Showing posts with label alternative healing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative healing. Show all posts

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Comfrey - The Perfect Gift For The Mother To Be

Comfrey - The Perfect Gift For The Mother To Be
Word Count:
321
Summary:
There are many herbs that can ease the pain of childbirth.  Comfrey is one of the best.

Keywords:
herbs, childbirth, using herbs, herbs for, comfrey, herbal remedies, natural healing, alternative health, alternative healing, herbs to help with childbirth, butcher's broom, rosemary, basil, healing

Article Body:
Comfrey
(Symphytum Officinale)
Medicinal Parts: Rootstock, leaves
Description:  Comfrey is a perennial plant common in moist meadows and other moist places in the U.S. and Europe.

Properties:  anodyne, astringent, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, hemostatic, refrigerant, vulnerary.
Comfrey is truly one of nature’s miracle cures.  The root produces a high amount of a gummy material called mucilage, and the root and leaf are both high in allantoin, a substance that helps with cell proliferation.  Comfrey is excellent for reducing the swelling around a fracture, thereby allowing the union to take place with greater facility.  And according to herbalist John Gerard, “A salve concocted from the fresh herb will certainly tend to promote the healing of bruised and broken parts.”
My midwife first introduced me to Comfrey after the birth of my first child.  To put it mildly, it was not an easy delivery.  All of those little joys after childbirth were making me very uncomfortable.  You know, the tearing, bruising, stitches, etc.  The midwife instructed me to steep Comfrey leaves in hot water and add it to my sitz bath.  The results were phenomenal.  It relieved the discomfort almost instantaneously. 
Today, any time I attend a baby shower, I make up a gift basket stocked with comfrey.  I wrap a generous handful of comfrey leaves in cheesecloth, then tie it closed with a ribbon.  The packets can then be tossed directly into a pot of water to steep.  Recipients always think I’m a bit odd at first, but usually I receive a heartfelt thank you note a couple of weeks after the baby is born.  This is one gift any mother-to-be will appreciate.
Comfrey is not always easy to find.  If you don’t have a health food or herb supplier in your area, please visit us at for direct links to online purveyors of organic herbs. 
For more great information about herbs visit: http://usingherbs.com/

Monday, March 14, 2011

Chakra Healing

Chakra Healing
Word Count:
540
Summary:
The art of chakra healing has been used for centuries to balance important energy centers in our body called chakras. We can use a number of different tools such as stones or meditation during chakra balancing. The end result will be a physically healthier body and a happier, more peaceful you.

Keywords:
chakra healing, energy healing, meditation, meditation techniques, alternative health, alternative therapies, alternative healing, yoga, holisitc health, spirituality, reiki

Article Body:
The art of chakra healing has been used for centuries to balance important energy centers in our body called chakras. We can use a number of different tools such as stones or meditation during chakra balancing. The end result will be a physically healthier body and a happier, more peaceful you.
According to practitioners of chakra healing, we all have seven primary chakras that correspond with vital areas of our bodies and emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives. The seven chakras form a line from the base of your spine to the top of your head. Chakras have their own color, vibrational frequency, and symbol. For example, the first chakra is found at the base of the spine and is known as the root chakra. This chakra governs the spinal column, kidneys, legs, feet, rectum, and immune system. So, when this chakra is out of balance, it may lead to lower back pain, varicose veins, leg cramps, rectal conditions, depression, as well as immune related disorders. A lack of balance in the root chakra may be caused by feelings of low self esteem, insecurity, or family concerns.
Other chakras include the sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow, and crown chakras. Each energy center must be vibrating at the proper frequency independent of one another in order for the entire body to vibrate in harmony. Therefore, each chakra is equally important to optimal functioning of the body according to the chakra healing tradition.
Many powerful tools can affect the vibration of the chakra, and that’s where chakra balancing comes into play. Chakra stones, the human voice, music, chants, mantras and chakra meditation bring the frequency of the chakras back into proper vibrational alignment. For example, the root chakra is greatly affected by the hematite, onyx, ruby or garnet gemstones. During chakra healing a practitioner may use one or all of these chakra stones to cleanse your root chakra and bring it into harmony.
Chakra meditation may also be used to open up your chakra centers and improve the flow of positive psychic energy in your body. During meditation you simply concentrate on each of the chakras starting with the first one and working your way up to your crown chakra. By imagining the flow of energy from chakra to chakra, you are helping to remove blockages in each energy center that might be causing pain and disease.
Because the chakras govern every organ and system in your body, chakra healing has far reaching health implications. Chakra balancing can lead to improved heart, lung, brain, immune and digestive function and may also help with depression, anxiety, and other emotional imbalances. Many believe that the chakras have the power to transform your life both physically and spiritually. It is only when our chakras are in sync that we can truly access higher levels of consciousness.
If the powerful art of chakra healing sounds intriguing to you, visit an experienced chakra healer. A good healer will ask you plenty of questions about your health in order to pinpoint which of your chakras are the most blocked or unbalanced. From there he or she may employ any number of tools to help lead your energy centers into harmonious vibration.
http://www.meditationandmore.com/

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Bach Flower Essences And Remedies - The Seven Helpers

Bach Flower Essences And Remedies - The Seven Helpers
Word Count:
1482
Summary:
A Bach Flower Therapy Introduction and the 12-7-19 Method of Bach Flower Essence Classification:
Dr. Edward Bach, developer of flower essence therapy, classified the original 38 essences he used in his practice according to the 12-7-19 method: the Twelve Healers, the Seven Helpers, and the Second Nineteen. In part I of this series, the Twelve Healer flower essences were reviewed, along with the underlying theory of flower essence therapy – here we’ll have a look at the rhy...

