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Select Month November 2011 October 2011 August 2011 April 2011 December 2010 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 January 2010

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Thyme has long bee considered a valuable culinary and medicinal herb. The ancient Greeks called it thimari, meaning “courage”. Most often thought of as a cooking spice, Thyme is beneficial for winter illnesses and immune system support. It is often recommended for digestive and respiratory concerns, sore muscles, throat and skin health.

Native to the Mediterranean, Thyme prefers hot, dry climates and soil that is not too rich. It will grow well in containers, with its fragrant leaves and beautiful flowers attracting pollinators.

Thyme can be used as an antiseptic mouthwash and as a gargle to relieve sore throat. Rely on its antispasmodic action to ease a dry cough and help bring up phlegm. A cup of dried plant infusion twice daily helps treat lung infections. Thyme honey is excellent for dealing with colds or bronchial congestion. Do not use when you are pregnant.

Thyme is a useful disinfectant. Clean your kitchen counters, sinks and floors with a strong Thyme infusion mixed with vinegar. Thyme has also been used as a bug repellent against gnats and mosquitoes.

Used in preparing food, Thyme shows its best qualities by balancing the flavors of beef, lamb and pork; it brightens chicken and fish dishes. Stuff handfuls of Thyme inside whole roasting chickens. It also pairs well with fruits such as citrus, apples, pears & grapes.

 

Pan Fried Apples with Thyme

2 apples, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish

1 – Core apples and cut each into 1/2 inch thick slices

2 – Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add apple rings and cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Add thyme, cover and cook over low heat 3 minutes, or until apples are soft. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

 

Skullcap

The use of this herb dates back at least 2000 years. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that Skullcap is most useful for “draining fire” from the “upper burner,” to treat symptoms including high fever, irritability, thick mucus or swelling. This herb treats digestive upset and symptoms of emotion excess that cause blushing, flushing, irritability or headache.

Calcium rich Skullcap is a nourishing ally to anyone dealing with stress, anxiety, nervous exhaustion and insomnia. The infusion is given for nervous headaches, neuralgia and in headaches arising from incessant coughing. Also useful for pain and inducing sleep without any unpleasant side effects.

Skullcap is also beneficial in healing diseases like arthritis with its anti-inflammatory properties. It is especially effective when stress and anxiety worsens arthritis.

A few drops of Skullcap tincture can help induce a calm and peaceful state of mind. Use it before meditating, when doing a healing or body work or practicing yoga.

Rubus idaeus is the scientific name for red raspberry. The name comes from the Latin word “rubus” which means red and the Latin word “ida.” According to folklore, when the early gods were just infants, it is believed all raspberries were white. Legend claims that the nymph Ida, when baby Zeus was having a crying spell, went on a hunt for berries to soothe him. She pricked her finger on the raspberry bush and her blood dripped on the white berries making them bright red, hence raspberries.

Red raspberry is a highly nourishing reproductive tonic, providing nutrients that tone and strengthen the entire genitourinary system. One of the richest sources of iron, raspberry is used to replenish iron-poor blood. The abundant calcium also helps mend bones and strengthen hair, teeth and nails.

This is an especially good herb for pregnant women. The tea drank in the morning helps relieve morning sickness and it supports the uterus in preparation for childbirth, promoting an easy, uncomplicated delivery.

As a tea or tincture, raspberry leaf is valuable for treating diarrhea and dysentery. Because of its astringent properties, it is a good mouthwash for sore or infected gums. Use it as an nutritive tonic when energy is low, when recovering from illness and at times when an endocrine tonic is needed.

The leaf is quite tasty but tastes nothing like raspberries!

Do you use energy healing as a form of first aid when an injury happens? In our monthly Reiki shares I tell people to be comfortable using Reiki, or any energy modality, so that they can use it in a first aid situation. Well I heeded my own advice today.

Knowing I had a late client to see, I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from a networking meeting to pick up a couple things I needed to prepare a quick, easy dinner. With my eyes on a bag of lettuce, I headed straight through the produce department to claim the green nourishment. What I failed to see was a piece of produce that had fallen to the floor right in my path. My foot caught that slippery substance, twisted my ankle under and dropped me hard, landing flat on both knees. The force of the fall knocked the wind out of me and pain shot up both legs.

A very sweet man whose face I never did see immediately came over to me, asked if I was alright and helped me to my feet. As I stood there wobbly and embarrassed, he got a paper towel and cleaned up the mess that had tripped me up. I told the other lady that had seen my ungraceful landing that I was fine and took my wounded pride to the next aisle. My knees hurt, my eyes were watering and I was trying to get out of there as fast as I could. I knew I was hurt.

