com / www.ilacm.com