Keywords:
flower essences,bach flowers,bach flower remedies,alternative healing,alternative medicine

Article Body:
A Bach Flower Therapy Introduction and the 12-7-19 Method of Bach Flower Essence Classification:
Dr. Edward Bach, developer of flower essence therapy, classified the original 38 essences he used in his practice according to the 12-7-19 method: the Twelve Healers, the Seven Helpers, and the Second Nineteen. In part I of this series, the Twelve Healer flower essences were reviewed, along with the underlying theory of flower essence therapy – here we’ll have a look at the rhymes and reasons of the Seven Helpers.
Dr. Bach prescribed one or more of the Seven Helper essences to patients who did not seem to be responding sufficiently to therapy with one of the Twelve Healers. The Twelve Healer flower essences – Impatiens, Gentian, Mimulus, Clematis, Agrimony, Chicory, Vervain, Centaury, Scleranthus, Water Violet, Rock Rose, and Cerato – were developed by Dr. Bach to address what he saw as the imbalances of the twelve archetypal personality types. It is through the vibrational transformation of these imbalances that healing of overlying disease states can, in many cases, be initiated. However, Dr. Bach found there were individuals that did not respond to flower essence therapy with the Twelve Healers; this lead him to the discovery of the Seven Helpers.
The Purpose of the 'Seven Helper' Flower Essences:
The purpose of the Seven Helpers is to address chronically ingrained negative vibrational patterns which may be obscuring the primary personality type. For example, Olive, one of the Seven Helper flower essences, is prescribed for states of exhaustion, where one has been worn out by the struggle of healing or other life event. In this case, it may be difficult to see what the primary personality type of the individual may be, as true fatigue does not let a whole lot else show through - this real weariness may mask other personality traits or patterns.
Or it may be that the chronic state simply prevents progress on the healing path that could otherwise take place. Again, using Olive essence as an example – An individual may clearly be in need of one of the Twelve Healers. Perhaps they live in fear and are in need of Mimulus, and clearing this fear would allow them to heal. However, their fatigue is so great as they do not have the strength to work with these issues – in this case, it may be helpful to use Olive along with Mimulus to offer a more complete support from the flower essence therapy.
The Seven Helper essences can certainly be administered individually as well, particularly if a specific flower essence is strongly indicated. Dr. Bach had also written that if an individual is not responding to other essences, Wild Oat (one of the Seven) may be used: “If ever a case does not respond to treatment, give either Holly or Wild Oat, and it will be obvious which of the other remedies may be required. In all cases where the patient is of the active, intense type, give Holly. In patients who are of the weak, despondent type, give Wild Oat.”
Beyond the original works of Dr. Bach, the Flower Essence Repertory from Flower Essence Services offers descriptions of these seven essences beyond what a physician may see. FES broadens the application of the flowers to include their use for those needing change that may or may not be related to a health condition. This is an important point, as one may have tendencies they may wish to transform, but are at no serious risk. This application of flower essence is encouraged, for any support for personal and ‘soul’ evolution is indeed invaluable. So within the following descriptions of the Seven Helper flower essences, a broad view will be maintained, so that the greatest audience may find a suitable essence.
As always with flower essence therapy, in cases of illness, treatment is not a substitute for proper professional care. It may be the case that an illness may have emotional roots, and that flowers can be of help, but one should not solely rely on self-prescription of flower essences as a cure.
And on to the descriptions…
The Seven Helpers:
Olive – As stated earlier, Olive flower essence is indicated where great fatigue has set in. An individual may be pale, worn out and / or exhausted after excessive worry, illness, grief or other struggle. The individual perhaps feels they do not have the strength to continue; that both their physical energy source has been spent. The Olive remedy allows one to tap into a new source of light, helping one see and feel a rejuvenation that comes from establishing (or re-establishing) a connection to a universal energy. This connection may provide the impetus needed for change in other areas, or may be transformative in and of itself through helping on realize that the etheric ‘spirit’ body and the physical body are inseparable.
Gorse – This flower essence is used where one has lost will due to discouragement, becoming hopeless and resigned to one’s condition. They have perhaps been giving too much energy to the negative possibilities, solidifying this outlook so no progress can be made. This remedy restores hope to such individuals, so they may be able to have a brighter outlook, perhaps more joy, when confronted with life’s challenges.
Oak – The remedy for those committed to over-striving, regardless if that striving is having a positive result. Those in need of the Oak flower essence have great determination and strength, which can be true assets. However, at times it is crucial to balance this force with subtlety and grace. The individual may have even become resigned to the inevitable failure of their endeavor or succumbing to an illness, yet they continue with their efforts. Oak helps restore a balance, allowing one the freedom of letting up or resting when that is in fact what is required. An important essence in today’s hard-striving world.
Vine – For those who see their way as the ‘right’ way or the only way, Vine essence allows an opening in one’s perception for other points of view. An individual in need of Vine may have a domineering personality, insisting that everyone else follow their lead, including health professionals. Such a point of view can lead to great stress when it is perceived do not share the same ideas, and that harm, or at least lack of healing, may come about. Vine essence may soften this selfish nature, assisting one to understand that other points of view may be entirely valid, and in fact, more complete than one’s own. This allows the individual to receive needed support, often a key component in any personal transformation.
Heather – The Heather type appear self-obsessed, talking continually about their own situations and problems. Such persons are in fact truly lonely and often in great emotional pain. They may feel an emptiness or hunger, which they feed from the attention of others. This flower essence helps one make a connection to the Higher Self, finding peace and solace in the unity of all being. This realization helps one overcome the loneliness and disconnection they may feel, drawing on emotional self-sufficiency and true shared relationship with others for assistance.
Rock Water – For those that are too hard on themselves. Being reflective and aware is one thing, to go so far as to limit one’s (and one’s friends and family) enjoyment of life is another. Flexibility and spontaneity are key components to the ‘life well lived’. Further, a rigidity in lifestyle can prevent one from finding joy, an important factor in healing from many illnesses. This essence is sometimes indicated for those beginning flower essence therapy or those who do not see results, as it may assist in opening the soul to the energies of the plant realm.
Wild Oat – Health and happiness are very much connected with one’s ability to find one’s true vocation. Wandering through life feeling a lack of purpose can lead to distressed states, with addictions or despondency being possible results. Wild Oat flower essence may help align one with their true calling, so that both the individual and the greater environment can benefit. When one finds this sense of meaning, there is a strong inner light that can shine forth, supporting one’s own health, and the health of those around them.
These are the Seven Helpers, as categorized per Dr. Edward Bach’s 12-7-19 flower essence method. It is said that with the Twelve Healers and the Seven Helpers, one can support transformation of many vibrational/emotional states. At the same time, it is important to keep one’s mind open to possibilities; there are a great number of researched flower essences available, one’s that may be even more precisely applied to a particular situation. The Healer and Helper essences are however, a fantastic place to start if one is seeking an effective collection of remedies, suitable for the needs of many beings.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Acupunture Points Map