I did self checkout with my two items and walked out to the truck. Pain was shouting at me now. I got in the truck and pulled my pant leg up to see the damage and there was already a huge goose-egg and two visible bruises on my left knee. “Damn”, I thought, that is my good knee!

Fortunately I was only about 5 miles from home so I headed there as fast as I could. As I drove I was sending energy to my knees and planning my strategy. My husband came out to greet me as I pulled in the driveway and I told him I was hurt bad, his brow furrowed worriedly and he helped me into the house. He knows that my knees are not my strongest body part.

I immediately changed into a pair of shorts to have access to the knee and went right to work. Going through my list of healing plant allies I started first with a liberal rub down of St. Johns Wort oil to prevent any more bruising and help with swelling. I then took a healthy dose of my Pain Relief Tincture, by now I needed some pain relieved and I knew that the Valerian and White Willow Bark combo would do the trick. An ice pack wrapped in a towel shot pain up my leg as I sat on the sofa and began now to earnestly send Reiki energy to both my knees. For 30 minutes I sat there channeling healing energy, my intent was no pain, no swelling and no additional bruising. I was very focused and believed in my heart that I had the power to fix this.

I was having what I thought was minimal pain considering how much weight had landed squarely on my precious knees, so I got up to walk around and see how I was doing. Pretty good, a little stiff but good range of motion and no additional swelling or bruising. It had worked! The left knee was a little stiff and sore from the bruise but my right knee was pain free and not a mark on it. I expressed my gratitude to the Universe. I continued with my day, working at my desk until the late client arrived for her massage. I was able to give her the massage without any pain!

Even after all the energy work I have done with clients, and all the amazing things I have seen healed I am still in awe of such a great gift. A gift that we all have access to, a divine healing power that flows freely from Source. I am happily enjoying the gift of healing energy tonight.

Treat arthritis with this traditional Ayurvedic drink known as Golden Milk:

Mix 1/4 cup turmeric powder with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

Cook until a thick paste is formed, then store in the refrigerator.

To make the drink, mix 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon almond oil, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric paste and honey to taste.

Stir on low heat and bring just to a boil. Blend to make a foamy beverage.

I’ll admit I have been in a dark mood for a while now. No I’m not proud of it. I try to shake it but it keeps coming back. When I check in to see what it is I find fear. It paralyzes me. Not good for my state of mind, my relationships or my business.

Why do I have this fear? What am I afraid of? I have done inner work many times to try and figure out this demon but I never seem to be able to shake it. One thing I have figured out is that around this time of year it always rears its ugly head.

But today is December 1st and Winter Solstice just around the corner on December 21st. The Winter Solstice is the day of longest darkness, on the next day the light begins to return and overtake the darkness. I have decided that this is a perfect time to deal with my own inner shadow! In earth based spirituality the time of Winter Solstice is when you go inside and look for the things of darkness that need to be brought to the light….I know mine….fear.

So I have pledged a path to work with this shadow and bring it to the light.

I am walking the Labyrinth and meditating every day for the next 21 days to try and understand my shadow side.

So today I took my first walk to begin my journey. Honestly I was not expecting much today because I figured it would take me a while to get into the flow. Yes I was in my head…and I know better

I walked to the center and sat facing the North looking to the ancestors to give me guidance. As I sat there thinking about fear and why it is so paralyzing in my life I had an insight.

My parents divorced when I was 6 years old. From that time forward I bounced from one parent to the other to live because my parents would ask me who I wanted to live with. When I was mad at one parent I would go and live with the other one. Young children should not make that choice….I ended up going to 13 different schools growing up because of constantly bouncing back and forth.

What I learned in the center of the Labyrinth was that as a child every time I expressed what I want someone I loved got hurt. If I said I wanted to live with one parent the other one felt pain. I believe that has a huge bearing on why I have trouble making decisions.

I have been working with a business coach and part of the process is to figure out what you want for yourself and your business. I have had so much resistance to that part of the work and now I understand why. I’m afraid if I want something it will cause others pain.

Wow did that hit me between the eyes!

So I will continue my daily walks and see what other insights the Universe has in store for me!

I invite you to do some inner work leading up to the Winter Solstice and bring your shadows to the light.

Blessed be

The Dalai Lama turned 75 on July 6th and here are his Good Karma notes that are worthy of passing on….

20 Good Karma Notes from The Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
- Respect for self,
- Respect for others and
- Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. (My personal favorite)
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

Energy therapies is a collective term used to refer to a variety of alternative and complementary treatments based on the use, modification, or manipulation of energy fields.

In 2007 Dr. Mehmet Oz stated “the next big frontier in medicine is energy medicine”, on the Oprah show. He is not alone, many others are joining the collective voice of supporters of this ancient knowledge. According to Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Nobel laureate in Medicine: “In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.”

The language of energy is one your body already speaks and understands. Energy can be managed to more effectively deal with stress, reduce anxiety and free yourself of many ailments.