Acupunture Points Map
Word Count:
529
Summary:
Practitioners of the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture rely on the acupuncture points map to free trapped energy in the body and restore health.

Keywords:
acupuncture, acupressure, alternative health, alternative healing, alternative therapies, meditation, meditation techniques, yoga, holistic health, spirituality

Article Body:
Practitioners of the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture rely on the acupuncture points map to free trapped energy in the body and restore health.
You might have spotted this type of chart of the human body on the wall of your holistic doctor’s office or during a visit to a natural health store. It depicts numerous points on the body where the body’s energy, also known as qi, often accumulates. In fact, there are over 2,000 points that conduct energy throughout the body!
Because of their direct connection to the flow of energy in the body, the acupuncture pressure points depicted on the acupuncture points map help to regulate body function, mood, emotional and spiritual well-being. You might find it surprising that acupuncture has been used for over two millennia to help relieve headaches, skin conditions, digestive disorders, and asthma. And, that’s just the beginning. Acupuncture has been known to help with depression, phobias, addictions, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other ailments caused by energy imbalances in the body.
The traditional acupuncture points chart shows fourteen main channels, also known as meridians, which exist in the body – one meridian for each of the twelve organs, one along the spine and another along the abdomen. Acupuncture pressure points are located along these meridians, and some points have more than one function. This means that an acupuncturist might use them to cure more than one type of illness.
For example, there is a commonly-used point on the acupuncture points chart, which is located on the back side of the hand between the thumb and first finger. Acupuncturists use it mainly to relieve pain and to treat constipation or other intestinal disorders. This point, however, is also used to treat illnesses which cause inflammation and fever. Because the large intestine meridian runs from the hand to the face, these symptoms often manifest in the throat and head.
Another point on the acupuncture points map is located at the base of the skull along the gallbladder meridian. This is a valuable point to know around cold and flu season, because it helps treat these annoying illnesses. It also helps relieve headaches, neck pain, and fever. Additionally, it may also lower blood pressure and relax tension in the region around the eyes. There are a multitude of points that may hold the key to better health for you.
How does an acupuncturist use these points on an acupuncture points map? He or she utilizes small needles and places them at the specific point on the patient’s body to help relieve illnesses caused by disrupted energy flow. By manipulating the flow of qi at these points, the two forms of energy in the body, yin and yang, are brought into proper alignment. It may require several visits to your acupuncturist to bring your body’s energy into harmony.
Encouraging the proper flow of life energy at specific acupuncture pressure points will help bring your body into physical and emotional harmony, in addition to proper diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices. Visit a licensed acupuncturist who has studied the acupuncture points map in detail to ensure a beneficial session.
http://www.meditationandmore.com/