Using energy you can optimize the body’s natural capacities to heal itself and to stay healthy. Energy therapy is a return to personal responsibility for health care, harmonizing with the forces of nature and returning to practices that are natural, non-invasive and familiar to the body, mind and spirit.

Symptoms of Low Energy:

• Unusual tiredness, even after 8 or 9 hours sleep
• Inability to summon enthusiasm
• Lack of interest in sex
• Poor concentration
• Apathy

All people can enhance the health of the body’s energies. Just as eveyone has a different physical structure, everyone has a different energy anatomy. The most important participant in energy medicine is the one who inhabits the body being worked on.

A typical energy session will start off with a brief conversation, allowing the client tell the practitioner why he or she is there, what is going on in his/her life, and what he or she is hoping to get out of the session(s). Almost all energy therapies are performed on fully clothed clients who are either lying down on a flat surface or sitting up in a chair.

The practitioner simply allows the energy to channel into the client. There is no physical manipulation; everything is done on a purely energetic level. Once the energy session is completed the practitioner “grounds” the client back to the planet. This is often done by moving to the feet and channeling the energy into the soles of the feet. This works to open the chakras on the bottoms of the feet, which connect us to the planet.

The purpose of energy healing is to help identify and move stuck energy to allow us to rediscover the lightness of life and the joy of being alive. An open heart, a set of hands and a willing spirit is all that is needed.

Taking care of our health isn’t just about doctor’s visits and blood tests. It is estimated that 80% of healthcare is done in our homes by loved ones. When we begin to see healthcare as all the things we do everyday to treat ourselves and keep us healthy it becomes obvious. So the real question is how do you want to treat those everyday issues? One way is with simple, natural remedies found in your kitchen!

Things like onions, lemons and honey can be first aid for a variety of ailments. Here are a few simple things you can do at home:

Earaches

Earaches are infections of the inner or outer ear signified by pain, redness and sometimes itchiness around the outer ear. If the pain becomes severe or is prolonged, consult a medical practitioner.

Generally, earaches are accompanied by colds and flus. Treat the related symptoms and eliminate foods that may be congesting to the eardrums. Dairy, sugar and citrus products (with the exception of lemons and grapefruit) are the primary culprits. Then try the following:

• Hot Onion Packs: Hot onion packs are an old-fashioned remedy that really works. Wrap hot sautéed onions in a flannel cloth and apply directly to both ears. Reheat the onions as needed. Leave the hot onion pack on for 30-45 minutes, longer if possible.

• Hot Salt Packs: If the onion pack doesn’t work, heat some salt in a cast-iron skillet; when the salt is too hot to touch, pour it onto a dishcloth or cotton cloth. Using other towels to protect against the heat, place against the ear for at least 30 minutes.

The Versatile Aloe

The fresh gel from the aloe vera plant is easy to extract. Choose a large succulent leaf and slice it carefully off the mother plant. (The plant will ooze a gel-like substance from the location of the cut, which will heal itself within a few hours.) Slice along the edge of the leaf lengthwise (cutting only as far as you need to for one application of gel). Scoop out the gel from the interior of the leaf, scraping the skin clean. This gel can be applied directly to any burn, wound or rash. If you don’t use the entire leaf, wrap the remainder in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator, it will keep for several months.

When we look at the health of the digestive system holistically we can see the importance of the interaction between a person’s state of mind and digestion. Emotions profoundly influence both the functioning and structure of tissue in the stomach and intestines. There is an immediate response to anger, anxiety, fear and all form of stress and worry. Most of the digestive problems that commonly occur are easily avoidable by changes of lifestyle and habits.

The term indigestion is used for a wide range of symptoms including pain, flatulence, heartburn and other distress. Most are caused by a functional problem in the stomach stemming from inappropriate eating habits. Some common causes of indigestion include:

• Irregular eating: the functioning of the body is characterized by rhythms and in the digestive systems is no exception. If meals are eaten irregularly these rhythms are disturbed and functional problems may result.
• Overeating and eating too quickly: if too much food goes into the stomach, either at one time or in total over the day the stomach will be overloaded and not work properly. Overloading causes problems in the stomach which may affect the whole system. Obesity is one common result. Also when food is eaten too quickly and not chewed thoroughly it causes problems as the food may not be digested properly and may pass through the system in an undigested state.
• Nervous tension: the whole digestive system is easily effected by stress and anxiety.

You can see how lifestyle is a big factor in indigestion and changes to those habits can influence your overall health. There are herbs that can be helpful in dealing with the symptoms of indigestion. For flatulence a good carminative can be a friend to you and those around you. Herbs to try are Aniseed, Fennel and Peppermint. Now you understand the popularity of those after dinner mints!